hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed including cameos from Chicago Fire characters ;) don't worry, it's still Hailey and Jay's story so you'll still get lots of content of them. *spoilers for 10.05 of Chicago Fire*
When Jay walked into Molly's, he was surprised to find it quiet. At five o'clock on a Friday night, you'd expect people who just got off shifts to be walking in for a drink. Yet it was just Hermann was manning the bar, Mouch was writing something in his notebook and a total of two other customers were present. "Hey Halstead," Mouch called out from his stool by the counter
"Mouch," Jay nodded hello as he took a seat next to Trudy's husband. "You know, I have decided I hate being on time to guy's night. No one else ever is."
Both Hermann and Mouch let out a roar. "Son, you just wait. You'll get older like us and forget too," Mouch warned him.
Jay shook his head, keeping his eyes on the door. "Wanna take bets on who walks through that door first?"
Hermann grabbed a beer from the fridge, popped off the top and slid it to Jay. "That beer's on the house if Adam shows up last."
Mouch slapped down two crumpled fivers; one for each of them. "Naw, Severide's gonna be the latest. He's not gonna be able to leave Stella at home." They knew how overprotective their buddy was over his tough-as-nails wife, even though she didn't need it. Now that she was pregnant, Severide was practically wearing himself out trying not to show how worried he was about his unborn kid and his wife. Jay hoped that tonight would at least be a chance for him to chill for a night.
"Actually, she's Kim's with Hailey and Sylvie," Jay supplied. He was about to place his bet when the door opened. All three men looked up expecting to see Severide or Adam; instead they were greeted by the familiar face of Matt Casey.
Both bar owners were shocked to see him. "Casey!" Hermann's smile was a mile wide, and Mouch quickly got out of his chair to greet the unexpected guest.
Jay stood back but waved in greeting. He had heard all about Matt's move to Oregon for the past while and had missed seeing the man at guy's night. He had heard from Hailey that Matt's long-distance relationship with Sylvie Brett was still going strong. Plane tickets and Facetime definitely helped with that.
"Hey Halstead," Matt said, opening his arms to pull Jay into a hug. The firefighter looked well and had hardly changed at all. "Good to see you."
"You too." Jay clapped him on the back a couple of times.
"Matt?" The door banged open and Severide spotted the newcomer right away.
Shedding his coat, Matt turned to see who had called his name. "Come here, man," he said with a grin. The two embraced and then both guys let out a laugh.
"What are you doing here?" Severide asked. He was a bit shocked yet still thrilled to see his buddy.
"Came to surprise Sylvie but got wind of girl's night from Violet. So I thought I'd surprise you guys, then the women later," Matt explained. He gratefully took the beer that Hermann offered him, then stopped short. "Hold up, who's driving?"
"Everyone but you," said a voice behind Jay. The three guys turned and saw Adam looming over Jay's head. "Good to see you man," Adam said, reaching out to shake Matt's hand.
"You too Adam," Matt smiled.
Adam raised his arm and a second later, a beer slid down the counter for him. "Drink whatever you like. I'm driving but that doesn't mean I can't have a couple drinks."
"Alright then." Severide raised his bottle and said, "To Matt for returning tonight to surprise us. Sylvie's not here so we'll just pretend we're the only reason he came back."
"Cheers!" The men clinked as Matt let out a laugh. "Don't let Sylvie hear that, or else you're gonna be in the dog house."
"Firehouse, you mean," said Adam with a laugh. Everyone ignored his lame joke and chugged back a sip of their drinks.
Less than half an hour later, the bar started to get crowded. Word had spread around to Firehouse 51 that Matt was back in town, so nearly everyone who knew him swung by to say hi. The only thing Matt asked was that they keep his arrival a secret from Sylvie. He wanted to completely surprise her. Severide offered to hide him in the backseat and surprise Sylvie at Kim's house when they went to get Stella.
"Sounds like a plan. I can't wait to see her." Matt smiled to himself. "Not that you lot aren't great company, but she's nice to look at also."
"I'm nice to look at!" both Severide and Adam said at the same time. They flexed their muscles, which almost had Jay choking on his beer. He liked to see his friends having a good time. Not that he wasn't, but in social settings like crowded bars, Jay tended to watch instead of participate. Unless Hailey was present, then he was willing to do whatever she wanted.
When some younger guys decided it was time for shots and began to chant, that was the guys' cue to head out. Adam and Severide paid their tabs—Jay's was free because Adam showed up last and Severide refused to let Matt pay—then they said their quick goodbyes. "I'll come by and say hi at the firehouse when I drop Sylvie off for work," Matt promised as he grabbed his coat. Hermann and Mouch nodded, waving as the four men left Molly's. It was just after six forty-five, which meant the guys would get back to pick up their girls just in time.
"See you soon," Adam called out, as he jumped into his jeep. Jay cranked the radio in his truck as he headed to pick up his wife and see the rest of the girls. Something rock came on, which prompted him to roll the windows down and sing out loud, very badly. Something about the crisp autumn weather made Jay want to belt out a song in the car. And because no one was riding shotgun and able to judge him—aka his wife—Jay did just that.
Over at Kim and Adam's brownstone, there were no beers or shot-taking in sight. Kim was breastfeeding, both Stella and Hailey were pregnant, and Sylvie brought a small bottle of rosé for herself. It was mostly chips and dip and talk of their lives. The girls kept more regular contact with each other compared to the boys, so the life event catch-up was only recent things.
"Only a few more months until Matt's back for good," Sylvie said, taking a sip from her wine glass.
"Maybe once he's back you guys can talk about a kid," Stella began, not wanting to pressure her friend but she also knew Sylvie well enough to know she wanted a kid.
Sylvie shook her head. "I was thinking about calling him tonight. We've talked about marriage and kids recently, but I definitely don't want to make any rash decisions or do anything about it when he's still in Oregon."
"Makes sense," Kim chimed in. "For now you have one baby here to be the auntie of, and two more on the way!" It was still a crazy coincidence that both Hailey and Stella were pregnant at the same time. Considering the fertility challenges Stella had, and the lack thereof that Hailey did, it was a nice surprise for everyone. Plus it almost guaranteed their kids would be good friends.
"It's crazy that I only have 3 months left," said Stella. "He's supposed to be here before Christmas."
"Aw, that's adorable. Maybe you can convince Severide to dress up as Santa for pictures?" Sylvie laughed.
Stella raised an eyebrow. "You think he'd go for that?"
"You would've just had his baby. I feel like you could say anything and he'd do it," Kim pointed out. She smiled smugly over Isla, who was fast asleep in her playpen. "I definitely pull out all the excuses whenever I want something from Adam."
"I've guilted Jay into going out and buying me pickles at six in the morning," Hailey added, as Stella made a face. Pickles were one of Hailey's weird pregnancy cravings and something Stella couldn't stand.
"Baby blackmail at its finest," Kim concluded with a cheshire cat grin. Then she surveyed her friends and let out a short laugh. "We're the worst, aren't we?"
Sipping from her mug of tea, Hailey tried to look angelic. "Who, me? No, I'm just pregnant and not willing to do anything."
"Fair. I've got a baby and an eight year-old to wrangle."
"I'm six months pregnant and even though I'm a firefighter, have no will to carry this baby up any stairs anymore."
"I'm just lazy." Sylvie had the last comment, even though she was nothing close to lazy. She liked to joke around with her girls, even though it made her a bit sad. Matt was still in Oregon until the spring. They called and texted all the time but it wasn't the same as being able to hug him in person or sleep with his arm curled around her every night as the other women did with their respective partners.
Stella could tell Sylvie was a bit sad, so she quickly changed the topic to something more lighthearted. The women kept their easy flow of conversation for the next hour or so, or at least until Kim started yawning. Hailey checked her phone and noticed that it was nearly seven p-m. Makayla was at a playdate with a friend but was supposed to be dropped off at seven-thirty. The girls had promised to leave before then so that Makayla wouldn't get distracted and would actually go to bed at a good time.
"The guys should be here soon," Sylvie said. She had driven herself in her own car, while Stella and Hailey had gotten dropped off by their husbands.
Just then, Stella's phone lit up with a text. "Kelly's across the street," she announced, then turned to Kim for a hug, "Thank you so much for having us."
"Anytime! Once you're off on maternity leave, you'll have way more hours to spare. I'm always around with Isla and Makayla when she's not in school," Kim hugged Stella, Hailey and Sylvie goodbye then went to unlock the front door.
Stella waved as she carefully walked down the steps, but stopped abruptly when she heard her husband's voice telling her to stay where she was. "Stella! Tell Sylvie to get out here right now!" Severide shouted through the window of his car.
Stella looked confused but shrugged. She opened the door and said, "Sylvie, Severide wants to talk to you!"
Still in the living room, Hailey and Sylvie shared a glance but didn't say anything. Sylvie gulped back her last sip of wine and put the glass in the sink, before picking up her purse and throwing her jacket over her arm. "I wonder what this is about," she said to no one in particular as she headed for the foyer. Hailey followed her, and Kim pulled the door open wider to reveal a puzzled Stella on the doorstep.
"What's up?" Sylvie yelled back across the street. It was barely seven o'clock so she wasn't worried about keeping her voice down.
The four women huddled outside, wondering what the heck was going on. Then the rear door to Severide's vehicle opened and two feet hit the ground with a thud. A third sound was made, as Sylvie dropped her bag and coat and took off running across the street. "Wait, what's going on?" Hailey asked, still confused.
Sylvie wasn't confused any longer. She would recognize those shoes anywhere and didn't hesitate to throw herself into the arms of who they belonged to. "Oh my god you came home!"
"Casey?" Stella squinted and then let out a shout of joy. "Casey you're back!" She waved, and the man in question took his eyes off Sylvie for one second to return it.
Kim and Hailey finally understood. Sylvie's long-distance boyfriend was here in the flesh, clearly a surprise for her. Severide shut off the car and crossed the street to say hello. Wrapping an arm around Stella, Severide grinned as everyone watched Matt spin Sylvie around in his arms.
Jay and Adam sidled up just then too. Due to her mess of hormones, Hailey actually had tears in her eyes watching Sylvie reunite with the love of her life. Jay noticed and came to squeeze her shoulder. "You okay?" He whispered.
"Never better," was the only reply Hailey could think of. She put her hand over Jay's and smiled. "God, why am I even crying? I'm such a disaster."
"You're not a disaster," Jay said, quick to reassure her. "But if you were, you'd be my disaster."
"Cute," Hailey said sarcastically. Just because her hormones made her cry, it didn't mean she had lost her sarcastic spark.
After a few moments, Sylvie and Matt disentangled themselves from each other and came back to join their friends. "Hey Stella. Hailey and Kim, it's good to see you guys again," Matt said, running a hand through his hair. His other was grasped in Sylvie's where it would probably remain for the rest of the night.
Stella launched herself into Matt's arms for a hug. Well, a much of a hug that was possible with a six month pregnant belly in the way. Matt didn't mind though, and hugged his friend back. "As much as it was a surprise for Sylvie, I guess you also get to be shocked like we were at the bar," Severide tells his wife.
"No kidding." Stella shook her head, still shocked. But there was a wicked gleam in her eye as she winked at Sylvie who tried not to meet anyone's gaze. They all knew what she would be doing once they got home.
The four couples stood and talked for a few minutes together, but Makayla was going to be dropped off by her friend's mom soon, and everyone else was a bit tired. They said their goodbyes, then Hailey and Jay climbed into the truck. "Did you have a fun night?" Jay asked, shifting into drive as they pulled out of the parking spot.
Hailey nodded. "Definitely." She was so lucky to have good friends, especially ones that she could ask about babies and such. "How was your night?"
"Awesome. Matt actually showed up at the bar as a surprise for Severide and the other guys first. He was going to go to Sylvie's place afterwards, then Severide had the idea to just sneak him in the backseat of the car," replied Jay.
"Sylvie was a bit wistful when we were talking about having you guys around. I'm glad he came to surprise her, talk about romantic gestures."
Jay raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you saying I don't perform romantic gestures?"
"Um no, but you don't fly across the country to surprise me."
"That's because we live in the same apartment! I would if we were separated by distance, though," Jay reassured his wife.
Hailey smiled. She married the right guy hands down. "I know you would."
After Jay made it through the busy intersection and turned down a quiet road, Jay realized he never asked about the baby. "How's our little hot-cross bun?" Jay smirked, quickly glancing over to observe Hailey's reaction.
She glared right back. Jay had been trying to come up with gender-neutral nicknames for their baby-to-be although all his ideas were terrible. "Hot-cross bun? Because they're a bun in the oven?"
Laughing, Jay said, "Got it in one."
"Yeah, you are not calling them that." Hailey rolled her eyes. She reached across the center console to grab Jay's spare hand, which she then placed on her stomach. Even though they couldn't feel the baby move yet, Jay still liked to put his hand near his kid, letting them know he was also there.
The car lapsed into a comfortable silence. When Hailey's phone dinged, she jumped a bit, but then saw it was the girl's group chat. A picture loaded first, of Matt and Sylvie both showing a thumbs up. The caption read 'the second Matt's back in Chicago, baby is a go!'. Hailey's delighted shout almost made Jay serve in the lane. Luckily his police chase skills caught on just in time.
"What the heck?" He asked Hailey. He wasn't angry, just confused.
"Matt and Sylvie are gonna have a baby when he's back in town!" Hailey announced. She quickly held up her cell phone and snapped a pic of her and Jay; her smile conflicted with Jay's puzzled expression. Her text said, 'Jay's still processing but I'm happy for you guys'.
When it clicked for Jay, his expression totally changed. "That's awesome. Matt would make a great father. I mean, he's been technically looking after two teenage boys for the last three years."
"Definitely." Hailey could barely contain her joy. Hopefully, by the end of next year there would be at least two new babies in the group, and one on the way. Crazy how life was working out for them. Despite all the crazy things that had happened in her life to get her to now, Hailey wouldn't change them for the world. She had good friends, a great support system, and the best husband a girl could ask for. Life was looking up and hopefully would be for a while longer.
not gonna promise anything, but i'm looking to finish this fic before 2022. so let's keep our fingers crossed that I remain motivated to write lol.
comment any predictions you have or things you want to see in the rest of the fic! find me on tumblr at thedefinitionofendgame. thanks for reading!