One Chicago: Linstead

Chapter 8: Blood

"Jay, do you remember waking up next to someone you love. Spending nights with her. Kissing her. Loving her. Loving Erin?" Will pondered out loud to Jay, "honestly, I don't think you do. If you want your relationship back, you should tell Erin how you feel, I know she feels the same way." Will stated, him and Erin just staged a break up so they wouldn't up hurting Jays feelings if Jay ever found out.

"I remember, and I don't not love her, but I can't handle this relationship anymore. The on's and off's. I can't wake up to someone I love and the next day them being gone, I can't. Not again. I have to be sure..." Jay informed Will.

"You can't. You can't be sure... Nothing is ever going to be easy, but you can make this relationship work like anything else, with hard work, dedication, and... Love." Will explained.

"Will, I don't need a lecture right now. It's almost 10 at night and I'm tired. You can sleep on the couch." Jay ordered. Will had been sleeping at Jay's apartment because Will's apartment had a lot of water damage from a drainage pipe bursting in his apartment.

"Yeah, sure." Will groaned, plopping onto the couch, closing his eyes. Both Halstead brothers slumbered deeply. Nothing could wake them... Except for the knock on the door. Knock! Knock! Knock! Both Jay and Will woke up to the loud banging on the door. Jay shuffled to the door and opened. It was four in the morning and Erin was at his front door, her face covered with blood.

"Erin? What happened?" Will asked, on his feet, pulling her past Jay and into the apartment. He sat her down on the stool and grabbed a rag.

"Yeah, what happened?" Jay repeated.

"I---Nathan, he came to my apartment. I, of course, let him in and he apologized, ya know, for cheating on me. Then I yelled at...ow!" Erin winced at the sharp, stinging pain on her left cheek. "I yelled at him. Told him to get out. He beat me up. I came here because...because I'm scared. Okay? I'm scared." Erin informed both Halstead's.

"When? Like, what time?" Will asked.

"Ten minutes ago? No, fifteen." Erin thought out loud.

"Okay, so where does this 'Nathan' live?" Jay infuriatedly asked.

"I'm not gonna let you beat him up. He beat me up, we put him away. Domestic Violence." Erin stated. She knew exactly what she was going to do, but he was a lawyer, Nathan, and he knew too.

Erin had a black eye, bruises on her face and that open cut on her left cheek. They put a band aid on because Will said it wasn't that deep, she didn't need stitches...and of course he's a doctor and they know best.

When they went into the district, they went straight to Voight's office.

"Erin, what happened to your face?...I mean you?" Voight teased sympathetically.

"My ex, NOT Jay, Nathan, he beat me up." Erin explained.

"She came to my apartment last night and will was there, and we cleaned her up. She had blood all over her face." Jay informed.

"Okay, so Domestic Violence? I'll put in a complaint for you, but you need to tell me everything that happened." Voight ordered.

Erin explained the whole ordeal. They put in the complaint and waited. And waited. Finally, they went to court, not long after but not that soon either.

"I walked over to my door after hearing someone knocking. Of course, I opened it. When I did he came in saying he was sorry, sorry for everything. For the cheating. I then screamed and shouted and yelled at him. I ordered him to get out. He didn't. So I tried to leave but..." Erin informed the judge. Tears welled up in her eyes. "But he turned me around and started punching me."

"And why didn't you fight back or call 911 right away?" Nathan asked, he'd be defending himself.

"I thought that maybe it was a misunderstanding, but that morning I did tell Hank Voight. I didn't fight back because I didn't want to hurt you, I knew that you were sorry, I just didn't know you were abusive..."

Finally, he was sentenced to 10 months in jail and one year probation afterwards.

Not exactly what Erin was looking for, but it was better than nothing.

"Erin, I have to tell you something." Jay stated, pulling her into an empty office.

"Can it wait 'til later?" Erin, eager to leave.

"No, this is important, I have to say it now. If I don't say it now then I'll never say it." Jay swaying back and forth, very nervous. "You made me realize something in there. Something that I never saw..." Jay started.

To be continued...