She blinked against the blinding light. She was sore and tired, but the adrenaline still flowed through her body didn't allow her to rest for more than an hour in a row.

"Hey…"

She moved her head in the direction of the voice with a smile slipping on her lips.

"I'm so sorry, Hails. I…we closed the case two hours ago, none of us knew anything. I rushed here, but…"

He was rambling. He had dark circles and his hair, always so tidy, was now messed up, as if he had passed his fingers a billion times.

"Hey, come here", she stretched out an arm towards him, waiting for him to reach her. The last thing she wanted was for him to blame himself for how things had gone.

He sat down on the bed next her. Despite the fatigue engraved on his features, his green eyes shone.

"I'm so sorry, Hailey. So, so much."

"If it had been normal, it wouldn't been us. Can you kiss me now, please?"

She sighed in relief when his lips crashed into hers.

"Have you already seen Bean?"

He shook his head before tightening his arms around her.

"Just talked to Will and Platt. She hugged me and I can swear she might have cried."

"So you still don't know if it's William or Willelmina…"

"I don't want to know yet! And don't even make me imagine calling Bean like that!"

Hailey absorbed the feeling of his laughter booming against her chest. He was warm, vibrant and reassuring. She stretched her neck to look around and, when had noticed they were alone, let her thoughts flow freely.

"I was terrified, you know? At first I didn't want to disturb your case, but then last night I was so scared…I only wanted you here…", she sobbed with her forehead pressed against his chest.

She didn't think she'd ever cried as much in her life as she had since last night.

"I know, Hails, I know. But I'm here now…", she shook her head slowly before wrapping her arms around his body and dragging him a little more against her.

They remained so close and silent for what seemed like an eternity. The sun had just risen and Med was slowly awakening.

"Well, here is the daddy, too!", a nurse looked out the room door and Jay pulled back.

Hailey immediately felt the lack of his warmth, but the idea of seeing her little bundle made her shiver.

"Hey Detective, I want you to meet your little Ethan", she said, stroking his back before pushing him to get up. She couldn't reach the nurse, but Jay could.

"A boy?", his green eyes widened staring at her.

"Yeah, I always thought it was a girl", she snorted amused.

The next moment, Kate - she thought to remember the nurse was named like this - put an incredibly silent child in his arms.

"He's really…really small…", his voice was low and the gaze was fixed on the boy in his arms.

"Don't worry, he'll grow up fast!", Kate approached Hailey checking her parameters, then turned back to him, "I've heard you're Will's brother, the cop. It's nice to finally meet you!"

"Yeah yeah, Will, brother…"

Kate went off the room muttering amused something that could look like 'Ah, dad for the first time…"

"Jay. Come here, bring him to me!", she yawned before stretching as far as possible on the cushions.

"Now mommy is going to rest so we can get to know each other, right? Ethan, it's a beautiful name, your mom also agrees, it's perfect for you, you know?" He stretched a finger towards his face.

"He has your nose, Hails."

He kissed her before going back to his seat, all his attention on Ethan.

...

"Hey, look who's waking up…"

She opened her eyes to the slight murmur in the room. Will and Sergeant Platt were sitting by the bed. She turned her head to find Jay leaning against the window with Ethan in his arms.

She reached over to take some water, "Jay, let Will take the baby. Come on, we had talked about this before!"

She saw him sigh defeated before approaching his brother and passing the sleeping baby over to him.

"No red hair, bro. Sorry you're disappointed", Jay patted him on the shoulder and pointed out the tuft of blond hair that came out from the bundle of blankets.

"He's beautiful anyway. But I hope for the next one", Will muttered, smiling at the baby.

"Yeah, Will, calmly though. Nothing else of that size will come out of me anytime soon", Hailey laughed shaking her head. Jay's shy smile made her heart beat a little faster.

Would she ever have imagined such a thing? No, definitely not.

"Anyway, we asked you to come here before the rest of the unit because…", Hailey got up between the pillows holding on Jay's arm, "We wish you two were Ethan's godfather and godmother."

Will's reaction was immediate. If it weren't for the baby in his arms, he probably would have jumped. Instead, he just nodded staring at them, "It would be an honor, really."

Trudy Platt was the one who left them most dumbfounded.

She stood motionless with her gaze fixed on them.

"Really?"

"Yeah…", Jay nodded with one arm around Hailey's shoulders.

"Oh guys, I don't know what to say… It's an honor…", and before they could understand what was going on, Trudy Platt started to cry.

Hailey stared at Jay with wide eyes. It was definitely not something they were ready for.

"Uhm, Sarge…?", Jay tried to call her back but she threw herself against him hugging him so tightly that, for a moment, Hailey thought she would choke him.

They were interrupted by a huge bouquet of flowers that occupied most of the door, and the smiling faces of the rest of the unit peeked out from behind the roses and sunflowers.

"The guys from Firehouse 51 send them!", Adam staggered looking for a shelf where he could put them down.

"I want to see Bean! Show me!", Vanessa trotted past Hailey humming enthusiastically.

Hailey felt tossed between a thousand hugs and kisses, then watched as her silent little baby passed from arm to arm.

Vanessa started to cry and Kim, she noticed, could barely restrain herself. Adam held him as if he was afraid of breaking him, while Kevin was much more natural.

It was all a riot of screams and sighs, the same reaction she had had, then Jay and even Will and Platt.

But then Voight…Voight was touched. And this was enough for Hailey. She felt a kiss in her hair before Jay took Ethan into his arms.

"Nice job, guys."

It was strange to hear their Serge so emotional.

"Hey Ruzek, you owe me 20 bucks!", Vanessa exulted holding out a hand for her money.

He snorted before stretching them out, "I had bet he would have red hair!"

"Everyone wanted my red hair! I've told you!"

"Stop it, Will. No red hair, give up", Jay muttered, giving him a dirty look.

And before Will could add anything else, Hailey preceded him, "We've already talked about it! Not in the near future, give me a break!"

"Oh, yeah! Next one with red hair and your eyes, Jay!", Vanessa exclaimed enthusiastically.

"It doesn't work like that, I don't decide! But anyway…what are you talking about!", Hailey mumbled, then reached out to take the baby.

But Jay turned away ignoring her.

"Jay! Give me my son!", she hissed staring at him, "Jay!"

"Mommy is bossy, you know? But you can corrupt her with a cup of coffee, I learned the hard way…", he muttered, turning his back to the others.

"Jay! I'll kill you!"

"Don't believe her, she never would. She'll never be able to find a partner like me again, she was so lucky… Hey!"

He turned after being hit by a pack of handkerchiefs in his back. Hailey smiled at him stretching out her arms. An angelic expression that made everyone else laugh.

"I'll kill you", she grumbled again, taking Ethan from his arms.

"Yeah, yeah, you've already said it…", Jay said, leaving another kiss in her hair.

"You know, it's strange to see you all smiling. You are never so happy…", Kim studied him with a critical look.

"He looks almost drugged", Hailey said, looking sideways at him. He had flushed to the tips of his ears.

She sighed contentedly when Ethan snuggled into her arms.

If nine months earlier she thought she was happy with her life, it was only because she didn't know what it meant to love a little human being that had grown up inside her.

It would have been ridiculous saying he was perfect, because he was her son and, of course, he was perfect for her. But he was so small and chubby and…perfect. She couldn't define him differently.

She looked at him for the thousandth time in a few hours and perhaps she would never tired of looking him.

It still seemed impossible to her how a small human being could perfectly enclose their genetic stories.

If his nose was all hers, the lips were Jay's. And if she remembered an old photo of his mother well, Jay had taken them from her.

It was too early to understand his eyes' color, but she still hoped they're green. But hey, he was perfect, she didn't care so much about the color.

Jay's perfect little boy.

...

Three months later.

"Hey Detective Halstead, welcome back home."

She felt Jay sigh in relief leaving a series of kisses down her shoulder. He had just snuck into the shower she was already taking.

"Ethan's sleeping. Just checked."

"How was your day?", she turned to him letting her arms slide around his body.

"Ah, same stuff…", he shook his head throwing water drops everywhere, "A shooting, some arrests, Voight yelling at Adam who crushed his radio…"

He left another trail of kisses along the other shoulder and she shivered at the touch of his cold lips under the warm water.

"Oh yeah, there was a great news!", he added, kissing her neck, "My partner is finally back to work!"

"Uhm, really? How did it go?", she managed to say before biting her lips to suppress a moan.

"As if she never left", he chuckled, "She was all a 'I want a coffee' here, 'Jay be careful' there. I mean, you know her…"

"So it was a good day?"

"One of the best", he sighed against her skin.

They came out the shower after a good half hour. Hailey watched him rub his hair with a towel, his skin flushed with hot water, the freckles stood out on his fair skin.

She blushed when he caught her staring at him and before she could reason what she was going to say, "Marry me."

The confused look on his face made her blush even more.
"I mean, all that 'till death do us apart' thing, you remember?"

"Of course, but my answer is no."

"Oh…okay", she squeezed the cloth wrapped around her body, moving her gaze to her reflection. She felt him slip out of the bathroom and thought it was definitely the best thing, to be alone for a few minutes.

It was early, it was certainly too early. She didn't know why she said it, she wasn't really thinking about it. It had only slipped from her lips before she could stop.

It was fine he didn't want to marry her. She was the first to fail to imagine herself married. So why make it a big deal?

Before moving, she heard him go back to the bathroom and close the door behind him.

"My answer is no, Hailey, because I'm asking you."

She turned to him so quickly that for a moment the room turned on itself. And in his hands, a small blue velvet box.

"I'm always convinced you can read me like nobody else, but then there're moments like these where I think 'Damn, she just read my mind.'"

He took a step closer to her, "I won't get on my knees, if that's what you're hoping for."

She let out a weak laugh because, really, his eyes…

"I bought it before came home. Had seen it a week ago and I immediately understood it had to be yours. I wouldn't have asked you today. Hell, I hadn't even thought about how to ask you. But then, you come and we do everything your way, like my whole life for four years now", he smiled shyly.

"I won't give you my mother's ring. Too much history behind. And I want a ring to be only yours, no story behind it but ours."

He stopped to breathe, remaining silent for a few minutes.

"You're the love of my life. I can't think of spending it without you. So, Detective Upton, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Hailey stared at him silently. She had already thought about marrying him, but was not sincerely ready to hear his words. Then, noticing how he was wrinkling his eyebrows against her silence, she joined him by placing a hand on his chest. Her fingers were inches from the bullet scar on his shoulder.

"Good or bad. Right or wrong. You know I would always marry you."

And when she saw the recognition of the words he had said a year before flashing in his eyes, she reached out against him kissing him.

She realized she hadn't worn the ring yet when she felt his hand reach hers. And a few moments later, a simple white gold ring with a diamond shone on her finger.

"I know it's simple but…I saw it and I knew it was the one…"

"It's perfect, really", she kissed him deeply, "And now, go back in the shower. I want to make love with my future husband!"

...

...

A year later, she would walk down the aisle of the church grabbed to Voight's arm. Waiting for her, she would find her son and her fiancée, both with the green eyes she preferred most in the world.

Then she would fix his green eyes while, in front of their family, they swore they would always be there for each other.

She would have said how, in five years, she had learned about his bad moods, his gray moments, his paranoias and his fears.

She would have said that, thanks to him, she understood it was useless to run away, in life it's necessary to be found.

She would have said that, thanks to him, she understood she had to smooth her edges, lower the walls created to protect herself.

She would have promised that whatever awaited them in the future, she would always follow him. Blindly and unconditionally.

She would have promised she would always be his moral compass, in any situation and for the rest of her life.

And then his lips would be on hers and his arms around her.

The only place where she would have wanted to be forever.

Hi guys.

It's with love and regret that I end this story.

I loved writing it, I loved writing about Hailey and how she grew up during those months.

I thank you all, one by one, for accompanying me, Hailey, Jay and Bean (yeah, by now I'm fond of Bean) during this crazy journey into motherhood.

It was a beautiful journey, also thanks to you.

I love you all. Keep following me, if you want.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours, H.