A/N: Happy birthday, whenaspritemeetsaunicorn! This one is for you. :)

Early morning sunlight streamed in through the cracked window, washing over Blanca's face as she closed her eyes; hoping, praying, willing for her wish to come true. Hunched over, she sat on the closed lid of the toilet, grasping a tiny white stick in her hands. Her heart fluttered with anticipation. After what felt like an eternity, the allocated time had passed, and she opened her eyes.

Negative.

A tsunami of disappointment crashed down on her. She threw the test to the floor, a scream ripping out of her throat. Maybe it had been wishful thinking or simple blind hope but she had felt pregnant this month. She had wanted it so badly that her body had betrayed her. She gasped in gulpfuls of air as she sobbed.

The door burst open and Diablo immediately rushed towards her. "What's wrong?" he asked, though he had an inkling. His eyes immediately went to the test on the floor. With every month, she took the news a little bit harder.

It had been easier in prison. The first negative test had crushed her, but she was able to tell herself that prison was no place to get pregnant. That she wasn't eating right, or sleeping right, that she needed to workout more and get fit. Now...well, now she ate fresh fruit from the farmer's market. She worked out morning and night when she got in from her job and whilst it was dreamless, she slept fine. Everything was perfect...except every month saw another negative test.

She let Diablo hold her close and whisper words that were supposed to be reassuring into her ear. They barely touched the sides of her pain and though she found comfort in her arms there was little he could do to reassure her. Hopeless. It was beginning to feel hopeless.

"It's never going to happen," Blanca cried. "I'm never going to be a mother. Why does nothing ever work out for us? First prison, then ICE, now I've wasted my fertile years rotting inside a cell without you. Did I do something fucking awful in a past life?"

"No, mi amor," Diablo sighed, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. He rested his cheek against the top of his head. "I guess...I guess it's just not our time right now. It'll happen. Everything happens for a reason."

"It's not fucking fair!" Blanca sobbed.

Months of trying had given her nothing but heartache, one devastating, lonely chemical pregnancy that had tossed her breadcrumbs of hope only to rip them away again and a rift in her relationship. Diablo tried but he would never understand how empty she felt every single month upon seeing that test flashing her failure once more.

"I don't want diamonds or a million dollars. I just want a baby," she wept. "Is that so much to ask? Bitches in prison had six, seven kids! Aleida had a little league team come out of her! And she didn't even want them."

She crawled over to the test and picked it back up, hoping that a miracle had happened and that it would tell her she was pregnant.

"I know, baby," he said, swallowing hard to stop himself from choking up. "And you will make a wonderful mother…" he prised the test from her clenched fist and threw it in the trash can next to the toilet. "Just...not this month."

The weeks passed until one day, Diablo came home from work clutching a leaflet. Blanca looked up from the couch when he burst through the door.

"I have something I want you to take a look at," he said. "And don't say no before you think about it."

Blanca glanced at him warily. "What is it?"

He passed her the leaflet. Her heart clenched as she saw a photo of a baby on the front, next to bold letters claiming: Your future child is waiting for you!

"Adoption?" she asked, looking up at him. "They don't give babies to ex-cons," she said cynically, frowning.

"They do," he said. "As long as it isn't an offence against a child, or a violent one," he explained. "Blanca, baby, we could be parents! There's private adoption, too, I've seen it on 16 and Pregnant-"

"You watch that shit?" Blanca wrinkled her nose. "Besides, I've got less chance of some white bitch giving me a baby than I have of getting pregnant," she complained. "No pregnant teenager is going to look at us and hand her child over."

"Maybe not," he said, his hope shrinking by the second, "But maybe there's a child out there that needs a home who no-one wants. It doesn't have to be a baby, does it?"

Blanca paused thoughtfully. "I guess not."

Her vision when she got out of prison was a baby, sure, but that didn't mean it had to be one to make her happy. To start - and complete - their family.

"There are orphans and children of incarcerated people and kids who have no-one, Blanca. They need us and we just want a kid, don't we? Why not choose one that really needs us?"

"No stretch marks, either," Blanca murmured, a wicked smirk pulling her lips upwards. She thought for a moment before grabbing his hand tightly. "Do you remember Karla?"

"Of course I do," Diablo said, sliding down next to her on the couch. "If it weren't for her, you'd still be in an ICE detention center. We owe her so much. Maybe we should contact her to thank her."

"Good luck with that," Blanca retorted, pressing her lips together sadly. "I have no idea where she is. She got deported, but after that...I don't know."

Diablo squeezed Blanca's hand. "So what about her?"

"Well, I can't repay her, but I know that her kids are on their own...she had two little boys. Two little boys all on their own in the world."

Diablo looked doubtful. "I'm sure they're not still in the system," he said, his brow wrinkling. "But we could look into it, if that's what you wanted."

"It is," Blanca said. And for the first time in months, the ache in her chest lessened. The yearning was still there, but it had a purpose now, a place to pour all the love that had nowhere to go. "It really is."

After months of phone calls and meetings, the day had finally arrived; Blanca and Diablo were going to meet Abel and Benji. Blanca tightened her coat around her middle, fiddling with the belt. Anything to take her mind off of what was about to happen. The plastic chairs of the waiting room dug into her spine and Diablo was far too big to fit comfortably in the seat, but they sat there and they sat there, watching as the clock ticked down the seconds.

Applications had been easy. Talking to the social worker had been more difficult, but worth it. But this moment was indescribable for Blanca. Nothing would compare to the dry mouth, the sweat pricking underneath her arms. The social worker had assured her that it seemed likely that they could adopt the children, but anything could go wrong. What if they didn't like her? What if they were afraid of Diablo? There were so many things that could jeopardize this, and she had thought through every scenario as she lay awake at night, unable to sleep.

She'd been saddened to hear that Karla had never found her way back to them, but if there was anything she would have wanted more than anything, it would have been for them to have a good life with parents who loved them. Blanca and Diablo could do that, they knew they could. It was only a matter of time.

Blanca clutched Diablo's hand in her own sweaty palm. He held her trembling fingers tight. "This is the start of something," he reminded her. "You don't have to be nervous."

"I am," she admitted, sweeping her hair out of her eyes. She watched Diablo give her a small smile. The effort she'd put into her appearance for this meeting was jarring to see. Her lips were lined in pink, her eyes sparkling and with gold shadow swept across the lids. It was just enough to look like she'd made an effort, but not too much to look like she was going out on the town. Her leg bounced anxiously as they waited.

An enternity passed before the double doors swung open and a social worker emerged with two lonely little boys. Blanca was immediately captivated by them. She could hardly believe her eyes; they were so sweet. So far away from the sticky handed brats she had to fend off at the grocery store. Not that she should talk like that anymore, she tried to remind herself every time she thought it.

"Ms Flores, Mr Zuniga," she smiled at them, recognizing them from the video chat they'd had previously. "It is so lovely to finally meet you. This is Abel," she said, placing her hand on the shoulder of the smaller boy, "And this is Benji," she said, nodding to the taller, older child.

"It's so nice to meet you all," Blanca said, her nerves dissipating. "I'm Blanca, boys. And this is Diab-this is Dario," she quickly corrected herself. "We've been waiting so long to meet you."

"Hello," the little one said. He eyed Blanca from behind the social worker's leg. He hung from her pant leg, tilting his head. His curiosity overrode his fear. "Miss Delilah says you know my mommy."

"I do," Blanca said, her eyes shining. "She told me all about you and your brother. She loves you so much, you know."

The older boy frowned. "But she's not here," he said angrily. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. A defiant look clouded over his face. "She said she would be here. If she loved us, she would be here."

"I know, sweetheart," Blanca said, swallowing hard. "But I know if she could be with you, she would do anything to make that happen. Your mom loves you more than anything else in this world. Sometimes...sometimes things just don't work out how you want them to. You know?"

"Like baseball," he said, softening a little. "I used to win for my team…" he shrugged. "But I don't play anymore."

"The group home where they're both living is in a very poor school district," the social worker explained, an apologetic look on her face. "It's difficult, but it's there or nowhere. Benji has found it more difficult to adjust," she admitted. "I'm afraid the system is just stretched too thinly at the moment. The children have everything they need, but perhaps not everything they would like."

"Someone stole my baseball mitt," Benji frowned, wrinkling his nose. "And they took Abel's shoes."

The social worker grimaced at their honesty. "Everything is replaced," she said diplomatically, although by the look on Benji's face, that wasn't strictly true.

Blanca nodded, deep in thought. She hadn't realized that things were so bad; that they were in a group home and struggling with even the basics. Who wouldn't want these sweet little guys? It broke her heart to know they'd been left behind and she knew it would have broken Karla's heart if she were there to see it too. Wherever she was, Blanca was determined to do her proud.

"I was always good at baseball," Diablo added. "I would love to play with you sometime."

Abel jumped out from behind her legs. "I want to play too!"

"Of course," Diablo said, a twinkle in his eye. "We can all play."

At the end of the session, Blanca felt like she was walking on clouds. Another meeting had been arranged for the next week, more paperwork had been signed, and things were finally looking up. She was beginning to lose that weary look she had grown accustomed to.

She was looking forward to what they'd coined The Day. The Day was when the boys would finally come home with them. Maybe it was looking too far into the future now, but Blanca didn't think so. That night, she prayed before she climbed into bed. It would be a long journey, but one that was worth it. Every worry line she gained from it was fine by her.

More weeks passed. The wait seemed endless. Until one day, after another visit with the kids, they got the news they were waiting for.

Diablo stood in the doorway of the small room, watching Blanca fly around it. She stopped every now and again to pick up a piece of lint or to flick a speck of dust.

"Do you think they'll like it?" Blanca asked, straightening the bed sheets on the dinosaur set she'd bought for Abel. On the other side of the room was another twin bed, adorned with superhero memorabilia. "It's small, I know, but I think it's cozy, and I know they have to share, but-"

"They'll love it, mi amor," Diablo reassured her. "They will see the love that went into it, no doubt about it."

He pulled her in close and she leaned against his chest. It thudded wildly and she smiled at the sound and feel of it.

"You're nervous."

"I'm not," Diablo said. "I'm ready."

Blanca looked up at him. "I'm ready too."

The Day had finally arrived.

"Wow, Benji, look!" Abel cried as he tore through the small house. "There's a garden! And there's a swing set!"

It had taken weeks of wages to afford the small, simple swing set, and even longer to actually get it put together, but the look on Abel's face was priceless. The younger of the two had always been more forthcoming and open to affection than his older brother. On the car ride home he'd chatted happily about finally getting to sleep in his bedroom; Blanca had described it to him on their latest visit. The last time they'd visited Blanca and Diablo's house the room hadn't quite been finished yet. Blanca had explained that they didn't want to jinx anything, but it was done now. Ready and waiting for the little boys it had been so lovingly created for.

Benji however hung back, clutching his bag to his chest. The group home had been cramped and overrun with kids, but it had been home. At least for a little while. And these people weren't his parents, despite what the social worker had been trying to convince him. His chin wobbled as he tried to contain his emotion.

Abel didn't appear to notice his brother's distress. He tugged on his hand and looked up at him hopefully. "Don't you wanna go outside, Benji?"

"It's okay," Blanca said quickly. "I bet you want to see your room, don't you? Then you can unpack all of your things and settle in." She leant down so only Benji could hear her. "It's okay if you're not excited," she said, though her heart clenched at the thought of him being unhappy in her home. "New places can be scary, huh?"

He nodded.

She straightened and raised her voice. "Let's check out your room!"

Abel slipped his hand into Diablo's as they walked to the bedroom whilst Benji stuck close to Blanca. Diablo opened it up with a flourish, revealing freshly painted walls and carefully placed rugs. A room with a clear divide in the middle. One half Abel's, the other Benji's. A lamp glowed in one corner and Blanca switched it off as she opened the curtains, flooding light into the room.

"Woah," Abel gasped, running over to the toy box in the corner of the room. He pulled out a dinosaur and a racecar, holding both up and marvelling at them. "Is this all mine?" He jumped up and flopped onto his bed. "There's even a brontosaurus on my bed!"

Diablo nodded. "Of course!"

"Well, and your brother's," Blanca added quickly. She put her arm around Benji's shoulder and was relieved when he didn't shake it off. "What do you think, hmm?"

Benji shrugged. His gaze fell to his bed, where a brand new baseball glove sat on the pillow. Then his chin began to wobble and tears started to drip down his cheeks.

Over his head, Blanca and Diablo exchanged nervous glances.

"Oh, Benji," Blanca said quickly, squeezing him gently. "What's wrong? Don't you like it? It's okay if you don't; we can change it to whatever you want to!"

She ignored Diablo's glance in her direction. He was worried about paying for said new room. They'd barely scraped together the money to pay for this one, but if he wasn't comfortable in his room, she was determined to make him feel better.

"No," he said, wiping his nose with his sleeve, "It's not that."

Blanca's brow creased. "What is it then?"

"It's just…." he sniffed a little before continuing. "It feels like home." He looked up to Blanca. "My mom always decorated our room just like this...she picked everything out for us. The group home wasn't like home, but this is. And you even got me a new baseball mitt…"

Blanca felt herself tearing up. She bent down to her knees and drew both boys in. "That's because this is home," she said decisively. "Forever, hm? This is home. And of course I did! You're gonna rock at the games in your new school. I checked, you know. They play baseball weekly!"

Abel watched the scene unfolding carefully. He looked at Blanca thoughtfully.

"What is it, buddy?" she asked him.

"Can we play on the swing set now?"

The tension in the room now broken, everyone managed a laugh. Blanca nodded enthusiastically. When she had pictured bringing the boys home, she had pictured two happy boys kicking their legs out and arguing over who could swing the highest.

"Of course we can," she said. "If you're feeling up to it, Benji? Or Diablo could take Abel and we could stay inside, if you want."

Benji finally set his bag down on his bed and smoothed down the covers. He shook his head. "No. I want to try the swings too," he admitted. "A boy in school said he could swing over the bars!"

Blanca squeezed Diablo's hand. Happiness swelled in her heart and she felt...content. "Wow," she murmured. "I'd love to see that."

The months rolled by without a hitch. Benji thrived in his baseball team and Abel made a friend who liked dinosaurs as much as he did, if that was even possible. Diablo came home from work every day to find his family (the novelty still hadn't worn off, of actually having a family of his own) waiting for him and Blanca revelled in the chaos that two little boys brought into their lives. She found herself so busy that she didn't even notice when she missed a period, and then two, and then three…

Like that fateful day over a year ago, Blanca found herself sitting on the lid of the toilet, with a test clutched in her fingers. This time, though, she found her heart pounding for a different reason. Any minute now there could be a little knock on the door or someone calling for her. This time the result didn't seem quite so important. She'd found her children. She didn't need a baby. Still...she peeked a look at the little window of the stick.

Later that day, Blanca sat Benji and Abel down on the couch. She stood in front of them and two pairs of curious eyes stared up at her. She wait for a moment, until she couldn't contain her excitement anymore. With a quick glance to Diablo, she burst out with, "I'm going to have a baby!"

Diablo had been thrilled to hear the news. He grinned at her from behind the couch and bent down, ruffling the boys' hair. "A baby!" he whooped.

"A baby?" Abel echoed. He looked to his brother, a pensive look clouding his features. He squirmed in his seat and then looked to her decidedly flat stomach. "You're having a baby?"

"What's the matter, mijo?" Blanca asked, tilting her head. She bent to the boys' level and looked them in the eye. She swallowed hard at the looks on their faces. She'd expected elation and joy, just like she'd felt. Instead, they sat on their hands and stared up at her, their faces blank. In fact, Benji looked at her as though she were a traitor.

Diablo stood up from behind Blanca. He placed his hand on Benji's shoulder gently. "You don't want a brother or sister, buddy?"

He shook his head wordlessly. "You won't want us now you have your own baby," he said quietly. He stared at the floor and let Abel slip a hand into his. "You'll give us back."

The smile slipped from Blanca's face in an instant. "You think that?" she asked, pushing down the hurt. "I would never do that to you!"

Diablo looked as uncomfortable as Blanca felt. "That is never going to happen," he said, frowning. "We love you both very much, you know that, right?"

Abel looked up hopefully. "So we're staying?"

"It isn't even a question!" Blanca said, as evenly as she could manage. "You're stuck with me forever, boys. This baby is going to be your little brother or sister! They'll need big brothers to teach them how to play baseball and the names of every dinosaur under the sun, won't they? Huh?"

Abel grinned at her. Benji allowed himself a small smile too.

"I guess so," he said.

"I know so!" Blanca exclaimed. "Now come here, you two," she bent down and they rushed towards her, clinging to her as she squeezed them tight. Diablo wrapped his arms around all of them. "I love you both so much," she murmured in their ears. "My family."

"Our family," Diablo corrected. "Forever."

Blanca locked eyes with him and over the boys' heads she planted a kiss on his lips. "Forever," she agreed.

A/N:

Hey guys, I hope you're all well. I wouldn't usually write Blanca and Diablo fics but I was asked to write this and of course birthday girls get what they request. :)

Let me know what you thought if you want. I hope this whole quarantine is finding you all well, I know it's tough. Stay safe out there!

- Star xo