Chapter Thirty: Space Between

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Feel the void in our bed
The space between is deafening
Oh, we don't bend or break it
The space between is deafening

Sia – Space Between

The interior of the car was stifling, both Antonio and Jay had been sitting inside of it for over two hours now and the atmosphere was beyond tense. It wasn't him, he was happy with life, those waves of agitation were rolling off Antonio like a tsunami. For the umpteenth time Jay watched the other man glance at the screen on his phone before returning it to it's place on the dashboard and sighing heavily. He'd seen this behavior before, when Laura hadn't been playing ball before the divorce papers were signed. However he knew for a fact that things were running smoothly on that front. Laura had met Antonio at the station a few nights ago to drop the kids off and he had never seen his fellow detective smile as much as he had that night.

"Are you ok man?" Jay asked his friend, his elbow resting on the crux of the window frame as he reviewed Antonio who ran his fingers through his dark gelled hair in response to the question. "That's like the millionth time you've checked you've checked your phone since we got into this car."

Antonio's hands were resting on the steering wheel, Jay watched as he clenched it, his knuckles turning white as his grip tightened.

"Maggie is dodging my calls." Antonio admitted with an air of aggravation to his voice.

"What did you do?" Jay asked, twisting in his seat so he could face his partner.

Antonio removed his phone from the steering column before unlocking it and bringing up the message center. He took a few seconds to pull up one of the most recent messages to Maggie before handing the phone off to Jay. The other man jerked his head towards Antonio with an incredulous expression on his face.

"You were stepping out on her?" Jay questioned, his voice betraying his disbelief.

"Come on man." Antonio snapped, snatching his phone back away from Jay setting it back on the steering column. Jay rose his hands in mock surrender.

"So if you didn't send the text who did?" Jay questioned, his analytical mind puzzling over the pieces.

"I work security for a diamond broker, his wife did not take kindly to me turning her down. I left my phone at the bar, she must of typed this when I wasn't looking." Antonio told his friend, jamming both of his hands into his hair this time. "By the time I figure out what's going on Maggie is unresponsive. She's not taking my calls or returning my texts."

"It's pretty obviously it's not you though." Jay submitted before pointing accusingly at the phone. "Since when have you ever used the word amazing?"

"I'm guessing in Maggie's head it's not that simple." Antonio told his friend, that frustration whipping up inside of him at the current situation. "On the surface she's all gunpowder and lead but underneath she's still very vulnerable. All that stuff she dealt with being undercover doesn't just go away when you step out of that role, it sticks with you. It makes it hard to trust."

"Even you?" Jay pointed out. "The man who has basically been by her side the whole entire time."

Antonio shrugged his shoulders at Jay's implications. He had thought that Maggie and himself were more solid than this, that something so stupid wouldn't knock them for six. However life didn't always work that way, Maggie was still putting the pieces of herself back together, she was still readjusting. The ground wasn't steady for her yet, he knew she would still be waiting for the other shoe to drop and in her eyes it just had.

"Apparently even me." Antonio said, his fingers tapping out a familiar rhythm on the steering wheel again.

"But Antonio you were amazing..." Jay responded sporting a huge grin as Antonio turned to stare at him.

"You are such a dick." Antonio told him, that familiar smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Am I?" Jay inquired innocently before busying himself on his own phone tapping out a message before hitting send. "Or was I just amazing?"

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Antonio Dawson: Maggie, come on pick up the phone.

Antonio Dawson: Maggie, you know I would never betray you like that.

Antonio Dawson: Come on Maggie, we need to talk about this.

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Jay Halstead: Maggie, you've got to quit ignoring his calls. You know he didn't send that text.

Maggie O'Neill: It's none of your business Jay.

Jay Halstead: She speaks! I'm serious though, you know he didn't do this.

Maggie O'Neill: Leave. It. Alone.

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Hank Voight: Something going down between Antonio and Maggie? He's been acting like someone pissed in his cereal.

Alvin Olinsky: Don't know. I can find out.

Hank Voight: Leave it for now but if it gets any worse intervene.

Alvin Olinsky: I'll keep an eye on it.

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Kayla Sharpe: Have you spoken to him yet?

Maggie O'Neill: Nope.

Kayla Sharpe: Are you going to?

Maggie O'Neill: Kayla, I am working right now.

Kayla Sharpe: No you're not, I can see you sitting on that bench drinking coffee.

Maggie O'Neill: Are you stalking me?

Kayla Sharpe: Look up, next to the fountain.

Maggie O'Neill: You are so creepy! Stop hanging out of the Ambo window and staring at me.

Kayla Sharpe: Can't I be concerned about my friend?

Maggie O'Neill: OMG! Stop honking the horn!

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