The Sanctuary✔️

27

.Wednesday two days before the first court date.

   "Ashley I need to head to work, are you sure you're okay to stay alone today?" Over the past two days, Gabriel had made Ashley stay at his place and not go into work.

He was worried about her still, she wasn't doing well. Though the break had definitely helped her again, she still was quiet and was spaced out a lot. He had called Tommy and gotten her to come into the building for the next two weeks, if not to help Ashley then just help out in general with everyone else.

With Ashley being away for a few days again, it made almost everyone question things again and get worried. The first day her phone was blown up and the next it was still constant messages.

Gabriel had to shut her phone down for hours on end because it was making Ashley more panicked, and that is what they were trying to avoid at the moment.

"Y-Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been locked up in here for two days now, I just want to make sure you're okay being alone."

"I'm okay. Really."

"This is the last day. Okay? I really need my secretary, you know." Gabriel jokes the last part out while getting up and kissing Ashley's head. Both the joke and the kiss made her smile.

"Okay. I'm sorry for taking days off-"

"Don't be sorry, you needed it. It's fine. I need to go though, I'll be back later tonight."

"Alright, have a good day at work." As Gabriel went down the stairs to the door, Ashley got up and watched him leave. Waving lightly as he winked and locked the door.

She did feel bad for not coming in again. She felt insanely bad that Gabriel was dealing with her anxiety right now too.

For the past two nights it's been tears or silence or shaking. It was just panic wave after wave hitting Ashley. She had trauma because of a man that manipulated her over the years. Not just over the recent hittings or women or even breaking down her work place.

It had gone on for a long time; and he still terrified her enough to cause her to panic this much and shut down. Even after a month away, and getting the steps to get better, it was just the trauma of John.

She felt that she hadn't hardly talked to people again and that Gabriel was taking care of her.

————————

.Hours later.

   "Danny?"

"One seco- oh. Hey Gabriel." Danny was sitting at his desk working on paperwork for new clients when Gabriel had come into his office and shut the door.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"I mean you're already here...sorry, yeah what did you need?"

Taking a seat in a chair by Danny's desk, Gabriel folded his hands and leaned on his knees before speaking. "Have you talked to Ashley lately?"

"Um...no. She's shut herself off again I guess. You would know..." Danny knew very well that Ashley was staying with Gabriel and didn't like it one bit. He knew that Gabriel knew what was going on more than Danny, and he hated that fact as well. Needless to say he was bitter towards his boss at the moment.

"How often does this happen with her?"

"Not a lot, only when her anxiety goes up enough. It just helps her a bit if she doesn't have to deal with a lot of people or anything. She can get like that for a few days if it gets bad enough. That's why her phone is off."