Authors note: Two updates in one day?! Whaaaaaaat! Lol. So I was reading all your reviews and PMs and really feeling all the love. It means so much to me that you're all really enjoying RT and are giving me feedback and constructive criticism. And so I was inspired to carry on writing right before bed, despite how shattered I am after a long day at work. Your reviews got me through this! Also, I'm beginning to get RSI from all the typing I'm doing, so we'll see how the updates go over the next few days, but they might slow down compared to my normal pace. But without further ado, happy reading.

P.S Erin's scars will be explained in the next chapter or two.

Kim ran up the steps and into the main entrance of the 21st. She was cutting it short for time, she knew that as soon as she left Voight's. But she didn't regret it one bit, she was glad she got to see Erin briefly, even if she seemed to have a case of foot in mouth and blab away too much. She owed a lot to the older detective who had become her friend in the few years they'd known each other. Erin, was the one that convinced her to stick it out at the 21st when she had broken up with Adam and felt insecure. Erin, was the one who had given her advice on how to date a partner during her brief fling with Sean. And Erin, was the reason why she was in intelligence today. If it wasn't for Lindsay putting in a good word with Voight and interceding on her behalf for a second chance... well who knows, Kim might of still been down in patrol today.

"You're late!" Trudy's voice brought her back to the present.

"Huh, what? No!" Kim answered flustered looking at her watch. She still had a few minutes, three to be precise, before she would be officially counted as tardy.

Her flustered state had brought her back in time to her days at patrol, where Sargent Trudy Platt would do everything in her power to make Kim's life harder. She didn't understand it back then, as Kim was so intimidated by her, but as the years passed she soon grew to realise that Platt only treated her that way because she wanted Kim to make it far. She had a soft spot for Burgess, and it was her way of toughening her up so that Kim would become amongst the best and brightest in the police force.

"Well tell that to Commander Fogel and the Superintendent who arrived and went upstairs five minutes ago."

"You aren't serious?" Kim asked, her head tilted slightly half in disbelief and half questioningly.

Platt stuck out her neck and gave her an expression as though to say Really Burgess? Why would I make this up?"Shoot," Kim muttered as she ran up the steps two at a time and scanned her palm to get through the gate to intelligence. The first thing she noticed as she arrived to the bullpen was the meeting had already started. Commander Fogel was at the front with Superintendent Skinner, briefing the rest of the team.

Fogel stopped speaking and looked at Kim disapprovingly.

"Officer," he nodded at her in acknowledgement.

The rest of the team turned to face her questioning her 'not actually late, but still considered late, lateness'. Kim was always one of the first to arrive, so the fact that she had arrived last today, the day after their boss was attacked and shot, did not go amiss on them. Kim avoided their glances and looked directly at the higher-ups at the front.

"I'm sorry I'm late I just..."

Skinner looked like he couldn't care less for what excuse Kim had.

"Never mind," Kim muttered, getting all red in the face. She felt like she did on her first day up in Intellgence, when patrol had gotten her transfer order messed up and she wasn't actually late but ended up being late.

"So as I was saying," Fogel continued shooting Kim once last glare before continuing to address the team, "we will allow your team a maximum of five days to solve this case before we reissue it to aggravated assault. You're all already too close and personal to this case, so know that we're watching your every move. In light of this, Detective Upton will be taking lead on this case. Detective Halstead, you're already too close to this and one foot placed wrong and you'll be benched. Is that understood?"

Jay nodded in annoyance, but he knew not to say anything to make things worse.

"Yes, sir," he added through gritted teeth.

"Good, now that we're all on the same page, you can get back to work," Skinner spoke before he and Fogel headed out.

"Yeeesh," Adam spoke first, as soon as he heard the gate to intelligence clang indicating the two higher ups' exit. "That was intense."

"Tell me about it," Jay muttered clearly upset at something.

"He was out of order there Jay, no one here thinks that."

Kim frowned confused. Clearly she had missed a lot by not actually being late, but being late.

"Hey guys can someone fill me in? I'm a little confused here."

"Well that's what you get for being late," Vanessa teased lightly.

Kim scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at her sarcastically.

"Yeah Burgess, where were you?"

"I... um..." She suddenly felt really self-aware, and she noted both Jay and Hailey were looking at her waiting for her to respond. She didn't want to tell them where she was and then explain that she had unintentionally let their engagement slipped to Erin in front of the whole team. So she averted the conversation.

"I don't think so Atwater. You don't get to answer my question with a question."

Adam quickly spoke then, covering her back. He knew where Kim had gone this morning, she had told him before she had left. But he could tell she was acting strange, as though she was trying to hide something, so he quickly explained what had happened as a way to ensure the attention was diverted from Kim.

"Fogel was being a jackass. Implied Jay was being reckless and that was the reason why Voight's in a coma."

"But that's ridiculous!" Kim spoke.

"That's exactly what we think. Jay, no one here blames you. We would've all done the same thing in your position. Even in hindsight," Vanessa said reassuringly to Jay with a comforting smile.

"Yeah, brother. Voight's as tough as they come. He'll pull through. But that little boy wouldn't have and now he has a whole future ahead of him because of you," Atwater added.

The whole team nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys," Jay murmured.

"Anyways long story short, Jay's on a short leash, we'll all be watched closely, and Hailey's taking point on the investigation, which if you ask me is bullshit, cause Jay's been here longer and has been on the force longer than any of us but I guess they're trying to punish him or something because..." Adam trailed off, before quickly adding "No offence to you Hails."

Hailey lifted both her palms up in defence.

"None taken," she chirped. "But as your new boss Ruzek, I say you make us all some coffee" she joked " and then we all get to work. Voight's attacker is still out there and he isn't going to be found himself."

The team nodded. She was right. The first 48 hours after a crime was crucial in getting leads. After that, trails began to run cold.

Kim walked up to Jay's desk as he sat going through image after image of the crime scene that was the abandoned house where Voight was attacked. Burgess rapped at his desk with her fingernails to get his attention. Jay looked up at her slightly confused as to why she was here at his desk so soon after Hailey had told everyone to get to work.

"Hey, Jay can I talk to you real quick?" Kim asked.

"Yeah sure," Jay said shutting the manilla folder he was holding to give her his undivided attention.

She shook her head. Not here. She conveyed with her eyes before nodding her head to the breakroom. Lucky for her, the rest of the team were busy working and Hailey was at the board mapping out an extended timeline to include the events of yesterday by the steps. None of them had noticed her exchange with Jay. Except a curious Adam who kept on glancing at the two of them every few seconds. Though he wasn't sure why, Jay understood Kim wanted to speak to him privately, so he followed her.

Once they were alone, Kim shut the door behind her.

Jay chuckled confused. He was almost nervous by her discreet behaviour. Their unit was tight-knit. Why would Kim need to speak to him alone without the others hearing?

"You okay Burgess?" he questioned with an odd smirk plastered on his lips at her strange behaviour.

Kim noted the change in his demeanour from yesterday. He seemed to be in a much better place than he was yesterday. Was it because he had spoken to Erin? Jay had never had such a quick turn around in the past five years from his guilt. Kim condemn herself internally. That wasn't for her to assume, it was none of her business.

"I went to see Erin this morning," she began.

Jay looked taken aback. It was almost like Kim saying it out loud made it more real. Erin was really here, in Chicago.

"She called you?" Jay asked. He was glad Erin was opening up to him and some other members of the team. She had a habit of bearing all her burdens by herself in the past, so he was glad she was reaching out and leaning on those that would love to be there for her.

Kim shook her head.

"No, Hailey told me last night."

Now Jay was confused.

Last night? How did Hailey know last night? He had only just told her about Erin's return this morning.

Jay began running through his talk with Hailey last night for any clue of her knowledge. She was upset with him, granted, but she displayed behaviour no different to when she was generally upset with him. But then he remembered his assessment of her right before she went to bed. Like she was holding back and biting her tongue. Could she really of known this whole time? And if so, who told her and why didn't she say something earlier?

Jay suddenly felt very guilty, as though he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And he wasn't even sure why. He hadn't done anything. Nothing had happened between him and Erin. So why was he feeling this way?

"How did Hailey know?"

"She's not meant to know?" Kim gasped shocked. Had she said something that she wasn't meant to again?

"No, not quite. I told her, but only this morning. You said she called you last night?"

Kim relaxed. Jay knew that Hailey knew. She hadn't inadvertently caused trouble between them. But she wasn't aware, like Jay was, that Hailey had feigned ignorance of Erin's return. She wasn't aware of the uneasiness Jay began to feel because of it.

"Yeah she did. But that's not important right now Jay. I accidentally let slip to Erin that you were engaged to Hailey."

Jay wasn't shocked, he was just numb. This was all too much. He could begin himself getting lightheaded so he flopped down on 5o the couch and began rubbing his temples.

Erin knew. Erin knew! And she didn't hear it from him!

He had so many questions then.

How did she take the news. Was she feeling betrayed about hearing the news second hand? Did she even care or had she moved on past the point of being remotely bothered by the news. Is that why she refused to be driven to Med by him today? Why was he so upset that she knew? Why did he even care?

Questions. So many questions. He wanted to ask them all to Kim, at least them all except the last two, but he knew he couldn't without betraying his conflicted thoughts.

Kim noticed Jay's sudden shift in mood.

"Jay, are you okay?"

Jay opened his eyes and looked up at her standing over him with concern. Burgess had just asked him the million dollar question.

Was he okay?

Truth of the matter was. He didn't think he was. This was all too much. He thought back to Erin's face last night. Her hollow cheeks and lonely eyes. She was so alone in this world. The thought itself brought tears to Jay's eyes. He didn't want her to think by moving on and finding happiness without her that Jay had abandoned her too, like everyone she had ever known. Or that Jay was better off without her in his life. It simply wasn't true. You could remain friends with your exes. Jay had seen it first hand. Between Hailey and Ruzek, between Kim and Roman, between Antonio and Brett. Now that Erin Lindsay was back in his life, he didn't ever want her to leave. He wanted to remain a part of her life in some way, shape or form. He cared too deeply for her to go another five years without so much as a word uttered between them. The idea alone broke him.

He mentally swore to himself, no matter what happened next, he wouldn't let that happen. There were very few people in Erin's life she could truly count on, and he was determined on being one of them.

And then there was the issue of Hailey. Had Jay done what he swore to himself he would never do? Had him trying to protect her and her feelings hurt her instead? He knew Hailey could of flipped out at him when she had the chance to confront him about lying to her. Or at least lying by omission. But she put her own feelings aside to be there and give Jay what he needed. The thought made him feel immensely guilty. He knew he would have to make it up to her somehow.

"Halstead?" Kim questioned again, since Jay didn't answer and went off into a daze instead.

"Yeah, no, I'm alright Kim. Don't worry about me, thanks for the heads up."

Kim nodded.

"I really am sorry you know. It was an accident, I just assumed you would have told her when you spoke to her last night. Or that Voight would've passed on the news. Or maybe I wasn't thinking, I don't know Jay, it just slipped out in all the excitement of seeing her. It felt like she was just here yesterday, like no time had passed... and it just sort of came out."

Jay knew what she meant. During their rooftop talk at Med, Jay felt the same way. Comfortable. Familiar. Like muscle memory, he thought.

"You're alright Kim. You didn't mean to.." he began but the door to the breakroom swung open and Hailey stood in the doorway.

"Hey you too, I hate to be the demanding boss but are you going to get your butts out their and do some work or am I going to have to discipline you both?" she said with an easy smirk.

Kim laughed.

"Noted boss," she said before heading out to her desk.

"Hey Hails," Jay began. He needed to apologise.

Hailey must have caught on to his tone because she shook her head stopping him.

"Whatever it is Jay, it can wait till we get home. We've got a few leads we got to chase up and the longer we wait the harder it will be to find out who did this and why."

She was right. They had to be professional at work. This could wait till later. They needed justice to be served. They owed this much to Hank. And to Erin. A voice in the back of his head said.

"Alright, but we'll talk later?" Jay quizzed.

Hailey nodded.

"We will, I promise."

So with that, Jay got back to work, knowing for now, it was best if they all focused on catching the perp who had started this whole mess.