Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys.
Happy reading!
TWENTY SEVEN
Matt stretched out his tired limbs after he finished washing his hands, the man having woken up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, a yawn escaping his lips as he turned the bathroom light off, slowly walking back towards the bed in the dark. He almost felt like a zombie, Matt ready to fall right back into bed and get some more sleep before morning came. Soon finding his way back to the bed, Matt sat down, rolling his neck and lengthening his spine, hearing a few of his joints crack in relief before he slowly laid back down, not wanting to wake the sleeping woman beside him.
He had barely gotten back under the covers when he felt something move against his leg, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he felt the movement again, his head turning to look towards Gabby. He wasn't able to make out much in the dark, but he could feel how tense she was beside him, Matt hearing what sounded like a soft groan escape her lips.
Unsure of what was happening, Casey sat back up, leaning over to turn the lamp on before turning back towards Gabby, Matt getting a clearer look at her. As he expected, her entire body was tensed up, Matt seeing her hands clenched at her sides on top of the covers, her eyebrows furrowed in distress, her legs occasionally kicking underneath the sheets.
Although he didn't know the cause, it was clear Gabby was in the midst of a bad dream, another soft whimper soon escaping her lips. Cautiously reaching out, Matt placed his hand over her arm, giving it a soft squeeze.
"Gabby." He murmured, rubbing over her arm, seeing her head turn away from him. He felt bad for waking her up, but he could tell the sleep she was getting wasn't peaceful anyway, Matt applying more pressure to her arm. "Gabby." He tried again, squeezing tighter.
"Gabby, wake up."
She immediately shot up in bed, Matt moving out of the way as he followed her up, staying close but not touching her, unsure of where her head was at. He saw her blinking furiously, her hand coming up to run over the side of her face, Matt seeing her suck in a deep breath.
"What happened?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper, Matt's concerned frown deepening when he heard the confusion in her words. Carefully, he reached out, placing his hand over her lower back, hoping to provide some source of comfort. He almost pulled away when he felt her tense up under his touch, but her body relaxed quickly, like she registered it was just him.
"Uh, I don't know… It looked like you were having a nightmare." He responded softly, Gabby nodding as she pushed some loose hair behind her ear, her eyes falling closed as she proceeded to take deep breaths. He could feel her relaxing more and more as the seconds passed, Matt moving in gentle motions across her back, hoping he was helping. "Are you alright?"
He kept his voice low, the sound filling the otherwise quiet apartment, Gabby glancing towards him, giving him a soft nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you up."
"You didn't." He was quick to assure her, Gabby's hands falling down to rest in her lap, her eyes moving away from his intense stare. Matt couldn't read her, he couldn't tell what was going on in her head, and it worried him. "...Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, seeing Gabby's head lean forward slightly, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as she sat there.
She didn't answer him at first, Matt unsure of which direction this would be heading; either he was about to get her to finally open up to him, or she'd shut him down again.
"It was, uh- it wasn't anything really." She responded after a few silent moments, Matt not giving much in the form of a reaction. He wasn't surprised by her response, she was doing the same thing she'd been doing since the incident with Walker. "I guess all this Bryan stuff-" Her voice caught in her throat, Matt glancing back towards her, not having expected her to continue talking, let alone mention the man who was no doubt the cause of her bad dream. "I'm just a little on edge, but I'm okay. I'll get over it." She added quickly, Matt sighing softly as he slid his hand around her waist, Gabby looking back towards him.
He could tell she was trying; she was trying to let him in and knock down the rest of those walls she'd placed around herself, but she was struggling to do so. Matt couldn't blame her, just from what little he knew about how Walker treated Gabby, the man was an asshole, and there was no telling what went on behind closed doors. He knew how hard this was for her, but he just wished she knew that she could trust him. He didn't want her doubting that.
"You don't have to just 'get over it'." He replied gently, Gabby blinking quickly a few times. "What he did wasn't okay, whatever else he's done-" He felt her tense underneath his touch, Matt backing away from the subject. "None of it's okay. He shouldn't be able to treat you like this." He kept his voice soft despite the aggravation he felt towards the man in question, not wanting Gabby to mistake that for anything aimed towards her.
"It is what it is." She responded with a soft shrug, Matt's face falling. "He's always kind of been like that."
"That's not okay, Gabby." He repeated, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she hunched forward. Matt knew this was make or break time, that he could either keep pushing or he could back off, and he wasn't sure which way to go. Having this conversation in the middle of the night really wasn't the best option, especially not when Gabby had been startled awake like she was. But they were making progress, and he didn't want that all to be gone in the morning. "You can talk to me... about whatever it is. Whatever Walker's done, you can come to me with anything." He continued after a few silent moments, Gabby lifting her head to meet his eyes, seeing the concern shining back at her.
"I know I can, I do." She whispered, placing her hand on his leg. "And I- I want to… I need you to know that."
"I do." He responded, bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek, Gabby's eyes falling closed momentarily as she leaned into the comforting contact. "I know this isn't easy… but when you're ready to talk, I'm right here."
Gabby nodded slowly, bringing her hand up to grasp his wrist, Matt's eyes tracing over her tired face. She was exhausted, way beyond it from what he could tell. And he was sure it was more than just a physical exhaustion.
"Let's go back to sleep, we can talk more tomorrow if you want." He murmured, Gabby giving him another nod, pulling from his grasp.
"I'm gonna go get some water first." She spoke, her voice raspy as she tossed the covers off of her, an involuntary chill running through her body when the air hit her bare legs.
"I brought some to bed last night, you can have that." He offered, Gabby flashing him a soft smile, shaking her head before she stood up.
"It's okay, I'll be right back." She told him, Matt giving her a slow nod as he fell back down onto the bed, Gabby walking around towards the exit. "Try and go back to sleep, I won't be gone long." She spoke softly, stopping to turn off the lamp, bathing the room in darkness once more before Gabby exited the bedroom, walking down the hallway.
Casey's tired body relaxed into the bed, listening to Gabby as she moved around in the kitchen. She wasn't being very loud, but in the dead of night he could hear her easily. He felt himself slowly fading, Matt not hearing her for a few moments, assuming she was drinking her water as he tried to keep himself awake. He wanted to be conscious when she came back, Matt unsure of where her head was at right now, but with each passing second he found it becoming more and more difficult. Before he could stop it, Casey succumbed to his exhaustion, not able to stay awake until Gabby came back to bed.
Casey awoke with a start, Matt blinking furiously as he rubbed his hand over his face, his mind instantly being flooded with memories of him and Gabby earlier in the night. He immediately looked towards the clock, seeing he'd only been asleep for about half an hour, Matt shaking his head as he registered the lack of body heat next to him, telling him that Gabby had never come back to bed.
Matt yawned as he sat up, mentally kicking himself for falling back asleep. He hadn't meant to, in fact he'd done what he could to wait for her to return, but he hadn't been able to fight his exhaustion. Truthfully, Casey wasn't even sure what caused him to wake up so abruptly, but he was glad he did, Matt wanting to go and figure out what was going on.
Slowly standing up, Matt felt his muscles pulling as his limbs slowly woke up, multiple parts of his body cracking as he moved. Rubbing his hand tiredly over his eyes, Casey walked towards the door, heading into the hallway as he went in search of Gabby. He shivered slightly as the air hit his bare chest, Matt waking up more with each step, registering the completely silent apartment.
When he got to the end of the hallway, he immediately found who he was looking for, his face softening when he saw Gabby curled up on the couch. Padding closer to her, he assumed she hadn't meant to fall asleep out here, her body taking up only half the couch, her head resting on the pillow. He saw the nearly empty glass of water sitting on the coffee table in front of her, her arm resting between her knees, involuntarily trying to keep herself warm as she'd fallen asleep without a blanket.
As he stood across from her, he could make out just enough of her in the dim apartment, the light from the kitchen only another sign that she hadn't meant to fall asleep. From his vantage point, he could tell she was sound asleep, her completely relaxed body telling him she was sleeping peacefully. He'd noticed it awhile ago, how there was a big difference between Gabby's demeanor when she was merely napping and when she was in a deep slumber, and this was definitely the second.
He didn't love the idea of her sleeping out here, especially after the tiring last few days she'd had, but that was exactly why he didn't have the heart to wake her. She was actually sleeping, he didn't want to disturb that. He briefly thought about carrying her to bed, he'd done it a few times before when she'd fallen asleep out here, but more often than not when he picked her up, she woke up. And he didn't want to risk that.
So he decided to leave her.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't be staying out here with her.
Blowing out a sigh, Matt stepped around the coffee table, pulling the throw blanket from the back of the couch, slowly unfolding it before placing it over her body. She immediately nuzzled into the material, Matt bringing it up to rest under her chin as he watched her for a moment, seeing her staying deep within her slumber, Matt softly brushing her hair from her eyes.
He couldn't help but stare at her for an extra few seconds, Matt shaking his head in worry as he saw the dark bags under her eyes. Even in her sleep, he could see how exhausted she was, how her body craved rest. Before the incident with Walker, he knew she hadn't been sleeping well. She'd been restless during a few of the nights they spent together recently, but it had never been this. It hadn't been her having an actual nightmare. And he couldn't help but assume that Walker caused this, that Walker had caused all of her restlessness.
And he wanted nothing more than to help her through this, he desperately wanted to make this better; he just didn't know how to when he wasn't sure what all was going on, because clearly it was more than just what happened last shift. As terrible as that was, he knew there was more to it.
"What's going on with you, Gabby." He murmured, concern shining in his tired eyes as he kept his gaze on her, watching her chest rise up and down slowly.
Casey wasn't blind, he'd picked up on little things, and a few big things, over the months he'd been at 51 that gave him an idea of what type of relationship Walker and Gabby had. Walker was controlling, and assertive. He was the classic Type-A, alpha male personality; one with real anger issues, and Matt had his suspicions of what actually went on in that relationship. Even from the first conversation Matt had with the man, he'd taken shots at Gabby. It was as if he lived to assert his dominance over her, and Casey could only imagine what that had been like during their actual relationship.
He didn't want to assume the worst, but Matt was sure there had been at least some verbal abuse thrown Gabby's way. From the things he himself had heard Walker say to and about Dawson, he knew something along those lines had taken place. But what confirmed it to him wasn't even anything Walker had said or done, it was Gabby. She acted like a different person around Bryan, or whenever he'd be mentioned. And some of the things she'd said about herself, little off-handed comments and sentences, he had a strong feeling some of those words weren't her own.
For as strong-willed and determined as she was at work, and even with him, when it came to Walker, that was a completely different story. Bryan was a severe weak spot for Dawson, Matt found that out early on. And he could only imagine what had happened to cause that. Gabby Dawson was not one to shy away from things, Casey knew that for a fact. But she turned into a timid, almost scared person whenever Walker was around, and he hated it.
Because he'd seen it before. He'd seen it in his line of work, he'd seen it with his own mother; it was a classic sign of abuse.
And the thought of Gabby going through that made him sick.
He didn't like thinking of her being in pain at all, for any reason, but the thought of someone who had promised to love her doing that, it made his heart ache for her. And it made him so incredibly angry.
Of course, he didn't know for certain any of this had happened, all he had to go on is what he'd seen before, but his gut was telling him that Gabby had been an outlet for Walker's rage in the past. Casey just didn't know if that had extended past verbal abuse.
Matt had seen more the once the aftermath of Walker putting his hands on Gabby. From when he grabbed her arm so tight he left behind a mark, and when he pushed her into the bar at Molly's, Casey had seen bruises on her skin left behind by him. And something was telling him those weren't the first time that had happened.
Surely, had Walker abused her in the past, 51 would have known about it. Matt couldn't imagine Shay not knowing, or them not seeing suspicious bruises or marks. But he also knew Bryan wasn't stupid; if he had hurt Gabby, Matt couldn't help but think he would've made sure to cover his tracks.
He didn't want to assume anything, he didn't want to make this out to be worse than it actually was, but Matt knew something had to have happened. Walker had to have done something to cause this headstrong woman to become a shell of herself anytime he got close to her.
But when it came down to it, Matt knew next to nothing about Gabby's actual relationship with the man. She didn't tell him much, she didn't tell anyone much; whatever happened, she kept it mostly to herself. Really, the only thing he knew was that they had been together for about three years, and Walker had been cheating on her for longer than they'd been engaged. Other than that, he didn't know a whole lot. Gabby didn't tell him anything, and this could all just be him building something up in his head, or at least he hoped that's what it was. But he knew unless she wanted to confide in him, he'd probably never know for sure.
The only thing he did know was that Walker was an asshole. That Bryan knew how much he affected Gabby, and he used it to his advantage. That's what he did know, and it made him hate the man even more.
Matt wasn't sure if Bryan had always been like this, or if at some point he actually was a good person. Casey couldn't imagine Gabby putting up with his bullshit from the beginning, he couldn't help but think that, at least when they first got together, Walker wasn't a complete dick. That maybe things between them had been good at least for awhile. But he had no way to know. It wasn't even like he could ask Severide, or anyone else, because until recently, everyone in the house loved Walker. Before they saw what type of person he was, or at least the type of things he did to Gabby, aside from Shay, they all seemed to be enamored by the firefighter. So even if Walker had been this way from the beginning, no one in the house would be able to tell him, except Gabby.
But even if they could, he'd never ask them. He wouldn't go around trying to find things out about Gabby's history with Walker, he wouldn't pry into her life like that. He wanted to help her, more than anything he wanted to help her deal with this, but only if she wanted him to. Matt wouldn't insert himself into parts of her life she hadn't let him into; he wouldn't do what Walker had done. He knew he couldn't do anything more than just be here for her, and handle this at her pace.
Casey was pulled from his thoughts when he saw her moving around below him, Matt watching as she shifted around in her sleep, making herself comfortable before resuming her slumber. He waited for a few extra seconds, wanting to see if she had woken up or was just moving around in her unconscious state. If she had woken up, he was going to take her back to bed, Matt knowing they'd both sleep better there, but she never roused again, Gabby clearly back in her deep sleep.
Knowing he was in for the rest of the night out here on the couch, Matt quietly walked towards the kitchen, turning off the light that had been left on before blindly making his way back towards the couch. Being careful not to sit on her, he placed himself down on the cushions, his thigh up against her body as he slowly covered himself with the same blanket, Matt putting his feet up on the coffee table, slouching down into the couch.
He'd slept this way before, during the occasional nap whenever they'd be watching a movie or something, so he knew he could manage this position for the rest of the night. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would do, Matt resting his hand on her thigh underneath the blanket.
She hadn't moved an inch since he sat down, Matt grateful that his movement hadn't caused her to wake up. Despite him not exactly looking forward to being out here the remainder of the night, he knew she needed the rest. If she was sleeping peacefully, he didn't want to mess with that.
With one last glance to her, Matt closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion slowly take over as he held onto her bare thigh, Casey focusing on the sound of her breathing as he slowly faded off, the man not lasting very long before he was in as deep of a sleep as she was.
Gabby grimaced as she was pulled from her sleep for the third time since last night, her body immediately feeling sore and cramped, her look of discomfort deepening when she tried to straighten out her limbs and was met with resistance. Bringing her hand up to her face, she rubbed over her tired eyes before slowly opening them, surprised to find herself in Matt's living room.
With squinted eyes, she eventually regained her senses, Gabby pushing herself up, confused as to why she was out here on the couch. But after a few seconds, she remembered last night; Matt waking her up from her nightmare, her coming out here to get a drink, her sitting down on the couch to give herself a minute, and her apparently falling asleep.
A yawn escaped her lips as she rolled back her shoulders, hearing a few pops and cracks as her spine straightened for the first time in hours. She hadn't meant to fall asleep out here, and she definitely didn't remember putting the blanket over herself, Gabby assuming she grabbed it at some point during the night.
But when she heard the soft snores beside her, and registered the hand resting on her thigh, she realized she most likely hadn't been the one to put the blanket over herself at all. Glancing to her side, she found Matt sound asleep beside her, his mouth slightly parted. Her legs were curled against his side, Gabby now understanding why she hadn't been able to stretch out like she wanted, Matt resting with his legs propped on the coffee table, his arms crossed over his chest. The blanket was only partially covering him, Gabby frowning softly, knowing she was the reason for his uncomfortable position.
She imagined he came out here when she hadn't gone back to bed, and decided to stay here with her instead of going back to bed alone. She felt a flush of warmth spread through her body at him choosing her instead of his welcoming bed, but that was immediately replaced with guilt, Gabby knowing the position he was in couldn't have been the most comfortable.
Slowly, she brought her legs down off the couch, wincing as she stretched out her muscles, her limbs tingling as they woke up, Gabby seeing the blanket fall from Matt as she moved, but he had yet to stir. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only a little after seven, another yawn escaping her lips as she refocused her attention on the man sleeping beside her.
Gabby shifted her position on the couch, getting the blanket out of the way before leaning her body into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. The weight against his body slowly woke him up, Matt lifting his arm from his chest, wrapping it around her body while his eyes stayed closed, Gabby wearing a content smile from his actions. Keeping her body pressed into his, Matt leaned his head down against hers, Gabby resting her hand over his stomach.
"You okay?" He questioned, his voice thick with sleep, Matt having yet to open his eyes. She gave a slow nod against his chest, Casey running his hand up and down her side, Gabby's finger lightly tracing the skin above the waistband of his pajamas.
"I'm alright." She responded, pressing a gentle kiss to his chest, Matt holding onto her tighter. "You didn't have to stay out here with me, I didn't mean to fall asleep…" She whispered, both of them keeping their voices low.
"It's okay, I don't mind." He murmured, sliding his hand up to cradle her head, moving his thumb back and forth gently across her hair. "You were sound asleep, I didn't want to move you." Matt continued, Gabby giving him another nod.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Gabby focusing on the feeling of him stroking her head, the movement nearly lulling her back to sleep. As far as she knew, neither of them had anything planned for today that would require them leaving this apartment, and she was perfectly happy doing nothing more than this.
Feeling Matt shiver slightly underneath her, Gabby lifted her head from his chest, opening her eyes to find him watching her closely, his warm blue eyes filling her with a strong sense of comfort.
"Do you wanna go back to bed?" She questioned softly, Matt running his hand down to her back, shrugging softly as her hand rested against his chest.
"I'm okay right here." He responded with a sleepy smile, Gabby matching his look. "If you are."
"I'm good." She answered, Matt giving her a nod as he tightened his hold on her, Gabby leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. Smiling against her, Matt reciprocated the gesture, his hand rubbing over her back as they moved together slowly.
Pulling back, Matt brought his other hand up to her face, using his thumb to pull her bottom lip from between her teeth, his palm coming to rest over her cheek before she leaned back in, kissing him again.
She wasn't sure how long they sat here getting lost in one another's slow, sleepy kisses, Gabby sliding her hand across his waist, keeping him close to her. With him in this moment, it was like nothing else mattered. She wasn't thinking about anything other than Matt, the man holding onto her invading her every thought as their lips stayed connected. Each moment was gentle, neither one intensifying their movements as they sat on the couch, both completely content with the pace they'd set.
Slowly, only out of necessity, Gabby pulled back, her lips turning into a soft grin, her eyes staying closed for a few extra seconds as she relished in this feeling. This feeling of complete security.
It was a feeling that was foreign to her, it wasn't something she had experienced with anyone before, other than maybe her family. But this was something different. She'd never felt so at peace, or felt so safe with another person before. Not even at his best had Bryan ever been able to give her this sense of comfort. No one had ever been able to make her feel this way, no one until Matt.
"Did you sleep okay?" He questioned after a couple moments, Gabby opening her eyes to find him watching her, his gaze soft.
"Yeah, for the most part… But I could use a little more rest, though." She responded with a small smile, Gabby gently nudging his arm. Understanding her silent request, the pair maneuvered themselves down onto the couch, managing to get comfortable as Matt laid partially on his back, his side pressed into the back of the couch as Gabby laid mostly on top of him. Her leg was hooked up over his waist, his arm wrapped around her body, hand resting low on her hip to keep her in place as she covered them with the blanket.
She immediately felt much more comfortable in this position than in the one she was in when she first woke up, Gabby's head tucked into his neck as they cuddled on the couch, Matt's arms wrapped tightly around her.
"Thank you for being here." She whispered into the quiet air, her hand sliding across his chest.
Matt grinned softly, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head, his hand rubbing over her hip. "I told you, I'm always here… for whatever you need, Gabby."
His gentle words brought a smile to her face, Gabby securing herself deeper into his hold, craving his body heat as they laid together. "I know you are."
No more words were said between them, both knowing they didn't need to say anything else. It had been a long night, filled mostly with interrupted sleep, Gabby wanting nothing more than to get some more rest while in his arms. Which is exactly what she did, her hand moving down his chest until she reached his waist, her fingers sliding underneath his waistband as her hand settled on his hip, Gabby focused on the feeling of his arms wrapped around her while his steady breathing lulled her back to sleep.
Dawson blew out a breath as she slowly walked towards Boden's office, stopping her body in the open doorway and bringing her hand up to knock on the frame, the noise gaining his attention.
"You wanted to see me, Chief?" She questioned, the older man nodding.
When Gabby had arrived at 51 for shift this morning, she'd immediately been instructed that Boden wanted to speak with her before second shift's meeting. Once hearing that, she hurried through her routine of getting her things put away before she came to his office, curious to see what he wanted to speak with her about, although she already had some idea.
"Yes, come in, Dawson." He responded, Dawson stepping inside, quickly noticing a second presence in the room as she saw Casey over by the couch, Matt resting his body weight on the arm of the furniture. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him this morning, in fact she'd been with him until about half an hour ago when they left his place to get to work. She flashed him a soft smile, Matt returning the gesture, his gaze holding more than he could say with Boden in the room.
"What's going on, Chief?" She asked, returning her attention to Boden, seeing him release a deep breath.
"I wanted to let you know before everyone else, that Walker has been suspended." He told her, Gabby's neck clenching as she gave him a slow nod, unable to stop herself from glancing towards Casey, finding him already watching her, giving her a small, supportive smile.
"Okay." She murmured, unsure of what else to say.
"He's been suspended for five shifts, pending further review." Boden continued, Gabby wrapping her arms over her chest. "But, I do want you to know that Walker has appealed the suspension." Dawson blinked tightly, giving him another nod. She wasn't surprised to hear this, and based on the look on Matt's face, he'd been told this before she got here. "I'll let you know if anything comes of it, but I didn't want to blindside you with it if it is a shorter suspension." He told her, Gabby responding with another nod. "But, regardless of when he comes back, he will be on a very short leash, and he will be made aware of that. I'm going to make sure he knows to leave you alone, Casey will tell him as well, and he'll be keeping a close eye on him."
Gabby glanced back towards Matt, seeing him wearing that same small smile, her body immediately relaxing. "No matter if I have to stay on him the entire shift, I'll be making sure he doesn't bother you." Casey reiterated, giving her a strong nod. "Boden and I both want you to feel safe here, so whatever I need to do to make that happen, I'll do it." His voice was firm, their eyes locked on one another while he spoke.
"Thank you, Casey." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper, Gabby having to tear her eyes away from him, the paramedic looking back towards Boden. "But I really don't want you guys to have to be worrying about Walker every shift, it's not your problem to deal with-"
"Walker is my firefighter." Casey cut her off, Gabby looking back to him. "He's my firefighter, he's my responsibility, and the way he's acting is not okay. I can't stop him from acting like a child, but what I can do is make sure you're not put in that position again. And make sure he knows the consequences if he steps out of line." He said strongly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "You shouldn't have to worry about being harassed while at work, Dawson. Me keeping an eye on him isn't a problem, Walker is the only one causing any problems here." Matt continued, knowing this was his first chance to really talk with her about this. Even though they had spent the entirety of their days off together, they never talked more about what happened once he'd woken her up from her nightmare the night before last. The subject hadn't come up again yesterday while they spent most of the day on the couch, so he was taking the opportunity to tell her some of the things he'd been wanting to say since it happened. "This whole thing, it's entirely on Walker."
"Casey's right, Dawson." Boden added, Gabby's gaze lingering on Casey for a few extra moments before she looked towards the Chief. "Walker caused this, not you. Both Casey and I, and I mentioned it to Severide as well, we'll be keeping an eye on him. That's already been decided, we just wanted you to be in the loop with what was going on."
"Okay." She responded softly, giving them a slight nod. Gabby wasn't sure how to feel about this. She didn't necessarily like Casey, Boden, and Severide making a point out of making sure Walker stayed away from her. But she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her feel a little safer. Dawson wished it hadn't come to this, she wished Bryan would just leave her alone, but she knew that wasn't likely. Even though he'd gotten suspended, she wasn't sure if that was enough to stop him. If his stunt last shift was any indication, he didn't care about the consequences when it came to his actions, and that was a nerve wracking thought. But knowing there'd be other people keeping an eye on him did put her at ease. "Thank you, for doing all this."
"No thanks necessary." Boden responded, Matt nodding in agreement. "Now, I do want you to know that I'm not sharing the reason for Walker's suspension with everyone. I know we need to get out to roll call, but all I'm going to tell them is he's been suspended." Chief said, Gabby giving him another nod as her eyes flickered to Matt. "And I've already spoken with Severide and Shay, they've been told to not say anything as well."
"Alright." She replied, although Gabby already knew neither of them would say anything. That hadn't been on her radar at all, but she was glad for the confirmation that everyone was on the same page.
"Okay, well that's all we wanted to discuss with you." Boden spoke, pushing himself up from his seat. "We should get out there, I'm sure they're all waiting." Gabby and Matt both nodded, Casey moving from his spot at the side of the room as Chief came around from behind his desk. "But, I do just want to tell you again, I am so sorry that this ever happened. I truly am, Dawson."
"Thank you, Chief." She responded softly, Boden placing a comforting hand on her arm before he walked towards the door.
Dawson and Casey followed behind him, Matt slowing his pace when they got out of the office, Gabby mimicking his action, realizing he wanted to talk to her without Boden's presence. When Chief was far enough away, Matt looked to her, seeing her gaze already on him.
His eyes traced over her face, trying to get a read on her before he spoke up, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip as she met his eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his gaze moving forward, seeing Boden long gone, before he looked back to Gabby. Knowing she couldn't do all she wanted in this moment, she simply nodded, placing her hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm okay." She replied quietly. "I just want to move past it."
Nodding slowly, Matt refrained from pushing any farther, knowing they needed to get to the conference room. They both began walking again, picking up their pace to try and catch up to Boden, but he had already made it to the room, Casey walking in first with Gabby trailing behind him.
Everyone's eyes were on them, or were at least on Gabby, the second they came into the room, but no one said a word as they walked to their spots, Boden giving Casey an understanding nod as Matt found his spot against the back wall, Gabby following to stand beside him. She could feel everyone staring at her, but luckily they couldn't be discreet about it with her being in the back of the room, so they were all forced to face forward.
"I'm sorry about the delay, there were some housekeeping matters to take care of."
"Is something going on, Chief?" Herrmann asked soon after Boden stopped talking, voicing the question everyone had been thinking, the older man breathing deeply.
"There is something I want to discuss with you all, yes. As you know, Walker got sent home last shift. But he also won't be joining us for the next few shifts, as well." Boden spoke, seeing confused glances come from around the room. "Walker has been suspended for the next five shifts here at 51."
Gabby felt a few pairs of eyes on her as some people turned back to glance at her, unable to hide their shock and confusion. It was obvious that even though no one knew exactly what had happened, they knew it involved her.
"Why, Chief?" Cruz asked after a few silent moments, Boden shaking his head.
"It's nothing you need to worry about." He was quick to respond, earning more looks of confusion and curiosity. "The people who need to know do, the people this affects have the information. But it is not necessary for you all to know the details. All you need to know is that Walker will not be joining us. We do have a sub, but she didn't get the notice until this morning so she'll be a little late."
Knowing there would be no more answers to get out of Boden, a few firefighters merely nodded, a thick silence looming in the air. No one really knew what to say, and everyone had plenty of questions, but Boden quickly kept going.
"I know none of you were expecting this when you came in today, but it doesn't affect your work here today, so I know this will not be an issue. The floater covering for Walker, her name is Allison Jenkins, she was the top of her class a few years back at the academy, Casey's worked with her before as well, he says she's good."
"She is." Matt responded, Gabby glancing up to him, seeing his eyes focused on the room. "I worked with her for a few weeks, she was good. I think she'll fit in well here." He continued, earning more nods from his firefighters.
Before another word could be said, the bells rang throughout the house, calling truck out to a car accident, all conversation halting as the men of truck 81 got up.
Pushing himself from the wall, Matt flashed Gabby a soft, reassuring smile, silently reminding her that everything would be okay, before walking past her and heading out towards the garage.
Gabby sat at the table in the common room, Shay and Severide by her side as they drank their coffee, Kelly being the only firefighter in here with them, as truck was still out on their first call of the day and squad was outside in the garage.
"So…" Shay spoke, Gabby looking up from the newspaper she'd swiped from Casey's office this morning after their meeting. "I know you don't really want to talk about all this Walker stuff, and I get it, but I just need to know you're doing okay." The blonde spoke softly, having avoided the subject in all the time they'd been sitting here. Shay had been keeping an eye on her partner, and she seemed to be doing fine, but she needed the verbal confirmation before completely dropping it.
Glancing towards Severide, Gabby shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine, Shay. Really. It's over, Walker's been suspended, although who knows how long he'll be gone-"
"What do you mean?" Shay interjected.
"He's appealing it." Gabby replied, Shay's eyes narrowing.
"...That son of a bitch."
"Shay-"
"What a fucking asshole, God I'm gonna kill him."
"Shay, it doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. He got lucky only getting five shifts, and he's trying to shorten that? Bastard." She muttered, Severide shaking his head.
"It probably won't work." Kelly tried, Shay's narrowed gaze focusing in on him.
"Did you know Walker was trying to appeal it?" She questioned, Severide looking away from her.
"Boden mentioned it to me when I was in there with Casey." He replied, Shay rolling her eyes before looking back to Gabby.
"Anyway, Walker being an idiot aside, you're positive you're doing alright? You've got me worried, babe."
"I'm fine, Shay. I swear." Dawson spoke, the blonde eyeing her carefully. "I promise. I'm handling it, I'm okay."
"Okay, fine." She gave in, breaking out into a grin. "Although I bet going apartment shopping with your boyfriend helped you feel a little better." Shay teased, Gabby's eyes narrowing as Kelly's widened.
"What?"
"How did you find out about that?" Gabby asked, Shay ignoring Severide's question as she focused on Dawson.
"I've been checking in with Casey, making sure you were good." Shay responded with a grin, Gabby rolling her eyes.
"You could've just texted me."
"Yeah, but honey you usually never give the full story. I figured Casey would be the better bet."
"What are you guys talking about?" Severide questioned again, Shay chuckling as she patted Kelly's arm.
"Casey took Gabby apartment shopping after last shift." Shay responded, Gabby rolling her eyes as she stood up, grabbing her coffee cup.
"Aw, how domestic." Severide teased, Dawson flipping them off before heading for the coffee pot. Kelly kept his eyes on her for a minute, Gabby moving into the kitchen once she got some coffee, going in search of something to eat. "She seems to be doing okay." Severide commented softly, his voice only audible to Shay.
"She does… I think her spending the last two days with Casey helped." Shay murmured, taking one last look at Dawson before returning her gaze to Kelly.
"Well, not the entire two days." He corrected, Shay cocking her head to the side. "Casey was out with me for awhile."
"Yeah, and you were useless." She shot back, Severide glaring at his best friend.
"Hey, I tried. You should try getting information out of him, it's like pulling teeth." He fired back, making sure to keep his voice low. "He just kept saying they were friends, I don't know what you want me to do."
Blowing out a sigh, Shay glanced back to Gabby quickly before looking back at the firefighter. "I don't want you to do anything… I know I should just leave it alone, anyway."
"You should, but you won't." He countered, Shay narrowing her eyes.
"I don't want her to get hurt again." She responded, Kelly blowing out a sigh.
"You can't protect her from everything, Shay."
"What are you two whispering about?" Gabby spoke, Shay jumping in her seat as Dawson unexpectedly came up behind her.
"Jesus Gabs, we need to put a bell on you or something." Shay responded, holding her hand over her chest, Gabby smirking with a proud grin as she sat back down.
"Yeah, I'm not wearing a bell, Shay."
"If you keep doing that, I won't give you a choice." She grumbled, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as they heard the door open, the three turning to see an unfamiliar face walk in, the woman clearly Walker's replacement based on her uniform and the shift bag in her hand.
"Hi, I got directed in here, they said to ask for Severide?" She questioned, Kelly nodding as he stood up.
"Hey, yeah, I'm Lieutenant Severide, I work on squad. I'm assuming you're Jenkins?" He asked, the woman nodding as she shook his hand.
"Allison Jenkins, sir."
"And Casey said you've worked together before?"
"We have, yes. Not for very long, but he was a hell of a Lieutenant, I'm glad to work with him again. I saw 81 was out, are they on a call?" She asked, smiling brightly, the young girl obviously excited to be here.
"Yeah, but they should be back anytime now." Severide responded, feeling a swift smack on his back, Kelly rolling his eyes as he glanced to Shay. "Calm down, Shay." He bit out, the blonde smacking him again Severide turned back to Walker's fill in. "Jenkins, these are our paramedics, Leslie Shay and Gabriela Dawson, who's our PIC."
"It's nice to meet you." She greeted, her smile widening.
"It's nice to meet you, too. Welcome to 51." Dawson responded, shaking her hand, Shay following suit.
"Oh, there they are." Kelly interrupted, truck's firefighters beginning to filter in to the firehouse, the men quickly seeing the new face in the room. "Guys, I'll let you do your own introductions, but this is Allison Jenkins."
The female firefighter got swept into the chatter of the older men, Gabby keeping her eyes peeled on the door, waiting for one firefighter in particular who had yet to appear.
"She's… perky." Shay commented lowly, Gabby glancing towards her partner before looking at Jenkins, seeing her laughing with the guys as they stood in the middle of the room.
"Shay, stop it. She seems nice."
"Yes, she seems very nice. I bet she's looking forward to being all nice with the Lieutenant." Shay spoke in a teasing tone, Gabby rolling her eyes. "Speaking of, there's your boy- Oh, look, both your boys."
"What?" Gabby asked, turning to see Casey walking in with Antonio in tow, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing.
"Ah, there's Casey." Herrmann spoke up. "And Antonio, hey there detective, long time no see!" The older firefighter greeted, bringing Antonio in for a quick hug.
"Hello Jenkins." Casey spoke, shaking the woman's hand. "It's nice to have you here, I think the guys will be impressed." Shay raised her eyebrows as Matt spoke, sending Gabby a look which Dawson ignored, the PIC standing up from her seat.
"I'm happy to be here." She replied with that same bright grin, Matt nodding before glancing towards Gabby, seeing her walking towards them, coming to a stop by his side.
"Tonio." Gabby spoke softly, clearly confused by his presence.
"Hey sis." He greeted, Gabby seeing Jenkins watching the three of them intently.
"What brought you by, Antonio?" Herrmann spoke up again, all eyes in the room focused on the small group.
"Well, uh, I needed to come by and speak to Gabby. I haven't seen her much lately, figured work would be my best bet." He commented jokingly, Herrmann tilting his head to the side.
"Aren't you two still living together?"
Antonio's eyes widened slightly, Gabby mimicking his reaction as she felt Matt tense by her side, the three of them not realizing the implications of what Antonio said until Herrmann questioned it.
"Oh, uh yeah…" He replied, clearing his throat. "I've just been working a lot, we keep missing each other most of the time." He covered, Herrmann nodding in response before his attention got pulled elsewhere as Mouch tried to stake his claim at the TV, everyone else refocusing on Antonio.
"How's work been treating you?" Cruz asked, Antonio smiling softly.
"It's been going well, can't complain." He responded, glancing around until he found Gabby's gaze once more, Antonio lowering his voice slightly. "Gabs, can we go and talk? In private." He questioned pointedly, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion before she nodded.
"Yeah, sure, uh-" She began looking around, racking her brain thinking of where they could go where they wouldn't get interrupted, but Casey spoke up before she could come up with a suggestion.
"You two can use my office." Matt offered without hesitation, Antonio nodding.
"Thanks Casey." The detective replied, clasping the man's shoulder before walking to the hallway, Gabby releasing a soft breath as her eyes met Matt's, seeing the concern shining in his gaze.
"Thanks Matt." She murmured, her voice only audible to Matt, and maybe Jenkins, Casey giving her a slow nod, wearing that soft smile that always comforted her.
"Yeah, of course." He replied, Gabby giving him a small smile in return before slipping past him, following Antonio down the hallway.
The siblings were quiet as they moved through the firehouse, Gabby unsure of what he wanted to talk to her about, Antonio giving nothing away as they got to Matt's office. Antonio held open the door for her, Gabby walking in and going straight for the bed, sitting down on his bunk as Antonio walked in, closing the door behind him. Her brother moved towards the desk, leaning against it as Gabby eyed him curiously.
"Yeah, considering I have a pretty good idea of what you and Casey have done on that bed, I'm not sitting there." He responded to her silent question, Gabby rolling her eyes at her brother's words, biting back a comment about how if that was his issue, the desk he was leaning against wasn't a safe place to sit either.
"What do you want to talk about, Antonio?" She prompted, not wanting their conversation to dwell on his last words.
"Why didn't you tell me what Walker did?" He breathed out, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she looked down to her lap. The second he showed up here, part of her knew this thing with Bryan was what brought him to the firehouse, but she'd been hoping she was wrong.
"How did you find out?"
"You really think that matters? Why didn't you tell me what that piece of shit did?" He questioned angrily, Gabby knowing his rage wasn't at all directed towards her.
"Because it doesn't matter, he was just being an ass, he didn't even really do anything." She countered, Antonio narrowing his eyes. "And Boden and Casey handled it, headquarters handled it, there's nothing you could've done."
"Yeah, because him not doing 'anything' would warrant a suspension." He scoffed, shaking his head. "You should've told me, Gabs."
"I'm alright, Tonio." She replied softly, Antonio's face softening momentarily.
"And I'm grateful for that, but I told that asshole to leave you alone, and he hasn't. He's only kept messing with you." He spoke sharply, Gabby seeing anger rolling off his body in waves. "If you told me, I could've-"
"What?" She cut him off, Antonio catching her gaze. "What exactly would you have done to him?"
"Killed him, for starters." He responded without hesitation, Gabby rubbing over the side of her face.
"Antonio…"
"What? That's him getting off easy. What he did was so fucking far out of line." He spoke roughly, shaking his head in disgust. "He can't just get away with it."
"He didn't. He got suspended, he didn't get away with anything-"
"Five shifts is bullshit, he should've gotten fired." He snapped, Gabby taking a deep breath. "How he got away with sexually harassing you while you were in the shower is beyond me, but he deserves a hell of a lot more than two weeks off of work."
"I don't have any control over that."
"You could get a restraining order."
Gabby's eyes widened at his suggestion, her brother's face remaining unreadable. "You can't be serious." She replied, Antonio giving her next to nothing. "So that's why you came here? To try and get me to file a restraining order against him?" She questioned exasperatedly, earning a shrug from Antonio.
"It's not a bad idea, and it would get him out of the house."
"Or it would get me transferred." She fired back, Antonio shaking his head.
"Boden would go to the mat for you, you know that-"
"Yeah, but some things are out of his control." Gabby bit back. "If I did that, I could easily be the one getting transferred instead of him, it's not worth it."
"Gabs-"
"I'm done with this conversation, Antonio." She replied, pushing herself up from Matt's bunk. "I'm not gonna get a restraining order, I'm not gonna do anything to make this worse, I just want to forget it!" She nearly shouted, stomping her way towards Casey's door.
"Why are you always protecting him?" Antonio questioning sharply, Gabby stopping in her tracks as she turned to face him, her eyes narrowing at her brother.
"I'm not protecting him, Antonio." She answered roughly, her body trembling in fury. "If I were protecting him, I would've left my side of things out of the report. If I were protecting him, I would've never agreed to Boden filing a damn report to begin with." She spoke, Antonio's face softening as he watched his baby sister. "Me not wanting to dwell on this doesn't mean I'm protecting him, because I'm not. I'm just so fucking tired of his bullshit, I don't want to prolong this… I don't want to make him more angry, it's not worth it, Tony."
Antonio's eyes fell closed momentarily as he listened to his sister, the man drawing in a deep breath before looking back up at her, taking in her exhausted stare. He knew he pushed her too hard, that he'd come in here angry at Walker, and this hadn't really done anything to help her. It wasn't his intention, but he was so beyond furious with the man that almost married his sister, he could barely see straight.
"I'm sorry, Gabs." He breathed out, pushing himself off the desk. "I'm sorry, I didn't come in here trying to fight, I just- I really don't like the idea of you being around this prick."
"I know. Honestly, I don't either, but it is what it is. And I'm really not expecting him to be a problem for me anymore, not if Casey and Boden have anything to say about it." Gabby responded, Antonio's head tilting to the side.
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever Walker gets back, he essentially is going to be treated like a child. Boden's gonna be watching him, Casey's gonna be watching him, even Severide. He knows if he does anything else, he's gone. I don't really think he'll push it again." Gabby responded, hoping her words sounded believable.
She still wasn't sure how she thought Bryan would respond to everything that had happened, but she wasn't about to tell that to her brother.
"Ahh." He responded, unable to stop the small grin that formed over his face. "I'm assuming that was Casey's idea." He spoke, Gabby shrugging.
"I don't know who's idea it was, but he's gonna be watched from the beginning till the end of shift, so I'm not really anticipating him to be a problem anymore."
"Good." Antonio responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I guess that answers my next question."
"What's that?"
"I was wondering how Casey felt about all this, but after talking with him today, and hearing all this, I have a pretty good idea." Antonio elaborated, Gabby nodding slowly, unsure of what to say.
"Yeah, well, he wasn't happy. He still isn't… We haven't talked about it much, only when I've brought it up, but I can tell all this has upset him."
"Good man." Antonio muttered, Gabby biting back a grin as she nodded, the two being interrupted by a knock on the door, both Dawson's turning to see Matt on the other side of the glass. "Speaking of." Antonio spoke, nodding the man in, Casey opening the door.
"Hey… just wanted to make sure you guys were okay."
"We're good, Casey. I was actually just about to head out." Antonio replied, clasping his hand on Matt's shoulder. "But I want to thank you, by the way, for being there for Gabby. And watching out for her." He spoke, Matt giving him a strong nod.
"I'm right here, Antonio." Gabby reminded him, the older Dawson rolling his eyes before bringing her in for a hug.
"Trust me, I know." He replied, Gabby smacking his back before they pulled away. "...But you swear you're okay?"
"I'm okay." She promised, feeling like it was the thousandth time she'd said those words today. She knew it came from a good place, that everyone was just worried, but it was still tiring.
"Good." He responded, pressing a kiss to her cheek before stepping away from the two, walking through the door. "I'll see you at home sis… or I won't." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby rolling her eyes as she walked towards the door, closing it to separate herself from her brother. She saw Antonio laughing through the window, the detective waving before walking towards the exit.
Blowing out a sigh, Gabby turned back towards Casey, seeing his soft gaze on her, the man wearing a small, comforting smile.
Taking a step closer, Gabby wrapped her arms around his waist, holding her head to his chest as she held onto him. She knew his blinds were open, that anyone could walk in the bunk room and see them, but she didn't care. Without a word, Matt reciprocated the action, his arms wrapping around her body, keeping her in place.
He didn't need to say anything, they both knew it. She didn't need him to say anything, all she needed was this.
And he'd stay right here as long as he could.
So, there's some things to unpack here. Matt's suspicions about what Gabby went through with Walker are only growing, although he, along with the rest of us, don't know what all went down there. Walker's been suspended, at least for now, and we've got a new firefighter at 51 until Bryan gets back. That's all a perfect recipe for some fun, right?
I know a lot of you are eager for Gabby and Matt to sit down and talk things through, for, Gabby at least, to tell him how she feels. Which I totally get, if I were you all I'd want that too, I understand. I won't say much with what'll happen there, but remember, Gabby's still in a place where she doesn't even think he likes her, and she's afraid to get hurt. And Matt, well who knows what's going on in his head.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you guys liked it!