"Regarding you and Lindsay. I don't know what your relationship status is and I don't care. But I need to know that someone has her back twenty four hours a day."

Jay was leaning against his desk, talking to Atwater about the game the other night when Erin walked in. She looked at him before she sat and smiled softly at him. He bit the corner of his lip, much like the way he did before he kissed her for the first time. He caught her eye again, this time jerking his head in the direction of the locker room, asking her to follow him. He stood against his locker, turning when he heard the door shut.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing," He noticed that her eyes had the same shine that they did all those months ago when he thought nothing could ruin them. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah thanks." Erin smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Jay just spit it out."

"Do you want to grab dinner tonight? I know you probably have to check with Voight but the offers out there." Erin thought it over for a second before responding.

"Kuma's night?" She kept a smile on, a real smile, letting Jay know that she was doing a lot better than he thought.

"Black Sabbath burgers?" He saw her bite her lip, hoping he didn't cross a line.

"Absolutely. We can go after shift."

6 o'clock rolled around, and everyone began to pack up. Jay walked over to Erin's desk.

"You ready to head out?"

"Yeah, let me just tell Voight I'll be home late." She walked over towards the office, knocking on the door before walking in.

"Hey kid. I'm helping Al out with something so I won't be home right away."

"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about." Voight nodded her on. "Jay asked me to go out to dinner with him. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be home until later."

"Okay, have a good time." Erin was shocked, she just told him that she was going out with Jay and he hadn't argued with her.

"What? You're not going to tell him to keep it in his pants? Remind us that you don't allow in-house romances?"

"You're an adult Erin. I trust that you'll make the right decisions." He motioned to Jay, who was laughing at something that Olinsky had said. "Me and him. We have an understanding." Erin's face just got more confused. "Just go have a good time tonight."

"Okay, thanks Hank. We'll both have our phones on." She walked out to where her partner was waiting. "I'm driving."

"Of course you are." He handed the keys over to her as they walked down the stairs

They sat at the table in comfortable silence, but both knowing something was different. They both got a Black Sabbath burger, just the way she liked it.

"This feels wrong, ya know?" Jay looked up to meet her eyes. "Being here, getting her burger without her. It just- It doesn't feel right." Erin broke eye contact and looked around the restaurant.

"Don't think of it like that. Think about it like we're celebrating."

"We don't have anything to celebrate Jay."

"You coming back? Me getting my partner back? I think that's something worth celebrating. And she would want us to come here, so she could celebrate with us." Jay picked up his beer, motioning for her to do the same. "To always having each other's backs. And to Nadia."

"To Nadia." Erin's voice was barely over a whisper, but there was a smile on her face. They both took a sip, Erin watching her partner as he glanced around at the other people. "She knew about us, ya know." His brows furrowed in confusion. "Nadia, she told me that she knew the whole time. And I didn't doubt her, considering I left your place after the first time at around 2 am."

"You could have stayed the night."

"I know, but I would have rather had you with me if I was going to stay. Anyway, I went home that night, and the second I walked through the door she starts going on and on about how she was worried and she didn't know if the task force was always going to work late hours." Erin paused, letting out a breathy laugh before continuing. "Then she said that next time I should text her that I'm staying at your place. She said my hair was 'too sexed up' to have just come from work and there's no one else who I would go to."

"Unbelievable." He was cut off by the waiter bringing their food. "She would have made one hell of a cop."

The rest of their dinner went on without a problem. They made small talk about the case, Erin telling him stories of Nadia. Once they finished their burgers, Jay grabbed the check from the waiter before Erin got a chance to reach for it.

"Alright, what's my cut." He looked up at her, confused. "We're splitting it 50/50."

"No we're not." He was already standing to put his jacket on, bills stuffed under the check.

"Jay-"

"No Erin. It's my treat. Think of it as the date I never got to take you on." He looked up in time to see a smile creep on her face. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip before smiling at her. "Come on, let's get you home." Her eyes flickered up to his, locking in seconds. It clicked for both of them, he said those words all those months ago when they were fake engaged and she had enough drinks in her to tell him about the crap she called a childhood.

"Tonight was nice, Jay. Thank you." As they walked back to the car, Erin reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him feet away from the car. His eyes couldn't focus on one thing, moving from their hands to her eyes and then the car and back to her eyes. They had a way of doing that, drawing him to her, almost magnetic. "You know?" Erin's words came out in a whisper. "If this was a date you would kiss me."

"Would I?" He watched her pull her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding slightly. "Maybe I'm a third date type of guy. Make you wait it out, make sure you know what you want."

"Trust me, I know what I want." Her hand pulled him closer.

"You need to be sure, because this time, I'm not playing any games. This is it."

"This is it. You're it for me Jay." Her hand dragged him until they were chest to chest, toes nearly touching. "So are you gonna kiss me or what?"

He breathed out a chuckle, nodding at her. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb swiped over her lips and he barely hid that smile as he brushed his lips to hers.