Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.

I want to thank Justicerocks11 again for the original idea that stemmed from her brain and I hope she likes what I make of it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited this story so far and a guest asked why Gabby changed her name well this second chapter will clear it up for anyone who was confused over it.


Life had been extremely good to Gabrielle Dawson Ramirez in the past five years. On a vacation trip to the Dominican Republic with her family, she met Alberto Ramirez. They quickly fell in love and Gabby decided to follow her heart and stay there with him. Soon after, they got married and she became pregnant with twin boys Felippe and Luis Ramirez. She had never felt more blessed in her entire life and then, she became pregnant with a girl, Valentina Ramirez and her life was complete. When Valentina was five months old, that life came to a screeching halt. Alberto was diagnosed with lung cancer and Gabrielle stayed by his side for the next ten months before he passed away peacefully. Life had become survival for her after that, she lived only for her children, losing herself in the process. Every day, she would walk around town and everything would remind her of Alberto and her heart broke a little more each time. She had kept in touch on a regular basis with her brother who lived in Chicago with his wife Laura and kids Eva and Diego and finally she admitted to him that she couldn't do it anymore.

"If I don't get out of here, I'll suffocate." She cried in the phone, her brother Antonio on the other side, his heart breaking for his younger sister. Why don't you come back here Gabby, live with us for a while until you get back on your feet. "I can't uproot the kids like that Antonio." Any excuse was good to try to keep her there even though she knew staying would mean she'd slowly die of heart ache but ultimately, she had caved and made arrangements to fly back to Chicago in the next month. Once she set foot in O'Hare, Antonio was right there to welcome her home.

"How was the flight with the kids?" He took hold of their while they made their way to his car.

"Better than I thought. It's good to be home." She hugged him tightly, an invisible weight suddenly off her shoulders.

"Laura is waiting for us at home with diner, I hope you guys are hungry." The boys were starving and anything that was placed in front of them would be completely gone faster than anyone could comprehend.

"Thanks for taking me in Laura, I really apreciate it." Everybody was sitting at the table, kids eating their meals and staying quiet.

"It's not a problem Gabby, we're happy to do it."

"So did you come up with a plan?" Antonio askehis sister.

"Actually mom agreed to babysit the kids tomorrow while I go pass a recertification exam to get my nurse's licence to practice, then I'll go appartment hunting and check for a school for the boys and daycare for Valentina." Gabby had thought about this for the past week before coming back to Chicago and had asked her mother for a hand in making it happen. She hadn't practiced in a long time but every knowledge seemed to be intact and it was one of the steps towards giving a more normal life to her kids.

"That's good." Laura smiled at her. "A routine will help the four of you to get back to some kind of normal."

"I'm glad you're back, I missed you sis."

"I kind of missed you too." She smiled at Antonio, happy to be back home considering the circumstances for her return. The kids finished eating and the adults cleared the dishes while Diego showed the boys where they would stay and Eva took her little cousin in her arms to get her ready for bed, she would be sleeping in her room with her. Once the kids were in bed, the three adults stayed up for a few hours before Laura called it a night, leaving both Dawson siblings to talk in the kitchen.

"How ar you really feeling?" Antonio wanted to have the truth.

"I'm fine." She smiled, hoping to dupe her brother.

"Cut the crap Gabby, no one is in the room, you can talk to me."

"I'm keeping my head above water, making sure the kids get what they need." She leaned against the counter, putting her head in her hands.

"You don't have to do this alone, let us help you."

"I'm not trying to shut you out Antonio but the pain I have in my heart won't go away so easily." She pointed at the place where her heart was beating under her chest, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks. He quickly took her in his arms and she wrapped hers around him, holding on to dear life.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear.

"I couldn't stay there, everything reminded me of him. It was too hard but I wanted that place to stay with me more than anything because the thought of losing my memories of him and our life together was killing me." SHe sobbed in his shirt. He pulled away and placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It never goes away, it's right there." He pointed to her chest. "In your heart."

"Thanks for everything Antonio, I don't know what I would do without you."

"The important things is to get you back on your own two feet. We'll do everything we can to help you." He took her in his arms again and she just nodded in his chest. They went to bed and Antonio kissed her forehead before retreating to his and Laura's room.

Gabby woke up late the next morning, her recertification appointment being only at 11. Laura had helped the kids to get dressed and fed before she got up, trying to take a little stress off her sister-in-law's shoulders.

"Good morning." She mumbled as she entered the kitchen, Laura handing her a cup of coffee.

"Mama you're awake." Filippe practically jumped on his mother.

"I am now." she smiled at his and ruffled his hair. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good." All three kids answered.

"Ok so Abuela will come pick you up in about thirty minutes and she is going to have fun with you guys until diner time, how does that sound?" The kids hadn't seen her mother in a whole year and time spent together would do all of them some good.

"You should eat something Gabby, you have a long day." Laura placed a plate in front of her but she pushed it away, taking a piece of bacon out of the plate placed in the center of the table.

"I'll eat after I'm done at the hospital, I'm way too nervous. I'll grab some breakfast on my way out of there I promise."

"What are you going to do at the hospital mommy?" Luis asked with his mouth full.

"First of all Luis Ramirez, you do not speak with your mouth full and second of all, mommy is going to go see if I can get my old job back."

"Job." Valentina smiled, repeating her mother's word. She had started talking more in the past few weeks and she kept repeating new words.

"What's your old job mom?" Filippe was more curious of the two boys.

"Taking care of kids like you." She tickled him, almost making him fall off his chair. "Mommy's job is a nurse, like Abuela used to be."

"ok." he nodded, satisfied with his mother's answer. She looked up from her spot when she saw the time, it was ten thirty and she wanted to be there early so she would look more professionnal.

"I want the three of you to behave at grandma's house today ok. She kissed all three kids on the head. "And keep an eye on your sister, she liked to go up and down the stairs."

"Bye mom." the two boys said at the same time.

"Bye." Valentina repeated. Gabby rushed out the door and came face to face with her mother.

"Mom, you're here. Sorry I have to run, I don't want to be late." She quickly hugged her mom.

"Break a leg." Esmeralda kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Thanks." She smiled and ran to her car. For the next two hours, Gabby was in a conferance room at Lakeshore hospital, going through the written exam. Once that was done, they would make her do some practice proceedures on a dummy before putting her recertification through. The head nurse of the E.R. was evaluating her and once she was done, she left the room for a torturous thirty minutes to correct the written and give her the answer if she was good to return to work or not. When those thirty minutes were done, the head nurse came back and delivered her the good news. All she had to do now is pay for her licence to be renewed and she was good to start on the monday. She stopped at Laura's bakery and grabbedsome breakfast to go before going back in her car and driving around town to visit all the appartments she has deemed good for her and the kids, stopping her choice on a three bedroom apartment in a residential area. Once that was done, she drove around the neighbourhood to see if there were daycares with an available place for Valentina and as she had found one, she eyed the school from across the street. Luck seemed to be on her side because she could start bringing Valentina to daycare the next day to try it out and then she walked across the street from there to go get some information about the school. She walked through the halls and found the main office where a middle aged woman was sitting at a desk.

"Excuse me?" Gabby knocked on the doorframe.

"Come in dear, how can I help you?"

"Well I just moved back here last night and I have twin boys that are due to start kindergarten in the fall and I was looking to get some information about the school?" the woman looked through her first drawer and pulled out a complete package.

"We have an open house next week, all the information is in there. You can come see for yourself what this school has to offer and if it is suited for you and your sons." Gabby took what she was given and smiled at the woman.

"Thank you so much ma'am, I'll will see you next week." Gabby drove back to her brother's place to find a quiet house since they were either at work or at school. She let herself fall on the bed from exhaustion. She would meet her kids at her mother's for diner but for now, she would take a short nap, pleased to have found everything she was looking for today. She had a new job at Lakeshore Hospital, a new place AND she had managed to find a daycare and a possible school for the boys. The new place would need some new furniture but that could wait until morning, her exhausted body not so much. She fell asleep as her head hit the pillow.


a/n: Gabby went through a lot in the past year and coming back to Chicago means coming back home to start a real healing process.

Ok so this chapter is a little longer than the first one but since Gabby's situation if a lot different from Matt's, there had to be more detail in it. I really hope you liked this second effort and that you'll take a few minutes to leave a review, they are always apreciated