UPSTEAD ONE SHOT(S)

Love Not Hate

Trigger warning- mention of abuse and indication of wishing to be dead.

The case had been a pretty brutal one for everyone involved. A family had been murdered and after three days of trying to find someone who was useful to them, the teenage girl who they found refused to speak. Voight had tried with his usual tactics of intimidation and threats, along with a bit of blackmail; Kevin had tried with his gentle, yet no-nonsense approach, and that still didn't work. Nobody was getting through to the girl though.
However, Hailey knew why the girl was keeping her lips zipped. The girl was scared of her Father- the person of interest for the murder. He was clearly abusing her, but non of the unit had picked up on it: The girl didn't make it obvious to someone who hadn't gone through it, but Hailey noticed it from the get-go because she'd been there herself as a child. "Sarge, let me have a shot" Hailey spoke up, as they all gathered back in the bullpen to think of a new approach. "What you have in mind? We've tried every angle" Voight asked, not seeing the point in having Hailey to waste her time on the stubborn teenager. "Please, just let me talk to her" Hailey pleaded, a hint of desperation in her voice. "Okay, you and Jay go talk to her" Voight nodded. "Serge, I can do it alone" Hailey subtly protested, wanting to be alone in the room for that one. "Jay's going with you, Hailey" Voight glared, making the room thicken instantly. Hailey returned Voight's glare before heading down the corridor, Jay speed-walking to catch up with her. Hailey might be short, but she could move when she needed.

In the intergation room, the girl sat hunched up in the chair. She was visibly scared. Her hands layed in her lap, shaking like crazy and her legs bounced up and down frantically- her adrenaline sky high. "Hey, I'm Hailey and this is my partner- Jay" Hailey smiled softy, as the two detectives entered the room and took a seat each. "I...I don't have anything to say" She stuttered, the nervs really starting to take over. "Look, we know it's your Dad who killed the family" Hailey said, pushing the girl a little more in hope she'd open up and Hailey wouldn't have to go down the route she was planning. "I can't help you" She replied, her voice on the brink of breaking. Hailey took a deep breath inwards, sharing a sympathetic glance with Jay before turning back to the girl.
"Hey, I know you're scared of your Dad. But I promise you he'll never hurt you again. We'll keep you safe from him, give you help to make partial sense of what happened to you" Hailey said, examining the girls facial expressions carefully for any change. Sure enough Hailey was right- the girls facial expressions turned from fear to complete petrified. "You don't get it. You don't understand" The girl shook her head, tears beginning to fall down her face. Hailey stood up off her chair and wandered around the desk to sit next to the girl, wanting to make her feel more safe. "I do. I get it" Hailey whispered, looking across to Jay for reassurance and he nodded- giving her the confidence boost she needed. "How? Just because you've dealt with a bunch of domestic abuse, doesn't mean you get it" The girl snapped, shifting her chair away from Hailey. "True, but my Dad was abusive to me and my family aswell" Hailey admitted, catching the girls attention again. "Yeh?" She questioned, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Yeh. I remember this one time, it was just me in the house alone with my drunk Dad. I still see it to this day every time I close my eyes" Hailey answered, swallowing the newly formed lump in her throat. "W...what happened?" The girl asked, sitting up right in her chair.

"Hu. My Dad was totally drunk. Beyond drunk. My Mum and brothers were out that evening, leaving only me in the house. I stayed in my room, but mother natured called" Hailey chuckled a little at her choice of words, earning a genuine smile off the girl aswell.

"I had to go down stairs to get to the bathroom, so that ment having to play Russian Rullets with my drunk Dad. I got downstairs and my Dad was on the couch, the TV blaring and he was on his sixth beer I saw. I hoped he wouldn't hear me, so I tiptoed so carefully down to the kitchen and to the bathroom at the back of the house"