A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to Halstead's Secret (Rewritten)! I am so excited to finally be able to take the time to focus on this story and my other chapter story Finding Mia. For those of you who followed my original story, don't assume this story will be like the original (as much as we all love the OG). I have some brand new ideas to make the story fresh and a little bit more realistic! For those of who haven't read the original Halstead's Secret, I really REALLY hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Please review after reading the chapter and let me know what you think. It means so much to me and helps fuel me with more ideas of what you guys want to read. Or if you aren't quite sure what to write in a review, click the favorite button so you will be alerted every time I update - which could be as soon as tomorrow! OR JUST DO BOTH :))

Lastly, thank you all for your amazing support/responses to my author's note on the Original Halstead's Secret! Like I said, your feedback means so much to me!

Happy Reading!

It had been an incredibly grueling week for the whole Intelligence Team. They had taken on, possibly, their biggest case of the month, with ten homicides ranging in different locations of the city and one criminal mastermind behind the operation. For the detectives working the case, the uncomfortable mattresses in the locker room of District 21, had become their new home. These grueling hours and sleep deprivation, were just some of the reasons Erin Lindsay was incredibly grateful to be turning over to the last page of Internal Affairs demanding paperwork.

Taking a moment to rest her hand from it's work, Erin lifted her head and witnessed the rest of her team filling out their paperwork as well. Ruzek and Atwater, although, were busy chatting away about anything other than the copious amounts of work that was sitting on their desk, while Antonio and Olinsky were nearing the end of their work just as she was.

As Erin turned her glance towards her partner, she was taken back as to what she saw. Jay Halstead was already turning off his computer and swiftly stacking all of his cases files into a folder, before standing up to put on his coat.

He never finishes paperwork this early. What the hell is going on. Of course, Erin could be thinking way too much into her partner's exceptional work ethic tonight, but then again it wasn't like him. They had been partners for nearly a year now and Erin had picked up on a lot of his habits. Finishing paperwork the same day they closed the case was not on her list of Jay Halstead's habits.

"Woah! Halstead! You're out of here already", Ruzek said suddenly turning away from his intriguing conversation with Atwater, as he watched Jay tuck in his chair.

"The sleepover was fun guys, but if I have to listen to Kevin snoring for a third day straight, I may commit myself", Jay joked.

"Well, at least go to Molly's with us", Atwater piped into the conversation, trying his best to steer away from the snoring comment.

Jay just shook his head as Erin watched him walk over closer to her desk and drag his fingers against the edges. A ritual she had definitely picked up on as a sign Jay was going home for the night.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow", he said as his fingers reached the edge of Erin's desk, he gave her a smile, and then proceeded to leave the district.

"Man, what a buzzkill", Adam scoffed, after hearing the heavy metal security gate close.

"Not everyone loves to go get hammered after a case like you do Ruzek", Antonio said, coming to Jay's defense.

Erin watched as Ruzek dismissed Antonio's comment and turned around to grab his coat of the chair, leaving the paperwork untouched on his desk. "Lindsay. Tell me you're still at least on board for one drink", he pleaded with her.

"Well, since I just finished all of my paperwork. I think I can treat myself to one drink", Erin said with a smile coming to her face.

"But, only if you buy", she added. It was too easy not to tease Ruzek. Plus, when it came to buying drinks at Molly's, asking Ruzek to buy you a drink turns into him buying you five drinks.

XXX

Upon entering Molly's, Erin immediately noticed that the local bar was practically filled with the typical Thursday night crowd. Hermann was behind the bar, serving the Firehouse 51 crew, who were off tonight, and the doctor's from Chicago Med, who kept their pagers close by waiting for their next call. Then, of course, there were the out of place college girls, who had just happened to stumble across Molly's tonight, most likely looking for a firefighter. Erin had seen her fair share of those girls, most of them usually hitting on her partner.

There was Jay again, slipping so nonchalantly into her subconscious. Since he left the squad room, earlier in the evening, Erin had begun to pick apart all of his actions today to try to solve why he left so early. At first, she took his excuse of wanting to get some sleep after the long case, that was until she realized she hadn't picked up on Jay's unusual habits today.

Throughout the day he seemed in a rush, whether it was to get to one place to the next or it was finishing his paperwork in record speed. He had taken a couple private calls today in the breakroom, but never shared the details with her.

Erin did not expect for Jay to practically divulge everything that was going on his life to her. They had been intensely focused on this case and there was absolutely no room for distraction. But, at the same time, Erin was under the belief that they had become close throughout the past year, after all their long hours on stakeouts and even on personal outings, like Erin's high school reunion. She had never been so vulnerable about her past in front of anyone before. For this reason, Erin believed that if anything was going on with Jay, he would confide in her. Just as she had done with him.

"Lindsay". Antonio's voice calling her name suddenly broke the young detective away from her thoughts as she looked up towards the man sitting across from her.

"Did you just hear anything I said", he laughed, as he sipped his beer and witnessed the deer in headlights expression Erin currently had on her face.

"Sorry, I zoned out a little bit", Erin apologized, nervously shifting her beer back and forth in her hands. "Where did Ruzek go", she asked beginning to look around the bar for the, most likely, inebriated form of Adam Ruzek.

"He went to go get himself another beer, but I know he just got up to have an excuse to go talk to Burgess", Antonio explained nodding towards the bar. Erin turned her head to find Adam and Kim Burgess, a younger uniform officer, flirting at the bar.

"He hadn't even finished that beer he had in his hands when he got up", Antonio pointed out, causing Erin to laugh. It was a mystery to both detectives how Ruzek was ever able to work undercover cases. He was a terrible liar.

"So, what's on your mind", Antonio asked in a sudden turn of events.

Jay. "Nothing. I'm just exhausted", Erin said as she sipped her beer. Even though most of the Intelligence Unit, Voight especially, had their suspicions about Erin and Jay's relationship, she was not just about to prove them to be true.

"Any idea what was going on with Jay. He seemed in quite a rush to get out of the district today", Antonio commented.

Erin felt her cheeks flush at the mention of her partner's name, but quickly looked down, swiping a piece of hair in front of her face, in hopes Antonio wouldn't notice.

"I think he was just exhausted", she answered simply. Before Antonio could counter her statement, Ruzek walked over to their table, pulling Burgess along with him, who just couldn't seem to stop laughing.

"Hey guys! You know Burgess, right", Adam stupidly questioned as himself and Kim stood at the end of the table.

Antonio and Erin shared a light laugh at Adam's total obliviousness to the fact his co-workers were very aware of the woman who he could not stop flirting with.

"Adam. Thanks for the beers, but I think I'm going to go home for the night", Erin said as she gave everyone a smile and stood up, taking her jacket off the chair.

The three members of District 21 said goodbye to Erin as she stood and began to make her way out of the crowded bar. Erin was met with several other goodbyes before she finally got out the doorway and was met with a cool autumn breeze. She quickly found her car and put the key in the ignition, adjusting the temperature of her air conditioning in the process.

Her initial plan was to go home for the first time in three days. Erin could practically picture right now the inviting presence of her bedroom, where she would crawl in, wearing her most comfortable sweatpants and neglect to take the makeup of the today off.

Although, as she began to drive, that plan was very quickly neglected as she turned down one of the many streets of Chicago that would not lead her to her home.

XXX

The second Erin entered Jay's apartment building, she grew incredibly nervous. The only explanation for these nerves could be the fact that she felt like she was intruding. That she was entering uncharted territory where she was not wanted.

Even though she knew the address to Jay's apartment, she had simply only been outside to pick him up when his car was in the shop. She had never actually been inside his apartment and now as she stood in front of it, she regretted driving here in the first place.

But, she was concerned about her partner and this felt like the right thing to do, which was why she raised her fist and knocked firmly on the front door of Jay's apartment.

Erin heard rushed footsteps coming from inside of the apartment and she immediately became nervous. It wasn't too late, but Jay was exhausted when he had left the District. Maybe she had woken him up.

As these thoughts ran through Erin's head, the door suddenly opened and there, standing before Erin's eyes, stood a little girl, who could be no older than five. She had wavy long dirty blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose. She must have been getting ready for bed because she had a small princess nightgown on. In summary, the little girl that stood before her was absolutely beautiful. Erin was just about to apologize, because she must have gotten the number of Jay's apartment messed up, when the little girl in front of her opened her mouth to speak.

"Hi", she said a bright smile coming to her face that made Erin's heart melt. "I'm Maggie Halstead! Who are you?"