40. Chapter 40

Hey guys, thank you so much for the feedback. I really appreciate it. Sorry I have made you wait this week but I was getting over my sickness and then I had to catch up on the work I missed while I was sick. I also have a touch of writers block. I know how I want this story to end but writing it is proving hard so bear with me please.

Oh, and please read and review!

Chapter 39

Voight, Olinski, Dawson, Ruzek, Atwater, Burgess, Roman and Erin were gathered in the waiting room. Dawson and Atwater were standing, leaning against a wall; Ruzek, Burgess and Roman were sitting; Voight and Olinski were also sitting, their eyes watching Erin as she paced up and down; dressed in a pair of green hospital scrubs a nurse had provided.

The doctor entered the waiting room through the swinging doors. Anyone that was sitting stood up; anyone already standing walked towards him and Erin stopped pacing and headed straight to the front of the pack.

"How is he?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"He was injected with a sedative...it'll wear off itself." He replied. "He'll not be waking up tonight and he'll be groggy when he does."

"Can we see him?" Dawson asked.

"Of course but I don't see much point." The doctor replied. "I think your time would be best served going home and getting some rest. Detective Halstead will not know any different...you can see him in the morning." The team nodded and the doctor walked away.

"I guess the doctor is right...we should head home." Voight stated. "Erin, Nadia is waiting for you back at your place, I can..." He reached out to take Erin's arm.

"Whoa, whoa...I'm not leaving him!" Erin interrupted, swerving her body to miss Voight's touch. The rest of the team looked on; feeling awkward, not knowing what to do.

"Erin, it's been a long few weeks...and a long night..." Olinski began to reason.

"I'm staying here with Jay." Erin stated. "What if he wakes up? He has no idea what happened tonight."

"Well I can stay..." Dawson offered.

Erin spun around to face Antonio. "I'm staying." She practically hissed.

The rest of the team looked over at Voight; awaiting his reaction. Olinski shared a look with him.

"Okay Erin, you stay with Halstead." Voight agreed reluctantly. "But I need you to come into the District tomorrow to complete the report. I'm sure the D.A. will want everything tidied up before they break for Christmas."

"I'll be there." Erin shot back. Voight nodded and began to walk away; the rest of the team following; Burgess, Dawson and Olinski giving her shoulder a little squeeze as they passed.

Erin was curled up in the chair beside Jay's bed, wrapped in a blanket; sleeping. She could hear him moving on the bed, causing his bedding to rustle. She opened her eyes; finding Jay looking at her. She jumped up on the seat.

"You're awake!" She stated.

"Barely, everything seems fuzzy." Jay replied, his eyes blinking.

"That will be the sedative." Erin replied, climbing out of the chair. She grabbed the cup of water lying beside him and held it to his lips. He took a small sip.

"Sedative?" He asked confused. "Why did they give me a sedative?"

"They didn't...it was injected into you while you were fighting with our perp." Erin replied; sitting the water back down on the table.

"Are you okay?" Jay asked; concern clearly in his eyes. Erin couldn't help but smile.

"Well saying I'm the one sleeping in the chair while you're the one in the hospital bed then I'd say yes, I am." She replied, her fingers gently reaching out to caress his hair. "You had me worried."

"I had you worried?" Jay scoffed. "You were the one who disappeared without back up."

"An opportunity presented itself...I'd knew you'd get to me." Erin replied, defending herself.

"So did we at least close the case?" Jay asked, his left hand resting palm up.

"Yes we did." Erin replied; a smile on her lips as she slipped her hand in his. For a moment, she looked and felt confused; his hand felt different. She quickly glanced down; there was no wedding ring on his finger; they had removed it when he was admitted to hospital to check if there were any trances of DNA after his scuffle with Joel. It was evidence now.

"It feels funny, huh?" Jay stated, as if reading her mind.

"What?" She asked.

"Not wearing the ring." Jay replied. "For the first few days it felt weird wearing it and now it feels weird not wearing it."

"Yeah." She agreed, with a small smile.

"So, it was Amy and a bar tender then?" Jay asked.

"Actually, it wasn't a bar tender...it was Joel Dunn." Erin replied. "Please don't say 'I told you so'."

"What? I didn't trust the guy...but I definitely didn't have him down as a murderer." Jay replied. "So him and Amy..."

"Actually, we're kind unclear about Amy's involvement." Erin replied. "We know that Joel was one of the trust fund guys she got involved with when she was a street kid and he helped fund her new life as Amy Stimson. We also know she helped to supply the couples for him but apparently she had been doing it for over a year...the killings are only recent and didn't occur with every couple she set up. I think she was in the dark about the murders...the fact that she put herself forward for a threesome supports that."

"But how did she not notice the couples she suggested were turning up dead?" Jay asked.

Erin shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she didn't read the newspapers?" Erin replied. "I mean, the couples weren't in her circle of friends, apart from the Montgomerys and their death did seem to be a sex act gone wrong...maybe she just convinced herself Joel was nothing to do with it...maybe she didn't want to believe he was capable of it."

"So if it's just a recent development, how did Joel turn into our killer?" Jay asked.

"We think the Montgomery's death was an accident, a sex act that did go wrong." Erin replied. "Unfortunately, we also think that it triggered something in Joel; like he got off on the feeling of killing them and he had to keep killing to keep the high."

"That's dark, even for us." Jay stated. "So it's all over?" Erin nodded.

"Yep." Erin replied. "Ruzek and Burgess are going to pack up the apartment for us and I am going to do the report for us so the D.A. can have if before we break for Christmas."

"And what am I doing?" Jay asked.

"You are going to rest." Erin replied with a small laugh.

"Erin..." Jay began to protest.

"Jay, you're lying in a hospital bed." Erin laughed, her free hand caressing his hair. "It's Voight's orders...and he's told us we're not due back at work until December 29th...imagine, a whole 5 days off for Christmas."

"I wonder what we could do." Jay teased; a knowing smirk on his face.

"Jay!" Erin giggled, slapping his chest.

"I was just thinking how many box sets I could watch." Jay replied. "You know me...I'm a gentleman."

"That you are." Erin agreed, smiling; her eyes locked with Jay's eyes. The moment was disturbed by someone knocking on the hospital room's door. Both Erin and Jay looked towards the door; just as it began to open. Severide's head popped around the door.

"Kelly!" Erin exclaimed, automatically removing her hands from Jay. "What...what are you doing here?"

"Gabi heard from Antonio that you were here. I had to check you were okay." Kelly replied, walking towards her; he engulfed her in a hug.

"I'm fine." Erin replied, keeping her arms by her side.

"So I can see." Kelly said, releasing Erin from his hug. "Jay, are you okay?"

"Just got injected with a sedative, nothing major...I'm sure I'll be released in a few hours." Jay replied, feeling extremely awkward in the situation.

"Good, glad to hear you're okay." Kelly said before turning his attention back to Erin. "I was going to offer to take you home if you're not admitted..."

"Well I don't want to leave Jay alone..." Erin began to explain, glancing back at Jay.

"Erin, you should go." Jay stated. Erin shot him a questionable look, confused by his response. "Like you said, I have to rest."

"If you're sure?" She asked, her eyes desperately trying to read him.

"You should go with your boyfriend." Jay replied.

"Okay, I will." Erin replied, completely confused. "I guess I'll see you in a few days."

"Happy Holiday Erin." Jay stated. He knew she was mad at him but what else was he suppose to do with her boyfriend standing there? Ask her to stay and watch him sleep?

"You too Jay." She replied, slipping her arm around Kelly's waist as she left, not looking back.

Erin stared out the passenger window of Severide's car as he drove her home; her mind trying to understand what had just happened. Did Jay really just give her the brush off after everything they experienced together? Okay, Kelly turning up had made things awkward but she could have gotten rid of him.

Her mind was still trying to process what had just happened that she did not realise the car had come to a stop. She felt Kelly's hand delicately squeeze her thigh; snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Here you are...home sweet home." He said. "I bet you missed this place."

Erin looked up at her apartment building; her first and only home after leaving Voight's house; but the building didn't feel like home anymore. "Yeah, here I am...home." She stated, trying her best to sound happy.

"Do you want me to come up with you or..." Kelly began to say.

Erin turned to look at him. "Nadia is there...Voight didn't want me coming back to an empty place." Erin replied. "Plus I have to be at the District in like 2 hours so..."

"Maybe I can see you tonight then?" Kelly suggested. "I mean, I know tomorrow is Christmas Eve so you probably have stuff to do..."

Erin sighed and hung her head. She slowly raised her head and turned to look at Severide. "Kelly, I think we need to talk." She said.

"Talk?" Severide softly laughed, hanging his head. "I think I know the talk...I've given the talk."

"You're a great guy, you can do so much better than me." Erin stated. "Being on this undercover operation, it gave me time to reflect and..."

"Did something happen between you and Jay?" Severide interrupted her, looking at her.

"I'm not going to lie...I wanted it to but no...Jay stopped it before it went too far." Erin replied.

"Jay stopped it!" He laughed. "Good old gentleman Jay..."

"I'm the one in the wrong here Kelly." Erin retorted. "And as much as this is going to hurt you...I need to be honest...I didn't miss you while I was away...and I should have 'cause you deserve to be missed."

Kelly sighed and hung his head.

"I think we are better off being friends." Erin said. Kelly nodded his head reluctantly. "I'm sorry." She softly kissed his cheek and stepped out of his car; making her way into her apartment building.

Kelly didn't look up; he waited for a few minutes before driving off.

To be continued