AN: This story is the follow on to my previous story On Her Own. You do not need to have read that story to read this one however if you would like to read the story of Erin's life before she meets Voight check it out. If you like what you're reading or have something constructive to say I'd love to hear from you. Happy to take feedback and suggestions as well.

Erin walked slowly along Navy Pier eyeing off the tourist she passed, looking for a mark. Teddy was with her and a bunch of other kids from the neighbourhood; they'd caught the bus down there that morning and were now trying to entertain themselves. A game of truth or dare had sounded like a fun thing to do, and it was fun, the dares they'd come up with at first were silly and fun, but now they'd started crossing the line into the illegal. The dare was to pick pocket someone; two of the kids had already made successful grabs, now it was her turn. She wasn't worried, she'd done this before, she knew what she was doing.

She picked her mark, a man in a business suit, she saw him stick his wallet in his pocket after buying an ice cream. She walked carefully along behind him, waiting for the right moment, when it came she made her move but just as her hand went to his pocket someone called out, the man's stride changed, he felt her hand in his pocket and the next thing she knew he had her wrist in a vice like grip, and was calling for the police.

The other kids scattered and she was left on her own, with the man gripping her wrist and an ever increasing crowd gathering around her. When the police arrived they had no choice but to cuff her and take her away. She was arrested and taken down to the police station, she had nothing to say for herself, she'd been caught red handed, she just kept her head down and her mouth shut. She didn't know what she was going to do, there was no defence to her actions, she'd been stupid and reckless and if they sent her to jail she'd deal with it. For now she had no idea what was going on, they'd taken her finger prints and her photo then left her alone in a room. She'd been sitting in there for what felt like hours waiting for something to happen.

...

Detective Hank Voight walked into the station carrying a bag with two burgers in it, it was three in the afternoon and the food was either a late lunch or an early dinner depending on how long it took him to finish his paperwork. As he walked past the interrogation rooms he saw a girl sitting there by herself.

"Hey Platt," he called back to the officer manning the front desk, "what's with the kid in interrogation?"

"Pick pocket," Platt smiled, nothing went by in that station without her knowing, "they're going to let her off with a warning, we're just waiting for someone to pick her up."

Voight went back to his desk and ate his burgers while completing his paperwork. Three hours later he was ready to leave, an early night he thought but as he was walking past interrogation he saw the girl still sitting there, alone, her head resting on the table as if almost asleep.

"Hey Platt," he said walking over to the desk officer, "what's with the kid still in interrogation?"

"No one has come to pick her up," Platt said half smiling, "if someone doesn't take her in the next hour, we're calling CPS."

"Right," Voight nodded and he turned around and walked back to the interrogation room. He wasn't sure what it was about the girl, she certainty wasn't the first kid to be left sitting in interrogation but there was something about her which made him want to talk to her.

...

Erin sat up with a start when she heard the door to the room open, she'd been falling asleep in the chair, she was board and hungry and wanted to go home, or at least somewhere out of this room. A man she hadn't seen before walked into the room, he looked rough around the edges and when he spoke his voice was course and gravely.

"Hi, I'm Detective Voight," he said introducing himself, "what's your name?"

"Erin," she said looking up at the man, "I already told the other officer that. Have you come to take me away?"

"No," Voight said sitting down opposite her, "why do you think someone is going to take you away?"

"Because I tried to steal that wallet," Erin said looking at the detective, she thought his question was weird, "that's what always happens, something bad happens and you get taken away."

Voight was surprised at her answer, "have you done this before?" he asked.

"No," she said looking down, "but I've seen it happen, you always get taken away. A kid in my old building got taken away and I never saw him again. If it's not the cops it's CPS. You always get taken away."

"Oh," Voight said eyeing off the kid, he felt sorry for her, there was a look in her eyes which said she'd seen some stuff, and something in her mannerisms which said she was living a hard life. He had an inexplicable urge to want to help her. "Are you hungry?" he asked, knowing the girl hadn't eaten in hours.

"Maybe," she said cautiously, she couldn't tell if he was being genuine or trying to trap her.

"Would you like to go get something to eat with me?"

Erin didn't understand what was happening, she didn't know who this detective was or why he was asking her out for dinner but she was hungry, "Okay," she said still feeling very unsure.

"Good, come on," he stood up and walked to the door, he held it open while she stood and he followed her out the room. She moved slowly down the corridor, half a step behind the detective, she didn't know where she was going and didn't want anyone to accuse her of trying to escape. He told her to take a seat by the front door while he talked to the officer at the desk.

"I'm taking the kid home," Voight said to the officer behind the desk, "where's her paperwork?"

"Here," the officer said handing him a small pile of paper, "be careful."

Voight nodded, not quite understanding the warning the other officer had given him. "Come on kid," he said and he walked with the girl to his car.

...

Erin sat quietly in the front seat of the detective's car, she felt weird and uncomfortable, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing, what she was supposed to say so she didn't say anything, she just stared out the window and watched the city buzz by. After five minutes they pulled up in front of a pizza restaurant.

"Come on kid," the detective said to her when she didn't move fast enough. She followed him into the restaurant, and to a booth he sat down in. There was only one menu on the table, he picked it up before she could look at it, but it seemed to be pointless, the waitress was over there in a matter of seconds, he laughed and smiled with her like he was a regular. He ordered pizza and chocolate milkshakes without even asking if she liked them. It would have annoyed her if she wasn't already completely confused and weirded out by the situation. She wasn't going to turn down a free meal but she didn't trust this man, she couldn't fathom the idea that he was just doing this to be nice, he had to have an ulterior motive but she couldn't work out what.

Voight watched the girl sitting opposite him, she looked nervous and uncomfortable, she had a napkin in her hand and she was slowly tearing it into tiny pieces. He wanted to make her feel comfortable, he wanted her to trust him, but he had no idea how to do that, how to get that long lasting trust. His years in the force had taught him how to read people, he could tell this girl was tough, that she was living a hard life, and she didn't give trust out easily. He wanted to start a conversation with her but without a line of questioning he was struggling to find a starting point.

"Have you been having fun in your summer holidays?" he asked trying to get a conversation going.

"I guess," she said not looking up at him.

"What grade do you start when school goes back?" he asked trying again.

"Seventh," she said still not looking at him.

Erin knew what he was trying to do; he was trying to get her to tell him things about herself. She didn't want to tell him her life story; she didn't want the detective to know because she didn't want him to call CPS. She was surprised CPS hadn't already been by, she had expected them hours ago but maybe that was where this detective was taking her. Taking her out for dinner was just his way of trying to be nice.

"What do you like to do for fun?" he asked trying a third time.

"Nothing," she said still not lifting her head.

He was glad when the drinks finally came out, he took a long sip of his milkshake but she didn't touch hers.

"Don't you like chocolate milk?" he asked, hoping maybe a conversation about food might be easier.

"It's okay," she said reaching for the drink, she took a sip and finally lifted her head, she smiled at him.

"They make a really good one here don't they?" he said smiling back at her.

"Yeah," she said looking at him; it was the first time he felt like maybe they could get through this dinner.

Erin watched the detective while she continued to sip her milkshake, it was probably the best milk shake she'd ever had but she didn't want him to know that. She didn't want him thinking she owed him anything. He was smiling at her and as she looked closer she began to sense he was as uncomfortable as her.

"So why are we here?" she asked trying to start her own conversation.

"Because this place has the best pizza in town," the detective told her with a smile.

"That's not what I meant," she said still sipping her drink.

"I know," Voight smiled at her, he was relieved she was finally starting to talk, even if it was to throw questions at him, "but this place really does have the best pizza." Just at that moment the waitress placed the pizza on the table in front of them, "Try some," he said reaching for a piece.

Erin reached for a piece of pizza and began to eat, she hadn't realised how hungry she was until she was eating, the first slice was gone in seconds and then she was reaching for a second.

Voight sat back and watched the girl shove pizza in her face; she was almost inhaling the stuff she was eating so fast. He waited until she was finishing her second piece before he tried to start the conversation again.

"Do you like the pizza?" he asked

"Yeah," she said placing the last of the second piece in her mouth, "so are you going to tell me why we're here? Other than pizza I mean."

Voight took another bite of his pizza so he could work out an answer. He didn't know why they were there, why he'd taken the kid to dinner, why he was going to take her home after. It wasn't his job to do those things, in fact he was probably breaking protocol by doing so but he didn't just want to let the kid disappear back into the system.

"You looked hungry," he finally said, "I thought we could get something to eat before I drop you off home."

"So that's what this is about?" Erin said reaching for her third slice of pizza, "you want to see where I live?"

"No," Voight said, "I want to give you a ride home."

"So you can see where I live, so you can point CPS to my door."

"No," Voight said slowly, he hadn't expected the girl to jump down him about the ride home. "If CPS were going to be called you'd still be at the station. I want to give you a ride home so I know you get home safely."

"I don't need a ride. I can catch the bus."

"You know I'm not going to let you do that."

Erin made a move to stand, she didn't need this detective getting in her business but he saw her move and grabbed her wrist.

"Listen kid," he said looking straight at her, "you can walk away if you want but I'm just going to follow you home so you may as well let me give you a ride."

"Why?" she looked at him confused, she didn't understand why he cared, "why do you care if I get home?"

The question pulled at Voight's heart but confirmed some of his gut feelings. "Because you're a kid," he said.

"But you don't know me."

"Does that matter?" Voight could see the hints of pain in the girl's eyes, "I don't know you, but I can tell you're a good kid, someone should care if you get home safely."

"I'm not a good kid," Erin said looking down, she'd stopped eating, this conversation was making her loose her appetite, "I got arrested, good kids don't get arrested."

"Sometimes they do," Voight said as he slowly released his grip on her wrist. He placed a finger gently under her chin and lifted her head up; he looked her in the eyes. "You did a bad thing," he told her, "but that doesn't make you a bad person. Stay, finish eating and let me give you a ride. We don't have to talk if you don't want."

Slowly she turned back to her food and began sipping her milkshake. Voight picked up another piece of pizza and kept eating. They stayed in the restaurant another fifteen minutes, Voight ate two more pieces of pizza, Erin ate one, they didn't talk, they just sat there in silence slowly eating.

Erin didn't know what to make of her situation, of this detective who seemed to care about her for no apparent reason. He seemed to care about her more than her own mother, she was certain her mom wouldn't have even noticed she was missing. She was relieved when he finally said it was time to leave.

The drive to Erin's home was quiet; the only talking was when she gave direction. Voight didn't mind, he was pretty sure he'd already scared the kid with his kindness, he didn't want to overdo it. As they drove he observed the houses around him, he recognised the area they were heading in to, there was a lot of gang activity in the girl's area. When she told him to pull over, when he saw the house she lived in his mouth dropped, he recognised her home, the house had been on the unit's watch list for forever. They knew there was something going on inside the house but they'd never been able to get inside to work out exactly what.

"Thanks for dinner and the ride," Erin said as she made a move to get out the car. She was ready to get away from this man, ready to put the whole day behind her and pretend it didn't happen.

"Wait," the detective held out his hand and she paused. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a business card. "If ever you need anything, if ever you get into trouble and need help, phone me. My number is on the card."

"Thanks," she said taking the card, then she opened the car door and ran to her home.

Voight watched the girl run to her door; he waited until she was inside before he drove away. The whole drive home he thought about her, he wasn't sure why, he really couldn't explain what he saw in her which he hadn't seen in the dozens of other kids who passed by him every day but there was something there.