My little shipper heart is pretty happy right now! Yes to steamy car sex! Ha. I hope it doesn't all go horribly wrong next episode! But if it does, this fic is a refuge from Derek Haas and TPTB breaking our hearts on a regular basis. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 19

"Diego!"

Eva shut the door with a bang and yelled for her brother.

"Hey!" Antonio said, looking up from his dinner plate. "Keep it down will you, you'll wake your brothers."

Diego paused, a forkful of pasta half way to his mouth. He looked at his sister in surprise. "What?"

Eva was clearly worked up about something, she was scowling at the screen of her phone. "Did Mom call you?"

Diego shrugged. "I don't know. My phone's upstairs."

"What's going on Eva?" Antonio turned to his daughter who was standing in the doorway looking cross. "Come and sit down."

Eva obeyed, pulling out a chair next to her father and across from Sylvie. She planted her elbows on the dining table and took a deep breath. "Mom just called me when I was on the bus. Her and Richard are getting married."

Diego began choking on his soda. "What?"

"Right? They've been dating for a minute, I don't know what she's thinking. If she expects me to be happy about this, she's in for a shock. I mean, of all the guys in Denver she had to pick this one?"

All the time Eva was ranting, Antonio was trying to collect his thoughts and figure out the best way to calm down his daughter, while trying to stay calm himself. "Sweetie, if he makes her happy…"

"You haven't met him."

"No, I haven't. But your mother should be allowed to move on with her life. I have." Antonio looked up and smiled warmly at his wife sitting across the table. He turned back to his daughter. "You know, you weren't so keen on the idea of me and Sylvie together at the beginning either."

Eva took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "That was different. That was just me being a stubborn kid, it was never about Sylvie." She looked up at Sylvie who had so far kept quiet and offered her an apologetic smile. "You're a nice person. Richard's…" She never said what she thought of Richard, she just let out a frustrated yell and slumped forward with her head on the table.

Antonio and Diego shared a look. Antonio could imagine what Eva wanted to say from the things her and Diego had told him about their Mom's boyfriend. He sounded like a typical corporate suit, though Antonio couldn't recall what job he actually did. He wasn't exactly pre-disposed to liking the guy himself anyway.

Eva looked up. "She's only attracted to him for his money."

"Eva, be fair."

"Well, I'm not going to the wedding." She sat back in her chair with her arms folded defiantly.

Antonio wanted to tell her off, wanted to tell her she had to go. Whatever he thought of Laura, however their marriage had ended, she was the mother of his children and he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't still care about her on some level. He would have been devastated if Eva or Diego had told him they didn't want to be at his wedding to Sylvie. But he also knew his daughter too well to fight her on this when she was this worked up. She would come around eventually, however reluctantly.

"Have they set a date yet?" Diego asked cautiously.

"I have no idea. I didn't stay on the phone long enough to find out."

"What did you say to your Mom?" Antonio asked.

"I… told her I hoped she was joking. I'd have a few more things to say now if I wasn't too mad to speak to her."

"Enough now Eva" Antonio said. "Come on, have something to eat."

Eva shook her head. "No thank you." She deflated and covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry. I was having such a good day too."

Sylvie had been eating her food and watching her family quietly. She felt as though anything to do with Laura was outside of her domain, and left all matters related to her for Antonio to manage. But she saw the look in Antonio's eyes when Eva had delivered the news, and knew that it must be affecting him. She'd ask him about it later when they were alone. Now wasn't the time.

Antonio looked at his daughter with sympathy. "Wait a few days before calling your mother back" he advised. "Take some time to calm down, don't say anything you might regret."

"Don't worry" Eva said, "at the moment the last thing I want to do is talk to Mom."

They sat quietly after this. There was a palpable tension in the air, Antonio and Eva were each afraid to say anything that might anger or upset the other. Diego eyed his father and sister wearily, not wanting to be caught in the middle of anything. Sylvie watched them all feeling vaguely like this matter was none of her business.

Eventually, tired of the tense silence, Antonio brought matters back to the mundanity of family scheduling. "Listen, can one of you look after the twins for a couple of hours tomorrow after school? Sylvie has an appointment and I'm at work." He looked hopefully at Diego and Eva.

"I have to study, Dad" Eva said. "Sorry."

"I can take them to the stables with me and Liv" Diego offered. "If I can get some cab money?" He sounded relieved that the conversation had turned back to something more normal.

"You can't take the bus?"

"With Matty and Gabe? No way. Not unless you want me to lose them on public transport."

"Fine" Antonio said. "I knew there would be a catch."

"Trust me, the minute I turn 16 I'm getting my license, then you won't have to worry."

"I'll be worried" Antonio said. "But for very different reasons."

Sylvie pulled the bed covers up to her chin and rolled over to face Antonio. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling with a distant look on his face. Sylvie moved closer to him and laid her hand on his chest. Her touch pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned to face her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

They were silent for a moment before Sylvie spoke. "Talk to me Antonio."

He shrugged. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Sylvie knew he'd be reluctant to discuss his feelings. He had opened up to her so much in the years since they'd first got together, he wasn't the same closed off guy she first met. But there were certain topics he didn't like to talk about. His ex-wife was one. "Come on, I know the news of Laura getting married affected you more than you're letting on."

Antonio sighed. He never wanted to hurt Sylvie's feelings, and admitting that he was affected by this might do that. But the look she was giving him told him that she wasn't going to let this go.

"It's okay" Sylvie coaxed. "You were together a long time and shared so much, you wouldn't be human if you weren't affected."

Antonio hugged Sylvie tighter. What had he done to deserve such an understanding woman? "I honestly don't know how I feel" Antonio said, and Sylvie believed him. "I know that I love you. And I don't regret anything. How can I when I have you, and three more children? Or almost three…" He winked, but grew thoughtful again. "I think I'm happy that Laura's moved on." Antonio turned so he could see Sylvie's face. "But I don't want to think about the past right now, I'm too excited for the future."

Sylvie smiled even as he kissed her. She knew he was done talking about his feelings for tonight. She had learned that Antonio never disclosed everything all at one. She would have to be patient, but for now she was happy to let it go. "Oh yeah?"

"Of course. Watching the twins grow up, meeting little Ranger in there." Antonio hands made their way down to Sylvie's belly and he ran his palm over her smooth and ever-expanding little bump. His touch still gave her chills.

"That nickname's gonna stick, huh?"

"Well" Antonio replied. "I can't use a pronoun. You're the one who didn't want to find out the gender."

"Fair point."

He grinned at her and moved her attention down to her stomach. "What's up?" he said to the bump and Sylvie laughed. There was something incredibly charming about her husband, the big tough police detective, talking to a baby that was no bigger than a mango. Sylvie felt a flutter in her stomach and smiled to herself. She reached down and ran her fingers through Antonio's hair.

"What?" He looked up. "Too lame?"

"No, I love it. I just felt the baby move when you spoke to it, that's all."

"I didn't feel anything."

"You wouldn't, not yet. But it's in there wriggling around, trust me." Sylvie couldn't wait for Antonio to feel their new baby move but she kind of enjoyed having this special thing all to herself for a little while.

"I'm sure I could feel the twins kicking by now" Antonio said.

"They were probably kicking each other."

"Not much has changed."

Sylvie lay back and looked up at Antonio, who was propped up on one elbow. She enjoyed these simple moments with her husband, shutting out the world outside, but knew something needed to be done. "Do you want me to talk to Eva?" she asked. After all these years Sylvie still felt a little like any problems to do with Antonio's two oldest kids were not her place to try and fix. Not because she didn't want to help or didn't care, but because she worried about stepping on Laura's toes. But she felt as though she knew her step-daughter well enough by now to have a shot at getting through to her.

"Do you think it will help?"

Sylvie still found it strange when Antonio asked her opinion about his kids, but she realised how stupid that sounded. She had been in their lives for over five years, and under the same roof for almost as long. "I think it can't hurt."

Sylvie knocked on the classroom door and waved through the glass window. She gingerly pushed the door open when Gabby looked up from the papers on her desk and beckoned Sylvie in.

"Good morning. How's it going?"

Gabby looked helplessly at the mess on the desk. "I don't even know where to start."

"Have they let you lose on with the candidates yet?"

"Almost. I'm still being supervised, but I'm getting there."

Sylvie smiled at her sister in law. "You'll do great, I know it."

Gabby dropped a file of papers onto the cluttered desk. "I need a distraction and your timing is perfect. What are you doing here anyway?"

Sylvie pulled out a chair and sat down. "I needed to drop off some paperwork for my maternity leave. Have you got time for a coffee? Or, you know, non-caffeinated tea."

Gabby pondered the pile of prep she needed to complete before this afternoon for a moment but put down her pen decisively and stood up. "Yes. Please."

They grabbed their drinks from a coffee cart down the street and sat down on a bench. "Have you spoken to Antonio or the kids this morning?"

Gabby took the top off her latte and stirred in a Sweet'n'Low. "No… Should I?"

"Laura's getting married."

Gabby made a face. "Jeez… How's Antonio?"

"Hard to tell. He seems OK. Diego too, I think."

"Let me guess. Eva did not take it well."

"Bingo." Sylvie took a sip of her drink. "I need your advice Gabby. I told Antonio I'd try and talk to Eva, but I'm having second thoughts. Is it a good idea? I feel as though it's not really my business, I could make things worse."

Gabby put her hand on Sylvie's shoulder. "What do you mean none of your business?"

Sylvie shrugged. "I suppose I feel like I'm overstepping. I've always let Antonio take the reins regarding anything to do with Laura."

"Sylvie, you've been in Eva and Diego's lives for five years now. You're a parent to them too."

"I guess" Sylvie said, but she didn't sound sure.

"I think it's a good idea to talk to Eva. Really."

Sylvie sighed, shaking her head as if to clear her mind. "So how is it being back at work really?"

"It's a bit of a shock. I miss Ruby. But I like it. So far." Gabby took another gulp of her coffee. "Hey, you should come teach a few classes before the baby comes" Seeing the sceptical look on Sylvie's face, Gabby laughed. "I'm serious, I think you'd make a good teacher. You have way more patience than I do at least."

Sylvie laughed. That was definitely true, but she didn't say it. "I don't think so. But thanks. To be honest, I'm looking forward to not working for a while. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Matty and Gabe while I still have the chance to give them my full attention. It will be hard when the baby comes."

"How are they dealing with the news of an impending baby sibling?"

"It's hard to tell" Sylvie said, her brow furrowing. "I'm not sure how much they understand to be honest. But there's still time to get them more used to the idea. I think it helps that they're twins actually. They're already used to having to share our time and attention. I'm pretty sure they think the baby's going to stay in here forever though." Sylvie rubbed her stomach gently. "Thank god they're wrong about that."

Sylvie was surprised the first time with the twins at how much she actually enjoyed being pregnant, despite the aches and pains and discomfort. And this time was easier, she knew what to expect and her life was far more settled, not to mention there was only one baby this time. She was able to relax and enjoy the moment more. But still, in a few months time she was sure she wouldn't be saying that.

"You really don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No."

"I bet Antonio's driving you crazy about that."

"Yes. He's started calling the baby Ranger. It's a long story. But that nickname will probably stick well into adolescence, whether it's a boy or a girl."

Gabby grinned. "I think it's kinda cute."

Sylvie pulled up at the front of the city library in the late afternoon just as Eva was walking down the front steps with a couple of her friends. Eva glanced up and spotted the car across the street. She paused what she was saying and seemed to take a deep breath, before saying goodbye to her friends and making her way towards Sylvie less than enthusiastically.

Sylvie wound down the window as she approached. "Hey" she said simply, testing the waters. She waited to Eva to reply.

"I'm glad it's you" Eva said. "I saw the car approach and thought I'd get an ear full from Dad."

"Yeah, well, your Dad's at work. And your brothers are elsewhere too. It's just you and me. I thought we could talk."

"Do I have a choice?" Eva asked. There was no petulance or hostility in her voice, she sounded resigned, like she already knew the answer.

"Not really."

"I was going to go for coffee with Ellie and Madison, we still have some work to do for finals."

"It can wait" Sylvie said, resolutely. "Hop in." This was new to her, being firm with Antonio's older children. Gabby's words from earlier were still ringing in her ears. She may not be related to Eva and Diego by blood, but she was still responsible for them and wanted them to be happy.

Eva opened the passenger side door and threw her backpack onto the back seat. "Can I still have coffee?"

For the second time that day Sylvie had to watch someone else enjoy a coffee that she desperately wanted but couldn't have. She pushed her caffeine craving aside and took a sip of her camomile tea. Eva was quiet, sullen. It wasn't like her. When she got mad she usually had a lot to say. This was new territory for Sylvie but she knew, for the sake of harmony in her home, she would have to suck it up and talk to Eva.

"Have you calmed down since last night?"

Eva had been staring out the window of the coffee shop but turned to Sylvie. "I guess."

"Are you really mad about your Mom's choice of guy, or is it something else?"

Eva thought for a moment. "Well, I don't like him very much, but I guess it's more about Mom. She's making all these impulsive decisions lately and it's out of character. She's only known the guy for a few months."

"If she loves him…"

"You sound like Dad."

Sylvie took a deep breath. Eva would not like what she was about to say. "You owe your Dad an apology Eva. Storming in the house last night and blurting it out like that. Your parents spent many years together and had a whole life, imagine how he felt hearing the news like that?"

Eva's brow furrowed. "But he married you, he moved on."

"It doesn't matter. It still hurts. Even if he won't admit it, I can tell it does."

"How do you feel about that?"

Sylvie wouldn't let Eva deflect the focus for long but she allowed her this one question. Not that Sylvie really knew the answer. "I know he loves me. But he loved your mother too once. Feelings like that don't just go away, no matter how complicated or illogical they might be."

Eva stared into her coffee, dejected. "I didn't think about that."

"No, you didn't. And Diego. He seemed fine, but you know what he's like, he probably wouldn't say even if he wasn't." Sylvie reached across the table and touched Eva's arm. "I think the three of you need to sit down and talk it out. Eva, you've only got a month of school left, and after the summer you're off to college. I don't want that time together as a family to be spoiled by having tension in the house."

Eva didn't say anything at first, she just smiled sadly. Sylvie relaxed. "I don't want that either" Eva said finally.

"You'll talk to your Dad?" Sylvie asked. Eva nodded wordlessly. That was good enough for her. "Come on" she said, "I have to pick up your brothers."

"Mommy, I groooooomed a horse!"

Sylvie ruffled Gabriel's hair and smiled at his elongated and careful pronunciation of the new word he'd learned. He ran up to her the minute he saw her and Eva walk into the stable yard and ran at them in his little wellington boots.

"Hi trouble" Eva said, lifting him up. Eva's mood had improved considerably on the drive over and brightened even more at the sight of her little brothers. Eva could be stubborn and headstrong, but at the same time passionate and caring. She was a good kid, Diego was too. Sylvie was glad she could help today, if only in a small way, but Antonio and Laura had done a wonderful job raising them both long before she had come along. She couldn't take any credit.

Diego was standing behind the fence of the parade ring watching Olivia guide her horse Kizzy over jumps. The look on Diego's face made Sylvie's heart melt. Ah, young love, she thought. It made her smile. Matty was sitting on top of the fence and Diego held him firmly to make sure he didn't fall.

"Hey." Sylvie greeted him.

"Mommy!"

Matty was just as happy to see her as Gabe had been. He reached for his mother and Sylvie hugged him. "Are you having fun?" Matty nodded vigorously.

Sylvie watched Olivia ride with grace and ease. "She's good" she said to Diego, and they both watched in silence for a while.

"Do you miss riding?" Diego asked.

"No. I like horses very much but the thought of sitting on one again… No thanks."

"Liv's always trying to get me to try it."

"You don't fancy it?"

Diego shook his head. "I'd rather watch her."

Olivia turned to trot back to where everyone was standing by the fence and waved. "Hi Mrs Dawson. Eva."

"Hi Olivia" Sylvie replied. No matter how many times she asked the girl to call her Sylvie she wouldn't. She was sweet and polite and always had a smile on her face, it was hard not to like her.

"Hey" Eva said. Gabe struggled in her arms, wanting to be put down and she lowered him to the floor.

"Can I have a go?" Gabe said, gazing up at his Mom. Sylvie raised an eyebrow.

"He asked to sit on the horse with me" Olivia said. "I wasn't sure, I thought we should ask you or Mr Dawson first."

Sylvie looked down at her son, envisioning hundreds of dollars spent on riding lessons if he got the taste for it, but his eager grin pushed aside her reluctance.

"There are kiddy helmets in the equipment room" Olivia said. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Alright" Sylvie said. "Do you want to try too?" she asked Matty. The little boy shook his head. Sylvie wasn't surprised. Of the two of them, Gabriel was by far the more adventurous and Matteo more cautious. "Go with Diego and find a helmet then" Sylvie said to Gabe, and Diego took his brother's hand and headed back towards the stables.

"How are you Mrs Dawson?" Olivia said, stroking her horse's mane.

"I'm great, thank you."

"And the baby?"

Sylvie smiled. "The baby is great too."

"Diego's so lucky to have so many siblings. I'm an only child and it kind of sucks. I always wanted a big family."

"Even after spending and afternoon with these two terrors? Wow." Olivia just grinned.

Gabe came running back up looking adorable in his little riding hat and Sylvie crouched down to make sure it was fastened securely. "Are you ready?" she said. He nodded. "Come on then."

When Antonio walked through the door from work that night, he was greeted with a hug from Eva. It caught him off guard, but it was nice. It reminded him of when she was a little girl and would launch herself into his arms every time he returned home at the end of the day.

"I'm sorry Dad" Eva said into his shoulder. "Blurting out Mom was getting married the way I did. It wasn't fair, you shouldn't have found out that way."

Antonio kissed the top of her head. "Thank you" he said. "It's ok."

Eve released her grip on his waist. "I'll talk to Mom tomorrow too. I'm sorry for being such a brat." Antonio smiled. He wasn't going to argue that point.

Sylvie watched the scene from the couch, and when Antonio caught her eye he mouthed 'thank you' and blew her a kiss. He didn't know what Sylvie had said to his daughter but it seemed to have worked and he was grateful.

"I'm making dinner" Eva said. "Lasagne. I hope you're hungry." She disappeared into the kitchen without another word.

Antonio took off his jacket and threw his door keys onto the table in the hallway. Sylvie appeared by his side and gave him a kiss. "Hello."

"Hey. Whatever you said to her, thank you."

"My pleasure. It was actually something Gabby said that made up my mind to try. I'm glad I did."

Antonio didn't ask what that was. It wasn't important. "And how are you? How's the little one?"

"Ranger's fine" Sylvie said, with a laugh. Antonio raised an eyebrow in surprise at her use of his nickname that she seemed to hate a day ago. "Well, I can't refer to our child as 'it' for the next five months, can I?"

Antonio laughed too. "Anything else to report? Work was tough, please tell me something to take my mind off it."

"Gabriel rode Olivia's horse with her" Sylvie said. "I took some pictures, I'll show you later. He had fun."

"Uh oh. That could prove to be an expensive hobby."

"That's exactly what I thought. But I think we're safe, he'll be into something else next week." Sylvie stroked Antonio's face. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about work?" He shook his head. "Do you want to talk about Laura?"

Antonio sighed. "Later. I promise. But now I just want to spend an evening with you and the kids." He kissed Sylvie again, and tried to convey in that kiss that he really was fine. He took both her hands and gave them a squeeze. "Come on, I want to hear all about how my sister's getting on as a teacher!"