001 ╱ call it macaroni
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CHICAGO? Chicago. Who would've known Cassandra Severide would return.

Only this time the blonde woman returns for work after being called back to the city by someone she trusts with her whole life: Hank Voight.

"Well, well─ well, Cassandra Severide is that you?" An all too familiar voice questions from the front desk of the station.

"Hello Trudy." Cassandra greets with a smile, "I cannot believe you're back in Chicago. And actually agreed to work for Voight?" Trudy quizzes.

"What can I say? I can't say no─ and I missed you." Cassandra responds motioning upstairs so the woman can buzz her up.

"Missed you too, kiddo. Have fun up there." Trudy states watching as the blonde walks up the staircase towards the Intelligence Unit.

"Cassie?" A voice belonging to Erin Lindsay shrieks noticing her childhood best friend strolling into the bullpen.

"Hey Erin." Cassandra smiles widely hugging someone who's grown as alongside her.

"Where's Hank?" Cassandra questions looking around the unit for the man.

"Ah. His at the tower. They called him in after Jin's death surfaced around the city." Erin explains gesturing to Hank's office so she can await for his arrival back at the station.

The others surrounding the unit look at the blonde curiously not knowing who she is─ or why she's suddenly in Chicago.

"Who's that?" One of the males wonders leaning closer to Erin, "Oh. That's Cassandra Severide. Don't call her that though, she answers to Cassidy and she's now working with us." Erin explains looking around at the others.

"Oh? That's cool." Another male mumbles looking away noticing said woman walking out from Voight's office.

"I know some of you may know me already. Hello to you, all. To the others who don't─ my name is Cassidy Severide and I'm pleased to be working with you all in the future." Cassandra voices with a smile plastered on her face looking around the room at all of the familiar and new faces.

"Hey kid." Alvin greets bringing the blonde into a tight embrace, "Hey Grumps." Cassandra smirks actually bringing a smile out on the older man's face.

"Good to have you back." Alvin states taking a seat at his desk while some of the others introduce themselves to their new teammate.

After learning all of their names, one of the males walks into the bullpen taking in Cassandra's beauty.

"Hi. I'm Jay. Jay Halstead." Jay introduces himself holding his hand out for the blonde to shake as a greeting.

"Cassandra. Cassandra Severide. But please, call me Cassidy." Cassandra suggests firmly shaking the handsome male before strolling into the break room to help herself to a cup of coffee.

Jay and Erin follow the blonde into said room as Cassandra begins pouring each of them a cup, "Nadia's first day." Erin voices looking at the male.

"Can she even type? Did we look into that at all?" Jay questions receiving confused looks off both females.

"Yeah, she can, smartass." Erin responds with a scoff before looking up from her coffee cup once again.

"Do not hit on her." Erin demands pointing at Jay hearing Cassandra chuckle beside her, "Nadia? What kind of a dog do you think I am?" Jay quizzes offended.

"That's my queue. Have fun." Cassandra voices winking at both of them walking back into Hank's office to await for the man's return to the station.

Not that long after sitting in one of the vacant chairs in Hank's office, said man walks into the bullpen from the side entrance, "How'd it go?" Erin asks walking out from the break room with Jay behind her.

"It went. They asked some stupid questions. I left." Voight responds walking towards someone's desk─ not noticing the blonde waiting for him in his office yet.

"Boss, where they at with Jin's murder?" Adam questions leaning against his desk beside Alvin.

"Nowhere. Where's Antonio?" Voight inquires looking at Antonio's empty desk, "He's meeting an informant. He's got a tip on some armored van thing." Alvin explains.

"Sarge, why aren't we looking into Jin's murder on our own?" Jay questions stepping in-front of Voight.

"For the same reason I told you last time you asked. They don't want us anywhere near it since he was in our unit, okay? He was a police officer. Area central is all over it." Voight utters walking towards his office taking notice of someone occupying the once empty chair.

"So they had no updates this morning?" Kevin Atwater quizzes receiving a look of disbelief off Erin seated across the bullpen at her desk.

"The update... The update is they're coming after my badge! So when there is another update I will convey it, okay? Until then, just do your jobs." Voight proclaims loudly storming into his office leaving the team watching him slam his office door closed.

"Ah. Hank... you were always someone who got easily infuriated." Cassandra voices making her self known to the annoyed man.

"Oh. Sorry Cassidy. I didn't realise you arrived. How are you doing, munchkin?" Hank questions dropping his pissed off scowl and breaking out in a massive smile seeing the blonde sitting in his office.

"Well, I'm here and ready to work. I've met the others as well. I've missed you, Hank." Cassandra says standing up being brought in for a tight embrace off someone who raised her alongside Erin for a while.

"I've missed you too, Cassie." Hank responds patting Cassandra's back before noticing Antonio walking towards his office.

"Well look out─ we might have a case." Hank states nodding for Antonio to come inside.

"Cassidy? Oh my god. Hi." Antonio says shocked, "Hello Dawson." Cassandra smirks while taking a seat to listen to the possible case Antonio's found for them.

Said male explains to the two in the office what he found out from his CI minutes prior to returning to the station.

"She's never lied to me before. I've gotten 12 tips from her in the past. All of them paid off." Antonio states while Voight and Cassandra look at the crinkled piece of paper together.

"Trade-safe, route 5, tomorrow. That's it?" Voight questions looking up at Dawson.

"That's it. It won't be too hard to get someone inside because if this is legit, the armored van company will back our play." Antonio utters.

Hank nods his head looking at the blonde beside him, "All right, set it up." Hank states with a firm voice.

"Yep," Antonio responds walking towards the office door noticing Voight's stand-offish sitting stance, "Is everything all right?" He then questions genuinely wanting to make sure the man's alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Voight mutters scrunching up the piece of paper and motioning for them to get started with this case, "You ready for this, kiddo?" Hank quizzes.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Cassandra responds walking out of Hank's office towards the basement to get the others ready.

Cassandra stands beside Alvin while said man questions Adam about the undercover job he's currently working, "How much you make an hour?" Alvin quizzes.

"$12.50." Adam responds, "How long you been with the company?" Cassandra asks joining in, "Six months." Adam says, "What do you hate about the job?" Alvin wonders.

"I love everything about it. I really do." Adam responds with a laugh, "Good job. You've got this." Cassandra states winking at Ruzek.

Hank joins them in the basement handing Cassandra her vest, "You already got me a name-tag?" Cassandra questions seeing 'Severide ─ Intelligence Section' labeled on it.

"Of course I did, kiddo." Hank states with a firm nod.

"Thank you." Cassandra mumbles beginning to get into the vest with the help of Erin─ who just explained to her friend Nadia where to for her first day on the job answering phone calls.

"We'll be right behind you... eyes and ears... the whole time. You got two distress signals. For visual, just run both hands through your hair. For verbal, just say "popcorn."" Antonio voices.

"Popcorn?" Adam repeats nodding his head, "Either one of those or both, and we're moving in." Antonio firmly states looking at Alvin who nods confirming what he just said is true.

"All right, I got it." Adam responds buttoning up his undercover gear, "Hey." Voight calls out looking at the unit surrounding one another.

"We all go home tonight." Voight declares receiving confirmations off all of them before separating towards their vehicles to trail behind Adam in the van.

✹

VOIGHT, ANTONIO and Cassandra drive behind the van together with Jay, Erin and Alvin trailing behind them making sure nothing goes wrong with the van and their undercover officer inside of it.

"Hey, what are we thinking for lunch? What, Mexican, Chinese, burgers? I'm good with anything but Sushi, all right? Had a bad experience once, so... we'll leave it at that." Adam voices over the mic that's been placed on him.

"What happened? Did you get sick eating it or something?" One of the males inside the van questions.

"Eh, you know what? Any time somebody says they had a bad experience with Sushi, it's safe to assume they got sick from it. All ends sick, you know what I'm saying?" Adam responds, "Maybe you choked on it." The same guy suggests.

Cassandra sits up noticing an incoming vehicle speeding towards them, "Up here. What's this?" Antonio questions pointing towards the same vehicle Cassandra noticed.

"Voight! Cassidy!" Antonio exclaims noticing a vehicle approaching them from the side smashing into Voight and Cassandra's side of the car.

"Popcorn! Popcorn! Popcorn!" Adam exclaims running away from the gunfire aimed towards him and the firing officers.

Erin punches on the window of Voight's smashed vehicle, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! You guys all right?" Erin questions loudly.

"Ow." Cassandra mutters luckily not injured from the impact of the other car.

"Yeah, we're fine! Let's go!" Voight exclaims turning to face the blonde in the backseat.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Cassandra states noticing Hank's worried look, "Good. That's good." Hank and Antonio sigh in relief, "All right!" Erin loudly responds walking just to side of the car.

"Lincoln 5021 emergency, we have shots fired by the police. Roll an ambo to 1400 West Roosevelt. We have multiple wounded offenders." Erin firmly mutters into her police radio alerting the others of the case gone violent.

After a while of sitting in the damaged car, Cassandra gets up along with Antonio and Voight.

"I'm fine. I promise." Cassandra states wincing due to her achy muscles from being stuck in the car for a while.

✹

AFTER MAKING sure she didn't have a concussion or anything─ Hank's orders.

Cassandra returns to the district smiling at the familiar faces and receiving a wink of Platt at the front desk before buzzing her up.

"Thanks Trudes." Cassandra says walking up the staircase missing the way Trudy smiled happy to have the blonde back in Chicago.

"All right... We have the driver, Lee Pritchett. Worked there three months. Had a wife and two-year-old kid at home. Dead crew member, apparently we've got a lead on that." Erin voices motioning towards officer Sean Roman.

"Yeah, Jeff, I knew him from my last..." Sean begins to explain, "Not yet," Erin interrupts holding out her hand to stop the male from explaining his side of things.

"And we've got the shoot in the armored van. I.D. and social came back bogus from the company. He started work three days ago. We have calls into the company to find out who hired him and who put him in that van today. Now." Erin explains before gesturing that Sean can now voice what he knows about the offenders.

"D.O.A.'s Jeff Gamble. He's got a sheet five feet long. Possession, domestic battery, burglary, two prior armed robberies. His cousin, Chris Gamble, is basically his partner in crime. Chris wasn't involved himself, but I'll guarantee he'll at least know what Jeff was up to." Sean voices looking around at the others in the bullpen.

"Well, you and Burgess go find this cousin." Voight demands looking at the two officers, "All right." Sean responds.

"Yeah." Burgess lowly mumbles turning around to the leave the bullpen before having a conversation with Adam introducing Sean to his partner and vice-versa.

"There's a bunny on the phone for you." Nadia voices looking over at Erin, "Uh, she in jail?" Erin questions looking over at Cassandra─ already looking at her worriedly.

"I..." Nadia trails off unsure, "Look at the caller I.D. if it's an 888 number, that's the jail. You're gonna get a lot of those." Erin explains.

"312?" Nadia questions reading off the number from the telephone, "Take a number. I'll call her back." Erin suggests.

"Okay. Can I return?" Nadia lowly questions taking a number for Erin to call it back like the brunette suggested.

"Psst─ Cassidy, come with me?" Jay questions gaining the blonde's attention.

"Sure thing." Cassandra responds getting up from her table motioning for Erin to follow noticing the look of curiosity on her best friend's face.

"What's up?" Erin quizzes following Jay and Cassandra into the locker room.

Jay hands Cassandra a piece of paper with a written note from Jin.

I KNOW I
CAN TRUST YOU
─ JIN

"Jin sent this to me." Jay explains holding up a flash drive showing the two females.

"What's on the drive?" Cassandra questions knowing the whole murder mystery is still unsolved.

"I haven't checked it yet." Jay responds, "Show it to Voight." Erin suggests a little panicked, "I agree." Cassandra utters looking at the male.

"Not until I know what's on it." Jay answers looking at both of them before leaving the two best friends─ sisters in the locker room sharing concerned looks with one another.

✹

VOIGHT AND Olinsky call for a team meeting to go over something that's come up with the case they're currently working.

"Oskar Bembenek and his younger brother Jacob," Olinsky explains flicking the pictures on the crime board.

"Oskar's run a crime outfit for the last 25 years. Prostitution, extortion, drugs, you name it," Olinsky states.

"Now Oskar never gets his hands dirty. He always subcontracts when it comes to taking people out. That's how he's lasted so long." Olinsky continues explaining while the unit continues to listen to him.

"This murder charge, what's that about?" Adam inquires pointing at the crime board.

"He just had a mistress. Just wanted to break up with him. So he stabs her─ 25 times," Olinsky exclaims while Cassandra and Erin shake their heads in anger.

"His shirt? It's got her blood on it. Now, I knew this girl. I knew this girl. Josie Martin. I was trying to turn her out as an informant against him." Olinsky mumbles clearly feeling pain and some guilt over this girl's death.

A phone rings from one of the desks, "Intelligence, Atwater." Atwater states answering the phone call.

Just as Dawson receives a text on his phone from someone and quickly grabs his coat, "I'll be back." Said male states looking at Voight and Cassandra.

"Thanks," Atwater mumbles ending the phone call and not wasting any time beginning to explain what the said call was about.

"The supervisor from the armored van company I've been trying to get a hold of just went home sick." Atwater states.

"Severide. You and Halstead, let's go." Voight demands, "Yep." Cassandra murmurs sending a look Erin's way receiving a wink off the brunette happy to see her blonde best friend getting a chance out in the field.

"Hey. Text me the address." Jay states looking at Atwater, "Gotcha." Said make responds quickly sending Halstead the address.

✹

CASSANDRA GESTURES for the car keys receiving an annoyed sigh off the brunette male.

"Oh great. You're just like Erin. And won't let me drive either." Jay mutters in annoyance.

"Guilty as charged." Cassandra laughs getting in the drivers seat and beginning to drive to the address Atwater sent to both of their mobile phones.

Since he couldn't drive, Jay pulls out his laptop and looks at what's on the drive Jin mailed to him weeks ago.

"So what's on the drive?" Cassandra questions pulling up to the address, "Jin was working with IA." Jay states shocking the blonde.

"Wow. I didn't see that one coming." Cassandra responds shocked, "Any shot Voight was mixed up with them?" Jay suggests receiving a look off Cassandra.

"You're too cute. Don't get stupid on me now, Jay." Cassandra mutters getting out of the vehicle walking towards the address with Jay blushing behind her since the attractive blonde woman just called him cute.

Cassandra knocks on the front door of the house, "Luke Hendricks?" Said woman calls out while Jay looks through the window noticing something inside on the floor.

"Body." Jay announces while both himself and Cassandra pull out their weapons bashing through the wooden door, "Police!" Jay exclaims with a grunt.

Cassandra steps around the bloodied body while searching the house along with Jay checking the surrounding rooms, "Clear!" Jay calls out.

"Police! Clear!" Cassandra exclaims after checking the back rooms exhaling while walking closer to Jay and the deceased body pulling up a mugshot from her mobile phone.

"Yep, that's Hendricks." Cassandra mutters, "Looks like he was trying to clear out." Jay states noticing the packed bags on the sofa behind the blonde woman.

"Okay. So he's working for Bembenek. He hires the shooter in the armored van, and then he tips off the crew when he knows that we've got a guy in there and we're following." Cassandra voices looking up at the male.

"I'll call it in." Jay responds leaving the house and Cassandra beside the body of the man.

✹

JAY AND Cassandra make their way back to the district so they can update everyone on the news of the man being shot and killed once they arrived.

Walking back into the bullpen, the phone at Nadia's desk begins ringing.

"Chicago Police Department. Intelligence. How may I help you?" Nadia greets answering the call.

"Hey. Hang on. Lindsay? Bunny again." Nadia states looking at Erin taking notes at her desk.

"Take a number. I'll call her back." Erin responds, "Can I have her return?" Nadia suggests ending the phone call after a while.

"You all good?" Cassandra questions leaning against Erin's desk, "Yeah. All good, Cassie." Erin smiles looking up at the blonde.

"Hey Cassidy. You got a place to stay?" Hank questions looking at Cassandra packing up her stuff.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks though, Hank." Cassandra responds leaving the district, "Wanna come to the bar with me? Jay's already there." Erin questions.

"Sure." Cassandra shrugs following the brunette in her car to the bar where Jay's already at and drinking alone.

"Hey." Erin greets the man taking a seat beside him while Cassandra orders herself a beer on the other side of him, "G'day." Cassandra greets not wanting to be rude.

"So let me ask you both something. Straight up. Do you think there's any shot that Voight was involved with Jin's murder?" Jay questions looking from Cassandra to Erin.

"Wait what?" Erin questions confused while Cassandra stares at the male genuinely shocked at the suggestion, "Are you out of your mind?" Cassandra quizzes.

"That's an answer to a different question." Jay smirks looking at the blonde sitting beside him and taking in all of her beauty─ considering they aren't at work at the moment.

"No. There is no way he's involved." Erin states this time, "Amen." Cassandra voices agreeing with Erin.

"Yeah, well, he's gonna bury the case, for god knows what reason." Jay mumbles still looking in-between the two women.

"Why? What reason would he have?" Cassandra questions, "Do you really think that you know everything about this guy?" Jay wonders now looking at the scowl plastered on Cassandra's face.

✹

THE NEXT morning, Cassandra enters the workplace hearing the news about Burgess and Roman's arrest earlier.

"Congratulations on the arrest." Cassandra voices noticing Kim strolling out of the locker rooms.

"Oh. Thank you." Kim shyly responds, "Keep up the good work." Cassandra winks walking upstairs after buzzing herself in and noticing that Hank isn't in yet.

"Hey. Sorry about last night." Jay says following the blonde into the break room, "Jay, it's fine. We all have trust issues. I understand." Cassandra responds pouring some of the hot coffee in a cup.

"It's not that. It's just... I don't know. I'm really sorry, Cass." Jay apologies before returning back to his desk and taking a phone call.

Voight enters the bullpen from downstairs after hearing about the arrest of Edwin Stillwell and remembering the threats the man made last night about outing him to the whole city of Chicago.

"I don't know what you heard, but let me set things straight," Voight voices gaining everyone's attention─ Cassandra's as well since she's walked out from the break room.

"In order to get my job back, I made a deal with I.A. The deal was I put myself out there as dirty so I can take down some high-level criminals. I never agreed nor did I ever report on another cop. You can like it or not, that was the deal." Voight explains looking around the area seeing all of the shocked faces amongst two betrayed ones.

Nadia quickly answers the phone as it rings trying to end the awkward silence filling the room, "Intelligence." Nadia quietly says allowing the other person on the line to begin speaking.

While Voight looks from Erin and Cassandra who roll their tongues over their teeth betrayed and angry with the man they thought they could trust.

"We should gear up for our meet." Cassandra states before walking off towards the back entrance with Erin following after her.

"Sit down!" Antonio shouts making Chris take a seat in the cage.

"Now whether this evidence bag was open or not, or if it broke chain of custody, I don't really give a damn. That's for the state's attorney's office to worry about. Main thing is to get Oskar Bembenek showing up with 200k, and heads will roll from there," Antonio explains looking around at the others receiving nods from them in understanding.

"Wait for the money to be handed over first, then move in." Antonio states.

"And we move in quick. Okay? As you can tell, Bembenek and his brother have no problem getting violent. All right?" Olinksy mutters.

"Hey, Lindsay. Severide─ Kid. Girls..." Al whispers grabbing Cassandra and Erin's attention, "I know how you're feeling." Al softly voices.

"Al... You don't." Erin states shaking her head walking away from the man and Cassandra.

"I know that hurt to head, kid. But he's still the same man who raised you." Al firmly states looking directly into Cassandra's eyes.

"I know. But I still feel betrayed, grumps." Cassandra responds with a shrug before joining the others.

"All right, Gamble, let's get you wired." Antonio states getting Chris out from the cage and lead him towards the vehicles for the meet ahead of them.

✹

CASSANDRA SITS in her car ready to be a getaway or chase driver incase something goes wrong.

Jay and Erin sit in the car with her while Erin playfully glares at the blonde since she's the driver.

"Go. Go!" Erin demands while Cassandra presses her foot to the gas of the car parking in the driveway blocking the brothers in from escaping.

"On your knees!" Cassandra shouts aiming her gun at the man rushing towards them, "Let me see your hands! Put 'em up!" Jay and Erin shout in sync with one another.

"It's all good! It's all..." Jacob exclaims before aiming his gun directly at the blonde immediately snapping Jay into firing his weapon and shooting Jacob twice in the chest immediately knocking the man onto the ground.

"No! No! No! Jacob!" Oskar shouts getting out of the vehicle seeing his brother being shot repeatedly.

"Up where I can see 'em! Put your hands up where I can see 'em, now!" Cassandra and Erin simultaneously shout with one another.

"No! Jacob!" Oskar exclaims, "Don't move!" Olinsky orders shoving Oskar onto the ground.

"Jacob!" Oskar cries out in horror still not hearing his brother responding to him.

Said male grunts as Olinsky roughly handcuffs him before glaring directly at Jay who fired the shots at his brother.

"You shot my brother." Oskar snarls looking at Jay, "It hurts, tough guy? What's that, tough guy? Huh? Come on." Olinsky demands dragging him towards his vehicle.

"Jacob!" Oskar exclaims once more as Olinsky slams him against the vehicle.

"Wolfie 5021 emergency. We have shots fired by the police," Cassandra voices into the radio gently placing her hand on Jay's shoulder.

"Roll and ambo to 35th and Hamilton." Cassandra states, "Copy that, Wolfie 5021." A woman from dispatch responds.

✹

"I OWED you a drink. So here you go." Cassandra voices placing a bottle of beer in front of Jay, "You didn't have to do this." Jay responds smiling at the blonde.

"It's just a beer. Not like I'm proposing to you." Cassandra laughs, "Well thanks, Cass." Jay smiles taking a drink from his beer.

Cassandra sits beside him on one of the stools across from her is Sylvie Brett from 51, "Cassidy, does your brother know you're back?" Brett questions.

"Nope. And don't tell him, it's a surprise." Cassandra responds winking at the blonde woman who nods with a laugh.

"Hey, get this. Voight beat the suspension." Adam voices taking a seat beside Sylvie, "Thought he was facing termination." Kevin states confused.

"Call it macaroni, dude. I don't know. He's gonna be back in the office tomorrow. He beat it." Adam utters taking in the look of shock surfacing on Cassandra's face.

"Jay." Alvin voices from beside Jay startling him, "Whoa. Al. What's up, man?" Jay questions.

"Hey. Hey kid." Al greets receiving a wave off Cassandra since she has a mouthful of beer.

"Sylvie Brett. Alvin Olinsky." Jay states introducing the two of them, "Hey." Sylvie greets being friendly.

"Hey, hi." Al responds before looking back at Jay, "Grumps, you okay?" Cassandra questions now that she's swallowed the alcoholic beverage.

"Um... Jay, let me have a quick word with you. Kid, you can come too. Come here." Al states receiving shocked looks from the both of before following Alvin towards the exit just away from the others.

"What the hell's going on, man?" Jay quizzes, "Grumps? What's wrong?" Cassandra wonders taking in the look of despair on the man's face.

"Oskar Bembenek just put a $100,000 bounty on your head for killing his brother Jacob." Al reveals, "Well fuck." Cassandra mutters looking at Jay's shocked face.

─────── ∘°❉°∘ ───────
TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
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