Author Note: Sequel to Trials, Tribulations and Triangles. You will need to have read that to understand this story. Although I feel my writing is better on this one.

I have mentioned days and dates rather than always writing "the following day / a few days later" etc. But the dates won't affect the story in any major way.


Chapter 1 – Las Vegas

Monday January 7th – Morning

Lexi sat at her usual booth in Jerry's waiting for Jay. "Can I get you some more coffee sweetheart?" the waitress, Carol, asked approaching with the coffee pot.

"Please" Lexi accepted smiling looking back out of the window. They had arranged to meet at eight thirty, Jay was forty minutes late, if he wasn't there soon, they wouldn't have time to eat breakfast before they had to be at the district.

She picked up her phone, worry starting to set in as she dialled his number, his voicemail took the call. She hung up without leaving what would be her third message. Where the hell was he? It wasn't like Jay to be late, or not show up without calling her. Lexi threw some money on the table before leaving to go searching for her partner.


Lexi walked in to Voight's office after knocking on his open door. "Hey Boss" she began gaining Voight's attention who was stood with his back turned to the door reading from a file. "Have you heard from Jay?"

"Yeah" he explained "called me this morning said he needed to take a week off"

Lexi was surprised, she had gone to his apartment straight from Jerry's and there had been no answer. She let herself in with her keys and found a few of his clothes missing, obviously having been packed in a hurry and taken by him. "He tell you why?"

"Said one of his military brothers had passed. His wife had requested Jay carry the casket."

Lexi understood it was a time sensitive situation, the widow had requested Jay meet the casket at the airport, to bring his fallen brother home. Yet that didn't explain why Jay wouldn't call Lexi and let her know what was happening. He had had time to call Hank and explain the situation.

"You ok?" Voight asked noting her thoughtful expression.

"Yeah" she half-smiled, not quite convincingly. "Yeah, he just didn't tell me that's all"

"I'm sure he'll call you when he can."


Lexi sat at the red light staring absentmindedly out of the windshield. Adam sat in the passenger seat, Voight had partnered them up whilst Jay was away. Adam was talking but Lexi wasn't listening. Lexi was deep in thought, her mind focused on Jay, why hadn't he called her yet? Sent her a text message? Things had been good between them for the last month, they were happy, or so she thought.

"Lex" Adam called loudly bringing her out of her daydream. "Green light"

Lexi pulled away a little too quickly, causing the rubber wheels to squeal on the concrete road. "Sorry"

"You know we're like five minutes from med. Maybe Will knows something you don't"

"Do you mind?" Lexi asked quickly glancing at him.

"Not at all" he smiled "if it will put your mind at ease, go for it"


Adam and Lexi entered Chicago Med and scanned the nearest faces for Will. Not being able to locate him Lexi walked to the desk. "Is Doctor Halstead around?"

The nurse looked behind her "he was just here" she explained cheerily. "I can page him if you like?"

Lexi smiled at her thankful for her help. "It's a personal matter so only if he isn't busy"

"Never too busy for you Detective Shay" Will said from behind her.

"Thank you" Lexi told the nurse before turning to Will.

"What's up?" Will enquired looking at Adam. Will's smiling face faltered, his mind going somewhere dark as he wondered why Adam and Lexi were together, there to see him, where was Jay? "Is Jay okay?" he asked immediately assuming something had happened to his brother.

"Yes" Lexi said quickly knowing Will had jumped to the wrong conclusion. "Well I think so" Lexi added stepping to the side away from the desk. "He took off this morning, called Voight said he was going to Vegas for a funeral, one of his ranger buddies."

Will screwed up his face. "ah shit, it must be Paul Sykes" he explained "He lived in Vegas"

Lexi recognised the name, she must have been introduced to him at Michael Nash's funeral a few years before. "Have you heard from Jay?" she enquired as Will shook his head to answer her question. "He's not answering my calls or messages, I mean he could still be in the air but…"

"I'll call him" Will assured her. "I'll let you know if I get through"

"Thanks. I'll do the same"


Wednesday January 16th - Afternoon.

Lexi drove the rental car a little faster than she should have, weaving in and out of traffic, sounding her horn at people who got in her way. She was being reckless, but she was worried, slowly going out of her mind.

Jay had disappeared just over two weeks ago. Lexi had tried to call him every day, she had left voicemails, sent text messages as had Will. Jay had answered one call from Will telling him he needed some time and he would be back soon. Three days after he went to Vegas, Jay had sent Lexi a message, that read 'I need you to leave me alone for a while. We're over, I'm not your problem anymore. Sorry'.

Lexi had tried to call him, she wanted to ask him what had happened to make him break up with her? What had changed since he had been in Vegas? Why the sudden change of heart? She never got an answer as he never picked up the phone and he never replied to any of her messages after that.

Intelligence had picked up a triple homicide case shortly after Jay's only and final message to her, so she had been distracted with work and hadn't had the time to worry or chase after him. Will and Hank had convinced her to let Jay work it out for himself, he would come home when he was ready, he was just letting off steam with his buddies, mourning their fallen friend, taking the opportunity to have a reunion of sorts. Lexi had followed their advice, she had left Jay alone, he was an adult, she wasn't his babysitter or his girlfriend apparently, any more.

Then early hours of this morning her cell phone ringing had stirred Lexi from her sleep but not woken her, the voicemail notification had woken her fully. She immediately listened to the message and remembered every word as she drove through the Las Vegas traffic. "Lex, hey, it's me, Jay…" he sounded drunk, extremely drunk slurring his words, but there was also a hint of something else to his voice, he sounded defeated, emotionally tired. "I just wanted to say thanks, but I'm done…it's all too much, I'm sorry but I can't…hey Jay you coming?" whoever had called him in the background had distracted him from his call and the voicemail abruptly ended.

Lexi had frantically tried calling him back as she raced to the airport and as soon as she got off the plane but still hadn't heard back from him.

Voight had called in a favour with a friend at the Las Vegas PD and they had pinged Jay's phone giving Lexi the location of a motel. Lexi screeched to a halt in a parking bay outside the main motel reception and ran through the doors.

"I'm looking for this guy" Lexi said slamming her phone on to the desk to show the male attendant a photo of Jay.

"Look lady, we don't want no trouble here…"

Lexi pulled her badge from her hip and showed him. "He's a friend, I think he might be hurt, please"

The receptionist eyed her badge and then looked at the photo again. "Room 104" he told her.

"Thank you" Lexi called over her shoulder racing back outside. She checked the room numbers closest to her then ran in the direction of room 104. She felt sick, petrified of what she was going to find, what if Jay had done something stupid? What if he had hurt himself? His message sounded desperate, like he had given up, he sounded like he was saying goodbye to her.

Lexi used a closed fist and banged on the door of room 104, the curtains were drawn on the window, she couldn't see inside. "JAY, YOU IN THERE?" she shouted, she waited and heard nothing. "JAY, IF YOU'RE IN THERE OPEN UP" she yelled banging again.

Lexi heard movement inside then Jay was standing in his boxer shorts, squinting at the bright afternoon sun as it hit his face. "Lex, what the hell?"

Lexi barged past him in to the room, Jay closed the door and stood staring at her. Lexi assessed his body, looking from his head to toes, looking for signs he had hurt himself or he was hurt in any way. He had no signs of harm to his body, expect a few scratch marks down his chest, Lexi figured that was more from pleasure than pain. Lexi swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat at the thought of Jay being with someone else.

Jay suddenly felt self-conscious he didn't like the way she was looking at him. He reached for a pair of sweat pants that were thrown over the chair by the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked stepping in to pants.

Lexi diverted her eyes from his body and walked to fling the curtains open, letting the sunlight flood in to the room. She turned to assess the room in the daylight. Empty beer bottles, whiskey bottles, old fast food boxes, and clothes, were strewn around the room haphazardly. It was a mess, and the days old food containers were beginning to smell.

"I'll ask you again," Jay started impatiently walking around her and sitting on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing here?"

Lexi pulled her phone from her pocket and played his voicemail message on speaker phone. "Lex, hey, it's me, Jay…I just wanted to say thanks, but I'm done… it's all too much, I'm sorry but I can't…hey Jay you coming?" Lexi's eyes brimmed with tears, now she was looking at him, now she knew he was ok, she couldn't hide the relief.

Jay scratched the back of his head his eyes downcast and embarrassed, "I don't even remember calling"

"I wonder why?" Lexi chuckled sarcastically motioning at the empty alcohol bottles on the floor. "I thought…" Lexi started but couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't want to think about it. She had done nothing but think about the what ifs on the flight and the drive here, now she knew he was ok she was angry with him.

"I'm sorry" he told her. "But I'm fine, you wasted a trip." He explained standing up and swaying a little. Lexi scoffed at him, he was still drunk from the night before. "You don't need to worry about me"

"You are not fine Jay, it's two in the afternoon and you can hardly stand up straight"

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently "So I had a couple drinks last night"

"Do you even know what day it is?" Jay didn't answer, he wasn't sure if it was Wednesday or Thursday, or was it Friday? What did it matter anyway? Lexi waited for a response, realising he wasn't going to answer she asked with cynicism dripping from her voice. "The reunion's going well then."

"Don't" Jay warned.

Lexi couldn't hide her emotions anymore, she was furious with him for leaving without calling, angry at him breaking up with her via text, relieved he was ok. "DON'T WHAT?" she bellowed at him.

"DON'T WALK IN HERE ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY AND TELL ME HOW TO DEAL WITH MY SHIT!"

Lexi laughed without humour "THIS IS DEALING?"

"LIKE YOU WOULD KNOW"

"DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOUR DEALING WITH ANYTHING TO ME!"

"WE CAN'T ALL MURDER OUR PROBLEMS" Jay screamed at her.

They stood staring at one another, Jay inhaling and exhaling deeply, trying to calm his anger. Lexi couldn't believe what he had just said. She broke their stare and cleared some clothes from the chair by the door and sat down. She wasn't going to get through to him when he was like this or if she was angry with him.

Lexi sighed and looked up at him, "I don't know what you're dealing with Jay and I'm not going to pretend to understand, but I'm not letting you do this alone and I'm definitely not going to let you drink yourself in to oblivion."

Jay walked to the fridge that was under the table that held the tv and took out a bottle of water, swigging from the bottle greedily. "It's not that bad" Jay informed her.

Lexi raised her eyebrows at him questioningly "No? Do you know you've been gone almost three weeks?"

Jay couldn't hide the flash of shock that crossed his features. He hadn't realised it had been that long, he had been in a haze of booze, women, partying and blacking out. Jay leant on the table behind him. He exhaled sharply looking up at the ceiling. He had screwed up and he knew it. "I've been preoccupied" he admitted.

"I can see that" Lexi's sad eyes motioned toward the marks on his abdomen.

Jay ashamedly put his arm across his stomach trying to hide the evidence of his previous endeavours, wanting to change the subject he asked, "Is Voight pissed?"

Lexi nodded smiling a little, faking a niceness she didn't feel. "I talked him out of firing your ass."

The smile on Jay's lips didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm sorry"

Lexi shook her head slowly, "don't be sorry, just come home"

Jay's mouth curved in to a half-hearted smile, "yeah, alright, let me take a shower first?"

"Ah damn it" Lexi groaned grinning at him "I was hoping you'd refuse so I could tazze you and throw you in the trunk"


Jay had taken a shower whilst Lexi packed his bag. She took his bag to the rental car, then drove the car from outside the reception to park in front of Jay's room, whilst Jay knocked on the doors of the rooms his friends had been staying in, to say goodbye.

Lexi watched Jay knock on the third door and was surprised to see a pretty, brunette woman answer the door. They spoke for a couple of minutes before Jay kissed her cheek and then hugged her.

Jay walked to the car and got in. "Ready?" Lexi asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah" he said smiling lightly.

"I got us a flight home, you owe me six hundred bucks by the way"

Jay laughed "I owe you a lot more than that" he said as she backed the car up and swung it round. "I am sorry Lex"

"I'm just glad you're okay." Lexi said pulling the car out on to the main road.


Friday January 18th - Evening.

Lexi walked behind the bar of Molly's greeting Gabby by kissing her cheek as she pulled a pint for a customer. "How was your Vegas trip?" Gabby quipped. Gabby knew why Lexi had gone to Vegas, the reason she had gone was sat across the bar with some of his Intelligence colleagues.

"Short and expensive" Lexi rolled her eyes glancing over at the table occupied by Jay who was laughing along with Adam, Kevin and Kim. "What can I get you Doc?" Lexi asked approaching Will who was waiting to be served.

"A beer and one for yourself" Will ordered handing over some cash. "A thank you for bringing him home" he explained looking over at his smiling brother.

"I'd say it was my pleasure" Lexi grinned grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge "but you know it's Jay so…"

Will laughed with her picking up his beer from the counter top, "I do know" he inclined his bottle toward her in a toast, Lexi raised the shot of tequila, she had poured for herself at Will's request. "To the younger, less handsome and less charming Halstead" Will toasted

Lexi took her shot as Will swigged his beer. "We really need to shorten that" she suggested

Will smirked thinking fast on his feet. "How about half price Halstead?"

"Works for me" She chuckled before Will walked to join his brother.

"You two kissed and made up?" Gabby enquired watching Lexi unashamedly stare at Jay across the bar.

Jay had slept most of the journey home from Vegas, sleeping off his hangover. Lexi felt airports, planes nor cab rides were the right place to have relationship discussions. Lexi had kept the conversation casual, updating Jay on the latest case intelligence had worked. Jay told her a couple stories of his time in Vegas, focusing on the reunion side of the trip rather than the blatant attempt at avoiding dealing with the death of his friend.

Lexi averted her gaze answering Gabby with a shake of her head, "No, haven't seen him since we got home Wednesday night. Voight told him to take the rest of the week off, come back fresh on Monday."

"Do you want to make up with him?"

"I miss him" Lexi admitted without hesitation.

"So go get your boy" Gabby encouraged

"He broke up with me" Lexi reminded her "He was going through a tough time and his first thought was to skip town and dump me." Lexi thought aloud. Jay had broken up with her rather than leaning on her for support, he hadn't gone to her for help, he had pushed her away. Maybe he didn't feel like she was someone he could lean on? "Maybe he doesn't want to make up with me" she speculated watching Jay weave through the tables toward them.

"Only one way to find out" Gabby advised in a sing song-y voice as Jay sat on a vacant chair at the bar in front of where Lexi stood.

"Find out what?" Jay queried smiling brightly at them both.

"Nothing" Lexi answered urgently before Gabby could enlighten him.

"Chicken" Gabby joked walking further down the bar to serve a waiting customer.

Lexi smirked ignoring Gabby's taunt and focused on Jay. "What can I get you?" she plastered on an awkward yet genuine smile leaning on the bar.

"Three beers, and a gin and tonic please" he ordered. "Want to join us for a drink after your shift?" he offered watching Lexi begin to prepare the drinks.

Lexi thanked him for the offer placing two beers on the bar "but I gotta close up tonight" she explained picking up the other two drinks. "I had to switch with Gabby. She covered for me Wednesday night"

Jay smiled looking somewhat bashful "Sorry" he apologised knowing he was the reason for Lexi having to swap her shifts before carrying the tray containing the drinks back to the table.


"Goodnight guys" Lexi smiled holding the door open as the last few stragglers passed her and exited Molly's. She pulled the door closed looking forward to going to bed once she had cleaned the tables and washed the last of the glasses. It had been a long few days.

She pushed the deadbolt up before hearing someone knock on the door. She exhaled rolling her eyes "We're closed" she called through the door. The unwanted visitor knocked again.

She sighed unlocking the door assuming it was someone having forgot something in the bar. "We're closed" Lexi teased seeing Jay staring back at her smiling.

"Figured I should help you lock up" He explained stepping passed her in to the bar "as I'm the reason your having to do it"

"Well roll up your sleeves" Lexi commanded relocking the door. "There's glasses to be washed, and tables to be wiped down"

"Put me to work" Jay said taking off his jacket and rubbing his hands together eagerly.


Lexi polished the last table after she had wiped them clean. She heard glass jingle as Jay entered from the kitchen carrying the dishwasher tray containing clean glasses and placing it on the bar. "This is the last of them" he informed.

"Thanks, leave them there I'll put them away."

"Need me to do anything else?"

"No, thanks" she smiled thankfully at him as she passed him walking behind the bar. Lexi began sorting the glasses in to their rightful places. "You can take off if you want?"

"I don't even get a drink for all my hard work?" he asked sitting on a barstool.

Lexi laughed "If you think what you just did was hard work, don't ever work in a bar"

"Can you imagine the tips I'd make though" he grinned at her as she poured him a whiskey on the rocks. "With this face and my charm, I'd make a killing"

Lexi hooted at him passing him his drink shaking her head at his cockiness as she continued to put the clean glasses away. "So modest"

"Not going to join me?"

"The only thing I want to do right now is crawl in to my bed and pass out"

Jay raised his eyebrows suggestively. "That an invitation?"

"To pass out on you?" she questioned sarcastically. "You not see enough of that in Vegas?"

"Ouch" he remarked looking away from her a little ashamed. "I guess I deserved that"

Lexi sighed sadly seeing his downcast eyes. She felt bad for taking a dig at him, but he did deserve it, she wasn't going to apologise.

"Maybe I should go" he suggested standing up and picking up his jacket from the stool next to him.

"So that's it?" Lexi asked anger seeping in to her voice. "You take off for three weeks, partying and obviously screwing anything with a pulse" Lexi's memory flashed to the nail marks she had seem on Jay's torso, making the fury in her voice stronger, "break up with me, via text no less, and that's it?" she asked as she watched him put on his jacket. "You're walking away?"

"Do you want me to?" he asked staring her dead in the eye. "I did all those things you just said, not that I remember most of it" he shook his head trying to find the memory "So you tell me Lex, should I walk away? Leave you alone or can you forgive me?" Jay wondered throwing the ball back in to her court.

His gaze got too much to handle and Lexi had to look away from him. He waited what felt like an eternity for her to answer. Could she forgive him? When she didn't respond, just continuing to stare at her feet he walked to the door of Molly's.

"I love you Jay, that hasn't changed" she spoke to his back as he unlocked the door with the keys Lexi had left in the lock. "But I won't let you just drop me and pick me up when it suits you"

"That's not what this is" he said without turning to face her.

"Well figure out what this is, what it is that you do want and let me know" she advised. Jay stood for a minute internally debating what to say to her, whether to say anything to her, before walking out of Molly's.