Eeek!

"Hi," Erin said, standing in the doorway in shock at the sight of her little sister, "My name is Erin, and um, I'm your sister."

Her heart thumped in her chest as she took in the child beside her former partner. Piper was small, smaller than she was when she was nine but she truly was the splitting image of her younger self. Erin swallowed at her sister's tiny features and piercing hazel eyes that were filled with the same anxiety and brokenness that hers once were. All Erin wanted to do was wrap her up in a hug but she knew better.

Piper glanced up at the woman standing in front of her, and then up to Jay. Jay was smiling slightly, but she could feel his heart beating quickly through his fingertips. "Hi," Piper whispered, squeezing tightly to Jay's hand. The woman that was supposed to be her sister looked nice, but she could never be too sure.

"Smells great," Jay remarked, doing his best to break the ice, "What did Voight make?"

"Roast potatoes and a chicken," Voight called from the kitchen. "Good to see you again, Piper."

Piper stood frozen next to Jay, unwilling to separate herself from the only person in the room she trusted. "We could sit on the couch," Erin offered awkwardly, gesturing to the living room, "Hank said something about the chicken needing to rest before we cut it."

"Awesome," Jay cleared his throat and took a step forward, but Piper remained rooted in the entryway. He furrowed his brow and exchanged a look with Erin, who had paled slightly since meeting her long lost little sister. "We'll meet you in there."

She nodded and backed away, understanding that the frightened child needed space. "You doing okay, Pipes?" Jay asked, crouching down in front of her, "You're safe here."

"She looks kinda like me," Piper murmured, still holding tight to Jay's hand.

He smiled softly, "She does, yeah. And I promise, she's great, and even better when you get to know her. You want to come sit on the couch?"

"You'll be there? With me?" She asked, glancing to the living room where her sister sat. When Jay nodded in confirmation, she gave a nod of approval.

Erin watched out of the corner of her eye as her former partner quietly coaxed her little sister into the living room. The way her sister clutched Jay's hand tugged at her heart. She always knew Jay had a soft spot for kids, but he was so gentle and understanding with Piper that it nearly brought her to tears. He sat on the couch beside Piper, with Erin at a safe distance in Voight's favorite chair. "Thank you for coming," Erin said finally, to both Jay and Piper, "I'm really glad to meet you, Piper."

Piper remained quiet, her hands now folded tightly in her lap. "I'm excited for the food," Jay piped up, trying to ease the awkwardness from the entryway that had translated into the living room, "Voight's probably the best cook I know."

Erin gave a grateful smile. "Piper, did Jay tell you that Sergeant Voight and I go way back?"

She shook her head, now curious. "No? Well, actually, a long while ago, I came to live here, with Sergeant Voight and his family. And he actually was the person who convinced me to work in law enforcement. And that's how I met Jay."

"You were in foster care too?" Piper spoke finally, still regarding Erin skeptically.

Erin swallowed, "Well, not exactly. When I was fifteen, so a bit older than you, I met Sergeant Voight. And he realized that I needed some help. So he let me stay here, with him, and now he's like my family."

"Kind of like Jay did for me?"

At Piper's statement, Jay felt his heart stop. Erin's eyes filled with grateful tears that she quickly blinked back. "Exactly."

As far as awkward dinners went, Jay felt that dinner with his ex-girlfriend slash ex-partner, her father-figure slash his current boss and her little sister slash the child he'd been protecting was just a notch below the awkwardness of Michael and Jan's dinner party in The Office.

Piper was still incredibly shy, and barely looked up from her plate. When he'd touched her hand, Jay could have sworn the little girl was trembling with anxiety.

Erin wasn't doing much better. In the year she'd been gone, it was like she forgot how to talk to Jay, and with her sister in the mix, things were even more complicated. Hank had no idea what to say and focused on the cutting the chicken. He and Jay exchanged awkward looks from across the table, neither one of them sure how to ease the situation. When Erin got up to use the restroom, she overheard Piper turn to Jay and say desperately, "I'm still going home with you, right?"

Those words, not intended for her ears or to offend her at all, brought her to tears. She closed herself in Voight's powder room, and did her best to muffle her sobs in the bathroom towel. Erin cried for Piper, for the years she'd been alone, for the years she didn't know about her, for her own traumatic childhood, for Jay.

Jay.

His gentleness and ability to just get Piper blew Erin away. He was so kind, so understanding, so paternal that it filled her with sadness. She'd given all that away for Bunny.

"Erin?" Jay knocked on the bathroom door, "You alright in there?"

"Uh, yeah. Just a minute." She dried her eyes and sniffed, hoping that the remnants of snot and tears wouldn't be visible. However, when she pulled open the bathroom door and met Jay's baby blues, she crumbled again.

Wordlessly, Jay held out an arm and brought her into his chest as she sobbed. She cried hard, big droplets of her tears cascading down her cheeks and onto his black shirt. "S-sorry," she stuttered after a moment, "I-I don't know what happened. 's been a long day."

He nodded, "It has. You drove through the night too. You must be exhausted."

"Yeah," she breathed out, "It's a lot. Just everything, I guess." Erin paused. "I um, I saw Bunny and I confronted her, and she denied it."

Jay raised his eyebrows but allowed Erin to continue, "And when I saw Piper I felt like I got the wind knocked outta me because I looked like that when I was nine." Erin swallowed, "She-she's smaller than I was but when I was her age I remember trying to haul Bunny's unconscious ass out of the bathtub, prayin' that she didn't die because I didn't want to go into foster care." Her voice cracked, "And my little sister has been in the system for nine years, and even those times Bunny sobered up for a few months, she didn't go looking for her."

"It isn't your fault," Jay said quietly, "You didn't know."

"I-I know," she managed, "I know. It just hurts to know what she's been through, and how scared she is." Erin gave a halfhearted smile, "She really trusts you though."

Jay nodded, "She does. And she'll trust you too, Er. It's just going to take some time. You two are pretty similar in that way. Takes a lot to get you to trust someone. Took me three months as your partner before you even let me behind the wheel of the 300." She smiled at the memory. Jay had been so excited to drive. "It's going to be okay," he continued, "She's a really great kid, and you're going to be a great big sister."

Erin sniffed, "A year later and you still know just what to say, huh?"

Jay smiled softly, "I'm glad you're back. Even if it's just for a bit."

"Me too," she whispered back, "And I just can't thank you enough. For being what Hank was for me for Piper. You-you're going to help change the trajectory of her story."

Jay nodded again and inhaled deeply when Erin hugged him tightly again. Man, he missed having her in his arms.

The relief on Piper's face was evident as Jay walked back into the living room where he'd left her with Voight. The gruff older sergeant also had a soft spot for kids, but Piper was still skeptical. "Jay, you're taking tomorrow off," Voight informed him, "Figured you could use some time away from the district. Plus, Piper doesn't need to be holed up in that breakroom."

"Thanks, sarge," he gave a grateful smile, "Hey Pipes, what do you say we actually head to the Navy Pier tomorrow since we didn't get to check it out today?"

Piper nodded and flashed the smallest smile. Erin emerged from the bathroom after drying her eyes to catch a glimpse of her little sister's tiny smile, and it almost took her breath away. Jay glanced to Erin and then to Piper, unsure of what to do or say next. "How about a game of Scrabble?" Hank offered, nearly causing Jay to choke on his water, "We've got a game board somewhere."

Erin's cheeks darkened as Jay cast his eyes down. "Sounds great," she managed, clearing her throat, "I haven't played in a while though."

"Me either," Jay coughed, earning a confused look from Piper, "You ever played Scrabble, kiddo?"

Piper shook her head. "It's super easy," Erin said as casually as she could, "We can teach you."

"Okay," she nodded, moving from her spot by the couch to stand closely to Jay. He held out his hand which she gratefully accepted.

"You know some big words there, kiddo," Jay glanced down at Piper's score card, "Triple letter score?"

She gave a small smile and shifted on the couch, "Erin said you gotta be strategic. So that's what I did."

"Learned from the master, I guess," he said, looking at his terrible choices of letters, "Or just gotta get a good handful of letters."

"You need to be creative, Jay," Erin raised her eyebrows, "And anticipate the other player's moves." She gave a smile to her little sister, "You're pretty good at this for your first time, Piper."

"You explained it easily," Piper shrugged and looked from Jay to Erin. "Is it true that you work for the FBI?"

Erin nodded and gave a smile, "That's right. I work for the FBI."

"But you used to work with Jay? And Sergeant Voight?"

She nodded again, "Yeah, I did. I was a detective, like Jay. We were partners, actually." Erin offered a wider smile, "That's why when I found out about you, I was so happy to hear that you were with Jay. Because he had my back for so many years, and I knew he'd have yours too."

Piper managed a small smile and stifled a yawn. "It's getting late," Jay glanced down at his watch and to the little girl, who was fading fast. "Pipes, you wanna run to the bathroom before we head back?"

She nodded tiredly and pushed herself off the couch. As soon as she was out of earshot, Jay turned to Erin. "So um-"

"I'm meeting with my lawyer first thing tomorrow," Erin said quickly, keeping her voice low, "DCFS should be contacting Bunny, and I'm hoping she just stays away but I never know with her so-"

"I'll keep Piper safe," Jay promised, "For however long you need. The team's closing in on the Marsh's too."

"Good," Erin exhaled, "I'll um, text you tomorrow?"

Jay nodded and turned to Piper who was standing in the entry way, ready to head back to Jay's. He was so glad the little girl was coming back with him, even if it was short term. There was something about her that was just…right. "You ready to hit the hay, kiddo?"

She managed a tired smile. "I'm glad I got to meet you," she whispered to Erin, reaching out to grab Jay's hand.

"Me too," Erin swallowed, "I'm hoping we can see a lot more of each other."

Piper nodded slowly. "Thank you for dinner, sarge," Jay said to his boss, "If anything comes up-"

"I know how to reach you," Hank replied, "Thank you for coming, Piper. It was good to see you again."

"Alrighty kiddo, it's late but we might be able to catch the last few innings," Jay said, flicking on the lights of the apartment. Piper had been quiet the whole ride home but had expressed interest in watching the game when Jay had suggested they skip it.

Piper nodded but remained in the entryway to the apartment. "You okay?" He turned around, "Piper?"

"I don't want this to be the last time we watch a game," Piper whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks, "I don't want to leave."

"Oh, Pipes," Jay immediately sank to his knees as she crashed into his chest, tiny body convulsing in sobs, "This isn't the last time, kiddo. Not even close."

"I'm going to have to leave," she whimpered, "I-I don't even know her and I hate going to places where I don't know people."

"Shh," he stroked her hair with one hand, "I know you've been through so much. And I know this is scary and new and overwhelming. But I promise you, I'll be there for you, for whatever you need. Even if you just need someone to talk to you about baseball, or hockey. Day or night, I'll be there."

"I like it here." The little girl held tighter to Jay, "I wish I didn't have to go."

"I know." Jay wished she didn't have to go either. "But here's the thing. You didn't know me all that well when you first came to stay here, right? And I know Erin, and I can tell you that she has the full Jay Halstead stamp of approval. And even if you don't know her that well, I know she's one of the best people I have ever met."

"She knows about baseball?" Piper sniffed.

"Erin loves the Cubs," Jay confirmed, "And she likes hockey, and soccer, and she probably knows more about football than I do." He pressed a kiss atop Piper's head. "I'm sorry things have been so crazy for you the last few days, and soon, I'm hoping things will calm down. But even if you get to live with Erin, this isn't our last night together. I'm still protecting you, until we catch the Marshes and Donny and anyone else. Plus, the court still needs to say it's okay for her to look after you, and even then, I'm sure Erin would want us to keep hanging out as much as we can."

He swallowed. It wasn't a lie, but it didn't feel great. Yes, he'd make it a point to see Piper as much as he could while she was in Chicago, but Erin's life was in New York. He hadn't even considered the fact that Piper would be in a different time zone.

"Really? She-she wouldn't want to keep you from me?"

Jay shook his head, "No way. Erin wants what's best for you, kiddo. And she wants you to be with family. She'll be a great big sister to you, I'm positive. Trust me."

Piper let out a shaky breath. "I do trust you."

"And I wouldn't tell you she wasn't the best if I didn't believe it," Jay promised, "We still have all day tomorrow until we get some news, and we're going to make the best of it. Better to have fun than be sad."

She nodded but continued to hold tight to Jay, as if squeezing harder would freeze time.

Erin took a deep breath and entered the courthouse. She and her lawyer had a game plan, and the lawyer was incredibly confident that the judge would rule in Erin's favor, and allow her to take Piper within a matter of days. They were still waiting on the final DNA test results, but given the circumstances and Erin's relation to Bunny who was a match for Piper, the court, DCFS and lawyers felt it was appropriate to move forward.

She and Jay exchanged text messages the day before, and he filled her in on Piper's apprehension. Taking in a child that didn't fully want to be with her scared Erin to no end, but she knew living with her was better than foster care or worse, Bunny. Plus, her former partner had been extremely reassuring that after Piper got to know her better, she'd open up and things would get easier.

Jay had exhausted Piper with another day in Chicago, showing her all the sights he could possibly think of. With the summer heat, Piper fell asleep in the back of the Sierra, and Jay had texted Erin a picture to keep her updated.

Just texting with Jay filled Erin with a melancholy so strong it was hard to focus on the words of her lawyer. In New York she was busy with her job, so busy that she barely had time to slow down and grieve the end of her relationship and life in Chicago. Being back in the place she grew up brought all those old feelings to the surface, and coupled with meeting her long lost sister and confronting her deadbeat mother, Erin was in an emotional tornado. She and Jay hadn't even talked about why she left or what happened between them. There hadn't been any closure in the year she'd been gone, but being back in Chicago felt like pouring alcohol on a still open wound.

"I'm here to petition for custody of my daughter."

Erin snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the familiar bone-chilling voice of the woman who didn't raise her.

Bunny.

Bunny Fletcher stood in the courthouse in a black blazer, looking far more put together than Erin had seen two days before. She was standing beside an old white lawyer, who Erin recognized from her time as a detective. Ronald Grant was good at getting shitty people their way.

"What are you doing here?" Erin snapped as she marched up to her mother, "I told you to stay away."

"This is my child, Erin. I deserve a chance to get to raise her," Bunny adjusted her blazer, "My lawyer thinks I have a good chance at full custody, given your history."

"My history?" Erin exploded before dropping her voice, "My whole fucking history is thanks to you. And what about your history? Of drugs and booze and random strangers and three abandoned children?" She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "You are not fit to raise Piper," Erin hissed, "You need to back off, now."

"Can't do that, baby," Bunny sing-songed, "The lawyer's already given my petition for custody to the judge."

"They'll put her in foster care while we duke it out in court," Erin almost pleaded, "You don't know what she's been through, and she really doesn't need more trauma. If you care about her at all, you'll drop this."

"You drop it," Bunny replied haughtily, "I'm her mother."

"We'll deal with this," Erin's lawyer, Leslie Jordan, spoke up, "Come on, court is about to begin."

"She-she can't do this," Erin spluttered as the lawyer led her into the courtroom, "She can't take Piper."

"Technically, she can. She is Piper's biological mother. But you have a stable job, income and are old enough to care for Piper. So we'll fight it, and once we have the DNA test results, the case will get stronger. But it may take some time to get everything in order, but I'm confident in your case."

"They'll put her into the system if they don't think I'm capable of taking care of her," Erin choked out, taking a seat on the bench, "Bunny can't raise a kid, she'll fuck her up so bad and Piper-she's already been through so much and she's just barely starting to trust me and-"

"We are going to do everything we can," Leslie reassured her, "But much of this will be out of our hands."

Bunny, always the bad guy...Let me know what you think! I'll try to keep getting these up quick :)