First of all, I'm so sorry that I've taken so long to update. Hopefully when my life gets a little bit less stressful I will have a little more time to write - thank you so much to all of you for sticking with me! I hope you enjoy this update and that it helps you get through your Monday. :)

Also, I just want to say that I'm SO EXCITED for the potential of #Linstead in two days! Can't wait!

Chapter 11

***One month later***

Erin strolled into the office at the Cedar Grove and stopped at one of the receptionist desks. The wall clock behind the desk read 2pm, October 25th.

Peter's 6th birthday.

"Hi, I'm here to pick-up Peter Halstead? I called about thirty minutes ago?"

"Alright," the receptionist, Alice, replied in an enthusiastic tone, "It's his birthday today, right?"

"Yes, it is," Erin replied with a smile, memories of Peter's birth flooding back into her mind.

"I'll just call his teacher and he'll be here in a couple of minutes," Alice replied, reaching for her phone. After dialing a short extensions, she said, "Hi, Ms. Carson, could you please send Peter Halstead to the office ready to go? His mother's here to pick him up. Thanks."

Erin sat down in the office and pulled out her phone. She had an unread text from Jay. Everything's ready, it said, cake included .

Erin smiled down at her phone and was about to type a reply when the door to the office opened and Peter sprinted towards Erin. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Hey, buddy," Erin said, giving her son a huge hug before signing him out and walking with him to the car. "Did your classmates like the treats you took in this morning? The brownies?"

"Yeah! Everyone loved them! Daddy is the best baker ever," Peter said, smiling from ear to ear.

As Erin put Peter's backpack and coat into the back of the car and Peter buckled himself in, she asked, "So how does it feel to be six?"

"Awesome! I'm a whole year older! Ten years to go until I can drive a car!"

Erin chuckled and tickled Peter in the stomach. "Only if mommy and daddy say you can and you pass a test."

Peter began to giggle. "Mommy! Stop! Please!" Erin closed Peter's car door and hopped into the driver's seat. Peter was smiling into the mirror as she buckled her seatbelt, so she looked into the mirror and said, "What?"

"Have you gotten me something for my birthday yet?"

"Yes, and it's waiting at mommy and daddy's work," Erin replied, "Do you want to go get it?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Peter yelled in delight. The drive to the district wasn't very long, and Erin led Peter up to Intelligence where everyone was waiting with balloons, cake, and presents. Peter was over the moon.

***One hour later***

After getting various presents from all the members of intelligence, Voight was the last person to give his present to Peter. He had just received a toy fire truck and cop car from his parents that were remote controlled, and Jay managed to get Peter to take his focus away from that gift towards the one in Voight's hand.

"Happy Birthday, Peter," Voight said, handing the small package covered in silver wrapping paper to the little boy.

Peter recited what was on the small card, "To Peter, Love Grandpa Hank." He smiled, "Hank's your first name, right?"

Voight chuckled, "You're right. We just go by last names most of the time."

"But my mommy and daddy have the same last name. How do you not mix them up?"

The entire unit cracked up, Erin and Jay included, as Voight replied, "Your mommy's last name was Lindsay before she married your daddy, but after she married your daddy, she decided to continue using Lindsay at work."

"Lindsay's my middle name," Peter said.

"That's right," Voight said, "Now open your gift, birthday boy."

Peter ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal an official Chicago PD badge. Peter gasped with delight as Voight said, "This was the first badge I got when I graduated from the academy, so it's a little rusty now. I had to get a new one a few years back because I thought I'd lost it. But then when I found it a few months ago, I thought it was time I passed it on."

Peter hugged Voight and said, "Thank you, Grandpa."

"You're welcome, Peter," Voight replied, standing up and allowing Peter to run back to his mom and dad. Erin gave Voight a look of gratefulness and after looking at the badge, she walked over to Voight and gave her adopted dad a hug. "That was lovely. I never thought you'd give that thing up if you found it."

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Erin. And Peter has helped me become a better guy in my old age, just as you have."

"Erin?" Jay yelled.

"Yeah?" she replied, whirling back around.

"Platt says you've got a visitor downstairs."

"Be right back, Peter," Erin told her son, heading downstairs to the lobby.

***In the lobby***

Erin walked down the stairs feeling very happy, but then she felt awkward and angry when she saw her mother standing in Commander Perry's office. She looked at Platt, who gave her a look of sympathy, before Erin headed into the office and shut the door. "Erin," her mother said gratefully.

"I told you not to come by my work, mom. I'm working," Erin snapped.

"Why do you have to get so snappy with me all the time?" Bunny asked, surprised.

"Did it ever occur to you that I looked up to you when I was a kid? And that you let me down and definitely failed miserably as a mother after dad was taken away?"

"Erin, I've said I'm sorry."

After a pause, Erin asked, "How was the honeymoon?"

"Great, thanks. Tommy's family house in Hawaii is absolutely lovely. Beautiful views of the ocean. Now about your child-"

Erin cut Bunny off. "You came here to ask about my child?"

"Yes, Erin, if I have a grandchild I deserve to know them," Bunny argued.

"Bunny, Peter has a really great life right now, and he is happy. What I don't want you to do is meet Peter and start having a negative impact on his life. So no, you're not meeting him yet."

"How old is Peter, Erin?"

Erin sighed, angry at herself for accidentally telling her the name and gender of her child at the same time. She was trying to be protective and had slipped a little in her anger. "He's six," Erin said, "And please don't think that you can waltz into his life like you did mine because I want to protect him. I don't want him getting hurt." And with that, Erin opened the door and stormed out, heading back up to Intelligence to spend time with her real family.