“Chicago P.D.”'s Marina Squerciati on Burgess and Ruzek's Engagement — and Why the Timing Is 'Right' (Exclusive)

The actress opens up about Burzek's big decision, an exciting upcoming storyline and celebrating 10 years as part of the One Chicago universe

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday's episode of Chicago P.D.

The third time really might be the charm for Burzek fans.

At the end of Wednesday's episode of Chicago P.D., on-off couple Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) made the big decision to be officially "on."

After putting their adoptive daughter Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams) to bed, they discussed Kim's great work on a moving immigration case earlier in the episode. "Kim, you are kind of a walking miracle," Adam said as she described helping young Venezuelan women. She noted that it all makes her take stock of the lives they have.

"Promise me we'll keep fighting for this," she added, "because I need us, Adam. I need this family."

Adam gave her a long look before saying, "You know I will," and getting up to retrieve something from his nightstand. "I'll keep fighting for it for the rest of my life." As he returned to sit beside her, he added, "I was going to do a whole thing here but this seems better," and held out an engagement ring. "Let's get married. Let's make it forever."

"Third time's the charm, huh?" she responded, holding out her hand for Adam to place the ring on her finger.

As fans know, this is indeed the third time Adam has proposed to Kim. The pair were engaged in season 2, but it soon fell apart when it became clear Adam wasn't quite ready for marriage. The pair hooked up here and there over the years after, and when Kim was pregnant in season 7, Adam proposed again. She turned him down (and later miscarried). In season 10, Kim and Makayla moved into Adam's house.

In a quick chat with PEOPLE, Squerciati, 39, shares why she believes the timing is finally just right for Burzek and shares her thoughts on wedding planning, an upcoming serial killer storyline and celebrating 10 years with NBC's One Chicago franchise.

PEOPLE: Why do you think this third time is the charm for Burgess and Ruzek?

MARINA SQUERCIATI: First of all, I think it's time. We've toyed with the audience's emotions enough, and I feel like the proposal just shows you that it is going to work. They're just both adults. It's not schmaltzy. There's not a dozen roses. It's just like, "This is right." And I feel that that's right. That's who they are. They know they want to be with each other forever, and that's how they do it.

Why is this the right time for Kim? 

She has her kid. She has dealt with her PTSD. It seems like Adam, in the episode before, is back on track, and I think they're both in good places.

Why do you think people have been rooting for Burzek now for 11 seasons?

I don't know. Are you allowed to say that I think it's because Paddy and I have great chemistry and he's my best friend in the whole world? I sound 7 years old. He truly is one of my closest friends and I think that that chemistry just shows. And we love working together.

Are we about to see maybe some wedding planning throughout the rest of the season?

I don't think so. It doesn't seem like the tone of CPD. It seems more like Fire. If we do a crossover with Fire, maybe I might get in a wedding dress.

You could do a joint wedding with Casey and Brett.

Listen, I stan them so I'm in. Or maybe I could just run in as a cameo and catch the flowers or something. [Laughs] I don't think so. I mean, probably there'll be something down the line, but we're going to have a really big, bad sort of serial killer coming up, so I think that's going to take the focus more than the colors for my wedding.

Related: Chicago Fire Star Kara Killmer to Exit Series During Season 12

What more can you say about this serial killer storyline?

It's going to sort of round out the season. He's the big bad. We just started it. I'm probably not even supposed to talk about it. I'm really excited because I don't think we've seen old Voight recently, like in his rage, and that's sort of going to take over the second half of the season. He's going to be on the hunt. He gets the forefront and he's our fearless leader, so it's time.

Engagement aside, Kim had a really big, powerful immigration storyline this week. Was there something about it that really moved you?

It really moved me, because the migrant crisis in Chicago is really here. I speak Spanish fluently and I live near one of the shelters, so I've been doing a lot with them. I help take kids to the trampoline park, I try and bring dinners every once in a while. A lot of people are donating clothes, and I do do that, but I feel like there's another side because I speak Spanish fluently that I can bring to it, and I do get involved. So when I saw this script, I honestly felt so moved because I knew what to do because I'm in it every day that I'm not working.

That has to be really special to have a show like Chicago P.D. with an audience like it has to bring awareness to something like that.

Yes, exactly. And I got to use some of my Spanish too, which was exciting. One of Dick Wolf's touchstones is "ripped from the headlines," and this is. This really is, I mean, it really is a crisis that needs to be solved in a loving way.

Related: Chicago Fire, Med and P.D. Stars Torrey DeVitto, Joe Minoso, Marina Squerciati and More Unite for a Good Cause

You all just celebrated 10 years since the series premiere. When you look back at it, could you have imagined that 10 years ago?

No. I mean, what a life I've gotten. Unlike many actors, I get to act almost every day. I've heard there are shows that have hostile sets, but our set is just, I've made my best friends. I feel like after college they say everyone else is an acquaintance, but I feel like I've met five new best friends, late in life. How lucky am I?

What is your greatest wish for Kim this season? 

I want her to continue this climb to power. I think she's in it. She owns her power, owns her womanhood, and I think she's ready to take a leading role truly, she gets it. She's ready. So that's my goal. In life too, I'm going to reach my power too.

She could go full Olivia Benson someday. I can see it.

A hundred percent. I do too. So does my mom.

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Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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