Part III

Author: LexysK23
Chapters: 3/3
Words: 1,386
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this plot.
Author's Note: Here is the final part for Brighter. This sets up for another sequel. One hour left for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to the mothers reading this story, (If there is any).

And for the guest who didn't like where the story went, I'm sorry. I never meant to bring memories back. And you weren't rude, you were just saying what you were thinking, and it affected you in a way that hurt. I'm sorry about your friend and hoping you're doing well.

Anyways guys, enjoy.

Uploaded: May 10, 2015

You left me out there with no one but myself
In an open field for lightning to strike me down
I was the moon, you were the sun
I can't seem to shine now that you're gone
You ran out of orbit cause you left with no word
Are you somewhere better now?

Can you save me now?
I get lost in the clouds?
Can you save me now?
You were my gravity

Gravity by Against the Current

Hank woke up when he felt a hand move. He quickly sat up and looked down at Erin, who was slowly opening her eyes.

"What happened?" Erin asked, her voice groggy and confused. She tried to sit up but Hank pushed her back down.

"No, stay down. We'll talk later. Just go back to sleep," Hank whispered.

Erin gave him a sleepy smile and fell back asleep.

Hank watched her, as the woman slept.

Brett and the new paramedic entered the apartment. They rushed to Erin and Hank.

"What happened?" Brett asked, remembering Erin. She liked the older woman.

"She, uh, she took these," Hank told Brett, giving her the bag of pills. "And she took alcohol."

Brett nodded and went to work.

Hank felt useless as he watched the paramedics work on his daughter.

He could feel the phone vibrate in his pocket. He didn't want to answer it, but if he didn't the caller would just continue to call.

"Voight," he said into the phone.

"We got a break through in the case. We need you," Antonio told him. Hank closed his eyes, nodding.

"Okay. I want you to take over. There are some things I need to take care of," he said, watching as Brett and her partner placed Erin on the gurney.

"What? Is something wrong? Is Erin okay?"

"We'll talk later. Just handle the case and let me know when you catch him."

"Yeah okay."

Hank hung up and followed the paramedics, not wanting to leave Erin alone any time soon.

"What did you do," Hank whispered, as he watched Erin sleep. He took a deep breath. He fell asleep when he was sure that Erin was going to be okay

Chicago PD

Erin was a lot more lucid when she woke up the second time. She opened her eyes and frowned. She didn't know where she was when she first woke up. The last thing she remembered was being home. She took some pills to get rid of the pain. It must have worked because she didn't feel anything.

She looked over and saw Hank sitting there. He was asleep. It made her look around the room, wanting to know where she was and an idea of what had happened.

She was at the hospital. Something must have happened, but she didn't know what. She sat up and woke Hank up.

"What happened?"

"You OD'ed."

"Wh-what?" she questioned, not sure she heard him correctly.

"I went to check on you. And I found you, on the ground. If I waited a few seconds, you would have been dead. What happened Erin?"

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen," she whispered, looking away. She couldn't see his face, his concern.

"Are you sure?"

"I did not try to kill myself," Erin snapped, glaring at him.

"You've had a lot in your plate. Nadia's death, I know it had a real big affect on you," Hank told her, reaching over and grabbing her hand. "I'd understand if you were unconsciously doing that."

"I was not! I just didn't want o feel anything. I didn't want to hurt anymore."

"Erin—"

"It's my fault! Is that what you want to hear? That it's my fault? It's your fault too! If you hadn't tried to save me then I wouldn't have been in her life!" Erin shouted, angry at the man in front of him. She started to pull the wires around her off and stood up from the bed.

Hank didn't show any emotion. He just sat there, letting her shout at him. He didn't even stop her from getting up, even if the doctors had told him that she should stay on the bed.

"Fuck," she whispered, as she wiped her tears.

"I'm the reason she's dead. I'm the reason this happened."

Hank stood up. "I have some people who want to talk to you. And now I know that it's important that they do."

Erin frowned, as she looked at him open the door. Erin watched as a couple walked in. Erin turned to Hank, confused. She then looked at the couples. That was when it happened.

Erin looked into her eyes, the woman's. She saw those familiar eyes, in Nadia's face. She felt all her walls crumble down. Her legs collapsed under her as she cried. "I'm so sorry. I tried. I really tried." Hank wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed. "It's my fault. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

Mr. and Mrs. Decotis watched the woman break down in front of them. Mrs. Decotis walked forward and got on her knees in front of Erin.

"You saved her," she whispered, looking at the woman her daughter looked up to. "You gave her a reason to turn her life around."

"But if I never tried to help her, then he wouldn't have gotten to her," Erin said, in her broken voice. Hank just held her tighter.

"No, but she would have died earlier. She would have overdosed, someone else could have hurt her. But she got to live a better life, even if it was for a short time," she told the younger woman.

"She ran away from home. We lost contact with her for years. But then, she called us. She apologized and told us she loved us. All because of you. All because you did come into her life," her husband added, bending down next to his wife.

"I know a lot of people say this, but she wouldn't want you doing this to yourself. She would want you to change other people's lives like you did with hers. She would want you to continue being who you are. She would want you to be the woman she looked up to," his wife continued, reaching over and grabbing Erin's hand.

Erin looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded as Nadia's parents wrapped their arms around her.

"You brought her back into our lives. And we'll never be able to thank you enough," Mrs. Decotis, causing Erin to break down and cry.

Chicago PD

Erin looked at Hank, tired from what had just happened. "I'm sorry. I want to get better."

"You will. I promise you. But I want you to move back in with me, until you're back on your two feet. It will be hard," he said, smiling softly.

"I know. But I have you, I have the team, and I have Nadia to help me through it," she whispered.

Hank nodded. "I'm proud of you. You fell down, but you always get back up."

"I want to be the person Nadia was proud of. I want to shine brighter."

"And you will. Shine brighter," Hank said, smiling at how cheesy it sounded. He suddenly got up. "I have to call Halstead. He's going to have a heart attack when he hears what you did."

Erin groaned as she leaned back against the bed. "He's going to be so overbearing."

"It just means he cares. And you did take those pills after he left. He's bound to feel guilty."

"I hope not. But I know what you mean. I just didn't want to feel anything anymore."

"And now?"

"I have to fight through it. I have to fight through it all."

Hank smiled, as he walked out of the room.

Erin was alone, as she looked at her hands. She knew she had a hard recovery ahead of her. Those pills, they got rid of the pain, but they brought back memories. She knew she had to be strong enough to fight through everything. And she was. She was going to be okay. She was going to survive, and keep being the hope she once was for Nadia. It was for Nadia. She was going to fight for Nadia and her family.

To Be Continued….

The sequel will have the aftermath. Jay, Antonio, (Two of my five favorite chapters. Antonio will always be big in my stories), and everyone else's reactions. (I didn't want to put too much on the chapter and overload you guys.) It's also have Erin's recover and the Daddy!Voight I love to write.

I don't know when the next story will be out. Maybe Wednesday. Probable then.

Story Title:
Same Tight Rope