#halstead sister

You were cooking dinner in the kitchen, your one-year-old sitting in her highchair eating and playing with her dinner on the table behind you and your husband working from home today, upstairs in his office finishing up with his final meeting for the day.

You were almost falling asleep at the stove. After a long day of working with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, you had to rush to daycare to pick up your daughter and then come home and take care of all the chores around the house that hadn't been done yet.

And you still had more to do: cleaning the kitchen, feeding your husband and yourself, washing dishes, showering and putting your daughter to sleep and then waiting for anything your husband needed till he would let you sleep.

He hadn't always been like this.

You met and started dating around six years ago, getting married after two years and having your baby four years later. You were more than thankful that after having your daughter, he wasn't too eager to have another, and it was more than likely that he would settle for a single child or would insist on having a son later down the line.

He'd been the perfect boyfriend, fiancé, and husband. So perfect in fact that your brothers had approved of him up until recently.

It was around the time, just before you told them you were pregnant, that they began noticing things that you failed to properly hide such as bruises, unusual behaviours and slips of your tongue.

You were very sure that they knew what was happening but were unable to get you to leave, especially since your daughters birth.

Right now though, with your heavy eyes, vegetables on the chopping board, baby babbling behind you and your husbands presence practically undetectable, that you took Jay's offer on getting you out.

All of a sudden, the sound of glass smashing broke you out of your daze, the shards exploding against the wall and ricocheting towards you and your daughter.

Her cries were instant. Despite being so young, no matter how much you tried to protect and hide her from her father, she'd also become a witness but was yet to become a victim to his hands.

Her cries wear ear piercing, definitely being heard by both your neighbours.

"Get it to shut up!" Your husband snarled, veins popping on his arms and forehead. You could tell he was drunk, gone beyond any sort of reasoning and how this escalated so far was beyond you.

Before you could even turn the corner of the island, he was snatching you up by the tightest grip on your forearm, his fingers no doubt adding to the specifically shaped bruises all across your arms.

You were in a daze, being thrown across the kitchen, head hitting the marble island counter, legs landing on the glass.

"Samuel please!" You tried to scream, pleading with him to stop so you could get to your baby. Usually you were able to de-escalate before it got to this extreme but something must've set him off.

Before you could reorientate yourself, he was pulling you back upright and pushing you against the stove, the burner very much still on.

You screeched, unable to try keep quiet like you usually would as to not alert anyone and your daughter followed suit, her screams and cries increasing to a shattering level.

Despite the dress you were wearing, not having the time to get changed after work, you could feel the burn through your back, the pain unlike anything you'd felt before.

You weren't thinking clearly, lost to the pain and innate need to protect your daughter.

It felt like you weren't present in your body. Using the hand that was free from his grasp, you felt around the counter for anything, barely registering the handle of what you were holding before you struck.

All of a sudden, blood splattered across your face, staining your skin, clothes and all the surfaces nearby.

Looking down towards your hand, you couldn't fully comprehend, only seeing the knife in his chest. Looking up, you were once again face-to-face with your increasingly paling husband, the gravity of the situation falling like a wave crashing over you.

Pushing him away from you, you scrambled away from him, stumbling on your bare feet on the still glass covered tiles to get to your baby whose cries were muffled in the fabric on your shoulder.

His body fell, smack down on the harsh tile, the sound making your head ache impossibly so.

Even with all the adrenaline still rushing though your veins, your legs were unable to keep you upright, your own body following his down to the floor.

"Shh, shhh, it's okay baby. Mummy's here, you're okay my love."

*****

The sun was just setting and Intelligence was pretty much finished for the night. Half was packing themselves up while the other half was finishing up paperwork and getting the final bits up for a court appearance they all needed to attend at the end of the week.

Jay was reading over a few bits the lawyer had sent over with Kim when his phone rung with an unknown number.

Groaning internally, he ignored everyone's eyes on him, all of them just wanting to go home and have an early night for the first time in months.

"Is this Detective Halstead? Y/N's older brother?" The voice started before Jay could say anything, their words putting him on edge.

At the sudden tension that was visibly filling his body, everyone was looking at Jay with stern faces and hard eyes.

"That's me, what's wrong with Y/N?" Jay slowly stood from his seat, already reaching for his keys and jacket while Hailey went to alert Hank.

"You gave me your card last year when I moved in, you said to call if I was ever worried about Y/N." The female voice spoke, another voice in the background was muffled as they also spoke. "Yeah, yeah- we heard a bunch of screaming and crying from Y/N and Mia. Gosh it's horrible, you can still hear Mia crying, I've never heard her like that before."

When Jay said his heart stopped, that would be an understatement.

He remembered giving your neighbours his cards when you first moved in, giving them again when one of them moved out and new ones moved in.

Him and Will were basically one hundred percent sure Samuel was abusing you but at every bruise they pointed out, you always countered. But, both brothers worked in professions where knowing these things were second nature and to see it happen to their baby sister who constantly denied it, even after the birth of your daughter, it broke them to know what he was doing.

And every time they tried to confront him, trying to gather evidence against him, you would be their backing him.

Now, to have your neighbour calling him, reporting that you and his niece could be heard screaming and crying, Jay knew exactly what was happening.

"Don't do anything - don't leave your house, don't go to hers or do anything whatsoever okay? I'm on my way."

Without even having to say much, everyone was following, rushing forward to their cars, stepping on it when Jay said, "It's Y/N."

The drive felt like a blur, Jay driving towards your house without even paying too much attention which was definitely dangerous, but you and your daughter mattered more.

Intelligence arrived first, the police that the other neighbour called yet to arrive.

Jay wasted no time in opening the door, using his spare key to get in.

The house was eerily quite when he first stepped in, Hailey and Kevin by his side as everyone slowly followed in from behind when he stopped in the hallway.

Everyone split up, half going upstairs whilst the rest remained downstairs with Jay who had his gun in hand as he went through the living room and towards the kitchen.

The scene before him caught him so off guard that Hailey bumped into his back in the doorway when he abruptly stopped.

Blood was splattered across the counters and floor, blood flooding the tiles from underneath Samuel's body where a knife was sitting in his chest. He was, undoubtedly, dead.

Glass was everyone, scattered like paint splatters making it impossible to walk without crushing it beneath their feet.

Across the island, sitting against the pink highchair was you. Your body was shaking, swaying as you whispered into Amelia's ear, calming the baby who was no longer crying and was almost happy to be so closely cuddled with her mother.

From where he stood, both of you were injured. Just at the sight of blood on both your bodies made Jay seethe.

"Y/N?" Jay said lowly, trying his best not to scare his younger sister. "Y/N it's Jay, is it okay if I touch you?"

After much coaxing, your eyes finally left your husbands body and landed on Jaywho was crouched a few feet from you.

At the sight of your older brother, you felt yourself losing composure.

"Jay." Your voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "Jay I think I killed him."

Jay didn't say anything, only coming closer to you, arms outstretched to hold you.

"Hey it's okay, it's okay." He shushed you, wiping a few tears away. "Don't thing about him, where are you and Amelia hurt?"

"Mia? She's hurt?" You gasped, pulling your daughter from where she was hidden in your neck to look for any sign on injury.

Your heart dropped from a ledge at the sight of red scratches all across her face. "Oh my baby."

You lightly caressed her face, trying not to touch any of the scratches. "Oh baby, mummy's so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's probably from the glass, it went everywhere." You shuddered.

"Okay that's fine, easily treatable." Jay said reassuringly, looking behind you at Hailey at Hank who were already calling for paramedics and forensics.

"What about you Y/N? Where are you hurt?" Jay was almost too scared to ask.

"It hurts everywhere." You whispered, feeling a little shameful. "Arms, legs, back, head and stomach - everything hurts Jay."

It was reminiscent on when you were all younger, when you were always so clumsy and getting hurt over the simplest things, running to your older brothers who would always fix things and patch you up. You sounded so much life your child self no matter how old you were.

"Paramedics are here. Good for them to come in?" Hailey asked, looking at Jay who looked at his sister imploringly.

Knowing that your daughter was hurt, red marks and small lines of blood all across her chubby face, it was easiest question you'd ever answer.

*****

You hadn't let your daughter go.

Jay helped you onto the gurney, accompanying you in the ambulance while the others stayed behind to sort everything out, Hailey saying she'd drive to Med as soon as she could.

In the rush of everything, Jay hadn't been able to call Will, but Kim did.

As soon as they arrived, Jay got off first, easily finding his redheaded brother and he didn't need to say anything, his face said it all.

Will stepped aside so that Ethan could go forward and take charge, both brothers following close behind, Will listening closely to try make sense of what they were dealing with.

Parking you in the bay, no one could treat you with Amelia still in your arms.

"Y/N?" Will gently called, crouching slightly so he could be as eye level as he could. "Can I treat Mia while Ethan gets a look at you. I promise, we'll be right next door and no one's going to touch her but me, Jay and Maggie."

"She's not leaving our sight, we promise." Jay added, both brothers willing to put their life on the line for their niece.

Your arms were visibly shaking from the exhaustion and adrenaline crash as your fingers relaxed from its grip on Amelia's shirt, allowing Will to swoop in and pick her up.

Pressing a kiss to your forehead, Will smiled as much as he could given the situation and slowly moved away so as not to scare you too much.

Luckily for him, you were so tired and the pain was finally hitting you all at once, that you barely paid much attention to your brothers and daughter.

In the treatment room right next to yours, Will turned to Jay.

"Take Mia and sit down on the bed. These scratches don't look too bad so I doubt they'll need stitches, just some cleaning and she should be good."

Following his instructions, Jay gently cradled her in his arms, sitting on the bed, keeping a close eye on his niece whose wide eyes were watching her uncle bustle around and collect items to clean her face.

She cooed, watching with interest as Will snapped gloves on, opening multiple anti-bacterial wipes and gently wiped her the already scabbing scratches on her face.

At the cold sensation rubbing against her cheeks and forehead, Amelia giggled, her fingers trying to catch and hold onto Will's hand.

Both brothers smiled at their niece, a whirlwind of emotions painted on their faces, in awe of their niece who was giggling after the trauma she experienced but with deep sadness knowing that she was hurt due to her father's abusive tendencies towards her mother.

Eventually, Amelia's eyes starting drooping, Will's ministrations putting her to sleep, something which neither of them stopped, letting her fall asleep withing minutes.

Will sighed, cleaning the last bit of blood that managed to get on her neck before putting everything in the bin.

"He's dead." Jay said under his breath so as to not wake the slumbering baby on his chest. "No one's sure what actually happened but it's obvious she killed him in self-defence."

"God." Will looked conflicted as he took his gloves off. "From what the paramedics and Ethan said, she's been burnt, probably second degree, a concussion and lots of bleeding and bruising. Her ribs are also probably bruised from repeated trauma but we'll have to wait for her scans to come back."

The brothers fell into silence, relishing in the silence of the closed off room, content to watch the rise and fall of their nieces breathing.

*****

A few hours later, you were moved to a different ward, Jay sitting beside you with Amelia fast asleep on his chest.

You just finished giving your statement to Hailey, finally admitting to years of abuse that started just after you got married.

You didn't know what to think. On one hand, you were thankful, you were free from your husbands abuse, he could never hurt you nor could he even try to hurt Amelia but it was only because you killed him.

He couldn't be arrested, forced to suffer years behind bars for his horrific actions.

Both Jay and Hailey assured you nothing was going to happen to you, you weren't going to face any charges because it was clearly, from your statement as well as your neighbours and Will and Jay's admissions that they had been suspicious for a while now, self-defence.

As Hailey was writing the last few details in her notebook, you suddenly remembered something. You perked up, body screaming at you for the sudden action but the pain was slightly dulled by the painkillers.

"Cameras." You breathed out, looking at Jay and Hailey.

"Samuel installed cameras after we moved in, he put them all around the house so he could keep an eye on me when he wasn't working from home."

Without saying anything, both detectives already knew what you were trying to say.

"I'll call Voight and let him know." There was a certain gleam in Hailey's eyes that you sometimes saw in Jay's that let you know that this was a good things.

As Hailey walked out, Will walked in, several things in hand as he slide the door shut behind him.

"Okay so here's the extra blanket you asked for." He said as he opened it up and lay it on you, letting you adjust it to your liking.

"Also some water and cookies for later because you need to eat at one point." Will's eyes were stern when you tried to interject.

"I've also got some morphine if you want it and news about your scans."

Huffing, you said yes to both of them, letting him inject you before he settled on the bed by your knees.

"Like me and Ethan said before, your ribs are only bruised from repetitive trauma, there's no fractures or any sort of internal bleeding anywhere." He paused, waiting for you to nod before he continued.

"There's a mixture of bruises, scratches and gashes on your arms and legs. The bruising on your arm is quite severe so you'll have to stay in the brace for a few weeks and not put too much strain because it can get worse - yes, if that means getting help to look after Mia because you struggle to hold her, then so be it."

You didn't like the sound of that. You loved to hold your daughter and she loved being picked up and held by anyone, but you especially.

"You've got also got a concussion so I'll run you through the concussion protocol later. The burn on your back is a second degree burn so while it's treatable, there will probably be a mark left behind. It's severity, no ones sure about that, but if you treat it correctly and let us help you, then it shouldn't be too bad."

"That's it?" You asked timidly, voice still sore.

"That's it." Will nodded in confirmation. "We're keeping you overnight for observation, maybe the next day too but I've already discharged Mia. Her scratches weren't bad at all and there'll be no scars afterwards."

You choked back a sob hearing that. Knowing that she was technically fine and would be scar free in just a few weeks was the biggest relief.

"That's good." You finally let the tears fall. "That's really good, I'm glad."

Your brothers let you breakdown, surrounding you in a protective circle, shielding you from the outside world, whispering reassurances, gently carding fingers through your hair.

You weren't too sure how much time had passed, but there was a knock to the door that brought you out your sobbing.

Hailey poked her head in, making sure not to step in.

"Voight just got back to me. They found all the cameras and they're pretty much one hundred percent certain they can prove it was all self-defence Y/N."

All you could do was breakdown again, trying to muffle your cries as to not was your sleeping daughter but you couldn't help yourself.

“Incoming, Pedestrian versus... Horse?"

“Maggie?!”

“Dr. Choi, Dr. Rhodes, going to Baghdad!”

“Page Dr. Halstead!”

You could hear the shouting, vitals being rattled off,  tests being ordered, various machines needed.  Your vision was blurry, you could barely make out who was around you.

“On my count! One, two three!”

            You let out a grunt as you feel yourself lifted up and set down. The hard backboard was still underneath you, no give in it making the transition a little rougher.  You tried to turn your head, only realizing it was stabilized. A C-collar, as your brother would tell you.  Light was quickly shown in your eyes, making you stifle a moan at the brightness.  You closed your eyes, hoping it was all just a terrible dream.

“Bilateral chest sounds.”

            There was a pressure on your sternum, forcing you to open your eyes. Your eyes found the source of the pain, it was a familiar face, but you couldn’t quite make out who it was.  The pain your body was experiencing was making it hard to focus.

“Y/N? It’s Dr. Choi.  You’re at Chicago Med.  Will is on his way.”

“Not lucid enough to clear C-Spine, collar remains. Need to remove the back board.  Let’s get an X-ray neck, chest and pelvis, and a head CT.  Roll on three.”

            You were rolled onto your side; the backboard was removed and you could finally feel the bed beneath you.  You sighed, releasing your tense muscles.  The adrenaline was still coursing through you, elevating your heart rate and blood pressure.  After the backboard was removed, you started your mental checklist of your body since you couldn’t talk, let alone figure out what was going on around you between all the orders being shouted.

            Arms, hands, shoulders, check.  No pain that you could tell. 

Head, neck, positive for pain.  There was one strike. 

Torso, hips, positive.  Strike two.

Legs, feet, positive.  Strike three.

-------------------------

Will was up in pediatrics with Natalie doing rounds when he got a call from Maggie.

“It’s Y/N. Get down here now.”

            Will excused himself, not paying attention to Natalie who followed.  He impatiently pressed the down button on the elevator, wishing he could just teleport down to the ED.  Natalie gave a reassuring smile, knowing it must be important for him to be in such a rush. The elevator bell dinged, thankfully it was empty. Will forced the doors closed, pressing the button for the ED. An agonizing ten seconds until the doors opened, revealing the chaotic energy of the ED. 

            Maggie found him, informing him and Natalie briefly what happened.  The words barely registered in his mind.  He walked over to Baghdad, seeing Dr. Choi doing a sternum rub to bring Y/N to consciousness.  It wasn’t looking hopeful to Will.  He needed to call Jay, but right now he just needed to keep his eyes on you.

            Dr. Rhodes was barking orders at every tech and nurse in the room, everyone moving in controlled chaos as they got Y/N hooked up.

“BP 170/100, Sats at 90, HR at 112.”  April was listing off the stats from the machine, none of the numbers were looking good.

As the paramedics were walking out with the stretcher, Will stopped one of them.  “What happened? What was her GCS?”

The male medic looked back in the trauma room, shaking his head.  “Carriage accident.  Horse spooked, took off as she was walking around in front to get back on the carriage. Trampled her, the carriage wheels just barely missing her head. Vitals are the same they were in the field.  Her GCS was only a 6.”

Will nodded, thanking the medic as he walked away. Six wasn’t the absolute worst, but it definitely wasn’t the best either. 

            The radiology tech gathered the films of her neck, chest and pelvis.  There was no bleeding in her abdomen or chest, thankfully.  Her pelvis was shifted slightly, but with her SI Joint injury, it wasn’t worrisome.  What caught everyone’s attention was the neck x-ray. There was a compression between C1 and C4, and there was a fracture on C7, causing a lot of swelling.

            “Sats are dropping! 87, 84!” April shouted, pulling everyone back into action.  Will stood there frozen, his entire world slowly collapsing.

            Dr. Choi checked Y/N’s pupillary response again, confirming the loss of consciousness.  One of the other nurses pulled out an intubation kit, Dr. Rhodes positioning himself behind Y/N.  He got the tube placed, and began bagging.  Dr. Choi checked the placing of the tube, satisfied when he heard bilateral breath sounds again.  The oxygen levels began rising, settling at 95.

            “We need to get Dr. Abrams in for a consult, as well as ortho.  Let’s get her transferred up to the ICU for the time being. Let’s roll!” Dr. Rhodes kept bagging as the bed was wheeled out of the trauma room, multiple nurses following behind.

            Dr. Choi stood by Will as Y/N was taken away.  He gave a small pat on Will’s back, in attempt of reassurance. “She will be alright. Let us know if you need anything.”

            Will felt helpless, there wasn’t anything he could do since you two were together.  All he could do was wait.  He pulled out his phone, finding Jay’s text thread.  Through blurry eyes, he was able to get a quick message typed out, letting Jay know briefly what is happening.

—————————————-

            Sharon Goodwin was finally able to get down to the ED, Maggie informing her of what happened.  She spotted Will and Natalie, quickly rushing over to get the latest update.  Natalie excused herself when Goodwin arrived.

            “Dr. Halstead, Maggie informed me that Y/N was here.  What happened?” Goodwin always had a calm tone when it came to discussing loved ones in the hospital.  It was a tool of the trade that she had mastered.

            “She was doing carriage rides for a party today.  She normally doesn’t do them on this side of town, but she was feeling generous and said she would do it just this once.  Medics say the horse spooked as she was walking around in front of them, about to get back on the carriage.  Trampled her, the carriage wheels just narrowly missing her.”  Will shook his head, still unable to comprehend what all just happened in the trauma room.

            “She’s been doing carriage rides with this horse, and others, for years.  And today is the day that it could all end.”  He sniffled, lowering his head to hide the tears threatening to spill over.

            “You know she’s at the best place she could possibly be right now.  Why don’t you go upstairs and wait with her?  I’ll have Dr. Reese take over your patients, and I’m sure Dr. Choi wouldn’t mind shadowing her.”  Goodwin rubbed his arm, offering a small smile.  Her tone was serious, and Will knew he couldn’t argue with her.

            “If they won’t mind.  I’m going to go grab her go bag, I know she will want her favorite blanket when she wakes up. I have to go to the precinct and let Jay know, he hasn’t answered my texts yet.”  Will nodded, liking the sound of the plan he formulated.

            “Whatever you need.  Keep me updated on what happens, I’ll stop back by later.”  Goodwin walked off, finding Dr. Reese and Dr. Choi to let them know the plan had changed.

---------------------------

              It wouldn’t be for another three days before you finally showed a decent cognitive function that the doctors felt comfortable enough to lighten your sedation and wake you up. Jay and Will walked into your ICU room to find Dr. Abrams doing his neuro exam to test your cognitive functions.  There was slight improvement from when you were first brought in, but nothing significant.

            “Anything new?” Will asked, pulling Dr. Abrams from his notes on his iPad.

            “I think we can lighten the sedation a little bit today, see if she wakes up on her own.  She won’t be able to talk since she is still intubated, but we can get her weaned off the vent to where she can hopefully stay breathing on her own.”  Dr. Abrams typed away at his notes while updating Will, handing it over once he was finished so Will could read the updates.

            “I’ll page Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Choi; they’ll be up soon.  I’ll be back in a few moments.  Hang in there, she’s doing better than most.”

            Will only nodded, settling into the chair next to your bed and began reading the updates he may have missed.  Jay mumbled a small “thank you” as Dr. Abrams left. He was there for every check-in, so it’s not like anything major has been updated.  Will kept reading over everything from the last three days, looking at the CT scans that were done every day and the notes left by Dr. Abrams.  He was thorough in his reporting, Will gave him that. A light knock on the door startled Jay and Will, Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Choi walking in once their presence was acknowledged.

            “So, Dr. Abrams says we can start to wake her up.  Now we don’t really know the extent of her brain injury, if there are any.” Dr. Rhodes was mainly directing his statement towards Jay.  Will knew there would likely be deficits, and he was already mentally prepared for that.

            “We can go ahead and start to lighten the sedative, it will take a while for her body to metabolize everything still circulating, but she should start to come around.  Dr. Abrams caught us on the way in, once she shows movement or any sign of waking up, that's we need to get him in here.” Dr. Choi was messing with the IV pumps, punching in numbers and closing off lines. 

            Jay and Will stayed on either side of your bed, holding your hands in theirs and kissing your knuckles.  The last few days had been absolute hell on them, taking turns sleeping and getting food.  Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Choi stepped out of the room, documenting everything they did at the nurse’s station right outside your room. 

            Jay sighed. “I need to know that she will be fine.  That she will wake up and recover.”

            Will only shook his head, finally letting the tears fall that he had been holding back since you first came in.  He sniffled, “She will be fine.  She is strong and hardheaded like us.  She’s not going to let something like this stop her.”

            Some time had passed, neither of them knew how long it had been. Both brothers sat in silence, the steady pulse of the vent breathing for you filling the room. Jay felt it at first, but he didn’t say anything, as he didn’t want to get his or Will’s hopes up.  But then Will felt it and looked up at Jay.  They locked eyes, their breath catching.

Now was as good a time as any.

----------------------------

Antonio Dawson

The Dawson siblings… your parents had no idea they would have to deal with 3 souls that feared absolutely nothing. Being the youngest definitely helped you feel even bolder. Having Antonio and Gabby protect you from everything and everyone made you feel like the safest person on earth. Growing up is never easy, but being a Dawson prepared you for a lot. With Gabby being in CFD and Antonio in CPD, your parents wondered if you would follow your sibling's footsteps. When the moment came to choose your profession, they were worried that would be the case. You, however, have no idea where your passion lies.

“You don't have to be so worried about this, kid,” Antonio said from his spot on the couch.

“How can I not, Tonio?”

“Come here, sit down,” he said, patting the spot beside him. You went and sat beside him. “It's perfectly normal to feel lost about all this. It's not an easy decision. “

“It was easy for you and Gabby. You always knew what you wanted to do.”

“That means nothing. Do you think we never had doubts? That we didn't struggle?” Antonio held your face in his hands. “You have our support. Always. It doesn't matter what you choose to do.”

“He's right,” Gabby said, having arrived in the room just now. “We love you, and we're going to help you find your way.”

Hank Voight

Losing a parent is something that can change someone’s entire life. You and Hank had to deal with the loss of your dad when you were both too young to even understand why he died. You and Hank were really different, but you both shared the wish to become police. To protect the city like your father did. Being the oldest, Hank became a mentor to you. He was there for you in every step of your career, being your biggest supporter. Being police somehow strengthened your bond and you guys grew closer as the years went by. You could be yourself without any fear with him, and he felt the same. When your brother lost the love of his life, his wife Camille, you were the only person he would open up to.

“I don’t know what to do,” Hank stared at you for the first time that evening. He’s been avoiding you since the funeral that morning. You knew he was scared to pour out his emotions, afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep going if he let himself feel all that pain.

“I’m here, Hank,” you held his hands that rested on the table.

“Do you remember how you felt when dad died?” Hank asked you.

“What? No… We were so young.”

“Exactly. I don’t remember hurting his much, you know?”

You felt your eyes fill with tears at his words. You got up and embraced him in a hug, hoping to pass him some comfort. “We’re going to be okay, brother. I got you.”

Adam Ruzek

As surprising as it may sound, having an older brother who never leaves you alone and is devoted to annoy you is not that bad. You were a really introverted kid, and for years Adam was your only friend. You were still a baby when your parents divorced. This made things even more complicated between them, but Adam has always been there for you. He held your hand when you walked for the first time. He taught you how to ride a bike and how to play football. Your dad always watched you two with fondness in his eyes. The three of you were pretty close. Bob was not perfect, but he tried his best. He knew that Adam felt like he had to protect you from everything, but sometimes that went too far.

“Adam, for the last time, tell me where the hell are they!” Bob was starting to lose his patience.

“Dad, I told you I don’t know.”

“You’re 20, for god's sake! You should stop covering for them.”

Adam choose to stay silent this time. They’ve been at it for 30 minutes now, and he already used all his excuses.

“Fine, you want me to go to the police station? I can find them and cause a scene, sending police cars to wherever they are!”

Adam’s eyes widened at this, he knew it was a lost battle now. He told your dad about the party you went to, already feeling sorry for all the scolding you’d get the next days. Later that night, Adam apologized for not being able to hold your dad longer.

You looked at him with a big smile on your face, “It’s okay, Adam. Do you wanna know how my date went?”

Dante Torres

Life could be hard. Too damn hard. You and Dante knew that very well. From a young age, both of you had to learn how to survive in a world where kids like you two were constantly thrown under the bus. Being a foreigner in the US was hard enough, but also being poor and living with an abusive stepfather made things worse. Dante had to grow up faster than usual. He had to become someone that you and your mother could rely on, even though he was way too young for any of this. Juvie. Gangs. You never lost hope that Dante would leave that life, find a good job, and be happy. The day he got into the academy was one of the happiest days of your life. Seeing him later in Intelligence made you so damn proud.

“I can't believe they're giving you a permanent spot!” you were jumping into his arms before he could cross the threshold.

“You saw my message?” Dante said with a smile, hugging you back.

“Of course I did! You got the job, I'm so proud of you!”

“Where's mom?” Dante asked, stepping back from the hug and closing the door. You could tell he was a little overwhelmed with the news himself.

“She will be back soon. We have a surprise for you,” you said nonchalantly.

“What? You guys didn't have to give me anything.”

“Don't worry, bald head,” you used the nickname he hated so much. “We want to treat you, for everything you did for us.”

You approached him again and held his hand, “We love you, and we're so proud.”

“I love you guys too.” Dante smiled down at you. “But never call me bald head again.”

“Okay, bald head.”

Please accept this post as my apology for being MIA… I had this idea the other day so I decided to write it.

I’m aware that Adam has a sister that was mentioned in the show, but I don’t remember much about her, so that’s why she wasn’t mentioned. The same goes for his mother. For the others, I tried to include their parents and siblings as much as I could.

Chapter 4 of Upstead Foster Daughter is half written because I want it to be longer than the others, but inspiration hasn't hit me in a while.

You were a creature of habit. Always have been. So it didn’t take long for everyone to learn them. One particular habit was your nightly trip to Molly’s. The firefighter bar. You met Herrmann in the ER one day and you became friends. He was quite possibly the sweetest person you’d ever met. He was also the only one who knew your full past.

You weren’t always here in Chicago nor were you aware of your brothers, Will and Jay. Up until 9 months ago you didn’t know that they existed. You were an orphan, or at least that’s what you were always told and you had no reason to think otherwise. But sure enough, after a trip to Chicago and one freak accident that took you to the ER, you found them. Well one. Your older brother Will. How he found out, you still didn’t know but he did. Shortly after, you met Jay, who apparently is your twin brother.

You spent as much time with them as possible before leaving for your college graduation, promising to visit. Little did you know that they were coming back with you. You didn’t find out until they “dropped you off” at the airport the next day but with bags.

“You think we’d miss our little sister’s graduation?” Will asked smiling warmly.

"Seriously?" you asked, your face lighting up like a child's on Christmas morning.

Will chuckled, ruffling your hair, "Of course. We wouldn't miss it for the world."

As soon as your flight number was called, you all boarded the plane, excitement bubbling under the surface. You couldn't believe it. Just a week ago, you thought you'd be walking across the stage to receive your degree with no one in the crowd cheering for you. But now, you were going to have two people there, and not just anyone—your brothers.

As you settled into your seat, you glanced over at Will and Jay, who were chatting animatedly about the plans for the weekend. The reality of the situation finally hit you, and felt a smile creeping up your face. You'd spent so much of your life moving from place to place, rarely feeling like you truly belonged anywhere. But now, it felt like you finally did belong.

When the plane landed, you turned to your brothers with a smile. "I'll head home and change, and then I'll meet you both at the hotel with my husband," you said, still riding the high of excitement from the journey.

They nodded, and after a quick hug and a promise to catch up soon, you headed off towards your apartment. You didn’t live so far away, so you decided to walk. As you walked up the driveway, you noticed your husband's car was there. A small, happy smile crossed your face.

You unlocked the front door and stepped inside, calling out a cheerful greeting. "I'm home!"

But there was no response. The house was eerily quiet, and an uneasy feeling began to settle in your stomach. You walked through the hallway, your footsteps echoing in the silence. As you approached the bedroom door, you noticed it was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, your eyes widened in shock.

There, on the bed, was your husband—tangled up with another woman. It was almost too surreal to process at first; your mind struggled to comprehend what you were seeing. They both looked up, startled by your sudden entrance. Your husband quickly pulled away from the woman, but he didn't seem particularly shocked or apologetic. Instead, he simply stared at you. In fact, a look of mild annoyance was plastered on his face.

For a moment, you just stood there, frozen, as a tidal wave of emotions crashed over you—betrayal, anger, sadness. You felt like you had been punched in the gut. You'd been so excited to share your news with him, and now this?

You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to speak. "I'll be back for my things," you said, your voice surprisingly steady despite earthquake of emotions rattling inside you. You didn't wait for a response. You turned on your heel and walked out, grabbing your car keys on the way out.

As you got into your car, your hands were trembling. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself. Tears welled up in your eyes, but you wiped them away and started the engine. You drove to the hotel in a daze, trying to shake the image of your husband and the other woman from your mind. How you didn’t have an accident was beyond you.

Needless to say, they were furious when you showed up at their hotel room in tears. You had tried so hard to hold it together, but as soon as the elevator doors closed behind you, the dam broke. The tears came fast and hard, and you struggled to keep your sobs quiet as you rode up to their floor.

When you reached their room and knocked, Will opened the door, his smile fading instantly when he saw your tear-streaked face. Without a word, he pulled you into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around you protectively. The warmth of his embrace made you feel better, even if just for a moment.

Jay quickly crossed the space between you, "What happened?" he asked, his voice tense.

You tried to speak, but your voice caught in your throat. The pain was too raw, the words too painful. Instead, you just shook your head, fresh tears spilling down your cheeks. Will held you tighter, his hand gently rubbing your back in a soothing motion.

"He... he was with someone else," you finally managed to choke out between sobs, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jay's face turned red with anger, his fists clenching at his sides. "What?" he nearly shouted; his voice filled with fury. He took a step towards the door, clearly ready to confront your husband. "I'm gonna kill him," he muttered under his breath.

Will, still holding you close, turned to block Jay's path. "No, Jay," he said firmly, "This isn't the time. She needs us."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," you said, more tears streaming down your face as the realization hit you—you were now possibly homeless. You felt the weight of everything, slowly crushing you. But you needn’t worry about anything.

Jay offered you a place to stay and went back with you to collect the rest of your belongings. He was also there when you filed for divorce. Despite his assurances that he didn't mind you staying with him, you started looking for a place of your own. When you thought you had found one, Jay insisted it "wasn't safe enough" for you. So, almost nine months later, you’re still living with him. It had been a long time since you had a brother around, and you'd forgotten how much of a nuisance they could be—but you loved it.

You're now a nurse at Gaffney, the same hospital where Will works. While you love being near your brothers, the ER can be incredibly stressful, and when it gets overwhelming, you find yourself at Molly's, sitting on your usual barstool. Herrmann could tell just by the look on your face which usual you needed. You had two orders: one for a good day and one for a bad one. Clearly, today was the latter.

You smiled as the drink appeared in front of you. "Thanks, Hermie," you said, picking up the shot glass and downing it in one go, welcoming the familiar burn.

"No problem, kid," he said, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Wanna talk about it?" You shook your head, offering a grateful smile. He casually draped the towel over his shoulder and placed another drink in front of you, a glass of coke with double vodka, "You know where to find me if you change your mind."

You nodded once more as he moved to serve other patrons. You let your eyes leave their place on the glass and wander around the bar. Many people were regulars, in fact all of them were except for one.

He caught your eye immediately. He was quite possibly the hottest person you’d ever laid your eyes on. He was definitely older than you, by about 20 years but damn you didn’t care. His short, neatly trimmed hair was greying slightly but it only made him sexier. As you continue to admire him you could feel yourself being pulled from reality as your eyes trace his strong jawline. They then made their way further south to where the luckiest pieces of clothing hugs him. Especially the leather jacket. You love leather jackets. You’re not sure why but when they are wrapped around men like that, do you need a reason?

He must have felt your eyes on him because his flicked over to them. You quickly avert your eyes back to your glass, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks and you hope that it’s dark enough so no one can see.

You want to talk to him, but you feel you need some more liquid courage. You continued to drink your double vodka and coke and when you finished you signalled for a refill but just coke this time. You picked up the drink and made your way over to the man and sat beside him.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you here before,” you said, trying to make yourself sound like you weren’t completely freaking out on the inside.

“It’s not my usual place,” he replied with the deepest gravelly voice you had ever heard. You had to squeeze your thighs shut because of the effect it had on you.

Nevertheless, you try and ignore the feeling and held your hand out to him, “I’m (y/n)” you said with a small smile.

“Henry” he replied, placing his hand in yours. The rough skin on his fingertips felt good against your soft skin. You couldn’t help but think where else they’d feel good.

You both talked for a while as more people started to filter in. It started to get really loud and you wouldn’t mind going somewhere private with Henry. So you asked, “Hey, wanna go somewhere quieter,” you bite your lip hoping he says yes... And he does.

The drive to his was quiet, I left you to your thoughts. This wasn’t what you intended when you left the apartment tonight but hey apparently sex is a great stress reliever and you have a feeling you are about to be well taken care of.

You shoot Jay a quick text to let him know you are okay and as you press send you stopped. He’s a gentleman and opens the door for you and holds his hand out for you to take.

You take it and you get out of the car, following him into the house, his hand on the small of your back guiding you towards it.

The next few moments are a blur. As soon as the door shut, his mouth was on yours. The kiss started off tender but slowly got more passionate. You certainly weren’t complaining. He slowly guided you towards the bedroom, his lips never leaving yours. You had no idea where in the house you were until the back of your legs hit the cool sheets. His hands moved from your face to the zipper on your dress pulling it down swiftly. He slid the small straps down your arms as you fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. The dress dropped from your frame and pooled at your feet, leaving you in just your underwear. When you undid the last button, you slowly removed both the shirt and the leather jacket. You let your hands follow the garments until they landed on his belt. Your mouths were still attached. You could taste the whiskey on his tongue and he could taste the vodka on yours. You continue fumbling with his jeans until thy joined your dress. His hands glide down your body until they reach your ass, you moan as he gives them a firm squeeze before lifting you up.

He turned and sat on the bed, so you were straddling him. You could feel him beneath you and you couldn’t help but grind against him. When he groaned you felt your pussy yip as if it had just been shocked. Was anything this man did not sexy?

Your tongues continue to battle each other as your wet core rides his clothed hardness. Until you couldn’t take it anymore. You stood only to remove your panties. He removed his boxers quickly before you climbed back on top of him, wasting no time sinking down on him.

“fuck* you breathed, the word falling from your lips as your head falls back.

His hands hold your shoulders, slamming you down harder on him. You were already seeing stars and you had barely started.

His lips attached themselves to your neck, licking and nibbling at the soft flesh. They then trailed lower towards your still covered breasts. He kissed the valley between but made no movement to take off the piece of fabric in his way. So you reached behind you and unclasped it, discarding it with the rest of your clothes.

He smirked against your skin taking one in his mouth, sucking hard on the sensitive nub, his hand played with the other, rolling it between his thumb and index finger. Then he switched, giving them equal attention.

Without warning, he stood up and chucked you onto the bed, leaving you feeling cold and empty. Your hand went to your clit to give you something as he climbed towards you. Eyes locked on you as if you were his prey.

His hand slowly runs up your thigh until it reaches your hand. He looks at you and you move your hand and rest it on your stomach. His hand replaces yours. Teasing you. One finger gliding through the lips, dipping it ever so slightly into your wet hole.

“Please” you whimpered as his fingers continue to tease you.

With a smirk, he enters you fully, making you arch off the bed. He starts to move in and out, your body begging for more. You can’t help but let out a low moan that echoes through the room.

“Oh, baby, you like that?” he whispers in your ear, his voice sending shivers down your spine.

You nod your head, unable to form words as pleasure overtakes you.

He slammed into you, hard and fast, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the darkness. You dig your nails into the bed, trying to hold on as he fucks you into oblivion.

You’re not sure how long it goes on, but you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge.

And just as you’re about to go over, he pulls out and flips you onto your stomach, pushing your legs apart. You know what’s coming next, and the few second wait is almost too much to handle. He slams into you from behind, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he drives into you, over and over again.

You bite the pillow to muffle your screams as he takes you roughly, your body trembling with every thrust. You can feel yourself about to cum, and you know it’s going to be the best fucking orgasm of your life.

Finally, with one last, hard thrust, you do. Your orgasm rips through you like a tornado in a trailer park, leaving you a trembling mess on the bed. Henry follows shortly after, his own groan of pleasure muffled against your neck.

The two of you collapse onto the bed, both panting and sweaty. You lay there for a moment, trying to catch your breath, before you feel him roll over and wrap an arm around you.

The next morning you open your eyes, and you don’t recognise your surroundings. Your eyes squeeze shut as the bright light burns them and you become aware of the arm draped across your bare waist. Its then you remember the events from last night and it wasn’t just an amazing dream.

As your mind replays the sex a tone begins to sound. You knew it wasn’t your phone. The arm removed itself from your body and the sound stopped shortly after.

You turned to look at him, “hi,” your voice is small and unsure. You hadn’t done anything like this before so you didn’t know the protocol.

“Hey... I uh... Got to get to work,” he said removing the covers and going to get changed, “I’ll take you to get your car,”

“Thank you,” you smiled as you grab your outfit off the floor and quickly threw it on. You got your phone out your bag and checked the time, “shit,”

“What’s wrong?” Henry asked turning around as he continued buttoning up his shirt.

“Nothing, just my brother might have left for work already and he hasn’t given me a spare key,” you groaned inwardly. You couldn’t show up at the hospital looking like this.

As soon as you both were ready, as promised, Henry took you back to Molly’s to get your car. Much to your disappointment, plans were not made to see each other again.

You got in your car and drove as fast as you could without breaking the law but when you got there it was indeed too late. Jay had already gone to work. You got back in your car and headed to his workplace. What a first impression you were going to make. You haven’t met any of Jay’s colleagues and dressed in last night’s outfit and possibly smelling like sex.

You took a deep breath as you walked through the doors and up the steps to find a huge desk in front of you. You watched as the woman gave a sarcastic reply to a couple of patrol officers and you tried to stifle a laugh but failed. Her eyes flashed over to you, “Can I help you?” she asked in a tone that would probably send the uniforms running but you just give her your sweetest smile.

“I’m looking for my brother, Jay Halstead,”

“Oh, so you’re the mini-Halstead,” she said with the same tone, “Lets hope you aren’t like the other two,”

“Well, I’m a female,” you shrugged “Thats a difference,”

She pointed to another set of stairs leading up to a gate, “He’s up there,” she said resting her hand on the button waiting to buzz you in.

As soon as you hear it buzz, you open the gate and head up the rest of the steps. Jay spotted you before you got to the top.

“Look who decided to show up,” he called out. Everyone in the room turned to look at you and you kinda felt a little exposed. They probably thought you were a prostitute or something.

“Jay, I don’t have time for this,” you said walking over to his desk, your palm held out ready to receive the keys, “I’ve got to go to work,”

He fished the keys from his pocket and tossed them up in the air, a smug grin on his face, “Come home at a reasonable time then,”

“Or you could have gotten me a key cut, asshole,” you said rolling your eyes as you put the keys in your bag. When you looked back at your brother, he was looking at you funny, “What?”

“Where did you get that jacket?” he asked pointing to the leather jacket Henry gave you. You had forgotten you were wearing it.

You shrugged, “Just a friend,” you replied nonchalantly. Jay went to say something else when a voice spoke from behind you. A familiar one. You turned and sure enough, there he was, “Henry?”

It didn’t take a detective to connect the dots. You had slept with your brother’s boss. You hadn’t meant to. You had no idea who he was. But the thing is... You want to do it again. You want to fuck him again.

She hurried up the walkway and knocked firmly. “Chicago P.D., open up, please!”

A few seconds, though they felt like minutes, passed before the porch light flicked on.

The lights of the next house turned on as well, and a woman stepped out onto her porch, hugging a robe around herself. She looked around, confused by the number of officers in the park.

“What’s going on?” she asked raising her voice to be heard.

Without hesitation, Adam walked toward her, pulling up a picture on his phone.

“We’re searching for a missing girl” he said calmly. “This is the last place we were able to trace her. Have you seen her, ma’am?”

He held up the screen, showing Becca’s picture.

“I’m sorry, no,” she said, her voice tinged with worry. “But an elderly man lives in that house. I don’t think he has anything to do with it… do you?”

“We’re just trying to get any footage that might help us find her. Do you have a Ring camera or any other security system facing the street?”

“Oh, absolutely,” the woman said.

Adam nodded and followed her inside, casting a quick glance toward Burgess, who was still knocking on the neighboring door.

The door opened slightly for Kim, an older man peeking out, confused and uneasy.

“Can I help you?” He said with a shaky voice. 

“Sorry to bother you at this hour, sir. Detective Burgess, Intelligence Unit,” Kim said, flashing her badge. “We’re looking for a missing girl. I noticed you have a camera facing the street, we need to see the footage.”

The man hesitated, glancing past her toward the flashing lights down the block.

“Uh… okay. Do you have a warrant?”

“Sir, you’re not in trouble, and I’m not accusing you of any crime. We have a missing juvenile,” she replied, steady but urgent. “Time matters in cases like this. If your camera caught anything tonight, it could help us find her and bring her back to her family sooner.”

The man looked toward his neighbor and noticed she was also talking to a cop, then nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, you can check it. Come in. My son installed it for me, I just don’t know how it works.”

“Thank you,” Burgess said, already stepping inside. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

Meanwhile, Becca kept walking through the cold, second-guessing every turn, no longer certain she was heading anywhere at all.

“I don’t remember this,” she muttered to herself, trying—and failing—to stay calm. “But we haven’t visited Mom in a while… maybe things have changed…”

Her feet were frozen, red and aching, but at the same time she could barely feel them. She wondered if taking off her wet socks would help, but she kept them on. She didn’t stop moving, because stopping meant getting colder.

“If I go back the way I came… maybe I can find Will’s house?” It was difficult to articulate, she was shivering from the cold. “No… no, I don’t think so. I’m really lost now.”

That thought brought back a memory, something familiar. A line from Alice in Wonderland, one of the books Mr. Olinsky had sent for her through Jay.

She had memorized it back then, when she’d felt just as lost as Alice. She muttered it under her breath, trying to keep her eyes open:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added. “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

The girl let out a weak breath. The exhaustion was taking over; she could fall asleep at any moment.

“Yeah… not the same,” she stuttered through the cold.

“We’re losing time. We should be moving now!” Jay insisted.

“Easy,” Olinsky said calmly.

“This is where you received her last call from,” Platt added trying to ease his anxiety. “There has to be something, anything.”

Jay forced himself to breathe. He was good under pressure, always had been. It was one of the things that defined him in the field, no matter how bad a case got, how messy or violent, he stayed sharp, focused and in control.

But this was different. This wasn’t just a name on a file. The cracks were there, impossible to hide in the way his hands wouldn’t stay still, the way his eyes kept darting, searching for something that wasn’t there. In the sharp edge of his voice every time he spoke.

The same questions kept rolling in his mind over and over again: What if she was hurt? What if she was alone somewhere, scared, calling for him? What if he was already too late?

He had worked in so many cases like this one… What if it was already too late?

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and with that movement, his flashlight shifted and caught something in the grass.

“Hey, what’s that?” Olinsky asked.

It was shiny.

Hailey spotted it from a distance, her heart instantly picking up speed. She crouched down to pick it up and Jay stepped closer.

For a second, he didn’t react. He bent down and picked it up with shaking hands.

It was a bracelet. Small and delicate. It was familiar. He knew it, but didn’t want to admit it, still, his body reacted.

“This is hers.” he said urgently.

“Becca never takes it off.” Hailey pointed out.

The weight of that realization hit all of them at once.

“It’s good,” Voight argued, controlling his tone. “It means she was here. And there’s a chance she still is. So let’s move.” His tone increased in some sort of anger. 

But at that exact moment, their radios crackled. It was Burgess:

I’ve got something on the footage.

Within seconds, the team regrouped inside the house, crowding around as the Ring camera video replayed on the screen.

The image was grainy, but they all recognized Becca’s silhouette as she entered the frame on the sidewalk just outside the park.

“That’s her,” Jay said, leaning in closer. “No doubt.”

She was walking slowly, tired, her phone pressed to her ear, glancing around like she wasn’t sure where to go next.

Lost.

“She’s scared,” he added with a lump forming in his throat. He didn’t have to see her facial expressions to know that. 

“Play it again,” Voight ordered.

They watched as she hesitated, then turned.

“She saw something.”

“Wait,” Adam said with the second device in her hands and they all switched to the neighbor’s camera for a clearer angle. “I think I have her in this one too.”

A man entered the frame, walking toward Becca… too close to her.

Jay’s expression hardened.

In the video, Becca froze, then ran. The detectives went still as they watched the man take off after her.

Just like that, they were gone, out of frame.

“That’s him.” The neighbor pointed at the screen of her phone. “He lives a few houses down.”

“Which house?” Jay didn’t wait. He was already moving.

“Jay—” Hailey called after him, but he was gone.

Al tried to physically stop him, but it was useless.

The door burst open as Jay stepped out into the cold, the rest of the team rushing after them.

Adam didn’t hesitate—he followed right behind him without a word. He didn’t need to ask questions or be told what to do. He remembered that kind of desperation all too well—the way it took over, the way it made everything else disappear. The kind that made consequences feel irrelevant, that pushed you forward no matter what. He wasn’t about to let Jay go through that alone. There was no time to lose, he knew that. Right now, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission, and he wasn’t going to let his friend down. 

“House down the block,” Adam said, catching up. “Blue porch light.”

Jay didn’t answer. They simply moved fast, in sync.

Detective Halstead pounded on the entrance once, then forced it open.

The man was already at the other side of the door, probably awake from all of the noise. 

“Hey!” he shouted, startled and backing up. “What the—?”

Jay grabbed him by the shirt, shoving him back and slamming him against the wall.

“Where is she?” he snapped.

“I don’t—what are you talking about?!” the man stammered. "Who are you?"

"We're the police" Adam threatened with his badge.

“You followed her!” Jay shouted.

“We saw you, where is she?!” Adam added, pulling up Becca’s picture on his phone. 

“That girl?!” the man said, panicking. “I do— I do remember her..."

“You made the wrong choice.” Ruzek continued. “She’s one of us, family.”

"I was trying to help her!”

“Adam, that’s enough,” Kim warned, stepping in.

But Jay shoved him harder.

“She looked lost, I swear…she ran away!”

They didn’t listen.

“You dared to touch her, where is she?!” Jay barked, his voice breaking now.

“Jay!” Upton warned. 

Jay’s fist tightened. For a second, it looked like he was going to swing. 

“Halstead!” Voight’s voice cut through the room, sharp and controlled. The sergeant stepped in closer, his eyes locked on him. 

Jay froze.

“Don’t do something stupid,” Voight said firmly. “You’re not thinking straight.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice, but not the intensity.

“I get it. I do. But if you lose your head right now, you’re no good to her.”

Jay didn’t answer, his chest was rising and falling too fast. His blood was boiling.

“...And if you can’t get it together,” he added, sharper now, “I will pull you off this, no hesitation, son.”

That landed.

Jay let go and the man collapsed against the wall.

“She was scared,” he said. “She ran toward the main road. No shoes... I was trying to help her.”

Olinsky grabbed his shoulder. “Come on, kid."

Jay closed his eyes. Everything was spinning. Too many directions. Not enough time. He started to feel dizzy. The noise around him blurred: voices, movement, questions, all of it fading into something distant, like he was underwater. It wasn’t anxiety or panic. It was all the pent-up anger and fear he had been carrying inside him, mixed with the weight of guilt pressing down on his shoulders. 

“Chuckles,” a soft voice called tenderly.

He didn’t know how he had ended up outside on the street again, with Trudy Platt standing in front of him.

“They got a call from dispatch,” she continued. “A woman reported a lost girl. Matches Becca’s description, also no shoes, disoriented…”

Jay didn’t hesitate and came back to his senses. 

“Where?”

Voight stepped in beside him, already moving, locking eyes with him for a second.

“You’re riding with me.” He demanded.

For a fragment of seconds, Hailey didn’t move right away. Her eyes stayed on Jay, following him full of concern. She could see the storm he was barely keeping contained.

Jay gave a tight nod to the boss.

Connor knew something was wrong the second he walked through the door.

The heat inside your apartment was stifling, the air thick and constricting. The thermostat read 80°F, far too high for someone already burning up. A spike of worry cut through him like a knife as he scanned the dimly lit living room, eyes locking onto the couch where you were curled up beneath a pile of sweat-soaked blankets.

You were trembling, body wracked with uncontrollable shivers despite the heat.

“Y/N.”

Kneeling beside you, he pressed the back of his hand to your forehead, only to feel scorching heat radiating off your skin. His pulse jumped. This wasn’t just a fever—it was dangerous.

Your eyelids fluttered weakly, but your gaze didn’t quite focus. Your pupils were sluggish, the usual warmth in your eyes dulled by exhaustion and something far worse—delirium.

“…Jay?”

Connor stilled.

His chest tightened as he watched your eyes flicker past him, unfocused and distant.

You weren’t looking at him… You were looking through him. 

Your fingers twitched against his arm, grasping at something—or someone—who wasn’t there.

“You—you’re hurt,” you mumbled, your raspy voice barely above a whisper. “Jay… you need to sit down. You’re—there’s so much blood—”

Connor exhaled sharply, his throat tightening.

He recognized the signs immediately: delirium from hyperpyrexia. You weren’t just confused—you were trapped in some fever-induced flashback, reliving a memory you couldn’t escape.

“Y/N,” he said firmly, cupping your cheek, his touch gentle but grounding. “It’s Connor. I’m here. You’re sick, but I’ve got you.”

You let out a soft, distressed noise, your body twitching under his hands. Another tremor wracked your frame, and Connor barely suppressed a curse.

Grabbing the thermometer from the coffee table, he slipped it under your tongue, keeping a steadying hand at the nape of your neck when your head lolled slightly. The beep came too soon, and when he pulled it back, his heart dropped into his stomach.

104.7°F.

A fever that high wasn’t just uncomfortable—it was life-threatening. If it climbed much higher, you’d be at risk for seizures, brain damage, organ failure.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, already reaching for his bag.

Your pulse was racing beneath his fingers—easily over 120 bpm, a classic sign of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. You were dehydrated, tachycardic, and burning up.

He considered calling an ambulance, but as if sensing his thoughts, your weak fingers curled around his wrist.

“No hospital,” you rasped, voice barely audible.

Connor exhaled sharply through his nose.

He should’ve fought you on it. If this were anyone else—any other patient—he would’ve forced them onto a gurney and straight into the ED. But you weren’t just anyone.

You were you.

And he’d sworn to keep you safe.

“Okay,” he murmured, brushing damp hair from your forehead. “Okay.”

Your fingers twitched again, something close to a thank you.

But another violent shiver stole any chance of a response, your body curling in on itself as your muscles spasmed from the fever.

At that, Connor got up and strode to the hall closet, where he kept a more advanced first aid kit, which included IV kits and medications, since like your brothers, you had a severe tendency to downplay your injuries and illnesses. 

Connor moved swiftly, securing a tourniquet around your arm as he scanned for a vein. The cephalic vein, located just to the side of your bicep tendon, was faint but still visible, though it appeared slightly collapsed. The dehydration was complicating the process, so Connor lightly flicked the area he planned to use, hoping to encourage the vein to dilate and make the insertion easier.

“Stay with me, sweetheart,” he murmured, swabbing the site before uncapping the 18-gauge catheter.

The needle slid in smoothly. A flash of blood return filled the chamber, and Connor advanced the catheter before securing the line. He hooked up the normal saline IV, and put the IV bag on a hook that held a picture of you and him, that he took down temporarily. and opened the roller clamp, watching the fluid start to drip into your system.

Your body twitched at the sudden intake of fluids.

“There we go,” he murmured, keeping his voice steady even as his own pulse refused to cease galloping. “You’re gonna feel so much better soon.”

But your fever was still too high.

Connor pushed himself up and strode to the bathroom, twisting the faucet until lukewarm water began filling the tub. He tested the temperature with his wrist, ensuring it wasn’t too cold. Cooling too fast could cause vasoconstriction and worsen the fever response.

Returning to you, he placed the IV bag on your abdomen, and eased his arms under you, picking you up. You whimpered slightly at the change in positions, to which Connor replied, “Shh sweet girl. It's alright. I’ve got you.” He carried you into the bathroom, and gently set you in the water, and set the IV bag up on the shower curtain rod. 

The second your skin touched the water, a weak whimper escaped your lips.

“No—Jay—don’t—”

His grip tightened, steady but gentle.

“You’re safe,” he murmured, running a cool washcloth over your flushed skin. “I’ve got you.”

You let out another quiet sound, eyes still distant—but this time, you finally started to relax.

Minutes stretched on. The room was silent aside from the occasional ragged breath you took, the soft drip of the IV, the steady cadence of Connor’s voice as he whispered reassurances.

Slowly, the fever began to break.

104… 103.5… 102.6°F.

Still high. But it was no longer lethal.

Once he was sure your body had adjusted, he got you out of the tub, wrapped you in your favorite fluffy towel, and carried you into your shared bedroom and sat you on the edge of the bed. Quickly, he went into the closet,and got a pair of running shorts and a t- shirt. Connor helped you into dry clothes and laid you in bed. Your skin was clammy, your body still weak, but your pulse had steadied—no longer erratic, no longer dangerously fast.

Your fingers curled around his wrist, stronger than before.

“’M still here,” you mumbled, voice scratchy but certain.

His chest tightened.

Yeah. You were. And as long as he had anything to say about it, you always would be.

Recovery was slow.

For the next day and a half, Connor barely left your side.

Your fever hovered around 101°F, leaving you exhausted and barely able to keep your eyes open for more than a few minutes at a time. Even when you were awake, your words came out in a haze, fever-induced ramblings that broke his heart every single time.

“Jay, is… is that you?” you murmured weakly, your voice a rough whisper. The fever was still clouding your mind. It wasn’t until you saw the concerned, loving gaze in Connor’s eyes that you fully registered who was there. The next words that came from you weren’t words at all, just a strangled sob of relief that wracked your body and nearly broke him. He held you through it, not knowing how to fix it, but he knew he couldn’t let you go.

Connor forced you to sip electrolyte solutions, fed you small bites of soup even when you weakly protested.

“You haven’t eaten in two days,” he reminded you, his voice soft but firm, not willing to back down.

You scowled at him from beneath the blankets. “Bossy.”

He smirked. “Stubborn.”

It was hard to see you like this. You, normally so strong, so fiercely independent, now depend on him for even the smallest things. It made him feel like the walls were closing in, like the weight of his own concern was suffocating him. 

Eventually, the fever broke entirely. Your temperature finally dropped below 100°F, and the exhaustion that had weighed on you like a lead blanket finally began to lift.

Connor—still hovering, always watching—checked your pulse one last time, fingers lingering over your wrist.

Finally, he let himself relax.

“See?” you murmured, voice still hoarse but teasing. “Told you I’d be fine.”

Connor huffed, shaking his head. “You nearly cooked yourself from the inside out. Forgive me if I don’t find that too terribly funny.”

You sighed, squeezing his hand. “But I had you.”

His gaze softened, and he remembered why he fell head over heels for you in the first place. 

“Yeah,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over your knuckles. “You did.”

And you always would.

As you slept, Connor stayed awake, fearful you might take a turn down the wrong direction. the rhythmic rise and fall of your chest being the only thing keeping him sane. He watched over you, unable to shake the nagging fear that had lodged itself in his chest. But each breath you took, each gentle movement, was a reminder that you were still with him. And that was all that mattered.

TAGLIST:

Jay was about to walk out of the locker room, when he remembered something. "You need anything from the store?"

"No, but why? You offering to buy my groceries?"

At this, it was Jay's turn to laugh. "No, no. Just, now would be a good time to go. It's supposed to get colder tomorrow afternoon and that's when everyone will be scrambling. Especially because it's supposed to start snowing tomorrow night."

"Got everything I needed two days ago. Shocked you didn't do the same, Mr.-Aways-Prepared."

"I forgot Will babysat Y/N last night. I swear to God that man eats half a bag of her chicken nuggets every time he's over there. I'm almost out and if she gets snow days and I can't get to the store, she will not be very happy."

"You're such a good big brother." Hailey walked up to her boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss. "Might wanna go to your truck though. People might start getting suspicious."

He leaned down and gave her another kiss. "Or, I could lock the door and we could have a repeat of what we did in here last weekend." He leaned in once more and gave her another kiss, this time deeper.

She smiled against his lips, then pulled away. "As much as I would love to, it's the middle of the day and officers will need to change out." Jay moved toward the door to lock it. "You're insufferable."

"Oh, I know." He went to kiss her again, but an alarm on his phone went off. He threw his head back and groaned. "Stupid chicken nuggets," he muttered.

Hailey laughed, knowing that he meant that alarm, which was typically used as the one to call the babysitter and tell her how late she needed to stay, today had been edited to say pick "up chicken nuggets after work" because he had told the sitter either he or Will would be over by 5pm today so she could get home in case the roads became bad, despite the snow not supposed to start until tomorrow.

He squeezed Hailey's hand before telling her to come down in about five minutes and her car would be scraped, gave her one more quick kiss, unlocked the locker room door, and headed down to the parking lot to the biting Chicago cold.

***

When Jay walked inside, he was immediately met with you sprinting up to him full force.

"Nuh-uh," he clucked. "What's the rule?"

You stopped in your tracks and sighed. "Give you thirty seconds."

"That's right."

Jay kicked off his boots and then went to his room, opened the safe, placed his—unloaded—gun and badge in it, locked it, and walked back into the living room. Even though he took all of the ammunition out of his gun, he knew there would be a day he didn't and even though it was safe in his holster, he didn't want you getting in the habit of hugging him when he had his gun on him on the off chance something happened. The last thing he needed was an accidental gun injury.

"Has it been thirty seconds?" you asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Yes it has!" And then he opened his arms and you threw yourself into them and then quickly pulled away, beginning to tell him everything you and your babysitter did. "Okay, okay. Give me thirty more seconds to talk to her and then let her leave," Jay said, quickly cutting you off as you continued to talk. You huffed but stopped talking.

Once she was out the door (with cash in hand from Jay), you started talking again.

"We flushed ice cubes down the toilet! She telled me that will help me get a snow day tomorrow!"

Jay couldn't help but laugh — it was the same thing he and Will used to do as kids. They also used to throw salt over their shoulder and put spoons in the freezer, but he didn't want the floor being covered in salt and all of the spoons magically going missing, so he kept those snow day superstitions to himself. Jay was so happy you didn't figure out that sometimes they closed school the night before because he knew that he and Will would pester your guys' mom and dad to let them stay up late when they were anticipating a snow day the next day.

"She did, did she?" you nodded excitedly. "Me and Will used to do that."

You gasped. "Did it work? Did you get a snow day?"

"Sometimes."

Your eyes lit up. "Really? What made it work?"

"Not arguing with me about bedtime."

You shook your head. "You tell me that all the time. Even when it's not cold out. Are you sure that's what makes it work?"

Jay smiled. "You got me there. How about we eat dinner and then you can tell me all about school?"

"We having sketti?"

You knew your brother's habits through and through. Mid-week was always spaghetti night, which while it was because it was easy to make, the garlic bread that Jay always served with it, was your favorite.

"We are. And garlic bread."

"Yes!" Then you paused and thought for a second. "If I have snow day, can we build a snowman? And drink hot chocolate?"

"We'll see," Jay answered, which was his typical answer whenever you asked about doing something. Because, even without the weather, there was always the possibility of him and Intelligence getting called out to a case.

"Please?" you begged. "I'll even tell Mr. Hank you're busy."

"You will huh?"

"Uh-huh." Then, a light bulb went off in your head. "Or I tell Trudy! She's Mr. Hank's boss."

Jay almost burst out laughing. "Who told you that?"

"Adam," you answered. "He telled me everybody gotta listen to her, even Mr. Hank. I thought Mr. Hank didn't have to listen to anybody! But he's gotta listen to Trudy!"

Jay laughed and shook his head slightly. Just wait until he told everyone in the bullpen that someone was in charge of Voight. Now that was laughable.

"Well, he's sort of right," Jay tried to explain. "But, why don't you go sit down at the table and I'll start on the spaghetti and garlic bread?"

***

Jay woke up to someone shaking him awake . He cracked his eyes open and saw you standing near the edge of his bed.

"Jay Jay," you whined.

"Hmmm," Jay groaned. "What are you doing up, kiddo?"

"I'm cold."

At this, Jay quickly flicked on his bedroom light. Then, he reached out his hand and felt your forehead.

"You don't feel warm," he started. But then, he felt it, especially on his bare chest. It was cold in here. He patted the spot next to him. "Stay right here."

"Why?" you asked.

He sighed. "Because I said so."

"But I want Teddy."

"You can either go in your room or stay here. Just, pick a room."

Typically, he wasn't this short with you, but he had bigger problems to worry about right now, mainly the heat in the apartment.

"Stay here," you said and then climbed into Jay's bed.

"Okay. Be right back." Then, he grabbed his phone off the charger and walked to the living room.

The blinking light on the thermostat caught his eye right away. He tapped it to stop it from blinking and then saw the temp. Sixty degrees. His apartment had dropped eight degrees in a matter of hours. He knew it was an old building, but damn, that was fast.

The wind whistled outside as he opened his phone just as an email notification from building management popped up. Jay groaned. Will was working nights so even though he knew that he wouldn't be mad at the two of you coming over given the circumstances, Jay knew his brother wouldn't get much sleep if he and you were over there, especially if you had a snow day.

So, he dialed a number that he knew by heart. She picked up on the first ring because her insomnia had kicked in tonight of all nights.

"Hailey," Jay began, "I need a favor. A huge favor."

***

"Hey," Hailey whispered as she answered the door to her apartment. She looked at your head slumped against Jay's shoulder. "Anything you need me to grab from your truck?"

"Don't think there's anything. I can grab everything else in the morning." Then, he paused. "If I crouch down, can you take my service weapon out of my backpack?"

"Is it loaded?" She asked.

Jay shook his head. "Ammo's in a separate pocket, too."

"Jay, I think you'll be fine. Put her to bed and then we can put it in my safe."

"Good idea," he whispered and then made his way to Hailey's guest room, gently set you down, and shook you awake.

Your eyes fluttered open and you rubbed them. "Where are w—?" you asked, the "we" getting cut off by a yawn.

"At Hailey's, remember?"

"Hmm," you mumbled. "Your par-ner."

"Yes, she's my partner. Now, can you take your coat off and I can take your boots off? Then you can go back to sleep?"

"Uh-huh." Sleepily, you pulled down the zipper. But then, your eyes snapped open. "Where's Teddy?"

"Don't worry, I have him," Jay reassured you.

"Where?" you asked as you shook your coat off.

"He's in my bag," Jay answered as he pulled off one of your boots. He quickly took the other one off, took his bag off his back, unzipped it, and handed you Teddy. You hugged him to your chest and yawned again. "Let's get you tucked in so you can go back to sleep."

You nodded sleepily and let Jay pull back the covers and tuck you in. He also flicked on the bedside lamp. "You snuggle with me?" you asked and Jay felt his heart melt.

"I will, but I gotta go talk to Hailey first. I know new places are scary, but I need you to try and go to sleep." You looked at him with tears beginning to well up in your eyes. You were in a new place, it was nighttime, and you were so sleepy! He crouched down to your height. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I won't be long and you can always come get me, okay?"

"Okay," you whispered. "But you gotta pinky promise you come and snuggle." You snuck your pinky out from under the blankets and Jay locked his pinky in your small one.

"I pinky promise. Now you and Teddy get some sleep and I'll come snuggle before you know it. I love you."

"Love you, too, Jay Jay."

You watched Jay leave the room and hugged Teddy tight to your chest. There was a 3 on the digital alarm clock sitting on the dresser and you knew that 4 was bigger than 3, so if it changed to a 4, then you'd go find Jay Jay and make him snuggle with you. But, after the number closest to the door changed five times, your eyelids got so heavy you could barely make out the numbers anymore.

Meanwhile, Hailey stirred some milk and sugar into her tea and handed the plain herbal tea to Jay. "I know you're not much of a tea drinker, but I figured you might want a cup after tonight."

He nodded. "Thanks, Hails."

"She down? Gun locked away?" she asked as the two made their way to the couch.

"Yes to both." Jay had barely sat down before a big lump of orange jumped up onto the couch and rubbed his head against his arm. "Hey, Sunny. I bet you're nice and warm, huh?"

"Between his fur and his fat, he could probably survive outside all winter," Hailey answered. She reached over and pet his head. "You're chunky but we love chunky cats in this house." He sat down next to Jay and placed his paws on his lap and looked up at him, which Jay took as a sign to pet him. "Anything from your building?"

"Said that it would be awhile. Entire city's got outages apparently." Then, his phone rang. Jay looked down and saw it was your school. After answering, an automated message played. "She's got a snow day."

Hailey smiled. "We can build a snowman and then have hot chocolate."

He chuckled. "Y/N said the same thing." But, Jay saw the pain behind her eyes. "You never had a proper snow day did you?"

She shook her head and stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "A snow day meant another day of me and my brothers trying not to piss off our dad when he grumbled about the weather and how hard it was going to be to get to work. Some days we even got stuck shoveling the diner steps once we got older." She shrugged. "Wasn't all bad though. A handful of times I had tests on the days we had snow days, so I had extra time to study."

Jay reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it now."

"Well, if the news is right, I'll have a few days to give you a proper snow day, starting with snowmen and hot chocolate. Maybe we can go sledding, build a snow fort." He paused. "What else did me and Will do on snow days except annoy our Mom? Bake cookies, play card games, watch movies and eat popcorn. Take your pick, babe."

Hailey looked at her boyfriend, trying her best to hold back tears. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know," Jay reached over and put his arm around her and then planted a kiss on her forehead. "And I love you, too."

***

When you woke up, you panicked. You weren't in your room! But, then you remembered, you were at Hailey's house, Jay Jay's partner because it was cold in your room at home. You rolled over, expecting to see Jay because he pinky promised that he'd snuggle, but he wasn't there!

Quickly, you jumped off the bed, taking Teddy with you, and racing out of the bedroom you were in and into the hallway, yelling Jay's name the minute you were out of the room.

Jay slid off the barstool and speed-walked toward the hallway where he was met with you on the brink of tears. "Hey," he crouched down to your height. "I'm right here, it's okay."

He quickly wrapped his arms around you, making your next words muffled. "I- I didn't know where you are!"

"I know and I'm sorry," Jay answered, pulling away. "But, I'm here, me and Hailey are here and guess what?" You looked up at him in expectation. "You have a snow day, so we're gonna go to the park and build a snowman."

You broke out into a wide smile. "Really? Yay!"

"Now, there's someone you should meet," Jay said and stood up.

"Hailey?" you asked. "I already seen her before at your work with Mr. Hank and Adam and Kim and Kevin and 'Tonio."

"No, not Hailey." Just then a fat cat jumped off the couch and started walking towards you and Jay, spoiling the surprise.

Your face lit up. "A kitty!"

Jay stopped you before you made a beeline to Sunny. "Remember, be gentle. You're new to him."

"I know! Just like what 'Tonio tell me when we see the doggies the other people at your work have." You got up close to Sunny and put your hand out, letting him sniff you. He nudged your hand with his head. "He likes me!" Then, you reached a hand out and started to put him and plopped down on the floor to keep petting him. "Hi, Mr. Kitty! I have a snow day today." Then, you had an idea. "He come build a snowman with us?"

Jay smiled, but shook his head. "Sunny's an indoor kitty, so he doesn't go outside, but he'll be here when we get back. Right, Hailey?"

"That's right," she confirmed.

"He named Sunny 'cause he orange like- like the sun?" you asked Hailey excitedly.

"Yup," Hailey answered, not wanting to tell you that at first she thought he was a girl so she named him Sunshine, but when she brought him to the vet a few days later, she learned Sunshine was actually a boy, leading to the name change. "Now, a little birdie told me you like waffles, Y/N. Do you like chocolate chips in them?"

***

"Hold my hand when we walk on the sidewalk, okay?" Jay told you when you walked out of Hailey's building and started down the street. "It's really slippery and I don't want you to fall."

"Because then I gotta go see Will at work and get poked," you said and reached for his hand.

"Yup, you might not need to get poked though, but it wouldn't be a good thing."

You gasped. "But then I see Maggie and she always has a snack for me."

"But if you go to the hospital, you'd have a big owie and it would hurt really bad," he countered.

"Oh. I don't want that."

"Well, that makes two of us. So don't let go of my hand until we get to the park, got it?"

"Got it," you confirmed, and gave Jay's hand a squeeze to further solidify your point.

The three of you made your way to the park all bundled up with Jay carrying a backpack complete with snowmen gear — a few baby carrots and an old scarf that Hailey deemed she didn't want anymore.

"Rules?" Jay asked.

You huffed. "Only throw snowballs at you. No one else."

"Good job. Now, pick a spot for some snowmen and we can get started."

You picked a spot near a pine tree. "Can you start it for me?" you asked. You always struggled to pack the snow tightly at first and Jay and Will did a really good job.

"How about you try this time?"

"Why?" you whined. "I wanna start him now!"

Jay took a deep breath, sensing a tantrum. But then, Hailey stepped in.

"How about I help you," she suggested, slightly crouching down a bit to be closer to your eye level. "Can you show me how you normally do it?"

You grabbed some snow and Hailey took that as a yes. Jay gave his girlfriend a look containing both shock and thanks. He'd only seen her work with kids a handful of times on the job and each time they were brief before she handed them off to uniformed officers. But, judging by how you quickly agreed with her suggestion, she either had the magic touch or you liked Hailey. Probably a little bit of both.

"And then it just gets like this," you said, gesturing to the snow in your hands that was sort of ball-shaped, but not packed tight enough to be the base of a snowman.

"Here, watch me," she instructed and then grabbed a handful of snow. "You need to press it down really hard at the beginning and it's okay if some of the snow falls out of your hands."

"I don't gotta use it all?"

"Nope. You'll add more snow when you roll it. It just needs to fit in your hands. See? Watch."

She continued to pack the snow in her hands, moving from top and bottom and then to the sides to make it a smooth ball shape.

"So it can start off really small and tiny?" you asked.

"Exactly. Do you want to try again?"

"Uh-huh."

You grabbed more snow and began to pack it, moving your hands around it and not worrying if you lost any snow off the sides in the process.

"I did it!" you exclaimed, holding up your small but as-round-as-you-could-get and a-lot-better-than-before snowball.

"Wow, good job!" Jay praised. "Do you want to see if it rolls to start making the snowman?"

You nodded excitedly and gently placed it on the ground and began to roll it. You gasped. "It's good! It works like when you and Will do it! Thank you, Hailey!"

"You're welcome. Do you want me and Jay to work on another part of the snowman while you roll that one?"

"Yes, please!"

To that, Jay picked up someone snow and started forming his own snowball and then began rolling it. Once he was sure you were fully-focused on the task in front of you, he stopped rolling. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Do what?" Hailey asked, slightly furrowing her eyebrows. "Teach her how to pack a snowball tightly?"

"Yeah. Me and Will have probably tried to teach her that a hundred times between the two of us."

"Told her it's okay if she loses some snow and modeled it. Nothing too crazy. Maybe she's got you two wrapped her finger so much that she knows you'll do it for her."

"Hailey Anne. Are you calling me an enabler?"

She smiled mischievously. "Maybe."

He grabbed more snow, quickly packing it into a snowball.

"Jay, what are you—" And then her jaw dropped when a snowball hit her in the leg. "We're doing this, really?"

But Jay had already stooped down to pick up more snow, effectively giving her an answer.

You were so busy rolling your snowball to start your snowman, that you didn't realize Jay and Hailey weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing. That was, until you heard Hailey shrieking happily as Jay continued to pelt her with snowballs.

"Halstead, slow down! I'm making them as fast as I can!"

"Not it my fault you're slow!" Jay shot back and then threw another snowball at Hailey, hitting her in the arm.

"Hailey!" you yelled and started running towards her.

Both Jay and Hailey stopped and turned their attention to you.

"What's wrong?" Hailey asked immediately.

"Nothing's wrong," you laughed as you kept running and then finally stopped once you were a few from her. "I gotta help you get Jay Jay." Then, you bent down and started making snowballs.

"No fair. That's two against one!" Jay protested.

"You said I can only make snowballs hit you, 'member?"

He sighed. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes!" And then you launched a messily made snowball in his direction.

"This means war!" Jay yelled and then ran behind the pine tree to start making his own stockpile of snowballs.

Hailey turned to you. "I'll make 'em and you throw 'em, okay?"

"Yes!"

"You almost ready, Halstead?" Hailey shouted. "Me and Y/N have a plan to kick your butt!"

***

"You think a animal will eat Mr. Snowman's nose?" you asked two hours later after a prolonged snowball fight, snow angels, and making all of the snowman, except for the finishing touches like his nose, eyes, buttons, arms, and scarf.

"Maybe," Jay answered cautiously. "Why?"  He knew in all likelihood at least one animal in the park would try and steal it overnight, but knew that this would either be a very good or a very bad answer, so refrained from giving it, instead letting you lead the discussion.

"'Cause I don't want the animals to be hungry. So if they need Mr. Snowman's nose, it's okay."

Jay squatted down to your height. "That's so nice of you to share. And, we have more carrots, so if you want to, you can put more of them down here for the animals."

"For the bunnies?" you asked hopefully. "They love carrots!"

"Maybe a bunny," Jay answered. "Maybe a squirrel or a bird."

"Okay!" You held out your hand. "I have some please?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Let's finish Mr. Snowman and then you can put out some extra carrots. Deal?"

"Deal."

Once you finished putting the arms, buttons, scarf, eyes, and mouth on Mr. Snowman, you placed the carrot as the nose. Then, you took more carrots from the bag Jay had handed you and placed them around the snowman. Finally, you took out the last few and began to munch on them yourself.

"Getting hungry, kiddo?"

"Uh-huh," you answered, mouth still full of half-chewed baby carrots.

"Okay, now's probably a good time to get home and warm up. Your toes cold?"

"No! But you made me wear two pairs of socks!" You held up two fingers to emphasize your point.

"They probably kept your toesies nice and warm," Hailey said. "And, I'm wearing two pairs, too."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now what do you say I get a picture of you and Jay by Mr. Snowman and then we go home and have some grilled cheese and hot chocolate?"

"Yes!" you exclaimed, quickly posing next to the snowman because you knew the faster the picture was taken, the faster you could go back to Hailey's house and eat some yummy grilled cheese and drink some yummy hot chocolate.

***

"Can we color?" you asked after you had finished eating your grilled cheese (and stole some of Jay's tomato soup to dip it in) and had a mug of hot chocolate sitting next to you.

Jay sighed. He was going to give Will a call and he hoped you'd be tired from playing outside that you'd fall asleep and he could give him a quick rundown on the heat in the apartment. But, he reminded himself that he could call him after. And, Hailey still didn't have the full snowday experience yet, so he forced a smile on his face.

"I think we can make that happen." Then, he had an idea. One that he, you, and Will did often, but he doubted that Hailey had done. "Do you want to make a fort and color in there?"

"Yes!" You jumped out of your chair in excitement.

"Okay, okay. We'll start by coloring at the table so you can finish your hot chocolate and then build a blanket fort."

You quickly sat back down while Jay went off to the spare bedroom to grab the bag of your toys that he packed.

"You color, too?" you asked Hailey.

"Of course!" she answered. "Do you like to color?"

"Yeah!"

"Do you like colored pencils, crayons, or markers the best?"

"I like crayons but I have all them. Jay Jay likes colored pencils and so does Will. Will puts markers around the outside, too. He does the best."

"Rude, kiddo," Jay answered. "I thought I was the best at coloring."

You quickly shook your head back and forth. "Nuh-uh. Will's the best."

"And us girls are probably better than you, Halstead."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He set the bag containing two coloring books, the big box of crayons (with a sharpener in the back), colored pencils, and markers on the table. "How about you two start coloring and I'll start on the fort?"

Jay waited a beat for you to answer, but you were already flipping open your coloring book and looking for a new picure, effectively ignoring him. So, he rolled his eyes and grabbed his now empty mug. When he passed Hailey, he squeezed her hand and whispered, "I got the dishes."

"Love you," she mouthed.

Hailey picked out a picture of some deer in a snowy landscape from your winter-themed coloring book while you were busy coloring in your Disney princess one.

"Hailey?" you asked a few minutes later.

"Hmmm?" she hummed.

"Do boys have cooties?"

She looked up to you still coloring Repunzel from Tangled, you not being aware of the seriousness of the conversation. But, she stopped coloring. "Why do you say that?"

"'Cause whenever I say Flynn Ry-der is pretty, Jay and Will always tell me I can like him cause he not real but I can't like act-shull boys cause they have cooties."

"Well, what do you think cooties are?"

"When a boy kisses a girl and she gets a dis-ease thingy. That's what Will said. The dis-ease word cause he a doctor. But, grown ups don't got cooties. They can kiss each other cause the dis-ease is gone."

"I see. Do you like any boys not in movies?"

You quickly shook your head. "And kissing is gross."

She stifled a laugh. She figured it would be okay to agree with Jay on this one seeing as you didn't have a crush on anyone and you were safe. "Yes, boys have cooties. But, when you turn 20, you don't get the disease anymore, so then you can kiss boys."

"Twen-y? But that's so far away!"

"It will come faster than you think. But for now, what color do you think I should make these ornaments?" she asked and slid her coloring page toward you.

And so, you started handing her a bunch of different crayons from the box, the cootie conversation quickly forgotten.

***

"Think we should move her?" Hailey asked a few hours later when you were 30 minutes into your second Disney movie, all three of you in the blanket fort made out of the couch, some kitchen chairs, a few blankets, and some old hair clips Hailey had in the back of her bathroom cabinet to clip the blankets together.

"She'll be fine," he answered, looking at you sleeping on your stomach with a blanket loosely draped over you, your head resting half on your hands and half off on a pillow with Sunny laying curled up in a ball next to you. "You and me, though..." he trailed off and started making his way towards the entrance of the fort.

"I was thinking the same thing. We are too old to sit like that for hours."

"Even one movie was too long," Jay quipped, holding out a hand to help his girlfriend up off the floor.

"Thanks." She paused. "But, she loved it today. You- uh- you made her so happy today." Tears welled in her eyes for the second time in under 24 hours. "Her and me."

"Oh, Hailey." He quickly pulled her in for a hug and held her tight for a minute, only pulling away to brush a few stray tears off her cheeks.

"She's lucky to have you, Jay. Her and me are."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Thanks for giving me the perfect snow day."

"Well, even though she's sleeping, the day's not over yet." Hailey looked up at her boyfriend and furrowed her eyebrows. "I saw some cookie dough in your freezer. Me, Will, and my mom would bake cookies sometimes on snow days so what do you say?"

"I thought you hated sweets."

"I already had hot chocolate today and for you? Well, I'll make an exception."

"What a guy."

"Not just any guy, your guy."

***

Jay's and Hailey's phones rang early that morning. Luckily, Jay had been up in the living room for the call from Voight, while Hailey was still sleeping. While Voight said yesterday he wouldn't have anyone come in until Monday unless it was urgent, it was Friday and Intelligence had caught a drug trafficking case and the stamp on the bricks signaled it was from a known offender which they had been chasing last year until his tracks went cold. So, while Jay didn't set an alarm to be back at the district today, his body clock from his days in the army still had him up before sunrise.

"Snow day, again?" Hailey asked, coming up behind Jay and wrapping her arms around his waist while he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"Well good morning to you, too." He gave her hand a squeeze once the coffee was securely in the mug. "And, yeah. I already texted Will and he said he'd sleep until she got there and then take her sledding to tire her out and take another nap. Luckily, he doesn't have to work this weekend."

"What time did he get off?"

He glanced at the clock. 7:47am. "About 45 minutes ago. Said Crockett better get his ass back because there's a reason he works days. Likes the shift differential but it's not enough for him to stay on nights apparently."

"I get another snow day?" you exclaimed while you ran down the hallway and into the kitchen. Hailey quickly let her arms fall from Jay's waist, but it was too late. "Why you standin' like that, Hailey?"

She blushed and quickly pulled away. "Uh, well..."

"Yes, you have another snow day, kiddo!" Jay exclaimed, changing the subject. "How do you feel about spending it with Will?"

"Me and him do something fun today, too? Like me and you and Hailey did yesterday?"

"Will said he'll take you sledding if you want to go. That sound like fun to you?"

"Yes!"

"I'll get some cartoons set up for you. Scrambled eggs with cheese and toast with jelly sound good for breakfast?"

"Yes, please!" Then you scampered off to Hailey's living room and to the couch to sit right next to Sunny like you had been there all your life.

"How'd you do that?" Hailey hissed once you were out of ear shot.

"Do what?"

"Distract her. From what she walked into. Us," she emphasized, waving a hand between herself and Jay.

"Kids are easily distractable; just change the subject. Now when she'll say what she saw and who she'll tell, well, that's a whole different story."

***

"I'm—ugh—ready," you grunted as you waddled into the kitchen a little while later with your bag of toys on one shoulder, practically dragging on the ground, and struggling to carry Sunny in front of you by picking him up and clasping your hands under his big belly.

"Uh, how about we put Sunny down, kiddo?" Jay suggested.

"Why?"

"Because—"

"Jay, if he wanted to get down he would have done it already." Then, Hailey quickly took a picture of you. "There. You can show it to Will."

"Why are you holding him anyway?" Jay asked, hoping an answer to this question would help him mitigate the current situation.

"He coming to Will's house with me."

"He can't come to Will's house with you," Jay answered quickly, needing to lay down the law before Hailey said something to the effect of Jay getting you a cat.

"Why not?" you asked, your lip starting to tremble. "I- I think Will wants a kitty."

He sighed and knelt down in front of you. "Can I hold him?"

You shook your head. "My Sunny."

"Your Sunny. Ok, this is gonna go over well," Jay muttered to himself. "Y/N, he can't come to Will's house because this is his house. He lives here. With Hailey."

"But- But I wanna see him!" you wailed.

At this, Sunny stirred in your arms and Jay quickly grabbed him before he scratched you with his claws to try and get down.

"You can still see him," Hailey butted in. "He's not going anywhere."

"But how I gonna get here to see Sunny?"

"How about you come over here and see him every Wednesday and me and you can have a girls' night," she suggested.

"A girls' night?" You furrowed your eyebrows. "What's that?"

"That's where we let Jay and Will go somewhere and you and me stay here. We can play games, watch movies, we'll obviously get pizza or McDonald's or Wendy's and maybe even make ice cream sundaes. I can even do your nails if Jay says it's okay."

"Jay Jay, can I have a night with Hailey? She do my nails, too?" you asked seriously.

"She's a handful," Jay warned.

"I don't mind."

"We'll have to move spaghetti and garlic bread night to Thursdays instead of Wednesdays," he told you seriously.

"That's okay! I see Sunny and have fun with Hailey!"

"Okay. Guess that settles it. Now go put your boots on so you can get to Will's and go sledding."

You scampered off out of earshot and Jay turned to his girlfriend. "Why'd you do that?" he asked.

"Do what? The girls' night?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if I'm gonna be in your life for a while, I might as well get on her good side."

And so, the minute Jay dropped you off the Will's, you mentioned the girls' night and the snowball fight to him, meaning the cat was officially out of the bag — and this time, the cat wasn't Sunny.