Hello everyone! I absolutely loved reading your reactions to the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one as well!

TWENTY

"I think I have feelings for Matt."

Shay's eyebrows raised in question, the blonde's head tilting to the side as she saw Gabby's panicked expression, her friend standing nervously a few feet from her. She was gnawing on her bottom lip, her hands fidgeting as they hung at her sides.

"Say something, please." Gabby spoke up after a few moments had passed with nothing, Shay shaking her head with a light chuckle.

"Am I supposed to be surprised by that?" She questioned, Gabby huffing out a frustrated breath, continuing her pacing.

"Shay…"

"What? Is that really what's got you all shaken up? That you have feelings for Casey?" Gabby's eyes narrowed as Shay released another laugh. "Dawson, that's not news."

Gabby rolled her eyes as she walked back and forth beside the ambulance, her hand coming up to cover the side of her face. Shay's eyebrows furrowed as she watched her friend closely, realization washing over the blonde.

"Wait… you're actually serious?" Shay's words stopped Dawson's movement, Gabby glancing up to her. "This whole time you really didn't think there were feelings there? You weren't just lying about it?"

"No, Shay I wasn't." She breathed out, Gabby pressing firmly against her temple, trying to release some of the pressure building in her head. "I wasn't lying, I didn't think I had feelings for him, but now? I just- I don't know."

"Okay, it's okay." All the teasing was gone from Shay's voice, the blonde leading Gabby towards the rig and nodding her towards her seat, Shay wanting to make sure this would be a private conversation. Once they were settled in the rig, Shay angled her body towards Dawson, seeing her friend fidgeting in her seat, the PIC staring straight ahead. "Alright, walk me through this. When did this happen?"

Gabby clenched her hands together in her lap, swallowing thickly as she glanced towards Shay. "I don't know, I guess it didn't just happen, but I didn't realize what I was feeling until recently… I just thought we were friends, and we are, but, I don't know, something about being around him just- I don't know." She was having a hard time expressing her feelings, Gabby's thoughts jumbled in her own head, making it difficult to vocalize them to her best friend. "I… I really thought this was just us having fun, that it was meaningless sex, and then, I don't know, we became friends after. I didn't think it would be this, that I'd like him like that, or I think I do. I'm not even sure."

"Okay, let's not focus on the timing right now." Shay could tell this was stressing her out, so she wanted to shift topics, hoping it would help her gather her thoughts. "Why do you have feelings for him? What's happened that's making you think things have changed?"

"I… I don't know how to explain it, it's just how I feel." She responded quietly, Shay seeing a small smile come to her face before she started speaking again. "When I first met him, I couldn't stand him. But now, when I'm not with him, I want to be… He makes me comfortable, he makes me laugh, he makes me feel better when I'm having a bad day. I don't know, it's just a bunch of little things." She breathed out, Shay smiling softly. "I guess there were always signs, I just ignored them. But since his accident, I haven't really been able to do that anymore and it's all I can think about. And then last night everything just kind of…" Gabby trailed off, her head dropping down into her hands, Shay watching her curiously.

"Kind of what?" Shay prompted, Gabby taking a deep breath as she lifted her head back up.

"Something changed between us."

"What do you mean?" The blonde asked for more of an explanation, Gabby sighing deeply, her tongue running over her bottom lip as she tried to figure out her next words.

"I was helping Matt shower and- Okay, stop." Gabby cut herself off once she saw the smirk on Shay's face. "Nothing dirty happened, we can't even do anything until he heals more but that's not the point. Anyway, I was helping him shower and he kissed me-"

"I thought you said this wasn't dirty."

"Shay." Gabby groaned, the blonde rubbing her friends leg.

"I'm sorry, keep going."

"...He kissed me, but something about it felt different. I don't really even know how to explain it, but it just felt like something changed." She spoke vaguely, Shay tilting her head to the side, Gabby releasing a sigh. "I know you're never gonna let me live this down, but usually when Matt and I are…" She trailed off, raising her eyebrows as Shay nodded knowingly. "It might start kind of like, slow or gentle or whatever, but it never stays that way. It's usually pretty...passionate." She explained, ignoring the amused grin on Shay's face. "But last night, it was all different. It felt like things were changing, like they had changed. Like he was kissing me just because he wanted to kiss me, not because he knew it would lead to something more, I guess? God, I don't even know how to explain any of this or if I'm making any sense, but I'm just so confused." Gabby breathed out, leaning forward in her seat to rest her head in her hands, Shay watching her friend with sympathetic eyes. She had never seen Gabby like this before, so at war with her own feelings. Dawson never had any trouble in the past knowing exactly how she felt, and confronting those feelings. This uncertainty was new for her, and Shay could tell it had thrown her for a loop.

The blonde put her hand on Gabby's back, rubbing soothingly up and down, doing her best to comfort her. "Did you two ever talk about it?" Shay asked after a few moments, Gabby turning her head over to look at her.

"Talk about what?"

"What would happen if this became more than it was supposed to be…" She elaborated, earning next to nothing in a reaction from Dawson. "I didn't believe you when you said there were no feelings involved, but clearly you really thought this was just sex, or at least you had convinced yourself it was. You two started this, and it was purely physical, I get that. But did you really not think about this becoming a possibility? Did you two just assume things would stay uncomplicated, that you could continue sleeping together, and sleeping together, and you'd just remain friends?" Shay asked, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.

"I guess we did, yeah…" She replied softly. "I never thought it would be an issue, we never really talked about it. I proposed the idea because it was easy. After everything with Bryan, I didn't think I'd ever want to be with someone I worked with again, and I had no intention of doing it with Matt. I just thought it would be fun, something to take our minds off things… And I'm still not entirely sure what I'm feeling, but I never thought this would become a problem. I never imagined I'd be feeling this confused about what my actual feelings are." She spoke nervously, shaking her head as she pressed her hand against her forehead. "Casey, he's not... he's not usually the kind of guy I date, he's not-"

"An asshole." Shay cut in, Gabby glancing to her. "I'm sorry, I love you but it's true. Ever since I've known you, you haven't had the best taste in men." She finished, Gabby sighing softly.

"He's not normally my type." Dawson continued with a pointed stare. "When him and I first agreed on this, I didn't really know him that well, and I never imagined all this would happen… But getting to know him and to see up close how great of a guy he is, I just- I don't know, it's made all this complicated." She spoke, clearly frustrated. "All we wanted was something easy, and simple... And this ruins all of that. God, Shay I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Honey, you need to talk to him." She responded instantly, Gabby's eyes widening as she looked to her friend.

"No."

"Gabby-"

"No, Shay. I can't." She spoke forcefully. "I can't tell him this, I can never tell him."

"So, what are you going to do exactly?" Shay asked, clearly unimpressed. "Just bury your feelings so things stay easy? Let yourself get hurt just because you're scared to let him in?"

"I can't tell him, Shay." Gabby replied, completely ignoring what the blonde had said. "We know how this is going to go. Me telling him will ruin everything. He doesn't want a relationship, he doesn't want this, he's made that very clear. I can't go and ruin everything over feelings I'm not even sure I have." She spoke quickly, Shay sighing heavily.

"You wouldn't ruin anything..."

"Yes, I would. I absolutely would because Matt doesn't want this." She repeated, blinking tightly. "He doesn't want to be with me like that, he's doing this because he wants sex and I'm an easy way to get it." She said, Gabby's choice of words leaving an uneasy feeling in Shay's stomach.

"Dawson-"

"He doesn't want to be in a relationship, that's why we started this in the first place." Gabby cut her off, the words tasting bitter as they left her mouth, Shay sighing deeply.

"Gabby, I know you're scared, but there's no way in hell Matt's only in this for sex. He's not just using you for sex." Shay replied, catching her friend's gaze. "As someone who has seen you two together, I know Matt doesn't see you as just his 'fuck-buddy', or whatever you two are calling it. He's not just doing this because it's an easy lay. He cares about you, he cares for you. He cares about you just as much as you care about him. You need to talk to him." Her voice was soft, a frown forming over her face as she saw the tears sitting in Gabby's eyes. This entire thing had really messed with Dawson, and Shay hated seeing her friend so upset. "Look, you have every right to be scared about getting into another relationship this soon and opening up your heart to someone again, especially with someone you work with, but Matt is not Bryan." She said directly, Gabby grimacing. "He would never hurt you like Walker did, especially after what Hallie put him through. He's a good guy, Gabby. He's a genuinely good guy, and you deserve that. You deserve someone who's not a self-righteous prick." She spoke firmly, drawing in a deep breath as Gabby averted her eyes. "You're allowed to want him, Gabby. You're allowed to be happy, and be with a great guy, I don't want you thinking you don't deserve that. I don't want you to be afraid to let him in… You need to tell him how you feel, because I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

"Shay…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes.

"And this is Casey we're talking about." She continued. "Even if, on the very slim chance that he doesn't have feelings for you, which I know he does, you know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. You need to talk to him about this."

"But I don't even know how I feel, Shay." She responded quietly, biting down on the inside of her cheek. "I won't risk ruining our friendship because I think I might maybe have feelings for him…"

"Gabby-"

"He told me the other day that I was his best friend." Dawson cut her off, "And how since this entire mess with Hallie started, he hasn't had anyone. Not until me, and you, and everyone here. I don't want to ruin our relationship because I don't want to do that to him, not after everything he's been through. I don't want to put him in that position. He finally has people he can trust, and if I tell him and this makes things weird or awkward between us, I've ruined that relationship for him. I won't do it."

Shay eyed her carefully, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she thought over her next words, trying to find the right thing to say that Gabby would might actually listen to.

"Dawson, do you wanna know what I think?" Shay asked, Gabby glancing up to her friend, apprehensively nodding. "After everything you've said, and how I've seen you two together, I think you know exactly how you feel. You're in love with him." Gabby's eyes widened, Dawson opening her mouth to protest but Shay held up her hand, signaling her to stay quiet. "I think you have deep feelings for him, feelings you've ignored for however long because you're scared. You're scared of changing the dynamic between you two. What you two have is comfortable and it's fun, but you both agreed it wasn't a relationship. And you're scared to change that." Shay spoke softly, hoping her words resonated. "You're scared to go to him and tell him you want more, that you feel something more for him than just friends who hook up with each other. You don't want to put a label on it, because that's when things get real, and when something's real, it can be broken." She said, Gabby's jaw clenching tightly.

"And I know you're scared because of everything that happened with Walker." Gabby's breath hitched in her throat, Shay continuing on. "You don't want to go through that again, and I understand it, I do. I meant what I said, you have every reason to be hesitant of getting into a relationship with Casey, but Gabby you don't need to act like you don't know what you're feeling, because that's never been an issue for you. You know how you feel, you're just scared to get hurt again." She breathed out, Gabby swallowing thickly.

Shay paused for a moment, silence filling the air around them as the blonde's words hit Gabby like a truck.

"Knowing you for as long as I have, I think you know exactly what you're feeling for Casey. It's obvious how much you care for him. You stayed the entire night with him while he was in the hospital, you're taking care of him right now while he heals, you got him through the mess with Walker and the house finding out about Hallie. His happiness and him being alright matters to you, you want him to be okay, and you try and fix it when he's not. You look out for him, you're the first person he turns to. I think you know exactly what all of that means for you two, I think you know how you feel about him. But you had been fine ignoring it. You ignored it until you couldn't anymore. When the accident happened and he was hurt, it made you confront how deeply you care about him."

Gabby remained silent, her gaze moving out the windshield as she took slow, shallow breaths, her mind running rampant as she tried to process every emotion filling her body.

"Look, this is up to you how you handle this. Obviously, I can't force you to do anything, and I wouldn't. I'd never say anything to him about this, but I do think you need to talk to him. You two are the only ones who can figure this out. And I feel like if you just keep trying to ignore it, you're only gonna end up hurt. If he's thinking this is still just a casual thing, but it means more to you than that, you're gonna get hurt. Most likely the both of you will… For both your sakes, when you feel like you can, you need to tell him."

Gabby nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip as she tried to distract herself from everything she was feeling.

She still wasn't sure if Shay was right, she wasn't sure if she did know how she felt. But what she was sure of is that she cares about Matt, and she likes how things are right now. She didn't want to mess that up, she refused to.

The sound of the bells filled the firehouse, signaling 61 and squad 3 to a car accident, Shay sighing heavily as she turned on the rig, Gabby shaking her head before buckling up.

"Are you okay to do this?" Shay asked, Gabby nodding immediately as the blonde pulled out into the driveway.

"I am, I'm fine." She replied, missing the look of uncertainty Shay shot her, Gabby looking out the window as her partner drove them to the scene.

"Are you gonna talk to him?" Shay questioned after a few moments, skillfully maneuvering through the Chicago traffic.

Gabby took a deep breath as she rubbed her hands over her legs, trying to figure out how to answer her.

"...I know you think I should, and I hear what you're saying, I do. But I'm still not sure I know how I'm feeling about all of this, and until I'm completely sure, I can't tell him." She responded, Shay biting her tongue. "I know you think I'm in love with him, and maybe I am, but I'm not lying to you when I say that I don't know. This is all so confusing, it couldn't have happened at a worse time, and I'm not entirely sure what I'm feeling right now." Dawson admitted, Shay's face softening. "But if you're right, and he does feel the same way about me, that's even more of a reason for me to not say anything until I'm sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine what would happen if I end up realizing I don't really want that type of relationship with him, but he thinks I do, and he has feelings for me… I don't want to hurt him. I won't do that to him, Shay. I won't let him get his heart broken again, especially not because of me."

The blonde clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, keeping her eyes focused on the road as she thought over Dawson's words, the paramedics riding in silence the rest of the way, Shay not speaking up again until they pulled up to the scene.

"I understand why you're being cautious, alright? I do. But, if you ask me, I think you're overthinking this." She spoke, Gabby glancing to her. "It's admirable, you looking out for Casey's feelings over your own, but it can't stay that way forever, Gabby. At some point, you're going to have to face it." She told her before getting out of the rig, Gabby sighing deeply as she followed her lead, knowing they had a call to focus on now.

Dawson unclasped her seat belt when Shay pulled up to the curb, Gabby glancing towards her partner as the blonde put the rig in park.

"I shouldn't be gone too long." Gabby broke the silence that had settled around them since they left the hospital, Shay nodding as she settled into her seat. "And, uh, thank you. For letting us stop by." She spoke, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"There's nothing to thank me for, I know you want to check on him." She replied, Gabby nodding as she climbed down from the rig, flashing her partner a smile before pushing the door closed, beginning her walk up the sidewalk towards his apartment. Climbing the stairs, Gabby pulled the key to his front door out of her pocket, shoving it in the lock and quickly getting it opened, sparing one last glance to Shay before stepping inside, closing the door behind her.

Unsure of what she was walking into, Gabby stayed as quiet as possible, sliding the key back into her pocket as she faintly heard the television playing in the living room. Stepping around the corner, a soft smile fell onto her face as she saw Matt lying on the couch. She couldn't see his face, so she wasn't sure if he was asleep or not, but she moved quietly regardless, Gabby slowly walking towards him.

Coming to a stop in between him and the coffee table, she saw his tired eyes open a little wider when he noticed her presence, a sleepy smile falling onto his face. Although he hadn't been sleeping when she got here, she could tell he was either very close, or he had just woken up.

"Shift over already?" He asked teasingly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she sat down on the coffee table, her gaze running over his relaxed form.

"You wish." She responded, Matt's grin widening. "I see you managed to make it from the bedroom in one piece."

"I sure did. I'm getting pretty good at this whole walking thing." He commented smugly, Gabby chuckling as she reached her hand out, running her fingers through his hair. Matt's eyes fell closed at the action, leaning into her touch as she massaged his scalp. "What brings you by?" He asked, his words distorted as a yawn left his lips mid-sentence.

"Shay and I just finished up a call, I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."

"I'm good, I even managed to make breakfast for myself." He told her proudly, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"I don't think pouring cereal counts as making breakfast." She replied, scrunching up her nose in amusement, Matt eyebrows furrowing.

"How'd you know I had cereal? You didn't put baby monitors around the house, did you?" He questioned with a gleam in his eye, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.

"No, I didn't. Although that's not a bad idea." She muttered before reaching out towards his chest, confusion filling his face. "But the cereal on your shirt and the empty bowl were kind of dead giveaways." She spoke with a grin, putting the piece of food that missed his mouth into the bowl sitting beside her, Matt watching her sheepishly.

"You take such great care of me." He spoke softly, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.

"Well, someone's got to. Did you take your medication this morning?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, Gabby rubbing her hand over his chest before standing up.

"Good." She spoke, grabbing his dirty cereal bowl and the empty glass sitting on the coffee table, Gabby moving towards the kitchen.

"You don't need to do that." He tried, Gabby shrugging.

"I don't mind." She replied, flashing him a smile before disappearing into the kitchen, quickly rinsing off the used dishes. "Do you need anything?" She called, stepping into the doorway, seeing him from across the room.

"I think I'm okay, thanks though." He replied, Gabby walking back towards him as he slowly sat up, Dawson not missing the few grimaces that covered his face while he moved.

"You good?" She asked, Matt giving her a nod as he got settled.

"I'm good." He repeated, grinning softly.

"Alright. Well, I should probably get out of here. We didn't exactly tell anyone we were taking a detour, so we need to get back to the house. Are you good for lunch?"

"I'm fine, Gabby." He answered, Gabby nodding.

"Okay, well I'm gonna get out of here. I'll be back later to change your bandage before bed." She spoke, flashing him a soft smile before she started moving for the door. But she didn't get very far before Casey grabbed her wrist gently, stopping her movements.

"Wait." He spoke, Dawson glancing back towards him with a curious look covering her face. "Come here."

Without another word, he lightly tugged on her arm, bringing her back towards him, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. Before she could react, he slid his hand around her back, bringing her towards him and kissing her softly. It was slow, and gentle, but there was a lot of passion behind it. It took her a few seconds for her mind to catch up, Matt slowly pulling back when he felt her not reciprocating, a worried expression covering his face when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Everything okay?" He asked quietly, bringing his other hand up to cup her cheek, moving his thumb tenderly over her skin.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded, giving him a soft smile. "I'm good." She responded quietly, Matt's eyes flickering over her face, searching for any signs of deception. But before he could focus on her too long, she leaned forward, pressing her lips back against his. Matt smiled against her as he pulled her closer, her hand coming to rest on his neck as he deepened their movements, feeling Gabby relax into him.

Her mind was in a haze while he kissed her, Gabby's conflicting thoughts and emotions running rampant as they slowly moved together. She was confused, and didn't know what to do about what she was feeling. But when she felt that familiar warmth rise in her chest, there was a small part of her that knew exactly what she felt. She just didn't know what to do about it.

They reluctantly pulled away from one another when air became an issue, Gabby and Matt both breathing heavily as they sat on the couch, his hand sliding slowly up and down her back while they caught their breath, Matt grinning softly.

"Be safe out there, alright?"

Gabby nodded, Matt leaning forward to give her another quick kiss before pulling back, Dawson biting back a grin as she stood up.

"And you don't do anything stupid here, okay?" She gave him a similar warning, Matt chuckling as he shook his head.

"I promise, I'll be careful. I'm not moving much farther than this couch." He replied, giving her a wink. Gabby felt heat rise to her cheeks as she nodded, her smile widening.

"Good. I'll see you tonight." She spoke, her voice suddenly unsteady.

"I'm already looking forward to it." He responded, her cheeks getting hotter as she moved towards the front door, feeling his eyes on her as she went.

As she locked up the front door, she tried to get herself under control, knowing Shay would immediately be able to tell if she was flustered. She didn't want the conversation, not after this morning. Gabby had a lot to figure out, and, even though she meant well, Dawson didn't want to hear Shay's opinions right now. Shay had told her exactly what she thought about her feelings, now it was time for Dawson to figure them out for herself.

But that didn't stop her from letting herself think about the slight possibility that Shay just might have been right.

Gabby pushed the door open, hopping down from the rig once Shay had parked in the garage, the paramedics finally back at 61. Stretching out her neck, Gabby began walking towards the entrance, but she didn't get very far before her partner stopped her.

"Dawson." Shay called, Gabby turning to see the blonde standing at the back of the rig.

The two hadn't spoken much since before their call, Shay wanting to give her PIC some space after their conversation this morning. Aside from asking how Casey was, the two hadn't said a word the entire way back. And while it wasn't an awkward silence, it wasn't what they were used to.

"Yeah?" Gabby asked, taking a step back towards her.

"Are we okay?"

Dawson's face softened, her lips curling into a soft smile, nodding immediately.

"We're fine, Shay." She responded, moving towards her friend, hugging her tightly.

"Good." She spoke softly, squeezing her tighter before they separated. "I just wanted to be sure, I know you didn't really like what I said, but-"

"It's not that, I really just… I don't know what's going on." Gabby breathed out, Shay nodding understandingly. "There's a lot I've got to figure out, but you and I good Shay." The blonde nodded, rubbing Dawson's shoulder before they began moving towards the house, Shay's arm wrapped around her.

They barely got through the door when they were stopped by a voice, the paramedics turning to see Adam Davis approaching them down the hallway. When 51 had gotten word that Casey was going to be out for more than a shift, headquarters decided to send Davis back here to fill in on 81 while Herrmann was covering for their Lieutenant.

"Hey, did you guys just get back?" Davis asked, Shay nodding.

"Yeah, we stopped by Casey's to check on him."

"How is he?" Herrmann asked from his position in the common room, all eyes in the room turning towards the paramedics.

"He's doing pretty well." Gabby responded, seeing Walker's dark gaze focused on her. She instantly felt uncomfortable under his unwavering stare, Gabby wincing before looking away from him. "He wasn't moving around much or anything, but he's in good spirits." She spoke vaguely, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"Good, that's good. Are you gonna see him again?"

"Yeah, we're gonna go back a little later to him help deal with his bandage." Shay replied.

"Well, let him know we're missing him. And that if he needs anything, just let us know."

"I will, Herrmann."

"Dawson." Davis spoke up, Gabby looking back towards the young firefighter. "Boden asked to see you, he said to tell you to go to his office when you got back." He said, her eyebrows furrowing before she nodded, stepping out of Shay's grasp.

"Alright, thanks Davis." Gabby gave him a small smile before heading down the hallway.

Shay watched Gabby for a second before turning back towards the group, looking towards everyone sitting in the common room before glancing to the firefighter beside her in the hallway. Her eyebrows raised as she saw Davis watching Gabby until she was out of sight, and even then, he didn't look away. An amused grin fell onto her face, the blonde shaking her head as she let out a chuckle.

"Oh, sweetheart." She muttered, Adam snapping out of his daze as he turned to look at the blonde paramedic.

"What?"

"You have a crush on Dawson." She spoke, Adam's eyes widening as he heard snickers from inside the common room. Walker's ears perked up when he heard Shay's words, his glare hardening on the firefighter.

"What? No- No I don't." He responded quickly, Shay grinning.

"You so do, and I don't blame you. She's hot." Shay spoke, patting him on the shoulder. "But she's not really on the market right now, so I wouldn't hold your breath." She said, dropping her hand before walking into the common room.

"Wait, Shay- Dawson's seeing someone?" Herrmann asked, the blonde stopping in her tracks a few steps inside the room, swallowing thickly. She hadn't realized what she said, not until Herrmann called her on it, but now everyone was watching her, waiting for her response.

"Oh, uh no." She spoke, clearing her throat. "I just meant that after, you know, everything that happened, she's taking a break from relationships for awhile." Shay covered, Herrmann nodding in response.

Shay heard a scoff to her left, turning to see Walker sitting at the table, shaking his head. The paramedic's eyes narrowed, Shay crossing her arms over her chest as she turned her body towards him.

"You have something to say?" She asked challengingly, Bryan rolling his eyes.

"No. I'm just not sure Gabby's been swearing off men as much as you make it sound." He chuckled, Shay's muscles tensing in agitation as the room full of firefighters fell silent.

"And why does that matter to you exactly?" She fired back, seeing the smug grin on his face fall. "You're the one who dumped her, you dropped her like your engagement meant nothing, why do you care what she does?"

"Wait, what?" Herrmann interjected, Shay breaking her eye contact with Walker, glancing back towards the man on the couch. "You broke up with her? I thought it was a mutual thing?" There was clear confusion in Herrmann's voice, Shay smirking knowingly as she turned back to Walker, seeing his demeanor falter slightly, his narrowed eyes focusing back on the blonde paramedic.

"Oh yeah, can't forget how you lied to everyone about that." She spoke, Walker's eyes piercing into her.

"Shay." He warned, his voice dripping in anger, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Is that true?" Mouch asked, Shay raising her eyebrows towards Bryan expectantly, the man huffing out a breath.

"Yeah, I broke up with her." He breathed out, confused stares moving around the room.

"Why didn't you just tell us that?"

"Why does it even matter?" He snapped, shaking his head. "It was months ago, it doesn't matter who broke up with who, we've both moved on."

"Then why do you care about who she's seeing?" Shay shot back, Walker's glare moving back to her.

"I don't care, I don't give a shit who she's screwing," He spoke roughly, Shay's hard stare never faltering. "But I think Davis should be warned about what kind of chick he's chasing after, then maybe run the other way while he can. Dawson's a real piece of work, in case you haven't noticed."

"Walker." Severide warned, his voice dangerously low, Bryan leaning back in his seat.

"What? I'm just trying to help the kid out. Trust me, you don't want anything to do with her."

"Says the guy who cheated on her." Shay spat, the room falling deadly silent as the words left her lips. All eyes fell on the blonde, confusion and anger filling the room. Walker hadn't moved a muscle, rage radiating off her body as he kept his eyes on the paramedic, his neck clenching in anger.

"What did you just say?" Herrmann asked, feeling like he had to have misheard her. But Shay never answered him, her eyes locked on Bryan.

"Are you gonna tell them? Or do you want me to?" She questioned harshly.

"Shay, don't." Severide tried, but the paramedic ignored him. She knew Gabby would kill her for this, that Dawson didn't want people knowing, but she'd had enough of Walker's self-righteous attitude. Everyone deserved to know what kind of person he really was.

"What is she talking about?" Herrmann asked again, pushing himself up from the couch, moving to stand beside Shay.

Walker's hard gaze diminished as he caught Herrmann's eyes, Bryan pursing his lips together tightly as he felt the stares of the entire room on him. But he said nothing, his throat bobbing up and down as his gaze landed back on Shay.

"He'd been cheating on Dawson." She spoke firmly, taking a breath before continuing. "He had been for about a year before he broke up with her, with multiple people."

Silence fell over the room again, Walker avoiding their glares as he drew in a deep breath, the firefighter feeling all the anger in the room directed towards him.

"Guys…"

"How dare you." Herrmann's voice cut Walker off, the older firefighter shaking his head in disbelief.

"Herrmann-"

"Why would you do that to her? What kind of person does that to someone they're intending to marry- wait." Herrmann cut himself off, his face furrowing in disgust as he glared at the man. "You and Dawson hadn't even been engaged for a year." He stated angrily, Walker sighing deeply. "You proposed to her after you'd been cheating on her?!"

"Guys, I'm sorry. It was a mistake, I should've-"

"No, that's not a mistake." Herrmann spat, the other first responders in the room looking back and forth between the two firefighters. Everyone in the room was sure they'd never heard Herrmann this upset before. He had always been a hothead, but never like this, and never towards one of their own. He was absolutely livid with the man sitting across from him, and it was jarring. "A mistake is if it happens once, or maybe even twice, but you cheated on Dawson for an entire year?!" His tone rose as he spoke, the man getting more and more angry with each word. "That's no mistake, that's a choice. You chose to do that to her. God, what kind of man are you? I can't even look at you right now." Herrmann growled, stomping out of the room without another word, pushing the door open violently as he marched into the garage, needing to blow off some steam.

No other words were said in the common room, everyone too stunned and upset to think straight as Walker roughly pushed back his chair, storming from the room before anyone could stop him.

Gabby stood in the open doorway of Boden's office, tapping lightly on the frame as he looked up to her, smiling softly.

"Hello Dawson, come in." He prompted, the paramedic nodding as she stepped inside.

"Do I need to shut the door or..?" She questioned, Boden shaking his head.

"No, you're not in trouble or anything." He replied with a smile, Gabby chuckling as she moved towards the desk.

"Well, I wasn't sure. You only asked for me, instead of Shay and I, so I wasn't sure if I'd done something." She spoke lightly, earning a laugh from her boss.

"No, Dawson, you haven't done anything." He responded, Gabby sitting down across from him, relaxing into the chair.

"So, what's going on, Chief?" She asked, resting her arms across her lap.

"I just wanted to check in, see how you're doing." He said, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion.

"I'm fine." She replied a little too quickly, Boden leaning forward against his desk as he watched her, Gabby suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Why?"

"With everything going on the last few days, I know you took Casey's accident a little harder than the rest of us, I wanted to make sure you were alright." He responded, Gabby swallowing thickly as her eyes moved towards her lap, fiddling with her fingers. "I know accidents on the job are always hard for the first responder who's gotten injured, but they're also hard on the people they work with. And, from what I could tell, you seemed pretty upset about what happened, so I just wanted to check in with you." He explained, Gabby raising her head to find his gaze on her, the paramedic forcing a smile onto her face.

"I'm good, Chief. Really, I am." Gabby assured him, straightening her spine. "What happened to Casey did scare me, I won't pretend it didn't, but I'm fine." Boden nodded slowly, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "It's never easy to see any of us go down, and Casey's a good friend, it was hard to see him hurt. But there's nothing to worry about, I'm alright."

"Yeah, I have noticed you two seem close." He commented, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip. "But that's good to hear. Obviously, I've been worried about Lieutenant Casey, but I was concerned for you too. I know things have been kind of hard for you lately, so I just wanted to make sure everything was good."

"I appreciate that Chief." She replied, Boden nodding as he leaned back in his chair. "Is that all?"

"Mhmm. You're free to go." He told her, Gabby drawing in a breath as she stood up, turning to leave. But she soon stopped, Boden eyeing her carefully as she looked back towards him, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"Uh, before I go I just wanted to say thank you." She spoke softly, Boden's eyebrows raising curiously.

"What for?"

"For taking 61 out of service last shift, so we could stay with Casey." Realization settled over his face, Boden giving her a slight nod as a grin pulled on his lips. "I really appreciate you doing that."

"No thanks necessary, Dawson. I wanted some of us there with him, and I figured it would've made you feel better to keep an eye on him as well." He replied, Gabby nodding slowly, flashing him a thankful smile before moving towards the door. "And Dawson?"

Gabby stopped in the doorway, turning back to face him, an expectant look covering her face. "Yeah Chief?"

"Tell Casey I hope he feels better." He spoke knowingly, Gabby biting down roughly on her bottom lip before giving him a nod, turning to leave his office.

Gabby sat on the bed in the back of the ambulance, going through the tedious process of checking 61's inventory after returning from their multiple calls this afternoon. Practically the second she left Boden's office, ambulance 61 had gotten called as backup to a car accident with another house. And the calls kept coming after that. They ended up having four calls back to back, the paramedics not even having a chance to eat as they drove all over Chicago. Dawson and Shay ended up being away from the house for nearly the entire afternoon.

They had only gotten back about twenty minutes ago, Shay practically running inside the second the rig was in park, making a comment about how if she didn't get some food soon she was going to hit someone, and Gabby hadn't seen her since. Even though the PIC was a little hungry, she knew their inventory needed to be gone through so they could restock after their next call, so she'd decided to take care of that first.

Her phone buzzing on the bed beside her pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby picking it up to see a text from Matt, the man having answered her message she sent about ten minutes ago, the paramedic checking up on him.

'I'm good, took a really long nap. You'd be proud.'

A slight smile formed over her face as she read his message, Gabby pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before responding.

'That's good to hear. Did you manage to eat some lunch?'

She put her phone back down to get more work done while she waited for his response, but the action proved useless when her phone buzzed seconds later, signaling a new message.

'I sure did. That soup you made was even better the second time, I had two bowls.'

Gabby's smile widened, her fingers moving quickly over her screen to type out her response.

'That's good to know. I'll have to make it for you again sometime.'

"Hey Dawson."

Gabby looked up to see Herrmann standing in front of her, the man just outside the back of the rig, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Hey Herrmann." She responded, feeling her phone buzz in her hands again, Gabby glancing down to see Matt's message.

'I'm already looking forward to it.'

Locking her phone, she shoved it back into her pocket, turning her attention to the firefighter.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He questioned, Gabby shaking her head.

"Just inventory, and I always welcome a distraction from that." She replied with a light smile, Herrmann nodding. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if we could talk for a second." He spoke vaguely, bringing his hand up to rub over the back of his neck, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah, of course. Is everything alright?" She could see the apprehension in his features, and a hint of what she could only describe as sadness shining in his eyes, Gabby unsure of what was going on.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, kid." He breathed out, Dawson's confusion only growing.

"For what?"

"For what Walker did to you."

Gabby's body froze, her heart rate increasing as her eyes widened slightly. "What are you talking about?" She questioned quietly, Herrmann sighing heavily.

"Shay told everyone what happened, how he was the one who ended things, and that he'd been cheating on you for awhile." Gabby's eyes fell closed as Herrmann spoke, Dawson biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek, shaking her head as she felt her chest tighten. "I'm so sorry he did that to you, Dawson. I had no idea." He spoke, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat, having to force herself to breathe.

"It's okay, Herrmann." She spoke quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"No it's not. I don't know what he was thinking, you didn't deserve him doing that to you. I swear, I'm so angry at him for putting you through that... But you could've told us, Dawson. You know, nothing he did was your fault."

"No, I know that." She responded, clearing her throat. "But it was between me and Walker, and I guess I just didn't want to bring it into the house." She spoke, Herrmann eyeing her sadly.

"I'm sorry he did that to you, Dawson." He repeated, shaking his head. "And I know it's been awhile since everything, but still, I'm here if you need anything." He told her, Gabby nodding, slowly lifting her head.

"Thanks Herrmann." She replied, stepping down out of the rig. The man pulled her into a hug, Gabby reciprocating the action quickly before pulling away, grimacing when she saw the pitiful look in his eyes. "Is Shay still inside?"

"Yeah, she was stealing some of Severide's food, last I saw." He replied, Gabby nodding before turning on her heels, heading for the common room.

It took her mere seconds to get there, Gabby trying to keep her emotions under control as she whipped the door open, soon finding Shay exactly where Herrmann said she'd be. Before the blonde noticed her, Gabby saw some of the looks from the firefighters in the room, Dawson seeing the same looks of pity for her that Herrmann had. And she hated it.

She wasn't sure when Shay had told everyone, but considering no one had been looking at her like this earlier, she could only assume it happened either during her meeting with Boden, or just now after they'd gotten back.

"Shay." Gabby called sharply, the blonde lifting her head and turning to her friend. "Can we talk?"

Once getting a nod of confirmation, Gabby turned down the hall, not bothering to look back to make sure she was being followed, Dawson stopping in the doorway to the second set of double doors.

"What's up?" Shay asked, coming to stand in front of her friend.

"Why did you tell them?" Gabby questioned harshly. Shay was immediately confused by her partner's demeanor, but it only took her a couple of seconds to realize what her friend was talking about, the blonde paramedic crossing her arms over her chest.

"Gabby, I'm sorry." She breathed out, seeing the hard look of anger covering Dawson's face. "I know I shouldn't have said anything, but he was being such a dick and-"

"I don't care, Shay." Her voice was quiet, but Shay could hear how upset she was. "He's always like that. I asked you not to say anything and you did anyway."

"Dawson-"

"No, Shay. Just no. You knew I didn't want everyone knowing, you knew that and you told them anyway. You told the entire house, and for what? To be able to one-up Walker?"

"That's not what I was doing." Shay defended.

"And not only did you tell them, you told them behind my back, and I had to find out from Herrmann?"

"Dawson, I'm sorry." Shay apologized, Gabby sighing deeply. "I should've told you what happened, but I was only trying to look out for you. He was being an ass and saying things about you, and it just kind of slipped out. I wasn't trying to betray you, or hurt you. I know I shouldn't have said anything about it and I'm sorry, but I was trying to help."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her eyes moving to the ground before she nodded tightly, clenching her neck.

"I need to go check on Matt." She spoke, turning towards the double doors.

"Gabby…"

But Dawson didn't say anything, she simply kept walking through the door into the garage, Shay sighing before heading after her.

The ride to Casey's place was tense, to say the least. Gabby refused to say a word, and Shay didn't try and push her. She knew that Gabby was angry right now, and until she moved past that, they wouldn't get anywhere.

Shay didn't do it to hurt her, and the blonde was sure her friend knew that. But it was obvious Gabby wasn't happy with her for betraying her trust, so she left Dawson alone.

When Shay pulled up outside Casey's place, Gabby got out without a word, closing the door behind her and hurrying towards his front door, the cold air nipping at her skin. She got inside as quickly as she could, stepping into the apartment, surprised to find the living room empty.

"Casey?" She called throughout the room, getting no response as she walked further into the apartment. There weren't many places for him to hide, Gabby soon seeing he wasn't in the kitchen or guest bathroom either. "Matt?" She called again, heading for his bedroom. Again, she got no response, and when she stepped into the room and saw him nowhere, she felt her nerves rising slightly. "Matt?"

As she stepped inside, she released a breath when she saw Matt slowly leaving the bathroom, his smile widening when he saw her.

"Hey, sorry." He greeted, Gabby shaking her head as she walked closer to him.

"No, it's fine. I just didn't know where you were."

"I'm right here." He spoke with a gentle smile, coming to a stop in front of her, seeing her nod slowly. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her demeanor, his eyes tracing thoughtfully over her face. "What's wrong?" He asked suddenly, Gabby narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"What?"

"You seem upset, what happened?" He repeated softly, bringing his hand up to rest on her arm, rubbing gently over her jacket.

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her eyes focusing on his shirt as she chewed on her bottom lip, Matt patiently waiting for her to respond. "Shay… she just- she told everyone about Bryan cheating on me." Her voice dropped, Gabby refusing to meet his eyes.

Casey's face softened, bringing his other arm up to wrap around her, pulling her closer to him as he placed both hands on her hips. "Why?"

"I don't know." Gabby breathed out frustratedly. "She said they got into a fight, about me I guess. Walker was running his mouth and Shay just couldn't help herself."

A soft frown formed over his lips, Matt pulling her towards him, wrapping his arms around her back as he brought her into a hug. Gabby relaxed into his hold, curling her arms against his chest, not wanting to hug him back and risk hurting his side. She pressed her head into his neck, releasing a heavy breath as she felt him squeeze her body against his.

They stood there for a few minutes, Matt holding onto her for as long as he felt like she needed. Although he never really agreed with her decision to not tell the house about what Walker did, he understood it. He knew she had her reasons for wanting to keep that private, and he knew how much thinking about it upset her. It should've been her decision whether people found out or not, and even though he was sure Shay hadn't done it to hurt her, he knew this wasn't easy for Gabby to face.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, feeling her nuzzle herself into his neck, Matt pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just didn't think I'd have to deal with all this today, or ever… I didn't want them to know."

"I know."

"I don't want their pity. I know they mean well, but the way they were all looking at me today after they found out, they all just felt sorry for me." She breathed out, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, and how comfortable she felt in his embrace. "And I haven't even seen Walker since she told them, but I'm sure that he'll somehow think this is my fault."

"If he does, we'll deal with it." He replied, Gabby sighing as she pulled her head back, looking up at him. "I don't think he's stupid enough to mess with you again, but if he does, I'll handle it."

"Matt…"

"What? Just because I'm a little beat up doesn't mean I can't take him." He spoke lightly, a grin coming to her face as she chuckled, Matt matching her smile. Leaning forward, he placed a lingering kiss to her forehead, his hand cupping the side of her head as he pulled back, rubbing his thumb over her hair. "Obviously, I don't know what happened, but I do know Shay. And you know Shay, probably better than anyone. She never does anything without a good reason." Matt spoke, Gabby nodding knowingly. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but I'm sure her heart was in the right place."

Gabby's tongue ran over her bottom lip, the paramedic thinking over his words before she reluctantly nodded. "Yeah… you're right." A bright smile fell onto his face, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully. "Don't get too excited, it'll never happen again."

Chuckling softly, Matt leaned towards her, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, Gabby reciprocating the action before they separated.

"Alright, enough of that." She commented, pulling herself from his grasp. "I need to get you patched up before I get a call." She told him, Matt nodding as he slowly moved to the bed, Gabby heading in the opposite direction towards the bathroom to get his bandages, neither sure how much time they had before Gabby might get called away.

So, there's another one, and there's kind of a lot to unpack here. Gabby seems content to just ignore everything she's feeling for Matt for the time being, and poor Matt doesn't even know. Although it seems like Boden has some idea that something is going on there. But also, now everyone knows Walker cheated on Gabby, and, as you can see, it didn't go over very well.

I'm super excited to hear your thoughts on everything. Things are definitely gonna start getting a little crazier here soon. I've got some interesting, and kind of intense, things planned for this story that I'm really looking forward to.

Thanks for reading!