Hi, so here is the next chapter and I hope that you all enjoy this one as I try to bring you the next one in due course.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.

Please Read and Review.

Some Trigger Warnings for this chapter.

And finally on a personal note for me on news that has no doubt been seen all around the world and as a Brit means enough for me to comment on. Queen Elizabeth II who sadly passed away at the time of writing this was perhaps one my idols since before I could understand what the word meant. This chapter and indeed all chapters of my work with this update are written in memory of her and her phenomenal legacy as a Queen, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother and perhaps most importantly at all, a woman in a man's world who rose to the top was universally respected and never stopped smiling even when I imagine all she wanted to do was cry. As she so wonderfully said, grief is the price we pay for love. And perhaps it is the best price that we can pay for that, the most ultimate gift.

Next Chapter will be up soon.

Born Under A Bad Sign

Chapter 5-The Long Bad Summer

Lexie Olinsky witnesses a murder, Hank gets arrested and has it out with Jay over his obsession with Lennie Rodiger. Meanwhile in the past Will Halstead turns up determined to find out just what the hell is going on with his little brother.

9th September 2014

Snow in Chicago when it stuck to the ground, stuck to the ground. And then it promptly didn't shift for three months either side of Christmas. Jay who had grown up with snow on his shoes for most of his life didn't mind so much. Erin who was a virtual space heater did. But Chicago was cold and the bed was warm and Jay was actually sober when he went to bed and wasn't plagued by memories of the war that he had so stupidly gone off to fight. And so when he was roused out of his warm bed one early morning by a frantic phone call by his foster sister turned girlfriend turned sister (until they became girlfriend and boyfriend again—because that was just the patten of Erin and Jay's relationship regardless of what Hank would try to do to stop the fallout) he was not in a good mood.

"Someone we know better be dead" he said by way of a greeting.

"Hank got arrested last night"

Jay sat up and checked his clock which was one of those that had the dates on it in searing red letters. Yep it was 2014.

"Didn't we already have this conversation?"

He could feel Erin's sigh.

"Jay dig in deep. He's been arrested again"

"By who?"

"IAB"

"Well what was he doing?"

"Nothing"

Jay said nothing. He doubted very much that Hank was doing nothing and Erin must have overheard him because she sighed.

"Alright fine he was doing something…I don't know what that it but I know that he is doing something. Anyway he's been released as far as I know but…well…"

And Jay knew what she was after.

"Erin leave it alone" he warned.

"Jay…"

"Erin if they've let him go he's either wormed his way out of it or he's working with someone—"

"Hank would never work with IAB"

Jay personally thought that Hank would do whatever he could to keep his job but that was by the by. Granted he felt the shudder that the average cop did whenever he heard the words IAB but he also knew that the world was not as black and white as Erin and Hank saw it as. He was more like Camille…that was what she used to say anyway and it would make him squirm a little in pleasure when she said though he would rather die than admit it. The world was grey and while he loved Hank like a father he was not Erin. He didn't know how to turn a blind eye to certain things that felt like abuse when he had lived with it all his life. For Jay if it walked like a duck and talked like a duck then…

But Erin was still speaking.

"And there's something else"

Oh God.

"What?"

"Lexie"

"Al's Lexie?"

"No the other Lexie that we both know and love"

"Erin sarcasm doesn't become you unless your naked—"

"You get how fucking wired that sounds don't you?"

"ERIN—Lexie?"

And if you had not noticed then Jay was clearly not communicating how much he was running out of patience.

"She's fine it's just…she was at a party and witnessed a gang hit—"

Jay sat up and reached for his pants.

"Go on"

"Atwater got to her but she'd already given a statement and it's a gang hit so—"

"Al's gonna go berserk" Jay predicted. "His daughter's the only witness in a gang hit? Jesus he's going to loose his shit. You know that's a material witness thing"

"Yeah and he and Meredith—"

"Yeah he needs to get a grip on that" Jay said shaking his head. Because whatever it was between the two of them it was exhausting for all that knew Al and Meredith. At least the ones who knew them as they used to be.

Erin said nothing for a second.

"Look Erin if Lexie's fine and on her way to the station then what do you want from me?"

"Well nothing with Lexie…I'm on my way in now to deal with it but Hank…"

"Erin I am not stupid enough to ask Hank what he is doing and he's not going to tell me either way. Besides…I want to keep a low profile for a while"

"Why?"

"Lennie's going after another kid"

It was only to Erin that he would tell this too because it was only Erin that would understand. Erin who would get why this was concerning, why this was his obsession, his cross to bear. Erin who sometimes he thought about ringing because she knew the best places to hide a body weather she was fifteen or twenty eight.

Erin was silent for a second.

And then…

"How do you know?"

"I just…I had Jin check on him. He's bought in the last month, rope, duct tape and a child's toy. And the store that he bought the child's toy…three blocks away from an elementary school"

He heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Shit"

"Yeah"

"Jay I don't…you know you can't move without evidence and—"

"Kilo of coke would do it"

"Jay"

"Erin you almost did it for Justin and you were the one who did it to Matt Casey, you were also the one who suggested doing it to Antonio two days before he was due to testify"

"That was different. You were with me"

"Yeah and Al talked us out of it but this…this is different because you and me…we know what happens, a kid goes missing, he's raped, tortured, thrown aside like trash and then Lennie is hauled in and his Dad stinking of whiskey comes in to alibi him out. And that witch-bitch lawyer comes with him and then another family is destroyed because of Lennie Rodiger. I've sat on the side-lines too long, I need to do something"

Erin was silent for a long time.

"Alright" she said finally. "But call me when you do Jay. Cause you need an alibi if nothing else"

And that he knew was the closest that he would get to Erin saying she would keep his secret.

He looked at the clock, it read 5.03 AM. It was still dark outside. And his bed was lovely and warm.

"Do you need me right now Erin?"

She was his partner in more ways than one. If she wanted him then he would get out of bed.

If she didn't…

"No" Erin said and he could hear the yawn over the phone. "No I'll head in and deal with Lexie. At some point though Hank's gonna find out what your doing. Just a heads up"

Jay hung up the phone and put it back on charge and curled up under the duvet. Somewhere out there Lennie Rodiger was planning his next murder. But he would not succeed this time.

Not if Jay had anything to do with it.

10th September 2014

"A word"

He didn't phrase it as a question and Jay to his credit didn't comment. Out of all of his children, foster and blood alike Jay had been the one who had known his moods better than he did and Hank knew it was because at times he associated him with his Dad. Always on the move, always watching the grenade that was about to go off.

Jay followed him in the office and Hank was suddenly aware of that night when he had been called out of a meeting by a worried Camille only to find out later that Jay had been the one to find the body of that little boy and that a truly evil piece of shit had gotten away.

And look it wasn't like Hank hadn't thought about paying a visit to Lennie and suggesting very politely that he leave his city and never come back otherwise he was going to end up at the bottom of the lake. It was just that…he had been on such thin ice back then and then Jay had been doing better that he had truly thought that the Lennie thing had been put behind him.

And now this…

"What?"

"Lennie Rodiger" he said as Jay shut the door. Jay sighed.

"Erin?"

"No. You run stuff through the system, you get Jin to do it and it's going to leave an electronic footprint"

Jay nodded. He didn't seem bothered by it and Hank felt a slither of unease. He had seen that look on Jay's face once before and it had never boded well. This was Jay when he had made his mind up to do something and he was going to do it sober. He had a sneaking suspicion of what it was that Jay was thinking about doing it and if there was a way that he could stop his most reckless of sons (and that was saying something considering he'd had to ship Justin to the Army to keep him in line) from doing something so monumentally stupid then he would do so.

"What did I tell you about Lennie Rodiger? Do you not remember—"

"I remember everything Hank" Jay said softly. "Everything, all of it. I also remember seeing Ben with his pants down around his ankles and blood on his legs. I remember the look on his Dad's face when he found out…and Lennie…he's got everything set up again…and he is gonna kill another kid"

There was something about the earnestness of Jay's expression, the panic and the fear that was bleeding into the blue eyes that made Hank pause. Jay had good instincts, some of the best, he had lived on them growing up and then Army had sharpened them to the point where they were always on. If Jay was saying that he was sure that…

The problem wasn't that Hank didn't want to help the problem was that without a body or a complaining witness there was little that he could do. And as much as he wanted to pretend that it wasn't a factor the truth of the matter was that the boy had a father in the picture and a fancy lawyer on retainer who had on more than one occasion made mince-meat of the department.

"Let it go"

"Jesus Christ"

"Jay seriously take my advice—"

"Seriously? Take your advice? Seriously you just spent the night in jail, again by the way and your standing here telling me to trust you? Fucks sake Hank what the hell is it about this situation that should have me trusting you?"

It hurt a lot more than it should have done. In truth he knew that Jay was angry and to be honest he could understand why but it hurt. Between Justin and the dark look of naked hate he had given him on the way out of the car and between the strange looks Erin was giving him when she thought he wasn't noticing he was up to his elbows in people mistrusting him. Jay had been one of the few constants in his life. With Jay's trust in him it was like having someone at your side. He might not like what Hank did and certainly not agree with him but it was enough to know that when the bullets started flying the kid was there.

"Watch it"

Jay gave that small smile and Hank was reminded of when he was fifteen and he knew that he had gotten under his skin. This was Jay reckless, Jay reckless tended to do stupid things, case in point this, now.

"You keep pushing me Jay and—"

"You'll what? Hit me? Send me off like I'm a piece of trash, kick me out of the unit? Doesn't change the fact Hank that a paedophile is going to kill another kid. And when that body is found and he walks out of this prescient with his Daddy for the second time as if nothing was wrong well then it just won't be on me. The entirety of it will be on you because we could have stopped it! And instead all we did was do nothing."

He turned then and walked out the door slamming it shut behind him. Lexie who had been drinking some hot chocolate jumped a little. Erin eyed Jay like a bomb about to go off and Al stared at him as he walked past. Hank sighed. He had stupidly though that working with Erin would have been the hard thing about this job but he had forgotten Jay. Jay who was ultimately a good cop but too much like him.

Camille had always said it. Even now she was still right.

But Jay was heading straight down a rabbit hole and Hank wasn't sure he could get him out of this one. Lennie Rodiger was not a bottle of vodka.

He was something worse.

8th March 2000

There was a banging on the door.

Well not so much a banging but a polite knocking but it was nine, Hank had just come off a double and Jay and Erin were attempting to work through a mountain of homework so it was not the best time.

"Jay would you mind?"

"Sure" Jay said flashing a smile at his foster mother—if that was what you called her because he was still unsure—and he dragged himself to the door. It was better than the insane amounts of math that he had to do. When the Headmaster of Erin's school had heard that Hank had another kid he had groaned which Jay had thought rather funny. Granted his grades were not that bad but after Hank had rather kindly suggested that there could always be an unsponsored raid on students lockers at the opening of the new library paid for by alumni, the headmaster had suggested that if Jay make up what he had missed for most of the year then it would be alright.

As it turned out there was nothing to do but study. Jay hadn't been drinking in months. He knew that Pat had been bailed out and that he had been back home but somehow he had not gone looking for Jay. Weather that was because he couldn't or because he didn't care Jay didn't know. Hank had told him one morning and Jay had spent all of history thinking about weather or not he wanted to see him.

The whole thing had made his body itch with the nerves and the desperate desire to have a drink and he swallowed picking at his lunch. He thought that he was struggling somewhat whenever his father was mentioned.

That was a big thing in itself. Admitting that he was struggling.

Praying it wasn't Pat at the door (granted Jay was sure that the man didn't know where he was but you never knew) he opened it.

Will.

For a second the two brothers stared at each other. Will was older, taller, the mass of red hair cropped close to the skull and his eyes were dark with some kind of untold expression that he couldn't name. Jay knew he looked okay. There was a sense almost that the roles had been reversed. That Jay and he had changed. When Will had left Jay had been the one on the brink and Will had been the one who had been put together. Now it was the other way around.

"Hey Jay" Will said finally. "It's good to…I was really worried"

Jay opened his mouth to snap but he couldn't. Will was here. He was in front of him and it was that that had him stepping forwards and soon both brothers were embracing. Jay burrowed his face between Will's neck and shoulders and Will rubbed his back slowly as if he was a five year old with a nightmare again.

How long they stood there Jay didn't know but he was aware of laser eyes on his back soon enough which he knew to be Hank. The man had the skill of a stealth bomber. Eventually the brothers pulled back though Will was still looking at him as if he would disappear.

"I thought…I went to see Pat and you weren't there and he didn't know where you were and I near as damn went out of my mind and…and then someone from the neighbourhood said you were living with some cop up here? And believe me that didn't do anything to ease my worries and seriously Jay what the fuck happened?"

"What the old man tell you?"

"Nothing. He was half in a bottle when I got home from the airport. He thought I was a cop, came for me a couple of times but you know what it's like"

Jay did.

Oh how Jay really did.

"Jay"

Shit.

Will's eyes snapped to Hank and Jay saw the habitual sizing up of the man that both of the Halstead brothers did by rote.

"Invite your brother in"

Jay nodded shoving Will into the house and closing the door.

Introductions were made and Will managed to make it through the conversation with wide eyes looking around as if expecting the other shoe to drop at any moment. Jay wasn't sure what he was expecting. If Will was going to say he was here to take Jay to New York or not. He wasn't sure what was worse, if he did or if he didn't. Jay you see, was not one hundred percent sure that he would go.

Fuck. Feelings.

"Tell me everything" Will said sitting down where Hank pointed and watching Jay with eyes hungry for some kind of reassurance. "Everything Jay. Don't hold anything back"

Well. It wasn't like that was in Jay's nature.

"Found out everything you can about the brother did you?" Camille asked from where she was coming out the bathroom and Hank was hanging up the phone.

"Not everything"

She rolled her eyes. Damn she knew him too well. There was no point really in lying to her about it.

"So?"

"So?"

She stared at him.

"Hank don't play coy, what have you found?"

"Nothing that I didn't already know. He's joined Doctors without Boarders he's gonna finish his residency there apparently. According to my source it's East Sudan"

Camille whistled lowly.

"Wow. So he's not taking Jay then"

"Not over my dead body he's not. They' d both be dead within a week. Neither one of them can take care of themselves"

"True. He was very skinny"

This time it was Hank's turn to roll his eyes. He got into bed and she put the lights out so they were in darkness.

"Admit it" she said into the silence. "Your happy that Jay's gonna stay with us"

There was nothing for a long time, such a long time she was sure that her husband had dropped off into sleep but then…

"Yes I am"

It was said so quietly she had to have been listening to hear it but it was there.

And so she smiled in victory turned over and went to sleep.

And there you go, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will do my best to bring you the next one sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-In the present Jay and his obession over Lennie Rodiger comes to a screeching halt forcing him and Hank into a dark place. Antonio begins to understand the full depths of Jay and Erin's distrust of him and meanwhile in the past Jay and Will struggle to connect before the latter returns to school for his final exams.