Author note: Hey folks. Just wanted to thank you all for your continued support. Love reading the comments and feedback you all send. It means a lot to me, truly. This chapter is short and a bit of a filler, (not much Erin either), but it's necessary for the progression of the plot. I wanted to add more, especially with Erin, but I've had a long day at work and I'm too tired to continue writing for today. I just didn't want to let the day go by without uploading.

I also wanted to remind you all that this is story about angst and pain but also healing. TW there is some dark stuff that has been hinted at already in Erin's past, that will be revealed soon, so please be prepared and take this as a warning. Things can be upsetting and I don't want anyone to be blindsided by it when it eventually all is revealed. Happy reading!

Jay was exhausted by the time he reached home. He had made a pit stop along the way to drop Erin off to Voight's, where she said she would be staying for the next few days. He hadn't managed to ask her how long she was staying, knowing she had left behind her life in New York for an emergency situation in Chicago. But with how worn out they both suddenly appeared from the confrontation between them, they fell into a comfortable silence the whole journey home.

It was a strange feeling if Jay was being honest. As they got to the lot, Erin seemed hesitant, clearly unsure of how she was getting home. He extended her a ride, there was no way he was going to let her wait for a cab this late at night. She gracefully accepted, but then she hung back slightly, unsure of which car Jay would be leading her to. She was surprised to see he had the same car he had when she left five years ago. Without so much as a word, or even a misstep, Erin made her way to the passenger's seat and held the handle waiting for Jay to unlock the car.

Jay shouldn't have been surprised by the action, things had changed between them, he knew that. But after their talk on the rooftop, thinks felt semi-normal between them, familiar. And Jay found himself slipping back into old habits with how comfortable he felt around her. It wasn't anything explicit either of them had said or done, but Jay's body and mind almost reacted subconsciously around her, like muscle memory. He sort of felt like time hadn't changed a thing.

Which is why Erin heading to the passenger seat without so much as a question, or a pause to ask or confirm who was driving made him frown slightly.

That's because things have changed. He had to mentally remind himself. Don't go getting yourself into trouble by forgetting that.

And so Jay had kept his mouth shut, not mentioning her actions, or teasing her about not wanting to drive. He simply unlocked the car, got in, and began to drive the short distance to Voight's.

Before he dropped Erin off, he had promised her he would swing by in the morning to drive her to the Med before going in to work. He knew she didn't have a car here in Chicago, and Hank's was still at the precinct after the events of yesterday. He didn't want her to go through the trouble of calling a cab when she had bigger things to worry about.

It was only as Jay watched Erin unlock the door and step inside that he started the car again to begin the drive home. And it was in that moment his eyes gazed upon the clock on the dashboard, his eyes widening almost comically at what he saw. It was 3am, and he had to go to work in the morning. Things were still up in the air with intelligence, between their boss being incapacitated, to the perp who had put him in that state being on the loose still, things were messy to say the least. Knowing this, he was aware how hectic tomorrow would be and how he needed to be there bright and early with his A-game on.

He arrived to the apartment he shared with Hailey not too long after, despite it being some ways away from Voight's house. But the roads were expected to be clear at this time of night, which meant that he got home in half the time it would have usually taken. Opening the door, he kicked off his boots right at the entrance, ready for nothing more than to slip into a deep and restful slumber. But as he headed towards the bedroom, he could see light peeking from the door which was semi ajar.

He entered to see Hailey sitting on the edge of their bed her phone being spun in circles between her fingers.

Jay took of his hoodie and flung it onto the armchair in the corner of the room before he kissed Hailey quickly on the side of her forehead.

"Hey hun, what are you doing awake?" he questioned as he headed towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"Don't. Don't hun me."

Jay stopped in his tracks and turned to face her confused. As he took in her appearance, he noticed her eyes were alert, not groggy with sleep like he expected, as though she had been awake for a while. And she looked irate.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, walking towards her he sat on the bed next to and wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her in to him.

But she shrugged him off and stood up, to walk away from him, standing a good two feet across from him with her arms crossed stubbornly against her chest.

"Really, Jay? Are we just going to pretend like you don't have a clue as to what's going on here going on here?"

"I'm no clairvoyant here Hails, I don't read minds, he sighed. "Come on, talk to me."

Hailey pursed her lips and shook her head in annoyance, the indentation of her tongue pressed against her inner lower lip visible.

Jay sighed again, this time momentarily closing his eyes. She was clearly upset with him, but he couldn't apologise if he didn't tell her what was wrong. He was about to voice this when she began speaking.

"I wake up over two hours ago to find you gone," she started off slow, but her voice became more frantic and upset with every word she uttered. "You don't tell me where you've gone or why. I left you half a dozen messages and missed calls and you didn't even bother to reply to a single one!"

Jay frowned pulling his cell out of his pocket to check. He hadn't heard any calls. But it soon occurred to him why, as his phone refused to show any sign of life. It was flat. He turned his phone to show Hailey as an explanation, but she shook her head vigorously not accepting.

"No, Jay. Not good enough. We don't do that to each other, we're partners and we're also engaged to be married; we communicate!"

Her voice had risen an octave, revealing her anger and hurt at his actions.

"Hey, you're right, I'm sorry." Jay apologised standing up and walking over to her, before pulling her into his embrace, his chin resting upon her head. "I should've left you a note or something, I went to the hospital cause April called and..."

He felt Hailey nod from under his chin.

"I know."

"You know?" Now Jay was confused. "How?"

"I called Will to let him know you'd gone AWOL. With how you were earlier in the night I was worried about you and where you'd gone. He told me you'd gone to Med cause April called."

Jay pondered at whether or not that was all his brother had told her. Or was she aware that Erin had come back too? For a moment, Jay considered telling her, but then he decided against it. She was clearly upset right now, they were both very tired, and he didn't know how she would take the news. He knew Hailey got on well with Erin for the brief time they were partnered up when Hailey first joined intelligence, but that was before they had gotten together.

And then Hailey didn't need to worry, cause she was here, with him, and Erin was in New York. But now that she was back, for however long she was back for, he didn't want Hailey to feel intimidated by her presence. Not that she had reason to be. Jay meant it when he believed that he would never cheat in his life, he wasn't going to be his father on that front. He'd seen first hand the destruction that affairs had caused his entire childhood.

So instead, he decided he would only bring up Erin if she did. That was his safest bet, at least for now.

"So if Will told you where I was, why were you so upset?" Jay questioned.

He heard Hailey scoff as she pulled herself out of his embrace.

"Because Jay! For a moment I didn't know where you were or what had happened to you. It didn't exactly fill me with confidence that you tend to let your guilt eat you up and do self-destructive things in the process."

"Hey," Jay called out to her, cupping her face in his palms. "Hey! Look at me, I'm okay. I'm not going to spiral out on you, I promise. I know I've not given you reason enough in the past, but trust me please, I've got a handle on things this time."

It may not have been true yesterday in the immediate moments after Hank was shot, but it was now. And he had Erin to thank for that. Because now, he couldn't afford to spiral. She had much more at stake here, much more to lose, and her pain and grief exceeded his. He couldn't be selfish and do reckless things and take away from the support she would receive from himself and the rest of Intelligence.

Hailey noticed the calmness and surety in his demeanour. It was a complete 360 from the behaviour he had displayed in the hospital when he was with her. But she didn't question it. It could wait. It was late, they both were tired, and they both had to work in the morning.

"Okay," she muttered, offering him an upturned lip and raising her hand up to his cheek to cup in momentarily before heading straight for the bed and wrapping herself in the comforter.

Jay frowned. She looked like she was biting her tongue. Like she still had more to say. But he knew now wasn't the time to hash things out. They would get some sleep and talk more in the morning when they both had a clearer mind, and when she could see that this calmness he was feeling was not a momentary blip. So without another word, he turned off the light switch and joined her under the comforter.