2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews, follows and faves. I really appreciate them so please keep them coming!

Chapter 1

Jay stood in the break room, clutching the cup of coffee he had just poured when Erin walked in. "Sorry about this morning." She said, brushing past him to reach for the coffee. "I swear we'll get our usual runs going again."

He looked her up and down as she poured the coffee into the cup. He quickly noted that she was wearing yesterday's clothes. "So, how is your fireman?" He asked.

Erin inwardly groaned. This was one of the reasons why she hated working with detectives – how quickly they noticed that she hadn't made it home. She was sure if she had a typical nine to five job, it would go unnoticed, at least for a few minutes. "Kelly needs me Jay. He lost one of his own." She quickly answered.

"Hey, don't get so defensive." Jay quickly retorted, holding up his hands. "I'm just trying to be a caring, professional partner. You don't have to explain why you're sleeping at your fireman's place, even if the last thing you told me is you're taking it slow."

Erin groaned again, especially when she heard the word 'professional'. It had been haunting their partnership for so long.

"And I know he's lost one of his own, so have we." Jay continued.

Erin closed her eyes and sighed, remembering Jin's death and how it brought up some many unanswered questions about Voight, her father figure. She wasn't in the mood to defend him. She knew how Jay felt, how his morals were so different to his boss. "Please..." She began, opening her eyes to look at him.

"I just want to say he's lucky to have you." Jay continued, referring to Severide. "I know that explosion was pretty tough on 51."

Erin didn't say anything in return. She just watched as Jay left the break room, bringing her free hand up to rub her temple. She sighed, it hadn't gone unnoticed that her partner could never refer to her boyfriend by name.

She knew they had both agreed that they had to stay professional or risk losing their jobs. And she knew things were changing in their partnership, partly because of Kelly, partly because of Nadia staying at her place but mainly, it was because of how she handled the 'Lonnie Rodiger' case. She should have known Jay was innocent. Hell, she knew how he felt about Voight taking the law into his own hands, why would he do the same? It was one of her biggest regrets and she needed to make it up to Jay, sooner, rather than later.

Erin focused on the road ahead as she drove. Herself and Jay had been tasked with following up on a dodgy prescription from a pharmacy, hoping it could be the start of a big drugs bust that Narcotics couldn't get to grips with. She glanced over at her partner, who was staring out the passenger's window.

"Hey, how do you feel about some pizza and beers at my place tonight?" She asked.

"Huh?" Jay replied, looking over at her. "Are you sure your fireman won't need you?"

"Jay." She sighed. "We're still in the very early stages of dating. I don't need to spend every night with him. I think both Kelly and I would hate that idea. We need our space and our friends." She glanced over at Jay, trying to read his reaction, hoping Jay realised things were not serious with Kelly, yet. She also hoped that Jay realised she wanted, no needed him as a friend.

"And what about Nadia?" Jay asked.

"She has a job interview." Erin replied. "So what do you say?"

"And what's the occasion for this pizza party?" Jay asked, his face remaining firm.

Erin inwardly sighed again. He was really going to make her say it. "Look, I know things have been a little difficult for us lately. Especially the Lonnie case..." She began.

"Hey..." Jay began to say.

"No, let me finish." Erin interrupted, glancing over at him. "I should have been there for you. I should have known that you would never take the law into your own hands. You made a stand against Voight on that when no one else would. It's just, you wouldn't let me in so I just backed off. But the whole Charlie thing; I tried to push you away, not to let you in and you didn't give up, you had my back."

"Yeah, well we're partners Erin." Jay stated openly. "That's why you have back up."

"I know but it's time I start being your partner and having your back again." Erin said, glancing over at Jay, desperately trying to read his face. She had to admit his poker face was good. "I want to be your back up again. I want you to know I am here for you." There was silence for what seemed like a lifetime to Erin, before he finally spoke.

"So pizza and beer it is then." Jay agreed.

"Great, there is just one thing." Erin said.

"And what is that?" Jay asked, his eyes questioning her.

"Can you pick up the beer and pizzas for me?" Erin asked. She could hear the laughter of disbelief building in Jay's throat. She glanced at him again, wondering if she should test these waters. "You are my house husband after all."

She could see his cheeky, trademark grin spreading on his lips and her heart melted as she realised how much she missed it. She knew he was remembering the conversation about how she never let him drive, when they had only been partners for one month.

"Only if you let me drive on the way back." He responded.

"Hey, I'm sorry but I'm not that sorry." She retorted, before both of them began laughing, both realising how much they had been missing the banter.

Jay stood in front of Erin's apartment door, two pizzas in one hand and a six pack of beer in the other. He looked at the door; trying to shake the weird feeling he had standing there. He had been here so many times before, just not lately.

When he was first partnered with Lindsey, she didn't even wait a week to invite him over to watch a Bulls game. She saw it as a bonding opportunity and until recently, a week had not gone by without a stopover at either her place or his.

He took a deep breath and carefully balanced the six pack to allow him to knock on the door. Within a few seconds, the door opened. "Hey..." he began to say until his eyes fell on the brown hair beauty that wasn't his partner. "Nadia." He finished, a little confused.

"Hey Detective Halstead." Nadia replied, standing before him in a tank top and a denim mini skirt.

"Jay please." He quickly replied. Nadia nodded. "So um, is Erin...?" He began but trailed off.

"She's not here." Nadia replied.

Jay nodded his head knowingly. She had been cancelling a lot on him recently. "Right, it's just...she invited me over for pizza and beers."

"Oh I'm sure she'll be here." Nadia reassured him. "Knowing Erin, she's off saving another soul."

Jay looked at Nadia and smiled. He knew her comment was genuine as Erin was doing the same for her, getting her off the streets, getting her into rehab and letting her stay at her place until she got herself sorted.

"Right so..." He muttered, looking around him.

"Oh right...come in and wait." Nadia said, blushing slightly. She stepped back to let Jay enter.

"Erin mentioned you had a job interview tonight." Jay stated, trying to make conversation as he sat the pizzas and beers on the breakfast bar.

"Um yeah." Nadia said. "One of my counsellors tried to hook me up with her daughter who owns a clothes store."

"Tried?" Jay retorted, sitting down at the breakfast bar. "I'm guessing it didn't go to plan."

Nadia leaned against the breakfast bar, slipping her arms behind her. Jay could tell her body was fidgeting, fighting the urge to open up and trust a cop. He smiled at her. Nadia pulled her hands in front of her and began tracing her fingers.

"Apparently I didn't have the right look." Nadia replied. "This totally sucks because I really wanted the job to get out of Erin's way." Nadia turned to Jay. "I mean, she's been so good to me but I can tell I'm cramping her style, especially with that hunky fireman and..." Nadia trailed off when she noticed a glint of jealousy in Jay's eyes.

"It does totally suck." Jay agreed. "I mean, I'm kinda ashamed to admit this and please don't repeat it but in high school I got hired for a job in a store because apparently, I had the 'look'." He air quoted the end of the sentence.

"Hollister?" Nadia guessed.

"How did you...?" Jay trailed off, in disbelief.

"You're definitely cute enough for Hollister." Nadia replied, matter of factly. Now, it was Jay's turn to blush.

"This pizza is getting cold." He said, in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "You wanna share?"

"Sure, I'll grab the..." Nadia began, walking into the kitchen to get plates, just as Jay reached over and lifted them out. "...plates."

"I um..." Jay tried to explain.

"Wow, you really know your way about this place." Nadia simply stated.

"Yeah, probably better than I should." Jay agreed.

Erin parked her car outside her building and glanced at her watch as she scrambled out of the car. "Shit." She muttered. She was nearly two hours late to meet Jay.

Everything had gone to plan. She had only left the office a few minutes after him but then Voight called her back. He had just gotten word that Justin was going to deployed soon. He seemed so upset; she couldn't just leave him so they went for a drink.

She raced up the steps of her building and headed towards her door, her heart sinking that he wasn't waiting outside for her. She shook her head, telling herself to stop being so selfish. She shouldn't have expected him to wait. It was too long. She should have been there on time.

She stuck her key in the lock and began to open it but paused briefly at the sound of Nadia and Jay, laughing. She pushed the door open to find them both sitting on the sofa, Nadia taking up two cushions, her knees bent, her toes gently grazing Jay's thigh. Jay's top body was curved towards Nadia as he animatedly retold a basketball story to her. They hadn't even noticed her come in. She noted the empty beer bottles in front of Jay and the glass of water in front of Nadia. The pizza boxes were also on the coffee table in front of them.

She dropped her keys into the candy bowl by the door, causing a small clatter but it was enough to get their attention as they turned to face her. "Hey." She simply said, trying to extinguish the fire burning inside her. She had no idea why she was feeling like this. Well, she had an idea. She just didn't want to admit it to herself.

"So you finally made it." Jay stated, with his usual cheeky grin.

"Yeah um...there was family stuff." She simply replied.

Jay nodded, knowing 'family stuff' meant Voight and Justin. "Well, never mind, Nads was great company." Jay stated.

"Nads?" Erin fumed silently. Now he was giving her roommate a nick name. "I thought you had a job interview." She turned her attention to Nadia.

"Yeah, um...it didn't go to plan." She nervously replied.

"It's their lost." Jay replied, smiling at her reassuringly.

"Yeah, I mean I could always try Hollister." Nadia replied, looking directly at Jay, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, playfully punching Nadia on the arm, who giggled in return.

Erin looked at both of them, completely confused. Was there something she was missing? She was so busy trying to take in the scene in front of her that she didn't even notice Jay standing up and putting on his leather jacket until he was nearly right beside her. "Are you leaving already?" She asked. "I mean I am sorry I was a little late..."

"Relax Lindsey, I get it." He stated. "It's getting late and I have an early start..."

"Oh yeah, our run before work..." Erin began to speak.

"Actually I kinda arranged to meet Antonio at the gym." Jay interrupted. "He's been needing to blow off some steam with everything going on with Laura and the kids. I kinda thought you wouldn't mind as you haven't been around for our runs lately."

"No, of course...Antonio comes first." Erin agreed, hoping she didn't sound as disappointed as she felt. She opened the door.

"But feel free to join us." Jay quickly added.

"Sure, we'll see." Erin said. There was silence.

Jay turned towards Nadia again and gave her a wave. "Thanks for the company Nads, truly enjoyed it." He stated. Nadia waved and nodded in agreement as she remained on the sofa. He turned towards the door and began walking. He paused briefly, turning to Erin. "Sorry we didn't get to hang."

"Me too." Erin muttered, closing the door behind him. "Me too."

She watched as Nadia stood up and began to clear the coffee table. "Huh!" Nadia muttered, thinking to herself.

"What is now Nadia?" Erin asked, a little too abruptly.

"Nothing." Nadia replied as she began making her way to the kitchen with the empty bottles and boxes. "It's just, I guess there really are some good guys out there...and he's one of them."

Erin sighed inwardly. She knew she screwed up. She should have been here. Now, instead, she had to deal with a love struck ex-junkie and her own feelings, which she was really sure she shouldn't be having.

To be continued...