Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me. There's for sure one or two chapters after this. I might try for an even ten. Much and many thanks to lily moonlight for keeping me motivated. Without her tacking "PS" to the bottom of all her review replies, this story would be so far on the back burner...Also, HUGE thanks to everybody that reviewed last chapter. Nice to know people are hanging in there.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Everyone filed out of Stella's office in silence. Stella Bonasera's mind was thrown backwards in time to the day she figured out her foster father was abusing her sister. That poor kid. He's scared to talk. She knew how he felt.

Danny and Lindsay held each other's hands as they stepped outside. Lindsay remembered the misplaced guilt she'd felt that night in the diner. This is not your fault, Adam, she thought to herself. She squeezed Danny's hand tighter. He looked down at her, knowing the pain in Adam's voice all too well. He knew to Adam this must feel like another failure. Another black mark on the record of a should-be hero. Even the heroes get down sometimes, buddy. But they always win out in the end.

Mac Taylor caught Flack outside. Flack was fighting emotions, Mac could tell. The detective wanted to haul the boy to interrogation. The friend wanted to pick Adam off the ground. "Anything?" Mac asked, though he knew the answer just by looking at Flack's tired face.

"Now he's tellin' me he thinks Mary Lewis was having an affair," Flack said. "Said the guy-Ben Balent-has a cat. He thinks that's how the cat hair got on his wife's body." He sighed. "So...I dunno. Wife's having an affair, and then either Jack kills her for having the affair, or Ben kills her for not leaving her husband?"

"Don't assume, Flack," Mac chastised him. "That won't help you any."

"I can't figure this guy out, Mac," Flack said, sitting down. "The crazies, the guys with no motive? Them I can handle. But this guy...he unnerves the hell out of me. He's too damned calm."

"That either means two things," Mac said. "Unfortunately, it either means he's too smart and leading us on a goose chase, or-"

"Or he's innocent," Flack cut in.

"Or he's innocent," Mac agreed. He looked at his watch. "How long you been in there with him?"

"Lost track," Flack confessed.

"Heard you've got plans with Danny tonight."

"Drinks at Sullivan's," Flack replied. "Our usual for the week."

"I'm not your supervisor. I can't make you go take a break," Mac said. He put a hand on Flack's shoulder. "But I can strongly suggest it as a friend."

Flack looked at his watch. "Mac, I feel like I've only got a few hours left with this guy. I need to crack him. I need to find something." He looked at Mac. "You and I both know that if the kid goes home with him..."

"You're assuming, again," Mac cut in. "Stop."

"Mac-"

Mac glared at him. This was not where he'd wanted this conversation to go. "No. Let my guys upstairs handle Jack Lewis. The evidence will nail him if he's guilty. I'll get Lindsay to go visit Ben Balent."

"Hours, Mac." Flack reminded him.

Mac nodded as he pulled out his phone. "It's all we're going to need." As he dialed Lindsay, Flack's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Yeah, Flack...What?"

"Hey."

Adam looked up to see Danny standing in the doorway again. It was becoming a familiar routine. "That went well, huh?" Adam said. "I screwed up again. How pissed is Flack with me right now?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "This self-pity thing has gotta stop, Adam," he said. "Damn it, you're not a detective. This isn't your job."

"I thought...I thought maybe if I showed him he wasn't alone..." Adam shrugged. "So not only did he not say anything, but I poured out my sob story to the entire world."

"It's about time," a female voice said from the door. Adam jerked, and looked up to see Kendall standing there. It was obvious she had been crying. In two strides, she crossed over and sat down next to him. She threw her arms around him. "I've been waiting for you to do this for a long time," she said.

Danny stood. "Nobody thinks any less of you, Adam," he said. "If anything, we couldn't be prouder. It took a hell of a lot of guts to do what you did."

"Our 48 hours are almost up," Adam pointed out, his mind on the case. A twinge in his heartbeat reminded him that Kendall was sitting next to him, rubbing his shoulder. But one step at a time.

"Lindsay is going to talk with another potential suspect," Danny said. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "Leave it to the professionals."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Hey, don't forget. You, me, Flack, Sullivan's in a couple hours."

"I don't want-"

"Ryan will be fine with Stella and Mac," Danny said. "The kid will make it for a couple hours without you. See you in a couple hours." His tone left no room for negotiation. He left the room.

Awkward silence. Finally, Adam turned to Kendall. "So...I probably should apologize, huh?"

"For what?" Kendall asked him, resting her head on his shoulder. One hand drifted over to Ryan's head. The boy was out again.

"For not telling you sooner. For dodging. For not...for letting that get in the way of us."

She looked up at him. "So...there's an 'us'?" she asked quietly.

"I hope so," Adam replied.

"You know, you're my hero, Adam Ross," Kendall said. "You are smart, funny, brave, just like all those guys, minus the spandex." She nudged him with her head, and he finally smiled. "You overcame adversity to become a great man. That's how it is for any of those cape-wearing superheroes. You use your talents for helping others."

"Yeah, I guess I am pretty much a superhero, huh," Adam grinned. "I even get the girl." He looked up at her, flushed red. "I do get the girl...right?"

"Of course you do, stupid." She grinned. "As long as I get to solve crime right next to you. I will not be your damsel in distress."

"Too bad," Adam heard himself say. "Cause that part of the movie's always my favorite." He looked at her in alarm, afraid he'd pushed it too far.

She grinned. "Let's make it a point for you to save me sometime soon," she said. "I'm liking this alter ego of yours."

Just then, Flack came into the room. "Adam." His face was hot, and his tone of voice was hard. "I need to talk to you. Right now."