A near day after Jay's wake up from surgery and Hailey's arrival, Voight and the rest of their old unit, along with a couple of the newer folks arrived at the hospital to visit Jay, much to his dismay. They had all headed over as soon as they could after Hailey called. Voight was the first to enter as Jay was only allowed a couple of visitors at a time anyway. He had already said his hellos to her while she met up with the whole unit in the waiting room. As much of a hard outer-shell Voight had, he missed her like hell, Jay too. He was devastated when he lost them both, the whole team was. Jay suspected all this and the guilt ate at him every day for it.

"Good to see you on the mend, kid!" Voight says to him in his usual gruff voice as he sits in the chair Hailey had occupied and squeezes his shoulder.

Jay chuckles as much he can. "There's something I haven't been called in a while."

Voight smiles at him and Jay continues, wanting to get any awkwardness out of the way. "I told Hailey not to call you, I'm fine, you guys didn't have to come, it's getting late."

"Jay, we're still family, it's what we do!"

"Yea, well, I feel like I gave up that right…"

Voight shakes his head at him. "I understand why you wanted to transfer, I didn't agree with it, but I got it. I just wish you hadn't, you're like a son to me. Just because things didn't work between you and Hailey didn't mean you both had to run away."

Jay closes his eyes, willing away tears. "It's complicated…"

Voight quickly pats Jay's hand. "It always is…"

Jay takes a deep breath and pulls himself out of the past. "Anyway, Hailey said you could fill me in on what happened with Chip and the rest of the op?"

"Commander Valente said they breached the second they started hearing shots being fired. Apparently they had been monitoring more closely than you guys thought since it was the day of the buy. Chip did take one to the shoulder after he helped save you, and he's getting treated over at Med. Valente told me it was brilliant of you to bring Chip on; with his intel and your work, they managed to arrest Grieco. A couple of his guys who survived already flipped on him too."

"So a happy ending?" Jay frowns, echoing his exact words from the last time he was shot, remembering how much he had let them down and scared Hailey and everyone.

"About as happy as we can get in our line of work!" Voight agrees.

They look up hearing a knock on the door, seeing an emotional Trudy leaning in the doorway.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes Prince Charming."

Jay genuinely smiles again for the first time since seeing Hailey earlier, he's missed everyone from his old team terribly, but boy he didn't realize how much he'd miss Platt until he did… she really does find a way to grow on you.

"Hey Sarge! Don't worry, I'm fine!" he assures her as she softly leans in to hug him, making sure not to disrupt anything he was hooked up to or his chest wound.

"You scared us, Halstead, don't do that to us again!" she reprimands in her mother hen way.

"I won't!" Jay assures.

The three of them talk for a little while longer until the pain meds start making Jay drowsy again. He tries to stay alert for them, but is slowly fading.

"We're gonna get out of here Jay so you can rest a bit. Everyone would like to get their chance to see you before visitor hours end." Voight announces.

"Ok. Before Kev comes in, tell him I said my bullet wound is a cooler story!" Jay jokes, getting a rare smirk out of the two elders.

Before Trudy walks out completely, she turns back around to whisper to him. "Hey Jay, not many of us get second chances, y'know?... And I'm not talking about life or death…"

Jay nods at her knowingly, appreciating the advice even if he's unsure how to use it. As his eye lids get heavier and heavier, he envisions her again, and that's all that matters for this brief moment of peace.


Hailey had been catching up with everyone for about a half hour while Voight and Platt got their turn with Jay. God did she miss them all so much, but she knows she made the right decision for the time. After the whole Kelton ordeal, the unit as a whole had just grown so much closer together. They realized how much they all meant to each other. It was almost six months after it all went down that her and Jay finally got their shit realized and took that next step. It was full-throttle from there and the happiest years of her life… until it wasn't. All felt like a lifetime ago now.

Kim, sensing the change in Hailey's mood suggests they take a walk to the mini coffee stand at the other end of the hospital. Grateful for the distraction, Hailey agrees, plus she could really use the caffeine since she has no intention of leaving Jay. They sit down with their cups at one of the few small tables provided.

"So, how are you handling all of this?" Kim asks her.

Hailey shrugs. "As well as can be considering Jay could have died."

Kim shakes her head at her old friend. "That's not what I mean… I mean, how are you handling seeing him again?"

Hailey sighs, really trying to process the magnitude of that question. "Hard to say, it's strange… on some level, the comfort I still have with him makes it feel like nothing's changed between us. There are moments I forget that we've barely spoken in months. Then so many memories keep resurfacing and it all comes flooding back."

Kim nods at her sympathetically. "I remember when Adam and I broke up, it was hard to find the proper balance of what to say, be, or do. Of course, we still saw each other every day, so it allowed us, and forced us, to ease into being apart again. I can't imagine what it would be like though to not see him, but constantly be worrying about him and how he's coping, then get a dreaded call like you did today. But, everything happens for a reason, right? Just look at the two of us now, I wouldn't change how it worked out for the world…."

Kim's words send Hailey's brain spiraling into another memory, and she can't help herself from getting lost in it...

It was 8 months until their wedding (and one month before their world came crumbling down, but Hailey didn't know it at the time) and she and Jay were planning things out over the coffee table. They had just secured the Greek Church that she promised her mom she would book.

"So I've been thinking, I know we already have my niece being the Flower Girl, but I really think it would mean a lot to Kim and Adam if we included Emily somehow. It would mean a lot to me too, she feels like our niece too, y'know?" Hailey says as she stops looking at the videography pamphlets and turning to face Jay.

Jay's face lights up in a huge smile. "I think that's a great idea! Why don't we just have two of them? Of course, with Emily loving walking now that she's learned, we're probably going to have to have someone chase after her down the aisle!"

They both get a chuckle at that, knowing how much mischief she gets into just like her father. Hailey writes Emily's name with a heart around it under the bridal party list.

"At this rate, Emily will definitely be in our wedding before she's ever in her parents!" Jay continues.

"Kim was telling us all again when we were getting the bridesmaid dresses that her and Adam are still loving being 'officially unofficial' as she called it. She claims not feeling pressured to get married has helped to fix their fears from their first relationship and in turn has made things so much simpler and clear." Hailey laughs as she shrugs, not fully understanding it, but happy for her friends.

"Hey, as long as it works! I'm thrilled for them, they deserve it. I, however, couldn't imagine not putting a ring on it!" Jay smirks at her as he grabs her left hand and kisses it, right by you guessed it- the ring.

Hailey rolls her eyes at him. "Gee, thanks Beyonce, I appreciate it."

He looks her up and down flirtatiously. "What can I say, I liked it…"pausing to wink at her for full effect.

"Oh my God! Is it too late to cancel? I don't know that I can take a lifetime of your lame jokes." She laughs.

He feigns hurt. "You told me you loved my sense of humor!"

"I was lying, just wanted to get in your pants!" she says grinning, turning the tables on him.

He starts to tickle her while half bear-hug tackling her into the couch. The sounds of their laughter, especially Hailey's, are all that's heard echoed across the room until a more serious passion takes over…

Hailey snaps out of the memory with that, realizing Kim is still talking.

"So maybe this is you and Jay's reason!" she hears Kim say.

"What?"Hailey asks, trying to act like she wasn't just off in a past life in her head.

"As awful as it is, maybe Jay getting shot happened to bring you two together again."

Hailey sighs. "Kim, I don't think life just works out that simply…"

"Sure it does, eventually. Every winding road leads to somewhere. You and Jay are meant for each other, I don't know anyone else who is more!"

"I thought we were, but Jay made it clear he no longer wanted me around. There are only so many times you can try to dig someone out of a hole before you fall in it yourself…"

Kim shakes her head sadly. "Don't give up on him… the few times Adam has seen Jay these past few months, all he does is come home and tell me how distraught Jay is over losing you. That he'd do anything to get you back…"

Hailey picks at her coffee lid, severely over the conversation. She knows Kim means well, but there's only so much her heart can handle in one day. "Yea, well, saying & doing are two different things…"

Kim reaches her hand over, placing it on Hailey's and stopping her from almost destroying the empty cup without realizing it. "Hailey, just, for me, promise me you'll never lose all hope. I know you two will find your way back once both your stubbornness subsides…"

Hailey takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before standing up, signaling an end to this topic. "C'mon, we better get back so you can see him before visiting hours end. As much as I love you being here for me, he needs you more right now…"


After an extremely draining day, Jay and Hailey are finally alone again in his room. They've been making small talk, each just catching up on everything they heard about their friend's lives these past months. Neither of them are ready to dive into that subject about the other just yet.

"So I spoke with work earlier, I told them I was taking a Leave of Absence until you were healed and could manage again on your own. If you're feeling okay tomorrow, I'll drive back home and pack a bag to get by." Hailey tells him.

"Hailey, I appreciate it, really! But that's too much, are you sure?"

"Of course! Do you honestly think I'll be able to work and be four hours away until I'm completely sure you'll be alright?"

He nods at her emotionally, knowing that's a big thing for her to say these days. "Thanks…"

They get quiet for a while, not knowing what else to say, afraid to say too much. Luckily one of the nurses comes in shortly after with a pillow and hands it to Hailey, surprising Jay again.

"Hailey, what are you doing? I'm fine, you don't actually have to stay here, you'll be so uncomfortable. Why don't you go stay at our pla-" He catches himself, sadly realizing his slip up. "My place…"

When they parted ways, and Hailey was moving, they both thought it just made the most sense to sell her townhouse. Jay couldn't be there without her in it, and they could both use the extra money to get settled again. Even though it was just a house, it destroyed another part of their hearts to give it up. Not only did they have so many memories of them together in it, and their dreams of starting a family there, but it held so many nights of their friendship there too. It was countless late nights of drinking over the kitchen island after a bad day, or relaxing to a game or movie on one of their rare weekends off, that they still usually spent together, even before they were actually together. They both brush the slip-up off, not wanting to go down memory lane again. Hopefully its walls are bringing another couple joy now.

"It's fine, Jay. The chair reclines, I'll be able to sleep… as well as I can anyway…"

"I'm sorry I scared you…" Jay says softly.

"It's ok. Just don't do it again, you've already run up your 'get shot quota' for this decade, alright?" She smiles tenderly at him and he smiles back, enjoying the brief peaceful moment despite the subject matter.

Hailey pushes the reclining chair back and adjusts the pillow. Her back will definitely hurt tomorrow, but she won't tell Jay that. Despite their falling, he's still worth everything to her.

Jay yawns, the pain meds catching up to him again as his eyelids suddenly get super heavy. He's secretly glad she's here with him because he doesn't know if he'd feel as calm without her there; knowing today was something that could bring out yet another trigger to the darkness of his mind and past. As if sensing his thoughts she turns on her side to face him, their eyes meeting as he moves his head slightly to look over at her. He'll fight sleep for as long as he can to be able to stare into her eyes again.

"It's ok, I'm not going anywhere, ok? Try to get some rest, I'll be here when you wake…" she gently whispers to him, her words lulling him into the most peaceful night's rest since he was last with her. Despite machine beeps and nurses coming and going throughout the night, they were finally in their own little world again, albeit for only a few hours…


[A/N: Hope the little wait was worth it. Wanted to get this chapter done a couple days ago for ya's, but as we all know life doesn't always go as planned. I know you're dying to read the reason for their break-up, but filled in a few more tidbits along the way to hold you over, hopefully. Thank you so incredibly much for all the wonderful reviews, likes, and reads. Next chapter isn't fully planned out in my head yet, but I promise you more answers with it for sure! ;) ]