Hello everyone!

It's finally here, the chapter I know most of you have been waiting for. Let me start off by saying I'm sorry it's a little bit late, I've had a long, busy day, and wasn't able to get it posted before now. But I'm sorry for that, I didn't mean to keep you waiting. I hope you all enjoy this, I'm really proud of how this turned out.

I'm very eager to hear your thoughts. Just please, whether good or bad, be kind. Thank you.

Thank you for reading!


EIGHTY ONE


"Hi Gabby." He spoke, his voice causing her spine to straighten, panic beginning to flood her entire body before it was accompanied by a wave of numbness, her mind going blank as she vaguely saw Shay move forward slightly out of the corner of her eye. "You came… I knew you would." Bryan continued, his gaze trained solely on Gabby as the PIC registered Shay taking another step forward, like she was trying to put herself between the two.

"We got called here." Shay replied sharply, her voice dripping with venom as whatever nerves she felt right now, she pushed aside, the paramedic looking over the man she hadn't seen in a very long time. "Which I'm sure was your doing, how did you even know where we were?" She questioned, Bryan not fazed by the malice in her words as he continued to focus on Dawson, his lips turning up into a soft grin before he spoke up.

"How have you been, Gabby?" He asked her, Walker completely ignoring her question as he took another step closer, but Shay wasn't having it as matched his step forward.

"How did you know where we were?" She questioned again, her rage outweighing everything else as she watched the man finally tear his eyes away from Dawson and meet her own, the soft look in his gaze morphing into a much harsher one.

"I was in the department for years Shay, you think I don't know how to check the scanner?" He fired back, before his face softened and he glanced at Gabby. "Besides, that was pretty much my only choice when you stopped going out except to work… Where have you been staying, by the way? Because I know it's not at your place." He questioned, a wave of nausea coursing through Gabby's system at his words. "Your brother put you up somewhere?"

"Walker, you need to leave." Shay interjected, the woman's hand slowly moving up to her radio, while a dry laugh escaped the man's throat, Bryan reaching his hands into his pockets as he took another few steps towards them.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." He responded with a slight shake of his head. "Not until Gabby and I talk."

"There's nothing for you two to talk about, except how your ass is going to end up back in jail. Now leave… The cops are on the way here, you must know that, if you really have been watching us. They'll come in here and you'll be in handcuffs." She told him, another chuckle escaping his lips as he finally pulled his hand out of his pocket, the man now holding something he hadn't been before.

"Yeah, I don't think it'll be that simple." He replied as he began flipping a silver lighter between his fingers, Shay eyeing him closely as a thick lump began to form in his throat.

"Walker, what are you doing?" She asked him, that devilish grin returning to his face before he focused in on Gabby.

"Like I said… Gabby and I are gonna talk."

The man was only a few feet from them at this point, Bryan beginning to open and close the lighter in his hands, the simple action feeling threatening enough to where neither paramedic had any clue as to what he would do next.

All Dawson did know was that she didn't want Shay here when she found out.

"Shay, go." Dawson whispered, her voice barely audible to even her partner. Though by the way Gabby saw her entire body stiffen, she knew she heard her, Shay's stance in front of her blocking Walker from her view. "I'll be fine, go. Tell them."

The second she finished speaking she started to walk around Shay towards Bryan, the man smiling softly at her as she forced herself to look his way, while Dawson's vague words resonated in Shay's head.

"You want to talk?" She asked softly, Gabby standing her ground as she was a slight step ahead of her friend, the blonde instinctively reaching out to grab her arm.

"Gabby…" Shay tried, Walker looking between the two as Gabby glanced back at her.

"It's fine." She said quickly as her head was turned away from Bryan, Shay watching as Gabby looked over to the door for a few seconds, her silent gesture all that was needed before she spoke up again. "We're fine."

"Yeah Shay, we're fine." Walker repeated, his smug voice flooding Gabby with a bunch of mixed emotions as she continued to look at her friend.

"Go." She mouthed, Shay not giving much in the form of a reaction before Dawson turned back around, the PIC taking slow, barely recognizable steps to the side like she was trying to get in between Walker and the door, Shay soon realizing this was time to try and get out of here. Even though the last thing she wanted to do was leave Gabby in here with him alone.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked bluntly as she crossed her arms over her chest, Gabby fighting against her every instinct to give into the fear she felt in the moment, her body's reaction to being so close to him not exactly a comforting one as she knew exactly what kind of damage he was capable of. But she refused to let him see it, she refused to let him know how much this scared her. At least for as long as she could help it. "You went through all this trouble to get me alone, what do you want?"

"I think you know exactly what I want, Gabby." He replied without thought. "It's the same thing I've been wanting since I got out, I want to talk to you… About us."

As the words left Walker's lips, Shay knew this was her opening, the woman clenching her hand at her side while her other held onto her radio tightly, her mind racing as she tried to figure out if this was the best thing to do. But she knew she didn't have time. If she was doing this, like Gabby wanted, she needed to go now, Shay breathing in deeply before her eyes flashed towards the door.

And before she could talk herself out of it, she bolted, Shay taking off towards the closed door as quickly as her feet could take her, the paramedic not seeing anything of what was happening behind her as she hurried across the room. The second she moved, Walker darted after her, but Gabby got in his way, the PIC delaying him as much as she could by pushing back against him. But with their drastic size difference, her efforts could only do so much, Bryan shoving her back with ease after a few seconds, the force of her push sending her crashing to the ground.

A hiss of pain left her lips as her elbow collided painfully with the hardwood floor, Bryan rushing past her to no doubt try and stop Shay. But when Gabby managed to look up, Shay was long gone, Bryan standing just outside the doorway looking off down the hallway before he stomped back inside and slammed the door shut, their eyes locking on one another as she slowly pushed herself to sit up.

And without saying a word, a small smirk pulled on his lips, Gabby sucking in a deep breath as he reached back to turn the deadbolt lock into place, effectively cutting them off from everyone else as she was now trapped inside this apartment with him. Alone.

Outside, Shay ran as fast as she could out of the building, her eyes darting around the second she got through the door before immediately finding the cop car she was searching for, the two policeman standing at the hood of their vehicle while they spoke to one another, clearly not noticing the frantic paramedic who had just darted from the building.

"Hey!" She shouted as she hurried down the steps, the woman nearly out of breath as both men looked up towards her. "You need to get in there! You need to go, right now!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." One of them spoke up, Shay not recognizing either of these men as she came to stop a few feet from them. And that didn't leave a reassuring feeling in her gut, the woman shaking her head quickly. "Just take a breath, what's wrong?"

"You have to go in there, now. Walker- Bryan Walker, the man you all are looking for, he's in there with Dawson." She nearly shouted, her emotions getting the better of her as she did her best to keep it together. But that was easier said than done in this situation.

"He's in there with her?" One repeated for clarification, though by the looks on their faces Shay understood they at least had some knowledge of the situation, the paramedic nodding hurriedly.

"He called us here, he got us dispatched here. He did it to get to Gabby, and now he's in there with her. She's in there all alone with that monster, now get your asses in there-"

"Shay."

The woman froze when she heard Gabby's voice come through her radio, Shay whipping her head back towards the entrance to the apartment building as he reached for the radio strapped to her chest.

"Gabby! Gabby, are you okay? What's going on? Where is-"

"I'm fine, Shay." She replied, her voice lacking emotion as the blonde's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm alright, don't come back in."

"What?"

"Don't bring anyone in… He said not to bring anyone-"

The line suddenly cut off when Gabby rushed out her last few words, like she wasn't supposed to have said them as there was nothing but white noise coming through the other end of the line, before it went completely silent.

"Gabby? Gabby!" She shouted, the woman repeating her name a few more times before turning back towards the officers, Shay seeing one of them already on their own radio, no doubt calling this in as she took another step towards them. "Go in there!"

"Miss-"

"Go in there and get her!"

"It's not that simple." He told her, while his partner was practically shouting at someone through the radio. "We can't barge in there when we don't know where they are, or if he has any weapons…"

"He had a lighter." She cut in, the man nodding as he glanced back towards the apartment building.

"Any gasoline or accelerants that you could see?"

"No, no-nothing like that. But I wasn't looking for it." She stuttered over her words, the cop giving her as sympathetic a look as he could muster.

"Alright. And Bryan Walker, he was a firefighter, wasn't he?"

"He was. He used to work at our firehouse."

"Okay… That's another reason we need to play this carefully. I don't know what he's planning, if anything. It could just be a ploy to keep us out, I don't know, but if we rush in there prematurely it could cause more problems. And that's what we don't need, not when the other paramedic-"

"Gabby." She corrected, her voice unsteady.

"Not when Gabby is in there, and we need to keep her safe." He continued, Shay's eyes flashing back towards the other cop when she heard him say something about a hostage situation, tears beginning to sting in her eyes as it was suddenly hitting her what was happening. "We have to play this carefully, so everyone gets out alive… Especially after he just told no one to go in." He explained as best he could, Shay blinking quickly before she nodded, her hand still clutching her radio tightly as a rush of helpless washed over her. "Alright, now, can you walk me through everything? From the moment you got here, to how you got out… I need to know everything."

"Yeah, yeah, I can just-" She stopped herself, Shay holding her hand up before she moved to adjust her radio, the paramedic getting it to the right channel before speaking up once more. "Firehouse 51? Anyone!" She shouted, her nerves taking over as she hoped and prayed someone was around to hear her. But after a few seconds, she'd gotten nothing. "Casey! Severide! Anyone please…"

It took a few seconds, but she soon heard that familiar crackling that told her someone was responding, the blonde biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly as she looked back towards the apartment that now looked so daunting.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Casey's rushed voice hit her ears, Shay's hands beginning to shake as she shook her head roughly, the reality of the situation crushing her as she never wanted to have to say these words to anyone. Let alone Casey.

"It's Walker…" She choked out, Shay pausing for a moment to regain her voice before she continued, "Walker has Gabby!"

"Goddammit, Otis! Drive faster!" Casey shouted as they weaved their way through the streets of Chicago, the traffic around them making their task that much more difficult as all the vehicles had them going much slower than desired. Especially with the way Casey was seconds away from losing his mind in the passenger seat, their sirens blaring as they continued down the road, with squad 3 close behind them.

"I'm trying, Lieutenant, we're almost there-" He stopped himself short while continuing to focus on the task at hand, Otis knowing his Lieutenant wasn't so interested in hearing anything he had to say as his head was focused on one thing, and one thing only. And it had been from the moment he raced out of the firehouse minutes ago, when Casey heard what Shay had said and all but bolted to the firetruck, everyone following behind him as they knew he was seconds away from losing his mind.

And no one in the rig could blame him. Not with what was going on.

"Have you heard anything else from Shay, Lieutenant?" Herrmann spoke up carefully, Matt barely registering her words as his eyes were focused out the front windshield.

"Anything I would've heard, you would've heard." He snapped back, Herrmann biting his tongue before he nodded, the men in the back of the rig sharing a knowing look as it was just best to stay quiet in this situation.

"This should be the street right up here, Casey. I think- yeah, we're here." He told him as they turned the corner and found the street littered with cop cars, that sight easing the heavy weight against Casey's chest the slightest bit as Otis slowed down the rig when they got closer.

But Matt didn't even wait for it to a complete stop before he opened the door and jumped down, Casey running towards the maze of people huddled around as he searched for any recognizable face he could find. Anyone to tell him what was going on.

"Casey!"

His head snapped over when he heard the familiar voice, his eyes immediately finding Shay as she stood across the road by a few cop cars, Matt immediately changing his course of direction as he raced over to her just as squad pulled up. As he got closer, he was able to make out a few more familiar faces standing next to the paramedic, as members from Antonio's team were standing there, along with Antonio himself, the man pacing back and forth anxiously as Voight was trying to talk him down.

"What's going on?" Casey spoke as soon as he got close enough, the sound of his voice causing Antonio's head to snap up, everyone seeing the worry radiating off the firefighter as his nervous eyes darted around the group. But no one answered him, Casey shaking his head roughly before his eyes landed on Voight. "Dammit, tell me what's going on! Where is she?!"

"Casey-" Voight tried, but he wasn't able to get a word in before Matt continued.

"Is she still in there with him? Why isn't anyone in there?"

"Casey- Casey… Listen." He tried again, his rough voice causing the man to stop before Matt took a deep breath, the nervous energy radiating off of the entire group not entirely comforting.

"What is going on?" He asked again, his voice much softer than before, the pain and worry he was feeling written across his face as he slowly turned to look back towards the apartment building for a moment before he turned back to the group once more, his eyes immediately going to the shaken woman in front of him. "...What happened in there, Shay?"

"He… He just showed up." She spoke unsteadily, Matt breathing in deeply as he forced himself to stay quiet until she said more. "He brought us here on purpose, he called 911 with the call. He brought us here, for Gabby."

Casey's stomach sank as he looked towards Antonio, the man looking equally as dejected and angry as he was sure he felt, Matt knowing he had likely heard what all Shay had to say already. And as she continued to explain what happened, Casey truly began to understand those feelings, the circumstances that lead them here making him sick to his stomach as he listened intently to every word she said.

"And then Gabby told me to go… She just- she told me to go, and get help. So I ran, and I don't… I don't know what happened after that. What he's doing, I don't-" Her breath got caught in her throat, Matt's chest tightening harshly as his jaw clenched. "I don't know… But then she talked to me on the radio-"

"What?" He cut in, his eyes widening as they darted between everyone. "You talked to her?"

"Right after I got outside… She said not to come in, that Bryan told her-" She stopped herself to take a breath. "He told her for no one to come in, and that's when I talked to you."

"And no one's gone in since then?" He questioned before he could stop himself, his incredulous voice causing Voight to take a step forward.

"Casey-"

"Why is she still in there with him?!" His voice continued to get louder, Matt shaking his head roughly as he focused on the man who had come to stand beside Shay, the Lieutenant not noticing Severide coming up behind him. "What have you been doing since you got here? Why isn't she away from that fucking animal yet?"

"Matt…"

"No!" Casey replied, shrugging off Severide as his friend tried to calm him down. "She's inside that apartment with a man who abused her, why the hell are you standing here?!" He shouted, his voice gaining the attention of most everyone standing around them. "Go in there and get her! Why haven't you gotten her?!"

"Casey, it's not that simple." Voight replied as calmly as he could, knowing the man was already on edge as it was. "We just got here and found out what was going on." He began to explain, Matt's eyes flashing towards Antonio as the older brother began to pace once more, the man equally worried as Casey. "Situations like this… We have to handle them carefully. You know that. The second he told Gabby no one could come in, it became a hostage situation." He explained to him, though he really didn't need to as the words made Matt's neck clench, the firefighter slowly calming down as he knew he had no other choice. "Especially since he's basically armed. You know how these things work, we can't just storm in there without a plan, that's how people get hurt. And I'm not risking that, not with Gabby in there… But we're gonna figure out the best course of action, the best way to get in there and get Gabby out safely… That's our main- our only priority here is getting her out. And we will… I'll promise you like I promised Antonio, we're gonna get her out of there."

Casey drew in a deep breath as Voight's words sunk in before he slowly nodded, his urgency and anger morphing into complete and utter worry as his adrenaline was starting to wear off. And the feeling made him nauseous, Matt taking a slight step back before he turned around and began to pace back and forth, his hands coming up to rest over the back of his head as it hung towards the ground.

"I'm gonna go talk to the cops, we'll get a plan together, and then we'll go in... I know you're worried. That you both are worried." Voight spoke as he glanced back towards Antonio, the older Dawson still not looking very assured as he glanced towards Casey. "But this'll get resolved. I promise."

Matt didn't hear much of what he said, but he gave him a nod anyway after lifting his head back up, Voight clasping Antonio's shoulder before he walked away from them, a few of the other cops leaving as well as they went to figure out their best course of action. It was clear they didn't have a lot of time, as Gabby had already been in there too long with Walker, with them having no idea what was going on. And that knowledge was not sitting well with him, Matt doing all he could to keep it together as a wave of helplessness washed over him.

She was so close. She was right there, just inside that building, and it felt wrong that he wasn't going to get her. He was supposed to protect her, he was supposed to keep her safe, and him standing out here while she was in there, alone, with that monster, was the opposite of protecting her. And was making him so incredibly angry, the firefighter beginning to question more and more as the seconds ticked by if staying out here was the best choice.

"I already tried."

Matt's head snapped back to Antonio when he heard his voice, the detective having not said a word since Casey arrived as the two locked gazes for a moment, before Antonio looked back towards the apartment.

"I already tried to go in there, they wouldn't let me." He elaborated, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly as Severide moved to stand beside Shay. "I recognized that look… I know you just want to rush in there and end this. Trust me, I get it."

"Then why aren't we?" Casey asked back before he could stop himself, Antonio pursing his lips together tightly. "Why aren't we going inside there right now and getting her? Why are we just standing here?"

The air around them was thick as they stared at one another, neither breaking eye contact while Shay and Severide looked back and forth between them, Antonio fighting every instinct in his body as he tried to respond to him.

He knew the answer to Matt's question. All his years of training, all his experience, that told him and the answer. And Casey knew it as well.

As a cop, Antonio knew exactly why they shouldn't just storm in there without a thought. But as a brother, it was nearly impossible for that to feel like how this should be handled. And the longer they stood here, the less it was feeling like the right choice.

"...I don't know."


Gabby's eyes followed Walker as he paced around the living room, her body planted in the seat at the kitchen table just as it had been since he pulled her up off the floor no more than fifteen minutes ago, the paramedic occasionally rubbing her hand over her sore elbow as a thick silence was in the air around them. He hadn't said a word, not since Shay ran out of here and he locked them inside this room, Bryan hadn't said anything aside from telling her what he wanted Shay, and the cops, to know. How he didn't want anyone coming in here. Other than that quick conversation, he's said nothing. And for someone who did all this just to talk to her, he was being awfully quiet, the man continuing to walk back and forth over the same small patch of the rug beneath his feet, Walker muttering words she couldn't exactly make out to himself as they could vaguely hear all the commotion outside.

They'd heard all the sirens, all the people arriving to take him into custody, Gabby not missing the unmistakable sound of the firetruck that she'd heard just seconds ago, that was only part of the chaos she assumed was just outside these walls. But it was a sound that gave her hope, as it meant Matt was here. He was here, and if he was here, she could only assume her brother was too, meaning she was gonna get out of this. Once they figured out what to do, she was gonna get out of this.

She just wasn't sure what would happen in the meantime, as she could feel the tension radiating off of him grow with each passing second.

With her hands clasped together in her lap, she looked towards the door for a moment, before her eyes trailed down towards the floor, where her shattered radio lay in pieces from where Walker had thrown it at the wall shortly after she spoke with Shay. Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to look back at him, Gabby instantly seeing just how unsure he actually was, and she didn't know what to make of it.

She'd known Walker a long time, and even though she'd misjudged him so terribly in the beginning, and he was someone she never imagined, she also liked to think she could read him better than others. Especially once she began to see his true colors. So sitting here now with him, it was clear to her what he was actually feeling; and he was nervous.

Past all the bullshit, and the front he liked to put up that he was invincible, the front that had allowed him to hurt her for so long, he was worried. And she couldn't help but wonder if he'd finally realized this was a situation he wasn't gonna get out of, that maybe the second Shay bolted out of here, he began to realize he'd messed up by doing this. That this plan of his, if it even was one, wasn't gonna work.

And in some bizarre way, that had helped her feel just the tiniest bit better.

A part of her was scared, there was no denying that. Being around him in any capacity instantly put her on edge, and it had for a while. So being in a situation like this certainly hadn't helped that feeling, as Gabby had to force herself to stay calm. But along with that, there was also something in her gut keeping her from being completely terrified like she'd been in the past. Whether it be the fact he'd kept his distance, for the most part, or the fact that he seemed more worried than anything else right now, or maybe it was the fact he'd finally at least put the lighter away, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that for as frightened as she felt right now, there was a small sliver of hopefulness that she didn't often feel where Bryan Walker was concerned.

Hopefulness that she was going to get out of here, and be fine. That if her brother and the cops could just get in here, she'd be okay. That's what she was holding onto, even though there was a slight heaviness pushing against her chest, as it was hard to completely let go of the fear she felt as this was exactly what she'd been worried about happening the second he got released from prison.

"What are you staring at?" He asked, his harsh voice pulling her from her thoughts, Gabby's vision coming into focus as she found him staring at her from his position over by the wall.

Drawing in a deep breath, she sat up a little straighter, Gabby not wanting to show him any signs of weakness. Not when he'd seen enough from her already. "Nothing… I'm just wondering how long you're gonna keep me in here." She spoke back, her voice equally rough as he narrowed his gaze on her. "Or what your plan is, considering I'm pretty sure my brother has every cop in the city right outside this building." She continued on, Gabby seeing the visceral reaction her words were having on him as he took a slight step in her direction.

"Yeah, and who's fault is that?" He questioned back, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't give me that, it's the same thing every time with you. We wouldn't be here if not for you… If I could just go and talk to you without having to hide out for two damn weeks, all because of that fucking restraining order. But that wasn't an option, so here we are." He spat, Gabby shaking her head roughly before she responded.

"Why are we even here, Bryan? You and I don't have anything to talk about, I've told you all I have to say." She fired back, his narrow eyes staying focused on her as she pushed herself up from her seat, though she was smart enough to still keep her distance. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but I don't want anything to do with you. I don't know why you're so hellbent on coming back into my life, when the best thing you ever did for me was leave it."

"Yeah, and why does that sound like Casey talking?"

"What?"

"You heard me." He snapped, his arms crossed over his chest as he came to stand beside the coffee table, the room starting to feel a little bit smaller as Dawson took note of the distance between them slowly lessening. "All of this, everything you tell me about not wanting me, about not wanting anything to do with me… That's not you, Gabby, that's him. He got inside your head." He told her, a heavy scoff of disbelief escaping her lips as she shook her head. "Don't even try and pretend it's not, you never felt this way until after you started fucking him. This is all happening because of him, it always comes back to him because-"

"How I feel towards you has nothing to do with him." She firmly cut him off, her eyes matching his narrowed look as the tension between them grew. "Just because he helped me realize I deserve better than you, doesn't mean he's the reason I hate you." Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible at this point, but he heard her, Gabby seeing the instant he registered her words. "You have this fantasy of us in your head, that I'm still in love with you, that I want to be with you, but I don't. I never wanted to see you again, I can't stand you."

"That's not true, Gabby." He replied with a shake of his head, Dawson releasing a heavy sigh as she brought her hands up to her head, all the fear and worry she felt slowly becoming overwhelmed by frustration. "I know you, I know you better than anyone, and Casey-"

"No you don't!" She shouted, her voice nearing a scream as the force of her words almost had him stepping back. "You don't know me! You don't know me at all! You know nothing about me. Because if you did, you'd know I'd never want this… I want nothing with you, I hate you! And that has nothing to do with Matt." She continued on bravely, Gabby pushing aside everything else besides getting out the words she needed him to hear. "None of this has anything to do with him, and everything to do with the fact that I never want to see you again. Ever. You deserve to rot in jail, and that's exactly where you're going."

Her breaths were heavy by the time she finished getting the words out, her chest heaving up and down in anger as Walker stared silently at her, Gabby slowly starting to see that rage building up in his body as his darkened, rage-filled eyes focused on her. And without saying a word, he immediately stormed across the room towards her, Gabby's body instinctively backing up until it collided with the table, her hands coming up in an effort to stop him as she would've recognized that look on his face anywhere, because she'd seen it so often in the past.

"Bryan- Bryan, wait-"

He grabbed onto her arm roughly while his other hand grabbed a hold of her jaw, Gabby fighting against him as much as she could before he roughly forced her head back to look at him, the action sending a searing pain shooting down through her neck. The hold he had her in forced her to quit fighting, Gabby knowing there was no point as she wouldn't have been able to get away from him, fear beginning to bubble in the pit of her stomach as she wasn't able to push it away any longer.

Sucking in a deep breath, his eyes looked over her face before meeting her gaze, the tension he was carrying evident as he held onto her jaw tightly. "You better watch your mouth."

Dawson blinked quickly as a hint of panic flickered in her eyes, but she quickly did what she could to mask it, as she didn't want him to see it. But he did, the look on her face making him hold on tighter.

"And you need to stop lying, to me and to everyone, or you're really gonna piss me off." He growled, Gabby starting to push back against him once more, but it was useless. And it was like he only found it more amusing the more she struggled, as every time she'd move, he'd tighten his grip on her. "I don't care what bullshit you need to make yourself believe, I know it's all lies. And this is about Casey, because he's the only reason you're acting this way… It's about him, cause it always is with you." He spat, Gabby grimacing as she felt his breath on her face, his proximity causing her chest to tighten as a wave of anxiousness swept over her. "He came into the firehouse and it's like you were a different person…"

"Bryan-"

"You haven't been the same since him. And good for you, making him believe you're worth keeping around, but he'll realize eventually that you're not." He continued on angrily, the man ignoring her pleas. "You got with him the minute you could, and now you're playing house with him, doing all you can to convince him you're not worthless. To convince yourself… Because deep down, you know it's true. We both know it, that's why I'm the only one who would ever put up with your bullshit… And lying to yourself is easier than accepting the truth, that's the only reason we're here." He told her, his words leaving his lips slowly as he wanted to make sure she really heard them, Gabby refusing to react as she knew he was just trying to hurt her. But she never wanted him to know that he was. "The truth that no one else will ever love you, no one besides me… Because you're broken, Gabby. And sooner or later, he's gonna figure that out."

She continued to breathe heavily as his words washed over her, Walker's lips turning up into a slight smirk when he saw her blinking quickly, the dejected look on her face one he knew well. And that told him all he needed to know, that he was finally getting through to her.

"You're not enough for him, Gabby. Because maybe I'm wrong, maybe he is a good guy like you say, you probably think he won't hurt you, he won't do what I did… Well if that's true, you don't deserve a guy like that." He told her, his sharp words cutting through her like a knife. "And I'm not sure why you ever thought you did."

A thick silence fell over them as Gabby was forced to look his way, his tight hold on her jaw making it impossible to turn her head away as his hand was making indents into her skin, pain radiating from her face as he refused to relinquish his grip. He only began to hold onto her tighter, a whimper of pain escaping her lips from the movement as that evil grin returned to his face.

"Yeah, you're still the same old Gabby, aren't you?" He murmured, his other hand squeezing her arm unbearably tight as he pulled her closer to him by her face, his eyes flickering across her features once more before regaining her gaze. "Now, here's what's gonna happen. This, us… Whatever you do or don't want, it doesn't matter. It's never mattered. So you're gonna go and you're gonna tell your brother to knock this off." He instructed angrily, Gabby fighting off the tears in her eyes as they watched one another. "Tell him and the cops that you want to drop the restraining order. That you made a mistake… And then you and I are gonna go, and we're gonna move on from all of this. A fresh start, with just the two of us." He spoke, his softened voice almost scaring her more than when he was angry, as Gabby was beginning to understand just how serious he was. "But that starts with you fixing this."

"...And what if I don't?" She asked after a beat of silence, the look on his face telling her he almost expected her response, Bryan chuckling dryly before he pulled her closer to him, his hand gripping her jaw as harshly as he could as another gasp of pain left her lips.

"You know what I can do to you, Gabby." He spoke beneath his breath, the women swallowing thickly as she averted her eyes away from him. "And let me tell you right now, what I've done in the past? I took it easy on you… You don't want to find out what I'm really capable of." He finished, Gabby shaking her head lightly before she spoke up.

"That's what you always do, isn't it?" She replied quietly, her voice lacking emotion as she forced herself to look back at him. "Hurt me, when you can't control me?" Gabby questioned, her words eliciting another smirk from him.

"Well it's worked so far, hasn't it?"

She was barely able to register his question before a loud, unexpected noise filled the room, the sound of breaking wood shocking them both as they looked over towards the door just as it was kicked in, the frame completely destroyed as they suddenly were no longer alone in this apartment.


Casey paced back and forth across the pavement with his head hung to the ground, the man tuning out most of the noise around him as he tried to keep himself calm. But it was useless under the circumstances, as the five minutes he'd been here felt like five hours, all the cops and detectives standing around making him more and more angry by the second as no one had gone in to get Gabby. And he knew he wasn't the only person it was pissing off.

After speaking with Antonio, he was aware that the older brother didn't necessarily agree with the course of action chosen, regardless of whether or not he understood it. But his concern over Voight's choice hadn't changed anything, as they were all still out here, and Gabby was still in there, alone, with Walker.

And that thought made him sick. Sick enough to where he couldn't do this anymore.

Slowing his steps down, he lifted his head up to look around, the firefighter slowly taking a few steps back as he glanced around at all his coworkers, and the men and women meant to protect Gabby. But from where he was standing, they weren't doing a damn thing to help her, Casey shaking his head lightly as a plan began to form in his head, his eyes landing on Severide and Shay last before he discreetly broke away from the group with only one thought on his mind.

Over by cop car, Severide was standing with Shay, those two being the only ones from 51 close to the scene, while the others tried to keep their distance, knowing there was nothing for them to do except sit back and stay out of the way. But that didn't make it any easier knowing one of their own was inside. And it especially wasn't easy on Shay, the paramedic not having said much of anything ever since she told Matt what happened, as this entire thing had really shaken her. And no one could blame her, as no one from the firehouse would be able to relax until Gabby was safe.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kelly looked back towards his friend, seeing Shay's eyes plastered to the ground like they had been for the last few minutes, the Lieutenant reaching out to wrap his arm around her before he spoke up. "She'll be okay, Shay." He told her the same thing he'd said multiple times since they got here, the woman lifting her head up to look at him.

"You don't know that." She responded, Severide opening his mouth to say something but she didn't give him the chance. "You don't know that she's gonna be okay, we don't know that she's okay right now. Because they won't do anything."

"They're doing their best to figure this out Shay, they can't just go in there, you know that." He reminded her, even though he knew he didn't need to. "Everyone wants Gabby out of there safely, they're just following protocol. It's the same thing we'd do in this situation."

"Casey wouldn't." She replied without hesitation.

"What?"

"If we were in charge of a situation, one where Gabby was in danger, he wouldn't follow any protocols, he'd go in there and get her. And Antonio would, too… But Voight, he-"

"He's doing the best he can." Severide repeated, Shay drawing in a deep breath. "And Casey, he's- ... Where is Casey?" He asked as he looked over towards where his friend had just been, Shay's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced that direction as well, only to find him nowhere in sight. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know." Shay responded as she took a slight step forward, Severide glancing around before his eyes landed on Antonio, the man looking tense and defeated as he stood by himself, like he was fighting against all his instincts right now.

"Antonio!" Severide called, the man looking up when he heard his name. "Do you know where Casey went?"

Confusion crossed the detective's face before he began to look around, Severide soon doing the same as they tried to locate the distraught man. But when Kelly finally saw him, he was overcome with an entirely new feeling of worry as his friend was headed in the one place he wasn't supposed to be.

"Oh, fuck." He said bluntly, Antonio looking towards him before following his line of vision to find Casey climbing the steps into the apartment quickly, while ignoring the calls from the officer who only saw him until it was too late.

"Dammit Casey!" Antonio called before reaching for his gun, the commotion causing everyone to look just as Matt disappeared into the apartment building, Antonio and Voight sharing a look before they headed in that direction as well with the team behind them, everyone knowing they no longer had time to do this the way they wanted.

Inside the building, Casey hurried as quickly and quietly as he could to the apartment he knew them to be in, the man not wasting any time in pressing his ear up against the door to try and hear anything going on inside. And while it was muffled, he could faintly make out the sound of a male voice, and that was good enough for him before he turned around.

Having done this often, Matt brought his foot up to the door, the man bracing himself as he thought over his decision for a moment. He knew this was risky, he knew he didn't know where Gabby was in this apartment, or what he was about to walk into. But he also didn't want to find out what would happen if he left her in there with that monster for another second, Casey shaking his head lightly before he swung back with as much force as he could muster in one quick, strong motion. And the second he did, the door broke open, Matt immediately turning around and forcing his way inside, his blood boiling at the sight in front of him as he immediately found who he was looking for in the small apartment.

And the way Bryan was holding onto Gabby's face made him that much angrier, Casey storming inside the room towards them as Walker watched him with wide eyes, like he couldn't process what was happening.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Matt shouted, his rage-filled voice snapping Bryan out of his surprised haze before he pushed Gabby to the side, the action causing her to fall back into the table as Walker turned around just as Matt landed a punch to his jaw. "You son of a bitch, stay the hell away from her!" He continued to yell as he landed another blow, but Bryan was able to fight back as he socked Casey right in the eye, the force of the hit sending him stumbling backwards before he regained his balance. But that was enough for Bryan to follow in his direction, the man grabbing onto him and shoving him back into the living form before throwing him down into the coffee table, the weight breaking the glass completely as Walker's body fell on top of him.

And it was then Walker was able to get some hits in, Casey defenseless underneath him as his face absorbed blow after blow.

"Stop!" Gabby screamed as Walker landed a few more shots while Casey laid on the ground, the paramedic running over towards them to try and pull him off. But her efforts proved useless as she wasn't able to get him off of Casey, Walker doing nothing but swinging his arm back and hitting Gabby in the face before he continued to hit Matt.

A yelp of pain escaped Dawson's lips as she stumbled backwards, her body collapsing onto the floor as Walker landed one last punch to Casey's face before Matt was able to fight back, his hands gripping and clawing at Bryan's throat, doing anything he could to disarm him. And eventually, the lack of oxygen started to work, Casey landing a solid punch to his eye before he was able to get the upper hand and flip them over.

And from then on, it was like Casey saw nothing but red, his beaten and bloodied face focused down on Walker as he landed continuous blows, the man not having much fight left in him. "You fucking asshole, I could kill you!" He yelled, Casey ignoring the metallic taste of blood in his mouth as he fought, Walker unable to do much except claw and scratch and him. And while he drew some more blood, it wasn't enough to stop the relentless beating he was getting as Casey used all the strength he had.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Matt!"

Casey couldn't register the voice calling him, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only as his need to protect Gabby went into overdrive, Matt unable to see her watching him as she sat there behind him, the woman frozen as she watched everything unfold in front of her.

It wasn't until there were hands on him that he finally was forced to stop, the Lieutenant being pulled from all directions as multiple people pulled him off of Walker.

"Casey, stop- Stop man, you gotta stop." Antonio's voice filled his head, though Matt was still a little dazed from all the hits he'd taken.

"It's over, Casey." Voight added as two uniforms went directly to Walker, Halstead and Ruzek helping Matt up as Antonio rushed back to his sister, Gabby still sitting unmoved on the ground as she stared at Walker.

"Sis, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Antonio asked frantically, Gabby merely shaking her head despite the fact she could taste a bit of blood, Walker having apparently cut her lip when he hit her.

"I'm fine." She whispered, her eyes never leaving Bryan as he was still fighting against the cops, though she wasn't even sure how he was still conscious after what Casey had done. "I'm fine." She repeated, Antonio releasing a sigh of relief before he brought her in for a gentle hug, her face resting against his shoulder as he repeatedly pressed kisses to her head.

"You're okay." He murmured, Gabby nodding slightly as she finally glanced over towards Matt, her face blank as she took him in. Though he wasn't as beaten as Bryan, he still was in pretty rough shape, Gabby looking over him as spit out a bit of blood on the ground before finding her gaze, his blue tearfilled eyes breaking through his bloodied face as he broke free of Halstead's hold and stumbled his way towards her.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, his soft voice breaking her from the state she'd been in since he barged through that door, Matt falling down to his knees in front of her as Antonio pulled away. Casey's bloodied hand came up to cradle her neck, his worried and heartbroken eyes flickering over her face. "Did he do anything, baby, are you okay? You're okay?" He asked himself repeatedly underneath his breath, his mind clearly racing as adrenaline pumped through his veins. "Are you okay? Are you-"

"I'm okay." She whispered, Casey's eyes falling closed for a moment before he nodded, Matt immediately wrapping her up in a tight hug, his forearm resting over the back of her neck as she tucked herself into him. As soon as she could, she held onto him as tightly as humanly possible, tears prickling the edges of her eyes as she felt Matt release a few shaky breaths.

"You're okay." He spoke, Gabby's head tucked into his neck as she clung to him, Matt ignoring every ounce of pain flooding his body as this was more important. Gabby was more important. "You're okay… You're okay." He continued to repeat those words, like he was saying it for himself just as much as he was for her.

After a few moments, they slowly pulled back from one another, Gabby's teary eyes breaking his heart as they looked at one another, Matt giving her as reassuring of a nod as he could muster.

"Guys, we should probably… let's get Gabby out of here." Antonio spoke softly, his words pointed towards Matt as the firefighter forced himself to look up at him. But Antonio wasn't looking his way, the detective's glare trained on the man still being held behind them, them having just now gotten Walker to his feet as he was resisting every step of the way.

"Yeah, let's go." Casey agreed before he slowly began to get up, his body screaming at him with every move he made, while he kept a hand on Gabby at all times, both Matt and Antonio helping her up off the ground.

"I'll get your statements in a bit, just get her out of here." Antonio told him, Matt nodding once more as Gabby wrapped her arm around his back, the pain he was in making him nearly lightheaded as they began to move towards the door. But he continued to ignore it, his only priority here being Gabby, and making sure she was okay after what just happened.

"You'll both pay for this."

They were hardly to the broken door before they heard Walker speak up, Gabby stopping abruptly in her steps when she registered what he'd said, her action causing Matt to do the same.

"Shut the hell up." Antonio barked, Matt forcing himself to not turn around as he couldn't promise he wouldn't bash Walker's head the moment he looked at him.

"Gabby, let's go." He prompted, but she refused to continue forward, her head shaking lightly before she turned back around, Gabby facing him once more as he stood amongst the broken glass and debris. And the second Walker locked eyes with her, he smiled, clearly not fazed by how beaten he was as he fought against his restraints.

"You'll pay for this, Gabby… You always do."

"What the fuck did I say?" Antonio shouted before shoving his chest. "Shut up, before I make you wish you had."

As her brother spoke, Gabby slowly walked back towards him, her steps slow and deliberate as Matt followed after her.

"Gabby, come on-" Casey tried, but she refused as she came up to Walker, her dark brown eyes holding nothing but anger as Antonio tried to block her from him.

Neither one of them said anything for a moment, the proud smile on Walker's face enough to drive her mad as she wanted to do nothing more than punch the man in front of her.

Which is exactly what she did, Gabby landing a firm blow to his face without warning.

"I hate you!" She yelled, Walker only staying upright as the men holding onto him refused to let go, her swing coming faster than any of them could stop it. Though truthfully, no one wanted to. "I can't stand you, I hope you die in that prison!" She continued as she hit him once more, the pain in her hand nothing compared to the relief she felt as she began pushing against his chest, her anger coming in waves as every emotion she'd been holding onto finally let itself go.

"You fucking bitch!" He growled as he tried to break free from his restraints and charge at her, Antonio immediately stepping in as Casey had to physically pull Gabby off of Bryan, tears of frustration leaking down her skin as Matt got her away from him.

"I hate you!" She screamed one last time as Casey forced her out of the room, her body barely able to stay up on her own.

"It's okay." He murmured as he got her out into the hallway, Gabby sucking in air as quickly as she could as Casey focused on nothing other than taking care of her. "You're okay, it's okay." He continued to repeat against the top of her head after pulling her body into his, the flood gates finally opening as she began to cry out of pure relief, Matt holding onto her as much as his beaten form would allow. "It's alright… It's over. It's all over, baby." He told her, Matt knowing just how badly she needed to hear those words from him.

"...It's finally over."