A\N: I got Chicago P.D. Season Two for Christmas and while watching the Chicago PD and Law and Order SVU cross over episode was reminded of how much Antonio and Nick look alike. I had this discussion with friends on Twitter where we thought it would be cool if Antonio and Nick were cousins. This story takes place under that assumption, and so its A\U. I don't know much about Law and Order: SVU as I don't watch it that much so I only know a little about the relationship between Nick and his ex-wife. I do know though that h has a son from a previous relationship; in my story he's Nick and Maria's son along with Zara and another little girl.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Spoilers: None

Warnings: None

Chapter 1

Nick walked up the steps of his house a little uneasy on his feet. He wasn't drunk but he wasn't sober either. After the long and exhausting day he had he had needed a few drinks. He quietly opened the front door to the house and snuck inside.

"Nicholas Amaro!" His wife Maria shrieked with anger, "IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT DRINKING!" She was furious, and Nick noticed holding a plate.

"Wow, wow Mar," He held up his arms in defence, 'the kids?" He motioned to the stairs where their three young children were sleeping, or supposed to be sleeping he doubt the two oldest ha slept through that.

"Don't you dare!" She scolded angrily, "You get shot in the shoulder go to the hospital and I have to hear about it on the news!"

Nick ran a hand over his face, "I was going to call you. I wanted to call you," He insisted, "But after I got this," He motioned to his cast, "We got a huge lead and then… then I shot the guy and I had to be investigated and I couldn't call you. Then it was so late and-"

"FIVE SECONDS NICK! YOU DON'T HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO CALL ME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE?"

"Yeah I do," He crossed his arms walking towards her. "When you were in Iraq; I watched the news every night praying I wouldn't hear your name or get a visit. So I do know."

"I wasn't in the field Nick. I was an investigative reporter."

"You still could have been hurt!"

"Then you should have called!" She took a breath, "That's it! I can't do this right now! Go pack a bag! I don't want to see you for a month or so. I don't care where you go just get out of here. We need a break."

"Maria-" He looked at her, they had been trying to wok things out, they were separated but when she found out she was pregnant they'd gotten back together, that was almost two years ago.

"Just go!"

"Alright," He kicked off his shoes and headed up the stairs not seeing his eight and four year old scurry back into the girl's room.

"Daddy's leaving!" Four-year-old Maria began to cry as she blinked her eyes and looked at her older brother.

Gill shook his head. He knew his parents were having problems; he heard them fight a lot. He never thought they'd actually get a divorce though, "Maybe we can talk to Dad," He decided, "Mom and him can talk."

Just then Nick opened the door and frowned at the two children, "You heard?" He asked.

Gill blinked his eyes in an effort to make it seem like he had just been woken up, "Zara heard Mom yelling. She was upset. She came into my room crying," He lied fluidly.

"Daddy!" Zara walked up to her father and hugged him, "Daddy!"

"Ssh baby," He lifted her up and carried her back towards her bed, he tucked her in, "Everything's going to be okay sweetie," He promised kissing her forehead, "Go back to sleep."

"Goodnight Daddy," Zara snuggled into her blankets and stuffed animals.

Nick gave her another kiss and went to check on his youngest. Two-year-old Madelina was sleeping soundly in her crib. He turned back to Gill, "Come on bud lets get you back to bed."

"Dad," Gill followed, "Where are you going? Are we still going to see you?" He asked as he walked across the hall to his bedroom.

"You'll still see me," Nick promised, if there was one thing he knew it was that he was never going to abandon his children.

"So you're going to stay in New York?" He asked anxiously, "Can I go with you?"

"I have two week off to recover; I think I might go to Chicago."

"To see Antonio and Laura? And Diego?" He was best friends with his second cousin, "Take me out of school! Dad!"

"No, no," Maria would really be bad at him then, "You stay here alright. Look after your younger sisters and mind your mother."

"But Dad-"

"No arguing." He said and turned off the light as he left the room.

As he packed Nick told himself he wasn't going to Chicago for no reason; he had a new baby cousin that he hadn't met yet and he had been invited anytime he could get time off. He decided since it was late at night he'd drive through the night and call in the morning from wherever he was.

Opening up the door to his room silently Gill looked to make sure the cost was clear before dashing across the hall to his sisters room, "Zara," He called quietly walking to his younger sister's bed, "Zara wake up," He shook her, "We're going to Chicago."

Zara sat up and rubbed her eyes, "What?" She asked sleepily.

"Come on," Gill took her hand, "We're going to follow Dad to Chicago."

"Daddy's taking us with him?"

"No, no," He shook his head, "We're going to sneak into the car come on."

She grabbed her favourite blanket and took he older brothers hand, "Is Madi coming too?"

"No she's to little. She'll cry and then Dad will bring us home. We need to be really quiet for along time. Do you want to see Elena, Eva and Diego?"

"Yes!"

"Good, now do what I say," He instructed. He made sure the coast was clear and snuck towards the stairs, then listening to his mother talk on the phone he made a dash to the front door and opened it and closed it silently. Nick was putting his bag in the back seat and Gill hid in the bushes grabbing Zara's hand. He waited until Nick had gone to the driver's side before making a run for it and unlatching the truck and helping Zara up.

"What the-" Nick saw the truck opened, "I must have hit the wrong button," He mumbled to himself; he was always accidently opening the trunk when he was trying to lock the back doors. He went to the trunk to close it not seeing his children hidden behind bags and sports equipment.

Nick drove straight through into the morning like he had planned and stopped only to get breakfast, just as he was sitting down an getting ready to call his cousin Gabby his cell phone rang. It was Maria choosing not to ignore it he answered it.

"Nick!" She yelled into the phone, "They're gone! Gill and Zara! I can't find them anywhere! I swear if you have them I-"

"Wow, wow I'd never steal our children you know that," Nick told her, whatever was going on between them Nick knew she knew what kind of man and father he was.

'Right, right… I just keep fearing that they're out there, someone took them Nick!"

'All right, all right, I'll call Olivia and she'll be at the house. Then she'll call it in." He grabbed his bag and headed towards his car, that's when he saw it, the unmistakeable curly hair of his four year old daughter, "Never mind Maria; I think they snuck into my trunk."

"They what?"

"Alright you two," He put the phone to his chest and opened the trunk and came face to face with his two oldest children, "You gave your mother a heart attack. Come here and apologize."

"Dad don't take us home, we have to be near Chicago by now," Gill said taking the phone.

"You will not tell me what to do," Nick warned, "You're both in big trouble."

"I'm sorry Daddy!" Zara began to cry, "But Gill said we haded too."

While getting a lecture from his mother Gill glared at his little sister. He knew it was his idea but she had gone along with it, he didn't think it was fair that she was going to get away unpunished.

"Mom want's to talk to you," Gill handed the phone back to his father.

Nick took the phone, "I'll bring them home-"

"No, no," Maria shook her head, "You're probably almost in Chicago by now."

"Chicago? How'd you know I'd go there?"

She chuckled, "You're forgetting how well I know you. You always call Antonio to talk whenever you're upset; and his parents were more like parents then your own.

She was right, he and his younger sisters spent every summer with the their aunt and uncle in Chicago. Then one summer everything changed. He'd never forget that summer.

"I'll fly out with Madi tomorrow morning and come and ick them up. You just be sure to lecture them and make sure they know what they did wasn't right."

"Oh don't worry about that," Nick promised, "See you tomorrow," He hung up, "Alright," He looked at his children, "Lets go and get you some food and then we're going to have a serious discussion."

"Are we in lots and lots of trouble?" Zara asked innocently.

"Yes," Nick confirmed, "What you to did was very dangerous. You could have gotten seriously hurt. Do you know that?"

"I'm sorry Dad. It was my idea," Gill told him.

That didn't surprise him at all; Gill could be a very reckless thinking when he wanted to be and he was smart to which meant he was good at making up plans, usually to get himself and other people into trouble. Nick was trying his best to mould him into a good type of leader through a number of sports but it wasn't always easy.

"All of us are going to have a talk. You two are going to come to Chicago with me and your mother is going to pick you up tomorrow morning."

Nearly five hours later Nick parked in his cousin's driveway and Gill and Zara hoped out of the car, Zara knowing how to unbuckle herself from her car seat. They ran up the steps and straight into their cousin Laura.

"I hear you two are in big trouble," She looked down at them. "You snuck into your father's car?"

"We're sorry Laura," Zara pouted, "Daddy punished us."

"Yeah I'm grounded for two weekend and Zara just grounded for next Saturday." He mumbled.

"Enough," Nick walked up behind them, "Now go into the house and try not to get into any trouble."

"I'll play with Elena," Zara offered, her baby cousin was not even two yet ad she was squirming around in her mother's grasp.

"She's getting ready for her nap," Laura told her, "But go downstairs and watch a movie. The adults need to talk."

Not waiting for their father to say 'no' Gill grabbed his sister's hand and headed towards the basement door.

"Antonio's in the kitchen, I'm going to put Elena down," Laura explained to Nick.

"Alright," Nick nodded and he walked into the kitchen where he could hear his cousin on the phone.

Ma. I'm sure he's fine, no he's nit here yet I-" Antonio turned his head and saw his younger cousin, "Never mind Ma," He chuckled, "He's here now. Yes, he's fine it's just a simple cast. Later, you can talk to him later." Antonio hung up the phone and stood up, "Hey bro," He walked up to his cousin and hugged him, "How's the shoulder?"

"Fine. Aunt Esmeralda worried about me?"

"Ah, you know her she worries all the time," He shrugged, "Tell me what you did to Maria. You coming down here to see Sabrina when you're given two weeks off." He eyed him; "You said you didn't call her right away."

"Yeah she's pissed," Nick confirmed, "I was going to call her but then I was out and we got a lead on the prep; We got him and abandoned house and he was holding a toddler hostage so I shot him. Then I was investigated and cleared and I went out for drinks, probably not the best decision but I did it… I came home after midnight and Maria freaked. I apologized but she said she couldn't take it anymore. She needed some time so I packed a bag and left. I didn't find Gill and Zara until this morning. I was furious though when I did find them believe me. Maria's is coming down with Madi tomorrow to pick them up."

"We can fix this," Antonio told him, "You were stupid not to all her but we've all done it. I've done it more then a few times and you can trust me when I tell you Laura's a lot more stubborn then Maria is. As he saw Laura walk into the kitchen Nick couldn't stifle his laugh, "She's right behind me isn't she?" He got his answer when she smacked the back of his head.

"Watch it Antonio Dawson," She warned, "Give him good advice."

"I am, I am," He told her, "Elena go down easy?"

"Yes, but don't change the subject. What were you going to tell Nick?"

"I was just saying how you get worried when I get shot at; Maria just needs time, to two can talk tomorrow."

"I don't know ma, things have been pretty rocky between us lately.

"I think she'll come around," Laura promised, "She loves you, she was just worried. She called me last night and she was really upset. She'd tried to call you but you didn't answer and she feared the worst.

"Oh," Nick rubbed his head, "If I could go back and do it differently I would. She knows I would."

"That's what you need to tell her." Antonio told him, "Oh and I called Gabby and she and Matt are coming over for dinner tonight with Sabrina, my parents are coming too."

"Oh wonderful!" Nick sighed, he loved his family but sometimes it was just too much, "I guess it serves me right not coming home more. I wish I brought a gift for Sabrina."

"Oh that girl is so spoiled," Laura shook her head; "She has enough toys and clothes to do her until she's three. What Gabby and Matt really need is help; she's not an easy baby, very difficult."

"Just like Gabby."

"Yeah Gabby was not an easy baby baby," Antonio agreed, "Sabrina looks like Gabby but she looks like Matt to; she's looking more and more like Matt the older she gets but I think she'd going to act like Gabby; she'll be so stubborn."

TBC

A\N: Please leave a review and let me know if you liked it and if I should continue.

Up Next: The family comes over for dinner and Maria arrives in Chicago. will she and Nick have a chance to talk?