A/N: Hi hi hi! I'm back and I'm so excited to share this last quarter of the fic with you. We are on a much happier ride with some fun things ahead that I hope you'll enjoy. So here we go :)

Jay pressed several slow kisses to Hailey's back as she lay next to him on their bed. She laughed softly and buried her face in her pillow while his lips dragged along her bare skin.

"What?" he chuckled, leaning up to brush her hair off to the side to kiss her temple, "What're you laughing at?"

She laughed harder and shook her head.

"Yeah, yeah, I want to know," Jay teased. He brushed his fingers along her sides, earning another laugh from her.

The warmth of his body wrapped around her. There was a heat from his words that slipped deep within her soul, sending a spark down her spine. They're so tangled up together that she's not quite sure where her own heart ends and where his begins.

For days now, they've been in this bubble whenever possible – like Jay expressing that he truly wants a family with Hailey broke down a barrier between them. It has been years since she realized this was what she wanted herself, but it had been months since she thought it was possible. A future family was always on the table and had been sneaking its way back into the center, so the reminder that now it truly was going to eventually happen shed a brighter light on everything they did together.

Coming home after work led to wandering hands during dinner and lingering touches as the TV provided quiet background noise to their daily summaries. Hailey found herself almost looking forward to the moment she'd pull her ponytail out because Jay would surely be at her side within a second, dragging his fingers through her hair and whispering that he missed her. She craved the feeling of him soothing the tightness in her mind both physically and mentally after a long day. In turn, if she made it home before he did, Hailey liked to sit on their bed and watch him undress from his uniform, often undoing his tie and belt for him while listening to him recap his drive home.

At its simplest, Hailey knew that what they were experiencing was pure happiness and love. They had finally reached the other end of the tunnel they'd been walking through for almost a year now, and the warmth they were met with was unmatched. She finished off her search for closure by talking to her brother and finally put the past behind her. Even though she had been the one making personal strides toward forgiving Jay, having her brother's approval seemed to be the last thing she needed to truly move on.

Jay's own acceptance of his life now helped as well. He seemed to really enjoy what he was doing, even on the long days when he stayed late to review assignments or had to deal with any of the several problems his recruits seemed to have. Hailey thought he looked like he was at home, too. The job was perfect for him even if he hadn't pictured it for himself. His patience toward his students and his passion for the job gave him drive each day to not just show up to work, but to do well when he was there.

Hailey couldn't wait until she could see it in action.

Rolling onto her back, she smiled up at him and said, "I'm happy. Is that bad?"

"No," Jay chuckled. He climbed on top of her and leaned down to kiss her, lightly tugging her bottom lip between his. As he let go, he whispered, "You're also beautiful."

"Stop it," she laughed softly, "It's like seven in the morning."

"And you're already looking drop dead gorgeous? How lucky am I?" Jay asked.

Hailey's cheeks flushed, and she pushed against his chest. "You need to stop before we leave. The teacher can't be caught flirting with his guest speaker."

"Sounds like one of those books Kim's trying to get you to read," Jay said. He pecked her nose quickly and smirked. "I think it'd be fun to see how far we go without the others knowing. I'm always down for a game."

"Jay," she laughed, "No. I can't. I want to come across as professional."

"Hence, how fun it'll be to goof around," Jay countered, but he still smiled and climbed off of her. "But I'll cool it once we're there, promise. Did you want to drive separate like the old days?"

"The old days," Hailey scoffed, softening as she sat up against the headboard. "Why does that feel like forever ago?"

"Because it was," Jay replied. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. "What year was that?"

Hailey hummed and began running her fingers through his hair. "2021, right? So two years ago. Gosh, that's really not that long."

"Just feels like it because of Bolivia," Jay sighed.

Frowning, Hailey nodded even though his eyes were still closed. Jay's absence put a pause on everything. Maybe that was part of the reason why everything felt so good right now. They could finally move forward and live their lives as they were meant to be. No more sudden memories seeping through their day like cold drafts beneath a door. Instead, any memories that were tainted with the past year were much more tolerable now.

Bolivia was never going to be something positive for them to look back on, but it was something they overcame, and that was something to be proud of. Not only had their marriage survived something so dark, but they'd survived it on their own too. Hailey had been forced to be more independent than she'd been in years and tackled some of her hardest cases yet. All of it prepared her for life today in the unit where Jay was no longer working.

Acknowledging Bolivia was huge for him, though. Jay was taking a step forward and recognizing the impact his absence and choices had on their marriage. It was not something he did often, especially in front of her, so hearing him outright speak on that time of their lives without it being a fight or an overly emotional conversation was a big change in their relationship.

Hailey reached down to squeeze his shoulder and nodded. That was all they could do now: acknowledge it and move on. It wouldn't do any good to continue dwelling on the past when their present was so warm and their future had so much potential.

With a sigh, Jay reached over to grab his phone and glance at the time. He showed his screen to Hailey and said, "Guess we should get up, huh?"

"Yeah," Hailey hummed. She smiled down at him and added, "Let's go influence some minds."

Laughing, Jay rolled out of bed, stretching as he straightened up. "I'd like to think that's what I do everyday."

"I'm sure you do," Hailey replied as she pushed up on her knees. She reached over to grab his arms and smiled when he stepped closer to her. "You influenced me."

Jay smiled back and leaned down to kiss her slowly. "Think I can influence you to take a shower with me?" he murmured against her lips.

Hailey laughed and rubbed her hands down his back. "I could probably be persuaded."

Jay smirked as he slipped his hands down to her thighs. She laughed harder when he picked her up to carry her to the bathroom.

There was no world in which she could ever see herself denying spending more time with Jay.

"It's up to you," Hailey said once Jay parked his truck outside the academy, "If you want me to give you five to walk inside first, I am totally fine with that."

Jay scoffed and shook his head. "You can come in with me. The other guys know we're married."

"If you're sure," Hailey replied.

Jay responded by smiling at her and squeezing her hand before opening his door. He was fine with it. She should have known he would be since he was the one, years ago, completely fine with them being a couple in the bullpen. She'd been the one to pull the plug that time.

However, now she had a diamond on her finger next to a black wedding band. They were married, which created a much different vibe than just two people dating, no matter how serious they were. Not that there was anything to be embarrassed by when they were dating, but being married and working together seemed more socially acceptable.

It almost seemed silly to even think that, though, and Hailey shook her head at herself while jumping out of the truck. She hated her parents for making her think that relationships had something shameful about them. Jay was one of the kindest, most respectful men she knew; there was nothing wrong with dating him and certainly nothing wrong with marrying him.

If anyone deserved to be shown off, it was him. Hailey was proud to say he was her husband. He was a good person who knew what he wanted in life. He didn't stop until he achieved his goals and was supportive of everything she chose to do in life. Jay was the kind of person she needed to marry and form a family with. Tying herself to him was one of the best decisions she'd ever made.

Despite being fine walking into the academy together, Jay didn't reach for Hailey's hand, and he kept a healthy distance between the two of them. He was in his uniform, and she had her badge hooked to her belt. They were married, but they still needed to be appropriate, and Hailey was more than okay with setting boundaries here.

"Morning, Jay," a man greeted as they stepped back into an office area.

Jay nodded at him and replied, "Morning." He gestured toward Hailey and said, "Brian, this is my wife, Hailey."

She smiled and walked over to shake Brian's hand, noting his nametag and realizing this was the Avery that Jay talked about often. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Likewise," he replied, "Jay said you're going to talk about undercover work today?"

"That's the plan," Hailey said, "I'll tell my story and how I've gone undercover in both Robbery-Homicide and Intelligence."

"More power to you," Brian said with a shake of his head, "I've never had to go under. Guess that's a small perk to working patrol."

"Patrol's hard work, man, don't say that," Jay said, leaning against the front desk.

Brian shook his head again. "That's what I'm saying. It's rough. I'm not sure what else to do, though. Jess and I made the schedule work with Caitlin, so suddenly having to change things around because the daily wear and tear got to be too much seems silly."

"I can't imagine," Jay said.

Hailey glanced around the small office space and spotted a couple framed pictures on one of the desks. From where she was standing, she could see a little girl with curly black hair tied up in two buns in one of them. It had to have been the toddler she knew Brian had and was talking about. Seeing that picture made her wonder if Jay had any of his own on his own desk.

"Hey, Halstead finally made it," came another voice, "Traffic bad?"

Hailey turned with Jay to see another guy walking toward them with a cup of coffee in hand. Whereas Brian seemed to be about their age, this man was probably about ten or fifteen years older. He had much more grey hair and a belly that told her he hadn't worked the streets in a while, but he was smiling at them and seemed genuine.

"Not awful, just a slow start to the morning," Jay explained, "Hailey, this is Eric Miller. He runs the night course, but hangs out here to avoid spending time with his wife."

"You're lucky I like you," Eric chuckled. He shook Hailey's hand and said, "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Yeah, Jay said you make some awesome Greek food," Brian added, "I was kind of hoping you'd bring some for lunch."

Hailey laughed and looked between them all. "Sorry. Had I known there were food requests, I would have made something. Maybe next time."

"Definitely next time," Eric said before walking over to his desk.

Jay laughed softly, and the arrival of his coworkers seemed to relax him slightly. He lightly touched Hailey's arm and nodded over to a cubicle in the corner. Walking together, he said, "You don't have to make them food, but I won't complain about chicken shawarma for dinner."

"Noted," Hailey laughed. She pulled a chair over to sit next to the desk while Jay settled in his own seat to turn his computer on. Glancing around, she lowered her voice and said, "This is nice. Do you like it better than the bullpen?"

Jay shrugged and pulled a spiral notebook out of his bag. Opening it to his agenda, he said, "The privacy is kind of nice, but it really is just a cubicle – I can still see Miller eating his lunch or hear Avery on the phone. I definitely miss having you across from me, though."

Hailey smiled at him and nodded. "I miss having you across from me too. Do you need a picture of me in here?"

Jay laughed softly and shook his head. Reaching over, he grabbed the one framed picture on his desk and flipped it around for her to see. It was a picture of the two of them from their "honeymoon" in Holland. They were standing on the beach with the waves behind the two of them, and Hailey wished they could go back to the fresh air.

"Is that good enough?" he asked.

"For sure," Hailey said with a smile, "I like it. Maybe I should get a copy of that one for my desk too."

"I'll see what I can do," Jay chuckled. He glanced to his computer screen and shook his head before beginning to quickly type a reply. "Sorry," he mumbled, "One of the kids just…you'd think it's not hard to do homework."

Hailey laughed and shook her head. "Do whatever you have to. I like how you're not calling them recruits, though, that was very pretentious."

"They're recruits when they act like it," Jay replied, "Kids when they're doing dumb crap and wasting my time."

Laughing harder, Hailey pulled her leg up on her chair and continued looking around his small office space. In the bullpen, there wasn't much room for showing your personality at your desk. Like here, everyone had a picture or two sitting next to their computer, but that was about it. There weren't any walls to hang things on, and it truly was a shared space. That seemed to carry over into Jay's new workspace even though he did have walls now. He'd managed to get a whiteboard calendar to hang on the wall opposite his desk, and the magnets he had were just plain black circles. On the three walls, he'd tacked the academy schedule up with a few other papers that seemed to have phone numbers, rules, and general reminders on them. Now that he had an office, he used it to show off a few of the certificates and plaques he'd earned over the years while working for the department.

What made Hailey the happiest, though, was the picture he'd surely printed off here before sticking it next to one of his awards: it was of the unit at the bar on the day Trudy had thrown her a work anniversary party. While she hadn't wanted the party, she had been glad to have one in the end. It was nice to get out, especially after that case, and spend time with the people who truly made her a better cop. The night had been fun and one that she wished she could have more often. The fact that Jay also enjoyed the night enough to print off the picture they had from it made her smile and wish they could go out again to celebrate him this time.

"Halsteads here yet?"

Hailey tore her eyes from the picture to look toward the opening in the cubicle. She recognized Jack Hanover's voice, having worked with him in years past when he'd asked her to speak to his previous classes, but what she wasn't sure was what exactly he'd said.

"Back here," Jay called out without looking up from his screen.

Hailey furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to ask him the question on the tip of her tongue, but then Jack was standing right there, and she knew now wasn't the time.

"Good to see you Hailey," Jack said, smiling at her, "Thanks for coming to help us out. It'll be good for the girls to hear from you, but I think the boys need a wake-up call, as well, regarding women in charge."

"Not a problem," she replied, standing up to shake his hand, "I'm excited to be here."

Jack glanced over at Jay finishing up his email and chuckled quietly. "Your husband's been doing good here. I've been very impressed."

Hailey smiled and nodded. "I'm very proud of him."

"I'm right here," Jay said quietly. He pressed send on his screen then stood as well. Nodding at Jack, he said, "But I have liked working here. It feels right."

"Because it is," Jack replied, "You're putting a positive spin on this department, and I know the next generation of cops is going to be better because of you." He glanced over his shoulder then leaned forward and whispered, "And you know I'd love to give this gig to you instead of Miller. Much more deserving."

Jay laughed softly and said, "Thank you, sir."

Hailey felt pride surge through her at the words and smiled wide at him. She wasn't surprised in the least to hear the words, but it still made her happy to hear Jay get recognized by people other than her.

Jack clapped Jay on the shoulder quickly before stepping backwards. "Kids will be here soon, and I'd like to get started right away so they can have that extra field practice that we were talking about yesterday. You good with that?"

"We'll head over there in a minute," Jay answered with a nod.

"Great," Jack said. He walked out of the cubicle and continued to say, "Avery, the Halsteads are going to be in the room in a minute. Do you mind going to make sure the projector's all set up?"

"Sarge, it's just a projector, you really have to learn at some point, don't you think?" Brian replied.

"I sign your checks, let's go," Jack said.

The door to the office opened and closed, leaving Hailey and Jay nearly alone, and she almost felt stuck. She'd heard it again, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it: Jack was referring to them as the Halsteads. They were married, but they did not have the same last name, and Hailey didn't realize that people didn't know that.

"We should head out," Jay said, picking up his bag, "I like making sure I'm all set before they enter the room."

Hailey blinked and looked at him, and that's when she realized he was not at all phased by Jack acting like she had the same name as him. It was as if it had come up previously and Jay was used to it by now.

When they first got married, she hadn't felt like she needed to change her last name. Jay didn't even ask her if she'd do it; it had been days before she brought it up and asked if he was fine with her remaining Hailey Upton. He'd almost acted like she was silly for even bringing it up at the time.

"I really don't care what your name is, Hail," he'd said while they'd shared a bottle of wine on the couch, "You're my wife, and that's my ring on your finger, and that's really all I need. Who cares if you're Hailey Halstead?"

There had been a nice sound to it when he'd said it, but that was the one and only time it'd come up. Hailey went forward as Hailey Upton and never thought of it again. Even while Jay was gone, there hadn't been an issue with her trying to get a hold of him: everyone on the base knew that Hailey Upton was married to Jay Halstead and to give her any of the information she was requesting. It just confirmed to her that they were set as a couple and nothing needed to be done.

Now that they were closer than ever, though, Hailey wondered if that needed to change or if Jay was beginning to want it to change, and she really didn't know what she personally wanted.

"You coming?" Jay asked before he could step out of his cubicle.

Hailey looked over at him and nodded slightly. "Uh, yeah, yeah."

Even if he did want her to change her last name now, what he really wanted was for her to work with him and give a short lecture on going undercover. Now was not the time for the two of them to debate what her name should be.

Jay smiled at her and reached over to squeeze her hand then led the way out of the office. Taking a deep breath, Hailey followed him to the classroom and tried putting all thoughts of her name out of her mind as she watched him set up his notes and files for the morning.

Just as she was finishing reviewing her own notes as to what to talk about, the recruits started entering the room and finding their seats. She could feel their eyes on her as they filed in and wondered if they knew she was coming today. It just brought about a new fear of hers that Jack had told them that Jay's wife was coming in. While she was Jay's wife, she had done everything undercover prior to even meeting him: all of that had been done as Hailey Upton. In concerns to her job, she wanted everything in that aspect to continue being under her maiden name – even if that maiden name held rough memories regarding her childhood.

Despite everything her father had done to her, she had managed to overcome it and make her own name for herself. She took something that was stained with abuse and negativity and turned it into something worth remembering. People within the department knew who she was because of the accomplishments tied to her name. That was something to be proud of, not shy away from. Changing her name could potentially erase all of that.

"Hailey," Jay hissed, breaking her out of her thoughts.

She quickly spun to him and hummed. "Yeah?"

"You cool if I start?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," she said, nodding and glancing over at everyone staring at her in anticipation, "I'm ready when you are."

Jay smiled and nodded back at her before taking a step forward to greet his class.

Hailey shook the thoughts of her name from her head and leaned against an empty desk at the side of the room to watch. Instantly, she felt that spark of pride she'd felt earlier return upon seeing Jay in his new element. She was so used to seeing him command a room or situation that she thought she knew what to expect when it came to him teaching his students, but he had a different vibe about him now that she hadn't seen before.

In a way, he was more relaxed. He smiled a bit more and had a softness in his eyes that made him human. His recap of their previous lessons had a life within it showing the pride he felt in being their teacher. There were, of course, moments where she could see he was frustrated – when one guy leaned over to ask a girl if they'd needed to read one chapter or two for homework and when another asked for what exactly the definition to undercover was – but he was able to reign himself back in before the anger she saw last year before Bolivia could show its head.

The Jay she'd seen in Intelligence was still deep down within this teacher version of Jay; he'd just found a way to bend and adjust his personality to a new concept of his career. While she'd seen the changes in him at home, and others had as well in commenting how happy and fulfilled he seemed, personally witnessing it took Hailey's breath away in a sense. She realized she needed this moment to recognize that despite everything Jay had gone through, he truly was better in the end. Even at his new job, he was able to make her forget about the stress of her own work and what her name was and how therapy was going all because she was proud of the man he'd become.

"Enough of me," Jay finally said, breaking Hailey from her thoughts and causing her to turn and smile at him. He winked so quickly that she almost swore she imagined it before announcing, "Like I said yesterday, today we have a guest speaker. Detective Hailey Upton is here to talk to all of us about undercover work and what she personally experienced and learned when she went undercover for Robbery-Homicide and Intelligence. While she's speaking, I expect you to listen and listen well. Undercover work is not just for specialized units. At any point in your career you might be asked – or, rather, told – to go undercover. You need to know what to expect; this is not a blow-off day. Got it?"

There was a murmur of "Yes, Detective" and "Yes, sir," and Hailey had to work not to smile at the words.

She stepped forward to the center of the room where Jay had positioned himself and softly said, "Thank you, Detective."

When he normally would have brushed his hand to her hip or back as they passed, instead, he seemed to purposely shove his hands in his pockets while walking away with a smile on his face. If the students noticed the air warm between the two of them, no one said anything or made any reference that they knew the two of them were together.

Hailey took the second of him walking away to take a deep breath before turning to properly face the class. "Thank you for having me," she began, "Undercover is not for the weak, but it does not mean that it isn't for you. Like Detective Halstead said, many of you will have at least one undercover assignment before you hit retirement, maybe even within the first ten years of your career. While what you do while undercover is obviously important, it's your mindset that keeps you human."

As she continued her lecture, she began slowly pacing the classroom. She let Jay, Jack, and Brian fade to the back of her mind as she went, instead choosing to make eye contact with the recruits, especially when she began telling her story. Dipping back into the mindset that she was in when her Booth investigation took place, memories of Garrett and who she was as a police officer flooded her brain.

She had grown since that period of her life, and there was no doubt that going undercover had changed her. Garrett's disappearance broke her in a sense that she had begun to experience love just for it to be taken away from her within weeks of realizing it. For the first time in her life, she had fallen in love with someone. It had been terrifying in itself because she was so used to love ending in heartbreak. What she hadn't realized was that the heartbreak could occur because of someone else. Garrett had been ripped from her hands by someone else's decisions, and yet she'd carried guilt for years because of it.

Had the officer she'd been then known where she'd be in not just her career but also her life within the next ten years, she would not have believed any of it. Intelligence was great in itself, but it was the progress she'd made in her heart with Jay and moving forward after Garrett and Booth that she was most proud of. Because of Jay, she'd been able to even put Booth behind her. His death sat with her for years before her concerned partner had made his way on her couch and gave her an outlet for something she'd otherwise kept hidden. Jay allowed her to dig deep within her past and work through the love she'd lost.

Undercover work had brought her to where she was in all sense of the word. She'd meant it when she said it was hard, but it being hard was what made it worth it in the end. Several things could go wrong during an undercover assignment that led to permanent changes to one's life. The worst could happen; she just had to continuously remember that how she bounced back was what made her a better cop in the end.

That was her goal in this conversation with Jay's students: remind them of the realities of going undercover while also pointing out the silver linings – however small – that could come from it.

"And you may not realize for years what the assignment did to you," Hailey said as she leaned against the desk in front of the class, "It may take patience from many partners and friends for you to finally have the courage to acknowledge how going undercover affected you." She looked at Jay across the room from her and smiled. "Good partners are hard to come by in regards to work, but you need to hold on to those that really push you to acknowledge the hard situations and grow from them – those are the rare ones worth keeping."

There was a beat before Jay clapped softly for her and nodded. She smiled back, breathing in slowly. She'd talked to the academy before and given several similar lectures, but they hadn't felt as satisfying as this one with her husband watching the entire time.

"Thank you for coming, Detective," Jay said as he walked over to her.

"Of course," she replied, "Thank you for having me."

"Anyone have any questions?" Jay asked, "I'm sure Detective Upton can spare a few minutes."

A couple hands shot up, and after Hailey fielded a few questions related to the length of undercover operations and where exactly you live during them, one last girl raised her hand.

"Yes?" Hailey said, crossing her arms.

"I was wondering if I could ask a question not related to going undercover," the girl said, "Maybe related more to being a woman in the police department."

"Oh," Hailey breathed. She glanced at Jay who shrugged, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Yeah, sure. I'm good with coming back at some point to just talk about that, but I can answer a question or two, if you'd like."

"Great," the girl replied, "I just wanted to know how you handled your relationships while working. Everyone I've met has told me it's over for me, but I don't believe that, and when I heard you were coming, I asked around and realized who you were." Her eyes darted over to Jay before she continued to say, now with a slight blush on her cheeks, "Can you just give me some confidence that I can spread to my family? Tell me that being married and having kids is possible while still being a cop?"

Jay shifted next to her, and Hailey could sense that a part of him was relieved the girl hadn't mentioned their specific relationship, and she had to agree. She didn't know if she would have even known what to say if asked to talk about being married to Jay.

She also knew where the girl was coming from. Upon announcing she was going to join the police academy instead of pursuing law school like her father wished for her, he'd spouted off a variety of insults related to cops and what kind of future she'd have if she spent every day chasing "bad guys." Even her mother had been hesitant, telling her to rethink the possibility of having a husband and kids someday. The only one who supported her was Uncle DJ, and his advice about it all after she'd gone to his house pissed off at her parents was what she'd needed to share now.

"Relationships are hard," Hailey began softly, "And relationships when you're a cop are even harder, but they're not impossible. If someone truly means the world to you, you will find a way to make it work. Being happy is worth putting in the effort. If you want a marriage and a family someday, then you'll figure it out. Don't lose hope. So, I can't say it was easy at the beginning or is even easy now, but you can tell your parents that there are female cops-"

"Detectives," Jay interrupted under his breath.

She laughed and looked at him, shaking her head. "Detectives," she continued, "That have husbands and families. I haven't tackled the kid thing yet, but I'm pretty proud of where I stand on the other half."

Everyone laughed with her at Jay's correction, and the girl shot her a wide smile in the end. Hailey tried seeing what her name was, but from this far away, it was more difficult than she hoped.

"All right, I think that's enough for today then," Jay said while stepping forward, "Thank you, again, Detective Upton. We appreciate you coming."

Hailey smiled back at him then made her way over to an empty chair near Jack.

"Nice job," he whispered to her as he leaned closer, "On the whole thing, too – they need someone that's honest with them."

Hailey nodded in agreement and whispered back, "Thanks. I'm happy to help." She smiled at Jay as he explained that they were going to take a quick break from the lecture before jumping into whatever he had planned for the day.

"And you two will get there," Jack said, "Don't worry about it."

Blinking quickly, Hailey looked over at him and said, "What?"

"The kids," Jack explained, "Jay said you two would like to have them in the future. It'll happen when it's meant to, and you'll be great parents."

"Oh," Hailey breathed, "Um, thank you."

Jack nodded and stood without saying anything else. The classroom began to empty for the short break Jay gave them, so he went over to talk to Jay, leaving Hailey alone.

Staring at Jay and Jack, Hailey breathed in slowly and leaned back in her chair. All thoughts of what her last name was came rushing back into her mind. She was sure that Jay had been having innocent conversations with Jack about what his future would look like. If Jay was still interested in taking over the academy within a few years, it made sense that they would talk about where his life would be then. What sat weird with her, though, was the idea that maybe Jay wasn't completely being honest with her about what those conversations were.

They had spoken about having a family, and it was something they wanted in the future. They weren't getting specific about names and boys or girls, but it was something that they were both expecting to tackle together.

Together.

Jay had been very clear that he was ready for that step, and now she was questioning whether or not she was also at that same place. In her heart, she did want a family, and she really wanted to see Jay as a father – seeing him here, today, in front of his class, confirmed that to her. He had been able to take his ideas and feelings about the police force and create something positive out of them. They both had their own mixed feelings about how they were brought up, so being able to undo those harsh realities together would be the perfect full-circle moment. If Jay could do it with policing, then she could surely do it with her family.

Running her fingers through her hair, she took a deep breath and told herself all of this was silly. She wasn't pregnant, and no one was telling her that she had to change her last name. She didn't have to get herself worked up right now over things that weren't even happening. Today was for Jay and all the progress he'd made since coming home – not for her to reignite her deep fears that had lived in her mind since long before Bolivia.

"You don't have to stick around more, if you don't want to," he said as he returned in front of her, "Was Voight expecting you to go in?"

"Uh, I told him I didn't know," she replied while standing up. "You're sure you don't need anything else from me?"

"This was more than enough, thank you," Jay said.

"Always," she said with a small smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack watching them from the door, and she felt herself take a step back from Jay. Hating herself for doing it, she could feel in her gut that boundaries needed to be set. They may have separate jobs within the department now, but she did not want anyone questioning either of their choices when it came to their careers and independence.

Jay's own smile flickered, and there wasn't any doubt in her mind as to why. It almost felt like a step backward in their relationship, and that familiar fear and anxiety within her gut began to spin around at the thought of hurting Jay by holding back from him.

"Did something happen?"

Hailey closed her eyes at Jay's words. "No."

"Okay."

Jay sighed, stepping backwards to go and close the door to the classroom, and Hailey knew right away that this was going to be a conversation right now whether or not she wanted it to happen.

"We don't have to do this here," she tried.

"No, but I think we need to," Jay said. He returned to sit on the desk in front of her and stuck his hands in his lap. "What's going on?"

Hailey shook her head. "It's really nothing."

"Hailey," Jay laughed, "Come on. We have been saying this for months – years – now. I know you, and I can see that something is bothering you. Please talk to me."

His eyes were wide and honest, and Hailey knew right then that this was the man she'd married two years before. She fell in love with a confident man who'd learned to be vulnerable with her and allowed her to be herself. That man might have flickered and struggled along the way, but here he was in front of her, and she knew she could never deny him what he wanted.

From the very beginning of her struggles around love and relationships, this Jay – the kind, open, caring Jay – was the one who knew she needed patience and support to get her true thoughts out in the open while also knowing when he needed to nudge her toward sharing. He has always been there for her, and this moment was no different.

"I know we've been talking a little more about the future, but suddenly it feels incredibly real," she settled on murmuring, "And that kind of scares me. I don't want to run or put the brakes on anything, but I'm almost taken aback by the speed of it all. I mean…Jack called us the Halsteads. Is that something you want?"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "We are married, are we not?"

Hailey sucked in a breath and nodded to herself. "So you…you do want that."

"I…" He shook his head slightly and crossed his arms. "What are you talking about? What do you think I want?"

"My name," Hailey said matter-of-factly, "You want me to be Hailey Halstead."

"What?" Jay stood up as the word left his mouth in shock. He again shook his head and took a step closer to her. "I never said I wanted you to change your last name. From the very beginning, I've said it's your choice and your life. Yeah, we're married, but that's just…that's just a title and a ring, Hailey, you don't have to change your last name if you don't want to. I know that's a huge decision, and don't think you have to change your life just because of me. You have already done more than most wives ever have to."

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "Most wives would stand by their husband, Jay. I didn't do anything extraordinary by staying married to you while you went to war."

"I didn't go to war," Jay corrected, "I upended your life by going to Bolivia. The fact that you stayed and we've managed to work through all of that pain is something I will never take for granted. You do not have to give me your name."

"Technically, you'd be giving me yours," Hailey said softly. With a deep breath, she added, "Jay, if you want that, for real, please let me know. Jack's called us the Halsteads, and he made a comment to me about us having a family in the future. Is that what you talk about while you're here? The suburban family life of your dreams?"

"I thought you wanted a family," Jay countered, "Just last week, I mentioned having kids with you, and you got super excited about it. Do you not want that?"

"I do, I really do."

Hailey didn't care if there was a window into the classroom or if anyone could possibly overhear them through the walls. She closed the small distance between the two of them and grabbed Jay's left hand, squeezing it tightly before rubbing her thumb over his wedding ring.

"Whenever you talk about the brick house and the kids and the dog, I get so excited," she began, "I would love to have a boy and a girl that look just like us running around a yard with a sprinkler and a soccer ball and causing all the chaos we could ever imagine."

Jay laughed softly and nodded. He set his free hand on the side of her neck and murmured, "It sounds like a fun life."

"It does," Hailey reassured with a smile, "And I want it more than anything, but the thought of having it tomorrow when we've just figured out our marriage and we're in the process of getting you settled in a new job while I'm figuring myself out in therapy…that is what scares me. I'm sorry, but it does."

Jay shook his head quickly. "Do not apologize. You do not have to be sorry because…" He trailed off and laughed softly. "Hailey, I don't think I want any of that tomorrow either. Whenever I talk about having a family with you, that's for when we have the house and are settled in our personal lives. I mean, if you're pregnant-"

"I'm not," she interrupted, "Trust me on that one."

Jay chuckled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Okay," he breathed, "Well, when you eventually become pregnant, whether that be tomorrow or in two years, I will be here for you. Obviously I'm scared too, and I agree that we should wait, but I do think about it a lot, so maybe I mention it when I'm here. I don't know." He trailed off and sighed as he glanced over at the door. "They talk about their families, and I want that. I like thinking about you being the one with pregnancy cravings or how I can eventually pick the kids up from school. Maybe my dog will eventually be the one who eats the burgers off the counter before we can have dinner or maybe my toddler will learn to swear before they can say 'dad.'"

"Our kids would never," Hailey said, already laughing softly.

Jay laughed with her and shook his head. "They'll be perfect."

They would be, and Hailey relaxed at the thought. There was nothing wrong with Jay wanting to eventually have that family; she felt very similar whenever they would spend an extended amount of time with Makayla. It was normal to have thoughts of the future – though it definitely helped to hear that he didn't want that future to happen for a while.

She could wait two years. That sounded like a normal amount of time to wait in a marriage before expanding their family.

And until that happened, they could be here as a couple in the police department just trying to figure it all out.

"I love you, I hope you know that," she whispered.

Jay smiled at her and nodded. "I do," he replied, "And I hope you know that I love you too, especially on days like today."

"When I work for you?" she asked with a laugh.

Shaking his head, Jay chuckled and said, "No. When we're talking about our future together. I like thinking about us growing up together. We've got this."

Hailey hummed and pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "The Halsteads," she murmured.

Jay smiled against her lips as he grabbed her waist. His fingers teased along the waistband of her jeans, and he whispered, "I wish my office had walls."

Hailey laughed into the kiss then stepped backwards. "Does sound fun, but maybe a bit much for your first semester."

"Maybe," Jay laughed. He glanced down at his uniform before straightening his tie and clearing his throat. "We should probably head back out there. You think you're okay for the rest of the day? Is there anything else I can do?"

He'd managed to impress her with his job while also reassuring her that their future was going to happen in the future, no matter what others liked to say. It was more than she would have expected from him during a visit to his job.

"I'm okay," she assured softly, "Thank you. I'll get back to my job and then, at home, you can show me what we could have done in your office if you were to have walls."

Laughing harder, Jay squeezed her waist and nodded. "I'll walk you out to your car."

While his hand remained on her as they walked out of the classroom together, the second they were in the hallway, he took a step back and stuck his hands in his pockets. Hailey clocked Jack's gaze when they stopped in the office so she could say 'goodbye' and tried shaking off his knowing smile. What others thought of their relationship shouldn't bother her, and she didn't even want to give it a second thought. She and Jay were the people in charge of their own lives, and that included where they were headed in the future.

What she couldn't stop thinking about, though, was her last name and what that could possibly mean for her going forward. While she didn't need to be Hailey Halstead when they bought a house and had the kids and adopted the dog, there was something appealing about it, especially now that she'd said it herself.

The thought stayed with her all day. Whether she was running errands for Trudy or teaching Dante a new program on the computer, she kept running her name through her mind.

She had grown as Hailey Upton and proved to her family that she really could become the cop she'd dreamed of. From the undercover operations she told Jay's class about to helping lead Intelligence over the past year, she truly had made a name for herself in the department. People knew her as Upton. Besides Jack – and the occasional tease from their friends – no one ever referred to her as a Halstead. They especially didn't say anything about it when Jay still worked alongside her. While she was certain there wouldn't have been a big issue with two Halsteads working in Intellgience, things were just easier when everyone had a different last name.

Now, though, that wasn't even an issue to worry about. No one would care if there was a Halstead in Intelligence and one working at the academy. It'd be as obvious as the rings on their fingers. There was something about having Jay's last name at work and creating some sort of legacy together that was exciting to her.

It'd mean leaving behind her father, as well, and that was incredibly appealing to her. While he had loved her as she grew up, the pain he brought her, her brothers, and her mom was unforgiveable. She hated having a tie to him even if she'd created something positive from his name. It wasn't like she had her uncle's last name, who had truly taught her that believing in herself would always be the right path.

In the end, she needed to follow her heart, which meant reminding herself that she didn't need to make this decision today. All she needed to focus on were Jay's lips and teeth dragging down her throat, surely leaving a mark, as he moved against her, murmuring nonsense about the thoughts he'd had of her all day.

She had believed him when he said that he didn't care what her last name was, and she knew keeping her name as Upton would certainly not affect how much he loved her. But when her voice broke as she stopped fighting the feeling deep in her stomach and Jay's grip tightened on her thigh, she wondered what feelings they'd have if they really did share a last name.

The thought was enough to make her smile in disbelief and roll herself on top of him to push him for more.

Hailey Halstead was not off the table.

A/N: What do you think? See you next Monday? :)