46. Chapter 46

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For Jay, all was right with the world when he was sitting on the couch, Kate on his lap and Erin pressed up against his shoulder. Unfortunately, the last two weeks in February not only brought a brutal Chicago wind, but a large uptick in heroin overdoses linked to a crew on the South Side. There were also a half dozen homicides left unsolved and three assaults, all believed to be the work of a group of six men and one woman.

Intelligence has been working long hours and even on the weekends to try and catch these guys, as the order had come from the highest level. Jay had been hoping for a weekend for the family to escape to Wisconsin and get out of the city, but there was no such luck. He was just waiting for the right time to ask Erin to marry him and had contemplated just carrying the ring around with him, but ultimately decided that it would be safest in his sock drawer until he found the right moment.

He had also thought about telling Kate that he was planning on proposing to Erin, but given the little girl's skepticism on lying to anyone, he figured it would better to air on the side of caution. And so, his mother's ring lay buried in a pair of the ugliest brown socks he owned, knowing full well that his girl wouldn't think to touch them.

"Jay, man, I can take Kate for the day. It's really not a problem. Nat was going to take Owen to the children's museum and I know Kate loves that place, so-"

"So you want to take my kid for the day so you have an excuse to hang with the woman who 'isn't' your girlfriend?" Jay joked, taking the cup of coffee that his brother had extended to him. His brother liked to stop by the district now and again to check in on his little brother, but mostly to see Kate, who absolutely adored her Uncle Will.

"I'm just trying to make sure my niece isn't cooped up in the police station while her parents are out solving crimes," Will bit back, "Seriously, man, it's a Saturday. I bet she would much rather be playing with that giant static machine at the Children's Museum that makes your hair stand on end than read a book on it."

"You're right, you're right," Jay clapped a hand on Will's back, "It would be good to get her out of here. And I'm sure Erin would be on board. Plus Voight is about to boil over because we haven't caught the guys yet, and I don't want Kate to bear witness to that."

"Trouble with the in-laws?" Will ribbed, receiving a swift punch to the shoulder, "Ow, okay, I guess you haven't popped the question yet?"

"Shh, man, keep your voice down. And no, I haven't. I've been waiting for the right time. We've been insanely busy with this heroin ring, so just shh, okay?" Jay gave his brother a pointed look.

"Okay, okay," Will raised his hands in the air, "So, where's my niece at?"

"Erin took her to go get bagels since we left so early this morning, we didn't have time for breakfast," he gestured to the steps, "But I think I hear some little feet."

"Uncle Will!" Kate exclaimed, catching sight of her uncle standing in the middle of the bullpen, "You here!"

"I am here," Will scooped the little girl up and placed her on his hip, "How is my absolute favorite monkey, hm?"

"I'm good," Kate giggled, looking over at her mother, "Me and Mommy got bagels, 'cause they got a real busy day today."

"I heard," Will mused, offering a smile to Erin, "Hey, Er."

"Hey, Will," she smiled tiredly, passing the bag of bagels to Jay, "You're not in the ED today?"

"Got off a 48 hour shift late last night, got in a quick nap, and was thinking that this monkey here would like to join Nat, Owen and me for a trip to the Children's Museum." He winked at Erin, who nodded at Jay.

"Wow, what a great idea. Doesn't that sound like fun, baby?"

"I get to go to the museum with you and Dr. Manning and Owen?" Kate asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Yeah, your folks have a busy day ahead of them, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun of our own, right?" Will asked, eyes twinkling, "You want to come?"

"Yes!" Kate nodded eagerly, "Is…is it okay Daddy?"

"Of course, kiddo," Jay nodded, taking a bite out of the bagel, "But can you have a few bites of bagel before you go with Will? I don't want you to be hungry."

"I already eated a bagel in the car," Kate informed him, "Mommy shared with me, we got veggie cream cheese."

Erin nodded in confirmation, "Okay, baby, have a fun time. Daddy and I are going to be busy today, so we might not be here when you get back but Sergeant Platt is downstairs and we'll be back later."

Kate nodded, fully accustomed to her parent's busy schedule, "But you both gonna come back, right?"

"You bet," Jay kissed the top of Kate's head, "And you and Uncle Will are going to have a great time."

Ultimately, the hard work that Intelligence put in paid off, as within the following six hours, all of the offenders were either dead or in custody. Will had taken Erin's car so that Kate could sit safely in her carseat on their journey to the Children's Museum, so he offered to bring Kate home after the trip and get her sorted with dinner and bedtime.

"Your brother was a godsend today," Erin mused as they stepped of the elevator, "I mean, we weren't at the district for a half hour today. And Platt was so busy, Kate would have been by herself the entire day."

"I know," Jay inserted his key into the lock and pushed open the door, "He said they spent four hours at the museum, so she's going to be absolutely exhausted."

The couple glanced around their apartment after stepping over the threshold, realizing that the place did not look right. Immediately, both Jay and Erin drew their weapons after sharing a panicked glance. All the cushions had been removed from the couch, and the round coffee table was missing. "Were we robbed?" Jay hissed, clearing their master bedroom, noting that the closet which normally stored all of Erin's pillows was empty, "Where the hell are they?"

"Here, babe," Erin whispered, lowering her weapon after peeking into Kate's bedroom. Will and Kate were fast asleep under an extravagant fort, constructed with sheets, couch cushions and blankets. The fort covered nearly half of Kate's bedroom and was supported by the breakfast stools and padded with a multitude of pillows. They had clearly been working through a story, as a small pile of books were beside them, along with one resting in Will's lap as he dozed against a couch cushion. Kate was snuggled up to him, wrapped in her comforter, absolutely passed out.

"Will got to make a fort?" Jay hissed, his tone on the verge of a whine. Erin looked at her partner and raised her eyebrows.

"Are you jealous of your big brother, Jay?" she teased, "You seem a little grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy," Jay huffed, "But I would like to have made a fort with my family instead of spending the day at the district."

"I know," Erin patted his chest lightly, "But we got a bunch of heroin off the street and 6 heavy hitters. And we have tomorrow off, and Kate had a great day."

"You're right," Jay turned and pressed kiss lightly on Erin's nose, "Plus I got to spend the day with you, which wasn't half bad."

"Ugh, get a room," Will grunted, cracking his eyes open.

"Fell asleep on the job, huh?" Jay quipped, "Quite the set up you guys got going in here."

"It was the best way to convince her that we should go to bed," Will yawned, "She was kinda freaking out that you guys weren't coming home, but I said we could do a fort and after we finished, you'd be back. And it worked."

"Mm," Erin smiled, "Thanks for spending the day with her. Was everything okay?"

Will nodded, "Kate and Owen got along really well, and they both seemed to have a good time at the museum. Took her for burgers and ice cream afterwards, probably why it took so long to get her to sleep," he smiled up at his younger brother, "But she's great. Really smart. Definitely didn't get it from you, Jay."

"Don't I know it," Jay replied dryly, "But really, thanks man. It means a lot."

"Anytime little brother," Will carefully extracted himself from the fort, accidentally rousing Kate in the process. He grimaced when she stirred, offering an apologetic look to the exhausted parents.

"Uncle Will?" Kate mumbled, "Where you goin'?"

"Home kiddo. Your folks are back." He gestured to Erin and Jay who were standing in Kate's doorframe, "Told you they'd be home soon."

"Mommy, Daddy," Kate smiled tiredly, untangling herself from the blankets and wrapping her little arms around Jay's neck, "I'm glad you're home."

"Us too, baby. Did you have fun with Uncle Will?" Erin stroked Kate's mussed hair, smiling up at her little girl while she snuggled against her partner.

"Uh-huh, so much fun," Kate told them, "Uncle Will and Doctor Manning kissed."

"Did they now?" Jay raised his eyebrows at his brother, who turned red in the face, "Interesting."

"Alrighty, I'm out," Will said, "I'll see you soon, monkey. Thanks for hanging out with me today."

"Bye Uncle Will," Kate extended her arms for a hug. The young doctor held his niece tightly, "Thank you for a fun day."

"You are very welcome." Will gently kissed the top of her head, "Sleep tight, okay? Bye Erin, Jay."

"Thanks Will," Erin waved as he headed out of the apartment. "Tired, baby?"

"Uh-huh," Kate yawned, "Did you get the bad guys?"

"We did," Jay confirmed, "We tracked down all their bad stuff too, so we can have a nice break tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"Good," she murmured, already drifting back to sleep, "I love you guys."

"Well, that one wrapped up nicely," Ruzek mentioned, pulling his coat from the back of his chair, "Halstead, Lindsay, care to join Kev and I down at Molly's for a drink?"

"Kate's waiting for us downstairs," Jay told him, "Maybe another time?"

"Ugh!" Ruzek groaned in exasperation, "I swear, the two of you became parents and you're no fun anymore. You guys haven't been to Molly's in ages."

"I was there last week," Erin said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, no offense Linds, but you're not Jay," Ruzek grunted, "And the whole unit hasn't been there in even longer."

"Sorry buddy," Jay grabbed his coat and held Erin's out to her, "Can't keep the kid waiting."

"You can go if you want babe," Erin said as she followed her partner down the steps, "I mean, you haven't been to Molly's in a while. Kim and I were there last week, you should go."

"I'd rather head home with my girls," Jay replied honestly, "Pick up some Indian, read a few stories, maybe have sex with my girlfriend…"

"Ha, ha," Erin exited through the metal door, "We'll see if you get lucky tonight, Halstead."

"Daddy! Mommy!" Kate hurried around the front desk where she was seated with Platt and rushed to hug her parents, "We goin' home?"

"Yes, we are baby," Erin tucked some of Kate's hair behind her ears, "How did the reading go?"

"Good," Kate nodded, "Me and Sergeant Platt read a book 'bout firefighters, 'cause Mouch is one of those guys."

"He is. So is Herrmann and Casey and Severide," Erin said, rolling her eyes when Jay visibly tensed at the mention of Erin's former beau, "Maybe some time we could go take a tour of 51 so you could see what they do."

"Yeah!" Kate grinned enthusiastically, "Do they got a firehouse doggy?"

"I'm not sure," Jay furrowed his brow in thought, "We'll have to ask."

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Detective Jay Halstead," A woman entered the district and approached the front desk, speaking directly to Platt.

"Right there," she pointed her thumb in Jay's direction.

"Detective Halstead?" The woman said, extending a hand. Kate looked up at the woman, confused. She quickly stood closer to Erin while Jay shook her hand.

"Yes, I'm Jay Halstead. Can I help you?" he asked, quickly sizing the woman up. He did not recognize her from anywhere, but she wore a look that conveyed severity.

"My name is Danielle Marcus, I work with the Department of Children and Family Services. I am here to speak with you and Detective Erin Lindsay regarding your adoption application for Katherine Halstead."

Jay widened his eyes and glanced at Erin quickly. "Kiddo, can you hang with Sergeant Platt for a few minutes while Mommy and I talk to this lady?"

Kate nodded, slowly releasing Erin's jeans from her tiny fists and circling around back to Platt. The seasoned Sergeant lifted her up and set her on the desk, smiling encouragingly at her two detectives. "We'll be just fine."

"Is everything okay?" Jay asked after Erin led them to the empty office across from Platt's desk. He leaned against the empty table in anticipation, a pit forming in his stomach as Erin tensely stood beside him.

"I wish I was here under better circumstances," Marcus said honestly, "But I am here because the state been made aware of some serious concerns regarding Katherine's health, and I will need to remove her from your care."

"What? You've got to be kidding," Jay gasped, running a hand over his face in disbelief as he regarded the serious expression of the woman in front of him, "And her name is Kate. And Kate is my daughter. Our daughter." Erin stood stoically beside her partner, unable to form words as she glared at the woman in front of her.

"While that may be the case, in reviewing Detective Lindsay's application for adoption, we encountered many red flags regarding the child's health. The state believes it is in the interest of the child to remove her from your care until a thorough investigation can be completed."

"Absolutely not," Jay sputtered, folding his arms across his chest, "You-you can't just take her away from us. I'm sure you've read her file, you know what she's been through."

"Kate's medical history is precisely the reason the state needs to investigate your relationship further, Detective," Danielle Marcus said firmly, "Since the child has been in your care, she has been in the hospital multiple times. One of our social workers noted that she had scars across her back when the state was made aware that you had been listed as a missing person. We need to interview Kate, both of you, as well as other people that are involved in Kate's life."

"So I won't file for adoption," Erin blurted out, "Will that make all of this go away?"

"Er-" Jay tried, but she held up her hand.

"Clearly something was popped on my application because we have been doing everything right by that little girl. We're going to therapy, she's gaining weight and growing finally, she's happy. So what is it? Is it the fact that we both work? Because hundreds of thousands of families have two working parents and-"

"The investigation is surrounding Detective Halstead," Marcus stated, "Following the incident where you were listed as a missing person, the state feels it is in the child's best interest to remove her from a potentially dangerous situation."

"What?" Erin exploded, "We removed Kate from a dangerous situation, where she was being sexually and physically abused, and the state had no idea she even existed. We have done nothing but care for her since we found her, and now you think we're the ones abusing her?"

"I would never hurt my daughter," Jay hissed through gritted teeth, "Never."

"I understand your frustration, Detective Halstead, but our interest is in the health of this child. And from our vantage point, there are some glaring issues that need to be addressed." Marcus handed him a sheet of paper, "This is the court order releasing Kate into our custody."

"Now?" Jay widened his eyes, "You're taking away our little girl, right now?"

"Yes," Danielle Marcus confirmed, "We will be taking Kate for an interview, medical examination and psychiatric evaluation. My office will be in touch with you in the coming weeks regarding next steps."

"Coming weeks?" Erin shook her head adamantly, "No, that's not happening. She's been abused. Traumatized. If you take her away from us, you're doing more harm than good. Having her with us is what is best for her."

"With all due respect, Detective, I'm not sure you or your partner know what's best for this child." Marcus glanced over the two detectives to see Platt talking to the nervous little girl, who kept looking into the office, trying to understand what was going on. "Tomorrow, you will need to meet us at the Department of Children and Family Services and will meet with Kate's social worker. Someone will also be by your home in the next few days to evaluate it, as well as Kate's school."

"Susan Perkins was Kate's social worker back when we found her," Jay glanced up from the sheet that had been handed to him, "Can we speak with her?"

"Unfortunately, Ms Perkins relocated to Portland with her family, but we will be using her initial evaluation as a reference." Danielle Marcus glanced down at her watch. "You will hear from me tomorrow morning with an update from the foster family that Kate will be staying with tonight."

"Foster family?" Erin shook her head, "She's- she's not going to a foster family. She's scared of men. New people," She looked up at Jay, who was glaring at the woman in front of him, "Please, just let us take her tonight. We can clear this all up tomorrow."

"It's just a misunderstanding," Jay emphasized, "Kate getting hurt was caused by what happened to her before we found her, not by us abusing her or anything like that. Ask anyone who knows us, we love her. She barely sleeps through the night as it is, you're only causing her more pain."

"I'm very sorry, detectives," Marcus shook her head, "But this is protocol. Until we can confirm that this child is in a safe environment, we cannot release her into your care. I need to take her, right now."

Erin put a hand over her face as Danielle Marcus pushed past the bewildered detectives to speak with the little girl. "Hi Kate, my name is Danielle, and you're going to come with me, okay?"

Kate looked up at the woman and over to her parents who were standing behind the stranger, both appearing close to tears. "Mommy? Daddy?" Kate whispered, turning to look at Sergeant Platt.

"This has got to be some kind of mistake," Platt stated, "Halstead and Lindsay are excellent parents. You don't need to take this little girl away from them."

"I do," Marcus replied, reaching a hand out to Kate, "You need to come with me, honey. It's going to be okay."

Kate shook her head, rushing around the woman and clinging to Jay's leg, "I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go," she whimpered, burying her face in her father's jeans, "Please, Daddy, please."

"I know, kiddo," Jay choked out, unable to keep his stoic composure when his little girl was in distress, "I know. We're going to sort everything out soon, okay?"

"You can't let her take me," Kate burst into tears, tiny frame wracked with sobs as Erin stood silently beside her partner and sweet daughter, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I need you, I need you, you're my parents."

"I'm so sorry, baby," Erin managed, running a hand over the little girl's head, "I don't know why this is happening, but Daddy and I are going to bring you back, okay?"

"You said nobody was gonna take me away!" Kate wailed, "You said I could stay!"

Erin wiped her eyes and looked to her partner, who was staring at the top of his baby girl's head, trying to suppress the urge to pick her up, hold tight and never let go. "We just want to make sure you're safe, that's all," Marcus assured the little girl, "You'll see your parents again soon."

"I'm not safe?" Kate pulled back from Jay's leg, alarmed. Tears sluiced off her cheeks as she looked up at her father, "Are-are the bad guys gonna get me?"

"Oh, no, Squirt," Jay insisted, "You're perfectly safe. We just-"

"You don't want me no more?" Kate whispered, backing away from her parents. She covered her face with her hands, shrinking into herself.

"Not at all, Kate," Erin rushed forward and lifted the little girl into her arms. "We want you to be with us more than anything. This is just a bump in the road, okay? We love you so much."

Kate burst into tears, burying her face in Erin's neck, "I-I-I don't want no more bumps," she whimpered, "I wanna be with you and Daddy."

Erin looked pleadingly at the DCFS worker, but Danielle Marcus shook her head firmly. "Kate, you need to come with me now, sweetie," the woman reached her arms out for the little girl, "It's going to be okay."

"No," Kate sobbed, holding tight to Erin, "No, no, no."

"I'm sorry," Marcus pulled the little girl from Erin's grasp, "I'm sorry, honey, but this is for your own good."

"Mommy! Daddy!" Kate shrieked, reaching out desperately to her parents as the woman hauled her away, "No, no, no!"