Okay so this one just kind of happened because I got a request for a little more Erin drama and I couldn't resist

When they were dating, one of Jay's favorite things to do was just watch Erin. He wasn't trying to be creepy in any way, but there was something about getting to know the softer side of his girl outside of the gun-carrying badass from Intelligence that made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Of course, he fell in love with that gun-carrying badass, but there were little things that she did that made him fall in love with her more and more.

She wasn't exactly a chef, and he had the burned kitchen utensils to prove it, but watching her valiantly attempt a dish and succeed was one of Jay's favorite things. Erin wasn't necessarily comfortable in the kitchen, but she'd bustle around and hum to whatever music was playing while she chopped and stirred, and it amused him to no end.

Jay couldn't help but grin when he returned from a run around the lake to find Erin in the cabin kitchen, softly humming along to an old radio that picked up maybe three total stations. After they both woke up with Piper between them in Erin's bed, they decided to let the little girl sleep for as long as she could to get the rest she needed. Jay had left his girls for a morning jog, a luxury he hadn't been afforded with Piper staying with him, as he never wanted to leave her alone.

"Whatcha making?" Jay asked teasingly as he wiped his forehead on his t shirt sleeve.

Erin snapped up and her cheeks turned pink at the realization that her partner was standing in front of her, trademark Halstead grin on his face. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Since the chorus," he replied, eyes sparkling, "Smells good."

"I'm making French toast," she said proudly, "Nothing's burned yet."

"Mm." Jay's mouth started watering. He was starving.

"How was your run?"

"Hard," Jay blew out a breath, "I haven't really been keeping up with the running regimen and the first one back is always a struggle. Felt good though."

Erin nodded, "I was running a lot in New York." She ignited one of the burners, "I think part of me thought if I just kept running, somehow I'd end up back in Chicago."

Jay gave a small smile, "You got there eventually."

She exhaled, "Yeah, just took my mother fucking up yet again and me finding out about my long lost little sister." Erin paused, "I wish it didn't take me so long."

"Me too," he said honestly, "I missed you burning things in my kitchen." He gestured to the spatula that was slowly melting on the open burner.

"Shit!" Erin exclaimed, hastily tossing the smoldering plastic into the sink while Jay jumped into action by switching off the flame. "Ugh, mother fucker," she cursed, holding her fingers tightly, "Why do I always do that?"

"Lemme see," Jay said, holding out his palm. Reluctantly, Erin placed her smaller palm in his, fingers slightly red from the hot spatula. He examined them closely and brought them up to his eyeline before kissing them gently.

Last year, she would have responded with an exaggerated eye roll and a "Jay, I'm fine, you're overreacting." But this wasn't last year, and it had been months since he last kissed her kitchen clumsiness induced injuries. Instead, she kept her lips tight as she resisted the urge to cry, not from the pain, but from the sheer tenderness of her partner.

"Just the surface. You weren't holding it long enough to get too deep," he reported, lowering her hand slightly, "You okay?"

She managed a small nod. "It just surprised me, that's all. I'm okay."

Jay smiled, "Good thing is that I think there are some band aids in the cupboard right behind you." He leaned past his partner to remove a box, "We should cover 'em up, just in case."

Erin nodded again, eyes trained on Jay's hands as he unwrapped the bandaid. "You still keep a first aid kit in your kitchen?"

"Old habits die hard," he replied, "Saves time instead of having to run to the bathroom or closet, right?"

She smiled softly as he tenderly placed the bandaid on her finger, not too tight. "Thank you," she whispered, "Guess I'm really not cut out for this whole cooking thing, huh?"

"I'll help," he suggested, "We've got a fire extinguisher under the sink too, but I don't think we'll need it."

Erin let out a breath, realizing just how close she and Jay were standing together. It felt like there was electricity between them, and she so badly wanted to tilt her head up and kiss his salty lips.

"Are you making breakfast?"

Piper's small voice snapped her out of her reverie and she instinctively stepped backward. "I am," Erin said, clearing her throat, "Jay's going to help me though. I already burned a spatula."

The little girl looked nervously from Erin to Jay. "Did you sleep well, kiddo?" Jay asked lightly, reaching over his partner to grab the uncooked French toast she'd already prepared.

She gave a small nod and yet still appeared nervous. "Are you feeling okay?" Erin asked, now decidedly concerned about her anxious little sister.

Piper nodded again, slower this time. "We're just switching the burners on, so we'll use your special cooking skills at lunch, how does that sound?" Jay was attempting to keep his voice upbeat and peppy despite his little friend's nervousness, "Do you want to set the table?"

She just stared at him, as if he was speaking another language. Jay exchanged a worried glance with Erin. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" he asked in a more gentle tone.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked finally, bottom lip quivering slightly.

Both Erin and Jay shook their heads quickly. "Not at all," Erin assured her quickly, "Why do you think you're in trouble, Noodle?"

"'cause I was a burden last night," she said, her voice wavering. "I-I didn't have a reason to be upset."

"You are never a burden," Jay managed. He was overwhelmed by how frightened she appeared, and at the fact that she knew what being a burden was, likely because she'd been accused of it previously.

Piper sniffed, Jay's words appearing not to resonate. "Did someone tell you that before?" Erin asked, doing her best to keep her emotions in check. Watching her little sister tremble from across the kitchen was tugging at her heart.

She nodded meekly. "W-when I don't got a reason, I shouldn't be upset."

"It's okay to be upset when you feel it." Erin abandoned the stovetop to approach the little girl. Unfortunately, Piper backed up a pace, almost in fear. "You're allowed to feel whatever you need to, sweetheart. Sometimes, we go through things that come up when we're not expecting. It doesn't mean you don't have a reason."

Piper looked up at Erin, tears swimming in her eyes. "You're not mad?"

"Not at all," Erin shook her head, "Just worried about you. I don't want you to think that you can't be upset around us." She glanced over her shoulder to Jay, who gave a reassuring nod. He was damn proud of his partner for how she was handling Piper's nervousness. "We're here for you, Noodle, no matter what, okay?"

She nodded slowly, Erin's words seeming to get through. "What if I help you set the table?" Erin suggested, "Jay can finish up the French toast, since I think I scared him a bit with the melted spatula and burned fingers."

"You-you burned your fingers?" Piper looked alarmed, "That's how come Jay doesn't like us near the burners."

"Exactly," Jay chuckled, "I don't know Pipes, I might trust you more than Erin when it comes to the open flame."

Erin rolled her eyes at her partner. "I'm totally fine." She extended her fingers where Jay had placed the band aids, "Just got a little clumsy."

Piper's eyes were trained on her sister's fingers. "Did Jay kiss it better like his mom used to?"

Jay's cheeks darkened. "You bet," he managed, "A kiss always makes an injury a bit better, I think."

Piper was still quiet over breakfast. "Did you get enough to eat, Pipes?" Jay asked after demolishing his third helping of Erin's French toast. Despite the burned fingers, her recipe was delicious.

"It's good," she said softly. She'd finished one piece, but he was hoping she would have had more. After holding her in his arms last night and down the mountain during the day, he became increasingly aware of just how slight his little friend was. When Intelligence first found her, they thought she might be seven or eight, but in Jay's research and by his best guess, Piper was roughly the same size as a six year old. Piper lifted her gaze, eyes appearing clearer than they had all morning. "Even better than Jay's pancakes."

A huge grin spread across Erin's lips and Jay feigned like he'd been stabbed. "Hear that, Halstead?" Erin teased, "Better than your pancakes."

"Ouch," he managed, "That cut deep, kiddo."

"You liked 'em too," Erin insisted, "There is literally syrup all over your face." She lifted a napkin to his cheeks and wiped off the stickiness, "And you say I make messes."

"You also injure yourself," he shot back jokingly, "Why do you think there's a first aid kit within an arm's reach in the kitchen, hm?"

"For me?" Erin pointed at her chest, "No way. I am not that bad. I've killed maybe two spatulas."

"Mm, and burned yourself more times than I can count," Jay gestured to her fingers, "I also seem to recall a nicked thumb when slicing carrots and nearly tripping over an open oven door?"

"You are an elephant," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest, "You remember literally everything."

Jay snorted. "Not everything." He found Piper's gaze, "Maybe we'll have to do a taste test one of these days. My pancakes versus Erin's French toast."

Piper gave a small smile and a nod, "I can be the judge?"

"Exactly," Erin nodded in agreement. She furrowed her brow when she caught sight of the gloomy weather through the window. "Oh man. Looks like rain."

Jay followed her gaze. "Darn," he sighed, "I was thinking we could do a little fishing today, but it might be time for a board game instead." He stood up from the table and gathered the plates, "I'm going to hop in the shower real quick. Pipes, you wanna pick out a game from the cabinet over there?"

Piper nodded and headed for the cabinet to examine the game situation. Erin quickly wiped down the kitchen before taking a seat on the couch. After being on her feet cooking, she was surprisingly tired, and her head was throbbing.

"Erin?"

Her little sister's voice brought her out of the daze. "Sorry, Noodle, what did you say?" Erin gave an apologetic smile, "Guess I zoned out for a second."

"Which game?" Piper held up two options – Clue and Risk. Both involved reading small print on small cards, and Erin's headache increased just thinking about it.

"I'm good with either," she managed, "You pick."

Piper set the games on the coffee table gently. "Are you okay?"

Erin took a shaky breath. She didn't want to lie to her sister, but she also didn't want to scare her. "My head's aching a bit," she said honestly, "But I'm fine, really. I like playing board games."

The little girl furrowed her brow. "You wanna lie down?"

"No, no, I want to hang out with you guys," Erin insisted, forcing a smile despite the pounding in her head, "Really. You don't need to worry about me."

"Maybe you can lie down just til Jay gets done in the shower," Piper offered, climbing up on the couch beside her sister, "It might help your head feel better."

Erin exhaled. Lying down would feel nice. "Maybe just for a few minutes," she acquiesced, adjusting her position on the couch. "Thanks for looking out for me."

"You look out for me," Piper replied softly. She tentatively pushed some of the hair off Erin's forehead. "Is there anything that would help you feel better?"

"Just you sitting here is helping," Erin said, her eyes closed. She reached a hand back and stroked Piper's knee. "Thank you though."

Piper watched as her sister's features pinched when a clap of thunder came overhead. "When Jay does this it usually helps," she whispered, lightly stroking her sister's scalp with her tiny fingers. Almost immediately, Erin relaxed.

"That feels good," she mumbled, "Thank you, Noodle."

"Alrighty, what game are we playing, Pipes?" Jay asked as he emerged from the downstairs bedroom freshly showered. He stopped short when he caught sight of his partner laying on the couch, and Piper methodically rubbing her scalp.

"Erin's head really hurts," Piper murmured, keeping her voice low, "I said she should lie down, and I saw you doin' this to help her head before."

Jay smiled softly. "You are such a good sister," he praised, carefully approaching the couch. He glanced outside again. After Erin got a concussion in New York, there was a big thunderstorm a few days later, and suddenly she was back to intense headaches and concussion symptoms. The doctor he called since she refused to go had advised that it was the low weather pressure, and sure enough, when the weather evened out, his partner was feeling better.

"Can you check on her?" Piper asked worriedly, "I-I don't know what to do."

"You're doing everything right," Jay assured her, crouching beside Erin's head to stroke her cheek. "I think it's the weather. Sometimes storms can make people's head hurt, and Erin's head is extra sensitive."

"Sorry," Erin mumbled, cracking one eye open to meet Jay's, "Didn't mean to ruin the game day."

"It's not a big deal." He shook his head, "I'm going to grab you some water, to keep you hydrated, okay? Pipes is going to sit with you."

"Mm," she murmured in response, "Thanks."

Piper continued to gently massage her sister's head, but kept glancing to the kitchen to make sure Jay was returning with the water he'd gone to fetch. "I don't know what happened," Erin managed when he returned and helped her sit to drink the water, "I-I was fine and then I felt like my head was going to explode."

"The storm should be passing quickly," Jay promised, stroking Erin's cheek again, "Do you want to lay back down for a bit?"

"Yeah," she mumbled tiredly, "Sorry, I feel like I'm raining on the parade."

"No need to apologize," he assured her, and offered a smile to Piper. The little girl was worried. "Erin's gonna be fine in a few hours," Jay said, "No big deal, kiddo."

"Erin's hurting," Piper insisted, "We can't do anything else to help?"

Jay smiled kindly. "Just gotta wait for the storm to pass, I'm afraid." He thought for a moment. "Do you want to lie down with Erin for a bit? I'll take over rubbing her head."

Erin cracked a smile and exhaled in relief when Piper cuddled next to her. Jay took Piper's spot on the couch and continued to rub Erin's head, while Piper ran a comforting hand up and down Erin's arm.

Before she could stop them, a few tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. "Oh no Er," Jay whispered, "Do you feel sick?"

"No," she choked out, "I just…I don't think I've ever felt so take care of."

The smile returned to Jay's lips as he rubbed her scalp. "You better get used to it."

It had been months since Jay last spent a lazy day on the couch. After Erin left and he fell apart, he knew that he had to keep himself active to keep his head above water, and that laying down and letting his mind wander was a recipe for disaster. Hank had forced him to take furlough here and there, but he spent those days exercising or grocery shopping or cleaning – anything to keep his mind off the part of his heart that was across the country.

Piper was a welcome reminder to slow things down but even then, his mind was preoccupied. He wasn't thinking about Erin or the what if or the heartbreak. He was focused on his little friend, who needed him.

But now, both of his girls were by his side. Yes, Erin was recovering from a concussion and was feeling a little rough around the edges, but she was home. Maybe not physically, but Jay always felt that whenever they were together, no matter where it was, that he was home. And for the first time in as long as Jay could remember, he let his mind wander.

He mindlessly threaded his fingers through Erin's hair, knowing just how to do it so he didn't snag or tug and injure her head further. He pressed his fingers against her scalp lightly, eyes trained on her features, and smiled every time she relaxed a little bit more.

Piper had snuggled up in Erin's embrace and was now softly snoozing against her stomach. The little girl was still exhausted from the previous day of activity and difficult night before, and Jay was thankful she was resting. He was still worried about her energy levels after hearing that she was fairly anemic, but he also knew it would take time for the iron pills to take effect.

Jay thought back to that day when he heard Erin's desperate voice on the other end of the call. She needed him, and Piper needed him too. As he held his little friend in his embrace after they returned home, Jay remembered what it finally felt like to feel complete, both of his girls in his arms. It was a pivotal moment for him, because he never ever wanted to let go again.

He loved Piper fiercely, and wanted to protect her at all costs. She was strong, just like her sister, but she had an intuition and maturity that astounded him. Every time the little girl broke down, Jay was reminded of just how young she was, how small she was, and how much she'd endured in her short lifetime.

It always made him think of Erin.

Erin, like Piper, had been through so much growing up. She touched on aspects of growing up with Bunny while they were dating, but what shattered his heart time and time again were the memories of Charlie. How he manipulated her and put her in harm's way. How he had her selling drugs on the street, how he let other men lay their hands on her. It kept him up at night when they were hooking up, and he would just lie awake and watch as his partner's chest rose and fell gently. He couldn't believe she made it through all that.

She made it through Nadia, as well. It had nearly killed her, and nearly killed him in the process. He didn't like to think about the Benji Keyes incident because he never blamed her for that, but he did think back to how distraught he was to pick up his partner from a nightclub, or a random bar, reeking of booze and other substances. Watching her go down that road tore his heart apart, and he was so glad she'd stayed off it.

The thought of her straying off had crossed his mind more times than he wanted to admit. He wasn't proud of it, but over the last year, he made it a habit of checking NYPD reports, hoping he'd never come across anyone who met Erin's description. He had nightmares of receiving pleading calls, eerily similar to the ones he got after Nadia, asking him to pick her up and take her home. He wasn't proud of that either, especially not of the tiny part of him that hoped he'd receive a call, just so he could have her in his arms again.

But somehow, the universe brought her back. And she was healthy and strong, but still so broken inside. He wasn't worried, because this time, he was stronger, and he knew that he could be strong enough for both of them. For all three of them.

"Mm," Erin whimpered, bringing a hand up to her forehead.

Jay snapped out of his daze. "What's wrong?" he asked gently, still massaging her scalp, "Your head still hurts?"

"I-I feel nauseous," she choked out, "I-I think I'm gonna be sick."

Jay immediately jumped up from his seat and slid his arms under his partner, bringing her into his embrace. He hurried across the living room, Erin in his arms with her hand over her mouth, and sank to his knees in the downstairs bathroom, just in time for Erin's French toast to make an unfortunate reappearance. He gathered the hair off the nape of her neck and rubbed her back as she coughed into the toilet. "S-sorry," she said weakly, leaning back against Jay in exhaustion after she finished, "Ugh."

"You don't have apologize," he replied gently, "Not with me." He stroked the hair off her forehead as she sagged against him. She sniffed and turned her face into his neck as he held her closer. "Shh," he whispered, "You're okay, Er."

"Erin's sick?" Piper stood worriedly in the bathroom doorway.

"Just a little," Jay said carefully. He didn't want to frighten his little friend. "She's going to be just fine."

"We-we gotta take her back to the hospital," the little girl said, "The doctor said if Erin gets sick, she's gotta go back."

Jay grimaced. Piper was right, and Erin was not going to like it. Plus, the nearest hospital was over an hour away. "It'll pass," Erin attempted, her voice muffled in Jay's neck, "It happens with concussions."

"I know, but you've had a few too many." Jay gently rubbed Erin's scalp with one hand. "Pipes, can you grab my phone from the living room? I'm going to see if my brother has any advice."

"I'm going to freak her out," Erin bemoaned the second Piper was out of earshot, "You should just leave me in here, I don't want her to get scared."

"Not a chance," Jay replied, "She's going to want to be close to you too, Er." He smiled softly when Piper reappeared with Jay's phone, a glass of water and a roll of paper towels.

"It's okay, Erin," Piper soothed, crouching beside her big sister, "Jay's gonna help you feel better."

Erin sniffed when her sister stroked her goose bumped arm. "Thank you, Noodle," she whispered.

"You want some water?" Piper lifted the glass, and Jay gave a proud nod of approval. "Jay says you gotta stay hydrated."

She managed a small nod and accepted the glass with trembling fingers. Piper kept a hold on it as well while Jay gently stroked Erin's hair. "You wanna head back to the couch?" Jay offered after shooting a text to his brother.

"I'll stay here for a few more minutes," Erin replied, almost ashamed, "I um, I don't want to get sick again."

He nodded and pressed a gentle kiss atop her head while Piper stroked Erin's arm. "Will's going to call me back in a minute," he said slowly, "Pipes, do you want to sit here with Erin for a bit while I see what Will's advice is?"

Piper nodded and took a seat on the bathroom floor. Erin appeared to be reluctant to separate herself from Jay, but gratefully laid down on the cool tile and rested her head on Piper's lap. "It's okay," Piper soothed, mimicking Jay's action of stroking her hair, "I'm not gonna leave you alone."

Erin sniffed and managed another tiny nod. "I'll be right back," Jay promised, dropping a quick kiss atop Piper's head, "I'm just outside."

"Thanks for doin' this, Noodle," Erin mumbled, her eyes closed in appreciation at her little sister's gentle ministrations, "Really."

"This is what you did to make me feel better," Piper reminded her softly, "And it helped a whole bunch." She cleared her throat slightly. "I had a foster mom who did this for me once," the little girl recalled, her voice even. "I was really little, but I remember I got really sick from some clams. They lived outside the city, and when I stayed with them, it was summer time, I think. I called her Mrs. Allison, and she had a lot of kids that she adopted with her husband. One of their other foster kids was getting adopted by them, so they had a party." Piper paused, "I remember being sad because I wasn't going to get to stay. And then I tried clams and got really sick."

"I'm allergic to clams too," Erin whispered, her heart aching at Piper's anecdote. "I um, I'm glad she was nice to you."

Piper nodded in agreement. "I think I was five. They were going to try to keep me for longer, but they had too many kids, so I had to leave." She paused again. "Mrs. Allison cried a lot, and I felt bad that she was so upset." She toyed with a few strands of Erin's hair, "The social worker came and picked me up, and that's when I went to live with Donny."

Erin sucked in a breath. Every time she heard about the people who used to harm her sister, it made her blood run cold. "Even though I was sick, it was one of my good memories," Piper continued, "Same when I got sick at Jay's, and you came to help. Even though I didn't feel good, I felt better with both you guys."

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes before she could stop them. "I-I know how you feel," Erin managed, unable to formulate the rest of her thought. She loved how she felt when she was surrounded by Piper and Jay. She never wanted to miss that feeling again.

Jay carefully entered the bathroom, bearing a bottle of Gatorade and another glass of water. "Will said we just need to keep an eye on you, and reassess when the weather clears," he said softly, squatting down in front of his girls, "He thinks the pressure is really messing with your head, especially since you've had a few concussions."

Erin let a weak whimper roll off her tongue. "No hospital?"

"No hospital, not unless you can't keep anything else down," Jay informed her, reaching a hand to stroke her cheek, "Will thinks since you were doin' okay yesterday, it might just be a fluke. But if you start feeling worse, we're gonna take you in."

Piper looked up at Jay, eyes swimming with worry. "He thinks Erin's gonna be okay?"

Jay nodded, "Yes, he does. And I trust him." He paused, "I don't think I've introduced you guys yet. Will works with Dr. Manning. He's got red hair."

"He loves a good time," Erin said dryly, eyes still closed, "I remember a few too many rough mornings after hanging out with Will at Molly's."

He chuckled. "Yeah. He's a good guy these days. Come pretty far, since we didn't talk for a while."

"We'll have to do one of those nights again, for old time's sake," Erin murmured. Will certainly knew how to get a party started. He'd push over a few shots and before she knew it, she and Jay would be wrapped around each other in an Uber home, giggling and flirting like a couple of teenagers. They were some of her favorite nights, despite the less than ideal morning after.

"Oh yeah," Jay wiggled his eyebrows when Erin cracked an eye open, "Can't resist an Erin Lindsay after party."

Couldn't stop with worried Jay and sweet Piper! Let me know what you think. With all the feedback I've been super inspired to keep it up :)