Recognition for this prompt goes to Guest: "Could you do one where Erin gets really jealous and admits how she feels to Jay when she thinks Jay is dating someone he has been going to see for weeks and it turns out it is his cousin/sister or something."

**Lean on Me**

Platt sat another dozen lilac flowers down onto Jay's desk. She nodded her head towards the detective before exiting the Intelligence Unit. Jay has been ordering a dozen beautifully purple lilac flowers once a month, and the card attached has always read 'I love you.' Each collection of flowers sat stunningly wrapped around a white ribbon. When Erin overheard him make the first order, she thought nothing of it. As time continued to pass, and she realized that every month he made the same order, a part of her grew jealous…she grew envious of the woman who was to receive them.

Each detective eyed the lilacs, before looking over towards Halstead. They all were wondering the same thing, but any time they asked him about it, he shut them down. Erin never brought it upon herself to ask, but as it approached the fourth month, she couldn't help her curiosity. She smiled as she overheard Ruzek whisper a good luck towards her as she stepped towards her partner, "Those are pretty," she leaned over and smelt them, "Who are they for?"
"Someone's nosey," Jay smirked, lifting the perfectly cut flowers.

He left it at that. He didn't answer her question. Shift ended, he collected the flowers, said his goodbyes and left the precinct. Lindsey tried to not allow it to bother her. Each time this happened, Kim would take her to Molly's and treat her to drinks. This day was just like any other day he would order flowers.

As the fifth month swirled in, and the day arrived, Erin knew what to expect of it. She couldn't find herself surprised at the dozen lilacs that sat on Jay's desk. It bothered her even more now. Knowing she tried to get the answer from him last month, and he shut her down, forced her not to try this time. Ruzek didn't care. He was willing to give it a shot like he did each and every time. Adam propped his feet up onto the corner of his desk, and leaned back in his chair, "What girl are you trying to impress?"

Kim takes a glance at Lindsey. She knew everything. This day, every month, was a repeat. After treating her good friend to drinks, they would always hitch a cab back to Erin's place and talk. Dialogue tended to always surround Adam, Jay and sometimes work.
"I don't need flowers to impress anyone," he takes a side-glance at Erin; "My charm will do that." Lindsey rolls her eyes after her partner winks at her.

When shift ended again, it was the same old thing. Jay grabbed the flowers, said his goodbyes and disappeared. No one knows where he went afterwards. Then in came the sixth month, and then the seventh, and it never failed to surprise them when on that specific date, purple lilac flowers came in, but instead of one dozen, he ordered two. After Ruzek and Olinsky returned from questioning a witness, he noticed the light purple flowers lying across Jay's desk. He approached his co-worker, and crossed his arms in confusion, "Really? Wow," he reaches for the flowers but Jay swats his hand away, "who is this?"
"Just give it a rest," Jay sighs in frustration.

Ruzek made his way towards his desk, but refused to drop the issue. Even if he wouldn't get her name, he at least wanted some type of information…and it wasn't just for his benefit. He could see Lindsey sitting at her desk, and jealousy was written all over her face.
"She must be-"
"…a very special person who has a special place in my heart."
"Awwwwwww," Ruzek titled his head to the side and smiled, "Is Detective Halstead in love?"
Jay rose from his seat, "Let's drop the subject."

Adam refused to just drop the topic. He was enjoying seeing Halstead and Lindsey squirming about in their seats. They totally have it for each other, and last night Kim practically confirmed it. Ruzek leaned forward against his desk, "You're his partner," he looks at Erin, "and best friend. You must know something."
She shakes her head, "I don't."
"Whoa," Adam throws his hands into the air, "even Erin doesn't know."

Jay grabbed the double order of lilacs and departed from the precinct. Lindsey rolled her eyes at Ruzek before leaving out with Burgess a few minutes afterwards. Halstead's pattern of ordering flowers remained until the eighth month arrived. Things changed for some reason. Instead of just ordering flowers on that one day, he ordered them every week. By the last week, the amount of lilacs Halstead ordered, turned Erin's face green. She was growing heated with not knowing. She was growing envious with the thought of who it could be.

After shift ended once again, instead of leaving right away, Jay detoured to the locker room, and changed his clothes. Today, he was dressed up. Whatever is going on, it must have been getting serious. She could be missing her window of opportunity. Erin knew she couldn't just continue to sit back and allow for Ruzek to try and dig out information. She needed to just jump in, tell him everything and then get the facts herself.

In his rush to get out, he grabbed the three dozen ribbon tied purple lilacs and departed from the precinct. The only difference is, that this time, he wasn't alone. Erin grabbed her jacket, and chased after him, "Jay, wait up!" She caught him after he gently sat the lilacs down in the back seat of his car.
He glanced down at the time on his watch, "Can I just call you later? I have somewhere to be."
"With her," Erin pouted solemnly.
He closed his car door, "With whom?"
"With her," She clarified.
Jay leaned against his car, "What girl?"
"The one you love," Erin sighed, while running her fingers nervously through her hair, "the one who has a special place in your heart." She quoted him.
"Not you too."

As Jay reached to open his car door, she extended her hand to stop him. When Lindsey pulled his hand away from the door handle, she decided to continue, "Look I don't want to cause any trouble," Erin moved to stand in front of him, "but I think you deserve to know how I feel."
Jay's brows furrowed, "Feel?"
It was now or never. There was no going back at this point.
"About?" Halstead pushed on. At first he may not have been as curious, but Erin's nervousness sparked it.
"You," she answered.

Jay turned back to his car, "Erin, you don't-"
"I like you," she blurted out, throwing her hands into the air. She was getting tired of beating around the bush. Everyone knew it…and he did too. Lindsey turned him back around to face her, "I like you a lot. And I know we decided," she thought about her words carefully, "I know I decided to give us a break, but I can't." Her head shook sternly, "I won't. And I didn't really know my feelings for sure, but knowing you're with her," Erin points to the flowers lying in the back seat, "drives me insane."

Physically and mentally, she felt so much better. Holding all of that in for eight months was taking a toll on her in every sense of the word. She needed a release and telling Kim how she felt wasn't cutting it.

Without responding to her admission, Jay took a hold of her hand. He walked her around to the passenger side, opened the door for her and helped her inside of his car.
"Where are we going?" He didn't answer her question. He simply closed the door and jogged around to the driver's side.

Lindsey wasn't going to ask the question again. She was merely going to wait for him to tell her what was going on. In a matter of minutes, she was going to find out. Lindsey could be patient for the time being. She silently watched the buildings pass her by as the seconds of the day turned to minutes. Soon enough, sixty minutes flew by. She tightened her grip around the armrest, "Jay, where are you taking me?"
"We're almost there."

Landscape surrounded them. As the car slowed door, she took in the scenery around her. They were no longer in downtown Chicago… at least, she didn't think they were. Halstead parked the car, grabbed the flowers from the back, and opened up her car door. "Why are we here," she stepped out skeptically.
"Remember Ben," Jay waved her to follow him.
"Corson?" Erin questioned, and nodded in response to Halstead's nod, "What about him?"
Halstead approached the tombstone, "His mother, Gail, she died eight months ago. Today's her birthday."

Erin felt like an ass. Here she was, thinking about herself, when in reality Jay was grieving the death of a special lady in his life. She slowly wrapped her hand around Jay's, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"How could you? I didn't tell you."
"You could have," She turned him to face her, "I would have been there for you. You can lean on me Jay. I don't mind," Erin smiled and gave his hand a squeeze, "That's what I'm here for."

Halstead's shoulders shook in grief as he slowly set the flowers down. He could feel his partner rest her hand on his shoulder, "I'm here." She couldn't help but smile as he nodded.
"She was such a sweet woman. She didn't deserve this."
"What happened," Erin stooped low next to him.
"She had cancer," he glanced at his partner, "Ovarian."

Erin fully sat on her knees and wrapped her arms around Jay entirely. She could hear the sobs erupting from his mouth as he weakened within her embrace. For eight months, he grieved her death alone, but now she was here for him. He didn't have to grieve alone anymore.