This chapter took longer because I was worried about it not being enough after the last chapter's cliffhanger. I hope it doesn't disappoint!
eniledam05- Your comment made me laugh out loud! Please don't hate me- I hope this chapter makes up for it! :)
Jules - thanks for your comments! I love hearing what you're thinking about Mouse and Adam.
Kathleen- Your encouragement is so sweet and much appreciated! Thank you!
Jay's heart pounded in his ears. He pressed against the wall as he reached the top of the stairs. For a split second, he was 8 years old again, playing cops with Will, being quiet, not because they were sneaking up on a robber, but because they would be in trouble if they woke up their newborn sister.
He motioned for Erin to stay behind him and looked around the corner. Silence. He waved Erin on to his old room, Ruzek to his dad's room. He moved toward Jess' room, stepping over the floorboard that creaked and eased the door open.
He heard Ruzek call out the bedroom he was in was clear and Erin echoed that she was clear.
Jess' room wasn't clear.
Jay looked down the barrel of the gun pointed at him and held a hand out. "It's ok," he said, keeping his voice calm.
The gun pointed at him shook and Jay eased toward the dresser. He slowly moved to lay his gun on it, stepping around the army duffel that was still packed and on the floor. "I'm laying down my gun. I'm not armed. It's ok," he said again.
From the corner of his eye he saw Ruzek and Erin in the doorway.
"We're fine," Jay told them, without looking away from the gun pointed at him. "We're going to keep things calm."
He met his sister's eyes. Her eyes were wide with panic, her hands shaking violently. Jay could see the pulse at her throat pounding.
She cocked the gun, the click sharp in the crowded room. She leveled the gun at Jay.
Erin slowly laid her gun on the rose colored carpeting of Jess' room. She stood without taking her eyes off Jess.
"Hey, Jess," Ruzek said. "We're here to help you." He moved slowly to put his gun on the nightstand. The barrel of the gun pointed at Jay swung wildly toward Ruzek.
"Downstairs is clear," Voight's voice came over the radio.
Erin slowly moved to answer. "Keep everyone out," she murmured into her radio. "We have a gun upstairs."
Jay tried to take a step towards Jess while the gun was in Ruzek's direction, but she aimed it back at him. Her pupils were dilated, her breath coming quickly.
"Jess, it's me. Jay."
Jess blinked hard and shook her head, trying to clear her vision. She took a step back, but was stopped by the wall.
"Did you meet up with Danny?" Ruzek asked. Jess' eyes flicked toward him, a moment of coherence flickering across her face. "Yeah? You saw him?"
"I—I needed something." She looked at Ruzek uncertainly and the gun in her hands drifted down slightly. Her eyes were wide, her face pale. "I left my—my pills at your place…last night?"
Jay slid his eyes sharply to Ruzek, but didn't move. He couldn't risk startling his sister.
"You did," Ruzek nodded, ignoring Jay. He took the chance at moving closer to her. "You gave them to me. You wanted help." He eased a step toward her.
Jess squeezed her eyes shut. "I couldn't—couldn't do it, Adam. I went to get more. I needed—needed…"
Ruzek nodded. His features were a mask of calm, but Jay could see the strain underneath. His eyes were sharp, missing nothing. "That's ok. We can help you now. We're all here to help."
Jess shook her head. Her mouth trembled. "No one can help," her voice broke. "Danny…they…" the focus slid from her eyes and she raised the gun again. "There was too much blood," she said. Her breath hitched in a panicky gasp. "They shot them and there was blood. I tried. I tried to help, but it's so hot in the desert and there are too many soldiers—too many injured. I can't—I can't help."
"Jess," Jay said. His voice was level. "You're in Chicago. You're home."
Jess' eyes darted to him. When they stayed on him, Jay motioned to Erin with the slightest flick of his finger.
"Just listen to my voice," he continued. Erin started to move. Jay took a step away from Erin to keep Jess' attention. "You're in your room, in Dad's house."
Jess shook her head. "I don't—I can't—" Her brow knit in confusion and the gun in her hand lowered.
When Erin was within arm's reach, Jay gave a slight nod. Erin hurtled toward Jess and grabbed the gun. Jay and Ruzek dove down as the gun blast shattered through the room.
Erin quickly stuck the gun in the waistband of her jeans and tried to get control of Jess. "Jess," she said, trying to keep Jess' arms at her sides.
Jay pushed off the floor and rushed to Jess. He wrapped his arms around Jess, taking the hits she tried to land.
Voight and Dawson rushed in, guns drawn and Jay quickly turned Jess, shielding her from them.
"It's under control," Erin said. She pulled the gun from her waistband and handed it over to Dawson. "Halstead's sister is safe."
"She's safe?" Mouse asked, running in behind Voight and Dawson. He scanned the room.
"You were told to wait outside," Voight said, anger making his voice raspier.
Mouse ignored him and looked to Jay.
Jay met his Army brother's eyes and didn't give an answer. That was answer enough.
Jess' struggle slowed. Jay continued to hold her until she stilled, other than the tremors that shook her.
Erin picked up a pill bottle from the floor alongside the bed and held it up for Voight to see.
He gave a short nod. "Burgess and Olinsky are on their way. You and Burgess sit on her. As soon as she's with it, you get her story." He turned his attention to Jay and looked Jess over. She pushed away from Jay and looked around the room. There was nothing on Jess' face to show she recognized any of them.
She started to back away and Erin stepped in.
"Jess, let's get you some water." She tilted her head, motioning the team to leave.
Dawson put a hand on Ruzek's back and gave him a nudge toward the door. He looked back at Jess.
"Call if you need anything," he said, but went with Dawson. Jay didn't budge.
Mouse looked at Jess, at her panicked eyes. "C'mon, Jay," he said. Jay started to shake his head. Mouse didn't push Jay to the door, but tilted his head closer to Jay and said under his breath, "Do you think all these extra people in here are going to help Jess feel safe? Erin's got it."
Finally Jay moved. "Call me," he said to Erin.
Erin didn't look up from where she was trying to calm Jess. She gave a nod.
As soon as they were in the hall, Voight turned to Jay.
"Halstead, you and Dawson track this Danny," Voight ordered.
"Sarge," Jay argued. "She's my sister—"
"Exactly," Voight cut him off. His mouth pressed into a thin line. "You're lucky I don't have you sit this one out altogether. Now are you going to go after Danny or do you plan to pull desk duty for this one?"
No one moved. Jay stared hard at Voight. Voight didn't budge. Jay kept his lips in a hard line, but he finally gave an imperceptible nod. He jogged down the stairs, followed by Voight.
Mouse could feel his hand start tapping against his leg of its own volition and stuck it in his pocket.
He looked back in Jess' room.
Jess struck out at Erin and Erin calmly moved out of the way and tried again. "Jess, let's sit."
Mouse looked in the open doors until he found the small bathroom. He took a glass off the counter and filled it with water. Bringing it to Jess' room, he set it on the nightstand.
Erin had succeeded in getting Jess to stop lashing out, but Jess continued to pace, stopping to pull back the sheer white curtain and look out the window, then scan the room. Her eyes stopped on Mouse.
"Hey, Jess," Mouse said. He kept his hands loose at his sides, his stance easy, unthreatening.
"You don't have a gun?" she asked.
Mouse eased his hands out at his sides to show her he wasn't hiding anything. "Nothing. I'm just here make sure you're ok."
Jess' breathing was starting to regulate. She looked at Erin again. "I know you?"
"I'm your brother Jay's girlfriend. Erin." She gestured toward Mouse. "And that's Jay's friend, Mouse."
Jess ran her eyes over Mouse's face. He stayed still.
"I know you," she said uncertainly.
"You know me," Mouse answered. "We had lunch the other day."
Tears welled up in Jess's eyes and she raised a shaking hand to her forehead. "Everything's so…"
"I know," Erin said gently. She laid a hand lightly on Jess' back and guided her to the edge of the bed.
Jess sat and took the water Erin handed her. Taking a sip, she handed it back. Erin sat next to her and softly rubbed a hand in circles on her back. She looked up at Mouse. "Thanks, Mouse."
"Yeah, sure." Mouse forced himself to take a step back. Away from Jess and the sight of what she had done to herself. He tried not to think about what memories she was trying to chase away with the pills.
"I'll track back the gps on her phone," he said quietly. "Tell Jay where she's been. Where she met Danny."
Erin nodded, not slowing the circles on Jess' back. "Hey, Mouse?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
Erin glanced at Jess. "Why don't you let Voight know what you find? I don't think Jay should be the first one on the scene with Danny."
Mouse gave her a short nod. He forced himself to leave. Reminded himself that Erin was with Jess. He turned to go and his sneaker kicked against something. Reaching down for the crumpled paper he had kicked under the bed, he brushed the lacy white bedspread aside.
He didn't have to spread the small slip of cardstock out to know it was his card. Balled up and under Jess' bed. Mouse opened it up and made an effort at smoothing it out. He laid it on Jess' dresser.
He didn't look at Erin or Jess as he hunched over, hands in his pockets and left.
#
Ruzek jogged after Jay.
"Halstead!" he called.
Jay paused before getting into the car. He looked across the roof at Dawson. Dawson raised his eyebrows. A silent message to hear what Ruzek had to say.
"Hey, what your sister said," Ruzek started.
"Yeah, Ruzek," Jay snapped, whirling around on him. "Why don't you tell me why my sister had her pills at your place?"
Ruzek held up his hands. "It's not like that," he promised. "She came over last night. She was struggling. She gave me the pills to get them away from her."
"And then what?" Jay asked. His eyes darkened, fists clenched.
"Nothing," Ruzek said, shaking his head, hands still up, a gesture of peace. "We talked. At my kitchen table."
One side of Jay's mouth lifted in a humorless smirk. "You talked? Nothing happened?"
"Look, man, your sister is gorgeous. She's hot—" Adam took a step back at the look on Jay's face and quickly continued. "But she's struggling. The drugs, the nightmares…Did you know she has nightmares?"
Jay's fighting stance froze. He looked away, a muscle in his cheek ticked. "I figured," he said. He looked back at Ruzek.
"I didn't know she was your sister when I picked her up at Molly's. We were just going to have some fun, go out, and she took something. I brought her home to sleep it off. That was it. Then she showed up last night needing help."
"And that's it?" Jay asked.
"That's all," Ruzek swore.
"Because if you lay a hand on her, Ruzek, so help me—"
Dawson grabbed Jay's arm and stopped him. "He gets it, Halstead."
Jay measured Ruzek then shook off Dawson's hand. "Let's go."
Ruzek didn't let out his breath until Dawson and Jay drove off. He lifted his chin in a nod to Mouse as he walked past on his way to his car. "Hey," he greeted him.
Mouse gave him a hard look and kept walking.
#