February 2024

In the end of february Hailey had her second ultrasound. The appointment was first in the morning, so they were going there before work. Jay was already ready to go, but Hailey seemed to linger in the bedroom. Jay had learnt that mornings weren't always the best time to Hailey nowadays, since she had been tired during the first trimester. However, they were running late, so Jay went to the bedroom.

Hailey was standing in front of the mirror, her upper body naked and jeans unzipped. Jay thought instantly how beautiful she looked. Jay admired the view smiling.

"You look beautiful", Jay blurted.

But taking into account Hailey's look, she didn't seem to appreciate his affection today.

"There's nothing beautiful in this. I'm fat. Nothing fits. My bras don't fit, my jeans don't fit", Hailey was frustrated. "And you are just smiling there like a maniac although you did this. Your sperm did this."

" I don't recall you weren't participating in what led us to this", Jay grinned.

Hailey huffed. "How could I have known that it leads me to be this fat."

"Babe, you are not fat. You have gotten a baby bump. Look!" Jay came closer and stood behind her. He put his hands on her belly and there really was a small baby bump.

"You are beautiful", Jay repeated.

Hailey looked at them in the mirror. Jay was right. Somehow she had gotten a baby bump during one night. She smiled.

They stood there together, admiring the new evidence of their baby. Jay slid his hands upwards along her body, before landing on her breasts. "And these, these I really love", he smirked.

Hailey elbowed him, but laughed. "Jay Halstead, you really have a one-track mind. You just like they are getting bigger."

"Well, I am not complaining", Jay grinned.

"I bet you aren't. If you want us to be on schedule, you go to warm up the car, I don't want to freeze my butt", Hailey ordered.

"Yes, my darling", Jay winked and left.

Hailey stood in front of the mirror for a moment, staring at her bump in wonder. Maybe she really should accept Kim's offer and go to shop maternity clothes with her. At least comfier jeans and bras. But for now some more flexible sports clothes had to do it.

March 2024

If first trimester Hailey had been tired and kinda moody, second trimester Hailey was more cheery but at the same time overly emotional and definitely more touchy-feely than regular Hailey.

Partly related to it, second trimester Hailey was also kinda horny, not that Jay would complain, not at all, but working together made it sometimes little challenging. It wasn't probably completely professional if your officer asks you if you should "take your wife home and bang her", since that particular wife has stared at you all day and was being kind of handsy.

And of course, Jay had shot Adam his death stare after that comment, but had also taken his wife home, since he was a great husband after all.

April 2024

Hailey woke up, noticing immediately that she was alone at the bed. She turned and took her phone from the nightstand. 1am. She had to visit the bathroom, like every night nowadays. Jay wasn't there either.

Coming from the bathroom, she didn't go back to the bed. She paddled to the living room, finding Jay sat on the couch. TV was on, but he didn't seem to watch it.

"Couldn't sleep?", she asked quietly, not wanting to startle Jay.

Jay turned to face her and smiled weakly. "Yeah, something like that. Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up."

"Nah. You didn't. I had to go to the bathroom", Hailey assured and sat down next to Jay.

"How surprising", Jay smirked and wrapped his arm around Haileys shoulder.

"Everything okay?", Hailey asked.

Jay didn't look at her and Hailey could see that he was trying to decide what to say. Hailey spotted a couple ultrasound pictures on the table in front of them. Oh. They had had doctor's appointment earlier. They had found out that Jay had been right with his hunch, they are going to have a little girl.

"Jay, whatever is bothering you, talk to me. You remember, it is what we do. Our thing. This", he indicated her growing bump, "doesn't change it. I am not going to break down."

Jay looked Hailey on the eyes. He swallowed.

"What if I am not any good at it? To be a father? What if I'll be a terrible dad? What if she hates me?" he asked, looking so vulnerable that it hurted Hailey's heart.

"Jay, do remember when I was afraid that I could not do this, that I would be a bad mom? You told me that we are doing this together. That stands both ways." Hailey talked softly. "I also know that there is no way you can be a terrible dad. You love her already. You are here for me when I have a hard time, when I am scared, when I need someone to hold me. Same way, you will be here for her too. You will protect her with everything you have. You will comfort her when she needs someone to do it, you will always be there when she needs you. Because the kind of man you are, Jay Halstead", Hailey told Jay sincerely.

Jau sighed and put his hand on her belly, stroking it affectionately. Hailey was right, he loved their baby. So much, that it felt almost impossible. But what if it wasn't enough.

"I don't know. I mean, I love her, so much. But when I saw her today, sucking her thumb, being already so… so real, it made this feel more concrete. I know I sound crazy, but it catched me unawares", he tried to explain.

"I get it. I understand this is different to you. You are as much her parent than I am, but I can feel her. I feel her moving. I feel her getting bigger. So she is maybe more real to me at this point. But you have to believe me, you are going to be an amazing dad. The fact you are sitting here in the middle of the night and thinking you wouldn't be enough actually confirms it. You want to be a good dad, you want the best for her. That is all that matters", Hailey stated.

Jay smiled at her and leaned to kiss her. "Thank you. Thank you for being the voice of reason. I love you. I love both my girls."

"We love you too", Hailey caressed his cheek with her hand, feeling his stubble against it. "Wanna try to sleep?"

Hailey stood up and tried to pull Jay with her, but Jay refused to do it and instead pulled her closer to him, so her belly was towards his face. He lifted her t-shirt, the one which was actually his, and pressed his lips against the soft skin. Giving light kisses to her bump he whispered: "Hey baby girl, daddy loves you."

Hailey drew her fingers through his short hair and enjoyed the feeling of his lips against her stomach.

"I think it's time you girls to get some sleep", Jay said and gave one more kiss to her belly before standing up.

They lay to their bed, Jay lying on his back and holding Hailey tightly against himself. Hailey's head rested on his chest. Jay kissed the crown of her head.

"Good night, Hails. Thank you for being you."

May 2024

Jay stopped at the doorway of his office and looked at the view in front of him in wonder. Hailey was crying on her chair and Kim was comforting her, when the others around them looked a little abashed.

Before he reached to do or say anything, Kevin pointed him with his finger. "You did this. Do something."

When Jay looked at him, raising his eyebrows questioningly, he explained. "She cries because Vanessa showed her videos about orphan koala cubs."

"Why is that my fault, isn't it Vanessa's?", Jay was confused.

"Man, you put that baby in her. Your fault." Kevin repeated his point.

Jay sighed. "Vanessa, stop making your partner cry."

Vanessa looked innocent. "Like Kev said, it's your fault. Your baby in her belly."

"I think I don't like you two anymore" Jay glared at them before taking Kim's place as Hailey's comforter.

"Jay", she sighed with relief. "They don't have mama's, they were all alone", she cried.

"I know, Hails, I know. Vanessa shouldn't show those Youtube videos to you", Jay told her, stroking her hair.

Hailey began to laugh through the tears. "Oh god, I know I am being a total nutcase, but I can't help it. Your baby is making me silly, this isn't the real me."

"Hey! Not you too. Why do you all blame me about this? I repeat, this was Vanessa's fault", Jay defended.

"Because you get the biggest payroll, in this unit we get to blame you about everything", Adam chimed in.

"And also, you did that", he continued pointing at Hailey's growing belly.

Hailey stroked her baby bump and nodded, now smiling sunny.

Jay groaned. Apparently this was his fault.

June 2024

What comes to third trimester Hailey, Jay learned quite quickly, that that Hailey could be anything you could imagine and much more. Now he knew what they meant by mood swings.

It was Friday evening and Jay was meant to meet Will, Kevin and Adam at Molly's patio. He was late and Will had called him.

"Something about Hailey and deodorant", Will explained after ending the call.

"What?!", Adam looked unbelieving.

"Well, apparently Jay had bought new deodorant, which according to Hailey smells weird and makes her nauseous if she is in the same room. So Jay showered again and went to the shop to buy the same brand he had before. He's coming now", Will told them.

Adam almost inhaled his beer when he laughed so hard.

"To Hailey's defense, pregnancy can really mess your sense of smell", Will tried to defend her sister-in-law, but bit his laughter too.

"Oh boy, that man really needs a beer, I will go to get him one", Kevin laughed compassionately.

Kevin was just coming back when irritated looking Jay arrived. He accepted gratefully the beer Kevin handed him and sat down.

Jay took a sip from his beer. "That woman is going to drive me nuts before the baby is born", he huffed.

"We all know that regardless how much you are complaining, you are totally whipped and would never change your life with anyone", Will smirked.

"Oh, and imagine, how whipped you will be when the baby is born… Little mini Hailey has you wrapped around her little finger in nanoseconds", Kevin continued.

Jay glared at laughing Will. "Like you would be any better. You are gonna spoil her anyway, uncle Will."

"That's is uncles' duty", Will said proudly.

Adam tilted his head and looked at Jay. "Will is right. You wouldn't change. No matter how madwoman Hailey is at the moment, and oh boy she really is, you wouldn't switch. I have known you for a long time and you haven't ever been this happy."

"What he said", agreed Kevin.

"Yeah. I wouldn't", Jay sighed and smiled. Adam was right. Even if it would mean showering again because you deodorant smells weird or going to the grocery at midnight, because Hailey desires certain ice cream, he wouldn't ever change. Even when staying awake at 3am because Hailey gets leg cramps and massaging her legs helps, he loved his life more than ever.

"Cheers to it", Kevin raised his beer and jingled with Jay.

Later Jay's phone pinged and after reading the message, he typed something back. Will looked at him grinning.

"Let me guess, Hailey is sorry but you said she doesn't have to be", Will laughed.

"Don't let her out of the hook too easily, you can get lucky if she feels a little quilty", Adam teased.

"Don't you worry about me getting lucky. I'm lucky enough", Jay smirked.

"At least if I brush my teeth first, because also beer apparently smells bad", he continued and made the others burst out laughing.

July 2024

The 21st district's precinct was an old house and the old house has an old air conditioning. So it broke down in the middle of the hottest heat wave of the whole summer.

Adam came back from the lunch run when he stopped in the middle of the bullpen. Hailey sat on her chair, two fans on table and a yellow towel around her neck and her feet in a red bucket.

"What a heck are you doing?", he asked, totally ignoring Jay, who desperately tried to signal him to keep his mouth shut.

"What do you think? Doing pedicure?" Hailey glared at him. "Try to be 33 weeks pregnant when this fucking building is like a sauna"

"I told you, you can go home", Jay said carefully.

"And I told you that though I am pregnant and my husband is a sergeant, that doesn't mean I can take privileges and skip working", Hailey gave her glare to him too.

"It doesn't look like you…." started Adam before Kim kicked him to the shin. "Never mind", he continued and went quickly to his own place.

Jay sighed and went to his office. Platt had already called the property maintenance, but it seemed the whole Chicago had air conditioning problems. There is not so much he could do.

Or so he thought until he had stayed an evening at Med with Hailey, who apparently got Braxton Hicks contractions because of the heat. Doctor said they were normal and not dangerous, but it still scared the crap out of Jay.

Next morning probably the entire district heard Sergeant Halstead's commanding voice, as he was calling the property management when he arrived at work. In the afternoon, the air conditioning was repaired and Platt claimed to Ruzek and Atwater that the new rookies feared Jay more than her.

The next day, a very pleased and very pregnant Hailey sat back at her desk again, enjoying the coolness and admiring her husband, her knight with a shining sergeant's badge.

August 2024

Hailey was alone at the bullpen. Jay and Vanessa were at court the whole day, and others on the field. Hailey was already 36 weeks pregnant and there wasn't so much she could do at work. She was archiving reports from the previous month when a pile of files slipped to the floor.

"Crap", she cursed and squatted down to pick up those.

As she got back up, she saw Platt standing at the top of the stairs. Sergeant looked amused.

"Doing some maternity workout here, Goldilocks", she asked.

Hailey laughed. "Mostly waddling around."

"How have you been?", Platt got more serious. "Everything okay?"

"Great, just had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything was great", Hailey answered. "She is maybe a little smaller than average, but very lively."

" I bet she is", Platt smiled. "Halstead is gonna be so in trouble, being overpowered by girls."

Trudy looked at Hailey, who was sitting on the corner of the desk and stroking her belly unnoticed. Such a familiar scene and yet something so different. When the brisk young detective had arrived in the district to demand her case back from the Intelligence, no one would have believed if had been told that seven years later she would be sitting there, pregnant, looking all motherly and so happy. Probably even less if had been told who the baby's father would be. However, thinking now, things had progressed exactly as they should have. Platt couldn't be happier for those two.

Hailey saw the older woman smiling and looking at her.

"What?", Hailey asked, wanting to know what Platt was thinking so intensively.

"Just remembered when you first walked in here. And threw you coffee on me", Trudy laughed.

"Oh god", Hailey was still embarrassed about that accident. "But yeah… it seems to be like eternity ago. Wouldn't believe if someone had told me I would become a member of this team, and even less if someone had told me this", she pointed out her belly.

"Wouldn't you believe if someone had told you that you would take Halstead to your bed?", Platt teased.

Hailey giggled. "Well… Of course I had eyes, I could see he was kinda… hot."

She stopped to think. "But truth to be told. He was also a mess at that time and I had plenty of my own issues. Only way this could happen was that we became friends first and worked on our personal issues before starting anything else."

Platt nodded. "You are probably right. I have to say, I am impressed by the growth you both have done."

"Thank you, Trudy", Hailey said with tears in her eyes. "Oh god, now I am going to cry. Sorry, these hormones had made me lunatic."

Trudy stepped closer and little awkwardly wrapped her arms around Hailey. "There, there… Don't cry."

Hailey wiped her tears and gave a laugh. "I'm okay."

Trudy looked like she had wanted to ask something. She decided to take a risk.

"I know you have Jay, but have you told your family?", she asked carefully.

"Yeah… I told my mother a couple months ago", Hailey said. "But I don't want my father to have anything to do with my kid and my mother is almost always with him, so…"

Trudy looked at her compassionately.

"My brother's know but they live in another state. But it's okay, Jay and I have Will, and we have this unit. Everyone has been amazingly supportive", Hailey continued.

"This unit really is unique", Trudy smiled warmly. "Umm… I just want to say that maybe I can also help, if you need something."

Hailey had ever seen Platt looking so unsure. She felt herself to become emotional again.

"Thank you, I really appreciate your offer", she thanked. "You know what they say. It takes a village to raise a child. Jay and I really consider you to be part of our village."

Platt looked at Hailey like it would be hard to believe what she had said. Then she hugged her again.

"Thank you, this really means a lot to me."

Hugging there, they heard footsteps from the stairs and aparted.

Kim and Williams came with big paper bags.

"We brought you lunch", Kim informed Hailey.

"And this", Williams handed a large takeaway cup to Hailey. "One large decaf iced cappuccino."

"Oh god, just what I needed, how did you know", Hailey whooped.

"I have a wife and two kids, you remember", Williams grinned.

Platt looked around herself satisfied. This little village really takes care of its own.