"He's gone."

Kate's knees buckled underneath her, Kevin catching her just before she hit the floor.

'No. They'd gotten it wrong. He couldn't be gone.'

But she knew by Hank's tearstained face that it was true. Adam took Kim into his arms, as did Jay with Hailey, the four of them taking comfort in one another. Kate watched as Hank crouched down next to Trudy, pulling his friend into his arms as her tears soaked the front of his white shirt.

The grief she felt at losing Alvin was magnified by the already persistent ache in her chest at not being able to cross the room and hold him, to run her fingers through his hair and tell him that he was going to be okay. The last seventy two hours had been complete hell and now he was gone. Never again would Kate be able to look into those warm brown eyes or that mischievous face.

"No. No. They've made a mistake. I need…I need to sp-speak with the doctor or-"

Her eyes were frantically scanning the room for anyone in a white coat or scrubs. Anyone who could tell her that Hank had misheard and Alvin was still in surgery. Still with them.

"He's gone, Kate."

Her eyes landed on Hank who was back on his feet, his hand on Trudy's shoulder. After a few seconds, he tore his eyes away and addressed the team at large.

"I know this hurts. But we can mourn Al later. Right now, we have a job to do. We find the son of a bitch who killed him."

And so they did. The Intelligence Team stopped at nothing to make sure the individuals responsible for Al's murder were bought to justice. In the end, it came down to Hank and Carlos DeLeon on a warehouse rooftop.

The unit had gone to Molly's to grieve as a collective but Kate had made her excuses and instead went back to her empty apartment. After a warm bath, she changed into a pair of comfortable leggings and an oversized t-shirt, wishing not for the first time that she could dull the ache in her chest with a bottle of scotch.

'Thanks a bunch kid.'

Sitting down on the edge of her sofa, she stared unseeingly across the room until her eyes focused on one of the few pictures she had on the sideboard. It was the picture that Alvin had sent of him and Hank last Christmas.

It already felt like it was a million years ago.

Then the floodgates finally opened and Kate began to sob, the realisation that she would never have those little moments with Alvin ever again hitting her hard in the chest. He had come to mean so much to her that she had almost forgotten what life was like without him in it.

It could have been minutes or hours later when the tears finally subsided, her cheeks blotchy and eyes stinging. Her limbs felt like a deadweight and, not having the energy to move to the bedroom, she simply tugged the blanket down from the back of the sofa and pulled it over her body, closing her eyes, silently begging for sleep to claim her.

Kate was awakened by her phone buzzing on the coffee table and, squinting at the bright screen, she took note of the time.

2:38am.

"Yeah?"

An unfamiliar voice answered at the other end of the phone but Kate struggled to hear them over the noise in the background.

"This Kate?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Listen, you need to come get your man. He's completely wasted, shouting something about Alvin and Kate. I managed to swipe his phone and I tried to call this Alvin guy but he didn't answer so I called you."

Kate could just about hear Hank's gravelly voice but it was too muffled for her to work out exactly what he was saying.

"Alright, where are you?"

When the man had given her the address of the bar, Kate quickly changed into a pair of jeans and pulled on a light jacket before getting into her Jeep. When she arrived outside of the dingy tavern in Cicero, her eyes scanned the patrons milling around outside before they settled on a familiar face, her stomach dropping as she took in his blood-stained appearance. He was being propped up against a nearby wall by a dark-haired man who looked up as she approached, relief evident on his face at her arrival.

"You Kate?"

She nodded, wincing as Hank turned his bleary eyes towards her. He had a deep gash over his left eyebrow, his lower lip was split and swollen and, by the looks of his bruised nose, someone had worked him over real good.

"Hey baby."

Hank pushed away from the wall with a little too much force, stumbling forward and into her outstretched arms, oblivious to little noise of exertion leaving Kate's throat as she caught him against her chest. He reeked of beer and whiskey but, as he buried his face into her neck, Kate couldn't find it in her heart to push him away.

"You came f'me." He mumbled, lips brushing the skin of her throat as he spoke.

Kate's reaction to the feel of him against her was instinctual. She tried to suppress the shiver that cascaded over her body but, when she felt Hank's back vibrate with a chuckle under her palms, she knew she'd failed miserably. With a sigh, she pocketed her phone and keys so that she could get a better grip on his body.

"Don't I always?"

"Mmm, you do."

The man who called her handed her Hank's phone and with a tight smile and a muttered thanks, she shoved it in the back pocket of her jeans and started to guide Hank slowly back across the street towards her Jeep. He was swaying dangerously and Kate wasn't sure if she'd be able to support all of his weight if his legs decided to become uncooperative.

"C'mon, let's get you home."

When she finally made it to her car, she wrenched the passenger door open and tried to push him down into the seat but he struggled in her grip.

"No." He slurred, eyes dropping closed as his hands gripped her forearms.

"What do you mean, no? You can't stay here, Hank."

"But you're here… and you aren't there."

Kate's heart splintered at his broken admission, despite the fact that he was the reason she wasn't at his home. She was too tired, both physically and emotionally to argue with him.

"Alright, I won't take you home."

He was still for a second, his alcohol-addled brain taking longer than normal to process the information before he eventually nodded, allowing her to push him down into the seat, waiting for him to swing his legs into the footwell before closing the door behind him.

The ride to Kate's apartment was almost silent aside from her occasional warning that if he threw up in her footwell he'd be getting a hefty cleaning bill. When Kate pulled up outside, she rounded the car and helped him to his feet, once again throwing his arm over her shoulder to make sure he actually made it into her apartment. When the door was open, she gently shoved him inside, closing it behind them with the heel of her shoe. By the time she had slipped her jacket from her shoulders and kicked off her sneakers, Hank was at her back, his hands on her hips and his lips on the bare skin of her neck.

Instinct once again took over and Kate leaned back into his warm chest, the sensation of his roaming palms familiar but she soon caught herself and moved out of his embrace, creating some space between them.

Grasping his biceps gently, she turned him around and tugged his own jacket off his shoulders, hanging it next to hers before guiding him into the kitchen, pushing him backwards to perch on a stool with strict instructions to stay put whilst she gathered everything she needed to patch him up.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she returned to find him exactly where she left him, her hands full with a clean washcloth, a glass of water and a small medical kit. He sat perfectly still, eyes trained on her face as she wiped the soft cloth over his bruised skin, cleaning away the now-dry blood so she could get a better look at the damage.

The cut over his eye was deep enough to need stitches but she knew he'd refuse any kind of medical attention, so she made do with some wound closure strips that she hoped would hold enough to reduce any excessive scarring. His face was already turning various shades of purple and, as she dabbed an hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton ball to his lip, she had a horrible feeling that his face probably wasn't the only injured site on his body. Tossing the now-crimson cotton onto the kitchen island, she bought her hands to his shirt, pointedly ignoring his heated gaze as she swiftly unbuttoned the fabric. By the time she had three-quarters of the shirt undone, she sucked in a breath at the sight of the large contusions across his torso. There was no way on earth his ribs weren't broken and, for a few seconds, she considered calling Will Halstead to check and make sure he wasn't bleeding internally.

"Jesus Hank." She sighed, her fingertips prodding the flesh gently but he didn't flinch away from her touch.

"S'all my fault."

Her eyes darted to his face, fingers still touching his warm skin.

"What's your fault?"

"Alvin's dead 'cause'a me."

Kate simply stared at him in stunned silence as a lone tear tracked down his bruised cheek.

"It should'a been me. I should be dead. I killed Bingham and now Alvin's gone."

Kate froze for a second, his admission ringing in her ears. Of course she'd heard the whispers. Kate knew enough about his past to know that he was certainly capable of committing murder but hearing the words out loud was another thing entirely. Somehow his revelation didn't make her feel the way she thought it would. She knew how she should be feeling but his red-rimmed eyes and haunted expression had her heart aching with empathy, the need to comfort him suddenly overpowering.

Stepping in between his parted legs, Kate gently cupped the back of his head, pulling him towards her as he sobbed into her chest, grief pouring from him like a burst dam. Pushing her own hurt aside, she whispered shushing noises in his ear, her free palm rubbing slow circles across his back.

"I'm so sorry." He muttered, voice muffled by the fabric of her shirt.

"It's okay, I'm sure he knows."

He pulled backwards so that he could take her face in his hands, looking deep into her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry baby."

She knew then that she wasn't talking to Alvin.

Hank leaned forwards with no regard for his injuries and, with a surprising amount of gentleness in his inebriated state, pressed his lips to hers. One hand dropped to her neck, his thumb resting over her pulse while his other hand tangled in her hair, the strands carding through his fingers as he held her close.

In between kisses, she tried to reason with him.

"Drunk make-up sex isn't going to fix this Hank."

Pulling back far enough that he could look her in the eye, he slipped a hand from its place in her hair to cup her jaw, the pad of his thumb tracing her lower lip.

"I jus' want you. It's always been you. From the second I set eyes on you."

It was the most lucid thing he'd said since she'd picked him up, the honesty and vulnerability shining in his eyes had her own filling with tears. Every fibre of her being was screaming at her to simply give in and let herself be loved by the man before her but as soon as she felt herself caving, the callous words he'd spat at her from across his office resurfaced.

'I never asked for this. I never asked for you.'

Closing her eyes, Kate drew in a deep, steadying breath.

Whether she liked to admit it or not, her soul was tethered to his. He was the love of her life, the father of her child and as much as she desperately tried to cling to whatever self-preservation she had left, she knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do for him; regardless of how much he hurt her.

She needed him.

"S'alright, I've got you." She muttered, leaning forwards and dropping a light kiss to his forehead, her lips lingering on his heated skin for a few seconds before pulling back, taking his hands in her own and gently tugging him to his feet, leading him towards the bedroom.

Illuminated by the moonlight streaking through the gaps in the vertical blinds, Kate slowly stripped Hank of his clothing, starting with his parted shirt before moving on to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his jeans. He kept his hands by his sides as she undressed him, watching her intently as she dropped into a crouching position to untie his shoes. With the denim now around his ankles, she gently pushed him onto the bed, waiting until he was sat down before bending to remove his shoes, socks and jeans.

Tugging the duvet out from under him, she pressed a palm into the centre of his chest, pushing him backwards until he was lying on the white sheets, his head pillowed by the soft, down-feather cushions.

"Get some sleep Hank."

Pulling the duvet up and over his body, Kate leaned down to brush her fingers over his forehead but, before she could turn away, his hand darted out from under the covers to grip her fingers.

"Please stay."

She hesitated for a moment. Torn between the instinctive need to protect herself and the overwhelming desire to comfort him.

"You're the best thing that's happened to him in a long time. You just gotta hang in there, kid."

Recalling Al's last words to her, she let out a long breath and bent to scoop up his clothes, folding them with shaky hands and placing them neatly on the dresser. Circling the bed, she pulled off her jeans and slipped in beside him, turning her back to him in the hopes that he would simply succumb to the effects of the alcohol and pass out. She should have known that it wouldn't have been that easy. The second Kate stilled, Hank shifted into the space behind her, pressing his bare chest and torso to her clothed back, his arm winding around her waist to settle on her stomach, completely oblivious to the fact that he was cradling his unborn child.

The thought had Kate swallowing uncomfortably.

His lips brushed against the sensitive skin behind her ear and she squeezed her thighs together in an effort to ease the throbbing between her legs. Always so in tune with her body, Hank's hand skated over her stomach, up over her hip and down to squeeze the smooth skin of her thigh, his hips flexing against her back.

Letting out a ragged breath, Kate closed her eyes tight as she tried to ignore the fire igniting low in her belly but she was fighting a loosing battle. Gripping her waist, Hank rolled her onto her back, settling himself in the space between her parted thighs, bracing his weight on his elbows as he kissed and sucked the heated flesh of her throat.

"Hank, we shouldn't…"

He silenced her with another searing kiss, all traces of his excessive alcohol consumption vanishing, his tongue demanded entry to the hot cavern of her mouth. As soon as she got a taste of him, her willpower dissolved and her arms snaked around his back to draw his weight down to her, leaning into his kiss with a muffled groan.

Slowly he tracked a path down her jaw and the line of her throat, shifting his weight onto his knees so that he could reach down to pull her t-shirt over her head, baring her to his smouldering gaze. Dropping his head down to her chest, Hank pushed a lazy kiss to her sternum, inhaling deeply as though savouring the scent of her skin and Kate couldn't stop the shiver that raced along her spine, nipples hardening instantly.

Her breath hitched, his name tumbling from her lips as his mouth covered one tight bud, his magic tongue teasing her flesh before pulling away with a 'pop', sucking a path across her chest to pay the same attention to its twin.

Kate cupped the back of his head, holding him securely to her chest as his teeth scraped teasingly over her flesh, all of her nerve endings alight with pleasure. When he pulled away to survey his work, his eyes darkened further at the sight of her naked beneath him, her hair pooling around her head, face and chest flushed with arousal.

"God, you're so beautiful like this." He mumbled, once again pressing his lips to the patch of skin between her breasts, locking eyes with her before beginning his descent down her body, mouth grazing over her rib cage, following the line of her taut stomach before coming to a stop at the line of her underwear.

There was no hesitation when he looped his fingertips over the black lace, dragging the fabric down her toned thighs, discarding them over the edge of the bed. Then he was lowering himself between her parted legs, taking his time to suck a series of devastating kisses into the silky skin of her inner thighs. He had barely even touched her and she was so close she could almost taste it.

Barring the interlude in the academy locker room, it had been a few weeks since he had taken her like this. Loving. Unhurried. Sensual. And God she missed it. Missed him.

"Please Hank…"

Kate wasn't even sure what she was pleading for, she just needed something, anything. He lifted his gaze to her face, pausing with his mouth inches away from her dripping centre, a familiar grin appearing on his handsome face.

"Tell me what you want Kate."

His soft lips were tracing obscure patterns over her hips and thighs, eyes locked on her form, taking in every subtle movement she made. The way she bunched the sheets in a white-knuckle grip as though trying to resist the temptation of reaching down and tugging him to where she wanted him to be.

"Just tell me what you need baby and it's yours."

Knowing all too well the effect his voice had on her, Hank draped her thighs over his shoulders and blew a stream of cool air along her core, his hands catching her hips just in time as she bucked from the mattress with a whine.

Lifting her head from the pillow, she gazed down the length of her body, releasing her grip on the sheets to run her palms back and forth over his bare forearms, eventually interlacing their fingers together where his hands were planted on her hips.

"I need you…I nee-"

All rational thought was abruptly halted when he buried his face in her slick heat, her head dropping back against the pillows and a long, shuddering groan bouncing off the walls. He knew exactly how to touch her, the pace, the pressure, everything he needed to unlock her pleasure. It felt incredible, he felt incredible. It took her a minute to realise that he had all but stopped moving, her winding hips doing all of the work, edging her ever-closer to the precipice.

Untangling one of their joined hands, Kate ran her palm up over his bicep and shoulder to grasp the back of his head, carding her fingers through his cropped hair in an effort to press him tighter to her centre. Acquiescing to her silent demand, his tongue darted out to tease her entrance before zig-zagging back to draw her pulsating nub into the hollow of his mouth.

The telltale prickle of euphoria began to ripple across her skin, her movements becoming jagged and frantic. Hank knew her body like the back of his hand, holding her in a tight grip as he increased the pace of his ministrations.

"Hank…please…don't stop!"

Her words were barely more than staccato breaths, her body arching from the mattress as she reached her peak, fingers clawing and clutching at him as her thighs trembled on either side of his head.

He never stopped the languid movements of his tongue as her body bucked and bowed beneath him, instead simply slowing the tempo as she gradually floated back down to earth. When her eyes fluttered open, he dropped one final kiss to her drenched core before sliding back up her body, his mouth and jaw leaving a damp path in its wake. When he was eventually at eye level, he planted his hands on either side of her head and Kate tenderly cupped his cheeks in her palms, drawing his lips to hers in a heated kiss, mindful of his facial injuries which only served as a stark reminder of what bought them to this point.

Hank groaned deeply at the feel of her pliant mouth under his, tongues tangling, licking, sucking. She knew she should be embarrassed about the sounds of desperation leaving her throat but the sensation of his body against her own had her surging against him, arms winding around his neck. The feel of his weight pressing her into the mattress, the smattering of hair on his chest grazing her nipples, the feel of him throbbing behind the fabric prison of his boxers, it was simultaneously too much and not enough. But who was she kidding? She would never be able to get enough when it came to Hank Voight.

Kate's hands coasted down the valleys and ridges of his back, tracking lower and lower until she reached the waistband of his boxers, sliding her fingertips underneath to push them down over the firm globes of his ass, taking the opportunity to give the flesh a squeeze as she went. Smoothing her palms over the soft skin of his hips, Kate twirled her fingertips through the coarse hair dusting his lower abdomen, the muscles dancing under her touch as she pulled the elastic away from his body, his thick shaft springing free from its confines to rest against his stomach.

With a bit of manoeuvring, Kate wiggled the fabric down his legs until he was able to kick them off, his body resettling between her thighs, this time with no barrier between them. Her eyes dropped closed as Hank pulled away just enough to drop a hand between their bodies, lining himself up with her entrance, the anticipation growing with each passing second.

Kate counted at least ten breaths of silence and stillness before she finally opened her eyes. His gaze was trained on her face, the muscles in his arms, chest and abdomen quivering in exertion. The second their eyes locked, he buried his face to her neck and dropped his hips towards hers, sliding home in one smooth thrust.

"I love you."

The words were mumbled against her skin but she heard them loud and clear.

He stayed buried inside her for a long moment, their chests pressed together so tightly that Kate could feel the rhythm of his heart beating alongside her own. Always so perfectly in sync. Hank eventually began a slow, torturous pace, drawing himself out before sliding back in as deep as he could, repeating the process over and over until they were both breathless and sweaty.

Her nails scoring deep red lines across his back had his hips stuttering, lifting his weight from her chest with a deep grunt, his eyes fluttering closed at the delicious blend of pleasured pain. It was the incentive he needed move the pace into a higher gear, the race to the finish line beginning. The wave of pleasure began to crest the second he dropped a hand to her centre, thumb brushing over her aching nub in time with his rocking hips.

"Need to feel you. C'mon, Kate. Let go."

His voice. His touch. His scent. She was completely and utterly powerless to deny him, her body tightening at his command, spine arching from the bed, his name tumbling from her lips. Hank's eyes drank her in as she writhed under his touch and the visual was more than enough to push him over the brink, his forehead dropping to her shoulder as he erupted inside her, groaning against the flesh of her neck.

When Kate came to, he was still draped across her body, his heavy weight pressing her into the mattress. His breathing had evened out and, for a second, she thought that maybe he had fallen asleep. She shifted beneath him, sliding out from under his frame with a wince as his softened length slipped from her body. Hank groaned at the loss of contact, his arms already reaching for her before she could move too far out of his grasp.

"Please don't leave."

His plea was quiet and, not for the first time that night, Kate felt her heart clench in her chest at seeing him so vulnerable. With a sigh, she pressed her lips gently to his forehead, untangling herself from his grip.

"I'm just going to clean up. I'll be back."

Even with her assurance that she wouldn't leave him, he seemed reluctant to let her go but Kate eventually managed to disengage their intertwined limbs enough to push herself to her feet and head towards the bathroom, the evidence of their interlude sticky between her thighs.

As she stood under the shower spray, she let the events of the past few weeks wash over her. Deep down she knew that Hank hadn't meant a word he said but that didn't mean it hurt any less. He had promised her that he would be her person and she was having a hard time understanding how easily he seemed to renege on that promise.

Turning off the shower, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and quietly padded back into the bedroom. From the light of the bathroom, she could just about see Hank's sleeping form in the centre of her bed, his face buried in her pillow with the sheets slung low across his back. Kate couldn't help but smile at the familiar view. She had become used to the way he would monopolise the space in her bed, inching closer and closer to her in sleep until they were sharing a pillow, his arms and legs wrapped around her like tentacles.

Kate would have never pegged Hank Voight as someone who liked to cuddle in bed but it was one thing she learned about him quite early on in their relationship.

'Hank?'

Silence.

'Hank?'

She blindly nudged him with an elbow, her eyes closed as she clung to the last threads of sleep, despite her precarious positioning. Hank was pressed against her back from chest to ankle, one lightly fuzzed thigh wedged tightly between her own. The strong arm banded around her ribs were the only thing keeping her from tumbling to the floor. His nose was buried in the space between her ear and her shoulder, his breath puffing gently over her skin indicating that he was still asleep.

Kate had been fighting a bout of the flu for the last few days and her internal thermostat had been going haywire, constantly flipping from freezing to boiling without much warning. Whilst his body heat was usually a source of welcome comfort, now the additional warmth against her overly sensitive skin was suddenly painful.

"Hank!"

He mumbled into her hair, wiggling even closer if that were at all possible but, upon hearing Kate's whimper of pain, his head darted up from the pillow, suddenly wide awake. Hank took in her watery eyes and trembling frame, trying to quell the rising panic in his chest at seeing her in such distress.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Can you move over please?"

Hank's eyes darted to the expanse of cool sheets behind him, releasing that he had, once again, taken ownership of the whole bed in the few hours that he'd been asleep. Shifting backwards, he watched as she shuffled herself away from the edge of the bed, dragging the sheets up under her ears whilst her body continued to quiver. Leaning over, he rested the back of his palm against her forehead, the clammy skin burning hot to the touch.

"Jesus Kate, you're on fire."

Kate watched through half-lidded eyes as his naked form disappeared off into the bathroom, returning a few moments later with a damp cloth, a glass of water and what appeared to be a box of tablets. He placed the glass and Tylenol box on the nightstand, perching himself on the edge of the bed and placing the cool cloth on her forehead. The relief was immediate and Kate's eyes fluttered closed as the throbbing in her temples subsided slightly, thankful for the brief reprieve.

After a few minutes, he helped prop her against the pillows so that she could take a few pain relief tablets, hoping that they would work quickly enough to allow her to get a few more hours sleep.

"Maybe you should stay home tomorrow." Hank muttered into the darkness, placing the water back on the nightstand before rounding the bed and sliding back between the sheets, this time leaving enough of a gap between them.

"You know I can't do that." Came her croaky reply and Hank couldn't help the wry smile that filled his face, knowing what her response would be before he had even opened his mouth to make the suggestion. He turned his head towards her, noting how her tired, puffy eyes glared at him from underneath the charcoal grey cloth, daring him to argue with her. Even when she looked utterly terrible she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, he simply hiked his shoulders and turned to face her.

"Try and get some sleep."

And she did. For ten minutes straight she lay still with her eyes closed, waiting for sleep to claim her to no avail. The cloth on her face suddenly felt like it had been hand delivered from the arctic and her body wracked with intense chills.

"Hank?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm cold."

She watched as he cracked an eye open, sighing before rolling onto his back, opening his arms so that she could shuffle across the mattress and bury her sweaty face into his chest. Sleep claimed her quickly after that but, when Kate woke the next morning, she found herself once again balancing on the edge of the mattress, Hank curled around her spine with his head on her pillow and his face buried in her hair.

Kate pushed away from the doorframe and crossed the room, discarding her towel over the back of the nearby chair and scooping her t-shirt from the floor. She hesitated for a moment, briefly considering sleeping in the spare room but she shook the thought away. Hank wasn't some stranger she'd picked up in a bar for a one night stand. He was the man she loved. Hank Voight was such an enigmatic human that she sometimes forgot that he was just that, human. He made mistakes just like anyone else and now he was paying the price.

Careful not to jostle him awake, she slowly slid between the sheets next to him, pulling the cotton up over her body, the familiar, unique scent of him washing over her. Turning on her side, she took a few moments to watch him sleep. One side of his face was almost completely purple, his cheek, jaw and eye socket looking painfully swollen despite his relaxed features.

Slowly, she traced her fingertips over the abused flesh, watching as his back rose and fell with each deep breath. She half hoped that he wouldn't remember a thing in the morning so that she wouldn't have to deal with the fallout but, ultimately, she knew they would have to talk this through if they stood any chance of making things work.

Leaning forward, Kate pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, shuffling down so that she was stretched out by his side and, for the first time in weeks, Kate slept through until the morning.