Hailey's alarm went off and she sighed as she blindly reached over to grab her phone. Once turning it off, she yawned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes before freezing and looking down toward her feet.
Drew was curled up at the end of the bed having folded the bottom of the comforter over himself.
She set a hand on Jay's arm and squeezed slightly, "Jay," she whispered, "Jay."
"'M gonna go in late today," Jay mumbled and rolled away.
Hailey sighed and rolled her eyes, "Drew's in here."
"I know," Jay pulled his pillow over his head.
"What?" Hailey whispered, "Jay, sit up."
He sighed and put the pillow down, "Yes?"
"You need to wake up and function," Hailey said.
Jay rubbed his face and sat up, "I'm tired."
"Are you sick?" Hailey grabbed his chin.
"No, I'm just tired," Jay held her wrist, "Why? Do you want me to be sick so you can take care of me?"
Hailey smirked and rolled her eyes, "Not at all."
Jay chuckled and kissed her softly, "Good morning."
"Morning," Hailey breathed.
Jay sighed and looked at Drew, "I guess we should wake him up. He came in pretty late; I woke up when he was pulling at the covers."
Hailey nodded, "We really do need to go to work soon though and get him to school."
"Yeah," Jay said quietly and lightly nudged Drew with his foot, "Drew, wake up."
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head, "No," she crawled across the bed and rubbed Drew's arm, "Wake up, sweetheart."
Drew yawned and opened his eyes slightly.
"Hi," Hailey smiled a little.
Drew gasped and moved away.
"It's okay," Hailey whispered and reached out, "Dad and I want to talk to you before we all get going for the day."
Drew bit his lip, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Jay patted the bed next to him, "Come up here."
Hailey nodded and wiggled her fingers, "You're okay."
Drew hesitantly took her hand and moved forward next to Jay.
"Oh," Jay breathed and his eyes widened. Through the faded dark, he could make out Drew's swollen, red eyes. "Bud," he whispered and lightly touched the side of Drew's face, "Hailey, I think we should get a cold washcloth."
Hailey leaned forward, "Definitely."
Drew sniffled and played with the sheets.
"Can you tell us what happened last night?" Jay asked softly.
"Um," Drew thought before shaking his head.
"Well, we need to talk about it before we all leave. We're not leaving while in the middle of a…disagreement," Hailey gently rubbed his back.
Drew shook slightly and Jay wrapped the blanket around him, "We don't want to yell and we don't want you to yell, but we need to figure this out."
"Fine," Drew mumbled and sighed.
"Good," Hailey smiled, "So can you answer Dad's question? What happened?"
"I cried a lot," Drew croaked, "And I ripped two books."
Hailey nodded, "Why?"
Drew chewed his lip and rubbed the blanket, "I…I was angry and I…" he gestured something with his hands.
"Exploded?" Jay guessed.
Drew nodded and swallowed, "I did that."
"I'm sorry," Hailey squeezed his hand.
"Can you tell us why?" Jay asked.
"I was angry," Drew said.
"What made you angry?" Hailey tightened the blanket around him.
"I hate those books because-because last time we r-read them I got really mad and I made b-bad choices. I don't like to r-remember that," Drew's eyes started watering, "And then last night, you left me when I was upset," his lip wavered, "I was really upset and you left me alone."
Hailey bit her lip and gently hugged him, tucking his head under her chin.
"We…" Jay trailed off, trying to think of what to say.
Hailey kissed the top of Drew's head, "We'll be honest, we didn't know what to do."
Jay nodded, "We thought you should be alone to try and figure out what you were going through on your own."
"B-But last time you stayed with me and it wasn't as scary," Drew cried.
Hailey breathed shakily, "We're sorry."
Jay lightly rubbed Drew's arm, "If it happens again, we'll try something else."
Drew pressed his hands into his eyes, "I don't want it to happen again."
"I know," Jay whispered.
"Do you still like me?" Drew asked.
"Of course we do," Hailey pulled him away to look him in the eyes, "We love you."
"More than anything," Jay added, "No matter what you do, we're going to be here for you always," he lightly poked Drew's chest.
Drew tried to smile and nodded, "Okay."
"Okay," Hailey repeated with a smile and gently brushed his hair out of his eyes.
"C-Can you fix my arms?" Drew sniffled.
"Yes," Jay squeezed Drew's knee and jumped out of bed.
"I think you should wear long-sleeves today," Hailey said.
Drew nodded slightly, "Okay."
Hailey helped Drew lean against her side again, "Just lay here with me, okay?"
Jay came out of the bathroom, "Okay, I have a washcloth for his face and some Neosporin."
"Good," Hailey nodded. She took the cold washcloth from Jay and put it over Drew's eyes.
Drew laughed weakly, "What are you doing?"
"Fixing your face so your eyes aren't so swollen," Hailey said with a smile.
Jay laughed, "Just shh," he sprayed the Neosporin on Drew's arms, "You can stay here while Mom and I get ready to go to work."
"What about my school clothes? I need to brush my teeth," Drew said.
"We'll help you out," Hailey kissed the top of his head, "Don't worry about it. We'll be super fast."
Jay nodded, "Like the flash."
"You're not messing around," Drew smiled.
"Never," Jay chuckled.
Jay and Hailey quickly walked up the stairs toward the bullpen.
"Sorry," Jay breathed while walking past Hank.
Hailey nodded and leaned against the desk next to Vanessa.
"Better late than never," Hank sighed and continued explaining where they were at in the case.
Kim made eye contact with Hailey and blushed, immediately looking down. Hailey sucked in a breath and focused back on Hank.
He dismissed everyone a minute later and Hailey walked to her desk.
"Hailey," Kim said quietly and followed her, "Can we talk?"
Jay looked up and raised his eyebrows.
"Um," Hailey's eyes flickered over her computer, "I'm actually pretty-"
"Please," Kim put her hands in her pockets, "It would mean a lot."
Hailey blew out her breath, "Sure, why not?" she stood and led the way to the break room. She waited for Kim to walk in to close the door, "What's up?"
"I really need to apologize," Kim started, "And please don't think I'm just saying this because Adam and Platt talked to me; I'm apologizing because I did not mean to hurt you the way I did. You and Jay are amazing parents to Drew and just the idea that you're willing to adopt a baby in need proves that you're incredible people too."
Hailey's jaw set and she wiped her hands on her jeans, nodding slightly, not sure what to say.
When Kim realized Hailey wasn't going to talk, she awkwardly continued, "Um, I'd like to make it up to you if possible? I'd like to throw you a baby shower…if you're okay with that."
Hailey looked out the small window and noticed both Jay and Adam staring at them. She laughed softly and rubbed her face.
"What's funny?" Kim asked.
Hailey nodded toward the window, "We're being watched."
Kim rolled her eyes, "Of course." She sat on the couch and put her head in her hands, "He kinda reamed me out about this and we got in a huge fight."
"Over me?" Hailey asked quietly.
"He told me I can't project my own disappointment and anger on you," Kim said and picked at the couch cushions.
Hailey slowly sat in the chair across from Kim, "What do you mean?"
Kim swallowed and glanced up, "I'm still angry about what I did."
"I want to help you, but what are you talking about?" Hailey leaned forward.
Kim squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, "When I lost the baby…I-I hate that that is a part of my past. Adam and I have talked about it and most days I'm not too bothered by it, but then when I remember that I could have had a baby…it's hard to breathe and look in the mirror."
Hailey shook her head and hesitantly reached out to set her hand on Kim's knee, "None of us blame you for what happened that night. We all know why you went in."
Kim wiped her eyes and sat up, "No matter my intentions, I still need to live with that for the rest of my life."
Hailey moved onto the couch and hugged Kim, "I'm so sorry."
Kim weakly laughed and hugged her back, "This was supposed to be about me saying sorry to you."
"I know," Hailey smiled a little and pulled away, "But I am sorry that you went through the worst loss imaginable. If you ever want to talk about it, my door's open. I have some experience talking to a person still dealing with his past decisions."
Kim glanced toward the door, "And that was months of his life, this was a few minutes of mine."
"It was still significant," Hailey squeezed Kim's hand, "You're not going to forget it and none of us expect you to."
Kim nodded, "Thank you."
"And I'm okay if you're not crazy about us adopting a baby," Hailey shrugged, "I understand that it could be triggering or emotional for you."
"No, no," Kim shook her head, "I want to support you two completely. You're both some of my closest friends; I want to do this for you. So what do you say? Can I throw a baby shower for you? Maybe in a couple weeks to give you time to make a registry and for me to send out invites and plan and for the guests to buy things."
Hailey smiled, "I'd really like that."
"Good," Kim bounced slightly in the seat, "I'm super excited and happy to do it."
"Thank you," Hailey squeezed her hand again, "You're a really good friend."
"And so are you," Kim said, "And I am going to hug you again."
Hailey laughed, "Okay."
Kim hugged her tightly, "I do have questions though."
"Shoot," Hailey took a deep breath and sat back against the couch.
"Boy or girl?" Kim asked with a smile.
Hailey laughed again, "A boy."
Kim gasped softly, "Oh Hailey, that's perfect. You're going to be a boy mom!"
Hailey shook her head with a laugh, "There's going to be a lot of testosterone in the house."
"You can always come to our house if you need a break," Kim laughed.
"I will take you up on that," Hailey smiled.
"Please do," Kim said, "Okay, and who else knows?"
"Um," Hailey blushed a little, "Well, you, Adam, Platt, and Voight. Oh, and Drew."
Kim nodded, "When are you guys planning on telling other people?"
"Like my mom?" Hailey bit her lip.
"I was going to say Kevin, Vanessa, and Will, but yeah, we can talk about your mom," Kim shrugged.
Hailey sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I mean, telling Kevin and Vanessa probably won't be a big deal. Will might freak out a little bit per usual, especially if we tell him after a shift. My mom…I don't know."
"Would you want her to come to the shower?" Kim asked softly.
"I'll need to think about that one," Hailey breathed and looked toward the door, "And ask Jay. She was actually super nice to us just a couple weeks ago the day before school started. She came over to give Drew a Lego set as a back-to-school gift and helped us calm him down a little from a fit that I guess was actually more like a panic attack; last night was a fit."
"Want to talk about it?" Kim squeezed Hailey's knee.
Hailey swallowed, "It can be scary. He screamed and cried for over an hour last night. Jay suggested we leave him alone so he can start learning how to cope without us like when he's at school, but in reality, he just passed out on his floor and told us this morning that it made him even more scared to be alone. We sent him to school and his eyes were all puffy and his voice sounded scratchy. We probably looked like a joke as parents."
Kim smiled sadly, "You are not a joke."
"We're trying our hardest and I just hope it's good enough," Hailey whispered.
"I know it is," Kim lightly reached out and fixed Hailey's ponytail, "That boy loves you two. It's evident."
Hailey smiled and nodded. She pulled at a thread on her sleeve, "And we love him."
"Which is why you'll be the best parents for that little baby," Kim said, "You need to believe in yourself, Hailey, because we all believe in you."
Hailey looked up, "Thank you."
Kim smiled slightly, "You're welcome."
Hailey stood and sighed, "Thank you for talking with me too."
Kim nodded, "I'm really glad we could talk things out."
"Of course," Hailey squeezed her arm.
Kim stood, "Don't forget to make a registry."
Hailey smiled, "I don't even know where to start."
"Don't look at me," Kim laughed, "I have no idea what you'll need. I suggest having a beer or two and going crazy on Amazon."
Hailey laughed as well, "Last time I did something like that, you needed to bring about twenty-five Amazon Prime boxes into my living room."
"You may have went overboard, but it was definitely worth it," Kim said, "I love how Drew's room came together."
Hailey nodded, "I'll admit, it's super cute."
Kim smiled and walked back out into the bullpen with her. Hailey sat at her desk and pulled her hair out of her ponytail.
Jay glanced up at her and quickly shot her an email.
-Everything good? Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
Hailey rolled her eyes and smiled as she typed back.
-Yes. We're good. She actually offered to throw us a baby shower. Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Crap. I guess we need one of those, don't we? Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-How else do you expect us to get everything we need for the baby? Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Literally no clue. Did you see the email from Drew's teacher? Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
Hailey looked up, "What?"
Jay scanned through his email, "She sent it like twenty minutes ago."
"Oh," Hailey quickly found it and opened it. Her eyes widened as she read it, "What the hell does this mean?"
Vanessa looked over, "Everything okay?"
Hailey blushed, "Sorry, I'm fine." She quickly typed out a reply to Jay.
-A behavior plan? I thought he was going fine in school. Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-I've been googling stuff and it seems normal and just like something they do because of his autism. I don't think he's in trouble. Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-I'm sure he thinks he's in trouble though. Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Oh without a doubt. Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-When are you available? Should we go today? Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Dork, I'm available when you're available. No, definitely not today. I want to be prepared and look up more about what this means and what to expect. Maybe Will can help us out. Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-What does Will know about Individualized Educational Programs? He's an ER doctor not a teacher. Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Hey, it's worth a shot. Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Fair. I'll just reply for the both of us and say Monday? Also, Kim brought this up, when should we tell Will about the baby? Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Monday works. Don't know. Not after one of his shifts – he'd go into doctor mode and tell us a bunch of facts about kids born addicted to drugs. Dinner with him this weekend? Detective Jay Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
-Fine by me. Detective Hailey Halstead, Chicago Police Department 21st District-
"So now that you two planned your weekend, are you going to get back to work?"
Jay winced and turned to see Hank standing over his shoulder, "Sarge-"
"Sorry," Hailey blushed and quickly minimized her email.
Hank set a sticky note with an address on Jay's desk, "Go talk to this woman and see if she knows how the victims connect. Then pick us all up lunch. You were late and emailing each other instead of working – not a good look."
"Of course," Jay stood and put his coat on.
Hailey followed him out of the district and waited until they were in the car to breathe, "Oh my god."
"I know, I think I crapped my pants," Jay said, "He's like a ninja. How come you didn't even notice him? He was practically breathing on my neck and I had no idea."
Hailey laughed and shoved him, "Just drive."
Jay chuckled and started the car, "Sure thing, Detective Halstead. I love seeing that in your emails."
Hailey smiled and looked out the window. Yeah, it sometimes caused issues when they were both on a scene or in meetings, but she really loved seeing Detective Hailey Halstead written at the bottom of every email she sent. It was the first thing she changed after getting married and no matter how many times someone slipped and called her Upton or even when she was called by her maiden name because someone needed to distinguish between her and Jay…she didn't regret it for a second.
Hailey leaned over the couch, "All right, you two, video games off."
"No, no," Drew moved forward on the couch, "I'm winning."
"Five more minutes," Jay said.
Hailey smiled and walked around to sit on the recliner, "Five minutes, but then Drew needs to shower." She watched the TV screen and waited until it flashed that Drew won, "Nice job."
"I knew it," Drew smiled and lightly shoved Jay.
Jay laughed, "Yeah, you kicked my butt."
"Shower time," Hailey said and reached for the remote.
"I know, I know," Drew ran upstairs.
Hailey flicked the TV back to cable, "I started my registry."
"Your registry?" Jay put the Xbox controllers away.
"You know what I mean," Hailey said.
Jay chuckled, "Mhmm."
"So look," Hailey moved to the couch and opened her laptop, "I had to look online what to add, but I've put a decent amount of stuff on it."
Jay scrolled through the list, "Where are the diapers and the crib?"
"Kim said she's going to ask everyone to bring a package of diapers for a game or something," Hailey said, "And according to the internet, we need to buy our own crib."
Jay slowly nodded, "I guess that makes sense. When do we start the nursery?"
Hailey bit her lip, "Soon?"
"I mean we did Drew's room in a day, we could do a nursery that quick too," Jay shrugged and closed the laptop.
Hailey played with her fingers, "This is making me nervous."
Jay took a deep breath, "I know. I stared at that for – what? – thirty seconds and I feel pretty overwhelmed. I didn't think babies need much besides a crib and a bottle."
Hailey laughed and shook her head, "I was a little better than that."
Jay smiled, "We'll figure it out. It'll be fine."
Hailey nodded and squeezed his hand, "I know."
"Dad! What are you doing?" Drew called down the stairs.
"You may have created a monster," Hailey whispered with a smile.
"He's a creature of habit," Jay chuckled and stood, "Coming! Go ahead and get in the shower."
"No, I need to wait until you're sitting in the hall," Drew replied.
Jay shook his head and held back a laugh as he walked up the stairs.
Hailey smiled and picked up her phone. She opened her mom's contact and stared at it before glancing at the laptop. She took a deep breath and shook her head, putting her phone back down. She wasn't emotionally ready for that roller coaster.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! If you have any ideas for the baby shower or nursery, please send them my way! Thank you for reading!