Just a mad ramble...nothing too stressful, just a one shot...enjoy.

"Where's Ruzek?" Kim was surprised to see Kevin pull up to the crime scene. She knew he wasn't on call this weekend, it was Adam's turn and secretly Kim had been hoping that they got called out to something, nothing too gruesome but just something so they could possibly talk.

The past few months had been full on, Makayla hadn't settled easily. She was traumatised and Kim struggled to know how to help her. Splitting her time between work, which was never quiet and then trying to give Makayla all her attention when she got home was exhausting and she had literally withdrawn from everyone. Finally they slipped back into a groove and Adam started spending time with them both again. He admitted he was concerned about why Kim had chosen this path, that it seemed rushed but he knew without a doubt that she could do it and he supported her unconditionally.

Then the blow up with Adam's Dad happened and they felt further apart than ever.

Kevin saw the look on Kim's face when he got out of the car. "Sorry Burgess." He shrugged. "No need to look so disappointed."

"I'm not disappointed." Kim started to argue. "…okay I am a little disappointed. I thought Adam was on today."

"He was, he called me and asked me to take his shift." Kevin ducked under the crime scene tape. "Had something he had to do."

"Really?" Kim didn't believe him. "Really? Are you blowing me off again?"

"Nope." He pulled his notebook out of his pocket as they approached the Patrol officers standing guard over the dead body. "What we got?"

Kim shook her head and focussed on the case. It was annoying her though. She could always read Kevin and right now he was giving her nothing. Within an hour they had handed the case off to ICE and Kim offered to by Kev a coffee while they were still on the clock. "So Adam." She popped the lid off her coffee and added a sugar. It was unusually bitter today.

"What about him?"

"What's he said to you?"

"Burgess…." Kev used her surname a little dispassionately. "…I am not getting in the middle of this. You need to sort it out with him."

"How can I when he doesn't talk to me, take my calls, answer my messages. He's ghosting me."

"Burgess, he had something on today that he couldn't get out of. That's all, it's not about you."

Kim wasn't reassured. "What exactly does he have on?" she waved her cup at him. "Up until a couple of weeks ago he had nothing on, remember, he was at my place every weekend. We were this old married couple, we were boring, so I know you are lying right now." Kim suddenly put a hand on Kev's arm. "Wait, did he buy a boat? He bought a boat didn't he?"

"Why would he buy a boat? He's like a girl on the water." Kevin looked perplexed. "He spends 90% percent of the time spewing over the edge and the other 10% whining about it."

"Oh just something we had fun with." Kim added a little wistfully. "So it's not a boat? " She deduced. "Is it…."

"How's Makayla?" Kevin changed the subject and he wasn't even subtle about it.

"Good, good." She chewed her bottom lip. "Is he seeing someone?"

"And here I thought you actually wanted to buy me a coffee to you know, talk to me."

Kim wasn't even listening to him, she'd now convinced herself that Adam was dating again. No wonder he was so cagey. He'd done this before. "Huh, what?"

"I'm out of here." Kev rolled his eyes. "Before my whole weekend is ruined by dead bodies and your mopey sad puppy dog eyes."

Kim huffed. "Fine. Fine." She marched out the door. "Keep your little boys club going. I was your friend first, you are supposed to be on my side."

"Belgium Baby, I'm Belgium."

It was frustrating. Kim knew she had thrown him for a loop when she took in Makayla but he supported her and then they had their blow up and Adam was being stubborn. Changing shifts with Kevin to avoid her was a new low though and her frustration was quickly turning to anger.

The moment she sent the message though she regretted it. 'This is bullshit Adam. Sending Kev to cover for you so you don't have to speak with me is bullshit.'

An hour later she was in the park with Makayla and checked her phone again. Not that she was expecting any type of response.

'Seriously Adam, can we please at least talk?' Kim begged, then she tried the Makayla card. 'We are at Makayla's favorite park, we'll probably get ice-cream, she really misses you.'

He never turned up and perhaps, for Kim it was time to stop spending so much time trying to fix something that clearly Adam wasn't interested in persuing.

By the time she got into work on Monday she had worked herself up into such a state that she couldn't stand to be around him so when Voight sent them both out together to interview a witness Kim just about vomited on the spot. "How was your weekend?" She tried and failed to sound normal.

"Busy." Adam half smiled. "Not as busy as yours I here. How's Makayla?"

"She's good. We spent most of the weekend at the park."

"The weather was good for it."

The small talk was maddening but at least they were talking. Adam had kept it strictly business at work from the start so while it wasn't what she wanted it was strangely comforting. He was the single most frustrating man she'd ever met and the hole the in her world when he wasn't actively in her life was enormous. She hated it more now than ever. Having gotten used to having Adam around constantly for months was easy and comfortable but she took it for granted a little and that was jarring for her now.

"You should come see her? She really misses you Adam."

"I miss her too." Adam agreed. "Maybe on the weekend I can come pick her up and take her out for the afternoon?" She did notice that he didn't suggest that they go do something together like he used to in the past. He was making it quite clear that he didn't want to be around Kim. Makayla didn't deserve to miss out though, even if she was disappointed that Adam was still shutting her out.

Makayla was excited when Kim told her that Adam was coming to see her. It was a little odd though and she imagined this is what it felt like when parents were divorced and doing handover. He stood in the hallway and refused to come in and Makayla burst out of the door and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Hey, gorgeous." He cuddled her close. "I think you've grown a little bit."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I can't give away all my secrets." He promised Kim he'd have her home in time for dinner.

She had no idea what to do with herself until then so she went to a yoga class and stopped at the store to pick up some groceries. And she worried. What were they doing? Was he introducing her to his new girlfriend? Perhaps he went to see his sister and nephew? Her mind ran wild with theories and the one she kept coming back to was he was seeing someone. She ran every conversation that Adam had participated in during the week to find a clue. She was driving herself insane.

Kim was surprised when they arrived home and Makayla's hair was completely different from when she left. She had two love heart shaped pony tails perched on top of her head. "This is very cute." Kim touched them playfully. "I guess that was part of your afternoon?"

Adam stood back shyly as Makayla bounced inside the apartment. "That's very sweet Adam, she seemed to enjoy herself."

"Yeah, sorry about the sugar rush." He knew as soon as they had hit Navy Pier and crashed the candy store.

Kim put her hand out to stop him walking away. "I'm cooking pork ribs for dinner. Why don't you stay?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh, you have someone else?" she blurted out and she felt the heat of a blush on her cheeks. "I meant somewhere else to be, somewhere else."

"No." Adam still looked reluctant until Kim begged him. "Okay, sure, sounds good. I just need to grab my phone and wallet from the car."

She honestly thought that would be the last she saw of him but left the door ajar just in case.

"So, sweetheart." She turned to Makayla. "Did you have fun?"

"We did. It was so funny. We went to a Daddy Daughter Hair class. They were all Daddy's but we had fun anyway. Adam is so funny, he needed help to do my hearts but that's just because he's only had one class so far. The teacher told him he needs to come more often and bring me." She bounced a little on her toes as she blurted out the details of their day together.

Kim gasped and swung around quickly when she heard Adam at the door. Tears sprung from her eyes and she covered her face. "Why is she crying?" Adam asked Makayla.

"Oh Adam, I really don't know." She replied, suddenly sounding like she was going on twenty-five.

"Are you okay?" He asked Kim, a little worriedly. "Did you burn the ribs already?"

"No." she blubbered a little. "It's just…. I don't know, I'm being stupid."

Adam set his keys, phone and wallet on the side table and didn't know what to do with himself all of a sudden. Usually he'd make himself at home but this didn't feel like that, he didn't feel like he could just help himself to a beer and he really needed one. He didn't know if he was regretting saying yes to dinner or not.

"Thank you for today."

"Hey, no problems, we had fun."

"Daddy Daughter Hair classes?" Kim couldn't help herself, she had to know, she had to let him know how amazing it was that he'd done that for Makayla. Tip toeing around him wasn't working and she made the decision, around the time she decided to cook pork ribs that she had to lay it all on the line right now. It was now or never.

"Yeah." He looked at the ground sheepishly. "I booked it a while ago and forgot to cancel in time to get a refund so I went anyway." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hope you don't mind?"

"It's amazing Adam, I love it." She took a step closer to him and for once he didn't back away but he didn't move either. Kim kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "I love you, I miss you, I want you in my life."

He just stood and stared and Kim took a step back nervously worried that she'd pushed too hard. "Right, let's get dinner ready. Do you want to get us both a beer?" She couldn't look at him though, she was too scared to look in case she saw that he wanted to flee but he was barely breathing.

"Sure, beer." He propelled himself towards the fridge, slightly stunned. "Still got that crappy pilsner?"

"Of course. I know how much you love it."

Kim watched Adam and Makayla together while she finished off dinner. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor playing a game of snap, there was a lot of screaming, laughing and half-hearted protesting going on. Her home was filled with love and fun and she'd missed it terribly and wondered what she had to do to get this back. Not only for her, but for Makayla as well.

Makayla wanted Adam to take her to bed and read her a story which he did happily and Kim was waiting for him when he came out with two whiskeys on the bench in front of her. She stood nervously beside them. "I poured us a drink."

"I should get going." He didn't sound convincing but he moved towards the door.

Kim stepped away from the bench and stood in front of the door. "No. I don't want you to go." Suddenly she kissed him. Standing on tip toes she pressed her lips to his warm mouth and it took him a few seconds to respond the only way he knew how. Passionately and then suddenly stepped away.

"Come on. We can't keep just doing this."

Kim kissed him again, his hands finding her waist and he pulled her close but this time Kim stepped back. "Okay, I think we've established that this is us and now it's time to sort out all the bullshit, I know what I want and it is you, so I need you to tell me what I have to do to get you back in my life for good."

"Will you listen?"

He was a little harsh but it wasn't undeserved. Kim had always been quick to dismiss whatever Adam was saying if it didn't fit her narrative. And her narrative was fear, she feared Adam's commitment for only one reason, because she was scared. She had to stop being scared of getting what she wanted. "Yes, I will do whatever it takes Adam."

He nodded towards the whiskey on the bench. "Let's start with that." He grabbed her hand and lead her to grab their drinks and then settled onto the couch.

"Maybe you can make love hearts in my hair too?" Kim giggled.

Adam pulled her into his side and kissed her forehead. "I have mad skills."

"I think Makayla needs more Daddy Daughter days."

"Hmmm." He sipped his drink and just breathed her in. He missed her. It wasn't going to be easy though, they probably had to work harder for each other than either of them ever had before and they committed to doing that.

They couldn't just fall into old patterns, patterns like this and nothing more. They had papered over the cracks for too long and now they needed to rip off the wall paper, strip it back to bare walls and start working on the foundations. It felt good, it felt like they are ready to do that.

Kim sat up suddenly and looked him in the eye. "I think I need more of you."

"I know I need more of you."