Jay was enjoying himself at Molly's with Erin and Kim. He wasn't drinking too much tonight though, he wanted to still be sober enough to pick Juliette up after her shift.
He smiled to himself as he thought back to their argument earlier in the day, an argument he actually won.
"Shouldn't you be at work?" a surprised Juliette opened her door.
"Got a spare five minutes to take you to work," he answered from the doorway, as he watched her put her jacket on.
"There is adequate public transport available for me to get to work Jay," she huffed at him, hand on her hip.
"I know," he shrugged, "Just let me drop you,"
"You going to pick me up from work too dad?" she was clearly kidding.
"Yes," he answered seriously, causing Juliette to drop her smirk.
"Jay," she started as she moved towards him, "I'm not a little girl. I don't need a chaperone,"
"I know," he repeated, he wasn't going to back down from this one.
She stared at him for a bit, and then seemingly a look of realisation came over her.
Didn't stop her huffing as she picked up her bag and pushed Jay out of her doorway, so she could lock up, "Fine,"
"Thank you," he jested as they headed downstairs.
"This is temporary," she sighed as she opened his car door, "Just until I get a new car,"
"I know," he said, once again.
"Halsteads," she grunted as he got in and turned the car on.
"You love us," he quipped as they pulled out of her apartment block.
"I'm seriously starting to doubt why," was what he got in return.
Laughing to himself, it dawned on him that she had caved all too quickly, making him think now that maybe he hadn't actually won an argument with her. She had just let him win, like she usually did when she could see he needed it.
He didn't notice his phone ringing, and only just noticing when Erin got up to take a call.
He looked at her in question and got Voight mouthed at her in response.
Nodding, he turned his attention back to Kim and began asking her questions about being a flight attendant.
"Hey," Erin answered, she was now standing outside Molly's, so she could hear him a bit better.
"Halstead with you?" came Voight distinctive voice.
"He's inside yeah," she rolled her eyes.
When she didn't get an immediate response she spoke again, "Everything okay?"
"Juliette with you guys?" another question.
"She's on shift I think. Why?" she was beginning to worry a little.
"Put him on," Voight sighed into the phone.
"Voight, what's going on?" Erin asked as she made her way back inside and back to their table, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," was the gruff response she got.
"Okay," she said as she tapped Jay on the shoulder, and handed him the phone.
"Hello?" Jay asked as he looked at Erin confused. She just shrugged at him.
"I need Juliette's number," not the answer he was looking for. Only begged more questions.
"Why?" Jay asked, confusion still etched on his face.
"Jay," his name being used as a warning.
"Is she in trouble?" he was hesitant to give Voight what he wanted.
"I need her help," Jay thought he could hear a tiny bit of desperation in Voight's voice.
"I'll text it to you," he finally conceded, Juliette was a grown woman after all.
"Thanks," he heard his boss say before the call ended.
Handing the phone back to Erin, he then took out his own and texted the number to Voight.
He then sent another text to Juliette, giving her a heads up that a call was coming her way, not knowing whether she would even read it in time.
"What did he want?" Erin asked, hoping maybe Jay could shed some more light on the situation.
"No idea," Jay answered, taking a swig of his beer.
Juliette had barely looked at her phone before it rang. She could see that Jay had sent her a message but didn't have a chance to read it when she answered the unfamiliar number, "Hello?"
"Juliette?" came the gruff voice on the other end.
"Yes?" she was hesitant.
"It's Voight," he answered the unasked question, putting Juliette out of her misery.
"Is everything okay?" came the immediate question. Is Jay okay? Going unsaid but not unheard.
"Jay's fine," Voight chuckled slightly, he had heard that the two were close, "I need your help,"
Looking at the clock, Juliette checked how much time she had left on her shift, "I got about twenty minutes before I'm done. Can it wait that long?" she had no idea what she was walking into and the scared her a little. Not that she would ever let on.
"I'll pick you up in twenty," she let out a sigh of relief at his response, obviously the situation wasn't life or death. She could breathe a bit easier now.
Once the call ended, she quickly read Jay's message and sent back an all good.
Her last twenty minutes went by quick, they were up before she knew it.
She was just finishing up her last bit of paperwork when she heard Ethan's voice, "There's a Sergeant Voight looking for you at the front desk,"
"Thanks Ethan," she smiled at him as she collected her things and headed out, "See you tomorrow,"
"See you tomorrow," she heard him shout back.
She didn't know who she was meant to look for, something Maggie must have picked up on. She pointed to the man who had his back turned to her, Juliette smiling at her in thanks.
"Voight?" she tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around.
"Juliette," he extended a hand for her to shake, "Thanks for this,"
"Sure thing," she shook his hand.
He smiled at her as he took her bag out her hand.
"You don't need to do that," she was surprised by the action.
"It's no problem," he gestured towards the door as he spoke, "Shall we?"
She smiled and headed out, waving goodbye behind her to Maggie as she did.
They hadn't been driving long when Juliette broke the silence, "What is it that you think I can help you with?"
"Was wondering how long it would take you to ask," Voight chuckled slightly.
"That's not an answer," she crossed her arms in annoyance.
"You sure you and Halstead aren't related?" his response earning him a glare, "Got a kid I need you to look over,"
"How old?" she dropped her defences a little.
"Thirteen," he answered, as he pulled up into a driveway, "We're here,"
Getting out of the car, Juliette took a good look around, "This your house?"
Voight didn't answer her, but the keys in the door filled in the blanks for her.
She was not prepared for the bloodied and bruised face of a thirteen year old that greeted her inside the house, her heart hurt a little at how unsure the young boy looked.
"Hi. I'm Juliette," she spoke softly as she set her bag down, "What's your name?"
He looked up at Voight, clearly asking the older man if she was okay.
He must have got the confirmation he needed because she soon heard his voice, "D'Anthony,"
"I'm a nurse D'Anthony," she looked him in the eye, letting him know that she was simply there to help, "Can I take a closer look at these injuries?"
He nodded, just enough to make her smile, "I'm not going to hurt you,"
"Okay," he said timidly.
She was about to ask Voight for a wet cloth, when suddenly one appeared in front of her.
"Thanks," she said without looking up, just taking the cloth out of Voight's hand and gently wiped the blood of D'Anthony's face.
Once she had got the dried blood off his face, she took a better look at him. The cuts weren't deep enough to require stitching, same went for the split lip. She touched a couple of spots around his left eye, but stopped when she heard him hiss and recoil back a little. Satisfied that his injuries weren't too severe, she stood and went in search of some ice.
When she returned a couple minutes later, drying cloth filled with ice in hand, she stopped in the doorway and smiled at the sight before her.
D'Anthony was sitting on the couch, Voight crouching in front of him, both deep in silent conversation. It painted a different picture of Voight than the one she imagined from Jay's stories.
It was the line that came from Voight next that brought her back into the present, "You have to tell her about all your injuries," emphasis on all heard clearly by Juliette.
"Where else are you hurt?" she kept her voice soft as she stepped forward, crouching in front of D'Anthony like Voight.
"My leg," he answered sheepishly.
Juliette put the ice on the bruised cheek and took D'Anthony's hand to hold it in place, "Keep the ice on while I have a look,"
She rolled up his pant leg and had a look. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in when she saw only bruising, "Just some bruising. It'll hurt for a little but should be okay,"
"He was holding his right arm when I picked him up," Voight said as he stood.
Juliette shook her head slightly as she rolled up the arm sleeve, "Men, always gotta act tough" she winked at D'Anthony, earning her a small smile in return.
"Does it hurt when I touch here?" she asked as she prodded a couple of darker spots on his arm.
"Not really," he answered, Juliette heard the honesty in his voice.
Standing, she turned to face Voight, "It's mainly bruising, in addition to the split lip and cut on his face. Nothing needing stitching, just going to be sore for a few days,"
"You hungry?" Voight's choice of words catching Juliette off guard, "Both of you,"
Juliette looked over at D'Anthony, who shrugged non-committedly in response. Both Voight and Juliette could tell the boy was hungry.
Turning back to Voight, Juliette smiled, "We're hungry,"
Voight nodded and headed out onto his porch. Juliette heard a barbeque being started up. The smoke she could smell not long after confirming this.
"Come on kid," she tilted her head towards where Voight had gone, "Let's eat,"
The two followed Voight's footsteps and joined him on the porch, Juliette taking a seat and D'Anthony leaning against the railing near her. Both watching Voight cook.
"So how would this work? You getting me out and all," D'Anthony's voice startling them both. Neither one had expected him to say anything, at least not right away.
"Leave that to me," Voight glancing at D'Anthony briefly and then turning his attention back to the meat simmering away, "It may take a couple of days. Just need you to stay alive 'til then,"
"What's in it for you?" D'Anthony appreciated the honesty Voight was giving him.
"You're a good kid," Voight shrugged. Juliette could tell he clearly knew how to get people to open up to him, to willingly give him the information he was looking for.
"I don't got to work it off? Like be a snitch or something cause that ain't happening," both adults could hear the apprehension in the young boy's voice.
"No," Voight answered, not taking his eyes off the meat.
"But if I wanted to tell you something? Not because you were paying me but because I wanted to tell you. That don't make me no snitch," D'Anthony was ready to talk, just needed the confirmation that he wasn't a snitch.
"Just two guys breaking bread having a conversation," Voight had now moved from the barbeque and was no standing in front of D'Anthony, standing at him man to man.
"I don't see no bread," D'Anthony's confusion caused Juliette to laugh a little.
"It's an expression," she offered as she composed herself.
"Kay. Well I heard some of the older guys talking. There's gonna be one more hit," you could see the weight being lifted his shoulders with the admission.
"Who?" Voight asked, arms crossed.
"I don't know. But Xavier would, Xavier Green. He drove for Rev," D'Anthony finally felt like he had done something right.
Voight squeezed his shoulder in comfort, then took out his phone to call in the information.
Juliette gestured at D'Anthony to sit next to her while they waited, and smiled when he did.
They sat there in silence. D'Anthony had slowly moved closer to Juliette.
Juliette felt for the kid, it was obvious he had been without people who genuinely cared for him. She put her arm around him and pulled him just that final bit closer, bringing him in for a hug. He leant into her, and that was how Voight found them.
He felt a little bad that he would have to ruin the moment, but their food was ready.
He caught Juliette's eye and she knew what he was about to say.
She squeezed D'Anthony tight one more before letting go, "Time to eat kiddo,"
They ate in relative silence, a comfortable one. The sounds of Chicago at night heard in the background.
Juliette had not long finished eating when her phone rang.
"Need a lift home?" came Jay's voice when she answered.
"You sober?" she countered his question with one of her own.
"I wouldn't ask otherwise," he sounded tired.
"I'd love one," she was equally as tired, the length of the day finally catching up with her.
"Where are you?" she swore he was already driving.
"Voight's," she answered, looking out into the night.
"Be there in ten," he said before ending the call.
"Jay picking you up?" Voight's voice causing Juliette to spin around and face them.
"Yeah. Said he'll be here in ten," she sat back down. No point standing while she waited.
True to his word, Jay arrived not long after. The horn honked announcing his presence.
"You're leaving?" D'Anthony piped up.
"He knows where to find me if you need me," she nodded in Voight's direction, "You're in good hands,"
D'Anthony smiled at her and she felt her heart melt a little, "Okay,"
"Thanks," Voight handing her bag to her.
"Anytime," she said as she walked towards Jay.
As she opened the car door, she turned to face Voight once more, "I'm not just here to help Halsteads you know," and with that she got in and they drove off.