(Singing) "Life's a game but it's not fair. I break the rules so I don't care. So I keep doing my own thing. Walking tall against the rain. Victory's within the mile. Almost there, don't give up now. Only thing that's on my mind. Is who's gonna run this town tonight." (Singing)
Erin and Voight clapped lightly for the Young girl as Riley took a playful bow.
"I should make that my theme song." Voight said with a chuckled as he tended to the stakes he had on the grill. Erin was seated at the table, drinking a beer. All three of them were at Voight's house on his porch.
Riley chuckled in response as she put her guitar away and took a seat at the table beside Erin.
"How long you been playing?" Voight asked.
"I taught myself when I was eleven." Riley answered.
"I'm impressed." Voight said simply, as he took the stakes off the grill and on to a plate.
"So is that what you want to be when you grow up? A musician?" Erin said, taking a sip of her beer.
"Hmm I don't know.. guess I haven't really thought about it in such a long time. But maybe.. yeah." Riley said.
"Well what did you use to want to be?" Voight asked. "Oh and dig in by the way."
Riley took a mouthful of food. It was so good. She couldn't remember the last time she had, had a meal this good.
"A zookeeper, a vet, a model, a cop, and a race car driver." Riley said after she thought for a moment.
"Well two of those sound pretty good." Voight said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, where'd race car driver come from?" Erin said with a bit of a laugh. "I mean you're only 15.. you can't even drive yet."
Riley laughed a little too and took another bite of food before answering. "Well... when I was 10, I played a lot of Mario Cart and I don't know I guess at that age it seemed easy and super realistic."
All three of them laughed until Riley took a more serious tone.
"And I couldn't be one if I wanted to anyways... you can't race cars if you're half blind in one eye." Riley said, picking at her food a little.
"Well when I was little I wanted to be one of the Spice Girls. But I can't sing soooo what are you gonna do. Besides... most of them are real bitches anyways." Erin said.
Riley giggled and smiled at her.
The three of them talked and talked as they finished up dinner. Erin had never seen Riley this talkative.. ever. It was a beautiful sight... in the sort time she had been with them she had made great strides. But despite her improvements... Riley was still a very damaged and timid girl.
"Alright kiddo, you ready to head back to 51?" Erin asked.
Riley nodded at Erin and then turned to Voight. "Thanks for dinner... it was delicious."
"My pleasure." Voight said in his gravely tone.
Riley and Erin were heading to the door when Voight spoke. "Hey Erin, hold up a second."
Riley gave Erin a look.
"It's ok, go out to the car and wait for me." Erin said.
Riley went and Erin turned to Voight.
"She's a good kid. Reminds me a lot of you." Voight said.
Erin rolled her eyes a little.
"Erin you know she can't live in that firehouse forever." Voight said.
"It won't be forever.. it will be just until she's 18." Erin said slightly jokingly.
Voight gave her a look.
"I know, I know." Erin said seriously.
"After the case is closed we'll have to talk about her situation and what's going to happen with her." Voight said.
"Voight, we can't send her back to her dad." Erin said desperately.
"Did I say that?" Voight said. "All I'm saying is, is that she can't live in the firehouse forever, and that we can't keep "hiding" her forever. The kid needs a home, stability, an education, raising, love, and help... much of the same things you needed when I took you in."
Erin gave Voight a warm look.
"But like I said.. we don't have to discus it yet." Voight said and Erin nodded.
"Thanks for dinner. See you at work tomorrow." Erin said.
"Drive safe." Voight told her as he waved goodbye to Riley from the doorway. "See you tomorrow."
Riley stared out the window of Erin's car in silence for the longest time before she broke the silence and spoke.
"When my dad would beat me.. he use to give me these reasons why when he was done." Riley said quietly.
Erin turned her head slightly to look at the young girl. Riley's eyes remained on the objects outside of the window.
"Like how he's had a bad day at work.. or that I got a bad grade on my homework.. or that someone screwed up on a case..." Riley continued softly.
Erin remained silent.. giving the girl her space to say what she needed to.
"The night he hit me with his impact baton..the night he blinded me... he said nothing... so I asked him "Why daddy?" ... and he said," Riley choked up at the end.
Erin pulled up in front of the fire station and parked the car. She looked at Riley. Her heart breaking for this girl.
"He said... "Just because."" Riley finished. She faced Erin. Her eyes full of tears.
Erin took the young girl's hand and squeezed it tight.
"It's all gonna be ok now." She said meaningfully.
Riley quickly wiped her tears and cracked a small smile. "I know."
A few days later Erin, Jay, and Antonio were chasing two suspects down the streets of Chicago.
Antonio leaped forward and brought the slower suspect down and cuffed him. "I got him! Get the other one! Go! Go!"
Erin and Jay ran as fast as they could after the man but he was outrunning them and they were losing him. That was until Voight drove out of the ally and took the guy out with his car door.
"Nice one." Jay said, a little surprised.
"Well what are you waiting for? Book him." Voight said.
Erin emerged from the interrogation room with a smile on her face. She did it. The two guys they had just booked were willing to flip on their bosses for a deal. Which meant that in just a few hours she and the team will have closed the case and have gonna justice for the dead cop.
She sat down at her desk feeling real good when Severide came running into the room.
"Erin!" He called out as run up the steps and into the room.
"Kelly? What are you-"
"I've been trying to call you! Why didn't you answer your phone?!" Kelly said desperately. He sounded out of breath.
"I was in an interrogation.. what's wrong?" Erin said worriedly.
"It's Riley." Severide said. "I tried to talk to them.. to stop them, but they just took her!"
"Who? Who Kelly? Who took her?" Erin pleaded desperately and in shock.
"Child Services."
Uh.. Oh..
Who do you think called Child Services?! R&R! Stay tuned to find out! Hope you liked the chapter. Love you guys :)