Chapter 84: Where you go, I go.
Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7. At Kim and Adam's wedding, Jay and Hailey finally confessed their feelings and spent the night together and now they are back in Chicago and hiding their relationship from their friends.
I do not own Chicago PD or any of the characters.
Here is the next chapter. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope that you enjoy it, too. I really appreciate every single review for this story and I would love to know what you think of this chapter. This was quite a dramatic chapter to write (especially for Hailey), so I hope you enjoy it. I'm interested in writing this part of Jay and Hailey's journey :).
Please enjoy, read and review :)
Over the next couple of weeks Jay and Hailey started to look at houses outside of the city. They only wanted a house with three bedrooms, but ones that were out of the city enough for it to be worth the cost. One bedroom for the two of them, one for their baby and another as a guest room. They also judged the distance and time it would take to reach Chicago from the different suburbs and, even though she and Jay hadn't discussed it in detail, Hailey was thinking that, for now, she would stay in Intelligence. She thought that she and Jay could commute into Chicago. She and Jay talked about it and he was considering finding another job, one that wouldn't always be based in the city and this surprised Hailey, because she knew how much her husband loved her job, but he liked the idea of being a suburban father more. It hadn't been something they had discussed in length, but Hailey knew that Jay was thinking about it, seriously.
Kim had been assigned to work with another cyber unit and Hailey and Adam were going through the board, to Jay, when Kevin ran up the stairs, looking very stressed and Jay, ever the leader, took charge and asked, in a very calm, but clear manner, "Atwater, what's wrong?" His military style added something to the tone and brisk pace and, even in this situation, Hailey was proud of her husband's command.
Kevin sighed and ran his hand on his neck before he looked at Adam and said, "It's Kim. She's been kidnapped. She's been gone for about 45 minutes and Platt's already got everyone out there looking for her."
Adam stared at his best friend and Hailey eyed her partner, wearily, knowing that he was very emotional, in terms of his reactions. "Kev, what do you mean, she's gone? Kidnapped? Where is she?" Adam raised his voice, "Kev, she's pregnant! Where the Hell were you?"
In an instant of a second, Adam lunged towards Kevin and they started to fight, but Jay stepped between them and held Adam back and, as soon as he put distance between them, he raised his voice. "Enough! You are not doing this when Burgess is missing! We need to find her and this is not happening right now!" Jay glared at Adam and Kevin and looked between the two of them and the look in his eyes made it clear that there was no room for debate. There was fire in his eyes, something his unit rarely saw it, but it was there now and even Adam didn't want to fight against that.
Adam stepped back and raised his hands, as the classic sign of surrender. "Ok, Jay. How do you want to handle this?"
Without missing a beat, Jay told him, "Ruzek, you can't be here. Go home." Jay's tone was harsh and Hailey knew why, but she could see that Adam reacted to being talked to like that and she braced herself.
Adam cocked his head and declared, "I'm not going anywhere! Kim's my wife!"
Looking very seriously at Adam, Jay just said, "Which is why you can't be here. I'm going to talk to Platt about Burgess' last known." In a swift motion, he walked past Adam and Kevin and Hailey could see the tension in his whole body, but Jay was a soldier. He was used to dealing with situations like this, but Adam wasn't.
"You've got to be kidding me! She's my wife, Jay!"
Jay turned around and replied, in a very measured tone, "I know. But that's why you can't be here. We don't have time for this."
Glaring at him, Adam spat, "You can't just dismiss me like that." Hailey stood in front of Adam, to try to calm him down, but backed away, when Adam spat at her husband, "How would you feel if it was Hailey? If she'd been kidnapped? Kim's pregnant, with our baby. How would you feel if Hailey was kidnapped and pregnant? It would be your wife and your baby!" Hailey closed her eyes for a second, because those words sent a knife through her heart and, for a brief second, she saw a flash of pain pass through Jay's green eyes. It was the same pain.
There was a silence, until Jay slowly walked over to Adam and said, in a very calm, but almost deadly tone, "Go home, Officer Ruzek. That's an order." There was a look in his eyes that even Adam didn't want to defy and, before Adam could reply, Jay walked away and went to see Platt and Hailey looked at her partner and he surrendered and left the bullpen, but Hailey promised to call him as soon as they found something. Hailey was worried about what this stress might do it Jay, but she knew that she couldn't think about that now. Right now, they needed to focus on finding Kim.
Hailey walked Adam to his car and told him to go home, to be with Maria and A.J and, as soon as he was gone, she found Jay and Platt and followed them upstairs to the bullpen, as they tracked Kim's movements and Hailey and the others watched as Jay took charge of the situation. He normally deferred to Platt because of respect, but not today. Kim was missing and the Ranger inside of Jay was very much alive now. Jay knew that this would affect him. He would crash from emotional exhaustion, but only after they found Kim and he had enough control to ensure that, now. He also knew that he would always have Hailey by his side.
As two Sergeants Jay and Platt started a grid search. Vanessa stayed where she was and Platt stayed with her, coordinating with Jay during the grid search. Without another word, before the left for the grid search, Jay looked at Hailey and said, "Upton, you're with me. Atwater, Tay, let's go. Rojas, monitor that radio. We'll find her." Hailey just nodded and followed Jay out of the bullpen. She knew that Jay wanted her with him. She wasn't his partner, but he trusted her more than anyone. Hailey knew that Jay would be fine now. He would be amazing until after they found Kim and then he would struggle.
Platt and Vanessa gave Jay, Hailey, Kevin and Julie the information for the grid, along with the rest of the police officers who were trying to find Kim.
On the streets Jay ran the Grid and Hailey went with him. It was starting to become dark, but that didn't matter. They found find Kim, no matter what, and Hailey had never seen her husband so determined. After hours, Platt gave Jay a tip on the grid search so he and Hailey followed it. They were no longer partners, but, right now, they had each other's backs. The location was an old, abandoned warehouse, but, before they could register anything, shots were fired and Hailey dove for cover and covered for Jay, whilst Jay positioned his sniper rifle and shot the offender in the head. Jay moved forwards first as Hailey spoke into the radio, "Shots fired at police. We need backup, now!" In an instant, Hailey felt as if her heart had stopped. There was Kim, lying in a pool of blood. If it was her own blood or the blood of the offender, Hailey wasn't sure.
In an instant, Jay was by Kim's side and he checked her pulse. "She's alive. Come on, Burgess, stay with us." He stood up and pulled Kim into his arms before he said, "Hailey, get the car. Hailey." Hailey stared at the sight of Kim, with her hands wrapped around her stomach. Around her baby, her child. "Hailey."
Hailey snapped into the present and her eyes looked into Jay's green eyes and she covered up her embarrassment by turning on the radio and saying, as she and Jay ran to her car, "We've recovered our officer. We'll transport her to Med ourselves."
"Is she alive?" came Platt's voice and Hailey didn't have time to answer instantly because she sat herself in the back of the car and adjusted herself before Jay, carefully, passed Kim to her and lay her down on Hailey's knee before he ran around to the front of the car. Hailey had never seen Jay so calm. Her eyes landed on Kim, on her pregnant stomach and Hailey placed Kim's arms there, around her stomach, before she wrapped her arms around Kim protectively, praying that she and Jay hadn't been too late. Praying that both Kim and the baby would be alright.
As Jay drove the car, he looked back in the rear-view mirror and he could see Hailey's arms wrapped around Kim's body, in a protective way and he could see the look in her eyes. He prayed too that they hadn't been too late. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Kim or her and Adam's baby. Maria Lexie and Adam Junior's baby brother or sister. He cleared his throat and spoke into the radio, "She's alive. We're taking her to Med now. Her pulse is shallow, but it's there." His military training was so useful in situations like this and Jay knew it. His Ranger skills were a great asset, especially in such dire situations. Even after all these years, his mind was still that of a soldier. He was glad that Hailey was there, she had his back, she was the one who was holding Kim as he was driving to the hospital. She was holding Kim's life in her hands right now and Jay trusted no one else to do that. Kim was his friend, Adam's wife and the mother of Maria and A.J. She had to be alright and Jay didn't know what he would do if she didn't.
Jay parked in the ambulance bay and Will opened the back door, to see Hailey cradling Kim in her arms and he told her, in an urgent, but voice, "Hailey, you can let go now. We've got her."
Not taking her eyes away from Kim, as Will took Kim from her arms, Hailey said, in an almost pleading voice, "Will, she's pregnant."
"I know, Hailey, and we'll do everything we can." In a second, Will and the other doctors wheeled Kim into the hospital and Hailey's eyes followed until they could no longer follow anymore, and her eyes landed on her knee, where Kim had been lying. There was blood there and Hailey wondered if it was Kim's, or the baby's and she closed her eyes, the image of Kim clutched her stomach burned into her mind. Her instinct to protect the unborn life inside of her.
Slowly, Jay left the front of the car and walked to the back of the car, leaning against the door. Hailey was staring at her knee, in a trance-like state, so Jay leaned closer and said, gently, "Hailey. Hailey." When Hailey finally registered his voice, he said, "Come on. Let's go inside." He offered his hand and she accepted it, with a gentle squeeze. They were a team.
Inside Med, Jay led Hailey to the exam room where Kim was being examined. They couldn't go in, but Jay wanted to be right there, for Kim, and Hailey was still in a trance-like state, so Jay wanted to keep her right next to him. He knew why she was so unsettled, but Jay's brain was trained to keep those ideas at bay until Kim was alright. Jay stood with his hands on the outside of his vest, in a stressed position and Hailey stood beside him, with her eyes trained on Kim, until there was a sudden rush and Kim was wheeled away from them.
As soon as the doctors were through and had taken Kim, Jay walked over to Will and asked his brother, "What's going on? Where are they taking her?"
"She needs an emergency C-section, it's the best chance for her and the baby. You should call Adam and you can wait for her up there." Will walked away and Jay turned back to Hailey, whose eyes were still out of focus, so he walked over to her and rested his shoulder against hers for a couple of seconds, watching her closely.
After a long silence, Hailey suddenly came out of her trance and turned to Jay and said, in a very definite voice, "I'm going to go back to the District and I'll get Adam and bring him here. He should be here, no matter what." She paused, then added, "I'll see you at home later?"
With a small nod, Jay just nodded and replied, "Of course." Their eyes connected and they shared one of their looks. Blue eyes looked into green. Hailey was worried about how Jay would react after this and Jay was worried about her. He had never seen his wife like this, but in those moments, when their eyes were connected, they knew. They were good.
Adam arrived at the hospital just in time. The doctors delivered the baby safely and Kim was in recovery and Jay had never seen Adam look as happy as he did when he was told that news. The baby was a boy. He was healthy and so was Kim and Jay closed his eyes and said a silent thank you to God, before he gave Adam a one-armed hug. Adam was a dad again and Maria and A.J had a little brother. Jay had to see Kim in person, after seeing her in the state that he and Hailey had found her in. All that Kim did was smile and thank him, for finding her and the baby. She told Jay that she and the baby owed their lives to Jay and Hailey. Jay left the hospital, to give Kim and Adam space and also to go home, to go home to Hailey.
Ever since returning from the hospital, Hailey had been glued to Vanessa's side, wanting to be as close to the baby as possible, after seeing Kim in that state and how their friend had been protecting her baby, by instinct. She wanted, she needed, her baby to know that she would do that. In Hailey's mind, there had been a great shift. She knew that it was what she wanted now.
After hours of sitting together, Vanessa shifted on the sofa and said, "I'm going to go to bed, Hailey. You should, too." Hailey just nodded and her eyes followed Vanessa, her eyes followed her and Jay's baby, just as they had followed Kim earlier that evening, into the hospital. She glanced down at her stomach and put her arms against it, remembering how Kim had been lying there, merely hours ago, clinging for life.
Before going to bed, Hailey put Jay's PTSD and anxiety medication next to their bed, before she changed into her PJs and settled herself into bed, having no intention of going to sleep. Her hands reached for the latest ultrasound of their baby and she studied every part of it and kissed it, as it kissing him or her goodnight.
When Jay returned home, he closed and locked the door quietly, not wanting to wake up Hailey or Vanessa, hoping that they were both asleep. He knew that his PTSD was going to take control soon, so he reached for his medication, but it wasn't there. Of course. Hailey had it in their room. This made Jay smile, because his wife, his partner, his best friend, always knew what he needed her, just like he always knew what she needed.
Quietly, Jay changed into his PJs and took a glass of water into their room and was surprised to see that Hailey was awake, leaning against the pillows. She was still awake and waiting for him. Without saying a word, she passed him his medication and Jay took it, without protesting, then slipped himself into their bed, putting his arm around Hailey and she rested her head against his shoulder, as she wrapped her arms around him. After moments of silence, Hailey pressed her lips together and began, "Jay, I'm sorry that I froze when we saw Kim, I just-I saw her, lying there, with her arms wrapped around her stomach, her baby, and I froze. I was standing there and I was thinking that could be me; I could be kidnapped or killed and leave our baby and you alone in this world." Hailey turned to look into Jay's eyes before she finished, "So, I've decided: I want to leave Intelligence, because I don't want to do a job when I'm not sure if I'll come home to our baby at the end of the day, not after all that we've been through to have our baby and he or she deserves better."
With a small nod, Jay asked, absently, "You wanted to go back to 21 to be close to Vanessa? I felt it, too." He tilted his head and asked, "So, what else do you want to do? You're really ready to leave Intelligence?"
Hailey chuckled softly and tilted her head. "I have no idea at all, but I know I don't want to be in the line of fire when I'm a mother. This is our future, our baby, our family, and I want it to be right and this feels right. Moving out of the city and new jobs feel right, doesn't it? Are you ready to leave Intelligence?"
Without a second of hesitation, Jay nodded and replied, "Yeah. I am. 100%. Doing that, as a dad- wouldn't feel right." He paused for a couple of seconds, before he rested his head against Hailey's as he murmured, "Where you go, I go."
"Where you go, I go." Hailey repeated with small tears of happiness in her eyes before she kissed Jay softly and she added, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Jay." They looked into each other's eyes before they settled down to sleep, with their arms around each other as she whispered against Jay's chest, "Where you go, I go." Hailey smiled to herself. She knew that this was right, for her, Jay and their baby. It felt more right than anything. It was their new life, their future, and, no matter, they were together.