"What were you thinking enter with your gun on the interrogation room?" Hank says approaching her desk after almost everyone leaves.
Even before Erin had time to say anything Jay came from the locker rooms and storm out. "I'm sorry Sarg but this one is one you!"
Hank put his hands on his pockets close his face and asks roughly. "I'm sorry?"
Erin faces Jay, opening her mouth but Jay starts a rant she could not interrupt.
"Yeah, Sarg. I'm sorry to say but this one is on you, because you think you know it all, and you decided to split us up." Jay was using a hunger tone that he was supposed to with his boss, but Erin was too upset for calm himself down.
"Because you think you know what you heard, when the only thing that you witness was two patterns and friends, yes because we are still friends even I don't think you notice, just talking about a personal subject. We weren't fighting, we were polite to each other and discrete and didn't disturb the work environment. But you decided to show us and everyone else that you're the boss and split us up for no reason. You even make me change desks for Crist sake, a desk that took me months to get the way that I like to work. You know us, and yes, me and Erin had been at hoods these last couple weeks, and yes we had one or two arguments in this workplace but that never jeopardize our job and our ability to be a good cop. I have arguments with Kevin because of his shitty taste in music and that doesn't interfere with my ability to do my job. I have major fights with Adam because he leaves a mess behind him in our break room and that doesn't change my ability to do my job. If you want to split us up, fine. But deal with it. If you want me out of this unit, fine too. Just feel free to tell me."
"Careful Halstead!" Hank interrupts Jay rant.
"No... Look, me and Erin, we are good together in every aspect of what together means. But mostly we are good as partners and you know how important that is and none of us had given you reasons to doubt about our commitment to the job. One time back, you ask me to look out for her, and I'm doing that since day one, and she does that for me, and you decided to break that string. So this is on you! You know that Al is the only one that can back you up, that can reason you and stop you from mess up in a tough situation. And you know that Erin is the only one that can reason me, her voice can make me pull the trigger or not pull it by her command, her voice can calm me down in every situation." As he says this he face her straight on the eyes making her shiver on her chair. " And I'm the only one that can reason her. And that is why you patterns up, this kind of trust is built and you know that better than me, better than anyone. We are good professionals, you know that we are and we prove that to you several times and your stubbornness by an attend to shows us you own us, put you on the edge of losing one of your best detectives."
Voight listens to all of this in silence.
A killer silence fills the room.
"Have you finished ?" Hank asks balancing himself.
Jay looks at him because he distracted himself for a bit by Erin uncomfortable changing position on her chair. "Yes!" He informs and faces Erin. "Erin I'm here for whatever you need. You're the most important person in my life and no matter what, I'm here for you! Sarg excuse me!" And turning his back on them he left Erin with watery eyes watching him walk back to the locker rooms.
"Jay?" Erin call.
He faces them again. "It's ok Erin, just... call me if you need or I call you later!"
The uncomfortable silence comes back until Erin almost in a murmur conclude. "He is right you know?"
Al was the only one in the room beside Hank and Erin and had listened to all of it. He nods in agreement when Hank looks at him.
Hank Voight balance his head and had a "hmm" that Erin couldn't define as yes or no and get back to his office.
The boys come back for their stuff and when they leave, Hank called Erin again informing her that she needs to present herself to review board, and with a soft tone, completely different from the one he used not so long ago he asks. "Remember what I told you when you were sixteen and you first came to live at my house? " He pauses to give a small squeeze on her shoulders and ad. "I'm with you..." And she cut if off completing his sentence. "… until the wheels come off."
The mean-full stare that they share was not from a boss to an employee, or even from a Sargent to a detective, it was a supportive look from a father to a daughter and it was all she needed to face the inquiry the next morning.
Well, not all that she needed because she needed Jay, like right now. She needed his hug, his comfort, his respect, is back up on this.
When she got back to her desk to pick her things her phone light up. It was Jay. "Do you want to talk?"
She picks up the phone and calls him on her way out.
"Hey!"
She heard him clear his voice from the other side. "Hey! So what's the news?"
"I have to be up to the review board tomorrow!"
After a brief silence, his voice sounded more clear. "Do you need help to prepare what you are going to say!"
She scrubs her forehead, almost like he usually does. "Well that's not much to say Jay, I don't regret what I did, I know I should but I don't and you were right, if you had been there with me you will not let me took the gun, but it is what it is, it's done and I have to deal with it!"
Jay didn't know what to say.
"Look this all case was complicated for both of us and I know for sure you are not ok with all of this, and especially with the fact that you getting too late to that kid. Al told me that you tried to save him." Erin heard him clear his trout again. "Jay where are you?!"
"At Will's!"
"Are you alone?"
"Yeah. They are both at the hospital!"
"Do you want to come by the house?" She asks still trying to understand if that was really what she wants it.
"Erin, it's ok! I understand what you said last time, and I'm ok with it!" Jay answer noticing that she said, "the house" and not "my house" which makes him smile unconsciously.
"No Jay you shouldn't be alone today, and as you aggressively remind Voight we are still friends and friends support each other and I need you too. "
After a quick "I see you in a bit!" Jay was leaving to meet her.
When he rang the bell she yields for him to use his key, which let him in an uncomfortable situation.
He enters and took his familiar place on the couch waiting and she appears in the living room moments later, hair still wet, some leggings and a huge hoodie that he recognizes as belonging to him.
He opens a smile and opens his arms in an invite for her to cuddle in his hug. She accepts and sits close to him hugging him back.
They don't talk, not even whisper, just booth stayed there trying to clear their minds off all that they had lived with this case. They both felt broke and damage and they both need each other.
Jay wanted to fix things with her.
Erin wants him to fight whatever he was fighting because she needs him back.
They loved each other, that was no doubt about it. Why be apart?
"Jay," She asks.
"Humhum?" He mumbles.
"I miss you!"
Jay kiss the top of her head as he felt a single tear trying to fall, he had been fighting this since he picked up that kid from the trunk of that damn car, but her soft tone and the loving gaze that she had on her when she said she misses him was the trigger for it. This case through him apart, Loonie case come back to him every step of the way, he felt defeated and devastated when he found out that once again he didn't make it and had let another kid die. He felt a rage that he fight to stop eagerly but now all he could feel was the pain on his chest because he had failed once again. But Erin needs him strong not weak and being here with her already was healing him, because her presence, her caress touch, and her soft tone always did. She needs him and he was going to be here for her.
"I miss you too Erin! And I want to fix things between us!"
She hugged him again tight. "We will!" She whispers in his ear, cuddling again on his lap. For now, this was all they both need.
