Faces From The Past

Anniversary

Their eyes only met for a few seconds before Dani broke the eye contact and glanced upwards to try and prevent the dams from breaking. A single tear escaped and began to roll down her cheek but before she had enough time to react Kevin reached out and gently brushed it away. His hand lingered on her cheek and their eyes met again and he saw the same look, the same fear and it broke him. Dani lifted her hand and placed it over his and moved it away from her face.

"Dani, please, say something." Kevin pleaded, enveloping her hands in his.

"How did you know?" She said, not pulling her hands away.

"You and Adam were both off today, I guess I was mostly just hoping you weren't with another guy." He explained.

"He might not be here in person but," Dani said, pulling her right hand away, "he's up here." She said tapping the side of her head. "Twenty-one years and I can still see his face everywhere." Kevin didn't know what to say, he knew she was talking about her dad and the car crash that killed her mum, so he gently squeezed her hands. "It's there every day but on the anniversary it's unbearable. Don't try and make me see a shrink, Gran tried that when we were little, Adam got more violent and I got more withdrawn." She said.

"I would never do that, you cope insanely well for someone who went through something so traumatic so young. If I didn't know you and I just knew your history I would expect you to be on the other side of a police interrogation." Kevin said. "But instead you're an amazing, strong woman who doesn't let it affect her."

"I don't deserve you," Dani said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Come here," Kevin said, pulling her towards him. Dani dropped her head onto his shoulder as her body began to shake with tears. Kevin wrapped his arms around her and gently ran a hand up and down her back. Kevin didn't know how long they were sat like this when her body slowly went weaker and he realised she had fallen asleep from a mix of the alcohol and tears. He easily picked her up and carried her through the apartment to her room and laid her on the bed. He was just about to shut the door when he heard his name being called.

"Kev, don't go, please," Dani said she was looking over at him, clearly exhausted.

"I won't." He said, closing the door and slipping into the bed next to him.

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"DAD! You're drunk, you can't drive." Adam protested.

"You don't tell me what I can and can't do." He shouted, getting angry and slapping Adam across the face with so much force that Adam almost fell over if his little sister hadn't of caught his hand.

"Just go along with it, he'll only get angrier if you tell him not to." Their mum said, running a hand through Adams' hair.

"Are you gonna get in!" He shouted.

"We're coming." She said, getting into the passenger seat and directing her kids into the back seats of their family car. The car pulled off the drive and onto the road, the family lived on a quiet road so there wasn't too much worry of a crash until he pulled onto the main road and accelerated and began to swerve.

"DAD! STOP!" Adam shouted, taking Dani's shaking hand into his, wanting to protect her. That's when it happened, he got angrier and swerved onto the wrong side of the road wiping out two other cars immediately and a third couldn't stop in time and hit the back of their car.

Dani bolted upright, her t-shirt sticking to the sweat that had formed on her back, her breathing rapid and irregular. She jumped again when Kevin appeared sat next to her.

"Hey, look at me, it's just a dream." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him.

"The crash, mum..." She said, dissolving into tears.

"Come here." He said, pulling her to him. "Its okay, I've got you."

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The next morning Kevin woke up to an empty bed, whenever he slept at Dani's or she slept at his she was always up first.

"Morning." Kevin said, walking up behind her and snaking his arms around her.

"Morning." She said, looking up and placing a kiss on his lips. "Look, about last night" She started to say.

"Last night shows you are human." He assured, placing a kiss in her hair as she continued to make him a coffee. "Thank you." He said taking it from her and sitting on a stool at the small breakfast bar.

"I've got a question for you." Dani said with a slight hesitation to her voice.

"Shoot." Kevin said.

"What you said last night, did you mean it or was it just to get into my apartment? Like, I understand if it was because you were worried about me, and rightfully so." Dani began to ramble but was cut off by his lips on hers.

"If we're thinking of the same thing then I will happily say it 1000 more times and I will still mean it. I would never use something like that to trick you into letting me in." Kevin said, there foreheads still resting against each other.

"Say it again." Dani said, kissing him again.

"I love you, Danielle Georgia Ruzek." He said.

"I love you too." She said, placing a deeper kiss onto his lips.

"As much as I want to just stay here with you, we have to go to work." Kevin said as they pulled away.

"Aww, I forgot." Dani said, dropping her head onto his chest.

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"We've got a case, gang shooting on 47th." Voight announced walking out of his office. "Young girl caught in the crossfire is at med." He added. "Wheres Adam?" He asked directing his question at Kim and Dani, noticing the whole team was there aside from him.

"I haven't spoken to him since yesterday." Kim said with a shrug. "He did seem a bit off."

"I haven't spoken to him but I think I might know where he is." Dani said

"Dani, try and find him, the rest of you at this scene." Voight ordered, Atwater shared a glance with Dani as they both grabbed their jackets. "Dani." Voight called after her once the rest of the unit had left. "I've read both your files, I know what yesterday was. Tell Adam there are no consequences if he doesn't want to come in today, same goes for you. I'm surprised you were both here yesterday."

"Thanks Sarge, I'll tell him." Dani said, heading down the stairs.

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Dani pulled into the cemetery parking lot and turned off the ignition. She couldn't help but feel bad as it was the first time she had been here since before she had gone undercover. She got out of her car and spotted Adams on the other side of the lot and began to follow the path she knew all too well.

"Adam." She stated as she saw her brothers figure beside their mother's gravestone. "Hey." She said as he looked up at her with teary eyes.

"Hey." He said, wiping the tears from his face. "Shit, I'm late for work aren't I?"

"It's okay, Voights given you the day off if you want it." Dani said.

"Are you still at work?" He said, noticing her badge clipped to her belt.

"He offered me the day off but I need the distraction. I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Dani said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm good, tell Voight I'll be back tomorrow." Adam said.

"Copy, take it easy okay." She said, squeezing his shoulder. "I'll come back soon mum I promise." She whispered to herself as she walked away.