scripted reality (jay halstead / upstead / one chicago (cast))

chapter 1

I squinted at the bright sunlight shining through the window when I woke up. My alarm hadn't gone off yet and so I turned the other way in hope I could catch a few more minutes of sleep. However, I wasn't that lucky. As my brain slowly started working, I noticed that something was wrong. Entirely wrong. There was no sun shining through my window in the morning usually. In fact, my apartment didn't have any windows facing east. So if this wasn't my apartment, then where the hell was I? And how did I get here?

I sat up in bed, trying to figure out answers to the questions racing through my head. The room seemed familiar, but I couldn't make sense of it. Had I been here before? My eyes fell on a cupboard next to the door. There was a picture of Paddy, LaRoyce and I on it, wearing police vests. Turning further to my right, I noticed a small safe next to the bed. I slowly started to understand why this setting was familiar to me: It was not mine; it was Jay Halstead's bedroom. But what the hell was I doing on set, alone, and why couldn't I recall getting here? All I remembered was going to sleep in my apartment, in my bed, like I always did. How, then, did I wake up here?

Before I could further worry about anything, my phone started buzzing on the nightstand. I bent over and grabbed it, realizing that it in fact wasn't my phone. I checked the caller ID anyway. "Hailey Upton," it read. This had to be some stupid kind of joke. Without thinking too much, I picked up.

"Jesse? Thank God you're awake." I couldn't tell why, but a wave of relief rushed over me at hearing Tracy's voice. "Tracy? What the hell is going on?" I asked. She ignored my question. "Where are you, Jesse?" If only I knew. But I was certain someone was trying to fool me, or us, so I chuckled. "In bed." Tracy sighed. "Well, good thing you're not worried about all of this." She sounded annoyed, which immediately made me sit up and turn serious. "What's wrong, Tracy? Where are you?" There was a moment of silence on the line before she answered. "I'm in New York," she then said. I almost dropped the phone. "What?"

"I'm in New York, Jesse," Tracy repeated calmly, but as much as she was trying, she couldn't cover the fact that she was freaked out. "I have no idea how I got here, but with everything going on I guess it's because Voight sent Hailey to New York. I'm taking the next flight back to Chicago." She paused for a moment before she spoke again. "I... I just needed to hear your voice." I couldn't really process anything she was saying. Maybe it was because it was early in the morning and I desperately needed coffee, maybe it was because I had a huge headache, or maybe it was simply because it didn't make sense. She had been here in Chicago last night; I was sure of that. I ran a hand over my face in frustration and closed my eyes for a second. "Tracy, what do you mean 'with everything that's going on?'"

Tracy started to say something but then stopped again. I patiently waited for her to speak. "See, I don't know what's going on. But it seems like Chicago PD, as a show, doesn't exist. We, as actors, don't exist. We are Intelligence, you understand? For real." What she was implying was absolutely crazy, but even I could piece it together with the fact that I woke up in a bed that wasn't mine, with that picture of Paddy, LaRoyce and I on the cupboard and a safe on the wall that could perfectly fit a gun. "You mean I'm Jay Halstead?" I asked. "And you're Hailey Upton?" Tracy sighed. "Exactly."

This couldn't be real. I got up and walked towards the window, opening it and gasping for air. "That's not possible," I said firmly. Tracy agreed. "I know. But listen Jesse, I need to board my flight. Just get to the district as soon as possible, okay? Jason, Paddy and Marina are already there. They said to call before you arrive so someone can come downstairs and open the door for you." She let out a small laugh. "Unless you know the door code, that is. Bring your badge and gun if you can. And try to avoid talking to Platt." I was startled for a moment. "You mean Platt is real?" Tracy sighed. "That's what I've been told. But I really need to go, so see you later." I nodded, although she couldn't see me. "See you later." Platt was real? Oh lord.