Another quick upload because I have a good amount of inspiration going thanks to all your comments! Enjoy!
"So you playin' house with Halstead again?" Hank asked, glancing up from the burgers to meet his almost-daughter's surprised gaze.
"What?" Erin blanched and looked up from the buns her father figure had tasked her with separating for the Saturday barbeque he'd invite Erin, Jay and Piper to, "What are you talking about?"
Erin had been back nearly two weeks, and she'd spent almost every day with Piper and Jay. After their much needed conversation and Piper's visit with Bunny, she and Jay decided it was even more important to keep Erin as a constant in Piper's routine to continue to build trust. She continued to come over for dinner most nights and seamlessly slipped into Jay and Piper's routine, helping Jay clean up the kitchen while Piper got ready for bed, and then staying to watch part of the game before excusing herself to her temporary apartment. Her relationship with Jay was light and easy, and Piper seemed to be trusting her more and more each day.
They were still waiting to hear back from the social worker regarding Erin's upcoming visit with Piper (or sister date, as she and Jay had referred to them), and more anxiously awaiting to see if the judge would revoke Bunny's visits. The little girl had been downright traumatized from meeting her biological mother, and Jay was still witnessing the lingering effects. He knew that Piper trusted him, but it took more assurance and repetition for her to be reminded that she was safe with him, and with Erin.
Hank narrowed his eyes, "I've known you almost twenty years, Erin. I know you're in town for Piper, but I don't want you sliding backwards."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Erin snapped, dropping the buns to fold her arms across her chest.
"I mean I've seen this before. You and Halstead get close, and then things get turned upside down." Hank adjusted the temperature of the grill, "You left for a reason."
"I left because they were coming for my badge," she gritted out, "And because of Bunny."
"He left you," her former boss shrugged, "And he's a different man now. The past year, he's been through a lot. And what he doesn't need is you two strikin' something up again only for you to pick up and leave again." He cleared his throat, "I like my detectives with their heads on their shoulders, not in the clouds."
Erin steeled her gaze, "You don't know what you're talking about," she managed, "Nothing's happened. I'm here for Piper. Jay is taking care of her, so yeah, I'm going to be talking to him and spending time with him, especially because I can't see Piper without him there. And we've talked, Hank. We both made mistakes last time." She swallowed, "I wasn't there for him before."
"So what, you're going to be there for him now? Going to be difficult with you cross the country," Hank replied, "I just want you to be smart about this, Erin."
"I don't want to have this conversation now," she hissed, turning her head toward the front of the house as she heard a car pull up. It was probably Jay and Piper. "Things are good, and they'll be good. We're adults."
Hank grunted in response. "Chop up the vegetables, would you? I'm going to check on the sauce."
Erin nodded curtly and turned her attention to the onion and tomato that Hank had brought out to the outdoor table. She heard the doorbell ring and glanced up. "I got it," Hank said quickly, hastening toward the front door, "Keep an eye on the burgers."
Piper stood closely to Jay, her tiny hand in his as they stood at the front of the house that Erin grew up in. "Voight's burgers are famous in Chicago for being really good," Jay said, doing his best to keep the conversation light between him and Piper. The little girl had been more quiet than normal after they took a weekend excursion to the aquarium to try to beat the Chicago summer heat. The place had been absolutely packed, all the other families in the area having the same thought as Jay.
Instead of being captivated by the exhibits like he'd hoped, his little friend was anxiously observing the other patrons, clearly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people. He spent much of their outing feeling guilty as Piper stayed glued to his hip, unable to enjoy and engage like the other children.
"C'mon in," Hank greeted, pulling open his front door and ushering his detective and the child at his side into the house.
"Thanks for having us," Jay said as casually as he could. He couldn't see where Erin was, but her car was in Voight's driveway.
"Okay, so we've got burgers cooking on the grill, and Erin's just about finished chopping up the vegetables," Hank informed Jay as he followed his sergeant toward the kitchen, Piper still tightly clutching his hand, "Piper, would you like something to drink? Maybe some juice or milk?"
"Just water please," she said, her voice soft, "Is-is Erin here?"
"I am," Erin poked her head through the back door, "Hey Noodle."
Jay felt Piper relax slightly as she stood next to him. "Hi," she smiled shyly. Hank passed Jay a beer and offered one to Erin as well before filling a cup of water for Piper. "Thank you," she replied, her voice still quiet. If Jay had to guess, the little girl was nervous around Voight, who she still didn't know all that well.
"What did you guys get up to today?" Erin asked after taking a sip of the beer Hank had offered. The older sergeant had excused himself to check on the burgers to ensure Erin hadn't let them get burned on the grill.
"The aquarium," Piper replied, "We saw so many fish."
"Sounds like a great time," she mused, "I've only been a few times since they redid it. Heard they've got a cool section on turtles."
"Those were Jay's favorite," the little girl informed her, and looked to Jay who nodded in confirmation.
"Burgers are done," Hank announced, entering the kitchen again, "Was thinking we could eat outside, but it's a bit windier out there than I thought, so inside might be a better option."
"It's perfect," Jay said, "Smells amazing."
"I can set the table," Piper offered softly, "Jay taught me how."
"That would be great," Hank said, attempting to raise his voice an octave to not scare the little girl. He could sense her anxiety about him, and wanted her to be at ease.
"I'll pass you the forks," Erin decided, reaching into the drawer where Hank kept them, "If you can place them on the table?"
"Open up, Hank!" A loud banging came at the front door. Instantly, Erin's blood ran cold. She knew that voice. It was Bunny.
Hank glanced to Erin, who'd widened her eyes in surprise that her mother had stopped by, "What's she doing here?"
Piper looked up at the adults in the room, alarmed. "I have no idea why she's here," Erin managed, shakily placing the cutlery in a heap on the table, "I can deal with her."
"You sure?" Jay asked carefully. When Erin opened her mouth to respond, she was interrupted by more banging.
"Hank!" Bunny pounded louder, "Open the fucking door!"
Piper's eyes were trained on Erin as she moved to the front door. Suddenly, the little girl registered the voice and promptly burst into tears. "She's here to take me away," Piper sobbed, shuffling off her chair and immediately huddling beneath the kitchen table.
"No, no, kiddo," Jay shook his head, "Sarge, can you?" He gestured to Erin who was marching angrily to the entrance, "I need to, um," He pointed down to where Piper was cowering. The sergeant understood and nodded before following his almost daughter to the front door. "Pipes," Jay turned his attention to the little girl, "It's okay, you're safe here with me."
"I don't want her to get me," she whimpered desperately, "I don't want her to get Erin either."
"Erin's going to be fine," Jay promised, pushing back his chair and sinking to his knees, "Sergeant Voight's with her, and she's strong. She can handle it, trust me, kiddo."
He reached a hand out to stroke Piper's quivering frame, "You're safe with me," he repeated, "I promise." Jay paused. "Can I come sit with you?"
The little girl gave a tiny nod of assent and immediately scrambled into Jay's lap when he sat beside her on the floor. She held tightly, sobs wracking her small body as Jay held her close.
"What are you doing here?" Erin hissed as she whipped open Hank's front door, "You have no right to show up at Hank's, unannounced."
"I just knew you'd be here," Bunny spat, her hands on her hips indignantly, "Even after a year, you're still Voight's little lap dog, huh?"
Erin shook her head angrily, "What do you want, Bunny?" Hank emerged from the hallway and stood beside his daughter rigidly.
"You did this!" the woman spluttered, looking furiously at Hank, "This has Hank Voight written all over it!"
"What are you talking about, Bunny?" he asked, arms folded across his chest.
"I got a call just now, telling me that my right to see my daughter has been put on pause," she informed him, shifting her glare to Erin, "And I know you had something to do with it."
"Get off my property," Hank demanded, "You shouldn't be here."
"I'm here to see my daughter," she retorted, "The one who isn't an ungrateful and conniving snake."
"She's not here," Hank replied, "You came all this way for nothing, and if you don't get the fuck off my steps, I'll book you for possession."
"Please," Bunny snorted, backing down the steps, "You can't touch me, Hank. You've tried, don't I know it. Always inserting yourself in my business, manipulating my children."
"You lost the right to call 'em your children when you abandoned them," he said seriously, "You're done, Bunny."
"I know she's here," Bunny insisted, "You just can't stay away from my kids, can you Hank? After all this time, you keep thinkin' they're yours but you're not blood."
"Blood's going to come out of your fucking nose if you try to pull a stunt like this again," Erin snapped, "They have good reason to keep you away from Piper, this little charade here included."
"You're just upset that I told the truth," she shouted, "That you are nothing but a washed up junkie with history of getting the people around you hurt, or worse." Bunny steeled her gaze, "You think you're fit to raise a child when you couldn't keep a full grown adult from getting killed?"
Erin was silent, unable to speak following her mother's words. "Get out," Hank growled, "Now."
"This isn't over," Bunny replied, turning for her car, "Oh and Erin? Your real dad is back in town, after I told him all about Piper. You'll get a chance to meet him in court." She slammed the door and immediately sped off, leaving Erin standing on the front steps beside the man who raised her.
"Let's go back inside, kiddo," Hank said, putting a careful hand on Erin's tense shoulder, "She's gone. Don't listen to a word she says."
Erin sucked in a quivering breath and shook her head, "I-I can't go in. Not now, I just um, need a minute." She choked out a pained exhale, "How is she my mother?"
"Don't listen to her," he repeated, "She's using again, Erin. Can't trust a word out of her mouth."
"I-I know. Piper told me," Erin managed, "She um, she could tell the other day when she had a court ordered visit with her." Her voice broke, "She's nine, Hank. Nine years old, and she already knows what it's like to be around someone on drugs, and then for it to be her mother when she meets her for the first time?"
Hank shook his head, "I'm sorry, I really am. I wish there was something I could do, but we just gotta hope the judge comes up on the right side of this one."
"What if I'm not the right side?"
He paused and furrowed his brow in concern. "Erin."
"I mean it. What if I'm just what Bunny says, a junkie with a history of getting people I love killed, huh?" Tears prickled at her eyes before she could stop them, "What if I ruin her life? What if she still turns out like I did?"
"If she's workin' for the FBI, you'll have done somethin' right," Hank said gently, moving his hand from Erin's shoulder to brush a tear off her cheek. He smiled softly when her lips quirked upwards, "Piper's got something you didn't have. She's got you looking out for her. It's not going to be easy, raising a kid from a whole bunch a trauma, but I'm telling you, it's so worth it." He leaned forward and kissed the top of Erin's head. "I love you, kiddo. And I'm so proud of you, for how far you've come."
"Thank you," Erin mumbled, gratefully accepting the hug from her father figure, "For being here, after all this time."
"I'll always be there for you," he reminded her, "I'm always looking out for you, even if it doesn't feel like it."
Erin sniffed and nodded before wiping her eyes. "We um, we should get back in there."
Hank Voight wasn't sure what to expect when he re-entered his home with his almost daughter, but it certainly wasn't his detective on the kitchen floor, cradling a young girl in his lap while she clung to him desperately. "Erin's back, she's okay," Jay murmured into Piper's hair, her head just beneath his neck as she held tightly, "Everything's okay."
Erin took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, "I'm okay," she said, her voice carrying little conviction. Hank squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, "She's gone, Noodle. Just us here."
Jay met Erin's tear-filled gaze and his heart clenched. He wanted to comfort her badly, to bring her into his embrace and hold her tightly like he was doing with her little sister. "We heard a bit," he said slowly, eyes swimming with concern, "Her um, her voice carries."
She nodded and brought her hand to her forehead, overwhelmed by it all. She was almost jealous of Piper, tucked in Jay's embrace, and wanted so greatly to be there next to her former partner, and provide the comfort her little sister needed. Piper had yet to remove her face from Jay's chest. "She was upset because the judge said you don't have to see her for a while," Erin managed, "After what she said to you and how she lied."
"B-but that's not gonna stop her," Piper whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper, "They lighted the house on fire to get me last time, I-I don't want you guys to get hurt."
Jay widened his eyes. He knew from Piper's file that the second to last foster home she'd been in had a fire that CPD thought was arson. He wracked his brain, trying to remember every conversation he'd ever had with the little girl, and nearly choked when he remembered. When he first met Piper, she'd alluded to the idea that Donny, the unknown mystery man Intelligence had been tracking down, had been the one who set the fire. "We're not going to let that happen," Jay said finally, "You don't need to worry about that, kiddo."
Piper shook her head, "I-I heard her. She said my dad is gonna try to take me too." She erupted into sobs again, "I don't want to go with them."
Erin was doing her best to keep the tears back, but she couldn't help it. "We're doing everything we can," she croaked, "I promise you, Piper, I'm not goin' anywhere without a fight. No matter what Bunny says, or does, I'm going to be there to help keep you safe, okay?" She crouched down to meet her former partner and little sister beneath the kitchen table.
"I'm sorry," Piper whispered, lifting her head off Jay's chest to meet Erin's gaze, "I-I got scared and-and I didn't know what to do." Her tiny voice broke, "I don't want her to hurt you."
"She won't," Erin said fiercely, "She can't hurt me any more than she already has, and I'm not letting her get to you." Her breath hitched, "You've got me, and Jay, and Hank, and we're all going keep you safe."
Piper sniffed and managed a tiny nod. "What do you say we eat some dinner?" Jay asked lightly, running his fingers across Piper's back, "The burgers might need a little reheating, but that can be done quick."
"Already on it," Hank confirmed, pulling the burgers from the microwave, "Great job setting the table, Piper. We're ready to eat."
The little girl let out a shaky exhale and pulled back from Jay's chest. Erin stood, ignoring the crack in her knee from the crouched position. She too let a shaky breath in an effort to slow her heart rate. It had been a long evening, and they hadn't even eaten yet.
Her heart broke a little more when Piper emerged from under the table. She was so small and so scared, and it was all Erin could do to remain upright. "Where do you wanna sit, Pipes?" Jay asked as he surveyed the table, "How about there?" He pointed to a seat.
"Next to Erin?" she asked hopefully, looking up from her feet to find her sister's eyes.
When Erin nodded and attempted to smile, Piper quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around her waist fiercely. Erin held tightly, biting down hard on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. "It's going to be okay," Erin said finally, gently running her fingers over the top of Piper's head, "We're going to be just fine."
"I was worried about you," Piper mumbled, her voice muffled by Erin's stomach, "I thought she might hit you again, and I didn't want that to happen."
Erin blinked in a futile attempt to keep her tears back. "We're not going to let that happen," Hank said gently. He placed a hand on Erin's shoulder, "Never again."
"Alrighty kiddo, let's get those teeth brushed and get you into bed. It is way passed your bedtime." Jay tossed his keys onto the entry table and stifled a yawn.
After dinner at Hank's, he offered to help clean the kitchen to give Erin and Piper a some one-on-one time together. Erin took Piper on a tour of the house she grew up in, and showed her little sister her old bedroom while Jay did the dishes. His boss had been looped into his search for Piper and Erin's biological father, but unfortunately hadn't come across anything. Both men were equally frustrated at their team's collective inability to locate the drug dealers who'd kept Piper in isolation. The criminals were incredibly savvy and Hank was approaching his wit's end. Jay's conversation with Hank had inadvertently put him on edge, and he was just counting down the minutes until he could fall into a dreamless sleep.
"I'm sleepy today," Piper mumbled, admitting defeat as she climbed into bed, "Thank you for takin' me to the aquarium. I had never been."
"You are so welcome," Jay replied, gently stroking Piper's cheek. He paused, "What kind of story do you want to hear tonight?"
Piper startled awake. She was used to strange noises waking her up throughout the night, but it never got easier. This time, she knew where she was. She was safe, in Jay's apartment, in the comfortable bed and under the covers. The little girl sat up curiously, unsure what exactly had woken her up.
Another noise came, louder this time. It sounded like someone was shouting, but Jay never liked to raise his voice around her. Piper laid back down when the noise faded away. Maybe it was someone on the street. She reminded herself that she was safe with Jay, and exhaled.
She gasped and scrambled backwards on the bed when her bedroom door abruptly opened. It was Jay standing in the doorway, breathing heavily. "J-Jay?" she asked tentatively.
The detective found the little girl's petrified gaze. "Oh Pipes, I'm sorry," he choked out, "I-I was just checkin' on you, I didn't mean to wake you up." He exhaled heavily, "I'm sorry, go back to sleep, okay?"
Piper nodded slowly, her eyes trained on the man who'd taken her in. "Are you okay?" she whispered. He didn't look okay. In fact, he looked stressed and nervous, his body trembling, visible in the glow the nightlight he'd set up in the living room.
"I'm okay," he lied, gripping the doorframe tightly, "I um, just had a bad dream, that's all."
She nodded again. "I get those sometimes," she told him, "Sometimes I just sit up in bed til I feel tired enough to go back to sleep."
Jay took in a shaky breath. "Good idea."
Piper tilted her head to the side. Her friend was still shuddering slightly, and appeared to be barely holding himself upright. "Maybe we can sit together?" she offered, "Til we both feel tired?"
He raised his eyebrows, "I-I don't want to keep you up, kiddo. It's late and-"
"I'm already awake," she shrugged, watching carefully as Jay pulled his cell phone out of his sweatpants pocket to check the time, "I-I like sitting with you."
He exhaled and nodded. Piper scooted over on her bed to make room and he sat heavily beside her. "Sorry, Pipes."
"How come you're sorry?" Piper wrinkled her nose, "You don't need to be sorry for anything."
Jay managed a chuckle as he leaned against the headboard. "It's one in the morning, and I woke you up, and now I'm keeping you up."
"I've waked you up before," she reminded him. Piper placed her tiny hand on Jay's knee, "You had a bad dream?"
He nodded and swallowed. "Yeah, I did."
"You have a lot of them." Piper looked up at Jay, her eyes full of worry and understanding, "It must be hard."
Jay nodded again before realization dawned on him. "Do I wake you up a lot?"
"A few times," Piper said, doing her best to keep her voice casual, "When you come check on me, it's usually 'cause you woke up. And bad dreams are what usually wake people up."
"You're one smart kid," Jay mused, "I'm sorry about waking you up, really."
"You don't need to be sorry," Piper repeated gently, "I know you have a lot in your head. I can tell."
He managed a small smile. "You can, huh?"
She nodded. "I knew when I met you." The little girl paused, "I told you that I moved a lot. And I met a lot of kids, and adults too." She leaned closer to Jay ever so slightly, "I could tell when they had seen a lot of stuff, or if they used to get hit or just if they were real sad." Piper met Jay's gaze, his eyes still damp from the remnants of his nightmare, "You got all of that. Erin too."
Jay swallowed, "All that, just from lookin' at me?"
"Uh-huh," she whispered, "'s how come you know what to say when I'm scared, or sad. 'Cause you were too."
He sniffed slightly, doing his best to maintain his composure. "I've um, been trying to get better but um, some nights it's still hard." He exhaled, "I um, I think I mentioned this once or twice but uh, I was in the military and there's some stuff from my past that I guess still kinda comes out when I'm sleeping. I'll, uh, think I'm back there." Jay took another breath, "It helps to walk around the apartment sometimes, which is probably when I wake you up."
"I like knowing you're there," Piper told him, "I-I know it means you had a nightmare, which makes me sad, but I like that I can hear you. Cause I feel safe." She rested her head on Jay's arm, "If you want, you can lie down, and I'll stay next to you, in case the bad dreams come back."
"You are one special little person, you know that?" Jay stroked Piper's cheek, "I do feel a whole lot better after sitting here."
For the second time that night, Piper startled awake. This time, it wasn't a noise that woke her up, but the occasional twitch of the detective beside her. She'd shifted over in the bed to make room for Jay, who had quickly fallen asleep after they'd talked for a few minutes.
He was caught in a nightmare again, chest rapidly rising and falling as he laid on his back in her bed. His cheeks were flushed as he fought the demons inside his own head. "Jay," Piper whispered, tentatively reaching a hand out to shake his shoulder, "Jay, it's okay."
She jumped slightly when his eyes snapped open, wild with fear and memories. "S-sorry," he stuttered, attempting to push himself off the bed, "I keep waking you up."
"It's okay," Piper shook her head and grabbed his hand, "I-I know what to do. You just gotta keep breathing."
"I don't want to hurt you on accident," he managed, "I guess I'm just having a bad night. I um, I'm going to grab some water, okay?"
Piper nodded worriedly and watched as he staggered out of her room. She could tell how much her friend was hurting from the bad dreams. The little girl clambered out of her bed, intending to make sure Jay was okay when a loud crash caused her to jump.
Instincts pushed aside, Piper hurried out of her bedroom in search of Jay. "Jay?" she called out tentatively, unable to locate him in the dimly lit living room, "Jay?"
The kitchen was empty as well, and panic rose in Piper's throat. She rounded the corner in search of the detective and stopped short when she caught sight of him.
Jay was seated in the entry way, knees drawn to his chest as he leaned against wall. His breath was harsh and fast, and Piper could see beads of sweat on his forehead. The coat rack which housed Jay's coats and Piper's new summer raincoat was lying on its side, appearing to have accidentally been tipped over in Jay's stumbling. "It's okay," Piper whispered, slowly approaching the shaking adult before her, "It's just me, Piper."
She crouched down a few feet away from Jay, unsure of what to do next. His face was buried in his hands as he trembled, and Piper didn't want to scare him. She knew what it was like to have a nightmare.
Piper was at a loss, but then she caught sight of Jay's cell phone lying beside him. In an instant, she knew just what to do, and who to call for help.
Eeep who do you think Piper is going to call? ;)