Wow. Thank you for the love and support on the first chapter. I'm so excited for you guys to see where this story goes, and I'm glad you all are so interested in it. It truly makes me so happy.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter, we get a little bit more information on Gabby and her situation. Happy reading!

T W O

Gabby picked at the chipping paint on her coffee cup as she sat at her brother's kitchen table, feeling Antonio's eyes on her as he moved throughout the kitchen, preparing their breakfast.

It was early, a little after seven, and with the late night Gabby had it felt even earlier. When she showed up at her brother's doorstep last night, she explained the bare minimum to him as they sat in his living room, despite him pressing her for more information.

"He just broke up with me, Antonio. There's not much more to it. He said he didn't want to be with me anymore, so I left."

"That's it? You all were together for three years, and that's all he says? You all hadn't been fighting or anything?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, he wanted to end things, that's it. It's over, I'm fine."

Needless to say, their conversation didn't get very far. Gabby was exhausted and didn't feel like explaining everything to him, especially when there was so much she didn't understand herself. They spoke for all of ten minutes before Antonio gave up, knowing she had to be up for work in a few hours. But it was clear their conversation was far from over, he just knew better than to push her more than he already had.

"Are you sure you want to work today? I mean, no one would blame you for taking the shift off." He spoke as he brought over two plates with some eggs and toast on them, Gabby blowing out a soft breath.

"I don't need to take the shift off, I'm fine." She replied, Antonio raising his eyebrows as he sat down next to her.

"Gabby, it just happened last night. There's no reason you should have to go and be with that asshole for 24 hours." He prodded, Gabby sucking in a deep breath.

"I'm fine, Antonio." She reiterated.

"No you're not. And you shouldn't be. You don't have to be strong all the time, sis. What he did to you, you're allowed to be upset about it."

"I told you, I'm fine." She bit back, taking a sip of her coffee. "He made his decision, there's nothing I can do about it. Wallowing over some guy who doesn't wanna be with me isn't going to change things. He's already wasted years of my life, I'm not gonna let him take anything else from me."

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Antonio nodded. He knew she wasn't okay, but pressing her on it would only make it worse. So he went back to his breakfast, the two sitting in relative silence as they ate, Antonio noticing her leg bouncing up and down against the ground, something he knew she did when she was nervous.

"Whether you're fine or not, you know you can always call me, right?" He murmured, Gabby tilting her head up to look at him. "No matter how you're feeling, going into work today, that's going to be hard. I just want to make sure you know I'm here if you need me."

"I know you are." She responded, glancing towards the clock above the stove, pushing her chair back. "I gotta get going, I'll see you tomorrow." Antonio's eyes flashed from his sister to her still full plate, a slight frown forming on his face.

"Don't you wanna eat?"

"I'm not really hungry, but I can get something at the station later." She responded quickly, Antonio holding his tongue as he just nodded.

"Alright, well stay safe out there." He replied, pushing himself up from the table, disappearing into the living room. Gabby put her dishes in the sink before following his path, seeing him digging around in his desk drawer. Gabby moved towards the door, grabbing her coat and her shift bag, turning to face her brother just as he began walking towards her, holding a key up towards her. "This is for you. I meant what I said, you can stay here as long as you need."

Gabby smiled softly at her him, reaching out to take the key, pocketing it as she stepped forward to hug him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "Thank you, Tonio." She whispered, feeling him squeeze her tightly before they pulled away.

He rubbed his hand up and down her arm lightly, giving her one last supportive smile before Gabby walked towards the door, his smile falling as she left the apartment, Antonio unable to shake the uneasiness he felt at his sister going to work today.

Casey stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he walked towards the counter, beginning his routine to get ready for work. As he was brushing his teeth, he caught a glimpse of the marks covering his skin. The marks Gabby left on him. There were multiple patches of discoloration across his chest, and a few at the base of his neck. Hopefully, the collar on his shirt would be able to cover the purple-ish bruising, his smirk widening as he saw the faintest outline of teeth marks on his shoulder, Matt remembering the exact moment he'd elicited that reaction from her.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts of last night from his mind, continuing to get ready for the day ahead. He couldn't be distracted today, not when he wanted to make a good first impression at his new firehouse. He needed this house to work, it had to work. He couldn't continue being shuffled around the CFD. Each time he got placed at a new house, it made it harder and harder for his men to trust him. He knows how firehouses work, it never takes long for word to spread that Casey has gotten kicked from multiple houses. And even though the reasoning is never made public, people hear things. No matter how misguided they are, rumors spread and it makes his job harder. It's made it nearly impossible to gain the trust and respect of his firefighters, and those are two things he has to have in order to do his job.

And another thing that stayed planted in the back of his mind was that he knew headquarters was running out of places to send him. Since he got kicked from his last house a few months back, he'd been filling in at different spots throughout the city, never knowing when his next shift would be. It had gotten to the point where he filled in for other firefighters, Lieutenant or not, because he needed the money. For awhile there, part of him had been worried this was his career now, that he'd be a floater forever. It was looking to be in the realm of possibility until he got the call two weeks ago that a firehouse in the heart of the city was looking for a new Lieutenant. Casey jumped at the chance, not even caring which house it was, he just needed the job. He'd gone to deal with paperwork last week, and he went to tour the facility a few days ago. His visit had been during another shift, he wasn't able to meet his new coworkers, but he'd met with his new Chief. From everything he saw during his brief visit, it seemed like a great house, and he was excited to start working there.

Although along with his excitement came some nerves. He knew what his reputation was around the department, and he had no idea if those rumors had spread to his new house. It didn't matter that the words said about him weren't the entire story, once people heard of the past reasons for him getting bumped from houses, they formed their own opinions, and they were rarely kind. If you asked him, the grounds for him continuously getting transferred weren't really his fault. He'd made some mistakes in his time, he'd never deny that, but nothing that ever warranted him being moved. It had been too many cases of his word against someone else's, and more often than not he lost that fight. Trouble always seemed to find him, and it resulted in him getting bounced around houses for the better part of his Lieutenancy, as well as carrying around people's judgements and assumptions of him.

But he refused to let it happen again. He had a good feeling about this house, he had to. Matt was well aware this could be his last shot, that it was his one final chance for a completely fresh start. He didn't know anyone from this new house, as well as he could remember they'd never even worked the same calls together, and that could only work in his favor. No one knew him, and hopefully that meant no one knew of the rumors said about him. There'd be no formed opinions before he even had the chance to get there. This was his opportunity to find a stable house where he could stay for years to come, and he was determined to make it work.

Gabby quietly walked in the side door of the firehouse, keeping her head down as she stayed close to the wall, ignoring the chatter of voices she heard coming from the squad table. Without ever looking up, she entered through the first set of double doors in the garage, trying to make herself invisible as she walked the familiar path towards the locker room.

She knew her moments of solitude were fleeting, that at any moment she'd run into someone, that she'd see him, and the walls she'd placed around herself would be tested. Despite what she'd told her brother, and as much as she wanted to believe it, she wasn't ready for this. Gabby wasn't sure if she could get through this day without breaking, but she had to try.

Turning the corner into the locker room, she looked up for the first time, her pace slowing as she heard familiar voices deep inside the room. Her fight or flight response began to kick in as she nearly stopped altogether, having to find the courage to walk the remaining few feet.

She could hear him, hear the laughter in his voice as he spoke with Shay and Severide, hearing how carefree he sounded. Like he hadn't just destroyed her entire life twelve hours ago. He sounded fine, and it was frustrating her more and more by the second.

From what Gabby was hearing, if she had to guess, she'd say he hadn't told anyone what happened. Based on the laughter coming from the other side of the lockers, Severide and Shay knew nothing of their broken engagement, although Gabby was sure it wouldn't take long to figure out.

All she hoped is that she wasn't there when the house found out, she didn't need to see the reactions of everyone learning she'd been dumped. Things had been a little tough here for Dawson as of late, but once the news broke about her ended engagement to 51's favorite firefighter, she knew that would only get worse. Aside from Shay, she wasn't sure if she would have anyone on her side. Not that she'd ever ask that of them, but there had already been a shift in her relationship with the members of 51, and this was bound to make it worse.

Her frayed relationship with her colleagues was mostly her doing, she knew that. Since her relationship had first began to crack all those months ago, she'd been distancing herself. It hadn't even been on purpose, but news of their relationship issues had spread fast, and it made it hard for them to be in the same room together while on shift, which resulted in Gabby spending a lot of time in the bunk room alone. It was easier than them bickering on shift and making everyone uncomfortable, so she'd started spending a lot of time by herself. And now, she was sure that would only continue.

Shay had tried her best to include her, and to always check in on, but Gabby wasn't making it easy. She'd been trying to figure out how to fix her crumbling engagement, she wasn't focused on much else. Although it didn't seem to matter. Despite how hard she tried to do what he wanted, to be what he wanted, it didn't matter. She wasn't enough for him. And now her relationships at work had suffered because of it.

Knowing she couldn't hide forever, Gabby held her head high as she took the last few steps towards her locker, glancing towards the group of three as she stepped around the bench. His back was to her, clearly not aware of her presence, as Shay and Severide saw her enter.

"Hey Dawson." Kelly spoke up, Shay flashing her a smile, Gabby reciprocating the gesture, forcing one onto her face as well.

"Hey guys."

He had yet to turn around, but she saw his neck clench, clearly trying to compose himself, Gabby waiting a few seconds to see if he'd look at her. But he never did.

Peeling her eyes away from the group, she began working on the combination for her locker, listening in as their conversation resumed. But the joyous tone to his voice was gone. He sounded more like the man Gabby had been dealing with for the last few months, his voice lacking enthusiasm as he spoke with Kelly and Shay.

"Alright, I'm gonna go get some coffee before roll call. See you guys out there." He left without another word, not even glancing in her direction as he exited the room, Gabby keeping her focus on the inside of her locker, swallowing thickly at all the photos of the two of them covering the door. Photos she'd need to remove.

Shay watched the interaction, or lack of one, between the couple with a curious stare, her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a read on what that was about. Glancing to Kelly, he held the same confused look in his eye, Shay shrugging as she nodded at him to leave, knowing if she were to get anything out of her partner, they'd need to be alone. Understanding her request, Severide shut his locker and turned to leave, Shay focusing her attention on Dawson.

"You doing alright?" She asked carefully, Gabby putting her bag in her locker, not bothering to look towards her friend.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Did something happen between you guys?" Shay questioned softly, making sure to drop her voice as she spoke. She knew there were many prying ears in the firehouse, and if there was something going on, she knew Dawson wouldn't want it broadcasted to the entire house.

But Gabby ignored the question, turning to face her friend, trying to think of some excuse that wouldn't be considered a lie. But she never got the chance as Shay's focus went in another direction, her eyebrow raising as her head cocked to the side.

"Well, never mind. Looks like you two had a good night." She spoke teasingly, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What?"

Reaching out towards Gabby's collar, Shay moved her jacket out of the way, exposing the purple patch of skin on her neck. "He left a mark." She chuckled, Gabby swatting her friend's hand away, forcing a fake smile onto her face as she pulled her collar tight to her skin.

"Would you stop." She muttered, bringing her ponytail to rest over her shoulder, trying to aid in hiding Casey's marks. When she woke up this morning, she'd noticed a lot of remaining bruising still covering her skin, Matt apparently having been a little too eager during their night together. In hindsight, she probably should've directed him further south before letting him blemish her body, but it hadn't exactly been on her mind in the moment.

Gabby checked her appearance in the small mirror hanging on her locker door, needing assurance that the mark Matt had left on her neck was completely covered. It wasn't that she was ashamed of it, she honestly wasn't. If last night had taught her anything, it's that she owed nothing to anyone except herself. When she woke up this morning, she actually found that her night with Casey made her feel a little bit better. It wasn't because of him, but it was the fact that she knew she could move on. She took that first step in being with someone else again, and it proved to her that she could. She was capable of getting past this, and in time, it gave her hope that she'd be okay.

But that didn't mean she wanted to parade around with the marks on full display. She was a single woman, and free to do what she wanted, but she knew if he saw them, he'd demand answers. And most likely not bother to do so in private, and that was not a conversation she could deal with right now. She couldn't focus on anything other than getting through this day, she didn't want to make things harder for herself by flaunting off the fact she hadn't spent the night alone.

"So things are getting better." Shay stated, a pleased smile resting on her face. "I'm glad, I know it's been hard for you two lately."

Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth, unsure of how to respond to her friend. Here was her opening, her chance to tell Shay about their broken engagement. But she couldn't. Not yet.

Glancing down to her watch, Gabby merely nodded, shutting her locker. "We need to get out there." She replied, not waiting for Shay's response before turning to leave.

With Shay in tow, Gabby headed for the conference room, shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked, bracing herself for shift ahead.

Stepping into the room, all eyes landed on her and Shay as they came through the door, Gabby's spine straightening as the house watched her for a moment. Her eyes bounced around the room nervously, before her gaze locked with his, seeing his face hardened into a glare as she stood there. In that moment, it felt as if everyone knew. That the entire house knew she'd been dumped by the man standing in the back of the room. She felt vulnerable under their stares. But as quickly as they had looked her way, they went back to what they were doing, all eyes leaving her except for those belonging to the man standing against the wall.

Gabby released a heavy breath, feeling Shay place a hand on her back, silently urging her to keep walking, the blonde unsure why her friend had stopped so suddenly in the doorway. Dawson continued into the room, keeping her head up as she looked around for a seat, her muscles tightening as she noticed the only available ones were at the table in front of him.

He was standing against the back wall, his body weight leaned into it as he spoke with Kelly, the two talking quietly to one another. Pursing her lips together, Gabby began walking towards the seat, moving her gaze to the ground as she got close, feeling his eyes burning into her head when she came into his view. She sat down directly in front of him, Shay sitting to her right as they waited for Boden to come in. Gabby was honestly surprised he wasn't here yet, seeing as her and Shay had arrived a few minutes late. But she wasn't complaining, Gabby happy to avoid the lecture she surely would've gotten had the Chief been here to notice her tardiness.

The longer they sat there, the more uncomfortable she felt, Gabby nervously tapping her fingers on the table as she tried to filter out the sound of his voice behind her while he spoke with Severide, although it was nearly impossible with him being less than a foot away. Being around him made her feel sick, like she could throw up at any second. And she hated it.

"So you don't know anything about him?" He asked quietly towards his friend, Gabby's leg shaking under the table.

"No, I've never met him. I asked Boden, but Chief didn't have much to say. Just that he's a great guy. Became a Lieutenant after barely four years on the job, so he's good. Really good." Kelly responded.

"And he's starting today?"

"Yeah, he is. I think he's already here, saw some guy in there with Boden when I got here this morning."

"Well, this should be fun."

Any conversations going halted when Boden walked in the room, nodding at his firefighters and paramedics as he stood in front of everyone. "Good morning." He bellowed throughout the small room, similar greetings coming from the people around him. "Glad to have everyone back today. As you all know, we have a new truck Lieutenant joining 51."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed at the information, looking around to take in the reactions of her coworkers, all of which seemed unfazed by the news. "Did you know about this?" Gabby asked quietly as she leaned towards Shay, trying to draw as little attention as possible.

"Yeah, Severide told me last week. It's been like the only topic of discussion around here lately. You didn't know?" Shay asked curiously, her eyes flickering to the man standing behind Gabby. Not wanting to interrupt further, Gabby simply shook her head.

"Lieutenant Stephens has taken a position at headquarters, he decided it wasn't in his best interest to return to firefighting. So, we've got our new permanent truck Lieutenant. Even though Herrmann did a decent job filling in…" Boden spoke with a smirk, teasing cheers being heard throughout the room. "But our new Lieutenant joining us has been on the job for nearly ten years, been a Lieutenant for six of those. He's great at what he does, and I imagine he'll fit in well around here."

Gabby heard the far door open as Boden was speaking, but didn't pay much attention to it as she listened to the Chief, her mind already elsewhere. It wasn't until she heard some rustling that she glanced over, her eyes flashing towards the supposed new Lieutenant quickly, barely taking him in before looking back towards the Chief.

It took a few seconds for her mind to register what, or rather who, she saw, but the second she did, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her eyes landed on him again, feeling bile rise in her throat as she saw him standing there, smiling softly as he took in his surroundings. He was looking around the room, Gabby's breath hitching as she watched his movements. Before he saw her, Boden spoke up, regaining the man's attention.

"Everyone, I'd like you to welcome Lieutenant Matt Casey." Boden introduced, members of 51 clapping as Matt walked towards the center of the room where Chief was standing, Gabby's eyes locked on his moving form. She felt like it was impossible to breath, like any second now she'd snap out of whatever nightmare this was, and this wouldn't be happening. "Casey." Boden prompted, holding out his arm as he took a step back, signaling Matt to speak.

Clearing his throat, he nodded as his eyes darted around the room, taking in the faces of his new coworkers. He forced himself to push aside the nerves he was feeling as he began to speak. "Well, hi. I'm not sure what else there is to say, but I'm looking forward to working here. I've heard nothing but great things about this house, and-" He stopped short as his locked eyes with hers, his mind ceasing all other function for a split second as he saw exactly who was sitting in front of him. His lips twitched into a slight smirk, seeing the dazed look on her face. But he quickly remembered where he was, Matt snapping out of his headspace as he continued looking around the room. "Yeah, that's pretty much all I've got." He finished, Boden nodding as he took a step forward.

"Now, Herrmann here has been running truck as of late." Boden started, the older man raising his hand so Matt knew who the Chief was referring to, Matt nodding at him. "I know you're fully capable of running a truck, but if you need any guidance the first few calls, Herrmann can help you out."

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure I'll be taking you up on that." Casey spoke, flashing the firefighter a grin. He wasn't sure if that was some sort of test from Boden, if the Chief was trying to get a read on his new Lieutenant and his ego, but if it was, Matt was sure he passed. "At least until I get names down."

Boden nodded, patting Casey on the back. "Alright, well once we get through our morning meeting you all can get to know our new Lieutenant here a little better." Casey took the signal that he was dismissed, Matt walking towards the far wall, leaning his weight against it as Boden moved onto the next topic.

He knew he should have been paying attention, that whatever Boden was saying was bound to be important, but he couldn't keep from watching Gabby. She was the last person he ever expected to see here. Last night when they met, he didn't exactly get the 'first responder' vibe from her, but then again he only got her first name a few minutes before they were naked in his bed.

Pushing the image from his head, Matt blinked a few times, trying to regain his focus. He couldn't get swept up in what happened between them, especially because he knew it couldn't happen again. This house had to work, he needed to stay here, and getting involved with one of his coworkers was a sure-fire way to jeopardize that. Even though he didn't really see that becoming an issue, knowing that she's not exactly fond of him. Despite knowing she enjoyed herself, he also knew she didn't like him. Whether it was actually him she didn't like, or whoever she clearly had been projecting onto him, she couldn't stand him. But he didn't want things to be uncomfortable between them. Though seeing the way Gabby refused to even look at him, he knew things already were. She was tense, he could tell she was forcing herself to keep her eyes forward, like the last thing in the world she wanted to do was look towards him.

But then she did. He wasn't sure if it was by accident, or if she just couldn't stop herself, but their eyes met across the small room, neither of them looking away from the other. He could see the uncertainty and shock in her gaze, Matt also picking up on what seemed to be a little bit of fear. And he didn't understand that at all. He's not sure what she thought he was going to do or say, but she didn't have any reason to be scared. The last thing that would help him here would be everyone finding out him and Gabby spent one meaningless night together. It was no one's business but their own, and it's not like it would ever happen again. As far as he was concerned, she had no reason to be worried about what he might do or say, but he knew she probably needed to hear those words out loud. Matt needed to be able to talk to her, alone, so they could come to an agreement about how to handle what happened between them.

Gabby forced herself to look away from him, feeling his eyes burning holes in the side of her head, going against every thought in her head telling her to run out of there. This wasn't supposed to happen, she'd slept with a man who was now her coworker, who was now her ex-fiancé's boss. The man she'd used to forget about her life for a few hours was now someone she'd have to spend multiple days a week with, and the feeling made her nauseous.

"Do you know each other?" Shay whispered from beside her, snapping Gabby from her panicked thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Casey. Do you know him? He keeps looking at you."

Swallowing thickly, Gabby quickly shook her head, her neck clenching as she tried to control her nerves. "No." She responded shortly, glancing back towards Matt, thankful to see he had finally looked away. "Maybe we worked together on a call once, but I don't know him."

Shay kept her eyes on Dawson for a few moments, trying to figure out why the woman seemed so tense. She'd been acting weird since she first got here, but the second the new Lieutenant came in, it's like she'd seen a ghost. Looking past Gabby towards Casey, she saw the man watching her again, only for a second, before he realized his stares had been caught, Shay seeing his spine straightening, Matt refocusing his attention on Boden. Her eyes narrowed, confusion filling her at the firefighter's actions.

Dawson might not have known Casey, but from what Shay could gather, he seemed to know her.

"Alright, that's it for this morning. Let's have a great shift today. Truck, I trust you can get Lieutenant Casey settled in." Firefighters around the room nodded, Boden excusing himself as he left them to meet their new Lieutenant, a crowd soon forming around Matt.

Gabby stayed planted in her seat while everyone else moved, her hands clasped together tightly as she ignored the movement around her. Even though it was truthfully the last thing she wanted to do, she knew she had to talk to Matt. But the conversation that needed to be had, that couldn't be done out in the open.

Shay pushed herself up from her seat, watching as Severide made his way towards the mass of bodies around the new Lieutenant, the paramedic stopping as she noticed Gabby still firmly in her seat.

"You gonna come introduce yourself?" Shay asked, Gabby blinking rapidly as her eyes found Matt, the man currently speaking to Cruz and Otis.

"No, um," Gabby cleared her throat, returning her gaze to her folded hands. "I'll wait, everyone's kind of crowding him right now." She spoke, Shay frowning at the obvious nerves radiating off her friend. But she knew better than to push it.

"Alright, suit yourself." Shay responded, patting Gabby's shoulder softly before sliding past her, coming to stand by Severide.

As he was being introduced to everyone, Matt tried his best to keep names and faces straight. And despite being a bit overwhelmed by all the new people, he couldn't help but feel his nerves lessen with each passing second, feeling welcome here as everyone came up to greet him. Well, almost everyone.

He noticed Gabby staying put in her seat while everyone else came up to him, trying his hardest to not focus on her still form as he met his new coworkers.

The crowd began to thin out, leaving just a few of them in the room as a group of two men and a woman walked up to him.

"Kelly Severide." The man introduced himself, holding out his hand towards Matt. "I'm the squad Lieutenant, it's nice to have you here."

"Ah yeah, Boden mentioned you. I'm excited to get to work with you, man." Casey responded with a smile, shaking his hand firmly. "I'd love to sit and talk with you later, get a feel of the place, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, anything to help you out." Severide responded.

"I'm Leslie Shay, one of the paramedics here at 51." The blonde in front of him grinned.

"It's nice to meet you." He spoke, his eyes flashing towards Gabby before moving back to the group.

"Bryan Walker, sir." The last firefighter introduced, extending his hand. "I work on 81. I'm really looking forward to getting to learn from you."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you all can teach me a few things." Matt joked, shaking the man's hand quickly. "But just Lieutenant is fine." Casey clarified, Walker nodding.

From her position at the table, she had a clear shot of Bryan and Casey speaking, Gabby feeling her stomach turn as they laughed. She felt like she was going to be sick, she couldn't stay here anymore. She needed a minute to breath, to gather herself before she could do anything else.

Without another thought, she slid back her seat, the noise much louder than she intended, Gabby seeing the heads of the group of four turn towards her in her peripheral vision, but she never looked their way, keeping her head down as she hurried from the room.

Shay watched her friend with concerned eyes, releasing a soft sigh as Gabby disappeared down the hallway.

"Everything okay there?" Severide asked, putting their conversation on hold as he turned towards Walker.

"Oh, you know Gabby, she's being dramatic as usual." Bryan huffed out, rolling his eyes. Matt's eyes narrowed as Walker spoke, his gaze bouncing between Severide and Shay, searching for any reaction towards this man talking about Gabby that way. But they didn't seem phased by his words, Matt wondering if this was a common practice done by the firefighter, talking down about his coworkers. "Sorry about her, Lieutenant. She's a handful." Walker continued, Matt giving little in response. "But, speaking of, I need to go deal with something real quick. It was nice to meet you, Lieutenant." Bryan spoke, flashing a wide grin before heading towards the door Gabby had just left through.

Once it was just the three of them, Kelly spoke up again. "Is she alright, Shay?"

"I don't know, she's been acting weird all morning. I don't know if they're having problems again, but she seemed upset."

Matt watched the two speak, trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about through their less than descriptive words. But Kelly soon sensed his confusion, blowing out a sigh as he leaned his body weight against the wall.

"Gabby Dawson, the woman who just left, she's our PIC. Her and Walker, they're together." Matt choked on his breath at Severide's words, his harsh coughs filling the room. Kelly and Shay exchanged confused looks, the squad lieutenant patting against Matt's back. "You alright?"

"Yeah, sorry." He replied once he'd gained his composure, clearing his throat. "So they're dating?"

"They're engaged." Shay responded, Matt's neck clenching as the information washed over him, the man biting down harshly on the inside of his cheek as he felt himself get lightheaded.

"Oh." Casey spoke, trying to clear any emotion from his voice, but it was nearly impossible. "I didn't know you were allowed to date in-house." Matt was having a hard time forming coherent thoughts, as the weight of everything hit him, so he said the first words that came to his mind.

"No, you can. Just not within the same company." Shay clarified, Matt giving her a nod, his eyes flickering back to the hallway where Gabby had gone.

"Maybe it shouldn't be allowed at all though, they definitely cause their fair share of drama." Severide mused, Matt turning back to look at him.

"Kelly." Shay warned.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. I know she's your best friend, but more often than not, according to Walker, she's making things difficult."

"Yeah, well your best friend has a warped sense of the truth." Shay bit back, Matt's brain working on overdrive as he tried to wrap his head around everything. But even through his fogged mind, he could tell Shay didn't have the highest opinion of Bryan Walker.

"Anyway," Kelly spoke sharply as Shay rolled her eyes, "There's usually something going on between them, whether they're fighting or what. But it keeps things interesting, I guess."

"Just ignore him. Dawson's great, you'll love working with her. She's an amazing paramedic."

Matt simply nodded, his mouth going dry as he tried to work through everything he'd learned in such a short amount of time. How the woman he slept with last night was engaged, engaged to one of his firefighters. He couldn't help but wonder why Gabby had kissed him, why she suggested them going home together, why she slept with him, when she was engaged. He didn't want to make assumptions about her, that she slept around behind her fiancé's back. Matt knew nothing about her, or about their relationship. He didn't want to presume anything, but it was hard not to.

She was engaged. She was engaged, and they slept together.

He needed to talk to her.

"So, you want me to show you around? I can help you get situated before we get too busy." Kelly suggested, Matt taking a deep breath as he nodded. He had no reason to deny Severide's request right now, or at least no reason that he could explain. His conversation with Gabby would just have to wait.

Gabby gripped the edge of the sink as she stood in the bathroom, her knuckles turning white as she leaned her weight into her arms, her head hanging down while she took steadying breaths. She still couldn't shake this unsettling feeling in her stomach, and she still wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't throw up. Although with the situation, it'd be justified.

She lifted her head up when she heard the door swing open, meeting Bryan's eyes through the mirror as he walked in, stopping just inside the room. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze locked on her distressed form.

"How are you doing?"

Gabby released a dry chuckle, shaking her head as she turned around to face him, her body weight resting against the counter. "We're not gonna do this, Bryan." She responded shortly. "What do you want?"

Sighing deeply, he took a step towards her, glancing around the room. "Have you told anyone about our engagement?"

"You mean our broken engagement." She spoke bitterly, Bryan clicking his tongue against his teeth in irritation. "No, I haven't said anything. Figured since you're the one who ended things, you could do the honors."

"Jesus Gabby, do you ever stop?" He bit back harshly, taking another step closer. "You and I were miserable, I did us both a favor. Quit acting like it was some big shock."

"You did me a favor? Dragging me through this relationship for years was supposed to be a favor?"

"That's not what I meant, can you please stop being so goddamn difficult for once." His voice got louder with each word, Gabby's body recoiling as he spoke. "I didn't come here to get into another fight with you, I've had enough of that. I just wanted to know if anyone knew."

She could hear his contempt for her in his voice, Gabby willing herself to keep her emotions in check.

"I didn't tell anyone." She responded shortly, her voice barely audible.

"Okay. Well, I will. I don't want to make a big deal about it." He replied, Gabby's eyes falling closed as he spoke, his words slicing through her like a knife. "Oh, and before I forget, do you know when you'll be able to come get your stuff?"

Gabby's eyes snapped open at his words, her eyebrows furrowing. "Uh, no… I haven't really had time to think about it." Bryan nodded, Gabby able to feel his annoyance at her answer. "I can call Antonio, see if he can help me get my stuff after shift tomorrow."

"That'd be good. No need to prolong this."

"Yeah, wouldn't wanna make a big deal out of it." She repeated his earlier words, Bryan stifling an eye-roll. "I'll have my stuff out tomorrow."

"Good." He replied sharply, turning around to head towards the door. But he barely made it a step before turning back around, Gabby straightening her back as he stared at her. "Let's not make this weird for everyone, alright? We're over, there's no need to make them feel uncomfortable about it."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Alright. Well, I'll see you out there I guess." He replied, walking through the door without another word.

The second she was on her own, she let down the guard she put up around herself, unable to stop the tears filling her eyes. She brought her hands up to cover the sides of her face, her body trembling as silent tears strolled down her cheeks, Gabby's hard exterior cracking as she stood in the bathroom alone.

Matt sat at the desk chair in his office, his gaze focused on the blank wall in front of him. It was only one hour into shift, Severide just having finished giving him the unofficial tour of the house. Even though Casey had been given a tour of the facility already, he let Severide show him around. It had given Matt the opportunity to get to know Kelly a little better, learning about how long Severide had been on the job, that he'd been here since finishing his candidacy, Matt also learning that him and Shay were roommates and best friends. He got a lot of insight into Kelly's life, as well as learning more about the culture of the entire house.

Everyone here was close, he was coming into a family. And they'd welcomed him with open arms. Despite replacing a Lieutenant who had been here longer than most everyone in the house had been on the job, they were all excited to have him here. After some questioning, Casey learned from Severide that Lieutenant Stephens had gotten injured during a call. A ceiling had collapsed on him, leaving him needing surgery and messing up his back pretty bad. It sounded awful, and Casey couldn't help but feel for the man. But according to Severide, Stephens had been thinking about stepping down from his position for awhile, the accident just gave him the push he needed.

When Severide spoke of his former Lieutenant, Matt could tell how respected he'd been. And those weren't easy shoes to fill. Being in many different firehouses over the years, Matt knew how hard it was to step into a role filled by someone loved around the house. It made him nervous for a moment, Matt wondering if he'd be accepted easily into this group because of the circumstances. Even though it was Stephens decision, Matt was still replacing a beloved member of 51. He knew that could sometimes rub people the wrong way.

But that hadn't been the case at all.

During their walk around the house, any time members of the firehouse saw him, they'd stop and talk to him. He chatted with almost everyone during his tour, all of them welcoming him with wide smiles, making him feel right at home.

This house seemed to be the perfect fit for him. He couldn't have asked for a better firehouse to be moved to. Everything here seemed to be exactly what he needed.

Except for one thing.

He might've ruined his chance here before it even started. Without even knowing it, his actions last night might've already lost him his ability to stay here. If anyone found out about what he'd done, they'd never trust him. Especially Walker. He could hardly look at the man, knowing what he'd been doing with his fiancée the night before. This is quite possibly the best firehouse he's ever worked at, and he could've already managed to ruin it.

Soft tapping on his door pulled him from his thoughts, Matt's head snapping towards the sound as he saw Gabby standing on the other side. Through the glass, he could see her red, watery eyes, and the sorrowful look covering her face. She'd been crying, and recently. He wasn't exactly sure why, but considering she was now working with the man she cheated on her fiancé with, Matt had a few guesses as to what was causing those tears.

Waving her in, he watched as she took a deep breath, her head turning side to side to make sure they were alone in the bunk room before she opened the door, slowly stepping inside. She stayed quiet as she shut the door behind her, taking a few steps away from him, leaning her body against the wall.

"Hi." She spoke out, her voice soft and unsure.

"Hi." Matt responded, turning in his chair to face her, watching as she tapped her finger up and down repeatedly against her arm, a thick tension filling the room as the weight of what they'd done settled around them.

"I, uh… We need to talk." She started, her eyes plastered to the ground, avoiding his gaze like her life depended on it.

"Yeah, we do." He breathed out, rubbing his clammy hands over his knees. "Did I miss the ring last night?" Her head snapped up at his words, finding Matt watching her intently. "Severide said you and Walker are together, that you're engaged. Did I miss the ring last night?" He asked again, his patience wearing thin.

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, Gabby shook her head. "No… you didn't." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as different emotions played out over his face, her defenses rising as she realized what he must be thinking of her. "I don't need you to judge me." She bit out quickly, her teeth clenching as he stood up.

"I'm not, but you didn't exactly make it clear you were with someone. In fact, you coming onto me, you coming home with me made it the opposite of clear." He responded firmly, Gabby eyeing him challengingly.

"I don't owe you anything."

"No, what you do behind your fiancé's back is your business. But now it affects me. I don't sleep with taken women, and now I have to work with the guy you cheated on."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She fired back angrily, Matt huffing.

"Oh, I have no idea? You went out to a bar and slept with some man who's not your fiancé. There's not much else to understand." He snapped at her. "I'm not judging you, but now we have to deal with this. I never would've slept with you had I known you were engaged."

"So you don't just hook up with any woman? You actually draw the line somewhere? I never would've guessed." She responded dryly, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Is that really what you're turning this into? Taking a shot at me for going to bars, when you're the one who cheated on your fiancé?"

"I didn't cheat on him!" She yelled, her frustration winning out, Matt taking a step back at the force of her words. "He broke up with me. He ended things between us last night, that's why I was at that bar." Her voice got more quiet with each word, avoiding eye contact as she spoke, missing the sad look shining in his eyes, and how his features softened as he heard the pain in her words. "I didn't go out looking to hook up with someone, it just… happened. I know I came onto you, or whatever, but that's not why I went out."

"You don't owe me an explanation." He responded quickly, Gabby finding the strength to look up at him again. "I... I didn't know that happened, Kelly didn't tell me. He just said you two were engaged, and I panicked."

"Because he doesn't know. No one does, at least not yet."

Matt nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "If I had known this is where I'd be working, I would've never slept with you. Even though you two are broken up, I just wouldn't have…" He trailed off, Gabby nodding.

"I'm sorry about this, Casey." She spoke softly. "Really, I am. I never meant to put you in this position. I didn't even know you were a firefighter, I thought you worked in construction."

"I do. But it's something I do in between shifts." He explained, Gabby nodding as her hand came up to rub over the side of her head.

"I know this puts you in a bad spot, even though Bryan and I aren't together anymore, but…" She cleared her throat, shaking her head as she blinked back the tears in her eyes, the events of the past day taking its toll on her.

"It's not your fault." Matt replied, Gabby tilting her head to the side as he spoke. "You didn't do this on purpose. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"It's okay." She murmured.

"But we both did… what we did last night. You didn't force me into anything, neither of us knew we'd be working together, let alone seeing each other again. This isn't your fault."

Gabby nodded, taking a deep breath as her eyes flickered around the room.

"So, what do we do?" Matt asked after a few moments.

"It's probably best for everyone if we just forget it happened." She responded, Matt nodding in agreement. "We can't change it, the only thing we can do is move past it. You and I are gonna have to work together, and then everything with Bryan…" She trailed off, shaking her head lightly. "We should just forget about it."

"Okay." He replied, Gabby releasing a relieved breath.

"Thank you, Casey." Matt gave her a nod, Gabby stepping towards the door.

"Gabby," Him saying her name stopped her movements with her hand on the door handle, Gabby turning to look at him. "I am sorry about what happened between you and Walker."

Swallowing thickly, Gabby nodded softly, giving him a weak smile before slipping through the door, Matt sighing deeply as he watched her go, following her movements until she disappeared from the bunk room.

So, we've learned a little bit more about them, Gabby's ex is a new character. There's definitely a lot we're gonna be learning about him as we go on, he doesn't seem too great right now. I know there's still a lot of questions to be answered, especially now that we've gotten a taste of some of the stuff in Matt's past, but I hope you guys are enjoying this so far.

I want to say thank you again for all the support on this story. You all keep me motivated to continue my Dawsey stories, it truly means the world to me, the love you all have given me. I can't thank you enough.

I'm eager to hear what you all think of this chapter, I can't wait to get further into this story. I hope you enjoyed this one!