Sylvie had made it the entire two weeks without any major hiccups and they were going to deliver the baby first thing in the morning. The whole family was a nervous wreck. Gabby had taken furlough and moved in with Antonio and Sylvie to watch over Sylvie 24/7, Antonio had told her she really didn't need to but in truth they both felt better knowing a paramedic was in charge of her care. Gabby was actually sleeping in bed with Sylvie at night and Antonio moved to the floor on Sylvie's side of the bed, he just needed to be close to her.
"I bet Matt will be glad to have his wife back tomorrow but I'm sure going to miss having a wife to do everything for me" Sylvie joked.
"Ha, Ha, Ha, you're so funny Brett" Gabby teased back. " I need to take a shower, you think you can stay alive for 10 minutes?" Sylvie waved her off.
Sylvie sat there for about five minutes trying to will herself to get up to put her plate in the sink; she had just stood up when she heard a knock at the door. She took her oxygen off and set it to the side. She opened the door to find Laura standing on the other side.
Laura gave her a disgusted look and pushed her way inside, "What are you doing here? Where is Antonio?" It looked like bitchy Laura was out to play. "Umm…I live here, what do you need Laura?" Sylvie was not in the mood for this. "Since when? The kids haven't said anything" Sylvie sighed, "Maybe cause it's none of your business, now can you please leave, I'll tell Tonio you stopped by." Sylvie really needed to sit down.
Laura moved further into the apartment towards the kitchen "Come on Laura, I'm not in the mood for this right now, can you please leave?" Laura chuckled "You want me to leave my kids home?" Sylvie let out a giant sigh and moved toward the dining room to try to put at least a chair between her and Laura.
"Look I don't feel good, the kids aren't here and it's Thursday, Tonio is obliviously at work so can you please leave?" Laura moved to stand right in front of Sylvie and got in her face "My kids live here so everything that happens here is my business, this my family you're playing house with just remember that."
Sylvie went to step around Laura to get away from her when Laura tripped her and she fell face first into the floor, her face hitting the coffee table on the way down. Gabby had just walked into the room and witnessed the whole thing; she ran to Sylvie and rolled her over.
"I'm okay, I'm okay, really" Sylvie was trying to convince Gabby. Laura gave a short snort, "She's fine, she barely fell."
Gabby stood up ready to attack "She's fucking pregnant you moron, she's having the baby tomorrow." Gabby was in her face pushing her up against the wall with her body. Laura looked at Sylvie's stomach and noticed she was wearing a big shirt that did a good job at hiding her stomach unless you knew, she wasn't very big but she could definitely tell she was pregnant. Laura's face got a look of horror, "Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't know" she was trying to apologize knowing that she was in serious trouble.
Gabby was already on the phone with Antonio. "You need to get home now, Laura's here, I'm not letting her leave…she tripped Sylvie and she fell face first into the floor hard…yeah I think she's okay…Sylvie check your vitals and put your oxygen back on…yeah uh huh…yeah…no send a squad car over too…okay, hurry."
Laura tried to push her way past Gabby but being a trained firefighter and boxer made Gabby a lot stronger than she appeared. "Let me go" she was begging, knowing she was about to be arrested.
"No, your crazy ass is going to sit right there in that chair and not move while I go and check on Sylvie and if you try to move, I will break your leg." She gave Laura a 'I'm not fucking playing' look and Laura set down.
Sylvie was slightly tachycardic but that was normal for her anymore, otherwise she appeared fine just a big mark on her cheek, that was going to leave a nasty bruise where she hit the leg of the coffee table.
"I told you I'm okay and the baby is okay, she's moving." Antonio barreled through the door, he must have been close Gabby thought. Gabby bolted up to block him, she knew he would never hit Laura but she still wanted to be between them.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you fucking insane?" he was screaming, fighting to get past Gabby. "Antonio, Antonio, listen to me, look over at Sylvie" he was pissed, Gabby was trying to push his head toward Sylvie as he was staring Laura down; he finally glanced at her and relaxed a little. "Calm down, don't look at Laura don't even talk to her, focus on Sylvie." Gabby knew she needed to get him calmed down.
Patrol walked in several minutes behind Antonio and asked what had happened, Antonio flashed his badge and explained he was Intelligence and this was his house.
Sylvie and Gabby explained what happened to the officers and Laura shockingly backed up their story but kept apologizing saying she wouldn't have done it if had known she was pregnant, that they should have told her. They handcuffed Laura and led her out of the apartment with directions to take her down to the 21st and give her to Platt.
Antonio set on the coffee table across from Sylvie and touched the new bruise on her face, "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was coming over. She's only been here once since I moved in." he kissed her on the forehead. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need something?" she shook her head "it's not your fault, don't blame yourself, I'm fine."
She leaned forward to hug him; he put his arms around her neck and pulled her head up so they were forehead to forehead. He whispered, "I don't deserve you".
Sylvie looked him in the eye and whispered, "You deserve everything" and leaned in and placed a simple kiss on his lips.
Gabby had been watching but felt like she was intruding on a private moment and went to the bedroom.
As soon as he knew Sylvie was situated and she was fine he headed back toward District. He stormed through the front doors and straight up to the bullpen, knocking into several officers that were in his way. Everyone in the building knew something had happened but no one was brave enough to ask fearing the wrath of Detective Dawson.
He stormed straight into Voight's office and slammed the door. "Watch it Bro, don't break the glass" Antonio ignored Voight, he started pacing back and forth. "Have I told you before that my ex-wife is certifiable?" Voight just stared at him knowing he needed to vent.
"She tripped Sylvie, she has a big bruise on her face but she's fine, who the fuck trips a woman who is nine months pregnant? I just don't fucking get it, she shows no interest in the kids for months and all of a sudden she is at the door, the day before my daughter is supposed to be born and she is attacking Sylvie. What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can't fucking reason with her. I can't kill her. Tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?" He looked at Voight and threw his hands up in the air.
"She's downstairs right now in holding, I really want to go down there and wring her fucking neck. Why can't she just leave us the fuck alone, the kids are happy, hell I'm happy but NO she can't stand that, she has to show up and try to spread her particular brand of crazy all around and try to make everyone miserable in the process." Antonio was yelling and everyone in the bullpen could hear. That group had never been so quiet before, they were stunned at the revelations that were coming out of Antonio's mouth.
Kim got up from her desk and walked towards Voight's office. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Adam warned from his desk. She gave him a look and knocked on the door. "Come in Burgess, shut the door" Voight instructed her. The others all looked at each other.
"Here boss, it's signed by the judge all good to go" Kim handed the packet over to Voight and turned and looked at Antonio "I'm so sorry, if you need anything I'm here for you." Squeezing his shoulder. She turned to open the door and Antonio grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug, he had never actually initiated any of their hugs and it took her off guard. "Thanks for being my partner" he released her and she nodded at him and left out the door.
Voight handed the packet over to Antonio, "Here I think this might be what you need, it's already taken care of thanks to Burgess, she worked fast on it, and we both called in a few favors." Antonio opened it and started to flip through. He looked at Voight amazed "How did you get this so fast?" he just kept flipping back through.
"I told you anything you needed I would make it happen." Antonio was staring down at a restraining order that was good for two years for himself, Sylvie, the baby, and Eva against Laura. Plus there was a new custody agreement giving him sole legal and physical custody of Diego with supervised visits for Laura twice a month but only if Diego wanted to. A weight was lifted off his shoulders knowing that Sylvie wouldn't have to deal with Laura anytime soon.
"Thanks Hank, I don't know how to thank you" Voight scoffed "I never asked you to… you're family"
He left Voight's office papers in hand and went straight to Kim's desk and pulled her up into another hug. Voight had stuck Kim on it as soon as Laura was brought in and he was debriefed on what had happened. "You're the best partner I've ever had" he said out loud he knew the entire unit could hear, he just didn't care, they needed to know she was his favorite. "You too, Tonio" she responded.
Antonio decided to make his way down to holding. He found Laura in a cell.
As soon as she saw him she jumped up to plead her case, "I'm sorry Antonio, I didn't know she was pregnant I swear."
He stepped close to the bars, "Shut up Laura, I've been letting you do whatever you want for years, just so YOU wouldn't get hurt, when the entire time you have been hurting me, the kids, Sylvie, everyone. It stops today, I've moved on, I'm happy, the kids are happy, they will have a new sister tomorrow, they adore Sylvie, she treats them with respect, and includes them in our lives, something you stop doing every time you find a new boyfriend. I also have a restraining order prohibiting you from contacting any of us. And a new custody agreement for Diego, the judge gave me sole legal and physical, you get two supervised visits a month but only if Diego wants to see you." He was holding the paperwork up.
"You can't do that" she was crying. Antonio started screaming, not caring who could hear, "Can't?! Can't?!, No, I can and I did! Laura it's done, the judge signed it."
He shoved his finger in her face "You came into my house, Sylvie's house and picked a fight with my wife who is nine months pregnant and so sick she can barely breath or stand most days, she's on an oxygen machine and Gabby has moved in to babysit her because it's too dangerous for her to be alone at all. She is literally risking her life for our child, so much so that they are taking the baby a month early because they think she will die if she's pregnant any longer."
Antonio felt like his whole body was going to explode. "And you attacked her, someone who is unable to defend herself right now, and you hurt her. She has a giant bruise on her face, and you could have hurt the baby, why, because of some jealousy bullshit you created." He backed up a little and crossed his arms on his chest. "Sylvie doesn't even want to press charges, made me promise you won't get in trouble" he laughed at the absurdity of not pressing charges, "I told her she needed to, but she says you're Eva and Diego's mom and she thinks you deserve respect for that roll, because that's the type of person she is, she cares about you because you are their mom and she loves them!" He was pretty sure the entire district could hear him screaming, so much for his personal life being private.
Laura went silent for a minute "Wife?" Antonio sighed "Yes, wife." He didn't elaborate.
"Look Laura" he said exasperated, his anger starting to dissipate, "I don't want to hurt you, really it's the last thing I want to do, I fell in love with you when we were 16 years old, I will always love you on some level because you're the mother of my children but I'm not in love with you anymore, it's over and you're the one who ended it, I tried to work it out but you left, so you have no one to blame but yourself." He sighed he was trying not cry from the frustration; he wished he had something he could hit right then.
"I would say I'm sorry I fell in love with someone else but I'm not, she is the best person I have ever met and she is also the mother of my child. I'm sorry you can't find happiness and you can't move on but you need to find a way or the kids are always going to suffer and we will keep doing this stupid little dance forever." She nodded her head at him.
"Antonio, can I ask you a question, please?" she asked pleadingly through tears. He motioned for her to ask. "Are the kids excited for their sister?" He nodded his head. "Very" he sighed, he needed out of there.
"Can I ask one more?" He motioned her again. "What is her name?" He sighed hoping he wouldn't regret this "Sophia Louise Dawson" he turned to leave, exhausted from the conversation.
"Hold on Tony" he turned to face her again "I'm really am sorry, you have to know I would have never intentionally hurt a baby or a child, especially your child, Diego and Eva's sister" he turned to leave again not wanting to face her any longer, "I know you wouldn't, I know you're not a horrible person and I believe you when you say you didn't know, and that you wouldn't have put your hands on her if you had known but I'm done Laura, I can't do this anymore" he walked quickly up the stairs.
Antonio dragged himself all the way back up to the bullpen and sat at his desk across from Kim. He was exhausted. Kim gave him a sympathetic look; "I'm fine." He sounded drained.
"Yeah, okay tough guy and just in case you're lying, if you need to talk I'm here to listen." He just stared at her, he knew she meant it, she had his back no questions asked, he could murder someone and she was the person he would call to get rid of the body, he trusted her explicitly. She's one of the kindest and fiercest women he knows and she has morals that match his, they truly were meant to be partners. "Thanks" he mouthed at her and she nodded her head and went back to her work.
He wasn't going to get any work done and after today, he was out for eight weeks, he had taken paternity leave so he could take care of Sylvie and the baby. They had already been told the baby would probably be in the NICU for two or three weeks depending on complications that presented when she was born, her lungs being the biggest concern.
His mind started to wander. The day after the doctors scheduled the C-section two weeks ago, Sylvie was terrified and so was he, "What if something happens to me? You can't take care of a newborn and work." Antonio didn't like where this conversation was going.
"Nothing is going to happen, I promise, that's the whole point of the C-section." She was crying and he didn't know what to do. "What if she never gets to meet me? She could grow up without a mom!" he pulled her into a hug and just held her on the couch, he didn't know what to say, it was a real possibility the doctors had confirmed it. He just continued to stroke her hair and draw circles on her back trying to comfort her.
"She may never have the chance to have the same last name as me, oh god, if something happens to me you'll have to fight for custody of your own daughter." He remained quiet thoughts racing through his head. "We can fix the name part" she pulled her head back to look at him. She nodded her head; she understood what he was saying. Sylvie went to go take a shower while he took out his phone and called Gabby and Severide. He never even proposed, never asked the question he just implied it and within three hours they were married. The only people who were present were the kids and Gabby and Severide as witnesses. They didn't even have rings; they agreed they would save that for a later time.
Adam dropped a file on his desk and brought him out of his thoughts "What the hell man?" it startled him "Sorry brother it was louder than I thought, can you look it over it real quick?" He grabbed the file and opened it, not really in the mood to do any work. He thumbed through it and got up to give it back to Adam and then walked back to the vending machines, he needed caffeine.
Adam approached him, "I know you've had it rough lately and you're off in your own little world, and I get that completely but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, always, you're my brother, I'll always have your back. If you need to let off some steam I'm willing to spar with you and let you beat the crap out of me too. I guess what I'm trying to say is I love you, brother." Adam was squeezing Antonio's shoulder and Antonio went in for a hug and started crying, he finally broke. Adam looked around to make sure no one was around and dragged him over to the locker room and locked the door behind him. He sat Antonio on a bench and just let him cry into his shoulder as he was crouched down in front of him.
Adam didn't say a word, didn't try to comfort him he just let him cry for a solid five minutes. When he stopped he still clung to Adam his arms wrapped around his neck like he was hanging on for dear life. Adam didn't attempt to move he just set completely still waiting for Antonio to make the first move, he knew he was in uncharted territory with Antonio and didn't want to spook him, he knew he needed this. Antonio pulled back away from him and wiped his face with is palms. "I might lose her, I can't lose her, it will destroy me," he said softly. Adam just kept looking at him.
"It's all so fucked up, how does a person like Sylvie end up with these problems, we go after the scum of Chicago everyday and they are perfectly fine, it doesn't make any fucking sense you know. I haven't slept in months, she stops breathing in the night, it scares the shit out of me, do you know what it's like to hear someone you love stop breathing? Its pure panic, that's my mind set ninety-five percent of the time anymore, pure panic." He stopped and just stared at Adam for a minute. "We got married last week and not because it was a happy joyous occasion, no it was because we were scared, we haven't even told anyone yet, she's was terrified Sophia will never get to meet her and that they will never have the same last name, and that I would have to fight for Sophia if something happened to her."
Adam moved to set on the bench opposite Antonio. "I'm sorry man, I wish I knew what to say to make it better but I don't think there is anything. I do wanna say Congrats though, cause you got married and that is a happy joyous occasion, no matter the circumstances you're in. I just wish that tomorrow could be here so you can finally breathe and relax when everything is okay."
Antonio had never confided in Adam before, he was the goofy, rowdy teenager of the group and Antonio usually felt like he was parenting Adam trying to calm him down and make sure he doesn't get himself killed. He's a hot head and likes to jump the gun and really has no respect for rules, he is one hundred percent Voight's protégé. But under it all he was a genuine person who really cares deeply for everyone on their team, he would take a bullet for any of them and Kim loved him, so there had to be something good there.
"Thanks for letting me…umm…you know" Antonio gestured to Adams shoulder. "No problem, you needed to, it's okay." Adam stood up to leave and Antonio followed pulling Adam in for a hug, "I love you too brother."