It turned up to be a long day for both of them. Hailey finished typing up her report around 10, right in time for Antonio to bring her to interview a witness. She just smirked at Jay, waving her report. Voight came back at 11, the bullpen was empty save for Jay who just finished his report.
"Halstead, my office," grumbled the sergeant. Jay followed him into his office, preparing himself for the anger that would come his way. Minutes after Jay left Voight's office after being reprimanded, Antonio and Hailey figured out that the witness had turned into a victim. Voight sent Kim and Kevin and took Jay to the crime scene. They found stashes of cash in the victim's house, but no drugs which was weird, as this was originally a drug case.
By 3 pm, they found the next stash house through Antonio's CI. When they raided the house, it was empty save for a couple bags of cheap drugs and another body. Frustration was evident in everyone's faces as they went back to the district, started digging from zero. Kevin pulled a surveillance video which showed the second victim receiving the drugs, so Adam and Kevin went to question people around if they had seen who gave him those drugs.
Voight dismissed Jay at 6 to go to his dad's memorial service. Jay raised his eyebrow at Hailey, who shrugged and threw her car key at Jay. She wanted to go, she did promise Will that she would come. However with the speed bodies were dropping, they weren't going home anytime soon.
"I'll drop off your car later," promised Jay. Hailey nodded. She patted his arm.
"I'll keep you updated," she whispered. Jay left the district.
Jay purposely avoided Will when he arrived at the chapel. Will was speaking to someone he didn't know, so he went to the half opened casket. He shook his head when he felt the emotions he was trying to suppress came back. Determined not to let his emotion got the best of him, he quickly went to the door, greeted an old friend of his dad.
Natalie slipped in beside Will right when the service started. "Right on time," whispered Will.
"Yeah, left Owen at Helen's for the night, he made a scene," Natalie shrugged.
"I feel bad for keeping you from him," said Will.
"Don't be. You're doing Helen a favour. She adores him," Natalie looked at Jay. "He's still mad at you?" she whispered. Will shrugged. They were interrupted by the start of service.
Throughout the service, Jay looked straight ahead, refused to look at the casket. He still felt guilty at his last words at his father. They were never on good terms; after his father's heart surgery, they tolerated each other just enough to take care of his heart condition. He was really worried at the fire scene, though. However, after knowing he was alive and well and got yelled at, his emotions got the better of him. He was angry, he admitted that much. He was angry at his father, for being dead suddenly, for not showing that he was proud of him. He was angry at Will, for being on better term with their father, for coping better than him with everything. And lastly, he was angry at Natalie. Natalie was still there while Erin left. She wore the ring that was supposed to be Erin's. Jay was surprised, and ashamed, that he thought that way. Erin left, she doesn't deserve wearing that ring; Jay repeated the words he said in the shrink's office over and over again. Erin left her, Natalie stayed by Will's side. Despite everything Will did in the past, his brother does deserve happiness.
Will glanced at Jay, trying to read him. His worry yesterday grew when he realised that Jay wasn't showing any emotions. In fact, Will was sure his mind is elsewhere. He clapped Jay's back, hoping he wouldn't startle Jay. Jay looked at him, pain flashed in his eyes for a second, before looking back ahead. Will squeezed Jay's shoulder, hoping to convey his concern.
Meanwhile in the district, they got a lead about the hiding place of the suspects. They raided the place, however it was not without a hitch. They found the drugs and the suspects, but one ran away. Hailey ran after him. The suspect was about to cross the street when a car passed. Hailey jumped onto the car hood with the suspect, bringing him down with her. She got him for a split second, then he aimed a punch to her face. She lost momentum so he went on top of her, choking her. She couldn't breathe and could feel herself slipping out of consciousness, but managed to kick him in the stomach to get him to release her. Antonio and Kim arrived in an instant. Kim cuffed him, while Antonio went to Hailey's aid.
"You're okay?" Antonio hovered on top of her.
"Yeah," Hailey was still gasping for air, she coughed to try to get air into her lungs. Antonio pulled her up, but she blacked out for a second.
"Hey!" Antonio propped her up. She flinched when Antonio grabbed her shoulder; she was sure it would be bruised.
"I'm okay," Hailey tried to walk on her own, but her legs felt like jelly.
"It's okay, I got you," Antonio carefully helped her walk. "Good job with the tackle," Antonio helped her sit in his car and gave her a water bottle. He felt her pulse which was rapid.
"Upton, go to Med, get that looked at," Voight appeared in front of her.
"I'm good,"
"You took a hell of a punch to your face," grumbled Voight, at the same time Antonio said, "you look like hell".
"Nothing is broken or dislocated so I'll be good as soon as I take a shower," Hailey insisted.
"Suit yourself," Voight gave up on his stubborn detective. "Good job. Antonio, bring her home. You drive, you're benched." Antonio jumped in the car and started driving.
"Where's your car?" asked Antonio.
"I picked Jay up this morning, he took it to go to his father's service."
"Right, it's tonight," said Antonio. "You want me to drop you there instead?"
"You said yourself that I look like hell," countered Hailey. "I feel like hell anyway."
"You sure you're okay? We can go to Med," Antonio was concerned.
"Yeah, I'll be good. He did a good choke on me though," said Hailey. She read texts on her phone. "Change of plan, Antonio. Drop me at St. Lucia's."
"For the service?" asked Antonio.
"Yeah," Hailey didn't elaborate, and she didn't need to. Antonio, like everyone, noticed that the partners had become friends over time, and relied on each other a lot.
"You want something to change to? There's my jacket or Eva's, your pick," said Antonio.
"Yours," Hailey rolled her eyes. Antonio reached to the back and gave her his CPD jacket. She cringed at the pain on her shoulder when she changed out of her jacket to his.
"If you need anything, call me," said Antonio when he dropped Hailey at the church. He gave a bottle of Tylenol to Hailey. Hailey thanked him and went inside, popping a Tylenol. She massaged her shoulder, hoping the pain would lessen soon. She went to the bathroom to freshen up. She felt out of place with casual, no, dirty clothes and bruised face and neck. However, both Will and Jay texted her. Will asked her to come get Jay, while Jay asked her to text her when she's home.
Hailey slipped inside and sat at the back, next to Sharon Goodwin. The hospital leader gasped quietly when she saw Hailey's face. Hailey smiled at her. A couple minutes later, the service ended.
"Detective, let me check those bruises," offered Sharon.
"I'm fine," said Hailey. Sharon didn't ask for permission before touching her neck, where she knew a hand was imprinted. She flinched.
"Is there any unseen injuries?"
"My shoulder was bruised, but it's not dislocated so I'm good," said Hailey.
"Come by the hospital if you need, Detective," said Sharon. Hailey nodded with no intention of going. She went to the front where Will, Jay, and Natalie were chatting with some guests. Jay shook their hands, hearing their small stories about his father, and then when the guests were leaving, he dropped on the front row chair. Will caught Hailey's eyes and gasped.
"What happened?" He pointed to the bruises at her face as he came closer. Upon closer examination, he noticed the hand print on her neck. "Who did this?"
"A criminal I caught," answered Hailey.
"I'll check you later," Will pointed to Jay. "He hasn't spoken a word and wore that blank expression all the time."
"Hey," Hailey sat beside Jay.
"Hey," said Jay without looking at her. They sat in silence for a while. It was then that Jay realised her injuries.
"Hailey, what's going on!? Where did you get those?"
"It's okay, I'm fine," said Hailey.
"The hell you are! Who was your backup?" Jay was livid. He left her for two hours and she was hurt.
"Jay, I'm fine, really. I chased a runaway, slammed him against a car hood. He decided to punch and choke me," Hailey calmed him down. Jay grabbed her shoulder, making her wince. "And my shoulder is bruised," she added, touching his arm.
"Jay!" Will called him. Jay ignored him, giving Hailey a look over.
"Go," Hailey gave him a gentle push. Jay walked to Will who stood near the casket with two staff from the funeral house. "Are we having the casket opened or closed on Saturday?" asked Will.
"Closed," answered Jay.
"Then is it okay to close it now? Do you need time to say goodbye?" asked the staff. Jay bit his lip once he realised that he would be saying goodbye right then.
"Alright," said Will. He walked to the casket and looked down. "See ya, Pops. Say hi to Mom," he managed a smile. He motioned to Natalie to join him. "And this is Nat, she's gonna be my wife. And there's Owen. You're gonna like Owen, he reminds me of Jay as a kid," Will held his dad's hand. He sighed and walked away, patting Jay's shoulder. "Take your time," Will whispered.
"Dad, I…" Jay choked on his words. What was he trying to say? He was never lost at words when it comes to his father, except right then. He felt tears started to fall from his eyes, but he couldn't care less. "I didn't mean what I said," he whispered. "I know you were proud of me… I… I wish I could hear it directly," he sobbed.
Will watched Jay from a safe distance. He didn't want to disturb Jay, but wanted to be there should Jay needed him. Nat sat beside Hailey.
"Don't ask about my face," Hailey warned.
"Get that looked at. He's lucky you're there for him," said Nat.
"Anytime. He's my partner," Hailey sighed. They watched Jay's shoulders trembled and figured he was crying. A minute passed and Will stepped beside him. After Jay whispered his goodbye, Will touched the casket.
"I promise we'll be good, Pops. We'll try not to fight often," said Will. Jay looked at him through his tears. Will's heart broke seeing his brother hurt like that.
"Sorry, Will," Jay pleaded. Will pulled him into a hug. He nodded at the staff who closed the casket.
"No, I'm sorry," insisted Will. He walked Jay to Hailey. Jay collapsed in her arms, drawing comfort from her. Hailey cringed when she moved her arm to rub his back, calming him down like she did few days ago.
"Thanks for being here," whispered Jay once he got himself under control.
"Anytime," said Hailey.
"Beer?" asked Jay, wiping his tears. Hailey laughed.
"We should get going," said Will. Jay nodded. "You should go to Med just to make sure nothing's broken or dislocated. You seem uncomfortable with your shoulder," said Will.
"I'll call the ER," Natalie pulled her phone.
"It's okay, really, I feel fantastic," said Hailey. Three pairs of eyes looked at her sceptically.
"I'll take her to Med," said Jay. "Antonio said you couldn't breathe and blacked out, that's not fantastic." Hailey sighed. Arguing with two doctors and an overprotective partner is a lost cause. They separated at the door. Will patted Jay's shoulder.
"You're okay?" asked Hailey once they got in the car.
"As good as can be," Jay shrugged. He drove to Med. April was expecting Hailey, and Noah checked her shoulder. As she said, it was fine. She got her shoulder wrapped for precaution, and she was given painkiller. She had to take it easy the next few days otherwise it might become worse. Jay picked her back up in the lobby.
"See, I'm good," Hailey smirked. Once they arrived at Hailey's place, Jay pulled out two beers and a bag of frozen corn from the fridge.
"Nope, I had painkiller," said Hailey when Jay offered her beer. Jay put the bag of frozen corn on her neck. Hailey sighed in relief. It felt good.
"I didn't see you during the service, I thought you didn't come," Jay admitted. He pulled a bottle of tequila and poured himself a shot.
"I sat in the back, near Ms. Goodwin. I arrived just before it was finished,"
"I should grieve better, rather than being a mess." Jay sat on the couch after taking off his tie and suit.
"No one made a manual on how to grieve. You can grieve however you grieve, there's no right or wrong. Some cried. Some fainted. Some got angry. Some cleaned their house when they grieved. You shouldn't be ashamed to be a mess, you're a human."
"Thanks," Jay smiled. He contemplated his next words while sipping beer.
"And you shouldn't feel pressured to tell anybody anything. You may open up or bottle up however you see fit. If you need an ear, I can lend one. If you just wanna drink alcohol, I'll watch your bottle and tell you when to stop," Hailey smirked. Jay smiled softly, remembering the Camilla fiasco when she threatened to dump him as a partner.
"During the service I realised something… why I won't talk to Nat. Not only she's Will's girlfriend, but she reminded me of… of Erin," Jay gulped, suddenly feeling queasy. It's been a while since he suppressed the memory of Erin. How she left, how heavy the ring box felt on his jeans when he brought it back home. Hailey looked at him sympathetically. She was barely part of the team, partnered with Erin once, and she left.
"I am happy for them, I really am. But she reminded me of Erin. And that's hard," said Jay. "The ring was our mom's. I was gonna propose when she left. And now Nat has it, it all came back to me," Jay whispered.
"I'm sorry," said Hailey. She touched his shoulder.
"It's okay," said Jay. "I thought I was over it. I am over her, but I am not over the pain of being betrayed. She left without saying goodbye. Everyone does," Jay shook his head. He finished his beer and pulled out the third one. Hailey grabbed his beer bottle.
"Stop drinking," scolded Hailey, putting the beer and frozen corn back into the fridge. "Stop or I'm telling Sarge that you got a concussion from ignoring your partner's advice," she jokingly threatened, but he knew she was serious about telling Voight.
"Then who's gonna keep you from having accidents?" Jay rolled his eyes at her. "How are you feeling?" He cringed at the nasty bruise forming on her neck.
"I'm better," said Hailey. "What do you mean everyone left?"
"Mouse left. Erin left. Before that, my ranger buddies died in the war. Al. My mom. And now my dad. It's unfair," whispered Jay. "I wish I could turn back time. I wouldn't let people get close to me so they don't leave."
"It's better to have them for a season in your life, rather than nothing," Hailey reasoned. "You still have Will. Don't push him away."
"It's complicated. He got to make up with our dad. He was proud of him. He didn't just keep photos and news of Will, he said it. Loud and clear," Jay's tears threatened to fall.
"Jay, don't regret anything. It will drag you down the hole," Hailey gripped his arm. Jay looked down. "The pain will always be there. You just deal with it better. Don't live with regret. I'm sure you dad wanted to tell you himself how proud he was of you. Just like how you wanted to tell him you love him." Hailey made a mental note to call her parents the next day. "You're tired and emotional. Get some sleep, you'll feel better tomorrow."
Jay let out a deep breathe. He couldn't really go home, he had drunk too much. And Hailey couldn't drive him either, she had painkiller and her shoulder was hurt. He didn't want to sleep there, considering he might get nightmare.
"Here," Hailey grabbed a blanket from a cupboard and threw it at Jay. She sensed his reluctance. "You drank too much, either you wait until 2 am to drive home, or you sleep on the couch."
"I can grab an Uber. I don't wanna disturb you," said Jay.
"You won't. I don't trust you with alcohol now," Hailey said firmly.
"I might get nightmare, you need to rest."
"I'm a heavy sleeper, and I'm on painkiller. Besides, you need someone to wake you up if you have one. I'll help however I can," insisted Hailey. Jay knew Hailey is just as stubborn as he is, so he gave up.
"On one condition. You don't come near me if I have nightmare. I don't wanna hurt you," said Jay. Hailey didn't react. "Hey, I'm serious. I will never forgive myself if I hurt you. Throw something at me, do whatever, just don't come near me."
"You won't." Hailey brewed two mugs of tea and brought them to the coffee table. "Here. I always make it when I have trouble sleeping."
"Thanks," Jay accepted the mug. They drank in silence. After all the alcohol, the tea was very soothing for Jay.
"Hey, maybe it worth nothing compared to what you want to hear, but I'm proud being your partner," Hailey smiled.
"Likewise. It means a lot, thank you," Jay returned her smile. He put his mug on the table and lay down. Hailey squeezed his shoulder, and then went to her bedroom bringing her tea. Jay smiled to himself. He might not be okay, but he is on the right track to healing. He got everything he needed to heal. Feeling peaceful for the first time in a couple days, he drifted to sleep.
This is quite longer than I expected because I don't know where to cut it! I don't have next chapter written as I'm considering to either conclude it as it is or add new chapters about something (help!?).