Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen: Never Alone

So when hard times have found you

And your fears surround you

Wrap my love around you

You're never alone

Lady Antebellum - Never Alone

As far as accommodation went the holding cells in the 21st District left a lot to be desired. The bunk underneath her butt was firm and lumpy making it virtually impossible to get comfortable hence why she was sitting on it cross legged with her back against the cool metal bars. Three feet across from her, Herrmann was lying on his own bunk, his wrinkled hands clasped together, resting on his chest over his Chicago Fire Department issue jacket. His eyes were wide open as he stared at the ceiling, his ankles crossed over one another. He hadn't spoken since the two of them had been forced into the back of the squad car, Kayla had followed his lead and kept her mouth shut despite the taunts from the two cops that had arrested them. She had never been so relieved to see Sergeant Trudy Platt, the grey haired woman had been standing in front of the front desk, her black leather handbag clasped in both hands in front of her. To say her face was full of thunder had been a complete understatement.

Kayla had only caught a brief glimpse of it before she was bundled away along with Herrmann to the custody suite. She'd been surprised when the two of them had been put in the same cell by the duty officer but she hadn't questioned it. It was by some small grace of God that Mouch had managed to get a message to his fiancee before they had arrived at the precinct.

"I'm sorry." Kayla found herself breaking the silence between her and Herrmann.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about." Herrmann drawled as he allowed his fingertips to rub across his grazed knuckles.

"You could lose your job Herrmann." Kayla responded, feeling her control beginning to slip.

She was struggling, she could feel the stress and anxiety bubbling underneath the surface of her skin as she raked her hands through her dark hair, pushing it back from her face.

"You could have lost a lot more." Herrmann pointed out as he swung himself into a sitting position, his back pressed against the wall. "I didn't trust those two bastards to deliver you here safe and sound so I did what I had to."

"I appreciate that." Kayla said dully as she thought about the way it could have gone.

She didn't want to think about it but her mind strayed there, she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't have turned up here unharmed. Resisting arrest, they would have called it. The humiliation of arresting her in front of her colleagues wouldn't have been enough, they would have wanted to teach her a lesson after what she had done to Sorenson. An eye for an eye. It didn't matter to them that he had laid his hands on her, only that she had embarrassed him and she was so thankful for Herrmann for wading in the way he had. She'd put on a brave face when they had come to the firehouse but her insides had been quivering, she'd heard stories when she had been with John about criminals disappearing for a few hours before they made it to the precinct, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have been one of them.

"I heard you pack one hell of a left hook." Antonio Dawson's deep voice resounded through the small cell, causing both Kayla and Herrmann to glance up at the dark haired detective standing on the other side of the bars, his notebook and pen in his hand.

"You know that's a compliment coming from him." Maggie said, jerking her thumb in Antonio's direction as she came to stand beside him.

She was clad in her street clothes instead of her uniform, her badge was hanging on a chain around her neck so that it was visible over the top of her blue and white plaid shirt.

"It's about time the cavalry arrived." Herrmann said, his voice twinged with relief as he rose to his feet and stepped up to the bars, his hands grasping them tightly.

"We got here as soon as we could." Antonio informed the two of them, his dark gaze lingering on Kayla who hadn't moved from her original position. Her body language was defensive and withdrawn. "Voight's assigned me to investigate what's happened discreetly, I've brought Maggie in to help. Between the two of us we should get this wrapped up quickly."

"Kayla." Maggie said softly, drawing her friend's attention towards her. "You need to tell us what happened last night."

Kayla pursed her lips together, before exhaling deeply through her nose in attempt to quiet the thrum of blood in her ears. She kept sinking back into that place, the one where she was drowning and the water was lapping over her head. She knew her friends were throwing out a lifeline here. All she had to do was reach out and take it but she was struggling to get past the fear that was ingrained so deeply into her.

"Kayla, we're here for you." Antonio told her in that compassionate tone of his, the lilt of his voice was reassuring as he took a seat on the wooden bench . "When you are ready to talk we'll be right here."

The silence seemed to stretch for eons but Antonio was patient, Maggie had always said it was one of his virtues and for Kayla he had an infinite amount. He would sit here for as long as she needed. He would be there for her, the same way she had been for him.

Hi guys. Thank you for your support over the past few chapters! Do we have any Law and Order SVU fans in the audience?

Anime: I think Sidney pretty much anticipated that Gabe would be leaving and I'm glad he decided to do something for himself.

Lauren: I love Gabe too and I'm glad he's taking a shot at happiness he really does deserve it. You have some good things to look forward to in regards to Gabe.

Nat: I think he's just spent so long helping other people that he needs to consider that's best for himself. I think this is more of a risk for him than he is used to but he's made peace with the decision. His religion is still a firm fixture in his life but it's not all encompassing. Thank you so much for your kind words they mean so much!