#chicago med series

[sjhhemmings]

Evermore Pt.1

Intro: hi all💫, so I’ve been wanting to write a long series for a while now, but i wanted to establish a footing/ platform with one shots and other content before I attempted this 🥰🥰. I got this idea from watching Chicago PD, it might be a little overused but this is my take on it. I’m hoping for this to be 15-20 parts😅? We’re still in the planning phase so some things are still undetermined. What i’m hoping for is that you guys can give me some feedback/ ideas of what you guys want to see happen, so feel free to let me know in the comments! My messages are also always open! I hope you all enjoy! 🥹💋

Major Character Relationships: Hank Voight/ Daughter!OC, Gabby Dawson(bff), Erin Lindsay(sister/bff), Jay Halstead(bff), (Who she ends ups with is TBA, but she has multiple relationships/ hookups ;)

Love interests: Jay Halstead, Mouse, Connor Rhodes,

Summary: Cassidy Voight is the daughter of ‘dirty cop’ Hank Voight. Cassie takes pride in her multitude of skills and opportunities resulting in her abilities to do (almost) whatever she wants career wise. When Cassie makes the decision to change careers (again), she will soon find out how loyal her ‘friends’ truly are. This story will follow Cassie and how she adjusts to her ever changing connections and relationships.

word count: 2.7k

wattpad: sjhhoran

The date is October 24th, 2012 and Cassie couldn’t have asked for an easier shift. 2 hours away from clocking out and absolutely no calls.

Cassie basically held a knife to everyone’s throats once they got halfway through shift. She couldn’t have anyone jinxing them. Not this late in the game. Threatening them one last time before she decided to turn in, she made sure to get extra comfortable.

But all good things must come to an end. Sleeping like a baby in the bunk room, Cassie gets woken up by the call alarm. Just her luck.

Jumping up in a rush, Cassie sleepily shoved her boots on and ran her hand through her hair.

As Cassie ran out to the apparatus floor, she heard an asortmant of sarcastic remarks towards the candidate. Of course he was the jinx.

“Nice goin!” , “Thanks a lot, Candidate.” , “Great job bud!” Most of Truck 81 said as they were gearing up.

“I knew I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.” Cassie said tying her hair back into a low pony before putting the rig in drive.

“Hey, at least you get to test out your new paramedic certification!” Gabby cheered enthusiastically.

“Yeah, yeah, but you’re still my PIC and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

“Oh my heart!” Dawson playfully adds as they pull up to the scene.

Analyzing the car wreck in front of them, the girls jump out of the rig and into action.

“This isn’t going to be good,” Cassie says quietly to Gabby as they wheel the gurney to the worse car.

“Happy Birthday.” Gabby mutters back making Cassie’s heart drop. Immediately recognizing the car that’s better off, Cassidy begins cussing under her breath before directing her attention back to the people in need.

“61 to main, we’re gonna need another ambulance.” Cassie calls into her radio once they arrive at the car that’s currently upside down.

After a lot of hardwork, and multiple scares, Cassie and Gabby finally get one of the more stable victims to the ambulance.

“Hey Dawson?” Cassie asked anxiously after shutting the door.

“What’s up? We gotta go-”

“My brother was in the accident. I’m gonna guess he was driving the other car, would you be able to take this one back to the hospital? I really need to see him Gabby. I can catch a ride with truck or squad when we’re done-”

“Go.”

“Thank you. So much.” Cassie says running towards the other car she saw her brother step out of.

“What the hell happened!?” Cassie yells shooing off the officer currently trying to talk to him.

“Ma’am, we need to-” The officer tries to butt in,

“Back off!” Cassie yells earning a stern look.

“3 minutes.” The officer says warningly.

Taking a step closer to Justin, Cassidy pulls his shoulder so he’s fulling facing her. Immediately catching the stench of alcohol on Justin’s breath, she freezes.

“Justin!” She whisper yells finally getting eye contact from his end.

“What?” He asks through gritted teeth.

“What the hell happened?” She asks again hitting his shoulder.

“Just- Get out of here! I d-don’t need you, and you’re s-stupid pep talks right now.” He slurs belligerently.

“You’ve been 21 for two weeks Justin. Two weeks, and you can’t even drive sober on my birthday!? What if you were the one half-dead, hanging upside down over there, hm? You think-” Cassie stops talking at the swift thwap ringing through her ears.

Feeling her hands now on the ground, she registers the stinging metallic taste in her mouth. After a few seconds of gathering her thoughts, Cassidy stands up straight. Touching her bottom lip and looking at her fingers, she realizes she’s the one bleeding. Blinking a few times, Cassie looks back at Justin who’s face is truly blank. Unreadible.

He hit her. He fucking back handed her. Cassie looks down at the class ring on Justin’s right middle finger, now laced in blood. Chuckling a little at his audacity, Cassie turns around slowly because she can’t look him in the face right now.

It all happened so much faster than the slap. She didn’t even feel herself wind up, but she did feel the connection of her fist with Justin’s nose, Justin who is now knocked on his ass. Solely because he’s drunk and doesn’t have much balance. Stopping at the 180 mark that Cassie threw her body in, she goes back around bending over holding her fist.

Looking slowly at her hand that is now purple and swollen Cassie lets out a slow hiss. Probably broken.

“Hey Lady! What the hell!” The officer from before says picking Justin up and walking him over to a nearby bench.

“Cassidy!” She heard an all too familiar voice call out. Too busy nursing her hand to truly turn around and give him the time of day she settles for rolling her eyes.

“Cassidy Jordan!” The voice calls out again, but this time closer and still approaching.

Finally standing up and looking at her father, Cassidy frowns once she meets his eyes.

“What the hell is going on!” His raspy voice yells, making her slightly wince.

“Over here. Now.” He says more quiet this time and walking away. Mindlessly following him Cassie begins walking.

Expectantly looking at Cassidy once they’re in a more private location, Voight eventually scoffs.

Still giving no reaction Cassie frowns at the ground.

“Don’t give me that.” Voight says pointing a finger at her.

“I didn’t even do anything!”

“Right, and your busted lip and probably broken hand lives up to that huh?” He asks with a raised brow.

“Justin is drunk off his ass and caused a car accident, yet you’re over here scolding me for retaliating in self-defense?” Cassie asks trying to turn this around of her father, unsuccessfully.

“I know what Justin is, but you know better. What were you doing over there anyway, didn’t your partner leave?”

“Yeah. But I wanted to check on him at least. He’s a screw-up but he’s my brother that’s a screw-up.” She says crossing her arms and looking away.

“Look. I know this is not the most ideal way to spend your birthday, I get that-”

“Do you though? Do you get that? Because for all we know, this could’ve been reversed and Justin’s car could’ve been the one hanging upside down off a pillar.” She says back at her father.

“Yes. I do know. I will handle it, Cassie.” Voight says unconvincingly at his daughter.

“He fucked up. He’s been 21 for two weeks and this would be considered what? His fourth or fifth DUI? He’s been on this road since he was 15! But this time don’t forget the possible vehicular manslaughter if either of those victims die!” Cassidy finally screams at her father.

“You need to stop.” He says looking around at all of the eyes on you guys, despite being in a private location.

“You need to do something about this, or I will.” Cassie threatens.

“What do you mean, you will?”

“I’m working this scene Dad. I have to make an incident report. You need to let the cops take him in now, or I will say everything that needs to be said in that report. Your choice.”

“Cassidy, you will do no such thing. Do you understand me?”

“You need to let him learn! You can’t be there everytime he screws up to save his ass! He isn’t going to change knowing Daddy’s going to bail him out everytime he gets in trouble. We both know it, so help him.” Cassie finally scolds leaving Voight speechless. It’s not often his daughter talks to him this way.

As Cassie starts to walk away, her father’s voice stops her once again.

“Don’t do anything Cassidy. I mean it. I’ll take care of it.”

Pausing in her steps at his words, she lets them sink in until she keeps walking.

Finding lieutenant Casey to ask him for a ride, she stops behind him and the cop from earlier.

“Look. Detective Voight, behind me - the guy in the jacket. That was his son driving the car.” Cassie overhears the cop tell Casey.

“Voight? Like Cassidy Voight?” Matt asks not knowing you’re behind them.

“Yep. Can’t tell you how many incidents that detectives gotten his kids out of.” The cop now says walking away making Cassie roll her eyes. The only thing Hank Voight has bailed Cassie out of was shoplifting a chapstick in the 6th grade.

“Hey, Lieutentant Casey? Can I catch a ride with 81?” Cassie asks startling Matt out of his transe.

“Where’s Dawson?” He asks now walking away from the car and Cassie.

Quickly following behind, Cassie catches up to him.

“Um, she took one of the crash victims to the hospital. I stayed behind.” She says not disclosing anymore information.

“Hop in.” He says once they reach the truck.

A few days later Cassie still hadn’t heard from her father or her brother, and at this point she didn’t know what to do. Once she got to the firehouse though, she needed to figure it out.

“Voight, Casey, my office now.” Chief Boden said causing the pair to briefly glance at each other before following Boden into his office.

“I don’t have either of your incident reports from the crash last shift. Is there something I need to know?” He asks causing them to glance at each other again.

Before either of them were able to say anything he pointed to his desk, “Get it done. You have until the end of shift.” When Boden glances away from them, Cassie takes this as her chance to leave.

“Cassie, wait up.” Casey said calling after her.

Cassie finally stopped in front of Casey’s room and waited for him to lead the way.

“Okay, you need to explain,” Matt started as Cassie stared at her shoes.

“I don’t know what to do.” Cassie finally whispers, voice slightly breaking.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I love my brother and my father, don’t get me wrong. They’ve been my only family my whole life. Especially since my mom died 10 years ago, but I can’t help but feel so guilty for the other family.” Cassie finally breaks. Tears flowing down her face, Matt stood up to give her a hug before she pushed him away and wiped her tears.

“I told my dad that he needed to do something this time. He couldn’t just bail Justin out, Justin needed to learn. I told him that if he doesn’t then I will, that I will write the report and submit it as the truth. But he shut me down. I don’t know what he would do if I did, I can’t do it, Matt.” Cassie finally says looking up at him.

“Cassie, yes you can. If we both tell the truth in those reports then that family can finally get justice.” Matt said sitting back down at his desk looking up at Cassie.

Taking a few seconds to let his words sink in. Cassie realized she can’t betray her family like that.

“No, Matt, I can’t. I want nothing more than to bring justice to that family I really do. But I can’t be the reason my family breaks. Call me selfish, but I can’t bear the pain of being shunned by the only two people I have left. I’m sorry Matt.” Cassie finally says leaving him speechless. Then leaving his room.

A little while later, Cassie went to go talk to Boden. To tell him the truth and maybe ask for a little advice as to what to do. But to her surprise when she came to his office. She found Detective Antonio Dawson, Matt Casey, and Boden all having a little chat. Knocking on Boden’s door, he glanced at the Lieutenant and Detective before waving her to come in.

“Cassie,” He started but was quickly interrupted by her.

“Chief, I want you to know I’m on your side. I know what kind of things my father has done to bail my brother out of his idiotic mistakes, and I don’t support it. But you guys sitting here and gossiping about my family is a new low. If you guys are planning something, I at least need to know.”

“Why? So you can turn around and tell him everything?” Antonio speaks up earning a glare from Cassie.

“No. So I can help you guys do it right.”

“And why don’t you help? You know what really happened so report it.” Boden says making Cassie glance back at him.

“Look, call me selfish, but they’re my family. My only family. I can’t in good conscious turn my brother in and have my father hate me, but I can’t in good conscious let that family suffer from my brother’s wrong doings. Let me help you guys. That way justice is being brought for that family, and my brother finally gets punished for his actions. But not because of me.” Cassie finally says crossing her arms over her chest.

“Alright, well a buddy of mine who works out of Voight’s precinct said nothing’s come up in witness statements.” Antonio says

“So you’re trying to tell me no one else saw his kid drunk.” Boden adds making Cassie bite her lip anxiously.

“Hell yes, other people saw his kid drunk. But they were other cops who weren’t about to go up against Voight.” Antonio

Still listening Cassie opts to pace in the open part of Boden’s office. It’s what she does when she’s thinking.

“Well I would rather my guy not be the only one with his head above the foxhole on this one.” Boden says to which everyone agrees with.

“Look, and I’m not proud to admit this, but if Gabby were in your shoes for this one. I would tell her to stay out of it.” Antonio says now looking at Cassie.

“The passenger in the other car isn’t going to walk again.” Matt speaks up with news Cassie hadn’t even heard yet.

“Antonio’s right. Going against my father is a death wish. But it needs to happen. Justin is…Justin is sick. He needs help. I think this might be the only wake up call he’ll be able to have.” Cassie finally admits making herself tear up again.

At that a call for Ambulance 61 had Cassie rushing out of the room with an anxious feeling eating her from the inside out.

“Greg Duffy? I guess he was in a car accident the other day that you guys responded to?” Nicki comes in and announces to everyone in the common room. Cassie and Gabby had just gotten back from the call, to which Gabby ignored her for the majority of.

Peaking Cassie’s attention she gets up and follows everyone else out to the apparatus floor.

“Sorry to barge in on you like this, but my wife made this for you guys. We really appreciate what you did. And we know damn well it could’ve been worse If the car had tipped over, so thank you.” Greg says making Cassie’s heart sink as she looked at the beautifully homemade chocolate cake he had in front of him.

“How’s your son?” Matt asks looking over at you then back to Greg.

“Yeah, well…Mikey’s got a tough road ahead of him. But we’re gonna make it. We’re gonna be all right.” He says sorrowly looking down at the fresh cake his wife had baked for them.

“The other reason I came here is, I don’t know if theres anything you guys do in terms of what you saw, or piece together, based on what the accident scene looked like. But, the police report came back saying I ran a red light causing the accident. And uh, that’s, that’s not what happened, and I’m kind of at a loss in terms of how to fight it.”

At Greg’s words, Cassie knew what she had to do. She couldn’t be selfish any longer.

With Casey in Boden’s office they both finished their incident reports with Boden to proofread them after.

“Last paragraph.” Matt said as both him and Cassie hand Boden their papers.

“Visibily drunk. Smelled alcohol on his breath. Saw open containers on the passenger seat,” Boden said looking at Matt then taking Cassie’s paper.

“I can assume it’s around the same thing for you?” He asks to which she quickly nodded.

“Yes sir.”

#one chicago #chicago fire #chicago fire series #chicago pd series #chicago pd #chicago med series #chicago med #hank voight #hank voight daughter #matt casey #wallace boden #justin voight #antonio dawson #gabby dawson #greg mouse gerwitz #connor rhodes #adam ruzek #intelligence unit #chicago pd fanfic #fan fiction #angst #series #cliffhanger

[poppadom0912]

Together : Series Masterlist

Started: 03/09/23 - Finished: 10/11/23

Summary: What was supposed to be a quick trip cleaning your dad's cabin turns into something so much more.

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, stabbing, guns, arson, drugs etc.

Halstead Cabin

Halstead Hurt

Halstead Lost

Halstead Help & Severide Worry

Halstead Number Two

Halstead Stubborn Part Two

Halstead Tough

Halstead Blood

Halstead Tears

Halstead Smiles

Epilogue

#one chicago x reader #one chicago imagine #jay halstead x reader #onechicago #chicago fire #chicago med #chicago pd #will halstead x reader #halstead sister #halstead brothers #kelly severide x reader #jay halstead x sister!reader #will halstead x sister!reader #masterlist #series masterlist

[17isrighthere]

Colin Donnell as CONNOR RHODES in Chicago Med (2015-) [4x01] Be My Better Half

#chicago med #connor rhodes #cmededit #tvedit #tvgifs #chicagomededit #onechicagoedit #chicagosource #chmedit #cinematv #dailymenedit #usersource #useroptional #usermegara #useraalya #supervalcsi #creations #new series! #i have s4 downloaded so.... <3

[saragarnier]

A living Nightmare

Summary: y/n went to the police station after being assaulted by a stranger and detective Jay Halstead is the one that helps her

Warnings: angst, mention of sex assault, mention of rape, kidnap and violence in general

English is not my first language, sorry if there’s some mistake!

Next part

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

When you entered the police department, you felt many eyes on you. You wore clothes that were cut and dirty and you looked hurt.

You looked up at one of the police officer, a woman who was behind the desk. You guessed was a sergeant and she was around fifty years old; she immediately went around the desk to help you.

“Oh my God, what happened dear?” She immediately asked you, helping you staying on your feet; you were so weak and you were about to cry sooner or later, even if you were trying to resist. She helped you and took you in one of the interrogatory rooms, telling you that she would have called a detective to help you.

After some minutes a tall guy entered the room and he immediately sat in front of you with a warm smile on his face, trying to reassure you in some way.

“I’m Detective Jay Halstead. They’ve told me that you need me. What’s your name? Can you tell me what happened to you?”

You could still feel those hands on you, you could feel the pain and every single beg you yelled, asking him to let you go, asking the guy who took you to have mercy.

You were shaking but you couldn’t control it.

“I’m y/n… a-and I…. I was kidnapped.” You whispered, deciding to start from the easiest part of the story.

“When?” He immediately asked you, writing something on a notebook. “Where and how? I need some details to find the guy who did this to you. Tell me everything you remember and we’ll find him, okay?”

You nodded, still shaking and starting to cry.

“It was Friday when he took me… i-i don’t…. I d-don’t know what day is it today…. I was kidnapped Friday evening after work… i-i stopped to a fuel station and… and when i was entering the car again i felt a hand on my mouth and something cold against my throat.” You whispered.

He listened carefully and he wrote everything on the paper, looking sometimes at you and smiling a little bit to encourage you to continue.

“He had a knife and… he told me to get into his car and… and to be quiet or… or he would have cut my throat in an half. “

“Did you see him in the face?” Detective Halstead asked you, looking at you. “Do you remember anything that can help us finding him?”

You shook your head, crying harder.

“N-no!” You sobbed, feeling guilty. “I just did what he told me to do… he… he said that i wanted this… that i should have expected this… and after that he blindfolded me”

Jay’s eyebrows frowned.

“What did he mean by that? Did something strange happen to you the days before Friday?”

You nod, crying. “Y-Yes.” You sob.

It was all your fault.

You should have known

You should’ve have done something

You should have gone to the police station sooner

“Tell me about that.” He said, looking at you. “And don’t worry, you can take your time.”

You nodded, staying silent for a while before answering him.

“I had the feeling of being followed for almost a week but i thought i was just paranoid. And than i found some flowers at my front door… I thought it was just some pranks of some kids… i didn’t think…. It’s all my fault” you cried.

“No, no no” he reassured you, taking one of your hands and squeezing it slightly. “It’s not your fault at all… but everything you will tell me will help us getting him in jail, okay? I know it’s hard but you have to be strong for that”

You perfectly knew that. You knew that you needed to tell everything but it was so fucking difficult. Everything that happened to you, everything that he did to you. And you didn’t fought back, you just let that happen.

“After the flowers i got a call from an unknown number… it was Friday’s morning and all i could have heard was someone breathing heavily on the speaker. I was so scared and i immediately hanged up. I wanted to came here but i was late for work so… so i decided that i could come here on Saturday when i would have been at home and i would have had more time to come here…. But that night he took me. He kidnapped me and I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t able to see him nor the road he made to reach his place. It was dirty and the scent of that place was horrible… i think it was an abandoned warehouse. “

Detective Halstead was writing everything you were saying and he kept asking you questions, giving you also the time to prepare yourself psychologically.

“What happened then?”

“He tied me at something, I don’t know with what but i was lying down on some old mattress. He… he ripped my clothes…” you pointed him your clothes that were ripped and dirty. “He… he r-raped me”

It took some time to admit it.

It was so fucking difficult to say.

It was so fucking painful to admit.

You were raped.

You were raped.

You were raped

But why you? Why he took you? Why he let you go? But did he let you go? What happened? Why you were still alive? Why weren’t you dead?

Maybe it would have been easier if you would’ve died in there.

“I’m sorry for everything that had happened to you and believe me, I wouldn’t ask you so many questions if i don’t really think that they can help us finding him… can you tell me in details what he did to you? How many time did he rape you?”

You were trying to figure out how many days you spent in there but being blindfolded didn’t help and he didn’t even bring you some food to help you understand which part of the day it was. You couldn’t even tell what day it was when you escaped, you didn’t know anything, nor even where you were. You just entered the first police station you found, you didn’t even know in what part of the city you were.

“He raped me multiple times… i don’t know how many but he often raped me during those days. He bit my breasts and… and he used force. I was so scared and it hurt so much, i just wanted that to be finished. Every single time i stay silent praying him to finish with me as soon as he could.”

Detective Halstead wrote everything on his notebook and than he looked up at you.

“Did he use a condom ?”

You cried harder, hiding your face beneath your hands.

“N-no… he didn’t, he… never did” you sobbed, crying.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re safe now” he said, getting up and walking towards you, slowly and calmly to be sure not to scare you.

You got goosebumps of fear but you didn’t stepped back. You were so tired: you just wanted to go home and sleep and after telling all of what happened to the detective you felt even more tired.

“Can you tell me everything you can remember about him? Maybe a description? I know you didn’t see him but you felt him, right?”

You immediately understood what he was talking about and you thought about every time you felt him, and you revived all again and again, trying to remember as many details as you could. “When he kidnapped me and i felt his hand on my mouth i also felt his chin against my head so he was definitely taller than me… i’m 170 cm so he would be around 190 cm i guess. He lowered at my height to be able to whisper in my hear and when he kissed me or bit me i felt that he had a beard… not a normal one, it was like a goatee… yes, I think he had a goatee.”

“You’re doing great, can you remember anything else?” Jay asked, writing everything down.

“I saw only his hand on my mouth… he was white. And i think it was thin but muscular, just not to much. He was strong though. T-That’s all i can remember.”

“It’s perfect, you did great.” He reassured you. “How did you escape?”

“I spent days trying to free myself from the rope that was keeping me tied up on the mattress and when he came today’s morning and when he said that i need to do a shower after i thought something was wrong. He didn’t even let me go to pee in the previous days. When I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore i finally freed myself, i took the blindfold off and you just ran outside and ran… and ran. I didn’t looked back or near me, i just ran trying to add distance between me and him. I don’t know for how many time i ran, i just know that at some point i read “police” and i came immediately in here.”

Detective Halstead wrote everything again, then he looked up at you.

“You were so strong and brave, okay? And now you’re safe, i will be with you okay? But i need to accompany you to the hospital to do a rape test. It will help us knowing the DNA of the man that did all of this to you, okay?”

You immediately tried to got up to follow him at the hospital but the second you got on your feet you felt all the tiredness on you. You couldn’t even stand up.

All the adrenaline went down and you felt pain in every single muscle.

You collapsed on the floor and Detectjve Halstead immediately ran towards you, calling for help and for an ambulance.

“Hailey! Call for an ambulance right now!” He yelled towards the mirror, looking at you again and giving you a small slap on your cheeks to keep you awake. “It’s okay, it’s okay i’m here with you, y/n. Resist, an ambulance is in the way, okay? Just stay with me.”

“I-I’m so tired.” You said, whispering. You looked at the detective in front of you and you tried to remember his eyes; he came there to help you and you wanted to remember him at all costs because he was your savior, after all. You saw in him the chance to find some justice and in that moment he was also trying to keep you awake while the ambulance arrived.

“I know, i know you’re tired but you have to resist and keep your eyes open for me. Look at me okay? Resist.”

You tried.

You really tried to resist but it was too much.

You were too weak.

The last things you remembered before the dark fell upon you were Jay’s eyes, then everything went dark.

And you couldn’t feel anything anymore.

#jay halstead #chicago pd #chicago med #chicago fire #oneshot #angst #tv series #police #hank voight #trudy platt #will halstead #adam ruzek #kevin atwater #kim burgess #hailey upton

[littlesugarwords]

why is dr crockett so hot like it should be illegal

#chicago med #chicago one #chicago series #one chicago #one chicago x reader #crockett marcel #fine af #literally flustered #omg #ignore me #im a mess

[felicitysmoaksx]

anything Rheese and the 'come back, be here' series?

Hi anon! Thanks so much for the prompt. So this drabble is from Guilty By Association. It was adapted from an outtake scene I had, but I don't think I can flesh it out enough to get it to be a full fic. In this au Connor did call his dad for help to get Sarah bailed out.

Family had always been a tricky thing for Connor. At the age of eighteen, Connor had cut his father and sister from his life as if they had been rotten flesh (in his father’s case he had exactly been rotten like rotten flesh) but sometimes rotten flesh had their uses, Connor kept telling himself that as he found the number he had been searching for in his contacts, pressing his phone to his ear. 

“Connor, my this is a surprise,” Cornelius Rhodes’ voice was already grating on his son’s nerves and he had only answered the call. It must’ve been a new record. Connor swallowed back his retort of annoyance. After all, he was calling to ask his father for a favor. There was more of a chance of catching more flies with honey than vinegar.

“Dad, I need a favor.” There was no use in small talk. Connor hated it, besides if he tried, his father would snuff it out. 

“Oh?” 

“I need you to pull whatever strings you have at the CPD and get someone out of jail for me."

"And why would I do that? You certainly haven't been..." Connor tuned out the rest of what his father was saying and resisted the urge to throw his phone at the wall.

"Because Dad," he sighed agitatedly. He had put Sarah in that jail cell for nothing. Because his patient was ruined by his own self-entitled father, and now Connor was doing the same with his. But this was for Sarah. His wife, who was only in this situation because she had been backing him up. She was worth breaking his own self-imposed rules for. "She's been my wife of three years and your daughter-in-law."

[LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Sarah kept her back and eyes closed as she leaned against the concrete wall of her holding cell.

"Sarah Rhodes?" Someone called out and Sarah picked her head up, glancing around as she raised her hand. The police officer moved to the door of the holding cell. Then it was unlocked and held open for the curly-haired brunette.

"You're free to go."

"What? How is that-" Sarah asked as she started forward. Then a movement caught her eye and she turned toward it. There stood a man she had only seen from afar and in old pictures. Cornelius Rhodes stood a little ways away, looming and eyeing her warily.

The brunette sighed internally, bracing herself as she made her way to her father-in-law whom she hadn't met once in the last three years she and Connor had been married.

"Mr. Rhodes," she said quietly.

"Daughter-in-law," he said in equal quiet, flinging the title like it was an insult. She didn't take the bait though. Instead, she gave him a wan smile.

[LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Sarah was escorted the rest of the way by her father-in-law to see her husband waiting for her, looking wary and tired.

“So I come out of surgery to find out my wife has been arrested. I’m still wondering how we got to point C when we started at A.”

“She was going arrest Maggie for it and we both know that ED needs her. She keeps it running like a well-oiled machine. So I stepped in and took her place because she had your back with the blood draw and it’s like I told her, you’re my husband. You're more my responsibility than you are hers.”

Connor huffed, but still leaned in to kiss her forehead, forgetting that his father was standing behind them. “Greying prematurely is a real thing, you know.”

She laughed as he wrapped her in her coat to protect her from the Chicago arctic blast, “You just never thought I’d be the one in jail. You thought it’d be the other way around, didn’t you Dr. Rhodes?”

“Nuh-uh,” he wagged his finger at her, “That tone or name is not going to work right now, because we have to go back by the hospital. Mrs. Goodwin and Maggie both want to see you.”

Then Connor glanced up, finally meeting his father's eyes for the first time. His tone was surprisingly sincere when he said, "Thank you for this. I really appreciate it, Dad."

Cornelius Rhodes couldn't find it in him to speak because he was witnessing his son as a husband for the first time. So when the older man met Connor's eyes, he merely nodded and watched the couple make their way out of the precinct.

#one chicago #chicago med #Rheese #Sarah Reese #Connor Rhodes #my writing #Come Back Be Here Series #felicitysmoaksx 2023 advent writing challenge

[corinthiawz]

#one chicago #chicago fire #chicago fire icons #chicago pd icons #chicago med #leslie shay #lauren german #lauren german icons #icons series #icon serie #girl icons #chicago pd

[deanstead]

Pieces (2): Starting Fresh

Chapter 2: Starting Fresh

Chapter Summary: Barely back on her feet, Y/N meets Jay in the most unlikely of places. Later, Y/N runs into the last person she wants to run into.

Word Count: 2,564

Warnings: implied sexism, Caleb is an ass

A/N: Here's the update! I've been absolutely floored by all the positive comments so far, thank you all so much, it's been more than I expected and I'm so grateful to all of you! As usual, I am not above begging for interactions, so reblog, comment, hit up my ask! Thank you!!!

SERIES MASTERLIST || JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter

Four months.

It wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either. The only thing that was clear to you was that Chloe was the biggest blessing in your life. You could almost see what your life might have been like if you didn’t have her - you’d probably have given in to the huge despair that hung over you, you might have screamed or begged him not to leave you, you might have just lost the will for anything and survived on alcohol.

But you couldn’t. Not when you had a young daughter to take care of.

Chloe was quiet when you told her that you’d be moving, just the two of you. She didn’t cry, she didn’t ask why, she didn’t ask for her father. She just put her little hands around your neck and buried herself into you, sticking her little body tightly against you. “Mom, I’ll be good.” You’d smiled and kissed her, assuring her that no matter what she'd always be your sweet little girl, before you picked her up and brought her and what belongings the both of you had to your new apartment.

You had never planned on staying at the house which was no longer a home, but you still hadn’t expected Caleb to ask you to leave, telling you that you should take Chloe with you. You’d expected a fight, after all Chloe was Caleb’s little girl as much as she was yours. So you weren’t sure if you were relieved or upset that he didn’t try harder, merely sending you the divorce papers clearly stating that you had full custody and that he only wanted visitation rights.

Even so, it took you a while to get back on your feet and make a decision. No one that had known you in Chicago would have known that your medical degree was lying in a drawer at home but now that it wasn’t any of Caleb’s business what you did, or how you looked after your daughter…

You’d decided it was time. It was time to go back to what you had felt was always a big part of you. So you’d started at Med a few weeks ago, thankful that Chloe had seemed to adapt pretty well both with school and her new babysitter.

“Dr Y/L/N.” April handed you the iPad that had the test results of the patient you were seeing with Will.

“Great. Thanks April, I’ll get this to Will.” You nodded at her.

“You joining us tonight?” April asked, smiling. She’d invited you for an after-shift drink with her, Maggie and Natalie and you hadn’t found a way to decline nicely without exposing too much of your personal life.

“I’ll come back around to look for you in a bit.” You answered with a smile and April nodded.

You glanced around and spotted Will almost immediately, where you could see he was talking to someone.

“Will, results are in.” You paused as Will and the person he was speaking to looked up.

You froze in your tracks, recognizing almost immediately the green eyes that now met yours.

“You…”

He smiled, although you caught the look of surprise on his face, which probably echoed your own. “Hey…”

Will raised his eyebrows. “You guys know each other?”

He didn’t answer Will, just stretching his hand out to you. “Jay Halstead.”

You smiled, glancing at Will, not missing the last name. “Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N. Brothers?” You asked as you shook Jay’s hand.

Jay smiled. “Yeah, so if Will’s a jerk, just kick his ass. Or tell me and I’ll do it.”

Will rolled his eyes, which just made you want to laugh but you just smiled and nodded. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Will shot at his brother before he nodded at you, asking you to lead the way.

You took a last look back at Jay before you followed Will towards the treatment room.

Life really did work in a little weird way.

You were already cranky at shift today since you hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. Chloe had crawled into your bed last night which wouldn’t normally have affected your sleep except that her pre-bedtime question had been to ask you, in her own language, whether it was her fault that Daddy was no longer around.

If you could, you’d have killed Caleb for putting that thought in her head, that look in her eyes, that emotion in her little body. So you’d coaxed her to sleep with you, reassuring your daughter that her parents loved her, but you’d been kept awake, alternating between feeling like you’d failed her and feeling red hot anger at Caleb traveling through your veins, as she slept soundly next to you.

So you really had no patience with this patient today.

“Can you get me a real doctor?”

You tried to hold back your annoyance as you pulled the curtain aside, almost running into Will and Connor.

“Uh-oh.” Will muttered, as he spotted the look on your face.

Connor frowned. “Everything okay?”

You made a face at them before you handed over the iPad in your hand. “I’ve given him his options, but he wants a real doctor. One of you better come in with me, or I don’t know how long I can keep up the do no harm oath.” You growled under your breath.

Connor chuckled, as Maggie’s call of “Dr Rhodes!” rang out across the floor. Connor patted Will on the shoulder, with a "All yours", before he took off.

Will glanced at you, smiling a little. “Alright, come on. You can talk.”

You shot him a look. “Fine, but I’m telling you it’s no use.”

You opened the curtain, walking in. “Hi, Mr Turner. This is Dr Halstead. So, like I mentioned earlier…”

The patient turned straight to Will and you had to resist the urge to roll your eyes. Instead, you gave Will a look and despite the fact that you’d only been working together a few weeks, you could tell he was trying his best not to crack a smile.

Will nodded at you and you pushed ahead. “As I mentioned, your numbers are borderline. You can choose to go on a more conservative approach and manage it with medication, or there's also the option of surgery. If you think you want to consider surgery, we can have a surgeon come talk to you before you make your decision.”

“Dr Halstead?” The patient addressed him immediately, like you were invisible.

Will nodded. “The options Dr Y/L/N highlighted are my recommendations as well. We can get a surgeon to talk to you now if you like.”

As the patient agreed with almost everything Will said, he hid a smile, nodding that the both of you would get a surgeon as you led the way out and you glanced at him.

Will just smiled at you as the curtain closed behind you. “You okay?”

You glanced at him. “Of course. Annoyed? Yes. Okay? Definitely. It’s nothing I’m not used to.”

The comment was out before you could stop yourself. Will watched you, like he wanted to ask you something but he remained silent, and you were thankful that at least it hadn’t invited any probing.

“Ready to walk?” You asked your daughter who was propped up in your arms.

Chloe was usually not this clingy to you, especially when there were a million things to see along the street, but you chalked it up to everything that had changed the past few months, so you’d let her sit in your arms for a while.

Chloe smiled at you, pointing towards the display window of the bakery you were passing and you let out a small chuckle and nodded. You put her down, taking her hand but freezing when you spotted Caleb heading towards you from down the street.

Chloe turned to look up at you and you looked down at her, caught between wanting to protect her and not wanting to stand in between her and her father.

“Y/N.”

You sighed. You didn’t want to run into Caleb again, at least not for a long while, and least of all when you had Chloe here.

But it was like he barely noticed the little girl standing right next to you.

“You look good. How are you and Chloe doing?”

The question was ridiculous, you wanted to laugh. You wanted to ask him if he actually remembered he had a daughter but your hand unconsciously tightened around your daughter’s, reminding you not to go off in front of her. You caught yourself wishing you did have someone else, someone else who could distract Chloe from the fact that her father didn’t seem to have noticed her.

When you didn’t answer, Caleb seemed to finally light his eyes on his daughter. “Chloe. Hey, sweetheart, I missed you.”

Chloe glanced up at you and you nodded. Your fight was not Chloe’s.

Even so, you could see the change in the way Chloe headed to her father to give him a hug. You still remembered the way her little feet pattered across the floor, squealing as her father squatted by the door to let her run to him before he swept her up in his arms.

That felt like a lifetime ago. It was. It was a different life and you hadn’t realized how different until you watched awkwardness that shouldn’t belong to a four year old patter across the small distance to her father.

Caleb had picked up on it too. You could tell from the way he looked up at you. But you were interrupted by the clack of high heels on the concrete floor.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” Vivian asked, as she looped her arm through Caleb’s, pulling him upwards and away from his daughter.

“Chloe, come on baby.” You held your hand out to Chloe who promptly ran back towards you and you picked her up, ignoring Vivian’s question.

Four months had seemed to erode away any sense of guilt that Vivian might have felt towards you for breaking up your family and taking your husband for herself.

“What were you doing?” Vivian pressed again and you frowned, as Caleb glanced at her.

“What was I, what?” You asked, glancing towards the bakery now wanting nothing more than to get away from these two people.

Vivian flicked her hair backwards and you remembered why you were never close to her. This would teach you to extend a helping hand to someone you barely knew. “Using your daughter to try to get your ex back, really?”

You could throttle her. You’d have this fight any day that Chloe wasn’t around, but you were still a little raw from the divorce, from all the changes in your life, and you definitely were not going to do this in front of Chloe.

But before you could say or do anything, you heard a familiar voice. “Y/N?”

You turned around, staring back at Will and Jay Halstead. “Will?” You weren’t sure if you were more embarrassed or relieved.

Jay reached you first, his eyes flicking up to the couple standing in front of you before he looked back at you, his eyes telling you that he remembered. He remembered it as well as you did, before his eyes fell on the little girl in your arms and he switched his expression to a smile.

“Hey, you okay?” Jay asked, lowering his voice.

You nodded, and Chloe looked up. “Hey, sweetheart, these are my friends, Jay and Will.” Chloe studied them for a while, as both of them smiled at her and she broke into a smile that would warm anyone’s heart.

“Mom, can I have strawberry bread?” Chloe asked, her eyebrows bunched together like she was a little annoyed that you hadn’t already entered the bakery.

“Yeah… we’ll…” You glanced back at Vivian and Caleb. There was really something you wanted to say to them before the moment passed.

“Why don’t I take her?” Will offered, smiling. “If that’s okay with you.”

You glanced at your daughter. “What do you say? Is it okay if Will takes you first?”

Chloe paused, thinking for a while, before she nodded. Chloe reacted to emotions around her so you weren’t altogether surprised that she was willing to go with Will, considering the feeling of relief you felt when you’d seen the both of them. Will took her gently from your arms when she leaned forward and you heard her already asking him about his hair the moment she perched on Will’s arm and you smiled.

You let Will enter the bakery with your daughter before you turned back towards Vivian. “Using my daughter?”

Vivian looked surprised at the change in your demeanor but promptly recovered herself, tilting her head upwards as if about to challenge you.

“We done here?” You asked, forcing your voice downwards so much you almost sounded bored.

“Wait, Y/N.” Caleb called out to you.

You turned back to look at the man you thought would be your whole life.

“What did you say to Chloe?” He asked now, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward.

You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What have you been saying to her about me? The change in Chloe’s behavior? That’s you, isn’t it?” He asked, his voice rising as he stepped forward.

“The change in Chloe’s behavior? That’s all on you. Four months, Caleb. She hasn’t seen you in four months. We had to leave the only home she knows. Her life was turned upside down, and Daddy doesn’t even call her. What the hell did you expect?” You could feel the anger rise but pushed it down again, almost like a habit. “If you want your daughter to treat you like her father, you have to act like one first.”

“What the hell did you say to me?” Caleb stepped forward but so did Jay.

“Far enough.” Jay’s voice was low, just like that day in the restaurant but this time he was even firmer, one hand out protectively in front of you, another on Caleb’s shoulder.

Caleb looked up at Jay. “You’re that guy from the restaurant.” He glanced back at you and a sickening smile flitted across his face.

“Guess you’re not as innocent as you made yourself out to be, huh?” Caleb directed the comment at you.

There was a flash of anger in Jay’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come the moment you touched Jay’s arm and he glanced at you. “We’re done here, come on Jay.”

Jay turned to leave with you before he paused and turned back to give Caleb one more withering look.

“You okay?” Jay asked, glancing at you as you heard the clacking of Vivian’s heels on the sidewalk get softer.

You nodded, turning to him and smiling. “Yeah, thanks. And sorry about that.”

Jay smiled. “You have nothing to be sorry for, alright? If you ever need my help, let Will know. Or you know, you can call me directly.”

You raised an eyebrow.

Jay put both his hands up and shrugged. “I swear I’m not trying to be funny. Just… if you need a friend.”

You smiled. “Thanks. Come on, before my daughter makes your brother buy the whole store.”

THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!

If you want to support me, buy me a coffee!

#jay halstead x reader #resa.fics #resa.piecesfic #jay halstead #jay halstead series #jay halstead imagine #jay halstead fanfic #jay halstead x you #jay halstead x y/n #chicago med #chicago pd

[philsfavoritepillow]

I think I have a superpower

So the buck being bi thing just made me realize something. I think I have a superpower. I just started watching the series as it comes out this season right, well this season is when they made buck canonically bi. This has happened before for me. I started watching supernatural as it came out on the last season. They made Cas and Dean Canon in the last season. I started watching teen Wolf as it came out on the last season, They made Lydia and stiles canon in the last season. I started watching Andy Mack in the last season. They made Cyrus and TJ canon in the last season. It’s happened other times too but those are the times it happened with the BIGGEST ships.

EDIT: SAME WITH GINA AND E.J. IN HIGHSCHOOL MUSICAL THE MUSICAL THE SERIES. AND CARLY AND FREDDIE IN THE NEW ICARLY SERIES!!!!!!

EDIT X2: Never Have I Ever, and Nancy Drew as well

When I was in high school: Chicago Med, The Mentalist, Awkward, The Fosters, Timeless, Superstore, the list goes on, this is WEIRD

#andi mack #TJ and Cyrus #tyrus andi mack #teen wolf #stiles and lydia #supernatural #destiel #911 on abc #buck and eddie #buck and tommy #bi buck #never have i ever #Devi and ben #nancy drew #nancy and ace #icarly #Carly and Freddy #highschool musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #Gina and ej #Chicago med #will and Natalie #the fosters #Jude and Connor #awkward #Jenna and matty #superstore #jonah and amy #the mentalist #Jane and Lisbon

[damnprecious]

Do you ever get so mad bc an episode would be such a perfect way to end a series but it's not the series finale

#noopa rambles #me @ chicago fire rn #12x6 had such good series finale potential if we disregard the upcoming drama with the med chief #the season as a whole has had such an endings and new beginnings vibe #not all of the plotlines have gone as I expected #I was having big “herrmann is about to retire” vibes earlier #no but honestly it makes me mad bc I want a fulfilling ending #I want an ending that's planned and makes sense and is a good way to stop #and I feel like 12x6 had like All of that #I suppose it should give me hope that they'll write a good ending for when the time comes #but everything just felt Right #but I just don't trust tv shows to actually deliver a good ending anymore

[academicelephant]

Dr. Halstead: Sam, don't do the surgery! Dr. Abrams: Are you on drugs? You're the one who pushed for this.

#one chicago #chicago med #chicago med rewatch #s4e14 #will halstead #dr halstead #sam abrams #dr abrams #series quotes

[sjhhemmings]

Evermore pt.3

OC!CassidyVoight x Mouse!Endgame, OC!CassidyVoight x Jay Halstead, OC!CassidyVoight x Connor Rhodes

a/n: sorry this was kind of a filler chapter until the good stuff starts in the next part ;) hope you guys are enjoying this so far, let me know what you think by commenting, and reblogging ❤️

warning: description/ mentions of su!c!de, swearing, alcohol, (it’s not as bad as last chapter but still if anyone needs help feel free to reach out! ❤️

word count: 2.4 k

wattpad: sjhhoran

The sound of the diner door rang through Cassie's ears snapping her out of her trance.

Looking down at the warm coffee she's had her hands cupped around for the last twenty minutes she frowns as she realizes it's grown cold.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Jay says sliding into the booth across from Cassie.

"Hi, no you're good. No worries," She says with a small smile looking at the man.

For the last five months Jay and Cassie have spent every morning in this diner. Talking, sitting, bonding. Ever since the night Jay found Cassie, he's refused to leave her alone. He's vowed to never let Cassie get to the point again, and if she does it would have to be over his dead body.

It took awhile for Cassie to understand why he would care about her so much. Why he put so much effort into making sure she was okay, but eventually she quit asking questions and let him in.

*5 months ago*

"Do you want to grab a coffee?" Jay asks as he clicked Cassie's floor in the elevator.

"Uh, yeah, I'd like that. But um, how did you know what floor my apartments on?" Cassie asked skeptically looking at Jay.

"Oh, I didn't. I guess we live on the same floor." Jay says with a shy smile.

Cassie followed Jay out of the elevator confused again when he stops outside her apartment.

"Okay, this is getting weird Jay." She says chuckling and nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

"What? Why? This is me," He said unlocking the door to the apartment across from hers.

Rolling her lips into a line out of embarrassment, she pointed at her apartment door and muttered, "This is me..." Earning a snicker from Jay.

Eventually ending up in a small diner down the street from their building, they were both relieved when they saw the 'Open 24 hours' sign in the window.

"So, what were you doing up there?" Jay finally asked taking a sip of his coffee.

Met with silence he took a breath before continuing, "Look, I told you why I went up there. But you never told me why you were there." He said looking at Cassie.

Biting her lip, she didn't even know where to begin.

"Can we start with something else?" She asks looking back at him.

"Of course."

"I'm a paramedic at firehouse 51,"

"I thought you were a cop?"

"Used to be," Cassie said with a smile repeating what she said before. "How'd you figure that out anyway?"

"Glock 19. Most cops use that as their sidearm. Lucky guess." Jay said smiling back at her.

"Are you a cop?" Cassie asked curiously

"Detective. I work in organized crime over at the 21st."

"Ah. I didn't really make it past the patrolman stage over at the 31st." Cassie said with a sigh.

"But you're a paramedic now?"

"Yes, figured the education could be useful and then I fell in love with the rush. I just don't think I'm made for the streets." Cassie admitted finishing her coffee.

"I bet you'd thrive as a detective in a special unit. Not very many cops enjoy uniform."

After deciding that ordering food would be a good choice, Cassie and Jay continued talking and getting to know each other. But Cassie knew what she needed to tell him.

"I was up there because I ruined everything." Cassie started immediately hooking Jay's attention.

"I just fuck everything up, and I guess I couldn't handle it anymore. I convinced myself that the world would be better off without me..." Cassie said tearing up again, flinching a little when Jay placed his hand over her's.

Once Cassie explained everything that's happened, she felt relieved that she was able to open up to someone. That she didn't have to bottle it up and keep to herself. But when she looked up and saw the very prominent look of pity plaguing Jay's face all of the horrible feelings rushed back.

"This was a mistake." Cassie admitted quickly getting up.

Following her, Jay threw some money down on the table and basically chased her out of the diner.

"Cassie! Wait!" He said getting a little dejavu from just a few hours before.

"Jay, I'm broken. I've ruined everything, and there's nothing anyone can do to fix it. I'm lost cause just let me go." Cassie said stopping on the sidewalk turning around to face him.

"If you want me to let you go, why did you turn around to spare my feelings?" He asked confusing her.

"What?"

"If you truly felt like you were a lost cause, you would've kept walking. You wouldn't have stopped and turned around to tell me to let you go. You would've ran." He says stepping closer to her frozen figure.

"Let me help you. We're friends now, whether you like it or not. Im not leaving you in the dust... Let me help you." He says again now reaching for her hand.

Taking a shaky breath, Cassie had no more fight in her. It was either this, or death. And she knew she couldn't choose the latter.

Muttering a quiet, 'okay', Cassie took Jay's hand and sobbed into his shoulder once he pulled her in.

*Present Day*

"How've you been?" Jay asked thanking their waitress as she set down his usual.

"I've been okay. I guess my dad is getting out of prison soon. Everyone at the firehouse is mad at me." Cassie said sighing and stirring some sugar into her cold coffee.

"That's not your fault though? Why are they blaming you?" Jay asked making her smile.

"Exactly my thoughts." She admitted.

"How are things going with your undercover thing at Molly's?" Cassie asks earning a knowing look from Jay.

"You know I can't tell you, but I feel bad for Gabby. I hate going behind her back like this." Jay says getting an eye roll from Cassie.

"But in the end you're helping her. Everything with this Arthur guy will be over and she'll have her bar back. I think she'll get over it." Cassie says diverting her attention to her phone which pinged with a text. A text from Erin.

Frowning and picking up her phone, she looked back at Jay who waved her off.

"Go. If you need anything, reach out. Love you Cas." Jay says standing with her and giving her a brief hug.

"Will do, love you too." Cassie said with an eye roll and exiting the diner.

To say Cassie had anxiety would be an understatement. She hasn't talked to Erin in over 6 months, and now she's reaching out. Cassie replied to her first message as she left the diner, but nothing prepared her for Erin's response.

Erin: "I'm at your apartment. Where are you?"

Cassie: "On my way. Had a breakfast with a friend. 3 minutes out, sit tight?

Erin: "I let myself in."

Cassie never bothered to take the notes off her kitchen island. They were reminders as to why she stayed. If Erin found those...God, Cassie really hoped she hadn't.

"Hey," Cassie announced as she walked into her apartment with her voice immediately trailing off at the sight.

Freezing in her doorway, she was starting to feel the same exact way she did when she last saw him. Trembling and on the verge of collapsing.

"Cassidy." She heard as she watched the man she once considered her father turn around, with a paper in hand. Jeez where was Jay when she needed him.

"I uh, I thought you weren't getting out for another few days..." Cassie managed to say as she got herself to move. Slowly walking over to her kitchen island, where two of the five notes were opened. Shakily setting her keys down on the countertop, she looked up finally seeing Erin.

"Got out on good behavior. I guess it could be considered the easy way out. You know how that works, don't you?" Her father asked raising the note in his hand slightly to show he was using it as an example. He was using her weakness against her.

Cassie, visibly shaking now, turned her attention back to Erin who was wiping tears from her eyes. Yeah Cassie wasn't going to be able to get through this sober. Turning around quickly and grabbing the bottle of liquor she hasn't touched since the night she wrote those notes, she quickly got the cap off and drank straight from the bottle.

"Cassie, it's 11 a.m," Erin said finally speaking up.

"Well. It's 5 o'clock somewhere." Cassie said chuckling and taking another drink. Finally setting the cap-less bottle on the counter, Cassie made her way out of the kitchen and into her living room.

"If either of you would like a drink, help yourselves. You're pretty good at that right? Helping yourselves?" Cassie asked almost furiously and sitting on her couch. She did not do all this work for the last 5 months for it all to go down the drain the second they come back. Jay would be proud right?

"What are you doing?" Hank finally asked as he watched his daughter.

"Waiting for the lecture." She said sighing and earning a scoff from both of them.

"Cassidy, what the hell is this?" He finally asked grabbing one of the chairs and sitting it across from Cassie who's on the couch.

"A letter." She said belching and looking over to Erin who hasn't moved.

"Come sit. We're having a family reunion, or just reunion since I'm not considered family."

"Cassie, if you need help why didn't you reach out." Erin said finally walking over to them.

"I was told that I actually wasn’t allowed to do that.” Cassie said pressing her lips into a line.

“Do not play that card. You know if you ever needed help, we would’ve been there in a heartbeat.” Her father said sternly.

“Yeah. Right. Also those are from a few months ago, so if you guys had a plan to try and talk me off the brink of suicide, you're a little too late." Cassie said a matter of factly with a shrug.

“Cassie this isn’t some joke, you need help.” Erin said earning a scoff from Cassie.

“You know what? Screw you guys. You do not just get to break into my apartment, dig into my personal belongings, and then lecture me about how i’ve lived my life since you’ve been out of it.” Cassie now said with tears running down her face.

“You’re right. We’re sorry.” Is all her father said on the matter leaving an uncomfortable silence between the three of them.

Rolling her eyes at his apology Erin moves to sit next to Cassie. Taking a breath, Erin touches the side of Cassie’s face, wiping a tear out from under her eye.

“We shouldn’t have opened the letters. It was an invasion of privacy and we had no right. But Cassie, the world would not be a better place without you.” Erin says crying completely now.

“Cassidy. I love you more than words would ever be able to describe. You’re a spitting image of your mother and that scares me. Especially after she passed, the way you talk, the way you dress, even the way you style your hair is just like Camille. I was a coward, and I shut you out. I dove head first into work. I expected too much from you, and I’m sorry. You were right about Justin, he did need help, and you opened my eyes. We came here to apologize, Cas. I would’ve came sooner but I figured with me in prison and you needing time…I thought it would be better this way. You will always be apart of this family if you like it or not. Family does not turn their backs on each other, and I did just that. It was wrong.” Trailing off with his words Cassie’s father hangs his head in shame. Cassie has never seen her father cry, and probably never will. But this is pretty close to it.

“I can’t just forgive you guys like that.” Cassie admits stubbornly. “But I appreciate the apologies.” She adds again looking at the ceiling.

“That’s fine. It’s a start. How about you come over for Sunday dinner?” Erin asks combing Cassie’s hair with her fingers again.

“So you don’t feel left out, we haven’t had it in a few months. With Justin and I locked up…” Hank trails off looking at his daughters.

“I’d like that.” Cassie says taking a breath. She never thought she’d see the day they made up. Hell, the Cassie 5 months ago never thought she’d see any day again. But thanks to Jay, she’s still here. Alive and well. Shit, Jay. She’s really going to have to fill him in tomorrow.

The next few shifts at the firehouse were bearable. Yeah the silent treatments and the whispers were a little annoying, but what was she going to do? Her father is her father, she can’t hate him forever. Sorry Casey.

“How are they allowing him back out on the streets, let alone allowing him to run a special unit for the CPD? He’s a dirty cop, and he’s dangerous. He hates Antonio yet tried to recruit him for this and-”

“Gabby, there’s nothing I can do. If anyone hates him it’s me, trust me. But there’s nothing we can do.” Is all Matt says in response.

“I don’t know how Cassie can just let him back in her life like that though. He put you through hell-”

“Sorry Gabby, but i’m not going to never talk to my father again just because he had a fight with Matt Casey.” Cassie interrupts walking into the locker room.

“Well it was more than a fight, he harassed Matt for weeks,”

“And how do you think he treated my ex boyfriends? The man will do anything for his kids, even if it isn’t the right thing. I get that he put you through hell Matt, I really do and I’m sorry. But I did my time. I didn’t have any contact with my family for 6 months while I stood by you with that report, so sue me for eventually making up with my father. Now I would appreciate it if the whispers, and looks of resentment or pity would end, and you guys would stop having my families name in your mouth.” Cassie says leaving the other two in the locker room flabbergasted as she walked out.

The next day when Cassie was off shift and meeting Jay for their daily coffees, to her surprise Jay was there before her.

“Good-morning sunshine, you’re not late today!” Cassie congratulated as she slid into the booth across from Jay.

“Gabby’s not happy with you.” Is all he says with a sly smirk making Cassie roll her eyes.

“Oh boy!” She says with fake enthusiasm as she thanks the waitress for her coffee.

“Yep. Gabby also found out i’ve been undercover this whole time.” He admits anxiously looking at Cassie.

“Oh. You really like her, huh?”

“You jealous?”

“Absolutely not.” Cassie says unconvincingly as she sips her coffee.

“I have to meet Arthur in an hour, I’m hoping this will be the last time and I’ll be able to get a confession for the Game Day fire.” Jay says like he’s stalling.

“That’s good.” Cassie hums skeptically, not really caring about this whole undercover operation anymore.

“But Cas, um, your father reached out to me.” Jay finally admits catching Cassie’s attention for real now.

“Oh? What did he want?” Cassie asked suspiciously.

“He said you mentioned me. Said that made him look into my background and he wants to recruit me for this Intelligence Unit he’s starting at my district.” Jay says with his eyes not leaving Cassie’s.

“Wow, that’s, good? That’s an upgrade from organized crime right?” Cassie asks not sure if Jay is happy or not.

“Yeah, yes. It is.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t know. Should I? I mean, I don’t know much about him as a cop besides rumors and what you’ve said.” Jay admits mindlessly stirring his coffee.

“He’s a good cop, he’s cleaned his act up since he went away from what I know. I know that he closes cases and puts the bad guys away. I don’t know much about his strategy, but I think it would be a good opportunity.” Cassie says honestly wanting the best for Jay.

“Okay. I’ll think about it some more. I have another question though,”

“Shoot.”

“What did you say about me?”

“Well, this last Sunday we had our first family dinner in God knows how long. I told him how you helped me get better. That you’re the only reason I’m still here today and that I value our friendship a lot.” Cassie said placing her hand on Jay’s on their table.

“You’re my best friend, Cas. You know that right?” Jay says with a smile.

“Oh don’t get all gushy on me, Halstead. But you’re my best friend too.” Cassie says with a reassuring nod at the man in front of her.

link to pt. 2

tagging: @rockyhayzkid

#one chicago #chicago fire #chicago med x reader #chicago med one shot #chicago med series #chicago med fanfiction #chicago med #chicago pd x reader #chicago pd one shot #chicago pd x OC #chicago pd series #chicago pd fanfic #chicago pd #matt casey #matt casey chicago fire #gabby dawson #hank voight daughter #cassie voight #hank voight #jay halstead bff #jay halstead #erin lindsay #erin lindsay sister

[best-series-forever]

#chicago med #best series forever #fyp #series #couple #fy #prime video #season #season 4 #med #chicago #natalie manning #will halstead #Will #Natalie

[herrmannhalsteadproduction]

Congratulations on Not Dying (Happy Birthday, Chris!) [Chapter Three]

Summary: This is Part Sixteen of my series A Herrmann/Halstead Production. It is an AU where Christopher Herrmann's mom had an affair with Pat Halstead resulting in a baby. The series follows this OC character (Rebecca "Bex" Herrmann) as she grows up and gets to know her brothers and the various Chicago teams. It is very much an AU, just to underscore that. It doesn't follow the same timeline and characters will follow different paths.

Click here for the Series Rundown where you can find the links to read all of the previous installments (which I highly recommend you do so that this one makes sense.)

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: Christopher Herrmann & Original Female Character, Christopher Herrmann/Cindy Herrmann, Jay Halstead & Original Female Character, Will Halstead & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Will Halstead, pre-Greg 'Mouse' Gerwitz/Original Female Character, pre-Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes, Assorted OC Couples

Warnings: Language, Light Angst, People Making Bad Decisions, Referenced Domestic Violence

A/N: To underscore my previous note, this is an alternate universe so things have unfolded differently. This will not follow the canon arc exactly by any means. But I hope you'll still enjoy it!

Chapter One Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Bex

“The reinforcements have arrived,” Adam declared, spreading his arms wide as he strode into the backyard, Kevin and Mouse following closely behind.

“You guys, thank you so much for coming,” Bex said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Mouse stepped up and bumped his arm against hers with a little crooked grin.

“Where do you need us?” Kevin asked as he pulled Otis in for a one-armed bro hug and Bex gave them a quick overview before pointing out the trampoline.

“That’s going to take the longest,” she said. “So, I think we should start with it?”

“Whoa, cool!” Adam launched himself on top of it in two steps and bounced around lightly. “Sure we have to take this down?”

“Yes!” Bex laughed. She pointed a finger at the other three who looked like they were itching for their own turn. “We need the room. Come on—off, off, off!”

Adam hopped down with a pout and Bex could feel herself weakening. Her phone chose that moment to start buzzing and she shot them a look. “One person bounces at a time and make sure everyone gets a turn. I’m going to take this and then we’re cleaning up.”

She chuckled at the whispered chorus of ‘yes’ as she pulled out her phone and frowned down at the name before answering.

“Hey, Matt! How’s it going?”

“Hey, Bex,” Matt said, drawing out the ‘hey’ in a way that had her heart sinking. “There’s an accident up ahead so I think we’re stuck here for a little while.”

“Stuck?” All four guys looked over at her in concern. “For how long? Can you get off the highway?”

“Trying to,” Matt sighed. “We’re going to take the next exit, but traffic’s barely moving. I think it’ll take us at least half an hour to get to it.”

And they hadn’t even made it to the party place yet. “Okay…okay,” Bex said, swallowing back the urge to ask a million more questions. Matt couldn’t predict how long it would all take, but she knew he’d do his best to make sure they got back as quickly as possible. She trusted him. “I’m so sorry you guys got stuck. I owe you big time.”

“Just feed us when we get back,” Kelly yelled in the background.

“Deal,” Bex agreed with a smile. “Keep me posted, please.”

“Will do.” Matt said as he ended the call.

The guys had caught enough of the conversation that she didn’t have to rehash everything for them and they were quick to reassure her.

“There’s still plenty of time,” Adam said, grabbing her shoulder in a comforting squeeze. “The four of them should be able to load quickly and the trip back will be fast.”

“You know Casey and Severide’ll handle it,” Otis said. “Let’s make sure this place is ready to go once they get here.”

They were right. She’d wasted enough time freaking out today. Taking a deep breath, Bex shook it off and refocused. “Let’s do this.”

Tackling the trampoline was short work between the five of them. Once it was safely stored away, Adam and Kevin moved the playhouse while Mouse and Otis started taking down the hammock. Bex was working on gathering up the toys when her phone buzzed again.

This time it was Gabi. Their regular supplier was closed. She and Stella had already been to three other places trying to source booze for the party. “We still have other places to check though,” Gabi said. “I just wanted to let you know why we were taking so long.”

“You think you’ll be able to find a place though?”

“Absolutely,” Gabi said.

“We’ll raid Molly’s if we have to,” Stella chimed in and Gabi laughed.

Bex shook her head and huffed out a little laugh, catching the look Otis was sending her. “Yeah, I don’t think Chris would appreciate stock from Molly’s being sacrificed for his party.”

Otis’s eyebrows went sky high.

“Last resort,” Gabi declared. “Seriously, Bex, don’t worry. We’ll find a place. We’re on it!”

Bex stared at her phone after Gabi said bye and reminded herself that she was being chill.

A phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn’t hers.

Otis pulled his phone out of his pocket with a quiet apology and answered it. He stepped away to have a hushed conversation that kept increasing in its intensity. The call ended abruptly and Otis cursed quietly before turning back to her.

“So, that was my cousin,” Otis began.

“Your cousin who is in charge of the music for the party?” Bex asked, willing the answer to be something along the lines of ‘yes and he’s totally on time with no issues whatsoever’.

“Yeah,” Otis said slowly. “Turns out he’s sick, but—” Otis flung out a hand, stepping closer when Bex started rubbing at her forehead.

“But he has a replacement lined up,” Otis said. “The only problem is that he needs me to come and pick up the equipment and give his replacement a ride.”

“Oh,” Bex straightened up, pleasantly surprised to hear an immediate solution. “That’s great. Do you need anyone to go with you?”

“Nooo,” Otis said, voice going a bit weirdly high at the end there. “No, I’ve got it. No worries. I’ll head out now. Be back in a bit. See you.” He scooted up the back steps to the house and was out of sight in seconds.

Yeah.

There was definitely more to that story, but Bex was not asking questions.

And now her phone was going off again.

“We’ll keep going with this stuff,” Mouse said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the last of the kids’ stuff littering the yard. She nodded gratefully and answered the call.

“Sylvie? You okay?”

“I’m so sorry, Bex, I got the lights and everything, but my car broke down and now I’m stuck and I’m waiting for a tow and it’s taking forever and—”

“Sylvie, breathe,” Bex interrupted her and waiting until she heard her take a few breaths. “First of all, are you okay? Are you safe?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Sylvie said. “I was able to pull off the road as soon as my car started making that noise. I’m in a coffee shop parking lot.”

“Okay, good,” Bex said, glad to hear at least one crisis had been averted. “Text me the address and we’ll figure out who can meet you so you have a ride once the tow truck arrives.”

After a few more rounds of apologies, they ended the call and Sylvie’s text with the address came through. “Hey, guys?” she called out to Adam and Kev. “Would you mind going to pick up Sylvie?”

“Sylvie?” Kevin perked up. “She okay?”

“Yeah, her car broke down and—oh, my god!” Bex pressed a hand against her mouth.

“What?” Kevin dropped the kiddie clubs he’d been gathering and jogged over with Adam and Mouse.

“I forgot about the cake,” she gasped. “Someone needs to go pick up the cake!”

The three of them sagged in relief. “No problem,” Kevin said. “We’ll go get Sylvie and pick up the cake on the way back. We’ve got this.” He held up his hand for a fist bump, raising an eyebrow at her until she bumped back.

“I’ll send you the addresses,” she said, forwarding Sylvie’s text to him and adding the location of the bakery. “The order’s under my name and it’s paid for so all you have to do is pick it up.”

The two of them nodded and headed out. Bex watched them leave and then buried her hands in her hair, sighing up at the sky.

Was that…

Don’t even think about it, Bex thought as she glared up at the grey looking clouds.

***

Adam

Adam and Kevin checked in with the kitchen crew to see how things were going.

“Anyone mentioned the forecast to Bex yet?” he asked as he attempted to sneak a slice of red pepper and got his hand smacked by Sergeant Platt for his efforts.

“No,” a whole chorus of voices answered him.

“Okay, then.” Guess they were crossing that bridge when they came to it. In the meantime, they had a paramedic to rescue and a cake to pick up.

***

Bex

A thought occurred to Bex at that moment.

“You’re here,” she said to Mouse.

“That I am,” he replied with a cute little smile that she was not going to be distracted by at this moment.

“You’re here and Kevin and Adam and Trudy are here,” she said, watching as Mouse tilted his head in question at her, waiting for him to follow her line of thought. “Kim is out with her sister and Anthony is with his kids, but they're both coming to the party later.”

“Okay,” Mouse said slowly.

“Intelligence isn’t on shift today,” Bex continued, trying to keep the sharpness out of her voice because Mouse wasn’t the one it needed to be directed at. “None of you are so what the heck is Jay doing at work?”

“Uhhh…”

“That’s what I thought.” She grabbed her phone and stabbed at her brother’s contact. “Are you even working?” she demanded as soon as he picked up.

“Bex, what—”

She forged ahead, not letting Jay fumble his way through any excuses.

“I needed your help today, Jay,” she said. “Everything’s falling apart. Will got called in—”

“Will’s not there?” Jay sounded surprised which…why? He’d expected her to fall for the same excuse.

“Yes, he actually had to help out at his job today,” she snapped. “But you’d know that if you were here. And you’d know that the venue cancelled so we have to make all of the food and get the drinks and the tables and the decorations and—”

Bex lowered her phone, clenched tightly in her hand and did a slow count to three. He hadn’t known about any of this. He clearly still needed space.

Even though she’d needed him.

Two things could both be true and all that crap.

The faint sound of Jay calling her name came through her phone speaker and she lifted it back up. “Are you still able to get the balloons at least?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, of course,” Jay said.

“You know the order,” she said because Jay had helped her plan all of this even if he was dipping out now. “We’re setting up at Chris and Cindy’s now so get here when you can.”

“Bex—”

Mouse gently took the phone out of her hand before she could hang up on her brother. “Let me.”

She let him do whatever it was he needed to do and took a lap of the yard to settle herself. She could hear Mouse talking softly over on the patio, catching enough to know he was filling him in on the many roadblocks of their day.

“Okay, bye,” Mouse said and headed over to pass her the phone. “He’s going now to get the balloons.”

“That’s something I guess,” she said. Mouse shot her a careful look, clearly weighing anything he said next and Bex scrubbed a hand down her face with a groan. “I’m sorry. I know I’m being a menace about this party.”

“You’re not that bad,” Mouse chuckled. “Trust me.”

“I do,” Bex said. “You’re in charge of making sure I don’t go beast mode over this thing.”

Mouse tilted his head thoughtfully. “Is it terrible if I’d kind of like to see that?”

“Yes,” Bex laughed, feeling a bit lighter already.

Second wind. Let’s go.

***

Jay

Mouse was there.

Helping Bex get ready for the party.

Talking on her phone.

With everything that had gone down with Chris and then the case and then Erin, Jay had been distracted. But now the issue was right smack in the middle of his face again.

Something was going on between Mouse and Bex.

His best friend and his sister.

His sister who was also one of his best friends, really.

Had they even thought this through? What happened when it all fell apart?

What would their family look like if the two of them imploded and couldn’t even be in the same room together anymore?

He knew they were friends. Good friends. And he loved that. Hanging out with their whole gang was awesome, but hanging out with Mouse and Bex was the best. The fact that they could add Will into the mix now was even better.

They didn’t even know what they were risking.

Maybe he could nudge them. Help them understand what they were walking into before it got too far. Share what he’d learned from experience.

He was pretty sure he could get through to them before things went sideways.

Plan beginning to form, Jay gathered up his stuff and headed downstairs.

Upton was at the desk chatting with the desk sergeant.

“Hey!” she smiled at him. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have party business or something?”

“How do you know about that?” He knew Bex invited her, but—

“Bex told me the whole plan at Molly’s the other night,” Upton explained. “She was very excited.”

Jay felt a complicated wave of affection for his sister and regret for how much he’d punked out of today. “Uh, yeah,” he said. “I’ve got to go pick up balloons.”

“Need some help?” she offered and that wasn’t a half bad idea.

Bex wanted what was probably more balloons than one person could wrangle.

“That would be great actually,” Jay said, waving her forward. “Did you drive?”

“Nah, I decided to walk today and enjoy the weather while it lasts,” Upton said. “Hopefully your party doesn’t get rained out.”

“Don’t even say that.” Jay’s eyes widened. “Bex’ll hear you.”

“Yeah, okay.” Her laughter trailed off when he didn’t crack. “Okay! I take it back!”

“I’m gonna uninvite you,” he warned, finally breaking into a grin.

“Didn’t realize this party business was going to be so intense,” she said as they climbed into his truck.

“You’re about to get a crash course in how we do things around here.” Jay smirked at her and peeled out of the parking lot.

***

Hailey

Working in Intelligence had been an…interesting experience so far.

She’d worked closely with a partner before. Been a part of a team.

Never one as entangled as the Intelligence crew seemed to be though.

From what she’d gathered, one of the former detectives was a pseudo-daughter to Voight and had been dating Halstead. Ruzek had a father-son thing going with Olinsky and an on-again, off-again think with Burgess.

As far as she could tell it was on again.

Halstead and Mouse were basically brothers and Atwater and Ruzek were tight. Burgess had been partners with Atwater before too so they had a special bond.

It went on with history after history.

And that didn’t even include the connections with the staff at Med and Station 51.

It was like she’d joined a very intense and involved extended family. And solved crimes with some of them.

She was still working out how she felt about it all, but she didn’t think she hated it.

She’d see how things went with this party business first.

“You ever date a friend before?” Halstead asked her suddenly.

See?

Entangled.

Hailey took a minute to figure out how to answer that question without revealing too much. “Why are you asking?”

Halstead shifted in his seat, keeping his eyes firm on the road. “Call it research, I guess,” he said. “Verify that it’s a bad idea.”

“For yourself?” she guessed.

He chuckled darkly. “No, I got it plenty verified for myself,” he said. “I just—” They stopped at the next red light and he glanced over at her. “Keep this between us?”

She nodded. Keeping things close was something she’d learned early and used often.

“You know Mouse, right?” Halstead said. “I think he and my sister are circling around something and—and there’s no way that’s going to end well, you know what I mean?”

Hailey hummed, aiming for a non-answer on that minefield of a question.

“You disagree?” Halstead shot her a quick look, raising an eyebrow.

“I think it’s the kind of thing you let people figure out for themselves,” she said. “People need to make their choices and they don’t usually appreciate you declaring them a mistake before they’ve even made them.”

This time he hummed in response and she let it drop when he didn’t say anything further.

“So, what’s the story with Molly’s,” she asked, aiming for less risky territory. “How did it become the official bar for everyone?”

“My brother Chris owns it with a few other firefighters,” Halstead said with a little grin.

“Ah.” She nodded, picturing who he meant. “The Chris this party is for, right?” She’d heard about what he’d been through and didn’t blame them for wanting to celebrate.

“That’s the one,” Halstead said as he pulled into the parking lot of a party store that sat at the end of a small strip. He nodded at a coffee shop next too it. “Order balloons and then grab a drink? On me?”

“Sounds good.” She hopped out of the truck and started following him to the store’s entrance. A loud voice caught her attention. There, a few cars over, was a tall blond guy was berating a young woman. Her wavy hair was covering her face as she shied away from him.

“See that?” she asked Halstead and he peered over at the couple.

The guy jerked on the girl’s arm and her hair fell away as she looked up at him, murmuring apologies. Halstead suddenly stiffened beside her. “What’s up?”

“I know her,” he said.

***

Jay

Emery.

Bex’s friend who had got caught up with a dirtbag boyfriend and kept falling in deeper. He knew Bex and her friends kept trying to reach out and help, but sometimes—most times—there were no magic words.

Emery had to be the one to decide to be ready.

But like he told Bex, that didn’t mean you stopped trying.

“Do me a favour?” he asked Upton as he watched the dirtbag storm into the coffee shop, leaving Emery alone by the car. “I don’t want to risk him seeing me talking to her, but you could pretend to be asking for directions.”

“Going to fill me in?” she asked him.

“Later, but I want to do this now.”

She nodded for him to keep going.

“Give her your card,” he said. “A clean one if you have it. Tell her that you’re a friend of Bex’s and that you can get in touch with her if she needs it. Remind her she has people ready to help, you know?”

Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing over two twenties. “Emergency money,” he said. “For a cab. To get to Bex’s or the station. Whatever she can do. Whenever.”

Upton nodded and reached into her own wallet for a blank card. One with only her first name and number. Every cop knew there were plenty of situations where having their title listed wasn’t exactly helpful.

She took the cash and he gave her a small, grateful smile before stepping back behind the truck. Keeping out of sight, but keeping an eye out through the windows.

He watched as she made her way over and approached Emery, pointing out at the road to maintain the directions cover story in case the dirtbag happened to look out the window of the coffee shop. Upton kept talking to Emery until the girl gave her the smallest nod and Upton discreetly passed her the card and cash.

Upton walked away then, heading into the party supply store while Emery sagged against the car. He watched for a few more minutes until the guy came out of the store—Ty, that was his name. Ty barked at her to get into the car and they drove off.

Jay sighed. It wasn’t nothing and maybe this time, it would be something.

He walked into the store where Upton was waiting for him. “My sister’s friend,” he explained. “Been tangled up with that guy for awhile and Bex has been trying to get her out. Figured we might as well take another run at it.”

Upton nodded at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “It’s good,” she finally said. “That you’re trying. It’s good.”

Didn’t ever feel like enough though, Bex was right about that.

“Let’s get those balloons,” he said instead and they made their way to the back counter.

A lanky teenager was standing there looking bored. Jay took in the red-rimmed eyes and spacey gaze and exchanged a look with Upton who was already smirking.

“I need to place a special order,” Jay said, stepping up to look at the colours on display on the board behind the kid.

“How special are we talking?” the kid drawled, focusing in on him finally and…wait.

Dammit.

Bex was going to kill him.

“How special are you talking?” Jay countered.

The kid stared at him for a moment, wheels clearly, painfully turning in his brain. “Are you here for…balloons?”

For the love of—

“What else would I be here for?” Jay snapped out, placing his badge on the counter.

The kid stared down at his badge, looked up at Jay, and down at the badge again.

Then he fucking booked it.

Jay watched him race toward the front entrance and sighed as he and Upton took off after him.

“Do you think we can make him do the balloon order before taking him in?”

***

Cindy

The zoo had been a hit, but the kids were at their limit and she still had a few hours to kill before they could go home. Christopher was making noises about calling up Bex or Mouch and she needed to nip that in the bud right now.

“Who wants to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house?” she called out and the kids all cheered.

“Really, Cinds?” he murmured to her. “On my birthday?”

“I didn’t say we were going there,” she whispered back. “We’re just dropping them off.”

A hurried explanation to her mother had the kids all square away and left her free to put the second part of her plan in motion. She swiped the keys out of Christopher’s hand on the way to the van.

“I’m driving, birthday boy,” she said.

“Bossy,” Chris said as he ambled after her. “I like it.”

He futzed with the radio as she drove, settling on a classic rock station and serenading her while she drove. Soon they were at a familiar destination.

“Hey, I know this place,” Chris said, looking out the window at the secluded area she’d parked in, surrounded by beautifully leafy trees. “We used to come here to make out back in high school.”

“We did,” Cindy agreed, waiting for it to click.

Chris slowly turned to look at her, eyes going wide as his eyebrows raced for his hairline.

She nodded at him.

“Here?” He whispered, a giggle sneaking out. “Right now?”

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

“I knew you were planning something,” he said, undoing his seatbelt with a flourish and reaching over to hit the button on hers. “My wife is a genius.”

“Don’t you forget it,” Cindy grinned as she leaned in.

***

T-minus five hours to the party.

***

Sylvie

Ruzek and Atwater—Kevin, she whispered to herself—showed up right on time. The tow trunk driver had just finished loading up her car and was about to take it to the garage.

“My heroes,” she said and Ruzek did a little bow while Kevin grinned at her.

“Happy to be of service,” Kevin said.

“Let’s go get that cake before Bex implodes,” Adam said as he ushered her toward his car.

They helped relieve her of some of the bags she was carrying with all of the supplies she’d picked up and deposited them in the trunk.

Everything seemed to be getting back on track until they got to the bakery.

“The order is under Rebecca Herrmann,” Sylvie said again. “It’s all paid for. It should be ready.”

“And I’m saying there’s nothing here,” the girl at the counter said.

“Just a second.” She turned away and tried to send the least alarming text she could to Bex.

Do you have proof of your payment? They need to see it.

Bex sent a picture of her receipt moments later. It listed the cake style and said paid in full.

“See?” Sylvie showed the girl her phone.

The girl—Stef, her name tag read—squinted at the receipt number and typed a few things into her computer. “Okay,” she said. “I’ve found the record of the payment, but somehow the order itself was lost.”

Oh, no.

“So, what do we do?”

“I have this flavour of slab cake in the back,” Stef said. “It’ll take me about twenty minutes, but I can get it decorated for you.” She slapped a form down on the counter. “Write down what you want it to say and I’ll go get started.”

Ruzek grabbed the paper and a pen from the counter as she walked off. He scribbled something down, chuckling to himself.

Kevin leaned over and read it. “You best be changing that if you don’t want Bex to murder you,” he said, shaking his head.

Sylvie took a peek and shot him a look because seriously? “Too soon,” she frowned at him.

“I bet you ten bucks Herrmann laughs,” Ruzek said.

“Again, Herrmann is not the one you should be worried about in this scenario,” Kevin said.

“Alright fine.” Ruzek put a line through what he’d written and wrote out ‘Happy Birthday, Chris!’ underneath it. “Happy?”

“Happy to not be playing with fire?” Kevin asked. “Yes.”

Stef returned and picked up the paper, reading it over. “You want it exactly like this?”

“Yup,” Ruzek said, dropping the pen back in the cup by the register. “Please and thanks.”

“Okay, then.” She waved them off. “Come back in twenty.”

“Come on,” Kevin said. “There’s a diner across the street. We can grab a coffee.”

Sylvie agreed happily. She could use one after the day they’d had already.

Felt like they’d just dodged a bullet.

She still had to fess up to Bex about the delay though.

***

Bex

She stared down at her phone.

A massive screw up with the cake that apparently was on its way to being fixed.

She’d believe it when she saw it actually arrive.

And now Jay was delayed because the balloon store guy was a drug dealer?

What else could possibly happen on this cursed day?

Oh, shit.

“I didn’t mean it,” Bex said, looking up at the sky and whatever gods might be listening.

A raindrop hit her face.

Click here for Chapter Four Click here for Chapter Five

Click here to read Congratulations on Not Dying (Happy Birthday, Chris!) on ao3:

And here is the tag list (let me know if you wish to be added or removed):

@sorry-i-spaced, @iunnowatuwant, @thegirlwhowishedeveryonelived, @ivyalmighty, @thewannabewriter, @lexhalstead3, @multifandomgrl08, @foxes-and-cats, @sensitivemallysix,

#chicago fire #chicago med #chicago pd #one chicago #christopher herrmann #jay halstead #will halstead #halstead brothers #oc character #rebecca 'bex' herrmann #halstead sister #found family #team as family #alternate universe #not canon #not beta read #my first fanfic series #A Herrmann/Halstead Production #light angst #low self esteem #bad decisions #sibling conflict

[littlesugarwords]

𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙞 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚

↪ 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘥

#favourite shows #chicago med #chicago one #chicago fire #chicago pd #jay halstead #natalie manning #will halstead #connor rhodes #ethan choi #ava bekker #daniel charles #april sexton #sharon goodwin #maggie lockwood #dean archer #sarah reese #dick wolf #drama series #medical drama #med drama #medical show #med show #tv shows #favourite tv shows #fav shows #fav tv shows #fav series #favourite series #doctor drama

[itadore-you]

I am slowly starting to realise I am addicted to my phone again

#sigh #i dont even do anything i enjoy i just watch youtube shorts for five hours then im miserable for the rest of the day #on the bright side i watched a lot of funny moments from the superstore series #also after binging clips of chicago med ive concluded that a psychiatric consultation with dr charles would fix me #my depression room is depressioning 🤩 maybe im in the mood to write more comfort drabbles thats always a silver lining