Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. And before we get started, I wanna say thank you for all the feedback on the last one. I'm glad to see you all are still enjoying this story, and I hope you all like this one too.

I know this chapter is a little shorter than normal, and I'm sorry for that. And I'm sorry for getting this update posted later than I normally do, as well. I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to get a chapter out to you all for this story this week, it's been a difficult few days for me personally, so I didn't know if I'd be able to get this one posted. But luckily, I was able to, and I do really like how this chapter turned out, so I hope you all do as well.

Thank you so much for reading, I can't wait to hear what you think. Stay safe, everyone xx

SIXTY NINE

Casey stood at the counter in the common room while ignoring the less than subtle stares from his coworkers, his foot tapping impatiently against the ground as his gaze focused solely on the double doors that were straight across from him, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. He'd been standing like this for awhile, Casey having been plastered to this spot ever since he came out here nearly ten minutes ago now, since he left Gabby in the seclusion of his office, though there certainly was a part of him that wished he was still in there with her right now. But he couldn't be, at least not while he was waiting on one specific person to get to the firehouse, the same person he'd called about half an hour ago to explain to them what had happened at Molly's last night.

And as expected, Antonio was livid when he'd heard of Walker coming around. Even through the phone, Casey could tell how angry he was as he'd been filled in on what the Lieutenant knew, and it was a feeling Matt completely understood. In fact, if not for him keeping his focus on Gabby ever since they returned from the call that had interrupted them this morning, he knew he'd be absolutely incensed at what Walker had done. But he couldn't be, he couldn't let himself feel that anger, not when Gabby needed him.

So he'd pushed it down, from the second Gabby walked into the coat room he pushed everything to the back of his mind. Though there was the nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that once the older Dawson got here, his true feelings would be harder and harder to ignore.

Casey's eyes snapped into focus when he heard the door open, his spine involuntarily straightening as the detective rushed in, Antonio not focused on anything other than the man standing at the counter while Matt took a few steps towards him, the two meeting beside the table.

"Casey, man…"

"Hey Antonio." He greeted, going what he could to keep his voice as calm as possible while Antonio's eyes quickly darted around the room before landing back on him.

"Where's Gabby?" He questioned without another thought, it becoming clear to everyone in the room that Antonio's main priority at the moment was his sister, though most of them had no idea what was going on.

"In my office." Casey replied softly, Antonio pausing to take a steadying breath before he nodded.

"Is she-" He cut himself off, looking around the room once more. Though this time seemed to be a bit different, like he was realizing this wasn't exactly a private conversation they were having as everyone in the room was watching them. "How is she?" He rephrased, figuring that to be safer as his eyes refocused on Casey, Antonio not missing the flash of hesitation that flickered in his eyes.

"...She's okay." He responded softly, lifting his hand up to run along the side of his neck, the older man giving him yet another nod as he understood Matt wasn't going to go into more detail right now. Running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Casey was just as aware of all the eyes on them, the man knowing they definitely needed to go somewhere a little more private before saying anything more. And while usually, his office would've been the perfect place for a conversation such as this, it wasn't an option right now as the entire reason Gabby hadn't left the bunkroom with him was she didn't want to be there while it was explained to her brother what all happened, his girlfriend making it very clear she had no interest in hearing it again. So their options were a little more limited now, Matt releasing a soft sigh before nodding towards the briefing room. "Let's go talk in here."

Not needing anymore prompting, Antonio took the first steps towards the room, Matt staying put for a split second as his eyes bounced around the room before they landed on Severide, his friend sitting next to Shay at the long table while they both watched him closely.

"Severide." He spoke simply, Kelly understanding immediately that he was wanted for this conversation as Matt turned to follow in the direction Dawson had gone. Pushing his chair back, Kelly stood up from the table, feeling Shay's eyes on him the entire time he moved. As he stepped around her, he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, silently telling her everything would be fine before he walked across the room towards the door, ignoring the looks he was getting from everyone else.

From his position in the chair, Herrmann watched the door fall closed behind Severide, the firefighter able to see them through the windows but not able to hear what was being said as he sat up a little straighter. As a heavy feeling grew in the air around them, Herrmann adjusted himself in his seat, turning back towards the table to look at Shay, finding her also staring off in the direction Severide had gone.

"...What was that about?" Otis spoke up first, the firefighter voicing what everyone was thinking as the first responders of firehouse 51 glanced around at one another. "Did something happen to Dawson?" He pressed when he was met by nothing but silence, it not lost on any of them how urgently Antonio had arrived mere moments ago.

"I don't know… But if I had one guess, I'd say I know what it's about." Cruz replied, Herrmann clenching his neck as he looked at them. "With how Casey and Severide were acting this morning, and Antonio being here, I'm guessing it has to do with Bryan." He continued, lowering his voice slightly though everyone could still hear him. "...But I have no idea, does anyone know?"

Everyone in the room continued to stay quiet, some of them shaking their heads in response, Herrmann releasing a heavy breath before he looked back towards Shay once more, finding her eyes already on him. He raised his eyebrows slightly, the blonde responding with a quiet shrug before nodding once, silently giving him the go ahead to tell everyone what happened.

"Shay?"

Otis' voice hit Herrmann's ears, both him and Shay realizing they'd been trying to get her attention as they looked at him.

"Do you know?" He repeated, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath before she spoke.

"I…"

"Walker showed up at the bar." Herrmann cut in suddenly, his words causing the room to fall completely silent as everyone looked at him, it taking a few seconds for them to register what he'd said.

"What?" Mouch found his voice first, Herrmann feeling the uncertainty and confusion filling the air within seconds as no one in this room aside from him and Shay knew what all went down last night at Molly's.

"Walker was at Molly's?" Cruz added, Herrmann blowing out a sharp breath between his teeth before he nodded. "When?" He questioned, his tone a bit harsher than it had been previously.

"Last night." Herrmann told them, a slight wince covering his face before he stood up as to be able to better address the room.

"But I thought he wasn't allowed there?"

"He isn't… But he didn't come in, Shay and I didn't see him, he only talked to Severide, but he- He was there." His words were getting more and more harsh as his sentence went on, everyone feeling just how tense he was as he slowly started to pace back and forth. "He was hanging around outside the bar, waiting to do God knows what, all because he could." He snapped, a few of the first responders in the room sharing unsure looks as the older man continued to walk back and forth.

"Herrmann…" Mouch tried to calm him, but he waved him off.

"He just showed up, and we can't do anything about it, we can't do anything to stop it." He nearly growled, the room almost stunned by how angry he was. It wasn't like they didn't understand the feeling, because they all felt this way towards the man they used to call a friend. But this felt like something else, like Herrmann had been holding onto this for a while as he was flooded with anger.

"But she has a restraining order-"

"And look what good it's done!" He shouted, his words causing them all to go silent as anger rolled off of him in waves. "He can still get close to her, he can still be outside the bar, or the firehouse, like it's nothing. He can do whatever he wants-"

"That's not entirely true." Mouch interjected, quickly earning daggers from his friend.

"It feels like it is, because there's nothing anyone can do about what happened last night. Because he didn't 'technically' break any laws, but he still was able to mess with her. He was able to mess with her like he's done for years, except now we know about it and we still can't do anything to stop it!" He vented, a few members of the firehouse family getting the sense that this was something Herrmann had pushed down for a long time, likely since they found out about what Bryan had done, but his reappearance into their lives had forced it back to the surface. And now he couldn't ignore it anymore. "She can't even come to work, or go to Molly's without wondering if he'll show up. Because he's out and about in the world, able to do whatever he damn well pleases, and we can't do anything to make that better for her… We can't do anything now, just like we didn't do anything then." He huffed out, the firefighters looking around at one another with confused glances, while Shay kept her eyes on him as the paramedic completely understood the feeling.

"Herrmann, man… We didn't know what he was doing to her-"

"But we should've." He cut him off, shaking his head roughly before running his hand over his mouth. "After we found out what he'd done- what he'd been doing, I think on some level we weren't surprised…" He continued, his voice a bit lower as the entire room listened to him, a few of their eyes widening slightly. "We had no idea what he had been doing, but I think there were parts of us that knew something wasn't right there, just by how much Dawson had changed. But we didn't try and figure out what was going on, we didn't help her- We just listened to Walker, when he told us everything was fine with them… And Gabby paid for it." His heavy words hung in the air, them being a hard pill to swallow for all of them as he voiced the guilt he'd been holding onto for months. "We weren't able to help her then, and I feel like we can't help her now, either… And-" He stopped short, Herrmann releasing a rough scoff as the heaviness of his footsteps increased.

"...Herrmann." Otis spoke, the older man shaking his head roughly before he took a few steps back towards the hallway, clearly rattled by this entire thing despite the fact that they all knew this wasn't their fault. But it was obvious that knowledge wasn't stopping Herrmann from blaming himself as he held his hands up in front of him defeatedly, a harsh look resting across his face before he finally spoke up one last time.

"We weren't there for her when she needed us. And I- I know she didn't tell us, she didn't want us to know, but we still let this happen. We didn't see the signs, the signs we all know about, and she suffered because of it. And now… Now that bastard is back, and we can't make that any better. There's nothing we can do to stop him from coming around and-" He cut himself off, the soft murmur of the television the only other sound that could be heard as Herrmann shook his head once more, his entire body rigid. His eyes soon met Shay's, the man knowing the paramedic was likely the only other person in the room who knew how he was feeling right now. The only other person who had been holding onto all of this since they found out what had been going on. Except despite how awful he felt right now, Herrmann knew it was worse for her, the firefighter drawing in a shaky breath before saying the last thing he needed to get off his chest.

"What good are we when we can't even protect our own?"

He turned around to leave without another thought, everyone watching as he walked towards the garage and pushed the door open forcefully. Clearly he needed some time alone as the weight of his words began to hang in the air around them, no one knowing what to say as they were coming to understand their friend had a point, it just wasn't an easy thing to face.

Casey pressed his hand roughly against his temple as he listened to Antonio and Severide go back and forth, the squad Lieutenant giving him as much detail as he possibly could about what had happened the night before. And in this moment, Matt was glad Gabby had chosen to not be here for this, as Severide's detail of what had been said was somehow worse the second time around. But despite the constant anger he felt bubbling in his gut, he continued to listen as the two men spoke to one another, Matt sensing just how pissed off Antonio was as well.

"And that's all he said? There's nothing else?" The older Dawson pressed, his entire body tense as he stood at the front of the room with his hands on his hips, Severide shaking his head.

"That was it… He just left, and I went inside." He explained, watching as Antonio nodded before he began to pace in front of them.

"...And Gabby was supposed to be working that night?" The detective questioned, Matt lifting his head up when he realized he was being spoken to, his eyes finding Antonio's before he nodded.

"She was… but I don't know how Walker would've known that, if he was lying and he was there for her. I don't know how he would've known their schedule, but she was supposed to close... I called Shay the day before and asked her to cover it." He told him as Antonio's tongue poked out between his teeth to run along his bottom lip, the man thinking over his words for a few moments before responding.

"Well, he could've just figured Molly's was a good place to start, regardless of if he was trying to get to my sister or not." Antonio replied as Matt nodded in agreement. "If he was trying to mess with her, he knew it was a place he could go and make up an excuse that he was just wanting to see everyone else," He started, Antonio's gaze locked on Casey. "...Or, he actually was telling the truth, and he wasn't there to see her."

A loud scoff escaped Casey's lips before Antonio could even finish the thought, the truck Lieutenant shaking his head as he pressed his palms down against the edge of the table he was resting his weight against. "Not you too, you can't believe that?" He questioned, though from his tone it was clear his words were more rhetorical than anything else. "We all know he went there because of Gabby."

"Casey…"

"No, you can't honestly sit there and say you don't think he went there for her?" Matt fired back before they could get a word in, Antonio shaking his head immediately.

"I do think he was there because of her." He responded before Matt had the chance to cut him off again, the firefighter relaxing slightly when he came to understand he and Antonio were on the same page. "There's not a doubt in my mind that he went there to see her, but the problem is we have no way to prove that." He continued, Casey huffing out a breath. "Based on what Severide's telling me, he never went on the property, and he was adamant he wasn't there to see Gabby… legally, there's not much I can do with that."

"But he was at Molly's." Casey countered with raised brows. "I don't give a damn that he wasn't on the property, he still went there. When he knows he's not supposed to, you're telling me you can't do anything?"

Antonio could hear how frustrated he was, and he felt the exact same way. But his hands were tied here, and he knew Casey already knew that. "Until we have proof of stalking, or harassment, there's nothing I can do." He spoke as he blew out a sharp breath. "Stuff like that, those are grounds for him violating his restraining order, but him showing up outside Molly's one time, when that's a place all of you go… That won't get us anywhere with a judge." He told him, the detective able to tell from Casey's body language alone that he didn't like what he was hearing.

"But-"

"If he keeps doing it, then I've got something we can use." Antonio spoke over him, sensing exactly what Casey was going to say. "Regardless of why he's doing it, if he keeps showing up at Molly's, then I can do something. We can use it as grounds for a harassment charge, and violating his restraining order. But I can't do that until there's a pattern of it… Right now, as much as I hate it, there's nothing I can do Casey." He added, his neck clenching while he spoke.

Blowing out a harsh breath, Matt nodding reluctantly before his head hung down towards the ground, Severide looking between the two men with a concerned look covering his face. The tension in the room was palpable, Matt gripping the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles were turning white as Kelly focused in on him.

"Casey…" Kelly started, his voice causing the man to look up at him, Severide seeing nothing but a dark anger in his eyes. "I know that this probably doesn't help, and you have no reason to believe anything Walker says, not after everything he's done… But I'm the one who talked to him, and I know I told you this already, but… There's a part of me that thinks he was telling the truth."

Matt's gaze narrowed as Antonio took a step closer to both men, Casey relinquishing his grip on the table to push himself up into a standing position, Kelly staying put in his spot a few steps away.

"I'm not saying you're wrong for being worried, and pissed off that he's coming around," Severide continued when Casey had yet to say anything. "But I… I've known Walker a long time, and I know he's not the man I thought he was, but something about the way he was talking…" He trailed off once more, shaking his head as his palm came up to grip the back of his neck.

"Severide, I'm sorry, but I don't really care about your opinion on all this right now." Matt spoke roughly, Severide sensing his defenses rising as he took a step forward. "This man lived his entire life to terrorize her and abuse her for the last three years- almost four now, he was adamant about seeing her while he was in prison, and now you think that's just suddenly changed?" He asked, though his question needed no answer. "Give me a break."

"I'm not saying he's changed." He clarified, feeling the glare of both Casey and Antonio on him. "Because he hasn't, I don't think he can… All I'm saying is the way he sounded, how he was talking about Gabby last night…" He trailed off, not missing how Matt's body tensed slightly. "He didn't sound like he wanted anything to do with her."

Matt thought over his words for a moment, the firefighter glancing to Antonio and finding the same uncertain look on his face as well, both men clearly unsure of what to make of Severide's words. Because while they desperately wanted to believe them, they knew they couldn't.

"Look, I know you both are still gonna be worried," Kelly spoke when they had yet to say anything. "And you have every right to be, I'm just telling you what I think… You know I'd never do anything that might hurt Dawson, but I'm trying to help." He told them softly, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

"I know you are, Sev." He replied with a small smile, one that certainly didn't reach his eyes.

"We know." Antonio echoed, his voice causing Kelly to look towards him. "And you are the only one who spoke with him, so that does help, thank you."

Severide gave him a nod, the squad Lieutenant looking back and forth between both men, seeing a look he couldn't read in Casey's eye. He still looked pissed off, like he could throw a punch at any moment, and Kelly knew he would if the source of his anger were here, but there was something else in his gaze that he wasn't able to understand. But before he could linger on it any longer, Matt spoke up.

"Severide, can you- Can you give us a minute?" Casey requested, Kelly pausing for a moment before he nodded, the man already taking a few steps back towards the door to the hallway.

"Yeah, of course." He responded, the man giving Antonio a nod before he turned around just as he got to the door, both men left in the room staying quiet until he was out of sight, needing to ensure they had complete privacy.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Antonio took a few more steps towards the table Matt was standing in front of, watching as the firefighter leaned his weight back down against it. The air around them was quiet for a few moments, neither man saying a word until Casey eventually looked back towards him with an unreadable expression over his face.

"...You still don't believe any of that, do you?" He questioned, his tone rough, almost like he was challenging Antonio to disagree with him.

"No." The older Dawson replied without hesitation as Casey gave him a nod. "I think Severide might believe what Walker's saying, but I don't- not for a second."

"Good." Casey replied sharply, Antonio giving him a slight nod before continuing.

"Walker's nothing but a narcissistic prick, who, from what I can tell, is obsessed with my sister. And I don't think ninety days in prison could change that… Not when we know he spent at least half of it wanting to see her. I don't think he's changed at all, and I think this little stunt he pulled last night, going to Molly's… I doubt he knew my sister was supposed to be there, but I think he was hoping she would. I think he went there to see her, or least make sure she knew he was there… Everything he told Kelly, I don't buy that for a second."

Casey nodded in agreement once more, Antonio keeping his gaze on him for a few more seconds before he blew out a heavy sigh, Dawson taking the last few steps towards Matt as he came to a stop directly in front of him.

"Look Casey, like Severide said, I know telling you not to worry about this is pointless, because I'm gonna be worried too, but I'm gonna be keeping an eye on him…"

"On Walker?" He questioned, Antonio nodding in response.

"It's not exactly… by the book, but I'm not just gonna let that abusive asshole roam freely without me knowing what he's up to." He elaborated, earning an agreeing look from Casey. "I know I told you that day at the prison that I'd be checking in on him anyway, but now that he's out, I wanna know what he's doing. And that way, if this does become a pattern, him coming around, being where he's not supposed to be… We'll know."

"Good." Matt said once more, his eyes darting out towards the hallway before looking back towards the detective. "Are you, uh… Are you gonna tell Gabby you're doing that?" He questioned, watching as the man pursed his lips together before crossing his arms over his chest. "I mean, does she know you were gonna be doing it in the first place?"

"I never told her." Antonio replied, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded. "I don't know if you did, but I don't know… On one hand, I don't want to keep her out of this. But on the other, I don't want her anymore worried about this, or him, than she already is… What do you think?" He asked, giving Casey a few moments to think over his response.

"Honestly? I think you should tell her." Casey eventually replied. "I don't want this to consume her, but I think she deserves to know… I don't want to leave her in the dark about anything with him, not again. That's not fair to her. And I also think it will give her some peace of mind." He added, catching the way Antonio's eyebrows raised expectantly as he waited for him to say more. "It'll probably help her feel better, having that assurance that he's been keeping his distance." Matt finished his thought, Antonio biting down on his lip before he nodded.

"I think you're right… I'll make sure to tell her, probably before I leave." Antonio spoke as they caught each other's gaze, Matt giving him an agreeing nod.

"Yeah, that'll be good. And I'll think she'll be glad to see you, she just- she didn't feel like being out there with everyone." He explained, though he didn't really need to as Antonio had come to that conclusion on his own pretty quickly after he'd got here.

Taking a few slow breaths, Antonio leaned back on his heels as he thought over the words sitting on the tip of his tongue before he spoke up. "...How is she really doing?" He asked, repeating his same question from earlier, though now he knew he could get a real answer.

"I… I don't know." Matt breathed out, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I haven't been able to spend too much time with her, with the call, and then I called you pretty much the second we got back, but so far I can't really tell." He explained, almost defeatedly as he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "She was a little shaken when I first told her, but then when we got back from the call, she seemed to be alright, but… Usually I know where her head is at, I can look at her and know what's going on with her… But right now, with this Walker thing-" Casey cut himself off, shaking his head as a heavy sigh left his lips. "I don't know, man."

"Yeah, she gets like that sometimes…" Antonio responded softly as Matt gave him a slight shrug.

"Through this whole thing, I've pretty much been able to tell what's going on with her… But since I told her about Walker being at Molly's last night, I just- She's hard to reach, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing." He continued to vent, the older man listening to his every word. "But all I do know to do is just be there for her, and hopefully, despite what we think, Walker does mean what he says… and Gabby can finally move on with her life."

Nodding in agreement, Antonio walked towards him and gently placed his hand on Casey's shoulder, the action causing him to look up at him. "I've lost count of how many times I've said this to you since this whole thing started, but I really am glad she has you, Casey." He spoke sincerely. "You've helped her since you two met, but especially since all that stuff with Bryan went down, and him going to prison… I don't know what she would've done without you during that. You were by her side then, and I know you'll be by her side now."

"Of course I will." He spoke without hesitation as his spine straightened, Antonio giving him an approving nod. "You know she's all I care about here."

"I know." Antonio replied softly, giving his shoulder a firm squeeze before dropping his hand. "She's always been your priority, that's part of why my Ma and Pop love you so much." He added, the light tone in his voice getting rid of some of the tension around them for a few moments, Matt responding with a small smile before he nodded. "Which, speaking of my parents, they're not gonna be happy about this…" He huffed out, Matt sitting up a little straighter. "But I'll tell them Walker's been… whatever he's doing, so Gabby doesn't have to deal with it. The less she has to worry about right now, the better."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Casey agreed, Antonio giving him a slow nod before he took a slight step backwards, his head turning towards the hallway for a brief moment as he saw a few firefighters walking by.

"Well, uh, I need to get going here soon… The team wasn't expecting me to leave like I did, but I wanna talk to Gabby before I go." He spoke as Matt pushed himself up off the table. "Is she still in your office?"

"As far as I know, yeah."

"Alright… You mind if I have a minute?" He requested, Casey immediately shaking his head.

"No, of course, take all the time you need." He assured him, though his words got cut off by the bells sounding off above them.

Both men paused for a moment, before hearing that truck 81 was being called out to assist with an accident, Matt blowing out a soft sigh before he took a few steps towards the door. "Will you tell Gabby I'll be back? … I mean, I know she knows, but-"

"I will, Casey." Antonio assured him, Matt responding with a nod. "I'm just gonna check in, make sure she's alright and let her know what we talked about, but I'll let her know."

"Thanks man." He responded before he took a few quick steps towards the door, but he abruptly stopped once more. Antonio was unsure of what he was doing, the detective knowing he didn't really have much time to waste as someone was in need of his assistance. "Just, uh… Can you keep me in the loop… With Walker?" He asked, Antonio's head tilting to the side. "I'm not sure if Gabby will want to know or not, if she'll want you to keep her updated on what he's doing, but I do… Can you just let me know what's going on?"

Antonio nodded without hesitation, Matt giving him a thankful look before pulling the door open. "Yeah, of course I will."

"Thank you." He replied, Antonio giving him one last nod as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Be safe out there." Dawson added, Casey nodding in response before he hurried to the garage, Antonio keeping his gaze on him until he was out of sight. Releasing a soft sigh, the man walked towards the opposite door, the one that would get him to the bunk room quicker as he went in search of his sister, Antonio wanting to see her and make sure she was alright before he went back to work.

"Do you really think it's necessary?" Gabby asked as she paced the confines of Matt's office, her brother's words leaving an unsettling feeling in her stomach as she looked up at him. "You think that you need to watch him, to make sure he doesn't come near me?"

Antonio blew out a heavy breath, the man leaning his weight down against Casey's desk as his hand came up to rub over the back of his neck, Gabby keeping her eyes on him. "I think it's for the best." He replied as the younger sister pursed her lips together. "This dick- We know what he's capable of, and I'm not taking any chances here… Not with you."

A light scoff escaped her lips before she could stop it, Gabby shaking her head as her gut reaction was to fight back. "Tonio, I really don't know if you stalking him will change anything… He's gonna do whatever he's gonna do anyway…"

"Not if I'm able to stop it." Antonio replied without hesitation, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before meeting his gaze. "Look Gabby, I'm well aware that you can take care of yourself. But I'm your big brother, and over my dead body will I let that abusive asshole get anywhere near you again." He spoke, his voice faltering slightly as Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, his reaction reminding her of how she wasn't the only person affected by what Walker had done. "So yeah, I'm gonna be watching him, making sure he doesn't even get the chance to get close to you… I know you think this is probably overbearing, but I'm sorry, I don't care. I'm not taking any chances here, all that matters is that you stay safe."

The younger Dawson took a few slow breaths, seeing just how much pain her brother was holding onto as he watched her, his eyes shining as she gave him a slow nod.

"Okay…" She gave in, Antonio's shoulders relaxing before he gave her a small smile. "If you think it's for the best, alright." She added as her brother pushed himself up off the desk and walked towards her, his arms wrapping her up in a comforting hug, one she needed more than she realized.

"Dawson?"

Gabby's eyes snapped into focus when she heard her name being called, the paramedic being pulled from her thoughts of yesterday afternoon as she blinked quickly, before realizing that practically everyone in the common room was staring at her. Her eyes soon found Matt's as the man was sitting beside her, a calming look resting over his face despite the fact she could see the hint of worry in his eyes.

"Sorry, what?" She questioned after clearing her throat, this having been the first time she'd really said much of anything since she'd woken up for her somewhat deep sleep all of ten minutes ago. And while luckily, it had been a slow night at the firehouse and she'd been able to get some sleep in Matt's office, she still wasn't quite awake yet as her eyes moved around the room once more.

"Herrmann was just asking if you wanted some breakfast." Matt supplemented softly, realization covering her face before she looked towards the older man who was standing behind the counter.

"Oh, uh- I'm fine, thank you though." She replied, Herrmann giving her a nod before he went back to his task, Gabby drawing in a slow breath as she felt Matt's gaze still focused on her. "...Yeah?" She asked after a few seconds, her voice a lot quieter than it had been moments prior.

Before he said a word, his eyes traced over her face, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as she could sense his concern from here. It was the same way he'd been acting all shift, the way he always acted with her, Matt clearly worried for her and wanting to know she was alright. And she couldn't even say she blamed him, Gabby knowing she'd given him more than enough reasons to worry about her lately.

"You sure you don't want something to eat?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly before she shook her head. "We have time."

"No, I'm alright. I'll just get something at home." She responded, Casey pausing for a moment before he nodded.

"Alright, well do you at least want some coffee?" He asked, nudging his coffee cup towards her as she gave him a pointed look.

"You mean do I want that black coffee you drink? No thank you." She spoke lightly, Matt unable to stop his grin as he was just glad to see her in a good mood, the man holding his hand up in front of him.

"It's not just straight coffee…" He defended, though he knew he didn't need to as Gabby was well aware of how he prepared his drink, the PIC shaking her head before nudging it back towards him.

"It might as well be… I'm fine, thank you." She replied, Matt opening his mouth to respond to her, but he was cut off by the sound of the bells going off.

A collective groan could be heard throughout the room as the group soon realized their end to shift would be taking a little longer than normal, the firefighters beginning to get up and head for the garage as squad 3 and truck 81 were called out to an apartment fire.

"I guess I'll just wait for you to get back." Gabby told him as Matt pushed himself up from his chair, the man glancing down towards his watch, seeing shift was only a few minutes from being over.

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he shook his head, Gabby giving him a questioning look. "Why don't you just go ahead and go home, I can get a ride from Kelly." He told her, Gabby tilting her head to the side slightly. "There's no telling how long this'll take, I don't want you sitting around here for hours… You know where my keys are in my bag." He added, nodding towards the duffle bag that was sitting on the ground.

"Oh, uh… I don't mind, babe."

"I can drive her." Shay piped in, Matt quickly glancing towards her, knowing he didn't have much time. "That way you don't have to worry about getting home, and Dawson and I can hang out until you get back." She spoke, her eyebrows raising slightly as she spoke to Casey, the man soon understanding the implications of her words.

He knew what she was doing, that Shay knew Gabby wanted to be at home, but she didn't want to be there alone. That she'd feel better with someone else there, and he felt the exact same way, if the wave of relief that swept through him was any indication.

But it wasn't just Casey who had picked up on what Shay's words meant.

"I don't need a babysitter." Gabby cut in, Matt pursing his lips together before he took a few steps back, shaking his head slightly.

"I know you don't, but I think it would be a good idea. That way you two can have some time to hang out without getting interrupted by work." He covered, Matt walking backwards out into the hallway, not leaving Gabby any time to challenge him as he headed for the door. "I love you, I'll see you at home!" He called after her before disappearing into the garage, Gabby rolling her eyes before glancing towards Shay, the woman merely watching her a slight smirk.

"Did you two plan this? So I'd never have to be by myself?" She questioned, Shay holding her hands up in defense.

"I just wanna hang out with my friend." She replied, her words earning a scoff from Dawson before the brunette paramedic got up from her own chair.

"Yeah, whatever you say." She spoke lightly, Shay giving her a bright smile as Gabby continued out of the room, the woman going to get her things from the locker room so her and Shay could leave.

Bryan sat in his car, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel as his eyes focused on the apartment down the road, the man far enough away from the building to not draw any attention, but close enough to be able to see anyone coming or going as he waited patiently. He wasn't entirely sure if she was home or not, but based on how her car was parked outside across the street, he figured she was inside, Bryan not sure on how long he'd have to wait to be able to get a glimpse of her. But he was willing to sit here all day if he needed to, Walker just wanting to see her at least once. It had been too long, far too long since he'd laid his eyes on her, and that needed to be fixed.

And though he wasn't allowed to see her, the restraining order effectively keeping him from getting too close, at least for now, that didn't mean he couldn't watch from afar. And, despite how much he hated the legal document keeping him from being with the love of his life, it had come in handy for one thing, and that was giving him Gabby's address. It was something he'd tried to find out a while ago, long before he went to prison, but no one would ever tell him. But now, at least with this restraining order he was able to know where she lived. Granted, the only reason it was given to him in the first place was because it was meant to tell him the places he couldn't be, but that didn't matter right now. Not when he knew she wanted to see him.

As he was sitting and waiting, Walker couldn't help but notice the car that pulled up outside Gabby's apartment, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw them park. He was too far away to be able to see who was inside, but his body soon relaxed when he saw her.

The second she got out of the car, he knew it was her, the smile on his face widening as he watched her get out of the passenger side of the vehicle and shut her door, Gabby slinging her shift bag over her shoulder before turning to whoever she was riding with. And as he tore his eyes away from Dawson, he soon recognized the other person to be Shay, his grin growing even more as he felt his body overcome with relief.

Though he had no doubt before he'd even got out of prison, he was glad to see he'd been right about Gabby and Casey not being together anymore. Because if this moment told him anything, it's that with Shay being here with her instead of Matt, that likely meant that Gabby was no longer with his former Lieutenant. With as unnecessarily protective as Casey was, there was no way he wouldn't be here with her if they were still together, but since there was an entirely different blonde here now, that meant his suspicions were correct. And he couldn't be happier.

But he also wasn't surprised, not in the slightest, to see that things had ended with Casey. Not only was their entire relationship based on the fact that Gabby was just trying to mess with him, but he knew she didn't actually have feelings for the man. Their entire relationship had been a sham, one that likely ended the second he was out of the picture. Even though Casey had said he and Gabby were still together back when he visited the prison, Bryan wasn't sure how much he believed that. And even if they were, clearly they weren't anymore. Something had changed, and he was sure it had everything to do with him; in fact if he had to guess, he'd say Gabby probably got mad at the Lieutenant for how he'd treated him during his visit, and things had likely crumbled from there.

But even if that wasn't the case, regardless of what caused it, Gabby was no longer with Casey, and he knew that gave him an opening to fix things between them. With all the time he'd had to think over the last few months, he'd come to realize how he could see why Gabby would be upset with him. That maybe he'd gone too far. But that was only because of the way she'd acted; had she not challenged him, things never would've escalated to that point. Had she not gotten with his former boss, he would've never gotten so mad at her. She caused all of this to happen, and he was sure she knew that.

And if she'd be willing to own up to her mistakes, if she could make it up to him, and then let him apologize, they could move on, and continue having the life they always should've had. He just had to find a way to get close to her to explain all that to her.

But for now, admiring her from a distance would have to do. Until he had some sort of solid plan, he knew he needed to stay away. He couldn't keep trying to see her or visit her apartment, or Molly's, or the firehouse, or he was bound to get caught. So, as much as he hated it, he knew this would likely be the last he saw of her for a little while. And despite the fact that he couldn't stand it, he knew he didn't have a choice.

His smile started to falter when he saw her and Shay begin to walk towards her front door, the man realizing he was about to lose her for a little while. Huffing out a heavy breath, he began to feel around in his pockets as he searched for his phone, Bryan desperate to get a photo of her to have before she was out of sight. But he soon came to realize he didn't have his phone on him, the man cursing underneath his breath as he remembered last seeing it on his coffee table at home.

Releasing another sigh, he chose to focus on Gabby for long as he could, Bryan knowing he had no other choice than to soak her in now, the small smile returning to his face while he watched her walk up the steps.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to go over there and talk to her. To go and make things right between them, so they could start fresh. That was truly all he wanted, but he knew he had to wait. Now wasn't the right time, no matter how badly he wanted it to be.

But he just had to wait. He had to wait for the right moment.

And he would… No matter how long it took.