THREE MONTHS EARLIER
"Come on you can do it!" Adam was lying on his stomach in front of Nicholas, "Da-Da" he said, "I know you can say it Nicky"
Nicholas smiled at him, the smile revealing two teeth on the bottom his little hands clapping happily, though he remained silent. "Close enough pal, daddy will take the smile"
"I swear he said it Adam, he repeated it a few times this morning" she told him as she folded the laundry, "it figures he'd say your name first" she laughed, "he really wants to get moving"
Adam picked him up, "I'm thinking once he starts moving we are in for it, he's gonna be a wild man" he lifted him over his shoulder, "how are your folks? They must be excited for their trip"
She sighed, not entirely comfortable with her parents going on a cross country trip in an RV, "they are, my father has been watching YouTube videos on RVs and how to take care of them" she put the basket on the floor, "I'm not crazy about this trip Adam, my dad thinks he's still thirty years old"
Adam laughed, "Kim he's in excellent shape and he's a smart man, don't worry so much" Nicky trying to squirm out of Adam's arms, "when do they leave?"
"First thing in the morning, they are coming by in a little while to say good bye" she told him, she was dreading it, "I wish I could convince them to cancel"
Adam put Nicky on the floor and handed him some blocks, "Baby, you need to relax. Your parents deserve this, it's a trip of a lifetime. They'll be back before you know it" he kissed her.
"Where's grandma's little man?" Deborah asked as Adam let her and Mike in, "hey Adam" she gave him a quick hug.
"Good to see you guys, Kim's out back with Nicholas. He loves the swing you bought him" he told them, "How's the beast, Mike?"
"She's good" he smiled, talking about the RV, "for something so big it's really easy to drive, once we get back from this trip we will have to do Disney or something"
"Uh, I think I'll pass on Disney, Nick ain't ready for that yet" he led them out back.
"Hey Princess!" Mike hugged Kim, "I see my grandson is enjoying that swing"
"He loves it" Kim told him, "any chance I can convince you to cancel the trip?"
He jammed his hands in his pockets, "Not this again sweetie, just trust me okay?"
"Now Kim, that's enough. We aren't as old as you think you know!" Deborah teased her.
"Yea, and you aren't as young as you think" she told them lifting Nicholas from the swing, he quickly protested, "All done Nicholas" she told him.
"Are you mad?" Deborah asked her, "Seriously Kim you're being a bit ridiculous"
Adam knew it was coming, the tears she had been fighting the last few hours, "am I mom?" She asked, "I think Nicholas is ready for bed"
"Come on Kim" Adam pleaded with her, "don't be like that" he reached for her hand.
"Don't Adam" she told him, "Nicky give grandma and grandpa a kiss" she told him and handed him to her parents, "alright, bye" she said as she took him back from her mom, "be careful" she said before going inside.
Adam groaned, "I'm sorry about that she's really worried" he told his in laws "you know how she gets sometimes"
They smiled, "we do, listen we better get going We will try and call from the road at least once a day." Deborah told him, "take care of them Adam, and make sure you email us pictures of Nicholas"
"You got it" Adam hugged them, "be safe and enjoy!"
"They gone?" She asked when Adam found her on the floor in Nicholas' room, "I hate it" she finally let the tears fall, "I'm just so worried about them, it's a big trip"
"Have a little faith in them, they'll be okay".
"Da-Da" Nicholas said as he hit at Adam's leg with a board book.
"Hey! Did you hear that he said it" he laughed
"I told you he said it" she smiled, "I'm being silly about this aren't I?"
Adam pulled her against his chest, between his knees "No you aren't, you're worried about them but I don't think you need to be. Your dad's got this"
"Yes, Kim." Deborah told her "you know it sounds like your the mother and I'm the child" she told Kim, as she waited for Mike to return to the RV with the groceries, "we are in California, it's beautiful here"
"Please just make sure Dad doesn't insist on driving when he's tired" she told her, knowing how her father could be.
"Yes mother" Deborah laughed, "how's my baby? Is he crawling yet?"
"He's doing great, just had a check up. He's in perfect health and yes he's crawling" and Adam was right he was a force to be reckoned with, "Mom, I can't believe it, he's into everything. If this is what he's like at ten months old, I'm afraid for what the toddlers years will be like"
Deborah smiled, "Kiss him for me, I better go your Dad's back"'she told her, "give my love to Adam, I love you"
"I love you too Mom, tell Daddy I said hi" Kim said before hanging up.
"That Kim?" Mike asked as he loaded the groceries on the RV, "how's Nick doing?"
"He's great, Kim said he's finally crawling" Deborah said, "I was starting to worry about him, I didn't think he'd ever crawl"
"Nah, he's just doing things on his terms, reminds me of his mother" he laughed, "remember how stubborn she was?"
Deborah smiled, "who are you kidding with this 'was' business, she still is" she patted his arm, "I wonder where she gets it from"
He pointed to his chest, "Surely, you aren't implying that I'm stubborn?"
"I wouldn't dare" she smiled taking the seat next to him, "we better get going, sun will be setting soon, and this highway is pretty curvy"
"Don't you start too" Mike glanced over at her, "This trip has been amazing, I'm glad we got to do it together"
"Me too"
ONE WEEK LATER
Kim hid her eyes as Adam tossed Nicholas into the air and caught him resulting in a fit of giggles each time, "I wish you wouldn't do that" she told him.
"C'mon he loves it, and I'm not gonna drop him you know" Adam put him down, "talk to your parents yet?" It had been a few days and he knew she was starting to be concerned.
"Not since the beginning of the week, but I know they're headed to Washington state, my dad lived there as a kid. I'm sure they're just busy, they'll call when they can" she told him, "you emailed those pictures from the park, right?"
"I did, I even sent them to my mother" he admitted to her, "though I'm sure she won't open the email"
Kim sat on the couch, "What's her deal? You don't talk about her much, she barely said a word to me when she came after you had been shot"
Nicholas proceeded to climb on Adam's back, "Honestly I don't know. She's always been kind of distant, since she remarried it's been worse"
"Well, it's her loss Adam. Remember that, she's missing out on you and this amazing little terror" she told him lifting Nicholas off his back.
OREGON
"This is some beautiful land" Sheriff Kane said from the passenger seat, "I haven't lived here long but it's downright gorgeous"
Sheriff Richardson smiled, "Yeah, it's pretty. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else" he carefully piloted the car around the bend, the sun just beginning to rise, black smoke catching his eye, "ah, son of a bitch" he lifted the radio, "dispatch send Fire down to the PCH mile marker 37, looks like we have a fire of unknown origin"
"Copy that"
He parked the car in the emergency lane, and they both went to check it out, "ah shit" Richardson said pointing down the embankment, he glanced back down at the road, "no skid marks, they didn't even try to stop" he crouched down, "it's totaled"
"Hey Dispatch, I think we've got fatalities, an RV went off the road and down an embankment it's fully engulfed"
CHICAGO
"Hey Kim!" Trudy yelled when Kim and Adam came through the doors hand in hand, "Come here"
Kim smiled, she quickly kissed Adam, "Be careful and see you later"
"You too, I love you" he said "I love you too Sarge" he winked at Trudy.
"Get your ass upstairs Ruzek" she barked, she pulled a bag out from underneath the counter, "I know I'm spoiling that kid of yours but I saw this and thought of him" she handed her the toy patrol car, "it's adorable right?"
"Yes, it is" she told her, "Nicky will love it"
"I love that little boy, he needs to come visit his Aunt Trudy and Uncle Randall, why don't you let us have him Friday night, you and special sauce can have a night out"
"Are you sure? Nicholas is a handful you know he's in to everything" Kim told her, "but with my parents being gone we haven't had anyone to watch him"
"It's settled" she smiled, "I can't wait!"
Adam finished dressing as Kim packed Nicholas' diaper bag, trying desperately to push her parents out of her mind. It had been two weeks since she had heard from them, a post card had arrived the other day telling her they lost her cell phone charger and that helped ease her mind somewhat.
"I think I've got everything" she called out to Adam, "are you almost ready?"
"Yea, the baby's sleeping though" he told her, "you look amazing"
"Will you get Nicky?"
"Yea of course"
"This is wild, I never thought I'd be dropping my kid off at Platt's house for the night" Adam laughed as he grabbed the car seat and diaper bag for Kim. "Does she even know how to take care of a kid?"
"Of course she does" she rang the doorbell, Nicholas asleep in her arms.
"Hey Kim, Adam" Mouch greeted them, "Trudy is so excited to have this little guy for the night. I am too"
"We tried to keep him up, but obviously he had other ideas" Kim explained.
"Where should I put his shit?" Adam asked.
"Special sauce, you better watch your mouth. Nicholas will be talking soon" Trudy told him, "give me my baby"
Kim smiled as she handed him over, "he eats most foods, just make sure to cut it up and only put a little on the tray. He eats like his daddy and just shovels it in"
"Mommy loves you buddy be good for Aunt Trudy" she kissed his cheek, "call me if you need anything"
"Bye pal" Adam kissed his head,"let's go Kim" he took her hand, "he'll be fine"
OREGON
"Looks like we finally have an ID on the couple from the RV crash" Sheriff Kane said over morning coffee, "Michael and Deborah Burgess from Chicago, it's sad really" he put the creamer away.
"We did a search on the VIN for the RV which is how we got their names, but we are coming up empty on next of kin" he explained the two bodies unrecognizable, "we are just going to send the information to Chicago PD and hopefully they'll locate them"
He closed the file, "it's awful, I imagine based on their ages they've waited a while for this trip"
"At least they went together"
CHICAGO
"I'm picking up the inter-office Mail" he told the receptionist at the Ivory Tower.
She handed him the box, "thanks"
"Hey, you okay?" Adam asked Kim when he found her staring out the kitchen window, they had yet to pick Nicholas up, "are you missing Nick?"
"Huh?" She looked up at him, "I'm really worried about my parents, this is getting ridiculous that they haven't called us yet"
He sat at the table beside her, "have you tried calling them?"
She nodded, "the phone is off it goes straight to voicemail, I've left numerous messages"
"I'm sure they're fine" Adam told her.
"Will you have intelligence look into it, maybe talk to Hank?" She asked him.
"Absolutely" he hugged her, "I'm gonna go pick the baby up, why don't you try and relax"
He stopped at the 21st before heading to pick Nicholas up, he knew Hank would be in his office, he knocked on the door, "Boss?"
"Come on in Ruzek, I was just about to call you" he told him, having already seen the report from the Oregon Police Department. "Have a seat"
"What's wrong?" Adam asked him, "I only stopped in to ask you a favor"
Hank handed him the file, "this was sent over this morning, from Oregon" he sighed, "Adam, Kim's parents are dead"
"What the fuck?" Adam couldn't believe it, he read the report "Oh, no. This is terrible, It's going to devastate Kim"
"I'm sorry, take the week off Adam, tend to your family" Hank stood and hugged him, "we are here if you need us"