A/N: I saw that some of you asked for a time frame? This is set while they're on their 'break'. Also in this Jay didn't go to stay with Will, he rented out a new little apartment. Hope this chapter goes okay. Anyway.. enjoy!

This time the drive was better. They were speaking to each other, not much, but it was better than before.

"So... what do you want for dinner?" Jay asked.

"Pizza?" Erin suggested.

"Yeah, sure." Jay agreed.

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Jay pulled into his parking spot outside his apartment. Despite Erin's instructions Jay carried both of their work bags, the pizza and Erin's bag of clothes up to his apartment. He unlocked his door letting Erin enter first, he followed after and shut the door with his foot.

"I could've carried my own things, Jay." Erin said as she took her bags off of Jay.

"Yeah I know, but I did it anyway. I didn't want you to catch your stitches." Jay replied.

"Okay. But can we hurry up and eat this pizza I'm so hungry." Erin asked.

"Just give me a minute, go wait on the couch or something." Jay laughed.

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Erin made her way to the living room. Shocked was understatement for what she saw when she walked in. There were beer bottles and soda cans all over the place, take-out boxes and rubbish covered the coffee table. The cushions on the couch were everywhere. She was so confused on how Jay's 'neat freak' military habits let him do this.

"Jay?" Erin whispered as she entered the kitchen.

"What's up?" Jay asked noting the upset he heard in Erin's voice.

"Your living room.. it's a mess."

"Shit. I completely forgot. I'm sorry Erin. You wasn't meant to see it like this, see me like this."

"See you like what Jay?" Erin asked.

"Ever since we took a break... I haven't been coping. I just can't do it. Not on my own." Jay replied.

"But you said you were coping fine with the help from your support group. You lied to me again?" Erin asked starting to become angry.

"No I didn't lie. I'm fine when I'm at support group, because I have people there to talk to it about. When I come home... there's no one here I'm alone and have no one to talk to anything about." Jay said taking a seat on the kitchen bar stool.

"I told you I could handle it Jay, if you'd have listened you would be still be able to come home to me and talk to me about it. You left me Jay, that was your decision, your decision to end up coming home to no one." Erin said.

"I know. I regret it. I knew you could handle it I just didn't want you to have to help me with it."

"Jay, were partners. We help each other, with anything, no matter what. Okay?" Erin asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry." Jay said and got up to go clean up his living room. Erin followed a few minutes later, she half expected him to actually be tidying. He wasn't, he was sat on the couch with his head in his hands, he was crying.

"Jay." Erin whispered, the sight of the strongest man she ever knew breaking down brought tears to her own eyes. She sat down next to him on the couch, placed a pillow on her lap and laid his head on the pillow. Jay was facing away from her so he couldn't see her crying, but he could hear her. He cried harder knowing he was making her upset. They sat like this for a while, before Jay got up and made his way to the kitchen to get the pizza. It was cold but neither of them cared.

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Once they had finished the pizza and tidied the living room, they were shattered.

"I'm gonna put on my pj's Jay. Okay?" Erin said. Jay just nodded and sat back on the couch.

Erin emerged a few minutes later with a pair of shorts and one of Jay's t-shirts on.

"I'm pretty sure that's mine." Jay pointed at the t-shirt.

"And? I like wearing it. It still smells like you." Erin said shyly.

"Er, your sleeping in my apartment, in my bed. I think you can smell me enough" Jay laughed.

"Yeah I know but it makes me feel like you're still sleeping with me."

Jay didn't have an answer for this, he knew it was his fault she had to do that to help her sleep, and it made him feel terrible.

"I'm sorry Erin." Was all he could say. He'd said it a million times over the past few weeks, but what else could he say?

Erin didn't answer, she didn't answer because she was crying. She tried to stop herself, but she couldn't, she had stopped herself so many times that she couldn't anymore. She placed a cushion on Jay's lap and laid her head on it, her knees tucked up into her chest. But instead of facing away from Jay, she laid with her chest facing him, her head on the bottom of his torso. They laid like this for a while. Jay stroked his hand through Erin's hair repeatedly.

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"Hey, Er, I think you should go to bed now. It's pretty late." He looked at the time on his phone. It was 01:04am.

There was no answer from Erin, because she was asleep. Jay didn't bother waking her because he knew this was probably the best sleep she's had since they started their 'break'. So he stayed where he was. He laid his head on the back of the couch and drifted off to sleep, with Erin still laying in his lap.

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A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get up. I had loads of tests/exams to do at school. Hope this was okay? XOXO