the intelligence unit is gathered, looking at the body of a young woman.
He looks at his team, the seriousness in his eyes. We've got a homicide on our hands. Young woman, late twenties, found in an alleyway off of South State Street." Voight explained.
He goes over to the body, crouching down. "She was stabbed multiple times. No ID on her, no wallet, nothing."
As the team is going over the area, Jay suddenly looks up as he hears a voice calling his name from behind them. He turns to see a suspect, a shady-looking man, walking towards them.
The suspect smirks when he sees Jay. "Hey, Ryan. Long time no see."
He glares at the suspect, his fists clenching. "What are you doing here?"
The suspect grins, a sly expression on his face. "I hear you're still banging pretty boy over here." He motions to Hailey who is standing nearby, her expression hardening.
Jay stiffens, his whole body tensing up. He takes a step towards the suspect, his eyes narrowing. "Shut your mouth."
The suspect throws his arms up in mock surrender. "Woah, whoa. Easy there, tough guy. I'm just joking around."
Jay moves closer to the suspect, his voice low and menacing. "You better think twice before you say anything about Hailey again. Or I'll make you regret you ever opened your mouth."
The suspect looks at Jay, a smirk on his face. "The boss wants to see you." He leans closer, speaking in a lowered voice. "You're still in debt for getting bailed out, you know."
Jay's expression darkens as he hears the suspect's words. He glares at him quietly for a moment before replying. "I know."
The unit members all turn to Jay, concern etched on their faces. Hailey's gaze is sharp as she speaks up first. "Jay, what was that all about?"
Jay walks under the tape, his movements a bit stiff. He rubs at his nose, sniffing again. He turns back to Hailey. "No one you'd want to be around. The kind of people you'd steer clear from."
She nods, giving him a sympathetic look. "Okay. Just…be careful, alright?"
He gives her a small smile, reassuring her as best he can. "I will. Promise."
As the unit works on the case, they realize that Jay is conspicuously absent from the bullpen. They share glances, then Kevin looks up from his file.
"Hey, uh, has anyone seen Jay?"
Hailey looks up from her computer, and shakes her head. "No, I haven't seen him since earlier at the crime scene."
Antonio looks up as well, a frown on his face. "It's not like him to disappear like that, especially in the middle of a case."
Kim interjects, her eyebrows furrowing as she thinks. "Maybe he's in the bathroom? Has anyone checked there?"
Ruzek shakes his head, sitting back in his chair. "I haven't seen him go in there at all today. This is weird…" They all fall silent, silently agreed that something's not right.
As everyone is still contemplating Jay's whereabouts, the sound of the bullpen door opening grabs their attention. They all turn to see Jay walking in, and they all freeze. He's not in his regular detective attire. Instead, he's wearing a pair of jeans, a smart shirt under a hoodie and his hair is completely different – it's straight and slicked back. They all stare at him for a moment, shocked by his appearance change.
Hailey's eyes widen, her mouth slightly open as she takes in the sight of him. Everyone else seems to be equally, if not more, shocked. Finally, she breaks the silence. "Uh, Jay? What's with the new look?"
He stops in front of their desks, his hands shoved in his pockets. He gives them a sheepish smile.
"Oh, this? Yeah… It's nothing, just…had to meet with someone." He avoids eye contact, looking around the bullpen.
Antonio's eyes narrow at Jay's response. He leans forward, a frown on his face. "Had to 'meet with someone'? What kind of meeting needs you to change your whole look?"
Jay sighs, plopping himself down on the edge of Hailey's desk. He looks around at the team, his expression a mix of nervousness. When he speaks, his tone is low and tight. "Look, you guys know I've got…connections that I'm not exactly proud of. They've helped me out before, but they always want something in return. To the boss, image is everything. So…this…" He motions to his appearance. "This is how he likes me to look when we meet."
There's a beat of silence as the team processes his words. Hailey's eyes flit between him and the other team members, seeing the concern and disbelief on their faces. Kim, sitting next to Hailey, is the one to finally break the silence.
"Wait…you've got to be kidding me. You let him tell you how to dress?"
Jay huffs at Kim's question, running a hand through his now-straightened hair. He glances at Hailey before answering. "It's not exactly a matter of 'letting' him. I owe him. Big time. And unfortunately for me, he's not someone you can refuse to pay back. He knows things that I don't want getting out, things that could put me and everyone I care about in danger. So, yeah, I've gotta do as he says, no questions asked."
Antonio speaks up, a disgusted expression on his face. "So what, you're gonna keep doing favors for this scumbag? Keep looking like some mobster just so he doesn't snitch?"
"It's not that simple." Jay mutters.
Ruzek tilts his head, his voice serious. "How is it not that simple? You can't keep running around like this, man. This guy's got you wrapped around his finger, and you're letting him do it." Jay clenches his jaw, clearly frustrated.
Hailey shoots a quick glare at the guys, sensing Jay's growing agitation. She turns her attention back to him, her voice soft. "They've got a point, Jay. You can't keep doing favors for this guy. It's not safe." Jay sighs heavily, looking at Hailey, conflicted.
He bites his lip, his eyes glued to the ground. After a few seconds, he lets out a heavy breath.
"I know, Hailey. Trust me, I know. I don't like this any more than you guys do, but it's not like I got a choice. He's holding a lot over my head, I can't risk him using it against me."
Hailey places a hand on his arm, speaking in a gentle tone. "There's always a choice, Jay. There's always another way. You don't have to keep playing his game."
Jay stands up abruptly, pushing himself off the desk. Without a word, he stalks out of the bullpen and straight into the locker room, the door slamming shut behind him with a loud bang. The team sits in stunned silence, exchanging worried glances.
Hailey clenches her jaw as she looks towards the closed door. The others share nervous looks, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, Kim breaks the tense silence.
"Should we…go after him?"
Antonio stands up, his face pinched with worry.
"I don't think that's a good idea right now. Let him cool off. He just needs some time." The team nods in agreement, although they all seem uneasy. They continue working on the case, but the mood in the room is tense, everyone's thoughts still on Jay and the situation he's in with his boss.
Later in the day, Jay rushes back into the bullpen, still wearing his jeans and hoodie combo and his hair still slicked back. He looks around, his demeanor urgent. He speaks in a frantic tone.
"What's the emergency?"
The team stops what they're doing when Hailey suddenly throws down a stack of photos on the table in front of them. They all exchange confused glances before looking down at the pictures. As they look through the images, their expressions shift from confusion to shock to concern. In the pictures, Jay is seen wearing a hospital gown, his face a mess of injuries. His lip is split, there's a purple bruise around his eye, and his neck is covered in a large, dark bruise. They all look to Hailey, silently asking for an explanation.
Hailey's voice is tight with anger as she explains. "These pictures were taken on New Year's Day at an ER downtown. One of my old patrol car partners sent them to me." There's a collective gasp as the team takes in the severity of the photos.
Kim's voice is small, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh my God, Jay…what happened?"
Jay lets out a heavy sigh, seeing the concerned looks on the team's faces. He rubs a hand over his face before speaking. "On New Year's Eve, I got invited to one of my boss's parties. He was pretty drunk, and I managed to get him alone in a room. I thought I could talk some sense into him, get him to back off. But he mistook it as something else."
The team's expressions darken as they listen to Jay's explanation. Kim is the first to speak, her voice hesitant.
"Did he-?"
Jay quickly cuts her off, shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, it didn't go that far. He was moving in on me, about to do something, but I managed to get away. But not before he landed a few blows." He points to the battered and bruised version of himself in the photos.
Hailey's grip on the photos tightens, anger flashing across her face. "You should've gone to the damn hospital. Instead you just let yourself stay like that for days?"
Jay bristles at Hailey's tone, his own anger beginning to flare. "What was I supposed to do, huh? Go to the hospital and answer a bunch of stupid questions from some doctor about how I got beaten up?"
Hailey retorts, her eyes narrowing. "Yes, you were supposed to go to the hospital! You should've gotten yourself checked out instead of just avoiding the damn problem!" The rest of the team watches the exchange in tense silence, their gazes darting between Jay and Hailey.
Jay, still seething with anger, stalks out of the bullpen. He storms through the bullpen, shoving his way through the door forcefully and letting it slam shut behind him.
Hailey pushes her chair back and stands up, a determined look on her face. She glances around the team, her mind obviously made up.
"I got an idea. Meet me at the bar in ten." Without waiting for a response, she grabs her jacket and heads towards the door.
The team arrives at the bar, spotting Hailey sitting at the counter, deep in conversation with someone. As they approach hesitantly, they recognize the person sitting next to Hailey as Jay's social worker, Michelle.
They all look at each other, confused as to why the social worker would be there. Kim is the first to speak up, her voice quiet. "Is that…Jay's social worker?"
Michelle looks up as the team approaches, her expression guarded. As they get closer, they notice she's holding a file in her hands. She nods curtly as they sit down before speaking.
"Yes, I'm Jay's social worker. His file's right here in my hands."
Michelle looks at them with a wary expression, her grip on the file tightening a bit. "Why do you all want access to Jay's file?"
Antonio steps forward, his tone determined. "We're worried about him. We think he might be in trouble, and we want to help him.
"There's a beat of silence, Michelle studying them closely. Finally, she lets out a sigh, her grip on the file loosening a bit.
Michelle gives a reluctant nod. "Alright. I can see you all care about him. But I hope you understand that what's in this file... It's sensitive material. I need to know you'll tread carefully with it."
Hailey nods, her voice firm. "We understand. We just want to help him. That's all." Michelle looks at them with a skeptical expression, but after a few seconds, she nods. "Okay. I'm going to trust you with this file. But I need to warn you...what you find in there probably won't be easy to hear."
The team sits there, their expressions grave as they brace themselves to hear what Michelle has to say. Michelle opens the file, her voice flat as she reads the contents.
Michelle glances down at the file in her lap, her voice emotionless as she speaks. "Jay first came under my supervision at age two. His mother had passed away, and his father was a violent, abusive alcoholic. Child protective services removed Jay from the household after numerous reports of physical and emotional abuse."
The team's eyes widen as they listen, their hearts clenching as they imagine a two-year-old Jay going through such horrific treatment. Hailey's jaw tightens, her knuckles turning white as she balls her fists.
Michelle continues, still reading from the file. "From there, Jay was transferred to a series of foster homes. But in most cases, the abuse continued. In fact, several families specifically requested Jay because of his tendency to blame himself for the abuse."
There's a collective gasp amongst the team, their shock growing with every sentence.
Later, Jay standing in front of his boss's desk, looking nervous and uncomfortable. The team is standing to the side of the room, watching the interaction closely, their expressions serious. The boss is sitting behind his fancy oak desk, eyeing Jay with an imperious air.
The boss lets out a low whistle, eyeing Jay's bruised appearance with a smirk. "Look at the state of you. You look like you got hit by a damn truck. What happened to your pretty face?"
Jay clenches his fists, his voice tight. "I ran into a door. It's nothing." The boss laughs, leaning back in his chair. "A door, huh? You expect me to believe that bullshit?"
Kim's face turns red, her jaw clenching. "This guy seriously thinks he owns Jay."
Antonio's hands clench into fists, his voice a barely contained rage. "This is sick. We cant just stand here and watch this."
A flash of fear crosses Jay's face as the boss grabs him and shoves him against the side of the van. He winces as his body makes contact with the metal, his hands flying up to cushion the impact. The team watches in horror, their hands balling into fists.
As the boss got up, he shoved Jay roughly against the van, making Jay gasp.
The boss then examined his body going to his chest, stomach, and waist and legs to feel for any sort of tracking device.
Antonio steps forward, his voice loud and urgent. "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The team follow suit, moving towards Jay and the boss with anger etched on their faces.
The boss glances up, a cold smirk on his face. "Just making sure he's not wearing a wire. Can't be too careful nowadays, y'know?"
The team falters for a second, their eyes darting to Jay, who still has his hands against the van, his body tense.
Hailey's voice is icy as she steps closer, her gaze fixed on the boss. "You've already searched him. There's no wire. Now back off."
The boss looks at Hailey, his smirk still in place. "Oh, I'm not sure I believe you. I think I'll need to do a more thorough check."
The team bristles at the boss's words, and Kim steps forward, her hand on her gun. Antonio joins her, his voice firm. "We said, back the hell off."
Kevin's hand pulls out a phone to call for backup when suddenly, the boss's goon shouts out a warning.
"Gun!"
Everyone's attention snaps to Jay, who's eyes widen in realization. With lightning-fast reflexes, Jay lunges forward and elbows the boss in the nose. The boss staggers back, his hands flying to his face. In the confusion, Jay quickly grabs the goon's nearby gun and aims it at the goon and pulls the trigger.
The room rings with the loud sound of the shot as the goon falls to the ground, unmoving. The boss and the team stand there, stunned into silence watching the whole thing. Jay stands there, breathing heavily, the gun still clutched in his trembling hand.
The boss tries to make a hasty escape, slamming the door of the van. But Jay, his adrenaline still pumping, reacts quickly. He sprints towards the door and yanks it open, his gun at the ready. He steps into the van just as the boss lunges at him, grabbing him and roughly shoving him against the wall.
Jay gasps as his back connects with the wall, pain exploding through his body. The boss glares at him, his face inches away from Jay's as he pushes him harder against the wall.
The team watches through the open van door, their eyes wide and their bodies tense. They're torn between wanting to step in and help Jay, but they're also afraid of making things worse.
Hailey's heart races as she sees Jay pinned against the wall. "Damn it, we need to do something. We can't just let him get hurt."
Jay uses every ounce of strength he has to push the boss away, his actions filled with anger and desperation. He knees his stomach, sending the boss stumbling back. But before he can gain the advantage, the boss recovers quickly and grabs him again, slamming him against the wall. The impact knocks the air out of Jay, and he falls to the ground in a heap.
Jay struggles to catch his breath, his head spinning from the force of the headbutt. The boss looms over him, his face twisted in anger.
The boss glares down at Jay with a snarl, his voice low and dangerous. "You think you can outsmart me, huh? You think you can get away with this?"
Jay struggles to rise to his feet, wincing as he does so. He glares at the boss, his voice hoarse from the impact. "You don't own me. You don't get to push me around like I'm some goddamn puppet."
The boss sneers at him, advancing closer. "Oh, you still think you have some choice in this? You're wrong, boy. You're mine, and you'll do exactly as I say."
Jay's anger and desperation propel him forward. He slams the boss into the staircase, causing him to stumble and lose his balance before delivering a flurry of punches to his face, leaving him bruised and bloody. As the boss falls to the ground, gasping for air, Jay swiftly grabs the gun and aims it directly at the boss's face, his hand steadier than it was before.
The boss looks up at Jay through battered, bleary eyes, his face a mess of blood and broken flesh. He lifts his head a bit, his voice weak.
"You really think you can kill me?"
Hailey enters the van, her gun held firmly in her hand. She approaches Jay, her voice steady but cautious. "Jay, put the gun down. This isn't the way."
Jay doesn't move, his eyes still fixed on the boss's face. "He deserves this, Hailey. He made my life into a living hell. It's time he feels some of the pain he's caused."
Hailey steps closer, carefully, her eyes locked on Jay. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be. But this isn't the way to handle this. You'll just end up landing yourself in more trouble."
Jay's grip on the gun tightens, his knuckles turning white. "He deserves to suffer. I can't just let him get away with everything he's done."
Hailey's eyes soften as she looks at him, seeing the pain and anger behind his anger. "I understand, Jay. But think about everything you've built. You fought hard to get where you are, to be a good cop. You don't want to throw it all away."
Hailey's words seem to penetrate through the fog of anger in Jay's mind a bit. He hesitates for a moment, his eyes flickering between the boss and Hailey. With a pained expression, he finally releases the gun, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter.
The team, who had been listening to the exchange in anxious silence, finally breathes a sigh of relief. They approach the van, their eyes trained on Jay. However, he doesn't give them time to say anything, his attention quickly refocused on the boss.
He crouches down in front of the boss, his voice low and dangerous. "Sit up. Now."
The boss, clearly in pain and still disoriented, slowly and shakily rises up. His breathing is labored, and his eyes are filled with a mix of hate and fear.
Jay keeps his gaze locked on the boss as he grabs his handcuffs. With a swift and efficient manner, he roughly grabs the boss's hands and handcuffs him, his movements precise but filled with barely controlled anger.
Kim and Antonio step into the van and grab the boss, hauling him to his feet. The boss struggles feebly, but his efforts are easily overpowered. While they deal with the boss, Jay leans against the wall, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. A large, deep brown bruise has formed on his forehead, angry and swollen.
His clothes are disheveled, and his face is red and sweaty. The adrenaline that had fueled his earlier actions has started to wear off, leaving him tired and in pain. The team watches him, their concern evident on their faces.
Hailey steps forward, her eyes scanning over his bruised and battered body. "Jay, are you okay?" Her voice is gentle, yet filled with worry.
Jay nods in response, his voice hoarse and rough. "I'm fine." He pushes himself away from the wall and slowly starts to walk away, wincing as he does so. Despite his dismissive words, it's clear that he's hurting, both physically and emotionally.
The team watches him go, their eyes filled with an unspoken understanding. They know Jay well enough to recognize that he's putting on a brave front, trying to brush off the pain he's in. But they also know that there will be a time when he can't keep up the act anymore.
Later, Jay is fast asleep on the couch in his apartment. The room is quiet and dim, the only source of light coming from the street lamps outside. Suddenly, a loud, urgent knock on the door jolts him awake.
He jerks upright, his heart racing as he glances around disoriented. It takes him a moment to regain his bearings and remember where he is. He groggily gets up, wincing as his still-healing wounds protest the movement.
He makes his way to the door and opens it, his eyes half-lidded and weary. Standing outside is Hailey, her features lined with worry.
He lets out a weary sigh as he sees her. "Hailey, what are you doing here?" His voice is gruff from sleep but his eyes are alert, taking in her expression.
She looks him up and down, taking in his disheveled appearance. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her words are simple, but the concern in her eyes speaks volumes.
He leans against the door frame, a small weary smile tugging at his lips. "I told you, I'm fine."
Hailey doesn't wait for an invitation. She pushes the door open a bit wider and walks right into the apartment, her eyes never leaving Jay's face. She closes the door behind her and turns back to him, her expression a mixture of concern.
He watches as she walks in, too tired to argue or protest. He steps back to give her room, his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants.
Hailey scans the living room, taking in the scattered books and papers spread across the coffee table. Her eyes fall on the couch, the blanket tossed carelessly on the ground. The room is a testament to the fact that Jay isn't doing as fine as he claims to be.
She turns her attention back to him, her voice soft. "Jay, you look exhausted. And you're not fooling anyone, you know that right?"
Jay makes his way over to the drink cabinet, his movements slow and deliberate due to the pain in his body. He opens the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of scotch, along with two glasses.
He glances at Hailey, raising an eyebrow. "You want some scotch?" His tone is nonchalant, but she can see the flicker of fatigue in his eyes.
Hailey nods, her gaze fixed on his face. "Sure, why not." She watches as he pours a measure of the golden liquid into each glass, his hands trembling slightly from exhaustion.
He hands her one of the glasses, the smell of the scotch filling the air between them. He takes a small, hesitant sip, letting the alcohol burn its way down his throat.
He winces slightly as the alcohol hits his stomach, but he hides it quickly. He gestures for her to sit on the couch, his voice a bit weary. "Make yourself comfortable." He takes a seat himself, sitting on the edge of the couch as if he might have to get up at any moment.
Hailey takes a seat on the opposite end, carefully watching him. She takes a sip of her scotch, her eyes never leaving his face. The room is quiet for a few moments, the only sound coming from the occasional cars passing by outside.
Hailey breaks the silence, her voice gentle but firm. "Jay, tell me what really happened at that party." She looks at him, her eyes intently studying his face, searching for the truth behind his tough exterior.
Jay takes a deep breath as he prepares to talk. It clearly takes a lot out of him, and he winces as he moves to get more comfortable. "Okay, you want the truth? I'll give it to you." He starts from the beginning, recounting the events of the night.
Jay continues, the words pouring out of him like a confession. "I was at a party with a bunch of guys, things were going smoothly, but then it started getting out of control. Everyone was getting drunk and rowdy, and they pushed me around a bit. I figured it was just the booze talking, but then things escalated."
He continues, his voice tight with anger as he recalls the events. "A few guys dragged me into a bedroom, and I didn't put up much of a fight. I was a bit drunk at that point, letting them lead me instead of fighting back."
He hesitates, and looks away for a moment. This memory seems more painful than the others, and it takes a moment for him to find the words. "They pushed me down, got my buckle undone and—" he breaks off, his voice hoarse with emotion.
He can't finish, the memories obviously stirring up too many emotions. He's clearly struggling to hold himself together, and he takes a gulp of scotch to try and ease the tightness in his throat.
Hailey reaches out to touch his arm gently, her voice soft. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say anymore." Her touch conveys both understanding and comfort, letting him know that he doesn't have to continue if he's not ready.
Jay can't take it anymore. The walls he's been trying to build up are crumbling. The pain, the shame, and the anger start to surface. He abruptly gets up from the couch and marches into the bedroom, the door banging shut behind him with a thud. He's clearly overwhelmed, the memories and emotions consuming him like a wave.
He stands in the center of the room, his chest heaving as he tries to steady his breathing. The silence is deafening as he struggles to control his emotions, his body tense and rigid. He's trying to keep it together, but the crack in the dam has started to appear. The only thing left is to see if the dam will hold or if it will break completely.