''Wife''

''Wife?''

''WIFE''

It was the only thing that Erin could think at this moment passed the door of police station. After the great revelation of Jay Halstead the previous night she could not think straight. It took her an embarrassing amount of time to get over Jay. Truth be told, eRIN was not the kind of woman who would spend her days pining over a man, but jAY was different. No matter how cliched that sounded, it was still true. She had never met anyone like him before. Brilliant but so self-deprecating. Amazing and cocky at times but still with a heart of gold. Nobody had ever made her feel the way that Jay did, so it really pissed her off and hurt her so badly when Jay told her that they could only be friends.

After they slept together

At first she thought it was because their partnrship. Then she thought that maybe he had a family stashed somewhere, wife and kids and the whole nine and that's why he couldn't date her.

That was just as crazy so she tabled that particular line of thought pretty quickly.

It wasn't really egotistic of Erin to think that Jay was interested in her before. She was pretty sure that he was, but then somewhere along the way she probably missed her chance because suddenly, Jay was being just a good friend to her.

They had sex

And now a wife

In the end, she decided to ask Antinio.

"I know you know everything so you have to know this. Who is Jay's wife?" She asked straightforwardly as she passed by Antonio's desk on her way to her own office.

Antonio was only partially shocked by her quoestion. He knew Jay had gotten married again, but he'd just never met her directly before. He had heard her voice before on the phone when he called for Jay, so he wasn't as surprised as Hank and Adam.

As Erin tried to find information for Latania Monroe. At the other side of room Jay mourned his marriage.

Jay remembered the first second he met Latania Monroe. . Her fierce and sarcastic way of moving around was what had caught his eye in the first cared about her family, about everyone that she laid her trust upon, and would use witty/snarky commentary to express her 'unadulterated love' towards someone. Jay admits, he wasn't exactly the picture perfect kind of person to be around years ago when they all first met; he was cold, guarded, and self-reserved. He didn't trust anyone. To him, they were too destructive. Will was the only exception at first, someone that Jay found reliable.

But he could not be as wrong as he was then as he is now.

With a small furrow in his brow, he looked down into his palm and found a photo strip of Latania. Picking it up with ginger fingers, he held it closer for further examination. The woman was sitting in front of whoever had taken the picture. Their location was obviously a library of Univertity's house, given to the rows and rows of books that were behind her, along with the tables that were occupied by classmate . But she stood out among the other faces in the background. The first image had was her having a book open in front of her, a notebook to the side of the book and a green highlighter in one hand, a ballpoint pen in the other. The hand with the highlighter was down on the table, the end of the highlighter was holding down the pages of the book so it didn't slip closed on her. Her other hand, with the pen, was raised towards her mouth; the cap pressing against the pink flesh of her bottom lip. Her eyes were downcast, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she reads. The second photo was similar to the first, only Latania had her eyes raised and she had noticed the camera; beautiful hazel eyes slightly wide in surprise and her kissable bow lips parting a little bit. The third and final photo was Jay's favorite; Latania had lowered her pen away from her lips, her elbow now resting on the table, and her lips were curled up into a wide smile—the photo capturing him mid-laugh.

She's so beautiful.

FLASHBACK

Jay let a string of curses leave his mouth, as he'd barely dodged the vase his mama gave him a few years ago. He held his breath as he watched it crash onto the ground, the pieces shattering - much like Latania. She's ramblings never stopped, her face flooded with tears. Her lanky form following Jay's every move. The only consistent words he'd heard were 'cheater' and 'liar'.

"Latania, I'm sorry!" Jay pleaded, raising his hands up to protect his face as Latania paced her bedroom-their bedroom. Latania's clothing lay half in her suitcase, the others scattered around the room. Many pieces were thrown in Jay's direction. Latania was leaving him, and all he could do was take the heat. It was all his fault, Latania wasn't to blame.

Suddenly, the room was quiet. Latania's ramblings at a halt, and Jay's heart rate began to speed up.

"Asshole, you cheated. ." Latania spoke quietly, almost as if she was trying to wrap her head around what Jay confessed. Her eyes a bloodshot red, her lips parted while she looked around their ruined bedroom. Latania sat on the bed, wondering if Jay cheated in their own home. Her stomach dropped ten folds, feeling sick at the thought.

Jay sighed, as he looked away.

"We-We've been together for years, Jay" Latania trailed off, his eyes searching the room rapidly- almost trying to find the answer of "why?" in their satin bedroom sheets that lay at the bottom of the bed.

"Tell me why," Latania said dejectedly, her shoulders hunched- she couldn't even look in Jay's direction. A man whom she once thought loved her.

Jay swore he would have missed the tone in Latania's voice if the room had not been eerily silent. Being drunk was not an excuse as to why he stepped out on their relationship. Everything was ruined. He hadn't wanted it to end like this, hadn't wanted their relationship to end at all.

"Was is Erin Linsday?" Latania flinched at her own question, the name "Erin" making her spine cower.

The lump in Jay's throat grew steadily, his chest felt as though it was constricting, in reality it must have been heartbreak. Jay stared at Latania with wary eyes, afraid of his next move. Since his confession, Jay had not said another word unless it was "i'm sorry". Truthfully, he couldn't remember who he has cheated with- and that hurt. Not only did he hurt his wife and mate, but he couldn't even give her the proper answers she deserved.

He'd felt his heart stop, his blood running cold, and the tears came fast after that.

Latania's eyebrows furred in fury, in betrayal. . "Damn it, say something, Halstead! Anything, please!" Latania's voice fell short, and for the fourth time that night, her tears fell.

"It's not you, Latania." Jay spoke lowly, his voice hoarse from not speaking, and his eyes tired. "I was drunk, baby-"

Latania didn't have enough time to process, and dodge the incoming Television remote. The gray television remote made contact with his mouth, his teeth aching and his eyes watering due to the pain. Licking his lips, Jay tasted the blood pouring from his upper lip. Putting his hand on their bedroom walls, Jay perched himself up from his sitting position on the floor. With each taste of his own blood, Jay became more irate, more irrational, and the want to choke Jay out became too much for him to bare. His whole being beamed with anger, and as he glared at Latania, the young woman's stare didn't falter one bit.

"Fuck you, Halstead." Latania spoke with such a venomous tone, her eyes filled with anger, and regret.

END FLASHBACK

He remembers whenever he stuttered through asking her on a date, and how she responded with a riddle and only when he solved it could he treat her on a date. He replayed the same riddle over and over, and didn't stop until he figured it out. And three days later he was grinning proudly as he told her the answer, and her crooked smile in return gave him his.

He remembers sitting in the corner booth of the diner, with her pressed against his side and his arm curled around her shoulders. She had lifted her hand, curled her fingers with his and rested her head on his shoulder, the sun setting and illuminating the diner in shades of gold and yellow.

He wanted her back. He needed her back.

Will walks into the kitchen groggily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His hair is a mess and he is wearing gray shorts and a white wifebeater.

He is surprised to find his brother Latania sitting at the counter drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"What are you doing here?" asks Will as he opens the cabinet to find a coffee cup.

"Good morning to you too brother-in-law," says Latania sarcastically as she looks up from the paper. "I got off late last night and have to be in early this morning and your place is closer to the district than mine so I slept in the spare bedroom."

"Well that just makes me so glad I gave you a key then," replies Will as he grabs himself a coffee cup. "Please come into my apartment whenever you'd like without telling me."

Latania shoots her brother a look.

"Sorry," says Will sheepishly. "Late night and I haven't had any coffee yet."

Will pours himself a cup of coffee as the woman puts down the paper.

"How was your date?" asks Latania as a smirk begins to form on her face.

"What date?" asks a confused Will as he sips his coffee.

"The date that you kept you out late last night," replies the woman crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't catch his name."

Will practically chokes on his coffee completely caught off guard. How the hell does Latania know that?

"What are you talking about?" asks Will in between coughing while refusing to look at her

"Dude," says Latania trying to get the man to look at her. "I was in the spare bedroom when you got home, I heard you guys in the living room."

Will looks at her mortified and unsure of what to say next. When he came home with the barista last night, Will had no idea that Latania was in the spare bedroom. It's at the back apartment and he didn't even think to look there. Now his brother knew his secret, how would he react?

"Listen Will," says Latania making sure each word is clear as to reassure her brother. "I don't judge or anything, it's totally fine that you're gay. You're my brother and I love you. I don't care that you're into guys, I just want you to be yourself and be happy."

Standing at the counter and holding his coffee in his hands, Will smiles. "Really?"

"Absolutely," says Latania as she stands up and walks over to her brother-in-law. "This world we live in is so fucked up. People are ridiculed and oppressed for who they are. We're all the same regardless of sexual preferences. No one should judge anyone for that, everyone should be free to be who they are and love whoever they want without hate or judgment."

Will smiles and puts down his coffee. "Thanks Latania. I always worried about having this conversation with you or anyone else for that matter. Having to explain and defend who I am."

"Well, you don't have to do that with me," says Latnai reassuringly. "We're family and nothing could ever stop me from loving and supporting you. Plus, you shouldn't have to explain or defend yourself to anyone. You're gay, that is who you are, and there's no shame in that. What other people say doesn't matter."

Will can't think of anything to say as he leans in to give Latania a hug.

"Thanks Latania," says Will who feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you too Will," says Latania as they break the hug. "I'm your sister and you can always talk to me. I'll always be here for you no matter what."

"So how was the date?" asks a grinning Latania as she sits back down. "What'd you guys do?"

"Are you sure you want to hear about all this?" asks Will as he cuts himself a bagel.

"Do you think that the 2 guys dating and having sex creeps me out or something?" asks Latania looking at Will. "Because it doesn't. I'm open-minded and I have gay friends. So I want you to tell me about the guy and your date."

Will nods his head and takes a bite of his bagel. "His name is Brian, I met him at a bar last month and we hit off. We've gone out a bunch of times and last night we grabbed something to eat downtown and walked by the promenade and talked."

"I guess it's going well since I heard you guys in the living room," teases Latania.

"It is," says Will laughing a little. "I'm still a little nervous about PDA in public so I invited him to come back here."

Will can't contain his grin. "And it got a little heavy..."

"But," says Latania noticing her brother was starting to trail off.

"No but, Brian's a sweet guy and I enjoy spending time with him," says Will looking down at his bagel who begins to fumble with his words.. "There's just… another guy. But I don't have a chance with him."

"Why would you say that?"asks Latania looking at his brother. "Who is he?"

''Connor Rhodes''

Latania began to laugh hysterically. Connor Rhodes was the man hert brother in the law complained every day after they met and Latania was obliged to hear but By the time he was ready to have a proper, civil conversation with the man, a month had gone by.

It didn't usually take Will this long to open to people and talk to them, but there was something about Rhodes- the way he came into the hospital for one, shouting orders and actually having them get done, despite the fact that he was a complete stranger and no one at the hospital knew or respected his judgement.

Over time, however, Will had begun to notice the way that authority sat on the slope of Rhodes' shoulders and chattered in his ear. He commanded it as efficiently and as effectively as Sharon Goodwin, but the contrast between how they utilised it was huge. Where Sharon was loud and blatant about her authority, Rhodes was quiet and subtle; such that you were following his orders without ever having realised you were following them at all.

It was strange, being ordered about. Will would find himself getting dopamine for a patient he had not been taking care of, simply because Rhodes had yelled the request from the trauma room as he passed by. It hadn't even been directed at him, probably at the nurses working with him, and yet he'd moved from his spot and crossed to the nurse station. When he mentioned this to Latania, however, she'd laughed and looked at him with her all-seeing eyes.

"You're annoyed because he reminds you of yourself," she laughed again. Her fingers played with a pen, clicking it repeatedly. "Both of you are cocky, arrogant and petulant."

"I am not!" Will replied huffily, crossing his arms over his chest before it dawned on him he was doing as she said. He let out a surprised breath and Latania pats his shoulder sympathetically.

"You'll get over it," she winked and laughed again at Will's disapproving face.

''What about you and Jay?''

''I want a divorce''

Hearing her saddened tone of voice, Will hugged Latania her head hit his shoulder, she cried.

Will ran his finger through her hair repeatedly. Shah, it's going be okay. I'm here .''

She didn't know how long she stood there, just crying into Will's shoulder, but the sun was disappeared from the sky she stopped crying, and the stars were all out.