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Jay knocked lightly on his sister's bedroom door. He impatiently waited a whole second before his anxiety took over at what could be waiting on the other side, and he just went in without a response.

When the door opened unexpectedly, Alex immediately turned away and rushed to her bed. Once at the bed, she put her hand down first to guide her to sit ever so gently as she bit her bottom lip to distract herself from the pain. She knew from the footsteps that it had to be her brother, but she didn't need him seeing her in this state. She wouldn't let herself appear weak…appear vulnerable. She had to be stronger than that.

"Alex," Jay called softly as he closed the door behind him, wanting to give them some privacy but also knowing that it wouldn't be an issue because their father was too lazy to follow him.

"Hey," she replied as casually as she could muster without turning around.

Jay took a few steps toward her and something clinked as he almost tripped over it on the floor. In the split second that it happened, he didn't miss how his sister's shoulders immediately tensed up before she forced them to relax. Looking down, he felt his rage hit a new level when he saw his father's belt discarded on the floor. Between that and Pat's comment earlier, he didn't have to be an actual detective to put this mystery together. Without realizing it, his hands started to form fists as his internal rage toward their father hit a new level that he hadn't known was possible. He knew the man hadn't ever been the best father, and Jay had never let himself think about what could happen after their mother wasn't there to be a buffer anymore. He had been too focused on his grief and getting the hell out of that house, throwing himself into his career. He had been too focused on running from his emotions. But now there were some clear facts that he couldn't ignore about the aftermath of their mother's death.

Had it been any other case or any other family, he would have taken some time to think through his next words. But when it came to his own family, sometimes his logical side disappeared and he was solely reactive. That was something that had been ingrained in him since his time in the Rangers – family came first and you always protected them. No matter what.

"What did he do?" Jay whispered through clenched teeth.

"Just let it go, Jay," his sister all but pleaded as she stared out her window as night started to fall over Chicago and the streetlights began to flicker on.

"What did he do?" he repeated, this time standing just inches from her.

Deep down, she knew that she'd have to face her brother, that there was no way out of this one, but that didn't mean she would do it willingly. She had known that he'd pry for more information, but as long as it stayed laser focused on what her father had done, then she had nothing to worry about.

Jay could feel the rage coursing through his veins and he was wholeheartedly impatient. He took another step and reached his hand over to her chin to gently turn her face away from the window and toward him. With her default defiance, she fought it at first, but when he showed no signs of removing his hand, she gave in and turned to face him; however, her eyes refused to meet his.

He took in her appearance, inch by inch. Bloodshot eyes, puffy eyelids from crying, a very visible palm mark still plastered on her cheek. And he was certain that there were marks elsewhere that he couldn't readily see. Alex refused to raise her gaze to meet his—she wasn't ready to see whatever look he was going to give her. Pity? Guilt? Anger? She didn't want to know. Her eyes focused on the Chicago PD badge still clipped to the waist of his jeans, and it sent a haunting reminder down her spine.

"How bad is it?" Jay demanded as he tried to fully assess the situation. Alex shrugged silently as he removed his hand and took a seat beside her on the bed. The detective took a calming breath to keep from going over the edge—he knew his sister, and he knew she wasn't one to show many feelings, or hell, even be talkative with him. She was a typical teenager, full of independence and kept to herself. So, he immediately knew that he had to try a different approach than demanding answers impatiently before he fucked up this situation even more than it already was.

"Alexa – tell me how bad it is," he commanded as if he were talking to a machine, glancing at her back as if he could somehow find an answer if she wouldn't give in.

A small chuckle escaped Alex's lips and for a brief moment she felt the lighthearted banter at their shared memory. Although her full name was Alexandra, she'd gone by Alexa for the first part of her life. However, when Amazon came out with this whole "Alexa" robot in 2014, her two brothers used to joke around with her and demand that "Alexa" do things when they'd happen to be around. Hey, Alexa, bring me a coke. Hey, Alexa, put the Bears game on TV. After that, she proclaimed that she was going by Alex and the new nickname had then become part of her life. It was a stupid inside joke the three of them used to have, one that had been long lost over recent years, and the sudden mention of it brought back a wave of lighthearted memories that had been tucked away.

Jay felt a slight sense of relief when her lips started to form a smile before dropping down again. It happened every time – if he found the right way to connect with someone, they'd open up. Alex bit her bottom lip again, thoroughly thinking over her response first. If a Halstead were anything, it was fucking stubborn. And she was well aware that Jay would keep asking until he got an answer, so she relented and turned to meet his eyes for the first time.

"Bad."

Their eyes locked and the mixture of anger and concern was evident in his green eyes, causing tears to brim along her eyelids without permission. That single word told a very painted story for Jay, and like a volcano, he erupted and was immediately on his feet. He had the sense to pause for half a second as his mind raced through every possible next step, even though his mind had been made up from the start. He had selfishly tried to ignore the signs before, but now it was impossible to push aside and not think about. He would be crippled with guilt if he didn't take action. A line had been crossed, and he had to protect his sister now.

He announced without a trace of doubt, "Pack your stuff. You're coming with me." He didn't wait for an answer as he tore open her closet and rummaged around until he found a purple suitcase and a duffle bag.

As he tossed them on the bed, Alex stared at the empty bags. "What?" she asked, completely dumbfounded by his impulsive declaration.

"You heard me. We're leaving, so pack what you need and I'll buy you whatever else later." His tone was firm and didn't leave any room for discussion.

Jay and Alex had never been particularly close over the years. She'd spent more time with Jay than her other brother Will, but that was a pretty poor scale to be measured on. After their mom had died a few years earlier, everyone collectively stopped trying to stay in close touch. And when they did connect, it was done more out of obligation or even guilt than anything else. Despite their past and overall lack of sibling connection, Alex did have one thing very clear about her cop brother – when his mind was made up on a topic, there was no room for debate, much less questions. She had the army to thank for bringing that trait to life.

Honestly, going with Jay had to be better than getting her ass beat again, even if he was a detective who could uncover her secrets. Hell, she would take living in a dumpster at this point over being in this place if she didn't think she'd freeze to death in the Chicago winter. So, yeah, this was her best, if not only, option, so she wasn't going to fight it.

Without a word, she stood up and started pulling some clothes off the hangers and stuffing them into the duffle bag quickly. Jay's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly at not having to forcefully convince her to leave with him. He nodded in approval as he headed for the door. "We're leaving in five. Meet me out here." She gave him a gesture of understanding. Jay paused before reaching the door when he saw the belt resting on the floor. With an angry huff, he snatched it from the floor, gripping it tight in fury before disappearing down the hall.

Alex scanned her room and started tossing everything she could think onto the bed – clothing, shoes, socks, toiletries, pictures with her mom, and her school crap. When she started hearing two loud voices screaming at one another, she picked up the pace and crammed all her nearby belongings into the suitcase and duffle bag. Her mind focused solely on the task at hand, so the words outside her room walls couldn't be absorbed.

After her things were packed, she paused for a moment in front of her nightstand. Crouching down, she opened the bottom drawer and removed a small black toiletry bag. Should she take it with her? It carried some risk, but all her hard work would be pointless if she just left it here to rot for who knows how long. Without a second thought, she shoved it in her school messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder before exiting into the hallway ever so quietly, not sure what to expect.

"I should take you in myself, you bastard," Jay yelled at his father who was standing a few feet in front of him. The older brother instantly spotted his sister cowering in the hallway shadows, so he shoved right past his father and went up to grab the duffle and suitcase from her. "Let's get going," he said as calmly as he could after spewing rage.

Jay motioned for Alex to go first and be followed protectively close beside her as they made their way past Pat, who just stood there fuming with his arms crossed. "You think you can take care of that one?" he asked, purposefully planting seeds of doubt.

Alex refused to raise her gaze from the floor as she reached for the front door.

"Well I can't do any worse than you," Jay snapped back as he watched Alex exit safely into the apartment hallway.

"You'll regret it, boy." Pat chuckled as he reached over and took a swig of beer from the bottle on the end table. He retorted, this time a bit more quietly so Alex didn't hear, said almost as a threat, "She ain't the innocent girl you think she is."

That sentence made Jay hesitate for a split second as his mind caught up with what he was hearing. So many questions began running through his mind, but just as quickly as they came, he pushed them aside. Once he was also in the hallway, he turned around to glare at his father as he regained his composure. He started to close the door, but not before saying some parting words. "Fuck you." And he slammed the door shut.

Without missing a beat, Jay took off down the hall toward the elevator, and Alex had to practically run to keep up with him. Once they were headed down to the lobby, Jay felt his shoulders start to relax from the whole tense situation that had played out. His adrenaline was running in overdrive and his mind was having issues processing everything.

The youngest Halstead stared up at her taller brother in shock at everything that had just transpired. She had a lot to try to understand with all of this, but one part stuck out in her mind. "Did you really tell Dad to fuck himself?" she asked in disbelief.

A small grin pulled at his lips, but he tried to stay stoic. "Yeah," he replied simply.

Alex nodded in clear approval as she faced the opening elevator doors. "You're my hero," she responded with a smirk as she exited into the lobby.

Jay couldn't help but chuckle as he quickly followed behind her. It felt like he was stuck on autopilot, and he honestly wasn't sure what the hell he'd just done…