Luna- 6

It was a warm spring Saturday afternoon, Will had been called in early to work. Jay was at work, he had left Luna with a babysitter. He rarely used a babysitter because either him or his brother was almost always with his daughter. He had been called due to short staff. Jay was finishing up some last minute paperwork then he'd pick up his niece.

As Will was about to call to check on his daughter, Maggie called everyone in the ED.

"Alright people listen up!" Maggie called everyone. "There has been a mass shooting in Harold Washington Park, there are a lot of victims rolling in soon let's go. Let's get to work"

Will didn't hear Maggie after she said the name of the park, that's where Holly, Will's babysitter was with Luna. He felt his heart stop, his blood went cold. He couldn't breathe. It was as if all the air got sucked from his lungs. Connor had seen him.

"Will, hey, what is it?" Connor asked concerned.

"Luna….she..she was at that park with her sitter, Holly. I...I gotta go find her" Will said, breathing heavily.

The trauma surgeon took him to a room. "Will, I need you to take some deep breaths for me alright. I'm sure your brother has been notified about the shooting. He will find Luna, you gotta stay here and help the people who are injured. She'd want you to help these people coming in. Take a few deep breaths and relax"

"She's...she's wanted to go to the park all day since she woke up. I promised she could go. What if...what if.." He couldn't finish.

"Don't think that way alright. She's a Halstead, she's strong and very stubborn. Luna will be just fine"

The older Halstead nodded just then Jay had run in looking for his brother, Will went out the room and rushed to his brother. He grabbed a hold of him for dear life, his eyes full of fear and worry. He didn't care about anything around him or how people looked at him. He wanted his daughter back safely. But most importantly, alive.

"Jay please, please. You've gotta find Holly and Luna. They were at that park today" Will practically pleaded with his brother.

"I will find her, I give you my word. Just relax. I'll call you with any updates" Jay had told his brother.

"Jay I can't lose her, I just can't"

"Hey relax, I'll find her"

"Thank you"

"Anything for my big brother"

Jay had gone to search for his niece. Patients had started rolling in from the shooting. Will had put his game face on and tried not to worry about his daughter. He trusted his brother to find her.

Will's first patient was a young adult who had a gunshot to the shoulder and had a broken arm. He was focused on work trying not to think about Luna. He shook the thoughts from his head. Luna and Holly were fine. Weren't they? Holly may not have taken her, he thought. Maybe she took the little girl someplace else.

"Alright Josh, looks like you're gonna need surgery for your shoulder and once you're done they'll fix your arm and cast it" Will told his patient.

"Thanks doc" He replied.

Will had left the room and had his patient transferred to the OR. He checked his phone to see no new calls or messages from his brother. It had only made his fear and anxiety grow more. Luna's alive. Holly is alive. He kept telling himself that.

Ethan had seen his friend upset and went to check on him. "Will you alright?"

"Luna was at the park with her sitter. Jay's trying to find them"

"I'm sure she's alright"

"She's a little girl Ethan. Holly can handle herself but Luna, she's a baby"

"And she's a Halstead, she's strong, brave, fearless, and stubborn. Just like someone else I know"

A small smile appeared on his face. "Thanks Ethan"

"Anytime buddy"

While his mind was at ease for the moment he got back to work.

Meanwhile

Jay was on the scene where the shooting took place. He saw the place swarmed with police, forensics, crime scene investigators, some bodies still on the ground as they were being covered. When he saw one body being covered his blood ran cold, his heart just about stopped.

One of the bodies was a little girl, no older than 6. His niece's age, before he knew it his legs were moving as he ran over just as the sheet was being placed over her.

"Wait! Wait wait hold on" Jay told them. "Detective Halstead, Intelligence. I wanna see her before you cover her"

"Detective-" The guy was cut off by Jay.

Jay had glared at him, fire burned heavily in his blue eyes. "I said, I want to see her"

He then let Jay proceed, he bent down his heart racing. His fear and anxiety was skyrocketing. If this little girl was his niece, he didn't wanna tell his brother the news. Taking a deep breath, he moved the cover. The young detective sighed.

It wasn't his niece. Still seeing a child so young die from nonsense violence was hard. A family had lost their child. Something so valuable and precious just gone like that in the blink of an eye. Getting up he scratched his eyebrow. His niece wasn't on the scene anymore which means a few things. She's at a local district hopefully, she was possibly injured and transported to another hospital, or worse.. She could be somewhere else dead.

He didn't wanna tell his brother that Luna was gone. That would kill Will. She besides his brother was the only reason he lived. She was the thing that kept him going, that kept his heart beating, that kept air in his lungs. Without her he wouldn't be complete. Now the question remained where was his niece?

He went back to the hospital to see his brother. Will was finishing with another patient, he looked over to see his brother coming in. He rushed over as fast as his legs would take him.

"Jay. Where is she? Where's Luna?" Will asked, panicked.

"I don't know, I'm still looking," Jay answered cautiously.

"You don't know? How the hell can you not know?! What good are you if you're a detective and you can't find her! Find my daughter!"

Will stormed away, he hadn't meant to go off on his brother he was scared. He wanted his little girl back. Jay knew his brother hadn't meant it, he dealt with worried and scared parents before. It was different when it was your family. He had gone to his brother, the older Halstead was sitting sniffing back tears running a hand through his hair. Walking in the room Jay went to sit beside his brother.

"I'm doing everything I can to find Luna and Holly. I got patrol looking everywhere for them as soon as they get a sighting I'll be notified. I'm not giving up"

"I'm sorry" He choked out. "I didn't mean to go off on you"

"It's alright. I deal with worried and concerned parents all the time"

"Find her Jay please. Find them"

"You know I will"

Jay wrapped his brother in a hug. "I give you my word I'll bring Luna home"

Will had broken down a little, since his mother's death Will rarely ever cried. At this moment he didn't care. He was terrified, he wanted his little girl back. The redhead gripped his brother in a tight hug.

After a few moments Jay let his brother go he left his brother go to find his niece. Will had taken a few minutes to compose himself. Maggie had gone to check on him after noticing he's been gone a while.

"Will, hey, everything ok?" Maggie asked.

"N-no. Luna.. she was at the park with her sitter Holly. Jay's looking for them" His voice was very shaky.

She had sat beside him. "Oh Will, I'm sorry"

"I'm trying to focus on work but it's very hard"

"I know, Jay will find her. Once you're good come out. We got a lot of patients"

He just nodded as Maggie had then left the older Halstead alone in his thoughts. Going to his locker he opened it to see pictures of him and his little girl. One was of him, Jay, and Luna in a family picture. A couple other things he had hanging up were pictures that Luna drew and colored. Just seeing them gave him some kind of comfort.

After a few minutes of looking he had gone back out he hoped his brother found his little girl.

Jay was making calls around to all the other hospitals and nobody had any record of Holly or Luna. It had made the young detective more anxious and worried. Where were they? He had a feeling his young niece was most likely terrified. He knew Holly could handle herself but Luna would be scared out of her mind.

When the hospitals were a bust he tried not to think about the bad outcomes, he quickly shook his head. Holly was fine. She was alive. Luna was fine. She was alive. He had kept telling himself that. They were alive. They weren't dead.

He had started checking the local districts, as he was driving his phone rang. "Halstead….Where? I'm on my way"

Turning on the lights and sirens the young detective sped off.

Meanwhile

Will had gotten another patient, unknown to him the patient was the shooter from the park. He had been shot in the shoulder, in the abdomen, and the leg. He had a broken arm and bruised ribs when he was tackled by the police. The older Halstead was curious as to why he was handcuffed and a patrol officer was by his door.

He had overheard that he was the shooter which had changed his attitude and made him more pissed. Ethan had seen his friend's attitude change.

"Will walk with me now" He told his friend.

"Ethan-" He started but was cut off.

"Now"

Before he could speak his phone had gone off with a text from Jay, he ran outside. Cops were everywhere, the bay filled with police cars and other vehicles. He looked through the crowd for his brother.

"Jay! Jay!"

A door opened and closed then a small voice came. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"Luna? Luna!"

He ran and picked up his daughter holding her close and tight as he could. The young father could finally breathe again. The air had gone back into his lungs, his fears and anxiety were going away. In that moment all he cared about was his little girl, she was back with him, she was alive, and safe.

Jay walked back over after giving his brother a moment with the little girl. "When the shots went off Holly grabbed Luna and ran she managed to make it to the local district. The desk Sergeant called Trudy, Trudy called me"

The redhead looked at his brother with tears burning in his eyes as he held his little girl. "Thank you Jay"

"Just doing my job"

The young detective had wrapped his older brother and young niece in a hug. His family was back together and they were safe and alive. That's all that mattered to him.

After the long and chaotic day Will had gone home, he was scared of leaving his daughter for the moment. Once he got home he put his stuff away while Luna put her stuff away.

He leaned on the kitchen counter taking in a deep breath and letting it out. Having his daughter missing for hours had felt like an eternity. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost his baby girl. She was his heart and soul. When she was born, Will was reborn. He was a big party boy in New York when Luna landed on his doorstep all that changed. He'd given up all that for her. He got a stable job to support her. He kept a roof over her head. He loved her more than life.

The young father had long countless sleepless nights when she was a baby, he'd rock and cradle her when she was sick. A huge smile appeared on his face as he remembered when she said dada, for the first time. Luna had completed him. Will always felt as if something was missing in his life and he never knew what. Now that he has his little girl he is finally complete. Maybe she was what was missing.

Luna had come from her room after putting her stuff away and changed into her pajamas, her long fiery red hair was in a braid. She had gone over to see her father and she tugged his scrub pants breaking him from his thoughts.

"Daddy are you ok?" She asked, her small voice sounded innocent.

He smiled softly and kissed her head. "I'm just fine sweetheart. What should we have for dinner"

"Pizza"

The smile on his face grew, he couldn't believe after the day they both had his little girl was still always excited as ever. Just as he grabbed his phone there was a knock on the door he went to answer it. It was Jay, he held a large pizza in his hand. On his wrist was a bag that had a 6 pack of beer and apple juice.

"I brought dinner, figured after the day you had you didn't feel like cooking" Jay said.

The older Halstead chuckled. "You're a lifesaver"

"That I am"

Luna looked from her small area of toys and over to her father and uncle. "Uncle Jay".

A smile grew on Jay's face. "Munchkin"

Will couldn't help but smile as he got his daughter's dinner. He got her a couple slices and poured her some juice. Jay put his young niece at the table and kissed her head. The six-year-old started eating.

Jay opened two beers and handed one to his brother, Will had taken a long swing of his letting the cool liquid flow down his dry throat. He looked to his brother.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you the way I did today. I was just so scared and worried about Luna" Will says.

"It's fine, I deal with parents like that a lot. It's different when it's your family" Jay replied.

"Ain't that the truth. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her"

"Don't think like that man. She's here, she's safe, and she's alive. That's all that matters"

"I don't think I've ever been that scared before. I couldn't breathe, it felt as if my heart was just ripped from my chest"

"I called around to the local hospitals and districts. I told Trudy and Hank that Luna was out there, they called the districts and asked them to keep an eye out. Holly took Luna to the local district, they called Trudy and she called me"

"I owe you a lot Jay"

"No you don't, you're family. I'd do it again if I have to"

Will wrapped his brother in a hug. "I love you man"

"Love you too"

Luna had started to fall asleep at the table, the two brothers smiled and picked her up carrying her to her room.

"Daddy, can you read me a story" She mumbled, sleepily.

"Of course I can baby, which one" He answered softly.

He set her down and she ran to get a book, she had picked, Goodnight Moon. It was her favorite book. He smiled, he read this to her whenever he could at night ever since she was a baby.

"Good choice sweet girl" He tucked her in and put her bear beside her.

Luna tucked her bear into her arm just as her father sat on the bed and leaned back, he was tall for the bed but he didn't care. He enjoyed his time and the moments with his daughter. He opened the book.

"In the great green room

There was a telephone

And a red balloon

And a picture ofThe cow jumping over the moon

And there were three little bears sitting on chairs

And two little kittens

And a pair of mittens

And a little toy house

And a young mouse

And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush

And a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush"

Goodnight room

Goodnight moon

Goodnight cow jumping over the moon

Goodnight light

And the red balloon

Goodnight bears

Goodnight chairs

Goodnight kittens

And goodnight mittens

Goodnight clocks

And goodnight socks

Goodnight little house

And goodnight mouse

Goodnight comb

And goodnight brush

Goodnight nobody

Goodnight mush

And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"

Goodnight stars

Goodnight air

Goodnight noises everywhere" Will's voice was soft and gentle.

He looked down to see his baby girl fast asleep tucked into him. He closed the book quietly and set it down and kissed her head.

"Sweet dream my little star"

He cut her lamp off and just as he was about to get up her small hand had squeezed his.

"What's wrong baby" He looked a little worried.

"Don't leave me daddy, I'm scared" She whimpered.

"What are you scared of?"

"The bad person who had the gun at the park"

"He's in jail honey. Uncle Jay got him"

"Really?"

He nodded. "Really. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep"

Nodding sleepily she turned and laid on his chest, she put her thumb slightly in her mouth. The young father smiled and rubbed her back and kissed her head one more time.

"I love you so much baby girl" He rubbed soothing circles on her back.

Before he knew it he had fallen asleep. He held her close while he slept. Jay had cleaned up the pizza and put the stuff away. He had gone to check on his brother and niece. When he got to the door he peeked in and smiled. Opening the door just a little more he smiled.

Will was holding his little girl close to him, Luna laid on her father's chest sucking her thumb and holding her bear with one arm. Jay smiled, after the chaotic day they had his brother needed some rest and to be with Luna.

The little girl had slightly stirred and turned and blindly saw her uncle. "Uncle Jay"

He went over and bent down. "Shh it's ok little peanut. Go back to sleep"

"Can you stay too?"

"Of course I can"

She smiled and curled back into her the light off Jay laid on the floor next to her bed. The three Halsteads had slept quietly and soundly.