After 2 months of stability at the Dawson residence, something had to go wrong...
Antonio, Eva, and Diego were pretty much settled into their routine.
Antonio would drop the kids off at school. Then get to work. The kids got home by riding the bus. At 4:00 Antonio got home and then they would have dinner at 6:00 ect.
Single parenting was not as easy as having a wife to help you out, but it was much better than having no kids and not having a mentally unstable wife.
Diego had been doing well. Antonio was bringing him to the boxing gym every opportunity he had.
Eva was recovering. The scars her mother left were deep but her Dad and her Brother were always there for her. One night Antonio stayed up all night comforting her after she had a panic attack from a nightmare about her mother. Besides that she was getting good grades and she kept up with volleyball.
It was a tuesday night. Diego had been building cars with legos for the past hour. Antonio was watching boxing and Eva was snuggled up against her dad looking at her phone. "Diego... Time for bed buddy..." Antonio announced. Diego rolled his eyes seeing he was close to finishing his third car. But he also knew not to mess with his father. "Night dad, night Eva..." He said as he headed up the stairs. At 10:30 Antonio could see his daughter could barely keep her eyes open. "Eva..." She yawned. " i know i know..." He followed her upstairs to check on Diego who had gone to bed an hour and a half earlier.
As he expected he saw his son in the dim light of his nightlight sprawled across the bed asleep.
He passed Eva's room. She was double checking the locks on the windows. "GoodNight baby girl..." He spoke softly. "Night Dad..." She smiled. She laid down onto her bed
as Antonio flicked off the lights.
At 11:45 Antonio called it a night checking all the locks on the doors and windows. He checked on the kids again before going into his room.
1:24 A.M.
Diego hears a noise outside his window. He looks out to see a dark van parked across the street from their house. Diego had always been scared of vans since the time he was kidnapped and thrown into one.
"Dad... dad..." Diego sharply whispered into the darkness of the master bedroom. "Diego?" Antonio asked. "Dad...dont turn on the light..." "Come ere buddy..." Antonio said sleepily.
Diego swiftly scurried to the bed and climbed on.
"Whats wrong?"
"Theres a van outside..."
"What?"
"A van outside... Like the one i was kidnapped in..." Diego was suddenly engulfed in a hug from his father. Antonio jumped out of bed. "Show me..."
Diego took him and showed him. Sure enough it was still there. They saw a man in a mask look around and head towards the house. Diego froze. "This is Detective Antonio Dawson Intelligence i need immediate assistance at my residence there looks to be and attempted robbery in progress... Me and my 2 kids are in the home..." "10-4, help en route." The master bedroom was the farthest from the door. Diego woke up Eva and brought her to the room. Antonio instructed them to hide behind the clothes in the closet, as he cocked the hand gun he had in his nightstand drawer. Eva was scared, she barely knew what was going on. Antonio hid behind the door to the master bedroom. The security system went off making Dawson's heart race. He heard a sickening noise. Bullets blasted through each of the rooms. Coming down the hall. Antonio was praying and focusing at the same time. When the door started to open slightly. Antonio couldn't breathe. The barrel of the gun pointed straight towards the closet door. "CHICAGO P.D.!" Antonio heard. He sighed, too soon. A bullet shot through the closet door. Then the gunman was tackled into the door which hit Antonio in the face. He didnt care. He ran to the closet. "DIEGO! EVA!"" He screamed. "DAD!"Diego cried. The bullet had shot through the wall 5 inches above the kids heads.
Antonio tried to catch his breath as he hugged his kids.
"You Antonio Dawson?" The guy asked. "You have the right to remain silent!" The patrol officer yelled.
The next day...
Antonio walked into the empty intelligence room. "Antonio... I didnt think you would come in today..." Voight said. He walked in from his office.
"You heard?"
Voight nodded.
"Hows Eva and Diego?" He asked.
"Shaken... But they are with Gabby till i get there, were staying with her and Casey... I cant help but think its my fault..."
"How?"
"Im a cop Hank... This puts my kids at risk..."
"They released a statement from the guy... It says he was in love with a woman at stone gate... (psychiatric prison) her name was..."
Antonio nearly flipped. He threw his hands onto his forehead.
"Seriously? Laura can terrorize us from inside prison!"
"He said she asked for a favor which included shooting up your house... She was put in solitary..."
Antonio was relived to hear this. Just then Halstead and Lindsay shot up the stairs. Erin instantly went in for a. Hug. "You ok Antonio? The kids..." "Were good..."
"Antonio... This is an order... Take the day off before you even set you jacket down..." Voight ordered.
He really didnt have to tell Antonio twice. After thanking Voight, he left the district to go to the one place he wanted to be.
"Hey Tonio! That was fast..." Gabby chuckled.
"Yeah... Voight's orders. "
"Hi Dad!" Diego smiled as. He greeted his father with a hug.
"Hey bud..."
"Hows Eva?"
"She is staring at her phone..." Diego replied before Gabby could answer.
"Thanks for letting us stay here until we get the house fixed up sis."
"No problem bro..." She smiled. Antonio and the kids had taken over Kelly's old room since he finally moved out at got his own apartment. Matt and Gabby were happy to help out Antonio, considering all the things he did for them.
"Hey Eva..." Antonio quietly greeted as he entered the room.
"Hi... " she didnt ask why he was home early.
"So" "how are you doing kid?"
"I was more prepared for a break in than last time..." She chuckled.
He cracked a smile.
"You two are the bravest kids I know..."
She smiled but her mouth slowly shaped into a frown.
"Hey. Whats wrong?" He asked.
"Did any of this have to do with mom?" She inquired.
Antonio sighed, he didnt want to lie but he also didnt want to tell the truth.
"Yes"