Olivia's Sister

The Person She Is

    The first day you in Chicago a few errands were ran. You had decided to leave and head to Chicago the night before instead of waiting. Erin's car was waiting for you at the airport when you arrived. Jay went with her to drop it off before they went to work that morning.
    After running most errands, you arrived at Hank's. Each of you carried luggage up to the front door. Liv knocked, waited, then said, "I don't think anyone is home."
    You looked in the window and agreed, then jumped the porch railing. "Be right back." Thirty seconds later the front door was being messed with. Liv started to holler for you when you came face to face with her after opening the door.
   "Welcome. Come on in and make yourself at home." You said. She followed you into the house. You took her bags and carried them upstairs. "Would you like some coffee, tea, cocoa?" You asked as you were heading back down the steps.
   "Tea is fine." She said.
   "Tea it is, as soon as the water is ready." You said. "Btw, your room is at the end of the hall, next to the bathroom on your left." While waiting for the pizza to get done, Liv and you talked as you showed her around.

    Hank, Erin, Jay, Sarah, Hailey, and Antonio all came in the front door. Everyone greeted Liv, and then Hank asked where you were at. Erin walked into the kitchen and found you asleep at the counter. She walked over to you and rubbed your back. You woke. "Tea's almost ready and so is the pizza."
   "So we shouldn't have brought all that pizza?" Erin asked.
   "Depends on how much pizza you have." You said. "Enough for everyone?"
    Burgess walked into the kitchen. "That's the truth!" She said as she hugged you. "Trudy and Mouch just arrived and they said that the rest of fifty-one and the crew from Med will be arriving shortly."
   "I need to make more water." You said.
   "You're going to make water?" Kim asked sarcastically.
   "Yeah, I put air in this contraption and it shoots out hot water." You said.
   "We've got plenty of soda." Erin said as she opened the oven. "Your pizza and the tea are ready."
    Ruzek came in. "I'll pull the pizza out and get the tea, while you ladies go in and join everyone else."
    They walked into the living room behind you. Antonio came up to hug you and Erin stopped him.
   "I get the first hug." She said
   "No, you get the second hug." Kim said. "I already got the first one." Antonio laughed.

    People were coming and going for the next hour. Everyone was happy to see you and Liv, but Liv understood that they were more happy to see you.
    You had been outside with the boys, who were now giving you a hard time as everyone walked back into the house. They weren't happy because you beat them at their own game.
    Gabby, Erin, Liv, and a few others were talking. You went over and sat on the floor between Liv and Nat, then listened to everyone talk for a while. Gabby asked you something and when you didn't respond, she looked and found you asleep. Everyone continued talking as you slept.
   "So Liv," Hank said. "What's it been like having BAF around for a week?"
   "It's been pretty amazing! She's very helpful, caring, and peaceful." Liv said. "I know some of it is her being respectful and trying to show herself off a bit."
   "If you're talking about BAF, then you've def got a lot to learn." Erin said.
   "What you see is what you get." Gabby said. "The only time she puts on a show is when she is performing, and even then, it's mostly her having fun and getting into the music."
   "She puts on a front around children if she's physically hurt, sometimes around us, but it's not often. And when she does, it doesn't last long." Erin said.
    Goodwin spoke. "What you see is what you get indeed. She's an authentic person. She loves everyone the same. She truly cares. She'll take a bullet for anyone, even her enemies. She has such a beautiful heart and an authentic love. It's incredible."
   "What made you want to take her in for the holidays?" Trudy asked.
   "Honestly, I wanted to get to know her." Liv said. "She's changed so much since she was eight, and it's amazing to see that."
   "She is an amazing kid, and everyone in this room would go to bat for her." Hank said.
   "It's so awesome to hear that she has a positive impact on people." Liv said. "I had to find out for myself who she was before I let others influence my perspective on her. I feel very blessed to be a part of her life." You turned your head; it started dropping, and scared you awake.
   "Speaking of the devil." Herman said. "Look who's awake."
   "Honey," Nat said. "Come sit on the couch with us." People moved around on the couch so you could join them. Nat wrapped her arms around you. "I've missed you so much, I'm going to hold you for a bit. It's alright to go back to sleep. Is this okay?"
    It was inevitable, so you didn't fight it. Nat was surprised when you laid your head on her shoulder and went back to sleep.
    April nudged Maggie. "Ok everyone, so the twenty-eighth is our Christmas with BAF. We've got the food taken care of, everyone needs to bring desserts and a beverage. Presents are optional but we all know that BAF has presents for us. Make sure to meet at Goodwin's house at six. Any questions, just find me and I'll answer them for you. Carry on."
    Hailey looked at Liv. "Did you guys have a good Christmas?"
   "We did." Liv said. "Bry - BAF, told us that it was almost perfect, the only thing missing was all of you."
   "That's awesome!" Hailey said.
   "Yeah her and I had started decorating the apartment Christmas Eve, but I got a phone call that lasted for a while, and I came back to find her asleep in the chair." Liv explained. "Then Christmas morning we got called in. When we got back, she had finished decorating, made the meal, had the table set, and was asleep on the couch. She had gotten us all presents which none of us were expecting."
   "She's good about that." Jay said.
   "The guys felt so bad that they hadn't gotten anything for her, that they wanted to take her out after everyone's stomachs had settled." Liv continued. "She started in with this speech about how," Others joined in, "'Spending time with all of us is the best present.' Ah so it's a line."
   "No." You said. "I really mean it. I don't care about presents. It's spending time with those I cherish most that makes my heart happy, and there's no material item that can compare to it."
    Liv grabbed your hand and smiled. "Ok. I'll accept that."
   "You better." You said jokingly. "I think me saying that just made the guys feel worse, but they couldn't argue with me."
    Liv spoke. "What she had to say was quite lovely." She grabbed your hand and gently squeezed it.
   "Thank you." You said.
   "I let everyone know that I had a present for BAF." Liv said. "One that I had wanted to give her that morning before everyone else got there, but I asked her if it was okay to proceed with everyone there."
   "I was confused but agreed." You said.
Liv went on to explain the story and the speech. At one point you got up to use the restroom and told her to continue, which she did.
   "Finn and Amanda were shocked and amazed. I then went on to explain that that wasn't the only reason that I wanted to spend time with her." Liv said. "Melinda told me one other thing. When she ran the DNA, which she did four times, it showed that Brynn and I are biologically related. Her and I are sisters. BAF gave me this blank stare and then turned around and left the room. I wasn't sure if she was upset or so happy she was speechless. She went into the room she'd been staying in and returned about a minute later with an envelope that she handed to me. I read the letter, and as hard as I tried to hold back the tears, I couldn't. I set it down on the table and hugged her."
   "Let me tell you what," You said. "She's pretty strong. There was one point that I couldn't breathe." There were chuckles.
   "So what did the letter say?" April asked.
   "Don't worry Liv, I'll take this one so you don't have to fight back emotions." You quoted the letter basically word for word.
    Gabby got up and hugged you. "That is so awesome!"
    The whole story sparked even more conversation. You disappeared from the room, going outside. It was freezing, but it was quiet. Hank, Boden, Daniel, and Goodwin all came out with Herman, Casey, and Severide.
   "How ya doin' kid? You know, with everything?" Herman asked.
   "I'm trying to soak it all in." You said. "I feel like I'm dreaming and any moment, I'm going to wake up and it's going to be gone. This whole week has been the best week of my whole life."
   "You deserve to have a week that's almost perfect." Casey said.
   "Yeah, if anyone deserves it, it's you." Severide said.
   "It's only natural when a person has a life that's filled with negativity and tragedy on a daily basis, for them to feel as you do when there's a time of peace." Daniel explained.
   "I think you're experiencing something that your future is going to be filled with. The more you experience it, the more it'll become natural to you." Goodwin said.
   "Life will always have it's ups and downs and I think you're going to start experiencing more of the ups and positives of life that you're not used too." Boden said.
   "Look at it this way kid," Hank knelt down. "All those people in there, and all the ones out here, are here for you. They've become a part of your family and you've become a part of ours. Your life before us was worse than what it is now. It took you a while to get used to it, but having us as a part of your life is now as natural as going to school."
   "You found out that you have a sister." Hailey said. "A big sister. She's a lieutenant. Her family consisted of her squad, until she found out that you are her sister. She didn't run, she instead got to know you. She chose to have you as a part of her life. She chose to be your sister and not because a blood test told her to, but because of who you are. Your family just got bigger kid and that will take some adjusting."
   "Adjusting won't take you as long because you already know her, and because you have all of us who will be there with you, helping you every step of the way." Daniel said.
   "Thanks." You said. "I just have a rational fear that something will happen and I'll be back at square one. I'll lose everything I've got. I've been there so many times and all of you are the only stable thing in my life. I don't want to lose any of you, and I don't want to start over again."
   "That's a natural reaction." Goodwin said. "But none of us are going anywhere. There's too many of us to lose all of us."