A/N: And here's "part 2" aka: continuing into the morning that Hailey & Jay wake up. It's time for them to get some new clothes – as drug dealers don't exactly have "party ready" wear, you know? There's lots of cute moments in this one, so be prepared for all the feels, as people like to say lately, haha. Hope ya'll like this one & thanks so much for your patience in my time updating this story. Hopefully these *two* chapters make up for it!

"Uh huh," Jay said into the receiver. Voight was on the other end, and Jay was filling him in on their developments aka: this major party opportunity.

"So you and Hailey go in there, stake your claim, then he'll know you guys mean business. He'll be willing to use you, or, if he's the type to party, then maybe he'll slip up and give us something else we can use against him. Won't know until we get intel from you two. You and Hailey still got your ears?"

"Yeah, Sarge. All charged up and ready to go."

"Good, very good. Alright, well I'll leave you to it. Sergeant Anderson and I are combing through your guys' deal from the previous night. I'll check back in later."

"Sounds good."

"Bye Jay. Be careful."

"Of course. Bye Sarge."

He hung up the phone just as Hailey stepped out of the bathroom. She was dressed in those pale blue pajamas he saw the first night they were there, but her hair was darker. He just noticed that was because it was damp from the shower. Way to go, Jay.

He fiddled with his phone, trying to look like he wasn't just looking at her .5 seconds ago. "Am I good to grab the mirror in there for a minute?"

"What? Gotta put on your face, Jay?" Hailey joked.

"Eh, not exactly. But I figure 4 day scruff's not gonna cut it for this type of party. Did you look up the Mason Room? It's like, a bar-lounge hybrid. Not like, Hollywood type shit, but just about as close as you can get in Chicago."

"Oh great," Hailey said sarcastically. She smirked when she saw Jay smile. "Okay, okay, well have at it then!" She said, shooing him away so she could get changed into actual day clothes.

He laughed as she literally pushed him forward towards the bathroom. "Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going!" He caught the tail end of her eye roll and groan as she closed the door on him.

A few minutes later, Jay slowly pushed the door open a hair; calling out. "Hailey, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She said, her voice echoing into the room as she was coming back into it. She held two mugs of coffee, one he hoped was for him.

"Ah, thank you." He said, graciously taking a mug from her hand.

"Sure," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He decided to join her, and they sat for a minute before Hailey decided to break the silence.

"Okay, so I was thinking we could hit up Fashion Plaza Mall and,–"

She was cut off by Jay's curse. "Son of a bitch," he sighed, an annoyed tone taking over his voice.

She turned her head a millimeter to the right and saw that he had in fact, spilled coffee all down the front of his shirt. Yikes. She noticed the liquid starting to seep into the cotton blend of his pale green shirt.

"Here, gimme it. I'll toss it in the laundry before that sets," she said, nodding her head towards the coffee that he now wore.

"Okay," he said. He peeled off the soaked shirt and handed it to her. She thanked God that she had to leave the room to get to their washer/dryer unit, as she couldn't handle seeing Jay shirtless again. Well, she could, but she didn't wanna know what would happen if she was really left to her own devices with him. Damn feelings.

She quickly snatched the shirt away, but snuck a peek at him before she fully left the room. He had opened his top drawer and was rifling through his shirts, looking for another one. She pretended she didn't see the way the muscles in his arms tensed when he was moving about.

She turned away before she was caught, and did as she said she would. She dipped it in stain remover fluid first, before she tossed it in the washing machine. By the time she flipped it on and went back to the room to check on him, he was fully clothed again – this time in a navy blue tee.

"So, would you like another cup of coffee?" She dared to ask, biting her tongue to keep from grinning.

"Eh, I'm good. I'd really rather not ruin another shirt. Besides, I can grab something at Starbucks if I start to crash."

"Alright," she said, grabbing her jacket. "So, you ready to go then?"

"Yeah," he repled, grabbing his phone and wallet.

Here goes nothing, Hailey thought as they followed each other out to the truck. Hopefully they could just get in, get out, no questions and no awkwardness. Course, with her luck, there was no way. I'd need a miracle, she said, dialing her head back before she got into the car. She had looked up into the sky, as if that would have a sign. It didn't. Of course.

"Hi, welcome to Maxwell's. How can we help you today?" The young man stood in front of Jay, smiling away as he was surrounded by mannequins in suits.

"I need a suit for an event. Or, well, I guess it's a party," he instinctively looked for Hailey, who usually was beside him. Right, he remembered. She had said she would be back in a little bit once she found a dress. His eyes still followed a swoosh of blonde hair at the edge of the door, as it was barely 2 seconds ago they said they'd split up.

"Well, then why doesn't your girlfriend come over and help? A woman's touch can never hurt," the man said, obviously thinking Jay was in desperate need of fashion advice.

"Oh, no, I mean," He was stammering like an idiot now. This was going so well, he thought.

"Wife?" The man asked, assuming he'd just gotten the label wrong, as opposed to the status.

Jay's eyes were still locked onto Hailey, who was now right by the exit door. He just really wanted this guy to stop talking, so he'd so anything to make this as painless as possible, even if it meant dragging Hailey back here.

"Hailey!" He called to her, and she was startled, and he realized he hadn't used her real name in public yet. He watched her turn on her heels and come back to where he was standing.

"Hey, what's up?" She said casually.

"We're gonna need your help," the young man interjected.

"We?" Hailey asked, looking from him to Jay.

Jay just shrugged, giving her a look that hopefully said, I don't know just help please.

Hailey nodded, smirking at him. "Oh, okay. Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, I'll help him find some options, and you'll help him decide which one is best," the man said matter-of-factly, hilariously unaware that Jay and Hailey weren't actually a couple.

"Um, okay, sure." She said, plopping herself down in the nearest chair. What the hell was I supposed to say? No? She thought to herself, running a hand over her eyes in frustration.

"Awesome. Okay…" the man paused, and Jay filled in the blank with his name. "…Jay. Let's get you into some tuxes, then…." He looked to Hailey, who did the same thing. "…Hailey, you'll give us a yay or nay." The young man gave a thumbs up and down to make the differential.

"Okay," they answered simultaneously, catching one another's eyes again.

The guy quickly whisked Jay off towards the racks of suit jackets, pants, and ties. "We'll get you suited up just right for that party," he reassured Jay. Yeah, that wasn't the part Jay was nervous about. So much for this being a solo shopping trip.

It wasn't that he minded Hailey's company, in fact it was the opposite that had his nerves twisted up. He wanted it, almost as much as he wanted her. He didn't know if it was solely in the physical way, but the rapid beats of his heart every time she stood too close to him said that it was more than that. Because he was acting like an idiot today, and she was the reason why.

Focus Jay, he told himself. That wasn't a hard ask as seconds later, his hands were filled with ties, jackets, shirts, and pants, all in varying colors and styles.

"….And this one," the salesman handed him one more tie, before shuffling him off into a dressing room.

At least in here, I'm alone. Jay sighed, taking inventory. One gray three-piece suit, One navy two piece suit, One all-black tuxedo, and one classic.

The blue one caught his eye first, only because it was oddly the exact same color as his tee shirt. He slipped into it first, taking a breath before he stepped outside.

Hailey was scrolling through her phone when she heard the dressing room door open. Out came Jay, albeit begrudgingly, but there he was, in the first of what Hailey assumed were many suits. It was navy, which was kind of fun considering he picked out a navy shirt today after the coffee mishap.

She looked up at him, allowing her eyes to travel down the length of his frame, using the clothes as an excuse if need be. Her brows raised instinctually, and she nodded. "That looks good!" She could've sworn she saw his cheeks tinge pink, but maybe it was just the ungodly fluorescent lights that shone above them.

"What're the other choices?" She asked innocently. "Not that that one's not great," she backtracked, feeling dumb now. This is off to a great start.

"We have an all-black, a gray, and a classic black and white," the salesperson filled them in. Their heads turned to where the young man stood behind the counter, and he waved at them. They waved back, before turning back to one another.

"Okay, what about the all-black next?" Hailey suggested.

"Why, so I can look like James Bond?" Jay bantered.

"Yeah, you're a real 007, Jay," Hailey sassed back. "Humor me, would ya?"

"Okay, okay," he caved, putting his hands up and pulsing them up and down a couple times, like he was telling her okay calm down now.

She twisted her lips up as she watched him turn and go back into the dressing room. When he came back out a few minutes later, she was shocked. Not in a bad way, but in a way where he really did look like he was playing a part. Which she supposed was the point, but she still wanted to know how he was feeling in it. No sense focusing on UC work if you're stuck in a stiff suit.

"So?" Jay asked, and Hailey could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Any thoughts?"

"I mean, it looks great on you, but it almost feels a little…."

"Not me?" Jay finished her thought with the question.

"Exactly!" Hailey said, not surprised he could tell what she was thinking.

"Alright, so strike two," Jay said, taking stock. "Should I try the gray one? Or should we just pick the original penguin suit and get the hell out of here?" He was practically begging with that last bit.

"Fine fine, you've been tortured enough," Hailey surmised, cracking up at his puppy dog expression. "But, you're at least trying the damn thing on before we leave. Because I'm not coming back here again, Jay Halstead!" She held up her pointer finger, as if she was really warning him.

"Yes dear," he mocked, chuckling as she shoved him back into the dressing room.

With the final suit on, he stepped out and patiently awaited Hailey's reaction.

She was staring, and she felt her mouth drop open a bit, but she didn't have the energy to pull it together. Damn, he wore a suit well. Something about it was just…wow. She played off her very real reaction with a very platonic comment.

"You don't look half bad, Halstead."

Jay frowned, and Hailey realized something that made her both happy and sad at the same time. He actually cared what she thought. About how he looked. For this stupid goddamn party. And the worst part of it all? She liked that he cared. She liked seeing him like this – so normal it was silly. And she felt silly even thinking like this, but she couldn't help it. Jay was an enigma, and she wasn't sure she felt ready to figure him out yet.

She stood up from the chair and walked the couple steps towards him. "Hey," she said softly, and he peered down at her. Hailey thought she could just stand there forever, looking into his eyes. But this wasn't a fantasy, this was reality. And in the real world, ironically, none of this was real.

"It looks really," she paused, knowing something even better to say. "I mean, you look really handsome, Jay." She gave him a genuine smile, and hoped that he knew of her sincerity. From the smile she got in return, she thought he got the message.

She found her hands going to fix his tie, straightening it up a tiny bit. She awkwardly patted the lapels of his suit jacket, before quickly removing herself from him completely. Too much, Hailey.

"Thanks, Hailey." He whispered, and she realized she still hadn't put that much distance in between them. She could still smell mint on him.

"Yeah," she breathed, looking up at him. He was the one to break their moment, as he said he should probably get changed so they could get on with the rest of their shopping needs. She had nodded, going to sit back down. She ran her hands through her hair, not knowing whether or not to smack herself upside the head, or to let herself grin like an idiot. Either way, she was screwed.

"Hi!" The sales girl at Women's Warehouse was all too chirpy for Hailey's taste. "Welcome to WW! What can we get you?"

Hailey was overwhelmed by the amount of choices in this store. Dresses galore hung along the walls, in every color imaginable. And the styles? What the heck was the difference between embellished and sequined? She didn't know. Never had, as shopping was way low on her priority list growing up. She avoided it like the plague if she could – and she had managed to do pretty well with her old navy blue and black floral dress from the academy days. But, of course, she didn't bring it with her to their UC apartment, because well, she didn't think they'd be doing anything fancy, let alone something that would require her to wear such a nice dress.

"Um," She stuttered, hating this more and more as time passed.

"She needs a dress for this New Year's Eve shindig we're going to. I don't know anything about this stuff," Jay stepped in, gesturing to the rows of dresses. "But she looks great in anything. Blue's pretty on her, but I'd be in trouble if I didn't say she kills it in red."

He said it so normally Hailey almost fell over. Like, what now?

"Ah, see now why can't my boyfriend be as observant as yours?" The sales clerk chuckled, giving Jay a thumbs up. "You better keep him, girl!" She tossed Hailey a knowing glance, and she had to sit down, or else she really was going to collapse, right there in the middle of a fucking Women's Warehouse. This is what it's come to. Good lord, I am so in trouble.

The lady came back a few moments later with a selection of dresses that Hailey admitted, she'd never have found on her own. Course, she also didn't know if she could pull them off. But, hell, if Jay could survive shopping, so could she. She had the girl hand her the dresses, taking them into the dressing room. In her peripherals, she saw Jay claim the seat she was just in, which faced the room she was in now.

She laid out her options, sizing them up. There was a pastel blue dress, that had a matching lace overlay with spaghetti straps. Then there was the red bandage style dress. The sales girl had thrown in a sequined short-sleeve dress, Hailey noted, laughing as she looked at the tag. And last, but certainly not least was a basic black one, or, at least Hailey thought was one. Little did she know.

She slipped into the lace one first, thanking god it at least came down to her knees, and had a camisole style top to it. She smoothed down her hair, and pulled back the curtain. "Well?" She asked, announcing her presence to Jay, who had been idling his phone.

"That looks really nice, Hailey," he said sweetly.

"I sense a but," she interrupted. Not that she cared, but she was actually right.

"–But, it's not exactly New Year's Eve material."

"Oh good lord, now you're the fashion expert. Okay Mr. 007. Hold on then, she put a sparkly one in here. Just gimme a sec!" She yelled to him as she closed the curtain again.

She shimmied out of the blue one and into the glittery frock. She wiggled around, feeling like she was in an itchy sweater. Damn, my skin must not be a fan, she figured, as she scratched her arms and legs where the dress hem came to. Damn, she sighed. Well, nevermind.

"Okay, nevermind. We're skipping it!" She called out to him, not that she needed his permission. "I've got two more in here though."

"Alright," she heard him say back, as she zipped up the red bandage number.

"Oh boy," she said, as it was definitely form-fitting. Not that she didn't have a perfectly fine body, but Hailey was much more comfortable in a jeans and tee shirt, not a tight dress.

She slowly stepped out, her eyes still locked onto the floor. She was about to take Jay's silence as confirmation that she looked ridiculous, but she heard him cough.

"Wow."

She figured her face was about as red as the dress now, as she watched him run a hand over his mouth and then lean back, only to do the same thing to the back of his neck.

"Good wow or bad wow?" She hesitantly asked.

"No, I mean, good wow. Definitely a good thing," Jay replied, the eagerness of his tone made Hailey smile.

"And the last one?" He swallowed, the sound echoing in his ears.

"It's just a basic black dress." She said, as if she was telling him her coffee order or something. "Nothing special."

"Humor me," he mimicked her phrase from earlier.

"Ugh, fine." She groaned, going back into the dressing room. A few minutes later, she stepped out for the third and final time.

Now it was Jay's jaw that dropped, because that dress was anything but basic. While yes, it was plain in the sense it was an onyx shade, that was the only simple thing about the piece. The hemline definitely classified it as a mini dress, and when she turned to the side a little, Jay could see that it was tied off in the back, which left her back exposed. He wasn't ready for his mind to think about what that meant.

But, all those thoughts vanished from his mind when he saw Hailey look down, smoothing out the edges with her fingers, and she was actually smiling. "I actually really like this one," she said to no one in particular, but Jay's ears perked up just the same.

"It's not, like too much, is it?" She asked meekly, her head dropping back down to the floor to avoid his gaze. Too much? Hell no. Too hot? Hell yes. Course, Jay wouldn't be admitting that anytime soon.

His lips curved up into their own little smile, and he got up from his seat like she had done to him. He captured her eyes from the moment he got up, and he swore she was the most enchanting person he'd ever known.

"You look incredible Hailey. Seriously, amazing." He had the sudden urge to push her hair back from her face, and before he could stop himself, he acted on it. He could've sworn he heard her breath catch.

"Thanks, for all of this," She whispered. She didn't dare catch his glance again, for fear she'd just wanna stand there again until the end of time. God damn him.

Jay fought with his feet to move, but he was losing terribly. It was only when Hailey turned around that he felt the heat go with her. What a day, he thought as he sat back down. And they hadn't even made it to the fucking party yet.