Title: Always

Disclaimer: Detroit 187 does not belong to me in any way. I'm just a girl supporting her city.

Rating: M (Language, Violence, Situations of the sexual nature)

Spoilers: None

Timeline: Set after "Déjà vu/All In"

Summary: Detective Ariana Sanchez knew it would be a matter of time before he exploded... A rough case leads to a night of passion. (Sanchez/Fitch: Warning for Smut)

Author's Note: Major thanks to my bestie, Destany Mitchell for beta-ing this for me! You ROCK, my favorite sister!

Detective Ariana Sanchez knew it would be a matter of time before he exploded. It had been three hours since the interrogation stared and the suspect was a time bomb ticking away. She knew what buttons to push, what words to say…Tick… She also knew that her presence alone was pissing him off; being a strong woman in charge…Tick… She could see him breaking down; could read it on his face…Tick…

…BOOM…

When he flew into a rage, she was prepared for his temper. What she hadn't been prepared for was the prick grabbing her by the throat in a crushing grip. What she wasn't prepared for was when he lifted her by the throat and rammed her into the two way glass.

The breath expelled from her lungs in a hard gasp and pain radiated through her skull as she felt the glass underneath crack from the force. Her world was slowing down as she fought against him, attempting to free herself. But darkness was hedging in on her vision and her lungs screamed for oxygen.

She was vaguely aware of the door flying open and her team rushing inside. She was vaguely aware that Louis Fitch landed a severe punch to the perp's head and suddenly, she was released. She fell heavily to the floor, gasping for air and in a blur of movement; she was in someone's arms, being carried out of the room.

Sanchez realized she was in her partner John Stone's arms, being moved to the bullpen. He placed her on the cleanest desktop he could find and she absently knew it was Fitch's. Once she was sitting, his hands were all over her.

"Ariana! Talk to me! Are you alright?" He asked as he surveyed her.

She was annoyed at his constant touch and slapped them away. Sure, his hands been on her body—all over her body—once but that did not give him the right to be all touchy feely now. The rest of their team, minus Fitch and Damon Washington, appeared in the room, their faces drawn with worry.

"I'm fine!" She snapped her voice nearly a growl and winced as the pain spasm in her throat.

Their boss, Lieutenant Maureen Mason was suddenly in her line of vision. "The EMS is on their way to check you out."

Sanchez nodded and made an involuntarily noise as her head exploded with pain. Then suddenly, Fitch was there in front of her. Their eyes met and he reached out, not saying a word, his fingers brushing under her chin. He gently tilted her head slightly toward the ceiling then trailed his fingertips softly over her throat, taking in the large bruise that was beginning to form.

He didn't ask her if she was alright. He kept his silence as he let his hand fall and stepped away enough not to crowd her. She found herself missing his touch. He had comforted her in a way no one else ever had. Sanchez knew that he would always keep her safe; in a way that went beyond just being coworkers, and that sudden thought brought tears to her eyes.

For a brief moment, everyone was quiet. Then Mason turned her attention toward Fitch. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

Fitch didn't answer right away; he just gave her an innocent smile. "I'm an officer of the law…I wouldn't kill him." Then he paused and added softly, "On camera."

The Lieutenant gave him a hard look to which he continued to smile at as she said to him. "I didn't hear that."

Two EMTs entered the room and Mason directed one to where the prisoner was now being held, handcuffed to a desk in a different interview room. The second began to evaluate Sanchez. The diagnosis was that the throat would take some time to heal; keep talking to a minimum for a week. However, the tech was worried about the blow to the head and advised a trip to the hospital to get a scan. Sanchez agreed, only as a safety precaution. Otherwise, she would have refused. She hated hospitals.

"Someone should go with you." Mason said, "As a just in case."

Normally, Sanchez would have refused that too. But today was just one of those days where she would feel better with another person with her. Stone moved towards the desk and she opened her mouth to tell him "No way" when Fitch spoke up, cutting her off.

"I don't think so, February." Fitch said, "I'll go with her."

Surprise crossed the rest of the team's face while Sanchez felt relieved.

"Makes the most sense," He went on, "I don't think I should being hanging around after my confrontation with the perp."

Mason inclined her head. "Good call." Her tone clearly stating, "We'll talk later…"

"Is that what you want, Ariana?" Stone asked.

Sanchez sent him a glare then looked at Fitch and smiled softly. The EMT got her on a stretcher, much to her dismay. Mason touched her shoulder before she was wheeled out and smiled down at her.

"Take it easy for the next couple of days."

Sanchez nodded and sought out Fitch's eyes.

"I'll follow behind you in my car." He told her.

She nodded again and the EMT wheeled her out of the building and up into the ambulance.

While waiting for the results of the scan, Sanchez lay in a bed in the ER, fidgeting restlessly; each minute that she waited was one too many. Fitch, who had been standing near the sink, moved quietly beside her and his presence comforted her in a way that took her by surprise. His eyes gently prodded hers and she reached out and touched his face, cupping his jaw. His eyes closed and she felt the tension in his body release.

Their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door asthe doctor came in. The scan revealed that there was no damage to her brain and skull. The doctor gave her the all clear but advised taking regular acetaminophen if a headache should occur. Sanchez was relieved and looked up at Fitch, who smiled down at her.

After the nurse brought in the release forms, a little while later, Sanchez signed the release form, ready to get out of the hospital. Officially released,Sanchez and Fitch exited the hospital, side by side, as they made their way to his car. She exhaled deeply as she slid into the passenger seat and closed the door behind her.

"You alright?" Fitch asked.

She flashed him a small smile and nodded. "Long day," She whispered.

"Hey," He scolded her softly, "No voice tonight."

She sighed softly and he chuckled. It was a rich, smooth sound and was surprisingly sexy. It sent a shiver down her spine and a thrill between her legs. A smirk tilted up the corner of his mouth and she wondered what was going on in that brilliant mind of his. He then turned forward and started the car. The engine roared to life and they were off.

They arrived at her apartment a half hour later. Fitch walked her up to her apartment and she invited him inside with a smile and tilt of her head. He followed her inside and shut and locked the door behind them. They removed their coats and Sanchez hung up hers in the coat closet and kicked off her shoes, while Fitch held his over his arms. They smiled at each other in the silence.

"Well, I'll let you rest." He said after a beat, looking down at his coat, "Let me know if you need anything…anytime…"

"Stay." She whispered, reaching out and stopping him.

Fitch turned and looked at her, meeting her eyes. Surprise flashed across his eyes for a brief second, then was replaced by amusement. "If you keep talking, you're going to get spanked."

She smiled and tried not to laugh. It was rare when he teased and he had set himself up for a good retort. Sanchez moved close to him and took his coat from his arms. She walked across to her small dining room table, twitching her hips with each step. She placed his coat over the back of the chair and cast a quick glance over her shoulder and saw his eyes glued to her behind.

Fitch realized she was looking at him and she could have sworn she saw him blush a bit. She winked at him and grinned.

"You win." He relented.

Her eyes were smug but he noted that her skin was a touch paler, her eyelids dropping a bit. It was clear she was tired but was resisting sleep. He had seen the same look on her on the long, overnight cases.

"I have to get the smell of hospital off me." She murmured, walking down the hall to the bathroom.

"What did I say about talking?" Fitch asked, trailing after her.

She entered the bathroom and removed her suit jacket; he watched her through the doorway, his eyes turning dark. Sanchez reached for him, catching his tie, and pulling him inside with her. His eyes met hers and she watched them slowly become guarded as she brought her hands to the first button on her blouse.

Her heart began to pound as she undid the first button. There was something between them and there always had been. If she continued now, there was no going back. She would leave herself bare to him, literally. In the field, she would follow him always, no matter where it led her and knew that he would do the same. But now, with this, it would be the ultimate test. She needed him now. And deep down, sheknew she'd need him always. She was tired of lying to herself about it.

Sanchez nimbly undid the rest of the small buttons and shrugged out the dress shirt, letting it slide down her arms to pool on the floor in a burgundy puddle. A black lace bra kept her breasts covered and would remain only by his reaction to her. She brought her hands to the button on her slacks and deftly unfastened it. She tugged the zipper down, her thumbs hooking into the back of the pants and skimmed them down her hips and legs, catching the knee high nylons that hugged her calves.

She stepped away from the pile and inhaled deeply, standing before him in her bra and matching boy-short panties. Sanchez met his eyes and found them still guarded; it was like she was looking into a carefully placed mask. She had never seen his eyes that drawn away before, even while at work. He stood absolutely still; the only movement she noticed was his Adams apple as it bobbed slightly. She took it as a good sign that he had not turned away and left her there to reflect on how she just messed everything up.

Sanchez moved to the tub and turned on the water, adjusting it here and there until it was perfect, all the while keeping her back to Fitch. She turned the middle nozzle and the water sprayed out of the showerhead. She straightened and kept her back him but cast a long look over her shoulder as she reached up and unhooked her bra. Her eyes remained on him as she removed it and let it join the rest of her clothes. Fitch met her eyes slowly; he had watched her movements as if he were memorizing them.

The mirror began to fog from the heat of the shower and Sanchez swallowed hard, wincing only slightly from the pain. She crossed her arms over her breasts, covering them and turned toward Fitch. He had dropped his eyes but remained where he stood. She moved to the mirror and wrote on the glass with her fingertip.

Please stay with me

I don't want to be alone

She glanced and saw his eyes were still downcast and moved to the shower. She shimmied out of her panties and got inside. She had thrown down the gauntlet, opened herself up completely, and now, all she could do was wait for him to accept the move. With a long sigh, she stepped under the water and placed her hands on the wall, grounding herself. The warm water began to relax her abused body but did nothing to calm the raging whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that coursed through her.

There was a soft sound as the curtain moved behind her and her heart leapt in her chest. She didn't dare turn around; part of her was scared to face him, the other was just plan nervous as hell. She had made the first move, this one would be his.

Fitch's strong arms encircled her waist and he gently pulled her against him and out of the spray. A shiver ran down her at the contact of skin-on-skin and all the tension fell from her shoulders. She relaxed into him as he rested his face in the side of her neck.

"I need you too." He whispered.

Tears stung at her eyes and her lower lip trembled. She didn't ask him how he knew that that was what she had really wanted him to say; it was Fitch. He always knew. She wrapped her arms over the top of his and drew a shuddering breath. He kissed her neck in a light brush and she broke away from him and whirled around, her arms encircling his waist, her head resting on his chest. They both gasped at the sudden contact, as the most intimate areas of the bodies brushed against each other.

Fitch couldn't help his erection, but bit back against his more primal impulse of just taking her right then and there. This was not about sex. Now was about comfort, about drawing strength from each other's skin. He held her tight as she cried against his chest; his hand stroked her raven hair and took in the fine silk texture while wet. He brushed another gentle kiss to her forehead.

Sanchez let out a last shuddering breath and looked up at him. His dark eyes met hers and trailed his hands up her sides, then cupped her faced and wiped her remaining tears away with his thumbs. She titled her head, just so, in invitation as to not hurt her head and he accepted, kissing her gently, thoroughly. His tongue brushed against her lips and she parted her lips, allowing him inside, enjoying the feel of his velvet tongue as it dueled with hers. They broke their kiss with a smile and he reached around her, grabbing her bar of soap from its holder. Fitch ran it between his hands, the soar lathering his hands. He handed her the bar and brought it to the tops of her shoulders.

Sanchez made a little noise as he began to massage her skin before spreading the soap along her shoulder and collar bone. She smiled as his fingertips brushed the tops of her breasts before he cupped them in his palms. She waited for the moment where his thumbs would brush over her nipples but they didn't. Surprised, she gave him a look. He smiled in return and chuckled softly.

"I'll get to that later." Fitch said, "We have all night."

Sanchez smiled brightly and kissed him. He took his time with her as he washed the rest of her body. She responded in kind as she became in control of the soap. They kissed, touched, explored until the water turned cold. She pulled back the curtain and her eye was drawn to the mirror. Underneath where she had written her plea, something else had been written.

Always

It was one word; simple in its standing. In true Fitch form, he summed up everything asked and everything that had been left unspoken in the room between them. Tears stung her eyes again and she looked at him, seeking his eyes. His eyes met hers, brimming with warmth.

She stepped out of the tub and went to her cabinet and pulled out three white towels. She handed him his and wrapped her body in one and her hair in another. They toweled off and Sanchez took him by the hand, stepping over both piles of clothes; his and her; and led him into her bedroom. Once inside, she dropped his hand and undid her towels; letting them fall where they may as she crossed the room to her bed. She crawled onto her mattress and rose to her knees as Fitch joined her.

They lips met in a rush of passion and their hands traveled, caressed, and stroked. Before, their touches had been designed for comfort. Now, they carried pleasure. Fitch lowered her back against the mattress, lying beside her; ensuring they could both reach out and touch each other. His hands and lips sought her breasts; caressing here, sucking there. Sanchez let out a desperate whimper as she felt the tightening between her legs grow sharper. His mouth left her nipple with a small pop.

"I feel I should warn you; if I hear any more noise out of you, I will spank you…" He paused and looked thoughtful, "And no cheating by making noises just to get them."

She grinned at him, her eyes telling him that he was completely right to give that warning. He chuckled and kissed her passionately. Sanchez's hand trailed down his chest, slid down his abdomen, and down further to capture his erection. Fitch moaned against her mouth. He broke the kiss and growled softly as she ran her thumb over his tip, the pad of her finger spreading a slick bead of pre-cum around in a circular design.

His hand moved between her thighs and stroked her folds. His smile was smug as he found her slick. Fitch dipped a finger inside her core and her hand fell away from his shaft to grip the comforter below them. Her eyes locked with his as he moved his finger, stretching her. She bit her bottom lip as he added another and found a steady rhythm. Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt an orgasm rising within her.

"Ariana," Fitch's voice was a soft command, "Open your eyes. I want to watch you come."

Sanchez opened her eyes and met with his. He smiled at his and curved his fingers up deep inside her, finding that spot that would send her over the edge. Her hips bucked as she flew apart, pleasure shooting from every nerve ending. Fitch removed his fingers and positioned himself on top of her. His lips found hers as his tip found her entrance and surged inside of her with a thrust of his hips.

She exhaled in ecstasy as he plunged deep inside of her with each thrust. His hips moved in a steady pace and her hands sought purchase of his back, her nails digging into his skin. Despite her orgasm just minutes before, she could feel another beginning to start. Fitch was close as well, the tempo of his thrusts quickening. Her hands trailed down to his ass, her nails sinking in, encouraging him; harder, faster.

She came first, her walls clenching tight around him, her eyes drifting shut in rapture; a smile touching her lips as he thrust once, twice more before burying himself deep in his final thrust and spilling his seed within her. Panting slightly, Fitch rested his head on her chest. He pulled out of her and gently lay against her. Sanchez opened her eyes and burrowed her fingers in his soft hair.

They stayed like that for a while, until sleep began to wear down on them both. Fitch moved next to her and pulled her to him, spooning against her back, his arms wrapping around her stomach. Sanchez laced his hands in hers and pulled one hand up to her mouth, placing a series of kisses against his knuckles before settling it back at her waist. He brushes his lips against her temple in return and squeezed her gently.

He remained awake long after her breathing became deep and even with sleep. Fitch studied her face, memorizing what it looked like in sleep, having already memorized it while awake long ago. He sent up a thankful prayer that she was finally his, after waiting so long. With a quiet exhale, he rested his head against the pillow and rested his forehead against the soft skin of her shoulder.

"Louis?" she called out his name; her voice was almost a silent murmur.

He lifted his head and saw that she was still asleep, her brows furrowed in distress. She was having a nightmare and her body began to tense. Despite the fact that she was asleep, the words "I'm here, Ariana, I'm here," slipped out quietly, wanting her to know that he wouldn't leave her. Even in sleep, he would always be there.

Her brows un-furrowed, her body slowly relaxed, and a smile turned up the corner of her lip. She spoke again in that almost silent voice, "I love you."

Louis Fitch smiled in response. "I love you too." He rested his head back down, "Always."