Author's note: I just want to thank everyone who has read this book and left feedback, reviews and constructive criticism. I really appreciate it more than I could ever express. And thank you to all of you in my PM's who I've spoken to over the past day or two who have allowed me to rattle off on spoilers and future plots to get a feeler of your ideas and to get inspiration. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this one- Happy reading!

Jay was in the breakroom, stirring sugar into his umpteenth cup of coffee of the day, when the door shut behind him. He turned to see Mouse standing there with a wide grin on his face. Jay was glad, so glad to see his friend here safe. After being informed that Mouse had injured himself in Afghanistan, Jay felt sick. His friend had reenlisted and this time around, he wasn't there to watch his back. This time around Mouse was out there in the desert alone. Of course, these were all things that he had known when Mouse had first left. It was the reason that he was so reluctant to let his friend go in the first place. However, seeing Mouse walk with a slight limp just made it more of a reality. In the five years that went by since he had physically seen his friend, Mouse could have been killed at any time. Jay felt guilty for the lack of effort he had put in staying in touch with his best friend. Of course, they spoke occasionally on the phone and emailed often enough, but Jay would have never forgiven himself if Mouse had been seriously injured, or worse, killed, and weeks had gone by since they last spoke. Thinking like this made him think of Erin too.

At first, there were the few calls he had made in an attempt to reach her in the first months after she had left. But after she failed to return them, he ceased all attempts to stay in contact. She was working in the counter terrorism task force of the FBI. One of the most dangerous units out there, and just like Mouse, she was going into the action without him. She too could have died during any given case out on the field, and he had let five years go by without speaking to her or reaching out. In fact, she had almost died, and Jay's stubbornness and anger meant that he was none the wiser to this fact until a mere few days ago. The realisation that he could have lost her forever and not have known, or the fact that the last real heart to heart they could've ever had was her telling him she wanted to be there for him and him walking out on her, or her admitting to him that she was drowning in the guilt of killing a teen… well the thought enough was to make Jay want to shut down completely. The pain alone, unbearable.

"So…" Mouse began.

Jay raised his eyebrow at his friend in anticipation of whatever he had to say.

"She's cute. Even cuter in person. Not bad Halstead, not bad at all."

Jay chuckled. Whilst he had sent a photo of him and Hailey on the night he got engaged to Mouse during one of their email exchanges, this was actually the first time the two had met face to face.

"Well I'm glad she has your approval," amusement and sarcasm lacing your voice.

Mouse simply nodded with a grin. But Jay saw beneath the grin. He knew his friend well enough to know that he was biting his inner lip, holding himself back from whatever it was he wanted to say.

Jay narrowed his eyes slightly, bracing himself for Mouse's words.

"Come on. What is it?"

Mouse hesitated before finally speaking.

"I mean… I just always assumed you and Lindsay would find your way back to each other. I know you rang me when she left, but I assumed it was just temporary. It's not like Erin to turn her back on the people she loves. She cares too much, we both know that. So I guess being here and seeing it for real is just a bit of a shock to the system is all," he sighed, running his hand over his face. "What actually happened Jay?"

Jay felt his chest tighten at the painful memories Mouse's words were bringing up for him. If this were six years ago, he would have totally understood where Mouse was coming from. But it had been five years since he had broken up with Erin. Five whole years. Heck, he had known Erin for a shorter time than that. He wasn't sure why Mouse was bringing up a chapter of his life that was now finished. He would forever be grateful for having Erin back in his life. His time back with her had truly made him realise just how empty his life was without her. But he had moved on romantically now. He was engaged to someone else. Could Mouse not see that. He and Erin had both hurt each other beyond repair. They had tried not once, but twice to make things work and it hadn't. There would always be love in his heart for her, and she would always be a dear friend, but he had come to accept that things just weren't meant to be between them.

"I hurt her Mouse. And she left, there's not much more to say than that. I've moved on and Hailey is great. Maybe if she had stayed, we could have actually worked things out and maybe things would have been different. But she didn't and it's not. So can we not go there and just focus on the present?"

Mouse shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. I guess when you told me you weren't ever letting her go, no matter what she did to push you away or how hard she tried.. I just assumed that meant you guys would always be solid. My bad, I won't bring it up again."

As soon as he heard those words, Jay could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a second. It felt like someone had stuck a dagger in his stomach and was currently twisting, the detective feeling a lump form in his throat. He swallowed painfully.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. It had been after Erin had risked her life to save him from being held hostage by Derek Keyes. I'm just glad it was you that they sent in, he had said. And he had been. For there had been no one in the world that he would've trusted more with his life than her. And also for the joy he felt that his partner and the girl that he had fallen head over heels in love with had returned back to him. For him. Despite all the pain and the grief that she had endured after Nadia's death, ultimately, she had pulled herself out so that she could protect him. It made him realise that the words he had said to her after she had temporarily left the unit were untrue, or at least to some extent. He did know who she was. She was Erin. His Erin. And she had proved that she would always have his back. That she would risk it all to ensure he lived. It was at that moment he had decided that he didn't care how much she tried to ever push him away, or how much of a front she would put up. Because deep down, the girl he had grown to love would always be there underneath the facade. So he would fight to hell and back to recover that girl, and he would chase her down to the ends of the earth if it meant getting her back. Because she had done the same for him even in spite for her state of spiralling.

He had told Mouse exactly that when his friend had come to visit him in hospital during his recovery. That he would be there for her through the highs and lows, and that he would never let her go. Even if she tried to be rid of him, he would fight for her, just as she did him.

Jay cleared his throat in an attempt to clear the lump that had formed. But he failed.

"Things changed. Things got really bad and I guess I was naive to think that nothing would push us apart," his voice was hoarse. "In the end, the pain eclipsed the happiness. It just was better this way for both of us. Believe me. It turned out for the best. I'm happy now, and she seems to have moved on well too."

The last part was only a partial truth. When Erin had first arrived in Chicago, she had looked so defeated. But now in the almost week since her return, she looked healthier and happier. She didn't seem troubled by Hailey's presence either, telling Jay that his engagement to his partner didn't bother her and confirming to him that she had moved on. Besides, she had Nathan right?

Mouse looked at his friend skeptically, but finally conceded.

"Alright man, if you say so."

"I do," Jay nodded.

"Well then, let's not make this into a bigger thing than it needs to be, we got work to do!"

It was nearing lunch time when Antonio had excused himself for a short break. Gabby had called him to let him know that Matt was on shift and she was dying to see him. Though he and Gabby were not on the best of terms for not being able to see eye to eye on her situation with Matt, the former detective wished to see little Lizzie. The girl had grown since he had last seen her when Matt had come to Puerto Rico to collect her. Though he still facetimed his niece from time to time, he regrettably had not seen her face to face in some years now due to his argument with her father. Erin had asked Antonio what fight could be worth missing spending time with his family, but Antonio had shot down the conversation not wanting to bring up painful memories. He had simply said that was all she needed to know and the rest wasn't worth him wasting his breath on or repeating. Erin tried her best to be supportive for her brother, dropping the conversation immediately and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder to indicate she supported him and he smiled at her in appreciation and left.

The team had been working hard to find possible hideout places for Tommy Barratt, and Mouse was currently running the sketch of Hank's attacker through facial recognition. The man had not failed to grumble about how the Intelligence had failed to keep up with software updates that he had instructed them to keep up with when he had left the unit to reenlist.

"It's like being back in the stone ages," he had grumbled, shaking his head as he complained as to how slow everything was working. "It's a miracle you lasted even this long without someone dedicated to being your tech support!"

Though Erin had not stayed in Intelligence too long after Mouse had left, she had to admit she too was surprised that Hank never made the move to replace him. In the short while she was a part of the team after Mouse left, she had noticed the void left in his absence. It had been part of the reason why she had found it easier to leave Intelligence altogether. With the absence of Antonio and Mouse and then eventually Kim, the team started to feel less and less like a family. It felt like pieces were being ripped apart, left, right and center, and things were only made worse once she and Jay had broken up. She felt like she no longer belonged, or at the very least that the dynamics of the team had shifted to become more foreign. This feeling was further ignited when she turned up at Jay's birthday celebrations at Molly's, seeing him so at ease with Kevin and Adam, laughing away as if she was the only one that had felt like her whole world was crumbling down since their breakup. She had felt like an intruder approaching them, and with all the other problems in her life, with IA coming for her badge, it only strengthened the feeling that Intelligence was no longer home. That hadn't meant leaving was easy. No. In fact, leaving behind the team and leaving Chicago, despite the circumstances, was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do in her hardship filled life. But walking away was made slightly easier by the fact that she knew it in her heart of hearts that it was probably best for her, and more importantly for everyone around her that she loved and cared for, if she moved on.

But being back now, surrounded by her former team, they felt whole again. Despite not having Hank and Al present, two very important figures on the team, something about the way this whole unit was coming together for one another in their time of need… well it brought a smile to her lips.

"We got a hit!" Atwater's voice pulled Erin back from her thoughts to the present.

"Barratt?" Hailey questioned, a light frown of confusion present on the lines of her forehead.

Kevin shook his head in the negative.

"Russo," he replied.

"We already know of Russo's whereabouts Kev," Kim replied. "We've planned a stakeout already. Elisha's friend mentioned he's meeting up with Charlie Granger at Janik's in just over an hour. Weren't you listening?"

Kevin screwed his eyes slightly at her insinuation.

"Burgess, you know me better than that. Of course I was listening. But Russo knows there's eyes and ears on him- he's already paranoid. And what do paranoid criminals do?"

"They act rashly," Kim murmured to herself, the words allowing recognition to dawn on her features.

"He's taking a detour!" Adam exclaimed, the epiphany hitting him.

Erin shook her head slightly, trying to process what was being said.

"This meeting with Charlie determines whether he goes behind bars or whether he stays a free man. There's no way he's risking that meeting by going somewhere else just before his meeting. Kev, where was his LKA?"

"Traffic cam picked him up last on North Western Avenue."

"He's headed to Wicker Park. Dammit, he's moved the time of the meeting," Jay spoke.

"Well he knows he's being watched, he's deflecting and trying to cover his bases."

"Right everyone, vest up. Let's move. If we can apprehend both Granger and Russo, we're one step closer to Barratt. This is the best shot we got to solving this case, all hands on deck, let's not screw this up," Hailey said to the team. She then turned to face Erin. "If you don't mind Erin, could you tag along for this one? We could do with the extr-"

Before Hailey could finish her sentence, or before Erin could even reply, Jay's voice cut her off.

"Absolutely not. Erin, you'll stay here with Mouse. The two of you can keep in contact with us over the comms," his voice was as hard as steel, his eyes mirroring his tone. The determination in it telling Erin and the others that his word were final and no one would fight him on this.

Erin frowned, taken aback by Jay's instruction. Last she had heard, he wasn't in charge of running this operation, Hailey was. To question Hailey like that in front of her and the rest of the team, well that was out of character. Erin shot a quick sideways glance to Mouse, who pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders at her. He was surprised by Jay's behaviour too.

"Jay.." Erin began apprehensively.

He shook his head at her stubbornly.

"No, nuh uh."

Hailey looked furious. Her nostrils flared slightly at Jay's undermining of her authority. It was one thing to disagree with her, it was another to flat out overrule what she was saying. This time, without letting her finish or even letting Erin have a say in the matter.

"What the hell are you doing Jay?" Hailey questioned in annoyance.

An awkward silence filled the room, as the other two partners and couples looked at one another uncomfortably.

"Right er well… we're just going to go down and suit up," Adam said, scratching his nape awkwardly and shooting the others a knowing look. They were quick to understand.

Hailey, Erin and Jay did not bat an eyelid at Adam's comments. The three of them busily occupied in a tense stare down.

"Come on guys," Kim said. "Let's not waste time here," and with that, Adam, Vanessa and Kevin followed her out of the bullpen, the four of them heading downstairs to prepare.

"Me?" Jay replied incredulously. "You mean what the hell are you doing. Erin's here on a voluntary basis. She has no weapon on her at the moment and she has no vest. If anything happens to her, there's a liability waiting for this whole unit and the department aren't going to be impressed. The deal was we had her work here as an extra think tank. We didn't say we would take her out into the field with us."

"You wanted her here Jay. I'm including her. Did we not take her to see Elisha at Russo's bar? And now you won't even let me finish with what I have to say before shutting me down."

"We took her to see a female CI who worked at a bar in broad daylight who she knew. Even then, she was a contingency to only be used if things didn't work. We're going to apprehend two ruthless known criminals, most likely armed. This time around, it's different."

Hailey huffed in annoyance about to speak.

Mouse spoke before she could, arm raised as though to request attention and permission to speak.

"Erin can stay here with me. Honestly it's fine. With how slow the computer's are running, I can have her run secondary searches at the same time as me."

"Erin is right here and can speak for herself!" Erin finally spoke, annoyance tinging her voice as to how the three people in the room were speaking of her as though she wasn't present.

"Jay, I get what you're saying. I know me being here could get Hailey in trouble but how about you actually let Hailey finish and let us know what she had in mind before you shoot her down. I've worked as a cop long enough and I know how to take care of myself, so that at the very least won't be a problem."

Jay opened his mouth to speak but she raised her hand stopping him.

"You were saying, Hailey?" she turned to the blonde detective.

Hailey shot her a quick look of appreciation before she continued.

"She'll ride with you Jay as an extra pair of eyes. That's all. I don't want her leaving the car. I just need someone to keep eyes from the outside in the case that things go south and I have to join you all in there."

Jay seemed to ease up slightly at Hailey's proposal.

"She doesn't leave the car," he reiterated.

Hailey nodded. "We can even put her on the roof, have her overlook. Mouse can get Antonio on the phone to come join us there and…"

Jay shook his head. "The car's fine. That way I can… we can," he quickly corrected, "...keep an eye on her. I don't want her at one of our blindspots all alone without back up."

"Of course," Hailey replied, she turned to Erin. "You stay in the GMC."

"Got it," Erin nodded.

"We mean it Er. No coming out under any circumstances. I'll stay inside with you but in the case I have to get out there and things get messy, you stay a ghost. You're a civilian on this one."

"I get it Jay."

"No. Promise me."

Erin sighed.

"I promise."

She got that Jay was understandably concerned, and her heart soared with the knowledge that he still cared for her wellbeing and looked out for her. Erin would be going in unarmed and unprotected, so of course she understood the potential repercussions, she knew that. And apparently, so did he. And that knowledge alone was enough to shut down the idea of her joining the rest of the team. She got it. But she was also smart- she knew what not to do to put herself in danger.

"Right, let's not waste any more time here. We gotta roll. Mouse, we need Russo's latest co-or-"

"Already done," Mouse replied. At the same time, three phones buzzed with a location alert. "He's parked up at a Wal-Mart lot."

"Thanks man," Jay shot him a thankful look. "Could you also get a hold of Tony? Tell him to meet us there. But the same rules as Erin, he stays unseen."

"On it," Mouse replied before he began typing away on his phone."

Hailey had planned for the team to split into two. She, Jay and Erin were to head to Janik's cafe and wait for Granger or Russo to arrive. The rest of the team would head to the Walmart lot and tail Russo from there, just in case he decided to drive off and changed his meet location to somewhere else too. Antonio would meet up with the three detectives outside of Janik's once Mouse could get a hold of him and Mouse would be running base and keeping an eye on the street pods and traffic cams from the 21st. After running through the plan twice for good measure, the team all headed off their separate ways.