She sees the shadow a second too late, turning with just enough time to catch a glimpse of the metal pipe being swung her way. Hailey feels the metal smash into the side of her head before she's falling against the cool concrete of the parking garage she had chased the man into. Her mind is reeling but her body is refusing to respond, unable to open her eyes or fight off further attack. The next thing she feels is rough hands gripping under her arms and she's airborne for just a moment before being thrown against another hard surface. It takes her a second to realize she's now in the back of a van she had noticed as she had chased the guy down. A car door slams close by and she strains her ears for any chance of Jay coming to save her but with the ringing increasing in her ears it's no use.

Hailey feels herself starting to lose consciousness and does her best to stay awake, but as she feels the van rumble to life she knows it's too late. Her only hope now is that Jay was close behind her and that he would somehow know to follow the van. Hailey chastises herself for not waiting for Jay but this was something she had wanted to handle alone. Jay's worried face flashes before her one more time before the darkness swallows her whole.

(Two days prior)

"Hailey...are you sure this is a good idea? You know I'll support whatever you decide, but this seems like a big risk."

Jay looked across the table at her, watching as she picked away the label on her beer bottle. They had spent the entire day at work walking on eggshells after Hailey had received a phone call from her father that morning. Jay didn't know what was said at the time and knew enough not to push her at work, but as soon as they had left for the day he decided to bring it up. She had given him a somber smile as they walked out of the precinct, making it to his truck in silence before Hailey asked to stop for a beer on the way home. Now she sat there, looking defeated and determined all at once and the sight honestly scared him.

"Jay, I get it's a risk. We haven't talked in years and I was sure I never would again. But he asked for my help and as awful as he made my childhood, it wasn't all bad. I just want to see what he needs."

She took a swig from her beer, meeting his concerned eyes with a sad look and he knew this wasn't an argument he would win. Not that he would fight her on this anyway, it was her choice. He just wanted to make sure she was okay and that no one would hurt her ever again. He nodded in agreement, swallowing the rest of his beer before tossing a few bills on the table and standing up to pull his coat on. She followed suit, glancing up at him as she zipped her jacket up. Jay took a step towards her, placing his hands on each side of her face before dipping down to place a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Let's go home."

His lips ghosted over her as he spoke and she couldn't help but smile when she looked up at him again. Home was Jay, it always had been. But now that they actually shared a home together, the word sounded even better every time she heard it. With a soft smile still resting on her face, she followed him out of the bar and into the cool night air.

(One day prior)

Hailey is quiet all morning, something that doesn't go unnoticed by anyone in her unit, especially Jay. He does his best to give her space but keeps a watchful eye on her all the same. He sees her checking her phone every now and then, looking more disgruntled each time. When midmorning arrives, Hailey finally stands up and heads into the break room with Jay trailing right behind her. She's in front of the coffee pot when he comes in, phone in hand before she tosses it onto the counter with a sigh.

"Hey.."

He says quietly so as not to startle her. She lets her head fall back with another sigh but doesn't turn to look at him. Jay closes the gap, resting his hands on her waist as his chin settles against the top of her head.

"He was supposed to call me this morning."

She finally speaks and he hates the way her voice breaks ever so slightly.

"Maybe he settled whatever issue he was having on his own?"

Jay wonders out loud and feels her give a humorless chuckle against him.

"That's not how he works. If he reached out, it's probably something big."

Hailey turns herself slightly, angling her head up just enough to peak at him with somber eyes. He bends down and places a quick kiss against the corner of her mouth before pulling back and moving to lean against the counter. One of their rules for this relationship was no personal contact at work, but every now and then they broke that rule. They fall into a silence as the coffee finishes brewing and then Hailey poors them each a cup before they return to their respective desks.

Another hour goes by before her phone finally rings and Hailey all but leaps from her desk as she bolts down the hall towards the locker room. Jay's eyes trail after her but he remains seated, deciding it best to let her talk alone. He catches a confused look from Kim but does his best to shrug her off, not wanting to let anyone in on Hailey's personal life. A few minutes go by, what feels like forever as Jay anxiously stares at the clock, before Hailey rushes back into the bullpen and grabs her coat. Jay jumps up, catching her arm before she's able to bolt back past him and gives her a silent questioning look. Hailey's eyes dart around the room before she leans in a little closer to speak.

"He wants to meet in person. I told him I could take my lunch now."

She whispers, giving a gentle tug with the arm Jay still has in his hand. Jay nods, using his free hand to reach for his coat before letting her go.

"I'll stay in the truck. But you're not going alone."

Her eyes narrow slightly at him as if she's going to argue before her face relaxes and she gives a curt nod. He follows her down the hall, nearly jogging to match her hurried pace, and out the back door leading to the parking lot. She rattles off the name of the diner as he pulls out of the precinct and then they fall into another silence. He glances her way a few times but can tell she's somewhere else entirely right now.

He pulls them into a spot in front of the diner and Hailey sends him what he assumes is meant to be a reassuring look before jumping out. He wants to follow her, wants to face the man who caused her so much pain, to let her father see him and to know that he'll never hurt her again...but instead he keeps his promise and remains in the truck. With his eyes glued to the building the entire time he waits for her to return, wondering what state she'll be in when she does. Jay is all too familiar with daddy issues himself, though his were far different from hers. After what feels like a lifetime, she finally emerges from the restaurant, head tucked down against the wind as she jogs over to the truck. Once inside he makes no move to start the truck, instead looking her over to see where she's at. She notices his intense gaze and sends him a quick smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"So..?"

He gently pushes when it doesn't look like she's going to say anything.

"He uh...he just had a couple questions."

Hailey's eyes dart out the window as she speaks and he gets the feeling she isn't being completely forthcoming.

"Like?"

Jay asks, not wanting to push too hard but knowing in his gut there's something more going on than just some simple questions.

"Ugh...I guess he was having some money problems. I'm not sure how he thought I could help."

She shrugs, sending him a quick glance before returning her gaze out the window. He knows she isn't being fully honest with him but he also knows she'll open up eventually. He hopes. Jay starts the truck and they make their way back to the precinct, running through a drive thru for a quick lunch on the way. Hailey is quiet the entire way and remains so once they're back at the precinct. He watches her closely for any clue as to what might really be going on, but Hailey's guarded so well he knows he won't be able to get anything from just a look.

The rest of the day drags on until Jay finally gets to take her home. They grab some Chinese on the way and then settle onto the couch to watch some sitcom reruns while drinking a few beers. She's quieter than normal and Jay lets her be for a while before he finally decides to push it.

"Wanna talk about it?"

His voice is low but it still seems to startle her out of her trance like state.

"Not much to talk about…"

She shrugs again but her eyes won't meet his. Jay reaches a hand across the couch, meeting hers and giving it a tug. She smiles as he guides her into his lap, her head tucked against his chest with her legs stretched out beside them.

"What did your dad really want Hailey?"

She's obviously hiding something from him and he needs to know what it is. She remains silent for a moment and he knows she's considering brushing him off again, but to his relief she lets out a sigh and nudges her head in closer against him.

"I guess he owes some guy some money. The guy is starting to threaten him and he wanted to know if there was anything I could do."

Jay nods above her, feeling a slight sense of relief wash over him as she finally opens up.

"And?"

Hailey's fingers begin to dance over the skin of his forearm, trailing a lazy path up and down his exposed skin.

"And I told him there wasn't much I could do. If he owed him the money he needs to pay up."

She shrugs again but he believes her this time. He presses a kiss on top of her head, feeling her relax into him even more.

"He told me I was useless and then I left. Same old dad, not sure why I expected anything different."

Jay draws his arms around her, pulling her even closer against his chest.

"I'm sorry."

She shifts in his arms, angling herself up to place a kiss against the lower line of his jaw.

"Don't be."

She moves again, this time maneuvering herself until she's straddling his lap, drawing him into a slow kiss. His hands slide up her thighs until he finds her waist and his fingers dip underneath the fabric of her shirt.

"Take me to bed Jay…"

Her breath ghosts against his lips and he doesn't need to be told twice. He grips under her thighs, lifting her effortlessly and carrying her up the stairs. Fully intending to make her forget all about her day.

(Day One)

Hailey begins to stir, curling herself against the warm body laying next to her and smiling when she feels a kiss against her forehead. Her arm snakes over his bare chest, smiling again when he chuckles beneath her grip.

"Go back to sleep."

Jay whispers, his voice still groggy with sleep. She groans slightly, pulling herself even closer to him.

"What if I don't want to?"

She quips, peaking one eye open to glance up at him. Her smirk is mischievous and he knows exactly what she's thinking, unfortunately there's no time for that.

"Then I'll go back to sleep and you can go into work instead."

Hailey laughs against him, her lips finding his chest and leaving a trail of lazy kiss until she reaches his neck.

"Hey, I'm not the dummy that signed up for four hours of overtime on a Saturday."

Jay lets his hands wander down her bare body for a moment before he reluctantly pulls himself away and sits up on the edge of the bed.

"I know, I know. But I just can't tell that woman no."

Hailey laughs again, recalling the way Platt had cornered him and all but demanded he work an overtime shift. She scooted up against her headboard, pulling the sheets up to cover her chest as she watched him grab some clothes out of the dresser and quickly pull them on.

"It's only four hours...you'll survive. And I'll be right here waiting when you get home."

She finishes with a wink and grins when Jay groans her way. He comes around to her side of the bed, leaning down and pinning her between his arms.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you…"

He kisses her quickly, moaning when she drags his bottom lip between her teeth as he pulls away.

"Nah, you're much more fun alive."

Her eyes trail down his body slowly and he's certain she'll actually be the death of him one of these days. Hailey chuckles as he slowly wanders out of the room, sliding herself back down into bed and settling against her pillows. She reaches for her phone and begins aimlessly scrolling until she feels sleep begin to tug her under once more.

Hailey is startled awake by her phone ringing loudly against her pillow. In her sleepy daze, she swipes to answer it before she looks at the name and is surprised by the voice on the other end.

"Dad?"

She asks, sitting up quickly and running a hand over her face to rub away the final bit of sleep dragging her down.

"Hailey, I need you to meet me again. Go over a few things."

Hailey lets out a huff of air, wishing she had never answered the phone. But now she couldn't help but agree to his demands. She begrudgingly tells him she can meet in an hour and hangs up the phone. Hailey sits on the edge of the bed for a moment, debating her next move. She knows she should tell Jay but she also wants to just get this over with alone. Hailey gets up and grabs some clothes from the dresser, pulling them on quickly before heading into the bathroom to pull her hair up and wash her face. She looks at herself in the mirror, swallowing hard as she pushes away the sinking feeling forming in her gut.

The drive to downtown takes longer than she seems to remember but she's sure that's just her nerves kicking in. She pulls into an alleyway, per directions of her father and waits. The feeling in her stomach only increases while she waits and she decides last minute to send a text to Jay, apologizing for not telling him sooner and including her current location. Hailey glances up, watching her father approach and gets out to meet him halfway, noting the almost nervous energy he's exhibiting.

"What's going on?"

She freezes, shifting herself into a defensive stance while her eyes scan the area around them.

"You got your badge?"

He barks, not meeting her eyes.

"You need to catch me up real quick here. What's going on?"

Her tone deepens, effectively relaying her threat. But before he can respond, another voice sounds from behind them.

"Well well well, you must be….Hailey was it?"

Hailey turns to face a middle aged man, much taller than her with a scar trailing across the left side of his face. Her eyes narrow as she takes him in, doing her best to appear unshaken while she feels panic creeping inside. Her father balks as the man gets closer, looking more nervous than she ever recalls seeing him. The look lasts for only a second before his face regains composure and he's right back to his usual appearance.

"Look, I said I'll pay you. I just need more time."

The other man lets out a cold laugh at her fathers words and before she can even process it he draws a gun and fires off a round towards them. Her dad drops instantly, cursing and gripping his shoulder where she can see a pool of blood beginning to form.

"Dad!"

She screams and for just a second she's back to her childhood, watching in horror as her father is robbed at gunpoint. Hailey blinks and then she's back in the present, feeling her police instincts kicking in as she takes off after the man. She follows him into a parking garage, taking two steps at a time as they wind up the tall building. Her hand snakes around her waistband and her stomach sinks when she realizes her gun is still in her Jeep. She falters for a moment, considering letting him go and tracking him down later, but something in her makes her keep running...even against her better judgement. She rounds another level and hears a clatter in the distance, pressing on in her pursuit through burning lungs and a racing heart. Hailey winds through the pillars, scanning around for any sight of the man, before another clatter to her left makes her turn.

(Jay POV)

Hey, sorry but something came up with my dad again. I'm meeting him downtown. I'll send my location. Love you.

The message flashes across his phone screen and he snatches up the device instantly, swiping it open to make sure he had read it correctly. He curses under his breath, standing and grabbing his coat before bolting down the hallway.

Wait for me.

He replies quickly but his heart begins to race when he realizes she won't. Jay plugs her location into his GPS and races towards her, praying he makes it in time. He glances at his phone every few seconds, waiting for her to reply but with each passing glance he knows he's already too late. Jay pulls up behind her jeep, his stomach clenching when he sees it's empty, and races into the alleyway beside the vehicles. As he rounds the corner of the building, he immediately pulls his gun at the sight of the man laying on the ground. Jay rushes to the man, rolling him over and feeling his chest clench when all too familiar blue eyes look back at him.

"Where is she?"

He yells, eyes frantically searching the surrounding area but finding no trace of her anywhere. The man only groans in response giving Jay nothing to go on. He stands, pulling his phone out as he makes his way into the parking garage.

"5021- George. I've got shots fired, one victim down at the parking garage on 201 W. Madison. Roll an ambo and some back up now!"

Jay yells into his phone before entering the dimly lit garage. He lets his trained ears listen for any sign of her location but he doesn't hear anything so he starts up the stairwell. He's on the fourth level when he hears it, a clatter followed by a dull thud. Jay bolts up the stairs at the sound of a vehicle starting but by the time he makes it to an exit there's no one to be found. He notes a small pool of blood on the ground a few feet from him and begins to run down the garage levels in a vain attempt to catch at least a glimpse of the vehicle.

"5021-George Unknown vehicle fleeing the scene, detective has been taken, possibly injured. Where is my back-up?"

Jay yells into his phone again. He can hear the sirens in the distance but he knows they're too late. He was too late. And now she's gone.