A/N: I couldn't help myself...I'm sorry. I can't wait until next week to find out what happens next. I just hope they take it slow and you know, be adults and talk about things.

"Wow, so ummm." Adam pulled away. "So Hi." His hands were still on her forearms, holding her just a little tighter than he probably should have and his fingers were massaging her triceps. Her body had moved closer, into his very personal space and her hands were gripping the waist of his jacket. It was definitely the type of cold Chicago night that would take you breath away but that wasn't the reason they were both struggling to get some air into their lungs. He'd almost said he was sorry, but he wasn't. He was sorry for a lot of things but kissing her just now wasn't one of them.

"You've already said that." Kim chuckled nervously. The dark Chicago night was masking his face a little but they were staring at each. It was confusing and perfect and she couldn't even remember how cold she was anymore. As she'd stepped out of the warmth of the District it had hit her right between the eyes. "I've missed you."

"It's only been a couple of weeks."

"No, I've missed you for a long time." Wherever he had been it had been good for him. He was looking just about flawless.

Suddenly he took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. The fingerless gloves, well the only good thing about them was his fingertips were numb so even if he did touch her skin he wouldn't feel it and that would be a good thing. "Yeah? Well, it's good to be back." He nodded his head towards the District, so dark and imposing behind them. "I should show my face."

"Nobody's there. They've all gone to Molly's." As the initial shock had worn off the nerves were starting to kick in and this strangely familiar thud in her chest. It had been more than a year since she'd felt like this and god how that hurt.

"Oh." Adam kicked the ground with toe of his boot.

"They are all there and I am sure they'd love to see you."

"Nah." He got the feeling that his welcome home wasn't going to be a nice as this one had been. Voight was pissed with him, he was pretty sure of that. "How's it been?"

Kim shook her head lightly. This was surreal; she could not believe Adam was standing in front of her. Any minute now she was going to wake up and find out that it wasn't real, he wasn't really here and he hadn't just kissed her. And what a kiss? It was soft at first, tentative even but they had soon lost their heads and it had gone deeper, their tongues seeking out each other and even pulling apart took a few precious seconds as they kept pressing their lips together wanting to taste each other just one more time. "Good, different, hard." She stuttered nervously.

"Yeah? How's O been?"

"Well he's not my biggest fan but we are getting better."

"Ouch." He knew precisely how Al could be and whereas he pushed back, refused to let Al dim him light until he begrudgingly accepted him he could see that Kim would take it to heart but he had every faith in her and she would win him over. That was one of other reasons he left because he didn't want it to be awkward for her while she was finding her feet, if Voight noticed that they couldn't work together like adults he didn't want her to be bumped back to Patrol because right from the very start he knew this was what she wanted. He wasn't going to be the one to take that away from her.

They were going to challenge her, without a doubt and Voight and Al would be watching her every move. If by him being there it made it harder for her to settle in and find her feet then that wasn't fair. Already she was passed over because of him or what Voight thought was going on between them, and then she turned it down out what she claimed as some sense of loyalty to her partner although as far as he was concerned it was just out of fear. And this was not the place to be scared. This was her last chance.

So he risked his own career for hers.

"And it was pretty awkward up there today. The new guy.." she screwed up her nose. "..I don't like him."

"The new guy? My replacement?"

"Yes. Kenny Rixton, from the Gang Unit. Bit of a trade down if you ask me." Kim wrapped her arms around herself to protect herself from a sudden blast of wind and noticed the slightly bemused look on Adam's face. She had made it sound like he had traded down to Intelligence, which was so far from the truth it wasn't funny. He'd skated in on his history with Voight, but then this was how this unit worked. Some got free passes and other's worked for an opportunity. "For us I mean, not Rixton."

"Voight's old unit?" Adam was mulling that over and Kim nodded her head. "Good to know." Adam grimaced at the cold and the revelation. He had been replaced, not surprising really but he hoped he would have the same latitude as others. It wasn't like he'd run off and got wasted, he'd taken a job, an Undercover Job that would look good on his CV and help him garner some more experience. He'd only ever worked in Intelligence and done things Voight's way. It was good to see how other's worked and see how he adjusted. How he'd done it probably wasn't the best but it was too late now. Before he even set foot back in the District again he had the sinking feeling there would be no welcome back party in the Bullpen. "Anyway I should let you go." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's really good to see you again."

Adam turned to leave and Kim took a quick step towards him and touched his hand lightly. "Where are you staying?" Suddenly she did not want to see the back of him, she couldn't bear to see him walking away from her, not again. "I went by your place, it's cleaned out."

"I'll just crash at my Pops place." Waving his hand off in some distant direction.

"Stay at my place." Wow, that was the last thing she expected to come out of her mouth and Adam looked just as surprised.

"Kim, we can't."

"Stay on the couch, at least for tonight. It's late and cold and I don't know about you but I could do with something to eat and a beer." Neither of them wanted to walk away from each other, something had shifted, the earth had moved under their feet again. Whether it was good or bad was unclear but something had to happen and it did. Now they needed to work out what to do about it. Perhaps at the end of the day they would do nothing. Put each other in their pasts and close the door for good. Or not.

"Aren't you going to Molly's?"

"No, They are having a drink with Rixton to apologise for accusing him of being a rat, of turning on his old unit. They have Indictments coming down the tube and he's the only one that isn't on that list. Voight had told us nothing about him so it got a little testy when everyone found out. I get it, they want to know if they can trust him, but hey I am the new girl so I stayed out of it." She was probably saying a little too much but she felt like he had the right to know what he was walking back into tomorrow. The sudden case of verbal diarrhoea was amusing enough though; he'd heard her ramblings before when she was nervous about something and Adam's mouth twitched with the faintest of smiles. "He also was an ass to Kev reminding him he'd spent his time writing parking tickets on Patrol. You know me, I love to hold a grudge."

Adam laughed, the puff of cold air circling his head as he stamped his feet. It was getting way too cold to stay outside for much longer. "Are you sure you don't mind me crashing, just for a night."

"Adam." She tugged on his arm. "Of course I don't mind."