There are half-empty boxes everywhere and the entire apartment is organized chaos but still, it feels like home.
Because the kitchen is a strange assortment of the dishes and utensils they have both collected over the years and the living room has one of his old posters and a few pictures she pulled out of a box.
But it's still them. It's coming home together at night and waking up together in the mornings. And even if they had been doing that same routine for the last several months, it's special now because this space, it's theirs.
It's their first holiday in the new place and they joke about hosting everyone and having a party. But then they look around at the half-unpacked boxes and the strange assortment of things still littering the living room floor and they decide against it, stating they can have everyone over for a future Thanksgiving.
Neither of them is particularly sentimental about this holiday. It falls into the same category as many of the others: if they're not working, they'll celebrate but if they are, they won't lose sleep over it. For the past few years, Jay has only had Will to celebrate with and some years, his brother works on the actual holiday, leading to them celebrating either a week early or a few days late. Hailey sometimes goes and visits one of her brothers, never her parents, or she spends the holiday alone.
But then there is this year and neither of them is spending it alone. Will is working at the hospital on Thanksgiving, so they make plans to have a day just the three of them in the next few weeks where they watch a game and order some unhealthy food. As for their Thanksgiving day meal, Hailey's older brother invites her over and by extension, invites Jay too.
"Okay so Thomas is an IT manager, and his wife is a…"
"Physical therapist," Hailey completes the sentence when Jay's voice starts to fade. They are halfway through their drive to her older brother Thomas's house for Thanksgiving dinner and he is trying to remember all the little tidbits and facts she has told him about her brothers over the years. It is the first time he is meeting anyone in her family face to face and it feels like a big deal.
"Right," Jay swallows nervously, hand subconsciously tightening its grip against the truck's steering wheel. "And his wife is Meredith. Married for ten years?"
"Yeah, almost," Hailey hums. She lolls her head to the side against the back of the seat, smiling over at him. "You know, they're not gonna care if you know this stuff."
"But they might," Jay argues back softly. "They met in college, right?"
"Yeah," Hailey sighs, realizing Jay is not going to give up without a fight. "Freshman year."
"Two kids?" Jay questions, even though he already knows the answer, but Hailey still nods. "Carter and Addison. Almost two and five?"
"Yup. And how many kids does Peter have?"
He turns to her with a smile and points his finger at her knowingly. "That's a trick question. He doesn't have any kids. He wants to be the fun uncle forever."
"You've been listening," Hailey hums to herself, a proud little smile on her face, and it makes Jay chuckle.
"I always listen when you talk."
"Uh-huh," she rolls her eyes playfully, the teasing evident in her voice before she sighs, voice going soft again. "You don't need to be nervous. They're gonna love you."
"I know it's just…" the words get lost on his tongue and without a second of hesitation, Hailey reaches over and grabs his hand, intertwining it with his and resting them against his thigh. He smiles at the small gesture, squeezing her hand softly to let her know he appreciates it.
"You met my brother before we started dating so it was different," Jay explains. "And even then…it's important to me that you guys get along because he's my only family."
"And it's important that you get along with my brothers because they're my only family?" Hailey offers quietly and Jay just nods, not having the words to answer.
She often tells him that none of them can remember the last time they saw their dad. They all left the house, went to college, and never looked back. Each one of the three siblings has a different relationship with their mother, though. Hailey talks to her occasionally over texts, never anything too personal, just the occasional hello, how are you, how's work. Peter is a little more willing to divulge information about his personal life.
Thomas, on the other hand, does not speak with their mother. Hailey has told Jay a few times that, as the oldest, not only did he take the brunt of the abuse, but he also often had the task of raising his two younger siblings while their mom was injured and their dad was drunk. He lost anything resembling a normal childhood and stopped speaking to both of his parents shortly after turning eighteen, only keeping in contact with his younger siblings.
But none of them talk to their father. That is the one thing they have in common. Hailey has said that, forming relationships with her brothers as adults has been complicated given the nature of their relationships as kids. They were never just siblings, just kids having fun. There was always fear and they always had to be each other's safety. But they all put in the work and tried to make something out of the wreckage that their father created.
"I just want this to go well," Jay says after a moment. "They're your older brothers. I'm your boyfriend. I get there's gonna be some interrogations but…"
"But you want their approval?" Hailey teases with a sickly sweet smile and by the way she nudges at his thigh, he knows she is doing this to try and make him laugh.
It works.
"I just want them to think I'm good enough for you."
"I think you're good enough for me," Hailey whispers. "Isn't that what matters?"
He doesn't respond at first. Instead, he picks up their intertwined hands and presses a soft kiss to the back of hers, whispering against her skin, "Yes."
"You make me happy," Hailey tells him when he lowers their hands, and he can't help but smile. "And you treat me well. So yeah, they're probably going to give you a hard time, but they are going to love you. It's pretty hard not to."
"Oh yeah? That your way of saying you find me irresistible?" Jay raises an eyebrow cheekily and Hailey rolls her eyes with a groan. She immediately lets go of his hand and swats his arm playfully, Jay laughing the whole time.
"I take it back," she says with a huff as she falls back against her seat. "You're insufferable and they are going to hate you."
"I love you," Jay says sweetly, an attempt to redeem himself, and he stretches his hand out towards her for good measure, waiting for her to take it.
Of course, she takes it without hesitation, their hands falling in her lap.
"Yeah, yeah, love you too."
It's a little past twelve by the time they finally arrive at Thomas's house. He and his wife live a little over an hour outside the city, making it an easy drive but just far enough that Hailey can't go see them all the time. The town where they live, it's less chaotic than the neighborhood where Jay and Hailey just bought their apartment. Thomas and Meredith have a nice-sized house with a spacious backyard and some woods behind them, several yards of space between them and their next neighbor.
"You ready?" Hailey asks Jay as they hop out of the car and start walking towards the front door. He still feels the nervousness, despite Hailey's comforting him in the car, but he just nods anyway, grabbing Hailey's hand as they approach the stairs.
"I'm ready."
Hailey raises her hand to knock on the door but before she can, the door swings open, little giggles hitting Jay's ears.
"Auntie Hailey!" A little girl shrieks, stepping out into the cold to grab Hailey, and Hailey immediately reaches for her, picking up the little girl and holding her tight. It makes Jay smile, watching as Hailey holds the girl who is already close to half her size.
"Hi Addy," Hailey says sweetly as she puts the little girl down. "I missed you. You got so big."
Addison giggles at her aunt's words, smiling bashfully before she turns to Jay, cocking her little head to the side. There is a strong resemblance between Addison and Hailey, even if Addison's hair is a light brown and her eyes are darker than her aunt's. The mannerisms are all the same. "Are you Auntie's boyfriend?"
Jay laughs nervously, looking to Hailey who does not say anything before looking back at the little girl. "Yeah, I am. I'm Jay. It's nice to meet you."
Addison stares at him for a moment, not saying anything, before she matter of factly tells him, "My daddy said he needs to talk to you."
Jay is about to respond, with what he's not sure, but before he can, there is the sound of footsteps and a voice calling out, "Ads, is that your aunt?"
A tall man, with similar blonde hair and blue eyes, comes to the door, looking down at the little girl with a smile before looking at Jay and Hailey. He steps forward and gives Hailey a quick side hug, mindful of Addison still in between them.
"Hey smalls," he says and Hailey scoffs quietly, shaking her head.
"Every year," she says under her breath, in that tone Jay knows to be one of fake annoyance.
And clearly, her brother is used to it too because he just ignores her and turns to look at Jay. "And you must be the boyfriend."
"That would be me," Jay says, putting out his hand. "Jay. Nice to meet you."
"Thomas," her brother says, grabbing his hand and giving it a firm shake. As he drops Jay's hand, he nods inside. "Come on you two, come in. No need to be standing out in the cold."
They come inside and peel off their jackets and take off their snow-covered boots before following Thomas into the main living area of the house. To the left is a large, open kitchen which is connected to a living room on the right. Addison runs past the three adults and over to the kitchen island, where another man is sitting on a kitchen stool and a woman is cooking on the other side.
"Oooh, looks like Hailey has a new friend," the other man who Jay assumes to be Peter coos. Immediately, Hailey rolls her eyes. Despite her annoyance though, she still walks right over to him and he jumps out of his seat to give her a hearty hug, lifting her up a little as he does.
"Nice to see you too," Hailey mutters as she pulls out of his embrace. Peter snickers as Hailey rounds the corner, going to give Meredith a half hug, mindful of the food she is preparing.
"Should have warned you they've been insufferable today," Meredith hums, slightly leaning into Hailey's embrace against her shoulder. "I'm just happy I have another woman now to save me from their antics."
"You're still outnumbered," Peter announces, and he walks over across the living room floor to the space Jay is still standing in. "You Jay?"
The man is slightly shorter than Jay but only by two or three inches, roughly the same height as Thomas. His hair is a little darker than his sisters and his eyes are darker too.
He stares Jay down and honestly, he's not surprised. Hailey told him on the way up that since she and Peter were only a year and a half apart in age, they grew up very close, giving them a special bond that now translated into something of overprotectiveness as adults.
"Yeah. Jay Halstead. Nice to officially meet you."
Her brother smiles at that, sticking out a hand and giving Jay a firm handshake as he says, "You too, man. Peter.
Peter drops his hand and then turns back towards the kitchen island, motioning Jay to follow. Peter resumes his original seat and Jay comes to lean against the counter next to Hailey, feeling his anxiety drop a bit when she grazes her hand against his behind the island where no one can see.
"Jay, this is Mer," Hailey tells him. "Thomas's wife."
"Nice to meet you," Jay gives her a small nod and she smiles, hands still busy moving rolls from a pan to a dinner bowl.
"Nice to meet you too," she hums. "I see you met Addy."
Meredith nods over to the living room where Addison is now coloring happily at the coffee table, humming a little tune to herself. Jay has heard plenty of stories about Hailey's niece and nephew and seen countless photos on her phone, but he has never gotten to see her interact with them. He's seen her with other children on some of the cases they have worked but seeing her with these two little ones that she already loves so much? He would be lying if he said that he was not a bit excited.
"She's a cute kid," Jay says, turning back to look at Meredith.
Thomas lets out a loud laugh, coming to stand next to his wife, and he glances quickly at his daughter in the other room before looking at Jay. "You ever wonder what your girlfriend was like at five? She was that over there."
"He means she's unapologetic," Hailey turns to Jay, trying to ignore her brothers, but Peter's chuckle catches her attention, and she turns his head.
"He means she doesn't take anyone's crap," Peter corrects her. "Which is great until it gets you in trouble at Kindergarten."
"I think she gave me the same look Hailey gave me when we first met," Jay laughs, her brothers and Meredith joining in. It all feels like simple and easy banter, how they might joke around with the team or their friends from Med and Firehouse 51, and Jay hopes that it is a good sign and that her family doesn't hate him right from the start.
"Speaking of cute kids," Hailey draws out dramatically, changing the subject. "Where's my nephew?"
"Tired of your brothers already?" Peter teases.
"The minute I walked in," Hailey quips back.
"He's upstairs," Meredith chuckles, answering Hailey's original question before Peter can add anything else in. "He should be waking up from his nap. Wanna go grab him while we set out the food? Then we can have dinner?"
Hailey smiles at the offer, the corners of her lips turning up towards her ears. "Don't have to ask me twice," she says before turning to Jay. "Wanna come meet Carter?"
Jay nods, knowing that while it's not a two-person job, Hailey must realize that leaving him alone with her two brothers not even five minutes after they arrived might not be the best idea. So, they excuse themselves from the kitchen and quietly slip up the stairs. As they round the corner and disappear out of sight from her brothers, Hailey slips her hand into Jay's and gives it a squeeze.
"It's going well," she whispers.
"Hailey," he chuckles. They come off the last step and stand at the top of the stairs, pausing before they go into Carter's room. "We just got here."
"I know," she hums. "But it seems like they like you so far. So, that's a plus."
"I thought it didn't matter if they liked me?" He cocks his head to the side, eyebrow raised as a smirk plays on his lips.
"It doesn't," Hailey murmurs, raising herself up on her tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to his lips for good measure. "Because I like you. But them not hating you isn't such a bad thing either."
"They're really important to you, huh?"
He knows the answer to the question before he even says it. Even just seeing her interact with them for these past five minutes, he can tell that her bond with her brothers is strong. For most of her life, they were all she had. It makes sense that, on some level, she wants them to get along with Jay, even if she won't admit that to any of them.
"They're my brothers," Hailey says quietly. "They're the only family I got…"
"You got me," he reminds her, squeezing her hand to reiterate her point, and it gets her to look up at him and smile.
'I know," she whispers. "And I love you. More than anything. And I love them too. Which is why I'm happy they seem to like you."
He wishes that, for a moment, they weren't standing on the top of her brother's stairs right outside of her nephew's bedroom and that he could kiss her properly. But it will likely be several hours until he can do that again. So, he resigns himself to lifting up their joined hands and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
She smiles at the contact and when he lowers their hands to their sides again, she tugs lightly on his arm, leading him to one of the bedrooms on the left. Hailey drops his hand and puts her ear up to the door, listening before she slowly opens it. Jay peers over her shoulder and sees a toddler, standing in his crib, immediately screeching in happiness when he sees his aunt.
"Me out," the little boy's arms stretch over the crib railing. Hailey is quick to react, pulling him out of the crib and scooping him up into her arms. She gives him a big hug, Carter immediately bursting into a fit of giggles as she does.
"Carter," Hailey hums as his giggles subside. "This is Jay. Can you say hi?"
Carter's head falls against Hailey's shoulder, nuzzling its way into the crook of her neck. He gives Jay a small wave, clapping his fingers to the palm of his hand as he quietly says, "Hi."
"Hi Carter," Jay says softly. "It's nice to meet you."
Carter turns his face, hiding it in Hailey's neck, but before he does, Jay can see the smallest hint of a smile. There is faint laughter coming from the boy, muffled by Hailey's hair, and Jay grins when he realizes that Carter is trying to play.
"Oh man, someone is happy today," Hailey laughs as she readjusts Carter on her hip.
"Down," Carter coos but Hailey shakes her head.
"Let's change that diaper first and then we'll go see Mama, okay?"
That gets the little boy's attention and immediately, he starts wiggling in Hailey's grasp even more, trying to get down so he can roam free and go find his mother. Hailey tightens her grip on his waist and brings him over to a changing table, starting to change the boy's diaper like it's second nature.
Jay just watches quietly on the other side of the room as Hailey takes care of Carter. He knows that she's good with kids, has seen it countless times, but this is something else. It's such a small detail, something so mundane when it comes to being a parent and something he knows they will probably be so incredibly tired of when they have kids of their own. But watching her with Carter, how naturally she takes care of him, it makes him fall a little more in love with her.
She is so easy and gentle and kind with this little boy and Jay can't help but wonder how wonderful she is going to be with their own kids one day.
"You good?" Hailey asks as she finishes changing Carter and comes back to the other side of the room.
Jay is not sure he has the words to explain his thoughts right now and even if he did, Hailey might think that he is crazy. So, he just nods and whispers "Yeah," following her out of the room and back down the stairs so that they can start dinner with her brothers.
But the image of her with a baby on her hip? It's a little hard to shake out of his mind.
He's learned a lot about Hailey over the years. He has learned that she is most certainly not a morning person and that she loves a good lazy weekend. He's learned about her past and how to her, holidays were always the worst. They were reminders that everyone else got something normal and she got chaos and pain. He knows that her relationship with family and the holidays is complicated, to say the least.
But today, on their first Thanksgiving together, he learns a few happier things. He learns how she absolutely hates cranberry sauce because she does not get the point. And he learns that she likes her pumpkin pie with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream because "that's the only acceptable way to eat it."
Jay has heard her laugh before but he's never heard her laugh with her brothers and actually share some of the few good memories from her childhood. It's one of his favorite things he experiences that day.
"Jay, let me tell you, this girl has had no fear from the time we were children," Peter laughs, a fork filled with turkey pointed out towards his sister. They are in the middle of dinner, exchanging stories from their childhoods and the past few years, laughing and having a good time
"We had this huge old tree when we live in Lake Forest. Easily ten feet. Probably more." Peter sets the scene. "This girl would scale the tree like she was Tarzan and then hang upside down from the branches. Almost gave our mother a heart attack."
"You say that like you weren't right there next to her," Thomas laughs, shaking his head and Peter just rolls his eyes at the addition to the story.
"Well, I'm not gonna let my baby sister climb up a tree on her own," Peter shrugs. He bites the piece of turkey off his fork, chewing slowly before he adds. "That would have been irresponsible."
"But almost pushing me off that tree on countless occasions, that wasn't irresponsible whatsoever?" Hailey asks. Jay snickers at her comment, enjoying watching the siblings interact.
"Eh," Peter shrugs again. "You were probably being annoying."
"You have siblings, Jay?" Meredith asks, clearly an attempt to stop whatever sibling argument is about to erupt.
"Yeah," Jay looks up from his plate. "Older brother, Will. We're about a year apart. He's a doctor."
"No wonder you two like each other," Thomas jokes in between bites of mashed potatoes. "You're both the baby of the family."
"Yes," Hailey rolls her eyes. "That's the entire basis of our relationship."
Thomas makes a face at his sister but Meredith snickers, shaking her head and asking, "You two met at work, right?"
Jay glances at Hailey but she is currently taking a bite of food, so he turns to Meredith and answers her question. "Yeah. We got partnered up at work almost five years ago."
"You gonna tell us how you went from work partners to living together?" Peter jokes. "Because Hailey's told us her version of the story and, no offense sis, it's a little dry."
Hailey playfully drops her fork to the table and cocks her head to look at her brother, feigning offense. "I told you the truth," she says before looking up at Jay. "I told them the truth."
"You told us you were work partners and then started dating after a holiday party," Peter corrects her, and Jay can't help but chuckle, smiling down at Hailey.
"I mean, technically that is the truth," Jay says, coming to Hailey's defense and she raises her fork to point at him knowingly.
"Come on, tell us what actually happened," Thomas groans. "He's the only guy you've liked enough to actually bring him home. It's gonna be at least a halfway decent story."
Jay is caught off guard by that, flashing Hailey a surprised look. Her eyes glance over to him, and he can read her expression, telling him it's true and they can talk later. He's not sure why he's surprised by this, though. Hailey has told him about her past and the series of relationships that came before him, none of them serious enough for her even to start thinking long-term.
And he gets that mentality because, for most of his life, he was the same exact way. He didn't have a serious relationship until Erin came around and even then, he wasn't as sure and as ready to plan a future with her as he is with Hailey. From the minute he kissed Hailey, he knew this was it. And several times since that first kiss, she has told him she feels the same way.
Maybe it's not surprising that he is the first guy she has brought home, but it definitely is reassuring. Selfishly, he likes the fact that she has told her brothers about him, that they know bits and pieces about their story. And even if her brothers barely know him, they know that he's important to Hailey, which is enough for right now.
"We met at a bank," Jay starts, and now it's Hailey's turn to wear the confused expression. "That's how Hailey got her job at Intelligence. She tried to steal our crime scene."
"It was my crime scene," Hailey corrects him, confused face turning into a soft smile, and Jay playfully rolls his eyes.
"She's told us that part," Peter pipes in. "Said that your boss offered her a job during that case?"
"Yeah," Jay hums. "She did good work. Blew him away…honestly, blew all of us away…."
"Now he's exaggerating," Hailey cuts in, waving her hand toward Jay. Her brothers chuckle at their banter while the two children at the end of the table are completely oblivious, happily enjoying their food.
"Your sister is a good cop," Jay ignores Hailey's comment. "And we got partnered up and we worked really well together. She got me out of a lot of tough situations."
He figures it's a nice way of saying what actually happened. How she shot straight with him and helped him when he couldn't get out of his own way with Camila. Stood by him when he was a jerk after losing his dad. Understood and comforted him when he got wrapped up with Angela and got kidnapped.
None of those stories are appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner, especially when there are two small children sitting just a few seats away, but Jay thinks it does not matter if they have these details. It does not matter what she saved him from, just that she saved him. And she continues to do that every day, whether she knows it or not.
"We started spending a lot of time together outside of work, especially after rough cases," Jay continues. "And it just happened. Before I knew it, she was my best friend. And then I was completely in love with her. Not really that crazy a story."
Not really that crazy a story when he leaves out the times they have both been kidnapped and they both went out of their mind trying to find the other. Or the time that their van was being shot up and he tackled her to the ground and held her close for the first time, realizing that he loved her as bullets flew free over their bodies.
Because even with all of that, at the end of the day, their story is simple. He fell in love with his best friend.
"Who made the first move?" Peter asks, glancing up from his plate, fork frozen in the air as he waits for the answer.
"Me," Jay answers. "Technically."
"Although, I'm pretty sure I told him to make it," Hailey adds with a laugh. It's something he teases her about to this day, her assertiveness on the day they got together, but it's secretly one of his favorite things about her.
"I like this one," Meredith pops in. "You two are good together."
Jay can feel his face flush red slightly at Meredith's comment. He knows she is not Hailey's blood but she's important to Hailey, the closest thing to a sister she has, and her acceptance means a lot.
One member of the family down. Just a few more to go.
"Enough of all this love talk," Peter says. "Tell us a cool cop story."
Meredith immediately looks over at Peter with a pointed look as Addison's ears perk up, the little girl glancing up from her food. Peter shakes his head with a chuckle, looking back over to Jay and Hailey.
"Or a semi-cool story that's age-appropriate for young ears," he corrects himself.
This time, Jay lets Hailey take lead with the storytelling, sitting back as she tells them about one of their less gruesome cases that took place a few months ago. Jay just enjoys listening to her talk, noticing how happy she sounds.
After dinner, they settle onto the couch and turn on the football game. Thomas and Meredith stay back in the kitchen, throwing some of the dishes in the dishwasher and getting dessert ready. Jay and Hailey offer to help them, but the two of them insist they go watch the game with Peter, stating that they'll be out in a few minutes. Addison resumes her coloring from before, occasionally looking up at the screen to see what the ruckus is about.
Peter sits on one side of the couch while Jay and Hailey sit tucked away on the other, Carter happily sitting on Hailey's lap, facing her. Normally Jay is a pretty big fan of the Thanksgiving football game but today he finds it hard to focus, paying more attention to his girlfriend and the way she plays with her nephew.
"You're good with him," Jay whispers during one of the commercials. Peter seems distracted by his phone and Addison by her coloring. Carter is happily playing with a toy truck in Hailey's lap, trying to drive it up and down Hailey's arm.
"He's my nephew," she laughs quietly, cocking her head up to see Jay. "I feel like it would be weird if I wasn't good with him."
Jay rolls his eyes, knowing the joke is Hailey's way of getting the spotlight off of her.
"That's a cute shirt," Jay continues, gesturing to the turkey shirt Carter is wearing. Hailey turns to him and smiles, ignoring the way Carter's car is now moving towards her head.
"You thinking about kids in turkey shirts now?"
Since Halloween, they've made a joke or two about having a baby in a cop costume in the future. They both know they are a while away from having kids, but the jokes don't scare them like they used to. If anything, it gives them comfort that they are on the same page.
"Maybe," Jay hums, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "Or maybe I'm just thinking of future traditions."
That gets Hailey to smile, and it looks like she is about to say something when Carter starts fussing, using his chubby little hand to turn Hailey's face back to look at him. It makes both of them chuckle, the way he instantly calms down and resumes driving his car up and down his aunt's arm and then onto Jay's leg.
"You wanna go to Uncle Jay?" Hailey whispers. The way she says it, "Uncle Jay," sounds so natural, like she put no effort into it at all, and Jay wonders if she is even aware of what she just said.
He's never been a real uncle before. Will has no kids and Jay knows it might be a while before he is an uncle to a little Halstead. And, of course, he has Makayla. She's older though, and she's never called him Uncle Jay. He's just Jay to her, her mom and Adam's friend from work who takes her places.
But as Hailey hands Carter over to Jay, the little boy happily going over and trying his hardest to say Jay's name, the short word coming out more like "day," Jay feels like a real uncle for the first time.
The little boy starts driving the car along Jay's arm, happily telling him "car go" and it makes Jay laugh. He bounces the little boy in his lap, as he tells him, "Yeah, buddy. Your car goes really fast."
"You're good with him," Hailey whispers, mimicking Jay's comment from before as she lets her head fall on Jay's shoulder. He looks over at her slightly, keeping his hands securely on Carter, and sends her a smile.
"Oh, now who's the one thinking about babies?"
"Never said I was thinking about babies," Hailey laughs quietly. "Just said that you're good with him…I like it."
For a moment, he forgets that they are surrounded by her family and presses a soft kiss to the top of her head. She closes her eyes, and he can hear her hum in contentment. He feels so lost in his own little world until a cheer from the other side of the couch brings him back to reality. He glances up at the screen and sees the game is back from its commercial break. Hailey straightens up a little beside him, her arm still pressed firmly against his, but now, she lets her head rest on the back of the couch, a few centimeters from his shoulder.
"He's a good kid," Jay chuckles lowly. "I think he's decided that we're best friends."
Lightly, Hailey pushes Jay's arm, feigning offense. "No way he's your best friend. That's my little dude right there."
Hailey reaches her arms out to take Carter back, but Jay moves the little boy to the other side of his lap, making Carter giggle. He tucks him securely into his left side, next to the couch armrest, and the little boy continues his playing, ignoring the complaints of his aunt.
"Unbelievable," Hailey mutters under her breath. "I've known him his whole life. He met you an hour ago."
"What can I say?" Jay shrugs. "I'm good with him."
Hailey rolls her eyes, ignoring his comment as she leans forward on the couch and looks over to Addison. "Hey, Addy, come here."
Addison looks up from her coloring. The crayons fall from her hand and roll across the table as she rounds the couch and comes over to her aunt, immediately standing in front of her. Hailey grabs the little girls' hands, hunching over so she is at eye level with her.
"You're still my best friend, right?"
Addison seems completely obvious to whatever is going on between the two adults. But still, she nods her head. "Yeah."
"Good," Hailey hums, reaching out for Addison and pulling her onto her lap. The little girl easily curls into Hailey's side, taking up most of her space, her feet dangling off Hailey's lap and over her knees. "Because your brother has decided he would rather hug Jay."
"That's because Jay's a boy," Addison says matter of factly, making both Jay and Hailey laugh.
"Even though Aunt Hailey is your best friend," Jay exaggerates the word, making Carter laugh happily even though is unaware of what is going on. "You and I are still friends, though, right?"
Addison stares at Jay for a moment, seemingly thinking about his question, before she shrugs. "I don't know you. And daddy said I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
There is a laugh from the other room from Thomas and Jay can hear Meredith muttering something about "your daughter" to her husband. It makes him chuckle before he focuses his attention on Addison again. He remembers Hailey looking at him the same way when they met, a little skeptical and unsure, and Jay wonders if when he and Hailey have a child if they are going to be even more of a carbon copy of her.
"Addy, you just had dinner with him," Hailey reminds her.
"I just know his name is Jay and he thinks you're pretty," Addison says sweetly, with all the innocence of a five-year-old.
"That's really all there is to know about him," Hailey teases. Jay's mouth falls slightly, and he pretends to be annoyed, but Hailey just smiles at him, kicking his foot to get his attention and mouthing "love you" to him when Addison isn't looking.
"What do you want to know about me?" Jay asks, turning his attention back to Addison.
Addison takes a moment to think, head cocked to the side in the same way that her aunt does. "Do you have a dog?"
"No dog," Jay chuckles. "But Aunt Hailey talks about dogs a lot so maybe we'll have to get one."
The little girl smiles, and Jay sees that some switch flips in her, the sparkle that was not there before now there, and she perks up as she asks her next question. "Do you like ice cream?"
"Yeah, I do. Aunt Hailey and I used to go get ice cream a lot during the summer. Maybe one day we can get ice cream," Jay hums, and the little girl's smile grows. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Hailey rolling her eyes.
"Chocolate is the best," Addison tells him. "I think it's my favoritest food."
Jay and Hailey laugh at her comment and from the kitchen, her parents chuckle too. Thomas comes over to them, resting his hands on the back of the couch and looking over at his daughter, who is still curled up against Hailey's side.
"I know ice cream is the favoritest food but what do you say to some pie?"
Addison does not even answer, happily leaping up out of Hailey's lap and racing towards the kitchen, leaving the adults to laugh as they watch her. Hailey starts to get up, reaching out for Carter as she does so, but Jay shakes his head. He adjusts the little boy so he's on his hip and stands up, arm securely wrapped around Carter.
"I got him," Jay tells her as they walk towards the kitchen island.
"You two really are best friends, huh?" Hailey bumps against his side lightly, giggling as she walks past Jay and over to where Addison is bouncing next to the counter, ready for her slice of pie.
Hailey gets a slice of her and a slice for Addison and walks back over to the dining room table. Meredith tells them that Carter can have some, just not a whole piece otherwise he'll be on a sugar high. Jay puts two small slices on one plate and grabs a regular fork and a toddler spoon before joining Hailey, Addison, and the others at the table.
"I like having these two here," Meredith laughs once they are all sitting down. "They entertain my kids and keep them happy? How do I get you two to sign up for weekly babysitting?"
"Move back to Chicago," Hailey teases. Jay chuckles, glancing at Hailey quickly as he helps Carter with his spoon. He doesn't think he has ever helped a toddler try to eat and he's honestly not sure how much he's even supposed to help him and how much of this Carter can do on his own. As confident as he is trying to appear with Hailey, he has spent very little time around such young kids, and he is not sure he is doing this right.
But he feels Hailey's hand graze against his knee like she can sense his uncertainty, and when he looks at her again, she gives him that look that reminds him that he's okay.
"Is Jay a police officer too?" Addison asks, cheeks filled with pie.
"Chew, baby," Meredith chuckles, grabbing a napkin and leaning over to wipe some of the whipped cream off her daughter's cheek. 'Jay is a police officer with Auntie Hailey. That's how they met."
"They're like Skye and Chase!" The little girl exclaims as she excitedly takes another bite of her pie. Jay looks over to Hailey in confusion, but she is already looking at her brother for an explanation.
"Tv show," Thomas explains with a sigh.
"Chase is a police dog. And Skye has a helicopter," Addison explains as if it is all common knowledge. "They help people just like you guys."
Jay nods, figuring he can't argue with that logic. It seems like Addison is starting to warm up to him, smiling at him a little more than before. And then there's Carter, who is still sitting in Jay's lap, trying to take a bite of both his and Jay's pie. They're both such simple things but it feels like Jay is actually fitting into Hailey's family.
"That's pretty close, Ads," Thomas laughs. "Although, I don't know if Aunt Hailey has a helicopter. But they do help a lot of people."
"That's cool," Addison hums, taking another big bite of pie before she adds. "I like Jay. He's nice like Chase."
It's the first time he's ever been compared to a cartoon dog, but Jay has to say, right now, it feels like one of the best compliments that he has ever received.
After dessert, Meredith takes Carter to go get him ready for bed. Hailey goes to help her and, of course, Addison goes wherever her Aunt Hailey goes, leaving Jay alone with Thomas and Peter. They sit on the couch, sipping beers and quietly watching the end of the football game that has been on most of the afternoon.
"So, you guys just moved in together?" Thomas brings up casually, catching Jay off guard.
He coughs quietly and sets down his beer before leaning back and nodding. "Yeah, just last weekend. We're still unpacking."
Thomas hums knowingly, but he does not say anything, instead taking another long, slow sip of his beer. Peter just glances at his older brother, and then at Jay, before picking up his beer too. It feels like Jay is missing something here and he's not quite sure what, but it makes him feel those same nerves he was feeling back in the truck.
"Moving in together is a pretty big step," Thomas continues. His voice is calm like they are discussing the weather or the game the night before, not Jay's relationship with his little sister.
"Yeah, it is," Jay says, slowly, making sure he chooses his words right. He can't help but wonder if this conversation is a test, the unavoidable "what are your intentions with my sister" talk that he has been feeling nervous about all day. "But we were ready, though. I'm serious about my relationship with her and I know it was the right next step for us."
Thomas gives a slow nod and Jay just glances between the brothers, waiting. Earlier at dinner, he thought things had been going well but now, it feels like something in the air is off. Jay is not one to beat around the bush, especially when it comes to Hailey, and he is about to outright ask Thomas what he is trying to get at. But before he can, Peter beats him to the punch.
"Look, the whole asking for approval or getting her older brother's blessing thing is dumb," Peter says, surprising Jay. His eyes go wide, and he cocks his head to the side in confusion as Peter continues. "Because Hailey is a grown adult, and she certainly does not need us to make decisions for her. She knows how to take care of herself."
"But you also gotta understand," Thomas jumps in. "Given the way we grew up, we obviously want to protect her. We know she can take care of herself, but we also don't want to see her get hurt again."
"I can get that," Jay nods. "But I love your sister. I'm not going to hurt her."
"We know," Thomas hums. "And if you do, Hailey could kill you herself. But just giving you a fair warning since it seems like you're not going anywhere."
It's not quite an acceptance or approval but Thomas's comment sure feels like an acknowledgment that whatever is going on between Jay and Hailey is serious. Serious enough that her brothers feel like they need to have this talk with him and serious enough that they realize this is not their last holiday together.
Jay bobs his head at Thomas's words, thinking about his response as he slowly says, "Well, I don't plan on going anywhere. And I know you said the whole getting approval thing is dumb and I agree. Because no one tells Hailey what to do besides Hailey."
Her brothers snicker at his comment, Peter exaggeratedly nodding, and it lessens some of the nervousness Jay feels as he continues.
"But I also understand that Hailey is incredibly close with you two and she wants you to get along with whoever she is with. So, tell me what you need from me in order to make that happen. Because I mean it when I say that I love your sister and I am going to ask her to marry me one day. I'm in this for the long haul."
Peter and Thomas seem a little taken aback by his boldness and honestly, Jay is too. He was not expecting to say all this when he got in the car this morning or even when they got here. He's not quite sure what has come over him. Maybe the closeness of Hailey and her family or seeing her interact with her niece and nephew.
But honestly, it's probably all of that, seeing how happy she is today and knowing that he wants to make her happy for the rest of his life. And getting along with her brothers is a big part of that, so Jay is willing to be bold and put himself out there to prove to her brothers that he is serious about this and about her.
Thomas seems to think for a moment and Jay feels the anxiety start to return until her brother finally breaks out in a smile and tilts his beer towards Jay and says, "Keep treating my sister right and I don't think there's anything else I'm gonna need from you."
"Well, that I can do," Jay hums softly. He glances over to Peter, who still seems to be processing Jay's words and he can't quite read the expression on his face. He knew walking into today that getting Peter's approval might be a little harder and he wouldn't even blame the guy if he was still apprehensive about Jay.
"I'll tell you what," Peter says at last. "Keep my sister safe at work, treat her right at home, and give me some cool cop stories every now and then and we'll have a deal."
Jay feels a smile creep up on his face as he nods at Peter's words, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Deal."
The two brothers nod, their attention easily slipping back to the game and Jay tries to focus on the screen, but he finds it hard. The little bit of anxiety that has been in his head all day starts to leave and even though he realizes that he's still got a long way to go until he's as close with her brothers as he wants, this is a good first start.
The game goes to a commercial break and Jay casually brings up a story from the previous week that most certainly was not appropriate for the dinner table, making sure to highlight the way their little sister apprehended a suspect and had a nice disarm. When her brothers smile and laugh at his story, he feels a little better about how things are going.
By the time they start getting ready to head back to Chicago, it's almost nine. They stayed and chatted with Thomas, Peter, and Meredith after Carter went down for the night, exchanging stories and laughing like they've been doing it for years. With Hailey pressed up against his side on the couch and her brothers smiling at them from the other side, Jay feels happy and thinks he could see them spending holidays in the future just like this.
It's not until they are all yawning more than they are laughing that Jay suggests he and Hailey hit the road, stating that they might get called into work the next day and that they need to at least get some sleep.
"Perks of having a normal person job," Thomas teases as they walk Jay and Hailey to the door. "We get days off."
Hailey rolls her eyes as she throws on her coat, but once it's over her shoulders and her arms are through, she still steps forward and gives her brother a hug goodbye. She lingers in his embrace for a second, trying to soak up as much of their time together as she can before they have to leave.
"Well, someone has to fight the bad guys," Hailey hums as she pulls away.
"Seriously though," Thomas chuckles. "Don't be a stranger. Use some of those rare days off to come see us. We miss you."
"Miss you too," Hailey whispers.
"My turn," Peter steps forward, wrapping his younger sister in a tight hug that she quickly reciprocates. He whispers something in Hailey's ear and Jay can hear her giggle softly. She pulls away and nods, a smile wide on her face.
Hailey exchanges a quick hug goodbye with her sister-in-law, thanking her for having them over and for dinner. Then, her brothers look over to Jay and much to his surprise, Thomas steps forward and gives him a short hug, patting his back as he does so.
"Nice meeting you man," he says. "Keep my sister safe, you hear?"
"Will do," Jay hums and as Thomas steps back, Peter steps forward, giving Jay a quick hug as well and telling him that it was good to meet him. Even Meredith gives him a hug and when he whispers to her, thanking her for dinner, she just smiles and says she looks forward to seeing him again soon.
Hailey crouches down so she is eye level with Addison, the little girl now in a pair of purple pajamas and well past ready for bed. She smiles at her, Addison returning her own tired but happy smile.
"I'll see you soon, Addy. Don't get too big, okay?"
"I don't know how to do that, Auntie Hailey," Addison says, making her aunt chuckle before she pulls her into a tight hug, swaying the girl from side to side, laughter escaping Addison's chest. After a moment, Hailey lets go of her, pressing a quick kiss to Addison's head as she stands up and smiles down at her.
"You gonna say bye to Jay too?" Thomas asks Addison. Jay starts to crouch down so he can properly say goodbye to Addison but before he can, the little girl's face changes. Her features drop and her mouth forms an "oh."
"Wait," she says quickly, holding her hand out to make Jay stop. "Stay right there."
Before any of them can argue, she runs off, her little barefoot feet pattering against the wooden floor. The adults all look at each other in confusion and Thomas just shrugs, shaking his head. A moment later, they hear Addison running back, now with a piece of paper in hand.
"I drawed this for you," she says with a beaming smile, holding the picture out for Jay. Jay takes the picture from her, squatting down as he looks at it, holding it out so Addison can see too.
"It's a turkey," Addison explains, pointing at the middle of the picture. Jay can tell that she traced her hand, the brown crayon outline resembling a turkey. Her fingers are colored different colors for the feathers and in the background, he can tell she has added some trees and a sun in the top left corner of the page.
"Oh wow," Jay says, looking up at her, smiling when he sees the excitement on her face. "It's an awesome turkey. Thanks, Addy."
Addison doesn't say a word, instead leaning forward and throwing her arms around Jay, almost knocking him off his balance. He is quick to reciprocate though, wrapping his right arm around her to hug her, holding the picture she just drew him safe in his left hand.
"You're gonna come back and play with me soon, right?" Addison asks, pouting her lower lip just a little, and Jay immediately nods.
"Of course. Aunt Hailey and I will be back as soon as we can. How's that sound?"
The little girl smiles, jumping happily as Jay stands up straight again. Her behavior now is such a sharp contrast to how she looked at him just a few hours ago and Jay can't help but wonder what it will be like as he continues to get to know her and her brother more and gets to watch them grow up.
They give one last goodbye to Hailey's family and then finally force themselves out the door. As they walk out of the house, Hailey leans against Jay, peering past him. He chuckles as he realizes what she is doing, and he holds up the picture so that Hailey can see it.
"I think it's adorable that she colored you a picture, but I'm also slightly offended that I didn't get one."
Jay lets out a loud laugh, shaking his head as they come up to his truck. He opens the door for Hailey to jump in, handing her the picture before he closes her door and rounds the truck to hop in the driver's seat.
"I mean, we live together so technically you could think of it as a gift for both of us," he tells her as he pulls out his keys and puts them in the ignition.
Hailey rolls her eyes at him, a sweet smile on her face. "That's a nice try but we both know this was just for you."
"Maybe I just have a new best friend."
"Ugh," Hailey groans at his teasing. "You really are impossible."
Jay laughs quietly, letting a comfortable silence fall over them as he pulls out of Thomas's driveway and onto the road. As he navigates them back onto the highway, he can see that Hailey is starting to nod off in the passenger seat but that she is trying to force herself to stay awake. He reaches over and rubs her thigh affectionately, helping wake her up a bit so she can make it through the drive, and she flashes him a sweet smile as he retracts his hand and continues to drive.
"That went well," Hailey hums after a bit.
Jay glances at her but she's staring out the window, watching the bright headlights light up the mile markers along the road. She must feel his gaze because she turns her head on the back of the seat and looks at him, a tired expression on her face.
"You surprised?" He asks.
"No," Hailey shakes her head softly. "I knew they were going to love you. I just…" she pauses, thinking for a moment before saying, "It was just really nice, you know? Getting to all be together. Getting to see you with them."
Instinctively, Jay reaches out for her hand, grasping for it in the dark. When he finds her fingers resting on the center console, he wraps up her hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Peter said something while we were leaving," Hailey tells him. Jay raises an eyebrow at her, knowing the moment she was talking about. Originally, he was not going to say anything about it, figuring it was a private moment between her and her brother, but now that she is bringing it up, he can't help but ask.
"I noticed that," he hums. "Whatever he said seemed to make you smile."
"He said that he likes you," she breathes out softly. "Said that we seemed really happy together."
Jay doesn't even have a response for that, feeling a little choked up at the idea that one of the people closest to her in this world can so visibly see how much he loves her. Hailey smiled so much today and Jay knows it was one of his favorite things. He imagines that seeing her smile so much made her brothers happy too.
"Well, I'd have to agree with him," Jay says after a moment. "We are pretty happy. And you seemed really happy today. It was nice."
"I was happy," Hailey whispers. "Holidays have always been really hard but today…today was good. I'm glad you were there. I'm happy that I get to spend the holidays with you now."
He thinks he could make some teasing comment, make a joke about how he makes her holidays better, but he can't find the banter in him when he knows just how true it is for her. How true it is for him. Holidays were never his thing. Celebrating with big meals and decorations was something everyone else did. For many years, Jay's holidays were spent alone.
And then there was Hailey.
And now he's never going to be alone on a holiday again. Even if his brother is busy or even if they are both working. Because at the end of the day he will go home with Hailey and that's all that matters.
"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Jay promises, squeezing her hand again for emphasis. "There will be plenty more holidays we can spend together."
"I like the sound of that."
"We should do something for Christmas," Jay thinks out loud before he can stop himself. Hailey's ears perk up at that and she sits up a little straighter in the passenger's seat, shooting him a strange look.
"Like what?"
Jay shrugs. "I mean…it's Christmas. And our anniversary. It should be special. Maybe we could get out of town for a few days."
She smiles softly at the idea, nodding a little as she asks, "Where would we go?"
"Cabin?" Jay offers. He's mentioned his family's cabin to Hailey several times and every time they talk about it, it's always a conversation about how they should go there soon. But soon always gets pushed off with the hecticness of work and their lives and soon inevitably never comes. The idea of getting away has been on his mind for a while and now, talking about spending holidays together, the timing just feels right.
"We have some furlough saved up," Jay continues when Hailey doesn't respond. "We could go for like three days before Christmas and still come back to celebrate with your family and Will."
"And go to the Christmas party," Hailey adds with a laugh. "Because Platt has already asked me if we will be going and she's not taking no for an answer."
"Could never miss that," Jay hums in agreement. "So, what do you say?"
It's quiet for a moment as he waits for Hailey to respond. A part of him thinks she is going to say no, that right now is not the time for them to go, with things being so crazy with work and with the holidays and that they should just save their furlough and use it in a few months. But soon, the corners of Hailey's lips start to creep up in a smile and before he knows it, she is nodding her head happily against the headrest.
"Christmas in the cabin," she murmurs. "And a few days just us? I like the sound of that."
Jay shakes her hand in his lightly, making her look up at him with a smile. "Couple of days of just us. No cases, no distractions. Just a fireplace and some actual time alone for once."
"Ugh," Hailey groans playfully, her smile lighting up even more. "You sure we can't head there now? Just take a wrong turn on the way back to Chicago?"
"That your way of saying yes?
She laughs quietly from her spot next to him, giving him a small nod as she whispers, "Yeah. Let's go away for Christmas."
"Okay," Jay murmurs happily, unable to stop the grin from growing on his face.
The rest of the drive is long and dark, but he passes the time by telling her about all the things they can do up in the cabin. Her smile grows when he tells her about the fireplace and how pretty everything looks when it's covered in snow and she even successfully convinces him that they should make Christmas cookies while they are up there. She tells him about her own Christmas traditions with her brothers, giving him a good heads up of what he'll be walking into if they end up spending Christmas day with them.
And of course, they joke about the annual Christmas party, how Trudy is probably going to nonstop tease them and how the team is going to poke fun about it being their anniversary. They remember how bad it was after the Fourth of July party and figure that this year's Christmas party, the teasing is going to return with a vengeance.
But the teasing feels pretty worth it when they think about all that the next Christmas party will signify for them.
Because here they are, eleven months later, spending their Thanksgiving together, him meeting her family for the first time, and they're talking about kids and a life together. And maybe today's the day of giving thanks and that's why he's feeling so sentimental. But, honestly, he feels pretty damn thankful every day to have her by his side.
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