The following day brings a bright December morning. The temperature's still cold though as Hailey blows on her hands, turns the heater higher and picks up the thermos she'd bought yesterday, hugging it close to her.

She'd not been able to get proper sleep and like yesterday, caffeine'll power her. At least yesterday Marcie had been at the bar.

She'd been more talkative, slightly more with it though with no explanation for her absence the previous day.

Voight arrives at the same time as Jay and Hailey gets out of her car, reaching for the scarf on the passenger seat and wrapping it around her neck. She shuts the door and nods towards Voight, who returns her nod and then half-turns to look toward Jay.

Jay, who looks even more tired than Hailey knows she looks. He doesn't appear to have shaved today, his head is bowed as he walks the short distance to join his partner and his boss.

"You both ok?" Voight asks, scrutinizing them long enough that a lie would be uncomfortable under that stare of his.

"A little tired but I'm good, Sarge," Hailey confirms with a smile which Voight returns.

"Sarge," is all Jay says.

Hailey braces herself. For further questioning, for obvious exasperation on the part of Voight and a terse back and forth to prove how not okay Jay likely is right now.

Instead, he nods, though his attention remains fixed on Jay. Jay doesn't flinch. Stares back.

Hailey breaks the silence, "Sarge, did Atwater and Dawson find anything on pod footage? Anything more on the burned-out car? We know it's definitely Flynn, right?"

It takes a moment or two longer for Voight to look away from Jay, but he does and Hailey sees the slight sag in Jay's shoulders as the attention switches away from him.

Voight frowns, shaking his head, "Nothing clear enough to identify them. Whether it's the people doing the dumping or the people doing the letting you know where he was Hailey. The pod footage wasn't great either. Could be the same person from the hospital. Similar clothing at least, but they're hunched slightly so could be someone else."

"Get anything from the church or the alley?" Hailey asks.

"Nope, not yet. Someone broke into the church three nights before Jay was left in that alley, and they broke all the cameras that the church had installed. Someone will fix them tomorrow, apparently. We're pulling pod footage."

"Was there anyone on the side exit this time? And how about the vehicle they took me from the bar in? Ruzek and Olinsky must've taken down the plates." Jay inquires.

"There wasn't and yeah, they did. It's a rental vehicle. Different vehicles both times. We got a warrant for the car rental companies. Expecting it to be Price or Barnet who rented them but who knows."

"Yeah, with this case who knows anything. Every time I think we got this figured out," Jay mimics an explosion with his hands and the sound from his mouth.

It's appropriate timing as right then Voight drops the bombshell, "I think we need to pull you both."

Hailey and Jay exchange a stunned look.

"You're kidding, right?" Jay takes a step nearer to Voight.

"We're in a position, Halstead, where the most important part of your undercover, we have no record of and even if it's not drugs and even if you're avoiding ingesting them. There's something which means we can't see a thing and Jay, I was concerned about you before all this began and now?"

"That's not a reason to pull me now," Jay protests, "We'll get the wire to work or some kind of surveillance and I'm making sure I'm not giving too much away. I'm ok."

Voight raises a skeptical eyebrow, "It's Reform too. The ivory tower is coming down on me and they want results. They're jumpy. Particularly with this unit. I'm not saying we pull you out for good. Just till we know more. Till we find a way to get downstairs in that bar and figure out what's happening."

Jay shakes his head raising his voice, "No. No. This is a onetime only chance, Voight. You pull me and Hailey now. We don't get to go back in. Everything will end. Everything will go cold. We'll never know what happened with Anthony Hunt. They'll rename the bar and in a few months or a year's time, it'll start happening again or worse have been happening the entire time. You gotta let me keep going to the New Year. We're close," quieter then but with no less pleading, he adds, "So close, I can feel it."

Voight grunts but says nothing, looking away from Jay to Hailey and asks her, "What do you think?"

"I think Jay's right. If we close everything down, we're closing any chance we have in this entire case. Look at how many people died before we got involved. We're just waiting for the one shoe to drop. That one domino to tip and the others will follow."

Voight remains silent for a moment, not looking at either of his detectives, "Ok. I'm still not sure about keeping you under, Jay. Are you sure you're still solid? You don't look good."

"That's lack of sleep," Jay deflects.

"Exactly and you're on your own the moment you set foot down those stairs. If you're tired that makes you more vulnerable. Hailey can't do anything for you. We can't even if we're outside."

"They weren't murdered at the bar though."

"Do we know that for certain?" Hailey points out, "Do we even know the entire layout downstairs there yet? Jay, you mentioned a door that Flynn and the others disappeared through one time you were down there. What if they were murdered there and dumped somewhere else?"

"Maybe," Jay concedes, "Taking me out of there though Sarge? Now? We lose any chance we get of getting these guys."

"And we increase the risk of losing you, Halstead, you realize that right?"

"I do."

Jay's tone is certain and when Voight turns to Hailey again, he sees the same certainty. The same knowledge of the risk that's more obviously to Jay but also still potentially for her and she can see the moment Voight backs down.

"You got till the new year. We review everything January 1st," he holds his finger up as though he's admonishing children rather than Jay and Hailey, "If there's any sign it's going south or Hailey, you get concerned about Jay or anyone does. We close everything down. No arguments. Not all cases get solved. Not even the ones that mean more."

He looks only at Jay for the last few words. At Jay, who nods, avoiding his eyes murmuring a quiet, "Copy that."

"Ok, we'll do what I said, We'll recheck the footage we have. We'll check out the rental companies. We'll try to figure out a way to get eyes on you when you're downstairs, Jay."

"And the tox screens should come back in the next few days too," Hailey adds.

"Barnet been in contact with you since yesterday?" Voight asks Jay.

"No. I'll head in for the deliveries today. Is Ruzek still going in in a couple of days?"

Voight starts walking back to his truck but stops, shaking his head, turning back toward his detectives, "Yeah, he's going in, just not as soon as we'd like. The owner's in the hospital. A hernia."

"Wouldn't that be the perfect time for Ruz to go in?" Hailey questions.

"Yeah, it would Karl, Adam's CI said absolutely not. Said he should go in when the guy's out of the hospital. He's the only one who can train Ruzek or any new employees, apparently."

Jay's brow furrows. Setbacks being par for the course for this case.

Voight continues towards his truck and opens the door, "Be careful. Look out for each other," he instructs them both and then climbs into his truck, starts the engine, reverses and drives away.

Hailey lets out a breath. Looking from where Voight's car had been parked to Jay, "You didn't tell him about Ryan's little freakout."

Jay's not paying any attention though, instead he's looking at his cell. The UC cell, she realizes as she walks closer to him.

"Jay?"

He shows her the phone, and she reads the message on screen.

We heard you loud and clear, Foster. Every man has a limit, Take a few days. We'll be in contact sometime.

"Barnet?"

Jay shakes his head, presses the back button on the messages where she sees a separate conversation for Barnet.

"Price?"

"I guess," Jay frowns, his expression pained, "What if I blew this, Hailey? What if it doesn't need Voight shutting down the op and I did all myself?"

"Nothing about that message sounds final, Jay."

"Sometime is vague though but yeah I hope you're right," Jay pockets the cell and leans in slightly to Hailey, "Thanks for backing me up by the way. With Voight."

Hailey shrugs, "I meant it. I feel like we're so close and right now isn't the best time to shut everything down," she shifts her position so she's standing in front of him, and she touches his arm so he'll look at her, "Doesn't mean I'm not concerned, Jay. Doesn't mean I like what I'm seeing, the effect on you that is."

"I'm okay, Hailey."

"Yeah."

Everything about the way she says the single word is obvious she means no. They both know. That she doesn't believe him. This Jay though monosyllabic at times but overall more open with her is one she wants to keep rather than him withholding information from her like he'd withheld from Voight so she doesn't push further. Yet.

Just puts it in the tank, another concern to add to the others. She'll act only when the tank's close to overflowing and it's not quite that time.

"Maybe while I'm out to pasture, I could come to the bar. Go see Marcie. See if I can find Flynn? Anthony?"

"Or you could just relax at home, Jay?" Hailey walks to her car, reaching it in time to see Jay scoff at the suggestion.

She pulls the extra thermos out she'd bought yesterday and walks back to Jay, who smiles genuinely for the first time today. He laughs and walks the few steps to his car, pulling the door open and holding up the original thermos. The start of all this. He rejoins her.

"I can't believe you bought another thermos, Hailey."

Hailey reddens, "Not just 1."

"You could've just asked for it back."

"Yeah but I figured you'd be heading straight out for deliveries. I realize sleep's a touchy subject so I figured plenty of caffeine, problem solved."

"Back at ya," Jay comments and they share a smile before Hailey looks at her watch and reluctantly she indicates toward her car.

"I should go, have a shower and feel a little more human. I could stop by after closing or you could to mine too? Could give you the spare key?"

"Spare key already? I barely know you, Hailey," he teases.

"Ok, on that note, I'm leaving," she laughs, shaking her head as she reaches her car again and grows more serious again, "Be careful, Jay and keep in touch."

"You too, Hailey."

Voight walks back through the front entrance into the 21st, deep in thought though nodding towards Trudy who's on the phone as he walks toward the stairs.

"Hank!"

He turns around, sees Trudy put the phone down, gesturing him closer.

"Patrol had a call in the early hours of yesterday during the night before I came in. I was just going through the lists. They went to med with a victim. Apparent home invasion. I recognized the name: Amelia Fischer."

Trudy hands a sheet of paper over to him, which he scans quickly.

"Thought you'd be interested. They're back there now, taking a statement."

Voight smiles grimly reaching the same apparent conclusion Trudy had, "Yeah, thanks Trudy."

Ten minutes later and Voight's in the bullpen, everyone present.

"I thought Amelia said she would stay with family?" Al says, looking at Kim and Antonio.

"That's what she told us. Maybe she and the kids came back. Thought we wouldn't be interested anymore," Kim replies.

"I want you both at Med," Voight instructs Kim and Antonio, "I want to know if this was a burglary gone wrong or she was involved with Barnet, wasn't she? See if Peter Barnet is up to his old tricks again."

"Yeah, he was and got it," Antonio confirms, looking at Kim who grabs her jacket and they walk down the stairs together.

"Everyone else keep checking the pod footage. Check if we can get any near to where Amelia Fischer lives too for the early hours of yesterday and see if we can get any further with the rental companies today."

"Sarge," Kev acknowledges, and just like that the noise in the bullpen quiets to a sound of only the tapping of keyboards and urgent voices to each other and on their phones.

"How is she, doc?" Antonio asks the female doctor as she shows them to the room where Amelia Fischer's in.

"Lucky compared to how it could've turned out. Mild concussion. Broken nose. She has a broken ankle and wrist too. Some broken ribs too. She's recovering, but still fragile. She should be able to go home in a few," The doctor replies as they pause by the door.

"That's lucky?" queries Kim raising her eyebrows before she adds, "Also was this consistent with something you'd see for a home invasion or something else?"

"Feels like you're implying something else? Interrupted home invasions can cause all kinds of injuries. I've seen it, heard about it. There could be a multitude of causes. That's your job to investigate. My job to help her get better."

With that the doctor points towards Amelia and Kim observes one of the uniformed guys who's standing by the bed, taking notes and nodding as Amelia speaks.

"Hey Amelia," Kim greets the woman in the bed who looks away from the officer and towards her and Antonio and frowns.

Antonio gestures to the officer to talk him away from the room and the man follows him to the corridor, leaving Kim alone with Amelia.

"How are you, Amelia?"

"How do you think I am, Officer?" Her voice is lower, her breaths sharp, short, and her face is gray from the pain and discomfort she must be feeling.

"I thought you were staying with family?"

"Obviously not anymore, I came back. Listen, the uniformed guy has already taken my statement of what happened. Why are you here?"

Kim continues undeterred, "Are your kids back with you or are they still with family?"

"They're with family," Amelia answers.

"So why'd'you come back?"

"To check on the house. Make sure everything was all okay," Amelia's fingers worry at the edge of the blanket.

"What'd they take?"

"What do you mean?"

"If this was a home invasion/burglary, did they take anything or say what they wanted?"

Amelia shakes her head and whispers, "I don't know."

Kim looks toward the corridor, sees Antonio nod to the officer and rejoin her, looking at Amelia and asking, "Amelia, did you come back to see someone?"

Sometimes it's experience that teaches you to look past initial reactions. To see through the lies a person tells whatever their motive. Sometimes it's obvious like now as Amelia's fingers tighten on the edge of the blanket and her knuckles whiten.

Kim moves closer, "This wasn't a burglary gone wrong was it, Amelia?"

"No, no, you're wrong, it was. I haven't seen Peter in weeks. Peter's not capable of this," she looks at Antonio and Kim, her head shaking as and her eyes lowering as they fill with moisture and she realizes her mistake, "It wasn't Pete. He's good. It was a burglar."

It's more like she's convincing herself than them and she cries softly.

"Amelia, I didn't say Peter's name, but that's okay sometimes we trust the wrong people and you've been through a lot with Eddie dying and looking after the kids."

The tears get stronger and that's when the doctor comes back in.

"It's okay Amelia, we'll give you some meds and these officers will leave now. If they have to, they'll come back when you're stronger or home, right officers?" The doctor says pointedly to Kim and Antonio.

"Right, doc," Kim agrees, and she follows Antonio towards the doorway but stops and turns, pulling out a card and leaving it on the unit next to the bed, "In case you need to talk Amelia, that's my number. Just call anytime, okay?"

Kim nods towards the doctor and joins Antonio in the corridor.

"Those injuries have got Peter Barnet written all over them."

"Yeah," Antonio agrees, "And the officer I was speaking to said that when they got called to the house, neighbors said they'd heard shouting for over an hour before that and though the house was in a mess. No sign of a break-in, a piece of the bannisters was missing and on the floor, and there was blood at the bottom of the stairs."

"Kayleigh Alexander never called Upton back yet did she?"

"No. Maybe we should pay her another visit now Hailey's undercover. Tell her he may have done it again?"

"Before Amelia admits that's the real reason for her injuries? That's risky."

"I guess but it's also risky her going home if Barnet's still around."

They walk toward the elevator together but Antonio stops without warning, "Oh yeah, and the time the neighbors heard the shouting begin? That timing works with Olinsky and Ruzek seeing the vehicle leave the bar and Hailey receiving the message to get Jay."

"Taking his anger and frustration out on a woman again?"

"Seems like it."

"We should go back and see if the guys got any footage from outside the house and if anything else has shown up. Maybe Voight'll agree to us talking to Kayleigh again."

"Maybe," Antonio agrees as they step into the elevator together, now deep in thought.

Two minutes later and they're at the entrance about to leave when they hear their names being called and look around to see the source.

Will Halstead.

"Hey, I heard you were here, and I wanted to ask if my brother's okay?"

Antonio narrows his eyes, "He's not been in contact?"

"If you can call one worded text messages several weeks ago in contact, then I guess he has but aside from that I don't know how he is. I was hoping you could reassure me at least?"

He looks hopefully from Kim to Antonio.

"He's okay, Will."

Will swallows, "Okay, I get it. I get you can't say much more, right? And if he wasn't okay, I'd know. I guess I figured it'd be all over by now. He'd be back in time to avoid seeing our dad at Christmas. Guess not."

Kim smiles sympathetically, "We'll let him know you were asking. If he can call, I'm sure he will."

Will nods, looking away from them, "Yeah. Yeah. I know you can't say more. Just make sure you tell him to hurry. I miss him. He's the only pain in the ass brother I got and I only got so much patience with dad."

His beeper sounds, and he looks almost relieved as he rubs at his face and looks back in their direction, muttering, "Thanks guys." He turns away back toward the ED, running a hand through his hair, his head slumped before he appears to take a breath and straightens as he disappears through the sliding doors.

Days pass with no word from Barnet or Price for Jay. The Tuesday Ruzek had been due to go in comes and goes.

Jay obeys the instruction to stay away and keep quiet until Thursday. Tired of running things over in his mind.

Weary of hearing how pod footage reveals certain things, but never quite enough. Ideas come and go in his mind of how to overcome the wire not working.

Confirmation of the rental companies' records matching Price and Barnet's details isn't a surprise, but at least there's not a contradiction for once.

He sleeps in ten-minute spells here and there. Sometimes the time stretches to an hour. Every time, he wakes to the aftermath of a terrible dream.

Every time, there's a different face. Tabssum. Babur. Morgan. The guys in his unit. Dead or alive. His torturers from Afghanistan. Hell, even Keyes appears once or twice. There are new faces too.

Price and Barnet.

That's when Jay's had enough and that's when he messages Hailey to check if Barnet's in. He does it as Ryan via the UC cell asking if he's around so he can talk to him about work. He figures Ryan or anyone in his position would do the same because isn't that the whole point of Price and Barnet's game? To force these men into a position of reliance on them so they can coerce them to do something/anything they tell them to do.

Yeah, he is. Be careful.

He understands the thinly veiled concern. He's been told about the attack on Amelia Fischer, though she's still mute on the subject. Still claiming burglary, though Robbery/Homicide have drawn a blank. Until she says anything, Voight's hedging with seeing Kayleigh Alexander again unless she approaches Hailey.

Thing is, he needs to do something before everything all falls away, anyway. The case, maybe his sanity too.

Yesterday, Dr Kravitz had contacted him with confirmation of GHB, albeit tiny levels in his system from when he'd been taken to the hospital by the unidentified person. It explains a lot and at least he knows. It's still horrific though.

How bad had things been for all the others and they hadn't had the backup of being a cop? All the knowledge which isn't enough but still more than they had.

He thinks these thoughts as he drives to the bar. Thinking back to the first days of undercover here.

Jay regards everything differently now and as he opens the door, sees the Christmas tree in the corner, dressed with gaudy lights and several way past their best baubles, the bar holds a clear air of danger now, not friendly or comforting.

If it ever had been like that.

Hailey greets him with a smile, "Hey Ryan, it's been a while."

Marcie looks up then and appears genuinely surprised to see him, maybe also a little confused too, but she regains her composure and smiles, moving to Hailey's side.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes? You growing the wild-man look again, honey?" she gestures toward his facial hair that's growing out.

Jay gets another immediate flashback to the earliest days here. Back to the time when he thought Marcie was unwitting in all this and entirely unaware. He still does mostly except he's acutely aware he knows nowhere near enough.

He shrugs, "Using a razor's overrated, Marce."

She smiles though it never reaches her eyes and Jay's well aware that's a regular occurrence around here and shouldn't be a judgement of guilt particularly because he and Hailey are as guilty as anyone else here for pretending all's fine when it's not.

He looks between Hailey and Marcie, "He here?"

"Yeah, he's checking stock," Hailey confirms as Marcie narrows her eyes and looks ready to speak but Jay doesn't allow it, just pats the top of the bar and walks toward the side door.

"This what they call stocktaking these days," Jay quips as he opens the door without knocking and sees Barnet, sitting on the chair, with the TV hooked up now and playing without sound, a table in front of him and a laptop which he slams shut before whirling around and standing up.

"Jesus, Foster. No one ever taught you how to knock?"

"What were you watching that made you so jumpy?" Jay asks in a light tone as he takes in Barnet's appearance, his eyes lingering on the man's knuckles. Reddened and cracked.

All the confirmation they need. Could just be a coincidence, but no.

"Didn't expect to see you back here. You freaked out so bad last time. I was looking around for replacements."

Jay looks down as he leans against the door, "It was hard. And you know. I think I should be out, but at the same time it's made more sense of my past. It's made my nightmares realer than ever. Things I'd put away, pushed down and now they're back and I feel more alive than ever. More aware than ever, so if you'll let me I want in again."

It's all such total bullshit and Jay's taking an enormous risk in saying it because nothing is ever gained by the clarity and flashbacks Jay's endured and that he suspects the others did too.

Jay's still unsure that even if Voight had pulled everything at the weekend, he'd get out out of this unscathed mentally. He's certain he'll need therapy or instead revert to avoidance and postpone the damage it's caused him till an unknown date when it'll blow up in his face.

He wonders how and if Barnet could ever buy his lies as them embarking on all this in the first place must mean they'd have some idea how damaging it is.

Barnet doesn't respond immediately and when he approaches Jay and lifts his hand to his face. Could easily be to strike him, but instead he cups Jay's cheek gently and smiles before he slaps his shoulder.

"Well, I gotta talk to the boss but we do need you for deliveries, Ryan and yeah I agree we're making significant progress, we can't stop now."

"Unlike Anthony, I won't run out on you, sir."

Barnet tenses and his grip on Jay's shoulder is tighter for a moment. Jay crosses his fingers mentally that this won't backfire and he meets Barnet's stare. Unflinching.

The other man's laugh still would never be described as comforting, but at least the grip on Jay's shoulder loosens and he wags his finger at him.

"You reckon you're funny, you're not, but I admire your balls, kid. Also, well remembered about the respect. Okay, I'll talk to Price, we'll bring you back in. Start everything off again sometime next week."

Jay exhales. Relieved. Not just as Ryan either. As Jay, the undercover cop who's desperate to understand all this, solve it, arrest them and make sure they never see the light of day again.

"Thank you, sir. You won't regret this."

"I'll be the judge of that, Foster."

Jay gives him an accepting nod and turns toward the door handle to open it but a hand whirls him back around and Barnet's in his face again, pointing beyond the closed door.

"You ever gonna make a move on our Paula? Doesn't matter if you are but I'd suggest you do it soon cause I'm going to. She seems different. I like that. I like challenges."

Jay stays impassive, thinks fast, "Yeah, we're spending the day together on Saturday. Was hoping Marcie could run the bar then just so we can have some alone time."

"Well, may the best man win eh Foster. Just don't ruin her life before I have time to, okay?"

Jay finds it hard to echo Barnet's laugh, responding instead with a half-smile that he hopes doesn't reflect his disgust, discomfort or concern.

He leaves the room without another word and keeps his fingers crossed the whole way back to the bar that Marcie will say yes.

I began writing the Upstead Saturday thing but then realized these chapters were long enough already. I could do another chapter in the next day or two with just this Saturday with them both if you'd like? Let me know and as always please let me know what you think. In case you'd like to know. The date in the story for where we just left Jay is December 7th, 2017. I think we may in the next chapter we may have a little time jump but absolutely not more than 4 or 5 days. I want to say so much more as always but I'll shut up and just stay safe and take care xx