Upon her return to the district the following morning, Erin went to inquire about resuming work, after having been absent for several days. As she entered the bullpen, she emitted a sigh, only to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of Jay approaching her.

'Hello, it's good to see you back,' Jay greeted with a smile, extending his arms for a friendly embrace, which Erin reciprocated.

Jay then inquired, 'Is Justin treating you well?' Having come to terms with Erin's relationship with Justin and having moved on himself, Jay offered, 'If he's not, I can confront him on your behalf.'

Erin chuckled and reassured Jay, 'There is no need for that, Jay. Justin is treating me more than fine.' Jay responded with a nod, 'Understood, but if he ever harms you, I won't hesitate to intervene, regardless of your request to desist.'

Erin rolled her eyes playfully and inquired, 'When did you become a protective older brother?' This question elicited a chuckle from Jay, who responded, 'Well, someone has to look out for you, and I am your partner after all.'

Erin then remarked, 'Partner, huh? I figured I might be stripped of my badge for the number of days I've been missing and the way I've been acting,' while looking down at the ground.

Her expression turned to a frown as the brown-haired man started to laugh. Looking up at Jay, Erin glared at him and asked, 'What's so funny?' with her arms crossed.

Jay replied, 'Because you think Voight would kick you off the unit?' Erin then shared, 'No, not him, but Fisher would.' She displayed her awareness of how the higher-ups, particularly when it came to Voight, perceived her as his girl, causing her to roll her eyes at the thought.

Jay shook his head, sighed, and inquired, 'Do you think Voight would listen to Fisher?' He added, 'Even Fisher should acknowledge what you've been through in the past few months.'

Erin nodded in agreement as she carefully listened to the conversation. "I suppose you are correct," she acknowledged as she glanced towards the office setting. "Is Hank available?" she inquired, hoping to have a discussion with Voight. "He is," came the response.

"Thank you," Erin expressed her appreciation before making her way towards the office. "It's a pleasure to see you, Erin," Jay greeted her as he returned to his desk. "Likewise, Jay," she responded with a smile.

As Erin approached the office, she knocked on the door before hearing Voight's invitation to enter. Taking a deep breath, the brunette pushed open the door.

"Erin, it's wonderful to see you," Voight greeted her as he stood up from his chair and walked over to embrace her. "It's good to see you too, Hank," Erin reciprocated the hug.

Smiling as they parted, Erin inquired, "Are you back to work?" Voight asked, prompting another smile from the brunette. "I am, if you allow me," she replied.

"Certainly, you are welcome back," Voight agreed with a smile. "Do you think I actually enjoy staring at these faces all day?" he quipped, eliciting a laugh from Erin. "I suppose so," she playfully responded.

Erin observed as Voight took hold of his coat. 'What's the matter?' she inquired. 'Well, we have a case, so if you wish to join us, then prepare yourself,' Voight stated with a smile.

The brown-haired woman couldn't resist grinning. 'You can count on me,' she affirmed, trailing Voight out of the office. As she arrived at her desk, she smiled back at her colleagues who greeted her.

'Welcome back, Lindsay,' Al welcomed her with a smile. 'Thank you, Al,' Erin replied as she settled into her seat and directed her gaze towards Voight at the front of the room.

'What's our assignment?' Jay inquired. 'We require a team to go undercover at a horse race track for several days,' Voight began as he organized his materials. Erin observed from her seat.

'There's a significant drug dealing operation involving the jockeys,' Voight explained, displaying a picture of one of the suspects. 'This individual is Lucas Burnett, a key link to the drug bust, and he is willing to assist us,' Voight elaborated.

Voight informed the team that he is prepared to assist in obtaining information on the individuals involved in the drug trade, and he requires a couple to accompany him to the race track for a conversation, during which they must maintain the pretense of being interested in purchasing a horse.

Erin expressed her desire to participate in undercover operations to re-immerse herself in the field, showing enthusiasm for the opportunity and her indifference towards observing horses.

Voight agreed with the plan for Erin and Sydney to go undercover, noting that the presence of two females could yield more fruitful outcomes compared to male agents.

The team members acknowledged the assignment, and Erin and Sydney were instructed to prepare for their operation at the race track and to engage in discussions with Lucas about acquiring a horse.

Curiously, Erin inquired about the possibility of keeping the horse post-case, to which Voight responded that the decision would be made based on future developments. With affirmation, Erin and Sydney left the bullpen, ready to embark on their mission, exchanging nods of readiness before proceeding.