Back In The Day

by MrsHalsteadxx

Back in the day we were wild and free, she was my dashboard drummer butterflies in the backseat, little footprints on my window Parkin' my Chevy by the riverside, four letters in a heart carved in a pine, a little sun dress layin up there on the bank while the water washed our innocence away - back in the day

Another old reupload that has been revamped to fit Erin and Jay! Because of this, it is also a bit AU but I hope you all enjoy!

Also, to my anon asking if I will be reposting my Jesse and Sophia fics - no, I will not. While I love Linstead, I'm not as into Jesse and Sophia as I used to be. Plus, there's always a bit of drama surrounding them as a couple within the fandom, so I figure it's for the best. However, I will think about turning them into Linstead?

---

"So," My mother says, following me into the living room as I look around her new home. She along with my father had just finished moving into the new house that they had just bought, and this was the first time I had seen it. I, along with my siblings, were not happy they had sold our childhood home, but as our youngest sister was off at college now, they thought it was a good time as any. "What do you think?" She asks propping herself up on the door frame across the room.

I turn to look at her and smile. "Its great mom, you did an awesome job as always. The house is amazing."

She just smiles and turns to walk into the kitchen, leaving me to myself. Once she was gone, I turn back to the mantle and look at the different pictures in their frames, one in particular catching my eye. I smile, remembering that night as I pick the frame up to examine the picture closer.

Mamma, she's still got that picture
of me and Erin* on homecomin' night
She looked pretty in that fancy dress
But that girl was a barefoot blue jean princess

"Jonathan Ryan please just cooperate with us!"My mother scolds as she makes her way over to where Erin and I were standing on our front porch. We were currently getting ready to head out to the homecoming dance, so my mom and Camille, Erin's pseudo mother, were busy posing us in different positions and snapping millions of photos.

Neither Erin nor I were too happy about the pictures, or the dance for that matter. Our mothers were the only reason we were really going. Erin and I have been dating for over a year and our moms thought it would be 'fun' if we went. They obviously didn't know us very well, because both Erin and I were dreading the dance.

"Please Jay," Erin whispers turning her head to look at me while our mothers argue about the angle of the pictures. "The sooner you go along with all of this, the sooner we can go and get away from them."

I chuckle slightly at her words and nod my head in agreement. "You know, the dance is sounding more and more fun with each miserable minute." I mumble, causing her to laugh.

My mother then walks up to us and moves Erin so that she was standing in front of me, with my hands resting on her waist, while she held the stupid flowers that she despised, and Camille forced her to bring.

When my mother had walked off to join Erin's mother, I wrap my arms around Erin's tiny waist and pull her back. She lets out a fit of giggles as her body crashes into mine.

I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her cheek, with her still giggling, before my mother scolds me once again for moving.

"Jay I'm serious!" My mom all but shouts. My father rolls his eyes from behind her, while Hank, the man who was the closest to a father to Erin shoots me a warning look. He wasn't my biggest fan as of yet, but as long as she was happy, he tolerated me.

I roll my eyes and release Erin so that she can move back to the position my mother had placed her in. I place my hands back on her waist, as I was told to, and actually behave for the next ten minutes while our mothers take all the pictures their hearts desired.

After we were finally done, I turn to Erin, to find her smiling up at me. "Ready to go?"

She just nods, her smile growing. "More than, let's get out of here."

We both turn to our mothers and say our goodbyes before running off to my truck. I make sure to open Erin's door and help her stuff her huge dress in the door before running around and climbing in the driver's side.

I smile to myself as I sit the frame back down on the mantle. Wanting to look around the rest of the house, I head upstairs to look around as mom talks to my dad and Will. Kara, our younger sister, was going to be here at any time, as she came home for school for a few days.

I make my way around the top floor and come to the last door on the left. I open the door and step in, to find all the stuff I had left at home in my old bedroom. I chuckle as I look over everything, running my hands over my old trophies, and different souvenirs I had collected over the years from different vacations.

I come to a stop when I reach my old childhood bed. It was the same bed, made with the same sheets and quilt, but lying on top was the photo album, that Erin had made me before we left for college that summer. It held every single picture we had taken together over the course of our relationship. When I had finally moved out of my mom's house, to go to college, Erin and I had just ended our relationship, due to going to different colleges on separate sides of the country. Of course, I was upset so I left the photo album at home so I wouldn't have to look at it all. I sit down on the bed and open the photo album. I smile, running my hand over the picture of her and me hanging out at my grandfather's farm, where we often went to get away, whether it be alone or with friends.

A hand full of rocks and daddy's pine ladder
sure did come in handy
for a teenage boy thinkin' all that mattered
was a kiss that taste like candy

"JONATHAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

My head instantly snaps up when I hear Erin's voice and I smirk as I watch her leaning out of her bedroom window. "What does it look like?" I shout yelling back up at her. "I'm pulling the typical boyfriend crap out of those stupid movies you make me watch by throwing rocks at your bedroom window!"

I can see her shake her head as she laughs, and my smile only grows more. Her laugh was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

"So what do you want?" She asks looking over shoulder. "You know if Hank sees you, he will kill you!"

I just simply roll my eyes before replying. "I'm bored, come on a ride with me!"

"Jay!" She shouts "It's three in the morning!"

"So?"I yell back up at her. "Please?" I practically beg.

I watch as she silently debates with herself. I bite my bottom lip, afraid she would say no, but just as the thought enters my head, she stands up.

"Alright," She yells down to me. "Let me change, hang on!" She disappears from the window and I smirk victoriously. Not two seconds later, she appears back at her window dressed in a pair of blue jean shorts and a tank top. I watch as she quietly climbs out and onto the ledge before turning back to the window and closing it, so that it only left a small crack for her to get back in later. "Be prepared to catch me!"

I move so that I was standing right underneath her on the ledge and hold my hands out. "Ready!"

She smirks down at me before jumping. With ease, I catch her in my arms and smile down at her. "Hey you,"

She just smiles up at me as she wraps an arm around my neck. "Hey trouble," She reaches up and ruffles my hair.

I laugh at her before sitting her down on the ground in front of me. Before I could do anything, she quickly wraps her arms around my neck and leans up on her tip toes to kiss me.

I simply smile into the kiss and wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me.

She pulls back a few moments later, and just smirks up at me. "Alright, well let's go." She says dropping her arms from my neck and grabbing my hand in hers, she then takes off running, leading us to where my truck was parked.

Back in the day we were wild and free
She was my dashboard drummer
Butterflies in the backseat
little footprints on my window
Parkin' my Chevy by the riverside
and four letters in a heart carved in a pine

A little sun dress layin up there on the bank
while the water washed our innocence away
back in the day

"Ohh! I love this song! Turn it up!" Erin shouts, from her spot in the passenger seat of my truck. We were currently driving down the road, heading anywhere and everywhere, a usual ritual for us after everyone in our houses' had gone to bed.

I turn to look and her and smile. She was sitting back in the seat with her legs propped up on the dash in front of her, with her ankles crossed. Her left hand was intertwined with my right hand lying in her lap, while her right hand hung out the open window, which was causing her hair to fly everywhere. She had never looked more beautiful, and I couldn't help but feel giddy. This girl was going to be the death of me, and I knew it.

She turns and looks at me. "What?" She asks laughing.

I just shake my head. "Nothing, I just love you."

She smiles as she leans forward and turns the radio up herself, since I hadn't bothered to do it. "I love you too," She says relaxing back in the seat and smiling over at me.

Thirty minutes later, we were well past the city limits. We pull up to our destination and I put the truck in park before turning to look at her. She looks out the window to see where we were and turns to me, a huge smile on her face. We were at our secret hideout, also known as a few hundred acres of never touched land owned by my grandfather. It consisted of an old shed, a small lake, and a huge open field. It was about a forty five minute drive from the city.

"Well what are we waiting for?" She asks sitting upright and reaching for the door handle. "Let's go!"

Before I knew what she doing, she was already out of the truck and halfway over to the lake. I quickly reach into the backseat and grab the blankets before jumping up and running after her.

I catch up to her in no time and walk the rest of the way with her hand in mine. When we finally reach the tree, that we carved our initials in, along with a heart when we were just fourteen, I step ahead of her and place the blanket down for us to sit on.

She watches as I sit down first, so that my back was leaning against the old tree, before she sits down in front of me, in between my legs. She leans back into me, and I wrap my arms around her, before I lean down and plant a kiss on the crown of her head.

Thirty minutes later, we were still sitting in the same spot when Erin randomly jumps up and takes off walking toward the lake.

"What are you doing?" I yell after her, not moving from my spot.

She stops as she approaches the bank of the lake. She then glances over her shoulder at me and smirks. Without saying a word, she reaches down and grabs the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head, throwing it to the side.

My breath catches in my throat I watch her slowly and seductively step out of her shorts. She shoots me another teasing smirk before jumping in.

Within seconds, she had reemerged and I was standing on the bank, watching her in amazement.

She looks up to me, eyebrow rose, as she moves her arms back and forth in the water to keep herself afloat. "Well?"

"Well what?" I ask, smirking down at her.

"What are you waiting for? Come on in," She calls back.

Hearing her say that was all I needed, I quickly pull my shirt off along with my jeans before jumping in after her. I come back up to the surface not two seconds later to find her laughing and wiping the water out of her eyes.

She doesn't say a word; instead she swims over to me and wraps her arms around my neck. I mimic her by wrapping my arms around her waist as her legs go around my waist.

She smiles as she leans up and kisses me.

Friday nights I'd look up there in the bleachers
and I can see her,
with my letter man's jacket on

I turn the page to see the picture of the two of us at my senior night football game. I was, of course in my uniform while Erin was wearing a pair of jeans, a school t shirt, and my football jacket. We were standing next to each other, my arm was around her shoulder, holding her to me, while her arm was around my waist and her head was buried in my shoulder.

And I still got this scar here on my right hand
from when Bobby told her she deserved a better man

I turn to look at the next page to the picture of me, sitting on the hospital bed in the emergency room, after having got into a fight defending Erin. I had done most of the damage, but I did manage to cut my hand on the glass window when the guy ducked out of the way, causing me to have to get stitches to close my hand. Even today, eight years later, I still have a scar from it on my hand.

In the picture, I was lying on the bed, and Erin was lying next to me, taking the picture. I was smiling goofily at the camera, the side effect of the medicine they gave me to stitch my hand up, and Erin was leaning over kissing my cheek. You could see my mother in the background, she looked irritated. She loved Erin, but she wasn't happy about the fact I had gotten into a fight over her.

"Hey Nadia," I say walking up to Erin's best friend Nadia. "Have you seen Erin? I've looked everywhere, I can't find her." She just shakes her head no and I sigh. "Alright thanks," I say turning to walk off. The only reason I had come to this stupid dance was because of Erin. She had grown fond of them since our first homecoming, but to me, it was still miserable. I only came with her, because she had begged me, and I couldn't say no to her.

I was walking down the hall, when I heard the sound of whimpering. My eyes widen when I realize it was Erin. I take off in a sprint down the hall to where I could hear the sounds coming from. I throw the door open to find her pressed up against the wall, and some guy forcing himself up on her.

Her eyes were closed but tears were still strolling down her cheeks as she shook her head no. She was visibly shaking, and was trying to push him off of her, but it was no use. He was obviously much stronger than she was. I knew for a fact he was, because this girl didn't take shit from anyone.

Furious, and wanting to kill the jerk for even touching her, I grab his shirt and yank him off of her before I even realize what I was doing.

Erin falls to the ground in a heap, and sobs as the guy crashes head first into the wall.

I immediately rush over to her and kneel in front of her. "Er, look at me," I say reaching down and taking her hands in mine.

Still shaking, she manages to look up at me, the tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Instead of saying anything, I reach forward and pull her into my arms, and hug her as tightly as I can. She buries her head in my shoulder and just cries. After a few minutes she pulls back, still upset, but much calmer than she had been.

I look her in the eye as I speak. "You stay right here okay?" She just nods and I lean forward to press a kiss to her forehead before I stand up and walk over to the sorry excuse for a man.

He was still lying in the floor, holding a hand to his head, but I didn't care.

I reach down and grab a handful of his shirt, bringing him up. I slam him into the wall and he winces slightly.

"What the hell was that about?" I shout at him. "Who do you think you are? You don't touch a girl like that, especially if she's telling you no!"

He rolls his eyes "Whatever, she was enjoying it weren't you sweetheart?" he asks looking over my shoulder and smirking at Erin.

I look over my shoulder and see her visibly shutter. I have to stop myself from laughing, not at her, but at the fact that this guy was so delusional and force myself to turn back to him. "You have some nerve,"

He just smirks. "Really? How?"

"By messing with my girlfriend. You screw with her; you have to answer to me."

He rolls his eyes again. "Whatever, I'm not scared of you Halstead." He then turns back to Erin, who was now standing up, watching us closely. "What do you see in this guy?" He says nodding to me, my eye brows raise up, waiting for him to continue. "You deserve a real man, not this moron."

Needless to say, that was enough for me. I let go of the jerk long enough to draw back and punch him square in the nose. He lets out a grunt as he falls forward.

I hear Erin scream out behind me, telling me to stop, but I was so furious I couldn't stop, I just saw red.

I reach down and grab the guy, pulling him back up. He was still holding his nose, which was gushing with blood, and no doubt broken, but I don't care. I just keep on punching him, next in the jaw, then the eye, and then, just for the hell of it, I punch him in the gut, causing another round of groans to come from him.

I reach back to punch him one more time, but he was in so much pain that he half fell forward, half ducked away, and it was too late, because my fist had already come in contact with the glass window that had been behind him moments before.

I hear Erin yell out once more as the window breaks from the impact, sending glass flying everywhere, and cutting my hand to pieces.

I pull my hand back as she runs over to me and takes my hand in hers, to examine it. I bite my bottom lip, trying to stay calm for her because I know how much she hates blood, and also to not let the jerk laying the floor see me in pain. There was no way in hell I was giving him any satisfaction – not after what he had done to my Erin.

Of course, I obviously wasn't calm enough because he manages to stand up and look to Erin. "See what I mean?" he asks "You really want to be with this idiot?"

Her eyes instantly shoot up to his, and she shoots him a dirty look. "Bobby seriously leave me alone, I don't want anything to do with you. You're a sick freak.. And I don't care what you say, this man right here" she says pointing to me "Is way more of a man than you will ever be."

Having said her point, she turns to me and starts to lead me toward the door. Once we reach the door, I stop and turn back to him. "Stay away from her. I don't care if I did just screw up my hand, I would gladly do it all over to beat the shit of out of you," And with that, I turn around and walk out and toward the school exit, with Erin right beside me.

I shake my head at the picture before turning the page, smiling at the page full of more pictures. Erin was my entire life when we were younger, so we had taken millions of photos. Most of them were in the album, what wasn't had been in frames all over my room. My parents hadn't touched anything; they simply packed my stuff from the old house, brought it to this one, and unpacked it the same exact way I had left it.

Aw... She hung right with me down to Panama City
Raisin' hell on our senior trip
and man ain't it funny
it gets the best of me
And I just can't forget
I just can't forget

My eyes float over the different pictures of Erin and me before landing on one in particular. In the photo we were both a bus, on our way to Panama City for our senior trip. I was sitting next to the window while Erin was turned sideways in the seat. She was leaned back against me, with her head resting on my shoulder while her feet were stretched across the aisle and resting on the seat next to Kim, one of her best friends.

In the picture, I had one arm around her while the other was holding a book in front of me. Erin had her head phones in, listening to her CD player and her eyes were closed. Neither of us had known that Nadia was taking it. She had been sitting in the seat in front of us with Zoe, Nadia's other best friend, and had peaked over the seat, and took the picture.

I laugh; remembering that trip like it was yesterday. That week was honestly the best week of my entire life. I got to go to Panama City, which was beautiful, but I also got to spend every waking moment with Erin, going to the beach, going out to eat, playing mini golf, and many other pointless, but fun things.

I'm bored.

That was the text message that I had just received from Erin. We were in our hotel, seeing as it was midnight, and past our curfew. Our chaperones had already come and done the head check for the night, and we were supposed to be asleep.

I look up from the text message and look across the room to Adam, who I was sharing a room with. I smirk seeing he was asleep. I jump out of bed, and pull on my shirt and shoes before walking to our door and walking out.

I sneak past our chaperone's hotel room door, and quickly but quietly make my way down the hall to where the girl's rooms were. Our school had rented out the entire third floor for everyone on the trip; girls were on one side of the floor, while the boys were on the other.

I walk up to her door and pull out my phone, sending her a reply.

Open your door.

Within seconds the door to her room opens and a huge smile spreads across her lips. "Jay Halstead what are you doing?"

I just smirk as I nod toward the elevator. "What does it look like? I'm breaking you out of here."

Erin looks to the elevator before looking back into her pitch black hotel room. Nadia, who she was rooming with, was obviously asleep.

She turns back to me and smiles. She disappears into her room for a few seconds, slipping on her sandals and grabbing her phone before joining me once more.

She slips her phone in her pocket before grabbing my hand. We start down the hall toward the elevator. We were just steps away when we heard someone yelling at us.

I punch the button as Erin turns around to look behind her. Her chaperone was running toward us, yelling and telling us to stop.

I look to her, to see what she was going to do. I wouldn't force her to do anything, so if she wanted to stop, I would.

Just then, the elevator door opens. She simply smirks at me, grabs my arm and pulls me into the elevator. We watch as her chaperone gets closer and closer, and I bite my bottom lip knowing we were caught. Just before she could step on the elevator, the door slams shut and starts to go down.

I turn to Erin, who was smirking up at me.

"We are going to get in so much trouble," I say to her.

She just laughs, shaking her head at me. "Hey, you started this Halstead. Don't go all chicken on me now," She looks up at me.

I just nod my head as I grab her hand. "Never Lindsey, if we're going to get into trouble, we might as well make the most of it."

This time, she smiles. "Now there'sthe Jay I know and fell in love with."

Back in the day we were wild and free
She was my dashboard drummer
Butterflies in the backseat
Little footprints on my window
Parkin' my Chevy by the riverside
And four letters in a heart carved in a pine
A little sun dress layin up there on the bank
While the water washed our innocence away
Back in the day

I turn the page in the album and my smile slowly fades away. The picture was of Erin and I the day she left for California, to attend college at Berkley.

Summer was over
College was callin' man I had to watch her leave
But I still wonder if she ever thinks of me

Erin, nor myself never even knew the photo was being taken at the time. We were standing in her driveway; my arms were around her waist, holding her to me, while her arms were around my torso. She had her head buried in my neck, while I had mine buried in her hair. We were both undoubtedly crying, upset that we were going different places. As I said, she was going to California, and I was leaving the next day to fly to New York to attend Columbia.

We had decided to break up, seeing as how we were going to be on opposite sides of the country, for at least four years. We both still loved each other, we wouldn't have been together for three years prior if we didn't, but it wasn't fair to each other if we had stayed together.

It was hard, but we both managed to date a few other people. I never found anyone as great as her, so therefore I never had another serious relationship. Those were the longest and worst four years of my life.

'Cause back in the day we were wild and free
She was my dashboard drummer
Butterflies in the backseat
Little footprints on my window
Parkin' my Chevy by the riverside
And four letters in a heart carved in a pine
A little sun dress layin up there on the bank
While the water washed our innocence away

"Jay? Baby where are you?" I look up just in time to see Erin standing in the doorway of what is supposed to be my bedroom. She looks to me and smiles when she sees what I was holding in my hand. "What do you got there?" She asks, as she walks into the room and over to where I was sitting. She was smirking; she knew exactly what it was.

After graduation, I was tired of living in New York on my own, so I moved back home to be close to my mom, dad and siblings. It just so turns out, that Erin had done the same, having had enough of the California life.

When I saw her at the park that one day, it was as if fate was on my side. I knew at that moment it was a sign, a sign that we were truly meant to be together. Needless to say, we got back together, and now four years later, we are married, and we have a five month old daughter.

Once she sits down beside me, she takes the book from me and flips through it. "Wow, I can't believe your mom still has this,"

"Me either," I say smiling as I reach over and wrap my arm around her, pulling her into me. I couldn't help but look over her shoulder so I could see the photos I hadn't gotten to yet.

We stay like that, for a few minutes until Erin flips to the last couple of pages. A huge smile appears on her face as she turns to look at me. "It looks like your mom has been busy,"

Confused, I look down to see various pictures of the day Erin and I got married. There was a picture of me, Will and Adam in the back of the church before the ceremony, one of Erin, Nadia, and Kim as they got ready for the wedding.

From there, there was a picture of me, standing at the altar with Will standing behind me, patting me on the shoulder. There was a picture of all the girls walking down the aisle, one of Erin walking down the aisle with Voight, who had finally come around to liking me.

But my favorite was the one of us at the altar, holding hands, saying our vows and the kiss when we were pronounced husband and wife.

I laugh slightly, looking over the pictures. "It appears she has," I say as I lean down and plant a kiss on the crown of her head.

She just snuggles back into my arms more as she flips the page. "Awe," she says, running her hand over the page.

"What?" I ask, looking back down at the album over her shoulder.

A huge smile spreads across my face as I look to see the pictures of Erin, myself, and our daughter Avery, the day that she had been born.

One photo was taken before Avery was born, but we were clearly in the hospital. Erin was sitting on the edge of the bed, doubled over in pain. I was standing in front of her, allowing her to rest her forehead against my chest. She was gripping my t shirt tightly in her hands while I rubbed my hand up and down her side to comfort her.

The next page held a picture of Avery, who had just been born, lying on the scale where they were weighing her. The next was of me, and Avery. She was swaddled up in a pink blanket and I was holding her in the crook of my arm. I was looking down at her, as she slept in my arms, talking to her. I had just leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead when Erin snapped the picture.

The next page held a picture of Erin, sitting up in her hospital bed. She was holding Avery in her arm, while feeding her with her other. She was so wrapped up in feeding her, and talking to her, that she had no idea I had taken the picture.

Looking over the pictures, it was easy to get emotional, but nothing got me more than the last picture, on the very last page.

It was of Erin, Avery and I. I was sitting up on the bed next to Erin. My right arm was around her shoulders, pulling her into me. Erin was leaned toward me, kissing me, while Avery was asleep on my chest, my left arm around her. Above the picture, it was labeled 'Family.'

Erin turns to look at me, with tears in her eyes. "She did an awesome job,"

I just nod as I reach down and wipe the tears from her cheek. "That she did," I take the photo album from her and lay it on the bed. I then stand up, pulling her with me as I go.

"I love you Erin," I say as I pull her into me, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist.

I feel her smile as she buries her head in my chest and wraps her arms around me in return. "I love you too,"

We stay like this for a few minutes, before I pull back. "Come on; let's go downstairs before mom has a chance to spoil Avery."

She just laughs as she intertwines her hand in mine. "Like she has a chance to, you already have her pretty rotten."

I just smile as I let her pull me down the stairs and into the living room where Avery was lying in her playpen. "Guilty as charged,"

Feels like yesterday
Back in the day