I didn't think I'd get this up so quickly buuuuut getting comments and feedback helps me write quicker, so let me know what you think!
Piper sighed and glanced into the silent bullpen. Jay should have been back by now. It was getting dark outside, and she'd finished all three of the books she brought with her. Jay had been right when she was originally skeptical of reading – it did get easier the more she practiced.
Sergeant Platt had been up a few times to check on her, but it had been nearly an hour since the sergeant had poked her head upstairs and made sure Piper was still there. Piper's stomach grumbled. She was getting hungry, and Erin was supposed to be coming over for dinner soon. Maybe going to see where Sergeant Platt was wouldn't be such a bad idea. She was always nice to her, even though Jay was a little scared of the older woman.
She cautiously headed down the steps, but stopped short when she saw the commotion beyond the metal door. Uniforms were running around left and right, the phone was ringing off the hook, and Sergeant Platt looked stressed. Piper resisted the urge to sigh again. She could wait a bit longer. Jay wasn't like Bunny. He promised that he would be back soon, and she had to trust him.
Piper turned to head back up the steps, but stopped when she heard Sergeant Platt's voice. "Wait, kiddo," Platt called, "Hang on just a second."
That didn't sound good. Piper knew that tone of voice. It was bad news.
She slowly turned back and froze on the steps as the sergeant hurried over and unlocked the door. She instinctively took a step back up the steps, but reminded herself that both Jay and Erin trusted Sergeant Platt.
"Sweetheart," Platt said as gently as she could as she approached the little girl, "I um, I need you to stay with me, okay? Something's happened, and we need to go."
Piper felt her heart stop. She knew that tone of voice as well. Someone was hurt.
Her mind quickly went to Erin, but Erin was with an officer and had promised that she'd be safe. If it were Erin, Jay would have been the one to tell her, like last time.
Jay. Jay wasn't back yet.
Piper searched Platt's eyes for a clue as to what had happened. The woman looked apologetic, nervous and… scared? "Is…is it Jay?"
Platt gave a small nod, "We need to get to the hospital, and I need to keep you with me, okay? You're safe, but we need to go."
She nodded stoically. Piper had been through this before, with Mrs. Adler, and with Mr. Montgomery. Someone taking care of her always got hurt, and she always had to leave.
Hank paced the hospital waiting room. Hailey sat in a plastic chair up against the wall, her leg bouncing up and down with anxiety as they waited for an update from the doctors. Will Halstead had been out with periodic updates while Jay was in surgery, but he didn't know much and wasn't allowed to operate given his familial ties.
The ride to the hospital had been a blur. Hailey had clutched Jay's hand as the ambulance sped down the street. Her partner was covered in blood, so much blood, and had been entirely unresponsive. He was breathing, barely, and the oxygen was only helping so much. She shouldn't have taken her eyes off him. He was her partner, and she was supposed to protect him.
"How the fuck did this happen?" Hank asked to nobody in particular, "Any word from Ruzek?"
"Hill's dead," Hailey reported, doing her best to keep her voice even, "Ruzek and Atwater have Irving and Marsh in custody. Donny or whatever his name is was the one who got away, but Burgess is pulling pod footage and trying to get him through facial recognition."
Hank grunted. At least two of the offenders were in custody.
"Hank," Platt said, holding Piper's hand tightly as she hustled the little girl through the hospital corridor, "Any news?"
He shook his head and glanced down at Piper. Her features were void of any emotion as she stood stoically beside Platt. He swallowed. Erin used to wear the same look when things got bad and she was doing her best not to cry. "Hey, kiddo," he said, as softly as he could manage, "Jay's going to be alright. He's strong."
Piper glanced up from her feet to meet the sergeant's gaze. "He's still alive?"
Hank nodded. "He is, and he's a fighter. He's in surgery but the doctors are with him now, and hopefully we'll have an update soon."
"What happened?" She glanced nervously to both of the sergeants, "How come Jay's having surgery?"
Hank cleared his throat. "He got shot. He was wearing his vest, but the bullet just missed it, and it got him in the shoulder we think. But like I said, Jay's really strong, and he was really brave."
Piper's lower lip wobbled. "Hailey said she was going to take care of him." She turned to the detective, "I-I thought you were gonna keep him safe!"
Hailey opened her mouth, but couldn't find words. "It happened very quickly," Hank jumped in, "The job is dangerous, kiddo. Jay knew that going into it."
"He said he was gonna be safe," Piper whispered, "He said he was gonna come back and now…" She sniffed when none of the adults said anything, "And now they're going to come take me away and I'm never gonna get to see him again!"
"Hey, hey," Hank shook his head and sank to meet her gaze. "You're going to stick with me until Jay's awake," he said, "Me, and the rest of the unit, we're going to keep you safe. Nothing's going to happen, and nobody's taking you away. You have my word."
She nodded, tears filling her eyes again. Maybe she really could trust Sergeant Voight. After all, Erin trusted him. "A-are you gonna call Erin?" she choked out. "We were supposed to have dinner."
"I can call her," Hailey managed, standing from her seat, "I-I need some air, anyway."
"She'll be here soon," Hank reached out and stroked Piper's pigtail, just like Erin did. "It's going to be okay, kiddo."
Piper sniffed and gratefully accepted the hug when Hank opened his arms. "It's okay," he repeated, lifting the little girl into his embrace, "You're safe, and Jay's going to pull through."
Jay was in agony.
He'd seen the writing on the wall the second he caught a glimpse of Ruzek out of the corner of his eye. They were made, and it wasn't good.
The next thing he remembered was seeing his partner's tear streaked face as his eyelids fluttered. He was so hot suddenly, and it felt like his skin was on fire. It was like he was in a too-hot hot tub that wasn't relaxing in the slightest, and he couldn't get out. He was underwater, any and all noise sounding muffled like he was full submerged. He tried to get his mouth to form words, to tell Hailey to follow the men who were getting away, but his lips felt heavy, and it was getting hard to breathe.
And then he was freezing. His toes were cold, so cold, and he was transported to when his mom drove him and Will up to the cabin in Wisconsin for Christmas. It had been a Christmas without his dad, and it was one of his fondest memories. She'd driven through the dark night and ushered her boys into the chilly cabin, but the blaze of the fireplace and warmth of the hot chocolate she made on the stove kept him nice and cozy. Instead of insisting on bedtime, she let her boys stay up with her on the couch, watching as the flames danced against the aged brick fireplace. It was perfect.
It was then he realized that he'd been shot.
He wanted to cry out, to tell Hailey or Hank or whoever was within earshot that someone needed to protect Piper, and that no matter what happened to him, they needed to keep her away from Bunny. He wanted to tell his sergeant just how much he loved his daughter, and that he was ready to quit his job and move across the country to be with the girls he loved so much.
His girls.
No matter how much he tried to convince himself that breaking off the romantic relationship with Erin was the right thing to do for them, and for Piper, he couldn't stop thinking about them as his girls. And he never wanted to stop. They captured his heart every which way, and he would never, ever stop loving them.
He wanted Erin.
He wanted the familiar touch of his partner on his cheeks, on his arms, everywhere. He wanted her to bring him back to earth with her touch, the way only she, and somehow Piper, knew how. He wanted to see her green eyes sparkling when she teased him, and the dimples on her cheeks when he returned the favor. He wanted to tell her just how much he loved her, that he didn't care about distance or jobs or logistics – he wanted her, and Piper.
His toes grew colder, and Jay found himself imagining a winter retreat in the cabin with his girls. He'd show Piper how to make the best snowballs, and he'd convince her that Erin wouldn't be mad at a surprise attack. He wanted to take them snowshoeing, which he knew Erin would grumble about but that Piper would enjoy. Secretly, he knew Erin would like it too, despite the fact that she detested the cold because it reminded her of the darkest parts of her childhood.
He wanted to settle beside his girls in front of a roaring fire, just like his mom did with him and Will. He wanted to see Piper continue to learn to love her big sister, and he wanted them both to be close.
He wanted to raise Piper as his own. And maybe she'd never call him dad, and he was okay with that, because he wasn't her dad. But he would do everything in his power to show her what a loving father figure could be like, just like Hank did for Erin. He wanted to support her dreams and love her unconditionally, like she deserved. He wanted her to be a part of his family with Erin, because he knew she would be the best big sister-aunt.
The last thing he saw before everything went dark was green - the same color as their eyes.
Erin hustled into the Emergency Department, fresh from her work meeting. She still had her heels on and her feet were killing her, but nothing was going to stand in her way. Hailey's call had been short but in the words she didn't say Erin got everything she needed. Jay needed her. Piper needed her.
She'd never been more thankful to have agreed to taking a police escort. The young officer who Hank had assigned to her sped through the evening traffic and got her to the hospital in record time. As the streets she grew up on whizzed by, Erin swallowed her nausea and nerves. She needed to be steady, for Jay, and especially for Piper.
Her heart was beating out of her chest as she glanced around the bustling halls in search of someone she recognized. She had only been gone a year, but she barely recognized anyone in the Emergency Department.
So much had changed.
But at the same time, the things that felt most important hadn't. She still loved Jay, with every fiber of her being. Watching his face fall after releasing the thoughts that had been weighing on her mind almost crushed her. She hated having to hurt him again, and again, and again. First, she hurt him by cooling their first relationship because Voight didn't approve. Then Nadia, and her sabbatical. He'd told her she was breaking his heart. Then moving in together, only for her to up and move across the country when he needed her the most. And now, she was taking Piper too. Every time Jay seemed to be the one who paid the price for her choices.
"Erin."
She turned to the voice calling her name. "Where is he?" she asked her partner's current partner, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Where's Jay?"
"Surgery," Hailey managed, "Bullet got lodged in his rib, last update we got but I don't know and…" She trailed off. "Piper she um, she's with Voight."
Erin managed a cursory nod. She couldn't speak to Hailey just now. She was supposed to be Jay's partner, and have his back. This wouldn't have happened if it had been her out in the field with them. Erin was sure of it.
"Hey kid," Hank greeted gently, standing up from his seat in the waiting room, still holding Piper to his chest, "You alright?"
Erin just shook her head. Her sister was in her father figure's arms, tiny fingers clutching his jacket. Her heart was aching – she wanted to hold her little sister, but at the same time, she wanted Hank to hold her. "Any update?"
Hank gave an apologetic look. "He's still in surgery. Will's been down to provide updates, but we haven't seen him in a bit." He gently stroked Piper's back, "Erin's here, kiddo."
Piper sniffed and lifted her head off the sergeant's shoulder. One look at her sister's tear-streaked cheeks nearly undid her. "He's gonna be okay, Noodle," Erin managed, tears forming behind her eyes before she could stop them, "Jay's not going down without a fight."
"I had Platt give the social worker a call, letting her know that we need to keep Piper in protective custody, with me," Hank informed his daughter, "She may be coming by, but Piper isn't going anywhere."
Erin let out a breath of relief. It hadn't even dawned on her that Piper might get taken away because Jay wasn't there to take care of her, and she was grateful that Hank had thought ahead. "You can stay with me as well," he continued, "We've got two offenders in custody, but until the last one is behind bars, we're going to keep you both in police protection."
Erin just nodded. She wasn't about to fight it, especially given that it was the only way to keep Piper with her. The little girl also appeared to be keeping Hank relatively calm. She'd unfortunately seen the worst of him whenever a cop in the city got shot, but her sister was keeping her father from completely unraveling. "Platt's going to bring her something to eat," Hank informed her, "Might be a while til we get any updates."
She swallowed and felt like kicking herself. It was past dinner time, and Piper was probably hungry. If she was going to be a parent, she needed to start thinking more proactively about her little sister. "Thank you," she managed, "I um, I'll send Jenna a text too, so she knows I'm with Piper."
"I need to go to the bathroom," Piper mumbled, speaking for the first time, "Is-is that okay?"
"We'll keep an eye on the door," Hank promised, setting the little girl down carefully. He gently kissed the top of her head. "You're being so brave, kiddo."
As soon as the little girl disappeared into the bathroom, Hank brought his girl into his chest. "He's going to be alright, Erin."
That did it.
Fat tears streamed down her cheeks before she could stop them. "Hank, if he doesn't make it, they're going to put Piper back into the system."
"He's going to make it," he insisted, placing both hands on her shoulders to look into her eyes, "Jay's been through a lot in the past year, and come out the other side."
"I don't want to lose him again," she whispered, her voice almost inaudible, "I just - after this year, I can't do it again. I can't lose either of you."
Hank's eyes softened. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, kid. Same with Halstead."
She sniffed and took a shaky breath. "I um, I read this book, about kids coming from situations of neglect," Erin started, "And there was this chapter on how sometimes kids grow up thinking they're unloveable, or undeserving of love." Her voice wavered, "And for the longest time, that's what I thought of myself. Til you, and Camille." She swallowed a sob, but another emerged before she could stop it, "I thought I didn't deserve it. Every time Camille was patient or you wove me into your family, I never thought it would last."
Erin wiped the tears off her cheeks. "It took fifteen years and then some, and all of the sacrifices you made to show me I was deserving of love. Even all these years later it's still so hard for me to believe."
She looked up to meet her father's eyes, which were wet with tears. "And I don't want that for Piper. I don't want her to wait til she's sixteen. I-I want her to grow up feeling loved and know that she's deserving of it. I don't want her to be as broken as I am."
Hank wordlessly pulled her into his chest and held tightly, unable to find the words to express how much he loved the woman he helped raise. "I told you once that you were the best thing that ever happened to me," he whispered thickly, "And I meant it. I'm so proud of you, Erin."
She sniffed. "I um, I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for you. I would have been dead at fifteen if you hadn't come when I called, when Dylan was corning us in the apartment with the sawed off shotgun. I know that even if I'd survived that night, I wouldn't have made it past sixteen." Her voice cracked again, "And Piper, I don't think she'd be here if it wasn't for Jay. He did for her, what you did for me. He took a chance on her, brought her into his home and showed her what it felt like to be loved."
He nodded, keeping a gentle hand on her shoulder while Erin continued. "I'm never going to be able to thank him enough, for saving her. For believing in me, and in Piper. And now he's in surgery and I'm worried I'm not going to get a chance to tell him just how much I love him and how sorry I am that I left. Because after you and Camille, he was the only other family I ever had."
"You'll get the chance," Hank murmured. "I know you will."
Erin wiped her eyes, "I-I can't even comfort my sister because I know she's feeling just as scared of losing him as I am. And me taking her to New York would be like someone taking me away from you, and I just-" She cut herself off with a sob, and Hank pulled her in closer.
"It's going to be alright. All of it," he promised, "You girls are going to be just fine, and so is Jay."
"Piper?" Erin called out softly into the dark bathroom. The motion sensors had let the room fall to pitch black, and she waved her arms around in an attempt to get the lights back on, "You in here?"
Erin was met with silence. Her talk with Hank had been cathartic. In the research she'd been doing to better help Piper, she was confronted with so much of her own difficult upbringing. It stung to read words on a page that described her to a T, and knowing that so much of who she was as a person was shaped by trauma.
She didn't want that life for Piper. Erin knew it would be incredibly difficult, but she was living proof that someone could come out the other side. She also knew what a difference those years would have made, if Hank had found her seven years earlier. There still would have been the Bunny of it all, but she would have been spared from Dylan, from Charlie, from the drugs and the pain. Erin was so grateful to have found her sister before any of that could happen, but she also knew Piper had been through a different type of unimaginable trauma growing up.
Erin let out a small breath when she caught sight of two small feet in the last stall. "It's just me, Erin," she managed, "Are you feeling okay? You've been in here a while."
Piper sniffed, but didn't say anything. She could see Erin's feet approaching as she huddled on the hospital bathroom floor, hoping that nobody would find her. She didn't want to talk to anyone, not after hearing that Jay had been shot. It was all her fault.
"Are you hungry?" Erin attempted, "Sergeant Platt picked us up something from the cafeteria."
Erin closed her eyes briefly when Piper didn't reply again. She squatted down on the bathroom floor and tilted her head underneath the stall. Her breath hitched when her eyes fell upon her little sister, who was seated against the wall, knees drawn to her chest. The little girl had tears streaming down her cheeks but remained silent. "Oh Noodle. It's okay, sweetheart."
Piper shook her head sadly and let out a choked sob. "Can I come sit with you?" Erin asked, "We don't even have to talk, I just don't want you to be alone."
She waited, and thankfully Piper stood to unlock the stall door. Erin rose to her feet and held an arm out, and Piper quickly buried her face in her hip. "I'm sorry," Piper wept, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Erin furrowed her brow, confused as to why Piper was apologizing to her. "You didn't do anything wrong," she assured her, carefully threading her fingers through her hair, "You don't need to apologize."
Piper shook her head again. "'s my fault. I knew you guys were gonna get hurt because of me."
"No, sweetheart," Erin stroked her cheek, "Jay got caught in the crossfire, they weren't targeting him. It wasn't because of you at all." She leaned down to kiss the top of Piper's head, "No matter what, it wasn't your fault. I promise."
Piper swallowed a sob. "Jay said that they were gonna protect him. Hailey said she was going to watch his back and Jay still got hurt." The tears streamed down her cheeks at a greater force.
"I know." Erin cleared her throat, "It's a dangerous job, but Jay knew the risk. He would do anything to protect the city and to keep us safe, because he loves us."
"I didn't say it back," Piper croaked, "Today, Jay said I love you and I didn't say it back 'cause I was trying to be brave." Her voice cracked, "And now I might not get to see him ever again."
Erin couldn't help but let the tears she was attempted to hold back trickle down her cheeks. "You're going to get a chance to tell him," she said as firmly as she could manage, "And Jay knows you love him, Noodle. He knows that we both do." She paused, "And no matter what, I am going to do everything I can to keep you safe, okay? Nobody's taking you away. Hank's gonna look out of us while Jay gets better."
"W-what if he doesn't get better?" Piper whimpered. She looked up at Erin's damp cheeks, "What are we gonna do?"
Erin took a breath. "We are going to be there for him, whatever he needs," she said finally, "And he's going to be okay. I know Jay, and he's really strong. And he knows we're here, waiting for him to wake up."
Hank, Hailey and Erin stood from their seats in the hospital waiting room when Dr. Will Halstead emerged through the double doors. Erin had managed to convince Piper to return to the waiting room in the hopes Will would be out with some updates soon. The little girl had been quiet and sullen, but had thankfully ceased crying. She gripped her sister's hand tightly as the doctor undid his mask, anticipating his update.
"He's stable, for now," Will reported, earning a small exhale from all three of the adults in the room, "He lost a lot of blood." He paused. "Erin, uh, you're his medical power of attorney. We need your signature for a blood transfusion."
Erin widened her eyes in surprise. They'd made each other their emergency contact right before Justin had been killed. Forms needed to be updated, and they agreed it made the most sense. Her heart ached, realizing that neither of them had updated the forms following their break up. "Whatever you have to do," she managed, "C-can we see him?"
"In a few hours, I hope," Will said gently, "He's not out of the woods yet. Got the bullet out from between his first and second rib. Monitoring his oxygen levels since the bullet nicked his lung, but we're hoping there isn't any major lasting damage. Right now it's the blood loss we're concerned about."
Hank gave a small nod, "Just uh, keep us updated."
Will opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a loud alarm, followed by a large commotion. "Dr. Halstead!" someone called, immediately grabbing Will's attention, "Jay Halstead, Room 480, code blue!"
Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger eeeeek!
