A/N: I miss Linstead, so I started to write. This story will be in character POV and is set sometime around Season 2 or a little after. Leave a review and let me know what you think.

XXX

"Halstead!" I hear as I'm pulling a clean shirt over my head. The locker room had been quiet until Atwater came waltzing in. He has this ridiculous smile on his face and I know he's excited to tell me something.

"Atwater" I reply as I shut my locker, giving it another good shove to close because the latch on the inside has been broken since the day it was assigned to me.

"Drinks at Molly's tonight?" he asks. "We're doin' karaoke" he adds, like he actually thinks I am going to participate. There's no way I'm doing karaoke, but you can bet I'll be drinking a beer or two and watching my co-workers embarrass themselves.

"Sure" I say, making his whole entire day with my one-word response. "I'll meet you over there?" I ask, and he nods, adding a little more pep to his step as he exits the locker area.

I'm thankful it is Friday night because the whole week has been pretty intense. It feels good to close a month-long case we had been working on, but that means the following week is going to be heavy on the paperwork.

I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder, ready to hit Molly's and relax. I stop only because I see my partner walking my way, heading for her own locker. "You headed to Molly's too?" I ask. "I hear we are in for quite the show" I tell her, smiling when I see her smile.

"I've got plans" Erin tells me as she opens her locker and grabs for her bag.

"Plans?" I ask, hoping she will let on as to what could be more important than seeing Ruzek and Atwater belt some Taylor Swift tune.

She smiles and her dimples are on display. "Yep" she answers. "Have fun though. You'll have to tell me all about it." With that, she shuts her locker door and heads out, leaving me still curious as to what she's got going on tonight.

I figure she's heading to Voight's for dinner. She's the only person in our unit that Voight would ever invite over for dinner. She's special, as she likes to remind me every chance she gets.

She's also the girl Voight considers a daughter, so I suppose she is special. Though, we all know he holds her to higher standards and as a result, he can come down pretty hard on her when she steps out of line.

Sometimes, I feel bad for her. Then I remember, she can usually hold her own with our Sergeant.

The drive to Molly's takes longer than usual for most days, but the 20 minutes I sit in traffic is not unusual for a Friday night. Parking is a pain, but I eventually find a spot and enter the bar that has become like a second home to most of us. Music is playing in the background and it is loud in there, but I welcome the distraction, especially after a long day's work.

Gabby pops a top off a cold beer and hands it to me as I make my way to the counter. "Thanks" I tell her, taking a seat next to Ruzek who is shouting commands from his seat about how the makeshift karaoke stage should be set up. I think he's a little buzzed already, but he's still clothed, so I don't worry just yet.

"Halstead!" he greets a little too loudly when he finally notices me sitting next to him. "When'd you get here?" he asks.

"Just now" I reply, taking a drink of my beer. I wonder if he knows where Erin in tonight, since he's dating Burgess and I figure maybe Erin told her. "Lindsay's not here" I say casually, seeing if he'll bite and give up some information on her whereabouts.

"She's got a hot date tonight" Ruzek announces, spinning in his bar stool clumsily so he can face me properly.

"A date?" I question. Erin Lindsay doesn't date. I've known her two years now and never once has she gone out with anyone.

He takes a drink of his beer and nods. "Kim said some suit and tie dude asked her out" Ruzek says, rolling his eyes, much like I want to do too. A suit and tie and Erin are the world's worst match, I think.

"Well, hopefully she has a nice time" I say anyway. I figure someone in this unit besides Burgess and Ruzek need some sort of semblance of a love life.

"You gonna get up there and sing with me?" Ruzek asks me, forgetting all about the conversation regarding Erin.

I shake my head and laugh off his ridiculous suggestion. Nothing, and no one, could make me get up there.

XXX

I call it an early night and make my way back to my apartment. The Sierra isn't in the parking lot, and I try and pretend like I didn't notice that.

I also try and pretend like I don't glance at her apartment door as I unlock mine. Living next door to Erin does have its perks though. She always has beer in her fridge.

There's a game on that I recorded earlier in the week. It holds my interest for all of about an hour when I decide I need to take my trash out. I don't want to get off my couch, but I also don't want to deal with the trash tomorrow either.

With a long heavy sigh, I get up, grab the trash from under my kitchen sink and make my way back downstairs. The air is a bit chilly when I walk outside – a definite sign that fall is coming to an end. I'm not quite ready to say hello to the winter temperatures just yet, but soon enough, this city will grace us with a snowstorm to remind me that I really don't have a choice.

As I round the corner to the dumpster, I notice the black Sierra parked in its usual spot. I glance down at the watch on my wrist and notice that it is barely 7 PM. She's home early for a date night and I figure, at least she didn't go home with him. I start to wonder why, but stop myself. It's none of my business.

Except that I'm knocking on her apartment door when I head back upstairs. She answers, still wearing the dress I assume she went out in. "I'd like to borrow a cup of sugar" I say, smirking because I know she hates when I knock on her door and say stupid neighborly things. She usually flips me off and shuts the door on me.

Not tonight though. "Top shelf" she says, opening the door for me and moving deeper into her apartment.

My smirk fades as I watch her take her earrings out one at a time and drop them on the counter. She doesn't look like a girl who has just been taken to dinner and shown a good time. She looks miserable.

"Date was that bad, huh?" I ask as I follow her inside and shut the door.

She turns and looks at me, surprised that I knew. I don't know why though. Everyone knows anything you tell Ruzek doesn't stay a secret for long.

She figures it out though. "Ruzek tell you?" she asks.

I nod. There's no point in lying. "Yeah" I say sheepishly. I watch as she leans against her couch, not really mad but not really thrilled either that I know where she was. Still, I can't help but notice how bummed she looks. "You okay?" I ask, surprising the both of us because usually we only ask each other that after a really difficult case.

Erin thinks for a moment and I can tell she's debating on telling me the truth because her right eyebrow furrows slightly. "He didn't show" she finally says, playing it off as no big deal, but I can see right through her façade. She's disappointed.

"I'm sorry" I say, disappointed for her. She spent time getting all dressed up to go out for nothing. It doesn't seem fair.

Erin just shrugs, like she does whenever she's been let down but doesn't want to talk about it. "That's life" she says quietly.

I study her for a moment before making a last-minute decision that I'm not sure is the best idea, but I'm going with it. "Give me 10 minutes" I say with a wry smile. She gives me a questioning look and I love that I've caught her off guard. "I'm going to change and then take you out to dinner" I tell her.

She starts to protest, much like I knew she would. "Jay, no. I'm tired. I'm calling it a night" she says, shaking her head.

I shake my head right back. "You got all dressed up. You're going out to a dinner" I tell her.

"It's Friday night. You can't get in anywhere without a reservation" she tries again.

I'm not letting her get out of going though. "Ten minutes" I repeat, backing up a few steps before turning around to leave. I'm pretty sure I hear her groan, but I don't care.

I enter my apartment and grab my phone, making a quick phone call as I find a pair of nice slacks at the back of my closet and a neatly pressed dress shirt typically reserved for the rare occasion when I have to attend a formal event.

I forego the tie and go for a more casual look. Then I search the back of my closet for a pair of nice shoes. I check my watch and hurry towards the front door when I realize my 10 minutes are up. She'll be waiting for me and would give me shit if I were even a minute late.

The wood floors of our old apartment building creak as I approach her door. The building really is outdated, but rent is reasonable for it being Chicago and the neighborhood isn't too bad. When I left my last place due to a hike in rent, I crashed with Erin for a few weeks until the apartment I stay in now became available. The building sort of grew on me.

As I wait for Erin to answer the door again, I smile as I remember what it was like to live with her for those few weeks. The couch she made me sleep on was comfortable, but her refrigerator makes this God-awful humming noise at random times throughout the night. I came pretty close to tossing the blankets and pillows into the bathtub and sleeping in there on more than one occasion.

The door finally opens and I am relieved to see that she has not changed. Her purse is still in her hands and she still does not looked convinced about going out to dinner tonight. "Ready?" I ask.

We walk side by side down the stairs. I want to tell her she looks nice, but I hold back. Maybe I'll tell her later after her mood lifts.

We make it out to the parking lot and she pulls the keys to the Sierra out of her purse. I stop when I see her heading for the driver's seat. I determine this is not how this is going to go down tonight.

Erin senses that I stop and she turns around to raise a questioning eyebrow at me. "You coming?" she asks.

"I'd like to drive" I say, placing my hands in my pockets to keep warm. She raises that damn eyebrow of hers, reminding me that she is, and always will be, in charge. "Please?" I ask, my lips forming a small smile.

Erin stares at me for a moment or two, trying to figure out what she is going to do. Eventually her shoulders relax and she's walking towards me, placing the keys in my hand. "As you wish, grasshopper" she says, laughing at her statement as she goes and gets in the passenger side of the truck.

I just shake my head because Erin is probably the only person I would ever let bust my balls and get away with it on a daily basis.

Once I'm in the truck, I start it and crank the heat because I can see out of the corner of my eye that she's rubbing her hands together, trying to get warm. "You ready for this Chicago weather to change?" I asked, putting the truck in reverse and checking my mirrors as I back out of the parking spot. It really would not go over well with Platt if I put a dent in our new truck.

"I hate the cold" she reminds me. I know this because that's all I hear when we're walking around Chicago in the snow with the wind nipping at our exposed skin.

"You hate the humidity too" I mention as I make a right and navigate us through the neighborhood streets. She doesn't confirm nor deny my statement.

Erin is looking out the window at the streetlights as we drive. "Where are we going?" she asks me.

I smile to myself because I know she hates not being in charge. She hates the element of surprise and I consider myself lucky that she's willing to go with me tonight, having no idea where I am taking her. "You'll see" I tell her and without looking, I know she's rolling her eyes at me.

The next time she looks at me is when I pull up in front of a restaurant and the valet is jogging around the front of the truck.

"Wait" Erin says, looking at me. "We're eating here?" she asks, clearly in disbelief.

I shrug modestly, though I am thrilled that I have surprised her. Erin Lindsay does not surprise easily. "Yeah" I tell her as the valet opens my door.

I'm not quick enough to open Erin's door for her. She's waiting for me by the time I walk around the truck. I offer her my arm and much like when we go under cover as a couple, she loops her arm through mine and falls into step beside me as we make our way to the front entrance. "How did you manage this?" she questions. "Did you threaten to call the Health Department?" she teases.

I grin because I know that is something she would do. "I know people" I tell her, keeping my answer vague as we walk through the front doors. She doesn't question me but I know it is coming later. The girl likes answers, and eventually, she gets them.

The hostess greets us with a smile. "Name?" she asks, scanning her eyes over the reservation list in front of her.

I know I am not on that list, so I briefly lean away from Erin and towards the hostess to whisper in her ear. The young girl smiles once again, nods and then hurries away. I look over and down at Erin and her eyebrow is raised, like she's still trying to decide whether or not she's eating here tonight.

Erin is looking around as we wait, taking in the lights and the people. She's incredibly observant and it sure comes in handy for our job.

The hostess returns and asks us to follow her. I place my hand on Erin's back and allow her to go first. We move past the bar, towards the back of the restaurant. Erin looks back at me with questioning eyes and I just smile because I really have no idea where we are going. I had just asked for a table. Now I am starting to panic that maybe this table will be in the back, next to the bathrooms.

But then the hostess opens another door and holds it for us, gesturing for us to enter. We are greeted by soft twinkling lights and a small round table with two place settings. I am pretty impressed, and I can tell by the barely audible gasp from Erin that she is too.

"Your waiter will be right with you" our hostess tells us, excusing herself and leaving us alone.

Erin is looking up at the lights, then down at the table and back up at me. "Seriously. How?" she asks.

She's skeptical, but more than that, she's excited. She may not admit it, but she is. I just shrug, but I know I am grinning. It is no easy feat to impress Erin Lindsay. "Told you. I know people" I tell her, pulling her chair out for her so she can sit.

Erin rolls her eyes and I can't be certain if she's rolling them due to my vague answer or because I pulled her chair out for her. I don't ask.

We open our menus and scan over our options. I'm busy deciding between the Tordelli Lucchesi and the Chitarrine Nere when I notice her staring at me over her menu. "What?" I ask.

"Are you sure about this?" Erin asks, and I know she's referring to the prices. Yeah, this is typically more than I would normally spend on dinner, but the food is bound to be good and I am treating her to a nice night out. "Order anything you want" I assure her.

"Even the lobster?" she asks, choosing the most expensive item on the menu. I nod. "Huh" she says, going back to her menu. I smile to myself because I am drawing up this fantasy in my head of her letting me drive more often because of my generosity tonight.

A minute or so later, we are greeted by a young man dressed in all black with a white bowtie. He's holding a bottle of wine. "Sangiovese" he says as he begins pouring the red liquid into our wine glasses, then sets the rest of the bottle on our table. I have no idea what in the hell I'm drinking tonight. "Do we know what we are having tonight?" he askes, his hands folded neatly behind his back.

Erin sets her menu down and smiles up at our waiter. "The Tordelli Lucchesi, please" she tells him. I raise a curious eyebrow at her from across the table because I thought she wanted lobster, but she just smirks with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"And I'll have the same" I say, realizing our waiter is waiting for me to speak. He collects our menus and we are left alone once again.

Erin picks up her glass and examines the wine carefully. I can tell that she's not absolutely sure what she's drinking either, but she takes a small sip, lets the liquid roll around on her tongue before swallowing. The small smile that follows lets me know the wine is good, so I take my own sip. I can't say that I prefer wine over beer, but this stuff isn't too bad.

"So" Erin says, setting her glass down. "You going to tell me how you got us into a place like this last minute on a Friday night?" she asks.

A short, enthusiastic Italian man comes bounding into the room just as I am about to answer her. He's wearing a smile and my own matches his. I see the curious look Erin shoots my way as I am standing to except the bear hug I know this man is going to give me. "Halstead!" he greets as he engulfs me in a tight embrace. Once he lets go, he steps back and assesses me. "You look good, how ya been?" he askes, checking me over.

I nod. "I'm good Alo" I tell him, and it is the honest truth. "And you? I never thought you would leave the Army and open up your own restaurant" I tell him.

"Ah" he says, waving his hand at me. "Needed a change" he tells me, but I know his answer has a lot more meaning behind it. Afghanistan took a toll on all of us eventually, physically and psychologically.

Alo turns towards Erin, suddenly realizing that I have a date with me. "Oh mio bello …" he starts in his native tongue, completely in awe of Erin. I don't blame him. She looks gorgeous tonight.

"Alo, this is my partner from work, Erin" I say, introducing them. "Erin, this is Alo. He was my Sergeant in the Army" I explain.

Erin stands and accepts Alo's hand to shake. "It is very nice to meet you" she says, giving my friend a genuine smile. I know she's intrigued to learn a little more about my past in the Army, but she keeps her questions to herself.

"The pleasure is all mine" he tells her. Alo looks from Erin to me and back to Erin with a grin. "Tell me, how did a guy like him get a beautiful woman like you to agree to join him for dinner tonight?" he asks, making Erin blush and laugh at the same time.

I roll my eyes, but secretly I want to know her answer too.

"Jay here lost a bet and owed me a dinner" she says casually, making me grin because there had been plenty of times when we had both lost bets and owed the other one dinner. This was different though, because no one owed anyone anything tonight.

Alo smiles at her response, seeming to accept the answer and I pray he lets it go and doesn't embarrass me. "He's a good man, this one" Alo says, slapping my shoulder in a friendly gesture. "A great man."

Alo excuses himself a few minutes later, noting that he has other guests to attend to. He's a real charmer and I can tell that even Erin is mesmerized by his charm. As much as I like Alo, I'm glad when it is just me and Erin again.

"A great man" I say, repeating Alo. "You heard that too, right?" I ask with a smug smile.

Erin rolls her eyes and takes another sip of her wine. "He obviously thinks highly of you" Erin replies.

"Nice to know someone does" I say with a small shrug. She shakes her head and takes another sip, finishing off her glass. I'm ready with the bottle for her refill.

XXX

The food is incredible. I know Erin agrees because she's finished every last bite on her plate and is currently stretching, trying to find some comfort after eating way more than she had intended. I feel the same way.

We're on our third glass of wine each and while I can't feel the effect yet, I can tell that Erin has relaxed considerably since we arrived. She's smiling and laughing, even leaning forward on the table a little more towards me.

I've seen Erin drunk, and this isn't it. She's feeling good, and I am happy to see that she's able to relax after the week we had. "Dessert?" I ask.

Erin shakes her head no almost immediately. "I can't" she says, groaning slightly. "Unless, we can take it to go" she adds with a hopeful smile.

"Come on" I say, standing. "We'll grab something on the way out."

Alo is busy in the back, so Erin and I order Cannoli and another bottle of that wine to take with us.

We drive back home, discussing how good the food was and complaining about how bad the traffic is, as if the two of us are ever going to solve the congestion in Chicago's streets.

I park the truck and sit in the driver's seat for a moment or two, even after Erin has exited the vehicle and is walking towards our building. I guess I need a moment to reflect on tonight. I've probably had dinner more times with Erin than any other person, but tonight felt different, and I'm not sure why.

Erin is almost to the building's entrance when I finally get out of the truck and jog to catch up with her. She's juggling that bottle of wine and the plastic bag with our Cannoli as she tries to open the door. "I got it" I say and she gives me a grateful smile.

We walk up the stairs together and I follow her to her apartment. I figure I'll make sure she gets in at least, tell her goodnight before I head back to my apartment. "You coming in?" she asks, pushing the door open. I follow her inside and close the door, telling myself I'll only stay a few minutes. We have to be to work tomorrow by 7:30, on a Saturday I might add, to start on paperwork.

When Erin opens the bottle of wine and finds two glasses to fill, I know that I will probably be here longer than just a few minutes. "Here" she says, walking towards me and handing me my own glass. We take a seat on her couch and stare at the black screen on the T.V. "He's right" Erin says, taking a large sip of her wine before putting the glass down on the coffee table in front of us.

I follow her lead and turn towards her, curious about who she is talking about. "Alo" Erin says. She smiles, looks down at her hands and then back up at me. She's about to tell me something. "He's right about you being a great man" she says. Then she's looking down at her hands again and I want so badly to reach over and take one of her hands in mine so her focus will be on me again. I don't. "You've had my back more times than I can count, even when you shouldn't have" Erin tells me. "And I don't just mean at work" she adds.

"You do the same for me" I say, shrugging like its no big deal. Like its just something we do for each other because we spend more hours together than apart.

Erin looks up at me again and I swear she's moved closer to me on the couch. "Thank you for tonight, Jay. It was nice to be able to get dressed up and go out for a change."

I smile a little, because I'm happy to hear that she had a good time. "Maybe we could do it again sometime" I offer carefully, because it can't be a date. We both know that. "I uh, I should get going" I say, planting my hands on the couch cushions to push myself up to stand.

Erin's grabbing for my jacket with her right hand and leaning towards me before I can fully comprehend what she's doing. I try not to act surprised when her lips find mine, but it is kind of hard when the last thing I expect is for her to be kissing me.

Even though I don't feel like my brain is working, my lips seem to know what to do. And they are doing a pretty good job based on the tiny moan Erin lets escape. She's reaching for the buttons on my jacket and when I realize what she's trying to do, I still her hands with my own and regrettably end the kiss. "Erin" I say quietly.

"I'm not drunk" are the first words to leave her mouth. I don't know what to say to that. It's not that I don't want to do this, but there are rules when it comes to working in the unit we work in, and I am a rule follower.

But God damn, the way she's looking at me right now makes me want to break every rule there is, maybe even twice. I rub my jaw and realize that it has been a couple days since I last shaved. Erin doesn't seem to mind though, because she's leaning back in like she wants to kiss me again.

"Come on" Erin whispers against my lips instead. She takes my hand and stands from the couch. She gives a gentle tug and I'm following her down the hallway to her bedroom.

When we enter her room, she's taking off her coat and heels, leaving them where they fall on her bedroom floor. My fingers clumsily work the buttons loose on my jacket and I neatly fold it and place it on top of her dresser.

"Jay" she says, and when I turn towards her, she has her back to me, holding up her hair so I can help her with the zipper on her dress. I slide the zipper down slowly, giving her plenty of time to change her mind if she wants. Instead, she slides the material over her shoulders and lets the dress drop to the floor.

When she turns around to face me, I keep my eyes locked on hers. "Erin" I say, but she answers my question before I even get to ask it.

"I'm sure" she says, smiling as she reaches up on her toes to press her lips against mine.

She's grabbing my shirt and pulling me towards the bed with her. In a moment of nervousness, I decide to crack a joke and hope for the best. "Does this mean I get to drive tomorrow too?" I ask.

She stops, pulls her head back and gives me this look that makes me panic like maybe I have just ruined the moment.

But then that famous Erin Lindsay smirk surfaces. "Nope" she says.

I fail to hide probably the biggest grin I have ever had. Of course her answer is no.