This is my second go at this chapter as I deleted the last one because it was too OTT.

"Hey, what can we do for ya kid." A man approached Ellie.

"Do you know where Herrmann is?" She said, barely audible.

"Pretty sure he's in the kitchen, let me go get him." Severide turned towards the door. "Hey Herrmann, some girls looking for you." He Called to the older man.

"Who is it?" He asked on his way past.

"Don't know, she came in with Antonio and Erin though." Herrmann walked out into the room that held all the trucks and saw a girl, petite frame and long hair standing staring at the ground.

"Hey, I'm Herrmann." He said making her look up.

"I think you pulled me out a warehouse fire? I just wanted to say thanks."

"Glad your alright." They stood for a few moments. "When we did a final search, once the fire was out, I found a box of stuff." Ellie's eyes lit up.

"Where is it?" Herrmann led her though to the bunk room.

"The paramedics said you went into the system?" He said handing her the cardboard box he had retrieved from under a bed.

"Well.. me and the system don't get on well." Ellie said as she opened the box, surveying the damage.

"Where are you staying then?" Ellie didn't answer, she was too absorbed in her box. The firefighter watched as she took each item out of the box, a stack of letters, a small ring box, some photos held together by sellotape and one in pristine condition the she immediately placed on her lap whilst the other surrounded her.

"Thank you so much." She said as she stroked the photo on her lap.

"No problem." He paused for a second and sat on the bed next to her. "Why's that photo so precious?"

"When I was little my parents got divorced and me and my mom moved to Indiana, I would only see my dad and my brother four times a year if I was lucky. One time my brother slipped all these photos to me whilst mom wasn't looking. She found all of them," she gestured to the small pile on the bed, "and she ripped them up. But I had hidden this one." A tear slid down her face.

"What's your name kid?"

"I have a lot of names."

"Like what?"

"I was born Ellie Joanne White, but then mom died so I was Elisa White in Indiana then when I came to Chicago I was Hally now I go by Ellie Halstead." She said not taking her eyes of the quilt.

"Like Jay Halstead?"

"Yeah he's my brother." She said handing him the picture, Jay and Ellie when they were little one Christmas. The two continued to talk for a while, like they had known each other for years.

"Hey Herrmann!" Otis called round the door. "Foods Ready!"

"You staying?"

"Depends on what Erin says." They got up and began to walk over but Ellie pulled him to a stop. "If I have to go then when will I see you again?"

"You said your 18 in a few weeks right?" She nodded. "Get your brother to bring you to Mollys sometime.

The next week or so passed with a sense of normality, no strange cars, no uninvited guests until...

"Halstead, he wants to talk to you." Trudy said as she brought Herrmann up to the intelligence unit with an envelope in his hands.

"Come In here." Halstead said leading him into the break room.

"Hey kid." He said as he walked past Ellie.

"Hey."

A few minutes later the door reopened.

"Lindsay, get Voight." Jay called before returning with an emotional expression on his face.

Ellie never actually found out what was said on that letter, she knew that it led to the end of the case. There was never a trial though. Ellie only knew it was over because two days before Christmas Eve she was sent back to foster care. Not the same person though...

"El.." Jay said as he sat her down the night after the firefighter had brought the letter in.

"I'm going back aren't I." She said. The sadness filling her voice.

"Not to the same house, Erin knows someone who runs a home. We'll drop you off tomorrow, but we'll pick you up on Christmas Eve for Christmas." Ellie nodded reluctantly. "Don't worry about it." He pulled her into his side. "It's only for a few weeks."

The next morning Ellie awoke from a nightmare for the third time that night. She gave up with trying to go back to sleep and picked up her notebook and began to draw. The booklet the social worker gave her barely lasted two days for the teen.

"You really do get up early." Said Erin, stood in the doorway, she moved so she was sat on the end of the bed. "I know you probably don't want to do this, but it's only for one night then you'll be back here again."

"True." They sat in silence for a minute. "Am I ok to have a shower?"

"Go ahead." They exited the small room together.

Sorry this chapter is a bit short, I just wanted to get this chapter out today. The next chapter will be out on Christmas Eve. Also check out my new story Rewind if you haven't already. Leave a review as you go!