The next morning, with Jay lightly snoring next to me, I laid in bed wondering if there was a way to get out of the mess I was in. I hadn't slept more than five hours and knew that even though I didn't have to be in the office until 9:00am today there was no going back to sleep. At 5:00am, I quietly got up, changed into workout attire and headed down to the gym in my building, with one of the uniformed officers who had been guarding my door trailing behind me while the other remained at his post. I had just hit mile 5 on the treadmill when the door opened and Hank walked in. "You're up early. Figured with the shots you did yesterday and the beers consumed after the Patriots lost the game you would still be in bed." he said. "I wasn't drunk yesterday. Definitely buzzed but not drunk. Besides, I'm 100% Irish and have a high tolerance. It's in my blood. Plus, I need to work off the calories I consumed over this weekend when I ate and drank my weight each day. What brings you to my neck of the woods before 6:00am?" I asked him not slowing my speed as I continued my run. "Shut the machine off Christine. We need to talk." he ordered. "I need to do a cool down. You can talk as I walk." I said, my stomach knotting up in fear that he had somehow found out about the deal I had made with my Uncle. "What's Joseph DiStefano really doing in Chicago?" he asked. "Obviously, you know as much as I do. Jay and I are having dinner with him tonight to find out but I have a feeling my Uncle Paddy sent him here. Not sure why he would be reaching out to the Italians. I would like to think it's pure coincidence, but I think we both know that's not likely." I responded. I was trying to answer his questions as honestly as possible. I didn't want to lie to Hank. He had done so much for me but I couldn't let him find out what I had done. Not until I found a way out of it. After telling me nothing had changed with the security detail schedule, and Rixton would be outside my door at 7:00am, he left, leaving me to wonder if he believed me or not.
I headed back upstairs and at 6:30am Jay got up to find me cooking breakfast in the kitchen. "I woke up earlier and reached for you to find the bed empty. Where did you go? Mmmmm...smells good in here." he said. "Went down to the gym to work out. It doesn't smell as good as it does when you cook, and not as fancy as the breakfast you made me on Saturday morning, considering it's a Monday and we both have to work today. Grab a seat on one of the barstools. We'll eat at the counter." I said. As we enjoyed the omelets with chorizo, peppers, onions and cheese and a side of fresh fruit I told him about my early visit from Hank and then asked if he would be able to wrap up his day to have dinner with Joseph and I tonight. I told him I was thinking about making reservations for 8:00pm at Trattoria No. 10 in the theatre district. "You're going to take an Italian to an Italian restaurant?" Jay asked, laughing. "I like that restaurant and never think to go there, so yeah. Do you think you can make it?" I asked again. After telling me he would pick me up at the hotel at 7:30pm, he told me to go shower and get ready for the day while he took care of cleaning up the breakfast mess. As I walked through the living room, I turned to see him looking very much at home in my kitchen and realized how much I liked having him in my apartment...how much I liked having him in my bed...how much I liked having him in my life. I ran back over to him, telling him the dishes could wait and pulled him towards the master bath in my bedroom and into the shower with me. "Not that I minded in the least, but what brought that on?" he asked me a short time later as he watched me get ready for my day. I was sitting at the vanity in my bathroom, applying my makeup, and met his eyes in the reflection of the mirror. I blushed and said "I realized for some reason at that exact moment how much I've enjoyed having you here these past few days." He smiled and in return told me that was a good thing because when he had gone home the day before to get his clothes he had packed enough for a week. He was staying until the bounty was off our heads and this Cartel business was finished.
Jay told Rixton to drive me to work in his car and then said he would pick me up tonight in his truck to take me to dinner. I know he was doing that so Joseph wouldn't be able to ride with us. When we arrived at the hotel I told Rixton I had work to do of a confidential nature because of financial conversations due to the closing of the hotel so he would have to guard me from the Conference Room, just as Kim had done the day before. I instructed my new Executive Assistant Holly, who Hank had run an in-depth background check on before I hired her, to make reservations for three people at Trattoria No. 10 at 8:00pm under my name. I also told her to arrange to have a bottle of the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013 as well as a Charcuterie Board delivered to the table as soon as we were seated. The Charcuterie Board was not on the menu but the Sous Chef is a friend so when he learns it was a request for me I know he would take care of it. I went into my office and wrote a note to Joseph informing him that Jay and I looked forward to having dinner with him that night. I let him know where and when dinner would be and that I had made arrangements for one of the hotel's SUV's to drive him to dinner. I then had the note delivered to him with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, knowing full well at some point during his stay he was bound to have an overnight guest he could share it with. I ignored the thought of the second cell phone that was sitting in my top left desk drawer while my personal cell phone sat on the top of my desk. I instead tried to focus primarily on work and put all outside influences, thoughts and concerns out of my head. I had less than two weeks until the hotel closed and a lot of work to do. The Executive Chef had committed to staying on as did Laura, my Assistant General Manager. Laura and I were meeting with the Sous Chef, Human Resources Manager, Director of Security, Director of Operations, Front Office Manager, Food & Beverage Manager, Banquet Manager, Chief Engineer and Housekeeping Manager throughout the day to present them with their offer letters. I was hoping that they would all stay on but understood if they decided to move on. It's a scary thing, starting with a new company, not part of an existing brand but I honestly believed we had a strong team and we could make it work.
Other than making sure Rixton got something to eat for lunch I didn't have much interaction with him. At 2:00pm I looked up in annoyance to see Hailey Upton entering my office. I would have to talk to Hank again about her, I thought to myself. Notifying me that she would be covering Ruzek's shift, she proceeded to sit down on the sofa in my office. It gave me a little bit of satisfaction when I somewhat nicely kicked her out of my office, informing her she would be in the conference room for the rest of the afternoon. In between meetings I texted Uncle Paddy, demanding to know who O'Malley is and why Joseph was in Chicago. I didn't get a response from him. I then texted Joseph telling him to be on his best behavior tonight and we would discuss other business the next day. After Laura and I finished our meetings it was almost 6:00pm. We had received signed offer letters from everyone we met with, leaving us both extremely happy. I told her to give me fifteen minutes and then I would meet her in the lounge to have a celebratory drink. I quickly scanned my emails, responding to the ones that required an immediate answer then fixed my makeup before grabbing my white coat, my laptop, black bag and both cell phones. One phone showed a text from Uncle Paddy, finally, that said "Talk in the morning. Watch your back the next couple of days." I deleted the message and hid the phone back inside the zipper pocket of my Michael Kors bag. I was about to text Jay, from my "real" phone, when I noticed I was tagged in an Instagram post by Kim. I opened the app to see the photo montage she had posted that included the picture of Jay and I in front of my fireplace wearing our Patriots jerseys, the picture of her and Ruzek from the New Year's Eve Gala and a screenshot of the invitation to The Hotel 30's opening night party. The caption read: This chick is taking over Chicago! So proud of you girlie. Can't wait for the opening party TheHotelThirty_Chicago! #NotALoneWolf #HottestPatsFansInChicago. I automatically liked the photo and commented: Thanks for the support. Can't wait to see what you wear on 3/1. You're one hot mama especially in that pic! #BestSupportTeam #Squad #MyManIsHotInThatShirt. I then texted Jay letting him know I was done for the day and would be in the lounge with Laura when he arrived.
"Sorry." I said, thirty minutes later, to Laura as I sat down at the table she was occupying in the lounge. "No worries. I ordered you a glass of wine." She said. "Thanks, Michelle. How's your son doing in school? Still loving kindergarten? And how's the princess doing? She done teething yet?" I asked the waitress as she set my drink down. After making small talk for a couple of minutes, she then excused herself to check on another table. "It amazes me that you remember so much about so many people." Laura said. "Speaking of remembering things, I happen to remember you and Connor disappearing from Molly's at the same time last night. Spill. I want details." I said. As we laughed and caught up on a personal level I was unaware that Hailey was texting Jay telling him for someone who has a $100,000.00 bounty on my head I was looking pretty relaxed. Jay forwarded me the text, asking what was going on, and I looked at Laura excusing myself for a moment. I sat down at Hailey's table, glaring at her and not saying a word but called Jay instead, putting him on speaker. When he answered all I said was "I need to keep up appearances. Trust me, I'm not relaxed and I'm always aware of my surroundings. But I have been assured multiple times that with the Intelligence Unit watching over me I should be okay so, you tell me...is there a reason for me to not feel safe and be somewhat relaxed?" Jay responded, "Babe, I'm on my way with Atwater following. I'd love to have a drink with you and Laura before we head to the restaurant. Hailey, Voight said you can leave when we get there. Shouldn't be more than twenty minutes." I ended the call and looked at Hailey. "I don't know what game you think you're going to win but I'm telling you now to back off. Jay and I are together. That's all there is to it." I said, standing and walking back over to Laura. Laura continued to fill me in on her night with Connor and I was delighted to hear he had asked her to dinner this coming Friday night.
Jay arrived, shortly after that with Kevin, and the four of us had a drink together. After Laura left, he interlaced his fingers with mine and asked how my day had been. "It was pretty good, but much better now that you're here. Any updates on anything I need to know about?" I said, keeping a smile on my face. After being told we would talk about it on the way to dinner, I asked Michelle for the check. I signed the check to my Manager's Account and left her a generous cash tip. "That was really nice of you." Kevin said. I shrugged my shoulders, blushing at the compliment as I explained she was a single mother of two kids under the age of five. We walked out front where the Valet held both Jay's truck and Kevin's car. "Thank you, Chris. Please tell your wife I said hello and I'm happy to hear the Doctor didn't put her on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy. Stop by the kitchen tomorrow after your shift. They'll have a dinner for two ready to go so you don't have to worry about cooking when you get home. Have a good night." I said to the Valet as he opened the door for me. "I will Ms. Brennan. Thank you. Good night. Drive safely." he said directing his last comment to Jay. "Your staff loves you. It's really something, the way you remember all their names and tidbits about their personal lives." he said smiling at me. "Well that might be the reason why all of my Department Heads signed their offer letters today." I replied, smiling back at him. After talking about my day for a few more minutes Jay informed me that Rixton and O'Brien lost El Gato. He managed to evade them. "Fuck!" I said. "Listen, don't worry. We're going to find him and end this once and for all. Let's just get thru this dinner and try to figure out why this guy is in town. " Jay replied.
We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before Joseph arrived. Kevin took a seat at the bar next to Antonio and Ruzek, who I had not expected to see. I looked at Jay, silently questioning him and he replied "Voight thought it would be a good idea to have extra backup." Before I could say another word I saw Joseph enter the restaurant. "He's here." I said to Jay as I stood up. Manners and protocol always get the best of me. "Christine, thank you for the bottle of champagne and the nice note. Such a thoughtful gift." he said in greeting, kissing both my cheeks. "Joseph DiStefano this is Jay Halstead." I said not fully knowing how to introduce them. "Detective Halstead, I've heard a lot about you." Joseph said as he extended his hand to Jay. Shaking his hand, and speaking in a cold tone I hadn't heard since he stood in front of Ramon on December 23rd, he said "Is that so? Well it just happens that I've read a lot about you, Joseph." Oh boy, I thought, this is not off to a good start. As we sat, Joseph replied "Please call me Joe. Only my mother and the lovely Christine here call me Joseph." Before anyone said anything else, the waiter came over with the wine and the Charcuterie. "Ah, excellent choice in wine." Joe said taking a few sips before continuing. "Christine, I meant what I said yesterday. You have developed from a cute teenager into an exquisite woman. You should always wear that color. Emerald green suits you. And the way you wear that dress makes me wish my Father had waited until you were an adult to kidnap you." he said winking at me. I gasped and looked at Jay who immediately stood up and said "That's it. Dinner is over. Christine, wait here. I'm going to get Mr. DiStefano a cab." Joe smiled and said "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again Christine. Your Uncle asked me to give you these." He then stood up, handing me two envelopes before following Jay out the door with Kevin and Antonio following him. I opened the envelopes and was so intent on reading the documents that I never noticed Adam sit down in the seat Jay had vacated. After a few minutes I heard him say "Christine, for the 3rd time, are you okay?" I looked up, shook my head and said "I need Hank. Adam have him meet us at my apartment." I paid the bill for the wine and appetizer and hurried outside to find Jay on his phone. "Yeah Sarge, I'll tell her. We're leaving now." Jay said, ending the call. "Are you okay? Voight said Adam texted saying you need him to meet us at your apartment. He said he was on his way. What was in the envelopes?" Jay said to me, a mixture of anger and concern in his voice. "Jay, I can't tell you. I'm sorry. It's something I need to discuss with Hank first." I said as we got in his truck. "Christine, you can tell me anything, you know that, right?" He asked. "Jay, please." my voice cracking as I tried to hold tears of sadness and anger back. "I need ten minutes alone with Hank and then I'm going to give the two of you a chance to talk."
We didn't say another word as we made the twenty-five minute drive to my apartment. There was an uncomfortable silence in the elevator as we rode the twenty floors up to my apartment. I walked in and went straight for the Jameson. As I poured two glasses I was thinking that the lives of the Intelligence Unit, especially Jay's life, were about to change. I handed Jay a glass when I walked back into the living room, telling him he was going to need it. Before he could question me again, Hank walked it. Taking a look at my face, he said "Halstead, give us the room. I hate to say it but I need you to go wait with the other three outside." "Christine, what is it? "What's in the envelopes?" He asked looking at me, trying to gauge my expression. Which, if my expression reflected how I was feeling on the inside, it would display a look of shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and hatred.
"Read this one first." I instructed handing an envelope over to him. It was the Colombian Medical Examiner's autopsy report on Mariana Gutierrez. "I knew it! She wasn't pregnant! This is good news. Why didn't you tell Jay?" "I thought you might like to." I said as he got up and went to the door telling Jay to come back in. "Wait, Hank there's something else." I started to say but was cut-off. "Halstead you need to read this. Mariana wasn't pregnant when she died. You were being set-up by the Cartel. Jay, they would have killed you that night if you hadn't called me and gotten out of town." Jay stared at the report in disbelief. For almost four months he thought he had lost his unborn child when Mariana died. "She lied to me. I blew my cover and shit, the domino effect that started that night has resulted in us being where we are today. It's completely my fault. I'm sorry." he said and then he put his head in his hands. "I'll give you two a minute." Hank said walking into my kitchen. "Hank, wait. You're going to want to read this. I'm sorry." I said handing him the second envelope. I went back into the living room and knelt on the floor in front of where Jay sat on my couch. "Jay look at me." I said pulling his hands away from his face. "Jay, I'm sorry you blamed yourself for all these months. She set you up. You realize that, right? Babe, none of this is your fault. I'm so sorry this happened to you." "You're sorry!? Christine, this goes to show that all of this is completely my fault. If I hadn't let my guard down I wouldn't have blown my cover and you wouldn't be in this danger. Jesus, you got shot and kidnapped because of me." He replied angrily. I took a deep breath, smiled and said "I understand you think that might be true but you didn't pull the trigger and you didn't knock me unconsciousness and kidnap me, so it's not your fault. Just think, if some of that never happened, if your undercover operation didn't happen we never would have met. And that is something I am grateful for. It's something good that has come out of this insanity. I'd like to think it's better than good because I've fallen in love with you Jay."
Before Jay could say a word, from the kitchen we heard "She's dead! I'm going to kill her myself!" Jay looked at me with questions in his eyes. I sighed and very softly, almost inaudibly, said "Envelope number two was not filled with good news. I was right when I said there was a leak within the Chicago Police Department. Unfortunately, the mole ended up being part of intelligence. Hank is currently reviewing the indisputable evidence. Jay, the mole is Hailey Upton."
A/N: I'll be honest with y'all. I don't' like Upton's character on Chicago PD. She has no personality and I think my dislike for her on TV paved the way for me to write her character in this light. I really hope you're all enjoying the story. As I mentioned before I tend to add new chapters in less than 24 hours so make sure you're following this story to receive alerts. I definitely don't want you to miss out on what's to come.