Okay before we start, wanted to preface this chapter by saying that I've had this written for a while (like since the first installment) and have been trying to figure out where exactly it fits in. I've been doing a lot of research in order to make some of the content reflective of what many children actually go through in the system since a lot of television tends to gloss over some of this stuff. Doing my best to do it justice and thought it fit in here with a request for a little mama bear Erin and worried daddy Jay. Thank you again for reading and I hope you appreciate the early upload :)

"Your boys are still looking good," Dr. Hsu said warmly, "And your vitals are good too, Erin. Blood pressure has come down, which I like to see. We're still going to keep a close eye though."

To put Jay at ease after their twenty-week appointment, Erin scheduled a follow up a two weeks later. His anxiety over the fact that she was slightly underweight was driving her up the wall, and she knew he just needed some extra reassurance that things were okay. Plus, it always put a smile on his face to see his boys on the ultrasound.

"Gained three pounds," Erin said, offering a knowing smile to Jay when he squeezed her hand, "He and Piper have been cooking practically non-stop."

Jay leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I've been driving her crazy," he informed Dr. Hsu, "Even got our kid in on it."

The doctor chuckled. "You've got a very sweet little girl. It'll be good to have some help around once the boys come."

Erin nodded. "See? Boys are fine, babe. Just gotta follow up with the pediatrician about Piper's night headaches, and then all our kids will have a clean bill of health. You can stop stressing."

"I'll never stop stressing," he replied, "But knowing our boys are okay helps." He offered a smile to the doctor. "Thanks, Dr. Hsu."

"Piper was your sister, right?" Dr. Hsu said, her brow furrowed slightly, "The little girl who was in here a few weeks ago?"

Jay and Erin both nodded. "Our uh, biological mom isn't in the picture. Wasn't a good mom," Erin said, "Jay and I are actually adopting her. Hopefully any day now."

Dr. Hsu nodded. "I ask because I do some pro-bono work down at a women's shelter downtown, and we often see mothers of young children who may have done drugs or drank alcohol throughout their pregnancy." She looked at both of the young parents in front of her kindly. "I don't mean to overstep, but you could ask her pediatrician about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. One symptom can be headaches as it relates to light, especially at night."

Erin drew in a sharp breath. After reading that book Jay had purchased, she'd had a sinking suspicion, but with how well Piper had been doing physically, outside of the concussion, had looked past it. "That could be a reason why she's so tiny and can't seem to gain weight," she gasped, looking to Jay worriedly, "Babe, I got those new curtains for her room so it wouldn't feel like a cave in the winter but what if it's the light bugging her head?"

Jay gave a grim nod. His poor little bug was still paying the price for the choices over her biological mother. The thought had his blood on absolute fire. "I know you mentioned she already sees Dr. Edelman," Dr. Hsu continued, "And she is a great pediatrician, who should be able to provide some ways to help put Piper, and you, at ease. She's going to be okay, and your boys will be too."

"Jesus," Erin said, leaning against the passenger seat in aspiration after leaving the appointment, "I'm glad our boys are okay but Noodle-"

"I know," Jay said, turning to face his girl. "Intellectually, cognitively – Pipes doesn't have any of those other signs. I thought she could be underweight just because of the lack of nutrition and stuff."

Erin nodded. "I think we both thought things would just get better for her," she whispered, "But Bunny fucked her up physically too." She buried her face in her hands. "When is this fucking judge going to sign off on the adoption so we can stop having to think about our biological parents? I mean, they nearly killed her, several times over."

"I know," he repeated, rubbing her back gently, "We'll hopefully hear something soon. And in the meantime, you have that appointment with the pediatrician. You could raise some of the stuff that Dr. Hsu brought up."

She sighed. "I will. God, poor little bug."

Jay closed his car door quickly and hustled toward the house. He was late – way later than he wanted to be. After dropping Erin off at her office following their appointment with Dr. Hsu, Intelligence caught a crime scene downtown. He was hoping to be back in time for dinner but work had been busy and he barely had a moment to text Erin to let her know he was going to be late. She hadn't replied to his message, which had anxiety rising in his throat. Pregnant Erin was easily pissed off and he didn't want to argue after a long day.

"Hey, baby," Jay greeted, placing his keys in the dish, "Sorry I'm so late. Caught a crime scene downtown at two, so it was a good thing Pipes actually had that appointment today." He furrowed his brow when Erin was quiet. "Is everything okay?"

She looked up at him, tears swimming in her eyes. "Oh no," he said, quickly hurrying to the kitchen table where Erin was sitting. "What is it?" He wrinkled his brow, "Did something happen at the pediatrician today?"

Erin sniffed. "She's sleeping," she managed, "Had to have a whole bunch of shots today. Didn't even cry."

"Okay," he nodded, running his thumb over her hand, "That's good."

"She's so little," Erin choked out, "I brought them the medical records from that file we got last year and I asked…I asked about all the stuff she was exposed to when she was an infant and in utero and the pediatrician looked at me like I was such a bad mom."

"Erin," Jay said gently, "You are her mom, but that stuff wasn't your fault."

"I know." She dragged a hand across her nose. "But then the doctor just started talking about how behind Piper is on all the growth charts. Like, single digits for height and weight percentiles and…and a whole bunch of potential neurological things. She…she can't remember most of her childhood, Jay. I know we thought it could be because of trauma but this doctor just really freaked me out and I could barely understand what she was saying." Erin wiped her eyes. "And she didn't even address the fact that Noodle's been having bad headaches."

Jay was quiet for a moment. "This was the same doctor you took her to last year? Dr. Edelman?"

Erin shook her head. "She was out, it was another one. Martin, I think." She took a shaky breath. "Piper…she's at risk for all this stuff because she never got any early intervention."

He reached forward to wipe her cheek. "Okay. Today was a lot," he started slowly, "But this doctor didn't know our kid. She saw a bunch of numbers on a page and made a judgement. One diagnosis isn't going to define our little girl. She's incredible, and you know it, and I know it. Our kid is so emotionally intelligent it blows my mind. She's sweet and gentle and silly." Jay gave a small smile. "Maybe we could take her back in a few weeks to have a discussion with her actual doctor. Someone who knows her."

Erin managed a tiny nod. "She is incredible."

Jay nodded. "And she's spent a lot of time with doctors. Will hasn't said anything about Pipes having any type of neurological delay, and neither has Nat. We all knew she was little, but she's healthy. And Dr. Murphy told us all about how trauma works with the brain."

"I'm just so worried," Erin whispered, "Dr. Martin spoke with me outside and when I came back to get Noodle she could tell something was up. I-I think she thinks she's in trouble or something." She blew out a breath. "I never want her to think that she's some kind of burden to us because it's the opposite."

Jay stroked her cheeks. "She knows just how much we love her. And if her pediatrician says that we should take her to specialists, we can do that. I'd go to the ends of the earth for that kid. And these ones too."

"Such a good daddy," Erin said thickly, "Thanks for um, dealing with me. Too many hormones."

"I don't think this was hormones," he said softly, "It's hard to hear difficult things about the people you love. I woulda been the exact same way." He kissed her forehead. "Just means you're a good mom."

Erin gave a small smile. "I'm trying to be."

"You are," Jay promised. "Might help if you go check on her, what do you think?"

Jay padded softly down the hallway after locking the doors and making sure the kitchen was clean. He'd ushered Erin upstairs to check on Piper and then get ready for bed. His chest was aching at how distraught she'd been over the doctor's comments about their child. The doctor clearly didn't know Piper, or read her file thoroughly enough, and it ended up frightening both of his girls.

He smiled when he saw Erin cuddled in bed next to Piper. The little girl had her arm around her sister's head as she snuggled into her side, resting gently against Piper's tiny torso. Piper was fast asleep, and Erin was snoozing softly. His girl was such a good mom, and he was so proud of her.

Erin stirred slightly when the floorboards creaked. "Babe?" she mumbled blearily, "Jay?"

"Sorry," he whispered, "I'm heading to bed, just checking on you guys."

She reached out a hand to him, hoping he'd stay closer. "Three babies want their daddy," she said, "C'mon."

He leaned down to kiss the crown of Piper's head. "Pipes' bed isn't big enough for all five of us. You need room to spread out, Er."

She wrinkled her brow. "I'm not a whale," she retorted, lifting her head from Piper's torso, "I mean, maybe I am, but I'm a whale who wants her partner in bed too." Erin grimaced when Piper stirred slightly. "How 'bout you bring us all to our bed?"

"Who knew parenthood would mean so many appointments?" Erin mumbled, shifting slightly in her chair in the pediatrician's office. After the less than ideal conversation with the substitute doctor, she called the receptionist and demanded Dr. Edelman fit them in for a discussion about Piper. There was thankfully an opening that morning, and Erin was beyond ready to have it out.

Jay tried to chuckle, but he couldn't. With the high risk pregnancy of twins and Piper's medical complications, he and Erin had been in countless doctors appointments over the last few months.

"Erin, hi, I'm Dr. Edelman," the doctor greeted, entering her office, "Sorry for the wait and please, don't get up."

Erin swallowed. "This is Jay, my fiancé. Piper's dad."

He shook the doctor's hand. "Pleasure."

Dr. Edelman took a seat at her desk. "Now, I know you brought Piper in yesterday for a check up and met with Dr. Martin-"

"Yes, and I'm pissed," Erin said, unable to keep her emotions on her tongue, "I brought our child in for a routine check up and had a few questions and that doctor jumped down my throat and barely let me get a word in. And I know my kid, and I did not appreciate-" She drew in a breath when she felt Jay squeeze her hand. "Sorry. I just…I'm worried about her."

"Not to worry," the doctor said gently, "I was reviewing the form you filled out before the appointment and you mentioned that Piper has been experiencing headaches?"

She nodded. "Bad ones, mostly at night. She got a slight concussion a few weeks back and was doing fine but then," she swallowed, "Her head hurts at night. I-I changed the curtains in her room because it got so dark and I read online about kids and vitamin D and I know hers was kind of low last year, but we were at my OB for an appointment earlier this week and she brought up the possibility of Piper having some side effects from exposure to drugs and alcohol from when our mom was pregnant with her." Erin exhaled heavily, "And I-I need to know that she's going to be okay."

Dr. Edelman nodded in understanding. "Have you noticed any speech or learning delays?"

Jay and Erin shook their heads. "We've only had her about a year," Jay managed, "Before she came to us, there wasn't any type of intervention or support for her. And that's mainly why we're here. So we can help her."

She smiled warmly. "You two are good parents," she praised, "And I'm confident Piper and your little one are in great hands."

Erin cleared her throat. "Two little ones, actually," she said, "Twin boys."

"Wow," Dr. Edelman gushed, "Congratulations." She set her pen down. "I know last year we talked a bit about the trauma Piper's been through and how that has affected her development. I didn't want to jump to a diagnosis without giving her some time to adjust to a stable home life, but based on your recollections, it is possible that she's experiencing some of the symptoms of FASD, especially given your inclusion of her file, which we didn't have before." She took a breath. "But that isn't to say Piper can't live a perfectly normal life. She's been through a lot for being ten and clearly endured trauma in addition to what she was exposed to in utero. This wasn't your fault, and it is very good that we're discussing it today."

Erin let out a heavy breath. "This conversation is much better than the one I had yesterday," she said, putting one hand on her bump, "I'm sorry for freaking out earlier I just…I love her a lot."

The doctor gave a warm smile. "I understand. It's difficult to hear different diagnoses about your child, but your child has a great support system. She isn't outwardly affected like other children on this spectrum, and her cognition, speech and intellect remain strong. Physically, there are ways to manage some of the sensory processing challenges, like reducing light in her bedroom for sleeping and gradually introducing big activities and outings, or keeping them to a minimum."

Jay nodded. "She always falls asleep after we take her to the mall or the park." He squeezed Erin's hand. "Now we know and can help her."

"This could be a good opportunity to share some of her file with her," Erin mused as Jay drove her back to her office, "The stuff about when she was a really little baby. Could help us explain the headaches and why she's on the smaller side."

Jay nodded. "It's also stuff she wouldn't even have memories of."

"Exactly." Erin exhaled and brought her hands to her belly. "But the more I read about pregnancy and infants the more I learn about just how much I can impact them." She leaned her head back. "And Bunny really hurt her."

He put the car into park and reached over to touch his sons. "She's safe now," he promised, "I know she's missing Griffin, but she's going to be okay." Jay glanced down at his watch. "Only a few hours and she'll be back in my line of sight, babe."

Erin nodded. "How close are you to turning this car around and going to pick her up right now?"

Jay chuckled. "Very close. Almost texted Voight when we were leaving the pediatrician."

A small smile formed on her lips. "I did," she said cheekily, "Might've texted your partner too. And Diane." She put her hand on top of his. "Let's go get our girl. My car can spend the night here."

"I never got to skip school for fun before," Piper giggled. Jay was holding her in a piggy back as they stood in the stands at Wrigley Field. While Erin went into the school to sign Piper out, Jay quickly placed a call to his ticket guy. It was a perfect distraction from the heaviness of their morning, and he loved seeing Piper watch live sports. Granted, it was a little difficult to see with her on his back, but the joyous giggles were filling him to the brim.

"It's the boys' first baseball game," Erin said, resting her hand on her bump, "And while they can't have a Halstead-style hotdog, they can enjoy processed cheese." She took an exaggerated bite of nacho, earning an eye roll from Jay.

"I'll throw caution to the wind if it means you're getting enough calories," he retorted, "Can't believe my boys' first game is a Cubs game. You'd think I'd have at least one White Sox fan."

"My first game was the Cubs too," Piper reminded him, "You could have made me a White Sox fan but you introduced me to the Cubs first."

"Argh," he groaned, "Missed opportunity. Guess I knew you'd be a Cubs fan like your big sister, huh?" He chuckled when Erin nodded adamantly and bit into another nacho. "Careful, babe. Anything remotely spicy has set your esophagus on fire."

"It'll be worth it," she replied, "Forgot how much I love stadium food. So much salt and grease." Erin wiped her hands on the edge of Jay's shirt.

"Er!" he spluttered, "I'm not a napkin!"

She giggled. "No?"

Jay shook his head. "No! Back me up here, Pipes."

Piper looked at Erin. "I don't know," she said teasingly, "Erin does like to use your face to get stuff off hers. She goes like this." Piper gave Jay a kiss on his cheek. "There. I got some ketchup on you."

Erin laughed as Jay swung his little girl in his arms. "That's it," he said, peppering kisses atop her head, "You're my napkin now."

Piper roared with laughter and Jay felt time stop. There were moments when he couldn't believe how lucky he was and how grateful he was that Piper was his little girl, but getting a kiss on the cheek from her had him absolutely over the moon. "Are you two ganging up on me now?" he asked, settling Piper on his hip, "We're supposed to do that to Erin."

Her jaw dropped. "No way," Erin said, "Noodle's right." She leaned up and pressed her lips to Jay's quickly. "You are a perfectly good napkin." Erin kissed Piper's head. "But so are you."

Piper giggled again. "This is really fun," she said, offering a large smile to her parents, "I want to skip school and spend the day with you guys all the time."

Erin stroked her hair. "It is fun, isn't it?" She smiled. "Oops. There's a bit of ketchup in there, Noodle." Erin kissed the top of Piper's head again. Her little girl was so precious.

"School and work is important," Jay said, "But it's also okay to have a day off sometimes, I think."

Jay drew the shades in Piper's bedroom after he replaced the curtains Erin had purchased. "It should be nice and dark in here tonight," Erin promised, easing herself onto Piper's bed, "So the light shouldn't hurt your head."

Piper nodded sleepily. "I had lots of fun today," she murmured, reaching for Erin's hand, "Thank you for picking me up."

She stroked her little girl's cheek gently. "We love getting to spend time with you," she replied thickly, "We're so proud of you Noodle. And we love you so much." Erin traced her fingers over Piper's sweet features. "Are you feeling okay?"

"The shots made me sleepy yesterday," Piper said, "But today I was okay."

"I'm glad. Those are so you stay healthy." Erin tapped Piper's nose and smiled when the little girl giggled.

"Are they gonna help me grow?" she asked, "So I don't have to be the shortest kid in class anymore?"

Erin tried to smile. "Shots are just to keep you healthy," she said, clearing her throat, "But uh, we got some good smoothies from the doctor yesterday that might help you grow. At least give you some vitamins." She continued to stroke Piper's soft cheek, "You are a very little bug, huh?"

"The kids aren't mean to me this year," Piper offered, noting how Jay had gotten stoic after drawing the shades when she mentioned growing, "So it's okay."

Erin gave a small nod and held her hand out for Jay. "I know, but nobody should have been mean to you last year," she said, squeezing his hand tightly, "And you know you can always come to me or Jay if anyone says anything to you, right?"

Piper nodded. "I've been telling you guys everything. 'cause best friends don't keep secrets, and neither do sisters."

She swallowed. "Right," Erin managed, "And you can always ask us anything, and we'll be honest." She drew in a shaky breath. "I know going to the doctor so much can be a bit confusing."

The little girl shrugged. "Not really. I used to go every time I went to a new house, so I got used to it." She paused. "I'm not leaving you, right?"

"You're staying," Erin said quickly, "You're staying with us forever." She swallowed, trying to figure out the best way to bring up the file and some of Piper's formative years. "When um, when you were growing up and moving a bunch, some of those medical records got recorded in a file that the department kept. We didn't know about it for a while, but when we saw the doctor yesterday, I brought it with us so that there is a clear history of what you've been through."

Piper furrowed her brow. "They kept track?"

"Not exactly," Jay said after Erin shot him a pleading look, "Erin and I, it's our job to keep you safe and healthy. And you had some bad headaches earlier, and we wanted to see if any of it could be related to what happened to you before you met us."

"Oh," Piper said simply, "'cause I used to get hurt?"

Erin felt like someone had ripped her heart out. The way Piper was so casual about her previous lived experience absolutely crushed her. Her child was so sweet and innocent – and so much more than the trauma she'd been forced to bear. "Yes," Jay managed, "From when you were really little. Actually, from before you were even born." He cleared his throat. "Bunny made some choices, um that weren't good. That made you sick when you were very little. And even though you're healthy today, sometimes some of the side effects from you being sick when you were super tiny can come out even today. Like how sometimes you get headaches when there's some bright lights, and why you're on the littler side."

Piper looked at Jay and then to Erin. "So Bunny did drugs and now I get headaches and am short?" Piper asked, "It's her fault?"

Erin grimaced. It was Bunny's fault. It was entirely Bunny's fault that Piper would have to grow up paying the price for her choices. She managed a small nod. She didn't want to lie to the little girl. "When moms take drugs or drink alcohol when they have babies in their tummies, it can harm the babies. Because the babies eat what the mom eats," Jay supplied gently, "That's why Erin has been super strict about what she's been eating, so the boys are getting the nutrients they need, and none of the bad stuff."

"And Bunny gave me the bad stuff," Piper said matter-of-factly. "That's how come I was sick when I was little?"

Erin nodded again. "You um, you were in the hospital for a bit," she choked out, "And we think it could be one of the reasons your head hurts sometimes. Maybe why loud noises don't sound so good?"

The little girl narrowed her gaze slightly. "Does it mean I'm never gonna be normal?" she asked, "That I'm always gonna be fucked up?"

Erin drew in a gasp as Jay rapidly shook his head. "No, no, no," he refuted quickly, "You aren't…fucked up, kiddo." He swallowed, "And I know you've probably heard that word a bit too much, but it isn't a good one, okay?"

Piper looked confused. "Teddy said it," she said, "I didn't know what it meant when Reid called me that last year but after Teddy said it I could tell it means messed up."

"You are perfect," Erin managed, "Absolutely perfect." She reached forward to stroke Piper's cheek. "I'm so sorry Reid said that to you, and I'm sorry you had to hear it from Teddy. It's not true." Her voice cracked. "And I'm so sorry if I did anything to make you think that you're…messed up, because you're not, Noodle." She took a shuddery breath. "What Bunny did to you, to Teddy, that doesn't define who you are, okay? You are incredibly special. Jay and me, we are going to love you no matter what."

Piper's gaze softened and she took her sister's hand. "I know you love me," she said gently, "And I know it makes you really upset when we learn about stuff Bunny did to me, or the other families I lived with. And that it makes you sad when I'm not feeling good."

Erin managed a watery nod and wiped her eyes. "I think it makes me feel guilty," she whispered, "Because I should have been there for you. I cut Bunny out of my life for eight years and if I had been there-"

"You're here now," Piper said, giving her sister's hand a squeeze, "You and Jay. And you hold me when I'm not feeling good and you tell me nice things and you make sure I eat. You guys do all the things Bunny never could." She looked up at Jay, and then back to her tearful big sister. "You love me even though it's difficult."

Erin shook her head. "Loving you is the easiest thing in the world," she said, "And we love you no matter what." She gave a small smile when Piper held out her arms for her big sister and settled against her small frame. "I love you, sweet girl."

Piper leaned down and kissed the top of Erin's head. "Did you…did you guys read everything in the file about me?"

Jay nodded slowly. "There might um, there might be pieces missing. Things that never got recorded."

She let out a breath. "Do I…do I have to know?" Piper swallowed. "I don't want to think about what it was like before I had you guys."

"That's perfectly fine," he said, taking a seat on Piper's bed, "But we want you to know that you can ask us. If you ever do want to know some of the details. And we want to know when you remember things. We don't want all of that to be stuck in your head."

Piper nodded and rested her head on Jay's shoulder. "I know lots of things happened," she whispered, "But at the end, I got you both. And I get two brothers."

Erin sniffed, cuddling closer to her precious little girl. Jay had one hand resting on her tummy and she found herself overwhelmed by just how much she loved the child she was resting against. Piper had found it within herself to see the positive outcomes of all the terrible things that happened to her – there was a lot she could learn from her ten year old.

Despite Bunny, despite Charlie, despite the drugs and the abuse and the hardship she endured, she had a home. She had a family – in Hank, in Jay, in her little sister, in the two Halsteads growing in her belly. She was loved, she was safe, and she had the opportunity to provide that same love and safety that was denied to her to the children within her.

"We are so proud of you," Jay said thickly, kissing Piper's head gently, "You're the best thing to ever happen to us."

"And the beans," Piper reminded him, "You tell me all the time that you love me, but we gotta tell them too."

"Are you sure you don't want to go trick or treating this year, Noodle?" Erin asked lightly as she poured some granola into bowl for her bug. Halloween was quickly approaching, and she was feeling more and more like a giant pumpkin every day at twenty two weeks. After Griffin moved away, Piper had been slightly subdued about school, but was slowly adapting. Several calls with Piper's therapist, her teachers and her pediatrician confirmed that Piper was healthy and just adjusting, but Erin still worried.

Piper shrugged. "I thought I was getting too old for that," she said, "'cause I'm ten?"

"No way," Jay said, tucking his shirt into his jeans as he came down the steps, "Ten isn't too old for trick or treating. I'm not too old for trick or treating, am I?"

She widened her eyes. "You still go trick or treating?"

"Well not by myself," he replied, sneaking a raspberry out of the container while Erin assembled Piper's breakfast, "But if I had a friend I would go." He ignored Erin's eye roll. Trick or treating was a childhood staple and he didn't want Piper to miss out.

Piper looked to Erin and then to Jay. "You would wear a costume?"

Jay paused. Last year he didn't wear a costume, and neither did Will or Erin. They'd found an adorable little bear onesie for Piper to wear but she had been so on edge throughout the entire experience that the costume had only been on for an hour. This year, if he really wanted to sell trick or treating, he was going to have to dress up.

"Absolutely," Erin supplied, shooting Jay a look, "Everyone dresses up for Halloween."

The little girl remained perplexed. "Taylor invited me and Maddie to go with her and Julia this year," she said, "But I said I didn't know if I was allowed."

"That's great!" Erin exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm. Her little girl getting invited to do things outside of school with other kids her own age was huge. "That sounds like so much fun, Noodle."

"So fun," Jay managed after clearing his throat. He felt like he got punched in the gut. On one hand, he was thrilled that his little girl was making friends at school, but on the other, he was gutted. Piper was growing up. Soon, hanging out with her dad after school would be totally uncool and he was not ready to lose his best friend.

"It's a school night," Piper said seriously, "I…I could go out late on a school night?"

"Halloween is special," Erin replied lightly, "That could be really fun. Are the other girls dressing up?"

Piper nodded slowly. "I got really scared last year," she whispered, pushing her granola around in the bowl, "I don't want to get scared again."

Erin looked at Jay. She knew he wanted to jump in and offer to take Piper, but she also knew that he knew it was important for their little girl to step outside of her comfort zone. "What if I emailed Taylor's mom to see what their plan is?" Erin offered, "Then you could decide if it's something you want to try?"

Piper looked up at Jay. "M-maybe you guys could come," she managed, "Then I wouldn't be so scared. 'cause I always feel safer when you guys are close."

Jay leaned down to kiss his baby's head. He felt better when she was close as well. "I like that idea," he said, letting out a relieved breath when Piper leaned into him. At least she wasn't too cool for her dad just yet. "We do have to get you a costume, though."

"I could pick you up after school and we could go to the mall," Erin suggested, "What do you think, Noodle?"

"Halstead," Jay said into his phone as he and Hailey walked back to the Sierra after an interview. He stopped when he recognized the voice on the other end of the phone, but not the number. "Pipes? What's going on, kiddo?"

"Are you okay?" Piper asked softly, "Are you with Erin?"

Jay glanced down at his watch and nearly choked. It was over a half hour past pick up time, and his little girl clearly wasn't with Erin. He requested that Erin send pictures of Piper's costume options but hadn't received any messages and figured she'd probably just taken the little girl for an afternoon snack before they reached the mall. "I'm coming to get you," he managed before realizing he actually didn't know where she was, "Hang tight, kiddo. Where are you?"

"I'm still at school," she replied, "I-I thought Erin was coming to get me but everyone else is gone. I forgot my phone at home today, I'm sorry. I'm calling from Mrs. McKesson's and I tried to call Erin but she didn't answer."

"I'm coming right now," Jay promised, jumping into the Sierra and turning on the lights, "Five minutes, okay?"

Hailey looked at him urgently. "What's going on?" she asked as Jay sped down the street, "Erin's not picking up. Both cell and office go to voicemail."

"Fuck," Jay breathed, gesturing to his phone in the cupholder, "Can you try to get Diane's number? I've got it in there." He took a hard right turn, his mind racing. Erin not answering her phone meant something was wrong. She was always on her phone during the workday. Half of her job involved being on the phone.

It was bad enough that Piper had been left at school, but worse that Erin wasn't reachable. Jay was doing his best not to catastrophize, but the thought of Erin passed out in her office made him want to vomit. The second he got to his little girl, he was going to make a beeline for his fiancé.

Eeep let me know what you think!