1. Chapter 1

Apologies to all, I accidentally deleted this. First-timer probs. Enjoy

Trigger Warning for mentions of child abuse.

"Well, it looks like we're all done here, so if you finish all your paperwork, you can head home early tonight." Sergeant Hank Voight double tapped the whiteboard that contained the connected perpetrators to a string of recent drug-related homicides that the Intelligence Unit was able to close. They had spent the day working a case that involved a series of barely-legal prostitutes who were brutally murdered and dumped in multiple underpasses across Chicago. It has been a grueling week with late nights and frigid temperatures taking a toll on the entire unit. Voight had been edge and Erin had been distant to Jay, eerily reminded of Nadia as she worked through the case files.

"Hell yes." Adam Ruzek fist-pumped and leaned back into his chair, "What do you say, Kev, head down to Molly's for a drink?"

The young officer rolled his eyes at Ruzek's enthusiasm. "Nah bro, I'm going home to help my sister finish her homework." Kevin Atwater rose and pushed his chair in, earning a groan from Ruzek.

"Come on. Halstead? Lindsay? Care to join me for a drink?" He looked excitedly at the duo, Lindsay who was finishing up a report and Halstead who was leaning back in his chair, playing with a rubber band.

"I don't know man." Detective Jay Halstead glanced across the bullpen and made eye contact with his partner. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged, the sad glint in her eye catching her boyfriend's attention. "It's raining. I think I'd rather head home and sleep."

"You guys are no fun." Ruzek pouted, dragging his hands across his face. "I'll just finish this paperwork and get out of here."

Detective Erin Lindsay switched off her computer and gathered her belongings. "Bye Hank." She called into her sergeant's office, draping her trench coat over one arm.

"See you tomorrow kid." Voight replied gruffly and nodded at Jay, who was following his pseudo-daughter out. "Halstead."

"Sarge." Jay replied, hastily following his girl down the steps and into the front desk area of Chicago's 21st District.

The car ride home was silent. Lindsay stared out of the passenger seat window, watching all of Chicago whiz by as Halstead cut through the wet and empty streets. The houses were almost all illuminated, full of people laughing, drinking and having a great time. "You alright Erin?" he asked, concerned that she hadn't spoken since the end of their shift, and that had only been to bid goodbye to Hank. He didn't question it when she pressed the car keys to his chest and headed downstairs, quickly waving to the desk sergeant, Trudy Platt.

Erin nodded absently at Jay's question, caught up in her own thoughts as Jay pulled into the parking garage within their apartment complex. Silently, Erin opened the door and made her way to the elevator. He hurried after her, making sure to lock the car behind them.

The apartment was dark and empty. Erin stood in the doorway as Jay flicked the lights on, instantly bathing the room in a soft light. She dropped her keys on the counter and kicked off her boots before shedding her coat. "I'm going to take a shower." She called behind her as Jay lined up her boots and placed his keys next to hers.

"Are you hungry for a turkey sandwich perhaps?" Jay asked from the kitchen, examining the contents of the refrigerator. "I think that's all the food we have. Or we could have something delivered? Maybe pizza or Chinese…We don't even have beer."

"I'm not hungry." Erin called back, entering the living space with towel-dried hair, clad in one of Jay's long sleeve t shirts and a pair of worn sweatpants. She settled into the corner of the couch and pulled her knees into her chest, turning the TV on to ESPN to watch a recap of the most recent off season Cubs game.

He sighed, but decided not to push her. Instead, Jay made her favorite tea with a pinch of sugar, just the way she liked it. She smiled gratefully at him when he handed her the warm mug. "Thanks." she murmured. He settled in next to his girl, wrapping one arm around her bent leg and taking a sip of the tea he made for himself.

As the recap droned on, Jay pressed a kiss into the side of her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leaning back against the plush couch cushions. After a beat, Erin visibly relaxed and the couple sat in comfortable silence while the announcers described how skillful the Cubs outfielder had to be in order to make that catch. At the commercial, Erin set her mug on the coffee table and snuggled against her boyfriend, resting her head underneath his chin with the side of her face pressed against his strong chest, listening to his heartbeat. Gently and slowly he stroked her soft brown waves and she closed her eyes.

Although not much time passed, it felt like they had been sitting there for hours. Jay carefully switched off the television and shifted, but Erin didn't move. She stayed cuddled against his chest, her fists enclosing the cotton of his shirt. Jay lifted her chin, and looked straight into her eyes. "I'm concerned." he said, softly rubbing her temple with his thumb.

"Don't be." she whispered, resting her head in the crook of his neck, feeling his arms wrapped around her, "I'm fine."

"I'm your boyfriend, it's my job to worry about you." Jay said seriously. "I know it's been a rough day."

"'S not your fault." Erin mumbled. "It's those scumbags. Thank god we got them off the street."

He hummed in agreement and ran his fingers through her hair, tucking a piece behind her ear. "It wasn't your fault." he whispered quietly, knowing that her mind had gone back to the loss of Nadia.

"I know." Erin shook her head, blinking back tears. "I just wish I could have saved her."

"You did everything you could." Jay reminded her. Finally, the tears that had built up behind her eyes since the morning spilled over her pale cheeks. Jay kissed her forehead as she shook against him. He took her silence that she accepted his words. He continued to brush away her tears until they ceased falling. His gentle ministrations seemed to work because it wasn't long before she was in a deep slumber. Jay didn't want to wake her, so he tenderly kissed her forehead and carried her to bed.

After a few weeks of Jay having officially moved into Erin's apartment, the pair had reached a comfortable routine. Most mornings involved Erin grumbling as she blindly snoozed her phone, burying her face back into the pillow and begging Jay for five more minutes. Some mornings he would get them both to the gym with the promise of bagels or muffins and others he would indulge her pleas by bringing a cup of coffee to bed, allowing her a few more precious minutes under the covers.

This particular morning, Jay had risen earlier than usual and was attempting to be quiet as he made the coffee. With all the stealth tactics that he had picked up in the military and as a detective, it was Erin's coffee maker that gave him away. The machine let out a shrill beep, causing him to jump and apparently waking Erin up from her slumber, because a thud followed by a "shit!" echoed from the bedroom.

"Sorry babe." Jay called out, pouring the scalding brown liquid into a mug and carrying it to the bedroom, careful not to let it slosh over the sides.

"Can't complain if that means the coffee's ready." Erin sat up in bed and accepted the mug. After blowing on it, she greedily drank the beverage. "God you make a good cup of coffee."

"What can I say, I am the perfect househusband." Jay joked, leaning over and planting a kiss on her lips.

"Care to shower before work?" Erin waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her partner.

"Hey Halstead!" Sergeant Trudy Platt's voice causing the two detectives to stop on their way upstairs. Jay leaned his head back, closed his eyes and hoped it was nothing serious.

"Yeah Sarge?" He asked, turning around to meet her pointed glare. She pointed to the woman who was seated on one of the benches. Sergeant Platt shrugged her shoulders as the stranger rose to meet Jay.

"You don't remember me, do you?" The woman looked at Jay and to Erin, both who appeared equally confused.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't." Jay gave the woman a once-over. She was clearly on something, if it was heroin or some other type of drug he wasn't sure, but her agitated state tipped off his detective instincts. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Jillian Bissett and my daughter is missing. Her name is Kate and she's four years old." Jillian thrust a file at Jay's chest with shaking hands.

"Jillian…you were in the military?" Jay wracked his brain to figure out how he knew this woman. "And I met you at a bar a few years ago. After I got off a patrol shift."

She nodded. "And I don't know if you remember that we spent the night together since you were a real mess. Full on wasted." Jillian let out a snort. "And now I'm the mess but I knew you were a cop and after they told me at another station that they couldn't help me I didn't know what to do so I looked you up…"

"How long has your daughter been missing?" Erin interrupted, taking the file from her somewhat-stunned boyfriend. She recognized the shakes and the rambling that often accompanied coming down off of narcotics, she was unfortunately well versed in that area. The fact that this woman had a child and was looking to her boyfriend for help sent Erin's detective instincts off the charts.

"I-I don't know. A while." Jillian wrung her hands, shifting from side to side on her worn out winter boots. "She's the kindest little girl. Never caused me any problems-"

"How long is a while?" Jay asked, cutting off Jillian and glancing down at the file to see a picture of a sweet toddler, who was maybe two or three years old.

"I-I-I know the picture's old, but I think something's happened to her, I can just feel it and-"

"Ma'am, how long has your daughter been missing?" Erin asked more forcefully, dread settling in her stomach. She knew that look as well. It was the same look Bunny wore whenever she was trying to downplay her failures. "Jillian, how long?"

"A-a year. Maybe a little longer." Jillian said quietly. Erin and Jay exchanged skeptical looks and the woman promptly burst into tears. "And I know I'm a t-terrible mother and I should have reported it sooner but all these things kept happening and now I'm trying to get her back and I'm afraid he's going to kill her and he said if I go to the police-"

"Wait, you know who has her?" Erin asked, looking at some of the other papers beneath the old photograph. "Have you been receiving ransom notes? Threats?" She held up a tattered piece of paper that appeared to be an advertisement for a strip club but had a message scrawled on the back.

Jillian nodded shakily. "I think she was with my ex, Tommy, but I got a note a few weeks ago saying that Tommy'd been shot an- and it happened a year ago and he was long dead but if I wanted to see my little girl I'd h-have to help move some dope and"

"Okay, okay, slow down." Jay looked down at the file and examined the note. "Do you know who's been sending you these notes?"

"I'm not really sure but maybe one of Tommy's old bosses, Paul Jackson or something like that but you gotta help me find her, they're doing bad things to her and they told me not to come to the police but I found out she was in Chicago and I just can't do it alone!" Jillian erupted in another round of sobs, covering her face with shaking hands.

"Jillian. Where is Paul Jackson now?" Jay asked, exchanging another look with his partner. The distraught woman shook her head, unable to get the words out. "Listen to me. I am going to help find your daughter. But in order to do that, I need to know everything."

She took a shaky deep breath and wrung her hands again. "The last time I picked up product, one of his guys mentioned a house on the South Side. But-but I don't know if that's where he's keeping her or what but I know they got huge guns and some real bad guys out there and oh! My little girl!" Jillian broke into sobs again.

"Jay." Erin said urgently as Jay was opening his mouth to ask Jillian another question regarding her daughter. Erin had been rifling through the file and pulled out an image that appeared to be a screengrab from a website.

"Kiddy torture porn?" Jay took one look at the image and focused his gaze back on Jillian. "Jillian. When did you get these images? Who gave them to you?"

"I-I gotta go. This was a mistake. They'll kill her if they find out I came to you." Jillian pushed past Jay and Erin, attempting to make an escape.

"No, Jillian, wait!" Erin shouted as Jay reached for the woman's arm.

"Get off!" Jillian screamed, ripping her arm back and fleeing the district, leaving the detectives holding the file.

"We gotta tell Hank," Erin murmured, "This poor kid is being abused and the mother…" She trailed off, looking up into Jay's eyes.

"Is a mess." He finished, "Let's get the bastards that are doing this."

The Intelligence Unit delved into the file that Jillian had thrown at them and uncovered the fact that she has been dishonorably discharged from the military and had spent a year in prison for selling oxy to high school kids in Kenwood. That had been two years ago and her 22 month old was left with her ex-husband, Tommy Bissett. Bissett had a rap sheet that included a year at Statesville, five years in juvenile detention and multiple domestic violence reports. He was fatally shot one month before Jillian was released. Kate, who was three years old when Tommy died, was never reported missing.

"Where we at on this Jackson guy?" Hank asked, running a hand over his face. The team had been searching for a link to his whereabouts for four hours, hoping that locating Bissett's former boss would lead them to the child. "Or the mother?"

"There's no record of Paul Jackson being in Chicago in the last year." Erin said.

"Jillian's parole officer hasn't seen her in weeks." Atwater reported as he tromped up the steps, slinging his coat over his chair.

"And she ditched the car that she drove to the district outside a church in Wicker Park," Ruzek said, "I'm still waiting on access to her cell phone but-"

Voight slammed his hand against the board that contained the picture of the missing child. "Does anyone have anything?" he exclaimed, "This poor kid is abused and alone, and it's our job to find her."

The bullpen went quiet for a moment before Halstead's phone rang. "Halstead." He said briskly. "Thanks." Jay stood and grabbed his coat. "Paul Jackson's mother paid for a house in Humbolt Park, three blocks from where Jillian ditched her car."

"Gear up." Hank commanded. "I'll get us the warrant."

"It looks like someone beat us to it." Ruzek commented as they came to a stop around the corner from the house. Another squad car was already parked and two patrolmen were getting out directly in front of Jackson's house.

"Apparently shots were heard coming from this house," Lindsay informed them, having spoken to the patrolmen, "We gotta get in there, now."

"Chicago PD!" Atwater yelled, busting open the front door to the house. Halstead entered first, bearing the Colt M4 carbine with Lindsay on his heels, pistol drawn.

"Body!" Halstead shouted, catching sight of Jillian's figure slumped against the refrigerator, blood dripping from the bullet she took to the forehead.

"House is clear boss, it doesn't look like anyone's here." Ruzek said, glancing around at the barren house. Erin dropped her hands, taking in the decrepit appearance of the living room and kitchen.

"You good man?" Atwater asked Jay, "I know you knew the deceased."

"Barely," Jay shrugged, taking hold of his walkie. "50-21 George, we have a DOA on scene, offenders are in the wind."

"Lindsay!" Hank called from the other end of the house. She quickly made her down a short hallway, Halstead two steps behind.

"What is it?" She asked, taking note of how her father figure's normally stoic demeanor was clearly disturbed. He was standing in a doorway that he had busted down and stepped aside to reveal a small bedroom that was undoubtedly for a child. There was a twin sized bed with a worn pink quilt over a yellowing mattress and a small closet that housed a few articles of clothing to be worn by a little girl. A pair of tiny pink shoes sat next to the doorway that were tattered and a blue lamp with no shade rested on the floor.

"She's alive. In the closet. Absolutely terrified." Hank said solemnly, gesturing to the closet door. "I thought a woman would be better suited for the job."

Erin nodded and handed Voight her service weapon before carefully approaching the closet. "Kate? My name is Erin and I'm with the police. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore, okay?"

She crouched next to the closet and peered inside. Erin drew a sharp intake of breath as she regarded the little girl in front of her. The child was pressed into the corner of the closet with her knees drawn up to her chest, cowering in fear. It was dim but Erin could see that she was wearing a mismatched pajama set, but what broke her heart the most was the blood that stained them. "Are you Kate?" Erin asked softly, blinking back tears.

The little girl did not reply but watched Erin with wide eyes that were wet with tears. "Sweetheart, do you think you could come out of the closet for me? I promise that I'm not going to hurt you and everyone here just wants to help." Erin held out her hand to the little girl. "I'm here to keep you safe, I promise."

She let out a squeak as Erin shifted closer and Erin drew back her hand quickly, raising them in front of her. "I'm sorry, I know a lot of people have been really rough with you but it's going to be okay. I'm a detective and it's my job to make sure nobody ever hurts you again."

After a moment, the little girl inched away from the wall and towards Erin. "You're safe now." Erin reassured her, tentatively placing her hand out, "I'm not going to let them touch you ever again."

Erin glanced over at Hank and Jay who were standing in the doorway watching the scene unfold. "So my name is Erin, can you tell me yours?" She offered a smile to the child who uncertainly looked at Erin's outstretched arm.

"Kate." She whispered, so quietly that Erin almost didn't hear her.

"Kate is a pretty name." Erin gave another smile. "And how old are you?" The little girl shyly held up four fingers. "Wow, so grown up!"

"You're not going to hurt me?" Kate asked softly, wiping her eyes and looking up at Erin with red-rimmed hazel orbs.

"Nobody is ever going to hurt you again." Erin said strongly. In an instant, Kate was in her arms and buried her face in her neck. "Oh! I got you baby, don't you worry."

"Er." Jay said, keeping his distance by remaining in the doorway. "We gotta get her out of here."

Erin nodded in response. "Kate, this is my partner Jay and he is a really nice guy-"

Kate leaned away abruptly. "I-I thought you said nobody was going to hurt me." She said, her voice quivering. Tears began running down her cheeks.

"Oh no, sweetheart, Jay would never hurt you." Erin ran her fingers through Kate's snarled brown locks. "He's my partner and he's going to drive us to the hospital okay?"

"We're gonna leave?" Kate looked up at Erin. "Do I have to come back?" Erin shook her head and Kate wrapped her arms tighter around the detective. "I don't ever want to."

"You'll never have to come back here, I promise you that." Erin stroked the little girl's back. "Can I carry you to the car?" Kate nodded against Erin's chest. Erin could feel her little heart pounding wildly against her chest. She carefully stood and held the child closer in an attempt to bring some sort of comfort.

"Kate, this is Jay." Erin turned so that Kate could see her partner. "And he is so nice and funny and he's going to drive us to the hospital." She looked down at the little girl, who's grip had gone slack. "Kate?"

"Erin, she's bleeding." Jay said, catching sight of the blood that now covered Erin's jacket. "I think she passed out, we gotta get her to Med, ambo's outside."