Hey everyone!

I wish to thank you all for sticking by the story and still being eager to read!

I hope this chapter makes up for the delay! I'm terribly sorry!

Thank you for all you guys do!

Love Hannah

oxoxox

Casey

Antonio, Severide, Voight and I watched countless tapes just like that one. Some were of Gabby with me, with Shay, at Molly's with the guys, alone. Quite a few of them were her alone, running, walking to the shops, getting out of her car etc. Those were the worst ones, because at any time that Ramsey was watching her when she was alone, meant that he could have grabbed her at any one of those times and I wouldn't have been there to protect her.

Just like now.

Voight hadn't long gotten off the phone with Lindsay, Brett and Mills had been discharged from hospital and were going home to rest. It was cruel of me, but I couldn't help but wish that Gabby was the one in hospital. That Gabby was safe. No matter what I was happy that Mills and Brett were back home, safe, where they belonged, but I also battled with the emotions that wished it was Gabby too.

Watching the tapes felt like a huge weight on my chest, I couldn't breathe properly. My body ached with pain and fear and distress, but yet my blood boiled with searing rage and anger. Ramsey had no right, no right to intrude so selfishly on Gabby's life like this. To stalk her to the point of retaining intimate tapes of her and I together, conversations, glances, touches and kisses that should have always stayed between us. But they hadn't. He had sought to that.

I forced myself to not think about the 'what ifs' about what was happening between them. What ifs wouldn't help me, nor would they help Gabby, but the more I tried not to think about it, the more I did. And the dreadful horrific images that my mind thought up were more unbearable than I imagined.

I just wanted to hold Gabby in my arms, hold her so close and so tight that she felt entirely safe once more, completely protected and loved. To hold her until her tears dried up and she smiled once more. To make this pain go away.

To tell her that no matter what, despite the job, despite Ramsey, we could and would get through this together.

"Talk to me."

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Everything. The future. I don't know what's gonna happen, Matt."

"That's why they call it the future. One thing I know will happen for sure...you and I are gonna face it together."

I'd said it then and meant it, and I'm saying it now and I absolutely mean it. No matter what, it was Gabby and me. Forever. She was it for me.

So the thought of never finding her was completely impossible, the thought of knowing that my days would pass by without her were unbearable. It just couldn't happen. I wouldn't allow it.

With this driving me on, I forced myself to continue watching every tape, every single second with the hope we'd find something that would lead us a step closer to having Gabby in my arms once more. Most of them just made me angry.

Gabby running.

Gabby walking.

Gabby at the grocery store, then visiting Antonio at District 21.

Gabby arriving with me at work, wiping at her eyes. I remember that day; it was our first shift back after Shay had died. Gabby had been so upset. She wasn't sure if she could handle it. She was also worried for Severide, who'd just run off to god knows where. She missed Shay.

My fists clenched at the invasion of such a painful and vulnerable time for her. As if what she was dealing with wasn't enough, Ramsey was following her every move as she tried to grieve for the loss of her best friend.

Yet the next tape we watched really made my blood boil.

Gabby was stood, staring stoically down at a grave I recognised, a grave that I'd visited many times over the past few months. Shay's.

She was alone, just staring… Every now and then she'd reach up to wipe her eyes, soon after new tears replacing the ones she had tried to erase. She pulled her jacket tightly around herself, not because of the weather, it was sunny, but because of how upset and vulnerable and lost she felt.

She starts to talk and at the first, you can't hear what she says, until suddenly, Ramsey must have done something to the camera to zoom in and hear her shaky voice.

"…Getting in that ambo without you was the hardest thing I've ever done Shay. It's meant to be me and you, forever… I miss you so much and yet it doesn't seem real… Half the time I expect to wake up from this dream and others, I completely forget until I turn up to work and realise that you're not by my side… You probably don't know how heartbroken we are, do you? I hope you don't… I wouldn't want you to be upset… It's just… I don't know how… how we can do this without you…"

Gabby's crying fully now and not even attempting to wipe away the salty streams running down her face. She hugs herself tightly, falls to her knees.

"I'm sorry… Shay, I'm really sorry that we traded places. I'm sorry that I didn't die instead… It was never meant to be you, never…"

She tugs her hand roughly through her hair, face twisted agony and grief.

"Severide's gone… We're worried about him… He's broken Shay, he's really… lost… and Matt and I aren't sure what to do… Can you look out for him please? Just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid please… Let him know that you love him okay? We love you Shay, I love you…"

Then she gets up, wipes her face, takes a deep breath, and glances down at the headstone one more time before turning and leaving.

Antonio moves to stop the tape before it suddenly switches to a forest scene.

"What the hell?" he mutters with confusion under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look what I've found!"

A young boy, perhaps six or seven, bounds up to the camera with a basket of pinecones and berries in his hand, a wide smile on his face.

I stared with wonder at the screen. The video was old, at least thirty years ago according to the picture quality, and whilst the boy was young, I recognised the eyes.

Victor Ramsey.

I feel Severide's hand clasp on my shoulder, "We got him Matt. We got him."

Olinsky

Toothpick in cheek, I stare at the man Trevor Mansville. A man in his late forties, sickly pale, bald, beady eyes and a certain nervousness about him. He was twitchy too, but I think that had more to do with being in interrogation rather than his character.

He was important because he was the man, the only man, that Victor Ramsey emailed under the guise of Trev614. Original huh?

Clicking my jaw I lean back in the chair, jeez these were uncomfortable, deciding that a forceful approach was going to get me nowhere with this guy and time was running short.

Antonio was counting on me. His family was everything to him. I could identify with that.

"So Trevor, how did you meet Victor Ramsey?" I ask him quietly, careful to keep my voice level.

He twitched again, "Through the internet," he stuttered hurriedly, his eyes wide, unable to meet my own.

"How long have you been in contact with him?"

"A few years… is he in some sort of trouble?" Trevor asked, becoming increasingly less nervous for himself and more curious about Victor as I continued my questioning.

"Are you close? Do you talk about a lot?"

Trevor shrugs, "He talks a lot about his girlfriend."

Girlfriend? There was no girlfriend in his file.

"What his girlfriend's name?"

He looked up to the ceiling in thought, his bald head shining under the light and after a few moments he looked at me and answered, "Gabriela. A Latina girl. He says he's lucky to have her, she's at least ten years younger than him and a stunner if you know what I mean," Trevor smirked suggestively.

"He send you any photos of Gabriela?"

He nods.

"Can you describe her?"

"Dark skin, Hispanic. Dark hair cut to her shoulders. Brown eyes, smoky. Short and petite. Got this amazing smile. You know, the ones that can capture a room? No idea how she's with Victor, he looks like a bird and not the pretty kind."

Good lord.

"When was the last time you spoke to Victor?"

Again, the now calm man thought for a moment before answering, "Two days ago. He said he and Gabriela were taking a vacation to his dad's old cabin and that he'd have no internet connection. Old fool's probably having some fun with that Latina right now," Trevor chuckled innocently, he knew nothing about this.

"Do you happen to know where this cabin is?"

"Hasting's Lake. You know, the forest preserve, at least that's where I think it is."

"How sure are you?"

Trevor shrugged, "Pretty sure Detective. I've got a good memory."

"That's good enough for me."

Antonio

Olinsky rushes into the breakroom the moment that Ruzek broke into Ramsey's fathers records. His toothpick bobs in his mouth as he talks hurriedly.

"Think I've found her. Hasting's Lake," Olinsky explains as Ruzek nods at his computer.

"Yeah, Al, his dad died a couple months ago and left the cabin he owned to Ramsey. My bet is that he's taken Gabby there."

"His internet friend said that he was going to his dad's cabin."

I turn to Voight, "It's our best bet, right?"

The man deliberates for a split second before nodding, "Call Lindsay and Halstead. Atwater too. Get them to meet us there. Burgess and Roman too."

I turn to Matt, who was looking extremely fearful and slightly relieved at the same time, "I'm coming with you," he says defiantly.

I nod, clapping his arm, "I know you are man. Let's go get Gabby."

"And nail this s.o.b to the wall," Severide mutters under his breath as he follows us down to the garage.

I make Matt and Severide wait in the car. They don't. Instead they lean up against the car. That's as good as I was gonna get I suppose. Matt's practically bouncing on his feet, Severide's got a hand on him in case he decides to completely ignore my instructions.

"Halstead, Lindsay, Atwater, round back," Voight orders quietly as he secures his gun in his hand, "Everyone else with me."

I watch as the three run around the cabin and out of sight. I follow behind Voight, Olinsky right behind. Ruzek, Burgess and Roman, follow behind us.

Voight nods at me once before kicking down the door.

We burst inside.

There's been a struggle.

Victor Ramsey is lying, unconscious, on the floor.

A camera on top of a cabinet flashes red at me.

It smells stale, it air is stuffy.

Gabby's not here.

I grab Ramsey, gripping him by the collar, shaking him and screaming, "Where is she? You bastard, where is my sister?!"

I hear Severide's voice calling after Matt. Suddenly he's by my side.

As Ramsey slowly wakes he mutters, "Gabriela…"

Matt goes mad.

His fists clench balls of Ramsey's shirt into his hands and lifts him into the air before pushing him up forcefully against the wall, "Where is she? Where's Gabby?!"

Ramsey, wide eyed and dazed, cries, "I don't know!"