Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. Things are about to get, well, interesting. I hope you enjoy!
SEVEN
Bryan paced the confines of the locker room back and forth, anger rolling off his body in waves as he thought over Casey's words. He was fuming, Walker slamming his hand against the metal lockers as he huffed out a frustrated breath.
He wanted nothing more than to go back into Casey's office and give the Lieutenant a piece of his mind. He wanted to storm his way back in there and tell the man that everything he said wasn't true. That he had no idea what he was talking about, and he had no right to say those things to him.
But he couldn't. And he knew it.
Walker knew if he went back in there, he probably wouldn't be able to stop himself from telling the Lieutenant exactly how wrong he was. And that would do nothing but make it worse. There would be some serious repercussions if he got into it with Casey, and the last thing Walker needed or wanted was to be transferred because of that. He couldn't go back and talk to him.
But that didn't mean Bryan couldn't be angry about it. Not a word that had come out of Casey's mouth was true. He wasn't only concerned with himself, he didn't have an ego that could get someone hurt, it was all bullshit. Everything Casey said was a lie, and the Lieutenant had no right to judge him. The man didn't even know him, he'd only been here a few weeks, there was no way Casey would have such a distrust for him already if it hadn't been for whatever Shay and Severide had been telling him.
Despite what Casey said, Bryan knew it was a lie. Casey didn't like him because of whatever he'd been told by Shay, and it made Walker furious. The last thing he needed was to have issues with his boss, not with everything else he already had to deal with around here. But Casey's opinions of him wouldn't change, not unless Severide and Shay started to keep their mouths shut.
Slamming his hand against the locker once more, Bryan stomped out of the room, heading down the hallway to get to the garage, his anger only growing as he moved.
Turning the corner into the main hallway, Bryan's steps slowed as he saw Shay and Dawson walking towards him, his eyes narrowing as they got closer to him.
Gabby saw him first, his clear anger confusing her as she subconsciously slowed her pace, Shay not realizing she'd practically all but stopped walking until she was a few feet ahead of her.
"Dawson, you okay?"
"Shay!" Walker barked roughly, the blonde paramedic's eyebrows furrowing as she turned towards the voice, seeing him marching towards her.
"What?" She questioned back, her voice not hiding her annoyance.
"Next time you want to bitch and talk shit about me, can you at least not do it in front of my Lieutenant?" He spat forcefully, brushing by them as he continued down the hall, his shoulder bumping into Shay's as he passed.
Gabby's eyes narrowed in anger as she watched him head into the garage, Shay's confusion mixing with her irritation as the paramedics stood in the hallway, unsure of what just happened.
"What the fuc- what are you doing?" Shay asked as her PIC followed the path Walker had just taken, heading for the garage. "Dawson, just leave it." Shay called after her, but her words fell on deaf ears as Gabby pushed open the door forcefully.
"Hey!" She called, finding Bryan pacing back and forth beside squad's rig, Gabby quickly seeing they were the only two out there. "What the hell was that?" She questioned angrily, her eyes narrowing as Walker stopped his movements, Gabby getting a closer look at just how upset he was. She'd seen him like this a lot, unable to control his anger, but in the past it had been directed at her, and he had never let it show at the firehouse. "It's one thing for you to talk to me like that, but don't take whatever this is out on Shay, she hasn't done anything to you." Gabby spoke in frustration.
Usually she tried to avoid him, and she certainly did her best to stay away from him when he was angry, but after the day she'd had, she wasn't in the mood for his childish behavior. She was tired, and she wasn't gonna let him walk all over her. Especially not when this behavior was being directed to her best friend.
"Don't act like you don't know what this about, Dawson." He spoke roughly, her confusion only growing as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"What are you talking about?"
"You, and Shay, and Severide, all three of you are trying to make my life hell around here!" He shouted, Gabby standing firmly in her spot despite the nerves she felt creep up her spine. She wouldn't let him see that he still had control over her, that he could still affect her. That he still scared her. "You all keep talking bad about me to Casey, and he hates me because of it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, I barely talk to Casey." She responded strongly. Even though that wasn't exactly the truth, Walker was rarely a topic of conversation between them when they did speak.
"Well, it's just them then. But, whatever they're saying, it's because of you. Because you can't keep your mouth shut and just get over it." He spat, his dark gaze fixated on her. "Casey is all buddy-buddy with Shay and Severide, which means he has to hear about whatever bullshit you've told Shay. Whatever you're telling them about me, it's getting back to him and now he doesn't trust me."
"You mean me telling Shay the truth?" Gabby challenged, seeing his face harden. "Is that what you're referring to?"
"Dawson…"
"Anything I've told Shay, which isn't much by the way, has been the truth. So if Casey doesn't like you, that's because of you. Don't blame me because your Lieutenant doesn't trust you. He has no reason to trust you, I know from experience." She fired back, Walker taking a step closer to her, anger flooding his body.
"I thought dumping you would end this bullshit, but I swear your goal in life is to make mine hell."
"I don't care enough to try and ruin your life, Bryan." She responded quickly, her voice low. As they stood there in a battle of wills, she couldn't help but hear Casey's words in her head.
Why are you protecting him?
Straightening her spine, she regained focus, her face hard despite the nerves she felt with him towering over her.
"You made your choices, don't blame me because people don't exactly have the highest opinion of you once they find out what you did. That's not on me. So, whatever Casey said to you, if you're gonna be mad about it, maybe instead of faulting me, or Shay, or Kelly, you should own up to the mistakes you've made. I've done you a favor by not going around here and telling everyone what exactly went on in our relationship. You really think any of these people would ever trust you again if they knew who you really were?" Her words were dripping with venom, Gabby remaining strong as he watched her.
"Are you threatening me?" He questioned, almost in disbelief.
"No, I'm not. But what I am saying is leave Shay the hell out of it. She didn't do anything to you. Casey is her friend, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. I'm sorry your Lieutenant didn't fall for the guy you pretend to be around here, but that's not anyone's fault but your own."
"Watch it, Gabby." He spoke lowly, her eyes meeting his harsh glare.
"Or what? What are you gonna do to me? I'd love to hear what you're gonna do, in a firehouse full of people." She fired back, forcing down the slight panic she felt wash over her. When he stayed quiet, she pursed her lips together, nodding as she began walking past him. "That's what I thought."
She barely made it another step before he grabbed her arm, abruptly stopping her path, his grip tight. Gabby's eyes widened slightly, glancing down to the hold he had on her before she quickly composed herself, looking back up to find him staring at her.
"Do not touch me." She spoke, her voice cold and angry.
He held on for another second before dropping his hand, Gabby pulling away from him before continuing towards the double doors, not looking back as she went inside the firehouse. Her guard dropped as soon as she was out of his sight, Gabby releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, trying to shake the uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as she went in search of Shay.
Shay released a heavy sigh as Gabby stormed after Walker, the paramedic wishing her friend would've just left it alone. Considering how Gabby seemed to shut down whenever Bryan was around, she didn't want Dawson putting herself in that position just because of her. Part of her felt like she should go after them, but Shay knew Dawson could handle herself.
It took Shay a few minutes to gather her bearings, unable to figure out what Walker was talking about. Bryan was rarely a topic of conversation between her and anyone if she could help it, let alone when she was with Casey. Though it was clear Walker had been led to believe otherwise. She didn't know what he'd been told, but she did know there was someone who could explain what had Walker so angry, someone who would be a lot easier to talk to than Bryan.
Turning on her heels, Shay began walking towards the bunk room, soon finding Casey sitting in his office. His door was wide open, the man working on paperwork diligently as Shay approached him, tapping softly on the doorframe.
"Hey Casey." She greeted, Matt spinning around in his chair, a soft smile coming to his face as he saw her.
"Hey Shay, what's up?"
"You got a second to talk?"
Matt's eyebrows furrowed at the question, seeing her usual demeanor nowhere to be found as she stood in his doorway. "Yeah, of course." He waved her in, Shay taking the invitation as she moved towards his bunk, sitting down with one leg under herself, her body facing his. "Is something wrong?"
"No. Well, I don't think so, but I have a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, or can't or whatever, I know firefighters are weird about their code and chain of command and all that stuff." She rambled, Matt watching her curiously as he waited for her to get to the actual question. "But, uh, did you say something about me to Walker?"
Matt's face fell, the Lieutenant shaking his head as he blew out a heavy breath. From his reaction, Shay knew some conversation that involved her had taken place.
"What were you guys talking about?"
Matt's tongue poked out between his teeth, the man leaning forward in his chair, resting his elbows against his thighs.
"I had a discussion with Walker a little bit ago, he confronted me about me not liking him and that it was affecting how I saw him as a firefighter. I don't even know what he was talking about, or where it came from, but he mentioned how he wasn't sure what he'd heard about him from you and Severide. How he knew we were close, and he assumed you all had been talking about him to me. After that, I kind of laid into him a bit, made it known that anything I've heard from you hasn't affected my views of him as a firefighter, but I don't think he believed it. He wasn't letting it go, so I got a little… direct. But I tried to make it clear nothing I heard from you or anyone else has changed my views on his ability."
Shay nodded while he explained the story, the paramedic releasing a soft sigh as she thought over his words.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised it was something like that…"
"Did he say something to you?" Casey questioned, earning a slow nod from the woman.
"He just made a comment about me not shit talking him to you, he was pissed off though. I had no idea what he meant but I figured you would. Gabby went after him, I guess to figure out what he was talking about, but I decided to come to you. You're much more pleasant to talk to." She responded with a small smile, Matt letting out a chuckle.
"Well, thank you for that. But I'm sorry he approached you, he shouldn't have done that." Casey replied, shaking his head. "Stuff like that, that's exactly what I tried to talk to him about. Clearly nothing I said got through to him."
"It's not your fault, it's Walker's problem, not yours. I don't know what all was said, but he needed to be put in his place anyway." Shay spoke with a shrug, a thoughtful look coming to her face. "I guess in hindsight, conversations like this are what he's talking about."
"Like you said, that's his problem. You're my friend, Shay. He doesn't get a say in that. I meant what I told him, nothing you've said to me has affected how I see him as a firefighter. As far as I can remember, there's nothing I've done to give him a reason to think I'm treating him any differently."
The paramedic nodded, adjusting her positioning on the bed. "Yeah, knowing Walker, you didn't do anything." She mused, Matt watching her closely. "Listen, I uh, I know you said you don't mind me venting to you, but if me talking to you about Walker does make you uncomfortable, you can tell me. I get it, he's your firefighter and I don't want to make things weird for you. I know we don't even really talk about him that much, not unless he's done something to Dawson, but… yeah, I just want to make sure we're good."
"We're fine, Shay. You don't need to worry about what you say around me. Nothing you tell me will affect how I treat anyone in this house during a call. My personal feelings about him aside, that hasn't done anything to change how I treat him out on call. As his Lieutenant, I only judge him based on what I've seen on the job. The problem is he can't seem to believe that. But I am sorry he dragged you into this. I never said a word about you, all that came from him." Casey assured her.
"That's kind of what I figured." She responded with a grin, Matt matching her smile.
"Yeah… I could tell there was more he was wanting to say to me before he left, but he didn't. I would've rather he come back and talk to me, though, instead of creating more problems."
"Whatever you told him, it really pissed him off." She replied, Casey unable to stop the chuckle that left his lips.
"Well, apparently that's all it did, instead of him actually taking it to heart. But I'll keep an eye on him. I kind of had a feeling when he came to me that he was already a little angry about this, and then when he saw Dawson he got almost defensive… It was strange, but it kind of felt like he was looking for a fight."
"Dawson?" Shay questioned, Matt glancing towards her.
"Hmm?"
"You said he saw Gabby?"
"Oh, yeah, Dawson was in here, we were talking when he came in." He responded, Shay eyeing him curiously, clearing wanting more of an explanation but not wanting to ask. "She came to apologize for the call earlier, and we were talking about it." Shay merely nodded, her eyebrows raised slightly as they watched each other. "What?" He questioned when she hadn't said anything.
"Nothing." She replied with a grin before changing the subject. "But anyway, I just came to make sure we were good." Shay pushed herself up off the bed, walking towards him.
"We're good, Shay." Matt confirmed, raising his eyebrows in amusement as she held out her hand for a high-five. After he tapped his hand against hers, she moved for the door, quickly turning around after a few steps.
"You'll be at Molly's tomorrow, right?" She asked, Matt nodding.
"I'll be there."
"Good." She responded with a smile before continuing out the door.
"And Shay?" Casey called, the blonde turning around in the bunk room, looking back to him. "If Walker says anything else to you about our conversation, can you let me know?"
"Sure thing, Lieutenant." She responded, giving him a salute with her index and middle finger, Matt chuckling as he turned back to his desk, Shay beginning the walk through the bunk room.
But she only got a few steps when she saw Dawson enter, her friend clearly agitated. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Walker, he…" She trailed off in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No, he didn't, he just-." She cut herself off again, shaking her head as she looked towards the ground.
Shay tried to read her friend's demeanor, wanting to make sure she was alright. She appeared a little out of it, but she didn't look scared. Upset, maybe, but she seemed more angry and frustrated than anything.
"What happened out there? What did he do?" Shay questioned.
"It doesn't matter, but I told him that whatever his problem was, he needed to back off. That you didn't cause any of this. I don't know how receptive he'll be to it, but I did my best."
"You didn't have to go out there at all." Shay told her, Gabby shrugging.
"His problems are with me. I don't know what Casey said, but you didn't do anything, he can't go around talking to you like that."
"I spoke to Casey," Shay said, gaining her attention. "Walker was all upset because he thinks Casey doesn't like him because of something I said. It's all Walker's problem, Casey didn't say anything about us to him." The blonde explained, Gabby glancing towards Matt's office, seeing him watching them curiously, but he quickly looked away when his stares were caught.
Gabby simply nodded at the information, moving her focus back to Shay as she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, a rush of different emotions flooding her system.
"What's wrong?" Shay asked, seeing the unsettled look covering Dawson's face.
"Nothing, it's nothing, I just- I'm so tired of him."
"Casey?" Shay asked for clarification, confusion filling her body.
"No. Bryan. I'm tired of Bryan." She responded, Shay nodding in understanding. "I'm tired of dealing with him. I'm tired of the person I am when I'm around him. I'm tired of feeling weak because of him. He doesn't get to control me, I'm tired of letting him." A sad smile fell onto Shay's face as she placed her hand over Gabby's arm. "I'm not gonna let him walk all over me anymore. He chose all this, I can't change that but I can change how I let his actions affect me. I'm done hiding because of him."
"Good for you, honey." Shay spoke proudly, bringing her in for a hug. "I know what you're dealing with isn't easy, but I'm proud of you." Shay rubbed her back before they separated. "So, what's next for Gabby Dawson?"
"I don't know. But I think going to Molly's would be a good start." She replied, Shay nodding with a smile. "I'm done avoiding places just because of him, especially when it's my own damn bar."
"There's my girl." Shay spoke excitedly, wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulders as they began walking towards the hallway, Gabby hooking her arm around her friend's waist. "Tomorrow night's gonna be fun."
Casey shut the door to his truck, shoving his hands in his pockets to protect himself from the chilly winter night as he began walking down the sidewalk towards his destination. It was a little later than he planned on getting here, his construction job holding him up longer than anticipated, but it was still early enough for him to have a good night with his friends.
As he got closer to the entrance of Molly's, his steps slowed when he saw a familiar face approaching the door, her eyes finding his almost instantly.
"Hey Dawson." He greeted with a small smile, a similar one falling onto her face.
"Hey."
She had all but stopped walking as she got to the steps, Matt picking up his pace to get to the door. "I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight." He spoke, hopping up the first step, grabbing ahold of the handle to hold the door open for her, Gabby shooting him an appreciative grin as she walked past him.
"Yeah, I just decided to come out, thought it would be fun to hang out with everyone."
Matt merely nodded as he followed her into the bar. He wasn't sure of the reason, but Dawson seemed to be in quite the good mood this evening. It wasn't something he was used to seeing from her, it almost caught him off guard.
The crowd was alive as they stepped inside the building, bodies packed together as Gabby maneuvered her way towards the bar, Matt following her lead.
"There you are!" Matt heard Shay greet Gabby, the blonde smiling wide. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."
"I told you I'd be here."
Shay nodded, her eyes landing on Casey, a curious look covering her face as she glanced back and forth between the two. "Hey there, Casey."
"Hey Shay."
"Did you two come together?" She asked, Matt shaking his head as he glanced down towards Gabby, the woman keeping her eyes on her friend.
"No, just showed up at the same time." Dawson responded with a shrug, Shay nodding in response.
"Well, what can I get you two?"
"Beer's good." Casey replied, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"Hey Shay!" Gabby turned to the voice of the man yelling for Shay's attention, a lump forming in her throat as she saw Bryan further down the bar, his arm latched around the same woman Gabby saw at the apartment a few nights ago. "My girl here needs another drink." He called with a smug grin, Gabby turning away from the scene to find Shay glaring at him. She could feel Matt's eyes on her, but she refused to look his way.
"Hold on." Shay called back, plastering a fake smile on her face before turning back to Dawson. "I didn't know he'd be here tonight, I figured after everything last shift he might lay low for a bit."
"It's fine, he's allowed to come here." Gabby responded quickly, Shay eyeing her carefully.
"Yeah, but he knows what he's doing." She spoke, shooting daggers towards the new couple.
"Don't turn this into anything, just go and give his girl another drink, then we can hang out when you get back."
"Fine. But I can't promise I won't throw it at her." She bit back, tossing the rag over her shoulder before walking down towards Bryan.
Gabby pulled the stool in front of her out, settling down onto it, making herself comfortable as she waited for Shay to come back. It hadn't been lost on her that Casey was still by her side, even though Gabby knew Severide was here somewhere. When she finally looked up to him, she found him watching her, his face unreadable.
"You got something to say, Casey?" She questioned, Matt expecting to hear the harsh tone he'd been met with from her recently. But, to his surprise, her voice was soft and almost welcoming. This was definitely a side to her he hadn't seen before.
"No, I'm just waiting for Shay to get back." He replied, earning a nod from her. She kept her gaze on him, Matt waiting for her to say something as her eyes traced over his face.
"I heard you had a talk with Bryan." She spoke, Matt sucking in air between his teeth as he nodded.
"Yeah, I did. But considering how he handled it, I think I'm gonna have to have another one."
"Shay kind of filled me in on everything… it's not because of me, is it?"
Casey's eyebrows furrowed at the question, Gabby sensing his confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Why you don't like him, it's not because of me, because of us- or what we did." She clarified, keeping her voice low.
"No, it's not. It has nothing to do with that. I have my own opinions about Bryan, and I'll be honest with you, I don't think very highly of him as a person. From what I've seen, and heard, I don't think we'd would ever be best friends… even though I'm pretty sure you think him and I are the same." Gabby's face fell at the comment, but Matt didn't give her time to correct him before he continued speaking. "But how I feel about him personally has no effect on how I treat him on the job, and it's definitely not because of us. I'm not completely sure what he was even referring to, but I guess he feels I've mistreated him somehow."
Gabby nodded, biting down on the inside of her cheek as she thought over her next words. She knew she'd not been the nicest to him, when he'd really done nothing to deserve that from her.
"I am sorry, Casey." She spoke up, Matt catching her gaze. "I know I've been kind of a bitch to you, and you're right, I don't really know you. I guess when I saw you at the bar, saw you hitting on all those women, and failing might I add-" She spoke with a small smile, earning a chuckle from him. "I guess I just associated that with Bryan, and that wasn't fair to you."
"Yeah, that wasn't my best night… wasn't all bad, though." He replied with a sheepish grin, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as he kept his eyes on her. "But I know you've been going through a lot, and most of what you said wasn't really about me. I got the feeling that you were taking things out of me, because you couldn't do it to the person who deserved it." He spoke softly, his eyes flashing down the bar towards Bryan. "I tried not to take it too personally."
"Well, I appreciate that. Even though not everything I said was untrue." She responded, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "You really suck at picking up women." She teased, Casey's smile widening as he shook his head.
"Just when I thought we were kind of becoming friends…" He joked back, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But you caught me on a bad night."
"Mhmm, I'm sure." She replied with raised eyebrows. "And I'm not sure if friends is the right word, but maybe we'll get there." She spoke, their eyes locking.
Gabby tried to ignore the weird feeling in her stomach as Matt stared at her, how her heart rate sped up when his eyes flickered to her lips before meeting her gaze once more, a soft smile resting over his face.
"Yeah, maybe we will." He responded softly, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth, neither one of them looking away from the other. Not until Shay's voice snapped them both from their trance.
"God, I almost knocked the drink over in her lap. I was this close." Shay spoke exasperatedly, Gabby turning to look at her friend, clearing her throat. "Jessica, Jennifer, whatever her name is, she's like… the worst. No wonder she fell for someone like Bryan."
Casey choked on his breath at Shay's comment, Gabby's eyes narrowing while Shay's widened, not realizing what she'd said until after the words left her mouth.
"That's not what I meant and you know it. You're perfect, he never deserved you." Shay recovered, Gabby shaking her head, Matt chuckling softly at the exchange between the two.
Casey wasn't sure what to make of this 'new' Gabby he was seeing, but whatever had caused the shift in her demeanor, he was glad she seemed to be in better spirits. From spending so much time with Shay, and Severide, he'd heard a lot about Gabby, a lot of older stories about her, and the woman Shay talked about sounded like someone he'd like to know. He just didn't think that person existed anymore. But maybe she was finally starting to come back.
"Yeah, mhmm." Gabby replied sharply. "Just for that, my first round is on the house tonight."
"I mean, you're an owner so it technically comes out of your shares anyway." Shay replied with a grin, working on fixing their drinks. She soon placed beers in front of both Matt and Gabby, as well as a shot of tequila in front of Gabby. "That one's on me." Shay spoke with a wink, Gabby shaking her head before downing the shot, grimacing as the liquid burned her throat.
"I'm, uh, gonna go find Severide. Thanks for the drink, Shay." Casey responded, pushing himself away from the bar, his eyes finding Gabby's. "Good to see you here, Dawson." He spoke softly, Gabby nodding before he slid past her, heading for the back of the bar.
"So, you and the Lieutenant seem awful cozy." Shay teased, Gabby's eyes narrowing at her friend. "What? I saw you two staring at each other before I came over here. Looked like two people ready to jump each other's bones."
"Shay…" Gabby responded with a sigh, taking a drink of her beer.
"What? Casey's a great guy. And you deserve a great guy."
"You've only known him for a couple of weeks. And I'm not trying to date in-house anymore, we saw how that went last time." Gabby breathed out, Shay nodding understandingly.
"Alright, fine. Though I did hear you went and had a little chat with Casey yesterday…"
"What?... Oh, that. Well, yeah, I was awful to him, an apology was the least I could do." Gabby responded, her head turning to find Casey across the bar, staring at him for a split second before she returned her attention to Shay, seeing the blonde watching her a smug grin. "What?"
"Nothing. But if you're not gonna date him, then I advise you to stop looking at him like you want to throw him down on top of this bar and mount him." Gabby's eyes widened at her comment before she pushed herself up off the stool, leaning across the bar to smack Shay lightly on the side of the head. "Ow!"
"You've got to learn how to not say every thought you have out loud." Gabby replied, her ears burning as she quickly glanced back towards Matt, needing the reassurance he hadn't somehow crossed the bar in the last ten seconds and heard Shay's comment.
"Well, you're the one who was looking at him like you wanted to rip his clothes off and have him take you against the bar."
"Oh my God."
"Man, we thought Bryan was mad before. Imagine if his Lieutenant was fucking his ex-"
"Shay!"
"Alright, alright I'm done." She replied with an amused grin, holding her hands up in defense. "God, you're so easy to mess with, sometimes it's not even fun."
Gabby shook her head, willing the heat in her cheeks to go away as she took a long sip of her beer, finding Shay's eyes still on her.
"Although, speaking of that." Shay spoke, her eyes narrowing. "I'm still not completely convinced you and Casey didn't used to date or something."
"What?"
"I had mentioned it to him, but you two act so weird around one another. Weird as in you've definitely seen each other naked before. But neither of you will admit to it." She mused, Gabby rubbing her hand over her forehead.
"You've got to get a hobby." Gabby muttered, Shay scoffing.
"Well, I could get one if you'd just own up to it and tell me how you know each other." She replied with a challenging smirk, Gabby shaking her head.
"There's nothing to find out, you've got to let this go."
Shay's eyes roamed her friends face, an unconvinced look covering the blonde's features. "You're a really bad liar, did you know that?"
Their conversation was cut short when Herrmann called for Shay's assistance further down the bar, Gabby bringing her hand up to wave goodbye to her friend, Shay's eyes narrowing in annoyance.
"I will find out, Dawson."
"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." She called after her, chuckling as Shay flipped her off before she went to Herrmann.
Across the bar, Casey had settled into a conversation with Severide, the two sitting at a table while they talked.
"So you've never been to a Hawks game?"
Casey shrugged, taking a sip of his beer before answering.
"I mean, my dad took me when I was younger, maybe once I think. But no, not since then."
"We definitely need to go. Maybe a few of us from the house could go together. Shay hates the sport but loves going to the games, not sure why but its Shay so I don't question it. But I know Dawson loves hockey though, maybe the four of us could go or something. That way Shay will at least have someone to distract her." Severide spoke lightheartedly, earning a nod from Casey.
"We should, that sounds fun."
"I'll talk to Shay, see if we can get that figured out." Kelly responded, taking a drink. "How's construction going?"
"It's good, I've actually been pretty busy for the winter. I'm surprised, but the money's nice. I have-"
"Sev!" Both men looked over as Walker approached them with the girl he came with, Kelly wincing slightly at the volume of the man's voice. "How you doing, Kelly?"
"I'm alright, Walker." Severide responded shortly, Bryan huffing out a breath.
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're still upset with me. That's old news, Kel. If anything I'm the one who should still be mad at you." He replied with a grin, Severide's face remaining blank. "But in much more important news, I'd like you to officially meet my girlfriend, Jennifer."
Casey's eyes widened slightly, Kelly nearly choking on his beer as Bryan introduced her.
"Girlfriend?" Severide asked, Bryan nodding triumphantly.
"Yup." Walker responded loudly, Severide and Casey shared a concerned glance, Bryan immediately seeing the looks on their faces.
"Baby, why don't you go get me another drink, yeah?" He asked, squeezing Jennifer's hip as she giggled, nodding at his request.
"Of course, handsome." She responded, placing a sloppy kiss against his cheek before heading for the bar, Severide watching on in near disgust.
"So you already have a girlfriend?" Severide questioned.
"I do, and she's great." He replied sharply, all but ignoring Casey's presence as he talked to Kelly. "She doesn't hound me, she listens when I tell her something. And she's an absolute animal in-"
"Alright." Kelly cut him off, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, don't you think it's a little fast? And to be bringing her here, to Gabby's bar. It's kind of a dick move, don't you think?" Kelly questioned coldly, Walker's eyes narrowing.
"I wasn't looking for permission, Kelly. I know you're suddenly best friends with Dawson now. Even though I'm not sure why, considering you don't even like her."
"That's not true."
"Well, you could've fooled me. But it doesn't even matter, I thought maybe once you cooled off, you'd be a little more reasonable, and I could introduce you to my girlfriend without hearing a lecture from you, but I guess not." He spoke roughly, stomping away from the table, going in search of his girlfriend.
"Well, that was… something." Casey spoke, Severide shaking his head sadly.
"I swear, I don't recognize that guy. I don't know what the hell happened to my friend." Kelly replied, blowing out a breath before they continued their earlier conversation, Severide wanting to enjoy his evening with Casey.
Gabby sat nursing her beer, waiting for Shay to finish helping Herrmann with whatever she'd been called for, the paramedic ignoring the loud sounds around her as she got lost in her own head. Shay's comments aside, she couldn't figure out what had happened with Matt. She didn't understand it, the look he was giving her, and the look she'd apparently been giving him. It didn't mean anything, whatever it was. Just because her and Matt weren't at each other's throats anymore, that didn't mean there was anything else going on there. But she felt strange, she couldn't understand her reaction to his eyes on her.
"Hey, Gabby." Gabby heard a hesitant voice by her side, turning towards the sound, her body tensing as she saw a woman beside her.
"Uh, hey Jennifer." She responded awkwardly, glancing behind her to see Bryan talking to Severide and Casey, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as she looked back to her.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if me being here makes you uncomfortable, or makes it weird for you. I know you and Bryan just ended things, and I'm sure you think we're moving too fast, but he's been an amazing boyfriend to me, you two were together for a long time so I'm sure you know how wonderful he can be."
"I'm sorry. Boyfriend? You two are actually dating?"
Jennifer looked confused at the question, a small smile coming to her face as she nodded. "Yeah, he asked me when we went on that trip over Christmas. I honestly didn't think he'd want to be in a relationship so soon, but he really opened up to me while we were there. Told me all about you guys, and how it was still hard for him to think about. How you two knew it was for the best, but it was still difficult."
Gabby felt sucker punched by the amount of information coming at her, but she wasn't surprised that Bryan had, once again, twisted the truth to yet another person.
"Oh, well, uh, I guess I didn't realize it was anything serious." She responded, unsure of what to say. She could see Shay coming towards them from behind the bar, as well as Walker heading for them, the situation making Gabby feel a little lightheaded. "But, I mean, I'm glad you guys are happy." Even though it was the farthest thing from the truth, Gabby didn't know what else to say, especially when Bryan came up behind Jennifer, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"What's going on here?" Bryan asked lightly, clearly uncomfortable.
Shay had come to a stop across from them, watching the scene in front of her unfold, her worried eyes focused on Gabby.
"I was just talking to Gabby, I wanted her to know we weren't trying to make her uncomfortable or anything. But we're all good." Jennifer replied softly, a wide smile on her face.
"Oh, well good." He spoke, his eyes landing on Gabby.
"Yeah, um," Gabby cleared her throat before continuing. "I didn't realize you two were together. But that's great, I'm happy for you." She lied through her teeth, her mind racing, unable to form any other coherent thought.
"Thanks." He said, glancing towards Shay, seeing her glaring at him intensely. "Well, we're gonna get back over there."
Without another word they were gone, Gabby staying silent as she tried to process what had just happened. The last thing she expected tonight was to find out Walker was actually dating this woman, let alone Gabby being forced to have a conversation with her.
"You okay, honey?" Shay asked quietly, Gabby swallowing thickly before nodding.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I mean, he's free to do what he wants." She responded.
"I know, but he also doesn't have to parade her around here. And I can't believe she had the nerve to come talk to you, what a bitch." Shay murmured, Gabby shaking her head. "You all just ended your engagement, and clearly she knows that. I don't even understand how he has a new girlfriend already."
"It's fine, Shay." Gabby spoke softly, blinking tightly. "He's allowed to have as many girlfriends as he wants. He can do whatever he pleases." Her eyes flickered around the room, quickly looking away from Bryan and Jennifer seated at the bar, her gaze landing on Casey, Gabby watching as he laughed at something Severide said. "And so can I." She murmured, stealing one last glance to Matt before looking back to Shay, her friend clearly hesitant.
"Alright. Well, say the word and I'll find some excuse to kick them out. I don't care."
"I know you don't, but I'm okay. Really."
Shay nodded one last time before changing the subject, knowing the last thing Gabby wanted was to continue talking about this.
As the night wore on, the members of 51 had bounced around the bar, Gabby surprised by the amount of times she had ended up by Casey's side, the amount of times he had seemingly sought her out. She wasn't exactly sure if that's what he'd intended, but all she knew was that they ended up spending more time together than apart. And they'd been sitting together for the last half hour, Shay occasionally coming up to check on them, Kelly having joined them ten minutes ago as they all sat and talked.
"Alright, well I'm gonna get out of here, it's getting late. This was fun, you guys." Severide spoke, clasping Casey on the shoulder as he stood up. But he didn't get very far before he saw Walker and Jennifer walking past them, the pair slowing their steps as they got to the group.
"You heading out?" Walker asked, Kelly nodding.
"Yeah, in a minute. It was nice to meet you, Jennifer." Severide responded politely, a warm smile falling onto her face.
"It was nice meeting you all, too. And it was nice seeing you again, Gabby." She spoke softly, Gabby flashing her a weak, forced smile, feeling everyone's eyes on her.
"Well, I'll see you guys next shift."
"See ya." Severide replied as Bryan began leaving.
"Night." Matt spoke, taking a quick sip of his beer before speaking up again. "Oh, and Walker?" He called, Bryan turning back to look at him. "Next time you have a problem with something we've talked about, take it up with me. Don't go threatening our paramedics because you're too afraid to come speak with me." Casey replied bluntly, Bryan's gaze narrowing as his eyes flashed towards Shay. He was met with a challenging stare from the blonde, Bryan releasing a frustrated breath before nodding.
"Understood, Lieutenant."
Without a word, Matt turned back around to face the bar, Bryan shooting daggers to the back of his head before storming out, pulling a confused Jennifer out behind him.
"What was that about?" Kelly questioned, his eyebrows raised as he looked back and forth between Shay and Casey.
"I'm gonna have to let Shay explain that one, I'm heading out." Matt replied, standing up from his seat. "I've had a long day, but I'll see you guys later."
"Night Casey." Severide responded, before turning to Shay. "Okay, what happened? He threatened you?"
As Shay began rattling off the story, Gabby glanced back towards the door, catching the back of Matt just as he left, her fingers tapping against the bar as she kept her eyes on the now closed door.
She wasn't sure what was compelling her to go after him. Gabby knew it was a bad idea. If what happened last time was any indication, nothing good could come from them sleeping together again. But still, she found herself standing up, saying a quick goodbye to Shay, who was dealing with a now-angry Severide, the blonde barely registering her goodbye as Gabby headed for the door. Stepping out into the city, the cold air smacked her in the face as she glanced around the quiet street, quickly finding Matt as he headed for his truck.
Hurrying down the sidewalk, Gabby ignored every thought telling her to run the other way as she caught up to him, grabbing ahold of his arm harsher than she meant to, her adrenaline pumping as she caught him off guard.
"What the- oh, hey Gabby." His gaze moved behind her before focusing on her face, confusion settled in his eyes. She could tell he didn't know what she wanted, or why she'd run after him. But she didn't need him to ask questions, surely it wouldn't take him long to figure out what she'd come out here for.
His eyes traced over her face, silently trying to read her as she stared at him intently, her chest rising and falling as she tried to slow down her breathing.
"You okay?" He asked softly, watching as a small grin fell across her lips before she nodded, Gabby pushing some loose hair behind her ear. "Did you, uh, need a ride or something?" His confusion was still present, Gabby shaking her head as she took a step closer.
"No, I don't need a ride." She murmured, Matt swallowing thickly. "Do you wanna get out of here?"
Her voice was light as the words left her lips, Matt's eyes falling closed momentarily, bringing his hand up to rub over his mouth.
"I… I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?"
"For a lot of reasons, Gabby. We can't keep doing this, us having sex when you need a distraction, or when you're upset. We work together, and everything with Walker… there's no way this can end well."
"Do you not want to do this?" She questioned with raised eyebrows, her voice strong.
Gabby watched as he took a deep breath, his obvious hesitation flooding her body with doubt. She wasn't sure if she had misunderstood his actions throughout the night; the times she found him staring at her with an almost longing look, how often he sought her out, how they actually managed to enjoy spending time together. All signs pointed to him not having any problem with taking her home for the night, but now she wasn't so sure.
"It's not that I don't want to…" He answered honestly, taking a slight step forward, Gabby's eyes locked on his. "I just… I don't understand you, Gabby." He breathed out, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I can never tell how you actually feel about me, and now you're wanting to go home with me again and I just… I don't get it."
"What's there to get?"
"Why do you keep coming to me? Out of everyone you could go home with, why the guy you work with, especially when you don't like me very much." She could tell he was confused, and she couldn't blame him. She hadn't exactly made things easy on him since they met.
"I don't know, I just… We have had some fun, and I'd like to continue that. And I think you and I had a pretty good night, considering. Someone might even think we were friends." She responded playfully, not really having an answer to his question, earning a small smile from him. "Look, I'm not gonna sit here and beg you. I'm sorry for how I've treated you, you know I am. Especially the things I've said lately, I took my problems out on you when I shouldn't have and that wasn't fair. But if you really don't want to do this, just tell me." She waited a few seconds, watching as he thought over her words. She wasn't sure if he was trying to talk himself out of doing this, or talk himself into it, but she needed him to make up his mind soon. "Although, I'm pretty sure you want this just as much as I do, if you staring at me all night was any indication." She whispered, his eyes flickering to her lips before finding her eyes.
"Last time this didn't end so well, and there's much more to this than us just sleeping together for the night." He responded quietly, his eyes dark with want despite him trying to fight it.
"But there doesn't have to be." She responded softly, a questioning look covering his face. "I'm not asking for a boyfriend, or for you to take me out on dates. I'm asking you to help me make my night even better." He caught the excited gleam in her eye, Matt swallowing thickly as she continued. "I know we work together, and that's why I'm not suggesting us being a couple. That's the last thing I need. It's just for some fun." She spoke, a slight smirk falling to her face. "A night of harmless fun." She whispered, Matt feeling his throat go dry as she ran her eyes up and down his body.
"You're sure this isn't because of what happened in there? With Walker?"
Gabby shook her head, closing any distance left between them as she took another step forward.
"He's pretty much the last thing on my mind right now." She spoke softly, Matt taking a deep breath. "I actually had a damn good night tonight, and this is me trying to enjoy the rest of it. And I'd like to do that with you."
Her words resonated in his ears, Matt glancing over her face one last time, looking for any ounce of deception. When he found none, a small smile fell to his lips, a matching one appearing over her face.
"So is that a yes?"
Casey grabbed ahold of her arms, responding by placing his lips on hers, their movements instantly quick and heated. He felt her smile into the kiss, Gabby wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening their movements as his hands moved to her waist, holding her flush against him.
When air became a priority, they pulled back, Matt seeing an almost proud look in her eyes. "We probably shouldn't be doing this here." He breathed out, his chest heaving as he sucked in air. They both knew that anyone could walk out of the bar at any moment, and this was the last thing they needed to have to explain.
Nodding in agreement, Gabby slid her arms down his chest, smiling as she pulled away from him. "I'll meet you at your place." She responded quietly, leaning up to place another quick kiss to his lips, Matt surprised by the pace of this one. Her usually rough and needy movements were now gentle and soft, the tender moment taking him by surprise.
Without another word, she turned around, heading towards her car as she left him seemingly frozen in place, Matt's eyes following her body as she walked down the sidewalk.
His mind was screaming at him that they probably shouldn't do this. That the first two times had only made things harder for them, that they had to work together and this was a bad idea. There were plenty of other people in this town, he knew sleeping with her again would only complicate things.
But he couldn't find it in himself to care. He wanted this, he wanted her. And she wanted him just as much.
He didn't care about the consequences, he didn't care about the fallout. He'd deal with that if and when it comes. In this moment all he could think about was her, and that was enough for him right now.
So, I'm sure you all can guess where this is headed, but let's just say there's gonna be a change in the dynamic between Matt and Gabby here shortly. The next chapter starts directly after this, so yeah. Get ready for that.
I know I got this one to you guys a day later than normal, I'm sorry about that. I had this chapter over halfway completed, and then decided to scrap the whole thing. I didn't like where it was going, so I ended up re-writing it and that took some extra time. Thanks for understanding.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I can't wait to hear what you think! Thanks for reading!