A/N: I made up for the last chapter being super short by making this one much longer. Casey makes an appearance in this chapter, as well, and you'll finally get a chance to see him interact with Gabby and Kelly. This chapter also gives a little more insight as to why Casey reacted the way he did to the news rather than getting jealous or angry.
"Hello?" Gabby answered her phone, surprised to see Brett's name on the screen. Their friendship hadn't quite gotten back to where it had been before Gabby left for Puerto Rico and Brett and Casey started dating, and Gabby wasn't sure it ever would, so Brett's phone call was unusual.
"Hey Gabby, it's Sylvie. Umm…I was wondering if you and Kelly might want to come over for dinner sometime next week."
Now Gabby was really surprised, especially given the hesitancy in the blonde paramedic's voice. "Oh, umm, sure," Gabby replied. "I mean, I'll have to check with Kelly, but I doubt it'll be a problem."
"Casey's going to be in town, and we thought it would be nice to have you two over. Casey really wants to see you both while he's here."
Well, that explained the hesitancy in Brett's voice. Gabby couldn't blame her, honestly. Hanging out with her boyfriend's ex-wife who is now having a baby with your boyfriend's best friend likely wasn't exactly how Brett wanted to spend her time with Casey and could definitely make for an interesting evening.
"Okay, I'll check with Kelly and let you know."
"Okay; thanks, Gabby."
"Hey, Sylvie?" Gabby asked, hoping Brett had heard her.
"Yeah?"
"I know it's not been easy, with Casey and mine's history. But I want you to know, I really am happy for both of you. I would never want to do anything to come between the two of you. I know things are different now, and I know there are definitely other things you'd rather do while Casey's in town. But I appreciate the invitation. I really do," Gabby assured her.
"Thanks, Gabby. That means a lot to me."
Gabby hung up the phone before heading to the living room where Kelly was watching the Blackhawks game.
"Hey, what's up?" Kelly asked, looking up from the game as Gabby walked in. He noticed the puzzled look on her face and grabbed the remote, muting the tv before holding out his hand to her. She perched on the arm of the couch next to him and leaned against him, her left arm wrapped around his shoulders as his right arm hugged her waist.
"Brett just called. Casey's going to be in town next week, and they want to have us over for dinner," she informed it. "It was Casey's idea," she added.
Kelly's brow furrowed as he looked up at her. "How do you feel about that? Are you okay with it?"
Gabby nodded. "Casey and I are good; we closed that chapter of our lives years ago." She laughed, "I mean, I'm not saying it won't be a little awkward to have dinner with my ex-husband, his new girlfriend, and his best friend, who also just happens to be the father of my baby, but I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. It'll be good to see Matt again."
"Well, if you're fine with it, then so am I," Kelly told her, although he wasn't sure how true that statement was. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Casey; he did. He'd missed his best friend since he'd moved to Oregon. But Casey and Gabby shared a lot of history, and he'd be lying if he said that didn't make him nervous. He believed Gabby when she said it was over, but he still felt nervous.
Kelly looked at Gabby as they stood in front of the door to Brett's house. "You ready?" he asked. When she nodded, he reached out and rang the doorbell.
"Coming!" he heard Brett call from inside.
A couple of minutes later the door swung open, revealing Brett. "Come on in," she told them, smiling.
Gabby handed Brett a bottle of wine as she stepped inside. "I may not be able to drink, but the rest of you can enjoy it," Gabby told her.
Brett glanced down at the bottle and a smile spread across her face. "It's my favorite; you remembered!" she exclaimed.
"Of course I did," Gabby replied, laughing. "You had that wine at every girls' night we ever had; it's kind of hard to forget."
Kelly and Gabby followed Brett to the kitchen. "Matt's outside," she told them. "We figured we'd take advantage of the warm weather while we could and eat outside." It was an unseasonably warm October evening in Chicago.
"Do you need any help?" Gabby asked.
Brett shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Go sit down and get off your feet!" she ordered.
Gabby laughed. "Bossy as ever, I see."
Kelly smiled as he watched the two women's playful banter. He and Brett had become good friends when Casey left for Oregon and Stella left for Girls On Fire, and he was happy to see her and Gabby reconnecting.
Gabby headed towards the door but turned back when she realized Kelly wasn't following her. "You coming?" she asked.
"Go on out; I'll be out in a minute," he assured her. "I need to use the bathroom first."
Gabby rolled her eyes. "You'd think you were the pregnant woman as much as you have to pee," she teased. "You just went before we left the apartment!"
Kelly shrugged before turning to Brett, who motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, I'll show you where it is," she told him.
Gabby opened the door, stepping out onto the deck. Casey was leaning over the railing, his arms resting on it, a beer in one hand. She smiled. He hadn't changed at all. "Hey stranger," she called softly.
Casey turned around, smiling when he saw her. He walked over to her and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek before pulling back and holding her at arms' length. "Look at you!" he exclaimed. "You look amazing. Pregnancy looks good on you."
Gabby blushed. "Is that a nice way of telling me that I look fat?" she joked. Gabby was nearly twenty-six weeks pregnant and there was definitely no mistaking that she was pregnant.
Casey laughed. "No, I mean it. You look good, Gabby. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks, Casey," she said softly, smiling. "How Oregon? How are the boys?"
"Oregon's good. It's no Chicago, that's for sure. But it's grown on me. Ben and Griffin are good; they're great boys. Ben struggled a bit at first, but he's doing better now," Casey replied.
When he came back from the bathroom, Kelly saw Brett standing at the window in the kitchen that overlooked the backyard. He walked over and stood next to her. Casey and Gabby were leaning back against the deck railing, talking to each other and laughing. He felt jealousy rising up in him but pushed it back. There's nothing between them anymore. He reminded himself. They're just catching up. Besides, you have no claim on her. You're just the father of her baby.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Brett said softly, more of a statement than a question. "Watching them together like that?"
Kelly shrugged, trying to act as though it didn't bother him. "They have a lot of history. Besides, Gabby and I are just friends."
Brett glared at him accusingly. "Don't lie to me, Kelly Severide. Anyone who's seen you two together recently knows that's not true. You have feelings for her."
Kelly sighed. "She doesn't know that. And I'm not sure she feels the same way."
Brett gave him a sympathetic look. "She does. She might not know it yet, but she does." She turned back to the window. "Gabby's good at hiding her feelings, Kelly. You know that. But I saw how she was that day in the waiting room while we waited for news of you. I saw how worried and scared she was."
"She was scared of having to raise the baby alone," Kelly argued. "She cares about me as a friend and her baby's father, but her feelings don't go beyond that."
"Have you asked her?" Brett asked, and Kelly shook his head. "Then you don't know that." She motioned towards the window. "The way she looks at you is the way she used to look at him. She cares for you; she's just too scared to admit it."
"If I tell her how I feel now, she'll think I'm just saying it because of the baby," Kelly insisted.
"Is it? Just because of the baby, I mean. If she wasn't pregnant with your baby, would you still care about her the same way?" Brett questioned.
"If she weren't having my baby, she never would have come back to Chicago, and we wouldn't even be talking about this. That's what makes it so complicated," Kelly sighed. "But if something were to happen and she was to lose the baby, it wouldn't change my feelings at all. I care about her because of who she is, not because she's the mother of my child."
"They're watching us, you know," Gabby remarked to Casey, grinning.
Casey laughed. "I know. But can you blame them given our history?" He paused, then added, "So, what exactly is going on between you and Severide anyways?"
"Nothing," Gabby replied quickly, her face once again flushing. "We're just friends. He was gracious enough to let me live with him when I first got back to Chicago, and then I stayed because it was easier than finding my own place. But there's nothing going on; we're just friends."
"Friends who happened to have slept together?" Casey asked, quirking his eyebrow.
Gabby blushed and rested her hand on her stomach. "We were drunk."
"From what Sylvie tells me, you and Severide have gotten pretty close. She thinks there's more going on between you two than just friendship," Casey informed her.
Gabby shrugged. "We spend a lot of time together, and he's the father of my baby."
"Come on, Gabby. We were married; I know when you're not telling the whole story," Casey prodded.
Gabby sighed. "My feelings for him don't matter, Matt. He and Kidd have only been broken up for six months. He's not ready for another relationship yet. He made that clear when we slept together."
"I thought you were both drunk?" Casey questioned.
Gabby's face flushed. "Umm, I, uh, we were," she stammered. "The first time."
Casey laughed. "The first time, huh? I knew there was more to the story. How many times have you two slept together?"
"A few," Gabby replied, blushing. She rushed to add, "But one of those times we were drunk and now I'm pregnant and my hormones…"
Before they could continue the conversation, Sylvie walked out holding a plate of food, and Kelly followed behind carrying the wine.
"Hey, Casey," he greeted his friend, reaching out to shake his hand after he set the wine down.
"Severide," Casey greeted him warmly, pulling him into one of those handshakes turned hugs that men do. "It's good to see you."
Kelly pulled Gabby's chair out for her before taking his own seat. Casey and Brett shared a knowing glance with each other but remained quiet.
They were halfway through dinner when Gabby dropped her fork and her hand flew to her stomach. "Gabby? What's wrong?" Kelly asked, already half out of his chair.
Gabby waved him off, "I'm fine; it's nothing."
"Are you sure?" Brett asked, concern filling her face.
Gabby smiled. "I'm sure. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare everyone," she apologized. She then turned to Kelly, "I felt the baby kick!" she told him excitedly.
"You did?" Kelly asked. "Are you sure?"
Gabby nodded. "There it is again!" she exclaimed, moving her hand over slightly. "Give me your hand," she told Kelly. He obliged, slipping out of his chair to crouch next to her, and she placed his hand on her stomach where her own hand had just been.
"I don't feel anything," Kelly told her, disappointed.
"Just wait; she'll move again," Gabby told him. Just as she said that, the baby moved.
"I felt it!" Kelly exclaimed. "She moved! I felt her move!" He looked up at Gabby, his eyes shining with excitement.
The couple stared at each other for a few moments, lost in their own world, before finally remembering that they weren't alone.
"Sorry," Gabby apologized, blushing, as Kelly stood up and sat back in his chair.
"Don't apologize," Brett assured her. "You guys are just excited."
The rest of the dinner continued uneventfully. Gabby volunteered to help Brett clean up afterward, leaving the two men alone. Casey grabbed them both beers and then they leaned against the deck railing and talked.
"How are you liking it in Oregon? You gonna stay out there?" Kelly asked.
Casey shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. It's up to Sylvie, honestly. I like it out there, but I also miss Chicago and 51. And I'd hate to ask Sylvie to give up her career here. She'd have no problem finding a paramedic position out in Oregon, but she loves 51."
Kelly nodded. "She misses you, you know. She'd give it all up in an instant if you asked her to."
"I know," replied Casey. "That's what scares me. I don't want her to give it up." He glanced up at the house, making sure the women were still in the kitchen, before continuing. "I want to ask her to marry me, but I don't want her to have to leave 51 and move out to Portland. I'm hoping that maybe in another six months or a year, the boys will be stable enough that I can move them here, but I don't know if that will be the case or not. And I don't want to propose to her with so much uncertainty."
"Makes sense," Kelly replied.
"What about you and Gabby?" Casey asked.
"We're just friends," shrugged Kelly. "I don't know what it will look like after the baby comes yet; she's talked about moving out and getting her own place, but I've also thought about getting a bigger place. Maybe a house like this, with a yard that our daughter can play in."
"Come on, Sev. Cut the bullshit. We went through the Academy together and worked together for years. You think I don't know when you're lying?" Matt responded. "It's clear that you have feelings for her. I saw the way you looked at her tonight."
"She's the mother of my baby. Of course I care about her. And we were just excited; it's the first time we've felt the baby move," Kelly defended himself.
"I'm not just talking about that, Kelly. I'm referring to the whole night. You've hardly been able to take your eyes off of her," Casey retorted. "You love her."
Kelly sighed. "She doesn't want a relationship, Casey. She told me when we slept together that she wasn't looking for a relationship. I have to respect that."
"Are you sure she hasn't changed her mind?" Casey questioned.
Kelly snorted. "Come on, Casey. It's Gabby. You know better than anyone how stubborn she can be when she makes her mind up."
"And I know better than anyone how fragile she can be, but how good she is at hiding it and putting on a strong front," Casey reminded him. "Gabby…" he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "When we got divorced, it hurt her just as much as it hurt me. She didn't let anyone see that; she didn't want anyone to see that. That's why she ran off to Puerto Rice. But I know it hurt her. We were in and out of each other's lives for so long, but we were headed in different directions. We didn't work. We both knew that. But it didn't make it any easier.
"I never told you this, but when she came to Chicago, we slept together. For me, it was the final chapter in our story. But for her…" Casey sighed, "It was different. I left the next morning while she was still sleeping. I didn't say goodbye. When she woke up, she called, and I didn't answer. She left me a voicemail, telling me how much she'd enjoyed seeing me again, and how she hoped we'd see each other again. She invited me to come to Puerto Rico the next time I took furlough. I never called her back, and then the next thing she knew, she was hearing from you that I was with Sylvie, her former partner and one of her best friends.
"I'm not proud of what I did, and how I handled the situation. I don't regret ending things with her or getting together with Sylvie, but looking back, I know I made a mistake. It hurt her, probably more than anything else I'd ever said or done to her." Casey was silent for a moment before adding, "I'm the reason she doesn't want a relationship. I'm the reason she's scared of getting hurt."
Kelly sat there for a few minutes, processing everything Casey had just told him. It made sense why Gabby had been so nervous the morning after they'd slept together when she'd asked him what he remembered. It also explained so many other things, like why she'd said that she didn't want anything to change, and why she'd reacted the way she did when he got injured. She was scared of being abandoned again. She was scared of opening her heart to someone only to have it handed back to her in pieces, just like he was.
"Why'd you do it, Matt?" Kelly asked, no judgment in his voice, just sadness.
"I honestly can't answer that, Kelly. I wish I could, but I can't. I don't really know why," Casey replied.
Gabby and Brett came out of the house just then, laughing about something, ensuring that any further conversation on this topic was ended, or at least put on hold for a later time. "What were you two talking about?" Gabby asked, leaning against Kelly, resting her head on his shoulder.
"It was probably just shop talk; that's all they ever talk about when they're together," Brett answered for them, rolling her eyes. "I swear it's gotten even worse since Matt moved since they each have their own fire stories."
"Hey!" Casey protested, wrapping his arm around Brett. "We talk about more than just fires."
"Oh yeah? Like what? Cars and construction?" Gabby shot back, making Brett snort with laughter.
"They're ganging up on us, Casey," Kelly joked, earning him an elbow in the side from Gabby's elbow. "Oww! Are you trying to break my ribs on my other side?"
Gabby rolled her eyes. "I barely even touched you."
Kelly looked down at Gabby as she, Brett, and Casey bantered back and forth. Tonight had been good for her. It had given her a chance to rebuild her friendship with Brett and reconnect with Casey. She looked happy and relaxed. He'd been nervous about tonight, having been unsure of how Casey felt about him sleeping with Gabby, so he was relieved that everything had gone smoothly and that there had been no sign that Casey was upset with him.
"As much as I hate to break up the party, we should probably get going," Kelly said when he noticed Gabby starting to yawn.
"Thanks for having us," Gabby told Brett.
"Of course," Brett replied, smiling. "We'll have to do it again next time Casey's in town."
The four of them walked inside, Kelly and Brett leading the way and Casey and Gabby following behind.
Casey hung back as Kelly and Brett walked towards the entryway. "Hey, Gabby," he said softly.
She turned to look at it. "Hmm?"
Casey sighed. "I just want to say, I'm sorry for how I acted last time we were together."
"You don't need to apologize, Matt," Gabby assured him. "I'm the one that left you in the first place. It was wrong for me to come back hoping that we could pick up where we left off. But thank you." She paused for a moment, then added, "I was afraid of how you'd respond when you found out about the baby. I know Kelly's your best friend, and I was scared that you'd be upset with him."
Casey shrugged. "I'm not going to lie; it's taken me a bit to get used to the idea of the two of you, but I'm happy for you guys. I've moved on, so it's only fair that you get a chance to move on, too. I didn't think it would be with my best friend, but as long as you're happy, Gabby. I mean that. I wish things could have been different for us, but we both made the choices we did."
Gabby smiled, relieved. "I want you to know that Kelly and I never meant for any of this to happen; there was never anything between us until New York."
Casey nodded. "I know that." He sighed. "Honestly, I have to admit I was a little jealous when Sylvie first told me. I couldn't help but think that it should have been us having a baby together. But I made my choice; I know that. And I really am happy for you, Gabby. You're finally going to be a mom, just like you always wanted. And Kelly…he's good for you, Gabby. Give him a chance," he told her, glancing over to where Brett and Kelly stood talking.
"Thanks, Matt. I'm happy for you and Brett, too; I hope you know that," Gabby told him as they resumed their walk toward the door.
"That means a lot to me, Gabby. Thank you," Casey replied.
The two couples said their goodbyes at the door and then Gabby and Kelly got in the car and headed home.