Chicago PD: Dani Ruzek

Chapter 21 - Things Are Kinda Rough

Hey everyone sorry it's been a while! You might need to re-read chapter 20 if you read this book a while ago just as a recap of what is going on in the story, but apart from that I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

"What happened?"

"Those kids they died because of me." Dani said looking pale and feeling guilty.

"Don't ever think that. You didn't bring that gun into the school, you didn't shoot those kids he did that. You definitely didn't ask for him to come looking for you or to kidnap you. None of this is on you." Kevin said sitting down on the couch beside her.

"He shot them...he killed them Kev..." She continued, beginning to cry. Kevin put an arm around her comfortingly.

"and that wasn't on you, you hear me?" "Kevin responded in a warm, reassuring tone.

"Wasn't it?! It was my fault Kevin, that's what most of the school are thinking right now including my now ex-boyfriend apparently!" She yelled, emotionally moving off of the couch and pacing around the break room.

"Wait what?..."

"Tom broke up with me because most of his friends are completely alienating him for being with me! He lost everything when he was with me, he's potentially lost out on the scholarship next year depending on how bad his gun shot injury is and can't play basketball for the rest of the season."

"Ru you know there's always next year for basketball for Tom and nothings certain about whether he'll be able to try out or not next year for the scholarship yet. With some hard work in Physio they said it was possible. He was wrong to just blame you..."  Kev said supportively, using another nickname they had used for her as she had got older at the 21st.

"Why? I do! Everyone else hates me!" She responded furiously wiping tears from her face, getting more and more upset.

"Hey, hey!" Kevin said firmly to get Dani's attention so he could calm her down. "Come here, come here." Kevin said and wrapped the distraught teen in a hug. "It's not your fault, it's not on you. I promise it's not on you."

A few minutes later Dani was sat back on the couch more calm than she was before with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand.

Kevin had called Kim and Adam who had come back to the 21st after hearing about Dani. They were just walking up the stairs as Kevin left the break room to meet them.

"Hey." Kevin said as they approached the break room.

"Hey, is she ok?" Kim asked.

"She's a little calmer." Kevin answered.

"Thanks Kev." She responded and turned to Adam. "I'm gonna go see her."

"Yeah of course. I'll be in, in a sec." Adam said as she walked through the break room doors to see her daughter.

"You know its not your fault right? You're father and I are so proud of you and how you've dealt with all of this. You know that?" Kim said sitting beside her on the couch. Dani looked up at her Mom, tears in her eyes. "Hey don't cry it's ok, it's alright I'm here." Kim said one hand on her cheek and another stroking her hair back off of her forehead.

"Tommy thinks it's my fault too..." Dani said taking a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"And that's not fair, but I don't think he means it. I'm sure he's just upset about his leg and how he can't play this season. That scholarship must have meant a lot to him." Kim responded gently.

"He blames me for it, he hates me."

"Well you know what sweetie? If he does then more fool him because none of what happened was your fault at all. Nothing you could have done would have changed what happened. Give him some time he'll come around." Kim reassured pulling her daughter in for a hug, Dani's head resting on her shoulder.

"I didn't think loving someone would hurt this much Mom."

"I know honey." The officer responded rubbing soothing circles on her daughter's back.

"Must be tough, watching your little girl go through her first break up. You ok man? I don't need to put you in lock up overnight to stop you from going over to that kid's place do I?" Kevin said half humorously as they looked through the break room window on the mother and daughter as Kim hugged Dani.

"I know, but as messed up as it sounds I think I've sort of unconsciously been preparing myself for her to go through her first break up ever since they got together. These teenage relationships well they can kinda be uh...unpredictable I guess." Adam said running his hand through his hair with a sigh.

"She's a good kid, she's a credit to you and Kim." Kevin said patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah she really is a good kid, it's just sometimes I wonder whether i'm being a good enough Father to her. I wanna protect her, but sometimes with how much we work I don't feel like I've always got my eye on her."

"You've got her. You and Kim you've always had her. She's growing up Adam she's gonna have difficult times just like the rest of us, it's just probably tougher to see when it's your own kid."

"I know man it's just...Tanner went into the school, I put him away that's why he went after her." Adam said getting a little emotional. Kevin put a hand comfortingly on his friend's shoulder.

"Hey don't even go there Adam. Yes you put him away, but you put him away because the department told you to look into it, the courts arraigned him and put him through a trial and sentenced him. There's a process Adam you know that which makes it almost certain this is not on you. There are so many dirty cops but you are not one of them. You did what you had to do to protect the citizens of Chicago man, that's our job."

"Yeah...uh yeah thanks Kev. Kim and I we appreciate what a good friend you've been to us you've always had our backs." Adam said regaining composure and looking back at his daughter with his wife.

"And both of you have always had mine too. That's just the way we work brother. Now go see your daughter." Kev said patting his friend on the shoulder before Adam nodded and walked into the break room.

Kim and Dani were sat on the couch still when Adam entered the break room. Dani looked up to see her Father and instantly ran to him and hugged him.

"We're gonna figure this out, together alright?" He said, Dani just nodded and continued to hug her Father. She hoped he was right and things would get figured out.

Thanks for reading and putting up with late updates I appreciate all of you so much for following this story so far! I will try and update as more often as I can. Stay safe, take care out there :)