Listen to Her || A Chicago P.D. Fanfiction

'Happy Birthday.' Special

Saturday, March 11th, 2021, 7:45 a.m., Al's 61st birthday
There's only a tiny amount of sunlight lighting up Chicago, but it's already a stressful morning for the now 21 year old sniper. Today, of all days, her brain managed to randomly remind her she hasn't gotten her period in the past 3 and a half weeks while she got up to use the restroom, and it's always on time; 28 days exactly every single month. She's currently sitting on the lid of the toilet, already showered and dressed for the day, counting the seconds before she hears her phone's timer buzzing that it has already been one full minute. Danielle would've thought it was the longest minute she's ever experienced, but, truth be told, it's just one of several. These are the 5th, 6th, and 7th pregnancy tests she's taking. She just finished peeing on three sticks to get a definite answer, and the 21 year old has a feeling. What kind of feeling? She isn't sure, not good, not bad. Regardless of what it may lead to, there's hope in her heart, and she clings to that. Her husbands are sound asleep, and the sniper knows they still are because she can hear Antonio and Hank softly snoring and Al was tightly wrapped up in a blanket burrito that he probably wasn't going to get out of any time soon when she wiggled out of bed. She takes this time to think about the last 3 months; she and Alvin have both already been to fertility doctors, and they told them that while everything is perfectly fine with her eggs despite the medication alterations she's had to endure in order for her body to become ready for pregnancy, Al's sperm isn't too active. He knew it would be a chance because he isn't a spring chicken. Besides, who'd want to have a family with a cop who works long, crazy hours and sometimes horrifying cases where stepping back into their home at the end of the day isn't always guaranteed? Danielle does, with all her heart. The longer it's become that she keeps getting negative pregnancy tests, the more she wants to bear his child. Yes, there are other options, there always will be. But she really just wants to try a few more times before abandoning her dream of carrying a child on her own. One night, a few weeks back, Al had even suggested that maybe the two should look for a sperm-donor, even going as far to suggest that one of her homies, Dawson, or Voight could be the donor, that way this could all work perfectly, but Danielle dismissed the idea altogether. Just to think of having one of her damn good friends even kiss her is very uncomfortable and too weird for her. And not that she doesn't want to give Antonio and Hank children, since they've also expressed that they would like to expand the family with her in the future as well, but being that she's trying with Al first, it's him that she wants to make happy by having his kid. The timer buzzes loudly, causing her to flinch slightly since she was so deep in thought, quickly stopping it. She slowly rises off of the toilet lid, and even though she's done this a few times already, her legs are shaking as she walks over to the front of the sink. 'Please, please, please.' She mentally wishes, heart pounding in her ears as she takes a deep breath. Everything feels like it's going in slow motion as she turns the sticks over to see their results. Danielle's heart falls. All she can do is sigh softly as tears fall down her face. She gets startled again when the bathroom door opens, finding Antonio sleepily rubbing his eyes as he walks in, stopping when he spots her standing there. He suddenly becomes fully awake as he looks from her to the pregnancy tests, spotting the answers on the small pieces of plastic. Looking back to his wife, he gives her a smile while going in for a hug, kissing the top of her head as she cries very softly. He knows just how much Al vowed to give her a child and that she's the last person he'd want to disappoint. "I'm gonna go for a drive." She whispers as Antonio wipes her tears away, watching him nod. "Be careful." He whispers with a small smile, the two sharing a soft kiss before she grabs the tests and their trash to take with her, leaving no evidence behind, except Antonio who knows the outcome. Avoiding the parts of the home's wood floor that creak, Danielle makes her way to the key holder near the front door, grabbing her keys, exiting the home, locking her men inside then silently making her way to her car that's parked at the bottom of the driveway with Hank's behind it. It feels as if in a blink of an eye her car is already started, she's sitting in the driver seat, and is looking at the three tests sitting in the passenger seat. She isn't able to stop the tears that once more run down her face as she starts driving away from the house, the now fully risen sun and its light leading the way for her.
~6 hours later, 1 p.m.~
"Hey, when's Danielle supposed to be getting here?" Adam asks Olinsky who shrugs a bit. "Not sure, kid." He answers softly, seeming slightly down. The birthday boy had expected to see his wife when he woke up, but he was greeted to an empty bed instead because Dawson and Voight were making him a birthday breakfast a few hours earlier and the sniper was still out of the house. "Well she better hurry up and get here or I'm gonna eat the slices of pizza I saved for her." Kevin jokes, pointing at the 2 slices of stuffed crust Hawaiian pizza on a Styrofoam plate near him. "Try it and I'll smack your hand." Eva proudly defends her mom's food. "I will, too." Diego chimes in, both siblings high fiving each other. "Alright, alright. No need for hostility." Kevin says, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Can you open my present first? It's fragile." Jay asks Al who nods slightly, not really paying attention, wondering where his wife could be as the party is almost coming to an end. Hank and Antonio look at each other as they grab more beers for them, Al, and the boys. "Where is she? It's been 6 hours." Hank asks very softly as the two purposely stand in the kitchen, Antonio giving him a shrug. "I don't know. All she told me was that she was going to go for a drive and that was at 7 something this morning." Antonio answers in a whisper, looking at the floor for a moment, and Hank knows he has more to say. "She had taken a few pregnancy tests." Dawson whispers, his eyes meeting Voight's, watching as his boss nods slowly in understanding, dropping the subject as they both make their way back to the dining room. Hank knows his best friend and their wife have been facing some challenges in their journey for a baby. Adam sees his phone screen light up beside his arm, quietly picking it up while clicking the message.