Chapter 14: Questions at Molly's.

Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7. After 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 the characters.

Please read, enjoy and review. :)

Another case ended and, considering that it was the evening and the end of their shift, Adam asked, addressing all of the team, "What do you say we all go out for some drinks? At Molly's? We haven't been there for a while." He laughed and added, "Hailey, please, don't say you've got plans. Jay, tell her she needs to spend time with us as well as her mystery guy."

Jay found himself chuckling as he shook his head. "You think she'd listen to me?"

"No way! Not when it comes to this!" Kim touched her husband's arm and kissed his cheek. "Hailey, if you want to go and see your guy, then go. Don't listen to my silly husband."

Titling her head and reaching for her coat, Hailey smiled. "It's fine. I'll join you guys. Jay, you going to come?" She threw her boyfriend a secret smile as she asked; she knew that no-one would notice, not even Kim.

Jay put on his jacket and shrugged as he replied, addressing the unit, as well as Hailey, "I don't know. I might call it a night and go home early." He had been struggling to sleep since the night of nightmares and a panic attack and this was evident by the circles underneath his eyes, but Hailey also knew that it was important for him to be with people, other than herself. She knew that Jay was in the mode of being quiet and a bit irritable because of the trauma the case had brought up. They both accepted that, but it was still important to make an effort. The unit knew that Jay's moods and social behaviour were due to his PTSD, but Hailey still wanted him to be around their friends.

Before Jay or Hailey had a chance to say anything, Adam spoke up again, "Come on, Halstead. If Hailey can drag herself away from her mystery guy, you can join us for some drinks!"

Laughing, Hailey remarked, "He's not my mystery guy. He's just private, not secret. There's a difference, Ruzek."

"You've been going out since Kim and I got married and we still haven't met the guy." Kim kicked her husband's shin, telling him to let the issue go. As she had said at Molly's after their wedding, Hailey was a private person and, if she wanted to keep her boyfriend a secret, she was entitled to do so. She would tell them about him when she was ready. Maybe when he was ready, too.

Kevin could see the hesitation in Jay's eyes, so he offered, "The first round's on me. Are you going to argue with that?"

Appreciating the gesture from Kevin, Jay just nodded and gave him a small smile. "Okay, fine."

They made their way to Molly's and Jay and Hailey sat next to each other, because Hailey knew that her presence would help to keep Jay calm and that was what he needed now. Hailey knew that he did not really want to be there, but she was glad that he was making the effort. Jay wanted to be alone with Hailey, his partner, his best friend, his girlfriend, but he did not want the rest of the unit to think that he was being dismissive, so he had agreed. He did not have the energy for drinks with their friends, so he stayed mostly silent. He didn't want their friends, especially Adam, to think that he was just being rude. Adam had very little understanding of PTSD and was emotionally insensitive, even if he meant well. Kevin understood his silence, though, as did Kim, and they respected it.

Jay stood up to buy drinks for everyone and, when he returned, Kim and Adam were teasing Kevin about his love-life. He passed Hailey her drink and gave her a small smile as he did, and she gave him a small one back, reaching out for his hand under the table and squeezing it before returning her attention to their friends. Adam couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He laughed and asked, "Hailey, will you please tell us something about your mystery- sorry- your private boyfriend?"

Shaking her head, Hailey just replied, shortly, "Ruzek, it really isn't that interesting."

Adam shrugged, feeling slightly offended. He shifted uncomfortably before he remarked, "I just mean that- I mean, the guy needs to pass Jay's test. But he needs to pass ours, too. We're a family. I'd want to do the same if Kevin were seeing someone. He needs to pass Jay's the test, and then ours. If he's in your life, we need to check him out."

Titling her head, fixing Adam with her blue eyes, she asked, "So, you're saying that Jay's approval isn't enough? I've passed the message on that he has to pass Jay's test." Hailey knew that she and Jay would laugh about this later, but she was annoyed with Adam for not just listening to her. "My relationship is still new and I'm just asking you to respect it, Ruzek. When I'm ready and when my boyfriend's ready, you'll meet him, but, until then, respect my privacy."

Before Adam had a chance to reply, Hailey stood up and walked back to the bar. Kim gave her husband a glare, then followed Hailey over to the bar.

Adam moved uncomfortably, because he knew that Kim was annoyed him with. Turing to Jay, he asked, "Dude, what's wrong with Upton? I was just saying we need to check this guy out- you understand, don't you? She's your partner. I'm sure you wanna check him out."

Jay fixed Adam with his eyes, before replying, "I think she doesn't like you always questioning her about it. Acting like you're questioning her judgement."

"So, you're saying you don't want to check this guy out for yourself? You're her partner!"

"From what Hailey's told me, he sounds like a good guy." Jay paused, then added, "You should trust her judgment and she's happy."

Adam shrugged and huffed. "I'm just looking out for her, man. You must get that more than anyone! She's your partner, your best mate! How can you not want to know the guy she's going to be with? Spending her free time with? I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy if he knew how close you and Upton are."

Fiddling with the glass, Jay fought to keep eye contact with Adam and not to laugh. "Because I trust her. I trust her judgment. Because she's my partner, my best friend."

Kevin saw his chance to jump into the conversation, trying to mediate between his two friends and between Hailey and Adam. "Adam, Jay's right. Trust Hailey's judgment because there's no way this guy would be in her life if he wasn't important to her." He threw Jay a small smile and Jay nodded silently, thanking him.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Kim apologised to Hailey about her husband's behaviour. "I'm really sorry about Adam. He really needs to learn when to shut up and say nothing." Hailey gave Kim a warm smile, because she was genuine and, unlike Adam, she respected her privacy. With a smile on her face, Kim added, "For the record, I can see how happy you are and, if this guy makes you that happy, none of us can judge that. When you're ready, you're ready and, until then, it's your secret."

Hailey smiled and glanced at Jay, before she laughed and remarked, "We were actually saying how glad we were that we both went to your wedding." It was not a lie. Both Hailey and Jay had gone to Kim and Adam's wedding and they were both glad that they had, because that had been their first uninterrupted moment together, so, like with Vanessa, not a word of it was a lie. The two women laughed and walked back to the table.

"Can you believe Adam?" Hailey asked Jay as they walked into her house and she took off her coat. "Where does he get the nerve to talk to me like that? You'd think I was dating a criminal from the way he was talking to me!"

Jay shook his head and took off his jacket, placing it down neatly instead of throwing it like Hailey had done. Habits of military life. "Hailes, I get it, but I set him straight. That he should leave you alone because it pisses you off."

Rolling her eyes and pulling her hair into a high ponytail, Hailey shook her head. "You have no idea!" A smile spread across her face and she walked over to Jay, wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her face close to his. "You have to pass your own test, didn't you know?"

Smirking, Jay murmured, "Hmmmm…. How is that possible?" He wrapped his arms around Hailey's waist, pulling her close.

Laughing, Hailey asked, "What do you think Adam would say if I told him my boyfriend was you? After all of his suspicions about the guy."

"To be honest, I don't think he'd believe you." Smiling, Jay kissed her, before murmuring, "It makes it very fun- everyone wants to meet your boyfriend, to check him out to see if he's good enough for you and I'm there, right next to you."

Hailey kissed Jay back, keeping her arms around his neck and she rested her nose against his. "It makes it even better. They'll drive themselves crazy and knowing that you're right there makes it so much fun." They both laughed and held each other close, marveling in humor and joy of their new partnership.