61. Chapter 61

Eeeek so sorry this took so long! Work's been crazy, but please enjoy!

"Okay, one and a half cups," Erin instructed, reading from her cell phone. She had texted Goose's sick handler, requesting instructions as to how much the dog ate and other important information that her partner had accidentally overlooked with all the excitement of bringing Goose to their apartment. "Not too much, because we don't want him to be sick."

"But I can give him a dog cookie later?" Kate asked as she stood on a kitchen chair to reach the counter, carefully scooping the dog food into a plastic bowl that was usually used for her cereal, "'cause he's bein' a good boy and waitin' pay-shuntly?"

The dog wiggled from his seated position, nose in the air, seemingly very excited at the mention of a "cookie". Erin chuckled, "Alright, but just one this morning, okay? After he's eaten his breakfast, and after you've had yours, sound good?"

Kate nodded eagerly and climbed down, "Goose, we're gonna eat breakfast at the same time!"

Jay shot a grin to Erin as he passed her a steaming mug of coffee. Kate's excitement over the dog was contagious. The little girl had woken up at seven and immediately rushed to her parent's room to wake Jay so that he would not forget that Goose needed to relieve himself outside and not in the house, "So Mommy don't get upset at you." Erin, despite having been woken up early for a Saturday, had rolled over and managed a smile even then, one because she could never be upset at her daughter and two, because she was just so darn cute.

She and Jay bundled up their little girl to guard against the morning chill and embarked on their first dog-walk as a family. Neither of the detectives could stop smiling at Kate and Goose interacting. Although Goose had nearly failed out of police dog school, he was very obedient when it came to Kate and Erin.

While Goose gobbled down his breakfast, Erin sliced up a banana for Kate while Jay scrambled eggs. "Should I put some extra strips of bacon on for him?" Jay asked casually, placing a few uncooked pieces onto a pan.

"What?" Erin whirled around. Kate looked up in surprise at her mother's outburst and wrinkled her eyebrows in concern. "Jay, you cannot feed him human food!"

"It's meat, Er," Jay gestured to the bacon that was beginning to sizzle, "I thought dogs are supposed to eat meat?"

She shook her head adamantly, "No, no, they're just supposed to eat their food and treats and that's all. Otherwise they can get into bad habits of begging or get sick." Erin put her hands on her hips when she saw the smirk forming on Jay's lips, "Bacon is too salty for him."

"Okay, okay, more bacon for us then," Jay acquiesced, wrapping up the remaining uncooked bacon and sliding it into the fridge. He turned to see Kate, who looked absolutely distraught. "Kate? What's wrong, kiddo?"

Tears formed in the child's eyes, "B-b-but Woo-zek is gonna make Goose sick!"

"What happened, baby?" Erin ceased her slicing and reached across the counter to wipe Kate's cheeks, "Goose is fine."

"No, no, Woo-zek always gives Goose chips and jerky," Kate whimpered, looking down at her animal friend who had cocked his ears and abandoned his breakfast in curiosity, "And the odder day he gave him the end of his burrito and-and you said he could get sick."

Jay and Erin exchanged looks again as Erin realized her mistake. "Oh, no, sweetheart, it's just not good to get into the habit of feeding dogs people food. And I'll make sure that Ruzek doesn't do it anymore, but Goose is totally fine." Erin looked up at Jay, silently willing him to say something.

"Don't worry, Squirt," Jay smiled, "Look, he's all good. I think he's worried about you though." He rounded the counter and sank beside the dog, who was sitting beside Kate, looking expectantly at the young child. "It's okay, boy, she's just worried about you."

Goose gently placed his chin on Kate's thigh. "See, baby?" Erin wiped a few more tears off of Kate's cheeks, "Nothing's wrong with Goose."

Kate sniffed and let out a giggle when Goose nudged her with his nose. "He's gonna be okay?"

"Yes," Erin confirmed, "And don't worry, I'm going to make Ruzek hears it from Sergeant Platt that he's not allowed to feed Goose chips and jerky, okay?"

Kate nodded and then widened her eyes, "You gonna tell Sergeant Platt?" She looked to Jay and then back to Erin, "She's gonna yell at him."

Jay nodded and gave a playful smile, "I think Ruzek could use it, what do you think, babe?"

Before Erin could confirm that indeed Ruzek could use a swift kick in the ass here and there, Kate interjected, "No!"

The two detectives exchanged looks. "I-I-I don't want him to be mad at me," Kate explained quickly, "I don't want him to get in big trouble."

"She's just going to tell him not to, so Ruzek's not going to be in big trouble. Just a warning," Erin tried to assure her, glancing up to Jay, silently urging him to walk back his statement.

"Yeah, don't worry, okay kiddo?" Jay offered a smile and stood to hold his little girl close. "Would it be better if I asked him not to feed Goose?"

Kate thought for a moment and then nodded. "I-I don't want him to get yelled at." She looked down at her hands, "I don't like yellin'."

"I know, I don't either." Jay kissed the top of Kate's head and reached across the counter to hold Erin's hand. "You know what? It's a bit windy out, but maybe we could all go to the park and see if the ducks are back. And we could bring Goose."

Kate looked up at her father with eyes the size of saucers, "We could take Goose to the park with us? Even though it's not Sunday?"

Jay's eyes twinkled as he caught Erin's gaze, "I think maybe we should go on Sunday too, don't you babe?"

"I think that sounds great," Erin agreed, huge grin spreading across her lips as Kate almost bounced out of her chair with excitement.

"Goose! We gonna go to the park!" Kate squealed. The dog cocked his head to the side in confusion, but opened his mouth to pant, giving the appearance of a wide grin.

"I think he's excited too, kiddo. But let's have breakfast first, okay? I don't want you to be hungry."

"Okay, Goose, you ready?" Jay shook the tennis ball in front of the dog's face. Goose was wiggling with excitement, ready to race after the ball as soon as it left his new master's fingertips.

"Throw it, babe, you're torturing him," Erin rolled her eyes at her partner's teasing.

"Daddy, throw it really far!" Kate instructed, holding fast to her mother's hand. The park was empty for the most part as it was incredibly windy out. There had been no ducks at the pond, but Kate's disappointment barely sank in before she was chasing her dog friend on the frozen ground.

"Are you going to show him how to do it, Squirt?" Jay asked, grinning from ear to ear. Goose, though supposed to be a highly trained police dog fit for the force, could not grasp the concept of chasing and returning the ball. Kate had been running after the tennis ball, encouraging the dog to follow, but had done many laps and was clearly feeling tired.

"He's bein' silly," Kate explained, shaking her arms slightly as if she was gearing up to run again, "We try one more time? Maybe he will learn?"

"One more throw," Erin agreed, resting her hands on Kate's thin shoulders, "This is more of a workout for you than for him, huh?"

Kate nodded and glanced up at her mother, "But he's having so much fun," she giggled, gesturing to Goose who was now seated on the grass, tail still wagging aggressively in anticipation, "I think he got it this time."

"Alrighty, babe, give it a throw," Erin instructed, "You ready Goose?"

"Fetch!" Jay shouted. The second the ball left his fingertips, Goose bounded after it. "He got it this time!" He exclaimed, turning to his girls. Kate squealed and ran after the dog to congratulate him, who was trotting back with the tennis ball in his teeth.

"You did it!" Kate praised, rushing beside her friend and giving him a pet on the head. She extended her mittened hand for the ball, still a few yards away from her parents. "Now you gotta give it to me so Daddy can throw it again."

The dog looked up at his new owner like she had three heads. He was not about to sacrifice the ball that he had worked so hard to chase down. He extended his front paws and put his hind quarters in the air, tail wagging excitedly. "You gotta give it back," Kate instructed, giggling at the dog who could not seem to grasp the idea. He bounced up and down, seemingly trying to tease her.

"I don't think we're getting the ball back," Jay chuckled, holding an arm out. Goose took that to mean that he should come as well, and leapt alongside Kate as she ran toward her parents.

As his little girl barreled into his legs with a joyous shriek, he couldn't help but think about how far she had come. She was considerably healthier, stronger and happier, no longer the petrified child curled in the dingy closet. Kate had taken on a personality of her own, one that was loving and kind and silly. "Daddy, you gotta get Goose to give it back," Kate insisted, "Sergeant Platt says he needs to learn to retrieve. And that means he gotta give the ball back."

"You're right," Jay offered a goofy smile, "Goose, are you gonna give the ball back?"

"You gotta be serious," Kate insisted, putting her hands on her hips, "Odder-wise he gonna think you're still playing."

Jay looked to Erin, who gave a knowing nod. He couldn't believe how similar Kate and Erin were sometimes. It was almost like they were biologically related, as Kate had picked up on many of Erin's mannerisms.

"You're turning into a little-Erin, aren't you, Squirt?" Jay teased, boosting his little girl into the air, her squeals of delight filling him with joy, "Is Mommy rubbing off on you?"

Kate laughed as Jay held her above his head. "Careful Jay," Erin warned, unable to keep the smile off her lips. The pony tail that she had fastened Kate's hair into had come undone, so wisps of light brown encircled the child's face, her cheeks rosy from the wind and eyes shining with excitement.

"It's 'cause she's my mommy!" Kate giggled as Jay set her down on the ground, "And I learn lots from her."

Jay chuckled and wrapped an arm around Erin's shoulders. Goose was now laying on his stomach, attempting to chew apart the tennis ball. "I think that ball's a goner. Maybe he'll be better tomorrow." Erin turned to look at her fiancé, who planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You got more tennis balls, Daddy?" Kate looked up at her father in surprise and back to the dog, "Cause he eatin' this one."

"I've got a few more, and I'm sure Uncle Will has a bunch," Jay promised, "Let's put Goose's leash back on so we can go grab some ice cream, how does that sound?"

Kate nodded and shivered slightly. "What about hot chocolate instead?" Erin suggested, pulling the leash from Jay's coat pocket and clipping it to Goose's collar. She patted the dog's head affectionately, "It's still a bit cold for ice cream."

Jay nodded in agreement and accepted the leash from Erin, smiling at how Kate had slipped her hand in with her mother's as they exited the park.

"Erin Lindsay." Erin picked up her cell and held it to her ear as Jay set the hot chocolates down on their table. Goose was seated patiently beside Kate, having been allowed in the establishment due to his service dog status. "Hey, Liv." She hastily stood, giving her little girl a big smile, "It's Lieutenant Benson. Give me two minutes," she whispered to Jay before quickly exiting the diner to have a more private conversation.

"Who dat?" Kate asked innocently, glancing over her shoulder to see her mother standing just outside the door, appearing to be listening intently to whoever was on the other end of the call.

"I think that's Lieutenant Benson from New York," Jay said, uncapping the hot chocolate and giving it a stir to help it cool down faster. He didn't want his little girl to burn her tongue, "She calls from time to time to check in because she has a lot of experience in the police."

Kate nodded slowly, "She…she was the lady who finded me when I was in New York?"

Jay grimaced at the memory, "Um, yep. I think you met Amanda first, but Olivia Benson is the person who runs the Special Victims Unit out in Manhattan."

"She said you guys and her team and Grandpa Hank worked together sometimes?" Kate recalled, "That's how come she and Grandpa Hank became friends?"

"That's right," Jay nodded, "I think the hot chocolate should be cool enough now, kiddo. Take a careful sip though, okay?"

The child tentatively lifted the hot chocolate to her lips to take a sip. "Is she comin' to Chicago?" Kate asked, "That's how come she's callin' Mommy?"

"I'm not sure," Jay glanced at Erin out of the corner of his eye. She had hung up the phone and was re-entering the diner. He took a sip of his hot chocolate, "Everything okay, babe?"

"Mhm," Erin replied noncommittally as she slid back into the booth beside her partner, "Warming up there, baby?"

Kate nodded, "I think Goose is sad he don't have a hot chocolate though."

Erin gave a small smile, "Well, I think we have some more dog cookies at home, maybe he can have one of those when we get back."

"Is 'tenant Benson comin' here?" Kate asked after a moment of silence. Erin had yet to take a sip of her hot chocolate, and had been glancing at the blank screen on her cell phone. The little girl could tell something was troubling her mother. Jay was acutely aware of how rigid Erin was suddenly.

"Uh, not this time," Erin looked up, "I think I have to go to New York though. Liv needs some help on a case."

"Really?" Jay raised his eyebrows, "When?"

"As soon as possible. I gotta check in with Hank, but they want me out there tonight." Erin turned to Jay, "Just for a few days."

"You sure?" Jay asked slowly, treading lightly around the subject that he knew was on the forefront of both their thoughts. It was almost Erin's birthday, which meant that it was almost the anniversary of Nadia's brutal murder. The murder which had taken place in New York and would undoubtedly reopen old wounds for Erin.

"Let's head home," Erin decided, skirting around Jay's question. She shifted out of the booth and wound her scarf around her neck. Wordlessly, Kate followed. Jay hurried after his girls, taking hold of Goose's leash before leaving a tip on the table.

"Are you sure about this?" Jay asked, leaning against the doorframe to their bedroom as Erin went about tossing various items into her suitcase. "I mean, babe, New York and this time a year I just…" he trailed off, not wanting to upset her. "I'm just worried," Jay said finally, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Kate was still sitting with Goose. The little girl had quickly recognized her parents need to have a serious conversation, and had chosen to sit next to Goose's dog bed to read him a story.

"You don't need to be worried, Jay," Erin replied shortly, tossing a few pairs of socks into the suitcase, "It's been three years. I'm fine. Liv just needs my help, and she wouldn't have called if it wasn't urgent."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jay asked, regretting the words as soon as they left his lips. He knew that his girl was fiercely independent but wasn't always as strong as she appeared. While he knew that, reminding her of it by offering his support usually came back to bite him in the ass.

"I don't need you to babysit me," Erin hissed, trying to keep her voice down so that Kate wouldn't overhear, "I am perfectly capable of handling myself." She swallowed, willing herself to calm down. "Look. I love you for wanting to take care of me and for offering, but Hank needs you here to work the Chicago side of this case, okay? Besides, Liv's hunch is just that. It might not even be anything. But I can't not try every single angle to get those families some justice."

"I know," Jay crossed the bedroom and gently cupped Erin's cheek with his palm, "And I know you'll be okay."

"You gotta stay for Kate too," Erin offered a small smile, "After her nosebleed last time, I think Hank's a little scarred."

Jay chuckled and tugged his girl closer so that their bodies were pressed together. "Promise to call when you land?"

Erin kissed his lips, "Promise. And I'll call every day to talk to Kate, and we'll be talking all day anyway with this case, okay? Don't worry babe, please."

"Can't help it," Jay mumbled into her neck, "'s my job to worry about you, Er."

"Okay, baby, so it's gonna be you and Daddy and Goose, but just for a few days. I'm going to New York to help Lieutenant Benson with a case that we think is connected to the one Daddy and I have been working on for the past few months." Erin knelt in front of her little girl, who was slowly absorbing the information that her mother was telling her.

"You leavin'?" Kate widened her eyes in concern. Almost instantly her eyes filled with tears, "But you said you weren't never gonna do that."

"I'm coming back, I promise," Erin said quickly, realizing she should have led with that, "Just a few days, okay? And Sergeant Platt is still going to get you from school on Monday, and you'll see Grandpa Hank at the district. And I'll call every night to talk to you, and Daddy and I are going to be texting all day long."

Tears trickled down Kate's cheek as she continued to process, "But I want you to be here." She looked up to Jay who was frowning slightly, "I want you and Daddy to be together."

"We are together, baby, just a few miles apart. I'll be home before you know it," Erin brought her little girl close and held her against her chest, "I love you so much, and I know this is hard, but I'll be back so soon."

Kate continued to weep against her mother's shoulder. Erin glanced up at Jay worriedly. "She'll be alright. It's only a few days," Jay leaned down and kissed the crown of Erin's head, "C'mon babe, your car's waiting and you don't want to miss your flight."

Reluctantly, Erin stood with her daughter still in her arms, "I love you baby," she whispered, feeling her heart break into a million pieces as Kate let out a sob as Erin passed her to Jay, "I know this sucks, but Lieutenant Benson wouldn't call me if it wasn't really important."

"Mommy's just gotta do her job kiddo," Jay soothed, rubbing his hand over Kate's back as she cried, "You know that our jobs are to protect the city, and sometimes that means we gotta protect other cities too, so we can keep making Chicago safer."

"We can't go with Mommy?" Kate whimpered, lifting her head from her father's shoulder.

"I'm afraid not," Jay extended an arm to bring Erin in for one last hug, "But we'll talk to Mommy when she lands tonight, and we'll talk to her tomorrow and the next day and then she'll be home."

"Plus, you guys are going to have Goose to keep you company," Erin gestured to the dog, who was sitting by Jay's leg and looking up at the distressed child in concern. "I love you two."

"Love you, babe." Jay kissed Erin's lips one last time before he opened the front door, "We'll talk to you tonight. Be safe. We love you."

Erin turned to see her family in the doorway. Jay was effortlessly holding Kate against his chest as she continued to weep. It damn near made her want to drop the bag and turn around, but she knew that she was needed in New York. "Bye Mommy," Kate choked out, lifting her head from Jay's shoulder. The little girl looked desperately to her father, "One more hug?"

He nodded and gently set her down, and she raced down the hall as fast as she could. Erin knelt down and wrapped her baby in her arms, inhaling the sweet scent of her kiddie shampoo. "I love you, so so much," Erin managed, unable to keep the tears at bay, "But I'll be back soon, and we're going to have a sleepover, okay?"

"Come back, please," Kate begged, "Me and Daddy need you."

"I need you guys too," Erin assured her, pressing a kiss atop her soft hair, "I'll see you in a few days, I promise."

Stay tuned for a little daddy-daughter time :)