Hey guys, happy Sunday! Hope you're all having an amazing weekend.
Here's the next chapter of this story. I'll try my best to update shortly!
Thanks for reading and reviewing. I love reading your comments and thoughts. It totally makes me happy!
Happy reading!
Xoxo,
Nina
It's been a week since Adam left and both Kim and Gracie were running restless.
The only thing that kept Kim at ease, was the updates that she received from the team letting her know that Adam was alright and that they were closer to their overall objective.
Grace was doing alright. Although she missed Adam, having Kim around made her feel safe, she had some sort of stability. Bob visited them regularly and called to talk to his granddaughter every day, but just like Kim had predicted earlier he was stressed, worried and trying to help out the unit as much as he could. He had no words left to thank Kim for everything she was doing, he knew that she acted out of the pureness of her heart, out of the love she felt for his son and Gracie, but still he was grateful.
"Aunt Kim." She started to speak as she ate her dinner.
"What bear?"
"Do you think uncle Adam is going to like the new pages of our scrapbook?"
"I'm sure he will."
"I miss him." She sighed and dropped the fork on the table.
"I know, I miss him too." Kim sighed as well and stretched her hand over the table to hold Gracie's. "But I might have good news."
"What?" The little girl seemed to cheer up when she heard her aunt's words.
"I spoke with your Uncle Kev today, and not only did he tell me that Uncle Adam is doing great, but he also told me that they're nearly done with their mission." Kim loved to see how Gracie's eyes were sparkling. "Do you know what that means to us?"
"We get too see him soon?!"
"Yeaaaah!" Kim cheered. "We get to have those big bear snuggles Uncle Adam gives us." It also meant that their life and routine was going to change and that Gracie was finally going to see her parents again, but she couldn't reveal that just yet. "Now, what do you say we catch a movie while we have dessert?"
"But it's a school night." Gracie added a bit confused.
"You're right, but we're celebrating!"
"Ok, let's celebrate!"
That's exactly what they did. They enjoyed their ice cream and watched Encanto. Grace was obsessed with it now, and was singing 'We don't talk about Bruno' non stop.
The next morning it was a bit tough to get her up to go to school, but they managed to leave Adam's apartment with everything ready just in time.
As they were driving there something didn't feel right. She noticed a black SUV following them for a couple of blocks now. At the beginning she didn't think much about it, but now, after making several unnecessary turns and seeing the van was still behind them, she was freaking out.
Maybe, if she had been alone she wouldn't have done anything, but having Gracie with her forced her to be smart about this and texted the unit.
Hey guys! Gracie and I are on our way to school. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I think we're being followed.
A second after hitting send the phone started buzzing and she picked up instantly.
"Good morning Kim, this is Sergeant Voight, you're on speaker, could you tell us what you see?"
"Sure. Um, it's a black SUV, I can only see two people inside, not sure if there's anyone in the back. Tinted glasses and license plate PNK 6894."
"Ok." Was the only thing his husky voice said.
"It's them sarge." Kev confirmed and now Kim was truly scared.
"Kim, listen carefully. I need you to do something for me, ok?"
"Yes." She tried to sound confident, but she was pretty sure her shaky voice wasn't letting her do that.
"Send your live location to the group chat."
"On it. Sergeant is everything ok? Is Adam ok?" She was as quiet as she could when she asked the last part of the question, she didn't want Gracie to worry.
"He is fine. He made the bust. But two perps got away and they match the info you shared with us, so it's a great thing you told us. Now we can really end this."
"Ok." Kim agreed nervously while she heard voices coming from the other side of the phone but she couldn't figure out what they were saying.
"Kim, are you there?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, I need you to relax and do exactly as I say."
"Mmm-hmm."
"The new shopping mall that's under construction is right ahead of you. I need you to go there and take the east entrance to the parking lot. Upton will be there waiting for you, alright? They won't be able to go in, they know the place is being patrolled."
"Ok."
"Great. I'm not hanging up, I'm right here with you."
"Ok." It seemed like that was the only word she could manage to say.
"Aunt Kim, is everything okay?"
"Yes bear, don't worry. We'll be out of the car in no time." Kim gave Gracie a faint smile over the rearview mirror and kept driving just like Voight asked.
The SUV was still behind them, and Kim couldn't wait until she reached the destination and met Hailey.
It was a matter of minutes before she was in the parking lot and saw Upton's car in the near distance, but to her it felt like hours.
She stopped the car and ran her hands through her face, snapping out of it when she heard Gracie's voice.
"It's aunt Hailey!"
"Yes, it is." Kim looked back at the little girl and knew she was working against the clock here. "Baby, can you unbuckle your seatbelt?"
"Yes!"
"Good girl." Hailey was quick to run over to Kim's car and open the back door.
"Good morning girls! Are you ready?" The blonde asked.
"Aunt Hailey! Is Uncle Adam with you?"
"Not yet honey, but you'll see him in a little while." The blonde looked at Kim and smiled. "I need you both to run over to my car, ok?" Gracie nodded and started to climb out of her booster chair.
"Hailey?" Kim was thinking something and she needed to get it out of her chest. "If these guys run away, you're back at square one aren't you?"
"Don't worry about that. Now the priority is to get you and Grace out of here. We'll take care of the rest later."
"Take Grace."
"What? No. You have to get out too."
"Hailey, come on. You know they want this car. Use me as bait, that way you have a greater chance to catch them. If not, all the effort You've been putting into this will go to waste. You wouldn't have solved anything."
"Kim…."
"You know I'm right." The blonde detective didn't say anything, because Kim was in fact right. "Do you know if they are still there?" Hailey checked the screen on her phone and nodded. "Ok, then." Kim took a deep breath trying to relax her nerves.
"Aunt Kim, where do I go?" Gracie's voice was calm and innocent, making the brunette turn around to see her and smile.
"Bear, you go with Aunt Hailey, ok?"
"And you?"
"I'll meet you in a little while."
"Come on honey, let's go." Hailey held Grace in her arms and spoke to Kim one more time. "Jay is out there, I'll radio him to back you up."
"Ok. Get Gracie out of here." Hailey nodded.
"Be careful." The blonde squeezed Kim's forearm tight.
"I will." The brunette shut her eyes tight, she was just realizing how dangerous this whole thing was. She looked at Gracie's big worried eyes and thought her heart was going to break into a million pieces. "I love you bear. Listen to Aunt Hailey and do everything she tells you. I'll see you in a little while."
"I love you too." Gracie leant forward and kissed her aunt's cheek.
Kim looked at Hailey again as she turned on the engine of her car. "Please tell Adam not to be pissed."
"Oh, he'll be pissed, but you'll get to tell him that yourself." They both smiled and Hailey took a quick run to her car letting the team know what was going to happen, and asking Jay to be ready.
The blonde secured Gracie in the back seat of her car and watched as Kim drove away. She was a nerve wrack, there were ten million ways in which this could go wrong, she prayed for everything to turn out alright.
--
The bullpen was quiet. Jay, Kevin and Antonio, who was giving them a hand with this case, were locked up in Voight's office with Platt. She was talking to them, briefing them about the whole situation, since Hank had to leave to go find the two guys from the SUV.
Gracie was in the break room drinking chocolate milk with Hailey. She was so excited about being at the district and missing school that she had forgotten that she was waiting for Kim to come back.
Hailey, on the other hand, was pale and extremely worried; she felt guilty about being there and when she saw Platt and Antonio run out she felt even worse.
A few minutes later Jay walked in.
"Uncle Jay!"
"Hello little Miss Ruzek. How's aunt Hailey treating you?"
"Very good! She gave me chocolate milk and a muffin. Is Uncle Adam here yet? Aunt Hailey told me I'd see him today."
"Actually, Antonio went to get him." Hailey looked at Jay immediately and he just nodded. "He'll be here in a little while."
"Where did Platt go?" The blonde finally asked her soon to be husband.
"She went with Voight."
"Any news?"
"Nothing yet. Just what we already knew." Tears quietly rolled through Hailey's cheeks causing Jay to hug her. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." He whispered in her ear trying to calm her fiancée down. They both sat next to Gracie and listened to her as she shared stories of everything she had been doing at school with her friends.
About 15 minutes later the staff room door swung open and tired footsteps echoed through the room.
Gracie gasped and jumped out of her chair forgetting events he was telling Jay and Hailey.
"Uncle Adam!" She ran towards him and jumped right into his open arms.
"Hey muffin! I missed you." He hugged her tight as she snuggled into his chest and then shifted back to look at him making sure that was really her uncle with her.
Her big smile and sparkling eyes were completely filling Adam's heart.
"What happened to your face?" Gracie finally said with her nose scrunched up, making the three adults in the room chuckle.
"Well, I'm really tired and I also got into a fight with some bad guys. But everything is fine now." He smiled at her and was a bit confused when he noticed how she was looking around the room. Had somebody told her about the connection of this care with Kit and Anne. When she spoke he finally understood what she was looking for.
"Where's Aunt Kim? Is she with you?"
"No." He swallowed hard, he had no idea what was going on. "Isn't she here?" Gracie shook her head although the question wasn't really for her, but for Jay and Hailey. "Guys, where's Kim?"