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When Erin went back in the living room Adam and Jay were asleep. She had moved back to the chair and was texting. "Roman?" She asked.

"Is it bad to be texting him at 2:30 in the morning when my ex fiancé is asleep three feet away?"

"Does it make you feel better?" Erin smiled as she laid down half on top of Jay on the couch. Earning a cheeky girlish grin in response Erin smiled, "Goodnight Kim."

When Erin woke up a few hours later she was alone on the couch but Adam and Kim were both still asleep in the same spot. She carefully got up and walked towards her bedroom where she found Jay sitting on her bed looking out the window. "You're up early." Erin crooned, "Come lay down with me."

He crawled over and laid down in his spot next to her. "He looked like he had been crying when he left."

"That makes you feel guilty."

"He thought it was me...but it was Terry. You let him lay with us on the couch...you knew...you knew and didn't say anything...you just...you made sure he was okay last night, held him, hugged him..."

"He's family." Erin shrugged.

Jay pulled her in and held her tight, he had never had anyone accept his family despite their faults. "You still didn't have to Erin."

"Just like you didn't have to with Hank...or Teddy...or even putting up with Justin's shit."

"I don't want to take time off."

"Talk to the Doc Jay. Go to a couple meetings at the VA. You do that and Hank will let you come back."

"How do you know?"

"He's Hank."

"What if Charles says I can't?"

"He won't."

"How are you so damn sure?"

"No one expects you to be perfect...just human."

"I am perfect in..."

"Careful what you say Buddy."

"You think everyone will go to the diner for breakfast?"

"Will it help you?" She asked and he shrugged. "You talk to Mouse?"

"I've been with you."

"He knew Terry."

"Gregs the one who got me the job."

"Go get in the shower. I will text everyone then join you." Erin said with a kiss.

An hour later Erin and Jay were sitting at the table with Antonio, Adam, Kim, Kevin, Al, Hank and Trudy. It was everyone's day off and yet they had all shown up no questions asked. They all lingered long after the meal was done. Talking about nothing and everything, just being near each other.

Hank had parked himself to Jays right and had stayed fairly quiet through the meal. When it was just him with Jay and Erin at the table Hank turned to face the younger man. "What I said before...I am damn lucky to have you in my unit...in my family."

"If I see Charles...go to meetings...you will let me come back?"

"Your friend died, you are using your personal days." Hank nodded.

"So I don't have to do anything."

"My unit, my way Halstead. Take care of yourself." Hank said standing up and clapping Jay's shoulder. "See you in a couple days."

The days off went by quickly, and Jay soon realized that talking to Charles...and going to the VA meetings really did help. What helped the most was being able to fall asleep next to Erin every night and getting a solid eight hours. She never forced him to talk but was always there to listen, and she talked to him in return. Never anything too heavy for too long but any tidbits from either of them was new. They listened to Will too and when he hadn't been at med or out at Molly's he had been spending time with the two of them.

Going back to work he started slow, mostly in office and no overtime patrol shifts and eased his way back to normal. It helped that the city was easing them back too and the unit hadn't been called to any big cases.

His third day back on patrol, his first day back riding with Erin they got called out to a shots fired active shooter situation. What a breakin...one two three jump off the high dive and sink or swim. He of course swam flawlessly. Erin however it was a different situation.

Abusive women's shelter...Erin spent three months in a shelter...when she was eleven. Damn. "You never told me you stayed in a shelter." Jay said sitting on the stool at the bar. When Erin turned to look at him he back peddled, "umm...we don't have to talk about it..but..."

"No, no it's not a thing. It's not like a bad memory." Erin paused, they had talked so much and yet there was so much they didn't know... "ummm...it was summer. Air conditioner rattled a lot. It was like right next to my bed. Bunny forgot my first day of school. So the lady, the one that ran the place, she walked me all the way there. Held my hand the whole way. Actually drove by there a couple weeks ago, I saw her...she was walking another little girl to school."

"She didn't recognize you?"

"I dunno...didn't stop."

"You want to?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go see her?"

"She won't remember me."

"Maybe not...but to know she made a difference...we should go see her."

"We?"

"You'd rather go alone?"

"No."

"I want to be there for you like you are for me...past present and future."

"So romantic...our dates will consist of funerals, therapy and abused women's shelters."

"And Molly's."

"Classy."

"Hey now. Can't knock a guy who grew up in Canaryville."