Based off of the promo for 8x03
Hailey and Jay are walking down the hall to head out for a stakeout when Trudy Platt walks up with a white box in her right hand, stopping them in their path.
"The Feds are sending packages," first glancing at Jay before staring at Hailey. Trudy hands Hailey the package before leaving the two detectives looking after her questionably.
The two detectives look at each other for a moment, "Give me a second," Hailey tells Jay while she goes to put the package on her desk before catching back up with her partner.
"So, what did the Feds want?" Jay asks Hailey while they are sitting in the van.
"Don't know. I didn't open it," Hailey tells him.
"Don't you want to know?"
"We have work to do," Hailey answers, trying to shut down the conversation.
Jay can tell that Hailey was trying to stop the conversation; in his mind, this could only mean one thing– the Feds offered her a job and she was going to take it. This was going to his last stakeout with Hailey, soon he would have a new partner- Hailey would move on and forget about him. Jay remains quiet for the rest of the stakeout, only speaking if Hailey asks him a question.
After sitting in the van for three hours, Voight calls them to come back to the district wanting them to get caught up with what the others have gathered in the three hours that they were gone.
The drive back is completely silent.
Hailey's mind is still on the unopen package. Hailey wonders if it's another offer– before leaving New York, she had gotten an offer that she turned down. To her, it was out of the blue, so she didn't think they were serious, but the look on their faces told her otherwise. If this were four years ago when she was still with robbery-homicide, she would jump at the offer. When she was there, it was just a job, her co-workers were just that, her co-workers. She had nothing that she'd be leaving behind. Even three years ago, when her partnership with Jay was on thin ice, she would consider it. She had no personal connection with her teammates, but now it's different. She's friends with all of her co-workers and then there's Jay. He's her partner, her best friend, her anchor, and her feelings for him may be crossing professional lines.
She looks over to Jay to see him staring straight ahead at the road, not looking sneaking glances over to her like he normally does.
Jay on the other hand is thinking about how soon he will walk into the bullpen to find someone new in Hailey's desk. How Hailey isn't Erin, but the overwhelming sense of déjà vu that is happening right now. She would tell him if she were leaving, right? She knows that he doesn't trust easily, would she break it? The questions run through his head a mile a minute. Jay can feel his heart pounding through his chest, worried about something completely out of his control. He just knows that he can't be the reason that she doesn't take this opportunity, no matter how bad he wants her to stay. If he asks, he knows she would stay and he doesn't want her to resent him.
The short drive to the district feels like forever, the silent ride is nerve-wracking for the both of them and doing nothing to help Jay with his anxieties.
Going back into the district, they are able to avoid Platt since she is distracted by some rookie patrolman.
Walking up the stairs to intelligence, and back into the bullpen, the white package from the Feds sits on Hailey's desk, mocking Jay.
Both go to their desks to listen to the new information that the others got. Jay does his best to pay attention or to at least not let the others catch on that he's distracted.
He does a good job and fools everyone, but one blonde detective.
As the day goes on, Hailey can tell Jay's distracted and makes a mental note to talk with him. She needs to talk with him about what's on his mind, she also needs to tell Jay about what happened in New York before he hears about it from someone else, especially since Trudy doesn't care about beating around the bush– she can't let her catch Jay off guard. She makes a plan to talk to Jay– tonight.
When Jay gets up to get another cup of coffee, Hailey follows him into the breakroom. "Hey," she calls wanting to get his attention without startling him, given his mood.
"Hey."
"Do you need to do our thing?"
"No. Do you?"
"No," Hailey answers. "Are you okay? You seem off."
"I'm fine."
"It's been a while since we hung out. Want to get some drinks tonight?"
"Sure. Molly's?"
"No. Let's go somewhere where we won't run into people, in case you want to talk about anything."
"The pub halfway between our places?" Jay offers.
"Sounds good."
Hailey gets to the pub early after opening the package in her car. The offer is something that most people can't refuse, both the work and the pay, but she has something in her life that most people don't have– she has Jay.
She waits for him at a small table in the back, her back to the entrance so she doesn't see him come in. "Hey," he greets, startling her out of her thoughts.
"Hey."
"So, what's with the change in location?"
"I need to talk to you about something."
"About the package?" Jay asks, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah."
Sitting down at their table, Jay asks, "What did the FBI offer you?"
"Joint level task force," Hailey answers, eyes bright.
Jay tries to smile as she tells him this but it turns out to be more of a grimace, Hailey can tell from his eyes his hesitance to react.
"Hailey, that's great."
"I'd be leading my own team."
"You'll do amazing," Jay tells her softly, waiting for her to tell him that's she's accepted the offer and is leaving for New York again.
There's an awkward silence for a moment before Jay decides that it's all he can take and needs to leave. "I'm sorry, but I need to go. Will needs me to do something for him," Jay tells her.
Jay goes to get up and just before he leaves, Hailey's voice stops him, "You know you could tell me you don't want me to take it," Hailey tells him, avoiding eye contact.
He pauses, "No. I can't– I can't be the one who stops you," he tells her before leaving too quickly for her to reply.
Hailey knows he's lying, but knows better than to call him out on it in public. She gives Jay a ten-minute head start so that he has some time to gather his thoughts.
Getting in her own car, all she can think about is how she messed up. This is Jay, the person who wears his heart on his sleeve, but at the same time is so guarded. The person who would drop anything for anyone, but also never opens up unless it is coaxed out of him. The person who has had so many people leave him, his abandonment issues that he does his best to hide but she can see through. She should have approached it better, she drives off in the direction of his apartment, knowing that she needs to clear the air with him.
Hailey arrives at his apartment complex ten minutes later. Not seeing his truck, Hailey gets out and enters the complex to wait for him outside of his unit. She has her key for emergencies but doesn't want to invade his space, so she sits down in front of his door, so he has to talk to her before he goes inside.
She waits for half an hour before she starts to worry. Wondering where he could be. He wouldn't go to anyone else on the team, Hailey knows that when he needs to talk about something, it's always her that he goes to, that is after she coaxes it out of him. He might go to Will, but he's still being careful since he works at a hospital and doesn't want to accidentally give anything to his brother. Still, it can't hurt to call the older Halstead, maybe he knows where she can find Jay.
Deciding to bite the bullet she pulls out her phone and calls the red-headed doctor.
"Hello? Hailey?" Will questions after picking up on the second ring.
"Will?" Hailey asks, voice shaking.
"Hailey, is Jay okay?" He questions, mind jumping to the worse.
"I messed up. And then Jay ran off and it's been close to an hour and I'm worried about him."
"What happened?" Will asks and Hailey explains everything to the older brother. "Are you trying to find him to make yourself feel better?" The protectiveness for his brother comes out.
"No. He's my best friend and I don't think he was thinking straight when he took off and I'm worried about him."
"Okay. I'll try to reach him, but if he doesn't want to talk to you, I'm not making him."
"Fine, just so I know he's okay," Hailey hangs up, knowing she's probably on Will's bad side at the moment.
The next thing she does is call Kevin, "Kev, are you still at the district?"
"Yeah, I was just about to leave. Why?" He answers when he picks up the phone.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"What do you need?"
"I need you to track Jay's phone."
"Why? What happened? Is he okay?"
"I just need you to track it. He ran off and I'm getting worried about him. I don't think he was thinking straight, I think I hurt him."
"Okay, give me a minute," Kevin tells her while logging back on to his computer. "His phone is off. I can't track him. The last thing I have is outside of a pub about an hour ago."
"That's where he left from. Can you track his truck?" Hailey asks even more worried.
"Yeah, give me a second," Kevin requests. "It looks like he just crossed the border into Wisconsin."
"Why would he go to Wisconsin?"
"I don't know. Maybe Will would know," Kevin suggests.
"Yeah, maybe."
"Let me know if you need anything else," Kevin offers.
"I will. Thanks, Kev," Hailey hangs up before calling the older brother back.
"It just goes to voicemail, Hailey," Will tells her as soon as he picks up.
"Kevin tracked his truck. Jay just crossed the border into Wisconsin. Do you have any idea where he would go?"
"Our grandfather left him a cabin in northern Wisconsin," Will answers. "He's probably going there."
"Will text me the address."
"He probably doesn't want to talk to anyone if he turned his phone off."
"Too bad, he can't run from his problems. I need to talk with him."
"It's a seven-hour drive."
"I don't care."
"What if he doesn't let you in? Then what?"
"I'll sleep in my car if I have to. I have to try."
"Fine."
Once she gets the address from Will, Hailey texts Kevin to let him know and also lets him know she will tell Voight in the morning but if he could the Adam and Kim know they won't be there tomorrow as even if they leave at dawn, they still wouldn't get to the district until one o'clock at the earliest.
The drive is long and unfamiliar, but Hailey doesn't care. All she cares about is getting to Jay.
Pulling up to the address, she sees the cabin and Jay's truck parked outside of it. Getting out of her own car, she goes past his truck and up the three steps to the cabin. Hailey knocks on the door. When no one answers, she knocks even louder, until Jay answers.
"Hailey? What-" He asks shocked as she pushes past him.
"What the Hell, Jay? Why did you run?"
"I didn't run?"
"We're seven hours from home."
"You didn't have to follow me? How did you know I was here?"
"I didn't have to follow you? I didn't know if you were okay. I have Kev track your truck. You had just crossed the state borders, I called Will to see where'd you'd go in Wisconsin."
"I just needed to think."
"So, you went for a seven-hour drive?"
"Why do you care?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're my partner."
"Not for much longer. It won't take long; you'll forget about us just fine."
"What are you talking about?"
"When you go to the Feds. You'll forget about us-"
Hailey cuts him off, "I'm not taking it."
"Hailey-"
"Jay. I'm not taking it. They offered before– before I left New York, but I said no. I know you don't want me to take it, but that's not why I'm not taking it. New York is great, but it's not home. When I joined intelligence, I got a family. We have something as a team that can't happen anywhere else. We have a good partnership, one that took a long time to build, one that works."
"Jay, I know you don't want me to take the offer, but I want you to say why you don't want me to take it."
"What?" He whispers.
"I think it's something we've both been dancing around for a while."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I wanted to tell you something when you were leaving the hospital after you got shot, but then your phone rang and it just seemed like bad timing. I love you, and not in a partner way, but I think I'm in love with you."
Before Hailey can say anything else, Jay leans forward to kiss her.
Pulling away, Jay apologizes, "I'm sorry I ran."
"I could have told you in a better way."
"Are you sure–"
"Chicago's home. You're home."
"I don't want you to regret anything."
"I won't. I just need you. You're my partner, my best friend, my anchor."
"I–" Jay starts, but hesitate, both love and fear in his eyes.
"You don't need to say anything. I just needed you to know," Hailey tells him, knowing his fear.
"I'm glad you're here," he tells her, pulling her in closer. Hailey sees what he's doing and stand on her toes to kiss him again. When they break away, he sees that it's close to two in the morning tells her, "It's late, we should go to bed."
"We need to call in tomorrow. Even if we leave at dawn, there's no way we're getting back to Chicago before early afternoon."
"Okay. But, we're good, right?"
"Very good," Hailey replies before reaching to pull him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head on his chest, listen to his heart. Jay pulls her as close as he can get her to him, breathing in her shampoo, the scent keeping him calm.
A/N: So I know that this isn't going to happen, but I was watching earlier seasons and he mentioned the cabin. I don't like how I wrote this, but I couldn't get the promo out of my head as an idea.
Sidenote, I might try to do a Thanksgiving fic for Thursday if you all are interested.
Other stories:
+ Man's Best Friend: Hiatus- editing to add to AO3. Chapters 1-15 edited. Hoping to be back on track and updating it again between THanksgiving (US) and Christmas.
+ Rock Bottom: Hiatus- needs more research and thinking about changing the approach. Also needs a hard edit, don't like how it's turning out.
+Silence is a Strange Sound; In-progress- working on chapter 5. Can't wait to share more. Updated on the first of the month.
+ A to Z: Completed- being edited for minor things; no major/noticeable changes.
+Whump prompt by floopdeedoodee (Spelling?): In-progress. On chapter 2 of 5; case-oriented.
+One-Shot Sunday: If you want to see something, request it.
+ Awareness One-Shots: Not really planning on anything right now, unless you all want one for Epilepsy (Seizures) Awareness
Notes:
1) On my Twitter I have screenshots of detailed information on the characters of PD. I need to add more still, but there is a good bit of information. I'm in the process of organizing my Med and Fire charts to add. Feel free to use that if you are looking for something to make your story canon. Twitter: otter_love_asl Also if you have any good Twitter suggestions in the fandom to follow, let me know. Or if you know other fanfic writer's twitter.
2) If you want to request something you can contact me on here and Tumblr: Otter-Love-ASL & on AO3 and Twitter: Otter_Love_ASL