Authors Note

Hi, hello & welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to come and read my story. I am new to FanFiction writing after reading for years and am excited to start my first story. This is based in a One Chicago AU where you will recognise some characters and others you will not.

I love to create my own characters and slot them in to my favourite shows. Emily Halstead (who will feature in future fics) is the younger sister of Jay and Will Halstead and is stationed as a paramedic alongside Sylvie Brett at Firehouse 51. Any questions you may have will hopefully be answered as the story progresses, but I am always happy to answer questions readers may have.

I welcome reviews and constructive criticism, all I ask is you keep it kind. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing to please let me know what you think.

I will post trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter, but this entire story will focus on sexual assault and the recovery process that follows so please read with caution. If any of the issues in this story have effected you or anyone you know, my inbox is always open.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy.

Trigger Warning - Abuse & Sexual Assault

Emily opened her eyes to the sound of a thundering bang, closing them immediately when a single beam of harsh sunlight sent a sharp bolt of pain straight to her head. She winced and shuddered at the discomfort it gave her, her barely clothed body cold and sore against the harsh concrete floor beneath her. Besides the single beam of sunlight coming in through an broken window, the rest of the room was dark and unwelcoming, a thin shower of damp mist fluttering like rain.

Emily was disorientated and confused, unable to pinpoint the exact source of the worst pain. Her thighs were uncomfortably sore, her wrists torn and bloody from the wire restraints that had held her while she fought. Her face was badly beaten, swollen around her eyes and lips with a sickening taste of blood lingering in her throat. A variety of bite marks, scratches and bruises littered her arms, torso and her neck, injuries she knew she needed to cover and fast. Scathed arms reached out for whatever she could reach as another bang sounded followed by a voice she recognised.

"Halstead?! Brett?!"

It was Severide, no doubt about it. He commanded an air of reassurance that Emily didn't even know until that moment that she needed. The crew of Squad 3 were fighting to gain access to the bolted warehouse which filled Emily with relief, but while the relief was welcome it was soon followed by horror as flashbacks flooded back and the young paramedic realised she needed to sit up and fast.

Grasping at whatever was closest to her, Emily was thankful when she found the soft fabric of her uniform and she wasted no time, quickly pulling it on to cover herself. Until she could answer them herself, Emily had to do everything in her power to avoid too many questions. Her body fought against every movement but she refused to allow anyone to see her in the state the thugs had left her in. She wanted as much of her body covered as she could, feeling exposed in front of her team was not an option she was willing to consider no matter how much the hurried movement pained her. Slowly opening her eyes as much as the swelling would allow, Emily searched desperately for Sylvie. The last thing she remembered was her PIC being knocked out cold by a blunt object before she'd been blindfolded herself. It had all happened so fast but Emily was relieved that her partner had not suffered the same fate as her.

Luckily, it didn't take long for Emily to spot Sylvie sprawled out exactly where she'd fallen. Emily crawled over and immediately checked for a pulse, relief flooding her when she found one and it was strong. She collapsed on top of Sylvie in tears, shaking her as vigorously as her weak arms would allow.

"Sylvie? Sylvie, wake up!" She shouted hoarsely, her voice obviously somehow heard by the team on the other side of the door who were still trying to gain entry.

"Hang in there, Halstead. We almost got it!" Severide called from the other side of the door. Emily didn't know how to respond so she opted for silence, blinking her eyes whenever she could while desperately trying to regain focus. Everything seemed like a bad dream, she couldn't even comprehend what had happened, let alone come to terms with it, but with over a dozen of her team on the other side of the door she didn't even have a moment to think.

Beneath Emily, Sylvie shifted with a groan which immediately prompted Emily to move. She sat back and fixated on the PIC, scanning her for injuries as she sat herself up. Besides a bloody gash on her head, Sylvie seemed unharmed and untouched on any other part of her body which drew a sigh of relief from her partner. Emily shifted back to Sylvie's side once she had herself in a seated position, both paramedics unable to form words as they established eye contact. Tears stung Emily's eyes and Sylvie went from drowsy to horrified in the blink of an eye when it clicked with her what had been about to happen when she was knocked out. She scanned her partner quickly but tears already fell from blue eyes as a trembling voice asked, "Did they…?"

Emily couldn't answer, she couldn't even look at her. Any sound she could make was drowned out by the deafening crash of the warehouse door coming loose from its hinges and the light that poured in soon after was blinding. No sooner than Emily could fixate a pleading look in the direction of her PIC the two of them were surrounded by familiar faces.

Casey was the first to reach Sylvie, and only once ensuring that Emily was being seen to as well did he lift the PIC to her feet, ghosting a delicate hand across the gash on her head.

It was Severide who reached Emily first, closely followed by Gallo. Their assistance was delicate but it still made Emily shudder. Every eye scanned the room for answers to questions that hadn't even been asked yet. Emily had a question of her own, but the last thing she wanted was draw attention to just how bad it was.

"C'mon. Paramedics are outside." Casey said, keeping a supportive arm around Sylive as the firefighters assisted the two paramedics towards the exit. Emily risked one last glance over her shoulder before they exited, barely able to focus on what exactly was going on before the sound of PD sirens sounded in the distance.