Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. I hope you guys enjoy this one!

SIXTEEN

Gabby watched on at the scene in front of her with a grin on her face, the paramedic sitting next to her partner in the common room while Casey and Severide bickered in the kitchen.

"I'm telling you man, she was not into you." Casey spoke, heading back for the table, flashing Gabby a smile as he came to sit in the chair next to her, Severide sitting on the other side of him.

"How would you know? You were too busy hanging out with Shay and Dawson to notice anything else." He huffed out, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she glanced to Matt, seeing a slight blush tint his cheeks.

"Well, excuse me for spending time with my friends instead of trying to find someone to take home." Casey responded, Gabby biting back a smirk, glancing to see a knowing grin across Shay's face.

Casey's words weren't entirely correct, although Severide didn't know that. While the group had spent the better part of their evening last night hanging out at Molly's, Kelly had left them to try his luck around the bar, which didn't end up working out in his favor. Casey, however, had gotten very lucky last night, he just hadn't had to go through the task of finding some random woman to leave with.

As soon as a defeated Severide had gone home, Gabby and Matt left minutes later, not having to make up any excuses considering Shay was the only one from 51 still there, except for Herrmann who had been in the back most of the night. Shay teased them mercilessly as they were leaving, making a comment about how she was surprised Casey hadn't just taken Gabby to the bathroom to relieve the tension that was growing between them, Dawson having flipped her off as they headed for the exit. When they had gotten back to Matt's place, it took no time for them to fall into their usual rhythm, their late night starting on the couch but ending in the bedroom, Gabby having fallen asleep curled up next to Matt before she could make the decision whether to go home or not.

"I need to start going to different bars." Kelly huffed out, breaking Gabby from her thoughts.

"Or you just need to get some game." Shay fired back, Kelly shooting her a glare.

"I'm not the problem here, I just need a change of scenery." Severide spoke, Shay chuckling in response as the squad Lieutenant looked towards the other firefighter. "What do you say, Casey. Can we be each other's wingmen? We could go somewhere new, see what other bars in Chicago have to offer." Severide spoke, Matt's eyes widening slightly, not expecting the offer.

"Well, uh," He cleared his throat, quickly glancing towards Gabby, seeing her averting her eyes away from him. "I don't mind helping you out, but I'm good." He replied, catching the approving smile from Shay before he looking back towards Kelly.

"Come on. It'll be fun." He spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows, Kelly's face soon falling as a sudden realization washed over him. "Oh, shit I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking about everything with your ex, I'm not trying to push you into anything." He breathed out, Matt shaking his head.

It had been a little over a week since Matt had told the house of what happened between him and Hallie, and, surprisingly, the topic really hadn't come up since. Sure, he had been on the receiving end of a few pitiful stares, and he could tell people had more questions; not so much questions they actually needed answers to, more so things they were only curious about, but no one had approached him about it. It had been like it never happened, and Casey was grateful for that.

"No, no you're fine Kelly." Matt assured him, a small smile forming on his face. "It's not because of her, I'm just not really looking right now. But I'd be happy to help you out."

"Fantastic." Severide spoke, leaning back in his chair, Shay rolling her eyes.

"Try not to corrupt Casey too much, Kel." The blonde spoke, earning a few laughs from around the table.

"Nothing to worry about, Shay." Severide promised, the paramedic looking at her friend unimpressed.

"Ah, what's the good ole detective doing here?"

Herrmann voice gained the attention of the four, all of them turning towards the entrance to see Antonio walk in, confusion settling across Gabby's face.

"Hey Herrmann." He greeted, patting the man's shoulder before heading towards his sister. "Hey Gabs."

"Hi." She responded skeptically, her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a read on him, but she couldn't. She watched as he greeted the other three at the table, her brother's eyes lingering on Casey. "What are you doing here?"

"I actually was hoping to talk to Casey for a second." He spoke, more confusion settling across the room. Gabby's glare zeroed in on her brother while Matt's eyes widened slightly as he looked up towards the detective, Antonio watching him with a hard stare.

"Uh yeah, sure." Casey agreed, pushing himself up from his seat. "We can go out in the garage." He offered, Antonio nodding as he let the firefighter lead the way, glancing back to see a rigid look from his sister, Gabby's arms crossed over her chest, clearly not impressed with what was happening.

"Do you know what that's about?" Shay asked softly as Antonio and Casey stepped into the garage, Gabby shaking her head, her gaze flickering to Severide before looking back to her partner.

"I don't." She answered, her eyes moving back towards the double doors.

Out in the garage, Casey was glad to see it empty, the Lieutenant leading him towards the wall by the exit, knowing the space would give them privacy in case they did get company at some point.

"What's up?" Casey questioned, unsure of what to say to the man. The last time he'd seen him was when he went to the district a couple weeks ago, and considering they hadn't been working on any cases together, Matt could only assume it wasn't job-related.

"I want to hear it from you." He spoke sternly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "I want to hear from you what happened with your ex-wife." Casey's eyes fell closed, the firefighter bringing his hand up to run over his mouth, watching as Antonio crossed his arms over his chest.

"Antonio…" He breathed out, trying to figure out where to start. He could only imagine what the detective was thinking, but considering he hadn't come in here swinging, Matt was hopeful he'd believe his side of things. "It's not true. Whatever you heard, unless you heard it from Gabby, I can assure you it's all lies."

"Well, I would hope so. As I'm sure you can imagine, hearing from a few cops that the guy my sister is… whatever you two are doing, has a reputation of beating up his wife and abandoning his child, I wasn't exactly thrilled." Antonio spoke sharply, Matt shaking his head. "And I heard something about you and another firefighter… I know there are no charges against you, I checked." He spoke pointedly. "But clearly something happened, and if any part of it's true, you can understand I don't exactly feel comfortable having you around my sister."

"It's not true." Casey spoke quickly. "The only part that's true is that I was married, and I did get into a fight with one of my firefighters, but I'm not the one who put him in the hospital." He prefaced, Antonio's face remaining neutral, clearly waiting for more of an explanation. Knowing Antonio needed the whole story, Matt began explaining everything, making a point to not leave anything out, no matter how much he hated reliving the whole thing. He wanted Antonio to trust him; first and foremost, he and Gabby were friends, and he didn't want to have any issues with her brother.

As he told his side of things, he could see the detective's hard exterior begin to falter, Antonio wearing a look near pity by the time he was done. It was a look he'd gotten a lot over the last week, and although he hated it, Matt knew it was better than the alternative.

"I… shit man, I don't even know what to say." Antonio breathed out, shaking his head.

"You don't have to say anything, it's fine. I'm fine. But that's what happened." He replied, the older Dawson nodding.

"I am sorry that happened… I know it's not the same exact situation, but I guess you and my sister do have more in common than I realized." He spoke, Matt shrugging softly.

"Yeah, I guess." He responded, Antonio glancing up at him.

"I appreciate you telling me. I'm sorry for bringing this up here, but when I found out this morning it just took me by surprise… I didn't want to believe you were that type of guy, but this is my sister, and after everything she's gone through…"

"No, I get it." Matt replied. "In fact, if it were me in your situation, I don't think I would've been nearly as polite about it as you were. What's said about me is terrible, I don't blame you for being worried, considering you don't really know me that well. But I can promise you, no matter what's going on between us, I would never do that to her. Or anyone. I'd never hit her." Casey spoke, his voice strong. Antonio gave him a nod, getting lost in thought for a moment before speaking up again.

"Yeah, I don't know you that well, but from what I've seen, I'd like to think you're a decent guy. And, the mess with Walker aside, I think my sister has a pretty good judge of character… I'm just glad to know it's not true." He spoke, Matt giving him a soft smile. "And I'm not even sure the extent of your… relationship with my sister, but I have a pretty good idea what the situation is. I can't say I'm on board with it, but you two are adults, you can do what you want. I just don't want to see her hurt again."

"Her and I are friends, Antonio." Matt responded, seeing a less than convinced look cover the detective's face. "We didn't exactly get along at first, but we're friends. I have no intentions of doing anything to hurt her." He spoke, Antonio nodding slowly.

Their conversation was cut short when the bells rang out, signaling Casey's truck to a car fire. Glancing back towards his rig, Antonio gave the man a nod.

"We're good." Antonio spoke, Matt nodding with a grin.

"Good. Thank you.. for giving me the chance to explain things." He replied, beginning to walk towards his truck.

"Yeah, of course. Stay safe out there." He responded, Matt nodding before running to the rig. Firefighters piled out through the door, Antonio's gaze narrowing when he caught a glimpse Walker as he got into the garage.

The detective saw the look of surprise that flashed over Bryan's face, clearly not expecting to see him here, but the firefighter quickly looked away, picking up his pace towards the firetruck.

It was only seconds later when the door opened again, Antonio looking away from the retreating truck to see Gabby walking towards him, an unamused look covering her face, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Mind explaining what that was about?" She questioned, here eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"I was just asking him about what happened with his wife." He responded, Gabby's face hardening.

"She's his ex-wife." She spoke quickly. "And did you really have to do that here?"

"I think the better question is why I had to hear it from two beat cops instead of from my own sister. You really don't think that's something I should know?"

"Why? It's not like he did anything wrong. And him and I aren't even together, it's really none of your business."

"Right, you're not dating you're just fuc-"

"Watch it, Antonio." She bit out, cutting off his sentence. Blowing out a sigh, his face softened, Antonio taking a step towards his sister.

"I just came here to see what the story was. After everything you went through with Walker, I didn't want you getting involved with another asshole, especially if he's a dangerous one. But him and I are good."

"Yeah, you have no reason not to be… But I'm honestly surprised you didn't come in here more upset. It didn't even cross my mind that's what you were wanting to talk to him about, you seemed way too calm." She spoke.

"Well, if he had a record or any charges against him for this, I don't think I would've been nearly as understanding." He responded, the unimpressed look returning to her face in an instant.

"You did a background check on him?"

"Of course I did." He replied, shaking his head. "I don't care what the story is, if there are rumors like that about a guy that's… friends with my sister, I'm gonna check him out. Luckily for you, he's clean."

"Yeah, I could've told you that." Gabby responded, rolling her eyes. "He's not a bad guy, Antonio."

"I know that, now. But you can't fault me for checking things out. I love you, but your recent track record with men isn't stellar. Walker was a piece of shit, and I saw what that did to you. I didn't want to risk something worse happening this time." He spoke, Gabby swallowing the lump forming in her throat. "...But is that why Walker told everyone? Because of you and Casey?"

"How did you know it was Walker?"

"I'm a detective, you really think I can't easily find these things out?" He questioned, nudging her arm, prompting her to answer his original question.

"I don't think so. He was pissed at Casey, but not because of us. Him and Matt have had their own separate issues, I don't even think Bryan has any idea about me and Matt." She answered, earning a nod from her brother.

"What's the deal with him and Casey?" He asked, Gabby shrugging.

"Casey sees through his bullshit, and Bryan doesn't like it. Walker has a hard time respecting authority, and Matt won't put up with it, so it's caused some issues between them."

"Well, finally someone around here doesn't kiss the ground that dick walks on." He breathed out, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "I'm sorry sis, but you know it's true."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's not so much like that anymore. Shay's never liked him, but she pretty much hates him now. And Severide can't stand him, either. I don't think anyone really trusts him since he pulled that stunt with Matt."

"Good, it's the least he deserves." Antonio breathed out. "So that's why he confronted Casey? Just cause he was pissed off?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as Gabby's gaze averted away from him, Antonio catching a flicker of hesitation in her eyes before she looked to the ground. "What?"

"...He was pissed at Casey because of me." She responded, confusion filling his features.

"But you just said-"

"It wasn't because Matt and I are together," Antonio caught her wording but didn't bother questioning it, knowing now wasn't the time. "Walker was messing with me." His eyes turned dark with rage as Gabby spoke, the paramedic suddenly thankful Walker wasn't in the house or he'd probably be dead in a few minutes. "He was drunk and being a jerk, and Casey stepped in, told him to back off."

"I told that bastard to leave you the hell alone." Antonio spoke angrily, his words sharp as his fists clenched at his sides.

"It's fine, Antonio, really. He hasn't been a problem since, I'm not worried about it. But that's why Walker was pissed, cause Matt called him out and told him to leave me, and Shay, alone. That's why he caused this entire mess." She responded, Antonio's tongue poking out between his teeth, running over his bottom lip as he tried to squash some of the anger lingering in his system.

"Why didn't you tell me he was bothering you?"

"Because it doesn't matter." She responded quickly, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head. "I'm serious, it doesn't. He doesn't. It wasn't a big deal, so I didn't say anything."

"Fine. But if he does anything else, I want to know."

"Antonio…"

"I'm serious, Gabby."

"Alright." She gave in, placing her hand on his arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. "But really, I don't think he'll be a problem. He's already on thin ice with Boden, and Casey. He's pretty much been keeping his head down since all this." She replied, waving her hand to emphasize her point.

"He should be. And I do appreciate Casey stepping in… I don't know what he was doing," He said pointedly, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But I'm glad he was there."

"I can take care of myself, Antonio." She challenged, the detective scoffing.

"Believe me, I know that. But I also know you've always had a blind spot when it comes to Walker…" He replied, Gabby biting on her bottom lip. "I'm just glad Casey was there." Antonio finished, Gabby giving him a slow nod, her gaze moving to the ground. He traced his eyes over his sister's face, his curiosity getting the better of him as he watched her nervous demeanor. "Can I ask you something?"

"I guess." She responded, looking back up to him.

"Do you like him?" He asked, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing. "Casey… Are you two actually more than just 'friends'?" He used air quotes as he spoke, earning an eye roll from her. "Don't give me that, it's just a question."

"No, we're not." She replied quickly, Antonio nodding.

"But do you want to be?" He pressed, her eyes narrowing as an expectant look crossed his face. "Just a second ago, you said you two were together, so I'm just wondering if your relationship is more than what you're saying."

"I didn't mean it like that." She responded, shaking her head. "I just meant…" She trailed off, unable to find the right words to use. "We're just friends, Antonio."

"Alright." He replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but pushing her to talk more wouldn't get him anywhere. "I was just checking. Even though we live together, I feel like I don't know much about what's going on with you these days."

"Well, we've both been pretty busy." She spoke, her brother nodding.

"I've gotta get back to work, sis. But how about you and I go out for breakfast tomorrow after you get off shift?" He offered, a soft smile coming to her face.

"I'd like that." Gabby responded, wrapping her arms around him, bringing him in for a tight hug. "Now go do your job." She joked as they pulled apart, Antonio beginning to head for the exit just as the bells rang out, signaling ambo to a call.

"Yeah, you too." He replied, Gabby flashing him a smile before heading towards the rig, Shay coming out to meet her as they walked together.

"Antonio giving your boyfriend the 'big brother' talk?" Shay teased as they climbed into the rig, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"You've got to get it out of your head that Casey's my boyfriend."

"Then you should stop looking at him like your world revolves around him." She bit back with a smirk, Gabby huffing out a breath as she buckled up, Shay quickly pulling out of the garage.

Dawson knew she needed to focus, that she had to get herself mentally prepared to work, but she could stop from thinking about Shay's harmless comment. She knew her partner was just giving her a hard time, but something about it was sticking with her, and she didn't know why. She didn't understand why it affected her so much, but she was having a harder time shaking it off than she normally did.

Matt hopped down from the rig, his feet landing on the floor of the garage as the rest of his men began unloading. They had just gotten back to the house, 81 getting called to help with a house fire soon after they finished up their relatively easy car fire, the second call taking up the better part of their morning and early afternoon.

Hanging up his coat on the mirror, Casey glanced towards Walker, seeing him a few feet away, his eyes focused on the ground as he stripped out of his gear, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Hey Walker." He spoke, gaining the man's attention. "I just want to say good work on that call today, you finding that kid." Matt continued, Bryan nodding slowly.

"Just doing my job, Lieutenant." He responded.

"I know. But I do want you to know that I appreciate how you've been handling yourself the last few shifts. You've been focused on the work, and staying out of trouble. I appreciate it." Casey spoke, Walker swallowing thickly.

"Well, thank you, Lieutenant." Walker replied, hanging up his coat. "I'm just trying to do what I promised, and not be a problem." He finished, giving Casey a nod before heading for the common room.

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt began following that similar direction.

To Walker's credit, he had been doing a good job of keeping his head down. He hadn't been a problem for Casey, or anyone; he simply came in, did his job, and kept his focus on the work. Matt knew it was most likely more because of Boden getting involved, that had it just been Casey to reprimand him, not much would've changed, but truthfully Matt didn't care what caused him to start listening. As long as he listened, that's all that mattered. He still didn't trust him, but not having to constantly worry about what he was doing on calls was a step in the right direction.

The sound of something hitting the ground caught his attention, Matt glancing towards the noise, seeing the back doors of 61 open. Changing his path, he took the few steps towards the rig, coming around to the back, seeing Gabby bent over on the floor, picking up whatever she had dropped.

"You alright in there?"

Gabby jumped at the sound of his voice, his presence taking her by surprise as her head smacked against the side of the rig. Matt grimaced as she groaned, the firefighter stepping up into the rig, leading her to sit down on the gurney, Gabby's hand coming up press against her aching head as he sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He spoke, trying to mask the smile desperate to appear on his face, her gaze narrowing on him.

"Yeah, it's hilarious." She spoke sarcastically, her words causing him to chuckle. "Laugh it up. Although you should really stop sneaking up on people." She replied, unable to stop the small smile that graced her lips, finding his laughter amusing.

"I didn't realize you were going to jump out of your skin." He replied, his attention moving to her head. Gently moving her hand out of the way, he inspected the area, knowing she hadn't hit hard enough to cause any serious damage, she'd probably just have a headache for a bit. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded, Matt nodding before dropping the arm he had around her back, her hand rubbing over the sore spot on her head quickly before moving her arm back into her lap. "How was your call?"

"It was fine, nothing too serious. Just took us awhile to get it under control." He told her, Gabby nodding. "What about you, what have you been up to?"

"Well, before you gave me a concussion, I was doing inventory." She replied with a grin, Matt shaking his head with a chuckle. "But, I am glad you're here."

"Why? You didn't get enough last night?" He teased with a raised eyebrow, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"That's not what I was talking about." She responded, Matt enjoying watching her become flustered. "I was wanting to apologize, for my brother coming here earlier."

Matt shook his head, waving his hand in the air. "It's fine. Truthfully, I should've been expecting it, I just didn't think about it getting back to him. But I should've known it would, it's not like it was just our group at Molly's that night. I'm honestly a little surprised he gave me the chance to explain things, had I been in his shoes I'm not sure I would've acted the same way."

"Well, he's a cop, he's not stupid enough to kill you when there's witnesses." She joked, Matt's eyebrows raising as he watched her laugh.

"That's comforting." He responded, his smile widening at seeing her grin. "But, in hindsight, I probably should've talked to him. I mean, yeah, we're not dating or anything, but still, he knows we're… doing this, and I don't want him to worry that I'd do something like that to you."

"Nah, he's fine. I'm not surprised he talked to you though, but I would've rather he come to me, or at least not done this here... But oh well, at least he knows he doesn't need to worry now." She responded, her hand coming back up to rub over her head.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just a little headache." She shrugged off his concerns, Matt keeping his eyes on her head. "So, you and Severide are gonna go try and get lucky, huh?" She shifted the subject, his eyes finding hers, seeing the teasing look in her gaze.

"I'm still not entirely sure how I got roped into that." He breathed out, Gabby chuckling. "But hopefully I can at least get a few free drinks out of it. And the only way I'd get lucky is if Sev can find someone quick, and I don't have to stay there long." He spoke with a gleam in his eye, Gabby watching him with an amused grin.

"You're such an old man." She taunted, Matt cocking his head to the side.

"No, there are just better ways to spend my time." He spoke softly, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth when their eyes locked, the air around them suddenly turning thick as he flashed her a small smile.

"Like what, exactly?" She questioned, her voice barely above a whisper, Gabby swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

"I can think of a few things." He murmured, his eyes flickering down before he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his, Gabby encouraging his action as she leaned into him, her hand resting on his upper thigh.

They battled for dominance, Matt gripping the back of her neck as their kisses got deeper, a low groan escaping his lips as her hand moved closer to his hips, rubbing over him softly.

"How fast can you be?" She questioned between breaths as they pulled back, Matt grinning as he glanced back out towards the garage, suddenly very aware of where they were.

"Are you sure we should do this here?" He questioned, a devilish smirk covering her face as she cupped him through his pants, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Only one way to find out." She whispered encouragingly, Matt opening his eyes to find her staring at him, want and lust shining in her eyes.

"That's good enough for me." He breathed out, quickly standing up, sparing one last glance out into the empty garage before shutting the doors, turning back around to find Gabby laying down on the stretcher, working on undoing her pants. He swatted her hands away, completing the task by himself, forcefully pulling the material down past her knees, just enough to get it out of the way as he climbed on top of her. "But you've gotta be quiet." He told her, latching his lips onto her neck, his actions eliciting a soft gasp from her.

"I will if you will." She challenged, her voice breathy as he was no doubt leaving a new mark on her skin. Gabby didn't bother trying to stop him as his hand came up to grasp her breast over her shirt, cupping her tightly as her hands moved to his pants quickly, both of them well aware that their moment together could be halted at any time.

And that's what made it all the more fun.

"So, I'm curious," Severide prefaced, Matt looking up to him as they sat in the unfamiliar bar, taking a sip of his beer. "And if you don't want to talk about it, I get it, but how long ago did all this stuff with your ex-wife happen?"

"Uh, we broke up over six months ago now." He answered, Severide nodding.

"And have you, yanno, gotten yourself back out there at all?" Kelly asked, Matt shrugging.

"Yeah. I mean for a while there, that's kind of all I was doing…" He answered honestly, Kelly nodding understandingly. "It was a nice distraction I guess, but it didn't really help me. The whole picking up women in bars thing hasn't really been my scene here lately."

"Are you seeing someone?" Kelly asked, Matt immediately shaking his head.

"No, no I'm not. I'm not looking for anything like that… I don't know, it just hasn't been a priority lately." He explained, Severide tapping his fingers against the bar top as he looked around the room.

"Well, maybe you should make it a priority again. I mean, no better way to get over heartbreak than some good old meaningless sex." He spoke, Matt chuckling.

"I think I'm good, thanks though." Casey responded. "I've actually been doing pretty well lately, all things considered. I'm moving on from everything, slowly, but still, it's getting better." He shrugged, Kelly clasping his shoulder.

"I'm glad. Any particular reason, or just time's helped?" He asked, Matt's mind immediately going to one thing in particular.

Gabby.

Even before she knew what happened with Hallie, she'd been helping him get past it all. He hadn't realized it at the time, in fact it didn't really occur to him until recently, but she had helped him move on with his life. It wasn't just the sex, it was everything. It was them teasing each other, them hanging out on shift, it was the moments they'd share when they'd lay in his bed. It was every moment they spent together, and it had done wonders for helping him move on. He just didn't realize it until he had to confront what Hallie had done.

"Uh, nothing really." Matt replied after a few seconds, swallowing thickly. "I guess it was just me needing time." He covered, Kelly nodding before taking a sip of his beer. "But everyone at the house has helped too, I know I haven't talked all that much about it, but that was my biggest concern, was how you all would handle it… I guess now that I know I have nothing to worry about, that's helped."

"I don't know what all happened at the other houses you've been at since all this, but I know you. Everyone at 51, well aside from Walker, we all love you Casey." Severide spoke, earning a nod from Matt. "I'm just sorry all this happened, but as far as I'm concerned 51 is your home, just like it is for everyone else there."

"Thanks man." Matt replied, knocking his beer against Kelly's before taking a drink, Matt's eyes moving past Severide to see a blonde staring at them from the corner of the bar, a heavy smirk on her face. "And, uh, not to change the subject, but we might've found you someone to spend some time with." Matt commented, raising his eyebrows as Kelly looked back, Severide releasing a chuckle.

"You saw that too, huh?" He asked with a grin.

"How she's practically drooling over you, yes I saw. Better go make your move, see if she'd like to spend some quality time with you." Matt joked, Severide grinning as he stood up, patting Matt's shoulder.

"Oh, I sure hope she is. You good?" He asked, picking up his beer from the bar.

"I'm fine, you go have your fun."

"Thanks man." Kelly replied before walking towards the blonde, Matt watching on in amusement.

It didn't take long for Kelly and this woman to be in deep conversation, Matt deciding his friend was in more than capable hands, the firefighter focusing his attention to the TV playing the Blackhawks game, nursing his beer quietly. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to stay, but he wanted to be around long enough to be sure that Severide wouldn't end up stuck here alone.

The night wore on slowly, Matt glancing to his watch every few moments, feeling like more time had passed than what actually had, sparing a few looks to Kelly throughout the night to make sure he was still here.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Casey turned to the voice, seeing a woman approach him, placing herself down on the seat that had been previously occupied by Kelly.

"Oh, no, I'm fine." He replied, nodding towards his half-full beer glass, the woman's smile widening. "Thank you, though."

"Are you here alone?" She questioned, placing her drink on the bar.

"I came with my friend, but he's a little busy." Matt responded, nodding back towards Kelly, the woman following his gaze, seeing his friend in the corner.

"Oh, yeah, he definitely is distracted." She giggled, Matt turning his attention back towards the TV. He was sure this woman was perfectly fine, she seemed nice enough, but he wasn't really looking to entertain her for however much longer he had to stay here. "So, I haven't seen you around here before, I'm Katie." She greeted, Matt glancing back towards her.

"Matt." He responded, giving her a small smile before looking away.

"What do you do, Matt?" She questioned, leaning an inch closer to him, Matt eyeing her carefully.

"Uh, I'm a firefighter." He replied, catching an unreadable look flash in her eyes before her grin widened.

"Wow. Noble." She spoke, Matt shrugging.

His body tensed as she placed a hand on his arm, Matt leaning out of her touch, seeing a look of confusion spread over her face.

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just that- I'm sure you're very nice, but I have a girlfriend." He told her, the words leaving his lips before he could really register them. But even when he realized what he'd said, he didn't bother to correct himself, especially when he had a pretty good idea of what this woman was wanting from him.

He saw her visibly deflate, Katie putting back some distance between them.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I just saw you sitting here alone, so I assumed… I'm sorry." She rambled, clearly embarrassed.

"No, you're fine. I just came here because my friend asked me too, though he ditched me pretty quickly." Casey joked, trying to lighten the air around them, not wanting her to feel bad.

"Yeah, it seems like he did." She responded, standing up from her seat. "Well it was nice to meet you."

"You too."

"And, considering your friend seems to be doing just fine, might I suggest you just get out of here and go home to your girlfriend." She said, Matt chuckling softly. "She seems like a lucky lady."

"That's not a bad idea." He spoke, giving her a small smile before she walked away, leaving him on his own once more.

Sparing one last glance to Severide, Matt reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone, bringing up his messages and clicking on Gabby's name.

'What are you up to?'

He saw her read the message within seconds, a small smile pulling on his lips as she began her typing a response.

'Just left Shay's. I'm surprised to hear from you, figured you'd be too busy working to get Kelly laid.'

Matt could practically hear her saying the words in his mind, shaking his head in amusement as he replied.

'He's just fine on his own, I got ditched pretty quickly.'

He saw her read the message, but she never began typing a response. He waited through the slow seconds, unsure of why she hadn't said anything yet. But then his phone began buzzing in his hand, Matt seeing her contact pop up on the screen, his grin widening as he stood up, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hey, sorry can you give me a second?" He asked, fishing into his pocket for some cash, hearing her hum in response despite the loud noise in the room, Matt tossing some bills down on the bar before heading for the door. "Sorry about that, it was pretty loud in there." He spoke as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, shoving his free hand in his pocket.

"It's fine. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" She asked, Matt beginning to slowly pace back and forth on the pavement, avoiding the patches of ice as he moved.

"No, no you didn't. Just having to fight off a bunch of single women." He teased, hearing her scoff.

"Oh, I bet. The ladies absolutely adore you." She replied sarcastically, Matt's smile widening. "So, Kelly ditched you already?"

"Yup. He found a blonde, he seems to like her. Maybe we'll get invited to the wedding."

"Well, as long as he's happy." She went along with his joke. "So, you and Kelly are doing alright?"

"Oh, well Kelly's doing great, considering he's about to get laid." He replied, her laugh filling his chest with warmth. "And I'm alright, ready to get out of here. How was Shay?"

"She's doing good… She was questioning me about why the rig was… not up to code when we got called out yesterday afternoon, and why I had changed the sheets on the bed. It didn't take her long to figure out what happened." She spoke lightly, Matt's cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess we got a little carried away." He responded, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "Had we had more time, I could've helped you clean up."

"Nah, it's fine. Shay thought it was hilarious, although she refuses to spend more time in the back of the ambulance than she has to now."

"I hope you spared her the more graphic details." He spoke nervously, Gabby chuckling.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell her much. She always asks for details, and then gets grossed out immediately."

"Sounds like Shay." He responded lightly, glancing back towards the entrance to the bar. "So, uh, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?"

"Um, no not really. I'm still sitting outside Shay's place, I was just gonna head home."

"Well, how about you head to my place instead?" He offered, knowing his words brought a grin to her face.

"Why, you trying to get lucky, too?" She teased.

"Maybe." He responded, turning as he heard the door open, seeing Kelly stumble out with the blonde under his arm. "Hang on a sec." He told Gabby before pulling the phone away from his ear.

"Oh, there you are." Kelly spoke, taking a few steps towards Casey. "I thought you'd left already."

"No, just got a phone call." He replied, nodding towards the device in his hands. "You heading out?"

"Mhmm." He responded with a grin, smiling to the woman beside him.

"Alright, well be careful." Matt spoke with a chuckle, Kelly smirking before walking away, Casey waiting until he was far enough away before putting the phone back up to his ear. "Hey Gabby, sorry that was Kelly."

"You're fine. So are you leaving soon?"

"Yeah, I'm heading to my truck now." He replied, checking the road before he began crossing the street.

"Okay, I guess I'll just head straight to your place then."

"Good." He responded, unlocking his truck before climbing in. "I'm not sure if you ate, but I'm starving, so I'll probably pick up a pizza on the way if you don't mind waiting a few extra minutes."

"No, I don't mind. Wouldn't want you to starve after your long night of fighting off women at the bar." She spoke teasingly, Matt rolling his eyes as he turned on his truck.

"Do you have any requests for what type of pizza?" He questioned as he buckled up.

"I'm fine with whatever, I'm not all that hungry."

"Alright, well I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, see you soon."

The two hung up, Matt putting his phone down on the seat beside him, checking his surroundings before pulling out into the street, heading towards his favorite pizza place near his place.

It took him about thirty minutes to get the food, and a few drinks, before he made it back to the apartment, pulling his truck up behind what he recognized as Gabby's car. She got out as he was gathering up his things, Gabby locking her car before walking towards him, opening his door.

"Hey there." She greeted, Matt flashing her a smile. "Need some help?"

"Can you get the keys and drinks?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she took the items from his hands, stepping out of the way so he could get out, pizza box in hand. Gabby locked up his truck before they headed for the front door, Gabby unlocking the door and pushing it open, Matt nodding at her to head in first.

They got situated in the living room, Matt putting the pizza box down on the coffee table before heading for the kitchen, grabbing some napkins and two plates while Gabby put her shoes and jacket by the door, coming back to the couch and curling up on it, her legs folded underneath her.

"I got the tea for you." He spoke as he came into the living room, kicking his boots off before coming to join her. Gabby looked towards the two drinks she'd placed down before glancing back to him. "I saw you drinking that one day, I'm not sure if you like it, I can get you something else."

"No, it's great. Thank you." She replied, giving him a soft smile before he flipped open the pizza box.

"Is there something you want to watch?" He questioned as he handed her a plate, Gabby shrugging.

"No, I don't care. Is there a hockey game on or something?" Matt nodded, reaching for his remote and turning the TV on, quickly finding the game.

They fell into a comfortable conversation while they ate and watched the game, both of them enjoying their dinner. It wasn't something they had really done before, just sitting and hanging out, but there was a sense of familiarity about it. Gabby found herself feeling like it was something they had done a hundred times, there was something comfortable about them just sitting here like this, and she wasn't sure why. But she liked the feeling.

After their dinner, they both settled into the couch, quietly watching the remainder of the game, Gabby's head propped in her hand as she had her eyes on the television. It wasn't until the game was over that she realized Matt had fallen asleep, Gabby glancing over to see him sunken down into the couch, his hands crossed over his stomach with his mouth open slightly, soft snores escaping his lips.

A small smile appeared on her face, Gabby watching him for a few moments before she slowly got up off the couch. Being as quiet as possible, she began cleaning up their dinner. She started with the pizza box, taking it into the kitchen and putting their leftovers in the fridge, before heading back out into the living room and grabbing their plates and drinks. She decided to quickly rinse off the plates, Gabby placing them on the drying rack before throwing away the rest of their trash.

When she walked back out to the living room, she saw him still sound asleep, his head tilted to the side. It was clear he was exhausted, considering he hadn't stirred a bit since she got up.

Gabby stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what she wanted to do. She knew she needed to wake him up, or he'd have a very uncomfortable nights rest. But she wasn't sure if she was going to stay or not.

It was late, and she didn't have anything to do tomorrow, but she knew they had stayed the night together a lot recently, more often than not, and she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But something kept her from grabbing her things and heading out. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't want to go home.

Releasing a soft breath, she quietly moved to the front door, checking the locks before turning off the light in the entryway, moving back into the living room. Picking up the remote, she turned the television off, putting it back on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch next to Matt, placing her hand on his leg.

"Matt." She spoke softly, rubbing his leg, watching as he began to slowly wake up, his eyes blinking into focus. She could tell he was a little confused, his eyes moving around the room as he adjusted to the light around him, the man clearly disoriented. "Hey." She said, Matt looking back towards her, smiling softly.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep." He replied, a yawn escaping his lips.

"It's fine, I just didn't want you sleeping out here all night. Figured you'd enjoy your bed much more." She told him, Matt nodding as he rubbed his eyes before sitting up, stretching out his back.

"I appreciate it." He responded, slowly standing up, Gabby following his lead. Silently, he started walking towards his room, a soft smile forming on his face as he noticed her following behind him, Gabby turning off all the lights as they moved through the apartment.

When they got to his room, Matt walked straight to the dresser, pulling open one of his drawers. "Is this okay for you to sleep in?" He asked, holding out one of his t-shirts, earning a nod from her as she took the clothing.

"Thanks." She replied, moving to the far side of the bed, beginning to strip from her clothes, Matt following suit. He stripped down to his boxers, Gabby placing her jeans, shirt, and bra on the chair before throwing his shirt on, the material hanging on her hips. She climbed into bed while he moved around the room, making herself comfortable as he turned off the lights, walking towards her.

Wordlessly, he got in beside her, lying on his back as he lifted his arm, silently inviting her to tuck herself into his side. Gabby obliged, leaning into him as she placed her head on his bare chest, her hand resting across his stomach, feeling his arm wrap around her and land on her hip.

"Night Gabby." He murmured into the darkness, Gabby nuzzling herself deeper into his chest, his warmth comforting.

"Goodnight Matt." She whispered, her eyes falling closed as she focused on the rise and fall of his chest beneath her, the movement soon lulling her to sleep.

And there's another chapter for you all. I really hope you guys liked it. Now that Antonio knows about Matt's past, it seems like he can finally put it all behind him. Right? We'll have to wait and see. But things between Matt and Gabby appear to be going pretty well. They're great friends, aren't they?

I'm eager to hear what you all thought of this one. Thank you all so much for reading!

Until the next.