A/N: Happy Monday! Date night anyone? ;)

It was a long three days before Hailey got out of work at a decent hour and made it home before Jay.

He'd been spending a little extra time in the afternoon staying at the academy to prepare for his next lessons and study the curriculum, but she was determined to get him to let loose tonight and leave for dinner at a decent hour. Tonight was her turn to put on the fancy clothes and take him out. It was long overdue.

As she slipped out of the jeans she'd worn all day and the socks that left imprints around her ankles, she thought back on how proud she was of Jay for fully committing to the academy. Tuesday morning, when she'd felt rather slow and achey while getting ready, he was supportive, but still got dressed and showed that he was going to work as well. He didn't mention taking the day off to keep an eye on her; he told her that if she was positive she was going to be okay, then he trusted her.

It was the first thing she mentioned to Robin at her Wednesday therapy session. She liked that Jay so easily believed her. It was something they'd had to work through upon his return from Bolivia: they both needed to earn each other's trust back, and now they'd finally done that. Neither of them was afraid of guarding the other's feelings anymore. They were okay with being vulnerable, and that felt like the biggest step in their marriage yet.

They were no longer hiding behind lies or fears. Their hearts were bared for the other to see, and it created even more love for them. Hailey felt even safer around Jay because she knew he was aware of all that was going through her mind, and she hoped he felt the same way.

This conversation with Robin had started opening up the abuse she'd gone through as a child, and she was happy to realize that Jay really was a large reason as to why she could break through those old scabs and recover from them. While it wasn't a surprise to acknowledge it, it still warmed her heart and made her feel complete.

She was in the car on the way home from that session when she called the restaurant and made a reservation for tonight. Not only did she still want to celebrate Jay's return to the workforce, but she also wanted to celebrate herself and her own growth – albeit maybe small – in how she viewed her fears and past. They deserved a night out, and it couldn't be pushed off any longer.

Hailey glanced at herself in the mirror on her way to grab her phone. Dressed in the black dress Jay had been such a fan of before, she was very ready for him to come home just so they could go out.

"Hey."

Hailey smiled at Jay's voice through the phone, not expecting him to answer nearly the second she hit Call. "Hi," she said softly, perching on the edge of their bed, "I was wondering when you'll be home."

"Is that a round-about way of saying you're home?" Jay countered.

"Perhaps."

Jay chuckled and said, "I miss you too."

Hailey felt her cheeks flush as she looked down at her feet. While her intention behind the phone call wasn't to tell Jay that she missed him, she figured that beneath it all that really was the reason. She did miss him. They'd gone from seeing each other whenever she got home to suddenly having to wait and having even less daylight with each other.

"I do miss you," she replied, "But actually, I'm calling because I made plans for us tonight. I want to do that fancy dinner – steak and wine on me."

"Oh, really? Our rain check is happening tonight?"

"If you're able, and I'm really hoping you are. Will you be home soon?"

Before Jay could answer, though, the call dropped, and Hailey was left staring at her phone. She frowned and clicked the call button again only for it to go straight to voicemail. She didn't want to worry, but she could feel the concern starting to stir within her belly that wasn't related to the occasional twinge her stitches still gave her.

Sighing, she set her phone on the bed and decided to give Jay five minutes. Perhaps he went through a dead zone or his phone died or something came up at the academy. Anything really was possible, and she didn't have a reason to worry. She could wait five minutes.

There was then a knock at the front door, and Hailey let out a breath as she stood to go answer it. While it wasn't ideal to have someone coming to her apartment right when she wanted to have plans with Jay, it'd at least give her a quick distraction before calling him again.

Without looking through the peephole, she opened the door and immediately let out a surprised laugh at the sight of Jay standing in front of her.

"This soon enough?" he asked softly.

She nodded quickly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Definitely," she whispered in his ear.

He picked her up, her laughter filling their entryway as he kicked the door close behind him and carried her to their bedroom. Gently tossing her on their bed, he said, "And what if I decided to stay late at the academy tonight?"

"Then I would go kidnap you," Hailey said without missing a beat. Smirking, she added, "I think I can be pretty convincing."

Jay laughed and began undoing his tie. "That you are. You could probably get me to do just about anything."

Hailey raised an eyebrow and leaned back on her palms to watch him slip his shirt off. "Just about anything?" she repeated, "What exactly is the line? Where would you stop?"

Laughing harder, Jay let out a teasing sigh and stopped undressing with his hands on his waist. "Well, for one, I'm still not a fan of cucumbers."

Hailey burst into her own laughter and shook her head. "They taste like nothing."

"That's a lie," Jay shot back, "It's like eating grass."

"Please," Hailey said, rolling her eyes, "You just need to eat them with hummus or garlic, and you like both of those things."

Jay hummed and returned to undoing his belt. Slipping it from his waist, he set it on the bed next to her and said, "Still unsure about it."

She waited for him to kick his pants toward their closet to say, "Just to clarify, the one thing you think I can't get you to do is eat a cucumber?"

Jay glanced at her over his shoulder and chuckled. "The whole flu shot thing is a rough one, but you've proven to get that done in the past."

"And I plan on doing it again this year," Hailey said with a nod.

"Cause you're cute," Jay replied. He turned back to his dresser and pulled out a pair of dress pants. "This restaurant we're going to...black tie?"

"Like we go to black tie restaurants," Hailey laughed.

Jay smirked and tugged the pants on. "Well, you're looking pretty damn hot tonight. Just wondering if I need a suit coat or not."

"First of all, thank you," Hailey said, standing up to walk over to him. She lightly grabbed his waist and smiled up at him. Swirling her fingers along his bare skin, she murmured, "But no, you don't need a suit coat. I think a button down will suffice; however, if you absolutely want to wear a suit coat…I won't complain."

"That a thing for you?" he asked softly, "You like when I dress up?"

"Babe, I like just the fact that you exist," Hailey said, "But yes, you in a nice outfit, especially a tie or suit, that's something that can keep me up at night."

Jay smiled then leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips. "Then a suit coat is what you'll get. You're wearing that dress anyways; I need to show the world that I do deserve a girl like you."

Again, Hailey felt a blush creep across her face. There was no doubt that she was confident in who she was. She could recognize the pieces of her that were pretty on her own, but she still loved whenever Jay would pay her compliments that she wasn't asking for. Jay's opinion on who she was mattered to her more than anyone else's, and that spread from not just her work ethic and morals, but what she looked like as well. Having someone she loved so much being so willing to place her on a pedestal and tell her till he was blue in the face that he valued every aspect of who she was felt like something her little girl dreams were made out of. Jay treated her like the princess her uncle tried teaching her that she was, and she knew he would have loved her husband for that very reason.

But still, she found herself saying, "You really don't have to give me all the compliments."

Jay shook his head and slipped his hand in hers to lift it up and show off the ring he'd bought her. "As valuable as a diamond, remember?"

Hailey's smile spread, and her eyes flickered to that small, dainty diamond reflecting the soft light of their bedroom. "I don't think I could ever forget that you said that. It was maybe the most romantic thing I'd ever heard."

Jay smiled and caught her lips in his again. His hands slipped up her back and into her hair, tilting her head further back so he could close the minuscule distance between them and hold her to his bare chest.

She gasped softly against him and dragged her hands along his back. For just a moment, she forgot all about their dinner reservations and her plans for their celebration tonight. All that inhabited her mind was Jay, his lips on hers, his heart beating against hers, and the pure love he gave her.

He was her soul mate, and she couldn't be more grateful.

Unfortunately, she did have to be a little more aware of the time: "Jay," she gasped as she tried pulling away from him.

He hummed and tugged her back, a magnetic force making it nearly impossible for her to take a breath.

"Jay," she tried again, soft laughter teasing her voice, "We have reservations."

At first, he didn't step back, choosing instead to kiss her harder, drawing a low moan from her throat as his teeth teased at her bottom lip, but then he did let go of her and put a few inches between them. "Fine," he said, smirking himself, "But this isn't over."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Hailey replied as he turned back toward the closet. Smiling, she set her hands on her hips and breathed in slowly. She watched her husband – now more scarred than she ever imagined he would be – finish getting dressed before he retreated to their bathroom for a moment.

In the light, he did physically look different, but it wasn't the scars that stood out the most to her: it was the way his eyes lit up when he looked at her and how he smiled when he didn't think she was looking and how his hands were relaxed at his sides and how he confidently held himself without an air of superiority. This new Jay reminded her of all the parts of him that she'd fallen in love with, and she couldn't wait to spend the evening with him.

The hostess excused herself upon their arrival at the restaurant to make sure their table was ready, so Hailey turned to face Jay and say, "I wasn't quite sure what you'd be up to wine wise, so I didn't ask for a bottle to be ready at the table."

"That's okay," he replied, "I'll have whatever you'd like."

"If you're sure," Hailey said, "I was kind of feeling something on the drier side."

"As long as you let me rate it as we're drinking it, I really don't care," Jay chuckled.

Hailey laughed softly and shook her head. She stepped back from him to slip her coat off, and he quickly accepted it from her, but not before he could brush his fingers over her shoulder. Glancing down, she smiled and said, "Yes?"

"Just…" he trailed off then raised his hand to lightly push the strap of her dress to the side. He briefly rubbed his thumb over the heart tattooed to her skin before saying, "I think about this a lot."

Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He nodded and stepped back. "It's really something. I can't believe you did it. I drew that, and it's stuck on you forever."

Hailey laughed and shrugged. "But I don't regret it at all. It's my way of keeping you close wherever I go."

Jay let out a soft sound, and he glanced around. "I really want to kiss you right now."

Hailey smiled back and looked over her shoulder before quickly pushing up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "It's not perfect, but it'll do for now, I hope."

Chuckling, he grabbed her waist and dropped a kiss of his own on the top of her head. "I guess," he replied.

The hostess returned and shot them a smile. "Anniversary?" she asked while leading them toward their table.

"Just a night out," Hailey replied, her fingers intertwining with Jay's at her hip.

"Well, I'm sure it's well deserved," the hostess said. She stopped at a table and waited for Jay to hold the chair out for Hailey to say, "Your waitress will be right with you. I hope you enjoy."

"Thank you," Jay replied as he sat himself. He smiled at Hailey and grabbed the wine menu once the hostess had walked away. "So a dry wine tonight, huh? Looks definitely doable. There's like a hundred wines on here."

"There is not," Hailey laughed. She lightly tugged the menu from his hand and glanced over it. "You trust me?"

"With my life," Jay replied easily.

Hailey smiled and couldn't help but roll her eyes. Picking out a wine was not nearly as dangerous as their job had been, but she could still appreciate the sentiment for what it was.

Jay chuckled at his play on words and sipped at the water already on the table for them. "So if you're picking out the wine, do I get to pick out the dessert?"

Hailey set the menu down and asked, "You want a dessert tonight?"

"It's a celebration," Jay said with a nod, "I went back to work, you survived a knife wound, we deserve a fancy dessert."

"I don't know, I mean I was pretty happy with my peanut butter cookies and vanilla milkshake the other day," Hailey laughed softly.

"This will be much nicer than that," Jay chuckled, "And I'll try to pay extra attention to it so I can make it for you at home."

"Ah, look at you," Hailey teased, "Someone learned how to make oatmeal and crab cakes and suddenly he's on Food Network."

Jay let out a laugh that he quickly silenced upon looking around at the surrounding tables. Still chuckling to himself, he said, "I'm just saying, it's a hobby I'm trying to get better at. It'd make my mom proud to know that I cooked half the meals my wife ate. She wanted Will and I to learn how to take care of a house; she didn't want us to just exist in a marriage and do nothing."

Hailey softened with a smile still present on her face. Even as the waitress approached the table for their wine order, an aged Malbec that Hailey decided would best fit their dinner, she couldn't look away from Jay. Hearing about his mom and the hopes she'd had for him years before was not something she was often granted the privilege of, so this felt like a moment even more special than it already was.

"She wanted you to cook for your family?" she asked softly.

Jay looked up from the menu and hummed.

"Your mom," she clarified, "She would tell you that she wanted you to cook for your wife?"

"Well, yeah," Jay said as he set the menu down, "She didn't want to raise two bumps on a log – her words, not mine."

Hailey laughed and shook her head. "I can't imagine you ever being like that."

"Because of her," Jay replied. He seemed to smile at the thought and looked down at the table. Brushing his fingers over the white tablecloth, he said, "I think she raised us well. They both did. My dad taught us the car stuff and basic house repairs, but also how to be proud of yourself – that we had something to be proud of, that sense of work and drive. My mom…she taught us how to live, and not just the cooking basics or how to do laundry – which was much too complicated and took too long for a middle school kid, mind you – she taught us how to be happy, especially at the end."

Hailey nodded along, the laughter she'd had a moment before fading so that she was left with a small, encouraging smile on her face. She reached across the table to grab Jay's hand, her fingers brushing against his wrist and feeling his gentle pulse jump against her skin.

Jay met her eyes and breathed in slowly. "You dragged me out of a hole, and I know it wasn't easy; I know I was an ass and made mistakes, but I got to this point because of you. I can't deny that; however, I also believe that part of the reason I was able to survive everything was because of her. She didn't die to save my life or anything like that, but she did want us to continue living even after she left. She wouldn't have wanted me to have that dark, depressing life. I was supposed to be bigger than that. If she couldn't live another day, then I needed to truly embrace every moment that I was going to live. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does," Hailey breathed. She squeezed Jay's wrist and slowly brushed her thumb over the heel of his hand. "Her life taught you that you need to value your own. Every breath you take is worth something. You can't give that up, and I don't think you have, nor do I think you ever will. Jay, your mom taught you something special, and it wasn't just your Irish soda bread recipe."

At that, he laughed and relaxed in his seat. Tipping his chin down against his chest, he shook his head and said, "I knew it. You were with me for my cooking."

Hailey laughed with him and lightly tugged his hand until he looked back up at her. "Like you said," she began softly, "She taught you how to live. That's the greatest gift you could be given."

Jay held her gaze for a second then twisted his hand until he could intertwine their fingers again. Lifting it up so he could kiss the side of her thumb, he said, "Right next to you."

"Oh, don't be so sappy," Hailey breathed.

Jay laughed and shook his head. "Tonight's about celebration, remember? It's about us and this new life we have. You're my gift."

Hailey let out a breath then tilted her head to the side with a smile and nodded. "And if that's the case tonight, you're mine."

Her gut told her this could have lasted forever, the two of them going back and forth, saying truthful things that they were once too scared to speak. Until Jay's accident, they had just lived their life. They'd been in love, without a doubt, but it was a quiet, peaceful love that they both basked in. Now, however, that they could see what life could have been like without the other, they realized their love needed to be a little bit louder, a little bit bolder, and a little more present in their everyday. Hailey liked this change much more than she liked the change of Jay's career.

The waitress returned to the table with their wine, pouring it for them and offering suggestions on the menu to best match the drink before writing down their steak and salad orders to bring back to the kitchen.

Jay smiled down at his glass of wine and picked it up. Holding it in the air, he said, "Shall we toast?"

Hailey laughed softly and picked hers up as well. "To us," she said, "To your new job-"

"To you attending therapy," Jay added.

"To you being a kickass teacher-"

"To you being a crazy smart detective-"

"To us being married-"

"And to the people who got us here," Jay finished.

Hailey smiled and nodded, tipping her glass forward enough to tap it to Jay's. With the soft ding still echoing in her ear, she took a sip of the wine and savored it for the briefest of seconds before being interrupted by Jay's nose crinkling and his first impression of the wine.

"Damn that is…okay, we need the food quickly."

Hailey laughed and took another sip. "It's good," she said.

"It's a lot," Jay replied, but he still drank it again despite the way his eyes squinted the second the alcohol touched his lips.

"You're acting like a child," Hailey laughed harder, "Drink it like a man."

"I'm trying!" Jay laughed, "And it's definitely not drink it like a man in this case. It's drink it like a…I don't know, who drinks a lot of wine?"

Hailey smiled against her glass. "Many, many people, babe."

Jay shook his head and took another sip. Clearing his throat and setting his glass on the table, he said, "You drink wine."

Hailey raised an eyebrow. "I do, and so do you. We're literally in a wine of the month club."

"I know that, but…" Jay waved his hand around and continued, "Before you met me even – you were a wine drinker. You taught me about wine years ago, or, rather, you told me you like free wine and said some fancy name I could barely understand."

Hailey smiled at the memory and nodded. Maybe it was the free wine coursing through her system that night, even if it was only a glass and a half, but she'd often looked back at it with flushed cheeks and butterflies in her belly. Before Jay ever kissed her in the bar, she'd go back over certain conversations in their friendship and wonder if there were underlying feelings there. While she was convinced neither of them was yet into the other back when their partnership started, she still thought that the wine conversation and that night in general was a little flirty. There'd been something brewing there that she couldn't ignore.

"You can get a really good buzz from a cheap bottle of wine," she replied.

Jay chuckled and reached out to grab her hand again. "I do like seeing you with a buzz."

"Yeah?" she asked, "Cause there's a fine line between cute and sloppy."

Shaking his head, Jay chuckled and said, "I'm not saying it's always cute. I'm saying I like it. There's something about you with a little less worries and a bit more confidence that makes me happy. It's addicting to watch. Even when we were friends, I'd love to let you finish my drink or convince you to have just one more."

She jokingly gasped and said, "Jay Halstead, you were purposely getting me drunk?"

He smirked and shrugged, brushing his thumb over her palm. "Any excuse to give you a ride home or offer you to the stay the night."

"That was just one time," she said quickly, holding up her finger to clarify that she'd had to sleep over his apartment one night soon after she'd broken up with Adam - not counting when she'd stayed after he'd been shot.

Her relationship had been over for approximately seventy-two hours when she found herself at Jay's apartment door with a bottle of whiskey and a deep-dish pizza.

"I was hoping to just hang out," she'd admitted in his doorway, "I know I should have called, but-"

"You never have to call first," he'd replied while reaching out to gently grab her elbow. Tugging her into his apartment, he'd slipped the pizza from her hands and said, "Especially when you bring me pizza and booze."

She'd laughed at that and immediately toed her shoes off. At first, they'd just eaten the pizza and broke into the whiskey over light conversation - some stuff about work, but mostly TV, their plans for the weekend, and whatever crossed their mind. It was when she'd slipped out of her sweatshirt and curled up on the corner of his couch that she finally told him what had happened, though she'd guessed he had an idea.

"It just wasn't meant to be," she'd murmured against the rim of her fourth glass of whiskey, "No…no work place romances for me."

Jay had smiled sadly at that and picked up the bottle of whiskey. "I am sorry it didn't work out. Break-ups suck – even if you're breaking up with Adam Ruzek."

She'd rolled her eyes and lightly kicked her foot out to nudge his thigh. "I liked him. I still do. He's a good guy." With that, she'd finished her glass of whiskey in one gulp.

"He is," Jay'd agreed as he reached over to grab the empty glass from her. Filling it back up, he added, "But you deserve better."

Hailey could remember looking at him through bleary eyes and hoping he'd meant himself. She'd have to wait well-over a year before she found out that, yes, Jay was the one she really did deserve and, perhaps, the one he'd been talking about back on his couch.

It was a little after that fifth glass of whiskey, though, when Hailey had to admit that she couldn't drive home. She could have ordered a car, but Jay offered her his bed, and she was too tired to put up a fight. His offer ended up including a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt for her to sleep in that she didn't return until he started staying the night at her place. His bed had been warm and lived in, something she'd hold onto for months to come before she returned to it.

It'd been one of the best nights of sleep she'd had in weeks. Even before she'd broken up with Adam, the thought that they weren't clicking the way they should have been kept her up at night and triggered her insomnia. Jay's presence, even if it existed through the scent of his soap on the blankets and his soft snoring in the living room, had been enough to put her at peace and send her to sleep. She'd felt safe and was glad she'd decided to stay the night.

Looking back at that night, there was no surprise that Jay had been able to calm her speeding mind. He was her home, and home was always meant to be a safe place – a place where she could fully relax and be herself.

Much like right now.

"It was a good night, though," Jay argued with a smirk crossing his face, "Fun too."

Hailey laughed softly and shrugged. "I was going through it."

Jay agreed with a laugh. "Don't we all after a break-up? It was fine. I was just glad you didn't ditch me in the morning. I was a little scared you would take off before I woke up."

"And instead I made you pancakes," Hailey replied.

Jay smiled back and squeezed her hand. "Delicious too, even if they were a bit too sweet for me."

Hailey laughed and shook her head. "And you're the same guy asking if we can have dessert tonight? Unbelievable. You needed to live a little, Jay Halstead."

Chuckling, he replied, "Then let's live tonight – though I don't know if we can really beat peanut butter cookies and a vanilla milkshake for dinner the other day."

"Maybe not," Hailey laughed, "But we can look for a fancy chocolate dessert on the menu and enjoy that before going home and finishing our celebration there."

Jay held up his wine glass and said, "Here's to that."

Smiling wide, completely head over heels for her husband that she seemed to fall more and more in love with every day, Hailey tapped her glass to his then took a long sip of wine.

There was certainly much to celebrate tonight.

The food was delicious and worth every cent. Hailey laughed when Jay added more garlic butter to his steak, and he teased her when she finished hers before him. They savored the meal with each bite, wishing they could have food like this every night.

"I should have decided to go to med school instead of teaching at the academy," Jay said once their plates were cleared, "We need more money to go out way more than we already do."

Hailey laughed and set a hand on her stomach. "I don't know if my insides can handle that. I ate so much, I'm going to burst."

"But it'll be good food," Jay countered, "It'll be worth it."

"Maybe," Hailey replied with a smile, "And you do realize that we did order that chocolate cake, right? You might have to roll me out of here."

"I don't think I'll roll you out," Jay chuckled, "But I can carry you back to the car if you'd like."

Setting her chin on her palm, Hailey said, "I might have to take you up on that. So since you didn't go to med school like your brother-"

"Oh, ouch," Jay laughed. He jokingly put a hand on his heart and said, "My wife preferring my brother over me?"

"Shut up!" Hailey said, laughter evident in her own voice, "Just saying, it's hilarious that that's the job you think you should have had in order to get more money."

"He has a pretty nice life," Jay countered.

Hailey shrugged and put her hand out on the table. When Jay smiled at it and traced his finger along her fingers, she softly continued, "I think your life is a little bit nicer. For one, you're the better looking brother."

Jay tipped his head back and let out a laugh just a level too loud for the restaurant. Quickly quieting down, he chuckled and said, "There's the girl I married. Thank you. I completely agree."

Hailey winked and smiled back at him. "Also, nicer apartment. We've got a view of the water. He's got a brick building outside his window."

Jay snorted and nodded. "You're on a roll."

"I know," Hailey laughed, "And, finally, you have me." She settled down slightly and gave another small shrug. Lightly tugging at Jay's fingers, she let out a breath and said, "And I'm never going to leave you. Will's got friends and of course I love him, but for you…it's different. Always."

Jay smiled back at her and kissed her hand for the umpteenth time that night. "I do have you."

"You did say I'm valuable," she said softly, a smirk teasing at her lips.

"That I did," Jay chuckled, "And I meant it."

Hailey could have slipped further into the romance of it all – say something even deeper than anything she'd said that night – but the laughter they'd exchanged and the smiles on their faces brought her back to the present. Just because they were moving forward into a new chapter didn't mean they needed to constantly be talking about all the love they had for each other. They could continue to show it to each other without being over the top. That was almost more appealing: the idea of leaving the little hearts and holding hands and stealing kisses in elevators all to prove that they were stronger than ever.

"If we – say – put a number on me," she jokingly began, "What're we talking? Would you be a millionaire?"

Jay laughed and nodded. "Yes. Maybe even a billionaire."

"Maybe?" Hailey repeated. She set her chin on her palm and asked, "How many zeros?"

Smiling, Jay shook his head and said, "You're ridiculous."

"How many zeros?" she said again. Her smile widening, she said, "Am I Oprah level valuable? Taylor Swift? Tom Cruise? What's my price?"

Jay stared at her for a moment, then his smile turned into a slight smirk. Scooting closer to the table, he cleared his throat and said, "Mona Lisa."

She crinkled her nose. "The Mona Lisa? That's-"

"Priceless," Jay interrupted, "You're priceless, Hailey."

She let out a soft laugh of disbelief then shook her head. Straightening up in her seat, she said, "You're something else, you realize that? You spoil me."

"Oh, I don't know," Jay said, softening in his seat, "You…Hailey, you realize you changed my life, right? I'm not even talking about years ago when we first met and you practically forced me into therapy-"

"Which is a bit ironic now," Hailey mumbled, earning another soft laugh from Jay.

"It's nothing," he said through his laughter. He reached over to grab her hand and said, "When I first came home, you stayed. I was a physical and mental mess, and you didn't leave me, and – for the life of me – I could not realize why. I know I've told you this before, but it completely destroyed me to see you suffering as I tried getting better. You stayed when things got hard, and that's something I can never repay you. Because I can never repay you, that makes what you did priceless. You are priceless."

Hailey blinked quickly then brushed a hand under her eye. "Jay," she murmured.

Sniffling, she hadn't expected him to make what was meant to be a joke into something so sincere. She did remember him telling her that it'd wrecked him to see her staying at his side, but it'd never been a question to do so. Leaving him when he was at the lowest point of his life was not an option. She loved him from the inside out, and staying was what she was meant to do. Ring or not, Jay was the man she loved more than anything in the world, and she was going to spend every day of her life proving that to him – it was still overwhelming, though, to hear that he planned on doing the exact same thing.

Their bubble was broken by the waitress returning with a piece of chocolate cake. Fudge and caramel covered the plate and the two spoons on top of it. It looked delicious, but Hailey knew it wasn't the real dessert of the evening – not even close.

The chocolate and wine buzz floated through Hailey's mind, and all that grounded her was Jay's hand in hers all the way home. She couldn't even look away from him as he drove. Resting her head back on her seat, she hazily smiled at him and breathed, "You're handsome."

Jay laughed and glanced at her. "I didn't think you had that much to drink."

"I didn't," she sighed, "But a couple glasses mixed with that chocolate cake and our really good dinner…I am set."

"Mhmm," Jay hummed, "Set enough that you're gonna want to sleep when we get home?"

"No, no," she replied, trying to sit up more, "Definitely not that tired. Just content, and I mean that in a good way."

"I had a feeling that's what you meant," Jay said, smiling as he squeezed her hand.

"Morse code?" she asked.

Jay shook his head. "Just a squeeze, but do you remember what I taught you?"

Rather than replying with her words, Hailey smiled and began slowly squeezing his hand, sending all her concentration to her fingertips as she worked to remember the combination of movements Jay had taught her a few days before in the hospital. She didn't think it was perfect, but he certainly knew what she was trying to do.

"There you go," he chuckled, "Maybe I should teach you the rest of the alphabet."

Hailey laughed and replied, "That seems like a lot of work."

"Maybe on a rainy day?" Jay asked.

Hailey smiled and squeezed his hand again. "We can do that."

Jay shot her a wink then returned his gaze to the road. Hailey spent the rest of the drive lightly playing with his fingers, tracing the lines of his palm, and intertwining their hands together. His hold was steady in hers, but loose enough that he moved with anything she asked. It represented who he was as a person, and she loved it.

Once he'd parked in their lot and they'd stepped down from the car, she suddenly felt wide awake. Jay's hands found her hips, using them to guide him into their building and straight to the elevator. She couldn't help but laugh as he pushed her up against the wall and began to trace his lips down her jaw.

Closing her eyes, she whispered, "You don't have much time."

"Don't be buzz kill," he murmured in her ear before lightly nipping at her throat.

She moaned softly and blindly reached for his shirt to begin undoing the top buttons. He smirked against her warm skin and reached behind her to tease at the zipper of her dress.

"What would happen if you lost your dress in here?" he asked.

Hailey gasped softly as his fingers began dragging down her spine while slowly pulling at her zipper. "I can't walk down there without anything on," she breathed.

"I can carry you," Jay replied. He straightened enough to rest his forehead to hers, a smirk clear as day on his face.

She breathily laughed and asked, "What's gotten into you?"

He hummed and pecked at her lips. "Maybe I'm feeling a little drunk too. The wine, the cake, you…"

Hailey laughed and shook her head. "You are-"

The elevator doors opened, and while Jay groaned low, dropping his head to her shoulder, Hailey laughed harder and finished, "Too slow."

"Yeah, yeah," Jay mumbled. Without giving her too much time to focus on what could have been, he swept down to grip onto her thighs and lift her up.

"Jay!" she laughed.

He chuckled and carried her into the hallway. "Nothing's stopping me from having my way with you. Tonight's about us, remember? A celebration?"

"I do," she said, her happiness evident in her voice as she felt the loose fabric of her dress brush against her bare back, "I just want you to be careful."

"I'm always careful," he replied. Hitching her legs around his waist, he took a second to press her against their door, kissing her slowly and long enough to make her gasp for air when he finally pulled back.

"You are…you're not," she said softly as he balanced her between himself and the door while trying to fish his key from his pockets.

"Debatable," he chuckled before pushing the key into the door and walking them both inside.

The second the door was closed behind them, Hailey stopped his movements with a kiss and placed her hand in the middle of his chest. His fingers tightened for a moment around her thighs before he loosed his grip and let her down in front of him.

"This dress was expensive," she said softly, holding his eye contact as she stepped back from him, "I'm not losing it in our elevator."

She reached behind her and finished unzipping her dress. With one quick movement of her arms, the black material pooled at her feet, leaving her standing in front of him dressed in the lingerie he loved from their honeymoon.

For a brief second, she felt self-conscious of the large wound on her side. She'd seen what the stitches looked like in the mirror, and it certainly wasn't cute. The black thread may have matched her clothes, but it stood out stark against her skin in a way her tattoo didn't.

But then Jay groaned softly beneath his breath and shook his head. Before she knew it, he was kneeling in front of her and pressing his lips as close to the stitches as he could without irritating them.

She closed her eyes the second his lips touched her and tipped her head back, her fingers threading through his hair to hold him against her.

"God, I love you," he breathed against her. His lips trailed along her stomach, dipping down to tease at the edge of her underwear before he slipped his fingers in the waistband and tugged them down.

Hailey moaned at the feeling of his warm breath against her and whispered, "Tonight's supposed to be about celebrating you and your new job. You were kind enough at the restaurant."

"Trust me, I can be a hell of a lot nicer," Jay said before pressing his lips to her and drawing out a low moan from her belly.

She blinked past the haze returning to her mind and pulled him closer to her.

She had been saying this was a celebration of their new chapter together. It didn't have to be an individual thing, and she could find a way to repay him – even if he was also priceless.

If she'd thought she was drunk on Jay back in the truck, she was absolutely gone by the end of the night.

From the living room to the couch to their bed, Hailey could barely function atop their sheets, her fingers weakly finding Jay's next to her. The second their fingertips touched, he breathily laughed and moved his hand close enough to grasp onto her.

"That was good dessert," she breathed.

Jay laughed harder and brushed his free hand over his face. "Oh my god."

She laughed with him and fought past the dull ache in her thighs to roll over and tuck a pillow beneath her head. Her hair was a complete mess around her, her chest still rising and falling quickly as she caught her breath, her lips almost feeling bruised from being pressed to Jay's for so long.

He was on his back next to her, their connected hands pressed into his side between them. Like her, he looked like a mess as her fingers had undone any of the gel in his hair and left marks along his shoulders. But the brightness in his eyes and the wide smile on his face was like nothing Hailey could ever forget.

"That was…" she began before trailing off.

"A damn good celebration," Jay finished.

Hailey laughed and set a hand on his heart. She could remember doing just that months before in the hospital to reassure herself that he was alive. Then, his heartbeat had been slow against her palm, but steady enough to ease any worries that existed within her. Now, his heart jumped against her hand, strong and fast to tell her that not only was he alive, but he was also happy and excited and in love.

She smiled down at her hand, almost laughing at how small it looked on top of his chest, and brushed her thumb gently against the scars still present on his skin. The smooth skin was warm like it'd been minutes before as it'd been pressing her down into their mattress. He'd grounded her in the moment all while still taking her to new heights, leaving her on what could only be described as Cloud Nine.

"Feeling okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded quickly and lightly drummed her fingers against him. "Very much so. Are you?"

"Completely," he easily replied.

Hailey's smile widened, and she leaned down to kiss him. She let out a soft moan against his lips before whispering, "Thank you for tonight."

Jay slipped his hand from hers to reach around and press between her shoulder blades. The gentle push caused her to hook a leg over his and situate herself on top of him. When she was above him, pressed tightly to his chest, he replied, "You're the one who planned it all."

"And you're the one who took it to the next level," she countered, "It was more than I could have asked for. I'm glad we finally got to celebrate."

Jay kissed her again and wrapped both his arms around her, securing her to his chest. "It's only going to go up from here, I promise you," he whispered, "It's a new beginning for us."

Hailey nodded and rested her hand against his cheek as she pressed herself up to get a better look at him. "I believe you," she said softly.

He smiled and brushed his nose to hers, causing her to laugh softly, before kissing her one more time, proving that tonight was worth the wait.

Hailey was still on the high of the night the following day when she was sipping her coffee at the kitchen island. She'd fallen asleep listening to Jay softly tell her about how his day had gone at work. She hadn't wanted to fall asleep on him and didn't want to put an idea in his head that his work bored her, but her body had been lulled into a state of exhaustion, and she couldn't do much to stop it.

"You didn't happen to make me a cup, did you?" Jay asked while stepping out of their bedroom.

She glanced over her shoulder at him buttoning the cuffs of his shirt and nodded. "I did," she answered, "It actually just finished pouring."

"Perfect," Jay breathed. He kissed her cheek when he approached then walked over to pick up his mug. Blowing on it, he asked, "Any certain plans for today at work?"

"Uh, I don't think so," Hailey said, "We're still just putting down the final plans for stopping whatever Richard Beck's going to do."

"Bombs?" Jay asked, taking a sip of coffee.

She nodded. "Seems like it since a lot of people are supposed to die. We just don't know where yet or really what the purpose is. He is…Jay, he's awful. It makes me sick listening to him talk on these tapes. I don't know how Adam's doing it."

"I don't know," Jay sighed, "He deserves a stiff drink at the end of it, though."

Hailey nodded again. "Kev and I were saying the other day we all need a night out the second we've finished. Would you want to come?"

"If I'm invited, of course," Jay said. He pulled out a bag of bagels from the fridge and asked, "You want one?"

Shaking her head, Hailey pointed toward the yogurt and fruit in front of her. She ignored her phone buzzing next to her for a moment as she said, "Jay, you're going to be invited. You might not work with us anymore, but you're a part of our team."

He shot her a skeptical look, but said nothing while setting his bagel in the toaster.

She sighed, knowing her own words had been rather empty. Jay had been there the week before and literally erased his name from the call signs. He was not in Intelligence anymore even if he helped build the unit. That wasn't exactly something that could be ignored.

"You just tell me where and when, and I'll be there," he finally said. Leaning against the counter, he asked, "When is this case supposed to close anyways?"

"Couple weeks," Hailey answered. She picked up her phone to glance at the screen and said, "Adam said the date is-"

~ Just arrested Sam. Plan's happening today. Come in now ~ Adam Ruzek

"Today," she breathed.

"What?" Jay asked, straightening up.

"Today," Hailey repeated quickly while stumbling off the barstool. She took one last sip of coffee, slipped her phone in her pocket, then hurried over to shove her shoes on. "Adam just texted us and said he arrested Sam. He must be at the district. I have to go."

Throwing her hair up in a ponytail, she ran to the coat hook and pulled her jacket off. It was two weeks before anything was supposed to happen, and Adam had had no plans to reveal himself to Sam for a long time – if ever. She knew in her gut that something bad had to have happened for him to make this call. She needed to get to the district to figure out whatever the hell was going on.

"Hailey, Hailey," Jay said as he quickly crossed the apartment. He grabbed her waist before she could take another step toward the front door and looked her in the eyes. His mouth seemed to gape for the words he needed to say, but nothing came out.

She found herself lost in his gaze, the memories of the night before washing over her. Every squeeze of his hand against hers, each pass of lips over her skin, all of the physical reminders still etched in her muscles while all the words he'd said filled her heart. Valuable, priceless, loved, beautiful, strong. All words she wanted to embody and be for him and for herself. She was worthy of everything he gave her, and she wanted to prove to him that she could truly be all of those things. He'd brought tears to her eyes and warmed her soul from the inside out all night long. It was something she didn't want to ever escape or leave.

Leaving him now, when she was well-aware that she was going to be walking into the unknown, felt nearly impossible. Out of all the times that she'd left him over the past couple of months to go to work, this had to be the hardest. Today was going to be one of the unpredictable, scary days of her job that she'd grown used to. Even if she loved the chaotic nature of her job, she still wanted to come home to her husband at the end of the day. She couldn't lose him again; the other day had been a stark reminder that it was very much possible for that to happen.

Fear bubbled within her at the thought of being the one who truly got hurt this time around. A knife was one thing; whatever Richard Beck was planning was a whole other beast she didn't want to encounter.

She needed to survive this.

"Be safe," Jay finally whispered, "Please."

She swallowed the sudden panic in her throat and nodded. "I will," she croaked.

Jay slowly shook his head and placed a hand on the side of her face. "You are strong and smart and the best damn detective I know," he said softly, "But do not underestimate that man and whatever he's planning."

Hailey quickly nodded again and took a deep breath. "I can do this."

"You can," Jay breathed. He tugged her close and kissed her quickly. "Now, go save the world. Show them what their head detective can do."

Hailey weakly laughed as she reluctantly stepped out of his hold. She grabbed her keys off the front table and said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Jay replied. Despite how close she was, he still blew her a kiss, earning him a smile in return.

She felt her phone buzz again in her pocket, surely with another text from Adam, and she hurried out the front door into the case that'd taken over her mind since January, hoping that she would be returning to this exact spot in at least twelve hours – all in one piece.

A/N: Thoughts on what's to come? :) I'd also like to let you know that I'll be taking the next two weeks off from this fic to celebrate the holidays. I'm hoping to have a Christmas story or two out in the meantime, though. So until January 8! Thank you!