Chapter 23: Saw something different in Jay.
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.
Please read, enjoy and review. I'd love to know if you're still enjoying this story :)
Hailey and Jay's celebration dinner had been great fun for both of them and, afterwards, they had returned to Hailey's house. The following day, Hailey had woken up to see Jay sleeping beside her, which she loved. Jay had gone for a run that morning and the two of them had spent the entire day on the sofa, watching films on Netflix.
Monday morning arrived and, as always, Jay was the first to wake up. He brought Hailey a cup of coffee. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." He kissed her temple and then her lips, before he left the room to have a shower, then Hailey had a shower, too, and changed for work. He found his keys, badge and gun and asked, "Are you coming with me this morning?"
Hailey pulled her hair into a high bobble and nodded. "Yes, I am, Jay. I don't think anyone else will be in at this time."
"I know how much you love your sleep."
"Jay, I have piles of paperwork to do. Don't worry about it and now let's get going."
True to Hailey's prediction, there was no one else in the bullpen, so Hailey went to her desk and Jay went to his office. In the doorway, Jay stopped and turned to face Hailey. They shared their secret smile, then Jay turned back and went into his office.
They had a slow day in Intelligence. There were no active cases, so the team were working through paperwork, including Jay. He also had several meetings with different Sergeants from other units. They found him far easier to work with than Voight. He was far more agreeable. He was quieter, but also assertive. They knew that he had a good moral compass and a kind heart, but it was also clear not to mess with Sergeant Halstead. His leadership skills from the Army were well-used and they were effective in building bridges with other units, as well as leading his own unit.
Adam was finding the paperwork very boring and he was glad when he saw Jay walking out of his office to make himself a coffee in the breakroom. "Serg, have we got a case? I'm going to die of boredom over here." He always addressed Jay by his rank, since his discussion with Voight.
Jay paused and shook his head as he replied, "No, sorry, Ruzek. It's just paperwork, unless I get a call." Just as those words left Jay's mouth, the phone in his office rang and he walked back into there to answer it. A couple of minutes later, he came back out into the bullpen, looking at his team. "We've caught a case. Upton, Ruzek, go to Med, Burgess and Atwater, go to the crime scene. I'll meet you there."
Hailey felt such a feeling of pride as she watched Jay at the moment. He was their leader. She wished that they were still partners, but she knew that him being Sergeant was the best thing for everyone. In the long-term, it would be better for their relationship. Jay looked at her and smiled. Kim and Kevin saw it, but they assumed that it was just the exchange of two partners. Best friends.
Hailey was now riding with Adam, her new partner. Sometimes, she and Jay rode together, because Jay trusted her over all others. As Hailey was driving to Chicago Med, Adam mused something which he had been thinking about since his fight with Kevin, "Jay seems different recently. Since Voight left. What do you think?"
Keeping her eyes on the road, Hailey inquired, "How do you think he's different?"
Adam shrugged, trying to think about how to express his thoughts. "Jay and I were friends. We've been on the same unit for years. But when Kev and I had the fight, I saw something I've never seen before. Something different. A different side to him."
"What side was that?"
"What a leader side. His authority. His message was clear: He wouldn't stand for in-fighting in his unit." Adam chuckled and remarked, "Who would've thought Jay would be like that? And how he was afterwards. I learnt to not mess with Jay Halstead. He put the fear of God in me." Hailey made no reply, but just nodded. She secretly smiled to herself and reminded herself to tell Jay later.
At the hospital, Hailey and Adam interviewed the witness and the victim, before they received a text from Jay, telling them to return to 21. They needed to start to research the victim and Kim and Kevin were on their way back there, too, from the crime scene.
Back at the District, the unit spent the entire day trying to solve the case, trying to piece together the facts, until at 10:30, Jay came out of his office and said, "We're not going to solve this tonight. Go home. See you tomorrow."
Kim and Adam were relieved; they wanted to go home to have time together, but Adam also had different ideas. Putting on his jacket, he called, "Hey, Jay. Do you want to go for a drink with me and Kev?"
The surprise was clear in Jay's eyes. He could tell that Adam was trying more and he appreciated it, but he had not expected this. In truth, his introverted personality meant that he just wanted to go home, after spending the day with other Sergeants, but he knew that it was important for morale. He nodded, with a small smile. "Yeah, okay, Ruze."
Adam just nodded. "Great. See you there."
When the others went to the locker room, Hailey sat on the edge of her desk as Jay walked over to her and smiled. He titled his head and smiled, "I'll see you later."
Grinning, Hailey nodded. "You bet and I have some stories for you." She paused, then added, "Have fun." They shared a secret smile, before Hailey turned to go to his office and Jay, to his office.
In the locker room, Hailey wasn't surprised to find Kim waiting for her. "How was your dinner on Saturday night?" She inquired, with a small smile. She was fond of Kim and she wanted to be on friendly terms. Kim was always supportive of her relationship with her 'mystery guy' and she appreciated it.
Kim pulled her bag over her shoulder as she nodded. "It was good, thanks." Kim paused, before she added, "You and Jay seem to be a bit better today. I told you you guys have an unbreakable friendship." Kim paused again and Hailey looked up at her and fixed her with her with eyes, knowing what Kim was going to ask. "Did you speak to your boyfriend this weekend, about how you were feeling? I know you're serious about him, so don't try to deny it." She added, with a laugh to ease the situation.
Hailey smiled as she remembered the conversation she and Jay had had. They wanted to make their relationship work, more than anything. Both of them. New job, old job, you. "Yeah, I talked to him. We actually spent the whole weekend together." She smiled and picked up her overnight bag, before asking, "Kim, do you want to grab some dinner?"
"I'd love that."
By the time Hailey arrived at her house, she could see Jay's truck in the driveway. She and Kim had had a very relaxed dinner together. She was not surprised to find that Jay was already in bed, reading, and he smiled when he saw her. Reaching out for her hand, he smiled and asked, "How was your dinner with Kim?"
Hailey found her PJs and changed into them, brushed her blonde curls before she fell into her bed, next to Jay. She greeted him with a kiss. "It was really nice, actually. How did you get on with Adam?"
Smirking, Jay remarked, "Well, it didn't end with him punching me, so I take that as a win." He titled his head and asked, "What are you smiling at?"
"You. I'm so proud of you. You're such a good Sergeant. Adam was saying, when you broke up the fight between him and Kev, he saw something he'd never seen before. The fact that you're a leader and you put the fear of God in him. He knows not to mess with you."
Jay just nodded. "That's the idea." He smiled and rested his head against Hailey's as he whispered, "This weekend was the best, Hailes. Being here with you, my partner, my best friend, it's all I want."
Hailey's blue eyes connected with Jay's as she replied, "It really was, Jay. It was the perfect weekend, just the two of us. I'd love to have coffee, waffles and you every morning." Their lips came together in a passionate kiss and they held each other close.
