It was 11pm and Jimmy was having a drink at Molly's bar when he realized he had left his cell phone in his locker at the fire station. With a sigh Jimmy downed the rest of his drink and got up to leave.

"Hey Borrelli!" Severide called out when he noticed him headed toward the exit. Jimmy turned.

"Thought you were in for a darts game with us."

"Left my cell at the station, raincheck for another night though."

Severide replied, "Yeah alright."

Over the last couple of months ever since Jimmy's brother had been killed, Severide had started to look out for Jimmy making sure he was keeping healthy, coping alright with the job, anything really to help him get through it.

Jimmy left and was now in the station retrieving his cell when a scuffle caught his attention coming from the sleeping area. He found it odd seeing though the station was practically deserted because the night shift was on a call out. Curiosity getting the better of him, he went to see who it was and smiled gently when he saw it was Brett with her back turned to him. He then frowned when he saw the tension in her body.

"Sylvie, our shift ended hours ago. What are you still doing here?"

Brett kept her back to Jimmy as she replied with forced politeness in her voice, "Oh, hey Jimmy. I just left my tablet in here and I came back to get it."

"Right, yeah I left my cell too which is why I'm here."

Brett forced a laugh as she moved around the room, her back still to Jimmy, "I guess there's something in the air that's causing all this forgetfulness."

Jimmy frowned at her awkwardness, "Brett, you ok?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sylvie replied in a pitch higher than her normal voice.

Jimmy shrugged, "I don't know, you seem a little off."

"I'm good, really, just want to find my tablet."

Jimmy then stepped forward, "Alright well, here let me help."

"No it's fine, I can manage." Brett replied with force as she turned away when she saw Jimmy step towards her.

Jimmy's concern was beginning to get more intense, "Hey Brett, what's really going on?"

Brett sighed.

Jimmy stepped up to her again, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Brett?"

At his touch Brett tried to move away but Jimmy was faster, getting in front of her, grasping her gently by the elbows.

"No," Brett said as she looked up at him.

Jimmy's mouth dropped in shock at what he saw before him. One of Brett's eyes was bruised and almost swollen shut, her lip was cut and he could see bruising on her collarbone.

"Oh my god, Sylvie?"

Brett clenched her teeth and looked away.

Jimmy waited a beat before asking, "What happened?"

Brett reluctantly looked into Jimmy's eyes, "I got into an accident on the way home."

Jimmy frowned as he dropped his hands, "With somebody's fists?"

Sylvie looked at Jimmy annoyed, "I got in an accident."

Jimmy shook his head, "I don't think that's what happened."

Sylvie sighed as she stepped back, "Well, I don't really care what you think happened Borrelli, it's…it's none of your business." Sylvie then walked around Jimmy.

"You're my partner Brett."

Brett stopped inches away from the door and remained facing away from him as she responded with, "Yeah, on the job."

Jimmy shrugged slightly, "Doesn't mean I don't care about you."

Tears sprung to Sylvie's eyes as she let out a shallow breath.

"Please Sylvie, tell me what happened." Jimmy continued softly.

Brett turned around slowly and with her head down and her hands in her jeans pockets, she explained, "I was mugged, walking on my way home." Jimmy's eyes narrowed in part sympathy for what Sylvie was going through and anger that it had to happen to her in the first place. Sylvie then continued with, "I fought him off as best as I could but he was uh, bigger and much stronger than I am. Lucky for me, a patrol car passed and my screams caught their attention. He grabbed my bag and tried to make a run for it but was caught."

"Thank god for that."

Sylvie gave a tight nod, "Yeah, thank god."

Jimmy stepped forward, "Did you get checked out?"

Sylvie nodded, "Uh, yeah I did, nothing broken, my ribs are just badly bruised not to mention this shiner I have on my face," Brett finished off with as she pointed to her swollen eye.

"Ok, then why aren't you still at the hospital or at home, resting?"

"Hospital was intense, swarming with patients. And anyway they couldn't do much for me except patch me up and give me some pain killers."

"Ok, so why aren't you at home then?"

Sylvie shook her head, as she tried and failed to stop the tears from building up in her eyes and throat, "I just….." Sylvie then looked down trying to compose her emotions, "I know it's silly, I get that the guy has been arrested and he's in custody now but I just wanted to feel safe and this place does that for me."

Jimmy's eyes softened as Sylvie continued with, "What with everything that's happened from my apartment getting broken into when I first arrived in Chicago, to that criminal wanting to kill me, not to mention all the crap I've had to deal with as a paramedic and now this. Feeling safe has been kind of a fleeting feeling for me."

Jimmy absorbed everything Sylvie had just confessed to him and then made a decision, "Ok, come on, let's go." Jimmy said as he turned Sylvie gently and put his arm around her to guide her out the door and out of the station.

Brett frowned, "Let's go? Where?"

"You didn't want to tell me what happened so I'm guessing you don't want everyone else knowing and if you stay here, they will when they come in for their shift tomorrow and see you."

"You still haven't answered my question Jimmy." Jimmy dropped his arm from Sylvie's shoulders and walked around to the driver's side of his car, "We're going to your place where you're going to pack a bag and then you're going to come and stay with me for a few days or at least until you start to feel safe again."

Brett was so taken aback, it took her a few moments to find her voice, "Jimmy, that's really sweet, thank you but I can't ask you to do that for me."

"Who's asking, I'm offering, what are friends for right?"

Sylvie managed a soft smile at that and answered by opening the passenger door and getting in.

They arrived at Jimmy's place after having picked up a duffel bag worth of Sylvie's things. Sylvie was feeling a little uncomfortable being in his place under the circumstances but Jimmy was being more than welcoming.

"So, what do you think?" Jimmy asked, referring to his apartment, trying to ease some of the tension.

Sylvie nodded, "It's great." She said as she forced a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well it is for what I pay for it. Anyway, you're probably exhausted let me show you to the guest bedroom."

Jimmy led the way as Sylvie followed.

"This is it," Jimmy said as he opened the door for her.

Sylvie peered in, it was relatively small but had everything a bedroom would need so she wasn't complaining. Then after a moment of silence, Jimmy spoke up, "The uh, the bathroom is just right down the hall, there are clean towels hanging up if you want to take a shower."

Sylvie nodded with a tight smile, "Ok."

Jimmy nodded back, "Ok, well I'm beat. I'm across the hall if you need me. Goodnight." Jimmy finished with a soft smile.

"Night," Sylvie replied.

Jimmy was about to enter his room when, "Jimmy."

Jimmy turned, "Yeah."

Sylvie then took a step forward, putting her hand on Jimmy's shoulder to steady herself as she went on the tip of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. Jimmy was taken aback, "What uh…what was that for?"

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders gently, "a thank you for being a good friend."

Jimmy smiled at that, "No problem."

With one last smile, Sylvie made her way into the guest room and closed it behind her, leaving Jimmy staring after her. Then after a moment of silent contemplation, he went into his room and did the same.

It was early morning now and Jimmy was startled awake by screaming coming from his guest bedroom. Taking a moment to get his bearings, he ran from his room to Sylvie who was thrashing around in the bed screaming, "Get off me, get off!"

Jimmy sat down on the edge of the bed, grasping Sylvie's arms as he said, "Hey, hey, hey, hey Brett." At this Brett fought harder to get away, "No, get off of me." Jimmy then shook her a little harder and said a little firmer, "Sylvie, it's Jimmy wake up."

With one last final breath she screamed, sitting up as her eyes popped open, "No!"

As her eyes caught Jimmy's she instantly relaxed, however her breathing and heartbeat remained somewhat intense.

"It's ok, it's me, you're ok. It was just a bad dream."

Brett nodded with fear in her eyes until her emotions took over her and she burst into tears. Jimmy didn't hesitate to move closer and wrap his arms around his partner, holding her close. Sylvie clung to him as she said, "Faces, so many faces."

Jimmy frowned in confusion but thought that it wasn't the time or the place to ask what that meant. It took a while but Jimmy's presence eventually was able to calm Brett down to a restless but better state of sleep.

The next morning Brett woke up with pain, radiating from her bruised ribs. Without thinking much about it, she reached for the pain meds the doctors at the hospital had given her, downing two and rubbing her head with her eyes closed. It was at this point that she remembered what had happened last night, with her nightmare and Jimmy having to be the one to snap her out of it. She sighed exclaiming, "Oh god." After a few moments, she decided she had no other option but to just bite the bullet and walk out, hoping Jimmy wouldn't ask too many questions.

Sylvie walked out into the living room where she saw Jimmy in the kitchen with his back turned to her, cooking at the stove. Jimmy turned with the frying pan in his hand, noticing Brett he smiled and scooped the contents of the pan onto a plate as he said, "Morning."

"Morning," Brett replied as she saw all the food on the counter she stepped forward asking, "What's with all the food?"

Jimmy chuckled lightly, "Well, I wasn't sure what you like to eat for breakfast so I decided to whip up a bit of everything." Sylvie couldn't help but smile at the gesture, "Ok, so we've got pancakes, bacon and eggs, muffins or just plain old cereal if none of this takes your fancy."

"Wow," Sylvie replied.

"So pick your poison Miss Brett."

Sylvie stepped forward and sat on one of the stools by the bench. Not hesitating to grab the plate of food she was craving the most for.

"Ah, so you're a pancakes girl."

"That I am."

"Me, I'm more a savory than sweet kind of guy, so I'll have the bacon and eggs," Jimmy said as he sat opposite his partner.

"You really didn't have to do all of this."

Jimmy brushed it off with, "It was no trouble, I was up anyway."

Sylvie closed her eyes briefly at that, "Oh, Jimmy I'm so embarrassed."

Jimmy frowned, "What're you talkin about?"

"About last night."

Jimmy still remained puzzled.

"You know when you had to wake me from that nightmare I was having. I'm so sorry about that by the way."

Jimmy looked down realizing they were talking about two different things, "No Sylvie, it's not that."

Sylvie frowned, a little surprised and curious if he was lying to ease the awkwardness, "Then what is it?"

Jimmy sighed, waited a beat before replying with, "Ever since Danny was killed when that building collapsed I haven't been sleeping 100%."

Sylvie took in a breath, remembering that Jimmy was going through something pretty tough too at the moment, "Apart from the trouble sleeping, how are you travelling?"

Jimmy shrugged, "Ok, I guess. Just taking it a day at a time."

Sylvie nodded, "Well if you ever need a friend to you know talk to…I'm here."

Jimmy smiled softly, "Thanks."

Sylvie smiled back, "Are you kidding, after everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do."

Jimmy waited a beat before asking softly, "I see the swelling has gone down a lot from around your eye."

Instinctively Sylvie raised her hand to touch her eye, as she said, "Yeah, I guess it has."

"How are you feeling?"

Sylvie looked away as she contemplated for a moment, "Umm, I am feeling…"she then turned her head to look at Jimmy who was waiting patiently for her to answer, "much better than I was last night."

Jimmy nodded then asked, "Safer?"

Sylvie nodded hesitantly, "A bit."

"Don't worry, it's going to take time," Jimmy then shrugged, "and like I said you can stay as long as you want, I really don't mind."

Then for what seemed like an eternity but was a little more than a split second Jimmy and Sylvie's eyes connected in a way that had happened before but was rare to say the least. Sylvie was the first to break it, "Well, before I dig into these, I better call Boden and ask for a few days off."

Jimmy nodded, "Yeah, ok."

It was mid-morning when Jimmy showed up for his shift. Apart from two non-life threatening calls, there wasn't much excitement happening around the station. He had a stand in partner for the next few days. The guy was nice enough but Jimmy couldn't wait to ride with Sylvie again. They had developed a slight banter to their partnership that helped move the day along.

Feeling hungry he made his way to the kitchen. "Jimmy," Dawson called out to him as he was putting the finishing touches to his sandwich.

Jimmy looked up, "What's up Dawson?"

"I'm looking for Sylvie, I haven't seen her all day."

"Uh, that's because she's not here."

Gabby frowned at that, "Ok, well then where is she?"

"She's at home, and will be for the next few days, she's uh sick." Jimmy responded with not too convincingly as he hadn't prepared for what he would tell people when they asked where his partner was. Apart from him and Boden, no-one knew about what happened to Sylvie.

Gabby replied back in a tone that said she didn't believe a word he was saying, "Sick with uh what?" Gabby made sure to emphasize the 'uh' in the sentence.

Instead of thinking up an illness on the spot, he simply replied with, "I don't know. All I know is she's not well enough to be here." Jimmy then picked up his plate of food and headed to the table, hoping Gabby would drop it but knowing she wouldn't as he could already feel her following him as he sat down.

"You're her partner and you don't know what's wrong with her?"

Jimmy let out a breath as he put down the sandwich he was about to bite into, "She didn't tell me," Jimmy lied.

Gabby squinted as she gauged Jimmy who was looking at her but then faltered as he looked away.

"You're a bad liar Borrelli. I know you know. What's really up with Sylvie?"

"Just because she's my partner doesn't mean she tells me everything."

Gabby waited a beat before relenting, "Ok, fine. It's pretty slow around here and I have some time so I'll go around to hers and see if she's ok for myself."

Jimmy was taken aback and didn't know what to say, leaving Gabby to continue with, "If anyone needs me I've got my cell and radio." Gabby gave Jimmy one last chance to tell her for himself what was going on before heading out of the station.

Jimmy sighed and then got up, running to catch up with Dawson, "Wait, Dawson!"

Gabby turned, "What?"

Jimmy sighed, "She's not at her place."

Gabby frowned, "Ok, now I'm really worried, where is she?"

Jimmy looked at Gabby fighting the urge to tell her everything. Gabby then stepped forward, "Borrelli I'm gonna give you ten seconds to tell me what the hell is going on before I do something I probably won't regret."

Jimmy closed his eyes briefly before opening them and replying with, "Brett's at my place."

Dawson took a minute of just staring at Jimmy letting all the possibilities of what that one sentence could mean flow through her brain before replying with, "I'm sorry what?"

"Something bad happened last night and Brett ended up staying at mine."

Gabby's eyes went wide as she misinterpreted what Jimmy meant replying back with, "The something bad being the fact that you two hooked up and now both of you are scared of facing the music with Boden."

Jimmy flinched as his mouth dropped in shock, "What no, of course not. How did you get that from what I just said?"

"Well, it's kind of the only explanation from where I'm standing."

Jimmy sighed, "No, it's really not."

Gabby crossed her arms across her chest as she then asked, "Ok, Borrelli spill, I'm listening."

"Look, I get that you're her friend Dawson and you're worried about her but she's my friend too and my partner and I'm not about to betray her trust by telling you when it really isn't my place to say anything."

Dawson frowned as she looked down, feeling a little sad and disappointed that Sylvie didn't feel like she could confide in her. Jimmy caught onto this and said, "If it makes you feel any better, she didn't want to tell me either."

"No, no it doesn't but look Jimmy, I get why you can't tell me but do you think she would be up for a visitor after work tonight? That way if she's up for it she can tell me herself."

Jimmy let out a sigh, not sure how Sylvie would feel about that, "Let me text her and see if she would be cool with that."

"Ok, let me know."

Jimmy gave Gabby a tight nod before she went around him, heading back towards the kitchen.