Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you like it.

There is a little M-rated scene in this one, as it's been requested a few times for more of that. I can definitely keep adding more of those scenes, if you all are interested.

Happy reading!

TWENTY ONE

Gabby blew out a heavy breath as she pushed open the front door to Matt's apartment, closing it in place behind her as soon as she got inside, turning the lock before stepping further into his quiet home. Having just returned from shift, Gabby placed her work bag down on the ground just inside his living room, knowing she could deal with it later. But first, she needed food.

It had been a long day of work for Dawson, and right now all she wanted was some breakfast, a shower, and a nap, in that order. But she knew the nap would probably have to wait, Gabby not wanting to be asleep when Matt came home.

Dawson knew she'd be walking into an empty apartment after work, the paramedic well aware that Matt had his appointment to be cleared for work first thing this morning. She had tried to get him to push it back, telling him she'd go with him if he wanted, but Casey had told her not to worry about it, that he'd fill her in on everything once he got home. And Dawson could only hope he'd be coming home with good news.

It had been a little less than two weeks since his accident on the job, and Matt was chomping at the bit to get back to work. Aside from the scar left on his side, there were no remains of his accident, and Casey was more than ready to get back to his life. After having spent every day here for the last two weeks, aside from the days she was at work, Gabby knew better than anyone how excited he was to get back into the swing of things, and hopefully here soon he'd be able to.

After kicking her shoes off, Gabby made her way into the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking over her options for any sort of suitable breakfast. Deciding she didn't have the energy for anything too intensive, Gabby closed the fridge and grabbed the loaf of bread sitting on the counter, settling on two pieces of toast.

It took her longer than normal to finish her breakfast, Gabby's body feeling the effects of her long shift day. It had been non stop calls for nearly twenty four hours, and her lack of sleep was definitely catching up with her.

Once downing the the last bit of her orange juice, Gabby cleaned up her dishes before heading for Matt's bedroom, occasional yawns escaping her lips as she moved. Stepping into the bathroom, she turned the shower on before beginning to strip out of her clothes, tossing them into a pile on the ground, Gabby stretching out her sore and exhausted limbs.

When the water was a sufficient temperature, she stepped in, letting the warm water soothe her aching muscles, Gabby's mind wandering as the steam surrounded her. The last two weeks had been interesting, to say the least, for both Matt and Gabby, and in the times where Dawson got a moment to herself, it was hard to not think about everything.

Gabby was trying her hardest to figure out her feelings for the man she'd been living with as of late, but she was struggling to do so. Every time she felt like she was close to coming to terms with what she felt, she's second guess herself, deciding it was just the high emotions of the last few weeks, and she'd end up back at square one. She was having a hard time letting her mind accept what her heart was telling her, and it left her feeling more confused and vulnerable than she'd care to admit. Dawson knew she needed to figure out what was going on in her head, before she did anything else she needed to come to grips with what she was feeling, but the weight of what her confession would do stopped her every time she felt like she was close to accepting her feelings for the man she'd grown so close to.

They had fallen into a good rhythm, the two of them, and she didn't want to mess that up. Shay had been undoubtedly right about one thing; she was scared to have more with Matt. She was scared of changing things, she was scared of the possible rejection. She liked what they had, and her possible feelings could ruin that. So the only thing she knew to do was ignore them. She had to, for both their sakes.

Even though Shay had been right about her fear, there was one thing Dawson hoped she was wrong about; that her ignoring her feelings would end up hurting them both. She was doing this to protect what they had, so neither of them would get hurt. She was doing this for them, and all she could do was trust that she was doing the right thing.

She just hoped it wouldn't come back to blow up in her face.

Matt walked into his apartment with a bright smile on his face, his spirits significantly lifted after the appointment he'd had with his doctor. He'd gotten great news, and he couldn't wait to tell everyone. He needed to call Boden and let him know what was going on, but there was one person he wanted to tell first.

"Gabby?" He called through the room, catching a glimpse of her shift bag sitting on the floor, telling him she was here. His eyes moved around the room, not seeing her anywhere, but a small smile caught on his lips as he saw little traces of her all over his apartment. It was clear he no longer lived here alone, and although it was only temporary, he had to admit that he liked the feeling. He liked having someone to come home to, he liked having someone to spend his time with. And he really liked that that person was Gabby.

"Gabby?" He called again when he got no answer, hanging his jacket up on the rack before walking further into the apartment, hearing the faint sound of the shower running as he moved. A slight smirk played on his lips, Matt following the sound as he walked towards his bedroom, heading straight for the bathroom.

As he stepped inside the smaller room, he saw the outline of Gabby's body through the fogged glass door, steam filling the air as he began stripping out of his clothes, throwing them into the pile she'd already created. Slowly opening the door, Casey was all ready to make a comment about her wanting some company, but he stopped himself when he saw her deep in thought. Whatever she was thinking about had consumed her to the point she hadn't even heard him open the door, Matt stepping in behind her and closing the door.

Gabby tensed when she felt the unexpected arms slide around her waist, but immediately relaxed as she felt him pull her back against his chest, water falling down over them.

"Sorry." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder, his hands gliding over her stomach.

"It's okay, I just didn't hear you." She responded just as softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful feeling in the air. "How'd your appointment go?" She questioned, her eyes falling closed as she focused on the feeling of his hands slowly running over her body, finally settling under her breasts, keeping her close to him.

"Well, I think it went pretty well." He spoke lightly, pressing a kiss to her neck. "I got cleared to return next shift."

A wide smile covered her face as she turned around in his arms, his hands resting on her hips as she met his eyes, his grin widening when he saw the genuine excitement in her features.

"You did?" She asked softly, Matt nodding.

"Mhmm."

Gabby leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss against his lips, feeling him smile before reciprocating the gesture, the two moving together as Matt gripped her hips tightly, holding her body against his.

"That's great, Matt." She whispered as they pulled back, Casey running his hands over her slick back before he settled low on her waist. "I know you're ready to get back into everything, and it hasn't been the same without you at the house."

"Oh, I'm sure it hasn't. I mean, I don't think anyone else appreciates our time together at the firehouse nearly as much as I do… Especially that time I came back from a call and had a nice, pants-less surprise waiting for me in my office." He spoke with a smug grin, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she focused her gaze on his chest.

"That was one time." She responded, Matt chuckling as he ducked his head, pulling her in for another kiss, Gabby's body leaning into his.

"It's a shame that it was only one time." He murmured, Gabby grinning against his lips before kissing him again, a surprised squeak escaping her lips as his hands slid down past her waist, cupping her skin in his palms.

When air became a priority, the two pulled back, their chests heaving as they stayed pressed together, their eyes locked on one another.

"So…" Gabby spoke once she'd caught her breath. "I guess since you have a clean bill of health, that means I can go home again." She said softly, Matt swallowing thickly.

It wasn't something they had talked about, but it was clear to both of them that Matt had been fine to stay on his own for nearly a week now. He'd been able to get around by himself, he didn't need her help with anything, but she had chosen to stay. They never brought it up, even though they both knew there was no medical reason for her to stay with him anymore. But now she didn't have the excuse that he was still not cleared to work. At least when that had been the case, she had some semblance of an excuse if the topic ever came up. But now, there was nothing to keep her here. Nothing except that she liked being here, with him.

"Yeah, I guess so." He responded, his tongue poking out between his teeth. "But, I am gonna miss you having you here."

Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek, her eyes flickering over his face before she nodded, suddenly very aware of his hands on her body.

"I'm sure I'll still be around." She replied, her hands moving from his chest to his hips.

"You better be." He spoke quietly, leaning in to kiss her again, this one much more gentle than the previous ones, Gabby nearly melting into him.

They moved together for a few tender moments, both only focused on the other until Gabby pulled back first, catching his gaze before speaking up.

"Since you've been cleared to work, I'm guessing you're cleared for… everything?" Her words were drawn out as she raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side as Matt felt heat spread through his body.

"Absolutely." He murmured, Gabby grinning mischievously before leaning in to kiss him again, Gabby pressing her hips into his, the action causing a groan to escape the back of his throat.

Casey had been trying for a few days now to persuade Gabby into partaking in some of their more fun activities, claiming that he was feeling fine, and they didn't need to wait when he'd been getting the go-ahead in a couple of days anyway. He was persistent, and Gabby nearly caved once or twice, but she shot him down every time. Despite how much she missed that part of their friendship, she wouldn't risk him getting hurt for it. So, no matter how heated things became, she ended up turning him down multiple times, leading to a very disgruntled Matt who had needed more than a few cold showers.

But now that he was back at a hundred percent, she had no intentions of stopping whatever he started, although allowing herself to have a little fun first couldn't hurt.

"That's good to hear." She replied quietly, pressing a soft kiss against his neck, Matt's eyes falling closed as he focused on the feeling of her body pressed into his, the firefighter having missed this more than he realized.

Gabby's hands carefully slid from his waist around to his stomach, the paramedic putting some distance between their hips, enough for her hand to sneak in between them and grab ahold of him without warning. Matt's breath caught in his throat, a low moan escaping his lips as Gabby began to slowly stroke him, the water encouraging her movements as she kept up her steady pace.

Matt could feel his muscles tensing, Gabby's kisses moving over his neck and his jaw as she continued. She never sped up, she never slowed down, or changed her grip. Everything was constant, and it was driving him insane.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, feeling her smirk against his neck before she dropped her hand, stepping away from him.

"Enjoy the rest of your shower." She spoke softly, a displeased look covering his face as Gabby slid past him, stepping out of the shower and reaching for the towel that had become hers.

"You're really gonna leave me like this?" He huffed out as Gabby bit back a smirk, catching a glimpse of just how effective her little stunt had been as she wrapped the towel around her body.

"You can handle it." She responded with a shrug, Matt groaning as she shut the shower door.

"Seriously?" He nearly whined as she moved towards the bedroom. She wasn't serious, they both knew that. She was fully expecting him to be out of the shower in minutes, for him to meet her in the bedroom where she'd be waiting, but it was so easy to get him all riled up, she couldn't resist. And she knew she'd very much enjoy the repercussions of leaving him in that shower. "Such a tease." She heard him mutter before she got into the other room, a soft chuckle escaping her lips while she moved towards the bed.

Casey took his time in the shower, not only to try and calm himself down a bit, but also because, as Gabby had correctly assumed, he knew exactly what she was doing. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this, and he knew what was going to happen as soon as he got out of the shower. How she'd be waiting for him just on the other side of this wall, most likely still wrapped up in her towel, if even that.

Blowing out a heavy breath, Casey turned off the water, finishing his second shower of the morning as he stepped out into the open bathroom, quickly drying himself off before wrapping his towel around his waist.

With a slight smirk on his lips, Matt walked out of his bathroom into the bedroom, but the second he saw the scene in front of him his smirk soon turned into a gentle grin, his face softening as he saw Gabby curled up in the middle of his bed, wrapped in only a towel, sound asleep.

If he had to guess, he'd say she fell asleep on accident, Matt assuming she had a pretty long night on shift if she'd fallen asleep that quickly. Knowing their original plans were now put on hold, Matt walked over to the bed, sitting down to face her, resting his hand on her exposed thigh, stroking the skin softly.

"Gabby." He murmured, hearing her groan softly, clearly not enjoying being pulled from her slumber. "Let me get the towel so you can sleep." He didn't want her sleeping in a wet towel all morning, but with it being wrapped around her body there was no way to remove it without waking her.

A look of confusion covered her face as she slowly came into consciousness, Gabby blinking furiously as she looked around the room before landing on Matt, seeing him watching her with a gentle smile.

"You fell asleep." He spoke, Gabby yawning as she shifted to lie on her back, a shiver coursing through her body.

"I'm sorry." She responded softly, rubbing her eyes before finding his gaze again, seeing him shake his head.

"It's fine, you look like you could use some rest, we can pick this up later."

His words reignited something within her, Gabby smiling devilishly as she moved her hands to her towel-covered stomach, Matt following her movements closely.

"Or we could pick this up right now." She murmured, sliding her hands up her body, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as she ran her hands over her chest, stopping when she got to the edge of her towel.

"You can sleep, really it's fine." Matt assured her, not wanting her to do this just for his own benefit, the man desperately trying to ignore the blood rushing south in his body.

"I'm wide awake now." She responded, slowly pulling the towel open, letting the material fall to either side of her body, exposing herself to him. His eyes immediately trailed down her form, Matt slowly taking her in even though he'd seen her like this moments prior.

Without another word, Matt climbed onto the bed, covering her body with his as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Gabby's hands immediately moved to his waist, ridding him of the towel and tossing it out of the way, Matt pressing his hips down into hers.

Every move they made was slow and deliberate, Matt taking his time as she spread her legs apart, letting his body rest in between them. His soft kisses moved over her jaw down to her neck, his hands roaming every inch of her body as they got lost in one another, Gabby's mind full of nothing but Matt.

Pulling back from her slightly, Casey let himself have a moment to take her in, her chest heaving from the lack of oxygen as she lay on the mattress beneath him, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as he stared at her. For just a moment, he thought about how much he liked this view, Matt thinking about how gorgeous she looked lying under him, and how he could see himself enjoying this view for a very long time.

The air around them was thick with unsaid emotions, Matt grinning softly before he leaned back down, placing kisses over her chest, holding her skin between his lips. Every move he made was gentle and caring, his hand sliding along the inside of her thigh, his thumb teasing her every few moments while he took his time with her.

"I've missed this." He murmured against her skin, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as he kissed his way back up to her lips, their mouths connecting once more as he ran his hand lightly over her center. Occasional whimpers and moans escaped through her lips, Matt carefully sliding one finger into her before pulling it back, the man continuing this for a few minutes before ceasing his movements.

With his lips still on hers, his grabbed ahold of himself and lined up at her entrance, carefully sinking down into her. A low moan left her lips as he filled her completely, the two taking a moment to readjust to the feeling before Matt began to slowly thrust in and out of her.

His movements were steady, the two kissing long and slow while he carefully moved in and out of her, his body covering hers completely as she hooked her legs around his thighs, refusing to let him get very far.

In the midst of his movements, Matt blindly reached for Gabby's hand, their fingers lacing together as he placed their conjoined hands on the bed beside her head, her arm bent at the elbow as he steadily increased his pace. Gabby was completely immersed in him and his movements, the pair never disconnecting from one another as they enjoyed being together for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Unlike every other time, nothing about this was rough, or rushed. There was no frantic need to get this done as quickly as possible. This was a desperation to feel each other again, a desperate need to be together, the two focused on nothing besides each other. This was slow, and it was caring, and it was exactly what she needed it to be after what happened to him. This was another reminder that he was still here, that he was fine. She wasn't sure if he knew she needed this, or if he felt the same way, but in this moment she felt closer to him than she ever had before.

Every gentle movement he made brought her closer to the edge, her body responding to the tender moments between them as Gabby used her free hand to grip the back of his neck, holding him to her as she clenched around him. She heard the exact moment he felt her body's signals that she was close, Matt moaning into her mouth as she repeated the action steadily, Matt's deep thrusts continuing at his steady pace.

Her release hit her suddenly, Matt working her through it as her body trembled around him, her grip on his hand tightening as pleasure flooded her system, Matt continuing his pace as whimpers and moans escaped through her lips. Her body relaxed around him as he continued to move in and out of her, Gabby doing what she could to keep kissing him while her limbs felt like jelly, his release following minutes later.

He eased out of his movements to bring them slowly back down, Gabby panting against him as he came to a complete stop, Matt kissing her one last time before pulling his head back, seeing a look of complete contentment on her face. Slowly pulling out of her, Matt collapsed on the bed beside her, their chests heaving as they laid in the comfortable silence.

Once she caught her breath, Gabby quietly got up, Matt watching as she disappeared into the bathroom, Casey taking the moment to toss her towel off the bed towards his, knowing it was something they could deal with later. When she reappeared minutes later, she immediately came back to bed, Matt pulling her into his chest the second she hit the mattress. Her back was pressed against him as he threw the covers over them, Gabby relaxing her body into his, feeling him place a kiss to the top of her shoulder, his arm holding her around her stomach.

"Yeah, I definitely missed that." He murmured, Gabby chuckling softly as she felt him press another kiss to her skin, her mind slowly fading. "Get some sleep." She heard him whisper, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his thumb stroking her stomach as she let her body give in to its exhaustion, the content smile never leaving her face.

Gabby stood by herself in the locker room, hanging her shift bag up as she began to mentally prepare for work. Today was Casey's first day back, and aside from her and Boden, no one knew he'd be returning today. She wasn't sure how it became a surprise, but all Gabby knew was that no one was aware that their truck Lieutenant was returning today. And based on all the nervous energy Matt had from the moment they woke up this morning, she knew it was well past time for him to come back.

During the last two days since Matt had been cleared, the firefighter had been practically bouncing off the walls, amping himself up to return to work. Gabby couldn't help but think he was acting like he'd been off the job for months and not a couple of weeks, but regardless she was glad to have him back. She missed working with him, and she knew how much he missed being around everyone.

But that didn't mean she wasn't a little nervous. After him getting injured at that call, she couldn't help but worry about him working again. There were so many unknowns to this job, so many things out of their control, and she didn't want to see him hurt again. But she knew he was always as safe as he could be, and he had a bunch of people here looking out for him. It would probably just take a few shifts for the lingering jitters to leave her system.

And she knew the same could be said for him, Gabby having seen flashes of his apprehension the last few days.

Despite their conversation about Gabby not staying with him anymore, she had actually yet to go back to Antonio's apartment. The day he got cleared, after their morning of celebration and then their nap that followed, they ended up having a lazy day together that consisted of them lounging around the apartment. After dinner they had curled up on the couch, Gabby having fallen asleep on him before she could think of going home. Then the next morning when she woke up in his bed, and Matt explained to her how he carried her to bed so they wouldn't have to sleep on the couch, she had every intention of going home later that day. But when it got closer to the evening, Gabby could tell how anxious Matt was feeling. He was nervous to return to work after what happened, even though he was having a hard time admitting it, so when he asked her to stay with him last night it never even crossed her mind to say no. For as concerned as she felt for Matt, she knew it was only that much worse for him, and she wouldn't leave him alone when he was feeling so unsure.

Gabby just hoped that once he got back into the swing of things, his uncertainty would pass, that both of them could lose this sense of nervousness that they couldn't seem to shake. She didn't want to feel worried about him doing his job, and she didn't want him to feel that way either, but she knew it would most likely take time for them both to get past their nerves.

The loud sound of a locker door slamming closed caused Gabby to jump in her skin, the paramedic turning to see Walker standing at his now shut locker. She didn't even know he was in here, she hadn't heard come in or open his locker, but it was clear he'd been here awhile as all his stuff was now put away.

The firefighter looked towards her with an intense glare, Gabby swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat before turning her attention back to her locker.

Since the house had learned of Walker's infidelity, Gabby was surprised to say that he hadn't made any attempt to talk to her about it, or, more accurately, yell at her about it. When she'd gotten back from Casey's house that night after finding out Shay had told everyone, she was expecting him to be livid. For him to be in a complete rage, and for her to be the target of his anger, but he never said a word about it that night. He hadn't said a word to her at all. Aside from being on the receiving end of a lot of glares from him, that was as far as their contact had gone, and while she wasn't expecting that at all, she was thankful for it. In fact, Walker hadn't really talked to anyone, now that she thought about it. Most everyone in the house was still angry with him for what he did, and he hadn't really gone to any lengths to try and mend those relationships. He seemed content to just keep his head down and leave everyone alone. Although considering how she could still feel his eyes burning holes in the side of her head, she wasn't sure how much longer he'd be sticking to that strategy.

"Dawson." He spoke roughly, Gabby blinking tightly before turning around, finding he'd taken a step closer to her, the paramedic instinctively backing up against the lockers.

"What do you want, Walker?" She asked quickly, closing her locker, preparing herself for a quick getaway if needed. She wasn't sure what his plan was, she didn't think he was stupid enough to do anything here, but the look of rage burning in his eyes had her on edge.

"I just want to know how you managed to turn everyone here against me." He spoke calmly, his tone clashing with the hard look on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act stupid." He spat, Gabby digging her fingernail into the back of her hand as an attempt to distract herself. "You've been walking around here all high and mighty, and now you've got everyone else on your side, all because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. You had to go cry to Shay, and then she went running her mouth about things she knew nothing about. Now everyone here hates me. All because you couldn't just get over it."

"I didn't do anything, Walker." She responded firmly, clearing her throat. "You're the one who cheated on me, you're the one who hurt me," He took a step closer to her when those words left her mouth, Gabby taking another step back.

"Yeah, and have you gone crying to Shay about that yet? Feeding her all that bullshit." He questioned harshly, Gabby blinking furiously. "I'm guessing you haven't, considering no one's come crying to me about it." He spoke, closing more of the distance between them, Gabby holding her hand out.

"Don't come near me." She spoke as forcefully as she could, but her words only caused him to smile, Bryan clearly enjoying the effect he had on her. "You made all those choices on your own, how people respond to them isn't on me. And for the record, I even asked Shay not to say anything. She did all that on her own. But you're the only one responsible for what you did, Bryan. How people treat you because of it isn't my fault." She told him, her voice hard. "Even if I did tell Shay to tell everyone, it doesn't matter. You still cheated on me, you still h-" She cut herself off, her jaw clenching tightly. "You made your own choices, you don't get the right to be mad at me, or Shay, or anyone but yourself for how people see you now. You did this."

"Yeah, and maybe if you were a better girlfriend, I wouldn't have had to." He snapped, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest. "Anything I did, you had it coming, I know you know that. Because you couldn't just keep your mouth shut and listen. You never could, but after awhile it wasn't so cute anymore. You made my life hell for years, and you still are. Except now instead of just you, it's you and Shay, because she's believing whatever sob story you're telling her."

"It's not a sob story if it's the truth."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that." He spoke roughly, taking another step closer to her, Gabby feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest. "If I find out you've told anyone anything else about our relationship, whether it be your dumbass brother, or Shay, or whatever loser you've convinced that you're worth fucking, I swear you'll regret it."

"Walker."

Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek roughly as she turned to see Severide standing at the entrance of the locker room, his arms crossed over his chest firmly, Bryan immediately taking a step away from Dawson.

"Is there a problem?" Kelly asked with narrowed eyes, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she looked towards the ground.

"Nope, nothing that concerns you. Just having a chat with Dawson, here." He replied with a grin. Walker clasping her on the shoulder, Gabby flinching when he touched her. "Remember what I said." He nearly whispered, gripping her tightly before letting go, Bryan flashing Kelly a grin before leaving the locker room.

Once they were alone, Severide took in Dawson's demeanor for a moment, seeing her eyes plastered to the ground, her arms wrapped around herself almost protectively.

"You okay, Dawson?" He asked, Gabby nodding before meeting his eyes, Kelly watching as she plastered a fake smile onto her face.

"I'm good. Did you need something?"

"Boden wants everyone in the conference room." Severide replied carefully, Gabby nodding a few times before shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Okay."

Without another word, Kelly walked with Dawson to the conference room, the two being the last of the house to come in, a wide smile falling onto Severide's face when he saw Casey at the front of the room.

"Well, would you look who's finally back." Kelly spoke, Matt grinning as he watched the two walk in, his smile faltering slightly when he saw the near despondent look on Gabby's face. When she saw him watching her, she recovered quickly, flashing him a soft smile as she moved towards the table Shay was at, Matt responding with a similar grin.

"Yes, as you all can see Casey is back with us."

Cheers and hollers were heard throughout the room, Matt smiling as he clasped his hands together.

"He's been cleared for full-duty, so things will be able to get back to normal around here."

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back here." Casey added. "Herrmann, I appreciate you taking over for me while I was out, but I'm looking forward to being back with you guys."

"We're glad to have you, Lieutenant." Herrmann replied. "Trust me, probably me more than anyone are glad you're back, if just for the paperwork alone." He joked, earning laughs from around the room.

Their conversation was cut off by the bells ringing out, signaling 61 to respond as backup to a car accident, Dawson and Shay pushing themselves up from their seat.

"Glad to have you back, Casey." Shay called, flashing him a warm grin as she moved towards the door, Gabby giving him a similar small smile before they disappeared out into the hallway, jogging towards the garage.

The partners got into the rig silently, Gabby buckling up while Shay got the ambulance started, the blonde pulling from the garage as quickly as she could.

"You okay?" Shay asked carefully after a few minutes, Gabby turning to look at her with a questioning look. "You seem a little upset."

"I'm okay." Gabby responded softly, the blonde nodding before returning her attention back to the road.

Though Shay didn't really believe her partner, she left it alone, knowing they weren't really in a place where she thought she should push her to talk.

Ever since Shay had told the house of how Walker had been cheating on Gabby, things had been a little tense between the best friends. They had a talk about it the night it happened, on the way back from Casey's place they hashed things out; Shay profusely apologized for telling everyone, Gabby telling her it was okay, she just needed some time to get over it. Dawson made it known that she wasn't mad, but she felt weird about Shay telling everyone what happened when she knew that was the last thing Gabby wanted, and Dawson needed time to move past that.

So the blonde had backed off, giving Gabby space. And things were still a little off between them. Shay hated it, and she could only hope Dawson did as well, but she knew better than to try and force her PIC to talk to her. Gabby would shut down before she could even finish a thought, and Shay didn't want that. She just wished things weren't so strange between them.

Shay had done what she could to act like everything was normal, but she could tell Gabby was holding back. Their previous conversations about anything and everything were now reduced to short back and forths, Gabby barely giving her anything. And if Shay had to guess, she figured her best friend felt apprehensive to talk to her, and that was the last thing the blonde wanted. She could barely even get her to talk about Casey, Shay getting nothing more than Gabby relaying how he was feeling. Gabby hadn't even told her he was coming back to work.

It all just felt different, and Shay despised it. She wanted her friend back, but she knew her actions caused this. Despite her intentions, Gabby felt betrayed by what she did, and Dawson needed time to move past that. And although Shay was a little surprised that it had been two weeks since it happened and Gabby had yet to truly forgive her, she knew things concerning Walker were always harder for Gabby to deal with. So Shay would give her as much time as she needed.

But just because she'd give her time, that didn't mean Shay couldn't remind Dawson that she was here for her, no matter what.

"Hey Gabby?" Shay spoke up as they got closer to the scene, pulling Dawson from her own thoughts, the PIC looking towards her.

"Yeah?"

"I know things have been a little… off with us lately." Shay started, Gabby's face faltering slightly. "But you can always come to me if you need to. I know I messed up by telling everyone about what Walker did. I was trying to help, but that doesn't matter, I shouldn't have done it because I knew you didn't want me to. I am sorry, Dawson. But I'm always here if you need me, I hope you still know that."

Shay finished her small speech as they pulled up to the scene, Gabby nodding, waiting for her partner to put the rig in park before pulling her into a hug. The action surprised Shay, but she quickly responded, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.

"I'm sorry, too." Gabby whispered, giving her a quick squeeze before they separated, both women knowing they didn't have time to have this full conversation right now. Once they climbed down from the rig, Shay moved to grab their bag, Gabby working on getting the stretcher from the back. "I know you meant well, and I don't think I was so much mad at you, as I was with having to face all of it again, and worrying about what Walker would do…" She trailed off, Shay's face falling as Gabby shook her head softly. "But I'm sorry for acting a little distant lately, I've missed you Shay."

"I missed you, too." The blonde spoke, smiling widely at her friend before they moved towards the scene, focusing on the task at hand.

"Oh, well would you look at that, there are my two favorite guys." Shay called as her and Dawson walked towards the squad table that was currently occupied by Casey and Severide, the two men looking up at the paramedics.

"Yeah? Which one do you like more?" Severide questioned, Shay shoving her hands into her pockets as she glanced back and forth between the two.

"Today, Casey probably. But that could change." She shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the table as Gabby took a detour, flashing the group a small smile before heading for the double doors, no one saying anything until the door fell closed behind her.

"Is Dawson alright?" Severide questioned, Shay's gaze flickering to Casey, seeing a concerned look shining in his eyes as she responded.

"She seemed okay at the call, but she was acting a little weird before that."

"I wonder if it was because of Walker."

Both Shay's and Matt's eyes narrowed at Severide's words, the blondes glancing to one another before returning their attention back to the firefighter.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked, Shay soon following up with another question.

"What happened with Walker?"

"I don't know, but I went into the locker room and they were in there. I couldn't really hear their conversation, but Gabby looked spooked." Severide answered, Casey's neck clenching as he met Shay's worried eyes.

"You didn't hear anything?" Shay pressed, Severide shaking his head.

"No, it's not like they were yelling or anything. I could hear voices, but I couldn't really make out what they were saying. When I came in, Walker was practically standing over her, and Gabby looked kinda nervous, I'm guessing that's what had her acting weird."

Shay blew out a sigh, Matt clasping his hands together in his lap as he bit down on his tongue.

"I wish he'd just leave her alone." Shay breathed out, shaking her head.

"Has he said anything to her since everyone found out about him cheating?" Matt questioned the paramedic. Although he knew the answer already, or at least he knew what Gabby had told him, he wanted the extra reassurance.

"Not that I know of." Shay replied, Matt nodding. "But I'm not sure she would've told me if he had, she's been kind of distant since all that."

"Yeah…" Matt trailed off, his gaze moving towards the doors she disappeared through, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Although Casey hadn't been here to see it, he knew Dawson had still been weary of everyone at 51 since they found out about Walker's cheating. From their few talks about it, he could tell it was something that bothered her more than she cared to admit, everyone knowing about what Walker did, so he wasn't surprised to hear from Shay that things hadn't exactly been smooth sailing as of late.

"Casey."

Severide snapping his fingers in front of Casey's face pulled Matt from his thoughts, the truck Lieutenant's gaze focusing on his friend, Kelly watching him expectantly.

"What?"

"Dawson's not there, you can stop staring." Severide spoke, Matt shaking his head as he glanced towards Shay. "Speaking of, that's something I am curious about." He said vaguely, Casey raising his eyebrows.

"What's that, exactly?"

"How long have you and Dawson been screwing?"

Matt's eyes widened in shock, the firefighter angrily glancing to Shay, seeing the woman already on the defensive as she held her hands up in front of her.

"It wasn't me!"

"Technically, it was." Severide bit back, Casey sighing heavily as he slouched in his seat, Kelly chuckling lightly.

"How'd you know?" Matt asked pointedly, Shay shaking her head.

"I never told him." She spoke, Casey turning his attention back to Severide, waiting for him to answer.

"Well, I didn't exactly know until just now, I only had a feeling." Severide started, Matt shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth. "But you two have been super close the last few months, you guys are together a lot on shift, and there were a few times on shift I noticed you'd disappear at the same time, which, congrats on that, man." Kelly said with a devilish grin, Matt rolling his eyes. "And then that night you defended her at the bar with Walker, and how she was acting at the hospital when you got hurt… It was a bunch of stuff like that, that by itself I didn't think much of, but then Shay here let it slip the other day that Gabby was the one taking care of you, and I kind of just put it all together."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shay questioned, Kelly shrugging.

"Because I still wasn't sure if it was anything, and I didn't know you knew."

"Of course I knew, I'm Gabby's best friend." Shay spoke, Matt rolling his eyes.

"Okay, to be fair, we never intended for you to find out." Casey muttered, the paramedic waving him off.

"Like that matters." She huffed out, Kelly shaking his head before focusing on Casey.

"Does anyone else know?" Casey asked, Shay and Severide glancing to one another.

"Not as far as I know." Shay spoke, Kelly nodding in agreement.

"Although I'm not sure how, because when I really thought about it, you two don't hide it very well." Severide added, Casey blowing out a heavy breath, Kelly smirking slightly. "So you and Dawson are together?"

"We're… it's complicated." Matt answered, Shay biting her tongue.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's complicated." Matt answered sharply, Kelly raising his eyebrows.

"Alright, fine." He responded, glancing to Shay. "Why are you guys hiding it?"

"Huh?"

"Whatever relationship this is, or whatever, why are you guys being so secretive about it?"

"Because it's nobody's business." Matt replied simply. "And the last thing either of us wanna deal with are all the questions from everyone.. And then everything with Walker, that's another issue all together."

"Why? It's not like you two were together before they broke up, right?"

"No, we weren't." Casey was quick to assure him. "But the timing is… tricky, and I don't think Walker's gonna care that they were broken up when we met."

"Who cares what he thinks?" Kelly asked, Matt shaking his head.

"It's not Walker I'm worried about, it's Gabby." Casey clarified. "I don't want her to have to deal with him. From what I can tell, he doesn't seem to like the fact that Gabby's moved on, but if he were to find out she moved on with his boss? I don't think his ego could handle that. And I don't want Gabby having to deal with whatever fallout would come from it."

"He has this weird, possessive thing with her." Shay added, backing up Casey's reasoning. "He doesn't want to be with her, but he doesn't want her to be with anyone else. It's creepy, and he's a psycho." Shay finished, Severide sighing deeply.

"I just don't want to make things harder for her." Casey said. "Her and I, there's not really a label for what we are."

"I thought you guys were calling it 'fuck-buddies'." Shay quipped, Kelly glancing to Casey with raised eyebrows as Matt narrowed his gaze at the blonde.

"Anyway, the reason we're not telling people is because this is something that's only for us, it doesn't affect anyone else, so we're just keeping things simple. And keeping it between us. Or, trying to." Matt spoke pointedly.

"I won't tell anyone, don't worry." Kelly replied, Matt giving him a nod. "So you two aren't actually dating?"

"No."

"But you're… enjoying each other's company?"

"God, you make everything sound so gross." Shay groaned, Kelly shrugging as he looked back to Matt.

"You know what, I know the answer to that, so you don't need to respond. But I am curious about why."

"Why what?"

"Why you two just don't date." Kelly elaborated. "Is it because of Walker?"

"It's not because of him, but it's because of what he did, I guess. And for me, it was everything with Hallie. Neither of us want a relationship, so we're keeping it simple."

"Uh huh…" Severide spoke, clearly not convinced. "And yet, when I just asked you what you two were, you said it was complicated." He responded, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"What's your point, Kelly?"

"Nothing. I just wish you both the best of luck with this, that's all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Casey asked, Kelly glancing to Shay.

"You two can't really think this is a good idea, can you?" He questioned, Matt rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know if what you two are doing is good for either of you. I mean, yeah, sex with no strings sounds great, but doing it with someone you work with? That can get messy. Especially someone like Dawson."

"What do you mean 'someone like Dawson'?" Shay interjected with a raised brow, ready to jump in and defend her best friend if needed.

"Easy Shay, I just meant that Gabby is the type of person who throws her all into everything. If I know anything about Dawson, it's that she sometimes gets attached to people easily, maybe at times when she shouldn't. I just don't see her being able to sustain something like this. She's not really the type to be able to leave her emotions out of things, I think we all know that." He commented, Matt glancing up to Shay, seeing an expression he couldn't quite read playing over her face. "And, on top of that, she's already got one failed in-house relationship."

"Yeah, but that's because Walker was an ass. And are you really going there, Severide?" Shay replied frustratedly, Kelly huffing out a breath. "He was a dick who only cared about himself, and Gabby just-"

"I'm not saying it was her fault." Severide clarified, Shay reluctantly backing down. "Everything that was going on in that relationship, I don't know how she wasn't the one to break up with him. I never really knew what all was happening at the time, hell I'm sure there's still things we don't know anything about, but I just believed everything Walker told me about her, which, clearly, I shouldn't have, because it was all bullshit. But, from just a house standpoint, her and Walker didn't work out and it's still causing problems-"

"Maybe that's cause Walker's causing them." Shay cut him off, Kelly tapping his hand against the table.

"All I'm saying is that I don't want the house to go through that again, that's it." Severide finished, Matt nodding slowly.

"I get that, and that's exactly why we're not making a big deal out of this. Gabby and I don't want this becoming a big thing, that's why we didn't tell anyone. That's why we're not telling anyone. We don't want to cause problems in the house or anything like that, this is just something for us." Casey told him, Kelly thinking over his friend's words before nodding.

"Alright, well I hope you two are at least using protection."

"Jesus Christ." Casey muttered, pushing himself up from the chair, heading for the double doors.

"Way to go, you ran him off." Shay responded, Matt not hearing anything else of their conversation as he got into the firehouse.

Putting his conversation with Severide aside, Matt began roaming the halls of the 51, going in search of one person in particular. After hearing about what happened earlier, he wanted to see her, and make sure she was alright, that Walker hadn't done anything to upset her.

Casey soon found who he was looking for when he walked into the bathroom, seeing her standing hunched over at the counter. Gabby looked up at the noise, glancing to him through the mirror, Dawson smiling softly when she saw him.

"Hi."

"Hey." He responded, walking towards her as she turned around to face him. Matt kept enough space between them so it could be passed off as a friendly conversation should someone come in, but he got close enough so he could really see her. "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied simply, Casey's head tilting to the side.

"Are you sure?" He pressed, Gabby's eyebrows raising.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of Walker." He replied, Gabby face falling as she bit down on her bottom lip, Matt frowning when he saw her demeanor falter. "Did he say something? Or do something?"

"I'm fine, Matt." She told him, Casey drawing in a deep breath.

"Gabby-"

"Really, I am." She responded quickly, smiling softly. "I promise, I'm fine."

"Okay." He gave in, not sure if he believed her, but this wasn't the place to press it. "But it's okay if you're not, you know? I don't know what you two were talking about, but Severide thought you looked upset." He told her, Gabby watching him closely. "I just want to make sure you remember what I said, that you can talk about it with me… I want you to, if that's what you need."

"I know, Matt." She replied, their conversation getting cut short by the bells ringing, signaling ambo to their second call of the morning. "That's my cue." She told him, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, Matt smiling softly.

"Be safe."

"I will." She promised, rubbing over his opposite cheek with her palm before sliding past him, hurrying out the door as she left him alone in the bathroom, leaving the firefighter more concerned than he'd been before he spoke to her.

And there's another one. You guys are slowly getting more and more insight into what all happened in Dawson and Walker's relationship, and it's not pretty. He definitely seems like he's not going to make things easy for Gabby. But now Severide knows about Casey and Dawson, who knows how much longer they'll be able to keep it from the rest of the house.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one, thank you so much for reading! I'll see you next time!