When Jay returned to the bullpen, he looked exhausted. There was a faint scratch mark on his wrist, with a small drop of blood beaded up on it.
The unit noticed the mark and the bags under his eyes. Kevin, concern in his voice, spoke up first.
"What happened to your wrist, Jay?"
Jay glanced down at his wrist, as if noticing the scratch for the first time. "Oh, this? It's nothing," he mumbled, waving it off.
Kim, recognizing the look of exhaustion on his face, asked, "Are you okay? You look exhausted."
Jay huffed a tired sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I'm fine, just...didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he said, avoiding eye contact.
The unit exchanged knowing looks. They knew Jay loved to pretend he was fine when he really wasn't.
"What happened last night?" Kevin asked, his brow furrowed. "You look dead tired."
Jay ran a hand through his hair, the exhaustion evident on his face. "Erin...she had a rough night. Lots of nightmares. Wouldn't let me leave until she fell asleep. And...well, you know Erin. She has a tendency to throw up in the middle of the night when she gets upset. So, I was up most of the night cleaning up after her."
Hailey, feeling remorseful, went to approach Jay, a look of contrition on her face.
But before she could say anything, Jay's eyes darkened, his anger evident. "Hailey, I swear to god if you're coming over here to say more bullshit to me..."
Hailey tensed, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the right words.
Jay continued, his voice cold and harsh. "Do you have any idea the state Erin was in because of you? She was a mess, completely devastated. She had multiple nightmares and threw up half the night. So, no, a simple apology is not going to cut it this time."
Hailey looked visibly upset and chastened by his words. "I...I didn't know," she mumbled, her voice small. "I didn't think she'd be that affected."
Jay's expression darkened further as he thought about Erin's past, her childhood filled with drug abuse and neglect.
"Erin's childhood was a mess, Hailey," he said. "Her mother was a drug addict who used her as a guinea pig for her own drug experimentation. Erin was traumatized as a kid, and it's a miracle she turned out as well as she did."
Erin, her eyes still puffy and red from crying, held a teddy bear in her hands as she walked into the bullpen. She looked exhausted and upset, her shoulders slumped.
The unit, all worried, immediately went to her side, but Jay, noticing her first, was at her side in an instant, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
The unit exchanged glances as they watched Jay gently guide Erin to her desk, easing her down into her chair.
Kim approached them, a smile on her face. "Hey, Erin, how are you holding up?"
Erin, looking miserable, snuggled her bear and spoke in a hoarse voice. "I...I've been better," she said, not meeting anyone's eyes.
Jay hovered over her, his expression concerned as he watched her closely.
Jay, looking at Erin's miserable state, gently crouched down in front of her chair. "Hey," he said softly, his hand resting on her knee. "You have a therapy appointment in 15 minutes. You feeling up to it, baby?"
Erin, eyes still red and puffy, hesitated for a moment. She didn't like the thought of talking about her feelings in her current state. But she knew she needed it.
She nodded, her voice quiet. "Yeah, I think I should go," she mumbled. "Even though I don't really want to…"
Jay, seeing her reluctance, squeezed her knee comfortingly. "I know you don't, but Dr. Charles can help, you know that," he said gently. "Just go and talk to him, get it out. It's what you need right now. It'll make you feel better."
As Erin prepared to leave for her therapy session, she held onto her bear tightly.
"I'm taking Mr scruffy with me," she mumbled, refusing to let go of her comfort item.
The unit exchanged amused glances, all of them knowing how much Erin depended on that bear.
Jay, a hint of a smile on his face, said, "Alright, bring Mr scruffy if you want. Dr. Charles won't mind, promise."
The unit, looking for ways to lift Erin's spirits, suggested ordering takeout and spending time together at her place.
"Why don't we order some takeout?" Kim piped up, a smile on her face. "We can have a little mini-party back at your place, and you and Jay can be all couple-y and gross."
Adam, joining in, chuckled. "Yeah, we'll order some pizza, watch a movie, and just chill out."
Jay, his arm still around Erin, raised an eyebrow at the idea. "You guys just want an excuse to mooch off our food," he teased.
The unit laughed, not denying it. "Well, yeah. But we also want to make sure Erin's feeling better," Kevin chimed in.
Erin, who had been quiet, managed a small smile. "Yeah...okay, that sounds nice actually. A little distraction would be good right now."
Erin found herself in Dr. Charles' therapy room, her teddy bear clutched tightly in her lap. She stared down at it, not meeting the doctor's gaze.
Dr. Charles, known for his gentle approach, smiled softly. "Erin, I hear you've had a difficult day. Can you tell me what happened?"
Erin, still looking down at Mr Scruffy, took a moment before speaking. "Hailey...she said some things," she mumbled, her voice a whisper. "It was the same stuff she's always said...but it hurt more this time."
Dr. Charles, sitting back in his chair, nodded. He had heard some rumblings about the incident, but wanted to let Erin explain in her own time.
"And what did she say that was so hurtful?" he prompted gently.
Erin fidgeted with the bear in her hands, avoiding the doctor's gaze. "She...she brought up my past," she mumbled, her voice catching in her throat. "About...my childhood and my mother. And she...she said I wasn't worthy of my old job back because of it."
Dr. Charles' expression softened as he listened to her, knowing how sensitive of a topic her past was for her.
"That must have been very difficult to hear," he said gently. "How did that make you feel?"
Erin fidgeted with the bear again, her fingers absently tracing its worn fur. "I...I felt like she was judging me," she admitted, finally looking up at the doctor. "Like I was less because of where I come from. And it...it brought back a lot of memories I thought I'd buried."
Dr. Charles nodded, understanding the depth of her feelings. "It's understandable that those memories would surface when someone makes comments about your past. It's important to remember, though, that your past does not define who you are as a person or your worth."
Erin nodded, taking in his words. "I know that...but it's hard," she confessed. "I've worked so hard to overcome everything, to prove that I'm not just...what I came from. And when Hailey brought it all up, it felt like all my progress was just...meaningless."
Dr. Charles, sensing a shift in Erin's mood, gently steered their conversation towards Jay.
"How about we talk about Jay?" he suggested. "How did he handle the situation? He seems very protective of you."
Erin, her eyes softening at the mention of Jay, smiled faintly. "He was there for me," she said softly. "He held me when I needed it, and he...he was angry. Really angry with Hailey for what she said. He didn't want me to confront her, he was worried it would upset me more."
Dr. Charles nodded, his expression considering. "It seems like Jay cares for you deeply and wants to protect you," he noted. "That's a good thing. It's important to have people in your life who will support you and look out for you like that."
Erin, arriving home after her therapy session, entered the living room to find Jay lounging on the couch, the unit surrounding him, watching a game. Her eyes landed on Jay, and she noticed his hand under his shirt, rubbing his stomach.
The unit, noticing her entrance, greeted her warmly. But Jay, spotting her, immediately perked up. He got up from the couch and walked over to her, scooping her up effortlessly, his arms wrapping around her.
Erin, caught off guard at first, giggled as she found herself in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling closer.
The unit chuckled, watching the display. "You all right there, Erin?" Voight teased, a smirk on his face.
Erin, her frown instantly turning into a grin at the sound of Voight's teasing, gave him a playful glare. "Yeah, I'm great," she said, leaning into Jay. "This weirdo won't quit picking me up and won't let me walk."
Jay chuckled, his hands securing her against him. "Hey, you love it when I pick you up," he said, his tone playful. "Besides, you're just too cute and small to walk when you can be carried around."
Erin pouted mockingly, but couldn't deny the truth in his words. "I suppose you have a point," she conceded, her arms wrapping tighter around his neck. "But if you drop me, there'll be hell to pay."
Jay smirked, readjusting his grip to hold her more securely. "I'd never drop you," he assured her, his tone serious now. "I've got you. You're safe with me."
Erin, snuggled in Jay's arms, felt him shifting her weight. With her head resting on his shoulder, she spoke up, her tone lighthearted.
"You know," she said, a cheeky smile on her face, "I think I can feel something. I think your package is up and running again."
Jay, caught off guard by her comment, sputtered for a moment before laughing, his cheeks slightly flushing.
The unit, listening in, snickered at her words. "Erin, you know you're a little flirt," Kevin teased.
Later on, all the unit was still awake, engaged in low-key conversation and watching the game. However, Erin had dozed off in Jay's lap, her head on his thigh.
Jay, while tired, was fighting to keep his eyes open. His eyelids were heavy, but he wanted to stay awake a while longer. He tried to force his eyes open, blinking rapidly to keep himself from drifting off.
The unit, noticing his struggle, chuckled at his stubbornness.
"Just close your eyes, man. You're exhausted," Adam teased. "We're not going anywhere."
Jay, stubborn as always, shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine," he insisted, though the hoarseness in his voice betrayed his fatigue.
Kevin, a smirk on his face, chimed in, "Yeah, and I'm a flying unicorn. You're about to pass out any second now."
Jay shot him a glare, but couldn't deny the truth. His eyes were drooping more and more with each passing minute.
With a weary sigh, he resigned himself to the inevitable. As the unit chuckled softly, he finally closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch.