Reassure (Jay Halstead x OC.)

10

"He passed out about a half hour  ago." Jay heard Reign's mumbled voice at the door to her apartment. Followed soon by the sound of two sets of footfalls as she rounded the small kitchen wall with Fiona behind her.

The younger sister was wrapped in a warm-ish looking, worn, brown leather coat, a hat and some gloves. Her nose was red from the cold outside but her face was less pale then it usually was in the winter.

"Hey Jay." She mumbled gently, he gave a small nod and "hi Fiona." back. Both of them cautious to not wake the now sleeping Ian.

The young man- basically still a boy at only 19, had crashed out, passing out on his sister's bed across the tiny space.

"Sorry be ruined your guys' nights." Fiona sighed and the cop gave a shake of his head "it's fine Fi....he's yours and Rei's family. He's just a kid."

"Maybe I should ask Will about getting him another appointment with dr Charles. He's always been good." Reign sighed. Her hand moving dangerously close to her mouth.

Since they were kids it had been an anxious habit of hers to bite her nails and the skin around them down to the quick. Jay had always been her coach of sorts to help her stop, sitting with her and holding her hands (literally and metaphorically) and allowing her to paint his nails whenever she painted her own as a distraction.

He silently moved around Fiona who  was looking over Ian, and he leaned to grasp his best friend's hand as they stood in her kitchen. He pulled it gently away from her mouth and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He's gonna be okay.....you're not the only one here for him....don't start blaming yourself....I know what you're like." He mumbled into her ear, his face nearly hurried in her hair as she leaned into him.

"Thanks Jay....you don't have to stay." She assured him, a suddenly guilty look now spread across her face. "Reign you couldn't make me leave." He told her and she scowled, not a real scowl because soon it broke into a soft smile after she looked back up into his blue eyes.

"I'll take him home. Make him rest- take his meds- we can-."
"I'm calling the Will to ask thee  hospital in the morning." Reign cut Fiona off. "Rei! Gallaghers don't do therapy." Fiona snapped her voice suddenly cold and her volume slightly raised to which Jay moved to look down at the two girls', now starting to stir brother.

"We do when we have mental illnesses that need therapy Fi. That saying was always Monica and Franks bullshit not mine." Reign snapped back, her quick temper with Fiona slowly slipping out. "Yeah well what would you know about being a real Gallagher- you've basically been a Halstead since you were twelve!" Fiona suddenly spat at her sister.

The whole room dropping to a silence that felt like it had frozen over the space.

"What the hell does that mean?" Jay was surprisingly the first to speak. "Yeah, what the fuck Fi!" Now it was Ian's turn. The poor, kid had woken with a start now.

"I meant what I fucking said." Fiona growled under her breath. We're fucking leaving- you call that shrink and I'll-." The younger sister moved quickly towards the older who suddenly had Jay standing in front of her like armour. "You'll what?" Reign's voice came out like a whisper- like all of the wind had been knocked out of her by a huge blow. "I'll never let you see the kids again."

With that Fiona grabbed Ian's arm and all but dragged him out of the apartment. Leaving Reign stood almost in shock and Jay stood in a sea of concern for her now tear stained face.

Reign NEVER cried.

-.-.-.-.-

"You shouldn't stay here tonight- alone." Jay spoke after about half an hour of silence. Their dinner had been forgotten- boxed up in Tupperware for the next day and everything had been silently cleaned away by Jay as Reign sat numbly at her kitchen table.

"I'm fine." She mumbled two words in what seemed like forever.  "You're not though Rei. You can't lie to me about that- I can see it on your face."

"What the hell does she mean 'I've basically been a Halstead since I was ten'?!"
"You can't read that far into it- she was just angry. Even I know how your family feels about mental health-."
"No Jay! She just said that! That wasn't about me suggesting Dr Charles for Ian....that was something else." She sighed a devastated air coming to her chest.

"Look, maybe you should take a while- stay out of her way. Let her calm down."
"She hates me."
"No she doesn't.....now come on." He got down in front of her, grasping her hands in his, holding them on her knees. "You're coming to mine for tonight. I'll take you to work tomorrow- before your first shift back." He said and she sighed.
"Jay..."

"Did it sound like a question? Go pack a bag."

And that's the first time he'd seen her smile in hours.