That one bloody message, she had obsessed over it for weeks. Almost daily she read it and tired to figure out what, if any meaning there was behind it. Kim had even asked her sister about it. Amanda laughed. "Kim, maybe it does not mean anything more than what it said."

"It has to mean more."

"No it doesn't. What has happened since?"

"Nothing." She groaned and flopped down on the couch. "At least he doesn't completely ignore me when I do bump into him. He usually nods so that's a start."

"Baby steps dear sister, baby steps."

Sylvie and Nat had invited, actually insisted that she come and have a drink with them at Molly's. They sat in her apartment refusing to budge until she got dressed. "How is it?"

"Okay I guess." She shrugged glancing over at the table of Intelligence sitting at the back of the bar. She knew it was Jay's birthday but she hadn't been invited. "Work is better. Everything else…" Kim felt a little bubble of emotion rise within her. "Well it's no worse. So that's good right?"

"Why don't you go over there?"

"I'm not welcome. I wasn't invited."

Sylvie laughed. "You don't need to be invited to wish someone a happy birthday. Go over and say hi then you can leave if it's too uncomfortable."

Kim just shook them off. Floating over the hum of the crowd she could hear his laugh and it made her realise how much she missed it. He was always so happy and everyone knew when he was, it was infectious and at times it drove her nuts when he bounced around like Tigger. It was nice to see that again, even from the other side of the room. After all that she had done it was good that he was happy again.

"Kim, god love you but it's obvious you have to make the first move. You tried the waiting game and didn't exactly work out the way you wanted." Nat finally had enough of her moping. "You are killing my buzz. I don't get many nights out without Owen, don't ruin it."

They bought a round of shots, made her knock one back for Dutch courage and nudged her in the right direction. Nervously she approached the table. "Hey Burgess." Lindsay saw her first.

"Hey, I just want to say Happy Birthday Jay." Surprisingly her words sounded calmer than she felt even as a silence fell over the group.

"Thanks Burgess." Jay felt Lindsay nudged him lightly under the table. "Hey stay, have a drink."

Kim could see Adam from the corner of her eye. The expression on his face didn't change. He didn't look pissed, so there was that. "No I should go, but thanks anyway."

"Come on, one drink. For my birthday."

Suddenly Ruzek jumped up from his stool. "Here have my seat. It's my buy anyway." He wanted her to stay, although he was not really sure why. It was another rash decision, pretty much like the one he made when he suggested Intelligence start using her again. It was confusing how he bounced back and forth between wanting to see her and wanting to avoid her completely.

Collectively they all held their breath as Kim accepted his seat but then he disappeared to the bar. Adam knew how uncomfortable she was and that it had probably taken a lot of guts and quite a few drinks to get her to approach them. Him taking off to the bar didn't do much to make her feel better. That was not his intention.

Nor was it his intention to stay at the bar for as long as he did. He got chatting to a cop he knew from his academy days but that's not how it appeared. For everyone else it seemed that while he was happy for her to have a drink with the team he still wasn't ready to. Maybe deep down bumping into an old friend was a convenient excuse. Kim looked over at him just as he threw his head back and laughed, that laugh that filled the room. He certainly looked much happier over there than back at the table anywhere near her.

As Adam headed back to the table Kim suddenly jumped up from her stool. "Anyway, Happy Birthday again Jay and thanks for the drink." In her haste to get away she stumbled and twisted her ankle as she crashed to the ground. The pain shot through her as she clutched her ankle and fought to keep back the tears. If it didn't hurt so much the embarrassment would have been more crushing. Being sprawled out on the floor of a bar was not something she had on her list of things to do.

As she grabbed her ankle and waited for the pain to subside she was surrounded by what seemed like half the bar but the presence she felt the most was Adam's. He had crouched down beside her and rested a hand lightly on her back. The heat from his hand burned into her, she focussed on that rather than the pain in her foot. Nat and Sylvie checked her ankle and assured her that it didn't look broken but it was going to hurt like hell and Nat suggested that she go to the hospital for an x-ray anyway.

Surprisingly it was Adam that offered to drive her.

Kim tried to walk but couldn't put any weight on her foot and before she knew it Atwater and Adam were helping her out to her car. He slipped into the driver's seat and took her to the hospital. Nat had called ahead and she had been taken straight through. "You can go through to if you like?" The admit nurse offered Adam assuming they were together.

"No, I'll just wait here." He dropped himself down into the nearest chair and closed his eyes. As he opened them he exhaled deeply. What was he doing? He shouldn't be here, but it felt natural and normal to be here. It felt right to be worried about Kim.

It was another hour before Kim appeared on crutches. "No breaks, but crutches for a few days and a truck load of painkillers."

Adam helped her into her apartment. He looked around nervously not sure what he was doing or what he was looking for. "This is pretty embarrassing." Kim manoeuvred herself awkwardly onto her couch.

"Falling over in public does have its downside." Adam chuckled lightly. She hadn't really said much on the entire trip to the hospital or to home, she was too scared to speak for fear of starting another argument. His harsh and bitter home truths had hit her hard but she couldn't fault any of his feelings. He had been honest with her; painfully honest and to some extent it had cleared the air. It had led them to this point, not that she knew what point they were actually at.

"Thanks." She mumbled nervously as he handed her an ice pack. The painkillers were starting to kick in and she could barely keep her eyes open. "You didn't have to do this."

"You couldn't drive."

"I would have caught a cab."

"Burgess it's fine." He watched as she dozed off and he sat opposite her for a while. He had no idea what he was doing. He shouldn't be here, she wasn't his to look after anymore. She wasn't his to care about, but he did. When all was said and done he couldn't stop himself from caring.

Adam lifted her gently from the couch and carried her down to the bedroom. She rested her head on his shoulder but didn't even stir. One thing he knew about Kim was give her some painkillers and you could kiss the night goodbye. She was out of it. He pulled the duvet over her, left a glass of water by her side and propped her foot up on a pillow.

When the throbbing in her ankle woke her she was surprised that she was in her bed and as she tried to move she felt her ankle scream in protest. She couldn't remember going to bed and she was obviously still wearing her clothes from last night. The last thing she remembered was Adam bringing her home from the hospital and setting her up on the couch with an ice pack. Had Adam put her to bed?

The whole night had been one of overwhelming confusion and hope. When she had fallen he was by her side, he insisted on taking her to the hospital and then bringing her home. He made sure she was okay and it seemed that once she had fallen asleep he had carried her to bed. Oh how she would have loved to remember that feeling. When he touched her lightly and sweetly and it felt so right and it made her miss him even more.

She hopped towards the door finding it quicker than using crutches. "Adam."

"Thought you could use some breakfast." He held up a bag of bagels and a coffee. Kim hopped backwards and let him in. "Where are your crutches?"

"Over there, I think I might do more damage to myself if I used them."

"How is it?"

"Throbbing and swelling beautifully."

He busied himself finding a plate and toasting her a bagel. Obviously he remembered that she liked them toasted and smothered in cream cheese. "Thank you again for last night." Kim called out from the couch where he had insisted she sit and put her foot up.

"Don't worry about it."

"And for breakfast." Adam handed her a plate of bagels. "Are you not having anything?"

"I've had breakfast." He suddenly looked uncomfortable. He would put his hands in his pockets when he was nervous and rock back on his heels. "Anyway I should get going."

"Do you have too?" Kim asked quietly, unable to look up from the plate in her hands.

"Yeah, I do. I have a…." Adam stopped suddenly and he looked at her sadly. "..I have somewhere I need to be."