51. Chapter 51

Happy early Christmas and belated Hanukkah to all that celebrate! I'd love some reviews on this chapter, I think it's one of my favorites. Please enjoy!

"A-are people going to take me away again?" Kate's tiny voice snapped both Erin and Jay back to the present as Kate and Erin sat together on the couch while Jay put together something for dinner. The little girl hadn't wanted to be separated from either of her parents, needing constant contact to be sure that they weren't going anywhere. Kate's change in demeanor from a few days ago was incredible. She had been a normal little girl but now was back to being nervous and timid.

"We're not going to let that happen, baby," Erin assured her gently, working her fingers through the snarls atop Kate's head, "You're safe here with Daddy and I, alright?"

Kate let out a whimper, causing Erin to halt her movements, "Did I hurt you?" Erin asked, alarmed, "Are you in pain, Kate?"

"Uh-uh," Kate shook her head, tears forming quickly in her eyes and proceeding to trickle down her cheeks, "L-last time you said I was safe and-and they took me away."

Erin glanced up at Jay, unsure of how to proceed. While Kate was safe and had been safe, she was still removed from her parents, which in her mind made her vulnerable and alone. They hadn't yet discussed how they were going to talk about the situation with DCFS, let alone the Bunny of it all. He let out a soft sigh and approached his girls, taking a seat on the coffee table so he could face them. "Did Ms Marcus or Ms Klein ever explain their jobs to you?" Jay asked gently, trying to figure out the best way to approach the situation.

The little girl shook her head again, her eyes now focused on Jay's. "So they work for the Department of Children and Family Services, which is an agency within the government that helps kids and families when things aren't going well," Jay began, "And the reason they came and got you is because they were worried that you were not safe with us. And it's their job to make kids safe, and sometimes that means taking them from their parents and sometimes that means bringing them back."

"I'm not safe with you?" Kate asked, "That's how come I had to leave?"

Erin shook her head quickly, "No, no sweetheart. You are safe here. There was some confusion with DCFS, which is why they didn't think you were safe. But you are, we promise."

"How come they thinked I wasn't?" Kate pressed, looking up at Erin and then over to Jay, "How come they thinked that I wasn't safe with you?"

Jay let out a soft breath, "Do you remember a few weeks ago when you and Mommy couldn't find me?"

"When-when you had a real bad dream?" She looked worriedly at Jay. Erin could feel the child's heart begin to beat faster, so she gently ran her thumb over Kate's arm, trying to convey her safety and that her mother was right with her, "You went to the hospital and-"

"I'm not sick, kiddo," Jay swallowed, "But I do have a lot going on in my head. And the people down at DCFS were worried that maybe during one of my dreams, I could hurt you or Mommy."

"But you wouldn't hurt me," Kate rushed out, "You said that you were never gonna!"

"I know, I know, and I won't," Jay grimaced, realizing that even though his daughter was incredibly smart for her age, the conversation they were trying to have may be above what she could understand. "Kate, I would never hurt you." He paused, "You know that, right?"

Kate nodded and sniffed, "That's what I told Ms Kw-ine when she kept askin' if I got hurt by you and Mommy."

"Right," Erin confirmed, pressing a kiss into Kate's hair, "But because you had been to the hospital a few times, like when you were sick, the department needed to check on you to make sure nothing bad was going on."

"I-I was sick 'cause of when Mr P hit me," Kate stated and her parents nodded in confirmation, "How-how come they didn't know 'bout it?" Suddenly, the little girl froze, "I-I never told anybody that you hurt me." Tears welled in her eyes again, "I wouldn't lie!"

"Oh, we know, it wasn't anything you did, sweetheart," Erin gently began rocking back and forth to sooth the distraught child. "But it's their job to check in on kids and there were a lot of things that happened that made them think something was wrong here, which is why they had to check it out."

"But why would they take me away?" Kate whimpered tearfully, "How come I had to leave?" Erin brushed the tears off her daughter's cheeks but they were quickly replaced, "I was so w-worried."

"I'm so sorry," Jay said softly, resting a hand on Erin's knee, "We know how worried you were. And I know it was hard, but now everything is going to be okay."

"You're not going anywhere sweetheart," Erin whispered, kissing Kate's hair again, "You're back now and we're all going to be together."

"Okay," Kate breathed, relaxing into Erin's lap, "I get to stay forever?"

"That's right," Jay confirmed, leaning forward to kiss Kate's forehead and Erin's lips. He inhaled deeply when his lips connected with his girlfriend's, immensely grateful that the child that was meant to be between them was back in their embrace. "I love you, and I love you."

"Love you," Erin mumbled against Jay's neck, exhaling deeply. She was suddenly bone-tired, overwhelmed with all that had happened over the past five days. Their bed sounded so inviting but she and Jay still needed to discuss Bunny and hopefully get Kate to eat a little something.

"Er," Jay gently rubbed her shoulder, trying to get Erin's attention.

"Hm?" She asked, not realizing that he had asked a question, "Sorry, what?"

"I said, while I finish with dinner, do you want to help Kate take a bath?" He smiled softly, well aware of how tired both his girls were, "And then we can head to bed?"

"Sounds good," Erin agreed, attempting to stand with an exhausted Kate in her arms, "How about that, babes? A quick bath, a bit of dinner and then bedtime?"

"I wanna stay with you and Daddy," Kate pulled back from Erin, alarmed, "I-I don't wanna be by myself."

"Don't worry, kiddo," Jay kissed the top of Kate's head, "I'll be right out here while Mommy helps you in the bath, and I think we should have a sleepover. Does that sound good to you?"

"You're not leavin'?" Kate asked quickly, "When I'm in the bath?"

"Nope," Jay promised, "And Mommy will be with you the whole time."

"You and Daddy goin' to work tomorrow?" Kate asked while Erin gently dried the little girl off after her bath. She shivered slightly as her mother slipped on Kate's warmest pair of pajamas. Despite being early March, Chicago was still brutally cold.

"Daddy and I need to talk about it a little bit, but I think we're going to stay home for a few days so you can get better," Erin dried Kate's tresses with the towel, "I think you being sick warrants a couple of days off, hm?"

"Grandpa Hank won't be mad?" Kate looked up at her mother with tired eyes, "Cause you gotta take care of me?"

Erin shook her head and boosted her baby into her arms, "Not at all, baby. We love taking care of you. Hank knows that you're our priority. And you always will be, okay?"

"Okay," Kate breathed, settling into Erin's arms, "I'm glad that I got to come back."

"Me too," Erin kissed the side of Kate's damp hair, "How about we get some dinner and then maybe read a few stories before bedtime? I think Uncle Will dropped a few new ones off earlier when he picked up the groceries."

"Hey there, Squirt," Jay smiled as he slid the grilled cheeses onto their respective plates, "Are you up for a little bit of grilled cheese?"

She shrugged tiredly, still leaning heavily against Erin. "Does your tummy hurt?" Erin asked, leaning back slightly so she could look at her baby girl. She cupped Kate's warm cheek with her palm, "Can you tell us if you're not feeling good?"

"I'm not hungry," Kate whispered, glancing down at the food on the table, "I…I don't wanna get sick."

"Oh, sweetheart," Erin rubbed Kate's back, "It might help you feel better to eat a few bites. Then you can take your medicine. Remember how much better you felt in the hospital after you had some sandwich?"

Jay reached into the plastic bag that kept the many bottles of pills for Kate, "Kiddo, as soon as you have some food, you can take these and we can head to bed, okay? I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but you'll feel better really soon."

"I…I gotta trust you?" Kate looked at Jay for confirmation.

He nodded slowly, realizing just then how much damage had been done to their little family in a few short days. No matter how much he and Erin loved their little girl, no matter how hard they could try to make things as normal as possible, Kate's trust had been broken. She trusted them to keep her safe, to protect her from the unforgiving outside world, and the harsh reality was that they had let her down.

Jay placed one hand on Kate's shoulder and the other on the small of Erin's back. "You can trust us. I know the last few days have been really hard, but I promise you," Jay swallowed thickly, "We're not letting you go. We just want you to feel better and we wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

It took a moment for Jay's words to resonate with the little girl but once they did, it was like a dam broke. Kate reached her arms out to her father so he could cradle his girls against him, his sweet baby fitting perfectly between the two detectives. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he held his family close, listening to Erin's muffled whimpers of relief. "I didn't give up," Kate said finally. Jay wiped his eyes and looked down at his beautiful daughter, his blue eyes mirrored in her green, "I know I can trust you, that's how come I didn't give up that you were comin' back to get me."

"We're so proud of you," Erin murmured into Kate's damp hair, "We are so proud of how strong and brave you have been."

"I learned to be strong from you, Mommy," Kate replied simply, "You and Daddy teached me how."

"Oh, Squirt," Jay pulled his girls closer again, "I think you are the smartest and bravest kid there is." He ran a hand over Kate's head and pressed a kiss above Erin's ear, "Do you think you could try to have a few bites before bed?"

Kate nodded but remained clamped to Erin when she tried to settle the little girl in her chair, "I-I-I wanna stay close," she stuttered, holding fast to Erin's flannel, "I wanna sit with you."

"Okay, okay," Erin agreed, taking a seat at the table with the child in her lap, "You don't wanna let go, huh?"

She shook her head but accepted the sandwich that Jay placed in front of her, "I-I wanna make sure you're still here."

"Don't worry, kiddo, we're not going anywhere." Jay smiled at his girls before taking a bite of the lukewarm sandwich, too exhausted to taste much.

"Bunny again," Erin whispered over her sleeping child's head. She and Kate were back on the couch, both nearly asleep but Bunny continued to call. Erin's phone kept buzzing on the cushion, a constant reminder of the woman who lied to DCFS and jeopardized Erin and Jay's relationship with their daughter.

"She's relentless," Jay mused, placing the last of the dinner dishes into the cupboard where they belonged, "What does she want this time?"

"To meet with me," Erin replied dryly, "Probably armed with some half-assed apology and a bottle of oxy."

"Er," Jay started, but Erin shook her head.

"I know, I know, I'm not going," she told him, "It's not worth getting sucked back into her twisted world and I'm certainly not bringing Kate there with me."

"I was actually going to tell you to go," Jay sat on the coffee table again. Erin widened her eyes in surprise, "Babe, unfortunately, Bunny's already tried and succeeded at pulling us back into whatever she's got going on. And for your sake and for Kate's, I think you need to tell her off." He offered a sad smile, "It might give you some closure on the whole situation."

Erin slowly processed what her partner was telling her to do. "You think I should confront her?"

"It's what you normally do," Jay replied honestly, "And-" He was cut off by a loud banging at the apartment door.

"Erin!" came a shrill, muffled voice, "Erin, baby, let me in!"

"She's here?" Erin said incredulously, sitting up straighter. Kate stirred against her shoulder and let out a plaintive whimper as Erin moved again, "I'm sorry baby."

"Erin!" Bunny screeched, the rapping on the door becoming more forceful.

"Who's that?" Kate whispered nervously, her voice already beginning to tremble, "A-are they comin' back to take me away?"

"No, no, no," Jay quickly took his daughter into his arms, grimacing when she let out a squeak of pain, "I'm sorry kiddo."

"I'll handle her. Just-just bring Kate into our bedroom, okay?" Erin stood and marched to the front door. She waited until Jay disappeared into their bedroom with a bewildered and frightened Kate before pulling open the door. "What do you want?" she snapped, "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to see you of course," Bunny said simply, letting a breath out and extending her arms, "You look exhausted, honey."

"Don't touch me," Erin growled as her mother tried to step closer, "You have some nerve coming around here after what you did to my family."

Bunny raised her eyebrows, pretending to be surprised, "Well, I have no idea what you're talking about. Is Hank Voight feeding you lies again? Honestly, Erin, you can't trust that man-"

"It's you who I can't trust!" Erin exploded, "You told DCFS that I was abusing my child!"

"Not you, honey, Jay," Bunny insisted, "I saw the scars on her back, how afraid she was and she reminded me of you. And how Uncle Ray used to make you so scared and even though he didn't mean it…I was just looking out for her."

Erin could not believe what she was hearing. The woman who constantly let her down, the woman who enabled her getting hooked on drugs not once but twice, the woman who was supposed to be on her side, was the same woman who was somehow always against her. "Get out," Erin demanded, pointing her finger down the hallway, "Get the hell out of my apartment and get the hell out of my life."

"Erin, please," she tried, holding open the door with one arm, "I'm just looking out for you. And for your little girl. You know what men like Jay are like."

"You're wrong, Mom, I don't know what men like Jay are like, because of you I never knew that men could be kind and smart and loving. You have messed up enough of my life, and I sure as hell am not about to let you mess up my daughter's. So goodbye, don't call me."

"Eri-" Bunny started.

"You heard her," Jay said firmly, coming up behind his partner and folding his arms across his chest. "Erin told you to leave. So leave. Before we book you for possession."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bunny said indignantly, but she turned on her heel and hastened down the hallway.

"Ugh," Erin leaned against the door after Jay shut and dead bolted it, "She can't take no for an answer."

"She's going to have to," Jay gently rubbed the sides of Erin's arms, "Come on, let's go to bed."

Erin shook her head slightly, "I-I can't lay down right now. I just-there's so much going through my head right now."

"You wanna watch a documentary?" Jay suggested cheekily, "Always puts Kate to sleep."

She chuckled lightly and rested a hand on her partner's chest, "How'd we get so lucky to have you?"

"Mm, I'm luckier," Jay pressed a gentle kiss onto her lips, which she immediately deepened, leaning her tired body against his, "Kate's in our bedroom though," Jay managed huskily, pulling back slightly, "In our bed."

"Mm," Erin replied, pulling back from another kiss, "You're right."

"Later," Jay said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, "Definitely later."

Erin rolled her eyes and settled on the couch, "Are you going to get our little girl?"

"She's in bed, Er," Jay told her, attempting to take a seat beside his girl, "She's probably asleep."

"I know my daughter, Jay," Erin responded, pushing her foot against his thigh, "She's most definetly awake and probably worried that you haven't been back to get her after Bunny was here."

"You're right," Jay got to his feet and headed for the bedroom. As Erin predicted, Kate was wide awake on his side of the bed. She sat up quickly when Jay entered the room, scrambling toward the headboard in fear. "Hey, hey, it's just me," Jay assured her, raising his arms to convey that he wasn't a threat, "Just me."

"Is-is the bunny gone?" Kate whispered, relaxing slightly, "W-where's Mommy?"

"Waiting for us on the couch," Jay replied, extending his arms so he could lift the little girl, "What do you say we watch a documentary tonight, hm? Maybe one on the desert?"

Kate nodded and shed the blankets, immediately melting into her father's embrace, "I-I glad the bunny's gone."

"Me too, kiddo," Jay kissed the top of her head and carried her to the living room where Erin was snuggled on the couch. "Found a stowaway in our bed who likes documentaries, too, babe."

"I'm not stowin' away," Kate mumbled in reply, "I'm not a mouse."

Erin smiled and reached her arms out to her daughter, "You're right, you're not a mouse. Are you a…monkey? Or a tiger?"

"No!" Kate giggled and managed a smile as her father passed her to her mother, "I'm just a kid, Mommy."

"That's right," Jay sat beside his girls and wrapped his arms around Erin's shoulders, "You're our kid."

As the documentary played on the TV, Kate snoozed against her mother's chest. Erin had her legs draped over Jay's so they could all share the blanket and was peacefully running her fingers through Kate's soft hair. The documentary that was on happened to be about the rainforest, and despite Kate's fascination with poisonous frogs, she had quickly fallen asleep, likely due to the medicine and stress of the past few days.

The movie played on, but Jay wasn't really watching. He was focused on the steady heartbeat of his little girl that gently beat against his side and the pulse of his partner that he could feel with her head resting on his shoulder.

In that moment, everything was alright. They were together. And that is when Jay realized what he wanted to do.

"Babe?"

"Hm?" Erin turned her head slightly so she could gaze up into her partner's eyes, "What is it?"

"Will you marry me?"