And here we are THE FINAL CHAPTER! A massive thank you to you all for keeping this story going through some pretty tough months. I hope that you have enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
This was the first time that I had used Adam, Kim and Al as main characters for a story and the first time that I had branched out into Season 5 so I hope that was okay, it was also nice to write Hayley as I never really get to do that and Dante who was a complete joy to write as well. I do have another couple of Chicago PD stories in the works but in these we will go back to the Jay/Hank relationship which so far is the best relationship on CPD, these are in the works at the minute but they are coming soon so if that's your cup of tea keep watching this space.
So-Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.
Please Read and Review.
Also on this note I did hear that Tracey and Upton are leaving CPD during Season 11-whenever we get that, I do hope this means Jesse comes back and they can give them a happy ending because while Jay and Hailey are not as good as Erin and Jay, both characters deserve the very best send off and God knows Jay was not given that.
For those of you wondering about Makayla don't worry...the way I see the future for this little family they do adopt Makayla later on and she and Vicky become sisters, and Kim doesn't miscarry. So that's three. Yeah. Happy Ending all round.
The Spirit That I Have Seen
Chapter 22-One Big Happy Family
THE FINAL CHAPTER-Adam looks back on his life six months after he first went missing as he takes a rather significant step forwards both professionally and personally.
"Shoes Vicky please?"
"Does it have to be the new ones? There too shiny and new and…I'd rather wear my old cowboy boots"
"Curse Hailey for that one" Kim muttered as she put in one of her earrings. "Yes Vicky the new shoes, you cannot wear boots to court"
"Hailey did the other week!"
"Hailey is not you"
Adam wisely said nothing into his coffee. He thought he was getting better at it, knowing when to intervene and when not to. Perhaps it was a sign of maturity. He didn't know. Either way he was watching the two girls he loved more than life itself rush around trying to get ready while he had a cup of coffee and you know what…life was pretty good.
Vicky stomped out of the room cowboy boots that Hailey had gotten her in one hand and a look she had absolutely copied from Kim on her face. Adam sighed. He had a feeling that this was going to go this way. Personally he was amazed that they had gotten Vicky into something that resembled a dress even if it was a jean dress that he was sure might have been an old shirt that someone (probably Meredith) had made into a dress. Vicky was not the girly girl that everyone seemed to want her to be which suited Adam just fine right about now. He was not sure that he could cope with one of those girls who spent hours in the bathroom primping and prepping. Kim was bad enough at that and while Antonio assured him it was coming he liked to bathe himself in ignorance for this particular while and delay the inevitable.
"Please Mom"
Kim stopped. Adam paused in putting down his mug and they both stared at Vicky who tilted her head to the side and bit down hard on her bottom lip aware in that way that only Vicky was that she had dropped something into the room that had the power to go off like a grenade.
For a moment the three of them stood there and then.
"That's okay right? Dad?"
Adam tried to remember that he was a functioning human and that he had the power to speak and so he nodded.
"Yeah" he said once he had gotten air back into his lungs, "If…that's okay with you?"
"I thought…isn't the whole point of today supposed to be…"
"It is" Kim said quickly. "And you know what…go put your cowboy boots on you little menace"
At once Vicky lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Really?"
"Room go now before I change my mind"
And with that Vicky shot off like a rocket had been launched off behind her. The second the door to her bedroom was closed Kim turned to look at him her eyes wide and big and bright in her face.
"Did you…did you know that was coming?"
"Did I heck…I…I didn't…wow…you…you okay with that? Mom?"
Kim took a steadying breathe and then she nodded.
"Yeah…yeah I think I am"
Adam nodded standing up and letting her fiddle with his tie. Kim he knew, from stressful rides to court cases and meetings and anything involving the brass—needed to have something to do with her hands when she was nervous and to be honest he could never do a tie straight so it did help, it also managed to keep her hands under control.
"You ready for this?" she asked patting him on the corner of his suit.
He nodded. "How long until I can throw this jacket in the boot of the car?"
"An hour at the most"
"It takes a hour?"
"Adam we are doing this quick and fast because Platt called in quite a few favours to get this done so we are getting it done. You and I both know this has to be legal. And like court legality comes with respectability so we have to dress the part and if that doesn't work then I will call Al and he will set Meredith on you"
"That's not fair"
"That's life hon"
At that point Vicky came speeding back into the room and Adam closed his eyes in a brief horror for his floorboards as she skidded in her boots. Hailey had bought two pairs, the second pair were a pair that belonged to a Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders uniform she had bought Vicky for Halloween. Adam had been traumatised to discover that the kiddy version of the uniform had as much skin showing as the actual version but she and Hailey had matched (promptly causing them to spend an enjoyable evening watching Jay's brain cells diminish with each passing moment) and yet for a girl born and bread three doors down from Canaryville how she didn't get the football sats was beyond him.
Either way the white boots and the outfit stayed at the back of the closet.
His phone buzzed as Kim got Vicky's coat on and he looked to see it was a reminder for tomorrow at half ten that he had his therapist appointment. He sighed putting the phone back down on the table and wishing he could erase the message. That being said he knew well enough to know what would happen if he dared to miss an appointment. Al would find out, Voight would find out and then he would never hear the end of it.
He had actually tried it once, actually not bothered to go to an appointment, instead he'd gotten behind the wheel of a car for the first time in months and drove to the road where he had been found. They had never found where he had been held, they suspected a basement off side of the pub that Vicky had mentioned all those months ago but they had never found it, not really. Vicky had been vocal in the fact that they were alone in there so at least that was one thing off his mind but Adam had gone to the phone booth and had stared at the thing until not half an hour later there had been the sounds of sirens and Al had parked up and told him to get his ass in the truck did he not realise that he still had a knee injury?
He had climbed in and then…
"I don't know if I can go back on the street"
"That's what therapy is for, so you have the chance to have the job again before you piss it all away on a desk"
"Hear me" he said softly. "Please just…just hear me Al."
He waited until Al was looking at him as they stopped at a light.
"I don't know if I can do it again" he said softly.
Al was silent for a second and then.
"Then that's fine too"
And they had driven on to the appointment in silence.
He was pulled out of his mental probe by Kim who passed him his phone where he had put it down on the table. He looked at her and she smiled at him and jerked her head at the door rubbing his arm in that soothing way she did when she knew the memories had hit him at the worst opportunity or time or place. That happened a lot now too.
"Come on" she said quietly. "Let's go and formally adopt our daughter"
He nodded and then he grabbed his keys and together the little family of three that they had become walked to the car.
The drive to the courthouse was nice and easy and he was more than amused to see that everyone else had gotten there before him, Kev was wearing shades despite the week February sunlight next to Hayley whose hair was long and who was also wearing shades which was a sure sign that when he had bailed out of Molly's last night the drinking had carried on regardless. They had all been cleared of their involvement in the Woods case and to boot had saved three girls from a lunatic who had wanted to raise a family with each and every one of them. That and the fact that they had all got their paperwork in for the month without Voight threatening to take away their toys helped as well.
Jay next was bright eyed because Jay was a monster who in the five and a half years that Adam had known him had never had a hangover in his life. There were moments when Adam did wonder weather Jay was actually human when it came to stuff like that. Jay would laugh and say that it was all the Army training that taught him to be up and ready to go even if he had thrown up seconds ago due to the whiskey.
Voight in darker shades than Hailey was reading sat in the car reading some report and scoffing at it every five seconds which was a sure sign that he was getting ready to bollock someone. Antonio was drinking his coffee and Dante was staring at his as if it held the secrets of the universe. Only Platt dressed in a nice pantsuit and Al and Meredith looked as if they had put much thought into this.
"You know" Voight said when they got close to the car. "I need you to go and interview a witness…anyone…anyone tomorrow but this is a shockingly bad report. How I am supposed to hire a rookie from the Academy when they can't even write?"
Adam shot Kev a look.
"Punishment for shooting Woods. We have to have a rotation of rookies per case for the next six months to a year"
"Punish the innocent for the actions of the guilty" Voight muttered with a much put upon sigh.
"Yeah" Jay said with an eye roll. "That comes with the white shirt boss"
Voight rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry Uncle Sarge" Vicky said having made her way to Voight's side. "You'll get your revenge soon"
"Looking at this kid I wish it was soon"
As one the entire Intelligence department rolled their eyes. Adam and Al included.
"So!" Dante said cheerfully and Hailey groaned turning her head into Jay's side as Kevin winced.
"Kid I swear to God you are going to be the death of me"
Dante grinned and pulled out half a cinnamon bun.
"Dante save that for later. That dress is new"
Dante ignored Kim which in Adam's opinion was very stupid.
"Dante"
What was it about Meredith seriously? Scowling Dante returned the bun to it's bag and then shoved it through the open door of Voights car. Voight shot the kid a look that only Dante could ignore and then Voight pulled the bag off his upholstery and put it on the side before the syrup could drip. Adam had to bite down his grin at the look on Voight's face.
"Okay" Meredith said checking her watch with all the ruthlessness of a Major leading the troops into battle. "We have go in, Dante put that bun back in Jay's car please, Kevin if you so much as even think about throwing up down the side of the car—"
"Do it Atwater and you are cleaning the drunk tank for the rest of your mortal life"
Kevin looked rather alarmed at this but one by one the entire unit moved towards Courtroom B where the adoption would finally be legalised. It didn't matter that his own family were not here Adam thought suddenly as Vicky skipped ahead to hold hands with Dante who was the only one who could crack a smile on that boy's face (except maybe once in a great while Jay who he had apparently been living with now) and he watched her dark hair blowing in the wind, eyes bright and happy and her face shining, smile big on her face and he thought how wonderful it was that the child of smoke and darkness who had saved him when he couldn't even save himself had finally come full circle and learnt how to smile once more.
There was a clapping of a hand at his shoulder and for once he didn't flinch.
"You good son?"
"Yeah" Adam said wiping his eye before Al could see any kind of emotion (it wouldn't make one bit of difference Al could see it a mile off). "Yeah Al I'm good. I just…I didn't think I would get this you know?"
Al didn't say anything to that, he just squeezed his shoulder tightly and Adam grinned.
"I can do the interview with the witness you know" he said as they walked towards the courtroom"
"You sure?"
"Got to start somewhere again" he said quietly and Al nodded.
"Proud of you son" he said quietly and Adam nodded as Vicky turned her head this time her hand in Kim's her brown hair flying across her face as she took them in at the courthouse steps.
"Come on Dad!" she said waving her hand and Adam smiled at Al and ran up the stairs as fast as his knee could allow him to take her other hand and he watched out of the corner of his eye as Al took Meredith's as if they were proud parents and proud grandparents.
They were. Still. For him they were.
He took Vicky's hand in his and Kim clutched her other one and the three of them surrounded by family crossed the threshold of the past to start their brand new future. Together.
And there you go, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and you have enjoyed this story. I will be back with more but I just wanted to say again from me another massive thank you for your support throughout.
