*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
Antonio was not happy. He didn't want Jes to testify but he also knew that if she didn't, Barba would subpoena her. They made arrangements for the twins and ensured that they'd be taken care of while Jes was away. They then went home to explain what was happening to Eva and Diego. Constanza and Emmanuel were going to take care of the kids. They didn't know how long this would take, but everyone hoped it wouldn't be too dragged out. Once everyone was in the know, Antonio packed some clothes for both of them while Will kept Jes calm. Victoria arranged for a private flight, on Voight's dime, for all of them to reach New York. They bid farewell to their families and headed to O'Hare for their flight. Will sedated Jes before boarding the flight as her anxiety began getting the best of her. Antonio was tempted to ask Will for a mild sedative himself, but he wanted to be there if Jes had a nightmare. So far, she'd been okay, but they were headed right to the bastard who'd almost killed her. That would be enough to trigger nightmares in anyone, but Jes was strong and she wasn't alone.
Two hours later, they were landing at JFK. They were greeted by Dominic Carisi and Amanda Rollins from SVU.
"Uh, where's Jay?" Will asked.
"With our boss." Carisi answered. "Uh, you're Will?"
"Yeah, Will Halstead… that's my sister, Jes." He pointed to Jes, who was sound asleep in Antonio's arms. "Is there a car nearby?"
"Yeah, right this way." Rollins led them to her SUV.
Antonio put Jes in the back seat, buckled her in, and slid in next to her from the other side. He pulled Jes into his arms and prayed she'd sleep until they reached Javier's place. They weren't staying anywhere like a hotel. Javier had arranged for their kids to spend time with Victoria's sister who had recently moved to the city. This way, Jes was safe at all time. Antonio prayed that they'd be able to see Jay soon. Jes needed her other brother at this point. He just held her and prayed the whole way.
They got there fast enough considering traffic in New York. Antonio had no choice but to wake Jes up at this point. "Babe, Jes… sweetheart, we're here… You need to wake up now."
"Mmm… no." Jes groaned. "No wanna get up."
Antonio snickered. "That may work for Diego, but sweetie, you're a mom and grown woman, come… rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty."
Jes' eyes fluttered open. "You're not very nice, Prince Charming."
"I've been told worse things. Come on, I can't carry you all the way to Javi's apartment. Come on."
Jes forced herself awake. She had never been to New York before and she definitely didn't want her first visit to be because of a trial, but that was out of everyone's control now. With Antonio and Will's help, she made her way to the elevator. While she had recovered for the most part, she was still weak from being bedridden all this time. Her cuts and bruises were healing well but her psyche was a whole other story. "Is Jay coming?"
Rollins nodded. "Yeah, he is. Hi, Jes… I'm Amanda, this is Dominic… we're going to be keeping an eye on you at night and Detectives Amaro and Tutuola will be keeping an eye on you guys during the day."
"I thought he was locked up?" Jes asked.
"Oh, he is." Carisi answered. "We just want to make sure that everything you need is taken care of. We kinda are forcing you into this."
Jes smiled. "Thank you." She turned to Will. "Can you check on the boys? Please?"
"I'll call Natalie as soon as we're upstairs and you've settled in. I may even get her to Skype so you can see them. Okay?" He kissed her forehead. "You're so strong. You've got this, and we're here for you."
Antonio's phone began to ring. He answered it using his free hand. "Dawson."
"Antonio!" Jay's voice was almost booming over the line. "Are you guys here? Is she okay?"
"We're here and she's as okay as she can be right now. She wants her brother… so find a way to get to Javi's…"
"I'm on my way." Jay ended the call as quickly as he had dialed it.
Antonio shook his head. "Jay's coming. He's eager to see you."
"OH, now he's eager." Jes grumbled. "He couldn't…"
"Jes, come on." Will said. "Don't be so hard on him. You know he didn't have much choice."
Jes shook her head. "He chose her… over me." The emphasis was put on her.
Antonio hugged her tightly as the elevator arrived at Javier and Victoria's floor. "Jes, just relax. Don't kill him just yet. He may have been ordered to stay here and watch over Erin."
"That's actually what happened." Amanda jumped in. "Voight was interrogating Yates and didn't want her alone."
"Well, then Voight owes me a lot." Jes was pouting. "I didn't want to spend my first time in NYC testifying against a serial rapist and murderer."
"I will make this up to you, babe. I promise. Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Lady Liberty… everything and anything you want."
"That's gonna be an expensive trip, Bro." Javier said as he unlocked the door to their apartment. "Welcome to our home."
Jes stepped in and was in awe. Considering it was an apartment in New York, it was very spacious and bright. "Wow." She smiled. "This is very nice. I think I could recover well here. Can I just you know, testify from the couch on closed circuit TV?"
"You can ask Barba, but knowing him, he'll say no." Victoria said heavily. "Whatever you need, Jes… it's here for you and if we don't have it, we'll get it."
"Thank you, Victoria. It means a lot." Jes hugged her sister-in-law. "Now, Will… I want to see my babies please."
"Yes, ma'am. Right away." Will called Natalie and arranged a Skype call for 15 minutes from now after the boys had been bathed.
Antonio got Jes settled in the guest room and helped her shower. Once she was changed and feeling refreshed, Will set up the Skype call. Jes felt much better seeing Jonathan and Mateo. They were growing and healthy. That's all that mattered. Jes thanked Natalie for arranging the call. There was a knock at the door as they put away the iPad.
"Where is she, Carisi?" Jay's voice boomed.
"She was just Skyping with a doc about the twins. Just chill, Halstead."
Will went out into the family room. "Jay, you gotta chill, or I'm gonna let Antonio lay you out."
Jay took a deep breath. "Can I please see our sister?"
"Jes, you wanna see Jay in there or out here?" Will called out.
"We'll be right out."
"Jay, want a beer?" Javier asked from the fridge.
"Sure, why not." Jay said as he sat on the sofa. "I could use a good stiff drink right about now."
Javier handed him and Will each a beer and sat with Victoria on one of the other sofas. Antonio and Jes came out of the bedroom. Jay wanted to rush to his sister's side, but he knew that she was pissed at him. Antonio helped Jes sit on the overstuffed chair and then sat on the arm of it. He took the beer that Victoria handed him.
"Hi, Jay." Jes whispered.
"Jes." Jay didn't know where to begin. "I'm so sorry, sis. I am."
"I know… I know you didn't have a choice, but it still hurt… a lot."
"I know." Jay sighed. "I know and I know that there's nothing I can do to make it right."
"Just promise me that this son of a bitch is going straight to hell." Jes asked. "Please… if they don't lock his ass up and lose the fucking key, you… or Voight… or someone… you take that son of a bitch out!" Jes buried her face in Antonio's chest.
Antonio rubbed her back. "Shh… It's gonna be okay, Jes… I'll deal with him if I have to."
Jay finished his beer. "He's going away… That… that's why we're here… Why you're here."
"If this guy is the best prosecutor in New York, why the fuck does he need me!?" Jes exclaimed. "I don't want to relive this over and over again."
Antonio nodded. "I have to agree… why do we have to put her through this again?"
"Barba wouldn't tell me." Jay groaned. "I pleaded that he leave her out of it. Hell, so did Voight."
"Well, if your boss was trying, it must be damn important that she does testify." Javier collected the empty beer bottles. "Jes, do you want some chamomile tea? Help you sleep?"
Jes nodded. "Do you have any mint too? I'm a little nauseated from all this."
Victoria got up and said. "I'll make the tea. Don't you worry."
Jes just clung to Antonio like an opossum. She didn't dare let go because she was terrified of losing her self-control and emotions. Antonio was the only person that was able to centre her and keep her calm. Victoria returned with the tea which Jes took gratefully. "Thanks."
"No problem. Anything for you… as for Barba, I'll talk to him in the morning and make it very clear that you aren't alone when he talks to you… and we'll figure something out for court… we don't need you having a panic attack."
"Thank you, Victoria. Really. It means a lot." Jes smiled, sipping her tea.
"How are the twins?" Jay asked.
"Stronger." Antonio answered. "Growing, getting healthy."
"Good." Jay sighed. "I can't wait to see them and hold them."
"Good luck trying to do that!" Javier laughed. "The women hog them. Even if we are their godfathers."
"Meh, I'll flirt with a nurse and get to hold them that way." Jay grinned. "Will, any clue on when they can go home?"
"That's up to Natalie… she's their doctor… but…"
"She told us tonight that in a week, maybe two… providing they keep getting stronger like they have been." Jes smiled, the first time in a while. "The kids can't wait… they have everything ready for them already… they… they went with Gaby and a couple of the guys from 51 and got another crib and stuff like that for us…"
"Well, I still have to give you my gift when we get back, so not done yet." Jay smiled.
Jes yawned. "What time am I meeting the ADA?"
"Uh, 9." Jay said. "I'll come back and pick you up."
"We can drive them in." Dominic said from the corner.
"We'll drive them in." Javier put his foot down. "You can follow, but I'm keeping an eye on family. Jay, if you want, you can stay here tonight."
"I appreciate it." Jay said. He went and hugged Jes. "I love you, and we are going to get through this."
"I know… just takes a lot longer than I'd like." Jes sighed. "I'm beat."
"Okay, let's get you to bed." Antonio got up and helped her to her feet. "We'll see you all in the morning."
The others watched as Antonio lifted Jes into his arms and carried her bridal style to the guest room. They waited until they heard the door close.
Jay then turned to Will. "How pissed is she?"
"Pissed at who or over what?" Will countered.
"Me."
"On a scale of 1-10, I'm gonna say 20… over being forced to relive this 1000."
Jay sighed. "I want to kill Yates."
"So does Antonio… Voight, Erin…" Rollins said. "He'll get what's coming to him. Don't you worry. Barba doesn't quit… not with a case like this, not ever."
Jay nodded. "Okay, we should all hit the hay. Tomorrow is gonna be a long ass day, and it's gonna be hardest on her… I'm not gonna let her down again."
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Jay was up before his alarm even rang. Granted, he had barely been able to sleep. He ran a cold shower to jolt himself awake. He got dressed in the change of clothes that Will had lent him and headed to the kitchen. Victoria and Javier were already awake and making breakfast for an army. "Did you take a note from Jes' textbook?" He asked.
"No, it's a Dominican thing." Javier said. "Though, it might be a French thing too… it seems that women of either culture think that food solve all problems…Heck, they may believe it's the solution to all global conflicts." He had to duck a potholder that Victoria aimed at his head. "What? It's true."
"Hey, if feeding people will bring world peace, I'm all for it." Jay reached for a piece of toast.
Victoria smacked his fingers with her hand. "Not until everyone's here."
"Seriously?"
"It's called a family breakfast for a reason." Javier said. "I'm not about to argue with my wife. Once you settle down, you'll understand that."
"Him settle down? Haha!" Will laughed as he walked into the family room. He was pulling his t-shirt over his head. "I didn't realize you did stand-up comedy, Javier."
Jay glared at his older brother. "Not funny."
"Oh, it is." Will grinned. "I'm cool with waiting for Jes and Antonio."
"We're up." Jes' voice came from behind them. "I just move a little slower from uh, the surgery and all that." She was leaning on Antonio as they got into the family room.
Jay rushed to her side and helped get her to the dining room table. Jay was so thankful that Javier and Victoria had an open concept in their home. No hallways or multiple doorways to complicate things for Jes. They got her seated and then Antonio went to serve her a plate.
"Bro, we'll pass the dishes. Grab a coffee and we'll eat breakfast family style." Victoria signalled to the seat next to Jes. "And that's not really a request."
Antonio shut his mouth and sat next to Jes. The chatted as the plates of pancakes, sausages, eggs, bacon and toast were passed around. Will showed Jes the pictures of the twins that Natalie had texted him before she'd gone home. Jes sighed in relief to know the babies were okay. She felt like a horrible mother leaving them in Chicago like this, but she hadn't been given much choice in this matter. After breakfast, Jay and Will helped Javier and Victoria clean up while Antonio and Jes called home to check up on Eva and Diego.
"Mom! Dad!" Their excited voices came over the speaker.
"Hey, guys." Jes smiled. "How are you guys doing?"
"We miss you." Diego answered.
"We miss you too, hijo." Antonio said. "You behaving?"
"Yes, Daddy." Eva said. "Abuela took us to see Jonathan and Mateo yesterday… they're so small."
"When can we hold them?" Diego asked.
"As soon as the doctors say you can." Antonio answered. "Soon. They're getting stronger each and every day."
"They can't wait to meet you guys." Jes added. "Dr. Manning told me that once we're back from New York, they should be almost ready and healthy enough to come home."
"Yay!" The kids exclaimed.
Jes laughed. "Soon, our family will be back together."
"And everyone's going to be healthy and safe, right?" Diego was worried. They could hear it resonating in his voice.
"Yes, Diego. We're, uh… we're going to take off as soon as the twins are cleared for travel and we'll stay at the farm until a little while after the wedding." Antonio promised.
"Thank God." Eva sighed in relief.
"We love you guys." Jes said. "We've gotta go, but we'll call as soon as we can. Take care of each other."
"Love you too!"
They ended the call and made their way back to the family room. When they got there, they saw that Rollins and Carisi had been replaced by Fin and Amaro. They were waiting to take Jes and Antonio to the District.
"If it's alright with you, Detectives, I'll drive them in." Javier stepped forward, clipping his shield to his belt.
The two SVU detectives looked to each other. Fin nodded. "Sure thing, Lieutenant. If it's all the same… we'll follow you in."
"Fine by us." Antonio said. He grabbed Jes' jacket and helped her put it on before grabbing his own leather jacket. "Let's just get this over with." He was still furious that she had to go through this. He knew that they should've had enough with Nadia, but now they wanted to use Jes. While he knew that her testimony and the evidence of her injuries would be the final nail in Yates' coffin, he hated having to see Jes like this.
Jes was shaking. She was terrified. She knew that there was a lot that could come out in open court when she testified. She knew it was likely that her past was going to resurface and she was going to have to relive those attacks too. She slowly made her way to Javier's SUV and leaned into Antonio the whole way.
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Fin and Amaro led Antonio, Jay, Will, Javier and Victoria into SVU's squad room. Hank and Erin were waiting for them. Antonio could see Olivia was in her office with a man in a 3-piece suit. He suspected that he was Rafael Barba. Everyone that Antonio had spoken to about the man swore to high heaven that Rafael Barba was the best prosecutor in Manhattan. 'He damn well better be.' Antonio thought to himself. 'Jes' testimony better put Yates away for a few hundred lifetimes or else this Barba and I are going to be having issues.'
Hank walked up to the group. "Antonio, Jes… thank you for coming."
"I wasn't left much choice, Hank." Jes said bluntly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You have every right to be pissed off." Hank said softly. "You have to know, we fought against this. We didn't… we didn't want you to have to relive this over and over… but we need to guarantee he won't walk."
"Just shoot the son of a bitch." Jes whispered. "He can't outrun a bullet."
"Oh, the idea's crossed my mind." Hank whispered back. "We're all here for you… he can't hurt you anymore."
"He almost killed me and my unborn sons… I had twins… which was a big enough surprise, but I had them 10 weeks premature… they almost died… Fuck, I almost died!" Jes exclaimed, drawing attention from the other officers and detectives in the bullpen.
"I know, Jeslyn… we all know…" Hank sighed. "How are the twins?"
"They're getting stronger each day." Antonio answered. "Their names are Jonathan and Mateo. We just want to get back to Chicago to be with them and Eva and Diego."
"We'll get you guys back ASAP. I promise." Hank said.
Olivia and Barba came into the bullpen. "Everyone's here." Olivia said.
"Yeah." Hank took a step back. "Rafael Barba… this is Jeslyn Halstead, her fiancé, Antonio Dawson, and her other brother, Will Halstead… as well as Lieutenant."
Barba put his hand up. "I know Lieutenant Javier Dawson and Victoria works in my office. Thank you, Sargeant." Antonio found that Barba's tone brutish and rough. Barba turned to Jes. "I'm very sorry to have to put you through this but we need everything under the sun to nail this one."
"Just… let's get this over with." Jes' tone was filled with anger and annoyance.
"Follow us." Olivia took a few steps towards the interview room. Jes followed with Antonio, Will and Jay in tow. "Just Jes."
"No!" The three men shouted in unison. "No way."
Antonio stepped forward. "You want to talk to her… put her through this hell… we go with her. She was brutalized by that bastard… then the stress of the news of Nadia's death caused her to go into premature labour… she almost bled out during the c-section… the boys were 10 weeks premature… 10 WEEKS!"
"Okay… Okay, Antonio… you can come… but her brothers stay."
Will and Jay just about jumped her. Will calmed his breathing a little. "I'm not just here as her brother… I'm here in a medical sense. I'm here as her physician."
Barba walked up to Will. "Aren't there laws preventing physicians from treating family?"
"Those laws got tossed out that night because I was the only qualified surgeon available when she came in… It was me… or let her die… not much of a choice was needed there, Counsellor." Will stared at him.
"I wasn't there when I should've been. Jes needs support, not to be thrown under the bus by you guys." Jay growled.
Olivia turned to Hank, her eyes pleading to him to get them under control. Hank shook his head. "You guys wanted to put her through this, deal with the compromises that come with it. He's marrying her and the other two are her brothers… you don't fuck with family… especially this family."
Javier stepped forward. "Sergeant, just go with it… this is bad enough."
"Lieutenant, need I remind you that this is a conflict of interest for you too?" Barba snapped. "Victoria, you recused yourself… rein him in a little."
"All due respect, sir… they've been through enough… just go with it… she'll give her testimony… just let them be there for her…"
Barba sighed. "Whatever… let's just get going… we've got 48 hours before we're due back in court and I don't need Yates or his 'counsel' messing with this." He stomped off towards the interview room.
"We're all taking this personally." Olivia tried to calm everyone down.
"The fact that Yates is defending himself… is a damn good reason for all of us to be in there with her." Will said. "I don't care that you guys considered me a suspect, but Jes… she's here because she feels she owes Nadia… because she doesn't want this son of a bitch to see another day as a free man."
"Understood." Olivia showed them into the interview room.
Barba was seated, pulling papers and files from his briefcase. He pulled out a pen and notepad. "Let's begin."
Jes sat on the chair that Olivia pointed to. It was the comfiest chair in the room. Antonio sat on her left, and held her hand, while Jay sat on her right. Will stood behind her. Olivia took her seat next to Barba.
Barba looked up and for the first time, he spoke softly. "Okay, can you tell me about yourself, first… it helps to show who you are to the jury."
Jes nodded. "I know the drill." Barba raised an eyebrow, so Jes continued. "I was born in Edmonton, Alberta. I was an only child to a former military serviceman and a former business woman. My dad began farming after his last tour of duty… my mother, slept around town and ruined quite a few marriages, while he had been out of the country. When he came home, she couldn't do that anymore… then she was just miserable. The economy tanked for farmers, so my dad re-enlisted. We were moved to Ottawa and my dad re-deployed. My mom decided to file for divorce, find a sugar daddy and moved me to Chicago."
"How old were you?"
"14. That's when I met Jay… he saved me from the captain of the cheer team. We became best friends… my mom died in a car crash New Year's Eve with her new husband… my dad was still deployed and none of my other relatives wanted me or could take me in… so Jay's mother took me in and I got to stay there going to school. My dad was killed overseas in action… then Jay's mother legally adopted me. I graduated high school in Morinville, Alberta because I couldn't put up with the bullying here in Chicago."
"And why were you bullied?" Barba continued to right notes.
"Because I accused my Homecoming date of rape… Jay came home and caught him. He was a popular kid, and well, the school didn't appreciate my brother throwing him across a room before the cops showed up."
"I see." Barba looked up. "What happened after that?"
"I went to university, got my teaching degree. I taught out there while working on my Master's in Education online. I realized Education wasn't my true calling and came back to Chicago with a new plan."
"What was the new plan?"
"I wanted to open a Youth Centre to get kids off the streets and out of the gangs. I used my inheritances from my mother, step-father and father to help fund it."
"Have you gotten it off the ground?"
"Yes." Jes was a little irritable. He should know this. Jay would've told him or Hank. "It's called Power 2 Kids… or, P2K for short. I opened it with my best friend, Jacquie Lennox… well, Atwater now. It's been a huge success. Crime rates in the districts are down. Less nuisance fires and fewer kids are running drugs for the gangs."
"I see." Barba looked up from his notepad. "How did you meet Nadia Decotis?"
"I went to the District one day after I moved back to go over possible apartments with Jay. He had to go out on a call, and he asked me to speak to her."
"Why would he do that?" Barba asked.
Jes sighed. "Because it was her first day. He told me that it would be good for her to have someone to talk to."
"What did you talk about?"
"She told me about her past. How she had been a prostitute and hooked on drugs. She told me that Detective Erin Lindsay, in the Intelligence Unit of CPD, had rescued her, gotten her into rehab and gotten her the job as a receptionist for Intelligence." Jes took a breath. "I told her that we had a lot in common and that second chances were what saved both of us."
"Can you go into detail about what you mean by 'had a lot in common'?"
Jes looked to Antonio. He nodded. "It's better that it come out now and not as a surprise."
Jes reached for a glass of water. She took a sip and continued. "I was an addict… I used Oxy and Percocet in University."
Olivia couldn't hide her surprise. Barba's head jolted up. "I beg your pardon?"
"I was raped in University… by my boyfriend at the time and his friend… I got pregnant… I was going to give the baby up for adoption. When I was 6 months along, I got into a car crash in the Rockies with Jacquie and her little sister. One of my rapists had cut the break lines. Her sister was killed on impact and I almost died. I lost the baby and I got told I would never be able to have children of my own… so I began to abuse the pain killers. Jacquie… she did for me what Erin did for Nadia. She got me clean on her own… I quit cold turkey because she threatened to tell Jay. He never knew about the rape or the baby… I had wanted that kept quiet because I didn't want to relive it."
"When did your brother find out about this incident?"
"Last year… I had been kidnapped and beaten and raped… they were going over my injuries and Antonio told Jay."
"How did Detective Dawson come to know of this?"
"When I came back to Chicago, my brother, Jay, had a target on his back from the brother of a man he had killed in a clean shoot while on the job. Detective Dawson… he took me in to protect me. He woke me up from a nightmare and that's when I told him everything. He only told Jay because Jay needed to understand what I had gone through. After that, I found out I was pregnant."
"Is the father Detective Dawson?"
Jes glared at him. "Yes." Jes hissed. "He and I became involved after my birthday party… we got engaged soon after we found out about the baby. We went back to my family farm for us to recover… we came back in early March. We're getting married in Alberta on September 4."
"Had you gotten to know Miss Decotis in the time you'd been back in Chicago?"
"Yes. Nadia was a regular volunteer at P2K. She told the older teens her story and how she overcame it. She was an inspiration to them. Everyone loved her."
"Did you interact with her outside of work?"
"Yes, she would come over some nights for supper, or watch our children if Antonio and I had to go out. She was very reliable."
"Were you ever worried that she may have relapsed?"
Jes shook her head. "No. Nadia wanted nothing to do with that life anymore. She actually caught some of the teens at P2K trying to deal drugs and reported them to me immediately. She wanted to be a police officer. I wrote a letter of reference for her to the Police Academy. She was going to do great things in life."
"Can you tell us about the night of your attack and when Miss Decotis went missing?" Barba was finally getting to the tough part.
"I went to the District earlier that afternoon to meet with Nadia about the surprise birthday party that we were planning for Detective Erin Lindsay."
"I see. Did you discuss those plans openly? Could anyone in the district have heard you?"
"No, sir. We went into the kitchen area and had the door closed. We discussed how I'd pick up the things that were at the District now and she would meet me at P2K later that night with the cake and other decorations to finish the preparations." Jes answered. "We were waiting for Jay and Antonio to give us the things they had been hiding in their desks for Erin."
"And what things were those?"
Jes sighed. "Erin's birthday card and gifts. They were the only ones that kept a secret well enough to not have Erin be suspicious. Erin… doesn't like surprise parties."
"I see. Where were you waiting for Detectives Halstead and Dawson?"
"Close to Nadia's desk. It was right near the filing cabinets that were next to the exits of the interrogation rooms."
"Is that when you first saw the defendant, Dr. Gregory Yates?"
"Yes. He was being escorted from an interrogation room by Detective Lindsay."
"Did you know why he was there?"
"No. I don't discuss police investigations with my brother or fiancé unless I have been directly involved in the case."
"Did he say anything to you or did either of you speak to him?"
"He said 'Hello'. We didn't speak to him. I personally had a chill go up my spine."
"What happened next?"
"He left the bullpen and Nadia led me back into the kitchen. She told me that he was a suspect in their case. Jay and Antonio saw us and pulled us into the kitchen and demanded to know what I was doing there. I was on early Mat Leave. I was 7 months and a few days pregnant at the time."
"What did they tell you?"
"That they didn't want us near him. That both of us were his ideal victim type. Nadia turned white at that and asked if he was the one. I was still clueless as to what anyone was talking about."
"Did they clarify for you?"
"They told me he was now their main suspect in a streak of rape/murders that had been happening where the victims were burned after the fact. I knew a little about this case as my other brother, Doctor Will Halstead had been questioned in connection to it as he knew one of the New York victims."
"How did that make you feel?"
"I thought it was a lie. My brother may have made some poor choices in life like partying, but he wasn't a murderer. He worked as a physician with Doctors Without Borders and other organizations across the world helping victims of famine and war."
"Had your brother been cleared?" Barba asked next.
Jes nodded. "Yes. Antonio and Jay then explained how I fell into the victim type. From there they were worried that I could be a potential victim. They didn't want me to be alone, so they asked if Xander was going to be at P2K."
"And Xander is?"
"My replacement at P2K. He was going to keep an eye on me while I got some things ready there."
Barba stopped writing. "Was the party meant to be at P2K?"
"Yes. After hours, we rent out some of the rooms for parties or meetings. It helps keep the cost of running a youth centre down."
"Was Xander there?"
"Yes. He was finalizing an order that needed to go out for our culinary program. I stayed in the office there and worked on some plans for when the baby came."
"Okay, so fast forward… what happened that evening?"
Jes squeezed Antonio's hand. "I went out to wait for Nadia. She had texted me saying that she was on her way. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and suddenly, the world went black. I woke up after and I was back in the office. Xander was unconscious in the corner by the door… and he was there."
"Who was? You'll have to be very clear in court."
"Dr. Yates. The defendant. He told me how I was precious… that I was perfect. I begged him to spare my life… for the sake of my baby… he told me that babies didn't stop him. He…" Jes took a deep breath. "He was going to take off my clothes, but he got interrupted. Nadia came in. She told him that the CPD was looking for him. She told him to leave and that she wouldn't tell anyone he had been there. I couldn't move. I was in pain from the blow to the head. He went to her and said she was naïve. Then he grabbed her, put her on the couch in my office and tied her hands and feet. He told her that he was going to make her watch. She begged him to leave me alone, that I was pregnant."
"Did that deter him?"
"No. It seemed to make him happy." Jes took more water. "He took a knife from his pocket and cut my clothes off. Nadia was sobbing. She begged him again to leave me alone… then she offered herself to him… in exchange for me. That she'd do whatever he wanted her to. That got his attention… he had cut off the rest of my clothes then whispered to me that he wasn't done with me yet. He got off me and went to Nadia. He taped her mouth shut and then knocked her out. He carried her out of my office and a few minutes later came back."
"Did he say anything?"
"That I was beautiful… and that he was going to have fun with me. He raped me… he grabbed a bottle and shoved it in me, in my… my rectum… I passed out from the pain. I was just done. Next thing I know; I was waking up in the hospital."
"What happened after you woke up?"
"Antonio told me I'd been unconscious for 4 days. I asked about Nadia, but no one knew anything. Will came in and told me I had died a couple times while they worked to stabilize me. I had been horribly beaten, he had dislocated my shoulder. I suffered a couple cracked ribs, though they weren't sure if it was from the beating or from the CPR… I had a major concussion and intracranial swelling."
"What about the baby?"
"Baby was okay at that time. They were keeping me in the hospital to prevent premature labour."
"You still went into premature labour, correct?"
Jes nodded. "I did. After Javier and Victoria came to tell us that they'd found Nadia's body. They did an ultrasound as soon as it started and that's when they discovered that I was actually carrying identical twins… they couldn't stop the labour. I was prepped for a crash C-section… my sons were born 10 weeks early… My blood pressure tanked and I coded on the table. I was bleeding out."
"Obviously, they were able to save you. How are you and the twins doing now?"
Jes smiled. "I'm doing better. The bruises are almost gone and my stitches have been removed. I have to do physical therapy for the shoulder and regain my strength since I'd lost so much blood and spent so much time in a hospital bed."
"Okay. I have everything I need. Most of the questions I've just asked you will be asked in court. Yates is representing himself and he does have the right to cross-examine you. It could get ugly. He could bring up your past… even accuse you of having given Nadia drugs… you need to be prepared for that."
"I just want him to pay for what he did to me, to Nadia and that he almost cost us our sons' lives." Jes answered.
"Okay, well… we go to court in 48 hours… you'll testify… and your brothers and fiancé may also be called."
"We're ready." Antonio answered. "Just guarantee that he can't hurt her anymore."
"We won't let anything happen to her." Olivia promised. "Or anyone else. Yates is going to pay for his crimes."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
2 days later… Superior Court…
"Mr. Barba, please call your first witness." Judge Barth said.
"Prosecution calls Miss Jeslyn Halstead to the stand."
Antonio helped Jes to the stand and went back to his seat next to Jay and Will. He fought back the anger he felt towards Yates and watched as Jes was sworn in.
"Miss Halstead, can you tell me how you met Miss Decotis?" Barba was starting his questioning lightly.
"At my brother's work. He's a detective with the Intelligence unit in Chicago. I had recently moved back to Chicago and I was meeting him for lunch to find an apartment." Jes answered. "After we had eaten, Jay and the rest of Intelligence were called out on a case and Jay asked me to talk to her because it was her very first day with the CPD as Intelligence's receptionist."
"So, you were asked to help make her feel at ease in her new work place?"
"Yes. We talked about ourselves. She was a very kind and sweet girl. She told me how Detective Erin Lindsay had saved her life. How she had gotten out of prostitution and off the drugs. I then told her that I understood what it was like to have friends like that and that she should be proud of her accomplishments. We bonded."
"You would consider her a friend?"
"Yes."
"Did you talk to her outside of when you would go by the district?"
"Yes. She was a volunteer at the youth centre my friend and I started, Power 2 Kids."
"What is Power 2 Kids?" Barba asked.
"A youth centre in the 21st District of Chicago. We work together with the CPD, CFD and schools to get kids of all ages off the streets and out of the gangs."
"Have you been successful?"
"Yes, crime involving Youth in the District has gone down by about 20% according to the last reports I read… the CFD has reported that nuisance fires have also gone down. We've also seen a drop in kids getting pulled into the gangs… People who've overcome those lifestyles have come in as guest speakers and mentors to show that you can turn your life around."
"Was Miss Decotis a guest speaker and mentor?"
Jes nodded. "Yes. She spoke often to the young women who came to show them that there was a way out of hooking and that not being afraid to ask for help, they can get off the drugs. She had caught some youths trying to deal in the back of the centre and reported them to me immediately. She wanted nothing to do with that life anymore."
"She told you this?"
"She did, on multiple occasions… she also asked me to provide her a character reference to get into the CPD's Academy. I provided a glowing review. She would've been an amazing police officer."
"So, in your opinion, Miss Decotis wouldn't have come to New York to start turning tricks again or restart a drug habit?"
"In my opinion, no. She wouldn't have thrown away everything she'd worked so hard for."
"Can you tell us about the night that Miss Decotis disappeared and you were attacked?"
"Yes." Jes explained exactly what had happened as she had two days before to Barba and Benson. She let tears fall as she told the jury about the rape and beating that Yates had given her and how she'd almost died after being sent into labour 10 weeks before she was due. "I coded on the operating table after my sons were born. I was hemorrhaging. I was lucky that they stopped the bleeding. I am in physical therapy for my shoulder and am still weak from the extreme blood loss and extended time I spent lying in a hospital bed."
"Thank you, Miss Halstead." Barba smiled to her and returned to his seat. "Your witness."
The Chicago team cringed as Yates walked towards the witness stand. "Miss Halstead." He started. "So nice to see you again."
"Your Honour?" Barba stood up. "Pestering the witness is not a line of questioning."
Judge Barth could see Jes was uncomfortable. "Dr. Yates, I recommend you begin your line of questioning and keep a distance from the witness… I will not have a medical emergency in my courtroom today."
Yates froze. "Of course. Miss Halstead… you said that you and Miss Decotis had things in common, what were those things?"
Jes had been warned about this and she was ready. "She and I had both overcome a difficult addiction with the help of a good friend."
"You also had a drug addiction?" Yates acted surprised.
"Yes. I became addicted to Oxy and Percocet after I was in a car crash that killed my best friend's little sister as well as the child I was carrying by rape… I was 6 months pregnant at the time of the crash and I had been planning on giving the baby up for adoption… after the accident, I figured I had no value so, I abused the pain killers I had been prescribed. I quit cold turkey when my best friend, and roommate, told me that if I didn't quit, she'd tell my brother."
"And you haven't thought about it or acted on any urges?"
"No. I've been clean for almost a decade. I didn't even want pain medication in the hospital because I don't want to relapse."
"Miss Decotis felt you were a kindred spirit?"
"Objection!" Barba stood up. "We've already been over this."
"Dr. Yates, move along." The judge said sternly.
"The injuries that you sustained and claim that I inflicted… will there be any lasting effects?"
"I'm not a doctor. I've been told I'll recover."
"Can you be certain it was me that attacked you?"
"Yes. I remember your voice and your eyes."
"If you suffered a severe blow to the head as you claim, is it possible your brain mixed up who actually attacked you?"
"No." Jes said firmly. "It was you."
"No further questions." Yates went back to his table.
Judge Barth looked down to Jes. "Thank you, Miss Halstead."
Jes got down from the stand and with the bailiff's help went to sit next to Antonio. She wasn't going to cry. She refused to show any sign of weakness.
"Any other witnesses, Mr. Barba?"
"Yes. I'd like to call Dr. Will Halstead to the stand."
Will got up, kissed Jes' cheek and headed to the stand. After swearing to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, he took his seat.
"Dr. Halstead… thank you for coming back to Manhattan." Barba straightened his tie. "We've heard in previous testimony that you were considered a suspect in these cases due to the fact the you knew one of the New York victims and worked with one of the Chicago victims."
"That's correct."
"But you were cleared?"
"Yes… my brother took my alibi's information but Intelligence had already cleared me on their own without Jay's help."
"Did you have any information concerning any of these cases?"
"I did. In the New York case, involving Debra McCulloch… I had gone to a party with some of my med school classmates. She was also at that party… and so was Dr. Yates. He was one of my professors at Columbia."
"So you know Dr. Yates, the defendant?"
"Yes, sir. The night of that party, he cornered me. He would talk about who had the best ass or who he'd have sex with first. It made me very uncomfortable."
"Objection!"
"Overruled, Dr. Yates." The judge glared. "He can testify to something he experienced. Continue, Doctor."
"I worked in the same hospital as the first Chicago victim but I didn't know her personally."
"Did you tell this to either the SVU detectives who were in Chicago or the Intelligence department?"
"I did. I spoke with Sergeants Voight and Benson concerning this."
"Okay. Now, I also wanted to speak to you about your medical treatments of the previous witness, Jeslyn Halstead. My understanding from her medical files which were brought here from Chicago Med is that you were her doctor when she was brought into the Emergency Department, the night of her attack?"
"That's correct." Will answered.
"Is it normal to treat family?"
"No. It isn't. It's actually against our code of ethics."
"Then why did you treat your sister?"
"At the time she was brought in, she was coding again. There were no trauma surgeons available and it was the changeover of staff in the ED. If I hadn't treated her, she would've bled out and she and the babies would have died."
"Did you know she was having twins?"
"Not until she went into labour."
"Can you describe Miss Halstead injuries for the jury?"
Will took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes." He explained the concussion, bruises, dislocated shoulder as well as the rape. "She was brutalized."
"Was there any physical evidence?"
"We collected what we could and handed it off to CPD for processing."
"Thank you, Dr. Halstead."
Yates almost jumped out of his seat. "Dr. Halstead… do you like me?"
"Your Honour?" Barba pleaded.
"Dr. Yates, enough. Questions concerning his treatment of Miss Halstead or knowledge of this case."
"Then I have no questions." Yates returned to his seat.
Judge Barth nodded to Will, who went back to his seat.
"I have one last witness, Your Honour." Barba said, pulling a file from his briefcase. "We call Manhattan's medical examiner, Dr. Melinda Warner, back to the stand."
Yates' co-counsel stood up. "We've already heard from this witness."
Barba countered. "Dr. Yates insisted that Nadia Decotis had returned to a life of prostitution and drug use. He also claims that Miss Halstead's head injury could have caused her to misidentify him. I have the right to refute those claims." He put the autopsy pictures of Nadia and the photos of Jes' injuries on the corner of his table, just in plain sight of Yates.
Judge Barth nodded. "You do. Proceed, Mr. Barba."
"Dr. Warren. The injuries that were sustained by Nadia Decotis, could they have been caused by a life in prostitution?"
"Yes, but highly unlikely."
"Can you explain why that is?"
"The lubricant found in both her vaginal vault and anus were the same brand. Also, a woman involved in a life of prostitution would be prepared for rough sex."
"This wasn't just rough sex?"
"No. This was a brutal, brutal attack. There was tearing and severe hemorrhaging from the rape. Not to mention the beating she took to the face and chest. Multiple fractures of ribs, facial bones… this was torture."
"Thank you, Doctor. Now… you have had time to read Miss Halstead's medical chart, correct?"
"I have. It's truly a miracle that she and the twins survived the attack."
"Why do you say that?"
"The human body is miraculous, especially when a woman is pregnant. On average, a pregnant woman has between 5 and 5 and a half litres of blood in the body. She lost close to 4 litres of it from the initial attack… that shock, in most cases would've caused her premature labour then and most likely the loss of one if not both of the twins."
"What about her head injury? We've heard that it could be possible that such a blow to the head could cause Miss Halstead to not identify her real attacker."
"The region of the brain that affects memory was not the region that was hit. She was hit in the occipital region, this controls sight. The temporal region of the brain is what controls memory and comprehension. Seeing as there is no damage on her CAT scans or MRIs in that region, but there was a concussion to her occipital region, she most definitely could have heard his voice and remembered it. The only thing that may have been off was her vision."
"So, to confirm, Doctor… Miss Halstead may not have seen her attacker, due to the blow she had taken to the back of her skull, but she would've heard his voice and would have been able to remember it?"
"That's correct."
"Thank you, Doctor." Barba sat back down.
"Doctor Yates? Any questions?"
Yates answered. "Yes!" While his co-counsel said, "No!"
"Well, which is it?"
"Yes." Yates stood up. He walked over to Barba's table. "May I?"
"Go ahead." Barba handed him both piles of images.
Yates was flipping through all of the images. Everyone in the courtroom saw the change. It was almost as if he was aroused by his handiwork.
"Dr. Yates, do you have questions?" The judge asked.
"Oh, yes." Yates began to question Dr. Warren. He went off on a tangent and showed his true colours when he began to basically incriminate himself in court.
"Mr. Barba, I'm willing to entertain an objection if you have one?" The judge asked.
"Oh, no… I'm fine." Barba just leaned back and watched as Yates put the final nail in this case against him.
"Come on, Doctor. We're both medical people! Did Nadia Decotis know these were her final moments?! Use your medical knowledge!"
Everyone in the courtroom, including the Judge, Jury and Court Reporter's jaws hit the ground. Yates froze. He realized what he had just done. "Or… or don't." He scurried back to his seat.
The jury just looked to each other before staring at Yates in horror. The SVU detectives were in shock. They knew that Rafael Barba did whatever was necessary to get a case to bed, but this was extreme even for him. He then got up to give his closing statement. He made it very clear that Yates was guilty and it was beyond a reasonable doubt. Yates made his closing statement, but it was obvious that he was shaken. His confidence was gone. The jury was escorted to the Jury Room for deliberation. Javier and Victoria led Jes, Antonio and Will to a small meeting room outside the courtroom for Jes to breathe. Jay went to check with Voight on how Erin was doing before joining his family in the meeting room.
Jes was resting on Antonio's shoulder when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Victoria said. She had gotten Jes a tea to calm her nerves.
Barba and Benson came into the room. Barba went to Jes. "How are you doing?"
"Is it over?" Jes sighed.
"Almost. The jury saw him for what he really is… a monster." Olivia knelt in front of Jes. "He can't hurt you ever again… or anyone for that matter."
"You played dirty in there, Counselor." Antonio pointed out.
"I did?" Barba smirked. "The jury kept seeing him as a kind, honest man with a great smile… the same way people saw Bundy originally… Cases like this, where the defendant is charming… you need to force them to show their true colours. He wasn't going to pass up a chance to review his handiwork."
Jes nodded. "As long as he pays, I really don't care what you had to do."
Barba smiled and took her hand. "Thank you, for giving your testimony. I know we didn't give you much choice in this, but your testimony pushed his hand."
"I just want him to pay for everything he's done… I don't want to ever relive that again. I don't want to hear his name; I don't want to see his face… I don't want to have to speak of what I've been through… EVER AGAIN." Jes emphasized.
"Babe, after today, he's dead to us… we're going to go home to our babies, and Eva and Diego… and come mid to end of July, we're heading back to your farm and we're going to be a family and spend time as a family." Antonio squeezed her hand.
"Promise?" Jes asked.
"I promise, Jeslyn… Nothing is going to come between us and our family anymore." He kissed her gently. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Jes whispered. Knowing that Antonio was going to be there no matter what; that their family was the priority now, made Jes feel at peace.
There was a knock at the door. Rollins poked her head in. "Jury's back."
Barba looked at his watch. "That didn't take too long." He smiled to Jes and her family. "That's a good thing."
They all made their way back into the courtroom. They stood as the judge re-entered the room. "Be seated." The bailiff handed her the paper from the jury leader. She read it and handed it back. "Madam Foreman, have you reached a verdict?"
The foreman stood and nodded. "We have, your Honour."
The judge nodded. "Proceed."
"On the counts of rape and sodomy in the first degree, we find the defendant… guilty."
Murmurs spread through the courtroom. Yates looked shocked.
"On the count of attempted murder, we find the defendant guilty. And on the count of murder in the first degree… we find the defendant… Dr. Gregory Yates… guilty."
Jes heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed against Antonio and wept tears of joy. Erin clung to Jay and Voight nodded in contentment. It was over.
"Dr. Yates will be remanded to Green Haven Correctional pending sentencing. Members of the jury, the state of New York thanks you for your service." She banged her gavel. "Court is adjourned."
Yates was led away by the bailiff, still shaken by the fact that he'd finally been caught. Barba came and shook everyone's hand. He paused at Antonio. "If I were you, I'd get her as far away from Manhattan as humanly possible… ASAP."
"I have no problems doing that." Antonio answered. "Thank you… for getting justice for all those women."
"It's my job… but I truly am glad to know that your sons, and your fiancée will be better and are survivors."
"Thank you."
Antonio led Jes out of the courtroom and to Javier's waiting SUV. It was over.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
They were going to rest at Javier's before catching their 11pm flight back to Chicago. Jes couldn't wait to be home, with all of their children. She napped while Antonio and Javier sat and discussed the case.
"I've never seen a lot of D.A.s over my years, but never someone like him." Antonio said as he took a swig of his coffee.
"Vicky says that he's got the best conviction rate… worked Brooklyn before sliding over to Manhattan."
"I wouldn't want to be the defendant in any of his cases… he doesn't mess around." Antonio sighed. "At least it's over." His cellphone began to ring. "Dawson."
"Antonio, it's Natalie… Dr. Manning."
"Oh, hi. Are the boys okay?"
"They're doing great. I was just wondering how much longer you'd be in New York?"
"We're coming home tonight."
"Thank goodness. Uh, the boys don't like the formula and we've almost run through the milk that Jes left… would you be able to stop by Med and she could nurse them… we're thinking they can go home after this weekend."
"Really?" Antonio asked excitedly.
"Yes. They're over 5lbs each now, able to breathe on their own… I think it's safe to say that they have their mother's fighting spirit."
"Thank you, Dr. Manning… Thank you so much."
"No problem. Have the nurses page me when you arrive?"
"Will do. See you tonight." Antonio ended the call. "Thank God."
"What's up?" Javier asked.
"Mateo and Jonathan can come home next week… that and they hate formula."
"That's great news!" Javier got up and hugged his brother.
"What are we celebrating?" Victoria asked as she walked in with Jay, Will, Hank and Erin in tow.
"Uh, that the boys are almost ready to come home." Antonio said. He was suddenly emotional. Tears of joy slid down his cheek. "Um, I need to tell Jes." He left the room to go and tell Jes the news.
Javier went over to Hank and shook his hand. "I'm so sorry about Nadia." He said and turned to hug Erin.
"She was family. But, we got justice for her and that's all that matters." Erin whispered.
"I brought Chinese… there's enough for everyone." Victoria said, heading to the kitchen.
"Here, let me help you." Will said, taking one of the bags.
"Thanks, Will."
Hank looked to Javier. "How's Jeslyn?"
"Exhausted. As soon as we came back, she went down for a nap. Today was hard on her, physically and emotionally."
"I'll check everything before we fly out tonight." Will said from the kitchen. "I may just sedate her for the flight."
"Don't sedate her too heavily. Natalie called and said she needs to come nurse the boys tonight… they hate the formula." Javier said, leading Hank and Erin to the dining table.
"Okay, fair enough." Will smiled. "She's strong… she and Antonio are going to get through this."
"I don't doubt that." Hank said.
Meanwhile…
"Baby." Antonio sat on the bed next to Jes. "Hey, Jeslyn."
"Mmm." Jes moaned. "Sleep."
"Babe, Natalie called from Med."
Jes bolted up. "Are Mateo and Jonathan okay?!"
"Calm down, Jes… they're fine." Antonio put his hands on her shoulders. "Natalie called to see when we'd be home… seems the boys don't like hospital formula. She asked that as soon as we land, we go to Med for you to nurse them."
Jes grinned. "Definitely. I want to see them… hold them."
"They'll be coming home soon too. She figures by Monday they should be home with us."
Jes' eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes. She says they hit the 5lb mark… they're healthy, breathing on their own and no other complications. She just said that they need mommy… not formula." He pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Our lives are finally going back to normal…" He took her hands. "I promise you this… I will take such good care of you and all four of our children… I love you and I can't wait for you to be my wife."
Jes kissed him. "I can't wait for you to be my husband… September isn't that far away."
"I know. Soon." He kissed her again. "Victoria came home and brought supper… Jay and Will are back. Hank and Erin are here too… Turns out, we're all heading home on the same flight."
"Okay." Jes made her way to the edge of the bed.
Antonio helped her up and they headed out to enjoy one last family meal with Javier and Victoria before returning to their regular lives back in Chicago.
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
They landed at O'Hare shortly after 1 in the morning. Jes wasn't tired. She was hyped up and ecstatic to be home. She was tired, but it wasn't the same tired she had been the past few weeks. It felt as if now, she'd finally be able to sleep. She waited patiently for Jay to bring the car around so they could head to Chicago Med. Then, they'd go home for the night. The next morning, they'd go and get Eva and Diego from Antonio's parents. Their family could finally be reunited.
They pulled into the Chicago Med parking lot and Jes was eager to get out of the car, but her footing was wobbly. At this point, Will grabbed a wheelchair.
"I'm not crippled." Jes said, staring at the wheelchair.
"No." Will answered. "But, you're tired. Humour me."
"Fine." Jes sat down. "Just get us to our babies, please."
They headed to the NICU. Will had Natalie paged as she had asked Antonio to do. She quickly appeared. "Welcome home."
"Thank you. Can we see them, please?" Jes was almost begging.
"Of course. They'll be very happy to see you." Natalie took the wheelchair. She pushed Jes into the step-down ward where Mateo and Jonathan had been moved before they had had to head to New York. "See… they must've have heard you were coming home."
Jes looked into their cribs. Both boys had their eyes open and were squirming. "Hi, guys. Mommy's back… oh… it's okay." She put her hand through the bars of Mateo's crib and gave him her finger. His tiny hand grasped it tightly. "Oh, you got so big and strong."
Antonio reached into Jonathan's crib and lifted him up. "Hey, little man." Jonathan just stared at his father. Antonio looked to Natalie. "Did my parents and the kids come by?"
Natalie nodded. "Yep. Every day you guys were gone. Eva and Diego held the boys today for a few minutes. They're smitten by their little brothers."
"That's so good." Jes just kept staring at Mateo. "You are loved… so loved. None of us will ever let anything happen to you."
Natalie reached into the crib and lifted Mateo out. "Okay, Mateo. Let's give you to Mommy so you can nurse… no more of that icky formula for you guys."
"I pumped a bunch while we were away… Will has it in the fridge I think." Jes said as she positioned herself to nurse Mateo.
"Good. We'll use it to feed them until you can come in tomorrow." Natalie smiled. "I'll let you two be and I'll go talked to Will and Jay. If these two keep it up, you can take them home on Monday."
"We can't wait." Antonio said as he rocked Jonathan. "We can't wait."
*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*TR*
A/N: Well, it took over a week to write this and I had to watch the SVU episode multiple times to get through it. I hope you enjoyed it! More to come soon… just be patient. I have begun a new job and it takes me a little more time to write, but I will bring more soon. Lots of love! Nicole