The Long Haul

Chapter 18

Earlier that morning, Jay had gotten the unit up to speed on his sister's situation and some of the details that led to her coming in for the next two weeks, so they wouldn't be surprised when she suddenly started showing up every day. Thankfully everyone had been supportive of the idea and offered to help however they could. His family was their family, as Hank said.

"Hey, everyone," Jay called out as they stepped into the bullpen. Everyone was working at their own desks and turned their attention to the entrance. "This is my sister, Alex."

Feeling all eyes on her made Alex's cheeks flush red. She wasn't normally one to feel embarrassed in a crowd, but here she was, averting her gaze from all these damn cops. For a moment, the sass disappeared and the introverted teen came out.

Voight, ever the imposing figure, gave her a scrutinizing look before acknowledging her with a nod. "Welcome, Alex."

The rest chimed in to welcome her with a warm smile and wave. Voight's gruff voice caught her off guard and she quickly looked elsewhere before throwing a small wave.

Kim Burgess, the recent addition to the unit, approached them with her usual friendly demeanor in place, but Alex immediately detected pity in the cop's eyes. "First time at the district? It's not so bad. You'll get used to it."

"I'd rather not," Alex retorted, her defenses immediately going back up.

Not having expected her intro to go so poorly, Kim looked at Jay, silently asking if she'd said something wrong. Jay gave a slight shake of the head and his facial expressions clearly offered an apology.

Erin was standing nearby watching it all happen, and wanted to give it a shot for Jay's sake. She knew what it was like to be a teenager from a rough home, experiencing life without boundaries, and wanting to fit in. She'd been there - and she also knew what it was like to suddenly have someone around her that cared enough to try to pull her out of the darkness. Glancing over at Voight as she recalled the memory, Erin walked a few steps to be near the Halsteads, and she offered a friendly smile and an affectionate squeeze on Alex's upper arm, hoping to make her feel more at home with another female. "Hey, Alex. Ready for an afternoon of police work?"

Alex shot her a halfhearted smile and paused, looking her up and down, before replying, "Nice to see you fully–"

"Okay, that's enough intros for today," Jay quickly interjected before his sister could finish that sentence. Good to know she still hadn't forgotten walking in on them having sex.

He quickly pushed Alex along and showed which desk was his and where to find the bathroom, before ushering her into the break room. Originally, he had planned for Alex to sit at his desk, so she could at least get a feel for what his job was like, but after her interactions with Trudy and everyone, he knew that wouldn't go over well today. So he opted for the break room, which would still allow him to keep an eye on her from a slight distance.

They entered the room and Jay gently closed the door behind them. He contemplated calling her out for the piss poor attitude, but he decided it was like playing with fire and the last thing he needed was for it to implode in his face in front of his unit on the first day. It was yet another reminder that he was a fish out of water in this whole thing.

So, he chose a more neutral topic to begin. "Do you have a lot of homework today?"

She looked around the room, taking in her new dungeon. Walking slowly over to the table, she dropped her bag on the couch. "I dunno," she replied nonchalantly.

Jay took a steadying breath. "Well I'm sure you have some, so why don't you work on it there." He motioned toward the table. She shrugged, clearly not interested in this experience, but she sat down. "Come on, Alex, meet me halfway here."

"Yes, Mr. Detective, I'll get moving on that homework a-sap," she spat sarcastically before pulling out her phone to check her texts.

Seeing clear opportunity, Jay abruptly stepped over and plucked the phone out of her hands, which was met with a loud teenage gasp. "Great, since you're working on homework, I'll hold onto this until you're done."

Alex bit her bottom lip to keep from yelling at him - if they'd been at his apartment, she wouldn't have held back with what she wanted to say. However, this foreign place was a bit unsettling and luckily she had enough self restraint and common sense to bite her tongue.

"Let me know if you need anything," he announced as he headed out the door, leaving it open.

But that didn't stop her from flipping him off to his back.

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Alex mumbled a slew of profanities to herself as she got her laptop and textbook out. This was fucking stupid. She could be sitting at Jay's apartment doing this exact same bullshit. There was literally no need to be stuck in this break room.

Feeling like she was on display for anyone to see as they walked by, she decided to put matters in her own hands. Without further thought, she closed the door with a loud crash and roughly shut all of the blinds.

There. That's better. Now at least people wouldn't be staring at her.

Jay, along with everyone else in the unit, heard what she'd done - it wasn't hard to miss. He immediately rubbed his temples both from frustration and embarrassment while Adam and Kevin chuckled at the whole situation.

Al came along and patted Jay on the back. "I'd tell you it gets better, but then I'd be lying." Al had his own experience with a teenage girl, and he knew full well what this was like. He didn't envy Jay one bit for having to deal with teenage drama, but he did admire the hell out of him for stepping in when his sister needed him most - even if she clearly didn't see it that way right now. "You're doing okay, Jay, hang in there," he encouraged before returning to his desk.

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As his shift finally came to an end and he'd managed to finish today's paperwork, Jay walked into the break room with a sigh of relief. "Let's head home, Alex."

She immediately sat up from where she was lying down on the couch. She'd been staring aimlessly at the ceiling, thinking about all the things she wanted to do with her friends when this was all over. When she heard Jay enter, she didn't protest one bit, eager to leave the stupid place behind.

As they walked into the bullpen, only a few detectives remained. Nearby, Al stepped forward, trying to break through her shell. His words came from a place of care and respect, even if they weren't received with the same. "Hey, Alex. You know, everyone makes mistakes. It's how you learn from them that matters."

She met his gaze, a mixture of defiance and vulnerability. "Some of us are forced to learn."

Jay felt helpless at this point. He appreciated that everyone had tried to make her feel welcomed, and he was ashamed that she couldn't even act civil. As the siblings headed out, Antonio pulled Jay aside and whispered encouragingly, "She'll come around, Jay. Give it time."

Jay just nodded, casting a worried look at his sister who continued walking down the steps. The weight of their strained relationship was heavier than ever.

The car ride back was filled with typical silence, but this time, there was an added layer of exhaustion on both their faces. As they entered their apartment, Jay couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and concern. He knew it wouldn't be easy, helping his rebellious teenage sister find her way, but he was determined to keep trying, even if it meant enduring days like this one.

A/N: I know this was a rough start for Alex and Jay, but stick with me! Please comment below to let me know what you think so far. Your votes and comments really keep me motivated! I've finished outlining this entire story, which is very exciting. It's going to have a lot of ups and down as we move forward, so buckle up for some drama :)