8. Chapter 8

I am wildly hungover so I am attempting to create some good karma by uploading this early.

Trigger warning for mentions of child abuse

After eight weeks with Kate in their lives, Jay and Erin had fallen into a domestic routine that neither of them had ever dreamed would be theirs. The little girl was growing more comfortable by the day and introducing Jay and Erin to her thoughtful, inquisitive and brave personality. Kate had a funny streak as well, often making silly comments and giggling relentlessly whenever Jay or Erin teased each other.

Summer passed quickly between the escalating murder rate and long days at the district. Kate, who had spent the majority of her life in isolation, adored spending time with Platt or Voight after preschool when Erin and Jay were out in the field. When Intelligence was needed on the weekends, Platt came in just to spend time with Kate, even taking the little girl with her to do her weekend chores. However, most weekends were spent as a family, venturing to the pool, the zoo or other scenic spots in Chicago where Kate had never been.

Kate loved being a little helper. Her favorite days involved family trips to the grocery store and helping Jay cook dinner. She was finally filling out, her ribs less visible and her face looking much less haunted. Somehow, it became part of the routine to have breakfast at Voight's house on Sundays. Hank and Kate were special friends and he treated her like his own grandchild. He had even spent the day with her so that Erin and Jay could "get some work done", but really, he was just allowing his almost-daughter to spend her Sunday with her boyfriend.

While she had made a lot of progress in two months, Kate was continually plagued by horrific nightmares that sent Jay or Erin running into her bedroom at all hours of the night. She spent a few nights a week in bed with Erin and Jay, too terrified to fall asleep by herself. Sessions with Dr. Handel were helping them to understand what Kate was afraid of exactly, but Jay was convinced that until her offenders were caught, Kate would not sleep soundly.

Their weekday morning routine was simple and easy. While Erin got ready, Jay would set Kate up with breakfast and then they would switch so that Erin could help Kate get dressed and out the door. It worked well and was Jay's second favorite part of the day, the first being when Kate greeted him after a long day of work. He loved watching his little girl peacefully eat breakfast, eyes still slightly cloudy with sleep.

"How do you like the new kids in your class, Squirt?" Jay asked, blowing on his hot coffee in an attempt to cool it faster, "Are they nice?"

She nodded, carefully picking up a banana slice and popping it into her mouth. "Miss Carlson said that today we're going to learn about the leaves on the trees because they're gonna change soon."

"Mm-hm, fall in Chicago is really cool with all the different colors." Jay mused, tentatively taking a sip. "Maybe we should apple picking one weekend, does that sound like fun?"

"Like take the apples from the trees?" Kate asked, eyes wide, "Like in the books?"

"Yep." Jay grinned, "It's settled then. We should try to go this weekend, before the leaves start changing. Then we could have apples for breakfast too."

Kate nodded eagerly and set her spoon down. "I'm done."

"Awesome," Jay said proudly, glad that she had finished her cereal, fruit and glass of pediatric shake that Dr. Manning had prescribed to help the child start to grow normally. He helped her off the stool, "Gah, you're getting so big!" Kate shrieked with laughter as Jay lifted her into the air.

"All yours babe." Erin entered the kitchen, hair tied back in a loose pony tail. "Nice job on breakfast, Kate."

"I'll be quick." Jay leaned in to kiss Erin's cheek, but she pulled away.

"Ew, your breath stinks, Halstead." Erin told him jokingly, poking his chest with a finger, "And I'm so nice and clean."

"Mmm." Jay responded, sneaking around her other side and kissing the opposite cheek, earning a giggle from Kate.

"It's going to be a little windy today, so I think we should wear something a bit warmer." Erin informed the little girl as she led her to the bedroom. She pulled open the closet, "Do you know what you want to wear today?"

Kate shook her head. She was not used to getting to pick out what she was going to wear, let alone having choices of any kind. Erin and Jay, on the advice of Dr. Handel, had been slowly encouraging Kate to pick out books, movies and what she wanted to wear. "How about this?" Erin held out a jean jacket and Kate nodded eagerly.

"And this?" Kate gestured to a purple t shirt with fish on it.

"Great choice." Erin grinned, helping the little girl get ready. She brushed her hair and clipped it back so it wouldn't get in her face.

"Shoes?" Kate asked knowingly. Jay and Erin attempted to create as much of a schedule as possible, and Kate knew that after getting dressed came shoes, then coat and out the door.

"Mm-hm." Erin nodded as a sharp knock came at the door. Kate jumped, instinctively moving closer to Erin. "It's early." She muttered to herself, scooping Kate up and heading for the door.

"Who is it?" Kate asked worriedly, tightly gripping Erin's short sleeve shirt.

"Not sure baby." Erin pulled open the apartment door, revealing Bunny Fletcher. "What are you doing here?"

Kate inhaled sharply as she regarded the woman standing in the doorway. She recognized her from her time with Paul Jackson, since Bunny came by now and again to pick up some product to sell with her boyfriend. She had been in the house once when Kate was hit by 'Uncle Bobby' but had never acknowledged the little girl's presence. Kate began to panic, realizing that if Bunny knew where she was, she may be trying to bring her back to Jackson. "What? A mother can't stop by to visit her daughter? I haven't seen you in months, Erin." Bunny asked, taking note of the child in her daughter's arms, "And who is this?"

"This is Kate," Erin adjusted the little girl on her hip, acutely aware of how fast Kate's heart was beating, "And a lot has changed in those months. You can't just show up here, unannounced."

Bunny rolled her eyes. "Well, are you going to let me in?" Kate's eyes widened as she recalled the woman's relationship to her abusers. She knew that Erin had a mom, but she didn't know that this woman was her mother. A small whimper escaped her lips as Bunny made eye contact. Kate held tighter to Erin, becoming increasingly fearful that this woman was here to take her away. "Hi there, sweetie, I'm-"

"The bunny." Kate whispered, tears filling her eyes as she realized what was going to happen. Erin looked at her mother quizzically. She and Jay hadn't told Kate who Erin's mother was, only that they didn't see her often. And Erin had hardly thought about her mother the past two months, let alone mention her name.

Bunny chuckled, "I guess you've heard about me, huh?" She smiled widely, taking in the appearance of the little girl, vaguely recognizing her. Kate's wet hazel eyes pierced Bunny's and in an instant, the woman realized that she knew the child in her daughter's arms.

Kate shook her head, her body beginning to tremble in fear. "Please d-don't take me back," she whimpered as Erin continued to regard Bunny suspiciously. The older woman shifted backwards, forcing a smile.

"Mom? What is she talking about?" Erin asked firmly, dread filling her stomach. She held tighter to the little girl.

"I have no idea," Bunny replied indignantly, "I didn't even know you raising a child." She took a step closer to Erin, sending Kate into a full-blown panic. Kate squeaked loudly and wriggled out of Erin's grip, catching Erin by surprise. She fell to the floor and scrambled up quickly, running away from Bunny as fast as she could.

"Do you know her?" Erin asked, more forcefully, "Because it seems to me like she knows who you are."

"How would I know her?" Bunny insisted, "Oh, hello, Jay." The detective had emerged from the bedroom without a shirt on after hearing the commotion, damp towel still in his hand.

"Bunny? What's going on?" He looked to Erin, "Where's Kate?"

"She freaked out when she saw Bunny," Erin told him, "You need to leave." Erin glared at her mother, "It's not a good time." The woman opened her mouth to protest, but turned on her heel and marched down the hallway.

"What the hell was that?" Jay asked.

"She knows something." Erin replied, heading for Kate's bedroom. "She knows something about Kate, or God forbid maybe she was involved because I have never seen Kate that terrified." Erin cautiously pushed open the bedroom door. "Kate? It's okay."

"Closet." Jay whispered after checking under the bed. Erin nodded and knocked on the closet door.

"Kate, baby, it's just me and Jay. I'm going to open the door, okay?" Erin received a sniffle in response and gently slid open the closet door. Kate was seated on the floor, pressed up against the cloth laundry basket and shelves. She was shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at Erin.

Erin sat across from the little girl while Jay took a seat on Kate's bed. "What happened, baby? What's got you so upset?"

"The b-bunny," Kate choked out, burying her face in her knees, "She's going to take me back."

"Take you back where, Squirt?" Jay asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"To Mr. P's house." Kate burst into tears, breaking Erin's heart. Erin and Jay exchanged looks, Kate having just confirmed Erin's suspicions about her mother's inability to stay out of trouble.

"Was Bunny at his house?" Erin asked, tears welling up in her own eyes. Kate lifted her head off her knees and nodded slowly. A tear leaked out of the corner of Erin's eye and she wiped it away quickly. "She is never coming near you again. I promise." Another tear rolled down Erin's cheek. "You're going to be with me and Jay," Erin's voice broke, "and we love you."

Kate threw herself into Erin's arms, wrapping her arms around her neck tightly. Jay sank down next to Erin, placing a comforting hand on Kate's back and pressing a kiss into Erin's hair. The gentle gesture broke the dam, and Erin erupted in tears, holding the little girl as close as possible. "I'm so sorry," Erin wept into Kate's hair, slowly rocking back and forth, "I am so, so, sorry."

"Shh," Jay brought Erin into his embrace, wrapping his strong arms around his girls, "We're okay."

An hour later, both Erin and Kate had finally calmed down. Jay settled the two of them on the couch while he called the preschool to inform the teacher that Kate would be late and texted Hank to let him know they were running behind schedule. "How's she doing?" Jay murmured, crouching down in front of his girls. Kate was still grasping Erin's shirt tightly in her tiny fists and had buried her face in Erin's neck. Jay reached up and wiped Erin's cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. Erin just shook her head.

"How could my mother be involved with those people?" She hissed, tears welling up in her eyes again, "I mean, I know she's a mess but the fact that she knew that they were abusing a child…" Erin trailed off, turning her nose into her little girl's hair in an attempt to ground herself, "I swear to God, if she shows up here again-"

"That's not going to happen, babe." Jay promised, moving from his position on the floor to sitting beside his partner, "When we go by the district I'm going to ping her phone and I'll go talk to her. Bunny's not coming near our kid ever again."

"Hey, Detective, nice of you to show up." Platt quipped as Jay entered the district. He wordlessly gestured to Erin who was carrying Kate in her arms a few paces behind. The seasoned sergeant instantly ceased her teasing and glanced worriedly at the detectives.

"Rough morning," Jay deadpanned, "To say the least."

Platt's eyes softened. "Anything I can do?"

Erin shook her head as Jay scanned his hand, "Just…Bunny problems. Couldn't even get the shoes on." Platt nodded sympathetically. Normally Kate would wave enthusiastically when she came to the district on mornings when there was no school, but the little girl remained clamped to Erin's side with her face buried in the detective's neck.

The bullpen was eerily quiet as the detectives arrived, all present members of Intelligence busy at their desks, appearing to be working through several piles of paperwork. "How you got out of backlog filing is beyond me," Ruzek remarked, turning to Jay as he made his way to his desk, "I'm going to stab my eyeballs out."

"Quit complaining." Olinsky scolded him, glancing up at Erin, Kate still in her arms. "Tough morning, Lindsay?" She nodded, flicking up the small pair of shoes she had in one hand that Kate refused to put on before leaving the apartment. The older man grimaced in sympathy, "Voight's in his office."

"Hey, kid." Hank greeted, setting his phone down and looking up at his exhausted almost-daughter. "I got Halstead's text. What's going on?"

"Bunny." Erin breathed, taking a seat across from her sergeant. "Bunny happened this morning."

"What's she into this time?" Hank asked dryly, looking up to Jay who entered his office and sank heavily into the chair beside Erin, "She in trouble?"

"She's gonna be." Jay clenched the arms of the wooden chair tightly, "She was involved with Jackson and his crew."

"Is," Erin interjected, "she may still be involved. We don't know how because she denied all of it but Kate saw her before at Jackson's place in Wicker Park."

"She sure?" The little girl remained in Erin's arms, barefoot and shuddering slightly despite having calmed down from her panic attack over an hour ago.

"Kate knew exactly who Bunny was when I opened the door." Erin placed a hand on the back of Kate's head, "And it's not like I have pictures of her around the apartment or on my phone. And I hadn't told Kate about her because I didn't want her anywhere near this kid." She looked to Jay, who nodded in agreement.

"I don't think we ever talked about Bunny around Kate. I mean, she knew that Erin has a mother but the woman is bad news." Jay paused and turned to his daughter. "Kate? Do you think you could tell Sergeant Voight how you knew who that woman was?"

The little girl slowly lifted her head off Erin's shoulder and turned to face Hank. Dried tear tracks ran down her cheeks as she took a shaky breath. "The bunny used to come to Mr. P's house. B-but I didn't know she was Erin's mommy." Kate looked up at Erin and then over to Jay. "I thought mommies were supposed to be good."

"They are, kiddo." Jay said sadly, raising his eyebrows at Hank. "Did Bunny ever see you at Mr. P's house?"

Kate nodded slowly. "Um, she only came sometimes and Big Joe would give her some of the grown-up candies. I was supposed to stay in my room but I had to go to the bathroom and the Bunny saw me but then Uncle Bobby hit me."

Jay felt his blood boil listening to his little girl describe her experience with the low-life drug dealers that Bunny sold for. While Erin assured Kate that she wasn't going back to that house again, Jay clenched the arms of the chair tighter, rage buzzing in his ears. Every time Kate mentioned the abuse she endured, no matter that it indicated how she was becoming more trusting of her new family, Jay felt like his heart was being ripped out and stomped on. He couldn't imagine anyone evil enough to want to cause harm to his precious little girl, who was so unbelievably innocent. "Jay." Erin stroked her partner's arm in an attempt to get snap Jay out of his reverie, "Jay."

"Mm?" The young detective glanced at his girlfriend, who was now staring at him urgently. He scanned the room quickly, Kate no longer in Erin's arms.

"She's with Hank," Erin said gently, "He thought we should talk. Where did you go just now?" She scooted the chair closer to his and took his hand in her smaller one, "Talk to me."

"Grown-up candy?" Jay croaked out, burying his face in his free hand, "Oh my God, Erin. I just…I can't…I don't…" He stuttered, shaking his head, "How did this fucking bastard hit a child? Every time she mentions it, it breaks my heart over and over again."

"I know." Erin ran her hand through her partner's hair and down his neck, digging into his tense muscles with strong fingers, attempting to ground him with her touch. "She is undoubtedly the strongest and bravest little girl on the planet. And she is safe now. But we need to focus on getting Bunny to tell us what she knows. It might help us catch them."

He nodded, "You want to go talk to her? She's probably at her bar."

Erin shook her head. "No, I want to send patrol to pick her up and bring her in. Book her, for all I care."

Jay raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Erin, she's your mother. Your family. You really want to bring her in?"

She nodded adamantly, "Yes. She knows something Jay, and she's going to tell me what it is. As far as I'm concerned, Bunny Fletcher is nobody to me. You're my family now, Jay, you and Kate. And I would do anything to keep her safe." Tears welled up in Erin's eyes as she gripped her partner's hands fiercely, "I love you and I love how you have just picked up this fatherhood thing like it's the easiest thing in the world. And I care about your little girl like she's my own and that means doing whatever it takes to bring the people that hurt her to justice."

Jay gently lifted his hand and wiped a stray tear off Erin's cheek. "Babe, she's your little girl as well. Has been since the moment you brought her out of that dingy closet." He leaned forward and kissed the crown of her head, "I love you, Erin Lindsay, so much."

While Bunny denied knowing anything about the whereabouts of Jackson and his crew, she did provide other locations in Chicago that they used as stash houses. She was livid to have been brought into the district in handcuffs but reached an agreement with Intelligence that she would not be processed, so long as she cooperated fully. Bunny was resolute in maintaining that she had never seen Kate being abused and had no reason to think she was, angering Erin to no end.

A raid of another house on the South Side produced "Big Joe", formally known to the CPD as Joseph Pierce, a former juvenile delinquent with ties to white supremacist hate groups. He was sitting on two hundred thousand dollars of heroin and on the hook for all of it, refusing to name Jackson and any other accomplices. In order to make the case for child abuse as well, Kate would have to identify him in an official line up.

A day later, Erin and Jay brought Kate to the district to identify Joseph Pierce. Assistant State's Attorney Stone was trying to persuade him to give up Jackson's location in exchange for a slightly reduced sentence, but Pierce would not budge. His lawyer, Ed Bowler, was a savvy and expensive seasoned defense attorney, known for getting criminals off for little to nothing. Jay and Erin were anxious about Kate having to see one of the men who used to hit her but decided together that it was better to have him behind bars for longer than to give him the chance to go free.

"Okay, kiddo, so when the screen raises, I need you to pick out the man who hurt you, okay? He's in jail so he can't hurt you, I promise." Hank told Kate, who was nervously clutching Jay with all her might. The little girl was quivering in fear, despite being told repeatedly that the men she was going to see would not be able to lay a hand on her.

"Okay," Kate squeaked out, "I'm ready."

"Take your time." Bowler instructed, looking pointedly at Erin and then to Hank. Kate had been terrified of the defense attorney and Erin had practically barred her teeth at him for frightening her little girl. Nonetheless, Bowler maintained CPD's vendetta against his client and was searching for any possible loophole, not caring that his actions were further traumatizing a child.

The screen raised, revealing six large white men, all with bald heads and unshaven faces. Kate gasped. "That's him, that's him." She pointed a shaking finger toward the third man, holding tighter to Jay with her other arm, "That's Big Joe."

"Can you identify him by number, please?" Bowler asked gruffly, causing the little girl to snap her hand back and bury her face in Jay's neck.

"What number is Big Joe, baby?" Erin asked gently, glaring at Bowler. She placed a gentle hand on Kate's back and shifted her glare toward the man behind the two-way mirror.

"N-number three," Kate whispered, lifting her head off Jay's shoulder, "Big Joe is number three. He is the man who used to hit me."

"Great job, Kate." ASA Stone smiled warmly and shook Hank's hand. "That's all I need. Have a good evening."

"I'm so proud of you, Squirt." Jay kissed the top of Kate's head, "You were so brave."