LostCause, I hadn't even thought of writing this, but you said you were curious about Adam's night out with Kevin. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it's always SO appreciated and SO motivating.

Chapter 43

"Pour me another," Adam yelled out across Molly's to Hermann. He thudded his empty bottle against the table when he set it down and Kevin reached out to grab it before it rolled off the table.

He saw Casey sitting at the bar, nursing his third beer and looking like he wanted to forget the events of the day as much as Adam did.

"I could have lost her today," Adam said. His words slurred together.

"I know. But you didn't," Kevin said. Adam saw him shake his head at Hermann bringing another round the table and Hermann headed back to the bar.

"Jess has been through enough. No way she should have had to go through that."

"She's strong, Ruzek. You know that." Kevin leaned back in his chair. "And she's got you to talk to about what happened today."

"I should check on her. Jay's not answering his phone." He fumbled around in his pocket for his keys.

"Naw, man. You're not driving anywhere," Kevin said, reaching over for his partner's keys.

Adam blinked at both Atwater's he saw, squinted until they meshed into one and made a halfhearted swipe for his keys. Atwater split into two again and both Atwater's shook their head at him.

"Yeah," Adam mumbled. "I shouldn't drive. I'll text her." He worked at getting his phone out of his pocket and squinted at the screen. With supreme concentration, he stabbed at the onscreen keyboard and typed out a message to Jess. He tossed the phone onto the table to wait for her text back and craned his neck to see Hermann. "Hermann, another round over here."

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Jess leaned against Jay as he helped her down the steps from the high school that hosted the NA meeting Jay had found for her.

"Thanks," she said. "For getting me to the meeting."

"You feeling better?" he asked.

Jess nodded. She held up a hand. "Rock steady," she said with a wry grin.

"I'm proud of you, Jess. For today and getting you and Brett out of there, and everything you've done to get your life on track since coming home."

Jess looked up at him, the yellow glow from the streetlights adding the warmth he looked at her with.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you. You and Will."

"Yeah you could have," Jay countered. "You're strong and you're resourceful. You proved that when you were living on the streets and dealing pills."

Jess snorted. "Thanks."

Jay let out a small laugh and tightened his arm around her for a minute before letting her go to open the door to his truck for her. He helped her in and Jess tried to hold back her grimace as she lifted herself up.

Her phone buzzed with a message as Jay got in. He glanced at her, starting the truck up. "Ruzek? He left a couple messages for me to see how you were."

Jess' brow wrinkled as she read the four texts Adam had left while she was in the meeting, each one more incoherent than the last.

Hewww r uuu? I lloooovv u. see prowd of uuu 4 twodayyyyy. at mollllllllly w kev.

Jess held out her phone for Jay to see. He winced as he read the texts.

"Can we stop by Molly's?" Jess asked.

Jay nodded and pulled out onto the street. "Text him and let him know you're coming. Maybe he'll slow down."

Jess sent a text and received…something…from Adam right away. A blurry picture of something that may be a beer bottle, a picture of Kevin's nose, and a text.

U ned 2 restttttt. styyy home, homie. Urrrr my homie.

Great. She was his homie.

"You should probably get there quick," she said to Jay.

Jay sped up and made the trip across town to Molly's. Jess wished they had found a meeting closer to Molly's. She got another three unrecognizable pictures and two declarations of love from Ruzek while they drove.

Jess waited impatiently while Jay found a parking spot half a block away. She let him help her down, grunting with pain when she put weight on her injured leg.

"You sure you're up for this?" Jay asked.

Jess gave a short nod. "I need to check on Adam. Let him see I'm really ok."

Jay didn't argue, but Jess didn't miss the way his mouth thinned. He held the door to Molly's open for her and Jess stepped inside. It didn't take her long to spot Adam. He was standing next to a table in the back, stumbling for balance while Kevin on his crutches tried to steady him. Hermann was on the other side, an arm around Adam.

Jess hurried to him, holding back a groan of pain.

"I've got him," she said to Kevin, getting between him and Adam and putting herself under Adam's arm.

"I'm fine, Hermann," Adam was saying.

"You've had a rough day, Ruzek. You and Casey should both get home and sleep it off."

"I need to see Jess," Adam argued. Jess could hear how much he was struggling to get out his words.

"I'm right here, Adam."

Adam turned his head so quickly towards her, he started to stagger to the side and Hermann steadied him enough to keep him upright.

"Darlin'," Adam exclaimed. And then the elation on his face fell. "You're s'posed to be home. Off your leg." He started to turn to call over his shoulder and Jess grunted as she tried to keep him from toppling. "Kevin," he called. "You need to get Jess home. Get her some ice, Otis," he yelled toward the bar.

Jay nodded his thanks to Hermann. "We've got him from here."

He and Jess managed to get Adam to the truck and Jess stood back while Jay shoved Adam headfirst into he backseat of the truck. Adam fell across the seat and didn't try to sit up. Jay raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He helped Jess in.

Jess got buckled and felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Adam blindly reaching towards her.

"You still ok, Darlin'?" he asked.

"A lot better than you at this point," she answered.

Jay drove towards Adam's apartment and in the light from oncoming headlights, Jess saw the smile playing around his lips.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked. She glanced back at her fiancé, half passed out, stretched out on the backseat. She had been sure Jay was going to be annoyed at the least, furious at worst, when they went to pick up a drunken Ruzek.

"He really cares about you," Jay said.

Jess turned in her seat so she was facing Jay. "You're kidding, right? Everything Adam has done for me, every time I've told you how good he is for me, and you're finally convinced he cares about me because he's falling down drunk at Molly's?" Her voice rose incredulously.

Jay's smile fell and he grew serious. "You don't go drink yourself into blacking out after an easy day. He was trying to forget about today. Because he loves you. He cares about you a lot."

Adam muttered something unintelligible from the backseat. Jess ignored him and shook her head at Jay. "You're unbelievable," she said. But her lips twitched. "I should have had Adam show up drunk months ago."

"Smart aleck," Jay said, but he smiled.

Adam tossed himself over onto his back, his long legs kicking the back of Jess' seat, jolting her forward, and made some more comments that made no sense. Jess looked back at him and in spite of his current state, her heart warmed at the site of Adam and Jay's words about what had driven him to this. Adam loved her.

"Shoulda shot 'em," Adam grumbled before passing out.

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