Hello hello hello! Here's the next chapter for you all. It's time to see how the house reacts to learning to truth about Matt. I hope you guys enjoy!
Also, there is an M-Rated scene in this one.
Happy reading!
FIFTEEN
Gabby walked into the common room through the side door, seeing Shay leaning against the counter, everyone's attention focused to the entrance of the room.
"There you are." Shay spoke softly as Gabby came to her side. "Chief called us all in here, I'm guessing it's about Casey?" Her voice was quiet as Gabby nodded, Dawson crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned her weight into the counter.
"Yeah. He wants to talk to everyone." Gabby replied, her eyes moving around the room, landing on Walker. Bryan was leaning against the wall behind the long table, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, a look of pure annoyance covering his face.
"That's good, right? Let everyone hear his side of things."
"Yeah, it is… I'm just worried. I don't know if he can handle this." Gabby breathed out, Shay watching her closely. "What?"
"Nothing." She responded, leaning into Gabby's side. "It's just you sound an awful lot like a worried girlfriend." She teased, Gabby rolling her eyes. Although she didn't always love Shay's teasing, she was glad to see there was no awkwardness between them from earlier. She hadn't meant to snap at her the way she did when her partner asked about Walker, but Gabby hadn't been expecting it, and she panicked. But thankfully, the blonde seemed to have moved on.
"He's my friend, Shay. Of course I'm worried."
"Yup… Your friend." She spoke with a smirk. "I need to find me a friend like that."
Gabby ignored Shay's words, shaking her head as she focused her attention on Boden, movement in the corner of her eye catching her attention as Matt came into the room, following the same path she'd taken.
"Alright everyone." Boden spoke up, Matt walking through the room towards the Chief, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him. "I know there's been a lot of gossip going around here today, a lot of misinformation that's been spread, but Casey wants to talk to you all, let you know the truth of what happened." He prefaced, earnings a few slow nods from around the room.
Gabby could feel the apprehension in the air, and she hated it because she knew Matt could feel it too. Watching him as he stood up there in front of everyone, she could see the nerves radiating off his body. He was trying to mask it, but she could tell he was scared.
Boden stepped aside, Matt clearing his throat as his eyes bounced around the room before landing on Dawson, Gabby giving him a warm, supportive smile. He felt some of the tension leave his body as their eyes met, Matt nodding softly before speaking up.
"So, uh, I know what you all have heard. Or, I guess I know what you heard at Molly's. I'm not sure if anything else has been said about me, but I know my reputation around the department… I know there's a lot of things said about me, things that aren't true. I'm sure you all have questions, and I'm sorry to those of you who reached out to me and I didn't respond, I just-" He cut himself off, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "This isn't an easy thing for me to talk about, and having it come up again like this… I wasn't expecting it, and I needed time to think. But I want you all to know what happened, because the last thing I want is for you guys to feel like you can't trust me, or that I'm lying to you guys. I haven't been here that long, I know that, and what's said about me isn't good, so I'll understand if you guys can't get past this... But you all deserve to know the truth, because I didn't do this." He spoke, trying to keep his voice as firm as possible.
His eyes met Gabby's again, needing a second to compose himself before continuing.
"Part of what Walker told you was the truth…" Matt started, glancing towards Bryan, seeing the man watching him with a hard stare. "I did get into a fight with one of my firefighters, but it didn't happen the way you guys were told. He did end up in the hospital, but not because of anything I did. He came at me, it was a personal issue between him and I, and he just started swinging… I did fight back, but I was just trying to defend myself. He fell and hit his head, that's how he ended up in the hospital. But I didn't send him there… The department cleared me, but that incident got me moved from my house." He explained, taking a deep breath. "And yeah, I was married. I'm not anymore, for a lot of reasons, but none of those reasons were me being abusive. Because I wasn't. I never laid a hand on her… We were married for almost three years and I never once hurt her like that." He spoke, shaking his head. "And I didn't abandon my child, there's no way I could have because I don't have a child."
Matt's voice was getting unsteady, Casey swallowing down the emotion caught in his throat as he locked eyes with Gabby once more. She gave him a nod, silently assuring him everything was okay, Matt tuning everyone else out in the room as he focused on her.
"My ex-wife… she was sleeping with the firefighter I got into a fight with." He admitted, a thick silence filling the room, Matt ignoring the pitiful and surprised looks he was receiving, continuing to focus on the reassuring one Dawson was giving him. "I didn't know about it. They had been having an affair for awhile before I knew, and that night he and I got into a fight was the night I found out… Some things happened after that, and a couple months later she told me she was pregnant, but the child's not mine."
Casey forced himself to look away from Gabby, his eyes moving around the room as he saw a range of emotions looking back at him. He could tell they were confused, and most of them were upset. He could see the pity in their eyes shining back at him. But he could also feel some of them were wary, and he couldn't blame them.
"I know you guys really don't have any reason to believe me, but that's the truth." He breathed out, blinking tightly. "I was hoping this wouldn't be an issue here, because I have absolutely loved this house, and everyone here. This is the best firehouse I've ever worked at, and I didn't want the lies said about me affecting that, but I know you all haven't known me for very long. I hope this doesn't affect how you see me as a leader, and, more importantly, as your friend. But if it does, I understand… I'm sorry you all found out the way you did." He spoke softly, releasing a deep breath.
Everyone in the room was stunned into silence, unsure of what to say. But before they had to, the bells rang throughout the house, calling 61 to a car accident. The noise snapped the room out of their daze, Shay and Dawson moving towards the front of the room.
Before leaving, Shay stopped at Matt, Casey watching her closely to see what she was going to do, the blonde smiling softly before pulling him into a tight hug. Matt relaxed into her, sighing heavily as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm so sorry, Casey." She told him, squeezing him tighter as he rubbed his hands over her back.
"It's alright, Shay." He responded, the two pulling back, knowing they didn't have time to do much else now. With one last smile, Shay kept walking, Gabby following behind her, stopping momentarily when she got beside Matt.
Silently, she placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it comfortingly, Matt giving her an understanding nod. He knew this wasn't the place for her to say everything she'd told him before, but her comforting gaze was enough, her look reassuring him before she headed out the door after her partner, the room returning to its previous quiet.
Matt kept his eyes up, keeping his breathing steady as he waited for someone to say something, unsure of how to read the silent reactions he was receiving.
"Casey, I'm just- I'm so sorry." Severide spoke first, shaking his head. "That's awful."
"It's okay." Matt replied, clearing his throat. "I just wanted you all to know what happened. I'm still not entirely sure how it all got twisted into what it did, how it turned into what Walker, and everyone else, hears about me. But I think it all started with the firefighter who worked with me. If I were to guess, I'd say he changed the story, and it just got out of control…" He told them, earning a few nods from around the room, the all too familiar quiet returning.
"Walker, a word." Boden spoke up, Matt turning to find Bryan's narrowed gaze focused on him, his expression unreadable.
"Alright, Chief." He responded, Boden starting the walk towards his office, Walker hanging back for a moment before following after him.
"Man, Casey…" Herrmann breathed out, pushing himself up from the couch. "I had no idea anything like that happened. When Walker said all that at Molly's, I didn't really think it was true. Or I figured there had to be more to the story, I didn't really know what to think I guess… but all of that? I'm so sorry, Casey."
"It's fine, really."
"No, it's not." Herrmann spoke, shaking his head. "What you went through is awful. I don't know your ex-wife, or your relationship with her, but I'm sorry for what happened, Casey. No one deserves that."
"Thanks Herrmann." He replied, the man bringing him in for a quick hug, Matt finding Severide's eyes as he pulled back, Kelly giving him a supportive smile.
"We're here for you, man." Kelly spoke, Matt smiling softly.
"Yeah, of course we are." Cruz chimed in, earning more nods from around the room.
"Thanks you guys." He replied, feeling like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off his chest.
"Have a seat, Walker." Boden spoke as the two walked into his office, Bryan closing the door behind them before moving towards the chair, Boden sitting down at his desk.
"What's this about, Chief?" Walker asked, earning an unimpressed look from his boss.
"I think you know the answer to that question." Boden responded, placing his clasped hands on his desk.
"Chief…" Walker spoke, releasing a heavy breath.
"They next time you have a problem with your Lieutenant, you speak to him. Or you come to me. You don't confront him at a bar."
"Chief-"
"That is not how we handle things here. Especially when the accusations you are spreading are damaging ones. What you accused Casey of, that's a serious thing. It's something that could ruin his life, it's something that has already tried to ruin his career. I don't care what personal issues you have with him, you don't behave that way."
"Why is everyone so quick to believe him?!" Walker nearly shouted, Boden's eyes widening at his sudden outburst. "Multiple people say he did these things, and yet you automatically believe him just because he said he didn't do it?! Why does he get a free pass?"
"Walker, calm down!" Boden barked, Bryan taking a deep breath as he settled back in his seat, seeing the Chief's narrowed gaze on him. "You really think my first call wasn't to headquarters the minute I heard what was being said about him? You think I wouldn't look into it? I talked to everyone I could get ahold of who knew about the situation, I even talked to Casey's old Chief, and everyone I spoke to said the same thing; he didn't do what he was accused of. Lies got spread around by firefighters within the department, most likely started by the man who was sleeping with Casey's wife, that's how you heard what you did. But do you really think I wouldn't have checked that out before going to him? That I'd be perfectly fine letting an abuser stay in this house?" Boden spoke harshly, Walker sighing as his body tensed slightly, pressing his fingers against his temple.
"I'm sorry, Chief." Walker spoke firmly. "I didn't know you spoke to other people, I just-"
"You were just angry. You have been angry, and I don't know why." Boden responded with a sigh, Walker meeting his eyes. "You need to get yourself under control, Walker. You've been on thin ice with Casey here lately anyway, and you've only dug yourself a deeper hole to climb out of..." Boden replied, shaking his head. "And I'm not the only one you owe an apology to, I think you know that."
"Chief…"
"I am going to assume, and hope, that your intentions were in the right place." Boden cut him off, his words sharp. "But this can't happen again. Next time you have concerns, you come to me."
"I understand."
"Good. I don't want this to be an issue, I don't want you to become an issue." Boden spoke pointedly, Walker's neck clenching. "You need to go apologize to Casey, for how you acted."
Silently, Bryan nodded, his hands gripping the arms of the chair, forcing himself to remain as calm as he could.
"Alright, you're dismissed." Boden spoke, Walker pushing himself up from his seat as quickly as possible. "But I'm serious about that apology." He warned, Bryan giving a faint nod before heading for the door.
"And Walker," Boden's voice stopped him as he opened the door, the firefighter turning back around. "Just so we're both on the same page, had this happened on shift, you would be getting written up, and most likely suspended. The only smart decision you made from all this was doing it off-shift. But I'm completely serious when I tell you that you need to cool it. If you continue to bring problems into this house that don't need to be here, we'll be having a very different conversation."
"Understood." He bit out, turning to leave before he let his emotions get the best of him.
He couldn't believe everyone had bought Casey's story, that no one, besides Boden, even questioned it. He hated that Matt got off so easily, and somehow he ended up being the one in trouble. Walker didn't understand why Matt was so readily believed in this house, but it made him furious. And the last thing he wanted to do was even be near Casey right now.
But he knew he had to. For the sake of his job, he had to go plaster on a smile and rattle off some fake apology to the abusive Lieutenant.
He had to go and talk to him. But he couldn't right now. Because if he did, he'd say or do something that would get him in trouble. He was too angry, he needed time to cool off, knowing that he couldn't go talk to Matt when he was ready to put his fist through a wall.
"We really don't come to Lakeshore that often anymore." Shay commented as they unloaded the patient from the back of the rig.
"Well, we're usually closer to med." Gabby shrugged as they headed inside to hand off the man in their care.
Everything went smoothly enough, Shay restocking some supplies while Gabby filled out the paperwork, tuning out the world around her as she diligently worked on the task at hand.
When she finally looked up to hand the paperwork back to the nurse, her eyes widened as she came face to face with someone she was not expecting, the clearly pregnant woman sitting across from her, her attention focused on the computer. Gabby's eyes bounced around, looking for the nurse, or any nurse, that she could give the paperwork to.
"Dawson, right?"
Gabby swallowed thickly as she looked back towards the doctor, seeing a small smile on her face. Unable to find her voice, Gabby nodded.
"Did you need something?" She asked, Gabby running her tongue over her bottom lip, clearing her throat.
"Just looking for one of the nurses." She responded, tapping her finger against the paperwork in her hands.
"Oh, well I can take that for you." She spoke, her hand moving to cover her protruding stomach. "I'm not allowed to do much else around here anyway." There was a lightness to her voice, and Gabby couldn't help but feel irritated with this woman, but she tried to not let it show.
She didn't know her, all she knew was what she heard from Casey. And while she believed him, she didn't know the ins and outs of their relationship. She didn't know any of the events prior to her affair, and even though she couldn't help but not like this woman, she didn't want to cause any problems. Especially not when Casey would be the one to have to deal with it.
"Sure, yeah. Thank you, Dr. Thomas." Gabby spoke softly, handing over the papers.
"It's no problem." She replied, Gabby nodding slowly.
"Hey Dawson, you ready?" Shay's voice filled her ears, Gabby turning to find her partner walking towards her.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Good, let's get out of here. Hey Dr. Thomas." Shay greeted, the two women smiling at one another.
"Hi. It's Shay, right?" She asked, the blonde nodding. "I'm sorry, we get so many paramedics through here, and plus that whole pregnancy brain is a very real thing." She joked, earning a grin from Shay.
"Oh you're fine." She responded, Gabby gripping Shay's arm.
"We should probably get back to the house. It was nice to see you again." Dawson spoke towards Hallie, the woman nodding.
"You too."
Gabby all but pushed Shay out the door, the blonde prying her friend's hand from her arm.
"Ow, God what is wrong with you?" She whined as they walked to the rig.
"Nothing, it was just time to go." Dawson replied, climbing into the passenger seat.
"You're acting all weird… Are you just worried about Casey? Because I don't blame you." Shay spoke as she got buckled, Gabby biting on the inside of her cheek. "I just can't believe it. I mean, who could do that to him? I have no idea who his wife was, but I don't know why she didn't just leave him…" She breathed out, glancing towards Gabby, seeing the apprehensive look on her face. Narrowing her eyes, Shay tilted her head to the side. "Your face looks all weird... You know, don't know?"
"What?"
"You know who the wife is, or was." Shay clarified, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as her partner waited expectantly.
"It's Hallie Thomas."
Shay's eyes widened, her gaze moving towards the direction of the hospital entrance before landing back on Gabby, her face rigid.
"Hallie as in Dr. Thomas? As in the woman we were just talking to?" She asked, Gabby nodding. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Shay shook her head, ripping the keys from the ignition and unbuckling her seatbelt. "What are fucking bitch." She muttered under her breath, getting out of the ambulance.
"Shay, what are you doing?" Gabby asked, getting out quickly, getting to the back of the ambulance just as Shay came around beside her, Gabby grabbing her arm. "Shay, stop."
"Why?" She asked exasperatedly, Gabby blocking her entrance.
"What exactly is your plan here?"
"I don't know, give her a piece of my mind? Ask her what the hell her problem is? Who knows, but I can wing it." She spoke, stepping around Dawson, but Gabby quickly pulled her back.
"You can't go back in there."
"Why not? Based on what's said about Casey, I imagine everyone in that hospital believes that bullshit. Don't you think they should know what kind of person she is?"
"If you go in there, you're doing to her what Bryan did to Casey-"
"Except the only difference is Casey didn't do anything! She, on the other hand, isn't so innocent." Shay interjected, Gabby taking a deep breath.
"I know that, but do you really think Matt would want this? I'm not saying I don't agree with you, the minute I saw her I wanted to smack her, but I know that would only cause issues for Matt. You going in there and causing a scene would only make things harder for him… So I'm asking you to just turn around and go back to the house." She pleaded, Shay sighing deeply.
"Dawson…"
"Please Shay."
"Fine." She gave in, shooting one last glare towards the entrance before heading back towards the rig.
"Thank you." Gabby responded as they moved to their seats, both climbing in. Shay started up the ambulance, putting it in gear before driving away from the hospital.
"You really wanted to smack her?" Shay asked as she pulled into the street, Gabby glancing to her. "I mean, I know I'm not above smacking a pregnant woman, but you?" She questioned, a teasing tone in her voice.
"I wouldn't have actually smacked her, Shay." Gabby responded, rolling her eyes.
"It's not like she doesn't deserve it." The blonde spoke, Gabby shaking her head. "Just maybe we should try and avoid Lakeshore when we can, cause I can't promise I won't say something next time I see her."
"Noted. Now pay attention." Gabby chastised, Shay huffing out a breath before returning her attention back to the road.
"Lieutenant." Matt stopped just outside his office as he looked towards the voice, seeing Walker moving towards him from the other direction. Taking a deep breath, Casey stood in place, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Walker to get to him. "I, uh, I want to apologize. For what I did." He spoke, Matt's face remaining blank. "I know you and I haven't really gotten along since you came here, and honestly I don't know why, but I do know I never should've done that." Bryan spoke.
"You mean you never should've ran your mouth about things you had no idea about?" He questioned harshly, Walker taking a deep breath.
"Lieutenant-"
"If you had concerns about me, I would've rather you came to me and asked me about it, instead of confronting me in a bar because you were pissed off." He spoke firmly. "You were angry because I told you to leave Dawson alone, you were drunk and ran your mouth when you shouldn't have. Is that what you're apologizing for?"
Walker clenched his neck, having to stop himself from saying something he shouldn't. "Lieutenant, I am sorry. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not the biggest fan of you. You haven't seemed to like me since you got here, and I've come to not really like you either. But my personal feelings don't matter, you're my boss and I have to respect that. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I messed up… But I won't be a problem for you anymore. I'm sorry for confronting you, I should've just come to you, or gone to Boden, but I didn't. And I'm sorry. I know you probably don't believe me, but I seem to be on your bad side no matter what I do, so I'm just gonna keep my head down. I'm hoping at some point you feel like you can trust me, but I'm not asking you to. I haven't given you a reason to… But I just wanted to apologize."
Matt kept his face blank, drawing in a deep breath as he thought over Walker's words, able to feel the man's tension radiating from his body.
"You've told me that before." Casey eventually spoke up, shaking his head. "You've assured me I wouldn't have to worry about you before, and look where we are."
"Lieutenant…"
"I never had any issues with you until you started taking me doing my job personally. There were no problems between us, until your ego got in the way and you thought I was treating you differently than everyone else. You, for whatever reason, have had a problem with me since I got here, and from that moment, you've given me no reason to ever trust you. I can't put my trust in you, Walker. You've shown me time and time again that I'm not able to trust you."
Bryan swallowed thickly, having to squash the rage rising within him. Every word Casey said was making him more and more angry, but he knew he couldn't lash out at him, no matter how much he deserved it. Boden had fallen for Casey's bullshit just like everyone else had, and Walker knew this was a battle he wouldn't win.
"Well, I hope you'll change your mind, Lieutenant." He spoke strongly, giving Matt a nod before turning around leaving with the room without another word.
Shay and Dawson turned the corner just as Walker stormed past them, Shay standing in front of Gabby as he shoved his way by.
"Jesus, watch where you're going." Shay growled, Walker flipping her off without saying another word, marching down the hallway.
"Wonder what his problem is…" Gabby spoke as they stepped into the bunk room, seeing Casey still standing outside his office.
"Bet he got his ass handed to him." Shay commented before turning her attention to Casey, Matt looking towards them.
"Hey guys." He greeted softly, Shay silently walking towards him, wrapping him up in a bone-crushing hug. Matt was stunned momentarily before he reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her. "You're all about the hugs today, aren't you?" He asked, Shay squeezing him tighter.
"Well, you deserve a lot of hugs." She replied, rocking them back and forth, Matt meeting Gabby's eyes as she stood behind the blonde, a soft smile on her face as Shay pulled back. "The next time I see Hallie, I'm gonna drop kick her. Well not actually kick her, she'd definitely press charges but you know what I mean." Matt's eyes widened slightly, glancing back towards Gabby again, seeing a near guilty look on her face.
"I'm sorry, she asked and I-"
"It's alright." He assured her, flashing Gabby a small smile.
"I'm so sorry about everything, Casey." Shay spoke again, her hand resting on his shoulder.
"It's fine, Shay. It's not your fault."
"I know, but everything that happened to you, I can't even imagine... No one deserves that, especially not you." She replied, Matt pursing his lips together. "But I've got your back, and so does Severide. And Dawson… Although she's got a lot more than just your back." She spoke with a devilish grin, Gabby rolling her eyes as Matt smirked.
"Jesus Shay." Dawson breathed out, earning laughs from both the paramedic and Casey.
"What? It's not like I'm wrong." She responded with a gleam in her eye, Gabby shaking her head. "But. really, everyone here loves you, and I know they were all a little shocked to hear all that, but you don't need to worry about them. We're all on your side, Casey."
"Thank you, Shay. Really, that means a lot." He replied, Shay moving back towards Dawson.
"Well, almost everyone is on your side… Walker's a lost cause."
"Yeah, I'm not expecting him to be on my side with anything anytime soon." Matt breathed out.
"Speaking of, what were you guys talking about anyway? He looked pissed." Shay asked, Matt leaning against the doorframe.
"He came to apologize, but it wasn't the most genuine thing I've ever heard… I'm pretty sure Boden made him do it." Matt explained, Gabby and Shay nodding. "But I'm not expecting him to be a problem for me, not after Boden's talk with him."
"Oh, I would've loved to be there for that conversation." Shay spoke with a soft grin. "He had no business saying any of those things, I'm glad Boden talked to him. I still don't know what he was trying to gain from all of this, but it seems like he only made things harder for himself… Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll end up transferred." Shay spoke with a smirk, Matt raising his eyebrows.
"Shay." Gabby spoke, a sheepish look covering the blonde's face.
"What? It's not like the three of us would miss him." She replied, glancing back and forth between Casey and Dawson, a knowing grin falling onto her face. "Well, anyway, I'm gonna head back out to the common room, I'll leave you two love birds alone." She teased, Gabby rolling her eyes while Matt bit back a chuckle, shaking his head.
"Get out of here, Shay." Gabby spoke, gently pushing against her shoulder as the paramedic moved for the door.
"Will do, I can take a hint… I won't come looking for either of you for awhile, have fun." She winked before slipping out of the door, Matt looking towards Gabby with raised brows once they were alone.
"Don't look at me, that's all her." She defended, Matt chuckling softly as Gabby took a step towards him. "You wanna?" She nodded towards his office, Matt nodding as he stepped inside, Gabby following after him.
She closed the door behind them, effectively shutting them off from the rest of the house, the blinds still pulled from earlier.
"Are you doing okay?" She asked as he leaned his weight into the desk, Gabby standing against the wall.
"I am… You were right." He responded, Gabby raising her brow in question. "As far as I can tell, everyone's seemed to believe me. I guess I didn't have anything to worry about."
"No, your worries were valid." She spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. "You've dealt with the fallout of this before, I know it had to have been scary for you to confront all this again, but I'm proud of you for doing it." She told him softly, watching as a gentle smile fell to his face. "But I can't say I'm surprised that I was right, I knew they'd believe you… I'm pretty sure Shay would've beat their asses had they not."
"Yeah, I've noticed she loves threatening to hurt people." Matt joked, earning a chuckle from her before the air soon shifted, Gabby seeing his smile fall. "But uh- Hallie?" He questioned, clearing his throat, Gabby nodding slowly.
"We took our patient to Lakeshore, she was there."
"You saw her?" His voice was quiet, almost timid, Gabby taking a step forward.
"We did." She replied, Matt nodding, rubbing his hand over his mouth.
"Did she... was she still-" Matt cut himself off, Gabby moving closer to him, resting her hand on his arm.
"She was still pregnant. I'm not sure when she's due, but if I were to guess I'd say she's not far from her due date." Gabby told him, Matt nodding slowly, his eyes moving down to the ground.
"How'd she seem?"
"Matt, we don't need to do this."
"I want to know." He responded, meeting her eyes, Gabby seeing that familiar look of hurt she'd seen from him far too often lately.
Gabby nodded, taking a deep breath before replying. "She looked okay. She seemed like she was alright."
Gabby refused to tell him more than that, that Hallie looked happy when she saw her. Telling him that would only make things worse for him, and she refused to do that. She wouldn't make this harder than it already was.
"You haven't seen her since you broke up?" She asked, Matt shaking his head.
"No, I haven't. I don't want to." He answered, swallowing thickly. Gabby's eyes traced over his face, blowing out a soft sigh before she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. He moved his arms out from between them, her body pressing flush against his as he wrapped his arms around her back, relaxing into her hold.
He pressed his face into her shoulder, taking deep breaths as he felt himself slowly calming down, her warmth filling his body as he focused on her steady breathing.
"Thank you." He murmured, Gabby pulling back slightly, Matt sliding his hands from her back to rest on her hips.
"For what?"
"For being here." He replied simply, a small smile coming to her face as she shook her head.
"You've gotta stop thanking me, I haven't done anything Matt."
"No, you've done everything." He murmured, their eyes locking. "You've trusted me, believed in me, when you didn't have to. Especially after everything you went through with Walker, I wouldn't have blamed you if you ran the other way and never looked back. You keep saying that I don't need to thank you for this, but I need you to know how much it means to me, you being here."
Gabby swallowed thickly, their eye contact never faltering as he spoke, those familiar flutters in her stomach coming back with a vengeance.
"I told you Casey, you're my friend." She spoke, her mouth feeling dry all of the sudden when his gaze flickered to her lips before meeting her eyes once more. "Yeah, my past with Walker… it complicated things. It made me a little nervous about what's said about you." She admitted, Matt nodding understandingly. "But I chose to believe you're not capable of that, and it looks like I was right." Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence, his intense stares causing heat to rise to her cheeks, Gabby blinking furiously.
Without another word, Matt leaned forward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, the action catching her off guard. But her body responded before her head could catch up, Gabby deepening the kiss as his palms kept her pressed against him.
She pulled back first, the lack of oxygen proving difficult as she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes tracing over his face, looking for an explanation for his actions.
"What was that for?" She asked in between breaths, Matt's chest heaving as a small grin fell across his lips.
"For being my friend." He responded softly, Gabby's breath hitching slightly as they stared at one another.
The air around them became thick, Gabby not knowing what to say as he watched her with a soft grin. Before either one of them could break the silence, the bells rang through the house, signaling them all to a car accident, Gabby blinking quickly as she stepped away from him, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"We should…" She trailed off, nodding towards the door, Matt's tongue poking out between his lips as he nodded, Gabby clearing her throat as she moved towards the door, trying to shake the weird feeling in her stomach as they left his office.
Gabby moved through the apartment, heading back to the couch as she fixed her hair, tying it into a bun on the top of her head as she collapsed down onto the sofa. She had just gotten changed into her pajamas, settling for a t-shirt and shorts, Gabby prepared to spend the rest of her evening relaxing on the couch. Taking a sip of her wine, she began flipping through the channels, looking for something to watch when she heard her phone buzz. Leaning forward, she grabbed it from the coffee table, her head cocking to the side as she saw a message from Casey.
'Is your brother home?'
Relaxing back into the couch, she began typing out her response, quickly sending it.
'No. But what makes you so sure I am?'
She saw him read the message immediately, her eyes glued to the screen as she waited for his response, but it never came. Instead, seconds later, she heard knocking on the front door, Gabby scoffing as she put her phone down, carrying her wine glass to the door. Having a good guess as to who was on the other side, she didn't bother to check before opening it, coming face to face with Casey, the man holding a bag of takeout in his hand.
"Lucky guess." He responded to her question from her last text, Gabby taking a sip of her wine as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Dinner?" He questioned, holding up the bag of Chinese food, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip before she nodded, stepping aside to let him in.
"I'm interested to know, what was your plan if Antonio had been here?" She questioned as she followed him into the kitchen, Matt placing the food on the counter.
"I got extra." He replied with a shrug, Gabby rolling her eyes before she checked out the food he'd gotten. Satisfied with his choices, she shrugged, picking up the take out bag.
"I guess you can stay." She spoke, handing him the food. "We can eat on the couch. Wine?" She asked, Matt nodding, stepping past her. But he only got a few steps before he stopped, turning back to face her as she pulled out a wine glass.
"Is that my shirt?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as she turned to face him, a sheepish look covering her face, Gabby glancing down to the large t-shirt covering her body.
"Maybe." She replied, grabbing the wine bottle.
"Mhmm." He hummed, heading for the living room.
"What, it's comfortable." She called back, hearing him laugh as he disappeared out of her sight.
As she poured his wine, she couldn't help but feel glad to see him in better spirits. Their shift yesterday had proved to be a busy one, Gabby not really having much time to check in on him throughout the rest of their day. But every time she saw him, he seemed to be alright. He wasn't hiding out anymore, and everyone at the house seemed to not have any problems with him. Aside from a few questions, no one really spoke about the lies spread about him, or what he'd gone through. Everyone had known not to push it, but thankfully, as far as she could tell, everyone in the house believed him. She was so glad to see things were going well, and that he seemed to be okay.
It had been a hard few days for him, but he appeared to be doing alright now, and that's all she wanted.
Walking back out into the living room, she saw him seated on the couch, Gabby walking towards him, placing the glasses of wine down before sitting next to him, curling her legs underneath her.
"So, is Antonio gonna be back tonight?" He asked as he began pulling the food from the bag.
"No, I don't think so. He's on a stakeout, didn't sound like he was gonna be free anytime soon." She explained, Matt nodding before moving back, letting her pick which food she wanted before he grabbed one. "So, what made you want to stop by tonight?" She asked as they began eating, Matt swallowing his bite of food before responding.
"Figured it'd be nice for us to just have a fun night…" He replied with a shrug. "Considering we've both been a little all over the place lately, I thought it might be good."
"And what does this 'fun night' entail?" She asked with a grin, Matt smirking before taking a sip of his wine.
"Depends on how drunk you get me." He responded teasingly, Gabby chuckling, shaking her head.
Matt went back to eating his food, Gabby's gaze lingering on him as they sat on the couch, hundreds of different thoughts and emotions flooding her system.
"It's good to see you like this, Casey." She spoke up after a few minutes, Matt glancing back at her. "You look like you're doing okay, and after everything… it's just nice to see you having some fun." She told him, Matt grinning.
"Yeah, it was a rough few days there. But, I don't know, I guess after I told everyone what had happened, and realized things would be okay for me at the firehouse, it made it easier… I know I have people I can trust." He replied, their eyes locking. "I'm not completely over it or anything.. I'm not sure if I can be. I never really dealt with everything Hallie did, I kind of just tried to ignore it after we got divorced, and thinking about it… it still hurts. It probably always will." He breathed out, a small frown pulling on her lips. "And hearing that you saw her yesterday, it kind of threw me for a second. But, I don't know, this time dealing with all this is different, or at least it feels different, because I know I've got people who care about me, and I'm not going through it alone." He told her honestly, Gabby nodding slowly.
"We've all got your back, Matt." She assured him, Casey giving her a soft smile.
"I know. And everything yesterday, it made me realize that I don't want to dwell on it… I don't want to let it control me like it has been for months. She made her choices, I can't change them. But I can move past them, and that's what I'm trying to do." He said, pausing to take a sip of his wine. "And being with everyone on shift, it helped, more than I ever thought it could. Everything felt normal, after I got past explaining everything and the shock of that wore off, it was just like a normal day." Gabby listened closely as he spoke, their eyes focused on one another. "Everything I was scared for didn't happen, and it showed me that I can move past what Hallie did. Everyone at the firehouse found out, and it didn't really change things… I guess it just showed me that I can move on from it, and, eventually, they'll be a time where it doesn't affect me anymore." He told her, Gabby nodding. "Sorry, I know I'm rambling."
"No, no it's fine. I'm glad you're feeling better. I still wish this never happened, that Walker never opened his big mouth, but at least you don't have to carry this alone anymore." She spoke softly. "Because now you know that you've always got people who will have your back. You've got a family at 51, Matt. "
"I know I do." He replied, flashing her a small smile before they went back to their food.
The night wore on, the topics of conversation shifting to much lighter ones as the pair soon finished their food, taking to nursing the wine bottle as they sat on the couch, watching random television and happily drinking. They weren't drunk, at least not to the point where they were plastered, but it was enough for Matt to be able to let loose, and have a little fun. It was allowing him to unwind, and Gabby had to admit it was nice to see him like this. So carefree and happy. It wasn't a look she thought she'd see on him for awhile, it was a complete shift from the man she'd found in his apartment a few nights ago, but she was glad to see him feeling better.
"Alright, I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick. You good?" She asked, pushing herself up from the couch, earning a nod from him.
"I'm good."
While she was gone, Matt began cleaning up their dinner, putting their leftovers in the fridge and throwing their trash away. He made himself busy in the kitchen, patiently waiting for her to come back. Within a couple minutes she appeared, Matt noticing her appearance had changed slightly, her previously pulled back hair now down, and her shirt tightened around her waist.
"So, uh, I think there's some ice cream if you want dessert or something… Or, I don't know if you need to get going." She asked, Matt walking towards her, the two meeting in the middle of the apartment.
"No, I don't need dessert or anything." He responded, a small smile resting on his face. "But I don't have to go just yet…" He spoke, Gabby raising her eyebrows in question.
"Oh, you don't?" She questioned, Matt reaching out and grabbing her hips, pulling her closer to him, a surprised gasp escaping her mouth.
"Nope." He replied, placing his lips on hers, the two connecting in a heated kiss, Gabby wrapping her arms around his neck, his kisses quickly trailing across her jaw to her neck, Matt smirking as he heard her gasp and groan as he left his marks on her skin.
"Are you sure?" She asked softly as his hands dug into her waist, Matt finding the willpower to pull back, looking at her with a curious stare.
"About this? Yeah... Aren't you?"
"It's not that, I just.. I want to make sure you're okay. That you're not just doing this to distract yourself. Trust me, I've been there. It only makes things worse." She told him, Matt shaking his head.
"That's not what this is." He assured her, his tongue running over his bottom lip. "I'm okay. I just would like to have a nice night with you, if you're interested." He offered, Gabby's grin widening.
"I'm very interested." She replied, stepping out of his hold, grabbing his hand and leading him to her bedroom, Matt pushing the door closed behind them.
They barely got a foot inside when Gabby pulled the shirt from his body, Matt smirking as her hands immediately went to his pants, quickly working them off him.
"A bit eager, aren't we?" He asked, pushing his pants down the rest of the way, stepping out of them as he earned an eye roll from her. "It's only been a few days, I must be really good." He joked, Gabby scoffing.
"Don't get all cocky on me, now." She replied, moving to pull off his shirt that she was wearing, but his hands soon stopped her, Gabby looking up at him to see him shaking his head.
"That's my job." He nearly growled.
"Well, then get to work." She encouraged, his eyes darkening as he reached for the ends of the material, quickly pulling the shirt off her body, exposing her bare chest to him. With his eyes focused on her skin, she reached out to him, grabbing the waistband of his boxers, using it to lead him to the bed.
She sat down first, pulling him to stand in front of her as her fingers teased the edge of his boxers, her hand moving down to ghost over him, Gabby biting her bottom lip as his eyes fell closed. In one swift movement, she pulled his last piece of clothing down, exposing him to her as a soft groan left his lips, Matt forcing his eyes open as he watched her, her hand moving up to grasp him in her grip. A low moan left his lips as she began working him, his muscles clenching as he kept his eyes locked on her, watching every precise move she made.
"Lay down." She told him after a few moments, dropping him from her hand, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he scrambled to remove his boxers. A chuckle escaped her lips as he made himself comfortable in the middle of her bed, Gabby giving herself a second to take him in, her mouth nearly watering at the sight of him ready and waiting for her.
He watched her closely as she hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her shorts, leaving her as bare as he was when she stepped out of them, Matt's eyes focused on her body as she climbed onto the bed. He gulped as she moved towards him, her legs straddling his waist as she sat on top of him, Matt's hands moving to her hips. She leaned down, resting her chest against his as she kissed him forcefully, Matt's hands roaming over her body as they battled one another, his hand coming up to grip her head, holding her to him.
While she had him distracted, she slid her hand in between them, grabbing ahold of him tightly, Matt groaning into her mouth when she began stroking him. She moved her kisses to his neck, Matt moaning as she began marking her way down his chest, her hand keeping up its pace. When she got down to his waist, she continued her movements, Matt's breath hitching as she focused her lips on the patch of skin beside his hip bone, Gabby smiling as his hips bucked up into her hand.
"Gabby…" He groaned lowly. "Stop teasing." He pleaded, Gabby releasing him, sliding her hand up and down the inside of his thigh. She smirked as she saw his muscles tense, Gabby trailing her kisses across his waist before making her way back up his chest, soon landing on his lips. His hands found her hips again, Gabby sitting herself back up, resting her hands against his chest.
Lifting herself slightly, she reached in between them, grabbing ahold of him and lining him up to her entrance before sinking down onto him, both of them releasing deep moans as he entered her.
"Jesus." He groaned, Gabby shifting her hips as she sat down on him, her hands braced against his chest, getting herself comfortable before she began moving up and down. Matt encouraged her movements, gripping her hips tightly as he helped her bounce up and down, her pace steadily increasing.
Their quick movements soon became frantic, as it usually was between them, but there was something different this time. The air around them became almost suffocating to Gabby as she looked down at him, seeing his deep gaze staring back at her, a look shining in his eyes that she couldn't quite read. But it was soft, and gentle, and definitely not a look she was used to seeing from him in this position.
But she didn't have time to dwell on it, her thoughts shifting as Matt hit that spot deep inside her, a loud moan escaping her lips as her head slacked forward, Matt smirking as he continued his movements, loving the sounds he was pulling from her.
He slid one hand up her body to her breast, palming her skin roughly as she moved, Gabby using his chest to keep herself steady as her legs began to tremble.
Matt knew he was losing control, the feeling of her body clenching around him nearly sending him over the edge as her muscles tightened, deep groans being pulled from his lips as they kept up their pace. Moving his hand down from her chest to her center, he began rubbing against her quickly, the combination of his deep thrusts and his hand soon sending her over the edge, Matt tumbling over with her as her hips met his. Their heavy breathing filled the room as Gabby collapsed down onto him, their chests heaving as they came down from their high together.
He placed a kiss against her shoulder before she rolled off of him, the two laying beside one another in silence, needing a moment to recover.
"Yeah, I think that was pretty fun." She breathed out, Matt chuckling as he nodded, his hand resting on his glistening chest. "But I need a shower." She spoke, slowly sitting up, Matt lifting himself up to rest on his elbows.
"Want some company?" He asked with a raised brow, Gabby grinning.
"Sure." She replied, standing up from the bed, Matt mimicking her movements. "Are you, uh… are you staying the night?" She asked, unable to meet his eyes. He could sense her hesitation, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But her immediate shyness told him she seemed to be nervous about him opting to leave.
"I'll stay." He responded, Gabby looking back to him, a soft smile coming to her face.
"Good." She replied, Matt smiling back at her as Gabby swallowed the lump in her throat, breaking their eye contact as she headed for the bathroom, Matt following closely behind her.
And there's another chapter. Matt telling the house about his past went pretty well, and things between Matt and Gabby seem to be going smoothly. And I'm sure you all enjoyed Walker getting talked to by Boden, as well as Casey. You all really seem to like any time Bryan gets put in his place, which I can't say I blame you.
I'm super excited to hear what you all thought of this one. Thank you so much for reading!