The Good and the Bad

Real Never Waits

Chapter Thirty-Eight

*~*~*~*

Scout was bouncing on her heels as she stood in the meeting room with a majority of 51. Herrmann and Shay stood on either side of her as they all watched the door that connected with the kitchen. All of them eagerly awaiting for Matt and Gaby to arrive for shift.

"What time do you gotta be at work?" Herrmann asked the detective.

"I'm off right now," Scout informed her friends. "I'm in charge of making sure Antonio doesn't do anything stupid while he's recovering since his parents had to leave for the Dominican."

"Good luck with that. Man's just as reckless as you are," Shay snorted.

"Kiss my ass Shay," Scout rolled her eyes. Before the blonde could respond the door started to open, causing everyone's attention to quickly shift back to it.

"Way to go, Dawson!" Everyone started to clap at the sight of the new firefighter candidate making her way into the room as Matt trailed in behind her. A large smile filled Gaby's lips at the sight of all of her friends standing there cheering for her.

"Mmm, I've never been so turned on." Shay joked as she pulled Gaby into a hug.

"Don't make me turn a hose on you," Scout warned as she took her turn to hug the Dawson woman. "Antonio said to say congrats. And that he'd be here himself if, and I quote, "his caretaker wasn't such a overzealous dictator that needs to get laid.""

"He's not wrong," Capp chimed in from behind the woman.

"Just 'cause I'm off-duty doesn't mean I don't have a gun to shoot you with." Scout playfully glared at the squad member as she stepped away from Gaby.

"Okay, you two, let's talk in my office." Boden nodded to Matt and Gaby before he led them out of the room.

"Talk about short and sweet," Scout commented.

"Talking about something sweet..." Shay wrapped an arm around the other woman's shoulders, pulling her close to her side. "How's it going taking care of Antonio? Gaby mentioned that he's staying at your place."

"Yeah," Scout gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "We figured it'd be easier than me having to go back and forth between there and his apartment or trying to drag the boys over to stay there. Besides, Laura has Eva and Diego while he's recovering--"

"And that's all it is?" Shay raised a brow. "No extra long and attentive sponge baths?"

"Your mind just lives in the gutter, doesn't it?" Scout chuckled at her friend's question.

"You're avoiding," Shay hummed.

"Okay," Scout glanced around at the others before pulling Shay out of the room. She led the blonde down the hall to the bathroom, making sure no one else was inside before she locked the door. "Here's the deal. You tell me what you've been hiding the last couple of weeks and I'll tell you what's going on with Antonio."

"What makes you think I've been hiding something from you?" Shay's brows furrowed at the offer.

"'Cause you visited me once while I was on furlough after the bombing. Usually when I'm out on medical leave you visit me every chance you get," Scout pointed out. "So what's going on with you?"

"Fine, but what I'm about to tell you doesn't go any further. Got it? You can't tell anyone, especially Gaby," Shay warned her. Scout only nodded in response, eagerly awaiting to know what the blonde had been hiding. She knew it had to be serious if she was even hiding it from Gaby. "Okay... Casey's planning on proposing."