It had been an exhausting six months, but things finally seemed to have leveled off and trending in the right direction.

Finally.

As if her break up with Adam wasn't enough she had jumped head first into the biggest mistake of her life. Yes, even bigger than letting Adam go. That was awful and she'd regret it for the rest of her life, but jumping into bed with San Diego blew that mistake out of the water. She didn't dare say his name, just the mere thought of him made her sick to her stomach. She still wasn't completely convinced that she hadn't been possessed by something during that time in her life.

Onward and upward, right?

If only it had been that easy.

Nothing in life worth having was easily attained.

She never thought it would be this hard though. For that she only had herself to blame.

As the dust settled and San Diego left things started to look up for her, both professionally and personally.

Somehow she and Adam found some way to co-exist, they'd run into each other at the district and share an awkward conversation. With each passing day the awkwardness lessened and it wasn't long before they seemed on the path of friendship.

Then Antonio left the unit and she was promoted. Her joy was short lived, within days of being promoted Adam vanished.

He was gone without a word and it was like a kick to the stomach. Had she gone completely off the reservation? Had she imagined something that didn't exist? She thought they had become friends. Clearly she had been wrong.

She had been wrong about a lot lately.

He had turned tail and ran when she was promoted. That was a tough pill to swallow, as was having Olisnky declare her a 'badge bunny'

It hurt but she only had herself to blame.

She had put herself in this position, and she was the only one to get herself out of it.

She did it too, she put her head down and did the work. Kim was going to prove that she deserved a spot in the unit, she was going to show them all that she was more than capable.

She did it too.

She could scratch that off her 'to do' list.

The next was to repair her relationship with Adam, she had no idea where they stood at this point. She didn't even know if he wanted anything to do with her. Did he want to be friends? Did he want to ignore her existence?

She had been shocked to see him that horrifically cold night, just the sight of him took her breath away. That had surprised her a bit, his presence set her heart a flutter. He was bathed in the soft light of the street lights, like a maƱana from heaven. She had felt her knees nearly give way that night, his smile still caused goosebumps on her arms as she thought about that night.

He looked amazing, he had lost some weight but he had looked fit. It was as if he had become a bit of a gym nut while he was away. He apologized to her for running away, and he asked her permission to come back.

As if he needed it.

They hugged and then he kissed her.

It had been perfect.

It left her wanting more, so much more.

As the days passed it went unmentioned, neither one brave enough to bring it up. So they went on as if nothing had happened.

It did happen though, and it was obvious to her that there was something between them. The kiss has ignited the tiniest spark and it had been burning slowly since that night.

They would bring each other coffee, they had somehow managed to show up to work within minutes of each other, their cars parked side by side in the in the lot.

Whoever arrived first would wait for the other to arrive and they'd walk in together. It was all happening so painstakingly slow, she could feel his resistance and she didn't blame him.

She had a lot to make up for, she had cast the fatal blow to their engagement and she would have to be the one to repair it.

He wasn't blameless but she had been the catalyst of it all. She had put the wheels in motion and she had been the one to break his heart.

She had to put the work in, and she would do it. She would do whatever was necessary to mend his broken heart.

Life had other plans though.

Nicole had shown up, her marriage in shambles. When she arrived at the district and had been frosty to Adam, Kim wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She had dogged Adam to Nicole when they ended the engagement, too embarrassed to own up to her own insecurities and fears to her big sister. The sister who had it all figured out, the perfect career, the perfect daughter, the perfect home, and the perfect marriage.

She didn't want Nicole to know that she had failed. Instead she chucked Adam under the bus, as if that wasn't bad enough she then backed that bus over him again and again.

Nicole had once loved him, and now she loathed him.

Well, she had loathed him.

Things had changed.

Nicole had told her that her perfect marriage was anything but perfect and it was over. That she had left her husband and it had gotten ugly.

Kim was shocked.

Nicole needed a night out, Kim convinced her to go out and have some fun. Kim and Zoe would hang out, they'd eat pizza and watch silly movies together, that it was for Nicole to enjoy herself. To have a night out with the girls.

Kim was beside herself when Nicole never came home that night.

It had been a living nightmare.

Adam was by her side the entire time, he had been an incredible source of support and she didn't think she would've gotten through it without him.

The night after she went undercover to arrest the bastards who had raped her sister, she had lost it. She had behaved in a fashion that was unlike anything she had done before. It was brutal and it was ugly.

She wasn't the least bit surprised that morning in the hospital when she awoke to him sitting vigil at her bedside. She had fallen apart in his arms, it dawned on her in that very moment that he was the only one who made her fell safe. His arms where the only place that she ever wanted to be.

Some times it takes losing everything to truly understand what you have.

She knew what she wanted, she wanted him.

She just hoped Adam would wait, and that he would find a way to forgive her.

Nicole needed her, and Kim put in a request for furlough.

Now that Nicole was on the path to healing, it was time for Kim to right all of the wrongs in her life.

That was what she was doing tonight, it was just the start of what would be a long and grueling process.

All great journeys started with one shaky step, and this was her's and Adam's first step.

So much had happened since she last saw Adam, Kim had been through the gamut of emotions.

Nicole was settled in her new home with Zoe, it was just a few blocks from Kim's townhouse. She had found a therapist and a solid support group and had found her footing. She had to push Kim out of her house just a few days ago. Telling her it was time for Kim to put her own life back in order.

Kim knew it was time but it wasn't easy. Nicole was still on edge a bit but her counselor thought it was time to move forward and that started with Kim heading back home.

So her she was, back home and feeling a bit lost. She wasn't used to the quiet, when she was with Nicole it was anything but quiet. Zoe's mouth was always moving the girl barely took a breath between sentences.

She checked her appearance once more before heading out, she had agonized for hours on what to wear. Her stomach a bundle of nerves and it was a bit silly, she had gone out with Adam a million times before.

Never before did so much ride on one night.

She knew it would take more than one night to make things right, but she hoped it was just the beginning.

Well, here I am again lol. Honestly I had no intentions of doing another story...but you know what they say about good intentions...

I posting this much earlier than I anticipated, in a way I'm doing it to make sure I see this through to the end. You won't let me drop the ball..will you?

This will be a pretty heavy story.