Thanks again for the reviews on the last chapter. KiwiBunny- thanks so much for your review! I read it and it motivated me to make time to write this chapter. I'm with you, I love Mouse and will be forever heartbroken he left the show. But he'll be reappearing in this story again within the next few chapters most likely!
Duchess- I'm halfway convinced you can read my mind. You always manage to predict what I have planned (both for this story and my Chicago Fire fic), lol. I'm hoping I have at least a couple things you don't expect planned. :)

Sparky and LostCause, you two are the best. Thanks so much for your reviews. I literally read all reviews multiple times and love to hear that you're enjoying this!

Chapter 44

Adam couldn't open his eyes. Not with the way the light pierced through his eyelids. Opening them would be exponentially worse.

He groaned and tried to reach for a blanket to pull over his face, but the movement multiplied the sharp pain drilling through his skull, and then set his stomach in motion.

"Ugh," he grunted. He was going to be sick. He rolled over to ease himself off the side of his bed, but his bed was surprisingly narrow. And a much shorter fall to the carpet than he expected. He risked opening his eyes. He was on the floor next to the couch, a light blanket tangled around his legs.

He didn't have time to puzzle it out, or try to remember anything from the night before. He needed to get to the bathroom before whatever he drank the night before came up to serve as his only reminder.

He made it to the commode in time to lose whatever he had drank last night. He blindly grasped for a bottle of mouthwash and managed to swish some around, spitting it in the sink before sliding down the bathroom wall to land on the tile floor. He rested his head against the cool edge of the bath tub and tried to reconstruct what had landed him here.

He knew he was with Kevin at Molly's, but couldn't for the life of him think past the piercing pain in his head to remember why he was tossing back shots like his life depended on it. Something about Jess. Had she been there?

No. He had been there because of Jess. Because of what had happened to her yesterday. He had to get over to her dad's to check on her. No, he had to call first. He couldn't wait until he got over there to see how she was doing.

He patted at his pockets, checking to see if his phone was there, when he heard the bedroom door open. He stilled, trying to clear his mental fog enough to think of what he had to fight with in the bathroom.

Soft steps sounded down the hallway, the intruder's gait halting and uneven.

"Adam?"

At Jess' quiet call, Adam slumped back down with relief. That it wasn't an intruder was less of a relief than hearing Jess' voice and footsteps. She was ok.

"In here," he managed. His voice sounded like it had been soaked in lye. Which wasn't too far off from what he had probably done last night.

Jess' appeared in the doorway, her face worried and clearly favoring her injured leg.

Adam started to push off the floor, but Jess sank down on the floor next to him, her expression tight with pain.

"You ok?" he asked. Clearly she wasn't. He ran a light hand over her injured leg, avoiding the place where that kid's steel toe boot had connected.

"It's a long walk down the hallway," she said wryly.

"I'll get you an icepack. And some Tylenol," he said, but she put her hand over his, keeping him sitting next to her.

"I'm fine for now," she assured him. "I just need you."

Adam studied her face, trying to figure out how much pain she was really in.

"Really," she assured him. "Just sit with me for a minute."

Adam twined his fingers with hers and waited until she relaxed back against him, some of the pain leaving her face now that she was off her leg.

He closed his own eyes, relieved to get a break from the morning light that was way too bright still.

"Um, Darlin'?" he finally asked.

Jess shifted so she was looking at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad to wake up and find you here and all, but…how exactly did you get here?"

Jess bit back a smile. "You don't remember anything?"

Adam winced. Her amusement wasn't reassuring.

"Your texts were a little…not sober," she said, finally giving into a grin. "Jay and I were at a meeting and stopped by Molly's to check on you."

Adam tensed. "You were at a meeting last night? What happened? Are you ok?" Any lingering grogginess was gone.

"It's nothing," she quickly reassured him. "I just…yesterday was…you know."

Adam mentally berated himself. He should have stayed with her. He should have been with Jess, not at Molly's drinking himself into oblivion.

"Adam, it was fine. I just needed a meeting to get my mind off things. I promise it's no big deal." Jess shifted so she was looking at him. She lifted a hand to his face and he could hear her palm rasp against the start of a beard. "I'm glad it worked out that I got to see you." She pressed her lips against his. He felt her smile against his lips. "I love you, Homie."

That sounded familiar. Adam groaned and pulled away to look at her. She wasn't trying to hold back a smile now. "I called you that."

A laugh escaped Jess. "Your texts were the highlight of my day yesterday."

"Yeah, well, glad I could help."

Jess laughed again and planted a kiss on his cheek. Adam turned his head so their lips met and Jess' smile faded as she melted against him.

"Hey!" A sharp rap on the open bathroom door accompanied the annoyed call.

Jess ignored it, but Adam pulled away from her, trying to figure out why Jay was standing in his apartment.

"There was a reason Ruzek was on the couch last night," Halstead said, frowning at Jess. "And it wasn't so he could be fresh enough to meet you on the bathroom floor first thing this morning."

"Morning, Jay," Jess said. Adam noticed the lack of annoyance with her brother's comment on their relationship.

"Anyone else I brought home from Molly's here?" Adam asked. "Kev, Voight, half the CFD?"

Jess gave him one last kiss, while Jay not so subtly looked away, before trying to stand. Adam and Jay both moved to her, but Jay was already standing on managed to help her to her feet first. Lines bracketed her mouth as she steadied herself painfully on her feet, but she turned to Jay. "I thought Adam ended up on the couch because that's where he landed. I think your words were, 'I'm not dragging his drunk carcass another step'."

Adam stood, making sure he was next to Jess in case she faltered. He put a hand to his chest in mock gratitude to Jay. "Thanks, Halstead. That was real sweet of you."

Jay clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You're only a week and a half away from being family." He turned to go. "I'm heading to work. Voight said to tell you to sleep it off and spend today with Jess," he called over his shoulder. "Make sure she rests her leg."

Adam heard Jay grab his keys and close the door behind him before he turned to Jess. "You want to tell me what that was about? Your brother is nicer to me after seeing me fall down drunk and hauling me home than when I was trying to take care of you."

Jess made a helpless gesture with her hands. "Apparently you proved your love for me when you went out drinking with Kevin."

Adam thought about it, tried to rationalize whatever that meant, then decided it was too much work with a head still pounding.

Jess shifted her weight off her leg and Adam wrapped an arm around her waist. "Come on, you can put your leg up on the couch and I'll find some awful chick flick for you to watch."

Jess shook her head and started making her way painfully towards the door. "I need to see Sylvie."

"That's not a good idea," Adam said. "Will was very clear you need to sit down and—"

Jess turned to face him, her face set with stubbornness. "I'll sit down at Sylvie's. I need to make sure my partner is alright."

Adam hesitated, wondering how he could convince Jess to go sit and call Sylvie, Facetime her if she needed to see her partner.

"I'll take the el if I have to," Jess threatened. "You can come with me, or I'll go on my own."

Resigned to the force that was his fiancée, Adam ran a hand through his hair before slipping on some shoes and picking up his keys. He took her hand in his, grateful she was safe and well enough after yesterday to argue with him. He lifted her hand and kissed it.

"What was that for?" she asked.

Adam shook his head. "No reason."

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