Thank you so much for your reviews - I hope you like where I'm going.

Chapter 2

Jay and Hailey sat together in their room for quite a while, not talking much, just having some champagne, thinking about the situation. As much as they were used to playing a couple, this was another level. They didn't know for how long they would have to stay here, didn't have work to do, had to keep a low profile. And at the same time, they had to pretend to be a married couple.

They just had to sit here and wait until they could return home. And waiting was nothing either of them especially liked.

When Hailey was unpacking, she produced a light gray silky nightgown and placed it on the bed. Jay looked at her, an indecipherable look on his face, which made Hailey laugh.

"No, no, no, Mr. Halstead," she grinned. "That would be for Mr. Devlin only. It's a prop for whoever will enter this room, cleaning or spying or whatever. It's our 'honeymoon' after all."

Jay pouted mockingly. "What a shame. I'd love to see you…"

"Stop, Jay," Hailey laughed. "Or you will sleep on the floor."

Jay immediately stopped pouting but didn't even try to hide the mischief in his eyes. Hailey saw it, enjoyed it. It could be fun to mess with Jay's head, although she knew this game could and would be played by two. And that could be dangerous.

"Let's go have dinner, Mr. Devlin," she said, holding out her hand for him. "Are you ready?" Immediately Jay was by her side and took her hand. "Always ready, Ms. Devlin. And did I mention you look amazing?"

Hailey had changed into a summer dress, moderate heels, a tiny bit of make-up. Nothing too fancy, but still appropriate for a dinner in a restaurant. Jay looked at her, clearly admiring what he saw.

"Tongue back in," Hailey joked, even though she liked the way he looked at her. Some admiration never hurt. Jay didn't look shabby himself, she noticed, in his button-down shirt and gray denims.

As soon as they left their room, they behaved like a newlywed couple again, holding hands, flirting, laughing together.

They walked to a nearby restaurant, along the beach. As if they were on vacation.

Once they had sat down, ordered drinks and food, Jay looked at Hailey.

"You know," he said. "If we manage to forget why we're here, we can have a good time. We could have ended up in worse places."

"I guess so," Hailey admitted. "Until it gets boring."

Jay laughed. "Missing work already?"

"Yes, I do. It would be easier if we knew how long we have to stay here."

"Hey, it's a paid vacation. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And there's lots of things to do."

Hailey had to smile at Jay's enthusiasm. "Okay, tell me about it."

"There's the ocean, we can go swimming, rent a boat. Or we can drive into Boston. Supposed to be nice. And... there are several golf courses..."

Now it was Hailey's time to laugh. "I see, that was your plan all along. Golf. Really? On our honeymoon?"

"Fake honeymoon," Jay insisted. "We can go together, of course, like a real couple. And not every day, I promise. Just a few times."

Hailey smiled, ready to give in. "Sure, Jay. We can do that. I'll do my best to have fun."

"Oh, come on," Jay pouted playfully. "It's not that bad."

"I know, Jay."

It wasn't all bad, Hailey had to admit that. She still had a weird feeling, because they had to abandon their jobs, their homes so fast, for an unknown time. She would have liked to close the latest assignment, or at least to be kept in the loop of what was happening. What about the young girls the Legion tried to force into prostitution?

But it was clear this was not going to happen. Still, it could be so much worse, Jay was right. They were in a nice location, had enough money to enjoy the time off, and she was with Jay. There was nobody else she would rather spend her time off with, her time in witness protection. They knew each other well, they knew how to handle each other's moods, how to deal with the other's quirks and habits. They were used to spending time together and make even the most boring stakeouts fun. And they liked each other – a lot. More than regular partners liked each other. Jay was probably her best friend, and he was for sure the person she trusted most in this world. So yes – it wasn't all bad.

"You think we can contact Voight or the unit?" she asked after a while.

Jay shook his head, laughing. "You know the answer, don't you?"

Hailey shrugged. "Yeah, I do."

She took a sip of her beer, tried to enjoy the evening. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was relaxed as well, she could smell the ocean through the open windows.

"So, what do you suggest doing tomorrow?" Hailey leaned back in her chair after finishing her dinner. "Don't tell me you haven't made plans yet."

"Let's have a look around first. See where everything is, where we can rent a boat, where to go to dinner, and then relax," Jay suggested. "If the weather is nice, we can go to the beach in the afternoon. Let's take it slow, we're on our honeymoon after all."

Hailey raised her eyebrows yet couldn't hide a smile. Jay was right. A couple on their honeymoon would surely spend a lot of time in their room, and not run around from one event to the other. "Okay, let's do that."

The alcohol had helped both to loosen up a bit, and on their way back to their B&B Hailey decided to check out the beach. She took off her shoes and quickly walked across the sand to the water. Jay watched her for a few seconds before kicking off his shoes as well and following her. He was surprised, he couldn't remember having seen Hailey like that before, so carefree, playful. They often had fun together, talked a lot, knew each other well, but he saw a new side of her. Usually she was very guarded, serious, even when the whole unit was out partying at Molly's. And right here she was much more … open. Jay wouldn't even know how to describe it, other than different – different in a good way.

Walking along the beach, in the shallow water, it came easy to play a couple in love. Jay noticed that he had to tell himself that again and again. It's just a game, we are not a couple, he kept repeating in his mind. Nevertheless, when they were close to their hotel, he took her hand, and it felt so right. I should be careful, he thought, or I'll mix this with reality. And would end up with a bloody nose for sure.

Hailey didn't seem to notice what Jay was thinking. Finally she relaxed, she was able to enjoy the walk on the beach with the sand beneath her feet, Jay's company. He's right, she thought, why not make the best of this. For once I want to have fun – with my best friend.

Back in their room, both felt a bit insecure again. Here they didn't have to play a couple, nobody would watch or listen. And still, they were close, had to be very close. Sure, they had been living similarly close in their undercover apartment in Chicago, but this felt different. They were alone, there was nobody around who knew who they really were, or who they were supposed to be.

"It's been a long day," Hailey said after a few minutes of silence. "I'll go to bed." She grabbed a few things and went to the bathroom to change, and Jay had to admit he was a bit disappointed that the nightgown was left behind.

While Hailey was in the bathroom, Jay wasn't quite sure what do to. Usually he would sleep just in his boxers, but with Hailey here, he decided it would be better to wear a shirt as well. He quickly grabbed a t-shirt and changed before Hailey was back from the bathroom.

She didn't need a lot of time, though; in that respect Hailey was not complicated at all. When she came back into the bedroom, she wore a large Bears-shirt. Jay looked at her, frowned.

"Yeah," she admitted with a slightly guilty look on her face. "This might be yours. You might have left it at my place a while ago."

"And I was wondering..." Jay replied. "So what if I want it back?"

"In that case you will have to buy me a new one," Hailey answered. "It's that simple."

"Why exactly?"

"Just because..."

Without waiting for a reply, Jay escaped into the bathroom. Wow, this felt so much like being a couple, seeing Hailey in his shirt, bantering about it.

When he returned, Hailey was already in bed, and he hesitantly joined her, making very sure he didn't touch her and left her enough space. Hailey shouldn't feel threatened by him, shouldn't think he wanted to take advantage of the situation.

"Night, Jay," she whispered. "And thank you for this evening."

"Night, Hailey."