A/N: I really love reading/writing about the relationship between Erin and Camille, so tried my best to smoothly fit it in. Let me know what you think. :)
The Lavers case was difficult for the whole intelligence unit, so when for the next few days they only did paperwork, everyone was grateful. Both Erin and Jay welcomed the normal hours at work and enjoyed spending more time together. The weekend after the Lavers case the couple were watching the Blackhawks late into the evening at Erin's apartment. Jay had just got up to use the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. Erin got up from the couch, opened the door and was surprised at who she saw. "Hank… what are you doing here?" Erin said quite loudly, hoping Jay would hear who she was speaking to and would then stay in the bathroom and stay silent. Hank looked Erin up and down and gruffly said, "I know I taught you better manners than that." Erin chuckled at Hanks blatant disregard of her question but then said with cheeky grin, "Hello Hank, what has brought you over to my humble abode on this fine evening? Would you like to come in?" Hank glared at her sarcastic response but then pulled her in for a one-armed hug and kissed her temple. Hank then left Erin out in the hall, walked into her apartment and said, "I'll put the kettle on." From that sentence and the view of Hank retreating inside the doorway, Erin was taken back to the first night that Hank brought her home.
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1999
She had met Camille Voight before, and by now she would even say she knew Hank quite well, but as fourteen-year-old Erin Lindsay stood inside the Voight's front room, everything felt so new. Erin sat on a worn and comfortable armchair wearing her only pieces of clothing and clutching her backpack which contained all of her possessions. Camille came down the stairs and handed Erin a warm cardigan and a blanket. Erin looked up at Camille confused by her actions, so Camille explained herself, "I could see you shivering from the moment you got out of Hank's car." And instead of saying anything to respond, Erin simply put on the cardigan, wrapped herself in the blanket and gave a shy smile to Camille. Hank then looked between the two other people in the room and said, "We are really happy you finally decided to take up my offer Erin. But… and I mean this when I say it… we have some ground rules that you have to follow. We can't let you get up to the same tricks as you're used to. Not with Justin around. He's young and we want to protect him for as long as possible and we want you to help us do that." Hank's suggestion of rules made Erin want to rip off the cardigan and blanket and run as fast as she could. But she had nowhere to go. Not after she helped Hank arrest Bunny's new boyfriend. Erin had left her mother's tiny excuse of an apartment that morning to go to school with only the clothes on her back, whatever she could fit inside her backpack and a cheek stinging from where her mother's hand had slapped it. Erin took a deep breath. She wanted to stay with the Voight's. She wanted a warm bed and running water. She wanted a place to call home. So she looked at Hank, stared at him square in the eyes and said, "I'll follow any rules you want." At that statement both Hank and Camille smiled. Before the trio did anything else, Camille wanted to show Erin where she could put her things and where she would be sleeping. As they got to the stairs Erin turned to Camille and said, "Where are you taking me… I can just leave my stuff by the couch. That makes the most sense if that's where I'm sleeping," the uncertainty of her words was clear. Camille just took Erin's hand and led her up the stairs and into the second room on the right-hand side of the hall. When Camille switched on the light, she turned around to say something to Erin but was surprised to see tears welling in her eyes. Camille quickly pulled the teenager into her embrace and softly said, "I know it's been a tough few years. But this is real … you're really here. We're not letting you go anywhere." Erin sniffled a few times but managed to compose herself enough for Camille to feel comfortable to let go. Camille then started showing Erin where everything was in her room. "So, you've got your bed here and a spare blanket across the bottom, but if you get cold in the night Hank and I have more in our bedroom. We got you a desk and a lamp, so you can do work in the privacy of your own room. I tried to fill the drawers with things I thought you might find useful like post it notes and pens. Then in the cupboard, you've got shelves and hanging space… and I know there's not a lot in there, but I just picked up a few things for you… a couple of t-shirts, some jeans and big thick coat. I wasn't sure how many of your clothes you'd bring so I erred on the side of caution. If you don't like anything or things don't fit, we can just take them back and get something else." Camille seemed to ramble on and on until she was interrupted by Erin wrapping her arms around the older woman. "Thank you so much for doing all of this …for me. I love all of it." Erin quietly said. Before either of them could say anything more, there was a quiet knock on the door. Hank stepped in the room and said, "How about we take this chit-chat downstairs huh, maybe have a warm drink before bed." Before Erin could even answer, Camille looked at her husband, grinned widely and said, "That would be perfect." Erin looked between the married couple. It was the first time she'd ever seen a marriage look like what it did in the story books. Two people who cared about and supported one another, no violence, no drug abuse, just love. Then Hank said the few words that brought Erin out of her thought about fairytales, "I'll put the kettle on."
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Erin walked back into her apartment after her trip down memory lane, to find Hank sitting at her table with two cups of coffee. She grinned at him and said, "You always did know how to make the best coffee." Erin sat down across from Hank and analyzed his face. Although he looked tired and a little older with more lines on his face and around his eyes and his hair had started going grey by his temples, Hank still had the same energy that he did when Erin first met him. Hank had had enough of sitting in silence, so he said, "You know, even though we work together every day, I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time. What has got you so busy these days?" Erin smiled, thinking about Jay and how much time the two of them had been spending together lately. She knew that she couldn't tell Hank about their relationship, not yet, so instead Erin changed the topic completely and said, "The other day I had the strangest urge to make Camille's famous chocolate chip cookies, but it ended up being a complete disaster because I couldn't find the recipe and I couldn't remember all the ingredients. So there I was, sitting on the floor in the kitchen, everywhere was a complete mess covered in flour and sugar and all I could do was laugh and myself and wish that I had paid more attention when Camille used to drag me into the kitchen." Hank was a little taken aback by the sudden change but could always easily talk about his late wife, "You know she only ever started making those when I told her that they were your favourite." Erin was shocked by Hank's statement, "That can't be true, she made them for me before I'd even properly come home to you guys," Erin softly said. Hank simply responded, "It's true." Erin was still surprised and quietly said to herself more than to Hank, "But… but she didn't even like me when we met." Hank reached over, grasped Erin's hand and said, "But she more than loved you by the time we got you home." They spent the next ten minutes talking about Justin and how he was doing in the army and with the new baby. Hank mentioned that Justin and his family were going to come to Chicago for Easter which made Erin think about where she and Jay would be in three months. Erin wondered if Hank would know about their relationship by then, and if he did, whether Jay would be invited to Hank's Traditional Easter feast.
Hank had finished his coffee, so he stood up to leave and Erin followed him to the door but before he opened the door Hank turned to Erin and said, "You've been happier lately and I'm glad to see it, so when you're finally ready to tell me what or who is making that happen…I'll be ready. And you know Erin, the day you finally came home was one of the best days of my life and I know it was one of Camille's best days too." Hank placed a quick kiss on Erin temple and said, "I'll see you tomorrow." Once the door closed Erin heard movement from the bathroom and laughed when she turned around and saw her boyfriend standing in front of her with the most unimpressed look upon his face. "I got the memo to stay in the bathroom when you practically screamed Hank's name," Jay chuckled. Erin was happy that he found the whole situation funny because after being left trapped in the bathroom for 25 minutes, a lot of people would be in a foul mood. But not Jay, because Jay could tell that Erin had no choice, it was either sit and talk with Hank until he left or tell Hank about their relationship. Erin tugged at Jay's arms and pulled them around herself, "I think we should tell Hank about us. And if he makes one of us transfer then we'll make that decision if and when it presents itself. But I actually think he'd be ok with us, you know," Erin said to Jay almost convincing herself as well as her boyfriend. Jay placed a soft kiss into Erin's hair and said, "Babe when you want to tell the guy that is basically your dad that you've got boyfriend it's going to be your decision. I'll support you whenever that time is." The two of them stood in a locked embrace for some time before Jay moved into the kitchen to make dinner and Erin started to lay the table, both of them settled in the thought that soon Hank would know and before Erin could change her mind about telling Hank she got out her phone and messaged Hank saying – It has been ages since we've done our weekly Sunday dinner. You free next Sunday? Because if you are, I want to show you why I've been so happy.