Chapter 55: Our future.

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.

Next chapter. Jay and Hailey are married. Please read and review :)

Hailey opened her eyes the next morning and smiled at the sight of Jay asleep next to her. Jay Halstead. Her husband. She looked at their matching wedding rings and smiled, before she snuggled next to him and fell back to sleep, the happiest she had ever been.

The next time Hailey woke up and opened her eyes, Jay was awake too and he kissed her neck and she turned over to face him. With a grin, he told her, "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Hailey chuckled and joked, softly, "I think you mean good morning, Mrs. Halstead."

With a matching chuckle, Jay nodded, "You're right. I did. I do. Good morning, Hailey Halstead." He kissed her gently on the lips and they looked into each other's eyes.

Hailey snuggled herself closer to Jay and rested her head against his pillow, right next to his head. She reached for his hand and traced his wedding ring and placed her own right next to it. She looked into his green eyes before she whispered, "Last night was the best night ever and I was the best decision I've ever made. I didn't want to wait another day to be your wife, it felt so right and we were away from- everything. It was just us, here." She paused, before she added, "Wearing your mum's neckless meant so much to me, it made me so happy."

"My mum would've loved you. She would've wanted you to wear it." Jay traced her wedding ring with his finger and smiled. "I can't believe we did it. Avery will kill me."

Laughing softly, Hailey responded, with a smile, "She'll get over it, as will everyone else." Her lips caught Jay's in a passionate kiss and she whispered, "I wish we could stay here, forever."

Between their kisses, Jay mumbled, "Copy that. We can stay here all day today, Hailey Halstead." They smiled at each other, then held each other close, in the bliss reality that they were married. They were husband and wife.

The next day, Jay and Hailey returned home, to Chicago, as husband and wife. Hailey had left feeling so anxious about their wedding, but, in the woods in the snow, wanting to marry Jay yesterday evening was all that she had wanted and Jay had wanted the same thing and now they were married. With Jay by her side, she had not allowed her fears of the past to control their future. Their future. This was their new chapter, together and neither Jay or Hailey had been as happy as they were now.

After returning to their house, Jay went for a run and Hailey met up with her mum for lunch and later, they sat together and watched Netflix, eating pizza. That morning, they decided they didn't want to tell their friends they were married; they already knew that they were engaged. Jay had told Will and Avery and Hailey had told her mum, but they didn't think Kim, Kevin or Adam needed to know. They weren't keeping it a secret, but it was private, until they were ready. It had been a spur in the moment decision and neither of them wanted their friends questioning their intentions when they married.

As Hailey rested her head against Jay's chest, he asked, "How did your mum take it?"

Keeping her head where it was, Hailey smiled softly as she replied, "When I first showed her the ring and told her, she was upset. I'm her only daughter and it was her dream to see me walk down the isle, but, when I explained it to her, she understood." She smiled, then added, with a small chuckle, "I actually have Kim to thank for this. If I hadn't had my freak out, we would've have gone there and I would've have known I just wanted to marry you."

Jay kissed the top of her head and murmured, with a smile, "So, it all worked out. I told you we'd figure it out."

"Yes, you did, and I can't think of anything better. I keep pinching myself and you to make sure this is real. I'm actually married to my partner and my best friend, and you looked amazing in your dress uniform."

"Being in the Army has to have some perks!" Jay joked and Hailey moved her head so that her face was next to Jay's and they shared a kiss, before Jay turned his attention to the photograph of their wedding. It was a picture of the two of them in front of the church and Hailey had framed it as soon as they were home. It had been a magical day. Jay titled his head as he asked, "Are you going to put that on your desk at work?"

Hailey nodded. "Of course I will. I don't think anyone will notice the detail of our weddings rings and, if they do, that saves us from telling them." She paused and looked back at Jay as she asked, "What do you think we should do about our rings? We can't wear them at work because they're metal." Neither of them had thought about that two nights ago, when they had eloped.

Jay nestled his head against Hailey's as they looked down at their wedding rings. Their rings. They were married and he kissed her on the cheek, which she received with a wide smile. It was crazy that they had just married, but it had been perfect. Just right for them. Jay reached out and touched Hailey's wedding ring and ran his finger against it as he smiled, "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, Hailes. I get to spend the rest of my life with you." Their conversation was diverted when Hailey turned to face Jay, with a wide smile and their lips met with a passionate kiss.

Later that day, Jay gave Hailey his reply as they were sitting together, in their bed. "Maybe we should wear them around our necks? They won't be a danger with the guns that way and they'll be close to our hearts, too."

Hailey chuckled as she smiled softly. "You always say the right thing, Mr. Halstead." She left tehri bed and looked through her necklaces and found a plain black one and held it in front of Jay. "I can put mine of this, but where will you put yours?"

"At the bottom of my dog tags." Jay replied, in a matter-of-fact voice. He shrugged. "I wear it most days, anyway."

Returning to her place next to Jay in tehri bed, Hailey nodded. "That's true and when we're at home, we can wear them on our fingers. I still don't think wearing my engagement ring at work is a good idea."

Jay smiled and replied, "I totally agree, Mrs. Halstead."

Hailey nodded and rested her head next to Jay's as she reminded him, "It's Hailey Halstead, but still Detective Upton at work."

"You'll always be Hailey Halstead to me." Jay looked into Hailey's blue eyes and hugged her, before he smiled and said, "We're married. This is our future. Our new chapter. The future won't be perfect, but it'll be ours."

With her blue eyes fixed on Jay's green eyes, Hailey replied, seriously, "That's why I want to stay right here, husband. Like you said when you proposed, it's you and me, always." They kissed and lay down next to each other. Hailey lay in Jay's arms and smiled. She and Jay were married and it was the best thing they had ever done. It was their new life together. Their future as husband and wife.