Adam was leaning back on his chair to get a better view of Voight's office. Erin furrowed her brow watching him. She looked over at Antonio who just shrugged his shoulders. He tended to ignore most of what Adam did.
"What are you doing?" She asked sitting down at her desk.
Adam sat back up in his chair and spun round.
"That hot new state attorney's assistant is in there" He whispered loudly.
"Dude aren't you with Burgess?" Jay asked taking a seat.
"You obviously haven't seen her" Adam said shaking his head "I'd happily spend more time down at the courthouse"
"An angel" Kevin agreed
"A smoking hot angel" Adam corrected.
"You don't have work to do?" Al asked smacking Adam on the back of the head.
Erin shook her head as she saw Jay trying to sneak a peek through the office door. It was times like that she missed having another woman in the office. Nadia was on a day off, so she was left to fend for herself.
She followed Jay's gaze into the office and burst out laughing.
"What is it?" Jay asked as Mouse perched on the edge of his desk handing him a file he had asked for.
"You idiots have a death wish" She told them.
"I didn't miss much then?" Mouse asked looking around the room.
"Just these moron's drooling over Voight's niece" She replied.
Al smiled shaking his head as he leant against the wall. He would have been happy to let them carry on a little longer.
Adam looked from Erin to Al and shook his head in disbelief.
"You've got to be lying" He said
"Camille's niece" Erin nodded "She came to live with them when she was 16"
Erin didn't bother to go into the rest of the story, it wasn't really hers to tell. Quinn was like family to her as well. She hadn't seen as much of her as she'd like since she got back from Connecticut, but she was going to make an effort to.
Hank completely unaware of the chatter in the office was sat listening to the Assistant State's Attorney Steve Kot warn him yet again not to mess up his case. He would normally not let it carry on so long, but he was happy to see his niece there trying to keep a straight face.
Quinn wanted to remain professional, but she knew more than most it was pointless trying to tell Hank Voight anything. She just put her faith in the fact that he was smart enough not to blow his own case.
"Do you have a lunch break?" Hank asked her
Quinn looked at Steve expectantly.
"Meet you back at the office" He sighed "Maybe you can talk some sense into him"
"I'll try my best" She replied with a smile as Hank showed him to the door.
Quinn raised an eyebrow at the way everyone's necks flew back to facing forward as the door opened. She guessed Hank getting ripped into by the Assistant State's Attorney was a regular occurrence and they wanted an update.
"We don't have work to do?" Hank asked as Steve headed back downstairs.
"Yes Sarge" Adam said giving a mock salute "I spoke to my CI he gave me a tip on a big gun buy going down tomorrow"
"Antonio take point on this" He said with a nod "I'm heading out for an hour"
Antonio nodded from his desk.
Quinn walked over to Al's desk while Hank was busy barking out orders. She wasn't sure he ever took a break. He didn't seem prepared to let go even if he told Antonio to run point.
"Hey Al" She said "I heard a rumor you're out of the garage, that's so great"
"You should come over" Al told her "I know Lexi would be happy to see you, you can tell her the importance of going to college, Lindsay failed on that one"
"That's not true" Erin said "I just told her what I did, and I'm helping you out remember"
"Let me guess" She said rolling her eyes "A boyfriend to stalk"
"How did you know?" Al asked
"Because I could always spot you or Hank outside every one of my high school dances" She replied.
"They did that to you?" Erin laughed.
"I don't know why you're laughing I saw you driving past in a squad car more than once" She retorted.
"I may have done that" Erin nodded with a smile "We've missed you"
"I missed you too" She replied "Cami won't stop talking about you, you know she's seven now"
"Seven?" Erin asked eyes wide "That's crazy"
"When are you bringing my granddaughter over?" Hank asked
"Any time" She replied "She's always asking to see where you work"
"Bring her any time, just tell her Al's not as scary as he looks" Hank said with a smile "I know Trudy would be happy to see you both"
"She cornered me on my way up" Quinn nodded "It's nice to see some things stay the same"
"Lindsay we're going for lunch, are you coming?" Hank asked "Al?"
"If you're buying" Erin replied walking back to her desk to pick up her keys and jacket.
Quinn loved how at ease she was straight away. It was like she had never left.
"We don't get to come?" Adam joked "I'm Adam by the way"
"Quinn" She replied with a smile.
Erin rolled her eyes and introduced Quinn to everyone. She knew the guys would not shut up about it if she didn't.
"I'm sure I'll see you all again soon" Quinn said picking up her purse to follow Hank out "It was nice meeting you all"
"You've got a fan club" Erin teased her quietly as they walked downstairs so Hank couldn't hear.
Quinn just rolled her eyes in response.
"I know" Erin said "They don't know you're an evil cheerleader yet, the phrase Angel was being thrown around"
"Sounds accurate to me" She shrugged with a smile.
"Uh huh" Erin nodded laughing at her.
They cut the conversation once they got into the car and went to lunch. Sitting in a diner with Hank, Al and Erin felt like old times. She vividly remembered being taken out on Sunday's for breakfast filling up on pancakes and bacon. Even though it was one of the hardest times in her life it was some of her fondest family memories. Not like they were the brady bunch. She'd rebelled and gotten in trouble. Trudy Platt had ripped her a new one when she caught her with a fake I.D. But she could just be herself and that was enough. Making a mistake was ok as long as she moved on from it and did better after that. Being pregnant at 16 and having a baby at 17 wasn't ideal but it wasn't treated like her biggest shame. They were the hardest and happiest times of her life. Yale had set her back to seeking perfection. She didn't regret going, it was Yale but being around her chosen family was the right place for her and the right place for her daughter.
"Are you all set up?" Hank asked after they ordered "Do you need help with anything?"
"The graduation present that's being paid back as a loan covered first and last on a house" She replied raising an eyebrow.
Hank just smiled taking a sip of his coffee. He knew Quinn wouldn't accept anything as a gift she was stubborn like Erin. He had helped her through college as well. She had set up a repayment plan contract and emailed it over to him. He had deleted it, but he had seen payments trickling into his account.
"And my Granddaughter?" He asked
"Just the sweetest thing" She replied unable to stop her face from lighting up "She's getting a little bit sassy with her replies to me but she's so caring, she looks out for everyone in her class, she loves to dance and sing"
"Camille would be proud of you" He told her in a rare sentimental moment.
"So, Al" She said regaining her composure "What's this about Lexi's boyfriend?"
"She wants to skip college and go be his roadie" Al replied as the waitress set down their plates.
"He's a bassist in some punk band" Erin added.
"She's got a good head on her shoulders" Quinn told him with a smile "Cami has already started with the boyfriends we're onto the second"
"She better not" Hank huffed.
Quinn and Erin just exchanged looks rolling their eyes.
"And what's this I hear about a grandson?" She asked, "Is Justin around?"
"Daniel" Hank replied with a proud smile lighting up his face "Justin shipped out to the army, he's getting his life together, but he'll be back for a visit soon"
Quinn picked at the table absently as she listened.
"Are you ok?" Erin asked putting a hand on her arm.
"I'm fine" She replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry Quinn I didn't think" Hank told her.
Quinn and Noah weren't anything more than friends after she had gotten pregnant. A one-night mistake that had resulted in the most perfect thing in her life Camila Beth Fabray. But they were friends and he was Cami's dad. He had joined the air force after graduation when Cami was a year old. He had been deployed and never came back. Hank was the only real male figure in her life. Quinn had never reconciled with her parents. After Camille past she was so happy she still had Erin and Hank, or she might not have survived. They were all there for each other. But when Hank and Justin had both gone to prison things had been hard. She was relieved they had both turned things around. She knew she had been watching too much supernatural, but she was a true believer that family doesn't end with blood.
"Weren't you staying on for law school?" Al asked "I heard you passed your LSAT"
"I did but that's on hold" She replied "I barely made it through college with Cami and she spent more time in childcare than I'd like, I'm only 24 I've got time to go back and this job is a great learning experience"
"Whole life in front of you" Hank agreed "We're all proud of you kid"
"If you can get a babysitter you should come to Molly's" Erin told her "I can introduce you to some people"
"I might take you up on that" She mused "I love Cami but if I spend one more night watching Disney princesses on repeat"
"I can take her any time" Hank offered.
"Or I'm sure Lexi wouldn't mind a babysitting job" Al added.
Quinn had barely had a night out since she had moved away to Connecticut. She had spent two years after college there for a job offer that had been great at the time, but it hadn't worked out. Being back in Chicago was a mixture of the familiar and starting all over again. She was sure there might still be people she went to school with around, but she wanted a fresh start.
"When were you thinking?" Quinn asked.
"How about tomorrow night?" Erin suggested "Bring Cami to the district and then as long as a case doesn't kick off, she can go home with Hank and you can come out with me"
Quinn felt her phone buzzing in her purse. It was the alarm she had set to remind her when to head back into the office.
"Deal" she said standing up and throwing a twenty down on the table before Hank could argue "This was great, I need to go back into work but I'll see you tomorrow, Cami will be over the moon"