31. Chapter 31

Little bit of family cuteness in the next few chapters because I thought it would be warranted before everything else I have planned :) I was super motivated by all the amazing reviews and got a bunch written/edited this weekend SO hopefully updates will be way more consistent. Let me know if you like it!

"We goin' home?" Kate asked brightly, glancing over to the duffle bags that sat at the bottom of Hank's staircase. After three days of holing up in her grandfather's house, the little girl was itching to do something that wasn't a coloring sheet or board game. Erin was arguably even more stir-crazy, having been relegated to the couch for most of the hours of the day. Hank had been practically forcing Jay to stay back and keep an eye on his girls, a task he was happy to do but also frustrated him because he couldn't be out in the field at the same time.

"Sorry, Squirt, we're gonna be here a few more days. I'm just going back to pick up more of your medicine and some clothes for us," Jay grimaced as the little girl's face fell. While she was happy to stay with Hank, she had definitely picked up on Erin's irritation with being kept inside and had since become anxious around both her mother and grandfather. They had been grumbling at each other for the past few days, much to the amusement of Jay. He did his best to stay out of it, but was definitely on Hank's side in regards to Erin taking it slowly and not taxing her already injured head.

Kate wrinkled her nose and looked up at her father expectantly, "But Grandpa Hank's grumpy with Mommy."

"But he's not grumpy with you," Hank piped up, making his way down the steps, "What do you say you and I take a trip to the aquarium while your mom takes a little nap, huh?"

"Really?" Kate squealed, bouncing up and down on the bottom stair, "The aquarium? Again?"

"Doesn't that sound like fun, kiddo?" Jay asked, slinging the empty duffle over his shoulder. Kate nodded furiously, barely able to contain her excitement. He smiled at his boss gratefully, thankful that his little girl would be safe and that his partner would be able to rest.

"Grandpa Hank, can we see the sharks and the seals?"

"Mm-hm, and maybe the octopuses as well, how does that sound?" Hank's eyes twinkled as Kate practically launched herself into his arms.

"So good!" She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and leaned back so she could look him in the eye, "But we gotta skip the pe-gwins. They're Mommy's favorite and we can't go without her."

"Good idea," Hank agreed, "Jay, is she sleeping?"

"No," Erin grunted, taking a few steps down the stairs, fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t shirt, "I've been sleeping for three days. I can't sleep anymore."

"Going somewhere?" Jay raised his eyebrows at his girl, who was heading for her boots determinedly.

"The district," She replied, slipping a black boot on her left foot. "I'm tired of being cooped up here."

"You really shouldn't be driving, babe," Jay said gently, exchanging looks with his boss, who appeared to be getting increasingly irritated as his almost-daughter acted against medical advice, "Not until we go back to Med tomorrow at least."

"Ugh," Erin groaned, pausing zipping up her right boot, "I'm fine."

"You wanna come to the 'quarium with us?" Kate asked hopefully, glancing from her mother to her grandfather, "Grandpa Hank's takin' me. We could see the pe-gwins 'cause I know you like them."

"What do you say, kiddo?" Hank shifted Kate slightly on his hip, "You still get to get out and you get to see the animals." He winked at the little girl, who nodded in agreement.

"And den you can be with me!" Kate grinned widely.

"I guess I can't say no to that," Erin smiled tiredly at her little girl, "Alrighty. Let's get you changed and then we can go, hm?"

"Yes!" Kate wriggled so Hank would set her down and bounded up the stairs, Erin following behind slowly.

"You think she's gonna be okay?" Jay asked, glancing worriedly after his girl. He adjusted the duffle bag on his shoulder, "I mean, I won't be gone long. She really should sleep."

"I know kid," Hank put a hand on the young detective's shoulder, "But there's no changing her mind. She was going to leave, I figured it would just be better if she was with one of us." He smiled, "I'll keep an eye out, don't worry."

"Okay, then, if it's alright by you, I'm going to stop by the district for a bit. See where things are at with Sarah Harding's murder. I'll just meet you guys back here."

Hank nodded, "I don't think we'll be at the aquarium for very long."

"Grandpa Hank, look, sharks!" Kate cried, pointing ecstatically at the large glass tank filled with prehistoric beasts. She was holding Erin's hand, practically pulling her mother along as they ventured throughout the large aquarium, stopping at all Kate's favorite exhibits. "Wow!"

"Are they still your favorite?" Hank asked knowingly. He absolutely adored taking his granddaughter to the aquarium because every time she was so excited. Even though they had been just over a week ago, Kate could barely contain herself.

"Yes!" Kate exclaimed, glancing up at the animals swimming above her head, "They are so big. And even though they look scary, Miss Carlson says they're peas-ful, right Mommy?"

"Mm-hm," Erin hummed absently, blinking slowly. The florescent lighting in the aquarium was not making her head feel great, but Kate's excitement made it all worth it, "These guys are the nurse sharks. It's the Tiger sharks you gotta be careful of."

"And the bully sharks," Kate informed her, "While you were napping yesterday me and Daddy watched a doc-a-menery on those guys."

Erin smiled down at her clever little girl, "Did Daddy get you into documentaries as well?"

Kate nodded, "Sometimes when you're sleepin' and me and Daddy can't sleep we watch them til I get sleepy," She smiled up at her mother, "We like the science ones best."

"I didn't know that," Erin ran a hand over her daughter's head, "Daddy lets you stay up late and watch documentaries?"

"Only sometimes if I get scared," Kate explained, "And sometimes I get too scared to go to bed, so we stay on the couch instead."

"Huh." Erin had no idea that her partner stayed up late with their little girl when she was too scared to sleep. The nights Kate woke up in their bed after Jay had comforted her she had always assumed it was resolved quickly, but Kate's anecdote suggested otherwise.

"He's a good father," Hank mused, glancing up at the aquatic creatures and then over to Erin. She nodded in agreement, watching as her little girl carefully read the sign explaining the sharks.

"He's an amazing dad," Erin confirmed, stifling a yawn, "He just knows exactly what to do."

"We seein' the nemo fish too, Mommy?" Kate asked hopefully, looking up at her mother with wide eyes.

"Of course," Erin smiled, blinking slowly. They had already seen the penguin exhibit as well as the seals, but a trip to the aquarium was not complete without a visit to the tropical fish.

"You gonna be alright?" Hank asked, placing his rough palm on her shoulder. His almost-daughter had gotten increasingly shaky on her feet as they ventured through the aquarium. They had been standing for around 90 minutes, far longer than Erin had been used to since her concussion three days ago.

"Yeah, yeah." Erin waved her hand flippantly. "Okay baby, lead the way."

Hank let out an exasperated sigh but followed the mother and daughter down the corridor toward the collection of tropical fish. "There's so many," Kate's eyes were like saucers as she observed the variety of fish swimming in the massive glass tanks. The Chicago aquarium's exhibits were all incredible, but this one was done especially well. There must have been several thousand different fish, all swimming around as fast as their fins would take them.

"Mm," Hank nodded, peering around at the exhibit, "There are a lot of them. How many can you count, kiddo?"

"There's too many!" Kate exclaimed, letting out a giggle when she realized her grandfather was kidding, "But I bet there's a fou-sand of them."

"I think you're right," Hank tickled her shoulder and she giggled again, "How many do you think there are Erin?" He turned to his detective expectantly when she didn't immediately reply.

"Mommy?" Kate looked up at her mother urgently, quickly gathering that something wasn't right. Her mother had gotten extremely pale and her eyes were closed as she stood in front of the fish tank, willing herself not to plummet to the floor.

"I'm okay," Erin croaked, cracking her eyes open, "I just got dizzy for a second."

"We need to get you home, kid." Hank said gently, taking Kate's hand from Erin's and wrapping an arm around his almost daughter who was now incredibly uneasy on her feet. He quickly led them to the exit, bypassing the jellyfish and sea turtles. Kate didn't protest, repeatedly looking nervously to her mother as they hastened down the hallways.

"I'm good now," Erin breathed, taking a sharp inhalation after they slowed to a stop outside the exit, "Really. It passed,"

"You almost passed out in the fish exhibit," Hank informed her, handing the tokens to the coat check person and receiving their jackets. He quickly bundled up the anxious child before helping Erin and leading them out the front door.

"I didn't," Erin tried, shivering as the sharp Chicago wind assaulted her when the double automatic exit doors opened, "I-" Her protesting ceased as she doubled over and vomited onto the street, coughing violently.

"Kiddo," Hank murmured sympathetically, carefully hoisting her up with one arm while still holding the hand of the now-incredibly nervous little girl, "What were you saying about being fine?"

"Ugh," Erin grumbled in response, stumbling into her father figure as they crossed the parking lot to the Escalade. He held her closer, trying to keep the trembling detective upright.

"C-can we call Daddy?" Kate asked her grandfather as he hurriedly buckled her into the car seat. The poor little girl's eyes were wet with unshed tears, clearly disturbed by her mother being ill, "He knows what to do."

"We're going to meet him at my house, okay?" Hank placed a reassuring hand on her little knees, "Don't worry, sweetheart."

Thankfully, Hank made it back to his house without Erin getting sick in the car. He had placed a plastic bag in her lap and instructed her to tell him if she was going to be sick so he could pull over, but luckily the second he pulled onto the highway she was asleep. Mid-afternoon traffic of people trying to get home for the long President's Day weekend made the journey much longer, and Kate fell asleep in the back despite her anxiety. A trip to the aquarium or the zoo always exhausted the little girl, as she was so overwhelmed with excitement that when there was finally time to rest, she was down for the count.

Hank hadn't been able to text Jay and wasn't about to try while on the highway with precious cargo, so he figured he would just give him a call once both girls were settled upstairs. As it happened, Jay pulled in right behind the Escalade as Hank slowed to a stop outside his home. "How'd it go?" He asked, shutting the driver's side door to the Sierra.

The older man gestured to the sleeping child in the backseat and then to Erin, who was leaning against the window, plastic bag in her lap. "We lasted about an hour and a half before Erin got sick. Damn nearly passed out in the tropical fish section. Made it to the parking lot before she vomited."

"She got sick?" Jay asked worriedly, glancing nervously over to his girl who was still sleeping soundly, "Shit. I knew I shouldn't have let her go."

"Wasn't your fault, kid," Hank reassured him, "She was going to get out of the house either way. I think she knows now she really needs to rest and let her head heal." He turned back to the car door, "I can take the kid upstairs, you wanna get her?"

Jay nodded and watched as Hank carefully removed a sleeping Kate from her car seat and held her closely in his arms. His gruff sergeant tenderly carried the little girl up the steps and into his house, leaving Jay to take his girl. "Erin, babe," Jay carefully stroked back the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

"Mm, Jay?" Erin turned her head and glanced up at her partner with glassy eyes, "Hi."

"Hi, yourself." Jay gently cupped her cheek with his hand, "Let's get you upstairs, hm? You and Kate can take a nice nap. And don't try to tell me you're fine, because Hank already told me about you nearly passing out and puking in the parking lot."

"Ugh," Erin groaned, clumsily disembarking from the Escalade. She accepted the support from her partner as he led her up the icy steps and into the warm house. "I'm good now."

"Yeah right," Jay scoffed, continuing to lead her up the steps to the second floor, "This isn't up for debate, babe."

After getting both Erin and Kate settled, Jay and Hank retreated to the kitchen to discuss the case. Paul Jackson was incredibly skilled at evading the police, but the state was building a huge case against Peter Jackson for the possession of child pornography. Despite tracing Jackson's cell, Atwater and Ruzek had been unable to find a direct location.

Sarah Harding's murder was a result of asphyxiation and according to the medical examiner, had likely taken place prior to entering Erin and Jay's apartment. The dirt beneath her fingernails indicated that she may have been killed by the lake, as there was bits of sand there as well. Although there had been progress, Jay was increasingly frustrated that the main perpetrator was still at large. Joseph Pierce, who was up in Statesville for the next decade, had refused to speak, providing the CPD with no leads or hints as to where his old boss may be.

"They said we can probably go back home in a few days," Jay informed Hank, greedily drinking from the cup of coffee that his sergeant had brewed, "All the evidence has been bagged so Kate's room is basically bare but that actually might not be such a bad thing considering."

"Hm," Hank mused, "Gotta be honest with you kid, I'd rather you three stay here at least for a little while longer. I don't like the idea of him knowing where to find you."

"I-we wouldn't want to intrude," Jay started, but Hank held up his hand.

"Jay, you're family now. And you obviously make my girl very happy, so I'm happy to have you three stay here as long as you need. Plus it's nice to hear little feet running around again," He glanced up at the ceiling, having heard Kate's light footsteps pitter-pattering down the hallway.

Jay breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he wouldn't have to bring his girls back to an apartment where a dead woman was found a few days prior and where his girlfriend had been knocked unconscious by a deranged sociopath. "Thanks Hank."

"Don't mention it," Hank took a slow sip of his coffee and peered over Jay's shoulder, "Hi kiddo."

"Hi," Kate mumbled, slowly approaching the kitchen table. Jay turned around in his chair and smiled widely at his daughter who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Did you have a nice nap, Squirt?" Jay asked, hoisting her up and holding her close against his chest.

"Uh-huh," Kate breathed and glanced around the kitchen, "Where's Mommy?"

"She wasn't sleeping with you?" Hank asked, hastily setting his coffee mug down on the table, brown liquid sloshing over the sides. Kate shook her head, eyes growing wide in fear. Hank raised his eyebrows at Jay, who immediately sprang to his feet, Kate in his arms.

"Stay right here." Jay instructed, placing her on his chair. Hank hurried to the living room while Jay sprinted up the steps, two at a time, both men desperately searching for their girl. "Erin!" He shouted, throwing open the bedroom door and glancing around urgently. The covers were rumpled and the bed was unmade, but Erin was not there. She wasn't in Justin's bedroom either, nor was she in Hank's. "Erin!" Jay's mind went to the worst when he couldn't find her. What if she had been kidnapped? What if she had passed out? What if…

A soft groan drew Jay's attention to the slightly ajar bathroom door. "Er?" Jay called out, more gently this time. He pushed open the door slowly and winced at the sight in front of him. His poor girl was slumped against the toilet with her back against the tub, head resting on an arm that gripped the bowl with shaking fingers. "Oh, no, babe."

"Guess I'm not fine," Erin choked out, lifting her head slightly, "My head is fucking killing me."

Jay crouched gingerly beside his girlfriend, sweeping wisps of hair off her face. "You're dizzy?"

"Mm," Erin replied sluggishly, leaning forward to dry heave into the bowl again. Jay grimaced and placed a hand on her back, rubbing slow circles, "Nauseous. Feel like my insides are-" She retched again.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. I shouldn't have let you go to the aquarium. Your body wasn't ready." Jay felt incredibly guilty that his girl was feeling so poorly. She had been so determined earlier, and now appeared so broken. Erin grasped his hand with cold, quivering fingers and squeezed tightly.

"Wasn't your fault," she mumbled, coughing weakly and lifting her head up, "I was being stubborn."

"You were," Jay nodded in agreement, hand ghosting over her head, "How about we get you into bed again? Maybe get that icepack on your head?"

"I'm sorry," Tears welled in Erin's eyes as she regarded her partner with a glassy gaze, "I'm sorry."

"Shh," Jay gently kissed her temple, "Will's coming by in a bit to check you out, okay? Why don't you take a rest for now, see if that helps?"

"Mm," She managed, head dropping down to her chest in defeat.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Kate bounded up the steps as fast as her little legs would carry her, desperately searching for her mother. Hank was at her heels, pushing open the doors as he made his way down the hallway after the little girl.

"She's okay, Squirt," Jay called, rubbing Erin's forehead with soft fingers, "We're in the bathroom."

Kate breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw her parents on the floor of Hank's bathroom, thankful that her mother hadn't left the house. "Christ, Erin," Hank uttered, standing behind the small child, "She alright?" He looked to Jay, who appeared incredibly concerned but also relieved to be so close to his girl. "Do we need to take her to Med?"

"I think she's gonna be fine," Jay gave a small smile, continuing to massage Erin's aching head. She leaned into his touch, eyes at half mast, "Just got a little sick, probably from all the activity."

"We get Mommy an icepack?" Kate looked up at her grandfather worriedly.

"That's a great idea, Squirt." Jay beamed at his daughter's thoughtfulness, "Can you and Grandpa Hank get an icepack and some water for Mommy while I get her settled in bed?"

The little girl nodded and accepted Hank's hand to venture back down to the kitchen. Jay turned back to his girlfriend, her eyes struggling to stay open, "Can we get you back into bed now, babe?"

"Yeah," Erin sighed tiredly, pushing herself away from the porcelain bowl. She leaned against Jay has he helped her to shaky feet before reaching below her knees and cradling her against his chest. "I can walk," she mumbled, her voice carrying little conviction as she sagged against her boyfriend.

"I know, I just wanted to hold you close," Jay breathed against her neck, "I'm really worried about you, Er." He made his way down the hall and to her old bedroom, carefully setting her down on the unmade bed. He covered her with the blanket and perched on the edge of the mattress, unwilling to separate himself from his girl. Jay reached out and continued to gently massage her aching head, Erin eliciting quiet moans of approval.

"Feels good," she mumbled, reaching a hand out from beneath the covers and touching Jay's chest, "Sorry."

"You can stop apologizing babe. Just focus on getting better, okay?" Jay tucked some loose hair behind her ear, "Are you still dizzy?"

"Less. Not so nauseous anymore," Erin cracked open her eyes, "The light in the aquarium made me feel really sick."

"Mm," Jay mused, going back to his gentle ministrations, "Well, hopefully a dark room and a nap will help with the pain. I think Hank and Kate are bringing up an ice pack as well."

"We got ginger-ale too," Kate whispered, quietly slipping into the darkened bedroom bearing an icepack wrapped in a tea towel and an empty glass. Hank followed behind the little girl, armed with a can of ginger ale, glass of water and a packet of saltines.

"Good idea, Squirt." Jay praised, motioning for her to come a little closer to the bed.

"You feelin' better, Mommy?" Kate asked, handing her father the icepack. He placed it atop Erin's head, causing the young detective to shiver.

"I am, baby." She managed a small smile, "I'm going to take a nap for a bit, and I think Daddy said that Uncle Will's going to come by a little later."

"Good," Kate exhaled, "He can make you feel better. And maybe after he can read some stories!"

"I bet he would love to do that," Jay smiled, looking over to Hank as he set the ginger ale, water and saltines on the bedside table. "I'll be down in a few minutes and we can figure out something to do for the rest of the afternoon, sound good?"

Kate wrinkled her brow, "You gotta stay with Mommy." She glanced over at her mother, who was tiredly attempting to keep her eyes open. "I'll be okay Daddy, promise."

"How about a game of chutes and ladders, kiddo?" Hank piped up, nodding toward Jay to indicate that he would be fine with the little girl.

She nodded, slipping her hand in Hank's. "Wait. Can I give Mommy a hug?"

"I would love a hug," Erin reached her hand out, breathing in the sweet scent of her baby as she held her, "Thanks for being such a good girl. I love you."

"I love you too," Kate murmured, resting her head gently against Erin's chest as she hugged her, "I want you to get better soon."

"I will baby," Erin promised, "You guys are taking such good care of me, I'll be all good in no time."