Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination

The sound of his alarm already had Jay irritated the moment it made it to his eardrum and he quickly got rid of the noise before rising his stiff body. He suspected the last few days were the reason for his state of discomfort but he pushed it away as much as he could, getting dressed and heading to the kitchen to start coffee only for Will to push a steaming cup in his direction.

"Tough night?"

"Tough everything. I'm surprised you're even up I didn't even hear you come in last night."

"Because I didn't; I spent the night at Nathalie's."

"You've been spending a lot of time there." He smirked knowingly at his brother.

"And I've heard you've been spending time around a certain ex patient of mine." Jay growled knowing that Antonio had looped his brother into it again.

"Because no one's taking me seriously."

"Antonio's only worried about you."

"And I'm worried about them." Will was surprised by Jay's raised voice filled with anger and closed fists against the counter.

"Jay." He warned. "You're too emotionally involved and that makes you a bomb under pressure."

"He's trying to hurt them Will, someone needs to protect them."

"If you want to protect them you've got to keep your head on straight and think about this clearly like a Detective." Jay sighed, trying hard to clear the rage in his mind and let his brother's words sink in. "Make them take you seriously."

"You're right."

"I know." Will chuckled. "Listen I've got to go to work but don't do anything stupid and work the case." Will clapped him on the shoulder before grabbing his things and leaving.

Jay knew his brother was right about Kim and Avery. Voight and Dawson didn't think there was something there because the evidence wasn't black and white but he knew. Owen Jacobson was responsible for what had happened to them both. If he wanted his team to believe him than he had to bring them proof. He emptied his cup of coffee and knowing that he still had some time ahead of him, he got in his truck and headed in the direction of Kim's place. He didn't know what he expected when he made it to her building or what he would say to her if she saw him but he just knew that he had to do this. He circled her building taking mental notes of entry points and ways for Jacobson to go in and out undetected. He looked at his watch and decided to simply drive by Kim's DCFS's building before heading into work. She would be less accessible while she was in there but being a social worker put her on the move often and therefore complicated his job. Knowing he couldn't do much more now he headed towards the district.

He walked into the 21st to Platt waiting for him with a scowl on her face.

"What I do this time?"

"I'd like to have a word with you Detective." Jay closed his eyes with a sigh dreading this particular conversation. "Don't give me that Halstead." Her irritated tone had him straighten his body and follow her into the office in front of her post. "I need you to shoot straight with me."

"Straight about what?"

"About why your partner is poking around your trucks GPS and you anchoring down at that address." She pushed the paper towards him on the desk Jay not needing to look at it to know what it was.

"I know that you already know the answer to that Sarge. Why are you even asking me about it?" He really didn't have time for her games.

"Because I'd like to believe that we've known each other long enough that you can trust me with this."

"No one believes me Sarge so why would it be any different with you?"

"Because you've always had good instincts and I think they're right now too."

"Then please help me." He was now standing straighter his jaw ticking with a smile.

"What do you need?"

"Owen Jacobson's every prior, LKA, known associates, every job he ever held. Everything. I need to have the name of Avery's school and Kim's sister Nicole Silver's home address."

"You think he'd go after his daughter like that?"

"Honestly, I don't know." He sighed. "He's unpredictable and the way he was talking about Kim and Avery in that interrogation room Trudy." His fingers tapped on the table in anger. "I just know he's behind everything I just can't prove it right now."

"We'll just have to find it."

"Thank you Sarge."

"Detective Chuckles and Sargent Sunshine are on the case." Jay's face fell not thinking she knew about that nickname.

"Oh come on Halstead!" She rolled her eyes. "You should know that I know everything by now, even the different nicknames everyone has for me." Jay simply chuckled and cocked his head to the side once he recovered. "I'll keep you posted with what I find."

"Thanks again." Platt watched him leave as he crossed paths with Voight who was coming down the stairs. He was headed her way to find out what was going on.

The door was closed with more force than Platt thought was needed. "Want to tell what this is all about Trudy?"

"I told Detective Halstead that I would help him with a personal matter."

"There's no evidence Trudy he's gotta let it go."

"You forget why Dawson brought him up in the first place Hank."

"That's not the point. There's no evidence that ties Owen Jacobson to what happened to Kim Burgess."

"And when the hell has that stopped your unit from digging into something you knew was sketchy? His gut feeling is usually spot on you really got to listen to him Hank."

"I don't have time for him to play cowboy Trudy we know what's that done in the past for him. I need to have my Detective dedicated one hundred percent to my unit, not chasing what's not there."

"He's going to look into this weather he has help or not. The way I see it I'm doing you a favor by letting him focus on your unit while I do the digging." Trudy left Hank with nothing else and returned to her post at the front desk.

Jay settled himself at his desk while the rest of the team trickled in. As always Al was already in but as quiet as a church mouse and they simply exchanged a nod in greeting. The simple act of looking through his e-mails kept Jay's focus in the right spot hoping that Trudy would find him something that he could work with soon. If he could get as much information as he could about Owen Jacobson then he would be able to protect the girls so they were able to go back to their lives and not have to look over their shoulder. Having no case assigned for now meant paperwork and although it was part of job and Jay accepted it he didn't have the patience for it now.

The day was already long by the time lunch rolled around and Jay couldn't stand to sit in front of his computer any longer filling more paperwork. He pulled his coat from the back of his chair and told everyone he was going for a breather and that his radio would be on if they caught anything. He was killing for some caffeine and a distraction and he suddenly found himself in front of her work building. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there considering there was a very good coffeeshop around the corner from the district. Parking in the first available spot he could find he walked towards the shop and slipped into the chaos of lunch. The small shop was full and he had to wait in line a few minutes before he was able to give his order to the cashier at the front.

"Jay?" He picked the voice out of the chaos and turned in the direction it came.

"Kim." He grabbed his order and made it to her where she was sitting in a booth.

"What are you doing here? A bit away from the 21st aren't you?"

"It was quiet and I needed to grab some lunch, found myself here."

"Join me?"

"I have a bit of time, sure." He slipped in the booth opposite her. "How's Avery doing?"

"Bummed about going back to school today." She chuckled. "Can't say that I blame her, I wasn't exactly excited about going back to work knowing that Owen is still out there."

"I'm still working the case Kim; I'll make sure you and Avery are safe again I promise."

"Jay." She sighed. "Your Sargent told me they didn't have enough evidence to do anything about Owen. I can't ask you to do it."

"You're not Kim. I took an oath to protect this city and that means that no case is too small. I don't care that there's no evidence. I think Owen is behind it and I'm going to prove it."

"It means a lot that you're doing this for me and my daughter." She smiled at him.

"She's worth protecting Kim." They ate while Kim updated him on her car situation.

"I'm hoping to get a new one soon because I can't go around without one for too long."

"Maybe I can help you with that. I know a guy who knows a guy." He chuckled. You just needed to have one resourceful person in your pocket and Jay had Kevin so he was pretty sure that he could find her something where she wouldn't get robbed for being a woman.

"No Jay I can't let you do that; You are doing way too much as it is" She started arguing but Jay wouldn't have it.

"What these dealers want is to make you pay more than what the cars are worth, Kevin will be able to hook you up with something that'll last you a long time and that won't burn a hole in your wallet."

"You've got to let me give you something to thank you." Jay's phone ringing interrupted them.

"Halstead what do you got?" The conversation on the other end of the line had Jay worried so he wasn't paying attention to Kim. "Yeah I'll be right in." He hung up. "Sorry I have to run but this was nice."

"Listen Jay, I know this is probably all kinds of wrong but here's my number. I know it's not much but I'd like to take you out for a coffee to thank you for everything you're doing for me." She pushed the white piece of paper in front of him as he stood.

"Kim I can't."

"Please, just one coffee."

"Isn't that what we just shared?" He winked playfully at her but she scowled in response.

"Fine, even if it's just to send me Kevin's information for the car, please?" She was holding it between her fingers now.

"Okay." He took it. "I'll be seeing you around Ms. Burgess."

"You know where I live Detective." She called after him as he left with a chuckle.

Kim's number was burning a hole in Jay's pocket as he drove to the scene. He knew it was wrong to have taken it no matter the reason and even if he was still working her case he couldn't call her outside of anything that had to do with it because that was crossing a line even for him. The case ran longer than anyone expected as it became dark quickly making their job that more complicated but he was glad when he was able to close his computer at ten that night.

"Coming to Molly's Halstead?" Kevin and Adam asked as they were ready to head out.

"I'm right behind you." He was exhausted but he needed whisky to loosen the stress that was piling on his shoulders right now but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Platt at the top of the stairs.

"A word Halstead." Every eyes were on him as everyone stopped going anywhere. "Alone." She looked at the whole group who scattered at her tone.

"Raincheck." Jay called the after the team knowing he wouldn't be going home anytime soon. She handed him the file that he took but that she held onto a while longer.

"There's everything in there that you asked for this morning and some stuff you didn't. Don't stay up here too long."

"Thanks Sarge." He watched her go and took the seat at his desk under the glow of the office lamb that was sitting on it. The unit was deserted as he started the coffee machine and went to work finding the thing that would get Jacobson behind bars.