Sarah needed a few hours of this, she thought as she entered the front door of Molly's Bar. A few hours without work, and with people, who despite the difference in discipline, would understand her implicitly when it came to trying to do good and save lives and what it felt like when things didn't turn out for the best.
It had been one of those days.
After a particularly horrendous day on the job, Maggie had nearly commanded that everyone turn up to Molly's that night, that no one would spend the night alone after what they had all been through. So, despite just how much Sarah wanted to crawl into her bed and never come out, she knew it was good to turn up for herself and her family.
She scanned the crowded bar, noting the familiar faces from the Intelligence Unit and Firehouse 51. She spotted Monique and Will at the bar ordering drinks and she made a beeline towards them.
Or, she was making her way over, until someone stopped her in her tracks.
A hand touched her wrist and she jumped slightly before recognizing the feel and scent of Connor. She didn't quite know if that was a good or bad thing. His hand trailed into hers and intertwined their fingers. Locking into place together. She looked up at him as he leaned in to speak into her ear, his lips brushing her cheek in the process.
"Don't look but Rachel and her friends are here. We can't let them think it's fake now."
Sarah looked up at Connor in surprise. He really didn't have to do anything outside of work, that had never been the deal. Not that she knew what exactly the deal was anymore. But he could have just ran like every guy in her life, but there he was, in the middle of the bustling bar, at her side.
He squeezed her hand slightly and nodded his head to an empty spot at a table where Will's brother Jay and Sylvie Brett were sitting.
She nodded in acceptance and let him lead her over. She told herself it was for the facade but a tiny part of her didn't want to let go of his hand just yet.
"Hey guys, you know Sarah, right?" Connor asked the table, holding a stool aside for Sarah to slip onto while he stood and kept a hand ghosting over her waist.
"Great to meet you outside the ED." Sylvie smiled. "Makes a nice change from the chaos."
"Tell me about it." Sarah admitted with a smile.
"My condolences." Jay said with a straight face and for one fearful second, Sarah thought that the news of her being dumped had been somehow spread far and wide in Chicago.
"I'm sorry?" She asked, her throat suddenly dry.
"You have to work with my brother on a daily basis." He deadpanned with a grin, "You deserve an award."
"Amen to that." Connor joked, tapping his glass off of Jay's bottle. It gave Sarah a second to recompose herself. "Sorry Sylvie, what had you been saying before I left?" Connor said.
With that, Sylvie jumped back into a story about her high school experience in Fowlerton that made Sarah sit back and lose herself in.
Jay jumped in and Sarah even managed to contribute to the conversation. It was nice. Laughing with friends and knowing someone had her back.
Literally.
With the crowd bustling past, Connor had moved closer and had curled his arm around her waist, his hand resting above her hip
Connor tapped a finger against her waist which felt oddly in time with the beat of her heart so she looked at him. His lips twitched in a smile, he had been trying to get her attention. "I'll get these." Connor offered the occupants of the table, gesturing to the bar. He glanced at her again as he edged away as if checking it was alright that he left her.
She nodded slightly, she was contented with her company and had forgotten Rachel existed for a few moments.
While Connor was away, Will appeared with a stormy expression on his face. "Don't look but that idiot has now arrived too."
"Who?" Sylvie asked, looking around in confusion but Sarah instantly knew that Will meant Joey.
"An ex of mine." Sarah admitted.
"I wondered why April and Ethan were staring daggers at the door." Jay commented as he sipped his beer. Sylvie looked at him in question and he replied with a shrug, "Part of the job is to observe people, I can't turn it off."
"Are you okay?" Sylvie asked with a concerned face and leaned over to Sarah.
"I am. Thank you."
"What's got all the ED staff up in arms then?" Jay asked his brother. "What has this guy done?"
"He's been pushing his new girlfriend in Sarah's face and spreading rumors about her around the hospital." Will replied. Sarah sighed, deciding not to bother pointing out that their side had been just as bad with spreading rumors.
"Speaking of being observant," Jay said when Connor arrived back and passed out the bottles and glasses, retaking his place at Sarah's other side. She had to force herself not to relax into his arm that had found it's way around her waist again, like it belonged there.
She was now surrounded by Will and Connor, acting as pseudo bodyguards. "How come I never noticed you two? When this happen?" Jay gestured between Connor and Sarah.
"Oh they've been together a while," Will jumped in to smooth the lie over. "It was only the other day they told everyone. Or rather, we actually found out when we found them in the supply closet and they weren't checking the cleaning products."
Connors head whipped in Will's direction and Sarah gasped and nearly choked on her drink.
Both Sarah and Connor's hurried arguments were drowned out when Herrmann yelled over to Sylvie to solve a disagreement from the firehouse.
"Right. Forget I asked." Jay laughed.
Sarah's cheeks burned with the idea of the insinuation she would be doing anything remotely personal with Connor.
Connor managed to shrug it off and changed the subject to the latest football game that was on that weekend and Sarah took a chance to calm her heart rate and catch her breath.
She had been right, this night was definitely a distraction from work.
Will struck up a conversation with Sarah about how she was finding her new apartment and once the attention was off her and her fake relations with Connor, Sarah could relax again.
Some time later, the edge had been taken off of her day and Sarah had lost track of the story that Will was telling.
Stifling a yawn she told the group she was going to make her way home.
"I'll walk you to your cab." Connor told her, standing when she stood.
In the middle of assuring him that he didn't have to, she caught Joey's eye right across the room, with his arm around Rachel. While they had never been that tactile of a couple, it still hurt that she was so easily replaceable.
Connor must have noticed the look on her face, she never had a very good poker face when he was around and he moved towards her.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she fit right into his side, as if she belonged there, tucked against his heart and walked her out.