Chicago PD One Shots

I'll Always Be Here for You Jay

(Trigger Warning: talk of SI with the use of a gun; set in season 7)

It was a normal day for the Intelligence Unit. They had wrapped up a case the previous day, so Voight let them have the day to work on paperwork. Of course Adam can't go 10 minutes without causing chaos and getting on everyone's nerves, so him and Kevin end up playing some stupid game to get away from their paperwork for a while. The girls and Jay continue working, occasionally glancing up in annoyance whenever Kevin or Adam would scream cause they scored a point, when all of the sudden Jay's phone rings. "Hello" he says and the person on the other line starts talking but as soon as they say who they are, he gets up and hurries to the break room to take the rest of the call. Hailey notices and watches him from the break room windows. He looks stressed as the call continues. Eventually he comes back to his desk, sighing when he sits down.

"Is everything ok? "Hailey asks

"Yeah, all good" Jay answers. Hailey doesn't believe him in the slightest.

"Jay" she pushes

"Just drop it Hailey please, everything is fine" he says annoyed, going back to his paperwork

"Ok, but you know I'm here for you right?" she reminds him

"Yeah" he says as he continues to write.

The truth is everything is far from fine. The call Jay got was to inform him that Mouse had died in the line of duty. There was a bomb while his team was chasing after targets and he took the grunt of it. He died alone. This is all Jay can think about, the fact that it was the same bomb that Mouse protected him from when they served together and that same bomb ultimately took his best friend away. Lost in thought, he doesn't notice Hailey next to him, calling his name.

"Jay, hey Jay you there?" she asks rubbing his arm

"Oh um yeah what's up, where's the rest of the team?" He asks, noticing the bullpen is empty besides them

"Voight's at a meeting and the rest of the team went for a lunch run, are you ok?" she says and that's when he feels the hot tears on his face. He quickly wipes the tears, clears his throat and turns back to Hailey.

"Yeah, just fine" he says unconvincingly

"Jay it's me you're talking too, I just saw you crying" she says and he sighs, not wanting to talk about it but Hailey's not really giving him a choice

"You remember my friend Mouse?" He asked

"The one you served with?" She asked

"Yeah, he umm went back 3 years ago. I just got a call saying that he died" he says, his voice cracking at the last part

"Oh Jay, I'm so sorry" she says rubbing his back

"They said he was in an explosion and he died instantly, there was nothing they could've done" Jay said staring blankly into space

"What can I do? Do you need to go home?" She asked, eager to help him

"I'm fine Hailey" he said, trying to go back to his paperwork

"Jay, nobody would judge you if you wanted to have  time to yourself. I can't imagine how hard this is for you" Hailey said, getting in front of him touching his shoulder

"Ok... can you just tell the others I got sick or something? I don't want the questions right now, especially since they knew Mouse too" Jay asked

"Yeah no problem, do you need a ride?" She asked

"No, I'll be fine" he said as he grabbed his things and turned off his computer.

Hailey then pulls him into a hug which Jay initially objects to, not liking to be touched, but eventually melts into the touch "I'm always here for you Jay. Call me if you need anything, I mean that" she said sincerely "I know, thanks Hailey" Jay said as he walked out.