A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted. I've been sick for over two weeks now and am just now feeling well enough to get back to editing and writing. This chapter puts us on the path to closure for Erin, but also puts Erin closer to her return to New York.
Jay rolled over and grabbed his phone off of his nightstand, trying to get to it before the ringing woke Erin up. "Hello?"
"We caught a break in the case. I need you at the district."
"I'm on my way," Jay told his boss quietly before hanging up. He rolled over to look at Erin, making sure she was still asleep, before getting out of bed and quickly getting dressed. He checked in on Cami on his way to the kitchen; the little girl was sleeping soundly, making Jay smile. He quickly scribbled a note to Erin letting her know he got called in, before quietly slipping out of the apartment.
When Jay arrived in the bullpen, Antonio, Atwater, and Hailey were already there, along with Hank, but Burgess and Ruzek hadn't arrived yet. "What's going on, Sarge? What's the update?" Jay asked.
Just as Hank was about to begin, Burgess and Ruzek came rushing into the bullpen. "Sorry I'm late, Sarge," Burgess apologized. "I, uh, got caught up in traffic."
"At three in the morning?" Antonio teased, looking back and forth between her and Ruzek.
"We got a tip that Ray Martelli is here in Chicago," Hank began, ignoring the bantering going on between his team. "It appears that he's been back here for almost two weeks now. As far as we know, he hasn't tried to get to Erin, but he knows that she's here in Chicago, so we're not going to take any chances. We need to find this guy before he finds Erin."
Jay felt his heart drop upon hearing the news that Erin's attacker was indeed in Chicago. They'd suspected that was the case, but now that it had been confirmed, it made the danger that Erin was in that much more real. "Sarge?" he asked hesitantly. "Should we be concerned about Erin's safety?"
Hank shook his head. "We have no reason to believe that he knows where Erin is. He knows she's in Chicago, and he knows that this is the district that she used to work at, but as far as we know, that's the extent of his knowledge. We'll keep a patrol car outside of your apartment as a precaution."
Erin frowned when she woke up and Jay wasn't next to her. It was unusual for Jay not to be next to her; usually he was the one waking her up in the mornings. She rolled over and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was still early, only 6:30, so there was no reason why Jay wouldn't be in bed with her unless he'd gotten called in for some reason. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and walked out to the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Cami.
When she reached the kitchen, she spotted a note on the counter.
Voight called us in to the district. It was still early, so I didn't want to wake you. I'll call when I get a chance. Love, Jay.
Erin frowned as she set the note back down on the counter. For Hank to call them into the district so early in the morning, something serious had to be going on. She knew that the only case Intelligence was working on right now was hers, which meant that this likely had something to do with her.
She leaned against the counter and sighed. One of the hardest parts about this whole situation was feeling so helpless. Hank had refused to let her help with the case at all, insisting that it was safer if she wasn't involved. She'd tried arguing with him, but he hadn't budged; his mind was made up. It was part of why she found so many excuses to drop in at the district; the not knowing and not being involved drove her crazy. She wasn't used to just sitting back like this.
When she'd found out she was pregnant with Cami, she'd been placed on desk duty with her unit in New York, as was standard practice. But once Cami was born, she'd quickly realized she wouldn't be able to go back to her old job. As a single parent, she couldn't be going on undercover gigs, raids or traveling to other countries. She was all that Cami had. It had been hard enough to find a daycare that had flexible hours; there was no way she'd be able to find a sitter to stay with Cami for days on end.
She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the excitement and action, but she knew that ensuring Cami had a stable home environment was the most important thing. It also wasn't a bad thing that her new position was safer, as she'd had a mild panic attack when she'd returned to work and realized that if something happened to her, Cami would have no one. Sure, there was Hank, and Olivia, but they both had dangerous jobs, as well. So Erin had determined that, for now at least, she'd sacrifice working a job that she loved, knowing that was what was best for Cami.
She glanced down at her phone, willing it to ring; she was desperate for an update. It didn't, however. She smiled as she looked at the picture that was on her lock screen. It was a picture of her, Jay, and Cami, taken about a week and a half ago. It had been a few days after Erin had returned to Jay's from the hotel, and she and Jay were laughing while Cami smiled. Cami had spaghetti sauce smeared all over her face, and Jay had insisted on taking a picture of it, but neither of them had been able to keep a straight face.
She and Jay were still trying to figure out exactly how life in New York would work for the three of them. After spending some time talking, they'd both decided that it would be best for Jay to stay back in Chicago until he was able to secure a job in New York. Neither of them were thrilled about the prospect of being separated for an unknown amount of time, but they both knew that it was what made the most sense.
Erin found herself imagining, not for the first time, what their life in New York would look like. She pictured her and Jay walking through Central Park, Cami running just ahead of them, laughing and having a good time. She imagined them having dinners as a family, and spending time exploring New York together, something that Erin hadn't had much chance to do considering she'd either been pregnant or had a baby or toddler for most of her time in New York. She pictured herself and Jay sitting on the couch cuddling while they watched a baseball or hockey game on tv after putting Cami to bed.
Erin was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing. "Hi," she answered happily.
"You're awfully cheery this morning," Jay replied, smiling, as he walked into the breakroom, holding his phone to his ear.
"I was just thinking about New York and what life is going to look like once you move there with us," Erin replied. "But the night we had last night definitely didn't hurt, either."
Jay grinned as he thought of the night before. He and Erin were still trying to take it slow, but last night after they'd put Cami to bed they'd been sitting on the couch and Erin had just looked so beautiful and sexy that he hadn't been able to keep his eyes, or his hands, off of her. "You slept through the night again last night."
"I did," Erin confirmed. Ever since she'd returned to Jay's and they'd had sex, her nightmares had been getting fewer and farther between. She wasn't sure if it was because she'd finally remembered her rapist's face and had a name, or if it was because she felt like she was moving past what had happened by having sex with Jay, but either way she was relieved. "But I was disappointed when I woke up and you weren't there."
"I know; I'm sorry," Jay apologized. "Hank needed us here. We think we might have finally caught a break in your case."
"What kind of break?" Erin asked, hesitant to get her hopes up.
"We got a credible tip that this guy is here in Chicago. The team's working on trying to find an address for him now," Jay informed her.
It took Erin a minute to remember how to breathe. The thought that this could all be over soon was a relief. She would finally be able to move on with her life. "So…it's probably going to be a long day?"
"It's looking that way," Jay informed her. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Erin assured him. "If it means this nightmare could all be over soon, it's worth a long day or two. Just be careful, okay? I want you home in one piece."
"I will," Jay promised. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Hank standing in the doorway of the breakroom. "Listen, I've gotta go, but I'll talk to you later, okay? I love you," he said before hanging up and turning towards his boss.
"Erin?" Hank asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah," Jay replied. "She seems relieved at the idea that this could all be over soon."
Hank nodded. "You two seem to be doing well."
Jay knew his boss was going somewhere with this, but he wasn't sure where just yet. "We are. We obviously still have some things to work through, but we're both determined to make this work. I love her, and I don't have any intention of losing her again."
Hank grunted in reply. "What exactly are your intentions with her? It's not just her anymore, Jay. She has a daughter. Things aren't the same as they were before she left."
"I know that, Sarge. I adore Cami, and I know that she'll always be Erin's priority. I plan to love her and treat her like my own," Jay informed the older man. "Sir, I know you've not always approved of me and Erin, and I know you would've preferred I stayed away from her when she came back, but I love her. I never stopped loving her. And she loves me. I know things are complicated with her living in New York and me in Chicago, but we have a plan for that. I'm going to find a job there and then move up there to live with them."
"And if you can't find a job?" Hank prodded.
"If I can't find a job in law enforcement, then I'll find something else. If giving up my career is what it takes to be with Erin, then that's what I'll do," Jay stated. "I love her, and once I move up there and things settle down, I want to ask her to marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with her by my side."
Hank looked at Jay for a moment before turning and walking out of the breakroom without saying another word.
"That was weird," Hailey commented as she walked in a few seconds later.
"You heard that?" Jay asked, surprised. He hadn't realized anyone else had been listening.
Hailey nodded. "Sorry; I was coming in for more coffee and couldn't help but overhear. I wasn't trying to listen in." She walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself another cup of coffee. "For the record, I'm happy for you, Jay. The thought of losing you as my partner makes me sad, but I get it. You're happier than I've ever seen you. Being in love agrees with you," she informed him.
"Thanks, Hailey. I'm definitely going to miss you and the rest of the team when I leave, but it'll likely be a little while yet. Finding a job in New York isn't going to be easy," Jay stated.
"Yeah, right," Hailey scoffed. "You're a good cop, Jay. Don't sell yourself short. Any department in New York would be lucky to have you. You'll get snatched up by one of them in no time."
"I hope you're right," Jay replied. "Because as much as I want to wrap this case up, I'm also dreading it because it means that she and Cami will be leaving, and I'm not ready for that."
Hank sat at his desk, thinking about the conversation he'd just had with his detective. He had an idea that he'd been tossing around for a while, but before he acted on it, he wanted to make sure that Jay was serious about his and Erin's relationship. He already knew that Erin was. While they hadn't had a conversation about it since that day in his office, he could tell just by watching her. She was happier than he'd ever remembered seeing her, and the way she looked at Jay reminded him of the way Camille used to look at him. He'd do anything to keep Erin that happy, but he'd wanted to ensure that Jay felt the same way first.