TW: Mentions of Drug Use,
Jay's eyes opened slowly, blinking as he adjusted to the soft light filtering in through the curtains. He was warm and comfortable, and it took him a moment to realize that he was lying on his side, his head resting on something soft and warm.
He shifted slightly, looking down and realizing that his head was resting on Erin's stomach. Her hands were intertwined in his hair as she slept peacefully, her breaths slow and even.
Jay felt a rush of mixed emotions as he looked at her. He had fallen asleep crying on her, his entire body drained and exhausted. And now, here he was, waking up with his head on her stomach, her hands in his hair.
He slowly and carefully lifted his head, not wanting to disturb her.
He couldn't help but think back to the night before, how vulnerable and broken he had felt. He had poured out his heart to her, laid bare all his feelings and emotions. And yet, here she was, sleeping comfortably next to him, her hands still tangled in his hair.
He carefully extracted his hair from her hands, careful not to wake her. He sat up slowly, stretching out his stiff muscles. He looked around the room, realizing for the first time that he was still fully clothed.
He glanced over at Erin, who was still asleep, her lips parted slightly and her hair messy. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, her face soft and relaxed in sleep.
Erin stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she slowly came to consciousness. She sat up slowly, stretching her arms above her head, and when she saw Jay sitting on the edge of the bed, she couldn't help a small, sarcastic remark.
"Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you have a nice nap on my stomach?"
Jay chuckled at her snarky comment, shaking his head slightly. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to flatten the messy strands.
"Yeah, I slept like a baby," he teased back. "Your stomach is way more comfortable than the lumpy hotel pillow."
Erin rolled her eyes, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Glad I could provide a comfortable resting place for you. Next time, I'll charge you for the privilege."
Jay laughed, the sound light and easy. "Oh yeah? What's the going rate for using you as a pillow?"
Erin chuckled, a sly grin on her face. "Oh, it's very expensive. You might not be able to afford it, buddy."
Jay raised an eyebrow, his lips quirked in a smirk. "Oh yeah? How expensive are we talking here?"
Erin's smile widened as she leaned back against the pillows, folding her arms behind her head. "Let's just say, you might be in debt for the next few years."
Erin's smile widened as she leaned back against the pillows, folding her arms behind her head. "Let's just say, you might be in debt for the next few years."
Jay chuckled again, leaning back on his hands and looking at her. "I think I can handle a little debt," he said, his voice low and suggestive. "If it's for a good cause."
Erin noticed the tension in his forehead, the lines that appeared as she touched him. She continued to gently massage his temples, her fingers warm and soothing against his skin.
"You're tense," she said softly, her voice gentle. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Jay closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath as she continued to massage his head. "I...I just have a lot going on," he said, his voice strained. "Work, life, everything. Just a lot on my mind, you know?"
Erin nodded, her fingers moving to massage the base of his neck. "Yeah, I know," she said softly. "You're always carrying so much on your shoulders. It's okay to let some of it go, you know."
Jay sighed, his body relaxing under her touch. "It's easier said than done," he murmured. "I've been carrying this stuff for years, it kinda becomes a part of you after a while."
Erin smiled softly, her hands still working the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders. "I'm here, Jay," she said. "You don't have to carry everything alone anymore. I'm here to help you, to support you. I'm buying my old apartment back, so I'll be here all the time. You don't have to deal with stuff alone anymore."
Jay opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. "You're...you're buying your old apartment back?" he repeated, his voice a little shaky. "You're...you're staying in Chicago?"
Erin nodded, her hands moving back to his temples. "Yeah," she said softly. "I decided it was time to come back. I wanted to be here, with you. I missed...I missed you, Jay."
Jay's heart skipped a beat at her words, emotion welling up in his chest. He reached out, taking one of her hands in his, holding it tightly. "I missed you too," he said, his voice thick. "So damn much."
Erin felt her heart ache at the sight of his eyes filling with tears again. She reached up, cupping his cheek gently, her thumb stroking his skin.
"Hey, hey," she said softly, her voice comforting. "It's okay. I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."
She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"I love you, Jay."
Jay took a shaky breath, his eyes red-rimmed and his voice thick with emotion. "I...I need to tell Hailey," he said, his voice cracking. "I need to tell her that I'm...that I'm breaking up with her. I can't keep leading her on, not when...not when I'm in love with you."
Erin's eyes widened at his words, her heart skipping a beat. She had expected him to break up with Hailey, but hearing him say it out loud still shocked her.
"Are you...are you sure?" she asked, her voice soft. "You...you don't have to do it for me. As much as I don't want you to be with her, I...I don't want you to hurt her either."
Jay nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sure," he said, his voice firm. "I...I love her, don't get me wrong, but...but not the way I love you. And it's not fair to her. She deserves someone who loves her completely, and that's not me. Not anymore."
Erin's heart both ached and filled with joy as he spoke. She hated to be the cause of his pain, but she couldn't deny the part of her that was glad that he was choosing her, that he was breaking things off with Hailey.
"When...when are you going to tell her?" she asked, her hand rubbing soothing circles on his back, which relaxes him.
"I...I need to do it soon," Jay said, his voice steadier now. "I can't keep stringing her along, not when my heart is no longer in it. I...I'll talk to her later today."
Erin looked at Jay's beard, the stubble covering his jaw and chin. She reached up, running her fingers through the coarse hair.
"You know, you'll look really good with a clean-shaven face," she said, her voice playful. "I bet you'll look years younger."
Jay chuckled, his hand coming up to touch his beard. "You always did like my scruff," he said, grinning. "Said it looks good on me."
Erin rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, I do like it. But not when you're nuzzling me with it. It's scratchy and uncomfortable."
Jay laughed aloud at her words, his hand coming up to rub at his beard. "Oh yeah? You don't like my scratchy face?" he joked.
Erin wrinkled her nose, feigning outrage. "No, I do not like your scratchy face," she said with a mock frown. "Your beard is like sandpaper against my skin."
As Jay and Erin stepped into the bullpen, the entire unit's attention immediately turned to them.
Kevin's eyes widened, a grin spreading across his face. "Whoa, look who's back!" he said, his voice loud.
Adam and Kim, who had been watching a soccer match on Tv, quickly turned around, their mouths hanging open.
"Erin!" Kim exclaimed, jumping up from her chair. "You're back!"
Kevin, Adam and Kim all rushed over to where Erin and Jay were standing, each trying to get a word in first.
"I can't believe you're actually back!" Kevin said, his voice full of excitement. "We missed you, girl!"
Adam nodded, his eyes flickering from Erin to Jay. "Yeah, we really did. How long are you staying this time?"
Erin smiled, her heart swelling at the enthusiastic welcome she was receiving from her old friends. "I'm back for good," she said, her voice firm. "I'm not going anywhere this time."
As the rest of the unit continued to shower Erin with happy exclamations and questions, Hailey walked over, her expression stony and hostile. She stood a few feet away from Erin, her arms crossed.
"So, you're back," she said coolly, her eyes flickering over Erin's face. "And here I thought we'd gotten rid of you for good."
Erin met her eyes, her smile faded and replaced by a seriousness. She knew this moment would come, and she wasn't looking forward to it, but she wouldn't back down.
"Yeah, I'm back," she said simply, her voice even. "And I'm staying this time."
Hailey's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenching. "And what makes you think you're welcome here? The unit's doing just fine without you. We don't need you coming back and stirring things up again."
The rest of the unit looked at Hailey, shocked at her harsh words. Adam, Kevin and Kim all exchanged looks, silently communicating that they were all on Erin's side.
Kevin was the first one to speak, his voice filled with disbelief. "Hey, whoa, Hailey. There's no need to be rude."
Adam nodded, his eyes fixed on Hailey. "Yeah, seriously, what's up with you? Erin's just come back. There's no need to attack her like that."
Hailey's expression twisted into a sneer, her eyes narrowing further. "Oh, yeah, we should all welcome back the ex-cop who let her life spiral into a mess of drugs and addiction," she said, her voice laced with venom.
The rest of the unit looked visibly uncomfortable at her words, all of them shooting worried glances at Erin.
The rest of the unit quickly stepped in to defend Erin.
"Hailey, that's enough," Adam snapped, his voice firm. "Erin's changed her life around. She's sober now. You have no right to talk about her like that."
"Yeah," Kim chimed in, her eyes flashing. "We all make mistakes. She doesn't need you throwing her past in her face like that."
Hailey looked around at the unit, her expression challenging. "Oh, so we're just supposed to forget about her past? The fact that she threw her career away because she couldn't control her drug problem? We're just supposed to accept her back into the unit like nothing happened?"
Erin's eyes stung with tears as Hailey's words cut deep. She felt her chest tighten, a lump forming in her throat. She reached out unconsciously, her hand gripping Jay's arm tightly.
Hailey smirked, seeing Erin's emotional state and continuing her verbal attack. "Aw, look at her. Can't handle a little bit of truth, huh? I guess some things never change."
Jay, his expression hard, suddenly stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "That's enough, Hailey," he said firmly. "You need to back off."
Hailey's face twisted into a scowl, her eyes flashing with anger. "Oh, you're defending her now, Jay? Are you seriously taking her side over mine?"
Jay's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. "I'm not taking sides, Hailey. But I won't stand by and watch you bully and insult Erin like this. You need to back off.
The rest of the unit watched the exchange with horror and anger, all of them glaring at Hailey.
Kim, her voice sharp, piped up first. "Hailey, look what you're doing to Erin. She's shaking, do you see that?"
Adam, who had been clenching his fists in anger, added his voice to the mix. "Yeah, and Jay looks like he's about to snap if you don't stop. You need to back down, now."
Hailey glanced at Erin, her eyes drifting to her trembling form and Jay's rigid stance. Her expression grew slightly softer as she saw the effect her words were having on everyone, but she still held her ground.
"Fine, I'll back off," she said, her voice resigned. "But this isn't over. I still don't trust Erin to have her old job back."
The rest of the unit gave her disapproving looks, but didn't say anything. They all knew Hailey was being difficult, and there was no point in arguing with her right now.
Erin's tears came suddenly, her body shaking as she sobbed. The emotional toll of Hailey's words and the situation was too much for her to handle.
Jay, who had been watching her intently, immediately moved closer to her. He didn't hesitate for a moment before scooping her up into his arms, lifting her off the floor and holding her tightly against his chest.
Erin buried her face into his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt as she clung to him. He held her firmly, his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on the top of her head.
The rest of the unit watched with a mix of concern and guilt. They all felt bad for Erin, for having to go through this.
"Jesus," Adam mumbled, his voice low. "Hailey really went hard on her."
Kim nodded, her eyes sad. "Yeah, she was way out of line. I've never seen her this...cruel."
Erin, still sniffling and shaking in Jay's arms, lifted her head just enough so she could speak. Her voice was thick with tears and pain as she spoke.
"Why...why does she hate me so much?" she mumbled, her voice cracking. "I...I thought she was my friend."
Jay tightened his arms around Erin, pulling her closer against his chest.
"You don't need to worry about Hailey right now," he said softly. "She's just lashing out because she's upset. But that's not important right now."
He paused, his voice gentle. "How about we go see Nadia? Get some fresh air, get your mind off everything for a bit?"
Hailey, who had been watching silently, couldn't help but comment again. "Yeah, sure, leave with Erin and go do...whatever it is you do."
Jay's gaze snapped to hers, his eyes cold and hard. "Enough, Hailey," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You've said your piece. Now back off."
Hailey, her anger still flaring, took a step forward, her hand reaching out as if to grab Erin.
Jay, lightning-quick, stepped in front of her, shoving her back roughly. "Don't. Touch. Her," he growled, voice low and cold. "You put your hands on her, and I'll bury you six feet under. Understood?"
Hailey's eyes widened, her anger instantly being replaced by shock and fear. She had never seen Jay this angry before.
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Jay turned and ushered Erin out of the bullpen, his hand at the small of her back.
Hailey, now standing alone in the bullpen, looked at the rest of the unit, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"He's bluffing," she said, her voice firm. "He would never actually hurt me. He's just mad right now."
The rest of the unit exchanged looks, a few of them trying to hide their amusement. They all knew that Jay was not the type to make empty threats, and they certainly weren't about to contradict him.
Hailey huffed, putting her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Ha, please. We all know he's just bluffing. He loves doing this macho act, but he wouldn't actually do anything."
The unit exchanged amused glances, all of them knowing better.
"Hailey, he's serious," Kim said, trying not to smile. "He looks ready to murder if you touch Erin again."
Adam nodded, his expression stern. "Yeah, I've seen him angry before. But never this furious. You really upset Erin, and Jay's not going to let that slide."
OMG!
Who else thinks Hailey was outta line?