thirty.

The work day had been full of paperwork. Time had gone by slowly for everyone in the intelligence unit. All of them had felt like the day was never ending. Stacks of papers to fill out and get turned in littered their desks. The day consisted of mostly being sat using up the ink in their pens. In between breaks they would all do small laps around the floor to get their blood flowing again.

But when the time had slowly but finally arrived for them to call it a day, everyone was cheerful. Voight was letting them all head out when the sun was still out in the sky. Cars beeped in the street as patrol pulled out of the parking lot that the last few members of the unit were heading to. Keys jingled in hands as they split off to their own vehicles.

"Hey." Jay greeted Pru who had her car door open. Tapping his fingers against the black painted vehicle.

"Hey, what's up?" Pru asked the detective.

"So... I have to go to my dads apartment for dinner tonight. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come with me?" Jay wondered.

"You and your dad still not getting along?" Pru raised her eyebrow at the man.

"It's not my fault he's a miserable man." Jay let out.

"So you think I should spend my Friday night also experiencing his wrath?" Pru joked.

"You'd make my night tolerable." Jay said with a cheesy smile. Pru chuckled, shaking her head.

"Alright. Might as well meet the guy you claim is soulless." Pru laughed, giving into him. Jay raised his fist in triumph.

"I'll swing by around 6. You're the best!" He exclaimed as he pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek before walking away. Pru stood there in slight shock as her face began to turn to a slight blush. The girl quickly got into her car, shutting the door as she sat in her seat. Staring at the wheel as she tried to process the simple action Jay had made. A simple kiss to her cheek. Smiling at the thought before she gathered her thoughts before she exited the parking lot.

+

"Before we go in, I apologize for anything he says. He's a grump and a hermit." Jay began to apologize which made Pru laugh. They stood outside Jay's father's apartment door. Jay stalling them before they could enter.

"It's fine. Jay, we deal with guys like him on the daily. I'll be fine." Pru told him as he looked at her.

"Oh, by the way. Will is already in there. He's joining us for dinner." Jay informed the girl. She playfully smacked his shoulder.

"You made it seem like you'd be stuck here alone with him!" Pru quietly exclaimed.

"Sorry, I wanted you to come." Jay sheepishly said.

"So you figured that would be the only way to get me to go?" Pru asked.

"Possibly." He sent a tight lipped smile her way.

"Jay Halstead, you're unbelievable." Pru scoffed before Jay opened the door.

"Ah, if it isn't the other disappointment." Mr. Halstead greeted without looking up from his television screen.

"Gee, hi dad. How are you?" Jay sarcastically let out as he closed the door behind him.

Throughout the plain colored apartment the volume from the tv played loudly. A football game was on and that was Mr. Halstead's only focus. Jay slipped off his jacket and placed it on the empty wooden side table. Pru had handed her jacket over to him as well. She stood there looking around the undecorated apartment.

"You take your meds today, dad?" Jay questioned.

"You're not the Doctor. That's none of your concern." Jay's father commented as Jay scoffed.

"It concerns me because I'm your son."Jay grumbled as Pru frowned. Jay's father looked up from the screen for a split second to see another person.

"Oh, you finally brought another person in my presence. Don't tell me you got hitched again?" Clearly it didn't work out the first time." The older man let out as Pru peered over at Jay confused. Jay had been married?

"No. She's a friend." Jay responded.

"Aren't they all." His father commented.

"The Bears?" Pru spoke up as she pointed at the tv screen. Walking around to sit on the couch. The older man watched the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"How are they playing so far? It's been an iffy season." Pru began to make small talk as the Halstead men looked at the girl in shock. Both for two different reasons. For Jay it was because she willingly began to try and engage in a conversation with his father. And for Mr. Halstead, he was shocked that the girl watched sports.

"And who might you be?" He questioned as the blonde kindly smiled, turning to face him.

"I'm Pru, sir." The girl announced ad she stuck her hand out for him to shake.

"Please, call me Pat. Sir makes me feel like I'm ancient." Pat informed as he shook the girl's hand firmly. Jay furrowed his brows in confusion at the two. He was wondering what had just happened. The guy shook his head before he headed into the kitchen to see Will who was cooking.

"So how did you become unfortunate enough to meet my son?" Pat questioned Pru.

"I wouldn't say I was unfortunate. Meeting both of them has definitely helped me and made my life better." Pru told Pat Halstead.

"I find that very hard to believe. Those two know how to mess things up. That's their special talent." Pat let out.

"Their not perfect. Nobody is. But I'm thankful for them." Pru couldn't help but smile as she looked at Jay who stood in the kitchen talking to Will. Pat had caught her staring at his son. It was hard to miss the glint in her eyes. He hid his smirk. He had known that look all too well.

"So, how did you meet them?" Pat asked.

"Oh, Jay helped me get out of a really bad situation. And he took me in until I got on good terms with my sister. And Will, I met him through Jay and became friends with him too. I'm really grateful for your sons, Pat. You brought them up well and they're respectful." Pru told him.

"You have their mother to thank for that. But in my opinion, I feel like she was too soft on them at times." Pat admitted.

"Sometimes being soft every now and then isn't bad. Show them some love while teaching them manners." Pru thought.

"Huh. My wife used to say that." Pat pointed out.

"Well, she knew her stuff." Pru commented with a smile.

"That's what i loved about her. She knew a lot of stuff. A bit of a know-it-all, but she knew how to put you in your place. But she also knew how to let loose. Her picking on those two always made me laugh." Pat recollected some of his good memories.

"She sounds lovely." Pru complimented.

"She was." Pat nodded at that happy thought.

"I don't know if this could give you a quick laugh. But when I first met Jay, I wasn't that fond on the idea of talking to him. So I ended up calling him a real life ken doll." Pru informed as Pat chuckled.

"I like you." He pointed at the girl. Shaking his head in satisfaction. She was a good one.

In the kitchen, Jay pointed back out towards the living room. The guy looked dumbfounded at the scene. Will looked up at his younger brother to see his facial expression.

"I don't know that man out there." Jay exclaimed. Will peered out to see Pru and their father, Pat conversing.

"Woah. I think I just saw him smile." Will observed.

"She's like a witch or something. She just melted his cold exterior." Jay commented as the two brothers watched the two in the living room laugh.

"Well, it seems like we gotta keep Pru around." Will said as Jay looked at his brother. Will then pointed towards the other room.

"She's technically family now if dad likes her. Don't let her get away." Will told his younger brother who looked back out at the blonde girl on the couch.

"Trust me. I won't."