Four weeks seem to go by in a blur, days of desk duty passing quickly and uneventfully for Hailey.
The nights follow in the same fashion of kissing her partner and cuddling against him and falling asleep easily after completing her routine of drinking tea and journaling before bed.
The routine becomes such second nature to her that her body moves as if in a trance to do what she needs to in order to manage the few nightmares that still come and go every few days.
It's another Friday. Another therapy session. But now the thought of walking into that little office and sitting on that grey couch and talking about her feelings brings her a sense of comfort instead of dread.
And now, after weeks and months of pain and memories and reliving the trauma she experienced, of putting in the work and taking things one day at a time, she finally feels like herself again.
She feels better.
She is better.
"We have one session left in our program after today. How are you feeling about everything?" Rachel asks her near the end of her session.
"I feel good, really good actually," Hailey tells her with honest eyes and a soft smile, her hands resting in her lap and no longer shaking the way they did when she'd first started seeing Dr. Block nearly three months ago. "I'm sleeping so much better than I was six months ago, before Booth even showed up again. I still have the occasional nightmare, but I'm handling them a lot better now. Reminding myself that it's not real anymore, that Booth can't hurt me anymore. I don't feel so on edge, so angry like I used to."
Rachel nods, smiling proudly, and then she reaches over to the table beside her. She pulls out a sheet of paper and leans forward to hand it to the blonde.
Hailey takes the sheet from her with a curious look in her eyes, and then glances down at the paper in her hands.
It's a medical release form with Dr. Block's signature at the bottom.
Hailey looks back up at the woman, the surprise evident on her face. "You think I'm ready?"
"Do you feel ready?" Rachel counters with a head tilt and raised eyebrows.
"Yes," Hailey answers without hesitation.
Rachel nods again, her smile widening. "Then you're ready."
Hailey nods slowly, glancing back down at the sheet of paper as if it's a lifeline now. As if it's physical proof of her progress and her recovery, and in a way, it is because the sheet of paper says she is mentally and physically fit to return to active duty.
She can be a cop again, one that can back up her team completely and not stay tied to a desk. A cop that can work alongside her partner and the man she loves.
The man she loves.
A smile spreads across her face at the thought of Jay and her heart begins to race just a tiny bit faster. She can already see the grin on his face when she tells him the news of her being able to return to the field and it makes her smile even wider at the image that forms in her head.
And then another thought enters her mind and the smile on her face fades just slightly, but it's enough to garner Rachel's attention.
"What are you thinking about?" The woman asks from her chair.
"Jay," Hailey says simply and softly.
"What about him?"
"I – I think I'm ready to take that next step with him, but I'm still a little nervous too," Hailey admits quietly.
"What about it makes you nervous?"
"I know that he would never hurt me, not like – like that, and I want to have that kind of relationship with him, the physical part, ya know? But what if – what if we start and I freak out? What if it sends me flying ten steps back?"
"It's just like what I've taught you in here. It's one step at a time, take things as they come. You can't force the recovery, Hailey. It happens with work and time, remember?"
Hailey nods, then takes a deep breath. She stares back at Rachel for a moment before she lets out a laugh and shakes her head. "I was ready to have sex with him on his couch a few months ago just from kissing him, and then…and then…"
"And then?"
"And then I went into protective custody and everything was moving so fast, and I was assaulted again. I feel ready, but what if I'm really not?
"That's not an easy question to answer, Hailey. Everyone is different, their traumas and experiences, and everyone moves at their own pace."
"But how do I not freak out when it gets to that point again?"
"The most important thing you can do for yourself and for your partner is be honest and communicate with one another. Set boundaries, and I don't mean just you, but the both of you. Talk about what you are comfortable with and what you're not. If it comes to the point where you feel ready to take the next step in your relationship with Jay, you'll know."
"How will I know?"
Rachel smiles softly at her, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. "You just will."
When Hailey pulls into her driveway a short while later, she's surprised when she doesn't see Jay's truck already parked up outside.
She makes her way inside the house, kicking off her shoes in the entryway, and then heads into the kitchen, finding Vanessa leaning back against the counter and staring at her phone with a smile on her face.
"Someone is happy," Hailey comments as she pulls open the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of Gatorade. She unscrews the cap and turns to face her friend with a knowing smile as she asks, "Kev?"
"Yeah," Vanessa says, putting her phone in her pocket and still smiling.
"Glad I'm not the only one who's got it bad as you like to say," Hailey teases before she takes a swig from the bottle and then sets it down on the counter. She hops up onto the island, crossing her legs at the ankles and nods over to Vanessa. "Jay isn't back yet?"
"Nope. Kev said they just wrapped things up a little bit ago. He'll probably be here soon. I know you miss him," Vanessa throws back at her.
"Shut up!" Hailey laughs, shaking her head. "You staying for dinner or am I right in assuming you're meeting up with Kev?"
Vanessa smiled sheepishly, nodding at the blonde. "You would be correct in your assumption."
"Mhmmm," Hailey hums with a raise of her eyebrows.
"Okay, now you can shut up," Vanessa laughs, pointing to the living room. "Ave is coloring and watching some penguin thing as usual. You good if I head out?"
Hailey nods, sliding down from the counter. "Yeah, I got her. Get out of here."
Vanessa throws her one last smile before she heads for the door and Hailey makes her way into the living room.
She spots Avery in her usual spot on the floor in front of the coffee table, eyes focused on a coloring book as the television plays in the background.
"Hey Ave," Hailey calls out, smiling as she looks over at the little girl.
"Hi mama!" Avery says, her face breaking out into a big grin as she looks up at her mother.
Hailey's grin stretches out wider across her face as she walks toward her and squats down beside the little girl.
"How was your day baby?"
"It was good. We did music again today and this time I got to use the triangle," Avery tells her.
"You did? You're using all sorts of instruments. Still wanna be an astronaut or are you thinking about being a musician instead?"
"Astronaut!" Avery says excitedly as she drops the crayon in her hand and reaches for her space teddy beside her. "Teddy and I wanna go to the moon."
"I figured as much," Hailey says, a smile still on her face as she hooks a thumb over a shoulder. "Do you wanna help me with dinner? We can surprise daddy."
"Daddy's not home yet?" She asks with a pouting lip.
"Not yet baby," Hailey tells her as she turns off the television. She reaches her arms out to the little girl and lifts her into her arms, then makes her way into the kitchen. "He should be here soon though."
"Okay," Avery sighs.
Hailey laughs, bouncing the little girl on her hip before setting her down on a stool at the island. "You are such a daddy's girl."
"I love daddy," she says, looking up at Hailey as she walks around the counter.
"I know you do babe. He'll be here soon," Hailey tells her again as she scouts the items in the fridge. "What are you hungry for?
"I don't know," Avery shrugs. "What would daddy like? We should make him something special, mama."
"We should, huh?" she says, spinning around to face the little girl with another smile.
Avery nods and Hailey grabs her phone from her back pocket, swiping on the screen for a few minutes to send a text message.
She's surprised when her phone chimes just a couple minutes later and she swipes over the screen again, smiling to herself as she reads over the message she just received. She sends another text and sets her phone on the counter before she starts ransacking her refrigerator and cabinets to make sure she has what she needs, pleased to find that she does.
"What are we makin' mama?" Avery asks from her stool.
"We are making Swedish meatballs with some egg noodles. Daddy apparently loves that dish and it's his favorite. His mama used to make it for him and his brother all the time when they were little like you," Hailey tells her as she makes her way over to the little girl. She leans down over the counter beside her, grinning at her. "You still wanna be my little sous-chef and help me make dinner for daddy?"
"Yeah!" Avery squeals, reaching for her mother.
Hailey lets out another laugh and lifts her into her arms once more before she carries her around the island to the sink. The two of them wash their hands before Hailey sets Avery down on the counter, eying her with a stern look.
"I'm gonna grab what we need. You sit here and – "
"No swinging my legs. I won't mama," Avery says with a little shake of her head.
"That's my girl," Hailey smiles again, kissing the side of the little girl's head as she gathers what they'll need to make dinner.
They get started, mixing ingredients where necessary and making the meatballs, rolling them out into the perfect size in their hands. Hailey handles the pan on the stove, letting Avery pass her one meatball at a time until they're all set in the pan, and then they wash their hands again and start on the next task.
"Mama?" Avery calls out a short while later as they finish making the gravy and Hailey pours it into the pan over the meatballs.
"Yeah baby?"
"When do you think daddy's gonna be home?"
"Soon baby. He just got done work a little late," Hailey tells her, knowing she would have gotten a phone call by now if something had gone wrong.
Avery seems to accept the answer her mother gives her and nods her head, and they go back to preparing dinner together.
They get the noodles in a pot of water and as it slowly boils, Hailey helps Avery wash up again and sends her off into the living room.
The sound of the front door opening and closing comes about fifteen minutes later and Hailey can't help smiling to herself as she stirs a wooden spoon in the pan on the stove.
"Hey you," she calls out over her shoulder a moment later when she hears Jay's footsteps in the kitchen. "It's about time. Ave keeps asking for you."
"Hey. I'm sorry I'm late," he says softly, then asks, "Where is she?"
"Coloring in the living room while dinner finishes on the stove," she says before she turns around. She chuckles at the sight of him with his back turned to her as he leans against the counter on the palms of his hands. "You gonna stand like that all night or actually turn around so I can look at you?"
"Yeah, but before I do, I need you to know that I'm okay."
"Those aren't very comforting words to add to a conversation," Hailey sighs.
"Please don't freak out. I promise I'm okay," he tells her again.
"Jay, turn around," she says with a stern tone and a fast-beating heart, her nerves getting the best of her as she waits for him to face her.
He breathes out a heavy sigh, but pushes himself off the counter and turns around slowly, wincing when she gasps loudly and her eyes go wide as soon as she looks at his face.
"I'm okay," Jay says again.
"No, you're not! What the hell happened?" Hailey asks as she steps forward and stands in front of him to get a better look at him.
Her eyes dart across his face, taking in his marred skin that is several shades of too many colors and the superficial, but quite noticeable cut above his left eyebrow.
"What happened?" Hailey asks again, staring up at him and reaching out a hand to the side of his face that isn't injured.
"Ruze and I were chasing a lead and the guy got the jump on me. I caught an elbow to the face, and me and the guy went a few rounds."
"You call this a few rounds? Where the hell was Adam when all of this was happening?"
"We split up. I went in through front, he took the back, got jammed up. It was a stupid call."
"Jay – "
"Daddy!" Avery calls out then, running in from the living room with a grin that quickly fades into a pout when she sees Jay's injured face. She comes to a halt, her eyes quickly filling with tears as she looks up at him and asks, "Why do you have mean marks?"
"I'm okay bug. Just got hurt at work today," Jay says softly as he squats down, the wince he tries to hide not going unnoticed by Hailey beside him.
He holds his arms out to the little girl, waving her over with a small smile and she takes the last few steps toward him to stand in front of him.
"Did that bad guy hurt you like he hurt mama?" Avery asks quietly with a trembling lip.
"No baby," Jay says quickly, shaking his head. "That bad guy is gone, remember? He's not gonna hurt mama or anyone ever again, I promise. Uncle Adam and I were chasing a different bad guy today and he was trying to hide from us. Me and him fought a little, but uncle Adam and I got him."
"Are you okay daddy?" Avery asks him as she reaches out a hand to his cheek.
"Yeah, it just hurts a little, but I'll be good as new in a few days, I promise," Jay tells her, forcing a wider smile despite the pain radiating through the left side of his face.
Avery stares at him with an unconvinced look in her eyes that reminds him too much of Hailey and if it were any other time, he'd probably laugh at the expression on the four-year old's face. Instead, he pulls the little girl against his chest and hugs her as tight as he can without hurting her.
Avery lifts her arms between them to hug him back, holding onto him tightly as she buries her face against his shoulder.
"I'm okay baby," Jay tells her, giving the little girl another squeeze when he hears the distinct sounds of her sniffling against him. He presses a kiss to the side of her head and squeezes her again.
"Something sure smells good in here," he says a moment later when he pulls away, forcing another smile for the little girl. "I know it's a little later than usual. What do you say we eat some dinner and then we can hang out for a bit before bedtime, huh?"
Avery nods slowly, her eyes still filled with tears as she stares back at him, and then quietly says, "Me and mama made you dinner. I was her soup chef this time."
"You were? Is that why it smells so good?" He asks, grinning now in hopes it'll coax a smile out of the little girl, and it does. He lifts her in his arms as he stands, wincing again as he gets to his feet, and moves toward the stools on the other side of the counter. "I'm sure whatever you and mama made is gonna be delicious."
He sets Avery down on a stool, bopping her on the nose with the tip of a finger and making her giggle softly.
"So, what did you two make anyway?" He asks the little girl, trying to keep her distracted and make sure she knows he's okay.
"Sweet meatballs and noodles," she says. "Mama said your mama made it for you when you were little like me and it's your favorite!"
"Sweet meatballs?" Jay asks, quickly glancing over at Hailey.
"Swedish," Hailey says softly, staring at him with a look of concern still in her eyes.
He nods once, then looks back at Avery. "It is my favorite. My mama made that all the time for me and Will when we were growing up. I hope you like it too."
"I like almost everything," Avery says simply, then frowns, shaking her head. "Except fish. Fish is yucky."
"Yeah, fish is a little yucky, huh?" Jay chuckles.
Avery nods and he drops another kiss to the side of her head before he moves toward Hailey.
"Nuh uh," the blonde says, pointing a finger at him with a raise of her eyebrows. "Sit down."
He sighs, shaking his head slowly. "Hailey – "
"Sit."
He sighs again, dropping his head slightly before he turns back around and takes a seat next to Avery.
"Mama used her serious voice," Avery says, looking up at Jay with big eyes. "Are you in trouble daddy?"
Hailey snorts from the other side of the island as she portions out three plates of food for them.
"I think so baby," Jay says with another heavy sigh.
"Remember to say you're sorry," Avery tells him with a quick nod and a little grin as Hailey comes around the island and sets a plate and silverware down in front of the both of them. She grabs some drinks for them, and then her plate before she sits down on the empty stool on the other side of Avery.
"Thank you," Jay says softly, looking over Avery's head at Hailey and quietly adding, "And I am sorry by the way."
"You're welcome, but you don't need to apologize. We'll talk later," she tells him, offering him a small smile and tossing him a wink.
He nods and the three of them dig in, chatting mindlessly about things between bites, and when they finish a short while later, Hailey hops down from the stool and starts bringing their dishes to the sink.
Jay helps Avery down from her seat and the little girl runs off into the living room. He makes his way toward Hailey and stands in front of the sink to help, but she shakes her head at him and nods to the living room.
"I got it. Go hang out with Ave," she tells him.
"You cooked us dinner. The least I can do is help clean up. It's just some bruises. I'll be fine."
Hailey shakes her head, chuckling at him. "I distinctly remember saying very similar words to you not that long ago mister and you still wouldn't let me do the dishes from a frozen pizza dinner."
"So what? Now you're spoiling me?" Jay asks, raising an eyebrow.
"And what of it?" She throws back at him.
He rolls his eyes, instantly regretting it when it aggravates his already throbbing head. He knows Hailey can be quite stubborn, it's one of the things he admires most about her – that feistiness and won't-back-down-from-anything attitude.
He's certain this is a battle he won't win so he just nods slowly and takes a step back, leaning against the counter as Hailey takes his place in front of the sink.
"Thank you again for dinner," he says quietly a moment later as Hailey starts loading the dishwasher. "It was amazing. Just like my mom used to make. How'd you know that was my favorite meal though?"
"A little birdie told me," Hailey says, glancing up and smirking at him and when he raises an eyebrow at her, she snickers. "I texted Will earlier and asked what your favorite meal was. He told me about your mom."
He stares back at her, eyes soft and almost glistening, and then he quietly says, "You're amazing. You know that?"
"It was actually Avery's idea. She wanted to make something special for you."
"You're still amazing for asking Will. You could have whipped up anything," he says as he takes a step closer to her.
Hailey shakes her head as she starts up the dishwasher then wipes her hands dry on a hand towel. "We love you and we just wanted to do something for you. Even something as simple and silly as making your favorite dinner."
"It's not simple or silly. It's sweet," he tells her as he steps closer to her. He holds out his hands to her and when she gives him a nod, he sets them on her waist. "I love you even more for it."
Hailey lifts her hands to rest over his arms and nods again slowly, smiling up at him for a moment before she leans up and kisses him quickly.
"Go hang out with your daughter, Halstead," she whispers against his lips as she pulls away from him.
"And what about you?"
"I'm gonna take a quick shower. I think our girl needs some daddy cuddles right now and I think you might need some Avery cuddles too," she says before she pecks his lips again and steps away from him.
She heads out of the kitchen and he stares after her with a smile on his face as she disappears around the corner.
He makes his way to the living room, his smile growing instantly at the sight of Avery coloring at the coffee table with her space teddy in her lap.
"Hey bug," he calls out to her as he walks toward her and takes a seat on the floor beside her.
"Hi daddy," She greets him with a big grin. "You wanna color with me?"
"I would love to color with you," he tells her, reaching out his arms toward her and jutting his chin at her. "You wanna sit with daddy?"
"Yeah," she says, nodding quickly and crawling over to him.
Jay pulls her into his lap, ignoring the aches and pains that shoot up through his ribs and wraps his arms around the little girl.
"Are you sure you're okay? Do you need to see a doctor?" Avery asks, titling her head to look up at him with furrowed little brows.
"I'm okay, feeling much better already just sitting here with you," he tells her as he squeezes her tightly and kisses the top of her head, then whispers, "I love you, bug."
"Love you too daddy," she says quietly as she leans back against his chest and rests her head over his arm.
He holds her for a few more minutes, then squeezes her once more before he loosens his hold on her and points to her coloring book.
"What are we coloring?" He asks her.
"It's a rocket-ship like the one teddy and I are gonna go on when we go to the moon one day," she tells him, reaching for a crayon.
"Can daddy come too?"
"Yeah! And mama and auntie and uncle Kevy too! I want everyone to come," Avery says excitedly.
He laughs quietly and nods his head at her before he presses another kiss to the side of her head, and then he reaches for a crayon to help her color in their rocket-ship.
Hailey makes her way downstairs a while later, allowing Jay and Avery to spend some time together, and when she enters the kitchen again, she spots her partner standing a few feet away from her in front of the wall near the hallway.
She tilts her head at him, then quickly realizes he's staring at the photos that hang on the wall and smiles as she approaches him.
She stands beside him and looks up at the frames he seems to be enamored with in front of them, her smile growing wider as she thinks back to how different things were between now and when he'd first laid eyes on the gallery wall.
How quickly things had changed, how some of the frames now included pictures of him, of them, of him with Avery, and the three of them together.
She glances over him and follows his line of sight to one picture from not that long ago, one that she took from when the three of them went to the aquarium together a couple months back. One of Avery sitting on Jay's shoulders with an unobstructed view into the penguin tank and while the little girl is staring at the tank, Jay is glancing up and staring at her with smile on his face.
"It's one of my favorite pictures of you two," Hailey says quietly, turning her eyes back to him.
He nods, smiling softly. "Mine too. That was a fun day. We should do it again soon before it gets too cold out."
"We will," she tells him, reaching for his hand and squeezing tightly. "Thought you'd still be in the living room with your little partner in crime."
He chuckles beside her and squeezes her hand tightly. "We colored together for a while, then I realized what time it was. Figured I would start your tea for you, but then I got distracted."
"I can see that," she grins, then asks, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he says, giving another squeeze of her hand before he drops it and makes his way to the stove.
Hailey follows after him, watching as he grabs the kettle and fills it with water, and then sets it on a burner and turns the dial on.
She stands a few steps away from him, leaning back against the counter and looks him up and down.
"I'm really okay," he says unconvincingly when he catches her eyes, wincing slightly when he turns to face her.
Hailey takes a step closer to him and reaches out her hands, pressing her palms flat against his chest as she stares up at him. She keeps one hand against his chest and lifts the other to the side of his face that isn't bruising an ugly shade of blue and purple.
She slides her hand up his cheek to his eyebrow and then his forehead, smoothing out his wrinkles of discomfort, and then leans up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips.
"I'll get Ave ready for bed and read to her tonight," she says when she pulls her lips away from his to look him in the eyes again. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nice, hot shower, hmmm?"
"I'm really fi- "
Hailey shakes her head, silencing him with another kiss as her fingers brush over his jawline with featherlight strokes against his stubble.
"Go upstairs, Halstead," she says against his lips as she pulls away a moment later. "You took care of me. Let me do the same for you now. Partners remember? At work and at home."
Jay breathes out a heavy sigh, but nods his head nonetheless, offering a small smile as he says, "Yes ma'am. But can you please tell her I'll come in and see her when I'm done?"
She grins back at him and nods, dropping her hands to her sides and staring after him as he heads out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
The kettle whistles its readiness a moment after he leaves and Hailey switches off the burner, then makes up a cup of tea for herself. She leaves the mug on the counter and makes her way into the living room, finding Avery already gathering up her things and returning them to their rightful place.
"Thanks for cleaning up baby," Hailey tells her as she walks over to her and stretches out a hand. "Let's get you up to bed, huh?"
"You're welcome mama," Avery says, grabbing her teddy bear and then Hailey's hand. "Where's daddy?"
"He's taking a shower right now, so I'm gonna tuck you in and read to you, but he'll come and say goodnight when he's done, okay?"
Avery nods and Hailey leads her out of the living room and into the kitchen. She grabs her cup of tea and the pair make their way upstairs to the little girl's bedroom.
Hailey sets her tea down and helps Avery change into some pajamas, and then they cuddle up together in the little girl's bed for a story.
The pout comes out on full display over Avery's face when Hailey finishes reading a short while later and she doesn't have it in her to refuse the little girl anything tonight, so she grabs another book and reads one more story.
When Hailey glances down at Avery after she finishes the second story of the night, she finds the little girl clutching her space teddy tightly and fighting off sleep. She gets up from the bed and returns the books to the shelf, then switches on the nightlight on the other side of the room and makes her way back to the little girl.
She leans down to place a kiss against her daughter's forehead, then whispers, "Mama loves you. Daddy will be in soon."
Avery nods against her pillows and Hailey turns off the lamp on the nightstand. She grabs her tea, then heads out of the bedroom, closing the door halfway behind her before she walks down the hallway toward her bedroom.
She sets her tea down just as Jay comes out of the bathroom in his boxers and a t-shirt, offering her a soft smile when he sees her on the other side of the room.
Hailey grins back at him, nodding to the door. "That kid is stubborn. Don't think she'll fall asleep until you go in there."
He snickers quietly, but nods before he heads out of the room.
Hailey grabs some clothes and goes into the bathroom and when she comes out a few minutes later, Jay still hasn't returned. She shakes her head, smiling to herself at the bond between him and Avery and crawls into bed.
She starts her usual routine, sipping at her lukewarm tea and getting her thoughts down on paper, and then she starts on her breathing exercises.
She blows out her last exhale as the timer on her phone chimes another ten minutes later, and when she opens her eyes, she realizes she's still alone in the bedroom.
She pulls herself out of the bed and heads out of the room, padding barefoot down the hallway to Avery's room. She smiles when she sees Jay leaning against the little girl's doorway with his arms across his chest and the softest look of love on his face.
She creeps up behind him and wraps an arm around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Everything okay?" Hailey asks quietly.
He turns his head to look at her and nods. "Yeah, just wanted to watch her for a bit. You okay?"
She nods, squeezing her arm around his waist, then whispers, "Will you come to bed?"
He nods again and stands up straight, closing the bedroom door quietly, and then they make their way down the hallway.
Hailey steps ahead of him as they enter her bedroom and he stares after her, taking in the oversized t-shirt she wears that falls just above her knees, the rest of her legs bare as she turns around to face him near the end of the bed.
"Is that my shirt?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow at her.
"Uh, yeah, it is actually," Hailey says, smiling sheepishly as her cheeks flush a pale shade of pink. "I kinda stole it from the laundry the other day. You can have it back though if – "
Jay shakes his head, smirking at her as he makes his way to the bed and sits down. "It looks much better on you."
Hailey just smiles and he stares up at her curiously when she moves to stand next to him on his side of the bed, but she juts her chin at him. "Take off your shirt."
"Why? You wanna steal this one too?"
She rolls her eyes, but smiles still as she nods to the middle of the bed. "Take off your shirt and scoot up, smartass."
He stares at her for a moment, but does as she says, pulling his shirt up and over his head and tossing it to the floor before he shuffles forward in the bed.
Hailey climbs in behind him, sitting up on her knees and resting her hands against his upper back. He flinches slightly at the contact, but soon begins to relax under her touch as she slides her hands up to the tops of his shoulders and squeezes.
She kneads his flesh between her hands, applying just enough pressure to work out the knots in his muscles, but not too much that it causes him any further discomfort.
Jay sighs heavily as Hailey continues massaging away at his sore muscles, her small hands moving over his neck and shoulders, and up and down his back.
He groans quietly, squirming in front of her when she comes across a particularly sore spot below his neck, so she slows her movements against him, working out the tightness between his shoulder blades with careful fingers.
She keeps squeezing and rubbing away at the tight spots she finds along his upper body until he finally seems to relax completely under her touch. She continues for a little while longer before she stills her hands and drops her arms around his neck. She rests her palms against his chest, her kneeling position behind him giving her the perfect advantage.
She leans her head against his over his shoulder, the beat of his heart pounding beneath her hands as she keeps them on his chest, and then he lifts an arm to rest a hand over top of one of hers.
"Thank you," he whispers, squeezing her hand tightly beneath his.
"You're welcome," she tells him before she drops her head down and presses her lips to the top of his shoulder and then presses another kiss to his neck.
"How are the ribs?" She asks quietly a moment later from her same position behind him.
She moves her fingers over the front of his chest in slow circles, her head over his shoulder and resting against his again.
"You noticed that, huh?"
"Yeah," she breathes out, nodding slowly against him. "How bad is it?"
"Not bruised, just sore."
"You sure you're okay? Should we bring you to med?"
"No, I'm fine, really. Just gonna be sore in the morning. Kid definitely knew how throw a punch," he tells her, squeezing her hand again and turning his head to meet her eyes. "Can't say I don't love Nurse Upton though. I should get beat up more often."
"Yeah, no, you shouldn't," Hailey laughs quietly.
She kisses the side of his neck again before she pulls her arms from him and crawls to her side of the bed. She lies down as Jay does the same and she turns to face him, reaching for his hand between them.
"Did you already do your routine?" He asks her as he weaves his fingers with hers.
"Mhmmm, all done," she tells him, scooting closer toward him and curling in beside him.
He tries to pull his hand from hers to lift his arm around her, but she holds tightly to his fingers and squeezes as she shakes her head.
"Nuh uh. Sore ribs mean you lie flat mister. This is just fine," she says, leaning her head in to press a kiss against his shoulder.
"You sure are bossy."
"You're just now noticing?"
"No," he chuckles, turning his head to drop a kiss to the top of hers.
"Oh, by the way, I'm your partner again. Sorry you gotta give up Ruze."
"What?"
"Rachel cleared me today," Hailey says, staring at him. "I'll be back in Kevlar and kicking down doors with you on Monday. No more stupid calls or any of that splitting up nonsense like today."
He quickly tugs his hand free from hers and turns on his side, sore ribs be damned as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into his chest. She squeals at the sudden maneuver, breathing out a quiet laugh against him as he buries his face over her shoulder.
"Thank god," he groans, holding her close for another moment before he pulls back to look at her. "That's the best news. I'm so damn proud of you."
She smiles a shy little grin and nods slowly as she looks at him. "I'm proud of me too, but I couldn't have done it without you. I love you so much."
"I love you," he says as he glances between her eyes and her lips.
"Stop thinking about it and just do it," she tells him with a tiny smirk.
He smiles a full soft grin at her despite the bruises on his face and leans in to capture her lips with his, kissing her slowly and purposefully.
"Just for the record," he whispers against her lips as he pulls way moments later. "You are my only partner. The best partner."
A grin stretches out over her face as she stares back at him, nodding slowly before she pulls him back to her to kiss him again.