explosion (jay halstead / one chicago)

chapter 16

liz's pov

Accompanying Jay to the district felt weird, to say the least. After getting quite uncomfortable among coming in and seeing all the officers in uniforms hurrying around the building, being upstairs felt a lot better. If it wasn't for knowing the reason I was here, it might not even have been so obvious I was at a police station. The room in which Jay and his team worked looked more like a comfortable open-plan office than how I would have imagined the horrifying police quarters of a big city. Additionally, his colleagues seemed nice. None of them gave me strange looks when they heard about what I was doing here, and that in itself was already more than I would have expected. I didn't know many people that, when confronted with a past like mine, would treat me as if I had told them I used to sell ice cream, not hang out with a gang boss and commit to a live of drugs and prostitution.

After Voight briefed the team about what I had told him and I agreed to stay with Jay until all of this was over, Kim appeared and the two of us went to sit in a separate room with a small kitchen and a couch, where I was within reach for questions or in case Vince called again, but at the same time didn't disturb the unit with whatever police stuff they were doing. I supposed they were trying to get information on whatever it was my ex was planning, but without him calling again that seemed useless to me. In the meantime, I talked to Kim and she tried her best to distract me, with Jay checking up on us every once in a while. It was almost noon when he stuck his head through the door again.

"So," Jay started, walking in and leaning back against the counter opposite the couch I was sitting on. "I was calling with a woman that works Vince's case in Madrid." I looked at him in confusion. "And?" He shrugged. "And she said she wanted to talk to you first, she claims to know you." I frowned. How would I know anyone at Madrid Police Department? I mean, I certainly met some people who worked for the police in my everyday life back in Madrid, but all I ever said to police officers back then was I don't talk to police. It was close to impossible I knew anyone there. The closest I ever came to know a police officer in Madrid was seeing Alejandro, but that was some years ago and after all, he wasn't police anymore, thanks to me. I shivered at the memory. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone there."

Jay took a step forward and crouched in front of me. "She said you would say that." He chuckled. "She also said you would recognize her when you see her. Why don't you find out for yourself? Meanwhile, Kim and I can go grab a coffee, we'll bring you something." I exchanged a quick glance with Kim to make sure she thought this was a good idea. Then I nodded slowly. Jay smiled. "She's on videocall at my desk. The rest of the unit is already out getting lunch so take your time and we'll be back in twenty. If you need anything, just call me." I nodded again, still thinking of possibilities how anyone at Madrid Police Department could claim to know me. The only way I could think of was that it was one of Alejandro's friends who still hated me. But they were all guys, not women. "Hey." Jay grabbed my hand with one of his and put the other on my cheek gently, making me look into his eyes. "You got this." He kissed me before motioning for Kim to get up and follow him as he walked out the door. Kim wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, knowing pretty well how embarrassed I got from being kissed in front of others, then left after him. I waited a moment for them to disappear down the stairs before I walked over to Jay's desk.

Sitting down, I focussed on the screen in front of me to face a woman I had not expected at all. She was older than the last time I saw her, but I immediately recognized her dark curls and hazel eyes. "Lucia?" I asked in surprise. A huge smile erupted across her face. "I can't believe this is happening." I looked at her in confusion. "What the hell, Lucia. What's going on?" I tried to put the pieces together in my head, but it didn't make sense. I was still young when I met Lucia, and she was the closest to a female friend I ever had before I came to Chicago. She was in the gang with me for a while, and she got furious when she learned about what Alejandro did to me. She was the one that made me collect evidence and confront him, but one day she was gone, and I never saw her again. "You're police?"

She ran a hand through her hair and laughed nervously. "Yeah, I am, always have been. I came into the gang undercover, and I started hanging out with you because you were nice and smart and I hoped that the day we would bust Vince, we might also get you out of there. Then I learned about what that cop Alejandro did to you and I was furious. As your friend, I had to stop it." I looked away when she mentioned Alejandro's name. It was a reflex; I was overwhelmed by being faced with reality after hiding from it ever since I arrived in Chicago. Although I had told Jay and his team the basics of what happened in Madrid, I hadn't said a word about Alejandro. Talking to someone who knew what happened between him and I felt surreal.

"With your evidence, I had enough to put that asshole in jail," Lucia continued. "But your friend Hugo got suspicious, so I had to blow my cover in the process. Hugo is a good guy; he always wanted the best for you. He didn't say a word. I had to leave, but I kept working on the case and Hugo has been my CI since. I might have also helped with getting you on that plane to Chicago." She chuckled. I leaned back and took a deep breath. "How?"

"Hugo and your brother Kelly didn't have the money to fly you over, so Hugo called me. I was so happy to see you finally out of Madrid." A moment of silence passed as I had no idea what to say. Moving across the sea to Chicago, falling in love with a cop, and now Vince showing up here. Lucia appearing out of nowhere and apparently working for the police was a surprise, but it fit perfectly into the mess my life was right now. "Sorry. I'm just a bit overwhelmed," I spoke. "Why did you never tell me?"

Lucia looked down for a second. "I was scared. I knew how much you hated the police after what happened with Alejandro. I thought if you knew, you would hate me too." She faced the camera again. "I'm sorry. Since you moved to Chicago, I always thought that one day, I could come and meet you there, tell you everything, make you see that not all cops are bad." She chuckled. "I guess that detective guy already took care of the last part for me." I had to laugh, realising how weird it must seem to her to see me sit at a police station voluntarily after avoiding police at all cost for a great part of my life. She must have been so confused when Jay told her I was working with his unit. Lucia smiled. "I would have never imagined the next time I would see you, you would be sitting at a Chicago police office as a detective's girlfriend." It really was surreal. "I'm not his girlfriend though," I clarified. Although it sure felt like it. "Come on." A mischievous grin spread across Lucia's face. "For real, it's obvious. You can't tell me you're not sleeping with that guy." I turned red, and the best I could do was shrug. In fact, I wasn't sleeping with Jay. However, that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen sooner or later.

"What's your real name?" I asked, suddenly realizing that if she was a cop, she most likely wasn't named Lucia. "Andrea," she answered. I nodded. "Thank you, Andrea, for everything. I guess you've done a lot for me, although I never knew." Andrea shrugged. "You don't have to thank me, that's what friends do." She winked. "We should call sometime when all of this is over, though. And then you need to tell me all about how the badass gang girl Elisa fell in love with a Chicago cop."

Right on cue, I heard the door downstairs open, and a moment later, Kim and Jay appeared. Jay placed a steaming cup and a box in front of me. "Hot chocolate and some food because you're not getting away without eating as long as you're under my custody." He walked around the desk and stood behind me, leaning on the table with his arms left and right of me so that his head was almost on top of mine. I laughed, looking up at him. "I can live with that."

While I ate, Jay proceeded to talk to Andrea about the investigation. I stayed silent until a few minutes later, Voight came up the stairs, motioning for me to follow him to his office. "Close the door," he stated upon entering. "Sit down."

I did as I was told, looking at him expectantly. He sat opposite me and studied my face before he started. "I know Halstead won't like this because he would never do anything that might put you in danger. That's why I wanted to speak to you first." I nodded for him to continue. "When your ex, Vince, calls. Would you be willing to meet up with him, wired? He's not stupid enough to tell you anything on the phone."

"You mean if I would go undercover?" I had expected the question to come up because I didn't really believe there was any other way this could work out. Voight nodded. "Something like that." I didn't hesitate a second before giving my answer.

"I will do anything it takes to put that bastard in jail."

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i'm not really sure if i like this chapter because i didn't have too much time to make corrections, but i can't wait for liz undercover ;) as usual, thanks for reading! ❤️ leave a vote or comment if you like xD