Wrong Plan.


That evening her doorbell rings.

When Dani opens the door she finds Tidwell standing in front of her.
In the semi-darkness she notices he's wearing the same suit he wore few hours before at work. His tie is more crumpled though, like he has tormented it with his hands, and his ruffled hair gives him the wild look able to arouse her every time she sees it.

No, she restrains herself, not this time.
She has to stop being physically attracted to him.

This kind of attraction is the mainstay of their relationship. And her finally meeting his desire to have sex with her was the thing that has made their story begin.
Dani doesn't exactly know why she did that, but she suspects that having had Tidwell always there for her has made her notice that, after all, his presence, even his physical presence, was able to drive her crazy. In a good way.
It was definitely an odd attraction, Dani has to admit to herself, but it lead him straight into her pants.

She still pretends to not hear that softly persistent voice that keeps telling her Tidwell was able not only to get in her pants but even, to her surprise, pierce the defence she had built around her heart.

She turns round and takes a few steps, leaving him on the threshold.
"Come in, but I warn you: I'm not going to have sex with you."
She knows she's talking more to herself than to him.

Having sex is the last thing that crosses Tidwell's mind right now, even if he has to admit that her skimpy shorts and low-necked white T-shirt are yelling at him: 'Fuck me!'.

"I know what's happening." He smiles tentatively, and goes to take a step forward, but stops when she continues.

"So Crews told you everything, uh?" Dani stiffens slightly.
She isn't exactly surprised. She knows that when Tidwell wants to know something he is able to get the information he desires in one way or another.

"Crews?" The smile quickly drains from Tidwell's face "You told Crews first?...Not me?" It's not anger this feeling inside him. It's…pain.
He senses things are not heading in the right direction. His suspicions about Dani really not wanting the baby are starting feel all too real.
"I mean…Dani, I'm the father!"

She turns on her heels, looking hard at him.
"Listen. I didn't tell anything to anyone." She sighs. "He saw the pregnancy test in my drawer and guessed right the answer-" Dani leans against the back of her couch, directing her look towards the floor "-like you did."

Tidwell enters the apartment, closing the door behind him.

He's never really thought about how he'd react knowing he's going to be a father, but if someone asked him, he'd answer it should involve holding the woman close, being both really happy, and celebrating into the night.
It's true that you can never tell what life has in store for you.

All the same, he feels like he has to try .
"Okay. Just…What are we going to do now?" Tidwell smiles "I mean, isn't this where we celebrate?" his smile widens "And there are so many decisions to make…first of all we have to choose where are we going to live: my place? Your place? New place? Then we have to list baby names…I've always loved the name "Brian". Listen: "Brian Tidwell"...it does sound good, doesn't it? And then we-"

"-We?...Decisions?" Dani cuts him off raising her eyes "I made my decision as soon as I saw the result of the pregnancy test. And I didn't tell you anything because there was nothing to say." She nods "Well, to be precise, next week there will be nothing to say."

Tidwell opens his eyes wide "Wait, wait, wait…hey, Dani…I'm still the father!"
His voice softens as he moves toward her, and he underlines the sheer truth he's saying by opening his arms, offering himself completely to her.

Frightened by the intensity of his gesture she stands up and withdraws, raising her index finger, trying to keep him at a distance.
"You don't really want to be a father…you don't really want to be with me either. We're having fun, and I like it, but nothing more" she breaths hard "And I'm an ex-alcoholic, and I want to become Lieutenant, and I don't think I'm ready for…this" she makes a gesture with her hands trying to combine Tidwell, herself and what is in her tummy.

Tidwell looks at her, so wounded by her outburst, by her dismissal of what they have, and by the fact that she believes he doesn't want to be a father, that he hasn't the strength to fight her back.

"Is really this what you think about me and…about us?" he asks feebly.

With a great effort she forces herself to nod slowly.
Yes.

Tidwell frowns and purses his lips.
"Do you want to know the truth?" he puts his hands on his hips, displacing the edge of his jacket, showing the badge and the gun still hooked at his belt, "You're projecting."
The Captain points at her, shifting his weight to one leg ,"You are the one who doesn't care being with me, and you are the one who's having only fun."
He underlines these two last words with his voice, articulating them clearly and pointing twice his finger toward the floor.
He looks straight into her eyes, with a determinate expression on his face.

Tidwell's nodding yes almost absentmindedly, trying to gauge the weight of what he's about to confess, knowing that the next few words are going to cost him all his strength.

"I love you."

He pauses, a slight smile playing across his face.

Usually he avoids saying things like these because he thinks they make a man seem weak and desperate, but now he is desperate, and he doesn't care what he looks like.
" I've always loved you."
Tidwell tilts his head as his smile begins to fade "And I always will." He can barely hide his pain "More than my life."

That's that. He finally said it.

He puts his hands back on his hips and draws himself up, stomach in, chest out, ready to face her reaction.
It arrives almost immediately.

"Out of my house."

He frowns.
"What?" he asks in a breath, tilting his head again. Tidwell definitely wasn't expecting that.

"You heard me. Out of here. I don't want to be with you anymore."

TBC

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A/N: Thank you very much my dear astrelita, your help was very useful with this one!