A/N: Hi everyone! I can't believe 2023 is almost over, but thank you for everyone that's stuck around with me this year. I wanted to round it out with one last holiday fic, so I hope you enjoy :)


"Mom, I get it. It's fine. I actually already have plans anyways."

"Oh, okay, um-"

"Not that I wouldn't have come over," Hailey quickly interrupts, "Just that someone else invited me if I didn't have plans. I'll let them know I don't have anything going on and that I'll be there. It's okay."

She closes her eyes for a brief moment and hopes upon everything that her mother won't catch the lie through the phone.

"If you're sure, sweetie."

Hailey relaxes and lets out a breath, nodding despite her mom not even being able to see her. "I am. I get it, too, everyone deserves a quiet holiday."

"Thank you. It's just better this way. We can catch up sometime next week."

Wincing, Hailey nods again and murmurs, "Yeah."

"Okay, well, I'll see you soon," her mom replies softly.

"Yeah," Hailey repeats with a sigh, "Bye."

She hangs up the call, pockets her phone, then returns to what she was doing before her mom called her: picking out a book to read on Christmas.

For the past three years, she's done this exact thing. It wasn't that her mom always cancelled on her - that's only happened twice now - but that she frequently spent the holiday alone. She wasn't one for Hallmark movies or cheesy, smutty books, but she did like an easy, cozy read to get her through the holiday. It's become a tradition of hers, and she actually looks forward to it throughout the entire month of December. She'll read her book, drink hot chocolate, eat cookies and warm food, and put a fake fire on her TV to complete the atmosphere. Last year, she even bought a Christmas comforter on sale, so she's looking forward to laying underneath that all day.

Maybe it's a lame way to spend the holiday that's supposed to be about family and spending time together, but when you don't have a family to give gifts to, it's the best option.

Her brothers have families of their own now, and they deserve to spend all their happiness on their wives and kids. Her parents…her mom is kind most days, but also incredibly religious and stubborn and refuses to leave her husband - Hailey's abusive father - while still lamely attempting to protect her kids from said abuse. Hailey knows that's what's happened here: her dad most likely hit her mom, her mom can't figure out how to cover the dark bruise, her mom then cancelled the Christmas plans. It's happened before and will most likely happen again no matter what Hailey or her brothers say.

Hailey sets her basket down at her feet, empty because she knew picking out a book was going to take much longer than necessary so it was best to start here first, and grabs two books off the shelf: one with a blue cover and two people standing beneath mistletoe, and the other pink with a couple in front of a decorated door. Leaning to one side, she begins reading the backs of the books to make her choice.

She's just made it to the end of the description on the pink book when a cart crashes into the end cap, breaking her concentration as she jumps at the noise.

"Dammit," the man attempting to steer the cart mutters. He glances up to catch her eye, now seeing that someone else was even there, and blushes. "I'm sorry, I…I'm sorry."

Hailey shakes her head, her gaze shifting from his glasses, green eyes, and freckled face to his right arm in a sling tight against the hoodie covering his chest. "It's okay," she replies, "Here, I can-"

"No, no, don't move, it's okay. I'll leave this death trap here and just grab what I need. Again, really sorry," the man says as he pushes the cart further to the side of the aisle. He struggles for a moment, and Hailey can't help but assume he must be right handed. Before she can offer to help, though, he gets the cart where he wants and steps around her to get to the other end of the aisle.

To her surprise, he squats down and starts looking at a section of romance books. While she isn't big into the romance genre, she knows that that particular author is big with older women and not men who look to be in their late twenties.

At this point, she can't even pretend to be interested in the two books in her hands and asks, "Picking out a book for yourself?"

The man laughs and shakes his head, not looking away from the books in front of him. "Nope: my mom. She sent my brother and I out for some last minute Christmas things and asked that we grab her a book while we're at it. She told me the author, but that's about it. I was hoping for a holiday one to match the season. Do you know one?" He finally looks up at her, and she can tell he's being serious.

She softens and sets the books down in her basket to take the few steps closer to him. "For one, covers help a ton." Immediately, she spots three different books by the needed author and grabs them.

"Isn't there a whole saying about not judging books by their covers?" the man quips as Hailey takes in a winter cabin, a fireplace, and what seems to be the inside of a coffee shop.

"Yes, but marketing is important," Hailey replies. She holds up the fireplace book and the coffee shop one: "What's your mom into? Small town or cozy city vibes?"

"I…what?" the man asks.

Hailey can't help but smile at him. She flips them over and scans the back before passing him the coffee shop book. "Recently divorced woman meets also recently divorced man when she starts working at the coffee shop to earn extra money during Christmas time. It sounds cute."

"Thank you," the man breathes as he glances the book over. He nods to himself before getting his balance beneath him and straightening up with a low groan.

Hailey quickly straightens as well and grabs the upper part of his right arm to steady him. "Are you okay?"

He nods again and waves his left hand holding the book. "Recently got into a thing at work and dislocated my shoulder. I'd be fine, but the fact that it's my right is making life a little difficult."

"Hence the shotty cart steering?" Hailey guesses.

The man laughs slightly. "Yeah. My brother was driving, but he's making a pit stop in the bathroom."

Hailey nods in understanding and removes her hand from his hoodie. "Well, um, I hope your mom likes the book."

The man shoots her a smile that makes her uncomfortably warm beneath her winter coat and beanie. "I'm sure she will," he says, "And if she doesn't, then she can come buy her own books next time."

"Of course," Hailey replies with a soft laugh. She bites her lip then goes to pick up her basket again.

Another man, slightly taller than the one next to her but with a similar face, appears at the end of the aisle and eyes the off-kilter cart. Chuckling to himself, he says, "I didn't realize you were that incompetent. Told you a dislocated shoulder is a legit injury."

"Shut up," the first man sighs. He shoots Hailey another smile and says, "Thanks again. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," she says softly.

The second man grabs the cart and waits until the two of them are in the main aisle before saying, "She pick out Mom's porn book for you?"

"I told you to shut up," the first man - Hailey's man - replies. He adds something else, but they're too far away at this point for Hailey to properly hear.

More flustered than she cares to admit, Hailey sets the basket down to grab out the two books. She quickly looks over the covers before deciding on the one with the couple beneath the mistletoe. The story sounded cute, and if the drawings on the cover were of a blonde woman and a dark haired man, that was just a coincidence.

She chooses to put the thought of the man behind her and go get the rest of her supplies for her Christmas Day at home.


Hailey isn't one to go to parties, but her newest partner at work insists they go out for New Year's Eve and promises they'll have fun since other first responders will be there. She hesitates after the explanation, but agrees once Kim offers to buy her her first drink.

At the bar with lights strung from the ceiling, Hailey sticks close to Kim for the beginning of the night. The two do end up having fun, and Hailey doesn't regret coming, but as 10pm draws nearer, Kim seems more interested in the guy she's met than having another conversation with her about growing up.

"He's just really cute," Kim says in her ear, two beers already in hand, "I swear I'll find you again in like twenty minutes – half an hour tops – so just hang out here or go find a guy of your own. This place is loaded with hot men."

Hailey laughs slightly, the two glasses of cider and two tequila shots helping her nerves, and saddles up on one of the bar stools. "We'll see. I'll be here."

Kim smiles wide before hurrying over to the corner where the guy they'd been talking to – Adam – is sitting waiting for her.

Hailey lets out a breath and waves down one of the bartenders. "A whiskey sour, please?" she asks.

"Yup, give me a minute," the man replies.

Hailey nods and leans further against the bar. In the years past, she's spent New Year's Eve a lot like how she spent Christmas: a book in hand and the countdown on the TV. This was certainly more exciting, but part of her was wondering how much longer she could wait around until she called an Uber and left. She had no doubt Kim was going to be rather distracted by her new guy for more than the promised half hour, so the chances that she would allow Hailey to slip out without complaint were rather high.

Upon arriving home, Hailey knew she would continue what she was doing earlier: planning the different books she needed to buy at the bookstore the following day. When she finally met up with her mom for Christmas, her mom had gifted her a poster with one hundred books to read in the following year. Most of the suggestions were just categories like thriller or biography, but there were a few specific classics listed that she wanted to look for at the store. It didn't seem like a bad way to start off her year.

The bartender returns a moment later with her drink, and Hailey tells herself she'll just sip at this one until Kim returns then announce her departure.

As she's scrolling through her phone to order a car, someone slides onto the stool next to her and waves the bartender back down. "Just another beer, thanks."

Hailey glances up at the slightly familiar voice to see a pair of green eyes looking at her.

The man instantly smiles and says, "I thought it was you."

"Sorry?"

She raises an eyebrow and tries figuring out who he actually is. There's something about his face that seems familiar to her, but it's not until he explains who he is that she realizes why he looks different.

"It's me, Jay, from Target last week."

"Right, hi," she says quickly. Now, with both arms free and shown off with a tight black shirt, he doesn't look nearly as cozy as before, but he still looks just as kind as he did when he was wearing glasses and the sling at the store.

She hadn't guessed she would ever run into the man again after he walked away from her at the store, but the fact that she does is just a coincidence. There are many people who live in Chicago and only so many bars. It's not like from her book where the girl kept running into the guy she met in high school before they separated for college. That was too Hallmark. This is just a coincidence.

"I don't know if I actually introduced myself there," the man – Jay – continues, "So, hi; I'm Jay."

Hailey can't help but laugh softly as she nods. "I got that," she says, "And I'm Hailey."

"Hailey," Jay repeats, his smile spreading, "Okay, Hailey, it's nice to see you again."

He didn't have to say her name, but the fact that he does sends that same bolt of warmth through Hailey that she remembers feeling in the book aisle at Target.

"And same to you," she replies. The bartender comes back with another bottle of beer for Jay, so she lifts her drinks and adds, "Happy New Year."

Chuckling, Jay taps his bottle to hers and replies, "Happy New Year."

As they both take a sip of their drinks, Hailey keeps her eyes on Jay and notes that he does the same. She blushes at the eye contact, but doesn't look away. Instead, she lowers her glass and asks, "How's your mom liking the book?"

"She loved it," Jay answers, setting his bottle down as well, "Part of me wanted to take credit for the entire thing, but I couldn't ignore the thought in my head that the pretty girl who picked it out deserved credit."

Hailey blushes even more, her cheeks certainly now a bright red. Laughing, though, she says, "Well, thank you for giving me credit. It was rather easy."

"Mhmm," Jay hums with a soft smirk crossing his face. "And how was your book? Did you finish it like she did?"

Hailey nods and sips her drink in an attempt to soothe her nerves before saying, "Yeah, I finished it on Christmas."

Shock immediately fills Jay's eyes, and he says, "Didn't you buy it on the twenty-third?"

Hailey nods again and finally looks away from him. Swiping her fingers over the bar top, she explains, "That's what I did on Christmas: I stayed home and read a cheesy book." She looks back up at him and adds, "It's a tradition at this point."

Jay's no longer smiling as wide as he was before, and he seems to be debating saying something for a moment, causing another shiver of nerves to go through her hands. She is well-aware that her Christmas tradition isn't traditional in the least and probably sounds incredibly lonely, but it makes her happy and she's accepted it at this point in her life. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with doing what's best for her, which is what her tradition is. She deserves to have a relaxing day away from working patrol every once in a while, and the fact that it took place on Christmas is no different. The thought of what Jay now believed about her wasn't exactly comforting, though, and the last thing she wants is for him to pity her.

"Were you happy?" he finally settles on asking, and she's now the one who's shocked at the other's words.

"Yeah," she says softly, "I was. I, um, I kind of have a complicated family, so staying home and reading with hot chocolate and a fire on the TV is my way of celebrating the day off. It was nice."

Jay visibly relaxes in his seat and says, "Good. That's good. I was worried…I…sorry, I'll just…I'll shut up. I'm glad you were happy and spent the holiday doing something important to you. More people need to do that. Honestly, I could see myself probably doing something similar in a year or two."

Hailey opens her mouth to reply, but quickly closes it again, and it's enough for Jay to now blush at his own words.

"Like you said: complicated," he says quietly before taking a long sip of beer.

Hailey smiles sadly and reaches over to lightly squeeze his arm. "I'm sorry," she murmurs.

Complicated could mean so many things for so many reasons, but she knows that holidays are some of the last things that should be such and yet always are. It wasn't fair in any world, and here she sits feeling even worse for a guy she barely knows because of his own complicated life. It didn't seem right that they were both a little messed up.

"Me too," Jay replies. He toys with the beer bottle in his hand before glancing around and taking a deep breath. "So, I've never seen you around here before. Guessing you're not a paramedic."

Hailey smiles and shakes her head. "Not a paramedic. I am a cop, though. I was hired this past February."

"Very, very cool," Jay says with a nod. He sips his beer again then adds, "Have any certain unit you want to join someday? Assuming you're still on patrol."

"Robbery-Homicide, and yes: I'm still on patrol. That's my partner over there."

Hailey points her glass over to Kim looking incredibly cozy next to the bearded guy, Adam, that she'd been ditched for.

To her surprise, Jay laughs and says, "No way."

Hailey spins back to look at him and ask, "What? Do you work for Robbery-Homicide?"

"No," Jay chuckles, "Cool, but no. I actually just got hired to Intelligence a couple months back and that guy that your partner is with is my partner."

"Oh," Hailey says, her eyes widening. She looks back at Kim and Adam tangled up together at their table.

This was just another coincidence, though. Nothing like fate or Hallmark movies. Just a coincidence.

"So, Intelligence, huh?" she says as she turns back to him, "And how'd you dislocate your shoulder there?"

Jay laughs and shakes his head. "Adam – that guy entertaining your friend over there – and I were on this kidnapping case, and I needed to get through a door."

"Ah," Hailey hums, a laugh teasing at her lips, "So you did what only intelligent people would do and use your body instead of a ram?"

"Ha ha, so funny," Jay replies with a soft shove to her arm, "But yes, that's what happened. I got too desperate and excited."

"For a good cause," Hailey says, shrugging one of her arms, "I probably would have tried to do the same thing if were also in that situation. What matters, though, is was it worth it?"

"Always worth it," Jay scoffs, "Even if the kid wasn't there, it'd be worth it. But, in this case, he was there, and he was alive, and it was most definitely worth my arm in a sling for Christmas."

Hailey smiles at that and taps her glass to his bottle again. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Jay says once he's taken a sip of beer, "But that's a lame congratulations seeing as we've already done it twice now? Right? I think we should do a shot together."

"Oh, I don't-"

"Are you allergic to tequila?" Jay asks, already waving the bartender down.

"No, I just…" Hailey sets her hand on her pocket where her phone was waiting for her to order her a ride home.

Jay waits for her okay to do anything. He's staring at her with expectant, but patient eyes that she decides she trusts with her life. She can stay a little longer. It's New Year's Eve after all.

"I just hope you ask for limes," she ends up saying, "I can do tequila, but I need the chaser."

"Fair enough," Jay laughs. He asks for two tequila shots and two limes, then turns so his knees are pressed against the side of her thigh.

She smiles at the feeling and adjusts herself so that her knees are interlocked with his. Now fully facing him, she takes a deep breath and smiles, the nerves she'd felt when he first sat next to her slowly starting to fade away.

"Did you come here with anyone besides Adam?"

Jay nods and tries turning in his seat to look around the crowded bar. "Uh…they're over there. Kevin and Erin. They're in our unit too." He points to a group of people, and Hailey strains her neck to try and see, but there's no way of knowing who's Kevin and who's Erin, so she just nods in reply.

"Fun," she says.

"Yeah, I guess," Jay chuckles, "We all came together as like a bonding thing or something, but now we're all talking to other people, so you can see how that worked out."

Hailey laughs and shrugs. "Same thing with me and Kim. We did have a couple drinks together, though, before your partner came and stole her from me."

"Want me to fight him?" Jay teasingly asks, "Or want to just get revenge by continuing to talk to me instead?"

Again, Hailey feels her cheeks turn pink at his forwardness, but she's able to laugh a little fuller this time as she shakes her head. "Please don't fight him. I can't have you getting injured again."

Jay laughs with her and says, "Cool. I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to stay in the unit I worked so hard to get in if I go and have a bar fight with my partner – at least I shouldn't do it within the first year of joining."

"Probably not a smart choice," Hailey laughs.

The bartender returns with two shot glasses filled with tequila and one with two lime slices in it. "Here you are," he says.

"Thanks, feel free to add it to my tab," Jay replies, already reaching for the glasses of tequila.

"You don't have to do that," Hailey says.

"You made my mom happy," Jay says with a shake of his head. He holds out a glass for her and adds, "It's a thank you."

"A thank you for picking out a book?" Hailey asks.

Jay shrugs. "And that congratulations for me being free of the sling and my glasses?"

Hailey waits a beat before laughing softly and accepting the tequila. "Fine, but if we do another, I'm buying that one."

"I will not complain."

Jay taps his glass to hers before they both tip the alcohol in their mouth. Hailey can't help but shudder slightly as she reaches for the lime. Her fingers brush Jay's, and she's not sure if the heat that radiates from them is because of the tequila or him. Either way, it feels good, and a part of her wants to have another shot even if she knows it's not the smartest idea.

"Always a good time," Jay says, setting his glass down and placing the lime rind within it.

Hailey laughs and says, "That's one way of looking at it."

Jay chuckles and picks up his beer bottle again. Hailey's certain it's nearly empty at this point, but he still brings it to his lips as he studies her sitting across from him. He smirks against the opening and lightly knocks his knees to hers.

She laughs softly in reply and swings her feet slightly to kick his. Grabbing the empty glass her whiskey sour was in, now only filled with half-melted ice, she swirls it against the bar and asks, "Mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Not at all," Jay says, his hand setting the bottle back down and moving to brush against the edge of her arm, "I'm an open book."

Hailey hums and kicks their feet together again. "Do you actually like beer or are you just drinking it because it's cheap?"

Jay lets out a loud laugh and shakes his head. "That's your personal question?"

"Yes," Hailey laughs, "It's an important one. I'd like to know your typical bar order."

"Okay, okay," Jay chuckles. He scoots his seat closer and clears his throat as if he really is telling her a deeply personal secret. "Beer's for nights like tonight where I want to have fun, but pace myself so I'm not getting crazy sick in the morning. I'll throw in a tequila or fireball shot every once in a while, but that's it. A whiskey or a martini-"

"You drink martinis?" Hailey interrupts.

Jay raises an eyebrow and says, "Yeah, do you?"

"They're just really strong," Hailey comments, "And something that James Bond would order."

Jay laughs again and nods. "Exactly. It was actually my first legal drink. My dad ordered it for me. We don't have them often, but if it's anyone's birthday in our family, I can guarantee that's what we're all ordering at Gene & Georgetti's."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Hailey says softly, "I've never been there, but you go often?"

Jay raises an eyebrow and says, "Not super often, just special occasions, but you really haven't been? I guess that means we'll have to go at some point."

Hailey lets out a surprised laugh. "That's not…that's not what I meant."

"But it's what I said," Jay replies, "You can't go through the following year without visiting Gene & Georgetti's." He fishes his phone from his pocket then passes it over. "Give me your phone number. I'll happily take you there."

"Oh, you don't-"

"Hailey, please."

She glances between Jay's eyes, still steady and kind like she'd noted earlier, but now also filled with something like hope and determination. He wanted her to go with him – maybe even as a date.

But, still, she knew that's what it couldn't be. She wasn't the type of person to meet a guy in the book aisle at Target and just go on dates with him. This wasn't a movie or a romance book. Just a coincidence.

This was, though, a coincidence that might need to be played out, especially when it was being encouraged by tequila.

Wordlessly, she picks up his phone and types her number in.

Jay smiles and looks at the screen when she passes it back to him. "Hailey Upton," he says softly, "Thank you. You okay if I text you so you know it's me in the future?"

"Please do," Hailey replies, a soft laugh teasing her voice.

Jay chuckles and types out something before hitting send and placing his phone face down on the bar.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and Hailey smiles at the feeling. She knows that this was not a coincidence: a text from Jay had to be the only message she was receiving right now. Kim was still distracted in the corner, and her mother had texted her a few hours before wishing her a good night and asking her to be safe. No one else would be trying to get a hold of her right now, and that was something she was actually happy about in the moment.

"You gonna check that?" Jay asks, nodding toward her pocket, "Could be something super important or maybe even the desk sergeant asking you to come in for overtime."

"Oh, god, don't curse me," Hailey laughs as she reaches into her pocket. She smiles upon seeing the words Jay Halstead on her screen beneath an unrecognized phone number. "Creative," she teases.

"Open it," he chuckles, "It's better than just my name."

Hailey hums and shoots him a skeptical look, but still swipes across her screen so that a picture of Jay pops up above his name. He's dressed in some of his tactical gear with his arms outstretched beneath the snow falling down. She laughs softly at how happy he looks and asks, "When was this?"

"That brief snow storm a couple weeks ago," Jay explains, "A day before I rammed into a door."

Hailey laughs harder and says, "I like it. I wish the snow would have stayed a little longer."

"It'll be back soon enough," Jay says. He taps her leg and states, "Now, you send me one."

"Send you one?" she repeats, "What would you like?"

"A picture of you," he says, "Please?"

"Bold," Hailey replies, a smirk crossing her lips despite the soft pink blush on her cheeks.

Jay shrugs and leans back in his seat. "I just like to have contact photos for everyone."

"Okay, sure," Hailey laughs.

She breathes in slowly then shakes her head and opens up her pictures. There's a handful that she can pick from of her also at work or random selfies she's taken when she's felt cute, but the one she lands on is from Christmas. She'd taken a break from reading around dinner to order herself some Greek food. To her surprise, it had come right on time and was even better than she'd wished. She had been so happy with the food that she'd taken a picture of her with the spanakopita to send to her mom even if she was pissed off at her.

Jay's phone buzzes a second later on the bar, and he picks it up to see what she sent him. He chuckles and shows her the screen briefly. "Delicious," he says, "What's that called again?"

"Spanakopita," she explains, "I ordered some on Christmas for dinner. Well, I got that, but also some chicken shawarma. Not as good as my parents' recipe, but it hit the spot."

"You're Greek then?" Jay asks as he pockets his phone.

Hailey nods. "Born and raised. You?"

"Irish," Jay answers, "But I'd like to circle back to that Greek thing."

Hailey laughs and asks, "What would you like to know?"

"If you know how to make that food as well," Jay says, "I think Greek food is good, but I've never had any authentic stuff."

Hailey smiles and leans forward to lightly set her hand on his thigh. "I know a bit. I'm not as good as my parents, but I'm learning. Would you…"

She doesn't know what the policy is for inviting strange men you've just met to come to your house so you can make them a meal. She doesn't even know this guy's last name, and she's practically inviting him to her house. It feels too much like it could be a scene from a cheesy rom-com, and she's not quite sure that's what she needs right now. She wasn't looking for a date tonight, but inviting Jay over for food didn't automatically qualify as a date: it could be a thing between friends.

Jay raises an eyebrow, and a small smirk begins to cross his face. "Who's the bold one now?"

Hailey relaxes with a laugh and shoves him. "I never finished my sentence," she says, "But if I were, who's to say I was going to invite you over?"

"That look in your eyes," Jay chuckles, "So I'll wait for you to officially say the words before assuming you're inviting me to your house for Greek food." He sets his hand on top of hers and squeezes slightly before turning back to the bar searching for the bartender. "You want another drink?"

"Um…sure."

Jay nods and waves down the bartender.

As he asks for another beer for himself and a whiskey sour for her, she takes a second to settle the nerves in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she can't help but feel like she should have finished the sentence. She was willing to have him over, and he was willing to come. The new year could be about taking chances, and cooking for Jay felt like a big chance that she would really enjoy.

He turns back to her with their drinks in hand, though, before she can take that chance and says, "Are we cheersing again or are we just going for it?"

She laughs and accepts her drink, tapping it to his bottle as an answer, and says, "To the new year."

He raises an eyebrow, but smiles and repeats, "To the new year."

Together, they take a sip of their drink, and Hailey forgets all about wanting to go home or what Kim could be doing. Even if tonight was all just a coincidence, it was a really good one.


Sitting with Jay at the bar is Hailey's new favorite way to pass time. Kim's absence doesn't even cross her mind as she listens to Jay talk more about the kidnapping case he was involved in and how he prefers his martinis. She tells him about why she wants to join Robbery-Homicide and going to the University of Chicago. They discuss the proper way to make hot chocolate, where they live, and whether or not going to the gym the following day is a good idea.

"It's going to be packed," Jay says, "I don't know if I want to dodge all the people while I'm trying to stick to my schedule."

Hailey laughs and shakes her head as she picks up the beer Jay ordered her after she'd finished her second whiskey sour. He offered to get her a third, but she was already feeling tipsy and liked the idea of slowing down for a bit. Plus, it allowed her a chance to listen to Jay talk about the different beers he likes.

"And how dare complete strangers mess up your gym schedule?" she teases.

Jay scoffs, but still smirks and watches her sip her drink. When she sets the bottle down, he asks, "What about you? Are you going to brave the gym or are you doing something else?"

"Something else," Hailey replies simply.

Jay waits for her to explain more, but instead she laughs at her own vagueness and sips her beer again. "Brat," he laughs, reaching for her beer. "Give me that, you're cut off. I thought we were friends."

She dodges his hand, laughing more as she says, "What? What's wrong?"

He smiles and grabs her free hand, their fingers intertwining causing her to still. "What're you doing tomorrow?" he asks, his voice dropping low so only she can hear, "Got a date? Should I let go of your hand?"

She knows he knows that's not at all what she has going on. They've known each other for about an hour, and he can already read her like a book.

"No," she breathes, tightening her hold on him. It's a simple answer that holds two meanings, and Jay knows that too.

He smiles and rubs his thumb against the side of her hand. "What're you doing tomorrow?" he repeats.

"Bookstore," she finally answers, "I'm gonna go pick out some books to read for the year. My mom gave me a poster type thing with a list of books to read and a gift card for Christmas, and I want to spend it."

Jay's smile widens, and he squeezes her hand. "I love that. It sounds like a fun time."

"I think so too," Hailey says softly.

Staring at Jay, she wonders if inviting him to go with her is too much – it definitely seems like more than just inviting him over for a meal. He could say no, and she'd be disappointed, but he could also say yes, and she'd maybe feel too vulnerable or rushed at the store with him there. She's not quite sure what he'd be like there at one of her favorite places as she plans out her year of books, but something in his green eyes patiently watching her tells her she wouldn't have to worry about him judging her.

But the new year starts in an hour, and she wants to start taking chances and leaning into these coincidences surrounding Jay. He is a good person, and she truly believes he'll be fun to be around the following day whether they're eating Greek food or shopping for books. It could be the alcohol making her think so, but she doubts it. It's Jay, and she likes it. A lot.

"Come with me?" she asks, "You can pick out some books of your own or hang out in the café if you don't want to follow me around. I don't mind, but the company could be nice. Maybe you can even come over after for some of that Greek food?"

Jay's smile spreads across his face, and she knows inviting him was the right choice. He nods quickly and squeezes her hand. "I'd like that. Thank you."

She hums and pulls his hand on her lap, setting her other hand on top of it. "It'll be fun," she says, "I can text you in the morning? Hopefully we won't be feeling too gross and you'll be able to stick to your gym schedule before we head out."

Jay laughs and shakes his head. "I can skip the gym tomorrow. It's probably better that I take things slow, anyways."

Hailey nods in understanding and looks down at their hands together. Smiling slightly, she brushes her fingers over his wrist. "Hangovers at the gym aren't fun."

"No," Jay chuckles, "Definitely not." He flexes his fingers, causing her to look back up at him. "Tell me about some of the books you want to get?" he asks, "Are you into romances like my mom or something else?"

Hailey laughs softly and shrugs. "I don't know, I kind of read a lot of everything. I usually don't read romance stories and stick to more mysteries, but I'm going into the new year being open to new things – at least, that's the plan."

"Well, let's hope it works out," Jay replies with a wink.

Smiling, Hailey shakes her head and has a feeling he was speaking in his own double-meanings.

She was beginning to hope everything works out as well.

"Do you read?" she asks, continuing to slowly swirl her fingers along Jay's skin, "You said something earlier about maybe spending a day reading?"

"Uh," Jay trails off then chuckles, "I think I said I'd do something similar to reading if and when need be. I'm more likely to do a puzzle than read a book. Maybe that's what I'll pick out tomorrow – they do have puzzles at the bookstore, right?"

Hailey laughs softly and nods. "I'm sure they do. Are you the kind of person who frames the puzzles and puts them on the wall?"

"I didn't even think that was an option," Jay laughs, "Maybe I'll become one of those people in the new year."

Hailey hums and squeezes his hand. "I'll help you pick out a good one, then. What're the vibes of your apartment?"

Jay looks shocked as he slowly shakes his head in thought. Finally, he begins laughing softly as he says, "There isn't one? It's just a place for me to sleep and eat. It's honestly probably boring. My mom's tried getting me to hang up some posters or pictures of Chicago, but, I don't know, I don't really know what would look good."

"How exciting," Hailey replies on her way to take a sip of beer.

Jay snorts slightly and moves his hand in her grip so he can poke at her side. "And you? What're the vibes at your apartment?"

"Calm," Hailey quickly answers, and it's the truth. As soon as she moved out years before, her goal was to make a quiet, peaceful apartment. She filled it with pictures of the ocean and beaches, books from the floor to the ceiling, many blankets and pillows, and as many little knickknacks that made her happy as possible. And it did work: her apartment became a little happy place that always gave her a peace of mind at the end of a long day. She loved her home and the fact that she really could call it a home; she couldn't always do that while growing up.

Jay smiles at her answer and nods. "You seem like someone who would have a calm house."

Hailey laughs softly and asks, "And what's that mean?"

"I don't know," Jay chuckles. He lets out a breath and studies her for a moment before saying, "You seem really organized and intentional. I can't imagine your house just being a mess. I bet it's rather clean and well-decorated. Maybe you even have a puzzle on the wall."

Hailey laughs harder. "Sorry, no puzzle, but maybe eventually. This could be the year I get into puzzles."

"There you go," Jay laughs. He looks around the bar and asks, "Did you want to find your friend and spend some time with her? Or maybe we give up our bar stools and go find a corner to hang out in until the countdown?"

Hailey shrugs, but still slips off her stool just to stumble right into Jay between his legs. "Sorry, sorry," she mumbles, trying to step backwards only to run right back into her own seat.

She knew she'd been drinking a good amount, but to have it all rush to her head was a reminder that she definitely was going to need a ride home in a little bit.

"It's okay," Jay says as he sets his hands on her waist to steady her, "Are you good?"

Brushing her hand over her hair, she nods and stops moving to get her feet straight beneath her. "Just caught up with me," she says.

"Not a problem, just hold on, okay?" Jay replies. He slips his arm around her waist and tugs her against him so he can lean back over the bar to ask for two glasses of water.

As she waits for them with him, she can't help but breathe in the smell of his cologne. He smells a little like pine and a lot like whiskey. It's a sweet smell that's comforting when everything else is slightly spinning around her.

He gets the water a second later and presses the cool glass in her hand. "Take a couple sips then we'll make our way over to some of the actual chairs."

She nods and takes a long sip of water, closing her eyes as it rushes past her lips.

Jay chuckles and brushes his fingers along the edge of her cheek, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

The soft touch causes her to blink her eyes open and meet his gaze.

"I don't know if I've told you," he murmurs, "But I think you're really pretty."

Hailey's cheeks go red, and it has nothing to do with the alcohol coursing through her. Part of her thinks that Jay's just drunk as well - that he's only saying such a thing because he's had too many beers. However, after all the kind words he's said to her and his not-so-discreet flirting throughout the night, she wonders if she's insane to believe him.

"I don't know if you have," she whispers back, "So thank you."

Jay nods and brushes his fingers over her cheek again. "Warm?" he asks.

"A little," she replies, taking a deep breath and focusing on the way her chest brushes against his.

"Come on," he says softly. He easily slips the water from her hand and sets it on the bar just to replace it with his own hand. Again, he intertwines their fingers together and begins to tug her toward the back door.

"It's cold," she laughs once she realizes where they're going.

"They have a fire pit or two out there," Jay replies, already pushing the door open so that the cold night air rushes over them.

There isn't much snow anymore, but there's a light dusting coming from the sky that makes everything look like it's been covered in glitter. Only one other couple is sitting by one of the fire pits, but they're so lost in their conversation that Hailey doesn't think they even notice they're no longer alone.

"Just to cool off," Jay further explains as he leads her to one of the benches.

Nodding, Hailey sits next to him and brushes her hands over her face. She hates that her face had to have turned so red for him to get her to come outside, but she silently loves that they're now as alone as they could get.

"Feeling okay?" Jay asks softly.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," Hailey says quickly.

"It's really okay," Jay replies, setting his hand behind her on the bench, "I needed some air too. Are you sure you're good, though? If you're uncomfortable-"

"Jay," she interrupts as she places her hand on his leg, "I promise I'm okay – just a little embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Jay repeats, "Hailey, don't be. We've all had a couple too many, and you're not even drunk. I'm not worried at all about that. It's more that I took you outside without your friend knowing."

"She probably doesn't even realize I'm gone," she says, a soft laugh slipping into her voice and causing her to relax enough that she leans more against Jay's arm, "She really liked your friend."

"Well, he's a decent guy even if he annoys me sometimes," Jay chuckles, "She's safe in there with him."

"Good," Hailey says softly. She knows she safe out here as well.

Jay lets out a breath and turns his gaze to the fire. Together, they watch it crackle in silence, and Hailey uses the moment to calm the last of her nerves. No longer is she worrying about ordering a ride or what Kim's doing or even what books she's going to buy for her new year challenge. In the course of a couple hours, she's made plans for the following day, given her phone number to a guy she's just met, and had more drinks at a bar than she's had in forever.

Maybe the entirety of today was a coincidence, but the happiness she felt could only be described as something people feel in movies. She trusts Jay despite barely knowing him, and if that's not the most Hallmark thing she's felt all day, she's not sure what is.

"Do you have a goal for the year?" Jay suddenly asks.

Hailey glances away from the fire and hums. "Like a resolution?"

Meeting her eyes, Jay nods and scoots his hand closer to her waist.

"Well, I want to try new things," she says softly, "I know I said that earlier, but I guess that can be a goal. I still want to read – I'm not going to stop doing that – but maybe I'll be more open to new food or classes at the gym or spending time with different people."

Jay smiles and nods again. "I like that," he says, "Definitely sounds like a good resolution to have."

"Yeah," she murmurs, "And maybe more of a goal can be to get off patrol and into a new unit."

Jay laughs and turns back to the fire for a moment. "I don't blame you," he says, "It can get kind of monotonous, but it teaches you a lot. I was in the Gang unit for a bit before joining Intelligence with Adam. That became kind of the same thing over and over more than patrol did, so I was happy to leave."

His fingers close the last of the distance and fully rest against the side of her hip so she's further tucked against his side. She smiles at the movement and curls her hand on his thigh slightly.

"Do you have a resolution or goal?" she asks.

"Uh, I guess I can say similar to you," Jay says, turning his gaze back to her, "I'd always like to try new things. Sounds like maybe I should try to read a book or two."

Hailey laughs softly and shrugs. "It's fun, I swear."

"I believe you," Jay chuckles. He squeezes her against his side then takes a deep breath, seriousness suddenly crossing his face. "Without getting too into it, this next year's probably going to be a bit rough for my family, so I'd really like to spend more time with my mom before I can't. Maybe weekly dinners or something like that, so I should probably get better at cooking too – that way I'm not taking her out all the time."

"Jay," she breathes.

He tries to smile and simply shakes his head. She gets that he doesn't want to talk about it right now, but she feels the sadness coming off of him and lets her heart take control of the moment. Turning further into him, she wraps her arms around his chest and hugs him tightly, resting her head over his heart and closing her eyes. He doesn't fight her on it, instead holding her close and setting his chin on the top of her head. She brushes her hands over his back and hopes that he gets what she's thinking: complicated can be a lot of things, but that doesn't mean you have to deal with it alone.

"Thank you," he whispers in her ear.

"Of course," she murmurs against him. She grips his shirt briefly before sitting back, but still keeping a close distance between the two of them.

Jay brushes a fist beneath his eye, and Hailey's slightly surprised that he doesn't even try to hide it. He keeps his gaze set on hers, and she can see that whatever was crossing through his mind shook him enough to get upset at the thought of what's to come.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices that the other couple had left at some point, and now they really were alone out on the patio. She breathes in slowly and slips her hand up to rest against the side of Jay's face.

A smile flickers across his face, and he places his hand over hers. "Hailey," he begins, his voice brushing over her lips.

She nods and rubs her thumb over his cheek.

"I'm really glad I met you," he whispers, "And I'd really like to keep getting to know you over the next year. That's my goal."

She lets out a weak laugh and asks, "Really?"

"Really," Jay repeats, finally starting to smile again, "I think you're actually really awesome even if you think you're not – because I could tell that there were some things you weren't quite sure whether or not you should tell me. I'm really, really glad that you did. I like that you love reading so much and that you're so determined to be in Robbery-Homicide for such a cool reason – I want to be there when you tell Platt what you've done because of her. And I like that you do things that make you happy and don't automatically fall into what the world expects you to do. Talking to you tonight has made me happy – way happier than I thought I would be."

Behind her, Hailey can hear the starts of the New Year's Eve countdown, and she doesn't care in the least that she's not there to join in. Right now, Jay's saying words that she's only read in books and heard in movies; this is much more important.

Whether it all was a coincidence or a Hallmark burst of fate, Hailey doesn't care. She is also very happy that Jay came into her life no matter how it happened. It is far too soon to call it love or anything like that, but that always seems to be the fun of the cheesy rom-coms whether they're books or movies: the couple always gets together in the end.

Instead of saying anything in response to Jay's words, Hailey presses up just as everyone in the bar screams, "Happy New Year!" and kisses Jay with everything she has. Snow continues to fall around them, and the fire's still crackling, and she's far too cold to be healthy, and it's absolutely perfect. She's getting her Hallmark moment even if it is New Year's Eve in Chicago – not Christmas in a small town.

"Thank you," she murmurs against his lips when she pulls back enough to take a breath, "Thank you for everything you just said and for crashing your cart into my Target aisle."

Jay laughs and pulls her impossibly closer. He rests his forehead briefly against hers as he drags his cool fingers through her hair. "I'd do it all again in a second."

Hailey smiles and kisses him again.

Fireworks burst through the sky, and the cheering from inside the bar is just as loud, but everything seems to fade away like the end of a movie.

Hailey's choosing to lean into the happiness and the fun that's happened because of meeting Jay. Tomorrow they're going to go to a bookstore and wander the aisles and buy books and puzzles. They might go back to her apartment to make Greek food or maybe go to his so he can teach her how to properly make a martini. But that's tomorrow and everyday that follows. For now, she's taking in this moment that belongs in a book and accepting that this following year is going to be filled with new things.

Because if she's learned anything from books and movies, it's that the guy you kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve is the guy that you're going to spend the rest of the year with, and she cannot wait.


A/N: Let me know what you think? See you in the new year!