Title: More Than Meets the Eye
Author: Some1FoundMe
Rating: T
Summary: A series of post-ep missing scenes between Halstead and Lindsay. Begins with 3X11 "Knocked the Family Right Out" and will continue through season four. Spoilers up to the current episode 4X16 "Emotional Proximity" (will continue to change as episodes air)
A/N: This is my first foray into writing Linstead. I've been writing Olicity for a couple of years and before that I tackled House, CSI and NCIS. But I've recently started watching Chicago PD and I have to admit, I was immediately hooked and have now binged the first three seasons and am completely caught up… and more than a little in love with Linstead. Let me know what you think please!
Knocked the Family Right Out
The panic strikes hot and fast the minute that he sees the name on the lease. Tawny Darren. Their second victim is somehow involved in all of this. And Erin is with her right now. Alone.
The second the words are out of his mouth, they're rolling out. He's barely keeping it together. He knows he needs to. For the sake of the team. For Erin. He's no good to her if he can't keep his head on straight. She's smart. Strong, resourceful, resilient. He knows she doesn't need to be rescued, not often, but the thought of her walking into a trap - one set by a man who raped a fourteen year old girl – sends his protective instincts into overdrive. She's a good cop, his partner, but she's also the woman that he loves.
He rides shotgun while Antonio drives. She doesn't answer any of his calls and with every moment that ticks by, his heart falls further into his stomach.
"Lindsay's phone is still at that location."
He takes little comfort in Mouse's statement and calls out the next turn.
It takes eight long minutes before they're on the scene. He doesn't even wait until the truck is fully stopped before he's out and making his way to the front door, gun drawn. Atwater and Ruzek are with him, flanking him up the walk. When he pushes the door open, they separate, Kevin to the left and Adam to the right, leaving Jay to head up to the second floor.
He takes the stairs as quickly as he dares, not willing to spook any of their perps, but the sounds of a struggle make his feet move faster. He bursts into one of the bedrooms and has to swallow the fury that immediately attempts to smother him. She's bound and gagged, her eyes wild as they seek him out, and everything in him is screaming for her. But Ty Hanley is there with a knife to her throat and Jay knows that there's only one way for this to end.
"Drop the knife!"
Hanley grabs her, angling her like a shield in front of him, and presses his blade harder to the delicate skin of her neck.
"Walk out now!"
"Drop it!"
"You wanna see her neck sl –"
He doesn't think, doesn't hesitate. He pulls the trigger, dropping Hanley with a single shot. His body goes slack and Erin rolls away from him. She's trembling and he can barely hear her terrified whimpers over the ringing in his ears. He crosses the room in two quick strides, pulling the gag from her mouth before getting to work on her bindings.
"You alright? You okay?"
She's gasping when she answers, her voice shaking.
"S- Spence and Tawney are here."
He radios the team.
"Antonio, one offender down, find the other two!"
And then his focus shifts to her, only her. As soon as she's free, she's in his arms. He tucks her beneath his chin and clings to her as if she's going to slip away from him. He feels the tiny tremors that wrack her body, feels her fingers twisting in the material of his jacket, and he wishes he hadn't let her come alone.
"Erin, are you alright?"
His voice is hoarse, the anxiety slithering its way into his throat tightening his vocal chords, and he wonders absently if maybe he's actually the one trembling. She moves away, only as far as he'll let her go, and the sight of blood splattered across her face turns his stomach. Even if it isn't her blood.
She nods and tries to smile but it doesn't reach her eyes.
"I'm fine."
He sighs and pulls her back to his chest, closing his eyes and breathing properly for the first time since he'd seen Tawny's name on that damn lease.
He holds her hand as he leads her down the stairs, helps her into her coat where it had been left in the dining room, and follows her out onto the street. He finds napkins in the glovebox of their car, handing them to her and gesturing silently to her face.
Antonio comes out then, guiding Tawny roughly from the house. He catches Jay's eye, glancing questioningly at Erin, and Jay nods once before taking Tawny off his hands. He's almost got her to the car when Kevin and Adam roll up with Spence cuffed in their backseat. He hears Erin's question to the kid, hears him accuse Tawny of arranging all of it, and before any of them can stop her, she's whirling towards them. She hisses at her, her voice menacing, and when Tawny has the balls to spit in her face, Erin throws a punch that knocks the other woman back into Jay. Antonio grabs Erin before she can really lose it and for a split second – even though he won't admit it – he's proud of his girl for taking that swing. It's twisted what these three have done and not a single one of them has shown any sign of remorse. He's not in the least bit sorry that one of them is dead.
The ride back to the district is filled with a tense silence. Tawny is cuffed in the back of their car. Erin's dark sunglasses hide her eyes. Neither of them speak. So when he finds her alone a while later in the break room, he takes the opportunity to reassure himself one last time that she's really okay.
"You alright?"
She sighs and shrugs and looks down into the coffee she's just made for herself.
"Yeah."
The tightness in his chest loosens just a little.
"Promise me one thing? Never go in without back up again."
She gives him a small, sad smile and nods.
"Yeah."
"I mean it. Not even for a parking ticket. That goes for all of us."
She takes one step then another until she's close enough to set her hand on his forearm.
"I'm already kicking myself. It's just, that girl… I – I bought it."
He shakes his head and twists his arm where she's grasping it until he can reciprocate, wrapping his fingers around her elbow and anchoring her the way she's always anchored him.
"Hey, we all did."
They stay connected for a long, silent moment. There are so many things he wants to say to her. They're still in the very early stages of this relationship and even though they've been on the cusp before, he doesn't want to push her. He doesn't want to scare her. And he's sure that he would if he told her everything that he'd been thinking today. He'd been terrified that he was going to lose her. He doesn't let himself think too hard about the future he'd imagined with her and how worried he'd been that it was all going to be ripped away from him so suddenly. He certainly isn't ready to tell her that he loves her even though he's known for a long time that he does.
"Okay. Lecture over. You want to get a beer?"
She chuckles, that raspy sound that never fails to send a shiver down his spine, and squeezes his arm.
"Definitely. But I've got some good news to deliver first. Meet you at your place in an hour or so?"
"Sounds good. I'll see you later."
Erin just gives him a nod before stepping out of the room, leaving him to watch her go. And he does. He watches her walk away from him and he lets her because he knows that she's okay. She survived, like she always does, and he'll see her again soon.