"Is it too early to start planning a baby shower" AnnaBeth asked excitedly.
Matt and Gabby had made their announcement to the whole firehouse. They were back together. Everything was right in the world. And she could finally relax. She hated keeping secrets, they weighed too heavy on her. She had never been good at it.
"A little" Gabby told her "But I wouldn't say no to you baking me a cake"
"I'm going to miss you" She said giving her a hug.
"Hey" Gabby laughed hugging her back "I'll still see you"
"I know" She sighed "And I am so happy for you, but it just won't be the same without you"
"I'll miss you too roomie" Gabby told her.
Gabby had decided to move back in with Matt. Which was exactly how it should be. But now that she was being detailed to arson investigation and they weren't living together, everything was going to be so different. She had liked living with her best friend and driving into work together.
"Thank goodness for waterproof mascara" She said fanning her face with her hand willing herself not to cry.
"Why would you cry at that?" Otis asked shaking his head "Babies are good news"
Gabby and AnnaBeth just glared at him.
"Happy tears" She told him "And I'll miss my roommate"
Gabby asked her to come into the locker room with her to help pack up her locker. Gabby looked around to check they were alone.
"Have you spoken to Severide?" Gabby asked.
"No" She sighed "It's been a strange couple of days, I think he's mad at me for not going over there the other night"
"You were there for your partner" Gabby pointed out "There's nothing to be mad at"
"True" She said sitting down "But I've also been at the hospital every night since, and before you tell me how wrong that is Chili already has"
Will had taken them to see the baby the first time. Jonah had caught her there a few times. He didn't tell her she should go though. He usually just got them both a coffee and stood with her for a little while. It had been good to talk to him. It was easy to talk to him about loving Chicago but missing Bluebell. He had lived in both; he could understand it. He put it down to having a rough week, but what they were both doing was so worthwhile.
"Well I've probably got a cabinet full of write ups about every time I've done the wrong thing as a paramedic, I can't judge" Gabby told her "You're going because you care, just make sure it's not getting in the way of anything else"
"I know" She replied "I wanted to be there for Kelly but he's being so distant, and that little boy is just all alone in the world, he came in fighting and he doesn't even have a name"
"I bet if you talk to Kelly he'd have some good advice" Gabby said as she emptied her locker "He's an idiot about a lot of things, but with situations like that he can be good to talk to"
"Kids just hit me harder" She admitted.
Gabby already knew about her and Jake trying for years, and then being sent for tests when they found what thankfully turned out to be a benign cyst. AnnaBeth had always wanted children and was sad it hadn't happened for her. She worried that is never would. It was just another reason why she couldn't stand to think of that poor baby without a family to love him.
"Come over after shift" Gabby told her.
"Ok" She agreed "Good luck on your first day"
"And talk to Kelly" Gabby called over her shoulder as she walked out.
AnnaBeth just nodded. She was surprised when she walked out into the bunk room. Kelly was sat down with a woman going through a folder.
"Hi" She said cautiously "Sorry to interrupt, I was hoping we could talk?"
"This is Jamie" He said looking up at her "We're in the same class, just going over some notes"
"Nice to meet you" She said politely to the blonde "It can wait"
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Absolutely" She nodded "Your class is important; you'll be back where you belong in no time"
AnnaBeth walked out onto the apparatus floor. She had to check inventory and had a million other things to keep her busy. She sat in the back of the rig just enjoying the peace and quiet. She loved being involved in all of the conversations and the fun, but every now and then a little quiet time was appreciated.
"That lawyer's hot" She heard Capp say.
She smiled shaking her head. Those boys were always eyeing up women. But they weren't wrong she was beautiful.
"She was over at Kelly's when he didn't show for the squad trip" Cruz said in a hushed voice.
"So, they hooked up?" Capp asked.
"I don't know" Cruz replied.
AnnaBeth leant back against the side of the rig. She didn't know what to think or what to do. Part of her was screaming at herself to just go and confront him. But she wasn't the confrontational type. The other part of her was trying to reason with herself that Jamie was just a friend and to trust Kelly. But she wasn't entirely sure she could. She had been cheated on before, it wasn't something new to her.
"What are you doing?" Chili asked making her jump.
"Just checking inventory" She replied quickly "Everything is all accounted for"
"Ok" Chili said suspiciously noticing the way her voice had gotten a little higher.
"You know what" She said jumping out from the back of the rig "We are not suffering with whatever Jimmy is making for lunch, I'm cooking"
Jimmy Borelli the new candidate seemed nice enough, but he wasn't the greatest cook. AnnaBeth needed something to help her relax. Cooking did that for her and she felt like she hadn't been doing it as much lately.
"Woah woah woah" Herrmann said as she walked into the kitchen "Is it Christmas?"
"I hope you don't mind Jimmy" She said washing her hands "But I am taking over today"
"Not at all" Jimmy said with a grin stepping away from the refrigerator.
"AB you know just when to brighten my day" Herrmann told her.
"Why what's wrong?" She asked furrowing her brow.
"The new neighbours at Molly's put in a noise complaint" Herrmann replied.
"You should take them a covered dish or a pie" She suggested
"No offense AB but not all problems can be served with pie" Otis said.
"Oh, most of them can" She told him with a smile "A welcome gift can go a long way to endearing you to your neighbours"
"What did we do to deserve this?" Casey asked walking through from Chief Boden's office.
AnnaBeth just shrugged as she pulled out some herbs from Gabby's old hiding place.
"It's been a hard week" She admitted "And cooking makes me feel better"
"It makes me feel better when you cook too" Herrmann told her making her smile.
She watched as Kelly walked Jamie outside and she got that knot in her stomach. That same feeling she got whenever Jake said he was heading out of town again on another 'business trip'. She knew she couldn't feel that way at work, so she pushed it aside and got on with making lunch.
….
AnnaBeth was quick to leave after shift. Kelly had tried to talk to her a few times, but she had managed to come up with enough excuses and a few well times bells had saved her from having to have a conversation.
Jonah had asked her to join him at Molly's for a drink that night. She decided to go with him, all she would be doing otherwise would be sitting alone at her apartment. She had curled her hair and put on her favourite green dress.
"You are looking beautiful as always" Jonah greeted her with a glass of wine at the bar.
"Wine" She said with a smile "You always do know how to brighten my day"
"So, tell me what's going on" He said with a half-smile.
"Nothing" She told him taking a sip of her wine.
"You forget I've known you your whole life AnnaBeth Nass" He told her.
"Am I that obvious?" She asked.
"Let's just say you should never play poker" He teased.
So, she told him. He knew about both her past relationships, everything she had gone through.
"I was so scared of getting hurt again" She told him "Now I'm in this and I don't know what to do or what to think"
"Ask him" Jonah said simply.
AnnaBeth knew he was right; she just wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Other than Gabby, Kelly was one of the people she was closest too. But thing's had been a little off for a while. He kept things bottled up and shut down. So maybe something had happened, maybe what they had meant more to her than it did to him.
"I don't know if I can" She sighed.
"Well he's here now" Jonah told her.
AnnaBeth bit her lip as she looked over her shoulder at the open door. She built up her courage and walked over to him.
"Can we talk?" She asked.
"Sure" Kelly replied "Sorry about earlier things were just…"
"Is something going on between you and Jamie?" She asked cutting him off before she lost her nerve.
"Why are you asking me that?" He asked.
"That's not a no" She told him.
"It was a mistake" He said looking down "She was there for me, you weren't around, but I shouldn't have…"
AnnaBeth just shook her head. She didn't want to hear anymore.
"That's ok" She said "You don't have to explain, we have to work together, I think it's best we don't say anymore about it"
AnnaBeth walked back over to Jonah before Kelly could say another word. He put his arm around her as Christopher came back into the bar looking like he was about to explode.
"Are you alright?" Jonah asked her.
"I will be" She replied leaning her head against his shoulder as Herrmann pulled out a karaoke machine and kicked open the doors to the bar propping them with speakers.
"Do you want to go?" He asked.
AnnaBeth just nodded, she wasn't in the mood to be at Molly's anymore.