Case by Case Love

Chapter 57: Cleared for Duty

Erin walks up to the palm scanner, placing her hand on it first as she watches the door unlock. She makes her way through, before stopping back to watch Jay repeat the process that she had just followed. 

Thankfully, both of them had passed their respective drug tests and were allowed to return back to the Intelligence Unit offices a couple days later. Back on duty never felt better for them both as they were beyond finding things to do at home. Every single room was organised, spotless, with a full wipe down and floor wash completed. There was also no dirty laundry left in any of the hampers either. Who knew that was possible.

"Alert the presses, and the bosses - the power couple are back in the house," Adam comments from his desk as he looks up upon hearing the pair of footsteps at the top of the stairs. He had hoped it was someone from another unit or government office with a case with them to look into to save him from the paperwork he was doing. 

"I thought we stole that title from them," Kim shares as she stands behind Adam's chair, wrapping her arms around his shoulders with a quick kiss on his cheek. It was very rare any couple shared their feelings for the other while in the offices, always told to focus solely on the work they were to be doing. It was obvious Kim was doing that for one purpose only right now.

"We both know when the boss retires that we are staring at our future bosses right now..." Kim could not argue with her husband about those intentions. Jay and Erin had both been involved with the unit longer than them both. Technically, Adam had more time spent in the unit, but both Jay and Erin had been promoted to the unit sooner. They were also detectives for a longer period of time than both Adam and Kim. Oh, and you could not forget their relationship with Hank. 

"I don't think that day is coming any time soon to be honest," Jay comments as he looks towards Hank's office. He noticed the door was open, meaning he was listening despite not a single word being said. That did not matter, as he would say these words whether to his face or not. "We both know that Hank still has a lot of years ahead of him. Besides, Chicago is a better place with him in charge." 

Jay smiles as the words slip from his lips, eyes not leaving the office at the end of the short hallway in Intelligence. The look traded between the pair was all that was necessary, as they both were thinking back to a conversation traded at least five years ago. 

Hank was ready to make a drastic decision that could have changed the future and could have possibly landed him in hot water. It was then he shared with Jay "this will be your unit one day, and I will be proud of how you would lead it."  It was a moment of personal satisfaction in the approval from superior to his top and closest detective in the unit at the time. But it led to several questions in the days that followed if it was said with a special purpose.

"Is there something that we should know?" Kim breaks the silence that had fallen over the unit after looking between Hank and Jay to see the eyes they had locked on each other in that moment. She began to wonder if plans were already in the works since Jay had returned and it was a matter of time until an announcement was made. 

"Don't worry - you have to put up with Hank for awhile longer yet," Jay assures her with a chuckle as he makes his way over to his desk. He hangs his coat on the back of his desk, before sitting down in the chair. He then lets out a sigh as he knows the first matter of business was finishing the statement he had started now a week ago about what had happened at the drug bust. "I can't believe you thought Hank would be retiring this soon." 

"You'll make a good leader when the time comes," Adam offers as he tries to focus back on what he had loaded on the computer screen before him. There had to be a way to get these done faster or force a case to land in their laps so he did not have to worry about it. 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence buddy." Kim then retreats back to her own desk, trying to also focus on her own paperwork that was before her. However, she could not help but look away from the desk at each of the fellow officers in the room.

"I think this is the longest we have gone without a case," she finally offers, earning a nod of agreement from both Adam and Kevin in response. Between picking up random calls over the radio, to information from their CIs, to officials bringing cases to them in wanting the elite unit to handle it, it seemed they were getting things handed to them on a regular basis. The longest they had gone without a case previously with a full seven days and it pretty much drove them all stair-crazy.

"I call it a welcome break to be honest," Erin comments, catching a couple surprised glances. Jay was one of those as he remembered the comments she had offered just yesterday while they were at home sitting in their now perfectly cleaned house debating what to do next. "It guarantees someone won't be making a trip to the hospital to see his brother due to either a bullet, a knife puncture, a fall, a bomb, or drugs." 

"It goes back to what I told you - you are not a cat and you do not have nine lives," Hank says as he comes out of his office and stands over top of Jay in watching him type up the full incident police report (IRP) from what happened. "Please make sure that is handed in by the end of the day. I am glad that you are not falling asleep at your desk this time."