AnnaBeth wiped her eyes as she tried to stop from laughing. She knew it was a little mean, but Jonah's latest dating stories were always amusing if not a little sad. She hadn't hung out with him in a while, they both worked such crazy hours, so she always enjoyed her time with him.

"AB you're gonna hurt my feelings if you keep laughing like that" He told her teasingly.

"I'm sorry" She said taking a breath to control her laughter "Honestly, dating where you work is like dating in a small town, and I'd imagine in your job you don't want to get on the wrong side of the nurses"

"You're right about that" He said with a grimace "There have been rough days on shift"

Jonah had gotten cold feet when things had gotten serious but choosing someone's birthday to break up with them wasn't the best idea. Jonah's defence was that he had forgotten it was his now ex-girlfriend's birthday. That didn't really surprise her.

"You'll charm her and everyone else and make it right" She reassured him "You've got that down"

"Is that what happened there?" He asked nodding over at Kelly who was sat by the bar alone.

AnnaBeth felt herself blush as she tucked her hair behind her ear and took a drink of her wine to avoid having to answer the question. Jonah's look wouldn't let up though.

"He's a good guy who did a stupid thing" She said smile "He's too good a friend and I don't want to be mad at work every shift"

"So, you're just friends?" Jonah asked

"Absolutely" She agreed quickly "We both knew dating in a small town was bad, why on earth we went down the work route I'll never know"

"Who else do you meet when you work the hours we do?" Jonah shrugged "At least you get to come into the hospital and stare at a hot doctor"

"You're pretty Jonah but you're not that hot" She teased shaking her head "I would say you get to talk to beautiful paramedic's, but Chilli's taken now"

"I'm truly wounded" He smirked putting a hand over his heart "I don't think Chili is my type"

"You have a type?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ouch" He laughed "Chicago's made you mean; we need to get you back to the Belle's"

"I love those girls, but have you met them?" She giggled shaking her head.

"I don't know" He replied "They were always nice and accommodating with me"

"I'm sure" She said rolling her eyes.

She believed he'd known his fair share of belle's in his time, just like Wade Kinsella had. Even if they were both good looking it wasn't as if Bluebell was crawling with young handsome available men.

"I tell you what" He said with a smile she didn't quite trust "You set me up with someone and I'll set you up"

"Oh really, and how would you do that?" She asked in disbelief "You know I dated Will's brother and I'm not sure you have that many friends who aren't women"

She loved Jonah but his confidence could been seen as arrogance and his flirtatious ways with every woman he came across didn't exactly endear him to most men. Besides that, she wasn't sure she had reached the point where she needed to be set up, it was a step away from online dating. She knew that worked for a lot of people and that was great for them, but it wasn't for her.

She excused herself to go to the ladies room. She smiled at Kelly on her way by. He was busy doing what looked like a crossword puzzle. She felt a little bad that he was sat alone but he clearly liked his own company from time to time. She didn't do quiet time she liked to be around people.

She had already arranged a girls night with Gabby. She missed living her friend. Her place just seemed too lonely on her own. She had gotten used to living alone after her divorce, but it felt nice to go home with someone again, not to cook for just one person. To have someone to just hang out with.

When AnnaBeth walked back out into the bar she was surprised to see another man at her table talking to Jonah. He had dark hair, light eyes and just a hint of a beard. She didn't think she had seen him around before; she was sure she would have remembered.

Jonah smiled as he caught her eyes as she approached the table.

"Connor" Jonah said introducing them "This is my good friend AnnaBeth Nass, she's a paramedic, AB this is Connor Rhodes, he's the new trauma fellow"

"Doctor Rhodes, it's nice to meet you" She said politely "it's nice to meet you"

"It's just Connor" He told her extending his hand "Jonah's told me a lot about you"

"Oh no" She said shaking his hand "I wouldn't believe too much of what he says"

"Hey" Jonah laughed "It's all good things I swear"

AnnaBeth gave him a look that clearly showed that she didn't believe him.

"Oh, he's been nothing but complimentary" Connor agreed "His childhood friend who's an amazing paramedic"

"You talk about me really?" She asked feeling pleasantly surprised.

"Like you said" He joked as usual "It's not like I have other friends"

AnnaBeth rolled her eyes at him and turned to Connor as she sat back down in her seat.

"So, Connor, how are you liking it at med so far?" She asked.

"It's great so far" He replied "It's good to be back in Chicago"

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"I went to med school in Guadalajara and did my residency in Riyadh" He told her.

"That's amazing" She told him "Honestly here is the furthest I've ever been, before that it was maybe a trip to New Orleans"

AnnaBeth used to dream of travelling but Jake never really liked to leave the house. It was hard enough to get him to go out of state never mind outside of the country. Then the goal was just moving on from small town life. Travel was further down the list. She couldn't imagine having time for it all now. She was envious of people who travelled for college or took a gap year right after.

"Mardi Gras is great" He told her.

"It's the food I love" She sighed happily thinking about Beignets "And the jazz"

"So, if I ever wanted a Jambalaya recommendation, you're the person to go to?" He asked.

"AB is the best cook just about this side of anywhere" Jonah told him "But she's a pastry girl, she knows all the best places"

"Crullers are my weakness" She agreed "But I do have an amazing gumbo recipe, not as good as Jonah's uncles but it's up there"

Connor looked like he was about to say something when she heard Kelly say something about taking it outside. She looked over with the rest of the bar. Kelly and Captain Patterson were stood face to face.

She knew that Kelly hadn't got his bugles back for standing by Chief's choice to hold the wedding at the firehouse. Kelly said he didn't think Chief Riddle was going to make him a lieutenant again anyway. Patterson though she couldn't figure out. He was Chief Boden's friend who had been brought in to keep things together while Kelly was taking the course he was supposed to. But all he seemed to do was look for ways to put Kelly down and tear the house apart. AnnaBeth liked everyone she had always been that way, but she couldn't warm to Patterson at all. He didn't seem like someone any of them could trust.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Patterson just back off and leave the bar.

"Excuse me" She said to Jonah and Connor.

She walked over to Kelly and put a hand on his arm. He still seemed like he was ready to right.

"Hey" She said getting his attention "What was all that about?"

"Nothing" He sighed sitting back down "He's still mad about a call I made in the moment. He's writing me up for it"

AnnaBeth furrowed her brow.

"Do you mean with those bikers?" She asked taking a seat.

"He didn't want to pull the driver out the window" He nodded.

They had been at a scene last shift where a man had broken his leg coming off a motorbike. All of his friends he was riding with blamed the driver. The police took so long to get there, and they had been riled up, it took all of squad and truck to hold them back and someone still managed to smash the drivers windshield. She hadn't seen anything like it, if Kelly and Capp hadn't gotten the man out when they did it would have been even more ugly.

"You made the right call" She said "Everyone knows it"

"He's making it clear it's him or me" He told her "But I'm not going anywhere"

"None of us would stand for it if you did" She said "Maybe next time just don't pick a fight in a bar"

"I'll try" He told her with a smirk "Thanks for checking on me"

"Well someone needs to make sure you don't do anything too stupid when Gabby's not here" She said teasingly.

"I'm glad it's you" He said.

AnnaBeth bit back a smile.

"I should head back to Jonah" She told him "You can join us if you like"

Kelly looked back at where Jonah and Connor were in deep conversation.

"Thanks" He told her "I'm good here, I've got this crossword to finish"

"Ok" She said feeling bad for leaving him sitting there all alone.

She managed to shake the feeling quickly enough. She had a nice time for the rest of the night getting to know Connor. And anytime with Jonah was always a fun time. They told stories about each other growing up, teasing of course. Connor told them both stories about living abroad and his medical stories which were fascinating. She found herself wanting to pick his brain about all of the incredible places he had been that she could only dream of. She still however found her gaze drifting from time to time to Kelly sat alone at the end of the bar.

"Chicago must be a culture shock after living in such a small town" Connor told her as he ordered another whiskey.

"I don't know" She shrugged "Maybe at first it was"

"This woman you see now is so different from that woman back in Bluebell" Jonah said.

"I'm not different at all" She said shaking her head.

"Your first few weeks here I didn't think you'd last" Jonah told her "But you just take everything in your stride now"

"Well thanks" She said cautiously "I think"

"So, this is home now?" Connor asked.

AnnaBeth looked around the bar at all of her friends, people from work, the people from the hospital and the precincts.

"Yes" She nodded eventually "I think so"