23. All Grown Up And Gone

Thanks for the reviews. I know I promised that I'd update sooner than I did but, my internet went out. How wonderful right? Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope that you guys like it.

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"No way" Adam Ruzek said as he looked across the breakfast table at Sean Roman who was seated across from him.

"I swear. Last night I saw them. I was watching the fireworks and enjoying my beer and there they were" Roman said as he cut into his pancakes.

"That's the greatest story I've ever heard in my life. Now, what to do with this information" Ruzek smiled slyly as he looked over at the door as Jay and Erin walked in the dining room of the hotel. "Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear"

Roman looked over and saw Erin and Jay walking over to the breakfast bar and grabbing their plates. "Don't. Ruzek, seriously. Don't"

Adam's sly smile spread into a wide grin "Roman, I feel like you've handed me a gift, and it's not even my birthday or Christmas. I'd be a fool to not share my information with our friends"

Roman shook his head "Don't say anything"

"Don't say what?" Burgess asked as she came and sat down at the table beside Ruzek. She raised a hand up and ran it through Adam's messy yet styled hair.

"I'm telling her" Ruzek said leaning over to whisper into Kim's ear.

"They did not" Kim said her gaze lifting to where Jay and Erin were standing in line getting food from the buffet.

"Yes they did, Roman saw it" Ruzek smiled gesturing over to him.

"And you just spied on them?" Burgess asked sitting back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest.

"It was kind of hard not to see. I mean their balcony is just below mine. I didn't have anywhere else to look" Roman said. "I didn't want to see it if that counts for anything"

Kim shook her head and then looked at Adam "And you..."

Ruzek stopped mid movement of lifting his fork full of pancake up to his mouth. "What did I do?"

Kim said "You know what you did. You should know better going around and telling things you shouldn't tell. We've had this discussion"

Ruzek shook his head "Burgess, I didn't do anything. I was just telling you a true story. Man, I can't wait until Voight finds out about this...classic. I might just have to let him know when we go on our team building retreat"

"Aren't you and Voight going kayaking?" Roman asked.

"Yeah, perfect time to trust build" Ruzek said.

"You sure news like this is something you want to give a man in the middle of a lake with no witnessess?" Burgess asked looking at her boyfriend.

"That's a good point. Maybe I should tell him while we're on dry land" Ruzek smiled as Erin and Jay walked over to their table.

"Hey guys. Good morning" Jay said walking up to the table and pulling out an empty chair. He looked behind him at Erin who was holding her plate and she reached down and pulled out the chair next to him.

"Morning" Roman and Burgess said and went back to eating their breakfast.

"Good morning...Erin...Jay...What a beautiful morning it is" Ruzek's smile was as wide as a Cheshire Cat as he looked at Jay and Erin.

"Yeah...it's nice" Jay said holding the gaze of his best friend.

"You know last night was a really beautiful night. Don't you think, Jay?" Ruzek asked. "A hell of a nice night to just sit outside and just enjoy the sights"

"It was nice" Jay said as he stared at Adam quizzically.

"So...what did everyone do last night?" Trudy Platt asked as she walked up to the table and pulled a seat out and sat down.

"Good question, Platt. What did everyone do?" Ruzek said his eyes not leaving Jay and Erin at the end of the table.

"Well, after dinner I went to the main lawn and..." Trudy Platt started.

"Cool story, Platt" Ruzek said intrrupting Trudy before he looked back down to Jay and Erin. "What did you and Erin do, Jay?"

"Just hung out" Jay said swallowing a bite of his scrambled eggs.

"And...?" Ruzek asked sitting back in his seat and folding his arms over his chest.

"And that's it" Jay said quickly.

"Did you go outside?" Adam asked. "I mean you guys have that balcony and all. It's a fine time to sit out there and do anything"

Erin stopped mid chew of her grape and her eyes went to Ruzek as her heart sped up. What did he know? Ruzek only had those shit eating grins when he had a secret on somebody.

"We stayed inside last night, Ruzek" Jay said simply.

"I know what happened last night. Are you not guys not going to tell us?" Adam asked raising an eyebrow.

"Adam" Burgess warned turning her gaze to her boyfriend.

"What?" Ruzek said. "I'm just making conversation with my best friend, Jay"

Jay sat his fork down. "What is it you exactly want me to tell you?"

Ruzek shrugged his shoulders "You know"

"Is it the fact that the White Socks won in extra innings, is that what you want to hear?" Jay asked as Dawson, Olinsky, and Atwater joined the table.

"What's going on?" Atwater asked as the three men sat down at the long table.

"Jay was just telling us about what he and Erin did last night" Ruzek said smiling.

Jay turned his head to look at Erin "Should we tell them?"

Erin shrugged her shoulders' "If they're really dying to know. I'm not going to hide the fact that you proposed to me last night"

"I KNEW IT" Ruzek said standing up from his chair "Roman saw everything that happened on that balcony last night"

Jay and Erin shared a quick glance as they stood to recieve the congraulatory hugs from their friends in the unit.

Jay caught Roman's gaze as Ruzek pulled him to a hug. The look in Roman's eyes instantly told Jay that Roman saw much more than just him proposing to Erin.

"Congratulations, buddy" Ruzek said smacking his best friend on the back.

Jay looked over at Erin who was just being released from an awkward hug from Trudy Platt and was then pulled into a hug by Alvin Olinsky.

"Congratulations, Erin. The rest of the world's been waiting on you two since you met each other" Alvin whispered into Erin's ear as he hugged her.

Erin smiled and closed her eyes as Alvin hugged her "Thank you"

Alvin nodded and pulled back from the hug. Erin felt Jay walk up behind her and she unwrapped her arms from around Alvin as Jay shook Olinsky's hand and wrapped his free arm around Erin's middle and he pulled her into a hug.. Erin smiled and closed her eyes as she hugged Jay back and inhaled his cologne. Her smile widened as she heard Jay murmer against her ear that he loved her. Erin opened her eyes and saw Hank Voight standing and watching them.

Erin pulled back from Jay's arms as she held Voight's gaze. Jay didn't need to turn around to know that Hank was standing behind him. He'd felt his gaze on them for a few moments already.

Erin let go of Jay's hand and walked the few steps over to where Hank Voight was standing. Voight looked down at the ring on Erin's finger and he sighed before a small smile made its way across his face. "Congratulations"

Erin smiled and stepped towards Hank and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Hank wrapped his arms around Erin as he hugged her. He didn't understand why this was so hard for him. When Justin took Camille's ring to propose to Olive, he was proud. It made him proud to know that through Justin's mistakes in life, he was on the road to something amazing. Why was this so hard for him? Why was letting the girl in his arms go off on the same path so much harder?

Had he accepted Halstead? Sure. It wasn't a question of if Jay was good for Erin, he was. Jay had shown him that and more in the last few months. We're they rushing into this? Yes. That much he did know. He would've liked to have seen Erin and Jay wait before he proposed. He still felt Erin needed more time before she stepped into such a major and emotional transition in her life. His only hope was that Jay Halstead could continue to give that kind of support to Erin.

But them rushing into an engagement, that still wasn't what hurt. He felt like both of his kids were all grown up and gone. Justin and Olive had moved while Justin did his basic training. He only heard from them in phone calls and letters. Now Erin was leaving. She'd marry Jay and she wouldn't come around anymore. No more Sunday dinners, no more late night talks in his office, no more of Erin staying in her old room when a case at work had been too much and she just didn't want to be alone. She'd have a husband to stay with now. And someting inside of Hank Voight began to hurt.

"I'm proud of you" Voight whispered against Erin's ear "Camille would be proud, too"

Erin nodded as she felt tears well in her eyes. She'd have given anything for Jay to have met Camille. The woman who was every bit of the mother she'd always wanted. The thought of disappointing Camille was the only thing that kept Erin on the straight and narrow after Camille had died. She owed that woman so much. Hank Voight had taken her in, that much was true. But it was Camille who'd made that house feel like a home. Who'd treated her like she was her own daughter from day one. She'd shown Erin what it truly was to have a mother and if she and Jay were blessed with kids, she could only hope to be half the mother that Camille had been to her. She knew in that moment she'd give almost anything for Camille to be there with her to help plan a wedding, fluff her vail, teach her how to be a good wife and mother.

"Thank you" Erin said as she pulled back to look at Hank.

Voight held Erin's gaze a few moments and looked over her shoulder at Jay who'd been watching them last few moments.

"Halstead" Voight said with a sigh and he extended his hand to Jay.

Jay stuck his hand out and shook Voight's hand. "Sir"

"You can borrow her, but I'm not going to give her away" Voight looked from Jay back to Erin.

"Thanks" Jay said as he looked at Erin. His blue eyes shining with complete and utter love for the girl standing next to Hank.

"You're fired" Voight said taking a step back.

"Hank" Olinsky said from just behind Jay.

"It was worth a shot" Hank said looking at the expression on everyone's faces.

Was he not allowed to make a joke?

"Tough room" Voight said stepping over to where Alvin Olinsky was standing.

The two men stood in the corner as Erin and Jay stepped towards each other and embraced. The sound of Erin's laughter filled the dining hall as Jay dipped her back and placed a kiss on her neck.

"Do you think the feeling of wanting to rip his balls off and kill him when I see him touch her like that will go away?" Voight asked as Olinsky handed him a cup of coffee.

"It might make family dinners a little awkward. If he can't sit down with your foot up his ass" Olinsky took a drink of his coffee.

"Who'd have ever thought this day would come" Voight sighed as he watched Erin showing off her ring to Burgess and Platt.

"I alway knew it was possible" Olinsky said.

"Really?" Voight asked looking at his friend.

"Yeah, you only have yourself to blame for this one" Olinsky said with a nod towards Erin and Jay.

"How is that?" Voight asked

"Hank, I've been your friend for more than 30 years. I remember the day you and Camille took that girl in. You saved her, you two showed her what love is. And she's found it. You laid this path for her and it's led her here. She's happy, she's healthy, she's everything that you and Camille always hoped she would be. I know that Camille is looking down and she's bursting with pride right now. So if you want to blame someone for this "in house" romance...blame yourself. Cause you're the one who helped lead her to this life, this moment, to Jay" Olinsky took a drink of his coffee and looked at Voight.

Hank sighed and looked down at his coffee. "What's made you so wise all of a sudden?"

Olinsky shrugged his shoulders "I'm always wise. You just need to learn to listen once in awhile old friend"

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