Chicago Love ✔️

Chapter 36: Back in Chicago

Hailey makes her way up the steps and into the Intelligence Unit offices. 

It was normally a sight that brought out the biggest smile on her face in wanting to get to work, and do what was necessary to take down the next biggest, baddest criminal on the streets of Chicago. 

Instead, though, she had to admit that part of her was not as excited as normal. Was it because she felt lost and behind on the current case? Everybody was working on something in relation to it, but yet she would be spending the next bit just getting caught up to where they were. It was always more fun to be doing the actual work. Or was it because she was missing a certain special someone? Admittedly, she was not going to complain one bit about the extra 24 hours they spent together.

"How is Alex doing?" Hank asks as he walks by her desk, dropping the file for the current case there. They weren't a unit to leave information laying around in not wanting people to know their business. It was why nothing was left there waiting for you, but rather kept in safe keeping until it could be placed in your hands.

"He's doing alright," she answers, trying to hide the smirk on her face as she thought about everything they did yesterday together. Who knew a trip to the office could be so much fun? She did not expect to learn how quickly a desk could be cleared off, or how comfortable the couch in his office was in the span of a couple hours. She also could not help but think back to waking up alongside him surrounded by fur, or the special little kisses traded in the kitchen. It was everything she had been missing in her mornings for a long time. It just made getting out of bed a little easier. "He was sore yesterday a bit but a day of relaxing and such, and he's doing okay." 

"And such," Adam says very quietly with a grin on his face as he stands over top of Kim's shoulders looking at something on the computer screen. Hailey could only bite her lip in knowing he was probably seeing right through what she had just told Hank about the past 24 hours. She could only hope he knew well enough to behave for now.

"Make sure you get caught up as quickly as possible," Hank tells her, patting the file that sat on her desk as she just nods her head back in return. "I assume you want this weekend off again. Don't even bother coming to the office to ask as you know the answer." 

"We just want to know when we can meet the guy..." Hank rolls his eyes in knowing as soon as he walked away and reached his office, there would probably be more comments along those very lines from Adam. It was just how they rolled together as a big dysfunctional family.

Truth be told, he was happy for Hailey. It was nice to see the bubbly grin on her face, or a smirk of embarrassment as people talked about someone she cared about. It reminded him of the first couple months she was in the department and flirting with Jay. 

He had watched her suffer through the pain of Roy's murder, trying to deal with the consequences of those actions and the events which followed in hiding the truth. He watched her suffer through Jay initially just leaving for Bolivia, followed by extending his stay and the pain of not being able to connect together. He was even there the night she signed the divorce papers at her new apartment, comforting her as she felt lost in not knowing what to feel. 

Now seeing the change in her demeanor over the past six weeks, seeing a sparkle back in her eyes, he could not help but smile. He hated to see her not fully engrossed in every case, and spending weekends away, but he was not about to diminish her happiness. She deserved it after everything she had been through. 

He also had gotten the chance to meet Alex briefly through the previous case where they crossed paths, and the events that followed. He remembered being impressed with how poised he kept himself on weekends in front of cameras despite everything going on. He remembered the shyness and sweetness that laid beneath what everybody knew of him. He was a good match for Hailey in knowing that side of Alex could bring out the sweetness beneath Hailey's own hard exterior.

"Let Hailey focus on the case and you can worry about that later," Hank states as he reaches his office door, glancing back at the team. "We cannot let them get away with another drug overdose so we need to find these bastards." 

"It doesn't mean that you are totally avoiding the conversation," Kim comments, catching Hailey's attention. They normally kept their gossiping for the break room or lockers in not wanting to the guys to get in the midst of it. What was happening here? "You better not break your post work drink date with me." 

"Can I come, please?" Adam begs, earning an eye roll from Hailey as she knew that would just be trouble, especially if she was about to share the full details of what happened this past weekend. The minute Adam knew they were an official couple, he would probably be spreading that around. Was she ready for everybody to talk about it yet? Was she ready for her ex-husband to learn that detail? 

"I swear you should have been born a female with how you like to gossip," Jay comments from his desk, causing some chuckles to fill the room as everybody knew he was right on the money with the comment. 

"Sometimes I feel like I have two children in my house," Kim adds, just adding fuel to the fire as Adam just smiles. He could not deny after the small food fight he and Makayla got into together over breakfast that morning.