Jay felt extremely uncomfortable lying to Jes, but Antonio and Al had said it was best that she didn't know. He trusted them because they had been on the force a lot longer than he had. If he was being perfectly honest, he was fine with a target on his back. It wasn't the first time; his squad had had targets on their backs all the time back in Afghanistan. He was fine with being a marked man, as long as it didn't end up on his sister's back too. The case they'd caught this time was tough, but his focus was more on Jes meeting with Atwater, Gaby and Matt about the house. He wished he could be with her, but Voight insisted he stay to keep an eye on Erin.
Atwater had arranged for them to do the inspection in the mid-morning. Jes waited for him to come pick her up. She was sad that Jay wouldn't be able to come but she knew it was because of work. Work was important. She also hadn't been able to shake the feeling that Jay was hiding something since last night. Maybe Kevin would be able to fill in some of the gaps, since he'd been the one who had spent most of the night with Jay. She was jolted from her train of thought when the doorbell rang.
"Jes? It's Kevin, you ready to go?"
"Coming!" She grabbed her bag and left. As she locked the door, she asked. "Is everything alright with Jay? He seemed a little off this morning."
Kevin Atwater knew the truth, but he also knew Jay didn't want Jes to know anything about the bounty on his head. "I think that he was probably a little on edge from the raid yesterday." He prayed that she'd believe him.
"Yeah, I guess. He mentioned that he had to shoot one of the suspects."
"Yeah. Even with all our training, taking a life still sucks."
Jes nodded. "Makes complete sense. So, where's this house?"
"Ravenswood. It's a quiet neighbourhood. Lots of younger families and couples."
"Sounds good. What's the price range for houses out there?"
"It's a little bit high, but if you like the place, we'll negotiate a good price. The family already moved out. So we can close a deal pretty quick if you want."
"Sweet. You have a line on a vehicle yet?"
Kevin shook his head. "Not yet, but I am still looking. You really want a vehicle that bad, huh?"
"I'm kinda tired of paying for cabs or begging for rides. I'm starting to feel like I'm just a pain in the ass."
Kevin tried not to laugh. "I highly doubt that you a pain in the ass. I'll push harder for the car. But bright point, if you buy this place, you'll be closer to the 'L'."
"Well, that works. I guess. Not sure how Jay will feel about it, but what the heck. It'll be an adventure."
The remainder of the drive was spent discussing Jes' personal taste in vehicles. When they arrived, Matt and Gaby were already waiting for them.
"Where's Jay?" Asked Matt.
Atwater answered. "Voight's got him keeping Erin in line. He said if Jes was happy to go with it."
With that they went in and began the inspection.
Jay was busy filing a report on the last victim they'd discovered when Jes called. "Hey! How's the house look?"
"It's perfect. I want it."
"Any work need to be done?"
"Matt said it's really minor and he'd gladly do it for me."
"Then put in an offer."
"Jay..." She hesitated. "I actually already did."
"And?"
"It's ours. We can move in anytime."
"Wow, you're fast and efficient."
"Your buddy helped speed up the process. I need to know though... am I putting my name or are we going to be joint owners in this?"
Jay thought about the current situation he was in. For her safety it was probably best if Jay's name didn't appear on the title. "Just put it under yours. This way, one day when you get married and have a family there won't be as much red tape to go through, you know? To get me off the title?"
"Haha." She laughed. "Marriage is so far away it isn't even funny, but you do present a valid point." She paused. "When do you wanna move?"
"I've got time off next week. It'll probably be easier then, and I can recruit some help. I also have to give notice on my current place... may take time... so hopefully, you're not in too much of a hurry?"
"Cool. I'm ready whenever you are."
"Jes, everything okay?"
"Yeah. I was just wondering if I could hang out with Gaby for a bit."
"Sure. I don't know why you're asking me. You're not a teenager anymore. You don't have a curfew. She's a good person to have as a friend."
"She said her brother works with you in Intelligence?"
"Yeah. Antonio. You missed meeting him last night."
"Oh? Okay. So you're okay with it?"
"Again, you don't have curfew. Go have fun. I'll see you later tonight."
"Be safe, Jay."
"Always." He ended the call. He was hoping that by making new friends, Jes would get over the idea that she was cursed. He looked up as Antonio walked up to his desk. "Hey, Antonio."
"Yeah?"
"You didn't tell Gaby about the price on my head, did you?"
"Gaby and I have no secrets."
"Shit."
Antonio looked up from his phone. "What?"
"Gaby and Jes are spending the rest of the day together."
"I doubt my sister will tell your sister that you pissed off a guy by killing his brother and now he put a bounty on your head. She knows those things can put everyone in danger. Remember, she saw what happened when I got shot the first time."
Jay nodded. "Fair enough. Could you ask her though? Just to cover my bases."
Antonio shook his head. "You don't want her to blab, you call her."
"Why can't you?"
"Because, this is your mess and we have to go interview a potential suspect. You can call Gaby from the car 'cause I'm driving."
Jay sighed. While he and Gaby were friends, they had another kind of history. He wasn't sure if Antonio knew that while undercover, Jay had slept with Gaby. Granted, Antonio had just told him that Gaby and he had no secrets. He also wasn't sure how Antonio would react if he didn't know and he were to find out. Antonio had always been super protective of his little sister. He needed, however, to guarantee that Gaby wouldn't blab to Jes about the bounty. He shrugged and followed Antonio to his car. While en route to Chicago Med, he dialed Gaby.
"Hello?"
"Hey Gaby. Is Jes there?"
"No, she's with Matt. They're looking at new faucet fixtures. Do you want me to get her?"
"No. I need to talk to you."
"Okay." She dragged out the end. "What's up?" Her voice had a hint of worry in it.
"Antonio told you about the price on my head?"
Gaby sighed. "Ya. Let me guess, Jes doesn't know and she can't find out?"
"You got it." Jay was relieved.
"Jay, a word to the wise. Don't always listen to Antonio or Voight when it comes to telling family about the job."
"What do you mean?" Jay looked at Antonio who was drumming on the wheel as they waited for the 'L' to pass.
"Why do you think Laura left?" She paused. "Because he kept things from her. She finally had had enough."
"He was protecting his family. The same way I'm trying to protect Jes."
"Sometimes, Jay. Sometimes... the best way you can protect someone is by not hiding them from the realities of your job." She signed. "I won't tell her, but Jay, you're gonna have to. She isn't stupid. She knows something's up."
"I know. Thanks Gaby. For everything."
Antonio looked to his partner. "What did she say?"
"Not to take advice from you or Voight when it comes to family and the job. She also said Jes has the right to know the truth."
Antonio parked the car and killed the engine. "Looking back now, yeah, there are things I wish I would've told Laura about the job. That doesn't matter, I knew that keeping her in the dark was the only for her to let me leave the house every morning."
"Jes isn't Laura." Jay said as he got out of the car. "She's been through hell and back."
"Do what you feel is best, kid."
With that, the two detectives went to interview Dale Hansen.
Jay had had a long day. He wanted a drink before he went home. He stopped at one of his other favourite bars to have a whiskey. Maddie Callahan, the bartender was flirting with him as usual. While Jay thought Maddie was pretty and fun to be around, he was still more interested in Erin. His phone vibrated. He looked at the text. His heart dropped.
"I've gotta go." He threw down some money. "Uh...see ya later."
He booked it home. He met his landlord at the front doors of his apartment complex. "Was my sister in the apartment?"
The landlord shook his head. "No one was home."
When they got to the apartment, Jay saw the door had been forced. He stepped in. All his files were strewn across the apartment. Boxes and drawers had been emptied everywhere.
"They skipped all the good stuff." His landlord pointed to his computer and TV.
"Did... Did anyone else's apartment get broken into?"
"No. Just yours." With that, the landlord took his leave.
The knot in Jay's stomach tightened. They knew where he lived. They probably also knew he wasn't living here alone. He had no choice. At this point, the only way to keep Jes safe was to tell her the truth. He also had to find somewhere to stay until this blew over and he'd sadly have keep Jes away from him.
He dialled the one person he knew could help and trust. "Antonio?"
"Jay? What the fuck are you calling 'bout now?" Antonio sounded half asleep.
"Someone broke into my place. They tossed it."
That jolted Antonio into consciousness. "What!? When?!"
"Not sure. Nothing was taken, but the place is trashed."
"Was your sister home?"
Jay sighed. "No. Thank God. Gaby took her to Molly's to go over some reno plans or some damned thing that Matt has for her new place."
"Well, you guys can't stay there anymore. They know where you live."
"NO SHIT!" Jay tried to calm down. "Sorry, man. I just don't know what to do."
"You want me to come over? Figure this shit out?"
Jay looked around his apartment. "Yeah. Please."
"Be there in ten. In the mean time, call Gaby. Get her to stall your sister until we have a plan."
"Thanks Antonio." Jay ended the call then quickly dialled Molly's.
"Molly's, Brian speaking."
"Otis? It's Jay. Halstead. I need to talk to Gaby."
"You just missed her."
"What are you talking about?" Jay growled.
"They just left. Your sister wanted to go home. Her cell died or something."
"Fuck!" Jay kicked at the already damaged door. "Okay, sorry. Thanks Otis."
There wasn't any chance of stopping them. He'd gotten himself into one hell of a mess, and now Jes was getting dragged into it. He was so pissed with himself. He'd promised to protect her, and this wasn't protection.
"Jay?"
Jay spun, gun in hand, to see Antonio standing in the hall. "Hey. So, uh, Gaby and Jes are on their way here. I just called Molly's and I, I just missed them. She's gonna see all this, and fuck!"
Antonio put his hand on Jay's shoulder. "Stop beating yourself up, bro. It's not going to help you any." He looked around the main living space. "Jesus. Are you sure they didn't take anything?"
"Yeah. I think it's just a scare tactic. You know, we know where you live so watch your back."
"They did a damn good job." Antonio picked up a lamp. "You can't stay here."
"I know. Neither can Jes, but I also know that having the two of us together isn't a great idea either."
Antonio rubbed his chin. "You're probably right about that. I wouldn't put it past Bembenek to go after family to get to you."
"She doesn't know anyone here. She literally just got back here."
"What about Gaby? They seem to have clicked." Antonio suggested.
"I can't ask that of her. It's too risky."
"You think she doesn't know that? She's a firefighter for fuck's sake." Antonio understood where Jay was coming from, but Jay was forgetting that Gaby's job entailed as many risks as theirs.
"I'll ask, but 'Tonio if something worse happens, I need Jes safe... with a cop."
"The only cops you can trust and can keep her safe are Voight, Olinsky and me."
"I know Voight would keep her safe, but no way. Not with IA still after him. Olinsky has more than his share of problems and you've got your own fish to fry."
"Jay." Antonio took a deep breath. "Family comes first. After what you did for me with the Pulpo thing and you saved Gaby. I owe you."
Jay's shoulders dropped. "I can't ask you to risk getting shot or killed."
"You're not asking. I'm volunteering." Antonio extended his hand. "If she needs more than Gaby, Matt and Severide to keep her safe, then I'll watch over her."
Jay shook his friend's hand. "Severide is one reason to keep Jes away from there. He'd better not think about getting in my sister's pants or we're gonna have some issues."
That eased the tension but not for long.
"Oh my God! What the fuck?!" Jeslyn's voice echoed down the hall.
Jay grabbed her arm and pulled her into the apartment. Gaby quickly followed.
"What happened?" Jes demanded shakingly.
"Jes, you need to sit." Antonio pulled up a chair for her.
Jes looked at him. "Who are you?"
"Antonio. Dawson." He extended his hand. "Gaby's brother and I work with Jay. He asked me to come."
Jes shook his hand. "Hi. So again, what the fuck happened here?"
Jay and Antonio explained the bounty and tried to explain why the apartment had been trashed.
"See Jay!" Jes bolted from the chair. "I told you! I'm cursed!" She collapsed to her knees and bawled.
Jay felt the same way that he had they day Jes found out that her father had been killed in action. He was frozen in place. Gaby went to catch her, but Antonio had been closer and faster.
"Hey. Hey." His voice was soft and consoling. "None of this is your fault." He pulled her a little closer. "This is sadly a risk of the job, but your brother isn't about to let anything happen to you. Our team won't let anything happen to him." He felt her tears soaking through his shirt. He looked up at Jay as if to say 'Do something!'.
Jay finally unfroze. "Antonio's right. We're gonna put an end to this." He turned to Gaby. "Can she stay with you guys? At least until we get to the end of this?"
Gaby nodded. "Definitely." She knelt next to her own brother. "Jes, hey. Let's go grab some of your things."
Jes was numb, but she nodded. With Antonio's help she got up. "Jay, where will you stay?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll figure it out. Okay? We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise." Jay pulled his sister into his arms and slowly rubbed her back. "Once this is all over, we'll move into the new place, and start fresh."
Jes sniffled. "I'm taking we can't be seen together until this is over."
Antonio nodded slowly. "It's for the best. But you can call him. I'll keep an eye on him."
With that Gaby and Jes went to gather some clothes and other necessities. Antonio turned to face Jay again. "Your sister is one tough cookie."
"You have no idea." Jay ran his hand through his hair. "I've gotta call Erin."
Antonio went to evaluate the rest of the damage. Voight was going to be pissed. Erin was off-limits but she lived far enough away to keep a good distance between Jay and Jeslyn. He turned to watch Gaby with Jes. She was definitely something else. He looked around. Olinsky was going to be hearing about this. Something had to be done. You don't mess with Intelligence.
"Jay?" Jes' voice was barely audible. "I'm ready."
Jay tried to smile for her. "Okay. We're going to get through this." He pulled her in and hugged her tightly. "I love you. I won't let anything happen to you." He wiped away a stray tear from her cheek.
"Jay, you need to promise me that you're not gonna keep secrets from me anymore."
Jay looked to Antonio. Antonio shrugged. "I promise." He kissed her cheek. "Now, go with Gaby and once I'm at my new place, I'll call you. Okay?"
"Okay." She hugged him tightly then went to leave with Gaby.
Jay motioned for Antonio to follow them, just to make sure they were safe. He then grabbed a few changes of clothes and left to meet Erin.
Erin came up to the bar and sat next to Jay. "You sleeping with her?" Nodding towards the bartender.
"What?! No!" He shook his head. "We played Scrabble in her apartment, like once."
"Uh huh. Sure." Lindsay took a sip of her drink. "So if I let you stay over, are we gonna play 'Scrabble'?"
"I'll be the perfect gentleman. Promise."
Erin caught the glimpse of a hooded figure in the doorway. Then she saw the gun. "Jay!" She tackled him to the ground and the hooded man opened fire in the bar.
Jes was pacing endlessly around Matt and Gaby's guest room. Jay should've called by now. Something was wrong. Jes was just about to dial Jay when the doorbell rang. She slowly made her way out of the guest room. She could hear hushed voices. That could only mean one thing.
"Antonio?" Gaby was surprised to see her brother again so soon. "Something wrong?"
He nodded sombrely. "Where's Jes?"
"Wearing out the carpet in the guest room." Matt said as he wrapped his arm around Gaby's waist.
"Antonio, what the fuck is going on around here?" Gaby's hushed tone was still harsh.
"Someone just shot up the bar where Jay was meeting Erin. Maddie Callahan took a round to the neck."
"Shit." Gaby looked behind Matt to see if Jes was within hearing range. "What now?"
"Voight wants Jay in protective custody." Antonio rubbed his jaw. "Jay wants me to bring Jes to my place."
"Uh, is that wise?" Matt asked. "You know with the situation with Laura and..."
Antonio shrugged. "I promised Jay that I'd watch over her. That's what I'm gonna do."
It was at that precise moment that Jeslyn poked her head around the corner. "What happened?" Jes tried to conceal the terror in her voice.
Antonio walked towards her. "Jeslyn, you should sit."
Jes shook her head. "Last time I was told that with that tone, I got news that my father was killed in action. I'll stand. Thanks."
Antonio understood her frustration. "While Jay was meeting with Erin to stay with her, someone came in and opened fire."
A small cry escaped Jes' throat.
"Jay's fine. But he's been put into protective custody until this is over."
"Oh God." Jes began to lose her balance. Antonio was quick to catch her. "Oh God."
"Jes, he's safe. He isn't leaving the District. Our boss is making sure of that, but Jay's worried about you."
"What? Why? Does he think I'm next?" She was hyperventilating.
Gaby jumped into action. She settled Jes down. The last thing anyone needed at this point was a full-blown panic attack. Once Antonio and Gaby had calmed Jes down, Antonio took to explaining the delicate situation. "Jeslyn, I can't begin to understand how difficult this must be for you... but I've been in your shoes, so has Gaby. Now, Jay has this target on him because he was doing his job. He didn't want this for you. He did say though that nothing can happen to you. That's why I'm here."
"You're here to bring me into Witness Protection?"
Antonio had to suppress the urge to laugh. "No. This isn't that kinda case. You're gonna stay at my house and uh, I'm gonna keep an eye on you."
Jes' jaw dropped. "Huh?"
"Jay made me promise. It's part of me owing him for saving Gaby's life a couple years back."
"But if you're watching me, who's gonna watch Jay?"
"He has a whole team keeping an eye on him."
Gaby jumped in at this point. "Don't forget, he's in a police station. There's really no safer place for him to be."
Gaby made a very valid point. Someone would have to have a death wish if they wanted to try and assassinate a detective inside of a police district. This was somewhat reassuring for Jes, but she couldn't hide at the district. She looked at Antonio. His face was kind and his tone filled with empathy.
"Okay." She whispered. "I'll go."
"I'll get her things." Matt volunteered.
Antonio helped Jes to her feet. "We'll get to the bottom of this. We always do. When it comes to family, no one messes with Intelligence."
Gaby nodded. "As much as Voight can be an ass, he's the kinda guy that takes this shit personally."
The Dawson siblings knew that all too well. They'd experienced Voight's intensity when Antonio's son had been kidnapped and again when Antonio had been shot during Pulpo's escape. Even Matt understood it since Voight had gone after him for telling the truth about Voight's son's involvement in a drunk driving collision back in 2012.
Matt returned with Jes' things. "Here, we'll walk you to the car."
Antonio's senses were heightened. He was vigilant of everything around them. It was unlikely that he had been followed but he wasn't about to let his guard down until this whole situation was resolved. As soon as Jes was safely in the car, he shook Matt's hand and hugged Gaby.
"Keep us in the loop?" Gaby asked.
Antonio nodded. "Always. No secrets, remember?"
"If she needs anything, or you need someone to stay with her, give me a call." Gabby added.
"Definitely." With that, Antonio got in the car and slowly headed towards his own house.