Overdue Debt

No one can

Destiny took a deep breath then started running from around the side of the club, "hey look" hailey said while sitting up in her car seat properly. "Sarge we got her running" jay said into his radio before himself and hailey opened the car doors then ran out to chase her. "Destiny!" Hailey shouted as they ran after her.

Destiny could hear someone shouting her name but she didn't stop running, she let her tears fall faster and ran like there was no tomorrow. She was approaching traffic and she didn't plan on stopping before running out into the road since she wanted to her home. "Dammit!" Jay said as he saw her about to run into incoming traffic, he sped up and ran past hailey and before he knew it he had caught up with her. He grabbed her and pulled her back before she could run out onto the road, he had her arms restrained. She let out a cry and fell to the floor with jay, "it's okay we've got you, you're safe now" he said while sitting on the floor with a traumatised teenager. Hailey caught up to them and looked at jay who was holding destiny as she cried. The partners looked at each other with sadness, the rest of the unit approached them. They stood still for a moment and watched jay trying to comfort her before Kim pulled out a blanket for jay to wrap her up in since it was the middle of winter.

Destiny kept crying since she was scared as jay wrapped the blanket around her, she calmed down and looked back at jay who was holding her tightly. "Did you get them?" She mumbled out. Jay looked up to hailey and smiled, "yeah we got them, it's over" he smiled. Destiny sighed in relief and jay helped her up, "let's get you back to the station, it's safe there" jay said while following hailey and holding destiny by his side. He put destiny in the back of his car and the unit talked for a while. "Alright get her back, ask her about everything" hank said sweetly while looking into the car.

They all nodded and left to go to their own cars, jay and hailey hopped in the front of jays car and hailey turned to look at the child. "You're okay now, you can relax" she said since she noticed destiny was still tense. Destiny smiled and nodded as jay drove them back to the district.

"How about we go in here and talk? Just the three of us okay?" Hailey said while leading jay and hank into the break room as she guided destiny over to the couch. Destiny nodded and sat down, "you're not doing this on your behalf are you?" Hailey said as she sat down next to the young girl. Destiny gulped and avoided eye contact, the brave and fearless destiny they saw the other day was no longer in the room, "uh, no..." she shook her head. The three looked at each other in worry, "who's making you do this, we can help you..." hailey said while grabbing her hand gently, destiny let a tear fall down her cheek. "No, no you can't help me. No one can..." she shook her head vigorously. The three adults all frowned, "we can, and we will but we need you to tell us everything" hailey reassured her while gripping onto her hand tighter.

Destiny kept her eyes glued on the floor, "my uh, my real dad turned to gambling after my mom left. He got into some really, really big debt and he got himself shot when the digits got too high, he didn't pay it off..." she started and then wiped her tears away. Hailey looked at hank who nodded at her, "how much debt?" Hailey grubbed her hand. Destiny smiled weakly, "1.2 million..." she sighed. She could feel the silence growing in the room so she carried on her story, "that's where my step dad comes in...my mom took me In and I live with her and her boyfriend, he worked with the guys at the casino my dad owed money to and uh made a deal with them..." she added on. Jay sat down on a chair opposite her, "what deal?" He said softly.

Destiny frowned, "uhm...I have to work at my step dads club and any money that comes in from me goes straight to the casino, pays off the overdue debt..." she sighed. Hank shook his head, "how long has this been going on, you know, the deal?" Hailey said in disbelief. Destiny smiled at them all, "3 years..." she sighed. That meant she was 12 when all of this started. They all looked at each other in shock, "I'm in it till the debts paid off, you guys can't help me..." she huffed. Jay shook his head and leant forward, "we can help you, and we will. We've already got your step dad for possession so he's going away for a long time, you'll never have to step foot in that club again okay?" He reassured her. Destiny shot her head up with tearful eyes, she looked at him thankfully and nodded.

Hank nodded and left, he updated the team on the situation and they cracked on with making a case. "You're safe, don't worry" hailey said while standing up. Destiny turned to face them before they left, "what happens to me now...?" She said sadly. Jay looked at hailey, "have you got any family or close relatives?" He smiled at her. She hung her head down low and shook her head, the partners shared a sympathetic look, "we'll sort this out don't stress" hailey said before leaving with jay to help the team.

The team talked for a while about the case and the rest of them left to go to the locker room but jay caught hailey and talked to her. He sat down on his desk and sighed, "I wanna take her in" he spat out. Hailey looked at him in shock, "jay..." she started but he cut her off. "I feel something for this kid, I mean she's got no one left. I wanna take her in..." he repeated himself. Hailey looked back at destiny who was sat under a blanket in the break room, "are you sure? I mean it's a big task, she's a teenager who's been through a lot..." hailey pulled a worried face at him. Jay nodded his head, "I know, I know. She deserves a real life, not just some crappy foster care life, and if I can help her then I want to" he smiled sadly at hailey. Hailey grabbed his arm, "just see what happens" she smiled at him before they both left to go join the team in the locker room.