Way Back Home - [Linstead] ✓

1. - I Am Not Afraid To Walk This World Alone

As the credits of the Empire Strikes Back played on the screen, Erin nudged the little body lying beside her. "Robin, baby, it's time we go to bed."

The little girl rubbed her freckled face and her sleepy eyes. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"Baby, you're five already," Erin chuckled "I think you can sleep in your own bed."

"Pleaseee, mommyyy, your bed is so big and you sleep all alone in it. You need someone to keep it warm," her puppy face made her green eyes look even bigger.

"Mhmm," Erin chuckled. Her little monster.

"But mommy," Robin paused a little before looking back up at her mom "Why isn't there someone? What about my daddy?" she asked slowly. "Daddies usually share beds with mommies, don't they?" She climbed onto Erin's lap and put her arms around her neck for balance.

Erin's heart broke a little more at Robin's words.

"Um. Daddy... daddy lives in Chicago, baby. I told you that already, remeber? Maybe one day you'll get to meet him, but mommy really messed things up. I'm so sorry baby." She leaned her forehead on hers and looked into Robin's eyes, searching for something. Anything.

"It's okay," the little girl offered her a dimpled smile. "I was just thinking if I even have a daddy."

"Of course you do, you silly bug," Erin chuckled and swallowed some of the tears that formed in her eyes. "Do you want to see some pictures of him?"

Robin's face lit up as she forcefully nodded her head up and down. Erin smiled at her excitement and scooped her up and held her on her hip as she walked them to her bedroom.

She sat down on the bed with Robin in her lap, leaning her chin on her small shoulder. She held her phone in front of them and scrolled through the gallery.

"There's you!" Robin pointed at the phone screen when they got to a pic of the whole (former) intelligence team.

"Yeah, that's me. And there's your grandpa Hank, the one I told you about some time ago. There's Adam and Kim and this is Alvin and here's Kevin. And this is Jay. This is your daddy."

Robin reached out with her tiny hand and touched Jay's face with her tiny finger. "He looks pretty," she whispered over her shoulder.

Erin chuckled "Yeah, he is. That's why you're so pretty," she kissed her cheek.

The little girl giggled and snuggled closer to Erin. Then her smile faded and she looked up to her mom "Will I meet him one day?"

"Maybe one day." Erin sighed and ran a hand through Robin's auburn hair.

××××××××

Buzzing and ringing of the phone woke Erin up. She carefully reached over the little body hugging her to her nightstand and looked at the screen. It was an unknown number. She silenced the phone, sat up and replaced her body with a pillow so Robin wouldn't wake up.

She walked to the window and tapped the 'answer' button on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Erin Lindsay?" an unknown voice said. It sounded like the person was in a pretty crouded place.

"Um, yes. Who is this?"

"This is doctor Hall from Lakeshore Hospital. You were listed as the emergency contact of Jay Halstead. They brought him in just a few minutes ago. His partner said to call you."

She was speechless. What was she supposed to do? "Um. I... I think he forgot to update his emergency contact. We haven't heard from eachother for about... five or six years," she glanced to the kid sleeping in her bed.

"Do you maybe know who should we call? His partner left, he had an undorcover to finish, and we really should call someone."

"Uh. You know what, I'm on my way." Erin, what the hell are you doing? she thought to herself. But she just... she had to go. She needed to make sure he's going to be okay. It's Jay, after all.

"Oh, and it might take me a while," she added "I live in New York." and with that, she hung up the phone and went straight to her closet. She pulled out her suitcase and stuffed some clothes in. If they were going to Chicago, they're going to stay for a while. Robin had a right to meet her family. With that she meant Hank and... well yeah, Jay as well.

Robin stirred awake when Erin was gathering some of the stuff in the bathroom and then just threw them into the suitcase. Such a déjà vu, she thought. A few years back she was packing in the middle of the night as well, just throwing things into the suitcase and hoping she didn't forget anything.

"Mommy? What are you doing?" She sat up in bed, still hugging the pillow.

"Am." What was she going to say? She didn't even know what she was doing herself. "We're going on a trip."

"Where?"

"Chicago." Erin said quietly, hoping Robin wouldn't remember who is in Chicago.

But her daughter was just too smart not to figure it out. She gasped in surprise and covered her mouth with her small hand.

"Am I going to see daddy?" She asked. Her voice was shaky, like she was afraid to hear the answer.

"We'll see, okay?" She really didn't want to put her expectations up.

Robin jumped out of bed and went ti get her little suitcase. She wasn't going to be unprepared. She ran to her room and when she got back, she was dragging the suitcase behind her and had two things in her hands; a black cape and... a red glowstick? Nope, it was a lightsaber.

Erin laughed at the sight. "Baby, you really want to take these things?"

"Yes!"

Erin knew gow much she loved to wear that cape and wave the lightsaber around so she couldn't say no to her. It was amazing, how much energy the five year old had at 2am.

Erin remembered thatshe should check online for any last minute plane tickets - she wanted to be in Chicago as soon as possible.

She got lucky - their plane was leaving in an hour.

"Can I wear this?"

Erin turned her gaze away from the screen and looked at Robin. She was holding a smaller pile of clothes.

"Bug, I think you could just go in your jammies? It's gonna be more comfortable. We can pack these in your backpack and you'll put them on when we get off the plane?"

She seemed to be okay with it, because she smiled and ran to get her favorite backpack.

××××××××

Heyo, nina here again. Yes, i know im writing two other fics at the moment but this idea just came out of like 10 different ideas i got.
So, here's some credits to give:
linsteadsunit gave me the emergency contact idea
linsteading gave me an idea i can't expose yet, but you'll see in a couple of chapters;)
erinsbullet also gave me an idea, and i think this one i can spoil; Hailey and Jay being best friends. All i can tell for now;)

I hope you liked it, give it a vote and pls comment your thoughts:)