26. Zero

Jay and Hailey were getting ready for bed and his phone rang. It was from a blocked number so it was undoubtedly another cop. He also knew from experience that most of CPD didn't know Hailey was on sick leave still so if they really needed something, away from Voight, they knew it was probably wise to go through Upton. She didn't screen her calls. And if her phone wasn't ringing- it could wait. Jay definitely screened his calls, depending on his mood.

His phone did chirp with a text message.

From: BLOCKED
It's Det. Mia Sumner. Need to talk to you.

Jay's head snapped up from his phone at the memory of the somewhat disgraced Detective that Voight ran out from Intelligence. He never really did believe Voight that she was the mole and especially after what came to light after Jin's death. But Voight had his convictions and that was that. He was tempted to go back downstairs and ask Vanessa, who had active cases, if she knew why Sumner was poking around but he also doubted she would know. He turned to Hailey. "Any reason Mia Sumner is calling me?"

Hailey looked up from her book in bed. It was something that she had re-taken up while on sick leave- reading. "No. Never met her."

Jay put his phone down on the nightstand and crawled into bed. "Huh."

"You not calling her back?" Hailey asked.

"She didn't leave a voicemail and only sent a text message saying it was her. It can wait. I'm tired."

"You're a tough sell tonight, Halstead."

Jay was doing paperwork the next morning, sans Hailey again, when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He looked up to see Platt and Sumner coming up the stairs. "Huh."

"You're taking your partners habits on," Rixton commented.

"Shut up," Jay replied with an evil glare but he knew Rixton was right. He hated the "huh" that Hailey and Hayden both did and now he was doing it.

Platt sighed. "Detective Mia Sumner," she introduced to everyone's benefit except Ruzek and Jay who knew her from before.

"So you showed up at the 21st of all places," Jay commented.

"Wouldn't have to if you would have answered your phone," she said. All heads in the room turned to Jay.

"You called at 10 p.m."

She laughed. "At a time when I knew you'd be with your partner."

Jay considered that and swallowed. "Interesting. Where'd you find that piece of information out?"

Platt cleared her throat. "Her new partner is Detective Alex Everson."

Ruzek finally cut into the staring match that was Jay and Rixton versus Mia Sumner. "Who's Everson?'

Platt answered. "Upton's old partner from Robbery-Homicide." Jay decided that Platt just knew too much and it was time to stop under-estimating what the Desk Sergeant did and did not know.

Rixton finally spoke. "So you're here about an old Robbery Homicide case?"

Sumner walked over to Jay and Rixton, who were sitting on their desks, and handed both men a piece of paper. "Meet one of Upton and Everson's old CI's- Zero Pyatt. He ended up dead two nights ago."

"Is his name actually Zero?" Ruzek asked.

She smiled. "Unfortunately for him, his birth and legal name is Zero."

Jay looked at her. "Why come here and ask me for any help?"

Sumner shrugged. "Just wondering if Upton's ever mentioned him."

"She has very rarely mentioned any time in Robbery-Homicide. Everson did come by about four weeks ago to ask Upton about something related to her time in the unit but that's all I can give you," Jay replied.

Sumner nodded. "That's actually been helpful."

"Why not ask Everson?" Rixton asked. "Or Upton?"

"Everson is in court all week in Miami, testifying in some sealed RICO indictment he was involved in and I respect the fact that Upton is on sick leave so I do not want to bug her," Sumner replied.

Jay and Rixton nodded at each other and then Rixton turned to Sumner. "Respect. We will help you out if you need anything." He did not escape Platt's glare about the olive branch he showed Sumner. Rixton knew what went down a couple years ago and knew he was the new guy - he'd take the heat from Jay, although Jay would have begrudgingly told Sumner the same thing.

Jay and Hailey were at home later that night and Hailey was cooking dinner, she was actually making her favourite pasta. He sat at the island as he had offered to actually help but she said that she had it covered, other than being able to drain the noodles, which he did.

"I talked to Sumner today," he said, nonchalantly.

Hailey didn't even turn around. "Not sure why you're telling me this."

"She showed up today. Which is a big deal because I didn't think she'd ever show up at the 21st after Voight kicked her out," Jay replied.

Hailey turned around. "Okay, that may be considered something. What did Sumner want?"

"One of your old CI's showed up dead two days ago? Zero Pyatt?"

Hailey winced. "Ah, damn. She caught the case?"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "She's Everson's new partner."

Hailey made a face. "Lord help her."

"Everson doesn't play well with others?"

"No, especially women. His wife is the jealous type too. We clashed but Robbery-Homicide was my first assignment after my undercover with Booth and he realized how fucked up I was and took me under his wing."

Jay took a drink of the beer he was drinking. "Explains why Platt was even sympathetic to her. Although she was not happy when Rixton offered our help to her."

Hailey sighed. "I'll give her a call tomorrow. I know Everson's supposed to be testifying this week on a RICO indictment."

"The week you had surgery, Everson came by the hospital looking for you. What did he want?"

"It was about Zero," Hailey confirmed Jay's suspicions.

He nodded. "Figures."

She fully turned to him. "Now get a plate and grab dinner. And no more work talk. I have three more days left of sick leave and I am going to enjoy it."

He put a kiss to her forehead. "Yes ma'am."

"I love you," she replied.

He winked at her as he grabbed his plate. "I kinda like you."

"We make a good team."

"We do."

AN: I'm DONE! Wow, I would have never thought I'd actually finish this and I finished this just before a year. So, please tell me which of these prompts was your favorite!

AN2: I'm flirting with the idea of doing a This is Chicago Part 2 (same idea, prompts and all), only because of quarantine but we shall see. This was a lot of work itself so I'm not entirely sure I want to commit to that again.