Thank you for your reviews! I'm still looking for ideas for A-Z kids!
I know I said I wanted to end this by October, but I was so busy that I haven't had any time to write until today. I'm not going to try and give you a time on when Z will be out because it seems like every time I do, it takes forever, but I will try and do it soon! I was so sad writing this when I realized that it's almost over! I think you all know what this chapter is about and I hope that it lived up to expectations!
Also, as a side note, for anyone who has been to Disney World, can you tell me your experiences with it, what it's like, rides that are there, anything about it? For one of the chapters in the A-Z Kids story, I have it planned that Linstead will takes their kids to Disney, but I have never been there, so I have no idea how to write it! Let me know all about Disney World!
But most of all, tell me your thoughts on this chapter and what you want to see for the Linstead wedding!
Y: Yes
*When Jay bought the ring, he wasn't sure when he would use it. But now seems as good of a time as ever, and he's just hoping Erin will say 'yes'.
Jay and Erin talked about the future a lot. It was usually just brought up in random conversation, but it was happening more and more as the days went on. Jay was one hundred percent sure, without a doubt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
For a while, he hadn't known where Erin's head was. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into something that she wasn't ready for. So, he waited. He always talked in loose terms, never putting a specific timeline on anything or trying to make her feel like he was trapping her into something.
But then, Erin started to be the one to bring up the conversations. She would ask him things about how he envisioned their future, and about how he felt about certain aspects of their life together. That's how Jay knew that she was just as ready for this as he was. He was sure that she would be scared, but who wasn't? It was going to be a big commitment, but it was one that they were ready to make to each other.
Jay knew that it was time to propose.
He had never proposed to a woman before, but he had seen enough movies to know that usually, the guy went to the girlfriend's best friend and asked her to help pick out the ring. Unfortunately for him, Erin didn't really have a best friend that he could go to for advice. All of their friends were guys who would be just as clueless, if not more clueless, than he was. He could always ask Burgess, but he figured that she and Erin weren't really close enough for her to know that much.
He decided to drop the idea of a ring for a little while and to go and talk to Hank. Jay wanted his sergeant's permission for this engagement. If Hank said no, he would still move forward, but his blessing would be appreciated and he knew that Erin would love to know that her father figure approved of their relationship.
It was a Sunday morning when Jay finally got the courage to go talk to Hank. Erin had gone to breakfast with Alvin and his daughters, so Jay took the opportunity. He jumped in the car and drove over to Voight's.
It felt strange walking up to the front door without her since he had only ever been there with her, but he sucked it up anyway. He knocked on the door twice and stood back. Voight opened the door and looked at him in surprise.
"Halstead. Is Erin alright?"
"Yeah, she's fine. I'm actually here to talk to you."
Voight studied him for a second, then stepped back. "Come in."
Jay walked in. He looked around, though he wasn't sure why. He had been in Voight's house plenty of times, but it still didn't stop his nerves. He rubbed his hands across his jeans to stop them from accumulating sweat.
"Can we sit?" he asked.
Voight gestured for the kitchen table and Jay led the way. The two men sat across from each other. He took a deep breath and then just said it, knowing that the direct approach was the best way to go about it.
"I want to ask Erin to marry me."
He watched Hank's face carefully. The older man's fist clenched, and then unclenched. Jay wanted to break eye contact with him, but he didn't. He continued to stare at him and didn't waiver. He knew he couldn't back down.
"Jay, I was hesitant to bring you into my unit. I only knew about you what I had heard from Antonio. You questioned every order I gave you. But you were a solid cop with a good head on your shoulders, and you always had Erin's back. I trusted you to be her partner. You have never let me down. I still don't like the idea of in house relationships, but the two of you have kept it professional and managed to keep your personal life out of work.
"More importantly than that, you know how Erin works. You've seen her at her worst. You are the one who brought her back from the edge after Nadia died. You held her after she found Allie's body and helped her fight through the drug withdrawals. You have made her see that she's so much more than what she was raised to be. Because of you, she's grown as a person. I don't see that lost little girl as much.
"When I started seeing that the two of you liked each other, I told Erin that she had left a string of broken hearts behind her since she was fifteen years old. I told her that I was looking out for you because I knew her and I know how she is. But somehow, you've gotten her to stick around. You've helped her to see that your relationship is worth fighting for, and you've changed her for the better. I had always thought there was a chance she could damage you with her past, but it seems like you healed her."
Jay was shocked at the words he was hearing from Voight. The most he had ever heard from him was, "I need to know someone has Lindsay's back at all times", or, "you're a good guy, Jay". This had to be Voight giving him approval.
"If you want to marry Erin, then I'm sure she would love that." Voight finally smiled and held out a hand to him. "Welcome to the family."
Jay shook his hand as a smile broke out on his face. The two men stood.
"Thank you, sir. I swear to you that I will do everything I can to make her happy for the rest of our lives."
"What would you have done if I said no?" Voight wondered.
"I would have married her still, but it means so much more having your approval."
"Have you chosen a ring yet?"
"No. I'm not really sure what to choose. It's not like Erin really has any girlfriends to ask. I'm just going to wing it."
"There's no need for that. Come here." Voight led Jay down to the basement. Jay had only been down there a handful of times, but he followed him anyway. He watched Voight get into his safe and saw the man pull out a ring. "This was Camille's. Erin always loved it, and Camille made me promise to give it to her."
Jay took the ring. "Thank you. I know she'll love it."
"She deserves to be happy."
"I know she does. More than anyone in this world."
"When are you going to do it?"
"I want to take her to dinner, and then ask her later on at the apartment. I don't want to ask her in public because I don't want to make her feel pressured into anything. I'm not sure when I'll do it, but soon."
Voight nodded his head. "I wasn't sure if I would like you at first, but you're a good guy for Erin, Jay."
"Thank you." Jay put the ring in his pocket. "I've got to go; Erin will be home soon." He shook Hank's hand again.
"Thank you for asking my permission. It means a lot." Hank told him as he walked him out.
"I wouldn't go behind your back. I learned that that isn't really the way to do things." Jay joked, referencing his and Erin's attempts at sneaking around.
"Get home, Halstead."
"Yes, sir."
As Jay walked to the car, he smiled. He had permission, now he just had to propose.
LINSTEAD LINSTEAD LINSTEAD
Two weeks had passed since Jay had asked Voight for his approval. He had been planning out his proposal and it was finally the night. They were supposed to get off work tonight at a reasonable time, he would take her to dinner at her favorite Italian place, and then they would go back to their apartment and he would pop the question.
It was easy enough. Every time he thought about it, he fought the urge to smile and also throw up. It was nerve wracking to think about the possibility that Erin might say no. He knew that her biggest enemy was herself and there was a chance that she may deny herself the happiness that she deserved. If she said no, he would do everything he possibly could to change her mind, but he was hoping it didn't come down to that.
"Good morning." He greeted his girlfriend as he exited the bathroom and saw her eyes were now open, though she was still lying in bed. It made his heart flip at the idea that tomorrow, he could be calling her his fiancée.
Erin was clearly still adjusting to the amount of light in the bedroom, but she smiled at him anyway. She reached her arms in his direction and he went to her. He sat down on the bed and she pulled him to where he was lying next to her and she could cuddle into him. Jay would never get over how cuddly she was. Because of her tough exterior, he never would have imagined it, but she was one of the cuddliest people he had ever met. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her close to him. He knew they should be getting ready for work, but right now, this was better.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked as he traced patterns on her lower back where her shirt had ridden up.
"Mmhmm." She hummed. "You?"
"Yeah." Jay kissed the tip of her nose. "Alright baby, we've gotta get up. Come on." He pulled her up to a sitting position and got out of bed. Erin watched as he finished getting dressed. Her elbow was resting on her knee and her chin rested in her hand as her eyes fluttered open and shut. Jay shook his head at how cute she was. "Did I keep you up too late last night?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Don't get cocky, Halstead." She flung the blankets off of her bare legs and Jay was momentarily distracted. She was wearing only his t-shirt and she knew how to swing her hips just that extra amount to make it impossible for him to form words. Jay turned and walked out of the room to make coffee and let her get ready.
Twenty minutes later, Erin walked out of the bedroom fully dressed. Jay had his back leaning up against the counter with his coffee in his left hand and his phone in his right. He pretended like he didn't notice her walk into the room, but she refused to be ignored. She came over to him and stood in front of him.
"Your coffee's right there." He told her, gesturing towards the counter where he had already made her cup of coffee. Erin's lips were slightly pouted and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"
"You didn't kiss me."
Jay smiled down at her, which only made her frown more. He put his coffee down and then gently grabbed her chin in his hand, pressing their lips together. He deepened the kiss quickly and turned so Erin's back was against the counter. If his girl wanted a kiss, he would give her a kiss.
He pulled back after a few minutes and sucked in air. He could see Erin's chest heaving.
"How was that?"
Erin leaned up on her tippy toes to press one more quick kiss against his lips. She smiled contently and grabbed her cup of coffee, drinking slowly as she caught her breath.
"We've gotta go. We're gonna be late." Jay told her as he glanced at the clock.
"Maybe if you would have kissed me when I woke up like a normal person, that wouldn't be happening." Erin remarked.
Jay looked at her. "Are you complaining about the kiss I just gave you?"
"Not at all."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." He grabbed both of their phones, guns, and badges while Erin got her shoes on. He slid his jacket on, then held out her coat for her to put her arms into. They both grabbed their respective items and headed out the door.
Jay realized this could be the last normal morning of their lives. If she said no, then everything tomorrow would be different. Even if she said yes, then things would be different. They would be preparing to get married. They would be making a commitment to spend the rest of their lives together.
"Uh, Jay?" he looked over at Erin, who was staring at him. "Are you going to get off the elevator?"
He just laughed and followed her to the car. She drove, like always, and they joked and laughed the entire way to the district.
They walked upstairs together and noticed that they were the last ones to arrive. Antonio noticed their entrance.
"We got a lead on Zamprogna." He announced. "We roll out in five."
Jay and Erin quickly jumped into action and started preparing. They put their stuff down and went to go strap on their vests. Erin turned around so that Jay could buckle hers up properly.
"Do you think this is what we've been waiting for?" she asked. Zamprogna was a heavy hitter in a gang that they had been working on taking down for almost a month now. He had been killing the children of members of a rival gang and they were trying to prevent any more unnecessary deaths.
"God, I hope so." Jay finished with her vest and turned so that she could do his. He also hoped that everything with this went routinely and they were still able to get out of work on time tonight. A big takedown usually meant a lot of paperwork, and he had reservations for seven tonight at the restaurant. He was done pushing things off; he wanted to propose to Erin.
It didn't take long before they were all in their cars and driving towards the place they had been tipped off to where Zamprogna might be hiding out at. Erin was behind the wheel and even though Jay made a lot of comments about not getting to drive, there was no one he trusted more. Erin was a great tactical driver; honestly she was probably the best on the team.
They pulled up to an older warehouse that sat pretty close to the river. Jay immediately got a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something wasn't right. One look at Erin told him that she was feeling the same thing. She kept her foot on the brake and waited for Voight's voice over the radio to tell them what to do next.
"Everyone, let's go in. Al and Atwater, you take the back."
She put the car in park and they slowly got out of the vehicle. They joined the rest of the team near the front of the warehouse and prepared to breech it. It was broad daylight, but it still felt eerie.
"Does anyone else get a bad feeling about this?" Ruzek voiced.
Voight gave him a look that shut him up. "Break it down."
Ruzek lifted his leg and kicked the door in. "CHICAGO PD!" he entered the dimly lit warehouse, followed quickly by Antonio and they went to the left. Jay went next and he felt Erin's tiny hand on his shoulder as he went to the right. He looked around and saw shelves full of boxes lining the room. He barely saw the gleam of metal behind one of them.
"GUN!" he yelled just as bullets started to fly towards them. He turned his body just enough to avoid being hit and also managed to slam Erin into the wall in the same movement. They ducked down and took cover.
"This is Detective Erin Lindsay, we are under heavy fire, requesting immediate backup." He listening as Erin rattled off their address into her radio. He knew that it wasn't likely that backup would arrive in time. They had walked right into an ambush. They should have listened to their guts. He hadn't felt right, he knew Erin hadn't felt right, even Ruzek wasn't feeling right. They should have called in backup before they even touched the door to this place.
He wondered if Al and Atwater even got in the door or if they were gunned down. None of them even had their long guns; once they saw that this place looked abandoned, they had figured that it was a false tip and didn't bother to grab them.
They were so stupid.
"Antonio's been hit!" they heard Ruzek's voice frantically call over the radio.
Jay looked over Erin quickly, making sure that no bullets had managed to hit her before he had pulled her down. He saw that her eyes were scanning him too. He turned and leaned up to assess the situation. There had to be at least ten guys and they were packing pretty heavy artillery. They didn't really stand a chance.
He saw someone starting to return fire. He figured that it must be Voight. They still hadn't heard anything from Al and Atwater, so he was hoping that they were alive. Jay sat back down.
"What's the plan?" she asked him. "What do you wanna do? Wait for backup? Return fire?"
"Marry me." He said suddenly. It sort of slid out before he meant for it to, but he didn't regret it. If they were going to die, then he wanted to die knowing she was his fiancée.
"What?" Erin's voice softened.
Jay reached into his pocket, which was a little difficult given the cramped up space they were in, but he pulled out the tiny black box he had been carrying around for weeks now. "I was going to do this at dinner tonight, but I don't know if we're going to survive that long. I love you, Erin. Marry me." He opened it up.
"Camille's ring. But how…"
"Voight gave it to me."
She smiled. "Yes."
Jay slid it onto her finger and leaned forward to kiss her. "I say if we're going down, we go down with a fight. Return fire?"
"Return fire." Erin confirmed. "I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed her again quickly. He looked at that ring on her finger and he knew that he had a reason to get through this. He had to play this safe.
"How's Antonio?" he called over the radio.
"Hanging in there. Bullet hit his arm." Ruzek answered. "What's the plan?"
"Return fire."
"Got it."
And a few seconds later, three more guns joined in the battle as Jay, Erin, and Adam started to fire back at the gang members. Jay could see that it was definitely Voight who had been shooting before, and he was still aiming for their attackers. Jay heard a fifth gun join in and he saw the top of Antonio's head as the man joined in. That was just like Antonio to still shoot, even with a bullet in one arm. But that still didn't reassure him. Where were Alvin and Atwater?
He heard a sharp intake of breath next to him and looked over to see Erin with a hand wrapped around her throat. It was none other than Arturo Zamprogna, the man they had been hunting for. Jay knew what this guy was capable of. Two days ago, he had killed a four-year-old little girl and left her in the middle of the street like garbage. He wouldn't hesitate to hurt Erin.
"Put your gun down or I'll kill her." Zamprogna threatened as he pressed a gun to Erin's temple. Jay could already see Erin's face started to turn a little red from lack of oxygen. He carefully lowered his gun to the ground. "DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
Zamprogna dragged Erin into the center of where the bullets were flying between the two different sides. Jay's jaw clenched; if a bullet hit her, he would personally choke Zamprogna until the life went out of his eyes.
"I'm sick of ya'll prying into my business." Zamprogna stated. Jay figured it was pointless to hide anymore. He walked out from behind where he had taken cover. He picked up Erin's gun and tucked it into his waistband and grabbed his own gun and held it out towards Zamprogna. Voight, Ruzek, and Antonio joined him. He noticed Antonio's shirt was splattered with blood, but he seemed to be doing alright. He had lived through worse. "Do I come to your job and complain when ya'll kill people who didn't do the crime? Karma has a way of getting to people."
"So you're saying karma got a four-year-old little girl killed?"
"I don't know nothin' about a four-year-old." The smile on his face said something different and Jay had to clench his fist to keep from firing his gun straight into his skull. He didn't have a clear shot and there were too many other men behind him that he couldn't see; too many chances that Erin could get hurt.
Erin's face was still bright red and he could see that she was struggling to breathe. Jay almost said something, until he looked behind her and saw one of Zamprogna's men slowly fall to the ground. Through the light that barely leaked in through the cracks of the warehouse, he caught a glimpse of Al's face.
Al was taking out Zamprogna's men.
"I think you do know what I'm talking about." Jay said, trying to keep him talking so he would keep his attention on them instead of on what was going on behind him. "I think you kill children because it's easier. You would rather attack women and children because they're not as strong. You couldn't handle someone who is your own size, so you go after people who you can actually overpower. People think you're ruthless, but I just think you're a coward."
"Why should I care what you think, pretty boy?" Zamprogna laughed. "I have respect on the streets. What do you have? A piece of plastic saying people should respect you? I've got people who would kill for me."
"So do I." Jay gestured to Voight, Antonio, and Ruzek who all had their guns trained carefully on the gang member. "And so does she so you better watch how tight you're holding onto her neck."
Zamprogna laughed as he looked at Erin. He let go of her neck, making Jay sigh in relief. She was starting to turn a little blue. Zamprogna studied Erin. "I thought lady cops were supposed to be ugly. You're gorgeous. I could use you." He ran his index finger along the outline of her lips, keeping his arm locked around her waist so she couldn't move. Erin was pretty strong for her size, but this man easily had over a hundred pounds on her and he was over six feet tall.
Jay didn't care how many more men there were. He knew that they could take them. He lined up the shot and fired, watching as Zamprogna and Erin fell to the ground. No shots came afterwards.
He ran forward and shoved Zamprogna's body off of her. Erin looked winded as she struggled to catch her breath. His dead weight had fallen on top of her and that, combined with the fact that he had just been choking her, was making it difficult for her to breath. Jay grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit up.
"Get her up and let's get out of here." Voight commanded from where he was checking Zamprogna's pulse.
Jay just lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the door. They all walked outside together.
"You're lucky we took them all out in time." Alvin told Jay as he and Atwater came over to where Jay set Erin down on the trunk of the car.
"I saw you taking one out. I knew that you were there." He answered. "I couldn't watch him hurt her."
"You did good, Jay." Al patted his back. "You good, Erin?"
"I'm good."
"What's this?" Alvin looked at her left hand.
Erin smiled. "Jay asked me to marry him."
Alvin hugged her. "Congratulations." He shook Jay's hand. "Don't you dare hurt her."
"If I do, I'll put myself in the river."
"Congratulations." Atwater hugged both Erin and Jay. "We need a Molly's night to celebrate."
"We'll have to do it soon, Kev." Jay agreed.
Antonio came over to them next. "Are you okay?" he asked Erin.
"I'm fine. Are you?"
"Pretty sure the bullet missed anything major since I'm still alive. Probably just a graze." Jay noticed his attention was elsewhere and he followed his eyes to Erin's neck. She had a large handprint there from where Zamprogna had been grabbing her. "That was a good shot, Jay."
"Thanks." Jay reached out and gently touched Erin's neck. "Maybe we should go to Med and have Will check you out, just to make sure you're alright."
Erin brought her hand up and put it over Jay's. "I'm okay, Jay."
"Look who finally popped the question!" Ruzek shouted as he joined the group, catching the attention of all the guys. "Is that a ring I see on your finger, Linds?"
"Wow everyone, the guy who's proposed to three different women knows what an engagement ring looks like!" Erin teased. "Yes, Jay proposed."
They were congratulated again and Erin couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She had always thought that she would be a little hesitant when it came to marriage, but there had been no doubt in her mind when Jay asked her. She was ready to take the next step with him in their relationship. She was one hundred percent sure that she was ready for him to be her husband.
The ambulance finally showed up that had been called for Antonio, along with their back-up. She couldn't believe that this entire ordeal had only lasted about fifteen minutes. As the guys went to brief everyone on what happened, she saw Hank watching her. She looked at Jay and he understood what she needed. He went to join the others.
"Congratulations." He said with a small smile. She was still sitting on the back of the car, so he leaned up against it.
"You gave him Camille's ring?"
"You should have seen how nervous he was when he showed up at my door. The kid was practically shaking."
"What did he say?" Hank gave her a look; she knew he wouldn't tell her that. Whatever had been said between him and Jay would stay between the two of them.
"He's a good man, Erin. When he first came into my unit, I didn't want to like him. He was the only one brave enough to question me. But I figured that I trust him enough to guard your life. I can start to trust him to guard your heart too."
Erin leaned over and hugged him. "Thank you."
"Don't break his heart."
"I won't."
"And don't let him break yours either."
"Not possible."
"And tell Halstead that a proposal at work isn't exactly my idea of keeping it professional."
Erin's mouth dropped open. "He was being spontaneous! He wasn't sure if we were making it out of there. He said he had plans for dinner tonight."
"I'm just joking, kiddo." Hank wrapped his arm around her. "I'm happy for you. You know I love you and I'm proud of you, right?"
"I love you too." Erin smiled.
"Now go get checked out by the paramedics."
"Hank…"
"Either you get checked out here or I'll have Halstead drive you to Med. Your choice."
Erin sulked over to the paramedics, joining Antonio and Jay. The latter smiled when he saw her. "Hey, what did Voight say?"
"Just wanted to congratulate me. Told me that you asked his permission."
"I told you I wasn't the type to sneak around behind Dad's back."
"It means a lot to me, Jay. And to him."
Jay wrapped his arm around her waist. "I know." He kissed the top of her head and then pulled back from her to maintain their professionalism. Even though they were both ecstatic about their new relationship status, they were still at work. "Now you better get checked out or we're not going to dinner tonight."
"You sound just like Hank." Erin mumbled. But she would deal with the overprotectiveness if it meant she got to spend the rest of her life with the man she was in love with.
Up Next…Z: Zip Me