Dawsey: Starting a Family Part 2

Chapter 255

Matt's POV: Once we finished having supper that night, I smiled as I grabbed a beer (Gabby said I could have one after I told her about my emotional conversation with Severide) while he had one with me. Walking upstairs to the second floor, I smiled as I decided to give him a tour of the house. "So, this is where all the kids bedrooms are going to be. I also have my home office up here." He nodded when I said that before walking over to Louie's room.

Looking in at him as he did some coloring, I just smiled and walked in. "Hey bud, I am just showing uncle Severide around the house. Mind if we come into your room for a minute?" Louie then looked up at me and nodded. "I got to washroom daddy." I then watched him get up and run away to the washroom. Severide however just looked at me. "I have a feeling that he doesn't like me very much." I sighed and nodded. "Just give it time okay man?"

Severide nodded when I said that and then smiled at me. "Seems like you are getting used to the whole fatherhood thing." I nodded when he said that. "Not like this is my first time. I mean, we did raise him for a while when he was a bit younger than he is right now. Then you remember what happened." Severide nodded when I said that. "By the way, how are you doing after knowing he was the first jumper that you ever had to deal with as chief?"

I sighed when he asked me that because I had mixed feelings. "Honestly, I am still taking it hard. I mean, do I want to be the one to have let Louie's old daddy die...of course not but, what can I do? It's not like I could've done anything differently. Just promise me that you are not going to say any of this in front of him. I don't want to have to deal with him knowing that I was the one who had the chance to save his dad. That might ruin everything for us."

Unfortunately, Louie overheard me when I said that...having already finished in the washroom. "Daddy couldn't save my other daddy?" Turning around to look at him, I was shocked and lost for words when it came to what I was going to say to try and comfort him. "Louie, please let me talk to you and explain." Louie however wasn't having any of it. Running away, he went to go find Gabby who was currently upstairs with Stella organizing baby clothes.

I then turned to look at Severide and sighed. "Is it okay that I partially want to blame you for making him run away upstairs?" Severide sighed and nodded, agreeing with me. "Listen, you just stay there and I am going to go upstairs to see Gabby and Stella. Hopefully, Gabby isn't too mad at me for what I said. I don't want to have to deal with her being mad at me just like Louie." Severide nodded when I said that. "I'll just stay down here okay?"

I nodded and agreed with him before going to make my way upstairs to our bedroom. Knowing that Louie was upstairs, I was plenty ready to get yelled at either by him or Gabby. Heck, maybe I would get yelled at by both of them. "Did he already tell you what happened down there?" Looking up at me when I asked her that, she nodded. "Yeah, Stella can you give us a minute? You and Severide can do a self-guided tour of the house okay?"

She nodded and agreed with Gabby when she said that. Meanwhile, I went to sit down next to Gabby and Louie on the bed. Going to looking at Louie, I sighed. "Listen buddy, you have no idea how much I wanted to save your old daddy." Looking at me when I said that, Louie didn't believe me. "But it wasn't that simple buddy. There are things a firefighter can and can't do...there are rules that we have to follow. And the rules told me that I couldn't save your daddy."

Turning to look at me, Gabby then tried to figure out what I meant when I decided to just tell her. "The rule of three remember? He only got to two." Gabby sighed when I said that. "God, I hate that rule honestly...." I nodded and agreed with her. "Maybe I can change how it works when I am chief to make sure that this doesn't happen again. But Louie, you have to know that I felt horrible when your daddy died. I cried right when I got back to the firehouse."

Louie then looked at me when I said that. "Was it an accident?" I nodded when he asked me that. "Yes, it was buddy. Believe me when I say this but...I would never have let your daddy die if I could've saved him. My job is to save lives whenever I can. Do you believe me when I say that?" Louie nodded and then came to hug me. "I sorry for getting mad daddy." I nodded and just went to hold him close before kissing the top of his head.

That's when I heard Severide come upstairs. "If you want us to leave...we would understand if you needed time as a family." Turning to look at Gabby when I said that, I sighed because I didn't know what was best for us. "Do you think we should just have time as a family right now?" Gabby then looked at me and nodded. "As much as I hate to say it but...I think we are still getting used to this. However, Louie will be at work on Tuesday." Severide nodded and smiled.

Looking at Louie, I smiled at him. "Can you say goodbye to uncle Severide buddy?" Louie then nodded as he got up and went to hug him. I just smiled when he did that before going to look at Gabby. "Listen, I am going to go let them out of the house. Then, I will come back up here." Gabby nodded and agreed with me when I said that. "How about you come with me Louie and we can say goodbye to uncle Severide downstairs? Then you can take a bath."

Gabby nodded and agreed with me when I said that. "He's sleeping downstairs tonight though. I want you alone." I nodded and agreed with her before smiling. "C'mon buddy, let's go downstairs, let your uncle Severide and aunt Stella out. Then we can come up here and cuddle with mom." He nodded, agreeing with me as I went to kiss his cheek. Looking at Gabby, I smiled at her before going to walk downstairs with Stella, Severide and Louie to let them out and lock up.