Every Breath You Take - (Jason)

[Gabriela Dawson]

“Good to hear.” She replied as she smiled as he pulled a chair out for her. Well this was new to her, not that Matt never did but then when they were at the fire house she was at work. Gabby looked toward the waitress dressed like she was in the 1950s. Gabby thought about what she would like to order as she looked toward Jason for a moment. “I’ll just have a coffee thank you.” She said as she looked toward Jason.

“I’m paying too so order what you’d like. Least I can do for you coming out today.” She said knowing she had almost turned tail only a few moments ago. It was hardly Jason that was the problem but she looked over her shoulder more often than not and just being out in the open was now a big deal for her. Even at Molly’s the pub vibe had changed for her as she eyed customers as potential threats.

[Deleted]

Jason nodded, then got tea for himself after sitting down. The waitress nodded as she wrote that down, then went to get it filled for them. After she left, Jason looked back to Gabby. He could tell that she was looking over her should more often. He had seen that before in several special forces soldiers and police officers that he had crossed paths with. "Gabriela....you can't let what happened dictate everything in your life." he said to her gently. It was clear that he was speaking from experience but that it was something he really didn't want to talk about.

Jason watched Gabby closely after saying that to her, watching for her reaction to what he said. Jason was good at reading people, something he honed in his martial arts training and from all the card games he played when in college and during lulls in training rotations.

[Gabriela Dawson]

Gabriela looked down at the table for a moment, was she being that obvious about things? She took a breath as she could feel her hands starting to shake a little, she was the tough one this hardly ever happened to her and now she was afraid if something loud hit the floor or a car alarm went off. “How do you make it stop? I see his face and every noise it’s like he’s there behind me again. It’s crazy but...” She stopped there not sure how to explain it without sounding as if she had a few screws knocked loose.

Gabby could barely raise her eyes enough to meet his as she tried to relax into the seat. “I’ve never had this before, to be so scared by another person that I didn’t even see coming.” She admitted though how she could have seen it or if she had been less stubborn or just more aware but things that day had spiralled for her. An argument, a hot headed attempt at being out of eye sight and then she was taken. All in the blink of an eye.

[Deleted]

"Its not crazy" Jason said to her gently in reply. "Ms. Dawson, I don't know what's going to happen to you out there. All I can tell you is that you've got to play the cards life deals you. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but at least you're in the game." he said to her in the same gentle, yet honest tone while sitting there and watching her. He knew where Gabriela was coming from, he had been in her shoes once before when he came back from a mission a while back.

At the same time, the waitress came back and set their drinks down before walking off. Jason thanked her, then looked back to Gabby.

[Gabriela Dawson]

She was more than glad to hear that her crazy was less crazy to someone else. “The game, what if I don’t like the game or the rules aren’t fair. You could have been killed? How is that fair?” She asked quietly still not liking the fact that Jason might have been seriously hurt or much worse and for her. No life sucked at times and this was one of those times where life threw everything at her and she had no idea what way was up.

Gabby nodded to the waitress that sat their drinks down. “Have you ever been there? Not knowing what’s next or whose around the corner?” She asked just as quietly as the first time. Gabby was usually loud and hot headed and spoke her mind but recently that seemed to have been lost and now she rarely raised her voice to be heard unless she had to.

[Deleted]

Jason watched Gabby as she said that to him, getting the hint of what she was telling him. He looked over when she said all of that. "I don't like it either but its what I signed up for." he said gently but to the point. "You don't have to like it Ms. Dawson, but if life didn't throw us curve balls life would get rather boring wouldn't it?" he asked gently.

Hearing her ask him that made Jason pause for a split second. "I have been....many times." he replied. "Most recently was on a mission with my special forces team that I can't go into detail about." he added while holding his drink in hand.

[Gabriela Dawson]

Gabby thought about his point, he was right without curve balls in life it would be very plain and that was something she never considered her life to be. If it was her life that was being turned upside down, it was Matt’s or Antonio or someone at the house. “You’re right, better not to be boring. At least I can mark, stalker off my to do list.” She joked mostly in bad taste though it was what she did when she was scared. “Thank you though, I’m just sorry you could have been hurt over it.”

It was the one thing Gabby never wanted, a person getting hurt because of her. Gabby looked toward Jason as he spoke, she had assumed he had never known what it was like and now she found out that it was hardly his first time with this. “Sorry, I had no right to ask you that.” She said quietly before she took a drink from her cup. “Do you need to talk about it?” She offered deciding if she could help him in some way it was the least she could do given all he had done for her.

[Deleted]

"No worries" Jason said to her in reply. "Thank you for the offer Ms. Dawson but I'd rather not talk about it." he said to her gently before taking a sip of his drink after saying that to her. Jason wasn't really one to talk about how he felt with someone other then his wife or close friends. It was something that came from his introverted nature: if he didn't know a person well, he wouldn't talk about what was really on his mind.

Jason was the kind of person who would keep his personal thoughts on things to himself, only bringing them up when it was the right time for him to. He took another sip of his drink, then set the glass back down and looked at Gabby.

[Gabriela Dawson]

Gabby understood not wanting to talk, she hadn’t spoken to many people other than Matt and Kelly. There was no one she was really close to unless Boden counted as well but she preferred to keep her matters private until like today she was scared to look over her shoulder. It was fear yes she knew it was ridiculous as the man was dead but in her head he was alive, around each corner waiting at the fire house. It just never stopped.

“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked you, I just owe you my life so I want to help in any way I can.” She offered trying to decide if she was not the crazy one for asking him to talk. “I’ve just never found talking easy, easier to listen than to talk.” She said taking a drink before she sat her cup down.

[Deleted]

Jason looked over to Gabby said that, then nodded. "No argument here....many people now a days don't understand how important it is to listen and observe." he said gently while looking back to Gabby. It wasn't lost on him that many an argument and conflict could have been avoided if people would just take the time to listen. He took another sip of his drink, then set the glass back down.

"How easier law enforcement would be if people actually listened to each other." he said off the cuff. "Then again, I would be out of a job." he added in kind, grinning a little at the same time. As he did that. the waitress that tended to them looked over as she walked back to another table.

[Gabriela Dawson]

Gabby nodded, listening and observing was what she did sometimes. Her brother being a cop taught her a lot and if she never observed and listened she usually had an ear full from him anyway. “It’s a life skill but you’re right, no one really does anymore. You’d be surprised how many fires we go to and we have to turn into councillors.” She said lightly with a smile as she started to relax some. She guessed it would be the same for him too but then again you could never be sure.

Gabby laughed and nodded noticing the waitress as she smiled at her politely. “Well you’re good at your job so I wouldnt want you to be out of one. Can you imagine no arguments when you go out for work? No fighting or drama... i’d say a day might be a little slow.” She offered though sometimes a slow day was what was needed. Not all screaming arguments or disagreements.

[Deleted]

Jason looked over when Gabby said that to him, then nodded a bit. "Thank you and that it would be." he said to her gently while sitting there. "On the plus side Shani wouldn't have to see on edge when I came home." he said off the cuff while sitting there and looking over to Gabby. "Slow days are good....though when on the clock no one dares say it lest all heck break lose." he said off the cuff.

As he said that, the waitress walked over to check on them, speaking to Jason when she walked over. Jason looked at her and spoke back, telling her that he was good for now. "Ma'am?" she said to Gabby in a gentle tone while standing there.

[Gabriela Dawson]

“Oh we know that, it’s the unspoken rule of the fire house. Anyone says it and we are cursed for the rest of shift.” She said with a smile remembering how many candidates had fallen foul of that rule. Even the paramedics had something against it though all it took was one person the day was straight from hell. “Shani, the paramedic Shani? She’s your wife?” Gabby queried as she made the connection when the woman worked out of fifty one for a while.

“Must be difficult being married to a cop though, all the thinking and calls and sitting and waiting.” Gabby knew it was tough when Matt was on shift but they both understood the risks. When the waitress walked over she listened to Jason talk to the woman before Gabby shook her head. “Im good thank you.” She said deciding that getting hyped up on too much coffee was going to be a bad idea given that she was already nervous enough.

[Deleted]

The waitress nodded when Gabby said that to her, then left the check with them before walking off. Jason watched her leave, then looked back to Gabby, having heard what she said to him. He soon finished off his drink, then set the cup back down, looking over to Gabby at the same time while he thought of what to say to her, looking over when she mentioned Shani.

"Yes, she is my wife....would you like to come by our place and have dinner with us?" Jason asked in reply while looking at her. He had a feeling that Shani would like to meet Gabby out side of work at some point.

[Gabriela Dawson]

Gabby stared at Jason when he offered for her to have dinner with them both. “I... urm... yes I mean only if you are okay with that. The fire house can be a close enough place without it following you home.” She said having known of Shani at fifty one until she was transferred out to twenty three with Catherine and Kowalski. Gabby had never really gotten to know Shani above the fact she was good at what she did and she drove like a crazy person.

“Do you often bring projects home with you?” She asked with a slight smile though she could hardly deny she felt a little awkward but then again maybe dinner was a good idea. It was after all out of her place and away from sitting waiting for the next bump in the day to scare her to death.