"Hey, you sure you want to go to school today?" Jay asked as he made breakfast.

" I'm sure . School might actually get my mind of a what today is, "Harper sighs as she stuffs a bite of pancakes in her mouth.

" Ok, only if you want to. I know this month is rough. Just know you can talk to me."

" Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it."

" Of course. You're my little sister , I rather have you talk to me than some person who gets paid to listen to private life," Jay says as he walks upstairs to finish getting ready for work .

" He would have been 15 today," Harper whispers once her brother is out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jay's Pov

"Does that mean you set a date?" Erin asked about Adam's engagement party.

"Today's the 21st, so six months today," Adam replies.

"Oh man , today's the 21st," Jay states , mainly to himself.

"Ya, it usually follows the 20th; what's up?" Erin states with a hint of morning sarcasm.

"Nothing," Jay replies , untrufly.

"Today is Ben Corson's birthday. He would have been 15, and the key word would be." Jay thinks to himself.

Ben was raped and killed 7 years ago. Case never closed, pedophile never found.

The only alibi they have is Harper.

The day of the kidnapping was engraved in his mind.

Flashback

July 2007

Harper had just walked 2 streets down to her house to get some apple juice for her and Ben. They have been drawing on the streets with chalk in front of his house. When she returned, Ben was at the end of the 2-way street in the neighborhood.

"Ben, what are you doing over there?" Harper asked, trying to block the sun from her eyes.

" I'm going to get us ice cream at the ice cream truck," Ben replied, holding up his Mickey wallet that contained like 5 bucks.

" Ben, you can't cross the street alone."

" I know that silly. That's why I'm going with an adult."

That's when Harper noticed there was someone with Ben. The sun was covering a lot of the person, but she was able to recognize the little details.

The yellow , beaten up , converse.

The 3 dot tattoo with an x covering it.

That's when it clicked. Ben was with Lonnie Rodiger. The person her mom and brother had said to stay away from.

With that, Harper ran as fast as her 9 year old legs could take her to her house.

She ran up the steps and opened the front door quickly.

" HELP! JAY! HELP! Ben's in trouble", Harper screamed when she entered the house , scarring the adults.

With those 3 words, Harper , Jay , Mrs. And Mr. Corson ran back to the Corsons house.

Not a surprise, Ben was not at the end of the two-way street. All that was there was his wallet and little watch that connected to his parents' phone.

They knew from that moment on. Ben was kidnapped... and what didn't help was that the Corson's neighbors are the Rodiger's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corson's Estate

"Hey Danny", Jay greeted as he walked in the Corson's house.

"Hi Jay," Danny Corson greeted, accepting the dinner Jay had brought over.

"Oh , we're going to be eating this until Thanksgiving," Gail said, accepting the smoke turkey Jay had given her.

"Hey, let me get you a sandwich, Jay."

"No, I can't, I got to run."

"Oh," Gail groaned sadly, " Let me at least get you a piece of cake to go."

"This is always a rough day for him. He won't eat it. I just end up throwing it out, "Gail explains after Danny walks out before she cuts the cake.

"Small Slice," Jay replies, feeling bad. " And an even bigger slice for Harp, she loves your cooking."

"Oh, ok! How is your sister? She's growing up so fast, "Gail said , happy with the change of subject.

" She's good, Gail. I know she's already sixteen."

"Any boys?"Gail joked around.

"Hell no," Jay replied quickly.

That's how it went. Small talk while Jay waited for the slice of cake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jay leaned against his car, eating his slice of cake. He was currently across from the Rodiger's house. The house he hated the most for containing cruel people. All he could see was Lonnie looking at him through the second story window.

"Can I see your drivers license?"

" Halstead, Intelligence," Jay replied, flashing his badge to the cop.

"This is harassment," Phil Rodiger argued while coming to his porch. His hound dog of a son trailing behind

" Just eating some birthday cake. Today would have been a birthday, "Jay sassed back.

"Arrest him, get him out of him," Phil ordered. Like that was going to happen.

" I'm sorry Pal", the patrol man answered, going back to his car.

" You dirty bastards, you always still together, you always have." Phil argued, like if anyone cared.

" 7 years today, Lonnie; today," Jay spoke , Turing all his attention to the son.

"Get out of here," Phil spoke.

" 7 YEARS, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FIFTEEN," Jay screamed back.

" I'm going to call my lawyer , I'm going to get a restraining order," Phil said, making another empty threat.

" Im going to give you a reason to need one some day," Jay sassed back while throwing the container that had the cake to the ground.

"You and your sick ass son", Jay said before getting in his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jay was driving back to work after the situation with the Rodiger's when his phone started ringing.

"Halstead," Jay answered.

"Jay," Harper answered on the other line.

" Harp," Jay answered, confused as to why his sister was calling him , out of the blue, during school hours.

"Jay , I can't be here anymore. Every second , every class , all I see is Ben's dead body , I can't Jay, "Harper says through tears.

"Hey , it's okay . I'll go pick you up right now. You'll have to stay at the house alone, at least until Benjamin and Trevor can get out of school. Is that ok?"

"Ya, that's fine . At this point, anything is better than school, "Harp replied , starting to calm down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flashback

"Hello, Jay speaking," Jay said, picking up the phone.

"Hey Jay , it's the Williams , we live across the streets from the Corsons."

"Oh yes, Hi, how are you guys."

" We've been better. Listen, I need you to get down to the Corsons house ASAP."

" Why is everything alright?" Jay asked, starting to grab his keys to get in his car.

" She found Ben."

" Who's She?" Jay asked , not grasping where this conversation was going.

" Harper found Ben Jay... She found his body in the Corson's front lawn." ,

Those 4 words made Jay's head spin. His sister found the body of her best friend. In a matter of no time, Jay flew down the streets, arriving at the Corson's house.

Jay jumped out of his car and rushed over to his 9 year old sister, who was screaming a lung off. Her hands were full of blood.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," Jay whispered, hugging his sister.

" Jay , Ben's dead , there's blood everywhere," Harper said through the tears streaming down her face

"I know, I know," Jay shushed as he shielded his sister from the cops surrounding the body. It didn't matter, though. The damage was done.

Jay didn't know how long he stood there just judging his sister, but he fell out of trance when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey Jay," Commander Perry said, arriving at the scene." Get me up to date. What's going on?"

"Ben's body was found in the flowers on the front lawn."

"Damm, Jay, I'm sorry. I know you were friends with the family and loved the kid. Are you going to tell Harper, or do you want someone else too."

"Thanks, Perry, but there's no purpose, she's the one who found the body."

The last sentence left them quite. They both knew after what just happened, nothing would be the same, ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey , I'm here to pick up Harper Halstead," Jay says as he walks into the highschools office.

"Oh yes, she's right here, "Harper, your brother is here."

"Hey Jay," Harper says, walking into the office.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Jay said.

"Ya."

With that, the 2 Halstead's walk out of the schools office towards Jay's car.

" Ok, I'm going to drop you off at home, I left cash if you want to order food. I should be back later this afternoon. Now, are you okay?"Jay asks while starting the car and driving to the house.

"I don't know how to feel. I mean, it's been 7 years ,but it still feels like yesterday I found his body. I feel like every year this day comes around , it haunts me."

" Hey , thanks goodness a day us only 24 hours," Jay says, trying to lighthten the mood.

"Let's get you home, Harp."

"Yes, please," Harper sighs, sinking into the car seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, today was something," Jay replied, setting down the food he got on his way home from work.

" You can say that."

" Gail gave me a slice of cake for you. I put it in the fridge. "

"Thanks, Jay, her cakes are the best," Harper replied, a little more joyful.

"So I thought , instead of talking about our day, since we know how it went, let's share some of our favorite memories of Ben, for his birthday," Jay proposed.

"I liked that idea, I'll start," Harper replied with a faint smile on her lips.

"I remember when Gail and Danny were going to go on a date, and Allie was babysitting Ben. You were babysitting me that night, so you dragged me to the Corson's house so you and Allie could spend time together. It backfired since me and I made that night crazy."

"I remember that day. Danny was not happy that we disobeyed his 1 rule; not to be alone in the house, "Jay said , reminiscing on the old memories.

" To Ben," Harper said, raising her glass.

"To ben," Jay cheered with his sister.