Guys I apologize for the fact that the ending was not what you wanted. In my mind, it made sense to end it there because Hailey was free to do whatever she wanted…stay in Avalon Landing…be able to be around Levi again…be with Jay down the line or something. I like the idea of it all being possibe but because I get where you all are coming from, I can give you more if that's what you want. Probably two more smaller chapters total.

Thanks again for all who are reading! Hope you like it.


The Wednesday breakfast rush is in full swing when Hailey steps inside the cafe. If she spends one more day on the couch cooped up inside her apartment she's going to go insane. Four days was long enough.

"You better be here to get something to eat, Hailey. Otherwise, you can just turn yourself right around." Trudy watches Hailey, eyes narrowed until she takes a seat at the counter. "Good choice. Be right up." She's off in a flurry, leaving Hailey smiling after her.

"What can I get for you?"

"Trudy, I'm begging you…I'm not going to make it another week. I need to work, I have to do something. Please." She draws it out but it's no use. Trudy isn't budging.

"Your order, Hailey." Trudy can practically feel her restlessness but she was also there in the hospital with Hailey when the doctor said she needed to take it easy for a week or two. She wasn't going to go against that, no matter how much she could use her help.

"Fine…scrambled eggs and toast, please." Yep…she's going to end up insane.

"Is this seat taken?" Hailey looks up to find Jay watching her, eyeing the spot next to her nervously. She hasn't seen him or Levi since that night. Shaking her head, she reaches over the counter for a mug and the coffee pot. Thankfully she gets it poured and put back before Trudy notices.

"How's Levi…" "There's something I wanna…" They speak at the same time but Hailey pauses, letting him go first.

"There's uh, something I wanted to talk to you about. And I need you to know that I…It wasn't…" Jay stops, running his hands over his face. "I did not think this was gonna be so hard. Look…I know that staying away from Levi has been hard…on both of you. Me too and uh, I wish I could tell you that I was wrong. That asking you to do that was selfish of me but I'm still not sure it was."

His mouth keeps moving, words tumbling out but Hailey can't hear them. For a second, when he first sat down, she thought he was going to tell her that she was able to see Levi again. He hadn't seemed too bothered by him being in her hospital room but then again, they both have been noticeably absent since then. The reasons he had wanted to keep them apart were no longer reasons. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Hailey?" Right in the middle of his poor delivery of the speech he planned, Hailey had checked out.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" She really doesn't want this to be permanent.

"I am really making a mess of this, aren't I? Hailey, I know it's unfair for me to ask you, to go back and forth on this and…"

"Jay, breathe." Hailey finally speaks, "Just…say it." His nervous energy is rubbing off on her.

"Right…right, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Levi's soccer game this weekend? It's the Championship and I know he would like for you to be there…if you want to be there."

"Oh…" That was…not what she had been expecting. "I mean yes, I want to be there. Are you okay with me being there?" She holds her breath waiting for him to decide and then he's giving her a smile that is somehow both apologetic and appreciative at the same time.

"If I wasn't okay with it, I wouldn't have asked you. I want you to be there, and uh…if you're okay with it, I want you to be able to see him whenever you want because truthfully, I don't know how much more moping around from him I can take and his ability to hold out on the whole 'being mad' at me is…impressive but I miss my kid and I know he misses you."

"That sounds…I would really like that." Now that the worst is behind them, all she wants is a chance at normal.

"Good. I'll pick you up Saturday morning." Once he finally managed to say what he wanted, it had been easy.

"Eggs and toast. Morning, Jay. Can I get you anything?" Trudy sets Hailey's plate down, eyeing the coffee cup Jay has.

"Nope, I've got to get going." He stands, pulling a few bills from his wallet and laying them next to his mug. "I'll see you Saturday, Hailey."

"Everything okay?" Trudy had seen Jay come in, watching as he tried to talk to her about something that clearly was giving him a hard time.

Hailey smiles, "Yeah. Everything is good. Really good."

"'Bout time…" With a knowing smile of her own, Trudy returns to the kitchen. She wonders how long those two are gonna dance around what's between them.


"Do you um...do you dream about that night?" Levi pushes the last of his pancakes around on his plate, waiting for Hailey to answer. It's been a month since the night Booth came for Hailey. A whole month in which Levi's sleep was plagued with visions of blood. The sound of a gun firing mixed with the feeling that he can't breathe normally startle him awake.

"No, I've actually been sleeping really well." That's the truth. She thought she would have a few but she hasn't had a single dream about that night.

From the sound of it, he must be having trouble sleeping though. Her answer probably made him feel like his not being able to sleep was silly…like he was alone in his struggle. Hailey knows what it's like to not be able to sleep. Pushing his plate to the side, she leans over the counter towards him.

"Can I trust you with a secret?" Her voice is quiet, a tiny smile forming when he solemnly nods. "Okay…I'm…I'm scared to go back into the water." Another truth, one she's been able to keep secret for a while.

Levi looks surprised at first but then drops his head. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. I know it's a crazy thing to be afraid of…the dark…I'm not a little baby." He hops off the stool and starts to leave, embarrassed at having said anything at all.

"First," Hailey rounds the counter quickly, stopping him from walking out. "It's not crazy or stupid or anything else you have in your head to be afraid of the dark or to fall asleep. Something really scary happened to us. It's okay for you to not be fine." She cups his face because he still doesn't believe her. "I used to have awful dreams when I first came here. So bad that I used to try to not fall asleep for days at a time because I was afraid of what was waiting for me when my eyes closed. There's nothing wrong with you, I promise." When he sniffs, clearly trying not to cry, Hailey wraps him in a hug, placing a kiss on top of his head.

"Are you really afraid of the water?" Levi can't believe it. Hailey had been the brave one that night. He wasn't supposed to know all the details of what happened, but he overheard his dad and Trudy talking about it a week after the ordeal. Hailey had jumped off the pier. She can't be afraid of the water…she just can't.

Hailey steps back, her thumb brushing his cheek as she stares down at him. "I am. It's just been easy to hide because of my hip. For a while, I couldn't get it wet so that was my excuse but now…I don't really have a reason not to and I know I can't avoid it forever but yeah, Levi…The thought of going back in the water terrifies me." She tried a couple of times actually, but each time had ended the same way…with her near tears, a little nauseous, and her heart pounding so hard she thought she'd faint. She hadn't even made it into the water at all…not even a toe.

"Maybe you could start with a bath?" It's such an unexpected thought that Hailey bursts out laughing, Levi joining in too. The usually cheerful boy she has grown to love makes an appearance, her heart squeezing at the sight. "You're funny…but it's not such a bad idea. Tell you what, I'll ask Vanessa about her tub, and you…should talk to your dad. Let him know what's been going on. What do you say?"

"Yeah…okay, deal." Levi shakes her hand, feeling a little better already for talking it out with Hailey. He could at least try to talk to his dad.

"You think Vanessa would be mad if you brought some sand up there?" Levi laughs, dodging Hailey's playful shove as she calls him a goofball.

"Get out of here before I put you to work." Hailey shoos him out of the cafe and over to the coffee shop. Seeing him is still the best part of her day.


Hailey rolls over for the tenth time in as many minutes, letting out a huff of annoyance. It's almost midnight and she can't fall asleep. She can't stop thinking about Levi. Was he up right now? Was he stuck in a nightmare right this very second? Her feet hit the floor even as she tells herself that Jay is there. He's probably fine. Unless he didn't talk to his dad yet.

What would it hurt if she walked up the beach? Just to check…

She takes her time walking. The night is warm, the sky clear, beautiful. Every once and a while she looks out at the waves, cursing Ronnie for taking them from her. She's going to get back out there…no matter how long it takes.

There's a few lights still on at the Halstead house, most noticeably the back deck, despite the hour. Jay steps out of the house just as she turns her back to the waves, silently making her way to him.

"Hey, you." Jay greets her once she is close enough. "Kind of late for a walk, don't you think?" He knows why she's here and if he didn't already think she was amazing, this would do it.

"You want a beer?"

"Sure." Hailey sits on the glider, scooting over some when Jay comes back out to join her. "Thanks." They sit in silence, the soft sound of the waves floating up to them.

"So…did you know?" Jay takes a sip of beer, eyeing the way Hailey's fingers trace circles on the bottle in her hand. "Did you know he was having trouble sleeping?"

"I did not. He told me this morning and I told him he should talk to you. He was embarrassed to talk about it. I think that's why he kept it from you."

The beer bottle clanks against the table as Jay sets it down, then leans back, looking up at the sky. "He's been having such a hard time and I missed it. I had no idea." He's disappointed in himself. "I've been so focused on moving on that I didn't see it."

Hailey sets her beer down next to Jay's on the table, turning her body so she can fully see him. "Sometimes it's easier to hide it…to pretend that everything is fine. He didn't want you to see but he told you. That's good, right?" She watches as he thinks it over, waiting for him to realize that up until Levi told them, there was nothing either of them could have done.

Then he's turning his eyes to hers, and just like this morning in the cafe with his son, her heart flips at the sight. Except there's the butterflies and the nervous anticipation that accompany it whenever Jay looks at her the way he is right now. Like it's just the two of them, and yeah…it is just the two of them out here right now but he's given her this look more and more frequently since that night in the hospital. It thrills and terrifies her all at the same time.

"I'm glad he has you, Hailey. He uh…he loves you and trusts you and…" He looks down to where his hand is resting just above her knee, wondering when he put it there. It registers in his mind that she doesn't seem the least bit perturbed by his hand there so he leaves it. "And if he can't come to me with something right away, I'm happy he has you to go to."

Hailey lays her hand over the one resting on her knee, squeezing lightly. "You have me too, Jay." Her eyes go wide with shock at her own words, the darkness doing nothing to hide the heat of embarrassment that flushes her cheeks. Her hand slips from his as she stands, trying to avoid the smirk he shoots her way. "I mean…I'm here for you too…If you need to talk or whatever." Her hands gesture out to the side in an awkward movement.

"Sounded better the first time." Jay laughs softly at the flustered way she looks at him. It would be so easy to just stand up and go to her…take her in his arms and kiss her. He feels like a teenager around her. It's all he can do to keep his eyes off her mouth when she talks, to keep his hands from reaching out, and finally finding out if her skin is as soft as it looks. She drives him absolutely insane and she has no idea she's even doing it.

"Think you're so funny, don't you? Why do I even bother?" Her smile betrays her words, blue eyes shining in the glow of the porch light. "I should get going." Avoid any further embarrassment on her part. "Goodnight, Jay." A quick wave and she's starting down the steps.

"Hey…" Jay follows after her, catching up to her before she hits the sand, stopping in front of her. "Sorry…if I made you uncomfortable. You're uh…pretty damn cute when you're flustered. I can't help it." God, he wants to kiss her.

"That's mean…" She pouts at him and he's lost. Completely undone.

Slowly…so painstakingly slowly, Jay's hand lifts towards her. He wants her to know she has the choice to stop this if she wants to. Please want this…

"Hailey…" His fingers wrap around her neck, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm gonna kiss you. Unless you stop me, I'm gonna…"

Hailey cuts him off by lifting to her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his.

Everything stops.

Time…her breath, her heart, the nerves…it all screeches to a halt before starting back up. Her breath mixes with his and her heart beats erratically in her chest. Her hands grip onto his biceps, fingers flexing against the fabric of his shirt.

He's only known her a few months but this kiss feels like a lifetime in the making. Her skin is just as soft as he imagined it would be and her lips are a perfect match to his. The last thing he wants to do is pull away but he manages it, laying a kiss on her forehead, watching as she blinks her eyes open.

"Don't freak out." She is, at least a little. He can see it in her eyes. "I've wanted to kiss you since the 4th of July but uh…it doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to." It might be the death of him but if it's what she wants, he'll make it happen.

Her eyes go soft, a little misty at how well he knows her. But she isn't freaking out…not really. "I'm not. But it's sweet of you to say that. I just…I don't know how ready I am." She misses his warmth immediately when she steps back, watching him with careful eyes. "Whatever this is…" She gestures between them, "Whatever it might become, I need to go slow. I don't want to mess it up." She wouldn't survive losing them both if they rushed this.

"Pretty sure I already told you this but maybe you forgot…There's no rush, Hailey." He isn't going anywhere unless she tells him to. The breeze dances through her hair and he reaches out to tuck a strand behind her ear, earning a smile that has the secret dimple in her right cheek appearing.

"Okay. I really should go." She's holding his fingers as she steps back, their arms stretched between them.

"Wish I could walk you home." He lets her hand go, tucking his into his jeans so he doesn't reach for her again.

"I think I can manage, Jay." She quips.

"Yeah, I know. But if I walked you home, I'd get to kiss you goodnight again."

In answer, she just shakes her head, smiling as she turns, starting back up the beach.

"Hailey?" She doesn't stop, just spins around, walking backward. "Flick the light when you get inside."

"Yes, Sherriff." Her laugh carries to him on the wind as she disappears into the darkness of the beach.