3: Same Cold Night, Car Ride

"Do you remember when dad tried to bake a cake to celebrate your 8th birthday?" Hank's oldest son asked his younger brother as the dessert was being served by their mom.

Jason started laughing, slowly remembering that unforgettable day, "Probably the worst thing I've ever tasted in my life, man."

"Both of you still ate it," Stated the Sergeant before thanking his beloved wife for the piece of chocolate cake she handed him a second before.

Laughs have been filling the room because of anecdotes like this one for about an hour. Erin quickly understood that this house has had witnessed some serious epic moments and surprisingly found herself curious to know all about them.

And as she was slowly discovering a place where she doesn't have to be high to forget about the things she wants her mind away from, Hank was trying to remember the last time he heard her laugh that much - but couldn't seem to figure it out. Only one thing was clear to him, though. He'd take a bullet every single day of his life just to see that smile eating dinner and laughing with his loved-ones under this roof. Because his family never felt more complete than it did right now.

By the time midnight rang, they had carried the anecdotes to the kitchen. Anecdotes that quickly turned into an argument when Erin suddenly realized it was time for her to go back home.

"You're not leaving when we have a guest room ready for you upstairs," Camille said as she was cleaning the dishes alongside Natalie. "It's against the rules of this house, young lady."

"But I can't," Erin smiled, truly appreciating the offer but politely declining it. "I wish I could, I sincerely do - but for some reasons, I really can't. I need to get home."

Hank quickly figured out this sudden urge to leave and walked the few steps that separated him from her, "You think he's waiting for you?"

She shrugged as she was putting her leather jacket on, "It'd be logical since he likes to pretend the house is his before being mine."

"You don't have to go back, Erin," He told her, shaking his head at her very stupid idea. "Ever."

She smiled and sweetly kissed his cheek - just like she always does when it's time for them to say goodbye. "I'll be fine. You know I'm tough."

Erin was about to thank Camille for her absolutely divine dinner when she gently pulled her into a warm embrasse and whispered a wave of lovely words into her ear along the way, "Our door will always be open for you, at any time of the day or of the night. Don't ever forget it, sweetheart."

She closed her eyes, trying hard to keep her tears to herself as her arms were still wrapped tight around Camille. "You were right… About your lasagna. They really are a great way to end bad days. Thank you."

After promising Will and Natalie she'd stop by the hospital to get those stitches checked out before the end of the week, she found herself in another argument with the chief of the family.

"It's not the first time I'm going to walk home on my own in the middle of the night, Hank," Erin sighed as the Sergeant was insisting on driving her. "You need to rest."

"She is right," Will admitted in some serious exaggerated doctor voice. "You do need to rest."

And that's how Erin ended up walking alone in the cold streets of her be-loved city. She was a breathing block of ice. She couldn't feel her hands or feet anymore. But she hasn't had a good night in a very long time and that was worth smiling for. But not even two minutes later, a car stopped by her side. She first thought it was some kind of disgusting guy trying to hit on her but soon realized it wasn't when the driver called out her name through the window.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, confused.

"I was going to a friend's house and I thought you could use a ride," Jason answered, shrugging. "Are you coming or not?"

Erin took a look around her, trying to figure out if yes or no it was a good idea to let him drive her home - because it could end up badly and she knew it. But man, this cold was going to kill her before she could even make it there if she kept walking.

"So, what's her name?" She teased him as the car ride has been nothing but quiet since he started driving.

"Adam," He simply answered, holding back a smirk.

She chuckled a little. "Nice."

"About earlier, I shouldn't have said the things you heard," Jason unexpectedly apologized.

Erin turned her head and watched him for a second, surprised. "Just like I shouldn't have held a gun to your face. Shit happens."

"I guess, yeah," He nodded, offering her a smile as the car stopped at a red light.

When they finally made it through the traffic, Jason parked his black BMW in front of her house. And that's when Erin literally froze. Lights were on inside and she knew what it meant. Satan was home sweet home.

"Is everything okay?" Jason asked, his voice making her jump.

"I… I have to go," Erin's destabilized voice echoed in the car, looking away from the house to let her beautiful brown eyes met Jason's confused ones.

"Wait," Erin heard him say before she could make it out of the car. "You don't have to go out there if you don't want to."

She turned around to find his eyes again, "I do."

"That's bullshit," He interrupted her.

"Why do you even care?"

"I don't," He told her, his legendary honesty taking the best out of him. "I'm just saying that if you want me to drive away right now, I will."

"Well, I don't," She declined. "I need to make him pay for what he did. Thanks for the ride."

That's when Erin got out of the car and ran toward the house, anger taking all over her fears.

"Stop walking!" Jason was trying to stop her from walking into the house. "Fuck, Erin! What the hell are you doing?!"

"What do you think I am doing?!" Erin walked in anyway, with Jason on her tail, as she spoke. "This asshole is the reason why Hank got shot!"

"James Beckett is the reason why he got shot," He rectified.

Before Erin could say anything, Charlie suddenly appeared out of nowhere - obviously stoned. He took one look at Erin, then another look at Jason and sneered. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Jason," He answered, his voice as cold as the night. "Charlie, right? I've heard a lot about you. Nothing good, though - in case you were wondering."

"You think I give a fuck what this tramp has to say about me?" He asked, laughing again.

"You sure you want to be calling her a tramp, jackass?" Jason quickly retorted back, walking a firm step forward to Charlie.

"Yeah, I fucking do. What the fuck are you going to do?" He said, taking one as well. "Who the fuck do you think you are questioning who I am and who I fuck? What the fuck is so special about this damn whore that you dumbass think you need to save?"

"What are you on about, exactly?" Jason asked him. "She's just a girl who has apparently horrible taste in men."

Charlie laughed manically, "She didn't tell you, did she? Huh. She's a prostitute. A hooker. Give me a couple bucks or a score and she's yours for the night."

Erin stood there, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. She had already made a horrible impression on Jay today and she worked hard to clear things up for herself during the dinner - but now this. She wanted to crawl into a hole, ashamed.

Jason took his step back, the information hitting him harder than it should. He couldn't help but feel disappointed, as if she was someone different from the person he thought she was a minute before. That person he learned to appreciate just over a dinner and a short car ride.

He cleared his throat and turned around to face Erin, "You're going to be okay? Because I think I should go."

"Uh… Yeah, totally. I'll be fine," She mumbled back. "Thanks for the lift."

He turned around to leave when he heard shuffling behind him, it was Charlie grabbing Erin and starting to drag her further into the house. And in that moment, he forgot all the thoughts he had about Erin. He couldn't figure out what but there was something about this girl that made it impossible for him to just leave her behind like that.

"Don't fucking touch her, you worthless piece of shit," Jason yelled in anger, running toward them as if his life depended on it.

"You did not just tell me what to do in my fucking house," Charlie replied, seething because he thought he was finally going to teach Erin her lesson of the day. "You son of a bitch, you should've just left."

Erin knew this wasn't the time, but she felt like she had to. She hated when Charlie claimed it was his house, when it was her mother's. So she spoke in the loudest voice she could make out, "It's not your house. It's my mother's. Which means it's mine."

"Shut up, bitch," He replied to her while still glaring at Jason. "I own you and I own this house."

"Erin, come on… Let's get out of here," Jason piped in as he was holding his hand out to her, hoping she would take it. "I'll take you back home and dad will figure out what to do from there, alright? You can't stay here."

Charlie could not believe what he was hearing. He pushed Erin to the ground, pulled out a gun and began pointing it at Jay, "Get the fuck out of my house or I will fucking kill you. Erin is staying here."

"Do you really think you're a man because you hide behind a gun and threaten to kill me? You think you're the first person to do that?" Jason quickly shot back at Charlie. "I have no intention of staying in your fucking house but I'm not leaving without her."

"You son of a bitch, you think I'm just threatening you? You think I won't shoot you? Fucking watch me!" Charlie screamed at Jason's face.

As Charlie took the safety off the gun, Erin managed to get up and jumped in front of Charlie. "Don't! Don't do it! He'll leave, alright?! He'll leave."

Jay, standing behind her, shook his head. "I'm not."

Erin didn't turn around, just stood in front of the gun with her hands up - hoping it would actually protect him from a bullet, "Go, Jason. I'll be okay, I always am."

Jason unwittingly left the house filled with rage as Charlie didn't loose a minute and dragged Erin upstairs. And, right then and there, she knew. She just made the wrong decision. Once again.

To say Charlie was pissed was an understatement. He started throwing around everything that was in his sight, including Erin. He pushed her against the wall and, as she cried, she managed to make words come out of her mouth, "I'm so sorry, Charlie."

"You think sorry is going to make this okay?! You brought one of your boys into my fucking house like I was nothing? Don't fucking forget who made you into who you are! Worthless but still worth some cash, bitch! Fuck you!" He yelled to her face, throwing punchs everywhere he possibly could to hurt her as bad as possible.

"He's not one of my boy," Erin whispered through her sobs.

She was so tired, she usually could handle herself in situations where Charlie was like this but she had experienced what life could be like. She was so tired of living the life she was living when all she really wanted was family, a family like the one she had witnessed that night, an imperfect yet perfect family filled with love.

Unfortunately, that just enraged Charlie even more. He picked her up and threw her on the bed. "Good because you are never going to see him again, not as long as I'm fucking alive."

Hearing that for some reason was the push Erin needed, she kicked Charlie as hard as she possibly could and ran as fast as she could. She managed to make her way out of the house and decided in a split second to run as fast as possible and as far as she could.

Much love.