six.

The typing of keyboards was the main noise in the blue painted room. The occasional phone ringing added onto the sound as people were at their desk doing some work. Footsteps quietly echoed as the person made their way through the room. Towards the back to the main office and coming to a halt in the doorway. Knocking on the wooden door frame to announce their presence. Hank Voight looked up from his paperwork to see the blond girl. She sheepishly smiled at the man who smiled at her then stood up. Greeting her with a friendly hug.

"Hey, kid." He welcomed her into his office and ushered her to sit down on the black leather couch.

"Hey, Hank." Pru smiled, glad to see the man. After being busy for a few weeks looking for a lead to any job she hadn't had time to swing by the district. The girl tried her best to get comfortable on the couch as she moved around about. Hank had made his way to the front of his desk across from the girl as he rested on the edge on the wooden desktop.

"How have you been?" Hank's raspy voice questioned as the girl looked up at the older man.

"I've been alright, I guess." Pru answered and Hank nodded.

"I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks. Halstead was my number one suspect." Hank joked and Pru let a laugh escape past her lips then shook her head.

"Nope, he's all good. If anything I would have probably been the top suspect if he disappeared. He's quite the roommate." Pru humored.

"So what else brings you down here besides finally checking in?" Hank asked as the girl shrugged.

"Honestly, I wasn't going to come and ask. But I've been struggling a bit." Pru admitted and Hank furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Struggling?" Hank wondered as the girl sighed at the pointless weeks of long job searches.

"I haven't exactly had any luck with finding a good job to make sure I'm completely stable. Once I bring up that I'm expecting, and that I would need to go on maternity leave in a few months, it's like I have the plague." Pru said, slightly annoyed with not finding anything good.

"Do you need my help with anything?" Hank asked the girl who looked at him. He wanted her to admit finally that she actually needed his help. He knew it was a hard thing for her to ask. But he wanted to hear the words that corresponded with the request for help.

"I was wondering if you maybe knew of any places that would hire me that I haven't tried yet. Maybe put in a good word for me so I possibly have a chance?" Pru looked at Hank then sighed. She realized that it must have been too much to ask of the man. And she felt terrible for even coming here in the first place to request something like that.

"I'm sorry. I feel terrible for even asking for something like this." Pru admitted.

"Don't be. I could pull some strings for you." Hank paused then peered out into the bullpen of the intelligence unit.

"How about you take a desk up here with intelligence? Just be a behind the scenes person and help with some simple things. Assist us in some cases? You'd get the full job benefits. We can get you to those few more lessons you need to officially be a graduate of the academy." Hank offered as Pru began to have a mental battle with herself. She felt like that was too much of him to do for her.

"I don't know, Hank." Pru said unsure of the job offer.

"Well, I do. And you start today. I know that you'll do really well here." Hank declared, standing up from his spot at his desk.

"Are you sure?" Pru double-checked as she stood up from the couch she sat on.

"Yes. You're a part of this family. And we take care of our own." Hank told her as she gave him a hug to express how grateful she was. He directed her to exit out of his office with him. Some people were at their desks still from when she first walked through while others walked around the room with papers in hand. Pru watched everyone curiously. Most of them were in their own world and she slightly envied that at the moment.

"Listen up." Hank called out to get everyone's attention. Pru's eyes widened slightly at the attention that was put onto them as they stood in front of everyone.

"We have a new recruit in this Intelligence unit. She will be put on the roster in a bit. But this is Pru if you have forgotten. She helped us out on a case a few weeks ago. Pru will be doing behind the scenes things for the incoming months. She's a part of this family now so make her feel welcomed." Hank announced to everyone who sent friendly smiles in her direction.

"We'll get the desk moved where the bookshelf is. It'll be right next to Al's desk. You remember Al and Antonio?" Hank brought up as Antonio lifted up his hand in a friendly way as Pru smiled kindly at him. She nodded at him with a smile. Then Al looked up from slicing his apple with a pocket knife to kindly smile her way.

"Hey, Al." Pru greeted him.

"It's been a while." Al said as Pru nodded in agreement. It had been a bit since she saw all of them and it was slightly because of her.

"So now we have two Upton's?" Adam questioned as Pru and Hailey both turned to look at the man with the scruff on his face. Hailey raised her eyebrow as she stared at Adam trying not to laugh.

"Pru is just fine. Upton is represented in the name already." Pru informed Adam who paused for a few moments to take in the new information. He began to spell out 'Pru' in the air. A lightbulb went off in his head.

"Oh... The 'U' in 'Pru'. Wait a second. What does the rest stand for then?" Adam asked.

"If I told you then I'd have to kill you." Pru spoke in a monotone voice. Her words unfaltering as Adam's eyes widened a bit. The girl was either messing with him or was serious and he'd rather not find out the real answer to that.

"Well, I'm Adam Ruzek. I briefly met you in the academy a few years back. Welcome to the team." Adam introduced himself as he held out his hand for her to shake. Pru smiled and shook his hand.

"So now I get to see you here too?" Jay questioned as Pru turned his attention onto the man she had been staying with for a few weeks.

"That's either a curse or a blessing." Jay teased.

"Quiet, Ken. Shouldn't you be searching for your pink dreamhouse?" Pru remarked as the room filled with chuckles. Hailey smiled at her younger sister as she shook her head in amusement. She was happy to see her happy and joking in that moment.

"I like her already. I'm Kevin Atwater." Kevin introduced himself with a smile which she returned.

"It's nice to see you again, Pru." Kim sincerely said and the girl smiled. She already felt like she fit in there. They were all very warm and welcoming. She couldn't be more thankful. She was just an outsider to this unit and they were already treating her like she truly belonged there.

Edited: 5/11/2021