Welcome back! Just a reminder, there no set update schedule for this story so please be patient with me. This will be multiple chapters and I'll try to give warning when it's getting close to ending. It will follow canon with the show up to a point. I'll let you know episodes and important events that go along with the chapter. Anything that's recognizable and the characters belong to NBC. There may be some direct quotes from the show, those will be noted at the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
Setting: Approximately 1 month before Season 1 Episode 1. For reference, in that first episode, Voight implies that the Intelligence unit had only been formed 2 months prior to when we meet them.
Chapter 3
Erin Lindsay gave her reflection a critical appraisal. She had on her favorite green shirt that brought out the light colors of her eyes. Her hair had been successfully tamed into soft waves. Her eye make up was done a little heavier than she typically went for work but the overall effect was worth it. She looked good, but not like she was trying too hard. She definitely did not want to appear like she was trying to hard and have Hank notice.
Today the newest member of the Intelligence Unit was joining their ranks. Erin didn't know much about him beyond the basics from his file. His name was Jay Halstead, he passed the detective exam about 6 months before she did, and his background before joining the Chicago police department was military. And most importantly, Erin hoped that this Jay guy would become her new partner.
It had been 2 weeks since Erin passed her detective's exam and officially transferred units, but she was already tired of constantly riding with Hank or Al. When the Intelligence Unit formed a month ago with Hank at the head, no one batted an eye when Alvin Olinksy was the first person to move his stuff into a back wall desk on the second floor of the 21st district that would serve as the home of their unit.
The other two detectives came as a surprise to Erin. Jules Willhite and Antonio Dawson were a formidable pair of detectives. They had been partnered 2 years prior while working Guns and Gangs and their partnership was one of working legends. Their work preceded them and was more than enough to earn a spot in this new unit. The surprise came from the fact that Antonio had been directly involved in Hank's arrest. It was unclear to Erin why Antonio would take this post, but so far the two men seemed to have forged a grudging working relationship. Having Jules along definitely helped soften most of the two men's interactions.
Even arriving 5 minutes early, Erin was the last of the current Intelligence members to arrive in the bullpen. Hank was in his office looking through the stack of files on his desk. Al sat kicked back in his chair with his feet up on his desk, his hat pulled down over his eyes. Jules was perched on the corner of Antonio's desk chugging coffee while chattering away about her weekend. Erin stopped in the door of Hank's office to say a quick good morning before grabbing her own cup of coffee and joining Jules and Antonio.
At 9am on the dot the sound of someone walking up the stairs could be heard from the end of the bullpen. The first thing Erin noticed were the strong arms holding a cardboard box. Those arms were attached to a firm looking chest, a chiseled jaw, and a pair of piercing blue eyes. Antonio excused himself from the conversation and greeted Jay at the top of the stairs. Erin watched shile Antonio instructed him to drop the box on the empty desk and leads him to Hank's office. At the same time Jules gave Jay an exaggerated once over, then turned to Erin with her eyebrows raised high and a look of approval on her face. Erin couldn't contain the little laugh that escapes into her coffee mug when Jules wiggles her eyebrows up and down as if to say "what do you think?"
Erin shook her head at Jules antics and moved to sit at her desk just has Hank, Antonio and Jay emerged from the office.
"Everyone, this is Jay Halstead, newest member of Intelligence. Now that our caseload has been picking up, we might gain some additional members along the way. Catch him up to speed before we catch our next case."
Jay gives a small wave to the room before making his way to introduce himself to Al. He chit chats with Antonio for another minute and shakes hands with Jules, and before she knows it he's standing at the edge of her desk, hand extended in greeting.
"Jay Halstead" he says with a smile that she's sure has melted many hearts.
"Erin Lindsay" she responds placing her hand in his for a shake. She holds on for a second too long before she realizes she should drop his hand.
Damn, she thinks as she watches him sit at the desk across from hers. Things might get interesting around here.