May 2022

Hailey was just coming down to stairs, when she heard Platt's voice calling her.

"Hey Goldilocks, I need your signature for these."

"At your service, sergeant", she quipped and went to the sergeant's desk to sign papers she handed her.

"Going home? Have you lost Chuckles or are you finally tired of that guy?", Platt asked smirking.

Hailey laughed. Jay and her had officially lived together since last summer, and she couldn't say she was tired of it.

"Jay went to the gym with Kev and Williams", she explained to Platt.

Detective Williams had joined Intelligence last fall, and everyone liked him. He was in his forties, a former marine turned CPD cop. His background was partly similar to Jay's and they had clicked immediately. Williams was a good addition to the team. Hailey had sometimes thought that Williams reminded her of Al. Not downright a leader, but the best team player you could ever imagine, just like Olinsky.

Hailey chatted with Platt for a moment until a couple of patrol officers needed their sergeant. Hailey waved her goodbyes to Trudy, and went to her car, ready to go home.

Hailey had just finished her shower and sat down to the couch, when she heard knocking from the door. She didn't wait for anybody so she peeked through the door eye. Seeing who stood behind the door stunned her totally. She slammed the door open, just to rush to hug a person behind the door.

"Vanessa! How… When… Is it really you? Oh my good, I have missed you so much", she bawled.

After leaving Intelligence a couple of years ago Vanessa had done several undercover stints. She had kept in touch with a team, at least with Hailey and Kevin, but her latest assignment had been deep undercover detail. It had taken over six months.

"Hi Hailey!", whispered her friend when they stood there, hugging tightly.

After Hailey had recovered from the shock, women went inside the apartment.

They sat down on the couch. Hailey looked at her friend. Vanessa looked tired, there were dark circles around her eyes. Hailey knew that look. She had done her own share of deep undercover and knew what it can do to you. She could not escape the feeling that Vanessa's last assignment had been tough. Maybe too tough.

"How are you, everything okay?", Hailey asked carefully. She didn't want to push. She knew Vanessa.

"I'm fine."

The answer came too quick, but Hailey let it slip. She waited for Vanessa to continue.

"What's up here? Everything good with a lover boy?" Vanessa changed the subject like Hailey had suspected. She decided to play along.

"Well… You could say so", answered Hailey. She held her hand prominently in front of her.

Vanessa picked a hint immediately. "Wait. No way! Is that...", she almost screamed.

"Oh yes", Hailey smiled happily. Simple but still very beautiful engagement ring sparkled in her ring finger.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you. When that happened? Was it romantic? Wait, does Halstead know how to be romantic at all?" Vanessa was excited.

"He definitely has his moments", Hailey said blushing and thinking how their friends could be surprised if they knew that badass detective Halstead was actually a super sweet cuddler.

"We went to his cabin in Wisconsin last month. Well… he proposed and I said yes!, Hailey continued. Like always, she was quite a private. She was not the type of person to share so many details of her private life, something what she had in common with Jay. Vanessa knew this. She was quite sure Hailey told her most private things only to Jay, and she respected this.

Vanessa smiled for Hailey. "That's a beautiful ring. Have you thought about the wedding?"

"Yeah. Not sure when, maybe sometime at the end of the year. We don't want anything big. Or at least I don't want to. Jay says he is okay with whatever I want, but I know he isn't into big or flashy either. I think that small and private will be our thing", Hailey opened and went to the open kitchen to make them some coffee.

"I can't believe this. I always knew you and Jay would end up together. All the times I was ready to lock you two up to force you to put your shit together…. And now you are gonna be Mrs. Halstead. I love this!", Vanessa almost bounced on the couch.

Hailey laughed. "It took us time to admit it. We had been both burned before, you know that. But taking the risk because of Jay, it has really paid off. I'm happy, we are happy."

Vanessa nodded, looking around. "Speaking about Jay, where's he?"

"At the gym with Kev and Williams." Hailey replied while coming back with the coffee mugs.

"Williams is the new guy? How's he?" Vanessa asked. They had talked about him before she had gone under.

"Great, very good fit to the team. Stable, trustworthy. He's Kim's partner, Kim trusts him completely and that's most important", Hailey pictured. "We all like him a lot."

"Kevin works with Ruzek?"

"Yes. Voight organized that way after Williams came in and I think this works well. Of course we sometimes mix partners, but mostly it is that way." Hailey thought about the last few months and all the changes summer would bring to Intelligence. "But you know, a lot has happened since we talked last time and even bigger changes are coming. Not everything is public yet but Voight has wanted to keep us informed, unofficially. On the other hand, I would probably know anyway…"

Hailey could see Vanessa's appearance to change. That was weird. Something was going on. Vanessa had dodged her question when she first came in but she decided to try again.

"Nessa? Everything ok? You haven't been in Intelligence in the last two years. Why does Hank's retirement worry you?"

Vanessa bit her lip. She had known Hailey could see through her. "I have been thinking that I am done with working long term undercover. It has started to take a toll on me", she admitted. "I wanted to talk with Voight, to see if he would take me back to the team. But if there is a new sergeant, my chances to get back are far worse."

Hailey stared at her friend. She had known that not everything was okay. Wide smile rose on her face and her eyes lit up. "Well, good thing new sergeant already knows you too."

Vanessa stared back at her in amazement. "What? What do you mean?"

Hailey grinned. This was so good. "Vanessa, Intelligence's new sergeant is Jay", she revealed.

"What a hell? Since when Jay is a sergeant?" Vanessa looked even more disbelieved.

Hailey was amused. "From this spring. Voight wanted him to take the sergeant's exam. Contrary to his own expectations he aced it, which I naturally knew he would do.", she said beaming. "He technically isn't a sergeant yet since he hasn't a position, but he will be when Voight retires. However, he had been taking more responsibilities and in reality, Voight hadn't been so much in the field during the last couple of years, so Jay has been a leader in there for a while anyway."

"We in fact went to the cabin after his promotion to celebrate it but apparently the promotion made him more confident in other areas of life too", she continued grinning.

Hailey was proud of Jay. She did not care what other people thought about it, if they thought that she was boasting about her man's achievements. She knew who Jay was and what he had been undergoing. Jay worked a lot to be that man and that cop he was nowadays. Hailey had once said that she would follow Jay blind and that commitment stood still. She couldn't think about a better sergeant after Voight than Jay.

Vanessa was stunned. She could see how excited Hailey was. But being absent for the last years, it felt weird for her that Voight would leave. But if what Hailey said about Jay being a new sergeant was true, it could be good news for Vanessa too. And whatever it means, she was happy for Jay. He was a good cop and Vanessa had no doubt he would make a good leader too.

"Hailey Upton, are you telling me that not only you are engaged, you are engaged with your sergeant?" Vanessa joked, before getting more serious. "Will it cause problems with the ivory tower?"

"We believe not. We have already been partners, and they have looked it through the fingers. Intelligence is the most efficient unit in the CPD, it comes with benefits. Besides I think Voight had discussed it with them, when they negotiated Jay's promotion", Hailey reassured. "But if it would cause difficulties, I'll resign."

Vanessa was about to say something, but Hailey continued. "Save it. At this point, Intelligence is and will always be Jay's team. I could be a good cop in the other team and if I someday want the team of my own, I have to leave anyway. Most important, if I have to, I choose this life with Jay over the team. At present, I really hope we both can stay in Intelligence. I don't feel that I want to be a leader, not at least now."

Vanessa was impressed. She didn't know if Hailey knew how confident she sounded. She knew Hailey well enough to know that her life hadn't been easy and she had insecurities about what comes to relationships. At least she had had insecurities. Now it seemed that like many other things in Hailey's life, this had changed thanks to Jay Halstead. These two really are good to each other, Vanessa thought.

Vanessa smiled. "You seem to be quite sure what you want."

Hailey sighed. "Sometimes yes, but sometimes not at all. But we, Jay and me, have come too far from the point where we were when we became partners, to abandon what we have now. When we first began to date, I had problems to let myself believe that I deserved to be happy and someone really wanted to be with me, even if I was such a mess. It was Jay who made me trust that I could do it, be in a happy and healthy relationship. We made it work together. Nothing is gonna make me give it up, I owe it to myself. To Jay."

If Vanessa had been impressed before, now she was even more. Considering how private Hailey usually was, letting this much out was huge.

"I'm so happy for you, for you both. You seem to be very solid", Vanessa appreciated.

"Yeah. But that's enough about me." Hailey smiled. "You coming back is the most important issue now. You know, your timing couldn't be better."

"What do you mean?"

"Duh. I will need a new partner", beamed Hailey. Although she was happy for Jay, she had been worried that she would need a new partner.

"Gosh. Didn't think about it. That would be so awesome", Vanessa got excited.

"You should talk to Voight. And to Jay also, I think. Come to the district tomorrow?" Hailey looked at Vanessa, waiting for her answer.

"Yeah, I should. But Hailey, don't talk about this with Jay yet. I have to do this on my own, you know?" Vanessa looked a little hesitant.

"I understand. I won't. I can tell him you visited but not that you may wanna come back to the team." Hailey promised.

They talked for a little while longer, before Vanessa was forced to leave. She had to collect her last few things from her undercover apartment. She promised to come to the district the next day. Like she had promised, while Hailey told Jay that Vanessa had visited, she didn't tell Jay the reason why Vanessa was coming tomorrow. She understood why Vanessa felt that she had to earn her possible return herself. She needed them to want her back because she was a good cop, not because Hailey wanted Vanessa to be her partner.