43. The Epilogue

Wow guys! I've been floored by the positive reaction to the final chapter. I really appreciate it as writing this fic took up a big chunk of my life (nearly 5 months) so to have so many people enjoy it was a just reward. I wrote an epilogue to give a bit of closure to the Jay and Erin I created in this fic. I hope you're okay with what I have done. As always, please read and review. I'd really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you!

The Epilogue

Nine months later...

"Jay, seriously...where the hell are you taking me?" Erin snapped as Jay guided her out of the elevator. She hated having a blindfold on. She felt like she had lost all control.

"Hon, it's a surprise...just bear with me." Jay coaxed, leading her towards and apartment door.

"Jay...I let you drive..." She began to rant.

"Only because you were blindfolded." Jay interjected.

"Still! I think I've played my part." She shot back. "Please Jay, I trust you and all but this has been on me since we left the District." They stopped in front of a door. "You know I hate blindfolds..."

"It's all part of the surprise." Jay replied, slipping a key in the door, unlocking it. "Only a few more seconds." He took her hand and guided her into the apartment. He led her into the centre of the apartment and reached up to untie the blindfold. "Okay...you can look!" He removed the blindfold.

Erin opened her eyes and took in the scene before her. She was surrounded in wooden floors, cream walls, exposed red brick work and wooden beams; ceiling to floor windows displaying a gorgeous view of Chicago. The room was open plan with the kitchen and dining area; the kitchen had an island in the middle and an amazing range cooker. On either side of the little hallway of the front door there was a closet and a bathroom. Down a small corridor from the kitchen there were two other doors, one leading to the master bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and a guest bedroom.

Everything was decorated to her taste; even the white and frosted blues encasing the master bedroom; the white and silver bathrooms or the black marble worktops of the kitchen. Erin walked around the apartment, taking everything in as Jay followed behind; excitedly shifting from to foot to foot; doing a little dance; just like a child at Christmas.

Erin walked out to the centre of the apartment again and spun around to face Jay. "I...what...I..."She was speechless. She threw her arms up and sighed. She couldn't believe Jay had brought them back to the apartment building they had lived during their 'fake' marriage as the Kingstons. She really didn't understand why they were here.

"Well?" Jay asked, his eyes dancing with glee.

"Well what?" Erin asked, still confused. "Are we taking a walk down memory lane? Because if we are, can I just point out that this wasn't even 'our' apartment."

Jay reached out and wrapped his arms around Erin's waist; pulling her into him. "But it could be." He simply replied.

"What?" She exclaimed, in disbelief. Erin understood why Jay wanted to reminiscence about their time in this building, working undercover as a married couple. A lot had changed in nine short months since they had left this building.

After their 'one day' in Jay's apartment, Erin had quickly realised she didn't want to spend another day without Jay so she did what she thought was best and told Voight that Jay was now her boyfriend, without discussing it with Jay first. Luckily for her, Jay wanted to be her boyfriend; he was just shocked that she actually did it.

However, they were both shocked by Voight's reaction. Erin knew she was putting both their careers at risk; Voight did not tolerate in house romances; but he seemed to be pretty accepting; as long as there were no PDAs on the job.

As soon as they returned to the District after the Christmas break Voight informed them that he could tolerate the romance but he didn't want them to be partners anymore. He assigned Jay to Antonio and Erin got assigned to Atwater.

Erin had to admit that Voight had done the right thing; Jay was really enjoying working with Dawson and although she initially had some teething problems with Atwater, things were going well. Plus, it gave her and Jay something to talk about when they got home after shift.

"Jay..." Erin began as lots of questions began to race through her mind.

"Look, I know you probably have a million questions." Jay interjected. "But Erin...this is where it all started..."

"Really?" She scoffed. She knew their feelings for each other had started long before the undercover operation.

"Okay...it isn't exactly where it started..." Jay reasoned. "...but this building is where I realised I couldn't go a day without seeing you." He lifted his hand from her waist and gently stroked her cheek. "Now I know it's not 'our' apartment, someone else is now living there but this one is about to come on the market and I personally think it's better."

Erin sighed. "Oh, it's definitely is better." Erin agreed.

"But?" Jay asked.

"Can we afford it?" Erin responded.

"Of course we can." Jay quickly shot back. "Now that Tony has hired me as a freelance security consultant..."

"Yeah, I still can't quite believe Voight agreed to let you do that." Erin interjected; wrapping her arms around Jay's neck. She knew that after Narcotics had busted most of Tony's clubs for drug dealing, Tony had decided to pull together a trustworthy security team to ensure it didn't happen again. He had begged Jay to come back to work for him but Jay wouldn't leave Intelligence so Tony agreed to let him be a consultant, for practically the same money.

"Well..." Jay said, unwrapping Erin's left arm from around his neck and taking her left hand in his right; his fingers twisting the sparkling princess cut diamond ring on her ring finger. "...saying I'm going to be marrying his kinda adopted daughter, I think he wanted to make sure I could provide for you."

Erin smiled and chewed her lower lip. "You know, if I'm kinda his adopted daughter, that will make you his kinda adopted son in law." She teased.

"Oh I know." Jay shot back with a smirk. "Nadia pointed that out when she was helping me pick the ring."

"And you still proposed?" Erin teased.

"What can I say? I'm a fool in love." Jay stated.

Erin smile grew wider. She knew that they were going to have to find an apartment soon as neither of them wanted to move into each other's place; therefore, they agreed to look for somewhere new. She desperately wanted to give in and say 'yes' to this place. She loved the apartment and the building held so many good memories for the both of them. This place was perfect.

"And why do we need two bedrooms?" She asked. She was teasing; she knew his answer. "I mean, that is just adding to the cost..."

"Well we're gonna need a room for Halstead Junior when the time comes." Jay replied.

"Huh...maybe one day..." Erin teased.

"Oh definitely!" Jay retorted with a smirk. "C'mon Erin...what do you say?"

Erin paused; turning her head to taking another look around. She returned to Jay's gaze. "I say you have great taste."

"Well duh!" Jay shot back, smiling. "I got you after all."

"Let's do this...yes." Erin replied.

"Yes?" Jay asked; his eyes twinkling as his grin grew wider.

"Yes." Erin replied, nodding her head as she giggled.

Jay scooped her up into his arms and began to spin her around as Erin continued to giggle. He stopped spinning her and stood her down on her feet. His hand gently caressed her cheek. "God, I love you Erin Lindsay." He softly stated.

"And I love you too Jay Halstead." Erin replied before their lips met in a soft, gentle, loving and lingering kiss.