A\N: Here it is, another chapter, the names of both twin girls are found out in this story, one with a little bit of a twist. My new cyber-friend VictoriaAnnx who helped me write and helped me with ideas for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Chicago Fire, NBC, Global, The Chicago Blackhawkes, the NHL or any of its teams and the company who makes Pull-Ups.
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Small Gains
"Matt," Gabriela was relieved when she saw her boyfriend rush into the hospital room.
"Hey sweetheart," He kissed her cheek not caring at all that it was sweaty.
"The other baby she-" Gabriela didn't have the energy to stop crying, "She's stuck and they're afraid she might die."
Matt could swear his heart stopped if only for a second, "What about the first one?"
"She's fine," Gabriela squeezed Matt's hand as she felt another strong contraction, "She's just taking a long time to come."
Matt gently placed one hand on her abdomen. He could feel his one of his daughter's heads.
"Ow! Matt!" Gabriela yelped in pain, "What did you do?"
Matt took his hand away and stepped back; he hadn't meant to do anything but as tears continued to stream down Gabby's face and she looked like she was in extreme pain he rushed out of the room to get a doctor.
Dr. Larue rushed into the room followed by a few nurses. "Well, Ms. Dawson," She gently fingered her lower abdomen, "I have some good news that pain you felt was your second baby girl re-positioning herself; she's now in the correct position and seems to be catching up to her sister."
Gabriela smiled through the pain and exhaustion, "I just want them out. How much longer?"
"At this rate possibly two or three more hours but its hard to say," Dr. Larue stood up. "I'll come back in half an hour to check on you." She walked out of the room and let the nurses do a routine check
"Gabby I'm sorry I-" Matt took her hand but Gabriela pulled away.
"This is all your fault!" She cried, "Why did you have to do this to me?"
Matt couldn't say he wasn't prepared for this to happen; in all of the books he read for first time fathers there were sometimes entire chapters dedicated to what woman said during labour and the threats they made. They were usually tired, hormonal and in major pain; And Matt knew Gabriela was under more stress then was good for her or the babies.
"Well," She snapped, "Don't just sit there, do something."
"I don't know what to say Gabriela; you're right. It is my fault, my fault that you're giving me two miracles."
Gabriela huffed in annoyance and pain, "Yeah well you try giving birth to them."
"If I could I would sweetheart but that's your job. You're going to have a connection with them no one will be able to match, sweetheart you're-"
"Matt!" Gabby experienced the worst pain of her life, "Matt I can feel her one of them crowning! Get the doctor now!" She tried to hold her daughter in and fight off the urge to push her out. "Not now!" She squeezed her hands so hard her nails dug into her skin and left her palms bloody and scared.
"MATT!" She shrieked so loud it echoed off the walls, the only sound toping it a screeching cry of a tiny baby.
Ever so gently Matt picked up his daughter and held her in his arms.
Seconds later Dr. Larue ran into the room with nurses and other doctors.
"Here," A nurse held out her arms, "I'll clean her up and then you can hold her."
Matt didn't want to let his daughter go, she might be crying and covered in dark red blood but she was perfect.
"I'm sorry Sir, I have to take her, you can cut the cord though."
Matt nodded his head and was handed surgical scissors to cut the babies umbilical cord. He then reluctantly handed his daughter over to the nurses and doctors to be checked over.
"She's beautiful," Matt walked back to his girlfriend's side, "Perfect in every way."
"Her sister should be coming soon," She took his hand, "I can feel her coming too."
"Okay Gabriela I need you to push," Dr. LaRue instructed.
Gabriela squeezed Matt's hand and used all the strength her body had left to push her baby out.
"One more push, Gabriela."
Collapsing on the pillow Gabby took a deep breath, "She's not even crowing yet," Tears ran down her cheeks."
"Come on Gabriela just one more push. Can you do that for me?"
Gabriela pushed through another contraction and then another one.
"Here you go Mr. Casey all cleaned up," A nurse handed Matt the first baby girl. She was swaddled tightly in a pink blanket and had a little pink hat on as well as a medical bracelet on her ankle. Yawning the baby looked up at him wrapped her fist around his finger and closed her eyes.
Gabriela focused her attention on her first baby as she pushed through what she hoped was the last contraction.
When she heard her a cry she collapsed onto the bed,
"I'm so proud of you sweetheart," Matt handed there first born daughter to her.
Gabriela kissed her forehead, "We've waited a long time for you."
The examination for the second baby took a lot longer then usually making both Gabby and Matt worry. They had both feared something could be wrong with her but the thought had been forced into the back of their minds.
"I'm happy to tell you, you have two healthy identical twin girls," Dr. LaRue handed Matt the second baby who like her sister had now stopped crying and had fallen asleep.
Tears came down Matt's cheek as he sat slowly on Gabriela's hospital bed, "I'm the luckiest man in the world. I have the most beautiful family ever."
"Matt about-" Gabriela began but Matt silenced her with a kiss; "I don't want you under any stress right now. You're body needs to rest."
"Matt we have-"
"Gabriela I'm serious."
To exhausted for a fight she gave up and turned her attention to the baby in her arms. "What time is it?"
"Almost eleven o'clock," Matt looked at his watch, "We'll call everyone tomorrow."
"Are Leslie and Kelly with Carla?"
"Yeah they are."
"Tomorrow if she's able to she can come up here, I'd like to see her."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," Matt smiled softly as she put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.
"Sophia!" Carla grinned as the nursing student walked into the room carrying a bucket of makers, stickers and crayons.
"Hey bestie," She smiled in return, "I thought maybe we could do some colouring while your Daddy goes to the hospital store."
Carla had not had a good morning. The test results had come in and she had broken her left ankle and her left arm. So for a good majority of the morning she had been getting casted. She had a pink cast on her entire arm and another one covering her entire foot. She was also not happy about being in a wheel chair for up to six weeks while her bones heeled.
So less then half an hour ago when she returned to her room in tears Matt asked to speak to her doctor outside the room. He asked if Sophia could come for a visit, as maybe that would cheer Carla up. He was very happy when the pediatrician said it could be arranged.
"No," Carla shook her head, "I can't draw," She held up her arm cast.
"A pink cast!" Carla made it sound cool, "You have a pink cast! Why don't we draw on your cast? I'll draw anything you want on it."
"He stays," Carla pointed to Matt with her non-casted hand.
"Uh Carla that's-" Sophia began but Matt cut in.
"Sweetie I need to go and get some things from the store; but when you're with Sophia you won't even know I'm gone."
"Yeah we're going to have lots of fun," Sophia smiled, "We can make cards if you want."
"Not for the stupid babies," Carla shook her head.
"Carla I don't like that word," Matt scolded, "Now you be good for Sophia and I'll be back before you know it,
When Matt had left the room Carla began to cry.
"Don't cry Sweetheart," Sophia soothed, "Daddy will be back soon."
"No, he's dead!" Carla sobbed.
Sophia looked at the young girl; she was stunned to say the least. Not knowing what else to do she changed the subject and got Carla drawing pictures.
Twenty minutes later when Matt returned she asked to speak to him in the hallway.
"After you left Carla started crying so I told her you'd be back soon. She said "No Daddy's dead."
"Oh," Matt sighed, "I'm not her biological father," He explained, "Her parents died a few months ago. I'm her adoptive father but she just calls me Uncle Matt because that's what I was before."
Sophia was shocked. She had not been expecting an answer like that. "I'm so sorry I had no idea."
"No its fine," Matt assured her, "You would have no way of knowing."
"We did some colouring, I hope I was able to help at least a little." Sophia turned and walked down the hallway.
"How would you like to go and see Auntie Gabby and your new cousins," Matt tried to make it sound like an adventure, "Your brothers and sister are up there too."
"I don't want to," Carla frowned, "I hate them."
"Carla that's not a very nice thing to say," Matt told her, "Now put your colouring away, we need to go upstairs."
"I hate you," Carla did what she was told.
Matt had hoped that the improvements Carla had made the previous day would be a regular thing however he was not surprised when they weren't. Carla, and all of her sibling's recovery from their parent's death would take a very long time.
Pushing Carla's wheelchair to the elevator Matt pressed the floor button. He didn't say anything, he instead let Carla decide if she wanted to talk; no surprise she didn't have any interest in talking.
When they got closer to the room they could hear multiple voices and when Matt pushed Carla into the room all eyes turned onto her.
"Carla!" Freddie bolted towards his sister, "You're hurt bad," He pouted.
"Yeah," Carla nodded her head.
"Cool drawings," Freddie smiled at the drawings that Sophia had done, "Can I draw on it?"
"I think that's a great idea," Matt spoke before Carla had a chance to, "Why don't you do it over here." He pushed Carla towards a small coffee table and small couch.
"No markers," Carla looked at Matt," They're downstairs."
"I'll go and get them," Matt spirited out of the room and returned minutes later with the bin of markers and stickers.
"No boy stickers," Carla warned Freddie.
"Daddy!" Maria lunged out of her grandfather's arms and reached for Matt, "Daddy," She whined.
"I'm here sweetie," Matt took the toddler into his arms and kissed her.
"Daddy," She settled contently in his arms, "Babies," She pointed to the two small babies, one being held by Gabby and the other by her grandmother. "Two babies." She held up two fingers.
"That's right, good counting," Matt praised.
"Daddy," Three year old Diego pulled on Matt's paint leg, "I misseded you," He wrapped his arms around his leg and hugged it.
Matt looked down at the young boy, currently wearing Chicago Blackhawks t-shirt and a pair of jeans, his pull-ups just visible.
He had always wondered what it would be like to have a son, someone to take to hockey games with. It wasn't that he didn't want to have daughters it was the fact that before his father died they had a special bond and he wanted to have that with a son of his own. He looked down at Diego and then at Freddie who was busy placing stickers on a red piece of paper; it suddenly dawned on him that he had two sons that needed him as a role model now more then ever.
"Freddie come here," Matt told the four year old.
Freddie stopped what he was doing and walked over to Matt. He looked up at him, blue eyes on green.
"Freddie, Diego how would you boys like it if I taught you how to play baseball this summer?"
Freddie's mouth opened wide and just as he was about to say he'd love to Carla let out an ear piercing scream that made Maria and both twin girls cry.
"Carla!" Matt, not understanding what had happened turned to the girl and scolded, "You don't scream like that unless you're hurt.
Tears in her eyes Carla stood up and with the cast on her ankle fell face first on the marble floor.
Sitting up she began shaking and crying more then she had in a long time.
"Carla," Matt knelt beside her.
"NO!" She screamed, "You hate me!"
"Carla," George stepped forward and the four year old collapsed into his arms, "I think I'll take her back to her room."
Matt didn't know what to say; one look at Gabriela and he knew he had done something wrong but he wasn't sure what it was.
After that the visit was awkward at best and cut short when Gabriela's mother said she needed to get the kids home for Diego and Maria's nap, even though that was true both Gabriela and Matt knew it was an excuse to leave the tension filled room and let the young couple talk things out.
After the door to the room closed Gabriela stared Matt in the eyes, "Have you completely lost your mind?" She wanted a straight answer, "What were you thinking?"
"When Gabby?" He asked seriously swallowing the lump in his throat when he stared at him.
"When you told Freddie and Diego you'd teach them how to play baseball. You should have seen the look on Carla's face Matt if I wasn't so tired I'd beat you up."
It suddenly dawned on him what was wrong; all Carla wanted was attention, loosing having to share two parents with three siblings was bad enough before the twins were born. Then Matt had to go and suggest he teach Freddie and Diego how to play baseball, in the spur of the moment he wasn't thinking.
He shut his eyelids tight, "No wonder your father hates me."
"He doesn't hate you Matt, he hardly knows you. How can he hate you?"
"I don't know what I was thinking Gabby."
"I do, you were thinking that Diego just called you Daddy. He called me Mommy to when he ran in here."
"It wad different then with Maria it was-"
"Matt I understand, okay I have-had a brother I know most men want sons; just like most woman want daughters. It just was a quick reaction and Carla caught it."
"Yeah and now I've made things worse."
"Matt despite everything she does, everything she says, somewhere inside her is that sweet little girl wanting to come out. I know it is."
"I hope you're right," Matt looked at their daughters who were peacefully asleep in their bassinets.
"So," Matt looked at his girlfriend and changed the subject, "Why didn't you tell your mom their names?"
"Because only one of them has a name! And we don't even know which one it is!" She suddenly became very emotional and tears flooded her face.
Matt stood up and walked to a pile of toys and accessories her parents and Shay and Severide had gotten for the babies. "Here," He pulled out two different onsies, "When they wake-up we can put them in these."
"Matt," She cried, "This is serious, we don't know which baby is which. What one was born first."
"She was," Matt pointed to the sleeping baby in the bassinet closest to where he was standing.
"How do you know?"
"Because last night I remember putting her in it right before I went to bed; and I know it's her I was holding because around eleven thirty we switched and up until that time you were holing her."
"Well at lest one of us is a good parent."
"Gabby you spent almost thirteen hours giving birth to them. It's perfectly normal for your body to be tired and for you to forget things. You used up a lot of energy bringing them to us."
"Is that supposed to make he feel better? Because it doesn't, not only does one of them not have a name but we didn't even know about her."
"That's not our fault."
"Yes it is Matt! We-or at least I should have known. What kind of mother I'm I?"
"Gabriela we've been raising four young children who miss their parents and are having some problems, we've also been worried about money and a new house. We barely had any time alone."
"Matt they lived inside of me for nine months. How could I not know?" She started breathing heavily.
"Ssh," Matt kissed the side of her head as he sat down beside her, "She's our little miracle. We didn't expect to have her so she's that much more special."
Gabby blinked her eyes, "Did Mackenzie just cry?" She peered over to the bassinet and sure enough the first baby was fussing.
Standing up carefully Gabriela walked over and wrapped the tiny infant in her arms, "Mommy's here," She soothed.
Mackenzie started crying louder.
"She needs to be changed," Gabriela walked to the change table and laid the baby down gently.
Matt walked over and brought a pink outfit with him holding it in hands he wrapped his arms around Gabby, "I don't want you to ever think you're a bad mother. These girls, their older sibling and me, we all need you."
"It's just hormones," She took the pink outfit from Matt's hands and began changing Mackenzie into it.
"Uh-huh, we'll talk about it later," He kissed the neck, "I'm going to go down and check on Carla. I'll be back soon."
"Bring her with you."
"If I can," Matt knew how difficult getting Carla to do anything was going to be.
As soon as Matt came into few of the room George simply nodded is head to Sophia and walked out closing the door as he did, "Let's have a talk son," He led the younger man into a brightly coloured waiting room and sat down in a chair.
Matt followed suit and wanted for the older man to start talking.
"I want you to know Matt we, my wife and I respect you for what you are doing. Not every man would step up and agree to raise four children no matter how much they love them. I also know Gabriela's been in love with you for a long, long time and her brother-" George stopped and took a minute, talking about his late son was still a hard topic for him.
"Antonio," He finally was able to continue, "Antonio respected you and liked you a lot. I have to say you've made a good impression on me so far too. Just don't break my daughter and grand-children's hearts." He warned
"Sir, I love your daughter very much, and I love all six of those children equally; but I know what I said was wrong and-"
"About baseball?" George guessed.
Matt nodded his head in conformation.
"I'll be honest it wasn't the best thing to say for Carla's sake but it certainly made Diego and Freddie very happy. That's the thing though with parenting you can't always win. You're time is precious and someone's always going to feel their not getting enough of it. You have to learn how to balance it.
When Gabby and Antonio were younger my wife and I would spend alternate Friday's with them. For example if I spent time with Gabby one Saturday the next I'd spend with Antonio."
"That's a good idea Sir, but I'm not sure it would work for us. I work some weekends and with six kids…"
"I'm not suggesting you do it, I'm just giving you some ideas. My wife and I didn't start it until Antonio and Gabby were five and six.
"Do you think something like that would be good for us?" Matt asked already knowing the answer.
"Look, I'm not trying to tell you how to raise those children but if you're asking me whether Carla, Freddie and Diego are in desperate need of one-on-one attention I'd say the answer is yes."
"I have every intention of teaching them how to play baseball; I know they don't need to have their hopes dashed."
"No, no they don't and I don't believe you're the kind of man that would do that; but if you ever need an extra hand with them, let me know I'm an old pro." He patted Matt's knee in a fatherly way before walking out of the room.
"I should probably get going now Carla," He walked back into the hospital room followed by Matt, "But it looks like you're fine here."
"Okay Grandpa," Carla looked at him, "I made you this," She handed him a picture as he approached her bed.
"I'll make sure it goes on the fridge at home," He kissed her forehead.
"He's my Grandpa," Carla turned to Sophia and said, completely ignoring Matt, "He's really nice."
"He seems nice," Sophia said.
"Carla," Matt sat on the edge of the bed, a signal Sophia took as her cue to leave.
"Carla I need to get back to work now but remember what we talked about."
"I remember," Carla replied.
"Carla," Matt continued after Sophia had left the room, "What I did before, saying those things. I hurt you and I feel bad; I didn't mean to hurt you but I'm still apologizing," Matt intently modeled the way she and her siblings were being taught to apologize.
"You did hurted me," Carla frowned, "I made me sad."
Admitting how she felt, especially to him was a giant step for Carla and Matt was very proud of her.
"That' good you used your words to tell me that Carla. What do you think we should do know?"
"Can you teach me how to play baseball too?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course I can," Matt smiled, "We'll wait until your casts are off and you're heeled properly. How does that sound?
"Okay."
"Now, Auntie Gabby wants to see you, do you think we could go upstairs for awhile."
"NO! Carla's attitude quickly changed and she became very angry, "I don't want to."
"But you know what sweetheart everyone else is gone and Auntie Gab by wants to spend some time with just you."
"Without the babies?"
"No, the babies will be there."
"No thank you!" Carla returned to her drawings.
"Nice manners Carla but I want to go up and I don't want you here all alone."
"You love the babies!" Carla accused him, "Why?"
Matt wasn't surprised this question had come up and he hoped is answer didn't cause Carla to freak out even more, "Because they're my little girls; but so are you, so is Maria and Freddie and Diego are my sons. I love you all equally."
"No!" Carla screamed, "Mommy and Daddy dieded! You don't love us!"
"Carla," Matt lifted her up and put her in her now decorated wheelchair, "I do love you, I love you very, very much."
"Let me go!" Carla shrieked as Matt wheeled her into the hallway and towards the elevator.
Matt had let her scream all the way down the hall and in the elevator in the hopes that she got it out of her system, however once they were in the maternity ward, he stood in front of her wheelchair and stared down at her.
"That's enough Carla. There are babies on this floor and I don't want you waking them up when you scream do you understand?"
"No!" Carla tried to undo the seatbelt and escape.
Matt felt like he would collapse into tears any second; of all of her siblings Carla was the one that he used to have the strongest relationship with. He remembered vividly she used to giggle whenever he and Gabby would talk before they started dating. With the help of Shay she even slipped a love note in Gabby's locker and forged his signature on it; That's why it pained him greatly when she responded so poorly to him now. It wasn't that he was expecting her to call him Daddy he knew there would be problems but he wasn't expecting a complete one-eighty turn.
"Auntie Gabby he kid-napped me," Carla pointed at Matt as he wheeled her into the room and locked her wheelchair.
"Oh did he?" Gabriela knew Carla was being serious but she was having a hard time controlling her laughter. "Come here sweetheart I want you to meet one of your new cousins."
"I don't want to."
"Matt," Gabriela sent her boyfriend a pleading look, obviously she had a plan he wasn't in on.
"Come here," Matt carefully lifted Carla out of the wheelchair and carried her over to the couch where he placed her in-between himself and Gabriela.
"This is your new cousin," Gabriela tilted the baby ever so slightly so Carla could see her, "Do you remember when Maria was this small?"
"No," Carla shook her head.
"That's okay," She hadn't expected her to remember but she needed to ask it anyways, "Do you remember helping Mommy and Daddy out with her? You used to pick out her clothes and make funny faces when she was upset."
"Yes, Mommy and Daddy said I was a great big sister."
"That's right, you were. Since you were such a big help with Maria when you weren't a big girl in Junior Kindergarten Uncle Matt and I want you to be our special helper and help look after the twins what do you think about that?"
"No," Carla did not respond the way Gabriela had hoped, "You hate me."
"Carla I do not hate you, nobody hates you."
"You love them more," She cried and curled into her side.
"Oh sweetheart," All Gabriela wanted to do was wrap her in her arms and hold her.
"Sweetheart I want you to listen to me okay. I made a promise to your Mommy and Daddy a long time ago, do you know what that was."
"No," Carla's voice was muffled by her hospital gown.
"I promised them that if anything every happened to them I would look after you and your brothers and sister. I promised them I'd love you and treat you like you were my own children. Now I loved your parents and I would never break their promise."
"But Maria and Diego don't remember," She sniffled, "You replaced Mommy and Daddy."
"Oh sweetheart is that what you think?"
"You tookeded them away when you became our Mommy."
Hearing Carla tell her she though she hated her parents tore Gabriela to pieces. That was not her intention with the adoption at all. To be able to raise them as their own children and not always need the courts approval they needed to adopt them.
"Carla when Matt and I adopted all of you we were keeping my promise to your parents. If we didn't adopt you then you wouldn't be fully our children. I know it's hard to understand but I loved your Mommy and Daddy so much and I know I could never replace them."
"But-" Carla began protesting again.
Gabriela sighed she knew from the look in Carla's eyes that she did not understand anything she had just said.
"Maria and Diego are little sweetheart, they're not big like you and Freddie. They don't remember your Mommy and Daddy very well. All they know is that Matt and I are their Mommy and Daddy now, so that's why they call us that. If you don't want to you don't have to call us Mommy and Daddy."
At that Carla began to cry and held onto Gabby tighter. Gabby let her release all her emotions, hoping that she had finally managed to get through to Carla. She knew this wouldn't be the end of it, there would probably be more moments like today, but she hoped that over time they would become more infrequent.
When the tears had run out Carla lifted her head just in time to hear the baby in Gabby's arms start to cry.
"Make her stop!" Carla covered her ears as the crying continued and while doing so kept an eye on the other baby who wasn't crying.
"Carla," Matt scolded as he stood up and began soothing the baby, "That's not a nice word to use."
"I just want her to stop! I want Sophia, Sophia doesn't cry. She plays with me. Sophia! Sophia!'"
At Carla's screaming of Sophia's name the room suddenly went quiet as the baby stopped crying and Carla stopped screaming because it was quiet again.
"Good baby. I like it when you don't cry," Carla looked at the baby.
The bay looked at Carla as well and for a second in almost seemed like she heard her but then she started crying again.
"I WANT SOPHIA!" Carla screamed.
Suddenly the baby stopped crying.
"Matt," Gabriela looked at her boyfriend.
"I know," Matt shared the look, they were bot thinking the same thing.
"Carla, honey say the name Sophia to the baby only quiter this time, I think she likes it."
"Why?" Carla asked, "Sopia's my friend."
The baby turned and looked at Carla; she offered up a simple whimper.
"You can't like Sophia." Carla told the baby, "She's my friend!"
The baby began to cry again.
"Carla, I don't think she likes your friend Sophia I just think the name calms her. What do you think, do you like the name Sophia?"
"But that's Sophia's name, you can't steal her name that's not nice."
Matt laughed, "Sweetie lots of people have the same name," He explained hoping she would understand.
She didn't "But it's her name!"
"Why don't we ask Sophia first? If she says yes then can we name the baby Sophia?"
"I guess so," Carla looked down at the small baby, "Hi baby Sophia," She kissed her forehead, "I'm your big sister Carla."
At Carla's words Matt and Gabby stared at each other; not only had Carla acknowledged the baby but she introduced herself as her big sister. That was a huge step forward and they were both so relieved that it had happened.
TBC
A\N: So, is Carla finally all better? How will she and her other siblings respond to the twins once their at home? How will Carla move around a two-story house and who'll share a room? Let me know what you think and stay tuned for the answers in the next chapter.