When he bumped into her, her first thought was to give the stranger a piece of her mind. So when she met his eye, it was a surprise for her to suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

His eyes were sky blue, and he wore one of those boyishly charming grins that she's always been a sucker for. A warm feeling fell over her, like sunshine was hitting her right in the heart, but she couldn't just stand there on the sidewalk all morning talking to attractive men. She had a job to get to.

"I'm sorry." He spoke in an awkward ramble, she couldn't help but smile at how pathetic he actually sounded. It was cute.

"I'm late." She told him, directing her thumb in the direction she was headed. He nodded, shaking his head in embarrassment. She could tell by the way that he was smiling that he was trying to forget the fact that he's almost run her over on the sidewalk.

"Again, I'm sorry." He smiled, walking backwards away from her. She couldn't help but laugh as they both turned around and went their separate ways.

She hadn't thought about him since that moment, not until a week later when she was first in line at the coffee hut a few streets from the station, her hands were already ruffling through her purse when a handful of dollar bills rushed past her.

"I'll take her order." A voice had snuck up behind her. She hadn't even noticed the younger male was even in the shop, but then again she had only one thing on her mind, and that was the coffee he was now handing over to her ever so politely.

"Thanks." She told him with uneasiness leaking in her voice.

"Don't sound so excited." He teased, following her towards the exit.

"I can afford my own coffee." She insisted as he held open the glass door for her. It had been a while since any man had been so chivalrous, it had been even longer since she's allowed any to be that way.

"I know you can detective." He assured her as he stepped out from the door way, it slammed shut behind them as they continued walking side by side down the concrete bend.

Erin sipped slowly on her drink, the last thing she needed was a burnt tongue to start of her morning. "How'd you know I'm a detective?" She asked, suddenly suspicious. She'd seen this guy twice in her life, neither times had she briefed him on her occupation.

"Don't look so alarmed, your badge is showing." He laughed, she couldn't help but smile as she hung her head from temporary embarrassment.

"Good to know where your eyes have been." She snorted finally.

"I have family in the cop scene, I always notice a badge. Especially when it comes to beautiful woman I run into." He charmed, she wasn't buying it or maybe she was. The smile he wore so well, the way he made her laugh. This guy knew what he was doing.

"I'm late for work." She told him, ignoring the words he'd just expressed. She wasn't ready for this, to let someone charm her off her feet. She wasn't that kind of girl to begin with.

"Again?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow, causing guilt to wash over her.

"How about the next time you plan to run into me, pick an earlier time slot."

And with that she walked away.


It was her partner, Jay Halstead who picked up on her newfound lateness, her jumpy attitude and the smile she wore on her face every time she was alone.

He'd asked her about it.

She'd told him there was nothing to tell.

Of course he didn't believe her.

She was stubborn however, which was why even after she'd run into her new friend a few more times, and started wearing scarves to work, Jay grew highly suspicious.

"So, whose the new guy?" He asked her one afternoon, they were on a stake out, his knee was pressed against the door of the passenger side, and she was looking through her camera lens at the time.

"What new guy?" She asked, her tone squeaked upward, as she played along.

"The one whose got you smiling all the time like you've got some pretty little secret." He accused, dipping his hand into the open packet of crisps that sat between them.

Erin laughed, "Oh come on, there is no guy. You just want an excuse to pry into my personal life."

Jay scoffed. "As if."

"Like you wouldn't jump at the chance to see what I'm like behind closed doors..." She had him there, he would jump given the chance.

"It's me Erin, I know you have some guy. What? Are you scared I'll be jealous or something?" He pressed, hoping that's exactly what she wanted him to be.

She turned to meet his eye, her face was blank, but her mind was all over. "You don't know him."

Jay's eyebrows furrowed, "So there is a guy..." He'd guessed right of course, but he wished he hadn't. He didn't want Erin to be with another guy, not at all.

Erin groaned, "We're working. Just focus on the job." Her annoyance was clear, but Jay didn't care. He was jealous.

"I will if you will." He taunted, causing her to roll her eyes aggressively.

Neither one of them wanted to talk about this together, Jay didn't want to know if she was with someone, even though he knew she was and Erin didn't want him to know about it either. It's not like they were a possibility, but neither one of them felt that they weren't either.

The stake out was a bust, and Jay was grumpy when they finally pulled up outside the precinct that evening, the night air was cool and Erin hadn't been expecting to see her new suitor, yet there he was leaned up against her car. She looked at Jay with an uneasy gulp as she tread across the sidewalk.

His eyes followed her like a clueless puppy as he tried to hone in on the guy's face. He didn't consider himself an overly jealous person, but the burning in his gut was driving him crazy as he watched the pair smooch up in their loving greeting. He would have walked away if his car wasn't parked behind his partners.

He tried to keep his eyes to himself, and his ears on his own business but it was a harder task than he'd like to admit. He swallowed thickly as he reached into his pockets for his car keys.

He could hear Erin laughing, something she did so rarely without sarcasm. It almost made him smile until he realised he wasn't the one causing it.

"We should get home, I'm beat." He could hear her saying just metres away. He jiggled his keys into the lock on the drivers side of his vehicle, trying his hardest to keep his eyes down but it was proving to be impossible. That should be him, he should be the one leaning against her car and making her giggle like a school girl. He should be the one she covers hickies up for at work. Not some other guy.

He couldn't get away fast enough, he was gone in a flash without so much as checking the pair out in his rear view mirror.

Erin didn't know what had come over her, her guard was down and it was all down to this one man. She didn't have to talk about work, he didn't call her by her last name and Voight wasn't breathing down her back about him either. It was simple, and that's all that mattered to her.

That's all that mattered when he'd pick her up over his shoulder and drop her down on her bed, as she screamed when he tickled her, and laughed as he bad jokes. She couldn't help but feel happiness erupt inside of her without warning and she didn't know what to do about it.

Jay had noticed the change, but he hadn't mentioned it to her. She noticed the way he avoided her even though he tried to hide it.


It was late afternoon, the office was quieting down and Erin was ready to get home.

She was startled when hands grabbed for her in the foyer. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she noticed who they belonged to. "Daniel." She smiled, looking around to see who was watching. Luck was on her side since Sergeant Platt had already retired for the evening.

"What're you doing here?" She asked, still wary of where they were. The last thing she needed was for Voight or one of the other guys walking downstairs and seeing them together. She'd never live it down.

"I thought I'd cook you dinner tonight." He smiled, his lips curled upward revealing his pearly white teeth in a smile that sent shivers down her spine.

"Well that sounds nice." She admitted, a smile rose upon her own lips at the sound of that very idea.

"Are you ready to head home?" He asked, noticing her behaviour. He didn't want to believe that she was ashamed of him but for some reason that's exactly how he was suddenly feeling. "Do you want me to wait outside?" He asked, looking over her shoulder.

She looked up at him, she loved how he towered over her, it just made him all the more appealing to her. He watched as she rest a hand on his stomach gently. "No, I'm good to go now."

"Danny?" A voice came from behind her, she looked up at her boy friend's face before turning to meet Jay's eye.

"Jay." Daniel breathed, stepping aside from A very confused Erin. She didn't know the connection between her two love interests but she was about to.

Jay held out his hand and Daniel gripped hold of him, leaning over to wrap his arms around the other man. They hadn't seen each other in years, and this embrace was the closest they've been in a long time.

"I didn't know you were in town." Jay told him once they'd both broken free of each other.

"Yeah, well I must have misplaced your contact." Daniel shrugged, leaning back against the wall.

Jay nodded and snuck a peak at Erin to see what she was thinking. "Danny's my brother. I bet he didn't tell you that."

Erin turned toward Daniel with her arms crossed over her chest. "No he didn't." She admitted, feeling somewhat offended.

"Oh well I'm sure he had his reasons." Jay said coldly, eying his brother with teasing eyes.

"Sorry, I wasn't aware that my brother was an appropriate date topic. My apologies Erin, my brother likes all my girlfriends to know about him. Just so they know there's a better brother out there."

Erin shot a glance at Jay who looked shocked by the words that left Daniel's mouth. "We don't have to do this." She said go both of them. "Let's just be adults. You two can have your beef, but keep me out of it."

The two Halstead boys watched as Erin walked towards the door. It wasn't until she stopped just before the exit did they realise she wasn't upset with them. "Daniel, are you coming or what?" She asked, nodding her head towards the door.

He turned toward his brother and shrugged, "I'll see you around."


Daniel noticed the difference in Erin that evening, she was distant and tried to act as though she was completely fine but he could see it in her eyes, she was elsewhere and he couldn't help but figure it had something to do with his dear older brother.

As she lay in his arms later that evening, he stroked the pad of his thumb up and down her tiny arm as she breathes heavily out into the cold air. He could feel her thinking, like she was thinking with her entire body. "Erin?" He whispered, but she pretended she hadn't heard him.

When he awoke the following morning, she was already dressed and ready for work. He felt so out of place laying in her bed still half asleep, his hair a mess and his clothes spread out all over her floor.

"Morning sleepy head." She called over to him from her conjoining bathroom suit. He held a palm over his eyes to stop the light bulb from blinding him so early in the day.

"Come back to bed." He groaned, reaching for one of her pillows. He wasn't a morning person at all.

"I can't, I'm late." She told him, an amused smile across her chapsticked lips.

He groaned again which only made her amusement grow.

"You're always late." He spoke into the pillows, his words were muffled but she knew what he was saying.

"You always say that." She sang, grabbing her car keys and her badge from her night stand. She hovered over his side of the bed and began to pull down the pillows from his face. His eyes remained closed since the ceiling light was awfully bright. She pressed her lips against his forehead, informing him that he was being a big baby as she pulled herself away.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down on top of him, she laughed as she tried to break free. "I'm late!" She screamed between giggles, until he finally gave her mercy and let her finally leave for work.

As she walked into district 21, Jay was right behind her. She didn't have time for his judgment, she just wanted to walk into her place of work and get on with her day. He boots clicked against the steps as she ran up them two at a time, without knowing that Jay was right behind her.

"You do realise he's younger than you right?" He asked out of nowhere. She didn't realise how close he had gotten, it scared her half to death.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." She scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"My bad." He retorted, opening the door for her.

She stepped straight in, not sticking around for further attitude from her partner. She didn't have time for it nor did she have the patience.

To her delight she could hear Jay engaging in conversation with Platt at the front desk, it made her smile as she rushed up the stairs to where she was safe from personal dramas.

Her eyes locked onto Voight's, who was watching her as she walked in through the middle of the desk filled room. He smiled slightly as she walked over to her desk. She didn't want to believe that people were staring at her, but she couldn't help but feel like there were more eyes on here than there should have been.

"Got nothing better to do?" She asked, narrowing her eyes toward Adam who was the unlucky one to be caught. He looked stunned, like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him, which was a shame because Erin wished the opposite.

Adam opened his mouth to speak but no words came to his rescue. Erin thought that would be the end of it all until Jay finally walked into the room; he exchanged an awkward glance with Antonio who she assumed knew all about what had happened the previous evening. This wasn't what she wanted, she thought that dating someone new, who was outside of the emergency service gig would be simple and easy, and that there would be no complications but she was wrong, and the worst part to top all of this off was that she actually liked Daniel.

Neither Halstead brother knew what was lurking behind Erin's pretty eyes, for weeks she continued the charade that everything was fine, she'd treat Jay with friendly smiled and witty banter during the daylight hours, and would come home to Daniel who she'd wind down beside with a couple of beers and whole lot of kisses.


It wasn't until Daniel had to leave town for a weekend did Jay finally have the guts to question her about it all. He couldn't fathom how she could continue seeing Daniel after finding out who he was. The same girl who told him months prior that maybe he'd have a chance someday, but right in the now it seemed like that wasn't even a possibility. He didn't want to be the guy who ended up with his brother's ex, but apparently that's what he would have to live with if he wanted to be with her. Despite the fact that he knew her first, that he'd fallen for her long before Daniel came back to town.

Everyone had settled down at Molly's for a Friday night beer, Erin had walked in alone and Jay was already setting his sights on her. She was only wearing a t'shirt, her jacket slung over her folded arms. He walked over as quickly as he could without bringing unwanted attention upon himself. He stood in front of her and smiled lazily, drink in his hand. "Can I buy you one?" He asked, motioning towards two empty bar stools.

Her eyes flickered upward to meet with his, a small delicate smile creased her lips upward as she spoke. "Sure."

She didn't say a thing, it intrigued her to watch as he partner ordered her drink without skipping a beat. He remembered her order, and that was awfully sweet to her.

Maybe they had spent too much time together, or maybe he just paid attention during those times.

"So, where's the blonde?" She asked once her drink was sitting nearly in front of her. Jay took his eye off the television hanging in the corner of the room. His eyebrows threaded together in confusion.

"What blonde?" He questioned, reaching across the bar for a napkin.

"You know." She teased, nudging his shoulder with her own. "I saw you with one a few weeks back, she was cute."

"Why aren't you dating her then?" He joked, chuckling as he wiped the drop he'd spilt so nervously.

"Because you'd love that just a little too much." She wriggled her eyebrows knowingly which caused him to smile yet again.

He waited until their laughter faded, and their smiles turned into blank faces before speaking again. It's not that he didn't love the banter they shared or the smiles that lit up Erin's face, he loved all of it. He just didn't want their conversation to get lost in between the joking and the laughter.

"I heard my little brother had to leave town." He started off, despite the groans he heard coming from beside him he didn't give up.

"We're not doing this." She retorted firmly, this was not happening as long as she had something to say about it.

"What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders a little too far.

She shook her head as well as her index finger. "This, talking about Daniel."

"Is that what he's calling himself these days?" He chuckled before taking another sip from his glass. "He spent years hating that name."

"Well that's a great memory you have there, let me leave you to reminisce."

He didn't want her to leave, so when she reached for her jacket and headed towards the door he followed her outside.

"I didn't mean anything by it." He tried to reason, but she was walking faster than he could spout apologies.

"Erin!" He called out as he tried to catch her up.

People dodging was something Erin did daily, rushing after criminals through crowds had become a second nature to her so when Jay was trying to keep up she had no trouble walking straight through all of the night people. He watched her from his height as she neared the end of the crowd, her hands were hugging her body as she found the curb and he finally caught up.

"Why are you with him?" He asked softly as they stood side by side against the bend in the road.

"I'm happy, just let me stay that way."

"Did you or did you not say that we'd have a shot some day?" He asked, clearly hurt. He wanted to be the one who made her happy.

"It's not our time right now, I'm not sure if it ever will be." Those very words hurt her to say, she knew it and Jay could hear it in her voice but neither of them said anything about it. Jay was too busy getting upset.

"I should have known!" His voice began to rise along with his anger. "I'm so stupid!" A bitter laugh fell from his lips as he avoided her eye. She was looking up at him, the way the streetlight hit his face but hid his broken eyes. She felt a piece of her breaking, but there was nothing she could do, nothing she would do. She was too stubborn to admit that she might be making a mistake, that hurting Jay was never in her plan. It was too late to take it back and that killed her.

"He did this on purpose! He's always had this stupid mentality, believing that I always stole his girl but he'd never man up and admit he liked them, now the bastard's done the same thing to me."

Erin knew he wasn't exactly saying any of this to her, but she couldn't help but take in every word he was ranting. She didn't feel like Daniel had stolen her, or that she was ever Jay's to begin with but she could tell that's exactly how he was feeling right now, whether he believed it later or not, it's what he believed right then and there. If she was honest with herself, she'd realise that maybe she liked that.

"Jay!" She snapped her fingers out in front of him, he was still in a frenzy, anger still filled his eyes, and ran through his veins but her voice was pulling him back to the surface. The sweetness in her eyes reminded him why he was there in the first place.

She reached out and took his arm gently between her fingers, her hand remained there, loosely wrapped around his wrist, they were barely touching but her voice hitched as she spoke. "Calm down." She whispered, but instead of letting go of his arm, she tightened her hold ever so slightly. His eyes flickered to their embrace, his tongue pushed against the inside of his lips. What was she doing? Why was she being so gentle with him?

"I just don't know why you're dating my brother, when I'm right here." He whispered pain stricken tone came out stronger than either one of them anticipated. He ran his other hand over his face, frustration setting in like a bad case of realisation.

"I know exactly where you are." She spoke into the darkness, Jay's eyes were still looming under the spot light, and her heart was beating against her chest. She didn't know why she was still standing here, but at the same time she knew the exact reason.

He looked down at her hand still wrapped around his wrist, he didn't want her to let go but she had to, he pushed gently against her fingers releasing himself from her hold. "Is it serious?"

She shook her head. "Not from where I'm standing."

He nodded, that was something to ease his soul. He still didn't like the idea of them together, in fact he hated it's very existence as a relationship. A part of him knew there was nothing he could do, this was her life and he was merely a part of it. She was a strong minded woman who didn't need him to tell her what to do, and he wouldn't dream of doing that to her. He just never expected that she'd be with someone else. It never occurred to him that it would be his own flesh and blood.

"That's something." He whispered, mostly to himself although he wasn't afraid of what she could hear. He took a step back, not to get away but to take in his thoughts, the lights were no longer glowing on his face, Erin was watching him step into the darkness, her eyes were watering but he didn't have the energy to figure out why. Was any of this affecting her? Were his feelings enough for her? He didn't know.

"It's everything." He swore he heard her say, it was too quiet to tell, and maybe he was too drunk to really be listening to voices in the wind but there stood the girl he loved, the girl who was everything he could have asked for, the very woman who taught him exactly what longing felt like. She stood there in the flesh and she wasn't walking away.

He wasn't thinking, or maybe he was thinking too hard, because before he knew what he was doing, he'd walked into the space between the pair and his hands had found their way onto her face, cupping her jaw like he'd never seen such a beauty before in his life, she didn't tell him to stop, she didn't push him off or walk away. Instead there they stood in a dimly lit street with nothing but the breeze to keep them company, he pressed his lips against hers, and she pressed back.

They were kissing, and neither one of them made a move to end it.

Daniel was already home when Erin walked in later that evening, she hadn't known he'd been returning so soon. If she had maybe she wouldn't have felt the way she did when she spotted him sitting on her sofa.

Tears spilled down her cheeks once she'd realised exactly what she'd done. It wasn't like she hadn't known the consequences before, when she'd let Jay kiss her, when she'd let herself kiss him back. Now, looking right at the brother she'd come home to. It was then she realised how selfish she'd become in a matter of hours.

"Erin, what's wrong?" Daniel asked, springing to his feet, it upset her that he was rushing to her ready to give her comfort. She didn't need comfort, she needed honesty. She was about to hurt someone she cared about and it was going to hurt her more than she realised.

She shook her head and held a hand out in front of her. She couldn't do this to him, she couldn't do this to Jay. Voight was right, she did break hearts and she was always going to do that. "I kissed Jay tonight." She admitted, tears falling hot and heavy down her reddened cheeks. The words that fell from her lips were like a punch to Daniel's gut. She read his emotions that spread across his face once he'd registered the words she'd said out loud.

The girl he wanted, the girl he'd finally found something with had yet again chosen his older brother. She started crying heavier when he looked down at his shoes, searching for the words to say. She expected him to get upset, the yell or tell her that she hurt him but there was nothing but silence.

The silence was drowned out by the sounds of her crying, but Daniel didn't make a sound. He picked up his jacket and walked straight past her and right out the door, leaving her alone with her guilt.

The sound of Daniel's car screeching off down her street set her off all over again, she sat herself down on the very sofa he had been sitting on before as she replayed everything that had happened.

The words Jay had spoken when their lips had parted.

The words she'd finally said out loud, the words that had been keeping her awake at night for months.

She was in love with Jay Halstead.

Her tears stung her eyes as she wiped them away, the look on Daniel's face would probably haunt her for some time, but there was no way she could have let him leave without knowing the truth. She owed him that.

The clock chimed midnight and she reached for her phone.

Jay picked up on only the second ring.

"Miss me already?" He asked in a preppy tone.

She started to chuckle, but her emotions got the best of her. She tried to hide it, but Jay knew her too well.

"Erin? What's wrong?" He asked, his overprotective side kicking in.

"I told him Jay, I had to. He's gone."

She could hear him on the other end, shuffling things around. "Erin, I love you but someone else needs me more right now." He told her, walking out to his car. Erin couldn't help but smile.

"Make sure he's alright?"

"I'll let you know."

"I love you Jay." She whispered, and Jay still couldn't believe the words he'd just heard for the second time that evening.