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Hailey had returned from the FBI stint, a few months prior. Hailey felt like their friendship was getting closer to that relationship mark since she was back. But, they hadn’t crossed that line. They spent more time with each other outside of working grabbing meals and hanging out at each other’s place watching Blackhawks games. They just were enjoying spending time with each other.
It was just another morning, Jay went over to Hailey’s place to pick her up. They went to a coffee shop not too far from the precinct to grab coffee before their shift. The morning was starting out great until it wasn’t. They both walked into the precinct when Trudy called out to Hailey, a sizable box of what seems to be official documents in her hands. “Upton there’s a package for you.” Hailey looked at Jay confused, but walked over to Trudy to grab it. Her eyes got wide when she looked down at the package to see the familiar FBI logo plastered in the front. Feeling a rush of something she couldn’t pinpoint, she quickly bolted up the stairs to the bullpen, leaving Jay confused.
Jay looked back at Trudy and asked, “Who was it from?”.
“I think you’ll have to ask that to Upton.” Trudy responded nonchalantly before shifting her attention back to the paperwork in front of her. Jay sighed and headed up the stairs to Intelligence. By the time he reached his desk and looked over at Hailey, her desk was clear and there was no package in sight. She was just typing away at her computer, pretending that the last couple minutes hadn’t happened. After a minute, she looked up to see him staring at her so trying to avoid the question she knew he was dying to ask, she quickly glanced back to her computer and tried to stay focused at her task.
Jay knew they had grown closer over the years, especially after her return from New York, but he also knew that Hailey was a private person when it came to certain things. She had definitely opened up more to him than anyone else in the unit, but she was avoiding what was in that package, and talking to him about it. While he didn’t want to push her to talk, he hoped she would tell him sooner than later, because, whatever was in that package was something. Something important. Otherwise, she would not have ran up the stairs the way she did and the package would not have been MIA that quickly, not even mentioning the way she’d avoided his gaze just now.
With a discreet sigh, he walked over to his desk and took a seat after quickly shedding his jacket and hanging it at the back of his chair. The air between them had shifted since Trudy had called Hailey’s name at the lobby, but Jay would let it go for now. Well… He’d at least try to let it go for now, despite the alarm bells going off in his mind at the unfortunately familiar feelings from years ago settling at the pit of his stomach. But something about it this time was different.
By lunch time, Intelligence had caught a kidnapping case and Voight had told Jay and Hailey to do some canvassing at the last known address for a potential sighting on a lead. At their assignment, they’d both just looked at each other and nodded, both grabbing their coats and heading to Jay’s truck while the team watched them leave the bullpen. They’d all been confused, sharing inquiring glances among each other at the quietness between them. While neither had caught what had happened at the lobby that morning, they’d all caught onto the tension between the two partners.
They’d been too silent the whole morning, barely having spoken ten words in total: once when Jay asked Hailey if she wanted coffee from the breakroom with an inquiring “Coffee?” and then when she had asked him if she could borrow a pen from him. At her question, he’d looked at her confused, one eyebrow raised, like she’d grown antennas and turned blue. To the stranger eye it might have seemed like a casual question, but to Jay, it was alarmingly more. Normally Hailey would have just reached over and grabbed a pen, flashing him a warm smile when their eyes would meet mid action before he’d give her a hard time over the number of pens he claimed she had stolen from him already. They’d have bickered back and forth until neither could keep a straight face and Hailey would have promised to get him a new set, which she would never actually follow through with, before they’d go back to their paperwork. Not this time, however. This time she had asked him if she could borrow a pen and it had left the entire bullpen holding their breath at the interaction until Jay just pushed his pen holder towards her, too confused to have given her a verbal response. When the interaction had been done and over with, everyone could feel the tension in the air, and no one had enjoyed seeing the two detectives so distant.
The walk to the truck after Voight’s orders hadn’t been any better. Sure they were good enough partners and friends that they didn’t really need to exchange words to communicate, but this time it had been too quiet.
During the drive over, they’d both known that they were going to have to talk at some point, about the case if nothing else. So hoping to ease the discomfort by taking control of the situation, Hailey had grabbed the case file and started briefing him on the information, trying to keep their conversation focused on the facts of the case. Thankfully there had been enough intel to last the whole ride that by the time they got to their location and positioned themselves to get a good look without being noticed Hailey had successfully avoided any real talk.
They’d been sitting in the truck for quite a while, observing their surroundings and taking note of the activity around them, when she felt Jay’s nervous gaze on herself and she knew the questions were fast approaching. She felt guilty wanting to avoid the interaction. This was her partner, best friend, her… But still, she quickly glanced to the backseat and reached to grab the camera out, started adjusting the settings and taking photos, hoping her actions would keep her busy enough, or make her seem busy enough, that Jay would not ask. But one thing was clear, none of it felt right.
To Hailey’s luck, her attempts at keeping Jay from asking her the questions they both knew were coming were working, maybe even a little too well for either of their liking as they sat in complete silence, and not the comfortable kind.
The silence was driving Jay crazy as they stayed put at their location and stared at the building in front of them. He was really trying to keep his focus at the task at hand, not let a silly package from whoever that contained whatever distract him from his job and his partnership, but it was slowly eating at him, and the uncomfortable silence was no help. Every once in a while he would shoot a glance over at her, wanting to say something, anything but each time Hailey would avoid his eyes and pretend to do something with the camera. After his fourth or fifth attempt, he thought he could let it go, but his mind kept trailing back to that box Hailey received that morning. Why could she not talk to him about it? They had partners for three years already. He thought they had made progress with trusting each other. She had told him, “I trusted you from the day, I met you.” He silently shook his head replaying that conversation. Because, right now it did not feel that way. He did not like this change one bit. He needed to take a moment though and breathe before trying to start the conversation again. But as time went and the tension between the two got thicker, he couldn’t take it any longer and finally broke the silence. “Hey is everything okay?” Jay asked, trying to start a conversation about this morning.
Hailey slowly lowered the camera from her view and without even looking at him, kept a straight face and responded. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.” Feeling more questions coming, she brought the camera back to her eye level. “So, who’s the last known at this address again?”
Jay looked at her confused, and maybe a little hurt at the way Hailey was shutting him out. She had read the file on the way over to their location. He knew she had a really good memory, better than his that’s for sure. He knew her too well, it was her way of changing the topic. Putting his feelings aside, though, he played along. He reached over to where she had set down the papers in the back seat, and grabbed the file at hand. He did not want to make whatever this was anymore awkward between them so figuring that questioning her now was not going to do them any good, he let it go for the time being. But whatever this was, it made him nervous and he hated the feeling that set in the pit of his stomach since Trudy had called Hailey’s name.
Professional mode turned on, Hailey listened to Jay relay the information in the file. She quickly thanked him and went back to the task they were sent to do while Jay went back to taking notes and watching the property for anything suspicious. Neither was enjoying this change in their dynamics but they had a job to do, and the rest could wait.
Another hour or so later, Jay figured he could try again. “So, this morning…?”
Hailey internally sighed before lowering the camera once again, this time tilting her head to the side a little to actually look at him while she responded. “What about it?” She figured if she could just tell him that she wasn’t shutting him out, that they would talk later once the workday was over, things would be fine between them. Just as he was about to address the subject and she was about to tell him just that, Hailey's phone rang. Great! Another moment ruined by a phone ringing. Quickly reaching for her phone resting on the dashboard, Hailey answered it and was truthfully both thankful and annoyed for the timing of the phone call. If she could have just told him they’d talk about it, maybe it truly would have helped, but she also knew Jay. He would not have been satisfied with just that.
So instead of dwelling on their situation, she focused on the phone call. It was Burgress informing that they had gotten more details on the case and location was not in question anymore. They were supposed to head back immediately to join the team to follow up on the new lead. Giving Kim their ETA and ending the call, Hailey hung up and looked at Jay, who was watching her with expectant eyes. Offering him a quick smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she relayed him the information from Kim. “I guess it's time to head back.” She told him while she reached in the back seat for the camera bag to pack the camera. Jay just silently sighed and started the truck. Once again, he decided to set whatever this was aside, giving up on asking the questions he truly wanted to ask until a more suitable moment. Regardless, however, he trusted Hailey. He knew she would come to him when she was ready, despite the insecure part of his mind that told him otherwise. They had proved to each other over and over again that sometimes they needed time, so he would give it to her. He just hated the discomfort and distance of the wait, but it would be worth it if it meant that’s what Hailey wanted.
Once back at the precinct, Trudy called out to Hailey once again, an unreadable expression on her face. “Upton, can you come over here, please?”
Normally Jay would have made a teasing comment about how she was in trouble and being called to the principal's office, but he was in no joking mood. The loud beating of his nervous heart was blocking any cohesive thinking he might try to do and he had no desire to joke about something bringing so much tension between him and his partner, his best friend.
“Hey, I will be right up, ok?” Hailey gave him a sheepish smile as her voice pulled Jay back from his wandering mind and he offered her a smile and nod, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, Sarge?” Jay heard her call out as she made her way over to Trudy and he headed to the stairs, walking intentionally slower in the hopes that he’d hear something, anything, about what was in that box. To his luck, however, the only thing he heard was the mumbling of the bullpen and Trudy and Hailey’s small talk while he disappeared up the stairs.
With Jay gone, Trudy looked at Hailey and sighed. “So, you're really going to make me ask what was in that box?” She asked, crossing her arms across her chest. “You know I saw who it was from, correct?”
Hailey somehow managed to keep a straight face as her heart started rushing and she nervously glanced towards the stairs to make sure Jay had made his way up to the bullpen. “Yeah, I haven’t opened it yet.” She responded softly trying to not have others overhear their conversation.
Trudy laughed. “I mean we all know it’s an offer sitting in there. You can’t be that dense?”
Hailey sighed. “You know it could be, but until it’s open and read, it’s really not a concern or decision I have to make.” She kept glancing back at the stairs to the bullpen, desperately needing this conversation to be over.Trudy followed her movements and watched her body language. She was about to make a comment about the detective’s demeanor and her eyes’ search for her partner but Hailey acted faster. She turned back and asked, “Anything else, Sarge?”
At Trudy shaking her head no, Hailey started heading back toward the stairs but Trudy’s voice once again stopped her in her tracks just as she was about to buzz herself up.
“Hey Upton,” Hailey leaned against the door of the cage that led to the bullpen and turned to look at the sergeant. “Don’t wait too long, ok? For everyone’s sake.” That last comment took her by surprise as she gave Trudy a half smile and disappeared up the stairs. Quickly making her way to her desk, she was relieved to see that Jay was not at his, probably grabbing some more much needed coffee at the break room, and she plopped on her chair with a heavy sigh. “For everyone’s sake.” Trudy’s words echoed in her head, but as much as she wanted to overthink those words and what they meant, she knew the sergeant was right.
Her hand subconsciously went to grab the handle of her middle desk drawer where she had hastily stashed the package from the FBI that morning. She let her hand sit on the drawer for a few seconds and just when she was about to open the drawer. Jay reappeared in the bullpen with Burgess going over details on the new lead they had. She stopped from opening that drawer and getting drawn back into the case with the team. The package would have to wait.