"Hey! What? He almost just ran me over," Kim frowned as he watched Jay Halstead park his car in the school parking lot, not seeming to care or realise that he'd nearly ran her over.

"You shouldn't get out that side. Go out that side." Camille pointed to the other side of the car as Erin's best friend sighed. "Hey, honey, did you get the list?"

"I've already done it. Stress less mum, you will get frown lines."

Camille slapped Erin's shoulder lightly, "Ha.Ha. You know that's what I do, I can't help it. This trip is a big deal and for a long time. Can't have you forgetting anything."

"Mum it's a holiday, she's not moving to the other side of the country forever." Justin, Erin's younger brother said annoyed."

Erin and Kim laughed, "Okay, enough. I have a showing at 5. I'll be home around 6. Dinner requests?" Camille asked her two children.

"Anything's good. Bye, Mom." Erin waved aswell as Kim who said a quick thanks and goodbye as the pair walked off together.

"Bye, sweetie. I love you." Camille shouted.

"She's the perfect girl and I'm the troublesome brother." Justine said rolling his eyes.

"No, you're not. Well maybe you are. Anyway, Have a great day, honey. Please stay out of trouble today!"


The school bell rang as Erin grabbed her textbooks out of her locker, "Breathe, Er. They're probably gonna talk about stuff we know. I'm only going to get out of first period. We can be a little late."

"Not really." Erin said to Kim, she was finally getting good grades and doing well in school, it wasn't always like that and she sure as hell wasn't going to do anything that stuffed that up and prevented her graduating.

Kim rolled her eyes at her friends good behaviour, "Oh, my god, you're going to explode if you stay this tight. Speaking of tight..."

"Hey, Erin." Kelly Severide said as he passed the girls giving Erin a wink.

""Hey, Erin?" He fricking knows your name!" Kim jumped a little, being a touch bit excited for her friend.

"I guess." Erin shrugged.

"Kelly Severide knows your name."

"Put a sock in it. How are you so obsessed with him when you have a boyfriend? You know Adam? That guy your dating."

"Not obsessed with him for me, obsessed with him for you." Kim pointed out.

Erin just rolled her eyes, "Can we go to class now, please?"

"Will you sleep with him? For me?"

"Ha, ha. Now move your ass." Erin said shoving her friend towards the classroom.


They walked into class and "All right, listen up, everybody. The bus will be leaving at 7 a.m. sharp tomorrow, so be on time. Otherwise..."

Erin's listening was cut off by Jay running into her, "Whoa. Sorry."

"Watch it Jay, Jesus." Kim said as she grabbed Erin's text books off the ground.

"It's fine Kim I got it."

"Find a seat. Let's go." Miss Parks said, looking at Erin.

"What?"

"I expect it from Mr. Halstead, but I'd hope better from you, Erin."

"Sorry, Miss." Erin apologised and found her seat.

Miss parks continued, "All right. So tomorrow the bus will be leaving at 7 a.m. sharp, all right? Be on time or the bus will be leaving without you."

"How'd Jay even get on this trip?" Erin heard Kelly and a few of his friends say.

Jay and Kelly were close once, but when Jay learnt that every time they'd muck up or do something wrong Kelly always through him under the bus he couldn't keep hanging around with someone like that. He needed to at-least show he was somewhat good at school if he wanted to make it in the army.

"Daddy probably bought his way on." Someone else said.

Jay turned and faced Kelly, Kelly shrugged his shoulders, "What?"

"You know I can hear you, right?" Jay stated.

Adam nudged his friend, "Just let it go man, he's not worth it."

Erin stopped focusing on the boys conversation and started zoning back into the teachers one, "For the first five days, we'll be helping to renovate a school with Project Humanity. The last three days, we'll be exploring the island and going on cultural excursions, and it should be a lot of fun."

After class finished they sat in the cafeteria, Kim nudged Hailey, "Okay, so Erin and Kelly? I kind of like that."

Hailey nodded, "Yeah. Me too. Although is he really the type of guy for our girl?"

Erin waved at her friends, "You know I can hear you right?"

They ignored her as Kim continued, "We have one week on the island to work our magic and get Erin here laid by the quarterback."

"Do I have a say in this?" Erin asked.

"No, not at all." Kim and Hayley laughed.

"We're there to be helping people."

"I'm trying to "help" you." Kim pointed out.

"We have jobs to do. I have looked at the itinerary…"

"You made the itinerary." Hailey interrupted and they all laughed.

Erin continued, "The school has every day and night planned."

"So? We'll change the plans. That's life, right Oh, and BT-dubs, l just found out carnival in Trinidad is when we're there." Adam said hoping the table the girls were on, followed by Jay who sat down next to him along with Antonio.

"Oh, my God. I totally have to get a new bathing suit." Hailey commented.

"Really?" Kim nudged Erin who was staring off into nothing.

"What?" Erin frowned.

"Why are you checking out Jay all of a sudden," she said quietly.

"I was not checking him out," Erin blushed.

"You so were. Come on Er, you have the quarterback on the hook."

"Says you. I'm not interested in Kelly…"

"But what your interested in Jay?" She interjected, "Seriously your blushing. Oh my god! Do you like Jay?"

"Keep you voice down, Jesus."

"Since when?" Kim said shocked, trying to stay quiet but was so excited.

"We've just been hanging out a lot since you and Adam started dating. I mean not one on one or anything but he's always around and he's not that bad of a guy. Definitely isn't as up himself as Kelly can be anyway."

"Fair point."

Erin silently watched as Jay cut up an apple with his pocket knife, she went to say something to warn him about the teacher coming his way but the words didn't come out in time.

"You can hand me that." The teacher said.

"Busted!" Kelly shouted which only caused Jay to roll his eyes.

"To the principal's office Jay."

Jay stood up and handed the knife over, "Well, then lead the way."

"Looks like someone's not going on the trip." Kim said to the group.

"Surely he will just get a warning, he can't miss this trip." Adam sighed.


Erin was nearly finished packing when her dad walked in, "Wow, how long you planning on staying?"

"You can never be too prepared, Hank." Camille smiled.

"Thank you, guys, so much for letting me go." Erin said happily as she placed the last thing in her suitcase.

"No worries, kiddo. You've come a long way you deserve this. So I had to take a second mortgage out and Mom has to sell an extra mansion."

"Shh. Don't tell her that." Camille said slapping Hanks shoulder.

"If this is for an eight-day trip, what's it gonna be like to send her to college?" Hank sighed.

"I know. I'm thinking we have to move to NYU with you." Camille said hugging her daughter.

"I support that idea. Yep. Or you could just join the academy."

"Dad let it go, you know how much I want to go to New York. And I wouldn't have been able to even get close to that idea without your help so Thankyou."

"Don't mention it, but it's all you kiddo. All you." Hank smiled, kissing the top of Erin's head. He really was proud of the women Erin was turning into.

"Stop stressing mother, I'm going to be fine it's only for two weeks. I will be back before you know it." Erin reassured her mother.

"Yeah don't stress mum, your precious little girl that gets perfect grades will be back in no time. Once again making me look like the trouble child." Justin said entering Erin's room.

Both women looked towards Justin, "You are the trouble child," they said in sync.

"Camille you said you were fine with this, this doesn't exactly say your fine." Hank said.

"I just…once you get back you will start applying for colleges and then…I just don't like to see my little girl grow up." Camille sighed.

"I will always visit you know this."

"Yeah we know." Hank and Camille sighed as they both bought Erin into a hug.


Pat Halstead paced the kitchen back and fourth, furious at his son, "What are you talking about, you don't wanna go? Know what strings I had to pull to get you on this trip?"

"For who, Dad, me or you? I don't even wanna go on this stupid trip. I'm gonna be forced to hang with people I never talk to anymore."

"It's an opportunity, son. It's a chance to do something for someone other than yourself."

"Pot calling the kettle black isn't it?"

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Pat snapped back at his son, "You really are ungrateful for what I do for you aren't you."

"And what is it that you do for me exactly? Cause I know it's not, support my choices, be there for me…"

"Enough, Jay just let it go man." Will, his older brother said as he come down from the stairs, "Look I will give you a lift to the airport because I don't know when I get to see you next and you being in the same car with dad right now might not end well."

Jay was annoyed, "He's just angry because I've chosen not to follow after the family tradition of being a doctor. Why can't you just be proud of me like mum was?"

"Don't bring her into this." His father warned.

"Jay let's go! Now!" Will said raising his voice.

Jay grabbed his suitcase and followed his brother out the door. He put it in the back of Wills car then sat in the passenger seat waiting for him to start driving.

"I don't know why you have to start with him…"

Jay cut him off, "Me start with him? God your just as bad taking his side, do you remember what he done to mum? Yeah she was sick but he was the one that put her into the ground and it wasn't like you made the situation any better, you couldn't even come home."

"Jay come on that's not fair."

"You have no idea what it was like."

"I do."

"No you don't, you weren't there. Mum was dying and you were off partying like every other college student."

"Jay I'm sorry, I don't know what else you want me to do. I regret it but I can't turn back time."

"You know what you can do? Not side with him on everything, support my decisions."

"What support your decision to join the army? I don't want to support that because the fact that you will be risking your like every single day drives me wild. I can't protect you, your my little brother, that's my job and I won't be able to."

Jay chuckled dryly, causing Will to frown, "What it's not like you've protected me from all the other shit that's happened in the last couple years. And Will don't act like your so much older then me, you are three years older."

"Still older which means I'm the one that should protect you."

"So your choosing to start when exactly?"

"You won't let it go will you?"

He shook his head, "Not until you actually show me that you will protect me and actually back me up for once instead of siding with dear ol dad. He's not going to give you hand outs forever you know."

"That's not why I side with him, I just agree. You should be going to college like all the other Halstead men."

"Not going to happen Will."

Will stayed silent as they pulled up at the drop off bay at the airport, he was never going to win with his brother, Jay always stood by his word, he was determined and strong just like their mother that's why he was a mummy's boy. Will respected it but just hated the thought of his brother risking his life everyday.

"Jay, I love you man."

"Yeah yeah, love you too. Guess I will see you in another year or so?"

"I won't take too long to come home this time, that's a promise."

Jay nodded, "Yep I will hold you to that."


"Let's go, gang. All aboard! We have a flight in a few hours then we will be on our way to the tropical island of Puerto Rico." Miss parks announced as they all piled into the bus.

"How you doing, Erin? Crazy early, right?" Kelly said as he passed Erin before making his way onto the bus.

"That was two sentences. He's upping his game. You are so getting laid." Kim's chuckled.

"Did you forget our conversation from yesterday?" Erin said confused.

"Well no. But i don't know I can just still picture you with Kelly, but if your into Jay I'm sure it won't be to hard to get you laid by him."

"Kim Burgess! You are disgraceful."

She laughed, "Thats why you love me."


They arrived in paradise, in actual paradise. All of the students were excited and amazed by being able to spend the next 8 nights on this beautiful island.

They are piled in the lobby after checking in their rooms, Mr Stevens waiting for everyone to quiet down, "Okay, everybody, listen up. Project starts tomorrow. We have a few hours today to get settled in and hang by the pool. Then we're all gonna go have dinner."

Everyone cheered, Kim turned to Erin and Hailey, "What'd I tell you, Erin?" Screw your schedule. This is gonna be the best ever."

"All right, ladies. Let's do this. One, two..." Hailey counted down as they are jumped in the pool.

Adam, Antonio and Jay walked alongside the pull, putting their things with the girls stuff and striping down to their board shorts, "So Jay, any locals you have your eye on?"

"Is all you think about sex Adam?"

"Sex with Kim sure. But you my friend, how longs it been?" Adam questioned.

"Stop worrying about me, let's focus on this beautiful piece of paradise and anyway your girlfriend is waving you over, best to not keep her waiting." Jay pointed out to where the girls were swimming.


Erin couldn't help but check Jay out while she was going over the plans for the rebuild, something about him just kept catching her eye lately. Was it his muscles being outlined in the T-shirt he was wearing? Possibly but there was something about him that intrigued her, something about him that told her he was different to all the other guys. That he wasn't the bad boy Kelly and all those guys made him out to be.

"Hey, hey, hey. Be careful up there." Mr Stevens yelled as Jay balanced along the roofline.

Jay saluted the teacher, "Whatever you say, boss."

"He's gonna get freaking killed and ruin it for all of us," Kelly said as he stopped by Erin, "You should get some lotion on your shoulders. You're gonna burn. It's a hot, hot season."

"Whoa, oh, oh Day two and first contact has been made? Kelly Severide sure does have the hots for Miss Erin Voight."

"And as you know I'm not interested so it would be nice if you stopped encouraging the idea." Erin said to her friend, hoping she would drop it.

"Okay well then I have another idea, Jay Halstead. You said you have the hots for him and this could be a lot easier. He is best friends with Adam after all."

"Your ridiculous. You won't let this go until I get laid will you?" Erin laughed.

"Looks like Mama's getting some vac-action." Kim winked.


An hour after lights out Erin heard someone climbing up onto their balcony, she grabbed the closest thing next to her but Kim quickly ran in front of her from the bathroom, "Don't stress it's only the guys. And really a slipper? Cause that's going to save us."

Erin looked at the item in her hand and rolled her eyes, throwing the slipper back onto the ground.

Adam, Antonio and Jay made there way into the girls room once Kim unlocked the door on the balcony, "Carnival party tonight on some local dude's boat. They're leaving right now, but the boat leaves in a half-hour."

"I don't know." Erin sighed, getting pleading looks of her two friends and the boys.

"Shut it. We are going. You are going, even if l have to tie you up and drag you to the boat." Kim made aware.

Erin didn't know who to look at, she wasn't getting out of this one. Jay gave her a small smile, "Never know miss goody to shoes, might actually have some fun."

"Exactly, listen to Jay Erin." Kim winked.

"Fine let's do this." Erin said quickly, she didn't want to let Kim give her little secret away while her so called crush was staring at her in her pyjamas.

"Seriously, we'll be done by midnight. Two o'clock, the latest." Hailey encouraged.

"I'll hold you to that, Erin laughed as they all ran off into the bathroom to get changed and ready.


They are walked up to the boat, pretty much running up to it to jump up before it took off. So many college students were piled on as-well as majority of their classmates.

"This is so fun." Kim shouted as she walked hand in hand with Adam, the rest following closely behind.

"Hey, ladies, what's up?" Some college student said as he looked the girls up and down, Erin scrunched her nose up but before with one of them could say anything Adam waved him off. Aswell as Jay and Antonio, even though those guys were a few years older then then those boys certainly had no fear.

"Oh, no, that's okay, there with us." Adam bluntly said as he lead them to a quieter less crowded part of the boat.

"You girls stay here, we will go grab some drinks." Adam said, quickly giving Kim a peck then leading the other two boys the other way.

"Okay, let's wait for this cocktail and find a way to get you and your man talking." Kim quickly said to Erin.

"Oooo, her man. Where is Kelly anyway I haven't seen him yet." Hailey said looking around.

"Not the man we are talking about, Erin here has the hots for Jay."

"Jay?! Jay Halstead. Seriously? Who would have thought."

"Not my man and not drinking." Erin said quickly putting a stop to their amusement.

"Ugh. Er, you've gotta loosen up. You know, switch it around. Get out of your element just a little." Kim said.

"I like my element. I'm going to go for a walk, need to use the bathroom." Erin said before walking off, she passed the boys on her way, passing up the drink that Adam was handing her.

When Erin came out of the bathroom she noticed Kelly lip locking it with some college girl, she chuckled to herself and kept walking, bumping into Jay, "Oh sorry my bad."

"Now who's not paying attention," She ignored him and tried to keep walking, "Isn't that your new boyfriend?"

"What's it to you?" She snapped, causing him to shrugged and drop the conversation.

Suddenly a cop was heard over the PA and you could hear a police siren, "Monte Carlo. Prepare to be boarded. Monte Carlo, this is the Police. Heave to and prepare to be boarded. Move to the front of the boat. Move to the bow of the boat."

Her listening was cut off by the sudden push then all she felt was water, next thing she was gasping for air.

"Monte Carlo, this is the Police." She kept hearing over the PA.

"Help!" She shouted but kept getting dunked by the waves rocking up against the boat.

"Erin!" Next thing she felt an arm grab her and a familiar voice, "Erin! What the hell are you doing?"

"I fell. You idiot." She said bluntly. It wasn't like she was just going for a midnight swim.

"Where's Erin?" Hailey and Kim said in sync to the boys.

"I thought she was with you?" Adam questioned.

"No she went to the toilet." Kim shrugged and they quickly started looking around. Where the hell was she.

Jay looked around and saw a lifeboat attached to the yacht, "Here! Climb up. You all right?"

Erin took Jays helping hand as they climbed up onto the little boat, "Just great. What are you doing?"

"Hiding us with this tarp, we will stay connected. Then once the situation calms down we will head back to the hotel."

"You crazy? Let's just shout for help now and get back on the boat."

"We'll be fine. We'll go to the hotel when things cool down. Do you really wanna wreck for perfect grades anyway? Cause I don't think this will look to good on you college application."

Erin rolled her eyes, then once the yacht started moving they heard the rope snap, "Oh my god! What just happened."

"Shit!" Jay said in a panic.

"They're getting too far away. How we gonna get out of here?" Erin stressed, looking at Jay for an answer but he looked just as worried as her.

"I'm working on it. Damn it, no motor." He said frustrated.

"No motor? What now, genius?" Erin yelled back.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"We're stuck out here." Jay shrugged hopelessly.

"Aah!" Erin shouted as it started pouring down. Great she was now trapped in the middle of the ocean with her crush that had no idea he liked her and why did she like him? She had no clue. This was not how this was meant to go.

"Hold on, here get under this." Jay said quickly pulling the tarp up over then and tucking it underneath their sides. Hopefully this would protect them.


The next morning everyone was preparing to get back on the bus, the teachers were furious with them, "Please put your suitcases by the door to be loaded into the awaiting bus. I'd like to thank those of you who brought this unique opportunity to an abrupt end."

"Welcome, gentlemen. Glad you could make it. Too bad you're on your way home." Mr Stevens said to Kelly and his group of mates that were pulling up a little hungover.

"Miss Parks, Erin's not here."

"What?"

"Um...She never came home last night. I didn't tell anyone because I thought she was with someone, but…"

Kim was cut off, "Okay, well, how do you know that she's not?"

"You know her. She wouldn't just bail. She has a schedule to keep. I tried her cell. She's not answering." Kim explained, worried about where her friend could be.

"All right, well, where did you see her last?"

"Um...On the boat." Kim said sadly, this wasn't helping the situation.


Erin and Jay pulled back the tarp, the sun was shining. You wouldn't have thought there was a tropical storm last night at all.

"How far do you think we've drifted?" Erin asked Jay, thinking he was some expert.

"I don't know. Keep an eye out. Can't be that far."

"We've been out here for hours."

"I can't believe my phone got soaked." Jay said lifting his phone up from his pocket.

"Yeah, I can't believe that either." Erin rolled her eyes, knowing hers was completely fine but she had not one single bar of service.

"Try your phone again."

"I told you, I'm not getting reception out here." She said annoyed, "You want some more water?"

Jay chuckled, "I can't believe you brought water to a party."

"I didn't wanna get dehydrated. That gives you a hangover."

"Really? I thought it was the tequila."

Erin smiled for a split second but then remembered exactly where she was, "I still can't believe there's no motor. That's the point of the dinghy, right? For emergencies. Why else have the damn dinghy?"

She was frustrated he was too but couldn't help but laugh, causing her to frown, "What. How is that funny?"

""Dinghy's" funny. It's a funny word. "Dinghy.""

"We're floating in the Caribbean. You know that, right?" She said annoyed. One thing Jay was learning, this girl gets easily and quickly annoyed. But who wouldn't being stuck in the middle of the ocean.

"Yeah. I also know freaking out isn't gonna make us any less screwed, so..."

"So, what do we do?"

Jay leant his head back and shut his eyes, "For now, we float, I guess. Oh," he put his hand in his pocket pulling out some gum, "Want some gum?"

"Why? Is my breath bad?" Erin frowned.

"I don't know, probably," he shrugged.


Back at the hotel, names were being called, "Elizabeth Kover."

"Here."

"Kim Burgess."

"Here."

"Jay Halstead." There was silence. "Jay Halstead? Anyone seen Jay?"

Everyone looked around, Kim especially gave Adam several looks questioning him about the whereabouts on his friend and then wondering whether they were off with each other doing god knows what.


Jay dunked his head in the water, "Hoo! You should try that."

She shook her head, "No, thanks."

"You want me to get your back?" He asked as he watched her apply sunscreen, "What's with all the Ziplocs?"

"What?"

"You carry all your crap in baggies?" He shrugged, genuinely wanting to know.

"It keeps things from getting messy."

"How's that working out for you?" He joked, but she just gave him an annoyed look.

"Well, at least my phone is dry." He nodded, she got him there. "We should've followed the police boat back to shore."

"What, with single paddle? Sure."

"I'm just saying."

"First of all, I figured we'd be able to row back in later. You know after the tropical storm. Second, lest we forget, Miss goody to shoes, you decided to take a dip in stormy waters."

"I fell off the boat. And my name is Erin."

Jay laughed, "Okay, Erin."

She gasped suddenly causing Jay to jump with concern, "What?!"

"Island, there." Erin kneeled pointing over to an island that was suddenly appearing.

"Where?" He squinted his eyes trying to see.

"Right there. Look!"

"Oh, that's way too far. We should sit here until someone picks us up." He sat back down, he did know that eventually the tide would take them that way anyway, better to consume their energy.

"Are you kidding? Fine, I'll paddle." She said angrily as she picked the paddle up.

"Okay, okay. "I'll paddle. Jeez."