Ok, I was watching some random TV show and this song popped into my head and Linstead jumped into my mind. It's short but I love it and it's kind of a bridge chapter/story between Adorkable? Really? and the sequel that is currently in progress... in my head...
Also, there is some language (which I have never published or even written) but that is kinda what makes it funny. Fair warning.
Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago PD or any of its affiliates.
It started with phone call. If you could call it that. Jay had done well enough to figure out the nature of the call from the fragmented, rushed sentences Adam Ruzek had thrown at him from the other end. From what he could gather, Kim had gone into labour and they were on their way to the hospital. So much for his big proposal. With Adam having helped plan his own, Jay had returned the favour and even helped pick out the ring. Erin had only been pulled into the loop a couple of weeks ago and it was all he could do to keep her from spilling the secret.
Since Erin didn't really want to be reminded of all the women Jay had been with (even though he'd only been with one other woman when they had been on a break) they had chosen to find a new place together, even taking a page out of Adam and Kim's book and getting a two bedroom. They were being careful but you never know when a little one might join the party.
Just like now.
They'd been sitting on the couch and watching a DVD they'd gotten in the mail called Spin and Jay couldn't help but make a remark that the main lead looked slightly like Ruzek and the girl he was crushing on in the movie looked vaguely like a paramedic he had met once, a friend of Antonio's sister. Jay had gotten up to answer his vibrating phone since Erin seemed to be at least slightly more interested in the movie than he was and he didn't want to annoy her with whatever conversation was about to take place. He figured it was just a call to tell him Burgess had said yes.
"Halstead," he answered.
"Halstead!" he heard from the other end. "Water broke... dinner... Chicago Med... Kim, are you okay?! Meet us... Crap! Sorry!" With all the shuffling going on on the other end, he could only guess that they were in the process of getting in a car or making their way there. He'd heard a mumbled voice in the background that he took to be Burgess. He could only imagine how well his partner in crime was handling his girlfriend in labour. He heard the phone fall and hung up when he realized their conversation was over.
"Hey, Erin, wanna go for a drive?" he asked as he walked back towards the couch.
"What? Why? We're in the middle of a movie, Jay," she barely looked up from her reclining position.
"Well, I just figured you'd want to go see Burgess and Ruzek's baby since she just went into labour," he joked. As quickly as she jumped off the couch, you'd think she was the one bringing a baby home soon.
"What the hell, Jay?! Why didn't you lead with that?! Let's go!" He could tell she was a little more scatterbrained than usual and scooped up the keys while she scurried around to find her shoes and everything else she thought she needed. She ran from counter to counter before turning to Jay. "Where the HELL are my keys?!" He lifted his hand and jingled them as the walked to the door.
"Come on, Booskie," he nodded his head towards the door before she trailed behind.
"Fine, but I'm driving," she muttered when they hit the hallway. She reached for the keys when she caught up with him.
"Not with your head all over the place, you're not," he smirked. He raised his arm a little higher, his height winning out over hers.
"Damn it, Jay! Now is not the time for this." She jammed the elevator button and tapped her foot while they waited for the doors to close.
"I don't care. I'm driving, Sweet Cheeks." He leaned down and planted a kiss on her hair, not missing that while she didn't pull away, she did roll her eyes and make some sort of indistinguishable noise.
They were on the road in no time, Erin navigating the whole time. She didn't do well when Jay was driving, much less when she was in a hurry. Up ahead, a light had just turned to yellow. With the two cars in front of them and their friends' semi-recent driving history, he wasn't about to chance it. They were already heading to the hospital, they didn't need to end up arriving in an ambulance. He put his foot on the brake and made it to the light just as it switched to red.
"Shit! Seriously, Jay?!" Erin shouted, slamming her hand on the dash. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" He turned to face her, a smile on his face. "You know I could have made that light! That's why you should have let me drive the damn car!" God, he loved this woman.
He blocked out the rant she was going on and couldn't help but have a song pop into his head, the first line making him fight laughter. The way you curse when we're in traffic... He saw their future as if it were happening right in front of him. He could see her walking down the aisle in whatever dress she chose (given her tendency to rebel, he wasn't sure if it was going to be white), looking gorgeous as ever; going to a beach somewhere and tanning in a bikini next to him; a little pink plus on a stick that would change their lives for the better; hearing a little heartbeat fill a dark room for the first time; walking their kids to school and helping them do their homework; sending them off to college; growing old together in a kooky retirement community. He could see a long, full life with beautiful woman and he wouldn't change a single thing that had gotten them to this point, it made them who they were and they were better for it.
All of this happened before the light changed and he leaned over to plant a kiss on her still talking lips. She quit talking long enough to return the gesture, a honk behind them making them pull away.
"What was that for?" Erin breathed, her eyes still closed.
"For being you," he returned, the smile she had fallen in love with on his kissable, pink lips.
Another honk.
"Move your ass!" Jay heard from behind them. Someone had their window down and had taken to speaking along with the noises their car could make. He looked behind them to see a Crew Cab with floodlights and a big guy throwing a particular gesture out the window.
Jay was tempted to throw on the lights and flash some red and blue at him. Given that they were in a hurry, he chose to just pull into the intersection and keep heading to the hospital. He took Erin's hand into his own, rubbing his thumb across the back of her palm. He heard a sigh from the seat next to him.
"Hmmm?" he mumbled as a question, trying not to take his eyes off the road.
"I don't know why you put up with me sometimes," Erin said. She seemed to have calmed down a little in their short drive.
"Me, neither," he replied. She used her free hand to shove his shoulder.
"Hey! I'm being serious," she said. "I know I can be a handful sometimes, like earlier, and I was just wondering why you do it." He chanced a glance from the road to look at her. Her eyes were downcast and she looked like she was thinking hard about something that was bothering her. "No one else wants to put up with me," she mumbled.
"Hey," he whispered to get her attention. When he knew he had it, he continued. "I put up with you because I love you, I have since I met you. You may be a handful, as you seem to think, but your strong spirit and passion are just a couple of reasons why I do. I just don't know why you put up with me," he laughed. "Seriously, though, Erin, I love you and I always will." He lifted the hand he held and planted a soft kiss just above her engagement ring.
"Really?" she asked, her voice full of need. How could she not believe him after all this time?
"Really." They shared a smile as they pulled into the parking lot of the Chicago Med. "Now, let's go meet the newest member of the Intelligence Unit."
I told you it was short. Didn't mean to make it sad right before the ending but it just kind of happened. Stay tuned for the next installment of our favourite Intelligence Crew!