A speedier update to make up for last week. Let me know what you think!

Erin hurried to get ready since she knew that Jay and Piper, and now Will, would be at her place any second to pick her up. Seeing Will had completely thrown her off. He was obviously still pissed at her, and rightfully so, but clearly Jay had not been filling his brother in on everything going on between them.

She didn't regret sleeping with Jay by any means, but she was worried about what it meant for them. She missed him, so, so much when she was in New York, but she still had a job out there. Bunny was still in Chicago as well, and she didn't want to risk it with Piper.

But Jay.

Chicago had Jay. And Piper loved Jay, and she loved him too. She knew that she loved him, she'd never actually stopped loving him.

And they were in so much of a better place. They were talking, they were honest, and if she was going to be honest with herself, they were already practically a couple. But part of her wasn't ready for that. The other part, the irrational part, wanted to jump back into Jay's arms like nothing had changed.

But things had changed. And they'd changed a lot. It was a lot of change in the right direction, but she didn't want to mess anything up with Piper. Her little sister was too important, and had been through too much to have to go through what she and Jay experienced last year.

As it turned out, a few hours down by the water was just what she needed to clear her head. Piper was incredibly skeptical of Will and stayed close to Jay as much as she could, but also sought comfort in Erin. Her heart swelled when Piper sat next to her at the taco place but ached as she could sense just how nervous her little sister was at the crowd and with Will.

Will appeared to put the hatchet aside for Piper's sake, and for Jay's, to Erin's relief. She knew that they were in for a bigger conversation, as were she and Jay. Plus, she knew that Jay and his brother had a history, but she was also impressed by how protective Will was being.

Thankfully, goofy Will was out in full force as he attempted to get Piper to warm up to him. The little girl was quite wary of the red-headed Halstead and continually looked to Jay for reassurance that things were okay, and that she was safe.

"Jay didn't take you fishing in Wisconsin?" Will glanced to his brother when Piper shook her head, "Bro, how could you?"

"It rained," Jay replied, mouth full of taco, "And the other day it was boiling hot."

Will shook his head, "This guy," he gestured to his brother with a teasing lilt, "Used to try to push me out of the boat into the lake because I was better at fishing than him."

Piper widened her eyes in surprise while Jay rolled his eyes. "Jay," Erin chastised, also teasingly, "Were you mean to your brother?"

"We were like eight," Jay attempted, "And I guarantee he pushed me first. He was just jealous because I was better at school than him."

"And yet who became the doctor in the family, huh?" Will shot back, "I was a better reader than Jay was Piper, don't listen to his lies."

The little girl immediately looked troubled. "J-Jay doesn't lie." She glanced nervously from Erin to Jay, who swiftly recognized Will's error.

"He doesn't," Erin interjected quickly, placing a hand on Piper's shoulder, "Will's just kidding."

When both Jay and Will nodded in unison, Piper relaxed. "You do a lot of kidding," she remarked to Will, earning a snort from Jay and a grin from Erin. As she spent more time with Jay's brother, she immediately recognized a difference. Will hadn't been through all that Jay had.

"Did you like the tacos, Pipes?" Jay asked, examining her plate. She'd eaten two tacos. While he and Will each demolished five, Jay was pleased. After the social worker's comment about Piper not eating much, he was extra vigilant about making sure Piper got enough to eat.

She nodded emphatically. "Really good."

Jay glanced down at his buzzing phone. "Ah, I gotta take this. One sec." He stood and stepped away, which subsequently sent Piper on high alert.

Will noticed how the little girl tensed the second Jay took a few steps away and exchanged a quick glance with Erin. "Well, now that Jay's out of earshot, let's talk about him," Will said goofily, "Piper, how silly is Jay's method for organizing the dishwasher hm?"

She managed a small smile, "He's got a lot of methods."

Erin nodded in agreement but could sense that her little sister was less comfortable joking with Jay than she and Will. Piper glanced nervously over to Jay as he paced while on the phone, deep within what appeared to be an incredibly serious conversation.

"Jay taught Piper how to play soccer," Erin informed Will to change the subject, "I think he brought a ball to the beach too."

"No way." A huge smile broke out on Will's face. "I was so much better at soccer than Jay."

Piper widened her eyes again. "Really? Or are you kidding?"

Will chuckled, "No, really. He played goalie but I played midfield so I actually touched the ball." He leaned down and pulled out the soccer ball from the bag Jay brought. "You wanna show me what you got?"

The little girl looked over Will's shoulder to Jay, who was still pacing on the phone, and then up to Erin, as if asking for permission. "Go for it, Noodle," Erin encouraged, "I'll watch from here. I bet you can beat Will."

"We'll see about that," Will joked, "Now, I'm sure Jay taught you the basics, but I'm going to show you some tricks."

Erin watched from a few yards away as Will taught Piper a few tricks with the soccer ball. The little girl kept glancing over to Jay, who was on the phone, and back to her, as if she was worried that either of them would leave. It made her heart beat quicker to know that Piper was concerned to be without her, but also made her heart ache because she knew just how many times the child had been abandoned.

"Hey," she greeted when Jay returned to their table and sank heavily into his seat, "Everything okay?"

When he didn't immediately answer, Erin felt her pulse quicken. "Jay?"

"Sorry," he rushed out, "Everything is fine, but Jenna had a case update." Jay swallowed. "Bunny uh, got visitation back," he informed her quickly, "Jenna's going to call you in a bit, but um, yeah. She's not sure what this means. It's supervised this time so someone from DCFS will be in the room with Piper, but it's kind of up in the air right now. She's looking into it."

Erin shook her head as the information washed over her. She couldn't believe that Bunny had gotten any degree of visitation back, but on the other hand, it didn't surprise her. Her mother had a way with somehow always getting what she wanted, and her lawyer had prepared her for the judge's bias toward biological parents. "Piper's going to freak," she murmured, glancing over to Will and her sister. Will was showing her how to keep the ball in the air, and the little girl appeared to be alright. No part of her wanted Piper to have to see her mother again.

"I know," Jay dragged a hand over his face and rubbed the shadow on his cheek, "Sounds like it's Bunny's last chance before they move to terminate her parental rights. If it goes well, there might be some kind of joint custody agreement."

Erin was quiet for a moment. "Am I a horrible sister for hoping it doesn't go well?"

Jay shook his head and reached across the table to take Erin's hand. "No. You want to keep Piper safe and healthy, and the best place for her to do that is to be with you."

"And you," Erin added before flashing a small smile, "She uh, really loves you. Wouldn't say anything bad about you even when Will tried to get her to."

Jay snorted. "He would." He glanced over to his brother and little friend. "He's doing okay with her though."

"Probably because he wants to avoid talking to me," Erin said dryly. "Wasn't thrilled to find me in your shower."

He chuckled softly, "I'm sorry about that," Jay replied honestly, "I should have filled him in more about us and Piper." He paused. "In the last year, Will's really come through for me. Been there, for a lot of the hard stuff."

"I'm sure he feels really protective of you," Erin murmured, "I mean, I'm the bad guy in this story."

Jay shook his head adamantly. "No way. You're not the bad guy, Er. We both made mistakes, remember? Shit timing, communication, whatever, but you're not the bad guy in this story. Please don't think that."

"How can I not?" she scoffed, "I mean, I'm going to be the bad guy when Piper finds out about New York."

He was quiet again. "I honestly keep trying to put it out of my brain," he said honestly, "I um, can't really think about you guys leaving."

"Me either," Erin choked out, "I um, I extended my desk assignment for another month which didn't thrill my bosses but I need to be here to fight for Piper."

Another month. One more month with Erin.

Jay smiled and continued to rub her hand. "I'm glad we get you for another month."

"Today was fun," she said coyly, shooting a knowing look at her partner, "I um, forgot how well we fit together."

He chuckled again. "I didn't," he replied, keeping his voice low, "I memorized every part of you, Erin Lindsay."

She stroked his fingers nimbly and nodded, "You always did have a good memory."

"Is she wearing sunscreen?" Jay snapped back into dad-mode after flirting with his ex-girlfriend. When Erin didn't immediately confirm, he waved his hand to Will to bring the little girl back. He didn't want her getting burned.

"I forgot," Erin said sheepishly, "I'm so bad at this." The way Jay could effortlessly shift between making her weak at the knees to being a full-on dad impressed her to no end.

"I forgot too," he said quickly, "Hey kiddo, you're crushing it out there. Just want to get a little bit of sunscreen on your cheeks so you don't get burned, okay?"

Piper nodded. "Will's teaching me tricks," she said, smiling as Jay brushed some sunscreen on her little nose, "He's not as good a teacher as you though."

"Hey!" Will exclaimed as Jay snorted, "Who's side are you on, munchkin?"

"I'm playing against you," Piper said, as if to state the obvious, "That's how come you're trying to take the ball from me."

"A smart one," he mused with a huff, "Well, I bet Jay didn't teach you how to flip and kick, huh?"

"You can't even do that," Jay rolled his eyes and rubbed some of the white cream in on Piper's cheeks, "You'll break yourself, man."

Will huffed again, which finally earned a giggle from Piper. "Are you gonna play with us?" Piper asked excitedly.

"A little brotherly competition?" Erin teased, "To see which Halstead really is the better soccer player?"

"Oh, you are so on," Jay stood before tossing the sunscreen to Erin, "I call dibs on Piper."

"No fair!" Will whined in exaggeration, "I get Erin? I just taught Piper all my tricks."

Erin put her hands on her hips and turned to the doctor. "Really Halstead? You're going to complain about having me on your team?"

"Tough luck," Jay smirked, extending a hand to Piper, "Let's strategize, Pipes." He bent over and rested his hands on his knees to meet her level. "I'm thinking we'll have you take Will, since you know all those tricks now, hm? I'll keep Erin back."

Piper nodded seriously, "Because I'm smaller, I can go around him."

"Perfect," Jay nodded, "Ready?" He grinned when Piper gave another nod, "Break."

"Okay, Halstead, let's see what you got," Will said, "You remember the plan, Erin?"

"I got him," Erin said, winking at her ex-boyfriend, "I know what to do."

While Will and Jay initially wrestled for the ball, Piper stayed in the spot that Jay designated for her, where he'd plan to pass the ball. After freeing it from his brother, Jay kicked it toward Piper, who remembered what the Halstead brothers had taught her, and began to maneuver the ball down the beach.

"Erin!" Will exclaimed, gesturing toward Piper, "She's getting away!"

Erin rolled her eyes and jogged after her little sister, but was caught by two strong arms. "Oh no you don't," Jay breathed into her ear, "We're playing man to man."

She wriggled in his grasp as Piper kicked the ball through the sign and the beach chair that was standing in for the goal. "Jay!" Erin squealed as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around, "Not fair!"

"Goal!" Jay declared when the ball made it through the goal, "Nice one, Pipes!"

Piper grinned as Will let out an overstated groan. "Erin!"

"He got me," Erin defended herself after Jay returned her to the ground, "Not my fault you couldn't stop Piper."

"My feet are all sandy," Piper said almost worriedly as they walked back to Jay's car, "I'm gonna get everything all dirty."

After several more goals by Piper and two lucky shots by Will, Jay could tell that the little girl's energy was fading. He'd enjoyed bantering with Erin again but kept having to remind himself that Piper was watching, as was his brother, and things weren't as simple as they felt.

"That's okay," Jay assured her quickly, giving her hand a small squeeze, "I think all of us have sandy feet. It'll all come off in the shower later."

Piper nodded in relief. "I liked playing soccer."

"You're good too," Will interjected, "Maybe you should try out for the team at school."

As soon as the word left his brother's lips, Jay could have cursed. He hadn't brought up the prospect of returning to school with Piper, nor had he mentioned to Erin that he had already talked to the headmaster at St. James for her sister to start the school year off with him in Chicago. Erin looked just as helpless as Piper looked worriedly from her to Jay. "I-I don't want to do that," she rushed out, "I'm not safe at school."

Will cast an apologetic look toward his brother, unsure of what to say next. "What do you mean, kiddo?" Jay asked softly as he knelt beside his little friend. He knew how important it was to ask for the why whenever Piper got upset, but the answer never ceased to stop breaking his heart. "Did something bad happen at school before?"

The little girl's lower lip trembled as Jay tried to meet her gaze. "I don't want to go back," she whispered, "I have bad memories there."

Jay nodded in understanding. "I get that," he said slowly, brushing a tear off her cheek, "I didn't have too great a time in school when I was your age, and I know you've got some bad memories of the place you used to go, but you don't have to go back there, okay?"

"I want to come to work with you instead," Piper said tearfully, "I don't wanna be by myself."

"You're not alone," he promised, holding his arm out so Piper would know she could come closer if she needed it, "We're going to make sure you feel safe before anything, right? Didn't I promise you that?" He smiled when Piper nodded, "And I keep my promises, right?"

Piper nodded again and leaned into Jay's embrace. "Uh-huh."

He smiled again and stroked the back of her head before glancing up, remembering that his brother and ex-girlfriend were also with them. Will was leaning against his car, clearly impressed with how his brother had handled the little girl. Erin appeared relieved but Jay could tell that her thoughts were racing. Piper returning to school had dawned on her as well. She needed to figure out Chicago, and their plans for New York, but with so much up in the air and at the judge's discretion, she felt like she was flailing. "We're going to figure everything out," Jay said, addressing both his girls with one statement, "But for now, let's get you home and less sandy, sound good?"

"Erin, are you gonna stay for dinner like normal?" Piper asked worriedly, casting a nervous glance up to her sister and then to Will.

"Of course." Erin smiled when Piper looked relieved. "I'm sure Jay already has a plan for what we're going to make tonight."

"So what is this?" Will asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter while Jay and Erin prepared the ingredients for the dinner Jay had planned. Piper had gone to take a shower to get the sand off her feet but had been promised that she could stir the homemade dressing.

"A salad," Jay informed him, gesturing to the bowl.

Will rolled his eyes. "I know that, Jay. I mean this. The two of you." He waved his hands and gestured to the space between Erin and Jay as they prepared the dinner. "Are you back together or what?"

The knife clattered onto the counter as it slipped from Erin's grasp. "Careful, Er," Jay admonished, doing his best to keep his voice casual at his brother's prying. "And we're working on it, Will."

"Well you kept it from me, so that must mean that this actually means something," Will scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "And I only say this because I'm looking out for you, man. Both of you."

"Really? Because it feels like you've got something you want to say that you're not saying," Jay retorted, tossing the lettuce and setting the bowl aside.

Will locked eyes with Erin as she awaited his answer. She knew what was coming. "She left you."

"I left first," Jay replied immediately, acutely aware of just how stiff Erin had gotten beside him, "And we've talked about it, and things are better now. We had the conversation. Multiple, actually."

"I know you're going to tell me it isn't my business," Will continued, still keeping his eyes trained on Erin, "But you're my brother, and that makes it my business." He shifted his gaze to Jay. "I thought you were going to die, man. You can tell me that sounds dramatic, but that's what I thought was going to happen. You weren't sleeping, or eating, or even speaking to anyone." He lifted his hands. "Look. I get it, you're doing better, Erin's back in town, you're raising this kid, but all I'm saying is that you need to think about this, and talk about it. Because all that shit that happened didn't just magically disappear."

All Jay wanted to do was snap at his brother. His blood was just below boiling as he felt Erin practically shaking beside him. It wasn't Will's place to comment on his relationship, or lack thereof, because he didn't know what they'd gone through together.

But what stopped him was that it was Will's business. Will had been there in the months after Erin had left. He'd seen him at his worst. He'd dragged him to meetings, shoved his depressed ass into the shower, forced him to eat and got him to work on time. Will had been there, for the first time that Jay could remember.

And the worst part was that his brother had a point.

He and Erin needed to talk. They needed to reach a place of mutual understanding with the uncertainty of custody and differing cities and hectic jobs and love hanging over their heads.

"You're right."

It was Erin's raspy tone that cut through the thoughts in Jay's head.

She swallowed. "I left. And we do need to talk about us, and what it means for Piper. But we've been talking, Will. And I know you hate my guts and frankly, I don't really give a shit. I care about Jay, and my sister, and we both decided that we're going to put her first when it comes to us doing anything."

Jay nodded in agreement as he found his voice. "You only know one side of the story," he said after clearing his throat, "It's complicated, and we're working through it. And I appreciate you looking out for me, I do. But I'm okay now."

Will narrowed his gaze. "You're telling me that you're going to be okay when Erin up and moves across the country again, taking the kid you're attached to with her?"

Both Erin and Jay were silent. "Yes," Jay said finally, "I want what is best for Piper. And that means being with her sister, no matter where she is."

Erin touched Jay's arm gently. "This isn't like last time," she informed Will, "There are a lot of contingencies, one of which is the fact that Piper is still in protective custody, and another is that my deadbeat mother is trying to get Piper back. Piper only feels safe with Jay, and I'm not about to do anything that's going to make my sister feel unsafe."

Will let out a sigh. "Alright. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come at you guys but you've got something going here and I don't want it to blow up like last time. I mean, you guys were practically getting married and-"

"Dude," Jay hissed as Erin raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What?" Will wrinkled his brow and glanced from Jay to Erin, "She didn't know?"

"No," he practically choked, heat rising in his cheeks.

"You were going to ask me to marry you?" Erin turned to Jay, eyes swimming with tears. She sucked in a breath when he gave a small nod in confirmation.

"Did you make the dressing yet?" Piper's voice was a welcome distraction as the three adults turned.

"Not yet," Jay offered a smile and cleared his throat again, "You want to help?"

Piper nodded and glanced over at Erin, who appeared to be in a bit of shock. "Did Erin get burned again?"

Jay chuckled, "No, no open flames today." He put a gentle hand on Erin's shoulder, "Erin, you want to take over setting the table while Pipes does the dressing?"

She managed a small nod, still processing the fact that Jay was going to propose. "I got it," she said thickly, "I'm excited for this dressing, Noodle."

Piper gave a smile and giggled when Jay lifted her up onto the kitchen counter. "Jay says it's special."

"It's Mom's balsamic," Jay informed Will, "The one she would make on Sundays."

Will nodded as he remembered. "Oh, that's a good recipe. Dad hated that one. But he also hated salad."

Jay snorted and pulled down the ingredients from the cabinet above the stove, "Yeah. He wasn't exactly easy to please."

Piper looked from Jay to Will, intently reading both of the brother's eyes. Again, she was struck by just how different they looked. "Jay was always getting into trouble when we were growing up," Will riffed, offering a smile to Piper, "He forgot to do his chores all the time."

She widened her eyes slightly and looked worriedly to Jay. "You got hurt when you forgot?"

Jay paused. Piper knew about his rough relationship with his dad, and so did Erin. But he never told Will. Part of him always thought Will knew and never addressed it, but in the months of therapy and conversations with Dr. Kim, Jay began to realize that his brother actually had no idea. He hadn't wanted to destroy the image Will had painted of their father in his head, but he knew at some point they'd have to talk about it.

"Yeah," he said in an exhale, "There wasn't always a reason, though."

Will furrowed his brow as he looked from Jay to Piper, and then over to Erin who was standing by the kitchen table, intently listening to the conversation. "Wait…what is she talking about?"

Piper looked up at Jay, her face suddenly ashen. "I-I-I didn't mean to say-"

"It's okay, kiddo," Jay interjected quickly, placing a hand on top of her damp head, "You didn't do anything wrong."

She held fast to his arm as Jay swallowed. "We um, we've been talking a lot about what it's like to grow up with someone who isn't always good to be around. I was telling Piper a little bit about what it was like with Dad."

The wheels were turning in Will's head as he looked at the little girl, and then to his brother. "Yeah, I mean, Dad wasn't great but he didn't hurt us." He stopped when he saw the truth, the hurt, the shame in his brother's eyes. "Jay…he hurt you?"

Jay managed a small nod, grateful that Piper was holding onto his arm. Her little fingers moved up and down his bicep as Will processed. "I had no idea," Will said finally, doing his best to keep his eyes dry, "I-I knew you didn't get along but I never knew-"

"I didn't want you to," Jay cut him off, "Back then, and for a long time, I um, I didn't want you to know. I didn't want anyone to know. But it's uh, a part of my growing up, and I'm learning how to talk about it." He cast a glance to Erin, who gave a proud nod. "It's helping me get better."

Will nodded, "I'm so sorry," he said finally, rounding the kitchen to hug his brother, "Jay, I am so sorry."

Piper released Jay's arm and looked over to Erin as she watched the brothers embrace. Jay was so brave, and she was so glad that she had him to help keep her safe. And his brother wasn't too bad either.

"Okay, salad dressing time," Jay said after Will pulled back from the hug, again flipping back into dad-mode, "Pipes, you want to show Will how it's done?"

Okay truth be told I played around with this one a lot and it didn't come out exactly how I wanted it BUT we're going to unpack it a bunch more in the next few so stay tuned :)