"I hate these stupid things."
Jay laughed as he looked over towards his wife, struggling to pull out the plastic bag that encased both of their formal dress blues from the depths of their closet. He took a second from his vantage point in the bathroom to really look at her, watching as the short robe tied around her body creeped up her legs, giving him a clear glimpse at the underwear she was wearing. As much as he wanted to throw her onto their bed and have his way with her, he knew she would complain considering she had just finished her makeup and her hair.
"I'm just glad we don't have to wear uniforms every day to work anymore," he replied as he finished drying off. His shower had lasted long than expected, which was one of the reasons he could tell Hailey was irritated at the idea they were running late, but it was her fault, he told her. She was the one that was standing in their bathroom in the black bra and underwear set he got her for their last anniversary while he showered.
"You and me both," he heard her say as she laid their uniforms out. He made his way over as she took them out of the bag, separating them both until they laid beside each other on the bed. It was a strange sight to see, considering it was the first time both of them were attending an official event together. His eyes were immediately drawn to the one difference, their name tags. Jay had always known that she went by her maiden name on the job, especially considering she was already on the job when they met and got married. But it was weird to him to see it now.
"So, Detective Upton," he said, wrapping his left arm around her, pulling her close to him. "Got a hot date tonight?"
She laughed lightly at his question, loving the dork he was, but the laughter quickly died down as his lips began moving across her neck, the hand on her waist pulling at the lose tie that was holding her robe together.
"Maybe," she replied, her head moving back against his shoulder. "But only if he stops so we won't be late."
Jay didn't seem to care to listen to her, having already set his mind to his actions. Her right hand moved to grasp his right wrist that was still by his side in an effort to keep it from getting involved. His left hand seemed to have a mind of its own, his fingertips slowly moving down and under the satin of her underwear.
"Jay," she whispered, trying and failing to keep her body in control.
"This is a really sexy outfit you have on," he mumbled into her collarbone. "Such a shame it has to be covered up by these unforgiving uniforms."
"And it's going to stay that way later if we don't get dressed and leave," she said, her left hand yanking his out of her underwear, a groan of unsatisfaction leaving them both.
"Fine," Jay mumbled, stepping backwards. "As long as I get to take that off of you later."
"You will," Hailey said. "That's a promise."
She turned around to face him, pushing up on her toes to kiss him once more before pulling away, as much as she wanted to while her lips ghosted his own.
"We really need to leave," she said. "Especially since we aren't taking two cars."
They had decided earlier they would just ride together, the plan being to just tell anyone who asked that Jay lived close to her and had offered. It may have been a half truth, but no one had to know anything more.
"At least there will be free food and alcohol," Jay said, reaching around his wife to pick up his own uniform. "Probably one of the few times were allowed to drink in uniform."
"Easy there buddy," Hailey shot back as she got dressed herself. "We don't get the booze until after were off the clock. So, don't get too excited yet."
"Oh, I'm already excited, knowing what I get to do when I get home."
Hailey just threw the hanger at him which he expertly dodged. This man was insufferable, but she loved him anyways.
"Just get dressed and meet me downstairs, Halstead."
"Anything you say, Upton," he teased as she walked towards the bathroom.
The past month had been the best between them than it had been since Erin left. They somehow lucked out and got a weekend off and Jay had whisked her out of the city to head to their cabin, and both had been surprised that Voight had been okay with it. It wasn't a new fact that they were on thin ice with their boss, but they supposed it was a test. They hadn't caused an issue yet, or brought their problems to work, and Jay had been the one to bring up the fact that the only reason Voight didn't argue at them being out of the city for the weekend was that it was a new dynamic they were all getting used to. It was going to take some time.
The entire weekend was spent in their bedroom at the cabin, with the rare exceptions they ventured out for food. Normally it would have been spent out by or on the water, or on the back deck that was a work of art according to Jay, however both would say that they needed the time to just be together as Jay and Hailey Halstead if they wanted to get back to a sense of normalcy.
"Jay!" he suddenly heard, the voice far enough away that she had to be downstairs, which meant he missed her walk out of their bathroom. "We need to leave now!"
He shook himself out of his thoughts, quickly finishing getting dressed and pinning everything onto his shirt. He grabbed his dress shoes as he made his way out, but not before having to stop himself for reaching for his wedding ring out of instinct. That weekend at the cabin was the first time in a long time he had worn the band for such an extended time, and now he found himself reaching for it more than before.
"Do you have everything else we need?" he yelled down as he turned the light off. The "yes" he got in return had him hurrying down the stairs, spotting his wife instantly sitting on the couch.
"Jackets, guns and badges?" he asked as she rolled her eyes before nodding her head.
"Yes dear," Hailey answered sarcastically.
Jay laughed once more, glad that sound had returned to their house. Just like before, he stopped as he caught a glimpse of his wife, his attention his time going to her hand where the thin diamond band rested on her ring finger. While she had been wearing the simple gold band that doubled as her wedding band for the past few weeks, he wanted to do something as both a thank you and an I'm sorry. He gave her the diamond ring during their trip, and while she loved it, the part that meant the most to them was hidden from plain view. To anyone else, it may seem like a simple diamond band, but tucked under the diamonds were two sapphires representing both of them and their careers. He had told her it was a reminder of what she said weeks ago, that their marriage was the most important thing in her life, but their job came second, it had to when the job was as dangerous as it was.
"Stop staring at me," Hailey said, standing up to walk towards him.
"I can't help it," he replied, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close as he kissed her, knowing it would be hours before he could do it again.
"I love you," he told her softly, his hand moving to grasp her left one, his fingers playing with the ring.
"I love you too," she whispered back before kissing her once more. "Now we really gotta go."
"Yes ma'am," he said as he dragged her towards the door, the sound of her laughter echoing across the walls of their house.
The fundraiser dragged on and on, much to Jay's dislike. Normally he always tried to get out of these things, but it simply never worked. Add in the fact that Voight told them they didn't have a choice, then he really didn't want to be here. How Kim, Antonio and Al got out of coming, he would love to know. The only thing that made it bearable was that Hailey was here with him, and he would have made her come with regardless.
This was the part of the job he disliked the least: the politics. While he appreciated people supporting the department and the programs they had, having to rub elbows with major donors irked him. The speeches and presentations had been short and sweet, the food was actually decent and he knew as he stuck it out, he would have Hailey in that black satin set all to himself later.
By the time Ray Price finished speaking, they all dispersed throughout the room, Voight talking to some of the other sergeants there, Adam and Kevin off joking with other officers from the 21st while he stayed off to the side with Hailey. The talked about nothing in particular; Hailey was catching him up on a case she was working as he scanned the room for anyone, he felt he should speak to. He eventually spotted Adam and Kevin out of the corner of his eye, thinking maybe they were coming towards them, but instead they simply walked by, Kevin saying something about the Cowboys.
"You wanna roll?" Jay asked after a while. He decided he needed something to pass the time, and maybe he could convince Hailey to sneak out early.
"We're off the clock in ten minutes," Hailey said. "Unless you know another place serving free Chantal de Larocque?"
"Wow. You're really, umm, oh what's the word?" he began, suddenly deciding to try and flirt with her as he finished his thought. "Le snob."
That got a light laugh out of her, even as he knew she was making fun of his fake French accent.
"It's the Lake Forest in me escaping," she replied as he watched her eyes flick down towards his hand. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but there were too many eyes on them, their boss included.
"What? I thought you were from Greektown," he shot back instead, already anticipating her response. He remembered one of the first times he took her out to a steak house, and she had surprised him by ordering red wine so perfectly he was afraid he was out of her league. But the response she gave him settled his nerves somewhat and made him that much more intrigued about this woman.
"That's just a story I tell in bars," she answered as he expected, the smile and twinkle in her eyes telling him she knew what he was doing, and for his entertainment, he hoped she would play along. Jay really hoped she would play along with what happened after that date, but that would have to be continued at home.
He made some amused sound, trying to fight his own smile as he watched hers get bigger. It was one of the things he could watch her do forever, smile and laugh. It was always infectious to him. He could be in the worst of moods and she would always try and tell a lame joke to get him out of it, and it always worked.
"Just kidding," she replied, finishing her line in this foreplay situation they had going on. "We moved there when I was 11."
Jay was about to say something else in hopes of getting her to leave now, even if maybe two minutes had passed since his first remark, but he watched as Hailey's eyes found Voight across the room. He had been nervous just like she had, even if she didn't admit it, that Voight would be watching them, waiting for a slip up since they would be in looser boundaries and around too many higher ups tonight.
However, what he didn't expect was the man beside Voight to look back at them too, specifically at Hailey. He had caught Voight's eye, nodding slightly, but he soon focused on the rather awkward and terse look the other sergeant gave Hailey, all while oblivious to his wife as she laughed at something their boss said.
"You know that guy?" Jay asked. He had no idea who this man was, but he could only assume Hailey crossed paths with him before coming to Intelligence. That was one thing that made it easy to be married to another cop: when they worked different beats and in different units, there were always different stories to share at home over dinner. But he knew Hailey had her fair share of assignments, so he didn't try to pinpoint wherever she met this guy.
"Yeah, Sean McGrady. Sergeant out of narcotics," Hailey began, and he was quick to catch on that her body language was tense. "Couple years back I was assigned to his joint investigation. Good police."
Jay glanced over at the guy he now knew as Sean McGrady except this time he caught his eye. The other sergeant held his stare for a moment, and if Jay stood a little taller or tried to act protective of his wife, it was made apparent.
"She says with hesitation," he replied, not liking how this guy was under Hailey's skin.
"No, he is," she started, and it didn't go unnoticed to him that she was avoiding his eyes. "He's just…competitive, always looking for an angle. Drove me nuts."
All he could do was nod and stay silent. The brief and non-verbal interaction this guy and Hailey just had was enough to set her on edge. He knew she had issues before with other guys she worked with, and honestly, he couldn't blame them. His wife was beautiful, intelligent and as sharp as he was when it came to on the job stuff. She was easily one of the best there was, and he wouldn't even be biased about that. But he also knew there was a reason she wore her rings when they first got married, even if she didn't change her name or introduce him to her coworkers. Besides neither of them wanting to be tied to each other professionally so she didn't get shit about sleeping and marrying her way up, she didn't want to deal with the snide remarks when she brushed off other guy's advances or when she turned them down. Deep down, it made him proud that she was his and that she stood up for herself the way she did. Add that to the number of reasons he loved her.
"Okay are we off the clock yet?" he asked, wanting to get onto a different topic.
"Impatient are we detective?" she replied, tilting her head at him.
"Well yeah," he told her. "I have a hot date, and I've already gotten a sneak peek."
Hailey laughed at his lame joke, and by the way her eyes both lit up and darkened, he knew she was off of whatever McGrady brought up in her mind.
"Just let me use the bathroom and then we can go," she said but not before leaning in close. "If it gives you more of an incentive, I'm also in the middle of my cycle."
Before he could reply, she was gone, leaving him to process her words. Ever since they had talked it out a few weeks back, the task of getting pregnant had resurfaced, they had decided to give it just a little longer before they sought outside help. They both admitted that they had been stressed, and Hailey had gone on one tangent at dinner last week about how stress could lower her chances of getting pregnant. Now as things were reaching a new normalcy for them, they hoped maybe they would have better luck this time around. Hailey deserved to be pregnant, to be a mom more than anyone he knew, and he was making it his personal mission to give that to her.
She hadn't been gone for a minute before he saw Voight walking towards him, determination set on his sergeant's face. He spotted Adam and Kevin behind him, quickly heading towards the table they sat at.
"Shots fired about three blocks away," Voight said. "Find Hailey and get there."
That was all Voight said before he walked away, leaving Jay to frantically get their jackets and rush out of the ballroom. He tried to be as calm as he could as to not alarm the non-police guests, but he suspected it wouldn't take much before word got around at a police fundraiser.
As he exited the ballroom, he jogged towards the bathrooms. He spotted Hailey instantly, vaguely registering the guy that was walking away from her but that didn't matter right now.
"We got shots fired nearby. Active shooter," Jay said, running towards her, as he reached out to hand her her jacket. He heard her mumble "okay" before she fell into step with him, both running towards the exit.
The ride was quick, but it was long enough for him to process he wasn't getting lucky tonight, and that made his heart sink just a little for his wife, knowing they would be missing the chance this time around.
Locker room. Now.
The text he got from Hailey was concerning. At any other time if they were separated and she needed him to go talk to a witness or chase down a lead, she gave him the details. She was never a short text person, always one to provide the details. But the rare times she was to the point and vague, it meant only one thing: she was pissed.
He tried to wrack his brain for some recent moment where he could have pissed her off to warrant this unsuspecting message, but all he could think about was him almost making them late for the benefit. But even that, to his knowledge, wasn't one of the worst things he had ever done to make her mad, so he was at a loss.
Jay found her in front of her locker, forcefully throwing things into her black duffle. She didn't seem to hear him walk in so before he made his way to his own locker, he walked towards hers, leaning against the end as he crossed his arms.
"Hey," he said, hoping to sound casual. Hailey looked up at him, clearly startled but there was no anger in her eyes; if anything, it was annoyance.
"Hey," she replied before returning to her task, her actions softer now. "Voight called in McGrady."
"The narcotics guy?" he asked, remembering their conversation from the fundraiser. His question was answered as he saw Hailey nod her head and zip up her back. It was then that he realized he wasn't ready to go, so he let her be and retreated towards his own locker.
"The lead we got on a supplier is a major player, hence narcotics getting looped in."
She went silent, and Jay knew she was done talking about the subject for the time being. Short responses and silence were her tells when she was annoyed, and he had learned by now to not touch that if he wanted to live to see another day.
As he finished packing his own duffle, she came over and sat on the bench beside his locker, her hands braced on the narrow bench as she straddled it. He respected and appreciated that she wanted the closeness, and he didn't know what was ahead for him, and them, with whatever history Hailey had with this guy.
"You good?" Jay asked her as he finished gathering his stuff. She looked up, a spaced-out look on her face before she shook herself from whatever headspace she was in.
"Yeah," she replied, looking back at him. "McGrady is solid. Just not one of my favorites."
Hailey had to leave it at that when she heard her name, giving him one last look that told him they would finish this conversation later.
"You ready Hailey?" McGrady said as he appeared in the doorway. He briefly wondered who told him they would be here, and if McGrady hear what she had said, but he didn't bother broaching the subject. Some things were best left unsaid.
"Yeah," she told him, grabbing her bag as she glanced at him once more. "This is my partner."
"Halstead," Jay answered, and part of him felt both jealousy and pride swirling around in him. "Jay."
He knew something McGrady didn't, and it would be kept that way for now.
"Sean McGrady," the sergeant answered. "Let's roll."
There was no more room for further introductions as they headed out, Hailey following behind McGrady while Jay followed her. He reached out when he knew they were alone in the stairwell, his hand briefly touching her lower back, a subtle way to let her know he was there, he had her back, knowing that she needed him beside her right now.
"Well this seems like old times," McGrady said as they walked through the parking lot. He watched Hailey glanced up at him as he wondered more about their history exactly.
"Look I know we've had our differences," she began, trying to be civil. "But let's just focus on the job. Keep it professional, okay?"
McGrady seemed displeased with the situation, and it was taking a lot in him to not rip a new one at this guy that was making his wife uncomfortable.
"So, what do we know about Quinton Kane?" he asked from his place behind them. He had had enough and needed to insert himself into this conversation.
"Well, he's the main suspect in three homicides that I've been chasing," McGrady told them, even while all his attention was on Hailey. If he had to be stuck in a van with who was becoming one of his least favorite people on the planet, at least he would have his wife to serve as a distraction.
"We get close, but you know, no indictment thanks to the brave ASAs," he continued.
"You know what flag he flies?" Jay asked.
"Yeah, it's the 100 Syndicate," McGrady answered. "He has a couple of legit businesses too."
"Any priors?" Hailey asked while he stared ahead at McGrady.
"Yeah, two. Five years ago, agg battery, and then three months ago, DUI. Case still pending."
"Listen this is how I want to run it, all right?" McGrady continued. "I'm gonna take the main eye, Hailey, you handle the log. Jay, I want you to do stills and video because we want to prove it's an open-air market Kane's running, all right? Let's go."
He finished just as quickly as he started, and this time Jay did meet Hailey's eyes as he silently questioned everything that just happened. He understood now why Hailey disliked him so much, why he was both a good cop and a pain in the ass. But here they were and as he followed McGrady to the car, he hoped this would be over quickly.
The drive over was luckily painless and quiet, leaving him alone with his thoughts. While he would have chosen to sit up front with the guy in order to let Hailey have space, he knew they would stick out like a sore thumb, the image of two grown men driving a minivan in a rougher area of town would raise eyebrows.
He could tell without her having to say much that she preferred to be as far as she could be from McGrady, and he wished he could help her out. They didn't talk much when they got to their destination, instead going about their assigned tasks and commenting every once in a while.
There was one moment where he was close to losing it, but Hailey diffused the situation quickly, even if it got under her skin too. It wasn't even 30 minutes into their stakeout when McGrady posed the question as he tried not to look over at them.
"I noticed you no longer have a ring on your finger Hailey," McGrady had asked as Jay snapped photos. If he hadn't been so focused on his task, he would have shot the guy right there.
"Excuse me?" Hailey asked, the annoyance and anger in her tone apparent as the tension in the car rose.
"Just an observation," McGrady explained. "Marriages are tough on cops, so I wanted to say I'm sorry."
He could practically hear Hailey rolling her eyes, and he would deny he snuck a peek at her hand to find the diamond band still there. What an asshole, he thought.
"Not that it is any of your business," she began, her voice deadly calm. "But I am still married. I just choose to not wear my ring while I'm running after suspects nor do I need to risk losing it because my husband will have my ass, or buy me a new one, depending on his mood that day. So, if we can keep my personal life private, that'd be great."
The sarcasm was dripping from her, and Jay used the camera of the to hide the smirk threatening to appear on his face. He was proud of her for standing up for herself, knowing she could handle anyone and anything, and if the sheepish "sorry" that came from McGrady didn't satisfy him more, it definitely caused him to decide he would buy Hailey a newer, bigger, shinier, whatever the hell ring she wanted whenever she wanted it.
"There he is," Jay said, bringing them from their thoughts. He instinctively went to hand her the camera, but she barely had time to get her hands on it before McGrady spoke up.
"Can I, can I see it?" he asked, and once again he was left to bite his tongue.
"Oh, hell yeah," McGrady said moments after. "Yeah, the guy on the left, that's Quinton Kane. He's a stone-cold killer. The guy with him is Bernard Ward, AKA "Bay Bay"."
"That's the black SUV, just like the neighbor said," Hailey added. McGrady finally handed her the camera, allowing her a look at their suspects. One more second and he thought about ripping that camera from the guy's hands.
"Great," Jay said sarcastically. "Well I think it's time that we should have a little chat with Citizen Kane."
They didn't get very far as Jay's phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. Saved by the bell, he thought.
"Halstead," he answered, listening to Kim on the other end of the phone. "Okay, got it."
"The son, Ryan Hammond, he just ID'ed the shooter as a tall black man with some sort of dog tattoo on his right forearm," he said, barely taking a second between ending the call and relaying the info to them.
"Check the file," Hailey said, watching as McGrady grabbed what she was referencing. He quickly opened it, finding the photo they were after immediately.
"That's Kane, dog claw," he said. "That's the 100 Syndicate initiation tattoo."
"That's good enough for me, let's grab him up," Jay said, relieved that they were finally getting out of this van. Hailey opened the door without much of a second thought, her hand going to her gun as her eyes locked on Kane's figure down the block. He fell into step behind her and he could only hope this would go smoothly, knowing his frustrations on McGrady would get taken out on anyone that tried to run from them.
"Hails?" he said as he walked in the door. It was close to two am and he was exhausted after having to run point at the scene while Voight escorted Hailey away. He hadn't seen her since checking on her at the scene, once again wanting to do nothing more than pull her into his arms and hold her. But there were too many eyes on this, and they still weren't in the clear with their boss.
When she didn't answer, he hoped maybe she had fallen asleep. Her car was outside and the only lights on in the house were in the kitchen. The idea of food sounded good right now, but his body screamed at him to get sleep instead. They had to be up in five hours for work, so he would make sure they both had food in their bodies then.
Jay shut the lights off after grabbing a bottle of water, chugging it down as he walked upstairs. With his free hand, he checked his messages once more, not wanting to have missed anything and wanting to go to sleep the second he fell into bed.
He could hear the faint sounds of the TV the closer he got to their bedroom and he knew instantly Hailey was still awake, that her insomnia must have kicked in. He silently laughed to himself at the memory of when they first got married, when they bought their house and Hailey had been adamant that they would not have a TV in their room. That had lasted all of a week when both of them had caught the other in the den watching TV in the middle of the night.
"Hey," he said as he walked into the room, finding Hailey curled up in the middle of the bed, her head on his pillow. She looked up at him, a tired smile on his face. He didn't even bother to do much else, just pulled his gun off his hip and his badge from around his neck, setting them on his nightstand. He quickly stripped his clothes off before sliding into bed, his arm going to around Hailey immediately as she moved her head from his pillow to his shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, his eyes focusing on whatever movie was playing on TV. She burrowed herself into him more, her left arm coming to wrap across his bare torso.
"The shock and adrenaline wore off about an hour ago," she told him honestly. "But I keep replaying it all in my head."
"What did Voight say?"
The sigh that came from Hailey told him all he needed to know. He had a feeling when Voight left based on the look on Hailey's face at the time, that he had gotten under her skin. The man never gave them the benefit of the doubt, always held them all accountable, and at first it was irritating, Jay had learned over the years it was why his people respected him, and why the unit was as tight as it was.
"He all but implied it was my fault," she said softly. "I was early. If there was anyone that didn't wait, it was Mac."
There was an edge to her voice now, and he knew she wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Every part of her was wound up and her brain wouldn't shut off to let her get some much-needed sleep.
"I know it's late," he began after a few minutes, having needed it to gather his thoughts. "But I've gotta ask."
He heard Hailey sigh once more, her fingers digging lightly into his hip and the waistband of his underwear, almost like she needed to ground herself before she started.
"I already told you I was assigned to his joint taskforce a few years ago," she began. "It was right after we got engaged."
"Those few months you were working crazy hours?" he interrupted, feeling her nod against his chest.
"I was on patrol one night, pulled over a guy and found what we learned was fentanyl in his trunk. Turned out that he had been under surveillance by a joint taskforce. Narcotics and ATF. It was super quiet, which is why I never told you. I guess as a reward, my partner and I got offered a chance to work the investigation."
She went silent for a few seconds and he knew she was trying to filter through the memories and find the bits and pieces she wanted to tell him.
"I meant what I said about he was good police. Dedicated to the job, the cases, but he had his faults, every cop does. He went after what he wanted, even if he shouldn't."
He suddenly had an idea as to where she was going with this. McGrady's actions earlier making much more sense.
"I was one of three women on this investigation, and the other two were ATF agents. One of the other women, she was engaged too, but it didn't seem to matter that he always hit on us. He never did anything, just always made comments about how we looked and how we shouldn't think too long term with the job since we would get married and have children."
Jay could feel his blood boiling and as bad as it sounded in his mind, he was glad the guy was dead, because he wanted nothing more than to go and punch the guy.
"He always did his best to keep me from getting promoted," Hailey continued, her fingers tracing his hip bone. "It's why I never balked at getting meritoriously promoted as you said once before, because in the back of my mind, I knew that was the only way I was going to be a detective as long as he was around."
"I'm so sorry," he told her, turning his head to kiss her forehead softly. "I had no idea."
"I'm just sorry I never talked about it," she said softly. "I couldn't at the time of the case and after that, I made him an afterthought in my mind. Like I said, he never did anything, just believes women don't have a place on the force."
"That's the furthest thing from the truth," Jay said. "You're easily one of the best cops I know, one of the best detectives I've worked with."
He watched as she looked up at him, a sleepy smile on her face. It was one of his favorite looks on her, when she was bare faced and a hint of sleep on her features, a time when she was her most relaxed and open.
"You're just saying that cause you're married to me," she shot back, but the smile told him otherwise. He wasn't going to argue with her, because he knew she took the statement to heart, knew that he thought the best of her on the job.
"I'm proud of you too," Jay continued. "Don't let those kind of assholes get to you, and if they do, you can send them my way."
Hailey just laughed lightly before turning back to the television, her head moving lower until it was right over his heart as her arms tightened around his torso. He meant every word he said, that she was one of the smartest and sharpest cops he knew and had worked with. He knew she deserved her promotion more than anyone, and he felt bad he never knew about her past with McGrady. But he understood and could tell that she never took the man's words to heart.
"I love you," he whispered, kissing her once more on the crown of her head.
"I love you, too, Jay Halstead," she replied, turning around once more to kiss him lazily. As she pulled away, he reached up towards her face, his right hand tracing her brow bone and around her eyes.
"Try and get some sleep, please?" he asked. The look on her face told him she wouldn't sleep, but she only nodded, and that was enough to give him enough peace of mind to sleep himself. One of them needed to be ready to go in the morning.
"I make no promises," she whispered. "But it's easier when you're here."
That was enough for him, and as he drifted off to sleep himself, the only thoughts playing in his mind were those of his wife over the past few months, when he had actually been able to see her on the job. Even as they were somewhat living a lie to their coworkers, he wouldn't change a thing that allowed him to work with Hailey every day and see just how amazing of a detective she was, and how bright of a future ahead of her she had.
Jay could see what a toll this entire case was taking on Hailey. She was constantly on edge, not sleeping and he could see how much it was weighing on her that she couldn't do anything to help McGrady's family. Everything about the case was enough to give them all headaches: alibis and evidence that didn't match up, details about McGrady that was making it not look good for the man and Jay was still on edge about the money thing. He believed Hailey when she said she didn't lend him money and he was getting sick about hearing everyone's comments about Hailey, how it was partially her fault that McGrady was shot.
He heard what Voight said that night, and Hailey had retold the story later, but it didn't stop him from being bothered about what his boss said. Even when he never brought it up again and allowed Hailey to work the case, Jay still couldn't get the words out of his head. The longer they went without a solid lead or evidence that took blame from Hailey, the more nerve wracked he became.
The press conference was hard, and he kept his eye on Hailey as best he could. Once again, there were too many eyes. He couldn't go to her and hold her hand like he wanted to, trace his fingers along hers in that way he knew calmed her down. He saw her disappear shortly before the end, and before he could track her down, Kim asked for a ride back to the station. That had led him here, sitting at the kitchen island while he stared down at his phone to find the last text he sent to Hailey where he told her he loved her, and he was at home waiting for her. She needed space, and he respected that.
It wasn't long after that she wandered in, a look on her face he really only saw when something was nagging her. He saw it all the time during her time in Robbery-Homicide and it hadn't really popped up since she joined Intelligence. But he knew it well, and he let her be, knowing she entered a near catatonic state when she was like this. Jay did what he could, reheated dinner, made her a cup of her favorite tea and dragged her into the shower with him.
"The blood," she said suddenly, her mouth full of toothpaste as they stood side by side in their bathroom.
"What?" Jay asked, confused by her words and the vagueness of the context.
"Kane's blood," Hailey clarified after rinsing her mouth. "How could Kane's blood be on McGrady's gun when Kane had a verified alibi?"
Jay just shrugged, not really having an answer. That fact had bothered him too, but it didn't matter. Blood was blood and the fact that Kane's alibi was from a place he owned was easily overlooked.
"Anne said something earlier," she continued, tying her hair up into a bun as she walked into their bedroom. "That Mac was accused of stealing money from the program. The timeline lines up, it was around the time he asked me if he could borrow money."
"You think he was trying to extort somebody, and it went wrong?" he asked, positing a theory that made sense in his mind, but Hailey shook her head.
"Maybe but these two things are too weird. It just doesn't make sense."
They went silent as he watched Hailey change into her pajamas. He had to stop from groaning and making a move as she slipped into the thin tank top and shorts she considered pajamas. As much as he wanted her, she needed sleep more. There would be time later, all the time in the world, once this case was officially wrapped up and she could put this behind her.
"Get some sleep," he said instead, walking to turn out the lights. "And tomorrow go talk to the guy that accused him. Maybe we are missing something."
"We have to be," she said, slipping under the covers as he followed. "As much as I dislike the guy, I don't want to send the wrong person to jail for this. It's not right."
Even though she couldn't see it, Jay smiled, once again proud of the woman he married. She had a huge heart, even when it was carefully guarded at all time. If anyone could figure this case out, it was Hailey, of that he had no doubt. He just hoped it would pay off for her, that her instincts would be right. But for now, he just kissed her goodnight, told her he loved her and prayed she would be okay in the end.
She was gone the next morning when he woke up, clearly having either not slept or somehow beat him to waking up. A text was on his phone when he checked, having found that she left to go talk to the guy that accused McGrady of stealing money. In the meantime, Voight had asked him to wrap up the paperwork on the case, which meant it would be a long day staring at a computer screen.
Close to three hours passed when he saw Voight leave abruptly from the office, and his curiosity turned into something of suspicion when Hailey texted him, telling him she figured it out. He had put two and two together, assuming that whatever caused Voight to leave had to do with Hailey.
Thirty minutes later and another text from Hailey: Meet me outside. My car. Everyone was busy and didn't notice him slip out, and he quickly found Hailey's SUV next to his truck in the lot out back.
"Hey," he said as he climbed into the passenger seat. The first thing he noticed was the tension previously in her body was gone and replaced with some subtle nerves only he could pick up on.
"What did you find?" he asked, jumping right into it.
"McGrady planted the blood," she told him, and as morbid as it sounded to him, he thought he detected some elation to her voice.
"Explain," was all he said, allowing her to jump into this tale of how she found out McGrady had signed out evidence on the same day a vial of Kane's blood went missing from a previous DUI bust. She told him her theory that McGrady framed Kane for his own suicide, that she called Voight and explained it all to him. Everything seemed to line up, but the real question was whether or not they would disclose the information.
The answer to that came later, when she walked into their house after McGrady's memorial. Her eyes were red and swollen, likely from crying, and he didn't waste a second pulling her into his arms. Without saying a word, he pulled he upstairs, undressing her and all but shoving her into the shower while he hung her uniform up. It didn't escape him that they had worn these twice in the span of two weeks for two very different occasions. That was the life they led, he supposed. Sometimes it was for good, and other times not so much.
As he heard the shower shut off, he grabbed the comfy clothes he got out for her, passing them to her so she could get dressed. He told her he would be downstairs and would order dinner, knowing they had no food and neither of them would want to cook tonight.
Hailey appeared five minutes later, dropping down to the couch with a heavy sigh as she curled up next to him. With his right arm wrapped around her while the other played with her fingers, they sat in silence as he waited for her to speak. It didn't matter if she did or they were quiet the rest of the night; all that mattered was that she was okay, mentally, so they could go to work the next day and leave this shit behind.
"Voight apologized," she began, a sarcastic chuckle leaving her after. "Well kind of."
Jay remained silent, wanting her to get it all out first.
"He mostly wanted to know what we're going to do about the evidence. Either disclose it or it goes with us to the grave. And as much as I disliked the guy, Voight is right, its gotta stay quiet. If the media, the public finds out about this? It ruins Anne and the kids, and I can't let that happen. They already lost their father; I can't let them lose his legacy."
"Kane is still guilty for the other murders," she mumbled. "He's going away for that."
She was quiet, but Jay knew that there was something else bothering her, something that she didn't want to voice. If she wanted to tell him, she would, and if not, that was okay too. As much as she pushed him over the years, he did the same to her, but there were some things, some cases and topics that were best left to collect dust in the back of their minds.
"Am I a bad person for not telling anyone?"
Her words were so soft that he almost didn't hear them; he probably wouldn't have if her head wasn't resting on his shoulder, her lips close to his ear. Jay shook his head softly as to not jostle her, but then moved her off his shoulder, needing to look her in the eyes when he said these next words.
"Absolutely not," he told her, watching as tears gathered once more in her eyes. "You said it yourself, those kids already lost their dad. They deserve to have some part of his memory left, something they can be proud of. From what you've told me, McGrady wasn't perfect, but he was probably the best dad he could be to his kids. That's all anyone can ask for, especially in our line of work."
Hailey just nodded, a small smile crossing her face.
"You're going to be the best dad," she said, her words slightly shocking him at the sudden change in topic. "Voight said something earlier too, when we were still at the house, about how it's tough to raise kids on your own. Anne can do it, no doubt, but with this job I always wonder…"
"Hey, no," he told her, his hands moving to her face, holding it gently so he could really look at her. "I won't let something happen to either of us, okay? Our kids will have two parents that are there for them, that love them so, so much they'll be sick of us. I can promise you that, Hailey Halstead."
Even as he told her to not think about those things, it was constantly a thought whenever something like this happened on the job. Even with the topic of kids becoming harder on them with every negative pregnancy test, it didn't stop him from reassuring her and himself, that one day they would create the family neither of them had growing up, and he swore to do his best to protect them all.
One day it would happen, but for now, he was content to just be with Hailey. Maybe it was a silver lining right now that they hit a bump in the road, as this dynamic of them both working in Intelligence was taking some more adjustments than they expected.
He smiled at the laughter that left her as he pulled her into his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as she looked down at him.
"I'm proud of you," he told her as she played with his hair gently, knowing it calmed him down just like when he played with her fingers. "You are my best friend, my wife, and the best detective I know. And one day, you will be the best mom ever. But it won't stop me from reminding you every day how much I love you and how proud I am of you, Hails."
Jay just watched her smile before she leaned down to kiss him. It was slow and lazy, exactly what they both needed to end this day. Once more, he thought how happy he was to just be here with her, and now that things were normal as they could be and they were finding their way in Intelligence together, Jay knew deep down that this was only the beginning. She had his back and he had hers, he trusted her implicitly and she trusted him. There wasn't much more he could ask for than that.
Hi friends! I am so sorry to have kept you all waiting on this next part, but I certainly have not forgotten about this story! This chapter is the longest by far, so I hope it makes up for the lack of updates.
I do have the next few chapters mapped out in my head, so fingers crossed it is not months until I update again. This is by far my favorite of my writings so I can assure you I will keep working on it! Until next time, I hope you all enjoyed and everyone is safe and well!
