AnnaBeth was starting her first shift with Peter Mills as her partner. Gabby and Matt has put their engagement on hold so that she could be the new candidate on truck 81. And Peter had to leave squad and firefighting because of suffering from vertigo. She had twice witnessed him pass out with heights and being upside down it had been truly scary, but she was happy that he was still going to be around.
"Well Partner" She said "I hope you're ready for a good day"
"A full day on ambo with you" Peter said shaking his head "I'm not sure I made the right choice"
"Gabby this looks amazing" She said choosing to ignore Mills and looking at the breakfast that was laid out.
She walked around to the other side of the counter to give Gabby a congratulations hug for making truck.
"So much better than Cruz" Peter agreed.
"Thank you" Gabby replied giving a mock bow "Don't forget the salsa for the eggs"
"Is AnnaBeth Nass here?"
AnnaBeth recognized that deep southern voice immediately and ducked down beneath the counter.
Gabby raised an eyebrow confusion written all over her face.
"AnnaBeth Nass I see you down there" Lemon said hand on her hip.
"Aren't you Lavon Hayes?" Herrmann asked
AnnaBeth scrambled to think of a reasonable explanation for ducking behind a counter without looking like a crazy person. She grabbed a pen from her pocket and stood up holding it in the air.
"Dropped my pen" She announced with a painfully fake laugh "Slippery little devil"
"Who are they?" Gabby asked
"Lavon, Lemon, what are you doing here?" She asked walking back around the counter.
"We came to bring you home from whatever mental break this is" Lemon told her looking her uniform up and down.
"Can we talk?" Lavon asked
"Here probably isn't the best place for that" She replied "I think we should go outside"
"AnnaBeth" Lemon started.
"Outside" She said her voice higher than normal.
She walked through the common room and out to the front of the firehouse trying to ignore the questioning looks she was getting.
Kelly looked up from his paper and watched her march outside followed by a tall blonde and a man built like a linebacker. Peter came and sat down next to him.
"What's going on there?" He asked
"I'm not sure" Peter replied, he had followed through to check she was ok.
AnnaBeth stood outside the front of the firehouse with her hands on her hips.
"Why would you just show up at my place of work like that?" She asked.
"We were worried about you AB" Lavon replied
"Well you don't need to be" She told him "Lemon I told you everything was fine"
"AnnaBeth I've known you my whole life" Lemon said "you certainly do not belong in some dirty crime ridden city like this"
"And to run away with Jonah, AB everyone knows he likes Zoe Hart he's just going to hurt you" Lavon told her.
"You have got to be kidding me" She said in disbelief " First of all I am not with Jonah Breeland, but the fact that you would come here after everything you put me through and tell me that someone would only be using me as a rebound, it couldn't be possible for someone to find me smart, or funny or attractive. And Lemon I love you but maybe I wanted more for my life than to be some small-town receptionist and your wacky sidekick"
"If you've moved on why did you turn the belles' against me and pull out of all town events?" He asked, "Was it a way to get back at me?"
"Me?" She asked "You show up uninvited here and accuse me of sabotaging Bluebell, you've got some nerve"
"AnnaBeth you sound angry" Lavon said
"That's because I am angry" She said "And sad, and it's all your fault. You used my heart like a dish rag, well you know what I'm moving on with my life and I will meet someone who will love me the way I deserve to be loved and you will realize how stupid you were to let me go because I am the best thing that ever happened to you"
"AnnaBeth" Lemon said softly "Why didn't you talk to me"
"Because you weren't there" She replied "And I love and miss you truly but getting out there on my own is good for me"
The bells sounded for a call. She looked over and saw Peter watching her.
"I have to go" She said "I think you should both leave"
AnnaBeth walked over to the ambulance and got in the passenger side. She knew she had to shake it off she couldn't go to a call caught up in her feelings.
"So that's why you moved here?" Peter asked as they drove towards the scene.
"Part of it" She replied looking out of the window.
"You know it's scary when you don't talk my ear off" He told her "Are you ok?"
"Given that my heart is broken and that I'll probably die alone" She said "Yes I'm ok"
"He's built like a linebacker, but I can hit him" He offered.
"He is a linebacker and won two Superbowl's" She replied "So it's ok you don't have to do that, thank you though"
The call was to a fire at a sweatshop operation. Countless immigrant women had been chained inside and forced to work, one woman had managed to squeeze out of the building and alert them to the trapped victims. She had never seen anything like it and her heart broke for them. They had to set up a triage and wait for more ambulances. She struggled moving on to the next patient when a woman was clinging to her for support.
"AB" Peter told her firmly "You have to move on to the next patient and keep going, you can't get invested I need you to have my back, if you can't do that it's not the job for you"
She was taken aback at first, but she knew he was right.
Kelly stopped her when she got out of the ambulance.
"I wanted to apologize for the other night" He told her.
"There's nothing to apologize for" She reassured him.
"I overheard earlier" He said, "are you ok?"
"My ex and my best friend" She explained "It's all kind of a mess and a very long story but I'll be ok"
"They want you to move home?" He asked.
"Yes, I think that was the point they were trying to make" She replied.
"Are you going to?" He asked.
"You know I wonder every day if I made the wrong choice, if I really am cut out for this" She admitted "But I need to stay and give it a real chance"
"AnnaBeth can I talk to you?" Lemon asked "Don't worry Lavon left"
"I'll leave you to it" He told her, and she smiled gratefully before turning back to Lemon.
"I heard what you said" Lemon added "If you really want to be here then I want to support that, you are my best friend"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" She said hugging her friend "And I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls I just thought you were going to yell at me"
"Well I would have" Lemon admitted "I called Jonah, I'm going to stay for a few days so you can show me around and we can catch up"
"You'd do that for me?" She asked putting her hand on her heart "You hate going further North than Nashville"
"I mean I will mostly video call, but I can visit very occasionally" Lemon replied.
AnnaBeth smiled linking arms with her best friend.
"Come on I'll give you a tour" She said.
AnnaBeth took her on a tour of the whole firehouse. She was impressed than Lemon had managed to hold her tongue the entire time. She had never known her friend to go so long without giving her opinion on something.
"Everyone" She said "This is my absolute best friend Lemon Breeland"
She smiled as everyone welcomed her friend. Lemon of course smiled politely and shook hands with everyone.
"Shifts are 24 hours" She said "But if you are staying a few days we should get brunch tomorrow, and maybe I can show you Molly's, it's a great bar"
"Will you be wearing something like that?" Lemon asked "Because I'm not sure I can be seen with you"
"No" She replied rolling her eyes.
"Then I will be delighted" Lemon told her.
AnnaBeth walked her out to where she had a cab waiting and said goodbye. She headed back inside and sat down beside Gabby.
"Do you want to come to brunch with us tomorrow?" She asked.
"Sure" Gabby said "She won't stab me right; she gives off an intense vibe"
"Her methods of warfare are purely psychological" She replied "But she's not so bad once you get to know her"
"Then brunch tomorrow" Gabby agreed.
"And how was your first call?" She asked, "Are you happy?"
"I am" Gabby nodded "I think I made the right choice"
"I am just so happy for you" She said.
"We need to celebrate Dawson's first real fire" Herrmann announced "You can go and park the truck"
Gabby jumped up excitedly getting the chance to drive the truck. Everyone followed her through as she reversed back confetti flew out everywhere.
AnnaBeth did feel a little bit sorry for her when she had to then sweep up all of the mess afterwards.
"I'm sorry if I came off harsh earlier" Peter said as she pulled confetti out of her hair.
"Please you were just trying to do me a favor" She replied "Don't even worry about it"
"Hey AB, do you think you could get Lavon to come to Molly's?" Herrmann asked, "NFL star could be good advertising, how do you even know him?"
"He's the mayor of Bluebell and he is going back there right now so he can't come" She replied
"So, your ex-boyfriend is 6 ft 4 football legend and Mayor of the town?" Gabby asked raising an eyebrow "Oh yeah you had to leave, you wouldn't meet someone else there"
"You can't date in a small town anyway" She said "Everyone is someone's ex, way too complicated"
"You did not finish cleaning up that fast" Herrmann said
"I'm just getting a glass of water" Gabby replied.
AnnaBeth decided to go and sit in the bunk room. The day had really messed with her head and she just wanted to sit alone with her thoughts for a while.