A/N: Hi hi! I've had this idea for a bit now and finally pulled it altogether this month to share with you all :) Special thanks to Abby and Mari for reminding me it's never too late to write something you've been wanting to do. I really hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you think?


June 2017

"Hey, what're you all doing in here?" Hailey asked while walking into the break room where most of the others were gathered around a laptop.

"Talking to this guy we worked with," Kim explained with a smile on her face.

Adam grabbed the laptop from Jay and flipped it around so she could see a guy dressed in an army uniform sitting in what looked like a small cabin.

"Hailey Upton," Adam announced, "Mouse, this is Jay's new partner."

"A girl! Look at that," Mouse laughed, "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Greg."

"Hey, stop," Jay mumbled and reached for the laptop, "Give it back."

"Now, Jay, settle down," Mouse said, "I heard that and want to talk to the pretty girl."

Hailey smiled and grabbed the laptop from Adam. "Did Ruze call you Mouse?" she asked.

"Yeah, you can too if you want, I don't care," Mouse replied with a wave of his hand. "So, new to Intelligence? How'd you land the gig?"

"I was in Robbery-Homicide and transferred a few weeks back," Hailey answered, "Nothing crazy."

"I disagree," Kevin cut in, "She's good. Best detective I know."

"Okay," Jay walked over and grabbed the laptop, "Mouse needs to go."

Mouse was laughing, though, and sent a wave at Hailey before Jay could turn him away. "Nice to meet you, Hailey! And Jay, come on, man, you can be our favorite male detective."

"I'll take offense to it," Antonio chuckled. He leaned around Jay's shoulder to wave goodbye before walking out of the room.

Kevin, Kim, and Adam said their own goodbyes as they followed him out leaving Jay, Mouse, and Hailey in the break room.

She glanced at Jay and got the feeling he needed to be alone right then, so she shot him a small smile and walked from the room.

Before she could close the door, she heard Mouse say, "I'll try and call you in two days. This has got to suck." She winced and sat at her desk.

"He looked good," Kim was telling Al, "You should have said hi."

"I don't need to get in the way," Al replied, "Jay can have my time. They haven't talked in a while."

Hailey bit her lip then turned to face the two of them. "Were they close?" she asked.

"Jay and Mouse?" Kim clarified. When Hailey nodded, she said, "Yeah, they did two tours together. Jay's the one who brought him in the unit."

"Was pretty torn up when Mouse left to go back too," Antonio added.

"Oh," Hailey said quietly. She nodded slowly then turned back to her desk. With another glance at the closed door, she frowned and hoped everything was okay.

When Jay walked out of the break room, he nodded at her before sitting down. With a sigh, he ran a hand over his face and got to work.

"You good?" she asked softly.

He glanced at her and put a smile on his face. "Yeah, all good. Thanks. Mind sending me those files from the hard drive Kev found?"

"Uh…sure, yeah, I can do that." Taking a deep breath and giving him one last look of concern, Hailey returned her gaze to her computer screen and did as he asked.

If he didn't want to talk about it, that was fine. It wasn't her place to push. Not right now.


November 2018

"Kim, I told you, this is way more fun than dinner at someone's house," Adam said before taking a long sip of beer.

"Thanksgiving is a fun holiday," Kim mumbled, but still accepted the tequila shot from Jay.

"You and I can have dinner next week," Kevin said with a wink.

"Hey, let's do this," Jay said and held up his shot glass, "We can make dinner plans later."

Hailey smiled at him and tapped her glass to his. "Here's to-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there. Hey, can I have whatever that group of cops is about to have?"

A voice Hailey had only heard once in her life before came from behind her causing her to spin around and see a face she'd also only seen once though it did look different now not on a computer screen.

"Mouse," Jay said quietly and set his glass down.

Mouse smiled and accepted the tequila shot from the bartender before walking over to their table.

"How'd you know we were here?" Antonio asked.

"Actually stopped at the district first and Platt said you were all here celebrating Thanksgiving," Mouse explained then held up his glass, "So here's to Thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving!" Adam laughed and led them all to drinking their tequila.

Once Mouse had his, he walked around the table giving quick hugs to Kevin, Adam, Kim, and Antonio, then looked at Hailey.

"Detective Upton, right?" Mouse said and held his arms out, "Nice to officially meet you."

She laughed softly and gave him a quick hug. "Nice to meet you," she repeated, "But call me Hailey."

"Can do," Mouse said with a nod. He then turned to Jay to say, "Hey, man, long time no see."

Jay shook his head and stepped forward to hug him.

Hailey knew it was supposed to be a secret, but since she was so close to them, she heard Mouse whisper, "Sorry about your dad. Took furlough as soon as I could."

"Thanks," Jay mumbled and stepped backwards.

"I'll get you a beer," Antonio said. He clapped Mouse on the shoulder and walked away as Kim dragged a chair over to the table between Hailey and Jay.

"Oh, thank you," Mouse said while sitting down, "So catch me up. What's been going on at the 21st?"

"Jay tell you he was shot?" Kevin asked.

Mouse's head snapped to Jay as he said, "No."

"I'm fine," Jay said and waved his hand, "It was nothing."

"Definitely not nothing," Kim said under her breath.

Hailey scoffed and took a long sip of her beer.

Mouse turned to her and asked, "What was it then?"

Hailey cleared her throat and glanced between Jay and Adam before saying, "It was over the vest, but he's okay. Physically, he's okay."

Mouse's eyes narrowed as he watched her, but then he nodded and turned back to Jay who was now avoiding looking at everyone as he drank his beer. "Hey," he said quietly, "If I have to hear from your partner again that you got shot, I'm gonna be pissed."

Jay smirked slightly against his bottle then said, "Won't happen again."

Mouse clapped him on the back before accepting the beer Antonio had returned with. "All right!" he began, "Who has something less depressing to share? I've got all night plus the next forty-eight hours. Entertain me, please."

Everyone began swapping stories and catching Mouse up on the last few years of their lives. In turn, he listened along and added in his own stories when asked. Hailey stayed relatively quiet, but laughed along with everyone and somehow didn't feel out of place. She genuinely enjoyed talking to Mouse and spending time with her friends, but it was Jay who was drawing most of her attention: he was happy and laughing and seemed to be in a much better place than he'd been the past few weeks. It was refreshing, and she had a feeling it wasn't the tequila or beer that was causing it: it was Mouse.

Mouse who, at the end of the night, followed Hailey to the bathroom and tugged her hand so they were both hidden in the back hallway.

"You know," Hailey said with a light tease, "I may have had an extra beer, but this isn't gonna happen."

Mouse laughed and shook his head. "Hey, you're beautiful, but no, sorry," he chuckled, "I actually wanted to talk to you about Jay."

"Oh."

Hailey felt as if she immediately sobered up. Straightening against the wall, she crossed her arms and asked, "What's up?"

"He's my best friend and I know him better than anyone," Mouse began softly, "So I know he has a lot of stuff going on in his head that he doesn't deal with well, and I know whatever happened with his dad is gonna drag stuff up. I just…I just want to let you know you can call me whenever and I'll help. Um, well, call is a loose word, but-"

"I get it," Hailey gently interrupted. She took a deep breath, then smiled and nodded as she said, "Thank you."

"Course," Mouse said quietly, "You have your phone, I can give you my contact information."

"Yeah." Hailey passed it to him then said, "But according to, well, everyone, you'd be able to get a hold of me within ten seconds without even having my number."

Mouse laughed as he typed his phone number and email onto the screen. "I don't know," he mumbled, "Maybe not ten seconds, but it'd be pretty damn fast." He passed Hailey back her phone then added, "Really. Don't be afraid to call." He shot her a smile before leaving the hallway and walking back to the table where Jay was waiting for him.

Hailey watched as the two of them left together having planned an hour before that Mouse would stay with Jay for the weekend. She knew she wasn't going to see Jay at all the next two days, but she was actually okay with it for once. It wasn't that she'd made her own plans with Adam, but that she knew Jay was going to be having fun for once…and that warmed her heart.


November 2019

When Hailey came into Jay's hospital room after work, he was squeezing a red foam ball with his left hand. He groaned quietly and mumbled, "So stupid," before dropping the ball to the sheets and looking away from her as she approached.

Sitting in the chair next to his bed, she bit her lip sensing he was frustrated at the pain still radiating down his arm two days later. She wasn't sure why exactly he expected to suddenly be back to normal the second the IV was out of his hand and the oxygen tube wasn't under his nose, but she didn't say anything about it.

"An occupational therapist came by earlier," he said quietly before turning toward her, "She wants me doing little stuff the next couple days before I get out of here and start physical therapy."

"That makes sense," Hailey replied softly.

But Jay rolled his eyes and stared straight forward. "It's embarrassing," he breathed.

"What's embarrassing about therapy?" Hailey asked.

Jay glanced to her then shrugged.

"It's me," Hailey prodded.

Jay sighed then mumbled under his breath, "Hurts to put a shirt on. Can't even function on my own."

"Well," Hailey began and scooted her chair closer to him, "That's why the therapy helps. Jay, it's been two days since you were shot and had major surgery. It's normal."

"Yeah, I guess," he whispered.

He tugged at the blanket covering his legs causing Hailey's eyes to shift down to his fingers. She briefly debated grabbing his hand, but then his phone rang and she sat up.

Jay smiled as he reached to answer the call as if he already knew who was going to be on the other end. A second later, Mouse's face was on the screen staring back at him.

"This whole getting shot thing, I don't appreciate it," he greeted.

Hailey couldn't help but laugh.

Jay rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, nice to see you too. Thanks for calling, but Hailey's here now, so-" He turned the phone toward Hailey who waved back.

"Ah, so the lady's there which means your best friend can't talk to you," Mouse said while nodding, "I won't keep you then."

"No, no, don't let me get in the way," Hailey said as she moved to stand up, "I can come-"

"Don't," Jay said before reaching out and grabbing her hand. He grunted at the pain and they all froze.

Hailey could have sworn she could hear a pin drop had it not been for the soft beeping of the heart monitor next to her. Jay's fingers tightened around hers as his face grimaced in pain.

"Hey, okay," she finally said softly. Keeping her grip on him, she used her other hand to grab his phone and set it on his leg before helping him straighten up in bed. "You good?" she asked softly.

He nodded and let go of her hand.

She nodded back before letting her fingers rub over his arm. She then picked up the phone and put a fake smile on her face for Mouse as she jokingly said, "So! He was shot again, but at least he texted you."

Mouse weakly laughed with her and caught on with a nod. He replied, "Yeah, pretty proud of him for that one. You, though, how're you?"

"I'm good," Hailey answered. She glanced at Jay still blinking past the pain shooting through him and decided to attempt to comfort him more: instead of returning to her seat in the recliner, she perched on the edge of his bed and said, "It's getting pretty cold around here. I'm hoping for snow soon."

"So you're one of those people," Mouse laughed, "I'm more of a Spring guy - kind of into the colors, might be lame but after being in the desert for so long, I could use something besides brown."

"I like that," Hailey replied with a smile. She squeezed Jay's knee and said, "Fall, right?"

He blinked out of his daze to look at her then weakly smiled and said, "Yeah. I like October and then all the Thanksgiving food."

Mouse moaned and said, "Damn, I could go for a good hot turkey sandwich right now."

"See, for me it's the stuffing," Hailey said, "It's delicious. Also potatoes, but not the sweet ones, the regular ones mashed."

"Not even with the brown sugar on the top?" Mouse asked.

Hailey faked a gag and said, "Nope."

Jay laughed and turned his gaze from Hailey to Mouse so they could both say, "That's the best part," at the same time.

"Oh, you two are gross," Hailey said shaking her head, "I can't do it."

"You'll have to come to Will's for Thanksgiving next week then and you can see how good my mom's recipe was," Jay said.

Hailey met his eyes and tilted her head wondering if he meant the invitation. As always, as if he could read her mind, he nodded and said quietly, "Yeah. Unless you have other plans. I mean, I do have one arm for the foreseeable future and my sweet potato ability might not be up to par but…"

Hailey laughed softly and squeezed his knee again. "I'd love to come, thank you."

"Course," Jay breathed.

After a minute, Mouse cleared his throat and said, "So…how'd the Bears do this year? I didn't keep up like I should have."

"Not that great, but whatever," Jay said with a sigh, "We were going to go to a game-"

"Well, we did," Hailey interrupted, "Tailgated and everything-"

"And then some…crazy smart-"

"Emphasis on the crazy-"

"Guy decided to release a flesh eating bacteria-"

"Ruined the day, truly."

Mouse watched the two of them bounce back and forth within the conversation as they explained to him what exactly had happened a couple months before. He laughed throughout their story because even if it wasn't funny, watching Jay and Hailey finish each other's sentences with added jokes about the day was.

Even through the phone, he could tell they were closer than they had been a year before, so when he sent a wink in Hailey's direction half an hour later before he hung up, her red cheeks and smile confirmed what Jay's protest emphasized: she was taking care of him and had helped fill the holes left in his heart.


March 2021

"Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want, but she's it and I don't care what you say."

Hailey could hear Jay's voice on the other side of the door as she unlocked her apartment. Smiling, she stepped inside and waved at him.

Jay nodded at her then pointed to his phone and mouthed, 'Mouse.'

In turn, she pointed to the bathroom and said softly, "Just gonna shower."

He smirked and winked, holding up a hand telling her five minutes. His face then suddenly changed and he said, "Nope, I'm here, sorry - no, I'm not…you're an ass."

Hailey laughed and began unbuttoning her shirt as she walked toward the bathroom. Once the door was closed, she tossed her shirt against her bedroom door and pulled her pants off.

"Well, yeah, I…I do. I will, but I'm not doing it just yet. We can wait. I can wait. She needs time. At least I think she does."

Hailey turned to look at the door with her hand outstretched toward the shower knob.

"It's her story to tell…Yeah…I hope I do."

She breathed in shakily at his voice and took a step closer.

"If we do the big thing, yeah, you'll be invited, but-…Talk to Will."

Hailey felt her heart jump and her breath get stuck in her throat. She closed her eyes as she pressed her hand to the door.

"No, I'm done with strippers…Because you can't trust them and I don't want to look at anyone else…Yeah, make fun of me, whatever, I love my girlfriend haha."

Any sentimental feeling that had formed within her slipped away and Hailey opened her eyes with a short laugh.

"Okay, talk to you later…Be safe…Thanks, man, bye."

Hailey scrambled away from the door and quickly turned the shower on. Stepping onto the tile, she gasped at the ice water falling upon her.

"Oh my god, oh my god," she breathed while trying to adjust the temperature.

Soon enough, the water warmed up and she was able to relax. Slowly getting her breath back, she closed her eyes and felt each drop of water slide down her. It was helped ground her after overhearing Jay's conversation.

It had certainly sounded like he was talking about marriage and that was…somehow not terrifying. It was an excitingly nervous feeling. She knew in her gut they were meant to be together, but hearing Jay say it too…that was overwhelming in the best way.

She was loved. Someone loved her for her. And that someone was the person she loved too. They were a perfect match. They were soulmates. They were-

"Right behind you."

Hailey jumped at Jay's hands on her waist.

"Sorry," he whispered before kissing her shoulder and settling himself behind her.

She set her hands on his and breathed, "You're good."

He hummed and gently swayed back and forth with her against his chest.

"How's Mouse?"

"Don't you know? I heard you laugh, Detective. Sounded like you were eavesdropping."

Hailey smiled and rested her head back against his shoulder. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really," Jay chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "What'd you hear?"

Hailey shrugged and slid her hands along his arms now wrapped around her. "I don't know," she said softly, "But maybe I'll say I think I heard something and that maybe that something made me feel really good inside."

She could feel Jay smile against the top of her head before again dropping a kiss to her damp hair. "Yeah?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she repeated while squeezing his wrists, "However, I would like to say…maybe Mouse planning your future bachelor party should be a no. I'm not the one to get jealous, but I'm also not the one to encourage my fiancé to go get a lap dance from a stranger."

Jay laughed harder as he tightened his hold on her. "That's fair," he said, "I'll make sure to mention that to him."

"Thank you," she said softly with a smile on her face.

"You're welcome."

Hailey closed her eyes as they continued slowly swaying under the water. Maybe it'd be months from now, maybe even years, but when she did marry Jay, she'd be more than okay with Mouse being there. He was Jay's family after all.


August 2021

"Hey, I'm gonna pick up some dinner for us, okay?" Jay said as he and Hailey followed everyone out of the district, "I'll meet you at the apartment."

She nodded and glanced at everyone still walking away then grabbed his arm. He briefly looked down at their feet before making eye contact with her.

"You okay with arresting him?" she whispered.

"He was going to kill you!" Jay hissed loudly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hailey could see Kevin, Adam, and Kim stop walking.

"Okay, okay," she said softly as she squeezed his arm.

"No, it's not okay," Jay replied, "So much could have gone wrong today and it-it would have been-"

"Hey," Hailey said loudly, "No. It would not have been on you. It wouldn't have been your fault."

"He would have done it," Jay argued.

"But he didn't," Hailey lowered her voice and placed her hand on his chest, "I'm fine, you're fine, he's locked away, everyone is fine." She brushed her thumb over his shirt and could feel his heart beating fast underneath it. "Take a drive to get whatever you want for dinner," she whispered, "I'll meet you at home, okay?"

Jay's eyes darted across her face before he nodded and stepped backwards.

"Home," Hailey repeated as he walked away, "I'll see you at home."

He shot her a wave over his shoulder before jumping in his car and quickly driving away.

Letting out a sigh, Hailey pulled her hair from its ponytail and rubbed her face. When she looked up, she noticed Kevin standing near her car supposedly waiting for her.

He nodded her over and put his hands in his pockets.

She nodded back before making her way over. "Hi," she said quietly.

"You good?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," she breathed, "You?"

"Mhmm," Kevin hummed, "Your secret boyfriend good?"

Hailey laughed and looked down at her feet. "It was never exactly a secret or meant to be one, we just…history."

"I get it," Kevin said with a nod, "We all did. We're happy for you, too."

"Thanks." Hailey glanced up at him and tried to smile.

"So…again…" Kevin trailed off then took a deep breath, "How is he?"

Hailey shrugged and kicked the ground. "Not good," she answered, "This case chewed him up, but why…I don't know. I don't know what to do either. He doesn't talk about the army at all. I mean, he's told me small stuff and I know therapy helped, but the majority of it is an actual secret. How do I get him to let me in?"

"I wish I knew," Kevin said, "But you two are living together now, you're his person, right? Whatever you decide to do - or not do - is going to be good enough."

Hailey smiled slightly then said, "Thank you. I hope so."

"He'll be fine," Kevin said as he squeezed her arm, "It'll all work out. Just a bump in the road."

Hailey sighed and mumbled, "Yeah."

"See you tomorrow?" Kevin asked, taking a step backwards.

Hailey nodded and unlocked her car before getting inside. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her face then glanced at her phone wondering if Jay had texted her about dinner, but nothing was on her screen. She had almost wanted him to text her just so she knew he was okay, but it really hadn't been that long since he'd left. He was self-sufficient and she was actually grateful for that; her mom had always said how annoying it was that her dad could never remember the grocery list on his own, so thank god that was another difference between him and Jay.

Part of her wanted to call him - she just needed to hear his voice - but he really did seem to need some space after today, and she needed to respect that.

Maybe the reality was she just wanted to talk to anyone. Kevin's advice to practically let the chips fall where they may didn't feel good enough. She wanted actual advice.

Tapping her phone, she opened Will's contact and stared at it for a moment before deciding against it: he had struggled with understanding Jay post-war too, but there was one person who she could rely on for advice regarding today.

"Future Mrs. Halstead, to what do I owe the pleasure at…9:34pm? Wow, it's late. Guess I'm not used to being home just yet. Do people really call this late now?"

Hailey laughed softly at Mouse's voice. She rested her head back on her seat and said, "Hey, sorry. Were you really in bed?"

"I could lie and say yes, but I actually just got back to my place with some dinner and a case of beer."

"Thought so."

"Am I that predictable?"

"With the dinner and beer? No. With being awake? Yes. Everything okay?"

Mouse let out a long sigh then said, "It's tough, but seeing as I didn't leave because I was bombed…doing a lot better than last time."

Hailey swallowed a lump then nodded. Licking her lips, she wondered if this was even a good idea. Mouse surely had his own trauma to deal with, and she didn't want to unknowingly bring up more. He'd been back in Chicago for two weeks now, maybe it was too soon to bring up the past when the present was so fresh.

"Hailey, you good?"

She blinked quickly and said, "Sorry, uh, yeah, yeah, I'm good. I shouldn't have called. Enjoy your-"

"Jay's texted or called every single day since I got back, even the days where we saw each other, but now I haven't heard from him for the past three. What's going on?"

Hailey sighed herself then asked quietly, "You know Elliot Knox, right?"

"How do you know Knox?" Mouse countered.

"He showed up - well, I guess he's already been here in Chicago - but he's been making these bombs with C4 and…"

Hailey reiterated the entire case to Mouse. She barely took a breath to even give him time to interrupt, but he didn't seem to want to. He listened to her the entire time as she ranted about the past few days. Every once in a while, she could hear him take a sip of his beer or dinner, yet it didn't bother her: it was welcome like they were hanging out in his apartment.

Finally, she breathed in and said, "So any advice with Jay? He is pissed. I haven't seen him like this since…I think since his dad died. What's his deal with Knox? All he's told me is that I don't know Knox like he does and that he doesn't hate him."

Mouse scoffed as he whispered, "Of course. All right," he cleared his throat then continued, "Knox did something very off the book and messed up all our relationships with him; Jay took it hard."

"What'd he do?"

"Jay didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Oh, Hailey," Mouse sighed, "I…"

"How am I supposed to help him if I don't know what's going on?" she asked.

"I can't tell you."

Hailey groaned and closed her eyes. "Mouse, come on, I don't know-"

"He's probably worried how you'll view him," Mouse interrupted.

Hailey sat up and asked, "What?"

"You two are getting married, but he still cares what you think of him," Mouse said, "And this…I could see where his mind's at. Do I think you're going to judge him? No, you're not like that, but it's still his past and a part of him. He's been living with this for a while and dealing with it on his own. No offense, but a ring isn't gonna change his mind overnight."

A smile flickered across Hailey's face despite the situation and she said quietly, "There's no ring. Not yet anyways. We ordered them, but they haven't come yet."

"Well, the metaphorical ring," Mouse corrected with a soft laugh, "He's stubborn and I know you know that."

"I do."

"Hailey, I'm not gonna break his trust and tell you the story, but I will tell you to be willing to listen."

She sank back into her seat, then nodded slightly and said, "Of course I can do that, but-"

"It's up to him."

Sighing, she breathed out, "Okay, thank you."

"He'll be fine," Mouse said, "You both will."

Hailey smiled and nodded. "I hope so."

"I know so."

Hailey rested her head back for a moment with her eyes closed trying her hardest to accept that Mouse was right. She loved Jay, it was as simple as that. She was willing to do anything for him to remind him of that, but maybe he actually needed to hear the words tonight after the past few days.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Hey, of course, anything for you."

"And same to you. Wanna come over for dinner this week?"

"As long as you're cooking some Greek food. It's been a while, and Jay's go-to burgers are good, but your meals are top-notch."

Hailey laughed and nodded. "I can make dinner. I'll text you."

"Thanks, Halstead. See you and, seriously, call me again if you need me."

Hailey smiled at the nickname that would eventually stick and be her real name. "Thanks," she said before ending the call.

Taking a breath, she started the car then headed out of the parking lot in the direction of her new apartment complex.

The ride was about fifteen minutes, but turning on the radio distracted her from any lingering thoughts about Jay, Knox, and Mouse. They were three people at three completely different parts of their lives, yet they were all bonded by this dark period of their life. That bond meant that there were things about Jay that only Mouse, and even Knox, understood. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, she just needed to accept that while Jay was going to be her husband, there were going to be parts of his past she never understood…just like how he wouldn't always understand her own history.

Thinking back to the night she'd first told him she loved him, she realized she had the strength to do so because he had listened and been so open with her. He let her be vulnerable in front of him and didn't judge. Now was her turn to do the same.

At home, Hailey dug into one of her suitcases for some comfier clothes before looking through a few of their boxes labeled 'Kitchen' for some plates and silverware.

Jay stepped into the apartment just a moment after she finally found the right box and said, "No need. I got us some burgers."

Hailey turned from unpacking the silverware into a drawer to say, "Okay."

If anything, Jay looked even more exhausted now than he had been in the parking lot. Hailey assumed the time alone had given him the chance to think about their day and the few prior to it, which was hopefully a good thing. She knew he needed to confront the entire thing head-on, and she was ready to help him do it.

She grabbed an old blanket from a box filled with various other outside stuff like a football, watering can, and a cooler. Laying it out on the top step near the doorwall, she kept her eyes on Jay sitting a step below her as he unpacked the food.

"I just got you one with American, is that okay?" he asked quietly, "It has onion, lettuce, and tomato, mayo on the side, and it's medium rare."

"Of course, thanks," Hailey said while sitting down. She accepted the container and repeated, "Thanks."

Jay nodded and opened his own meal. He quietly started eating his burger that she could see had his typical pepper jack cheese and bacon on it. It made her smile. He may have cooked burgers a lot like Mouse said, but if anything was his comfort food, it was this.

Not wanting to push him, she stayed quiet as well to eat. Mouse had been right: this was all Jay's story to tell. She needed to wait until he was ready.

Finally, he wiped his mouth and wearily began, "I'm sorry for holding things back. I know I don't talk about my time in the army that much. It's not that I want to keep anything from you, it's just…"

She sat up with a breath and looked at him now avoiding her eyes. Frowning, she could now see exactly what Mouse had been talking about: Jay really did seem nervous about what she'd think of him.

And following Mouse's advice, she knew exactly what she was going to have to say right now to ease any of those nerves and reassure him: "You don't have to tell me anything. You can, and I'll love you all the same."

If she would have blinked, she would have missed the flash of hope cross his eyes, but she didn't, and she knew what she'd said had worked.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Jay began, "Ricky is short for Ricochet."

At that, she knew she had him – both in that moment so that he'd share, but also forever. They could figure anything life threw at them whether it was in the past or down the line.