Title: Plan C
Chapter 29 – The Past Comes Back

A/N: Just wanted to give you all a very HUGE THANK YOU! for keeping this story going to almost 30 chapters! Wow love you all and thanks so much for all the amazing support! Hope you all like this update just as much!

"Erin, what's going on?"

"I dropped…" she huffs as she looks into the mirror, the dark police issue sedan now pulled to the side of the road, her eyes watching the other car drive past and her fingers quickly forgetting the phone for a second and writing down the license plate number as it quickly zooms past.

"Erin?"

"Yeah sorry…I dropped the phone. What's going on?" She asks a bit out of breath; not wanting to worry him needlessly if it really was nothing.

"I think my messages are delayed…I got one from Pauline asking…"

"I got the same but I was already at the school and Pauline was with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah we had tea and…and she gave me some great advice," Erin replies with a heavy sigh. "She's making me a bit less nervous…all except the actual birth part. Can I be put under for that? Or have someone else do it for me?" She asks dryly; Kelly giving her a small chuckle on the other end. "But otherwise, everything is fine."

"Okay good. I gotta run," he states as she hears the paging system going off in the background at the Firehouse. "See you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too."

She hangs up and then turns and looks back at Aurora, who looks up at her with adoring eyes. "Where's daddy?"

"He's at work still sweetie. We'll see him tomorrow."

With that Erin heads for home, reaching their apartment and feeling some additional tightness in her stomach. Pauline had given her a recipe for some great herbal tea to soothe stomach cramps and she heads into the kitchen to make some. But not a few minutes later does Aurora come bounding into the kitchen asking her to play with her.

She looks down at the happy grin; her own smile tight and her brain wanting nothing more than to say…I'm tired and crampy and I just want to lie down! But the other part of her brain tells her to get used to this and just do something easy. Meet her half way.

So she does.

Since she learned that Aurora had been learning the double meaning of the word orange, she says they'd practice by finding Barbie clothes and food to eat that was orange. So while Aurora goes and pulls out the dolls and the box that houses all the Barbie clothes, thanks to grampa Benny, she makes her tea and then the two of them sit at the table and take turns dressing the dolls in various pieces of clothing that had even the smallest speck of orange on it.

About an hour later her stomach had settled and the emotionally eventful day comes to a satisfying close – at least for two of them.

XXXXXXXX

"What's going on? You've been edgy all night," Matt comments as he walks up to Kelly after a rather routine traffic accident.

"Just…it's nothing," Kelly replies with a heavy sigh as Matt looks at him – unconvinced. "I worry more. I called her a few hours ago and I heard loud traffic and distress in her tone but…but I used an excuse and…damn I don't wanna become that guy. The one that drives his wife…with a gun I might add…nuts," he complains as Matt offers him a weak smile. "What? Yours has a safe job."

"Paper cuts can be pretty dangerous," Matt retorts with a snicker.

"Yeah, ha ha," Kelly deadpans as Boden walks up to them with a grave expression. "Chief? What's going on?"

"They found the daughter. She was inside…"

"What? No way, we checked every inch of it," Kelly insists.

"We searched that place from top to bottom despite all the hazards!" Matt interjects in agreement.

"She was found in the small back room."

"What?" Both Kelly and Matt ask at once with angry tones.

"No one's questioning you two but…but it looks like the father might have lied…or conveniently forgotten. Either way, just make sure in your reports you mention exactly what the father said."

"He said she wasn't there!" Kelly retorts angrily. "He insisted and we…we did sweep that area. Chief…"

"Severide I believe you. But…"

"Really? You think…" Matt starts.

"I'm not the investigator. But we found a few other things in the basement that will be handed to CPD to figure out. Just make sure the reports are done tonight while the thoughts are still fresh in your mind," Boden concludes.

"Copy."

Kelly watches Boden walk away and then looks at Matt with a heavy frown. "If that's true…that scumbag…really? He left his daughter there to die? He was suspicious right from the start."

"He did seem…"

"Sketchy?" Kelly interjects as Matt nods.

"On edge," Matt adds. "Musta been hiding a pretty big secret."

"We didn't see anything out of the ordinary but…damn what a bastard," Kelly curses as he looks back at the now smoldering House. "Would hate to investigate this one," he huffs as they both nod and then head to their respective trucks. Kelly hops into the front of truck 3, not realizing that their newest case was going to hit a bit too close to home – with emotional and some physical repercussions.

XXXXXXXX

"Bored already?" Platt greets Erin early the next morning. "Where is…there she is!" Platt exclaims as Aurora hurries around the counter and into Platt's open and waiting arms.

"Can I have your hat?" Aurora asks as Erin looks at her with a small smile.

"Don't think your head is quite as big…" Platt starts as she takes her hat off and then puts it onto Aurora's head; Erin looking up as Voight approaches with a serious expression. "Killjoy," Platt muses dryly as Voight forces a smile. "Yeah…that's believable."

"I tried," Voight deadpans as he hoists Aurora up into his arms, bouncing Aurora who laughs as she holds onto the hat on her head.

"What's going on?"

"It can wait," Voight assures her as he offers a weak smile of his own. "How are you feeling?"

"Rested…somewhat," she replies in truth as both say bye to Platt and then slowly head up the stairs to the intelligence unit; Aurora breaking free of Voight's grasp and running over to Jay and Antonio. "So…what's really going on?"

"New case. I didn't want to involve you but I know you would have found out and…."

"There would have been hell to pay," she interjects with a small smile; Voight nodding in agreement. "So…what's the case?"

"It'll wait."

"Hank…"

"Take Aurora to school and come back and get the details."

On the drive to the pre-school, Erin's mind can't help but think about Voight's words…you would have found out and been….upset? Why? What's the case…what's going on?

"Bye sweetie," Erin states as she kisses Aurora on the cheek and then stands up and watches her go. For a few seconds she hears someone calling 'Jasmine' and her tension starts to rise. She turns to see one woman calling out to another and tells herself to just get going already.

On the way back to the precinct she gets a message from Kelly telling her that he would be taking Aurora in to talk to the counsellor in a few days and hopes she can join them for lunch afterwards.

'Would love to.' she texts back just as she enters the building.

She nods to Jay as she emerges at the top of the stairs and notices the strained expression on his face as she slowly walks past him and straight into Voight's office. "So…what's going on?"

"I'm putting Jay and Antonio as point on this…field point but there are a few other details…" Voight starts to explain as he hands her the file and she flips it open, her eyes locking with his for a few seconds and then dropping down to the report page before her.

"Arson report. But…" she reads and then pauses as her rest on the name of the suspect and then stop. "Wait…is this...Johnson…" she flips the page and stares in horror at the picture on the second page. She looks up to see Voight watching her in concern. "So…you're looking for the father," she states flatly.

"He slipped out right after treatment last night."

"His oldest daughter died," Erin reads aloud and then looks at the second report. "Mother is in a coma and youngest daughter is…" she looks back up.

"I need you to talk to her. She's 12 and I think will open up more to you than Jay and Antonio. After all she's been through."

"No way," Erin shakes her head as she closes the file. "Their son…he killed Jasmine and you expect me…"

"To do your job."

"You don't think this will cause me stress?"

"The other part of this case…."

"Is physical! I'd rather do physical! Let me chase down the and kick his ass into cuffs!" Erin spits in anger. She stands up to leave, tossing the file on his desk and then pauses as she looks at Jay standing in the doorway and then past him to see her husband in the distant. "You brought Kelly her to help change my mind?" She turns around with a hiss as Voight slightly smirks. "Really? You think that would…"

"First off yes I want you to take it a bit easier but at the same time changing you a desk is only going to cause me more stress. Secondly…Kelly's here because the call was also an arson and I figured…"

"We could team up?" Erin interjects as he shrugs.

"You have in the past and this will be no different," Voight explains. "He needs to check the House with a CPD officer and I think he'll be a good balance for the interview. It has to be done. Ruzek and Olinsky are on the Ryerson case. If we wait…"

"I'll do it," she states somewhat begrudgingly. "Nick will be happy for me to bring some new material to our next session," she tosses at him sourly.

Voight watches her go and can only purse his lips and hope for the best. He hates to send her into something so emotionally charged but he hopes that she can keep her emotions under check and figures it will be the lesser of the two evils compared to the physical search.

"So…everything okay?" Kelly asks as he watches his wife approach; just having come off his shift and getting Voight's message and heading straight over.

"Fine," Erin grumbles as she walks past him; Kelly looking past her to Voight, getting a sympathetic glance before he turns and follows after his wife.

"Going to tell me what's going on?" He inquires as they near the dark sedan parked outside; pausing just before they reach the passenger side.

"The fire yesterday. The father…he's missing and his son…he was the one that shot up the school…that left his daughter to die and is now missing. Voight asked me to help you and then you to be there while interview their youngest because he feels I'm not able to do a high kick on the scumbag father!"

"Oh," Kelly states simply as he looks at her tense expression. "I can call dad to help with the arson stuff."

She exhales heavily and then shakes her head. "I have to do this. Someone has to and…and if he wants me to talk to the young daughter then…how can I go in there and not ask about the uh…motivations of her brother," she huffs as she swallows hard and looks away. "How the hell can I remain objective when…" she stops as Kelly's hand touches her arm and forces her to turn back.

"It was hate. His motive. His family…yeah they're messed up and…"

"The father's a bad seed so everyone else has to be also?" Erin interjects angrily as Kelly's expression softens. But when she feels a small pang in her stomach she stops. "Stress."

"Write out the questions you want asked and I'll ask them. We can play like good cop…bad cop," he suggests with a slight smirk; her lips instantly twisting upward and her posture relaxes.

"You always get me with that one."

"Can't help it…like you as bad cop. Erin…"

"I'll be okay," she cuts him off. "Can't always just work the easy cases. Just…keep me in line. I'm only asking about the fire and her father's…knowledge of where the daughter was."

"Copy that," Kelly replies softly as he gets into the passenger seat; Voight watching from the second story window with a somewhat contented smile.

XXXXXXXX

"So…where did the fire start?"

"Here," Kelly informs her. "See the burn patterns. It doesn't follow a natural path. He tried to throw us off by lighting the fire in the basement but…"

"Is that where…you found the other daughter?"

"After the fact. Didn't find her at first. He said he was the only one that had been in the basement. We did a quick sweep but figured he had nothing to lie about."

"Wow…that's unbelievable."

"The father was rescued here…just coming up from the basement. The mother and other daughter were upstairs but he said…the rest of the House was empty. Didn't even think to ask about another child. Hermann…damn that guy's got good family instincts. He picked up on the items for a late teen and an early teen and asked about the rest of the family. He said she wasn't home. That was it."

"Liar," Erin whispers as Kelly nods in agreement as he directs her to the second burn area. But just as he does he feels something that is out of place. "What is it?"

"False wall."

"For what?"

"What he was protecting," Kelly tells her as he kicks the remaining part of the burnt wall and then steps through the narrow opening first; pulling his flashlight and shining the way for her. "No wonder all the kids are messed up," he comments as he looks at her surprising expression. "I'm not making an excuse…just saying."

"Hate literature…torture porn…white supremacist literature…anti-black and…yeah no wonder his kids were messed up," she muses as she looks back up. "Some blame has to rest with upbringing right?"

"Yeah…look at this," Kelly directs her attention to a rather disturbing picture of the son and his now missing father.

"This makes me sick. Only pictures of the son…none of. Did you get what you need?"

"I'm just gonna check the basement. Be right back."

Erin watches him go and then pulls her phone and calls Voight. She finishes her dissertation and then goes in search of her husband; finding him kneeling in front of the area where the young girl's dead body was found.

"Never gets easy," he tells her in truth; his body still hunched over and his back to her. "Found an old man…80 something and he…no matter the age and no matter what kind of family they come from," he pauses as she nears, her hand resting on his shoulder. "This man…bastard…you need to get him."

"We will."

The tension in the car on the ride to the arson site was thicker but as they leave the site; CPD coming to collect all the evidence; it starts to lift, at least somewhat. This time Kelly drives, so Erin can collect her thoughts, telling herself that this is the sister of the teen who shot her step-daughters friend and others for the single reason of hate….something that was inbred into him since birth.

"Hate this place," she whispers as they enter the ER triage area; her mind flashing her images of her seeing Preeti and Gurj in the distance, the emotionally distraught mother crying out for her child – crying inconsolably. But a ringing bell snaps her back to reality and she's able to paste on a tight lipped smile and then flashes her badge to the doctor and asks if she can have a few minutes with the young girl.

She slips inside the curtain, Kelly a few steps behind. The young girl looks up; her eyes puffy and her cheeks displaying evidence that she survived the fire…maybe something worse.

"Is my mom okay?" She asks in remorse as Erin's heart sinks. She had told herself that she'd ask the questions…get out. Harden her mind and heart and just put on her game face. But now that she sees the young girl…her compassion swells and she can't help but feel sorry for her.

"She's uh…" Erin starts as she pulls her badge; the young girl looking at the CPD certification and then up at Kelly who smiles and nods. "She's in a coma but…I hope she'll be fine. Actually I'm here for…it's Gracie right?"

"Who's that?"

"I'm Kelly. I work for the fire department. We pulled your family from the fire yesterday."

"Cool…thanks," she mutters as she looks back down in sorrow.

"It's…do you remember how the fire started?"

"Where's my dad? He was here last night but didn't come back."

"I think the doctor's trying to call him," Erin answers with a strained smile. "So about the fire. Do you remember what happened Gracie?"

"Did you find his room?" She asks bluntly as Erin's eyes slightly widen.

"We did. Did he start the fire to get rid of the room?"

"He was angry yesterday. I heard them fighting again. Him and mom and then him and Joanie. They always fight. I wanted to run away. But when I saw the fire, I was scared."

"Where were you when it started?"

"Upstairs in my bedroom. I think the fire started downstairs."

"Yeah, back of the house," Kelly states firmly as Erin turns and looks at him in wonder; Kelly shaking his head, encouraging her to continue.

"It was so smoky when I went into the hallway. I ran to try get mom. She was asleep. She takes medication and doesn't wake up too easily. I stayed to long but I didn't want to leave her," Gracie slightly sniffles.

"And your sister Joan. Where was she?" Erin asks with a heavy thud in her chest.

"She was out."

"She…wasn't home?" Erin asks in surprise.

"She went out with her friend. I only heard her leave."

"Is there any chance she came back and you didn't know?" Erin tries.

"Maybe. She had a key to the downstairs door. Is she here? Maybe you can call her. She'll be worried about mom."

Kelly watches Erin's shoulders slump and feels his own stomach sink; his mind not envying his wife's professional situation right now.

"I don't know I'm sorry. How long have you known about your father's…room?"

"I want mom."

"I know but…"

"I want mom!"

She gives her a nod just as a nurse enters the room; signaling them that their time is up. But just as they are about to exit the room for good, a simple but tormented question stops them dead in their tracks.

"Do you know what happened to my brother?"

'He's got a gun! Aurora, get down! HE'S SHOOTING! THE KIDS!'

She hears screams…teachers, children, the teen before he dies and then herself.

She hears silence.

Her eyes squeeze shut for a few seconds. Her heart rate increases and her stomach tightens; Kelly looking past his wife to the tormented expression on the face of the young girl asking.

She turns to look at the young girl as her brain races to shelve the answer she wants to say and the provide answer she needs to say.

Would it work? Or was the past about to hurt the future once more? Was this new case going to hurt more than her?

"Do you?"

A/N: So you know I like to always insert angsty tension and keep a few plot ideas interwoven and hope you all like those added details. So now this case is going to affect the whole family but how exactly? And who else will they encounter next?

PS: Next update will end with a vote to either carry on this story or end it and come back with a small time jump and the third installment in this 'Plan' series. Your votes will determine what the muse does next so please do review before you go and thanks so much!