A/N: Sorry for such a late chapter. I hope you like this... I can't be sure, so please drop a review telling me your thoughts.
Erin's fingers curve deeper into the wood, and for a moment she's not thinking about who's standing before her at the door. No, she's thinking if she keeps on pushing, can her fingers go through the door, or would she just break them trying?
But, she can't ignore Landon, nor can she ignore Hank's footsteps approaching. She gives Landon a tight smile and begins to the shut the door. Landon, the fool, stops it with his foot.
"Hey, if you're scared, you don't need to be. I can break you out."
Erin closes her eyes, and her lips thin as she keeps from laughing at herself.
Hank's now beside her, and Landon's easy going smile slips right off his face. He suddenly straightens, and Erin thinks he's seconds away from saluting.
"Good evening. I don't want any trouble - I'm here to take Erin, and leave."
There is a terrible silence.
"I think I do want trouble. You mentioned Bunny, right?" Hank's tone is all charm, but his words are twisting between pleasantness and danger, and Erin throws herself in front of the bomb in an attempt to diffuse it.
"I'm fine, okay? You need to leave." Erin goes to shut the door, and is once again stopped.
Hank's holding it in the palm of his hand; his eyes narrowed and calculating as he stares at Landon. The other looks nervous, but swallows and lifts his head and then - then, takes a step forward, and in that moment Erin knows there's going to be an explosion. Hank is going to see that as a challenge, and by the look on his face, is all too happy to accept the challenge, and destroy Landon in the process of it.
"I'm not going without you. We've gotten real close lately, and -"
"Real close, have you?" Hank cuts in smoothly, and he looks at Erin before taking her elbow, grip gentle despite his rough words. Erin tries to protest as he moves her and steps into her place, but he continues talking over her.
"I suppose you're part of the reason she's been to work late. Partying real hard the night before?"
Landon shoots Erin a look - is this guy for real? He's one of your cop buddies? - before meeting Hank's simmering gaze.
"I never made Erin do anything she didn't want to do." Landon says calmly. Hank's eyes narrow into slits, and his nostrils flares; Erin knows he's going in for the strike, and she can't bare it, but she is just as powerless as Landon.
At least she knows what's about to happen.
"I never insinuated that you did." Hank begins slowly, and then folds his arms across his chest. "So, why are you defending yourself against an accusation that was never spoken? Unless, you feel guilty of it."
Erin goes to step forward, but a hand stops her. She's forgotten about Jay, but instead of feeling embarrassed, all she feels is relief. There is no judgement on his face, and he is a calm and steady presence. His hand moves to her shoulder and he squeezes, before he looks back at the scene unfolding.
Landon is opening and closing his mouth, and then he shoots Erin a pleading look.
"Tell them, Erin! I never did anything to you."
"You're doing something now. Wanting to break her out, huh? Get her back to the partying and the drugs, get her back to her mother. I'll tell you something, and you feel free to run along like a good little messenger that you are. She is never going back to that. Ever. Do I make myself clear? Tell me if there's anything you're confused about. I'm only to happy to make you understand." Somewhere in his speech Hank moves forward and grips Landon's shoulder, and his voice rises with each word. It is a passionate declaration, and there's something in it that makes Erin feel safe. It is more than just protection, it is a promise of security, and Erin suddenly feels like a child. Hank looks back at her, and in that glance, it hits Erin as if he's said the words out loud. She has never stopped being his child. She is his, more than the city is. More than Bunny, more than Jay. She belongs to him, and since he met her. Erin gives him a watery smile, and says nothing as Hank turns back to Landon and pushes him, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"You ever come around again - if I find you sneaking about, or anywhere near Erin, then I will not be so kind to you. You can pass that message on too. Erin's done with you, and done with that life."
Landon gets to his feet, brushing his jacket off. He looks up, and Erin's breath stills at the snarl on his face. It speaks of vengeance, of going to war. Hank sees it, and rushes down the steps. Erin's pushing Jay off her and following, and by the time she's outside, Hank already has Landon against a tree.
"You know, I never got an answer to my question. Did you slip something into her drink? Did you hurt her?"
"Erin, wait!" Jay's arm curves around her waist, and Erin's feet lift from the ground as he pulls her to a stop.
"Nope. She was all too happy to spread her legs for me." Landon lets out a laugh, but the second one comes out as a choke as Hank's fingers curl around his throat, digging in.
"Voight, stop!" Erin barks. She's not pleased about what has been said. She feels degraded, and sick to the stomach at his words. They have pulled something up, something that Erin was happy to keep buried. She doesn't have the choice of not thinking about it because it's there, and here, and instead she pushes it to the side. Hank ignores her, tightening his fingers, and Landon's face begins to turn an angry red.
Erin turns to Jay. He does't look at her, but instead watches with a dark satisfaction.
"Nah. Let him do his thing. Come on, Erin, you don't need to watch this." Jay finally pays her attention, turning her around, but Erin pushes against him.
"Stop it. You're not my boyfriend, so stop acting like it." She snaps at him, and Jay stops, spinning her to face him this time.
"No, but I'm your partner. Your friend. I care about you, and I'll protect you always, no matter the attitude or crap I get from it. You're welcome." Jay resumes walking, and Erin digs her feet in.
"Please, get -"
"Are you a hundred percent sure he didn't spike your drink?" Jay flings the question at her so seriously, that it takes Erin a moment to attempt to answer it. Jay deflects her stutters with another question.
"If not him, then someone else? Can you say with certainty? I know this is confronting, but your answer depends on how far I let Voight go. So look me in the eye and tell me, Erin."
Jay is staring at her, and Hank's voice swims in and out of her ears. She feels like she is drowning. Her head feels heavy, and her vision suddenly hazy.
"I wanted it the first time." She admits very quietly. Jay tries not to flinch at her response. It is a good one, but it still hurts to hear that she was with someone else.
Not as much as it would have hurt to hear that it had been done unwillingly.
Erin meets his gaze; this time his eyes are softer,, and he looks as if he's seconds away from calling out to Hank.
"I guess - I guess that's why he thought I would want to a second time, you know?" Jay's head snaps to hers in alarm, and she sees the beginning of fury. It starts small, like all fires do. She sees it being born in his laughter lines, changing them into something much darker. She sees it in the tips of his ears, in the movement of clenching his teeth. She takes a breath, and releases it in a nervous sigh.
"It's okay. Don't be scared. Go on, sweetheart." Jay encourages her, tone gentle and kind and warm, and Erin wants to bask in it, but she knows that it is an illusion. Behind it, is something deadly.
"I didn't. I said no. And after that, things... things became a little fuzzy."
She looks at him, and he looks at her, and suddenly she's not nervous anymore.
She's terrified.
