The knocking would not let up and it took Jay a minute to realize he wasn't dreaming and that the noise was coming from his front door. He sighed and got out of bed, glancing at the clock to see it was just past 11pm.

Jay looked through the peep-hole and raised his eyebrows before opening the door, "Hailey?"

Hailey ran a hand through her hair, "Can I come in?" She was holding a grocery bag and was still in the same outfit she'd been in when Jay saw her before he left the district a few hours before.

"Of course," Jay stepped back.

Hailey walked past him and set her bag on the counter. She pulled out a carton of ice-cream and looked through his drawers for a spoon. Once she found one, she opened the lid and started eating.

"You okay?" Jay asked softly.

Hailey looked up and swallowed, "I didn't know where to go. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but that's not important," Jay said and sat on a barstool, "What're you doing here?"

"Adam and I broke up," Hailey stabbed the ice-cream with her spoon, "I didn't think Kim would want to hear me cry about Adam and I don't have many other girl friends that would care enough, so here I am." She wiped her eyes and continued eating.

"You two broke up?" Jay asked.

Hailey nodded and ate another spoonful. She opened the fridge and pulled out a can of Coke.

"You want a drink?" Jay stood and grabbed a glass for her.

"Obviously," Hailey mumbled, "Do you still have your whiskey?"

Jay chuckled and nodded, "You're making a drink?"

"I need something," Hailey sighed.

Jay passed her the bottle of whiskey and watched her fill her glass mostly with the alcohol before topping it off with the pop. She quickly drank half the glass and turned back to her ice-cream.

"I'm assuming you're staying the night," Jay stated.

"I can drive home," Hailey shrugged.

Jay rolled his eyes and went to his room, "Sure," he breathed and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He went back to the kitchen and set the clothes on the counter, "You're not driving home."

"You're the best," Hailey smiled and finished her glass. She reached for the whiskey and poured more into her cup.

"Slow down," Jay said and took the bottle from her hand.

"I'm fine, Jay," Hailey sighed, "I need this. This is how I cope."

"It doesn't seem…healthy," Jay eyed her as she continued shoveling ice-cream into her mouth.

"I just had to break up with a good man, I deserve this," Hailey said through her mouthful.

"I'm sorry, Hailey," Jay said softly.

Hailey shrugged and drank from her glass, "It wasn't fair to be in a relationship that wasn't going to last."

Jay nodded slightly, "Understandable."

"You can go back to sleep," Hailey pointed her spoon to Jay's room, "I'm fine out here."

Jay shook his head, "If you want a friend right now, I can be a friend for you. What else do you do when you break up with someone?"

Hailey sighed, "Cry, but I did that in my car. I didn't want to freak you out."

"I've seen you cry before, Hailey," Jay said and sat back down.

"Cause I had a bad day, you haven't seen me cry because my life is a dead end," Hailey argued.

"Your life is not a dead end," Jay shook his head.

"It is!" Hailey finished her glass and reached for the bottle again.

"No," Jay grabbed the bottle before she could, "No more."

"You suck at being a girl," Hailey mumbled and continued eating her ice-cream.

"Well, I'm not a girl, so I'm sorry," Jay said and put the bottle of whiskey back in his cupboard.

"How do guys deal with breakups?" Hailey asked.

"Uh," Jay blew out a breath and glanced back to where he'd just put the whiskey.

"Thought so," Hailey smirked.

"I guess it's similar to whatever this is," Jay laughed softly, "But no ice-cream."

"You're missing out," Hailey shrugged.

Jay smiled and watched her. After a minute, her eyes started watering again and she sniffled, slowing down as she ate.

Jay stood and gently took the spoon from her, "How about you go shower?" he asked softly, "It'll make you feel better."

Hailey nodded and wiped her eyes. She grabbed Jay's clothes and went into his bathroom.

Jay put her ice-cream in the freezer and set her glass in the dishwasher. He walked back to his room and grabbed his extra blankets to set up on the couch. He heard the shower still running, so he laid back on the couch and turned the TV on.

In the bathroom, Hailey stood under the hot water and started crying again. She had a hard time breathing as she cried harder, so she looked around for the soap. She couldn't help but laugh that he only had two bottles in the entire shower – shampoo and a generic face wash – and a small bar of soap. She rubbed her face and decided to just go for it, figuring she would feel better if she actually cleaned herself instead of just getting wet.

When the bathroom door opened half an hour later, Jay yawned and looked over his shoulder at her, "Hey, feel better?"

Hailey blushed and nodded, "Thanks for the clothes." She set her own clothes on the counter and stumbled over to sit on the edge of the couch, "I can sleep out here."

"No, it's okay," Jay shook his head and moved his feet, "You are more than welcome to sleep in my bed, I don't mind."

Hailey set her head in her hands, "Why are you so nice to me?"

Jay raised his eyebrows and moved closer to her, "What's wrong with me being nice?"

"I broke up with your friend!" Hailey said and looked up, "And you're being nice! To me!"

Jay smiled sadly, "You're my friend too."

Tears started falling down Hailey's face and she leaned into Jay's shoulder.

He held her against him and rubbed her back, "I'm sorry."

Hailey breathed shakily and pulled away, "It's fine. I'm sorry for finding a way to cry on you again."

Jay chuckled and lightly wiped a tear from under her eye with his thumb, "I really don't mind."

"Plus I'm drunk," Hailey sighed and looked at Jay.

He smiled, "Again, I don't mind. I've gotten drunk at your house before too."

Hailey laughed softly, "True."

Jay nodded toward his room, "Go sleep it off."

"I guess that's for the best," Hailey said and stood, "Goodnight."

"Night," Jay said and laid back down. He turned the TV off and pulled a blanket over him.

Hailey walked to Jay's room and bit her lip. His bed was messed up from when he'd fallen asleep earlier. She decided to sleep on the side that didn't appear touched by Jay and carefully sat on the mattress. She sucked in a breath as the skin around her cut stretched, "Son of a bitch," she whispered as she rested back against the pillows.

"Did you say something?" Jay called out.

"Uh, no," Hailey replied, "I'm fine."

Jay sat up on the couch and squinted through the darkness to look at her, "You sure? I'll do girl break-up stuff if you need me to."

Hailey laughed, "I actually didn't say anything about Adam. My leg is pretty sore."

"Gosh, yeah," Jay got off the couch and walked into the bedroom, "Do you need ice?"

"Why is that your go-to cure for pain?" Hailey smiled.

Jay chuckled and turned the lights on, "Maybe you should stop getting hurt."

"Oh, oh really?" Hailey smirked, "Me? Do you not remember getting shot a few months ago?"

"Shut up," Jay laughed and sat next to her on the bed, "Let me see it."

Hailey rolled her eyes, "You're so overprotective."

"Shush, lady," Jay smirked, "Drop the pants, let me see where you were hit."

"Only because I still feel a little drunk," Hailey said and lifted her hips to pull the sweatpants down enough to show Jay where the gauze was.

"Crap, and you took a shower," Jay breathed and stood. He went to the bathroom and came back with a roll of gauze, scissors, medical tape, a damp washcloth, and cream.

"Ah, I didn't realize Dr. Halstead was here," Hailey winked.

"You're so funny," Jay shook his head and smiled, "Lay back, let me work."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Hailey asked, but still laid back like he requested.

"Enough," Jay smirked and gently peeled back her gauze. He winced at the jagged cut on her thigh, "God, this looks horrible." He lightly wiped around the cut and dried it.

"Careful, careful," Hailey winced and jerked away.

"I knew it hurt!" Jay called her out, "You totally blew everyone off earlier."

"Yeah, yeah, just fix it," Hailey sighed.

Jay chuckled and shook his head, "You are unbelievable, you realize that?"

Hailey rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

Jay dabbed the cream onto her cut and she gasped loudly, "Sorry," he breathed.

Hailey closed her eyes and rested her head against the headboard.

Jay quickly bandaged her leg, "That should do it."

Hailey opened one eye and glanced down, "Am I still alive?"

Jay laughed, "You're ridiculous."

Hailey smiled, "Thank you though," she fixed her pants and pulled the blanket over her, "You sure you don't want to sleep in here?"

"Yeah," Jay nodded, "I think you deserve some space tonight."

Hailey blushed, "Okay."

Jay stood and squeezed her shoulder, "Sleep tight."

"Thanks," Hailey said softly.

Jay smiled and walked out, turning off the lights and shutting the door.

Hailey sighed and ran a hand through her hair before getting comfortable in the bed and attempting to sleep.

Hailey woke around 6:30am and sighed, "Damn alcohol," she whispered. She stared at the ceiling until her bladder couldn't take it anymore and she decided to go to the bathroom.

Once she was done, she slipped back out to the main area and smiled when she heard Jay snoring quietly. She glanced over the couch at him sleeping and laughed softly. The blanket had slipped off him, so she fixed it before going into the small kitchen and starting a pot of coffee.

The smell was enough to wake Jay up a little later as Hailey poured herself a cup and he slowly sat up rubbing his eyes, "Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?" Hailey asked and sat on a barstool with her cup.

"Yeah," Jay yawned, "Did you?"

Hailey nodded, "Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Of course," Jay walked to pour his own cup of coffee, "Feeling okay?"

Hailey eyed him, sensing a double-meaning in his words, "I-"

"Don't lie and don't say you're fine," Jay shook his head and walked back to sit on the couch.

Hailey sighed and went to sit next to him, "Physically, I'm decent. It's really sore, so I'll probably take you up on that ice offer today," she smiled and gently hit her shoulder against his, "Mentally…" she looked down at her feet, "I don't know. It just sucks."

Jay nodded and slowly drank from his cup.

"It was never going to work long-term," Hailey whispered, "So why does it still hurt?"

"Because you liked him and you two spent a lot of time together," Jay said softly, "Break-ups suck – no matter who causes it or how it ends, they just really, really suck."

Hailey looked at him and nodded, "Yeah," she sighed and drank her coffee.

Jay set his cup on the coffee table, "I have Eggo waffles."

Hailey laughed, "Yeah? So you're 12."

Jay chuckled, "Do you want some or not?"

"I do, thank you," Hailey smiled.

"Okay," Jay patted her good leg and went into the kitchen.

Hailey turned on the TV and pulled her legs up on the couch as she waited for Jay to finish warming up their breakfast.

"Did you take any time off of work?" Jay asked.

"No," Hailey replied and glanced toward him, "I don't want to show off my failed 'work-place romance.'"

Jay shrugged, "Eh, I wouldn't blame you."

"I like working though," Hailey said, "It helps clear my mind."

Jay nodded, "I understand." He walked over with two plates of waffles and passed her one, "Eat up."

Hailey smiled softly, "Thank you."

They ate in silence, both watching the TV, until Hailey asked, "How'd you get over Erin?"

Jay coughed and drank from his coffee mug, "You were there. I almost lost my job twice."

"Yeah, but I wasn't there there like I would be now," Hailey said.

Jay swallowed and sighed, "A lot of late nights. Bugged Will a lot. A lot of beer."

Hailey smiled slightly and nodded.

"She just left," Jay mumbled and shook his head.

"It stung," Hailey breathed.

Jay nodded and finished his coffee, "I was going to propose."

Hailey raised her eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yeah," Jay blew out his breath, "Clearly she would have said no, so it was for the best."

Hailey bit her lip and lightly set her hand on Jay's leg.

Jay shook his head, "I'm fine. Like I said, things worked out. I'm in a good place now."

"You really are," Hailey nodded, "Jay, seriously, you've been doing really well."

He smiled a little at her and looked back down to his plate, "Thanks."

"Of course," Hailey breathed.

Jay sighed and stood with his plate, "You know what I did a lot too?"

Hailey shook her head and passed him her plate, "What?"

"I ran," Jay said while going to wash the dishes, "But I don't think you could do that now," he chuckled.

Hailey smiled, "Yeah, not really in my cards for a while."

"Sorry, was that stupid advice?" Jay asked.

"No," Hailey stood, "I like to run or work-out when I'm feeling bleh too."

"Bleh?" Jay smirked.

"Yes, bleh," Hailey laughed and leaned against the counter.

"What a perfect word," Jay laughed, "Definitely how I feel after any break-up."

Hailey smiled and looked down, "Thank you, really."

"For what?" Jay asked as he put the plates away in the cupboard.

"For making this hurt less," Hailey said softly.