Detective Jay Halstead strode into the bustling bullpen, his eyes scanning the room for his partner, Erin Lindsay. She was conspicuously absent from her desk, and curiosity gnawed at him. He approached Adam Ruzek, who was hunched over a case file.
"Ruzek," Jay called out, "have you seen Lindsay?"
Ruzek glanced up, his expression puzzled. "Nah, man. Haven't seen her since this morning. Maybe she's out with Upton or something."
Jay nodded, mentally noting that he'd check with Hailey Upton next. He moved toward Kim Burgess, who was engrossed in paperwork.
"Kim," Jay said, leaning against her desk, "any idea where Lindsay is?"
Kim looked up, her eyebrows raised. "Lindsay? Haven't seen her. Maybe she's with Dawson?"
Jay sighed. Antonio Dawson was a possibility, but he doubted it. He continued his search, approaching Kevin Atwater, who was sipping coffee by the break room.
"Kevin," Jay asked, "have you seen Lindsay today?"
Atwater shook his head. "Not since roll call. Maybe Voight knows."
Jay nodded, mentally adding Hank Voight to his list. He found Voight near the whiteboard, deep in thought.
"Voight," Jay began, "any word on Lindsay?"
Voight glanced at him, his gruff voice cutting through the room. "Not yet, Halstead. Keep looking."
Jay determination grew as he continued his search for Erin Lindsay. He decided to check the break room, hoping she might be there grabbing a quick snack or coffee. As he pushed open the door, he was met with an unexpected sight.
Erin sat at one of the tables, her back to him. She was hunched over a file, her fingers tapping on the keyboard of her laptop. Jay's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected to find her here, of all places.
He cleared his throat, and Erin glanced up, her expression a mix of surprise and annoyance. "Halstead," she said, her voice cool. "What are you doing here?"
Jay leaned against the counter, studying her. "Looking for you," he replied. "You disappeared, and I—"
"Disappeared?" Erin raised an eyebrow. "I've been right here, working on this case. Unlike some people, I don't spend my time gossiping in the bullpen."
Jay winced. He knew she was referring to Ruzek and the others. They were probably speculating about where Erin had gone. He decided to change tactics.
"Look," he said, "I was worried. You're my partner, and—"
Erin cut him off. "Your partner?" Her eyes flashed. "Is that all I am to you, Halstead? Just a partner?"
Jay's heart raced. He'd never been good at expressing his feelings, especially when it came to Erin. But he couldn't deny the truth any longer.
"No," he said softly. "You're more than that. You know that."
Erin's expression softened, and she closed the file. "Jay," she began, "we can't keep doing this. It's too complicated."
He stepped closer, reaching for her hand. "Maybe complicated is okay," he said. "Maybe we can figure it out together."
Erin hesitated, then sighed. "Fine," she said. "But no more disappearing acts, okay?"
Jay grinned. "Deal," he said. And as he leaned in to kiss her, he knew that this was just the beginning of their story