Redemption

Chapter Thirteen

"Danni!" She heard her name being called, but she managed to ignore it for the moment. She was lost in a wonderful dream where she and Bobby were lounging about outside of a beautiful Italian villa. She didn't care to wonder how they'd been able to afford it, because she was too content with the scenery and the company as he rubbed tanning oil upon her legs. "Danni!" With a groan, she opened her eyes and watched the beautiful sight dissolved from her mind.

The churning in her stomach had gone hours ago and now she was just left with the pain in her belly. Of course, she'd rather be in pain, than nauseous. She quickly climbed from the bed and shuffled to the bathroom, where Bobby's voice emanated from. She would have walked, except for the fact that she was freezing. She'd been under her nice, warm covers and now she had to be subjected to the cold air. Damn him.

"What is it, Sweetie?" she asked before she even stepped into the room. She saw him sitting on the floor, the small, white stick still in his hand. Her eyes went wide. "Crap," she muttered. Why didn't she listen to Sue and throw it away somewhere else? 'Oh, no, he never looks in the garbage can. He won't find it… Shmuck!' she yelled at herself before she turned her gaze to him. The confusion she found there was almost too much to bear. She had to tell him the truth and hope he understood. "I can explain," she began.

"Why didn't you tell me?" was all he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders as she closed the lid to the toilet and took a seat. "I couldn't be sure. Weird things happen to me when I get sick. I just wanted to reassure myself. Besides, this is something we haven't talked about before. I didn't know what you might think." She picked at her fingernails and nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to avert her gaze from his. It didn't seem to work, though. She could feel his gaze upon her and more than anything, she wanted to look into his striking blue orbs.

He placed a concerned hand on top of hers. She glanced into his gaze and saw the compassion he was feeling at that very moment. "Well, we never talked about it because I didn't think we needed to. Luv, I would love to make a family with you and only you. I love you and if the test had been positive, I would still love you and I would be so happy."

She felt a tear fall down her cheek, but didn't bother to wipe it away. She hadn't even realized that she was beginning to cry, until it fell. "Really?" The fact that he wouldn't be upset was one of the most relieving things she ever could have heard. She breathed a sigh of release; God, he was perfect, wasn't he?

He nodded as he got up from his spot on the floor and gathered her in his arms. She didn't hesitate to firmly wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head upon his shoulder as more tears fell. "I mean, I would be surprised at first, because we're taking precaution… we are taking precaution, aren't we?" She giggled as she nodded against him. "Good. I just wish you could have told me this morning, and then you wouldn't have had to go through this alone."

"I didn't want you to worry. Besides, I wasn't alone." He pulled away from her so he could give her a puzzled look. Who was her mystery shoulder to lean on in her time of need? "How do you think I got the test? It's not like a keep a stash anywhere around here." She laughed, but paused when she didn't see his expression change. "I had Sue get it for me and she stayed with me until I got the results."

His eyes widened at that confession. Never mind that Danni had been able to talk her cousin into actually getting the test; it just explained Sue's demeanor that she'd had all day. "You mean Sue knew before I did?" She nodded. He barked out a short laugh as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "No wonder she was acting so weird today?"

She swallowed hard, but he didn't seem to notice. His mind was too busy thinking back to everything that happened today. "Weird?" she asked.

"Yeah. She was basically avoiding Jack all day and you know that she never does that. But, she was also acting strange around me. I was wondering why, but I thought it was just between the two of them."

"Yeah, let's go with that explanation," she said abruptly as she got up and made a break for the bedroom.

He stared blankly at her vacant seat before he got up and followed her. He recognized that answer; she was hiding something from him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She was sitting upon her side of the bed, happily taking a sip of water. She was glad that she was able to finally keep it down, considering that it was the very first thing that would stay in her system. "I'm not at liberty to say," she said before she went back to her drink. If Jack didn't have the decency to tell him, she wasn't going to be the one who spilled the beans. "That's between me and Sue and I promised I wouldn't say a word… just like she promised she wouldn't tell you. Since she didn't reveal my secret, I can't reveal hers." She lay her back against her pillows so she remained propped up enough to see him properly. Her stomach might have been feeling better, but she still felt weak. She crossed her arms over her chest and she wore a stern expression. There was no way he was getting the answer out of her.

He threw his hands up in the air as he gave in. He knew that look all too well. She was Fort Knox when she made that face. "Okay, I give." He pulled off his dark blue sweater and threw it in the hamper before he pulled a t-shirt from a drawer. He pulled on the t-shirt as he felt her eyes upon him. He glanced over at her to see her smiling face. "What?"

She shook her head. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but you're looking at me." With one swift move, he relieved his pants of his belt, which he hung up in the closet and then unbuttoned his pants. He hung those up as well. They were still remotely clean and could be worn at least once more… maybe it was a guy thing.

"What? I can't look at you?" She seemed slightly offended by that comment. She liked to look at him. He was, after all, very handsome and a man that any woman would love to get their hands on. She was just lucky enough to get him before anyone else. She usually liked to bask in that glory, but today, she wasn't so keen on it.

"I didn't mean that." He pulled on a pair of jeans—his most comfortable pair that he wore to lounge around the apartment in—and turned to look at her so he could apologize. Her back was to him and her shoulders were shaking. Whether she was laughing or crying, he couldn't tell because she made no sound. "Luv, you okay?" He saw her shoulders shake even more and he heard a loud sob escape her. In an instant, he was at her side. The fact that she was crying made his heart break. She had no reason to, anyway, so why was she? "Danni?" He tentatively placed a caring hand upon her arm so she would turn to look at him, but she only continued to cry. 'Stubborn,' was the first thought that entered his mind, but he cursed himself for thinking that. She was hurting and he needed to be there for her and to also know why. "Danni, look at me." He was satisfied when she finally listened to him. She turned completely around for him to see her, but her state devastated him. Her eyes and nose were red and tears were freely falling down her flawless cheeks. "What is it?" He quickly wiped the tears away but more only fell.

Suddenly, she clutched to him as she cried into his chest. "I feel terrible," she whimpered into his clean t-shirt. She certainly wasn't talking about her physical state; more likely her emotional one.

He could already feel the soft cotton of the shirt dampen, but he paid no attention. It was only a shirt; she was the love of his life. "Why?" There was clearly something about today that he hadn't yet been informed of and he wanted to know what that was. But, he didn't have to wait for her to answer. As soon as the word exited his mouth, it dawned on him. He felt like he'd just been slapped in the face because it hadn't dawned on him before. "You really thought you were pregnant, didn't you?"

She nodded as she pulled away from him. Their eyes met and he could see the turmoil running through her. "For about a minute and a half," she replied as she dried her eyes upon her sleeves. She still wore her long-sleeved shirt, which she felt extra comforted in. It had once been Bobby's, but she'd claimed it as her own one evening when they'd taken a walk in the park. He didn't have the heart to take it back from her. She did look good in it. She'd been wearing it all day, but not just for comfort. She wore it consolation and this certainly was a day to wear it.

"And how did that make you feel?" She'd missed a few stray tears, which he happily wiped from her cheeks. He always thought she looked much more beautiful when she didn't cry.

"Terrified. I mean, I would like to be a mother some day, but when I waited for the result, I knew how… wrong it felt. I'd always planned on being married when I got pregnant and if I was expecting, I began thinking about how you'd want to do the right thing. Then, I realized that it wasn't what I would have wanted." She gave a look of disgust at that thought. She knew things didn't always work out as planned, but that was the one thing she felt so strongly about. She didn't want to end up being an unwed mother and end up like so many of the girls she'd helped in her years as a police officer.

He was confused. She wouldn't want him to do the right thing? "No?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

She shook her head. "No. And it's only because I would never have known the truth. Would you have married me because I was pregnant or because you loved me… and both would not be an option." She pointed at him as he tried to voice that question, but she knew it was coming and she wanted to cut him off at the pass.

"You don't think I want to marry you?" He was getting the picture, but very slowly. One piece of the puzzle would fall into place as the conversation progressed.

She shook her head to tell him that wasn't what she meant. "It's not that." She rested her hand upon his cheek as she stared into those gorgeous dark blue eyes of his. She could stare into them forever if given the chance. "It's just that… oh, I don't know anymore!" She threw her hands up in defeat. She felt like she was going to cry again, but she wouldn't let herself. She'd cried enough today and she didn't want to shed any more tears.

"I do want to marry you, Luv," he stated as if it was obvious.

More tears were welling up in her eyes as she scooted over to his side of the bed so he could take her in his arms and hold her; he happily obliged. "Then, why don't you ask me?"

"What? Am I supposed to warn you in advance? Where's the fun in that?" He teased, until he saw the pained look in her eyes. "You know, something like that has to be planned out. It might happen when you least expect it."

"Like now?" She managed to tease.

He shook his head in disbelief. How she could go from hurt to funny in a split second was beyond him, but he knew he had to keep his guard up. "Don't push your luck." He hugged her tighter and placed a kiss upon her forehead. "Feel better?"

She nodded. "Much."

Sensing that she was returning to her normal self, he couldn't help but be a bit bold. "And you know, even if you don't want a baby until after we get married, we could always… practice. That always seems to be fun."

She rolled her eyes and him and shook her head as she ran a hand over her still sore belly. There was no way that was going to happen, as much as she wouldn't have minded. "Don't push your luck," she replied, imitating him as she did.

With a shocked expression, he put her into an angle where he could properly catch her lips. He didn't hesitate to do so and she was very willing to accept his kiss.