Hailey Upton walked into the unit, holding the hand of her two-year-old daughter, Lily. The toddler babbled excitedly, taking wobbly steps beside her mother. The team looked up from their desks, smiles spreading across their faces.
Ruzek grinned. "Well, look who we have here! Hey there, little one!"
"Hi!" Lily babbled back.
Burgess walked over, her eyes twinkling. "She's getting so big, Hailey! And look at those curls!"
Hailey smiled. "Yeah, she's growing up fast. Thought I'd bring her in for a bit since daycare is closed today."
Lily spotted Jay Halstead and toddled over to him, her eyes lighting up.
"Daddy!" she called out, reaching up.
The room went quiet for a moment. Jay knelt down to Lily's level, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hey there, Lily. I'm not your daddy, but I'm a good friend of your mommy's."
Lily looked a bit confused but then giggled, reaching out to touch Jay's face. "Jay!" she babbled.
Voight chuckled. "Looks like you've got a fan, Halstead."
Jay smiled. "Yeah, she's a sweetheart."
Hailey walked over and picked up Lily, giving Jay an appreciative look.
"Thanks, Jay. She's still figuring out names and faces."
Jay nodded. "No problem. She's a great kid."
The team was still gathered around Lily, enjoying her company, when the door opened again. Makayla, Burgess's daughter, walked in holding a colorful envelope.
"Mom, don't forget the party invites!" Makayla said excitedly.
Burgess looked up, smiling at her daughter. "Thanks for the reminder, sweetie. Come here and say hi to everyone."
Makayla walked over, waving at the team. She noticed Lily and her eyes lit up.
"Hi, Lily! Do you want to come to my birthday party?"
Lily looked at Makayla, intrigued by the colorful envelope she was holding.
"Party!" she babbled.
Hailey laughed. "Looks like she's excited about the idea."
Ruzek teased, "Hey, Makayla, can we come to the party too?"
Makayla giggled. "Of course! Everyone's invited!"
The team laughed, and Burgess gave Makayla a hug. "Thanks for being so thoughtful, Makayla. We'll make sure everyone gets their invite."
Makayla handed out the envelopes to the team, who accepted them with smiles and thanks. The atmosphere in the unit was filled with warmth and camaraderie.
Voight smiled. "Looks like we've got a party to look forward to."
Jay turned to Hailey. "Lily's going to have a blast."
Hailey nodded. "Yeah, she loves being around other kids."
The unit buzzed with excitement and joy, the team looking forward to the upcoming celebration.
Hailey and Jay arrived together, with Lily in tow. Hailey carried a gift bag, while Jay balanced several pizza boxes. Burgess opened the door, smiling warmly.
"Hey, you made it! Come on in," Burgess greeted them.
Hailey and Lily walked in first, greeted by the cheerful chaos of the party. Kids were running around, and parents were chatting. Everything seemed normal until Jay stepped in with the pizza.
"Pizza delivery!" Jay announced with a grin.
Suddenly, a group of excited kids rushed towards Jay, tugging at his jeans and pulling him outside. The team watched, amused.
"Whoa, whoa! Are you guys after the pizza or me?"
Jay laughed as the kids giggled and continued to drag him outside. He found himself surrounded, the pizza boxes nearly forgotten as the kids clamored for his attention.
"Looks like Jay's the main attraction," Ruzek chuckled.
"Better him than us," Voight smirked.
Burgess leaned down to whisper to Makayla,
"Go save Uncle Jay, sweetie."
Makayla giggled and ran outside to help. Meanwhile, Lily looked around and spotted Jay through the window.
"Daddy!" she called out.
The team exchanged amused glances as they watched Jay being "mauled" by the kids outside.
"She's still getting used to names," Hailey smiled.
"Jay's got his hands full out there," Atwater laughed.
"Makayla will rescue him," Burgess grinned.
Jay finished handing out the pizza slices and took a moment to catch his breath. The kids, however, were not done with him. They swarmed around him, and in the chaos, Jay lost his balance and fell to the ground, getting muddy.
"Alright, alright, you got me!"
Jay laughed, dragging himself up, covered in mud. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of chips.
Swinging the bag in the air, he immediately shifted the kids' attention.
"Who wants chips?" Jay grinned.
The kids cheered and started running towards him. Jay used the chips as a bribe to get them to calm down, but soon it got out of hand.
The kids were grabbing at the bag, and Jay was trying to keep up with their demands.
"One at a time, one at a time!" Jay laughed, struggling to maintain order.
Inside, the team watched the scene unfold, laughing at Jay's predicament.
"He's really in the thick of it now," Ruzek chuckled.
"Should we go help him?" Voight smirked.
"He seems to have it under control… sort of," Hailey smiled.
The party had wound down, and the kids were starting to tire out. Jay walked back towards the house, carrying four sleeping kids in his arms. His clothes were even muddier now, with sting nettles and bits of bush stuck to him. He looked exhausted but content.
"Alright, let's get you guys inside," Jay said softly.
He carefully maneuvered through the door, trying not to wake the kids. The team looked up, amused and impressed by the sight.
"Jay, you look like you've been through a war zone," Hailey laughed.
"And you brought back the spoils," Ruzek grinned.
"Need a hand there, Halstead?" Voight smirked.
"I think I got it, thanks," Jay replied with a weary smile.
He gently laid the kids down on the couch and floor, making sure they were comfortable. Makayla came over, looking concerned.
"Uncle Jay, you're all dirty!" Makayla exclaimed.
"Yeah, I had a bit of an adventure out there," Jay chuckled.
Lily toddled over, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She looked up at Jay and reached out her arms.
"Daddy!" she called.
Jay knelt down, giving her a gentle hug. "Hey, Lily. You ready for a nap too?" he asked softly.
Lily nodded, and Jay picked her up, carrying her over to a quiet corner where she could rest. The team watched, smiling at the scene.
"He's really great with the kids," Burgess whispered to Hailey.
"Yeah, he is," Hailey nodded.
Jay finally sat down, looking around at the sleeping kids and the team.
"I think I need a nap too," he sighed.
"You earned it, man," Atwater laughed.
As the party wound down, parents started to gather their kids to go home. The kids, however, were not happy about leaving and began to cry, clinging to Jay.
"I want Jay!" one kid cried.
"Jay, don't go!" another sniffled.
The team watched, amused, as Jay tried to comfort the kids. "Hey, it's okay. You'll see me again soon, I promise," he said gently.
Noticing Jay's efforts, the moms started to flirt with him, making him even more uncomfortable.
"You're so good with kids, Jay. Do you have any of your own?" one mom smiled.
"Maybe you could give me some tips sometime," another mom flirted.
Jay looked around, pleading silently for help. Ruzek, seeing an opportunity for some fun, stepped in and put a hand on Jay's lower back.
"Sorry, ladies, but Jay's taken. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" Ruzek grinned.
The team burst into laughter, and Jay's eyes widened in surprise. He stuttered, trying to respond.
"Uh, y-yeah, that's right…"
"Didn't see that coming," Voight smirked.
"Nice save, Ruzek," Hailey laughed.
The moms, looking a bit disappointed, started to gather their kids and leave. The kids continued to cry, reaching out for Jay.
"Jay, I want Jay!" another kid cried.
Jay waved goodbye, still a bit flustered, as the last of the kids and moms left. The team watched, clearly entertained by the whole situation.
"You've got three seconds to get your hand off my back," Jay said, turning to Ruzek.
"Alright, alright, just trying to help!" Ruzek laughed, removing his hand.
The team continued to laugh and tease Jay about the incident.
"You handled that pretty well, Jay," Atwater grinned.
"Yeah, thanks for the 'help,' Ruzek," Jay sighed.
The team was still laughing and teasing Jay about the earlier incident when suddenly, one of the kids who had just left ran back into the house. It was a little boy, tears streaming down his face.
"Jay! I forgot my toy!" the boy cried.
Jay immediately knelt down, opening his arms to the boy.
"Hey, buddy. It's okay. Let's find your toy," he said gently.
The boy ran into Jay's arms, still sniffling. Jay looked around and spotted a small stuffed animal on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to the boy.
"Here you go. Is this what you were looking for?" Jay asked with a smile.
The boy nodded, "Thank you, Jay."
Hugging his toy tightly, the boy then hugged Jay. The team watched, their smiles softening at the sweet moment.
"You're really good with them, Jay," Hailey said, smiling.
"Yeah, you have a way with kids," Voight added, nodding.
The boy's mom came back in, looking relieved. "Thank you, Jay. He's been talking about you all day," she said with a smile.
"No problem. Glad I could help," Jay replied, smiling back.
The mom took the boy's hand, and they headed back out. The boy waved goodbye to Jay, who waved back with a warm smile. The team continued to watch, clearly impressed by Jay's patience and kindness.
"See, Jay? You're a natural," Ruzek said, grinning.
Jay laughed, "Yeah, yeah. Just doing my part."
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I appreciate all your feedback and votes and follows.
i had a lot of requests for me to do a story like this, so I decided to and feel free to give me some story ideas of your choice, but be warned I only write One Chicago fics. (Mainly PD)