V

People walked in every direction around him as he stood in a sea of humans that were all going somewhere. Some were coming to see what the Windy City had to offer. Some were off to the adventures of their lives. And others, like him, were there to welcome a loved one home.

Hailey had been gone for seven weeks. Seven very long weeks. Jay had counted down the days until her return since day one. They had kept in touch over texts and calls here and there. But it was not the same as having her next to him in the car, having his back during an op or having her calm voice of reason talk him off a ledge during difficult cases. Stakeouts were more fun and went by quicker when she was there. Even Molly's felt empty without her there. He would be in a crowded room filled with family and friends, yet he still felt alone.

It surprised Jay how much he missed her. He knew he would from the knot that formed in his stomach the moment she called him and said that Voight was sending her away. During their years as partners, they had been through a lot together. Hailey had stood by him when he went of the rails after his father's death, and he had been there when she struggled with her past undercover assignment. It had brought them closer together than he had been with any other partner before. Naturally he knew that he would miss having her around. What he had not known at the time of that phone call was just how big of a void Hailey would leave with him. If he had, Jay is not certain he would have let her go.

It took two weeks for him to come to terms with why that was. Hailey was so much more than just his partner, yet Jay couldn't come up with a more fitting term. He could count on her for anything. He could count on her if he wanted to have a good time filled with laughter and jokes, if he needed someone to have his back in an argument, when he needed to vent or when he needed to be called out on his shit. Never once did she make him feel less than. She took him and his baggage for what it was and didn't try to fix him. She inadvertently made him want to do better and fix himself by simply being there and being Hailey, his partner. And he loved her for it.

Jay looked over at the big arrivals board. Next to Hailey's flight number stood the words landed and Jay felt how his heart sped up inside his chest. She was almost here. In a matter of minutes, he would get to see her again. The grin on his face was so wide it almost split his cheeks.

Around him in the arrivals area other people were anxiously awaiting someone's arrival. Jay watched as travellers came down the escalators with their luggage and then ran into someone's awaiting arms. Couples reunited and shared passionate embraces. Parent's eagerly welcoming their children home from different adventures around the world. Jay even got to see a man in camouflage coming down the stairs with his olive-green trunk, something he himself had done multiple times. He remembered the feeling of stepping onto American ground for the first time in months and months after a tour and not having someone waiting at the airport. He always envied his mates that got to hug a loved one to anchor them and longed for the day that would be him. It seemed like the day had come, even if the roles were reversed.

He looked at his watch. Hailey should be coming down those escalators any second now. Jay became more attentive and watched every face that turned up at the top of the stairs. Then he got a glance of that familiar blonde hair and then there she was. Everything was right in the world again.

All the tension from the past couple of weeks ran of his shoulders the second he lay his eyes on Hailey. She was back home. A small part of Jay had been worried that she might not return, despite constant assurances to the contrary. It was a well-known fact that his past with partner's and the New York FBI field office wasn't all that great. He did not want to lose Hailey as well and the mere possibility was more than enough.

"What are you doing here?!" Hailey exclaimed as she closed the distance between them.

"Welcome home!"

As soon as they came within touching distance of each other, Hailey threw her arms around Jay's neck and hugged him tightly. Jay buried his face in her neck and breathed in her scent as his arms wrapped around her waist. His lungs filled with everything he associated with Hailey. Coconut, caramel and coffee. That warm familiarity comforted him and the slight panic he had been experiencing for weeks dissipated. Everything was just as it should. Nothing had changed.

"I've missed you!" he murmured.

"I've missed you, too!"

They stood like that for what seemed like forever. Neither of them wanted to be the first to let go and break up their embrace. Hugging wasn't a normal occurrence in their relationship, but for the life of him Jay couldn't understand why it didn't when it felt so good. Jay held on a little longer before he reluctantly let go and took a step back.

"I have another surprise for you." He said as he picked up her bag and threw his arm around her shoulders to steer her towards the exit.

"What's that?" Hailey asked with a voice that was laced with suspicion.

"Everyone is waiting for us at Molly's for a little welcome home celebration."

"Jay…" she started to protest but he quickly interrupted her.

"Come on Hails, everyone has missed that pretty face of yours!"

"You think my face is pretty?" she stopped by the passenger side of his truck.

"Always!" Jay winked at Hailey and threw her bag into the backseat before rounding the truck. Hailey remained shellshocked on the curb for a moment and simply watched as he got in the car. She shook herself out of her stupor and got into the car as well.

They walked towards Molly's from the car in the wintery evening. The snow creaked underneath their shoes and their breath became a white mist on every exhale. Chicago winters were cold as hell, but Hailey wouldn't change it for the world.

She looked over at her partner every few seconds out of the corner of her eye. He walked beside her with a kind of smile she had never seen before, and Hailey couldn't stop watching him. He truly surprised her when he turned up at the airport earlier. The entire flight back she had though nonstop about when she would next see Jay and when she could call him without coming off as too eager. To say that she had missed him while she was away, was an understatement. The time in New York had not been as bad as she imagined. In fact, she had learned a lot and slowly felt how she came back to herself. But it wasn't home. She didn't have her partner. Things like this was what she had missed. They could walk next to each other in silence, yet she never felt so close to another human being.

As they reached the heavy wooden door that led into Molly's, Jay hurried up towards it. With his hand on the handle, he looked back at her with questioning eyes. Hailey nodded and took a deep breath to prepare herself for what awaited inside. Jay pulled the door open with a flourish and gestured with his arm for Hailey to enter.

"After you!" Hailey rolled her eyes at his antics but walked inside the bar and Jay entered behind her.

"WELCOME HOME!" came from every direction the second they stepped inside. If she had not been prepared for it, Hailey surely would have jumped into the air.

Everyone she knew was there. The people from 51, her friends from Med and everyone from the station, including Platt. At the centre, cheering the loudest with big grins on their faces were her team. A sign that said "welcome home" hung down from the ceiling and the place was scattered with balloons and twinkling lights. Hailey couldn't help but feel a little bit touched even though her picture of a perfect night had been her and Jay at her place with a pizza and some beers. They had truly gone all out.

Hailey made her way around the room and accepted everyone's greetings and hugs. The entire time Jay's hand didn't stray from her lower back. Not once. It kept constant pressure and reminded her of his presence. One time they were forced apart in the crowd and a hand immediately shot out and grabbed onto her arm. Seconds later, the pressure on her lower back was right back.

After everyone had said hello, they moved over to one of the booths along with the members of Intelligence. Again, Jay kept close and sat in the seat next to her. His arm rested on the back of her chair and his upper body was facing her. If she only relaxed slightly, Hailey would be leaning against his chest. For a moment she contemplated to give into the temptation to sink into his embrace and just stay there. But it wasn't her place. No matter how much she might want it to be.

The night passed quickly with Adam telling exaggerated stories about their endeavours when she was gone, Atwater and Jay made terrible jokes at his expense while Antonio and Kim kept it real. It was fun, and familiar. Sometime during the conversation, Jay's arm wrapped itself around her shoulders. Hailey tried not to move as to not disrupt it and risk Jay removing it. Was he aware of what he was doing to her? It felt as if her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She was sure that her face looked like it was on fire despite her best attempts to appear unaffected. But she was painstakingly aware of the pressure from his arm and of the heat radiating off his body. She was surrounded by Jay and his scent.

"So Hailey," Adam begun. "Who did you miss the most while you were in New York?" he threw out his arms and made a bring it home gesture. Everyone laughed at his lame attempt to win.

"Platt." Hailey deadpanned and laughed at the mock-hurt look on Adam's face.

"I know for sure who missed you the most!" Kim exclaimed and leaned forward on the table to tell her story. "Your partner here. He's been moping around since you left and have refused to partner up with anyone else because its not the same."

Kim's voice was teasing, but Hailey could still hear the truth behind the words. She glanced over at her partner. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were fixated on the label on his beer. That wasn't like Jay at all. Could it be true that her sabbatical had affected him just as much as it had her? She had hated being away from Jay and from Chicago, afraid that her safe haven would be gone upon her return. Over the years, Jay has become more than just her partner. If not for him, she would have lost her way a long time ago. Could they risk all of that and follow their hearts?

Jay is waiting for Hailey at the airport after her stint at the FBI in New York. She does not now that he is there to pick her up. It's a surprise. They are not together. It's from Jay's pov. He's excited and nervous at the same time. He's impatient and thinks time is moving rather slow.