25. Chapter 25

Okay! How awesome was that final scene with Halstead and Lindsay? (Possible spoiler ahead) I don't actually think that we'll get to see them sharing Lindsay's apartment but the idea of it...eek! I so love those two when they tease each other like last night.

Anyway, back to the fan fic. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this fic, I really appreciate it. I am struggling to get the time to write (my workload is so heavy at the moment) but I really wanted to post something after last night's episode so I am posting the chapter I was going to post this weekend. Hopefully I can use last night's episode to get my creative juices flowing again but so reviews might do the same job (hint hint...lol!)

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 24

The next day...

Erin stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Her eyes scanned the lobby, looking for Ben. She found him; helping the maintenance staff sort a variety of Christmas decorations to put up in the lobby. She headed towards him; just as he noticed her.

"Mrs Kin...I mean Erin, can I help you?" He asked, placing the decorations back in the box before walking towards her.

"I see you are getting the decorations up." Erin observed, shoving her hands in her back pockets.

"Yes, we are a little behind getting them up." Ben replied. "We're sorry for the inconvenience caused."

"Please, you are doing the building a favour...injecting some Christmas spirit." Erin stated. "I kinda forgot all about Christmas." The truth was, she hadn't even thought about it because she hadn't wanted to consider not being home for Christmas.

"Well I am sure with moving you had more pressing things to think about but if you need help organising your Christmas, I can arrange some services..." Ben began to say.

"Thanks Ben, I'll discuss that with my husband." Erin replied; inwardly smirking at how naturally the word 'husband' rolled off her tongue. "I um...I was actually wondering if anything was delivered for us?"

"Nothing that I have been aware of but I can check the log." Ben replied, already heading towards his desk. "Are you waiting for something specific?"

"It's just an invitation to a society function." Erin replied, tapping her fingers on the desk counter; her eyes watching Ben as he searched the log.

He looked up at Erin. "I'm sorry but nothing is here." Ben replied.

Erin sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. "Okay, thanks Ben." She stated and turned to walk away.

"It's their lost if you ask me." Ben said. Erin stopped and turned to look at him; confused. "If those society ladies haven't invited you...it's their lost." He repeated again. "You're definitely more interesting than the others I've met."

"Thanks Ben." Erin replied, giving him a small smile before returning to the elevator again. She stepped into the elevator and smiled; she was glad Ben was no longer a person of interest; she was fond of him and it would totally suck if she had to arrest him for murder.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, she pulled out her cell phone and pressed her speed dial button for Jay. He answered it within three rings. "Nothing has come." She simply stated.

"Hello to you too." Jay replied, smirking.

"I'm sorry but I thought we would have heard something by now." Erin replied.

"Erin, it's been less than 36 hours." Jay reasoned. "Something like this...it probably has to go to an admittance panel. They probably have to do background checks on us to ensure we are who we say we are."

The elevator stopped on their floor. "And what if something has turned up?" Erin asked, stepping out of the elevator.

"It won't." Jay replied.

"So what time will you be back?" Erin asked, entering the apartment.

"Why? You going to cook for me again?" Jay retorted.

"No because that would mean I have to go grocery shopping...and then actually cook." Erin replied. "I was kinda hoping you could pick up a pizza. Mystic Pizza is on tonight..."

"Urgh...another old Julie Roberts movie." Jay groaned.

"You love it really." Erin teased, sinking into the couch.

"Fine, I should be home about 9." Jay replied.

"9?" Erin questioned.

"Yeah." Jay replied. "I'm meeting Al for a coffee and then I'm going to pick up some groceries because Pop Tarts or leftover pizza are not breakfast foods..."

"I am sure there is like a million people who would disagree." Erin shot back.

"It's a good job you work out because if you didn't, you would never maintain that body of yours." Jay stated.

"You think I have a nice body?" Erin teased.

"You know you do." Jay shot back.

Erin smiled. "I guess I'll see you at 9 then." Erin said. "Tell Al I said hi, oh...and easy on the onions on the pizza."

"But I like onions." Jay protested.

"Yeah but I don't want your onion breath breathing on me in the morning." Erin replied.

"So don't face me." Jay shot back.

"Yeah but then I wouldn't get to wake up to your handsome face." Erin teased. She heard Jay give a soft chuckle.

"I'll give you a picture then." He teased back; causing Erin to smile. "I'll see you at 9."

"See you then." Erin replied; her grin getting wider as she closed over her phone.

Jay sat on a park bench, his teeth slightly chattering in the cold evening air. He brought a hot cup of coffee to his lips; enjoying the short, warm relief it brought. He caught sight of a shadow sitting down beside him and smiled. Only Olinski was the master of that move.

"Happy to see you Al." Jay stated.

"I'm happy to see you too." Olinski replied, holding a newspaper in front of him. "Have you any updates?"

"We're waiting on an invitation into the manor." Jay replied, taking another sip of the coffee. "We think we had our initiation."

Olinski nodded. "Well somebody pulled a background check on Jay and Erin Kingston so I hope it was the manor." Olinski stated. He glanced over at Jay. "Don't worry, everything held up."

Jay nodded. "I knew it would." He stated but was relieved to know their cover wasn't blown.

"And how was the initiation?" Olinski asked.

"Yeah, let's just say I'm glad Voight hasn't got cameras on us." Jay replied.

"Did you and Erin..." Olinski began to ask.

"God no!" Jay exclaimed. "We're trying to avoid that at all costs."

Olinski nodded. "And are you both okay?" He asked.

Jay took another sip of his coffee. "Yeah, we're doing good." Jay replied, giving Olinski a look.

Olinski nodded and smiled, understanding the look. "Good." Olinski sighed. "So is there anything else we should be doing?"

"Yeah, check out Joel Dunn for me." Jay replied.

"The heir to Dunn Enterprises?" Olinski asked. "Did you cross paths with him?"

"Erin did." Jay replied, glancing over at Olinski.

Olinski nodded. "I'll get on it." Olinski replied. "Stay safe." And with that, he disappeared into the evening air again.

When Jay entered the apartment, his hands filled with grocery bags and a pizza, he found Erin sitting on the kitchen counter, with a glass of red wine in her hand. She was wearing grey sweatpants and a slouchy white t-shirt that was sliding off her right shoulder. Her hair was hanging down naturally.

"You're late." She simply stated. "I had to pause the movie."

Jay glanced at the clock in the cooker as he sat down the bags and the pizza; it was 9:18pm. "Geez Erin, now you're even beginning to sound like a wife." Jay replied. He began to unpack the groceries. "I had to go to three different stores just to find the shower gel that you say is the only gel that doesn't irritate your 'sensitive' skin." He air quoted the word 'sensitive'.

Erin hopped off the counter and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and give his a quick peck on the cheek; taking him by surprise. "Thank you." She said. "You really are a good house husband." Her arms lingered a little longer around his shoulders; her head rested in the crook between his shoulder blades; creating a gentle hug.

She really did mean what she said; she was touched that he remembered and knew what shower gel she used; she was sure no boyfriend from her past would ever remember that detail.

Jay smiled; enjoying Erin's lingering touch. He raised his hand and gently rubbed one of her arms that were wrapped around him. "Yeah well you might not be as pleased with my choice of shampoo." Jay said, trying to ease the lingering tension between them. "I had to lose the coconut scent and go for a something a little more manly."

Erin removed her arms and glanced in the bag as she reached over for the pizza. Her eyes found a bottle of mint scented shampoo. "I can live with that." She retorted before walking towards the couch with the pizza and glass of wine in her hands.

She sunk into the couch and sat the wine and pizza on the coffee table. She slide open the pizza box for a quick look and smiled; there were no onions. She sat back and tucked her feet under herself. "How was Olinski?" She asked, looking over her shoulder into the kitchen. She could see that Jay was finished unpacking the shopping.

Jay grabbed two plates, some napkins and a bottle of beer and began walking towards the couch. "Everything is the same. I told him that we're awaiting our invitation." Jay replied. He sat down the plates, napkins and bottle of beer on the coffee table. "He said that someone ran a background check on the Kingstons so hopefully it was the manor."

"Did everything pass the check?" Erin asked.

"Of course." Jay replied; taking off his suit jacket and tossing it onto the arm chair; he pulled off his tie and sat it on the coffee table before opening the two top buttons of his shirt. "I asked him to check out Dunn for us as well."

"Good." Erin said, her eyes watching Jay as he sat down on the couch beside her. He automatically threw his right arm behind the couch, resting it on the rim. Without thinking, Erin scooted closer and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder; taking in his scent; the same aftershave she smelt the first morning he went to work for Wiltshire. "Jay..." She softly asked.

"Huh?" Jay replied, reaching for his beer.

"Why are you wearing aftershave everyday now?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Don't you like it?" He asked, looking down on her.

"Oh, no...it's very nice." Erin replied. "I just...I noticed it the first morning we were here and I guess I never noticed your aftershave before so..." She trailed off.

"I just thought it was something Jay Kingston would do." Jay answered. "In my head, he seemed like the type to wear aftershave." Erin nodded at his reasoning and reached for the remote to begin playing the movie. "How do I usually smell?"

"Huh?" Erin asked, looking up at him.

"You said you never noticed me wearing aftershave before so how do I usually smell?" He asked; his eyes locked on hers.

"Soap and gunpowder." She answered, without hesitation.

"Huh?" Jay muttered confused.

"Soap and gunpowder...that's what you usually smell of." She replied. Jay nodded and turned his attention back to the TV. Erin gave a small smile and focused back on the TV; pressing play before sinking back into the crook of Jay's shoulder again.

The end credits of the movie rolled across the screen. "Well, that's the end of another Julia Roberts classic!" Jay stated, looking down at Erin who was passed out; her head resting on his shoulder.

Jay smiled. It had been a long time since she had last fallen asleep on him; it used to happen after practically every movie they watched; before they had decided to stay professional; before Severide had come on the scene.

He reached over and pressed a button on the remote, switching off the TV. He glanced down at Erin and slowly slid his arm out from under her. She stirred ever so slightly but did not wake up. Jay stood in front of her and scooped her up into his arms. She automatically rested her head in the crook of his neck; her nose gently grazing his neck as she muttered in her sleep.

Jay carried her into the bedroom; he quickly pushed the excess cushions onto the floor; pulled back the bedding and placed her on her side of the bed. She sighed and rolled over onto her side; causing a curl to fall over her face. Jay smiled and reached over, gently sweeping the curl behind her ear.

He walked into the bathroom to wash up, clean his teeth and change out of his suit. When he entered the bedroom, in his t-shirt and boxers; Erin was still where he had placed her; sound asleep. He climbed into his side of the bed and lay flat on his back. He reached over and switched off the bedside lamp.

The only sound in the room was Erin's gentle inhales and exhales. He glanced over at her; a few streaks of moonlight slipping through the bedroom blinds lit up her face. He smiled at the beauty of her. Suddenly a deep sigh filled the room and Erin rolled towards him; cuddling into him.

He looked down at her; debating whether or not he should waken her but she was in such a deep sleep. Again, his fingers gently swept away the curls covering her face; lingering a little longer over her soft skin. He sighed and wrapped his arm around her; deciding not to wake her. "What's wrong with a little cuddling between a married couple?" He silently thought as he closed his eyes for a peaceful night's sleep.

To be continued...