Hey everyone, I'm back!

It was really great to get away with the family and disconnect from the rest of the world for a while, it was exactly what we needed and was followed by a crazy exciting time for our kids as they've just celebrated their birthday :).

I hope you are all keeping well and have had time just for yourselves recently, in these crazy times its more important than ever to take that moment for yourself and the ones closest to you.

I hope you don't all hate me for making you wait these past two weeks after that cliffhanger. But here we go...

"What happened?"

Kelly was up and out of his seat before the words had even left his mouth, the man taking huge strides towards the woman stood in the doorway who had yet to answer his question.

A thousand different scenes played out in his mind as he closed the distance between them, Kelly so overcome with his own fear that he hadn't even noticed that Matt and Hermann were either side of him. Both men matching his pace across to the doorway.

"Where's Stella?" he asked. His second question being met by another long beat of silence. Her eyes darting between the three faces watching her, waiting for a answer.

When she still hadn't spoken Matt stepped forward, "Gabby" he said quietly reaching out for her arm. "What happened? Where is Stella?"

"She's.. Millie has her.." her words stumbled out, her eyes darting around the room, the nervous energy coming from her drawing in many more members of fifty one to the scene in the doorway. The events of the past ten minutes repeatedly playing throughout her head. Before she could continue she was surrounded by almost half of the house, everyone wanting to hear what was going on and what had the PIC so shaken.

"What happened? Otis said.

"Why does one of her detail have her? Cruz continued.

"What's going on?" Kelly finished, his voice a lot firmer than everyone else's, firmer than he had actually intended it to be but it seemed to do the trick. Gabby looking up at him as she responded.

"Grant", she managed to push out, tears clouding her eyes. "He.. I don't know how he was but he was in the bar. Stella she went to go to the bathroom and he grabbed her. Millie saw it all play out, she was on him before we could do anything but Stella she's shaken. Really shaken. She needs you Sev, you're the only one that's going to help her at the minute."

But Severide had barely heard a word she'd said after hearing the mans name. His head completely lost to his surroundings, he knew tonight would do her good, he had hoped getting her out with the girls would have helped her relax a bit. He had been nervous when Gabby had suggested them leaving Molly's, but with the assurance of Antonio and his team he'd encouraged her to go. And now this. He had encouraged her to do something that had resulted in her being in a position that Grant had got to her.

"Sev?" Matt spoke firmly, his hand coming to rest on his friends shoulder.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you wanted anyone to come with you?" Casey repeated the question he'd asked a few times since his wife had finished explaining what had happened.

"No, I'm good. I've got her." He said, moving towards the door. But he was barely two steps outside before he turned to look at Gabby again. "Grant?"

"Antonio and the team have him. He's not here anymore." She confirmed, answering his unspoken question.

With a short nod Kelly made his way out of the bar and towards the unmarked cars across the street. His eyes immediately finding his girl sat in the passenger seat, Millie crouched in front of her, while Brett stood off to the side talking with another detective he didn't recognise. He couldn't make out what was being said exactly but he assumed that the officer was trying to calm Stella down, his thoughts confirmed as he got closer to them and heard the sobs coming from the brunette sat in the car.

It was like Stella had sensed him there, the woman jumping up and running towards him the moment she registered his presence. Kelly's arms coming round her back to hold her close to him, the two not saying a word as he did all he could to comfort her. Her body shaking in his arms, as he stroked soothing patterns up and down her back. He could feel his shirt getting wet, the tears that were streaming down her face landing directly onto him but he didn't care, in fact he just tighten his grip on her.

"It's okay" he whispered "I've got you. He's gone, he can't get to you anymore."

It was several minutes later that either of them moved again. Stella's crying subsiding slightly even though her grip on him did not. The brunette gripping his hand tightly while they moved back towards the officers lining the street.

"So now what?" Kelly asked the minute he spotted someone from intelligence.

Halstead and Upton turning to face them, Jay tracing over Stella carefully, the detective wanting to make sure she was okay before speaking up. "Well for tonight we have all the information we need from Stella and the girls, but I'm afraid we will need to talk in more detail soon. Maybe tomorrow or the next day, depending on how you're feeling Kidd."

"Okay" she murmured, it was the first time she'd spoken since Kelly had got to her and he couldn't help but feel his heart break slightly when he heard how timid and afraid she once again sounded. It was like he was dealing with the Stella from months ago, before he'd known what was going on. She was scared and she was trying to mask it, her efforts fruitless when he knew her so well.

"Stella we've got him" Hailey reassured her placing a hand on her arm. "There is nothing he can do to you anymore, he isn't getting bailed this time. He can't play this game anymore. You're safe now."

Stella nodded her head slightly before leaning it against Kelly's arm again. She knew that Upton was trying to make her feel better, that there was no actual way of knowing whether or not the judge would grant him bail even if the chances were slim, it was still a possibility.

"Thank you" Severide spoke, glancing down at his girlfriend. "If we're done here?" he waited for a sign that they were before continuing, "I'm going to get her home, tell Antonio I'll call him in the morning."

"We will" Jay said, waving them off.

"How is she?" Gabby asked looking up at him when he walked into the kitchen. They hadn't been back long, Stella heading straight to the bedroom as soon as she'd got in and neither Gabby or Matt had seen her since. Kelly having followed her into their bedroom, the new couple locking themselves away for the past half an hour.

She'd been quiet in the Uber home, the four of them barely speaking unless absolutely necessary as the evenings events sunk in and it had shaken them all. Her silence reminding them of the many times at the firehouse she'd shut down. She'd shut down so much tonight that not even Kelly could read her properly, the man treading on eggshells as he tried to work out exactly what to do or say for the best.

After getting her back to Molly's she had been distant with all of them but especially Kelly, the distance she had placed between them not going missed by Gabby or Matt as they travelled back to the apartment.

It was over, at least the constant looking over their shoulders was. Grant was in a cell and he would never be able to hurt her again. He would never again be able to rein over her in the way he had been. And he's twisted game had come to an end. Hadn't it? So why was she so shaken? What had happened in the short minutes he had her by herself? What exactly had he done or said that had elicited this response? None of them knew, and none of them wanted to push her too much. Not while they could see how vulnerable she was, the conversation would happen but not tonight, for now they just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Stella hadn't been able to breathe a breath of relief yet, they could all see that but none of them knew the why. The woman had kept quiet while she processed the vicious words that had left his lips in the spilt second he'd been able to get near her. And although he hadn't physically done anything more to her, his words had been enough. The way he'd hissed at her, had reminded her of all those times he'd threaten her, all those times she cowered under him as he'd beaten her. The flashbacks tonight's events had already caused taking her right back to the shaking mess she had been when she first left the hospital.

"She's not great" Severide said sadly, "she's processing but she's not said much."

Gabby nodded sadly, tears brimming in her own eyes. "I'm so sorry Sev. If I'd have known this was going to happen I'd never.."

Her words were cut off by him wrapping her up in a warm hug. "You didn't do anything wrong Gabby. You were only trying to help her move forward with her life. I don't know all that happened tonight, I'm not sure any of us do."

"What do you mean?" She asked pulling back from his embrace, a confused look covering her face.

"I mean that I think he said something, or did something that no one saw. That something other than him appearing has got her shaken. I've only ever seen her go into herself like this because of something he's said or done. The way she is tonight, the way she's shut down? That's how she was the day I went to her after she called, the day he practically dragged her from Molly's."

"But.. but Millie was there within seconds." Gabby exclaimed, the woman wondering how much damage could have been done in the few short moments Grant had gotten near Stella.

"Believe me I think that's all it takes when it comes to him." Severide puffed out, the man near collapsing into the nearest chair as Casey approached him with a beer in hand. The squad lieutenant taking it with a grateful smile.

"She'll be okay" Matt said, taking up the seat next to him and taking a swig of his own beer. "She's tough, and she's got all of us."

"I hope you're right" Kelly said.

"Should I.. do you think she'd let me in?" Gabby asked carefully. Both men shrugging their shoulders at her. In truth if Stella was going to open up to anyone it was Kelly, they all knew that but both men also knew that Gabby was holding onto a lot of guilt about tonight and seeing her friend with her own eyes was the only way she was going to settle. Even if Stella wasn't likely to open up to her, Kelly figured it wouldn't do any harm in her trying to speak with her. The two woman having a strong bond, that bond only growing since everything that had happened.

"You're welcome to try, she was just getting ready for bed when I came out here."

Gabby gave him a short nod before moving towards the spare room, the room that had become Stella and Kelly's room over the past few weeks. Knocking once she opened the door not waiting for a response. Her eyebrows furrowing when she saw Stella stood clad in only her underwear. A large red mark spreading across her front, a matching one on each of her wrists.

"Stella" she spoke softly, the brunette jumping a mile at the sound of her voice. "I'm sorry" Gabby said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you. What happened?" She asked indicating towards the marks.

"When.. er when Grant came up to me he pushed me roughly into the bar and grabbed my wrists. I didn't even realise it was this bad until I took the support off." She replied running her hand through her hair.

"They look sore, do you want me to look? I could put some arnica on them?"

"It's okay." She replied, moving towards the dresser and pulling open the drawer. A soft smile falling onto Gabby's face as she watched her friend pull Kelly's shirt over her head. The two of them more often than not in their men's clothes, something that Gabby had been doing for years but was happy to see her friend comfortable doing too.

She knew she'd never had that relationship with her husband. That if Stella had even thought about wearing an item of his clothing she'd have been in trouble with him. That he was as possessive over his belongings as he had been her. So seeing her casually taking Kelly's shirt out of the drawer and putting it on her body without a care in the world, it warmed the older woman's heart.

"I don't mind" Gabby offered once Stella was dressed. "It'll only take a minute or two."

"It's fine Gabby" Stella said shortly, she didn't mean to snap at her friend. She knew that Dawson was only trying to make sure she was okay but she didn't want to talk about this, she didn't want her wounds tended to and she certainly wasn't ready to tell them everything. She would, of course she would, she'd made a promise to them all about opening up and it was a promise she was intending on keeping but tonight all she wanted was one last drink and to go to bed, preferably with Kelly beside her and with her being wrapped up in his arms.

Silently she made her way out of the room and towards the kitchen leaving Gabby stood in the bedroom stunned by the sharpness of their conversation, she knew that Stella wasn't mad with her, that she hadn't meant to snap at her but it didn't stop it from stinging slightly. Gabby already felt guilty about the events of the evening, she knew that this would never have happened if she hadn't pushed a girls night so much. Stella would never have been in that bar, and Grant would never have gotten to her. She would have still be fine, well not fine but she wouldn't be shaken like she was now and they wouldn't all be worrying about her mental state like they were right now.

Huffing out a breath, Gabby followed out the door heading in the same direction the younger woman had just gone but she didn't get far when she saw Stella stopped just short of the parting wall.

"What ya doing?" Gabby asked confused.

Stella held her finger to her lips just as Matt's voice flowed through to them.

"Sev this isn't your fault, there was nothing anyone could have done. At some point he was going to get to her again, you can't beat yourself up over this."

"I know what you're saying is true. Logically I know that. But my god Casey, if I could get my hands on him I'd kill him, I wouldn't hold back and I wouldn't care about the consequences, I'd do everything he's done to Stella, and then I'd let him die a slow and painful death."

"Kelly.."

"No, it's no good you telling me I shouldn't be thinking like that. I hate that man Matt! God I hate him more than I have ever hated someone. What he did to her? What he has continued to do from a distance.. we knew that he was out there, we knew he wasn't dead. He has the biggest brass balls I think I've ever seen to come for her like that in the bar that was packed and surrounded by cops. If he has no issue doing that then will this really end. Is it really over or does he have friends out there, that are going to come for us next?"

Stella took a sharp in take of breath, the action catching Gabby's attention. She didn't know why Kelly's words had extracted that reaction from them, but they had and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. And an uneasy feeling in her gut.

"You can't think like that" Matt was quick to reply.

"But what if this was just his way of telling her he can always get to her. Yeah he's locked away but whats to say that we aren't going to have someone else following us. Someone else trying to hurt her? I'm not sure how much more of this we can take.. that she.. "

"Let them come for me" Stella spoke, her words cutting him off mid sentence, the woman moving so suddenly that everyone jumped at her sudden presence. Even Gabby hadn't seen her movements coming, the young firefighter was in the kitchen before she'd been able to stop her. The fury on her face making the room grow colder.

"Stella I.." Kelly stuttered.

"No it's fine Kelly I get it." She spat, "you didn't sign up for all this crap. You don't need to feel obliged to stick around for my sake." She continued, moving towards the fridge and pulling out a beer. "I'll start looking for a place to live in the morning. Goodnight." With that she was gone, all three adults looking at each other as they tried to comprehend exactly what just happened.

At no point in the discussion with Matt had Kelly mentioned not wanting to be involved in this, in fact he'd stated the complete opposite. He didn't understand where her anger or words had come from. She had to know he loved her with every fibre of his being. He thought he'd made that perfectly clear but apparently it hadn't been clear enough. Kelly knowing that the night was going to be a long one for them both as he couldn't allow her to continue to think in the way she was. He couldn't and wouldn't go to sleep knowing they were in the middle of a fight, even if he didn't fully understand what he had said or done wrong.

"I'm going to." Kelly said, pointing towards the room his girlfriend had just disappeared into.

Both Gabby and Matt nodding in agreement as they watched him go.

"Babe" he spoke carefully walking into the room. Stella was sat in the middle of the bed, her hair a mess of curls around her face, his shirt hanging loosely on her body that it barely covered. Her legs curled in front of her and the beer she was nursing almost half empty already, despite the fact she'd only just gotten it out of the fridge.

"What?" she nearly spat, "what do you want Kelly?"

He could see she was trying to mask whatever it was that was actually bothering her, that by snapping at him she was trying to deflect the attention away from her own issues. But he wasn't going to let her do it, not when they had come so far in communicating with each other.

"We need to talk Stella" he stated simply, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You know as well as anyone I'm in this for the long run, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to let you push me away because you're scared." Stella scoffed slightly, the brunette rolling her eyes at him before standing up and moving towards the dresser, placing her beer down on the top and leaning against it, she stared at him, anger bubbling just under the surface. He knew it wasn't aimed at him, but still he prepared himself for the tongue lashing he was sure was coming.

"I'm not scared Kelly" she spoke quietly, her tone a lot softer than he had be anticipating. "I'm fucking petrified, everything you just said to Matt?! That's been running through my head all night. And hearing you say those things out loud..." she shook her head as her words trailed off.

"It's okay to be feeling like this babe" he said pushing himself of the bed to. "It's okay if you're feeling like everything is too much right now. Everything that has happened tonight must have brought everything back for you from the past." He continued as he moved towards her, his arms wrapping around her tightly while he spoke. "Tonight will have shaken you I know that. I'm not stupid."

Stella emitted a smile chuckle at his words, if anything Kelly Severide was an incredibly intelligent man, he just didn't know how to use it sometimes and that made people think he was dense about certain situations. Knowing what to say and when to say it being one of those times. But in her experience recently he actually knew more about it than he had ever let on to. The softer side of him coming out more and more in their tender moments together.

"Yeah laugh it up" he joked placing a soft kiss to her head before his voice changed back to the serious tone it had been before. "But seriously I get it, I do. And I know he said or did something tonight.." it wasn't a question, not really but the way he paused made her feel like she should probably give him some form of answer. However the chance was lost as he continued on.

"I know he grabbed you at the very least, I've seen the marks on your wrists. That can't have been easy for you, and I'm sure it made you think of all those times he'd done that before. But I want you to know you can talk to me. Whatever happened, whatever he did. You can tell me."

Silence filled the air around them, the couple standing together near the dresser. Stella wrapped securely in her mans arms, her slow and steady breaths the only sound.

"You don't have to tell me everything tonight babe. I just wanted you to know that." Kelly said, the man obviously thinking over every word he said before it came out slow and deliberately.

"I want to" Stella barely whispered, in fact her voice had come out so quietly she wasn't even sure Kelly would have heard her. But he had. The hand on her back guiding her back to the bed confirmation enough that he'd heard her speak and he had heard what she'd said. "I need you to promise me something?" She asked sitting down.

"Anything."

"Whatever you hear, whatever I tell you tonight. You can't go after him."

"Stella he's in a Prison cell I couldn't if I wanted to."

Narrowing her eyes she focused in on his. His blue ones meeting her brown ones. "Kelly you know you could and you know that none of intelligence would stop you. Hell I'm sure a few of them would help you even. But you can not go after him. I can not have you locked up because of this." He could see the near pleading in her eyes, her stare only enforcing her next words. "Promise me!"

Kelly sighed, what she said was right. If he really wanted to get to Grant he could, and he knew she'd heard what he'd said earlier. He was sure that's why this was even a discussion right now.

"Kelly promise me." She repeated when he had yet to answer her.

"Okay, I promise I won't go after him." He replied instantly.

"Thank you." She said, pulling her lip between her teeth as she thought over the events of the evening and how to explain them to him.

Gabby, Brett and Stella were stood at the bar in Game Changers, the three of them enjoying their third round of shots after arriving only twenty minutes ago. They were already tipsy but nowhere near the point of being out of it.

"I need to use the bathroom" Stella shouted above the music beating loudly around them.

"What?" Gabby shouted back.

"I need the bathroom" she repeated, using hand gestures to help her friends understand.

"Okay, do you want one of us to come with you."

Stella shook her head, "I'm a big girl I got it" she chuckled slightly.

"Okay we'll wait here" Brett told her, the blonde giving her a warm smile as she moved away from the bar and in the direction of the ladies.

She'd only taken about ten steps before she felt it, a hand on her arm.

"I'm a taken woman" she responded instantly, thinking it was some guy trying to flirt with her.

"Well that's good to know" his growl came from behind her. It felt like someone had tipped ice all over her, her body freezing as her brain registered who it was. Before she could say anything he'd slammed her into the bar, his hands gripping roughly on both her wrists, a shriek left her lips as she felt him move in behind her. "So it's true what I thought? My wife is cheating on me? She is fucking that Squad guy!" She wanted to scream, to get someone to help her but she knew they wouldn't hear her above the music, all she could hope for was that someone saw and intervened, after all this place was crawling with cops. Her detail having scattered around the area they were stood in to keep an eye out. Surely someone would see him, see them, before he could do anything.

"I always knew you were a fucking slut, but my god Stella. You really are something else. No more than a fucking whore!"

"Grant please" she whimpered, pushing back on him, trying desperately to wriggle from his grip.

"You are mine Stella, how many times do you have to be told? I'm going to fucking kill you and that Severide. You're fucking him has just sealed that fate for the both of you, mark my words. I know people Stella and they..."

But the rest of his sentence was cut off. Stella wasn't sure what was happening, the events moving so quickly she was struggling to catch up. One minute she was pinned between his body and the bar, an intense burning feeling in both her wrists where he held on to her so tightly and the next she was in the cool air outside being ushered into the back of the car. The woman fighting against the hands that held her. The hands that seemed lighter, softer, less firm around her.

"Get off me" she yelled pushing at the person in front of her when she managed to turn round. "Help!" she screamed.

"Stella it's me" a voice cut her shouts off, her eyes blinking several times as the blonde came into focus in front of her. "You're okay, we got you."

"Brett?" she questioned moving her head to the side, taking in the detective stood the other side of her, "Millie?"

"It's okay Ms Kidd we've got you."

"Grant?"

"He's gone, Antonio has taken him to the station."

Upon hearing that she'd burst into tears, the hot wetness streaming down her cheeks.

Kelly watched her carefully, Stella getting more and more lost in her head in front of him. She hadn't said a word since her quiet thank you, his girlfriend's eyes having glazed over in front of him. He was sure she was trying to work out where to start, but when the tears started rolling down her face he couldn't help but worry.

"Baby?"

Stella's head whipped up, her dark brown eyes full of unshed tears ready to join the others streaming her face.

"What happened?"

"I.. I.. I was going to the bathroom, I hadn't seen him.." she began, her words slow and broken as she detailed every little thing that had been said and done to her. Kelly could feel his anger boiling, the feeling not being helped when his eyes found the bruising on her wrists again. The dark red area slowly changing colour as they sat there talking, he could see the purple underneath already beginning to form and he knew that she must have been held pretty hard for it to be showing up so clearly only a few hours after.

He meant what he said to Matt, if he could get his hands on Grant he wouldn't be able to stop himself from hurting him like he had her. He also meant what he had said to Stella, his promise that he wouldn't hurt her ex husband ringing in his ears as he tried desperately to squash the fire burning up inside him. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardise what they had built here, the trust and respect the couple had for each other, the trust that had taken many reassurances and many hours of talking. He knew if he broke his promise, that if he went after him, he'd rip all that down in a nano second and he wasn't willing to do it. But it wasn't stopping him from envisioning everything he would do, every way he'd make that man pay for what he had done.

"I didn't realise what was happening at first, when I got outside. I thought it was still him." She continued Kelly's eyes moving back to hers as he listened to her. "I panicked and I started yelling, that's when Gabby came to get you I think. I'm not really sure it's all a bit hazy."

There was a long pause, the events of the evening being hard on both of them. Kelly was reeling that he hadn't been there to protect her, that he had stayed behind in Molly's when everything inside him had told him to follow them, to be on hand. He knew there was nothing he could do to change that now, that all he could do now was comfort her and help her to get back to the point she was before tonight.

An involuntary groan left her lips as the sound of pots hitting the floor woke her. Stella sitting bolt upright as the noise reverberated throughout the apartment.

"What the.." Kelly moaned sitting up next to her.

They both heard the explicates coming from the kitchen, Dawson cursing loudly in Spanish.

Pushing herself up off the bed, Stella went towards the noise to investigate. The scene she walked in on making her worry for her friend immensely. "Gabby." She said suddenly shocked to see her friend doubled over the kitchen counter, her head in her hands, low cries emanating from her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Gabby said quickly standing up straight and turning her back towards her friend. "I'm fine, I just dropped the pans. Sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay" Stella told her moving towards her, the woman turning her back round to face her. "You've been crying?" It was more of a question than a statement, she could see that the older woman had indeed been crying but she didn't know why. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, well not more than you already know anyway. I just feel so bad about last night." Gabby tried to explain, "I know it's not about me and I shouldn't be crying over this but I just feel so awful about putting you in the position you were in last night. I should never have suggested it."

"Gabby stop" Stella said firmly, pulling her into a hug. "I was harsh with you last night, I was harsh with Kelly too. But I don't blame either of you. What happened was no ones fault, the only person that needs to shoulder any of the blame from it is Grant. He was the one that came after me, he was the one that has been stalking me and watching me. It wasn't your fault."

"But if I hadn't.."

Stella sighed "you and Kelly need to stop shouldering this. I brought this to your doorstep, and Grant is the one continuing it. If anyone should be mad at themselves it should be me. I have caused you all so much upheaval. Grant wants me and now I've put Kelly in danger and god knows if you are too."

"Wait what?" Gabby said shocked at the words leaving her friends mouth, "what do you mean in danger?"

"Grant he said both me and Kelly are dead. He said he knows people."

"You mean this isn't over?"

Stella shook her head, "I don't know" she replied honestly. It was the truth she didn't know, she didn't know if what her ex husband had said was to scare her or if it was the truth. If he indeed had people he could get to finish the job he started for him. She wasn't keen to find out either, but she knew that it was something she needed to tell the police. Kelly had informed her that she was going to have to tell them what had been said to her. Even if neither of them were convinced it was a real threat, he wasn't willing to take the risk, not after everything that had happened recently.

"We're going to speak to your brother this morning about it but I really don't know if Grant was serious or not." Gabby gave her an understanding nod, "Kelly doesn't want to take the chance of him being serious and us being caught off guard but I really don't see who Grant would use. Everyone he knows loved me, so unless he has told them something to change that opinion I can't see them willingly coming after me or Kelly for that matter."

"But we don't know that" Kelly said entering the kitchen, the man dressed in a loose pair of sweats and heading straight for the coffee machine. "Gabby did you get any sleep last night?" He asked his eyes tracing over her exhausted features as he passed her.

"Not really, I went to bed but I couldn't shake the guilt settling in my gut. So I lay there for the most part trying to work out how to make it up to Stella."

"You don't need to make anything up to me." Stella told her firmly, "I told you, you did nothing wrong."

"I know, but when I tried to talk to you last night you shut me down and I thought you blamed me. I couldn't stand you being mad at me so I tried to form a plan to help our friendship."

Stella wrapped her arms round her friend tightly, the action alone calming all the tension she'd been carrying in her shoulders. She didn't need to say anything, the strength of her hold on her was enough to explain how much she didn't blame her for this.

The air around them felt lighter as they sat down to eat breakfast, Gabby having moved back behind the kitchen counter to finish the food she had been making before dropping the pans. Casey joining them shortly after their discussion had ended, the man completely oblivious to everything that had transpired this morning.

Kelly squeezed her hand reassuringly as the moved up the steps towards the big oak doors. The entrance of the twenty first looking ever familiar to the two firefighters after their multiple visits over the past few weeks. He could tell that his girlfriend wasn't looking forward to reliving the events of last night but he also knew it was a necessary, after speaking with Antonio on the phone this morning it was quickly decided that Stella needed to come in a give an official statement. The detective expressing how important it was that they got all of the details so that they could give the judge all the facts when Grant went up in front of them.

"You okay?" He asked for what felt like the hundredth time since leaving the apartment.

"I'm good" she replied, it wasn't a complete lie. She did feel good, after their conversation this morning she felt like this was the right thing to do. She didn't know if Grant meant what he had said to her and she wasn't wanting to find out.

She knew that the only way to make sure this was truly over was to give the police everything she could to get him behind bars, for the judge to deny bail and for her to never have to see him again.

"I mean, there are many other things I'd rather be doing today but right now this is what is important. And I'm not scared anymore. Not of this anyway."

"You have nothing to be scared of Stella, I'm right here and nobody is going to hurt you again."

"I love you" she smiled, leaning up to give him a soft kiss.

Together they pushed open the front door, both walking up to the desk where Sergeant Platt stood. "Trudy" Severide greeted, the older woman looking up at them both.

"Severide, Kidd. Are you here to see intelligence?"

"Yeah, Antonio is expecting us."

"Okay then" Trudy replied, "go on up."

With a few thank yous the couple were heading through the gate and up the stairs towards the office upstairs, the desks and officers of the unit soon coming into view as the steadily made their way upwards.

Antonio was sat at his desk on the far side of the room, the man hunched over at his computer completely oblivious to the couples presence until Upton alerted him to them with a small cough and nudge.

"Hey guys" he greeted, the Dawson smile coming out as he walked towards them. "You doing okay Stella?"

"I'm good." She replied, "just want to get this done with so I can go get ready for my surgery tomorrow."

"Is it tomorrow?" Antonio asked, shocked to hear that it was so soon. He knew from his sister that Kidd was going in to have more work done to her wrist but he didn't realise it was so soon into the future that it was happening.

"Yeah it is" she confirmed, "hopefully this will be the last one but who knows."

"Well we'll all be thinking of you and hoping for the best. Any idea on what the damage is yet?"

Stella shook her head, "until they get in there tomorrow they aren't sure. Dr Johnson thinks its just an alignment problem, I think that's what she is hoping for as if its not my job may be on the line."

"If it's not can they fix it?"

"It'll depend on whether the nerves in that area are damaged or not. So far I've come out of this with minor lasting effects, but my wrist its been broken so many times and hasn't ever been set properly before. The damage may be irreparable. I'm just trying not to think about the what ifs at the moment."

Antonio nodded, "yeah I get that."

"So" Kelly said the man gaining the attention of both parties, "shall we go do this, no need to drag it out longer than it needs to be."

Dawson could see that he was more worked up about this than Stella, and he couldn't help but think that a lot of Kelly's nerves weren't anything to do with what happened last night or why they were currently here at the station but more to do with the topic of conversation he and the mans girlfriend were having. He knew from speaking to his sister that Kelly was struggling to deal with his anger towards the situation, that on a few occasions it had spilled out in more ways than one. Gabby describing to him only last week how she had discovered Kelly in the gym room at the firehouse laying into the punch bag as he cursed repeatedly at it. And honestly Antonio couldn't blame him, if it were his friend or his girlfriend he would probably have had exactly the same reaction. He was just grateful that Kelly was taking his anger out on a punchbag and not hunting down the man that anger was aimed at. Because if he were to go after Grant again he didn't think even Voight could get him out of it.

"Of course" Antonio replied quickly, the man moving towards the break room. "We can chat in here and once I've got your statement you'll be free to go." He told them, collecting his notepad and a file from his desk as they went. The three of them taking a seat around the circular table.

It only took about an hour for Stella to give her statement, Antonio having only a few questions before he'd got what he needed.

"And this is all he said?" he asked one final time.

Stella nodded, "yeah he said he knew people and that me and Kelly were dead. I don't know if that was all he wanted to say but next thing I knew I was outside and he was on his way here."

"Okay well with everything you have told me I'm going to suggest we keep a small detail on you. Just for now, and it won't impact your life anymore than it has done." He could see the apprehension on the couples faces, it was never fun to have a police detail following you but given the circumstances he truly did feel it was necessary. "As for everything on our end. I will keep you updated regarding the process and if anything changes you'll be the first to know after me. Grant will be going up in front of the judge first thing Tuesday morning, unfortunately that was the earliest date we could get. It will be my recommendation that he is held until his trail date with no chance of bail, taking in to account that he hasn't been able to stick to the restraining order against him already. I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't get out this time, but as you know there is only so much I can actually do, the rest is down to the judge."

"Thank you" Stella replied extending her hand out to rest on his arm, "Antonio seriously thank you for everything you've done, everything you're doing. It means everything to me."

"I'm just sorry you were ever put in this position, Grant should never have been granted bail to begin with. Not with everything he did to you that night, but because you were in a coma and we were only going on hunches there wasn't much more we could do. This time there is, this time we know everything. That'll will help us."

It was about ten minutes later, a lot more thank yous and a few hugs before Stella and Kelly were heading out of the district. The couple feeling surprisingly light all things considered. Antonio's words had comforted them both and even though they still had to deal with a detail, it was a small price to pay.

"So what would you like to do with the rest of our afternoon?" Kelly asked opening the passenger door up and helping Stella in.

"Honestly I would love a bath, and maybe a nap. I've got a rather bad headache at the minute." She admitted, a low chuckle escaping when she saw the knowing look flash across his face.

"Someone a little hungover?" he asked raising a brow.

"More tired than anything" she replied, "but yeah maybe a little hungover."

"In that case lets get you home and see what I can do to help" he replied with a wink, shutting the door before jogging to the drivers side. Both of them ready to spend the rest of the day in each others company and happy to not have to think about anything to do with Grant and his abusive ways for a little while.

I know some of you guessed it was Grant related and you were of course correct. But I bet you didn't guess it was actually Gabby at the doorway and not Stella.

How do you feel?

Was it worth the wait? Leave me a review and let me know? PLEASE :)