We are almost at the end folks! Thank you again for the kind support for this fic. It continues to blow me away. I'm so not ready for this to be over, but I am so excited for you all to see what the last two chapters have in store.
Hope you enjoy Chapter 22!
After the memories come back, it feels like they are on cloud nine, the two of them completely happy in their own little world.
That night, Jay and Hailey call to quickly give an update to Voight, who thankfully tells them to take the next day off and spend some time together. While they often are not ones to take days off, neither one of them needs to be told twice, quickly thanking their boss and turning off both of their phones for the night, wanting nothing to interrupt their time alone.
The whole night is sweet and slow, wrapped up in each other, making up for lost time and relishing in the idea of a real, tangible future. They don't go anywhere besides the bed and the fridge and then right back to the bed, alternating between stealing kisses and sharing stories and whispering "I love you."
They sleep in the next morning, having nowhere to go and nowhere they want to be. Something in Jay wakes him up first. Maybe it's his old military habits, but more likely, it's the fact that he's so excited to have her, here and whole next to him, that he can't sleep.
The fact that she's here, that she knows him and that she loves him, it's so overwhelming and he thinks he could stay here forever, just watching her.
It's always been one of his favorite things, how peaceful she is in her sleep, and today is no exception. During the day, she is always energy and passion and fight, but when she sleeps, she is calm and at peace. Jay loves that he is the one who gets to see this side of her, especially now after all they have been through.
He loosens his grip on her slightly, just enough that he can pull back and grab his phone to check the time, and he remembers that he turned his phone off last night to avoid any interruptions. Figuring the team probably has a million questions and has already started blowing up his phone, he turns his phone on, never removing his other arm from Hailey's body.
After a moment, as he is scrolling through the countless texts from the team, he feels her body start to stir next to his and he puts his phone back down on the bedside table and curls himself back up against her.
"Bored of me already?" She murmurs against the pillow.
Her back is pressed up against his chest, his arm protectively holding her body against his. He smiles at her words, leaning forward to press a kiss to her jaw before whispering in her ear, "Never."
He sees the corner of her lips curl up as she turns herself over, eyes slowly opening and her smile growing when she sees him gazing at her. "This is supposed to be our morning to sleep in because someone woke me up early yesterday. So, please don't tell me that was a case or a CI or anything else that's gonna require either of us to get up."
"No case, no CI," he hums before he leans forward to give her a quick kiss. "Team wanted to check in on you."
"And what did you tell them?"
"That you were okay. They kinda pieced together what happened though. Guess they're pretty good at their jobs after all," He says softly with a laugh.
"I'm sure everyone knows by now," Hailey chuckles. "That's all you told them?"
Jay nods against the pillow. "I told them that we would explain the rest later."
"The rest?" She questions suggestively, a devilish little grin playing on her face, but before she is able to say anything else, she lets out a small yawn, making him laugh.
"Yeah," Jay chuckles. "I ran out of the bullpen like a bat out of hell when I got the phone call. And we're both taking the day off. They have a few questions."
"Of course they do," Hailey rolls her eyes.
"Adam wants to know if we want to go out tonight," Jay tells her, tugging her a little closer. "To celebrate and all that."
"I kinda like this celebration," she whispers, her hand reaching up to trace his jaw. "But I guess a few drinks with the team doesn't sound so bad."
"Well-" He draws out the word. "We will have a few hours until we have to go out. I'm sure we could celebrate a little more until then."
"I like this plan."
He leans forward and kisses her slow, like this isn't how they've spent the past twenty-four hours or the past month or even countless mornings before that. He kisses her like it's new, like it's for the first time and he is trying to memorize her all over again.
Her hand runs along his jaw and down his neck and eventually intertwines with one of his hands that is resting on her hip. Under the covers, he feels her legs hook with his and he turns a little, pulling him with her so she is half resting on his chest.
"I missed this," she whispers against his kiss. He leans back just enough to see her, smiling at the way her blue eyes are already studying his face.
"It's not like we haven't done this since you lost your memories," he chuckles.
Hailey rolls her eyes as she props herself up on her elbow, resting her temple on her closed fist. Her hand that was intertwined with his releases his fingers and moves to rest on his chest. She is quiet for a moment as she draws nonsensical patterns on his bare chest, her eyes hyper-focused on his freckles.
"I know," She glances up at him. "But I meant I missed doing this and knowing that I loved you."
He sits up awkwardly to kiss her again for what feels like the millionth time since she got her memories back, humming in contentment when she is more than eager to return his kiss.
"I like it this way too," Jay whispers as he falls back against the pillow.
"You know," Hailey starts, readjusting her head on her closed fist. "I never said thank you."
"Thank you for what?"
She eyes him, trying to see if he is joking, and lets out a little sigh when his expression doesn't change.
"For everything," She says. "For being so gracious when I first lost my memories and telling me all those old stories. For being willing to take things slow and letting me figure things out at my own pace...for staying."
"Hailey, you don't need to-"
"I know," she cuts him off gently. She moves to lay down beside him again, resting her head on the pillow next to him so they are face to face. "I know. But I want to."
"You would have done the same thing," Jay murmurs as he raises his hand to brush her hair back. "If it was me and I lost my memories, I know you would have done the same thing."
Hailey smiles. "Yeah...although, I'm not sure you would have been as receptive to a stranger hanging out in your hospital room."
"If the stranger looked like you, I'm sure I'd have no problem," He grins, his smile only growing when a soft laugh escapes her lips. "Or maybe the waking up with amnesia and finding a hot girlfriend thing only happens in the movies."
"Oh my gosh, one of the first things I told you when I woke up was that I thought you were hot," Hailey groans. "I'm never hearing the end of that, am I?"
"Never," He winks, and she just rolls her eyes.
"It's pretty crazy though, right?" She whispers. "Everything that happened."
Pretty crazy does not even begin to explain it. Jay can't think of a word to properly explain the chaos that they just survived and honestly, he is still not entirely convinced the whole thing was not just some dream and that it's still three months ago and he is just waking up with Hailey on a normal Wednesday.
"It was," Jay agrees. "I didn't believe Will when he told me at first."
"Neither did I," Hailey hums. "I thought they were joking and then I figured the memories would come back in a day, two tops."
He runs his hand up her back, slowing against the curve of her spine until he reaches her head, and he cups her face. "Are you sad about all the time we missed?"
Hailey thinks for a moment, biting her lip before she shakes her head softly against the pillow. "I don't think I would call it missed. It was different and hard...like ridiculously hard…"
He chuckles at her humor, letting his thumb gently graze against her cheek as she continues.
"But it was still time with you, so it wasn't missed. I got to know you better and I got to remember all of the things I love about you."
Her answer leaves him speechless, and he doesn't even think there are words to explain what he is feeling at this moment, so he leans forward and kisses her again, biting her lower lip gently, thankful when she is quick to respond, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.
She pulls back too soon, and he tries to chase her lips with his, earning him a soft laugh from Hailey.
"What about you?" She whispers. "I didn't have my memories. I didn't know what I was missing. But you did."
"So?" He asks, not quite following her, still in a daze from her words and her kiss.
"Are you sad about everything we missed?" She asks, her voice small.
He pulls back and looks at her, and maybe there's a hint of hesitation in her eyes like maybe she's nervous that even though he's happy, he's got regrets about the last few months.
"No," he says, quiet but sure. "It wasn't what we planned on, but none of this was. And we still wound up here, didn't we?"
It was another hurdle, another bump in the road, like her dating the wrong coworker or him dating a drug dealer, like him getting shot or her being in New York. And maybe it was hard at the time, but if he ended up with her next to him, Jay would not change a thing.
"You were pretty optimistic the whole time," She hums, tapping at his chest.
"I had my moments," Jay says with a chuckle. "Definitely cried more in the past three months than I did in the past five years."
"No more tears now, right?"
There's a look in her eye, something like a challenge, and he just smiles, not wasting his time with a response as he tugs on her waist and pulls her to rest on top of him. He brings her face down to him and kisses her smirk away, effectively silencing the rest of their conversation.
They spend a good twenty-four hours in bed before they decide they should venture off into the real world. The short, vague texts he sent the rest of the team this morning were not enough to satisfy their curiosity, and not surprisingly, after finding out Hailey's memories were back, they were all thrilled, exclaiming that they needed to celebrate that night.
So, after a long day of private celebrations, Jay and Hailey pull themselves out of bed and get dressed and venture off to Molly's. If he's honest, Jay would like to continue their previous celebrations, but he sees how excited she is at the idea of getting to see her friends and actually being able to remember them and he just can't take that away from her.
The drive over is quiet, both of them content with the comfortable silence and the stolen glances and the soft touches. Her hand plays with his on the center console, wrapping his fingers in between hers casually as he uses his left hand to steer the truck.
"They're gonna be ridiculous," Hailey says, finally breaking the silence. "Adam was way too excited when I got cleared to drink. Just imagine how he's gonna be today."
"They're all a little excited," Jay chuckles. "They missed you a lot."
"Really?" Hailey hums knowingly. "I thought you were the only one who missed me."
"No," He corrects her. "I just missed you the most."
Hailey laughs. "What are we going to tell them?" She asks, changing the subject slightly.
He glances at her quickly, scanning her face for a tell of what she is feeling, before looking back at the road. "You mean about your memories?"
"I mean about us."
He told himself time and time again throughout the past three months that the minute her memories came back, they were telling everyone because he knew that he would not be able to wait to start his future with her. And during the past twenty-four hours, they've talked about the future a time or two and they are still on the same page. If anything, they are more on the same page than they were three months ago.
The past three months have taught them how precious this thing between them is and they don't want to keep pushing off their future, their happiness.
"I think we should tell them," He says truthfully, figuring there is no point in beating around the bushes. "But, I get if you want to wai-"
"I want to tell them." She cuts him off with a smile. "I want them to know."
He smiles over at her, wishing that they were not driving so he could give her a proper kiss, but he resigns himself to picking up their conjoined hands and placing a kiss to the back of her hand, whispering "I love you" against her skin.
The minute they walk into Molly's, they are met with the hoots and hollers of their team who rush over to the door to embrace Hailey. She takes it in stride, chuckling as they all hug her and excitedly ask her what she remembers.
"Welcome back girl," Kevin says first, wrapping her in a tight bear hug. "I'm happy you finally remember that I am in fact, your favorite coworker."
"Oh, no amnesia is strong enough for me to forget that," Hailey rolls her eyes and Kevin releases her and Kim quickly takes his place.
"I'm so happy you're all better," Kim whispers, squeezing Hailey. "But I'm serious, no more injuries. These boys are ridiculous at work."
Hailey just giggles. "I have no plans of getting hurt any time soon."
Adam steps up and grabs Hailey while she is still hugging Kim, wrapping his arms around both women and squeezing them tight against his chest. "The team is back, baby!"
"Adam," Kim groans.
He loosens his grip on them, resorting to ruffling Hailey's hair instead. "It's good to have you back, Upton."
"It's good to be back."
They order a round of beers and make their way to a table in the back, the three officers intent on asking Hailey a million questions.
"So, how did they come back?" Kim excitedly asks. She sits across from Jay and Hailey, in between Adam and Kevin, who is at the head of the table.
"I was in a session with Doc Charles, and we were talking about work," Hailey explains calmly. "And I just kept repeating something over and over again and Doc Charles figured that some screw got knocked loose. So, he kept asking me questions and kept having me tell him all these stories. It was like six hours of him pulling all my memories out of me."
"That sounds exhausting," Kim comments, eyes trained on Hailey.
"And overwhelming," Adam adds. "What were you repeating?"
Hailey glances over at Jay quickly and he can see the red tint that is starting to rise in her cheeks. "Got your six."
"Got your six?" Kevin questions. "Did the amnesia affect your ability to count?"
They all laugh, and Hailey shakes her head at his joke because he clearly knows what 'got your six' actually means.
"It's what Jay and I say when we are in the field," She says. "I was telling him about how I wanted to go into the field with my partner and then I just kept repeating it."
"Hmm," Kevin murmurs, taking a long, slow sip of his beer. "Interesting."
"Anyway," Hailey rolls her eyes, ignoring Kevin's last comment. "He started asking me stories about my life and work and all of you guys and I just slowly started remembering. It's really not that interesting a story."
"Nonsense," Adam teases. "You got seven years of memories back in six hours. That's pretty cool."
"I'm sure you must be pretty excited?" Kim asks.
"I am," Hailey smiles. "It's nice being able to know who people are again. It feels like things are normal."
"Does this mean you're gonna get cleared to go back in the field?" Kim laughs as she shoots a glance at Jay. "That way that one over there can stop being a grump."
"Trust me, I think my attitude at work is gonna improve," He mutters under his breath, earning him a raised eye from Kevin and a surprised look from Adam.
"Something you want to tell us, Halstead?" Kevin asks, leaning forward and eyeing Jay and Hailey.
The two of them glance at each other knowingly and Jay can feel Hailey's hand come to rest on his knee under the table. Just as Hailey opens her mouth to explain, Kim quickly cuts her off.
"Don't even tell me that you two got together after Hailey lost her memories. Amnesia is the thing that finally got you two to admit your feelings? Really?"
Jay and Hailey both let out a loud laugh and Kim stares at them nervously. Kevin and Adam exchange a glance before looking back at the two detectives, waiting for a response.
"Don't worry, that's not how it happened," Jay says casually, and Kim relaxes, letting out a sign of relief, while Kevin keeps his eyes glued to the duo in question.
"But you're telling me it happened?" He asks.
Hailey smiles over at Jay, and he knows what she is thinking. Here goes nothing.
"We were actually planning on telling you before I lost my memories," Hailey informs them, watching as their faces start to slowly change as they realize what she is saying. "Me getting hurt kinda threw a wrench in our plans."
"Wait," Kim stops her. "So, you're saying-"
"We're dating." Jay finishes her thought. He stays it so matter of factly, like it's not the first time they have told most of their friends, like their world is not about to shift.
"I knew it!" Adam calls out, making the detectives laugh.
Kim just shakes her head. "I mean, we all knew it was going to happen eventually...but when did it actually happen?"
"After my FBI job offer," Hailey says simply, letting them all do the work of calculating the timetable.
"You mean to tell us you were in a relationship for six months and did not say anything?" Kevin questions, eyebrow raised. When Jay nods, Kevin shakes his head. "Now, that's just rude."
"We didn't want to keep it from you guys," Jay cuts in gently. "We both just know how hard dating in the workplace can be and we wanted to make sure we did it right this time."
He lets his last few words linger in the air as the team processes the news. It's Kim who picks up on it first.
"Wait, so, you guys were actually serious?"
"We were gonna move in together," Hailey answers her softly, earning a low whistle from Adam and a look of disbelief from Kevin.
"So, you just picked up where you left off when the memories came back or-" Kevin asks.
"Nope," Jay says, glancing over at Hailey to see her biting her lip to suppress her growing smile."
"Wait, what?" Kim questions in confusion.
"Oh, we were together while my memories were gone too," Hailey says casually, and neither of them are able to stop the laughter that comes when they see the confused faces of their coworkers.
"Twice?" Kevin questions. "Y'all dated not once but twice and never told us?"
"I mean, we weren't together as long the second time," Jay jokes, making Hailey laugh a little harder.
"Hailey, did you just wake up and decide you were gonna date the stranger in your hospital room?" Kim deadpans. "That seems like a terrible idea, no offense Halstead."
"That's not how it happened," Hailey lets out a loud laugh while Jay pretends to be hurt by her comment. "I mean, we weren't really discrete about how much time we were spending together. He told me pretty early on that we had been in a relationship and after that it kinda just…"
"Happened?" Kim finishes Hailey's thought and the blonde nods.
"Took about six weeks," Hailey tells them. "So, way less time than the first time around."
"First time around we weren't so sure you two were ever going to figure things out," Adam chuckles under his breath. "You both are stubborn as the day is long, let me tell ya."
They were stubborn and they were afraid, but they were also ridiculously in love, so maybe it took four years, but they got there. Because they were inevitable, even with the stubbornness and fears.
"So, how in the world did this-" Kevin asks, pausing to motion between the two detectives, "actually happen?"
"Honestly?" Hailey chuckles. "It's a long story. Not quite sure I remember it all."
Kim, Adam and Kevin all groan at her joke, but Jay smiles, letting his hand come to rest on her knee and giving it a squeeze.
"That's not gonna fly, Upton," Kevin says. "I had questions before but now...I'm all types of confused."
"We'll tell you," Jay chuckles. "But first, I think some celebration is in order."
"Oh, hell no," Kim points at both of them. "No way are you just dropping that little bomb and not giving us some details."
"Guys, come on," Hailey pleads with a laugh. "We'll tell you. But I just got my memories back. Can we have one normal night of celebrations please?"
She draws out the last word, milking every bit of sympathy she can, and it's clear by Kevin's exaggerated eye roll and Kim's sigh that it's working.
"Fine, we'll let you off the hook," Adam breaks first, standing up and moving behind Kim's chair out to the open. "But, only because it's your night and we are celebrating. We are gonna hear this story, though."
"Alright," Jay agrees with a laugh.
"I'm gonna get us another round," Adam announces. "Kim, wanna help me?"
Kim nods and follows him to the bar, the two of them quickly becoming lost in their own conversation. Kevin just eyes the two detectives still at the table and sighs. "I'm gonna go use the restroom. No funny business while I'm gone." He stands up and glances at Jay, making a knowing face. "I'm looking at you, Halstead."
Jay puts his hands up innocently, shaking his head as their friend walks off, relishing in the sound of Hailey laughing beside him. Once Kevin is out of earshot, Hailey leans her elbows against the table and turns to look at Jay. "That wasn't so bad."
"They took it better than I thought," He agrees. "Their heads did not explode quite as much as we predicted."
"I mean, in their defense, we were pretty obvious."
He rolls his eyes, even though he knows it's the truth. It's been written all over his face for years now and it does not take a genius to figure out that there's something undeniable between them.
"You good with telling them how it all happened?" Jay asks softly. He knows she is okay with them knowing, but there must be some details she would like to keep to themselves.
But Hailey surprises him with a nod. "Yeah. They're our friends. I want them to know," She pauses and a sweet smile grows on her face. "Besides, I quite like our story."
"Really?"
She hums at this question. "I particularly like it when you tell it."
He smiles as his mind wanders back a few weeks, to her sitting in a hospital bed and asking him to tell her their story. It's still ingrained in his mind, the way her eyes lit up as she heard their story for the first time, like it was one of the best love stories she had ever heard, and just picturing it all, it makes him think he quite likes their story too.
"Well, then I'll tell you it every day." He chuckles. "That way you don't forget again."
Her fingers grip against his under the table as she whispers, "Don't worry. That's never gonna happen."
Much to their surprise, their friends really do let them off the hook Wednesday night. They all know how much Hailey wants and deserves a normal night after all she has gone through, so they forget about work and relationships and amnesia. They drink a little too much and laugh a little too loud and have way too good a time, just like they used to.
On Thursday, they return to work, and Jay smiles seeing how excited Hailey is at the idea that finally, she might get to go back out into the field. As they walk through the front doors, it feels like she is seeing the district with new eyes, her smile wide and her eyes bright.
"Detectives," A familiar voice calls out, causing both of their smiles to grow. They make their way over to the front desk, noticing the knowing smirk Platt is wearing.
"Heard someone got their memories back," The desk Sergeant quips at the two detectives.
"You heard correct," Hailey hums. "Brains all better now."
Trudy nods. "Well, that's good. Couldn't have you staying on desk duty forever. You might think that you could come after my job."
Jay and Hailey both let out a loud laugh, catching the attention of a few patrol officers, who just look away when they catch Trudy's glare.
"Well, I could never do that," Hailey chuckles. "Good thing everything worked out then."
"I also heard that something else worked out," Platt says, leaning back to eye the two detectives. It takes them a moment to catch on to what she's getting at and when they do, Hailey sighs.
"Who told you?"
Platt looks at Hailey, offended. "I've known longer than either of you have. Also, there are thin walls upstairs and Adam's voice travels."
Jay shakes his head as Hailey rolls her eyes. "And?" He asks. If there is one thing he has learned with Platt, it's that there is always an "and."
"Just wondering how hard Upton hit her head, that's all," Platt deadpans, shrugging her shoulders.
"You realize we were dating before I lost my memories, correct?" Hailey reminds her, leaning against the front desk as she looks up at Platt quizzically.
"I'm aware," Platt states. "But you dated him twice, so clearly you lost your memories and your sense of reason."
"I'm right here," Jay scoffs. Hailey's hand brushes against his sympathetically as Platt continues to stare him down.
"Just saying, Halstead," The older woman hums. "But, in all honesty, I always had a good feeling about you two."
Jay nervously shifts his weight on the balls of his feet while Hailey blushes red. It's strange, having such a personal conversation with Platt. They always were aware that on some level, she knew, but now she knows and it still feels a little weird being out in the open, especially with her.
"Thanks, Trudy," Hailey finally says. "We appreciate that."
Platt purses her lips into a tight light and bobs her head. "Good. Well, enough of that, you both don't get paid to tell me about your love lives. Get upstairs."
They chuckle at the way the older woman is so easily able to flip a switch. As they both take a step away from the desk and start heading out towards the stairs, they hear her call out again.
"Halstead, you hurt her, I'll kill you. Same goes for you, Upton."
Just as they are about to respond, Trudy strikes up a conversation with another officer, effectively shutting down any last thoughts Jay or Hailey could add.
"Well, there's that," Jay hums as he buzzes them up and opens the gate.
"Were you expecting anything less?" She asks with a soft laugh as they start up the stairs, his hand finding its way to the small of her back.
"Not really," He murmurs.
When they round the stairs, they see the rest of the team is waiting for them. Almost instinctively, Jay drops his hand from her back, because even though everyone knows, they don't want to immediately establish a precedent of PDA at work. Everyone's smiles are warm and excited as they see the two detectives making their way in, even Voight who is standing in the back of the room sporting an uncharacteristic grin.
"Upton," Voight greets her. "Good to see that you're all better."
"Glad to be back, Sarge. Completely." She makes her way towards her desk but keeps her eyes on Voight. Jay follows her, walking behind their desks to come to stand behind his own chair, across from Hailey. "Memories are back and I'm feeling good."
"I'm glad to hear that," Voight says, but by the tone in his voice, it's obvious there's more.
"What?" Hailey asks, picking up that there is something off about Voight's demeanor
Voight sighs. "Hailey, I know you want to be back in the field, but-
"Sarge-"
"Not yet," He cuts her off gently. "Take a couple of days and readjust. Go see the department psychiatrist about the actual bombing and make sure you're all good. Do your follow-up with Doc Charles. We clear?"
It's not what they were expecting when they walked into the bullpen today and by the surprised looks on everyone's faces, it's a shock to them as well. But now that the memories are back, so are the memories of what took them all away. It makes sense that Voight would want her to do a regulatory psych eval after all she has endured and while Jay wishes that she could go out in the field with him this very moment, he has waited this long, and he can wait a few more days.
"You'll be back, Hailey," Voight continues confidently. "There is no doubt in my mind."
"Okay," Hailey says, clearly disappointed, but understanding.
Voight nods and swiftly switches the conversation, giving them a rundown of their plan for the day and catching Jay and Hailey up to speed on the case they are working on. After a few minutes, he slips into his office, leaving the officers and detectives alone in the bullpen to get their work done.
"I'm sorry, girl," Kevin breaks the silence. "I know you wanted to get out there with us."
"It's okay," Hailey shrugs. "It's already been three months. "What's a few more days?"
"Still," Adam says. "Desk duty sucks."
"I know," Hailey agrees as she sits on the edge of her desk. "But the memories are back and that's all that matters."
"Speaking of," Kim pipes in. "We have a surprise for you."
Hailey raises a suspicious eyebrow at Kim before turning over to glance at Jay, who just shrugs his shoulders in confusion. She turns back to Kim and cocks her head to the side.
"Okay-" Hailey draws out the word. "Gonna be any more specific?"
Kim shakes her head. "Just a little surprise to celebrate the memories coming back. Come over Saturday night, we'll give it to you then."
"And then you two can tell us this little story," Kevin adds, leaning out of his chair and glancing between the two detectives.
"You really can't even give me a hint?" Hailey asks, ignoring the comment about their relationship.
"Nope," Kevin says as he stands up, grabbing his coat and nodding towards Adam. "We're gonna go interview a witness. You two put Saturday in your calendar."
They laugh as Adam and Kevin make their way out, the remaining three members of Intelligence quietly settling at their desks to get some work done. Throughout the morning, there are many stolen glances and not so accidental kicks under the desk, and somehow, they all make Jay's heart race a little more than any time they have in the past few months.
"Hey, Jay," Kim calls out about forty-five minutes later. "I think I got a potential angle. Wanna take a ride?"
"Yeah, sure," Jay says, starting to stand up, but Kim shakes her head.
"Give me like five minutes to go to the bathroom and update Voight," She tells him. "Just meet me downstairs in a few minutes."
It's obvious that Kim is trying to give them a minute alone, maybe to talk about Saturday or the news that was dropped on them this morning, but either way, it's much appreciated. Jay gives her a small nod as she walks off, waiting a moment, before glancing back at Hailey.
"You good?"
"Yeah," Hailey lets out a low breath. "I mean, it's not what I was expecting, but I get it."
"Still," Jay murmurs, lowering his voice. "Kinda sucks."
"Guess you can't have it all."
"Can't you?" He smiles, tapping his foot against her ankle under the desks. The corners of her lips curl up in her own smile as she kicks back against him.
"Well, in a few more days, I'll be back out there with you, and then I guess we really will have it all."
"I can't wait," He breathes out.
"So," Hailey's demeanor changes as she leans forward on the desk, resting her elbows on the fake wood and placing her chin in her hands. "Saturday?"
"What about it?"
"Did you have something to do with it?"
Jay leans back, chuckling. "What would make you think that?"
"You've been Mister Surprise since I lost my memories," She says, shaking her head with a laugh. "You mean to tell me this is the first surprise you didn't help orchestrate?"
"Yes, actually," He tells her. "I have no idea what they are planning."
"Well, that's concerning," Hailey hums. She picks up her phone and checks the time, letting out a little sigh as she places it back down on her desk. "You should probably get downstairs."
"You trying to get rid of me?" He teases. She shoots him a little look that screams obviously not and it makes him laugh as he stands up, grabbing his keys and pocketing his phone.
"Just figured the sooner you get the bad guys, the sooner we go home," She murmurs softly.
The sooner he gets the bad guys, the sooner they go home together.
He smiles as he rounds their desks, looking up to find Voight buried in some paperwork, the blinds of his office half-closed. Knowing that the coast is clear, Jay leans down and kisses the top of her head, letting his lips linger for a moment before he steps out from behind her and into the middle of the bullpen.
"Try not to have too much fun out there without me, okay?" She calls out gently to him.
"No promises," He winks at her. "Kim's a pretty good partner. Might ask for a permanent change."
Hailey scoffs playfully and turns away from him, pretending to distract herself with the work at her desk, and for a moment, Jay just watches her, waiting for her to give in, but, not surprisingly, she never does.
"You know I'm kidding," He says at last. "You're always going to be my partner and I can't wait to have you back."
She tries to stay serious, biting her lip to maintain her composure, but slowly, the smile starts to overtake her face as she spins her chair to face him. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Hailey hums. "You're always going to be my partner too," She tells him. "Now, go so you don't get fired."
He laughs at her comment, shooting her one last smile before he slips out of the bullpen, leaving her alone to do her work.
Even after all this time, it still feels strange walking out of the bullpen and not glancing to his right to see her, to not hear her laughter from the passenger side of his truck, to not have her anticipate his next thought out in the field. But now it's not a question of if she's coming back into the field, but just a matter of when, and that little detail brings a smile to his face.
He got her back, her memories and the life they were building together, and now, he's going to get his partner back too.
The week is slow, not that Jay or Hailey mind. They spend the week happy and together and it feels reminiscent of those first few days when they initially got together, how they wanted to spend every minute of their off time with the other person. They really don't do much besides work and spend a ridiculous amount of time wrapped up together at home, but just being together after everything is more than enough.
As they walk up to Kim's apartment on Saturday evening, Hailey's hand securely pressed into Jay's, she looks up at him with a teasing smile. "So, you really don't know what this surprise is?"
"I've been telling you all week, babe." He says with a laugh. "I've got no clue"
She hums and he is sure she still does not quite believe him, but he is telling the truth. He's got no clue what their friends are planning, and he is just as in the dark as her.
"They're gonna be relentless," She comments as he opens the door of Kim's building, his hand finding the small of her back and ushering her inside gently.
"Let them be," He nods to the stairs, figuring it will be easier to walk three flights of stairs than it will be to wait for Kim's slow elevator.
"You hate their teasing," She reminds him with a smile.
"Yeah, well, we have to rip the bandaid off sooner or later," He chuckles, his soft laughter echoing in the cement stairwell. "It's not like this thing is ending any time soon."
She raises an eyebrow at him playfully. "Oh, you thinking about the future?"
It's a weightless joke because not only did they talk about the future plenty before her memory loss, but they talked about it since the memories came back. A small part of him had been worried that after everything, she would need some space, that she would not be ready. And he understood that and if that was the case, he knew he would respect it, but selfishly, he did not want to wait. Spending three months where she did not remember him made him quite impatient to start a future with her.
Thankfully, she is even less patient than him. She told him she had no intention of putting their lives on hold and she had every intention of them being happy for a long, long time.
"Yeah, I figured I might keep you around for a while," He teases, a goofy grin growing on his face.
"Oh, good luck getting rid of me."
"Like I would be stupid enough to try."
She squeezes his hand, and he knows what she is thinking. They both plan on sticking around a while.
Like the rest of their lives.
"Hey," She tugs on his hand as they come over the last flight of stairs, pausing outside the door to Kim's hallway. "I love you."
He kisses her, quick and soft, humming against her lips when he feels her smile. "Love you too."
They make their way down the hallway and knock on Kim's door. She happily opens after one knock, and they are excitedly greeted by Kim, Adam, Kevin, and Makayla. The little girl runs right past her foster mother, wrapping her arms around Hailey's legs and giving her a tight hug.
Hailey leans over awkwardly, as much as she can with Makayla holding onto her legs, rubbing the girl's back with a smile. "Hey, Makayla. I missed you!"
"Kim said you're feeling better," The girl mumbles into Hailey's legs, making the adults laugh. "I'm happy your brain is all better now."
"I'm happy too."
Makayla unwraps herself from Hailey and takes a step back, a proud smile on her face. "There's also a surprise for you in my room, but Uncle Kevin said I'm not allowed to tell you what it is."
Hailey chuckles at Makayla's enthusiasm, shooting a curious look over to Kevin. "Oh, is that so?"
"You're worse at keeping secrets than Adam," Kevin jokes playfully, clearly not the least bit frustrated with the little girl who just can't contain her enthusiasm. She has always loved when all of her aunts and uncles from Intelligence come over and this is the first time they have all gathered as a group with Makayla in several weeks.
"So, do I get to see my surprise or is it just gonna stay in Makayla's room all night?"
Jay laughs at the way Hailey gets right to business, gently moving her out of the doorway and closing Kim's door behind them. He goes to stand by Adam who is leaning against the kitchen island while Hailey stays with Makayla.
"What do you say, kid?" Kevin asks Makayla. "Wanna show her the surprise?"
Makayla does not have to be asked twice, yanking on Hailey's arm and pulling her down the small hallway. The other four follow, Kim and Kevin exchanging knowing glances while Adam just chuckles and mutters "Oh boy" under his breath.
The minute Makayla opens the door to her room, Hailey gasps and there is a familiar shriek from inside the room and Jay smiles, immediately knowing what the surprise is.
Vanessa.
The girls embrace in the doorway, wrapping each other in a tight hug and laughing wildly.
"What are you doing here?" Hailey asks excitedly when they finally part, her hands still resting on Vanessa's forearms.
"My undercover op ended like a week and a half ago." She explains. "Kev thought it might be nice to surprise you. Cheer you up with everything going on. I was going to come surprise you at work, but then your memories came back. So, we came up with this instead."
Hailey directs her attention to Kevin. "You knew?" She then looks at Adam and Kim behind him, spotting their excited faces. "You all knew?"
"You and Jay aren't the only two who can keep secrets," Adam says with a laugh and Hailey shakes her head, ignoring his clear jab at her and choosing to hug Vanessa again.
"Do we get to tell Vanessa the good news?" Kevin teases as the girls separate and they all stop congregating in the hallway, making their way back into the openness of the living room.
"That's cute that you think I don't already know these two are together," Vanessa deadpans Kevin, motioning between the two detectives. "I was the first one Hailey told."
The others feign offense and poor Makayla is oblivious to what is going on with the adults, coming up to where Adam is standing and leaning against him.
"You told her but not us?" Kim asks teasingly.
"In my defense, she was undercover. It's not like she was gonna tell anyone," Hailey answers her with a playful shrug.
"But did you know that they got together twice?" Adam asks Vanessa smugly. "Once after the memory loss?"
Vanessa eyes Hailey suspiciously, then gazes over to Jay. "This I did not know. Seems like someone has some explaining to do."
"Well, now I really want to know what happened," Kim says before Jay or Hailey has a chance to respond, earning a laugh from Kevin and Adam as well.
"Fine," Hailey resigns. "But after dinner."
What she really means is after Makayla goes to bed because there are a few too many bullets and near-death experiences involved in this love story for the eight-year-old to hear. No one argues with her though, more than ready for a dinner together, as a team, just like old times.
Dinner is filled with laughter and stories and catching up on what everyone has been doing during the past few months. Vanessa tells them the few details she is allowed to from her undercover op and the rest of the team tells her what she has been missing in Intelligence. Makayla tells all of her aunts and uncles what she is doing in school and all the new things going on in her little life. They all listen intently, enjoying this much-earned moment of normalcy after all they have gone through.
After Makayla goes to bed, the team settles into Kim's living room. There's not much room, but they make it work. Adam, Kevin, and Kim each take one of the three small chairs Kim has set up around the coffee table while Jay, Hailey, and Vanessa take the small couch, with Hailey in the middle, her right arm pressed up against Jay's left.
"Alright," Kevin gets them started. "I feel like we've been plenty patient. You care to tell us how this little situation happened?"
"Honestly guys, we were friends, and then we got together," Hailey hums simply, earning a groan from Kim.
"You two have been making eyes at each other for, what, two years? At least? And then Halstead managed to get Hailey to fall for him again even though she lost her memories?" The brunette says. "We're gonna need a little more detail than that."
"Not too much detail though," Kevin interrupts. "PG version, please."
They all laugh, and Jay looks at Hailey for confirmation, and she just nods, a reassuring smile on her face. Her hand gently finds its way to his knee as a silent support as he begins.
"Well, it all started at a crime scene…"
One more chapter you guys. I will see you next week for one final FTB update. Love you all.