Notes: Vanessa drinks too much and it has some unintended... effects, making it harder to hide how her life is unraveling.
I messed up my initial posting again! So sorry about that!

When Ruzek had pulled up he didn't know what to expect.
He was familiar with Danielle, but they wouldn't usually talk to each other outside of some family function, she was more like a cousin than a friend.
She had just texted «I need your help with something can you meet at The Tavern ASAP? Will owe you. Deedee.»
He tried to maintain a healthy level of concern, but he didn't like the tone, what if she was hurt or in danger.
So he was quite surprised when he found Danielle sitting under the bar's porch with a girl whose head was rolling sideways, looking somewhat worked up.
« Thanks for being so quick. »
« I was over at Molly's it's just a few blocks down," He says looking around them to see what granted that SOS. Still scanning their surroundings he nervously asks "What is it? She hurt? You need a ride? »
« Oh no, it's not us who need help, but Vanessa, she is inside being all ganged on by two newbies, who seem not too familiar with personal space... she is drunk out of her mind and, yeah I don't trust them with her, but she wouldn't leave. Can you scoop her up, please? She'll thank us tomorrow."

It nearly took a second for Adam to understand which Vanessa she was talking about but looking back at the second woman he recognizes her as Vanessa's new partner Amber something from out of town.

"Ok here are my car keys, take her inside and sit tight, I'll get Rojas."

When in the bar he couldn't figure out how to find her, it was packed and steamy and noisy.
After a few minutes, firmly planted in a position where he could see at a 360° angle, someone bumps heavily into him, he fights the urge to curse the person out but decides against it when in the corner of his eyes he recognizes the frame of his former teammate.

He calls her name a couple of times but she doesn't seem to hear him, and the two guys lifting her don't seem to stop either.

He pushes through the crowd with difficulty to catch up with them.
"I think that's about far enough."

The two men take a second to localize who was talking and to whom.
"Do you have a problem pal?" says one of the two.
"I don't think she wants to walk in that direction, pal".
"I don't hear her complaining so..." he motions for Ruzek to move out of their way, while his friend still holding firmly on to a very drunk Vanessa was trying to bypass the interference.
"I know that you don't know who you are talking to, this is why I'm being extraordinarily lenient here, but word of advice don't push me, 'cause you don't want to see me push back."

They start to eye each other uncertain, not really ready to go to war over the girl.
"How do we know you know her hm?"
"Come on Rojas, let's get you home"
For the first time since the beginning of the exchange, Vanessa starts to show hints of lucidity.
"Ruzek, what are you doing here? You came to party with us ?" she says slurring all her words, "Let me introduce you to my new friends..." she tries to focus and remember their names, but she can't.
"Come on I'll drive you home" he reaches to her and takes on the place of the guy who was trying to get her to leave with him, and steadies her, and starts to walk her towards the outside.
"No but I don't want to leave, I want to stayyyy"
"You heard the lady, she doesn't want to follow you." He hears from the guy still trying his luck.
Now the very small amount of patience Adam had in the first place was quickly running out of his system, he steps into the taller guy's face ready to jump him, people are starting to pay attention, he doesn't want to have to fight these baby police in this bar.
After a few more seconds of the suspended head to head, the guy friend says " Come on she isn't worth it."
That nearly set Adam off, but he needs to take the win while it's still clean, so he turns his back and repeats to his friend, "Let's go, your friends are waiting for you."
He feels a bit assholy ordering her around, but if Danielle felt like she needed a hand sorting this situation so he was gonna do just that.

"Thank god, we can finally fuck off", exhales Danielle as soon as they're out.
She is standing by Adam's car where Amber was dozing her booze off in the back seat.
"I can drop you guys off first and that one last."
"Thank you really pulled it off."

XXXXX

Whatever Adam was expecting when he received the message was the furthest possible from this scenario, he actually didn't really think about specifics, Danielle was like family if she asks for help if he can he pulls up no questions asked, but to find Vanessa in this state? Of all people, the girl was known to be always tidy with irreproachable behavior and not famous for heavy drinking or serious partying, at least not in this lifetime, it was very unusual... but for all intents and purposes it hasn't been a normal day, he had seen her and her partner this morning receiving a medal at 9 a.m that morning, and then heard them on the city-wide radio call for the deadly shout-out at a gas station, which had been one of the hottest calls of the day.

"Thanks again, Adam! Be safe out there! Oh and don't tell her I told you, but your mom's been complaining to my mom that you never call her! So call her? And get that girl some water!" Danielle shouts her infinite goodbyes and heads home.

During all this time Vanessa's head is laying against the window in the passenger seat, he can't tell if she is awake or not, but in any case, the fresh air must help her feel better, not needing the advice, he stops quickly at a convenience store to get her water and prays she doesn't puke on his car. But when he comes back he can see she is now awake.

"Hey hey, feeling better?" he says handing her the water.

Looking at the water bottle like it was the enemy, she obverses it for some time then ends up taking it and chugs some water slowly getting back to a normal level of drunkenness.

"Let's get you home now," he says in getting back behind the wheel, the night was still pretty young and he was pondering if he should be writing to Kim or Hailey or if that was a breach of trust of Vanessa. Although, she wasn't the one who asked for help in the first place...

"THE FUCK YOU DOING!"
If he wasn't a steadier driver the car would have swerved into the pavement, Vanessa was leaning on him trying to kiss him on the neck with a hand on his thigh.
Adam hits the brakes and pulls over in a double line.
"You said to go home, I'm just starting the fun early" she answers with a seductive voice.
Ruzek horrified tries to put as much space as possible between him and her. She looks relentless.
"Come on, don't be like that... it doesn't have to mean anything, I just want to have fun."
Really wanting to minimize contact with her, he ends up grabbing her by the wrists and gather them back on her knees.
"Vanessa, you're drunk, you will be very embarrassed tomorrow when … if you remember this.
But THIS? This is not happening, not like that, not now, not ever! OK?".

He stops here and let his sentence resonate in the car. He feels her loosen back onto her seat, she rolls the window all the way down and let her head rest on her arm hanging half outside like a teenager on a coming of age movie.
Adam takes in a deep breath and blinks repeatedly before starting to drive in a new direction, he was too afraid of what could happen again if he drops her off at her building, so instead, he drives to Molly's to see if the girls can take her home.

XXXXXX

"Don't ask... just... she is dr-unk." he mouthes as soon as they make it into the bar.
Guiding her from behind, his hands on her shoulder keeping her at arms length, he sits her at the bar right between Kevin and Hailey.

Everybody holds back their laughter, she is fairly cute, slurring words and trying to get Hermann to serve her another drink, but the whole team shakes their head while she isn't watching.

"Ok, I think that's our cue."
"Yeah, you better get going... like now." Quickly adds Adam, seeing she was already eyeing the fire-men in the booth behind.
"What do you..?" Kim asks her eyes jumping from Adam to Vanessa to the booth.
"Long story, just get her home before she jumps someone else".

"Vanessa our ride is here," says Kim softly pressing her arm, but Vanessa pulls away abruptly.
"I'm not ready to go."
Now nobody is really laughing anymore, something is going on here.

"Come on girl, let's grab some pizza on the way back home-"

"I'm not going anywhere" she sits up and crosses her arms, "Not with you anyway."

"Okay, whatever is going on here we can discuss it later when you sober up, come on." Intervenes Hailey, trying to de-escalate whatever was going on here.
"I'm nooooot go-ing any-where with youuu." She says in a sing-song voice, backing away from her friends until she reaches the door, where she storms out of the bar in nothing but her top.
Hailey exchanges a look with Kim, then turning to the rest of their group, "Don't worry I got it."
But something tells her she doesn't get it at all.

Hurrying outside she finds Vanessa hugging herself trying to hail a taxi staggering on the pavement.

"You're gonna catch your death! At least come get your jacket, and we can-"
"Oh for fucks sake Hailey! Leave me alone!"
"What's gotten into you? We can talk about it."
"WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO ME?! OH MY GOD! I MUST BE HALLUCINATING!"
" Did something happen?"
"Everything happened! Everything already happened! And it's your fault... It's all your fault!

She starts walking away from Hailey at a surprisingly assured pace, but Hailey runs after her and tells her "Ok if you want to be on your own I can't force you to stay with us, but at least take my jacket or you will die from the cold." she had to try something, anything not to break the communication.

Vanessa stops and looks at Hailey with disdain " You are not my mum. Got it?" " Not-my-mum-" she enunciates pounding all her words. She stares at Hailey to make sure her words are landing the way she intended, but then her eyes lose focus and she starts laughing and repeating " I never had a mum... I never had a mum... I never had a mum..." and she finally breaks down and slides on the cold pavement, tears streaming down her eyes, still hugging herself looking like a child.

Hailey breathes in and as heartbreaking as this scene was, at least now she could finally take lead.
Giving Vanessa another minute to be alone with her pain, she then sits down and hugs her with one arm.
She can see in the periphery of her eyes that someone is close to them... realistically Kim but she doesn't want to break the moment and actually check.
After a couple more minutes she helps Vanessa get up, and they silently walk back to the entrance of the bar where Kim is waiting for them.