Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well, and have had a good week, and that you're staying safe. Here's the next chapter for you all. I really like this one, so I hope you all enjoy it as well. Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy!
Also, just so you all know, next Thursday I'm gonna be away most of the day, and I'm not sure when I'll have access to post the next update, so I don't know when I'll be getting the chapter to you all. If I get it done early, I'll post it before I leave, but it'll just depend. So it might be a little late next week, I'm not entirely sure. But just keep an eye out for it, and I'll get it to you all as soon as possible!
And real quick, I do want to thank you all so much for 1000 reviews on this story. That's absolutely insane to me, and I'm so glad you all are enjoying this one. This is often my favorite story to write, and I just am so thankful you all enjoy it, too. Thank you so much for all the support you've given me on this, it means the world.
FIFTY EIGHT
"How'd you know I was here?"
The man scoffed as he pushed himself up off the door of Casey's truck, Matt keeping his eyes on him as the firefighter continued towards his vehicle, the two coming to a stop about a foot apart as the detective crossed his arms over his chest, Antonio cocking his head to the side with an unimpressed look forming across his features.
"I've been keeping tabs on Walker, and who comes to visit him." Antonio spoke, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as his hands rested on his hips, the man drawing in a deep breath before giving him a slight nod. "I wanted to make sure Gabby wasn't coming here without telling anyone… Guess I didn't realize she wasn't the one I needed to worry about." He continued, his pointed words causing Casey to grimace slightly, Antonio's gaze flickering back towards the jail before focusing on the Lieutenant, the air around them turning thick as the older Dawson watched him expectantly. "...What are you doing here, Casey?"
The firefighter drew in a deep breath before pursing his lips together, Antonio waiting for his response as they stood in a heavy silence for a few moments until Casey spoke up.
"I came to tell him to leave her alone."
If Antonio was surprised by his response, he didn't show it, Matt going quiet as his eyes moved down towards the ground. Antonio kept his gaze on him for a few seconds, waiting to see if he was going to say anything more, but after a long moment or two it became clear he wasn't, the detective straightening his spine before he spoke up once more.
"Is that all you did?" He questioned, Casey lifting his head back up to meet his eyeline, the man's head tilting to the side slightly as he waited for Antonio to elaborate. "Did you do anything other than tell him to leave her alone?" Antonio repeated his words, Matt taking another deep breath before a scoff left his lips.
"What? You think I sucker-punched that asshole when there was a sheet of glass in between us?" He questioned, the sarcastic tone to his voice causing Antonio to narrow his eyes, Casey releasing a heavy sigh before running his hand over his mouth.
"You know what I mean, Casey." He replied sharply, Matt smacking his lips together as Antonio's glare stayed focused on him.
"Sorry..." He breathed out, Antonio giving him a slight nod in response as Matt spoke up once more. "All I did was tell him what he already knows. That she wants nothing to do with him, and that he needs to leave her alone… That whatever he was wanting, she doesn't care." He explained, Antonio giving him a slight nod as he chewed on his bottom lip.
"And how he'd take it?"
Casey winced involuntarily, his look not missed by Antonio as the firefighter responded. "About as well as you'd expect." He told him. "First he thought I wouldn't let her come, then he assumed she sent me instead, but after that I just told him to leave it. And I reminded him about that restraining order, and what would happen if he tried to see her... he didn't really like it, but I think he got my point." Matt finished, Antonio giving him a slight nod.
"...Did he tell you?" He asked, Casey raising his eyebrows in question. "Why he wanted to see her?"
Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Matt shrugged slightly. "He said it was because he wanted to apologize to her…"
Antonio's eyes narrowed slightly, the detective unable to stop the scoff that left his lips as he shifted his weight between his feet. "Yeah, I'm sure." He huffed out, shaking his head slightly before he caught Casey's gaze. "Is that all he said? About why he wanted her there?"
"Yeah." Matt replied after a second of replaying his and Walker's conversation in his head, the firefighter feeling his blood pressure rising slightly. "Admittedly, I didn't really give him much of a chance to say anything else about it, but he said that's why he wanted her to come." He explained, Antonio pausing for a moment before nodding.
"Do you believe him?" The older Dawson questioned, Casey immediately shaking his head as he mimicked Antonio's stance and crossed his arms over his chest.
"The way he was talking in there? No." He answered quickly, Antonio's gaze tightening at his reaction. "No, I don't."
"What did he say?" He asked, Matt shooting him a look before shaking his head slightly.
"Nothing worth repeating." Casey told him, the older man's neck tightening as a hard look covered his face. "He was just trying to get a rise out of me, and he knows Gabby is a good way to do that, but really, it's nothing worth repeating." He said again, Matt not wanting to get into exactly what all had been said in there, especially not to Gabby's brother.
"Is there anything else?" Antonio questioned, Matt pausing thoughtfully for a moment before speaking up.
"I told him we know what he did to her, everything he did." He started, Antonio giving him a nod to continue. "And, uh…" Casey trailed off, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing as he took a slight step forward.
"What?" He pressed, Matt drawing in a deep breath before responding.
"I threatened him." He replied softly, Antonio raising his eyebrows as he breathed deeply.
"Again?" He asked, Casey nodding slightly as the other man shook his head. "What'd you say?" He pressed with a pointed look, Matt quickly running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.
"...That I'd do to him what he did to her," Casey started, Antonio tilting his head to the side slightly, "and to remember what I said I'd do to him if he hurt her again." He added, realization quickly settling in over Antonio's face.
"You mean when you said you'd kill him?" He clarified, Matt sucking in a slow breath as his eyes moved to the ground. "Dammit, Casey…"
"What?" He questioned back almost immediately, meeting Antonio's gaze once more. "Like you wouldn't have gone in there and done the same thing?"
"I'm not saying I wouldn't have, but I didn't, Casey." Antonio replied without missing a beat, the Lieutenant huffing out a heavy breath. "There's a reason I didn't go in there after I first found out he was wanting to see Gabby… Us going to see him will only cause more problems."
"We knew he wasn't gonna stop." Casey interjected, Antonio pursing his lips together as he took a few slow breaths to calm himself down. "You and I both know he wouldn't stop asking to see her, and he wouldn't have stopped when he got out, either-"
"We have a restraining order, Matt." He cut in, Casey releasing a heavy scoff as he shook his head.
"And you really think that would stop him?" He questioned rhetorically, the sarcastic tone in his voice causing Antonio to narrow his eyes. "He's never given a shit about boundaries before, he won't care now. So whatever bullshit he's trying, whatever the actual reason is that he wants to see her, he needed to be reminded what'll happen to him if he tries anything." He spoke roughly, not giving Antonio a chance to get a word in before he continued. "Maybe I shouldn't have threatened him the way I did, but I won't apologize for coming to see him, and telling him to leave her alone… He wasn't gonna stop, Antonio. If we ignored him, he wasn't gonna stop." Casey defended, Antonio blowing out a heavy side before running his hand over his mouth, Matt watching as he shook his head slightly.
"Yeah, but now you could've also just given him more of a reason to try and see her." Antonio spoke bluntly, not missing the slight grimace that covered Casey's face as realization settled in. "I can understand why you came here, I know you just want to protect Gabby- Trust me, I get it… And as her brother, I appreciate it. But you seeing him..."
"I might've just made this worse." Casey responded knowingly, Antonio giving him a tight nod, the older man seeing the look of defeat that began to form over Matt's face before the firefighter brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a sharp breath escaping between his teeth as they stood in silence for a few long moments.
"Yeah." Antonio replied softly, his eyes staying focused on Casey as the man continued to digest his words. "Maybe I'm wrong, I hope to God he won't be an issue, but we've seen how he gets when it comes to my sister. And guys like Walker… If he really wasn't just wanting to see her to apologize, I don't know if anyone could get him to stop." He breathed out, Matt scuffing his boot against the pavement as he spoke a few words under his breath. And while Antonio wasn't able to make them out, he had a pretty good idea of what was being said. "But when he gets out, I was gonna be keeping tabs on him anyway, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid… No matter what Gabby says, I know at least part of her is a little worried he'll try and see her once he's out." He continued when Casey stayed quiet, the Lieutenant nodding in agreement.
"I know she is." He echoed, Antonio giving him a sad smile before stepping out of the way, giving Casey a straight path to his driver's side door. "But we'll do whatever we have to, to make sure he's not an issue." Matt added, his eyes dark as Antonio gave a slight nod.
"Yeah..." He agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat as Casey replied with a sharp nod, Antonio's eyes tracing over the man's marked up face. "Just, uh- don't come back here again, Casey." He spoke, his voice heavy as the two men locked gazes. "You said what you needed to say, or wanted to say… Let me worry about Walker from now on, you just focus on Gabby." He told him, Matt knowing his words weren't so much a suggestion as they were an order.
"Trust me, I won't be back… I'd be fine never seeing that piece of shit ever again." Casey replied roughly, Antonio giving him a quick nod.
"Good." The detective responded, Matt giving him a knowing look before he pulled his keys from his pocket and began to walk towards his door. "And, uh… what happened there?" Antonio questioned, Matt looking towards him just as the man gestured to the cuts and bruises on his face, the firefighter pursing his lips together before he turned back to unlock his truck.
"Rough call yesterday." He answered vaguely, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly as the man opened his door.
"Are you alright?"
Casey looked back towards him and gave the older man a steady nod, seeing Antonio's concerned eyes on him; eyes that looked an awful lot like Gabby's. "I'm fine." He assured him, his words earning one last nod from Antonio before Matt turned to get into his truck, but the detective's voice stopped him just as he got one foot inside.
"Casey, does my sister know you're here?"
Matt paused for a moment before glancing back towards Antonio, the look on his face alone apparently giving the man enough of an answer as the older Dawson released a heavy sigh, Antonio shaking his head slightly as Casey continued to get into his truck.
"You gotta tell her, man." Antonio spoke up before Matt could give him a verbal answer, the firefighter shoving his keys into the ignition before glancing back towards him. "You can't leave her in the dark about this, not with Walker." He continued, Casey releasing a heavy sigh before he nodded.
"I know, I'm gonna tell her. I should've said something before I even came, I just- I didn't know how." He replied, his words earning a pointed look from his girlfriend's brother. "She hasn't exactly wanted to talk about any of this."
"I know she hasn't, but you've gotta find a way to tell her, Casey… She deserves to know."
Casey gave him a strong nod as he finished speaking, the man knowing Antonio was right. She did deserve to know, and he had to tell her; he just had to figure out how. And when.
Giving him one last nod, Matt said a quick goodbye before the men parted ways, Casey closing his door before his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the man well aware that he had a pretty difficult conversation ahead of him.
But what he didn't know was how Gabby would react.
Dawson stood in the near empty living room, her hips swaying to the music Shay had been blasting in the kitchen since they got here as she worked on taping up the last of the boxes, the woman humming along while she vaguely heard the sound of her friend working in the kitchen, both women glad to be almost done. It hadn't been too much to pack up, Gabby and Matt having gotten most of his essentials packed and brought to their place over the last week, but now all that was left were the random like knick knacks, and things he'd be donating since there was some stuff they wouldn't need multiples of. Everything had pretty much been sorted and gone through, it was just up to them to get in packed up, and while her and Shay had made great time and gotten nearly all of it, Gabby already knew she'd be giving her boyfriend a hard time for not being around to help them finish up.
Gabby's hips continued moving to the music as she placed the packing tape down on top of the box, the woman admiring her work as the room was now completely empty, aside from a few boxes, a content smile forming over her face as she was proud of the work she'd accomplished.
But warm hands running over her waist pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby jumping slightly at the sudden touch before she immediately recognized the warmth she was now pressed against, the soft smile returning to her face as she felt his arms circle around her body.
"Matt…" She murmured, hearing him chuckle lightly before he pressed a kiss to her t-shirt covered shoulder, the man recognizing the material to be one of his, Gabby having borrowed one of his old CFD shirts from when he was a candidate. It was one she'd found a long time ago, one she often stole from him, and he'd go weeks without seeing it, but he knew that piece of clothing was one of her favorites. It being more than a few years old, it definitely wasn't as big on her as some of his newer clothes were, the t-shirt still oversized, but not enough to where she couldn't wear it out, Matt's smile growing as he ran his hand over her stomach. "You scared me." She continued when he had yet to say anything, Gabby resting her hands over his as he kissed her shoulder once more.
"Sorry." He replied just as quietly, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "I was gonna announce myself, but, if I'm being honest, I had to stop and admire the view for a little while." He told her shamelessly, Gabby smirking softly before her bottom lip fell between her teeth. "Which, speaking of, you should've kept dancing." He added as his lips moved towards her bare neck, her ponytail holding her hair out of the way as he began to assault her skin.
"You liked that, huh?" She questioned teasingly, though she already knew the answer, Gabby knowing better than anyone how much he appreciated her dancing. Especially in moments meant only for them, though it wasn't something she did all that often.
"Absolutely." He whispered against her before biting her neck gently, Gabby's eyes fluttering closed for a split second. "You should do that more."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips before she opened her eyes, Gabby patting her hand over the top of his while he continued pressing somewhat innocent kisses to her skin. "Maybe later." She responded, Matt groaning softly against her before lifting his head from her neck. "...I didn't even hear you come in."
"Well, how could you?" He questioned back quickly. "With all the dancing and the singing?"
Gabby smiled shyly before she began to turn around in his arms, Matt loosening his grip enough for her to move, but never losing contact with her completely as his hands settled on her hips, the grin on his face growing when he saw the look on her face.
"God, you're adorable." He breathed out, Matt not giving her much of a chance to respond before his lips were on hers, Gabby reciprocating eagerly as her hand came to rest against his chest, her other holding onto his waist as they moved together, Matt being to one to pull back after a few seconds. But they didn't move very far from one another, Matt keeping his arms around her while his eyes moved through the room, Gabby seeing the impressed look that covered his face as they locked gazes once more. "Looks like you two are almost done."
Nodding softly, Gabby ran her hand over his chest as he grinned. "We are… And then you'll officially be out of this apartment." She replied with a bright smile, Gabby not missing the look of pure joy that covered his features before he leaned back down towards her.
"I can't wait." He whispered against her before capturing her lips into another kiss, this one much more intense than the last as a sound of surprise escaped from the back of her throat, the woman clearly caught off guard by his actions. But it took her only a few seconds to catch up, Gabby kissing him back with just as much passion, if not more, as her hand gripped onto his shirt, Matt's hands roaming her sides before sneaking down past her waist, the man grabbing onto her ass roughly while simultaneously pushing her closer to him. A low moan left her lips, Matt gripping her tighter in his grasp while Gabby crumbled his shirt in her fist, the two getting completely lost in one another as the sound of the music played in the background.
"Oh God, enough of that."
Shay's exasperated voice was the only thing that could pull them apart, Matt turning to find the blonde standing in the doorway to the kitchen with her hands on her hips, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she ducked her head down towards his chest, the woman unable to stop the few laughs that left her lips as her and her boyfriend got caught making out like a couple of teenagers.
"I know you two always loved to get freaky in this apartment, and I know this is where you… began your relationship, but if you're gonna bang one out for old times sake, can you at least wait until I'm not here?" She asked again, Gabby shaking her head as Matt released a light scoff. "And get your hand off her ass, Casey."
More laughs could be heard coming from Gabby, the woman watching as a near annoyed look covered her boyfriend's face as he slid his hands back up towards a much more appropriate part of her body, Dawson finally glancing towards Shay as she saw her friend watching them with narrow eyes.
"Hi Shay." Matt greeted, the woman's glare only lessening slightly as she gave Casey a soft smile.
"Hello lover boy." She replied, Matt rolling his eyes before he took a step away from Gabby, the two losing their grip on one another as they faced their friend. "I'm so glad you finally decided to join us now that all the work is done." She continued sarcastically, Matt cocking his head slightly as Gabby stepped back into his side, wrapping her arm around his waist while he instinctively lifted his hand up to her shoulder. "How was your construction job?"
Casey tensed slightly, only for a moment, before he relaxed and gave her a smile, Gabby feeling the movement but not questioning it as she glanced up towards him. "It was fine." He replied simply, the blonde nodding before leaning her weight into the wall.
"Did you shower?" Gabby asked him suddenly, the man's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he turned to look down towards her.
"Huh?"
"You don't smell like you normally do after work." She elaborated, Matt nodding slightly before giving her a small smile.
"Oh, uh- no, I didn't… It just wasn't anything too bad. The job was pretty easy." He continued, Matt hating to continue to lie to her. But he knew this wasn't the place to get into his actual whereabouts this morning, not with Shay here, Gabby offering him a soft grin before she nodded.
"Well, I'm glad you're here now, you can help us get all this stuff out to the cars." She replied, Matt's grin widening slightly.
"I'm happy to help." He responded, Gabby matching his look before she pressed a soft kiss against his chest, the woman lingering there for a moment before she stepped away from him.
"Good… Now let's finish this up and get you home." She spoke softly, her choice of words causing the smile on his face to grow impossibly wider, Gabby feeling a rush of warmth flood through her chest at the sight of how happy he was, the woman sure she was falling in love with him all over again in this moment.
"Yeah." He replied brightly, giving her a quick wink before stepping towards the box closest to him. "Let's get home."
Casey stood hunched over the sink in their bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist as he brushed his teeth, the sound of the faucet running mixed with the sound of Gabby's shower the only noises that could be heard as they went through their routine to get ready for work. It was early, earlier than they normally got up for shift, Matt having woken up well before their alarm was set to go off. And while the man attempted to disentangle himself from Gabby without waking her, he hadn't done a very good job, his girlfriend waking up before he could even completely get up, the man whispering at her to go back to sleep while he went to go take a shower.
But despite his pleas for her to get more rest before they went into work, Gabby seemingly couldn't fall back asleep, the woman coming to take a shower just as he was getting out, the two mostly passing ships as she was still definitely a little out of it.
And now they were both going about their process of getting ready, neither of them having said a word while Gabby showered just behind him, both of them needing some more time to wake up as he rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash before spitting it back out into the sink, Casey making sure to clean up his mess before he returned his toothbrush to its home beside Gabby's. Resting his palms against the edge of the counter, he couldn't help but look at his girlfriend through the mirror, her appearance slightly obstructed from the steam coming out of her shower, Gabby clearly off in her own little world as she washed her hair.
With his eyes staying focused on her, Matt drew in a deep breath as he thought over the last couple of days, a slight wince covering his face as the heavy weight of the secret he'd been holding onto for almost two days now settled in the air around him.
He knew he messed up, and he knew he'd continued to mess up, with every minute that went by without him saying anything, but still, he hadn't found the time to tell her. He knew this wasn't something he should keep from her, and that he should've told her the second he left the prison, but he hadn't. He kept putting it off, and putting it off, and now he wasn't sure when there was the right time to tell her.
After they'd finished up at his apartment the day before yesterday, he had every intention of telling her when they got home, when it was just them. He was gonna sit down, and let her know where he'd been that morning, and deal with whatever reaction she had to it. But the second they got back to the apartment, Gabby immediately went into unpacking mode, saying how she didn't want to wait and put away the rest of his things later, but she wanted to do it now. So the two of them, along with Shay for a few hours, finished moving him into their place, until there wasn't a box left in sight, and before they knew it, it was late into the night, both of them completely exhausted. And in that moment, Matt knew he couldn't tell her then. Not when they were both wiped out and needed to eat a quick dinner before going to bed, the man deciding then he'd wait and tell her in the morning.
But those plans quickly became scrapped as well, when he woke up the next morning and Gabby was nowhere in sight. Then when she did appear from the bathroom, fully dressed, a few moments later, she spouted off something about how she was going to meet her mom for something he wasn't fully awake enough at the time to remember, before she would be meeting up with Shay, Gabby barely having time to give him a goodbye kiss before she was out the door. And what he expected to be her being gone from their home for the morning, and maybe for a few hours into the early afternoon, ended up with her being away for the entire day, Matt not seeing her again until they met up at Shay and Severide's for dinner. And that was definitely not the right place for that conversation, Matt having to keep this to himself for longer than he wanted to.
And now here they were, getting ready to be back on shift, and she still didn't know. She didn't know anything about him going to see Walker, and the thought made him nauseous. Especially because he knew it was entirely his doing. But there was nothing he could do about it, now. He couldn't change the fact that he kept it from her, all he could do now was tell her.
But there was a small voice in the back of his head telling him now wasn't the right time, either.
When Matt had decided he would go and see Walker, he knew there was no way to really know how Gabby would react. She either would be incredibly angry at him, or she wouldn't care, and the only way he could find out would be to tell her. But now there was another added layer to this, and that was the fact he'd kept it from her. Whatever she would've felt towards him going to the prison, that would now be amplified by the fact he had gone so long without saying anything, and he couldn't imagine she'd take any of it very well. At the very least, she'd be angry at him for keeping this from her, and while she had every right to be, with the nature of their jobs, the last thing he wanted was her going into work distracted. He worried about her enough as it was when she was completely level headed and focused on her work, he didn't need the added layer of her being distracted because of him.
He couldn't tell her right now, but he would. Once they got off shift, no matter what, he'd tell her. Because he didn't want to keep this from her any longer than he already had.
"You want to take a picture?"
Gabby's voice pulled him from his thoughts, a soft smile forming over his face as his vision came into focus and he met her gaze through the mirror, his girlfriend watching him with raised eyebrows as the water fell down on her.
"I think you already know the answer to that." He responded, Gabby chuckling softly before she turned the water off, Matt turning around and leaning against the counter just as she stepped out of the shower. He was unable to stop his eyes from wandering over her wet body as she reached for her towel, Gabby catching his gaze as she began to dry herself off.
"If you keep looking at me like that, we're gonna be late for work." She spoke up once more, Matt grinning from ear to ear as he tore his eyes away from her form and found her gaze, his head cocking to the side slightly.
"We woke up over an hour before we were supposed to…"
"Yes, I know." She replied pointedly, Matt clearing his throat before shifting uncomfortably against the counter, the sight of her alone getting him more worked up than he'd care to admit.
"Fine." He told her, Gabby scrunching her nose up before wrapping her towel around her body, shielding her from his view as she began walking towards him. "But you can't blame a guy for looking…"
"Oh I can't, can't I?" She asked teasingly, Gabby coming to a stop just in front of him as she crossed her arms over her chest, Matt noticing the water droplets falling down onto her skin from her hair, the liquid sliding down her skin until it disappeared against the towel.
"Nope." He replied, popping the word as it left his lips, Gabby scoffing lightly before she took another step closer.
"Well, I guess that's fair, considering you can't blame a girl for looking, either." She responded, her voice like honey before she bit her bottom lip, Gabby reaching out to run her fingers along the skin just above his towel, Matt's breath catching in his throat at the movement.
"You really do want to make us late, don't you?" He questioned with bated breath, Gabby smirking proudly before rubbing her hand along his hip.
"Maybe…" She spoke softly, Gabby pushing herself forward to capture his lips in a slow, passion-filled kiss that ended way too quickly for Matt's liking. But when she pulled away, she caught a look of something she couldn't read flash in his eyes, her head tilting to the side as she lifted her hand up to cradle his cheek. "...You okay?"
He paused for a moment, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she waited for him to speak, the woman sensing there were words on the tip of his tongue, something he wanted to say. But he didn't, Matt giving her a quick nod before turning his head to press a kiss against her palm.
"I'm good." He replied, his words slightly muffled by her skin before he kissed her hand again, Gabby waiting for a split second before she nodded in response, the woman stroking her thumb along his cheek before dropping her hand.
"Alright… Well, unless you really do want to be late, you need to get out of here and let me get ready." She spoke softly, Matt releasing a quiet chuckle before he nodded, the man pushing himself up off the counter. Before slipping past her, Casey pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin for a moment before he walked away, Gabby unable to hide the wide smile on her face as she watched him leave.
"Alright, you've gotta tell me," Shay spoke up as she drove the ambulance, Gabby peeling her eyes from the window as she turned towards her friend, her eyebrows raised expectantly, "What did the good, ole Lieutenant do now?"
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as Shay spared a glance to her friend, the blonde chuckling softly before shaking her head, her words having broken them from their silence as they were heading to a call.
"You haven't stopped smiling all day."
The grin that was already on her face widened, Gabby bringing her hand up to her mouth as she angled her body towards her friend, Shay looking at her again as she waited for any type of response.
"I'm just happy." Dawson replied with a shrug, though the bright smile on her face told a different story, Shay narrowing her eyes slightly while she kept her focus on the road.
"What? You get laid this morning or something?" She questioned, Gabby chuckling softly before she shook her head, the woman bringing her foot up to rest on the seat before leaning her arm against her knee.
"No, it's not that." She replied, Gabby smacking her lips together before biting down on her fingernail, an expectant look covering Shay's face as she waited for more of an explanation. "It's not any one thing, I'm just… I'm happy." She continued simply, a small smile forming over the blonde's face as she spoke. "I'm really happy."
"And I take it that's because of your man?" Shay asked with a knowing smirk, Gabby ducking her head slightly before nodding. "...So you all living together was the right move?"
"Absolutely." Dawson replied without hesitation, the PIC leaning her head back against her seat as she stared out through the windshield. "I love it, having him around… Coming home to him, it's the best feeling in the world." She breathed out, her smile widening even more.
"You really do love him, huh?" Shay asked, though the question was more rhetorical than anything else, both women well aware just how much the brunette was head over heels in love with her boyfriend.
"More than anything." She responded, her soft words leaving a light feeling in the air around them, though their moment was soon disturbed by Gabby's phone ringing in her pocket, the woman pulling it out as Shay spoke up.
"I'm happy you're happy, Dawson." She replied, Gabby giving her a thankful nod before looking down towards her phone, the woman's eyebrows furrowing slightly when she saw her brother's name flashing across the screen, the paramedic muttering something about giving her a minute before she answered the call.
"Hey Antonio, what's up? I'm working so I can't really talk long." She started, Shay glancing towards her friend before refocusing her attention on the road as she heard muffled words coming through the phone, the blonde knowing they were close to their destination. "No it's fine, what did you need? … Wait, what are you talking about?"
Shay's eyes moved back towards Dawson when she heard the confusion in her friend's voice, the paramedic furrowing her eyebrows when she saw a mixture of hurt and anger flash over Gabby's face, the PIC sparing a quick glance to her as her mouth parted slightly.
"...Matt did what?"
Casey sat at the table in the common room, the man taking another bite of his sandwich as he half-listened to the conversation happening between Otis and Herrmann a few seats down from him. Since he'd tuned them out half the time, he couldn't be exactly sure about what they were talking about, but from what little he had heard, he knew it had something to do with Molly's, Matt really only listening when he heard Gabby's name come up.
"When Dawson gets back, you ask her- cause I can guarantee she'll be with me on this." Otis spoke up, Matt lifting his head up just as Herrmann waved the firefighter off, a heavy scoff escaping the older man's lips before he shook his head.
"No way, the kid will agree with me… it'll bring us a bunch of new business."
"Yeah, or make people run the other direction." Otis huffed out, Herrmann narrowing his eyes as Casey looked back and forth between them.
"...What are you two arguing about?" He questioned, his words gaining the attention of both men just as they heard the sound of the ambo backing up into the garage, signaling that 61 had returned from their call.
"Herrmann here wants to do a karaoke night." Otis replied, Matt raising his eyebrows before looking towards the firefighter.
"What? It'll be good for business!" He defended, Casey releasing a light chuckle before he reached for his glass of water.
"Yeah, Gabby will say no." He replied simply, Otis holding out his arm towards Matt with a knowing look on his face.
"Thank you." Otis replied quickly, Herrmann shaking his head before smacking his hand lightly against the table.
"I didn't ask you." He replied, his accent getting thicker as he got more annoyed, the Lieutenant releasing another laugh before taking a sip of his drink. "I'm gonna ask her, and she's gonna say yes."
As Herrmann finished speaking, the door opened, Matt glancing up to see Shay walk in first, though Gabby didn't seem to be anywhere in sight, the blonde wearing a tense look on her face as she locked eyes with Casey. The firefighter wasn't sure what was going on, but he could only imagine something had happened on their call, the paramedic giving him a look he couldn't read before she turned off down the hallway, Matt's eyes following her until he heard the door open once more.
The second Gabby stepped inside, he could tell something was off. From her demeanor alone, he knew something had happened, he just didn't know what. He wasn't sure if something had happened between the partners, or if they'd had a rough call, and though they hadn't heard anything through the radios, that didn't mean nothing bad had happened, Matt pushing his chair back slightly as his girlfriend stepped into the common room.
"Hey Dawson! I got a question for you about Molly's, I think we should-"
"Not now, Herrmann." She cut him off, her voice barely sounding like her own as she walked straight to Casey, the look on her face only further confusing him as he noticed the hurt shining in her eyes.
"Hey baby…" He spoke softly, Gabby stopping far enough away from him to where he couldn't reach out to comfort her. "How was your call?" He asked simply, figuring that was the best place to start, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she glanced around the room, seeing practically everyone staring at them.
"Can we talk?" She questioned back, Matt immediately nodding as she walked behind him back out towards the hallway, Gabby not even waiting for him to get up before she was out of the room, Casey furrowing his eyebrows as he got up from his chair and followed her. But Gabby didn't stop in the hallway, Matt a few feet behind her as she led him outside, Gabby taking him to the side of the firehouse out by the dumpsters, the man knowing she only came out here when she needed complete privacy. And while he had no idea what to expect, he knew something had happened, and he was ready to do whatever she needed from him, the two coming to a complete stop a couple yards away from the firehouse, Matt leaving little room in between them as she turned around to face him.
"What happened, Gabby?" He asked, worry dripping from his voice as he locked gazes with her, Matt sure he saw a look of betrayal flicker in her eyes, her actions only further confusing him when she took a step away from him, regaining some distance between them.
"You went to see Bryan?"
Matt's eyes fell closed the second those words left her lips, the man bringing his hand up to rub over his forehead as the air around them turned thick, Gabby's expectant eyes boring into him as she waited for any sort of explanation from him. Though the longer he went without saying anything, the more agitated she became.
"Antonio called me," She started when he had yet to speak up, Matt lifting his head back up to meet her dark gaze, "Before we got to our call, he called me and asked me about you going to see Bryan a few days ago. And I had no idea what he was talking about." She continued, her voice faltering slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest, Gabby not missing the look of regret that covered his face, though she wasn't too impressed with that right now. "I just… God, I don't even know what to say, why did you go see him?" She questioned, Matt opening his mouth to respond, but she kept talking before he could. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you think it was okay to go without talking to me first? When you, more than anyone else, know how much I don't want anything to do with him…"
"That's why I went." He murmured, his words cutting through her ranting as her eyes narrowed slightly, Gabby clearly not liking his answer, but she remained quiet to let him continue. "Because I knew you didn't want to see him, you didn't even want to talk about it, which I understand, I know you didn't want to think about it, or him… but he kept asking to see you." He replied, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek as their eyes stayed locked on one another. "Every day, he was asking to see you. He clearly wants something from you, and I was worried that if we just ignored him, then he'd try and get to you once he got out, so I went." He told her as calmly as he could, Matt hating to see the look of hurt shining in her eyes, knowing he was the reason it was there. "I went to tell him to leave you alone, and that you wanted nothing to do with him, so he would back off… I wanted to tell you, I did, but I just…" He trailed off, Gabby shaking her head slightly before she spoke up.
"But you didn't tell me." She replied sharply, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded. "And how did you even know he kept asking? How did-… Antonio." She cut herself off, Casey wincing slightly before he nodded, the man rubbing his hand along the back of her neck as Gabby released a heavy scoff, the woman beginning to pace back and forth in front of him. "That's just great." She replied sarcastically, her hand coming up to rub over her temple.
"Gabby…"
"You two have been talking about this behind my back, planning all this, going to visit Bryan when you knew I didn't want to."
"He didn't know I was going." Matt replied quickly, Gabby's head snapping back towards him, the firefighter not wanting Antonio to take the blame for this when it was his fault. "I… I didn't tell anyone I was going, he only knew because he's been keeping tabs on Walker, if anyone goes to see him, and he was told I went… When I finished, he was waiting for me outside." He told her, Gabby pursing her lips together. "And he told me to tell you, and I was going to, I just…"
"Why?" She cut him off, the woman stopping her pacing as she turned her body back towards him. "...Why didn't you tell me? Why did you go, for days, without saying anything?" She questioned roughly, Gabby unable to mask the hurt in her voice as Matt's sad eyes stayed locked on her.
"I wanted to, there just… wasn't a good time." He replied lamely, Gabby scoffing heavily before she turned away from him. "We've been so busy these last few days, we've barely even seen each other, and I knew this wasn't something that could just be said in passing… We needed to actually sit down and have a conversation about it, but there wasn't time-"
"You could've made time." She cut in, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he nodded, the man knowing she was completely right. "I just… I don't even know.." She trailed off, clearly trying to wrap her mind around all this.
"Gabby-"
"When did you even go?" She questioned quickly, not missing the guilt that flickered in his eyes before he responded.
"...The morning after last shift." He answered, Matt seeing her realization set in as she raised her eyebrows.
"You mean when you told me you were working?" She asked, though they both knew the answer, Matt giving her a nod anyway. "So you lied to me."
"Baby-"
"No, don't do that, Matt." She cut him off, the woman beginning to pace once more as she cradled her head in her hand. "I… I can't believe you didn't tell me, and then you lied about it."
"I messed up." He spoke up quickly, Gabby refusing to look his way. "I should've told you, I should've told you before I even went, and I'm sorry I didn't. I'm so sorry, Gabby, but after I went, I just didn't know how to tell you… I know you don't want to talk about him, or think about him, and I didn't know how to bring it up without hurting you-"
"You doing this behind my back hurt me." She interrupted, Casey's eyes falling closed for a moment as he drew in a slow breath, the man's heart tightening in his chest.
"I'm sorry." He replied, Matt taking a step towards her, the firefighter grateful when she didn't step away. "I'm so sorry, for all of it-"
Casey got cut off by the sound of the bells ringing throughout the firehouse, the man cursing under his breath as ambo and squad got called out, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as their eyes locked on one another, Matt seeing up close just how hurt and betrayed she felt right now.
Without another word from her, Gabby stepped around him, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he turned back to watch her go, his mouth opening before he could even stop himself when she got to the door.
"I'm sorry, Gabby." He repeated softly, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath before she reached for the door handle, Gabby turning back to look at him as she opened the door. "I'm sorry… I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be. I never should've kept this from you, and I'm so sorry."
Dawson's eyebrows furrowed slightly, the woman biting down on her bottom lip before shaking her head slightly, both of them knowing they didn't have any time to finish this conversation right now. "I'm not mad, I just… don't know what to think right now. And I-" She cut herself off, Matt keeping his eyes on her as he waited for her to get the words out. "...I really wish you hadn't lied to me." She told him, her voice faltering.
And the second she finished speaking, she was gone, Gabby disappearing back into the house to go do her job as she left a frustrated and upset firefighter behind, the man cupping the back of his head with his hands as he began to pace back and forth, the reality of how badly he screwed up settling around him as he stood outside alone.