Hi, so here is another Chicago PD story and I am so excited to bring you thins one, this one takes me to a world post Erin, to Season 5 and this is a new thing for me so I hope that you enjoy. Also this delves a little into the Al/Adam relationship that I have enjoyed so much and like the Jay/Hank relationship is often ignored.

This story takes place around the break that happened in Season 5 when Adam's duel role was discovered, I can confirm that Hank and Al are not the enemies in this story. I think we all know who the enemy in Season 5 was.

This story does deal with upsetting themes including murder, rape and child abuse and PTSD flashbacks. If this TRIGGERS YOU THEN PLEASE STOP NOW!.

Pairings are as follows, Kim/Adam, Hailey/Jay, Will/Conner (briefly) and Al/Meredith.

Just to confirm that Lexie is dead in this story as well.

Disclaimer-Nothing here but Vicky is mine.

This story is AU as well but does stretch over Season 5 and Season 5 alone.

Please Read and Review and I will update as soon as I can.

TRIGGER WARNINGS AS USUAL.

This story will now be about twenty two chapters.

Also I had to go away and deal with some personal issues which delayed this chapter. This is now over so I hope you enjoy the final few chapters when I can get them out to you.

And there is just ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT OF THIS STORY!

The Spirit That I Have Seen

Chapter 21-The Girl In Question

Kim and Adam share an early morning coffee and an early morning kiss, a promise and a discussion. Al and Adam have a talk (ish). Dante is officially adopted into the crazy that is the CPD family. Penultimate Chapter.

Kim woke up feeling like death warmed over. And her pillow was damn uncomfortable.

It took her a second to realise that the pillow was Kevin's leg.

Kevin who had fallen asleep on Meredith's couch Adam leaning on his shoulder. They had come home to be yelled at (and Kim, Hayley, Antonio and Dante had all been very impressed) by Meredith Olinsky and then Trudy had shown up and by the time Kevin, Jay and Adam had entered (looking very hangdog) Meredith had gotten over her burning and everlasting rage at your lack of understanding about how precious your life is—and yes Halstead THAT MEANS YOU! and had made hot chocolate.

Two cups, three smores and an episode of the Great British Bake Off (which Kim had never watched but Kevin and Meredith both did) she had fallen asleep on with everyone else warm and in a big puppy pile. Al and Meredith had sneaked up to bed and Voight had insisted on taking the chair because as he put it he wasn't a teenager and oh I have a very bad back, Platt had taken the other one because she too had suddenly come down with a knee injury (conveniently) and so the rest of them were left to sprawl out on the couch and the floor.

Adam had been tucked up between Kevin and Antonio but now he was gone. Kim pushed herself up and bit back a whimper at the state of her left side which protested such an unusual action. She turned to see that Dante was still curled up on the left of Antonio, Vicky a warm blur of dark hair by his side then on the other side of Kevin her other leg had ended up close to Hayley who was half spooning Jay the two of them locked in their own blanket and if the soft mutters and whimpers were anything to go by Jay was getting over Erin rather rapidly. Kim winced and managed to detract herself without headbutting the coffee table and she slipped outside everything rumpled to see Adam stood at the little porch coffee in hand.

"Gimmie" she said making grabby hands and he shot her a wry look of amusement.

"I thought you didn't like my way of taking coffee" he said passing her the mug.

"I don't, you take too much sugar it's like being with a little kid again" she said taking a sip and wincing. "But after last night I need it"

"Last night was fun"

"Last night was a mess of too many adults in one space…and if Al doesn't get down quick Jay and Hayley are gonna fuck on his couch"

"Ugh"

"Yeah well…you fuck on it you buy it Chicago rules"

Adam looked at her. "Since when was that a Chicago rule?"

"Since now"

He laughed and then…

"I don't regret going to see him you know."

"I know"

"And I slept last night Kim…I slept last night for the first time in…however long it was and I managed to do it. I managed to sleep through the night without dreaming off him. I don't pretend to assume that it's all going to be okay but I know that I can be okay…and I know that doesn't make sense but I want to be happy and I am when I am with you and I am with that girl next door so…so will you do it with me? Properly. Cause I know it's a lot for you and I know that we didn't—"

"Yes"

He blinked at her and she took a moment of glee to take in the sight of Adam Ruzek completely speechless and then she grinned.

"Yes"

"Oh"

"What you thought I'd say no?"

"To be honest Kim the way you and I have been since we broke up I didn't know what the hell you were going to do"

And just like that the smile dropped off her face.

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"That's…fair" she said quietly. "I did…it wasn't that I didn't love you Adam, it was never that I didn't love you it was…I just…I wasn't ready, looking back I don't think either one of us was. We were living in two separate apartments, we had a date for a wedding but no plans, we had…we didn't know what we were going to do about our places or the job or…anything…hell we didn't even know if your parents could be in the same room together. And I just…I don't know. I think we were too young and too naïve."

"You mean we were damaged enough yet" he said quietly and she shrugged. She didn't know what to say to that. They had come up the three of them, her Kevin and Adam and they had all been young and naïve and fresh on the job. Darkness came with Hank Voight and the three of them had ran at it regardless of how much they had been told. Antonio had lost his partner, Jay had a history of darkness before he took a badge on his hip, Erin had ran away from hers when it threatened to take her under, Hayley…she didn't know about but there was something there she was sure of it, something big and ugly and nasty hiding under the rock that was Hayley Upton and her big blue eyes and her blonde hair and her roundhouse kicks. Jules, Sumner, Chin, Lexie, Justin a string of broken bodies between them all. And now there was this…to be fair when she thought about it she thought that maybe Sean had been onto something when he had said that it was better to go in, in uniform and go out in it all the same. Back then she had thought he was smoking crack and now she was beginning to see what he was on about.

Maybe this was there's. Kevin's was all tied down in Justin and Vanessa. Maybe this was the price that she and Adam had to pay to be happy.

Or maybe she was losing the plot.

Either way she didn't know.

She wasn't sure she wanted too.

"You love me?" Adam said quietly into the void.

"Yes" she said without hesitation.

"Do you mind that he raped me?"

"What sort of a fucking—"

"It's a question Kim answer it"

"No. You know I don't…Adam my heart breaks for you and a part of me wants to dig Woods up so I can dance on his grave but I don't care about that…we can wait, I can wait, I can wait a lifetime…you don't know what it was like those six months where I didn't know if you were alive or dead. Hell I was as bad as Al—"

"Yeah I heard he was bad"

Kim scoffed.

"Bad doesn't cover it. It was Lexie Adam, Lexie only worse because he'd done it before. Seriously I know you don't…the man loves you like a son."

There was a pause and Adam sighed.

"I know"

There was something there that she couldn't put her finger on but she didn't ask at the end of the day. She had learnt a long time ago what happened when you prodded in Al's business and Adam was Al's business even if Adam didn't see it.

"So you love me and I love you and we both love Vicky" Kim said quietly. "Why don't we for once just make it that simple?"

Adam turned to look at her.

"Dinner?"

"Please. Dante's got the kid hooked on Harry Potter and there's a debate brewing between Star Wars. Why don't we just do that and some pizza and some prosecco—"

"Kim it's as dry as fuck—"

"And yet the last time you did a bottle my panties ended up on that photo of you Dad getting his award"

Adam choked on his spit and then laughed. She laughed too and it was easy.

"Hey" she said when he had stopped. "Let's take this slow. We've got time."

"Yeah" he said quietly. "We have"

And with that he kissed her and she kissed him back, it was small and soft and gentle. Like she had said.

They had time.

"There kissing"

"Dante away from the window please"

Dante sighed. He went to the kitchen and sat down at the table next to Vicky where he was given a cup of hot cocoa and enough food to feed an army which was good because he was hungry as hell. He didn't know what to make of this but he knew that he liked being fed and warm. He knew too that he liked Meredith Olinsky. Woman should be running the fucking world.

He dumped a load of ketchup on his bacon ignored Antonio's scandalous look and then began to eat.

"Hank they are back together I knew it! That's two classes your teaching at the Academy"

Al choked.

"Trudy please tell me that they don't want Hank at the academy cause if he is teaching physical fitness—"

"Fuck you old man"

"Boys!"

Yep Dante thought chewing his toast, this was absolutely the strangest shit he had ever put up with.

"JAY YOU FUCK ON MY COUCH YOU BUY IT!"

There was a scream a banging and a swearing that came out of the lump that was still on the couch and Dante swallowed his orange juice with a hard gulp as Jay came out of the burrito looking very much like a horny teenager who had been caught with his hands down the head cheerleaders skirt.

He bit his bottom lip at their expressions.

There was a banging and Kim came in looking wild.

"Everything okay?"

"Good, sit, eat, where's Adam?"

"Outside, he said he needed to see the light for a bit longer"

Al threw down his paper and Dante had an image of the Dad from the Waltons doing the same thing.

"Oh I'll make him see the light don't you worry"

"Al"

"Mere you had your chance to yell at them now it's mine."

"And don't think your off the hook Kev either"

"Yes Sarge"

Dante chewed another piece of bacon and then Vicky who had been sat next to Antonio who had been cutting up bacon for her with the gentleness of someone who had kids piped up.

"Kim?"

"Yeah Vicky?"

"What's fucking?"

Dante thought he should get points for not choking on his food. Hayley had to be whacked in the back of the shoulders by a blushing Jay. Kevin fell of his chair.

"Children" Voight said as he picked up the discarded paper. "I am surrounded by children"

But he was smiling as he said it.

"If you're here to yell?"

But Al had already pulled him into a hug.

"Nah"

"Oh"

"Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"You fucking do that to me again and I will end you on the spot you understand?"

Adam nodded into Al's shoulder and then…

"Al?"

"Yeah"

"I think I might be okay you know? For the first time…I think I'm going to be okay"

Al pulled back and grabbed his chin for a second eyeing him in that way he had eyed him when he had picked him up out of the Academy all those years ago.

"I know you are going to be okay" he said just as quiet.

Adam nodded and for a second he leaned his head on the warm shoulder as Al took his coffee cup. This was nice.

"Adam what the fuck are you drinking?"

"Coffee"

"Son this is not coffee"

"Yes Dad it is"

It slipped out of him and he pulled back suddenly aware that while Adam might be Al's son Al had never told him he could call him Dad…he didn't know if that was allowed when the last person who had called him that was Lexie.

"Al…"

"Don't" Al said quietly. "Just let me enjoy the moment"

Adam closed his mouth.

"By the way you might have to have the sex talk with Vicky sooner than later" Al said patting him on the back. "Consider that your punishment…trust me son…there's nothing like having that conversation with your daughter to put a damper on any kind of fun your planning to have"

And with that he went back into the house.

Adam waited as the words sunk in and then—

"Wait…what?"

And there you go, a happy nicey, nice chapter. Next chapter will be the final one. I will try and update sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-THE FINAL CHAPTER-Adam looks back on his life six months after he first went missing as he takes a rahter significant step forwards both professionally and personally.