Annabeth loved when things at the firehouse were a little more light-hearted. Casey had been elected alderman and all of truck 81 were teasing him and his 'wife' pictured with him in on the front of the newspaper. Gabby was so proud of him it was so cute to see.
"What's got you so worked up?" Kelly asked helping himself to a cookie from the jar she had brought in.
"What do you mean?" She asked furrowing her brow.
"Every time you're stressed you bake for an army" He smirked looking at the basket of muffins behind her.
"Who says I made them?" She challenged narrowing her eyes.
Kelly just raised an eyebrow. They both knew that no one else was filling up the kitchen with treats turning the kitchen into a baked good counter. If Chief didn't like them so much, she was sure he'd put a ban all the extra calories she was feeding his team.
"Fine I made them" She admitted "But I'm not stressed."
Ever since she'd talked to Gabby last shift, she'd realised what her real problem was she was frustrated. She had tried to stay away from making jam, but she had just moved on to baked goods as a way to occupy her mind.
"Whatever you say" He said raising an eyebrow "What are you doing after shift?"
Before Annabeth could answer the bells went off for the ambulance, person in distress. She sometimes thought those bells were a godsend for leaving uncomfortable situations. She hated that she couldn't just see Kelly as a friend the way she wanted to.
Jimmy beat her to the rig, so she let him drive. When they arrived at the scene a woman pointed them to a trail of blood where a man had crawled through. Annabeth had that sick sinking feeling in her stomach but she tried her best to push it from her mind as they made their way round the corner.
"Sir what happened?" She asked running towards the man on the ground clutching his leg.
"Just fix me up" The man groaned rocking back and forth as he held his leg.
She took a breath as she looked at the man's leg. There was an obvious bullet hole wound just above his knee
"Gunshot wound" She said turning to Jimmy "I'm going to wrap up the leg, you go and get the stretcher and call dispatch to let them know this is a crime scene."
Annabeth packed the wound as Jimmy ran back around the house out front towards the ambulance. She was so focused on the task at hand she didn't hear anyone approaching until the victim began repeating 'no no no' over and over. Another man with a gun pointed at the victims head started shooting, all Annabeth could do was throw herself to the ground and pray he didn't turn on her too.
She sat up backing away from him as he came towards her with the gun turned to her.
"Give me your ID" The gun man told her.
All Annabeth could do was stare at the gun pointed at her face. She felt like she was transported back to being held hostage with Pete all over again.
"Give me your ID" He said more forcefully.
Annabeth fumbled around pulling her ID card from her pocket trying her best not to panic or cry in front of him.
"Not a word Annabeth Nass" He said looking at her badge.
All Annabeth could do was nod mutely and he turned to walk away. She was still frozen when Jimmy came around the corner with the stretcher and a back board.
"The cops are on their way" He called out as he headed towards them.
Annabeth still couldn't find her words, all she could think in the back of her mind was she was glad he hadn't been a few seconds earlier if he had surprised the gun man there was no telling how much worse it would have been, they might have both lost their lives.
"What happened here?" Jimmy asked kneeling down beside the victim and taking in the state of her.
"He just ran off" She managed to get out.
"Who?" Jimmy asked.
The man who had been shot in the chest several times let out a cough making her jump. Jimmy jumped straight into action telling her to get the gauze but she still couldn't make herself move. She felt frozen to the spot.
"AB the gauze" He said more forcefully, and she felt herself moving on autopilot at least.
"We've gotta get him out of here" She said looking over her shoulder.
Annabeth was silent after they made it to the hospital. Jimmy noticed the change; it was hard not to when usually you couldn't get her to be quiet for more than five minutes. He had managed to get it out of her what had happened back at the scene. Like a great partner he was comforting, reported it to the police for her and all they had to do was sit and wait. Their victim hadn't made it and all she could think about what that the shooter knew where she lived. She'd already left one home in Chicago because it hadn't been safe and now, she was in that position again. It brought her back to a place of feeling so lost, alone, and unsure of herself. She missed the safety of Bluebell, other than worrying if someone passed Old Man Jacksons eye test and let him behind the wheel or the occasional storm she never had to worry.
The cop they sent to the hospital looked so new to the job she couldn't find any confidence in his ability to protect her. So, on Jimmy's suggestion she had called Jay. It had gone to voicemail so all she could do was wait.
"Come on" Jimmy told her "We've got a call"
Annabeth wasn't sure how she even managed the next call. She knew she needed to talk to chief Boden, but she kept on working just moving from one patient to the next. They had attended a fire scene which was mostly victims of smoke inhalation.
She spotted Kelly leaning against the truck with a bottle of water and a nasty burn on his arm.
"We're heading to med" She told him "You should really come and let us look at that"
"I'll be fine" He told her shaking his head.
"Please" She found herself pleading.
She had prided herself on the strong woman she had become ever since her divorce and breaking up with Lavon. She could move to a new city and start over all on her own, take on any challenge but she had her limits, right now she just wanted to feel safe and be around as many people as she knew and trusted.
"Yeah ok" He said letting her look at his arm "What's going on Annabeth?"
Annabeth shook her head glancing around. She didn't need to explain that she couldn't talk about it here, so Kelly followed her into the back of the ambulance.
When he got out of the treatment room, she was stood staring blankly at the report she was filling out at the nurse's station.
She jumped as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"AB what's going on?" He asked again.
"Hey" April interrupted "Did that cop get a hold of you about the gun shot victim, he said he needs a statement"
"Not yet" Jimmy answered for her "We'll follow up"
Kelly looked between the two of them his mouth set in a thin line not liking the sound of any of what he had just heard.
"We need to talk to Boden when we get back" Jimmy told her "I'll finish up here, go and wait in the ambulance."
Annabeth smiled at him gratefully and Kelly helped her with the stretcher to return to the ambulance.
"I was treating a gunshot victim today, Jimmy had gone to get the stretcher, I didn't see him" She told him, she noticed his jaw clench but he let her continue "A man with a gun just came up and started shooting the man in the chest, he asked for my ID and took it with him, he said if I went to the cops he knows where I live. I couldn't not give it to him he had that gun pointed right at me and it felt like before"
"Please don't cry" He said wiping a tear before putting his arms around her "You should have called Boden from the scene but it's going to be ok"
Annabeth buried her face in his chest. She didn't know how any of it was going to be ok.
Kelly put the stretcher in the back of the ambulance. Annabeth felt a shiver down her spine like someone was watching her. She saw a figure in a dark hoodie walking down the parking lot, and then she saw his face. She jumped as Kelly shut the ambulance door and when she turned back around the man was gone.
"What's wrong?" Kelly asked.
"He knows I went to the cops" She said simply not able to get anything else out.
Kelly hadn't left her side since they went to the hospital. They had sat in the back while Jimmy drove them back to firehouse 51 and the three of them had walked into Boden's office.
Seeing Chief Boden's disappointment in her she could feel the tears springing to her eyes. Just like Kelly had said he had told her she should have called him from the scene.
"I'm sorry Chief" She said softly.
"It's my job to keep you safe" Chief Boden told her, his voice losing some of its anger. "We're going to figure this out"
Annabeth turned her head as they heard a knock at the door. She let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding as she saw Jay through the glass.
"I'm sorry Jay" She said standing up "The cop at the hospital I didn't know, and last time, I just…"
"I said she should call you" Jimmy offered.
"It's ok" Jay said placing a hand on her shoulder "It would have helped to get a jump on this guy, but we'll get him. We ID'd your gunshot victim, he's part of a gang in Detroit. They were on a job here that went sideways, we found another member dead."
He pulled out a tablet and handed it to her. It had six mugshot pictures starting up at her.
"Do you recognise any of these men?" Jay asked her.
Annabeth didn't hesitate, the eyes on number four was like looking at the devil himself, she knew she wouldn't forget them, there was no soul behind them.
"That's him" She said handing it back.
"Are you sure?" Jay asked looking up at her "He's the shooter, the one who threatened you?"
"Absolutely" She nodded.
"His names Dale Corbin" Jay told her, and she could see the worry in his eyes already "We need to make sure he never gets that close to you again"
"I'm pulling you out of service for the rest of shift" Chief Boden told her.
"I'll have some cops stationed outside the firehouse" Jay added "They'll follow you home as well, you'll have someone on watch until we find this guy"
Before she might have argued about staying on call, but she had no desire to leave the firehouse again that shift.
"Thank you" She nodded "I'm sorry I've made things so much worse."
"Hey" Jay said placing a hand on her shoulder "I'm glad you called, we're going to catch this guy I promise."
Chief Boden walked Jay out and Jimmy went to check on the rig. Kelly took her hand and led her through to his quarters sitting her down on the bed.
"You can stay in here tonight" He told her "I'll bunk out with squad."
"You don't have to do that" She told him shaking her head "I honestly don't think I'll sleep a wink either way"
"Why don't you call Lemon?" He suggested "She usually knows how to make you feel better"
"I can't talk to Lemon about this" She sighed "If I do that, she's going to tell me to come back to Bluebell and how I feel right now it doesn't seem like the worst idea, but I know I'd regret it later."
"Why would you regret it?" He asked.
"I've come so far here, no one thought I would stick it out, but I've made a life that's mine and I don't want to lose it" She replied.
"The house would miss you if you left" He told her placing an arm around her shoulder.
Annabeth rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know you can come and stay with me while this is going on" He suggested.
"I don't want to put anyone out" She told him.
"Don't be stupid AB" He said, "You know Dawson won't leave your side either once she finds out, even if you don't stay with us, one of us will be with you."
Annabeth closed her eyes. She felt a strange mix of wired and exhausted all at the same time. She wasn't sure she would ever feel truly safe again, but she felt safe where she was right now. And really lucky to have the friends and team she had around her.