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

39- Case 20

A/N: The episode being used in this chapter is 'Trust'.

One week later
Adam silently sits inside of the locker room. He's blankly staring at the floor as he thinks. He has been like this for the past 20 minutes. Quick footsteps take Hank right into the locker room, finding his detective sitting there. Both are in uniform, both having to meet the rest of the team soon at a campaign. When Adam looks to Hank, the older man sternly speaks, "I told you to walk it back." Adam goes back to looking at the floor while Hank walks closer to him. "Tell Trudy's friend it was me who got in the altercation, not you...me." Adam stands from the bench he's sitting on, grabbing his uniform's tie from his open locker, which has his back facing his boss. Having had enough of the same conversation, Ruzek turns to face Voight. He softly and calmly says, "Sarge, listen. I thought about it. I thought about it long and hard, and I just-I did what I thought was best for you and for everyone else. You have a family." Adam finally stresses. "Right? You have your wife, you have your kids. You have Antonio who...needs family." While Hank can see the younger man's point because he himself has already thought about those things concerning his family, he still isn't happy about the meetings. "My family already knows this can end one way and one way only. It's not your job to protect me, to protect us." Hank scoffs as he gestures to the room, obviously indicating the team and not the room itself. "Why is that? Why are you the only one that gets to live by a code? I don't understand! Boss, this is who I am. I'm always gonna do whatever I can to protect you all. It's how I'm built, like Al is, like you are, and I just don't understand why you don't get that." Adam finally snaps, his voice breaking when he mentions his mentor. "Because you're not Al, and you're not me!" Hank is quick to snap back. "You're a kid, got your whole life in front of you." He adds, watching as Adam looks at his shoes with a small shake of his head. "Well, I can handle whatever comes my way-" "We had one chance to make this right, you hear me? One, and you blew it." "Sarge, listen to me-" Hank has had enough, his hand slamming against the locker proves it, and it causes the room to go silent. "This is my unit, my unit! I take the heat, I take the bullets. Is that clear?" Hank angrily spews as he gets centimeters away from Adam's face. He doesn't say anything which only stirs Voight's anger even more. "Is that clear?" He asks again, nearly shouting. "It's clear. I'm sorry." Adam very softly answers. With one last stern look at the younger man, Hank turns to leave the room, and Adam stays standing there against his locker, trying to keep his tears from falling.
It's been 15 minutes since his last text to her. He had said he was on his way, but his current absence has her wondering if he'll even show up. Taking a peek out of the doors, once again, she finds no sign of her husband. Softly sighing, she's about to step away from the doorway when a hand grabs one of her wrists, causing her guard to be put up as she quickly faces who has her. "It's me." Hank gently says, watching her shoulders relax. "You made it." She softly says with relief. He carefully pulls her towards him, his lips connecting with hers for a much needed kiss. "Of course I did. How's it looking?" He asks before he places a kiss on her forehead, using his body to cover her own so they have some privacy from all of the eyes in the room. "It's...looking. Kelton has been asking for you." "Great." He playfully rolls his eyes, causing her to smile slightly. "The others are here, right?" "Yes. Unfortunately, we were all seated in the front of the room near the stage." She answers. "Double great." He sighs, earning a soft peck to his lips. He gives her a tiny smile, and she knows it would be bigger if he weren't so stressed. "Shall we?" He asks her, watching her nod a little. The two begin walking together, making their way side by side to Intelligence's table for the evening. He can tell she wants to ask something. He just isn't sure about what as they make their way through a large crowd. Gathering up the courage, she softly asks, "Is Antonio coming back, Sargent?" "It's up to Antonio." He softly answers, gently grabbing her arm to stop her from walking when a man unintentionally walks in front of her. Recognizing the man, Hank says, "Bernie." "Hey." Bernie says with a smile as the two shake hands. "Are you wearing a bulletproof vest?" Hank asks in a joking manner. "I live around the corner. I had to come and risk it." Bernie jokes back. "Oh." Hank hums, closely watching when his acquaintance glances at his wife who is quietly watching the interaction. "Some cops actually like me, Hank." Bernie says with a slight smile when his eyes are back on the head of Intelligence. "Yeah, name one." "You." Bernie says with a chuckle. "Don't confuse respect with like." Hank makes it clear. He looks over to the sniper who looks at him as well. "Danielle, this is Bernie Hoffman, plays for the other team." Hank introduces her to the man standing in front of them. "I'm aware of your work." She tells Bernie as the two shake hands. "I thought most defense attorneys were against Kelton." She adds. "Hmm, I prefer mayors who empower police, not pull their pants down." Bernie says. The couple hum in acknowledgement as they understand the second person running for mayor has some affair dirt on him. Loud vibrations are heard, and they watch as Bernie takes his phone out of his coat. "Oh, I gotta run." He says, looking up at both of them after checking his phone screen. "Nice to meet you, Danielle." He says as he shakes her hand again. "Nice to meet you." She politely says with a small nod. "Let's grab dinner sometime, Hank. Ann would love to see you." "Tell her I say hey." "It was good seeing you, Hank." All Voight does is nod before Hoffman is walking away. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention." Brennan's voice is suddenly everyone's gaze towards the front of the room. "Thank you. It is a true honor to introduce this man that I have worked with for 27 years. He has protected this city where he was born and raised. He is a true Chicagoan. He is the man that needs to be Chicago's mayor now. The Superintendent of Police, Brian Kelton." Everyone claps as Kelton takes the stage, standing behind a small podium. "Thank you, Kate. Thank you all very much." He says as the clapping dies down. "Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the rank and file. Let's-Let's show 'em how we feel." Everyone claps for Intelligence, the team standing at their table, all nearly dressed in their uniforms, subtly looking at each other while everyone looks at them for another few seconds. "Thank you, I...I may have just seen Sargent Hank Voight crack a smile." Kelton points out, and Hank very slightly nods. Out of all the people in the room, the team are the only ones who visibly look like they don't want to be here. "That's real police, best of the best. Now, my opponents talk about unifying Chicago. That's a noble word, unity. But unity to my opponents means working with gangs, creating programs to-to help gangs, and that's just not what Chicago needs right now, nor is it anywhere on my agenda. Coddling criminals will do nothing to help the law-abiding citizens of Chicago. To be clear, I don't wanna work with gangs...I wanna crush 'em." Everyone claps again, all but the team who simply glance at each other again as they realize this mayor candidate has a few things up his sleeves.