Everyone stood still, no one knew what to say or how to act upon the news. Hailey heard Kim gasped, and her face went paler than normal. Adam put a hand on her shoulder, and Hailey didn't miss the moment when Kim shrugged his hand off her.

"How can?" asked Kim.

"He got injured a while back and got it prescribed, then he sourced it independently. Now, no one talk about this. Go home, see you at the district," said Voight, dismissing them.

"Can I see him?" asked Kim.

"You don't know about this. Anyone asks, Antonio is taking leave to attend to family matter," said Voight.

"Sarge? Are you sure?" asked Adam.

"Positive," said Voight. He walked back to the hallway. "Go home, see you in the afternoon. Do your paperwork," he disappeared in the hallway.

Hailey didn't know what to do, but she felt Jay's hand on her shoulder. It was just like Al's death. The news was hard to digest. Antonio is the cleanest of all cops, they were sure of that. He didn't even want to make up a story to protect his colleagues, as he did with Voight. He wouldn't do drugs. He didn't have problem with his personal life, as far as they knew of. Of course, she was not close with Antonio, but she counted on Antonio to hold the moral standard high.

"What have I done? I should realise something was wrong with him… I'm his partner!" Kim slid to the chair. Adam sat beside her and held her.

"It's not your fault, Kim," said Jay.

"Would you still say the same if it was Hailey?" asked Kim, shrugging Adam's hand off. Jay was taken aback. He didn't answer, but his hand squeezed Hailey's shoulder harder. Hailey couldn't see him without turning to face him, but she knew it hit hard to Jay without Kim realising it. She reached for Jay's hand, giving it a pat.

"Kim," Hailey surprised herself by kneeling in front of Kim. "As guilty as you feel, he hid it well enough if you didn't realise it. And right now, the only thing we can do for him is to do whatever Voight said. To not talk about this, and wait until either of them says anything," she said, rubbing Kim's arms. After a while, Kim stopped crying, and nodded. "Would you drive her home, Adam?" asked Hailey.

"No, I can drive," said Kim.

"But…" Adam trailed off.

"No," said Kim firmly. She didn't want to be vulnerable near Adam, no, there's too much history between them.

"We'll follow you home then," said Jay. He was tired, and sleepy, and longed for Hailey's couch or his bed, whichever is nearer. On Kim's nod of approval, they went to the parking lot. Hailey put her hand on Jay's back, knowing how disturbed he was. On the way, they passed Will.

"Jay," Will stopped them. He eyed Jay with concern; he knew the news would surprise Jay, hell, it would surprise anyone who knew Antonio. He sent text messages, but Jay had yet to read them. "You okay?" He asked with visible concern, pulling Jay into a hug.

"Yeah… not really. I'll talk to you later," said Jay.

"Alright. Hang on there," said Will. Jay just nodded, and left.

"We'll wait for you on the exit gate," said Jay to Kim once they reached the parking lot.

"Guys, I'm fine. I don't need an escort," said Kim. Hailey and Jay shared looks. They were both equally concerned about Kim and didn't want her to drive alone at 3 am. However, both of them were tired as hell; they hadn't really slept.

"Alright, text both of us when you got home," said Hailey. "If you don't text in 30 minutes, I'll send a search party."

"Yes, mum, dad," teased Kim, smirking. She didn't even ask whether they drove together to the hospital. She wasn't called for the case with Price's daughter, but she knew they most likely carpooled. Jay is very protective towards Hailey; he didn't let her drive to crime scene alone if it was in the shady area or at night. Conversely, Hailey protected Jay fiercely from the emotional parts of the job; Kim was sure she wasn't the only one who realised that Hailey took over processing the dead child's crime scene. Everyone noticed their closeness lately, especially after they butted heads in the fire investigation that killed Halstead Senior, but nobody dared to question why or how. Jay was a better person and colleague after that, though, he didn't make reckless decisions like previously and kept his head cool more often, so it was a win for everyone.

"Be careful, Kim," Hailey patted her shoulder. "If you need to talk…"

"Yeah, I know," said Kim. "Thanks, guys," she walked to her car, knowing both Hailey and Jay were watching her back until she went into her car. The two of them went into Jay's truck, drove silently to Hailey's place. Once they arrived, Jay sat heavily on the couch, burying his head into his hand. Hailey changed her clothes; she did sit on the surveillance car's floor with Antonio, who knows what filthy things had been on the floor. When Hailey exited her room in sweatpants and hoodie, Jay was rummaging her alcohol cabinet.

"It's past 3 am," Hailey protested weakly, but received the tequila Jay passed her. She gulped the alcohol, feeling the liquor burning his throat.

"Can you believe it?" asked Jay. Hailey shook her head, sitting beside him on the couch. "Had you… with painkillers?"

"No!" Hailey looked at Jay. "Why did you think that?"

"I don't know, it's just… you got hurt a lot lately. You had painkillers prescribed. And Antonio…" Jay trailed off.

"Antonio was a surprise. But, I'm clean," said Hailey. "We don't know what got into Antonio, guess we'll find out later… but you have my words, however dark my mind is, I would never…" said Hailey. She knew Kim didn't intend to offend Jay or trigger his thought, but it hit home to Jay, who a couple hours earlier just declared that her safety means a lot to him. The therapy helped, of course, but mentioning possibility of her overdosing did nothing to comfort Jay.

"You'll tell me if you even consider it?" asked Jay.

"I won't consider it, but, yeah," said Hailey. "Same goes to you. If things get hard for you, I'll drink some tequila with you instead," Hailey yawned. They both sat in silence, trying to comprehend the events that happened in a day. "I feel bad for Kim, though. She must be thinking whether he was using when they were on duty."

"Talking about her; has she texted?" asked Jay. He looked at his phone. "Yeah. Well, we don't have to go to work until afternoon," he shrugged, showing the clock to Hailey. 3.30 am. Hailey yawned.

"You'll sleep well?" asked Hailey, concerned. While Jay had gone to therapy and solved the guilt regarding the kid's death, she could see that Jasmine Price's kidnapping and Antonio's overdose disturbed him. Antonio and Jay were close; from what she knew, Antonio brought Jay into Intelligence.

"I hope so. We'll talk in the morning," said Jay. "Night, Hailey."

"Night. More like morning, though," Hailey quipped. She squeezed Jay's shoulder as she walked to her room. She slept the moment her head hit the pillow.


When Hailey woke up at 6 am, she went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She saw Jay sitting on the couch, looking ahead, but his eyes were blank.

"Jay?" asked Hailey, sitting beside him. She intended to slip back to bed, but she couldn't help but acknowledging Jay who seemed unattached with the world.

"I nearly got addicted to painkillers," said Jay. "That was the tour after my mum died. I came back, with Mouse… I did nothing but screwing around, picking up some fights. Injured my shoulder, got painkillers. It felt good. I started buying it," Jay looked at Hailey. Clearly, neither of them expected to have a heart-to-heart at 6 in the morning. Hailey touched his arm, encouraged him to continue.

"On my second buy, the dealer bailed on me. When I came home, upset, I received voicemails from Will and Mouse. I remember crying on hearing their voices. I didn't want to disappoint them," said Jay. "Will and I weren't even close then, he called to say that he was moving to New York. To know that I still mattered… that means a lot. He didn't know about the drugs until now. Mouse dragged my ass back, slapped the Police Academy form to my face. That's why…" Jay trailed off. He didn't show any emotions, his eyes were empty, it was like recounting a story he had recount countless times, only that he never told anyone that. Not even Erin, not even Will. Hailey was the first person to know this, and it's saying a lot. She could jam him up with that knowledge, even if it happened in the past. However, he had a complete faith in her that he knew that if any, she would sort out his mess, not bury him.

"That's why it hit you hard," concluded Hailey. Jay nodded.

"It could've been me," said Jay.

"It won't happen to you. You look for help. I'll help you," said Hailey.

"What if you're not around? What if you got transferred? If the unit got disbanded?" asked Jay. With everything that's been going on lately, higher-up in the force, he couldn't help but wonder whether their unit still be around for a long time. It would be a disaster to be disbanded, but moreover, if Hailey and he would be separated into different unit.

"You have Will. Hey, you're not just another partner. You're a friend. I'll always be around," said Hailey. "Go back to sleep. At least, catch another hour or two of sleep. You'll thank me later." Hailey pulled a pillow. "Come on, I haven't tucked you in for some times," she joked, but they both knew she was worried about him. He wasn't in a good mental state.

"Yes, mum," said Jay. He lay on the couch, pulling the blanket. Hailey helped him, and squeezed his shoulder. Jay gave her a smirk, and grabbed her hand with his eyes closed, before drifting off to sleep.


"What time did you wake up?" asked Jay. The moment he woke up, Hailey was already up and eating breakfast, wearing a workout gear. She raised her eyebrows pointing at a plate on the kitchen table.

"An hour ago. Just ran around the block, needed to clear my mind," said Hailey. Jay raised his eyebrows, asking her to elaborate. She went running when she something was bothering her. "You know, with Antonio…" said Hailey. Jay nodded, and then whistled at the pancakes and egg on his plate. "Don't get used to this," laughed Hailey.

"Ah, no bacon?" Jay replied innocently. Hailey rolled her eyes. "Kidding. It's like staying in an Airbnb and get unexpected free breakfast."

"Ha ha. You'll do the dishes," Hailey poured herself a cup of coffee. It was 9 am, but they both had slept only for less than five hours; coffee was their primary need.

"You're like my mum; she made us nice breakfast if we were unwell or if she knew we were stressed. Otherwise, cereal, or she had Will make breakfast for both of us," commented Jay. It was a rare occurrence for Jay to talk about his childhood. Even when Will was around, they both refrained talking about their past. Hailey got glimpses of his past through fleeting conversations; and it was already an improvement. Two years into their partnership, as flirty as it was, Erin didn't even know he has a brother until Will showed up.

"My mum did too, still does actually every time I come over. She would make me nice breakfast, usually pancakes, my favourite. Or in Angie's words, Nana makes pancakes every time Aunt Hailey stays over," said Hailey.

"So I don't get chocolate chips in mine because it would make my throat sore?" Jay laughed. "That kid… just as bossy as Aunt Hailey."

"I should've put extra chocolate chips in yours so you'll get sore throat and stomachache," teased Hailey. "I'll go in earlier to do paperwork. Kim asked me to keep her company."

"Yeah, if you don't mind, I'll come in later. I'm meeting Will, best man duty," smirked Jay. In all that was going on in his life, Will's upcoming wedding seemed like the only thing that's normal.

"Interesting, two sleep deprived guys go look for suits," teased Hailey.

"Way to be Negative Nancy," said Jay. "Hey, the things I told you this morning… that's for your ears only, alright? You're the first person ever to know, and the last." He was sure Hailey wouldn't say anything, but he needed to let her know how serious it was.

"To the grave," Hailey nodded. She didn't expect that she was the only one he shared that with. Not Mouse, not Erin, not even Will. "How are you, though? Yesterday with Jasmine Price… what happened? It was unlike you to zone out in the job," asked Hailey. Jay sipped his coffee, readying himself to dig his memory.

"When I was five, we went to a park. My mum worked that day, so it was the three of us. I forgot what park, the only thing I remember was Will wore a bright orange cap because an older kid teased him. They called him carrot, which I did later in life, but I'm his brother, so I am allowed to," Jay laughed, eliciting a snort from Hailey. "I got mad at him, and I called him names. He wanted to hit me, so I ran. I eventually lost my way, I didn't know where to go. The next thing I knew, security guards went looking for me. It was hours later. My dad and Will were crying when they saw me. Will didn't let me out of his sight for the next two days; he followed me into the bathroom and bed. And my dad… that was one of the rare emotional side of him I saw," said Jay. "Just like Price yesterday, guess it brought up memories," shrugged Jay.

"That's family's love," commented Hailey. The more she got glimpses into the Halsteads' childhood, the more she wished she knew them as kids. They sure sounded like the cutest brothers in the world for doting on each other. When she saw their childhood picture for the first time in Jay's apartment, she nearly squealed because they were so adorable.

"My time being a family member was up, that was all just a memory," concluded Jay. He was a bit upset; that he just made amends with himself over not making things right with his dad, suddenly he got triggered by Ray Price's reaction.

"Don't let Will hear you say that. He would be heartbroken," said Hailey. "It was clear as day that you are family now as you were when you were five. I admire the bond that you have."

"Yeah, he's alright," Jay smirked and finished his coffee. "Thanks, though, for the talk, the breakfast, everything. Yesterday was a long day which I survived thanks to you," he hopped off his stool and put his mug in the kitchen sink. "You know… this goes both ways. You can talk to me if there's something bothering you, you know that right?" he asked, referring to the fact that Hailey went running in the morning.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks," said Hailey.

"Good. I'll see you later," Jay went around the island to squeeze Hailey on the shoulder, and he was out the door.


"Sarge," Kim stood up. She was munching the muffin Hailey brought her when Voight walked up the steps.

"Antonio is on leave for a week," said Voight. "Kim, we're not gonna talk about it. Is that clear?"

"Yeah. I just want to make sure that he's gonna be alright," said Kim.

"He is. Now, finish your report," Voight slammed his office door.

"You didn't see it coming, did you?" asked Kim to Hailey.

"No, I didn't," said Hailey.

"Be honest. Is it my fault? At least partially… shouldn't I see it coming? I mean, you would've realised it if it happened to Jay," said Kim.

"I suppose so… However, if Antonio intended to hide it from you, then no wonder you didn't realise it," Hailey shrugged. Kim didn't need to know that she saw Jay more often than necessary, but she didn't want to admit that she would miss the sign if it happened to Jay, because she wouldn't.

"I hope we'll get the news about him as soon as possible," said Kim.

"Yeah," said Hailey. Jay walked up the stairs with two coffee cups. He had a look on his face when he saw Hailey's coffee. Hailey did stop at a coffee shop before to buy herself and Kim breakfast. Surprise breakfast always does wonder on her; she tried to do it for Kim after the shocking news about Antonio.

"Does this mean I'm doing my own report?" asked Jay, motioning to to Hailey's coffee.

"It's done. I thought you'll come later," said Hailey. Jay put the coffee cup on her desk.

"Yeah, no. we finished earlier than expected, figured out I'll just come in," said Jay.

"I'll have the coffee then," said Kevin.

"That'll be two bucks, or a report," said Jay.

"My service's that cheap?" Hailey raised her eyebrows playfully. Jay suddenly looked sheepish.

"Yep, Halstead's in the doghouse," cheered Adam. Jay walked to Hailey's desk, raising a an eyebrow.

"We're alright," Hailey patted Jay's arm.

Later that afternoon, Jay slipped an off-duty request slip to Hailey's desk. Hailey frowned.

"You don't wanna be called to a crime scene in the middle of a game," whispered Jay. Hailey nodded.

"I'll submit it later," said Hailey. Jay sensed her hesitation, and raised an eyebrow asking for explanation. Hailey sighed and sat on Jay's desk. "Last time, Voight accused me of sleeping with you. I don't want him to assume when we request to be off-duty together on weekend."

"We're watching a game together, not going to Hawaii together, although with the weather now, it doesn't seem like a bad idea," defended Jay. "Do I have to ask for his permission? It would draw more suspicions, don't you think?"

"Yeah… I guess so," Hailey shrugged.

"Don't worry, I'll sort it out," said Jay.

"I'm not worried," Hailey rolled her eyes. Jay just laughed at her.


I've been enjoying Season 7, and was hoping I could somehow relate Antonio's exit story to this story, but he was moving to Puerto Rico, and was only mentioned briefly, that I couldn't tie it off to this story. Oh well... here's to the last couple chapters! Excitedly waiting for the crossover now...