Valentine's Day was right around the corner. The first one Kim and Adam will share together. It was also right before Adam had to report to spring training. At 15 weeks pregnant now they decided it was time to tell Jackson before Adam left. So they planned a special day for everyone. The day would include massages, home cooked meals and dancing and fun with friends at Molly's. They put lots of planning into the day wanting it to be wonderful for the whole family. "How should we tell Jackson about the new baby?" Kim asked Adam hoping he would have a good idea. "Um I don't know. Maybe a shirt calling him best big brother? Or a new Jersey with the number 1 and the name is big brother?" Adam offered. "I love that idea! And he will love it. Also would be a cute way to announce it to our friends and family. Let's do that. Do you think we can have it done before you leave?" Kim loved the idea was worried about timing. "Of course they have a place in the park that makes custom jerseys while you wait. Will just have to have them sign a NDA so they don't spread the word. But it can be done. Then how about we go to the aquarium and lunch wherever he wants before we take him to Voights for the night?" Adam wanted Jackson to be excited about the news and to enjoy the whole day. "Great ideas babe. Then dinner together for us at home before heading to Molly for the 90's themed party. Then home for an amazing night of play time. Sound like a plan?" Kim offered. "Love it. I can't wait." Adam kissed Kim on the head before getting ready for the day.
Kim dropped Jackson off at Nadia's while Adam drove to the stadium. He had an interview today which he had approved the questions for and he needed to get the jersey done while here. Kevin had the NDA ready to go just in case. Kim arrived at the district ready to work since they caught a case on her way in. Voight had already given her her assignment for when she arrived since she is on full desk duty. She was glad to have something to do today it had been slower the last few weeks especially since Nick was sticking around. But back ground checks and Financial were something that she excelled at so this was time for her shine. It also allowed her not to think about Adams interview today. She was nervous for how he was going to react during it but if they stick to the approved questions it should be fine.
"Dawg! Are you ready for today?" Kevin greeted Adam as he arrived at the ball park. "Yeah I think so but I need to get this jersey thing done today. I assume you found someone to come in who knows how to work the thing? How much am I paying this person for coming in?" Adam didn't really care but he hoped he wasn't getting hosed over this favor. "Yes I found someone to come in and it wasn't cheap but we got it done for 500. I also told them about the NDA that had to signed and if they violate it they owe you 2 million. So it will be done today." Kevin knew this was important and would do just about anything to get it done today. "Great. Now let's get this stuff done. Divide and conquer?" Adam offered. "Sounds good. Just remember smile, be positive and have a good attitude during the interview. They shouldn't mention Kim so it should go smoothly." Kevin reminded as he left to get the jersey taken care of. He also had access to some of Adams money to be able to pay this employee for coming in today.
Adam arrived at the location of the interview. It was set up in front of his locker space. Why he didn't know but it was fine. He sat down and put his jersey on before checking his hair. He needed to look good for the interview, it wasn't after a game where he could look like crap so he needed to put in some effort. The assistant came in and got the microphone hooked up to his jersey and they did a few tests to make sure it was working right. The lights were adjusted to make sure there wasn't a glare and the camera was tested to make sure it was working properly. Finally the reporter came in to the room. It was a women he hadn't met before, she must be new. But that's fine as long as she sticks to the questions in front of her. "Good afternoon Mr Ruzek. How are you today?" She offered her hand for him to shake. "I'm good thank you. Please call me Adam. Not be rude but I don't think we have met before. Or if we have I have forgotten your name." Adam felt horrible he didn't know her name. He's supposed to know that. "Oh I'm so sorry you are right. I'm Allison but everyone calls me Ally. Do you need anything before we start?" She asked nervous because she was new to this. "Nope I'm good. The assistant took care of everything and provided water in case my throat dries out. Should we start?" Adam was anxious to get started and get it over with.
"So I just want to start by thanking you for sitting down with me today. I know you haven't done any interviews in the off season so I appreciate your time today. What have you been up to in the off season? Ally starts off. "Well thank you for having today. The off season was full on busy as always but this year seemed to be busier. Starting with recovering from my broken hand after last season then all the fan fare for the World series win, all the holidays. It's been nuts plus I used this off season to get some college courses in to become a certified personal trainer and nutritional counselor so that has taken lots of time and lastly traveling." Adam answered her honestly but also leaving out the personal parts.
"I know this isn't an approved question but can you tell us why you decided to go to college while in the off season?" Ally asked hoping it would offend him. "That question is fine. It's fair. People are going to question that choice but we saw it as a back up plan Incase I do have a career ending injury. That broken hand could have ended my career if it did nerve damage. Luckily it didn't but it got us thinking what would I do with retirement before 35. I would lose my mind sitting home all day with nothing to do. So this is something that I did in the minors at a big box gym so we figured being certified would help in the future." Adam again was honest yet left out the personal information.
"That definitely sounds like a solid plan. What are you most looking forward to in spring training and the new season? Ally asked. It was a good question but common. Everyone will be asked that. "Well defending our title for one thing. I would love to see us go back to back championships. Also I would love to be an All Star again this year. It was an amazing experience one that I hope I get to have again. As for spring training this is the perfect time to work out the kinks. Try new bats, try new pitches, works on our swings and throws. Some of us still played in the off season and some did not so this time allows us to come together again as a team. Meet some new players who have been acquired and maybe those who have been invited to try out. It's hard work but a lot of fun going through the drills again. Back to the basics of baseball."
"Do you have any advice for those coming up in the minors right now?" Ally asked. He actually hated this question but he was playing nice. "Just work hard, train harder and do your own scouting. Don't wait for your manager to tell you about that days pitcher, look for yourself. Study the tapes, read the stats. Be knowledgeable on your own. Not every manager out there is great so you have to put in the work to make yourself stand out." Adam tried to sound sincere in his answer but it should be common sense.
"Any city that you are excited to get back to this year? Maybe your favorite stadium to play at away from home?" Ally asked him. "Um yeah I can't wait to get back to Philly. It is a great ballpark and an amazing city. I want to explore it more and see all it has to offer. Not just the historical aspects but the feel of the different sections of the city, the restaurants, the museums, the outdoor markets. It's a great city." He knew he couldn't say his real reason for loving Philly and it seemed Ally knew that but knew not to push it.
"Our last question. How do you stay so humble and grounded with this career? You always seem so down to earth." Ally was hoping he would open up during this question some more. He knew it was coming and didn't nix it so maybe he would. "Well I don't know how humble I really am but I try to remember that I worked hard for everything I have. I wasn't handed anything on a platter. I worked the whole time I was in the minors and saved that money in case my career never took off. I learned to cook for myself because I couldn't afford to eat out. I didn't shop name brands because I couldn't afford them. And now I just realize I don't need them. Keeping money in the bank for a rainy day is important to me. But also so is giving back. We regularly donate to charities including food banks. But what really keeps me humble and grounded is my family. At home I'm just a boyfriend and a dad. Taking out the trash and doing car pool. Going grocery shopping and doing laundry. And none of our friends treat me any different than just me being a regular person so that helps too. I'm truly lucky to have fallen into such a great group of friends who mostly happen to be first responders. What they see and deal with everyday makes me see how lucky I am to have this job. No blood, no gore, no death. I'm truly lucky." A little personal but not too much given away.
"Well thank you again for taking the time to be here today. I'm sure you are super busy packing for spring training so I really appreciate the time. Good luck this season and hopefully I will interview you again." Ally added before she ended the interview. Adam was getting his microphone off when she approached him. "Adam this was great. Thank you I really appreciate it. I know I keep saying it but this was an honor to interview you. I would love if we could talk more." Ally asked so full of hope. "Um yeah I can't. I have more packing to do plus I need to get my son from the sitters. Plus my manager and I have more schedules to go over. Sorry." Adam wasn't sorry. He loved Kim and this wasn't happening. "Well if you change your mind here is my card." Ally left after that.
Adam looked at Kevin who was shaking his head. Adam ripped up the card and threw it out. "Well that was awkward." Adam groaned as he walked out of the looker room. "Yeah that was strange. You said boyfriend and dad in you last answer. That should have stopped that before it started. Anyway you better tell Kim about that. And I have the jersey all done for you." Kevin showed how the finished product. "It's perfect! Kim's going to lose it when she sees this. And of course I will tell her. Thank god you saw the whole thing just in case. Her hormones and insecurities some days are insane." Adam laughed as he mentioned the hormones. They were nuts. He never knew what to expect. "Yeah well let's get you out if here." Kevin started walking toward the cars. Walking Adam to his and watching him pull away before heading to his car just in case that reporter showed up again. He was thinking of reporting her. It's unprofessional to hit on the players and she should know that.
Adam got home and hid the jersey and started packing. He would be gone longer than usual but they would make it work. He loved them too much not to figure something out. He knew that Kim had been on a case all day and Nadia offered to drop Jackson off at the house while she was out with the kids. He was thankful, it was one less thing he had to do. He heard the door bell ring and Champ went running but didn't bark so it had to be someone they knew but he checked just to be sure. "Hey Nadia. Thanks for this. Hey buddy!" Adam talked to Nadia quickly before she had to go Grace was still in the car. "No problem. See you guys tomorrow." Off she went. She had class tonight so dropping Jackson off helped her out too.
"Daddy can I have a snack?" Jackson asked as he sat on the floor petting his dog. "Sure buddy. Let's see what we have. Apple and peanut butter okay?" Adam asked as Jackson just nodded. He was a good eater, not too picky. A very big help for the first time dad. Adam was going to miss days like this just hanging out watching tv or playing games with his son. He prepared the snack and then got him into the booster seat to eat. Jackson told Adam all about his day although Adam didn't need to be told they painted today since he could see the paint on Jackson's arms and somehow his neck. God this kid was a mess. "Okay buddy finish up your snack and then bath time. Mom will freak if you still have paint on when she gets home." Adam left no room for question. Bath time it was. The bath went quick though the splashing caused for a wet bathroom and a wet Adam but he didn't care. A happy Jackson was all that mattered. Once he was redressed in sweats and a shirt then went back downstairs to play.
Kim's day was dragging. The case was moving slow and her work was done so she helped by looking at POD footage around the scene. This was some of her least favorite work but it was better than pounding the pavement in the cold. Kim wasn't even sure what she was looking for but she watched the camera closest to the crime scene for anything that could help. Finally Dawson got a lead and the team headed out. Kim listened on the radio hoping things went smoothly. This was the first major bust with Nick and it was a true test to see if he had what it took. Voight, Halstead and Lindsey breached the front, Rixton, Dawson and Jones breached the back door as the suspect came running through the back door. Dawson and Jones followed on foot, Halstead and Lindsey followed in there car trying to cut him off. Voight and Rixton stayed behind to search for evidence. The chase was long and hard. Halstead stopped when he saw a car swerve into a Pedestrian and Lindsey took off on foot. Dawson stopped running to take care of a bystander who was knocked into the building which left just Lindsey and Jones. Lindsey was ahead in the chase but noticed Jones was no where in sight. She called out for him but no response at first. He eventually came over the radio saying he couldn't run anymore. Lindsey was alone, luckily Halstead was close again in his truck. The suspect seeing that Lindsey was alone and took a shot, hitting her right in the vest dropping her to the ground. Unfortunately for the suspect Halstead hit him with his truck before calling for two ambos.
Kim rushed to the hospital to see her friend. "Babe I'm heading to the ER, it's not for me but Lindsey was shot. Didn't go through the vest but I need to see her. I will call you soon. Love you babe." Kim was frantic. "Kim Darling. I need you to calm down some. Freaking out isn't going to help you or the baby. So be with Erin and I will see you soon. I love you too but please be safe and calm." Adam was worried about Kim. The stress wasn't good for the baby. She needed to slow down a lot. Kim pulled into the ER as Lindsey was being wheeled in. "Erin I'm here. Was Jay behind you?" Kim asked Erin as the moved into a room. "Yeah he wasn't too far behind." Erin was breathing okay but looked like she was in more pain than she would admit to. "Okay I will stay until he gets here. How are you doing?" Kim asked her. "I'm okay it hurts like hell. But my breathing is okay. Not great but I think the ribs are probably broken. We will wait and see." Erin was worried about the pain and the pain meds. "It's going to be okay. We will be with you the whole time. I promise. Okay Jay just texted me he's here. I'm going to get him." Kim left the room finding the team quickly. "Jay she right back here. Says she thinks her ribs are broken. Waiting for confirmation." Kim informed him before heading towards the rest of the team. "Thanks Kim." Jay says as he walks towards Erin's room.
"How did this happen? I mean I heard it all over the radio but letting her run alone after a suspect? Now we have two on desk duty which I guess is better than the alternative!" Kim yelled at Nick. Dawson pulled her into his arms to remove her from the argument. "You need to calm down, I'm sure Adam told you the same thing. I agree this is a bad situation but you can't yell out him especially in front of everyone else. We will fix this I promise. But please let's take a walk and try to relax. You owe it to your baby. Okay?" Antonio knew how Kim worked and he knew how the hormones worked. Walking away was best at this point. "Okay and you are right. Adam said the same thing." Kim smiled but kept walking up and down the hallways. It was an hour later when they finally got word that three ribs were fractured but luckily no punctured lung. The recovery would not be fun. But they would manage as a family. Kim popped in to see Erin before she was discharged. "Hey girl! How you holding up?" Kim asked her as she walked into the room. "I'm okay. I heard you had a confrontation with Nick over what happened." Erin smiled as she spoke. "Yeah I may have told him off and maybe over reacted but you don't stop running. We don't leave a person alone on a chase. It's unsafe. I may have to apologize to him for my out burst but I feel like it was called for. We will see what Voight says." Kim offered as an explanation. "Hey we are good. I'm glad you have my back in the field and not. Now go home see Adam and Jackson and rest please." Erin pleaded. "Okay I'm going. Call if either of you need anything." Kim hugged them and then left.
When she arrived home she went straight to Adam and melted into his arms. He didn't say a word just led her to the couch and pulled into his lap. They sat there for awhile neither saying anything. After a while neither knew how long but Adam finally pulled away and looked into her eyes. "How's Erin doing?" He asked softly, knowing that her mood stemmed from Erin's injury. "She's okay. Three fractured ribs. No punctured lung. I may have had a meltdown in the ER telling off Nick for letting Erin continue the chase on her own. It just sucked knowing my replacement didn't have her back. I know it couldn't be me out there today but I still feel like I let her down some. I know she doesn't feel that way. We talked and hugged. But still. Stupid hormones!" Kim explained as she started to cry a bit. "I'm glad she's okay and of course she doesn't blame you. This comes with the job and you know that. As for your meltdown I don't know what to say because I wasn't there. And I didn't see or hear what happened. So how about we head up and I will run you a bath Okay." Adam offered his hand hoping she would just take it and follow. Kim just sighed before getting up and following his lead. "Baby join me? I don't want to be alone." Kim spoke quietly. "Of course darling. Of course." Adam kissed her head and started the bath.
Adam helped into the bath and once settled he held her tight. "I'm so glad you and our baby are safe. I was worried about you the whole time. The stress isn't good for you or our little one." The whole Adam spoke his hands were holding her barely there belly. It helped him calm down, it grounded him. They stayed like that till water was cool before getting out. Again he helped her out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her while he dried himself off. Adam spent extra time drying her off. Also spending time kissing her belly and talking to their baby. He was going to miss this while he was away at spring training. They settled into bed for the night. Neither one wanting to disconnect from each other.
"Can we please talk about your interview today? I want to think about something else for a little while." Kim asked after awhile. She wasn't even sure Adam was still awake but she wasn't so she figured it couldn't hurt to ask. "Um it went fine. Until the end. If I'm being honest the women who interviewed me, Ally, hit on me at the end off camera and even gave me her card. I turned her down but she still gave me her card. I ripped it up and threw it out. Kevin saw the whole thing. I think he was going to call her bosses about her being inappropriate. It just made me feel uncomfortable you know? I made it clear I had family so why would she even think that was okay? Just strange but on a lighter side I got the jersey for Jackson to wear for the announcement." Adam didn't want to hide anything from her even if it caused some tears and pain. At least he was honest. That was a positive thing in his mind. "Thank you for being honest but she tries that again and I will beat her ass! No one hits on my man and gets away with it." Kim growls out. Adam just laughed and pulled her into a hug. "This momma bear show is hot! Let me show you just how hot!" They both laughed as they started passionately kissing.
The next morning they got Jackson ready for the day but decided to tell him about the baby on Valentine's Day when they announce it to all their friends and family. He can't keep a secret. So they needed a plan. "Hey Jackson we got you a new jersey for this year can you try it on for me to make sure it fits?" Kim asked. Adam looked confused at first. "Okay now look over your shoulder so I can take a picture and send it to Kevin." Jackson did as he was told. "Okay perfect buddy now let's take that off so we keep it clean. Now go to daddy and eat your breakfast." Kim had an idea for a photo announcement to send out those not close by. "Darling what was that about?" Adam asked her. "Well I figure he can't keep a secret so I thought we could make a photo announcement for those not close by so that is why I took the picture. We tell him on Valentine's Day when we announce it to everyone else." Kim explained with a smile on her face. He loved seeing her smile especially after last night. "Sounds like a good plan. Maybe a duel announcement with the baby on one side and the engagement on the other side? We need to tell the families. The longer we put it off the worse it's going to get and you know that." Adam wanted to make it simple and to him this was simple. "I think we can pull that off. I will look online at the sites that make custom announcements and then pay for over night shipping to get them quickly. Something to do while on desk duty." She was loving how his mind was working today. She also loved how quickly he could make her mood change.
They spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the day. Kim was dreading going to work after so flipped out in the ER but knew it couldn't be avoided. She headed in keeping he4 head down trying not to catch the attention on Platt. It only somewhat worked because Platt did in fact see her but only nodded as she passed. Once in the bullpen she placed her coffee down before heading to the locker room to store her go bag. She noticed most of the team in the locker room getting situated for the day. "Morning everyone." Kim offered with a smile. A chorus of good morning came back from the team. They made their way out to their desks and waited for a case. Voight did come out but not with a folder which meant it wasn't for a case. "Okay so first good morning to everyone. I know yesterday was emotionally charged but today will hopefully be a better day. Secondly our try out with Nick is over, he decided this wasn't the right unit for him so he went back to gangs. So we will have another try out starting today from vice. I know what you think but it's a women. Her name is Isabelle Sanchez so let's try to make this work okay? Good now I need everyone to finish the paperwork from yesterday until we get a case." With that he left. Kim felt relieved. Maybe he wasn't pissed at her.
Paperwork went by quickly so Kim focused on creating the announcements, since she couldn't make a duel sided one she made two separate ones that would be mailed together. She was happy with the two so she paid for overnight shipping so she could have them sent before Adam leaves for Spring Training. Neither one was looking forward to being apart for that long especially since she was pregnant. He would miss out on some things but they would make it work. She also booked the location for the wedding that she and Adam had decided on. It was her first choice and he loved it Thank god so it was easy. The tastings may be more difficult since she could only fly for a few more weeks but maybe she could trust Adam do that. That us an issue for another day.
