A/N: Hi! It's been a long while, but I'm back and ready to share the back half of this story with you. I've had a lot of fun returning to this world, and I hope you'll enjoy jumping back in with me. So welcome to one of my favorite vacation spots :)

Dreams were never the right length of time.

The dreams in which Hailey relived her wedding night or involved spending any sort of time with Jay were never long enough. The ones where she found herself wrapped in his arms were consistently held between the hours of five and six in the morning right before she needed to wake up with her alarm. When her uncle visited her in her sleep, they were like glimpses of what could have been, tastes of what her life used to be, and constantly left her wanting more. She missed him, and there never seemed to be enough time to truly talk to him in the way she wanted.

On the other hand, nightmares lasted far too long. Hailey could toss and turn all night to dreams of Jay bleeding out where she couldn't reach him. If she dreamt of Jay leaving her, changing his time in Bolivia to something like Australia or extending his stay for an unknown length of time, she could never wake up and reassure herself that it truly was just a dream until she was thoroughly drenched in sweat. For months after her uncle's death, Hailey couldn't stop reliving the phone call she'd gotten to notify her or her spinning mind when she arrived to see him dead on scene. Nightmares were unfairly mind numbing.

And then Hailey went on a honeymoon with Jay, and she finally experienced a true dream that never ended.

Their original plans to leave in the early morning after their vow renewal were scratched after spending most of the night enjoying each other and the love they shared. Neither of them was too concerned about heading out a few hours later than planned. Even then, nothing could stop their wandering hands and stolen kisses within the apartment, elevator, and truck before Jay could even hit the highway.

Hailey wished she could have experienced a true vacation with Jay before, but the few times they did have a chance to get away felt nothing like right now. The two weekends spent in Wisconsin had been relaxing, there was no question to that, but cases had loomed in the back of their minds or Jay was haunted by memories of his family that hung on all the walls. Besides, they really had only been in Wisconsin for less than forty-eight hours both times they were there; that was nothing compared to right now.

Now, they had a solid five days together in a town they'd never explored. It felt endless. Jay wasn't rushing to show off everything the little house had to offer, and Hailey wasn't worrying about waking up early enough to truly embrace their time away. The AirBnB became no stranger the very first day to soft laughter and quiet moans in each room of the house. They took their time looking around and enjoying each space the house provided.

It wasn't just for pushing each other on the furniture and seeing just how long they could last before falling apart at each other's fingertips. There was a piano Jay jokingly played at before Hailey took the chance to show him what her few lessons had taught her in middle school. The bathroom had a small tub with jets that Hailey sat in while Jay knelt next to her and fed her strawberries – something she had laughed at as he argued that it'd be romantic before she whole-heartedly agreed. There was a bedroom on the top floor with two twin beds that warranted them both to stop and stare, lost in thoughts of what could be one day in the future. Outside, Jay asked if Hailey could imagine any parties taking place on the small patio, but she couldn't get past the thought of what holidays looked like being celebrated around the spiral staircase. It was on the front porch in the adirondack chairs while sharing a bottle of wine from the local cherry store that they made all their plans for the following days.

Those plans first consisted of visiting Holland itself and seeing all the things the AirBnB host recommended. They had a picnic lunch made of food from a bakery and restaurant dedicated to blueberries. Hailey had a hard time deciding what exactly she wanted to get, so she managed to convince Jay to split a couple sandwiches with her. He'd jokingly argued with her, but was happy to order the food and even happier when they shared it in the gazebo in a park completely covered in flowers. It was there in front of the giant, floral Wizard of Oz book that he revealed it was one of his least favorite movies only to be countered by Hailey saying her last Halloween costume at the age of twelve had been a blonde version of Dorothy herself.

It also became their first destination where they both began taking more pictures than perhaps necessary. Jay wanted to remember Hailey standing next to the plants larger than her while she teased him as she pushed him toward the golden statues representing all the movie characters he couldn't stand. That small adventure was followed by a walk through the nearby neighborhood looking at the historic homes and questioning how hard it was to maintain a house built in the late 1800s.

The local shops brought much laughter and many smiles to their trip. Hailey didn't realize how much she loved cherries until they stepped foot into a store completely dedicated to the fruit. They bought a ton of chocolate, wine, snacks, and even coffee – so much so that there was no way they could finish it all during their trip. Down the street, Jay dragged Hailey into a toy store and picked up a wooden sword that he said looked just like the ones he and Will had when they were younger. Conversations about future kids couldn't be avoided at that point, and Hailey promised they could buy some wooden swords of their own in a few years, as long as Jay swore to lay some ground rules for their children. He happily agreed.

The store dedicated to the Danish culture led to more pictures and souvenirs. Hailey posed in the giant wooden clogs for Jay's phone before he bought her a wooden bouquet of tulips so she could remember their trip together. They instantly became her new favorite flowers.

Kind of like her new favorite t-shirt Jay bought her when the made their way into a nearby town the following day.

"So many t-shirt shops," he mumbled as he glanced around the street before tugging Hailey's hand across the crosswalk.

She laughed softly and said, "We should get one."

Jay glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "A tourist shirt?"

Hailey smiled and nodded. "It'd be fun. And we have to promise to wear it while we're here."

Jay stopped walking in front of one of said shops and nodded toward the window where a stuffed bear was wearing a red t-shirt with the symbol for the Coast Guard on it. "Do you really think I would wear something like that?" he asked.

"No," Hailey laughed, "Which is why we're going to find something even better. That one's too boring."

Jay rolled his eyes, but a smirk crossed his face as he let out a soft sigh. "I don't think I'm going to win this one, am I?"

Hailey laughed again and shook her head. "This trip's about having fun. That's it. No one knows us here. We're not even cops right now. We're two people on their honeymoon in-in...what city are we in again?"

"Grand Haven," Jay answered with a soft laugh and a nod toward the big sign across the canal.

"Grand Haven," Hailey repeated with a nod, "So let's have a bit of fun."

"As if the chocolate wasn't fun enough," Jay chuckled. He hummed under his breath then grabbed Hailey's waist and nodded. "All right. Let's do this. You pick out a shirt for me, and I'll grab one for you. We wear them tonight for dinner."

Hailey's smile widened, and she nodded quickly. "Perfect."

Jay kissed her forehead before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the store overflowing with all the tourist shirts they could have imagined.

Hailey couldn't help but keep Jay in the corner of her eye as she made her way through the shop. Since the moment they parked at their rental house, he'd been so relaxed and free. There wasn't anything holding them back or haunting them in the back of their minds. This trip truly was all about their marriage and how much they'd overcome; it was well worth a tacky t-shirt, especially since they'd already gotten chocolate and wine and flowers and more pictures than they could count.

Jay soon made his way to the cash register, a t-shirt hidden underneath his arm so she couldn't see what he'd picked out for her. At that, Hailey took a deep breath and picked up one of the navy shirts she'd been debating. It was ridiculous, incredibly silly, but she still loved it and thought Jay could even appreciate it for what it was.

Jay looked up from putting his card back in his wallet and smiled. Holding up his bag, he said, "I've got the perfect shirt for you."

"Mhmm, we'll see," she replied softly before pushing his arm. "Go wait outside," she said, "You can't see this just yet. We'll find a place to change, then you can take a look."

Jay chuckled and shook his head, but did as she asked, leaving her to quickly pay for the shirt and thank the cashier.

"She said there's a good place for lemonade down the street," Hailey said as she stepped out of the store.

"Going from chocolate and wine to lemonade and t-shirts," Jay said while taking Hailey's hand, "It's like we're aging backwards."

Hailey laughed and leaned into him. "There's nothing wrong with lemonade. It's fun."

"Even more fun when vodka's involved," Jay replied, "When Mouse and I got back from the war the first time, we found ourselves at a few college parties, and there was always vodka and lemonade. That's dangerous."

Once Hailey stopped her soft laughter, she asked, "How'd you end up at college parties when neither of you attended college?"

"You've clearly never met a desperate twenty year-old," Jay answered with his own laugh, "You can get anywhere with a fake id and a pair of dog tags."

Hailey hummed at that and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

"Just wanted sex and free alcohol," Jay breathed as he pushed open the door to the small restaurant for her.

Hailey snorted and practically bent over in laughter while making her way up to the line. Jay smiled at her and kept a hand on her back as she pulled herself together enough to order two lemonades and one of the giant pickles. The entire time, she couldn't help but continuously look over at her husband and work hard to contain her laughter. He kept winking back at her and smirking the entire time they waited for their order to be placed on the counter.

Once the pickle and drinks were in their hands, they made their way down to the rest area by the water, sipping at the lemonade and swapping drinks between bites of their snack, laughing when Jay decided his favorite was the plain one compared to the raspberry one Hailey couldn't get enough of.

"I'm expecting a show," Jay said while settling on one of the benches outside the building, "Kind of like our first night here with the black bra."

Hailey's head tipped back, and she let out a loud laugh. "That was a private thing, babe."

Jay smirked and shrugged. "Wouldn't mind seeing it in the daylight."

Hailey laughed harder and hurried into the building, straight to the bathroom where she pulled out a dark purple t-shirt with a big sunflower on the front. Underneath that flower were the classic words Life is Good. She smiled and shook her head, knowing for sure that it was nothing she'd ever buy for herself, but everything she needed to wear right now.

There was no reason to make a big show out of the shirt when she stepped out of the building, but still, she did a spin for Jay and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think?"

"Me?" Jay chuckled, "You're the one wearing the shirt. I think you look gorgeous. Have you ever worn that color purple?"

"No, I don't think so," Hailey laughed. She glanced down at the t-shirt and said, "Might be my new favorite color, though. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jay replied. Standing up, he moved to walk down the pier just for Hailey to grab his hand and shake her head.

"Get back here," she said with a laugh, "You still need to put on your shirt."

"Right, right," Jay chuckled. Like he'd been doing all trip, he leaned down to kiss her cheek before going to do as he was told.

Hailey smiled and sat on the bench he'd just abandoned. Part of her wondered if the cheek kisses and the constant smiles were brought on by more than just their honeymoon. This was the happiest he'd been since he came home, and certainly the happiest he'd been since the previous year. As much as she was proud of their relationship and loved the renewed life their marriage had, she knew his happiness couldn't all be because of her. There was his new job and new outlook on life that had to have been playing a part in Jay's determination to take a deep breath and live the life he deserved.

A life that was almost depicted right on his shirt the second he stepped out of the restroom.

"Really?" he asked.

Hailey laughed and stood up quickly. "Oh, it's so perfect."

Jay tried holding back a smirk, but still chuckled and shook his head. His green shirt was now replaced with a navy t-shirt that had a picture of Bigfoot sleeping beneath the stars and the age-old quote "Not all who wander are lost."

"I love it," Hailey said as she stepped up to him.

"Bigfoot's not real," Jay argued.

"Says who?"

"Many experts, probably several zoologists."

Hailey rubbed her hands up the soft cotton on Jay's back and said, "We'll see. Maybe we should go Bigfoot hunting."

"I'd rather do several hours of surveillance outside without snacks or access to a bathroom," Jay countered.

Hailey laughed and pushed up on her tiptoes to peck his lips. "You have no idea how badly I'd love to do either of those things with you."

Jay hesitated in her arms then wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he murmured in her ear, "I'd love to do any of that with you too."

"I know," she said softly, running her hand over the back of his head, "Maybe again someday. If you ever need someone to run a class or host a rookie or two, I'm your girl."

Jay chuckled and kissed her temple. Squeezing her gently, he pulled back and glanced down at his shirt. "Well, Bigfoot may or may not be real, but the quote might be the best part. I mean, personally, I felt pretty lost when I was wandering Bolivia, but it led me back to you, and I can't be mad at that."

Hailey shook her head and placed her hand on the side of his face. "No, I guess we can't be mad at that."

"Kind of mad about the way my shoulder twinges every once in a while, but…"

Hailey laughed softly and pulled him back into a hug, closing her eyes at the feeling of his laughter brushing against her ear. "I'm kind of mad about that too," she repeated softly.

Jay pressed his lips to her temple and took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too," she softly replied, "Forever."

"Always."

They stayed the rest of the day in Grand Haven. A walk along the water consisted of looking at the boats and discussing what it'd be like to live at sea. Hailey thought it'd be fun, but Jay was worried they'd get tired of such a small space for so long. He was much more interested in a weekend trip on a sailboat and said it could happen the following year for their one-year vow renewal anniversary. Hailey agreed that would be the perfect compromise.

They laughed at the big sign across the water where the words COAST GUARD CITY USA were standing amongst the grass, much like the Hollywood sign in California:

"Is this the closest we'll ever get to the Hollywood sign?" Hailey asked.

Jay chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Maybe for the time being. Maybe that's our second anniversary trip."

Hailey laughed at that and leaned into him, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulders. There were many, many trips to come from now on.

She realized that was going to be the beauty of Jay's new job: it was going to be much more consistent which meant they could actually plan trips and real vacations. Before, it didn't feel fair to take a break and leave Intelligence without both of its detectives. Now, she'd just be leaving them without one, and, even then, she realized she didn't care. It was a job. It should not have to be her entire life.

Jay was her life. Not all the little pieces of him, but him in general. He needed to take precedent over her job. He loved her and supported her. He gave her a marriage she never dreamed she'd have. Even if that marriage was one that went through a phase of darkness and despair, it was one she never thought she would deserve because it was filled with such love.

She was still herself, and she still controlled her life, but having a reason for living – having Jay – put everything into perspective. Now, without kids and when they were still able, was the time to take that life and do whatever she wanted with it – including sail boat trips and long vacations to Hollywood.

After their walk along the water and a dinner downtown, they moved to the beach to walk the pier. Jay's hand remained in Hailey's as they walked, and she didn't think she could ever get sick of it.

"Stay on the inside," Jay murmured as the railings ended, leaving them without anything keeping them on the cement besides their own two feet.

"I'm okay," she replied.

"I know that, but I just want you safe," Jay replied. He glanced over at the soft waves brushing against the pier and crinkled his nose. "Doesn't look like a pleasant fall."

Hailey let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Jay."

"You don't exactly have a great track record with water," he argued.

"Oh my god," Hailey laughed breathily, "Honey-"

"No, no," Jay chuckled, "Do not honey me. I've almost lost you once because of the water; we're not joking around about this."

Hailey stopped in the middle of the pier and looked up at Jay. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "That was over a year ago. I chose to jump in the water on my own. Maybe I could have gotten hurt, but I did not die. I survived. If you need me to prove that to you, I'd be happy to show you a thing or two back at the house tonight."

Jay let out a breath then cracked a genuine smile. "You know I love you, right?"

"Very much so," Hailey said with a nod.

Jay laughed and hugged her tightly. Kissing the top of her head, he murmured, "Thankful everyday that you're alive. I know you have some sort of water god inside you, but I still much prefer you on land."

Hailey laughed into his chest and rubbed her hands up his back. "Do you even know who the water god is?"

"Uh, no," Jay chuckled. He grabbed her hand again and, keeping her to his left and away from the water, continued their walk down the pier. "I would love for you to teach me, though. I'm assuming you know all about Greek myths?"

"I wouldn't say all about it, but it's definitely fun to think about," Hailey said, "They're kind of elaborate stories. Do you have the time?"

Jay looked around at the endless water then pulled his phone out to check the time. "I believe I do," he said slowly, "I always have time to listen to you tell me stories."

Hailey smiled at the teasing tone evident in his voice and squeezed his hand. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, I am absolutely positive," Jay said.

Hailey laughed and leaned into him, beginning with one of the stories about Poseidon that she could think of. Jay listened along the entire walk along the pier, even stopping at the lighthouse so they could sit at its base and continue their "lessons." When the chill in the air increased and the waves picked up, splashing them against the rocks, they moved their conversation down the pier and onto the beach. They stopped at the truck to grab a spare blanket they'd placed there in case they decided to have a picnic again and set up a spot on the sand to continue talking.

As Hailey dumped all her knowledge of Greek myths on Jay, she couldn't help but get lost in his face every once in a while. He had a soft smile, and his eyes were relaxed, joy evident in all his features. She couldn't remember ever talking about this with him before, and it made her happy herself to realize they had more to share than all they'd talked about before.

It didn't even feel like he was annoyed with her. She could remember telling some of these same stories to a guy or two over the years and being met with half-hearted replies or silence. Jay was hanging on to her every word and smiling along with each story. He asked questions and even added in his own bits of the myth that he knew, which always led to her laughter and surprise that he had heard what she was saying.

Eventually, Jay leaned back against his palms and invited Hailey to rest her head on his stomach. As she softly finished telling the story of Icarus, she closed her eyes against the sun shining in her eyes and let out a soft sigh.

"That's a sad story," Jay murmured, shifting so he could drag his fingers through her hair without completely unseating them.

Hailey hummed and nodded. "My dad would tell it to us as a reason to always listen to him."

"Hailey."

She didn't respond to his whisper that was barely heard above the soft sound of the waves against the sand. At the memory of having the Greek myth repeated over dinner several times throughout her childhood, she could feel tears stinging her eyes.

She had no issue with myths being told to teach lessons, but sharing a myth about a boy not listening to his dad and, thus, dying as a reason to listen to your abusive father was not comforting or productive. Pandora's box and Narcissus felt like better myths to share and discuss with not as disastrous results on real life. Those were the myths her uncle would share around the dinner table.

"Hailey, baby."

She blinked her eyes open against the tears and sunset. Turning her head to acknowledge that she heard Jay, she took a deep breath.

Jay brushed his thumb over her forehead and said softly, "You are beautiful, do you know that? I know you know I love you, but I want you to know that I respect you and really, truly think you're beautiful inside and out. You're strong. I've known that since I met you, but it's moments like right now where you're sharing more about your life that I understand exactly how strong you are."

Hailey blinked quickly, the tears in her eyes slipping down her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered through the croak in her throat.

"Here, I want…" Jay quickly, but gently, shifted her so that she was laying next to him on the blanket. He lowered himself to lay next to her, eye-to-eye, and whispered against her skin, "When we take the next step some day – and I'm well-aware that it really is some day – I want you to know that I will support our kids and teach them all the right lessons. That myth isn't about some dad controlling his kid, and your dad messed that up. That dad loved his son and wanted what was best for him. He wanted to protect his son. I promise you, Hailey, that when we eventually have a family, I will do everything in my power to not only protect them, but to love them with all my heart. At this point, I think the only people I could ever possibly love as much as I love you are ones that come from you. I cannot wait to have a little boy that's just as stubborn as you and a little girl that has your need to protect everyone you love. They're going to be these tiny little fireballs just like their mom, and I'm not going to stop them from doing what they want – unless it literally is flying too close to the sun."

Hailey sniffled and breathed in slowly through her mouth. "Jay."

She searched for the words to properly tell him just how much his words meant to her, but there was nothing that could truly encompass the feelings that were overwhelming her in that moment. He loved her. He truly loved her. He loved the dark parts of her and the pretty, bright parts.

Jay was kind and good and smart, and all of that added up to reasons as to why her uncle would have loved him. But, right now, as Jay laid next to her with his eyes just inches from hers while telling her what he took away from the Icarus myth, she knew this would have been her uncle's tipping point. He would have loved that a man could take a story she told and apply it to his own life, even if that life he talked about was years down the road.

Jay was the right choice all along.

"I know," he whispered back to her, "I know." His hand came up to rest against her cheek, and he brushed his thumb under her eye to catch a few stray tears.

"You always do," she murmured.

Jay smiled and closed the minuscule distance to kiss her. "My beautiful wife," he whispered, "My Hailey."

"Yours," she promised against his lips.

She didn't care that they were on the beach with dozens of people down by the water taking pictures of the sunset. She didn't care that she was surely getting stray sand in her hair. All she cared about was having Jay in her arms. Not only was he alive, but he was here vowing forever with her and praising her for not just the life she'd lived but the life they were going to grow together.

He was the myth she was grateful to be real.

The sun always made everything shine gold. Whether it was during the day and Jay was laughing at something she'd said or it was just past dinner and they were walking along the beach, the world seemed brighter here.

Hailey loved the feeling of the rays against her cheeks and how it'd contrast with the slight chill still in the air. They'd feel like Jay's hand still firmly wrapped around hers.

The one time she got slightly too warm during their honeymoon was on a hike at Rosy Mound. It wasn't a tough walk by any means, the cement walkways guiding them out to the water, but it was hidden within the woods, and the air felt a little warmer and more humid there.

Hailey tugged off the loose sweatshirt jacket she'd brought and tied it around her waist. Huffing softly, she breathed, "Getting kind of warm."

Jay nodded and brushed a hand half-heartedly over his damp forehead. "Looks like we're almost there, though," he said.

"I at least hope the ground evens out soon," Hailey added, "Going uphill is going to kill me."

Jay chuckled and glanced at her. "Need a lift?"

Hailey met his eyes and smiled. "Not now," she said, "But maybe on the way back."

"We can do that," Jay replied. He put a hand out to lightly rub over her back before they spent the next five minutes in silence.

Finally, they saw an opening in the pathway and made their way to the lookout where the sun, once again, was making Lake Michigan sparkle far below.

"Wow," Hailey whispered.

She stepped up against the railing and took a deep breath. She'd never seen anything like it. The water was still hundreds of yards away, but it glittered as waves brushed through it. Trees dotted the sand with wildflowers sprouting around them.

"Nothing like Chicago," Jay said softly.

Hailey shook her head and breathed, "Not at all. I…I love the city, but this is…it's something else."

Jay leaned against the railing next to her as he looked out at the scene as well. "It's stuff like this that I've always missed when I'm enlisted. This last time, you were obviously what I missed most, but sometimes I'd wake up just wanting to see the lake or all the trees around my family's cabin."

"It's home," Hailey suggested.

Jay hummed and breathed in the fresh air.

Hailey's eyes flickered across the landscape before she finally said, "This is beautiful."

If she would have glanced to her left, she would have seen Jay staring at her as he murmured, "I know."

Instead, she simply smiled and took a step closer to him, knowing all too well that he hadn't been looking out at the water in that moment like she'd been as she allowed him to wrap his arms around her. It was then that he kissed the top of her head, breathed her in just like he'd done with the crisp air around them, and turned back to the view.

"Perfect," he whispered, "It's all perfect: the view, this trip, you. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Thank you for remarrying me."

Hailey closed her eyes against the bright sun for just a moment before turning around in his hold. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Thank you for loving me."

Jay smiled back and leaned down to kiss her nose.

Hailey laughed softly and slid her hands down his back until they could play along his belt. "Despite all that, are you ready for the real world?"

"Oh god, no," Jay said without any hesitation, "I don't know how I'll ever go back. It's been nice just having you to myself. Nice not having any responsibilities. Nice being able to do all of this and not worry about anyone seeing us."

"Ah, I see," Hailey lightly teased, "You don't want people to see that you love me."

Jay laughed and said, "No. Not that. I want the world to know that I love you. I mean, we just renewed our vows in front of all our friends, and I don't regret that at all. I'm talking about being a little more private. I like that here we don't have to look over our shoulder or worry about someone seeing us from a case and can just exist."

Hailey softened and nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. She'd thought it herself: how here they were people with real lives, not cops with rings on their fingers. However, that life had almost completely disappeared anyways. Jay didn't have to worry about undercover work or CIs going forward. That could make all the difference and at least ease some of the stress that used to exist on date nights or in the bullpen.

She lightly dragged her nails up his back until she could squeeze his shoulders and rest her hands on the sides of his face. "There's definitely less stress here than in Chicago, but it's not like our lives will be over when we get back. We're certainly not going to be going back to the way things were last year. It's a new start, and that start will be everything. I'm not looking forward to leaving, but I'm looking forward to that new life. It can be our breath of fresh air in Chicago."

Jay shot her a smile then leaned down to kiss her cheek. "You're right," he said softly, "Like always."

"I'm not always right," Hailey corrected.

Jay raised an eyebrow and set a hand on her waist. "Hailey."

"Just…a lot of the time?" she quietly asked.

Jay hesitated then laughed loudly, and the sound wrapped around them both, making this little spot on a path out in the woods feel even more private if possible. He nodded quickly and said, "Fine. Fine. You are right most of the time. For one, you were right when you decided not to move to New York; that might be my favorite correct decision you've ever made."

Hailey hummed and smiled. "That was a good decision. I think my favorite decision of yours came approximately two minutes later when you kissed me."

Jay chuckled and leaned against the railing, tugging her to stand between his legs. "I'd agree with that one. I'm also quite a fan of the day I got down on one knee and asked you to marry me."

"Now that," Hailey said with a soft poke to his chest, "Was the easiest decision I'd ever made. Right next to agreeing to renew our vows. All easy, great ideas."

Jay smiled back at her and gently tucked a strand of her hair that'd fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. "We make good decisions together."

"Because we're damn smart," Hailey said, a smirk teasing her lips.

Jay laughed again and nodded. "Yeah," he breathed, "We really are."

Hailey reached up to peck his lips then nodded toward the stairs leading down to the lake. "Do we risk the climb back up?" she asked, "Where would that stand on our list of good decisions?"

Before Jay could even think about replying, two women stepped onto the platform and panted softly. "Don't," the first said, "Just go visit the beach at the state park."

The other nodded and eyed the two of them. "You look like you could do it, but it's a hell of a lot of work to get back up here. Much more satisfying to just walk on flat land."

Hailey laughed and raised an eyebrow at Jay.

"It'd stand at the bottom," he finally answered, "I didn't go on vacation to work out and do a million stairs."

Hailey laughed harder and nodded. "Thank you, but I gotta say, it's probably more like two hundred, not a million."

"Well, math wizard," Jay teased while stepping forward and tossing an arm over her shoulder as he led her back toward the path, "What are your thoughts on getting dinner somewhere, maybe that burger place we heard about in town, and then going to watch one last sunset?"

"You had me at dinner," Hailey said.

Jay chuckled and kissed the top of her head as they slowly made their way back down the path. Not as rushed as before, the warmth in the humidity felt much more tolerable, and Hailey knew that perhaps this trip was their best decision yet.

The beach felt endless like it had each time they'd visited while on their trip, but Hailey finally felt like she was truly appreciating it now that the thought of driving home was really looming over them. Jay's hand was once again in hers, and they were taking another walk together, but now they were walking along the water with the sand slipping beneath their bare feet and the waves lapping at their cool skin. Hailey had no idea how long they'd been walking for, and yet she didn't care because it meant they could remain in this bubble for just a little longer.

It also meant that she could wait until there weren't many people around to give Jay the gift she'd gotten him earlier when he'd stepped away to go to the bathroom. She'd never been the type of person to hide any purchases from her husband, but the second she saw it, she knew she needed to get it, and then did her best to get Jay to finish their water in hopes he'd need to excuse himself for a moment. Part of her worried he'd turn it down, so she kept telling herself that he would love any gift she gave him. She hadn't been this nervous in a long time, which was silly, but she really wanted Jay to like this. She thought it was special.

"In the future," Jay said to break their momentary silence, "We should take yearly trips here. Maybe Will and I can sell the cabin or he can just buy it off me, and we should get our own cabin here. I'm sure there are little cottages around here. It was not a far drive – closer than Wisconsin actually – so it's not a bad idea."

"A yearly trip is different than having a cabin here," Hailey pointed out, "If we ever bought a second house, I would like to visit it rather often."

"We don't go to Wisconsin that much," Jay said.

"Exactly." Hailey leaned into his side and continued, "I'm all for having a cabin, but I think we need to maximize our time at it."

"Are you saying you want to go to Wisconsin more?" Jay asked.

Hailey let out a breath and stopped walking. "I'm saying let's try it out over the next year or so, and then revisit the whole Michigan cabin idea. I'm well-aware that we struggled to get time off in the past, but things are going to be different now, and so I think we could actually do it if we're intentional."

Jay's lips tipped up, and he nodded. "I think that's fair."

It was that look on his face, the one that told her he was being completely serious and enjoyed thinking of a future with her, that made her tug his hand until they were sitting on the sand. Taking a deep breath, she stuck her hand in her jacket pocket and quietly said, "I bought you a gift."

Jay raised an eyebrow, but easily smiled and said, "You did?"

"Mhmm," Hailey hummed. She chewed the inside of her lip before gripping the box tightly and pulling it out. Handing it to Jay, she said softly, "It's for a lot of things: for coming home to me, for the vow renewal, for never giving up, and so you always remember that now you can clock out at five."

Jay laughed softly and clicked open the box where a black watch with wooden accents sat. Immediately, the smile froze on his face, and he took a slow breath.

"It's made out of a whiskey barrel," Hailey softly explained, "And I know the army gave you a new watch to replace the one that broke in Bolivia, but it's not the exact same, and we both agreed it's a bit cheap looking. Plus you're not exactly going out in the field anymore, so this is a little nicer, and it's from me."

The last few words came out even quieter than the rest of her explanation, and she could feel the nerves bubbling beneath her skin, making her hands and neck get warm.

"Hailey."

Jay shook his head, and she felt her heart drop to her stomach, but then he shoved up his sweatshirt jacket sleeve and slipped the watch from the army off.

"Nothing to be nervous about," he said as he tugged the watch out of its case, "I can see it all on your face right now: your cheeks are getting all red." He shot her a smile before wrapping the watch around his wrist and fastening it tightly. Looking down at it, he said, "This is the absolute coolest thing I've ever been given. Thank you." He reached up to place his hand on the side of her face, his cool skin giving relief to the warmth radiating through her, and she finally breathed in in relief.

"Really?" she asked.

Jay's face broke into a grin, and he said, "Yes! Hailey, this is awesome. A watch made out of my favorite drink? Perfect. Where'd you get this?"

"A place in town," she answered, a smile starting to form on her lips, "The second I saw it, I thought it'd be perfect for you."

"And it is," Jay said. He brushed his thumb over her cheek then leaned forward to kiss her quickly. "Thank you," he murmured, "Best vow renewal gift you could have given me. I love it."

"I love you," Hailey finished.

Jay chuckled and nodded. "I do love you. I love you a lot."

In that moment, he looked just like he had years before when he first uttered those words in the warmth of her bed. His eyes full of hope and sincerity. The strength and comfort of his arms wrapped around her. His pulse beating through him, tying his heart to hers. Pure him.

Before that morning, she hadn't even considered how they'd share those words with each other. She had no doubt that they had the feelings for years leading up to that morning, and she knew they'd both shown the other how they'd felt, but the words had been silent.

There'd been the time she'd fallen at work and scraped her knee. She'd felt like a little kid despite the string of cuss words she let slip from her mouth as she'd limped back to the truck. And then Jay had listened to her complain about the sting – both physical and mental – of the fall and followed her into the locker room to help her clean the small wound before lightly putting his hand on her cheek for an unspecified amount of time that would have given their relationship away. They had officially been together for two weeks at that point.

After he'd been shot, she'd brought a Greek meal to his apartment and set it all up on a tray that she'd carried to the couch so they could enjoy it together. He'd tried straightening up in a small attempt to impress her. She'd slipped her hair from its ponytail and checked her reflection in her phone before stepping off the elevator. They had spent all night laughing through the garlic and hummus until Jay needed to take a dose of his pain meds that led to him dozing off on the couch. She ended up staying the night just to make sure he was okay since he wasn't in a bed. Her feelings were shockingly obvious to her the following morning.

The day Jay brought her hot chocolate and a salt bagel for breakfast because she'd told him about growing up with an abusive father.

The card she'd sent him signed with a heart after his own father passed away.

When he slipped in the shower behind her after a long case and allowed her to cry against his chest long after the water went cold.

When she found a way to make him laugh after he'd gotten scolded by Voight at his own apartment.

The way his fingers squeezed hers before Will shoved him in the back of an ambulance when he'd narrowly missed getting a flesh-eating bacteria.

How her eyes had sparkled beneath the elevator light when she'd finally pulled back from his kiss on the way up to her apartment for their first time.

And now she could say it. Forever.

It wasn't a dream. It wasn't silent. It was real.

It was all she ever wanted with him.

It was true, unabashed love.

A/N: Let me know what you think? Can't wait to see you next week!