my first attempt at a controlled multi-chap fic! I planned out the total amount of chapters (which I think is obtainable) and I'm excited to see where this goes.
The warm early summer wind whooshed through the truck, as Jay parked in front of a modest two-storey house. It's brownstone exterior had windows for days, and the surrounding neighbourhood was full of other young families just like Kim and Adam.
It took them only a year this time to get back together and move in together before getting pregnant two months later. Their older daughter, Makayla, was thrilled to become a big sister even though Kim was more apprehensive. She didn't want her daughter to feel replaced, especially since Makayla had had a family before Kim and Adam. But Makayla called Kim "mom" now and had begged to help with everything before the baby was born. It also helped that due to Kim and Adam being busy, she got to spend a lot of time with her work 'uncles' and 'aunt'. Kevin, Jay and Hailey all came together to help Kim and Adam with school pickup and drop off, and looking after the seven year old whenever Kim had a doctor's appointment.
Kim and Adam had been very grateful for the help, and promised to do the same for Jay and Hailey whenever they needed it. Hailey had refrained from telling her friend the obvious fact that she and Jay didn't have any kids for them to look after. Although she wanted kids with Jay, so maybe it was just a matter of time. The pair had gotten married just over a year and a half ago, even though it seemed like way longer. Being partners for years had it's advantages because Hailey and Jay had been through so much together, ages before calling their own bluff on hiding their true feelings for each other.
Speaking of, Jay rushed around to Hailey's side of the truck to open the door for his wife. "M'lady," he said mockingly, faking a bow.
Hailey rolled her eyes. She hopped out of the truck with a blue gift bag in her hand, wearing jeans despite it being June. "Do not," she warned, pointing a finger at him. Jay just chuckled and slammed the door behind her. He clicked his keys twice, hearing the familiar beep-beep of the locking mechanisms as they started down the sidewalk a few paces.
Kim and Adam's front walkway was more picked up than the neighbouring places. Makayla was eight now and didn't leave her bike lying around. There wasn't a water table next to deck chairs, or flowers in the boxes. But a stroller was parked just below the stairs leading up to the door that belonged to Kim and Adam's new edition. Hailey was bouncing slightly on her toes, very excited to meet baby Isla in person. They'd been sent pictures the day Isla was born (and in the girl's group chat, one every day since then), but this was the first time Hailey and Jay would get to see her in person.
Hailey waited on the bottom step, as Jay leaned forward to knock lightly on the dark wood door. Footsteps came running then stopped abruptly as the door swung open. "Hey guys!" Adam said enthusiastically, as he saw who was at the door. He exchanged hugs with Jay and Hailey, then shut the door behind them. "How are you guys?"
"Great," Hailey answered, pulling off her shoes. "More importantly, how are you guys? And how's the new big sister?"
"We're great, luckily Kim is recovering really well. And Makayla can tell you how she's doing herself; Mak, your aunt and uncle are here!" Using his hand to shield his face from down the hall, Adam added, "She's been counting the minutes till you guys got here. By the way, she thinks that it's her baby."
Jay laughed. "Well she had to have her whole life up rooted for them, so I guess she can have some creds."
"Guess so." Just then, a familiar face appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Aunt Hailey!" Makayla ran down and threw herself into Hailey's arms.
"Hi Makayla, how are you doing?" Hailey hugged her "niece" back.
Makayla pulled away a second later and bounced on her feet. "Good! I wanna show you the baby!"
Jay, who hadn't even gotten acknowledged, crouched down and opened his arms. "Excuse me, miss, I don't get a hug?"
"Oops, sorry Uncle Jay!" Makayla quickly embraced her uncle, then grabbed Hailey's hand. "Mommy's with the baby in the living room. Let's go see."
The adults followed Makayla down the hall, through the kitchen and into the living room at the back of the house. Kim noticed them and smiled, before standing up. "Hey guys, I'm so glad you could make it."
"We're so happy to see you, in the flesh," Hailey replied, squeezing her friend lightly. Kim had taken the week before Isla was born off, and now had a whole year before she was set to come back on duty. Although she and Adam were planning to split that time because Kim missed work. Even though it had only been two weeks away from the unit, she had told Hailey she already longed to study a case..
Jay smiled at Kim. "You're looking alive," he said with a laugh. Having worked alongside her for over ten years, Jay knew her almost as well as he knew Hailey. He had seen at her worst and rescued her from it too. They had a greater understanding of each other; something Jay was thankful for
"I feel like myself finally," Kim replied. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with pieces falling into her eyes. She was clearly tired, but there was a lively spark in her gaze.
Hailey laughed. "That's good to hear." Their other friends with "shift jobs" who had had kids already talked non-stop about how pregnancy hormones messed with their emotions and control they had over themselves. Then the second their child was in the world, they felt much better. Clearly Kim could also join the list.
From across the room, Adam cleared his throat. "Did you guys want to meet the baby?" He asked. "By all means keep chatting but I thought I should introduce you guys."
"She's my baby!" Makayla jumped up from the floor where she had been playing with her stuffed animals. "Can I show her off?" She pleaded.
Smiling, Adam nodded. "Sure, but you have to sit down to hold her."
"Okay!" Makayla settled herself on the couch, then Adam passed her her tiny baby sister.
Hailey crouched down in front of the girls, Jay standing behind her. "Meet Isla Burgess Ruzek," said Adam softly.
The baby was absolutely perfect. She had big soulful brown eyes, very much alike to Makayla's and Kim's. Her baby face was round and she was tiny and big all at once. Hailey reached out a finger to stroke Isla's face gently; her eyes welling up with tears. No one noticed except Jay, who made a mental note to talk to Hailey about that when they got back home.
Jay let the new baby hold onto his finger, and was surprised when her tiny hand grasped it. "Hey, she likes me already!" He said with a laugh.
Adam rolled his eyes. "Can't imagine why." Then Kim gave him a stern glance, which made Adam shut up.
Hailey shifted so that she was sitting next to Makayla on the couch. Kim gently placed a hand on her older daughter's shoulder. "Honey, why don't you let your Aunt Hailey hold Isla? You can open the present they brought."
Makayla pouted, then she nodded. Opening a present sounded enticing, even though she expected the gift to just be for her new sister. Makayla might be eight, but this was a really big adjustment for her. Both Kim and Adam knew this, hence why they had tried to keep things as normal as possible for the first week or so. Hailey and Jay were the first visitors besides Trudy Platt, who managed to sneak over on lunch break two days ago.
Kim gently transferred Isla into Hailey's arms. Isla fussed for a moment, unsure of the new person. Yet it only took a couple seconds for her to relax again, and Hailey was able to stare in awe at the baby.
Makayla on the other hand had retrieved the present and started pulling out the tissue paper. Jay tried to focus on his "niece" opening the gift but he couldn't tear his gaze away from his wife with a baby in her arms. She looked so relaxed and natural, Jay almost imagined that it was their own daughter in her arms. He quickly banished that thought, because it wasn't the right time. He and Hailey had discussed kids before although never gave themselves a specific timeline to wanting one. He knew they would be parents eventually, but it was always a "one day" event.
Both Hailey and Jay snapped their attention back to Makayla, as she pulled out a small stuffed platypus and two hats. "Is this one for me?" She asked, noticing that the toques were completely different sizes.
"You bet it is." Hailey smiled. "The big sister deserves a present too. Unfortunately it's June so you won't get a chance to use the hat now, but hopefully in the Fall. It's why we got a slightly bigger size for Isla."
Makayla beamed. "Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, before pulling the hat on and promptly running into Adam's open arms. "Look Dad! Isla and me can match!"
"Sure can," Adam winked. "Maybe your mom and I should get some too."
As Makayla nodded enthusiastically, Kim leaned over to say to Hailey, "Thank you for thinking about Makayla. The transition has been easier than expected but she still has her moments."
"Of course. Jay was the one who thought about getting the small platypus to also go with Makayla's big one." Jay looked up from watching Isla and smirked; he knew his idea had been a good one.
"Well thank you guys. We don't know what we would've done without the help in the last few weeks. Very grateful." Hailey reached out her spare hand to squeeze Kim's; it was her subtle way of saying she would always be there.
Conversation lapsed for a while longer. Makayla disappeared to her room to play alone, while the adults passed around Isla and just talked about life. Hailey and Jay disclosed as much info as they could about their recent cases, in order to keep Kim in the loop. Adam would be returning to work in a week or so, which would leave Kim at home all day with both girls. She was a bit worried, but knew her eldest daughter would be a huge help, and that Adam was only a phone call away if they needed him.
Just before dinner, Kim began to yawn and both guys glanced at the clock. Jay could tell Hailey was absolutely in love with the tiny human, but they had stayed long enough. Isla was back in Hailey's arms asleep; apparently her aunt and uncle were no longer exciting. "Hey, we should probably go," Jay said softly, nudging Hailey with his elbow.
"Okay," Hailey replied reluctantly. She passed Isla back to Kim, and then stood up. "Thanks for having us," she began.
"Anytime, we missed you guys over the last week," said Adam. He cupped his hands and called out, "Makayla, come say bye to Hailey and Jay!"
Hailey pressed one last kiss to Isla's forehead, and did her best side-hug to Kim. "Call me if you need anything like a grocery run, or someone to take Makayla out or anything. One of the girls will do it if I'm on shift." She was referring to Sylvie, Natalie or Stella, some of the other women in their friend group.
"Definitely going to take you up on that," Kim said. She stayed back in the living room while Adam led the way to the front door. Makayla was waiting for them on the bottom step.
"You did good Ruz," Jay congratulated his buddy.
"Thanks man," Adam said, running a hand over his face. "You guys are next," he stage whispered.
Jay hoped Hailey didn't hear that. Luckily she was talking to Makayla about something and didn't turn around. "Shut up," replied Jay, in a good-natured tone. Adam just winked, as Jay turned to the eight year old. "You're a good big sister," he said, pulling Makayla in for a goodbye hug.
"Thank you very much," Makayla beamed again. She stood on the front porch with Adam, waving until Jay and Hailey had gotten in the truck and drove off.
The couple exchanged very few words on the way home. Hailey was engrossed with something on her phone, and Jay was eyeing the road. He liked the silence because he shared it with the one person in the world he wholeheartedly loved. The person that he felt safe with, the person who made life worth living. He would do anything for her. This kind of love he felt, well it made him feel whole and he knew he would never find the exact kind ever again. Hailey Upton was the one he was going to spend his life with, no matter what. He loved going to bed with her every night, and waking up for coffee together in the morning. They beat around the bush for years, although in retrospect maybe it was a good thing. They developed a love for each other undercover, and it only got stronger when feelings came to light. The thought made Jay smile stupidly for hours sometimes.
At home, Jay cut the engine and followed his wife into the apartment. They were looking to move but didn't have a good reason to. So they were still living in Jay's apartment, only observing real estate every now and then.
While Jay locked the door, Hailey dumped her coat across the back of the couch and kicked off her boots, only to say something that made her husband stop in his tracks. "I want one."
Jay, who could read his wife's mind like an open book, knew exactly what she was referring to. "You want a baby?" He asked.
She nodded, turning to face Jay. "Yeah. I knew I wanted to be a mom before—you and I talked about kids too—but I just really want to have a baby with you. Like now."
A thousand things ran through Jay's head. Most of them had to do with the fact that they just saw Kim with a baby and that was sparking Hailey's desire to have a child themselves. Then he thought about Hailey proposing to him and it possibly having to do with Kim almost dying that time. Jay realized that maybe other people's life events were the inspiration Hailey needed to make changes of her own. It wasn't something he deserved to question, because he benefited from her influenced ideas. So Jay took a deep breath and prepared to control his emotions.
"I want a baby with you too." He managed, as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He didn't know what made him so overcome with emotion but he couldn't care less. Hailey had tears in her eyes looking at Isla earlier. Guess babies just did that to people.
Hailey laughed, but her tone was kind. "Are you crying?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I said no." Shaking his head, Jay opened his arms for Hailey to fold herself into. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." Hailey laid her head on Jay's chest and listened to his heartbeat. "I'm scared shitless to be a parent after the upbringing I had, but I have faith we'll be better than my mom and dad."
Pressing a kiss to the top of Hailey's head, Jay felt a rush of anger towards his mother and father-in-law. Hailey's father had physically abused her, her brothers and her mom for many years. While Hailey's older brothers had moved out young, Hailey's mom stayed married to the old man, and didn't bother trying to get help for her kids away from the abuse. While Jay knew it was hard to leave a relationship someone thought was love, that didn't mean you should force your kids to put up with it.
"We're going to be the best parents. You're going to be the amazing mom and I'll be the dad who worries too much but supports them all the same," reassured Jay. He didn't care what he had to say to convince Hailey that they would be nothing like her parents, or his father. He meant every single word.
"Mmm." Hailey liked that. She also liked the idea of
"Hails, what are you doing?" Jay asked, as he felt his wife's hands start to pull at his belt.
"I said I wanted a baby. You know how you make one, right?"
"Ah, I see. So you really just want to have sex with me?"
"No!" Hailey exclaimed indignantly. She stepped away from Jay with her hands on her hips."I want us to make a baby together. There's a goal we have to hit by having sex. Well technically it's a goal you have to fulfill and it's a lot of pressure for you but honestly who cares because you want a kid as much as I do right, right..."
Jay grabbed Hailey around the waist, laughing to himself about the cute way she got mad and then rambled afterwards. "Okay, okay, I'll get you pregnant. Say no more." He leaned down and kissed her. Pushing his hand through her blonde waves, Jay began to back her towards the bedroom. Hailey broke away and sprinted for their bed with her husband hot on her heels. It was a race to get their clothes off, and Jay won as he tossed his shirt somewhere near the bathroom door while Hailey struggled to get her jeans undone. But Jay was eager to help her and soon enough, they were falling naked onto the bed together moments later. Hailey straddled Jay and her hands roamed his muscular chest while his tangled in her hair again, as their lips collided in a heated battle for tongue dominance.
Hailey won, but only because she swivelled her hips which made Jay's control slip as he let out a groan. She amazed him constantly, but especially when working on a case, ordering someone to get on their knees or when it was just them alone together. The power she radiated was something Jay would never tire of being in the presence of. Hailey Upton was something of a miracle force and he couldn't wait to see her with a baby of their own. They would be the best parents and make the cutest kid in the whole world. Not that Jay was biased or anything.
Later that night, as Jay lay awake in the dark, he murmured, "I love you," into Hailey's blonde hair. His wife had clonked out after their second round because make-a-baby sex was tiring. But she slept with a whisper of a smile on her face, which Jay marvelled over. He had stared at Hailey across their adjoining desks in the bullpen for years and took in every bit of her he could without being creepy. Now he got to look wanted and she never disappointed. Hailey Upton looked hot even with a messy ponytail, in old sweats and one of Jay's t-shirts. She was Jay's everything. Bringing a baby into their lives—their two-person family—would drastically change everything. Jay wasn't sure if he was ready, although as long as Hailey was by his side, they could adapt to anything.
Fatherhood scared him; Jay had no idea how Adam fell so easily into it with Makayla and Kim. Yet Adam had loved Kim for a long time, and sometimes you get through the hard feelings because you love someone. Maybe for the first time, Jay needed to look at Adam for influence. Because he wanted to be a father, he wanted kids that he and Hailey had made by love he could shower with affection for the rest of his life.
Maybe he wasn't totally ready at the moment, but whenever a baby made their way into their hearts, he would welcome them gladly. He had already been ready to make a baby whenever his wife wanted to, because she was his whole world and he would do anything for her. Jay snuggled closer to the woman he loved, waiting for sleep to crash over him
fyi I have no set schedule for updating, as I can't predict how busy I will get especially with exams season around the corner. keep an eye out for updates on my tumblr page, at thedefinitionofendgame. thanks for reading!