Hailey went up the bottom steps with a strange feeling of heaviness pressing on her chest. She knew she would find Jay in the office and didn't have the courage to look him in the eye.

She was sure he already knew what had happened because, even if by a strange lucky case he hadn't heard them ask for backup on the radio, Adam or Kevin had certainly talked about it. And she could already imagine what he would say to her, or maybe what he wouldn't say and this would have been even worse.

She noticed him sitting at the desk and when his eyes stopped on her, Hailey realized that everything she expected to read there, really wasn't there.

The anger and disappointment she thought she found imprinted in every feature of his face was instead replaced by worry and fatigue.

Jay shrugged and shook his head in defeat. These movements were so imperceptible that no one else noticed them, but she knew him too well and was able to read his expressions better than anyone else.

She hugged Kevin briefly reassuring the others that both she and Vanessa were fine. The bloody cuts on her face were only an uncomfortable memory of the morning they had spent.

She sat down at her desk with a puff of relief, her jaw hurt every time she tried to speak but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt on her right side with every single breath.

"You should see how the guy is doing… Hailey gave him a knee to the…", Vanessa mimed the gesture causing an indignant and painful verse from Adam.

Hailey smiled shaking her head, "He's in the cell downstairs. Voight said to leave him there for a while…"

"I go get some good coffee. Who wants it?"

Jay said before putting on his coat, pointing out their requests.

"I'm going with you!", Hailey jumped up. Gesture she cursed immediately feeling the pain thinning from the ribs to the neck.

She needed to talk to him. She was afraid to hear him rant against her and what he would call reckless behavior, but she felt the need to tell him she was fine.

She followed him down the stairs and before he could get out of the district door, she pushed him into the locker room closest to them.

She closed the door and, taking a moment to breathe deeply, turned slowly towards him.

...

"So, what Natalie said?"

"Cinnamon smell also annoys me. Cinnamon, Jay! I love cinnamon!"

Hailey rolled down the window on Jay's car and waved her face. She saw him look at here sideways but he didn't open his mouth. It was snowing outside and she was on fire. She felt her cheeks hot and, if she hadn't known it was an effect of pregnancy, she would have believed he had a fever.

"Yeah, but is everything alright?", he called her back to the present waving a hand in front of her eyes.

She had woken up this morning with Vanessa who had made her some cinnamon milk, but already on the stairs her stomach refused to go any further. Then, inventing she had forgotten something in her room, she ran into the bathroom of her bedroom and as quietly as possibile she vomited and writhed with nausea for a few minutes.

Continuing to lie to the others was becoming increasingly difficult. The previous week she had to invent the flu to stay home a few days because the nausea haunted her at any hour.

The worst had happened with Adam. His damn passion for spicy food. Hailey felt bad just remembering that lunch in the bullpen.

She couldn't remember with what strength and self control she managed not to vomit in the middle of the bullpen. The only thing she remembered was that she was in the garage bathroom with Jay sitting next to her. She never asked him what he said to the others to cover her, but she was still incredibly grateful to him. And above all, from that moment, she avoided Adam as much as possible during meal times.

But now also cinnamon… She loved cinnamon.

She sighed in defeat by closing her eyes as they slipped through Chicago traffic.

"Hailey?"

She jumped on the seat hearing Jay's voice, but when she looked around she noticed that they were already parked in front od the district.

"You fell asleep…", he chuckled staring at her, "Can you tell me how the visit went or should I ask Natalie directly?"

She blushed violently, because now, wherever she sat, she could fall asleep.

"All right, the nausea should slowly begin to improve!"

"So, three months eh…"

"Yeah, tenth week", she slipped the hospital sheets into the drawer of the car, "Thanks for waiting for me anyway…"

Jay replied with a simple nod of the head, knowing full well she had wanted to be alone during the visit.

"I was thinking…", she started slowly looking at the trees bent by the wind, "We should tell Will…"

This caused a loud moan from the man sitting next to her, who shook his head repeating a categorical 'No'.

"He should know! And also, I won't be able to run away from him forever in Med! Why don't you want to tell him?"

"You know my brother, don't you? That's it", Jay was categorical and Hailey found herself laughing exasperated. If she was sure of one thing, it was that Will would have been really happy. Definitely confused and amazed, but happy.

"You should tell your family."

"Okay, I get your point", Hailey denied her head.

"I'm serious, you should really tell to your mom…"

"You don't know her. She would move to my place. No, no possibilities."

Her terrified expression caused Jay to laugh.

"But we should really tell another person, Hailey. You know. Voight", he added after a second of silence.

"Not yet. He would put me at the desk, but I still want to work. Not gonna happen. I'll have this child but I will not give up my career!"

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest. There's no way she would be influenced by pregnancy.

"He won't put you on the desk right away! But he must know, Hails, please…", Jay turned on the seat to face her.

He was practically begging her and Hailey found herself hesitating. But then, the thought of spending every day behind a desk without being able to have his back, being completely useless, made her sane.

"Not yet. Soon but not yet."

She squeezed his shoulder before getting out of the car and, staggering in the wind, quickly entered the district door.

...

"Okay, come on. Tell me what you think."

She leaned back against the door waiting for his outburst, but was struck by his strange calm.

"I'm not mad at you, if that's what you believe, Hailey."

His tone took her by surprise that she stood motionless to peer at him.

Leaning against the lockers, in his blue shirt, he looked beautiful and adorable at the same time. But, NO, the hormones were driving her crazy. This was what she wanted to convince herself because, really, she couldn't think of anything else.

"Okay, so what's it? I saw your gaze, I know you!"

She knew she sounded more aggressive than she actually wanted to be, but he was so strangely calm. His green eyes dug into her and she really didn't understand where he wanted to go.

"I'm furious, I should have been with you, like everyday. But I know you can take care of yourself."

She continued to peer at him. Something in his tone continued to disturb her. They stood in their position on opposite sides of the room.

"I'm worried for you, Hailey. And for it…", he pointed to her stomach, "But I can't make any great demands on this. We're partners, friends, nothing more. So I only do what I have to do, worrying about my partner."

There he is. She knew something was wrong. God, as she knew him well.

If the circumstances had been different, she would have complimented herself on her ability to read him.

"Jay, of course you matter in this, it's your baby too…"

"No, it's okay. We've already been through, it's okay. Just…you okay? Seriously? Do you want to go to Med?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing.."

"I see how you breath, Hails, I'm not blind."

She slowly approached him, leaving a reasonable distance between them.

"I promise you I'll go to Med if I get sick, I promise. But I'm fine now, really", she reached out and grabbed his arm.

His eyes were still fixed on her face. She knew his frown well, he was worried but he wanted to remain detached.

"But…I think I might want to talk to Voight. It won't go too bad, no?" Her words, slow and shuffling, immediately made a big smile appear on his face and finally he detached from the cabinet to meet her.

"it will be fine, Hails", he stared at her always smiling.

Maybe it would have gone really well, wouldn't it?

Then, out of nowhere, footsteps on the other side of the wall made her heart stop.

"Sorry, Detectives…", Sergeant Platt's head popped out of a row of lockers, "I didn't want to eavesdrop but…"

Hailey tightened her grip on Jay's arm and a part of her brain registered she would almost be able to break it if only she tightened a little stronger.

"Sarge."

Jay's voice was calm, almost crystal clear, but Hailey knew him well enough to recognize a note of uncertainty. She still didn't want to tell anyone and he knew it.

"I didn't know you two were…", Platt moved a hand between them, "together. You're good hiding it. I mean, of course I always thought you would end up together, but I hadn't noticed…"

"No! We're…friends!", Hailey yelled.

Her usual calm had gone to hell when Platt had known about her baby.

She knew sooner or later everyone would know, but it was still early. It was still her secret.

She vaguely recorder Jay's body tensing up after her words, but her attention was entirely focused o the confused and amazed face of the woman in front of them.

"Well, congratulations guys! You'll be great parents!"

And before Hailey could move, Platt had embraced her by kissing her on the cheeks. A strange and rare gesture of tenderness by the Sergeant of their district.

"Uh, Sarge…?"

"Don't worry, Detective Chuckles, I'm a locked box! And now, go! Or do you think you can stay there doing nothing all day long?"

Then the woman marched out the door giving orders to the first officers on her way.

...

The hours passed slowly, dragged on one of the longest and most boring afternoons Hailey had ever spent in Intelligence.

Although, after all, she didn't mind too much being able to rest at her desk. The ribs were better, but she assumed that if she had the chance to lie down and get some sleep, they would have been even better.

She felt her heart beat faster when she saw Kim and Adam preparing to call the day.

She could not postpone the conversation with Voight for a long time and, if she had been convinced she wanted to talk to him alone, she suddenly felt the incredible need to have Jay in that room with them too.

Voight wouldn't have killed her if she had a witness, wouldn't he?

While Jay sat right in front of her, his head immersed in the documents on his desk, she picked up her phone and quickly dialed a message.

A few moments and she saw him frown in front of his phone, then a slight satisfied smile hovered on his lips.

'Of course I'll go with you. Don't worry about Voight, he's a soft heart. It's more likely he's going to kill me :)'

God, as he knew her well.

...

"Sarge, can we talk to you for a moment?"

Hailey hopped to his door. The sudden adrenaline rushing through her veins made her forget all the tiredness.

A grunt form the man gave them the permission to enter. She pushed Jay inside before closing the door behind her.

"Well, Sarge. We would talk to you…"

"You already said that", another grunt.

Hailey stared at Jay, but his already pale skin now had a sickly white complexion. She rolled her eyes and with a nod of the head urged him to speak.

Jay stared at her, 'You', mimed before saying his lips.

Hailey narrowed her eyes in two slits before being interrupted by Voight and his impatient voice.

"We want to have a party in my office or anyone wants to talk?"

"Okay, yeah, Sarge. Well, we've to tell you one thing. I hope you'll be happy…"

"What did you two do this time?"

"We're having a baby."

From Voight's reaction, Hailey deduced he would expecting anything except this. Well, not many would expect it. Voight stared first at her then at Jay for what seemed like centuries.

"You're having a baby, together. I mean, like you're pregnant…"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant. Three months. He's the father, but we're friends. This doesn't affect our work, we would still partnering together… You and Platt are the only ones who know."

In the silence that fell in the room, Hailey could clearly sense Jay moving uncomfortably next to her. His anxiety was palpable.

Well, Voight wouldn't kill him. He was one of his best detectives, he couldn't really kill him…

Hailey felt strangely calm. For the first time since she found out she was pregnant, she didn't care what Voight thought. That was her baby and if Voight had put her immediately behind the desk or, worse, hadn't wanted her in Intelligence anymore, it wouldn't have been a catastrophe.

But she really liked working here, she really liked working with Jay. It wouldn't have been a catastrophe, but it certainly would have broken her heart a little.

And just as she began to feel a hint of anxiety blossom in her stomach, Voight stood up with open arms.

"Hailey, that's beautiful! Congratulations! Come here!", he pulled her to her feet to embrace her.

For the first time in years, Hailey felt embraced by a father. For the first time in years, she felt loved and at home.

"Thanks Sarge", she murmured with shining eyes. She wouldn't cry because Hailey Upton never cried, but the feeling of his arms holding her was something she wasn't used to, it was something gave her a strange warmth in the center of her chest: love.

"So, you…"

"So it seems, Sarge…", Jay smiled. Or at least made a face that should have looked like a smile.

"Good job, kiddo", Voight hugged him and slammed a hand on his back.

"And now, out of here, I've to work", his gruff tone was back, a good indicatore they definitely had to leave.

But before she left his office behind, his voice made her stop again.

"Hailey, whatever you need… This is your family. Do not forget."

...

"Bathroom."

It was the only word she managed to say before leaving him there, on his front door, with a surprised look.

She ran into his bathroom, closing the door and slumping against the toilet.

Only after a few minutes she realized his cold hand on her forehead and her hair pulled to the side.

"Your neighbor…was cooking something…curry…it smells all over the corridor… Make her move…", she muttered resting her head against the cold tiles.

"Of course, I'll use my badge to force her", he chuckled behind her.

"At least force her stop cooking spicy, please…"

He helped her get up and they left the bathroom with him continuing to chuckle.

"Hey Hailey, you okay?"

"Will!"

Her head turned in his direction so quickly she nearly broke her neck. Will was comfortably seated on the sofa with a beer in his hand and a confused expression in his eyes.

She sat down beside him sinking between the pillows with a groan. She immensely appreciated the peaceful silence that fell in the room.

She put the ice on her jaw and bit the bread Jay had brought her with a sigh of satisfaction.

At home, Vanessa had decided to show off her youth and when Kevin started dancing on her sofa, Hailey decided she had seen too much for the night.

She just wanted some silence and rest, some ice and a beer. No, no beer, she remembered bitterly.

"I didn't know you came too!", Will looked at her curiously.

"Oh no, Vanessa was doing…Vanessa, and I literally ran away from my place", she said casually before removing her shoes and curling up on the sofa.

Then she fixed her eyes on Jay, now sitting in the armchair.

A mischievous smile on her lips, to which he replied with a dry shake of his head. But she wanted to tell Will so much, so so much.

She really couldn't keep running away from him in Med and plus, he was his brother! He had to know!

"So, you want to tell me what's happening? You'll also be cops but you're not as subtle as you think…"

He peered at them patiently waiting for someone to speak.

Jay muttered defeated with a nod to Hailey.

"I'm pregnant, Will."

She no longer risked choking saying it. On the contrary, it had become easy to say. Ever since she agreed to be pregnant, it was easier for her to say those words. They slipped between her lips lightly, as if she had just told Will how her day had gone.

"You're pregnant."

Hailey chuckled because his lost expression was incredibly similar to what Jay had when she told him.

And as had happened to her twice that afternoon, she found herself being crushed against another human being who congratulate her. It was strange, but always welcome. Will was family, after all.

"I didn't know that… Oh, it's beautiful, Hailey! This is really good news! I didn't know you were hanging out someone!"

His enthusiasm subsided suddenly staring at Jay. Hailey looked at him noting how embarrassed he was. His ears were red and he was scratching his neck nervously.

"What else are you not telling me?"

"Will…", Hailey began with a big smile on her lips. If she had to do it, she might as well have fun.

"I'm glad you're happy, because you'll be a great uncle!"

His eyes darted from Hailey to Jay and back to Hailey. She clearly saw the moment when her words sank into his mind, because he opened her mouth wide and stared at them without words.

"Give him a few moments, he'll recover…"

Hailey followed Jay into the kitchen chuckling, "You two have the same expressions, you know?"

Jay shook his head, "When he recovers, we'll probably never hear the end of it, you know that? Probably, the first thing he'll say is that he hopes the baby has red hair…"

Hailey found herself laughing out loud at his disconsolate expression.

"If it's a joke, it's in bad taste!", they heard him before seeing Will's lanky figure appear in the kitchen.

"But how? I mean…", he stopped, looking grimly at his brother, "I didn't know you two were together…"

"Oh no, we're friends", Jay spat out the last word as if he had a pin straight in his throat.

Hailey noticed them exchange a strange look, then Jay shook his head and closed his eyes. It was a quick exchange, but it left Hailey with a strange feeling of malaise.

"Tell me everything, how far are you?"

"Three month, ten weeks!"

"Uhm, a dried plum, so…", then, seeing their confused faces, he continued, "Now it's as big as a dried plum. And anyway, I really hope it gets my red hair!"

They spent hours talking about what had happened, what Hailey thought, how she found it out and told Jay.

For the first time in a long time, she felt Will was family enough to be unbuttoned a little. After all, it was only Will.

And Will was the closest family member she had in a long time. She immediately had a strange immediate bond with him. Bond that only strengthened longer bonded with Jay.

"It's late, could I crash on your sofa?", she asked, but then seeing his reluctant expression, Hailey quickly added, "Or maybe not…"

"No, I think it's better not. See you tomorrow, Hails."

Jay stood up and handed her the jacket she had left on the armchair.

"Hi Will, was nice seeing you!", she hugged him and, after a quick greeting, came out with a bitter smile on her lips.

Hey guys. How are you?

Here I am with a new chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!

I'm sorry if my medical language is not correct and I try to do the best I can with pregnancy ... but I study Law so I don't know much about Medicine!
I hope to do well and that you can forgive me!

Any ideas, criticisms or thoughts are always welcome!

Stay safe, H.