"Hails, I'm going to see how Will's doing. This afternoon, he was not very well…"
He left a kiss on her forehead and, before she could say anything, he was already gone.
She finished placing some of her clothes in the closet before the bell rang.
And in the blink of an eye, Jay's living room was filled with boxes, laughter, beers and puffs.
"Where should I put this?"
"Adam, you don't understand anything!"
"How do I open this box?"
"Give me a beer, Kev!"
"I'll put the pizzas in the kitchen, okay?"
And Hailey, still by the front door, could not help but observe the scene that was unfolding before her eyes with her mouth open.
Oh, Jay would definitely go crazy seeing all that confusion, she thought with a chuckle.
She approached them carefully observing everything they had brought.
"What is all this stuff?"
"Hailey!", Vanessa hugged her tight as if she had just noticed her presence.
"Gifts, of course! Voight and Platt say goodbye and send kisses!"
"Well, Voight pats you on the shoulder…"
Kim and Adam started bickering and continued for another five minutes.
"Hailey, where can we put them?"
"But…are they really all for me?", her gaze slipped on the parcels resting on the floor.
"Sure. The cradle, a chest of drawers, the changing table, then uhm…"
"I chose the stroller!", Vanessa interrupted Kevin enthusiastically.
"You are all crazy!", Hailey laughed embarrassed, "We can take them to the back room, can you help me?"
"Hey, you two, that's enough! Come on, let's move everything!"
Vanessa took over the group directing the works and, after a few minutes, the living room was finally free. The confusion had moved to the other room.
Hailey was leaning against the door jamb and looking at her stranger family of madmen. They were eating pizza sitting on the ground and their laughter was contagious. But then, her gaze fell on the boxes piled up in the corner and, for the first time, she felt the desire and curiosity to furnish that room.
The nest, as Vanessa had told her, she thought amused.
"Kev, can you help me? I want to try to assemble it…", she made her way with difficultly reaching the crib box.
"I thought you never would have said that!", Kim shouted for joy, jumping to reach her.
A few minutes and Kim had started giving orders to others. They has split up in pairs to be able to assemble more things.
Adam had just cursed for pinching a finger when Jay's figure appeared in the door. He had not yer spoken but his expression said it all. He stared at the floor of the room and Hailey thought he could have had a heart attack at any moment. In his immaculate home, it seemed like a bomb had just exploded.
"Don't go crazy, we can tidy everything up", Hailey laughed putting a hand on his arm.
"Halstead! There's pizza in the kitchen, go eat!", Vanessa jumped enthusiastically. She threw a screwdriver to Kevin but almost hit his nose in the heat of the moment.
Jay thanked her masking an amused grimace before walking away to the kitchen.
"Hey, how's Will?", she asked after reaching him.
"Migraine. You know, long shift, bad day… it was quite beaten…", he mumbled, biting a slice of pizza.
Hailey ran her hands through his short hair. Now that she could finally do it, she took advantage of it. It was one of her favorite things.
"Do you want to go to him tonight?"
"Nah, he went to sleep, just need some rest. And then I'm fine where I am", he added after a few seconds, sinking into his chair.
They basked in a peaceful silence interrupted only by the voices coming from the end of the corridor. She saw him narrow his eyes and rest his head against her hand.
These were the moments when she realized she saw the real Jay. Not that controlled, reserved and serious cop. But a relaxed and smiling Jay, the same who always made her laugh.
"Why does it seem to me a bomb exploded in my home?"
"They bought a lot of things, Jay! Like everything! They've been so kind!"
"Look how happy you are to create your nest!", Jay laughed shaking his head, "Mama bear…"
Hailey stared at him blushing, then he pulled her down letting her sit on his leg.
"Don't you mind having my things all around?", she looked around worried.
Just a few hours earlier they had talked about their feelings and now she was already everywhere in his home.
"Yeah, maybe…but I could get used to it, I don't know…"
The relaxed smile slipped on his lips made her smile.
"Mama bear", he repeated incredulously and shaking his head.
The feeling of warmth that was sprouting in her chest was now becoming familiar, but at the same time Hailey really thought she would never get used to it. His smile sincerely melted her heart every time and, for the first time in her life, she wondered if soulmates really existed.
She leaned over him and, closing her eyes, touched his lips with hers.
It was so simple and natural. It was exactly what it was supposed to be. If she had been less afraid, she could have recognized everything they had first. But maybe, being there at that time was exactly how it was supposed to go.
Their meeting, their first clashes, learning how to work together, to get to know each other, to trust, to trust him only. It had been a long journey, certainly difficult, but at the same time simple. Because at the end of each day, there was always only Jay.
If someone had asked her when she realized she was in love with him, the answer would have been immediate. When, still covered in his blood, she thought he was dying in surgery and remained there saying she would die too. A cliche? Definitely, but that was exactly how she felt. She could not imagine a world without his silent and reassuring presence.
If someone asked her when she thought she started falling in love with him, the answer would have been more difficult.
When he had saved her in the van during the shooting? Surely.
When she saw him put his live in danger for those ho needed it? Equally true.
But above all, and this is another thing she is sure of, she started to fall for him when she heard him confide in her. Talking to her about Afghanistan, his nightmares, being vulnerable with her.
She loved the solid, strong cop Jay. Her partner with the heart in his hand and with the first thought of protecting her. But she loved the human Jay more, the one with feelings and fears, with nightmares and desires. The one who showed himself to her without masks.
"Halstead, get your Irish ass over there and help us!"
Vanessa swooped into the kitchen before noticing they were kissing.
"Oh oh oh, look at you!", the big smile she made in Hailey's direction made her snort, "What my eyes sees!"
"Shut up!"
"I want a special dedication at your wedding", she hummed, taking a slice of pizza.
Hailey turned to Jay feeling his confused look. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. And he didn't raise the question, realizing it was only a conversation between them.
"I'm really happy, guys", Vanessa stared at them smiling from behind her pizza, "But really, Halstead, we're enslaving Ruzek for your child. Get up and come to work!"
She pulled him to his feet by dragging him from the others.
"Kim, I recovered another slave! Come on!"
Hailey followed them a few moments later and, looking from the door, she realized how they had already managed to assemble the cradle.
Seeing it there, a beautiful yellow and with three small bees like rattles hanging above, Hailey realized it was really real. That a little human being would really come to change her life. Would she have been able to grow it?
Her gaze slid over the people sitting on the floor. They all had messed lives, they were noisy and with so many secrets, but it's not known why they were all there. So even if she made mistakes growing it up, she was pretty sure they would help her.
She was pushing the cradle towards the wall, when a puff of irritation slipped between her lips. She loved having Bean, but it was getting really difficult to move. And little were worth the words of Natalie who continued to reassure her that her belly was small. For her it was still giant.
"Easy there, tiger."
Kevin joined her with a chuckle and, the next moment, the cradle was exactly where she wanted it to be.
Another month, she repeated to herself, another month and she would returned to possessing her body.
...
"Hey you, stranger…"
In the dark, she saw Jay jump to the sound of her voice.
"You awake? It's late…"
"Couldn't sleep, some thoughts, some kicks, things like that… How's it going?"
Jay went limp in the bed next to her.
It had been exactly two days since she had seen him. He had been undercover and she wasn't even going to the district anymore. She spent her days at home.
At first, she thought she would go crazy after the first two hours, but in reality she always had so many things to do that the days passed in a flash. She had practically finished preparing her nest, and when she was too tired to move, she would read a book or sleep. She slept a lot in the past few weeks.
There were two weeks to go before the deadline for delivery and she ended up spending the nights turning over in bed with the fear of not being able to. But then, next to her was Jay who always stayed awake with her and so, a small spark of hope made her think they would make it.
They spent hours in silence, only holding each other, in the dark. Jay ended up telling her about the cases that followed and she encamped theories and gave her opinions.
"You back to stay?"
He whimpered defeated, "Only time for a shower. I wanted to come and see you. I miss you."
"How tender we are tonight", she chuckled rubbing her hand behind his neck, "You okay? You sleeping?"
"I'll be fine when we're done. There should be little left."
"Fine, this house is too messy."
"Ah, I can bet on it!", he laughed in her neck.
Hailey closed her eyes and lost herself in a world made only of his smell.
"Don't fall asleep, you don't have time."
"Not sleeping…", he passed a hand on her belly sighing satisfied.
"Will and Platt are coming tomorrow to keep me company."
"I'm happy. Enslaving Will, do it for me, okay?"
She chuckled stroking his hair.
They remained silent for a few moments, the time marked by the clock in his bedside table.
"Hailey?"
He waited for her grumbling before continuing.
"Can I say it? I really want to say."
She didn't need to ask him what he was talking about, she knew. She knew it as always. Her heart ran a little faster. She already knew it, but this didn't change the sensation she felt in her chest.
"I love you, I'm really in love with you."
"I love you too", she replied in a choked voice.
She no longer ran from what she felt for him. But she felt so many things that sometimes she was simply overwhelmed.
"Now go take a shower or you won't get out of this bed anymore!"
"Okay, no shower then."
Hailey laughed loudly shaking her head, "You really need a shower. Crime never stops!"
He pulled his face away from her neck, staring into her eyes. Then he stretched up to kiss her.
She had lived a life without kissing him, but now two days seemed like an infinite amount of time.
...
The following morning, as punctual as a watch, Will arrived with a smile and an envelope with three muffins.
"I heard your Sargent is coming too, so hey, why not bringing breakfast for everyone?"
As if it were his home, he took off his shoes before lying on the sofa.
"I don't tell what hellish shift I had yesterday! With this first heat, people go crazy! A man had broken his leg jumping into the inflatable pool in his backyard, can you believe it?"
He kept babbling until Hailey moved his feet to sit next to him.
"But my favorite pregnant Detective! How are you?"
She closed her eyes wondering why he should be so full of energy and couldn't just be silent with her. She loved Will, he was like a brother, indeed…
She reflected that after meeting her mother, they had actually heard from each other a few times. She had heard her brothers, but none of them had come to town. So, in reality, Will was much more than a brother to her, he was a part of her crazy non-blood family.
"Hailey, you good?"
She blinked in confusion and took a few seconds to focus her attention on his puzzled face.
"Yeah, fine. Sorry."
She rubbed her belly hoping to feel better. It was from the previous evening Bean had her damned, but Will didn't really need to be a doctor even during his day off.
"Okay, enough. I need to do something", she stood up disappearing around the corner.
Trudy Platt would find them on the balcony, an hour later, with Hailey reading a book and Will studying a brick-sized book about emergency surgery.
"Well well well, Detective Goldilocks! What plans do we have for today? How can we enslave the second Halstead of my life?"
This earned a scornful glance from Will, who then returned to focus on the book he had on his legs.
The morning passed pleasantly, Hailey relaxed laughing at the squabbles of Platt and Will. She always ended up amazed about the similarity between Jay and Will. And the Sergeant had fun provoking him just like she always had fun provoking Jay.
Hailey was setting on the balcony wondering if, once back in the kitchen, she would find Will with a knife stuck in his heart. She felt his irritated puffs always accompanied by a snarling mutter from Platt.
And then, out of nowhere, a warm liquid began to fall between her legs. She grabbed the railing until she saw her knuckles turn white. It was too early, two weeks were missing, the waters could not have broken. It was early, she wasn't ready. She took a deep breath when, out of nowhere, she realized the pains she had felt from the night before were not Braxton-Hicks contractions.
"Will!", her voice came out high but much quieter than she expected, "Can you come here?"
She saw him appear with his hair ruffled and, if she didn't have this panic suffocating her, maybe she would have laughed.
"Will…I think my waters just broke", she looked at her feet with one hand still clinging to the railing.
She watched him entering in doctor mode and thanked heaven for having him there. She was paralyzed, her mind did nothing but repeat that it was early, that she couldn't be a mother, that she did not know how to be a mother.
She also saw Platt coming and realized that maybe Will had called her when she had seen him move his lips.
They were talking to her, touching her shoulders, staring at her, but she wasn't there.
It was early, she was not ready.
"Hailey!"
She blinked and was sure she was staring at him as if he were an alien.
"Hailey, listen to me. You have pain? Any contractions? Stay focused, stay here with me!"
"Since yesterday night…I was in pain…I did not think… Will!", she grabbed his arms, "It's too early! Two weeks! This baby is not going to be born now."
She stood up, now resolute. She had a plan. This baby wasn't being born. If she had concentrated on doing other things, she would have realized they were only false contractions, that her waters had not broken.
"Hails…"
She automatically turned her head to the sound of her name. She expected to see Jay appear from around the corner, but it was only Will.
"Hailey, it's not too early. Okay, now let's take care of it, okay?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Platt reach her phone. She knew what she was going to do, but she couldn't let her.
Before she could say anything, a deep pain, rooted inside her, made her gasp and bend over herself.
"No!", she breathed heavily after a few seconds, "You're not calling Halstead. Nobody will call Halstead. Nobody will call anyone from the unit."
"But…"
"No", she interrupted Platt again, "He's undercover. They're on a difficult case. I'm not going to mess everything up just for this!"
"Just for…this?", Will blew incredulously, "Hailey, you definitely have to review your priorities…"
"Promise me! I won't forgive you otherwise!"
They both stared at each other then looked back at her, muttered an unconvinced promise, but it was still a promise.
"So…", she rubbed her hands on her face trying to reason, "It's still early to go to Med. You're going to have lunch now, you're going to be normal, okay? I need to be alone."
Before they could say more, she disappeared into the living room.
She wanted to be alone, breathe and compartmentalize the situation.
She paced back and forth across the room, rubbing her back first, then her belly, then her back again in an endless circle.
Perhaps two hours had passed and the only relief she found was to keep walking.
The contractions had intensified, more painful and closer. She didn't know how but she felt it wasn't going to be so fast…
She saw Will's red head pop out of the door, looking at her fearfully as if she could take his head off at any moment.
"Hey, I need to know how it goes…"
"I maybe…I think I might want to go to Med…"
It seemed to her that a minute had passed and at the same time a whole year when she turned for the hundredth time in the hospital bed, staring out of the window. The sun had just set and her pain was getting worse.
She closed her eyes holding back a cry of pain. She wouldn't scream, she wouldn't cry. She kept repeating it.
A hand slid under her fist against the sheet.
"I know I'm not Halstead, but I'm here now. Let me help you…", Trudy looked at her sitting in the chair next to her bed.
She looked at her with the same kind expression of many years ago.
Hailey, for a moment, felt drawn to when she was ten and had just witnessed her father's beating. She never imagined that the same woman who had looked after her all night, would be the same woman who took care of her when her child was about to be born.
"I'm scared, Sarge…", she sobbed.
She let the panic, that had managed to keep under control for all those hours, overwhelm her.
"I know, I know…"
She sobbed against her shoulder clenching her fists against the sheet, "Can you call Jay now?"
She nodded smiling. The phone rang empty for a few times. Then she tried to call Voight but he also played in vain.
"Okay, Hailey. The two of us are here…"
"And your favorite Halstead! Which is also the most beautiful and clever one!"
Hailey let out a watery laugh at Will's words. He had sprung up like a fury leaving behind a stunned strip of nurses.
"I think I'm nervous and they don't understand it! But I'm going to be an uncle, it's a responsibility!"
She shook her head sideways looking out of her room.
She never imagined that the night her child was born, she would be accompanied by Will Halstead and Trudy Platt.
Hi guys!
Now that I'm done writing the whole story, I can't resist publishing it...so here is the penultimate chapter!
Hope you like it!
I'm sorry, I had to stop it on the most beautiful but it would have become too long! Can you forgive me?
However, you are all fantastic! I embrace you one by one for each review!
H.