Hey all! New story, okay! This one I have been writing for a while but as with everything, finally posting it here! Because I am so far along with this, updates will be fairly frequent until I am caught up to what I have posted on Tumblr. I will say the beginning is shorter, but I promise it's not gonna be like this for long!
Before I get into this, I just wanna say one thing: please review stories. Not just mine, but any writer of any fandom. We don't do this for money or popularity, we do it because we want to. It's a form of expression, or stress relief, or simply because we enjoy sharing it with others. Yeah, it sucks that these stories are the only way we're getting our fix of our favorite characters now, but please, take the little extra time to drop a little word about your thoughts to a story. It doesn't have to be a lengthy review, even something simple will suffice, or an anonymous message, or sliding into those DMs (yes I suck, humor me) goes a long way. Reviews mean the world to writers, and taking as little as 30 seconds after reading helps us. We want to hear that you enjoy it, because it helps us enjoy writing more. So, if you want to see more of your favorites stories and authors, review! Review, review, review, cause it means the world.
Thanks guys, and enjoy!
Jay Halstead stared down at his phone, watching Allie's name flash up on the display. He couldn't bring himself to end it – ending their relationship and her subsequent never-ending worry that surrounded his job. The same job that he wouldn't trade for the world, and would willingly end his relationship with his high school sweetheart for. He had already put her through enough.
But here he was almost ten years later, and she was still there. She was there when he was overseas, his rookie years with the CPD, and now as a detective in the Intelligence Unit.
It was that unit that led him to the situation he's in now.
"Hey Halstead, you man up yet?" Antonio Dawson asked from across the room.
Jay simply rolled his eyes. That comment was a running joke he had with the guys in his unit. They knew he had been dating Allie for almost six years, had known her for longer, but he had yet to pop the question. And every time they asked, he himself wondered why he hadn't.
They had been dating since their senior year in high school, and she had been through every deployment, his time at the academy and as a rookie cop in the CPD, and now as a detective in one of the CPD's top units. It wasn't that he didn't love her, they lived together for God's sakes, but he feared it was because he didn't want her to become a cop's wife.
His train of thought ended when his sergeant's gruff voice echoed through the bullpen.
"Got a new case," he began as he slapped a candid picture onto the white board outside his office.
"Meet Jordan Reyes, newest member of Chicago's black market. Word is he sells and traffics everything: guns, girls, drugs, you name it. Wasn't as big of a problem until last night."
Voight's words were punctuated as he slapped another picture up, this time one of two girls face down on the concrete.
Jay tried to keep his emotions in check, but the thoughts of that bastard doing that made his blood boil.
"Homicide caught the case, but passed it onto Vice, who brought this to my desk. Girls are both juniors at Northwestern. They were supposedly out with friends and approached by Reyes. What happened after is a mystery.
"But lucky for us, we've got the go ahead to take it undercover, so Halstead, my office," Voight said before turning to his office.
It caught Jay a little off guard, but he wasn't worried. He knew his skill set and undercover was one of them. So, he followed his sergeant into his office, listened as he explained that he was going to be a buyer for weapons. While his real name wasn't going to be used, they were gonna play up the military background. But the entire time Voight was talking, he had one thought in the back of his mind: Allie.
It was then that he realized he needed to end this, to save her from a life of misery. She deserved better, and that didn't involve sitting alone wondering if he was going to walk through their door every night.
He took in the words Voight was saying, making a mental note as well to read through the file very thoroughly after.
"Jay, I don't want to put you through this, but you're all I've got. If we weren't going with the military background, I may have used Antonio or even Ruzek. But you are the best I've got, regardless."
Jay nodded in understanding, asking a few follow up questions before taking the file and retreating to the breakroom for the rest of the day to learn his new identity. He hadn't realized the day had gone by so quickly until Voight stopped by to tell him to go home.
Home, that's when he realized. He had to tell Allie what was going on. Because you can't exactly tell your girlfriend of almost seven years, who you also live with, that you're leaving to go live somewhere else for who knows how long and they can't know why. No, you can't do that.
He didn't notice Voight still standing there until his gruff voice broke the silence in the break room.
"Halstead, you're a good guy. You can't keep this a secret, but you cannot divulge every detail of this op. If she really loves you, she will understand."
Jay simply nodded, not trusting his voice to agree with his sergeant of not.
"Go home, kid," Voight said before disappearing.
For once, he followed his sergeant's orders, grabbing the files in front of him, his jacket and heading out to his truck.
Sleep never came that night. Allie was already asleep when he got home, something that was incredibly rare, but she had texted him almost two hours prior to leaving the district that she was going to bed early. He had mentally celebrated and cursed the fact that the one night he hoped she was waiting, she had gone to sleep.
Allie usually left after him, and due to his very early appearance at the district to get this op underway, he simply left a note. A fucking note, explaining that he was going undercover, that he couldn't call, and would be home when he could. At the last second, he added that he wouldn't blame her if she left him, because this op held zero promises and that he loved her.
It was still dark when he pulled into the parking lot outside the district. He knew that Voight and Antonio would be waiting for him. Mouse might be there, but if he knew his best friend, and he did, he left all the tech stuff he needed out with detailed instructions, so he could get a little extra shut eye.
Just as he thought, he saw a paper on his desk along with an older looking phone, a different set of keys, and a belt he knew was rigged up with a mic. The desk light at Antonio's desk was turned on and his jacket hanging from the chair, signaling he was there. Jay dumped his own jacket into his chair before heading to get coffee before he was thrown into this operation.
As expected, Voight and Antonio were both in his boss's office. He didn't bother with formalities or interrupting, just walked in and sat down on the couch under the window.
"Sure Halstead, make yourself at home," came Voight's voice, but Jay just glared at him before taking a sip of his crap coffee. He knew his sergeant didn't mean it.
"Why do undercover operations have to start so early?" Jay said to no one in particular.
Both men laughed before silence took over the room.
"You ready for this?" Antonio asked.
Jay simply started down at the coffee cup in his hands. The entire drive to the district this morning had him thinking that this op would be different, but not necessarily in a bad way. And if his time in the Army taught him anything, it was to trust his gut.
"Let's do this."
