9. Chapter 9

Another Broken Heart You've Left Behind Ch 9

A/N: Hey! Thank you all for your reviews, they're always valued and appreciated! I wasn't 100% sure about where I was taking this chapter, it feels like a bit of a filler but I'm pretty happy with where it has reached. I kind of can't remember if I mentioned Burzek in this before, but they're together in this story. I might change my mind later though…

ALSO, my line-break thingy wasn't working so in some places there's a line and then in others it just says "~LINSTEAD~".

I was asked about where, according to the season 3 storyline, this story is at. We're in the month of October between episodes 4 and 5.

Enjoy!

Jay sighed and nodded, leaning in to kiss Ben as well before taking Erin's hand and dragging her out the door to the car. He chuckled as Erin grabbed the keys from his hand, skipping around to the driver's side of the car, a cheeky smile on her face.

"He'll be fine with Hank right?" Erin asked as they began their drive to the restaurant.

"Of course, tonight will be fun Lindsay. Trust me, I've got a feeling about this" he smirked at Erin as she smiled in return. Tonight was looking hopeful already.

~ LINSTEAD ~

"Erin!" Kim Burgess exclaimed as she waved her hand in front of her friend's face "are you even listening"

"Sorry" Erin said sheepishly "I just can't stop thinking about Ben. It's only been a week since his infection, I just hope he's okay"

"Er, he's with Hank. He'll be fine" Jay said as he and Adam sat down next to the girls, Jay passing Erin the whiskey he'd ordered for her.

Erin narrowed her eyes at him "Since when did you trust Voight so much? You used to make the biggest fuss out of both of us when he looked after Ben"

Jay simply shrugged "He's the only grandparent Ben's got. And besides, Hank loves him, he's not going to do anything that would put him in harm's way" he reasoned.

Erin sighed and nodded her head, admitting defeat. She concentrated back on Kim as she told Erin about the maid-of-honour dress she had picked out for Erin, and the bridesmaids dresses for her sister and Adam's niece. Erin had been extremely surprised when Burgess had first asked her to be her maid-of-honour, but Kim quickly explained how Erin had become a good friend to her, especially after she had pulled favours with Voight to partner them up once or twice.

Erin had guided Burgess through her career in some of the hardest moments, and Kim considered her to be one of the closest friends she had. And if Erin was being honest, Kim was probably one of the closest friends she had as well.

"So, have you two finally agreed on a date?" Jay asked quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, January 28th. Three months should hopefully be enough time" Adam chuckled.

"It doesn't take that long to plan a wedding if you know what you want. Platt's already organised her entire wedding to Mouch" Erin pointed out

"Yeah but she's been planning her wedding since she was ten. Have you seen her wedding book?" Erin shook her head at Kim's question "She has a dress from Woolworths in it. They closed twenty years ago!" They all laughed at Kim's shocked exclamation.

"Well at least she has everything organised" Jay argued "I'd probably end up going to City Hall and getting married in the space of five minutes"

Adam and Jay chuckled loudly, and Erin let out an awkward laugh as Kim smiled sadly at her. She didn't know why Jay's comment made her feel so uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'll be right back" Erin said quickly excusing herself.

Jay watched Erin intently as she walked to the bar, sitting down on a barstool. He made a move to get up, but was stopped when Burgess put her hand up indicated for him to stay with Adam while she went to talk to Erin. Jay sighed and focused his attention back on Adam as they discussed picking out a best man.

…

"so" Kim said as she sat down next to Erin "what's got you so glum?"

Erin shrugged her shoulders "I don't know why it bothered me so much. It's just a harmless comment, right?" she asked taking a large sip of her drink.

"about Jay getting married?" Kim frowned "It's not like you guys are engaged, why are you so worried about getting married?"

"It's not so much about us getting married –"

"The idea of him marrying someone else bothered you" Kim smirked

"I sound pathetic. He's not even mine" Erin groaned as she put her head in her hands.

"Oh honey, he's yours" Kim chuckled "Just because he's not with you doesn't mean his heart isn't with you"

Erin shakes her head "That makes no sense Kim"

"Erin, you and Jay may not be in a relationship, but you're a family. You have his heart, he loves you. And if you're being honest, he has your heart too. You just need to give him some time, he's not going anywhere. I promise you"

Erin let her friend's words sink in. She smiled lightly at Kim and stood up, indicating her head back to their table at the restaurant.

~ LINSTEAD ~

"I thought they'd never leave" Hank says as he feeds his grandson "I tell you Ben, your parents are absolute nut cases sometimes"

Ben simply looks at his grandpa making aeroplanes with his spoonful of food and giggles as he opens his mouth wide to accept the morsel of mashed potatoes.

"You're quite hungry tonight aren't you" Hank says more to himself than Ben.

Ben squeals loudly and Hank chuckles as Ben mumbles sounds, trying to communicate, waiting for the day that he actual hears a proper word come out of the young boy's mouth.

"We should probably be teaching you how to say mama. I have a feeling Erin will be crushed if you say papa first" Hank simply replies before picking up another spoonful of food for Ben.

After they finished their dinner, Hank washed and changed Ben so he was ready for bed. He sat on the couch with Ben snuggled against his couch while he tried to decide what to watch. Ben was beginning to fuss and he knew the baby would struggle to sleep without one of his parents to put him to sleep.

Hank stood and quickly walked into his office, pulling out the box from under his desk. He cradled Ben in one arm and opened the box with the other pulling out the tape. He went back into the living room, putting the tape in the player and sitting down on the couch.

"Let's see if this soothes you yeah?" Hank spoke softly in the 11-month-old's ear as the video began to play.

"Jay! It's going to take forever if you do it like that" Erin yelled as she held Ben in her arms.

"I'm not doing anything wrong" Jay mumbled as he cut the cake

"If you do square pieces then it will be easier to cut" Erin pointed out

"Rectangles don't take any longer Lindsay"

"let me do it" Erin said reaching over to take the knife from him. Jay moved the knife out of her reach and Erin's hand landed on a slice of cake.

"Jay!" Erin snapped as he held out her sticky hand for the utensil.

"Nope. My birthday my rules" Jay smirked

"Well I made the damn thing. My cake my rules" Erin sassed back.

"Well I have the knife. So there's nothing you can do"

Erin moved to closer to Jay and slapped her hand onto his face, wiping cake icing all down the front of his nose and dropping it onto his shirt. Jay stood, eyes and mouth wide open as he placed the knife on the bench behind him.

"Oh, you're so fucking dead" Jay spoke lowly as he walked slowly towards Erin.

Erin began to walk backwards, holding Ben in front of her "Jay, I've got the baby. You wouldn't want to throw cake on your own son would you?"

Her question was answered when Jay picked up a handful of cake and threw it in her face, hitting her forehead and splaying into her hair.

Erin gasped loudly as she held onto Ben tightly with one arm, reaching over to throw more cake in Jay. They kept going like this until both were covered in cake. Jay running around the table trying to catch Erin, an egg in his hand as he ran.

"Okay! I give up!" Erin yelled holding her hand up. She, Ben and Jay all had cake smeared over them and cake stuck to the walls, table and benches surrounding them as well.

"Oh really?" Jay smirked as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Erin nodded and Jay leaned in to kiss her cheek, a cheeky grin forming as she closed her eyes in anticipation, and Jay lifted his hand to crush the egg against her hair.

"Your parents really weren't that subtle about their relationship" Hank chuckled as he looked down at Ben, the baby now sleeping contently in his arms.

Hank looks back at the screen now stopped at the last image of the video; Ben cradled between Jay and Erin as he smiles down at her.

"I know you might be worried about your parents, but I have a feeling it's going to work out for them. And grandpa will let the whole in-house romance rule go, okay?"

Ben just snuggles further into his grandpa and sighs contently.

~ LINSTEAD ~

"You know, we really should do this more often" Erin smiled as she and Jay sat next to each other in the booth. Adam and Kim were discussing Platt appointing herself as their wedding organiser, something which Adam was not happy about. At all.

"It's nice to get out. I think sometimes we forget that we're more than just parents" Jay agreed.

"We should plan time for us to get out at least once or twice every month" Erin replied

Jay raised an eyebrow "Is that separately or together?"

"I'm good with either" Erin shrugged, a teasing tone in her voice.

Jay smiled as he watched Erin. Her eyes bright and carefree, she looked happier than he had seen her in recent times. She hadn't been the same since Nadia, and while she had been trying, it felt like she as finally getting back to who she was. To who Jay knew she is.

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter coming over and speaking softly to Jay. Erin watched as Jay chuckled slightly before nodding his head and handing the waiter his credit card.

Jay looked back over at Erin "Apparently we've overstayed our welcome"

Erin looked at him surprised "They're kicking us out!?"

"Well they've been shut for an hour and a half, I don't think management can afford to pay for all the overtime we're costing them"

Erin looked around and took in the seats all around them, now stacked up on tables. The doors were all shut, and most of the lights were turned off except for those around them.

"Yeah" Jay laughed as he saw the recognition on Erin's face. He took her hand and stood up, prompting Adam and Kim to do the same.

"Let's get out of here" he said as they all walked to the restaurant exit.

~ LINSTEAD ~

"Here we are" Jay says as he pulls up at the front of Hank's house.

Erin nods silently and they both get out of the car and walk to the front door.

"Tonight was really nice" Erin starts as they stand on the porch "Thank you"

Jay shrugs "I just thought we could do with a night out, try and move forward you know?"

Erin nods again and stands awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Erin smiles

Jay nods this time "See you tomorrow"

He watches Erin turn away from him and walk further towards the door, reaching into her pocket to grab her key. He should take the leap; he knows what he wants. But does she?

"Erin?" She turns around to face him "Do you maybe want to do this again some time?"

"Uh, sure. I guess we'll have to check when Burgess and Ruzek are free and –"

"I meant just us" He cuts her off.

"Oh" Erin mumbles as realisation sets in "Are you asking me out detective?"

"Yeah I guess I am" His answer is soft, shy. Unlike Jay.

Erin leans in and kisses his cheek gently "I'd like that"

She turns back around and puts her key in the door, but not before catching a glimpse of Jay's wide smile before he walks back to his car.

A/N: I hope this worked well, I feel like it's about time they try to progress a little?

As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Enjoy the upcoming weekend.

Maddie :)