****

The kick to his injured ribs woke Jay up and he did his best to keep his groan of pain to himself as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The clock on his bedside showed the time to be 3:15am. Jay found himself turning back onto his other side, and that was when he saw his daughter thrashing around. Jay immediately turned on the lamp on his beside, and as he did so, Erin woke up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Jay?" She asked, and that was when she caught sight of Sophia. Her eyes widened, all the sleep gone suddenly, and she looked at Jay worriedly.

Jay ignored the pain that shot up his body as he moved closer to Sophia and gently picked her up in his arms. Her wild thrashing did not ease straight away, and Jay noticed how tears were streaming down her face, but she wasn't awake. His heart broke, because he knew exactly what she was going through.

"Hey Angel," Jay cooed softly, pressing his lips to his daughter's sweaty forehead. "Daddy's here. Wake up, baby."

Sophia's tears continued to flow as she flailed her arms and legs, her knee hitting Jay's chest one again. Erin watched with concern, as Jay did his best to ignore the pain and focus on waking Sophia up. Finally Erin scooted closer to her boyfriend, and she pressed a kiss to Sophia's head.

"Muffin, it's okay," Erin whispered comfortingly."Daddy and I are both here. Come on, baby, you can do it. Wake up."

Sophia's eyes soon opened, and she blinked, and her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. When she saw Jay, she jumped up in his arms and hugged him tightly, her face buried in his shoulder. Jay hugged her tightly, rubbing his hand up and down her back, while Erin stroked Sophia's hair. Sophia just sobbed continuously.

Jay held her, but his eyes landed on Erin, and they both looked worried. What was happening? What had Sophia been dreaming about? Clearly it was something horrible since she was badly affected by it.

After what seemed like ages, Jay felt Sophia stop crying and he gently pulled her away from him, to look her in the eyes. Though still wet with tears, her blue eyes started back into Jay's. "What happened, Angel?"

Sophia remained silent, her body still shaking. Erin took a shot. "Baby, do you want to tell us what happened in your bad dream?"

Sophia shook her head, yawning slightly. "I sleepy."

Even though Jay was anxious and desperately wanted to know what was troubling his daughter, he could see how sleepy she truly was, and decided it was best if she didn't stay up longer. "Okay, get some sleep, Sophie," Jay advised, laying her back in between himself and Erin.

Sophia clutched Jay's hand. "Daddy, don't go, please stay."

"I'm right here, Angel," Jay assured his daughter, leaving a kiss on her tiny nose. "And so is Erin. Okay? We're right here."

"We aren't going anywhere, Muffin," Erin added, kissing Sophia's forehead.

Sophia nodded, satisfied that both her daddy and Pretty Lady Erin wouldn't be going anywhere. Finally Sophia fell asleep again, her body curled up between Jay and Erin.

Jay watched her sleep, and only because Erin was carefully watching her boyfriend, did she notice a tear roll down his face. Erin slowly got off the bed and went over to Jay's side, and lay beside him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed his neck.

"Jay, what's wrong?" Erin whispered, rubbing her hand over his abdomen gently.

Jay let out a shaky breath, that was partly due to his injured ribs and partly also from crying. He didn't reply for what seemed like ages until finally, he intertwined his fingers with Erin's, resting it once again on his stomach.

Somehow, having Erin's body pressed to his, and her fingers on his bare skin calmed him down somewhat. "I'm just worried, Er," he said, his voice cracking with the emotion. "She's been having nightmares too frequently, and they're only becoming worse."

"It's going to be okay, babe," Erin replied pressing her forehead to Jay's back. She left a kiss on his shoulder. "I'm going to help you both through this, I promise."

"She won't talk to me," Jay responded, suddenly turning around to so that he was facing Erin. She pressed her hand, with her fingers still intertwined with his, very gingerly to his chest.

"Maybe we can get her to talk to someone else. She might need time, Jay. She may open up to someone else, but she will talk about it eventually. She is a lot like you, you know."

A small smile appeared on Jay's lips. "I guess she is." But as soon as that smile came, it vanished, and Jay's eyes moved back to Erin's beautiful face. Despite the fact that it was 3am in the morning, she still looked flawless.

"Jay?" Erin coaxed, as he felt another tear trickle down his face. She had never ever seen Jay cry before. She had seen him vulnerable, sure, but never with tears.

It was hurting her to see her boyfriend this deeply hurt and helpless, but that is what also made him the best father to Sophia. Because Sophia's safety and happiness always came first, no matter what, and it was the reason he would always fight so hard to get back home alive, for his daughter, for the one human being that would ALWAYS mean the world to him.

"Talk to me, Jay. I'm your partner," Erin reminded him, moving closer and kissing him on the jaw.

The pained look on Jay's face didn't subside "The IED that killed my men, i live with that every single day, Erin," he replied, his voice straining and cracking with the overwhelming emotions. "I checked every single body I could...I know I did. I was barely alive myself. As soon as I had figured out there was something wrong, I had thrown myself onto Mouse and both of us were out of the humvee before it exploded. I-I remember shards of glass hitting me and Mouse, and the medics wouldn't arrive for at least a few minutes. Maybe I was dazed with pain and I missed it, completely. I missed the fact that Callum was alive!" Jay stopped, the tears rolling down his face in steady flows now.

Erin had tears of her own, for her boyfriend and what he had gone through overseas. This was the first time ever Jay had truly talked to her about something that had happened to him while he had been deployed in Afghanistan. "If I had only paid more attention, Callum wouldn't be seeking revenge."

"Hey," Erin spoke up, her free had moving to the stubble on Jay's face. "Don't you dare think this is your fault, Jay Halstead. I know, that what you went through overseas, is something horrific and something I may never understand. But I am here to help you carry the burden of whatever it is. You were hurt, you are NOT to blame. Callum needs to realize that too. If he doesn't, he's a sick bastard, and the more he messes with you and Sophia, the more hell he's gonna get once we get him. Don't blame yourself for his actions."

Jay looked into Erin's eyes and saw the honesty, the fire and the love in them. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her lips, as her free hand moved from his jaw to his hair. Erin ran her fingers through his hair, as he gripped her hips, moving his lips to her neck.

After pulling away from her, Jay was able to relax, if only a little. "I don't honestly know what I would do without you," he finally revealed."I love you, Erin Lindsay."

Erin's heart skipped a million beats as she looked into Jay's blue eyes and knew he wasn't lying. This wasn't in a moment of despair, or a moment of impulse, it was Jay Halstead being open and honest with her, and she had to admit, she loved it.

A huge smile broke across Erin's face as she left another gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you too, Jay Halstead."

***

Jay and Erin had taken Sophia to the district, she hadn't really spoken much but they both knew not to push her too much and only constant support would allow her to open up.

With a small wave in Platt’s direction and a small ‘hello’ to her grumpy Hank, Sophia didn't talk nor did she smile or laugh whilst Jay and Erin set to work.

Jay set his daughter at his desk, he would have usually left her in the break room colouring or in Hank's office to sleep but he wanted someone to keep an eye on her at all times. “Okay angel, Daddy's just going to be in that room there.” Jay gestured to the break room behind them. “Just yell if you need anything, okay?”

Jay had hoped for a response but he only received a small nod from his daughter. He sighed, and pressed a soft kiss to Sophia's head. Standing up, his eyes connected with Erin's, he shook his head sadly, he was now really concerned.

The whole team had been rushing around, contacting CIs and using security footage to trace Callum Stone's whereabouts. Jay had been constantly trying to get his daughter to talk to him, he had even gone as far as to get Platt to talk to Sophia, nothing seemed to work.

“Hey dude, what are you doing down there?" Ruzek asked the unusually quiet Halstead.

Sophia didn't speak and only played with her fingers rubbing them across her casted arm.

Ruzek dropped his paperwork to Jay's desk and crouched down to Sophia who was now swinging her legs from the chair she was sat at.

She had been quiet since Jay brought her in this morning, the others decided not to push the young girl but Adam had other ideas. He had been tasked with looking after Sophia whilst Jay and Erin got to work.

Erin was with the tech team trying to find a trace on Callum's call. Jay had been in the break room looking over the paperwork. Atwater had been chasing a possible lead from his CI with Burgess, Voight and Olinsky. Which had left Ruzek here.

"You sure you're okay dude?" Adam checked. "You know you can talk to me right?"

She wasn't budging.

"Well I'm just gonna get this paperwork to Ja- your daddy, then we can go grab you something for you to eat. Does that sound like a plan?" Adam countered. Giving her shoulder a slight squeeze Adam bounced from the floor.

"Roozie?" The small voice spoke up, her eyes not moving from her arm that was still engulfed by her cast. She was due for it to be taken off next week and truthfully she couldn't wait, all she had been wanting to do was play but Jay - being the usual super overprotective father - had to try and occupy her in other ways.

His head snapping back to the young Halstead he lowered himself back to the floor and bounced on the balls of his feet. "What's wrong dude?"

"Is my daddy going to get hurted?" Sophia asked quietly.

"Uh-" Adam didn't know what to say, he couldn't guarantee that Jay was going to be safe forever and he definitely didn't want to be the one to reassure the young girl to only be wrong. "Sophia? You know your daddy's job is dangerous right? And he does it to make sure you're safe?"

Sophia nodded. "Yeah, Toody and Uncle Will telled me."

"Sometimes-sometimes we get hurt in this job. But I'll tell you something, your daddy will always be there for you, no matter where he is, he will always be there kiddo." Adam promised.

"But my daddy wasn't there" Sophia began to weep.

He was confused, as far as he knew and from what he had been told about the Halstead, Jay has always been there for his daughter. "What do you mean dude?"

"In my bad night dream, Daddy got hurted and he didn't come back."

Adam's heart broke as he heard the words come from the 5-year-old. He held his arms open for Sophia who instantly accepted the embrace as she cried quietly. "Your daddy loves you so- so much Soph." His own voice broke as he talked.

He could feel Sophia nod into his shoulder.

After a few minutes Adam spoke up. "Hey dude? I'm gonna go give this paperwork to your dad then we can go get some ice cream, maybe we can get Burgess to come with us when they get back, how's that sound?"

"Burger?" Sophia sniffed as she pulled away from Adam.

He chuckled. "That's the one. You gonna sit here for a few minutes?"

Sophia nodded.

Getting up from the floor Adam picked up the paperwork he had intended to give to Jay and made his way to the break room where the Halstead detective was looking through the paperwork they had accumulated on Callum Stone.

"Halstead, you got a sec?" Ruzek peeked his head around the corner.

"Not right now, Ruzek." Jay groaned. His head was spinning, he was in pain, the last thing he needed was Ruzek playing stupid.

"It's about Sophia," Adam pressed.

Jay's head popped up at an instant. "Is she okay? "Jay asked, all of a sudden full of panic.

"Yeah- uh well I'm not sure." Adam sighed, scratching the back of his head.

Jay, now all his focus on the officer who stood before him, waited for anything, any hint of something was wrong with his daughter.

"I don't think she's taking everything very well." Ruzek started. "She told me about last night."

"Her nightmare?" Jay asked.

Ruzek nodded. "She said you didn't come home, that you were hurt."

Jay used his hand to run across his face, his once clean and shaven look now stubbled and his dark eyes made him look worn and tired.

"She told you?" Jay closed his eyes. He had been trying to get it out of Sophia all morning, but nothing worked.

Ruzek nodded again. "Look man, she's a good kid, she's worried about you, I mean what kid wouldn't be?" Ruzek chuckled. He had been in arms length of Jay and his inability to not fight back.

Jay breathed out a laugh. "Yeah..."

"She's a lot like you Jay, she keeps her problems to herself." Adam concluded.

The pair were interrupted by a knock at the break room door. Erin.

“Hank called, we got a lead.” Her husky voice announced.

Ruzek and Jay nodded, picking up his jacket Jay followed the officer out of the break room stopping beside his daughter on the way.

“Hey Angel,” Jay smiled. “Daddy's got to work. Do you think you're gonna be okay with Sergeant Platt for a while?”

Sophia smiled too. “Toody?” It was the first smile Jay had seen from his daughter all day and it relieved him.

“Yes Sophie.” Jay turned to Erin who was watching the sight from her desk. “I'll meet you at the car.”

“Me and the Burger will take you to get some ice cream when we're back,” Adam cut across.

Sophia nodded enthusiastically at the officer before he himself headed down to his car.

Reaching a hand out to his daughter, Jay guided her down the stairs to Platt who was waiting patiently for the little Halstead.

“There you are, Ponytails. I was wondering when you were gonna pay me a visit.” Trudy cooed. She would often declare that she hated kids but seeing her with Sophia made everyone question that statement. Trudy placed the little girl on the front desk.

“Daddy loves you, Sophie” Jay said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Be good for Sergeant Platt."

“You telled me that lots, Daddy.” Sophia giggled from her seat on the desk.

With one last smile in his daughter’s direction Jay headed out to the yard where Erin would be waiting for him.

****

This time, because of the pain in his ribs, that was constantly getting stronger instead of milder, Jay didn't protest when Erin took the wheel of their GMC Sierra.

Voight had called Erin when both Ruzek and Jay were talking in the break room, notifying her that there had been a lead on Callum, and to meet them at 31st Brooklyn Hyde.

Atwater's CI had informed Kevin that he had seen Callum there, and so the unit had gone to chase down the lead. Once satisfied that the lead had been legit the Sergeant called the rest of his team.

Erin pulled up in front of the apartment building at 31st Brooklyn Hyde. The team had already gathered there, waiting for Ruzek, Jay and Erin, so that they could breach the apartment.

Voight motioned his two detectives over, and they approached him, guns drawn. "You two stay back," Voight told both Jay and Erin. "We'll breach."

"Hell no," Jay retorted immediately, squaring his signature death glare at his own boss. "That asshole attacked me, in my apartment, and held both Erin and my 5-year-old daughter at gunpoint. Sarge, if he's in there, I wanna be the one to haul his sorry ass to the district."

Under normal circumstances, Voight would have called his detective out then and there for not listening to his orders, but he knew very well that Halstead was hurting, not just physically, but emotionally as well. The young man had been through more than even Voight himself, and Voight had to admire Halstead for his determination to catch the man responsible, and for keeping himself together, even if his team, his family, could see he was breaking inside.

"Jay," Erin began, softly. "If Callum's in there, promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Jay clenched his jaw, but he knew Erin was just concerned about him. "I promise," he nodded.

Erin nodded, and Voight finally signalled Ruzek to breach the apartment. Ruzek busted down the door and they all entered simultaneously, with Atwater bellowing, "Chicago PD!"

Erin and Jay moved forward, covering one another with their guns, checking each room thoroughly.

"BODY!" Burgess called out.

Jay and Erin made their way to the living room where they heard Burgess's voice come from.

They reached just as Atwater, Ruzek and Voight showed up as well. Jay's chest tightened when he saw the dead body, a gunshot wound to the head, shot execution style. His CI, Iago, who had given some information to him about Amanda.

"My CI," Jay revealed, keeping his voice strong, but Erin noticed how he tightened his grip on his gun. "Iago." He could hardly get the words out without revealing how anguished and torn up he really was.

Erin released one hand from her gun to gently rub Jay's back, in her usual manner of showing her support.

Jay took a deep breath before nodding his head at Erin, and the two continued to check the house. Heading to the study room, Erin stopped and let out a gasp. "Jay," she called, and Jay was at her side within minutes.

He felt his heart pick up its pace as he took in the sight in front of him. The entire walls were covered in photos. But not just any photos. These were photos of him, and Sophia...Even Amanda, and Erin too. The bastard had been stalking him ever since he had returned to Chicago, seeking revenge on Jay.