Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter, it's always nice to know you guys are loving this story as much as I love writing it.

Adam wasn't sure what he was expecting when he called the number on the napkin so he was surprised when Kim's sleep filled voice answered. It left him momentarily stunned into silence until he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry for waking you up." He apologized.

"Oh, it's okay." He chuckled softly at the sound of her voice. "Are we still up for breakfast?"

"I wasn't sure if you still wanted to."

"And what? Miss a breakfast date with a good looking man?" She was fully awake now, feeling her cheeks heat up at her own admission. "I wouldn't dream of standing you up."

"In that case, there is this place on Clinton street called Clinton's St. Baking Company, they serve the best pancakes in New York. Can you meet me there in an hour?" He didn't want to rush her out of bed but he had no idea where she was staying so he wanted to have enough time to get ready and make the ride there.

"I'll see you there Adam." She smiled to herself. This morning was starting off the right foot and hopefully the rest of her stay until she had to be back on a plane.

"See you there." He echoed before ending the call. Kim threw her hair in a top bun and headed for the shower. She never brought a lot when she flew but black skinny jeans and her sleeveless burgundy top would do the trick this morning. She put on her flats and put mascara before she was out the door and hailing a cab.

Adam couldn't stop the smile on his lips. Kim Burgess had agreed to breakfast with him and for some reason, that made him suddenly nervous. No girl had made him feel like that in the last years and he had a feeling that this chance meeting on that flight to NYC would be the highlight of his year. He showered and he decided on jeans and slipped a simple black t-shirt, making the safe of his gun was on and that it was safely tucked into the safe before he was out the door. The last thing he wanted was to have an accident while out of town. He was at the restaurant about twenty minutes later and the waitress took him to a booth in the back of the restaurant after requesting somewhere quiet where he could talk with Kim without too many prying ears. He texted his sister while he waited that he would swing by as soon as he was out of here, holding on to his promise to visit her while he was in town.

Kim was starting to be nervous as the cab driver dropped her off in front of the restaurant. She didn't know why this particular meeting was making her stomach flutter with butterflies but one look at Adam when she came through the doors were enough to make them calm down in the slightest.

"Hey." Her smile was bright enough to light up a whole room and Adam stood to greet her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey. I ordered coffee, hope that's okay with you." He resumed his spot in the booth as Kim took hers in front of him.

"Coffee is great, I really need that."

"Coffee addict I see."

"Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me up during long flights." She thanked the waitress as she put two cups in front of them and poured them each a cup, leaving the thermos full and handing them menus before leaving them alone while they made a choice.

"How did you even become a flight attendant to begin with?" He asked casually, needing to find out as much as he could about her.

"Nothing too glamourous. Chloe, Jenny and I wanted to travel the world and this was the easy choice." She smirked a she took a sip of the hot liquid in the cup.

"That's not a bad idea. Looks like the three of you are thick as thieves. Where does Candice fit in all of this?"

"She is afraid of hights but she's a people person and what better place to talk with people than in a bar during long layovers? And it assures me to be able to see her every week otherwise it would be a completely impossible task. And what about you? Homicide Detective, what's your story?" She smiled as him as she crossed both hands under her chin.

"My dad is a cop." He first gave her. "He's on the beat." He saw the confusion in her eyes at the technical term so he felt the need to elaborate. "But I knew I wanted more than just patrolling the streets so I kept my head down and did the work and took the Detective exam and here I am."

"How come you are in New York if you work for the CPD?"

"You know the CPD?"

"I'm from Chicago, born and raised." She smiled brightly, the smile that lit up her whole face and made his insides pudding.

"That means that we'll have to catch up when you're back in town." That made him hopeful that their paths would cross again.

"That we will. So New York?" She returned to the topic at hand.

"Special Victims Unit is working a case that we had on our hands a few months back and I came down here to help them out."

"You must be good at what you do if they are willing to lend you for the case."

"I was the lead Detective on the case back home."

"Lead Detective huh? Pretty impressive." The waitress came back and they gave their order before returning to their conversation. Kim told him all about her sister and niece back home and how her parents were divorced while Adam told him everything about his job in the Homicide Unit and his sister and nephews here in New York while his parents had a nasty relationship since separating when he was a kid, something both he and Kim had in common.

"And you're up in the cloud more often than you're on the ground, it must be hard not being as close physically with your sister and niece?"

"It has its shares of challenges but the plus side I have by working on an airline is that I have pretty sweet discounts so we go on a vacation every year, brings us closer."

"That is a pretty sweet deal. I can't remember the last time I went anywhere, time off is hard to come by lately."

"That sucks, I'm sure you wouldn't mind a little bit more of that considering what you probably witness every day." She couldn't imagine how seeing that much death could affect someone and Adam seemed solid in that department from what she could see.

"It helps to be surrounded by good people. My partner Kevin Atwater keeps me grounded and makes me a better cop so that's a plus."

"I'll have to meet him some day then."

"I'm sure he'd adore you, he's one giant teddy bear when he's not on the job."

"Good to know." She chuckled as their food arrived. They spent most of the morning talking and laughing, hitting it off as if they had known each other forever. She shared stories of passengers while he told her stories of strange shit he had witnessed on the beat and they were laughing together. Her phone dinged and she frowned when she looked at the message.

"Time to go?" He frowned, really not wanting his time with her to end.

"Unfortunately yes." She was about to put money on the table when he put a hand on hers to stop her.

"This one is on me."

"Come on Adam, that's two in two."

"No one's counting." He winked at her and the butterflies returned full force.

"Well I am." She huffed, slightly insulted. "Next two are on me." She stood out of the booth, Adam politely standing up before she left.

"I guess we will have to see about that one back in Chicago. Have a safe flight and text me when you land?" He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"I'll do you a better one." She smiled, liking the small gesture. "Look for my name on your caller ID." She took a step forward, suddenly feeling bold.

"I can't wait." And before he could say anything else, she closed the gap between the two and pressed her lips to his. It took him a few seconds to recover before he kissed her back, gently pulling her body closer to his. Their tongues touched and it sent a jolt of electricity through Adam's body, something that had never happened in his life before. The kiss was short and soft and Kim closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy it. They pulled apart seconds later.

"Be careful out there Detective." She whispered against his lips as they parted.

"Promise." He pecked her lips again before pulling himself away completely. She smiled at him and whispered a bye before leaving the restaurant, heading back to Chicago and out of his life for now. He asked for the check and dropped money on the table before leaving, taking a cab a few blocks out so he could rent a car and head to the burbs, his sister waiting for him.

When the busy streets changed into long grassy roads, Adam was happy knowing he was getting close. He always appreciated the quiet that came with visiting his sister, the only real down time he'd been having in the past years. It didn't take long after Adam had cut the engine that the twins were running down the stairs.

"UNCLE ADAM!" They jumped him as soon as he was out of the car.

"Jackson, Dylan." He hugged them, ignoring the pain he felt in his side at the attack. No matter how bad his life got in Chicago, these two characters always made it better.

"Why don't you let uncle Adam arrive before you attack him?" She waited until the two were back enough before hugging her brother. "I can see you didn't stay out of trouble." She whispered to his ear.

"More than the other guy." He kissed her cheek. "How's it going Liv?"

"We're good." She pulled away from him and wrapped her arm around his waist, her husband David waiting for them on top of the stairs with the two boys screaming in the background.

"She worries about her little brother." The two men shook hands.

"She knows I'm careful out there." They all went inside and Adam found the kids and wrestled with them as David grabbed the three of them a beer.

"I still worry." She poked her head through the living room frame, finding the two boys on top of their uncle. "Take them outside Adam, they break something you buy it." She warned him.

"Yes ma'am." He scooped Jackson up over his shoulder and grabbed Dylan by his mid-section, all four limbs dangling. "You heard your mom, out we go." David laughed as Adam walked the three of them outside.

"David." She hissed at her husband.

"I wouldn't be able to stop him even if I tried babe. Just enjoy the fact that he's still in one piece."

"Fine." She huffed. "Outside you go too, I don't need you in my kitchen."

"Yes ma'am." He mock saluted with a laugh as he handed her the beer, heading outside with one for Adam and himself. He was never one to argue with her when she kicked him out of the kitchen, she was after all the real chef in the house.

Olivia watched as the boys continued to tackle her brother and she worried beyond the black eye he was sporting, knowing it was never just as simple as that. He seemed happy though, happier than the last time she had seen him if that was even possible. There had to be a reason for it and she was going to find out even if she had to pull it out of him.

"So, how battered are you really?" David asked when Adam managed to get away from the boys to take a breather.

"Bruising at the ribs, nothing I haven't handled before." He took a pull of his beer as he watched the two boys run after each other in the grass.

"Something's different about you." The two guys looked back at Olivia that had appeared in the patio door.

"Same old same old." He chuckled as he drank his beer. He didn't want to talk about Kim, not wanting to jinx it, regardless of when or even if he would see her again.

"I'll find out, mark my words." She left them again, one last thing to prepare before she called everyone in.

"She will, you know she will."

"There's nothing to find out." He leaned his elbows on his knees as he drank the last of his beer, placing the bottle at his feet.

"LIAR." Olivia screamed from the kitchen, making the two of them laugh. She called them in not too long after and they enjoyed a nice meal, catching up on what had been happening in the last weeks since they'd seen each other. Olivia stood to clear the table but Adam stopped her.

"I've got it." As much as she tried protesting, Adam wouldn't have it. She watched him as he cleared the whole table and the wheels in her head refused to stop turning.

"Just go talk to him babe." David whispered to her ear. "Maybe he just needs his sister's advice. She kissed him and leaned against the doorframe.

"Mind if I help?"

"It's your house." He shrugged, giving her a crooked smile. He knew what she was doing and although he wasn't planning on spilling any life altering secrets tonight, he appreciated the gesture. She simply pulled a drying clothes and dried whatever he was handing her. They went on like that in silence until Olivia couldn't take it anymore.

"You look happy."

"I'm always happy Liv." He countered.

"I know but something's different this time, you're eyes are happier.

"I'm in a really good place Liv I'm just not ready to share it with anyone." He offered her a genuine smile and she smiled back at him.

"Whatever it is, I'm happy for you Adam, you certainly deserve it." He had worked so hard for what he had and if this secret of his made him happy, than she was happy for him. They finished cleaning the dishes in a comfortable silence and Adam tucked the boys in before turning in himself, leaving his sister and husband alone for a quiet evening.

He stripped to his boxers and slipped in the sheets of the bed in the guestroom. He pulled his phone and sent Kim a text before closing his eyes, exhaustion and pain getting the better of him.

Kim slipped into her apartment just as her phone dinged. She looked at the owner of the message and smiled when she saw it was from Adam.

Hope you made it to Chicago okay. Good Night x

She offered him a reply and kicked her shoes off, the only thing on her mind being sleep. She wound down with a glass of wine and went directly to bed, Adam bringing a smile to her lips after a particular tough flight back.

A/N: So the stars seem to align for both Kim and Adam right now and Adam is keeping her close to the vest for the first time, even from his sister. Next chapter we'll see both worlds collide in Chicago. Hope you guys liked it and please take a few seconds to review before you go, I always love reading your thoughts. - Sarra