Title: Interesting Dynamics
Author: ZombieJazz
Fandom: Chicago PD
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Chicago PD and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. The character of Ethan has been created and developed for the sake of this AU series.
Summary: Hank and Erin are forced to re-explore their complicated 'family' dynamic when an unexpected 'family emergency' causes Voight to have to deal with demons related to his wife's death, his failings in parenting, and the challenges his work has created for his family and for his ability to be the father he wants to see himself as.
Jay reached out and grabbed Erin's elbow just as she was about to exit the bullpen – breezing passed him like she hadn't even seen him.
"Hey?" he put to her and she gave him a questioning look, after first glaring at his hand on her and giving it a small yank away. "Not going to say bye?" he tried and gave her a small smile.
She adjusted her jacket and eyed him. "Bye," she put flatly.
Jay let out a sigh. She'd been acting off all afternoon. He didn't know why but he had some guesses. Though, guesses based on Ruzek's blabbering and nothing Lindsay had actually said.
"Look, some of us are going to go over to Molly's. Grab a drink. You wanna come," he offered.
She shook her head and made to leave again. His hand again came out to still her. "I've got things to do tonight, Jay," she pressed at him.
"What kind of things?" he put to her.
"You need my personal schedule?" she shot back to him sarcastically. She was definitely starting to look pissed off. But that was usually on the list of Erin's default emotions – or at least standardized glares.
"It's one beer," he said more firmly.
"I'm busy," she pushed back.
"Busy?" Jay asked harshly. "With what?" She just gave him that look. "With the kid Voight had you bring in here this morning?"
She sighed at him and gave him those eyes and then again yanked her arm away from his grip and moved to leave, heading for the stairs.
"I've got to go," she said.
Jay trotted after her, grabbing at the door and storming after her through the lobby, as she made a rapid retreat from the district.
"Erin, c'mon," he near begged as they got onto the street. "What the hell is going on? Ruzek said –"
She stopped and spun at him. "Ruzek needs to mind his own fucking business and learn to keep his mouth shut."
Jay just looked at her. He had thought they were doing good. He thought they could've been good. But Voight had put a stop to that too. Voight fucking owned her – and she let him. Why? Halstead didn't quite know. Not the details. Clearly she thought she was indebted to him. Sometimes it felt more like Voight was just her pimp. She was his bitch. He'd heard her referred to by guys outside the district as "Voight's girl". There was truth to it. But it was undoubtedly derogatory. And, it pissed him off because he knew Erin was so much more than that. She was a good cop. She deserved good things. But she covered up so much shit. And covered up so much shit for Voight in the process too.
"Ruzek said that you brought a kid in," he put back to her, making her to keep his eyes locked with her, "and that Voight took him out like an hour later. That he was gone for a while."
She sighed and looked away from him, gazing down the street. "Jay, it's not some conspiracy theory. We've got people in and out of there all the time."
"Not kids," he pressed.
She gave him a look. "Really? Jay how many of your CIs are still kids?"
He gave her a frown and cocked his head. "OK? So what? The kid is some new CI you've roped in? For what? What's his hook? Which gang? Which fucking case?"
She shook her head and turned, starting to walk again. "Just leave it alone, Jay."
"Ruzek said Olinsky seemed to know who the kid was and what the hell was going on," Jay spat a bit more angrily.
For an Intelligence Unit, sometimes he sure as hell felt like none of the intelligence got shared – at least not beyond the ruling elite. Voight's inner circle – and that usually just included Olinsky and Lindsay. The rest of them? He'd let them know when he felt like it – if he ever did. Then they were supposed to be at his beck and call in the interim. Supposed to just follow his lead unquestioningly. But their asses and badges and career on the line for him. And half the time Halstead didn't even know what he was putting his ass on the line for – for who. He couldn't figure Voight out. The guy was a fucking onion. And, he sure as hell wasn't convinced that he trusted him – or that he even liked him.
And, that just made things even more fucking complicated with Erin. To be her partner. To be her friend. To try to be something more. Not when 'dad' was over there laying down the law and looking over their shoulders. No man he'd ever dealt with had quite felt like the old man on the front porch with the shotgun as Hank Voight did. He so much looked at Erin the wrong way and Hank was breathing down his neck. He was surprised he even allowed them to partner up – to spend time in the car alone.
Halstead had baggage. But Erin had so much fucking more. And the thing was that some times it felt like Hank was walking alone next to her demanding that she not put any of it down. Or at least that was Jay's take on it. That day. Really, it'd been his take since Erin had decided they needed to cool it rather than tell Voight they were fucking. The problem was – it wasn't just fucking. Not to him. He didn't think it had been for her either. But she seemed to be able to walk away easier than he had. Because he thought it could be something – a real something.
Erin gave him a look again – almost like she thought he was pathetic. That she really just felt sorry for him.
"It's just Voight's son, Jay," she said. It sounded like she thought he was stupid.
He squinted at her. "What? No. Rozek would've recognized Justin. He said this kid was like maybe 13 – at the most."
"He's twelve," Erin put to him flatly. "He just turned twelve. This week."
He shook his head at her and ran his hand through his hair. "Wait. What?"
"It's not a secret, Jay," she said. "Not a conspiracy. Look at his file. Look back at clippings when his wife died. He's mentioned."
"He's mentioned?" Jay raised his voice at her. "I've been working with the guy nearly two years. With you. He's never mentioned a fucking twelve-year-old kid. You've never mentioned he had a kid at home still!"
"He hasn't been at home," Erin said flatly. "Hank's had him up in broading school. Since Justin … got into trouble."
"You mean since Voight got himself in trouble," he put right back to her.
She just glared at him. "How often does he say anything about Justin?"
"We know that guy exists!" he nearly found himself shouting.
"How's Ethan's existence anyone's business but Voight's?"
Jay gave her an exasperated look. Erin just crossed her arms.
"Ever think that maybe he doesn't want people to know he exists? Look at Antonio. How often does he talk about his kids? Remember what happened to his son?"
"So what?" Jay pressed. "Now the kid's what? Home for summer vacation? And our sergeant is going to be MIA –"
"He's not MIA," Erin barked back at him. Her voice was raised and she was clearly agitated at that point.
"He's distracted," Halstead said. "He was gone for like two hours today. Just gone. He left Olinsky in charge!"
She shrugged. "Al knows what he's doing."
"You weren't in that interrogation this afternoon. Olinsky excels in the cage. In the interrogation room …," he shrugged at her.
She just shook her head and started walking again. He took three long steps to catch up to her and started storming beside her at her set pace.
"So what's your involvement in all this?" he asked.
She gave him a glance. At first it was annoyed but he saw that somehow that one had rattled her.
"What do you mean?"
"You're the one who brought the kid in. You're 'busy' tonight. Too 'busy' for one drink. So what? Now are you Voight's babysitter after-hours too?"
She glared at him. "Fuck off, Halstead."
He cocked his head at her. "Hank's kid isn't your problem," he said. "Let him deal with it. Or let him fuck himself over if he doesn't know how to manage. They'll put someone else in –"
"Intelligence is Hank's unit," Erin barked at him and glared with an intensity that he usually only saw her direct toward perps. "He can manage his work and he can manage his kid. And – if he needs some help in that – then we'll all fucking help him. How many times has he covered any of our asses when we've run late or had to slip out? Don't turn this into some sort of bullshit argument about you can't do the job and have a family. Antonio and Al both have kids too."
"Dawson is getting divorced and never sees his fucking kids. And, Olinsky lives in his garage."
Erin shook her head in annoyance. "He and his wife are patching things up. He's in the garage so he can be around for Lexi. He's a good dad."
"Yeah? And Voight's a good dad? He's got one kid who's a convict and another that no one knows exists?"
Erin crossed her arms – coming to an abrupt stop and blocking the path on the sidewalk – specifically to him but really to anyone who was trying to get by.
"What do you know about good dads, Jay? You aren't a dad – and your dad? When's the last time you talked to him?" she asked and cocked her head giving him those pouted lips that usually just made him want to kiss her. Or slug her. Sometimes he couldn't decide. But she definitely made him shut up.
"Hank knows how to parent," she said. "You might not like the way he parents – but it's none of your fucking business anyways. It's Hank's business. And, my 'involvement' is none of your business either. What you need to know is that Hank is like family to me – and that means Ethan is family too."
She turned and started to walk away. This time she wasn't moving nearly as fast but it was still clear that he wasn't supposed to follow her and he suspected that this time if he did it would be more than tone and attitude he'd be getting.
"Why are you so indebted to him, Erin?" he called after her.
She didn't turn back. "You still don't want to know the answer to that."
"Yeah! I do!" he called.
She glanced over her shoulder. "Family, Jay," she said firmly. "That's all you need to know."
