A/N:Hey guys, I am overjoyed at the responses to last weeks tag. Thank you guys for supporting me. You guys mean the world to me.
So today I have written a tag to 2x16 'What Puts You on the Ledge'.
Read and review! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to NBC.
Dedicated to Hailey! Happy 13th birthday!
Fading Whispers Collection Presents:
Always
by
Jay Halstead came out of the break room with a smile on his face.
"Hey, how's it going?" Voight asked Jay taking him away from his thoughts.
"Good." He replied and walked over to his desk.
Erin Lindsay walked out of the break room moments later. "How's the coffee?" Voight asked her.
She turned her head and smiled at him. "It's delicious."
"Glad to hear it." Erin nodded and took a seat at her desk.
"Hey sergeant?" Adam Ruzek called as he and Kevin Atwater stood and walked over to him.
"Yeah?"
"So either Kev or I have to go to the training course for the new Penlink software, right?" Ruzek asked.
"Uh-huh," Voight replied. "What's Penlink?"
"It's the-" Ruzek tried.
"Uh, we don't know." Atwater admitted.
"Which conveniently brings us to our point," Ruzek said. "Respectfully, I know things didn't work out with Jin. You got some trust issues with the tech position, but I went to maybe three computer courses at the academy." He finished.
"I mean, if you need to mic somebody or hook up an XBOX, I think we're your guys." Atwater said.
"We're just not cut out for the high-altitude stuff, boss."
Voight considered this.
"Don't say another word." Jay interfered. "I got the perfect guy for that. He did the explosives case with us last year. Mouse, you remember him?"
"I remember everything, Jay." Voight eyed him.
Jay opened his eyes wide. "All right. Well, then you'll recall that he did a great job for us, and when O gets here he'll tell you that too."
"I'm here." Al appeared from behind the file cabinet. "Yeah he was solid."
"Yeah, plus, he's, like a total tech wiz, you know, and I would trust him with my life." Jay paused. "In fact I have, many times."
"Commander," Kevin and Adam nodded as the commander walked by.
"Bring him round," Voight said.
"Alright." Jay turned his head to Erin and their eyes met.
o0o
"Alright, Antonio's in with Cooper, he's got a sit down with the guys who run the crew tomorrow." Adam said.
"Vince Parker," Jay said taping a photo to the board. "He did a dime down in Pontiac for hitting a bank back in '02. He got out, saw the real money was in pharmaceuticals. His crew is responsible for a dozen heists ever since."
"Parker's a point man," Erin said. "If this crew did kill our undercover, he would have made the call."
"Right, but not without this guys help." Jay said taping another photo up. "This is Terry Warfield. He's their hired muscle. He's got a rapsheet for days- manslaughter, armed robbery, assault."
"Alright, while Antonio tries to get in with these guys, the rest of you chase down every other lead we got. Talk to your CIs, talk to Manning's wife."
"Sarge," Adam said. "In Lieutenant Guthrie's report, he said we talked to Manning's wife yesterday."
"Look, Guthrie is too close to this. That's why they brought us in." Voight told Ruzek. "Look a Chicago police officer is missing. We do whatever it takes to find him. Everybody hear me on this?" The group nodded. "Cause I don't like telling people things twice." He looked to Erin and Jay. "Al, I want you partnered up with Erin on this one. And the rest of you, back 'em up."
Jay got a sad look in his eyes as though he were a boy who who just lost his favorite toy. Erin shook her head at Voight and walked away.
o0o
"Okay," Erin said hanging up the phone.
"Where are we at?" Voight asked her.
Jay put his hands on his hips.
"Alright, so the lab is on board. but it's too late to switch out the drugs. Narcotics is gonna wait in the shadows. They'll tail the crew, ID the stash house, and sit tight until we know Antonio's okay, then we give 'em a green light."
"We roll out in 20 minutes." Voight walked away.
Erin's eyes held Jay's for a few seconds and they shared a sad smile.
o0o
Jay walked into the locker room and found the one person he was looking for. Erin. She was everything to him.
"Voight knows." He told her.
"I know," She sighed.
"And for the record, I don't care. I said we should come clean a month ago, and I'm gonna go talk to him right now."
"Jay," Erin called. They stared at each other for a moment. "I wish it was that easy. You know it's different for me." She shrugged.
Jay looked down at the floor sadly and put his hand on her shoulder. "I understand." He moved his hand up to her neck and she grabbed ahold of it. They stared into each others eyes for a few moments. "So, we'll cool it." He paused. "But we'll always have each others backs." He moved his hand back down to her shoulder, her never letting go of it.
"Always," Erin said with tears forming.
"Alright. That's good enough for now." He said sadly and walked away.
o0o
Erin was finally back at her apartment. She took a hot shower and came out to put on some clothes. The conversation she had with Gabby was still running through her mind.
She looked up on top of her bureau at the few picture frames. She took a long hard look at the one of her, Voight, Camille and Justin. Then the one of her and Voight. The last one was her and Jay, it brought her to tears to think that they had to put aside their relationship so they could remain partners at work.
She went to grab a nightgown and saw Jays clothes for when they had 'sleepovers'. Instead of getting her regular nightgown she decided to wear his sweatpants and hoodie. At least she would be close to him.
It was at that moment when she broke down in tears. She walked out of her bedroom to get some tissues. She saw the wall where they undressed each other by. She leaned against it and slid down the wall. She decided to stay there for a while.
o0o
Back at Jay's apartment, he sat at the end of his bed head in his hands. 'Why did I let her go?' He kept asking himself.
He stood up and walked out to the hallway. He put a hand on the wall in support and ran a hand over his face. 'She was the best damn thing that ever happened to me.' He thought as he leaned on the wall and slid down it. It was at that moment he realized that was where they undressed each other after her first job with the unit that she couldn't call her 'family'. She realized her real family was with Antonio, Voight, Atwater, Ruzek and Jay. Neither of them wanted to quit their relationship.
o0o
They belonged together. They needed each other. They ached for each other. They would always have each other.
There was no denying their love for one another, they both knew that. If only Voight could see that.
End