A/N: Hi hi! Back again on a Thursday (I think that's when I've been posting random stuff besides Summer Sun lol) but last night's episode was so good and I couldn't let it go this morning. Let me know what you think? Thank you for reading!


Jay unlocked the door to the apartment and held it open for Hailey to walk through. "What do you want to do?" he asked, "I can open that bottle of Jameson Adam got us or I think we have a wine if you've had too much whiskey tonight."

Hailey waved him off as she stepped around him. Slipping off her shoes and coat, she took a deep breath and pulled her hair from its ponytail.

"Water and bread?" Jay continued with a chuckle as he locked the door back up and set his own coat next to hers in the closet.

"I'm okay," Hailey finally said. She breathed in slowly before making her way over to the door wall. Pressing her hands to the glass, she stared out at the marina until her chest felt tight and she needed air.

She was outside in the cold before she knew she was even opening the door. With a tight grip on the edge of the balcony, she stared out at the water and the lights and Chicago.

Her home.

"Didn't you get enough of the cold and the water this last week?" Jay jokingly asked while stepping outside to join her.

She weakly smiled without him seeing it and shrugged.

His hand lightly rubbed over her back before he was behind her and gently tugging her to lean against his chest.

Hailey finally closed her eyes and breathed him in.

He began swaying as he held her to him, his arms carefully wrapped around her. He rested his chin on top of her head before sliding it down and burying his face in her hair.

She slipped a hand from his grasp to reach up and drag her fingers through his own short hair. Standing with him overlooking the marina from the place they call home…it made all the trials and tribulations of the last ten years worth it.

When she became a cop, she was honoring Trudy for being a complete bad ass and keeping her safe, giving a big middle finger to her father for trying to push her toward law school, and standing up for herself by proving that she was a strong, capable grown woman who could do anything she set her mind to. At the beginning, she never would have imagined undercover cases and Intelligence and the FBI. She just wanted to fight for power, now she wanted to fight for so much more.

She wanted to fight for that twelve year-old girl sitting in fear at a police station hoping her family was going to be okay.

She wanted to fight for every person in Chicago who found themselves on the short end of the stick no matter the problem.

She wanted to fight for Garett and all he could have been and had.

She wanted to fight for Vanessa and Makayla and help the kids without a family find peace.

She wanted to fight for Kim to make up for some of that fear she'd had a hand in dealing her.

She wanted to fight for Trudy, the most take-charge, compassionate person she knew.

She wanted to fight for her husband who showed her she's capable of love as he battled his own demons.

She wanted to fight for every young cop out there who just wanted to make a difference.

She wanted to fight for herself.

"Jay?" she eventually whispered once the cold air had ghosted around her socked feet and caused a shiver to course through her.

He hummed and tightened his grip on her.

"I may have joined the police force because of Trudy…but I stayed last year because of you."

She felt Jay smile against her throat before he lightly nudged her hair with his nose so he could press a soft kiss below her ear. "And I am grateful every day because of that," he whispered back.

She tilted her head to the side to open herself up for him. Closing her eyes again, she continued, "Despite what Kevin may have said about the sheer amount of anxiety you've given me-" She broke off with a laugh as Jay did the same. She gently pulled away to properly face him and place her hands on the sides of his face. Her eyes searched his only to find every bit of kindness, joy, and passion she'd first fallen in love with staring right back at her. Brushing her thumb along his cheek, she added in a soft breath, "You are an incredible cop and an even better man. Since I met you, you have taught me more about life than I everwould have expected to learn from a work partner. Thank you for all you've done for me."

"Well, I will accept the compliment," Jay replied with a smile. He kissed her nose then bent down slightly so they were eye-level as he whispered, "But remember that tonight's about you and all you've done."

Hailey couldn't help but laugh and step forward to hug him. She pressed her face into his chest as she squeezed him tightly.

He easily picked her up while saying, "You okay if we go inside?"

"Yes," she mumbled and felt him carry her back into their apartment. He bypassed the couch, though, and went straight to their room.

Setting her on the end of the bed, he knelt in front of her and smiled while saying, "I never gave my true speech."

Hailey raised an eyebrow and asked, "What're you talking about?"

"Back there at the bar, you really think some ten-second toast about you saving my ass for the past four and a half years was my only speech tonight?" Jay countered.

"Um," Hailey bit her lip then shrugged.

Jay smirked slightly then grabbed her hands. As his thumb brushed along her silicone ring, he said, "Hailey Anne Halstead." She laughed causing his eyes to light up as well.

Changing her name was nowhere near the top of her priorities right now, and Jay didn't seem to mind in the least, but he still enjoyed saying it and she'd be lying if she said it didn't bring butterflies to her stomach.

With a wide smile on his face, Jay continued to say, "I've known you almost five years and in those five years, you've grown not just as a cop but as a person. You have taught me about resilience and determination and even about putting yourself first. Maybe I said earlier you help pick me up when I fall, literally, but you also helped me out of some pretty dark places. I wouldn't be the person I am without you by my side. Thank you for never giving up on me and for being someone I am incredibly proud to call my wife."

Hailey shook her head without saying anything and slipped from the bed to again burying herself in Jay. He held her so tightly there on the floor that she could hear his heart beat through his shirt. It was a sound she didn't ever want to get used to hearing. The soft thumping was perhaps her favorite noise: it reminded her not just that Jay was alive, but that he was on her side. Even now, as his hands felt so big holding her to him on their hardwood floor, she felt so lucky to have him in her life.

"Especially these last two days, Hailey," he added in a soft breath, "I don't know if I've ever been as proud of you as I was this week."

Hailey squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden tears that formed. "Thank you," she whispered.

Jay kissed the top of her head and whispered back, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Jay's arms tightened around her and the chill that had been deep within her the past few days finally seemed to thaw. Hailey gripped the back of his shirt and curled up further against him.

"I've got you," he whispered, "I've always got you."

She nodded and rubbed her hand down his spine. "Thank you."

Jay hummed softly and responded by running his fingers through her hair. After a moment, he asked, "Mind if I 'got you' in the bed?"

Hailey laughed and pulled away from him. She intertwined their hands together to tug him to his feet.

Jay smiled and grabbed her other hand. "Still think it's funny that your hands are so much smaller than mine," he chuckled.

She shrugged with a smile. "That's very high school of you."

"I don't care," Jay said and held her left hand up. He lightly kissed her knuckles and added, "Does a high school relationship include this ring?"

Hailey hummed a laugh and said, "No, you're right about that."

Jay looked down at her hand and his face fell.

Following his gaze, Hailey said quietly, "You've seen my wrist already, remember? She was grabbing me and-and-"

"No, hey, not that," Jay said. He held her hand up closer to his face again and asked, "Did you take your ring off after you went in the pool?"

Hailey chewed her lip as she shook her head.

"Hails, the lady told us to take them off to let the skin breathe after getting wet," he explained.

She watched him slip the ring from her folder and breathed in shakily at the red rash beginning to form around her finger. "I…I haven't taken it off at all the past few days," she admitted quietly, "They tried taking it at the hospital, but I said no."

Jay raised an eyebrow then stepped around her toward their bathroom. He returned quickly with the tube of cream she'd been using on her wrist. Nodding toward the bed, he squirted some of it onto his finger and said, "Sit. I'll fix you up and then we can lay in bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't want them to chop it."

Hailey snorted a laugh and relaxed as she sat down. "What're you talking about?"

"What if Will has to cut off your finger because you weren't taking care of yourself?" Jay suggested. He tried holding back a smirk while rubbing the cream into her finger.

"That's not how rashes work," she said.

"Got you to smile though," Jay replied as he put more cream on his fingers. Encircling her wrist, he softly shushed her when she winced. "Sorry," he said, "I'll soften up."

Hailey wiped her face with her free hand and said, "It actually feels good."

"Really?" Jay asked with a smile. He glanced up from her hand then slid his gaze back to the bed. "Lay down then," he said.

"Hmm?"

"Lay down," he repeated and straightened up.

Hailey raised an eyebrow and asked, "What're you talking about?"

Jay laughed and gestured toward the bed. "Lay down and relax. You need a back rub and I don't give you them enough."

Hailey breathed in then smiled and unbuttoned her shirt.

Jay quickly kissed her before going back to the bathroom. By the time he returned his a bottle of lotion, Hailey had her top and jeans off and was lying on her stomach with her head resting on her arms. "You look gorgeous," he said while climbing on the bed.

She closed her eyes as he gently settled on the back of her thighs before slipping his hands around her sides. Laughing softly, she said, "You're not supposed to tickle people during a massage."

He chuckled and said, "But I like your laugh."

She smiled and gripped onto the pillow while listening to him put the lotion on his hands. A second later, she let out a soft moan as he pressed his thumbs into her back. All she could hear were his soft breaths and the quiet sound of his hands gliding along her skin. If she thought she had been at peace earlier, it was tenfold now. Having Jay with her on their bed after the week she'd had, she didn't ever want anything else.

He soon unclasped her bra and bent down to kiss along her spine with his fingers teasing her sides.

"Jay," she whispered with a laugh.

Chuckling against her skin, he trailed his lips up to the back of her neck.

"This isn't a massage," she laughed harder.

He hummed and smoothed his hands along her arms. "But I like kissing you," he breathed in her ear.

She couldn't help the next moan that escaped her lips. She carefully pulled her knees forward giving her enough space to roll over and face him.

Jay smiled and cupped her face. "Now this," he said with a raised eyebrow as he slid his hand down her side, "Is not how a back rub is done; I'm sure of that."

"Well," Hailey shrugged and rested her hands on his shoulders, "I think I'm relaxed enough now."

"Oh, really?" Jay laughed, "You're relaxed?"

"Mhmm."

"Cool."

Before he could kiss her, Hailey burst into laughter and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Jay Halstead!" she jokingly yelled, "What the hell?"

He laughed with her and slipped his fingers through her hair, "What?"

"We're not saying cool," she replied and touched her finger to his lips, "Remember?"

He kissed her finger lightly then winked and said, "Yes, I remember the conversation."

"Plus," Hailey said and waited a beat before saying, "I think I've been cool enough this week."

Jay muffled his laugh in the pillow behind her head. He nodded then sat up again, "I agree with that. I think you've been wet enough too. No more swimming for a couple months, okay?"

Hailey smiled and moved her hands to the sides of his neck. Brushing her thumbs along his jaw, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Wet enough? Those were the words you chose?"

He laughed again and turned his head to kiss her right wrist. "I'm sorry, not what I meant, just thinking that maybe we should reconsider a cruise this summer."

Hailey hummed and lightly scratched the back of his neck as she said, "I promise not to jump off the boat."

"Oh, you're not jumping off anything for a long while," Jay chuckled, "At least, don't do it without me. You don't need my permission, but…please have back-up."

"I think I can do that," Hailey said softly, "But only if you promise to avoid bullets."

"Ouch," Jay smirked, "Right where it hurts."

Hailey poked his shoulder right where his scar was under his shirt and hummed, "Yes."

"I can do that," Jay whispered before kissing her nose. He breathed in and tilted his head to the side as he watched her lay there underneath him with her legs still wrapped around him.

She gently smiled and caressed the backs of her fingers along his cheek. "Jay?"

"Hailey?"

"Take off your clothes."

He smile widened as he slipped her legs from him. Climbing off the bed, he asked, "You want a show?"

Hailey laughed and rolled onto her side. Tossing her bra to the side and propping herself on her elbow, she said, "Yes."

Jay winked and began undressing with her eyes grazing over him.

As she watched him, she let her mind wander over each piece of him that she loved. Be it his hands, his legs, his smile, or his eyes, she never thought she'd get enough of him. Over the past year, she had worried multiple times that her past or mistakes would drive him away when in fact they just seemed to drive him closer toward her. She wasn't used to a life like this, but it was incredible.

Life with Jay was a life filled with love, and Hailey knew that's what she deserved. In the last few days, she both almost died and experienced her ten-year anniversary at work. Both were huge moments that marked her professional life, but they were also huge moments that highlighted that Jay was who she needed and wanted forever – just like she'd always known.

As he climbed back on the bed and once again blanketed himself over her, now with every piece of his body against hers, she welcomed all of him with open arms. The week had been tough, but it didn't break her – she thought it would, and yet here she was: happy, laughing, and loved with the man who stood by her through it all.

If this was how her second decade on the police force was going to start, she couldn't be more ready.


A/N: Happy happy birthday to Abby ( hailshalstead)! I hope today was all you wished for and that you have an amazing time this weekend!