Chapter 78: Two things I know for certain.
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.
Here is the next chapter. I enjoyed writing this chapter :).
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A couple of days after Jay's birthday Hailey walked into the 21st District and was surprised when Platt called her over to the front desk. "Goldilocks, come over here!" Internally rolling her eyes, Hailey smiled, wondering why the desk sergeant was requesting her presence. Jay was already in the office and Kim had the day off because she was feeling so sick and Hailey had been about to call her. "I'm not one for prying into business of other people, but you have a package, from the Feds, in New York. You know as well as I do that a package means a job offer."
Hailey frowned and asked, "What, why would they do that, I turned them down years ago?"
"Yes, well, it seems that someone has renewed their interest." Platt raised her eyebrows, but said nothing else. She passed it to Hailey, who accepted it, with a sigh, before she made her way to the bullpen. As she walked up the stairs, she glanced at the label. Detective Upton, from Agent Brown. Agent Brown. Hailey remembered him. He had come to the district, to the office which had been Voight's and was now Jay's, to offer her a year undercover, in person. She hadn't wanted it then and she didn't want it now, for the same reason. Jay. She hadn't wanted to leave her life, her then-boyfriend, for a year. That hadn't changed and never would. New York was a long way away from Chicago.
Her partner smiled and asked, with a chuckle, "Have you got yourself a secret admirer, Upton?"
With a quirked eyebrow, Hailey replied, "Yeah, something like that. Adam, you didn't contact the Feds on my behalf did you, ask them to poach me again?"
"Why would I do that? You're the best partner I've ever had." Adam paused, then moved his chair closer to Hailey's desk. "I was wondering if you could talk to Kim? This pregnancy's really getting her down and I'm worried about her. You and Jay taking the kids for a couple of hours would really help, too."
Hailey smiled and replied, "Of course. I'll do anything I can to help and so will Jay, I know that you and Kim would do the same for us." She added, wistfully, pausing for a second. She and Jay were still waiting for hear from Dr. Lawrence about a gestational surrogate. It was a long process and one which they were willing to wait for. They were happier than they had been together for months and they didn't want anything else that happened, or might happen, affect what they had rebuilt. It wouldn't. Hailey's surprise to Jay for his birthday had reminded them. All that they really needed was the other. Carefully, Hailey sat down and asked, "Is Kim not talking to you about it?"
Adam shrugged and sighed, looking defeated and very tired. "Nah. She's not. But this pregnancy is really hard for her. I think also because she's got Maria and A.J. I can't wait until you and Jay do this. Kim and I'll have advice for you guys by then. Imagine: Two kids and having a third! We must be crazy!"
Chewing her bottom lip, Hailey shook her head and just said, "No, I can't imagine that."
"Are you kidding me? You and Jay would be great parents!"
Hailey's eyes fell, but she gave Adam a small smile, because he didn't know. Kim hadn't told him and this surprised Hailey, because she told Jay everything, but she guessed that Kim was doing her best to respect their privacy. Before she could think any more about it, Jay left his office and said, "We've caught a case. Call the others and I'll meet you there." Hailey stood up as Jay walked back into his office, to grab his jacket, but Adam remained where he was, clearly lost in his thoughts. "Ruze, let's move!" Jay commanded as he passed Hailey and Adam, almost running down the stairs.
For a second, Hailey's eyes connected with Adam and Adam nodded, and said, "Yes, boss. I'm glad I'm not married to him, Upton." Hailey smiled and rolled her eyes playfully, before she and Adam followed Jay down the stairs and Hailey had totally forgotten about the package from the FBI.
"What's the package, Upton? If it's not your secret admirer?" Adam asked as he and Hailey made their way back from the crime scene.
Hailey ran her hand through her ponytail before she shrugged and said, simply, "It's from the Feds, in New York, from Agent Brown. He was the suit who came to offer me a job with them a couple of years ago. It was an undercover gig, for a year."
Adam laughed and nodded. "And the package means he's making the offer again? Are you going to take it?"
"Of course I'm not going to take it, Ruze: My life is here, my career is here."
|Nodding slowly, Adam nodded before he replied, "I get it. I totally get it. But it would be a great opportunity. Jay got a promotion, so why wouldn't you? You're a great detective. Also, Upton, if Kim and I wanted to do something like that, we couldn't, because we have kids, so it could be good for you to do now, before you and Jay have kids."
Shaking her head, Hailey repeated, "No, Adam, I don't want it. My life is here: My friends, my husband, my career, and I'm happy where I am, I love being a Detective. There's nothing to make me go and everything to make me stay."
When Hailey and Adam returned to the District, Platt called Hailey over to her desk for the second time that day and Hailey rested her arms on the desk as Adam made his way up the stairs. She knew that it wasn't Dr. Lawrence and she told herself to stop thinking about that. It would happen, but it took time. "There's a guy from the FBI here to see you, in Halstead's office. Agent Brown."
Hailey just nodded and gave Platt a small smile. "Thanks, Trudy." It felt like deja vu, but it wasn't. Now, she and Jay were married, they had spent over a year trying to have a baby, only to receive that awful news, causing them both so much pain, but they had held onto their marriage and rebuilt it, away from the pain and, now, finally, they were waiting for a surrogate. All that was the same was the same agent and the same office, but a different Sergeant. Hailey and Jay hadn't spent all of their time, working through their pain, together, for Hailey to go off to New York for a year. Hailey couldn't do that to Jay, when she knew that he had been in as much pain as she had been. As she was, but they were so much happier now, they and their marriage was in a good place and she didn't want to lose that. After the news, Hailey had fought against her instincts to shut herself off from Jay and, if she went away for a year, she didn't want that to come back. She didn't want to be apart from her husband for an entire year, especially after the year they had been through, together.
From the glass in the window of Jay's office, Hailey could see Jay standing at the side of his desk, with Agent Brown, whose back was to the glass, but Hailey knew that it was him. She shrugged off her coat, before she knocked on the door and she heard Jay's voice saying 'enter', so she did so, placing her hands behind her back. As soon as she did, Jay indicated to her and Agent Brown to sit down and he sat down himself, throwing Hailey a small smile as he did so.
Agent Brown nodded and said, "Detective Upton, I'm glad to see you're well. I hope you're received my package." He paused and Hailey nodded, before he continued, "As I was telling Sergeant Halstead, even though you did not accept our job offer before, we have an offer for you. A temporary offer and your Sergeant is here because, as your Sergeant, he needs to know what this entails just as much as you do, Detective Upton." He's also my husband, Hailey thought to herself and she was certain that Agent Brown was aware of that. This was a part of the test and both she and Jay knew it. It was the kind of game the FBI played, in order to assess those they wanted to work for them.
Hailey just nodded, before she asked, politely, "It's good to put a face to the face again, Agent Brown. May I ask: What is the specific offer?"
Agent Brown nodded, before he replied, "The offer is: A couple of weeks working in our New York FBI academy, helping to train our new recruits. We want cops with really good experience, on the streets as well as seasoned detectives, and you're one of them. We want more than just FBI agents training our next generation of agents. All of your accommodation would be provided for, so there's no need to think about that." He paused, before he added, "You really would be an asset, Detective Upton." He stood up and Hailey did the same, before they shook hands and Agent Brown shook Jay's hand before he said, "I hope to hear from you soon, Detective Upton. I really do believe that our recruits could learn a great deal from you." He nodded at Jay, who escorted the Agent Brown out of the office, leaving Hailey standing where she was.
Confidently, Hailey returned to her desk, aware that all eyes were on her. Only Adam guessed who the man was, so Vanessa asked, "Hailey, who was that? Was it about the package on your desk?"
Hailey chewed her lip, then nodded, "Yeah, it was a Fed, offering me a short stint with them."
There was an array of questions that followed, until Jay walked into the bullpen and said, in a commanding voice, "The murder isn't going to solve itself." He leaned against Hailey's desk, before he continued, "Ruzek, Upton, you set up the board, Atwater, tell me what you've got so far." Hailey threw Jay a small smile. She knew that she and Jay would talk about the offer, but she had already made up her mind. She wasn't going, not when she and Jay were in such a good, happy place.
Later, Hailey left her desk to make some coffee and she wasn't surprised when Vanessa followed her. Vanessa sat herself on the counter and asked, "So, the Feds? You're going to take it right, if it's only temporary?"
Hailey shook her head and replied, "No, I'm not going to take it, V. Like I said to Adam when he asked earlier, my life is here."
"But he came here, to Chicago, to see you in person. That's a huge deal." Vanessa paused, then asked, "I know you mentioned you and Jay went with surrogacy to have a baby- Is it because of that?"
In a calm voice, Hailey sighed and just said, "V, I don't want to talk about this right now. We have a case to solve, remember?" Without saying another word, she left the breakroom and returned to her desk, totally forgetting the coffee, until Vanessa placed one in front of her, with a small smile.
As soon as the case was solved, Jay gave the team the next 12 hours off and Hailey, remembering her promise to Adam, texted Kim to ask if she could come round for a cup of tea. Adam and Kevin were going to Molly's and Julie and Vanessa were going out for dinner and Jay was meeting up with Avery. It had been a long day and all that Hailey wanted to do was go home and rest, with Jay, but she knew that he would want to talk about the FBI offer, but she had already made up her mind. Last time, he had been worried that she would take it, like Erin had, but that had been a different time. Hailey didn't want to take the offer and she knew that Jay, as her husband, would understand why. Hailey texted Jay to let him know that she was going to see Kim before going home. She guessed that he would pick up a takeaway on the way home.
Hailey was first greeted by Maria and A.J, who wanted hugs and playtime, and Hailey could see how tired Kim was, so Hailey played a couple of games with the kids. She wasn't surprised when Kim's sister, Nicole, and niece, Zoe, turned up and she tried to excuse herself, but Nicole told her that there was no need. Nicole was glad that she was there. Hailey realised that Adam had asked his sister-in-law to talk to Kim, too. Her friend needed all of the support she could find and clearly Nicole knew this, too.
By the time Hailey left Kim and Adam's and returned home, it was quite late and she knew that Jay would be home by now, and, as soon as she walked through the front door, she was greeted by the sight of takeaway food being laid out by Jay on the kitchen table and she smiled, greeting him with a kiss as they sat down. "How was Kim?" Jay had changed into more relaxed clothes and Hailey smiled, thinking about how, after dinner, she could change into a pair of Jay's old sweet pants and an old jumper of his and go to bed, with her husband. It had been a long day and she knew that Jay knew that.
Hailey sighed and replied, "She's not good and she's so tired, because she's got Maria and A.J, but she's strong and there's one thing that's clear: She already loves this baby." Hailey added, with a small smile. She looked up and frowned, noticing that Jay was biting his lip. "What's wrong?"
Jay cleared his throat and replied, "I was wondering if you wanted to talk about it, Hailes. The FBI offer."
Quickly, Hailey shook her head. "No, because there's nothing to talk about. I'm not going to take it. I'll call Agent Brown tomorrow and tell him." She took another bite of their takeaway, before she continued, "Vanessa and Adam didn't understand, but I know you will, Jay. I'm not going to leave Chicago or you, now, after what we've been through this year and we're in such a good place now. I didn't want it years ago and I still don't want it." She paused and looked up at her husband. Her blue eyes met his green eyes as she admitted, in a softer voice, "I'd feel like I was running away if I took it and our lives, our careers, are here. So, you don't need to worry about me going this time." Hailey chuckled softly and reached out for one of Jay's hands, which he accepted and squeezed. She knew that he would be the one person who would understand.
Pressing his lips together, Jay returned the pressure to her hand, before he remarked, in a soft, loving voice, "Hailes, I think you should take it." The shock was clear in Hailey's eyes, so Jay explained, "Hailey, it's only for a couple of weeks. It's not a year. It would be great for you, to have that experience, and to be somewhere different, even only for a couple of weeks. I could visit and you could come home on weekends."
There was a silence, before Hailey quickly stood up and walked over to the sink and Jay followed her, touching her arm. Hailey turned around to face him, shaking her head. "Jay, I've already made up my mind: I'm not going to New York, not even for a few weeks."
"But why?" Jay asked, gently.
Tears started to prick Hailey's eyes, so she shook her head and inhaled a deep breath before she breath, "Because we've been through Hell and we're finally got back into a happy place, together, and I don't want to lose that again and we're waiting for news from Dr. Lawrence, and I don't want to miss that. Jay, I'll always be better here, with you." She rested her head onto Jay's chest and closed her eyes as Jay wrapped his arms around her and they stayed there for longer than either of them knew. Finally, Hailey moved her head and Jay wiped away her eyes and she could see his love for her in his eyes. She swallowed against the lump in her throat before she whispered, "I wouldn't have thought twice about not accepting it years ago, before you, before we had those fertility tests, but it-it made me question everything."
Jay smiled at her and told her, "Hailes, there are two things I know for certain: You're one of the best Detectives I've ever known and I believe in you and me, more than anything. You do, too."
Smiling through her tears, Hailey nodded, "Yes, I do, Jay, more than anything, but I don't want you to think that I'm… running away, when it's been so hard for both of us and when we're waiting for a surrogate."
Jay's green eyes looked into Hailey's blue eyes as he mumbled, "Hailes, I would never think that. I'm not going anywhere. It's a couple of weeks. If Dr. Lawrence finds a surrogate in that time, I'll tell you and we can talk about it. Take it, if you want to. You'd be great at it. If you want it, I'll support you, 100%. All the way. I'll always have your back, no matter what, Hailey."
Hailey's blue eyes tilted with tears, before she tilted her head and asked, in a chocked voice, "You really believe in me that much?"
With a smile against his lips, Jay kissed her forehead before he told her, "Hailey Halstead, I believe in you more than anything in this world." He paused, before he added, "I believe in you as much as you believe in me."
In a swift motion, Hailey wrapped her arms around Jay's neck and her lips met his with a passionate kiss. They stayed that way and Jay's hands went to Hailey's lips as they held each other close before Hailey broke the kiss and looked into Jay's eyes as she whispered, "I love you so much, Jay."
Looking into her eyes, Jay told her, "And I love you, too, Hailey. You're all I'll ever need and more." A smile crossed both of their lips as they continued to hold each other, until they made their way to their bedroom, with their takeaway totally forgotten.
