A/N So guys Chapter 11 we're about to find out a little bit more about Jay and Erin's history and Jay finds out the big secret or maybe just part of it.

Enjoy!

I do not own the Chicago franchise nor the characters.


Chicago

March 2016

It's been about two months since Jayson Halstead or like he prefers Jay, started working in Intelligence and that's probably the hardest two months of my life, i don't thing even my marriage to Severide was this difficult. At this point i don't know what is more exhausting, keeping the fact that we have a past from Hank and the rest of the team or the existence of our three year old son from Jay. Ever since i told Nat about working with Jay she has been trying to convince me to tell him the truth and every time i try nothing comes out. Actually now thinking about it the most difficult thing is keeping a secret the fact that once upon a time I've had a thing with my partner and he is the father of my son from my dad who also happens to be my boss and a damn good cop. So yeah those two month were hell but i wouldn't give it up for anything or almost anything.

Today was a slow one we spend most of the day catching up on paperwork until we got a call from Chief Boden from firehouse 51, they had caught something on a call, so Hank and i headed down there to see why were we called in.

- So, what do we got? - i asked walking into the basement with Hank and Kelly, since Kelly was the one who found whatever brought us here he

- It fell out of the guy's hands when he was pulled out - he said mentioning towards a wooden box on the floor, under the broken window, there were photographs spread all around it, very disturbing photographs if you ask me. We asked questions, made sure everything was by the book, i picked up a photo and looked at it and my stomach turned seeing the almost naked young girl on the picture, she looked so scared, dirty and unhealthy, not that i expected anything else but it still was a shock. One of the CSI's picked up the box and more photographs were visible under it and i felt like i was about to throw up, Hank didn't look very different from me he had that expression like he was about to kill somebody and that wasn't a good sign.

It was later that day, everybody had gone home it was only Hank and i in the bullpen, he was finishing some stuff and i was separating the pictures from the box, trying to separate the victims when he walked out of his office putting his jacket on

- Oh, my god - i said looking back at the stack of photographs in my hands the boy on the picture was a familiar face, a face i haven't seen in a long time, Hank came towards me and looked over my shoulder

- Oh, my god - he repeated looking at the photograph I was holding, and his face went grim. He put his hand on my back and crouched next to me, I put the picture down and leaned back into my chair i needed a minute, i wasn't prepared for what was staring me from the paper on my desk

- When was the last time you've seen him? - Hank asked and his voice was even deeper and raspier then usual, i could tell he was as shocked as me

- Ugh... six years ago, the day i woke up from the coma after i OD'd, he left for New York the next day - i explained, still in shock.

- Do you know how old was he in that photo? - Hank asked looking between the picture and me, at this point i was crying, he came closer and hugged me tighter, telling me that he'll sent me to New York, to work with the detectives from the SVU unit and i closed my eyes. Hank managed to convince me to go home, to spend the night with my boy and he promised to book me the first flight to New York in the morning.

The night was sleepless and filled with memories, what if's and guild for not paying more attention, for not trying to get a hold of him for the past six years. The first thing in the morning was to call the detectives in New York, Amanda Rollins picked up the phone, i didn't bother with pleasantries and cut to the chase, she asked about my connection to the boy from the photograph and i explained to her that the boy's name was Victor Martinez was a very good friend of mine more like a brother, she promised to get to the bottom of it but there was no way i was going to sit on the sideline so, i asked to join the investigation in New York, and she agreed. After hanging up i packed a bag quickly made sure that Antonio wouldn't mind watching JJ for the time i'm in NY since he was supposed to be off the next two days and then i headed out, dropped my son at Antonio's and then went straight to the airport, only to be surprised with no other then Jay Halstead waiting on me

- Look Ellie i'm sorry - he started but i interrupted him by going straight into his embrace i didn't care about the past, or present, if someone was going to see us or not i needed the comfort of his body, his masculine scent i needed him. Soon we boarded the plane and were seated next to each other with me being closer to the window, although i didn't care for the view i had my nose into the case files Mouse had sent to my tablet.

- Can was Recalled to Active Duty - Jay blurred out of nowhere about thirty minutes into the flight

- What? - i asked confused, my mind wasn't there and his confession just made it more confusing than it actually was

- Four years ago, they had sent me a letter when we were in Wisconsin, i had to report for duty the day after we got back - he explained and i had to close my eyes for a moment rubbing my forehead, trying to wrap my head around it. I remember the day he was talking about like it was yesterday, after spending almost a month in his family cabin in Wisconsin we had decided that it was time to go back to Chicago and take care of things. He had dropped me off at mine and Severide's place since i needed to get my things out of there so, i can move with Jay to Wisconsin after i got my divorce finalized. I also remember the next day when i was calling Jay, i went to his place and he was gone, no phone call, no message, not even a letter nothing like he never existed just poof and he was gone.

- Why are you telling me this? - i asked desperately trying to stay focus on the mission and at the same time wanting to hear more, wanting to understand, to know if Nat was right that there was a reason behind his disappearance that had nothing to do with his feeling towards me

- Because you deserve the truth Ellie, you need to know that it wasn't your fault, just like Justin's disappearance, like the falling apart of your marriage with the fireman, just like what happened to Victor - he said turning sideways so he can look me straight into my eyes

- I do... - i started to protest but he interrupted me

- Yes you do, you are forgetting that i know the real you Ellie, the vulnerable girl behind the mask, the girl who spent weeks making sure that a stubborn, self destructive soldier heals and walks again, the girl who spend all those nights in Wisconsin putting a brave face although she was breaking inside. - He countered me and with every word coming out of his mouth i was getting this overwhelming need to kiss him. And i almost gave in, but then i saw his eyes, the emerald green filled with love eyes and all i could think about was a different pair of emerald green eyes, once that belong to a small freckled faced three year old. Luckily we were interrupted by the flight attendant offering us drinks, i got myself a bottle of water and got comfortable in my seat, closed my eyes and willed the sleep to take me, i was going to need it for whatever we were about to face in NY.

New York

The truth was that i expected to be bad, i just didn't expected to be as bad as it was, the SVU team had discovered a link between the pictures and a video ring that's been sex trafficking kids for over a decade, and somehow my friend Victor had gotten himself mixed into it. We met with detectives Tutuola, Rollins, Amaro and their Sergeant Olivia Benson and we put on the table all the information we had gathered till this moment and there were no good news, it all looked pretty grim. The NY team head no leads on Victor, no hits in any of the databases. After the briefing, Benson, Amaro, Jay and i went to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where we were introduced to a video to the next victim the pedophilia ring with the name of "Chess & Checkers Club", the boy was no more then thirteen years old, he was terrified, he was crying and begging his capture to let him go and the worst of all was that there was no way to trace the video, or the place he was kept.

For hours we were hitting dead ends, we were about to call it a night when Detective Tutuola got our attention towards his computer and what was a juvie record for Vector, but the name on the record wasn't Victor Martinez it was Victor Voight.

- Voight? - Jay asked raising both eyebrows; he was surprised I didn't tell him, or anybody how exactly i got to know Vic

- Yeah, they knew each other... that's him, that's Victor - i said looking at the monitor, i didn't need anymore questions it wasn't the time, nor place for the questions Jay wanted to ask.

Everyone scattered chasing leads, but Olivia made me stay at the precinct, trying to talk with me, i couldn't wait to go out there and look for my friend especially after Jay called telling me that they may have a possible whereabouts of Victor, unfortunately the place didn't get to life until midnight so all we could do was wait. It was close to two in the morning when Jay and the NY detectives came back to the precinct with Victor, or what looked like the boy i used to know. I walked out of Olivia's office and met him in the middle of the bullpen, there was nothing left from the boy i used to know, his once blond hair was brown now, his face was covered with thick beard, his lips and eyelids covered with makeup, his eyes were dead, and his clothes... they were whatever you would expect from a hooker. When he first saw me it was like he didn't recognize me, then he made started talking and it was like a razor blades were cutting my skin, there was so much hate in his words, so much condescending, he refused to talk with me, with anybody actually. It was hours, following more leads, more talks until Victor finally started talking, he was broken, i never have imagine the strong and sweet boy that saved my life to turn into this broken, dark mined boy. Victor was able to help us identify one of the bad guys and Olivia, Jay and I went to arrest him, of course it wasn't going to be easy and the arrest soon turned into a chase i was catching up to him when out of nowhere a bicycler knocked me down making me hit the ground pretty hard. I heard Jay saying that they got him and tried to get up, but everything was spinning i reached forward trying desperately to grab on Jay for support but he was too far away, i staggered and touched the back of my head

- Ellie, you okey? - he asked and i brought my hand back in front to me to reveal that my fingers were covered with blood

- El... - Jay said and grabbed me the moment my legs gave up under me and i felt for a second time, although this time i swear i could see stars i was taken to the ER, thinking that they should make me a VIP considering how often i ended up there. After bunch of tests, imaging and few stitches i was given a room and an ice pack for my head, Jay was sitting in the seat in the corner of the room when Hank walked in, looking concern as every time something was wrong with me or his grandson.

- Dad, you flew in for nothing, i'm fine i'm going back in - i stated being completely serious, but i knew very well that it wasn't going to be that easy to convince him

- You got a concussion, you're going back to Chicago, spend some time with your son - he said it and i cringed inwardly seeing Jay's eyes focus on me the moment the word "your son" left my dad's lips.

- Hank, what happens to Victor? - i asked trying to convince him to let me finish what i came here to do, and hoping that Jay will forget what he had just heard

- You did your job, now is my turn to do what is wright, i should've looked after him it's on me. You're going back to Chicago and i don't want you at the office for at lest the next twenty four hours Antonio will be waiting for you at the airport - he stated, but i wasn't listening to him, i was focused on the guy behind him and the way his face changed the when Antonio's name was mentioned, it was like a dark shade fall on it, i couldn't figure out what was going trough his head at this moment and was left with that question when Hank told him he is to escort me to the airport and he left the room under the excuse that he needs to grab my things from the hotel.

Few hours later i was back home in Chicago, just like Hank said, Antonio was waiting for me at the airport with my gorgeous baby boy, he took us home and made sure i didn't move from my bed, JJ was extremely happy to have me all to himself for the entire day. Later on Antonio made us dinner and then we got settled on the couch watching a movie until we all fell asleep. The next day started worse then the previous on the burning victim that began the whole investigation got shot in his hospital bed with the police officer that was guarding him, both Antonio and i went into work leaving JJ at the daycare. We all got together in the bullpen exchanged the information we had and got separated chasing different leads, Amaro, Rollins, Ruzek and i went to the DCF checking files for a possible member of the pedophilia ring. Jay, Atwater and Rixton were working the murder scene of the DCF worker we were investigating. Jay hasn't said a word to me ever since he found out i had a son and that was making me feel uneasy.

During the investigation, we found a little girl, whose foster father was part of the ring. And he shot himself while Rollins and I tried to arrest him and refused to let that girl go back to DCF until we knew who we could trust so Hank and Sergeant Trudy Platt made sure I could take her home with me. I made sure to let her know she was safe, taken care of, and that I would be there for her no matter what would happen in the future.

The next day i finally got in contact with Victor and he agreed to help us identified as many people involved as possible, so i took him in the office introduced him to the rest of my team and luckily he was able to point us to the big boss almost immediately. It came as a surprise that he head of the pedophile ring was the head of the DCF office at that point we had enough to arrest him, and with join effort from Hank and Olivia he admitted everything, we were able to safe the missing boy and close the ring once and for all.

We got back to the precinct jut in time to salute the wife and daughter of out fallen colleague; Victor's family came back to Chicago to make sure their son was safe and that he would never have to go through all the horrible things he has been suffering for the past years.

At the end of the shift we were able to find a lovely family that wanted to adopt both kids we were able to safe. It had been long few days, Hank had left with Olivia, Rollins and Amaro were back at the hotel and the rest of my team was getting ready to flee their desks. Jay was putting his jacket on but i couldn't miss the looks he was trowing my way, he still hasn't said a word to me and that was getting really wired. I was just about to go and talk with him when i heard the guys cheering just to look up and see Antonio climbing the stairs with JJ in his arms

- Momma! - the little dark haired boy screeched when he saw me and wiggled himself out of Antonio's embrace running full speed towards me, i knelt down and picked him up giving him a big hug.

- You okey? How's the head? - Antonio asked coming next to me and checking my head, and for a moment i saw Jay's face and i could swear there was anger written all over it, but before i could make sure he was running down the stairs fallowed by Mouse.

- Come on lets go, i'll take you guys home - Antonio said with his usual smile, i grabbed my jacket and fallowed him with JJ still in my arms, out of the district and into his car but for the life of me i couldn't get Jay's expression out of my mind.