Hailey hadn't slept a wink since she'd first received the call. She'd sat by Jay's side until the late hours of the evening just watching him sleep, watching the way his chest moved with each breath. He was alive. He was here. That's what mattered most, everything else was just collateral. As long as they were both alive they'd find a way. That's what they promised...for better for worse...in sickness and in health.

When she finally finds the strength to leave his room she's assured by Will who was on the night shift that he'd check in with her every hour.

The drive back to their house feels eerily long as she gets lost in the memories of the first time they'd pulled up at their now home almost four years ago. It was a new build abandoned by another company that had gone bust after the pandemic. It was practically a skeleton of a house, not exactly practical for a couple with a baby on the way. But Jay had seen something in it. She remembers his face so clearly the way he'd excitedly pointed out the grand fireplace, the corner where they'd put the Christmas tree, the lurch that have big family BBQs on. The first thing he'd wanted to instal was a treehouse for their kids to play in one day.

When she does finally pull up outside, the house is dark and cold and not the warm haven it had become. Her keys shake in her hand as she slips them into the lock, tiptoeing her way inside. Once inside she immediately makes her way out to the kitchen pouring herself a whisky. The liquid burns her throat as she takes a sip but god is it needed.

Slowly she makes her way out the back porch door taking a seat on the decking that overlooked their garden.

It's only when she hears the sound of footsteps behind her that she turns around. "Sorry I was gonna come up but I thought if they were still awake I didn't wanna get them all excited." She mutters as Olivia settles on the seat beside her.

"Peyton was out like a light at 7 but Lily kicked up a little fuss...nothing a little Mulan can't fix." She smiles brightly and Hailey tries her hardest to match it. "I'm so sorry to call you back here Hailey...it's just I have a test tomorrow and..."

"Hey..." Hailey waves her hand dismissively. "I'm the one that dragged you out of bed in the middle of the night to watch my kids, honestly Liv you're a lifesaver."

"Thanks...how...how is Jay doing?" She asks hesitantly. "The girls were asking for him, I didn't know what to say."

Hailey nods, turning her gaze back towards the garden. Towards the treehouse, Jay had built a couple of years back. She swears it was the hottest Chicago summer ever and instead of relaxing in their last moments of freedom before the baby arrived, Jay had insisted on building a treehouse. It didn't matter that a newborn couldn't use a treehouse...a fact Hailey had brought up multiple times, no...Jay had insisted on building one.

She swears if she closes her eyes she can see them all now, Jay chasing Lily around the garden water gun in hand…or the late-night feeds on the back porch, rocking Peyton back to sleep. The family photo they have hanging in the hallway of them all bundled up standing next to a 7ft snowman last Christmas.

"He has retrograde amnesia...they said it's most likely temporary but right now he can't remember the last seven years." Hailey let's out a deep sigh, somehow saying it out loud made it feel so much more real. He can't remember their girls...he has no idea he's a dad and Hailey has no idea what to say to their daughters.

"Hailey...I..."

She shakes her head, she's never been one to except people's pity so she won't start now.

"Hey no it's okay...it's all gonna be okay but you should get going you're not failing that test on my account."

She forces a brave face knowing the only person who could see through it is at the hospital. When she finally sees Olivia off promising to keep her updated as she waves her off from the doorway she makes her way upstairs. The first genuine smile of the day spreads across her face as she tiptoes over to see her seven-month-old sleeping soundly. With her strawberry blonde hair and freckles just like her daddy she definitely had more of the Halstead genes.

She takes in the sight for a moment, stroking a hand across her chubby cheeks before she finally backs away, she can hear Jay telling her about how he has and would rather navigate an actual minefield than accidentally wake one of his sleeping girls.

She debates going in the room next door, knowing Lily is a much lighter sleeper than her sister but selfishly she needs to see her, her mass of curly blonde hair splayed across the pillow. She looks so peaceful. She might be Hailey's twin but she's a real daddy's girl. They both are...and the idea the daddy they know isn't coming back sits heavy on Hailey's heart.

It is only when she feels her phone buzz in her pocket that she backs away, another update from Will. Nothing of interest, everything was the same and thankfully Jay was still asleep.

Hailey has never been more thankful for her children than she is the next morning. It's around six when she hears the familiar footsteps of her daughter on the landing, her little face peering around the doorway, that cheeky Halstead smile appearing as she slips into the room to curl up with Hailey. Her daughter is so bright and so happy it's hard to focus on anything but her and Peyton who Hailey can hear beginning to fuss through the monitor. They need her, they need her to be strong, they need her to get up and keep going.

"Daddy is at work today."

She feels guilty lying when Lily asks, maybe she should've told them daddy wasn't feeling well and had to go to work with uncle Will but she wouldn't know how to explain that daddy didn't know who they were. So she lies, it's not like Peyton understands anyway and Lily seems happy enough with the answer as she continues to munch away on her cereal.

Kim appears at her door at around nine with Makayla in tow and supplies for a full-on Disney girls sleepover in their hands. Hailey gives Kim a thankful smile as she ushers her inside. Hailey had never been so thankful to have stumbled across her intelligence unit, I mean not only had she met her husband and the father of her children but she'd met a family she could only wish to have. She spots a text from Platt promising that she'll stop by the hospital later and that she'd already booked her leave for two weeks but of course she'll extend it when the time comes. Going to work hadn't even occurred to Hailey, neither had child care for the day but it was good to know the unit had her back.

When Jay wakes up it takes him a second to realise where he is and then slowly the events of yesterday start to come back to him. Everything felt so confusing he was so sure in his mind that he'd been shot by Angela two days ago, he could see it all so clearly. He remembers Hailey's voice as she found him, relief flooding through him because she was there as he hobbled down the basement stairs. It was so hard to comprehend that seven years had passed. It felt like he was reaching for something that wasn't there. It was only when Dr Charles and Reid explained his condition that he started to take in the features of people around him...the grey that now peppered Will's hair, the smile lines slightly more pronounced in Hailey's face. Proof that time really had passed.

When he awoke early Wednesday he was surprised to see his brother curled up in the chair beside him. The morning once again was a series of tests and multiple questions...do you remember anything? How are you feeling? It all felt a little overwhelming so when Dr Charles appears just before lunch Jay is relieved to see a face he recognises.

The doctor keeps Jay company for the rest of the morning, he once again talks him through his amnesia...the unsettling fact that there is no real cure for it, there is a chance he will never regain his memories but the best way to push forward would be jogging his memory by introducing him to the things in his life that he's forgotten in the hopes it will all come back to him.

Dr Charles suggests regular appointments, a chance to talk through how he's feeling as he slowly falls back into his life. It's all a little frustrating for Jay, it just feels so normal for him, with all the people he recognises except the bruising on his ribs he feels ready to get back up and head to work with Hailey beside him. But apparently, that's not the case...according to Dr Charles a lot had happened in the last seven years...a lot that he'd have to slowly be introduced to.

When he finally gets a moment alone he manages his way to the bathroom catching his reflection for the first time since he'd woke up yesterday. He'd almost laughed at Will for the grey now starting to pepper his hair but he could see it coming through in his own as he took in the sight of himself. He was clearly a couple of years older with a couple of nasty bruises on his face.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Looking up he spots Hailey in the reflection leaning against the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. He had been wondering when she'd be coming around again.

"Seriously?" He asks, raising one eyebrow as he turns around following her back towards his hospital bed.

"About ready to stage a prison break?"

Jay smirks as he settles back down on the bed, he watches as Hailey reaches out to help before faltering, her hands dropping to her sides. He was glad she was here, glad that there was someone he was comfortable with. "Yeah and now my partner in crime is here I'm ready to go."

"I'm more your partner not in crime but I get it." She muses, fluffing the pillows behind him.

"I spoke to Dr Charles…"

Hailey sighs nodding as she takes a seat on the edge of his bed. "Yeah so did I."

"He said there's no cure for this but jogging my memory by exposing me to my current life will be my best chance of regaining my memories." Jay studied Hailey closely as he talks,the way her smile doesn't quite meet her eyes as she looks at him. "So what do I need to know?"

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to tell you."

"Funny he said differently...why don't you think my wife is the best person to tell me?"

He watches Hailey's face fall, her mouth agape as she tries to work out how to respond but her response is enough to confirm his suspicions. "I...did he tell you that?"

Jay shakes his head, suspicions confirmed as he took Haileys left hand in his, watching the blush rise up her neck. It was strange to see her this way, a little flustered especially when he was so used to her as his partner. "This is my mother's engagement ring...I thought I'd spotted it yesterday, then I thought my mind was going a little hazy but then this morning they brought my personal effects to me which included a gold wedding band. I don't wanna assume things, we could easily be married to other people but apparently, you're my emergency contact so I'm gonna take an educated guess." He smiles up at her running his thumb across the two rings on her finger, it should scare him, it should terrify him really, he never believed he'd try and give that ring to anyone again...he was pretty sure between him and Will they'd cursed it but here it was laying on her finger so perfectly.

"You were always a very good detective."

"I hope I still am."

Hailey smiles, her gaze focused on their intertwined hands as she nods. "You are...though we call you sergeant now." Jay raises his eyebrows as he runs his thumb across the back of her hand. It's soft and small in his grip and it's so unfamiliar to him. "Jay I don't...I don't know how to play this, Dr Charles said we should just start reintroducing you to your old life but I mean it's a lot right?"

"It is a little…" The sergeant thing he can overlook, it's a natural progression for him. It sounds right and he's glad he'd stuck to his plan but the marriage to Hailey that felt a little overwhelming, in his mind he'd thought maybe they could be something more...he knew things had started to change between them since Kelton,m. That was when he'd first realised he couldn't be without her...he just hadn't quite worked out what he wanted but he was glad to see future Jay had.

"How long have we been married?"

"Are you sure you wanna know? It isn't all a bit too much for you?"

"Trust me, Hails, I wanna know everything and I wanna hear it from you...someone I trust," he tried to make her look at him as she turned her gaze down to the floor, tugging lightly on her hand.

"Hailey..,"

"I...I don't know how to do this...it's just so unfair and you're the one hurting...fuck." She lets his hand go wiping furiously at the tears that have begun streaming down her face and Jay feels his gut twist painfully at the sight. "Here I am crying like a mess. I just don't know what to do...I don't know how to fix this."

"Hey come here…" Jay shushes her, shifting up in the bed, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he reaches over pulling her instantly into his arms.

"I just want you here with me." Hailey whimpers wiping her nose on her hand as she tucks her face against his neck.

Jay swallows deeply surprised at how normal it feels to be so close as he runs his hand down her back softly. "I'm right here Hailey." He can feel the guilt clawing away at him as she tries to calm herself in his arms. He'd never really considered what this must be like for her, what it must be like for her husband to turn around and ask her if they're married. "I'm sorry I can't imagine this is easy for you,"

After a while, she leans back in his arms looking up so she can meet his gaze. "You know you're taking this whole marriage thing pretty well. Is it the drugs they've given you?"

"Are you kidding me? It's like waking up and finding out you won the lottery." Jay half laughs poking at her side, he's not really sure what's come over him, they've never been the touchy-feely type of friends but his hands are moving before he can think.

A laugh ripples through her and it brings a smile to Jay's face to watch her light up as she reaches over to punch his arm. "Ouch..." They're both grinning a little like madmen at each other and Jay curses his missing memories, desperate to know if every moment with her feels like this.

Hailey never gets a chance to answer as a knock sounds at the door and a nurse enters. "Excuse me, I just wanted to let you know we are ready for your CT now"

Jay groans as Hailey slips off the bed and out of his grip, smiling sheepishly at the nurse before promising Jay she'd be here when he was done.

"Does he know yet? About the girls?" Will asks when he finds Hailey in the cafeteria a little later, making her jump slightly as she fumbled with the buttons to the vending machines.

She shakes her head. "No I told him we were married...he took it pretty well."

Jay didn't seem too shocked to find out they were married, he honestly seemed to be taking it better than she would. Seven years ago she was just coming to terms with the fact that the love she felt for him was much deeper than one shared for a friend. She couldn't imagine his headspace right now.

Will nods, shaking his head at his sister-in-law in amusement. "Of course he did...Hailey my brother is head over heels for you, no amnesia is gonna stop that."

"Not this version of him, this for him is a year before we got together."

Will places a hand against Hailey's arms stopping her in her tracks. "Trust me...this Jay he has a thing for you. He always did." Hailey rolls her eyes feeling a little uncomfortable. "What are you gonna do? Did you talk to Dr Reid, they wanna keep him a few more nights for observations but other than that I mean physically he's all good to go home."

"I just don't wanna overwhelm him, I know I have to tell him about the girls but I just wanna take it a little slower."

"Hailey the best way to get his memories back is returning to his old life."

"I have to do what's best for Jay and what's best for Lily and Peyton." She sighs, looking down at her phone spotting a text from April letting her know Jay was back in his room. "I'll figure it all out." She flashes Will another polite smile before she disappears down the hall. One life-altering reveal at a time.