Thanks to all who are reading and for the reviews. I wish I could respond to the guest reviews...they are much appreciated.

Whatever It Takes

Kyle had gotten an invitation to an outing with several friends to to an arcade later that Saturday night. Hoping he could go he quickly texted his dad and after getting no response he called him.

"So can I go?" He asked as Matt answered.

"I'm afraid not. You know the ground rules that were set up and that doesn't fall within those."

"That is so not fair. I've been good and done everything you wanted so why can't I go?"

"I'm on my way to pick you up now and we can talk about it when I get there," Matt responded.

"Right. We don't talk you just tell me no."

"Kyle, you know the reason I say no."

"Cause I'm punished forever. Whatever!" Kyle yelled and hung up.

Kelly looked over at the boy and shook his head, his patience had just bottomed out and he was in no mood to hang back.

"Come here," he said sternly.

Kyle, who was across the room looked back at over his shoulder with a look on his face that Kelly was about to wipe off by any means he felt necessary. "Now!" He stated.

Kyle ambled over as he slid his phone in his pocket. "What?!"

"First of all, do not take that tone with me. Second of all, you do not talk to your father like that do you understand me?"

"What's your deal?" Kyle asked.

Kyle had spent the majority of his time with either Matt, Gabby or Kelly having a night here or there with one of the other members of 51. Just as Matt had promised he had had very little freedom and had to endure months full of shifts and carpentry work. But it now appeared that the boy had forgotten his part in bringing this sentence down upon himself. And Kelly was tired of the attitude that had been on a slow simmer and just perked up to a boil.

"I'll tell you what my deal is. Your attitude!"

"I just want to spend a night with my friends."

"Then you shouldn't have gone off all half-cocked last winter. What you did had consequences, consequences that had far reaching effects. Don't you get that?"

"But it's over, Brock and his buddies aren't an issue anymore."

Kelly looked at him in disbelief. "You don't get it do you?"

"Get what?"

Kelly looked as if his head was going to pop off at any second. "When you were little, six I believe, your father caught you playing with matches and setting leaves on fire. Do you remember that?" Kyle seemed to think for a moment before nodding that he did. "What do you think would have happened if you had continued to play with fire?"

Kyle shrugged.

Not willing to accept that as an answer Kelly pushed. "Try. I"m sure you can come up with something."

"I might have set something on fire that wouldn't have been able to put out easily."

"Keep going."

"I could have set myself on fire or gotten burned."

"Tragic possibilities. But your dad found you and stopped you and so nothing bad happened."

"And that's what he's doing now? Stopping me so that I don't wander off and set myself on fire while I'm with my friends?"

"No smartass. He's ensuring that you understand how dangerous your actions have been because you sure as hell haven't seemed to be able to grasp it on your own."

"Yes I have."

"No. You. Haven't. You haven't seen the damage any of your antics have caused. You purposely worried everyone while you gallivanted around the city. You were told not to see that addict Ben by yourself, but you ignored your father and eventually found him dead. You didn't go to him when Hannah had problems and she ended up getting a gun, god only knows how badly that could have ended. You go to a high school party and end up treating a stabbing victim and I still believe there is more to that story than you've told. And of course we can't forget your little trip to the inside of a white supremacy group that led to a shootout at the firehouse. Plus I'm sure there is more that I have forgotten."

"What's your point," Kyle snapped.

Kelly ran his fingers through his hair to help subdue his anger before he answered. "My point, young man, is that every time you leap before you look you put not only yourself in danger but those around you as well. How many people were at risk when that stand-off happened at the firehouse? Hmm? And what about your father had to go through those horrific day's sitting at your bedside while you were in the hospital plus the healing time afterward? Not knowing if you were going to live or die and then not knowing if you were ever going to be whole again. And don't think for one minute that you are fooling anybody—I know you are still suffering with some of the aftereffects of your injury." Kelly said pointing his finger at Kyle who he was certain still dealt with some headaches and vision issues.

"Did you ever think for one second what it was like for me to carry your lifeless body across that lot? You made a huge production when you thought that your father and I were going to die in that factory fire, but then you are so reckless with your own life. What do you think his life would be like if he lost you? What would mine be like?

"My point is that you aren't six years old anymore and should know better. You are so smart and so mature at times, but here you are fighting it and showing a total lack of respect to the people around you that you have hurt the most with your actions. You are responsible for your crappy circumstances and no one else. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, quit playing with matches," Kyle said as he turned and began to walk away from Kelly.

Kelly was not going to be denied, not this time. He stepped over and grabbed Kyle by the arm and spun him around. "I don't get your bravado kid. Do you remember what happened when you got caught playing with those matches? Do you?" Kyle's face suddenly clouded over. "You are starting fires and you aren't the only one being consumed by them."

Kyle looked at Kelly, his face was uncertain. "I remember watching the orange glow of the flame as it hissed alive. I thought it had killed my mother and I knew that it stalked my father every shift. I wanted to be in control of it."

"But you can't be Kyle. Even with training and equipment we can only do the best we can. But somehow I think you're using it as a metaphor."

"No. Yes. Both literal and metaphorical. Sometimes I want to grow up so fast and other times I want to stay young and sometimes I don't know what I want."

"You want to help people and you can do that other ways than throwing yourself into the middle of an impending disaster. We handed out sandwiches and bottled water to the homeless last week. You and your dad walked dogs at the shelter a few weeks before that. You are helping Angel improve his reading skills. There are ways that we can help together, you just have to stop doing what you have been doing. You are not being fair to your father or me for that matter."

"I remember what happened when I got caught with those matches," Kyle said, his face now reflecting composure. "He shouldn't have felt bad."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I got what I deserved and Dad shouldn't have felt bad about it I think he always second guesses himself: overthinks. But he just reacted that day and it was okay. Sometimes I think I just need him to react."

"Have you played with matches since?"

Kyle shook his head back and forth. "Not once."

There had been a time or two in the past when Kelly had used a swift smack to the butt to detour Kyle from a less than desirable behavior that he was intent on trying. It had always worked instantly. He had had a long talk with Matt after the first occurrence and was told that he was trusted enough to employ whatever means he felt was necessary to assist Kyle in making the right choices. But it had been few and far between and not at all recent. Kelly felt that it was more the threat that it had happened and could happen again than the actual act itself. What happened between father and son beyond the one incident was anyone's guess.

"So what are you saying Kelly?" Kyle asked.

"I actually have no idea. But you need to turn yourself around and give your dad a break. It would be great if you would just do what your told without any drama."

"I did, when my ride didn't show up that day I called the list I was supposed and then listened to the directions I was given. Not that there were that many, so I had to wing it. I had no idea they were coming after me."

"Exactly. You had no idea how big the scope of this was and a lot of people could have gotten hurt. You did what were you were told and that may very well have saved your life, but what happened was beyond your control. Collateral damage kid. Do you know what that means?"

"Yeah. My dad explained it to me last summer. But in my defense nobody ever told me not to infiltrate a neo-Nazi group."

"Are you serious right now?"

"I get what you're saying. But stuff just comes flying at me and I react."

"That's a cop-out and you know it. The reckless behavior stops now. Do you understand me?"

"It has stopped."

"Has it? Because I swear to god kid I will dip into my bag of tricks and pull out something that you will not like. Am I clear?"

Kyle opened his mouth to say something but there was a knock at the door and then Matt entered not waiting for a response. "How's it going? Kyle—"

Kyle turned and ran over to his father and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time."

Matt looked over at Kelly, his eyes full of questions. "We had a talk," Kelly responded hoping that maybe, just maybe the boy was beginning to understand the way the world worked.

"I'd say so." Matt agreed as he held his son and rubbed his back. "You okay?"

Kyle pulled back and nodded. "I'm fine."

"What'd you talk about?" Matt asked.

Kelly nodded at Kyle. "Tell him."

"How I haven't been fair to you and my behavior has far reaching consequences. Speaking of which." Kyle said.

"What? What happened now?" Kelly asked, his guard suddenly back up.

"I didn't do anything—I swear."

"But—" Matt asked. "Do I need to sit down?"

"Maybe you should. I found out something today. We don't have to worry about those two guys that killed Brock. Oliver and Wade."

"They were in prison, so they weren't really a huge concern." Matt said as he found the couch and sat down.

"What happened?" Kelly asked.

"I found out they were killed in prison."

"Accidentally?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, they accidentally fell on a shiv."

Both the men just stood there speechless.

"I guess I have friends in all kinds of places," Kyle smiled weakly. "Or it could be a coincidence. I mean they were jerks and probably mouthed off to the wrong people."

"Oh I'm sure that's what it was," Kelly said sitting down next to Matt who had grabbed his phone and stood up as soon as Kelly had sat down.

"You stay right here," he said as he pointed at Kyle and stabbed at his contact list.

"Collateral damage Kyle," Kelly said.

"Like I care about them. They were racists assholes and got what they deserved."

"Watch your mouth."

"And they killed somebody right in front of a group of people. They killed the guy that had tried to kill me and Danny. No big loss." Kyle continued, undeterred.

"And yet, you should have never been involved. How did you find out?" Kyle stayed quiet. "Angel?"

"His reading is coming along really well." Kyle replied

"Uh huh." Kelly said.

"He obviously didn't do it. He had heard about it and thought I should know."

Matt put his phone in his pocket and looked over at Kyle and Kelly. "A fight broke out in the yard, two casualties. They had both been stabbed. Tensions had been high between all of the races and the two victims had never been shy about who they swore their allegiances to."

"See, they sealed their own fate and I don't feel the least bit bad about it." Kyle stated while Matt just looked exhausted as if he couldn't handle one more thing. "They lived how they died—violently and on the edge."

Matt looked over at his son, his eyes uncertain at first. "I don't even know what to say to that. You, mister, are eleven years old and shouldn't even be aware of any of these things happening. It's hardened you."

"No it hasn't. I never have a problem when a hate-filled piece of crap dies."

"You shouldn't have been anywhere near a loop where you would have heard about this, that this news would have any sort of impact on you. But here we are. How did this all happen? How did everything fall apart?"

"Nothing fell apart. It fell into place. Karma, Dad. I'm alive, Danny's alive and those guys aren't. Hate doesn't lead anywhere positive."

Matt ran his hand through his hair as Kelly closed in on Kyle. "Stop inserting yourself into these situations. Hate doesn't lead anywhere positive neither does recklessness. What did we talk about before your dad came?"

Kyle thought for a second before he looked back at Kelly. "Don't play with matches?"

"Exactly. The fire you set months ago may have finally burned out—or maybe not. Time will have to tell. Do you get the ramifications of your decisions?"

Kyle sighed. "Yeah I do."

"Do you really? Do you want to leave him with me tonight?" Kelly asked Matt. "I can bring him with me to the firehouse in the morning."

"No," Matt replied quickly. "I think we need to discuss a few things ourselves."

"Great," Kyle said with a forced smile.

The ride home was quiet. Kyle had hoped that perhaps that they'd stop some place public and have their little chat, but apparently this discussion was going to take place behind closed doors and as soon as the door closed behind them Matt turned and looked at his son. "Tell me every last damn detail."

"You think I called in a hit with my prison friends? Come on Dad, you give me way too much credit. How far do you think my reach goes? How do you even think I have a reach?"

"So you had no idea and nothing to do with it?"

Kyle opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated as the memories came flooding in.

Two weeks ago

"Did you go over those sentences I showed you?" Kyle asked as he and Angel sat down at a table in the corner of the library.

"I did. Why is it all so complicated? Why are some letters silent sometimes and other times not?"

"Because the English language is taken from other languages and each has it's own rules."

"I don't get why it's pronounced bin, but when it's b-i-n-d, it's said a different way. Why scene like scenery and seen, like see are said the same and are spelled almost alike but have two different meanings...grrr."

Kyle smiled. "I know, but you're getting there. And you won't be perfect. Heck I've heard TV reporters screw up words.

Angel turned and suddenly looked serious. "I'm expecting a phone call and you need to hear it. It will be—well it will be in kind of a code. Those two guys that were arrested that day—"

"What about them?" Kyle asked.

"That threat they threw your way while they were being hauled off—they're making it real."

"How? They're in prison. I mean they were like fast-tracked to Stateville from county."

"Now, it's my turn to explain things to you. They have friends on the outside that believe you to be a traitor to their race and for the right price they will be happy to end you and maybe your friend too."

"So they don't subscribe to cheap hate." Angel looked at him with a confused look. "They aren't willing to do it for old fashioned satisfaction. They need a pay day to do the deed."

"Too much risk to do it for free. They know you have friends in high places."

"Voight?"

"Him, and everyone under him. They're all on your side. Not good people to mess with."

"And?" Kyle asked as he saw Angel make a face.

"Nothing. Nothing else."

"Who ordered this? Their deaths? Who's behind it? Your family?"

Angel shrugged. "Not sure, but whoever it is that said it have people jumping. If they're offed then their outside deal to kill you will fall apart. They need to die sooner than later. Somebody is definitely looking out for your ass."

"So what are you saying?" Kyle asked as Angel's phone rang indicating it was a collect call from the nearby prison. They both looked around and found themselves alone in a quiet corner of the library.

After accepting the charges Angel greeted his uncle in Spanish before switching to English. "So how is your reading? Did you show your book to your friend?"

Angel looked over at Kyle and put his finger to his lips indicating that he shouldn't say anything. "I did, but he just got started on the story."

"Did you explain to him about the bad dudes in the woods who think that they are hunting the campers are actually being tracked by a bear?"

"I did."

"So, in your book club you discuss what you think, right? Does the book club think that the bear will win or the men?"

Kyle looked at Angel understanding what the conversation was really about. He scribbled down something on a page in notebook that Angel had brought.

"Yes, we all agree that the predator will become the prey. The men in the woods are so focused on what is in front of them that they have neglected to look behind them."

"Ahhh. They believe they are the only predators out there. I think this book club is good for you. You are learning lots of new words. Well, maybe next time we talk you can tell me how it turned it out."

Uncle and nephew spoke for several more minutes as Kyle just sat in stunned silence. After Angel hung up Kyle looked at him. "So I get why you can't just come out and talk about what is really happening but what if there is ever cause to ask about the book? I mean, what if would have to produce it?"

Angel pulled his notebook back revealing an old hardcover book that looked like it was out of the sixties with a black and white sketch of two men with knives and large bear in the background, surrounded by washed out colors. The title 'Danger in the Woods' was written in squiggly letters at the top.

"Well I'll be damned," Kyle said. "Kinda like Moby Dick."

"Who's that?" Angel asked.

"An old book. Man versus whale."

"Who won?"

Kyle smiled. "The whale."

"I hope the bear wins," Angel replied. "And I think he will."

"Whatever it takes," Kyle said.

Current time

"I knew," Kyle spat out. "I not only knew but I agreed to it. Not that my blessing mattered all that much."

"What!?" Matt asked as he stepped towards his son.

"They were going to have me killed and possibly Danny too. We couldn't take that risk. Plus, who knows who else might have gotten hurt."

"How?" Matt asked.

Kyle told him the story of the afternoon in the library. "I'm sorry Dad. I didn't know what else to do. But really, it would have happened no matter what I would have wanted."

Matt was rendered speechless and sat down on the couch before he fell over. Somehow his altruistic eleven year old son had been caught in the midst of violence likened to the mafia. "Voight said they couldn't tell—it had been a big melee, but he of course he could see the coincidence."

"Voight knows."

"Christ," Matt mumbled as he wiped his hand across his mouth. "How the hell did our lives take this turn?"

"You wanted to know the truth and that's it. You told me no more lies, to man up and always tell you the truth no matter how much trouble I'd be in. So there it is—the truth. You wanted transparency, I gave you transparency. I guess I do feel better. This is probably something I shouldn't bring up in therapy."

Matt just sat there stunned.

"They were going to have the job finished that they couldn't do last spring—that Angel, Ernesto, Luis and Bob saved me from. I defended myself. The truth doesn't always make things right, but at least you know what it is now. Are you okay?" Kyle asked as Matt just continued to sit stunned on the couch.

"I just wanted it to be over. Do you think it's over now? I know I messed up so bad, but it has to be over now right? Maybe I'm sorry they're dead, but it was their choices that really ended up killing them right?"

Kyle continued.

Matt finally stood up and embraced his son. "Yeah, I'm sure it's over now. Please tell me that you will never get involved with anything like this again."

"That's what Hank Voight said too. I'll tell you what I told him—"

"And what was that? What did you tell him?"

"I'll do my very best."

"Not the answer I was looking for."

"Ha, that's what he said too."

Matt stepped back and looked at his son. "Do you understand that three people are dead because of the decision that you made? Do you get that?"

"I get three people that cared nothing about human life are no longer around to hurt the people that least deserve it."

"Your actions have a ripple effect. Do you understand that much?" Kyle just looked at Matt with confusion etched on his face. "It's like you throw a rock in a pond and there are ripples that fan out and disturb what is around them. You caused a ripple—a huge one. You didn't throw a rock you jumped in cannonball style. Next time you—you might not be so lucky or someone you do care about will suffer the consequences. These may not have been great citizens, but they were people and now they're dead. Do you get that?"

"I do get it Dad. And I'm sorry that they died. I didn't really wish that upon them, but they put themselves in a position that caused their demise and I'm okay with that. If Danny had died, I'd be inconsolable—devastated. I can't mourn for them. I just can't. I went through hell and I know that I started it. Being around all that hate, being shot and then rejected by Danny and it hurt so much and I didn't know if things were ever going to be okay again. But things got better, then the whole scene at 51 and I waited for it to happen again—the emotional turmoil—but it didn't. I didn't feel sad or upset. I questioned myself. I thought maybe I was ignoring my emotions or that may come back out of nowhere and knock me on my ass. Or maybe I was a horrible person because I wasn't reacting. But then I realized it's okay, I'm okay. I'm happy. Maybe I'm stronger now, stronger than them and the power they had over me. Maybe I can survive. Maybe it's okay that I'm okay. Maybe I finally realized that it's okay to survive. Maybe it's okay for me to be me.

"One thing I learned from you Dad and your storied career is that you can't stop being a soldier just because you got wounded in battle."

"You're eleven years old." Matt said.

"I know," Kyle replied.

"Can you please act like it?"

"Sure—until I'm twelve anyway."

"Fair enough." Matt sighed.

Two days later Matt caught up with Hank Voight for a conversation.

"I can understand your concern," Voight said.

"My concern is that he's eleven going on thirty-five. I can't believe what has happened over the last year. It's like some kind of nightmare."

"I'm not downplaying what happened at all, but I've been with a lot of kids who have seen much more and much worse. The thing about Kyle is that even if he knew about all the fallout that would happen from his actions—I believe he would do it all over again. Because he cares about the right people."

"The people he deems worthwhile." Matt said.

"I get it Casey. You go in and save everyone because that's your job. It's my job too—to a degree anyway. But Kyle can pick and choose—and he did—sort of. He doesn't judge anyone due to their, religion, race, color, size, gender or sexual orientation, but he does have a problem with you if your an asshole."

"Just like you have a problem with them," Matt said.

"Sure just like me. Just like a lot of people. Just like you. You helped me get to the bottom of who killed Hallie, as well as the players in that sex trafficking case at the strip club. You did that because you hate assholes too. Not a bad trait to have."

Matt just looked off into the distance. "He'll be okay, Casey. That day at 51 I saw something in his eyes—it's something that can't be faked. You can't know what it is to imitate it. It's just a flicker, but it was there. It was there just like it is in my eyes and they eyes of everyone that I work with."

"What is it?"

"The understanding that sometimes when decisions are made and bad guys die, no compassion is necessary. That you save it for those who deserve it. There are good people who make mistakes and poor choices and then there people who have no redeeming factors—it can be hard sometimes to tell the difference. But your son already knows the difference."

"He's so young. I feel like he's still so fragile."

Voight laughed. "Yeah, he's fragile like a hand grenade. He'll be okay. You, Severide, Antonio, Halstead, me and others are all watching him. He's probably the safest kid in Chicago."

"Not to mention a few Hispanic gang bangers." Matt added.

"Them too. It pays to have friends everywhere."

"It's like a fairy tale. You tell the kid not to go into the dark woods, but he goes anyway." Matt said looking into the distance.

"Because that's where he hears the screams for help. Look—I know our relationship started out under horrible circumstances and I was responsible for that beginning—a beginning that Kyle will never let me forget nor will he ever forgive me for. And I can accept that. Very few can look at me, eye to eye, nose to nose and not take a step backwards, but your son doesn't even blink. He has a certain strength and his age doesn't seem to matter. But somehow I think it terrifies him as much as it does you."

Matt looked off into the distance. "When he was four I took him to the park, Seneca Park on North Lake Shore. He loved that place. It was one of those early spring days where you finally are allowed to believe that winter isn't going to last forever. The place was packed. Mothers, fathers, nannies all allowing the kids to run off the energy that had been storing up over the last several months.

"Anyway, I was keeping a pretty close eye on him since it was so crowded. Not long after we had gotten there he found a little girl to play with. The seemed to hit it off and went off doing four year old things, playing some imaginary game. They ran around, played on the equipment and at some point picked up another little boy. He looked a little bit older or maybe he was just bigger. They came around towards where I was standing and suddenly Kyle just shoved this kid down. There was no second thought, no hesitation, just boom and the kid was down.

"When I ran over and asked him what happened I noticed that the girl was crying. Kyle told me the other boy had been mean to her and he was protecting her. Despite being bigger, the other boy slunk off and never looked back." Matt said looking at Voight.

"He's always been this way. We can't stop him now. Matt, he is screaming for all to hear. He just wants everyone to listen."

"But what if they can't?"

"That's where we come in. It'll be our turn to protect him. I couldn't save my own son, but maybe I can save yours while he's saving the world."

"I feel like the older he gets the less I know him."

"I think every parent feels that way. They're a different person every day. I know you have your hands full. I know what it's like and sure as hell wish my son had been thinking the way that Kyle does. You're not alone. Together we'll keep an eye on this tiny vigilante."