Jay's P.O.V.
Why couldn't things be easy? The team was falling apart. Hailey had gotten back a couple of weeks ago, and was already hiding things. I'm pretty sure it was a job offer from the FBI office in New York, which I wouldn't be surprised if she takes, it seems like all of my partners leave cpd to go work in New York. Kev was becoming even more paranoid, even with Ruz trying to help him which I'm feeling is probably just making the situation worse. Voight was having a head macha match with the new Deputy Superintendent so he was tenser than normal. God it seemed like me and Kim were the only ones acting like normal. Which sort of sucked because we never hung out together so we were basically stuck being normal alone.
Speak of the devil here she comes? Huh...Kim probably is just coming to ask me to check on the boys. We were the only two actually in the bullpen. Voight and Hailey were in his office, and Kev and Ruz were probably in the garage. They were starting to worry her: anyone could figure that out, but when she got closer she didn't have her annoyed face that those two normally left her in.
"Hey Jay...What are you doing tonight?" What? Is Kim Burgess asking me on a date? Probably not, but...you know what...don't think about that.
"Uh...probably just going back to my apartment, and eating leftover pizza then watching a rerun of a Cubs game or something that's on. Why do you ask?" Was it just me or was Kim Burgess about to ask me to hang out outside of work...which we never do. She's the person on the team that I know the least. I should probably try to change that.
"Well Kev and I had planned to go watch Zoe and her best friend, Brooke, in Dear Evan Hansen tonight. Both of them have parts, and 75% of the proceeds go to SOS Children's Villages Illinois. I already got two tickets, but when I brought it up to Kev he completely forgot and is setting up new security cameras or something...so I have a spare ticket if you want to come?" Anything is better than just going back and forth from here and my apartment.
"Yeah that sounds amazing, thanks. Do you want me to follow you?"
"Yeah that's fine. It's at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Bronzeville." Oh...I know where that is. Allie used to love going there.
Jay's P.O.V.
The show was amazing (and I'm not really the Halstead brother that's into music). During the show Kim pointed out which one Brooklynn was (she played Zoe which was sort of funny because then Kim went on to tell this story about how Zoe outright refused to play that role), and Zoe played Alana. During the intermission there was a presentation by a representative from SOS Children's Village Illinois to tell the audience what they were helping to fund. It was definitely a nice way to take a break from our ever changing work environment with everything going on.
At the end of the show they announced everyone, and to say I was surprised when I heard, "And give a huge applause to our director and our Zoe Murphy, Brooklynn Corson! None of this would even be possible without her." Corson...like Allie Corson? There's no way. Brooklynn is probably like 15-16 which means Allie would've been 19-20. There's no way...Allie was going to Ohio State. It's probably just a coincidence...but Brooklynn does look a lot like Allie. The same color blonde hair, blue eyes (though Allie's were more green), but Brooklynn did have freckles that went across her nose which Allie didn't have so maybe it is just a coincidence.
After they did what I'm pretty sure is called roll call, or something like that, Kim led me down a hallway where all of the kids were going to be coming out of. We hadn't really talked much during the show, but while we were waiting to be seated she mentioned that after the show she was going to meet up with Zoe, and asked if I wanted to come. I hadn't seen Zoe since the last time she visited Kim at the office, which was probably a year ago...maybe more so I said sure. It's not like I had a curfew, or something.
When all of the kids who were in the play came out Zoe and Brooklynn immediately ran towards Kim and I, and both gave Kim a massive hug. Zoe had hugged her first and then gave me a hug (which I was slightly surprised by) while Brooklynn hugged Kim. When she saw me though I noticed her take a slight step closer to Kim. Kim noticed too, but she didn't seem to worry about it.
"Brooke, this is Jay. He works with me and Kevin." She smiled at me, and waved slightly.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." She sounded like Allie. I couldn't help but compare their voices, but it's impossible if anything the Corsons would've mentioned it at some point. I would've seen pictures if she was Allie's daughter, and I have been there multiple times: no pictures of any little girl.
"You too." Almost at the same time both of the girls yawned, and Kim swung into action.
"Well you two did amazing tonight...like seriously I don't know how you do it, but how about you guys go get your bags from backstage so I can get you home Zoe...Brooke do you need a ride?" She only reserved this part of her for children. Kim was the best at working with kids during cases. These two were probably one of the reasons why.
"Thanks Kim, but Abuela should be here in a couple minutes to pick me up." Abuela? Allie had an Abuela. She wasn't related to Allie. She had this flower garden that Allie was drawn to, so in middle school Allie walked to her house to see if she could see the flowers more closely, and the two hit it off. Abuela had practically taken Allie in when Ben was killed, and her parents basically shut down. That doesn't mean anything though. Abuela could easily just be what Brooklynn calls her grandmother.
"You were able to convince her not to come to every show?" That got a laugh out of both of the girls.
"Somehow." With that both of the girls turned around, and walked back into the room that they had come out in. When the girls were out of sight Kim turned to look back at me. She looked happy...not annoyed and tired like normal.
"Brooke's dad isn't in the picture, and she has always been raised by women. She's not always comfortable coming into contact with men who she doesn't know. That's why she took that step back." I guess Kim did notice how I noticed that little moment.
"It's explainable…"
"But for the most part after the first introduction she warms up to people. You got a better reaction than Adam. Brooke barely spoke a sentence to him when we were still together, and will secretly help Zoe plan pranks on him before everything with Kevin started." Wait…
"Did they plan the gorilla glue keyboard?" That one was the best. Adam was so close to cursing out everyone.
"Oh yeah...she and Zoe spent the day before researching different techniques, and then practiced them. Then, Zoe came with me the next day, and got Voight's permission before doing it." Seriously, Voight was in on it?
"What else did…"
"Jay Halstead?" Kim and I both turned toward the voice that had interrupted me, but I didn't need to see her face to know who it was: Abuela, Allie's Abuela. Kim looked at me, and I knew she was confused. So was I...there was no way that I was right, right?
"Marina?" She's probably gonna comment on me not calling her Abuela, but the last time I saw her I was barely comfortable calling her Marina and not Mrs. Eden.
"How many times have I said that you can call me Abuela. What are you doing here?" Kim was just looking back from one of us to the other. Obviously this is not how she thought tonight was going to go.
"Kim had a spare ticket, and asked me to come. We work together." Thankfully Marina accepted that. Normally if this was years ago she would interrogate you to get information on personal lives.
"Oh alright… well I assume you've met Brookie. Those two girls have been inseparable ever since they met." She wasn't the same as I remember her. Sure it had been years, but she was always more lively then this. Marina just seemed tired. Which she might be, it was 10 at night which sort of brings up the question as to why Allie hadn't picked Brooke up. It was pretty clear now that I had been right about my assumptions about Brooke.
"So how is Allie these days. I never hear about her from the Corsons anymore." Both of them turned to me, and I could tell by their faces, Kim's especially...it was the same look she gave me when I came back after my dad died or when she told me that the girl had died, but for once it seemed like she wasn't going to be delivering the bad news. I knew what was coming.
"Jay...Allie died in a car accident when Brooke was one. I'm sorry."