Chapter 2 - Jay Halstead

Jay Halstead has had a pretty messed up childhood, staying through adulthood. He was born to a loving Mother and a hostile Father. He grew up with a big brother, Will, they siblings were really close through the first years, their Mother took really good care of the boys, but their Father never liked Jay very much, Will was his favourite. He never really paid any attention to Jay except when he was shouting at or hitting him. Jay's Mom would always save him from the hitting.

When Jay was ten, Grace Halstead started to get sick, she was diagnosed with Cancer. Pat Halstead never gave a damn about it, he was a doctor and could have helped his wife to get the help she needed but he didn't he left her to suffer. Grace with the help of Jay lived through hell, he took care of her while still going to school. Jay was devastated when his Mom died on his fifteenth birthday. Will had gone off to college and didn't look back, it was like he didn't care either that their Mom was sick and dying, he didn't even come to the funeral. After his Mom died, Jay was left to live with his heavily abusive Father, Pat beat Jay nearly every night, he almost killed him but he didn't care. Jay suffered in silence and pain. When he turned eighteen Jay was contacted by his late Mother's Lawyer, he was told that his Mom had left him a significant amount of money when she died, she signed over everything she had to Jay.

He was shocked to say the least, he had a way to escape his horrid Father and life in general. After High School, Jay moved out of his Father's house, he moved all of his and his Mother's stuff up to his late Grandfather's Cabin in Northern Wisconsin. When his Beloved Grandfather died, the cabin was left to Jay's Mom and now that she is dead to, the cabin now belongs to Jay. Jay stayed in the cabin while he signed up to join the army.

He was eventually shipped out to Afghanistan, Jay was a very good soldier, he became a ranger for the 75th Ranger Regiment and served two tours with his new friend, Mouse. They experienced horror together but where there for each other. While serving their second tour the pair decided to leave the army when their tour was over, they were only a month away from being finished when their convoy was hit with an IED. Their whole team died on impact except for the two of them. Jay woke up inside the upturn vehicle, he got out with great difficulty and pulled Mouse out too, the pair where incredibly injured, they managed to hide and wait for rescue.

They took turns of who stayed awake but it was hard, they both went unconsciousness and missed their rescue. Jay and Mouse where transported to an military hospital in Germany, where their lives where saved, they each had broken bones and a head injury, serious but they would both heal. The friends where given medical discharge so they wouldn't have to go back in to the Army.

They were officially discharged and stayed in Germany for a few months to heal, then they flew back to the US. Jay invited Mouse to stay at the cabin with him, he agreed. The pair grew like Brother's to each other during their time overseas, Mouse knows everything about Jay and his past, he helps him go through his Mother's stuff. They both start drinking heavily to drown their sorrows and pain. They go out on the town to get really drunk, Jay meets a woman, who he sleeps with, but he comes to his senses afterwards, he apologises for his behaviour and calls her a cab to get home safely. They seem to slip further into themselves, until summer months later, Mouse informs his friend that they have to stop their spiral before it's too late.

Mouse recalled that Jay had said he wanted to join the Police Academy when he left the Army for good, so he filled out an application on his friends behalf. Jay meanwhile remembered that Mouse was good with computers and had hacked databases a few times, so he signed him up for a computing gig. That summer before starting to build their new lives, the pair fixed the roof of the cabin and repaired Jay's Grandmother's garden. They saved each other.

So after that summer, they both moved back into the city, with Jay joining the Police academy and Mouse taking classes to further his knowledge and looking for jobs.

Everything had been going well for Jay until one day he got a call to go to the hospital, he went and was met by a nurse, he led him to the hospital nursery, Jay looked at all of the babies. One in particular caught his eye.

"I know this may come as a shock to you but My Halstead that right there is your daughter", the nurse said putting to the baby girl who was looking at Jay through the window. Jay stood shocked while the nurse told him about the baby's mother, she showed him a picture of her and he knew right away that they little tiny baby girl looking at him was his daughter. The nurse lead him inside, he was introduced to his baby girl, he instantly felt in love when he held the bundle in his arms. "What would you like to name your daughter?", she asked.

"Madison Grace Halstead", he replied with a smile. The nurse went to put the name on file and on the birth certificate.

Jay had initially spent time with his daughter holding her while she slept, when he finally put her back in the bassinet, he left the room and pulled his phone out. He called Mouse and asked him to come to the hospital. Mouse came right away thinking that his friend might be injured. Jay explained to situation and then took him to meet his niece. he instantly fell in love with the sleeping new born too. Jay now had a new responsibility, he had to finish the academy while taking care of a new born. Jay divided his time between his training and his baby girl. Mouse gave him a lot of help mainly with taking care of Madison.

Jay graduated from the Academy at the top of his class, he aced all of his classes and training because of his time as a ranger. Mouse sat in the audience with an excited six month old Madison on his lap, the little girl was proud of her daddy. Mouse was also proud of his best friend and Brother.

The new graduate was hired as a patrol cop, Jay worked at his job, but he also tried really hard to be a good dad to his dad he didn't want to be like his own Father at all. Jay hadn't seen or spoken to Pat since the day he moved out at age eighteen. He had only heard able Will once saying he was in Medical School in New York but that was years ago. Jay is raising a sweet and intelligent little girl. He hired a nanny to be there when neither he or Mouse could be, but she wasn't needed much.

Everything was really good, Madison was growing up and learning new things, Mouse was gaining new skills in computing and Jay was helping to keep the streets safe. When Maddie was two years old, Jay was promoted to work in the gang unit. it was a harder job and involved him having to go undercover twice in a year. Jay didn't want to do the undercover but he had to and he knew that Mouse would take great care of his little princess.

A year and a half into working in the gang unit, Jay got shot during a really big case, they caught the bad guys all because of Jay's input. He was shot in the shoulder, shattering his collar bone. At the scene he lost consciousness due to heavy blood loss, at the hospital, he was rushed into surgery and a nurse called his emergency contact which was Mouse. Mouse immediately called the babysitter, Nadia and left Madison with her, he explained what happened and promised to pick up Madison soon. At the hospital, he had to wait for a few hours before the Doctor came out to talk to him. He learned Jay had been shot in the shoulder, the bullet shattered his collarbone, they pinned it back together and put his arm in a sling, he was currently in recovery receiving a blood transfusion and would be moved to ICU shorty for close monitoring over night. The good news is that Jay would make a full recovery after two months in a sling and a further three and a half of therapy he would be good as new. Which he was, the time off work gave Jay the perfect opportunity to spend time with his daughter. He taught her the alphabet and how to write her name, she then learning numbers and sounds, she was a very smart little girl. Jay loved every minute he got to spend with her.

After Jay was cleared for work, he was approached and offered a new job by Antonio Dawson who he had worked with on a case or two in the past. Antonio explained that his unit are looking for new people to join. Jay immediately accepted the job offer. Antonio told Voight that Halstead was in for working with them. There was a waiting period for transferring, Jay had to go back to gangs for two weeks before moving.

Meanwhile the Intelligence unit where welcoming a few new people, there was Kevin Attwater from patrol and Adam Ruzek a newbie from the Academy. now everyone has a partner except from Erin who has to tag along like a third wheel.

A new partner can't come soon enough.

Now we move onto the meeting and starting to work together!