Hi and I hope you enjoy these little one-shots inspired by songs that just scream "Linstead!" to me. If you follow me on Tumblr, you may notice these may be out of order from what it posted there, but they have no particular order, unless I mention it before. Each and every one is written as a stand alone and may be a simple one-shot, an excerpt from an episode or an AU, but all with nothing but goodness! Feel free to share any ideas you may have as I am always looking for inspiration!
This is an AU and is inspired by "Happens Like That" by Granger Smith.
Enjoy!
Every wonder how just one drink,
Turns into one knee down with a diamond ring
Jay really didn't really want to go out,but he promised he would meet up with some of his old friends while he was home for the next month or so. After all, there was no telling the next time he could see any of them with his line of work.
He has been active in the military, Army Rangers to be exact, for almost a year and it was nothing like he expected. So far, he has seen things no man should ever have to see, but he had always felt a sense of duty to his country, to protect and serve, and he was doing exactly that. His enlistment came the day he graduated from high school. His mother cried and his father just sat there when he told them his plans. He remembered telling his brother Will first and he avoided him for days. Jay remembered the conversation like it was yesterday, as his brother explained he hadn't talked to him because he didn't want to think about what would happen if something happened over there. Will had said he didn't want his brother overseas but he also knew Jay. He knew that Jay had always been the silent but strong one where Will was the much more outgoing of the two. But, he would still support his brother no matter what he did.
Having just finished his first tour, he returned home to Chicago for some much-needed time off. Even though his house was always home, he couldn't go back. Not when his dad was such an ass to everyone around him. So, one of his best friends had offered up the spare bedroom in his apartment to Jay for the next three months before he was to report back to Fort Benning for a few months.
So here he was, standing in the middle of bar with some of his buddies and watching them make fools of themselves trying to pick up girls. Adam, one of his best friends from high school, was so drunk Jay doubted his friend knew his own name. Kevin was standing by, laughing at whatever stupid thing Adam said. Jay was content to stand back and observe. This had never really been his scene and it clearly still wasn't. But it was nice to hang out with some of his old friends and just not worry about everything that was happening over there.
He had just ordered his second beer and was in search of Mouse for a game of pool when she walked in. Jay had never seen someone more beautiful and he knew there she was worth getting to know. There was no one else with her, but she quickly seemed to find someone she knew. It must have been his lucky day because that someone was Ruzek.
She made her way over, hugging the girl before turning to hug Ruzek. That friendly gesture somehow made his heart beat a little faster. He wasn't jealous, he didn't even know this girl's name. But maybe the flaring jealousy was enough to get him to move his ass over to her. He had never been one to actively pursue a girl, but times change.
"Hey," he began when he reached the group. Her head and her eyes, which he noticed were a captivating hazel color, moved in the direction of his voice.
"Jay, my man!" Ruzek loudly said before slinging an arm over his shoulders. "May I introduce you to Kim and Erin."
For someone drunk, he was rather coherent.
Both girls exchanged hellos, but he noticed Erin hadn't been able to keep her eyes off him. He would have started conversation but Ruzek was talking so loudly and animatedly, Jay doubted he could get a word in. But he soon finished his beer and figured offering to buy her a drink was a decent ice breaker.
"Anyone want anything else?" he asked, pointing his finger at them all. He may or may not have waited to ask until her own drink was almost gone.
"I would," she said, speaking to him for the second time this evening, except he noticed her voice was deeper than that of a usual woman. Even more reason for him to like her.
They made their way towards an empty spot at the bar before he ventured to speak again.
"So how do you know Adam?" he asked, reveling in the fact it was quieter over here.
"We were in the same criminology class at UC," she replied. "Got paired up for a project and found we had a decent number of mutual friends. The girl he is talking to, Kim, she's one of my best friends and they have a thing for each other but have never done anything about it."
"Ahh," he replied as the bartender returned with their drinks, but neither made a move to rejoin their friends. "Adam can be a little stubborn in the relationship department.
"So can Kim," Erin answered. "And what about you? I've never seen you around and I know almost all of Adam's friends."
"Uhh," he began, knowing this question would come. "I'm in the Army, Rangers to be exact. Just got back to the States."
Even though he was enlisted and proud to be serving his country, he still got nervous talking about his time overseas.
"Oh wow," she said, not bothering to hide her surprise. "Well thank you for your service."
"Thank you," he replied, not knowing what to say.
"My brother is in the Army as well," she said, trying to move on from what was going to be an awkward conversation.
"Really?" Jay asked, genuinely concerned.
"Yep, just joined last year. He needed the discipline in his life and it was either that or being stuck at home with Hank."
It was interesting that she used the word brother but referred to who he assumed to be their dad by a first name. Step dad maybe?
The conversation continued and Jay was hanging onto every word she said, making mental notes about every story, detail and aspect of her life. She shared her dreams of joining the CPD, following in Hank's footsteps and that's how she and Adam became good friends. He knew Adam had always wanted to join the CPD, just like his dad, but his parents were making him go to college first. Hours must have passed and Jay knew they both had a buzz going, which is what probably led him to ask his next question.
"Do you want to dance?" he blurted out, noticing the music had changed to something slower. He thought he also spied Adam and Kim out of the corner of his eye getting closer.
Erin just looked up at him, head cocked to the side and teeth biting her lower lip.
"Is this your way of getting into my pants, Halstead?" she asked challengingly.
Even while she was making him nervous all night, he liked that she was teasing him and rose to the challenge.
"I will be a perfect gentleman," he shot back, smiling down at her.
He didn't wait for her to respond before taking her beer from her hands and pulling her towards the open area where everyone was dancing.
Erin let out a small laugh when he pulled her into his chest, keeping their joined hands together and settling his free one on her lower back. Her own free hand moved to settle in the middle of his back.
Neither recognized the country ballad that seemed to perfectly their current situation. Boy meets girl in the bar and they fall in love. And Jay was pretty sure he was falling in love.
"I thought you said you weren't going to get into my pants?" Erin asked after a while. Jay just looked down at her in confusion.
"I did say I wasn't? Perfect gentleman, remember," he said.
"Well then check your hand," Erin said.
He knew that one of his hands was holding hers so perfectly it's like he was meant to hold this hand forever. His other…
"Oh," he said, realizing just where it was.
"Uh huh," Erin replied, a smirk appearing on her face.
Her own expression caused him to up his game and the smirk was soon replaced with a look of surprise as he gave her ass a playful squeeze.
"Hey!" she said, moving the hand on his back to swat at his chest. Jay just laughed.
"Too late I guess," he said, lowering his voice. "Already got into your pants."
Jay had never met a woman that he could go toe to toe with like that, and it was slowly turning him on.
"Well it only seems fair I get to return the favor," she said, her hand moving lower along his waist before resting at his hip.
"And how do you suggest you do that?" he challenged.
"Well," she said, her hand dipping under the Henley he wore. "I could think of a few ways."
Before she finished her sentence, her fingers had moved under the waist band of his jeans, her thumb finding the spot just below his belly button.
"We should get out of here," he said, not bothering to stop her at all.
"Mhmm," she said, nodding her head before turning to grab her bag.
All their friends seemed to have disappeared, so they could sneak out without questioning and maybe approving glances.
"Where to?" he asked as they left the warmth of the bar and were met with the chill of the October air. He wasn't entirely sure since he shared a place with Adam and he could have taken Kim back there.
"Kim texted me, said she and Adam were going back to our place," she said, snuggling close to him and moving her own hand into his back pocket.
"Stealing my moves?" he asked. Erin just laughed before leaning up to his ear.
"You could say I had a good teacher," she said before kissing the spot just below.
Fuck, he was turned on and he hadn't even kissed her yet. That would have to change soon.
Before he knew what he was doing, Jay had turned towards her, his lips finding hers like a magnet. For a first kiss, it felt right, as his hands moved to cup the side of her face and grasp at her hip. Her own simply held onto his waist, as if he was her anchor to reality.
Neither was sure how long they stood there, and for as much alcohol as they consumed, it wasn't anything crazy. Anyone walking by would think they were two people in love, and Jay was sure he was in love with this woman he just met. When they finally broke apart, their foreheads resting against the other and they took a minute to simply breathe each other in and exist.
"My place then," Jay said, pulling back to look her in the eyes.
"Let's go," she said, snuggling back into his side as he pulled out his phone to get a ride.
Stepping off the plane, Jay let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. Six long months had led to this moment and he was both nervous and excited. Erin was here, or he hoped she was. Last they talked, she said she was planning on being here when he got home and picking him up from the airport.
He didn't have a lot of expectations since they were together for about three months before he left again in January. It was now June and 6 months left a lot of time for things to change, and things had changed for sure.
Adam and Kim had moved in together, and while Jay was happy for his friends, it left him in limbo. Adam had offered up his spare room again, but Jay really didn't want to impose on the new couple. Erin hadn't brought up anything, so maybe that was something to discuss. Erin and Adam had both been accepted to the police academy, and Kim was planning to apply once she finished school. Jay remembered the day Erin had called to tell him the news. He was glad they had chosen to facetime that night, because not only did he get to see her beautiful face, he got to see her excitement. Hank, who he since learned was foster father to her, was very happy for his foster daughter, which only made Erin happier.
He was met at the end of the tunnel to cheers from bystanders as he and some fellow servicemen filed out. The only thing he did was simply acknowledge he heard the strangers around him, because honestly, his mind was on one thing and one thing only. And since he stepped off the plane, his backpack suddenly felt a hundred times heavier and he knew just what was causing that.
Before he left for Georgia, he had admitted to his mom that he wanted to propose to Erin. There were very few times in his life he had ever seen his mother cry, and that was one of them, sitting at the table in the kitchen of his childhood home. When her tears finally subsided, she excused herself and came back less than five minutes later, clutching something in her hands.
"I want you to have this," she had said.
Jay just looked at her, feeling confused, until his mom pressed the red ring box into his own hands.
"Mom," he whispered, knowing what lay inside.
"I was going to tell you boys, but I suppose I'll just tell you," she had said. "I never talked about my ring, because I didn't want it to be a competition. I never wanted either of you to rush into a relationship because you wanted my ring. I wanted you both to find the right girl and not worry about a ring. And Jay, after meeting Erin, she's the right one."
His mother had met Erin about a month into them dating and afterwards could not stop talking about her. That night had been one of the few that he had spent at home since he enlisted, as he and his mom spent hours talking about Erin.
He took the ring with him to Georgia, wanting to think about this before he went through with it. Most of the guys teased him endlessly as he sat on his bed each night looking at the ring, but he knew they were only joking. They all knew that in their line of work, decisions like this were huge.
Being back in Chicago and being seconds away from seeing her again, he knew that his decision could be solidified or questioned. A part of him knew that whatever happened, whatever he felt when he saw his girl again, would determine his choice.
His bag felt heavier the closer he got to security, because Erin might be just beyond them. It was crazy how the tiniest thing in his bag placed the heaviest weight on his shoulders.
When he finally set foot past the security checkpoint, he was first met with applause from more bystanders. Jay figured he should be used to it, but he zoned it out this time. His eyes searched the sea of people with signs and flags and little kids shouting "Daddy!" as they saw they fathers return home. Maybe one day that would be him, and Erin would be standing behind a little one as his wife, cradling her pregnant belly with their newest addition.
The next thing he heard was his name.
"Jay," she said in almost a whisper, but he heard her. His head turned in the direction of her voice and there she was.
Erin was standing less than five feet away from him, holding his mom's hand as Will, Adam and Kim stood behind them. He watched his mom whisper something into her ear before she took off running towards him.
Jay barely had time to set his bag down before she was in his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him and hugging him so tightly he should be surprised at the strength she had.
"I'm home," he said for her benefit, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding her up by her thigh. When she released the death grip around his neck, her lips moved to kiss every inch of her face before landing on his lips. Every time he kissed her, it felt like the first, and he swore then those would be the only lips he would kiss for the rest of his life.
"Hey babe," he said, pulling away slightly.
"Hmm," she mumbled, her grip not loosening in the slightest.
"I think we're giving everyone more than they expected," he chuckled.
"Oh," she said. "But I don't wanna let go."
Jay just laughed, tightening his grip on her waist and leaning down to grab his bag. She shifted slightly over, allowing him to walk closer to the rest of his welcoming party.
"Ok babe, seriously," he said, loosening his grip in hopes she would get the message.
"Ugh fine," she said, allowing him to let her down, but staying attached to his side.
"Hey mom," he said, wrapping his mother up in his arms.
"I'm so happy your home," she said before moving back and grasping his face between her hands. Jay just smiled down at his mother, happy to see her smile as she took in the fact he was home.
He quickly moved to everyone else before allowing Erin to move back into his side, not that he was complaining.
"Ok man," Adam said, slinging an arm around his shoulder like always. "So, welcome home party at Molly's tonight? Right?"
Jay laughed again, noticing he had been doing so more in the past few minutes than in the past few months. He was so happy to be home.
"Sounds good," he replied before following them all out.
A few hours later found him standing in the middle of Molly's not dressed in his fatigues, a beer in one hand and his other on Erin. Adam had managed to invite all his friends and he felt more light-hearted than he had in months. For once, he had no worries except for the people around him and what he was about to do.
He had called Will about a month ago and told him his plans, even as he was still going back and forth over whether he was going to go through with it. But seeing Erin today just confirmed he wanted to do this.
Will had helped him get the details together and he had been the one that suggested he propose shortly after they got there, so that they could celebrate with everyone after. Jay was surprised that his brother could even think like that, given how on and off again he and his girlfriend, Natalie, were. But he had to hand it to him, because the idea was practically genius.
Jay saw Will looking in his direction, giving him a look only brothers could understand, and he nodded shortly, signaling he understood. Shortly after, Jay heard the music change, transporting him back a year ago to when he first met Erin.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked, winking at his girl and sending her into a fit of laughter.
"Is this your way of getting into my pants, Halstead?" she asked, quoting her own words back to him.
She was still his match, always pushing or pulling and challenging him every day.
"I will be a perfect gentleman," he replied before pulling her onto the dance floor. "But I have been in your pants many times."
They swayed for a while, reminiscing in the memories made and what brought them together. Jay let his hands wander again into her back pocket as Erin threw her head back and laughed before kissing the underside of his jaw.
"Have I told you I loved you?" he asked after a while.
"Only every single day for the past six months," she replied.
"But I haven't told you I love you as your fiancé?" Jay said, stepping back but keeping hold of her hand.
"What?" Erin whispered as he got down onto one knee.
"Erin," he began, looking up at her as tears formed in her eyes. "I cannot imagine my life before I met you and I never want to imagine my life without you. You challenge me in ways no one has ever before and you accepted me as me. The support you have given me these past few months have been what I needed, because I knew coming home to you would be worth everything. And it was. Stepping off that plane today, you were the one person I wanted to see and seeing you today made asking this question so much easier. So, Erin Lindsay," he paused, holding his hand behind his back for Will to place the ring box in, "Will you marry me?"
He hadn't even opened the box yet before Erin was screaming.
"Yes," she said, leaning down to cup his face. "Hell yes."
Their lips met and Jay grasped her hip before standing up, wrapping his arm around her to pull her as close as possible. He broke the kiss when he realized something important.
"I haven't given you your ring," he said.
Erin laughed that throaty laugh of hers he loved.
"I would have said yes without a ring," she stated.
"Well lucky for you, I got you one anyways."
She gasped a second time as he flipped open the box, revealing his mother's solitaire engagement ring. The tears finally fell down her cheeks as he slid the ring on and kissed her again.
This time they were interrupted by the cheers of their best friends, and they turned to see everyone happy for the newly engaged couple. But Jay's eyes landed on one person in particular who was coming their way.
"Oh congratulations you two!" his mother said, pulling Erin into a hug. Something told him at the airport that his mom and now fiancée had spent a lot of time together during his deployment.
"That ring looks better on you than it did me," she said, grasping Erin's hand and inspecting her ring that adorned Erin's ring finger.
"Wh-what?" she questioned, turning towards Jay before looking back at his mom.
"Don't think about it," his mom warned. "I told Jay that belonged you, and nothing makes me happier than to see it on your finger. Well, maybe grandbabies."
"Mom!" Jay said, a semi-horrified look on his face as Erin blushed and then let out a small laugh.
"Thank you," Erin said before hugging the woman who's ring now adorned her own finger.
"That's what you do for your daughters," was all his mom said as Erin started crying again and Jay just smiled at the scene before him.
"Hurry up or we are going to be late!" Erin said as she finished washing the dishes from breakfast.
"But Mommy I can't find my teddy!" came a little voice from down the hallway.
"You left him in mommy's room this morning," she replied, not missing a beat.
Little feet ran down the hallway before she heard a voice again, "Got him!"
"Great! Now come on and let's get your shoes on so we can go see Daddy!" Erin said, putting the last plate away before moving to pack her bag.
She had just finished before her little boy appeared by her side, tugging at the dress she wore to get her attention.
"We gonna go see Daddy?" he asked.
Erin nodded at the little boy who was the spitting image of his father.
"Daddy is graduating today!" she said cheerfully.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"It means that Daddy is officially a police officer."
"Just like my bear?" he asked, holding the stuffed bear towards Erin for emphasis.
"Just like your bear," she replied, watching as he snuggled the teddy bear dressed in police blues.
"Let's get going!" she said, grabbing her bag, keys and taking her son's hand in hers before making her way to the door.
"Come on, Mr. Bear," he said. "Daddy is grad-ating today."
Erin just laughed, happy to have her son in her life after the past few years they had.
Shortly after their engagement, they discovered Jay's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was too advanced for her to have any good chances. She remembers that day like yesterday. It had been a routine check-up for prevention that showed a mass and further examination confirmed the diagnosis. Erin had been in class at the academy when she called, and called and called. She finally had to excuse herself, much to her instructor's dislike to answer the phone to her future mother-in-law's sobs. Erin was the first person she told, and she was the one who had to tell Jay. Jay, her fiancé who was currently four months into a ten-month tour in Afghanistan. They both knew Jay well enough to know he would come home right away, but her doctor gave her about a year. They still told him, but assured him he was needed there, and Erin and Will would take care of it from here.
Her diagnosis was more advanced than they thought and Erin could still remember calling Jay and begging him to come home, fearing his mother was nearing her final days. Two days later he was back, standing by her bedside with Erin and Will as his mom told them her final wish. To see Jay and Erin married. And that is just what they did. Their priest was already on his way to deliver her last rites and they asked him to marry them before. Standing in his mother's hospital room with Will and Natalie as their witnesses, they were married. They didn't bother with rings as they both already had one. Erin of course had her mother-in-law's engagement ring but before his deployment, Jay had gotten a black rubber band to wear to remind him of what he had to look forward to coming home.
Catherine Marie Halstead passed away two days later, her sons, daughter-in-law and soon to be daughter-in-law, and husband surrounding her. Jay had to go back a week later, but he returned a changed man. Erin refused to let him pull away and dropped out of the academy to make sure he was okay. It took a while, and spending almost a month up at his grandfather's in Wisconsin, that he had finally coped and accepted what happened.
They never had an actual ceremony, as Jay expressed it would be too painful without her there, and Erin agreed. The only thing they did after was get their marriage license and have a small celebration with their close friends and family.
Jay soon applied to the police academy, too, still needing to fulfill that need to serve, but he knew that being here would be better for him and Erin in the long run. He was accepted right away, most likely due to his military background and Erin reapplied too, but the entry physical prevented her from going back.
The physical revealed Erin was pregnant, and even while she wanted to go back and follow her dream, she couldn't put herself and their baby in danger. Nine months later, James William Halstead was born and Erin's life had revolved around him ever since.
She repeatedly stressed to Jay she wanted to finish academy and she would. If there was anything Erin Halstead could do, it was finishing something she started. She decided to wait until JJ was a year old before going back, but that damn physical got in the way again. Which led her to this moment, wrangling an almost two-year-old while five months pregnant with baby #2.
"Ok buddy, let's go see Daddy!" she said as she finished strapping her boy into his car seat.
Thirty minutes later found them sitting in the auditorium, JJ on her lap as Will and Natalie and their little boy Owen sat to her left and Hank on her right dressed in his own police blues. He wouldn't be there for long, as he had actual duties today, but he enjoyed a few minutes with his grandson before duty called.
"Ok kid," Hank said, returning JJ to his mother. "This thing is going to start soon, but I'll see you after?"
Erin nodded and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Hank assumed it was bittersweet to be here, watching her husband graduate after Erin had tried two times, but as she moved her hand to her belly, rubbing a spot just below her ribs.
"Kicking?" Hank asked.
Erin nodded again before replying, "Must know it's a big day."
Hank laughed and ruffled JJ's brown curls before leaving, but his spot was soon taken by Kim and Adam.
Everyone chatted for a few minutes before the announcement was made to start the ceremony. JJ was surprisingly calm, as was Owen, which surprised the parents because those two boys together were worse than Jay and Will were at that age.
The ceremony droned on before the chief presented the graduates. It wasn't long before Jay was waiting in the wings to be called.
He doubted they could see him, but he had a perfect view of his family sitting in the audience. Erin looked beautiful as always, the loose white dress accentuating her curves and her bump but was perfectly modest. JJ sat on his mother's lap, holding the stuffed teddy bear he never went anywhere without. Jay let out a small sigh of relief watching his son behaving, especially knowing Erin's been pulling double duty as of late. He hated to put all this pressure on her, but she continually stressed that he was doing his job, his duty, and that he shouldn't worry about them.
Jay soon snapped out of his thoughts as he realized the officer in front of him stepped forward to get his badge, signaling Jay was next. He soon heard his name called and he walked out on stage, trying to keep a straight and stoic face as he heard JJ yell "Daddy!" the second he set foot on stage. The remainder of the ceremony was long it seemed and next thing he knew, he was taking his oath and being announced as the newest class of Chicago Police Department officers.
They were soon dismissed and Jay shook hands with a couple of the guys he got close with before slipping away to find his family. It didn't take long as one of his favorite voices was calling his name.
"Daddy!" JJ yelled as he toddled towards him, brown curls bouncing on his head.
"Hey buddy," he said, bending down to catch him before tossing him in the air, causing the little boy to giggle uncontrollably.
"Congrats, bro," Will said, hugging his brother and slapping him on the back. "I better not see you in my ER." Jay laughed before accepting a hug from Natalie and Owen. Adam and Kim soon followed and then all that was left was his wife.
"Come here," he said, holding his arm out as invitation for her. Erin walked towards him, smile on her face as she leaned up to kiss him. It didn't last as long as they would like before they were interrupted by both of their children, JJ covering his eyes and droning out an "eww!" as he usually did when they kissed, and the kicking from their unborn baby hitting not only Erin, but the spot where Jay's torso was pressed against her belly.
"Congratulations, Officer Halstead," she said, pecking his lips once more before pulling back, a hand resting on her bump.
"Why thank you, Mrs. Halstead," he said. "And thank you, baby," Jay said, leaning down and kissing the top of her bump.
"You did it," Erin said, her finger tapping at his shiny new badge pinned to his chest.
"Couldn't have done it without you babe."
"No, you definitely couldn't," she shot back. Even after almost four years of knowing each other and two years of marriage and she still kept him on his toes.
"You've got me there," Jay said, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"Ok then," Adam began. "If you two are done being love sick, we've got a little celebration planned."
Erin and Jay rolled their eyes, knowing they weren't getting out of this.
"Molly's?" Jay asked.
"Well duh, it's tradition," Adam said. "But that's for later without kids. But we are still celebrating!"
They let Adam lead the way, Hank joining their group, but the small family hung back, wanting time alone, knowing they wouldn't get any for the rest of the day.
"I am incredibly proud of you," Erin said.
"And I am proud of you," Jay replied, taking her hand in his while his other held JJ.
"Have I told you I love you?" she asked.
"Only every single day," he replied, kissing her once more before the moved to catch up with their family.