Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. Thank you for the support on the last one, I'm so glad to be back and working on this story for you all.
I'll go ahead and let you all know now, this chapter isn't super Dawsey-heavy. There's other aspects and dynamics of this story that I felt needed to be shown, but don't worry, they're still in this one, and there'll be a lot of them in the next one.
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe, everyone.
FIFTY
Matt stared up at the ceiling of his pitch black bedroom, his chest rising and falling steadily despite the extra weight resting on top of him as his girlfriend was nestled into his side. Her cheek was pressed against his bare chest, her hand resting lightly on his stomach as she slept, Gabby thankfully completely unaware of her boyfriend's current state of consciousness. He'd been awake for a while, but he'd opted to stay in his current position so he wouldn't wake the woman wrapped around him, Matt slowly moving his hand up and down along her bare lower back, his palm resting in the space where her tank top had ridden up during the night. His other hand was placed over hers on top of his torso, their legs tangled together underneath the sheets as they laid in the same position they'd fallen asleep in hours prior.
As he continued to move his palm in soothing circles over her skin, Matt did what he could to try and fall back asleep, his healing body screaming at him to get some rest. Which, admittedly, was something they'd both been struggling with since he returned home from the hospital.
Releasing a soft sigh, Matt spared another quick glance to the clock beside his bed, despite having checked in just moments prior, the red numbers quickly blinking back at him.
4:45AM.
If this were a normal day, his alarm would be going off here in a little while, and the couple would begin the process of getting ready for shift. They'd wake up, maybe spend some quality time in bed together, or share a shower with one another, before getting cleaned up and ready for work. One of them would make breakfast, and they'd spend their morning just being together before heading out to the station and going on about their day. But those things wouldn't be happening today, because this wasn't a normal day. They hadn't had any normal days, not since their last shift.
It had been three days since the accident that had landed him in the hospital, since Walker had choked Gabby in the locker room, and their lives had definitely not been business as usual since then. They'd been anything but. Since Camila and Ramon brought them both home from the hospital, Gabby and Matt hadn't left his apartment, nor had they barely even left his bedroom. And Gabby hadn't left his side once.
Aside from some lingering soreness and bruising, and a few scrapes here and there, he was fine, and fortunately for him, something that could've been life-threatening had left very little damage. But despite that, from the way Gabby had been acting, you wouldn't think he was fine at all. Not only had she not left him alone for more than a minute or two, it almost felt like she was afraid to. Like she was worried if she left him, something would happen to him. So they'd spent nearly every moment of these last few days together, locked away from the outside world safely in his apartment. Aside from Camila stopping by once with some food, and Matt having spoken to Antonio on the phone a few times, they'd had no communication with anyone, and the injured firefighter couldn't help but think that was for the best right now. And, thankfully, since Boden had told her she could have whatever time off from work she needed, Gabby was able to have time and space away from everything, and everyone, while she dealt with this.
Although, from what he could tell, and what he'd seen, he wasn't sure how much she was actually dealing with any of it.
In the couple of days that had passed since they got home, they hadn't really talked about it. They hadn't talked about Bryan, what happened in the locker room, or what had been happening… Gabby hadn't brought it up, and he was afraid to push her. From what little he did know, he knew how painful all of this was, and the last thing he wanted to do was make things harder for her. So he was fine to do this on her terms, and let her come to him when she was ready.
Casey was pulled from his thoughts when he felt movement against his chest, Matt glancing down towards his girlfriend, despite not really being able to see her in the dark, as he felt her head moving around slightly. Her hair tickled his skin while she shifted around, Matt continuing to move his thumb against her back as he waited to see if she was waking up, or simply readjusting in her sleep. But he soon got his answer when he heard a soft whimper escape her lips, Matt feeling her leg beginning to shake slightly against his underneath the covers as the muscles in her back tightened. It soon became clear to him what was going on, a frown pulling on his lips as he gave her side a slight squeeze, Matt doing what he could to pull her from whatever bad dream she was currently experiencing.
"Gabby…" He murmured against the top of her head as another sharp whimper escaped her lips, Matt shaking his head before he reached over and extended his arm to turn on the lamp, soft light flooding the room as he was able to get a better look at his distressed girlfriend. "Baby, wake up." He tried again, squeezing her side tighter and rubbing over her arm.
Before he could say anything else, she suddenly shot up in bed, Matt biting back a groan when she inadvertently pressed against his ribs in the process of sitting up. But he wasn't focused on the pain he was feeling right now as he saw Gabby sucking in deep breaths, her body hunched forward while she had her hand resting over her chest.
"Gabby." He spoke softly, his frown deepening when he rubbed his hand over her back and she jumped slightly at his touch, Matt applying a little more pressure on her exposed skin to help ground her as he carefully sat up, his body sore from the movement. "It's just me." He murmured, Gabby nodding slowly as she brought her hands up to her head, the startled woman pushing her hair back from her face as she continued to focus on steadying her breathing.
Keeping one firm hand on her back, he placed the other on her leg on top of the covers, Matt giving her a few seconds to gather her bearings as she fully woke up. He took slow breaths as well, knowing she could feel the rise and fall of his chest pressed against her arm, Gabby eventually dropping her hands back down to her lap and lifting her head up to meet his concerned gaze.
"Was it the same one?" He asked softly after giving her a once over, Gabby nodding slowly before relaxing back into him, Matt sliding his hand around her waist as she continued to take slow breaths.
The same thing had happened last night, Gabby being startled awake by a bad dream that was pretty much a repeat of what had happened that day in the locker room. Except for this time, she hadn't been able to fight him off. Thankfully, her waking up tonight hadn't been nearly as jarring as last time, it having taken Matt a lot longer to calm her down once she woke up. But he still hated that this was happening at all.
"You're alright." He murmured before pressing a kiss against the top of her head, Gabby nodding slowly before she began tossing the covers off of herself, exposing her bare legs to the cool temperature in the room. "Let me go get you some water." He offered as he returned his hand to her leg, his warm skin against hers hopefully bringing her some more comfort as she shook her head.
"No, you don't have to.. I'm fine." She responded softly, her voice barely audible as Matt drew in a slow, deep breath.
"You sure?" He questioned, Gabby giving him a quick nod.
"Yeah, I'm alright." She told him, flashing him a weak smile. "And plus you don't need to be up and moving around too much. You should be resting, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't." He replied, Gabby catching his gaze before nodding slightly.
"Okay.. Well you should still try and get back to sleep. I'm just, uh- I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She spoke quietly, Matt giving her a slight nod as she slowly began pulling away from him, his hand sliding down off her back as she pushed herself up out of bed.
"You sure you don't need anything? I don't mind." He offered again as she got to the doorway leading into his bathroom, Gabby reaching out to turn on the light in the small room before glancing back towards him, Matt seeing the clear exhaustion written across her face.
"I'm fine.. Promise." She assured him, Gabby watching him nod before she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, leaving it partially open before walking towards the counter.
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned the faucet on, leaning down to splash some water onto her face while she continued to calm herself down, the freezing cold water like a shock to the system as her mind began to clear. Letting the water continue to run, Gabby lifted her head up, focusing on her reflection in the mirror, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she fought off the memories of what had happened that seemed to keep creeping back in.
As she continued staring at herself in the mirror, Gabby felt anger begin to settle in the pit of her stomach as her eyes moved down towards the discoloration covering her neck, the bruises having gradually faded as the days went on, but not enough to where they weren't noticeable. And because of that alone, she could barely stand to look at herself, the sight of her bruised skin making her skin crawl as she forcefully turned the faucet off before turning away from the mirror, her breathing becoming more and more labored as she did what she could to ground herself. Gabby grabbed the wash cloth from the rack and began patting her face dry, wiping away the water that had mixed with a few tears that escaped down her skin, her anger continuing to build as more and more frustrated tears filled her eyes.
She hated what happened; what Walker had done to Matt, and to her… what she'd let him do for years. She hated that he'd put his hands on her, that he'd continuously hurt her, and that she'd continued to let him get away with it. She hated that she could still feel his hand gripping her throat, and how when she closed her eyes, all she could see was him charging at her in the locker room. She hated all of it, she hated every damn thing that had led to this happening.
But most of all, she hated that she couldn't help the small voice in the back of her head that kept telling her that she was to blame for this ever happening in the first place.
Severide shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked through the hallways of 51, the Lieutenant releasing a heavy breath as he continued the familiar path towards the common room, Kelly flashing weak smiles to the few people he passed on the way. As he stepped into the room, he couldn't help but notice the immediate uneasy feeling in the air- the same feeling that had been present since last shift, as no one really knew how to react to what had happened. What Walker did to Casey was bad enough, but finding out what had been done to Dawson… it was a shock to everyone, and to some of them it still didn't feel real. And they didn't know what to do.
"Hey."
Severide looked up at the voice, watching as Shay came up to stand beside him at the counter, Kelly seeing the concern rolling off of her as she tapped her foot quickly against the ground.
"Hey Shay." He replied, placing the pot of coffee back down before turning towards her, the blonde gnawing on her bottom lip. She still looked just as nervous as she did when he saw her this morning at home, Kelly reaching out to place a comforting hand on her arm. "Who's covering for Dawson?"
"Marc Hendrix." She responded softly, Kelly giving her a nod in response.
"Is he a good paramedic?" He questioned, his eyes moving around to make sure the man wasn't within earshot. Though Severide didn't know the relief paramedic personally, the name was familiar, and he wanted to know what kind of guy they'd have in the house for however long Dawson was out.
While they weren't positive Gabby would be taking some time off, no one was expecting her to be here today when they arrived, and when Shay and Kelly got in this morning and the paramedic was quickly whisked away into Boden's office, it wasn't surprising to learn that 61 would be having a relief paramedic for the time being. In fact, it would've been more shocking if they didn't.
"He is… Dawson and I have worked with him on a few calls before, he seems to know his stuff." She told him, shrugging softly. "He's no Gabby, but he'll be fine, until she's back."
"Yeah, until she's back." He repeated, squeezing her arm before he moved towards the small circular table behind him, Shay following his path.
"You still haven't heard from Casey at all?" The blonde asked, standing beside Kelly as he took a seat, the man glancing up at his best friend. "Sorry, I know I asked you already this morning, I just-" She cut herself off, waving her hand around in the air to express something she didn't know how to verbalize.
"It's fine, but no, I haven't." He told her, even though they both already knew the answer. "I'm guessing you still haven't heard from Dawson, either."
"No… I texted her again this morning, but she still hasn't responded to anything." She breathed out, Shay pulling out the chair beside him before practically falling down into it, Kelly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before responding.
"She's dealing with a lot right now." He spoke, the paramedic nodding quickly. "She'll talk when she's ready."
"I know she will, and I know she's got Matt to help her... I just- Part of me wants to go to Casey's place right now, just so I can see her and so I know she's okay." She told him, Kelly sucking in a sharp breath between his teeth as he shook his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea…"
"I know it's not a good idea, that's why I haven't done it." She replied quickly, Kelly nodding before he reached out to rub his hand along Shay's back, the firefighter sensing his friend's growing anxiety towards the situation. "I know the best thing I can do for her right now is to give her time, and to let her deal with all this however she needs to, but I just want her to know that I'm here."
"She does know that, Shay." He assured her, seeing her bite down on the edge of her lip. "She knows, and so does Casey. I know you want to help her, but I think the best thing you can do for her right now is to give her space… Let her deal with this however she needs to."
"Yeah, you're right…" She reluctantly admitted, shaking her head as she rested her hands down on the table. "But, if you can… can you at least try and talk to Matt today. Just so I know she's alright?"
"I will." He promised, Shay nodding thankfully just as movement behind her caught Severide's attention, the Lieutenant seeing Boden walk in with two new, yet familiar, faces following in after him.
"Hello everyone." He greeted, the Chief immediately gaining the room's attention as everyone turned towards him, seeing an unreadable expression covering his face. "As I'm sure you all figured out, we have some personnel changes happening here after everything that transpired last shift." He spoke, clearing his throat before continuing, ignoring the glances between his firefighters. "The department is still figuring things out on their end, but what I can tell you is that we will have some permanent changes coming here. But, those are decisions that will be made in time. For now, I want you to welcome back Allison Jenkins, who'll be filling in on truck." Boden spoke, clasping the firefighter on the shoulder.
"Welcome back, kid." Herrmann said from the couch, Allison flashing a grateful smile before nodding, everyone in the room giving her similar grins. While their last encounter with her had been a bit awkward, most of them remembering how she drunkenly kissed Casey after finding out she'd be moving on from 51, none of them had any issues with the firefighter. And, after all the changes they'd had around here, having someone back in the house who everyone knew was a bit of a relief.
"And Herrmann will be our acting Lieutenant, as well." Boden referenced the man who'd just spoken, his words earning a few more nods. "Now, I know that still leaves us one short on 81, which I'm working on rectifying. But for this shift, you'll be a man down."
"Understood, Chief." Herrmann replied without hesitation. "We'll be good to go, don't worry."
"Thank you… Also, we've got Marc Hendrix filling in for Dawson for the next few shifts. I know this is a lot of changes all at once, but under the circumstances, I assume you all understand."
"Absolutely, Chief." Cruz responded, his words and similar ones like it being echoed around the room.
"Good. Now, Jenkins, I know you know your way around, and Shay I trust you can help Hendrix here get the lay of land here."
"Of course."
"Good, well I-"
Boden's words were cut short as the bells rang out, signaling all companies out to an apartment fire. Smacking his lips together, Boden nodded as his firefighters and paramedics headed out towards the garage, all of them knowing this conversation could be finished later.
The squad Lieutenant blew out a tired sigh as he stared down at his phone, seeing the few simple words meant to answer his many texts from the last couple of days, Kelly running his hand over his mouth as he tried to decide if he should send a response or not.
'We're hanging in there. Gabby's alright.'
Matt hadn't given him much to go on, in fact he'd barely given him anything at all, but it was the assurance they were looking for that the couple was okay, even if Kelly had wished he'd gotten more out of his friend.
The sound of the door opening pulled his attention away from the screen, Severide looking up just as Shay and Hendrix walked inside from their latest call, Kelly flashing his best friend a soft smile when he caught her gaze.
"Hey, how was it?" He asked, Shay shrugging as she walked straight towards him.
"Nothing too bad."
"Good." He replied, the blonde nodding as she sat down in the same chair she'd occupied this morning. "So, I heard from Casey."
Those words caused Shay's ears to perk up, Kelly noticing that not only did she seem very interested in what he had to say, but the rest of the room did, as well, Severide seeing multiple pairs of eyes suddenly on him.
"What'd he say?" She asked quickly, Kelly handing her his phone, the paramedic reading it eagerly. "...That's it?" She questioned after a second, Shay tossing the phone down in frustration as she shook her head.
"Shay, what were you expecting? They've got a lot going on."
"Are they okay?"
Severide and Shay both looked towards the sound of Herrmann's voice, finding the older man's worried gaze focused on them, his eyes flickering between them and the phone now sitting on the table.
"Dawson and Casey… are they holding up alright?"
"They are." Kelly responded, Herrmann releasing a heavy, relieved breath as Severide's words hit his ears.
"Good." He said, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck as everyone was now focused on the conversation the two firefighters were having. "I've been worried about them… about Dawson, since everything that happened."
"Yeah, me too Herrmann." Severide agreed, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he leaned back in his seat. "But they're handling it, as best they can."
"Good, that's good." He repeated, his eyebrows furrowing as he was clearly deep in thought. "After hearing about what happened, and seeing Dawson at the hospital, I just- I haven't been able to stop thinking about it… all of it." He continued carefully, Herrmann knowing he was approaching dangerous waters. "Had he really been hurting her this entire time? And we just didn't see it?"
The entire room fell silent, everyone looking around at one another as Herrmann's words hung in the air. This was the first time any of them had directly mentioned Walker hurting Dawson since they'd left the hospital last shift, and though they'd all had a few days to stomach the news of what had gone on in that relationship, that didn't make it any easier to hear out loud.
"I… I don't know, Herrmann." Severide responded after a few heavy seconds, Christopher shaking his head.
"I can't believe it… I still just can't believe it. That he'd hurt her like that. And that we had no idea… Poor Dawson, I just- I can't believe this is happening. That it's been happening."
"Me neither." Otis spoke up, Severide glancing towards Shay, noticing his friend had been awfully quiet, the paramedic keeping her eyes down as she fidgeted in her seat.
"How did we not know?" Cruz continued, clearly still in shock over the whole thing. "Dawson had to have known we would've helped her, that if he was-" He cut himself off, shaking his head in disgust. "However long Walker had been hurting her, we would've helped."
"Guys, we have no idea what was going on, alright?" Severide interjected, seeing Shay tense by his side, his words causing everyone in the room to look at him. "Whatever he's done… that's not on Gabby."
"No, God no, that's not what I meant." Joe clarified, shaking his head. "I just meant I hate that she was going through that, and we didn't know… They were together for a long time, I can't imagine what that was like for her."
"You're right, we can't." Shay cut in bitterly as everyone looked towards the paramedic. "We have no idea what he put her through, or for how long. We don't know anything, except that she was going through it alone."
"So you didn't know, Shay?" Otis asked, the question causing the blonde's head to snap up, her eyes narrowing tightly as zeroed in on the firefighter.
"What?" Her voice was low, and barely audible, everyone sensing her anger at the question as Otis' eyes darted around before he responded.
"You didn't know this was happening?" He questioned again after clearing his throat, Shay's spine straightening as she sat up in her seat, the tension in the room growing.
"You think I would've just sat here and let it happen if I did?" She snapped, anger dripping from her words as Otis shook his head.
"Shay…" Severide tried, but she shook her head, the blonde's narrow gaze moving towards the Lieutenant.
"What? He thinks if I'd known my best friend was being abused, I wouldn't have done anything to stop it?"
"That's not what he said, Shay." Kelly spoke calmly, knowing well enough to know that Shay's anger wasn't really about what Otis had said. It wasn't about him at all; she was mad at herself, for not knowing sooner. It was a feeling she'd been holding onto since last shift, this feeling of guilt that was eating her alive, and Otis' question had done nothing but bring that guilt back to the forefront of her mind. "He was just asking a question, all of us are just trying to figure this out… He didn't mean anything by it."
"No, I didn't." Otis chimed in, shaking his head as Shay's much calmer gaze landed on him. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to imply anything, I just- I figured if anyone would've known, it would've been you."
"Yeah, me too." Shay spoke quietly, rubbing her hand over the side of her face before shaking her head. "But I didn't know… I mean, I-" She stopped herself, sparing a quick glance to Kelly before continuing, "I had a feeling, once, I guess… After something Walker had said, it didn't sit right with me, so I went and asked her. But she just told me nothing had happened, and asked me to drop it… But I shouldn't have. I should've done everything I could've to get her away from that bastard."
"I see you're just as sweet as ever, Shay."
The room fell painfully silent as they heard the familiar voice, Shay's head snapping towards the entrance to the common room as every first responder in the room looked towards the man they never expected to see here. Shay's blood began to boil as she looked at him, the paramedic sure she wasn't the only one feeling that way as her fists clenched on top of the table.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Walker?" Severide spat before almost violently pushing himself up from his seat, the chair scraping loudly against the ground as he moved.
"Well, hello to you too, Severide." He replied with a proud grin, Bryan crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe, Kelly stepping around the table, coming to a stop behind Shay.
"You should leave. Now." Herrmann spoke just as roughly, the firefighter standing up from the couch while Bryan stayed rooted in his spot.
"Why? So you won't punch me again, old man?... How come you didn't get suspended for that, by the way?"
"You need to leave." Kelly spoke again, feeling his anger rising by the second as they all ignored Walker's question. "I don't know what you're doing here. Hell, I don't know how your ass isn't in jail right now, but you need to go."
"I'm not going anywhere, considering Boden was the one who called me, telling me to come here." He replied, a satisfied smirk covering his lips when he saw the looks of surprise covering their faces. "I know the Chief told me I was done at 51, that I was suspended or whatever, but if I were to guess, I'd say he's changed his mind."
"I doubt that."
"Why?" Bryan fired back, cocking his head to the side. "I have no reason to lose my job, because I didn't do anything… It's the same reason I'm not in jail right now, because me being in jail means I did something to Dawson, which I haven't-"
"Bullshit." Shay snapped angrily as she quickly stood up beside Severide, Walker raising his eyebrows in near amusement.
"What? You think I'm lying? I did nothing to her." He replied calmly, his demeanor only angering the paramedic further.
"Yes you did!"
"Why do you think that? Because she said I did?" He scoffed, shaking his head before he stood up straight. "You know, I remember what it was like around here before you all started believing all the bullshit Gabby would cry about… The entire time her and I were together, you all had no problems with me, but then the second we broke up and she started running her mouth, you all suddenly started believing whatever bullshit she'd say, when none of it was true."
"You can't be serious, are you fucking kidding me right now?" Severide asked in disbelief, Walker raising his eyebrows.
"What? I mean, don't you all think it's a little weird how she's claiming I did all these things to her, but she never said anything about it in the past…"
"She hasn't told us anything, it's you who was running your damn mouth." Shay replied firmly, as an unimpressed look covered Walker's face.
"I don't know what you all think you know, but I didn't do anything to her. If I did all these awful things back when we were together, don't you think you all would've known? You think if I was abusing Dawson when we were together, wouldn't you all have seen something? Oh, that's right, there was nothing to see, because I didn't do anything to her."
"You fucking choked her!" Shay shouted, her loud voice ringing throughout the room as a dry scoff left Walker's lips.
"I never touched her… Well, only in the ways she wanted me to." He replied with a smirk, his words eliciting looks of disgust from the first responders around the room, Shay shaking her head as she took a step forward.
"You asshole, there were handprint bruises on her neck… What? You think she did that to herself?"
"Hey, who knows what kind of kinky shit her and the Lieutenant are in to." He responded, shrugging his shoulders before taking a step backwards out into the hallway. "For all we know, Casey could've done that to her. I don't fucking know, but I didn't do a damn thing." He told them, his gaze moving down the hallway before he looked back towards the men and women in the common room. "Now as fun as this has been, I don't wanna be late for getting my job back… See you guys in a bit." He replied smugly, a light chuckle escaping his lips before he headed off down the hallway, leaving a group of angry and confused firefighters in the common room.
As he walked the familiar path towards Boden's office, Walker ignored the looks he was getting from the station's civilian employees, the man continuing towards the door with his head up high. He wasn't surprised to see the apprehension, Bryan sure they'd heard whatever bullshit version of events everyone had been lying about, but he didn't care what they thought. He knew what happened, and why he did what he did; they didn't need to understand anything.
When he got to the door, he stepped in through the open doorway, Bryan bringing his hand up to tap on frame, the sound gaining the Chief's attention. The second Boden looked up, Walker plastered a smile on his face, the Chief waving him inside.
"Walker.. Come in." He spoke, Bryan nodding as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Have a seat."
"I've gotta say, Chief. I was a little surprised to be hearing from you so soon." Walker started as he sat down, the man sitting casually in the chair as his smile grew. "But I'm guessing I'm here because headquarters has gotten everything all sorted out?"
"They have." Boden replied, keeping his face blank as Walker gave him a nod.
"Good, that's good. I knew after I spoke with them last shift, it wouldn't take them long to figure out what happened. That this was all a misunderstanding. And I'm fine to let the whole thing go, and just move on." He spoke with a grin, Boden raising his eyebrows. "Emotions were high last shift, I think the best thing for all of us to do is just move past this mess." Bryan continued, the Chief shaking his head slightly as he held his tongue. "So, what did headquarters say? When can I start back?"
"You're not." He replied simply, Bryan's eyebrows furrowing in disbelief as he sat up straight in his chair.
"What?"
"The only reason you are even allowed to step foot into this firehouse right now is so that I can tell you to your face that you are done." Boden continued, Walker pursing his lips together as he shook his head slightly.
"Chief-"
"How you could even come in here thinking you'd ever be allowed back to work in this firehouse is beyond me." Boden continued roughly, Walker's eyes narrowing as anger began to flood his body. "After what you did last shift alone, that's enough to get you thrown out on your ass. But then Dawson-"
"Oh, please." He huffed out exasperatedly, Boden narrowing his eyes slightly. "Gabby is not the fucking victim here, I didn't do anything to her." He continued, the Chief's face staying rigid. "The Casey thing.. I get it, I fucked up, but I don't deserve to be fired from 51 because of it. I'm a good firefighter-"
"You're a good firefighter who has an ego that'll get people killed." Boden interjected firmly, Bryan's neck tightening as he was cut off. "Casey saw it from the moment he got here, and he was right. Your actions could've gotten someone killed. And that is enough for you to deserve to be fired… You are done, Walker."
"Fine." He conceded, shaking his head in anger. "I don't wanna be in this bullshit firehouse anyway." He spat, anger covering Boden's features. "You all care more about protecting liars than someone who's been completely dedicated to this house, and I'm over it. You all clearly don't want me here anymore, and I don't wanna be here, so where are they sending me?"
"Excuse me?"
"Headquarters. What house are they sending me to?" He asked, Boden raising his eyebrows in near shock.
"They're not sending you anywhere." He replied slowly, Boden seeing the immediate shift in Walker's demeanor.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not just done at 51, Walker. You're done in the department. You're out." Boden told him, the man's entire body going rigid as he tried to grasp what was being told to him. "That's why you're here, I got the call from headquarters an hour ago, just before I called you. You've been fired from the CFD.. I just asked that I be the one to tell you."
"You can't be serious." He scoffed, Boden raising his eyebrows.
"Walker-"
"This is fucking bullshit!" He shouted, angrily pushing himself up from his seat, the force of his movements causing the chair to fall back to the floor. "You all can't do this! You can't fire me because Dawson can't keep her fucking mouth shut!"
"Bryan-"
"I'm getting fired because Dawson gave you all some bullshit sob story about me choking her, when I didn't fucking do anything! And now I'm out of a job? That fucking bitch, I swear to God, she keeps ruining my life! This isn't right and you all fucking know it! I don't deserve to be fired, I swear to God I'm-"
"Walker!" Boden barked, his loud voice silencing the former firefighter as the Chief stood up, his body radiating the rage he felt as he stepped around his desk, Boden coming to stand face to face with Bryan. "You're getting fired for your actions, and for your actions alone. Your choices are what's caused this, so don't you dare try and turn this around on Dawson, or on anyone else. This is your doing."
"Chief-"
"Quiet." He growled, Bryan reluctantly closing his mouth. "And as for what you've done to Dawson," He started, his voice dripping with venom, "the only reason you haven't been thrown through a wall is because everyone out there wants to keep their jobs." His voice was dangerously low, Walker raising his eyebrows slightly as a stunned look covered his face, Bryan hearing an anger he'd never experienced from his Chief before. "You hurt Dawson. From your own admission, you'd been hurting her... You really think there's anyone here in this house who's okay with that? That there isn't a single person out there who doesn't want to hurt you the way you hurt her?"
"Chief, you don't know the whole story-"
"You're a coward, Walker." He cut in, his words causing more and more anger to rise within Bryan's chest. "Because only cowards hurt people who love them… They hurt people who they know won't fight back. You're nothing but a coward, and you have no place being in this firehouse- in any firehouse. Which is why you're done at the CFD… Now get your things and get out of my house."
"Chief…"
"Get out." Boden repeated firmly. "Before I throw your ass out."
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Bryan shook his head, the man clenching his hands at his side before a heavy scoff left his lips. "You're gonna regret this." He huffed out as he turned to leave, but he didn't get very far before Boden grabbed his arm, effectively stopping his path.
"I'd think very carefully about threatening me, Walker." His voice was low, the words barely audible as Boden's eyes were dark with rage. "This is no one's fault but your own, you better remember that." He added, Bryan roughly pulling himself from the Chief's grip, the men staring down one another before Boden nodded towards the door.
"Now get out of my firehouse."
"What time is he gonna be here?" Gabby asked as she walked into the living room, Matt looking up from his spot on the couch just as she began running her hands over the front of her jeans, her nervous energy radiating off her as a slight frown tugged on his lips.
"He said at 3:30," Matt started, sparing a quick glance at the clock, "so any time now." He replied, Gabby giving him a slight nod as she drew in a deep breath, Matt keeping his eyes locked on her.
She'd been like this for most of the day, ever since they'd gotten the call from Antonio this morning saying how he wanted to stop by and speak with them. And while he hadn't explicitly said the reason, they both know what he was coming by for; he wanted to talk about Walker. The thing they didn't know, however, was what all this conversation would entail.
While they still hadn't heard any word on what was happening with Bryan in regards to his standing in the fire department, from his conversations with the older brother, Matt knew Antonio was still working on finding the best course of action for Gabby to take from the CPD's side of things. But with how vague the detective had been in some of their talks, neither him nor Gabby were sure what to expect. They had no idea what all Antonio would need from the younger Dawson for them to make sure Walker was never able to hurt her again, and that uncertainty had left Gabby feeling a little uneasy about her brother's upcoming visit.
She'd spent the better part of her morning and early afternoon doing what she could to keep herself busy, and to help keep her mind off everything while Matt rested. Which, as he came to be reminded of when he finally emerged from his bedroom half an hour ago, meant her scrubbing down his entire apartment. While he prided himself on keeping a tidy home, between being in the hospital, and spending large chunks of his time either at the firehouse or at Gabby's apartment, his home had definitely seen better days. But Gabby's nervous energy had taken care of that in a few hours, his apartment looking as clean as it could possibly get while they waited for Antonio to arrive.
"Why don't you come sit down…" He prompted, seeing she hadn't made much of a move to do anything since she walked into the room. Nodding slowly, she took his suggestion as she walked towards him, Matt holding his arm out on the back of the couch, inviting her into his warm embrace before she slowly sat down. "You know this is gonna be fine, right?" He murmured once she'd settled, Gabby's tongue quickly poking out between her lips as she caught his gaze. "Whatever news Antonio has, it'll be okay…"
Slowly, Gabby nodded, Matt flashing her a comforting smile before leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
"I love you." He spoke against her skin, Matt feeling her breath hit his neck as she released a soft sigh.
"I love you, too."
Their moment was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, Matt beginning to push himself up before she could stop him.
"Matt, you need to be sitting down." She chastised, but he simply waved her off once he was steady, Matt shaking his head as he began moving towards the door.
"I'm fine, it's good for me to be up and moving around." He told her, Gabby shaking her head slightly as she watched him slowly walk to the front door, the firefighter turning the corner into the foyer just as there was another knock. When he got to his destination, he turned the lock before pulling the door open, his eyes landing on Antonio as the detective stood on his front porch. "Hey, sorry, I don't move very fast these days." Matt greeted lightly, trying to dissolve some of the tension in the air as his words brought a slight smile to Antonio's face.
"Yeah, well, falling through a building will do that… Gabby inside?"
"She is. Come on in." He spoke, stepping aside to give Antonio room to enter his home, Casey shutting the door behind them before slowly following the man into his living room.
"Hey sis." Antonio said warmly as he walked towards the couch, Gabby giving him a weak smile before he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her cheek.
"Hey Tonio." She replied, the older brother lingering for a minute before he pulled back and made his way towards the chair across from them, giving Matt room to reclaim his position next to Gabby.
"How are you guys doing?" He asked as Matt got settled, Antonio seeing his sister grab onto Casey's hand the second it was within reach.
"We're doing okay, considering." Matt spoke up first after Gabby stayed quiet, Antonio giving him a slow nod. "There's been some-"
"Just tell me what's going on." She cut in quickly, her abrupt words stunning them momentarily as both Antonio's and Matt's worried glances moved towards her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I just- We can do the small talk later, I just want to know what's happening with Bryan." She told them, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat as Antonio gave her a nod.
"I understand, sis." He replied, clearing his throat before continuing. "So, uh basically, where we're at right now is it's up to you to decide where we go from here." He started, Matt feeling her tense by his side. "We've gotten all the statements we can, I've gotten a copy of the transcript of Bryan speaking with both Halstead, and the fire department, and both of those went about as I expected… He said nothing happened, that he never choked you, or ever even hurt you." He spoke, Matt's free hand clenching in anger in his lap as Gabby nodded slightly. "Now, obviously, we know that asshole is lying… But the problem with these situations is that it's your word against his. No one else was there, and there's no cameras in the locker room at the firehouse, so we have no way to confirm what happened."
"So he'll just get away with this?" Matt asked quickly, his tone firm as anger washed over him. "He's been abusing Gabby, and he just gets off?"
"That's not what I'm saying." Antonio was quick to clarify, Matt's face softening slightly when he felt Gabby squeeze his hand. "Trust me, I'm just as angry about this as you are, and I want to see that bastard rot in prison, but it's not that simple. As far as the courts would be concerned, it's a he-said, she-said… And because no other abuse has ever been reported, all they'd have to go on is the bruises on her neck, and testimony from people who weren't there. So, honestly, I'm not sure what would happen." He admitted, Gabby drawing in a shallow breath as she felt her heart rate began to quicken in her chest. "But with all that being said, I still think you should press charges for him assaulting you at the firehouse." He told them, Antonio seeing a look of slight surprise covering his sister's face.
"You do?" She asked him, earning a nod from her big brother.
"I do. As your big brother, and as someone who's seen a lot of these cases over the years, I think you should." He replied, Matt rubbing his thumb along the back of Gabby's hand. "I think we need to at least try and make him pay for what he did to you. And you know I will fight like hell for you, and do whatever I can to make sure this goes our way… But this is ultimately your decision, and before you make it, I need it to be clear that I can't guarantee anything."
"I know." She responded softly.
"Alright… We already have everything we'd need on our end to get the process started, if you decide that's what you wanna do. But, until then, in situations like this, what we first advise people to do is get away from the person who's a-" He cut himself off, Antonio running his hand over his mouth before he cleared the emotion from his voice, "-from the person who's abusing them. Which you've done. And him getting fired from the department, that'll help." He spoke, looks of confusion covering their faces as Matt spared a quick glance at his girlfriend.
"What?" She asked, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"They fired him?" Casey supplemented, the detective nodding slowly as he looked back and forth between them.
"Yeah, they did… Boden called and told me earlier, I figured you two would've known."
"No, we didn't." Matt replied, squeezing Gabby's hand tightly. "We haven't really talked to anyone from the house that much."
"Oh, I didn't know… But yes, Walker's been fired from the department. He's done. So you won't have to worry about him, when you go back. And really, there should be no place you'd have to worry about seeing him… which kind of leads me to my next point." He told them, Antonio's gaze locking on his sister before he continued. "I think it's time you get a restraining order against him." He spoke firmly, Gabby's reaction giving him little insight as to what was going on in her head. "I know I've talked to you about this before, and you didn't want to, but Gabs, I don't think we have a choice anymore… He choked you in a firehouse full of people, I don't want to find out what he'll do if he gets alone with you again."
"I know." She murmured as she looked down at hers and Matt's conjoined hands, missing the look of sadness that flashed in her brother's eyes.
"I think it's the best, and safest, thing for you to do. Because while I can't guarantee I can get him charged with assault, I can sure as hell promise you that I can get a judge to sign off on a restraining order." He breathed out, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as fresh tears began clouding her vision, her emotions beginning to hit her all at once. "You need to do this, sis."
"I know I do, and I will." She agreed, clearing her throat before she looked back up, Matt seeing a lone tear escape down her cheek. "Whatever you think I should, I'll do it, I just- I'm sorry, Antonio."
Her apology surprised both the men in the room, the older Dawson immediately shaking his head as he leaned forward in his seat. "What? What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong." He told her, watching as Matt rubbed her back, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip while he spoke.
"For not coming to you sooner…" She admitted quietly, Antonio's heart breaking in his chest as he felt tears building behind his eyes. "For not listening when you told me to get that restraining order… I should've listened, or told you what was going on."
"Gabby, this isn't your fault." Antonio replied quickly as he pushed himself up from his chair, the older brother coming around to sit on the coffee table in front of his sister. "None of this is. You have nothing to be sorry for, sis." He promised her, Gabby giving him a slight nod before looking towards Matt, seeing a similar sadness shining in his eyes.
"Your brother's right." He said, mustering as supportive of a smile as he could manage. "You're not to blame for this. This is only on him." He promised her just as he had before, Gabby taking a deep breath before she nodded, the paramedic looking back towards her brother.
"I'll, uh- I want to press charges." She spoke softly, Antonio immediately nodding as he placed his hand on her knee, giving her leg a supportive squeeze.
"Okay, when I get back to the district, I'll get started on that… And everything with the restraining order." He told her, Gabby giving him an agreeing nod as Antonio let out a soft sigh, seeing the clear exhaustion present across his sister's face. Before he said anything else, Antonio got up from his makeshift seat on the coffee table, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head before standing up straight and making his way away from the couch. "I'm gonna get out of here, get started on everything… I'll keep in touch, let you know how everything's going, and what all I need from you guys once this gets rolling, but for now, just leave it to me."
"Thanks Tonio." She nearly whispered, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, thank you Antonio." He echoed, the detective nodding before taking another step towards the door.
"I'll show you out." Gabby spoke, the big brother nodding as she pushed herself up from the couch, leaving Matt alone in the living room as she followed him into the foyer.
When they got to the front door, Antonio's steps slowed, his hand lingering on the handle before he turned towards his sister, Gabby watching him closely. "...You'll let me know if you need anything?" He asked, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "I mean, I know you've got Casey, and Mom and Dad, but I'm always here for you, sis… With whatever you need."
"I know you are." She responded before wrapping her arms around his neck in a secure hug, Antonio quickly reciprocating the gesture. "But you're doing more than enough already."
"No, I'm not." He replied, rubbing over her back before they pulled away from one another, Antonio reaching to pull the door open, Gabby stepping back to get out of his way. "And, uh… before I go, there's something I need to tell you." He started as he stood just outside Casey's front door, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she moved closer to him, "I didn't know what I'd be finding when I read it, but, when I went to read Walker's transcript from his meeting with the department, I read yours too…"
Antonio saw the exact moment his sister registered the weight of his words, all the color draining from Gabby's face as he shook his head in near disbelief.
"I, um- I needed to check and make sure the information was the same as what you told me, and I, uh… I saw what you'd said happened at the firehouse… What he did to you." Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek roughly, doing what she could to keep her tears at bay as she saw a mixture of absolute rage and complete devastation playing across her brother's face. "I'm… I'm sorry I saw it. I didn't know it'd be in there, and I know you didn't tell me yourself, but I just- God, Gabby, I'm so sorry." He breathed out, his words getting caught in his throat as he tried to keep his emotions in check, Gabby quickly wiping away the water gathering under her eyes before Antonio wrapped her up in another hug. Gabby nearly melted into her brother's arms, fresh tears pricking the edges of her eyes as she held onto him tightly. "I'm so, so sorry, Gabs."
"It's okay, Antonio."
"No. No, it's not… And nothing can ever make it okay." He replied as he pulled back, Antonio cupping the side of her head. "But I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure he never hurts you again. I swear to you, whatever I have to do, I'll do it."
"I know." She murmured, Antonio nodding as he dropped his hand from her face, the brother giving her one last supportive smile before he stepped away, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest.
"And, uh- does he know?" Antonio asked as he stopped on the first step, his eyes flashing towards the windows into Matt's apartment before landing back on his sister, the answer to his question written across her face. But the slight shake of her head gave him the actual confirmation he was looking for, both of them knowing he meant more than just what happened in the back of the ambulance. "...Are you gonna tell him?"
"I am… At some point." She replied softly, Antonio nodding. "I'm just... not ready yet."
Knowing there was no more to be said, Antonio gave her another nod before he continued down the steps onto the sidewalk, the older Dawson glancing back towards Gabby. "You take all the time you need, he'll be there when you're ready." He told her, Gabby nodding slightly as she took a step back into the apartment. "I love you, sis."
"Love you, too." She responded before closing the door, securing it firmly in place before turning back around, Gabby taking a deep breath before she walked back into the living room, finding Matt exactly where she'd left him.
"Hey." He murmured, Gabby smiling softly as she moved towards the couch and sat down beside her boyfriend, wasting no time curling into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Hi." She responded, nuzzling her head against his chest as she huddled against him, Matt sensing her need to be close to him as he tightened his grip around her body.
"You need anything?" He questioned after a few silent moments, Gabby shaking her head before pressing a kiss over his t-shirt covered chest.
"Just you." She admitted, Matt unable to stop the slight smile that tugged on his lips as he placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, feeling Gabby release a content sigh as he held onto her with all the strength he had.
"Well, you've got me… You always have me."