The detectives in the bullpen jumped at the sudden sound of Voight slamming his office door. They turned to look as Voight stormed out, his face set in a fearsome scowl.
"What's got Voight so pissed off?" Atwater asked, his voice low.
"I don't know, but I don't wanna be whoever he's pissed at," Burgess muttered back, wincing at Voight's thunderous expression.
The detectives were gathered around, speculating about what could have upset Voight. Jay was sitting at his desk, listening in on the conversation.
"Maybe he's upset about a case," Ruzek said.
"Or a higher-up breathing down his neck," Atwater added.
Jay's eyes narrowed as he took in their guesses. He knew Voight better than any of them. He could tell that this was something personal, something deeper.
Finally, Atwater turned to Jay. "Hey, Halstead, what do you think? You've known Voight longer than any of us. Any ideas?"
Jay sighed, and explained.
"Look, whenever something's going on with Hank and the higher ups, he gets this murderous look in his eye."
He checks his phone, and sighs.
"I need air,"
He grabs his jacket and runs downstairs.
The others watched as Jay grabbed his jacket and headed for the stairs. They were left staring after him in confusion.
"What the hell was that about?" Ruzek muttered, scratching his head.
"And what the hell are the Suntime archives?" Atwater added.
As the others puzzled over Jay's enigmatic words, Erin suddenly chuckled.
"I know what he meant,"
The others turned to her, curious.
"You do?" Ruzek asked. "What are the Suntime archives then?"
Erin looked at them, still smiling at the simplicity of it. "It's just a name Jay and I use for the old newspaper archives online," she explained. "Whenever we're trying to look up old cases or information, we call it checking the Sun-time archives."
"Oh, that makes sense," Atwater said, nodding. "But why did Jay take off like that? He seemed really upset."
Erin shrugged, looking toward the stairs where Jay had disappeared. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But whatever it is, it's got Jay pretty rattled."
Jay stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the familiar figure standing by a car. Michael, his nemesis since childhood, smirked at him from a few feet away.
Jay tensed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "What the hell are you doing here, Michael?"
Michael pushed off the car and approached Jay, an arrogant grin on his face.
"Just wanted to have a little chat," he said, folding his arms over his chest. "Heard you were working for Voight now."
Jay's eyes narrowed. He could feel his anger rising at seeing Michael. This was the last person he wanted to deal with.
"Yeah, I am," he retorted. "And what's it to you?"
Michael chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, nothing. Just thought it was interesting. You, the little street rat, working for the legendary Chicago police."
Jay sighed, and crossed his arms.
"What do you really want?"
Jay stuffed his hands inside his pockets.
"So? She doesn't wanna see you?"
"No, she doesn't," Michael said, his tone getting a bitter edge. "But I'm not going to let her slip through my fingers again. She's mine, Jay."
Jay laughed, shaking his head.
"You don't stop do you?"
Michael's eyes darkened at Jay's mockery. "And what's that supposed to mean?" he bit out.
Jay sighed, looking at him.
"Lucy made it clear, she doesn't want you near her or her son…"
Michael's face twisted in anger at the mention of Lucy's son. He pushed off the car and stepped closer to Jay, getting in his face.
"That kid is not hers, and she knows it," he hissed, his hands clenched at his sides. "I don't care what she wants. She belongs to me."
Jay nodded.
"Who knows? It could be? If you wanna meet your kid, all you have to do is tell me and I can set it up,"
Michael stopped in his tracks.
"You'd set it up?"
"Yeah, I would," Jay replied, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "I'm not going to pretend I'm happy about it, but if you really want to meet your kid, I can make that happen."
"Why would you do that?" he asked, his suspicion still evident.
Jay sighed.
"Your my sister's kid's dad, I'm not doing this for you or her, I'm doing it for my nephew,"
"You're serious about this?" Michael asked, his voice quieter now.
Jay nodded.
"I'll set it up for tonight, be there or you won't see him,"
"Fine, I'll be there," Michael grumbled, looking away.
Jay nodded, smirking.
"Michael, you hurt my nephew, I'll bury you…"
He walks across the road and walks into the district.
Michael watched as Jay walked away, a scowl on his face. He huffed and stalked off to his car, mumbling to himself.
Jay dropped back into his chair and stared unseeingly at his desk.
Erin, who had been observing the scene, could see the stress written on Jay's face. She got up from her desk and approached him.
"Hey," she said quietly, leaning against the edge of his desk. "You okay?"
Jay looked up, and nodded.
"You remember Michael?"
Erin's expression hardened at the mention of his name. "Unfortunately, yes," she said, her voice a low grumble.
Jay chuckled grimly, leaning back in his chair. "He's still the same smug bastard," he said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone.
"What did he want?" Erin asked, noticing the tension still evident in Jay's body language.
Jay leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "He's trying to get back together with Lucy," he said, running a hand through his hair. "And he wants to meet their kid."
Erin's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?" she exclaimed. "Lucy made it clear she's done with him. Why would he think she'd take him back now?"
Jay stretched his arms, and let them fall on his head.
"He's delusional, I said I'd set up a meet so he can see Jamie and Lucy, I just have to tell my sister,"
Erin nodded in understanding. "She's not going to be happy about that," she said, a note of sympathy in her voice. "She hates him more than you do."
Jay nodded.
"I know, but I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it for my nephew,"
Erin smiled. "You're a good uncle, Jay," she said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Thanks," Jay said quietly. "I just hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass."
"If Michael does anything stupid, we'll deal with it," Erin assured him. "You have the entire unit backing you up."
Everyone was heading out for a raid, the unit moving with the familiar rhythm of a well-oiled machine. As they walked down the stairs, Jay suddenly paused as he spotted a familiar figure walking into the district.
"Hey, guys, I'll be a sec," he called out to the rest of the unit, who nodded and continued walking.
Jay started towards the front desk where Lucy was talking to the desk sergeant. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation he was about to have.
"Hey," he called out as he approached her. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Lucy turned to see Jay approaching, her eyes widening in surprise. "Yeah, sure," she replied, her voice guarded.
Jay walks her towards the wall, hands in pockets.
"Michael's back in town…"
Lucy's face hardened at the mention of her ex-boyfriend's name.
"You're kidding," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do you know?"
Jay sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"He showed up at the district while I was on my way in," he said. "Said he wanted to meet his son."
Lucy's expression darkened even further. "Like hell he gets to meet Jamie," she snapped. "He's not seeing him. No way."
Jay sighed.
"Luce, I can set up a meeting in a small diner, the one over on 5th, it has a kids area, and everything,"
Lucy shook her head vehemently. "No," she said, her voice firm. "He's not meeting Jamie. I don't want him anywhere near my son."
"Will it help, if I came along?"
After a moment, Lucy let out a sigh.
"Okay," she said, her voice laced with resignation. "If you're there, I'll do it. But only if you're there."
Jay blew out a breath.
"I'll be there, I'll set it up for 8pm."
Lucy nodded. "Fine," she said, her voice still tight. "8pm. And if he tries to pull anything, I swear I will-"
Jay held up a hand, cutting her off. "He won't try anything," he assured her. "Not if I'm there."
Jay walked back towards the unit, his mind still working over the conversation he'd just had with Lucy. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Erin running up behind him until she spoke.
"Hey, Jay," she said, her voice breaking into his thoughts. He turned to find her holding his kevlar vest out towards him.
"Thanks," he said, taking the vest from her and starting to put it on. "Everything's set. Meeting's at 8pm at the diner on 5th. Think we'll be back by then?"
Erin winced. "Not sure. Voight's expecting a lot of resistance. Could be a long night."
Jay nodded, understanding. "Right," he said, adjusting the straps of his vest. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make do. Can you do me a favor?"
"Yeah, anything," Erin replied, her tone immediately becoming concerned.
Jay reached out and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
"If you get worried that I'm taking too long over there, just call. I'll answer, no matter what."
Erin nodded, giving him a small smile. "Got it. But be careful, okay?"
Jay chuckled, a hint of his old bravado returning. "When am I ever not careful?" he asked, giving her a wink.
They rolled back into the bullpen, sweaty and tired but satisfied with a job well done.
"God, that felt good," Ruzek said, stretching out his arms.
The others agreed, sharing stories and laughing about the night's events.
Jay checked the time on his phone and swore softly. It was already 7:45pm.
Hey, guys," he interrupted, standing up from his chair. "I gotta dip, I've got somewhere to be. See you tomorrow."
The others looked at him in surprise, but none of them questioned his sudden departure.
Jay grabbed his keys and jacket and headed out of the district. He needed to get to the diner on 5th before Michael and Lucy.
Jay walked into the diner and took in the scene: families enjoying their dinners, waitresses hustling between tables. His eyes quickly scanned the open dining area, looking for any sign of Michael or Lucy.
Just as he was about to take a seat by the window, a small figure darted out from between some tables.
"Uncle Jay!" Jamie cried, barreling into him with a force that nearly knocked him over.
"Whoa, hey, bud," Jay said, laughing as he picked his nephew up and ruffled his hair. His heart lifted slightly at the sight of his nephew's smiling face.
"How are you, little man?" he asked, settling Jamie on his hip. "Did you miss me?"
Jamie nodded enthusiastically, his arms wrapping tightly around Jay's neck in a hug.
Jay was just about to ask Jamie where his mother was when he heard a voice behind him.
"Glad to see you're on time."
Jay turned to find Lucy standing behind him, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Hey," he said, shifting Jamie so he was more comfortable on his hip. "Yeah, traffic wasn't too bad."
Lucy arched an eyebrow at his comment, her smile turning a bit more sarcastic. "Right, I'm sure traffic was the only reason you were almost late."
Jay smirked.
"Nothing changes with you, sis,"
Lucy chuckled, her expression softening slightly. "And nothing changes with you, baby brother," she replied, affection clear in her voice.
Jay playfully punched her and walked towards the table.
Jamie wriggled excitedly in his arms as they sat down, babbling happily and pointing at various things around the diner.
Jay was just about to start a conversation with Lucy when the door to the diner banged open, and Michael walked in.
Jay's face immediately hardened at the sight of him, a scowl etched across his features.
Michael spotted them sitting at their table and made his way over, a forced smile plastered on his face.
"Hi, Luce," he said, his eyes flickering towards Jay. "Jay."
Jay nodded tersely in response, not bothering to return the greeting. He watched as Michael approached, taking in the toy he was carrying.
His eyes narrowed when he realized it was far too old for Jamie to play with, and he felt a pang of worry for his nephew.
"What's that?" he asked, gesturing towards the toy as Michael took a seat at the table.
"I thought I'd bring Jamie a gift," Michael replied, setting the toy down on the table.
Jay's expression darkened as he got a better look at it. It was far too advanced for a child Jamie's age, with small parts and intricate mechanisms that could easily be swallowed or choked on.
"Are you kidding me?" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "That toy is way too advanced for him. He could hurt himself with that."
Michael rolled his eyes, waving off Jay's concerns. "Relax, it's fine. I got it from the toy store, it's perfectly safe," he said, clearly annoyed by Jay's overprotectiveness.
Jay scoffed, sipping his cola.
"That's for an eight year old, Jamie's four."
Michael shrugged, unconcerned. "So he'll grow into it," he said, as if that absolved him of all responsibility.
Lucy, who had been watching the exchange in silence, spoke up.
"Jay's right, Michael. That toy is not safe for Jamie."
"Come on, guys, you're overreacting," he protested, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.
Jamie, who had been watching the interaction intently, suddenly reached out and grabbed for the toy, his tiny fingers closing around the handle.
Jay's eyes widened in alarm, his hand darting out to stop his nephew from putting it in his mouth.
"No, Jamie, no," he said firmly, gently extracting the toy from his nephew's grip.
Jamie pouted, clearly unhappy about being denied the toy. He whined, reaching for it again, but Jay held it out of reach.
Jay gave the truck to Lucy, and picked Jamie up.
"Why don't we look at the soft play?"
Jamie, distracted by the mention of the soft play area, squirmed in Jay's arms.
"I wanna play!" he cried, kicking his legs excitedly.
Jay smiled at his nephew's eagerness. "Yeah, come on, let's go."
He rose from the table, carrying Jamie towards the soft play area at the back of the diner.
Lucy watched them go, a small smile playing on her lips.
Michael, who had been sitting silently, finally spoke up.
"He's always babying him, isn't he?" he said, his voice dripping with condescension.
Lucy narrowed her eyes at her ex-husband, her annoyance clear. "He's four, Michael. Of course he needs babying. You would know that if you actually spent any time with him."
Michael huffed, obviously irritated by her jab at his parenting skills. "I'm just saying, he needs to toughen up a little. Kid's going to be soft as cotton if Jay keeps coddling him."
Lucy's jaw tensed, her patience slowly wearing thin. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Michael," she said, her voice taking on a harder edge. "Jay is a great uncle, and he loves Jamie more than anything. He's just being a good parent. Something you could learn a thing or two about."
Michael's face darkened at her words, and he leaned forward in his seat, his eyes narrowing. "I don't need a lecture from you about parenting, Lucy. You weren't exactly Mother of the Year yourself."
Lucy bristled at his comment, her own anger rising in response. "I did my best, and I did a damn good job of it, thank you very much. At least I was there. You were off who knows where, gallivanting around with other women."
Michael's face contorted into a scowl, and he shot back, "Yeah, well, maybe if you'd been a little less uptight, I wouldn't have needed to look elsewhere."
Jay smiled as he returned from the soft play area, where Jamie had been running around and playing for the past few minutes.
"Looks like you had fun," Jay said, ruffling Jamie's hair affectionately.
Jamie grinned up at him, holding up a stuffed toy he had won from the claw machine. "I played, I won!"
Jay chuckled, taking the toy from Jamie and inspecting it. "Nice one, bud. That's a good prize."
He led Jamie over to the table, where he had left Lucy and Michael.