June

1 month, 31 days, 730 hours since it all happened. Since they got separated. Since Chicago or most likely the whole world was changed and destroyed.

Erin just wanted answers, answers about why this happened, where was her husband and the rest of her team, where to go next and what to do. It had been weeks since she had seen a living human being and when they did it was to fight for what they had. It was rare when someone was on their side even when they showed their badges, they meant nothing anymore. Herself, Hank, Adam, Mouse and Kim were living on rations and they were losing hope about what to do next. They had been to a few army camps but they had been destroyed or overrun. But all Erin wanted was to find Jay, they kept telling her that maybe it was time to move on and go find somewhere safe, maybe a permanent home up in the mountains? But for some reason she still had a little bit of hope and she wasn't letting go of that.

"5021 Lincoln." Erin said into her radio, she just hoped someone would hear her, but as always it was just static.

She sat underneath a tree keeping watch while she played with her wedding rings that sat snug on her finger and all she could think about was the last time they saw each other.

"Babe please can you talk to me?"

"I'm fine Jay, just leave it okay?"

"Leave it? We've been leaving it for weeks now, you are not okay so can we stop pretending you are? Everyone is walking on eggshells around you including me."

"Well excuse me Jay, sorry that I'm dealing with all this in my own way."

"That's where your forgetting that you don't have to deal with this by yourself! I'm your husband, your partner, your backup so let me help you!"

"You can't help me Jay! And I don't want your help! This is my fault, be angry at me."

"I can't do that! Babe it is not your fault, you need to stop blaming yourself."

"But it is Jay, I lost our baby."

"It was not your fault."

"Ah, Hank just messaged we got a lead."

"Don't, please don't. Just let one of the others go."

"We will talk later?"

"Okay fine."

Erin was shaken from her thoughts when she heard the tree branches move, she quickly reached for her gun and knife spinning around quickly, "Woah Linds it's just me."

She took a breath when she noticed Adam standing with his hands held in the air, "Sorry Adam, sorry."

"Just coming to give you these," Adam passed her some protein bars, "And tell you that we are thinking of heading out?"

"Okay, let's go." She said standing up and walking off in the direction of the others, Adam sighed and followed behind her. He knew she was having a hard time but like everyone else he had no idea how to handle it.

Jay was exhausted but he was soldiering on, this was nothing to him. Being in the rangers built him for this type of exhaustion and somewhat prepared him for this situation. He had been walking and trying to find somewhere safe since it all happened with Hailey, Kevin, Al and Antonio. Trudy was with them at the beginning but they hadn't seen her since she left to find Mouch.

"Jay! Halstead!"

Jay snapped his head backwards, "Sorry what?"

"We need to take a break, everyone's exhausted and we have been walking for days with next to no rest, water and food." Kevin explained.

Jay nodded, "Okay, let's look for somewhere to take shelter then."

Kevin nodded as he walked back to the others. Jay looked back an sighed, even though he had his friends close to him he still missed his family. He hadn't seen anyone besides the few he was in the district with at the time it all went down. No one from the firehouse and he went looking at the hospital but it was the first place everyone was going to which ended with it getting overrun. He just prayed his brother got out alive.

Jay noticed he was fiddling with the wedding band he had wrapped around his neck, he bought it up to his lips, "I will find you Er, I promise."

Hailey came running up to Jay, "I think there might be a farm up ahead, then maybe once everyone is settled we could go have a look at the other ones close by? See if there is anything around."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Jay maybe it's time to stop going in circles? We need to settle down. Go to a town, scavenge what is left then find something secure and safe."

"Hailey I know what your trying to do." Jay said sadly.

"I'm just...I'm just saying it has been 1 month Jay, I think it's safe to say that we won't get to see them again."

Jay dropped his head, he didn't want to believe it but maybe he had too, "I know your right, it's just I don't want to believe it."

"I know. But all that matters is who we are with now, we gotta get through this, together." Hailey said placing a hand on Jays shoulder.

"I didn't even tell her I loved her, the last time we talked was an argument. We always promised to say I love you every time we left one another no matter what we were going through but we didn't this time."

"Jay she always knew you loved her."

"I hope so." Jay nodded, wiping his eyes.

Erin was walking ahead of everyone, then she noticed a farm that looked safe, "Hey guys, farm ahead. Looks clear, let's check it out?"

They all raced ahead catching up to Erin, "Okay let's spilt up, some take the back and the others take the front."

They all slowly approached the gate, then started walking up the dirt road, guns risen, knives drawn, Hank looked between all of them, "Remember don't shoot unless totally necessary we don't want to draw any attention." Everyone nodded.

Erin, Kim and Adam went to the front door, the others to the back, Erin nodded her head to them both as she slowly turned the door handle but it was locked, "It's locked."

"Kick it in then." Adam said.

"What about the noise?" Kim asked.

"We are in the middle of nowhere, go on Lindsay." Adam said gesturing.

She nodded, took a step back then kicked the door in, it flew open and they waited to see if anything was inside. It was still quiet so they stepped in, looking around.

Erin stepped inside the kitchen, there was an extra wall hiding some basement stairs that she didn't noticed, so she didn't realise or see anything but when she turned around to walk out to meet the others she shuddered when she felt a gun pressed up behind her head, "Drop it."

She was breathing heavy but when she recognised the voice she relaxed and her shoulders dropped, she couldn't help by smile, "Jay?"

"Erin?!" Jay said loudly, dropping the gun.

Erin spun around and fell into Jays arms sobbing, she couldn't believe it. After a full month they were finally bought back together.

"I can't believe it's you." Jay said squeezing her even harder.

Finally they pulled apart and Jay noticed the rest of his team standing infront of him, Erin looked at him, "You alone?"

Jay shook his head and then remembered the rest of them were downstairs with absolutely no idea, he smiled, "Give me a sec."

Jay disappeared and then they all heard multiple footsteps, "Guess the teams back together again."

Everyone hugged each other, so thankful and happy that everyone was okay.

Later that night while Hank and Al were catching up and keeping watch while everyone else sat around catching up and Jay and Erin took some time to themselves.

"I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again." Erin said nestled in to Jays side.

"I never thought I'd get to tell you I loved you again."

"Jay I'm so sorry for everything we went through the last couple months leading up to the outbreak. All this just made me realise how horrible I was treating you along with everyone else."

"Don't, it's okay honestly. I'm just glad we are back together I was so worried." Jay said kissing her head.

"It was crazy, we didn't know what was happening."

"Us either, we heard it on all the scanners and everyone was running around frantic, we tried getting your locations but then everything went dark and that was it." Jay explained.

"We went back to the district but you guys weren't there. Then we got stuck and had to wait it out for a couple days before we headed out of the city, we were surrounded."

"We went looking for you's. But then we just figured you headed out looking for refuge like everyone else."

"Did you guys get to one of the army camps?"

"We were in one for a day but then it was overrun, it was way to close to the city."

"So all this time we have only been a couple days behind you." Erin chuckled.

"I'm glad you caught up."

"Me too, now let's go talk to the others I think we have a lot to think about and figure out where to go next."