BTTWYA, Duchess, LostCause, thank you all so much! I'm glad you got a kick out of the Halstead brothers dress shopping. Dragondancer, I usually lurk on reading fics too, so I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to comment. (Also, Australia is totally a dream destination I want to travel to so I loved hearing from someone who is reading my fic in Australia!).
Chapter 38
"I'll see you tomorrow when I'm off shift," Jess said into her phone.
Adam's voice was low in her ear. "I love you, Darlin'."
She couldn't hold back her smile. "I love you, too."
"Have a good shift. Stay safe," he said.
Jess promised she would before hanging up and sliding her phone into her bag. She waved to Otis and Cruz and they waited for her to catch up and walked into the firehouse together.
"Did you have a good weekend?" Otis asked.
Jess slid her thumb over the simple band Adam had slid on her finger the day before, promising it was just temporary until he got her a real engagement ring. "It was a great weekend," she said with a smile. "How about you?"
Otis launched into an explanation about a Star Wars convention that carried them into the locker room.
"No," Brett groaned as they came in. "Who asked Otis about the convention?"
Jess winked at Otis and raised her hand. "Guilty."
Brett huffed out a sigh and faced Jess. "Ok, so this wasn't covered in your orientation to 51, but you do not get Otis started on Star Wars talk before…" her voice trailed off and she narrowed her eyes at Jess. "What was that?"
"What?" Jess looked behind her. Otis and Cruz shrugged.
"On your hand," Brett said, grabbing Jess' left hand. "Is this a ring?" she asked.
Jess couldn't hold back the smile that threatened. "It is."
Brett held onto her hand, her blue eyes sparkling. "A ring from Ruzek?"
"Yes."
Brett pressed her lips together, clearly trying to hold back her excitement. "An engagement ring?"
Jess nodded and Brett squealed, launching herself at Jess to throw her arms around her with a squeal.
Brett finally let go, but only so she could start peppering Jess with questions. "So how did he propose? No, wait, I want to know what you're planning for a wedding. And when will it be?"
"The day after tomorrow," Jess answered, wincing at the way Brett's face fell.
"There's no way you planned a wedding that fast." Then her face lit up. "Unless it's a Vegas wedding? Are you guys eloping? Those chapels out there can throw together a wedding theme in hours!"
Jess shook her head. "Just the courthouse in Chicago."
Brett's face fell again. "Why?" Her brow furrowed and she scowled. "Is Ruzek refusing to have a big wedding?"
"No," Jess shook her head. "It's not him at all. It's just…" She realized that Otis and Cruz were listening intently, along with Casey and Mouch who had come in. She closed her locker and pulled Brett down the row of lockers and into the ladies room. "Sylvie, I can't do a big wedding. I don't know how to put one together, I don't have my mom here to help me plan it. My dad's not going to pay for some extravagant event." She chewed her lip, then risked telling her partner the real reason. "And I don't have friends and family to come to a wedding. I have my brothers. Who would want to put on an ugly bridesmaid dress and stand up in front of my empty side of the church while I got married?"
Brett listened, concern, pity, and finally resolve settling on her face. She grabbed Jess by the arm and dragged her back into the locker room.
"Good news, everyone! Ruzek proposed and Jess is engaged!"
Cheers erupted and Jess could feel her face flame.
"She's having the wedding of her dreams and has agreed to let me be her wedding planner, and you're all invited!"
Whistles and shouts that they couldn't wait sounded from every single man in the room.
Brett held up a hand for quiet. "And since she's my partner and we've been through a building collapse, sitting by her brother's and boyfriend's bedsides together, and I would trust her with my life and consider her one of the best friends I've ever had, I agreed to be her maid of honor in whatever ugly bridesmaid dress she picks out."
Laughter and louder cheers for that announcement.
Jess tried to blink away the burn of tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Brett and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.
"That's what friends do," Brett answered, squeezing her back.
#
Jess lifted a hand to say good bye to Sylvie. Brett barely managed to return the wave. Their entire shift had been one call after another. Three gunshot wounds, two vehicle accidents, one fire, and four calls for a person down of unknown causes. And all four of those calls had Jess worried it was Adam, just like she had for the last week since he'd been home.
She looked at her watch. Their shift was supposed to have ended two hours ago. The firefighters on their shift had long since gone home, but she and Sylvie had been stuck on a call that led to a hospital run.
It was several blocks to the el, and Jess was relieved to see she didn't have to wait for the right train. She made it inside, dropping her bag on the floor next to her and sinking onto a seat.
She should go home. She needed to go home. But she needed to see Adam first. Then sleep.
She managed to keep her eyes open against the gentle rocking of the train car until she made it to the stop closest to Adam's apartment.
The bite of winter was in the air when the doors slid open. She hiked her bag up over her shoulder and hurried against the stiff breeze.
She ignored the buzzer at Adam's apartment, pulling out the key he had given her and letting herself in.
She gave a quick knock on his door, then turned the knob. The door swung open easily.
"Adam?" she called.
A low groan was the only response.
She dropped her bag and hurried in. "Adam?" she called again, her heart starting to race.
Adam was on the floor in the living room, leaning back against the wall.
"What happened?" she asked, falling to her knees next to him. She looked over him, trying to see any injury. "Are you hurt?"
Adam shook his head, dropping his head back against the wall. "It's good news," he said between clenched teeth.
"You're on the floor," she said, pressing her hands over his legs to check for breaks, sprains, or bruises. "How is that good news?"
Gritting his teeth, Adam gripped the window sill behind him.
"What are you doing?" Jess demanded. She reached out to take his hands, but he grunted and then he wasn't sitting anymore. He pulled himself up until he was braced against the window sill.
Adam looked at her. His chest heaved from exertion, his face was tight with effort, but one side of his mouth lifted in a smile. Then he let go.
Jess immediately lunged toward him, ready to steady him, but he took a shaky step. Then another.
A cry escaped from her throat. "You're walking!" she exclaimed.
"More than walking," he said through gritted teeth, reaching out to the wall for support. "I got the ok to start jogging. I went out for a run. Just a little too much. Leg cramp." He made it to the couch and fell back on it.
"You're walking!" Jess couldn't seem to say anything else.
"And running," he added, reaching down to rub at the cramp in his calf.
"And running," Jess echoed. "You're better? You're going to be ok?" She couldn't process what Adam had told her.
"The doctor said these leg cramps should go away in a week or two. Then I'm good as new. I start on desk duty tomorrow and can get cleared for full duty next week."
Jess sank down on the couch on her knees next to him. She held his face between her hands. "Adam," she said, her voice shaking. "You're walking." And then she couldn't hold back the emotion anymore. Relief spilled over in tears.
"Hey, this is good news, remember?" Adam said. "Come on, Darlin', don't cry."
Jess blinked but the tears wouldn't stop. Adam wiped at her cheeks with his thumbs.
"I was so scared, Adam. When you weren't waking up, and then when you couldn't breathe. And then you couldn't walk. I've just been so scared."
Adam kissed her forehead, then her cheeks where the tears trailed down. "No more being scared," he said. "We're getting married in two days."
Jess sniffled and pulled back. She laced her fingers through his. "How about three weeks?" she asked.
Adam's brow wrinkled. "Three weeks?"
"That's how long Brett said it will take for us to plan a wedding. A real wedding."
Adam's mouth lifted in a slow smile. He nodded and gave Jess a firm kiss. "Remind me to thank Brett," he said.
#
Adam gave Jess' hand a squeeze as they walked into Molly's. She flashed him a smile and he couldn't stop himself from pulling her toward him to give her a thorough kiss.
She was breathless when he lifted his head. Her blue eyes looked up at him with a question.
"Just because I don't want to forgot how lucky I am," he said. He looped his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the bar.
Hermann looked up. "Hey," he greeted them. "It's the happy couple." He called out to the bar at large. "Listen up, a round of drinks on the house for 51's bride to be and the lucky cop that got her."
Kidd gave Hermann a clap on the back as she went to get beers for the customers flocking to the counter.
Hermann poured a beer for Adam and grabbed supplies from under the counter. He put together a pink drink in a margarita glass.
"A watermelon margarita for Halstead," he said, sliding it over to her. "Virgin because a little bird told me you don't drink."
Jess thanked him and followed Adam through the crush of bodies to a table. He watched her take a sip, then pause when she noticed him watching her.
"What?" she asked.
Adam shook his head and took a drink of his beer. But he couldn't stop looking at her. She smiled and her cheeks flushed every time someone stopped by their table to congratulate them. Her eyes sparkled in the lights that hung overhead and curls had escaped her ponytail to dust her cheekbones. She looked happy, content.
Adam reached over and squeezed her hand. "I love you," he said.
Jess' smile widened and she returned the pressure on his fingers. "I love you, too."
She didn't let go of his hand and Adam wanted to hold on as long as she'd let him.
#