This story is slowing changing from where I originally thought I would go with it. I'd love to hear any suggestions or prompts since I have no idea where it's going now. I think it's going to be a fun ride, though!

"She's at Dad's."

Will didn't bother with any niceties as Sargent Platt let him upstairs into the Intelligence bullpen.

Jay stood up from his desk. "She's safe?" he asked.

"Dad just called. She showed up there yesterday. He didn't say anything else."

Jay shook his head, letting out a breath of disgust. "Nice of him to let us know."

Will didn't disagree. "Do you want to head over there with me?"

Jay nodded, grabbing his lightweight jacket from the back of his chair. He looked to Erin. "Will you tell Voight?"

"Of course," she said.

Jay didn't explain himself to the rest of the team, muttering 'family issues' to Dawson when the detective asked if everything was alright.

Jay didn't say anything to Will in the car. He slouched back in his seat, focused on Jess, on the fact that she had turned up. It had only been two days since she had taken off and all Jay had learned during that time was that she didn't have any friends in the city. She wasn't still in touch with anyone from high school and had kept to herself when she was home on leave. It wasn't the makings of a support system for someone trying to survive PTSD, that was for sure.

Will pulled up in front of the narrow two story house they had all grown up in. Not their home. It hadn't been a home since their mom had died.

Jay gave a perfunctory knock on the door before opening it. Pat Halstead sat in his recliner and barely glanced up from the game on the television set.

"She's upstairs," he said, turning his attention back to the game.

Jay gritted his teeth. He heard Will's sigh and followed him up the staircase.

The room they had shared was at the end of the hall. Jess' room was on the right. Her door was open.

"Hey," Will said quietly, not entering. Jay quickly scanned the room. Her Army issued duffel bag sat full on the floor. Nothing had changed in the room since she had graduated and left home. The same pale pink walls their mother had painted. The same pictures cut out of a magazine of Jess' favorite athletes tacked to the wall. The mirror that had hung over the vanity was leaning against the wall on the closet floor, turned away so no reflection showed. That was new. Jay remembered how hard it used to be to see his reflection staring back at him after what he had seen overseas. After what he had done. He took in the gun sitting on the nightstand, incongruent with the white lace lampshade on the bedside lamp.

Jess was sitting cross legged on the bed. She stood when Will greeted her, but didn't move toward her brothers.

"Where'd you go, Jess?" Jay blurted out. He was pretty sure Erin wouldn't have approved. "Two days is a long time to not let anyone know where you are. If you're OK."

Guilt pulled at their sister's pretty features. She rubbed her hands together as if her palms were clammy. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I needed some space."

"Well you got it," Jay said sharply.

Will cleared his throat and stepped between them in a subtle move. "We're just glad you're OK. That you came back. You had us worried, kid." He pulled her into a hug. Jess stiffened, then reached her arms around Will.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.

She pulled away from Will's embrace uncomfortably and Jay wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Do you want to go home with Will or me?"

She looked down at her feet. "I'm going to stay here, Jay."

"Here?" Jay asked. "With Dad?"

"It's familiar," she said softly. "And he won't force me to talk."

"No, he sure won't." Jay looked to Will for back up. "He won't talk to you at all."

Jess set her jaw. "It's what I need right now."

"What you need right now?" Jay asked. "This is what you need right now? To not face yourself in the mirror? To sleep with a gun under your pillow so you don't have to fear the nightmares?"

Too far. Jay could see that right away. Jess hugged her arms to herself. "You should go."

"We're just worried about you," Will said, ducking his head so she met his eyes.

"Don't," she said sharply.

Will took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm meeting up with friends tomorrow when I get off shift. Why don't you come? Get out and get distracted for a little while."

Jess started to shake her head.

"If you want us to give you space, you have to give us something, Jess. Seeing a loaded gun next to your bed isn't exactly instilling confidence in us."

Jess crossed quickly to the gun and slipped it into a drawer.

"Oh yeah, I feel so much better now," Jay said. Will elbowed him at the sarcasm.

"Erin and I will be there, too," Jay said, softening his tone. "You should come and get to know her better. I know she wants to get to know you."

"I'll…I'll try," she said finally.

Jay nodded. It was progress. It would have to be enough for now.

He and Will made their way back downstairs.

"We'll see you, Dad," Will said.

Pat grunted.

"Hey, Dad," Jay said, instead of returning the grunt. "Maybe you could, you know, put just a little effort into keeping an eye on your daughter. The daughter who is sleeping with a loaded gun every night."

"What are you talking about?" Pat asked, looking over at them.

"Dad, Jess got discharged a month ago and only showed up this week. She didn't tell any of us she got out. That doesn't seem strange to you? Like maybe she's not herself?" Will asked.

"She's fine," Pat stated staunchly. "She's a Halstead."

Jay wanted to remind his father of how he had returned from Afghanistan. Of how hard it was to put himself back together. But if seeing him go through it firsthand hadn't convinced his dad of his brokenness, reminding him wouldn't do anything.

"She overdosed two days ago!"

Pat scowled. "She just had a little too much. It happens."

"Just keep an eye on her, alright?" Will asked, exasperated.

Another grunt and Pat settled back to watch the game.

"Thanks Dad. Appreciate the help," Jay said sarcastically giving him a salute.

Jay got into the car and looked up at the house. The house where his sister was broken and refused to admit it.

#

Jess got out of the cab in front of Molly's. The ornately carved dark wood doors looked welcoming.

Jess blocked out the sounds on the street. Her crossbody bag that served as a purse felt too light without a weapon in it. She had had a weapon strapped to her side for nearly four years. She couldn't get used to being without it. Being unprotected.

She pulled open the doors and stepped inside.

Overhead twinkle lights hung suspended from the ceiling. Original exposed brick made up the walls. It was peaceful.

"Jess!" Will called from a table near the back. At least a half dozen heads turned to see who he was calling to, including Jay and Erin.

It had been peaceful.

Gripping her bag, she made her way across the bar.

"Hey, I'm glad you came," Erin said in her raspy voice, her smile sincere.

Jess tried to return the smile. She was pretty sure she failed.

Will introduced her to the crowd and told her the names of the mix of his coworkers an Jay's.

"Antonio, Kevin, Mouse, and you already met April and Natalie."

Jess grimaced. She had met them at Med when they took care of her.

"Hi, Jess," Natalie said earnestly. "I'm glad you're here."

"What're you having?" Kevin asked. "I'm heading up for another round."
"Whatever you're having," Jess said. She sat down on the stool Antonio pulled up for her and set her bag on the table.

Jay leaned over to her. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Embarrassment clashed with annoyance.

"Hey, it's fine Jay," the guy called Mouse said. He gave Jay a pointed look.

"Really Mouse? Because I seem to remember at least a dozen times you cut me off or told me when I shouldn't be drinking."

"You know what?" Jess said, sliding off her stool. "I shouldn't have come. This was a bad idea."

She was pretty sure Will kicked Jay under the table. She wished he would have aimed higher.

"Jess, ignore him. You should stay."

Jess shook her head at Will's words. Awkward tension had settled over the table. Because of her.

She glared at Jay. Picking up the shot glass in front of him she downed it and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really mature," Jay said. "Thanks for proving how well you can handle this."

Erin pressed her lips together and shook her head at Jay.

Jess turned to go.

She was almost to the door when she heard her name.

"Jess! Hey Jess! Wait a minute."

She stopped and saw Mouse jogging after her.

"Look, I know you're brother is being, well, he's not being smart. He's being, I mean, I know how he's being. He means well, but he's not doing it right."

"Yeah." Jess just wanted to leave.

"OK, so he's being stupid. And stubborn. And I know that. Pretty much everyone knows that." Mouse's words came quickly, but his eyes were earnest and never left hers. "But he's been where you are and wants to help. A lot of people want to help. You should let them."

Jess shook her head. "I don't need help."

"OK, I get that. I hear you. But the thing is, when I came back with Jay, I needed help. I had a lot of trouble getting my act together. It took longer than it should have."

Jess looked at him more closely. He didn't look like a soldier. His nervous speech, his shaggy haircut.

Over his shoulder, she saw Jay making his way toward them.

"I've got to go," she said. She made it out the door before she had to talk to either of her brothers again.

Outside, she leaned against the limestone building and took a deep breath of night air.

"Pretty early to be needing the wall to hold you up," came an amused voice.

Jess opened her eyes and saw a guy with a five o'clock shadow about to head into Molly's.

"You haven't met my brother," she said wryly.

He let out a laugh. "He's in there?"

"And that's why I'm out here."

The guy smiled. He was good looking. His hair ruffled just enough and his smile just friendly enough.

"So do you want to get out of here?" he asked.

Jess didn't hesitate. That was all she wanted. "Yes."

"I'm Adam," he said. "Ruzek."