14x06: Friending Emily
This chapter is dedicated to Renny Autumn, it was your review that gave me inspiration for this chapter! Thank you! :)
Rafael Barba sat in his office absently swirling the cup of coffee in his hand as he read over the files in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder at the window to find the sun already beginning to set. It was going to be a long night. Since transferring to Manhattan, he had been up to his neck in cases due to the massive ousting of corrupt D.A.'s and other government officials. But he liked the work. He did. Besides, it was better if he kept himself busy. But keeping busy didn't end basic human needs...like hunger and his cup of coffee was not satisfying his growling stomach.
Carmen had left the office for the evening, meaning he was going to have to venture out for some dinner. Making sure his wallet was in his pocket, he put his suit coat back on. For a moment he debated putting his tie back on, but he decided against it. He would be coming back to the office to eat anyway because he had too much work to do. So, Rafael decided to walk to Subway.
There was a certain spring in his step as he walked the Manhattan sidewalks. He had been like this since he had gotten back from his weekend in the Hamptons for a wedding. Surprisingly, he had enjoyed himself. He had enjoyed spending time with a certain blonde SVU detective. While he wasn't sure what about her intrigued him, she did. Perhaps it was their easy banter or the way he knew he could fluster her. But he wasn't going to act on it. He couldn't. Not yet. He was still relatively new to the office and he had to focus on that. He had to.
When he opened the door to Subway, the smell of their bread wafted toward him. While he didn't buy into all the eat fresh nonsense, it was a quick and easy meal. Although, he had heard horror stories from a buddy of his who had worked his way through college at a Subway. With his hands in his pants pockets, he approached the counter to order his sandwich. Just then the bell on the door dinged. Instinctively he turned to see who it was. A smile slowly spread across his face when he noticed two blonde detectives walk through the door. Although, if he was being honest his smile was directed more toward one of the blondes.
"Detectives," he greeted with a nod of his head toward them. JJ's face looked rather shocked, much like it did every time he ran into her. He thought she'd be used to him running into her by this point. Not that he was stalking her or anything, but fate seemed to be throwing them together quite frequently.
It was Detective Amanda Rollins who greeted him first. "Barba," she responded before nudging JJ in the side. He watched as JJ tried not to react to Rollins and just nodded at him instead.
"So what brings you here?" Rafael asked.
"Same as you," JJ quickly retorted.
He arched an eyebrow. "A Footlong Meatball Marinara with a Coke and cookies?"
JJ rolled her eyes. "Food, Barba. We're here for food."
Recalling their conversation about his name, he looked curiously at her. She must have understood because she gave a slight nod of her head toward Rollins before she straightened her stance. He nodded knowingly. She wanted to appear professional in front of her coworker, which he could understand. Although he had a feeling that Rollins wouldn't really care whether or not they were professional.
"Sir, are you gonna order?" Jordan, the grumpy Subway sandwich artist asked.
"Probably not," JJ muttered behind him.
Rafael smiled and chuckled under his breath. He then folded his arms across his chest and said, "I'll take a Footlong Meatball…" He paused for a moment to glare at JJ and Rollins, both of whom were chuckling. He was pretty sure JJ snorted. Rafael shook his head. "Real mature," he directed toward them, but that just made them laugh harder. Rafael rolled his eyes and turned toward Jordan, who didn't look amused.
"What kind of bread, sir."
"Italian Herb and Cheese." Rafael turned toward JJ, whose face was quite pink and her hand was covering her mouth attempting to stifle any more laughter. He shook his head once more. "Anything wrong with my choice of bread?" he asked glancing at her rather pointedly.
"Hey! I didn't say anything," JJ said rather defensively with her arms now folded across her chest.
He arched an eyebrow. "No, but it was your silence...or lack thereof that gave you away." Rafael gave her a pretend smile to show his annoyance. She responded by directing him back toward Jordan who stood there trying to make the sandwich. Not wanting to piss the sandwich artist off more than necessary, he continued down the sandwich line.
Rafael didn't know why, but he was hyper-aware of what JJ ordered in line after him. She got a six-inch Oven Roasted Chicken on Italian Herb and Cheese with spinach, tomatoes, green peppers, and Sweet Onion Sauce. He was almost annoyed with himself how aware he was about everything she did. But he tried not to let it show.
So, he paid for his meal and was about to say his goodbyes when there was the sound of a text notification. Rafael pulled his phone out of his pocket to find that it wasn't him. It was Rollins. She looked rather displeased as she looked at her phone. "Dammit. It's Kim. I gotta go," Rollins mumbled.
"Amanda," JJ groaned, with her arms folded across her chest.
Rollins looked rather sympathetic toward her friend. "Jage, I'm sorry. She's my sister."
"No, I know. I get it, well technically I don't, but I think you know what I mean." Her phrasing confused Rafael, but he just watched as the other blonde detective nodded her head before JJ continued, "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."
"I hate to leave you here by yourself." Rollins then made eye contact with Rafael and he knew exactly what she was trying to convey. Rollins wanted him to stay. She wanted him to stay and eat with JJ. While the thought of another dinner with her intrigued him, he did have a ton of work back at the office.
Before he knew what he was doing, he volunteered to stay and eat with JJ. "I can stay." Those were not the words he had planned on saying. But before he could correct himself, Rollins chimed in.
"Would you?" Rollins asked with somewhat of a surprised tone, despite having directed the comment toward him. He wanted to roll his eyes but he refrained as Rollins reached out and grabbed his arm. "That would make me feel a little better about the situation." Rafael nodded his head and Rollins smiled. "Thank you."
JJ looked at him. "You don't have to do that," she stated matter-of-factly.
It was Rollins who responded first. "No, he doesn't. But he's going to. I'm not going to let you scare him away." Rollins then looked at Rafael. "It's about time one of us buttered-up the A.D..A."
JJ looked at Rollins curiously. Rollins chuckled. 'You know, for cases."
"Is that how things work in Manhattan?" Rafael asked sarcastically.
"I'm pretty sure that's how things work everywhere," JJ remarked. Her tone was somewhat bitter and Rafael's brow furrowed because he didn't understand where she was coming from. But Rollins elbowing JJ seemed to snap her out of it. JJ then offered him a forced smile.
"Why don't you go get a table so JJ and I can pay?" Rollins suggested at Rafael, who was still standing there somewhat awkwardly beside them swinging his bag of food. He didn't bother arguing that all the tables were empty. He just found sat down at a table near the window and sat down.
Rafael opened his bottle of Coke and took a sip. It wasn't coffee, that was for sure, but it would do. He took his sandwich out of the plastic bag and set it on the table. He wouldn't start eating until JJ joined him. He had learned some manners growing up. For a moment he watched the people walking by outside, but his attention was diverted to the two blonde detectives who were whispering to each other. He shook his head. It was obvious they were talking about him. But he wasn't easily intimidated. So, he looked right at them and arched an eyebrow, letting them know that he knew they were talking about him.
JJ chewed her bottom lip as she made eye contact with him. Rollins just chuckled. JJ set her sandwich and drink on the table before she sat across the table from Rafael. Rafael couldn't help but watch her as she tucked her hair behind her ears. JJ was very beautiful, there was no denying it. But she must have caught him watching her because she made a silly face at him, sticking her tongue out. Rafael slightly chuckled and shook his head.
"Alright you two, try not to have too much fun without me," Rollins said leaning against the door.
Rafael opened his mouth to speak, but JJ beat him to the punch. "Me and Barba?" JJ chuckled. Rollins shook her head and swatted at JJ before she left and headed to her apartment. That left Rafael and JJ alone...again. Well, Jordan the sandwich artist was there too, but he was conveniently hiding in the back.
After a sip of his Coke, Rafael said, "So, it's Barba again, huh?"
JJ rolled her eyes and unwrapped her sandwich. "Amanda's a coworker and I was trying to maintain some professionalism."
Rafael nodded his head, despite not buying her excuse. "Uh-huh. Sure." He took a bite of his sandwich.
JJ slightly narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to defy her. "You don't think that's what it was? Then please, enlighten me to my motivation."
He wiped at the bit of marinara sauce in the corner of his mouth before he responded,"You didn't tell Rollins about the wedding, did you?"
The blonde chewed her lip for a moment, not having anticipated him to direct the conversation there. "No, I told her about the wedding. I just conveniently left-out the detail about you being there."
He shook his head. "Of course you did."
JJ groaned and folded her arms across her chest. "It would have only made things worse because she thinks I got lucky."
Rafael arched one of his eyebrows suggestively. Her use of air-quotes with the word lucky amused him. He enjoyed getting her going, so he said, "Well, technically you did get lucky. Lucky to be graced with my presence."
She rolled her eyes. "More like unlucky."
"Ohhh," Rafael laughed with his hand over his heart. "Ouch. That hurt."
JJ smirked. "It was supposed to."
Rafael couldn't help but think of the first time they had dined together. Like an asshole, he had pointed out to her that she had been stood-up. But she wasn't the only one who had been stood-up that night. He had as well, but he had been too proud to tell her that. Instead he had come off rather arrogant and smug...and he knew he had. But he normally kept people at arm's length because it was just easier that way. However, he was beginning to enter unchartered territory as far as JJ was concerned.
"So, who's Kim?" Rafael asked after he had finished chewing a bite of his sandwich.
He had caught her mid-bite. JJ held up a finger for him to give her a moment before she then pointed the finger at her mouth . After several more bites and a swallow, JJ answered, "Kim's her little sister. She's up from Atlanta. No doubt to cause Amanda some trouble."
"You've met her before?"
JJ shook her head. "No, but I've heard enough to get the gist of things. Her sister has a lot of issues and Kim tries to put Amanda in the middle of them." JJ paused for a moment. "Not that I should be telling you any of this."
"Hey now, I thought we were trying this whole being civil to each other thing out."
"It's not that. More the fact that it's Amanda's story to tell, not mine. So, I'd appreciate it if you kept what I said between us."
Rafael nodded his head and smirked. "Attorney-client privilege."
His response made JJ roll her eyes as she took another bite of her sandwich. When she finished chewing, she retorted, "I should have known you'd say that." That made him laugh.
The two continued to eat their sandwiches together casually discussing things and surprisingly, work never came up. Not even once. Which seemed rather odd to Rafael because his whole life was practically work. Again, it was rare to have conversations like this with someone else.
When they had finished their sandwiches, Rafael grabbed the paper bag containing the cookies. "Cookie?" he asked her.
JJ eyed him curiously before she asked, "You have one with some sort of chocolate?"
Rafael arched an eyebrow at her. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Of course, I do."
She laughed and shook her head. "I didn't realize love of chocolate dictated level of intelligence."
"It should." Rafael held the cookie bag out toward her and JJ plucked out a double chocolate chip cookie.
JJ took a bite of her cookie. She spoke covering her mouth with her hand. "I dare you to use that argument in court."
Rafael smiled. "That'll go well. 'Objection!'" He then lowered his voice a little. "'On what grounds Mr. Barba?'" His voice returned to normal. "'On the account that the man doesn't like chocolate and is therefore an idiot, you honor.'"
JJ laughed. She genuinely laughed. Rafael couldn't help but smile at her laugh. It was infectious, so much so that he started to laugh himself. He couldn't help but notice how at ease he felt with her. It was rare that he felt like this with someone. Not that he was going to say anything. He didn't want to jinx things. He had a habit of doing that.
When they were done eating, they tossed their garbage and walked outside into the New York night. "Walk with me back to the office?" Rafael asked her as the crisp night air tickled his cheeks.
"Did you forget something?" she asked as they started walking.
He shook his head. "Nah. I still have some work to do."
"Rafael," JJ said in a rather scolding tone with her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell me that you still had to work? I wouldn't have kept you so long or I would have eaten there if you wanted me to."
Rafael arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Would you have really?"
JJ pondered his question for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "It would have taken a little arm twisting, but yeah. I'm sure you of all people could have come up with a valid argument to get me to do it."
For a moment, Rafael smiled at her flattery. "I'll keep that in mind," he said rather softly. JJ folded her arms across her chest. It was a little chillier than the last few nights. "Are you always cold?" he asked.
"Usually," JJ chuckled. "You think I'd have learned to dress myself by now."
Rafael glanced at her. He thought she was dressed rather nicely, not that he was going to voice that. Instead, he cleared his throat. 'You want my jacket?"
"Then you'll be cold."
"Nah. I only put it on when I left the office so that I didn't look like a slob." JJ sighed and held out her hand toward him. Rafael chuckled as took his jacket off and handed it to her. "I should start carrying an extra suit coat on me at all times," he teased.
"Just when I thought you were actually being nice," JJ teased him right back as she slipped the coat on.
Rafael glanced at her with an arched eyebrow. "To you? Never."
JJ chuckled. "That's what I thought."
When they reached Rafael's office building, the pair came to a stop outside. Rafael looked at her for a moment, debating whether or not he should tell her that he had a good time with her. He chose not to say nothing...for now. JJ removed his coat and handed it back to him. "Thanks," she said. He simply nodded his head as he accepted his jacket back and draped over his arm. "Good night, Rafael," JJ said with a slight smile on her face.
"Good night, JJ," he offered back. With that, JJ turned and walked away. For a moment, Rafael stood there and watched her wondering when he would get to see her next.
~*~Dun Dun~*~
Rafael Barba once again sat at his desk, but this time the sun was up and streaming through his windows. His pen tapped against the file folder in front of him as he read through a case file. He heard the phone ring in the other room. Pausing for a moment, he listened until Carmen's voice came through the speaker on his phone. "You have a call, Mr. Barba."
"Who is it?" Rafael asked, debating if he should tell them to call back at a different time.
"Detective Jacobs with SVU," Carmen responded.
"I'll take it in here."
"Yes, sir."
"This is Rafael Barba, how can I help you."
"You're mocking me aren't you?" JJ's voice came from the phone. "For the whole professionalism thing."
"Well, hello to you too, Detective Jacobs." He heard JJ groan on the other line and that made him smile. He rubbed at his face, attempting to wipe the smile away before he added, "I assume there's a reason you called me?"
"How busy are you today?"
His brow furrowed. Where was she going with this? He decided to play things cool. "Depends. Why?"
"I was volunteered to talk to you about a case we're working on. Is there a good time to swing by?"
"Ah, yes, work. Of course." Rafael wasn't sure why, but he was disappointed. He wasn't entirely sure why he had thought she would call him for any other reason besides work, but he had. He flipped through the calendar on his desk before he responded, "Swing by at anytime. I'm in the office all day."
"Sounds good. I'll be by shortly."
Rafael listened to her hang up and then he hung up. It wasn't how he had anticipated seeing her next, but he was glad to be seeing her. She always made his day seem a little bit better, even if all they did was bicker.
About an hour later, JJ walked through his door with Sergeant John Munch. JJ carried two coffees in her hands. She approached his desk and held one out toward him. "I assumed you were here late last night and I felt bad for that, so consider this my peace offering. I double-checked with Brooke to make sure I got your order right."
Rafael accepted the coffee and smiled at her thoughtfulness. It surprised him. "You didn't have to do that," he said.
JJ smiled. 'Yeah, I know. But now you owe me. Win-win."
He chuckled and glanced at Sergeant Munch who was leaning against a chair. "I've never asked before, how long have you two been partnered up?" Rafael asked taking a sip of the coffee.
"Since I started at SVU," JJ answered. "I mean, there is the occasional switch-up, but John Munch has been the most consistent man in my life for over two years now." JJ patted Munch's shoulder, which made the older man shake his head. But JJ wasn't done. "I think we've been together longer than most of your relationships with your ex-wives," she teased.
Munch glanced at JJ pointedly before he looked at Rafael. "You want some embarrassing stories about this one?" Munch said pointing at JJ. "I've got plenty I'd be willing to share."
"I'm all ears," Rafael smirked shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Not now you're not," JJ retorted arching an eyebrow, glancing between them both. "We've got a case."
"We'll talk later," Munch directed at Rafael, motioning between the two of them. Rafael just smiled and nodded. JJ rolled her eyes and playfully backhanded her partner on the arm.
"So what have you got for me?" Rafael asked, folding his arms across his chest, getting back to business.
"We need help finding a fourteen-year-old girl," JJ said.
Still leaning against the chair, Munch dropped his head and shook it. "It's a doozy," the older man responded.
JJ pulled a file folder out of the her bag and took a step closer toward Barba's desk. "Emily Culpher has been taken by a predator named Peter. She came to the city with her sister on a school field trip. Emily ended up at a frat party with her older sister Taylor and that's where Peter abducted her from. Taylor found out about the party from some woman named Wendi who put malware on Taylor's phone so that she and Peter could target and learn about Emily."
"Peter and Wendi?" Rafael questioned, shaking his head.
She sighed. "The Peter Pan allusion wasn't lost on us either. That instead of the Lost Boys, he has lost girls." The thought was disturbing.
"But the situation is definitely not a Disney movie. It's worse, much worse," Munch said. He looked at JJ and nodded his head for her to continue.
"We've been working with a hacker in Rikers…" JJ started. "He found uploads from Peter going back five years." JJ began to place the photos on Rafael's desk. "Every year, there's a new girl."
"And with every girl, there are five Lolitaville videos." Munch held up a hand to put emphasis on the number five. The older man put four fingers down until only his thumb remained. "Emily makes number six."
Rafael shuddered at the photographs in front of him. It was beyond disturbing what these girls were forced to go through, but it was his job to figure out how best to help Emily using the legal system. He sighed. "Same scenario every time?"
"At first," Munch stated.
"The first video is in the bedroom," JJ continued. "The second in the bath. And the third…" her voice trailed off.
"And after that, it depends on audience requests," Munch spat. His disgust was obvious.
Rafael looked JJ in the eyes. "And the last video we have of Emily?"
JJ folded her arms across her chest. "The bath. He invited the audience to submit requests."
Rafael's gears were turning. There had to be a way to save this girl from any more harm. There had to be something he could do to assist SVU. "How long between posts?"
"Sometimes it's just a few days." The blonde detective clutched at the necklace around her neck. Rafael knew that was a nervous habit of JJ's. This case was bothering her. More than normal. He could see that.
"But sometimes it's more," Munch added. "That part hasn't been consistent."
Slowly exhaling a breath, Rafael glanced at the photographs on his desk. "No sense of place or time, outside sounds…"
"Windowless room," JJ said. "Everything inside the room is generic. Your typical Walmart or Target stuff."
Rafael sighed. He had an idea. They might not like it, but it was the only thing he could think of that might legally work. He glanced up at JJ. If anyone understood his angle on this, it would be her. "All we have are the girls?"
JJ nodded.
He glanced back down at the pictures. "Odds are, when he's through they go into drugs or prostitution, meaning that they're probably in the system. I'll issue warrants." Rafael glanced back up, as expected, it was Sergeant Munch who seemed resistant to the idea.
"Warrants for what?" the sergeant questioned. "These women are all victims."
Rafael looked at JJ, who gave a slight nod of her head. She understood. He then glanced at Munch. "You'll think of something. We've got to get Emily. Fast. These other girls it's too late for them."
~*~Dun Dun~*~
When Rafael got home that evening, he sat on his sofa with glass of scotch on the side table and his phone in his hands. He was tempted to text JJ and see how things were going. He was used to people opposing his ideas, but he wanted to make sure that she understood. He kept overthinking that nod she gave after he explained his plan. Maybe it was involuntary. Maybe she didn't really understand his plan. And while he normally didn't give a crap about what people thought of him, he did care what JJ thought of him. He shouldn't, but he did.
He too a sip of his scotch and then set it back down on the table. He grabbed the TV remote and turned it on, trying to distract himself from thinking about her. But that didn't last long. He only made it until the commercial break before he started playing with his phone. He pulled her contact information up and ran his finger across it absently, accidentally hitting the call button. He let the phone ring, hoping she would answer.
But she didn't. It went to voicemail. "Uh-hi. This is Rafael….Barba. Rafael Barba. I'm calling to make sure you knew that you got the warrants we requested this afternoon. If you need anything else, let me know. Bye." He quickly pushed the end call button feeling like a complete lunatic. Of course she probably already knew about the warrants. He rubbed his temples and then took another drink. This woman was likely to drive him crazy. He just hoped that he could keep her from knowing it.
~*~ Dun Dun ~*~
The next morning, Rafael walked into Starbucks, his head slightly pounding. After that phone call, he had another drink...or two. He couldn't quite remember. All he knew was that he needed coffee and while he had plenty of liquor in the house, he was out of coffee, so he hadn't yet had his first cup of coffee this morning. He always had a cup before coming to Starbucks. It was his thing. But not today.
"Morning," a familiar and sweet voice said behind him. Rafael turned to find that it was JJ standing behind him.
"Morning," he responded rather gruffly.
JJ chewed her bottom lip for a second before she blurted out, "I was going to call back you when I got back to the office. I fell asleep at my desk last night, which is why I missed your call...and Fin took blackmail pictures. And then when I woke up it was too late to call you back, so I was going to wait until normal people hours. But I wasn't sure what your hours would be on a Saturday...aaaaannd, I'm rambling." She paused for a moment and shook her head. "Thank you for your phone call. There was some snafu in communication, so we were glad you called."
Rafael stood there for a moment trying to process everything she said. "Did you say something about blackmail pictures?"
JJ rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That would be all you got out of that. I try to be nice and thank you for letting us know about the warrants and you're concerned about the blackmail pictures."
He smiled at her. "You're welcome then."
"There you go. Much better." JJ smiled as they took a few steps forward in line. "Do you usually work Saturdays?" she asked.
Rafael shrugged. "It depends on my case load. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I prefer going in on Saturdays. Hardly anyone is around, so it's like having the place to myself and there's no one around to bother me."
"You shouldn't have told me that. Now, I'm gonna show up at your office every Saturday," she teased.
"I can take you," Rafael responded with a smile. "Either that or I can lock my door."
JJ grinned. "Hypothetically speaking, I'd likely be able to unlock it."
Rafael grinned back at her hypothetical phrasing. "You hypothetical won't change the breaking and entering status."
"Oops, wrong door?" JJ shrugged and smiled innocently at him. That made him laugh. She probably made him laugh more in the few months he had known her than most other people had known for years. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but there was certainly something.
Rafael ordered his coffee and walked along the counter to wait for his drink. When JJ was finished ordering her drink, she walked over and stood beside him. "So do you plan on being at the office most of the day?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Probably."
JJ tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm only asking in case we need something for this case."
"Ah. Yeah, I should be around." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "But you do have my cell number, so you should be able to get ahold of me either way." Rafael smiled to himself. He was half-tempted to stay out of his office and work elsewhere in the building to force her to call him that way. But he wouldn't because a phone call like that would be too important to miss.
"That's right," JJ muttered to herself, a pink tinge beginning to creep onto her cheeks.
He watched as she refused to meet his gaze. Once again, he had managed to fluster her, which made him smile. Rafael turned to face the counter again as the barista called his name. He walked up and grabbed his coffee. He quickly took a sip of the beverage he had impatiently waited for all morning. It was the sweet nectar he craved. Rafael closed his eyes for a moment before he turned back toward JJ. "I'll be seeing you," he said, nodding his head. She nodded hers back and he walked out of the Starbuck, headed for his office.
Once he arrived in his office, he started a pot of coffee. Some people might find his ritual rather ridiculous, but he didn't care what people thought of his coffee addiction. A cup of Starbucks coffee was always worth it, but he already knew that he was going to need more coffee than that to get him through the day. Coffee…caffeine...one of the few addictions Rafael was glad was legal. If it was ever made otherwise, he would be seriously screwed.
Rafael started his computer. He leaned back in his chair and slowly sipped his coffee as he waited for the thing to fully boot up. When things were good to go, he opened the internet and went straight to Pandora. He clicked on the Salsa Cubana station and danced around a little in his chair to the first song that started to play. It was another reason he liked coming in on Saturday mornings. No one was around to see him like this. It was how he studied when his roommate was out back at Harvard. Not that he had Pandora back then, but a Walkman had sufficed at the time.
He bounced around to the music as he read through a file folder. Rafael placed the folder on his lap when he needed to make a note about something before he returned to reading it. When he ran out of coffee from Starbucks, he stopped working and walked over to the coffee maker to pour himself a cup. Looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching, he danced his way back to his desk with his coffee in hand before going back to work.
Around noon, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller information to find that JJ was calling him. Knowing that it must be important, he wasted no time in picking up. "Hello, this is Rafael Barba," he answered.
"Hey, it's Detective Jacobs with SVU," she responded.
"My Caller ID said as much." He paused for a moment to hear her groan before he continued. "What can I do for you, Detective Jacobs?"
"We're gonna need a warrant for a wiretap. Taylor has photo ID'd Wendi, Peter's accomplice, who used to be one of the girls. We're working on her real identity, but I can tell you that she's from Jersey, is going by Wendi, not with a y but an i, Baker. We ran her plates, but haven't come up with anything on her vehicle. We wanna make her our Trojan horse. We're thinking that if Amaro and Liv approach her, it's gonna spook her and she'll call Peter."
Rafael nodded his head. "Makes sense," he responded as he reached for a pen to jot down the information. "You wouldn't happen to have a phone number for her, would you?"
"We're hoping to have her make a call to Liv's cellphone."
"Risky, but ok." Rafael then listened and scribbled down the information JJ gave him for the warrant. He then read all the information back to her to make sure everything was accurate. He then set his pen down and placed his free hand in his pocket. "You have a post set up?" he asked.
"Working on it as we speak," JJ offered.
Rafael nodded his head again, even though he knew she couldn't see him. He then cleared his throat. "I will personally swing the warrant by when I get it."
"Thank you."
There was a silent pause. Rafael was the one to break it. "Alright, I'll see you soon…with that warrant. Bye, JJ."
"Bye."
Rafael quickly set to work, drafting the necessary paperwork. Then he had to find a judge to sign off on the warrant. Finding one wasn't too difficult. Despite not having been in Manhattan very long, he had already made quite a few friends. Once the warrant was signed, he quickly made his way down to the 16th precinct where he knew they were waiting on the wiretap warrant he carried in his inside suit coat pocket.
The elevator ride at the 16th precinct was fairly uneventful. He walked into the bullpen and scanned the room for JJ. She wasn't there. But he spotted Sergeant Munch sitting at his desk, so Rafael approached him. "You here for that chat I suggested?" Munch asked.
For a moment, Rafael was baffled, but then he remembered that yesterday Munch said they should meet later to discuss JJ's embarrassing moments. Rafael shook his head. "Actually, I'm looking for Detective Jacobs. I have the warrant she requested," he said patting his suit jacket pocket.
Munch nodded. "Well, she'll be glad to see you, then."
Rafael smiled rather smugly at the thought of JJ being glad to see him. She always tried to play otherwise but he usually could tell...or at least he thought he could. But remembering that the issue at hand was time sensitive, he asked, "So where is she?"
The sergeant pointed down the hall. "She's in the conference room with Rollins and the guy setting up the wiretap." Munch then folded his arms across his chest and glanced at Rafael over the frame of his glasses.
Rafael nodded his head before he sharply turned on his heel and headed toward the conference room. As he approached the closed door, he could see JJ through the open blinds of the window. She spotted him and gave him a single wave. He waved back before he knocked on the door and then entered.
Rollins was quite surprised by his presence. "You got the wiretap warrant that fast?" she questioned, standing up and looking at him with wide eyes.
Rafael smiled smugly. "I'm quick."
WIthout even looking up or missing a beat, JJ glanced up at him. "Not something most men usually brag about," she said rather quietly...but loud enough for him to hear.
For a moment, Rafael was stunned by her quick quip. His mouth was open to say something, but for once, he had nothing. JJ laughed. "What? Last time I checked, you haven't trademarked the snarky comeback."
Rafael shook his head and rolled his eyes. It was probably best to get back on track otherwise this conversation could go even farther south pretty fast. He cleared his throat. "We live yet?" he asked.
The man running the wiretap glanced back at Rafael, trying to hide a smile. Rafael rolled his eyes as the man turned back toward his system and turned the volume up so that everyone in the room could hear what was going on. A few seconds later, Wendi's voice came through the speakers. "Peter? Peter."
Peter's voice responded, "Something wrong, Wendi?"
Wendi's voice said,"Just, uh, hitting some traffic. Why don't you take the dog to the vet."
Rafael shook his head. She knew. They knew. That much was obvious especially after one phone clicked off and then the other. "Tell me what got a location on her phone," Rafael said gruffy, folding his arms across his chest.
"The South Shore, Staten Island," JJ stated, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "That's all we got before the phone powered down. The signal's lost."
Rafael slowly exhaled the breath he had been holding. "Tell Benson and Amaro not to lose Wendi. She's our only link to Peter now."
"Already on it," Rollins stated with her cell phone pressed against her ear.
He nodded his head and shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing around the room. Both JJ and Rollins appeared to jump into action. He didn't want to be a hindrance, especially not with a teenage girl on the line. 'I'll-uh, just get going. Keep me in loop," he said.
JJ, who was also on the phone, nodded her head and waved her hand goodbye to him. He nodded his head in return and walked out of the conference room. When he was a few steps into the hallway, he took a glance back through the window. JJ looked very focused. It was obvious that she was good at her job, but he couldn't help but wonder where she got her drive. He assumed it had something to do with the reason, but that was all he knew. One thing was for certain, Jillian Jacobs was one puzzle he hadn't quite figured out yet.
Hours later after the sun had set, Rafael was once again alone in his office working. With his hands behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. He probably should head home soon. He hadn't left the office since he had returned after his trip to the 16th precinct which was hours ago. Truthfully, he was waiting for a phone call about Emily. He wanted to know if she was safe and if the bastard who orchestrated everything was in police custody. It was moments like that, where you knew you had helped save someone, that made everything worth it.
He closed his eyes for a moment when a knock came at his door. His eyes quickly opened to find JJ standing at the entrance to his office with a soft smile on her face. God, she looked beautiful. Even after what he assumed was a long few days on the job, she was still gorgeous. Not that he was going to say anything about that. Instead, he stood up and motioned for her to come inside.
"Kinda figured you'd still be here," JJ said softly.
"Am I that obvious?" Rafael chuckled as he motioned for her to take a seat on one of the chairs in front of him. She did.
JJ smiled again. "When it comes to your job, yeah, you are."
For a moment, he wanted to press the issue. What did she mean by that? Were there times when he did surprise her? He supposed that much was obvious. But instead of voicing his response, he nodded his head. Rafael then leaned forward and changed the subject. "Did you get the bastard?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah. That's why I dropped by. I wanted to tell you that we have Peter and Wendi, whose real name is Jane Karlreiss, in custody and Emily is safe with her family."
Rafael nodded his head. "That's good. Hopefully, Emily will be able to have a normal life now."
JJ sighed. "I hope so too, but she's never gonna forget what happened to her. No matter how hard she tries, it's always going to be a part of her. From now on, all her life choices will somehow be impacted by it and the sad part is that she might not even realize it until years later."
Her words hit him...hard. He had a feeling that they weren't just about Emily. Lightly, Rafael asked, "Are you speaking from experience."
Her gaze met his and her lips thinned as they pressed together. For a few moments, their eyes stayed on each other in silence, neither daring to look away. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and looked downward. "It's the truth, isn't it?"
Rafael sighed. "Yeah, I suppose so." He didn't want to cause her pain, but he wanted her to open up to him. He wanted her to share what weighed so heavily on her heart. Even though he didn't know much of anything about the situation, he knew that it bothered JJ and that bothered him. He didn't like seeing her in pain and that scared him. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this about someone before.
JJ stood and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Well, I just came to tell you how things turned out," she said somewhat awkwardly.
"You could have called," Rafael stated, arching an eyebrow curiously.
She sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I could have. I just...didn't." Her confession made him smile, but he wasn't entirely sure why. JJ glanced at him and cleared her throat. "Well, I'm gonna head out then." She turned on her heel and headed toward the door.
"JJ, hang on," Rafael said. JJ stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder. "If you give me a minute, I'll walk out with you. I was gonna leave before you stopped by."
JJ eyed him curiously as they made eye contact. She sighed and leaned against the frame of the door. 'Yeah, ok."
Rafael packed up as quickly as he possibly could. He shoved papers into his briefcase and his laptop into it's case. Occasionally, he glanced over at JJ to see her watching him, but he couldn't gauge her expression. Was she amused? Was she annoyed? Dammit-he wanted to know.
Finally, he was ready to go. JJ waited for him as he locked his office before they walked to the elevator. As they stood in the elevator, Rafael pressed the button for the ground level. The sound of JJ's stomach grumbling filled the elevator. He smiled knowingly as she clutched her stomach. "You wouldn't by chance be hungry?" Rafael asked.
"Starving," JJ chuckled. "Vending machine food only gets me so far."
"Good, I haven't eaten either. I found this place a few blocks down that I think you'll like." He paused for a moment and looked at her. "That is, if you want to go."
JJ simply nodded her head. Rafael nodded his head back in response. The elevator dinged and they walked to the restaurant together. Neither aware that it was the start of something more.
Author's Note: Annnndddd here's another chapter! :) In case you couldn't tell, this chapter was more from Rafael's perspective. Thanks again, Renny Autumn for the idea. ;) Thanks to all of you who had read/reviewed/followed/favorited! Wow! I am still floored by the response ya'll give me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all your kindness and support! It means the world to me!
Superpsychonatural: D'awwww! Thank you! You got more Jarba goodness this chapter too! :)
WaitingForTheLights: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I hope you liked this one as well! :)
Hidden Journey: AHHHHH! I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE LIKING THEM, HOPEFULLY AS MUCH AS I ENJOY WRITING THEM. (I WROTE IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE YOU DID. HAHA)
Wayward Jules: Yay! We still have a bit before they get together, but they are getting there.
Hoqwaarts: D'aww! Thanks, friend! You got even MORE Jarba this chapter!
Patrickvrona: Sorry this one took so long to get out! Been very busy, but I hope it was still enjoyable! :)
Tooclosefortety: I'm glad that I was able to update close to your birthday! Sorry it's been so long! (Life was very busy. haha) I'm glad you enjoyed all the Rafael/JJ scenes last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! :)
Slow Dancing in the Snow; D'awwww! You're too sweet, Ani! Haha. There was more Jarba this chapter too, friend! Your compliments are so nice! Thank you! I think we all want them to get together already! But they're slowly getting there! Haha.
CurseYouTinyToilet: Thank you!
Leiatemperance: Thanks, friend! :)
Moonslusth: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I hope this one was enjoyable too! :) D'awwww-wishing JJ was canon is like the highest compliment an author can get! Thank you! That made me smile.
ColdAndBrokenHallelujah: Thanks!
Belongtonoman: D'awwww! Thank you for appreciating my story! Your complimentary review was perfect! Your words were perfect! Thanks! :)
NoGuyLikeGaston: Thank you!
Always Keeps Fighting: I'm trying, my friend. I'm trying! Haha.
Carry On Hallelujah: D'awwww! Thank you so much1
Guest (1): Thanks!
RHatch89: Thank you for all your support! :) I truly appreciate it, friend!
Nixdragon: Well, I just made a sandwich artist who hates them *cough cough* haha.
Fantasy.92: D'awww! I'm flattered you chose my little story to read! :) All things will be revealed with time, my friend! ;)
Werewitchling; Hahah! I ship them so hard too! It's kinda scary how much I ship them (especially since I'm supposed to because I'm the author lol)
Guest (2): I'm glad you enjoyed the last update! Hope you like this one too! :)
Guest (3): Thanks!
SarcaticEnigma: Hello friend! It's all good! :) I know you got my back, even if fanfiction is determined to tear us apart. ;) haha. Thank you so much for the compliments in your review! Your review was something every author loves to hear! So, thank you! :)
Thelandofstories: Thanks!
Saige Marie: Haha-yeah, they only kinda like each other. ;) Thanks for your reviews!
Of Shadows on the Stars: Thanks for your reviews, friend! :)
S0ME0NE LIKE Y0U: Thanks!
Guest (4) a.k.a. Renny Autumn: Wellllll...it might be a little bit before that happens! Haha. But it will! (Unless I purposely stop just to spite you...muah hahahah {not that I could actually do that, but the threat exists. haha}) And now you know what's he's thinking!
Notaboutcat: When I got your review, it literally made my day! I wasn't expecting it (and I was in a movie) and then I was like *gasp* haha. I always love when a friend reads my stuff-so thanks! And right? Barba is my new fave too! I didn't think i was going to like him at first...but dangit! Haha.
AriellaBlake: I've kinda already told you this, but your review was so sweet and complimentary! Getting it made my day! You're super sweet, my friend! :) I'm so glad that you're enjoying JJ. She's kinda like me...but much more badass! Haha. I'm glad you "get" her relationship with Barba. Granted, it will kinda seem like they're moving kinda fast, but there are passages of time between Barba episodes! Lol. So, thank you SO much for your support, friend! :)
Also, there's a new JJ/Barba video on my page (and youtube) "Never Stop" the link is toward the end of my profile. Hope ya'll like it! Thanks for everything! :)
