Hi, so here is another Chicago PD story and I am so excited to bring you thins one, this one takes me to a world post Erin, to Season 5 and this is a new thing for me so I hope that you enjoy. Also this delves a little into the Al/Adam relationship that I have enjoyed so much and like the Jay/Hank relationship is often ignored.

This story takes place around the break that happened in Season 5 when Adam's duel role was discovered, I can confirm that Hank and Al are not the enemies in this story. I think we all know who the enemy in Season 5 was.

This story does deal with upsetting themes including murder, rape and child abuse and PTSD flashbacks. If this TRIGGERS YOU THEN PLEASE STOP NOW!.

Pairings are as follows, Kim/Adam, Hailey/Jay, Will/Conner (briefly) and Al/Meredith.

Just to confirm that Lexie is dead in this story as well.

Disclaimer-Nothing here but Vicky is mine.

This story is AU as well but does stretch over Season 5 and Season 5 alone.

Please Read and Review and I will update as soon as I can.

And on a side note, I like so many other Fanfiction Authors no longer receive notifications via email about reviews/PMs etc. So if you do send any it might be a while, if ever before I get back to you. Please keep that in mind for it is not intentional-If anyone has a fix please let me know.

I have also stopped taking any kind of personal messages, any questions please leave them in a review and I will get back to them in the next chapter note. This chapter should be about twenty-twenty five chapters.

AND TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER AND DISCUSSION OF RAPE. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

The Spirit That I Have Seen

Chapter 18-Scar Tissue

Al and Woods have a reckoning. Hank tries very hard not to send the man to the docks.

Do not kill him. Do Not Kill Him. DO NOT KILL HIM!

It was amazing how much his inner voice sounded like his wife.

He sat down at the table and very carefully did not reach for the bastard's throat even though that was all that he longed for. He had done this enough times, or felt like he had, to know when he was close to losing it and while none of the men and woman standing behind that glass would begrudge him if he killed Denny Woods here and now the brass would, Adam would, Trudy would just for the sheer amount of paperwork alone and it would also be very messy.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

"You adopted the little brat then?"

Do not kill him. Do Not Kill Him. DO NOT KILL HIM!

"You wanted to confess?"

He didn't have time for the niceties that came with interrogations, he had never been a cop that could do it easily. Back when he had come on the job it had been a way for a lot of cops to get their aggression out. Now it was a totally different thing.

"Well" Denny said a flicker of unease taking place of the usual cockiness. "I suppose it doesn't matter Al does it? It all fell apart. Funny really, six months and it all falls to shit because that little brat manages to get under the skin of the man I hired"

"Adam?"

"No the other one. I mean how was I supposed to know Carter had a thing for children. I mean I that kid…I don't know how she did it, he had no problem snatching Adam up but—"

"Yeah Vicky's an anomaly alright" he said trying to keep Woods interested. There was something here that he needed to keep pressing at like the old scar tissue from that shooting that he had on his upper shoulder that Lexie used to prod and poke even when Meredith told her not too.

Woods snorted. Al tried very hard not to knock his teeth in.

"Who is she?"

"Bugger if I know. The deal was to kidnap Ruzek, I didn't say nothing about kidnapping no kid. My guess is she has something to do with his hooker ex because that was all he was bitching about when I hired him"

Knowing Hank as he did Al was willing to bet Justin's gravestone that Hailey under his instructions was already running a search. If he didn't know his friend as well as he did and if he also didn't know Bunny Fletcher he would have said that when it came to reading Hank, Erin and Hailey were almost twins with the easy way in which they did it.

"And Adam?"

"Oh that"

Do not kill him. Do Not Kill Him. DO NOT KILL HIM!

"Yes. That" he said through teeth so gritted he was likely never to unclench his jaw.

"Well…that was for you. You see, I looked at your team Al, I looked at them all. I mean I knew before she left Lindsey would never roll on the two of you, Burgess, Upton—to green didn't know enough, Dawson—well I considered him for a long time, such a sense of justice I thought…but no. Atwater again…I thought about it, even told those bangers where his sister was to see if he would go rogue but nope…he pulled back at the last minute and Halstead?" here Denny gave a laugh. "Man is so cracked in the head from the war I wouldn't put him near a gun if I tried. I mean seriously" he shook his head mockingly. "I mean what the fuck was Hank thinking with that one?"

Personally Al thought Hank was probably thinking of murdering Denny and then adopting Jay because Hank had a soft spot for Jay and in a certain light…well…anyway if he knew Hank he was defo gonna buy the kid a latte when this was over.

There was a pause as Al waited and then Denny as if he couldn't help himself began to talk.

"Ruzek was easy. And it was a nice way to stick the knife in—"

"He's a kid Denny" Al said flatly. "A kid and you—" he had to sound the word out in his head before he could say it. "And you raped him"

"I didn't do that" Denny said confidently.

"But you knew that it was going to happen didn't you?"

"Maybe" he said maddeningly. It was like the whole thing was a game, or maybe he had realised that he was cornered and there was no way out. Either way Al didn't want to stick around when he realised what he was looking at—though if he knew Denny there would be a way to wriggle out of it. Then it was a trip to the docks and that was fine in his book—hell he was sure they weren't going to be short of offers for the getaway driver.

"Did you watch?"

He didn't know why this was important because sure as hell he was not going to let Adam see this but he found that he wanted to know what had happened to the kid that he loved like he was his own.

"Yeah" Woods said casually. "Why? You wanna hear what he sounded like?"

And yeah he was done.

He kicked Woods's chair out from him and the bastard went flying. He was still handcuffed to the table so his arm was wrenched backwards but not for nothing was he sure that the CTV footage of this was going to be…modified. Trust was nothing as far as this man was concerned.

Woods laughed and groaned all at once.

"That's what you wanna hear isn't it? That I chose the kid because he was like your son? That I did it to hurt you? Hell the plan was so perfect, I was going to frame the both of you for it. And I very nearly did didn't I? You gonna tell me he didn't wake up and think you two were responsible? He didn't flinch away from you? I bet even now he looks at you with fear in his eyes. I bet even now he wonders how far you both could have gone—and you know what? He chickened out at the end! He was prepared to let his sister rot in a cell for you two—Bob Ruzek was THRILLED when I told him that one, hey Al you wanna hear how he begged for it to stop? Begged both of you a couple of times, perks of the drug cocktail—"

He was cut off abruptly because Al's hands had found his throat.

It would be so easy he mused almost as an afterthought. So, so easy for him to strangle this fucker where he knelt on the floor. It would be so easy to finish it here all the consequences be damned.

And then there was a whack to his shoulder blades that reverted up his spine and he let go as a million of thousand aches spiralled upwards. He turned and Jay with the strength of a man ten times younger threw him bodily into Antonio who dragged him out the room. Jay slammed the door shut and stood in front of it. He was barely winded.

Fucker.

"Cracked in the head my ass" Jay muttered. He opened the door and there was a noise and then he came back out as Hank looking very much like he was contemplating the fastest way to get to the docks (with a twenty year friendship under his belt you began to recognise the signs from a long way away) came into the hallway.

"Evidence is gone Sarge—"

"I got that Jay, was it really necessary to throw the chair at the camera"

"Hey I was all for throwing it at Woods"

There was another person now in the hallway Hailey. She looked from Jay to Al and raised one perfectly blonde eyebrow and that was the end of that. Al let Antonio rest a hand on his shoulder.

"I think I know who Vicky is"

"Daughter of his ex—"

"Yeah Vivian Evans, dancer out of Little Village. She reported that her ex was stalking her and then she disappeared. Police didn't have much to go on as it looked like she took her kid and ran until six months ago when her body was found dumped in a dumpster, raped, beaten, strangled. No sign of her daughter. Cops were looking but…" she shrugged.

"Woods must have put the breaks on it the second he knew that she was with Adam" Jay muttered. "Any family"

"None. So Adam can keep her"

"Not important right now Hailey"

"Yeah okay but—"

"Sarge not to…not to ask what we should not ask" Antonio said with a determined kind of look, "But…but what are we going to do—" he gestured at the door with a look of disgust.

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Okay" Hailey said looking at the four of them. "I get that I am new girl here but I have a pretty good idea of what the 'Docks' mean so speak candidly"

"You're a straight shooter Hails"

"I also don't rat" Hailey said to Jay flatly. "Trust me you'd all be doing time if I did"

That wasn't particularly reassuring all things considering but Al had more important things to worry about right now than that.

"I need to find Adam" he said quietly. "He needs to know, he needs to know why and he needs to know…he needs to hear it from someone he trusts—"

"Go" Hank said softly. "Go Al…look…we can put him in a cell tonight, the second this hits the rank and file they are going to go nuts, Ivory Tower included and this place will be crawling…we couldn't do anything anyway the reality is if he goes missing people are gonna wonder why and if he turns up dead they are gonna want to investigate and besides…someone has to be held responsible for Adam and I would rather it be someone other than this team."

"What are you going to do Sarge?" Antonio asked quietly.

"I…I am going to go get a drink. Jay you come with me. Where's the kid?"

"Still in the bullpen. He's working his way through a large meat feast. Nobody seems to know what to do with Dante at all"

"He is going back to juvie over my dead body" Jay muttered quietly.

"Alright, Antonio can you deal with…I don't know what to do with him I don't know if we should take him home or back to yours Al or…"

"I got a PO that owes me a favour. I can take the kid with me tonight say it's protective custody and then I don't know"

"Just do it. You think he gets that if he's found on the streets someone might take him out?"

"He's not stupid Sarge" Jay said with a grin. "Trust me he knows way more than we do about life on the streets"

Al caught Hank's eye and they shrugged.

"All this" Hailey said finally. "All this for nothing. Just to be the biggest bully in the playground. That's all he wanted. To be better than you" she said to Hank. It wasn't accusatory but it was more of wonder and Al couldn't blame her one iota. So many lives were ruined because of Denny Woods and so many people's hearts broken.

"What did he mean about Adam's father?" Antonio asked suddenly.

Al laughed. It was not a happy sound.

"My bet is he called Bob to tell him Adam had turned rat, probably gave him a crappy story buy my guess is that's why Adam's persona non grata with his family"

There was a pause as Jay, Hailey and Antonio looked at each other and Hank smiled sardonically. God they were so fucking young.

"Bob Ruzek" Hank began. "Has a reputation, playing ponies is one thing but he used to hang his CI's out to dry quite a bit when it suited him and then he would rat on them if he didn't get the info he needed. It's a bit pot kettle black but Bob won't stick by his son if he thinks his son is a rat."

"I don't get it" Jay said with genuine confusion and Al looked at Hank, at the only other man in the room who had lost a child and they both knew they were thinking the same thing.

Justin and Lexie could have sent them to the electric chair and for one more glimpse at them they'd have gone willingly.

"Your all very young" was all Hank said and then. "Hailey watch this piece of filth and get Platt up here. Tell her she can be how she was in 1987. And yes…she will know what that means, Antonio get the kid to a hospital check him out and then get him someplace safe. Jay take my keys I don't want to drive tonight. Al…let us know what happens…Hailey…tell Platt I don't want to come in tomorrow and find Woods swinging by his belt. He stands trial and he rots if he has too. And if any of the brass ask I am off sick until…nine tomorrow."

"Adam didn't look to confident about a trial" Jay muttered but Hank had already passed him his keys.

"Scotch Jay"

Jay rolled his eyes and Hank wondered briefly if anyone had done a DNA test with Jay and Hank because the kid was so Hank it was almost frightening.

He got home and leaned against his front door staring at the hallway. Meredith in the kitchen came out and took one look at him wiping her hands on the towel.

"Not good?" she said quietly. He shook his head and she jerked her head to the living room. Kim was sat with Vicky next to her braiding her hair while Kevin and Adam watched some kind of game. Adam his face still bloodied and bruised was talking to Kevin quietly. He didn't look a hundred percent there but he looked better.

"Hey Al" Kevin said shaking his head over the beer bottle. "This is woeful man, they are so down they are never going back up again"

"What are you watching?"

"Football"

"You know" Kim said quietly. "I never got the point of this I mean what's the difference between this and soccer."

Adam who had taken a sip of water choked.

Kim grinned as Kevin launched into a rant complete with his arms going up and down like a windmill.

"Hello Al" Vicky said quietly. She flashed him her nails which were now pink.

"You like?"

"Very much" he said downing his fifth of scotch. He looked at Adam who looked steadily at him and then.

"Kim you think Vicky and you could give me a hand with dinner?"

God bless Meredith.

Kim looked between Adam and Al and nodded painting on her false smile. Kevin turned off the TV scooted closer to Adam so they were knocking shoulders and looked at Al expectantly.

Vicky hopped off the couch and went to the kitchen. Kim shot Al a look that promised death by a thousand unpleasant ways if she didn't get a play by play of this conversation afterwards and Meredith closed the door on the three of them.

"What did he say?" Adam asked quietly.

"You won't like it" Al said just as quiet.

Kevin shot him a look and rested a hand heavily on his friends arm.

Adam didn't smile.

"Try me" was all he said.

Al nodded.

He opened his mouth and began to talk.

So yeah, not sure about this one but I hope you like it. I wrote this in a way that Woods knows he is going down he just wants to cause as much pain as he can in the process.

This story will be now defo be 22 Chapters. No more, no less.

Next Chapter-Adam and Al have a talk and Al cements Adam's place in his family. Kim tries to explain to Vicky what her past means.