The alarm buzzed sharply in the stillness of the early morning, pulling Adam from a restless sleep. He groaned, rubbing his face as the events of the past weeks settled heavily in his mind. Today was his first day back at the precinct since Londyn had come to live with him, and his stomach churned with a mix of nerves and anticipation.
The soft patter of small feet on the hardwood floor caught his attention. Londyn appeared in the doorway of his bedroom, her curls slightly tousled from sleep and her stuffed bear clutched tightly in her arms.
"Good morning, kiddo," Adam greeted her, forcing a smile despite his own anxiety. "You sleep okay?"
She nodded, though her wide eyes betrayed the same nervous energy he felt. "Are you going to work today?" she asked softly.
Adam sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, but I'll be back to pick you up from school this afternoon. You ready for your second day?"
Londyn hesitated, shifting on her feet. "I think so. Yesterday was okay… but it's still kind of scary."
Adam's heart ached for her, but he reached out a hand, motioning for her to come closer. She climbed onto the bed, sitting beside him. "You're going to do great," he reassured her. "Remember, it's okay to feel nervous. New things are hard, but I'm so proud of how brave you've been."
Londyn gave him a small smile, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You promise you'll be there when school's over?"
Adam wrapped an arm around her. "Promise. Now, let's get moving. We've got a big day ahead."
The morning routine was still a work in progress. Londyn sat at the kitchen island, poking at her bowl of cereal while Adam darted around the apartment, looking for his badge and a clean tie.
"Did you pack your lunch?" he called from the bedroom.
"Yes," Londyn replied, her voice muffled as she bit into a piece of toast.
Adam emerged, tugging his tie into place and grabbing his coffee mug. He paused, noticing Londyn's backpack sitting lopsided on the counter. "Your backpack looks heavy. Want me to check it?"
She shook her head firmly. "I'm fine. I just brought my coloring stuff."
He smirked, ruffling her curls as he walked past. "Alright, Picasso. Let's hit the road."
Dropping Londyn off at school proved harder than Adam had anticipated. As they stood in front of the school gates, Londyn clung to his hand, her grip tighter than usual.
"You remember where your classroom is, right?" Adam asked, crouching down to her level.
She nodded, but her eyes darted nervously to the crowd of kids milling around the playground. "What if I don't make any friends?" she whispered.
Adam's chest tightened. He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You've already made friends before, right? Makayla? Sophia? And those kids at the park?"
"Yeah," she admitted.
"Then you've got this. Just be yourself, kiddo. You're pretty awesome, and people will see that."
Londyn's lips quirked into a shy smile. "Okay."
"Okay," Adam echoed. He gave her a quick hug, his heart squeezing as she finally let go of his hand and joined the stream of students heading into the school. He stood there for a moment, watching until she disappeared inside.
Londyn clutched her backpack tightly as she walked through the crowded school hallway. The noise of lockers slamming and kids laughing made her stomach twist. She glanced at the map the teacher had given her on the first day and managed to find her classroom. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
"Good morning, Londyn," her teacher, Mrs. Carter, greeted warmly. "Go ahead and put your things in your cubby."
Londyn nodded silently, keeping her head down as she moved to her assigned seat. The other kids were chatting in small groups, but Londyn didn't know how to join in. She pulled out her sketchbook, hoping it would make her feel less out of place.
During math, she found herself distracted by the whispers of two girls sitting nearby. One of them, a girl with curly hair and glasses, turned and smiled at her. "Do you like to draw?" the girl asked, pointing at Londyn's open sketchbook.
"Yeah," Londyn said shyly.
"Me too," the girl said. "I'm Lily."
"I'm Londyn," she replied, her nerves easing slightly.
By lunchtime, Londyn and Lily were sitting together, comparing their drawings and chatting about their favorite animals. For the first time, Londyn felt like she might actually belong here.
In gym class, however, her nerves resurfaced. The class was playing dodgeball, and Londyn hung back, unsure of how to join in without making a mistake. A few balls zipped past her, and she flinched, gripping the wall for safety. Lily noticed and jogged over. "Come on," Lily urged. "It's just for fun. I'll stay by you."
With Lily by her side, Londyn cautiously stepped into the game. She wasn't the best player, but by the end of class, she found herself smiling. When the gym teacher blew the whistle, Londyn realized she had made it through the day—and it hadn't been so bad after all.
By the time Adam arrived at the precinct, the familiar sounds of ringing phones and hurried footsteps greeted him like an old friend. But stepping back into his role as Detective Ruzek felt different now. His world had shifted in ways he hadn't fully processed.
"Look who decided to show up," Kevin Atwater's voice boomed as Adam walked into the bullpen. "Daddy Ruzek, back in action."
The rest of the team chuckled, though their smiles were warm. Kim Burgess leaned against her desk, her arms crossed. "How's Londyn adjusting?" she asked.
Adam shrugged, setting his bag down. "She's doing good. Nervous about school, but she's tough. Tougher than I thought."
Voight appeared in the doorway of his office, his piercing gaze softening slightly as he looked at Adam. "Welcome back, Ruzek. Hope you're ready to hit the ground running. We've got a case."
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Adam replied, grabbing his notebook and falling into step with the rest of the team.
The case was a suspected gang-related homicide in Lincoln Park. A young man had been found in the early hours of the morning with multiple gunshot wounds, his wallet and phone still on him. It was clear this wasn't a robbery gone wrong. The victim's identity, a college student named Marcus Alvarez, pointed to a possible connection to a local gang he'd reportedly tried to leave.
Adam and Kim were assigned to interview the victim's roommate at his off-campus apartment. The roommate, a jittery sophomore named Ben, answered the door with wide eyes.
"We just want to ask a few questions about Marcus," Adam said, his tone calm but firm.
Ben hesitated but eventually let them in. As they questioned him, it became clear that Marcus had been receiving threats for weeks. "He was scared," Ben admitted, wringing his hands. "He said they wouldn't let him walk away. But he didn't tell me who 'they' were."
Back at the precinct, Adam relayed the information to Voight, who assigned Atwater and Upton to follow up with known gang members in the area. Meanwhile, Adam couldn't shake the parallels between Marcus's situation and his own fears as a father. The idea of someone threatening Londyn's safety made his blood run cold.
Later, Adam and Kim went over surveillance footage from a nearby convenience store where Marcus had been last seen alive. The footage showed Marcus arguing with two men, their faces partially obscured by hoods. Adam paused the video, leaning closer. "We need to ID these guys," he said, his voice tight with determination.
The day passed in a blur of briefings, interviews, and paperwork. Adam found himself slipping back into the rhythm of his job, but his thoughts frequently drifted to Londyn. Was she okay? Did she make friends? Was she eating her lunch?
At one point, Kim caught him staring at his phone, checking the time. "She's fine, you know," she said softly, her tone free of judgment. "Kids are resilient."
Adam nodded, but the tightness in his chest didn't ease. "Yeah. I just… I keep thinking about all she's been through. I want to be there for her."
Kim's expression softened. "And you are. But part of being there is trusting that she's going to be okay, even when you're not around."
Her words stayed with him as the team wrapped up their work for the day. By the time Adam clocked out, he was practically jogging to his car.
When Adam pulled up to the school, he spotted Londyn sitting on a bench near the entrance, her backpack propped up beside her. She looked up as he approached, her face breaking into a wide grin.
"Hey, kiddo. How was it?" he asked, crouching down to meet her eyes.
"It was good," she said, her voice bright. "I made a friend. Her name's Lily. We both like to draw."
Relief flooded Adam's chest. "That's awesome, Londyn. I'm proud of you."
As they walked back to the car, Londyn chattered excitedly about her day, her earlier nerves seemingly forgotten. Adam listened intently, his own worries melting away. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he was finding his footing—as a detective, and as a dad.
Let me know what you think about this chapter. Do you want the chapters to be longer? Do you have any storyline suggestions?