The scent of lilac wafted through the air as bubbles shifted in the tub. She brought a wine glass to her lips and placed her other hand on the outside wall of the tub. Warm water rushed from the faucet, reflecting the candlelight across the dimly lit bathroom. After taking a sip, Letty closed her eyes and rested her head on the edge of the bath before balancing her glass on the rim. Allowing herself this quiet moment, she smiled. The jets massaged her body as she relaxed in her bath, something she had taken to doing almost daily. It was one of the many luxuries that came with having your shit together.

Footsteps from down the hall cut through the white noise, pulling Letty from her trance. The sound grew to thumps and there was a knock on the door.

"Mom, Javier says to come down for dinner!" she heard Jacob say from just outside.

"Be right out," she said.

Letty placed the almost-empty wine glass beside the tub, careful not to spill it on the plush rug that covered the bathroom tile. Jacob thudded away. She opened the drain and stepped onto the rug, then grabbed a towel from the rack. Wrapping it around her torso, she wiped the fog from the mirror.

Letty's cheeks were flush with color, and she pulled the clip from her hair. It had gotten long - maybe an inch or two longer than when they had left North Carolina. She ran a hand through the tousled mess, blew out the candles, and headed to the bedroom to change.

From the top of the steps she could smell the herbs and spices steaming from the kitchen. She rushed down to find Jacob putting the finishing touches on the table setting. He placed a steak knife over a tightly folded napkin and took his seat at the long end of the table, facing the kitchen island. On the other side of the granite cabinets, Javier stood facing the window. He sprinkled a bit of salt on top of the meat and sliced it into thick chunks. Letty walked past the table and around the island until she was behind him, then wrapped her arms around him, sliding her hands into the pocket of his apron.

"Smells amazing," she whispered after placing a kiss to his neck.

Javier placed the knife on the counter beside the sink and turned to face her.

"So do you," he said with a smile. He brought a hand up to caress her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Time to eat."

Letty followed him to the table and took her usual seat, across from Javier's. He placed a slice of pork on each of their plates and drizzled sauce over each of their meals, then sat.

Jacob grabbed his fork and knife and began cutting when Letty placed her hand on his wrist.

"What do you say?"

"Sorry, I'm so hungry I almost forgot. Thank you, Javier," the boy said before continuing to slice his dinner.

Javier smiled while he placed a napkin over his lap. "You're welcome, Jacob."

Letty smirked as their eyes met and she nodded her thanks. She added some extra vegetables to her plate and grabbed the bottle of wine that sat in the center of the table.

"What's this?" she asked, as she uncorked the bottle and sniffed the brim. The deep red wine smelled of rich plum and violet. She poured herself a drop.

"Try it," he said and she complied.

Letty hummed and nodded before pouring herself a full glass.

"It's Malbec." Javier took a sip from his glass and continued eating.

"It's good," Letty said, as if pouring a full glass wasn't indication enough. She glanced over at her son to see an almost clear plate. He stuffed the last piece of pork in his mouth before chugging his glass of water. She swore he was going to choke one day if he didn't start chewing before swallowing.

After dinner, the adults talked in the kitchen while Jacob watched an episode of some cartoon she had never cared for. The television could be heard from all the way in the kitchen, and Letty could see the top of her son's head as he sat facing the other way on the couch. The dishes from dinner sat rinsed in the sink, and the only pieces left from the meal were their two half-full wine glasses on the countertop.

Letty leaned her hip against the cabinets, her legs crossed at the ankles, looking over her shoulder. With her eyes fixated on the couch in the living room, she didn't notice Javier as he slid beside her.

"How was work?" he asked, innocently.

She turned back to him and flashed him her fake smile. "Just wonderful. I absolutely love working for a bunch of assholes who don't respect me. And the best part? Getting handed my two dollar tip. Really makes my shift my favorite part of the day."

Javier raised an eyebrow at her. Her smile fell and she looked out of the window over the sink.

"I'm sorry you did not enjoy it. You'll find something you like, soon enough," he reassured her.

"I did find what I'm good at a long time ago," she said.

"Besides stealing."

Letty stepped over to the sink and began scrubbing dishes. Working at the diner sucked, but it was enough to pay for her new car. The pre-owned Hyundai Tucson was nothing special, but it was safe and helped their mismatched little family blend into the neighborhood. Javier insisted that everything be in Letty's name, and by the books. In return, he'd placed a large percentage of his earnings into Jacob's college fund, and a trust that he could access on his 21st birthday. A bit of that money would go toward their two-bedroom house in St. Marys, Georgia.

The town was small, and their street was out of the way. Neighboring houses were several yards away through a few trees, allowing for much needed privacy in the Pereira-Raines household. It was getting warmer, and with the warmth came the immobilizing fear of giving Jacob back to his father during the summer. Just the thought of seeing Sean's face was enough to make Letty cringe. Over the holidays, they arranged to meet halfway between St. Marys and Myrtle Beach to pass Jacob off. The five hour roundtrip drive was dull and exhausting, but Letty prefered it to the alternative option of letting Sean know exactly where they lived. She tried to keep her distance, and knew he would eventually find out, but held onto the sliver of hope that Sean would just accept the way things were.

Letty scrubbed a dish, then passed it to Javier and grabbed another. He wiped it dry with a dish towel and added it to the pile of clean dishes on the counter.

"I thought about what you said last week," he began. "And you're right. I can't keep doing this."

She placed the dish back in the sink and gave him her undivided attention.

"It's not fair of me to ask you to stop… doing what you're good at if I don't stop doing what I'm good at." He paused for a moment and stole a sideways glance at the boy in the living room captivated by the cartoon. She raised an eyebrow at him, go on. "At least not full time. So I am getting a job."

"You. A job." Javier smiled at her disbelief.

"You know that steakhouse in Kingsland we take Jacob to after his soccer matches?"

Letty nodded. "Millhouse? Yeah, of course. When do you start?"

"Next week."

"Thank you," Letty said with a shy smile, before picking up the dish. She scrubbed it clean and passed it to Javier, who added it to the pile after drying it. He opened a cabinet to his right and placed them inside. Letty handed him his wine glass and took a sip from hers.

They joined Jacob in the living room and sat on either side of him on the couch. The cartoon he was previously watching must have ended, because now they were watching an episode of Spongebob. Both Jacob and Javier were staring intently at the screen, and Letty laughed as Javier's brow furrowed in confusion. She guessed he never really had time for cartoons. Once in a while she watched them with Jacob when he was a baby, but hasn't seen one since then. Not until they moved into this house. Not until they were a real family.

"I don't understand," Javier said, pulling her out of her reverie. "If all of this takes place on the ocean floor, why is the city on fire? That doesn't make sense."

"It's Bikini Bottom," Jacob said.

"What?"

"The city is called Bikini Bottom. I never really thought about having fire underwater. You're right. It doesn't make sense."

Letty chuckled and chimed in, "That's because they want you to use suspension of disbelief."

The two turned to her, quizzical expressions on their faces.

Letty raised her eyebrows and smiled. "What? I told you, I'm good at English."

The boys laughed to each other, then Letty and Javier explained. After the episode, Jacob showered and packed his bag for school in the morning. He called out good night and headed into his room, leaving the adults alone downstairs. Letty powered off the television and scooted closer to her - her what? Her boyfriend? Her lover? Her partner? She couldn't be sure. Whatever he was, whatever they were, Javier was here, sitting on a sofa beside her, in a little house in a small town in Georgia.

His arm rested on the back of the couch and supported his head as he scooted closer to her. She mimicked his position and met his gaze. He looked tired. His hair fell over his face a bit, but not enough to block his eyes. The skin beside them crinkled from the soft smile that spread across his lips.

"Are you happy?"

Letty's mouth opened slightly, and she inhaled a deep breath before leaning into him. She closed her eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Very."

A/N: This is my first Good Behavior fic, so please let me know if there are any character/continuity errors. I plan to make this multiple chapters, and the following chapters should be much longer than this one. I really just wanted to set the table. The fic is named after the song Running With The Wolves by AURORA, which played in 1x03: From Terrible Me. I plan to explore Letty and Javier's relationship, as well as this little family they've created. Constructive criticism is always welcome!