Hi friends! I am once again thanking you for all the love you continue to show me and this story. I'm always blown away by how sweet you all are and can't thank you enough for reading and loving this story.
So here we are, welcome to the next chapter! I sure hope you enjoy it and well, all I can say is buckle in folks. See you soon for chapter 10!
TW / mentions attempted sexual assault (after second line break)
The next week passes by uneventfully until late afternoon the following Friday when Hailey and her partner return to the district from meeting with a few CI's. As soon as they reach the top of the stairs at the front of the bullpen Adam looks up from his desk, a dopey grin on his face as he points a finger in Hailey's direction.
"You been holding out on us darlin'!"
"Ruze, what the hell are you talking about?"
He swivels around in his chair, rolling to the side, and revealing a bouquet of red roses next to her keyboard in a glass vase with a bright red ribbon wrapped around it.
She quirks an eyebrow as she walks toward her desk, staring down at the flowers and admiring them for a moment before checking for a card. She finds one tucked under the ribbon, but it only has the name of the florist, no name of who they're from.
"So?" Adam drawls out from behind her.
"So what?" Hailey counters, turning to face him.
"Dude, come on! Tell us who the mystery man is!"
"There is no mystery man," Hailey laughs. "Maybe they were delivered by mistake."
"I don't think so," Adam shakes his head. "Platt brought 'em up, said the delivery guy asked for you by name."
Hailey tilts her head to the side, eyebrows furrowing together as she thinks a little too hard, then mutters, "That's kinda weird."
"Looks like Upton's got herself a secret admirer. Whoever they're from obviously likes you," Adam says before turning back around in his chair and returning to the file in front of him.
"They're nice," Jay comments as he sits down across from her. "Red roses? You sure there's no one special in your life?"
Hailey shakes her head, an awkward laugh escaping her as she leans back in her chair and meets his eyes. "Kinda hard to date with our line of work and having a toddler at home."
"Fair enough," he says with a shrug before turning his attention to his computer screen.
Hailey moves the vase to the edge of her desk and grabs a file from a drawer in an effort to distract herself from the unexpected gift. She swallows nervously as she glances at the flowers, a familiar wave of paranoia moving up her back, and sighs quietly as she focuses on the file in her hands.
Jay peeks over at her, noting the look on her face and wonders if maybe, there just might be someone else in his partner's life he doesn't yet know about.
The next few hours pass quickly and when the day is done, Hailey makes her way downstairs to Platt's desk before she leaves.
"Hey Sarge. You got a sec?"
"For you, Goldilocks? I'll give ya two. What's up?"
"The flower delivery," Hailey breathes out.
"Ah yes. I was wondering when you were gonna ask about that."
"Why do you say it like that?"
"We all know I'm too nosy for my own good around here," Platt says as she eyes the younger woman with a raised brow and Hailey nods.
Her sergeant leans forward on the desk, curling a finger and Hailey steps closer. Platt drops her head slightly and quietly she says, "Most people trying to date someone usually want the person to know who it is that's sending them gifts. I saw the card - there was no name, no message. Struck me as a little odd."
Hailey swallows nervously, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I thought so too. You remember what the delivery guy looked like?"
"Sure do," Platt says, standing up straight. "White kid. Late teens, early twenties. Brown hair, brown eyes, bit of light scruff, but he kinda had a baby face. And that's not all."
"What else?"
"Kid gave me a bad feeling, looked uncomfortable being in a police station. Eyes darting all around, hardly made eye contact. Honestly thought he might have been on something. But the weird part? He wasn't wearing a uniform."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he wasn't wearing a uniform. No company logo, no name tag. Nothing. Just jeans and a grey jacket, and he didn't ask me to sign for the delivery either. It was weird."
Hailey nods, forcing a tight lipped smile, and rapping her knuckles on the top of the desk. "Thanks Trudy."
"You betcha," she tells her, a slight look of concern on her face.
"Yo Upton!"
It's Kevin's voice that booms behind her excitedly, and Hailey spins around to see him and Jay coming down the stairs. They exit through the gate and make their way toward her as she leans back against the front desk.
"What's up?" Hailey asks.
Kevin sidles up beside her, bumping his shoulder against hers. "It's Friday night and we are going to Molly's. Adam and Kim already left, and Vanessa's gonna meet us there too. You in?"
Hailey laughs next to him, shaking her head. "Uh, I would totally be in except Vanessa is my go-to sitter and you just stole her from me. Avery is pretty independent, but she's barely four and can't quite stay home alone, so I'm gonna have to pass tonight."
"Well damn," Kevin sighs, looking sincerely upset. "I'm sorry girl. I didn't know – "
Hailey waves him off, smiling at him. "Don't worry about it. She's been stressing over school and deserves a night out. Just make sure you take care of her."
"Hey, Hailey?" Platt calls to her.
"Yeah Sarge?" She asks, turning to face her.
"If you want a night out, I'd be happy to offer my babysitting services. Randall is doing a poker thing with some of the guys from 51 tonight so I was gonna eat pizza on my couch alone anyway," Platt tells her.
Hailey raises an eyebrow, looking curiously at the woman while Kevin chuckles behind her. She glances over her shoulder and sees her partner stifling a laugh of his own.
"Uh, Sarge. No offense intended, but have you actually ever watched a kid before? Like not at the district?" Kevin wonders.
Platt stares at the man, her face completely stoic. "I'll have you know that I have, Atwater. And don't think that because you're in Intelligence that means I can't steal you from Voight for a day to put your ass on patrol detail for a shift."
The man's face goes blank and he swallows nervously, nodding his head. "Yes ma'am."
Jay snickers next to him, clapping Kevin on the shoulder and Platt points a finger at him.
"That goes for you too, Detective Chuckles."
Jay clears his throat, wiping the smirk from his face. "Sorry Sarge."
"Who knows why you'd want to spend your night with those knuckleheads, but hey, to each their own," Platt says, looking back to Hailey. "Anyway, you want me to watch the rugrat?"
Hailey shakes her head, an amused smile on her face as she looks at her sergeant. "Um, I don't know. Are you sure? I know Avery likes you, but she hasn't been alone with you. You could be in for a tantrum."
Platt scoffs, waving her off. "Please, I'll be just fine. Kids love me."
Hailey shakes her head again, smiling, but shrugs. "Okay. I won't turn down free babysitting. Mama needs a night out too. Wanna come over in about an hour?"
"I will see you in an hour," Platt nods.
"Thanks Sarge," Hailey tells her, smiling again appreciatively.
The older woman waves a hand at her. "Yeah, yeah. Don't go spreading around my hospitable nature though. I have a reputation to uphold around here."
"Copy you," Hailey laughs, turning to face the guys.
"Ruze owes me a drink. He said you'd bail," Kevin smirks at her making her roll her eyes.
"And you?" Hailey asks, jutting her chin toward Jay as the three of them make their way out of the district.
He shakes his head, a small smile on his face. "I also know better than to bet against you."
"You boys are smart," Hailey teases, making them shake their heads at the blonde.
When the three of them reach the parking lot, Kevin heads to his car, calling out a "see you later" as he walks away and Jay and Hailey head toward her Jeep at the end of the lot.
"You know, you left your flowers up in the bullpen," Jay comments.
She glances over at him, surprised he brings it up, and shrugs. "Guess I forgot."
He can tell there's more to it, but he nods, then asks, "Want me to pick you and drive you to Molly's?"
"You don't have to do that," Hailey tells him, shaking her head quickly.
"It's not any trouble. Besides, if I'm your designated driver Ruze can't shove shots of tequila in my face as soon as I walk in," he says with a smirk.
Hailey tosses her head back, laughing loudly as they walk. "So you don't just wanna spend time with me? You need an ulterior motive? That hurts, Halstead."
"Please," he scoffs, glancing over at her when they reach her Jeep. "You really think I need some special reason to wanna hang out with you?"
The way he says it makes her heartbeat quicken and she tries to play it off with another laugh, but it comes out shakily as she looks back at him.
"I guess not," she says quietly. He's still got the same smirk on his face, but his eyes are a little too soft as he looks at her.
"Am I picking you up then?" He murmurs, almost hopefully.
She's not sure why she's suddenly nervous and thinks she should probably say no, that she can drive herself, but instead she nods her head at him. "Give me an hour?"
"I'll see you then," he says with another soft smile for her.
She nods again, too afraid to trust her own voice, and gives a tight lipped smile of her own as she turns and gets into her car. She watches him through the rearview, only releasing the breath she'd been holding when she sees him walk away toward his truck. She leans back against the headrest, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and blows out another deep breath.
When Hailey gets home and tells Vanessa she's joining the group at the bar, her friend asks her if she should wait so they can drive over together, but Hailey tells her to go on ahead, that Jay is picking her up and they'll be there later. Vanessa nearly screeches, raising her eyebrows a little too suggestively at the blonde, but doesn't say a word when Hailey throws her a warning glare.
Trudy arrives shortly after Vanessa leaves with a pizza in hand and her and Hailey chat for a few minutes. When Avery sees the older woman she squeals with excitement and Hailey immediately feels better about leaving the little girl with her desk sergeant. It's not the first time Avery has seen her, not even the second or third or fourth, but Hailey can't help feeling nervous leaving her daughter alone with someone who isn't herself or Vanessa or even Jay.
"You're going to be good for Miss Trudy, right?" Hailey asks Avery.
"Yes mama," she promises.
"Alright, I love you and I'll see you in the morning when you wake up, okay?" Hailey tells her with a kiss to the top of her head.
"Okay. Love you too," Avery says before Trudy distracts her with a plate of pizza and asks her what movie they should watch.
There's a knock a moment later and Hailey says another quick goodbye before she makes her way toward the door. She checks the peephole to see her partner standing on the other side of it and pulls it open.
"Hey," Hailey smiles up at him.
"Hi. Ready to go?" Jay asks with a matching grin.
She nods and steps out, swinging the door closed behind her, and they head out to his truck.
It's not a long drive to Molly's, but it's enough time for small talk and for Jay to bring up the flowers again and she sighs quietly in her seat.
"You ever find out who sent 'em?" He asks.
"Nope," she tells him.
"That why you forgot them on your desk when you left?"
Hailey sighs again, a bit louder this time, and runs a hand through her hair before she looks over at him. "I was talking to Platt for a bit before you and Kev came downstairs. The whole thing is just very strange."
"How do you mean?"
"I'm not seeing anyone," she tells him, as if it's obvious. "I'm not even talking to anyone, not like that, and I – I dunno. Guess it's just a weird feeling I can't shake. Or maybe I'm overthinking things, again. Who knows?"
"Hailey," he says quietly, turning his head to look at her as he comes to a stop light. "Overthinking is one thing, but if your instinct is telling you it's weird, then listen to those instincts, okay?"
"Yeah," she whispers, nodding slowly.
He gives her a quick nod of his own as the light changes and they continue their drive to the bar.
They arrive at Molly's a few minutes later and when they get inside they spot the rest of the team and Vanessa at a table in the back corner. It seems to be more crowded than usual, even for it being a Friday night, and Hailey and Jay have to squeeze past the other patrons of the bar as they make their way to their friends.
There are hoots and hollers from most of them while Adam groans, dropping his head momentarily before looking over at Hailey.
"I didn't think you'd show."
"So I heard. No faith, Ruze. No faith," she teases him.
"Then allow me to apologize with a round of beers and some shots. Who's in?" Adam asks, looking around the group.
Hailey catches Jay's eye beside her as he sends her a look as if to say, 'I told you so' and she shakes her head at him, snickering to herself.
"Halstead, you in man?" Adam asks from the end of the table.
"Nah, just a beer for me. I gotta drive Hailey home," he says, catching and ignoring the curious look that Vanessa sends his way.
"Alright, fair enough. You guys squeeze in and I'll be back as fast as I can. It's a damn circus in here tonight," Adam says before turning to Kevin. "Can you help me out bro?"
Kevin nods, clapping his friend over the shoulder as they disappear into the crowd.
Jay tilts his head at Hailey, gesturing to the only open stool next to the wall, and she smiles at him as she squeezes past him to sit down. He stands beside her while Kim and Vanessa take up the two stools on the other side of the table.
"What's that about anyway?" Jay asks then, glancing around the bar. "There's gotta be at least a hundred people in here."
Kim shakes her head, an amused smile on her face. "Stella convinced Herrmann to do some drink special that brought 'em in. Apparently it's been like this since around five."
"Yikes," Jay comments as Hailey shakes her head.
The four of them talk amongst themselves, leaning in to hear one another tell stories and make jokes, and then Kevin and Adam return a short while later setting two trays down on the tabletop.
"Alright, we got beers and shots," Adam announces. "Everyone grab a drink and let's toast!"
"Toast to what?" Kim laughs.
"Getting dumb?" Adam suggests. "Yeah, getting dumb sounds good to me. Let's go!"
Jay passes Hailey a beer, knowing she won't touch the tequila since she has to go home to Avery, and grabs one for himself. The others grab theirs and then they're clinking glasses together and knocking drinks back.
The night moves along, a couple hours passing by fun and carefree as more stories are shared and loud laughs echo between them. Vanessa has quickly integrated herself within the group, talking closely with Kim and laughing at Adam's dumb jokes. Hailey doesn't miss the way her friend and Kevin seem to lean into each other a little too closely throughout the night, but the blonde just smiles fondly at them as they get distracted with their own side conversation on the other side of the table.
Jay catches her staring at the pair as they huddle together, both of them laughing about something in the corner, and he gives a gentle nudge to Hailey's arm with his elbow. When she turns her head to look at him, he leans down over her shoulder, his mouth near her ear so she can hear him above the bustling sounds of the bar.
"You okay?"
She nods against him, then whispers back, "She likes him."
Jay pulls back to look at her and she tilts her head to Vanessa and Kevin before bringing her eyes back to his. He smiles and nods slowly at her in understanding before he leans down to her ear again.
"I think he likes her too," he tells her, his voice sounding huskier than it should be and it sends a shiver over her.
He pulls his head back again to look at her with those soft eyes and a sweet smile on his face that has her heartbeat picking up its pace yet again. She knows this is dangerous – the way he looks at her and the way they stare at one another longer than just partners and just friends should ever look at each other, and the way he says those words that sound a lot like he's not just talking about their friends across the table.
The longer they stare at one another the louder the alarm sounds in her head, but she can't look away and she doesn't until she hears her name being called in front of her.
"Hailey!"
"What?" She asks loudly, tearing her eyes away from Jay and looking to the end of the table at Adam.
"Dude, I've called your name like three times. It's so damn loud in here," he laughs, shaking his head and oblivious to whatever it is she was just doing with her partner. "I'm going back to the bar. You need another?"
"Yes! Yes, definitely!" Hailey says a little too quickly before she clears her throat and grabs the beer in front of her.
She can still feel Jay's eyes on her as she takes a long pull from the bottle, but she doesn't look at him yet. Her cheeks flush, she feels the heat in them immediately, and her heart pounds wildly inside her chest. She wonders if he felt the same pull she did just moments ago or if it was just a fluke.
It had to be a fluke, right?
She tries to push it out of her mind, knowing she can't go there. She can't think about it. She won't.
But when she glances over at him a moment later, because for some reason she can't not look at him, there's a knowing smile on his face. When he meets her eyes again the look he gives her makes her think he definitely felt it too. It has her swallowing nervously and reaching for the bottle in front of her to knock back the rest of her beer in one go.
She tries to distract herself, leaning over the table and making conversation with Kim, and a few minutes later Adam returns, handing her another beer and a cocktail glass.
"Uh, what is this Ruze?" Hailey asks, pointing to the glass.
"Whiskey sour," he tells her.
She laughs, shaking her head. "I can see that, but why'd you get it?"
He shakes his head. "I didn't. Herrmann made it and handed it to me. Said some guy at the bar asked to buy you one."
Her face goes blank and her pulse quickens again for an entirely different reason as she stares back at Adam.
"Wait, what?" She asks, glancing between him and the drink in front of her, and then she turns around. She looks over the crowd, eyes scanning dozens of faces, but it's too crowded and from their spot in the back corner, it doesn't give her a good vantage point.
"You okay? It's just a drink, Upton," Adam comments, a curious look and a teasing smile on his face.
"No," she breathes out. "No, it's not."
Jay looks over at her with concerned eyes, watching as she scans the crowd again. She meets his gaze and he notices the way her chest heaves just slightly, her breathing picking up. He remembers their earlier conversation in the parking lot and leans down over her shoulder again to whisper against her ear, "Stay here, okay?"
She nods quickly and Jay turns back to Adam and Kevin.
"I'll be right back. Stay with Hailey," he tells them before stepping away from the table and heading toward the bar.
Their friends all share a look of concern as they glance over at the blonde and Vanessa squeezes past Kevin to move around the table. She cozies up beside Hailey, wrapping an arm around her waist almost protectively and squeezes her friend against her side.
"It's gonna be okay," Vanessa tells her.
Hailey nods and turns her head, trying to follow Jay through the crowd. She spots him at the end of the bar talking to Herrmann and watches as the firefighter nods and then points to the opposite end of the bar by the front entrance.
Jay pushes his way through the crowd, heading in the direction that Herrmann had pointed to, and Hailey's eyes widen as she realizes what he's doing. She pulls herself out of Vanessa's arms and slides off the stool, then heads into the crowd, squeezing past the bodies in the bar and ignoring her friends calling her name behind her as she follows after her partner.
"Jay! Jay, wait! Don't!" She calls out as loudly as she can.
It's no use given the amount of people and the volume in the bar, and she pushes herself harder through the crowd. She sees the back of Jay's head as he nears the front of the bar and she calls out to him again as loudly as she can.
"Jay!"
He somehow hears her and turns around, quickly spotting her in the throes of people surrounding him. He steps toward her, reaching an arm out to her and when she grabs onto his hand he pulls her gently toward him until she's standing in front of him.
"What are you doing, Jay?"
"Herrmann said the guy was at this end of the bar. I don't recognize anyone, but I'm not sure I even know who or what I'm looking for. You see anyone familiar?"
Hailey turns her head, scanning the crowd from this end of the bar, but she still doesn't recognize any of the faces.
"I don't see anyone I know," she nearly whimpers next to him, her heart still pounding and the paranoia taking over.
It's then she realizes her hand is still in his when he squeezes her fingers gently with his own and she glances up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I – "
"Hailey, it's okay. It's gonna be okay," he assures her, squeezing her hand again as he takes a step closer to her.
She swallows a lump of nerves at the back of her throat and nods at him, her body trembling beside him as she hopes he's right.
"You wanna head back?" Jay asks her, tilting his head in the direction of their friends, but she shakes hers at him.
"Can you take me home?"
"Of course I can," he says softly. "Did you leave anything at the table?"
She shakes her head again and pats her jacket pockets, and he nods before gesturing to the very front of the bar. He keeps a tight hold on her hand as he leads them through the crowd and they squeeze past a few more people until they finally reach the door.
Hailey happily welcomes the crisp night air from the wind that whips around them when they step outside. It cools her flaming skin and helps settle her racing heart as she breathes deeply, trying to calm herself down from what has just occurred. She feels a tug on her hand and looks down to see Jay's hand still tightly clutching hers and lifts her eyes to meet his. Her heart starts racing again, but she doesn't pull her hand away, instead she finds herself squeezing his back.
Jay can tell she's still on edge as her eyes start darting around them, looking at cars parked along the street and staring too long and hard at people passing by on the sidewalk. He tugs on her hand to get her attention and when she looks back at him he pulls her toward him, bringing her in against him and wrapping an arm around her in a side hug.
"It's gonna be okay," Jay tells her again in whispered words over the top of her head. "We'll figure this out."
He hears her sniffle beside him and when he lets go of her hand and removes his arm from around her, Hailey turns away from him to wipe under her eyes. He places a hand on her shoulder and gives a comforting squeeze, and when she looks back at him a moment later there's a sad, tearful smile on her face that guts him.
"Come on," he says quietly, tilting his head and dropping his hand to his side. "Let's get you home."
They make their way to his truck and he sends a quick text off to Vanessa so she doesn't worry, and then starts the drive back to Hailey's place. He glances over at her every so often with concerned eyes and an aching heart for the woman as she leans back against the headrest and stares out the window. She doesn't say a word the entire time he drives.
When Jay pulls up outside her house less than a half hour later, he parks the truck and kills the engine. He turns his head to look at her and quickly notices her hands shaking in her lap.
"Hailey?" He calls over to her, keeping his voice calm so he doesn't scare her any more than she already so obviously seems to be.
When she turns her head toward him that's when he sees the fresh tears rolling down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembling.
"Hailey?" He calls again.
"I think someone's following me," she whimpers.
Jay raises an eyebrow at her, not expecting those words to slip from her mouth, and as he stares back at her he sees something in her eyes that confirms the thought he's had in the back of his mind all night, all afternoon since they'd returned to the district to see flowers on her desk.
"You know who it is," Jay says carefully.
Hailey nods slowly, breaking their gaze and dropping her eyes to her lap as she fidgets with her hands, and then she whispers, "Yeah, I have an idea."
He stares at her for a few moments, taking in the way she looks dejected and scared and completely unlike herself. He leans over the console, reaches out a hand to her shoulder slowly and gives it a gentle squeeze.
"Come on," Jay says with a tilt of his head. She meets his eyes with a curious stare and he smiles softly. "No way I'm letting you walk to the door by yourself. Not after what you just told me."
Hailey lets out a sigh, nodding slowly again, and they get out of the truck. He meets her on the sidewalk and they make their way up her driveway to the front door, but she doesn't unlock it right away. They stand on the front steps, Hailey with an array of emotions covering her face and only a look of concern on Jay's as he stares back at her.
"Um, I don't," she starts, losing her words and dropping her eyes to the ground. She takes a deep breath before meeting his eyes again. "Will you, um – do you wanna come in?"
"Sure," he smiles softly.
She tries to smile back, but it's a weak attempt as she reaches into her pocket for her keys, pulling them out with still shaking hands before she tries to unlock the door. She struggles for a few seconds, and then Jay steps up beside her and reaches for them. He takes them from her and unlocks the door, pushing it open and they walk inside.
He closes the door and locks it behind them and they head into the kitchen. The television echoes in lowly from the living room and a moment later it goes silent before Trudy enters the kitchen.
"You're back earlier than expected. Barely nine," she teases until she sees the look on both Hailey and Jay's faces. "What happened?"
Hailey shakes her head, trying to force herself not to cry again in front of her desk sergeant and instead forces a smile.
"Is Avery asleep?"
Trudy glances at Jay with a look of concern and he gives a slow, subtle shake of his head. She looks back to Hailey and smiles softly. "She sure is. Just conked out on the couch a little bit ago actually."
Hailey forces a smile as she looks over at the woman. "Thanks Trudy."
"Not a problem. I'm gonna head out. There's left over pizza in the fridge if you're hungry. I'll see you two tomorrow," Trudy says, glancing between the partners again. She grabs her purse from the island and starts to head for the door while Hailey disappears into the living room.
"I'll walk you out Sarge," Jay offers, following after her.
"I can walk out to my car by myself just fine, Halstead," Trudy chuckles.
"I'll walk you out," he says again, an edge in his voice that has her staring back at him curiously, but she nods, nonetheless.
As soon as they turn corner and reach the door, Trudy whips around to face him. "What the hell happened?"
"I still don't entirely know to be honest," Jay tells her with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Well if either of you need anything, let me know. I'm not a big fan of the cryptic behavior," Trudy says.
Jay nods as she turns the lock and pulls the door open, and he follows after her onto the front steps.
Trudy stops mid-step and glances over her shoulder at him. "You're really gonna watch me walk to my car?"
"Just humor me, please?"
She hears that edge in his voice again and nods, waving him goodnight as she heads toward her car. Once he sees her safely inside and she starts the engine, he goes back into the house and locks the door securely behind him again.
He makes his way through the kitchen and into the living room, finding Hailey sitting in the middle of the couch with Avery cuddled beside her. She's running her fingers through her daughter's hair and watching her sleep.
Jay approaches quietly, not wanting to startle his partner, and sits down at the other side of the little girl.
He watches them quietly with a fond smile for some time, and then a short while later, he murmurs, "Want me to bring her upstairs for you?"
Hailey lifts her head, glancing over at him with teary eyes again. "Would you mind? I don't – I don't want her to wake up and see me like this."
"I don't mind," he shakes his head.
Hailey gives a slow nod and leans over to kiss the top of her daughter's head as Jay stands to his feet. He steps toward her and Avery, bending down over the couch and lifting the little girl into his arms. He settles her against his chest, holding her head over his shoulder and feels her stir in his arms as he walks around the couch toward the kitchen.
"Jay?" Avery mumbles sleepily, her eyes blinking open and then closed again. "Where's my mama?"
"Mama's on the couch. I'm gonna bring you up to bed, okay?"
"Okay," she mumbles again, tightening her little arms around his neck.
"I got you," he whispers to her, kissing the side of her head as he moves through the kitchen and goes up the stairs.
He brings the little girl to her bedroom and lays her down carefully on her bed, tucking her in under the covers and making sure she has her favorite teddy close by in case she wakes up in the middle of the night.
He leans down and kisses the top of her head again, whispering, "Goodnight kiddo."
When he stands up straight he hears the little girl mumble again as she drifts back to sleep and burrows under the covers, "Love you Jay."
He swears his heart stops as a grin spreads out over his face and he leans down again, hovering over the little girl's ear. "I love you too, bug."
He makes sure her nightlight is on and then slips from the room, closing the door behind him quietly before going back downstairs.
He finds Hailey right where he left her, curled up in the middle of the couch with her legs tucked underneath her and her head resting back against the cushions. He walks to the couch to sit beside her and sees her eyes are closed, but he can tell she's not sleeping as her shoulders heave with each quick breath she takes.
Hailey blinks her eyes open when she feels the couch shift next to her and finds him staring at her with a deep look of concern on his face.
"Hi," she mumbles.
Jay smiles at her, almost sadly and still worried, while she points up at the ceiling.
"She okay?"
"Yeah, out like a light."
"Thank you," she says, forcing out a tight lipped smile and he nods at her.
He has so many questions swirling around in his head, but he knows their conversation of what she'd told him in the truck needs to continue at her own pace, so he sits quietly, glancing over at her every so often and waiting patiently.
She doesn't speak for a while and they sit in silence until Hailey lifts her head from the cushions and turns to sit sideways so she's facing him. He turns his head and looks at her, waiting for her to speak first, but she doesn't meet his eyes yet, instead keeping them focused on her hands in her lap. He watches her open her mouth a few times, but no words come out, and then she takes a few deep breaths before she finally brings her eyes to his.
"Ron Booth. That's his name," Hailey whispers through a shaky breath. "You remember that first night you came over and found out about Avery?"
Jay nods slowly, remembering that night all too well. It's a night he wouldn't forget. The tears in her eyes, the look of defeat and deflation on her face from that night. It's the same look she wears now and it causes an uneasy feeling to stir inside him.
"The undercover assignment I was on was with his crew. We were trying to get 'em on Meth distribution. Garrett and I were under together, less conspicuous if you're a tweaked out couple looking to score, ya know?" She says, forcing out an awkward chuckle. She tries so hard to make light of the situation so that she doesn't completely break down in front of her partner, but the attempt is futile as fresh tears form in her eyes.
"We got in, infiltrated him and his crew. Got him and his friends to trust us. We were under for a while, almost six months, and we thought we had him. And then one night, he got back from a trip from meeting some new player and things kinda took an ugly turn."
"You told me you got hurt. Was that him?" Jay asks carefully.
"Yeah," her voice cracks in half with the utterance of one word and the tears in her eyes begin to fall. "He um, he… I – "
"Hailey, it's okay," Jay tells her quickly. He doesn't want to assume the worst, but the look on her face gives him an idea of what she's about to say and it makes him feel sick at the thought alone. He shakes his head slowly as he looks at her, taking in the terrified expression on her face. "You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready. It's okay."
She glances up at him, meeting his eyes again and by the expression on his face she knows immediately what he's thinking, but the way he looks at her nearly breaks her. There's so much compassion on his face, so much patience and softness that somehow gives her the ability to continue, to want to tell him.
"He tried to – " Hailey breathes out, nodding at the memory as it floods her mind and it has her dropping her eyes to her lap, to her hands, to the floor, to anything that's not his soft eyes gazing back at her. "We were talking in his office. I was pushing and trying to get the name of the new player and when I realized what was happening I tried to leave. He yanked me back, slapped me, pushed me down. I fought him, scratched him so hard he bled and I tried to run again, but he grabbed me, hit me really hard. He just kept hitting me. Garrett came in, pulled him off me before he could – before he…I woke up in the hospital a few days later."
There are tears in Jay's eyes as she finishes her story and his heart aches for the woman beside him. He wants to reach out for her, wrap his arms around her, but he's not sure that's the right thing to do so he stays where he is and keeps the space between them, trying to convey how he feels with his eyes as he stares over at her and she finally looks back up at him.
"I'm sorry, Hailey. I'm so sorry," Jay breathes out, shaking his head in disbelief and trying to find the right words, but she just gives him a light shrug and another tight lipped smile.
"He's who I thought I saw the day of the explosion, when I took off down the street," Hailey tells him, swallowing hard. "I swore it was him and I just – I don't know. I thought I was losing it, seeing things that weren't there and I knew he should be in jail so I checked up on him, to ease my mind I guess."
"And what'd you find out?" Jay asks her.
Hailey scoffs, shaking her head as a nearly maniacal laugh escapes her and drops her eyes back down to her lap. "Turns out he got released two months ago. Good behavior or whatever. It's a damn joke."
Jay shuffles closer toward her on the couch then, unable to ignore the need to touch her any longer and places a hand on her knee slowly. He gives it a gentle squeeze and she looks up at him with tear filled eyes again, giving another shrug of her shoulders.
"I don't have any proof, but I know it's him. I just – I know. Ever since the explosion I've had this feeling like someone is watching me, ya know? And then the day of the picnic," she breathes out. "It wasn't a wrong number. I've been getting texts."
"What do you mean?"
"One a week since then," Hailey tells him. She leans over to the coffee table, grabbing her jacket she'd dropped there earlier, and pulls her phone from one of the pockets. She unlocks it, swipes through to her messages and hands the phone over to him. "They started out general enough, but then they got more specific."
He glances down at her phone and starts reading through the thread of messages.
Great weather today, isn't it?
How's the head? Get the stitches out yet?
How about those Cubbies, huh?
You look beautiful today.
Who's the guy? New boyfriend?
Did you like the roses?
Jay looks up after reading the last message, his eyebrows scrunching together as he hands the phone back to her. "The roses?"
"Yeah, got that one earlier tonight on my way home from the district," Hailey sighs, and then her tears spill over and her bottom lip starts to tremble. "If it's him…if he – if it is him, he knows I'm a cop. He's been watching and that means he knows about Avery. He's seen her, and if he – "
Her whole body starts to shake as tears stain her cheeks, her heart pounding wildly again as the panic starts to set in and she struggles to breathe. Jay squeezes her knee again and lifts his other hand to her shoulder to do the same, trying to ground her in some way.
"Don't do that to yourself. Don't think like that. Nothing is gonna happen to Avery or to you. I promise."
"You can't promise me that, Jay. You don't know what he's like, what he's capable of…he – he's the devil," she cries out, shaking her head again as she lets out a strangled sob in front of him.
"Hey," he whispers as he tightens his hand over her knee and slides his hand further up her shoulder to cradle the side of her face. "What I can promise you – without a doubt, is that I'll do everything I can to make sure the two of you are safe."
Hailey shakes her head, a look of confusion settling over her face as more tears fall from her eyes, but she keeps her gaze on him. "Why do you care so much?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're so decent. You're so kind and good. You're so good to me, you're so good to Avery. You've been like that with us from the beginning. It doesn't make sense to me. It's never made sense."
"You're my best friend, Hailey," Jay tells her simply, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. He keeps his eyes on her, not breaking their gaze, and then he's brushing his thumb over her cheek. "I care about you and I care about Avery. I just wanna be here for you, for the both of you."
She stares back at him, taking in his words and the look on his face, one that very much so resembles the look they shared earlier in the bar. When things were fun and flirty and a lot easier than they are now.
Now they're alone in her house with no friends to distract them or loud crowds and she's scared and emotional, while he's comforting her and touching her and saying sweet things that make her head spin and her heart ache in a way she's sure it shouldn't.
Before she can think twice she leans forward and presses her lips to his in a hurried kiss that takes him by surprise, but he's kissing her back within a single second. His hand slides down her cheek and around her neck to the back of her head, and when his tongue brushes over her bottom lip a moment later, it's as if a switch goes off and a different kind of panic settles over her. Hailey pulls her head away from his, ending the kiss before it's even really begun, and places a hand against his chest.
"I'm sorry," she says quickly, pulling back and dropping her hand from his chest. She shuffles away from him and moves to the end of the couch in an effort to put some space between them.
"I'm so sorry," Hailey says again, breathing quickly and shaking her head in disbelief over what had just happened. Over what she just did. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Hailey, it's okay – "
"No! No, it's not," she shakes her head again. "That was – that was a mistake."
She looks over at him tearfully, terrified that everything they've built – their friendship and partnership, a bond that has come to mean so much to her, has just been completely shattered because she let her emotions get the best of her in the heat of one single moment.
"Did I just ruin everything?" She asks him so quietly she can't even be sure he hears her, but then he's shaking his head.
"No, you didn't. Hailey, I – "
"You were just – being you, sweet and understanding and – I, I'm a wreck right now and my head is all over the place and I clearly wasn't thinking. I don't know why I did that."
"Hailey," he tries again, but she doesn't let him get another word in.
"Maybe you should go," she says suddenly. She stands from the couch and moves to the other side of the coffee table to put more space between them. "Tonight has not been what either of us were expecting and it's getting late and we have work tomorrow, and – "
"I'm not going anywhere, Hailey."
"What?"
"Ten minutes ago you told me you're pretty sure a drug dealing psychopath is stalking you," Jay says with raised eyebrows. "Look, regardless of what just happened between us, do you really think I'd let you be alone right now?"
"I can take care of myself," Hailey tries to argue, but he waves her off.
"I don't doubt that, but after everything you've told me about this guy and how terrified you are of what you think he's capable of, I don't think either of us are going to sleep tonight. If I'm here, well, I still probably won't sleep, but at least I'll know you and Ave are okay."
"Jay, I don't – "
"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" He asks with a playful smile.
He knows it's hardly the time for teasing, but he needs her to know that nothing will change between them. That nothing has changed between them. That they're still them.
"Because I just kissed you and you're acting like – like this! Being all sweet and charming as if what we just did is okay or normal between partners. And it's not! It's not okay. It's – why are you smiling like an idiot?"
"Because you're adorable when you're rambling," Jay tells her, his grin spreading wider. "It was just a kiss Hailey. It doesn't have to mean anything that you don't want it to."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. You can't say things like that to me and call me adorable and – "
"If you don't stop, I might have to kiss you just to shut you up," he threatens with a smirk.
Hailey's eyes widen at his words and her jaw goes slack for a moment before she closes it a second later. She stares back at him, but he just keeps smirking at her with that playful look on his face and his soft eyes, and then she's laughing through her tears. It's a full, hearty laugh and it's the first real smile that has crossed her face since they were at the bar and it has her shaking her head at him.
"How do you do that?" She asks him after a moment.
"Do what?"
"How do you act like we didn't just cross some sort of line? How do you make me laugh when five minutes ago I was crying my eyes out in front of you? How do you make me feel like everything's gonna be okay?"
"Do you think we crossed a line?"
"Didn't we?"
"I don't know," Jay shrugs at her, his smirk fading from his lips, but he still manages to smile sweetly at her. "But what I do know is that you're my best friend. And I know we're two friends that care a lot about each other. It's only awkward if we make it awkward."
Hailey nods, wiping under her eyes as a few straggling tears fall. "And the rest of it?"
"The rest, we'll figure it out. We'll go into work tomorrow and start digging, and we'll deal with it."
She nods, but there's an inkling of something that lingers on her face, and then she breathes out, "I just don't want you to look at me differently. Look at me like…"
"Like what?"
"Like you feel sorry for me," she sighs.
"I don't feel sorry for you, Hailey. That's not it at all," Jay tells her, shaking his head as he stands from the couch and walks toward her. He approaches her slowly, not wanting to freak her out, and when he stands in front of her he reaches out his arms and places his hands on her shoulders. "I'm – I feel protective, okay? I just wanna be here for you. Will you let me? Please?"
She's pretty sure she should say no, tell him to leave and go home, that she doesn't need him. She had just kissed him for God's sake and almost ruined everything between them, and he's standing in front of her as if it didn't even happen.
The words are there, right on the tip of her tongue, but as much as she wants to say them she knows she would regret them. And that thought alone terrifies her because she shouldn't want him there, shouldn't feel like she needs him there, but she does and it makes everything inside of her ache.
His hands are still on her shoulders, anchoring her in front of him again, and she swallows nervously as she looks up at him and nods slowly.
"Okay," Hailey whispers.
"Okay?"
"You can stay," she says before she blows out a deep breath, and then she's smirking at him. "But you get to deal with Vanessa in the morning when she comes downstairs and sees you on the couch."
"Deal," he smiles.
"And thank you," she says quietly. "For putting up with all of my stuff and for wanting to stay and, and I'm scared out of my mind, but…"
"But?" Jay presses.
Hailey shrugs again, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she whispers, "You make me feel safe."
Jay smiles back at her and then he's wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him. She slips her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and burrowing her face into his chest while he rests his chin over the top of her head.
"It's gonna be okay," Jay assures her.
Hailey nods against him, breathing out another deep sigh, and he squeezes her once before unraveling his arms and letting her go.
She steps away from him, gesturing to the couch. "There's uh, there's extra pillows and blankets in the hall closet next to the office."
"Thanks," he nods. "And I know it's easier said than done, but try and sleep, okay? I'll be here if you need me."
"I'll try," Hailey sighs before moving around the couch toward the kitchen. She turns back to face him when she reaches the doorway, another small smile stretching out over her face. "Goodnight Jay."
"Night Hailey," he calls back, shooting her one last smile before she turns around again and disappears through the kitchen to go upstairs.
Jay heads toward the hall closet, grabbing a pillow and a blanket, then double-checks the front door to make sure it's locked up securely. He makes sure a light is on in the kitchen for Vanessa when she gets home, but switches off the rest before making his way back to the living room.
He tosses the pillow to one end of the couch, the blanket to the other, and slips out of his jeans to sleep in his boxers. He keeps his t-shirt on, then turns off the last of the lights in the living room before he settles down on the couch.
He's breathes out a long, dragged out sigh, feeling certain he's not gonna sleep very well that night. The events of the day and the last couple hours alone being enough to keep his mind spinning for the next few days.
Hailey had been attacked.
She has a stalker.
She had kissed him.
She had kissed him and he kissed her back, and he had wanted to keep kissing her, but then she pulled away and said it was a mistake. The moment the words had slipped past her lips he was certain he hadn't felt what real heartache was until that very moment.
The thought of them kissing being a mistake hadn't even crossed Jay's mind, it was the complete opposite of what he felt it was, but he couldn't very well tell her that, could he? She was so freaked out over it, so sure things between them would change. Maybe they did change, or maybe they would. And Jay knew he wanted them to, but he wanted them to change in a way that would mean he could kiss her freely and for no reason at all.
He can't be sure when it happened exactly, but somewhere, somehow, Jay had fallen for his partner. He had fallen hard for her and not just for her, but her daughter as well. The last seven months working with Hailey and the last two months of knowing Avery had him completely head over heels for the both of them. And there were so many moments where he had thought that just maybe Hailey had fallen for him too. Their lingering looks and flirty banter, the constant teasing, the subtle and not so subtle touches. All of it had developed and occurred between them so quickly and easily that he was sure it meant something more.
There was a fleeting moment when she kissed him where he had been so sure it wasn't one-sided, that he wasn't imagining any of it and that she felt it too. And then she pushed him away so he played it off. Made a joke and made her laugh. Pretended it didn't mean anything when it actually meant everything so she would know he didn't think any differently of any less of her.
Maybe Hailey was telling the truth – that she kissed him because she wasn't thinking clearly and because she was emotional and because he was just there. Maybe he would just have to practice some stronger self-preservation.
Him and Hailey were friends. They were partners.
She had made it quite clear tonight that that's all they could be and if that's all she could offer him, he would take it and he would accept it. Because he would rather have her as just his friend than risk not having her or Avery in his life at all.