#past upstead divorce

[kitweewoos]

not fair (like we hoped)

Summary:

After his divorce, Jay is having a rough time, and Mouse is there to help him.

Ship: Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz & Jay Halstead, Past Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz/Jay Halstead

Rating: Teen Audiences & Up

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 2,956

Chapters: 1/1

Additional Tags:

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Post-Divorce

Pre-Slash

Bisexual Jay Halstead

Coming Out

Talking

Late Night Conversations

Can be read platonic or romantic

up to you

[read it now on ao3]

[wafflesetc]

It’s 04:35 in Amsterdam and I’m way jet lagged but the rage is real tonight. I don’t get how every other character got such a more realistic and realistic exit in the OC universe except for Jay.

[onlyangelhales]

JAY “I’m going where you go” “Not in time for this unit, not in time for US” “I’d follow you anywhere” “You asked me too” (i could go on) HALSTEAD WOULD NOT DIVORCE HIS WIFE

honestly not a single thing from the show that has occurred past season 7 is canon to me anymore. Upstead lives happily in my head, esp in their slow burn era.

[go-to-two]

Even if they give Upstead hope or a “happy” ending, which I personally don’t think they will (major props to anyone who still has hope), it would still be such shitty writing. His exit made no sense, what happened with their relationship after he left made no sense (cue the episode where she takes off her ring after they finally started talking again 🙄), the way they’ve painted him to be a disloyal prick … putting them back together now after all that and a divorce, none of it makes any sense. It’s shitty writing, plain and simple. So even though I would be over the moon if they got a happy ending, it would still be terrible writing. I’d have a hard time reconciling all of it in my brain. They created such a mess when they didn’t need to. So disappointing.

I mean... if we were to get a happy ending, that's just something we'd have to live with, I think. The characters should (and hopefully do) end up together, but the writing for the past two seasons has been downright bad. Those two things would just have to coexist.

[imjustwritingg]

Hi,is everything good with you? I hope you Fine!Today I read, on Twitter, a rumor that made me even more sad about Upstead: according to information from some girls, who were hysterical (I can't blame them) saying that they found out that Hailey, after a passage of time, will be DIVORCED! I know that Gwen Sigan has only given us poorly written crap, and I also know that this rumor has some meaning... but honestly, I still want to have hope for a happy ending for Hailey/Jay/Upstead! In your personal opinion, is this rumor justified? I hope not, even though I can't trust Gwen anymore!

Hey there! I’m doing well, thanks! Hope you are too.

First and foremost, there is nothing wrong with remaining hopeful that things will end well for these characters. I really think the negativity has gotten way out of hand in the fandom lately and it’s just ruining things for everyone else.

As for the rumor…it’s just that until proven otherwise. There has been a lot of speculation in the fandom and the best piece of advice I can offer is to consider where the information is coming from and if that person or persons have been reliable in the past. Then make your own judgment call from there.

[lady-rhaesnow]

One and only

Thank you to the anon for this prompt! It was very fun to write. I know I set a word limit to these things but I'm finding that more often than not they tend to get away from me... I don't think y'all will mind too much though 😅

I know I haven't been uploading the prompt pics often, but I do promise to get to them all. The Challenge me daily is still open but I will be alternating writing that and another multi chapter fic I want to finish soon. (That is a sweet Upstead surprise that I am hoping will be ready for posting soon enough!)

Fandom: One Chicago ]

Pairing: Upstead

Words: 1849

“So, I heard something interesting today,” Hailey started casually. They were doing their thing after finally closing a long and trying case. 

Jay looked over at her, “Oh yeah?” he asked casually sipping his beer. The tv was on but they weren’t really watching anything. 

Hailey smirked and Jay raised his brows at her, intrigued. “What did you hear?” 

“Adam mentioned that you were uhm … married?” Hailey said. Jay almost choked on his beer and Hailey grinned. “Just wondering when we’re gonna meet Mrs Halstead?” 

Jay groaned and sat up just a little. He eyed her carefully before asking, “What else did he happen to mention?” 

She raised her beer, taking a sip to hide her smile. “He said it was a Vegas wedding,” she mumbled. Jay flushed and Hailey felt a little guilty for teasing him about it. “Look, I’m not one to pry but … you just don’t seem like a Vega kinda guy.” 

Jay ran a hand over his face trying to smother his blush and then he looked over at his partner. He didn’t particularly enjoy talking about his past. More specifically anything to do with his time as a ranger. But there was something about Hailey Upton that made him want to open up; to trust her. He took another sip of his beer, gearing himself up for the story. 

“Her name was Abby McSweeney and it was honestly a drunken mistake.” He sighed not liking how that sounded. “We were at a funeral – a fellow ranger’s – and we got drunk. Really drunk and then …we got married. I signed the divorce papers shortly after that and a few years ago she showed up.” Hailey’s brows raised in surprise. Jay chuckled, having a good guess of what she might imagine was the reason. “She hadn’t signed them but I knew it would never work.” 

“You didn’t love her?” Hailey surprised herself by asking that. 

“No, I didn’t.” He answered. Jay looked at her and she smiled. It didn’t feel out of place talking to Hailey about this. 

“So, you’re not married now?” she teased a moment later. 

He laughed. “No, I am not. And next time I get married, it definitely won’t be a drunken Vegas mistake.” 

“Next time?” Hailey asked and Jay shrugged. “You … you want to get married again?” 

“I’d like to get married and have it mean something. But only if it’s with the right person,” he added taking a mighty sip of his beer. 

Hailey grinned. “Jay Halstead, the closet romantic.” 

He jokingly narrowed his eyes and then leaned back once more. “What about you?” 

“What about me?”

“You don’t wanna get married, someday?” 

“I don’t know,” she answered. Hailey hoped that was enough of an answer but Jay just looked over at her curiously. “Just don’t know if it’s for me,” she relented. 

“Not something you can really know unless you try,” Jay said and then a moment later asked, “you never came close?” 

Hailey bit her lip knowing Jay must have figured out there was definitely a story to this. She took a sip of her beer, hoping to stall her answer. She wanted to brush it off, but realized her partner had been exceptionally open and answered her questions. Because he trusted her. She could do the same. 

“Just once,” she revealed. Hailey looked down at her hands and Jay carefully leaned in, somehow understanding the severity of what she was about to tell him. “His name was Garrett Thompson and he was my partner.” 

She gave him a moment to take that in before she continued. “We were partnered for an undercover assignment. We posed as a couple and soon things got very real … and very serious.” 

“You loved him,” Jay realised. 

Hailey tried to shrug it off. The memory still to painful but Jay did not look convinced. “Yeah, I did,” she finally admitted. 

“What happened?”

She smiled sorrowfully. “As all things do when you get personal on the job. It got messy and then …” she picked at the label of the beer bottle, gathering her courage, “he saved me from Booth – that was our target – and then uh… Booth had him killed.” 

Jay shook his head slowly, “Hailey, I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah, me too.” She finally looked up, meeting his eyes. 

“You said you came close…?” Jay gently prompted. 

“If he had asked, I would have said yes.” Hailey said it so matter-of-factly but Jay knew it was anything but. “I don’t think I’d want to go through that again, so I guess lesson learned. Loving someone in this line of work just doesn’t work, it’s too difficult.”

“Maybe,” Jay said and Hailey eyed him intently. “It doesn’t have to be. Not if you’re with the right person.” 

“How do you know if it’s the right person?” 

“I don’t know,” Jay admitted. “But I do know that loving someone shouldn’t be the hardest thing in your life.” 

Hailey chuckled humourlessly. “I think a lot of people would disagree with you, Jay. There’s that whole ‘love is worth fighting for’ and ‘if it’s hard then it’s worth it’ nonsense.” 

Jay laughed, and Hailey raised a brow at his cheek. “You misunderstand. I don’t mean that life isn’t hard. It is and things are going to be good and bad. But loving someone, enough to want to marry them, that should be the easiest thing you do every day.” He looked a little embarrassed but Hailey didn’t mock him. Not this time.  

“You believe that?” She was truly curious and Jay took that as a good sign. 

“Yeah, I do. I think it’s all about the right person.” 

Hailey nodded, contemplating his words. They fell into a surprisingly easy silence. Jay was pretty sure the topic of past relationships was behind them when Hailey turned and asked with a rather serious expression, “I gotta know… did you have an Elvis impersonator?” 

Jay laughed heartily and Hailey grinned. 

***

Jay’s fingers absently played with Hailey’s hair. They were delightfully wrapped up in each other as they enjoyed a rare, slow morning. His hand wandered down until it found hers and he brought it up, smiling at the sight of the black band on her finger. He felt her smile against his neck and hum in delight as his fingers traced delicate patterns on her back. 

“Where are you going?” he asked when she started moving away. 

Hailey grinned. “Just gonna get some coffee. Want some?” he told her no and she leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Be right back,” she whispered before slipping out from their bed. 

She grabbed his discarded shirt off the floor as she went and Jay watched her with nothing short of pure adoration as she left the room. He heard her tinkering around in the kitchen and it was instinctive, the way in which he smiled. 

He imagined what she might look like then, standing in their kitchen, dressed only in shirt. She’d have to stand on the very tips of her toes to reach the shelf with the mugs. He had told her to place them on a shelf she could reach but she had insisted. 

Jay glanced over to his night stand where a candid shot of Jay and Hailey had been taken by Adam. They weren’t even looking at the camera, totally immersed in each other, jaw breaking grins as they laughed. It had been taken at a Bears game and Jay was pretty sure there were countless other photos of all their friends too. But this one, with just the two of them; this was his favourite. 

Hailey came back into his sight then, a cup of coffee in each hand. Jay smiled, sitting up against the headboard a little better. He smirked when Hailey placed both cups down on his night stand. 

“You didn’t have to,” he said softly. 

“I know. But you’d just end up stealing half of mine, then complain cause its normal coffee like normal people drink it,” she teased. 

Jay chuckled and then reached for her, gently tugging her towards him. Hailey came willingly, throwing one leg over his waist as she straddled him. she grinned down at him, her blonde hair a right mess thanks to him. 

“Besides, I don’t want you to leave this bed again,” she whispered, leaning in, her lips ghosting over his. 

He didn’t mind her teasing, but he had other things in mind. His fingers wove into her hair as he kissed her a second later. Hailey grinned, her hands falling to his shoulders. 

“I like the sound of that,” he replied between kisses. “Such a smart idea, Mrs Halstead.” 

Hailey giggled and it was a sound he loved to hear – because it was only for him. He fell back against the headboard and Hailey relaxed in his arms. He was looking at her, but she knew his mind was a mile away. 

Her fingers brushed his jaw, gently until she caught his attention. “What is it?” 

He shook his head, reluctant to say and that worried her. There were very few things they didn’t share with each other. The time for secrets had long passed them by. 

“Jay,” she called and he looked up, meeting her beautiful blues. 

“I was just thinking … I wished this had been the only time I said ‘I do,’ He admitted. Hailey could see the guilt in his eyes and she frowned. “I guess I wished this was my first and only marriage.” 

She pressed a kiss to his lips. “It’s okay that it’s not,” she told him. “Life gets messy. It’s hard and we make mistakes. But there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

“I know, but …” he shrugged. 

“Hey,” she said softly. “I might not have been the first Mrs Halstead,” she laughed as he wrinkled his nose, “But I wouldn’t change a thing.” 

“Really?” 

“Of course. I love you, Jay.” She looked at him contemplating for a moment before she continued, “You were right all those years ago.” 

“I’m usually right about a lot of things. To which are you referring to?” he sassed. 

She swatted his arm. “It’s about the right person. And you dear husband are the only one for me.” He smiled, leaning up to kiss her gently. “Loving you is my favourite part of every day.”

He tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. “You really don’t mind?” 

“Yes really. I don’t mind that I wasn’t your first,” she teased and he laughed. “I do intend to be your last.” 

“You’re the only one that counts.” He told her. “You’re the one and only I want to call my wife. I love you, Hails.” 

“Good! Now drink your questionable coffee before it gets cold,” Hailey laughed, handing him his coffee. Just as he liked, with almond milk.  

“Yes ma’am.” He took the steeping cup of coffee from her and they settled into an easy embrace, sipping on their coffee and making idle talk. 

It was not his first marriage, but it was the only one that mattered. 

[shipcago]

my theory is that jay won't die but hailey will be pregnant (hence the meternity sign photo of the crew 9x21/9x22) and they both get divorced 💔💔💔😭😭😭 and jay gets transferred to another unit (as sergeant) but upstead is not together anymore not even off screen anymore

Absolutely not. It’s a theory, but not one I want to entertain.

I can see Jay leaving Intelligence but not Hailey, and definitely not if they’re starting a family. It would retcon everything the writers have established for them the past few seasons as a ship and as individuals. It’s bad enough his character is leaving the show, but to spit on everything they’ve written?? Nahhh.

[anna-justice]

Lost or Found - 6

Summary: As Jay, Hailey, Kim, Adam and Kevin start their junior year in the wake of a tragic summer, the past year of their lives comes back to haunt them. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, this is for you! *UPSTEAD/BURZEK High School AU

...

6 - Born to Die

...

“You can’t be serious Hailey.” Jay said as they pulled out of the school parking lot. Hailey had booked it to the truck after her sudden realization and was still very shaken up.

She turned to face him. “I am! Jay, I’ve heard that voice in my nightmares. It has to be him. He’s connected to all of this somehow.” Hailey sat back in her seat and pressed her hand lightly to her neck, remembering the night she was attacked.

“I’ve known Severide for years, his dad’s a firefighter. He’s a great guy. There is no way he is wrapped up in all this.” Jay couldn’t wrap his head around any of it.

“I know what I heard, he attacked me that night.” Hailey said confidently. 

Jay sighed, “This isn’t the first thing you’ve been sure of this week.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The whole Nadia thing,” Jay explained, “You were so sure that it was her, we saw her today when the texts were sent. It couldn’t be. You’re grasping for anything to explain this Hailey.”

Hailey was sure there was steam coming out of her ears. “That’s not fair.” Jay kept quiet this time. “Last time I checked, you asked for my help and we are trying to solve your girlfriend's case. Don’t get mad at me because I’m looking at facts.” 

Jay wasn’t sure what to say. She was right, she didn’t have any sort of emotional connection to anyone. She was purely objective. “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just, Erin and Kelly were really good friends. I couldn’t imagine him hurting her.”

“I didn’t say he hurt her, I’m saying that he hurt me.” Hailey’s words struck hard. It almost felt like a switch flipped inside of him. He hurt Hailey. Jay hadn’t realized how attached to her he had gotten, she had been his rock the past few weeks. And something else felt new as well: the phrase “girlfriend” didn’t sit well with him anymore. She had been gone almost four months now, she hadn’t really been his girlfriend in a long time. It wasn’t like he was happy either, he was thinking about ending things and kissing Hailey that night was the final straw. He wanted to kiss someone else, he enjoyed kissing someone else. He was going to break up with her that night, and he didn’t get the chance. So now, he’s still playing the role of the heartbroken boy with the missing girlfriend and even Hailey believed it.

His eyes landed on her again at the next red light, her eyes were watery, her gaze fixed on her lap. “And he’s not going to again.” He reached over the center console and placed a comforting hand on hers. He earned a small smile in return. 

Hailey wanted to be mad a little longer, but she couldn’t be. As much as she loved her friends, and Chicago, she didn’t grow up there like the rest of them. She didn’t know many people outside of her tight knit circle, accusing Nadia or Kelly was easy for her in a way. The rest of them had to handle the betrayal along with the fear. 

The pair opted to go to her house, and Hailey ignored the feeling in her stomach as they stepped over the threshold. She had become accustomed to Jay being around, it wasn’t strange for them to end up at each other’s houses or just riding around town with milkshakes. They spent a lot of time together and she could feel herself starting to get attached, which was a hard no in her book. 

Throwing their backpacks down by the door they made their way to the kitchen, where Jay helped himself to the box of donuts on her counter. Her aunt had bought them to celebrate the first day of school, but they were using them to mourn the summer. 

“So why doesn’t Greg hang out with us?” Hailey asked, breaking the silence. 

Jay wiped the chocolate frosting from his face before responding. “He’s homeschooled, his dad’s in the military so they move around a lot, but they keep an apartment here. He’s pretty shy, he used too, but he and Erin didn’t really get along.”

Hailey noticed the sad look on his face, “You should bring him around more often. He seems cool.”

“I don’t want to bring him into all of this.” Jay said, only half lying. He knew that he had helped with the text, but he drew the line there. Not only that, but Greg and Jay had known each other for a long time, they knew exactly how screwed up each other were, and they were both happy to keep things just between them. 

Hailey nodded and handed him another donut, which he gladly accepted, eating his feelings seemed like a great solution for the time being.

…

Kim sat on Adam’s bed, scrolling through instagram while Adam talked to his mom on the phone. They were at his dad’s house and his mom wasn’t very happy about it. It hurt Kim to watch Adam struggle through his parents divorce, it was only finalized a few months ago and he wasn’t doing very well with splitting time. 

They spent most of their time at his dad’s when they weren’t at her house, her parents adored him and Adam liked the weekly family dinners and the sense of stability that came with them. His mom wasn’t a big fan of Kim, she saw her as another person that was in the way of her getting all of his attention. Not that Adam was fond of giving her any, her substance abuse was quickly eating away at their relationship. 

Adam through his phone on the bed next to Kim, causing her to look up at him. He was obviously stressed and she took it as an invitation to wrap her arms around him. He gladly accepted the embrace, placing his chin on the top of her head. After a few minutes, Kim looked up at him. “You okay?”

“I am now.” He smirked, hugging her a bit tighter. 

Kim pulled away, leaving her hands on his elbows. “I’m being serious. Are you okay?”

Adam groaned and pulled her down next to him on his bed. “I guess, I’m just fed up with my mom starting fights.” Kim took his hand in hers, brushing her thumb over the back of it. “And my dad is choosing to ignore her, so I have to play damage control.” 

“I’m so sorry.” 

He gave her a weak smile. “I know we all have way bigger problems right now, but I’m so sick of it all. I’m their kid, this isn’t my job.”

“Hey,” Kim said, pacing her hand on his jaw. “Don’t do that, we can’t focus on that all the time or we’ll go crazy. Plus, what are we gonna do? You are allowed to be upset, no matter what else is going on.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

Kim smirked, “I’ve been told a few times.” She squealed as Adam grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him, placing his lips on hers. She responded immediately, her hand finding the nape of his neck while his stayed on her waist. Somewhere in the middle, she ended up on her back on the bed with Adam hovering over her. She pulled him closer to her, which caused him to lose his balance and fall slightly top of her. They collapsed in a fit of laughter, Adam rolling over to lay on his back beside her. 

He looked over at her, a huge grin on his face. “This may be a little fast but,” his hand found hers, “I love you, Kim.” 

Kim was frozen for a second. She thought that she had imagined him saying it like she had a million times before. “Is this real?” She asked, rolling on her side to face him.

“It better be.” Adam joked, chuckling nervously. This was what he was afraid of, that she didn’t feel the same way. He was shocked when she jumped him, kissing him with more intensity than ever before.

“I love you too.” She said grinning, and suddenly Adam was on top of her all over again.

…

Kevin was sitting with some of the guys from the team at a local diner, they decided to go grab burgers after practice. They were laughing, joking, having a great time, well, everyone but Kevin.

He was worried about Vinessa, his little sister, constantly. Everyone else that was being threatened had at least a shot at defending themselves, she was just a kid. He had always been over protective of her, and his brother, Jordan. He was almost ten years older than him, Vinessa being only three. His mom was a single mom, working two jobs to keep their house, his dad left right after he was born and Jordan and Vinessa’s bolted before her first birthday. So Kevin was the closest thing to a father figure that they had. 

“Dude, did you see Decotis today? Damn that girl got hot.” One of his teammates asked.

The running back, Connor, grimaced. “I don’t know man, did you hear what Halstead said?” He asked. “I”m staying away, I wouldn’t put it past Sampson to sleep with a student. What do you think Kev?” Kevin wasn’t paying any attention, he was mindlessly staring down his drink. “Kev?”

He snaps his head up, having no idea what they were asking him. “Uh, I don’t know.” 

“Were you even paying attention?” Connor asks, laughing.

Kevin shakes his head, the rest of the group not noticing the lack of enthusiasm he was giving off. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do to protect his siblings, but he did know that in order to get to them, they would have to go through him. 

…

Hailey woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly well rested. School was giving her a sense of normalcy that she had lost in the past few weeks. She showered and got ready quickly, bounding down the stairs ready to tackle the day.

Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to sit next to Severide in class today and she was sure that between her and Jay, she could find a way to avoid him. 

When she entered the kitchen, she found her aunt and uncle sitting at their usual spot at the table, but Randall was looking a little more disheveled than usual after shift. She leaned against the island, “Everything okay?”

“Hailey.” Trudy said, just then noticing her presence. 

Randall looked up with a sad look in his eyes. “Come sit down kiddo.” 

Hailey sat down hesitantly. “What’s going on? Is Jay okay? Kim, Adam? Kevin?” She began to panic, ignoring the fact that the first person to come to her mind was a certain Halstead. 

“Yes.” Trudy said, placing a hand over Hailey’s shaky one. “They are all fine. Randall…” She dragged off, nodding to her husband.

Randall turned his whole body towards his niece. “Last night, around Midnight, we responded to a residential fire on Wabash. It was an old abandoned house, one of the last ones on the street. The basement was full of paper materials and electronics like computers, so with an accelerant it went up fast and burned hot.” He took a breath, “It’s already been turned over to fire investigation for arson, but, I wanted you to know that we pulled a body from the fire.”

Hailey knew what house he was talking about, she and Jay had been there just last week, but she played dumb. “I don’t understand, what does that have to do with me?” 

“Hailey, they think it’s Erin.”

…

A/N: I know that the family dynamics are a little different than they are on the show, but I had to alter them a bit to fit this storyline! Thanks for reading!

[go-to-two]

hey, How are you? I hope you Fine!!! Today I read, on Twitter, a rumor that made me even more sad about Upstead: according to information from some girls, who were hysterical (I can't blame them) saying that they found out that Hailey, after a passage of time, will be DIVORCED! I know that Gwen Sigan has only given us poorly written crap, and I also know that this rumor has some meaning... but honestly, I still want to have hope for a happy ending for Hailey/Jay/Upstead! In your personal opinion, is this rumor justified? I hope not, even though I can't trust Gwen anymore!

Hi!

I'm doing alright, though I'll admit I'm a little confused here.

I haven't seen anything like this circulating in the fandom. I can't really say anything about any rumor considering I don't know the source, any information, or what was even said. All I can say is be critical of who you're getting information from. If it's just words or theories with no source or proof- especially from someone who has made a lot of incorrect claims in the past- I'd say it's best not to worry about it.

[wafflesetc]

I am so devastated. I used to be able to find hope that Upstead would be okay and Jay would come back. I just can't find it anymore.

It's like the writers didn't give any thoughts towards the fans. Like why would they do this? What's the reason behind ruining five years worth of amazing relationship? Upstead fans make a big group and none of them like this at all. A great way to waver the show.

For years Upstead was my comfort and it was destroyed last night. It got me through some pretty dark times. So this is just different kind of pain.

Listen, your feelings are valid and they are rooted in a lot of truth that we have seen play out on our screens over the past few months. And I agree with you about the writers - I am not really sure what to make of any of this. There's a lot of things with all of this that make it seem very sporadic and not planned (to an extent.) What I mean is I do think this was sprung on them somewhat last minute last summer and it probably meant they had to change trajectory for most of season ten.

I do think that they know Upstead fans are a large demographic of the show. I think they know that because look how long they are dragging this out for Hailey - look how they keep using the relationship for promotional things. I mean, even the OC page keeps reposting old articles about Jay. I think they know the pull that this ship has on the show.

I want to tell you to be somewhat hopeful - I think both Tracy and Jesse are Upstead fans and I think they'd fight for it to end well. Or even just better than we've been given at this point. I think there will be more to come by the end of season ten, only because until there are divorce papers or a death, that nothing is finished yet. Am I being delusional? Possibly... But that's just my thought. I think they are going to milk as much as they can out of them, given what's been happening this season.

[wafflesetc]

I just don't get what the writers get from writing Upstead like this. They know how loved they are and how big of a ship it is. Why would you write such a great slowburn that is built on trust and love and then write this crap? After last night, none of this is explainable anymore. All they have on their hand now is a disaster and bunch of angry fans. Not to mention actors who deserve better.

I want to so badly believe that there is a way out. A way so that Upstead will be okay and endgame but I have no idea how to pull it off now. Hailey's trust and heart has been completely shattered and to top it off it was shattered by the one person who wasn't supposed to do that ever. Who promised to not go anywhere. He was supposed to be different. He knew better.

I feel you, anon. Truly... I do. I've said a handful of times that I don't envy Gwen. I wouldn't wish to have to write episodes, be in charge of the writer's room, while also trying to keep TPTB happy. the cast, and the fans happy. She wears many hats as a showrunner and I can't really say that I envy her for that.

There's a certain level of authority that she has though, which can steer things in certain directions. What I mean is that things more or less get her seal of approval ask they cross her desk.

I haven't really been her biggest fan, but I also haven't really been "anti" or very critical of Gwen, but this week really did sort of change the tides for me.

At some point - and this is really for the writer's room as a whole - that they made certain choices and both know what they did in the past episodes and what was going to happen in future episode. We saw them on screen in episode 3. We saw Jay's choice, we heard it was only eight months, etc.

I've also always said that his exit was a short-long-term plan meaning at some point they were going to have to re-address what was happening. At some point, they had a choice in how to address this and this week really showed where they are thinking with this.

The sad part is, as you mentioned, I don't get why they feel this is the proper route to take. Gwen said in an interview she wanted us to keep loving Upstead, that they were the loves of each other's lives, and then we see this continual pattern of Jay making choices that aren't the Jay we have come to know and love. It's not the Jay we have seen over the past decade. It's lazy, an easy out, for this predicament they found themselves in. Whatever the reason was for his departure, I do think they could have done his character much better. 10x12 was worse for me than 10x03. In 10x03 I could see slivers of Jay here and there in the choices they were making... 10x12 Jay truly felt like a stranger to me.

What I will say is this - is there a way out? Yes, it's TV world. There's always a way out and there is always a way to undo what they have done. I think of NCIS/Tiva how they "killed" Ziva only to bring her back a few seasons later. I think the issue becomes how do they undo this without it feeling like fanservice... Doing it just to please us because they know we are unhappy.

Can they fix it? Yes. Will they? Well, that's a question that is TBD. There's a saying, it ain't over until the fat lady sings. Until I see divorce papers or hear some kind of eulogy, I don't believe it's over over, just yet.

[wafflesetc]

WAFFLES I am scared about the episode.... What does this curious development MEAN????????????

First, take a deep breath. I know it's hard to read things and not get swept up in them, but that's what journalism is supposed to make us do, especially in regard to the show.

I don't really know what it means and I am really not trying to guess too hard. My guess is that it will be her calling him or him calling her, we hear her say, "Hi Jay" or some kind of hello and then it will fade to black. Or similarly, she picks up the phone and calls him and leaves him a voicemail.

The thing is, they know that Upstead/Jay/Hailey drive a decent amount of viewership, so they are going to taunt us with us, get us interested so that we will watch the show. So it's not surprising to me to hear an article dangling that word in front of us. I don't think that, whatever it is, will be a huge development... I am expecting something really small.

@fromiftowhen made a very good point on Twitter saying that the word curious wasn't used in any sort of quotation, so it doesn't necessarily mean that Gwen used that specific word to describe this new development. It could have just been the reporter's own interpretation of what Gwen said.. Meaning it may not actually sound like it sounds, or something else.

I think if she was going to kill him off or divorce them or anything drastic of that sort, I do think it would have already happened.

I know it's hard to have faith right now, given how things have been in the past couple episodes... But I just try to remember how they have been written in the past, all the small, beautiful lines and promises they said and made to each other. I do think all of that wasn't done for nothing, regardless of what the circumstances are now. So, I hold on to that because I really think Jay meant it when he said "we're good, and we're always gonna be good."

[wafflesetc]

Do you think Upstead is going to be okay? I am worried but you seem to always be positive about it all.

Listen, I am not positive about it. Not all the time. I do tend to worry more in private settings than I do in public settings, just because I don't like to add to the chaos that is already there. I have had plenty moments of pure panic... Even ones related to articles I have read and probably shouldn't. But when I take a step back and really analyze things, having them not be okay, killing one of them, divorcing or anything dramatic in nature like that doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to the story they have written over the past five years and it doesn't make sense to either of the characters at their cores. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but amidst all the chaos and whatever is being thrown at them, I do think they are going to be okay.