Thank you so much for your response on the second chapter too! I am so glad you are so interested in the story and I hope you like this chapter as well, please enjoy!
''Goodmorning.'' Gabby mumbled softly as she rolled over to Matt and kissed him on the mouth, waking him up as he had been sleeping through his alarm.
''Hey, how are you feeling.'' Matt asked concerned, caressing him over his cheek.
''Feeling a lot better, feeling good enough to work.'' She smiled.
''That cold medication sure helped….but I don't want you to get sick again, just take a day to get back to your old strength and go to he next shift.''
''Are you sure?'' Gabby said. ''I don't want to miss out on work.''
''Well, I don't want you to get sick again.'' Matt said as he kissed her and got out of bed then, s=taking a quick shower and getting dressed before he walked down to the kitchen. Gabby was asleep again in the bed. He was sure it was better for her to just take a day before going back to work, so she could really recover.
Genevieve was sitting at the kitchen table, dressed and looked as Matt walked in.
''Goodmorning, how are you?'' Matt asked as he started to make breakfast.
''I am good, how is Gabriela?''
''Feeling better, but just taking it easy.'' Matt smiled as he put down some toast and eggs for Genevieve.
''Thank you.'' She said.
''You are welcome.'' Matt said friendly and he sat down then.
''I think I should take you to your aunt.'' Matt said. Genevieve looked a bit unsure but nodded then.
''Yes, you probably should…I should go home…'' She said then and they breakfast together.
''So you are in school?''
''I usually don't go.'' Genevieve admitted.
Matt tried not to gasp but looked concerned then.
''You should go to school.''
''I know, but….it's hard…my aunt doesn't take any money home…so I work a lot during the day.''
''That…that is really brave…but you should be in school. You shouldn't have to worry about money.'' Matt said.
''That is easy to say. My aunt uses her welfare for drugs, so if I want to eat I have to earn money.''
''I am sorry you have to worry about that.''
''Don't be, I am not exactly the perfect girl myself.'' She said as she got up to put the dishes in the sink. He wanted to ask what she meant but since she was already upset he did not want to upset her even more.
Quiet they got in the car then and he drove to the way Genevieve pointed out and he stopped in front of the old, shabby looking house and as he walked inside, Matt got in hit in the face by the stench that came from all the food scraps and garbage laying around.
Matt held his sleeve in front his mouth and nose, the whole living room smelling terrible.
''I don't want to be here anymore.'' Genevieve suddenly said, turning around and looking at him with tears in her eyes.
''I don't want to be here…'' She said again and Matt nodded.
''I am going to help you, I promise. I promise. ''
''how are you going to help me by just leaving me here again.'' She asked scared.
They heard some stumbling upstairs.
''She is getting out of the shower, you have to go!'' Genevieve said and Matt shook his head.
''I am not leaving you like that.''
''You have to!'' Genevieve said. ''She could hurt you. Please go!''
Matt nodded then and she hugged him, Matt a but unexpected about that but hugged her back before walking away, going to shift with a nasty feeling.
Later that evening Gabby had just had dinner, although she was still not keeping much down and was watching television now. A show about wedding dresses, not something she would usually watch but now she was just hoping she would pick out one of her own soon.
Suddenly there was knocking on the door and slowly she walked to the door, opening it then and found Genevieve standing there, crying, with one eye bruised and another large bruise on her jaw.
''I got you, come here.'' Gabby said then and she hugged the crying girl.
''What happened to you?'' Gabby asked concerned as she cupped Genevieve's face in her hands, looked at the black eye and the bruise on her jaw.
''My aunt.'' Genevieve cried. ''She hit me after Matt left, she said she would hurt you if you would ever take me from her again.''
''But…''
''I know, you didn't take me…but she is can't be reasoned with.'' Genevieve said and sad she looked at Gabby.
''I have to call my brother, he is a police officer, he will be able to arrest your aunt after she did this to you.''
''No, I don't want her to get arrested.'' Genevieve said then and Gabby took Genevieve to the kitchen, handing her an icepack for her jaw and eye.
''What now?'' Genevieve asked lost.''
''We are going to the firehouse, to Matt….he will know what to do, he always does.'' Gabby said and slowly Genevieve nodded and they walked to the car, driving to the firehouse and when they got there, Genevieve seemed a bit nervous but Gabby walked in with her.
''Are you working here too?'' She suddenly asked as she saw a picture.
''Yes….I work on the ambulance. I worked on the ambulance before, then I became a candidate but since it didn't work out between me and Matt on a professional level I went back on ambulance…just took a sick day now.'' She explained and she laid her arm around Genevieve as they walked to the common room.
''I am sorry I made you come here on your sick day.''
''Don't be sorry.'' Gabby insisted and they walked inside, Matt jumping up at the table immediately. Quickly they walked to the conference room when they saw Otis was doing his podcast there and they went to Matts office.
''Oh no…Genevieve I am so sorry, did your aunt did this to you?'' Matt asked as he looked at her black eye and bruised face.
''She did.'' Genevieve said upset. She turned away then, away from Gabby and Matt.
''Are you angry with me? Because I want with you?'' Matt asked concerned.
''No, I just…I don't know!'' She yelled angry as she started to cry.
''I want help but I don't know if you can help me and I don't want to be a burden!'' She cried and Gabby wanted to laid her arm around the crying girl but Genevieve pushed her arm away.
''You don't even know me! My own family doesn't want to help me but you say you want to, but you are strangers! I am scared to be hurt again.''
''We are not going to hurt you, I promise.'' Matt said then and she sat down on the bed, carefully looking up at them.
''I know I haven't been the best girl either…and maybe I don't deserve it to have a loving home, but –''
''You do deserve a loving home…and I am not going to let you get hurt again, I promise that.'' Matt said then and Gabby nodded.
''Even if we have to be your guardians, we won't let you go back to your aunt.'' She said then and Genevieve let go of a careful smile.
''I am not sure about that-''
''If you are not that is okay, but I am not sure what else we can do for you.'' Gabby admitted then. ''Your aunt is your guardian…we can fight for guardianship with a judge. My brother works with the police and he will be able to help us. But other than that, I am not sure what we can do.''
Genevieve nodded.
''I am not letting you go back to your aunt. Not after she did this.'' Gabby said then and Matt nodded.
Carefully she smiled again.
''I am scared that aunt knows where you live now…I think she might have followed me.'' She said concerned.
''You can stay here for the night, just lay down in this bed…and we will make sure your aunt won't get to you.''
''I will stay here tonight too.'' Gabby said then.
Genevieve laid down then and Matt pulled the blanket over her, walking out of his office.
''This is bad.'' He said then as he and Gabby sat down on one of the other beds.
''This is terrible, poor girl. I am not sure what to do though. We barely know her…and I want to take care of her, but I am not sure if I can…and if it the right thing to do.''
''Leaving her with the aunt is definitely the wrong idea.'' Matt said then.
''Matt, we can't just take her in, you are not even double her age….I am only 12 years older. She feels like my younger sister.'' Gabby said and Matt pulled her against him, caressing her shoulder.
''Why would you need to see her like a daughter? She is in trouble…and she only needs guardians for two years. Look at her, she is hurt, she doesn't need parents but she needs people to sort her life out…and we can do that. We can provide her with a future…and care for her, give her the love she needs without having to be her parent.''
Gabby nodded then.
''Í know we can take care of her, we are a good couple and we have to take care of her. We can't let her get hurt again. I talked to her…and she reminded me of me…when my family got in trouble after my mom killed my dad…and I was broken…I don't want her to feel the same way I did.'' Matt admitted then and he and Gabby shared a kiss.
''I love you.'' Matt said then and she laid her head against his chest.
''I love you too.''
Suddenly Cruz was standing beside the bed.
''Some mad woman is here to see you Matt…she seems odd…'' Cruz said concerned. ''I think she might be on drugs.''
''Call Antonio – it has to be Genevieve's aunt.'' Matt told Gabby before getting up and slowly walking to the common room.
NOTE: Things are just getting more and more terrible! How will this end and will they take in Genevieve into their home or will her Aunt stay the person ''responsible?'' Are Matt and Gabby being overly brave trying to save a girl?
So yeah, this chapter was not going to come up yet but hey I couldn't keep myself from writing this chapter, so I hope you forgive me for updating it earlier! Thank you so much for reading and please tell me what you think about this chapter! Hope to see you again next chapter!