25. On A Day Like Today
Two Weeks Later
Erin walked up the steps of the precinct and sat down at her desk. She'd been back to work for a week now and she couldn't put into words how good that it felt. She looked at the clock on the wall and couldn't believe that the day was already coming to an end. Erin looked across the room at Ruzek and Atwater who were sitting at Atwater's desk watching "The Sneezing Panda" for the millionth time. Her gaze drifted over to Olinsky and Dawson who were both at their desks finishing up for the day. Erin couldn't help but feel like things were finally getting back to normal.
Normal? Now that was a word to take with a grain of salt. If anything the next few months were going to be far from normal. Sure, work wise things were better than ever. The retreat had brought the district even closer and Erin was slowly realizing what Dr. Sullivan had been talking about, she wasn't alone. And she had to admit, having people to rely on? That felt better than any therapy session she could pay for.
Erin looked up at the clock and then over at Hank Voight's office. The door was closed, but she could see through the open blinds that he was on the phone. She silently hoped that he wouldn't be too long. He was supposed to come with her to meet with her wedding planner.
Erin looked down at the ring on her hand and she smiled. She and Jay had set a date and booked a venue for their wedding. The meeting with the planner was to set out the details of what they wanted. Erin still wasn't used to the idea of planning an actual wedding. She would've been happy going to the courthouse and just keeping it simple. But once she saw the Chicago Cultural Center she was hooked.
It was perfect, she knew it the moment that she did the walkthrough with Jay that it's where she wanted to get married. The only problem was she and Jay would probably be paying for the wedding for the rest of their lives, and she was only halfway joking with herself.
"You ready, kid?" Voight asked startling Erin out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, let's go" Erin said standing up from her desk.
"You heading out?" Dawson asked looking at Voight and Erin.
Hank nodded "Yeah, when you finish the file on the drug bust down from this morning just drop it on my desk. I'll check it over and turn it in when I come in tomorrow morning"
"Will do" Dawson said nodding his head before going to work to finish up the file before he left for the night.
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"Are you sure Halstead is going to meet us here?" Voight asked as he and Erin pulled up in front of the wedding planner's office and he killed the ignition.
"Yes. He and Burgess just finishing up with the drug bust down at the park. Then he said he'd be on his way" Erin looked out the window of Voight's SUV and into the display window of the store at the wedding items that were on display in the window.
"Are you sure you're still wanting to go through with this?" Voight asked "Cause I've got a full tank of gas, we can just start driving and not stop"
Erin shook her head and moved to take her seatbelt off. "Yes, I'm sure"
"Well, if you change your mind" Voight shrugged his shoulders as he watched Erin open the passenger side door
"Can we go inside now?" Erin asked raising an eyebrow. She turned her head and went to get out of the car when she felt Hank grasp her arm. Erin turned her head and looked back at him.
"Hey, I just thought you should know that I have some money saved and I'd like to help you and Halstead with the wedding" Hank said. His gaze holding Erin's.
"Hank, I couldn't ask you to do something like that" Erin shook her head as she looked at Voight.
"You're not asking. I'm offering and I have enough money squared away to give you and Halstead a nice wedding" Voight said simply. His gaze not leaving Erin's.
"I can't..." Erin said shaking her head.
"Erin, just let me do this for you" Voight looked in the rear view mirror as Jay's car pulled up behind them.
"You're always doing too much for me" Erin said quietly
"Well, you do for family. I want you to have the day you've always wanted. You deserve it, Kid" Voight opened his door and got out.
Erin sighed and she followed Voight out of the car. She smiled when she saw Jay walk up to them. "It's about time, Halstead"
Jay removed his beanie and pulled Erin into his arms and into a hug. "I'm sorry. Traffic was heavy from closing the road by the park to clean up and investigate"
"I hope you're hungry because we're going to try out some cakes tonight" Erin wrapped her arms around Jay as he pulled her into a hug. She closed her eyes as she breathed in his cologne and she sighed as she felt him place a kiss on her forehead.
"I'm all for cake testing. But I'd rather taste you" Jay whispered against Erin's forehead and she smiled as she opened her eyes.
"You're such an idiot" Erin pulled back from Jay as Voight walked up to the young couple.
"Are you two going to break that up or charge admission?" Voight asked as he walked up to Erin and Jay. "This is a respectable part of town. Act like you belong here"
Jay watched as Voight turned his back and started walking towards the wedding planners store. "He's really warming up to us, don't you think?"
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Erin walked around the showcase room of the wedding store at the cake displays hand in hand with Jay.
"What about this one?" Jay asked pointing to the six tiered cake with chocolate fondant and strawberries framing the tears of the cake.
"Absolutely not" Erin shook her head.
"Why not? I like chocolate. You like chocolate. Ruzek said to make sure we have some kind of chocolate cake at the wedding or he's not coming" Jay sighed as he flipped over the price tag of the chocolate and strawberry cake and he frowned.
"Can we make a few wedding decisions without Adam Ruzek's opinion? I mean I know he's your best man and all, but you're marrying me not him" Erin sighed and she walked over to the next display.
"Are you going to remind me of that everyday?" Jay asked as he followed Erin.
"Remind you of what?" Erin asked as she continued down to another display.
"Nothing" Jay said shaking his head.
"If you've got something to say Jay, just say it" Erin said turning around to look at him.
"I don't have anything to say, why are you trying to pick a fight?" Jay asked defensively.
"I'm not. You're the one who is picking the fight. I'm just telling you I don't want that cake" Erin raised an eyebrow as she gestured back to the chocolate cake a few tables back.
"You don't have to have a mood swing about it. If you don't want the cake we won't get the cake" Jay threw his hands up defensively as a sign of defeat.
"I'm not having a mood swing. If you want the damn cake, get the damn cake. I. Don't. Care" Erin furrowed her brows and exhaled deeply.
"I don't want the cake. Why are you freaking out over nothing?" Jay asked stepping towards Erin.
"I'm not freaking out over nothing. This isn't nothing. This is our WEDDING. It's not some frat party for you and Ruzek" Erin shook her head. She didn't know why she was so pissed, and she hated herself even more for the tears that were welling in her eyes.
"Erin, what is wrong?" Jay stepped towards Erin and she shook her head and stepped back.
"Don't. I'm fine" Erin shook her head. She just felt overwhelmed. This past week had been a lot to handle and she just wasn't feeling like herself. She hadn't really felt like herself since they'd came back from the retreat, but she just gave it up to stress.
Stress was the focal point of Erin's life, so stress on top of wedding planning wasn't the greatest combination.
"Baby, come here" Jay said stepping towards Erin again.
Jay reached his arms out and wrapped them around Erin and pulled her to him. "I'm sorry"
Erin sighed as she relaxed in Jay's embrace and she wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, too. I don't even know where that came from"
Jay shook his head and kissed her temple. "It's ok"
Erin shook her head "It's not. I should learn to listen to what you want. It's your wedding too"
Jay ran his hand around Erin's back and sighed. "Erin, I didn't even want the cake. It's not about that. I'm worried about you. I don't want you thinking that this has to be some epic event. Baby, I'd marry you on the street corner right now if that's what you wanted. We don't have to have some black tie affair for the world to know how I feel about you"
Erin pulled her head back and her hazel eyes met Jay's. "You are too good to me, Jay Halstead"
"Well, I'm just immune to your mood swings. Plus, you're kinda hot so it somehow evens itself out" Jay tilted his head to the side as he looked at Erin.
"Oh?" Erin raised an eyebrow as Jay tightened his grip around her.
"I'm going to miss you tomorrow night when I go the sting with Ruzek and Roman" Jay raised his hand up and brushed Erin's hair behind her ear.
"I wish I was out there with you guys. I don't want to sit in a car with Atwater all night" Erin sighed as her gaze fell from Jay's.
Jay was about to respond when the wedding planner walked up.
"Sorry to keep you two waiting I'm Natalie. If you'd care to join me in the other room I have some cake samples for you guys" Natalie shook Erin and Jay's hands and took off towards a room at the back of the store.
Erin and Jay followed and took a seat at the table where Hank Voight was already seated.
"I thought you left" Jay said as he pulled out Erin's chair for her and took a seat beside of her.
"I'm the tie-breaker" Voight said looking at Jay "I'm only here to help you two find a cake that's edible"
Jay nodded and looked over at Erin who was watching Natalie bring out the tray of cakes and icing samples. Natalie laid the tray on the table and went to grab a bottle of Sparkling Grape Juice for the table.
"Ok, since we're starting with an empty slate, I thought that I'd just give you a little of what we have to offer. Most couples have been going with two or more cake flavors, instead of the typical one flavor" Natalie explained as she took a seat at the table with her order form. "The cake flavors I have for you today are: Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Strawberry, Marble, Chocolate Cream Cake, Golden Deluxe, Devil's Food, Carrot, Rum Banana, and Vanilla Cream Cake"
Jay and Erin nodded as Natalie passed out forks to everyone. "I'm going to go get the other icing samples. I'll be back"
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An hour and WAY too many cake samples later Erin and Jay were still undecided. Jay put his fork down and sat back in his chair.
"I can't eat anymore. I'm getting the cake sweats" Jay shook his head as he looked at the tray of cakes and icing in front of him. "You guys decide"
"I think three flavors" Erin said putting her fork down. "I like red velvet with cream cheese frosting, vanilla with buttercream frosting, and chocolate with peanut butter buttercream"
"Works for me" Jay said wiping his mouth with his napkin.
Natalie nodded and wrote the order down on her paper. "So we're going with a three layer wedding cake how many people are we feeding?"
"We are thinking one fifty with friends and family" Erin pushed her plate away from her and grimaced as a wave of nausea came over her.
"You ok?" Voight asked looking over at her.
Erin nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, too much cake on an empty stomach"
Voight nodded and sat back in his chair. "So what is the price range for a cake like that?"
Natalie looked at her paper and started pushing buttons on her calculator. "A three tiered cake for 150 people will run you about 1500 dollars"
"For a cake?!" Jay asked
Natalie nodded "Mr. Halstead, our individual slices are ten dollars a piece. If you're looking for a cake to feed 150 people at ten dollars a slice that's 1500 dollars"
Jay shook his head "Yeah, and no disrespect to you. But a cake, is made of flour and water"
"Jay" Erin said placing a hand on his knee.
"I'm sorry, but my first car didn't cost 1500 dollars" Jay sighed and sat back in his seat.
"Jay. Stop" Erin narrowed her eyes at him and Jay looked away from her when he felt her icy stare.
"Do you offer a military discount?" Voight asked "Halstead did a tour with the Army Rangers"
Natalie nodded "Yes, of course. I can cut it down to 900"
"900 dollars? That's reasonable. It takes it to what...six bucks a slice" Voight spoke from his seat.
"We'll take it" Erin said looking away from Jay and over to Natalie.
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Erin frowned as she reached into her medicine cabinet for some Tylenol. Her head was aching and she just wanted to crawl in bed and go to sleep. Her hot shower had taken away the nausea from all the cake, but the dull ache in her head was still persistent.
"You know you could've backed me up at the cake testing" Jay said as he stepped out of Erin's shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.
"What did you want me to say, Jay?" Erin asked as she opened the Tylenol and poured two into her hand.
"I don't know, Erin. How about agreeing with your fiance when we're getting taken advantage of over something that we could go to Walmart and buy and make for 50 bucks" Jay tied the terrycloth towel at his hip as he walked over to the mirror where Erin was standing and grabbed his toothbrush and the toothpaste.
"Well you were wrong. And we got the discount. I don't see what the big deal is" Erin plopped the Tylenol in her mouth and grabbed her bottle of water and took a drink as she swallowed the pills.
"I'm not. Anybody would agree with me about this. She was trying to stick it to us" Jay put his toothbrush in his mouth and started brushing his teeth.
"No. She wasn't. You're being ridiculous right now and a pain in my ass" Erin walked out of her bathroom and over to her bed as she started taking the small pillows off and dropping them to the chair next to her bed.
"I'm not. I'm right about this, Erin" Jay said his mouth full of toothpaste
Erin shook head and pulled the blankets down from the bed "No, you're not. You embarrassed me tonight"
Jay spit his toothpaste out and rinsed his mouth and toothbrush before stepping out of the bathroom. "Oh please, I embarrassed you? What about that little outburst over the cake? Do you not think that embarrassed me?"
"Oh spare me, Jay. I was simply telling you I didn't want a cake. Don't even start. You were the one sitting and insulting someone to their face" Erin turned and faced Jay and folded her arms over her.
"Spare you? Are you kidding me right now? You're the one who freaked out over nothing. I was just stating a fact about money" Jay walked over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers and dropped his towel and slipped them on and over his hips.
"Are you going to pick that towel up or leave it sit like you do everything else?" Erin asked nodding towards the towel on the floor as Jay walked to the laundry basket to get a clean pair of pajama pants.
"Oh my God, can you give me a minute before you start nagging me?" Jay shot as he started to get slip his pajama bottoms on.
"I'll just do it myself" Erin said walking over to where the towel laid on the floor.
"I told you I'd do it, Erin" Jay watched as Erin picked the towel up and walked over to the clothes hamper.
"You know how that cake costs money? Well, it costs money when you leave a wet towel on the carpet and it causes mold" Erin shot as she dropped the towel onto the floor.
"Mold? What the hell are you talking about?" Jay asked walking over to her.
"Nothing. I don't know...I don't know" Erin sighed and she turned around to face Jay as he walked up to her.
"Babe, what's going on? Is there something wrong?" Jay asked as he reached up and ran a hand down Erin's arm.
"No. I'm just stressed out from work and the wedding planning and I shouldn't be taking it out on you" Erin sighed and looked down at the carpet. "I'm sorry"
Jay shook his head "You don't need to apologize. I just wish you'd use other ways to relieve your stress on me instead of biting my head off"
"Are you sure you want to marry me? I mean these mood swings are full force sometimes" Erin sighed and ran her hand down Jay's bare chest
"I think I kinda like you. And we already put a deposit down on the venue and that cake...so...yeah, I'll marry you, Erin Lindsay" Jay smiled down at Erin and ran his hand up to the strap of her tank top and pushed it off of her shoulder.
"No way" Erin said shaking her head and raising her hand to her tank top strap.
Jay leaned down and nuzzled Erin's neck "Are you sure? I mean if you need to work some stress out. I've got a pretty big stress reliever"
Erin smiled as she felt Jay place a kiss on her neck. "Gross"
"Gross?" Jay repeated pulling back to look at Erin "I don't recall you ever having complaints about it before. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only thing that usually leaves those lips is my name"
Erin shook her head and stepped back from him. "You're an idiot. Can we go to bed now? We have a big day tomorrow"
"If we have to" Jay sighed and watched as Erin walked over to the bed and got in.
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Erin sat down at her desk and rubbed her temples. The dull headache that she had last night was a full on throb this morning. She grimaced as Ruzek walked up the steps with a box of fresh Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
"Let's get these bitches" Ruzek said as he walked around passing out doughnuts. Adam loved going on stings. Sting days were what he looked forward to the most out of his job.
"What's with the doughnuts?" Atwater asked as he picked his doughnut and sat it on a napkin.
"Well, I thought we could all use the extra buzz a doughnut gives. I don't want to stereotype us, but everyone loves doughnuts" Ruzek said as he walked over to Erin's desk and opened the box.
The smell of the warm confectionery treat waffed out of the box and Erin had to fight the urge to gag as she smelled them. "No" she said through gritted teeth.
"Ok. Well not everyone then" Ruzek said closing the box and taking a seat at his desk.
"Listen up" Voight said as he walked out of his office "We're going to be at the 2900 Block of West Fillmore just north of Douglas Park. We want to cover our bases on all exits off of the Eisenhower Expressway. As you all know the stretch of interstate is called "The Heroin Highway" Well, not anymore after today. Our CI told us that the biggest heroin sell is coming out of an old house close to the expressway ramps. I want Ruzek, Roman and Halstead to stakeout the main house in question. Atwater and Lindsay, I want you two to take the onramp on the west side, Dawson, Olinsky and I are going to take base in the parking lot of the gas station just down the block. That way we have good camera footage and can get a view of both the house and the on ramp to the expressway. Burgess is our decoy for this mission. We're going to try to get her in the house and see what's going on inside. Everyone got it?"
Voight looked around at his team sitting at their desks and nodded back as they all gave him a nod of understanding. "Ok, let's roll out"
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Kevin slammed on the brakes of the car as he was cutoff by a driver on the road. "What the hell"
Erin knew now why she insisted on driving. Everyone else was terrible at it. "Atwater, do you think you can keep it at an even pace? You're making me car sick"
"I'm just trying to go get us some lunch. We've been sitting in the car all morning and I am craving some chili cheese tots and a Chicago Dog from Sonic" Atwater explained as he turned his blinker on and turned into the fast food restaurant. "Don't you want something to eat?"
Erin shook her head "No, I'm pretty sure the last thing that I want is food"
"You need to eat. You know what you need? A chili cheese Coney dog. I'm going to get you one" Atwater said as he pulled up to the drive-thru.
"Really, I.." Erin started.
"You'll like it" Atwater said as he placed the order and pulled forward.
A few minutes later the worker handed the bag of food out the window and Atwater started down the road. The smell from the bag was making Erin's stomach roll. She was going to be sick. Erin closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "You're going to have to pull over"
"What? There's nowhere..."Atwater said as he looked over at Erin.
The color on Erin's face was a mix of white and green as she raised her hand to her mouth. "I'm serious...pull over"
Atwater flipped the switch to turn the lights of the undercover car on and he pulled over to the shoulder. Erin reached for the door handle and opened it and before the car had even come to a complete stop Erin bent over and vomited on the pavement.
Atwater put the car in park and held his hands up. The look of disgust on his face as he listened to Erin heave.
"Oh God" Erin groaned from the passenger seat.
"You ok?" Atwater asked reaching his hand down to pat Erin on the back.
"I don't know" Erin sighed. "Do you have a tissue?"
"Um...I don't know" Atwater said looking around the car for one. He pulled open the fast food bag and grabbed a few napkins and tapped Erin on the shoulder.
"Thanks" Erin said reaching over her shoulder to take the napkins. She wiped her mouth and dropped the napkin onto the pavement before sighing.
"Are you sick?" Atwater asked as Erin shut the car door and leaned back against the headrest.
"I don't know" Erin closed her eyes as she tried to will her stomach to settle.
"What did you eat?" Atwater asked reaching down for Erin's water and handing it to her.
"I haven't eaten today" Erin opened her eyes as she felt Atwater nudge her. She took the water and opened the car door and rinsed her mouth out before taking a small sip. "It must've been all that cake I had last night"
"Are you ok now?" Atwater asked
Erin nodded and looked over at Kevin. "Yeah, I'm ok"
"Ok. Good" Atwater said as he put the car in drive and signaled back onto the highway.
"Do me a favor. Don't tell Jay about this" Erin looked out the window as Kevin drove down the road.
"Ok. I won't tell" Atwater assured.
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Jay and Roman crept along the back side of the drug house as they held their guns in front of them.
Burgess had scored the evidence they were looking for and all they needed was the signal for the take down.
"Man, I am telling you when we end this tonight, I'm going to have to get Kim to bring that undercover outfit over. She looked so damn good" Ruzek whispered as he and Jay snuck around the back of the house.
"Ruzek, Please" Jay whispered back as he stepped up on the back step.
"What? Can I not talk about how hot my girl is?" Ruzek watched as Jay reached down and twisted the handle of the doorknob.
"No" Jay whispered as he slowly opened the back door that Kim had unlocked for them.
Jay and Adam silently made their way down the hallway and turned the corner and down to the living room of the house.
Kim caught a glimpse of Jay out of the corner of her eye as she watched the group of dealers and suppliers gathered round the table.
"Chicago P.D. hands in the air" Ruzek shouted as he and Jay came around the corner and the front door of the house was knocked down as Olinsky, Voight and Dawson came running in.
The dealers and suppliers stood up from the table and held their hands up.
"Get on the ground" Voight ordered pointing his gun at the group of people.
Voight radioed for back-up as the team started to zip tie the dealer and suppliers' hands behind their backs. As the team started to search the house for anyone hiding.
"God, that really gets your blood pumping" Roman said as he followed Jay up the steps.
"That it does" Jay said as he walked down the hallway holding his gun.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that feeling" Roman said as he looked over his shoulder at Ruzek who was heading down the opposite way looking in the rooms.
The sound of a gunshot rang through the house and Roman, Jay and Ruzek all jumped. The door opened to reveal a thin, white, bald head man with tattoos and piercings covering his body. His face showed the bearings of a life long drug habit. Roman fired his gun and struck the assailant in the shoulder and the guy fell to the ground. "I got him" Roman shouted.
Ruzek came running down the hall past Jay to help Roman. "We got him, Halstead. He's ready to go downstairs"
Ruzek tightened the zip tie around the wrists of the man and stood up "Did you hear me, Halstead?"
Ruzek turned and saw Jay bent over. "Jay?"
Jay reached his hand down to his side and pulled his blood covered hand out. He exhaled as he looked at his hand and fell to his knees.
"Shit" Ruzek yelled as he ran over to where Jay was kneeling on the ground "Officer down" Ruzek screamed
Adam helped Jay roll onto his back as Jay struggled to take a breath. "You're fine, buddy"
Jay coughed and shook his head as he felt everything starting to get fuzzy. "Erin..."
Adam shook his head "She's with Atwater"
Jay nodded "I...love...her"
Adam said "I know you do man"
Jay struggled to take a breath as he looked at Ruzek "Tell her"
Adam shook his head "No, you'll tell her"
The sound of the ambulance on the city street was the last thing Jay heard as his blue eyes fluttered closed.
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Please Review...Please? I'd appreciate any feedback. It makes it so much easier to update. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Holiday. :-)