four.

The light had brightened up the dark gray interrogation room. Pru had pushed herself from off the ground back to the chair she was in before. Wiping her face free of the tears she had cried. She had taken her hat off to readjust it when her eyes landed on the black and blue mark on her cheek. It popped out a bit more against her pale skin. Pulling her hair more to try and cover her cheek, she then placed the hat back on her head. She interlaced her fingers together staring at her hands that were placed on the table. She had felt a big feeling of regret washing over her for coming into the district now. If Graham found out, she could only imagine what he would do.

The door opened and in came the man that Pru saw the other day at the scene of the crime. The girl didn't know him but she figured that he was a detective or something since he was here at the district. And he must have been one hell of a good one if he was in Hank's unit. The guy held a brown paper bag and a cup in his hands with a file folder tucked under his arm. Pru studied his movement as he started to make his way over to the table.

"Where's Hank?" Pru asked.

"He's working on some other leads to the case right now. So he sent me in here so we could talk." He answered the girl's question as he set the bag and drink down on the table. Pulling out the metal chair across from the blonde girl to take a seat himself.

"So Hank sent in a real life ken doll to start a little conversation. Maybe see if I would become weak in the knees and confess everything I know because you flash a charming smile? I'll pass." Pru stated as she leaned in a little, holding back her smirk.

"Hank should know, I never liked playing with Barbie's. Cops and robbers was my go-to game of enjoyment." Pru sassed as she leaned back in her chair. The man scoffed and shook his head.

"That's ironic coming from the lost Barbie herself." He shot back as he pushed the drink and brown baggie in front of her. She glared at the man across from her and shook her head. Opening up the bag to see a sandwich and a bag of chips. She wouldn't admit it but she kind of liked him sassing her back. Once she finally moved in with Graham the whole personality he had the year prior had disappeared and he no longer liked being joked with or challenged in any way. So in the moment Pru felt a little bit of relief for being able to let a part of her humor slip without any repercussions.

"Ham and cheese. And cool ranch Doritos." Jay listed off the contents of the bag as the girl looked at him. Pulling out the sandwich to start pulling pieces apart and hesitantly tossing the pieces into her mouth.

"I'm Jay." He introduced himself. She glanced at him and nodded.

"Pru."

"Well, Pru. We really need your help. The only way we can close this case is if you give us information." Jay spoke to her as she kept quiet. He opened the file folder, pulling out a few photographs.

"These are the three victims from the armed robbery Graham was a part of. It was his bullet that killed this little girl." Jay informed Pru looked down at the photos. Trying to keep a straight face and not break down crying. A child had been killed because of Graham? She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to.

"I saw you yesterday. You drove by the scene. I think you needed a little glimpse of what Graham had gotten himself into again before you ran away from him. I feel like a look at that is what pushed you into willingly coming here today." Jay looked at the girl who stared at the pictures. She was still in shock. Would he really kill a little kid with no remorse? Jay went back into the folder, lifting up a few papers to pull out a few more pictures and placing them in front of the girl.

"Graham Ryan spent two years in prison for beating this pregnant woman." Jay tried to read Pru's emotions but the girl kept a stoned face.

"She was pregnant with his baby. He still assaulted her. I don't want you to have to live through what she did. That baby doesn't deserve it. And you don't deserve it." Jay told Pru whose eyes began to water.

"I think that you know deep down that he's dangerous. And I believe that in the end, you'll do what's right for you and that baby." Jay said as he paused. Remembering what the neighbor had told him when he was questioning her. He squinted before he slowly reached over towards her. She had flinched slightly as his hands had come near her. He had taken her hat off of her head. His eyes had hardened in his gaze as he pointed to her cheek.

"Did he do that?" Jay simply asked. She didn't have to respond for him to know the answer. Right when she broke down crying, he knew the truth. The man stormed out of the room in slight rage. Adam slowed Jay down who looked like steam was coming out of his ears. He shook his head in disbelief and anger.

"What kind of pig does that? What kind of guy beats on a women?" Jay fumed.

"Calm down. I know it's angering, but that gives us more motivation to find this guy and bury him." Adam persuaded Jay to calm down. Patting his back in a friendly notion.

"You think she's ready to talk?" Voight asked Jay as he walked out of his office into the bullpen.

"She'll definitely talk now. She just needed the push." Hailey interrupted as she walked over to them.

"Okay. Get ready because I feel like we might be closer to getting this bastard. Pru is smart, that means she might have paid attention to his routine after all his little happy trips." Hank instructed the unit as they began to shuffle around to get their things together.

Hank and Jay re-entered the interrogation room. Hank sat down across from Pru as Jay sat behind her. She ran a hand over her face then looked at Hank and nodded.

"What information do you need?" Pru questioned, giving into the good side. The right side.

Once Pru told them the things they needed to know and where Graham would be, Voight and Halstead were about to leave the room when Pru called out for them to wait. The two men turned towards the girl who was standing up, nervously tugging on the bottom of her shirt.

"Before I took off on Graham, he threatened me. He said if I did leave then I would regret it. I don't know what to do? What if he does something?" Pru asked nervously as Jay and Hank looked at each other.

"He's going to be going to prison for a long time. You have our protection here. If we get him then he's going away and you won't have to worry about him." Hank told Pru who nodded in a thankful way.

"We'll keep you here with Burgess until we get him, alright?" Hank informed Pru on a safe plan and she formed a small smile on her lips.

+

Pru sat in Hank's office with Kim Burgess. Kim was very kind to Pru. She got the blonde girl to make small talk in the time they were put together. They sat there talking about little things. Just trying to get to know each other in a simple way. Kim had gotten Pru to leave off her hat. She told her,

"You shouldn't be hiding your bruises. You should try and overcome them. Show just how powerful you are and that no wounds can slow you down as a person. You're strong and a fighter."

Those were the words that earned Pru's trust. She was a complete stranger to this woman who had just given her a meaningful pep talk. Pru couldn't help but respect Kim Burgess.

"So one of my colleagues said something about recognizing you from the academy. Did you ever finish?" Kim wondered and Pru frowned.

"No. I was close to but I didn't." Pru responded.

"Why? If you don't mind me asking?" Kim questioned. Pru shrugged then ran her hand through her hair.

"I met Graham." Pru simply replied and Kim looked at her confused.

"So you just dropped everything? All your training and hard work just down the drain because of a boy?" Kim tried to wrap her head around the concept.

"Well. It happened really fast. He just slipped into my life and he somehow got me wrapped around his finger. I had a bad home life so I jumped at the opportunity to get out with a boy who I seemed to have fallen for. It started off like a normal loving relationship. A little after a year he asked me to move in with him. And before I knew it, he controlled my life. He only knew that I was going to school to try to build a good future for myself when he met me. He didn't know that I was actually in the academy. Then eventually he told me that I wasn't allowed out anymore and that I didn't need to keep going to school if I was with him. That my future job was pretty much just to be at his beck and call. Whenever I fell out of line there were consequences. So no, I didn't get to finish everything up at the academy and it was because the boy I thought loved me, controlled me." Pru honestly told Kim. That proclamation instantly made Kim hug the girl. She had gone through a lot and it was because she was blinded by what she thought love was. And Kim could only hope that the girl would soon realize that she was worth so much more than what she was shown.

While Kim had kept Pru busy for the time being, the phone on Hank's desk went off. Burgess picked up the phone to answer the call. After she let the person talk she hung up the phone and looked at Pru.

"They got him. He's being processed. In the cage. Then he's being transferred. We're offering some closure for you. Would you like to see him?" Kim asked. Pru furrowed her brows at the cage part but nodded nonetheless. She needed closure.

"Alright, follow me." Kim instructed as the two women made their way downstairs. Passing some members of the unit. They continued to walk down a dimly lit stairway. Pru felt slight uneasiness as they arrived in the garage. Her eyes fell on Hank who yanked Graham out of the cage. Graham's face was beaten and bloody. Pru internally winced, remembering some of the times she was close to looking like that.

"You biTch!" Graham hissed when he saw Pru standing off to the side looking at him. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach.

"That's no way to talk to the woman who's carrying your child." Hailey sternly told Graham who looked at Pru then scoffed.

"Like it's mine you whOre. You didn't listen. You're dead. And as far as I'm concerned, so is that baby." Graham spat as Jay shoved the beaten man.

"No. You are. Or at least you will be when word gets around that you beat women and killed a little girl." Jay said as Hailey pressed the garage door button. The remaining sunlight seeped into the garage as the prison transport van came into view. A few officers stood by the van as they waited for their prisoner. Taking Graham from Jay, shoving him into the van and slamming the door on him. When the transport pulled away, Pru released a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

+

Everyone on the intelligence floor was packing up for the night to head home after closing the case. Pru was buzzed in upstairs as she headed up the steps. Kevin, Kim, and Adam sent a friendly smile the girls way as they passed by her. Hailey was discussing something with Hank in his office. Al was logging off of his computer and grabbing his jacket. Nodding his head as he passed by the girl. And Jay sat at his desk typing up the last things on the report. Pru walked over to his desk hesitantly, a bit unsure if she wanted to approach him. He glanced up to see the blonde girl standing there.

"Hey." He greeted, as he stopped his typing.

"Hi." Pru said with a small smile as she rubbed her arm nervously.

"I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for helping me make the right decision." Pru thanked the detective who kindly smiled up at her.

"I'm just glad that you helped. I understand how hard it was for you." Jay said and Pru nodded her head as Hailey and Hank exited his office into the bullpen. Hailey and Pru locked eyes with each other before Hailey grabbed her jacket and headed towards the stairs to leave.

"Hey, Pru. How are you feeling?" Hank checked up on the girl.

"I'm as good as I can be right now." Pru replied.

"Remember what I said. If you ever need something, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I will help you in any way that I can." Hank told Pru, pulling the girl in for a hug.

"Where are you planning on staying now?" Hank questioned, causing the girl to shrug.

"My stuff is in my car. Maybe I'll sleep in it again tonight and then tomorrow find a cheap motel until I can find an apartment or something." Pru told the man.

"You shouldn't have to do that. You could talk with Hailey, work things out. She'd be more than willing to let you stay with her. She misses you." Hank brought up as Pru shook her head.

"I'm not ready for that Hank." Pru told the man.

"You could crash at my place." Jay pitched in as Pru turned to look at the man who was sliding his jacket on.

"I have two beds. Only if you're willing though." Jay tried not to push.

"Sounds like a good offer. Your own bed." Hank nudged the girl who pursed her lips. Trying to decide if she really wanted to take the offer. She hardly knew the guy, but if he was in Hank's unit then he must be trustworthy. And it was a better option then sleeping in her car again.

"Alright. I'll take it." Pru gave in.

"Okay, then it's settled. Now I know you'll be in good hands. You two should head out, it's getting late." Hank told them as Pru and Jay started to leave down the stairs side by side.

"I'll pull my car around and then you can follow me in yours." Jay planned as they stepped out into the nighttime coolness. The fresh air engulfed the two.

"Wait, you're not taking me to your pink townhouse with pink furniture? 'Cause if so, I'd rather stay at a cheap dirty motel." Pru joked and Jay chuckled.

"You wish it was a pinked out dreamhouse." Jay teased.

"I'm serious. If I see one pink thing, I will live under a bridge in a cardboard box instead." Pru said with a straight face.

"You're quite a dramatic person." Jay noted as Pru let a laugh escape past her lips.

Edited: 5/10/2021