A/N: Hi everyone! Happy Monday! I've been excited to share this next set of chapters with you since I wrote them, so I really hope you enjoy!
Hailey paused on her way to the balcony and took a deep breath. Jay was sitting in one of the patio chairs they bought earlier that day with a bowl of popcorn next to him and the water reflecting the surrounding lights off of it beyond him. He looked peaceful, and she knew she felt just as much.
The previous year, they spent 4th of July with their friends in Kim and Adam's backyard. Kim nearly had a heart attack as Makayla ran around with sparklers, but the hot dogs and beer were good, and Adam managed to get Makayla to calm down enough by the time the fireworks started that they could all relax and enjoy the night.
On the way home, the sun and beer caught up with Hailey, and she had leaned her head against the truck window for the majority of the drive. Jay had laughed softly at her, but remained quiet with his right hand outstretched and brushing along the back of her neck.
He finally broke the silence upon parking the car and had whispered, "I don't know if I've ever seen you this beautiful."
She'd hummed and looked up at him. "What?"
"You're beautiful," he'd repeated, "4th of July is weird for me because it reminds me of everyone I've ever lost just doing my job, but you've been by my side the entire day and showed me that I don't have to get stuck on the sad stuff about the holiday. I can watch you finish like four hot dogs and a case of beer, and I'm happy for once."
She had laughed at that and shook her head. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she'd sighed and replied, "It was not that much food."
"Maybe not," he'd chuckled while leaning over. After kissing her suntanned cheek, he'd whispered, "But the sentiment stands: you're beautiful because you've changed my life for the better."
Hailey wasn't able to change her name just yet due to the holiday, but she planned on doing it as soon as the Secretary of State was back open. Her talk with Jay the other night confirmed that becoming Hailey Upton-Halstead was the right choice. She wanted to be further connected to Jay than she already felt because of all they'd done for each other. She might have given him happy memories on days where he was grieving, but he'd also given her hope and love, and that was more than she could ever thank him for.
She adjusted the hold on the two bottles of beer in her hands and made her way to the balcony where Jay was waiting for her.
"Beer and popcorn, a crazy 4th of July," she said as she stepped out into the warm air.
Jay laughed softly and accepted the bottle she held out to him. "Thank you," he said.
"Mhmm." She sat in the chair next to him before taking a long sip of the cold beer. Staring out at the water, she asked, "Hear from Will at all?"
"Yeah, uh." Jay dug his phone out of his pocket and went through his messages. "He's good for meeting at the bar tomorrow night. Told me to stop apologizing for the other day too."
Hailey hummed knowingly and held back a smile. She didn't want to say 'I told you so,' but she really did. The guilt was still living in the back of Jay's head not just from leaving for Bolivia, but for canceling on Will at the last minute. When she'd texted Will to tell him they were going to have to reschedule their Thai dinner, she'd given him a quick "Jay's having a rough night," and he'd understood. Just because Jay was just about physically healed, he was going to have mental and emotional setbacks, and everyone was okay with that. No one blamed him or had any intentions to shame him for it, but that didn't make Jay's feelings any less real.
"Oh, Kim just texted us."
Hailey looked over at his outstretched phone and laughed softly. His screen was filled with a picture of Makayla and Adam holding sparklers in their backyard.
"Looks like Kim's allowing danger this year," she said.
Jay chuckled and nodded. Looking at his phone again, he shook his head before sending a reply. "What do you think of sparklers?"
"Very dangerous," Hailey said without hesitation.
Jay laughed harder and glanced at her while stuffing his phone back in his pocket. "But?"
"But I'll let our kids play with them if you're around," she said with a smile, "It's a part of growing up."
"Yeah," Jay chuckled, "Will and I used to chase each other with them. Pissed my mom off to no end."
"Oh, I'm sure," Hailey laughed. She shifted in her seat to get a better view of him and said, "What would you guys do on the 4th?"
Jay let out a sigh and sipped his beer before saying, "Pretty much the same stuff we've done: hangout in the backyard, barbecue, eat ice-cream, and watch the fireworks. We went up to the cabin a few times."
"Would you ever want to do that?" Hailey asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Jay breathed, "Maybe when we have kids. The lake's right there. It's a good vacation from the real world."
Hailey nodded and reached over to drag her fingers down his arm. He smiled back and rested his head on his seat.
"Love you," he whispered.
"Love you too," she breathed.
The fireworks started overhead, and Hailey scooted her chair closer to his. Resting her head on the side of his arm, she hummed and watched the colors light up the sky.
The holiday was usually anything but peaceful for Jay as he remembered all he'd lost while fighting for the country, but Hailey could feel him relax next to her and knew their choice to stay at home tonight was the right one. They had forever to spend with their friends or travel up north.
There was only so much time they could spend together as they were right now.
The district was busy for July 5th to the point that Hailey felt like she was going to get in an accident just when trying to park her car. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as someone slammed on their breaks next to her before jogging inside.
"What's going on?" she asked Trudy.
Trudy sighed and set the phone down. "I don't know. Idiots. Drunken fights from last night, a couple missing people, accusations of pointing fireworks at houses. Anything you could think of, it's happening."
Hailey nodded slightly. "Do you need help?"
"No, just stay out of the way," Trudy said, "I might call you guys in a bit if patrol doesn't get their ass in line. Give me ten."
Hailey laughed softly and nodded. "Got it."
She made her way upstairs, smiling at the feeling of her phone buzzing in her pocket. She made herself comfortable at her desk before taking it out to see a picture of the water outside their apartment paired with Jay's text.
~ The chairs were a good choice. Can't wait until we can share coffee together out here. Have a good day ~ Jay Halstead
She'd do anything to be there with him right now, but she'd told Trudy weeks ago she'd still work the 5th, and, to her surprise, Trudy had agreed. While Trudy was still trying to keep Hailey's schedule balanced in an effort to get her home to Jay, she wasn't shy in reminding Hailey that she was a good detective who did solid work. Hailey always accepted it and knew it was usually paired with Trudy asking for help. It hadn't happened often, so Hailey figured Trudy felt safe in doing so.
She liked not having to revolve her life around work. She was still here often, but it was a much more normal schedule than what she'd had while Jay was in Bolivia. There weren't many long nights or super early mornings – just dependable hours that occasionally resulted in late undercover buys or tedious evenings in front of the computer. It was a lot like what her life was like when Jay was in the unit, and it felt good to return to.
~ Jealous. Maybe this weekend? ~
~ For sure. Maybe we go buy another chair and invite Will over to do this with beer ~ Jay Halstead
~ Not against that. They fold, so we could just get a couple extras and keep them in the storage unit or the side closet ~
~ Actually, I like that idea. Think you can do that today? ~
~ For you? Sure ~ Jay Halstead.
Hailey laughed softly and flipped her phone over. Jay had the week off from the academy and wasn't planning on doing much besides the gym, therapy, and grocery shopping. It was the kind of week where if they were in the house they'd been thinking about, he'd probably be doing some sort of project.
She'd been thinking about what they were going to eventually move into, and there were so many options that she didn't know what exactly would be best. While they had been talking about a brick house with a backyard, she realized they could get that through getting a condo like she used to have or maybe they buy a brand new build or maybe even something like a fixer-upper that would require a lot of work. The thought of Jay walking around with a tool belt hanging low on his waist was a big seller as to why she'd want a fixer-upper, but then she'd visit Kim and Adam's house and see all the work that still needed to be done, and she realized it could be a lot more trouble than what was worth.
"Wasn't expecting to see you here."
Hailey turned at Kevin's voice and laughed. "And why not?"
"Doesn't Jay have the day off?" Kevin countered.
"The whole week, actually," Hailey corrected, "But he's okay at home on his own."
Kevin hummed as he sat at his desk. "That's good to hear," he said, "I just didn't know if you two were going to take the day and head to the lake or something."
"I told Trudy I'd work," Hailey said with a shrug, "And by the looks of the parking lot and the paperwork on her desk, it looks like I made the right choice. I give it five minutes before we're asked to go down there and sort it out with her."
Kevin laughed and glanced at his phone for the time. "You want to bet lunch on that?"
"I was feeling like spaghetti," Hailey answered. She smirked and turned back to her computer to turn it on.
"And I was thinking something along the lines of subs," Kevin said, "So you're on. Maybe I'll get a giant today if you're paying."
"Hilarious."
Kevin laughed again and said, "Setting the timer right now."
Hailey smiled at her computer and opened her email. She wasn't quite sure if she really was going to win the five minute bet, but having it was a lot more fun than whatever was going to happen when Trudy called them later that day.
The call from Trudy came at exactly twelve minutes after Kevin started his timer. Had Hailey pushed for a little bit more, she'd be eating spaghetti for lunch, but instead, she was settling into the break room with a turkey sub in front of her while Kevin smirked and unwrapped his Italian one.
"Victory tastes oh so great," he jokingly moaned, "I'm very happy with my choice."
"Just shut up and eat your sandwich," she laughed, balling up a napkin to throw at him.
"I just wish everyone else was here today," Kevin said, "So they could all see your face when I won the bet."
Hailey smiled and bit into her sub. Once she swallowed, she said, "I'm sure you're going to be telling them all about it tomorrow."
"Without a doubt," Kevin said as he held up his sandwich.
Hailey moved to continue eating hers only for her phone to buzz in her pocket again. She set her sub down and pulled her phone out to see Jay calling her.
"Hey, you, how's the chair shopping going?"
"Well, I bought the chairs, they had three more, so I got them all, but I'm calling and hoping you're not too busy right now," Jay replied, "Actually, I'm telling you to not be busy. I need help."
"What's going on?" Hailey asked, already pushing back from the table, causing Kevin to put down his sub as well.
"I was leaving the store and saw a baby in the backseat of the car next to mine. I got her out, but she's not doing well. Paramedics are on the way. I'm calling you, though, because the plate's not on right. I think the car's stolen."
"There's his truck," Hailey said as Kevin sped into the parking lot.
He parked haphazardly nearby, and the two of them ran over to the patrol officers talking to Jay next to a newer looking minivan.
"Where is she?" Hailey asked, interrupting the officer who couldn't be more than twenty-five years-old by holding up her badge.
"Paramedics took her to Med," Jay sighed, "I wanted to go-"
"We just have a few more questions for you," the second officer said.
"We'll take it from here," Kevin said with a shake of his head, "But you can come with me inside to see if anything was caught on camera."
The girl looked like she was ready to argue, so Hailey said, "Intelligence has this. Platt knows. Go inside and get security."
The two officers nodded and followed Kevin into the store, leaving Hailey next to Jay and the minivan.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly once they were out of earshot.
"Yeah, yeah, I had this," Jay said, holding up the tool he's kept in his truck forever to open locked cars, "Didn't break any glass."
Hailey nodded and brushed her hand over his arm before turning toward the car. "So she was just sitting there?"
"In her car seat," Jay said with a nod, "She was really hot when I got her out, wasn't really breathing right. I don't know how long she was in there. She couldn't have been older than six or seven months."
Hailey nodded again and glanced around inside the car. "Did patrol take a look yet?"
"No, they were just being dicks about the whole thing," Jay said, "Were we ever that rude?"
Hailey laughed slightly and looked back at him. "They seemed young."
"They wouldn't even let me go with her to Med," Jay sighed, "I'm worried about her."
"I know," Hailey said softly, "Let's check out the car, wait to hear from Kevin, and then we'll head over there. What do you think about joining the case?"
Jay smirked slightly. "You think Voight's gonna be okay with that?"
"I think everyone would be happy you're back for a bit," Hailey replied, "Come on. There's gotta be something in here to tell us what happened."
Together, the two of them looked through the van, going through all the compartments they could find. Tessa Johnson bought it two years before and seemed to have thought of anything she could possibly need for her baby. There were diapers and a few extra outfits in a spare bag in the trunk. The license plate looked a lot older than the van, and scratches around it seemed to indicate that Jay was right and that it was stolen.
"If your car and baby is stolen, you'd think you'd have called it in," Jay sighed as he straightened from looking underneath all the seats.
"She might have," Hailey answered, adjusting the car mats back to where they were, "Trudy's been slammed all morning."
"It would have triggered an Amber Alert," Jay said with a shake of his head, "Something's not right, Hailey."
She pursed her lips while looking over at him. Her gut told her he was right: she'd had plenty of calls come through immediately about missing kids without patrol responding first. Tessa Johnson didn't know her daughter was gone.
"There's not a good view of the lot from the cameras," Kevin announced as he walked over to them with the two patrol officers tagging behind, "But there was a good shot of two guys who spun right around when they got to the front doors about the same time these two showed up to talk to you, Jay. We traced them back through the store, and they bought a good amount of groceries, some headphones, and a handful of gift cards."
"So enough to not raise suspicion on someone else's credit card," Jay said, "Hailey, I-"
"I know," she sighed, "We need to find Tessa Johnson."
She held Jay's eye contact and took a deep breath. This was now more than just reuniting a baby with her parents. They were looking at robbery, kidnapping, and maybe worse.
"You still want in?" she asked softly.
His lips tipped up in a smile, and he crossed his arms. "Let me grab my gun at home, and I'll meet you at Tessa's?"
Kevin chuckled and said, "He's back."
Hailey laughed with him and nodded. "I'll text you the address."
Tessa Johnson's apartment was on the third floor and appeared untouched. There were dishes in the sink and towels waiting to be folded in the living room. Not only was it clear that whatever robbery or kidnapping that had happened did not occur there, but also that the baby didn't live there with her.
There wasn't a nursery. Baby toys and a crib did take up space, but there wasn't a dedicated room for the little girl.
"She's the nanny," Kim said as they all gathered back in the doorway, "That baby girl isn't hers. There wasn't an Amber Alert from the parents because the parents don't know."
"Dammit," Jay whispered.
Hailey sighed and ran her hand over her hair. "So we're basically nowhere. We still don't even know the baby's name, which makes finding her parents nearly impossible."
"Let's work backwards," Kevin said, "Forget the baby for a second. We need to find Tessa, so maybe Platt can let us know if she's gotten any calls related to an injured girl. We can contact Med. We have to find her."
"What about the guys who attacked her and stole her car?" Kim asked, "Finding them could open a lot of doors for us."
"But I really don't think they even knew there was a baby in the backseat," Jay countered, "I don't know many people who would willingly kidnap a baby just to kill it right away. I say we focus on Tessa."
"They might not have known the baby was there, but what if they purposely went after Tessa or even the family she's a nanny for?" Hailey suggested, and she spotted Jay wince slightly, "It's something to go off of."
Kevin nodded in her direction and hooked his hands in his vest. "We have to try."
"Jay and Hailey take Med so they can check on the baby and see if Tessa's been brought in, you and I can look for the guys around the store," Kim said.
Hailey met Jay's concentrated gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Sounds good with me."
"Yeah, that works," Jay breathed. He adjusted his own vest then made his way out of the apartment with Hailey on his tail.
To her surprise, he bypassed the elevator and went toward the stairs. She quickened her pace and said, "Jay."
He paused to hold the door open for her. "Yeah?"
"Are you okay?" she asked once they were walking down together, "If you want to head home-"
"No, I'm good," he sighed. Stopping at the next landing, he shoved his hands in his pockets and whispered, "I'm just kind of out of the game. I want to find this girl and help the baby, but why didn't it even occur to me that finding the guys would help with that?"
Hailey shook her head. "It wasn't my first thought either. That's why we're all a team, right? We need each other to bounce ideas off of."
Jay let out a breath and said, "Right. You're right. I don't know what's going on."
Hailey softened and stepped closer to him. "It's been like ten months since you've done this job," she said, "It's okay to take time to get back into it. However, don't forget that you're the one who realized the plate was stolen. You're the one who got that little girl out of the van. Because of you, we're out here now looking for a missing girl and two people who probably hurt her in the process of stealing her wallet. If you never called me, Kevin and I would have been eating lunch in the break room between random calls from Platt. This is a good thing, and it's all because of you."
Jay smiled slightly and looked down at the ground. "Guess I have to put it all in perspective."
"Exactly," Hailey said. She squeezed his arm then added, "So let's do that and head to Med. It'll all click for you the second you see that baby again, I just know it. Ten months is a long time to go without being a detective. It's okay to take more than ten minutes to get back in the groove."
Jay let out a chuckle and glanced up at her. "I get it. Thank you."
"Come on," she breathed before patting his arm, "I'll even let you drive just like old times."
Jay finally laughed and started walking down the stairs again. "You don't even have your car with you."
"We don't have to get stuck on the details," Hailey teased.
Shaking his head, Jay jogged down the stairs toward the door and held it open for her. "I forgot how annoying you can be to work with."
Hailey laughed loudly while passing him. She very well could stop to further tease him and say that he missed her despite what she'd been saying, but she didn't want to rub salt in any wound. She knew Jay missed her and would love to be working alongside her and the others again. He didn't need any reminder that on a normal day, he was stuck inside at the academy instead of out in the field with everyone else.
They needed to embrace today for what it was and go from there.
No point in looking backwards for personal reasons when they had at least two people depending on them right now.
The baby couldn't talk, but she could look around from her spot in the incubator, and Hailey thought she was beautiful. She had big blue eyes and dark, curly hair that still looked stuck to her head from sweat. She was clearly exhausted despite being a fighter and surviving against all odds. Hailey just wished she knew her name.
"Based on her size, I'm thinking she's about six months," Hannah Asher told her and Jay as they stared down at the little baby, "She was definitely healthy before today. She's cared for. Whoever took her didn't hurt her if they even knew she was there."
"She was sleeping when I got her out," Jay said, finally tearing his eyes away from the baby, "Does that make things worse?"
"I don't think so," Hannah said, "You did a good job by getting her out of there. We're getting her fluids back up, and that will help her cool down. Any word on her parents?"
"None," Hailey answered, "We realized the woman she was with was her nanny. You haven't gotten any information about a Tessa Johnson, have you? Right now, she feels like the missing piece before we find this girl's parents."
"I haven't heard anything, but I'll go check right now," Hannah said. She gave one last smile to the baby then slipped out of the room.
Jay let out a breath and turned his gaze back to the baby. "She's cute, isn't she?"
"Beautiful," Hailey agreed. She hesitated then slipped her hand inside the incubator to brush her finger over the little girl's warm skin.
Shaking his head, Jay stepped closer and whispered, "Babies shouldn't ever have to go through this, and they certainly shouldn't go through it alone. Being in the hospital sucks, do you think she realizes that?"
"I don't know," Hailey sighed, "It can't be comfortable, but they probably gave her something for the pain. And she hasn't really been alone. I'm sure there were nurses checking on her, and we're here now."
Jay hummed and reached in next to her to brush the back of his finger to the baby's cheek. "She was so hot when I pulled her out. I didn't know babies could sweat like that."
Hailey nodded and glanced up at him.
"I could tell she was breathing, but it was so shallow," he continued, "While I tried getting her to wake up, I started my truck in hopes that the air would kick on and I could get her in there. I didn't want to bring her in there if it was going to be just as hot as whatever she'd just been in."
"That makes sense," Hailey breathed.
"She woke up just as the paramedics got there, and I felt even worse," Jay said, "She started crying, and it was the worst sound I heard in a while."
"It's never easy when kids cry," Hailey said.
Jay shook his head, his lips pursed in a permanent frown on his face. "I should have gone with her."
Hailey felt her heart break, and she pulled her hand out of the incubator so she could gently grab his arms. "There was nothing you could have done," she said softly, "The paramedics had her. Maybe you could have comforted her, but that was really it. You're not a doctor."
"She's a baby," Jay whispered, turning his gaze toward her, "I could have helped her."
"So we'll help her by finding the nanny and her parents," Hailey said, "We're not going to give up until we finish this."
She squeezed his arms and held his eye contact, trying to assure him that everything was not for a loss. They've been through this before: cases that feel like they can't be solved and are riddled with hopelessness. Those cases, like this one, always had an extra pull on their heartstrings. They were the ones with kids or excessive pain and heartbreak that haunted their dreams until they were solved.
Listening to the soft, constant beeping of the monitors around them, Hailey knew that this case was going to stick with them for a long time – maybe because of the baby, but also because of this being Jay's first, and maybe only, case upon his return to Chicago. He never thought he would be back in this position, so the fact that he was going through something as rough as this could not have been easy.
Jay breathed in slowly and nodded. "We, right? You're fine if I-"
"Jay," she interrupted, "I never even considered not letting you help with this. There's actually no one else I'd rather be partnered up."
He chuckled and set his free hand on the side of her face. "I'm that irreplaceable, huh?"
Hailey laughed softly. "You could say that."
Jay smiled and leaned down to kiss her, but just as his lips were about to brush against her forehead, the door behind them flew open, and Hannah announced, "She just came in."
Hailey's eyes widened, and she spun around to say, "What?"
"Kevin and Kim just brought her in. I'll bring you to her," Hannah said before turning on her heel and hurrying away.
Hailey moved to follow her, but felt Jay remain still for just a moment. As she turned to look at him, she heard him whisper, "We'll get you home, promise." Smiling, she met his eyes and tilted her head to the side.
"Come on," he breathed, no sense of embarrassment present on his face as he pushed her forward and out of the triage room.
Kim found Tessa in a pool of blood down a side street two miles from the store Jay had originally spotted the van at. She was barely awake and wasn't quite able to communicate just yet, but she was trying despite everything Will was saying to her.
"Let me check her out, then you can talk to her," he finally said before shutting the doors to her room.
Kevin shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. "She's not accepting any of it," he murmured, "The second she realized who we were, she tried saying what had happened."
"It was just too jumbled up to understand," Kim sighed, "We tried, really, but she was confused and in pain."
"What'd they do to her?" Jay asked.
"They definitely hit her over the head with something," Kim explained, "It didn't seem like a deep cut, but she's got a huge bruise already forming. They didn't want her waking up again. I wouldn't be surprised if they count this as attempted murder."
"Because it is," Jay said, "You don't casually hit someone over the top of the head with a brick or a pipe and hope they wake up and can identify you. What we have to figure out, though, is if it was targeted or just a coincidence."
"This is Step 1," Hailey said softly, "We'll get there."
He glanced at her, and a hint of a smile finally crossed his face. Nodding, he whispered, "I know – especially now."
Hailey winked and swung her hand out enough that it could brush against the side of his hip. Who knew how long they'd be working on this case, but they could have hope now. It was going to end.
Watching Jay in the field was one thing, having him back in the bullpen, sitting at his desk with a cheap blue pen tapping a constant rhythm against his keyboard, was something much better. There was a brief moment when he walked up the steps where he seemed unsure of what to do or say, but the second Kevin passed him to tape pictures of Tessa and the baby, now identified as Ellie, to the board, his hesitation faded away.
He stepped up to Voight, explaining what he'd seen upon getting back to his truck at the store. He walked through searching the car with Hailey and summarized all they knew at that point in the case. No one questioned his part in anything that was happening: he had a place in Intelligence that could not be ignored or brushed away. Even Trudy came up to listen to what he had to say.
Hailey partnered up with him for the remainder of the day. Dante had sent a text early that morning saying his mom was having some health issues and that he'd be gone for a few days, at least. Adam was still gone on disability. They needed the extra set of hands.
Half of Hailey expected Trudy to ask her to leave at seven like she usually did, but, instead, she looked up from her own set of security tapes to see her bent over Jay's computer with him, tracing back a string of electronic transfers suggesting the two guys they were chasing really had not known who they were attacking, but rather were after something much bigger.
It wasn't even until just after eleven that Voight dismissed everyone for the night. Ellie's parents had been contacted and were with their daughter at Med. Tessa was still in the ICU, but she seemed like she was going to make it to tomorrow. One of the men was located in an abandoned warehouse and was waiting in lockup to be interrogated. There was nothing much left to do.
"And Jay," Voight said as everyone made their way to the stairs, "I'd like you back tomorrow. We've got one too many empty desks right now and could use the help."
Jay turned to nod his head. "I'm happy to help. I'll be back."
"Appreciate it."
Hailey watched as Voight turned to retreat to his office before placing her hand on Jay's arm and breathing, "Let's go home."
He nodded and stepped back enough to slip his hand in hers. For the first time, the two of them walked downstairs together and bid Trudy goodnight. In another life, maybe it would have seemed normal, like they did it all the time. However, the reality of the situation was that when Jay still worked in the district, they never once held hands where others could see. In his car driving to or from work, yes. Teasing each other in the locker room when no one else was around, yes. In the bullpen or at the front desk, no.
Married or not, they kept a distance at work to keep the professionalism in tact. Hailey didn't want anyone questioning her motives or decisions, and Jay respected that. She didn't know if they ever would have gotten past that – if she ever would have gotten to the point where she was okay with Jay holding her hand at work – had Jay remained working within the unit. Even if things would have gone as planned and he would have become the sergeant of Intelligence, she probably would have worried about what others would think of her and their relationship. She was meant to be a detective, not someone's wife.
And yet here she was, with a ring on her finger, her hand in her husband's, and his last name set to be tacked on to her own, all while walking through the district after a long day of work.
Her life had changed because of Jay's injury, but it really had changed for the better. They were able to move on and create a new life separately and together. Today was the perfect explanation as to how those new lives they built could still weave together and create something beautiful and good.
They were a pair that was meant to be together through it all, just like how Jay's hand was meant to constantly hold hers.
"Meet you at home?" Jay asked as they walked into the parking lot, "Or do you want me to drive, and you can just bring your keys back tomorrow when we come back?"
"Uh, let's meet at home," Hailey replied, "I don't want to leave my car in the lot all night."
Jay nodded and leaned down to kiss the side of her head quickly before dropping her hand and parting ways. He waved to her as they approached their vehicles and waited until she was locked inside her own to jump in the truck.
She laughed to herself at the sentiment. Long before they were ever dating, he would always make sure she was safe within her car before driving away himself.
"Why do you always wait for me to get in my car?" she had asked one morning as they waited together for the coffee to brew in the break room, "Last night, you didn't even move to get in your car until I was in mine."
He'd laughed slightly and shook his head. "Something my parents taught me a long time ago. If they were dropping my friends off after a soccer game, they'd wait in the driveway to make sure they got inside. Or if I was taking a girl out, they always reminded me to walk her to the front door. I just want to make sure you're good. People do weird stuff to cops, especially at night and especially if they think you're not paying attention. I don't mean to overstep, but-"
"No, no," Hailey had interrupted quietly, "It's okay. Just wondering."
She'd been touched by the words. She'd had guys walk her to her door before, but somehow that all seemed to fade into the past at Jay's words. She'd figured they had just wanted a kiss or an invitation inside. Jay seemed genuine like he really did want her safe – and she wasn't even his to care for.
Now, she was his. Quite literally. Hailey Upton-Halstead. And as she thought over the entire day and all she'd seen Jay do on his return to the 21st District, she couldn't have been happier to hold that title.
In the elevator up to their apartment, Hailey stared at Jay beneath the florescent lights. He was clearly tired. There had been plenty of cases and more than imaginable nights where they stayed out until dawn on much less sleep than what they were working on today. On those days, he would still have bags under his red eyes, and he'd practically have an IV drip of coffee, but she never thought he looked tired.
It wasn't that she thought this late night was the reason behind the expression on his face, but that he was back working after putting it all behind him – and working a kidnapping at that.
There never would have been a great case for him to come back to, but they could have hoped for one that was clear-cut or even one that wasn't so emotionally charged. Instead, he had been forced to save a baby girl's life as she struggled to breathe and then search for not just her parents, but the men who attacked her nanny and kidnapped her as well.
He wasn't just tired; he was drained.
As the doors slid open, Hailey stepped forward to place a hand on his waist and lead him into the hallway.
"I'm okay," he said softly.
She nearly laughed at how well he knew her and what was going through her mind in that moment.
"That's great, but I still want to get in bed with you and relax before we fall asleep," she replied.
"I actually wouldn't mind showering before going to bed," Jay said, "You okay with that? Kind of want to wash the day away."
Like when they used to work together and take turns upon coming home at night. She'd typically shower first, and he'd make her a cup of tea and have it waiting on her nightstand by the time she padded out dressed in one of his t-shirts. When he'd then shower, she would pull down the covers of their bed and set out pajamas for him on it since he never brought any into the bathroom with him. He would always come out, always with a towel wrapped around his waist, and always smile at her as he slipped his clothes on. It became their routine much like leaving hearts in random places for each other or doing a crossword on Sunday morning on Jay's phone or in a book she'd gotten him while visiting the bookstore. It'd been the kind of normal that she'd craved upon proposing to him.
"Always," she answered, "I don't mind at all."
She kept her hand on his back until they were in their bedroom and he was pulling away to retreat to the bathroom. As she listened to the shower turn on, she undressed and slipped into an oversized shirt to sleep in. Once the covers were turned down and Jay's pajamas were waiting for him at the end of the bed, she climbed in and grabbed her notebook.
Nothing came to mind to write about, so she began making a list of what she was grateful for that day: something she used to do on her phone after she'd killed Roy. Life had seemed desolate and dark, and she'd been scared at the fear that lived within her mind. Taking time each night to type out at least two things she was grateful for gave her a peace of mind – even if it only lasted a few minutes – that she tried to hold on to when she'd close her eyes for the day.
Like then, Jay was at the top of her list today. She'd truly enjoyed having him back at work albeit for the time being.
Medicine
Family
My bed
Chocolate
Smiling slightly to herself, she glanced over at the bathroom door still cracked open and slipped out of bed. Jay did not love chocolate like she did, but he did love peanut butter, and she'd just gone to the store the week before while he'd been at a meeting after work.
There'd been too much time since they'd had a meal with either of their brothers, so she was hoping the two could meet over dinner soon. She wanted to make chicken shwarma and spanakopita. Will had loved her humus recipe a few years ago when he'd first come over to her apartment, and she'd yet to make Theo's request for him. A night in with her family combined over food they all enjoyed could be just what Jay needed once this case was closed.
Because of that impending meal, though, she'd loaded up at the grocery store with anything she could possibly need – including a box of peanut butter cookies for Jay. One thing her mother had taught her when she was growing up within the restaurant was that food did help people heal. Even when she'd be nursing bruises from the abuse of their father, she still found a way to make her kids' favorite meals. She could smile through the pain and attempt to hide it no matter how thick her makeup looked, and they were stuck accepting that she didn't want to talk about it.
The food would taste good going down, but Hailey always thought it sat funny in her stomach for the rest of the day. She didn't like that her mom would try to go above and beyond as a mother while also trying to hide the dark secrets of their father. It was food made out of love for comfort, but it was also stained with the disgust of abuse.
Hailey couldn't deny that having a good meal – or even a fun snack – made her smile and feel slightly better, so she was determined to help Jay by doing just that. Grabbing the box of cookies from the cupboard, she returned to the bedroom just as the shower turned off.
Jay stepped out a moment later with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair plastered to his forehead. He chuckled at his pajamas waiting for him on the bed.
"Really is like old times, huh?"
"Well, if you would just bring your pajamas into the bathroom with you, then we wouldn't have to be nostalgic tonight," Hailey said softly, pulling the covers back over her legs.
"But if I were to pick out my clothes, how would I ever know what kind of mood you were in?" Jay asked. He unhooked his towel and rubbed it over his face and chest.
"What does that mean?" Hailey countered, "How does my mood determine what you wear to bed?"
"Oh, come on," Jay chuckled. Rubbing the towel over his damp hair, he said, "Just a pair of briefs is nothing, that means we're probably going to have sex. There's a chance when you add a shirt, but it might also mean you're tired and unsure yourself. I can just forget it if you put out actual pajama pants, doesn't even matter if there's a shirt or not."
Hailey raised an eyebrow before letting her gaze wander to Jay's hands where a navy pair of briefs and a white t-shirt hung from his grasp. "I swear, I was not planning on sleeping with you tonight. It's just hot outside."
"So I need a t-shirt in bed?" Jay asked. Laughing, he still slipped it on over the briefs before pulling back the covers on the bed. He smirked at her bare legs and said, "Another sign that sex is on the table."
"What?" she laughed, "You're just wearing underwear and a t-shirt; why can't I?"
"You can, you can," Jay said with another laugh. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her slowly. "It's just an observation that you're a lot easier to get at without fleece covering your legs."
"Fleece?" she breathed, "I don't wear fleece."
Jay hummed and pulled her onto his lap. She smiled against his lips as their hips fit together. For a moment, she almost forgot what she'd been actually wanting to do tonight: talk to Jay about what had happened at work. But his fingers began slipping beneath her t-shirt and tracing along her spine, and all thoughts of being rational tonight went away.
She wanted to help Jay deal with returning to Intelligence for a case, and if that meant he wanted to have sex, then she could do that without question.
He dragged his lips along her jaw and drew a shaky moan from her lips. "I forgot how good you were at your job," he murmured in her ear, "I'm married to a damn good detective."
Digging her nails into his arms, Hailey tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. "So…so am I," she breathed.
Jay's teeth sent a shiver down her spine, and she found herself gasping at the feeling.
"You're married to an academy instructor," he whispered, rocking her backwards until their covers were folded over and her legs could wrap around his waist.
She moaned at the feeling of him pressing against her. "You'll never stop being my favorite detective," she corrected, releasing his arms so she could place her hands on either side of his face. Pulling him away from kissing beneath her ear, she met his blown out eyes and repeated, "You are my detective."
The heat of his gaze stopped her from saying anything else. For the first time in a long time, she didn't know what he was thinking. There wasn't an ounce of stress on his face, but there was something in his eyes that made him appear hesitant or maybe even angry about something. She could still feel him pressing against the cotton of her clothes, and one of his hands was still firmly around her waist, holding her to the mattress.
Too many heated breaths went by without anyone saying anything or making any sort of movement, so Hailey released her left hand from Jay's cheek and threaded it through his hair.
"I don't care who pays you or what your title is on your paycheck," she whispered, "I don't care what route you take to work or how you spend your day. Jay Halstead can grow to be bigger and better, and he can tackle new avenues within the police department, but he will always be my detective in Intelligence. I fell in love with a cocky, determined, gooddetective, and I swear that I will continue loving that detective no matter what he does between the hours of nine to five."
A smile finally flickered across Jay's face. "Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Hailey said. She brushed back his still damp hair from his forehead and smiled at the way it felt between her fingers, how all of him felt against her right now.
He was steady, but he was still hers when she needed comfort and support. He had all of the ability to hurt her, but none of the bite to actually do so. He was the most trustworthy person she knew, but he was also still nervous that what he'd done to their lives was going to make her leave. He might have broken her heart, but he'd stitched it back together with steel, and she would never ignore that.
"I love you," she said, "Whether we're saving babies in Chicago or walking along the beach in Michigan or even if we're teaching the next generation of cops. Through it all, Jay."
He swallowed and nodded. "I love you too, but…"
Hailey raised an eyebrow and brushed her thumb over his cheek.
He closed his eyes at the movement then took a deep breath and met her gaze again. "Being back today made me realize I made the right choice," he said quietly, "I'm not going to lie to you, Hailey, there were times when I was thinking of all the ways I could go against what we were supposed to do and really fight to find Ellie's parents or force that guy to tell us where his partner was. Even after everything we went through, the thought of breaking the law still crossed my mind."
Hailey couldn't help but smile before gently pushing against his chest. Together, they sat up, and she unhooked her legs from around him to kneel on top of the blankets. Returning her hands to either side of his face, she breathed, "Because you're human."
"Oh, come-"
"You think everyone's perfect?" she interrupted, "You think that every single cop in this city has never thought about bending or breaking the law at their will? Jay, you come on."
He sighed and said, "Of course not. I just hoped that going to Bolivia would have reset my system or something."
"Jay, it did," Hailey replied earnestly, "It gave you a new outlook on policing and life and us. You didn't do any of that stuff you were thinking about today, right? No one broke the law. We all crossed our Ts and dotted our Is just like we've been trained to do. We have built a solid case without doing anything we weren't supposed to do. Jay, it's normal to wish you could cut some corners just to get the result you want, but what matters is what you choose to do. You chose to do the right thing today, and that's all I care about. That's all we all care about. No more murder and lies. None."
Her voice faded between them as she quietly finished talking, and she continued tracing her thumb along his jaw, focusing on the way his rough facial hair felt against her skin. It contrasted to the softness in his eyes at her words, and she finally felt like she could read him here in their bed.
He believed her.
"We've grown up," he said, a weak smile teasing his lips.
"Yeah," she slightly laughed, "We have."
Dragging her hand down his chest, she smiled at his heart pumping against her palm. There were several times in her life where she thought she'd never feel it again, but now, for the rest of the forever that they promised each other, she doubted she'd ever have that worry. Jay was going to keep doing the right thing regarding policing and work, and she knew she was going to do the same.
They had too much to lose now that they knew what loneliness and crossing the line tasted like. Starting with each other.
"I love you," he repeated softly as his hand came up to play with her hair.
"And I love you," she replied.
Jay leaned forward to catch her lips in his, and she sighed as his grip tightened against her.
"Jay," she murmured.
He hummed and tipped her head to the side to return his lips to beneath her jaw.
Tangling her fingers into his t-shirt, she breathed, "I guess you were right about the pajama thing."
Jay laughed, and the sound sent a warmth straight to her belly. As his teeth scraped against her skin, he whispered, "I know."
"I brought cookies," she said as he pulled her shirt off and pressed her back to their mattress.
"You want a cookie right now?"
"I guess I can wait ten minutes."
Again, Jay let out a low chuckle, and Hailey knew that whatever happened at work didn't matter because, at the end of the day, after all this time, she still had him.
And she always would.
A/N: Let me know what you think? :) Talk to you next week!