One-Shot. 6.22 Surveillance van scene.

Shots fired.

Rapidly.

A machine-gun.

Jay reached for his gun, but in a matter of seconds bullets began raining on them, hitting the metal panes, the doors, and the sides of the van. Jay reacted without thinking. He pulled his partner to the ground, reached for a vest, and wrapped it around her, becoming a shield as the bullets continued to whistle over their heads, pinging and whanging. Jay pulled her as close as he could, hoping to hell that he could keep her safe as the machine-gun hail of bullets was let loose on them.

Another three quick rounds were emptied. The noise of the metal slugs smacking into the van sent shrill, deafening noises ringing into their ears.

Then it became quiet.

A strange stillness settled within the walls of the surveillance van. The air filled with the acrid smell of ammunition and ricochets of bullets. Jay waited another second before he loosened his protective grip around his partner. He tried looking at her, but the dust and debris clouded his vison, almost completely obscuring her face.

"You okay?" He asked, blinking through the fog, doing a quick visional scan to be sure she hadn't been hit.

"I'm okay, you?" She coughed as dust particles hung in the air.

He looked down at himself, but her hands were already patting his torso to make sure he also hadn't been hit.

"I'm not hit," he said. "I'm not hit."

They looked at each, both gasping, breathless from the adrenaline pumping in their veins. The air felt heavy and electric, but neither were sure it had anything to do with what just happened. They lay there, too overcome to move, feeling grateful, feeling relieved they were okay.

"Jay, Hailey, you good?" Voight's voice reverberated through the walls of the van.

"We're good. we're good!" Jay responded, looking at Hailey for further confirmation. She nodded, her breathing still awkwardly uneven.

"Do not exit till we get the all clear," Voight commanded.

After a moment Jay and Hailey became aware of their close proximity. Jay felt Hailey suddenly stiffen in his arms. The closeness now seemingly too intimate between them. Slowly, Jay drew away and they rolled over onto their backs, side by side, on the floor of the van. They lay there as the minutes ticked by, their breathing gradually slowing to normal. Outside, they could hear the radios and the distant sirens of the beat cops arriving at the scene.

"What happened?" Hailey whispered.

Jay shrugged, "I don't know. But someone found out we were here. They knew we were police."

"This doesn't make any sense." Hailey said. "How could anyone know we were listening in on Wilson?"

"I don't know, but I'm betting this is not going to end well."

Hailey turned to look at Jay, "What do you mean?"

Jay released a heavy sigh. "I don't know; I've worked on a lot of cases…" he paused, "I just have a weird feeling about this one that I can't shake off."

This should have been a simple catch. Too simple? Maybe that was the problem. Never underestimate the enemy. Now this case was slipping away from them, and the repercussions of what would happen if they failed were too big for them to wrap their head around.

"We're trying to hook a big fish," Jay said.

"More like a whale," Hailey added. She sought out his gaze, and he locked eyes with her - a ripping feeling of dread washing over them.

Jay reached for her arm, feeling the need to touch her again. A sad smile flickered on his lips. "Hey, we'll be okay. We can still get ahead of this," he said, maybe more to convince himself.

Hailey flashed an unconvincing smile. "Yeah. We'll be alright," she hoped.

Jay opened his mouth to agree with Hailey, but was interrupted by the sound Voight's gravelly voice. "You can come out now," he growled from the outside.

Jay released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Here," he offered Hailey a hand, and she pulled herself up.

Shaking off the debris from their clothes, they locked eyes once more for a brief moment, before stepping out of the van. When they finally saw the wrecked state of the surveillance van, completely perforated with bullet holes, the reality of what could have happened sinks in, numbness fades and the adrenaline kicks in again.

"Glad you guys are okay," Voight said, patting them both on the back.

"Wilson?" Hailey asked.

"Dead."

"The shooter?" Jay asked.

"In the wind."

"Sarge—" Jay began, but was cut off by Voight.

"—Work the scene. Talk to any witnesses. Check the body," Voight ordered curtly and hurried away.

Jay and Hailey exchanged looks, both unable to shake that persisting feeling of unease that had settled over them like a dark cloud.

"Check the body," Jay said. "I will talk to the beat cops and see if there were any witnesses."

"Okay," she agreed. But before they parted ways, she paused and said, "Thanks for having my back in there."

His need to protect her, while foolish, made the wall inside of her break apart. How long has it been since someone put her needs before their own?

"Of course. We're partners," Jay responded.

A smile ticked the corners of his mouth and he opened it to say something, but Hailey added, "I would take a bullet for you too." Her voice lacked its usual stiffness, sounding soft and breathless to his ears.

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

Jay pulled her closer, hugging her against him. The impact was unexpected. His scent filled her senses and all she wanted to do was put some distant between them, yet she didn't' dare move. Jay was making her feel things she didn't want to feel. But deep and low, her body ached for this.

"I know," he whispered leaning down until his mouth was innocently against her temple, his warm breath stirring her hair and smelling faintly of peppermint.

As they pulled apart, Hailey tried to hide the intense emotions trapped inside her with a smile. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes without feeling as if she was being sucked right into some sort of black hole; only this place didn't feel like a hypothetical invisible region in space.

It felt too real.

Jay cleared his throat, prompting her to look at him. "Let me know if you find anything," Jay said.

Hailey nodded.

They stared at each other, an awkward moment stretched between them.

Then Hailey walked away. Her breathing sounded harsh in her ears while her blood thrummed through her veins and her heart beat in rhythm to the pounding in her head. A bullet hadn't hit her, but something else had definitely pierced her heart.

Thank you for reading!