A single day before Jake Peralta and Rosa Diaz are supposed to go to a hearing, Jake sits down in his and Amy's shared apartment and thinks about exactly what would happen if they actually go to jail.
His first thoughts are about his mother, and Amy Santiago. She had brought up the matter a bunch of times, but each time he reassures her that there was no way he would be convicted, because he doesn't want her to worry. Karen Peralta calls him a bunch of times, but each time he simply tells her the same thing - if he does go to jail, then she could make him cookies when he got back, and it would be his first snack out.
Jake is terrified.
No matter how much he deters from the topic, he himself can't stop thinking about it. And the only person who can share the experience is Rosa, but she'll probably go to jail and thrive. Not that he wants her to go to jail. But she was as tough as nails. Meanwhile, he can't even think about the idea of jail without his heart pounding.
Rosa arrives just a minute after he started spiralling. Obviously looking for him - because Amy is at the precinct, not at home. He opens the door, she begins to speak, then sees his face and frowns.
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong?' Jake repeats, laughing nervously. "Nothing's wrong, it's all cool, wouldn't you agree? Cool cool cool cool?"
Rosa doesn't come in, and Jake doesn't invite her to, because he knows she would decline anyway.
"Why are you here?" he murmurs, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to control his breathing.
"Amy called me and asked me to check up on you. Then I got a text from Terry, Charles, and Holt saying the same thing. Gina sent me a picture of your face with a Snapchat filter. You were vomiting."
Jake could say anything, he could tease her about caring (but then he might die), he could just nod and say thanks, he could say she didn't have to do it, but instead he says, "You have Snapchat? Girlfriend." He grins, dragging it out. "I gotta add you!"
Rosa gives him a deadpan look, and then for a few seconds there is just awkward silence. Well, it's awkward for him. She looks pretty darn comfortable, standing in front of him like a boss in her leather jacket. Wait - who will that jacket go to when they go to jail?
If they go to jail. To quote Hercules, 'If is good.'
"Rosa," Jake says quietly, because even if she isn't scared, or isn't thinking about it, he is. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just him. But knowing that he had fought to get her in Hawkins' task force, and if he had just been selfish and taken it himself, she wouldn't be here; the thought lost him quite a few hours of sleep. "If we...y'know, go to jail and all that jazz -" he did jazz hands to make it jazzier - "I hope that -"
"Anyone tries hurting you, I'll break their bones," Rosa says calmly, but he swears he sees her fist clench, and suddenly Jake Peralta is speechless.
"Oh."
He doesn't even ask her how exactly she would know if he got hurt, or how she'd break anyone's bones, because their genders would put them in different sections and she'd get in trouble for hurting anyone. She was Rosa Diaz. She can do anything.
She straightens and looks him in the eye. "It doesn't matter, though, because we're not going to jail. You and me are going to get a beer after the case and drink in silence." Her jaw clenches a little, and Jake wonders just how exactly she's dealing with this. "And the squad is gonna be there, and you and Amy will be making heart eyes or something while Charles tells me some fun celebratory snacks to try and Gina tells us that she doesn't really care where we go as long as we buy her autobiography when it comes out. Terry's gonna invite Sharon and the twins and they're all gonna claim we're part of their big family. Holt will make another damn speech about how much he...loves us but only his eyes will actually show it. All like a big disgusting family." Her look hardens into a glare. "Get it? That's what's gonna happen, Peralta, so don't you think otherwise. Go back to being the dumb idiot that wouldn't leave me alone at the Academy and stop worrying."
And Jake wants so badly to maybe hug her in comfort - Amy lets him hug her when she's at home but she's not always at home - but he refrains, wanting to keep his arms. He merely smiles, and nods, forming a smirk.
"You totally loved me the minute I sat down next to you and introduced myself. You probably thought I was the coolest person you had ever seen."
"No, I thought that I shouldn't be so proud of myself for getting into the Academy if they were just letting anyone in."
Jake pouts. Rosa snickers. He likes it when she laughs and he likes that he's responsible for making her laugh a lot of the time.
They stay there until the smiles wear off (which does take a little less than a minute, and that's a win). Rosa clears her throat, and claps Jake on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."
"Noice." He can't help but give her an obnoxious grin. "Can't wait to see your stupid courtroom clothes."
As Rosa leaves, her words ring in his head. And he thinks about what she said - that image that she painted so vividly in his mind. All of them at the bar. Still with Amy. Silent drinking. Everyone being everyone. And he smiles. Without even knowing it, Rosa Diaz got him through the spiral.
And he knows that tomorrow he won't be behind bars, he'll be with her - and the rest of his family.
Tried my hand at writing B99. Because I love Jake and Rosa's relationship. I really do hope they get to somehow look out for each other in jail. Review and tell me what you think of the story!