*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
The team arrived back at the District and quickly stripped off their gear. They had to get Yates off the streets. Every had a job to do, and they had to get it done now.
"Where's Nadia?" Voight asked, pointing to her empty desk.
Jay saw a sticky note out of the corner of his eye. He pulled if off the receiver of his phone. "She went out."
Erin lost it. "She's out there!?" She pointed to the cityscape that was outside their window. "With a psychopath on the loose?!"
Jay sighed in defeat. "She went to P2K to meet up with Jes and Xander… to set up for your birthday."
"She's out there? With your extremely pregnant sister? Because of me?!" Erin began to hyperventilate. "They fit his fucking victim type!"
"Hey!" Antonio got between Jay and Erin. Hank was holding Erin's elbow to keep her from going for Jay's throat. "Erin, relax a little bit… okay? I'll call P2K." Antonio was trying his best to calm her down. He grabbed his cell and dialed Jes. It went straight to voicemail. "That's weird."
"What's weird?" Jay asked.
"Jes' phone… it's going straight to voicemail."
Jay grabbed his cell and called P2K's landline. It just rang and rang. Eventually, the answering machine kicked in. "What the fuck?!"
"What?!" Antonio demanded.
"There's no answer. Just the machine, but only after about 50 rings. Something's not right… Sarge?" Jay turned to Voight.
Everyone could see the worry in Jay and Antonio's eyes. Even Voight was beginning to worry. Erin was to the point of hysterics.
"Boss, Yates can't possibly know that Jes runs P2K… that Nadia was headed there… that Jes is Jay's sister… that she's marrying Antonio… how close Erin is to Nadia? He can't know any of that… can he?" Ruzek asked what was on everyone's mind.
"With this guy?! Who the fuck knows?!" Voight growled. "Suit up! All of you!"
There weren't enough doors in the bullpen. Everyone ran to the rollout and grabbed their vests. The Intelligence cops grabbed the longs guns and shields. They were going to need anything and everything. They had no clue what they could've been walking into, but they had to be prepared for anything. They piled into their vehicles and with lights and sirens, they sped off to P2K.
They were there in about 10 minutes. When they got there and saw Jes' Journey as well as Xander's pickup in their stalls. Erin's car was nowhere in sight. There were no lights visible inside the building. They slowly made their way inside in formation. The whole building was pitch black. Jay and Antonio were in the lead. Ruzek and Olinsky headed left towards the kitchens. Erin and Voight headed right towards the gym and rec area. Atwater, Fin and Amaro covered the main area. Antonio and Jay were sweeping through the study rooms and offices when a blood curdling scream and loud thud came from the back office. Jay and Antonio ran full steam in that direction with Fin and Amaro on his tail. Atwater stayed to cover the door.
"Chicago PD!" Antonio and Jay shouted as they burst through Jes' office. The door was open and Jacquie was collapsed on the floor.
Antonio almost died when he saw Jes lying on the floor. He didn't wait for the room to be cleared. He dropped his weapon and ran to her. He ripped off his jacket and covered Jes' near naked body. She was breathing but barely. "Jes! Baby, no… no!"
Jay ran to Antonio's side. "Jes! Is she breathing?!"
"Get an ambulance!" Antonio shouted. Antonio's eyes filled with tears. He could see the cuts and bruises covering her body. Her one eye was swollen shut. "Jes… please, baby… wake up…" He wept.
Jay was in shock. He began to weep.
"Jay! Antonio!" Voight's voice echoed in the empty hallway.
"Jes' office!" Amaro stuck his head out of the door. "Get us at least 3 buses! There's another unconscious female in here and a guy who's been beaten to a pulp!"
There were screams from the kitchen area followed by shouts of "Chicago PD!"
Amaro stayed with Jay and Antonio waiting on medical help. Amaro was checking on Jacquie. "You know her?" He asked.
Jay nodded. "She's… Atwater's wife… Jes'… Jes' best friend… is she okay?"
"I think she just fainted. What about the guy?" Amaro was checking over Xander. "He's barely breathing… beaten to a pulp…"
"Uh…" Antonio stammered. "That's Xander… he's helping run P2K… while Jes… and Jacquie are on Medical… Mat Leaves… oh God! The baby!"
There were a bunch of footsteps followed by shouts. There were blinding lights filling the room. "Who's the worst off?" Brett asked.
"It's Jes." Antonio sobbed. "Please… the baby."
Gaby rushed in. "Oh my God!" She ran to her brother. "Antonio… what?! What the fuck happened?!"
Antonio ran to his sister. "He got to Jes… that…"
Brett started screaming. "She's crashing!"
Chili was grabbing syringes from the jump bag and began pushing them into her IV. "Tube her." Chili grabbed the defibrillator and placed the pads on Jes' chest. "Clear!"
Antonio cried out as he watched Jes' body jolt under the current of the defibrillator. "No! Jes! NO!"
Gaby and Amaro had to fight like hell to hold him back. "Antonio! Let them do their job!"
"I can't! Not again! Jes!"
Amaro signalled to Fin, who had rejoined them, to grab Antonio from behind to prevent him from acting out.
Fin grabbed Antonio. "Antonio! You gotta listen, bro."
"She's… she's my world." Antonio wept.
"Antonio, you need to calm down." Fin said. "Your kids… they're in the kitchen."
Antonio's body locked. "What?!"
"Dad!"
He turned around and saw Eva and Diego being shielded by Al and Adam. Antonio broke free from Fin's grasp and ran to them. "Eva! Diego!" He wrapped his arms around them and swung them away so they wouldn't see Brett and Chili working on Jes. "What? What are you guys doing here?"
Eva was weeping. Diego's voice quivered. "We came with Jacquie… she told us to go to the kitchen… to hide from Erin for her surprise… then we heard screams… we… we hid in the cooler… where's… where's Mom?"
"Um… we're… we're gonna go over here." Antonio tried to push them away from Jes' office.
"Push more epi!" Brett's voice came from the office.
"Severide! Help me get her on the stretcher."
Matt and Kelly rushed passed Antonio and the kids.
"Guys, where's Vinessa?" Antonio asked. He tried to keep them distracted from Jes.
"Kevin's with her… he keeps asking about Jacquie." Eva sobbed. "Daddy… what's going on?"
"I…"
Suddenly, Jes was rushed passed them on a gurney. Brett was over her doing CPR while Chili was bagging her. She was yelling out orders. Jes looked horrible.
"Move! She's barely holding on!" Chili screeched.
"MOM!" The kids screamed. They tried to pull away from Antonio. "Dad! What… what are they doing to mom?!"
"They're trying to save her."
"What happened?!" Eva wept. "We can't lose her too! We love her!"
Antonio held his children tightly and whispered to them in Spanish. He was doing his best to reassure him, but he had no idea as to what could be done.
"Jacquie!" Kevin shouted. "Where's Jacquie?!"
"Atwater!" Olinsky called. "In here."
Kevin rushed in. "Jacquie!" He ran to his wife's side.
"Ke… Kevin?" She groaned. "What… where's…" Her eyes bulged. "Where's Jes?!"
"Breathe… babe… breathe… let the medics check you and the baby out." He whispered, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"Who? What?" Jacquie was confused. "No… I came with the kids… they went to the kitchen… I… I came looking for Jes and Nadia… I saw the cake on the floor… then I saw Xander… and Jes… she… she looked dead… I think I passed out."
The paramedic that was attending to her asked. "How far along are you?"
"Uh… 5 months, almost."
The medic looked to Kevin. "You the husband?"
He nodded. "Yeah… that's my baby… are they okay?"
"I'd feel a lot better getting her to Med, have her checked out."
"Then do it, but I'm riding with."
"I'm not gonna argue… just keep her calm." The medic signalled to her partner. They helped Jacquie onto a gurney and wheeled her out.
Jay was on the phone with Med. "I need to speak to Dr. Halstead now!"
"Sir, there's no need to shout."
"I wouldn't be shouting if you would just transfer me through to Dr. Halstead. This is life or death."
"He's…"
"I know." Jay was exasperated. "He's with a patient. I get that. But this is a CPD urgent matter."
Antonio was lost. He was holding his kids but he wanted to be with Jes.
"Antonio!" Gaby shouted. "Get your ass in the ambo… go with Jes! I've got all three kids! Go!"
Antonio kissed his kids and bolted for Ambo 61. He hopped in as Kelly closed the doors behind him.
Chili stared at him. "Who the hell are you?"
"Her fiancé." He pointed to her belly. "That's baby's father. Antonio Dawson."
"Gaby's brother." Chili nodded. She was checking Jes' vitals. "I should thank you for saving my sister's life."
"Your sister?" Antonio looked at her more closely. She did look familiar.
"Jellybean." Chili added.
"Oh! Yeah… how's she doing?"
"Last I heard, she's been clean for a month… holding down a job… finally."
"Glad to hear it… uh… what… what can you tell me about Jes?"
Chili sighed. "It's not good… she's been beaten… I can't tell if she was raped… we've had to shock her a couple times… I'm worried about the baby."
Antonio took Jes' hand. "Baby, I'm here… you're going to be okay." He shouted to Brett. "Call to Med… get Will Halstead to meet us…"
"Isn't he Jes and Jay's brother?"
"Yeah, and Jay hasn't been able to get through to him… he needs to help… in some way…"
Brett keyed her radio. "Chicago Med, come in."
"Med, come in Ambo 61."
"We need Dr. Halstead meeting us at the ambo bay… it's life or death."
"Sylvie?" Will's voice came over the speaker. "What the hell's going on?"
Chili handed her radio to Antonio. "Will, it's Antonio."
"Antonio? What the fuck is going on? Jay's been trying to reach me… we're on notice for three victims coming in from P2K… something about Erin's friend missing?"
"Will!" Antonio shouted into the radio. "Jes is hurt… they had to shock… Shock her… you gotta do something… the baby…"
"How far out are you?" Will was maintaining his calm.
"5 minutes." Brett answered.
"I'll be there…" The radio went silent.
The monitors started screaming. Antonio turned to watched as the heart monitor flatlined.
"Detective…" Chili tried to move him. "Hey! Dawson! Let go! I gotta shock her."
"The… the baby." Antonio pulled his hand back.
"Babies are resilient… but Jes… she can't take much more." Chili hit the 'charge' button on the defibrillator. "Clear!" She shocked Jes.
Jes' heart rhythm restarted but her blood pressure and pulse were erratic. The ambulance jolted to a stop and the back door swung open. The lights blinded Antonio.
"Jes!" Will cried out. "Jesus Christ!"
They pulled the gurney out. Antonio chased after them as they pushed Jes into the bay that Med had taken to calling 'Baghdad'. Maggie jumped in front of Antonio.
"Detective… you… you can't go in there!"
"Maggie, please!" Antonio turned away as they pulled the sheet off of Jes to transfer her to the trauma bed. "Oh, God!"
"Antonio, they're doing everything… let them work…"
Another doctor appeared. "What the hell is Halstead thinking?!"
"Dr. Sebastian!" Maggie exclaimed.
"That's his sister… no… no…" Dr. Sebastian went towards the trauma room.
"Dr. Sebastian… please… let him… this…"
"Does Sharon know?" Dr. Sebastian snapped.
"Yes, James… I know." Sharon Goodwin appeared around the corner. "Considering Ms. Halstead's status in Chicago… as well as the five calls I've received from the Mayor who demanded, and I quote, 'Do anything to save her life, or else.' Will Halstead is the best we can offer her, and he will do anything to save his sister."
"This goes against everything!" Sebastian shouted. "We can't just toss the rules out when we want to!"
Antonio lost it. He stormed up to the senior doctor. "You run this hospital?"
Dr. Sebastian stumbled back. "N… n… no… who are you?"
Antonio ripped his star from his belt. "Detective Antonio Dawson… CPD Intelligence… that woman… is the victim of a serial rapist and murderer… she's also my partner's little sister… and my fiancée… so if the Mayor and Mrs. Goodwin said let Doc Halstead treat her, you're going to let her… or else, I'll toss your ass in a holding cell for impeding an ongoing investigation!"
"I…" Dr. Sebastian looked to Sharon.
"Hey, his boss is even scarier than him… just let it go."
Dr. Sebastian tossed his hands up in the air and stomped off.
"Antonio." Sharon took his hand. "Let them work… any news, Maggie will come find you… but for now, let's get you some coffee from the staff room."
Antonio nodded weakly.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
"How the hell did this happen!?" Voight was beyond pissed off.
Xander had been transported to Med with busted ribs, dislocated shoulder, a major concussion and a multitude of other injuries. He was going to be okay. Jacquie had been cleared to go home, yet no one had news on Jes' condition.
"He has her, Hank!" Erin sobbed. "He has to have her. My car's not here… this is her phone!" She handed him the phone. "I found it by Jes' desk… it's smashed."
"Look, Erin, we've got everyone in the state looking for them… they won't get far." Voight put his hands on her shoulders. "You need to stay positive for now."
"He didn't hesitate with Jes, Hank… she's pregnant… imagine… just think about what he could be doing to her!"
"Erin, don't go there… you can't…" Hank hugged her. "We will get her back."
"I'll kill him." Erin said through gritted teeth. "If he hurts a hair on her head, I'll kill him."
"Oh, don't worry… I don't think anyone will try to stop you."
Jay was pacing as CSU gathered evidence. He cringed as they collected the shredded remains of Jes' clothes. He would never be able to unsee what this monster did to his sister. "Boss, how… how did he make the connection?"
"Anyone could've told him… Jes is a celebrity… he's a psychopath." Al said.
"Al, honestly man, you're not helping." Jay walked away. "Where are the kids?"
"Gaby took them… she's got them and Jacquie at her parents'… we've got patrol on them." Adam answered.
"I need to get to Med." Jay said. "I… I can't lose my sister."
"Go." Voight nodded. He looked to Amaro. "Go with him, please."
Amaro nodded and left.
"Someone better get me some information on this son of a bitch!" Voight bellowed. "He's killed and raped any number of women in Chicago and New York… presumably New Orleans too."
"Hank!" Erin screamed. "He's got Nadia!"
"I know, Erin… I'm calling Olivia… I think they're headed back to New York."
"He'll kill her." Erin wept. "It's all my fault!"
"Erin, it's not your fault." Hank put his arms around her and led her out of P2K. "He's a sociopath."
"He saw them at work… he could've followed them… overheard them!" Erin was in hysterics.
"Erin, let's get you back to the District… we're gonna get him… we're gonna bring Nadia home." Hank reassured her.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
Amaro drove as Jay was too emotional to drive anywhere. "Jay, she's gonna be okay?"
"Nick? You blind? You not see the same thing I've seen? They had to shock… they had to shock her… she… they were pounding on her chest!"
"Jay."
"No, Nick… I've lost soldiers in Afghanistan, I've almost lost her… too many times to count… for fuck's sake… she's not even 27!" Jay pounded on the dash.
"Hey, I get it!" Amaro shouted back. "I've been working SVU since 2011… I was UC for years… I was Army Intelligence. I get all that… but beating yourself up… beating anyone else up for this bastard's attack… you can't do that."
Jay looked out the window as they pulled into the Med parking lot. Jay bolted out of the car and flew into the ER. "Where's Jeslyn Halstead?" He demanded.
Antonio ran to him. "Jay!"
"Antonio, where's Jes?"
"They have her in Trauma… she's stabilized… but they're running a bunch of tests."
"The baby?"
Antonio collapsed into a chair. "Surprisingly, the baby's safe… they have her on monitors to keep an eye on the baby… on her…"
"Did… did they say what he did to her?"
Antonio shook his head. "I don't think Will wanted to have to repeat it more than once."
"Where is he?"
"Talking to an OB that's gonna keep an eye on her until Dr. Mayo can get here."
"Jay, Antonio." Will jogged up to them. "Let's go in here…" He led them to a small meeting room around the corner from where Jes was being treated.
"Will… don't… don't play the doctor… be her brother… tell us the truth." Jay pleaded.
"Well… he brutalized her… she's got a major concussion… he ra… he raped her… used a condom… he… he uh… he used a bottle on her too… he dislocated her shoulder… she's got a couple cracked ribs… multiple contusions."
"Is she going to wake up?" Antonio whispered.
"The scans we have of her brain show minor swelling, right now… we have her sedated for her own safety and for the baby."
"Did you do… do tests on the baby?" Antonio was wringing his hands together.
"Yeah… so far, the baby's fine. We're monitoring her and the baby… anything changes… we'll have to take the baby."
"It's too soon!" Antonio exclaimed. "The baby… it's too soon."
Will put his hands on Antonio's shoulders. "Antonio, I know… I know… we're giving her medication and everything to help prevent that… but, in trauma like this… it can happen that labour is triggered or… look, we have the best on her… we're not leaving her side… um… Mrs. Goodwin has given you guys permission to go into Baghdad and be with her."
"Baghdad?" Jay ask.
"Don't ask… I haven't even gotten the full explanation." Will ran his hands through his hair. "Is… is this the same guy that killed Victoria? Was this Yates?"
Antonio and Jay exchanged glances, but said nothing.
Will punched the wall. "Yates… did that… to our baby sister?!"
"Will, we're all pissed off." Jay stood up. "We're gonna get him."
"He took Nadia." Antonio whispered.
"Nadia… like Erin's friend?" Will asked.
"Yeah."
"Jesus Christ!" Will rubbed his knuckles. "I don't get this prick… Why go after Jes? She isn't a teen… she's not college aged… why her?"
"She fits his type… 5'6", brunette, when she wasn't pregnant she was fit…" Jay groaned. "Erin's beating herself up."
Will shook his head in confusion. "What? Why? It's not like she tied a bow on them and gifted them to him. This isn't on her."
"I've tried… We've all tried telling her that." Jay put his head in his hands.
"Will, can we see her? Please?" Antonio begged. "I can't just sit here and wait…"
"Yeah, yeah… Antonio… let's… let's all go see her." Will put his arm around his future brother-in-law's shoulders. "Come on, Jay." They got up and headed into Jes' room.
"Just wait until they… they finish collecting the evidence." Will whispered.
Maggie nodded to Will. "We're done. We actually were just cleaning her up for you guys."
"Thanks, Maggie." Antonio smiled weakly.
She came and took his hand. "Anything you need; you tell me or April… take as long as you need."
He nodded and pulled the chair that was close to the bed closer. He sat in it and took her hand. "Jes, baby… I'm here… Jay's here… so is Will… we're… we're all here…" He wiped away a tear. "You're safe now… the baby's safe… please… Jes… please wake up." He put his head to her hand and wept.
Jay and Will stood back. Jay whispered to Will. "I've see him like this too many times now… why can't they just both be able to live their lives?"
Will patted his younger brother's back. "I wish I knew, Jay… you get this son of a bitch… I swear… If ever I had the chance… you'd never find that bastard."
"I don't think anyone would even think about questioning it… Voight's…" Jay's cell began to vibrate. "Speak of the devil." He answered the phone. "Sarge."
"Jay, we're headed to New York… they… we figure he's headed there because that's where he started."
"You want me to come?"
"Not yet. Stay with your sister. If we need you… I'll call."
"How's Erin?"
Voight sighed. "She's blaming herself. I'm going with her, Amaro and Fin back to New York…"
"Sarge, please…"
"I know, Jay… I'll keep an eye on her." Voight replied. "I'll be in touch."
Jay put his phone away. "He's been spotted and changing vehicles and license plates… he's headed back to New York."
"Where it all started." Will finished.
Jay just nodded. "This isn't going to get better… it's not over."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
Three days later… Chicago Med's Intensive Care Unit…
"Antonio." Will tapped Antonio's shoulder. "Hey, bro… wake up."
Antonio shook his head. "Jes… what?"
"No, Jes… Jes is fine." Will whispered. "We have news."
"Did they find Nadia?"
Will shook his head. "Not yet… there have been a few more victims… Jay headed out… uh the news is about Jes."
"Is something wrong?" Antonio panicked.
"No, the swelling's gone. She's no longer being kept in a coma… she should wake up soon."
Antonio's eyes widened. "Really?"
Will smiled. "Yeah. Um, she'll be here for a while… to recover… and prevent premature labour, but she's going to be okay."
Antonio jumped up and hugged him. "Thank you."
"Hey, just… once she has the baby… get out of Chicago… go… don't come back for a while… she needed three months to recover last time… I have a feeling that recovery is going to take longer this time."
Antonio nodded. "Yeah, um… can you let me know if any news comes in from Jay?"
"Definitely." Will nodded. "I have to go do rounds. Have them page me when she wakes up."
"Will do." Antonio went back to Jes' side and took her hand.
Will headed out to do rounds. He prayed that any news Jay had would be that Nadia was alive. Knowing Yates, however, that was next to impossible. He just prayed and prayed. All that mattered right now was catching this psycho and tossing away the key. He went to check on Xander. "Hey, Xander… how you feeling?"
"Doc, gotta be honest, I've had better days." Xander's left eye was still swollen shot.
"I know… um… I haven't gotten around to this, but thank you."
"For what?"
"Protecting my baby sister. I know that's why you got hurt."
"Wait… Jes… is your sister?" Xander tried to sit up a little more in bed.
Will nodded. "She is… uh… I can't do anything to repay you… for what you did."
Xander sniffled. "Dr. Halstead… she's a great person… she didn't deserve that… all she's done is help people. Is she going to be okay?"
"It looks like it, yeah."
Xander sighed in relief. "Thank God. Did they find that other girl, Nadia?"
"You know Nadia?" Will pulled up his stool closer to the bed.
"She volunteers from time to time at P2K… she's told her story… how Detective Lindsay saved her from drugs and prostitution… she was supposed to…" Xander coughed. "Can I have some water?"
Will nodded and took the glass of iced water off the bedside table. He held the straw to Xander's lips as he took a sip.
"Thank you." Xander smiled. "She was supposed to help Jes set up for Detective Lindsay's surprise party… we thought she was there when that… that monster attacked Jes outside… he dragged her in, threatened to kill her if I didn't lead him to the back office. Then he started touching her… saying these god awful things… I jumped on him… then I don't know what happened… I started coming to when Nadia tripped over me. I pretended to be out of it, but I heard everything… that man… he was playing a game… Nadia pleaded that he spare Jes… that he take her… so he went over knocked her out… taped her mouth, hands and feet and left… then… he came back and he… he raped Jes… he did these other awful things… and just left… as if nothing happened."
Will offered him the water again. "Did you tell the police?"
Xander nodded. "Uh, yeah… a Detective Olinsky."
"Al's a great cop." Will smiled. "They're going to get him."
"Is the baby okay? Jes kept pleading for the baby… he just laughed… saying that a baby wasn't going to stop him from his end game." Xander wept. "I think it just made him angrier or something."
"It's okay, Xander. You and Jes and the baby are all going to be okay. I've gotta check on a couple other patients, but I'll be back in a while to check on you."
"Thank you." Xander said.
There was a knock on the door. A petite blonde poked her head in. "Daddy?"
Xander nodded. "Come in, sweetheart."
The blonde carefully walked into the room. "Is everything okay?"
Xander smiled as best he could. "Yeah, sweetie. Come in, Rhea. This is Dr. Halstead."
The teen looked to Will. "Are you related to Miss Jes?"
Will nodded. "She's my baby sister." He shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Rhea."
"Is she going to be okay?"
Will smiled. "Yeah… in time…"
"The baby?" Rhea went and sat next to her father.
"Going to be okay too." Will said. "You care about her."
"She's been nice to me. I like it there… I can do my homework, help other kids… she doesn't treat me differently."
Will leaned against the wall. "Why would she treat you differently?"
Rhea blushed. "I always got treated differently because I've been raised by my dad my whole life… I'm on a scholarship to my school… I'm the only white scholarship kid… I used to get picked on because of it… now, because of Miss Jes and P2K, I don't feel weird."
"You know what… you're not different… you're lucky." Will went over and patted her shoulder. "Your dad is an amazing guy… my brother, Jay, and I owe him a lot."
"Dad… saved Jes?" Rhea looked to her dad. "Daddy… you didn't tell me."
"I'm not here to be a hero." Xander whispered. "I did what anyone would do."
"Xander, I don't know that any guy would do that." Will said. "Trust me… this guy is nuts; most people would've run the other way."
"Daddy… you saved Jes and the baby… you're a hero." Rhea hugged her father.
"Ow… sweetie, gentle on the ribs." Xander groaned.
"Sorry."
Will grinned. "I've gotta finish my rounds, I'll be around to check on you in a while. You two catch up." Will left them to talk while he continued the rest of his rounds.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
The next day…
Antonio had just gotten off the phone with the kids. He had spent close to an hour reassuring them that Jes and the baby were going to be okay. It was getting harder and harder to do. They'd seen the effects from the last time and she was worse off this time. He sat back down next to Jes and took her hand. She hadn't woken up yet, but her vitals were finally stable and there wasn't any more intracranial pressure. He sighed. He'd been at this for the last 4 days. He just wanted Jes to wake up. He needed to see her smile again. He put his head to her hand and prayed.
"An… Antonio?" Jes' hoarse voice woke him.
Antonio shook his head. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. "Jes?" He squeezed her hand. "Baby, I'm here."
"Where… where am I?" She looked around. Her one eye was still swollen and her other eye was trying to focus.
"You're in the ICU at Chicago Med." Antonio leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna call Will… he's been here this whole time."
Her hand grabbed his. "How… how long… have… I?"
"Four… four days." Antonio's voice cracked.
"The baby?"
"The baby is going to fine. We were worried about you." Antonio said. "Just let me hit the call button. Will's going to be so happy to see you awake."
Jes nodded weakly. "Okay."
Antonio pulled away a little bit and hit the call button. A nurse poked her head in. "Yes?"
"Please page Dr. Halstead… she's awake." The nurse nodded and headed off to page Will. Antonio turned his attention to Jes. "Do you have any pain?"
"No… um… are the meds… going to hurt the baby?"
Antonio shook his head. "No. They've been very careful."
Jes' hand went to her belly. "Why? How… how did he know me? Where to find me?"
"We're trying to find that out… we really are." Antonio pushed a strand of her hair from her face. "Um, when you feel up to it, Al and Adam are going to come take your statement."
"Okay." Jes coughed, then winced. "Can I have water?"
"I brought some." Will's voice came from the doorway. "Hey, sis."
"Will." Jes sobbed. "I'm sorry."
Will rushed to her side. "Jes, none of this is your fault."
"You were accused then… then…"
"Shh… baby." Antonio took the water Will had in his hands. "Here, have a sip of water."
Jes took a few slow sips from the straw. "Okay… I'm… I just can't believe all this."
"Jes, you're alive and you're safe… that's all that matters. You and the baby are going to be okay."
"Did… did you guys find Nadia?"
Antonio and Will exchanged glances. Antonio sighed. "No… baby, not yet."
"She… she offered herself to him… instead of him hurting me."
"We know… Xander told us."
"Is Xander okay? I couldn't… I couldn't see what he did to him."
Will answered. "Xander took quite a beating trying to protect you, but he's going to be okay. His daughter is with him now and she thinks he's the biggest hero right now."
"Rhea is a sweet girl." Jes smiled. "Any bills he has, I'm paying them."
"Jes, we don't need to worry about that right now." Antonio tried to keep Jes calm.
"Antonio… he could've been killed, it's the least I can do."
"Jes, I know that, but baby… you just woke up… from being in a coma for four days. I don't think they're needing payment right this second." Antonio reasoned.
"Yeah, sis. We'll worry about that once you're better and able to go home." Will smiled. He went to her side and checked her vitals. "I'm just going to check your head, okay?"
"Okay." Jes let her brother finish his exam. "So, when can I go home?"
Will sighed. "Not for a while. The trauma… it's put you in a really high-risk place of delivering early."
"So, I'm here until I have the baby?"
"That's up to Dr. Mayo and me to decide." Will said.
"I didn't think they let you treat family." Jes sighed.
"Normally, they wouldn't… but no one was going to stop me at this point… the Mayor himself made an order that we had to do everything possible to save you and the baby." Will said. "Look, Jes… we were all scared… Antonio hasn't left your side."
"The kids?"
"With my parents and Gaby. Jacquie's with her parents and Vinessa in a hotel."
"What? What happened to Jacquie?" Jes became more panicked.
"Jes, don't make me sedate you." Will threatened. "You need to stay calm… or else we could be delivering a baby that's too early."
"Okay." Jes focused on her breathing. "Please… what happened to Jacquie?"
Antonio groaned. "Jes…"
"No, Antonio… I've been out of it for four days… I need to know what's been happening."
"She's right, bro." Will stepped in. He didn't want Jes upset, but he knew she'd be more upset if they didn't tell her.
"Okay… Jacquie and the three kids got to P2K after Yates took off with Nadia. She sent them to go put things in the kitchen and hide there… she came to look for you guys and she found you… right as we were searching P2K… she screamed then passed out. She's okay and so is her baby."
"Did… did the kids see anything?"
Antonio hung his head. "They were with me when they shocked you… when they were pounding on your chest to keep you alive."
"Oh God."
"They'll be so happy to hear you're awake." Antonio stroked her cheek. "I'll call them in a little bit."
"Wait… where's Jay?" Jes asked. "He's… where is he?"
"New York." Antonio answered. "He's in New York with Voight and Erin."
"He took Nadia there?"
Antonio nodded. "I haven't heard anything yet."
"He'll kill her, Antonio."
"We don't know that, love." Antonio tried to stay positive, but they all knew Yates' MO and his record. He'd gone this long without being caught.
"The.. the things he said he'd done… he'd do to me…" Jes whimpered. "He's not human."
"We know… baby, we've been trying to get him… he… he just got ahead of us." Antonio whispered. "I'm so sorry… it's my fault."
"How?" Jes questioned. "You didn't do this… you didn't gift wrap me…"
"No, but we should've put more protection on you guys… cancelled the party…"
"Look, both of you need to stop blaming yourselves… you can't keep this up… this is Yates' fault… he's the only one to blame and I know your team and SVU will catch this son of a bitch." Will interrupted them. "Now, I'm gonna get some real food sent in, I want both of you to eat… then you can call Eva and Diego and talk to them. Deal?" They nodded. "Good… I'm gonna call Jay… tell him your awake… and I'm gonna ask Dr. Mayo to come check on you."
"Thank you, Will." Jes whispered.
Will bent down and kissed his sister on the cheek. "I love you, Jes… I'm just sorry I haven't been there for you as much as I should have. I'm here now… and I'm going to make sure that you and that baby are both healthy."
Antonio got up and hugged Will tightly. "Thank you."
"No problem. Just, keep her calm. And no one is coming in to question her for at least another 24 to 48 hours… she's in no condition for that. Once she's moved to a private room in the OB ward or Medicine, then they can ask her questions."
Antonio nodded and walked with Will to the door. "If I had my way, no one would ever ask her to relive this. I'd personally find this cabronazo and make him wear his ass as a hat."
"I know, Antonio. I know you'd do anything to avenge Jes and to get this prick… but for now, keep her calm. Any bad news… anything at all… she could go into labour."
"Isn't it safe to deliver now… I mean, if she had to?"
"Yeah, I guess. She's 29 weeks… that's safe, but the baby would be very small… lungs underdeveloped… we're looking at weeks in the NICU, possible developmental delays and a whole hell of a lot of other problems. I'll talk to Dr. Mayo… see if we can't start giving her meds to help mature the baby's lungs… hold the labour off… but she won't make it to July for her due date."
"You sure?" Antonio looked back to Jes. "I mean, if she's here in bed until then…"
"The trauma… Antonio… any stress… any jolting… she could go into labour… she's already leaking small amounts of amniotic fluid… and the last time they checked her… she's already dilating… that doesn't happen unless the body is ready to give birth."
Antonio wanted to punch something but he knew that would get Jes' attention. "Do whatever you can to keep that baby in there as long as possible."
Will patted his shoulder. "We will. You, just focus on her."
"I will."
Will headed out of the room to call Jay then confer with Dr. Mayo considering Jes' options to keep the pregnancy going for as long as possible. Antonio went to Jes and they talked about what they wanted to eat.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
"That son of a bitch." Jay pounded the locked he was standing in front of in SVU's locker room. "He's fucking with us."
"Hey, bro… you'll bust your fist open." Fin said. "You left your phone in the squad room." He extended it. "It's your brother."
Jay reached for it. "Will?"
"Hey, uh… good news… Jes is awake… there aren't any signs of brain damage."
"Thank God!" Jay exclaimed. "Has… has she said anything about…?"
"No, and I gave strict orders for her not to talk about it for another 24-48 hours… we're already looking at the chance of her delivering soon."
"It's too early, Will."
"I know that, Jay… but Yates… he did a number on her."
"We found him… with his fiancée." Jay spat out the news.
"Fiancée? Someone would willingly want to marry that psycho?" Will was in shock.
"I have no clue. I don't think she knew anything either." Jay sighed.
"What about Nadia?"
"We haven't found her… Yates is strongly suggesting that… she's dead." Jay sat down.
"Oh Christ." Will groaned. "I'm not telling Jes that. I can't risk her going into premature labour. She's leaking amniotic fluid… that can be a sign of labour coming soon."
"Will, if she did… would the baby stand a chance?"
"I don't know. According to the textbooks, yes, but Jes isn't your textbook case." Will said. "She needs to be monitored… and even if she does go into premature labour, she can't have a natural birth… because of what Yates did."
"That will kill her, Will… she… she had a plan." Jay said. "I didn't want to hear the details… but she doesn't want a C-section."
"She doesn't have a choice if she delivers now… it would take at least a month before she could deliver naturally… minimum."
"Will, seriously… I love you and I get you're a doc and all that, but I don't need to know these things about our baby sister."
"Just… find Nadia… and… when you do, talk to me or Antonio first… Jes can't, she can't hear that now."
"I know that." Jay sighed. "Look, we're about to go out for another grid search."
"Be safe out there." Will said. "I'll keep you updated on Jes."
The two brothers bid each other farewell and continued to go about their day. Jay met up with Fin and Amaro and they headed out for another round of searching. Erin and Voight went with Benson and Rollins. They were going up and down another section of a secluded beach.
"Jay!" A familiar voice called out to him.
Jay and Amaro spun around. "Javier!" Jay greeted Antonio's brother. "I didn't realize you were called in on this?"
"I may not be SVU… but when I heard the case, I had to come help search."
Amaro looked between them. "Uh?"
"Sorry, Nick Amaro this is Javier Dawson… Antonio's brother."
Amaro shook Javi's hand. "Nice to meet you… didn't realize there was a Dawson here in New York."
"I kinda can't be known… it's hard to do my job if I'm known." Javi said. "How long you been SVU?"
"2011… long enough to know that this search… it's not going to end well." Amaro sighed. "So… uh… what unit you with?"
"Officially?" Javier asked.
"Sure."
Javier leaned in. "I'm in Criminal Intelligence… I specialize in hate crimes and surveillance."
"Damn!" Amaro exclaimed. "You Dawson's are all up in the top of the top."
"Lieutenant Dawson!" Someone called.
"Lieutenant?" Jay asked. "Antonio didn't mention that."
"I just got the promotion. I haven't told anyone but Victoria. It's still new. I now have my own Intelligence squad out of 1-P-P." Javier sighed. "Look, one of my guys found something… I think we should go check it out."
They followed Javier to a secluded part of the beach. Jay and Amaro looked down in the shallow grave. Jay could feel the tears build. Nadia was there. She was partially covered in a tarp and garbage bag.
"Shit." Jay covered his mouth. "No."
"Jay, man… I'm sorry." Amaro patted his arm.
Jay nodded. He walked over to the clearing. "Hey, Sarge."
The rest of them ran over to where Jay, Javier and Amaro were. A K9 uni was pulling the German Shepard away.
"We got her." Amaro said quietly.
Erin walked next to Jay and began to weep when she saw Nadia.
Amaro came to her and said softly. "I'm sorry."
"No…" Erin wept. "No."
Jay pulled her into his arms and held her as she wept.
Voight looked to one of the ESU guys. "Cover her up."
He nodded and covered Nadia's face. Erin wept into Jay's shoulder. Her world was shattered. Her one friend, the one person she had finally saved was brutally murdered by a serial rapist.
Javier observed this scene. This was an SVU case, but his future sister-in-law was also a victim of this nutjob. "Sergeants." He flashed his shield.
"Lieutenant… I didn't realize that NYPD's Intelligence team was on this." Benson said.
"Um… I'm not here to take the case from SVU, Sergeant Benson… I'm here because this monster assaulted my brother's fiancée."
"Who's your brother?" Hank asked.
Javier looked to Hank. "Antonio Dawson… your second in command."
Hank's eyes widened. "I thought I recognized you."
"Yes… look, I just wanted to help… I know that this is bigger than just what happened now, but… someone needs to tell Antonio." Javier replied.
"We'll call him." Hank said.
"NO!" Jay shouted, causing Erin to jump. "Sorry, Erin." He stroked her hair. "Will said that Jes can't have stress… she's already at risk of going into premature labour… it's too soon."
"Look, I can go down… in person and tell Antonio… no one will be the wiser… I have unused vacation hours… so does my wife… she works in the D.A.'s office… and no, she won't be working this case… please."
Hank looked to Olivia. She shrugged. "I can't exactly pull rank… just, make sure that Antonio doesn't want to do anything drastic."
"You got it." He nodded to everyone and headed out.
Jay helped Erin walk away from the scene. He had to get her back to the hotel. She'd need time to cry, be angry or whatever it was going to take to help her process this.
Olivia turned to Hank. "Did you know Antonio's brother worked out of 1-P-P?"
Hank shook his head. "No. I knew he was a cop in New York, but to be honest… I figured he was a detective in Vice or something."
"He outranks me… and everyone here… if he's in Intelligence… he has everything he needs to pull this case."
"Olivia, he won't… I honestly think he just wanted to help… now he's going to do the hardest job… he's telling them about Nadia… Jes… well, she was the closest person to Nadia other than Erin or Trudy."
"I get it, Hank… I do… I just really don't want him to pull this case… I wanna nail this son of a bitch."
Hank pointed out. "Just, let this ride out… no one wants this guy to get away with it."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
"Victoria?" Javier said as he called her office.
"Javi? What's going on? Why are you calling?"
"It's about what happened to Jes."
Victoria asked the person in her office to leave. Javi heard a door close. "What about it?"
"They found Nadia."
"Oh God." Victoria gasped. "She…"
"He killed her after he had brutalized her." Javier whispered.
"Oh God!" Victoria exclaimed. "When?"
"We just found her… um… we gotta go to Chicago."
"What? Why?"
"I told Voight and Benson that I'd tell Antonio and Jes. Jay and Will said that Jes is in too delicate of a condition to be told this by strangers or anyone else. Jay can't leave… Erin's a mess… they both are probably gonna have to testify."
"Okay, I'll get the kids… this isn't going to be easy, is it?"
"No, babe. It's not. I hated this when I was on patrol and I hate it even more now as a Lieutenant… hell, I didn't even get a chance to tell anyone."
"I'll see you at home." Victoria said. "I love you."
"Love you too. See you in a bit."
Javier pulled away from the curb and headed home. He'd call his parents to tell them he was coming in, but Antonio couldn't know. This time, he'd have to make sure that Antonio was kept in the dark. He couldn't risk the news getting Jes upset. He also knew that having family tell her over strangers would make the news a little easier to here. He just prayed that she wouldn't go into labour.
They managed to pack everything in under an hour and soon they were on their way to Laguardia to fly out to Chicago. His parents would be waiting to pick the kids up while Victoria and Javi took a rental to Med. The flight was uneventful and they quickly handed their bags off to his parents, kissed the kids and headed off.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
"Dr. Halstead?" Kate, one of the main receptionists within Med, asked.
"Yeah?" Will handed the chart he was working on to April. "What's up?" It was 10 at night and visiting hours were over.
"A Lieutenant Dawson from NYPD is here with a woman… they said they need to speak to you."
"Uh, okay?" Will followed her to one of the family privacy room. Will was surprised to see Javier and Victoria waiting for him. "Thanks, Kate. I got it from here."
Kate nodded and left, closing the door behind her.
"Javier, Victoria… what… why are you guys here? Since when are you a lieutenant?"
Javier forced a laugh. "About two weeks ago… It's about Yates."
Will leaned back against the door. "Oh no."
"We've found at least half a dozen skeletal remains on that beach… all with the same type of injuries… some are close to 20 years old."
"Oh God!"
Javi nodded. "Look, uh… we… we found Nadia… in a shallow grave barely covered by a tarp."
Will's hand flew to his mouth. He felt as if he was going to be sick. He liked Nadia. She had been a great help to Jes and she had been waiting to hear back if she had gotten into the Police Academy. "No."
Victoria wiped a tear from her face. "The D.A. on this case, Barba… he said it's the worst case he's ever prosecuted… I recused myself from it when I saw Jes' name pop up… how is she?"
Will ran his hand through his hair. "As good as she can be, considering… I'm really worried she's going to delivery prematurely… she's almost 30 weeks now… it's safe, but the baby will be in NICU… lungs aren't fully developed… she won't be having a natural birth like she wanted…"
"Will, I know you're a doctor… a great one… but Jes and Antonio need to hear this…"
"Jes… no… she can't… she loved Nadia like a little sister." Will protested.
"So did Erin… and she saw the body…" Javier said.
"Jes isn't a cop… she's a teacher… a mother… she has no connection to this world except for the fact that she's marrying a cop…" Will was flustered.
Javier walked over to Will. "I get that… and I don't want to do this, but it has to be better coming from family than strangers."
"How about this… Javier tells Antonio… I'll keep Jes distracted with baby stuff and then they can come in with you and break the news." Victoria suggested.
"Look, Will… I don't want to do this anymore than anyone else, but they both need to know the truth." Javier said. "You really think I want to tell them… especially with Antonio's birthday being in…" He looked at his watch. "Less than 2 hours."
Will groaned. "Awesome. Okay, let's get this over with… we're breaking every rule as it is… why not break another one."
They headed off to Jes' room. Will poked his head in. "Antonio?"
Antonio looked up from the binder he was holding next to Jes. "Hey, we're going over some wedding stuff since she can't sleep. Baby is moving a lot."
Will came into the room and checked the fetal monitor. "Well, moving is good. We're not seeing any labour signs, so that's really good." He sighed. "Jes, you up to having another visitor."
Jes looked at her brother. "It's like 11 at night… visiting hours are over… so…"
"You're the exception to the rule." Will smiled. "Plus, it's family."
Javier and Victoria poked their heads in. "Hey."
"Oh my God, yes… come in." Jes smiled. "It's been so long since we've seen you."
Antonio knew there was an ulterior motive to his brother being here, but he didn't want to upset Jes. "Yeah, guys… come in."
"Antonio, uh… I have some brother stuff to talk to you about… for the baby…"
"Jes, think you'll live with Victoria for a bit?" Antonio smiled.
"Sure… she might have more opinions on some of the wedding details that you don't really help with."
"I think Jes means girl talk…" Will snickered. "I'll go finish some charting. Hit the call button if you need anything." He bent down and kissed the top of Jes' head. "Don't forget to get some sleep tonight."
"I will… Dad." Jes smirked. "Go finish your charting."
Will headed out with Javier and Antonio. Victoria sat next to Jes. "So, what is Antonio not helping with?"
"Flowers and decorations… Jacquie isn't able to help right now and Gaby is with the kids…"
"I'll gladly help." Victoria took the binder from the side stand. "Wow, you're definitely a teacher."
"What does that mean?"
"It's a compliment… everything is perfectly organized and colour coded… I can't ever be this organized. I'm jealous." Victoria smiled. "Okay, so flowers are in the pink tab… wow… you have a great choice selection… where are you stuck?"
"What to have in the hall and church… I have my bouquet picked and the flowers for Jacquie, Gaby and Eva… the boutonnières and the flowers for family… just I don't want orchids and daisies everywhere… I kinda want the fall, farm theme to come through too."
Victoria flipped through the pages. "These sunflower, alstromeria, mum and daisy arrangements with the burlap are beautiful."
"Those are the ones I picked first, but then I started second guessing myself."
"Jes, you go with your gut on so many things… I say follow your gut again."
"Thanks, Victoria." Jes smiled. "You're the only one that isn't treating me like I'm a porcelain doll that's ready to break."
"Jes, you've been through hell… can't deny that, but if you don't start going back to normal… it's going to take forever to heal… plus… I remember what it's like to be pregnant and everyone thinks you can't handle anything."
"You've got that right… even before this… thing… Antonio, Will and Jay treated me like I was made of glass… Eva and Diego wouldn't let me do anything around the house either…"
"It's because they love you and worry about you… even if it drives you up the wall."
Jes sighed. "I made two baby blankets… two quilts… even got a baby book started… everything's ready… I just… I hate not being able to do anything… it sucks."
"I know that." Victoria patted her hand. "But, I know that once you hold that baby for the first time, all of the nagging… and the not being able to do anything… it'll go away and you'll only want to hold that baby. Everything else goes away when you hear the baby cry."
"I know… I just… it's just a long wait still… and now Will and my OB want me to basically be bedridden until it's time to have the baby."
"They just want you and the baby to stay healthy." Victoria smiled. "Javier was that way with me the instant he found out we were having twins."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He wanted me to quit the law firm and stay home in a bubble."
"You didn't listen to him, did you?"
"No, but I did request file review until I took my Mat Leave." Victoria laughed. "It was a compromise. I'm pretty sure that you, Antonio and your doctors can come to one for you too."
"I'm already on leave and they don't want me doing anything." Jes leaned back against the pillow. "I'm not even allowed to cook."
"Maybe I'll talk to Antonio… I can be very convincing."
"I'd appreciate that." Jes smiled.
The two laughed and talked about the things that Jes should still be able to even if she was recommended to bed rest.
Meanwhile…
"Javi… you wanna tell me what you're actually doing here?" Antonio said when they got into the family waiting area. The whole hospital was dead silent at this point of the night. "It's almost midnight… trust me, you're not just here to check up on how Jes is doing… because you could pick up the phone and call or text me."
Javier sighed and leaned against the table. "I did come to check on you and Jes… and I came with other purposes."
Will stood between the two brothers. He didn't know how Antonio would be reacting to this news.
"Javi… talk." Antonio crossed his arms.
"First off, before you hear it from Voight or Benson… I used my rank to do this."
"Rank?" Antonio asked.
"I was promoted to Lieutenant of Criminal Intelligence… I'm working out of 1-P-P now."
"Wow." Antonio said.
"Yeah… Sergeant Benson wasn't thrilled to see me there… but I wasn't there to take the case from SVU… I deal with more UC work and hate crimes… I was there because of what this bastard did to Jes."
"There… there where?"
"Jay or Hank haven't updated you? It's been almost a week."
"No…"
Will interrupted. "I didn't want Jes getting upset, so no one wearing blue or carrying a star was allowed here…"
"Oh boy." Javi ran his hand through his hair. "We got Yates… well SVU did. He was with his fiancée."
"Someone is actually going to … marry that PSYCHO!?" Antonio pounded the table.
"She doesn't see him that way… anyhow… we found out that he likes going to the beach in New York… and we found the car he used once he was here… it had a scarf in it… it was the one Erin gave Nadia… there's blood… so we started going over the beaches."
"You… you found her… didn't you?" Antonio collapsed in a chair.
Javier reached across the table and took his brother's hand. "I'm sorry, 'Tonio… she… one of my guys found her in a shallow grave… barely covered by a tarp."
"Javi… don't lie to me… what did he do to her?" Antonio felt tears slide down his face.
"He brutalized her… she was beaten, he strangled her… the M.E. said it would take at least a day to catalogue all her injuries."
"Jesus Christ." Antonio was choked up. "Oh, God… Nadia was like, like a sister to Jes… wait… did… does Erin know?"
"She was there, Antonio… with Jay and Voight… she lost it."
"So… you're here to tell Jes… to send her into premature labour… cause our son or daughter to be born premature!" Antonio was pissed.
"Antonio, that's not what he's saying." Will said. "Look, I'm not a fan of this either but it's either we all tell Jes… or she finds out from someone else or hears it on the news."
"I thought you said no unis for a while?"
"She's being moved to a step-down unit… in a few more days, she can go home on bed rest." Will answered. "Look, she needs to hear it, no matter how much we don't want her to."
"What if she goes… goes into labour? She's only 30 weeks now." Antonio was trying to hold back the sobs building up. In the time he had known Nadia, she'd gone from an under aged hooker hooked on drugs to a young woman who was going to kick ass in the Police Academy. He had even written a letter of recommendation for her to get in. He knew that Voight, Jay, Platt, Al and Erin had all done the same. She had potential and now it was snuffed out, like a candle in the wind. Jes had taken Nadia under her wing and did mentorship with her. Jes had spoken to the Ivory Tower concerning Nadia and how important it was that she get into the Academy. This was hard on everyone, but a pregnant woman who had been saved by Nadia's selfless act was going to lose it.
"We've been giving her medication to help force the lung development in the baby… we've got her on medication to prevent labour… but if it happens, we'll be ready… we'll do our best to stop it… or we'll deliver the baby and take it to the best NICU in the city. One of my friends here, she's a pediatrician… I'll call her… she'll help."
Antonio wiped away the tears in his eyes. "We don't have a choice, do we?"
Will and Javier shook their heads.
"Okay, then… let's do this."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
Jes and Victoria were going over table cloths and other decorations when the guys came back to the room.
"Hey, Antonio!" Jes grinned. "We solved the flowers and most of the decorations!"
Antonio forced a smile. "That's really good, babe."
Victoria nodded. "We also came up with a list of things that Jes can still do even if she is on bed rest."
Will gawked at her. "Seriously? Jes, can't you just stick to being spoiled until the baby comes?"
Jes shook her head. "No, you know me, Will… I hate sitting still."
"I made her promise that she wouldn't overdo it"
"I think we can live with that." Will nodded.
"So, Javi has some big news." Antonio mentioned casually.
Jes turned to Javi. "Really? I could use some good news, please."
"I got promoted to Lieutenant and now I'm running Criminal Intelligence."
"Congratulations!" Jes grinned. "That's really good news. So, now you out rank everyone." She laughed.
"Yeah, yeah." Antonio smirked. "My little brother is higher up the ranks than me… it's not for the lack of the Ivory Tower trying to get me to do the Sergeant's exam."
"Yeah, um… Jes… they also have other news." Will said. He had a team waiting in case Jes had a bad reaction to the news.
Antonio went to Jes' side and took her hand. "Jes, it's about Nadia."
Jes' eyes widened. "What… what about her?"
Javier stood next to the bed while Victoria sat next to her. "Jes, um… I was part of the team looking for Nadia… we caught Yates, Jes… he's in prison… um… this isn't…"
"Baby…" Antonio whispered. "Nadia… Nadia's gone."
"No." Jes' voice broke. "No, she… she can't be gone. She… she saved me."
"I know… I know." Antonio squeezed her hand. He looked to Javier.
"Jes," Javi said softly. "I know that this is hard and you don't want to believe it, but I was there… when they found her… I kind of told Voight and Benson that it would be better for family to tell you than hearing it from Patrol."
Jes wept. "Where's Jay?! He's my family… why isn't he here?!"
"Voight won't let him leave… he and Erin are being called as witnesses since they've worked the case." Victoria said. "He wanted to come. He came to see us before leaving… he's a mess… he's caught between a rock and hard place."
"I'm his SISTER!" Jes cried out. "I should be just as important as Erin!"
Antonio rubbed her hand. "Jes, it's not Erin… he's there because the D.A. there needs his testimony. He wants to be here."
"Then he should be! Will… make him come home!" Jes pleaded.
Will walked to the foot of the bed. "I called him… as soon as he isn't legally required there anymore… he's coming home."
"Nadia… she didn't de… deserve this…" Jes wept. She leaned against Antonio and wept. "Antonio… it's my… my fault."
Antonio wrapped his arm around her. "Jes, this isn't on you." He rubbed her back. "She's a hero… and Yates… he's going to get what he deserves."
Jes nodded against his shoulder. "Let Voight have at him… he shouldn't be allowed to see the light of day again."
"Don't worry… I'm pretty sure that Olivia is preventing Voight from killing him outright… even though we all know he deserves it." Antonio whispered. "If I could, I'd kill him."
Jes sniffled. "Did… did she suffer?"
"Jes… I think right now; you should focus on getting better." Will spoke up before either of the Dawson brothers could say anything.
"Will, I need to know… she off… oh God!" Jes' hands flew to her stomach. "Oh God… no… no…"
"Jes!" Antonio jolted up from his seat. "Baby, what's wrong?"
Jes was crying uncontrollably. "The… the baby… oh God…"
Will pushed Javier and Victoria out of the way and checked the fetal monitor. It was screaming. He hit a button above Jes' bed and alarms began to ring throughout the floor. Nurses began to rush in.
"Will… what's… AHH!" Jes clutched her stomach.
"Will! What's happening?" Antonio demanded.
"Exactly what we were worried about." Will groaned. "She's going into labour."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
A/N: This is where I leave it for now. The next chapter will take a little longer to write… um… I recently lost my job so I'm job hunting. I am also writing the next chapter of "Should've Been Us" next. Don't worry, I'll try and get another chapter up ASAP. Thanks for the reviews. They mean the world to me. Love always, Nicole