Part II

"Halstead, I know you're in there! Your car is fucking parked outside!" Jay tried to ignore the annoying knocks and the even more annoying voice of Adam right outside his door. But Adam wasn't giving up and Jay knew it was only a matter of time before his neighbors would start to yell or even worse, call the cops. Imagine how embarrassing that would be. Cops called on cops at a cop's apartment. Groaning and cursing Adam and his tenacious nature, Jay slammed his laptop cover down and went to open the door.

"What the fuck do you want Ruzek?" Jay barely got the door open before Adam was barging in, Kevin in tow.

"So you are still alive?" Adam quipped, patting Jay up and down like he was checking to see if Jay was really standing there. Jay shook off Adam's hand, giving him a 'what the fuck' look. "We've been calling you and texting you and since we didn't get a reply back, the only conclusion we came to was that somehow you've been murdered."

"We rarely get two days off in a row and you two can't live without seeing my face that long?"

Adam and Kevin exchanged a look with each other before turning back to Jay. "Yes." They laughed at their own joke, Kevin pulling Jay into a headlock.

"So what have you been doing?" Kevin asked, looking around the small apartment like he was expecting someone else there. Like Jay was hiding someone from them.

"Nothing really," Jay shrugged, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, nothing including a shower or two also. Seriously Halstead, have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Or smell yourself lately?" Adam asked, closing his nose. Jay shot him a glare but really couldn't defend himself. So he hadn't bothered shaving or taking a shower for a couple of days. It wasn't as though he was going to see anyone. Certainly not a certain movie star that was currently pissed at him and had been ignoring his calls and messages.

"So I skipped a shower...or two," Jay shrugged again. "Not like I'm going anywhere."

"Well you are!" Kevin interjected. "We're going to see the new John Wick and you're coming with us." Jay moaned, not really feeling like going out. "Come on man! Everyone's going. And Adam will even pay for your ticket."

Adam opened his mouth to refuse but Kevin shot him a look and Adam sighed. "Yeah sure. I'll pay for your ticket." Then an evil grin came on his face. "And Kevin will pay for all of your drinks for the night. Popcorn too." Kevin started to protest but Adam shot him a look right back.

"Fine," Kevin grumbled and Adam tried not to look so smug, knowing how stingy Kevin really was. "Whatever you want, Halstead."

"I don't know," Jay whined but Kevin and Adam were pushing him toward his room.

"Just go take a shower! You really want to miss the once in a lifetime opportunity where Atwater pays for something? Go!" Adam pushed him in the room and Jay sighed, giving in. He knew they wouldn't leave him alone unless he went with them. And maybe seeing John Wick kill people in violent and creative ways would make him feel better.

Jay had to admit that the shower had him feeling better than the funk he was in before. He was in the midst of drying his hair with a towel and walking back into his living room when the sight in front of him killed all the good mood he managed to build up during his ten minute shower. He ran as fast as he could to lessen the damage but it was already done. He slammed the laptop cover shut as fast as he could but the smirks on his friends' faces told him that they had already seen what he was doing on his laptop before he opened the door.

"Were….you were watching One Tree Hill?" Adam asked with a smirk that said they caught Jay.

"I didn't take you to be a fan of a teenage soap opera," Kevin added, enjoying ribbing on Jay. "Who knew?"

Jay tried to stare them down, hoping that he could intimidate them into shutting up and forgetting the fact that they had just caught him streaming old seasons on One Tree Hill on his laptop but he knew there was no way in hell that they were going to let this go. Not after Jay had tried to act like he was above watching such a soapy show and after he denied many times that he had no feelings for Erin.

"It's okay Halstead. It's a good show."

"A great show!" Kevin added.

"Until season 5."

"Oh come on! Season 5 and beyond is so underrated!" Kevin argued, the two starting to get into a heated debate about the show. Jay shut his eyes, staying out of the battle.

"Brooke was the main star! Like she should've been from season 1!"

"Well excuse me for liking the simplicity of their high school days!" Adam shouted back, obviously having a strong opinion. Jay had no clue of half of the things they were shouting about. So he had been binge watching the show on his days off but even with two days in, he had barely started season 3. And that was with skipping all the scenes without Erin.

"Ugh, you would like Lucas," Kevin said in disgust, shaking his head.

"He's blonde, good looking and has girls fighting over him. I can relate." Jay rolled his eyes at Adam.

"Shut up!" Jay and Kevin said at the same time.

"Anyway, enough of Ruzek and his useless opinions. Why were you watching One Tree Hill?" Kevin asked, directing the attention back onto Jay. Jay grimaced, hoping that they would forget about him in the mess but apparently not.

"I just wanted to see what the hype is about, no big deal," Jay shrugged, hoping that they would let it go if he didn't make it seem like it was a big deal. But he wasn't so lucky.

"Please," Adam retorted, his eyes scrutinizing Jay. "You hate watching these types of shows."

"Yeah, Mr. I-only-watch-documentaries. Now suddenly you're watching teen dramas?" Kevin added before a shit eating grin came on both of their faces. "Isn't that a little strange to you Ruzek?"

Adam who caught on quickly grinned. "Why, yes it is, Atwater. How strange."

"Could this new found interest in this delightful show have anything to do with the fact that a certain star, what's her name?" Kevin asked, pretending.

"Erin Lindsay," Adam supplied.

Kevin snapped his finger. "Yes, Erin Lindsay. Erin Lindsay who just happened to be the star of both the show and the movie that you're working on. She wouldn't have anything to do with you binging on the show. Would it, Halstead?"

"I hate both of you," Jay grumbled, turning around to ignore his friends. Adam stopped Jay in his track and looped his arm around Jay's neck, turning him back around. "Stop!"

"It's okay Halstead. Nothing to be embarrassed of. It's a good show and the girls in them are hot."

"Although I think Halstead might only be interested in one of them." Kevin grinned.

"So she got you watching her show already huh?" Adam asked as he sat Jay down on the couch.

"That was fast," Kevin commented, joining them. "You're whipped."

"I am not whipped!" Jay denied, indignant. Jay Halstead didn't get whipped. Besides, it wasn't as though he and Erin were even dating anyway and didn't they have to be together for him to be categorized as whipped?

"Sure sure, still in denial. I see." Adam laughed. "So when did you guys start dating?"

"We're not," Jay replied, his eyes showing his friends that he was telling the truth.

"Really? I thought you guys would've gotten together already by now." Both Adam and Kevin sounded confused. "How much longer are you going to wait? You know, it's not everyday that a guy gets a chance to date a movie star. Especially a hot and nice one like Erin."

"It's not gonna happen between us," was Jay's vague reply; although, his friends could see on his face that Jay clearly had feelings for her. "Forget about it."

"What happened man?" Kevin asked, tone changing into a serious one when he saw the sad expression on Jay's face. "She didn't feel the same about you?"

Jay tried not to feel insulted that Kevin's first assumption was that he was the one that got rejected. "No, it's not that." Jay sighed, debating on how much he wanted to tell his friends. "It's complicated."

"What's complicated about it? You like her right?" Jay nodded, unable to deny the truth. "Does she like you?" Jay nodded again, recalling Erin telling him that she liked him. "So what's the problem here?"

"It's not as simple as that. We...we're too different." They waited for further explanation from Jay. "I mean, I'm just a detective. She's a freaking famous movie star. Her life is so different from mine and what she's used to in her life is more than what I can give her."

"She told you this?" Jay shook his head. "So you're just guessing?"

"I'm just facing reality Ruzek!" Jay stated. "She's used to fancy things and movie stars. And I can't live up to those things. I'm just….I'm just me. She deserves better."

Adam and Kevin exchanged looks while Jay had his head down. They had never seen their friend like this before so they knew that his feelings for Erin ran deeper than just a crush or an infatuation with someone famous. Jay actually liked this girl. A lot, judging by the hours that he put into watching her show. Something that was so unlike Jay.

"Jay, man. If she likes you then why don't you give it a chance?" Kevin asked, resting a hand on Jay's back as a gesture of comfort. "I mean, what do you have to lose?"

"It's not what I have to lose that I'm worried about," Jay admitted. "It's what she has to lose. If someone catches us together and finds out that she's dating some nobody, this could ruin her reputation and I don't want to be the one to do that." Kevin looked at Adam, gesturing with his eyes that it was now Adam's turn to say something. Adam opened his mouth then closed it, undecided on what to say to make Jay feel better.

"Uh..what does Erin think about this whole thing?" Adam decided on asking.

"She's pissed at me," Jay replied, a humorless chuckle escaping at the memory of Erin telling him off before storming out of his car. "She hates that people think they know what's good for her."

"She has a point. Halstead, she seems perfectly capable of making her own decisions and deciding what's worth the risk to her. So why are you acting like everyone else in her life?" Jay brought his head up at Adam's statement, his eyes narrowing in thought. "The question here is do you trust her?"

"Yeah," Jay replied immediately.

"Then why don't you trust her to make her own decision and trust that she knows what's good for her. What she can handle?" Jay was speechless at that, Adam's words really hitting home. Adam was right. Jay didn't want to be another person in her life that thought they knew better for her. "The way I see it, she's nuts for liking you when you're so unlikable so if I were you, I wouldn't waste this once in a lifetime miracle." Adam joked but Jay was too consumed in his thoughts to really pay attention to the shots Adam was taking at him.

"You're miserable and she's probably miserable too so why don't you get your head out of your ass and go find her so you both can stop being miserable?" Kevin joined in, pushing Jay. Jay nodded, seeing things in a new light. Who knew that his two idiotic friends would be helpful?

"Thanks man," Jay said, patting both of their backs. "Who knew you two were so insightful?" He stood up and got his jacket, putting it on.

"That's what we get for helping you? Insults?" Jay was no longer paying attention to what Adam was saying, he just wanted to go find Erin and apologize and hope that it wasn't too late for him to fix things with her.

"Lock up when you're done!" Jay said before running out the door in search of Erin.

Jay got to the shooting location in record time, even without turning on the sirens in his car. He was just happy that his pass was left in the jacket he put on so he didn't have to go back to his apartment or had too much trouble navigating through the chaotic set. He barely glanced over at Landon shooting his scene even when the idiot fell over, trying to get out of his squad car. Jay made his way over to Erin's trailer, knowing that it was the only other place she could be if she wasn't on set, shooting.

"Jay!" He wanted to ignore Nadia calling him over but he couldn't be rude to the girl. She was the only other person in Erin's entourage who had been nice to him.

He turned and gave her a small smile. "Hey Nadia. What's up?" He waited as she ran up to him, carrying a drink tray with one cup.

"Halstead, just who I was looking for," Nadia said jovially, handing him the last drink. "Here you go, the guy at the smoothie place accidentally made extra of Erin's order so he gave it to me for free and I hate anything chocolate flavored so you can have it. Build up your muscles more," she added, eyeing his hard chest.

"Thanks?" Jay hesitantly took the drink from Nadia before turning around to resume his search for Erin. He took a sip and immediately stopped when he tasted what was inside. "Nadia!" He called the girl who was already walking away.

"Yeah?"

"You said this was Erin's order?" Nadia nodded. "There's peanut butter in here!"

"What? No, it couldn't be. I made sure!" Nadia denied but Jay could barely pay attention.

"You gave this to Erin already?" He was shouting now, stopping himself from reaching out and shaking Nadia for an answer. Nadia looked just as scared as he did and she nodded, confirming his fears. He barely had a second to think before he ran off to Erin's trailer, hoping that he wasn't too late.

He ran as fast as his legs took him, crew members shouting at him when he nearly toppled them over in his haste. But he didn't care about that. The only thing on his mind was to stop Erin from drinking that smoothie when she was allergic to nuts. If she had taken a sip already, then she was in trouble. He needed to stop her before she did. If he was too late, he'd never forgive himself.

He saw her trailer a few feet away and he sped up as much as he could. When he finally reached the trailer, he climbed the few steps and swung the door open, the door hitting loudly against the trailer. His eyes frantically searched, praying that she was here and he wasn't too late. But he was.

He noticed the smoothie cup on her counter before he noticed the clamorings in the small living room in the trailer, Annie and Bunny surrounding a gasping and breathless Erin. He ran over to her, nearly pushing Annie out of the way.

"Erin!" he knelt down to be at her level and his hands were shaking with worry when he reached out for her. She couldn't say anything but her eyes were filled with fear when they met his. She was gasping for breath, wheezing and it was the most terrifying sound he had ever heard.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Bunny was screeching somewhere above him, adding more stress to the already scary situation. "What the fuck?!"

"Do you have an epi-pen?" Jay asked Annie and Bunny, taking charge of the situation. The other two were too frantic and shaky to do anything but freak out, making the situation worse for Erin. "Annie! Epi pen?!" Jay shouted, getting the woman's attention. Annie finally snapped out of her daze and nodded, standing up to go look for the epi-pen that would save Erin's life. Jay kept his focus on Erin, trying to keep her calm.

"J..Jay!" Erin choked out, barely able to get his name out as her face turned red. Jay held her hands, letting her clutch his hands.

"It's going to be okay Erin. Just hold on," he tried to keep calm and reassure her. He turned to where Annie was rummaging through the drawer. "Where's the damn epi pen?"

"It should be here!" Annie replied, still searching and tossing the drawer around. "It's not here!"

"What? It's always in that drawer!" Bunny shouted and she shoved Annie aside to search for it. But they couldn't find it. Jay cussed, knowing that Erin was running out of time. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to help her breathe. "It's not here!"

"I'm taking her to the emergency room!" Jay shouted. Every second counted now especially when Erin seemed to be going into anaphylactic shock.

"I'll call 9-1-1," Annie shouted, running over to her phone to dial.

"Wait, wait!" Bunny protested. "We can't! The press will be all over it if there's a commotion. Who knows what they'll write!"

Jay could throttle Bunny at her statement. She was worried more about the press than her daughter who was choking on the floor, barely able to breathe.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Jay yelled at her, his anger growing. "Erin could die and that's what you're fucking worried about?"

Bunny scoffed, looking affronted. Annie was torn on what to do but Jay had made up his mind. These people may not gave a damn about Erin but he did. She was his first and only priority and he didn't have a second to waste. He lifted her up in his arms, Erin still barely able to get a breath in, and he made his way out, rushing to his squad car.

"Wait! Where are you taking my daughter?" Bunny yelled but Jay ignored her. "Hey!"

"I'm taking her to the emergency room so she can live!" Jay screamed back, unable to contain his anger. He was worried and angry and that was a bad combination because he was practically shaking with rage and ready to explode at Erin's mom.

"I called 911!" Annie said, holding up her phone but Jay didn't stop, climbing down the steps of the trailer.

"By the time they get here and get through the barricade, it'll be too late. This is faster," was Jay's last explanation to them and he ran off, trying to get Erin to his car as fast as possible. Erin was nearly passed out in his arms and he felt his heart constrict when her eyes closed.

"Come on Erin! Stay with me!" he begged her. He didn't pay attention to the people that were watching him carry Erin. He just focused on getting to his car as fast as possible so he could get her medical help. When he finally reached his truck, he gingerly placed her in the passenger seat before running over to his seat and sped off.

Erin's head was lolling to the side now, her eyes closed and his heart nearly beat out of his chest when his hand reached over and he couldn't feel her pulse.

"Stay with me Erin!" he urged, unable to keep the fear and desperation out of his voice as he drove to Chicago Med as fast as he could, the sirens blasting to get them through traffic faster. "Don't do this to me Erin! Come on! Stay with me."

He nearly passed out himself when she started going into shock and his hand on the steering wheel turned white from how hard he was gripping it while his other hand remained on Erin, keeping his touch on her as if it was a reminder that he was there and he was getting her help. He cried out in relief when Chicago Med came into view and he stopped right in front of the Emergency department. He ran out of the car and lifted her out and carried her into the room, demanding help.

The doctor that was working the E.D immediately came over, a nurse pushing a gurney and they loaded Erin, the doctor listening to Jay telling him what happened as he took Erin's vitals. Jay got the words out as fast he could, telling them that Erin was having an allergic reaction but they didn't have the epi pen to administer to her and then Jay was pushed aside as Erin was taken into one of the empty rooms. Jay wanted to be next to her, unable to let Erin out of his sight until he knew she was okay but the nurse kept him outside.

"Just let us work on her. You can wait," the nurse directed him to the chair in the department but Jay stood in place, his eyes on the doctors and nurses working on Erin. He couldn't breathe himself as he watched the doctor inject a needle into Erin's arms, who was so out of it that she didn't even move. Jay was panting, his body working hard to breathe, as he continued to watch the nurse hooked Erin up to an I.V.

"Sir, you should have a seat," the nurse that stayed with him tried to get his attention away from Erin and get him to sit down but he wasn't budging. "Sir." The nurse sighed before she walked over and turned on the privacy screen to Erin's room, shutting Jay out. "This way."

Jay had no energy to protest or shove off the nurse's touch as she directed him to the chairs. His body was just exhausted like it was coming down from an adrenaline rush. He sat down in one of the chairs, his head bent over at his waist and he clasped his hands together, almost like he was praying that she would be okay. He knew that allergic reactions could be serious, especially if the person didn't get medical help right away. He just hoped that he wasn't too late in getting Erin help. He had his head down, still trying to gather himself, when he heard the door open and loud screeches coming from a woman he was coming to despise very much.

"Where's my daughter!" Bunny shouted as soon as she entered the emergency department, earning stares from other people. She saw Jay and made a beeline to him, anger clear on her face. "You! Where's Erin? Where did you take her?"

Jay clenched his jaw, slowly counting to three to tame his annoyance before he looked up at Bunny and a worried looking Annie behind her. "They're working on her," he said. "That's all I really know."

"You!" Bunny pointed her finger at Jay and poked his chest hard. "You can't just take her like that. I swear, if you ever do what you did earlier again, I will make sure you can never come near my daughter again."

Jay looked at Bunny in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? If I didn't do what I did, Erin would be dead right now."

"You don't know that!" Bunny shot back. Then her head turned to outside and she groaned out loud. Jay followed her eyesight and noticed a small group of men standing outside, cameras in their hands. Paparazzis. "Fucking great! How did they get here so fast?" Then she turned her anger to Jay. "See what you've done now? You just had to make a big show earlier, didn't you? This is exactly what I wanted to avoid."

"So you'd rather your daughter choke in the trailer?" Jay challenged, unable to really believe the fact that Bunny was more worried about the paparazzis than her own flesh and blood.

"You don't get it," Bunny said condescendingly.

"You're right about that. I don't. I don't understand how you can have anything other than Erin's well-being as your first priority. You're her mother. Not her damn manager."

"I don't need a lecture from you," Bunny sneered. Jay was about to retort back but he stopped himself. The last thing Erin needed was he and her mother to get into a fight in the E.D. And Erin came first for him.

"Alright, let's just all calm down," Annie interjected, playing the peacemaker. "The only important thing here is how Erin is doing. So no news yet Jay?" Jay shook his head, telling Annie what he knew so far about Erin, which wasn't much.

"We just got to wait and hope for the best," Jay said, shaking his head in worry.

"Well, I don't have time to wait. I got to go deal with them," Bunny gestured to the waiting cameras outside. "Got to go spin this before they start writing about Erin having a drug problem or something."

"You're not waiting for Erin?" Annie asked her.

"She'll be fine, it's just an allergic reaction. I have to go make sure that she has a career to get back to after she's done with this." At this point, Jay couldn't even be surprised anymore that Bunny saw Erin as nothing more than a cash register. Before she left, she set her eyes on Jay who was sitting back down, waiting for news about Erin. "What do you think you're doing?"

Jay looked at her confused. "What?"

"What do you think you're doing detective?"

"I'm waiting for news about Erin. I want to make sure she's okay."

"Oh no you're not!" Bunny spat. "You're not getting anywhere near my daughter again. You've already caused enough trouble for today, don't you think?"

"What?" Jay asked, his voice dangerously low as he stood, towering over Bunny. If she thought that she was getting him to leave, then she had another thing coming. "I'm not leaving her."

"That's not up to you, Jay," Bunny said his name like it was a curse. "You don't belong here and you don't have any business being here. Stay away from my daughter." Jay sat back down, refusing to leave. Bunny stared down at Jay and she scoffed. "I'll get security." She walked off.

"I'm sorry for her," Annie said, apologizing. "She's not the most….nurturing person." Jay scoffed at that massive understatement. "But she does love Erin. it's just….complicated when she's both the mom and the manager."

"There should be no competition for which role is more important." Jay crossed his arms when he told Annie that. "She was willing to risk Erin's life just so some stupid idiots with cameras wouldn't find out. That's fucking ridiculous."

Whatever Annie was about to say was cut short when Bunny came back with a security guard in tow. "I want this guy away from my daughter at all times. He has no authority or business being here and I want him to stay far away."

Jay stood up, ready to fight. He wasn't leaving until he knew Erin was alright. "I'm not leaving."

"Sir, you can't be here." Jay glared at the security guard, almost as if he was daring the guard to kick him out. "Come on, follow me." Jay made to argue, ready to stand off with anyone that was going to stop him from being there but a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to look at Annie.

"Please, Jay. It's already going to be enough of a chaos as it is. Do this for Erin." He sighed, giving in. He knew he couldn't make any more of a scene. He didn't want Erin to have to deal with more than she would already have to deal with. For that reason alone, he followed the security guard.

"Sorry about that, Jay," the guard said to him when they were away from the hallway they were at earlier.

"It's alright, Ernie," Jay replied. "I know you were just doing your job."

"You can stay here. I'll make sure they won't see you." He gave a small smile to Ernie as a thank you as the guard left, leaving Jay alone in the deserted hallway by himself. Perhaps this was better, Jay thought. It was quiet and it gave him time to decompress after everything that happened. He sat down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs and dropped his face in his hands, just trying to get his body to calm down and relax, knowing that he had a long wait ahead of him.

"Jay? What are you doing here? You alright? You hurt?" Jay's head snapped up at the bombardment of questions and saw his brother rushing over to him. Jay had no idea how long he had been waiting but apparently, he had lost track of time.

"I'm alright, Will." he said, trying to dodge Will patting him down in worry. "I'm fine!"

"What are you doing here?" his brother asked. Jay relayed to Will what happened and why he was there. "Ah, so that's why there are paparazzis outside the hospital. I was wondering why. It's not everyday you see them in Chicago," Will said, sounding almost excited. Jay rolled his eyes at his brother. Leave it to Will to be stuck on something that wasn't important. "So you know this Erin Lindsay? How did you become friends with a celebrity?"

"I told you that I had to work on that movie as my punishment. I met her there."

"Look at my big brother! Schmoozing with famous people," Will elbowed Jay, amused. But the glare from Jay had quickly killed Will's excitement. "So what are you doing waiting here when she's in the E.D?"

"Her mom kind of banned me from being there," Jay began explaining to Will the horror that was Bunny. Will just nodded along, listening before another amused smile made it on his face. "What? What's that stupid smile for?" Jay asked, annoyed.

Will shrugged. "It just sounds a lot like Romeo and Juliet , that's all. The whole forbidden love and secret relationships."

Jay rolled his eyes. "That's not….you're an idiot. And we're not in a secret relationship." Jay rubbed his face. "Listen, I need a favor."

"Anything."

"Can you find out anything about how Erin's doing? I obviously can't myself."

"You know I can't, Jay. It's against hospital policy." Jay closed his eyes, sighing. He knew he couldn't risk Will's job but he was just still worked up about finding out how Erin was doing. He had received no news and he had no way of contacting Annie to find out. He thought about going back to the emergency department to find out for himself or just get a glimpse of Erin but he stopped himself, not wanting to run into Bunny and creating more problems by getting into another confrontation with her. Will must've noticed the desperation on Jay's face. "Okay, let me see what I can do okay?"

Jay squeezed Will's shoulders. "Thanks man. You have no idea what it means to me." Will just nodded before he made his way over to the E.D.

Jay was bouncing on his feet when Will came back and he practically bowled the doctor over in haste to get information on Erin.

"Okay," Will held his hand up to stop Jay. "So I just happened to have information on a certain patient whose name I can't say for privacy reasons." Jay rolled his eyes but kept quiet, knowing Will was doing him a huge favor. "So this person is doing fine. Stable. But he or she might have to stay overnight just in case of a biphasic reaction."

"So she's fine?" Jay asked, needing to make 100% sure.

"Yeah, they're fine." Jay could kiss Will for what he had done for him but he settled for a hug, taking his brother off guard by the rare display of affection. "Oh by the way, there's a huge commotion in the emergency department."

"Why? What happened?"

"Apparently, there's some famous guy that's here. With flowers. And there's whole photo ops happening. You know what it's about?"

Jay narrowed his eyes, deep in thoughts, before realization came over him. "Kelly Severide." He guessed it had to be that actor. The one that was in the fake relationship with Erin. "He's ummm he's the one dating Erin."

"I thought you two had…" Will asked in confusion but Jay shook his head.

"We're not…" he paused, not knowing what to label him and Erin. "But yeah, that guy. The press thinks they're dating so he's probably here because Bunny called him."

"Okay, this whole thing is just a little too convoluted for me." Jay had to agree with Will there. This whole thing was getting too complicated. "So I'm gonna go. I have to get back to rounds." Jay nodded his thanks and Will was about to leave. "Oh one more thing. That patient may or may not be transferred to a private room in an hour or so. And it may or may not be on the 4th floor, room 402. But you didn't hear it from me," Will finished with a wink. Jay chuckled, grateful at Will for telling him where Erin would be taken to.

Jay decided to brave it and slowly crept over to the emergency department. He saw a group of cameramen still gathered outside, clamoring over the guy whose picture Jay had seen in the gossip magazine earlier. Kelly Severide was holding a bouquet of roses and he was talking with the paps. Bunny was standing next to him, probably adding onto the display of feigning concern for Erin.

About two hours later, Jay decided that it was long enough that Erin would be settled into her private room and she might be alone. He decided to take the risk because he had enough of waiting and he just wanted to see for himself that she was alright. So he made his way over to the room that Will had told him. He hid in the corner of the hallway when he saw Annie coming out of the room and left the other way. She met Bunny at the end of the other hallway and the two talked briefly before they both left. Jay sighed, knowing that Erin was now alone, giving him the perfect chance.

He made his way over to the room and knocked. "Come in?" he heard Erin's voice, soft and raspy, from the other side and he made his way in. "Jay?" she called his name when he stepped inside the hospital room, surprised that he was there.

"Hey," was all he could manage as he took in Erin on the hospital bed. She was in the hospital gown, face devoid of makeup and she looked so tiny in the bed that his heart hurt. She sounded exhausted but her face had a hint of color when he made his way in. But despite it all, she was still so beautiful to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as he stepped closer but stopped himself from getting too close. He opted to stand by her bedside, his fingers awkwardly tapping on the empty space on her bed. He wanted to reach out to her, pull her in his arms, but as difficult as it was, he held himself back. He didn't want to crowd her. Especially since the last time they talked, she was pissed at him. But he was just so relieved that she was okay.

"I needed to see you. Make sure you're okay." He studied her face. "You are okay, right?"

Erin nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, just embarrassed." He frowned. What did she have to be embarrassed about? "I kinda caused a scene I heard. All over a stupid allergy."

"Did your mom say that to you?" She just shrugged but he knew that those words came from Bunny. He felt his anger grow towards the woman. Her daughter was in the hospital bed and she scolded her for causing a scene. Truly mother of the year. "You did not cause a scene and it's not a stupid allergy." Erin just gave him a tight smile, not quite believing his words. "I'm serious, Erin. You...you almost died." He licked his lips, finding it hard to get the words out.

"Jay." Erin called his name but it barely registered. He was too deep in thought, caught up in replaying what happened earlier.

"You weren't breathing...the sounds of you choking….it was the worst thing I've ever heard," Jay stuttered out, his hands fisting the bed sheets. "I carried you to my car as fast as I could but it was like...I couldn't get there fast enough. And then you passed out...you wouldn't wake up and I swear to god...I almost…" he took in a deep breath before he brought his eyes up to meet hers. "That was the scariest moment of my life."

He was telling the honest truth. He had seen a lot of horrible shit in his life. He was a goddamn Ranger and did two tours overseas. Not to mention, he worked in the most elite unit in Chicago P.D. He had seen things that people should never see. And even with all that, he could honestly say nothing had scared him more than seeing Erin turning white and passing out in his arms.

"Jay," she whispered, softly stroking his hand. Comforting him.

"I mean it Erin. I had never been so scared in my life," he breathed out. "You scared the shit out of me."

She laughed softly at that and squeezed his hand until he met her eyes. "I'm okay, Jay."

He could only nod. He knew she was fine and that she would be okay but he just needed more time for his heart to fully comprehend that and get it fully in his head. He felt his body deflate and he sat down on the empty chair next to her bed. She still had her hand on his and he never wanted her to let go.

"So how long are you going to be stuck here?"

"A day. They just want to make sure I'm 100% before they let me go."

"I bet. They can't take the risk with Erin Lindsay," he joked and earned a glare for his effort.

"Please." Erin rolled her eyes. "I tried begging them to let me leave but they wouldn't."

"You hate hospitals that much?"

"Yeah. that plus Bunny's kind of on edge about the whole thing." Jay pursed his lips at that. "I heard that the lovely paparazzis is out there, just waiting. Probably waiting to write whatever they want about me. Erin Lindsay, drug overdose?" she mocked but Jay knew that she was worried. Especially the truth about her time in rehab coming out.

"It'll be okay. What matters is that you're fine." She just nodded but she still looked worried so Jay wanted to take her mind off of the subject. "Nice flowers," he said, eyeing the bouquet of roses on the table next to her.

Erin just scoffed. "Courtesy of Kelly." He had expected as much. "I don't even like roses. Bunny insisted that he come and show how much of a worried and caring boyfriend he was. It's stupid."

"He's probably worried," Jay reasoned, trying not to get jealous. After all, Erin had insisted that she and Kelly were nothing but a publicity relationship.

"Yeah so worried that he couldn't wait to leave as soon as he got his pictures taken. He and Bunny couldn't wait to leave."

"I'm sorry," he said, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Don't be," Erin said, chuckling. "That's how I preferred it anyways. I get to be left in peace."

"Oh, you wanted to be in peace? I should probably go then," he said, pretending to get up but Erin had quickly reached out and grabbed his sleeve, stopping him.

"Don't you dare," she said as she pulled him back down, suspiciously strong for someone who was in the hospital bed. Jay laughed when he was pulled toward her, their faces closer than before. His eyes trailed the features of her eyes, finding her completely breathtaking. He was just so glad that she was fine. "What?" Erin asked with a laugh when he just continued to look at her.

He shook his head slightly. "I'm just really relieved that you're okay. If something had happened to you or if I didn't get here in time…."

Her smile fell off at his words, Erin hearing how worried he sounded. She gingerly held his face and held his eyes. "I'm okay, Jay. I promise. Just nothing to worry about."

He nodded but Erin could tell he would need more time before he fully soaked in that she was completely fine. He leaned in closer and for a second, Erin thought that he might kiss her but at the last second, his lips veered up top and he landed a kiss on her forehead instead, keeping it there while his hand came up to brush her hair.

He made to pull away but Erin reached out and held his collar, stopping him. Their eyes connected before her eyes traveled to his lips. Slowly they began to lean in to each other, Jay's eyes seeking permission as if he needed it. As if Erin didn't want it as much as he did. With a steady hold on his eyes, Erin gave him the permission that he was looking for and she smiled, feeling Jay's breath ghost over her face. He closed the distance between them and Erin closed her eyes, finally feeling his lips on hers like she had wanted to for so long.

The soft brush of the lips began to deepen and soon enough, his tongue was prying her lips open. She happily complied, allowing him to kiss her harder. Her hand came to hold the back of his neck and she pulled him down more. Meanwhile, their tongues were beginning to fight for dominance, swirling around each other. She mewled softly when he began to suck on her tongue, her toes curling in ecstasy. It was almost too much, how good his kisses felt but she missed it immediately when he pulled away, ending the kiss with soft pecks on her lips.

Their forehead rested against each other, both of them trying to get their breaths in after that breathtaking kiss.

"Wow," she breathed out, smiling. He chuckled, unable to help himself from going back in for some more quick kisses. It was everything he imagined it would be— even better. "You really know how to take a girl's breath away don't you?" she teased. "Especially a girl that's in the hospital for not being able to breathe."

Despite her joke, his eyes grew wide and he snapped his head back, his eyes scanning to make sure she was okay. "Are you okay? It wasn't too much, was it?"

She could almost laugh at how worried he looked but she held it in. "Yeah, it's too much. Too good but that's how I like it," she said, dropping her voice low.

"Erin," he groaned, eyes still worried.

"Oh I'm fine, Jay," she insisted, finding out his overprotective side and finding herself liking it. He cared about her. Clearly. She never had someone that seemed to care so much about her before. Someone that worried so much about her getting hurt. She found herself liking him more and more. He was unlike anyone in her life. Anyone she had ever met. He was real and honest and good. He didn't do things with ulterior motives or do things because he wanted to get something back.

"You're really okay?" he asked again, slowly brushing her face with his finger.

"I'll be better with another kiss." His face slowly broke out into a smile and he gave her what she wanted, unable to refuse her.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't bear leaving her alone for the night. Erin had reassured him that Bunny wouldn't be back until the morning, that she'd be too busy trying to make sure that the gossip sites wouldn't publish false information about why Erin was in the hospital and that she'd be doing damage control all night. Jay's plan had been to stay by her side, sitting in the chair, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

But Erin had other plans.

She pulled him in her bed, scooting over to the side to give him room. He hesitated at first but Erin had hit him with a pout, he couldn't refuse her. He suspected that Erin knew just how much she had him in the palms of her hands and how he'd go to the ends of the earth for her if she'd just give him that adorable pout.

But it wasn't as though he was complaining. It felt amazing to have her in his arms and have her close. He dropped a kiss on her head as she rested on his chest and his hand brushed through the strands of her hair. His other hand was wrapped around her chest and he liked feeling her beating heart underneath him, it gave him more reassurance that she was okay.

"So how did you know I was having a reaction?" she asked him as they laid in bed.

"Nadia. She gave me the extra shake and I knew as soon as I had a sip that it had peanut butter in it. I don't think I've ever ran so fast in my life," he admitted, his voice sounding shaky recalling that moment when he realized that Erin might've ingested something with peanuts. He could easily recall the way his blood ran cold.

"Oh. What were you doing on set though? It's not a filming day."

He wet his lips before replying. "I was looking for you actually."

"Why?"

"I wanted to fix things between us." He felt Erin turned her head to look up at him. He met her eyes. "I realized how stupid I was being and wanted to fix things."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You were right. It should be that simple. You said you like me and I know I like you...a lot." She smiled at his confession and she shifted in his arms so they could see each other better. He played with the ends of her hair as he continued his confession. "I don't want to be another person in your life that thinks they know better for you than yourself. I trust you and if you are willing to take the risk with me then…"

"Then what, Jay?"

"I want to be with you too," he said, nervously. "I mean, if it isn't too late and you'll still have me.." he rambled on. Erin smiled and cut his rambling off with her lips. He melted into the kiss, getting lost in it. But he stopped himself and searched her eyes. "It's not too late right?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not too late." She gave him a peck— quick but firm. "I want to be with you too." His face broke out in a huge grin and he couldn't contain the happiness as it poured out into the kiss, Erin groaning happily as he kissed her, hard.

He landed a few more fleeting kisses in her hair and he held her close, happiness practically bursting out of them as they held onto each other.

It was morning when he roused from sleep, groaning when the light was too bright for him. But the frown on his face at the light quickly turned upside down when his eyes landed on Erin, still sleeping peacefully in his arms. He laid a soft kiss on her hair, not wanting to wake her up. He still couldn't believe that she wanted to be with him. He felt like he was so unbelievably lucky. When he first took on his punishment, this was the last thing he had been expecting. He certainly wasn't expecting to meet someone like her. And he certainly wasn't expecting to fall for her….hard. He almost felt like he should go and kiss Voight, thanking him for giving him that punishment because it allowed him to meet Erin.

Soft voices turned louder outside her door and Jay perked his ears to get a better listen. His eyes grew wide when he realized that it was Bunny and she was about to come in. Erin had started to wake and he pulled away, getting up.

"Jay?" Erin asked, confused. Jay brought his finger up to his mouth, telling her to be quiet.

"Bunny's outside," he mouthed silently and the last remnants of sleep from Erin fell away and she sat up suddenly. He managed to get in the bathroom to hide just as Bunny came in and he closed the door, pressing his ears against it to listen.

He stayed as quiet as he could, listening to Bunny check in on Erin. He listened as she prattled on about the damage control she had to do, making sure that the gossip sites and magazines knew that it was Erin's allergic reaction that landed her in the hospital and how she would sue if they make up rumors. Then she went into a spiel about Kelly and how sweet he was that he dropped everything to come for a photo op and do damage control for Erin. And just as quickly as she came, Bunny left, with the excuse that she had to do a few more things to fix and that she would be back when Erin got discharged.

As soon as the coast was cleared, Jay came out of the bathroom, sitting back down on the chair.

"That was close." Jay nodded, agreeing with Erin. "So you're okay with us keeping this quiet right?" Erin asked him, a worried look on her face at his answer. Jay sighed. He wasn't thrilled with the whole secrecy part but he understood that it was almost a necessity if he wanted to be with Erin. He didn't want to cause her trouble with her mother or with the press. He just wanted to be with her.

"Yeah." She still didn't look convinced at his answer so he gave her a smile. "I just want to be with you."

She smiled at his words and she pulled him up for a kiss. After kissing her lips, Jay kissed her nose and a smile came on Erin's lips when he kissed her closed eyelids.

"I should go," Jay said, sounding reluctant to actually go. Erin nodded, looking just as sad at him about him leaving. But he had to go into work. "So," he began, leaning down until their faces were just inches away from each other. "What are you doing Friday night?"

"Nothing. Why?"

Jay shrugged. "I just thought we could do something."

"Are you asking me out on a date, Jay Halstead?" Erin asked with a happy grin. Jay nodded.

"I want to show you Chicago, my way. How about it?"

Erin looked into his eyes, hazel on blue. "That sounds perfect." He grinned, giving her a kiss at her answer. He didn't want to leave but knew he needed to. From what he heard earlier, Annie would be coming soon to help Erin get discharged and they didn't need her to find him here with Erin. So with one last searing kiss on her lips, Jay reluctantly pulled away.

"Friday."

"Friday," Erin repeated. "I can't wait."

AN: so no mouth to mouth but I hope them actually kissing makes up for it ;)