It had been a few weeks since the family got back from North Carolina and the couple had gotten married. They had a successful check up where they once again were told Chris was growing long and large. But overall Kim was doing well and healthy. Adam was concerned by the fact Kim couldn't see her feet anymore. She needed help putting her shoes on all the time and it was hard for her to walk on the stairs. He really wanted to discuss her changing jobs again but knew right now was not the right time. She was happy today and focused on her work. Platt had placed her in the recovered property department again. It was the safest thing to keep her busy and it helped clean up the back log. The team hadn't gotten a case yet so they sat around chatting about life for them all. "Hey Adam, Kim's mom still pissed at you guys?" Jay asked knowing it had been crazy.
"Yup! They are going to therapy starting this week. Kim doesn't need the stress and her mom really needs more help." He shook his head knowing her mother was being an ass for no reason. "I'm surprised Kim was willing to do therapy with her mother again. That was very stressful for Kim the last time. Days where they didn't talk afterwards. Days she would hide at my house to escape her mother. We didn't blame her." Erin knew Adam didn't know all the details. "That actually doesn't surprise me at all. Her mother has always rubbed me the wrong way. Especially since I know her mother never listened to Kim as a kid. I do the best I can when we are around her. But less time with her is better." They all agreed. As they continued to talk they heard the gate opening. They hoped it was a case since they were bored. But it wasn't.
"God damnit!" Kim yelled from the stairs. The team ran towards her. "Kim! Are you okay? What happened?" Adam was running down the stairs to her. "I'm okay. I missed the step. My hands took the brunt." Kim sighed a bit. "Did you hit your belly?" He was very concerned knowing the team was ready to call 911. "No I'm good. I just need some help up the stairs please. And I need to clean up my hands." Kim cried a bit. "Hey it's okay. We will get you cleaned up. And take care of getting you a snack. Okay?" He watched her nod. He helped her up and guided her up the stairs. He got her settled at his desk hoping that she didn't have more injuries. Kevin ran to grab the first aid kit as Adam knelt down in front of her checking her hands and ankles. "Darling. Your right ankle is swollen. Was it like that this morning when you got up?" He was out before her this morning as he had breakfast with his sister. They hadn't caught up in a while so they took advantage of the slower day to have breakfast together.
"Um maybe I don't think so." Pregnancy brain was real and she blanked on so many things. "Okay I'm gonna touch it okay? I want to make sure you didn't sprain it and not realize it." Adam watched her nod as he reached down to see her ankle looked bad. He took it gently in his hands hearing her wince. "Well it's definitely twisted, possibly sprained. We are gonna wrap it okay?" He heard her sigh a bit. "I know but this is part of pregnancy. Especially with Chris growing so big. It's okay." He wrapped get ankle gently then helped her get her shoe back on. He then cleaned up her hands making sure they didn't get infected. "How about a snack?" He watched her smile happily. "Thank you baby!" Kim was beaming again. "Burgess!" Voight called out as he walked over. "Take this key card. Use it. Start taking the elevator when you come and go. No matter what floor you are going to. It's safer this way. I don't think any of us wants to see that happen again. Okay?" He watched her take the card. "Okay thank you. I really was trying to not get special favors but I admit it's getting harder." Kim sighed. "That's okay. You are doing great!" He patted her shoulder and headed back to his office.
Kim got her snack and settled more at Adam's desk eating her fruit. She looked so happy. "Adam, you need to add a photo of our wedding to your desk. Like a before and after tragedy thing." He was smiling watching her. "Sounds good to me. We also need to update the baby books. Add photos from the beach but also Ry's birthday to his book." He knew they needed to update them but they had slacked off on it. "You are right. I will work on that tonight. So I can rest but be productive. And the kids love picking out the photos to add so it will be nice spending time together." Kim loved doing projects with the kids. It was fun seeing them being creative and trying to make the best project possible. "Love it. You ready to head back down?" He helped her up and led her back to her desk but using the elevator to move between floors. Only once she was settled did he head back to his desk.
"I'm calling it now! Bed rest as of 32 weeks. And inducing labor at 36 weeks. Her body won't make it to full term." Jay knew Kim all too well. And her body was screaming for help. "Not sure I agree on the time frame but I agree she will be on bed rest." Antonio agreed knowing how uncomfortable she must be. "Ruz! Did the doctor mention bed rest at all?" Kevin asked wondering what the doctors said. "Nope not yet. They are slightly concerned with Chris's size but not in a bad way. They are just unsure how Kim will be able to deliver him naturally if he keeps growing larger. I know she's terrified of the idea of a c-section. But for now we aren't too worried about it. Why?" He was curious about where this was coming from. "We could just see her having to go on bed rest with how big he's getting. Hopefully that doesn't happen." Kevin shrugged it off.
"Well if it does we will handle it like always. I would like her to slow down more but she wants to continue to work as long as possible. Which I understand but that." Pointing towards the stairs. "Scared the hell out of me. I know that could have happened at home just as easily but she literally can't see her feet. I came home one day and she had two different shoes on. No clue they were different. She was just proud she got her shoes on. But I do know one thing for sure. We aren't doing this again. I'm not asking her to go through this again. Threes already a dream but after this I will never ask her to do this again. It's been too hard on her body." He knew they would understand. "We get that. We also know it's been a tough pregnancy in different ways but she's hung tough. She's been strong the whole time. And honestly she has been happy which with how big Chris is that's surprising." Kevin knew Kim very well and knew she was struggling but would never say it. She would just suck it up like always.
"She's tougher than me! Always has been." Adam admitted noticing Voight coming out of his office. "We got a case. Dead body found in a parking lot. Looks like a dump job. Let's head out." Voight led them out to the scene hoping this would be a quick case. When they arrived on scene they noticed two patrol officers, one being Officer Rojas who Adam knew from the locker room incidents. "What do we have?" Voight asked the patrol officers. "Deceased female, blunt force trauma to the head, lots of bruising. Lots like she was thrown from a car. But I figured she had to be someone somewhat important since her shoes cost almost 2000. We didn't find idea on her though." Rojas explained. "Alright thank you Officer. Start looking under cars and in garbage cans just to be safe." Voight ordered as he turned to his team. "Boss the ring on her right index finger, it's an Oura ring. It's the new fitness tracker trend. Maybe Mouse can get something from it." Adam explained. Kim wanted one but he fingers were changing everyday so they were holding off till the baby was born.
"Okay let's get it over to Mouse. Anyone know anything about these shoes? Rojas mentioned they are pricey." Voight looked around. "Too many places in the city to buy those. Needle in a haystack. But yes they are 1700 give or take. And they are in good shape so they weren't worn much." Erin looked over the shoes. "Okay anything else we see here?" Voight wanted to make sure they hadn't missed anything. "Other than the trauma nope. Several cameras on the street so that should give us something even if it's just proof she was thrown from a moving car." Al pointed to the different cameras. "Alright let's head back." The team returned which Adam taking the ring over to Mouse. "Hey man! Got a fitness tracker off our victim. Can you get anything from it? I know it's new technology but anything would help." Adam hands it over. "Yeah should be able to get at least time of death based on the heart rate tracker. And since it's newer I might be able to narrow it down with the manufacturer based on the victims height, weight, age. Let me work and I will let you know." Mouse started to work quickly trying to figure out how this thing worked. It was the first one he saw.
"Ruz how did you know about that ring?" Al asked since it wasn't Adam's thing. "Kim wants one. She wants to replace the Fitbit. She still has allergic reactions to it from the nickel but it's bearable. And this is nickel free, does more and it's water proof. So she wouldn't need to remember to take it off when we go in the pool or the ocean. But also her fitbits so old it needs to be charged every 18 hours or it dies. I'm just waiting till pregnancy is over before I get it for her." He really liked the idea of getting it for her. "Is it that much better?" Jay asked knowing Kim loved her fitness tracker. "Yeah. It's not only sleep tracking and steps but also overall readiness for the day, recovery from the previous day, stress tracking, blood oxygen tracking, cardiovascular health, period health. It's insane but it fits on the fingers so right now Kim's swelling so it's hard to get the right size." Adam pulled up the website to show Jay as they returned to work.
It was a good hour later when Mouse entered with a list. "Okay so this is a list of all the woman in Chicago who own this type of ring. Broken down by height, weight, age, size of the ring and color of the ring. It's down to 10 names but I a,ready printed out their DMV photos to see if any match." He handed the stack to Erin and headed back out. "Well that was definitely helpful. Okay let's look over these." Erin placed each one next to the victim before finding the match. "Okay we have a name let's start the deep dive." Voight barked out as everyone started working on why the victim had been killed. Roughly an hour later they saw Kim walking into the bullpen. She was definitely not walking her best. Adam knew the ankle was feeling worse but they had a case right now. If she needed assistance she would ask, he knew that. He watched her sit down with her lunch and a water looking through her phone. He noticed she was just happy and relaxed as she sat with her foot up. It looked uncomfortable with the belly in the way but he loved watching her.
"We are heading out. We are heading to the victims address to look for evidence. Could be the primary crime scene." Voight announced as the team rolled out. Adam blew Kim a kiss as they left. He knew she was safe and okay for the most part so he could stay focused on work. The team arrived shortly realizing there were signs of a struggle in the apartment as well as signs of forced entry. "This statue has blood on it." Kevin pointed to one on the table. "Doesn't look like it belongs here. And it could be the source of the blunt force trauma the victim suffered." Erin looked it over. "Hair and skin on it. This is definitely the murder weapon. Wonder if we can get prints?" Jay mused as they continued to work. "Cell phone and purse are here. Maybe she had just gotten home when she was attacked?" Adam held up her things. "Completely possible. At least we can see who her last calls and texts were with. And access to her email. Maybe that will give us the lead we need." They finished up with talking to the neighbors hoping someone heard something but no such luck.
They headed back to the district hoping to close the case soon. Adam really needed to focus on Kim and the kids. Kim did have therapy tonight after work so the kids would be with Bob for a bit and he agreed to bring them home so it was easier for Kim. Adam made it a point to take the phone to Mouse so he could pop in on Kim. "Hey darling. How are you holding up?" He could see she was tired. "Um I'm okay. Tired and my feet hurt but nothing out of the ordinary. Also not looking forward to therapy tonight. It's just going to be dumb. She's not going to change but I need to be able to speak my mind in a safe place where she is forced to listen. The fact that she is still pissed off that we got married without telling her is stupid. I kind of feel like we are right back where we started with our progress." Kim sighed a bit. "I get that I really do. But remember why you are doing this. You do love your mom, she loves you, she loves the kids and they love her. We just need to get her back on track. Get her back to understanding the boundaries and back to respecting our lives and decisions. I think if you remind her what's a stake she will back down." He hoped that was the right thing to say.
"I hear ya. I would just rather focus on the good between us than deal with her issues again. I'm kind of afraid I will snap at her later. But I know you have work to do. So go to work. I'm good, I'm fine, just tired." She kissed him quickly. "Okay love you darling. Stay safe." He kissed her forehead. "Love you too. No getting shot!" Kim smiled as he headed off not without winking at her first. He returned to the bullpen ready to finish it. Kim headed out around 4:30 heading to her therapy session with her mom. She knew this would be stressful but she was willing to try. She arrived knowing her mother was most likely already there. She was almost always early trying to spend more time with Kim. She did her best to stay calm as she walked towards Dr Charles office. "Hey mom! Thanks for agreeing to this." Kim tried to smile best she could. "Well I'm not sure why I'm here really." Rebecca whined a bit. "Because you are mad at me for getting married without letting you know. And you have been short with me since, so we are here to talk about it." Kim stayed calm as she spoke.
"Ladies why don't you come on in." Dr Charles could hear them already since his door was ajar. "Thank you. I'm eager to put this issue to bed. I just want to live my life how I want without worrying that I will get in trouble. I'm an adult. I don't need mommies permission to get married at 27 years old. We did exactly what we wanted and it was beautiful. And I feel like it's been stained by this bullshit." Kim explained. "You are supposed to invite your family! We don't elope!" Rebecca almost yelled. "Well my family was there. Adam and our kids are my family. And I never said we wouldn't have a large wedding with everyone there. I just wanted to be married before Chris gets here. And I couldn't imagine anything more amazing than getting married in Duck. Where we met, reconnected, fell in love all over again, got engaged and conceived Chris. And the sound side chapel built into a tree was perfect for us. You don't have to approve by any means but if you don't get over this we are putting in some strict boundaries that will limit access to the kids. We don't want this around our children. And we won't allow it. So you need to figure this out." Kim sat back and looked at Dr Charles who was smirking knowing she was harsh but it needed to be said. And he was proud she was using her tools she learned to deal with her mother.
"You could have at least told us before hand." Rebecca tried to sound calmer. "How would that have changed things for you?" Dr Charles asked interested in her response. "We would have had time to get used to the idea." She explained. "So this anger is because they surprised you or because they didn't include you?" He questioned further. "Both Kim has been increasingly hands off with us since Adam came along." Rebecca was breaking slightly. "So because she has a stable partner now and doesn't need your help anymore and now they got married without you are upset?" Dr Charles figured it out. "Well yes. We have always been there for her. To be tossed aside like trash." Kim had had enough. "Let's be real here. You weren't tossed aside like trash. I took the support he offered to create the family I always wanted. You being upset that I have a stable partner and don't need your help is very selfish don't you think? You should be thrilled that Adam and I found each other again. That the nightmares are gone, the panic attacks are gone, flashbacks are gone. I'm just living my life again. That should always be more important than anything else. And as a parent you should want that for us!" Kim had tears in her eyes as the session continued.
Adam was finishing up their case so he could head home to the kids who were hanging with his dad. He knew Kim would be drained after therapy so he decided to get take out so it was one less thing to worry about. "Alright guys see you tomorrow. Hopefully we don't get a case before hand." He headed down the stairs placing an order as he went. He also texted his dad to let him know he was on his way home. The drive was short but he was mostly worried about Kim and her therapy session. He was sure it was going to be brutal but he knew this needed to happen. As he pulled in the garage he noticed the door open with Allie holding Tiger and Riley next to her beaming. He shut off the car and closed the garage as he exited the car. "Hey guys are we having fun?" He watched them both nod excitedly. "Great let's head inside now. And let Tiger down. I'm sure he's ready to run free again." Kim was the only one who was allowed to hold him long term. Otherwise he wasn't happy and would wiggle till he was free.
Tiger was placed down and running free again. He loved playing with the kids. But only loved being hugged by Kim. They all wondered if it was because he was like her old cat or if because their personalities are very similar. And cats choose their humans Adam had learned. "Hey pops! Thanks for looking after these crazy kids." He hugged his dad quick. "No problem. They are easy. Kim has therapy today?" Bob asked as normally Kim was around. "Yup joint session with her mother. Her mother is still pissed at us for getting married without her knowing. It's really just insane." Adam explained without too much extra information. "Huh well from what I've heard sounds like they need it. And sounds long overdue." Bob didn't know the whole story but he knew enough. "Yup. She should be happy Kim kept a relationship with her at all after the rape. Her mother ignored Kim's pleading to stop the classes. But she didn't agree with Kim. Her teacher was the one who raped her on a day her mom was late picking her up from class." He heard Bob gasp.
"Wow that's crazy. Well I'm proud of her for how from she has come. She's a fighter that's for sure. Alright well let me head out. Have a fun night with the kids and just relax." Bob hugged both kids before he headed out again. "Kids dinners on the table." Adam helped the kids get settled with dinner grabbing them drinks before he sat with them. It wasn't too much longer before Kim arrived home from therapy. She put on a happy face as she entered the house. "Hey darling. Dinners on the table. Eat up!" Adam grabbed her a drink helping her get comfortable. Kim tried to listen to the kids going on and on about their days and tried to stay positive but it was difficult with how drained she was. Both kids talking a mile a minute. Kim was laughing along but Adam knew she was done for the day. "How about we watch a movie after dinner is finished?" Adam suggested. Both kids cheered. "Sounds perfect. I think we could all use a movie night to relax." Kim was thrilled she didn't have to run around with the kids.
Kim helped clean up after dinner even though Adam told her to rest. As soon as they finished the clean up they settled on the couch with the kids and the cat. It was the perfect night for the family. Once both kids were sound asleep Adam moved them to their beds. He kissed them good night as he left the room. He was surprised to see Kim outside. He figured she would be crashed out with the cat who was eating at the moment. Adam headed out to see Kim. "So how did it go?" He asked sitting next to her. "Um not great but I think she got the message loud and clear. She's basically been resentful towards you since I no longer needed her since her came back into my life. So very selfish on her part but Dr Charles was happy with how I stood my ground and kept the focus on how her behavior affects not only me but the kids. I'm just drained from fighting this again. It will be fine though. I'm just over it. Especially since she's the only one who is pissed off at us. So dumb. How was the case?" She asked knowing it had been kind of crazy.
"Good. She had the fitness tracker you want. And I promise as soon as the pregnancy is over I will get you the ring. So a few more months till we can properly message your finger for it." He knew she really wanted something new. "Oh I'm excited for that. It just seems easier to maintain since it's water proof and it tracks so much more so I really want it. So we shall continue to wait." He felt her snuggle closer to him. "How's your ankle?" He asked still concerned about it. "Um it still hurts some but it's not terrible. I think it's just a roll over. Nothing too bad. Maybe a bath together tonight?" Kim asked knowing he wouldn't mind. "Sounds great let's go!" He helped her up bringing her inside. They noticed Tiger following them. "Bud we are getting in the tub." Kim explained but he followed anyway. The couple shook their heads as they moved up the stairs. Adam was close behind her just in case she slipped again.
He started the tub right away as she stripped down from the day. He helped her get the pants off and unwrapped her ankle. He led her to the bathroom tossing his clothes in the hamper as they went. "Alright bath is ready." Adam stepped in and then helped her in. Kim grabbed a towel and placed it on the toilet lid that was closed. "Come on buddy." Kim placed him on the towel so he could rest while they were in the tub. "Feel better on your ankle now?" Adam saw her eyes closed and her body relaxing. "Yeah this is nice." Kim placed Adam's hands on her belly. He could feel her breathing deep but also focusing. She heard his gasp but also felt it. "Did I just feel Chris kicking?" He asked shocked. "Yup! He's making himself known." Kim laughed but knew Adam was in tears. "That's amazing. Hey buddy! I can't wait to meet you. This is so cool feeling you kick for the first time." Adam rubbed her belly laughing and crying. "It's crazy amazing right?" She asked but didn't turn knowing it would be too hard with her belly. "This whole pregnancy has been amazing. But I won't ask you to do this again. You have struggled too much already so after Chris we are done." He knew it would surprised her but that she would be grateful.
"Sounds like a plan to me. This has been harder is different ways but I know it's worth it. I can't wait for him to be here though." Kim melted more into his body. "I hear ya. Hopefully we can find a way to support the belly better to help you hold out till the end. I know it's heavy and dragging you down some." Adam just rubbed her belly loving the feeling of tiny feet kicking his hands. "Ready to get into bed?" He asked feeling her falling asleep. "Sounds good. I could use a bit more sleep tonight." She smiled getting up and out to dry off. Adan was behind her drying her legs and belly. She moved to grab a shirt and some panties as Adam dried off. He found her sound asleep already only dressed in the shirt. He smiled moving her body into a more comfortable position. He rubbed lotion on her belly before he joined her in the bed. Tiger was already in Kim's arms sound asleep so Adam drifted off next to them. His hand never leaving her belly. Never leaving his son's kicks. Another new heaven for him.