[A/N: Some Hailey thoughts and time with Jay after 6X16. Figured we could all use some since it'll be a month before we see these two on our screens again. Thanks again for continuing to read and for all the positive vibes!]


Hailey was wrapping up at her desk and couldn't wait to get home for the day. It was another stressful and emotional case and her heart strings pulled for Voight… and poor Lexi. This job seemed to be getting harder by the day and she just wanted to get out of there. She's grabbing her coat off the hanger when Jay walks over.

"Where you off to?" he asks her.

She gives him her sarcastic smile, "Home…"

"Yea, I don't think so…" he looks at her, smirking and concerned.

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, let's grab a drink first… y'know, do our thing. Today was a long one and I know ya can use one."

She's surprised there's not a part of her that wants to tell him no, after all, it was just moments ago she was thinking about unwinding alone. She's learned a long time ago though that unwinding with him always makes her feel better, and out of anyone he's the hardest for her to refuse anything.

"Yea, ok. Meet ya at The Ivy?"

Once Jay agrees she walks out to her car and sits there for a few minutes mulling things over. It's been a couple of weeks since the case with Suggs and laying it all out to Jay how much she trusts him. The two of them haven't really hung out much since. Things between them have been… different recently. Since that day it's been harder for them to ignore the emotions bubbling beneath the surface with each other. She certainly has no desire to broach the subject, especially since she's still sorta seeing Adam; and she knows damn well that Jay is not going to confront it. With all that, it's just been easier to keep their relationship to just the professional side… but she's missed their hangouts terribly and is quite excited that they'll have tonight, despite the dire reasons behind it.

By the time Hailey gets to the bar, Jay is already waiting inside for her with her favorite beer. She takes a moment to watch him before he sees her and she smiles to herself. She's also aware that her heartbeat revs up a little the closer she gets to reaching him... shit, she's gotta get a handle on her feelings. She shakes it off and heads over to the bar table where he's sitting. Once he catches sight of her, his face lights up with a humorous grim.

"Geez Hailey, what'd you get lost? I thought you left before me?"

She smiles back. "Sorry, I was warming up my car…" …and thinking about you, she silently says to herself.

She takes a long sip of the beer he got her and nods her thanks at him. They sit amicably for a couple of minutes, just enjoying each other's company and sipping their beers.

"So…" they both say at the same time and laugh. Jay nods at her to go.

"Poor Voight, I can't imagine what he's going through. He's lost soo many people that he's cared about. I can't imagine going through that so many times. Maybe it's a good thing I keep my walls up…"

Her voice is laced with such sadness and hidden meaning; which doesn't go unnoticed by Jay, but he knows her well enough to know to step around it, at least for tonight, and especially because he relates.

"Yea, he's had a rough go of things since I've known him… guess it's part of the job after so many years. And now that he doesn't have Al to talk to anymore… I don't know. But, he'll get through it, he always does." He says to her reassuringly.

"Yea… it's days like today that make me really glad we have this…" Hailey says as she looks down, picking at her beer bottle, only to glance up and see Jay staring at her like he did a couple weeks ago. She stares back into his eyes and the moment is quick, but feels like a lifetime for them.

Jay breaks away first, taking a sip of his beer and saying, "Yea…"

"So, speaking of that… you good? I know today was rough for you too. I know you wanted to give those dancers a better outcome." He asks her.

She smiles internally again, still shocked how well he knows and can read her. He's right of course. She feels the cops let all those girls down, and even though she wasn't personally responsible, she wished she could have caught the guy AND returned their friend back to them. Unfortunately, only the former worked out… she slightly tears up as she thinks of Lexi lying there motionless, Voight trying obsessively to revive her. Jay notices her mood change instantly and quickly puts his hand atop of hers comfortingly.

"Yea… well, at least we caught the son of a bitch. But, Lexi and those poor girls… no one had their back. Police are supposed to serve and protect… and none of them did! Had they just done their job, this all could have been put to rest years ago… what's the point?" she says meekly.

"Hailey, the point is that you do your job, you do your best… Yea, it didn't work out in our favor today, but so many others have been saved because of you. And that dancer today for once knew that if any cop was finally looking out for her and meant it, it was you…"

Hailey looks at him in awe, he always knows the right things to say to get her back into perspective and start feeling better. There's never been anyone in her life before him that could do that, not even Garrett… It scares the crap out of her and warms her all at the same time. She squeezes his hand in thanks and releases a deep breath.

"…Enough about me. How are you handling everything today? It was great that you stopped Voight from getting completely out of hand today. That's all he needs, to be in bigger trouble on top of everything else."

"Yea, we've all been there, and we can all use someone to pull us back from the brink sometimes…"

They stare at each other again, as if staring through their souls and feeling each unspoken thing left unsaid.

"I am glad it wasn't me who needed to be calmed today though." He says.

She looks at him perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"I thought I was gonna murder that son of a bitch myself today… when he almost caught you with the tracker and started talking to you, it took every ounce of self-control I had to not run out of the truck and beat him to a pulp."

She smiles at him knowing that he means every word and touched that he's always so concerned about her.

"Y'know I can handle myself, Jay."

"Yea, I know. But still…"

"Yea. I get it." She says and they both grin at each other.

They sit there silently for a bit, letting the feelings settle and casually sipping their beers, when Hailey's phone starts to vibrate on the table. It quickly gets awkward between them again, much like that night a month or so ago, but they power through.

"Adam?" he asks, both feeling the déjà-vu.

"Yea…"

He takes another sip of his beer before he speaks, she can tell he's contemplating his next words.

"It's ok. We can wrap this up if ya want. Ours beers are about done anyway."

Hailey looks at Jay similar to how she looked at him the last time they were in this situation, pondering herself. Only this time she's more confident to know that Jay is just acting like he's okay with it all. And unlike last time, she finds herself wanting to run away from the feelings she has for him less and less… which is a different problem entirely, but one that she can solve at a later time. Mind made up, she texts Adam back quickly and returns her full attention to Jay.

"No, I'm good here… I haven't been seeing much of Adam recently anyway." She says, and notices the quick sigh of relief Jay makes as she says that, even though he swiftly covers it.

"Want to talk about it?" he asks her.

"No…" and they both chuckle

"…but, I'd love another beer!" she shakes her empty bottle at him.

"Coming right up!" he beams at her as he gets up from the table to get them another round.

Hailey watches Jay walk up to the bar, suppressing a grin & still having no idea how she should handle this whole situation, or the feelings she's been repressing for so long - but she is certain that for tonight at least, she made the right decision…