Chapter 14

Jay and Hailey spent most of their time together now, both relying on the other a lot, at work and personally. And both were aware that their relationship had changed after the kiss, but they were still reluctant to do something about it. It happened regularly that one spent the night on the other's couch, that both fell asleep together on the couch, but so far the kiss had no repeat.

One reason for their reluctance to address their changing relationship was that something was going on in 21st, something neither Jay nor Hailey could put a finger on, but it was there. They sometimes talked about it when they were alone, but due to the strange atmosphere hardly ever mentioned anything when they were in company.

One morning Antonio, Kevin and Kim were out working on a case. Ruzek had spent 30 minutes in Voight's office with the door closed, and when he opened the door, he left without any further explanation. He didn't look happy. Shortly after that Voight left too, without a word.

Hailey was downstairs with Trudy Platt, so Jay was alone in the office with Al, and he decided to take his chance.

"Al, what's going on?" Jay asked.

Al lifted his hands defensively. "Keep out of it, kid."

"Come on," Jay insisted. "Something is not right here. All the whispering, the secrets; you and Voight leaving the office without telling anyone where you are. Oh, and Ruzek running around with an unusually worried look on his face. So don't tell me it's nothing. Tell me, so that I can help."

"No, Jay. It's too dangerous," Al said quietly but insistently. "You must keep out of it, you must keep a spotless reputation. Take care of your girl, and of yourself. Do not get involved."

Jay gave him an irritated look. My reputation must be spotless? And - *my girl*? What about that?

"Jay, don't deny it, do me the favor. And stay out of this."

Jay didn't answer. He returned to his desk, bewildered. Had this conversation actually taken place? What was it about? He still had no idea what was going on, just felt more worried than before.

He needed to talk to Hailey.

When Hailey returned upstairs, she immediately saw that something was off. She sat down on Jay's desk, touched his shoulder.

Almost automatically she caressed him, didn't even notice it herself. "You okay?"

Jay looked up at her, barely suppressed a sigh. "I don't know," he admitted. "Let's talk tonight."

Hailey nodded, leaving her hand where it was for a while longer. Only when she noticed that Al was in the office and watched them, she blushed and quickly pulled her hand away, but to her surprise Al just smirked.

There was not a chance for a private conversation during the day, and Hailey didn't get the slightest hint from Jay what it was he wanted to talk about. It had to be something about the strange atmosphere in the office, about Voight, Al and Adam. What else could it be? She was getting more and more nervous with every passing hour, and she noticed Jay was just as anxious.

"So, what happened earlier?" Hailey let herself fall on the couch beside Jay.

Jay sighed audibly, which caused Hailey to laugh. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, babe."

Babe?

Jay took his glass, drank some whisky; he didn't know how to start.

"Al refused to tell me what's going on," he said slowly.

"So you asked?"

"I tried to."

"Good," Hailey said. "What did he say?"

Jay put his glass back on the table, looked into Hailey's face. "he said it's too dangerous, and we must keep out of it, whatever *it* is. We need to keep a spotless reputation."

"What did he mean?"

"I have no idea, Hailey."

"Strange. So we still don't know what's going on?" Hailey said. "Do we want to dig into it?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Jay admitted. "I want to, but… for once I'm not sure if I should."

"That doesn't sound like you, Jay." She smiled softly.

"What do you think, Hailey?"

"I will talk to Adam, perhaps he gives me something. That would be a start. I'm as worried as you are. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure, absolutely. Perhaps you are more successful than me," Jay agreed, then stared into space, silent.

"That's all?" Hailey asked, noticing that Jay hesitated to go on.

"All about the strange things going on in Intelligence."

Hailey raised her eyebrows. "And what else did he say?"

Jay sighed again which caused Hailey to roll her eyes. "Come on, Jay. You know you want to tell me."

Of course he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how. He stared at her, stared into those blue eyes, the face he knew so well. And finally he went for the direct approach. He kissed her.

Hailey was too surprised to react, and Jay pulled back after a few seconds.

Hailey looked at him with a smile he couldn't quite decipher. "Kissing me is easier than telling me what he said?"

"He told me to take care of 'my girl'."

Hailey's eyebrows rose again.

"Of you," Jay added.

"Oh, so you don't have a secret girlfriend out there, or a wife?" she teased him. "Good to know."

"Yeah," Jay didn't react to her teasing and was suddenly very nervous. "I guess Al sees what I've been trying to ignore for quite a while now."

Hailey just looked at him. She had a pretty good idea what Jay would say, but she wanted him to say it, so that she could be sure – she wanted to make sure she didn't push him.

"I guess he sees how much I care for you," Jay touched her face tenderly. "I'm falling in love with you all over again. And there's nothing I can do about it." And suddenly he couldn't stop talking. "Hailey, when you joined Intelligence, I was in a bad place, because of the break-up with Erin. It had been an intense relationship, you know that. I needed time to get over it, to work on stuff. I did love her, after all. And still I was so happy to have you in our team, to have you back in my life. But I figured it wouldn't be wise to drag you into my drama, and wanted you to have a fresh, good start in the team, become one of the team, friends with all of us. And… and I know Voight doesn't approve of in-house relationships. So I tried to ignore my feelings. But in the last months, with everything that has happened, with you always having my back – always – I can't do that anymore. Hailey, I want to be more than your friend and your partner. I don't care what the guys say, what Voight says. We can work as partners and be in a relationship, I know that. And even if I have to leave Intelligence and find a new unit – so be it."

Hailey looked at him, processed everything he said. And Jay gave her the time, watched her silently, watched how her face displayed her conflicting emotions. He still caressed her cheek, but that was all he did.

Jay had been sure that Hailey felt the same, but her silence made him question his judgment for a moment. Perhaps he should have kept quiet? Perhaps she wanted to be just friends? Or friends with benefits? Hell, he would go for that, it would be better than nothing. But of course, it was not what he wanted.

He was willing to give up his dream job for her? Hailey hadn't expected that. And what she hadn't expected either was that she realized she would do the same. For Jay. For their relationship.

"Jay," she slowly said, looking directly into his green eyes. "Jay, neither of us will have to leave Intelligence."

Jay was irritated, but when he opened his mouth to speak, she put a finger on his lips, shook her head gently. "Neither of us will have to leave, because we will prove them wrong. We can be partners and a couple."

Jay exhaled audibly, and a big smile appeared on his face, mirrored by the smile she gave him.

She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Jay Halstead. And I will never leave again. No job in the world is worth leaving you a second time."

Jay wrapped his arms firmly around Hailey, held her as close as possible. "No job in the world," he agreed.

Hailey let herself fall into his embrace, wanted to feel him close, just that and nothing else. She had Jay back, nothing else mattered.

They spent the evening on the couch, just sitting close together, hardly speaking, without watching TV or listening to music, just enjoying the other's company. There was no need to talk, everything had in fact fallen into place for them, they were lost in thoughts.

Later, Hailey remembered something she had wanted to tell Jay all along.

"I talked to Trudy this morning," she said. "I thought she might know what's going on."

"That's why you were downstairs?"

"Yeah. I could see that she's just as worried but didn't say anything. If she knows something, she doesn't tell us."

"If Trudy Platt is worried, then it must be bad," Jay concluded. "I wish I could do something."

Hailey nodded. "I know. But since nobody is telling us anything, we should stand back and watch. I've got the impression, Voight and Al might want to protect all of us. In the end they might need some people, like Antonio, Kim, Kev and the two of us, to be unbiased. Perhaps there is something shady going on. Whatever it is, it's nothing small."

"And Ruz is in on it?"

"You're jealous they use Adam and not you?" This teasing voice again. Involuntarily Jay had to grin back at her.

"As long as you don't choose him over me, I'm fine."

"So you are jealous of Adam?" Hailey grinned mischievously.

"Do I have to be?" Jay grinned right back at her.

"Let's see what your superpowers are, and then I'll decide," Hailey's grin became wider, and she pulled back out of Jay's embrace, only to tug his shirt out of his denims.

Jay's eyes followed her hands. He leaned back, expecting her to pull his shirt further up.

Hailey laughed out. "You're so vain, Halstead." she let go of his shirt, playfully touched his skin.

Jay didn't wait any longer, removed his shirt and threw it on the floor, then slipped his hands under Hailey's shirt. He laughed, pulled her closer, kissed her, this time not soft and tentative, but full of passion. His tongue slipped between her lips, played with Hailey's tongue. At the same time, his hands moved up her body, leaving a hot trail on her skin.

"Bedroom?" she managed to ask, out of breath already.

"Hell yes," Jay just answered, and without hesitation took her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

They enjoyed the familiarity, knowing the other's body, there was no awkwardness, it was as if they had never been apart. Hailey noticed that Jay was even more muscular, stronger than before, she traced his muscular abdomen with her fingers, sending shivers down his spine.

Jay couldn't get enough of Hailey's soft skin, he wanted to touch every bit of her body with his fingers, his lips.

"Oh my, you're even more beautiful than before," he mumbled.

"And you're even more charming than before," she smiled. "And it works so well."