Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.
A\N: Thanks to everyone who left a review on the last chapter, it always warms my heart to see so much love for my stories. So this chapter will be a game changer in the "relationship" between Kim, Adam and Michael.
It had been a week since Adam had dropped Michael off at Kim's place. His life had pretty much gone back to normal, even Platt leaving him alone. Intelligence was surprisingly quiet and most of the team was catching up on paperwork. Adam rubbed his eyes and sighed. Paperwork was his Achilles heel and it was always long process and Al always had to kick him in the ass in the past to get it done so he pushed himself to do it well now.
"You think something will jump at us?" Jay questioned as he stepped out of the break room with a fresh cup of coffee.
"Doesn't look like it." Jim Barnes leaned backwards in his chair with a growl.
"Hey kid, shut that mouth of yours will ya?" Al appeared from around the corner and took his spot at his desk in front of him.
"Leave the kid alone Al." Antonio chuckled, clapping a hand on Jay's shoulder as he got out of Voight's office. Barnes was the newest member of the team and was often impatient, but he was good police and fit well in the unit. From anyone on the outside looking in, they looked like an old boys club, but they were the elite in the city and damn good at doing their jobs.
"I'll leave the kid alone when he doesn't open his mouth like that and jinx us."
"We just caught a case."
"Shit." Barnes cursed. They all listened to Voight's report and Adam and Kevin were out of the bullpen to chase a lead.
"So, Platt send you on any weird mission for miss Burgess?" Kevin ribbed him.
"Shut up Kev, and no she hasn't." Adam pulled into traffic.
"You go check up on her?"
"No I haven't." He had thought about her a lot but the urge to go see her had not been there. He had seen Michael once at a practice and he had told him that his mother couldn't make it because of a doctor's appointment when Adam had mentioned it.
"You going to?"
"What is this? Twenty questions?" He deadpanned as he parked his car on the other side of the street from a tavern where their possible offender was seen entering.
"What?" He raised a brow. "From that stupid, happy smirk, she seems like a great woman and that kid looks like a good one so why don't you run with it?"
"Exactly because she has a kid and I can't just think of her and me like that. He's too important to treat the both of them like that." He mused, looking out of his window as the guy they were looking to pick up just walked out of the tavern.
"Yeah, I see." That shit eating grin on Kevin's face as they exited the car was exasperating Adam.
"You see nothing Atwater." They walked across the street and as soon as the guy saw them, he started running. "I hate it when they run." Adam started in pursuit of the offender and Kevin ran back to the car, hoping to be able to block his way. Adam hated running so long but this offender seemed to hate the energy of ten, but Kevin blocked his way and Adam ended up cuffing him against the back of the car. "It never does you any good to run." He hissed at the offender and put him in the back of their car. "Thanks for the save brother." Adam slapped the side of Kevin's open window and took his seat shotgun.
They returned to the Twenty First and put the guy in the interrogation room to sit a bit before Voight and Antonio questioned him. The case dragged on late into the evening and Adam was more than happy to go home when they had finally solved it. He stepped into the supermarket on the way back home for a few supplies when he bumped into a short someone while turning a corner. The small cart he was holding crashed on the floor as Adam held onto the person, preventing him from falling.
"I'm really sorry." Adam looked down at the words.
"Hey it's okay Mike." He smiled at him and the kid smiled back at him. "You here with Mrs. Molina?"
"What are you doing here?" Mike ignored Adam's question.
"Was missing a few things on my way home. What are you doing here so late?"
"Hey Michael, did you find what you were looking for?" She looked up from her list to realize Adam was standing in front of her son. "Detective Ruzek, what a surprise."
"Come on, you have to stop calling me that." He chuckled.
"Sorry, Adam!" She smiled sheepishly. "Michael, what did I tell you about looking in front of you when you walk?" Kim saw Adam's items on the ground next to the two of them.
"Sorry mom."
"It's fine." Adam crouched down and put his things back in the cart. "I was more worried about him."
"He insists on looking at the ground when he walks."
"Not my fault my feet are huge." Michael grumbled. "I keep tripping over them." Adam couldn't help but chuckle at the banter between mom and son.
"Well it's not my fault either." She deadpanned. "Sorry about that." She told Adam.
"It's fine." He smiled at her. "The two of you have a wonderful relationship." He watched her pull her son into her side.
"I try."
"So your no driving restriction was lifted?" It was the first thing Dr. Marcelle had told her and she had been less than impressed.
"This morning actually." She beamed. "Still a work in progress since it's usually the hand I use to drive."
"Yeah, it can definitely be a challenge. You still helping your mom around the house?" He asked Michael.
"Yeah."
"He's been a real trooper actually."
"Good man." He ruffled his hair under some protest. "I'll let the two of you get back to it, I'm heading back home." His phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. "Ruzek." He listened and closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah I'll be right there."
"Case just jumped?" She questioned.
"Just when I thought I could go unwind after today." He exhaled sharply. "You two have a good night."
"Be careful out there."
"Thanks." He smiled at her and left, leaving the food he was getting at the front.
She watched him leave and looked at Michael. "Come on, let's finish getting everything and go home."
"Hey mom, do you think Adam could come have dinner some time?" He asked as they turned in the next row.
"I don't know baby." He seemed like a nice guy and everything but she wasn't sure if she was ready to let someone else in her inner circle just yet, least of all a man.
"Please mom?" Michael Burgess didn't beg but he had her big brown eyes and he was trying to use it at his advantage.
"I'll think about it." She promised him. They finished their grocery run and returned home to get washed up for bed.
Kim poured herself a glass of red wine and settled herself in the couch with the Lucky One on Netflix. She couldn't wait to get back on the beat, sitting at home was doing nothing for her except working on the thin shreds of patience she normally possessed. She was glad that Michael was doing so well considering she couldn't give him as much attention as she normally did but she had three people to thank for that: Trudy, who was a rock for her, Mrs. Molina across the hall who took Michael every once in a while to give her a break, and Adam Ruzek. He seemed to always just pop up randomly when she didn't think she needed a human presence and it also helped that Michael seemed to be taken by him. He always more guarded with strangers but Adam had managed to make it through those walls and seeing Adam always seemed to make him happy so maybe she should lower her own guard just a little bit for the sake of her son who could use some male influence that wasn't toxic like Matthew was to them. She was thankful that he was out of her life and that he couldn't do anything to them anymore without facing jail time. She emptied her glass and decided to make it a night, her body tired from her first drive.
She was being shoved awake the next morning. "Come on mom, I'm going to be late for school." Kim pushed herself painfully in a sitting position.
"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"
"I tried mom, twice, but you wouldn't budge."
"Did you eat?"
"I didn't but I ran out of time to make a lunch."
"It's fine, we can grab something on the way to school at Jefferson's"
"Sweet." He pumped his fist in the air.
"Give me five minutes to get dressed and we'll get going." He turned on his heels without a reply and Kim tried to pull a fresh shirt over her head. Her arm and shoulder were stiff from inactivity and took everything in her to make simple actions like putting on a bra and shirt.
"I'm going to be late mom." He complained as she finished puling her sweats up.
"I'm right here." She sighed. He could be over dramatic when he wanted to. She looked at her watch and saw that they had enough time to swing by the diner and grab him something without him actually being late. "Sorry I overslept buddy."
"Are you okay mom?" He was now sporting a worried frown on his face.
"I think I just slept wrong on my arm."
"Maybe you should get it checked out after you drop me off."
"I'm fine baby, it'll pass. I even promise I'll take it easy today."
"Okay." Kim didn't want to lie to him or scare him but she figured that if the pain worsened, she'd stop to Med during the day to get it checked out. The drive to the diner was rather short and Kim parked on the side of the street.
"Come on, let's make it quick." The two of them went inside and ordered a coffee and sandwich to go and in the matter of minutes, Kim had paid and they had their order. "If we hurry up, we might have a few minutes to spare." She let him go through the door first and she squeezed herself behind him but one side step and she bumped directly in the person coming inside the diner.
"Woah, we've got to stop meeting like this." He chuckled, having noticed her through the glass door.
"Adam, I'm sorry." Kim wasn't expecting to see anyone she knew so early in the morning and she blushed in embarrassment. "I woke up late to bring Michael to school and needed to grab him a quick lunch on the way."
"Everything okay?" He looked at her with concern.
"Yeah, stiff shoulder is all." She smiled at him.
"Would you like to come over dinner tonight Adam?" Adam looked at Michael in surprise and then at Kim.
"Michael." Kim sighed.
"You said that you'd think about it mom."
"I did but for one, I didn't answer you yet and two, maybe Adam has some plans tonight. You can't just spring a question like that on someone last minute."
"I'd love to, if that's okay with you." He didn't want to step on any toes and didn't want to make Kim uncomfortable.
"Don't you have a case?" She remembered the previous night at the supermarket.
"Just left the Twenty First, was there all night. Voight gave us the day off."
"How about six then? It'll give me time to prepare something."
"How about I bring dinner instead." He offered. "What do you wanna have Mike?" He looked at his mom who nodded.
"Giovanni's pizza."
"Pineapple?" He chuckled as Kim scrunched her nose in disgust.
"Oh yeah, and bacon." He said excitedly.
"Cool. Anything special for you Kim?"
"I'm good with whatever." She said.
"Perfect, I'll pick. I'll see you tonight."
"Yeah, see you tonight."
"Later Adam."
"Later kid." He watched them get in the car before he slipped inside of the restaurant to grab himself some breakfast before heading home for some much needed sleep before he grabbed pizza and headed for Kim's for dinner.
A/N: So Adam will finally spend some real time with Kim and Michael. it's bound to get more complicated right? I really hope you guys liked this chapter and please take a few minutes to review before you go, I always love to read your thoughts - Sarra