The next day, Montserrat found it impossible to work with her mind focused on the actual case and not her M.I.A. boyfriend. She wasn't mad, just utterly nervous. Rafael would never forget to call her so it had to mean that he was still tending to his family.

"What's going on with you?" Amanda startled her when stopped by her desk. Montserrat jumped in her seat and looked up to see the blonde lifting an eyebrow at her. "I don't think I've ever seen you jittery."

"I'm jittery?"

Amanda nodded. "And I doubt it's about the case."

Montserrat shook her head, waving it off. "It's nothing."

"Mhm," Amanda's lips curved into a teasing smirk. "Could it be about that mysterious man of yours?"

Montserrat just barely covered up her awkward cough with a hand. "Of course not!"

Amanda had the time of her life watching the ginger shift in her seat like a teenager. "Right, and I'm from New York!"

Montserrat rolled her eyes. She would've had a comeback if her phone hadn't buzzed with a text.

Amanda laughed when she snagged her phone off the desk. "I used to do that," she pointed, ignoring the brief glare Montserrat sent her way before becoming lost on the phone.

"I have to go," Montserrat quickly got out of her seat. "I'll be gone 20 minutes tops." Or more, who knew. "Can you cover me?"

"Of course," Amanda said, strangely quiet too...until Montserrat was halfway across the bullpen. "Make sure to say hi to your fella for me!"

"Amanda!" Montserrat groaned. It felt like this week was the week everyone chose to pick on her. No matter, she had somewhere to be.

She was quick in her pace. Maybe she even drove a little faster than she probably should have. She hurried into Rafael's office and was relieved to find him actually inside. He was crossing the room when she walked in.

"Raf…?" The sound of her voice stopped him in his tracks. He glanced her way and in a few seconds she could see a brand new type of concern creases along his forehead. She'd never seen it before and if she could help it, she'd make sure it never marked his face again. "Hey," she rushed towards him.

Rafael had his arms open for her and captured her in a tight hug. Her arms wound around his neck and soon placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm so sorry." She pulled away enough to look up at him. "How is she doing?"

"She...it could be better." He gave a light shrug of his shoulders, indicating that he wasn't quite sure if his words were even right.

"What happened? The last time I heard your mother was talking about your grandmother's home and—"

Rafael nodded. "It was alright but she's elderly and she had a hard fall."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes but the medication she's on is going to be time essential and she can't walk that well anymore. The assistance she'll need…" For the first time, he couldn't find the right way to say things. He didn't — he never — wanted to sound like he wouldn't be willing to take care of his grandmother. His job was simply too time consuming. He knew that he would never have the time to help his grandmother like she needed.

Montserrat could see the turmoil in his eyes with an outstanding fill of guilt. "Hey, hey, you don't need to explain yourself to me. You think I don't know you would do anything to help your grandmother?"

"It doesn't feel like it right now," he mumbled. His attempt to walk away was a big mistake.

"Hey!" She grabbed his arms and forced him to stay with her. "Don't do that to yourself. I won't let you." He tilted his head at her, his expression sharpening but that was his second mistake. She leveled his gaze with her own, daring him to challenge her.

He knew better than that.

"Come here," she sighed. Fighting wasn't on her to-do list right now. She tugged him closer to her until her hands could reach his face and bring him down for a kiss.

He latched onto her the moment it happened. His arms slid around her waist, pressing her body against his. He quickly took the lead and slowed their kiss. It was one of those moments where he simply needed to feel her and know that she was right there with him. The only thing that would pull them apart is what eventually did: the need for air. They pressed their foreheads against each other's and stayed just as they were, silent for several minutes.

Rafael curled his hands over Montserrat's. "Thanks for coming," he whispered.

"Where else would I be?" Montserrat offered him a warm smile.

Rafael would say 'many other places' if he didn't already know it would make her roll her eyes and snap at him. Like her, he wasn't interested in arguing, not even bickering. He led her to the couch and sat down together. As soon as they had, Montserrat had reached out for him. She wanted him close and right now, he really wanted that too.

"Do you need anything?" She asked him. Her hands slid along his tie and loosened it for him. She had a pretty good idea that he was throwing himself into work; he wouldn't be him if he didn't try.

"You," he said, making her smile.

"Well, as much as I like that answer, I meant if you needed anything for your family," she playfully poked him on the chest.

"Not really, no," he shrugged. "Right now, she's in the hospital for assistance. There's not much to do for the moment. It's when they let her leave that I'm more worried about."

"Because she'll need the help," Montserrat thought for sure it was the primary cause of his stress right now. He knew that his grandmother would be okay, he probably rationalized that the moment he went to the hospital, which only meant that it was the aftercare he was concerned about.

"Senior center," Rafael said the distasteful words with a near scrunched face. "That's what I've been mulling about and how to discuss it with my mother."

"She wouldn't approve of it?"

"Would you?"

Montserrat heaved a sigh that ended with a half laugh. "I mean...my only grandparents are still in Slovakia. I don't talk to them a lot but they're living in the same home my Dad grew up in. Putting them in a senior center would be the most logical thing if there was no one to take care of them."

"It's just different I guess," Rafael shrugged. "We never really thought about it, much less considered it. It's not really...customary." Montserrat nodded, hoping to portray understanding. He seemed guilty enough. "Traditions and whatnot. It's like a senior center is where our elderly go when we don't know what to do with them anymore; when we don't want them anymore."

"Hey," Montserrat stopped him right there and cupped his face. "I know you would never think like that. I don't know your mother, much less your grandmother, but I know that they wouldn't think it either."

There was still a decent amount of doubt on his face. "You want to help me plan out what I'll say to them, then?"

Montserrat lifted an eyebrow at him, a smirk growing across her face. "You mean make an argument together?"

Rafael laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I'd love to!" She tugged him closer to her and let her hands come to rest over his shoulders. "I mean, we always argue against each other but we've never had to create an argument for the same side. And the cases don't count because we do different tasks. I just wish it'd be for a better situation."

"Me too," he said, his gaze falling for a moment.

She hated the look he had on. It had her heart aching. She leaned forwards and kissed him softly. "Is there something else you need?" She asked.

"Truthfully?" He met her eyes with a heavy sigh. She nodded at him. "I am so tired." The admission was proof enough of his honesty. In all the time she'd known him, he had never once said that to her. If he chose to say it now, it meant he was one blink away from collapsing out of tiredness.

"Oh, come here," she scooted back and brought him with her. He chuckled when she let him rest his head over her shoulder. If he was being honest, he could definitely fall asleep right there and then. "Let me guess, you didn't sleep at all last night, right?"

"You'd be right," he said. He let his eyes fall shut for a few seconds when her fingers started combing through his hair.

"You know the rumors I heard that you don't sleep are real, right? I've lost count how many people have said it."

"Hm, I'd love to hear what everyone has to say behind my back. Starting with you."

"Ha, I make mine creative, I promise."

He didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking. "I expect nothing less from you." He lifted his head enough to press a kiss to her neck then resumed his position, a very comfortable position too.

They stayed silent for the next couple of minutes. Montserrat would continue combing her fingers through his hair and he would let his mind wander off into nothing. It was in those moments that Rafael wondered what today would look like if he didn't have Montserrat around. If he had never gotten the courage to fix things with her...where would she be?

Certainly not here.

"How long do you have until you have to go?" He asked her in a quiet voice.

"Don't know, maybe an hour?" She shrugged. She was sure that Amanda wouldn't hold her to those twenty minutes. "You can use it to rest."

"Mm, you have no idea how good that sounds right now."

"Do it, miláčik."

"What was that?"

"Darling," she dropped a kiss to his hair (which was slightly disheveled with her constant combing).

"Cariño, you are a darling," he wrapped an arm around her waist and nestled his head into the crook of her neck. If he could spend one hour with her like this, he wouldn't complain about the rest of his day.

~ 0 ~

When Walter Briggs died a couple days later, it became a full on race to retrieve his body before Charmine could do anything to it. They were able to find the corpse just before it would slip from their fingers. They only waited a day to hear what had been the cause of death and once Olivia got word, she immediately took her squad to Rafael's office. Before he could even assume what brought everyone's presence into the office, Olivia let the case file drop on his desk. He was expected to read it before saying anything.

Everyone knew the exact moment he skimmed over the line. His eyes snapped up to the group, wide as could be, with a horrific face to match. "Rectal probe electroejaculation? That sounds like a sex crime in and of itself." He tossed the file to the side, needing to give his eyes a break for a moment. His entire body shuddered and that was a significant action considering what other things they'd seen.

"We talked to the nurse on the ward in Westchester. In the middle of the night after he died, his daughters had just left. His wife called in a specialized company to extract his sperm," Olivia explained thoroughly in case he had any other doubt about the crude nature of the case. "They're used to emergency calls."

"The same outfit cuts heads off bodies for people who want to freeze them," Montserrat said with her own shudder.

"The hospital allowed this?" Rafael rose from his chair.

"The wife had the right, as you pointed out," Olivia couldn't help make the comment.

Rafael's face fell flat but he wouldn't blame her. He had said that and of course she'd throw it in his face.

"This does all look shady," Amanda said, bobbing her head back and forth.

"'Shady' isn't the word I'd used to describe this," Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Come on, counselor. You know what we're looking at here," Sonny said. "She tormented this guy, all right? The blue pills, the flight from the hospital…"

"It pains me to say this, but you're right, Carisi," Rafael nodded his head. There was no doubt left in his mind either. "She killed him."

~ 0 ~

Later on that day, Montserrat would return to Rafael's office. The case was pretty much stumped until the trial anyways. Rafael was on his way out when she bumped into him.

"You're leaving really early today?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"She left the hospital in the morning," he answered quietly as if someone would hear them.

"Oh," Montserrat blinked and when it hit her that she was standing in his way, she stepped to the side. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry," Rafael took her hand on the way out. "I'm going to see her and hopefully get to have that discussion with her." He stopped just outside the hallway and brought their interlocked hands up to his lips. "Wish me luck."

"I wish you all the luck in the world," she said as he kissed her hand. She leaned forwards and planted a kiss on his lips. "Not that you'll need it, you're fantastic."

"In the courtroom. You have to meet my grandmother...and my mother," he said with a sigh.

"Mm, maybe later," she laughed, though there was a subtle nervousness that laced her words.

Rafael let go of her hand, something he silently lamented as he led the way into the hallway. She followed him out with her hands inside her coat's pockets.

"Call me to let me know how it goes, okay?" She stopped him by the entrance doors.

Rafael turned around and nodded. He wouldn't be able to say anything because someone else approached them.

"Montserrat," Casey Novak stopped by the pair with an eerie familiar smile.

It didn't take a genius to see the relationship between her and her cousin. Although if Rafael had a say, he would say that Casey's hair was more of a bright orange while Montserrat's was a deeper red. He preferred the latter, unsurprisingly.

"What are you doing here?" Casey had eyes on Montserrat. "Last time I remembered, when a shift at SVU ended...that employee was long gone."

Montserrat chuckled. "Well...I came to see you. I just bumped into him on the way."

Rafael didn't know whether or not to be impressed by her swift ability to lie. It was something he would definitely bring out the next time she wanted to poke at his own abilities for being a prosecutor. Right now, though, he had another task to do. "Yes, and as fantastic as it is, I do have to go."

Montserrat rolled her eyes at him but she did watch him leave with a subtle concern in her eyes. It wasn't until Casey shook her arm that she managed to look away.

"What's going on with you?" Casey asked with a unique face saying she didn't understand.

Montserrat took the easy way out by simply returning the question. It was something they always did growing up. "Nothing, what's going on with you?"

"Same old, same old," Casey pulled the doors open for them. "So, you came to see me? Should I be worried?"

"Not this time," Montserrat shrugged. They both knew that there was still no update on Gael's case. "Just wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner."

"Sure, if you're paying."

Montserrat rolled her eyes. "Sure, that's what I'm here for."

"And to cream you in baseball."

"Shut up."

~ 0 ~

Rafael found his mother outside of his grandmother's building. He wasn't sure whether or not to call it 'luck' due to what the conversation he initiated was about. His mother very quickly made her stance known when he introduced the idea of a center.

"'Cause she doesn't want to go to rehab," Lucia led the way to the staircase. It'd be quite a walk which would hopefully give Rafael some time to convince her before they met her grandmother. "The doctors have all argued with her. They are done. Do you want to argue with her?"

He didn't think twice in answering, "Yeah, I do. Let me carry one of those bags." He gestured to the bags around his mother's wrists. She'd gone and done the shopping for his grandmother.

"Wait, wait... there's eggs in that one," Lucia was very careful as she passed the precise bag to her son. She didn't quite care for the way he rolled his eyes at her. He was just too sarcastic sometimes.

"Let... don't worry, I think I can handle it. So is this the plan, huh? You're gonna work for 12 hours every day and then come here and do her pills, bring her groceries?"

"I'm her daughter. And the stairs are hard for her."

Rafael briefly peered over the rails to see the three levels below. No kidding. "That's why she should live in an elevator building."

"I don't mind, and she loves it here."

"You can have the groceries delivered."

Lucia laughed. "This is the Bronx, darling. This is not Park Avenue, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Rafael hated the conditions of the building but he knew his mother was right. His grandmother loved the place because she knew everyone, she knew the neighborhood (even though she didn't even go out that much anymore). It was her home...but it wasn't working anymore.

"Mamá?" Lucia called first thing when they entered the apartment. "It's me."

Rafael was closing the door when his grandmother spotted him. She afforded him her usual warm smile as they approached her. "Ah. I see you brought el juez."

"Abuelita, I'm not a judge," he chuckled. Each time he saw her she always said the same thing. It was nice. God knew his mother could use some of that faith in him sometimes.

"You will be," Catalina's certainty was definitely welcoming. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Ah, there it was.

Rafael felt his mother's sharp eyes on him. She was letting him take the reign of the conversation.

"I'll go set these down," she took the bags he held and made way for the kitchen.

Smart move, he would give her the credit. He would start easy. "How are you feeling, abuelita?"

"Ah, mejor. Better," Catalina was quick to say. Rafael would say otherwise as he watched her put excessive force on her cane as she walked. He ultimately helped her sit down on the couch. "What about you?" she asked once they were comfortable.

"Okay," he said.

"How about the…" Catalina purposely glanced at her daughter in the kitchen. Lucia was too busy putting the groceries away to overhear anything. "Y tu extranjera?" she asked very quietly.

Rafael chuckled lightly. "Abuelita, she's not a foreigner."

"I know, I'm being funny. Pero no te preocupes—don't worry, I won't say any of that when we meet her."

"Mm," Rafael shifted in his seat. "She's fine but I'm visiting you for you."

"I know that. I'm just getting a little impatient not meeting her."

"Later, abuelita, right now I'd rather talk about something else. I was talking to my mother about this. Your accidents are becoming more dangerous and the next time something happens, what if it's something you can't heal from anymore?"

"You worry too much," Catalina waved him off. "I just fell—"

"Exactly. You fall and there's no one to help you. Plus, it's hard for you to leave the apartment now. What if we start looking into some centers for you?"

"What? I don't think so!"

There was that obvious rejection he was waiting for. "Abuelita, just listen to me for a second—"

"No, no, no, I don't want to hear any of that nonsense."

"It's not nonsense, it's what's best."

"I don't want to go anywhere! Why Are you trying to make me?"

"I'm not, I'm really not. I only want what's best for you." Under no circumstances did Rafael want to argue with his grandmother. He'd argue with the world but never her. "Abuelita, just listen to me for one minute, okay? Un minuto."

Catalina nodded at him. "Fine."

An opening. "I am not trying to lock you away — I would never do that to you." He took both of her hands into his. "I only want to make sure that you're okay, that you're taken care of. Do you trust me?"

Catalina's face softened at the question. Her hands squeezed his. "Of course I do."

"Then please listen to me. I...I may have a place. It's incredibly close and...just come visit with me, please?" Rafael felt like the two minutes it took her to answer was a whole hour but her answer made it all worth it.

"Okay."

~ 0 ~

"I can't believe you went out for sushi without me," Kara huffed while Montserrat put away the leftovers she brought from her dinner with Casey.

"You were working," Montserrat pulled a water bottle out from the fridge and let the door shut.

"Which reminds me—" Kara's index finger went high in the air, "I need you to be my hair model again. I have a new style I want to try."

"Nu-uh," Montserrat walked past her in a quick stride. "The last time I let you near my hair, this happened!" she made a gesture to her shoulder-length cut.

Kara rolled her eyes as she trailed behind Montserrat. "Oh please, you know that you like that cut."

"That's not the point," Montserrat was ready to battle it out for the custody of her hair when her cell phone went off. The only reason she paused was because she saw Rafael's name on the screen. "We're not done," she wanted Kara since the blonde was busy smirking.

"I think we are!" Kara made a 'snip-snip' motion with her fingers.

Montserrat let it go to take the call. "Hey, how'd it go?"

"I think it went well, I'm not sure," Rafael admitted. "She agreed to visit the center I had in mind but she doesn't look all that convinced."

"That's natural. It's what you prepared for, remember?" Montserrat set her water bottle down on the table. "But once you show her the place, she'll see it's not that bad."

"I really hope you're right, Montse. She can't keep living where she is right now. She can barely make it down the steps and let's not even discuss how she goes up."

"Raf, hey, you don't need to make your points with me. I know you're right," Montserrat gently reminded him. He felt the need to justify his actions like nobody understood. "Did your mother help?"

"Eh, she wasn't against it but she didn't exactly help me either."

"She'll come around too."

"I hope you're right. I'll let you sleep, though."

"I will if you will," Montserrat smiled at his light laugh. "I mean it. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, goodnight."

"Night." Montserrat hung up shortly afterwards.

Kara took note of the heavy sigh her roommate gave. "Trouble in paradise?"

Montserrat grabbed her water bottle off the table and turned around. "It's his grandmother."

"She alright?" Kara found a seat on the couch, sushi forgotten.

Montserrat shrugged. "Yes and no. She's been in and out of the hospital and Rafael thinks the best option for her now is to live in an assisted living center...she's not that in favor of it."

"Oh, Caroline had that problem with her grandpa a couple years back," Kara nodded. Her poor friend and employee had gone through it alright. She still remembered the various days Caroline was out from the salon because of that problem.

"Right," Montserrat remembered the time as well. She wasn't as close to Caroline as Kara was but when that happened, everyone was around to try and help. "What did her family end up doing again? Cos the grandfather's still alive, right?"

"Yeah," Kara leaned back against the sofa and thought. "I think she mentioned something about an in-home nurse."

Montserrat walked over to the couch to sit down. "That's where a nurse comes to your house for a couple of hours, no?"

"Caroline said it depended on the agency. I think her grandfather has a nurse for the morning when everyone's at work. They take turns in the afternoon and night."

"Hm," Montserrat took a drink from her water bottle.

Kara noticed the thinking face her best friend had. She learned it almost as soon as they met the first time. "What are you thinking of?"

"Just...nothing," Montserrat waved her off. She put the cap back on her water bottle and got up from the couch. "I'm going to bed. There's an upcoming trial and all."

"Riiight," Kara watched her leave with some suspicion. It wasn't often that Montserrat got like that. She wondered what was going on through her head.

Author's Note:

I liked this episode because it showed actual backstories for Rafael but knowing how it ended just made me mad. And then they never showed his mother again! Like what was that!?

Anyways, random note here but I think I finally found the perfect theme song for Montserrat & Rafael. I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I'm going to do it anyways. The song's called 'My Only One' by Sebastian Yatra and Isabela Merced. I just feel like the lyrics fit in so well with their relationship. Give it a listen if you're curious!

As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"

For the reviews:

Kate: Thanks so much for all your reviews! I read them all and it's just so exciting to see somebody new get into the story and their reactions to the things that are happening! And don't worry, the situation with Gael isn't really over-over. It's just one of those arcs that takes a while to be discovered.