Hi friends! You all continue to amaze me with your kind words and excitement for this story, and I can't thank you enough for reading! Here's chapter 10 and I really hope you like it. I can't wait to hear what you think! See you soon for the next chapter!
Hailey wakes the next morning after a restless night and barely a few hours of sleep. She had tossed and turned, reeling from the events of the night before with the demons of her past and the emotional rollercoaster she rode on and unable to stop thinking about the fact that she had kissed her partner.
She kissed Jay.
She kissed him.
And what terrified her more than the sheer act itself was that she had wanted to do it again.
As much as she tried to laugh off Vanessa's teasing and innuendos, as much as she tried to ignore Jay's lingering looks and his soft smiles, Hailey knew what she felt for him wasn't something she should feel for her partner. The way he was with both Avery and herself, sweet and delicate and always there for them, it had her constantly wondering why he was the way that he is. Why them?
You're my best friend Hailey.
I care about you and I care about Avery.
I just wanna be here for you, for the both of you.
It still didn't make sense to her and she's not sure if it ever would. She had told him she was a wreck, not thinking clearly, and while it was true to some extent, she doesn't think her head had ever been so clear as it was when she made the choice to press her lips against his.
He hadn't pushed her away either. His hand on her face and his tongue seeking hers, and she knows he would have pulled her closer if she hadn't pulled away so suddenly. And now she's left wondering what might have happened if she hadn't gotten scared. If she hadn't of freaked herself out and just let things continue. She can't help wondering if he would be laid up beside her in her bed right now.
Even before he knew about Avery she had thought there might be something there. In the teasing and the soft looks and that sexy smirk he always used with her. And when he finally did learn she had a daughter, his behavior didn't change. The only thing that did change was how protective he seemed to be. More cautious and careful out in the field with her, and with quicker reflexes, as if he was trying to keep both her and her daughter safe.
She couldn't hazard a guess as to when she started looking at him differently. Maybe it was a combination of the last seven months of working together and then seeing him with Avery. The way he seemed to wholeheartedly love her little girl and the way he was always so wonderful with her had made something shift inside of Hailey. Something that made her heart ache in a way it hasn't in a very long time. Something that made her wonder what things could be like if they weren't partners, if things were different.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart seemed to ache, but she knew she couldn't go down that road again. She had been there before, and so had Jay, and it hadn't ended too well for either of them so who's to say it wouldn't end just as badly this time around? Only this time it wouldn't just be her and him potentially hurting one another. She had a child to think about. A child who, while she had no real understanding of what was happening around her, was still a little girl who loved Jay, who adored him and always wanted to be around him.
Hailey couldn't take the chance of something happening between her and her partner only to have things ending abruptly and ugly and leaving Avery confused and heartbroken. Because right now, Hailey and Jay were friends, partners. Granted, they were friends and partners who had kissed one another less than twelve hours ago, but they were still them, and Hailey knew she would sacrifice her feelings for him if that meant he could still be in her life. If he could still be in Avery's life.
Her bedroom door swings open, pulling Hailey from her thoughts, and she lifts her head to see her daughter peeking into the room from behind the door. She smiles instantly at the little girl and waves her over, and Avery runs to the side of the bed with her teddy bear tucked under an arm.
"Morning mama," she says with a soft little voice.
"Good morning baby," Hailey says before she throws back the covers. She helps the little girl up into the bed and Avery lies down facing her.
Hailey stretches an arm across the little girl to grab her phone from the nightstand and check the time, and sees that it's barely seven. She puts the phone back down and wraps her arm around her daughter, moving a hand through Avery's bedhead of curls.
"What are you doing up so early?"
"I dunno," Avery shrugs her shoulders, reaching for the necklace around Hailey's neck.
"Did you sleep okay?"
The little girl nods, twirling the chain of Hailey's necklace between her fingers. "Yeah, good sleep. No bad dreams."
"Good, it makes me happy to hear that. Did you have fun with Miss Trudy last night? What did you two do while mama was gone?"
"We had pizza and watched a movie, but I don't think we finished 'cause I think I fell asleep," she tells her mother with a too serious look on her face for a kid her age to have and it makes Hailey grin at her.
"Mmhmmm, you were already asleep when I got home," Hailey tells her as she twines a curl around her finger. "You wanna go downstairs and get some breakfast?"
"Yeah!"
"Waffles or pancakes?"
"Waffles mama. Always waffles," Avery says as if it's obvious.
Hailey laughs as she sits up, lifting her daughter into her arms as she stands from the bed. She drops a kiss to the little girl's forehead and settles her on her hip to head downstairs.
When they get downstairs, Hailey sets her on the floor and watches her scurry through the kitchen, but then she stops suddenly a few steps short of the living room and turns around to face her mother, a look of surprise on her face.
"Mama! Jay is on the couch," she whispers as if it's a secret.
"I know. He stayed here last night," Hailey tells her.
"Like a slumber party?" Avery asks, tilting her head up to Hailey with wrinkled eyebrows.
"Hmmm, not quite. Let him sleep a bit longer though, okay? No TV right now. It's too early anyway," Hailey tells her.
"Okay. Can I color on the island?"
"You can color at the island. Please don't draw on the counter," Hailey laughs quietly.
Avery giggles softly, shaking her head. "I won't mama."
"I'll go get your stuff. You stay here," Hailey says as she helps the little girl onto a stool and Avery gives a quick nod.
Hailey goes into the living room, creeping around the couch to the coffee table and grabbing one of her daughter's coloring books and a box of crayons. When she turns around to head back to the kitchen she can't help looking over at her partner still dead asleep on the couch.
He's got one arm hanging off of the edge toward the floor and the other laying above his head across the pillow. The blanket he seems to have started the night with is in a heap at his feet and his shirt is raised up just enough to give her a teasing view of his stomach.
The sight of him asleep and relaxed and looking so comfortable on her couch has her swallowing nervously. Her earlier thoughts of him creep back to the forefront of her mind as she stares at him and that familiar ache begins to settle over her again. She breathes out a quiet sigh, shaking her head as if it might help rid her of the thoughts and feelings she knows she shouldn't be having, and then she heads back into the kitchen.
Hailey sets her daughter's things down in front of her on the island and Avery quickly gets distracted with coloring while Hailey starts on breakfast. She doesn't have time to make homemade waffles so she grabs a box of Eggo's from the freezer and pops two into the toaster before starting a pot of coffee.
"Here ya go baby," Hailey says a few minutes later when she places a plate in front of Avery along with a cup of juice.
"Thank you mama," the little girl says happily as she pushes her coloring book to the side and digs into her breakfast.
"You're welcome," Hailey tells her with another kiss to the top of her head.
She goes back to the coffee pot as it finishes brewing and pours herself a cup, turning her head when she hears Avery's excited voice behind her.
"Morning Jay!"
Her partner shuffles into the kitchen in his boxers and t-shirt and makes his way toward her daughter with a sleepy smile on his face.
"Good morning bug," Jay says, leaning down and dropping a kiss to the side of Avery's head. "Whatcha eating?"
Hailey raises an eyebrow at the nickname, smiling curiously over at her partner as he leans over the counter next to her daughter.
"Mama made me waffles," she tells him.
"They look really yummy. You think mama will make me waffles too if I ask her?" Jay asks, glancing over at Hailey with a teasing smile and she rolls her eyes at him playfully.
"You gotta ask nicely and 'member to say please," Avery says with a stern little face before she sticks another forkful in her mouth.
Jay nods, giving her another smile as he stands up straight and makes his way around the island toward Hailey.
"Morning," she says, hating the way her stomach twists and turns as looks up at him.
"Good morning," he smiles still.
"Bug? Where'd that come from?" Hailey asks quietly, shooting him another curious little smile.
Jay shrugs. "She's like a little ladybug. You can't help smiling when you see her, ya know?"
Hailey's face splits into a wide grin because she does know and she nods, not trusting her voice as her heart clutches again.
"Did you sleep?" Jay asks her.
She shrugs, taking a sip from her mug before she answers. "A few hours. You?"
"A few hours," he says as well, a smile still perched on his face, and then he gestures down to the coffee pot on the counter behind her. "May I?
"Yeah, of course," she nods, stepping to the side and bringing her mug with her.
She sips at her coffee and peeks over at him while his back is turned as he makes up a cup for himself. She can't help noticing the way he seems to know just where everything is in her kitchen, the way he moves around seamlessly. She forces her attention to Avery, trying to distract herself from staring at her partner for too long, and sidles up beside the little girl.
When Jay has finished making up his coffee he turns around, sipping from his mug slowly. His eyes immediately find Hailey leaning down beside Avery, smiling softly at her daughter while the little girl stays lost in her own little world as she colors in her book.
He watches them fondly, another smile spreading out over his face, and something tugs at him from inside his chest. Something that seems a lot like love and the innate need to protect the both of them from anything and everything.
He can't help imagining that this is what a life with them would look like each morning – him and Hailey drinking coffee together, Avery eating breakfast, the three of them together and laughing, being a family.
He pushes the thought from his mind and forces the smile away when the distinct sounds of footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs. He takes another sip of his coffee as Vanessa rounds the corner and enters the kitchen.
"Good morning," the young woman says, her voice that of a sing-song tone and she sounds a little too happy considering the early morning hour.
She spots Jay leaning against the counter between the walkway and the island, and her face wrinkles in curiosity and confusion.
"Halstead? What are you doing here so early?" Vanessa asks him as she heads for the coffee pot, and then she notices his attire. "And why are you in pj's?"
Avery lifts her head from her coloring book, looking over at her auntie, and with a toothy grin she says, "Mama and Jay had a slumber party!"
Hailey nearly chokes as she's sipping her coffee and clears her throat before she sets her mug down and shakes her head at Avery.
"Not a slumber party like you're thinking baby. He just stayed the night," Hailey says, glaring over at Vanessa and her raised eyebrows before emphasizing, "on the couch."
Vanessa raises her hands, smiling a teasing grin. "I didn't say anything."
Hailey hums out a response, glancing over at Jay who just smiles softly to himself as he continues to drink his coffee. Vanessa reaches for the pot, a tiny smirk still on her face, but she doesn't say a word as she pours herself a cup.
It's quiet, almost too quiet, allowing the air around them to fill with an awkward sense of tension as Vanessa busies herself with making a bagel while Avery finishes her breakfast, and Hailey and Jay drink their coffee. The partners sneak a glance at the other every so often that neither seems to be aware of, and when Hailey catches Vanessa's curious eyes as the young woman looks between them, she swallows nervously.
She turns her head to look over at the time displayed on the stove and rounds the island to drop her mug in the sink. "I should go get ready. It's almost seven-thirty."
Jay hums out a response, taking one last sip of coffee before he sets his mug down in the sink next to Hailey's. "Yeah, I need to run home. Might be the first time neither of us are early."
Hailey smiles, shaking her head at him as she cleans up after Avery and Jay meanders to the living room. He returns a minute later with his jeans and boots pulled on, and the pillow and blanket from the night before in his arms.
"Want the blanket in the laundry?"
"Nah," Hailey shakes her head at him as she wipes down the counter. "Back in the closet is fine. You didn't even look like you used it."
He raises an eyebrow curiously as he walks past her to get to the hallway, stopping just behind her and leaning over her shoulder.
"You watching me sleep, Upton?" He asks her quietly.
She jumps at his husky tone in her ear and the proximity of his body to hers, her heart starting to pound in her chest, but she somehow keeps herself composed. She turns her head just slightly enough so he can see the smirk on her face.
"You wish Halstead," she whispers.
Jay smiles back at her, his head lolling to the side as he steps past her and heads down the hallway. He's only gone another moment before he's back at the island and standing next to Avery.
"I'll see ya later, Ave," he says to the little girl, smiling sweetly down at her.
"You gotta go?" She pouts.
"I'm afraid so kiddo. Gotta go and get the bad guys," Jay tells her. "But I'm glad I got to see you before I left."
"Okay," she sighs. "Get the bad guys and be safe."
"I will," he chuckles.
"Can I ask you somethin'?" Avery asks before he steps away.
Jay nods, smiling down at her. "Of course you can."
The little girl loos up at him with big blue eyes and a shy smile on her face. "It's gonna be my birthday soon. Are you gonna come to my party?"
Jay glances over at Hailey, a silent ask of permission, and when she smiles and nods at him, he turns back to Avery.
"Of course I'm gonna come to your party. I wouldn't miss it," he tells her.
Avery grins back at him and nods her little head before she reaches out her arms to him.
He leans down, hugging the little girl tightly and kissing the side of her head again before he says, "Love you bug."
"Love you too," Avery says as he removes his arms from around her and when he stands upright again he catches the stunned look on his partner's face.
"I'll see you at the district?" Jay calls over to her.
"Yeah," Hailey breathes out, forcing a small smile and swallowing hard. "Yeah, I'll see you in a bit."
Jay nods, heading toward the door and tipping his head at Vanessa as he passes her.
"Bye Vanessa!"
"See ya Jay!" She calls back as he rounds the corner.
When he steps out through the door and closes it behind him, Vanessa turns around to face Hailey, her mouth falling open and eyebrows raised.
"What the heck Hailey?"
Hailey waves her off, tilting her head to Avery. "Not now. I have to get ready for work or I'll be late. You got her for me?"
Vanessa rolls her eyes, but nods. "Yeah, yeah. We're gonna chat later though."
"Oh, I have no doubt you won't forget about this," Hailey laughs as she walks over to Avery and leans down beside her. "Mama's gotta get ready and go to work. You be good for auntie and I'll see you later, okay?"
Avery nods. "Okay mama. Love you."
"I love you too baby," Hailey smiles at her, kissing her forehead before she goes upstairs.
Hailey pulls into the lot at the district almost forty minutes later and as she closes the door to her Jeep her phone goes off. She pulls it from her back pocket, glancing down at the screen and seeing a text message from the same unknown sender she's seen for weeks now.
Did you enjoy the whiskey sour?
She can't help rolling her eyes at the message despite the bout of paranoia and anxiety that rushes through her as she pockets her phone and heads inside the district.
When she enters the bullpen she sees the team already at their desks and heads toward her own, exchanging a round of quick good morning pleasantries as she makes her way to her chair. She drops down into her seat with a quiet sigh of frustration and Jay lifts his head from the file in his hands, looking at her with concerned eyes.
Hailey pulls her phone from her pocket and opens up her messages to the one she just received and hands the phone over to him. He quirks an eyebrow as he takes the phone from her and looks down at the screen, his eyes widening a few seconds after he reads the message displayed on it.
Jay leans forward as he hands the phone back to Hailey and quietly, so only she can hear him, says, "You have to tell Voight."
"I know," she breathes out, placing the phone down on her desk and running a hand through her hair. She glances to the closed office door behind her partner, then brings her eyes back to his face. "Um, I – will you come with me?"
He smiles softly at her, nodding slowly.
Hailey takes a quick deep breath before she stands from her chair and heads for her Sergeant's office, Jay following behind her. She raps her knuckles twice against the door and pushes the it open when Voight waves them in.
"Ya got a sec, Sarge?" Hailey asks the man as he sits behind his desk.
Voight nods, looking up from some file in his hands. "What's up?"
They enter the office, Jay closing the door behind them, and he and Hailey take a seat in the chairs in front of their Sergeant as the man looks between them curiously.
Hailey takes another deep breath and then she gives him as short of a version of everything as she can, leaving out the sordid details. She tells him about the undercover assignment and Garrett, how he's Avery's father, and tells him about Booth and what he's done. She tells him how he was supposed to be in jail, but isn't, about the text messages and the flowers and the scene at the bar from the night before. She brings up the explosion and how she thinks she's being followed and the pretty certain feeling she has that it's Booth behind all of it.
She has tears in her eyes by the time she's done telling him everything and she has to remind herself to breathe as the anxiety resurfaces, making her hands shake in her lap and causing her heart to beat a little more wildly.
Voight looks between her and Jay, then back to Hailey. "You think he's connected to the Narcotics case?"
"Maybe. We know it was meth related, and meth distro is why I was after him back then," Hailey says, shrugging her shoulders. "We also couldn't find anything linking Steven Phillips to the drug rip and the guy had no priors. There is nothing connecting him to any of it that we found, but his body was at the scene and we know he was dead before the explosion."
"And Hailey is pretty certain she saw Booth at the scene," Jay says, leaning forward. He glances over at Hailey for a moment before looking back at his Sergeant. "It was right before we left for the hospital, she followed after him, but the guy disappeared. Another minute later there's a car peeling off down the street. I believe in coincidence, Sarge, but this was no accident. The cryptic messages and the flowers, the drink at Molly's last night. This guy is watching her closely or he at least has someone watching her for him."
"What about this flower thing? You said you talked to Platt. What'd she say?" Voight asks.
Hailey nods. "The guy Trudy described definitely wasn't Booth, said it was a kid. Late teens, early twenties, and she said he didn't seem like a delivery guy. He wasn't wearing anything with a company logo or name, and he didn't ask for a signature for the delivery. She said the kid seemed squirrelly, maybe even high. I'm thinking it could have been Booth's nephew."
"Who's the nephew?"
"Tyler Whitlock. I haven't seen him or checked up on him since the UC case, but he's just as much in the game thanks to Uncle Ronnie."
Voight nods, clasping his hands together as he thinks over the information he's just been briefed on. There's a look of concern on his face as he stares back at Hailey, shifting his eyes between her and Jay again.
"You know the stipulations with harassment and stalking, right? Until we have concrete evidence or this guy does something, we can't touch him."
"You mean we can't do anything unless he gets physical," Jay cuts in.
"Unfortunately that's exactly what I mean. And on the off chance it's not this Booth guy, I'd rather not confront an ex-con who might not know you're a cop. It's not something I'm willing to risk and I don't think you are either," Voight says, looking directly at Hailey.
Hailey lets out an annoyed laugh and shrugs her shoulders again. "So what do I do in the meantime then if it is him? Wait for him to get physical? Break into my house with my daughter and my friend home alone when I'm not there to protect them?"
"Hailey – "
"You have no idea what kind of monster this guy is, you haven't seen what he's done, he – "
"Hailey, I get it. Believe me, I get it. I know you wanna nail this guy, but we have to be smart about this or he could slip away. Is that a risk you're willing to take?"
"No, but I'm also not willing to risk my daughter's life or Vanessa's life to do things the right way."
Voight sighs, looking between Hailey and Jay again, his eyes lingering on the man in front of him.
"What do you think Jay?" Voight asks him.
Jay leans back in his chair, taking a moment to find the right words and glancing at Hailey briefly before bringing his eyes back to his Sergeant.
"I think this is incredibly personal for Hailey, and this guy, Sarge? Sounds like a maniac. What he did to her and what he did to Garrett...he'll do to someone else again if he hasn't already. I think we should at least dig a little bit and see what we can find."
Hailey looks over at him, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes and she forces them back while Voight nods. He glances between his two detectives again, then sets his eyes back on Jay.
"Keep digging then," Voight says. "But tread lightly. This stays in house and off the books until we have something solid. Is that understood?"
"Understood," Jay says and Hailey nods.
"Alright," Voight breathes out. "Go pay a visit to the florist. See if anyone can ID this prick."
They both nod and stand from their seats, heading for the door. Jay leaves first, Hailey hanging back for a moment and turning to face her Sergeant again.
"Thank you," she tells him.
Voight nods slowly, a concerned look still on his face. "Just be careful."
"Will do," Hailey tells him, turning on her heel and closing the door behind her as she leaves the office.
"You sure about this?" Jay asks her carefully as she approaches him.
"No, but I have to know."
"Let's print some photos then and go see the florist," Jay says, tilting his head toward his computer. "I'm assuming his nephew's got a sheet."
"Oh yeah," Hailey says, crossing her arms over her chest as Jay sits down at his desk and she stands behind him.
"We catch a case?" Kevin calls over to them.
Hailey shakes her head at him. "Not yet."
"You need help with anything?"
"We're good, but thanks Kev," she smiles softly.
He nods, looking over at them curiously for another moment before he turns his attention back to the casework in front of him.
Hailey looks down at Jay's computer as he runs through the database, quickly recognizing the face on display on the screen.
"That's Tyler," she says, dropping a hand to Jay's shoulder as she leans down next to him.
"Tyler Whitlock, just turned 21. Nice little sheet for possession, intent to sell, and two charges for aggravated assault when he was 18 and 19. Seems like a great kid," Jay scoffs, scrolling through the record on the screen. "Tax records has his place of employment as some wholesale paint warehouse outside of the city and Ronald Booth is listed as his employer."
"Still working for Uncle Ronnie," Hailey shakes her head.
"How much you wanna bet that wholesale business is a front for distro?" Jay asks, turning his head slightly to look at her.
"Wouldn't be surprised," she breathes out. "Run Booth next?"
Jay nods, searching for the man in the system and when a face pops up on the computer screen he feels Hailey's hand on his shoulder tighten.
"That's him," she whispers through a shaky breath before she pats his shoulder and stands up straight. "Can you print 'em?"
"Yeah," Jay tells her, staring after her as she steps around his chair to her desk.
She pulls the business card for the florist from the flowers and drops it next to her keyboard before grabbing the vase and heading into the break room. She dumps the water into the sink, drops the flowers and vase into a trash can, and then returns to the bullpen, ignoring the eyes she feels on her from the rest of the team as she sits down on the edge of Jay's desk.
A few minutes later when Hailey and Jay have what they need, they head down the back stairwell to the parking lot and make their way to the truck. Jay plugs in the address for the florist and starts driving, while Hailey sits quietly in the passenger seat, staring down at the pictures in her hands.
Jay glances over at her a few times as he drives, the worry for his partner growing each time he looks at her.
"It's gonna be okay, Hailey," he calls out to her quietly.
She lifts her head to meet his eyes, a sad smile on her face as she nods slowly.
They arrive at a small flower shop twenty minutes later and Jay parks the truck along the street. They head inside and they're quickly greeted by a middle-aged woman with a friendly smile standing behind the counter.
"Hi there! How can I help you?" She asks them.
"CPD ma'am. I'm Detective Halstead and this is my partner, Detective Upton," Jay introduces, showing the woman his badge. "Do you by any chance remember a delivery you made yesterday to a police district on Maxwell Street?"
The woman shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't do deliveries."
"Can you tell us who did then?" Hailey asks, tilting her head at the woman curiously. "It was a bouquet of red roses. They were in a clear glass vase with a red ribbon wrapped around it."
The woman shakes her head again. "I really can't tell you who delivered them. I'm a small, one woman shop around here except for my niece who helps with larger orders. I don't deliver unless it's a party or an event of some kind. I have to close the shop down for those."
The partners share a look, and then Jay glances back at the woman. "You don't make regular deliveries?"
"No, but I do remember the roses. It was just after I opened. A dozen, long stemmed with baby's breath mixed in. It wasn't a cheap bouquet."
"Do you remember the person that bought 'em?" Jay asks her.
The woman shakes her head, a sympathetic look on her face. "Not really. It was early and I tend to pay more attention to the flowers, but I do remember it was a man. He said they were a surprise for his girlfriend."
"Would you mind taking a look at some photos for us?" Hailey asks.
"Not at all," the woman says.
Hailey hands the woman the two printed photos and watches as she looks them over, eyeing them carefully.
"It might be this young man," the woman says, holding up one of the photos. "Definitely not the other one, he looks a little too old, but I'm pretty sure it was a younger guy. Didn't say much to me."
"You remember anything else about him?" Jay asks.
"No, I'm afraid not. Sorry I couldn't be much help," the woman tells them, handing the photos back to Hailey with a sympathetic smile.
Hailey shakes her head, smiling softly at the woman as she takes the photos. "You've been very helpful. Thank you for your time."
The woman nods, and then Hailey and Jay make their way out of the shop, back to the truck.
"Probably Tyler," Hailey breathes out once they're in the cab.
Jay nods. "Yeah, doing his uncle's dirty work."
"What do we do now?"
Jay sighs, leaning back against his seat and looking over at her. "I'm not sure there's much we can do right now. You heard what Voight said. And you heard what that woman said – she said it might be him. That's not exactly a positive ID."
Hailey groans, shaking her head. "So what, then? I wait for Booth to do something to me? To Avery or Vanessa? Just wait around like a sitting duck?"
He notices the tears in her eyes as she scoffs, throwing her head back against the headrest and then the tears fall quickly down her face.
"You're not in this alone, ya know? We'll get him," Jay assures her.
Hailey turns her head toward him, still crying silently, her eyes glassy and her bottom lip trembling as she stares back at him.
"We'll get him," he says again, his voice strong and sure as his eyes stay on Hailey's.
She nods and he starts the truck, driving them back to the district. They head in through the roll-up, Hailey walking ahead of her partner as they move up the stairwell when she suddenly stops at the top of the stairs. She turns around quickly, looking at Jay with an uneasy look on her face that has him raising his eyebrows at her.
"What's up?"
"Um, I know this isn't really the place for this conversation, but we didn't exactly get a chance to talk this morning," she says, breathing out a deep sigh.
"Talk about what?"
He watches as she swallows nervously, her eyes darting behind her and when she sees it's just them she turns back to face him.
"Last night," she mutters.
"Thought we already worked out what that was, though?"
"We did, I just – this morning felt a little awkward, and then Avery said the thing about the slumber party and Vanessa was being Vanessa. I just wanna make sure that we're, well, we're good right? Because I don't want things to be weird between us and – "
Jay shakes his head, smiling softly at her. "Hailey, we're good. I promise we're good."
"Okay," she says quietly as she stares down at him from the top step.
She doesn't say anything, but her eyes keep dropping between the floor and his face, and he can tell there's something else she wants to say. He tilts his head at her, reaching out a hand to her arm.
"What is it?" He asks, squeezing her forearm gently.
She stares down at his hand, ignoring the nerves that bubble up inside her, and then she lifts her eyes back to his and breathes out, "I don't think I told you last night, but you're sort of my best friend too, ya know? That's why I don't want things to be weird."
"I won't tell Vanessa you said that," he teases and it makes her roll her eyes at him.
"I'm serious," she says quietly, a tiny smile peeking out over her face despite everything.
Jay nods slowly, staring up at her with his green eyes and that little smile of his, that familiar soft look on his face that has her wishing things could be different, but knowing they can't be. So she stretches her smile a little wider across her face and nods her head before turning back around and moving up the stairwell.
The smile on his face slowly fades as she disappears up the stairs, turning into one of longing and he breathes out a quiet little sigh before he trails up after her.
The rest of the day is spent completing necessary, but monotonous paperwork and by the time the end of the day approaches, everyone is eager to leave the bullpen. They all say a quick goodbye, telling one another to enjoy their day off the following day, and then they go their separate ways.
Hailey and Jay fall into their usual routine of walking downstairs and out to the parking lot together, shoulders brushing against one another, but neither make the effort to put any space between them.
"You good to get home?" Jay asks as he walks her to her Jeep.
"Yeah, I'll be okay. I'll text you when I get in."
He nods, rocking back and forth on his heels with his hands stuffed into his pockets as he looks between her and her car.
"I just – " he sighs, slightly shaking his head. "It makes me nervous."
"What's that?"
"You guys being alone. I don't like it."
Hailey nods, then shrugs, forcing out a smile. "Well, I keep my gun in my nightstand and I have pretty good aim, so…"
"That's not funny," Jay says quietly, his eyes full of worry and he blows out a long breath.
"I know. Bad joke," Hailey mutters. "But the only thing I have left at this point is a morbid sense of humor otherwise I'll just break down and cry again."
"Promise you'll call me if you need anything?"
"I promise," Hailey tells him. She lifts a hand to his shoulder and squeezes once before dropping it back to her side and tilts her head to her Jeep. "I'll see ya."
She gives him one last smile before turning around and stepping away, and then he calls her name and she turns back to face him again.
"I have a crazy idea," Jay breathes out.
Hailey raises an eyebrow at him. "How crazy are we talking?"
"The kinda crazy where I crash at your place for a bit so I know you're safe," he says in one breath.
"What?"
"I told you it was crazy," he snickers.
"Yeah, a little bit," Hailey says. She lets out an awkward laugh of her own, shaking her head slightly as she looks up at him, eyes wide and brows scrunched together. "You know I don't have a fourth bedroom, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
"You'd be on the couch," she tells him.
"I know that too," he says.
"So what, you crash at my place and we drive into work together and you act as some pseudo-bodyguard?"
"You make me sound so chivalrous when you put it like that."
"Oh, you're something alright," Hailey smirks.
"So is that a yes?"
"You realize how insane this actually is? And if you stay at my place, Vanessa is going to have a field day with it?"
"Ya know," Jay says, taking a small step toward her and tilting his head at her as a teasing grin spreads over his face. "For someone who was so against kissing me last night you sure do seem to care a lot about what other people think of us. Especially when there's not even an us and we're not doing anything."
Hailey shrugs, quickly becoming aware of how close they are to one another and it has her heartbeat picking up just a little bit faster.
"I just don't want anyone getting the wrong idea. Especially since we work together, ya know? The rumor mill around here can be fast and assuming and not usually very nice."
"Yeah, I know that too," Jay says quietly. "You really care that much about what people think?"
"Don't you?"
He shakes his head. "Not really."
She stares at him curiously, trying to find something in his eyes, something that she's not even sure what exactly it is she's looking for, but he stares back at her completely unfazed. His eyes are soft and his smile sincere, assuring, and it brings a calm feeling over her, that safe feeling that has her nodding slowly and smiling back at him.
"We're really gonna do this?" She breathes out.
"It's your call, Hailey."
"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having you around," she nearly whispers.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she nods, then she's smirking at him. "You have pretty good aim too."
He rolls his eyes, then shakes his head. "I do believe I've beaten you at the range once or twice."
She just hums out a response and he laughs.
"I'll stop by my place and grab some things, and see you in about an hour?" Jay asks.
"That works," she tells him.
His smile widens as he gives a quick nod and Hailey turns around again to head to her car. He doesn't walk away until she's settled in the driver's seat and she closes the door.
When Hailey gets home she finds Vanessa in the kitchen, notebooks and textbooks spread out around her on the counter and a disgruntled look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Hailey asks.
Vanessa shrugs, bringing her hand up under her chin to hold her head in her palm as she leans on the counter. "Just the usual end of semester chaos. How was your day?"
"It was okay. Where's Avery?"
"Living room. Everything okay?" Vanessa asks her.
Hailey ignores her question, heading toward the living room, and calling over her shoulder, "I'll be right back!"
Vanessa stares after her as she leaves the kitchen, but shakes her head and goes back to her schoolwork.
Hailey finds Avery on the couch, a coloring book in her lap and crayons splayed out around her while some kid's show plays on the television.
"Hey baby," she calls out with a smile on her face.
Avery looks up, grinning back immediately. "Hi mama!"
Hailey leans over the back of the couch, hugging her little girl tightly and placing a kiss against the side of her head. "Did you have a good day?"
"Yeah! Me and auntie watched videos about the moon and all the planets!"
"You did?" Hailey asks, matching the little girl's excited tone. "You love space, huh? Still wanna be an astronaut?"
She nods her head quickly, a big grin still on her face. "I wanna go to the moon!"
"I bet that would be fun. You can do anything you wanna do baby," Hailey tells her, kissing her head again. "I have to talk to auntie about something. You okay in here by yourself for a bit longer?"
Avery nods, going back to her coloring book and the television, and Hailey leaves her be to head back to the kitchen.
"We need to talk," Hailey says as she makes her way to the island and sits on a stool beside Vanessa. She runs a hand through her hair as she looks over at her friend.
"Yeah, we do. Please distract me from bio-chem with your audacious love life."
"I don't have a love life, but there are some things I need to tell you," Hailey says, swallowing nervously.
"Oh my god," Vanessa gapes, turning her body to face Hailey. "Did something actually happen? Give me all the raunchy details!"
"You're incorrigible," Hailey says, shaking her head. "And before I tell you what I'm about to tell you I need you to promise you'll behave."
"What fun is that?" Vanessa smirks.
"I'm serious."
"I promise I will try to behave. Now spill."
"I've been keeping some things from you – not on purpose, but I haven't told you everything because I was trying to protect you," Hailey breathes out, a look of worry on her face as she stares at her friend.
"Okay," Vanessa drawls out, her head tilting to the side as she stares back at Hailey with wrinkled eyebrows.
Hailey takes a deep breath before she lays everything out, telling her friend about the text messages and the flowers, about what happened the night before at Molly's. She tells her about the panic attacks and the feeling she can't shake that she's being followed, and then she tells her that Jay will be staying with them for a few days at least.
"What? Why?"
"Just a few days, maybe longer. I don't know yet."
Vanessa stares at her, mouth hanging open and her head shaking, a look of bewilderment still splayed across her face.
"Can't you get a restraining order or arrest the guy?" She asks, eyebrows wrinkling again.
Hailey shakes her head. "We don't have proof that he's the one behind any of it. And my boss doesn't want to confront him in any way until we do have proof so, we're kind of on our own until then."
"Until what exactly?"
Hailey swallows hard, her breathing quickening and chest pounding. "Until he does something. Something that's substantial."
"Substantial? You mean like breaking your face again? Assaulting you? The guy is a psycho! So what? We just wait around for him to strike? What the hell Hailey!"
"I know," she nods, reaching out a hand toward her friend and placing it on the woman's arm. "I know it sucks and it's stupid, and as much as I hate to admit it, my boss is right. If we jump the gun without any evidence, Booth could get away and I can't let that happen. Not again, V."
Vanessa sighs loudly, shaking her head again quickly. "This is bullshit."
"I know," Hailey says again quietly.
"So what now then? Jay staying here doesn't exactly eliminate the risk while the two of you are working, ya know?"
Hailey nods. "I need you to stay at school as long as you can during the day while Ave is at daycare, at the library or in the lab or wherever, and we need to start using the alarm system. We'll figure out the weekends as we go."
"Okay," Vanessa sighs, nodding slowly. "What about Avery's birthday?"
"We'll still have the party and we'll still do what we normally do. We just need to be more observant when we're out. If you think someone is following you, you – "
"I know," Vanessa nods, "Do the three right turn thing and if they're still tailing me, drive to a police station and call you."
"Yeah," Hailey breathes out.
"What about Jay?"
"What about him?"
"Please," Vanessa rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she stares at her friend. "I'm not stupid, Hailey. This morning was weird, even for you two. I know something else happened that you're not telling me."
Hailey blows out a deep breath, shrugging her shoulders. "I did something stupid."
"What kind of something stupid?" Vanessa pushes.
"I kissed him last night," Hailey says, wincing.
Her friend's eyes bug out, mouth falling open again, and then she throws her hands in the air. "Well, it's about damn time!"
"No! No, it was stupid and it didn't mean anything. I was a wreck last night and nothing else happened," Hailey says quickly, then adds, "And nothing else is going to happen. Which is why you need to chill with the commentary. Especially while he's here."
Vanessa laughs, staring at her friend with raised eyebrows. "You're serious? You don't just kiss someone because you don't want to or because you're emotional and crying. That crap only happens in the movies. You really think I'm an idiot?"
"Vanessa – "
"Hailey, you like him. You can try and deny it all you want, but we both know you do, and the guy likes you too! Otherwise he wouldn't be here all the time and he wouldn't be telling Ave he loves her or going all protective caveman over you with the current situation."
"We work together, Vanessa," Hailey reminds her.
"That literally means nothing and you know it."
"I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you. He's here because he's a good friend and he cares, okay? We are just friends and we work together, and nothing is going to happen."
"Whatever you say Ms. Denial," Vanessa scoffs, turning back to the pile of books in front of her just as there's a knock at the door.
"Ugh," Hailey groans, rolling her eyes at her friend as she slides down from the stool and heads to the door.
She checks the peephole and when she sees her partner standing on the other side of the door with a small duffle over his shoulder, she pulls it open.
"Hey," Hailey breathes out, offering a tight lipped smile.
"You okay?" Jay asks immediately.
"Vanessa," she whispers.
"Ah, gotcha," he smiles almost awkwardly. "I'm guessing she didn't take the news very well."
"Which part? The psycho stalking me or you staying here? She had some choice words for both topics," Hailey sighs.
"I'm sorry," Jay says sincerely.
Hailey shrugs, waving him in, and she locks up the door when he walks inside. She leads him into the kitchen, finding Vanessa right where she left her, and shoots her friend a warning glare.
"Halstead," Vanessa greets with a clipped tone.
"Vanessa," he says quietly, nodding in her direction.
"So where exactly are you gonna be sleeping while you're here?" She asks him, arms crossed over her chest and a sly smile spreading over lips.
Jay quirks an eyebrow, glancing between her and Hailey. "Uh, the couch?"
"You sure? The couch can't be that comfortable. You know, I'm sure Hailey's bed is plenty big enough for the both of you."
"Vanessa!" Hailey glares, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"I'm just saying," her friend shrugs, dropping her arms and looking back down at the notebook in front of her.
Hailey turns to Jay, shaking her head. "Please ignore her."
He nods, a small smile on his face as he glances around the kitchen. "Where's Ave?"
"Living room," Hailey tells him.
"I'm gonna – " he says, pointing over his shoulder and Hailey nods.
He heads toward the living room, leaving her and Vanessa alone, and when he's gone Hailey whips around to her friend.
"Are you kidding me?"
"What?" Vanessa asks, shrugging her shoulders. "It was a legitimate question! It's not like he's gonna sleep in Ave's room or share my bed."
"No, he's gonna have your bed all to himself when I murder you!" Hailey whisper shouts across the island. "What's the matter with you?"
"What's the matter with me? You're the one in love with the guy and you can't even admit it!" Vanessa argues.
"You're unbelievable! I'm not in love with him!"
"Yeah, okay," Vanessa laughs, slamming her books closed and gathering her things from the island. "Live in denial and be alone if you want. I'm going upstairs. Goodnight."
Vanessa slides off the stool and grabs her stuff, then goes upstairs, leaving Hailey alone in the kitchen.
She groans, running a hand through her hair before walking into the living room and finding Jay and Avery sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. They're coloring together in one of her daughter's books and he's making her laugh about something she doesn't quite hear as she makes her way toward them.
"Hi mama," Avery calls to her with a happy grin on her face.
"Hi baby," Hailey smiles back, sitting on the couch behind them. "You having fun with Jay?"
She nods excitedly, reaching for a different crayon. "We're coloring and he's doing funny voices for the animals."
"Funny voices, huh?" Hailey smirks at her partner.
"I'm not re-enacting them for you," Jay shakes his head.
"You're no fun," she pouts playfully, pulling her legs up under her and leaning against the armrest.
Jay smiles, shaking his head at her again and turns his attention back to Avery. They sit and color together, Hailey watching them for a while, until she realizes she hasn't yet told her daughter about their new, temporary roommate.
"Hey Ave," she calls over to the little girl. "Can you come to mama for a minute please?"
"Okay," Avery nods, pulling herself up from the floor and walking to Hailey. She stands in front of her mother and Hailey reaches her arms out, lifting the little girl into her lap.
"Jay is gonna stay over again tonight. He's probably gonna stay here a few nights actually."
Avery tilts her head at Hailey, scrunching her nose. "Are we having another slumber party?"
Hailey smiles and shakes her head. "Not a slumber party exactly. He's gonna sleep down here on the couch again so we have to make sure to be quiet in the mornings, okay?"
Avery turns her head, glancing at Jay with a peculiar look on her face that has Hailey raising her eyebrows. She watches as her daughter looks between herself and Jay a few times, then sets her eyes back on Hailey.
"Okay mama," she nods. "Can I go color with Jay now?"
"Sure baby," Hailey smiles softly, setting the little girl down on her feet and watching her go back to her partner.
Avery flops back down beside Jay, seemingly closer than she was just a few minutes ago, and peeks up at him again with that same strange look on her face. She stares at him for a moment before turning back to her coloring book and reaching for a crayon.
Hailey catches Jay's eyes filled with concern as he looks over Avery's head at her.
"You okay?" He mouths to her.
Hailey nods, smiling at him reassuringly, and he nods once before turning back to Avery again.
That undeniable ache returns as Hailey watches them together. It rushes through her, making her heart flutter and she breathes out a deep, but quiet sigh.
She tries to remind herself that him being here is a good thing. A great thing, if it means an extra pair of eyes and more protection for her daughter, but there's a voice in the back of her head that tells her that him being there with them is something else. Something else that means something more, and it makes her heart flutter again.