A True Queen

Paring: OC/James, Teresa/Guero

Summary: it isn't Teresa's future self that guides her; it's Concetta. A woman who's seen and endured some twisted shit. Concetta is the definition of a survivor and she'll protect Teresa with her life.

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EJERCICIO CINCO

Un Alma, Un Mapa, A futuro

Once again, Concetta was sat stretched out on the bed in the mule cage as Teresa slept curled onto her lap. She could feel Teresa twitching in her sleep and she wondered what good times Teresa was remembering this time?

When the clink of the fence gate opened and James walked in, she sighed knowing he was headed straight for them.

James smirked when Concetta gave a groan as he stopped in front of them. "What time is it?" she asked him

"It's 3:00 pm" James announced looking as irritated as he always did in her presence. "Wake her up" he demanded impatiently nodding towards a sleeping Teresa.

Concetta gave him a deadly look before nudging Teresa awake. Teresa finally sat up with a yawn an rubbed her eyes before looking between Concetta and James in silent question. Concetta shrugged a shoulder not sure what was happening just yet either.

"Come on" James grunted

"Where?" Teresa sighed as she lent forward and put on her shoes

James looked between them, his face as serious as ever while he answered, "I'm going to kill someone"

Teresa looked down right horrified and Concetta snorted in laughter but at Teresa's pointed look, muffled it with her hand. James didn't even blink at either of them before turning and walking away - expecting them to follow him. She had never been someone to try and deny the facts - and the facts is that Concetta didn't care who died as long as it wasn't them.

That's the honest truth.

Concetta was self aware enough to be able to admit it without hesitation.

She supposed she had seen too many people die at such a young age that she had become more desensitised to it than people usually are. However, that was something that had saved her life more than once before. It didn't bother Concetta - even if it probably should have. As she followed an utterly shocked Teresa out of the warehouse, walking behind James as he marched ahead of them.

Concetta was once again thankful for the fact she simply didn't care.

She had killed before... this was nothing new!

They jumped in the car, Teresa taking the front passenger seat while Concetta sat in the middle of the back seat. She would have to keep an eye on Teresa. Killing wasn't something Teresa was going to take lightly, that much was obvious.

"Who are you going to kill?" Teresa demanded to known as James drove. "If your going to do that, I should know what's going on"

James only sighed, "You'll find out when you need to know"

The way he dismissed Teresa, almost like he was testing to see her reaction made Concetta frown in confusion. It made her wonder if James was just saying this to get Teresa used to the fact that Cartel's kill people. To try and expose her some to the reality of her situation.

When they pulled up to a large building of apartments on a random street, James stopped the car and got out.

"Listen to me" Teresa panicked, "I'm not doing this"

Concetta sighed and got out of the car to stand on the curb not really wanting to hear Teresa's reaction or James response. James glanced her way when he got out - almost as if he was expecting to see her freaking out or something. He looked a little surprised when Concetta smirked and shrugged a shoulder at him.

"Hey!" Teresa scrambled out of the car, "Listen, I'm not killing anyone!"

James grunted in irritation turning to Teresa and pointing a finger at himself, "I said 'I'm' going to kill someone. Not you, and not here. Although in this house, there is someone I'd like to kill at times" he commented

Concetta barely managed to pick up on the fondness in his controlled tone.

Before Teresa could say anything else James was crossing the street. Concetta followed behind him while Teresa tried to catch up and process his words. They were walking up the stairs in the apartment building and Concetta couldn't help but notice it was much bigger than any place she had stayed at in Mexico. Well, that didn't include Guero's mansion because that was a really big house... only large places weren't really Concetta's opinion of nice.

"Where are we? Who lives here?" Teresa questioned in a hushed whisper

"James girlfriend" Concetta supplied as casual as ever and crashed into James back when he stopped abruptly.

He turned around to face her with surprise and then suspicion flashing across his face. "How the fuck did you know that?" James questioned tensely as he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

A smirk grew on her face before a small chuckle escaped - she rather liked that she had been the one to get a reaction out of him this time. Concetta preferred this much more than she liked him fishing for a reaction from her all the time.

If he thought she hadn't noticed that then he was wrong.

Concetta shrugged, "I guessed. You must really like this one - even when you're wishing her dead you sound fond of her" she gave him a nod before slinking past him and up the stairs until he caught up to her again.

"If I find out your-" James started in a low and angry voice but Concetta scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at him without even turning to see his reaction. She knew from the wide smirk on Teresa's face that it was a comical sight and Concetta relished in that knowledge.

They walked into the apartment hearing the television on. James not so gently pushed past to be the first through the door. A redheaded woman was sitting on the couch when they walked in to the living area.

"Hey, babe" James greeted kissing the woman who smiled at him.

"You didn't say you were coming home so I didn't order any food" the woman drew out in her southern accent, one that wasn't as attractive as the few times Concetta had heard it on a novella back in Mexico.

"I'm not here really" James sighed, "I just need two of your dresses"

Concetta walked further into the room then, inspecting the home that was so much different to any she had seen before. People in America seemed to like the 'unlived in' look in their homes. Concetta much preferred a warm looking place herself though.

"A dress?" the redhead scoffed

James nodded to his girlfriend, "Turn around"

When the redhead turned to face them, her eyes widened as she took in her two unknown guests. Then stood to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Kim" the woman smiled widely at them.

Teresa, always the people pleaser, smiled in return while Concetta maintained her bored and stoic expression as she always did.

This was no different.

Teresa stretched a hand out to the woman, Kim, and gestured to herself, "Teresa... and this is Valentina"

"Hola" Concetta nodded thankful Teresa hadn't slipped up again on the name and had remembered to call her Valentina this time.

"Hi" Kim nodded at them both, "What do you need a dress for?"

"Work" James supplied knowing neither of them had any clue on what to say to the woman or exactly how much Kim even knew about what James actually did for work.

Kim nodded, "Alright. Well, come on"

"Make it a high-end dress, a nice one" James told his girlfriend as the woman gestured for them to follow her up the stairs. For the first time it wasn't Teresa who hesitated in following an instruction... it was Concetta. James raised a brow as if this amused him. Concetta shot him a nasty glare as she huffed and followed Teresa and Kim up the stairs.

This was not her idea of a good time!

"I'd rather get shot" Concetta grumbled as explanation when she caught up and Teresa gave her a confused frown.

"I've got more than I can say grace over" Kim interrupted the moment as they walked into the large closet.

Concetta was sure this woman's closet was the same damn size as the cage all the 7 mules are currently living in back at the warehouse.

"He spoils me, not gonna lie" Kim chuckled noting their reactions.

Concetta shared a look with Teresa who only rolled her eyes at Concetta's dislike of this fancy dress shit. It was an argument they'd had back in Mexico as well.

"How long have you been working with James?" Kim asked them

Teresa smiled and shrugged, "Not long"

"Well, you can learn a lot from him if you stick close" Kim smiled as if this was all one big great time for the woman. "He's moving up. You know that though, huh?"

Kim handed Teresa a knee length, sparkly, red dress. Concetta winced when Kim handed her a black one that was even shorter and had a deeper V neck dip in the front.

Teresa elbowed her in the side and Concetta muttered, "Thank you" to Kim who didn't seem any the wiser. Either that woman, Kim, is a good actor or she's stupid. Concetta hadn't decided which one it was yet. "Get dressed" Teresa prompted with a chuckle

Concetta muttered and cursed the entire time she got herself into the dress. Catching a look at herself in the mirror, Concetta decided that while she looked very sexy in the dress... she still wasn't happy about wearing it.

Unlike Teresa who looked natural in the red dress Kim had picked for her to wear.

With her naturally wavy, raven black hair down, the shorter pieces framed Concetta's face perfectly. It made her think of the pictures she used to have of her mama. Concetta looked like a spitting image of the beautiful woman who had been her mother. With natural and plentiful curves, large tetes and an ass that most dreamed of having; she was stunning without the dress.

She didn't need a fancy dress to look good...

"You look good" Teresa nodded at her

Concetta huffed and walked away quickly before Teresa could try and comment further on the dress. Concetta knew she looked good in it - that wasn't her issue - she just didn't like the fancy dress shit. No matter how 'elegant' it could make her look.

Nothing was about to change her mind on that.

Thankful that Kim had owned a pair of black heeled ankle boots, Concetta was a lot more comfortable in her shoes than Teresa. Not that she really cared though, because Teresa liked dressing up and shit.

Whereas Concetta very much does not, in any way, like this.

When she walked down the stairs James was standing in front of the table yelling over his shoulder at them, clearly not having heard her walk down the stairs yet. "Come on! Are you choosing a dress or sewing one?"

Concetta snorted making James whirl around in surprise - she had forgotten how quietly she walked. It was a habit from her past that she had never been able to get rid of. It use to piss Guero off more than anything else she had ever done. James opened his mouth to comment but Concetta cut him off with a dark look in her eyes. "If you say anything I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll taste what's on the bottoms of your girlfriends shoes... claro?"

"Claro" James smirked before shaking his head and turning back to the table.

A phone buzzed and James glanced at her before he quickly picked it up. Whatever it said, James must not have liked it because Concetta watched him become more tense than she had ever seen him before.

Teresa's heels clicked as she walked down the stairs with Kim hot on her heel having done extra makeup and hair that Concetta had outright refused.

"Jimmy, don't make her run in my shoes" Kim smirked as she approached James, not sensing something was off just yet. "Otherwise your gonna have to buy me a new pair"

James ignored the comment, "Are you going out tonight?" he asked Kim with something aching to jealousy in his controlled voice.

"With Cara" Kim nodded and shrugged still smiling brightly

"Yeah? Who else is going to be there?" James questioned

Concetta resisted the urge to scoff at what she was hearing. The fact that Kim was cheating on a guy like James truly amazed Concetta. She decided Kim had to be stupid for screwing around on someone working in a cartel. Little pita would get herself killed messing with a man like James if she wasn't careful.

"You're worried about that oil guy, aren't you?" Kim said with a chuckle as she kissed James and assured him there was nothing going on.

Concetta had seen her fair shared of cheating husbands, and the occasional wives, but at least they were all smart enough to be somewhat convincing! This puta wasn't even able to convince a stranger... how the hell did she think she was convincing James of this shit?

Maybe they were here to kill the puta after all?

James let Kim kiss him once more before turning to face Concetta and Teresa who were standing near the door waiting on him. He sighed, "Come on" and he clearly wasn't happy that they'd heard about his relationship problems.

Maybe that was why he let it go - cause they were here too?

If it had been her, she wouldn't of wanted to show weakness either...

Concetta was sitting in the front seat beside James as they pulled up to some fancy estate with cars parked out the front and a line to get through the door. Whoever this party was for; they sure knew a lot of gringos... with really bad taste of music.

"Dios this musica es horrible!" Concetta complained

James shot her an exasperated look as he answered his ringing phone, "Yeah?... Black car right out front... You see me? Great"

A woman in a black shiny dress approached the car and leaned in James window as she popped her gum. "Hey, James" the woman flashed James a smile. Her blonde hair falling in front of her face as she ducked to be eye level with him.

"You smell like cinnamon gum" James said looking a little irritated that he was having to make conversation with the woman in the first place, but doing it nonetheless.

"Well maybe that's because I'm always chewing cinnamon gum" the woman told him as she snapped her gum again.

"Los estadounidenses son tan raros" Concetta gave a pleasant smile to the woman and met Teresa's eyes in the rear-view mirror as Teresa snorted and muffled her laughter. James looked at her sighing and Concetta held up her hands, "¿Qué? ¿Me equivoco?" she defended.

"Is this her?" The woman asked nodding to Concetta

"Yeah - This is Gloria" James said, "She's gonna take the two of you inside the party" He handed the woman, Gloria, money through the window that the woman placed in her purse.

"Come on baby girls, let's go" Gloria smiled as she stood up and walked away to wait by the car.

Concetta moved to get out of the car but was stopped by James hand on her wrist. He gave her and Teresa a serious look, "Before you go, I want you to take this device - you go inside and you wait for me to call you"

Teresa reached forward for the device, inspecting it as she glanced back up at James. "That's it?" Teresa frowned

"That's it - there's nothing to it" James nodded easily

"What does it do?" Teresa asked slipping it into her purse

James smirked slightly before answering, "It messes up birds. So, listen, the guy that's having the party; that's Eric. That's the guy you want to stay away from" he advised

Concetta nodded her understanding and got out of the car, rounding to Teresa's side of the car before following after Gloria. James stayed in the car to do whatever the fuck it was he had come here to do.

"They're with me" Gloria told the bouncers who nodded at them to go on inside.

The party was full of people dancing to some loud electronic music that Concetta hated with a passion. It hurt her ears to listen to this shit. There was cocaine everywhere for men and scantily dressed women to indulge. The music combined with the squawking of stupid birds made her like the gringo party even less than she had before.

Why the hell do people come to America?

Concetta had heard of people spending their life's savings to get to America for 'a better life' and all that shit. She didn't see what was better about any of this though...

However, despite her feelings on the country - she followed Teresa into the party. Taking took note of their surroundings, and searching for an out of the way area to wait for instructions was easy enough.

They could do this.

Teresa's phone buzzed and she grabbed Concetta's arm as she pulled up the message. Go to the master bedroom - 1st floor, left down the hall.

Concetta nodded at Teresa and rested a hand on Teresa's arm, "We're fine. You can do this, Teresita. Okay?"

Teresa took a deep breath as she nodded, "Yeah, yeah, we have to"

"Good" Concetta smiled slightly as Teresa pulled herself together once again. Despite the fact that Teresa hadn't ever had to fight to survive before - she was learning quickly and adapting as fast as she could. They started walking through the party, thankfully going unnoticed by other guests. Concetta went first as she checked at each turn that there wasn't any security about to catch them.

It wasn't that hard to find the way with James direction.

There wasn't much on the first floor anyway.

As they walked slowly into a small hallway Concetta spotted the first door and cracked it open. Sticking her head in she quickly took note that it was empty and nodded for Teresa to follow her inside. There was windows instead of walls and outside were more birds in their cages. Even when she walked into the bathroom there were more windows, and more birds.

Concetta wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"These fresas pay all that dinero for a casa like these?" she scoffed and looked over at Teresa incredulously

Teresa laughed but stopped quickly when her phone rang, "Yeah?" she answered

Concetta watched as Teresa started messing with the grate on the floor. Activating the device before putting the lid of the grate back on. She raised a brow at that, wondering exactly what that device was going to do?

Teresa stood back up, "Okay we're leaving now... we're getting out of here" Teresa moved to start walking out when she paused at something James said. "Why do I have to be here?" Teresa asked anxiously

Concetta shook her head and sighed at Teresa - one step forward, two steps back.

Suddenly Teresa spun to face Concetta, eyes wide and fearful as she quickly hung up the phone and pulled Concetta behind the bathroom sink. Concetta frowned in confusion but followed as Teresa led her behind a nearby wall to hide.

"Shut you're mouth!" a man yelled

Once they heard the bedroom door shut again, Concetta nodded at Teresa and they tried to get a look at the situation as quietly as possible. Teresa couldn't see past Concetta and stuck her head further out the doorway only to get spotted. Concetta groaned and closed her eyes for a brief second at the stupidity of that move.

"I see you there" the man tied up in a chair said. "Come here"

They didn't really have a choice if they wanted to get out of there so Concetta nodded and started walking out into the open. She eyed the beaten man and blinked innocently at him.

"We were just looking for the bathroom" Concetta whispered in mock fear

The man looked at her and then Teresa who Concetta was shielding as subtly as possible behind her in the doorway. He shifted on the couch as his hands were tied behind his back so that he could glance between them and the door.

The man sighed, "Go"

Concetta nodded and didn't waste any time as she moved towards the door as quickly as possible. Men were surly going to come back for this guy and they can't be here when that happens.

Teresa however stopped in front of the man, "Are you okay? What are they going to do to you?" she asked

The man looked both grateful and scared as he looked up at Teresa. "Just... go" he sighed again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Concetta hissed as Teresa quickly started looking around the bedroom for something - what?

She didn't know!

Concetta went ignored by Teresa who reappeared from the bathroom with something in her hand. Teresa went to the man and pushed him forward to stand as she tried to unlock his handcuffs. "Ay!" Concetta's whined shaking her head in frustration. "Teresita! We have to go!"

"You can't do it" the man stated calmly at Tereasa, though she continued to try. "Look, they're gonna come back" he warned

"I can do it" Teresa shook her head trying to unlock them once again. "I have to do it - I can't let this happen"

"Hey" the man turned to Teresa with a sad and knowing look on his face. "Whatever you were doing here, get out. Go" he pleaded

Teresa hesitated but Concetta grabbed both her wrists this time and forcefully dragged Teresa out of the room. She would have thrown the damn girl over her shoulder if it wouldn't have drawn too much attention! They made it back to the party and Concetta looped her arm around Teresa's waist to keep the younger and more compassionate girl from turning back.

When they made it back to the party, there was loud squawking from all the birds around the house. They started freaking out and flapping around in their cages.

Concetta laughed as she realised what James comment earlier had meant about the device and the birds. She smirked at Teresa who let out a breath when the man of the party - Eric wasn't killed. James sent the message to Teresa that they could leave and as soon as they were out of the house Teresa pulled away from her and stormed over to James. Concetta sighed knowing Teresa was pissed off and scared out of her mind.

"You didn't kill him" was the first thing out of Teresa's mouth when they met James out front of the house.

James smirked slightly though it was covered quickly with a calm and stoic expression he usually wore. "I said I was gonna kill him. I didn't say it would be tonight" he stated leading them to where he had parked the car.

Concetta grabbed Teresa's arm before they reached the car. "If you ever do that shit again Teresa..." she trailed off shaking her head. "Pull something like that again and I'll kick your ass. Understand?"

Teresa glared at her and pilled her arm away. "Having compassion isn't a bad thing!"

"It is when it could get us killed!" She yelled right back. "What do you think would have happened if security walked back to see is there? I told you to go and you didn't listen!"

"I'm not just going to do as you say" Teresa hissed

Concetta scoffed, "Guero asked me to protect you, Teresita. I'm trying to do that. You fight me at every turn and I don't know how to protect you from your own piojoso morals!"

"Guero is dead" Teresa sniffled. "Who cares what you promised him, right? Isn't that what you told me? The dead are dead - get over it"

Concetta winced, that hadn't been what she said but it was the jist of it.

"What you don't understand, Teresita, is that this risky shit your pulling lately - it won't just get yourself killed, pero probably me too and I don't want to die... not even for you" Concetta whispered and then got in the car without another word.

James and Teresa got in right after she didn't.

Concetta sat in the middle of the backseat while Teresa took the front passenger side. James looked back at her in the rear view mirror after listening to their argument. Concetta knew he wasn't happy with the risky shit Teresa had been pulling either but thankfully he didn't say anything this time.

"The bird man, his name is Eric Watson" James continued like nothing had happened. "He doesn't belong here. He's just babysitting the land"

"What do you mean?" Teresa asked on a sigh

"Camila only owns half of Dallas. Did you know that?" James asked nodding as he spoke. "Jimenez cartel has the other half. I'm sure you've heard of them"

"Yes" Concetta nodded because who hadn't heard of the Jimenez cartel?

"They have an accord with Epifanio - allows them to use Dallas as a hub, get down to the ports if there's trouble with their other outlets. So if the DEA's up their ass, they can get drugs to Europe. Keeps supply going out... keeps money coming in" James explained

"Ay" Concetta nodded knowingly, "And they sent this pendejo to babysit their land"

James nodded with a small huff of annoyance as he glanced back over at the party. "Yeah, but the thing is, Camila wants all of Dallas. Jimenez could give two shits about the cocaine business here. They just want to use the ports when they need 'em. Eric Watson, he's just a seat filler. He's a fly in the ointment... one I have to be sanctioned to smush. I don't have permission - not yet"

Teresa nodded slowly, "So then what are we doing here?"

"We're preparing for our future" James stated, "I'm gonna get the green light. It's just a matter of time. And with your help, I'll be ready"

"Camila grows... then so do you" Teresa said

James shrugged, "I don't have to own the whole building. I just want a few bricks"

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments as James watched the master bedroom through the monitor he had set up on the dashboard. Concetta glanced at it while she leaned back in the seat. Eric appeared on the screen in front of the man who Teresa had tried to free not too long ago. They were talking, or rather Eric was yelling.

"Such a kind pendejo" Concetta snorted at her own sarcastic joke.

James turned in the seat and looked at her funny - like he couldn't really believe she was fine watching a guy get beat up. Concetta shrugged at him in response, not caring what he thought of her anyway.

"Okay, that's enough" James sighed when Eric started pummelling the guy and shook his head before looking away.

Teresa leaned forward when Eric placed a plastic bag over the cuffed guy's head. "Come on, do something" Teresa urged James as she started to panic watching the screen.

"Teresita" Concetta grumbled lowly but was only spared a single glance as Teresa reached across James and tried to do something like beep the horn... anything to draw attention.

"Hey!" James snapped physically trying to push Teresa away

"He's gonna kill him! Can't you see it!" Teresa struggled against James

"Stop Teresa!" Concetta snapped

"Calm down!" James grunted through clenched teeth

"Get off me!" Teresa continued to struggle as she watched the man she tried to save be suffocated to death on the screen. "Get off me! He's gonna kill him! He's gonna kill him! Get off of me!"

Concetta shook her head and slowly reached an arm through each side of the head rest. She made eye contact with James as she grabbed Teresa's head in a tight headlock. Teresa struggled, her hands flying to to try and free her neck but she stopped struggling when she looked back at the screen and found the man was already dead.

"You calm?" Concetta grunted

Teresa nodded against her hold, slapping Concetta's hands away angrily once her head was released.

James leaned forward glaring at Teresa, "It took me six months to find out where this shithead lives. That-" he pointed a finger at the screen angrily. "-is not my business. He would have been here even if we weren't. It's not on us, okay? We did nothing wrong"

Teresa shook her head, "We did nothing because of you"

"What would you have done?" James scoffed. "Huh? There's nothing you could have done. He chose to be in Eric's world... and that's his bad decision, not ours. You can tell yourself whatever you want, Teresa, but you couldn't have saved him and if I let you try - all you would have done is expose what I'm doing, and I'm not going to let that happen"

Teresa scoffed incredulously and looked out her window.

"Don't look away" James shook his head at Teresa. "That's your world now... that's your world"

"I don't want this world" Teresa muttered softly but both James and Concetta heard it - though neither commented.

It wouldn't have mattered.

Teresa might not have chosen this world but it's hers now and there is no escape. James drove in silence and Concetta looked out the window as she hummed a song she remembered listening to on the radio.

She was a good singer, had a nice voice, and she enjoyed singing.

Singing was one of the very few good memories she had left from what she could remember of her childhood.

"Ayúdame... En mi camino De las maldades... Aléjame Rescátame... De mi destino De oscuridades No me escapé Aaaah… Sobreviví la pesadilla y ahora Mi familia- mi semilla me imploran Porque te metes en lío que borra-" she hummed to herself in the silent car.

If James of Teresa were irritated by her soft singing, neither one commented. Not that Concetta would have cared either way. She wanted to sing and that was what she'd do.

Whether they wanted to hear it or not.

As James pulled them into the warehouse parking lot, Concetta glanced forward and found his eyes were on her in the mirror. She didn't react to being watched though, she didn't care.

James sighed and looked over at Teresa. "I know I told you to lay low when we first met - both of you to lay low - but you didn't. So don't you forget that it was you who chose this"

Teresa sighed and got out of the car angrily, though instead of shutting the door she turned back to James. Glaring. "You know, next time you have a job... how about you pick Valentina to go with you - since neither of you care about watching people die"

"Don't be a pendeja, Teresita" Concetta admonished

Teresa scoffed but looked back at James, "Pick someone else. Anyone could have put a dress on and dropped a thing off" and she slammed the car door.

James leaned forward, "You think that's what your job was?" he asked and that certainly had Teresa stopping to listen. James hook his head, "You job was to learn. Only one of you seems to be understanding that"

.

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