Chapter 2

Thank you for 17 reviews in the first chapter. I hope you leave some for this one.

"Hi, mommy," Gabby greeted her mother, trying to sound enthusiastic by the phone because she didn't want Camila worried about her. Gabby has been in Chicago for two days and hasn't found a permanent place to live, three days staying in a hotel room was getting an end tomorrow, at least it was her plan.

She had ruled out the possibility of living in Herrmann's basement, since the news of Brett and Casey together, she couldn't sleep or think straight. There wasn't any chance of returning to a place where she still has vivid memories of Louie, Casey and her like a family. Herrmann insisted with her it was a safe place, nobody would bother her, but he failed in his attempts. She had made up her mind. Before they ended the call she made a special request to him: nobody should know she was back in Chicago. It wasn't the right moment for it, she said, it wasn't much to say, she added.

"Hi, I called you earlier I imagine you are still looking for a place?" Since Camila found out Gabby was moving back, she was more than happy to hear her daughter would be present in their lives again and spending the holidays with them.

"Yeah, the apartment nearby my new workplace that I told you yesterday, the landlord called a few minutes ago canceling our meeting, he said his son will be there for the next months, so here I am house-hunting again". Gabby so frustrated, feeling overwhelmed and worn out by the thought of creating a new life in Chicago without her old friends and 'old love'.

"I bet you will have great news soon, the right place exists and is waiting for you, my love", Camila encouraged her, she knew Gabby needed that.

"Thanks, mommy, love you".

"Love you, too. So, before I end my call..."

Gabby held her breath, she was expecting that any minute her mother would ask about Casey and her friends. "You and Casey, you have been talking..." Gabby sighed deeply, closing her eyes. She wished she could ignore this question for the time being.

"Hmm, we... we haven't... I'm busy right now, he is probably also. I don't get in the middle of anything of what is going in his life..." she was rumbling.

"Middle of what? He is dating someone or-" Gabby cut her off.

"My focus is my new job. It's my priority, that's it. When the time is right, I will let him know I'm back..." Gabby felt a headache coming.

"What's happening, Gabby?" her mother noticed something didn't seem right with her daughter.

"Nothing. I just don't have a simple answer to your question. Although, I will present you with the short one: Casey moved on and I should also. We aren't the same anymore, mommy. I chose to leave Chicago and he chose to stay I have to respect that... So, I need to get myself together, I think it would be good for me: new environment, new co-workers, new friends..."

"What about your 'old friends'?" Camila quickly questioned Gabby.

"Look, can we talk about it on holidays, you'll be here and I tell you everything, alright?" Gabby didn't want to dwell in her past with Casey. They were permanently over, as friends and as lovers. She had felt betrayed by him and Brett, yet she couldn't have a say for who they can fall in love with. Her mind was a blur, everything was messed up. Her prayer was she would keep Casey and every one of firehouse 51 out of her life until be able to function just fine on her own, for now, she was carrying a burden over her shoulders and didn't know how to get away with it. Running and hiding from them was her main mission, what was quite impossible living in Chicago, she knew it.

Camila wanted to help Gabby get over everything she was going through in her life, then she would listen to her request not asking any further about the matter in hand. "Okay, I'll wait. Nevertheless, don't hesitate to contact me or your father, even Antonio. We are here for you, Gabby."

"Sure. I'll be in touch soon. Love you."

"Bye, Gabby".

Two days later

Firehouse had only one call that morning squad, as usual, was on their regular table playing cards; Brett, Kidd, and Foster were in the common room chatting away; and Severide and Casey were talking, outside in the entrance of apparatus floor, when Chief Hatcher made his appearance.

"Good morning," he said as he saw the lieutenants.

"Morning, Chief", Severide and Casey replied at the same time.

"Chief Boden?"

"He is in his office" Casey answered.

"Thanks", then Chief Hatcher went in his way.

"You and Kidd decided what are you doing in your furlough?"

"Oh, yeah... we're going visit a friend of ours, we're still trying to figure out..." he didn't want to give away their plan to visit Gabby.

"Cool. I want that, you know. Get out of Chicago for a few days. I called my sister another day, we are thinking about visiting my mother in Arkansas..."

"Do that, sometimes we need to leave the nest..." Severide tapped him on the shoulder.

"I will..."

"Brett will come with you?" Severide was curious to know.

"No, it's a family thing, I'm not ready for her and my mother to meet each other..."

"Of course, don't rush anything" he assured him.

As soon Brett and Foster saw Hatcher, they stood up. "Hi, Chief... you are looking for us?"

"Good morning, girls, I'm here to see Chief Boden".

"Oh, he's in his office," Foster said to him.

"Great, bye".

"Weird..." Foster remarked after noticing the seriousness of his outlook.

"Why you say that? For me, he seems quite the same" Brett pointed out.

"Maybe... we'll know later when Chief Boden leaves his office". Brett shrugged her shoulders.

"So, when you and Casey are moving together?" both took their previously seats at the table. When Kidd heard the question, she got up.

"I don't know... he doesn't seem interested in it. I talked to him twice and he said things were good this way..."

"Ouch" Foster replied.

"Yeah... Maybe things aren't that serious between us... He took almost three months to ask me to be his girlfriend... Everything with us is going in slow motion..." Brett was kind frustrated, but she wouldn't say it to him.

"You two will be fine... There is no reason to rush things, right?"

"Righ..." she responded unsure of herself.

Chief Hatcher waited to be announced, two seconds later he entered Boden's office. They shook hands and exchanged a few words before they took their seats.

"What brings you to my firehouse? I hope Brett and Foster had done nothing wrong this time?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm here to talk about another paramedic, Gabriela Dawson."

Boden got apprehensive, swaying back and forth in his chair. "Don't worry, she's fine".

"So what's the news?" Boden asked him.

"We offered her a position in the Training Division while back... when she was still in Puerto Rico... I came here to let you know, she was your paramedic, the best out there, so..."

"I assume she got the job... or... if she not she can come back to Firehouse 51, she has belonged to Firehouse 51 since her day one here..." Boden clapped his hands over the table.

"She took the offer, she is already working..."

Boden gave him a pensive looking. "There would be a problem if I talk to her about it? I mean, I respect her decision, however, I want to check, you know..."

"I should say no, but go ahead... she is a great addition to our department and was for years here."

"Thanks," they said their goodbyes, and Hatcher left.

Boden wasn't naive. Bett and Casey relationship had weighted in her decision; Herrmann had confessed to him that he told her, and he had regretted it.

A knock on the door interrupted his line of thoughts, Casey opened the door and stooped at the threshold: "Chief, we are leaving, the trucks need to be filling up".

Boden looked at him and said nothing.

"You are okay? We saw Chief Hatcher..." Casey got concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Go on...", Casey just nodded.

Next day

"Dawson, Chief Boden is outside looking for you" Bett, the secretary made the announcement. Gabby had expected at least one week to start getting 'visits'.

"Give me a minute, please and you let him in. Thank you". She was working on some papers, she was still putting them aside when Boden walked in.

"Hi, Gabby.." she was 'glued' to her seat, resisting the idea to get used again with her called 'family', but Boden wasn't having it and pulled her close to him and hugged her.

"Hi, Chief" she felt awkward around him. "Please, have a seat," she said after he pulled away.

"How have you been? How they are treating you here?" he was eager to know.

"I'm just fine, you know" she responded looking aimlessly, if she stared at him he would find out the truth, she wasn't content. "Everyone here seems great, really..." she gave him a smile which didn't reach her eyes.

"I see... Still trying to handle all this paperwork?" he wanted her to speak more without making his point very clearly, that she was unhappy.

"Yeah, so how is Donna? Terrance?"

"They are good, she is teaching in a new school and Terrance is studying there, what is great for us".

"Yeah..." Gabby responded. Silence fell over them for one moment.

Chief was thinking about his next words. "Hatcher told me you were back and I respect your decision, but this is what you want, Gabby? I need to know you are okay with that. There will be always a place for you in ambo 61..."

She didn't want to cry or anyone having pity on her, however, she wasn't able to hold a tear rolled down her face. "I'll be fine... I just need time to readjust to everything..." she raised her head to gazed at him. "It means a lot... you know you offer, but I can't go back to Firehouse 51, you know..." he shook his head lightly.

"I understand..."

"Believe me, I'm doing better, I think I had worst days..."

"Okay... Hmmm what are you doing next Friday?" Let's have dinner with me and Donna".

"You... you don't have to do that, Chief..."

"I'm not trying anything. I welcome dinner seems right to me, come on... give me this chance" he pleaded.

"Okay, I'll be there..."

"Great, that's okay If I invite Herrmann and Cindy... only them, I swear" he raised his hands.

"Chief..." she thought to said no to the whole thing. "Alright, no surprise guests, please".

"Thanks, see you Friday".

He probably suspected she wanted to isolate herself and he intended doing the impossible to dismiss her plans.

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