Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you guys like it. Thanks for still sticking around with me on this story, it means a lot. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one.
Also, just a little heads up, there will not be a new chapter for this story next week. I'm gonna take some time to focus on the next update for If We Never Say Goodbye, and I don't wanna try and overdo it, so I'm gonna take a week off from this story. But there should be the next update in two weeks. I just wanted to let you all know, because I know some of you do wait for these updates every week. Thanks for understanding.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter, thanks for reading!
SIXTY
Camila stepped through the foyer, the woman trying to push down the small bit of annoyance she felt at the disruption to their family dinner while she continued towards the front door, knowing that whoever had shown up to her home had no idea they were interrupting anything as she reached for the door and pulled it open. The second she opened it, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, Camila being met by an unknown woman as she stood on the porch in front of her, the Dawson woman putting a small smile on her face before speaking up.
"Hello." She greeted, her words bringing a similar smile to the woman's face. "Can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm uh- I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for my son."
Confusion immediately covered Camila's face before she nodded slightly, the uncertainty of everything settling around her. "Alright, well, I'm not really sure how I can help." She spoke softly, her confusion only growing when she saw the smile on this woman's face widen. "Is he lost?"
"No, I'm sorry- I should've been more clear. And I apologize for showing up unannounced, I'm sure you all are busy, but my son is Matt." She spoke, realization immediately covering Camila's face as she took a slight step backwards, the unsure look in her eye never leaving as Camila was well aware of the distance between Matthew and his family. "Matt Casey."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea. Come in, come in." She offered, Nancy giving her a thankful smile before stepping inside the inviting home. "I, um, I didn't know you'd be joining us."
"Well, Matt didn't either, this is sort of an unannounced visit, I…" She trailed off when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Nancy and Camila both turning to find Matt standing just inside the foyer, his eyes focused tightly on his mother while Gabby came up behind him, the tension and confusion Casey was holding onto evident as Camila looked back and forth between everyone in the room, the older Dawson not missing the worried look covering her daughter's features as Gabby reached out to place her hand on Matt's back.
"Mom?" He questioned after a few seconds, Matt barely registering Gabby's palm placed on him.
"Hi sweetheart." She greeted as Casey took a slight step forward, Gabby following his lead as they came to maybe a foot away from their mothers.
"What are you doing here?" Matt asked, his eyes flickering to Camila before landing back on his mom. "How did you know I was here?"
"I need to talk to you, honey… Hi dear." She greeted Gabby, Nancy completely ignoring his second question as her eyes focused on his girlfriend, Matt glancing back to find her smiling politely at his mom.
"Hi Nancy… It's nice to see you again."
"You too, honey." She replied with a soft smile, Matt's eyebrows seemingly permanently etched together as he crossed his arms over his chest, his mom glancing back towards Camila. "I'm sorry for just coming by, I didn't mean to disturb your evening."
"Nothing to apologize for." Camila waved her off, though the woman did sense how Matt's demeanor had changed since he walked into the room. "Matthew's family is always welcome. I'm Camila." She greeted, Nancy offering her a bright smile before nodding in response. "My husband, Ramon, and our oldest, Antonio, they're in the other room."
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Nancy." She said, reaching out to shake the woman's hand as Matt cleared his throat.
"This is, uh, Gabby's mom. We're at their house." He spoke pointedly, but Nancy ignored it as she just offered them a small smile. "...What are you doing here, mom?" He questioned again, Nancy pursing her lips together before focusing her attention on her son.
"I told you, I needed to talk to you."
"Here? Right now, when we're trying to have dinner? I don't even know how you got here." He spoke quickly, Gabby sensing his rising tension before she tapped his lower back gently with her hand, knowing the action always calmed him down in the past. And her methods seemed to work, Matt forcing himself to take a deep breath and Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek. She wasn't entirely sure why he was so hostile towards his mother, though she figured it probably had something to do with how she'd just suddenly popped back up in his life these last few days, Gabby knowing him and his mother had always had a complicated relationship. And even if that wasn't entirely it, she was sure he had a good reason for his feelings, her hand staying firmly on his back as Nancy looked around the group.
"Can we, um… Can we have a moment to talk? Alone?" She questioned, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath, before he nodded, the man glancing back towards Camila and Gabby.
"Can you give us a minute?" He asked, his eyes focused on his girlfriend as she immediately gave him a nod.
"Of course." She responded softly, Gabby giving him as supportive a smile as she could as Camila took a step towards the door.
"You two take all the time you need." Camila spoke, reaching out to rub her hand along Matt's arm before she left, Nancy not missing the genuine smile that fell onto her son's face as he quietly thanked the woman. Gabby, on the other hand, paused for an extra moment before she left as well, but not before she pushed herself up and pressed a quick kiss against the side of his face, murmuring something Nancy couldn't make out before she left the room, Matt's eyes focused on her until she was out of sight.
"So… I see things with Gabby are still going well."
Nancy's voice grabbed his attention, Matt's straightening his spine as he turned back to face her once more, the man drawing in a deep breath before he gave her a nod, his mother not missing the look of confusion that was still covering his features.
"They are." He replied simply, his eyes narrowing slightly before tracing over her face, Nancy soon matching his look.
"What happened to your face?" She questioned before he could say anything else, her gaze tracing over the remains of the scratches and slight bruising on his skin.
"It's from a call at work, I'm fine... What are you doing here, Mom?" He questioned once more, the man willing to repeat himself until he got an answer, Matt seeing how she averted her eyes away from him; a nervous habit he knew all too well. "How did you know I was here? What is this?" He pressed, waving his hand back and forth in between the two of them, Nancy pursing her lips together before she responded.
"I need to talk to you, or ask you a favor, rather…" She started, Matt unable to stop the heavy sigh that escaped his lips as his palm came up to grip the back of his neck, Nancy sensing his uneasiness before she could even finish getting the words out. "And, well that's what I was trying to talk to you about when I called, and you said you'd call back, but you didn't… So I came here, I didn't realize you were with her family, though."
"That doesn't explain how you got here." He countered, Nancy taking a few slow breaths before she spoke up.
"I went to look for you the other day at your apartment, but you weren't there… " She started, Matt giving her a slight nod.
"I don't live there anymore, Gabby and I moved in together." He said, watching as a small smile formed over his mother's face, Matt's face softening slightly when he saw her genuine joy.
"That's great, honey. Really, I'm so happy for you two." She told him, Matt giving her a slight nod. "I know when I spoke with Gabby awhile back, she said you two weren't living together, so I'm glad to see things are going so well for you two… I'm just glad you're finally with someone who makes you happy." She spoke honestly, Casey's defenses weakening as he gave her a slow nod.
"Me too, Mom… But I still don't know how you knew where I was, unless you followed us here." He spoke, his tone showing he was joking, but the second he saw the guilty look on his mother's face, his back tightened, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before shaking his head. "Are you serious?"
"Honey, I'm sorry, but I really needed to speak with you, and I called you a few times today and I couldn't reach you-"
"I was working." He replied, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing slightly as she spoke up before thinking her words through.
"But you got off shift yesterday morning." She told him, a look of confusion settling over his features before he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I did… How did you know that?" He questioned, Nancy soon avoiding his gaze as realization settled over him, Matt releasing a slight scoff before shaking his head. "Wait- have you been following me?" He asked her, the look on her face giving him all the answer he needed as he took a slight step back. "Unbelievable…" He muttered, Matt bringing his hands up to run over his face.
"Honey-"
"How long have you been following me?" He asked in disbelief, Matt doing what he could to keep his voice calm, knowing Gabby's family was not far away at all. "Have you been following Gabby, too?"
Nancy's eyes narrowed at the accusation, the woman crossing her arms over her chest before standing up straighter, his mother shaking her head roughly. "Don't say it like that, like I'm some stalker- I'm your mother. Your mother who's been trying to get in contact with you, who you've ignored aside from one phone call, so yes, I did go to the firehouse yesterday to see if you were working, and when I saw your truck, I waited. And I did follow you back to your new apartment, but I wasn't trying to spy on you, or Gabby, it was nothing like that. I just needed to talk to you… But then I realized you both would probably be trying to get some sleep after work, and I didn't want to disturb that," She explained, Matt's gaze softening slightly, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed her reasoning. "I figured I'd come back today, but when I got there this morning you were gone, and I wasn't sure if Gabby was home, either…"
"I had a construction job." He answered when she'd gone silent, Nancy giving him a nod before she continued.
"You weren't there, so I left and figured I'd come back later, then when I got there, I was… Well, I was trying to figure out what to say, then I saw you two were leaving, and I just…"
"Followed us." He replied, Nancy drawing in a slow, steadying breath before she nodded, Matt huffing out an exasperated breath before taking a slight step closer to his mother. "You can't just be following me, or Gabby, around, Mom… Or showing up at Gabby's parent's house. That's not okay."
"I know, and I'm sorry. Truly, I am, but I couldn't get you on the phone… When you answered my call the other day, honestly I was surprised you did that. And, I've gotta be honest honey, I'm not sure where this sudden animosity is coming from, and why you won't talk to me…" She spoke pointedly, Matt pursing his lips together as he saw the slight edge of hurt in her eyes, the man rolling out his neck as he felt tension continuing to build in his muscles. "But I'm sorry for following you tonight, I didn't think it through, and I should've just waited until you reached out, but I need your help, and I couldn't get ahold of you…" She finished, her words causing Casey to blow out a heavy sigh before he responded.
"I just… I've had a lot going on, Gabby and I both have, and I knew whatever you were wanting, I-" He stopped himself, knowing he shouldn't say his next words out loud as they were sure to hurt his mother's feelings even more. "We've just had a lot going on." He added lamely, Nancy watching him closely, her motherly instincts kicking in as flash of worry shined in her eyes.
"...Is everything alright? Are you and Gabby okay?" She pushed, Matt pausing for a moment, the man holding his breath before he spoke up.
"Her and I are fine, we've just been dealing with some stuff…" He spoke as vaguely as he could, knowing he'd kind of talked himself into a corner, that his mom likely wouldn't settle with his answer. But he knew he couldn't give her much more than that.
"Everything is alright between you two, isn't it?" She questioned, her eyes flashing behind Matt, back towards the hallway where Gabby had disappeared through, her voice low. "You can tell me if something's wrong, honey."
"No, it's nothing like that. It's not anything between us…" He spoke, almost defensively, Matt not liking where this conversation was headed. "There's just been some other things going on, and it's had us a bit preoccupied. But I'm sorry for not answering your calls." Matt did what he could to steer the conversation back to her, and why she was here, knowing if he didn't, his mom would continue to press the matter. And that was not something he would be getting into with her. Not only was everything that he, and Gabby mostly, were dealing with incredibly personal, and not his information to share, even if he could talk about it, he knew the topic would hit a little too close to home, and that the best thing he could do was just move on. "You kind of just showed up again out of nowhere, but I didn't realize whatever you were wanting to talk about was this urgent." He added, Nancy drawing in a deep breath.
"It is… I, um- I need you to do something for me." She spoke carefully, wringing her hands together as Matt ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, the man waiting to see what she was going to say. "And I know it's a lot to ask, but I, uh- I've kinda got myself in a jam, here." She told him, Nancy wincing slightly when she saw the look that covered her son's face. "And it's not what you think, I haven't done anything, but my ex-" She cut herself off, Matt taking a few shallow breaths to keep himself quiet as he wanted to let her finish, though he certainly already had a few things he wanted to say. "He's just not a good man, he's not the man I thought he was…"
"Did he hurt you?" Matt asked the second she finished, Nancy not missing the concern she heard in her son's voice.
"No, no, it's nothing like that, sweetheart." She replied with a sad smile. "He's just mixed up with the wrong kinds of people, the kinds of people I can't be around…" She said, earning a knowing look from her son. "And I messed up, I should've ended things a long time ago, but I didn't. And now he's gotten himself in trouble, and I- They need proof I wasn't involved in it." She told him, Matt's pensive gaze focused on her as he digested her words.
"...Were you?" He asked, Nancy immediately shaking her head.
"No, I wasn't. I swear to you, I wasn't." She promised, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath. "I wasn't there… He got mixed up with a couple of bad guys, and one of them-" She cut herself off, Matt raising his eyebrows. "He shot one of them."
"Mom…" He breathed out, bringing his hands up to rub over his face, Nancy immediately shaking her head.
"I wasn't involved, Matthew. I swear to you, I wasn't." She spoke forcefully, her voice no doubt reaching the dining room. "I had nothing to do with it, I didn't even know what all had gone on until the cops showed up at my door asking questions… Apparently the man is in critical condition, but stable. But this entire thing has become a mess, and my parole officer, they need to know I wasn't there when it happened… That I wasn't involved."
"What do you need me for?" He asked, his words nearly cutting hers off, though Matt had a feeling he knew exactly what was coming.
"I… I need you to tell my parole officer I was with you." She spoke, Matt immediately releasing a heavy scoff as he shook his head, the man beginning to pace back and forth. "Matt-"
"You can't be serious." He huffed out, his feet burning holes through the floor as he continued to walk back and forth.
"Matthew, honey-"
"You really came all the way here, to Gabby's parent's house, just to ask me to lie for you? When I have no idea if you're even telling me the truth right now?" His words were rhetorical, Matt releasing a few more heavy breaths as he clenched his hand by his side.
"I am telling you the truth." She spoke firmly, Nancy taking a step towards him as his pacing slowed down. "I promise, I'm telling you the truth. I wasn't involved with this, Matthew. But I don't have anyone to say otherwise." She explained, her words causing him to look back towards him, his eyes tracing over her face before he spoke up.
"Your boyfriend- ex, whatever he is, he won't say you weren't there?"
"Him and I… It just didn't end well. I can't count on him to help me with this, and your sister-" She cut herself off, Matt grimacing slightly, "You're just the only person I know who could help me, sweetheart. And I need your help." She breathed out, Nancy clenching her hands together nervously. "This thing- this mess, I can't get dragged down with this… I've done well, I've stayed out of trouble. And my time on parole is almost up… I can't have anything wreck that. Especially not this. Not when I didn't do anything." She spoke, her son drawing in a deep breath as he took in her words, Matt staying silent as a heavy feeling settled around them. "I swear to you, Matthew, I wasn't involved in this. But I don't have anyone to prove that…"
The silence between them prolonged for a few more moments, Matt doing what he could to keep his breathing under control as he tried to figure out what to say to her, his mind running rampant as he worked through how overwhelmed he felt in this moment, this being the last thing he was expecting when he came to dinner tonight with Gabby's family.
"What were you doing?" He asked roughly, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing as he broke the quiet around them.
"What?"
"When this guy was shot- when whatever happened, happened… What were you doing?" He asked again, his voice barely audible as Nancy pursed her lips together, their eyes locked on one another as Matt waited for her answer.
"...I was at home.. Alone." She replied, seeing the flash of hesitance that appeared in her son's gaze, Nancy immediately shaking her head as she took a step closer to him. "Matthew, I swear to you, that's where I was."
"Then why do you need me to lie for you?" He interrupted, Nancy drawing in a deep breath as she shook her head. "If you were just at home, not doing anything, you wouldn't need me to lie for you…"
"I panicked, okay." She admitted, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as the words left her lips.
"What?"
"I panicked… When my parole officer asked me the other day where I was, I panicked, and I said I was with you." She explained, a look of disbelief flickering in his eyes before he scoffed heavily, Matt immediately shaking his head.
"Goddammit, Mom-"
"Matthew-"
"No, why did you drag me into this?" He questioned harshly, his anger taking over as his voice got higher, the Dawson's surely able to hear him in the other room. "If you weren't doing anything, why not just say that?! Why drag me into this shit?"
"Because I thought my own son would have my back!" She yelled, Matt's chest heaving as her loud voice rang throughout the room, the man drawing in a deep breath to steady his anger as Nancy's eyes narrowed. "I told you what happened… I panicked, I thought they wouldn't believe me, and you were the one person I knew- I thought would help me. And now if you don't, I could get in some serious trouble-"
A dry chuckle escaped his lips, the sound cutting her off as Matt shook his head roughly. "Is that really what you're doing? You're trying to guilt me into lying for you?"
"I'm trying to get you to help me." She countered, her tight gaze never leaving her son. "I need you to believe me when I tell you I wasn't doing anything wrong, I just need you to help them believe that… All you would have to do is tell them I was with you, and Gabby, if you want-"
"Do not bring Gabby into this." He nearly growled, Matt's eyes darkening when his mother mentioned his girlfriend. "You hear me? Don't make her a part of this."
Nancy was taken aback by the tone in her son's voice, Matt seemingly not caring that he was speaking to his mother anymore the second she mentioned Gabby, the older Casey recognizing that protective look in his eye as he straightened his back.
"Okay, I won't." She promised, his glare never lifting. "I haven't… I only mentioned you, I didn't say anything about her- I wasn't sure if you two were even… I only mentioned you." She settled on, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded, the tension in his body lessening slightly. But only for a moment, the air around them thick as Nancy's eyes darted around the entryway, knowing she still had no answer from her son. "So, um… Will you do it?" She questioned, his bright blue eyes still a few shades darker than normal as he focused in on her. "Will you help me?"
"You mean will I lie for you?" He responded roughly, Nancy drawing in a deep breath.
"Honey…"
"I don't know, Mom." He spoke, his tone clearly showing his aggravation at her before he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "I… I don't know." He repeated, Nancy biting down on her lip before she nodded. "When- when would you need me to talk to them?"
"I've been putting them off for a little bit, but my parole officer is gonna wanna speak to you soon… She, um- She might just go around me, and contact you directly if I keep holding things off… So I'm not sure." She explained, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he nodded, the man feeling the pressure in his head continue to grow. "I just- I need your help, Matthew… Please."
"...I need to think about it." He breathed out, Nancy clenching her neck tightly, clearly holding back on what she wanted to say. "I just… I don't know, Mom. You kind of blindsided me with this, and I need a second to think."
Slowly, she nodded, Nancy biting down on the inside of her cheek before she took a slight step away from him, her body moving her towards the door, sensing she had done all she could, and the best thing now was for her to go. "Alright, well, um… I'm sorry, again, for showing up here, and for interrupting your evening… Thank you, for listening to what I had to say… It would mean a lot to me if you could do this for me, sweetheart. But you take some time, think about it." She told him, Matt giving her a slight nod before she took another step backwards. "I'm gonna get going, just, uh- apologize, to Gabby's family for me."
And without so much as a goodbye, she was gone, Matt standing frozen in his spot as the door closed behind her, a heavy feeling of uncertainty weighing him down as he stood in the foyer, like he wasn't even sure if that had been a real conversation. Drawing in a deep breath, he ran his hand along the top of his head, Matt trying to get a handle on himself before he walked back into that room, the man not even sure what he'd be walking into. He wasn't stupid, he knew they'd probably heard most, if not all, of his conversation with his mother, especially when they'd started yelling at one another, but truthfully, this entire thing had been such a blur, he couldn't even fully remember what all they might've heard. And because of that unexpected interruption, and the conversation that followed, Matt couldn't say he was eager to walk back into that room, the man feeling a sense of embarrassment wash over him that he hadn't felt in a long time. But he knew he couldn't just stand here much longer, the firefighter sucking in a quick breath before he forced himself to walk back towards the dining room, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he was met with an empty room.
Glancing around, he tried to figure where they might've gone, the man continuing towards the kitchen, guessing that to be the most reasonable explanation as to where the Dawsons had gone. And his assumption was proven correct the second he stepped through the doorway and saw them all inside the room, Camila, Ramon, and Antonio sitting at the small kitchen table under the windows, while Gabby was perched close to him by the door, her body resting against the counters as they all waited for him to be done.
Gabby noticed him first, Matt immediately seeing the confusion and worry resting in her gaze, her lips turned down into a frown as her eyes traced over his features, clearly trying to get a read on him. And within seconds, the rest of them noticing his presence as well, Camila immediately standing up as Matt cleared his throat, the man trying to will away the warmth he felt spreading to his cheeks as the discomfort set in.
"Hi Matthew." Camila spoke warmly, Casey offering her a small smile as her eyes flickered behind him, like she was looking for someone. "Is your mother staying for dinner?" She questioned, Matt giving her a weak smile before he shook his head.
"No, she uh- She had to get going." He replied, his words earning a nod from her as both Ramon and Antonio stood up as well. "But she did want me to tell you she was sorry, for stopping by the way she did." He continued, Camila's eyebrows furrowing as she walked towards him. "And I'm sorry, too… I didn't know she was coming, but I just- Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."
"Oh, nonsense." Camila waved him off with a comforting smile. "You know you're welcome here any time, which means so is your family." She added, the woman coming to press a quick kiss to the side of his face as Matt bent down slightly. "I'm just sorry she wasn't able to stay, but you don't need to apologize for anything, sweetheart." She assured him, rubbing over his arm as he gave her a grateful nod.
"Thank you." He murmured, the woman nodding once more before she stepped past him, Ramon following close behind her, the man patting his shoulder with a strong grip before he left as well, Antonio soon leaving too, but not before offering him a strong nod, showing his silent support for the man until it was just Matt and Gabby left in the room.
She hadn't moved from her spot against the counter, Gabby's eyes focused on him as Matt brought his hand up to run over the side of his face, Casey feeling like he didn't have to keep his composure as much now that it was just himself and his girlfriend. Seeing the tension he was holding onto, Gabby used her hips to push herself off of the counter, the woman walking towards her boyfriend as he pressed his fingers against his closed eyes, Matt clearly more affected by this than he wanted to let on.
Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby reached out to run her hand over his shoulder, her touch causing him to lift his head as he dropped his hand from his face, Matt immediately finding her warm, compassionate eyes focused on him as she ran her palm up to the back of his neck. They stood in silence for a few seconds, the two not needing words to know exactly what was going on in the other's head, Gabby sighing softly as her thumb ran along the side of his neck.
"How much-" He started, shaking his head slightly as he leaned into her touch. "How much did you all hear?" He questioned with a slight wince, Gabby's reaction giving little in the form of an answer as she continued stroking his skin.
"Some… Most of it." She spoke honestly, Matt pursing his lips together before he nodded, Gabby not missing the look of embarrassment she saw flicker in his eyes, though she wished it wasn't there. "My parents were trying not to listen, but…"
"She was loud." He finished, Gabby giving him a slight nod as he released a heavy breath, Matt bringing his hands back up to cradle his face as he steadied his breathing, Gabby's worry for him only growing.
"...Do you wanna go home?" She questioned softly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he shook his head slightly, Gabby's gaze tracing over his features.
"No, no I'm fine… I just wanna enjoy tonight with your family."
"Matt…" She spoke, clearly unconvinced as the man shook his head once more.
"I promise, I'm alright." He assured her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, knowing she wouldn't be able to change his mind. Without a word, she reached for his hand, Gabby lacing their fingers together before she pushed herself up and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips, the woman feeling him relax into her before he reciprocated the action, everything else just melting away as they focused on one another.
When she pulled back, Matt kept his eyes closed for a moment, Gabby not missing the content, small smile one his face as he took a few deep breaths, Gabby rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand as he slowly looked at her. The smile on his face widened when he saw her, Gabby noticing how much calmer he was than a moment ago, Matt bringing their conjoined hands up to his lips before pressing a kiss to her skin, Gabby giving him a soft smile.
"Let's go eat." He told her, Matt stealing another kiss before slowly leading her out of the kitchen towards the dining room, Casey determined to enjoy this night with Gabby and her family, and do what he could to not focus on the words from his mother that were weighing heavily in the back of his mind.
Matt rolled out his neck as he stepped out of the bathroom, the tension from the evening having settled in his muscles, his towel wrapped securely around his waist as he looked up, finding his girlfriend sitting in the middle of their bed, the t-shirt covering her body certainly belonging to him as she looked up from her book.
"Feel better?" She asked, Matt nodding slightly as he walked over towards her, Gabby marking her place in the book before leaning over to place it down on the nightstand, Casey sitting himself down on the edge of their bed with his back to her.
"I do… I'm exhausted, though."
The couple had been home from the Dawson's house for a little over an hour now, Gabby having jumped in the shower first while Matt hung back in the living room, wanting to catch up on some scores from a few different games, before he went and joined her in the shower. But they weren't together for very long until she got out, Gabby leaving him with a quick kiss before she went through her routine before bed, Matt not bothering to hide the fact he stole a few glances at her while she stood at the sink wrapped in her towel before she left him alone in the bathroom. But in all that time together, they hadn't really talked about what happened.
She hadn't asked him about it, and truthfully, he knew she probably wouldn't. Not tonight, at least. But he knew he needed to talk to her. He couldn't avoid the conversation, especially not with her. And if anything, he needed to talk to her just to get her feedback, so she could help him through this. But still, despite his need to talk to her, he was a little hesitant to open up to her about his family, and his mother specifically. His past wasn't something he liked to talk about, with anyone, ever. It wasn't anything he enjoyed thinking about, let alone tell other people about.
But he knew Gabby wasn't just anyone. And if there was one person he'd want to talk to this about, it'd be her. That much he knew for sure. Especially after everything they'd just worked through with him going to see Bryan, the last thing he wanted to do was keep anything from her. But still, the thought made him nervous, because there were things no one else knew about with his family and his past. Things he'd never told anyone, not even Hallie. And he was apprehensive to let anyone in on that part of his life.
But even with that hesitance, that wasn't the only reason he was a little wary of having this conversation with Gabby, Matt unsure of how his girlfriend would feel when he filled her in on everything that had happened with his family when he was younger.
"Matt..."
Matt's eyes snapped into focus when he heard Gabby's voice, the man turning his head back slightly as he felt the mattress shift, his girlfriend moving to sit on her shins behind him as her hands came out to rest over his shoulders. A frown immediately formed over her face when she felt how tense his body was, Gabby releasing a soft sigh as she began to lightly run her hands along his skin.
"Sorry, what'd you say?" He murmured as Gabby started to massage his neck and his shoulders, Matt's head lulling forward as she rubbed over the knots in his body, the woman staying quiet while she continued pressing her hands into him. A low moan escaped his lips when she hit a particularly sore spot, Gabby continuing her methods as her thumbs dug into his muscles, Matt's body relaxing back into her. And as her skilled hands moved over him, he could feel himself losing more and more of the tension he was holding onto, Gabby knowing exactly what to do to help him feel better as she switched between his neck and his shoulders, his sounds of appreciation for her methods coming every few moments as his hands came out to rest on the mattress beside him.
"Your shoulders are really tight, baby." She spoke softly after a couple minutes of massaging him, Matt rolling out his neck as soon as she paused, the man noticing immediately how much easier his body could move.
"Yeah… Guess you just need to do this more often." He replied lightly, hearing the scoff that came from her lips before she continued, Gabby digging her thumb into one rather large knot just above his shoulder, Matt biting back a few curse words as she worked the sore area.
"Don't get your hopes up, mister." She told him, Matt unable to stop his smile as she ran her fingers up and down his neck, Gabby making sure to be thorough as he reached one hand back to rest beside her leg, the feeling of his skin against hers comforting as he felt himself relax more and more. "...Though maybe I could be persuaded." She added, her words earning a chuckle from her boyfriend as he began sliding her hands over the tops of his shoulders before reaching down around towards his chest, Gabby shuffling her body closer to him until she was pressed against his back.
Instinctively, he leaned back into her, Gabby's knees coming to rest on either side of his hips as she placed her chin on his shoulder, Matt's arms resting comfortably against her legs as she continued to lightly run her hand along his chest. The two took a moment to decompress while Matt focused on the feeling of her body against his, the man able to feel most of her as his thin shirt did little to separate them, the warmth radiating from her chest flooding him with a sense of security as they held onto one another.
"What were you saying before?" He asked once more after a few seconds of silence, Gabby pressing a gentle kiss against his shoulder as her arms hung down in front of him.
"I was just wondering if you were alright." She responded, feeling him release a soft sigh as she pressed another kiss to his skin. "You seemed kind of out of it." She continued, both of them skirting around the topic he knew she was curious about, though he was also aware she wouldn't want to be the one to initiate it, Matt giving her a soft smile before reaching up to grab a hold of one of her hands.
"I'm okay… I just- I don't know." He started quietly, Gabby nodding against him as she waited for him to continue. "My mom showing up at dinner, all of that, I… I wasn't expecting that at all tonight." He breathed out, Dawson not missing how his grip on her hand tightened. "I can't believe she just showed up to your parents house… Will you tell them I'm sorry again?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she pulled her head back away from him slightly. "I know they were nice about it, but she kind of messed up our night…"
"You already told my mom like four times, babe." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded. "Trust me, you don't need to apologize anymore. You never needed to apologize at all…"
"Yeah, I did… Her just showing up like that, her coming and disrupting everything… That wasn't okay." He replied, Gabby hearing a slight hint of hostility in his tone, the same one that had been there earlier this evening."I just wish she hadn't done that."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" She questioned the second he finished, Gabby rubbing her free hand along his bare chest as he released a soft sigh, his reaction making her back off a bit. "We don't have to. I just know you're upset about this, and I want to help you." She continued, her boyfriend remaining quiet as he took a few slow breaths. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"
"I do." He replied instantly, his voice barely audible as she leaned her head against his. "I do know that." He confirmed, the man clearing his throat before speaking up once more. "But everything with my mom, and my family, it's-"
His voice got caught in his throat, Gabby's slow breaths hitting his skin as he thought over what he wanted to say, and how he wanted to say it, his girlfriend waiting patiently as he tried to process through the hundreds of thoughts running around in his mind, Matt eventually speaking up after a couple minutes of silence.
"It's just a lot." He settled on, the man wincing slightly as the lame words left his lips, Gabby merely nodding once more against him, Matt feeling her draw in a deep breath as her hand stroked softly over his chest.
"Baby, you know I get it if there's some things you can't talk about. I know better than anyone." She murmured against his ear, Matt giving her a nod as he squeezed her hand supportively. "So if there's some things you can't talk about, or don't feel ready to talk about, I completely understand. But, when you are ready, with whatever it is… I'm here to listen." She assured him, Matt leaning his head further into hers as they sat on their bed, her words calming him considerably as the combination of her soothing voice and the warmth of her touch kept him grounded.
It was quiet for a few moments, Gabby staying silent as she took steady, slow breaths, her boyfriend relaxing more and more into her body as she kept them upright on the bed, his finger tracing patterns along the back of her hands as he matched her breathing.
"She asked me for a favor." He spoke up after a few minutes, Gabby giving him a slight nod, encouraging him to continue. That much, she already knew, Dawson having heard enough of his conversation from earlier to know Nancy had asked him to do something he clearly didn't feel comfortable doing. "She, um- It's a long story, but she was in jail for a while-" He cut himself off, the words hanging heavily around him as waited for some sort of reaction from his girlfriend; he waited for her to tense up, or for her to shy away from him, especially considering everything they were dealing with when it came to Walker, but she didn't. She didn't pull away, she didn't react much at all, Gabby just continuing to rub calming patterns over his chest while taking steady breaths.
"Okay." She murmured when his pause had lasted a little longer, Gabby's mind flooding with hundreds of questions, but none she was going to ask him right now.
"And all that- it's such a mess, and everything that happened, I- I don't know if-"
"Hey, hey." She soothed, Gabby pulling back so she could get a better look at him, the woman adjusting her body to sit next to him on the bed as she sensed his growing anxiety. "It's okay." She spoke, Matt looking towards her as she sat down beside him, her feet resting on the floor beside his as she reached up to run her fingers through his damp hair. "Just take a breath, it's okay." She instructed, Matt nodding before following her lead, the man feeling himself calm down every time he breathed air into his lungs.
"Sorry…" He murmured, Gabby immediately shaking her head before she leaned forward to press a kiss into his hair.
"Don't apologize." She told him, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before nodding, Gabby sensing just how difficult a subject this was for him, and it nearly broke her heart.
In all the time they'd known each other, she'd rarely seen him like this; so lost, and anxious. The only time she could remember was after everyone had been told the lies about him and Hallie, Gabby remembering just how broken he'd been right after that happened. But other than that, she couldn't remember a time seeing him this distraught, and she couldn't say it was something she enjoyed witnessing.
"I'm just… There's a lot that happened there, and yeah- she was in prison for a while… For a long time." He told her, Gabby knowing now wasn't the time to push for any more details about what had happened with his mom as she gave him a nod. "But she's been out… She got out on parole, instead of serving out the rest of her sentence. She's been out for almost five years, and her time is almost up, but she- She did what she always does, and she gets mixed up with the wrong people. She can't help herself." He breathed out frustratedly.
"What happened?" She questioned, figuring that was a safer place to start, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he began to explain what all his mother had said earlier.
He wasn't sure how much detail he needed to go into, Matt well aware his conversation with his mother hadn't exactly been a private one, but still, he told her everything, Casey knowing she'd need to know all of what had been talked about this evening before she could help him come to a decision, Gabby listening intently to every word, the woman digesting what he was telling her as quickly as she could.
"And I just- I don't even know anything about this guy, he ex- But I don't know why she'd risk messing things up. I don't understand why she was ever with him in the first place, but now this is all just one big mess, and she's dragging me into it." He huffed out, rubbing his hand tiredly over his face as Gabby gave him a nod.
"What would happen if you didn't lie for her?" She asked him, Matt catching her gaze before he responded.
"Honestly? I don't know… Maybe nothing. But it wouldn't look good for her. She already told them she was with me, so if I go and say she wasn't, I don't know what would happen… I don't know anything about this guy, or the people with him… I don't know if they'd try to drag her into this or not." He spoke with furrowed brows, Gabby nodding slowly as she digested everything he'd told her.
"Do you know what you're gonna do?" She questioned after a few moments, the man clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he shrugged.
"Honestly? I don't know… I mean, I can't lie for her, can I?" He questioned, his eyes locked on her as she pursed her lips together. "What if they find out the truth? Surely there's consequences for that, and I don't even know if she's telling me the truth or not… I have no idea if she's lying about where she was when this happened, and I-" He cut himself off, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing together as she saw him hesitate.
"...What?" She questioned, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek before he shook his head, Gabby hearing him release a quiet scoff.
"There's a part of me that feels like I should just leave this alone." He admitted, their eyes locked on one another as he tried to gauge her reaction. "I… I mean, why should I help her? She's doing what she's always done, and that's come to me when she needs help. When she gets herself in trouble, suddenly she appears and is in my life again, but other than that? I mean, she hasn't been here… Hell, she couldn't even remember my own fucking birthday." He huffed out as she sensed his anger growing, the woman running her hand along the back of his head and neck to try and calm him down, Gabby coming to understand why Matt felt so much animosity towards his mother. "I just… There's a voice in the back of my head telling me that I should just ignore her, and run the other direction. Because I didn't cause her to be in this mess. I've hardly seen her, let alone do I know what all she's been doing, and I feel like I should just leave it alone… And whatever happens, happens…" He spoke, though Gabby could sense there was more to it, the woman soon realizing exactly what was going through his mind the second they locked eyes. "But then there's the other part of me, that can't help but worry that if I don't do this…"
"She'll end up back in there." She spoke up, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.
"I don't even know how big of a chance it is, I mean, they'd have to be able to prove she was actually involved, right?" He questioned, Matt clearly searching for answers as Gabby gave him a slight nod.
"Yeah, I think so…"
"But if she doesn't have anyone to say she wasn't there, and they try and pull her into this… I don't know what might happen." He breathed out, Gabby scratching his scalp lightly as he placed his palms over his legs. "And, regardless of how things are between her and I… If something were to happen, and she ended up back in there, especially if she didn't do anything… I don't know if I could live with that." He admitted, his words causing a slight frown to form over her lips before she nodded. "She may not be the best mom, but she's still my mom, and after everything that happened, I just- I don't know if I can turn my back on her… But I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should help her." He spoke, his voice unsure as he searched her eyes for any sort of answer, Matt seeing nothing but sadness shining back at him, Gabby knowing she couldn't give him what he was looking for.
"I… I don't know what to tell you, baby… If this were me, would I do it for you?" She questioned rhetorically, stroking her thumb along the back of his neck. "In a heartbeat. Or if it was Antonio, or my parents, yeah, I would. Without a doubt… But I know things with your mom-" She cut herself off, taking a breath before she continued. "They're not easy. I know I don't know much… I don't know what happened, or why she was in prison, but even if I did, I can't make this decision for you, baby." She told him, Gabby trying to keep her own feelings out of it for his sake.
But she hated that Nancy brought him into this, she hated how Matt felt so conflicted, and the thought of him helping her made her nervous. For all the reasons he said, she had no idea what would happen if he lied and got caught, but she also knew it wasn't her place to make this decision for him. Especially when she couldn't sit here and say she wouldn't do the exact same thing for her family.
Releasing a heavy breath, he nodded, Matt reaching his hand out to place his palm over her bare leg, the man giving her skin a comforting squeeze before finding her gaze, Gabby seeing a look she couldn't quite read shining back at her. "I think… I think I'm just gonna leave it alone." He spoke, Gabby slowly nodding, the woman somewhat shocked by his answer but she said nothing. "I know this might end up hurting her, but I- I don't want to be involved in all this, and I don't want you to be involved, either. And if I did lie for her, you'd be a part of this too because you know about it, and if she is lying about where she was… I don't want to do anything that might make this come back on you." He continued, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip. "And with your parents, and god forbid Antonio- if they ever found out, I… The last thing I want is for any of you to be drug into this. So I think it's for the best if I just stay out of it."
She gave him a slow nod, Gabby offering him a small smile as he watched her closely, Matt clearly needing assurance that she thought he was making the right decision.
"Okay." She replied, Matt pausing for a moment before nodding. "If that's what you think is best, then that's what you should do." She told him, Matt giving her a quick nod before he straightened out his back.
"I do… I think it's for the best." He repeated, Gabby nodding in agreement before she leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips, Matt's arm immediately snaking around her waist as he relaxed into her.
Their movements were soft, and slow, Matt thankful for the contact more than anything else before they slowly pulled away from one another, Gabby seeing the heavy exhaustion present in his gaze, a small smile forming over her face before she stroked her thumb along his cheek.
"Let's get some sleep, yeah?" She questioned, Matt nodding almost immediately before he leaned in to give her one more quick kiss, the couple pulling away as quickly as they met before Matt stood up. While he got dressed for bed, the man exchanging his towel for a pair of boxers, Gabby made herself comfortable underneath their covers, the woman laying on her back on her side of the bed while she waited for her boyfriend. And as he walked back towards her, she extended her arm out, a soft smile forming over his face as he paused a few steps from the bed. "Come here." She prompted, waving her hand before he walked the short distance left between them and climbed in beside her, his head immediately nestling into her chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist, Gabby holding onto him tightly while he settled against her.
They didn't switch roles like this too regularly, but Gabby sensed he needed the comfort, the woman running her hand through his short hair as his ear rested just over her heart, the pair holding onto one another with a secure grip as they decompressed after their surprisingly eventful evening, Gabby only letting go long enough to reach over and turn off the lamp, bathing the room in complete darkness so they could finally sleep.
"God, I'm telling you, we need to rectify this whole 'the Dawson's only inviting Casey over for family dinner' thing, it seems a little messed up, if you ask me." The blonde paramedic huffed out as they sat in the back of the rig, the women currently working through their list of inventory. Though it had ended up being more of Shay complaining than anything else, Dawson's partner not too impressed by the lack of time she'd spent with Gabby's parents ever since Matt came into the picture, especially when the topic of their last dinner came up. Though Shay had only gotten the highlights, Gabby knowing it wasn't her place to bring up everything that had happened that night.
"Shay, you're more than welcome to come." Gabby replied with a chuckle as she looked over their list, missing the playful glare her friend was giving her.
"Right? Like I could take away from Ramon and Camila's time with Casey… I swear, they love him more than you." She replied, Gabby scoffing before she lifted the board up and lightly tapped Shay's side with it, the action causing both of them to laugh before the blonde held her hands up in defense. "What? You know I'm right."
"Yeah, no comment." Dawson replied, Shay shaking her head in amusement before returning her attention to the task at hand, the paramedics wanting to get this done while they had the luxury of being alone in the house, truck, squad, and engine having been called out to a fire right at the start of shift.
"Uh huh, I'm sure…"
"Gabby."
A familiar voice cut off Shay's words, the PIC's face covered in confusion before she even looked up, Gabby soon finding the older woman standing a few feet outside their rig, Shay glancing back and forth between her partner and this lady she didn't know.
"Nancy." Gabby spoke, her voice not hiding the uncertainty she was feeling as her eyes flickered back and forth between Matt's mother and Shay. "What, uh… What are you doing here?" She questioned cautiously, knowing she had to be careful with the extra set of ears next to her.
"I came to talk to you… And Matt, but I take it he's not here." She responded, Nancy clearly having noticed the near empty garage.
"Yeah, uh- okay… Shay, can you- I need a minute." She stuttered out, her partner nodding reluctantly before she moved to climb down out of the rig.
"Of course… I'll be inside." She responded, the paramedic offering the older woman a small smile before she walked towards the firehouse, Gabby climbing down out from the back of the rig as well, Dawson keeping her distance as she waited to make sure Shay was out of sight before returning her attention to Nancy.
"I'm sorry for just showing up like this…" She spoke before Gabby could get a word out. "I know I keep springing up on you all, and I don't mean to, but this- It's important. And I needed to come here…" She said, Gabby's back tensing slightly as she had a pretty good idea of why the older Casey was here. "I just- I need you to talk to Matt for me." She requested, Dawson releasing a heavy sigh before she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Nancy…"
"I need you to get him to help me." She continued like Gabby hadn't said anything, the desperation in her voice clear. "I'm assuming he talked to you, and told you what happened, and I need you to talk to him."
"You really need to speak with him." Gabby cut in, knowing the woman had no idea Matt had decided not to help her, and Dawson couldn't be the one to tell her that.
"Gabby, he'll listen to you." She pushed on, Dawson releasing a heavy breath. "I don't know much about my son these days, but one thing I do know is that if anyone can get him to see reason, it's you." She said, Gabby unable to stop her eyes from narrowing as those words left her lips.
"This isn't just something he needs to 'see reason' on." Gabby bit back suddenly, Nancy hearing her rough voice, the older woman surprised to hear how upset she sounded. "I'm sorry, but what you're asking him to do… That's not some little thing, Nancy. And even if it was, I'm not gonna tell him what to do."
"I know, I know it's a lot." She countered. "I know that, and it's not fair to him-"
"You're right." Gabby cut in, her voice hard. "It's not fair to him. It's not fair to him at all, he deserves better than that. You, showing up out of the blue, asking him to do this- to lie like this for you, after you haven't been there for him. That's not fair to him." She snapped, Nancy clearly taken aback by her tone as Gabby's harsh glare focused on her, the paramedic unable to keep her annoyance at the woman across from her hidden any longer.
"Gabby, you don't know-"
"You couldn't even remember his own birthday." She interjected, Nancy pursing her lips together before she sighed heavily. "He's your son, and you barely remembered that. And if I had to guess, I'd say the only reason you told him at all was because you needed something from him."
She could tell her words had been like a slap to the face, but a part of Gabby didn't care, Dawson's need to protect Matt outweighing everything else. Because while she didn't know much about the history of Matt and his mother, she knew how affected he was because of whatever had happened between them, not to mention what was happening right now, and she couldn't help but feel angry at the person who had left him feeling as lost as he did.
"I'm really not trying to cause any problems here, I promise I'm not." Gabby continued when Nancy had yet to say anything, the paramedic having calmed down a bit as his mother's gaze stayed locked on her. "But your son has been alone, for a long time… Certainly for as long as I've known him, he hasn't had you in his life, and then you show up now only when you need something, he doesn't know how to feel about that." She spoke, her truthful words slicing through the thick air. "So no, that's not fair to him. And I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, or being rude, but you just showed up and asked this huge thing of him, with no regard for him in any of this."
"That's not true, Gabby." She fought back, Gabby pursing her lips together before straightening out her spine. "I know you're just trying to protect him, and I'm glad he has you, but, no offense, you have no idea what you're talking about. You've been in my son's life for all of two seconds, so I don't need a lecture from you." She spoke harshly, her words getting more hostile by the second as Gabby gave her little in the form of a reaction, their gazes locked on one another as the paramedic clenched her neck.
"...I think you should go." She responded quietly, Nancy releasing a heavy breath before she nodded, the woman tightening her hold on the bag over her shoulder before she took a step back.
"Yeah, I probably should." She agreed, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as Nancy began to walk away. But she only got a few steps before she stopped, Dawson keeping her eyes on her as she looked back. "...I know you have a problem with me because of this, because of how Matt feels, and I can't change that, but if you'd just talk to him... I need his help. I served my time for what happened to his father, I don't deserve to go back there." She spoke, Gabby keeping her face blank despite the new information she'd just been given, "And I know I haven't been the best mother, that he's had to do a lot on his own, but I love him, Gabby. I love my son, and I love his sister, and I want to be able to be here for them. To make up for all the time I've lost… And if he doesn't help me, I might not be able to do that. So please, Gabby… Please, talk to him."
She turned back around nearly as soon as she'd finished, Gabby unable to keep back the words sitting on the tip of her tongue, the woman blurting out her next sentence before she could even stop herself.
"You've been out for five years…" She spoke roughly, her words causing Nancy to stop, but she didn't turn back around, Gabby seeing her tense slightly. "If this was really about him, you would've shown up a long time ago."
Her harsh words hung in the air, Nancy staying silent as she stood frozen in her spot for a moment, before she began walking without another word, the woman disappearing from the garage. With frustration coursing through her body, Gabby turned back to the rig, the woman huffing out a heavy breath as she slammed her hand against the back of the ambulance before she could stop herself, pain shooting through to her fingertips while she hung her head down to the ground, the woman coming to realize she just might've made this all much worse.