season 1, episode one, stepping stone, part two

                "Thank you, Detective. I can handle it from here," Odessa smiled tensely at the gang unit Detective. Dante Florence sat in the holding cell, "You know. I can't keep bailing you out just because your ma is my C.I." Odessa breathed out. 

Dante looked up at her and glared, "You brought my mum into this mess, I'm only trying to get her out," He hissed right back. "I don't need your help. I'd prefer to just do the jail time." 

"And I'd prefer not to have a troubled teen back talk me every ten seconds," Odessa retorted, smiling sarcastically at him. "But we don't always get what we want now do we?" She questioned rhetorically as she opened the cell door. 

Dante sighed as he stepped out, cracking his bones. "Look, just leave my mum out of this please," Dante pleaded. "I know she wants to protect me and my sisters, I get it. I also know that you are doing what you can do protect our family. I just get annoyed, it's the temper I get off of my dad." 

Odessa frowned, "Dante, you're nothing like your father; trust me." 

"I am! Can't you see, I'm getting thrown in jail at such a young age," He cried out, rubbing his eyes. "Just like he did when he was my age." Odessa frowned before bringing him into a tight hug. 

She breathed out before pulling back, "Dante, listen to me. You're never going to be perfect, we don't choose who are parents are," She grabbed his hands in her own. "But what we can do, is strive to be better than them. You can do better, I believe in you. Your mum believes in you, she is fighting so you and your sisters can have a better life." 

Dante's red eyes looked up to meet hers, "So, do me a favour will you. Start finding what makes you, you and not following your fathers footsteps; carve your own." Dante surprised her again by wrapping her in a tight hug.

The two stood there for a moment before Dante pulled back, "Can you, um, take me home? I want to see Alissa." If there was one thing Dante knew, it was that he wanted to be there for his two younger sisters as much as possible. 

Odessa smiled softly, "Course kid," She mumbled, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and guiding him towards the door. "Let's go see your over excited little sister." Dante let out a rough chuckle. 

The walk and drive towards his home was silent, only light music playing in the background.

Dante and Odessa had barely stepped through the door before they were pounced on, brunette wisps of hair wrapped around her leg. "Auntie Odessa!" Leia, the youngest of the three Florence children smiled up at her. 

"Hey Leia, where's your mama?" Lola emerged from the kitchen with a smile plastered on her face.

"I thought I heard your voice," She announced before her eyes drifted towards her only son, her smile dropped noticing the red tear marks down his face. "Dante, what did you do?" She questioned, stepping over the multiple different toys on the floor.

The Latina woman had an expression that Odessa couldn't read properly, "I'm sorry mama, I feel like a failure." Odessa frowned sadly as Lola Florence looked at her son in shock, a tear staining his right cheek as Lola fought to keep her strength. 

"Dante Leonard Florence, you are in no way a failure." Lola scolded, pulling him into a hug. Leia tugged at Odessa's pants and she looked down at her. She cocked her head to the side in child confusion. 

"Why is big brother crying?" Dante looked over his mothers' shoulder and only sobbed louder as Odessa leaned down to Leia's side, opening her arms letting Leia cuddle into her before she scooped her into her arms. 

Odessa pressed soft kisses against her forehead, "Your brother is just a bit sad, your mama just has to take care of him," She explains, looking at her. "Just like she has to do with you bug." She tapped her nose lightly. 

Lola smiled knowingly, watching the two interact. "Odessa," Dante called out and Odessa turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Thank you. I know-" Odessa shook her head as she placed Leia back down on the floor. 

"Dante, you don't have to thank me kid. Just do better." 

Dante nodded before heading upstairs, "Thank you, for getting him out of jail," Lola ruffled Leia's hair in her hand as she went to run after her brother, whom once noticed let out a large chuckle and scooped her into his arms. "The chat you two must've had, must've helped." 

Odessa sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "In all honesty, Lola. I really hoped it did, he's just a boy; trying to find a direction in which to go. He's a good kid" Odessa reached forward and squeezed her shoulder. "You're a great mother." 

Lola smiled softly, "Can I interest you in some coffee?" 

Odessa sighed before shaking her head, "I've got to get back to the 31st," Odessa smiled apolitically. "But the offer is nice. Thank you." Lola nodded, before reaching forward and squeezing her hand. 

Just as Odessa was about to leave the house, Lola called out. "Just before Dante got arrested, hopefully for the last time, he mentioned something that his father had planned," That had piqued Odessa's interest. She turned to face Lola, "I think he was planning on kidnapping someone with a guy called Pulpo?" 

Odessa reached into her pocket, but Lola shook her head. "No, you don't have to give me my C.I money. That was free of charge for getting my son out of jail." Odessa nodded quietly before slipping from Lola's house. 

Her words echoing around her mind, but one name was echoing in her head. Pulpo. 

Why did that name sound familiar, and why was it making her skin crawl? 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── 

Odessa leant her leg against the bench in the locker room as she looked at the poorly stitched up wound on her lower calf, for a Detective, she thought she'd be better at stitching her own wounds. 

Hayden Rodriquez walked into the locker room, "Heard Dante got arrested," Hayden made small talk as she walked towards her locker at the back of the room. "I was so surprised considering he's such a good kid." 

Odessa pulled down her pants leg before brushing herself off, "He's a good kid, he's just a little lost," She commented as she walked towards Hayden, leaning against the locker nearby. "You off shift now?" 

Hayden gave her a deadpan look, "Paperwork," She answered bluntly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That wound come from work or was it something else?" Hayden knew that Odessa's family life was bad but she didn't like to pry. 

Odessa's expression hardened, and didn't answer her question which meant that Hayden didn't press or pry. "Aren't you going under tomorrow?" She questioned, changing the subject quickly so that it didn't go awkward. 

Odessa looked up at Hayden as she pulled her jeans back up, hissing lightly as the course material made contact with the wound, "I thought it was my weekend off?" She questioned, confused. 

Hayden frowned, "Boss just said it was you covering for me," She admitted and Odessa sighed bitterly. "I'm sorry, if it's a pain I can change this weekend to next." Odessa shook her head and gave her a tight smile. 

"It's alright, Hay. It's no one's fault," She addresses. "Go, have fun. I'll take this weekend, but you owe me drinks." She pointed and Hayden smiled a bright smile before bounding over to her and wrapping her in a tight hug. 

Hayden pulled her bag up onto her shoulder and headed towards the exit for the undercover unit. Odessa sighed, knowing she would have to call Jay to warn him about cancelling this weekend. 

The brunette haired detective headed out into the bullpen area, noting Noah still sitting at his desk. "Seems like it us two this weekend," He teased with a teasing smile plastered across his lips. "This should be fun." 

Odessa only grunted in acknowledgement, her hand hovering over her phone for a moment before she opened her drawer and tossed it inside. Noah looked at her questioningly, "I don't want to call Jay, this is the third time I've cancelled this." 

Noah sighed, "You know if you don't call him," He leaned back in his seat, cocking a brow. "He's going to send out a search party to find you." He reminded her and she raked her fingers through her hair, knowing he was right. 

But brushed him off anyway.

"I'll call him later."

Noah shrugged, rolling his chair forward. "You're funeral." 

Odessa knew he was right about the fact that he would send out a search party if she didn't get back to him, it was just his personality and their friendship always worked that way; ever since Izzy disappeared. 

Roan Gino emerged from his office, "You two not heading out?" He questioned, confused on why two of his team members were still lingering in the bullpen area. Odessa looked up with a sigh, her hand still hovering over her pen.

"Paperwork," She answered dryly. "I don't know why he's still here." 

Noah smirked, "To entertain you with my charming personality." 

"More like bore me to death." She retorted with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. 

Roan rolled his eyes but smiled slightly at the playful retorts between the partners, "Well, don't stay here too late. You're both under tomorrow, and need all the rest you can get." He advised, and Odessa nodded. 

Roan's phone rang and he stopped to answer it, "Hello?" He questioned, his expression turned from happy to somber. "When?" He questioned, "Alright. I'll tell her." He muttered before ending the call and placing his phone into his back pocket. 

Noah looked over at Odessa and she shrugged her shoulders, "Roan. What happened?" 

"That was Commander James, uh," He rubbed his shoulder as he turned to look at Odessa. His eyes showing everything she could possibly need to know; someone had died, and someone obviously she knew. "Julie Willhite was killed in the line of duty early this morning." 

Odessa frowned, "Impossible, I only saw her five hours ago. I talked to her." Roan gave her a sympathetic look before Odessa grabbed her jacket from her seat. Not giving any indication on where she was going. 

Noah went to stand up, "Don't. Odessa needs to do this on her own." 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── 

Odessa had only barely just gotten into District 21, when Hank Voight went after Lt Bruce Belden, his anger was radiating. "You! You played games." Hank shouted at him, going forward like a man on a mission. 

"Back up, Voight." 

"Yo, hey, hey!" Police patrolman tried to pull Voight back. 

"You played games and you got her killed!" Odessa rushed to help the patrolmen in pulling Voight back. 

"Hey come on!"

"Back up!" 

Odessa sighed heavily, "Hank! Hank, let it go," She dragged him back further before they were almost out of the door. "I've got this, I've got this." The patrolmen looked at her, before letting him go and she pushed him out of the District. 

Voight turned away from her, taking an angry breath inwards. "You done?" She questioned Voight, "Because right now, that inside was a very bad way in honouring her memory. Julie wouldn't have wanted that." 

"You don't know what she'd want!" Voight roared, and Odessa rolled her eyes; she knew this was Voight's anger talking. 

"Julie and me were friends too, I think I know what she'd want!" Odessa retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Voight frowned for a moment as he watched her eyes water, "She was there when I thought no one was there." 

It was quiet between the two of them before Voight's phone rang, "Hello? Laura, woah; calm down," Odessa frowned. Laura Dawson, she thought. Antonio's wife. "What? When. Call Antonio, I'm on my way." 

Odessa watched as Voight ended the call, "What happened?" Odessa questioned. 

Voight was somber for a moment, "Diego has been taken."