Happy December everyone! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your lovely reviews - I love reading them all!

Sorry that I haven't updated in a while - I had a blast writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. :D

Chapter 10

As Jay helped Erin pack some of her things into a duffel bag, which was sitting on her bed, she said, "Thanks for this. I just don't want to stay here right now."

"You don't have to explain. At least I got mine fixed up after the break-in," Jay replied, chuckling.

"You've got food and beer, right? Cause I'm dying for some alcohol."

"Do you want to go to Molly's tonight? I know people would love to see you," Jay replied pausing to stretch his back.

"I don't feel like it, Jay. I just want to rest and spend time with you, okay? I only just got out of the hospital a couple of hours ago."

"My bad," Jay said, surrendering, "How much more do you want to pack?"

"Just a couple more things," Erin replied as she stuffed another sweatshirt into the bag. She hadn't given Jay much eye contact since they'd left the hospital, and she'd seemed slightly more removed since she'd gotten some sleep that first night in the hospital. He knew that she'd been through a lot for him, so he wasn't going to press it.

Even though he hated her being distant.

"Can I use your bathroom?" Jay asked.

"Sure," Erin said in an obviously tone. "I'll be waiting in the living room."

"Okay," Jay replied as he shut the door. Erin zipped up her duffel and dumped it next to her purse in the kitchen. She felt more secure now that she had her badge, gun, phone, wallet, and keys back, and double-checked to make sure that they were all in her bag. Jay was going to drive her over tonight and they had agreed to get her car in a few days when she was feeling better…and not on two pain meds that made her slightly drowsy.

After checking her watch and gasping at the increasing pain in her ribs, she popped out her painkillers and took half-a-pill of each one. She couldn't remember at that moment how long her doctor had said that they would take to kick in, but she was silently hoping that they would kick in soon. Jay then walked into the kitchen, grabbed his keys and said, "Ready?"

"Ready," Erin echoed, grabbing her purse as Jay picked up her duffel. She made a pouty face at him, and he replied, "You just got out of the hospital and you're on painkillers. Let me help you out."

"Fine, but only if you agree to be more of a gentleman about it," Erin smirked, heading for the door. Jay chuckled as he followed her out of the building and to his car. Once they were on the way, Erin's mind started to whir about Jay.

He had most likely observed that she had been distant since that first night in the hospital, and she wondered if he had figured out why. Part of her mind was telling her that she should go for it and tell Jay that she heard him say that he loved her, but another part of her, the part that was making her distant, was afraid of what Jay would say and she didn't want to jump into anything.

Jay respected the silence and turned up the radio until they had reached his place and proceeded to lead the way into his apartment. Once Erin had settled herself on the left side of the couch, Jay spoke from the kitchen. "Beer?"

"Are you kidding?" Erin said, her head whirling around. "Hand it over."

Jay chuckled as he handed an open beer to Erin with his left hand, his own beer in the right. He sat down next to her after pulling out some pizza, and Jay initiated a toast. As their beers bottles clinked together, he said, "Congrats on getting out of the hospital, and thank you for putting your life on the line for me."

"Sorry for giving you a heart attack," Erin replied after taking a sip. Jay chuckled in response, and he seemed calm, so Erin decided to just go for it. "Jay?"

"Yeah?" Jay asked, putting his beer on the table.

"Remember the first night in the hospital when I feel asleep?"

"Yeah, you were, um…out for a while," Jay stuttered, fearing what was about to happen.

"Not as long as you might think," Erin confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up when Antonio called you at like 6 am or something. I heard you say…I heard you say that…"

"Say what, Erin?"

"That you loved me," Erin said slowly. Jay was clearly surprised, and she asked, "Is what you said true? Do you love me?"

Jay didn't respond for a little while, which was beginning to scare Erin. But just when she feared the worst, he replied, "Yes. I do love you. I have ever since the day we met."

Erin felt like she needed to cry, but instead, she leaned over and kissed Jay. He appeared surprised at first, but the kiss grew more and more passionate as it continued. After a little while, Jay pulled Erin top of him without breaking the kiss. He was about to put his hands under the back of her shirt when Erin pulled back and gasped, clinching her chest.

"Sorry, my ribs suddenly hurt like hell," Erin said, breathing directly on Jay's neck.

"Don't mention it," Jay said, tilting Erin's face up to his with his right hand, "Can you take painkillers tonight?"

"I already took tonight's painkillers. Dammit," Erin said, trying to take deep breaths amidst the pain.

"Then they should kick in eventually, right?" Jay asked with a smirk, eyeing Erin's lips.

"I guess," Erin said, smirking back before kissing Jay again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands found her upper back. After a few more very romantic minutes, Erin pulled away to let her ribs and lungs recover. She asked, "Jay, I don't want to go back to my place anymore."

"Okay," Jay replied slowly, "Do you want to move in here?"

"I want us to get our own place. Together," Erin said, her tongue flying around her mouth in nervousness at Jay's reply. But he quickly smiled and said, "I love that idea. Let's do it."

"Really? Even with Voight still as our boss?" Erin said cautiously.

"Even with Voight as our boss," Jay echoed in approval. He sensed that Erin wanted to relax, so he offered, "How about a movie?"

"Sounds great," Erin said, giving Jay a quick kiss before he stood up and went to find his TV control in the kitchen. In typical Jay style, Erin found it under one of his couch pillows five minutes later.

***Two hours later***

After consuming an entire pepperoni pizza between them plus a few beers, Erin was lying in Jay's lap as they finished watching Runaway Bride. Jay hadn't wanted to watch it, but Erin managed to convince him that he should give in because she just got out of the hospital after saving his ass. So, he gave in and Erin won just another of their frequent battles of will. Jay realized that Erin had fallen asleep as the final wedding scene began, so after he watched the last five minutes he turned off the TV and gently rubbed her back as he looked out at the dark Chicago sky.

***Three hours later***

Erin woke up on a couch in Jay's lap. Thinking that this situation was weird, Erin tried to compose herself when she heard small picking noises on the other side of the front door.

She and Jay were on her living room couch.

Again.

Instinctively, she grabbed her gun from the table, pushed Jay over so he was lying on the couch instead of leaning on the back of it, and loaded her gun with ammo as the front door opened.

The young guy's menacing face rounded the corner after the gun of his barrel did, and instead of listening to Erin's threats to make him back out of the apartment, Erin heard rustling from behind her and the guy pushed her over as he fired at Jay. She heard three pops before the guy sprinted out the door, and by the time she got to Jay he was dead. She gripped his face and did CPR and tried to revive him, but nothing worked. She was beginning to scream and cry when she was suddenly pulled away.

"Erin! Erin! Erin!" Jay said firmly, rubbing Erin's shaking body. He had been woken up by her screams, and she didn't resist his hold until she was fully awake and made eye contact with him. She immediately began to cry into his chest and Jay held her tightly as he asked, "Erin, what happened? Erin?"

Between sobs, Erin replied, "I was in my apartment again. The same guy came through the door, only you woke up and he saw you and he killed you right in front of me."

"Its okay, Erin, it was just a dream. Just a dream," he reassured her, gently rubbing her back again. He internally said cuss words to himself for falling asleep and forgetting that Erin might have a nightmare from what had happened a few days before.

"Pinch me," Erin ordered, sitting up with teary eyes.

"What?"

"Just so I can assure myself that I'm not dreaming right now."

"Okay," Jay agreed, pinching Erin's wrist. She winced at the small amount of pain that came from the pinch, but proceeded to hug Jay again and say, "Thank God."

"You're okay, you're okay," Jay said, "Maybe we should move off the couch?"

"Please," Erin said, happy to oblige. After she used the bathroom, she saw Jay heading back to the couch. "What?" he asked.

"Come with me. Please," Erin begged. Especially after the nightmare, she wanted him close to her in case it happened again. He smiled and snuggled up next to her under the sheets.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," she replied softly, her eyelids already feeling heavy.