Hello there everyone! I'm here with the next chapter for you all. This one isn't quite the same as the last update, but there's still some cute Dawsey moments for you all as we move along in this story and I'm really excited for you to read it.

I hope you all enjoy this one. I can't wait to hear what you think, and I'll see you next time. Happy reading, everyone!

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO

Gabby glanced around at the homes in front of her as she pulled up to the curb in the unfamiliar neighborhood, her eyes moving towards Matt's truck after she parked behind him before she looked back to the house, the bustling of men coming and going from the property combined with her husband's vehicle telling her she was in the right place.

In the month that had passed since Casey took this construction job, she hadn't had the chance to come and visit him. Not when his schedule was all over the place, Matt typically coming and going from the home a lot, while there were also usually a lot of people here. So she just never took the time to come, knowing she'd just be a distraction to her husband more than anything else.

But that changed today after she'd decided to make the trip out here, her visit fueled mostly by the fact that before she left their apartment this morning, she saw that Matt had accidentally left his lunch on the counter. And seeing as how she was already close by- due to her therapy appointment with Adrian, she figured it couldn't hurt to come and see where her husband had been working lately. As well as bringing him his lunch, which she was sure he was desperate for right about now.

Dawson checked the time before making any movements, seeing that it was just now around the time Matt usually took his break. Meaning everyone else probably did as well, Gabby assuming this was the best time to come and see him as she turned off her car, grabbed the lunch she brought him that was in her passenger seat, and then got out of her vehicle.

The cold March air hit her body as soon as she stood up, Gabby zipping up her jacket a little tighter before she locked her car and headed for the house. She had to maneuver her way around a few different handymen and construction workers, Matt certainly not exaggerating about the size of this project as there were all kinds of men here to work. But she did her best to slide past them without being noticed, seeing as how she wasn't really interested in having much of a conversation with them- especially once she saw their less than subtle stares, Gabby doing nothing more than offering a polite smile before she walked into the front door.

When she stepped into the rather spacious home, she was momentarily taken aback by how welcoming the building felt. Even with all the noise and chaos, this house was beautiful. And she was sure it would be even better once they finished all the renovations.

Not wanting to linger around too long, Gabby slowly began to make her way through the hallways of the older home in hopes of somehow finding her husband. But this place was like a maze, Gabby having no luck on the first floor as after a few minutes of searching she ended right back where she started without locating him.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Dawson turned towards the voice, seeing one of the men she'd noticed in the kitchen during her earlier sweep walking towards her, the welcoming smile on his face causing her to grin as well before she nodded.

"Hi, um.. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of Matthew Casey?" She asked, holding up his lunch in her hands as emphasis of her words, the man understanding immediately while offering her a friendly nod.

"Yeah, of course. He's upstairs in the master bathroom, it's the first door on the right. You can't miss it."

"Thank you." She replied, the two exchanging a couple last pleasantries before she started her way up the steps, Gabby staying out of the way of the other men she passed until finally getting to the top of the stairs and stepping quickly into the bedroom.

As soon as she was in through the doors, it was already much more calm than the rest of the house, a small smile tugging on her lips when she heard the recognizable sounds of someone working in the bathroom. The same someone she knew to be her husband, Gabby's shorter strides soon getting her there as she stepped in through the open doorway to see Matt working over by the shower.

His back was to her, Casey clearly deep into his work as he hadn't heard her enter or noticed her presence, the sight of him causing the smile on her face to grow even bigger before she cleared her throat. Matt's head turned up at the sound, that signature Casey grin taking no time to appear over his features as he all but dropped what he was doing to walk towards his wife.

"Hey baby." He greeted brightly, pulling his gloves from his hands and tossing them down onto the workbench before he reached out to her, his palm resting over her side while his lips pressed into hers.

"Hi." She said between sweet kisses. "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

"No, never. I'm so glad to see you." He replied, his words soft and genuine. "I wasn't expecting you to stop by, though."

"Well, I was in the neighborhood." She reminded him, beginning to see a knowing look from him as they both were aware that Adrian's office was only about a fifteen minute drive from here. "And I wanted to bring you this." Gabby added on, holding up the bag of food in her grasp, his eyebrows furrowing before he looked back towards the wall. Like he was searching for something, Dawson assuming he was likely trying to locate his usual lunch until he realized he didn't have it. "You left it on the counter this morning." She filled in the blanks.

His lips parted slightly, Matt nodding up and down before his gaze returned to the food she brought. The meal that clearly wasn't the food he typically packed.

"I knew you'd need food, but I figured something a little more substantial would be better. So I brought you this." She continued on, earning a thankful nod from him as he carefully grabbed the bag from one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. But he didn't even need to look inside of it, as he had a gut feeling she'd stuck to his usual order; a steak burrito filled to the brim with toppings, with chips, salsa, and guacamole on the side, Casey returning that smile to his lips before he moved to give her another kiss.

"You're the best, thank you." Matt whispered against her, feeling her smile as they exchanged a few more innocent kisses. "Can you stay a bit, or do you need to get going?" He questioned after taking a few steps back from her, placing the bag of food down onto the bench before wiping his hands off on his jeans.

"I can stay for a few minutes." She replied, seeing a hint of joy in his eyes as he nodded. "But you should go ahead and eat, I'm sure you're hungry."

"I will in a bit." He waved her off, before gesturing towards the same workbench he seemed to keep all his things on, silently telling her to take a seat. Which she soon did, Gabby walking over and hoisting herself up onto the wood, her feet dangling in the air while Matt stood next to her. "How are you doing, how'd therapy go?" He asked once she was settled, Gabby sure the question had been on his mind ever since she got here. Especially when she knew he didn't like how she'd gone by herself today, as Matt always hated missing her appointments.

There was never much for him to do, except sit quietly outside the room for an hour, but he still liked to be there for her, Gabby not having gone to many sessions without him in all the time she'd been doing this. But sometimes it was unavoidable, and today had been one of those days.

"It was good." She responded simply, noticing the way his face lit up. Almost like he was relieved to hear it, before he began to nod.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm, we had a good session. It went well."

"I'm so glad, that's great, babe." He told her with a smile.

"Yeah, we were able to talk about some things. How I've been doing, and handling everything. It was nice." She prefaced, knowing she had his complete attention as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "And while we were talking, we were talking about my sessions, and both kind of realized that I don't think I need to keep going anymore."

His eyebrows raised quickly, clearly caught off guard by her words. But he soon recovered while taking small steps towards her, until his hip was brushing against her knee. "Really?"

"Yeah." She softly repeated. "Just because I haven't been going as much anyway, or haven't needed to go as much. Him and I both think I'm in a really good place with what happened to me, and to us. I've accepted it, moved past it… we both have. So we talked about that, and I came to the decision that I'm okay to not go anymore." She explained further, Matt listening to her every word while placing a gentle hand over her thigh. "He told me I could always keep coming if I needed to, or wanted to.. That I could still keep up my appointments just to have someone else to talk to, but as far as where the shooting is concerned, he told me I've made a lot of progress." Gabby finished, feeling a small sense of accomplishment while she spoke, knowing that a few months ago she never would've felt this sure of herself.

"Well, he's right about that, you have. You've done amazing, baby." He murmured, his supportive tone causing her smile to grow. "I know how much Adrian has helped you, and I'm so grateful for that. But if you think you don't need to go anymore, that's great… As long as you feel good about it."

"I do." She promised, his encouraging gaze never faltering as he rubbed his hand along her leg.

"Good. Then that's all that matters." He replied, the two sharing another content grin before she pulled him closer for a kiss. "...I'm just sorry I couldn't be at your last session with you."

"That's okay, you weren't missing anything. And besides, you were needed here." She told him, her eyes then moving around the bathroom that had been completely demolished, but was slowly coming back together. "This house is so beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?" He said, looking around as well before returning his attention to her. "It would be a great place to live… Way different than an apartment." Matt added on lightly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement while she reached up to rest her hand over his chest.

"Definitely. And a much bigger commitment, too."

"You're not wrong about that… But it wouldn't be so bad." He spoke with a shrug, regaining his wife's eye contact as a somewhat knowing smirk appeared across his face. "What do you think about that, anyway?" Matt pressed on, prompting her to raise her eyebrows. "Getting a house."

"I take it you mean together." She teased back without missing a beat, pulling a chuckle from him as she patted her palm against his chest.

"Well, that was the plan, yeah." He played along.

"The plan, huh?"

"Yup." Matt answered, popping the word when it left his mouth.

"Tell me more about this plan." Gabby pushed on, the smile on his face deepening before he moved to stand in front of her. Her legs instinctively widened, giving him room to come close to her while her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I think you already know the plan, baby… Marriage, a house, kids. You and I being together for the rest of our lives. Though I already got you to marry me, so we can check that one off." He spoke lightly, Gabby laughing in response as she held onto him a bit tighter. "Figured maybe a house should be next, or babies.. Take your pick."

The playful demeanor between them was refreshing, Gabby's nose scrunching up while Matt placed a fleeting kiss to her forehead. "Smooth talker." She muttered, feeling a laugh come from deep within his chest before he kissed her once more, a soft, comforting silence beginning to surround them while they stood in this bathroom.

His words didn't necessarily catch her off guard, if anything she was glad to hear them as every time there was any mention of their future together, she felt a reassuring warmth spread through her system. Because she never got tired of being reminded of how they both wanted the same things.

That this is the life they wanted together. They both wanted the house, they both wanted kids; they just hadn't talked about when exactly. Though if their conversation today was any indication, she had a feeling that discussion would be happening sooner rather than later.

Not now, while they were here in a random person's home. But soon. And she couldn't wait.

"So, what do you think?" He asked when she had yet to say anything, Dawson practically able to feel his grin before she pulled back enough to look at him.

His hand came up to rest over her cheek, Gabby leaning into his touch for a moment before she responded. "...I think that you and I are on the same page, like always." She first told him, the goofy smile that covered his face causing her heart to tighten in her chest, as she was just so devotedly in love with the man in front of her. "And I think when we're ready, and when the time is right… When things settle down a bit, a house would be perfect."

His eyes were shining while she spoke, Matt nodding before he used his gentle hold on her face to pull her closer, their lips connecting in a soft, passion-filled kiss. They were moving together, Gabby gripping his t-shirt tightly in her hands as she wanted him as close as possible, the two getting completely lost in one another. It wasn't until they heard a voice calling out for Matt, that they remembered where they were.

"Matt? Are you in here, I was wanting to check- Oh." This woman stopped herself abruptly when she saw the proximity Matt and Gabby were in, the couple not pulling away fast enough as their moment together was interrupted by this person Dawson didn't recognize. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company." She continued on, Casey letting out a soft laugh as he took a step away from his wife, while Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth in an effort to hide her embarrassment at them being caught in a rather intense makeout session.

"Yeah, uh- Sorry about that, Theresa." Casey said after clearing his throat, his body staying close to Gabby while he faced this woman- Theresa. While Dawson didn't know much about her, she recognized the name instantly as Matt had mentioned her a few times since starting this job, Gabby glad to finally put a face with the person her husband was working for. "I was about to take my lunch break, and got a little distracted." He continued to apologize while holding off a smile, Theresa merely watching him with an amused look in her eye before she continued into the bathroom. "But Theresa, this is Gabby." Matt introduced them, while Gabby shot her a soft smile.

"You must be the wife." She gushed excitedly, her tone alone telling Dawson that this woman knew exactly who she was. "Or, at least I hope you are." She joked, Matt and Gabby both laughing softly before they nodded.

"She's the wife, she's definitely my wife." Matt assured her, while his hand sporting his wedding band rested over Gabby's leg.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Theresa kept on happily, Dawson slowly sliding down off the workbench to make herself a bit more presentable while the younger woman came to a stop in front of them. "I've heard such great things, Matt here never stops talking about you. It's the sweetest." She added, Matt grinning sheepishly while Gabby let out a chuckle.

"Oh, does he?"

"He definitely does." She replied lightly, her warm demeanor hard to miss as she looked back and forth between them.

"Well, I can't say I mind hearing that." Gabby told her, the two women sharing a laugh before she continued on. "But it's nice to meet you, too. Matt told me this is going to be your house?" She asked, her hand resting lightly over her husband's back.

"Mhmm, mine and my fiancé's." She began to explain. "My grandfather left it for me after he passed, and I felt like this would be the perfect place to start our family, you know." Theresa spoke, her hand slowly moving down towards her stomach. And it was only then that Gabby realized this woman was pregnant, as it wasn't very noticeable. To the point where Dawson would've never assumed anything had it not been mentioned. "There's so much room, and it's a great neighborhood.. Close to the city, but not too loud. We love it here so much, we just wanted it to be updated a bit before moving in." She finished, as Gabby gave her a noticeable nod.

"That's great, for the both of you. This house is beautiful. And congratulations, to you and your fiancé." Dawson replied sincerely, causing Theresa to smile.

"Thank you, Gabby. I appreciate that… And yes, this house really is wonderful, we can't wait till it's done. But Matt, and all the guys here- they've all been a godsend. They're working so hard to make sure everything's done, so we can move in before the baby. They've been such a big help, and Matt especially. He's always doing whatever he can to help me and my fiancé, Jamie. Your husband really is such a great man." She complimented, like Casey wasn't even standing here.

But that didn't stop Gabby from looking at him, the husband and wife sharing a small, loving smile before she started to nod. "Yeah… He is. He's an incredible man." She replied, her eyes never leaving him before leaning forward to place a kiss to the side of her head.

"Oh, you two are so precious. I see now why Matt is always raving about you." Theresa spoke while clasping her hands together in front of her, Gabby releasing another laugh while Matt moved closer to her. "But I won't keep you two any longer, I only came to make sure you didn't need anything but you should take your break, Matt." She said after a moment, as Casey nodded. "And Gabby, it really was so great to finally meet you."

"You too." She responded, the two giving one another soft smiles before Theresa made herself scarce, the owner of the home disappearing without another word leaving Gabby and Matt alone in the bathroom. "...She seems sweet." Gabby murmured, Matt turning back to look at her only to find her eyes still focused on the doorway.

"Yeah, she's really nice. Her and her fiancé both are." He agreed, Gabby nodding before finally glancing his way.

"I'm glad… It's good that your first job back is with nice people." She replied, earning a warm smile from her husband as she glanced down towards her watch. "I guess I should probably get going, too… You need to eat and get back to work, and I don't want to distract you." Gabby told him after a moment, Matt huffing out a displeased breath.

"You're a very pretty distraction, though." He told her, Gabby's smile widening before she pushed herself up to give him a kiss, the two staying together for a few moments until she eventually pulled back, her eyebrows raising almost instantly. "...What?" Matt questioned after seeing the look on her face.

"Do you really talk about me all the time while you're here?" Gabby asked back, Matt now grinning shamelessly while tightening his hold on her.

"Just every day." He replied proudly, causing her smile to widen. "What? I love my wife, and I want everyone to know it."

His words, though lighthearted, still meant a lot to her, Gabby shaking her head lightly before she moved to kiss him once more. "You're a dork." She told him, though the smile never left her face.

"I know, but you love me anyway."

"I do, I do love you." She agreed while he smirked in response, the two then sharing a few more easy kisses before finally separating from one another, Matt moving to sit in her previous spot on the bench while she stepped backward in the direction of the doorway. "Do you know how long you'll be today?" Gabby asked, zipping her jacket back up while she prepared herself for the chill outside.

"Maybe six or seven?" He told her, Matt pulling out his food that was sure to be cold by now. "I'm not sure, I'm hoping to finish up my part here today but we'll see." He explained, as she nodded. "Are you heading home?"

"I'm not sure yet." Gabby answered, her words prompting him to look back up at her. "I might go to Shay's, or my parents… I don't really feel like hanging around the apartment by myself today, so I might go spend time with them."

"You should, I think that would be fun." He encouraged, knowing it was always good for her to be around people. "I know your parents always love getting to spend time with you, and if you go see Shay maybe she'll stop complaining about how I've stolen you from her." Matt said, his reference to the blonde's running joke causing her to laugh.

"Yeah, we both know she'll never drop that.. But it would be nice to get some time with just the two of us."

"Then you should go." He said, Gabby nodding in agreement with a soft smile on her face. "Just let me know where you're at… I'll probably try to meet up with you after work unless you're at home, if that's alright."

"Of course it is, I'll let you know what I'm doing." She promised, Matt nodding thankfully before he went back to unwrapping his burrito. "I hope you have a good rest of your day, I'll see you later baby." Gabby told him, blowing him one last kiss as she headed for the door, leaving Casey in the bathroom to watch her go with a small smile on her face.

"Bye babe."

"Do you want wine or tequila?" Shay called from the kitchen, Gabby glancing over in that direction while she sat comfortably on the couch with her feet curled up underneath her, Dawson looking between the two options in her friend's hands before she gestured to the right.

"Wine." She answered, Shay smirking knowingly in response before setting the bottle of tequila back down on the counter. "Tonight seems like a good night for wine."

"It's always a good night for wine." Shay countered while she walked back over to the living room, with a wine bottle and two glasses in her grasp.

"Fair point." Gabby replied, Shay reclaiming her spot next to her while handing her the clean glass, the pair staying quiet as she filled their cups with the dark liquid. "Thank you."

"Mhmm." Shay hummed in response, setting the bottle down on the coffee table before relaxing back into the sofa.

"Where's Severide tonight?" Dawson asked, eyeing the glass that had been filled up nearly to the top. Though she wasn't complaining.

"Out with some girl." Shay said simply, Gabby's eyebrows raising in response.

"Really?"

"Yup. He's gone out with her a few times, seems to like her." Shay told her, not missing the slight smile that started to form over Gabby's face.

"Kelly has a girlfriend?" She joked, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Who knows. He says it's not serious, he won't even bring her here. But he seems to like her… He's gone on like four or five dates with her, which is a lot for him."

"How did I not know about this?" Gabby questioned, taking a large sip of wine. "Matt hasn't said anything."

"I don't think Kelly's told him." Shay replied with a shrug. "He seems to want to keep this to himself, I only found out cause I wouldn't stop pestering him about it." She added on, causing Gabby to smirk knowingly. "That, and because Mr. Dawson has been so damn busy, Severide's hardly seen him."

A wince started to pull on Dawson's face before she slowly nodded. "Yeah, Matt has been pretty tied up lately… This new job, he's working a lot." Gabby explained, though she didn't really need to. "But that's good about Severide, right? That he's found someone he seems to like."

"I think so." Shay agreed softly, after downing a big gulp of alcohol. "I haven't met her, so hopefully she's not a serial killer or anything. But Kelly seems to really like her." She continued while Gabby nodded.

"Well, I'm happy for him." Dawson told her, Shay smiling in agreement before she took another drink.

"Me too… But enough about Severide and this mystery girl," She started, Gabby chuckling as she shifted her body more to the back of the couch. "Let's talk about you, how are things in the Casey household?" Shay asked, seeing her friend's face soften into a smile. "Married life still everything you thought it would be?"

Gabby knew Shay was teasing her, but that didn't stop her words from being true. "It is, it's… better, I think." She told her, seeing Shay watching her intently while she spoke. "It's about as close to perfect as anything can get, especially now that we're not having to save any ex-fiancée's family, or nearly dying together."

A deep chuckle came from the blonde, before she shook her head. "That's dark." She mused, Gabby shrugging in response after taking a sip of her wine.

"It's just the truth, we were constantly getting things thrown at us. But now that it's been calm for a few months, and we've been able to enjoy each other and our marriage, it's been incredible." Gabby told her, with a gentle smile forming across her face. "Every day with him, it's just… It's like a dream. I don't know how I got so lucky." She finished, Shay smiling knowingly as she reached over to pat Dawson's arm.

"Aw, honey." She murmured, as Gabby ducked her head. "You two are so cute, I'm glad things are good." She told her, before a sly smirk started to reappear over her lips. "Though if anything, I think Casey's the lucky one.

Gabby let out a soft laugh. "No, it's definitely me. He's the greatest man, the greatest husband… He's so kind, and generous. He's patient, with me and with everyone. And thoughtful."

"And great in bed, hopefully. For your sake." Shay interjected after another drink, Gabby merely rolling her eyes in response as she could tell the alcohol in Shay's system was helping to loosen what little filter she had.

"Anyway, he's just an amazing person. He always has been… It's like everything he does is for other people. Cause you look at him and this job now, where he's been killing himself for the past month, working these long hours for these people so their house can be ready for them, all while still making as much time for me as he possibly can."

"So he hasn't been shirking his husband-duties because of this job, that's good to know." Shay checked, before downing the rest of what was in her glass and pouring herself more.

"No, not at all… We haven't had as much time together because he's working, but we always make the most out of what time we do have. And it's been so good for him, to get some work again that he loves." She explained, prompting Shay to nod.

"Yeah, I imagine he's liked getting back to that." She added on.

"He really has. And even though it's been keeping him busy, him and I are still good. We're great… Just enjoying being married; what that looks like for us, and figuring out the future and everything. It's been incredible." She finished, her friend smiling for a moment before she spoke up.

"The future, huh?" Shay asked with a gleam in her eye, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before meeting her gaze.

"Yeah, the future. We were talking some about it today, actually… He wants to buy me a house." Gabby told her, Shay's head cocking to the side before a bright grin broke out across her face.

"Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Before or after he impregnates you?" She asked without missing a beat, Gabby rolling her eyes before reaching out to shove her arm. "What? It's a valid question, especially after he gave you that baby necklace. We both know you two are gonna have all kinds of little mini Casey's."

"We probably are, but that's not the point." Gabby quickly replied.

"Alright, so I guess the house is coming before the babies." She mused playfully as Gabby finished her drink, Shay wasting no time in filling the glass up once more. "But that's great, Dawson… You and him getting a house together, that's so exciting." She added on, her words much more sincere than moments prior.

"It is, it's.. I don't know, it's crazy to think about. Where him and I are now, after where we started… wanting to get a house, and have kids and everything. It's so surreal sometimes." She breathed out, her admission causing the smile on Shay's face to widen. "But it's amazing. All of it is… The house and babies and all that, it won't be happening right this second, but still it's fun to think about."

"You mean to tell me you're not going to buy a house tomorrow?" Shay joked, Gabby chuckling in response while shaking her head.

"No, it won't be that quick, Shay… At least I don't think so." She replied, the two sharing a smile before taking another drink.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Knowing lover boy, he probably already has a house all picked out." She told her, Gabby scoffing lightly while adjusting her legs underneath her.

"Well, if he does it better be a nice one." She played along, their loud laughs filling the room as alcohol continued to take over their system. "But no, nothing's happened yet or been decided… But it's nice to think about, one day us having our perfect home with our perfect kids. We can't wait for it." Dawson breathed out, Shay rubbing over her forearm once more as she nodded.

"I can't wait for you to have that either, babe. You both deserve that." Shay sincerely said, Gabby's smile starting to grow as she nodded. But the genuine feeling in the air didn't last much longer, when the soft look on Shay's face turned into a much more devilish one, a smirk appearing over her lips before she gave Gabby's arm a squeeze. "But, now that we've gotten past the sappy stuff and I know all about Matt wanting to give you your dream home, it's time to talk about what's really important," She prompted, Gabby's brows knitting together as she could only imagine what was about to come from Shay's mouth. "You two have been married for, what? Nearly six months now. So tell me.. is the sex still good?"

Gabby huffed out a heavy breath at her friend's blunt words, her head moving back and forth while Shay began to laugh.

"Shay…"

"What? Everyone always says the sex gets boring once you've been married, I'm trying to look out for you." She continued on, Dawson's feigned look of annoyance slowly turning into a small, yet noticeable smile before she leaned forward to grab the bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table.

"I'm gonna need more to drink for this."

Casey locked up his truck before jogging over to the sidewalk, the nippy evening wind sending a shiver to his spine while he hurried towards the front door of the apartment he'd spent a lot of time in, knowing Gabby was still inside those walls. She'd texted him earlier, letting him know when she got here and that she'd tell him when she was on her way home, but that second text never came. And taking that, along with the fact that her car was still parked up against the curb, he knew she hadn't gone anywhere; that Gabby had spent most of her late afternoon and night here at Shay and Severide's apartment, while he was at work.

Which, unfortunately for him, had always kept him a lot later than he planned.

When he started his day, he had no intentions of working this late. But once they got going in the master bathroom, it was hard for any of them to stop, their group deciding to stay a bit later and finish up their work. And while they were proud of their accomplishments, it also came with a price as it was now well after nine o'clock, and he was just now getting back to Gabby, Matt letting out a tired sigh before finally getting to the front door and knocking.

Taking a step back, Casey shoved his hands into his pockets as he waited those few seconds before the door opened, his eyebrows raising lightly when he came face to face with Severide, who already seemed glad to see him.

"Thank God." Kelly breathed out, Matt letting out a chuckle as he stepped inside.

"That bad, huh?" He asked, shrugging out of his jacket while Severide locked up the door behind him.

"I just got home, but from what I can tell, I'd say they've been going for hours."

"Hours?" Matt asked, glancing down towards his watch.

"Mhmm. They're very drunk." He replied, Casey letting out another laugh before continuing further into the apartment.

Once the living room came into view, he was beginning to understand what Severide was talking about, the smile on his face widening when he saw his very intoxicated wife sitting on the couch, laughing at something Shay had said. She hadn't noticed him yet, and he didn't necessarily mind that as it gave him the chance to watch her for a moment.

She looked happy, and relaxed, Matt not entirely surprised by the state he found her in as he was just glad to see that she was having a good time with Shay, while they were in the safety of this apartment. And after everything that had been going on these last few months, as far as he was concerned she deserved to have a few nights like this with her best friend.

"Oh, well look who's here." Shay spoke up, the loudness of her voice pulling Casey from his thoughts as it was clear the alcohol she'd consumed was affecting her. From the spot next to him, Severide clasped his hand over Matt's shoulder while letting out a deep chuckle.

"Yeah, this is what I've been dealing with since I got here." He replied lightly, Casey shaking his head while Gabby turned to look at them, the delay in her movements amusing to him as he eventually caught her gaze. Her eyes were shining, a bit glazed over from the wine as a bright smile graced her face.

"My husband." She beamed, Matt releasing a laugh before he walked towards her, Gabby following his every move until he came up from behind the couch, leaning down to press a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Yeah, your husband is here." He murmured against her, kissing her once more while he started to rub over her back. "How was your day?"

"Good." She replied after a second, Matt watching as she moved to place her empty wine glass down onto the coffee table before returning her attention to him. "How was work? Did you finish the bathroom?"

Her tone was a bit all over the place, but he was able to easily make out what she was asking him, Matt smiling at the fact that despite all the alcohol flowing through her system, she hadn't forgotten about what he'd been doing today. "We did, that's why I'm late… Sorry about that." He told her, Gabby scrunching her face before shaking her head.

"It's okay, Shay and I were having a nice time." She told her, her somewhat cloudy mind focusing on the warm feeling of his hand rubbing up and down over her back.

"That's good, I'm glad." He said, while pressing one more kiss to her forehead. "Did you guys eat anything?" Matt questioned, silently hoping that during all this fun they'd been having, they didn't drink this much on an empty stomach.

"We had pizza." Shay replied, Matt nodding as he looked her way. "Which, you actually paid for… Thanks for that, by the way." She said shamelessly, Casey letting out a laugh before he nodded.

"That's fine, Shay." He assured her, noticing the way his wife kept leaning more towards him as he looked down at her. He could tell she was tired, but alert enough to where she knew what was going on around her. "You ready to get home, or do you want to stay for a bit?"

"Can we stay?" She asked, her bottom lip pushing out into the slightest pout. Even though it wasn't needed, as he'd do whatever she wanted. "We were gonna watch a movie."

"Yeah, we can stay." Matt told her, Gabby's smile widening before she nodded excitedly.

"Thank God, now get over here lover boy.. Or else I'll start cuddling with Dawson before you can." Shay cut in, Severide letting out a heavy laugh while Casey shook his head.

"Keep your hands off, Shay." He shot back, their playful banter causing Gabby's smile to widen as her husband walked around the couch and sat down beside her. Dawson wasted no time in curling up into his side, the two paying no mind to Shay and Severide as they began to fight over the remote, the drunk blonde clearly not wanting to give it up while Kelly attempted to take it from her.

"I missed you." Gabby spoke while resting against his chest, drowning out the bickering in the background while Matt wrapped his arm around her back, the man grinning softly as his hand started to move up and down her side.

"I missed you, too." He replied after placing a kiss to her head, his eyes closing for a split second while Gabby held onto him, both of them making themselves comfortable as the couple was more than ready to spend the rest of this night together.