My partner, my best friend

by ANNAFLORINDA

Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7 and goes AU from there. Kim and Adam are getting married and it makes Jay and Hailey realise their feelings for each other.

89. Two heartbeats

Chapter 89: Two heartbeats.

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 it is! The last chapter! I loved writing this chapter, it was great, but it took me a while, because I wanted it to be right. There will be an epilogue after this. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. I cannot believe that this story is almost over and Jay and Hailey have been on such a journey in this story :)

Enjoy and, if you like it, please review :)

On the way to the hospital Vanessa continued having contractions and, like always in stressful situations, Jay was calm. He was the rock of the situation, just as he had been the rock of the Intelligence Unit. He had been so worried about bonding with their baby, but, right now, there was nothing that he wanted more than to hold their baby for the first time. Hailey sat next to Vanessa, holding her hand, and rubbing her pregnant stomach, just further emphasizing that the two women had a bond which could never be broken. Jay was right: She was ready and, if she weren't a tiny bit scared, she wouldn't be. The life which she and Jay had fought so hard to create, to conceive, was finally about to come into this world. Their baby. Baby Halstead. Nothing, besides marrying Jay, had ever felt so right. This was it. The day their baby was going to be born. Before they left the house Jay asked Platt to call Gail, Danny and Avery and Hailey had asked Kim to call her mum. Their baby was only coming into this world because of Vanessa, so now that she was in pain, Hailey held her hand and squeezed it, silently telling her that she and Jay were there, because she was giving them the best gift in the world. In a way, Hailey still wished that it was just her and Jay on this day, but that didn't matter now. It was finally happening and she and Jay were, finally, going to meet their baby.

The drive to the hospital was only 5 minutes and Hailey had called Dr. Lawrence to tell her that Vanessa was going into labour. Both Jay and Hailey knew that labour could take hours, so they were both prepared and Hailey knew that Vanessa was, too. Vanessa thought that the baby was a girl and Jay agreed with her, but Hailey thought that it was a boy. A little boy with Jay's green eyes and freckles. For Jay, it was a little girl with Hailey's blue eyes and curls. No matter, he or she was their baby and already more loved than they could ever have imagined.

Vanessa had made it clear that she wanted both Hailey and Jay in the room when she gave birth to their baby. Even though this made Jay feel slightly uncomfortable, he also knew that he did want to be there for the birth of his and Hailey's child, the baby they had wanted for so long and he also knew that he needed to be there for Hailey. Hailey wanted him to be there, because it was the birth of their child, a moment which the two of them should share together, a moment they could talk about for the rest of their lives, one they would want to share with their child some day and it was one which they were sharing with Vanessa.

The room Vanessa was placed into was blue, which was fitting because that was the colour of the baby's room and Jay and Hailey were sitting either side of her and Hailey was holding her hand. Jay could feel Hailey's nervous energy, so he smiled and reassured her that it would be alight. She would be a good mum and Hailey was focusing her energy on Vanessa, reassuring her friend, telling her that they were there. Their friends and family were back at the house, waiting for the news about the baby. Vanessa didn't want them at the hospital and neither did Jay and Hailey. This was a private moment, the day that their child was going to be born into this world, even from Will, Avery and Hailey's mum.

After 6 hours of waiting with still no active labour Vanessa was grumpy and very tired and Jay kept leaving the room to give her food and water, but Hailey refused to leave Vanessa's side. She was her best friend. Hailey's blue eyes followed Jay. She could tell that he was agitated and it wasn't because Vanessa was in labour. He hated hospitals and everything he associated with them; his fear of needles, because of being a POW in Afghanistan, so, for the first time in hours, Hailey left Vanessa's side and walked over to Jay, indicating to him to stand by the wall, away from Vanessa enough so that they had some privacy. Hailey tilted her head and asked, "Jay, you doing OK?"

Jay let out a dry chuckle and replied, "I should be asking you that." Hailey just raised her eyebrows, which was her way of telling her husband not to even try to hide things from her. He was her husband and she could read him, like a book, just like he could read her. Jay sighed and pressed his lips together before he replied, in a low voice, "I need to be OK with being here. We don't know how long we're going to be here and I need to be here, for you and Vanessa and our baby."

Hailey smiled, knowing how much Jay already loved this baby. Their baby. It was in his voice and his eyes, like it was every time he talked about their baby since Vanessa had shown them her positive pregnancy test. Just like back at the house when she had been worried, Hailey placed her hands on either side of Jay's face and told him, "You will be OK, Jay. Our baby isn't coming any time soon, so why don't you go for a walk, take some time to clear your head?" She could see the hesitation in his eyes, so she assured him, adding quickly, "If anything happens, I'll call you, but I don't want you to be in the middle of an episode because you didn't give yourself a break from this place. Do we have a deal, partner?" Hailey smiled softly and looked into her husband's eyes. He was her partner, her best friend, her husband.

Hailey could see it register in Jay's eyes and he gave her a small nod and a small smile. In a soft voice, he replied, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for always having my back." In a quick motion, Jay kissed her forehead and Hailey smiled as she received it before Jay stepped away and added, "Call me if anything changes."

Reaching for one of his hands and squeezing it, Hailey bobbed her head and replied, "You know I will."

As soon as the door was closed Hailey walked back to Vanessa and resumed her place at her side. Vanessa moved against the pillows which were supporting her back, then asked, "Where's Jay gone?"

"He just needed a minute to clear his head." Hailey replied, simply. She knew that Jay and Vanessa were close now, due to Jay wanting to be close to the baby, but she also knew that Jay was still private. The three of them had settled into a new life, with Vanessa being their surrogate. With a warm smile and refocusing her attention, Hailey asked, "How are you feeling, V?"

Vanessa shook her head and inhaled and exhaled deep breaths, before she answered, "I'm not too sure right now. I'm scared, of course, because I know that this is going to be painful, but"- she broke off and looked down at her stomach. Her pregnant stomach.

Moving from her chair Hailey sat on the bed in front of Vanessa, taking hold of one of her hands, "But what, V?"

Looking up from her stomach Vanessa chuckled for a second before she continued, "I'm also really going to miss this. This," She indicated to her pregnant stomach, "I promised your baby that I'd keep him or her safe until he or she is ready to be born and I have, and I know that you and Jay are going to be amazing parents. But, over the past 9 months, you and Jay have become my family. This baby has made us a family and I know that it's messed up, but it's the closest thing to a family I've ever known and I-I can't believe that it's going to be over soon." There were tears in her eyes and Hailey's own blue eyes mirrored those tears.

Squeezing Vanessa's hand Hailey whispered, "We'll never be able to repay you for this, I'll never be able to, but even when this is over, when is the baby's born, you'll still be a part of our family. Our baby wouldn't be here without you, V, and Jay and I both love you, so much, more than you'll ever know." Hailey wiped her own eyes and added, "I was thinking that- if the baby's a girl, her middle name will be Vanessa. Jay and I haven't talked about it, but I know he would like the idea."

Vanessa looked at her, stunned, as she asked, "You'd do that for me?"

"V, you're giving us the greatest gift ever and, trust me when I say, you and I are bonded for life now, sister. This connection that you and I have, because of the baby, will last a lifetime."

"I hope so."

Hailey reached out and stroked Vanessa's hair and she whispered, "It will. Trust me, it will." The two women shared a look, then a hug and Vanessa almost clung to Hailey, wanting to keep her close. This surrogacy, this journey, was almost over. Their baby, Jay and Hailey's baby, was going to be born, soon.

Jay found himself walking the grounds of the hospital. He needed some air, he needed to be away from the hospital, even for a little while. Jay never talked about his time as a POW to Hailey, but it was always there and it was why hospitals were such a problem for him. Jay had hoped that, with all of the time he and Hailey had spent in hospitals over the past couple of years, he would be ready. He knew that Hailey was already ready for their baby to be born. All he wanted was to hold their baby for the first time. Their baby.

"You OK, kid?" Jay looked up to see Voight walking towards him and he tilted his head, wondering why the older man was there. "I figured you might want some company and I'm sure you'd rather it was me than Adam. You know, I was just thinking, what with your baby being due any time now: Partnering you and Hailey together was the best I ever did."

Jay smiled and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I agree, Sarge."

There was a silence and Jay looked down at the floor, before Voight said, "Jay, if you're nervous, it means you're ready. If you weren't, there'd be something wrong."

"That's what I said to Hailey." Jay remarked, with a smile, even thinking about his wife made him smile.

"Well, you're right. You and Hailey deserve to be parents more than anyone I know and what you guys have been through- it would've broken a lot of couples, but not you two. You're as solid as they come." Voight paused and Jay looked up at him, as he added, "Believe me when I say, the first time you hold your baby, there's no feeling like it on Earth, son." Without saying another word Voight walked away, leaving Jay alone with his thoughts.

When Jay returned to the labour room there was a doctor checking on Vanessa, so Jay stood back slightly, with his hands in his pockets, wanting to give Vanessa privacy. The hospital knew what the surrogacy situation was, so that there was no confusion and it was clear by Hailey's constant proximity to Vanessa; she just wanted to be close to her unborn baby. As soon as the doctor was done, Jay walked over to the bed and sat on the other side of Vanessa, before he threw Hailey a loving smile. Hailey went to the toilet while Jay sat with Vanessa and, when she returned, they were both laughing at something. Raising her eyebrows in an amused manner, she asked, "Something funny, you guys?"

Vanessa grinned and replied, "No, not at all, Special Agent Upton." She and Jay shared a look and they started to chuckle and Hailey smiled along, aware that she was the subject of Vanessa's amusement, but so glad that Jay and Vanessa were that comfortable with each other. The past 9 months really had been a journey, for all three of them.

2 hours passed until, finally, Vanessa's active labour began and Jay was the first to stand up and call for a doctor, whilst Hailey stayed where she was, unable to believe that this was it. It was finally happening. When the doctor arrived, he asked Jay and Hailey to stand at each side of Vanessa's head, holding her hand, a request to which Jay was more than happy to oblige, but Hailey wasn't. She wanted to see their baby as soon as he or she was born.

First of all, the doctor told Vanessa not to push, for ages, until he said, "The baby's getting closer! I can see the head, it's time to push, now, Vanessa!"

Throwing her head back on the pillow Vanessa declared, "I can't do it! I can't! I'm too tired."

In a steady, calm voice, Jay adjusted where he was so that he was looking into her eyes as he told her, "Rojas, you've come this far. You've got that." Despite the situation Hailey smiled to herself. Her husband was still such a military man in his form of address and she squeezed Vanessa's hand, as her silent way of telling her that she was there.

Vanessa started to push and the Dr said, "I can see the head. The head's close." By instinct Hailey left Vanessa's side and went closer. She could feel Jay's eyes on her, then suddenly, the most amazing sound filled the air. The first cry of their baby. Hailey's eyes landed on the baby and tears filled her eyes and the sound of the baby's cry was magical. As soon as Jay heard their baby's cry, he smiled and breathed an internal sign of relief.

As the Dr held the baby, Hailey studied every single inch of their child, their baby. It was a boy, with blue eyes. With tears of happiness welling in her own blue eyes, she turned to look at Jay and blue eyes met green. In the happiest voice Jay had ever heard, Hailey told him, "It's a boy, Jay, we have a son."

Unable to stay where he was any longer Jay stepped closer, to look at the baby, their son. He knew that Hailey couldn't step away from him. He was the tiniest thing that Jay had ever seen. It was clear that they couldn't hold him yet, so Jay put his arm around Hailey's waist and rested his head against hers. In a whisper, he said, "We are so lucky." Looking at the tears of joy in Hailey's eyes, he added, "He has your eyes. And you were right, Hailes. Our baby's a boy."

Hailey bumped her head against his and smirked, but still didn't take her eyes off their baby. She couldn't. The life that she and Jay had struggled to create was finally here. They had a baby. The doctor broke the silence by saying, "We need to clean him up a bit, but we'll bring him right back. Do we have a name?"

Seeing that Hailey was so focused on the baby that she didn't hear the question Jay shook his head and replied, "No, we don't yet."

"Ok. He's just Baby Halstead for now."

Baby Halstead. It didn't seem real, but it was. It was real. Jay and Hailey had a child, a son. They had their Baby Halstead. As soon as the baby was gone, Hailey walked over to Vanessa and threw her arms around her, as she cried tears of happiness, tears which she had been keeping inside for the past 9 months. This was the reason both she and Jay had left Intelligence. Their son. Finally moving away from Vanessa, Hailey felt Jay standing behind her and she wiped her eyes and she said to her best friend, "V, thank you so much! I-I can't put it into words! The cry- Our baby's here, finally, and he's healthy!"

Vanessa smiled and nodded, "Yeah, he's super cute. I saw Jay's face when he heard that cry, too," she looked at Jay and smiled, "that's how much a dad should love a kid." She laughed, then said, "I'm so glad that I can have a rest now."

Jay and Hailey, in the joy of the arrival of their baby, had totally forgotten about the presence of the doctor, who, in response to Vanessa, said, "It's not time to rest just yet, Miss Rojas. The other one will be along any minute now."

Both Jay and Hailey froze. The other one. The other one? Their eyes connected and Hailey turned to face the doctor as she asked, "I'm sorry, what? The other one?"

The doctor frowned, clearly confused, before he replied, "Yeah, the other baby, Mrs. Halstead. It's twins." He paused, then looked at the shock on Jay and Hailey's faced- and Vanessa's eyes- and asked, "Wait, Mr and Mrs Halstead, you didn't know that you were having twins? It's in the ultrasound paperwork we have here. There are defiantly two heartbeats."

Jay shook his head and cleared his throat before he replied, "No, we didn't know, Dr." Seeing the panicked look in his wife's eyes, he asked slowly, "Hailes, you good?"

Hailey crossed the room and lent against the wall and Jay followed her, leaning against the wall next to her. Hailey folded her arms and pressed her ponytail against the wall before she looked at her husband and asked, "Jay, how are we going to have twins, how is that going to work? And how come we didn't know, how come Vanessa didn't know?"

Beside her and looking into her blue eyes, Jay replied, "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We're here now. They're our kids, Hailey. The babies we-I couldn't to you and you wouldn't have carried." Jay paused and pressed his lips together, remembering their sadness, but none of that mattered now. "But they're here now and the rest, we'll figure out. We're a pretty good team, you know?"

With a smile, Hailey nodded, "Yeah, you're right and we are. This is what we've wanted for so long and after- after all of the pain we've been through, all of the tears and the late nights- it's just-it's scary."

Jay nodded. "I know and I'm scared, too. But, at one point, we didn't think we'd ever have one baby, never mind two. We'll bring two Baby Halsteads home."

Hailey nudged his arm with her shoulder as she whispered, "I feel as if my whole world just changed, with our baby boy's cry."

"Mine, too. And it'll never be the same again." They both smiled, before Jay asked, "Shall we go and meet Baby Halstead number 2?"

"Yeah, let's go." The couple walked back over to Vanessa and, for a couple of seconds, Jay rested his hand against Hailey's back, as a silent way of telling her that he was there. They were finally here, together.

Within a matter of minutes Vanessa's active labour for the second twin resumed and Hailey stood by her, holding her hand, until the doctor said that he could see the baby. "I can see her head. She's coming!"

Jay's head snapped up and he repeated, "She? It's a girl?" The doctor nodded and Jay looked at Hailey, just as their daughter drew her first breath and cry. Hailey's eyes were fixed on their daughter, so Jay stood next to her to have his first sight of their baby girl. She had green eyes. Jay's eyes. Fighting back his own tears, Jay whispered, "Now, we have one of each."

Still not taking her eyes away from their daughter, Hailey whispered back, "We are so lucky, Jay. They're both perfect and their ours. Our babies. We have two Baby Halsteads."

"Yes, we do." All of their pain, their struggles, over the past couple of years were gone. Their babies had been welcomed into this world, they were here and, still looking at their daughter, Hailey put her arms around Jay and rested her head against his chest for a couple of seconds. Every felt so right. Everything was where it was supposed to be. All of their dreams, their prayers, had been answered, because of Vanessa's gift. The gift of their children.

All that Hailey and Jay wanted to do was hold their babies, but the nurses were checking over them. From her bed, Vanessa was watching the two of them and she smiled to herself. Hailey and Jay had only briefly met their children and she could see that they already loved both of them more than anything else in this entire world. Hailey was the first to move and she embraced Vanessa in the warmest hug Vanessa had ever known. Wiping away her tears, Hailey said, in a chocked voice, "V, I don't know what to say."

"Well, I do. I can't wait to watch you guys raise those two babies and I'll get to see them every day. Auntie Vanessa at your service for babysitting."

Jay walked over to the two women and told her, "Rojas, you'll always be so much more than that. You gave us our kids and we'll never be able to thank you enough."

"You can thank me by loving both of those babies by loving them as much as you already do. Now, go. Go and meet them, properly."

Hailey gave her another hug and told her, "I'll come and check on you in a bit, ok? See how you're doing."

Laughing Vanessa said, "Too right you will. And you'll bring me so gin, please!"

Jay frowned and chuckled, "Gin? Really, Rojas?"

"I haven't had a single drink for 9 months, so, yes, gin it is! Now go and meet your children!"

Side by side, Jay and Hailey made their way to the nursery and there were already tears of joy in Hailey's eyes. Their babies were here. Not one, but two. As Jay said, they had one of each. A son and a daughter, a son with Hailey's blue eyes and a daughter with Jay's green eyes. Neither of them had ever had a stronger idea in their lives: To hold their babies, a moment both Jay and Hailey been waiting for months. A nurse told them where the Halstead babies were and, as they walked over to the one cot, Jay and Hailey's eyes fell on them. These were their children. Beside him, Jay could feel Hailey trembling, but it was the good kind, because she was so excited about meeting their children, properly, for the very first time. This would be a moment they would remember for the rest of their lives. No words were used, because none were needed. This was the moment Jay and Hailey had been waiting for since Jay had held PJ, Will and Natalie's baby, for the first time. In that moment, for the first time, Jay had pictured holding his and Hailey's baby and Hailey had seen that same thing in that moment and neither of them had wanted it to end.

Out of instinct Hailey was the one to reach out for one of their babies first. The baby boy, the baby whose first cry had changed her whole life, forever. She rested him against her chest, then settled him into his arms, all the while Jay stood there, watching in admiration as she held the new-born baby. Their new-born baby. With a smile full of love and affection, Jay whispered, "Hailes, you're a natural."

Hailey smiled, but kept her eyes on their baby son as she whispered, "I feel like I've known him for my whole life, Jay. I'm Mummy," she told the baby, with such a loving voice, "and I am going to love you and your sister more than anything else in this world and this man standing next to me is Daddy and Daddy loves you more than the whole world. Daddy needs to hold your sister for the first time now."

Jay let out a light chuckle and nodded slowly, before he reached for their baby daughter and, gently, held her in his arms. She opened her eyes and stared at him for a couple of seconds, before she closed her eyes again. "Do you think they know each other, from inside there? Do you think they know our voices?" He pressed his lips together as he asked the second question; he knew that Hailey had been sensitive about the fact that she hadn't been the one who was pregnant with their children.

"Jay, of course they do." Hailey smiled, before she added, "I can understand why we've both been glued to Vanessa for the past 9 months. These two angels and, Jay, they're finally here, in this world; we're holding them." She understood Jay's question, but, right now, in this moment, that didn't matter. Their babies were in this world, because of Vanessa.

"I know." Jay whispered back, without taking his eyes off his sleeping, new-born baby girl. "This is the best feeling in the world."

Tears pricked at the edges of Hailey's eyes and they started to fall from her eyes as she continued to hold their baby boy in her arms. Neither of them were sure for how long, but they stayed where they were, holding their children for the first time, for hours, until Jay finally said, "Hailes, we need names for them. They can't always be Baby Halsteads."

Hailey bobbed her head slowly and hummed, still looking at the baby boy asleep in her arms. In a gentle voice, she asked, "For our little man, what about Henry, you know, after Voight and we should also put Will's name in there, don't you think?" She looked up at her husband and added, "If it weren't for Voight, none of this would have happened. Henry William?"

"Henry William Halstead." Jay repeated with a smile on his face, before he looked at their son and said, "Do you hear that, buddy? That's your name. Henry William Halstead." His eyes connected with Hailey's blue ones and they shared a sweet smile, before Jay turned his attention back to their daughter and Hailey watched as he did it. She knew that, even in the short hours that she and Jay had been parents, their children were going to have the best father in the world. This was why she had left Intelligence. Her family and she knew, in her bones, that she was their mother and that, unlike her own mother, she would be the best mother in the world that she could be. Everything, now, she was about their babies, their twins. Jay continued to stare down at their sleeping baby daughter as he thought about names for her. He wanted it to be a name that would go with Henry, her brother. Henry William Halstead. After staring at their daughter's face, Jay suggested, "How about Charlotte? Charlotte Halstead."

Hailey smiled and tilted her head so that she could see their sleeping daughter as she repeated, in an almost reverent like-manner, "Charlotte Halstead. That's perfect. How does Charlotte Vanessa Halstead sound?"

With a smile on his lips, Jay replied, "It sounds as perfect as Henry William Halstead." He looked up and looked at their son and daughter, before he said, "Mummy and I want to welcome you to the world, now that you both have names."

Slightly chuckling Hailey shook her head softly and remarked, "You're such an idiot, Jay Alexander Halstead!"

"Touche, Hailey Anne Halstead." Their eyes connected and they both smiled, looking down at the lives which had been created, the lives they had the battled to create, were finally here, before Jay continued, looking down at their babies, "Welcome to the world, Henry William Halstead and Charlotte Vanessa Halstead. And welcome to the Halstead clan."

Hailey tilted her head and wiped away a couple of her tears before she smiled and added, "And, Daddy and I have no idea how we're going to manage twins, but we'll figure it out, like we always do." Blue eyes met green; those were the words Jay had said to Hailey after his call from Dr. Lawrence, telling them about their fertility problems and they had worked it out, together. It had been painful, but, now, it was worth it. They had their children.

Half an hour later, the new family of four were approached by Vanessa, who simply asked if she could have a 'second alone' with the babies. Jay obliged immediately and gave Vanessa a pat on the shoulder as he passed, but Hailey stayed where she was, with Henry in her arms and she glanced at Jay, who gave her a small nod. Hailey looked at her sleeping daughter, then looked at her best friend before she told her, "We decided to name the baby boy Henry, after Voight and his second name is William, after Will. He's Henry William and his little sister, V, is Charlotte Vanessa."

Tears appeared in Vanessa's eyes and she nodded and smiled, but was unable to speak and Jay used the excuse of going to get Vanessa some food. He didn't want to leave the nursery, he didn't want to leave his children, but he knew that Vanessa needed this. It was a moment she might want to share with Hailey, but not with him and he respected that. After all, she had carried Henry and Charlotte for 9 months. They were only in this world because of Vanessa, which was why Charlotte's second name was Vanessa, to honour her. She was there, in their children's lives, and that was very important, to both Hailey and Jay. Tentatively, Hailey asked, "V, do you want me to leave, so you can have some time with them?"

Vanessa shook her head and replied, quickly, "No. No, I don't. I just want to say something to the babies – I mean, to Henry and Charlotte. Wow- they have names. You and Jay have given them names." Hailey placed Henry into the cot, next to his sleeping sister and stepped back slightly, giving Vanessa some space in this moment. Vanessa moved closer to the babies, before she began, "Well, here you are, you're finally here. It seems like yesterday since I made you that promise, in the clinic. I want you, Henry and Charlotte, to know that I had the most fun, ever, with you guys and, in a strange way, you guys gave me the family I never had. You gave me a brother and a sister, your parents, and I can't imagine better parents in this whole world. I'll always be a part of your family and I get to watch you grow up. I've given your parents the best gift in the world and you have the best gift, ever: Parents who love you more than anything in this world." From where she was standing, Hailey smiled and wiped away her tears. She knew that this was hard for Vanessa. She had always known that it would be, but seeing it was different. Without another word, Vanessa came over to her and told her, "I can't wait to watch you and Jay raising these two. Twins!"

Pulling Vanessa into a tight hug, Hailey reassured her, "You'll have a front-row seat, V, I promise." The two women stayed where they were, knowing that their bond was lifelong.

The time finally came for Jay and Hailey to take their babies home. Both Henry and Charlotte were perfectly healthy. Hailey had been worrying about how it was going to work and Jay reminded her that, in their new house, they had a spare room which was going to be their office, but, now, it would be a room for one of the twins when they were older. As they placed the babies into the back of their car, in their car seats (Hailey had had to go out and buy an emergency spare one for Charlotte) and Hailey made herself ready to sit between the babies for the first ride home, she turned to Jay and asked, "Are you ready for this, Jay, taking our babies home, for the first time?"

With a smile on his lips, Jay replied, "Hailey, where you go, I go." That was it, but that was enough. This was it. They were taking their children home.

Kim, Kevin, Adam, Platt, Voight and Julie, Will, Gail, Danny and Avery were still at their house. Jay had called ahead and told Will that there had been a 'surprise', but he hadn't gone into any detail, so they were waiting. Voight and Platt had their ideas, but they didn't say anything to the others. Kim was feeling so emotional for Jay and Hailey; she knew how much pain and strain on their marriage their infertility had caused them, but had worked through it, were stronger than ever and, finally, after all of that, were finally bringing their baby home. Baby Halstead.

Hailey walked into the house first, carrying Charlotte in her arms. Kim was the first one to come over to her and Platt was the second along with Julie, putting their arms around her. Adam, Kevin and Voight stayed back, but she could see the pride in Voight's eyes. Hailey carried Charlotte over to Danny, Gail and Avery and she could see the tears of joy in Gail's eyes. Carefully, Hailey looked up at Avery and she could see her happiness. She was Jay's first daughter. Will came over and hugged her, but before anyone could ask any questions Jay walked into the room, carrying Henry and he walked over to stand next to Hailey.

Adam frowned and asked, "I thought Will said that there was some surprise."

Hailey playfully rolled her eyes and Jay chuckled, before Kim looked at her husband and said, "Adam, they're twins. Twins."

"Oh. Right. I knew that!"

Avery was the first one to ask the question, "Dad, Hailey, do I have two baby brothers, two baby sisters, or one of each?" The excitement was clear in her eyes and in her voice.

Jay smiled with pure happiness before he replied, "This is a boy and that's a girl. One of each." He couldn't miss the proud looks that Gail and Danny were giving him and he knew, without a doubt, that these children would be treated as their surrogate grandchildren, just as he was their surrogate son.

Kim and Platt came closer and Kim couldn't take her eyes off her babies, even as Platt asked, "Goldilocks, Chuckles, you're keeping us in suspense-What are their names?"

Jay and Hailey glanced at each other, before Jay looked directly at Voight, then Will and said, "This little man here is Henry. Henry William." He could see the smile in Voight's eyes and face and he knew that Hailey had made the right decision with their son's name. The look on his brother's face was one of so much love and he gave Jay a small nod of thanks.

"And this," Hailey indicated to their daughter in her arms, "is Charlotte. Charlotte Vanessa."

That made Kim look up from the babies and she smiled and exclaimed, "Oh, Vanessa is going to be so happy!"

Jay turned to Avery and asked, "Avery, would you like to hold him? Your baby brother?" Avery looked up at her dad, slightly surprised, but she nodded and settled herself into a chair, before Jay carefully passed Henry to her, into her arms and he smiled at the sight. He smiled and told her, "That's your brother, Avery."

Without missing a beat, Gail sat down next to Avery and remarked, "And our grandson." She looked into Jay's eyes as Danny reached out to Jay and shook his hand and Gail hugged him before they settled their attention to Henry, who was fast asleep.

Slowly, with tears pricking her eyes, Hailey asked, "Kim, would you like to hold Charlotte?"

A smile spread across Kim's face as she responded, "I thought you'd never ask!" Hailey passed Charlotte into Kim's arms and Kim held her with such confidence, as a woman who had already had three babies. She looked up and Hailey and told her, "Adam and I still have old clothes from our babies, so we'll lend them to you and Jay, if you like."

Hailey glanced at Jay and smiled, "I'd love that, thanks, Kim."

Adam walked over to her and hugged her, before he patted Jay on the back, then he stood next to Kim, looking down at Charlotte. Will walked over to Jay and Hailey and hugged both of them, before he whispered to his brother, "I'm so proud of you and I know you're going to be a great dad. Mum would be so proud." Jay forced a smile and bit his lip, but he was unable to speak. The emotions of the day were so much, for him and Hailey. They had their babies, twins. Henry and Charlotte. Even though they were around people and neither he or Hailey were normally ones for PDA, he wrapped his arms around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Their embrace only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it was all that they needed.

Of course it was Platt who asked the question: "I'm wondering how you ended up with two babies, rather than one? Which one was born first?"

With a loving smile, Hailey glanced at their sleeping, new-born baby son before she replied, "Henry was born first and then Charlotte came along."

Voight raised his eyebrows and remarked, "Wow, that must have been quite a shock."

Jay raised his eyebrows and chuckled softly, "You have no idea, Sarge."

Kevin took Charlotte from Kim and Jay saw that Henry was now in Will's arms as Kevin asked, "How did you guys pick their names?"

Hailey tilted her head and chewed her lip before she replied, "Hmmmm…. Henry just seemed right; if it weren't for Voight partnering us together, years ago, none of this would have happened, and William seemed obvious. Jay came up with Charlotte's name." Hailey knew that Jay hadn't wanted to use his father's name. Will had already done that with his son and Jay hadn't been comfortable with that. The other name she and Jay had considered had been Benjamin, Ally's brother, but Jay had thought would be too painful, especially for Danny and Gail and Hailey agreed.

Julie smiled and remarked, "I'm sure Vanessa will really appreciate that. Charlotte Vanessa Halstead. It's got a nice ring to it."

Avery pulled her eyes away from Henry, before she said, "Hailey, he's got your blue eyes!"

After about an hour, their friends and family started to leave, wanting to give Jay and Hailey time alone with their babies and, for the first time ever, Jay and Hailey were alone with their children. Henry and Charlotte Halstead. Their babies, their twins. A couple of days ago Jay had moved the baby's cot into his and Hailey's bedroom. He had bought it about a month ago, but he and Hailey hadn't wanted to put it into their room until it was closer to the baby being born. Now, their baby was here. Babies. Their twins. For the first time ever, Jay and Hailey carried Henry and Charlotte up to their room and placed their sleeping babies into their crib. The crib was right next to their bed, on Jay's side of the bed. Hailey was a deeper sleeper than Jay, so Jay wanted the babies right next to him, so that, if they stirred a all, he would wake up. Finally tearing her eyes away from their babies Hailey whispered, "I'm just going to jump into the shower really quickly, OK?" She kissed Jay's check and closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, before she grabbed her PJs from her side of their bed and went to the bathroom.

Jay sat down on their bed and didn't take his eyes off their sleeping babies. Their babies. Our babies. Henry and Charlotte Halstead. Jay reached into one of his drawers and found what he was looking for: A picture of him as a baby, in his mum's arms, with a grinning Will on her side. He smiled to himself, thinking that he wasn't that much older than the babies were now. He looked at the picture he had when he joined the Army, at 17. He couldn't believe it. He was so lucky. He had been so lost and then traumatised by the war and Hailey had saved him. She had saved him. His partner, his best friend and now they were the luckiest people in the world, because they had their babies. Jay took a picture of their sleeping babies, then texted Vanessa, to ask how she was, before he turned his attention back to their sleeping babies.

In the shower, Hailey allowed the hot water to wash over her and she closed her eyes. The surrogacy had worked. She and Jay had their babies. Twins. She could still hardly believe it. As Hailey stepped out of the shower, she dried her hair with a towel and it went into its curls and changed into her PJs. She found Jay exactly where she had left him, sitting on their bed, looking down at Henry and Charlotte. The sight brought tears to her eyes. She knew that their children were luckier than she had been as a child: They had a father who loved them. She noted the picture Jay had taken out of the drawer and she smiled. Without a word, she sat down next to Jay and rested her head on his shoulder, never taking her eyes off their babies. Jay wrapped his arms around her as he asked, in such a gentle tone, "Do you need anything? I can call your mum, if you want me to."

For a second, blue eyes met with green and Hailey shook her head lightly before she rested her head back on Jay's shoulder and whispered, "No, Jay, all I need, right now, is this: You, me and Henry and Charlotte, our miracles."

Jay kissed her forehead before he murmured, "That's all I need, too. The four of us. You and me, Hailey Halstead. Always."

"Always." Hailey whispered back, before she added, "Their first cries changed our lives, didn't they? It's as if they brought us to life, a different life from the one we were living."

Nodding slowly, Jay smiled and mumbled, "Yeah. They sure have." He paused, then added, "Hailey, this is the happiest I've ever been."

With tears in her eyes Hailey nodded and closed her eyes, but allowed the tears to fall against her cheeks, because they were tears of joy, of happiness. "Me, too, Jay. Me, too." They fell into a comfortable silence and just stayed where they were, watching their babies sleep. Their dreams, their prayers had finally been answered and now, Jay and Hailey Halstead had a totally new life ahead of them and neither of them could wait for this new life. Parenthood, together.

A happy, surprise ending :)