63. From This Moment On

Thanks again for your patience and of course your feedback on my last chapter! Have fun with this one, I hope you like it (I kinda do :P)!

Lyrics are from Shania Twain's "From This Moment On"

I don't own anything.

63. From This Moment On

28 July 2017

″Girls? Are you ready?″ Jay called from outside the door in the evening around 7. ″'Cause I'm starving.″

″Chillax Jay, you had a giant sundae with double chocolate,″ Kim laughed when she opened the door, carrying Emmy.

″Yeah well, a sundae doesn't usually do a proper job to fill an empty stomach,″ Jay complained.

″Okay okay, be patient. I think Erin needs another minute or two,″ Kim grinned, handing Emmy to her father as she reached out for him. As always. Whenever she saw her daddy she got all excited, it was the cutest thing to witness.

″Of course she's not ready,″ Jay chuckled.

″Ey, she had to bathe the little one and to shower herself,″ Kim defended Erin. ″So she had much more to do than you had.″

″You could've given the task of bathing this monkey to me,″ Jay grinned, tickling Emmy's belly. ″Then we could already eat by now.″

″Jeez Jay, you're really a complainer, aren't you?″ Kim laughed.

″Only when he's hungry,″ Erin smirked when she opened the bathroom door in that moment, Jay almost falling over by her sight. She was wearing the most adorable white summer dress with embroideries and no sleeves. A short one that revealed way too much skin. Not that he would ever complain about seeing her perfect legs though. Her brown-blonde waves, that have grown back quite long in the last couple of months and were shining in a thousand different colors, falling over her shoulders lightly, effortlessly. Her make-up was subtle as she was glowing without it anyway, her lashes dreamingly long. Automatically his mind traveled a couple hours forward and he honstely wondered how he should survive seeing her in a wedding dress when seeing her like this, in a simple summer dress, already almost knocked him out.

″You can put your tongue back in your mouth now,″ Erin sassed, her raspy chuckle bringing him back to reality.

Jay didn't say anything, only closed the gap between them and leaned down to kiss her cheek. ″You have any idea how beautiful you look?″ he murmured into her ear, that was blazoned by the earlobe piercings he'd given her for her birthday, his hot breath tickling her sensitive skin there.

″You don't look too bad yourself either,″ she smirked, eyeing him from head to toes in his dark blue jeans and the perfectly fitting light grey polo shirt that revealed the muscles that were hidden underneath.

″Well, Mouse told me to dress nicely but compared to you...″ he winked.

″Ahem,″ Kim cleared her throat, interrupting their little moment. ″You can actually thank me, Nat and Sylvie for that dress because we talked your ever-stubborn fiancée into taking it. Which was quite the challenge.″

″Bet it was,″ Jay grinned, vividly imagining how Erin had contemplated forever whether to take it or not because she was always telling herself she wasn't the dress-kinda-girl. Jay seriously wondered where that came from because whenever he's seen her in a dress so far she'd looked nothing but stunning. This woman could simply wear anything and wearing an old potato bag she would still be the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

″Guys, can we go or what?″ Mouse called from the door.

″Yeah,″ Kim said. ″These two just needed to act like they haven't seen each other in a week and make a point to prove how much they're in love,″ she laughed and gave them both a slight push into the direction of the door.

″Do I hear jealousy talking here?″ Jay teased her. ″Huh Emmy, what do you think? Is Aunt Kim jealous?″ he asked his daughter, getting a punch onto his upper arm from Kim in return.

″That hurt my feelings,″ Jay chuckled.

″Drama-queen,″ Erin teased him, slipping her hand through his fingers.

″Sometimes,″ he grinned down at her.

″Where do we even go?″ Erin asked confused when they walked towards the exit of the hotel. She's expected them to have dinner at the hotel's restaurant as the food there was delicious but apparently their destination was a different one. At the same time she still wondered why they'd had to play out time earlier.

″Wait and see,″ Mouse smirked, not giving away any more details.

″Huh,″ Erin grunted in return. All those secrets drove her nuts to say the least and she just wanted to know what was going on already.

Fortunately they only crossed the street and went to some kind of beach bar and steakhouse directly by the lake. Steakhouse is always great, Jay thought satisfied, wondering whether everyone else could hear his stomach rumbling, his mouth was watering only from the thought of a delicious medium grilled steak with fries and onion rings.

″Wise choice,″ Jay grinned when they approached the restaurant with a big, beautiful patio and a perfect lake-view. He was so hungry, he didn't even notice that no one was sitting outside and that there were apparently no other guests. Which was weird, given the time of the day and the season in general.

″Yeah, we thought you'd like that,″ Mouse laughed, giving his best friend a pat on the back before he held the door open so Erin and Jay could step in first, their hands still intertwined, expecting anything but what happened now.

″SURPRISE!″ Their jaw's dropped and their eyes widened to unbelievable sizes as they stared at all the smiling and cheering people in front of them. Everyone, seriously everyone, was here. Hank, Olivia, Noah, Teddy, Will, Natalie, Owen, Carol, Robert, Susan, Michael, Robert, Paul, Izzie, Nick, Lydia, Mylo, Antonio, Sylvie, Sarah, Adam, Alvin, Meredith, Kevin, Trudy, Mouch, Gabby, Matt, Maggie and even Justin, Olive, Daniel and not even 2-week-old baby Henry. All their guests, these people they loved dearly and wanted to celebrate their special day with were here for them, one day early.

″Oh my God,″ Erin exclaimed, a big smile spreading across her face.

″What are y'all doing here?!″ Jay asked equally stunned.

″We wanted to give you guys a real party before you tie the knot and thought what would be better than doing it here, with all your friends and family present,″ Kim explained.

″That's why there was no real bachelor party,″ Mouse said. ″We thought you'd prefer to do that together.″

″Thank you so so much,″ Erin whispered, being a bit emotional and having some trouble to keep her tears at bay as this meant much to her than Kim and Mouse could possibly imagine, and hugged her best friend. She had no idea how they'd done that, how they'd organized that without them knowing the tiniest bit about it and she was still absolutely speechless.

″Of course, you guys deserve the best weekend,″ Kim whispered into her ear. The organization of this special party had been the biggest challenge. After Erin had told her that they were marrying at Lake Geneva it had been hers and Mouse's task, Will helping as well, to tell all their guests to come one day earlier so they could be here for the party. They'd talked with most of them various times, telling them about the plans and coordinating arrival times. They had had to check with the hotel whether it was even possible for everyone to come early, they'd had to find a venue for this party that they had just for themselves this evening and had even spent a weekend up here in early June to plan everything properly. And earlier today, they'd had to play out time and make sure everyone was in their rooms when they returned to the hotel, the cars they knew, like Hank's, being parked someplace else so Erin and Jay wouldn't catch up on anything before they were supposed to. To keep this a secret had been insanely difficult but they've made it work and from their reactions she knew that they'd expected anything but this. Mission succeeded.

Erin hugged Mouse when Jay was done embracing his best friend, Jay hugging Kim as well, before they finally gave their full attention to their guests, their family. Bound by blood or not, this was what they all were: their family. What followed was a big hello to everyone including dozens of more hugs, music playing in the background, waiters serving cocktails and other drinks, a buffet overloaded with all kind of food waiting for them. The talking seemed to be endless as there were so many people, especially Jay's family of course, that wanted to get to know Emilia and talk with them in general and of course Erin and Jay wanted to give each of their guests a bit of their time for conversations as well. Not to forget that Noah was really happy to see his Aunt Erin and Uncle Jay again and made sure that they gave him enough attention.

Eating happened in between all those conversations and Jay didn't mind at all not getting the steak he'd imagined to eat tonight and all the little snacks were just as delicious and able to fill his stomach.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

″Okay guys, it's time for some games,″ Kim announced when the only food that was left was the desert and all the little ones where back in the hotel, Olive taking care of her boys and Carol tucking in Noah, Mylo, Owen and Emilia. Of course this had been planned beforehand as well, Carol having been in the loop all the way along, and she even seemed to be excited to take care of four kids aged between 6 months and 3 years.

″You gotta be kidding,″ Erin said, rolling her eyes at Kim. She sensed she'd definitely cheered too soon last week when she thought she escaped all the embarrassing games.

″I'm not actually,″ Kim laughed, pointing to the two chairs in the middle of the room, everyone else sitting on their tables around them, waiting excitedly for the things that were about to follow.

″Come on,″ Jay whispered into her ear, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her there.

″She will pay for that. One day,″ she whispered only for him to hear before they positioned themselves next to Kim and Mouse, waiting for the next instructions.

″Aaaaaalright,″ Mouse said. ″Would you two sit down please?″

″Sure,″ Jay grinned and they took the spots on the chairs, back-to-back.

″Perfect. Now I'd like you take off your shoes and give one each to the other,″ he continued to explain. As neither Erin nor Jay have been to many weddings before, they didn't have a clue what kind of game this was and what was in store for them.

″Here you go,″ Jay said and handed one of his shoes to her, getting her heel in return.

″Thanks babe,″ she laughed.

″Great,″ Kim continued to explain. ″You'll get a couple of questions now like for example: who's doing the laundry? You raise the shoe of the person who does it and the goal is to have as many accordances as possible because as you might sense, you'll probably not always have the same opinion. So let's get a little more inside on your life,″ she laughed and everyone around cheered.

Oh heavens, Erin thought. She knew those questions wouldn't all be about who was doing the laundry at home. These were the cute ones but she was sure there were other ones they would usually never answer, some they probably wouldn't feel super comfortable with sharing. But: cling together, swing together!

″Let's go,″ Adam called, laughing dorky. Yep, this game was definitely to his liking. No doubts. Most probably he was even the one who'd helped with the questions.

″Okay, first question,″ Mouse said, looking at a piece of paper. ″Who's a morning grouch?″

That one was easy, they both didn't even need to think about it as they both lifted Erin's shoe. She couldn't function without her coffee and preferred as less words being shared at 6.30 in the morning as possible while Jay would stand in the kitchen and sing along with the radio.

″Yay, 100% so far,″ Kim laughed. ″But let's see with this one: who needs more time in the bathroom?″

Not too difficult either and they both lifted Erin's shoe again. It wasn't that she was particularly peacocky but especially in the beginning of their relationship she'd changed her outfits twice before finally being ready to go as she'd wanted everything to be perfect. Which was stupid because Jay's always, always, looked at her like she was the only star in the sky.

″As a morning grouch she needs those long showers in the morning and afterwards you can talk with her,″ Jay exclaimed, earning him laughters from their guests who didn't need to know that sometimes even a morning grouch didn't want to shower alone.

″Still a 100%. Impressive,″ Mouse commented. ″Who's the messier?″

Erin's shoes rose into the air instantly, everyone laughing once more. There was absolutely no doubt that she was way messier and he was the tidy, accurate one, his military past still influencing him in this case.

″Well, that seems clear,″ Kim laughed. ″Maybe we get you thinking with this one: who's better at riding shotgun?″

″Jay,″ Kevin called before they could answer. ″The professional co-driver of the 21st.″

″Well,″ Erin chuckled and lifted Jay's shoe.

″Can't even argue,″ Jay laughed, raising his own shoe as well.

″Alright, you guys are still going unanimously here but we'll find the question, no worries. So, now that we know who's better at riding shotgun, who's the better driver?″ Mouse asked. ″And just for your info, we didn't ask who's driving all the time because that would be an easy one but who's actually the better driver,″ heclarified. Everyone laughed heartily but only because Jay's raised a shoe ever so quickly which Erin didn't see.

″Doesn't change a thing,″ Erin smirked smugly. ″Don't lift the wrong shoe now, babe,″ she joked, wanting nothing more than seeing his face and grinning at him all innocent.

″Erin, Jay decided a lifetime ago,″ Kim laughed.

″He did?″ she asked, raising her eyebrows, her shoe joining her other up there that was held by Jay. Naturally, everyone cheered.

″Yo Linds, you really trained him right, eh?″ Kevin called.

″Yeah, he's a good kid. Quite easy,″ she winked at her colleague.

″I can't believe that you're still at a 100% even after the driving questions,″ Kim said in mock offense, shaking her head slightly. ″So let's try this one: who's the better shooter?″

Of course Erin wanted to be the better shooter but this didn't mean she actually was and there was no doubt that Jay was the best sniper in town and she bit her lip when she raised Jay's shoe, he raising his own as well because he knew that was something he was a tad bit better at than she was.

″Yeaaaahh, go Jay!″ Adam and Kevin cheered.

″Who's the more stubborn one?″ Mouse continued when all the laughters hushed.

Both Erin and Jay lifted their own shoe instantly, laughter erupting once again because they finally had different opinions.

″So you both think you're the most stubborn one? Well, your relationship seems to be more interesting than we thought,″ Kim commented. ″Would die to know how two stubborn people actually decide on a compromise. Wanna give us any details?″

″No,″ Jay simply laughed. There wasn't something as a secret recipe. When they fought none of them was able to admit that they'd done something wrong and when they argued they always thought that they were right, and the atmosphere between them was tense for a while but in the end of the day, they both realized that they'd acted stupid and apologized, made up, talked about it again and moved on.

″Too bad,″ Kim winked and after asking a few more questions that they mostly answered unanimously, she asked: ″So let's talk about tomorrow instead: who'll be the first one to cry?″

″Definitely me,″ Jay said when they indeed both lifted his shoe and aaawwww's were heard all around.

″He's a bit of a softie,″ Erin chuckled. It was hard to predict who would cry first because ever since she'd been pregnant she was more emotional than before, cried easier but she somehow knew that Jay would reach for his tissues first and that she could keep herself together for a bit longer.

″Okay, then let's go back to the past: who was the one making the first step?″ Mouse asked.

That was indeed a difficult one because they had so many things one could consider a first step. Like back in the days when they hadn't been allowed to date but she'd invited him for a beer at her place after a particular hard day anyway. When he'd held her hand after she told him her story of Hank taking her in. When he told her that they didn't work together anymore. Had this been the first step or had the first step been her showing up in front of his apartment? Or her kissing him on her couch for thanking him for never giving up on her? Or him kissing her at Molly's, out in public for the first time, as they've been together since then?

″This is difficult, but I would say...″ Erin said and lifted Jay's shoe up. All in all he'd made more first-step attempts. Apparently Jay's seen it similar as their guests clapped.

″I knew it,″ Hank grunted jokingly.

″Sorry Hank,″ Jay grinned mischievously. ″I couldn't stop trying until she was mine.″

″Who cares about rules anyway,″ Erin shrugged smirkingly.

″You two don't,″ Antonio laughed, speaking out what Hank thought. Oh these dorks.

″Okay, next question: who initiated the first kiss?″

Jay lifted Erin's shoe, Erin lifted Jay's, everybody uuuuuhhh-ing and aaaaahhh-ing.

″You said it was me? Babe that was you,″ Erin chuckled. God, she wanted to see his face so badly right now.

″No no no, that was you,″ Jay laughed, this memory ever so vivid. Her standing in his apartment in her pantsuit, not wanting to talk about her rough day, her eyes showing him a different desire instead, their lips crashing together like magnets that couldn't be kept apart, their tongues dueling in each other's mouth.

″Well, I guess it was kind of the both of us,″ Erin said. This night had been magic and she didn't really care who'd kissed whom first because it had happened that night and that was all that mattered. This had been their first time. This had been the start of something more than just a game, feelings developing in a rapid and truely scary pace.

″Let's settle on that you both couldn't keep your lips away from each other,″ Mouse said before he continued with the next question. ″Who's wearing the pants in your relationship?″

If Jay was being completely honest with himself, it wasn't him and so he raised her shoe slowly, Erin lifting her own shoe all innocent as well. Of course everyone laughed once more. In fact, they haven't really stopped since this game started.

″I can't say I'm surprised,″ Kim commented laughingly. ″I know you guys'll want to kill us for this next question but we organized your party so that's the price you pay,″ she added, making sure that everyone listened attentively, Jay and Erin expecting the worst.

″Who's more insatiable when it comes to sex?″ she asked.

There it was: the one embarrassing question Erin has been waiting for. She felt her cheeks blush instantly, not feeling comfortable with the thought of giving anything so intimate away. But then again, it was just a game and it was really a shallow question, one they didn't have to give much away.

″Come on guys, don't be so shy,″ Mouse encouraged them.

″Alright,″ Jay sighed, lifting his own shoe, Erin lifting her shoe in the same moment.

″Uhlala,″ Adam laughed, the others murmuring and laughing as well.

″Seems like you both are insatiable,″ Kim smirked.

″Yeah, how can you not with a woman like her?″ Jay asked and Erin knew his eyes had the form of hearts right now. However, it didn't help her head from turning as red as an overripe tomato.

″Wanna comment on that, Erin?″ Mouse asked.

″Uhm...no...same,″ she spluttered, smiling sheepishly.

″Okay, now that we clarified that we can tell you that you survived the first part of this game,″ Mouse grinned, Erin and Jay letting out a small breath that there were no more questions of this category coming. But as this has only been the first part, worse things could and probably would still come.

At least they were allowed to put their shoes back on and to sit next to each other again, so their gazes could meet whenever they needed to find comfort in each other's eyes.

″So as detectives, you guys are always interrogating other's and you don't actually know how it feels to get interrogated yourselves. But this will change as of today,″ Kim explained.

″All you have to do is answering our questions, it's that easy,″ Mouse winked, placing his hand on Jay's shoulder.

″What kind of questions?″ Jay asked, turning his head to his best friend.

″Patience you must have, my young padawan,″ he smirked, squeezing his shoulder.

″Yes master Yoda,″ Jay laughed.

They both got drinks before it started, Jay a Long Lindsay Iced Tea and Erin a Frozen Halstead Daiquiri without alcohol and whatever was actually in there, it tasted delicious.

″Here we go then,″ Mouse said after they'd both taken a couple of sips, cheesy love songs now playing in the background. ″First one is for you Jay: what did you think when you saw Erin for the first time?″

There were soft giggles around them and Jay could tell that everyone was waiting for that answer and expected it to be something super romantic and yeah well, it was indeed a bit cheesy.

He stood in front of the 21st district, inhaling a couple of deep breaths so the nervous feeling in his stomach would hopefully detach. Today was his first day on his new job. His dream job to be precise. The job he's earned thanks to being shot during his undercover assignment. As of today he would work as a detective in Intelligence, the elite unit in Chicago everybody wanted to join. That he had to work under Hank Voight, without a doubt one of the most shady cops in the city, was something he simply had to take for this opportunity. He's heard stories and it was an open secret that he'd been in jail not long ago, so no doubt that he would question whichever of his actions that were questionable. Maybe not on his first day already. He wanted to stay in this unit longer than a minute after all. But he had his morals and he would stand up to them.

He walked up the stairs and opened the big double door, followed a couple more steps and opened another door, stepping into the precinct that didn't seem too busy this morning. He made his way right to the front desk, waiting for the desk sergeant coming over from her computer to ask him why he was here. However, she stayed back there, seemed to ignore him and instead kept on looking on the screen, her glasses low on her nose.

″Uhm, excuse me,″ he said, clearing his throat. Still no reaction from the grey-haired woman other than that she sipped on her coffee, so he tried it again, his fingertips thrumming against the wood of the desk nervously.

″Excuse me, Sergeant,″ he repeated his words, a little louder this time.

″You see I'm busy right?″ she asked, her voice way too bugged for it only being 7.30 in the morning and her shift most likely only having started.

″I don't actually,″ he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood but immediately regretting it as she shot him a death glare. Well, it seemed like it was best not to tangle with her.

″Young people, no patience at all,″ she said as she raised from her chair, adjusted her glasses and walked to her actual spot in front. ″What can I do for you, Chuckles?″

Okay, that nickname would definitely disappear as soon as she knew that he was one of their own, that he was a cop as well, of course younger and of course she was outranking him but still, they were colleagues. Little did he know back then that this nickname was here to stay for eternity.

″I need to see Hank Voight...-″

″Regarding?″ she interrupted him.

″I'm working in his unit as of today. Detective Jay Halstead,″ he introduced himself.

″Uh-huh,″ she nodded anything but impressed. ″If you go up there without doing the paperwork here downstairs before he'll kick you out of this unit before you can say Intelligence,″ she snorted, grabbed something from under her desk and handed it to him.

″You can sit down over there to fill them out,″ she said, pointing to the bench next to a small office. ″Fill them out legible. If there's only one letter I can't read I'll let you do it all again.″

″Ooookay,″ Jay frowned, wondering whether she was fucking joking or not. Most probably she was not and this was her usual attitude. Sergeant Trudy Platt. For sure one to remember.

He took all the forms and the pen and sat down on the bench, starting to fill out this bureaucratic bullshit. 21st century but they still had to fill this out by hand instead of simply checking everything that was done beforehand and signing it at the bottom.

The cop and soldier he was, he naturally lifted his head whenever someone entered the precinct and stepped into the hall to check who he was surrounded with, so he didn't miss when she walked in, wearing a red leather jacket, a white shirt, black jeans and boots, her star pinned on her belt. Her long brown waves fell down her back and for whatever reason she was smiling, the most adorable dimples displaying, the most perfect pearly whites revealed. He was sure that smile could cure the world from all the bad things. For a moment he couldn't help but stare at her as he was sure she was one of the most beautiful women he's ever laid eyes on. It was Sergeant Platt's signature voice that brought him back to reality and he quickly gazed down at the papers again, hoping that no one's caught him staring at the beautiful brunette.

″Lindsay, good morning!″ Platt called, her voice suddenly super sweet and so absolutely different that Jay looked up again only to check whether it was the same person.

″Sergeant Platt, good morning,″ the brunette said, a hint of rasp in her voice. The most beautiful rasp he's ever heard.

Goddamn Jay, get your act together, he thought. He didn't even know this woman, whose name apparently was Lindsay, but his brain acted out of control like it's never done before.

″How are you doing today?″ Platt asked. Jay's frown grew bigger. Had she really just ask someone else about their well-being? No doubt that the brunette, Lindsay, was something like the golden child of the district, probably loved by everyone.

″All good. Only hope to get something to do soon. I'm really not made for paperwork,″ she chuckled. There it was again, this rasp that somehow turned him on. As she was wearing plain clothes, he wondered whether she was working in Intelligence as well. Or maybe the Gang Unit? Or Narcotics?

″Talking about paperwork,″ Platt said, motioning her head to him. ″There's a new kid in town for upstairs.″

″Uh, okay,″ she said. ″Good to know,″ she added and turned around, walking straight into his direction.

″Hey,″ she said to him. He lifted his head, giving his best to act like he hasn't seen her before, or more truthfully, stared at her for the last two minutes.

″Hey,″ he said casually, placed the forms aside and got up.

″Lindsay, Intelligence,″ she said.

Holy shit, I'm really going to work with her, he thought. Either this was going to be the best or the worst.

″Uhm, Jay,″ he said, reaching for her hand to shake it.

″Is that what they teach you at the academy nowadays? Going by first names?″ she frowned, chuckling a little, her statement letting Jay frown as well and because he was as perplex he didn't even notice how her eyes roamed his body.

″Actually not...but you went with Lindsay so I thought...″ he stammered. To be honest, he hadn't thought anything because his brain was not working at its best in her presence. He looked at her, into her perfect, flawless face, losing himself in her hazel-green eyes that shined like diamonds.

″Lindsay's my last name,″ she smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. Okay, Detective Lindsay probably invented eyebrow raises, no doubts. ″So let's do this properly again: Erin Lindsay,″ she smiled, reaching for his hand this time.

″Halstead. Jay Halstead,″ he said, smiling back faintly. Sure as hell the last time he'd felt like this was when he'd given Mary Sullivan a love letter in 6th grade.

″Alright Halstead, let's go upstairs,″ she said, motioning her head to the stairs.

″I can't. Have to fill out those forms first.″ First full sentence without stammering like a complete moron, congrats Jay, he thought.

″You can do that upstairs.″

″I can?″ he asked confused, remembering Platt's words of how he needed to get everything done before she would buzz him up.

″Yeah, we have pens up there,″ she said, a hint of sass in her voice and she walked upstairs, Jay making sure he followed her quickly. ″Why would you even think that?″ she asked while keying in her code but she answered the question before he could. ″Oh wait, Platt told you, didn't she?″ she chuckled. Yep, Erin Lindsay's laugh was definitely one of his new favorite sounds in the world.

″Basically,″ he nodded.

″She likes to tease people all the time, tries to give them a hard time. You'll get used to it,″ she said lightly as they walk through the door.

″What about you? Doesn't seem like you're on the list of people she tries to give a hard time,″ he analyzed, walking up the stairs next to her.

″I guess there's an exception to everything,″ she winked, those dimples showing of again as she smiled at him and for a moment he felt paralyzed because deep down inside of him settled a feeling that this feisty, sassy girl was the woman of his dreams. He didn't know anything about her but he was fascinated by her whole appearance, eager to learn more, to get to know her better.

He watched her stepping into what he would soon learn was the bullpen, telling the others that the rookie was here, especially mentioning to Antonio that the kid he'd vouched for had already been Platt's victim this morning.

The kid. As if she was that much older than him. If she was older at all. But apparently she's been here for a while already or has at least known them all for a while, otherwise she wouldn't talk to them like this. He heard her joking about the possibility of having lost him on the stairs or him having fallen down backwards and only then he realized that he was still standing on that damn step like an idiot, thinking about a woman he's known for five minutes.

There was no doubt that Erin Lindsay has already invaded his head and when Hank Voight later told him that he was Erin's new partner he was sure that this was the best day in forever and without a doubt, for the first time in forever, he felt like he was somehow living again, his heart beating again, his life making a bit more sense again only because there was his partner, lighting up his world only with her presence. From this day on he got out of bed excitedly in the mornings, ready for a day full of car rides and busts and interrogations with her, a unknown joy he hasn't felt in a really, really long time, making a comeback...

From this moment life has begun

From this moment you are the one

Right beside you is where I belong

From this moment on

″I thought...that's her,″ Jay said, smiling sheepishly. ″That's the woman of my dreams. She's the one.″

″You knew that right away?″ Mouse asked stunned. That was something even he hadn't known.

″Pretty much, yeah,″ he smirked, turning his head to Erin, her eyes sparkling suspiciously. He'd told her so many times how she'd changed his life right from the start, how she'd brought laughters and happiness back into his life when he'd thought there weren't such things anymore, how she'd saved him long before he saved her without her even knowing she did. But still, him saying something like this got her every damn time.

″Amazing,″ Mouse smiled, giving his friend a pat on the back.

″Okay, next question is for Erin,″ Kim said. ″What do you remember from your first day working with Jay?″

Frankly, she remembered everything about her first day with Jay and the funniest thing had maybe been the moment when he'd introduced himself and she'd tried to give him a hard time for going with his first name. But there was something else she remembered from their first day, something their whole partnership and trust was built on.

Thankfully she didn't have to fight with the mountain of paperwork all day as a new case popped up, meaning she and Jay would go to a crime scene as partners for the first time. Erin took the driver's spot in the 300, seeing in the corner of her eyes how Jay frowned by the fact that she didn't even ask him whether he wanted to drive.

Boy will learn the rules, she thought smirkingly. The driver's seat was all hers and she wouldn't give that away only because she had a new partner now. A damn looking good one to be honest.

″So what did you do before?″ she asked when they drove to Englewood.

″I was a soldier,″ he answered shortly.

″Marines?″ she asked, stopping at a red light.

″Rangers.″ His voice was rough, different than before and he stared out of the window, trying to avoid her gaze.

″You saw action, didn't you?″ she asked quietly, carefully, though she already knew the answer.

″I did,″ he nodded and turned his head to her, something in his piercing blue eyes catching her off-guard. Suddenly he looked so vulnerable and broken and she knew instantly that he maybe had some demons he hasn't dealt with properly so far.

″I'm sorry,″ she apologized. ″Stupid question. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable.″

″It's okay.″ He shrugged it off like it was nothing when she actually knew that this was anything but nothing for him.

″I did three tours in Afghanistan, Korangal Valley,″ he said after a moment of silence, very much to her surprise. She hadn't expected him to tell her more and she even somehow wished he hadn't because she had no idea how to answer.

″This must've been hard,″ she said eventually. She's been through hell herself but she couldn't imagine living in a war zone, always expecting the worst, losing friends faster than one could make new ones, knowing that every day could be the last.

″Yeah it was. I saw and witnessed countless cruel things and did a lot of things myself I'm not...proud of...but that you have to do when you're on duty. It's not a time in my life I like to think back at,″ he confirmed and she didn't know why but for a moment she was sure he'd just told her more than he'd told anyone else in a really long time. She glanced at him, meeting his blue eyes and somehow hoping that her eyes could tell him what her mouth couldn't, that they could somehow give him the comfort he needed.

″Uhm, I don't think it gets any greener,″ he interrupted their little moment, the boyish smile returning to his face as he motioned his head to the traffic lights.

″Ouh,″ she exhaled and stepped on the gas, trying to play cool, her cheeks blushing into that kind of red that was all obvious nonetheless but Jay proved to be a gentleman and didn't say anything teasing although she knew he's recognized it very well. It seemed like he didn't want to mess with his new partner on the first day already.

It was late in the evening, all of them working overtime as the case required it, when Hank told them to vest up and prepare for a bust in some abandoned warehouse that seemed to be the home of a newly developed drug ring.

She was putting on her vest when Jay joined her. ″Let me help you,″ he said.

″I can do that alone, Halstead,″ she answered.

″Well, I'm your partner now and it's my job to make sure you're safe. That also includes checking your vest and helping you to get it on right,″ he explained, a smile tugging in the corners of his mouth, his eyes sparkling slightly. There was something about Jay Halstead that made her lose her words. And this usually never happened.

″Okay partner, do your job,″ she said casually, trying not to show him how much he was able to put her off her stride.

″See, that easy,″ he smirked and closed her vest on the shoulder and of course she helped him afterwards as well, because yeah, partners. Little did she know back then how much of routine this vesting up thing would become.

It was completely dark outside when they arrived at the location and Hank ordered Antonio and Jules to enter the warehouse from the left side while he and Al would take the front, which left the back side for Erin and Jay. She was taking the lead, her partner following close behind as they creeped through the warehouse, their weapons at arm-length, when suddenly everything happened too fast. A guy jumped out from behind a corner, firing at them in an desperate attempt to get out of the warehouse. Luckily neither Erin or Jay got hit, his shots way too imprecise, and Erin immediately took off, chasing after him, in the heat of the moment forgetting to clear the room first, a mistake she's never made before. She saw the guy, who was running fucking damn fast, right in front of her when she suddenly heard a shot. She stopped in her tracks, half expecting pain to occur somewhere in her body but there was none and her heart dropped to her knees when she realized that she'd just taken off to chase after the offender, without having cleared the room before and leaving her partner without backup.

She turned around slowly, afraid of what she would see, expecting Jay lying on the floor in his own blood and a second offender pointing a gun at her. She let out a breath she didn't know she's been holding when she saw her partner standing there, unharmed, and her gaze fell to the man on the floor, gunshot wound to the head, a gun lying next to him. She needed a moment to realize what had just gone down here. A second offender must've been hidden somewhere, following her when she'd followed the shooter ever so headless, his finger most probably already on the trigger to kill her, when Jay had pulled the trigger before to kill the offender and save his partner's life.

Their gazes met, their eyes wide in shock, Erin's heart beating unhealthy in her chest. This had been a close call and she'd brought their both lives in jeopardy with her reckless behavior.

″We should...″ she stammered, intending to say that they should follow the suspect.

″He's directly running into Antonio's and Jules's arms, no worries,″ he answered, closing the gap between them. ″You alright?″ he asked, concern in his eyes.

″Yeah, I guess...″ she nodded, inhaling a deep breath. ″Thank you,″ she said quietly, managing to look directly into his eyes.

″That's why you have backup,″ he answered softly, trying to make it sound light, and bumped his fist against her shoulder. He called something into his radio, probably telling the others that the offender was coming their way, but she couldn't really focus on what he was saying.

That's why you have backup. These words somehow stuck with her. He hadn't yelled at her, scolded her for being that stupid and risk both of their lives, giving her a lecture that they could both be dead now because of her actions. He'd just simply told her those words all honest, like he meant it with all his heart, like the only thing he cared about was that she was fine, unharmed and him not being pissed that she'd almost got them both killed.

One day with her new partner and he'd already saved her life and it was in that moment that she realized that she could and would trust Jay Halstead with her goddam life. And for someone who usually needed a lot of time to build up trust, this was quite the step. Only that with him it was different, not just because he'd just saved her from getting shot in the back, but also because Jay Halstead himself, as a man, was so different, fascinatingly different, than the men she's known so far...

From this moment life has begun

From this moment you are the one

Right beside you is where I belong

From this moment on

″He saved my life that day,″ Erin said, some of their guests gasping quietly. There weren't many that knew this story. In fact, it were only Al, Antonio and Hank, the latter having given her a huge telling-off later that night. ″One day in and my partner already proved why I needed him. When I thanked him for saving my ass, he only said: that's why you have backup. And these words somehow became our quote,″ she smiled.

″You guys really have some lovestory,″ Kim smiled.

″Talking about love,″ Mouse took over. ″Jay, when did you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with her?″

That one was easy because he could remember this day like it had been yesterday. He'd definitely known earlier that he really wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, that this wasn't only just some game, some flirt, than she had.

She was sleeping all snuggled up to his chest, his arm wrapped around her tiny frame almost possessively because he didn't want to let her go ever again, her hand loosely lying across his torso told him that she probably felt the same. He was super thirsty, needed to rehydrate, but he didn't want to leave her just yet, wanted to hold her for a bit longer. He looked down into her peaceful, perfect face and even in the dimmed light of the bedroom she looked like an absolute angel and he still couldn't believe what had happened in these last few hours. That she'd showed up in front of his apartment, looking for comfort and distraction and finding it both in him. They hadn't danced around the inevitable for too long, their lips crashing and bodies melting like their lives depended on it.

The first round had been nothing but hot, driven by their impatience of having had to wait for each other for so long. Round two had followed shortly after but everything had been much slower and more delicate, they'd taken the time to explore each other's bodies, had driven each other nuts with their fingers and tongues before they'd lost themselves in each other for a second time. They'd worn each other out with those two rounds and despite it only being around 10.30, they'd both fallen asleep.

While Erin was still sleeping, making the cutest noises from time to time, he'd woken up after only an hour of slumber a couple minutes ago because he needed to assure himself that this hadn't only been the most beautiful dream someone could ever have. And when he'd indeed realized that her weight was still on his chest, that he was still holding the woman of his dreams in his arm, he'd decided that he never wanted to wake up to anything different again other than Erin Lindsay lying in his bed, all snuggled up to him, her hair fawned out on the pillow and his bare shoulder, the sweet smell of raspberry invading his nostrils whenever he kissed the top of her head. He wanted this kind of perfection for the rest of his life and he was pretty damn sure after only one night with her he was head over heels in love with her...

From this moment I have been blessed

I live only for your happiness

And for your love I give my last breath

From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart

I can't wait to live my life with you I can't wait to start

You and I will never be apart

My dreams came true because of you

″The first time I woke up next to her,″ Jay answered softly and this time probably everyone could see his heart-eyes as they were all evident. ″That's when I decided she's the only woman I want to wake up next to for the rest of my life.″

″Well, with that you probably just melted every heart of every woman in here,″ Mouse laughed.

″Ey, he melted ours as well,″ Adam laughed, placing his hand on his chest dramatically.

″Always knew you're a softie as well, Adam,″ Jay winked.

″Most days,″ Kim grinned, raising her eyebrows at her boyfriend. ″But back to the game: Erin, when did you realize you love him?″

Love was such a big word. One she'd always been afraid of. She'd never allowed herself to completely fall for someone, being afraid of what those feelings would do to her. She'd never wanted to depend on someone that much. For a while she'd tried to lock these feelings for him deep down inside of her, not allowing them to come up. But if she was being honest with herself, she'd fallen for him way before she'd first told him those three little words. Way way way before.

″You want a beer as well?″ she asked him from the kitchen right after they'd walked into her apartment, Jay already falling onto the couch, his phone in his hands to order deep dish pizza so they could enjoy an evening with take-out, beer and some game, and with Nadia studying for her exams with a friend and then sleeping at her place, they could even act like the couple they were, kissing, cuddling and her cocooning herself in his arms and not worrying that they would get caught.

″What a question,″ he laughed.

″Alright,″ she answered, grabbing two bottles of their favorite beer. ″You need another ice pack for your groin?″ She couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped from her lips. Today had been the funniest low day in ages, them not having a case but having to do that stupid taser certification. Naturally she'd been the one to tase him, not holding back from tasing him in the groin. By now she kinda regretted it because it meant they couldn't go for their usual evening routine tonight but for the look on his face it's been worth it. And she would for sure never forget how his blue orbs had widened in shock when she'd really gone for his groin with the taser, much to everyone's fun. He'd spent the rest of the day walking around with a freaking ice pack but of course he'd generously volunteered when it came to tasing her. Given the fact that her pelvis still hurt a little, she was sure that Jay still didn't feel too comfortable and this evening would not end with them losing themselves in each other but maybe just with cuddling and him complaining how she's killed his balls.

″Funny,″ he half-complained and she closed the fridge to join him, leaning over the back of the couch from behind, her lips brushing against his ear.

″You know,″ she whispered. ″Just wanted to make sure that it doesn't take too long until everything down there works properly again,″ she smirked mischievously, her voice all husky as she brushed her lips along his earlobe.

″How nice of you,″ he breathed out.

″I know,″ she chuckled, walked around the couch to place the beers on the small table and then left him alone for a second to change into yoga pants, knowing exactly that her husky words had probably been enough to send him close to losing it and just not giving a fuck about the fact that they probably really shouldn't have sex tonight.

″Hey Erin,″ he called from the living room when she pulled a hoody over her head. ″You want your pizza as usual? Mushrooms, pepperoni, garlic and double cheese?″

Of course Jay Halstead already knew by heart how she liked her pizza best. It was something so simple but yet it made her heartbeat quicken because for the very first time she felt like a man really cared about her and was paying attention to the smallest details. For the first time it wasn't all about sex though of course they had that a lot and it was great. For the first time she felt truly loved. Not for what she could give a man but for who she was as a person. He accepted her the way she was and always looked at her like she was the only woman in the whole damn world. With him, everything was so different, because he was different. So gentle, attentive, protective, loving, caring. All these attitudes none of the guys she'd used to run with had. In fact they hadn't had even one of these attitudes. And although it was scaring the crap out of her, if she was being absolutely honest with herself, she knew she's been fallen head over heals in-.

″Er?″ Jay calling her by her nickname interrupted her thoughts. Her nickname. This was yet another thing that made her heart skip a beat. No one has ever given her a nickname before and she hadn't even thought there was a possibility to shorten her name but him calling her by her nickname, those simple two syllables, was the most beautiful sound in the world and she would never get enough of it.

″Uhm, yeah, the usual,″ she managed to say. She sat down on the edge of the bed, putting on a pair of cozy socks before pulling her hair into a messy bun and padding back to the living room.

″Pizza should be here in 30 minutes,″ he said when she dropped on the couch next to him. He pulled her into his embrace and she rested her head on his chest, losing her senses in his unique scent that attracted her so damn much.

″Perfect,″ she murmured, enjoying how his hand traveled up and down her spine. ″You know, we could never finish that talk about Wisconsin...″

″Huh?″ he asked. ″I thought we agreed that it's a nice thought.″

″We did,″ she answered, her fingers tracing lazy circles onto his abdomen. ″But you didn't tell me when you want to take me there to show it to me.″

″You want to go there?″ he asked surprised. She lifted her head and looked at him, his blue eyes sparkling at her with so much love and she brushed her lips against his lips softly.

″Yeah,″ she said afterwards, a smile spreading over her face. ″You know, maybe I don't like it. So I have to check before I agree on living in northern Wisconsin,″ she joked. Though it wasn't a joke. The words had tumbled out of her mouth this morning without her really thinking about it. It had indeed sounded like a joke, like their usual flirty banter. But afterwards, when she'd realized what she just said and when she'd thought about her words, she'd realized that it had been anything but a joke and that she could really imagine to grow old with this handsome man whose eyes were sparkling like diamonds when he talked about this cabin in the middle of nowhere. It had terrified her at first, having these kind of thoughts as she usually wasn't one for commitment. But there was something about Jay Halstead that wanted her to toss all her issues overboard and instead allow herself to fall for him completely. After six weeks of having this affair, relationship or whatever it was between them.

″I can't wait,″ Jay whispered and this time it was on him to kiss her. And when their lips melted in a passionate kiss, like they were made for this, she realized that she was the luckiest girl in the world that she was the one he kissed ever so soft and all the thoughts from when she'd been in the bedroom a couple minutes earlier came up again. Only this time she was able to finish them, to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, she was a little bit in love with Jay Halstead...

You're the reason I believe in love

And you're the answer to my prayers from up above

All we need is just the two of us

My dreams came true because of you

From this moment, as long as I live

I will love you, I promise you this

There is nothing I wouldn't give

From this moment on

″It was something that settled over a long period of time and I needed a while, like forever, until I was able to tell him that I love him,″ Erin said, her cheeks blushing. ″But realizing that I love this dork?″ she chuckled and looked at him, his soft smile giving her comfort to go on and share a bit more.

″That happened so early on that it honestly scared the crap out of me. In fact it happened while drinking a beer and watching some game and talking about pizza and Wisconsin, six weeks into us dating secretly,″ she admitted. ″That's when I realized I've never felt like this before.″

″And suddenly this whole marrying in Wisconsin thing makes sense,″ Kim concluded, smiling at the couple.

Neither Erin nor Jay have seen it from that point of view before but with Kim speaking it out loud, it hit them that she was right. Wisconsin had a special meaning to them in so many ways and with marrying here, they've come full circle...

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! The big moment will come in the next chapter ;)