Us Being Us

Food in a Basket - CPD One Shot - Between Season 3 and 4

It had been ages since Jay and Mouse spend some quality time together out of the Precinct. And Jay was glad to be in Mouse's company tonight but when Erin said that she preferred to be alone he felt frustrated. As always she was shutting down, closing herself alone in her shell and trying to solve Voight's messed up vendetta. He felt like they were heading backwards again. And he just hoped she could admit that she needed him to help her get through one more pitfall in her life. Yes her life had been full of them but now she had him to rely on, but as always she forgot about that.

"Yeah I won again!" Mouse shouted with a jump from the couch.

"Since when are you any good at Black Ops?" Jay asked, stunned how his friend had managed to win him three times in a row.

"It's a computer game man, I'm a computer technician! Don't fell bad, I'm just good, You know?" Mouse said mocking his friend.

"Stop boasting! Do you want a beer?" Jay asked, preparing to get up but Mouse beat him on that and went to the kitchen.

"I'll get it!" Mouse informed him.

"You feel very comfy in my home. Have you been spending time here when I'm out?" Jay asked.

Mouse looked at him with a closed face.

"What? You use to do that!" Jay said.

"Not since I got my life back." Mouse answered still staring at Jay. But Jay didn't seem convinced. "What? Yeah Jay all I wanted to do is come to this bunker of yours and cuddle on the couch alone, thinking about the time we spend together." Mouse said making a snort.

Jay snorted back. "I know we use to spend more time together... I'm sorry but she prefers to stay at her place and I prefer that too. So we end up to going to her place and I don't fell comfortable inviting you in there... sorry!"

"No sweat man. It's ok for me and I'm really happy that you found someone. It's good for you... But just why do you prefer to stay there, you are always so picky about your stuff?" Mouse asked.

"Exactly for that... She makes a mess in my bathroom and you know how I like stuff clean and organized." Jay said, kind of embarrassed.

"Yes I know Jay Halstead "The Cleaning Lady"!" Mouse added, breaking out in a big laugh making Jay laugh too until they heard the knock.

Erin was at Jay's door fluctuating between knocking or not. She was home alone and for a moment she put her life in perspective. Voight was the only man that she could call a father, but was she ready to fight the world to protect him? Did she agree with his actions? Did he even kill that guy anyway? What was she doing at home by herself? She had someone in her life now, someone that she could trust and could help her decide what to do with all that she didn't know about that night?

She could not close herself in her shell again. Jay would not forgive her this time. He was always reminding her that he was there and she could not go to down rabbit hole again.

"What are you doing girl?" She thought to herself.

"Are you expecting someone?" Mouse asked.

Jay smile to himself, he already knew who it was. "No I'm not! But it's very good that she came!"

"She? How you know who it is?" Mouse asked as Jay got up to open the door. When he saw Erin at the door, he added, smiling to himself, "Never mind..."

Jay gave her space to enter and smoothly speak to her trying to not trigger any regret on her by coming to him. "I thought you wanted to stay alone?"

She smiled at him. She noticed his insecurity, he knew her too damn well and knew how this was really thin ice for her. "I just thought that I should not fall into old habits."