At eight thirty the next morning, Kate was reclining on a paper-covered bed with her shirt tucked up under her bra, watching on nervously as Doctor Benning squeezed ice-cold gel onto her stomach.

"Ok, let's take a look shall we?"

For a few seconds, the room remained silent until suddenly it was filled with a number of whooshing noises. Doctor Benning moved the ultrasound wand around until she eventually stopped on the left side of Kate's stomach.

"Here we go."

She flicked the screen towards Kate who looked up at the black and white picture and there on the screen was her baby. She could clearly make out the shape of its head and body but it was the sound of its heartbeat echoing in her ears that made her eyes fill with tears.

"Everything looks as expected."

She moved the wand around a few more times, clicking some buttons on the ultrasound machine before moving back to the centre of her stomach.

"You want a copy of that to take with you? I can print out a few extras for Dad if you'd like?"

'Dad. Jesus Christ.'

Hank didn't even want her in his life, let alone an unplanned baby. She couldn't get past how easy it had been for him to dismiss her after months of telling her how much he loved her and how he'd always be by her side. She wondered how on earth she could put an innocent child in the middle of all of that mess.

"Yeah, sure. Thank you."

Swiping the gel from her stomach, the doctor gave her a minute to right her clothing before returning with a small stack of sonogram pictures.

"Here we go. Oh, and Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"Happy Birthday."

Her eyes flicked to the small calendar on the doctors desk confirming that it was indeed the sixteenth of September.

'Thirty four years old. How the hell did I forget my own damn birthday?!'

She'd had a lot going on in recent weeks so it wasn't really surprising that she'd lost track of time altogether but, even still, her lack of awareness made her uncomfortable.

She was a cop, she didn't do ignorant.

With a small smile and a quiet thanks, Kate tucked the pictures into her purse and left the surgery. Stepping out into the early autumn air, Kate drew a deep breath, placing a palm on the small swell of her stomach.

'Sorry kid, looks like it's gonna be just the two of us.'

Getting into her Jeep, she tossed her purse onto the passenger seat and pulled out her silenced phone, scrolling through the list of unread messages. She had birthday greetings from her mom and Ted, her brother, Erin and a message from each member of the unit.

'Nothing from him.'

She wasn't sure why she was surprised. He had basically told her that he wanted nothing more to do with her so his lack of contact shouldn't have been a surprise but it felt like salt in the wound nonetheless. When she slipped her phone back into her purse, she tugged out one of the ultrasound scan photos, running her thumbs along the edge of the page lightly. This would be her last birthday as just 'Kate'. The next one, she would be 'Mom'. And she was completely terrified.

"Alvin, you have to let me-"

"Just…make sure I make bail, alright? That's all I ask."

Hank dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh, frustration beginning to seep into his tone at Alvin's stubbornness. He had been awake all night, his mind chasing all potential solutions to the mess they were in and coming up empty.

His gut twisted with guilt. His best friend was dancing with the very real possibility of being charged with murder to protect him. Hank flinched when Alvin rested a hand on his forearm.

"Hey. We will beat this."

Hank could have cried at the kindness shining in Alvin's eyes. Selfless to a fault.

"Al, I can't ask you to-"

He was cut off once again.

"You're not asking."

All too soon they were interrupted by the security guard who informed them that the visit had ended and Hank watched as Al was escorted back to his holding cell in cuffs. Enough was enough. He had to end this now, before they reached the point of no return. Within the hour, he was in the office of the only man who could get Alvin released on bail.

"I just need to make sure he gets out Tommy."

"Hank, this is a really hard ask."

Hank braced his forearms on the smooth oak desk of Judge Tommy Wells, eyes trained on the man sitting the other side.

"You know what's a hard ask?"

Wells didn't respond but he did raise an eyebrow and allow the corner of his mouth to quirk up.

"Lookin' the other way when a well-respected judge shoots a drug dealer in cold blood."

The two men continued to stare at one another, silence buzzing loudly in the space between them until Wells broke the stalemate, eyes moving to the wall, nodding in understanding.

When Hank returned to the district, the team immediately looked up from whatever task they were undertaking, all with the same silent question in their eyes. It was Jay that eventually took one for the team, standing from his desk and stepping into the aisle to prevent Hank from entering his office.

"What's goin' on Sarg?"

For ten years, Hank had watched Jay become the man and detective he was today. He had watched him succeed, watched him fail. Seen him get lost and, subsequently become found. Jay Halstead was the heir apparent when it came to leading the Intelligence Unit and, despite their differing methods of operation, Hank knew his legacy would be in safe hands when the time came.

With a sigh, Hank pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to face the team, his eyes slowly darting between each member until they finally rested on Kate and his chest constricted at the sight. She looked exhausted and his stomach churned uncomfortably knowing full well he was the cause. The dark circles under her eyes now looked like permanent bruises and her face was pale and drawn.

The guilt pierced his chest like a white hot poker.

'I'm so sorry, baby.'

"Bond hearings' in the morning. He'll be released then. But, until then, we've still got jobs to do."

Kim looked as though she wanted to speak up, her lips parting for a brief second until Adam's hand on her arm stopped her in her tracks, her jaw closing with a quiet click. After a few more seconds of silence, Hank nodded and turned towards his office, closing the door behind him.

Kate let out a ragged sigh as she watched Hank's retreating form disappear behind the blinds. The last few days had undoubtedly been some of the hardest of her life but still she continued to put one foot in front of the other and move forwards as best she could under the current circumstances.

'Just one step at a time, Kate.'

"Anything on the surveillance tapes?"

She looked up at the sound of Jay's voice, his cool blue eyes watching her carefully.

"Nothing so far. I'll keep digging."

And she did, for hours and hours on end she scoured reels of footage to try and catch a break on their current case but to no avail. The sky had turned pastel shades of pink and blue by the time Hank resurfaced to check on their progress, eyes flicking over the whiteboard before turning the team. Kate noticed how he refused to let his eyes linger on her any necessary and, deciding that they weren't going to get any further today, he dismissed them all to come back with fresh eyes in the morning after Al's bond hearing.

She was in the process of packing up her things when the lights in the bullpen suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness. Immediately fearing the worst, Kate instinctively reached for her weapon but, before she could draw it out of it's holster, Adam appeared from the kitchen with a small birthday cake in hand, three white candles casting an orange glow onto his beaming face.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…"

The rest of the unit joined in with matching smiles and Kate couldn't help but feel a rush of intense love and gratitude for the people surrounding her.

"Happy birthday dear Kate, happy birthday to you!"

Adam's unnecessarily long and drawn out 'you' had Kim digging her elbow into his ribs, the cake balancing precariously in his hands.

"Alright, make a wish!"

Kate smiled at him indulgently, making a show of turning her eyes to the ceiling and looking like she was thinking hard before blowing out the candles.

In reality, Kate didn't have to think about it at all. There was only one thing she wanted right now but she had far too much self-respect to beg him to reconsider. If this was what he wanted, then she would pick herself up, dust herself off and move on. After all, she didn't just have herself to think about anymore.

Jay flicked the lights back on, strolling over to pull her into a one-armed hug and the rest of the team followed suit, pulling her into their embrace and wishing her a happy birthday.

"So, birthday drinks at Molly's?" Adam said, pulling his jacket over his plaid button up shirt.

"Ahh, I don't think so. I'm beat. Thanks for this though, it…means a lot."

Normally he would have argued but she must have genuinely looked exhausted because he simply nodded once, a palm squeezing her shoulder as he followed Kim out of the bullpen. Hailey and Jay followed soon after, leaving Kate and Kevin alone. Dropping his weight onto the corner of her desk, Kevin crossed his arms over his chest and considered her for a moment before speaking.

"You good?"

Kate lifted her eyes to take in the familiar and comforting appearance of her partner. His deep brown eyes scanned her with concern, chin dipping so that he could get a good look at her.

He didn't like what he saw. Sure, she was a bit paler than normal and her clothes were hanging a bit on her frame but it was her eyes that really bothered him. Regardless of the emotion, Kate's eyes always sparkled. It didn't matter if she was angry, sad, excited or happy, her eyes would twinkle and shine but, for the first time, her eyes looked dull.

And he hated that the man behind that glass door was the cause because his hands were tied. If she wasn't dating their boss, he'd have taken his ass out behind a bar and kicked the shit out of him days ago but, unless he wanted to be unemployed, that wasn't an option. So instead he pulled her to her feet and into his chest, holding her securely against his frame.

She didn't think she could love Kevin Atwater any more than she already did but his silent, steady presence gave her the strength to compose herself, at least for now.

"I'm pregnant, Kev."

Her words were muffled against his chest but, they echoed in his ears so loudly that she may as well have shouted it from the rooftops.

"Does he know?"

He felt her shake her head against his chest. It made him feel slightly better knowing that he hadn't knowingly broken his pregnant girlfriend's heart but he was still angry as fuck at her situation.

"I've only told you and Al." She muttered against his shirt.

"You gotta tell him sooner or later."

"I know."

Before either of them could discuss it any further, they were interrupted by the sound of Hank's door opening and Kate gently withdrew from Kevin's warm embrace. It didn't escape her notice that Kevin had situated himself slightly in front of Kate's body, his own hulking frame partially shielding her behind him and she could tell by the look on Hank's face that he had both seen and understood the silent warning.

"You two get some rest, see you in court in the morning."

Then he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"Happy birthday, Kate."

With that, he brushed past them and headed for the exit. Kate stared at the spot where he had vanished from her line of sight but it was only when Kevin asked her once again if she was okay that she realised tears were tracking down her cheeks in a steady stream.

Wiping her eyes with a long huff, she mustered up enough of a smile to alleviate Kevin's growing concerns.

"I will be."

Hank was still nursing a glass of scotch at two o'clock in the morning, sleep evading him as it had almost every night since North had waltzed in and fucked his life up. Try as he might, he couldn't get the thought of Kate wrapped up in Kevin's arms out of his mind. It didn't have the same effect on him as it had when she had been in the arms of the rookie cadet at the academy, probably because he knew that there were no romantic feelings between Kevin and Kate.

But regardless, it should be his arms.

He huffed out a humourless laugh at how different their birthdays had been this year. She had made love to him in her kitchen, cooked him his favourite breakfast and presented him with an obscenely expensive bottle of scotch. He'd all but ignored her.

God, he was such a fucking asshole.

Once again, the intense self-loathing trickled down his spine as he wished, not for the first time, that he could walk it all back. If he hadn't succumbed to his desire for revenge, he wouldn't be sat alone in the dark wishing that she was here with him. Getting his pound of flesh had never closed the gaping wound in his chest that losing Justin had left behind and now his actions were only serving to rip that wound a little wider.

But, regardless of what she thought, he hadn't forgotten her birthday. In fact, he had been planning a surprise for her long before Agent North turned up. He was going to take her to dinner at Gibsons, a restaurant downtown that she had been dying to try for months on end but could never get a table. Then he was going to surprise her with a trip to Cabo for Christmas, a double celebration of her birthday but also to toast one year of being together. And finally, after he had taken her to bed and finished making love to her, watching her fall apart time and time again beneath his touch, he was going to give her the thin, navy velvet box that was currently sitting on his coffee table.

He had initially been hesitant to buy her jewellery. Aside from the watch on her left wrist and a selection of small studs in her ears, he hadn't seen her wear anything else. But as soon as he had set eyes on the platinum necklace on display in the Tiffany's window, he knew he had to get it for her.

Placing his now empty glass on the table, he took the box between his fingers and prised the lid open, eyes scanning the delicate metal chain before coming to rest on the cluster of diamonds set into the shape of a Trinity Celtic knot.

'The past, the present and the future.'

For the longest time, he hadn't even considered what the future would look like for him, instead he lived day to day with the assumption that one day soon his number would be called.

Then everything changed. She had changed him. He recalled a moment not long after Kate joined the unit when he started thinking about commitment and, at the time, he wasn't sure if he wanted commitment with her or whether he was just ready to move on. Looking back now, there was never any doubt in his mind that she was his reason for wanting to live again.

Closing the box with a snap, he gently placed it back on the coffee table and pushed to his feet. He just needed to get through the next few days, get Alvin out of jail and find a way to make the Bingham problem disappear. Once that was done, he would get down on his knees and beg for her forgiveness. But right now, he had to believe that she was safer in the dark.

By nine o'clock the next morning, the Intelligence Unit and Trudy were all waiting with bated breath as Alvin emerged from a door on the far right of the room, clad in a gaudy tan jumpsuit with his hands cuffed in front of his body. Kate couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at the sight of him and Kevin squeezed her hand more firmly in his own in response.

Al looked over at them, eyes scanning the row of his colleagues, settling on Hank briefly before they turned to his wife, giving her an encouraging wink before taking a seat next to his lawyer.

"Court is now in session, the honourable Judge Maddox now presiding."

Alvin slowly cast a look backwards towards Hank and Kate watched as the two of them shared a silent exchange. Her eyes darted across the bench to settle on Hank's profile, concern etched clearly on his face.

Something was wrong.

"State of Illinois versus Alvin Olinsky. Murder in the second degree."

The Assistant State's Attorney got to his feet and told the court how Alvin should be remanded in custody given that he had all of the resources to flee at his fingertips and, despite Al's attorney putting up a decent fight, the judge ruled in favour of the ASA and remanded him to Cook County to await trial.

Bile rose in Kate's throat at the sound of the gavel landing on the wooden block below but it was nothing compared to wave of nausea that washed over her as she watched Alvin being pulled to his feet and led towards the same door he has emerged from not five minutes earlier.

"This cannot be happening." She whispered.

"C'mon, we gotta bounce." Kevin gently tugged her to her feet and, catching her elbow in his hand, he led her out of the court room behind the rest of the unit. The team were already congregated in the bullpen when Hank arrived thirty minutes after them, his hand lifting to his throat to tug his tie loose and undo the topmost button on his shirt as he made his way towards his office.

"Is Al gonna appeal the bond hearing?" Jay asked, following a few steps behind Hank who ignored him and continued moving towards his office.

"Hey, I asked you a question."

Hank came to a stop, his eyes closing, tongue flicking out to moisten his dry lips. Kate could feel the mixture of emotions emanating off him in waves. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. The room was silent, all eyes darting between Hank and Jay.

"Al's gonna be out of there. Soon. Real soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kate could feel the tension in the room kick up a notch, Jay's brash demeanour tugging on Hank's fraying temper.

"It means I'm taking care of things but I can't get into the details right now."

"Why not?"

'Jesus Jay, shut the fuck up.'

From her vantage point at Jay's elbow, she could see the vein in Hank's temple was beginning to throb dangerously and Kate instinctively braced herself for the inevitable explosion.

"I appreciate your concern. But you gotta back off now."

His tone was deadly but Jay still continued to push, stepping into Hank's space, his finger jabbing in his face.

"I wanna know what I need to do to help Al and all I'm hearing from you is nothing…"

It was the final straw.

"Because you don't know what you're talking about!" Hank roared, planted both hands against Jay's chest, shoving him backwards. Not expecting the physical contact, Jay stumbled into Kate, his flailing arm catching her in the stomach sharply.

Adam, Kim and Hailey separated the two men but it was Kevin who darted to Kate's side, grasping her biceps gently as she doubled over in pain.

"Kate, you good?"

When she didn't respond, he asked again only this time a little louder, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. Her hands were gripping her stomach, taking long, slow deep breaths as the shooting pains across her abdomen gradually eased.

Both Jay and Hank had the good grace to look sheepish as Kevin sent them both a hard stare. Kate lifted her chin to glare at the both of them, straightening up as best she could with one arm still wrapped across her mid-section protectively.

"This isn't helping anyone, especially not Alvin."

With one final look between the two of them, she turned on her heel and left them all standing in the bullpen, her words echoing in their ears like a clap of thunder. She was right, this wasn't doing anyone any good.

If they had any chance at all of getting through this unscathed, they needed to stick together.