Just a one shot for the Upstead confrontation in 7x12. I wrote down the idea on tumblr and I couldn't get it out of my head. I needed to create a whole piece of the scene. Hope you like it guys.

For two years now, Jay had been waking up with Hailey's cheerful good morning and going to bed with her sleepy goodnight. Even if it was a plain text message accompanied of course with a couple o cute emojis.

But that night, she left without saying a single word. Without asking Jay if he needed any help getting home. After all, she was his designated personal assistant. She pretended to hate that characterization, but deep down inside she didn't trust anyone to keep Jay safe. She was his partner, that was her job and no one elses.

Jay saw her sneak out of the District and discreetly followed her to the parking lot. After she left with her car, he turned on the engine and starting tailing her from a safe distance. Unfortunately, he noticed right away that she wasn't waking the road back home.

"Hailey, where are you going?" he whispered to himself.

Not long later, he saw her car already parked at the side of the road. A simple look at his whereabouts and he knew exactly what Hailey had in mind.

He shook his head in disappointment and got out of his car. He approached Hailey's vehicle hoping that she was still inside, that she had second thoughts about her reckless plan, but the driver's seat was empty.

"Damn it Hailey," he growled in frustration and slammed his right hand on the hood. To his surprise, a wave of pain traveled to his upper left arm. Who would have thought. His wound hadn't healed even if it had been weeks.

He let out a deep breath and with his gun in one hand decided to wait for Hailey.

Hopefully it didn't take long. Within a couple of minutes he spotted her tiny figure creeping out of the dark snowy alley.

Jay fought the urge to grab her by her shoulder and knock some senses out of her. Instead, he remained still and waited for her to approach him.

"Are you following me?" her voice harsh, as if she was accusing him of something.

"What the hell are you doing Hailey?"

"It doesn't concern you," she bluntly responded.

"Yes, it does! Good or bad, right or wrong, you know it does," he tried to sound as supporting as possible.

"Ok, "she looked away to avoid his piercing green eyes. "I am investigating the murder of three police officers."

"We were told to stand down. You were given a direct order by the superintendent of police. This could destroy your whole career, or worse. So yeah, this concerns me."

Jay was starting to lose his patience but on some level, he sympathized with her. Not so long ago he was the one caught up on his own guilt and Hailey was the one to call him out. It seemed that times never change. Only the parts we play.

"I'm gonna figure out what the hell happened. And then I'm gonna take that case to Crawford and he can tell me to my face to stand down."

Her voice was getting colder than the snow surrounding them.

Jay let out a soft sigh. ""20 different times you have figured out a way to tell me don't get too close. I'm telling you. You're too close."

Hailey looked at him straight into his eyes and she knew that he was right. There was no way in hell though that she was going to admit it. What was done, was done. She couldn't undo her actions. So, she swallowed her inner guilt and decided to let the events unfold on their own.

"I'm okay, Jay. Go home, okay?"

She gently placed her hand on his wounded shoulder in a desperate last attempt to reassure him that she knew was she was doing and started to walk towards her car.

But of course, Jay saw right through her. He could feel her tortured spirit break.

No! Hailey had always been his light in the dark. His daily doze of positive energy. He would never allow the dark cloud hovering over her soul consume her.

"Wait," he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Jay please, I am tired. I just want to go home," she begged without even looking at him.

"No!" he shook his head. "Look at me."

His partner refused to oblige and tried to get away from his grip.

"Look at me," he repeated in a more firm tone.

Hailey stopped struggling and stood still. She didn't want him to look at him out of fear of bursting into cries. It was that weird effect he had on her. Whenever he was close she felt vulnerable. The heat radiating from his body, the intoxicating scent of his cologne, his piercing emerald eyes. They all made her surrender to her buried feelings.

Jay softly placed his hand on her cheek and turned her face.

"You know I am not good at words or expressing my feelings, so I am only going to say this once," he took a deep breath and removed his hand from Hailey's face.

He took a step back, not sure why. Did he want to give his partner space or was he the one needing it?

"Last time I got too close to a case you tried to warned me. As always, I didn't listen to you and I ended up nearly dying. During all that time, when I was being beaten up, shot, fighting to stay alive, my thoughts was about you."

Haileys featured suddenly softened but at the same time her whole body went numb.

Jay licked his lips wishing he had a shot of liquid courage right now and continued.

"I thought about how much I care about you, and how I don't want you to go through that too. You are a ray of sunshine in this shitty job. You are the most important person in my life and I don't know what I am going to do if I ever lost you. What am I going to do of something happens to you and I am not there to protect you? I don't know if I could ever live without you."

Hailey was surprised by his sudden confession but oddly enough, so was Jay. Like he said he had never been the one to express himself through words. He had always been a man of actions.

His teary green eyes met her blue and probably for the first time in their partnership, he pulled each other for along embrace.

"I am going where you are going," she whispered in his ear.

"Promise?"

"I promise!"