It was a late evening. Jay sat in his couch watching the news and drinking beer. Usually he'd spend his nights with Hailey but she was still at the office doing some paperwork for the case they'd closed that day. They decided to just meet the next day for dinner.
Jay got startled by a knock on his door. He got up and opened it.
"Erin!", he was shocked to see her there. She was crying, she looked like a mess. Jay didn't know what to say. He wanted to ask so much but before he could say anything, she walked by him and went into his apartment. She stood there, with her back facing Jay. Jay quickly closed the door and asked what she was doing there.
"I… I have a problem…", she sobbed.
"Erin. You're with the FBI. You came back to Chicago? What is the problem?", Jay was confused. All the problems he could think of right now would not involve Chicago or himself.
She turned around and opened her coat revealing a big baby bump.
Jay's eyes grew bigger. "What?.."
"The night before I left… The last night we spent together…"
"But…"
"I found out when I was in New York already. I was working and I felt sick and I got hurt at the job and they took me to the hospital. The doctor said I was pregnant. I first wanted to stop it… to just quickly get rid of it and then go on with my career but then the doctor said I was already 13 weeks along and I heard the heartbeat and I knew I couldn't end it anymore… I was working in the call center for the past months, taking care of myself. And then… I decided to come back here. I know this baby needs a father.", Erin told Jay.
Jay went pale. He finally felt normal after Erin left, he had Hailey. It took him awhile to get comfortable with Hailey. It was complicated at first but he finally let it happen and he never felt so good with Hailey than he did now. Now this makes it very complicated.
"Sit down. Do you have a place to stay? Do you need anything? Food, water… money?", Jay asked. He just tried to figure things out. Starting with making sure Erin was alright.
Erin sat down and pulled her coat off. She stroked over her bump. Jay could just watch.
His baby.
"I have a hotel room. I landed like two hours ago. You're the only one who knows I'm here.", Erin said. "I don't need anything from you. I just… I just wanted to tell you in person."
"Do you plan to keep it?"
"Yes, of course!", she repined.
"Okay, okay! And do you want to stay in Chicago? Or go back to New York?", he asked.
"Jay… I don't know. I think… I want you to be part of our baby's life."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"It's your baby!"
"Erin! You leave without telling anyone! You don't text or call Voight or me or any of your friends! And now… Now you come back here after what, seven months? You come back here and tell me you're pregnant with my child and that you want me to be part of its life? Did you even think about telling me earlier? Did you consider that I have a new life now? A new girlfriend? I was in such a bad place after you left and now you just come here and think we could go on like we used to?", Jay yelled at her. He was mad! On the one hand because she hid her pregnancy for so long and on the other because he finally left the Erin-part of his life behind and moved on.
Erin just stared at the TV and stroked her belly. She didn't really know what to say.
"Okay. Sorry. Sorry I yelled. Ehm… It's late! You can sleep in the bed. I'll sleep here on the couch. I have an early shift tomorrow so I probably won't be here when you get up. We'll figure something out tomorrow.", Jay said and Erin slowly got up and moved to the bedroom.
"Thank you." she said and closed the bedroom door.
Jay buried his face in his hands. What is going on here?
The next morning he got dressed and was ready to go to work. Before leaving his apartment he quickly looked in the bedroom to see Erin sleeping peacefully.
His chest started twitching. The woman that he once loved was back in his bed, pregnant with his child.
He quietly left and drove to the Bullpen.
He walked upstairs to find everyone already there.
"Good morning! Great to see you here. You're late!", Atwater mocked Jay.
Jay didn't say anything and went to his desk.
"Hey! You alright?", Hailey asked concerned.
"Not really…", Jay started his PC.
"What's going on?", Adam asked.
Jay quickly looked around to see if Voight was already in his office. Jay walked in and closed the door behind him.
"What's going on with him?", Adam asked into the room.
"I have no idea. He was fine when he left yesterday.", Hailey answered. Everyone knew they were together.
"Voight I gotta talk to you. This needs to stay between us for now!", Jay said and sat down.
"Okay. What is going on?"
"Erin visited me yesterday."
"She is in Chicago again? Why didn't she tell me?"
"Voight… she is pregnant."
"What?"
"Apparently it happened on the last night we spent together and she stood at my doorstep last night and showed me her… huge baby bump… I don't know what to do, Hank."
"Where is she now?"
"Still at my apartment, I think. I slept on the couch while she slept in my bed. I didn't know what else to do."
Voight quickly decided he wanted to meet Erin in person and talk to her so they drove to Jay's apartment. They said nothing to the team, only that they'd be back later.
Jay opened the door to his apartment. "Erin?"
"Kitchen!", she yelled.
Jay had missed that feeling of her being at home making dinner while Jay was still at work. It brought back a lot of memories he tried to forget.
"Erin!", Voight said and walked into the kitchen.
"Hank… What…?", she quickly pulled her jacket over her belly to hide it but he already knew.
"Jay just told me. How are you?", Hank asked.
"Good I guess.", Erin answered.
All three sat down at the kitchen table. "We need to talk.", Voight said.
"About what?"
"About the baby! About what is going to happen next."
"I… I thought I could move back here… Maybe start at Intelligence again.", Erin said.
"What?", Jay asked.
"I missed Chicago a lot and I mean I'm keeping the baby. And as said yesterday, the baby needs his or her father.", Erin answered.
"I don't know if I'm ready for this or if I even want this.", Jay got up and left the room.
"Look Erin, he was in a really bad shape after you left. He accidentally shot a young girl.. she died afterwards at the hospital. I thought he was falling down a rabbit hole where he couldn't climb out of again but he did. Hailey Upton… She's his new partner and.. I don't know if he told you but she is helping him a lot and…", Voight told.
"...They are together?", Erin asked before Voight could finish.
He just nodded.
"So he can just move on that easily while I was alone! I was injured and then suddenly found out I was pregnant and he is here screwing Hailey! I can't believe this!", Erin was furious.
"Calm down! You could have said something earlier! It is not my fault!", Jay suddenly stood in the doorframe.
"I had to figure things out!"
"Yes and now I need to figure things out - again! You can't just come here and expect things to be the same as they were seven months ago!", Jay yelled.
"Actually 24 weeks.", Erin said. She pulled a small paper from her pocket. "Here.", she put the picture on the table. "That is your child, by the way."
Jay stood still. He saw the ultrasound picture from a few meters away. Hank picked it up to look at it closer.
"I can't do this! I gotta go!", Jay said and stormed out of his house. He picked up his phone and called Hailey.
"Hey Jay!", she answered her phone.
"Meet me at your place in 10 minutes. I need to talk to you!", he said and hung up.
"Ohkay..", Hailey looked confused at her phone and drove to her apartment.
Ten minutes later Hailey pulled up in front of her house. Jay was sitting on the stairs in front of the door, covering his face in his hands.
"Jay? What is going on? Are you alright? Where is Voight?", she asked.
"Can we go in?"
Hailey just nodded and opened the door.
"Now tell me what is going on with you?"
"Erin came back!"
"Oh…"
"She is pregnant!"
"OH!", Hailey didn't really know what to say or how to react. It was more of a shock. She knew how much Erin meant to Jay.
"I don't know what to do, Hailey! The baby is mine and all those feelings I buried came back and…. Hailey, I love you so much!", Jay said. He was confused with everything what was going on and especially his feelings were all over the place.
"So you slept with her?", Hailey asked.
"Of course! She was my girlfriend at the time! I didn't know she'd leave the next day!"
"But you said you'd broken up and now she is back and pregnant.. About 6 or 7 months I guess? That is not that long ago!"
"Hailey!"
"I knew you had feelings for her… and I knew you had a special relationship with her but I didn't think…", Hailey didn't know what to do. She helped him get over Erin and it took her a long time to get to Jay… Hailey had feelings since the first moment she met him at the crime scene. Erin was his partner at that time. They were together at that time.
"Look Hailey! I love you! I didn't mean for this to happen! I don't know what to do! She wants to keep the baby and wants me in its life as father! Hailey, please. You need to believe me!"
"It's okay. It's okay. Jay… you'll get through this."
"What does that mean?"
"I think you're better off with Erin right now."
"Are… are you breaking up with me? I didn't do anything! I…"
"YOU HAD SEX WITH HER WHILE TELLING ME YOU WERE NOT WITH HER ANYMORE! I LOVED YOU SINCE WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME AND YOU JUST PLAYED WITH MY FEELINGS! GETTING ERIN PREGNANT…", Hailey yelled and started crying.
"Hailey! Please! I would never hurt you! I didn't plan for this to happen! Please! Hailey, I need you!"
"GET OUT!", Hailey yelled and pointed at the door. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
Jay stood up and walked to the door. "I love you, Hailey. I never lied to you."
Jay got into his car and drove. He just drove. He had no idea where to go but he needed to clear his head. He ignored every phone call and didn't even look to see who was calling.
He needed time to figure things out. But where could he go? Did he even need to figure things out? The love of his life just left him, his ex-girlfriend - the woman he wanted to marry - just came back from NYC, pregnant, after six months of radio silence. He killed that little girl a couple months ago, he screwed a girl undercover and got too close to her only to find out she was a drug dealer and now in prison. His whole life was just messed up. And Erin coming back just made it even worse.
Jay thought about everything that was going on while still driving. He didn't even notice it was getting dark already and he'd just passed the Chicago city limit sign.
He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice he was driving over the centerline of the road until a car honked. He got startled and quickly turned his wheel around causing his car to crash into a tree and then sliding down a ditch on the side of the car until it flipped over onto its roof. Jay lost consciousness on impact.
The night was long, Kelly Severide and his team had a lot to do. They all just got back from their third operation of the night when the bell went off again.
"Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambo 61. Car accident just outside of Chicago."
The whole firehouse moved quickly and drove to the given address. When they arrived they found a silver pickup truck on its roof inside a ditch.
"It's been here for hours! Nobody noticed it until a couple minutes ago.", Casey informed the team. "Stabilize the car and then see if there is someone alive inside."
Kelly and his team got to work. "That is Jay Halstead's car!", Kelly screamed. "He's pinned in the car!"
"Is he alive?", Casey asked. Everyone looked down and just hoped.
"I got a pulse! It's weak!", Kelly said.
After a bit they rescued Jay out of his broken car and Silvie and Forster quickly rushed him to the hospital.
Casey just now picked up the phone and called Voight.
"Voight?", he answered.
"Hello Voight. It's Matt Casey. Jay had a car accident. He is on his way to Med as we speak."
"What? Where?"
"We're just outside of Chicago. Someone found his car in a ditch. The accident must have happened hours ago."
"Is he alive?"
"He had a weak pulse."
"Okay… Thank you!", Voight hung up, got up and dressed and drove to the hospital. He decided not to tell Hailey or Erin at the moment. It was four in the morning. He didn't even know about the fight Jay had had with Hailey.
Will Halstead was on shift. It was a quiet night and he mostly flirted with Natalie.
"Halstead! Incoming!", Maggie told him.
"What do we have?", he asked.
"Male, 34, car accident, pneumothorax, open fracture on right leg, possible head trauma, GCS 6.", Forster announced.
"Will. It's Jay!" Silvie said.
Will was shocked but worked professionally. What did his little brother get himself into now?
"Okay. Room 4! Let's get him checked out.", Will ordered.
After examination Will ordered an emergency surgery for Jay to get a chest tube in and repair the fracture on his leg. The head scans luckily came back negative - no damage.
Only moments after they wheeled Jay into the OR Voight came into the ER.
"Will!", Voight came running to Will.
"Hello Voight."
"How is Jay?"
"We just got him upstairs to the OR. Collapsed lung, broken leg, lots of cuts and bruises."
"Is he gonna be alright?"
"Yeah. I think so. What was he up to anyways? Forster told me they found him outside of Chicago!"
"Will… can we talk in private?"
"Sure, come with me."
They settled in a small unused exam room.
"What is going on?", Will asked again.
"Erin came back yesterday."
"Oh. Okay. Isn't that good?"
"Will, she is six months pregnant. Jay was a little bit overwhelmed by the situation. He left the house after we talked… I don't know where he went after that."
"I don't know anything either, sorry.", will said.
"It's alright. Can you call me when he is awake?"
"Sure."
Voight quickly visited the accident side and then went to the office. He decided to tell the team right in the morning when they all come in.
Close to 8 in the morning the whole team was in the office, Hailey came upstairs last.
"Good morning.", Voight said. "I have some bad news."
"Jay probably quit 'cause he doesn't know what to do with his life OR 'cause he needs to be there with Erin and his child.", Hailey said annoyed. Everything was always about him.
"Erin?"
"Child?", the team was confused.
"No. Actually Jay had a car accident last night."
"What? Is he alright?", Adam asked.
"I talked to Will, he should be alright. He's gonna call me when he has news."
"Do we know what happened?", Atwater asked.
"Actually I have no idea. I would like to talk to Hailey for a moment."
Hailey followed Voight into his office and closed the door.
"Do you know something?", he asked.
"No."
"Hailey! I never heard you say anything like this before… You are his girlfriend. So if you know something, you gotta tell me!"
"Alright. He called me yesterday and we met at my house and then he told me about Erin and the baby and I broke up with him. I was so angry! I felt like I was just being used this whole time and yeah…"
"So you fought?"
"Yeah… Do you…. Voight you don't think I did this?"
"No, I think worse."
"Worse? Do you think he tried to kill himself?", Hailey was shocked to even think about this or say it out loud. Jay survived so much and never would he do something like this.
"I don't know. We will know when he is awake and we can talk to him.", Voight said.
"He is gonna be alright, isn't he?"
"I hope so."
Around midday Will called Hank and informed him Jay was awake.
"Hailey. Let's go.", Voight said walking out of his office.
"Where are we going?"
"The hospital."
"Voight. I don't think it's a good idea if he sees me right now…"
"You're his partner! Of course you're coming with me!"
"Wait a second. Is Erin gonna be there?"
"Maybe… I don't know. Now stop whining and come with me."
Hailey followed Voight.
"Hello Hank. Hailey.", Will greeted them.
"Hey Will. Can we see Jay?", Voight said.
"Of course. Follow me."
"Is Erin there?", Hailey asked.
"No, she is with Natalie, getting checked out. Just routine."
Voight entered Jay's room while Hailey waited outside for a moment before entering.
"Hank. I'm so sorry.", Jay said. His face was bruised and swollen. Under the thin blanket one were able to make out the shape of the chest tube and his leg was in a heavy cast.
"Don't. Just tell me, how are you feeling?", Voight asked.
"Pretty good I guess."
"Will told me you got lucky."
"Yeah I guess so…", Jay said and looked at the door. "Why did you bring Hailey?"
"She's your partner."
"Yeah and she clearly doesn't want to see me…"
"Ignore her for now if she doesn't want to come inside. Tell me what happened?", Voight said.
"Well… After I left my apartment I met with Hailey and told her everything and we fought and then I just drove… I didn't know where I was going but I needed to clear my head and then I kinda went off the road… a car honked and I crashed into a tree or so… I don't know what happened afterwards.. only that I woke up here.", Jay told Voight.
"So you didn't…", Voight started.
"NO! No, I didn't try to kill myself! I would never do that!", Jay quickly said.
Outside of the room Hailey fought with herself about whether she should enter or not. She just quickly looked at Jay through the glass door. He looked so hurt and in pain. It killed her to see him like this. She suddenly blamed herself for this - for the accident. It was her fault he went out and drove off. If she hadn't yelled at him and broken up with him, he'd be fine right now. It was all her fault.
"Hello.", someone said and jolted Hailey out of her thoughts. Erin stood next to her.
"Erin! Hello.", Hailey said and looked at her and her huge baby bump. It looked more like a nine months pregnancy than six months.
"How's Jay?", she asked nicely.
"I don't know… I didn't go inside.", Hailey said and crossed her arms.
"Are you okay? You seem angry…"
"Ooohhh… You don't even know? Of course he didn't tell you.", Hailey hissed.
"Didn't tell me what? That you are his new girlfriend? I found out yesterday. I just wanted to be nice.", Erin said.
"Just leave me alone!", Hailey said and rushed away.
Erin didn't even try to stop her and walked in to Jay's room. "Hi."
"What are you doing here, Erin?", Jay asked.
"I wanted to see how you are! And I had a checkup for the baby with Natalie. It's so nice being back and having old friends around!", Erin said.
"Where did Hailey go?", Voight asked.
"I don't know… she seemed pretty angry.", Erin said.
She sat down next to Jay's bed and Voight quickly left to see what's up with Hailey.
"Soo.. How are you doing?", she asked.
"Fine.", Jay looked the other way. She carefully took his hand but he moved it away.
"I just had a checkup. Do you want to know how our baby is doing?", Erin asked.
Of course Jay wanted to know! He cared about this baby already! But he also didn't want to lose Hailey! He didn't want to give up his new life because the old life came back with a child.
"Not now. I.. I'm exhausted. I'd like to sleep.", Jay lied.
"Alright. I'm having a meeting with a real-estate agent anyways. Gonna try to find a nice apartment or house for me and the baby.", Erin said. She shortly waited for an answer from Jay but when he said nothing she left the room.
Jay started tearing up. All he wanted was to kiss Hailey and talk to her, be with her. But he had the feeling that was not going to happen.
A week later Jay was allowed to go home. He was alone for most of the time or with Will and he didn't even know how he was supposed to get home now. He thought Will might take him but he was still working when Jay got discharged.
Jay walked out of his room with his new friends - the crutches - to find Hailey waiting for him.
"I'm here to pick you up.", she said and started walking after taking his bag. Jay followed her without saying much.
The car ride to his home was awkward and quiet. Not even the radio was playing. When she pulled the car up in front of his apartment she waited for a moment. She knew she had to help him get upstairs and all but she just wanted to take a moment with him.
"Listen…", she started. Jay looked at her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. Guess that situation was bad for all of us.. Ehm… and I'm sorry for not visiting you at the hospital… The Unit roasted me daily for not going to see you. Then Voight ordered me to pick you up. I had a lot of time to think… I love you, Jay. And…. I really hope we can figure things out. I don't want to throw our relationship away. So… I'm sorry."
Jay looked at Hailey. He was scared to say something but he wanted to so badly.
"Say something… please", she said and looked him in his eyes.
"I forgive you! I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the night with Erin… We weren't together yet and I had no idea how things would turn out and then she left and I thought I could just forget about her. I'm forever grateful that you helped me through these hard times! I love you so much, Hailey and that won't change because there is a baby on the way. I really hope we can work things out and that I can maybe be in the life of my son or daughter. I need you in my life, too. We're not only partners! I couldn't live with myself if you'd left me… That week… I was alone most of the time… Everytime the door opened I hoped it would be you."
Hailey moved her head to Jay and kissed him. "I'll never leave you again."
A couple weeks later everyone worked things out. Erin got a place to stay. It was now her 32nd pregnancy week. Hailey and Jay agreed to meet her every weekend to help her with the baby. Erin was okay with the relationship between them and didn't try to get in the way.
It was Saturday night, Jay and Hailey helped Erin finish decorating her new home. Hailey and Jay were just in the living room getting all the clutter sorted in a cupboard when they heard Erin scream from the nursery. Jay rushed over to find Erin sitting on the chair holding her belly.
"What's wrong?", he asked.
"I don't know. I tried to hang the picture on the wall when I suddenly felt all that pain in my stomach.", she explained.
"Maybe braxton contractions or whatever they are called.", Hailey came over and stood in the doorframe.
"I had some before… they were lighter.. This one was really strong.", Erin said.
"Isn't 32 weeks way too early?", Jay asked.
"Yes!", both girls said.
"Do you want me to call Will or get you to the hospital?", Jay asked.
"No… It's all good now. Maybe it was really just braxton hicks contractions. We can go back to work now.", Erin said.
"Alright. Call us if anything changes!", Jay said and they went back to the living room.
Erin did experience more contractions.
"It's too soon.", she kept telling herself while she tried to breathe through the pain and tried not to alert Jay or Hailey.
But after a while of hiding she felt a really strong contraction that came with quite a bit of water. "Shit!", she cursed.
"Are you good?", Hailey yelled from the living room to the nursery.
"Nooo… ooooww…", Erin screamed in pain.
Jay rushed to her. Erin was holding onto the wall with one hand and the other hand was on her belly. Under her legs a small puddle of clear water was forming.
"I think something is wrong.", she said and started crying.
"I think we better go to the hospital.", Jay and Hailey helped her downstairs and into the car.
At the hospital they rushed Erin into an exam room and tried to stop the labor but without success.
"Are you the father?", a doctor asked Jay while they transported Erin to the delivery room. He just nodded. "Follow me!"
Jay looked at Hailey but Hailey smiled and pushed him so he'd go with the doctor. Jay was about to witness the birth of his child. He was not prepared at all for this moment.
He stood with Erin and watched in awe as she cried and pushed the baby out. He tried not to look at anything else than Erin. He was scared of seeing things that might not be for his eyes - yet he'd seen it already anyways. But thinking about the baby coming out made him nauseous.
The baby was here and the doctors immediately took the crying boy from her and into an incubator and tried to make him breathe. He was tiny. Erin only saw him for a short moment.
"It still hurts.", she said in between asking if her baby was alright.
The doctor examined her, thinking the placenta would already come out. Only then the doctor was shocked for a moment and suddenly more hands and monitors were there and Erin constantly asked what was going on until she cried out again from all the pain.
Jay just stood there and watched. He couldn't say or do anything. It broke his heart to see Erin like this. The doctors were trying to save the life of the baby but at the same time they didn't really take care of Erin.
"I'm sorry I'm gonna need you to push! There is another one!", the doctor announced.
"Another one?", Jay asked.
"Your wife is having twins!", the doctor said.
Jay didn't even argue about the wife comment, he was just shocked. Twins.
He snapped out of his thoughts when Erin cried out again in pain. She took Jay's hand and squeezed it while pushing.
"One more and your baby is here!", the doctor said and Erin pushed with all her last strength.
"Another boy!", the doctor gave the baby away to his colleagues. This one was not crying or moving.
Jay walked out of the delivery room to find not only Hailey waiting for him but also Voight.
"How is she?"
"And the baby?", the asked.
Jay was pale and looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Are you okay?", Hailey asked.
"Ehm… Erin… she is doing good I guess. They are just cleaning her up and so… She just had twins.", Jay said.
"Twins?"
"I thought there was only one?"
"He sat down on a chair. "The first boy was crying but they took him away. I think because he is premature or so… then suddenly the second boy came and he was not crying or moving…", he said.
Hailey sat next to him and hugged him.
Voight was shocked. "Let's wait until we can see her. I'm sure they are all fine."
About two hours later they were all allowed to visit Erin. She was laying in her bed with two big incubators next to her. Two little babies.
"Hey.", Erin said when they entered.
"How you doing, kid?", Voight asked.
"Okay, I guess.", she answered.
"Are they gonna be alright?", Jay asked.
"Yeah. I think so. The doctor came in a bit ago and told me everything and they have to stay in there for about 5 weeks. They are boths 4 lb 11 ounces and about 18 inches. I didn't even get to hold them yet.", Erin said.
"It's gonna be alright, okay! We're all gonna get through this!", Hailey said.
"Any names?", Voight asked.
"Well I planned for one baby so I only got Dylan for Baby A. That's him.", she pointed at the incubator on the left. "He was born first."
"And Dominic for Baby B.", Hailey suggested.
"Yeah! Dylan and Dominic. Sounds great!", Erin smiled.
Six weeks later she was able to go home with the babies. Both were healthy. In the time Erin was at the hospital Jay redecorated the nursery for two boys instead of one. He bought a second crib and a couple other things they now needed twice instead of once.
Hailey was so happy with everything and she accepted the babies and Erin. They were now a big patchwork family with Voight as grandfather!