Adam was sitting at the small kitchen table in Kim's apartment. She had left work early today and Adam hadn't seen her since the previous afternoon. He'd been out all day at a crime scene and they had been on a late night raid last night so apart from a few messages to let her know he was okay and his usual morning check in they hadn't caught up.

"Before I say what I want to say I just want you to know I will absolutely be this person for you." He tapped the sheet in front of him. It was a check list that the hospital had given her about the role of the birth support person and Adam was reading through it. She had a walk-through of the hospital today and an appointment with the midwife to go through her birth plan and how admissions would work. The paperwork she had filled out had listed Adam as her support person and he had been a little put out that she listed him as her 'friend' but it was what it was. Perhaps it was time to force her to admit that it was more than that.

Kim seemed really happy with the hospital and the midwives and it had eased her mind a little. Deciding how and what she wanted for her birth had been a long fraught process but she got there in the end. One thing that never changed was who she wanted with her.

"But….I don't just want to be your birth support person or friend.." He pointed to the paper. "Kim, I want to be your person."

"Wow."

"I know, probably not the right time but whatever. It's out there, do with it what you will."

"Wow." She stood mouth agape and stared at him from the kitchen.

"Yep."

"Well, yes. I think we should sit down and talk about how you being my person might look like."

"Really?" he was expecting more of a pushback. Up until now she had told him repeatedly that what they had was enough, it was just friends with benefits and that was all it could be right now. It was the 'right now' that he got tired of, he didn't want that anymore.

"Yes. It's not as easy as it once was."

"Nothing is as easy as it once was, we've changed, grown as people. I feel like we were kids back then, wide-eyed and hopeful. Things were just supposed to happen and we'd be happy. Life isn't like that I know that now and I know what I want and that I have to work hard and not just let things happen. I can do this and I want to do this with you."

"Okay Adam. What I do know is that from day one you've been here, when I probably didn't deserve it and I look forward to everyday with you in it." Kim finally smiled at him. "I like the sound of you being my person too."

That was the easy part.

Working out what it exactly looked like was going to be the hardest part and they did decide that they wanted to live together first and foremost. There was the small issue of a newborn baby to take into account however and Kim's place wasn't big enough for all of them, it was a one bedroom place and the baby would be sleeping in Kim's room. She had decided to stay put until after it was born, she just couldn't face moving but there wasn't enough room for three of them.

Another thing Kim worried about was telling Blair's family. She didn't know whether she should, what difference would it make? Blair wasn't here, he was dead and apart from the DNA and the photo's that Kim had of him all this child had was the image of a father who never knew they existed. However there was the opportunity to have Dad, someone to love them, guide them, protect them and help them grow into the man it's father would want it to be.

Was it too soon though? Should she be thinking about this when she was emotional and hormonal and about to give birth? Was she just doing it because she was scared of being alone with the baby?

On the other hand, there was Adam and there was always something undeniable between them and why should she ignore how she felt about Adam to appease other people when she knew she was happiest when she was with him?

And then he told her he loved her.

She'd been shitty with him for some reason, he couldn't even remember what it was half way through her rant but it had been and epic one and she wasn't slowing down. "And…another thing…."

Adam jumped in when Kim drew breath. "I love you, I'm in love with you, I want us to be a family. All three of us, together."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Why now?" Kim felt flustered and his confession caught her off guard.

"Why not, you are beautiful and amazing and I'm looking at you and I don't want to hold it in anymore or hide it or pretend it's not real. I love you. That's it."

"Adam."

"That's it, I don't need you to say anything." He held up his hand. "I just needed to say it."

"Are you done?"

"Yes. You can continue." He waved his hand giving her permission to keep talking. He knew he'd thrown her off by interrupting and he also knew she had to finish otherwise she couldn't process. It was how her mind worked lately. One thing at a time.

"Fine…" she resumed her rant without missing a beat which he found amusing. "and…one final thing…" she finished her very detailed description of the latest bad habit that had annoyed her with an entertaining flourish of handwaving. "…I love you too. I always have, but there is a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone."

"Sure." He felt his heart breaking and Kim could see it written all over his face.

"Adam, I am in love with you. Completely, all of it, Love, in love."

"Right. That's Awesome."

"It is right? This is good isn't it, it's okay? I mean people will be happy for us right?"

"Darlin' they already are." He had called her Darlin' several times over the last few weeks and it melted her every time. "Come here?"

Pulling her into his arms the kiss suddenly felt like it always should have been, it felt real.

Quietly they decided to look for a more suitable place to live. It didn't matter if it was before the baby was born or after. This is where it started to go pear shaped previously, well one of the many reasons so Adam was keen to make sure she knew he was putting in the effort. He was constantly sending her links to places that he thought they should check out. It was sweet the way he always mentioned whether it was suitable for not only them but also a baby. 'There is an office right next door to the bedroom that we could convert to a nursery.' Or 'This places has three bedrooms, ours, Bean's and Ginny when she comes to stay or your family.' He would also point out places that had small gardens so Bean had a place to run around.

Kim's emotions swung wildly and she begged Adam to hang on for the long haul. Everyone told her it was just her hormones but it was more than that, some days it felt like a burden. She worried about what the future held for her child. This wasn't just a baby, for one family it was keeping their son and brother alive and for Kim it was building a family that was completely different to the one she often dreamed of. There were times she felt like she was doing it alone, that while she had the support of friends and they were her 'family' not having that person beside had frightened her. Now Adam was there and once she realised it wasn't just because of the baby the knot of tension inside her released and letting him all the way in felt good, it felt like a relief and it felt right.

Work had stretched her some days. While it wasn't what she was used to some days she barely sat down and by the end she just wanted to go on Maternity Leave. In the beginning she had planned to work up to a week before her due date, her job wasn't arduous or physical and rather than give up completely they negotiated reduced hours. She would cut back to three days a week and only from 10 until 3pm. But towards the end of the pregnancy she got too uncomfortable and finished up two weeks earlier than planned.

It was only once they had found a new place and signed the lease that they clued everyone else in on their plans. Kevin and Trudy knew of course, they couldn't hide anything from them but everyone else was either clueless or chose to be.

"Well colour me shocked." Halstead roared with laughter. "He's been way too happy for the past few months. It's about time."

"Yeah yeah." A smile lit up Adam's face. "What can I say? A content man is a happy man." Adam was seriously happier than he'd been in a long time. He'd had some really tough moments lately and the baby aside, because that at times was hard to reconcile, being with Kim was worth every one of them. He appreciated her more now than he ever did and he knew she felt the same. They weren't ready for each other before and maybe they weren't quite ready for each other now but their hand had been forced and now they were mature enough to work through it rather than take the easy option of giving up on each other.

Halstead bought him a beer and toasted his buddy. "It's been a long time coming."

"Yep. Three years in the making, slightly unconventional way to become a family but we are really, really happy. We can't wait to meet the Bean and be a family."

"I'm proud of you Bro, you've always had the heart of a Lion. You know who would be proud of you? Al. Man he'd be number one on the grandparent train and he'd be your biggest cheerleader."

"Thanks Halstead. Means a lot."

"Burgess and the Bean are lucky. You are lucky. You've cracked the code."

"The Code."

"Life, love and family."