Chapter 88: End of an era.

Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7. At Kim and Adam's wedding, Jay and Hailey finally confessed their feelings and spent the night together and now they are back in Chicago and hiding their relationship from their friends.

I do not own Chicago PD or any of the characters.

Here is the next chapter. After this one, there are only two more chapters to go! I cannot believe that this story is almost over. I loved writing this chapter and I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter. I appreciate every single review, so I would love to hear your thoughts on this one. This has been such a journey for Hailey and Jay and it's close to the end now :)

Before either Jay or Hailey had time to blink, three major changes were upon them in the space of a couple of weeks: Their house in the suburb was now ready for them to move into, Jay had started to train to be a teacher and, today, it was Hailey's last day in Intelligence. She was going to have time to adjust to the new house and her new job before the baby was born. Her last day in Intelligence. She couldn't believe it. She still hadn't told anyone that she was leaving. Jay had decided who his successor was going to be, but he had only told Hailey and Platt. Hailey hoped that her husband was right about the unit, especially Adam, understanding her decision. There was no running away from the truth now. Jay was enjoying his training as a teacher and he was doing in a way that didn't interfere with his role as Sergeant of Intelligence. Over past couple of weeks, since Hailey had frozen in the bullpen, she had been the best detective ever. She was the best on the streets that she had ever been. She wanted the unit, her friends, to remember her as the detective she knew she was, as opposed to the woman who had been overtaken by her instincts. No matter where she went in her career next, there would always be a part of Hailey that would always be Detective Upton of the Intelligence Unit, based in the 21st District.

Hailey woke up with a slightly strange feeling in her stomach. It was her last day in Intelligence. Her last day. She couldn't believe it. She never would have thought that this day would ever come. She remembered her first official day so well. She had been so nervous and partnered with Erin. She remembered the first time she had gone there, even before her first official day there when Kim had been on leave, taking care of her sister, and she had spilt coffee all over Platt. That had not been a proud moment, but she knew that both Jay and Voight had seen the fire in her eyes that day.

Hailey opened her eyes and rolled over to see Jay smiling down at her, with his arms wrapped around her. He kissed her nose and smiled. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. How did you sleep?"

Smiling Hailey replied, "I slept like a baby, although, from what Kim says, they don't sleep well, so we should enjoy this sleep while we can." She chuckled, smiling at her husband.

With a smirk on his face, Jay asked, "We haven't been called in, so would you like waffles for breakfast?"

"I was thinking you, coffee and then waffles, to celebrate my last day in Intelligence. You first, Jay. It's the best way to celebrate my last day in Intelligence." Hailey smiled before she caught Jay's lips in a passionate kiss and Jay returned it, pulling her close.

Afterwards and after having showers they were having breakfast and Vanessa was still asleep, it suddenly dawned on Hailey that this was the last time that she and Jay would drive to work together, the last time that they would both place their wedding rings around their necks before going to work and put them back when they returned home. Hailey would never step foot again in 21st District as Detective Upton. Hailey's thoughts were these as she sipped her coffee and Jay made waffles for her breakfast. He would just have toast. Their house was full of moving boxes and most of the house was packed. It was all becoming real. All of this change. Hailey's last day in Intelligence, moving into their new house, Jay leaving Intelligence and, finally, their baby.

Jay could read his wife and former partner like a book, just as Hailey could read him, and he could see the look in her eyes as she sipped her coffee. Taking her plate of waffles over to the table, with his own toast, Jay sat down and asked, gently, "Hailes, where's your head at?"

Hailey stared at her cup of coffee for a couple of seconds more before she placed it down on the table and sighed. She swayed her head to the side a couple of times and pressed her lips together as she answered, "I know I'm making the right decision to leave, for our baby, and I know that, Jay, but that doesn't make it any easier. I know I've been avoiding this: Telling the team that I'm leaving, which is why they don't know it's my last day. I don't want any fuss and I-I won't be able to bear the looks in their eyes, especially Adam's. I think, maybe, Kim has an idea, so she might not be blindsided. It won't be easy."

Calm as ever, Jay took hold of her hands and told her, "Hailey, do you remember how you were so nervous to tell Platt? You were glad you did it. This'll be the same. And they will understand, they're your friends. You can do this. I know you can."

Despite her nerves Hailey smiled and asked, "From my first day in Intelligence, can you believe how far we've come? I was partnered with Erin and you were pissed with me and Erin. Not a great start."

"And then you became my partner and that was the best thing that ever happened to me, Detective Upton. You saved me." Jay rested his head against Hailey's as he told her, in a soft voice, "You can do this. Yeah, it's change and that's scary, but we'll always have the team. And I'll be by your side, every step of the way." He gave her a soft, loving kiss on the temple which made Hailey smile. "I've got your back, always."

Hailey was the first to move, wanting to do this before Vanessa was in the kitchen because this was something private she and Jay shared. With very careful fingers and looking into Jay's green eyes, she took off his wedding ring, reached for his dog tags and attached it to them, then Jay did the same with her wedding ring and attached it to her neckless and Hailey's hands remained where they were, resting against his dog tags. Bright, blue eyes looked into green before Hailey whispered, "They're right next to our hearts, just like our first shift after we eloped."

Jay's response was to kiss her, but that was interrupted by Vanessa's entrance, who looked away, embarrassed, but Jay left his seat and offered to make her some breakfast, so Vanessa sat next to Hailey. Hailey's eyes instantly landed on Vanessa's pregnant stomach. Her and Jay's child. The reason that both she and Jay were leaving Intelligence and, suddenly, her nerves went away. The slight sadness was still there, but right there in front of her was why she had made that decision. Baby boy or girl Halstead.

At the bottom of the steps Jay felt Hailey tense beside him, so he looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, before he walked up the stairs, knowing that, when she was ready, she would follow.

"Chuckles, get over here! Is your house turning into a box jungle, what with you guys moving in a couple of days? You know, you could rope the unit in to help you with that. And, me, of course, if you threw in some pizza and bear into the bargain."

Jay raised his eyebrows and asked, "You're volunteering to help, Sarge?" He knew that it was Platt's way of showing that she cared, in the classic way that she did it. He appreciated it and so did Hailey.

Platt fixed him with one of her classic stares and shrugged, "Yeah, Chuckles, I am. Chalk it up to an early Christmas miracle, if you will."

Hiding his smirk, Jay smiled and nodded. "I'll do that, Sarge. We'll appreciate the help."

"Well, you need pizza and beer, Chuckles, otherwise none of us will be helping you and Goldilocks." Trudy peered at Jay over her glasses and he nodded, understanding what she was saying. Just as Hailey started to walk up to stairs, Platt turned away and left the front desk and walked away, without a word to Hailey.

Hailey saw this and felt it keenly. It was her last day and, besides Jay, Platt was the only one who knew that she was leaving. She thought that she and Trudy were good, but maybe not? She swallowed against the pain in her throat. Jay looked between his wife and the front desk before he told her softly, "You know Platt. She doesn't mean anything by it. You ready?"

Nodding absently Hailey said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready."

Intelligence was very quiet because Jay and Hailey had come in early and Vanessa had gone to have an early breakfast with Julie before their shift started, but Hailey had wanted to be there. Her eyes landed on her desk and she walked over to it, never taking her eyes off it, then she looked up and saw where Jay had sat, as her partner. Jay walked over to her and squeezed her hand, before he made his way to his office. Knowing that it was the last time that she would do it, Hailey walked into the breakroom, made herself a cup of coffee, then sat at her desk, going over a case file.

Kevin was the first to arrive, then Vanessa and Julie and, finally, Kim and Adam. The shift was like any other and, actually, rather uneventful. As always Hailey and Adam were good partners, not like her and Jay had been, but there were good partners and good friends and Hailey almost didn't want her last shift to end.

When their shift ended Jay stepped into the doorway of his office as Adam asked, "Right, who's up for Molly's? I'm buying the first round, then the next one's on your, partner."

Hailey laughed along with her friends before she caught Jay's eyes and he threw her a reassuring smile before she began, sounding more confident than she felt, "Guys, I have something to tell you and… it's pretty big, so you might want to sit down." Only Julie, Kevin and Vanessa sat down, but Kim and Adam stayed where they were. Hailey didn't think that Kim would be too surprised. Hailey ran her hand through her high bobble before she continued, "Today- this shift- was my last shift, here, in Intelligence, I'm moving to the FBI's office in Chicago to train their new recruits."

From his vantage point in his office Jay watched and listened, but he was already so proud of his wife. He knew that she had been running from this for a long time, had wanted to avoid it for as long as possible.

Kevin was the first to speak and he walked over to Hailey and hugged her. "Hailey, that's amazing. Congratulations! When were you offered the gig?"

Pressing her lips together, Hailey replied, "I applied ages ago, but they called me a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want to say anything, because I didn't want to make a fuss."

"When did you make this decision, Hailey?" Kim inquired, in a very soft tone of voice, even though she had an idea.

"Umm… it was after you were kidnapped, Kim; I realised that I didn't want to do this job when I was a mum and I'll have time to adjust to my new job before the baby's born."

Finally Adam spoke. "I can't believe it, Hailey. I'm your partner and your friend. How can you do this to us? Leave Intelligence? We're a family."

Fixing Adam with her piercing, blue eyes Hailey told him, in a very steady voice, "Yes, we are, and I told you that families change, but we'll always be connected by our time here. We'll always be a family, Adam, but this is the right decision, for me, for my baby, and I'm not going to apologise for that." There was an edge to Hailey's voice. She didn't want to be challenged on this. "Adam, this wasn't an easy decision, but it's the right one, will you please accept that?"

Jay bowed his head and stepped into the bullpen, saying in a very calm voice, "Adam, I was the one to make the decision to leave the unit first." That was met with a dead silence. A shocked silence. Jay found Hailey's blue eyes and smiled before he continued, "I'm leaving Intelligence in a couple of months. Being your Sergeant has been the best experience ever. You've accepted me, after Voight, and I can't thank you enough for that. But I don't want to be in this job, in this life, when I'm a dad, so I've started to train to be a teacher instead."

Kim wasn't surprised, Vanessa already knew this and Kevin found it sad, because Jay and Hailey were like brothers and sisters to him, but he knew that it was the right decision for them, but, for Adam, this was too much. He turned to Jay, because Jay had less of a temper than Hailey, and he chuckled darkly, "Are you kidding me? You've moving out of the city and you're leaving? You're leaving Intelligence? I thought we were a family! I thought we had each other's backs, no matter what."

In a calm, steady voice Jay replied, "Ruze, we always will. Just not in this building anymore." Everyone could see Adam's anger die down, before Jay asked, with a smile, "How about we go to Molly's and celebrate Detective Upton's last day here?"

Everyone agreed, apart from Adam who looked at Hailey and shook his head, "Nah, I'm out. I'll see you tomorrow, Sarge." Without another word, he picked up his jacket and left the bullpen. Hailey bit on her lip, fighting against the tears that were threatening to fall. This was what she had been afraid of and she had been right. Adam didn't understand and he never would.

Hailey went to Molly's with Kim, Julie, Vanessa and Kevin and Platt surprised everyone by being there and presenting Hailey with a leaving gift, which brought tears of happiness to Hailey's eyes. She wouldn't be there at all if it weren't for Trudy Platt.

When Hailey and Vanessa returned to Molly's Hailey was surprised to find her husband there, so she walked over to him and, for the last time, they placed their rings into their rightful place, on their fingers. In a soft voice, Hailey asked, "Where did you go after shift, I know you weren't at Molly's?"

Jay sighed and took hold of Hailey's hands before he replied, "I went to talk to Ruze. Try to make him see sense. Try to get through to him."

"How did it go?" Hailey asked, wondering if she wanted to know the answer.

"It was- I'm not sure. He started drinking and he's just- he's not really angry, he's upset. He says he feels like it's the end of an era and he doesn't know how to deal with that."

Hailey tilted her head as she remarked, "Jay, you didn't have to do that, to go and talk to him, for me."

Looking into her blue eyes and stroking her face, Jay replied, "No, Hailes. I did. I know how important Adam's acceptance was to you and I wasn't about to give that up. He'll come round, I'm sure." He paused, then added, "I don't want your last day at Intelligence to have a bitter taste in your mouth, because of him."

With a smile Hailey told him, "Jay, it beats me first day, when I spilt coffee all over Trudy." They both chuckled and looked at each other with so much love before Hailey whispered, "Jay Halstead, of all the things I got out of Intelligence, and there was a lot, you are the best, by far."

With a smirk Jay nodded and kissed her and, in between kisses, he mused, "Good to know. Did I ever tell you how hot I thought you were, when were going up against Voight like that in the bank?"

Hailey threw her arms around Jay's neck and chuckled softy, "It doesn't hurt to be told again." They looked into each other's eyes before they continued what they were doing, celebrating Hailey's last day in Intelligence in their own, special way.

That weekend, unknown to Jay or Hailey, Platt had invited the unit to their house, to help them to move into their new house. All of the unit was there, besides Adam. Hailey hadn't spoken to him since her last day in the bullpen. Jay was very disappointed in Adam. In their new house Vanessa would stay in the room that was going to be the office, until she gave birth to Jay and Hailey's baby. Hailey had only had a couple of days in her new FBI job and she knew that it would take her a while to adjust to it, but one of the perks was that she could wear her wedding ring at work. Jay and Hailey were glad that their friends were helping them to move in, because they really wanted to move into their new house. As promised they provided drinks and pizzas for their friends. In a way, Jay and Hailey found it sad, but it was also good, because it was their new chapter, moving into their new house and they knew that, no matter what, their friends would always be there. Their new house felt perfect. It was their home, where they would live together and with their baby. Even Voight turned up to help, making the whole weekend feel complete.

At the end of the weekend, Hailey wanted to thank Platt, Kim, Kevin, Julie and Vanessa for all of their help by inviting them to watch a film, in their new house, to which they all agreed. They wanted their friends to feel as welcome as possible in the house, just like they wanted Hailey's mum, Will, Avery, Danny and Gail to feel welcome here. Avery even had her own bedroom in their new house.

Halfway through the film the doorbell rang, so, assuming that it was Gail and Danny, Jay gave Hailey a small kiss on the head, which she received with a smile, before leaving the room to answer the door. It wasn't Gail and Danny. It was Adam and Jay was surprised, after he had talked to Adam on Hailey's last day. He had told his wife that he believed that Adam would change his mind, but he hadn't wholeheartedly believed it. Until now. Forcing a smile, he asked, "What's up, Ruze?"

Adam fiddled with the bag he was holding in his hands before he began, "First of all, I wanted to say sorry to you, Jay. You were just trying to help me the other day and I-I didn't have the best temper. I'm sorry."

"You were dealing with a lot of stuff. The end of an era, right?" Jay said, in forced casual tone, sounding far more sure about the situation than he really felt, but he knew Adam and he knew that was there to apologise. Jay pressed his lips together, before he asked, "Do you wanna see Hailey?" Adam looked relieved, glad that he didn't have to say it. Jay just got it. That's why he was such a good Sergeant. Adam knew that Intelligence would never have another Sergeant like Jay Halstead and he would never have a partner like Hailey Upton.

Hailey was surprised when Jay told her that Adam was there to see her, but he gave her a reassuring smile and she knew that it was alright. Jay had her back, no matter what. Slightly apprehensively, Hailey walked into the hall, where Adam was waiting for her, with a bag clutched in his hands and Hailey frowned, wondering what was in the bag.

Adam was the first to speak. "Hailey, I'm so sorry for how I acted that day. There was no excuse. I was a total jerk."

Titling her head with a smirk, Hailey remarked, "I think I've seen worse behaviour from you, actually, Ruze." Their eyes connected and Hailey was glad to see that Adam started to laugh, before she added, in a serious tone, "I get it and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I was… putting off telling you guys. It felt like such a big thing, you know?"

Nodding Adam said, "Yeah. I get it. But you're happy, right? I mean, with this house and your new job."

"Oh, definitely. It's the best decision I've ever made."

"Then, who am I to question that?" Adam smiled before he added, "You'll be a great mum, Hailey, and Jay'll be a fantastic dad. I've got a little gift you for. Kim helped me to pick it out."

Hailey raised her eyebrows and smiled as she accepted the bag and picked the package inside of it. A blue plaque which had the words engraved on it: 'Agent Upton, FBI Badass.' Hailey felt tears start to prick the edges of her eyes, so, without another word, she embraced Adam into a hug. They were friends, family, and always would be. When Hailey showed Adam's gift to Jay later, he laughed and smiled, kissing her.

Months passed and Vanessa was now 38 weeks pregnant, with just two weeks left before their baby was born. Hailey had settled into her new job with the FBI, liking the time that her commute gave her and Jay was no longer Sergeant of the Intelligence Unit. Kim was and she was a born leader and Jay had started his job as a teacher, in a suburb where he and Hailey lived and Hailey had never seen him happier. Jay had decorated Avery's room and Hailey had decorated Vanessa's. The room for the baby was decorated in a neutral blue colour because they didn't know the gender of their baby. It was a surprise. Over the past couple of months both Jay and Hailey had made an effort to see their friends from Intelligence, including Platt and Voight, at least every week and Vanessa was still working there, on desk duty.

One Saturday morning Jay, Hailey, Vanessa, Kim, Kevin, Adam, Julie, Platt and Voight were on their way back to Jay and Hailey's new house after having burgers. They were having a great day, especially considering how much Vanessa craved burgers because of her pregnancy. Vanessa sat down at the kitchen table and, suddenly, her arms went to her stomach. Her 9-month pregnant stomach. Hailey and Jay were instantly by her side, with Hailey kneeling in front of her, placing a soft hand on one of her legs. "V, what's wrong?

Vanessa shook her head and rubbed her stomach. "I-I don't know. Some sort of pain I've never felt before. In my stomach."

Hailey stared at her, unsure of what to say, before Jay said, very calmly, "OK, Vanessa, we're going to put you in the car, get your bag and take you to hospital, ok?"

Hailey frowned and asked, "Why would we do that, she's not due for 2 weeks? It can't be a contraction, Jay, it's too early."

With a small smile Jay said, "Better be careful than have her give birth in our kitchen, Hailes." He turned to their friends and asked, using, what Hailey called, his Sergeant voice to take charge of the situation in a calm, but assertive voice, "Platt, Burgess, you OK to take Vanessa to the car?" As soon as they were gone, his eyes turned to Hailey, who hadn't moved, so he moved over to her as she stood up, slowly, and cupped her face in his hands. "Hailey, we could be having our baby today."

"Our baby. Our baby, Jay." Hailey repeated, before she ran her hands through her hair, "I'll get Vanessa's bag and then we'll go to the car." She paused, then turned to her husband and whispered, "Jay, I feel like I should be more ready, feel more ready for this, than I am. I thought I'd feel… more prepared than I do right now."

Shaking his head Jay pressed his hands against her arms, looking into her blue eyes, "Hailey Halstead, you've been ready for this day since Vanessa handed us that pregnancy test. We'll figure it out, like we always do. Hailey, if you weren't a little scared right now, you wouldn't be ready. Neither of us would."

Hailey smiled and nodded slowly. "You're right, you always are and you always know what to say." She smiled before she added, "Let's go and meet our baby, Jay Halstead."

Cliffhanger.. I hope you enjoyed it :)