A/N: There's a missing last paragraph here that doesn't change much of the plot, but shows a little bit of how Adam is feeling right now. You can find it on A03 or my Tumblr, I'm justanoffalygirl on both of those sites.

"It's such rewarding work, getting to help kids say their first words when their parents don't think it can ever happen. I mean, it's probably not as rewarding as being a cop, but it means a lot to me."

Adam looked over at the woman sitting across from him. He'd met Emma at a scene, and she'd given him her number. He'd planned on ignoring it, but when Kev saw the business card Adam was forced to call her and arrange a date. Every time he looked at her short blonde hair, he kept getting reminded of Kim's long brown hair. If he closed his eyes she nearly had the same voice as Kim, but it wasn't her.

"That's amazing. Being a cop is a lot of paperwork, but I love what I do." He slammed back into reality, pasting a smile on his face. They traded stories, Adam keeping his to more casual ones about smaller things he'd heard from other cops, or some of his dad's stories. Abduction and murder weren't the tales you could talk about on a first date.

His phone buzzed on the table, and Emma spotted the lock screen photo of him and Makayla. "She's lovely. How do you know her?"

"She's my coworker's daughter. Makayla's basically like a niece to me, I'm as good as her godfather. We spend Saturdays together." Adam unlocked the phone with his face, spotting the message from Voight. He frowned, eating his steak faster. "I'm so sorry, but it's from my boss. We've caught a case, I need to head in soon. I hate doing this to you."

Emma nodded, and started eating quicker herself. "Hazard of dating a cop, I guess. Can we try organise a second date? This was fun." Adam nodded, agreeing. He paid the bill and gave her a kiss on the cheek goodbye before going to the precinct.

The rest of the team were already there, and he apologised for being late. Hailey was the one who realised he was dressed up, and after they were given their instructions came over to him.

"On a date, Ruzek?" She asked, looking him up and down. He was wearing dark jeans and an actual shirt, and Adam tried to hide his face from her gaze.

"Yeah, she asked me out at that scene two weeks ago, I said yes. We were at dinner, but got the text so came in."

Kim walked up the stairs, her hair pulled back and all Adam wanted to do was run his fingers through it the way he had that summer night he'd appeared at her front door and revealed his feelings.

"Hey Kim, we're just waiting on Kev. Did you get a babysitter for Makayla?" Jay asked, handing out mugs of coffee to the waiting cops.

"She's at a sleepover. I had an early night planned, I'd had a bath, I was about to curl up with a book. Crime really doesn't wait for anyone, does it?" She smiled as she drank her coffee, Voight arriving out of his office.

"Could be worse, Ruzek was on an actual date." He saw the look of surprise on her face as Hailey announced his plans, wanting to cringe as it settled into her. Before he could say anything Kev was running up the stairs, and they were briefed on the double homicide that had happened less than ninety minutes before.

The case dragged on for three long days, everyone working overtime. He texted Emma a few times to let her know he was sorry but his job was like that, and she seemed to understand. They met for coffee, and while it wasn't a proper date at least they got to spend time together. She was nice, and he could be attracted to her, so he wanted to keep it going and see what would happen.

It was six and he knew he wasn't getting out of the precinct before eight when his phone buzzed with a text from her.

Pick food - Chinese or Pizza? x

I mean if I have to, it's gonna be deep dish. Why? x

Just wondering. Gonna be another late night for you? x

Unfortunately. This case is killing me. x

Less than an hour later Trudy came upstairs, pizza boxes in hand. "These were dropped off for Intelligence by someone called Emma? I was going to put them in the trash, but she said Ruzek would vouch for her." Adam's head sprung up at Emma's name, looking at the boxes in her hand. Everyone turned to look at him, confusion clear.

"She asked me earlier to pick between Chinese food or pizza. I thought she was talking about our next date when this case is finished, not dinner tonight."

"There's a note for you, Lumberjack." Trudy handed it over to Adam as they opened the pizza boxes, and he ripped open the small envelope.

I figured they won't let me in to actually see you, but you need food. Good luck on the case, and dinner when you have a free night? - E

He smiled at it, and the teasing started from his coworkers. It was tempered by the fact she'd actually sent them food, and by the time they'd eaten they settled back down to read over what they had and try come up with connections.

Adam stretched, it was nearly nine and he'd been staring at the screen for three hours, working out a pattern on phone records. He realised he really needed the bathroom, and started walking down the back stairs to get to the locker room. Suddenly he heard voices on the stairs, so he stopped to listen.

"It's stupid. We had this discussion, we have to go back to just being coworkers. I didn't expect it to hurt so much that I'm sitting on the damn stairs crying over him." Kim said, releasing a sob as she spoke. Adam realised with a jolt she was talking about him.

"It's got to be hard, the two of you have always had each other. Even when I was dating him, I knew that he wasn't all in. And that was fine because I wasn't either. But he wasn't in because he always had you in the back of his head." Hailey was comforting her, and Adam pushed his back against the wall, straining to hear more.

"He said he wanted coworkers. I have to live with it and get over myself. And I will. But I just…I wish things could have been different. I wish I could have told him years ago to stay, that I wanted him to. But I lashed out and it was stupid and now I've lost him. It feels like some Romeo and Juliet crap except we're not teenagers."

"Go home, Kim. You've got Makayla to think of, and she's probably already in bed. Voight won't mind you leaving." He heard the two women move, and knew he needed to make some noise or leave the hallway in case they realised he was listening. Adam walked back to the door to the stairs, opening it and shutting it behind him loudly.

It worked, and when he went down the stairs they were walking back up. He nodded at both of them, making his way to the locker room. By the time he arrived back up to the bullpen everyone was packing up under Voight's orders, so he followed suit.

The following day things finally fell into place, and they were able to wrap up the case before noon. Their raid was quick and successful, and the perp talked when they were able to organise a deal for him. It wasn't Adam's favourite way of getting justice, but he'd take it. They were getting ready to leave when Adam stopped at Kim's desk.

"It's Saturday, right? I know my days of the week are kind of screwed but I'm pretty sure it's Saturday." She looked up at him and nodded, and he continued. "I wanted to take Makayla to Navy Pier today. Want to come too?"

Kim shook her head before speaking, and Adam was surprised how disappointed he was at her reaction. "I don't think that's a good idea, Adam. It goes a bit further than coworkers, you know? I'll see you at my apartment in half an hour and you can pick her up?"

He agreed almost too quickly, and he was in his car just after Kim left the precinct. He knew that drive to her apartment almost as well as he knew the drive to his own, and he timed it in his head. Ten minutes to get there, two to get from the parking lot to the apartment, three to say goodbye to the babysitter and pay her. Five to calm Makayla down enough to tell her that he was on the way over, and ten for her to get ready. He sat in the jeep, counting down time before deciding to pick up his phone and text Emma, let her know his case is finally over.

All wrapped up at last. Doing anything tonight? x

He'd never been the guy who put an x at the end of his texts, but he'd slipped into her habit of doing it without realising. It was barely thirty seconds before he got a response.

Well I was hoping I could convince a cop I know to go out for dinner and drinks. What do you think? x

I'll be there. Seven work? I can make a reservation. x

Perfect. See you then x

He smiled at the thought. Emma may not be Kim, but she was a good person and he could see himself falling for her. It'd be easy to do. Almost too easy. So he'd let it happen and see where they went, because it was just nice.

He swiped on his phone and got a reservation for a Chinese restaurant in The Loop, and once he did that it was time to leave for Kim's. He felt like a divorced Dad picking up his kid as he pushed the button that said Burgess, and heard Kim welcome him up.

Once the door opened Makayla gave him a hug that he gratefully returned, smiling at the girl. "You ready? They're closing all the rides at the end of the month, so it's Ferris Wheel time. I was thinking the Children's Museum afterwards too?" She nodded and nearly jumped in place in excitement.

"I was gonna order Thai for dinner, if you want to let me know when you're on the way back I can order for you too?" Kim asked, but he shook his head.

"I've dinner plans, sorry. You ready to go Miss Burgess?" Makayla held her hand up to him and he took it as they waved Kim goodbye. It didn't take long to get her strapped into the booster seat he kept in his car - and when had he become the man who did that? - and they drove to their destination.

Makayla was afraid of heights, but held onto him as he pointed out all the different views of the city, and she grinned when he pointed out the zoo and the beach. Once they were down she held onto him still as they wandered through the museum, getting dirty digging for dinosaur bones. He took multiple photos of her laughing as she did, and a museum worker offered to take a photo of the two of them. He handed over his phone and agreed, playing with Makayla as she snapped the photos.

"You've a beautiful daughter, I can tell how much you love each other," the worker said before going to check on another family. Adam got a lump in his throat looking at the photos she'd taken. They really did act like a father and a daughter. And if things had been different they maybe could have gotten that chance.

He stopped those thoughts before they went too far, realising the time and getting Makayla to clean up. A quick text to Kim that they were on the way home, and he delivered her to her door by five. He got a small smile from Kim and a large hug from Makayla, who extracted a promise that they would have another day together soon. It was easy to agree to before he left.

In the elevator down he changed his lock screen to one of the photos of the two of them, before driving home and quickly showering and changing. He was meeting Emma at the restaurant, and made it to stand outside the door at ten till seven. She arrived on time, and they walked in together.

The conversation flowed between the two of them, Adam not being totally truthful about what his case had involved. Part of it was the necessary secrecy when they were dealing with homicide cases, and part of it was he didn't want to bring his darkness into her world. She talked about patients during the week and spending her Saturday cleaning. The entire conversation and dinner left Adam with the realisation that it wouldn't work between them. She deserved someone who didn't have to hide what he did.

When they finished eating they went to a bar across the street, and Adam paid for a cocktail for her and a whiskey for him. He hadn't drank anything with dinner, but he wanted to be able to drive home rather than leave the jeep there. Emma talked about her niece who lived in Milwaukee, and Adam shared the photos of him and Makayla from earlier in the day. It drew to a natural close, and Adam walked her to her car. Once they arrived there she reached up and kissed him, a slow peck on his lips.

Adam chased her lips back down, almost without realising it. They made out against the sedan, only stopping when they realised they needed air and it was embarrassing to be in their thirties and making out against the car.

"We can go back to my place?" She asked, pressing her hips against his. Part of him really wanted to, but for all his faults Adam wouldn't sleep with someone so soon. Monogamy was built into his DNA.

"Not yet. I'm a few dates kind of guy, Emma." He pecked her lips once, and then opened her drivers side door for her to get in. "Text me when you get home?" She nodded in response, driving away.

His phone buzzed with the message she was home before he arrived back, and he nodded as it did. It was still early enough, but he was exhausted from the day and decided to lie in bed and watch TV, hoping SNL would lull him to sleep.