Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all.

I hope you enjoy!

ELEVEN

Gabby released a heavy breath as she slowly got pulled into consciousness, a small smile coming to her face as she dug herself into the comforting warmth underneath her.

She wasn't sure what was different, or why she felt much more comfortable than usual, but all she knew was that she hadn't slept that well in months. This was the first morning in a long time where she hadn't woken up still feeling tired. She was completely well-rested, her entire body felt relaxed, like she was wrapped in a blanket of warmth. She just couldn't understand why.

That was until she registered the rise and fall of the hard chest underneath her.

Gabby's eyes snapped open in an instant, confusion covering her face as she glanced around, blinking furiously to adjust to the light streaming in through the partially closed blinds. Regaining her vision, it took only seconds for her to recognize her surroundings, Gabby's heart beginning to thump loudly in her chest as she realized where she was.

Lifting her head up off his chest, she found Matt sound asleep under her, his head facing her, resting peacefully against his pillow. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her bare body against his with his hand resting on her hip. Glancing back towards his chest, that's when she noticed their conjoined hands resting against his skin. Her hand was placed over his chest under his collarbone, and Matt's was on top of hers, holding onto it.

Gabby didn't move for a few moments, her mind in a haze as she tried to put the pieces together. She couldn't remember why she fell asleep here, or why her eyes felt sore, or why Matt was holding her so close to him. She couldn't remember why she chose to stay.

Until the memories of last night came flooding back.

How she went to meet Bryan. Everything he had told her. Everything she felt after seeing him. How she came here. How she broke down. How Matt held onto her and let her cry.

How she apparently fell asleep wrapped up in his arms.

Gabby felt her stomach turn as embarrassment filled her body. She needed to get out of here now, before Matt woke up and she had to face what happened.

She should've never come here last night, she should've never let him comfort her. And she certainly never should've stayed the night.

As Gabby carefully detached herself from Matt's body, she couldn't help but feel as if she'd ruined this. Their agreement of simple, harmless fun was now tainted. She'd brought feelings into it, she let her guard down and now she'd ruined it. She knew Matt only comforted her because he didn't know what else to do, there's no way he actually wanted to spend his night listening to her cry. She should've run out the door the second they finished, but instead she stayed. And now everything was messed up.

Gabby slowly got herself out of bed, standing still as Matt subconsciously moved around in his sheets, waiting until he'd settled before she began picking up her clothes from around the room. She was as quiet as possible as she slid her clothes on, dreading the possibility of Matt waking up and them having to talk.

He would feel inclined to try and help. He would feel like he was supposed to care, like he should ask what's wrong, even though Gabby knew he couldn't care less. They weren't in this for feelings and dealing with each other's baggage, avoiding their issues is exactly why they started this, he didn't want to deal with her problems. And she didn't want his forced pity. She didn't want the pity at all, she just wanted to get home.

Sliding her shirt over her head, she spared one last glance to his peaceful face before quietly leaving the room, all but running from his apartment.

She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, that tomorrow they'd be back on shift and she would have to talk to him.

But for now, she could ignore it. She could ignore him.

All she hoped is that Matt wouldn't make a bigger deal out of it than it was. She was upset and wasn't thinking straight. There wasn't any more to it.

Matt stretched his arms above his head, releasing a long yawn as he came into consciousness, rubbing his hands over his eyes before opening them.

His first move was to look beside him, confusion filling his body as he saw his bed empty. Glancing to his clock, he saw it was a little before ten, Matt throwing the covers off of himself, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Looking around the room, he saw his clothes still on the floor as they were last night, but his were the only ones.

"Gabby?" He called out through the quiet apartment, getting nothing but silence in return.

Breathing deeply, he stood up, going to his dresser for a clean pair of boxers, sliding them on before heading out of his bedroom.

"Gabby?" He asked again, walking through his apartment.

It didn't take him long to realize he was alone, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before walking back towards his bedroom. Stepping inside, he fell back down on his bed, picking up his phone from the nightstand.

Unsurprisingly, he had no message from Gabby explaining why she left, which is what he feared.

He knew she'd be hesitant to let him in, to confide in him. But he never imagined she would've left before he woke up. He knew he shouldn't be too shocked, in fact Gabby actually being here when he woke up would've been more surprising than her leaving, but her still being here would've been progress.

Matt quickly dialed her number, putting the phone up to his ear as he listened to it ring. He soon reached her voicemail, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he waited to leave her a message.

"Hey Gabby, I uh, guess you had to get going this morning but I- I just want you to know that you can talk to me… if you want to. Whatever's going on, I'm here if you need me." He spoke to the machine, blowing out a breath. "Just call me back, whenever you get this. Or when you want to talk. I hope you're okay.. Bye Gabby."

Matt hung up the phone, tossing it down in frustration on the bed beside him.

He wasn't sure why this bothered him so much, why her sneaking out while he was still asleep had left this heavy feeling in his gut. But it did, and he couldn't help but be worried about her. He knew she was still upset, there was no way she'd suddenly be fine after how she was last night. But, whatever this was, it was clear she didn't want his help.

Matt knew there was nothing he could do if she didn't want him to help her. He couldn't exactly force her to talk, and he'd never try to. He just didn't want her thinking she had to go through this alone. They were friends, despite the unusual circumstances surrounding their friendship, he still liked to believe they were friends. He wanted her to know he was here if she needed him.

But he couldn't do that if she wouldn't talk to him.

Casey stomped off the snow on his boots as he got inside the firehouse, wiping some of the snow off his jacket before stepping further into the garage. He kept his eyes peeled as he walked towards the double doors, Matt on the lookout for one of his coworkers in particular.

After leaving Gabby that voicemail yesterday morning, he never heard a word back from her. Despite calling her another time, and texting her, he never got any response. And he was worried. The more time he'd had to think about it, the worse he felt. He knew that whatever it was that upset her probably wasn't good. And his concern was only growing the longer he went without hearing anything back from her. He just wanted to know if she was alright.

Pulling open the doors, Matt stepped inside, being met with a few familiar faces in the common room. Mouch was in his usual position in front of the TV, Otis and Cruz were hanging out by the counter with Walker, as well as a firefighter Casey didn't recognize, but Gabby was nowhere in sight. That wasn't too unusual, considering shift hadn't even started yet, and Shay wasn't around either.

Sighing heavily, he flashed the men in the room a small smile before turning the corner, beginning his walk towards the locker room.

"Lieutenant!" Matt stopped in his path, turning around to see Walker moving towards him, followed closely by the unfamiliar firefighter Casey saw seconds again. Straightening his spine, Matt stood rooted in his spot and waited for the two men to get to him.

"What can I do for you, Walker?" He asked, Bryan stepping aside, Matt's gaze moving to the timid looking man beside him.

"Lieutenant, this is the firefighter assigned to cover for Herrmann until he gets back. Adam Davis, this is our Lieutenant, Matt Casey."

"It's nice to meet you, sir." He spoke, Casey eyeing the man cautiously. He looked young, as in fresh out of the academy young. If Matt had to guess, he would've said this man was a candidate, not a firefighter.

"Lieutenant is fine. I'm looking forward to see what you can do, Davis." Casey spoke, nodding before turning on his heels, resuming his walk to the locker room.

"Don't worry about him, he's always like that. Everyone else here is great, though. You'll fit in fine." Walker spoke to the young firefighter, Matt's ears perking up as he turned around quickly, seeing the look of fear in Davis' eyes, and the indignant look in Walker's.

"Walker, go outside and check the salt in the rig."

"I did that last shift, Lieutenant." He replied with a smug grin, Casey's eyes narrowing.

"And you'll do it again. Now go." He ordered, Bryan smacking his lips together before nodding, turning back towards Davis with a smile.

"Come on Davis, let me show you around the rig."

"You'll do it alone, Walker." Casey spoke firmly, taking a step back towards the two men.

"Someone's got to show him around, Lieutenant." Walker said cooly with a gleam in his eye, Casey shaking his head.

"I can show him around once shift starts. Now go." Casey replied roughly, Walker smirking before giving in.

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." His voice was light, Bryan patting Davis on the shoulder before heading for the garage with that satisfied smirk still plastered over his face.

Casey took a deep breath, glancing back towards Davis, seeing the firefighter still looking as nervous as when he first saw him.

"What should I do, sir- Lieutenant," He corrected himself, "until you're ready to show me around?" Casey shot him a small smile, trying to ease his nerves a bit.

"You can do whatever you please, Davis. I just need to drop my stuff off, and get a few things settled then I can show you around." He spoke, the rigid tone gone from his voice. "The firehouse isn't that big, I'll come find you once I'm done."

Matt's light tone helped with the man's nerves, Davis flashing him a smile as he nodded.

"Sounds good, Lieutenant." He responded before heading back towards the common room, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he continued on his original path.

Casey had no idea what Walker's problem was lately, but he knew he had to put a stop to it. Since last shift, Walker had been near indignant, the man pushing his limits every time he spoke to Casey. While he hadn't been overtly insubordinate, Walker had taken his fair share of subtle shots at Matt. He'd vaguely second guess decisions Casey made, he'd make comments similar to the one he just made to their floater. He was creating problems where there didn't need to be any, and Matt didn't know why.

He knew him and Walker had never really gotten along, but up until the incident on shift with Herrmann, things had slowly started to get better. He was listening, he was following orders, he wasn't causing problems. But that all changed last shift, and clearly it would be more of the same today.

And what irked Casey the most was that stupid, smug grin Walker walked around with. It was as if he was trying to tell Casey something every time he shot him that look, but Matt had no idea what it meant. All he knew was that he found it incredibly obnoxious. Walker was challenging him, and he knew it. But it was the last thing he needed, and he certainly did not have the time or patience for it.

Matt knew he needed to stop it. Walker had already gotten someone hurt, that would only continue if Casey didn't have another chat with him soon. Walker had an inflated sense of himself, and that had only gotten worse the last two shifts. If Matt didn't have another serious discussion with the man, and figure out what his issue was, he was sure Walker would end up getting someone killed next time.

Releasing a soft sigh, Matt walked into the locker room, rubbing his hand over his face as he moved towards the last row of lockers.

"Hey Casey." Shay spoke as soon as he came into view, Matt flashing her a smile, heading for his locker.

"Hi Shay." He responded, glancing back and forth between her and the second unfamiliar face he's seen today.

"McAuley, this is Matt Casey, our truck Lieutenant." Shay introduced, Matt offering a small smile to the older man, watching as he eyed him curiously before turning back to Shay.

"What happened to Stephens? I liked him." The man spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows, catching Shay's quick glance towards him.

"He works at headquarters now, Casey here replaced him."

The older man muttered some inaudible string of words under his breath before heading out of the room, Matt watching curiously as he left before returning his gaze to Shay, seeing the paramedic shaking her head.

"He seems fun." Matt commented, Shay scoffing lightly.

"He's my worst nightmare, but it was the best they could do as a cover last minute."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed at Shay's words, glancing back towards where the man had just left before finding Shay's eyes again. "Cover? Where's Dawson?"

"She's sick."

Matt took a deep breath, running his tongue over his bottom lip as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sick? Is she alright?" Matt tried to sound as casual as possible, even though he knew she wasn't sick.

It wasn't some illness that was keeping her from work. It was him. She was avoiding him.

"She should be fine, I talked to her this morning, said it was just a cold but she didn't want to come get everyone else sick. I bet she'll be back next shift." Shay replied with a soft grin, Matt nodding before opening his locker, biting down on his bottom lip as he began discarding his things into his locker, not seeing Shay's eyes on him. "You alright there, Casey?"

"Huh?" He questioned, snapping his head from his locker.

"You seem to be really mad at that bag." She joked, Matt releasing a light chuckle as he shook his head.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just had a long few days."

"Is everything okay?" Shay asked, concern flooding her voice.

"I'm good." He responded, flashing her a small smile.

"Well, if it's anything you ever want to talk about, you know where to find me." She offered, patting his back before heading out of the room.

Once he knew he was alone, Matt blew out a heavy breath, reaching into his pocket for his phone, pulling up his unread messages to Gabby. Shaking his head in frustration, he tapped on her contact, pressing her number and bringing the phone to his ear.

To no surprise, it went to voicemail, Matt rubbing his hand over his mouth as he waited to leave her a message.

"Hey Gabby, I just heard from Shay that you're not gonna be in today, and… Look, if this is because of me, I need you to know you don't have to avoid me. I'm not gonna make you talk to me, or make things weird. I just want to know you're okay. You're really worrying me." Matt looked up as he heard movement, seeing Kelly walking into the locker room. "I gotta go, but just call me back later, alright?" Casey hung up the phone, Severide looking at him curiously.

"Everything alright?"

"Mhmm." Matt responded.

"Having some lady troubles?" Severide asked with a smirk, Matt shaking his head as he scoffed lightly, closing his locker.

"No, it's nothing like that." Matt answered, flashing his friend a smile before leaving the locker room, heading for his office.

Casey dropped himself into the chair beside Severide, Kelly looking up from his newspaper with an amused grin, Matt holding his hands together over his stomach as he leaned his head back.

"Rough call?" Kelly asked, chuckling softly as Matt looked towards him. The two Lieutenants were seated at the squad table, them being the only ones out in the garage on this cold winter day. 81 had just returned from their second call of the day, Casey hanging back by the rig until everyone had gone inside before he sought out Severide.

"You could say that." Matt responded, Kelly waiting for him to elaborate. "I just… I don't know what I'm gonna do with Walker." Casey admitted quietly, Severide putting his newspaper down onto the table, giving Matt his full attention.

"What's been going on?"

"Just more of the same. He's been so arrogant, and he keeps challenging me with almost everything. I know all firefighters have to be a little cocky, it's part of the job description, but this… this is something else. It's like he's trying to prove something to me, but it's affecting everyone else."

"He's still acting like that? I thought he left that shit back at our last shift." Kelly breathed out, Casey shaking his head.

"No, he didn't. I know he doesn't like me, and frankly I'm not a huge fan of him, but I have to find a way to talk to him where he'll listen because so far, nothing I've done has managed to stick."

"Listen man, I know you hear me say this all the time but Bryan… he's changed a lot since you got here. I guess it was everything that happened with Gabby, and I know he'd been an asshole to her, but something about them actually breaking up changed him. He didn't used to act like this." Severide spoke, huffing out a breath. "But I don't understand what he thinks he's going to gain by getting on your bad side. He's not stupid, he knows that won't end well for him." Kelly added quickly, Matt shrugging.

"I don't know, but I'm tired of dealing with his attitude. I don't want to make it Boden's problem, but if I can't get him to listen to me, I won't have a choice. He's gonna get someone killed." Severide could see Matt's frustration at the situation, and he couldn't exactly blame him.

"Did something happen on the call?"

"Just Walker going off on his own again, without a care in the world. The fire was contained, so it wasn't as big of a deal, but still, he keeps pulling this shit, and he made Davis go with him… I've never seen someone look as nervous as Davis did when I was laying into Walker before we left. But no matter what I do, Walker doesn't seem to listen. I know he has a lot going on in his personal life, so regardless of how I feel I'm trying to not make a bigger deal of this than it is, but he's testing every limit I have." Casey explained, Kelly pursing his lips together.

"I don't know man, maybe you should go to Boden." Severide responded, Matt glancing to him. "If Walker's not listening, it might be your only option. You can't have guys not listening to you out on call, because yeah it could end up being nothing, but, like you said, it could end up being dangerous for all of us."

"What's dangerous?"

"Jesus Christ Shay!" Severide shouted as he jumped in his seat, the blonde laughing as she came around from behind Kelly to stand on the other side of the table, Matt watching in amusement. "Where the hell did you come from?" Severide asked with his hand over his chest, trying to calm his breathing.

"Over there." She pointed nonchalantly, leaning her weight against the table. "So what are you two talking about?"

"Casey's still having problems with Walker." Kelly spoke, Shay rolling her eyes.

"There's a shock." She responded bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What did he do now?"

"Just the same stuff, he's not listening to Casey. He went off on his own again at their call, the same thing he did that put Herrmann in the hospital." Severide spoke, Shay rolling her eyes.

"He's gonna get someone killed. I don't know what he thinks he's accomplishing by being an unreliable dick, but he needs to stop." She huffed out, Matt's eyebrows raising in amusement.

"Alright, I know none of us exactly like him right now but let's watch the language." Severide joked, Shay shaking her head with a grin.

"Oh, you've said far worse." She teased, taking a slow breath before continuing. "But speaking of Walker, I know he's the reason Gabby's not here today." Shay spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Severide asked, Shay glancing around to ensure they were still alone before answering.

"Remember last shift when Bryan asked to talk to Gabby?" Shay waited until she got nods from both of them before continuing. "Well, he asked her to meet up with him after shift so they could talk. Some bullshit about how he wanted to explain to her why he did what he did, he said that he was trying to be a better guy or something. I didn't buy any of it, but Gabby went to talk to him… It's not a coincidence that the shift after she talks to him, she doesn't show up."

"What night was this?" Matt asked for clarification, realization slowly washing over him.

"The night before last." Shay answered. "She seemed hesitant to go, I don't blame her, but she went. And seeing as how she's not here today, I'm gonna say it went terribly."

"But how do you know she's not just sick?" Severide questioned, Shay huffing out an annoyed breath.

"Because this is Dawson we're talking about, she doesn't miss shift for anything. He's the reason she's not here, I know it." She replied sternly, Kelly raising his eyebrows.

"Did you ask her about it?"

"The first time I'd talked to her was this morning when I called after finding out she wasn't coming in, I'm not about to ask her over the phone, use your brain Kelly." She snapped, Severide putting his hands up in defense.

"Jeez Shay, calm down." He responded lightly, earning a glare from his best friend.

Their bickering continued, but Casey tuned them out, his thoughts going back to Gabby's behavior the night she came to him. It was all starting to make sense. Why she was so upset, why she was inconsolable; Bryan had said or done something to get her to react that way. He'd done something that hurt her.

"She didn't sound sick on the phone, Kelly." Matt focused his attention back on them again, his eyes on Shay. "She sounded more sad than anything… I'm worried about her, and I know he did something to upset her. He always does.."

"Shay, even if that is true, there's nothing you can do about it right now. Just be there for her, you know how she is. She closes herself off, especially when it comes to him."

"Yeah, I know she does. But she's been doing so much better lately, I don't want him to ruin that."

Their conversation was cut short by the bells chiming throughout the house, sending all companies to an apartment fire. Standing up, Severide flashed Shay a sympathetic look, rubbing his hand over her shoulder.

"She's gonna be fine, Shay. It's Dawson, she always bounces back."

The paramedic gave him an unconvincing nod, Kelly bringing her in for a quick hug before they all separated, knowing he didn't have time to do much comforting right now. There were people who needed their help, their own problems would have to wait.

Casey sat in his truck outside the old building, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, trying to work up the nerve to go inside.

He probably shouldn't be here, he knew that. In fact, Matt was sure going inside that building would only make Gabby more upset with him, but he didn't know what else to do. He needed to talk to her, and she wasn't answering him.

Since leaving her a message yesterday morning, he hadn't reached out to her again and she never called him back. He hadn't expected her to, but he was hoping she might at some point have felt okay to call him. But she hadn't. And he knew continuing to call her wouldn't get him anywhere, so he let it be.

But he hadn't been able to get her off his mind.

Matt felt like he needed to fix this, he needed to talk to Gabby and figure out exactly what was wrong. Not even so much him knowing what had her upset, but he needed to know they were okay. Because right now, he wasn't so sure. He knew he hadn't done anything to cause her radio silence, that her ignoring him was solely because of how she was handling whatever happened. But he wanted her to know he was there for her, that she had nothing to worry about, at least where he was concerned. He didn't want her having any misconceptions about where they stood, he didn't want her to feel bad or embarrassed about what happened. More than anything, he just needed to know she was okay.

And that's how he found himself sitting outside the 21st district.

It had been a long day already for the truck Lieutenant, Matt having spent the better part of his afternoon at a construction job after he got off shift. On top of that, he had barely gotten any sleep on shift the night before. Between him worrying about Gabby, and the frequent calls they got throughout the night, Matt barely got a minute of sleep. And he'd had no chance to rest since then. He knew it was probably in his best interest to just go home, that he should just go take a quick shower and fall into bed. But he knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew she was okay. Going home now would do nothing except stress him out.

Taking a deep breath, Matt got out of his truck, locking it up before jogging across the slick road, the street lights illuminating his path as he took the steps two at a time, trying to escape from the cold.

Once inside, Matt went up the second flight of stairs, his steps slowing as he walked inside the somewhat empty lobby. Glancing around, his eyes soon landed on a woman sitting at the front desk, her attention drawn to the computer in front of her. Figuring she was his best bet at getting the help he needed, Casey walked towards her, the woman glancing up to him as he got closer.

"Hi, I'm looking for Antonio Dawson." Matt spoke as she watched him with a blank stare.

"And you are?"

"Matt Casey, I'm a firefighter over at 51, I work with his sister, Gabby." He spoke, a small grin falling onto her face.

"Oh, so you're the new Lieutenant Randy keeps talking about."

Realization washed over Casey's face the second she mentioned the firefighter, Matt matching her smile with one of his own.

"Sergeant Platt, right? I'd forgotten you worked here, I've heard great things about you from Mouch and, well, everyone." He spoke, the woman's smile widening.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Casey." She responded, picking up her phone. "So you're here for Antonio?"

"Yes ma'am." He spoke, Trudy nodding.

"I'll call up, have him come down and meet you. Just have a seat over there."

Matt flashed her another smile before following her directions, walking towards the bench in the corner, placing himself down onto it.

It took all of five minutes before Antonio came down, Matt looking up as the older Dawson walked towards Platt's desk.

"You said I have a visitor?" He asked, the woman pointing behind him, smiling softly at Casey. Antonio's eyebrows furrowed at her grin before following her gesture, his confusion only growing when he saw the firefighter waiting for him. "Thanks Platt." He spoke before heading towards the firefighter. "Hey Casey." Antonio spoke unsurely, Matt standing up as he got to him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for bothering you at work, I know you guys are busy." Matt responded, Antonio shaking his head.

"It's alright." Antonio spoke, glancing back to see Platt still watching Casey. "You seemed to have really charmed Sergeant Platt, she doesn't usually like people." The detective joked, earning a chuckle from Matt as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Must be the firefighter thing."

Shaking his head with a grin, Antonio returned his attention solely back to Casey, Matt seeing the look of confusion returning to his face. "So you're here to see me? Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. I was actually just here about Gabby…" Matt responded, shifting uncomfortably as he moved his weight between his feet.

"Is she alright?" Antonio's spine straightened, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"Yeah she's fine. I mean, Shay said she was sick and she wasn't on shift."

Antonio's posture relaxed as he crossed his arms over his chest, Matt not meaning to worry the older brother as he responded. "Oh that, yeah, she said she thought she just picked up something from a patient, it's nothing serious or anything."

"No, I know. I just… I haven't been able to get in contact with her for a few days now. And I know this is kind of a strange thing for me to ask, but I know she's staying with you, and I was wondering if I could have your address?" Matt saw the look of surprise flash in Antonio's eyes, the man raising his eyebrows in question. "Just so I can stop by and check on her, make sure she's alright." Casey rambled, shifting his gaze away from him, his uncomfortable demeanor obvious to the detective across from him.

"Uh, yeah I guess. I mean, I don't care if you stop by… I just didn't realize you and my sister were close." He spoke with an unreadable look on his face, Matt swallowing thickly.

"We're friends, yeah." He answered lamely, Antonio eyeing him carefully before nodding. The detective pulled out his phone, pulling up a new message, typing out his address before handing it to Casey.

"Put your number in there."

Matt did as he was told, Antonio sending him the address before sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Thanks Antonio." He spoke, seeing the man's gaze still on him.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm glad you and my sister are friends..." Antonio replied slowly, his eyebrows raised like he was expecting Casey to explain, but Matt simply smiled uncomfortably, giving him a nod.

"Yeah, well, uh, thanks again." Matt spoke, clearing his throat before stepping around the detective and heading for the door, glancing back to see a very confused Antonio watching him as he left the district.

Casey blew out a heavy breath as he stepped out into the freezing night air, zipping up his jacket as snow fell down on him while he hurried to his truck, anxious to get to his destination.

With help from his GPS, Matt got to Antonio's apartment relatively quickly, Casey admiring the building as he headed into the lobby and towards the elevators, double checking the apartment number as he waited to get to the correct floor. Stepping out into the hallway, he glanced around his unfamiliar surroundings before moving in what he hoped was the right direction.

Glancing down to his phone one last time, he soon found himself outside the correct door, Matt shoving his phone in his pocket before hesitantly bringing his hand up to knock on the white wood.

He knew it was a little on the later side, and if there was any truth to her being sick, he might be waking her, but after a few moments he heard shuffling behind the door, Matt taking a deep breath, unsure of what type of reaction his presence would get from her.

When Gabby pulled open the door, her eyes widened in surprise, Matt taking the opportunity to take in her appearance. Clad in a small pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, he focused his attention back on her face, looking for any signs of distress. Aside from her shock, he could still see the hurt hiding in her eyes, that familiar look of sadness still shining dimly in her tired gaze.

"What are you doing here?" She spoke softly, her voice hesitant.

"I wanted to check in on you, you weren't answering my calls… Can I come in?" He asked, knowing the hallway was not the place for this conversation.

Sighing softly, Gabby nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "How did you know where I live?" She questioned, closing the door behind him as he shed his jacket and boots, Gabby eyeing him curiously.

"I, uh… I went to see your brother." Her eyes widened in disbelief this time, Gabby bringing her hand up to run over the side of her face, shaking her head. "All I said was that I wanted to check in on you because I knew you were sick and I hadn't heard from you. I made sure to be clear we were only friends, but I don't think he bought it."

"Well of course he didn't buy it." She responded frustratedly, turning around and heading for what Matt could only assume to be her bedroom. "I really wish you hadn't done that, Casey."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do." He replied, his tone showing just as much frustration as hers, Matt following after her to the bedroom, walking in to see her pacing at the foot of the bed. "You weren't answering my texts, I hadn't heard from you at all since you left my place and I was worried. Plus I figured you would rather me go to your brother than ask Shay or Kelly." He told her, Gabby stopping her movements as Matt walked further into the room.

"I would have rather you just left it alone… I'm still not even sure why you're here to begin with." She responded, rubbing tiredly over her forehead.

"I told you, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"It's not your job to check in on me, or to worry about me." She replied sharply, Matt blowing out a sigh. He was expecting her guard to be up, it always was, but just because he wasn't surprised by it, that didn't mean he wasn't frustrated. "We're not dating. I know you feel like you should care, like you have to care because we're sleeping together, but believe me, it's alright. You don't have to do all this for my sake. I'm fine."

"I'm not pretending to care, Gabby." He answered with furrowed eyebrows. "I do care. Not because I feel like I have to, but because you're my friend." She raised her eyebrows at his words, Matt breathing deeply. "I'd like to think we're friends, and I think you feel the same. And that means I care about you." He continued, watching her closely. "I wanted to help you the other night, but I didn't really know what to say. I knew you were upset, and I thought my trying to talk to you then would've only made it worse. So I figured I'd wait and talk to you in the morning, but you were gone…" He trailed off, his tongue running over his bottom lip.

"Well, I never should've stayed in the first place." She responded, blinking tightly. "We don't do that… we just have sex, that's it. We don't stay the night. I should've left the minute we finished."

"But you don't have to always do that... Especially when you were that upset. Do you honestly think I would've let you leave even if you hadn't fallen asleep?" He questioned, watching as her eyes moved to the ground, her arms crossing over her chest protectively as he took a step closer towards her. "You came to me because you were upset, you needed someone. There's nothing wrong with that, you don't need to be embarrassed." As the words left his lips, Matt knew he'd hit the source of her insecurity, Gabby's face telling him more than her words could. "If that's why you ran, you had no reason to. I wanted to help you, I still do. You don't have to be embarrassed because you needed someone." He spoke softly, seeing tears form in her eyes.

"But that's not what we do, Matt." She nearly whispered, clearly fighting against not only him, but her own emotions.

"Who says we can't?" He replied instantly, taking another step towards her, Matt thankful when she didn't back away. "You and I make the rules here, remember? There's no right or wrong way to do this. It's just what works for us." He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to really think over his words before continuing. "You can let yourself trust me, Gabby. You don't have to worry about coming to me, I want to be able to help you, if you need it." He could see her guard coming down, Matt carefully reaching out to rest his hand on her bare arm, his eyes being drawn to the faint bruising over her skin, in the same place he saw the bright red mark the other night.

With furrowed eyebrows, Matt's gaze found hers again, his mind racing as he remembered what Shay had told him on shift, his heart feeling heavy as he rubbed his thumb against her arm. "And if you're not coming to me because it's about something Walker did, you don't have to worry about that either." He murmured, watching as an unsettling look covered her face. "You can talk to me, no matter what it's about. I'm your friend, Gabby."

"How did you know?" She questioned quietly, Matt taking a deep breath before responding.

"When you didn't show up for shift at first, I thought it was because of me… And maybe it still was a little, but then Shay was talking to Kelly about how you met up with Walker the same night you came to me. I'm guessing it was right before you called me." He spoke, the look in her eyes confirming his assumptions. "Then it started to make sense. I don't know what happened, I don't need to know, but I have a feeling he's the one who had you so upset." He said softly, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes. "And I also have a feeling he's the one who gave you that bruise." His voice was barely audible, Gabby's breath hitching as her eyes darted to the purple marks on her arm, watching as Matt's hand came up to gentle ghost his thumb over it. "Did he hurt you?"

Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, Gabby took a moment to reign in her emotions before looking back up to him, seeing the hurt and anger shining in his eyes. Slowly, she nodded, watching as his anger morphed into sadness, his eyes flickering back to the bruising.

"We went to talk at a diner, things got a little heated. I tried to leave and he grabbed me, wouldn't let go." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat, Matt bringing his other hand up to rest over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, Gabby nodding slightly. Before saying another word, Matt slowly pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her back. She tensed momentarily, not expecting the action, but she soon relaxed into his embrace, hesitantly bringing her arms up to wrap around his waist. "You don't have to talk about it, or tell me what happened, that's not what I mean when I say you can trust me… I just want you to know I'm here for you, whether you want to talk or not." He spoke softly, feeling her tighten her grip on his waist.

"Okay." She murmured, Matt smiling softly as they stood in her bedroom. "But you still don't have to worry about me so much." She responded, Matt hearing the teasing tone now present in her voice. "I mean, the six phone calls were a little much."

Casey released a light scoff, pulling back slightly, catching the playful gleam in her eye, a small grin appearing across his face. "Well, next time pick up your phone." He spoke, shaking his head. Their arms fell from one another, Gabby brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm good, Matt. Promise. I'm not gonna break down again." She responded, Matt taking a deep breath, his eyes flickering over her face.

"I meant what I said, you know. You don't need to be embarrassed about that." He spoke, catching her gaze. Not knowing what to say, Gabby simply nodded, biting down on the inside of her cheek.

Matt glanced around the room, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he thought over how to approach his next topic. He knew tonight was progress, that he and Gabby were in a much better place than they had been an hour ago. But she was still guarded and sometimes wary of him, although every time he learned more and more about how she'd been treated by Walker, he couldn't blame her.

"What?" She questioned, seeing the pensive look on his face.

"...Do you want me to stay tonight?" He asked suddenly, a look of surprise covering her features.

"Matt, what are you doing?" She questioned, watching as a small smile graced his lips.

"I'm being your friend." He responded honestly, his grin widening when he saw a small one form over her lips. "It's the whole 'friend' part of 'friends with benefits'." He spoke, Gabby sighing softly.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was okay."

"I know, but I also know how upset you've been, and… If you want me to stay, I will."

Gabby remained silent for a moment, looking over his features as she thought over his proposal. It was a fine line, them starting to stay the night. Especially this, Matt staying the night when they hadn't had sex. They were walking the line of friends that hookup and something more, and it scared her. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, she didn't want their situation getting complicated.

But something was keeping her from telling him to go... She didn't want him to leave.

"You can stay." She murmured, Matt nodding with a grin before she moved towards the bedroom door, shutting it slowly.

Wordlessly, Gabby came back to the bed as Matt began removing his clothes, placing them on the chair in her room as he stripped down to his boxers. He walked over to the bed, Gabby making herself comfortable while he slid under the covers behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him until her back was pressed into his chest.

They laid in a comfortable quiet, Gabby reaching to turn off the lamp, bathing the room in darkness as she let herself relax into his grip. She could feel his breath on her neck, Gabby moving her hand to rest on top of his, a small smile coming to her face as released a deep breath, feeling him give her waist another squeeze, the two enjoying their silence.

"It wasn't because of you." She murmured after nearly ten minutes of quiet, Matt tapping his fingers against her stomach, telling her that he was awake and waiting for her to continue. "I didn't skip shift because of you. It was because of Bryan, I wasn't ready to face him, so I called in sick." She admitted, feeling safe in the cover of darkness.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, it's none of my business." He responded, holding her tighter to him. "But if you ever want to, I'm here to listen." Gabby nodded, feeling as Matt ran his leg over hers under the covers.

"I know… And I'm sorry for up and leaving you the other morning. And not responding to your messages. I didn't mean to make you worry, but I was just- you were right, I was embarrassed by what happened." Matt frowned as he listened to her speak, waiting to let her talk at her own pace. "I guess if I had really thought about it, I would've known you wouldn't have like, held it against me or something, but I didn't really know what to do. I was still upset and I didn't want to talk, so I left."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. As long as you know now that you can come to me if you need to. I'd never use something like that against you, or tell anyone what we talk about. I don't want you to feel like you can't come to me." He spoke softly, Matt feeling her begin to shift in his arms, releasing his grip on her as she turned to face him, Matt barely able to make out her face in the dark. Before she spoke, she placed her head on his chest, Matt smiling softly as he wrapped his arm around her back, holding her to him.

"Thank you for coming here, Casey." She eventually whispered, snuggling herself into him. He rubbed over her back lightly, feeling her breath hitting his skin.

"Goodnight Gabby." He responded, draping his arm across his chest, resting his hand on her arm.

"Night Matt."

Well, it took them a minute but it seems like Matt and Gabby are making some progress. They're heading in the right direction. Gabby's still incredibly guarded, as is Matt in his own ways, but they seem to be dropping some of those defenses a little bit.

Things are gonna be getting pretty crazy here soon, I'm super excited for the next few chapters and I hope you guys are too!

If you can, it would mean a lot if you could leave me a review and let me know what you thought. It seriously helps me so much. Thank you so much for reading!