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

chapter 34

"I ran into Torrey yesterday," Tracy noted casually as we got out of the car. She had already been asleep when I came back from work last night – Jason, in his role as our boss, had been very strict about her not staying at the bullpen longer than what was healthy throughout her pregnancy, and leaving anytime she didn't feel well, so she went home earlier than the rest of us on most days. Since it got really late yesterday, I hadn't been able to talk to her before bed, and during the ride to the district just now, we mostly talked about the case.

"Yeah?" I quickly glanced over at her. I was slightly surprised, but mostly curious, seeing that running into Torrey was usually bad news whenever it happened these past few months, and it had yet to really click that she apologized to me.

"Yeah," Tracy confirmed. "We talked a bit, and she said she was sorry for the way she's been acting." I nodded. "She told me the same." I glanced over at Tracy once more because I wasn't quite sure what she was thinking of it, but she simply smiled at me.

"Guess everything's slowly moving into place," I muttered under my breath before I opened the door to the district and held it open for Tracy to walk in first.

"Look at you, soon you can roll into 21st," Platt called out as soon as we walked inside, motioning to my friend's bump. Some patrol guy walking past snickered and I shot him a death glare while gently placing my hand on Tracy's back. She was about to reply something, but Trudy spoke up again. "No offense," she put up her hands and sighed dramatically. "I just still can't believe you two did that."

I shook my head and walked over to her desk, leaning on it. "And why's that?" I asked, pretending to be offended. Actually, I still couldn't quite believe it myself.

Platt let out a laugh. "Are you serious, Chuckles? I know you from a time when Voight didn't allow in-house dating, and you still did it behind his back. For most of the time I've known you, you've been closer to getting your ass fired or shot than to having a serious relationship. So my money sure as hell wouldn't have been on you and Blondie having the first district baby."

Tracy was barely able to contain her laughter beside me, and I wasn't quite sure whether it was because she thought Platt was funny, or because there was this weird irony that came with me not actually being Jay, but Trudy being absolutely convinced I was.

"Well, glad to have talked about that, and sorry to disappoint," I noted jokingly, backing away towards the stairs. Once there, I held the door open for Tracy again, and then slowed my pace because I knew she needed longer to climb up to the bullpen now.

"Jesse's not gonna like this," I heard Paddy say just before we walked around the corner. "Jesse's not gonna like what?" I asked. Paddy jumped, then turned around to us. "Geez, do you have to creep up like that?" I just shrugged and made my way over to Tracy's desk, sitting on it before I shot him a questioning look.

"We've been discussing something," he finally admitted, glancing between LaRoyce, Marina and Lisseth, who were all leaning against their respective desks. I furrowed my brow. "What?" Paddy stayed silent, and I turned to Tracy, who was by now sitting in her chair, but she seemed to be as clueless as me.

"Gosh, you guys are so annoying," Lisseth spoke up when Paddy didn't. I looked over at her and she nodded towards Paddy. "He thinks we should start using our show names. Like, call us by our show names instead of our real names."

What?

I turned to Paddy, but he avoided my gaze.

It wasn't really like we didn't already call each other by our show names quite often, to be honest. But if we started exclusively calling each other by our show names, that basically meant acknowledging the fact that we would forever stay in these roles.