hey, it's me again. all the great reviews have been so nice and so encouraging.

so yes, i decided that i would write a second chapter to this and not only that,

but i also decided i would make this a big fanfic. so keep those reviews coming.

i love hearing what you all think :) enjoy xx

I check the time. It's 3am. I sigh as softly as I can. But I'm clearly unsuccessful as Jay stirs awake.

I'm wrapped in his arms, my fingers drawing soft sensual circles on his chest. I want to stay like this forever. My heart aches at the reminder that I'll be away from him. For weeks.

"Hey," Jay murmurs into my hair, softly kissing the top of my head. "We'll be fine."

I marvel at how well he knows me, how well he read my emotions without my having to say a single word.

"The last thing I want to do is be away from you," I confess.

"I hate that thought too, Hails," he agrees. "But, it's only a few weeks."

"I'm just sorry it took me this long to figure things out between us, Jay," I sigh. "I wish -."

He cuts me off by gently placing a hand beneath my chin, and tilting my face up towards him so that I'm now staring into his eyes. "What matters is we're here now," he tells me.

I push myself onto my hands and lean forward to press my lips against his. He's immediately responding back, hands on my waist as I dig my fingers into his hair. Without even realising it, I'm straddling him, my knees on the bed. I can feel his body react to our proximity and our kisses that have now become heated.

My phone buzzing makes me groan. Stupid technology.

It was Jay's phone that had interrupted me from confessing at the hospital months ago. Now it's my phone interrupting our heated make-out session.

"It's Vanessa," I tell Jay as I check the caller ID that's flashing across my screen.

"You can answer it," Jay replies.

I shake my head, digging my fingers into his soft hair once more and claiming his lips with mine once again. "Not now, I'm kinda busy," I murmur into our kiss and I hear him chuckle lightly.

"Hailey?"

"Mhm?"

"I love you."

I feel my heart fluttering at his words. At his soft, sexy tone. Very much like the tone he'd used with me when I'd told him I wanted to tell him something at the hospital.

"Well, good, because I love you too, Jay Halstead," I reply with a smirk, using the exact same words he'd used with me earlier.

His answering smirk is all I need to know he remembers his words.

Still straddling him, I lean downwards, and press a kiss, soft and gentle, to the scar on his left shoulder. I'm grateful, so extraordinarily grateful, that he's breathing right now. That Angela's bullet didn't kill him. Because if it had –

"Stop looking at me like that," he whispers, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

I frown, visibly confused. "Like what?"

"Like I'm going to disappear."

Tears prickle the corner of my eyes. "Well, are you? Because last time -."

Jay stops me by kissing me again, albeit quickly. "I'm not going anywhere, Hailey. I promise."

I suddenly feel ashamed by my sudden fears. And I know it's because of what happened to Garrett, and what I allowed myself to feel for him, even when I knew the risk of losing him was much higher in our job. In spite of knowing that, I fell for him. And the same thing is happening to me now; I'm falling hard for Jay Halstead. My partner. My best friend. My anchor.

My everyday.

I don't realise that I have tears running down my cheeks until I feel the soft pads of Jay's thumbs wiping them away. He sits up, despite me sitting on him. When he pulls me closer to him that is all it takes for me to break down. I'm burying my face into his chest even as my arms tighten around his lower back.

One of my fingers unconsciously begins tracing the scar on his shoulder. His body is warm. I can hear the strong, steady beat of his heart. Reminding me he's here.

I'm so grateful he doesn't say anything. So grateful for this little bit of silence between us. Sometimes, all we really need is for the other person to be there for us. Just their physical presence sometimes is what matters. And right now, that's what Jay is doing for me.

I'm not sure how long we stay silent or remain in that exact position. But I do know that if I don't move now, I will miss my flight.

As if sensing my thoughts, Jay finally speaks. "What time is your flight?"

I'm sure I could never love him more in that moment. For not pushing me to talk about why I was crying. For changing the subject. Because he knows as well as I do, that when I'm ready, he will be the first and only person I will talk to, who I will open up to.

As he wipes my tears away again with his thumbs, I reply, "It's at 8am."

Jay glances at the clock on his bedside. "It's four am right now. You already packed?"

I nod. "Before coming here."

He grins at me, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. "Then, I think we have time."

I raise my eyebrow at him, both amused and confused. "For – OH MY GOD!"

I squeal as he's suddenly flipping us around, so that I'm lying on my back again, and his lips are on my neck. He latches onto my sweet spot, a place so close to the base of my ear, and when he flicks his tongue flicking over it, I arch my body into his, my nails digging into his back.

He's exquisite.

He's slowly kissing downwards, from my throat to my chest and then he continues slowly lower and lower. I'm biting my lip to keep from moaning, but my body is betraying me anyway by pressing into his harder than before.

"J-Jay." My voice is husky, from wanting him so badly.

He doesn't stop, not that I want him to. But I'm craving him more than I thought was possible. He continues his teasing, and I dig my nails into his back more, but immediately feel bad, and I relax my grip.

Unfortunately, once again, the damn phone interrupts us. I want to toss it out the window, but instead, I sigh disappointedly. I see Jay give me a mischievous smirk, knowing full well why I'm disappointed. I just swat his chest, pretending to glare at him. And he just laughs at me.

Sending him the middle finger, I get out of bed as he answers his phone.

But I stop myself when I hear his voice. "I'll be there in thirty."

I turn just as he hangs up. "What's wrong?"

"Apparently, a case," he replies.

I try not to look disappointed, more than I already am. "You should go," I nod. "I have to grab my bag from home and then I can head to the airport."

"Hailey," Jay starts, standing up and walking over to me. His eyes reflect nothing but concern and love for me.

"It's okay," I tell him, trying my best to smile. "I can manage."

Jay shakes his head. "It's not quite about that," he confesses.

Now I'm frowning. "Okay, what's going on, Jay?"

When he is silent for longer than a minute, I start getting worried. I wrap my arms around his body, pressing my chin to his chest as I look up at him. It's only then that I realise how tall he really is compared to me, but our height difference makes me blush somehow. I feel safer and more protected than ever in his arms.

"Jay, talk to me," I plead.

"Booth's out of jail. Or rather, he escaped. He's looking for you."