The woman from the FBI was staring at her, Sergeant Hailey Upton was sure of that. She was used to being stared at. She'd been getting stared at for years, so that feeling of self consciousness wasn't unfamiliar. She supposed this was her own fault, she tended to be a bitch sometimes, especially with other women. This FBI woman wasn't anyone she'd met before so there couldn't be any bad blood between them. Hailey would've remembered meeting someone like her, she was much too attractive to forget. Tall, statuesque, and beautiful, with shoulder length blonde hair and hypnotic blue eyes. She should have been on the cover of FBI magazine, or on a TV show about FBI agents, not actually working at the FBI. Women who looked like her didn't typically have dangerous jobs.

Anyway, she was staring, typically Hailey would've said something to her, something bitchy, but she was trying to be a kinder, gentler Hailey Upton. Being a boss meant making friends. At the very least not making enemies. She let the woman stare and tried her best to be cool.

"Boss, the other team is back." Detective Kenny Rixton said, not bothering to look up from his phone.

Hailey hadn't been sure about Rixton at first. There were rumors floating around the department about him possibly being a rat. A few years ago, his entire team had been taken down for being dirty, but Rixton walked away clean. That was in and of itself suspicious, but not actual proof of anything. Hailey had been weary at first, but the team trusted him, so she decided to trust him too. He had turned out to be a good cop, and a great addition to her team.

Her team, it had been nearly six months and she almost still didn't believe she was in charge. When she and Jay took the sergeant's exam, she expected their partnership to be over. Voight had all but assured them they were both getting promoted, Deputy Chief Noel James, their boss and 'friend upstairs', would see to that. At the time, Voight was looking to retire, or to finally get off the street in hopes of seeing his young granddaughter grow up and was recommending Jay to be his replacement. Hailey was hoping to be assigned a patrol unit in a good quiet district. Being assigned to Jay's district would be ideal, but that was expecting too much. The plan was to be competent and do the job. Show and prove. Show you're capable of doing the job well, then prove it by being smart and competent. After a few years of show and prove she was planning on taking the Lieutenant's exam.

Things had gone a different way though. Usually a rookie sergeant got assigned a patrol unit and spent most of their time behind a desk, Trudy Platt style. Voight recommending Jay to lead a unit was almost unheard of, but when it happened nobody blinked. Voight was Voight, and everybody liked Jay. What nobody anticipated was her being given the same treatment. Everyone knew her, but she wasn't as well liked as Jay Halstead. But Intelligence had expanded to two teams, Jay was given one team, her the other.

After their promotions the department exploded with gossip and rumors about the two of them. This seemed to happen every few months on a regular basis. Gossip about her and Jay was par for the course these days. It started small enough a few years back, they showed up to a crime scene dressed up for a date, causing tongues to go wagging. That eventually died down, but it happened again when they moved in together. After that everyone expected them to finally be split up, but it hadn't happened. They moved into a spacious condo in a brick brownstone in Bucktown and the bosses didn't make a peep. The next time it happened was when she got shot and Jay tore the city up bringing the shooter down. It wasn't even a serious or life-threatening shooting, but Jay didn't care, he turned into a complete madman. When the shooter was handled, he took a short leave to look after her, and more gossip happened.

With her laid up and Jay on leave looking after her, Rixton had taken control of both teams and had done a pretty good job of keeping things together. So good that Jay often called him Intelligence's second in command. Whenever one of them needed time off, Kenny, the only other cop in the unit with command experience from his time leading a Gang task force, was called up to take over. Usually the bosses would bring in an outside boss to run things, but Intelligence didn't follow that rule. This unique situation only served to cause more gossip about her and Jay being given special treatment.

Hailey understood it. It was the sort of thing that got people talking. They were their own walking, talking, reality show. It seemed like every cop in the city knew them sometimes, and Hailey often had to remind herself that people stared, often trying to put a face to the many, many, stories they'd heard over the years. If the department had celebrities, she and Jay would surely be two of them.

"Thanks Kenny. Tell them we got a visitor. FBI. They're working some undercover drug operation she wants to read us in on. Says we'd understand."

Rixton made a face letting her know he didn't think much of the idea. He didn't care much for the FBI, rumor had it, it was feds who brought his old team down. She liked Rixton, he was a smart cop, and surprisingly thought a lot like her. When the unit was splitting up Jay had taken Ruzek and Atwater in the team draft, leaving her with Burgess and Rixton. That worried her at first, but not anymore. Kenny and Kim were a well-oiled machine. They knew the other inside and out.

Unlike her and Jay, Kenny and Kim never fought and rarely even had to talk to each other. They were practically reading each other's minds these days. Kim Burgess was his partner and confidant, she never let anything slip by him and was fully invested in him being at his absolute best. In return he was loyal to her to a fault, he'd take any bullet for her, make any deal, kick down any door. They were good cops alone, but Hailey realized quickly they were great cops together. They were often lost without the other. The rest of her team were newbies, officers picked up straight out of the academy like Ruzek, proven patrol officers given a chance like Kim and Kevin, or experienced guys like Olinsky and Dawson. Her team was solid, as was Jay's.

"She says its important," Hailey added with a shrug. "She keeps staring at me, its actually starting to freak me out."

Rixton smirked. "Maybe she thinks you're cute. If you were gonna switch teams she's the sort of woman you do it for. She's gorgeous."

Hailey rolled her eyes. "I'm not a vegetarian, but thanks."

Rixton laughed and turned on his heels. "I'll go get the other team up here." In the distance the FBI agent kept staring.

Jay sat down beside her and rested a hand on her thigh. He often did that, and even though it was a tad unprofessional she couldn't stop him. Wouldn't. She liked his touch, it reminded her that he loved her, desired her, needed her. She slipped her own hand on top of it, ignoring how it made the others feel. She'd long stopped caring about that sort of thing. For some reason the department made certain concessions when it came to her and Jay, and they'd long since decided to take full advantage. She looked up at the blonde agent and gave the woman her full attention.

The woman stood at the front of the room like a college professor explaining a class syllabus. She looked around the room, inspecting faces with suspicion, then looked back to Hailey, then Jay.

"For six months the FBI has been working on an operation into a nationwide prescription drug network. Opioids mostly. We're bringing it to a close, and that's happening in the city, today. We're gonna need some backup rounding up the suspects." She looked around the room for questions. Rixton didn't disappoint.

"I'm sorry, Agent?" he asked.

"Sanderson. Mandy Sanderson."

Beside Rixton, Kim Burgess' ears perked. Rixton didn't catch it but Hailey knew the name meant something to her.

"You said we'd be interested in this. Why exactly? You need backup okay, but why US? What's our interest in this again?"

Sanderson smirked. "My partner is currently undercover working the operation and thought it would be fun to work with you guys again."

Ruzek seemed intrigued. "Who's your partner?"

Kim leaned back in her seat. "Erin Lindsay," she looked at the FBI agent for acknowledgement and received a smile. "You're Erin's partner Mandy, from New York."

Rixton's eyes widened. "Get the fuck out of here. Erin Lindsay." He looked at Kim knowingly, then back at Mandy. "That makes you the ex-model. The one married to the quarterback." Rixton was off his feet. "You're Kent Bell's wife."

Ruzek covered his mouth. "Holy shit. Your husband is the new quarterback for the Chicago Bears."

Hailey didn't follow much football, but everyone knew Kent Bell. He was the sort of guy on cereal boxes with his own line of shoes. The Chicago Bears had recently picked him up as a free agent. Even near the end of his career he was far and away the best quarterback the city had ever had. He'd only come for the money, the team had no real chance of winning the Superbowl, but Bell already had three Superbowl rings. He was looking to cash out big.

Sanderson took it all in stride, she was clearly used to this sort of thing. "That's all true. Erin thought it would be fun to work together again. We're working out of the Chicago office now. My husband moved us to town for his work, so I transferred to the Chicago office. Erin is from here and always wanted to come back eventually, so she tagged along. You'll be seeing much more of us."

Hailey steeled her nerves and beside her Jay gave her thigh a squeeze. It had been forever since she thought about Erin Lindsay. Erin wasn't only Jay's ex-partner, but also his ex-girlfriend, and the woman he wanted to marry. Upon learning he was planning to propose to her before she skipped town and broke his heart, she came back to Chicago to win him back. It hadn't worked but it had been a huge headache for both her and Jay. Erin had finally given up, went back to New York and left them in peace. Still she texted Jay often, called regularly, and even wrote the occasional letter. Hailey knew it was some sort of game, it had to be, but given her being so far away in New York, and considering Erin had been on her best behavior, she'd stopped paying attention to her. Now that Erin was home, Hailey knew that strategy was now foolish.

The boys, even Jay, seemed excited about the football stuff but Hailey's mind switched immediately into boss mode.

"So, she's safe? She's under and this takedown is happening, what's her level of danger once arrests start happening?" Hailey could tell half the room almost didn't believe the question was coming from her. Everyone, even the newbies, knew there was bad blood between her and Erin, but Hailey always preached putting your personal shit aside to get the job done.

The blonde clearly wasn't expecting the question either, at least not from Hailey. "She's solid, and this crew uses minimal violence. But were not taking any chances. We're gonna need a team to go snatch her up ASAP. Once word of the arrests starts spreading, she'll be in danger. She knows all the players, and her being gone keeps lots of people out of jail, and that's without them even knowing she's FBI. She'll be a possible target for a desperate criminal just from the nature of her position in the organization, so we want her taken first. She doesn't even know it's happening so the plan is to take her like a con, keeping her cover intact on the street until we have everyone in custody."

Rixton looked at Kim but didn't bother speaking. It didn't seem to matter, her eyes squinted, sharpening slightly and causing him to make a disapproving face in response. She finally rolled her eyes, and he smirked.

"We'll go get her," he finally said. Hailey was intrigued. Rixton and Kim had had a full conversation without speaking one word to each other. They were clicking like crazy.

The FBI woman, Sanderson nodded. "Great, a few familiar faces will make it easier. Especially you two, her fake rap sheet has your names all over it."

Jay Halstead liked Kenny Rixton. He was a good cop, smart, loyal and trustworthy. When they were choosing teams, he had gone for Adam and Kevin first, two good young detectives who were 100% loyal, proven commodities.

Rixton on the other hand, was an unknown. Jay worked with him briefly years ago, but Kenny had left Intelligence to head a gang unit. Jay heard his name occasionally afterwards but hadn't seen or talked to the guy in years. When Hailey drafted him and Kim to her team, Jay had wondered if she were making a good choice. That worry turned out to be a mistake. Kenny was a great choice and was a solid number two for Hailey. In fact, these days, he was both of their second in command. When one, or both, were away Kenny was always in charge. Even now in the middle of an operation, the guy was schooling one of Hailey's rookies. Jay didn't interfere. He didn't need to.

"Know your place man, that's all I'm saying," Rixton said to officer Davis. Pete Davis was a skinny kid with sunken brown eyes and dirty blonde hair, fresh out of the academy. Like a young Adam Ruzek, he didn't quite understand that by skipping patrol he had hit the cop jackpot. That luck had made him bold, or stupid, as some of the others called him. He always had questions, nosy questions. The kid hadn't learned to shut up and listen.

"I thought they were friends," Davis said ignoring the advice. Davis didn't have Ruzek' s natural charm and good looks, so he didn't get away with nearly as much. Ruzek had a certain charm to him that made people like him. Davis on the other hand was just annoying.

"It's none of your business, don't get in the middle of it. What's our rule about that kind of thing?" Rixton was a firm believer in Hailey's practice of minding your own business.

Davis frowned. "Its not my place to interfere in a partner beef. A unit beef is always my business. A personal beef is never my business."

Rixton nodded. "Is Erin Lindsay in the unit?"

Davis shook his head with defeat. "No."

"Then mind your own business. Kim and Erin go back a decade. You questioning Kim about this is out of line. If she wants to talk, she's got me. I'm her partner and I don't think she needs to talk. She definitely doesn't need you in her ear asking her questions about this, whatever it is."

Jay had noticed the hesitation in Kim's decision to go grab Erin from undercover, he was sure everyone had. He hadn't been sure, but he sensed Kim hadn't wanted to do it. Last he heard the two women were tight. But that was technically years ago, anything could have happened in a few years.

Davis looked dejected and Jay almost laughed. The kid was surely hoping to crack the big case and play hero. Rixton was right though. This wasn't his business. Still, Jay decided to offer some careful encouragement.

"Davis. If you see someone going off the rails, it's okay to try and help. But this ain't that. Kim and Erin are friends, they'll work their shit out. If you see a problem getting in the way of the job, you talk to Kenny. If he thinks its necessary, he'll talk to Kim himself. He's her partner, it's his job to know what's going on with her. If you're still worried bring it to me or Hailey. But as of right now, you're just being nosy. Am I curious what their beef is? Of course. Is it any of my damn business? Not at all." Jay gave the kid's shoulder a pat and walked off. In the distance he heard Kenny tell Davis to go prep for the arrests.

Jay suspected Kenny Rixton knew exactly what Kim and Erin were beefing about. He always knew what Kim had going on. The two partners were close, extremely close. They had dinner together most nights, hung out together on the weekends, they even took vacations with their boyfriends and girlfriends together. It didn't matter how much time they spent together they never seemed to get sick of being together. They were oddly close Hailey often said. She also said they'd make a great couple, but Jay wasn't sure about that. They seemed more siblings than lovers, and he sensed zero physical attraction between them, but what did he know?

Burgess had turned out to be a good detective. Jay always knew she was tough and resilient, but over the past few years she'd proven herself smart as well. With Kenny by her side she'd grown as a cop, but also hardened a lot as a person. Gone was the sweet supportive forgiving friend from the old days. These days she was loyal to those who were loyal to her, but if you crossed her, she severed all serious ties. Whatever had happened with Erin must have been serious Jay realized.

If Jay had to guess Erin had done something to piss Kim off. Erin had grown a lot these past few years. A ton of therapy had made her more open and self-aware, and less self-destructive in her personal relationships. However, underneath it all she was still Erin. She kept in contact with Jay, offering advice and encouragement when he needed it, and had become a close friend and confidant. Hailey kept her distance but so far Erin had proven to be honest and trustworthy. Jay wasn't sure when it happened, but she'd become one of his best friends. Still, if he had to guess, it was HER who'd caused the problem between the two old friends. Lately Erin had taken to being annoyingly honest, which made her working undercover hilarious.

Hailey looked up at him as he entered their office. The unit's design wasn't set up for dual bosses, but the office was large enough to accommodate them both. It was a tight fit with two desks but living together made sharing a small space easier.

"Davis is a bit nosy huh," Jay said. It was more of a statement than a comment.

Hailey smiled, her eyes shifting back to a stack of papers on her desk. She was behind on her paperwork, as usual.

"He's convinced he's Sherlock Holmes. He drives McNeal crazy. He's a good kid, just eager to prove himself. McNeal thinks he should spend a few weeks in patrol, so he'll learn firsthand how lucky he is. He's sure it'll teach him some humility."

Jay laughed. "Voight and Olinsky did the same thing to Adam back in the day. It didn't take a week though, a day or two tops I think."

"I'm thinking about it. That patrol officer Gates, she's good. I may bring her up for a while." Hailey didn't typically switch things up, so if she were thinking about it NOW, Davis must be a real pain for McNeal.

Jay nodded. "I can see that." He walked over to his desk and sat down. "Kim and Erin have some sort of beef I guess."

Hailey looked up with excited interest. "Right. Who saw THAT coming?" She shook her head. "I saw Kim and Kenny arguing about being the ones to pick her up."

Jay had missed that. "Really. I didn't see them fighting." As close as Kim and Kenny were, he had never seen them fight. Not ever.

Hailey waved that off. "They don't fight like normal people. They didn't even say anything. It was all eye gazes and head movements. She didn't want to do it, but he talked her into it."

Jay had missed that. He'd seen Kenny look at her and he saw Kim roll her eyes and begrudgingly agree, but he wouldn't have counted that as a fight.

He looked out into the squad, Kim had reappeared and was showing Kenny something on her phone. Whatever it was seemed to upset him. Kim shoved the phone into her pocket then gave Kenny's chest a poke. He nodded sheepishly, looking up at her with defeat in his eyes. Abruptly she gave him a hug, she held it for a few seconds then pulled away and sat down beside him.

"What's that about you think?" Jay asked Hailey. He looked in her direction, but she had been staring at the mound of papers on her desk. She'd missed the exchange.

"What," she asked without looking up.

"Burgess and Rixton. Something's up with them."

Hailey looked out into the squad. They were both sitting on the edge of Rixton's desk with their arms crossed on their chests. They didn't look angry at one another, just upset.

"Not sure. But they'll be fine. We don't need to worry about those two," she assured him. He knew she was right, but he knew what he saw. Something was up.

Kim Burgess shoved the skinny guy with the stupid purple hair roughly to the cheap carpet of the even cheaper drab studio apartment. Beside her Kenny grabbed Erin roughly by the arm and shoved her into a dirty white wall.

"Amanda Johnson, there you are. We've been looking all over Chicago for you. We heard you were back in town. Welcome home."

Erin looked at Kenny awkwardly over her shoulder. Her undercover legend was that of Amanda Johnson, drug dealer and mule. She was currently an ex-con wanted for violating parole. According to her file, Kenny and Kim had been the cops who'd locked her up. When Kim read that she laughed.

"Hey Rixton, long time no see. Officer Burrows," she said to Kim, deliberately getting the name wrong.

"Detective Burgess," Kim corrected her.

Kenny didn't skip a beat. "You have two open warrants and a parole violation. So, you get to spend some more time down in Decatur. They might even give you your old cell."

"Come on man, I told you guys five years ago those weren't my pills," Erin argued. According to Erin's file she claimed the arrest was unjust, a frame job. It was something a real con would allege for a similar crime.

"And I told you five years ago I didn't give a shit," Kim said dismissively. Kim and Kenny had decided that Erin was probably telling the truth, but that they didn't actually care. An arrest was an arrest. Kenny even suggested that the two of them should in fact be the one's who set her up. Reasons undetermined. Kim readily agreed. They often worked these details out beforehand, not only was it fun, it sometimes actually came in handy.

The kid with the purple hair laughed and Kim put a knee in his back and told him to shut up. Across the room Erin faked an annoyed sigh.

"Well if you're sending me back to Decatur Rixton, the least thing you can do is take me to that back room and throw a girl a little dick. Or big dick if I remember correctly."

"Will you shut up about that," Kenny said quickly. Kim had suggested that Kenny had sex with Amanda once or twice. If he was dirty, why not be completely dirty. Hearing Erin suggest that very thing was a happy coincidence.

"I'll take you back there," the kid with the purple hair said quickly. Kim almost laughed.

"Oh, COME ON, I have like 4 years left on that sentence. Not to mention new stuff. If I knew I was going back inside today I would have at least gotten laid first. Do a girl a solid Rixton. It's not like it's our first time." Erin looked at Kim and winked. Erin an experienced undercover was hip to the game. But also, like Erin, she flew by the seat of her pants and threw a wrench in the plan. "You can even bring Burrows if you want. Its not our first time either. And I'll spend the next four years eating sushi anyway."

"Burgess. And in your dreams Johnson," Kim said firmly.

"Don't act like you forgot Indianapolis Kim. Me, YOU, that guy with the tattoos."

"Shut up about that," Kim said forcing herself not to laugh. There was no use denying it anymore. It was a ridiculous lie, but Kim knew with things like this the more ridiculous the better.

"I'll do it, I swear," the kid with the purple hair said again. This time more firmly. "I'll bang you really good. I swear."

Erin ignored him. "Seriously. Rixton. I have a huge stash of product at my place in Hyde Park. It's mine, doesn't belong to anyone, nobody will be looking for it. If you take me there and throw me a hump, it's yours. You and Kim can have it all man. I'm going inside, I won't be needing it. Four years is a long time to go without dick. Send me off in style."

Kenny hesitated, selling the lie by appearing to think it over. Finally, he decided on agreeing. "What the hell. How about it Burgess?"

Kim shrugged. "Fine by ME. We can have some fun with Amanda for old times sake. One more for the road, right?"

"Hey, can I come? I got a stash," the kid said squirming beneath her.

Kim did laugh this time. "Sorry buddy. I don't swing your way." She looked at Kenny. "Let's call a radio car to take this joker in. Then we can head over to Hyde Park." Beneath her the kid groaned in disappointment.

"Yeah, now we're talking," Erin said sounding excited. Kim couldn't help but acknowledge how good of an actress she was. "Throw a girl some dick Rixton. I'm clean too, cleaner than your grandma's snatch. No STDs."

"One more word about my grandma's snatch and no deal," Kenny said. Kim could see the very mention of his grandmother's vagina had turned his stomach.

"Hey, not another word about grandma," Erin said. "But bring her too if you want. Just not Stevie here. He's been trying to fuck me for six months, but he cheated me out of two grand on our first deal. You can only screw me one way. You either get the sex or the money. Never both."

Kim snickered. "What are you talking about Amanda, you just offered me and Rixton both sex and money five seconds ago."

Erin shook her head. "Oh, well that's different. I like you guys. And we've already gotten naked together. It doesn't really even count."

Kenny couldn't hold it in. "Let's get rid of Stevie here so we can have some fun." Under her knee Stevie groaned.

Erin currently looked like the sort of girl who would screw two cops. Kim couldn't deny that. After their deal was made, she made sure Stevie saw Erin leaving with her and Rixton. Erin was sure to talk in detail about all the stuff she had planned for them. The more she talked, the more poor Stevie, begged to tag along.

Once she was in the back of their car Rixton drove a few miles, pulled over and let her out of her cuffs. The moment Erin mentioned sex and drugs Kim knew the play. Amanda Johnson couldn't be in county, so she had to die. The story would spread throughout her crew that she died suspiciously in Hyde Park. Stevie would tell everyone that two cops had probably killed her so nobody would bother looking for her. Nobody looks for a dead girl.

"Rixton it's good to see you man. I heard you made it back to Intelligence." Kenny gave her a polite nod, but a genuine smile. Kenny was nothing if not loyal and he wasn't friendly with Erin if Kim wasn't.

"You too Lindsay, how you been?" Kenny hadn't bothered trying to play peacemaker between her and Erin. He never did that. When Kim cut ties, he had simply nodded and did the same.

"I'm okay. Kim, been a while, how you been?" Kim doubted Erin realized why that was. Erin had made some major personal changes and had come out of it a better person, more grounded and sustainable. But Kim couldn't forget about New Years. Erin on the other hand, surely had.

"I'm good. Working. Getting by."

"How's Jeff?"

Kim almost screamed. Jeff. She wanted to answer honestly. Jeff was a miserable bastard. A miserable bastard who was screwing Rixton's girlfriend Heather. In fact, they were surely at their hotel screwing this very minute.

Kim had been heartbroken when she learned the truth. Rixton had noticed the lies first, but he hadn't wanted to believe Heather and Jeff were cheating. Kenny loved her as much as she loved Jeff and couldn't imagine them doing something so horrible. He was being a guy about it, but Kim knew him too well, he was crying on the inside.

Kim hated getting her heartbroken, but she hated being a fool even more. The moment Kenny brought up his concerns, she went into detective mode. She was perfectly capable of catching them herself, but she didn't have the stomach to barge into some cheap hotel room and catch them in the throes of passion. She hired a P.I. instead. In fact, she and Kenny both had, splitting the fee. This morning they'd gotten their proof, hotel receipts, text messages, and pictures, lots of pictures. The P.I. even claimed to have video, if they were interested in seeing it. Kim wasn't interested though, seeing the photos of them kissing had been enough, she couldn't imagine having to sit through homemade porn.

Erin didn't know any of this of course. She was just being polite. Last time they talked Jeff was a thing. At least Erin remembered his name.

"I wasn't expecting this to end today. I knew it was coming, but wow. Six months as trashy Amanda and the next minute I'm back to being Erin."

Kenny looked in the rearview mirror. "Well Amanda is dead as of today. We're going to head down to Hyde Park, hangout awhile then some agents will come and retrieve you. After that," he shrugged.

"Extensive debriefing, drug testing, psych evaluation, blood panel. Deprogramming, relearning who Erin is." She laughed. "Amanda had the right of it. A day in bed sounds like a lot more fun." Erin leaned forward playfully. "I'm game if you guys are."

Kenny frowned. "The day I'm having, I should take you up on that."

Kim nodded glumly. "Ditto that partner." Kim saw Erin eye them curiously from the back seat but didn't bother asking questions.