Time for some action/drama - both here and in the next chapter. Furthermore, Kim and Hank explore their love.

And we are approaching the end of the story with giant steps.

Chapter 19

A week later, Kim and Hank sat together in his office, each holding a cup of coffee. Both enjoying the moment, the company of the other.

Since their "first date" things were somehow different between them. Better. More intense. In fact, they enjoyed their time together. The evenings in front of the TV, just like they had before. But now kisses were also added. And some touching. You know, and a bit more then simple touches. MUCH more.

Just this morning, when Kim had woken up in his arms, in his bed, a smile crept onto Kim's lips as she remembered that moment. Oh, what they'd done, too. Early morning sex, very good sex. Hank was very talented. With his hands. And his tongue. Who would have guessed that by the time they had left the bed, he had given her two orgasms.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hank.

"About this morning, well, when I woke up in your arms and the stuff after that," Kim replied, a slight blush gracing her face.

Hank smiled at her. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He too had enjoyed her activity this morning. I mean, who would have thought that in just a few days his life would have changed so drastically?

At times, it struck Hank as a little too fast. You know, the thing with Kim and him. Whereas, actually, this change had happened very slowly. And then, then Al had died and Kim had become more and more part of his life. A part of his life he didn't want to be without anymore. Although he was scared to fuck up the whole thing. The one with Kim.

"Maybe we can pick up where we left off earlier, tonight," he said before getting up from his desk chair. On his way to the door, he stopped by her and leaned down, whispering something in her ear, "You, me, my bed. Oh, uh, maybe the whipped cream from the fridge," and then he headed for the door.

It was time to put a stop to this little moment before he couldn't control himself and they gave the team a show. Not something he wanted to happen no matter what. Kim and him, that was something that was none of the team's business.

It was time to get to work. Crime in Chicago, unfortunately, was not taking a break. They had two killers to find. The one who murdered the first responders.

And Al's killer.

"Team meeting," Hank said as he stepped into the bullpen. Kim followed him.

Expectantly, the team looked at Hank.

" We need to dig our heels in. We've got to catch this guy. Finally. So, what do we know so far?" he inquired, looking at one by one.

"He kills his victims on a Wednesday. At least we always find the bodies on a Thursday," Hailey said.

"So the day has some significance. Or it's his day off. Or he's from out of town and he's in Chicago on Wednesdays," Kevin concluded.

"There were blue cotton fibers found on the bodies," Kim said.

"They could be from an overall or from a uniform," Jay opined.

"Uniform? You think it's a cop?" asked Adam.

"Security, firefighters. They're all wearing uniforms."

And then Adam's gaze shifted to Hank. Quizzically. Pleading. As if Adam wanted Hank to disagree with him. Adam couldn't imagine the perp being a cop. Never. Cops didn't kill innocent women - at least that's what Adam told himself. But he actually knew better. Unfortunately.

"What else do we know?" asked Hank instead.

"The last victim was registere on an online dating site. But only since 3 days before she died," Kim explained, "It would be a coincidence if she met her killer there."

"What about the others? What about them?"

"No. They weren't registered on the same online dating site."

"And another dating site? Tinder? Facebook? You know, or just what else is out there, like, this social media stuff," Hank inquired.

"Nothing," Hailey explained, "The first victim had been going to a singles party with her co-workers. But other than that, nothing. None of the other women were looking for love online."

Hank felt the anger rising inside him. Again, no leads. Nothing that brought them closer to the perpetrator. Or maybe there was. Maybe this was a lead after all? They couldn't leave any stone unturned. No way. They had to follow up every tiny clue. Until they had it. Until they had the culprit.

"What if we cross-referenced the singles party attendees with the dating platform's member list?" suggested Adam.

"I think we should give it a try. At least it's a link between the victims, albeit a very weak one, but the first commonality that connects at least two of the women. With the exception of their profession," Jay agreed.

Hank nodded.

"I'll talk to the DA about the court order for the membership lists. Whoever runs the site has his office here in Chicago, Hailey and I could head over there right after," Jay then said.

"Do that."

Hank then hesitated, however, not wanting to end the team meeting just yet. There was another case he wanted to talk to his team about. Needed to talk about. The search for the person responsible for Al's death. So far, they had made no progress in their search. There just wasn't a lead. So far, anyway.

"And the other case. Is there anything you've heard from your sources yet? Something that might help us?" then Hank asked the question.

The members of Intelligence exchanged a look. A meaningful look. There was no lead. Unfortunately. Only now they had to tell Hank that. They had to tell him that the trail to Al's killer was obviously going cold. That they couldn't find him. Might never find him.

"I'm still waiting to hear back from my CI," Jay then said.

He was the only one who could still give Hank a little hope. Still, not much. And actually, Jay didn't believe his CI would really have a clue for them. He no longer believed that they would catch him. They'd been looking for him for too long, to no avail. And there were enough cases for them to focus on, too. Enough criminals in Chicago they needed to catch. No matter how much Jay wished they could, some criminals they would never catch.

You could clearly see Hank's emotions change as he realized Jay's words. Sadness. Anger. Pain. Hatred, of himself.

Kim wanted so badly to go over to him now, to pull him into her arms. She felt his pain and would gladly take it away from him. But she couldn't. Unfortunately. At least not without revealing her secret.

Before Kim could make a decision, Hank had taken it from her. Wordlessly, Hank had turned around and hurriedly left the bullpen. He wanted to leave. Wanted to be alone. But he didn't go to his office, however. And Kim and the team could only guess where he went. Where he wanted to be for a moment. Wanted to be alone.

Concerned, Jay looked over at Kim. He had no idea their sergeant would react this way. He'd seen the look in Hank's eyes - the moment he realized they might never catch him. Al's killer. The moment when something in Hank Voight had shattered, the hope.

Imperceptibly, Kim shook her head.

Kim had decided to give Hank a moment to himself. A moment alone. But she didn't want to leave him alone too long, for she didn't want him to retreat to that dark place inside him. That he would withdraw from her and she would lose him to the darkness after all.

And then, when he hadn't shown up for almost an hour, Kim's concern for Hank grew. Increased even more. And so Kim set out to find Hank. He wasn't outside the precinct, he wasn't at Platt's counter, he wasn't in the basement.

But there was another place he could be, a place he went when he wanted to be alone. Slowly, Kim walked up the stairs to the roof of the precinct. She had a hunch she would find Hank there. On the roof. And when she opened the door, she saw him. Hank was standing at the edge of the roof with his back to her. His gaze focused off into the distance.

Kim stopped at the door for a moment, watching him.

She wasn't sure at first if he had noticed her presence here on the roof. And she didn't want to startle him. But then she made a decision. Slowly she walked towards Hank. Stopped right behind him. She waited for him to say something.

But Hank, who had already noticed her, remained silent. He didn't want to voice his thoughts out loud. It would just make it all real. Whereas, it was real. Al was dead. And his killer still on the loose.

"Hank," she said.

She saw his body tense. But he didn't turn toward her.

"Hank, please talk to me," Kim begged.

"I can't," he replied - still not turning around.

Hank didn't want to admit weakness, not to Kim. Although she had already seen him like this, devastated, broken-hearted, wracked with pain and guilt - she had seen him like this time and time again over the past few weeks. With Kim, he had been allowed to be weak, to let himself feel vulnerable. She had been there for him. Always.

"Yes, you can talk to me. I'm here for you, I won't leave you alone," Kim said in a firm voice and grabbed his hand, forcing him to turn around and look at her.

But Hank lowered his eyes, couldn't look at her, didn't want to.

"What if we never find him? What if he is never brought to justice for killing Al? He killed my best friend and gets away with it. Just like that. It's not fair!" he said softly. He was voicing what he was afraid of. He voiced what had been on his mind for days.

Kim knew immediately who Hank meant by HE. Al's killer.

"We're going to find him. And if anyone can catch this guy, cuff him, it's you," Kim said, trying to sound convincing. Only she wasn't sure herself. But Kim wanted to give Hank some hope. Something he could believe in.

Hank raised his eyes and looked at Kim. Smiled. At least, he tried, but it was hard for him. To smile. To believe that everything was going to be okay after all, that they were going to get this guy. And then Kim just pulled him into her arms. Both enjoyed this moment of closeness.

They didn't know how long they stood together like that, just hugging each other up here on the roof. At some point Hank heard the door to the roof open again. Then they both heard footsteps.

"We have a lead," Jay's voice pushed into Hank's consciousness then.

He turned his head and looked at the young man. Somehow, Hank hoped that the next words that would pass Jay's lips would give him some hope again. At least a little.

"A lead on Al's killer," Jay clarified.