A Sequel to 'Strong Enough' based on the alternate ending of that story

Chapter 1

He rolled over in the bed disappointed to find her side vacant, he glanced over at the clock, 10:27 am. He was surprised they'd let him sleep that long, he was almost worried that something terrible had happened and that's when he heard it.

"Adam Michael Ruzek, that's enough!" Kim yelled from somewhere within their house, "Daddy got in really late last night, the last thing he wants to hear is me yelling at you"

He rubbed his eyes, his body sore from the latest case intelligence had caught. He ended  up falling off a balcony when he and a suspect started throwing hands. He was indebted to Antonio, who quickly apprehended the suspect who had landed on top of him when they had fallen.

Antonio saved his ass, after a quick trip to the ER he was given a clean bill of health. Though he was certain once his wife knew he may not be so lucky, she'd accuse him of taking unnecessary risks and he'd apologize and promise to never do it again.

Until the next time that is.

He could see the photograph hanging on the wall shake as the door to little Adam's bedroom slammed shut, whatever he did landed him in a time out.

Adam chuckled as he got dressed, his boy was seven years old and he loved him with all he had. Little Adam was a great kid, he was the spitting image of Kim, but all who knew him claimed he was more like Adam than he was Kim. They had similar mannerisms and the kid worshipped the ground Adam walked on.

The feeling was mutual.

The morning Kim told him she was pregnant with their second child worried him just a little bit.

He knew he loved Adam with every fiber of his being, that he would do anything for the little boy he was lucky to call son. It was just the tiniest speck of a thought festered in his mind the entire nine months of Kim's pregnancy.

A thought so awful he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

He feared that he'd love this baby, more than he loved his son. That the biological pull would be so strong and it would trump the love he had for Adam.

Except he was wrong.

The love he had for his two children was exactly the same, he'd give his life for them, he'd do anything to keep them safe, happy, and healthy.

They were his world, them and their mother.

He smiled at his reflection in the mirror, he was one lucky son of a bitch.

Kim was cleaning up the remnants of breakfast when he finally made it in to the kitchen, her hair pulled up into a sloppy bun. Her oversized sweatshirt hung off her shoulder the sleeves pushed up as she finished loading the dishwasher.

Adam quietly walked up behind her, his arm circling around her waist. He leaned his body into hers capturing her between the counter and himself.

"Hey beautiful" he whispered in her ear, he felt her relax against his chest. He winced as  her weight hit his chest, he hoped she didn't hear it.

Kim covered his hand with hers, "Good morning to you, what did you do now?" She asked him, hearing him wince in pain.

He released his hold on her and pulled up his shirt exposing the injury to her, she turned and lightly touched his chest, "Ouch! What happened?"

"I may have fallen off a balcony, nothing's broken just some decent bruising. I got a clean bill of heart from Chicago Med" he kissed her forehead, "What did Adam do now?"

She smiled at him, "Don't think I don't realize what you're doing you know" she pushed her sleeves down, and allowed him to change the subject. "Your son thinks it's funny to cover the toilet seat with Saran Wrap" she explained.

Adam stifled his laughter, "What?" He knew their prank wars drove Kim crazy, but they enjoyed trying to one up each other.

"Don't what me" Kim laughed, "it's your fault, the prank war you two have going on needs to end, there was collateral damage this morning" the cries of their daughter had alerted her to the prank. The little girl upset after trying to use the bathroom and finding herself in quite a predicament, Adam's laughter didn't help the situation.

"Ah, she didn't" Adam said sadly, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"She did" Kim confirmed, "she thinks she's a baby now, and your son didn't help matters at all when he laughed at her"

Kim sat in his lap, "I will talk to him" Adam told her as she played with the hair at the nap of his neck, sending his body into overdrive, "Baby, you need to stop doing that or we will have to take this somewhere a little more private" he mumbled as he kissed her neck.

Neither one aware of their daughter's presence in the kitchen, "Daddy you're home!" She screeched.

Adam broke his gaze from Kim, "Well hello sweet girl" He smiled, Kim got up from his lap, the spot quickly filled by their five year old daughter, her arms wrapping around Adam's neck.

"I missed you daddy" she kissed his cheek, the epitome of a daddy's girl.

Adam adjusted her in his lap, "I missed you too"

"Adams's a jerk daddy" her brow furrowed, her brown eyes nothing more than mere slits as she recounted the events of the morning to her father.

Adam tucked her long brown hair behind her ears, "Your brother isn't a jerk, he's just a little silly. I can show you how we can get him back" he teased, earning a look of disapproval from his wife, "Or not. That'll work as well, I'll talk to your brother, baby"

She jumped down very satisfied with herself, "Thank you!" She told him before heading for her bedroom.

--NOTE--

I hope you'll give this a whirl, and I may reuse a name from another story for Kim and Adam's little girl. Would you guys hate it if I did?

Let me know.