Chapter 83: Future plans.

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've really appreciated all of the reviews for this story and I would love to know what you think of this chapter, I enjoyed writing this one. I hope you enjoy it and enjoy where this story is going :)

Vanessa was now 20 weeks along and she had settled into Hailey and Jay's house. Jay was more relaxed with Vanessa than he had been before the 12-week scan and Hailey was so glad. Jay and Vanessa were building a friendship, and, under the circumstances, Hailey was very glad, because she knew that Jay wanted to be close to Vanessa, in order to be close to their baby. Their baby. They were now settled into their life, as it now was. Every week their baby was closer to being born and Hailey and Jay had been waiting for so long for this. It was finally happening. Even if it hadn't happened how they had thought when they had started trying, it was happening and that was all that mattered. Their infertility was still something that was painful, but it had made them stronger and, now, they were finally having a baby and they had agreed not to find out the gender until the baby was born. Both Hailey and Jay wanted to be surprised. Vanessa thought that the baby was a girl and Jay agreed with her. A mini-Hailey. Baby Girl Halstead.

In Intelligence, the secret was out and Kim and Julie were so happy for Hailey and Jay, knowing the pain that they had been through and Kim was so proud of Vanessa for doing that for Hailey and Jay. Hailey and Jay always said that there was no way that they could ever repay Vanessa for what she was doing for them. It was only now that Hailey felt comfortable telling her mum about the surrogacy and Jay wanted Will to know, too, and Gail, Danny and Avery. Jay had given Intelligence the morning off, so Hailey planned to have coffee with her mum and Jay planned to have brunch with Gail, Danny and Avery.

When Hailey told her mum, the older woman was thrilled to hear the news and she was so glad that her daughter and husband had held onto the love they had for each other during such a difficult time and she was also, now, excited about having another grandchild. Hailey's child. Hailey and Jay's child.

Jay was the first to arrive home after meeting Gail, Danny and Avery, so he had a shower and started to make lunch, waiting for Hailey. Gail and Danny had been so excited about the news. They saw this baby as their surrogate grandchild. Avery was the happiest Jay had ever seen her, so excited about the birth of her baby brother or sister.

As soon as Hailey walked into the kitchen, she greeted Jay with a kiss and told him, "Mmmm… Jay, that smells so good!" She smiled softly as she leant against the kitchen table, running her hands on top of her ponytail. "My mum was so happy, I've never seen her that happy, Jay." She paused, then asked, "How's Avery?"

Jay nodded and smiled. "She was really happy. She's going to be a big sister." Jay turned to face his wife and said, "Hailes, I've been thinking. A lot, since the 20-week scan. What if"- Jay suddenly stopped and shook his head quickly and cleared his throat. "No, forget it." He turned back to his cooking, quickly.

Leaving her place against the table, Hailey walked over to her husband and lent against the counter, so that she was directly in his eyeline. In a Hailey-like fashion, she tilted her head and encouraged, "Jay, what were you going to say?" Her blue eyes met with his green ones and he knew that he had lost this round.

Jay smiled to himself, before he turned to face Hailey. "I was thinking that- maybe we shouldn't raise our baby in the city? With all of the crime we see every day, it just- it just doesn't seem like the right place to raise a baby. Our baby."

Hailey chewed on her bottom lip and tilted her head again before she clarified, "So, you're thinking we move to a suburb of Chicago?"

"Yeah. We get a nice house and a garden. Somewhere our kid can have space to play. Have a swing and space to run around." The smile and the sound of love in Jay's voice made Hailey feel weak in the knees. He had really thought about this and Hailey couldn't believe that she hadn't thought about this, now that they were 20 weeks along with the surrogacy. "I think it would be so much better for our baby. What do you think, Hailes?"

With a soft smile, Hailey nodded and placed her arms around Jay's neck, wanting to be close to him as she replied, "Jay, I think it's a wonderful idea and, in fact it's so wonderful, I can't believe that I didn't think of it first, you know how I like having ideas first." She chuckled softly and so did Jay, before her face turned serious again, as she finished, "But, if we leave the city and move out to the suburbs, what about our jobs? What about Intelligence?"

In a deep, but soft voice all that Jay said as he looked into Hailey's eyes was, "I know." There was a dead silence. They were thinking the same thing and they both knew it. The idea of leaving the city was one thing, but leaving Intelligence as well was something different. "How about we talk about it later?" Jay suggested before he kissed Hailey on the forehead and she smiled and nodded and they moved their wedding rings from their fingers to around their necks, like they always did. Ever since Vanessa had become their surrogate, Hailey had never considered leaving the unit, but clearly Jay had. She shook her head and told herself not to think about it right now. She and Jay would talk about it later.

After their shift, Hailey went for dinner with Kim, Julie and Vanessa and Jay went to see Will. He hadn't told Will about the surrogacy and, just as Hailey had been comfortable about telling her mum now, Jay felt comfortable enough to tell Will now. Vanessa was 20 weeks along, with their baby.

Hailey looked at her friends, her colleges and thought about what Jay had said. All he had said was 'I know.' He had thought about it, but Hailey pushed it from her mind. She knew that she wanted to leave the city, to raise their baby, but she had never considered leaving Intelligence. She had considered it before, only so that she and Jay would stay together. Her relationship with him was more important than anything else. It was because of the unit that she and Jay were even together. She knew that she and Jay would talk about it, like they always did. Hailey knew that one of the reasons why it was so clear now was because their baby was 20 weeks along; every single day, she and Jay were closer to becoming parents and telling her mum and Jay's family had made that clear. They were going to be parents. Since the 20-week scan, both Hailey and Jay had been thinking about it and they were in the same place, together, and ready to move forward, ready to have their baby.

Will wasn't surprised to see his brother when he opened the door. Natalie had taken Owen, for some mother-son time, especially because Will and Natalie's baby was due any day now. The two brothers sat down, before Will asked, "So, what's going on, man? How are things with you and Hailey?"

Unable to hide his happiness, Jay smiled at the very mention of his wife's man and chuckled lightly before he replied, "We're good. We're great, actually. I came here because I have some news, Will." He looked at his brother and looked at him properly before he told him, in the happiest voice Will had ever heard, "We found a surrogate and right now, she's 20 weeks along with our baby. Hailey and I are having a baby, Will."

In an instant of a second, Will left his seat and pulled Jay into a hug, clapping him on the back. "Are you serious? I'm going to be an uncle!"

"Yeah, it's really happening." Jay hesitated, before he pressed his lips together as he said, "I didn't- I didn't tell you before because-"

"Jay, you don't need to explain that to me." Will waved it off, before he hugged Jay again and put his arm around his neck. "I'm so happy for you and Hailey, you really deserve it. You two've been through so much and you deserve this. Do you know the sex?"

Jay shook his head and replied, "Nah, man. We're going to wait." Jay paused, before he ran his hands through his hair and explained, "This is- hearing the heartbeat. The baby's heartbeat was the best thing ever. I can't even explain that feeling, but I've never felt it before. It's amazing and Hailey and I are going to have that. We didn't think we ever would, but we will. I feel like we're the luckiest people ever."

There was a silence, then Will smiled sadly and said, "Mum would be so proud of you, Jay. Since you've been with Hailey, you've changed so much and in a good way. You're the best version of you I've seen since- since you went to Afghanistan. You'll be a great dad, Jay."

"Thanks, Will." Jay cleared his throat, then asked, "Do you want to watch the game?" He texted Hailey. She was still having dinner with Kim, Julie and Vanessa.

By the time Hailey and Vanessa returned home, Vanessa was very tired, so she and Hailey sat on the sofa and watched a series on Netflix. As they were sitting there, Hailey's eyes were fixed on Vanessa's stomach, where the baby was growing. Her and Jay's baby, the baby they wanted to move for, so that he or she could be raised somewhere out of the city. It was such a great idea that Hailey was still annoyed that she hadn't thought of it first. Hailey's blue eyes started to fill with tears as she thought about the look in Jay's eyes and the sound of his voice when he talked about their baby. The look on his face when they had heard their baby's heartbeat for the first time. Hailey's father had never been a loving father, so it was something Hailey had never seen. Their baby wasn't born yet, but he or she was already so loved and wanted. Hailey had only ever thought about becoming a mother when she and Jay had started to become more than partners and it was only because of him that she had survived the pain of her infertility. She was ready to be a mum. She and Jay were both ready.

Hailey's thoughts were interrupted by Vanessa asking, "You OK, Hailey? You look like you've spaced out."

Hailey shook her head and smiled softly before she replied, "Yeah, I'm good, V, I was just thinking… about how Jay and I are ready to be parents. Our baby, this baby," she indicated to Vanessa's stomach, "is already so loved and so wanted and isn't born yet, but he or she has no idea how much joy and love he or she is bringing with him or her. He or she is the best gift, ever, for Jay and I."

Nodding her head, Vanessa reached out for Hailey's hand and held it against her stomach. They could both feel the baby's movements and Hailey felt some more tears filling her eyes, tears of total and utter happiness. She only wished that this was a moment which she and Jay were sharing. "I know. That's why I'm doing this for you and Jay." Hailey closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, hoping that her feelings weren't clear in her bright, blue eyes. She wanted Jay to be there. She wanted this moment, the moment of feeling the baby moving, to be with him. Her husband. As if Vanessa could sense her feelings, the younger woman moved slightly and Hailey, unwillingly, moved her hand and it stayed in the air for a couple of seconds. It hung there, because, for reasons Hailey didn't understand, her instincts were to be as close to be baby as possible, which meant being as close to Vanessa as possible. Vanessa knew that and she was always happy to oblige. "I'm tired so I'm going to go to bed. Tell Jay I say goodnight when he comes home."

"Night, V. I hope you sleep well and, if you need anything in the night, just ask. You know we've very close to a MacDonalds." She was referring to Vanessa's craving for meat and the two women smiled and shared a chuckle, before Vanessa left and went to her room, leaving Hailey alone. In an almost phantom-like motion, Hailey's hand reached for own stomach. She knew that their baby wasn't there, but it still felt right.

After Hailey had a shower, she dried her hair and left it down. It was still slightly wet and wavy, but she didn't mind and she went to her laptop and started to look at houses in suburbs of Chicago. She wanted it, she wanted to raise their baby away from the city, and so did Jay. This was their future. This life, with each other and their baby. Their baby. Their future.

Losing track of time, Hailey wasn't sure what time it was when she heard the front door unlock, close and then lock and she smiled at the sound of Jay's footsteps coming up the stairs and closer to their room. Jay walked over to het and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her before he asked, with a smile on his face and in his voice, "What are you looking at?"

With a smirk, Hailey turned to face him and, instead, asked, "How was Will, how did he react?"

Jay kissed her temple before he replied, "He was so happy and he said that we really deserve this." With another smile, he asked, "Now, what's made you happy-cry, Hailey Halstead?" He rubbed her back in an affectionate way.

Hailey knew that she shouldn't be surprised. Jay sometimes knew her better than she knew herself, because they had been partners before anything else, so they knew each other like a every inch of a book. It was one of the reasons why their marriage worked so well. Closely, Hailey moved the laptop off her knee and turned to face Jay, crossing her legs and she took hold of his hands. With a smile on her lips, she told him, "When I was with Vanessa, when we got back from dinner with Kim and Julie, I felt the baby kick and I was sitting there, thinking that I wanted you to be there, to be sharing that moment, with me, and then I realised that this baby is the luckiest baby ever. He or she already has a mum who loves him," she paused, with a smile, "and he or she already has a dad who loves him or her in a way I've never seen before, Jay Halstead. Your voice and your eyes when you talk about this baby, Jay, is one of the most magical things I've ever seen and it's one of the best gits, ever. Our baby is already so loved."

Jay looked into her eyes and murmured, "And, Hailey Halstead, this baby already has the best mum in the world. A mum who will love this baby, more than anything in the world." He pressed his lips together, then asked, "And this has made you want to look at houses?"

"Yes, it has, because it made me think about it." Hailey rested her head against Jay's as she continued, wrapping her arms around him, with her bright, blue eyes filling with so much love. "I want us to find a house in the suburbs because I want our child to have the best childhood; to have a garden and the space to run around, to explore the world." She paused, before she added, "I didn't-I didn't want to visualise it, until now, but now I'm ready. This baby is our future and I want that with you, Jay, and we need to make the best future, for our baby."

Jay looked deep into Hailey's eyes and told her, in the most loving voice, "And we'll do that, Hailes. Our baby is the best blessing, ever, besides finding our way to each other." His lips found hers in a brief kiss, before it turned more passionate and they held each other close and, in between in whispers, Jay said, "I love you, Hailey Halstead. So much."

Smiling, Hailey whispered back, "I love you, too, Jay, more than I ever thought. This, us, and our baby, is our new chapter. Our future and it's a future we've had to fight for, but we're here, together." They paused and their eyes met for a couple of seconds and they looked into each other's eyes, knowing how much they loved each other and how much they valued their marriage. This was their future and it was a future which they had created together. They were a good team and always would be.