This chapter includes quite a few quotes of the original episode "Ghosts". I tried to keep it to the minimum, however, and concentrate on the parts that are important for the development in this story.

Chapter 12

While Jay was – finally – taking therapy seriously, Hailey became a full member of Intelligence. She had found her place in the unit, was one of them, not the new kid anymore. She loved working with the team. From the first day she had loved working with Jay, of course, but she got along well with everybody else too, enjoyed working with every single one of them.

She no longer feared to be doubted, to be an outcast – she belonged.

And it helped that everyone could see how well she and Jay worked together, they had a positive influence on each other.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere in 21st was not all that good, because Denny Woods, the independent auditor, had decided to make life as difficult as possible for Intelligence. And Hailey sensed that there was a lot going on that she didn't know, beside the usual differences with Woods. She noticed that Voight and Al often discussed things without the others, were gone out without telling the others where they went, and their faces showed concern. They tried to hide it, but in a group full of cops that wasn't easy.

Hailey's mind was taken off this, however, when an old nemesis resurfaced.

Intelligence was surveying a drug deal, when suddenly things went wrong, and gunshots were fired.

While the unit secured the scene, Hailey followed a trace of blood, into an old factory building. As soon as she saw the gunshot victim, she had to swallow hard. She knew the man.

He clearly recognized her too, but before he could answer her questions, he coughed blood and died.

Hailey didn't notice that Jay was behind her, didn't turn around when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"He's gone," he said softly. "Kelly?" The guy had called her Kelly, so Jay asked. "How do you know this guy?"

"My undercover assignment," she answered, not ready to elaborate. Jay noticed and didn't push.

Still at the scene Hailey informed Voight and Jay about the victim and his connection to Hailey.

"Scott Jenson," she said. "He was part of a meth distribution ring run by a guy named Ron Booth."

"Okay," Voight nodded.

"I was under in Booth's crew three years ago, busted him for distro," Hailey explained.

"Do you think Booth is behind this?" Jay asked.

"It's possible. He just got out of prison two months ago. Early parole for good behavior. It's a joke." It was obvious that Hailey despised the guy.

Voight looked worried. "So you keep tabs on this guy?"

"Sort of. Let's just say I'm not a big fan."

Back in the office the team watched surveillance footage from the scene. The original drug dealers were ripped off by another crew, who stole their merchandise before the deal could be completed. Hailey didn't recognize the offenders, but she was still convinced that Booth was behind it. He liked these rip-offs. Easy money.

So Hailey, Jay and Kim checked out Booth's paint business.

They didn't see anything suspicious, though.

"We need to get eyes inside," Jay said.

"How about mine?" Hailey asked casually.

Jay looked at her, clearly worried. No, he definitely disliked the idea.

Still, Hailey suggested to Voight that she should go undercover, using her old undercover persona. When Voight was checking the file on the old case, he had some questions.

"What about this Garrett Thompson? Copper out of Rosemont you were partnered with."

Jay looked up, listening more closely now.

"What about him?" Hailey asked, obviously unwilling to get into detail.

"It says here you were under as his girlfriend."

"Correct. He got killed during that operation."

Jay read from the file. "There's a note in the GPR that says rumors were going around that Garrett flipped, and he moved to Mexico?"

"He was good police," Hailey disagreed. "Booth murdered him."

"What happened?"

"They never found his body, so we couldn't make a case. But it was Booth. He never liked Garrett, then one day Garrett was gone. Look, once Booth turns the liquid meth into chrystal, he's got a lot of product to move. If I get in, I pitch Jay as a potential buyer, and we bust his ass."

"All right, let's do it," Voight decided, nodded in Jay's direction. "But listen. I want you going under to bust a drug dealer, not get revenge for Garrett's murder."

"Understood."

"Good."

Yeah, right, Jay thought. Even if Voight pretends to believe it, I don't. I will be there. And I will need to find out more about this Garrett guy.

The team agreed on this approach, and before long, Hailey and Jay were setting up an undercover apartment.

The place was a terrible rat hole – only one run-down room, old furniture, the water coming from the faucet was oily and black. Jay shook his head in disbelief, pointed at the dark liquid.

"You see this?"

"Kelly's a former tweaker, it's all she can afford," Hailey explained, grinning at Jay's obvious disgust.

"Two words: Takeout."

Hailey even looked different, her wavy hair was straightened, she looked worn out, desperate, not like the energetic, radiant Hailey Jay knew. If that was Kelly, Hailey was good, very good.

Then he noticed the photo Hailey put up on the fridge. Hailey and a guy, very close, obviously happy and in love.

"Is that Garrett?"

"Yeah."

"You guys look like a real couple," Jay just had to mention it. He didn't like the stinging jealousy he felt, but it was hard to ignore.

"All for show," Hailey shrugged it off. "You know the drill." Why did she suddenly feel guilty?

Jay wasn't satisfied with this answer, but now was not the time.

When all was done in the apartment and they had discussed further details about the operation, there was one thing Jay still wanted, needed to know.

"Hailey?" he asked tentatively. "This undercover assignment, was that the one…"

She looked at him, suddenly a sadness in her eyes. "Yes, Jay," she answered quietly. "That's the one. The one we broke up for."

"And…" he just couldn't stop himself. "Was it worth it?"

Hailey sighed, clearly she didn't want to go in that direction.

"We got Booth, so…" Hailey stopped, thinking for a minute, then admitted, "I don't know, Jay."

Abruptly she stood up, stared out of the window, unable to face him, to look into those green eyes. Jay followed her, put his arms around her from behind. Thankful that he didn't say a word, didn't push further, Hailey leaned back against his body. It felt good. Because, even though she would never admit it to herself or anybody, she was scared. Booth was dangerous, but she had to do everything to put him behind bars for good. And it was good that Jay was in it with her this time.

In order to make contact with Booth, Hailey attended Scotty Jenson's funeral, waiting several feet away from the group that was assembled at the grave. Jay and Kim were watching from a surveillance van, checking the surroundings.

Booth noticed Hailey, and right after the funeral he approached her. Looked at her with an arrogant kind of curiosity. Jay disliked the man immediately.

Hailey and Booth talked, and Jay could see from a distance, how tense Hailey was, even though she tried her best not to show. Booth asked weird questions, as if he was testing her – constantly checking her stories. That was something Hailey had told him before. You needed to get your story straight with him.

Suddenly Jay listened closer.

"And look. I know it doesn't mean much now, but I feel bad about what happened at that New Year's party." Booth said.

"Things happen," Hailey plays it down. "We were all a little crazy back then."

Once again, she tried to make Booth admit he was still doing drug business, telling him that she had a friend looking for product, but he didn't take the bait.

For the moment she couldn't get anywhere.

Jay made a mental note to find out about that New Year's party.

Booth didn't call for a while, leaving Jay and Hailey waiting. The unit decided to scare off Booth's original buyer, so that he would need Jay to sell the drugs to. And it worked. The next day, when Hailey entered her apartment, she found herself face to face with Ron Booth. She gasped, trying hard to keep her composure. Her amazing landlord had given Booth the key – good to know, that the apartment was not only a rat-hole, it was also open to everybody. Just great.

Booth asked questions, Hailey answered, trying to stay in character, not to sound too eager. And in the end Booth actually asked her to perform a job for him. Even if it was just a parcel she had to pick up and deliver, it was a start. He sort of agreed on meeting Hailey's friend, the alleged buyer.

That meant one foot in the door.

Hailey picked up the parcel and delivered it to Booth's office. And was in. Booth would meet with Jay.

Meanwhile Jay found out more about that New Year's Eve Booth had been talking about. He had briefly asked Hailey, but she ignored his question.

As that immediately raised a red flag with him, he contacted her former case officer, Jeff Rafferty. The older man wasn't happy that Jay asked about the case, and he was very reluctant to give him any information. Jay could be very convincing, however, and in the end he got what he wanted, what he needed to protect Hailey – or so he hoped.

Now that Jay knew what had happened, he was even more worried, asked Hailey to meet with him in 21st. He needed to talk to her.

If he were honest, he would have preferred to stop the whole operation immediately, shoot Booth, then take Hailey and run. There were so many ways in which this operation could go wrong. And he hated to let Hailey put herself in so much danger again. Of course, he couldn't do much, Hailey would never allow him to cancel the undercover assignment, just because he was worried about her.

When she arrived, he showed her the photos – photos of her taken in hospital, that New Year's Eve. Hailey with a bruised face, beaten up. It broke Jays heart to just look at these pictures.

Hailey's head was spinning. She almost yelled at him, almost told him to get lost. All because she didn't want to admit the one moment of weakness, the moment that had almost cost her life, and that she wanted to forget. After that summer with him, only a few months after that glorious summer, she had been in this awful situation, beaten, almost raped and killed. Had she broken up with Jay for that?

No, she didn't want Jay to know, didn't want him to see the photos. She was afraid he would look at her differently now.

He didn't. That was the good part. He didn't look at her with disgust, only with compassion and … something like love.

Still, Hailey got defensive immediately, tried to push him away.

But Jay made her talk, at least a bit. All Jay wanted to do right there was take her in his arms, comfort her, protect her. But Hailey didn't have that. She insisted that they had to go through with the operation, to not tell Voight about this. Jay accepted it, but swore to himself to be even more watchful now.