Erin has her head lying upon his bare chest and her legs are intertwined with his. She's in no rush to get off the couch. Even though it's the first week of May and they've successfully used the last few days of April to focus on wedding plans, it didn't mean they could afford to spend too many days relaxing in bed…or in this case, on the couch. She still had work; he did too. Yet neither of them made any move to get off the small couch and the time was now pushing towards eleven in the morning. She runs her hand up and down his chest and for the first time in a while, she outlines and traces the lines and patterns of his tattoos, of the dark ink decorating his body, "You got another tattoo?" Erin asked, becoming even more surprised when she focused in on what it was. Her initials, –E.L.V.- permanently inscribed into his skin. She wanted to touch it, trace the fresh letters and run her fingers across it, but she noticed it was too fresh.

He did this for her.

When did he do this?

Erin lifted her head from his chest and peered down into his eyes. While her head was on him and while she was running her fingers over his flesh, he had been watching baseball on the television. And by the looks of the score, it didn't look like the Cubs were going to win this game. He pulled his eyes away from the screen to meet hers, "I did." He didn't need to answer her rhetorical question because the tattoo itself was an answer.

"Jay, I don't know what to say."

An emblem of his love for her was forever imprinted above his heart. And just the sight of it and the hesitance in his eyes as he waits for her reaction has her wanting him so much more.

"I have tattoos of everything I love, my mom, my band…you. It seemed fitting. You're everything." His hand lifted a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. He didn't like anything obscuring his vision of her face, "and I've never thought of myself as the type of guy to get a girl's name or initials tatted on my body, but love makes you do crazy things."

Erin said nothing. When she finally registered and allowed everything to settle in, she still remained silent, instead choosing to move her hands to the drawstring of his sweats. She wanted him right now. Her perfect fiancé, the absolute man of her dreams was lying before her shirtless and patient as she untied the string of his pants and pulled them down his legs.

"Is it safe to assume that you like it?"

"That's definitely a safe assumption," she tossed his pants to the left of her and his boxers to the right, "Now, either you take me to bed or you're going to have one sexually frustrated fiancée on your hands when we get to-" she doesn't have a chance to finish because he's kissing her.

He swiftly picks her up, throwing her over his shoulder as he carries her into their bedroom. She doesn't know when he managed to get the tattoo but the days after her birthday were busy from the moment they woke up to the time they went to sleep so she never really had the chance to thoroughly examine his body like she likes to do every night. It's been days since she's had him and based on how he drops her onto their bed and crawls above her, she can tell he's just as desperate and starved as she is. He kisses her again, ravishing her mouth as if he's deprived of oxygen and she's the only person who can provide it for him.

"Fuck," she gasps the second his hand palms her core. Her man was talented in all areas that count and if anyone knew just how great their sex life was, the public would be scandalized.

Jay starts to kiss her neck, pressing his lips against her collarbone before gently biting down onto her flesh. She groans. Loud. Neither of them care if her guards hear. She needs him and she's too impatient to wait but when there's a knock on the front door, Erin realizes that she may have to.

"Ignore it," he growls, bringing his lips back to hers. And he starts to kiss her again but this time, it isn't reciprocated. The same person knocks again.

"Jay, wait," she can hear the whine leave her parted lips as she pulls her mouth away, "it's probably your brother. You were expecting him, remember?" He was but that didn't mean he couldn't reschedule; Erin must have read his thoughts because she followed up his thinking with, "your brother drove all this way in city traffic, the least you can do is have the meeting that the two of you scheduled and then we can finish where we left off when he leaves." He hated when she made sense.

His hands move to rest on her hips and her chest is rising and falling rapidly as she gathers her breath, "Do you seriously want to wait," he raises one brow when she nods, "that's cool but I don't think he can," he nods down to his hard on and his fiancée scoffs before swatting him in the chest, "I'll just think of grandmas and puppies or something." That'll definitely do the trick.

Jay wasn't dressed and he had a little, big problem to fix before he could walk out. She spared him and silently went to complete the task of getting the door for his brother as he went to the restroom. She's still dressed in pajamas and if it wasn't for her wild hair then Will wouldn't have a clue as to what was about to go down only moments ago. She runs her fingers through her hair before opening the door, "Hey," she greets and he steps in and kisses her cheek.

"…hey future sister-in-law," he says back and it has such a sweet ring to it.

Will is holding a briefcase and it's weird to see him with one, especially considering he's dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She shuts the door behind him, "Jay is in the bathroom; he'll be out once he's finished," she leads him towards the dining room table and watches as he places the briefcase down and opens it, "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, I'm okay." He's acting a bit odd now the second his briefcase is opened.

Erin tilts her head but doesn't question it, "oh…okay then, well I'll get out of your way and-"

"Actually," Will suddenly speaks up, holding his hand out to stop her before she could walk away, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure," she turns back around and approaches; she doesn't bother to take a seat, "what's up?"

He doesn't answer. He feels it's best to show her. He reaches into the briefcase stuffed with papers before he withdraws a manila folder, "Here."

This is odd. She takes the folder and sits it down in front of her before opening it. And the second her eyes read the first line, they widen and she shuts the folder back, "I'm not signing this," she states matter of fact.

"I've taken the time to draw that up, well technically Mason did, but I went over it with him and it's going to be beneficial to the both of you. You won't be getting the short end of the stick."

"Is there something you're not understanding," she shoves the folder off the table and it opens, the papers falling out and spreading all over the floor, "What part of I'm not signing that do you not understand, Will? I don't need his money. I have my own."

"…then it shouldn't be a problem for you to sign it," he countered, bending over to collect the papers that had fallen to the floor, "I'm just looking out for my brother. I like you Erin, I do, but I'm just protecting him for when the honeymoon stage ends and the reality sets in. I'm rooting for you two, but this is just me being cautious. This is me looking out for him." He shuts the folder after the last paper is slid in, "I'm protecting him."

"I get that," she calms down, her racing heart is mellowing out, "but he doesn't need protecting from me. I've always had his best interest in mind. Always."

"…that's true but that's for right now while the two of you are in your prime, very much in love and living in that honeymoon phase but what happens ten years from now when you two are tired of each other? What happens then?"

"I have no intention of getting a divorce even when things go bad."

"Can you consider it?" He extends the closed folder and it looms between them, "…please."

Erin snatches the folder from his grip, "I'll have my lawyers look over them." She may reach out to Peter Stone; he's always had her best interest in heart.

The folder, she pressed to her chest, squeezing it as if it was a lifeline. She felt no reason to stay out here with Will so she turned on her heel and dragged her feet back into the bedroom. His words played on repeat and her eyes glazed over as if she was stuck in a zombie-like trance.

"Hey," Jay stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him, "what's wrong?" He noticed the look on her face, "and what's that?"

"Papers," was her vague response, "Your brother gave me this."

"What kind of papers?"

And when she doesn't answer right away, he crosses the room and repeats himself, "Erin, what kind of papers?" He takes a hold of the folder and opens it, his eyes practically bulging out of its socket the second he registers what they are, "He's dead," he slammed the folder shut, "I told him not to do this! I warned him to stay out of our life and he-"

Erin pulled him down for a kiss, silencing his rant with the simple touch of her lips, "Let's not let him ruin our day," because their day had started off so good and she wanted to get back to that.

"You're right," He ran his hand along Erin's cheek, "but you're not signing this. I won't let you." Jay holds onto it for dear life and Erin doesn't have the energy to fight it but at the same time, she doesn't want her fiancé fighting with his brother over this. It was easier for everyone if she just sacrificed and signed it once her lawyers went over it.

"Jay, I really don't mind," she reaches for the folder but Jay immediately holds it up above his head, "We're in this forever and since we're not ending what we have any time soon, what's the problem. Your brother will be happy."

"I don't care about his happiness," he retorted.

"Yes you do."

He cupped the side of her face, "I care about yours more though."

"It's obvious he's just looking out for you," Erin doesn't know why she's defending his brother when she's just as upset, "and my dad brought up a pre-nup too so Will isn't the only one."

"…but your dad dropped the subject once you asked him to while my brother didn't." He was growing unnerved and to know that his brother was out there waiting for him fueled that growing rage. He told him not to do this. And instead of respecting his wishes, he gives it to her behind his back. What kind of person does that?

The relationship between he and his brother has always been a rollercoaster of a ride especially as kids but as they grew older and as Will started to work for him, their relationship mellowed out. Any tension or residual feelings from their childhood had suddenly disappeared or were pushed to the back burner the moment Will was on his brother's payroll and had to answer to him. He didn't overstep. Jay loved that about their newfound professional relationship. He didn't mind his brother inserting himself in his professional life but his personal one was a different story, to go behind his back and practically corner his girlfriend with a pre-nuptial agreement that he's already told him not to file felt like a betrayal.

And when Jay felt betrayed, he only reacted out of emotion. All he saw was red even as Erin holds a grip on his chin and is forcing him to look at her. Usually looking at her calmed him down, it typically had a soothing effect on his growing anger but this time, this time it didn't work. He pulled his head out of her hold and walked out the door.

"Jay, remember you don't need any more legal trouble!" She follows closely behind him, shouting the reminder as he moves in towards his brother.

"I never said I was going to hit him."

"Let me explain," Will threw his hands into the air and took a step back, "sometimes I have to take measures to protect you whether you agree with them or not. I know you probably don't understand all this legal jargon so I figured I would take it upon myself to work out all the terms for a cordial divorce if that were to happen. I'm just thinking of worse case scenario. It's the job of a brother and a manager and I'm just doing the jobs asked of me."

"…well now you have one less job." Those words were unexpected by Erin and Will but Jay had come to the conclusion of firing his brother during his trek from the bedroom to the dining room. It shouldn't have been surprising, he warned his brother that this would be a consequence of him going behind his back and pulling a stunt like this. Jay was merely following through.

"Don't be ridiculous." Will doesn't take him serious. He never takes him serious.

"I warned you not to do this! I warned you to stay out of this!"

"I'm your brother!"

"And you only get to keep that title because it's impossible to fire you from it!"

Will takes a breath to consider his words carefully. He knows talking to his brother when he's like this would get him nowhere. Instead, he looks over his brother's shoulder to meet Erin's eyes, "Erin," he starts, "can you please talk some sense into him?"

"You have a lot of nerve," Jay dry chuckles, shaking his head, "she's not good enough to marry me without that bullshit," he holds up the folder before throwing it in his brother's direction, "but she's good enough for you to go to in your desperation. Get out of here."

"I only did what I did to protect you. You don't think about things like this Jay. You don't understand what goes on behind the scenes. I do. It's what I've been doing for you for years, protecting you and handling all of the paperwork."

"…I said get out of here." Jay points towards the front door.

"What about our meeting?"

"What part of that's not your job do you not understand?" Jay was being rash and a bit impulsive. Maybe when he calms down he'll reconsider? But, with Will standing just feet away, looking at him, it only fed his anger, -the anger that he's been working on for months, "I warned you what would happen if you tried some shit like this. None of this should come as a surprise! Get out of here, Will, go to your father, sob to him about how unreasonable I'm being and maybe if you're lucky, he'll give you a job because you definitely need to start looking for one. I hear the unemployment office opens up on Monday morning, around eight am but you might want to get there early. Get out."

His brother merely sighs. His head bows and his eyes close as he tries to wrap his brain around his brother's stubbornness. He runs his hand down his face and opens his mouth to speak, to try to explain, "I wasn't trying to go behind your back."

"But, you did. You brought Erin into this. I would never do that to you. I would never go to Natalie with some bullshit idea like that," he steps forward, his foot purposefully stepping down on the folder on the floor, "I would trust you and your judgment. And even if I thought about doing some shit like that, I wouldn't have approached her with you not around. I wouldn't have done something like that if you were against it, why, because I know you and I know Natalie and I know the two of you don't need outside interference in your relationship. Whatever you both decide is the best for the two of you…and the same goes for me and Erin."

Will swallows, "…Jay."

"I'm not finished," he raises his hand to silence his brother, "I told you not to bring this up to her. I told you to burn it or shred it. I told you to get rid of it. And you didn't listen," he feels Erin's body move towards him, moves to stand behind him, close enough that he feels her hand brush against his lower back, -that manages to calm him, "I told you that if I caught you trying to force her or talk her into signing it then the day of my wedding you can stay home-"

"Jay," he heard Erin's voice.

Will speaks in unison with hers, "Jay."

"I've always followed through on my word," Jay shoves his hands into his pockets and turns to walk back into the bedroom; he didn't feel like arguing anymore, "You know the way out, Will."

And his brother did, so with a reluctant sigh and a whispered apology to Erin, he grabs the crumbled folder off the floor and the closed and locked briefcase off the table, and makes his way towards the front door, stepping through her guards who shielded the outside of it.

Erin stands in shock. Her limbs are unmoving as she tries to figure out what to do. Does she go after Will and bring him back? Or does she go into the room to talk to Jay? She looks between the front door and the bedroom door and the second she hears it slammed shut, it jolts her out of her frozen state and has her moving towards it, "Jay."

The second she enters the room, he pulls her face up to his for a long, lingering kiss. Those built up emotions were coming out in the best way he knew how to express them.

"Jay," she whispers against his lips.

"Gods, I love you," he says into her mouth and then starts to trail a few smaller kisses along her jaw. She briefly loses her train of thought the second his lips latch onto her collarbone and he bites, nips and nibbles the smooth skin against his lips, "love you so much." Maybe she can hold off pleading Will's case for more enjoyable activities? How could she resist? And who could blame her when his hands are slowly drawing her shirt up her body.

-x-

Since the argument with his brother, Jay's been in a mood. He's been walking around, moping about with his shoulders filled with tension. He's been in a funk; his mood swings ranging from anger to sadness and his days spent between making last minute changes and adjustments to the new album, lounging on the couch watching baseball and fucking Erin. That's all they've been doing, it seems the essence of making love has gone out of the window the second his brother walked out of the door. He's too distracted to pay attention. He's too lost in his thoughts to notice that he isn't being careful; he's not being gentle or taking his time to bring pleasure to the both of them. He's hurting inside because despite the anger he felt towards his brother, at the end of the day, Will is still his brother; he's still the only family that Jay has left because he refused to count his father as anything but a sperm donor.

His pride is too much to simply recognize any wrongdoing and apologizing.

And for that, the pent up emotions come out in his passion, in the way he played his music, in how he cooked and exercised and had sex with her. She didn't mind too much; she got a lot of pleasure out of it, but the way his sex drive is when he's upset, is insatiable. And her loins are aching and sore and she's embarrassed because she's volunteering at a soup kitchen and she's trying to stand straight and listen to directions from the guy in charge.

Her hand is held in his and they're being handed aprons and hairnets and they're forced to release their hold on one another. She's ushered towards the string beans and he's directed towards the drinks. Other volunteers are given their tasks –being separated and assigned to either packing the to-go lunches, serving area or the kitchen. She's limping. And he notices for the first time since this morning, "Sorry," he whispers.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she replies, grabbing a pair of plastic gloves, "it takes two and it's not like I wasn't down." She was all for it. She was down for every round she participated in last night and this morning, so many rounds that she lost count as their naked bodies joined together in their bed, in the rooftop pool, in the dining room, the living room, the kitchen and the shower. The way her nails dragged along his back left scratches. The way he thrust into her, pounding so ferociously that it felt like the inside of her whole body was left bruised. It had felt good during the moment but the second she woke up, she regretted the intensity of it, not the act itself, but the amount of passion he evoked.

Erin zones out as she situates the serving spoon. She's so lost in her train of thought that she doesn't hear the rest of the directions but she isn't too bothered by it; she's volunteered on many occasions and she was practically a professional at it. When the guy in charge called out a five minute heads up that the doors will be opening soon, Jay used that to his advantage and continued where he left off, "I do have something to apologize for," he grabs the top of her sweater and shifts it to the side to glance at the dark bruise, the hickey that decorates her white flesh, "I guess I got a little carried away."

He thinks back to the night before, the way they shed their clothes frantically, popping the buttons on his shirt and ripping the seams in her dress in their haste and impatience to bare their naked bodies to one another. In an intense embrace, they joined together, sighing and moaning into each other's mouths at the feel of their warm skin pressed against the other. Jay's nails dug into her thigh as he raised her leg to wrap around his hip, stroking his length against her folds once her legs parted and gave him all the access he desired. Their kisses were deep and hot and filled with straight lust and he didn't waste an impatient second before he slipped inside of her, pounding so hard and heavily that her knee buckled. He caught her but he didn't stop. He only increased his speed, hitting her insides so hard that Erin was afraid he would hit her uterus and it would fall out. Can that actually happen? Last night she made a mental note to google that but the way he made her feel, the pleasure he brought her, had that thought immediately forgotten. It was only planted in her head because of the stretch, the burn and the force of each thrust. He drew her other leg up, wrapping it around his other hip and the thrusting stopped; it was hard to keep up the momentum while standing and holding her up, so it took little consideration for him to carry her over to their bed, sitting down and carefully climbing. And not once did they separate, she simply climbed with him.

Just thinking about the night before has him growing hot with need. If they weren't in public, he would definitely be acting on those impulses but because they are, he had to find comfort in the memory. He thinks back to the same memory, about how he accidentally slipped out of her, about how she sat on top of him and about how she wasted no time in positioning herself before sinking down onto him, both of them sighing in immediate relief when they're joined again. It's a feeling that neither will tire of. He remembers during that moment that neither of them move right away because her body's tingling from the glorifying stretch and burn of his length. He gives her a second, just a second, before he's grabbing her hips and with her assistance, she lifts up and slams back down. That thought alone has him clearing his throat and shifting the front of his pants. He met her with each act of friction, every time she slammed down, he thrust up and Erin knew; she could feel it in her bones that if she wasn't on birth control, she would be pregnant. He grinned when he remembered her sharing that with him, while he was inside of her, while he was pounding into her and he couldn't wait until the day they started trying for a baby.

Jay fails to meet anyone's eyes as he continues to flash to the night before, the night Erin gripped her hands on the headboard as she rode him with every ounce of fiber and energy she possessed. He knows he's blushing at the memory that takes over; he remembers the sound of the headboard hitting the wall with each thrust and the sound of the mattress springing up and down with every pound. He remembers the feeling of her weight falling down onto him when they both reached their peaks, hers in particular guided by the use of his thumb and his length. Her arms weren't able to support her weight but he'd happily caught her in his own, holding her tight and rolling her beneath him without breaking the rhythm of his own thrusts. She moaned helplessly as he stroked her throughout her release, coaxing it to its full extent.

"I know what you're thinking about," she muttered, slapping his chest in an effort to break his concentration, "and you really need to stop." Her eyes fell down to the front of his pants and he can see why she interrupted such a good memory. He moved behind the serving station, using it as a cover to block the growing erection in his pants.

"How long until we can get out of here?"

She shakes her head, "No, we are not rushing this just so you can get your fix."

"Er-"

"You need to talk to your brother," she interrupts. She knows she's sounding like a broken record because ever since the day he sent Will out the door, she's been saying the same thing.

"I don't want to talk about that."

"You never want to talk about it."

The doors to the soup kitchen open up and for a brief second, Jay thinks Erin will let it go. He should have known better. The second she puts the hairnet on her head, she resumes, "You can't keep using me as a distraction. You're upset. It's okay to be upset but you need to do something about it," and when he opens his mouth to defend himself, she doesn't let him, "and doing me doesn't count." He snickered at that because she just knows him so well.

"I just feel insecure sometimes," he admits and god, he's opening up but she wishes they were someplace else, not in the middle of doing community service, "I feel like the pre-nup is a slap in the face and I get he's trying to do it to protect me but we both make money and you are worth so much more than me. I mean…have you googled your net worth recently?" And he's forced to stop talking because people are lining up to be served.

Erin isn't fully present; she's smiling, throwing out casual greetings and serving green beans but her mind is somewhere else. It's on his last comment. Maybe it was something more to it than just Will bringing up a pre-nuptial agreement? It was more personal than that. It was deeper than what she originally thought. She figured Jay thought that a pre-nup agreement was basically predicting a divorce. But, now she wasn't so sure and she needed to find out.

"Jay," she scoops another spoon of string beans onto the tray and gives them a farewell smile. He only shakes his head in response, not wanting to continue the conversation while in the middle of volunteering. People were standing so close and the last thing he needed was to give them a scoop to sell to the media. She can understand that. She nods and continues to perform the task assigned to her, counting down the time until she's done.

It feels like it takes forever. And even when she scoops the last of the string beans onto someone's tray, she's not finished. Another volunteer removes the empty dish and replaces it with another full one. She sighs and continues her job. And she feels horrible for it because she should be fully present, enjoying her time, talking to the people and listening with both ears but she's distracted. No one has her undivided attention because her boyfriend's words play on repeat in her head, you are worth so much more than me. She wasn't. She wasn't worth more than anyone. A life is a life. Just because the president and the first lady are her parents, just because she's had a private school education, went to college, got her law degree, practice law and live in a lavish condo in downtown DC didn't mean she was better than anyone else.

Her feet starts to hurt; she doesn't know what possessed her to wear heels of all things. She should have settled on flats, but no, she chose to wear a pair of heels that strapped and buckled around her ankles. She sways side to side; "Uh…" she releases a heavy breath.

Erin's throat is dry and she swallows in an effort to moisten it up. She keeps looking at him in her peripheral and he's sporting an esteemed grin on his face. He's making conversation with the people, joking around and laughing and he does such a great job at pretending like everything is okay. It's not. It's not okay if he truly believes that she's better and worth more; he's so bothered by the thought of it that he stopped talking to his brother the second he's reminded of an insecurity of his that she didn't know existed. The second dish of green beans is empty and she closes her eyes and selfishly hopes that she's finished. She's not. It's traded out for the third –and thankfully last- large serving dish of green beans.

"How come you never said anything earlier?" She's too impatient not to talk and ask questions.

He shrugs, "I didn't really know how I was feeling earlier."

"You make way more money than I do," she says under her breath but loud enough for him to hear, "and money doesn't equate to importance."

"I know that Erin, it's just…"

She continues to sway in an effort to relieve some of the tension off her feet, "It's just what?"

"A pre-nuptial agreement, I don't know much about them, but I know it outlines terms and conditions relating to our finances and any property we may buy together and that's our business; it has nothing to do with Will," she nods her agreement because she wholeheartedly agrees, "and when he brought it up to me, he was adamant and so sure that we needed one and he took it upon himself to go out and get it as if I couldn't think for myself and do it. I don't want one but if I did, I'm smart enough to take it upon myself and seek one out. Money may not equal importance but it damn sure contributes to it, and you know what else does?" She waits for him to answer since she knows it's coming, "Education. It's why a lot of the public doesn't see us lasting. Most of them are even surprised that we're dating or have even made it this long. I'm not smart enough for you and Will overstepping and doing that behind my back because he probably figured I'm too much of an idiot to do it myself or to even understand the jargon involved in it is humiliating. I'm an adult. I don't need him doing that."

"I know." She's so distracted that she stops serving. It takes the woman on the other side of her to tap her shoulder for her to focus and start spooning green beans onto plates. She impatiently waits to finish serving because she knows herself, she knows she'll get distracted again. And once the last person is served and the line is gone, she relaxes her once tense shoulders.

Erin drops the serving spoon into the empty dish and turns to face him, "You seriously need to give yourself more credit," she tugs on his hand, turning him to face her, "you're everything to me and so much more. You're talented, handsome, kind and compassionate," she pulls him closer, "you have such a big heart and you're supportive, protective and brave. And not to mention, you're very smart," he scoffs at that and she rolls her eyes, "I'm serious babe, you are smart. Any guy who chooses me to be their wife is obviously highly intelligent."

"Erin…"

"I know, I know," she smiles at her attempt to lighten the mood, "but screw all who don't like us being together. We've never cared about their thoughts before, why now?"

He shrugs because that was a part of his frustration, "I don't know. I didn't think it bothered me until Will starting rambling about pre-nuptial agreements and how he's trying to protect me and he's doing all of this for me. I'm not a child. I don't need him trying to do all of this because he thinks I'm in way over my head or making a mistake. I'm smarter than he gives me credit for."

"I know that," she whispers casually as she reaches up to run her hand through his hair, "it doesn't matter what your brother thinks when it comes to us. He has no say in our relationship."

"It just bothers me that my word isn't enough. It means nothing to him. He should have listened. When I said no, that should have been the end of discussion but no, he takes it upon himself to go behind my back and do exactly what I told him not to do. He said he did all of this because I didn't understand legal terminology and what not and I'm not an idiot, Erin. Just because I said no to a pre-nup didn't mean that I didn't understand what it meant."

For a brief moment, their conversation is interrupted. For a second, the guy in charge chimes in to thank the two of them for sacrificing their weekend to come and help serve food to the homeless. It wasn't a sacrifice; it was their civic duty, it was one that Erin tries to do every few months but with her job, her charity work, the events she has been scheduled to attend and the now added boyfriend, it's been hard to find the time for volunteering. The last time they've came was during Thanksgiving and usually it's not that much time in between her visits. She's slacking. But, she doesn't see herself coming back anytime soon because of the amount of things on her plate in addition to the fact that she's now planning a wedding and campaigning for her dad. This year was going to be busy but considering all they have planned, it was going to be worth the lack of sleep, the long nights, the constant spending and missed meals.

It was going to be worth it.

And her feet are still aching. The pain and discomfort are noticeable on her face but Jay doesn't question it, not right away because she's talking, "I still think you and your brother should talk," she adds her input and Jay regrets even mentioning his frustration; he didn't want to talk, "I don't think your brother intended to come off the way he did. I know he implied that you need protection and that you might not understand lawyer talk and legal jargon but neither does he. He said your entertainment lawyer drew it up; your brother doesn't know half the shit that I know just like he doesn't know or have half the skill that you do vocally and with your instruments."

He took back his earlier thought. He was happy he told her. She had a way of making him feel better. But, he still didn't want to talk to his brother, at least not right now or any time soon.

"It doesn't devalue you in any way, shape or form," she steps towards him, scrunching up her face because of the pain shooting up her leg from standing in the heels for too long, "you didn't go to law school so I don't expect you to know legal terminology, I went and I still don't know everything. You're into music. You play instruments. That's your area of expertise and that's okay. It's okay not to know everything. It doesn't make you stupid."

"It just made me feel dumb, you know?"

"Yeah, and I also know that you should tell your brother everything you told me." She was holding it together, or at least, trying to hold it together but the mask on her face broke and he saw the pain flash in her eyes. He tilted his head to the side, changing the tune of conversation in order to probe, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," she lied so easily and without restraint, "it's time for us to leave anyway, so it's nothing important. I just need to sit."

"Erin…"

"My feet are killing me."

And that's all he needed to hear before throwing out a solution to her problem, "Alright then," he turns around to face away from her, "hop on."

"I am not jumping on your back."

"…why not?"

"We're in public," she exclaims, eyes wide as they practically bulge out of her head.

"Your feet hurt. And right now standing isn't going to help relieve any type of ache. Just hop on." This time he uses his thumb to point over his shoulder at his back

Erin sighs, "Just for you."

"Just for me."

And that's when he knew he won this particular argument.

Jay crouches down, bending his knees slightly and reluctantly Erin hops on. Her arms wrap around his neck and his own come around and grip the back of her thighs. She finds herself squealing when he stands up, "…this is embarrassing."

He stands straight, "Nah, I think it's nice."

"…you're giving me a piggyback ride." She states matter of fact.

And he shrugs, "So, your point is?"

"My feet still hurt though," he glances towards the heels strapped around her feet and he nods towards Atwater to approach, "what are you doing?"

"Kev, do you mind taking those off?"

Her guard doesn't complain. He does as asked and while Jay expects for him to hand her shoes over, he holds them. Ignoring the flashing photos from the cameras of other volunteers, Jay carries her out of the building, following behind her guards as they keep the crowd at bay.

-x-

Tabloids have been printed and Erin's face along with Jay's is plastered on the cover. The headlines range from talking about how taxpayer dollars are being wasted on security; one of the sentences written inside of the magazine clearly expresses its distaste in seeing Atwater carrying her high heels. There are tabloids that gush or condemn her for being carried on her fiancé's back; the cover photo is a picture of said subject of criticism. The magazines and newspapers that outline the aisles in the convenient store and are stacked by the cash register seem to hint towards a slow news day. Of all the things to complain about… To make something big out of something so small shows their lack of creativity and their inability to find solid stories.

"Aw, look at you guys," Severide teases, grabbing a copy of both magazines; he turns to show her them even though he knows she's already seen them, "Does Jay give you piggyback rides often?"

Erin rolls her eyes and doesn't even dignify her best friend's comment with a response. Instead, she watches as the cashier rings up all of their snacks and steps aside to allow Kelly to pay. He tosses the magazine discussing the witnessed piggyback ride onto the belt and she glared the second she saw the cashier scan it, "Are you seriously buying that garbage?"

"It makes for good reading," he chuckled, shrugging as he handed his credit card to the cashier. The amount of snacks and the final cost of everything was way more than any two people needed to buy. And they're buying it all before she goes to try on dresses; she's going to regret that later.

"…you're not supposed to encourage the gossip," she quipped, snatching the magazine out of the bag; she opens it up and flips to the page, "and why is this even interesting enough to read nevertheless to get a front page mention? They should report on the soup kitchen, not on the two lovebirds leaving the soup kitchen. They completely missed the point."

"I guess," he takes the magazine from her, "I guess they wanted to show the world this side of Jay; you see it all the time but the world doesn't."

"Because the world doesn't need to," she snatches the magazine back and scans the page, "listen to this, first daughter Erin Voight was spotted being carried on the back of her fiancé, famous rock star Jay Halstead earlier in the week. The two appeared cozy and very much in love as she hitched a ride on his back as the both of them left church. Fans were spotted nearby, requesting autographs and photo ops but the couple were too absorbed with one another to notice," she slams the magazine closed and shoves it into one of the bags, not caring if pages wrinkled or ripped, "why is that even news? And leaving church, we weren't there for services, we were there to feed the homeless. Uh, maybe Jay and I should just buy a freaking news station so we can hire people that will report on what actually matters. And what I do with him shouldn't matter to anyone but us."

"You're adorable when you get upset," he chuckles, sliding his credit card back into his wallet.

"Ugh, you're so annoying…" She's joking; he knows it, but the playful banter is of the norm for the best friends, "…no wonder you can't hold a relationship."

He exaggerates dramatically, "Ah," he makes a show of clenching his chest and shutting his eyes closed, "that hurts. But, that's probably true." The two of them laugh; it's such an interesting dynamic and she wouldn't be too surprised if paparazzi were documenting this exchange just so it can be headlines on tomorrow's magazines and newspapers.

The cashier was listening; she knew it because it was absolutely impossible not to overhear. He didn't appear to be unperturbed by the conversation, if anything, he seemed entertained. As she waited for the snacks to finish being bagged, she walked over to the other magazine and newspaper, "So, why didn't you buy both? You just got the one with me looking silly."

"…because that one," he points to the other magazine, "is ridiculous."

The piggyback story was harmless fun and entertainment. It wasn't meant to hurt or cause an uproar but the other one, the one complaining about taxpayer dollars being wasted on her guards following her to events that have nothing to do with her role as first daughter or her guards holding her shoes as she's being carried on her fiancé's back, was meant to ignite frustration and anger. There's nothing that can make the people angrier than thinking their tax dollars are being unjustifiably used. Severide wouldn't buy that one. He refused to even entertain the idea.

"You're a good man, Kelly Severide," she whispered, rolling her eyes when she spots the man behind them in line lift the magazine and throw it onto the belt, hinting that he has every intention of purchasing it despite their annoyance. He didn't grab the piggyback ride cover.

Kelly shrugs, "That's debatable," he chuckles nervously, "but I am a bit protective," he reaches for the magazine the guy tossed onto the belt and put it right back. Erin watched with wide eyes.

"I was planning to get that," the guy grumbled. And for some reason any time Erin interacts with members of the public, her guards step forward as if preparing themselves for a showdown. They granted her privacy when she did daily tasks such as this, but the second an interaction occurred, they stepped forward to remind her and everyone else of their presence.

Severide lifted his hands into the air, admitting some type of defeat, "I'm just trying to save you the money," he lowers his hands and shakes his head when the guy tosses it back onto the belt.

"The best way to save me some money is to stop taking taxes out of my well-earned paycheck to guard the president's family," he spat and the cashier was finished bagging their purchase; he had been finished for a minute but they had been too focused on the guy to notice, "I can't complain too much about paying to protect the president. I didn't vote for him," his eyes fell upon Erin because he truly did want her to know that he didn't vote for him in the past and he had no intention of voting for him in the future, "but I get why he needs protection and the pay obviously has to come out of my check, but the family," he scoffs, eyes focused on hers, "the family can just fend for themselves if you ask me. I bought this," he takes it off the belt and personally hands it to the cashier to ensure he scanned it, "to reinforce the reason why I shouldn't be paying taxes to protect you, your mother and your brother."

He had every right to express his opinion. There's no surprise that while many people in the country loved her, there was just as many people who didn't. Some only knew her because of her father and some actually knew her more in-depth than that, they knew of her career and her philanthropy. She knew some people took it upon themselves to research her to call themselves a fan while some didn't bother to probe deeper, knowing that she was Hank Voight's daughter was enough for them to decide whether they liked her or not. It's a part of politics. You can't appease everyone and the sooner someone in politics realizes that, the better they are.

"You know," Severide starts but Erin reaches for his wrist, tugging him towards her.

"It's alright Kelly," she reassured, "it's his opinion. He has every right to one."

"Glad you're not trying to take away my first amendment," he spat, moving forward in line to pay for his purchase with cash, "that's one less thing I got to worry about in the case that your dad gets re-elected. My other amendments, not so much, I guess," He waits for his change and the cashier appears to struggle counting up the exact total; he's too distracted between listening and trying to perform his job.

"You don't follow my dad's platform and campaign at all, do you?" It's a rhetorical question because based on his last sentence, it was obvious he didn't, "maybe you should look into him and what he believes in and is fighting for before you start throwing out assumptions. Educate yourself before you make a decision, before you vote, because your choice doesn't just impact you, it impacts your family, your friends, your coworkers and people you don't even know."

And on that final note, she grabs one bag and Severide takes the other before the two of them lead her guards out of the corner store. The handles of the plastic bag tear into her fingers, turning the white flesh red because of their weight, "Why did we get all of this?"

"…because if we're going browsing for wedding and bridesmaid dresses, I need fuel."

"It's less than a year until I'll be getting married. I think it's time I start watching what I eat."

"Nah," he waves off the idea of that, "you're fine and you always look great. I wouldn't worry about it. Jay's going to love and marry you regardless of how many pounds you may put on."

She tilts her head to the side, "…thank you?" Erin doesn't really know if that was a compliment.

"It wasn't an insult," he laughs, sensing exactly where her thoughts had went, "I'm just saying, you're gorgeous and I'm positive Jay will always think so. The man is head over heels for you. It's pretty nice to see. You deserve that, you deserve someone like that."

If Erin wasn't currently switching the bag from hand to hand, she probably would have hugged him. To hear how outsiders saw her relationship was soothing; she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong or making any mistakes but to know that others, especially those she's closest to thought the same thing was comforting. The two of them arrived at the truck and thankfully Roman reached it first and opened the door, "We'll put the bags in the trunk," he's referring to the shopping bags littering the backseat. They didn't have a chance to do it earlier because the boutique they'd gone to was located in a busy part of town with very little parking so when two of her guards went to retrieve the truck, they had to quickly hop inside because her guards couldn't park and there were cars on the road, honking and rushing them to keep driving.

"So, how's Stella been?" She hands Severide the bag she was carrying as she reaches inside the back to grab one of the bags from the boutique to hand to Roman. Erin asks it so casually but it's been something she's wanted to bring up all day and now seems like the perfect opportunity since she isn't facing him and her hands are busy and occupied grabbing and passing along bags.

Severide rocks from side to side, foot to foot, "She's been good; she's still the same bad ass firefighter. I don't think that'll change any time soon."

Slowly, Erin nods, "…and how have you and Stella been?" She purposely phrased it that way because she knew Severide, she knew his commitment issues were similar to Jay's and he most likely wasn't ready to call her his girlfriend and officially state that they're dating.

"It's all new," he admits, head bowing down to stare at a pebble that he's anxious to kick, "we're going slow." And he does finally kick it off to the side.

"I want her to come to the wedding."

It was too many bags piled into the backseat from the boutique and each were stocked with different things: a lace garter, a boutonniere for Jay's tux –that hasn't been bought yet-, a hosiery, a bridal slip and a few pieces of lingerie for the wedding night. She had spent way more than she planned to spend but considering the pieces she'd gotten, she wasn't too upset. And her mother had text her, sending pictures of things she picked up and ordered for the wedding, pictures of reception centerpieces, bows to decorate the chairs, a throwaway bouquet and a few pieces of real, authentic jewelry that will accentuate any dress Erin chose to wear. Erin appreciated all her mother has done in preparation for the wedding because without her, she would be completely overwhelmed and probably not enjoying the build up to her wedding day as much.

"I thought you didn't want any plus ones," he retorted, moving both bags to one hand in order to extend the other towards her, to help her climb up, "I didn't invite her. I'm just respecting your wishes and if I remember clearly, you said no plus ones."

"I'm making an exception for her," she flops down into her seat and reaches for the seat belt, "I want her there. I've already text my mom the other day and added her to the background list."

"I know what you're doing," he chuckles, shaking his head, "you are so devious." He jokes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She did. She always liked Severide and Kidd together. She's found her happiness and she wants him to find his, he just needs a little help getting there and Erin was willing to do what it takes to give that push.

Severide climbs in next, "What exactly are we looking for today?" He changes the conversation so noticeably and effortlessly.

"I'm not planning to spend any more money; I'm just browsing," she clarifies as she opens up one of the bags of snacks to pull out a bag of Funyuns and opens them, "and I'm planning to look at more wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses and it wouldn't hurt if I checked out the bridal and bridesmaid shoes as well." He reached into the other bag and withdrew a slim jim.

"Cool," he utters, opening the slim jim and sliding down the plastic, "and what made you bring me instead of, oh I don't know, Natalie or Kim?"

"…because you're my man of honor," she states matter of fact.

"And as your man of honor, do I get the honor of throwing you a bachelorette party?"

"Yes," she bites into her chip and continues with her mouth full of crumbs, "you do."

"I'm looking forward to it," he bites into the slim jim and smiles at her meticulously, as if he already had an idea in mind, "I'll start planning right away."

She continues eating her chips, "Just to let you know, it's going to be small and you'll probably be the only guy there, besides my guys of course."

"You think I'm going to complain about being surrounded by beautiful women?" He tosses the empty wrapper of the slim jim inside of the bag before pulling out a snickers, "If you think I have a problem with that then you don't know me at all," he laughed and she slapped his arm in a silent response because she thought back to college Severide, classified ladies' man and she knew that he was now a one woman man but the memory of their younger selves flashed through her mind and she rubbed the spot that she hit him and smiled, "You've really grown."

"Aw Er," he takes her hand, "don't get all mushy on me." His thumb strokes the back of it.

"You have chocolate right there," she points towards the corner of his mouth and when he raises his empty hand to wipe it away, he wipes the wrong spot, "you missed it completely," she laughs. He wipes a different spot and then after the third failed attempt, she wipes it away herself, "there you go and you're welcome! Now, what were we discussing earlier," she taps her chin, "oh yes, that's right, Stella!"