Ghosted

They looked at Voight in stunned silence. One more time Ruzek asked are you sure? Voight doesn't answer him this time but puts his answer out to the room.

"I've already spelled it out. I've shown you what they've got. Do I have to draw anyone a picture?" He looks at each one of them. "Good. Get back to work." He walked back into his office and slammed the door.

You could hear a pin drop as they all went to their desks and individually cycled through; denial, reluctant acceptance, fear, disbelief, skipped over denial, back to acceptance but with a big 'what the fuck' attached to it. Then they moved on to cycle through hurt, sadness, betrayal and finally anger at Jay, as they all rethought their relationships with one Detective Jay Halstead.

*******

As they stewed in their emotions for the next hour, they hadn't thought through what they would do when Jay arrived from court; so they were all stunned when he came bounding up the steps, wearing his shit kicking grin and raring to go. With his testimony, his part in the Pearson case was finally over. Thank God. He got one step into the bullpen and it was like he ran into a wall. The anger rolling off the team at him was palpable.

It was Voight who finally speaks, "Halstead my office."

Jay got as far as his desk when two IA detectives came from the back stairs. It's obvious, though he doesn't know why, that they're there for him.

"Sarge, what the hell..."

"As of right now, you are on unpaid administrative leave. I need your badge and gun."

"Sarge?"

"Gun and badge, Halstead. Don't make me ask again."

In what felt like slow motion, he removed the clip from his gun, removed the badge hanging around his neck and held them out to his Sergeant...who doesn't take them. He felt the squeeze of his heart as he stepped forward and laid his life on the desk.

One of the IA detectives stepped forward, took Jay's badge and gun and handed them to his partner.

"Jay Halstead, you are under arrest. Please place your hands on the desk. Do you have any other weapons on your person?"

Jay looked at Voight, a man he has come to respect, a man he would call a friend, a man who, in a heart beat, he would take a bullet for. But he gets nothing. He'd become a ghost to him in the time it took to walk to his desk.

Jay didn't put his hands on the desk but responded to the question, "No. Nothing else. Sarge, what's going on?" What he saw in Voight's eyes made him think his sergeant was wishing he could take him to the silos. Voight doesn't respond to the question, just stands there closed off, arms crossed against his chest, leaning against the wall.

He turned to each member of the team and silently asked each of them that same question. No one said anything. What he sees, hell feels, almost knocked him on his ass. Anger and something like disbelief from Adam. Atwater looked like he is taking the measure of the man and not liking what he saw in Jay. Burgess looked at him like she was looking at a stranger. Antonio glanced at him, then turned away like a father who had just disowned his son.

Each look he received in return to his silent question, seemed to squeeze his heart tighter and tighter until he got to Hailey. There is disappointment and sadness from Hailey but when he lingered on her, hoping for support, she stared at him with anger and turned away from him. He had hoped her response would release his heart. Instead, the look he received from his partner, his most trusted friend, gripped his heart and squeezed it to dust. His face twisted in pain as tears pricked the back of his eyes. The despair he broadcasted is brief before the stoic mask fell, shuttering his feelings.