Casey Novak was so, so tired when she crossed the front doors of the D.A's building. She needed to see her bed but unfortunately she still had about four more hours of work to do in the office. She walked down the wide hallway for the office when she spotted a curious sight. A woman was seemingly bickering with an elderly woman in the middle of the hallway. The younger woman seemed so frustrated but concerned at the same time.

"We really should go," she kept saying but the elderly woman was adamant that she was staying.

"Excuse me," Casey stopped by the pair, "Do you need help?"

The younger woman shook her head. "No—"

"Yes!" the elderly woman exclaimed. "I'm looking for someone you see." Casey nodded. "Novak."

Casey blinked. "Oh, um...I'm ADA Casey Novak. I don't remember scheduling a meeting for today. Are you with any of my cases?"

The elderly woman was staring at her oddly, like she was trying to figure something out. Casey felt herself scrutinized by the old woman. "You're Novak too?" Casey nodded. "ADA?" Casey nodded again. "No, no, I'm looking for the detective Novak?"

"My cousin?" Casey was even more confused.

"Your cousin?" the woman was surprised and soon excited. "Ah, you're her cousin! You hear that, Araceli?" she nudged the woman by her side. "She's the cousin!"

The younger woman couldn't look more mortified. "Miss Catalina, I really think we should go back home and talk to your grandson again."

Casey looked at the two women with hopes of figuring out who they were. She first assumed that they were family for one of Montserrat's cases but that didn't explain why they would come here of all places and not the precinct. "Would you like to come into my office for a bit? I can call my cousin of course."

"No, no, that's not necessary—" the younger woman started to say when the elderly woman interrupted her.

"Absolutely, thank you!"

Casey smiled with amusement. "Follow me," she started leading the way.

"So, you're this detective's cousin?"

"Aha," Casey nodded. "I'm Casey Novak, nice to meet you."

"Catalina," the elderly woman shook her hand then motioned to the younger woman behind them. "This is Araceli. Don't mind her, she just started her new job with me."

"And I think I'm going to be fired very soon," Araceli sighed.

"Nonsense," Catalina waved her off.

Casey brought them into her office and showed them to the couch. "Now I'm sorry for asking but why exactly are you here? My cousin works at the precinct down—"

"It's too far," Catalina said and motioned to the cane in her hand. "I can't go very far. My grandson says that she's here all the time anyways so I figured I'd take my chances and come here instead."

"Okay," Casey nodded. "And when you say 'grandson', you mean…?"

"Rafael Barba of course."

"Ah," Casey started smiling. "Of course. I work with him sometimes. He's a good prosecutor."

"One day he'll be a judge."

Casey chuckled.

"He'll be upset I'm here so if you could just avoid telling him until I get a chance to talk to him, I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course," Casey tucked some of her hair behind her ears.

Catalina watched her with a strange bemusement. "Does she look like you?"

Casey blinked. "Come again?"

"Your cousin, Montserrat, does she look like you? My grandson says she has bright red hair. I've never met her before."

Casey smiled. "Ah, not a lot but the hair is one of our traits as a family. Can I ask what you need to see her for? Just so that I know what to tell her when I call her."

Catalina nodded at her. "Please let her know that Catalina wants to speak to her and not to mention it to Rafael for now. She'll understand."

"Alright…" Casey didn't understand one bit but she supposed that Montserrat would explain it later, and if she didn't want to then tough because after this visit she had no choice.

~ 0 ~

Montserrat had lost count how many times she'd nearly fallen on her way to Casey's office. After the call she got and who was waiting for her...she felt like she would throw up. She felt sick. Actually sick. Still, she forced herself to make it to the office without being detected by one serious boyfriend.

Casey was outside waiting for her. "There you are."

Montserrat hurried up to her and saw that the door to her office was closed. "Is she...is she in there?"

"Why are you whispering?" Casey made a face. "What are you, five?"

"Never mind that, what does she want?" Montserrat was already fixing herself to appear more presentable.

Casey watched Montserrat oddly, almost laughing. "I don't know! Up until today, I'd never met that woman before in my life! Montserrat, why is Rafael's grandmother looking for you?"

Montserrat smiled a bit too nervously. "How should I know?"

Casey folded her arms over her chest. "We have been through too much for you to try and lie to me now."

Montserrat sighed. Yeah, they had.

"What is going on here?"

Montserrat bit on her bottom lip. Casey was absolutely right and yet it wasn't easy to tell her the truth. Montserrat wasn't used to saying it out loud. "I'll tell you after this. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a good first impression."

"First impressi—what!?" Casey watched her cousin fix her hair as best as she could before heading for the door. "Montserrat Irene, what are you doing!?"

Montserrat flatout ignored her and pulled the door open. She immediately spotted the elderly woman sitting on the couch. All bravery was thrown out the window.

Catalina shifted on the couch to see the detective slowly coming in. She was timid. "Are you…?"

Montserrat swallowed hard, or gulped. She definitely gulped. "Y-yeah — I mean yes," she pushed her hair back. She hoped to dear God she looked presentable.

"Huh, it's not entirely the same hair," Catalina's comment took Montserrat by surprise.

"I'm sorry?"

Catalina smiled. "I think you know who I am, right?" Montserrat nodded silently. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Montserrat. I'm Catalina."

Montserrat walked over to shake hands with the woman and she thanked her lucky stars that her hand wasn't trembling because her insides were another story. "It's nice to meet you too."

"I'm very sorry for pulling you out of your work like this. I just couldn't make it to the precinct. Too many floors, not enough energy."

"Right...why are you looking for me again?" Montserrat wanted to peel at her thumbs' skin so badly right now. "I mean, not that I mind I'm just...surprised…that's all."

Catalina chuckled. "I imagine." She motioned the detective to take a seat with her and she was quite amused to see her so nervous when she did it. "I'm here to thank you."

"What?"

"Rafael told me that it was you who came up with the idea of the caregiver and as such, I had to thank you."

"Oh," Montserrat shook her head suddenly. "No, you…oh my goodness, you didn't have to come all the way here to thank me. I didn't — I didn't mean for this—"

"I did. So please accept my gratitude."

Montserrat met the woman's gaze and found herself slowly nodding to her request. She realized she didn't really know how to act around grandmothers. It was such an odd thing to realize and she supposed a bit late too considering her first impression was already made and she had no idea what it was. "Um, you should know that I was kind of selfish, though…"

That interested Catalina. "How so?"

"Well, I looked up the caregiver option because I just wanted to help Rafael get back to normal." Montserrat could feel her tongue trying to ramble on. She didn't want to make herself sound terrible but she also wasn't going to take credit for something that didn't happen the way Catalina thought it did. "He was just so...he wasn't himself. He was suffering and I did what I thought would help him."

"That's not being selfish, querida," Catalina chuckled. "Realizing how I acted towards him makes me feel terrible but knowing that he had you around...makes me feel just a tiny bit better."

"I did want to help," Montserrat said timidly. "I-I don't really talk to my grandparents in Slovakia and my maternal grandparents aren't in the picture so...I sort of just went off by what I felt was right."

"You did good. Thank you," Catalina felt the woman flinch when she patted her hand. "You don't have to be nervous with me."

"With all due respect I don't think I can control that right now," Montserrat felt her entire face warm up admitting to that.

Catalina laughed. "Well try because as far as I'm concerned, we're not strangers anymore. I asked Rafael to let me meet you in person and I assumed he hadn't told you anything about it...right?"

"Ummm…" Montserrat pursed her lips together. "I don't...I don't really want to get him in trouble."

"He already was the moment he thought he could pull one over me." Catalina wagged her finger. "You never pull one over me."

"Yes, ma'am," Montserrat said on an instinct and made Catalina chuckle.

As Catalina sobered from her laugh, she started looking at Montserrat curiously. Montserrat had no idea what Catalina was doing but she didn't want to ask either. Things already felt awkward enough.

Catalina was studying Montserrat. Her eyes raked over the wavy ginger curls over Montserrat's shoulders and the traces of what used to be side bangs now framing the sides of her face. She was a bit petite but given her line of job Catalina wouldn't let herself be fooled to think Montserrat was docile. She spotted a few freckles decorating Montserrat's face but those wouldn't be seen unless someone was up close to her. She dressed nicely but not in the overbearing fancy way a certain woman used to.

"You are very pretty," Catalina's sudden compliment startled Montserrat.

"Excuse me?"

Catalina chuckled. "Eres muy bonita, Montserrat."

"Oh, uh..." Montserrat nervously smiled. "Thank you."

The fact that Montserrat was genuinely nervous with what such a nice compliment earned herself yet another point with Catalina. The older woman liked the humbleness she saw, a stark difference as well.

"He picked well this time," Catalina said contently, and frankly relieved.

"Aha, actually, it was sort of me bombarding him," Montserrat admitted. "Well, it was back and forth really…I sort of bicker a lot."

"And he doesn't?"

Montserrat had to laugh and with it went away some of the nerves stacking on her shoulders. "I like it. He's challenging and I like a good bickering. He says he lets me win but I'm pretty sure he's honestly lost a few rounds with me."

"Good, he needs someone to keep him on his toes."

Montserrat smiled lightly. "He says I'm a pain sometimes but I tell him the same thing — oh God, I'm making us sound like we argue all the time. We don't. I mean — no, we don't." She shook her head and hoped that the next words she said weren't the wrong things too. "He has a challenging personality sometimes but—" she had flinched when she heard her own words and Catalina laughing again, "—he's a very good man.""

"Well, his challenging personality comes from both his parents," Catalina shared but with a kind-hearted smile. "But I agree. He's come to be a good man."

Montserrat nodded. "He's been very good to me and you have no idea how much he's helped me in the past. That's why I needed to help him now. I didn't mean to get into any of your familial problems—"

"I'm glad you did," Catalina cut her off with a sigh. "Otherwise I'm not sure where we'd be — where I'd be."

"He wasn't trying to lock you away," Montserrat felt compelled to make that clear. Perhaps it wasn't her place but just remembering what Rafael had gone through made her forget her nerves altogether. "I-I know that's what you thought it was but I swear that he wasn't. He explained to me the issues that he saw. He was just concerned and wanted to do what was best for you. You're not upset with him anymore, right?"

Catalina could appreciate the concern Montserrat had and for that she answered the question. "No, of course not. The only thing I was upset about recently was that he didn't tell you that I wanted to see you."

Montserrat flushed with embarrassment. "And now that you have...would you say that I'm…?" she was mortified that she couldn't finish the question but for Catalina it was far too amusing.

Instead of answering her straightaway, she surprised Montserrat by touching her cheek. Montserrat startled but she didn't move away. It was strange but rather warm. Suddenly, she really missed her own grandmother.

Before she knew it, Catalina patted her cheek. "I don't know everything about you yet but I do know that you've changed Rafael."

"You can't change what wasn't bad in the first place," Montserrat smiled and Catalina laughed.

"Oh, you are good!"

Montserrat blushed and looked down. "I don't think he needs to change. I mean, it wouldn't hurt if he learned to agree that I'm right but…" she raised her head to reveal another smile on her face, "I like him just the way that he is, challenging but secretly sweet and everything else that comes with him."

"That's why I like you," Catalina decided then and there. Before meeting Montserrat, Catalina had already liked her a bit because of what she saw in Rafael the times he visited. She saw firsthand how much he cared for this detective and how happy he was. She loved her grandson a lot but she wasn't blind — he didn't always have the best of attitudes. Ever since he started talking about the woman he met, he acted differently. He wasn't someone new, he was just happier. It tied back to what Montserrat claimed: he didn't need to change.

Montserrat wasn't that convinced she heard right. "Really?" Catalina nodded at her. "Well...thank you," Montserrat awkwardly chuckled when she had nothing else to say. Actually, there was one thing she wanted to ask. "Do you...do you think his mother will too?"

Catalina bobbed her head from side to side. "I can't see why not. Like I said before, she has a challenging personality but she knows what's good for her son and you are just that."

Montserrat felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She got Catalina to like her and slightly closer to gaining the mother's approval too. "Thank you," she said from the bottom of her heart. "Really, thank you."

Catalina nodded at her but before she could say anything, the office door opened. Montserrat stood up from the couch as Rafael came storming in and gradually slowed to a stop. He was absolutely shocked to find his grandmother in the office despite Casey already telling him that prior.

"Ya era tiempo de que llegaras!" Catalina suddenly said, even huffing like she'd been waiting for hours.

Rafael's eyes were wide when they landed on his grandmother. "What are y—"

"I told you I wanted to meet her and you said you'd make it happen!"

"I was going to—"

"A mi no me mientas!" Catalina snapped. "Do not lie to me!"

Montserrat was baffled when Rafael fell completely silent. He didn't make any move to argue with the old woman. "So that's how you do it," she found herself saying out loud. Immediately, Rafael deadpanned her. "Sorry," she raised her hands. "I did not know about this. How did you find out?"

"Casey caught me in the hallway!" he exclaimed. He hurried over to Catalina and bent down in front of her. "Abuelita, where's Araceli?"

"Don't you go blaming her for anything," Catalina warned him. "I was coming one way or another since you weren't going to solve that."

"So it is his fault," Montserrat said after she pieced it together. Catalina nodded but Rafael once again deadpanned her.

"Stop helping," he snapped, only to get a whack on the arm.

"Don't be rude," Catalina scolded him.

Rafael rolled his eyes at both of them. He straightened up and stepped back. He pinched the bridge of his nose to try and calm down because right now he wanted to do all sorts of yelling. His grandmother was in no condition to be making these types of trips and yet this is what she was doing. Another part of him was upset that she flatout ignored his reluctance to introduce her to Montserrat. He wasn't ready, yes that was his flaw, but shouldn't she have respected that?

"Hey," he heard Montserrat say and a moment later she was at his side, touching his arm. "Everything is okay."

"No, it's not. I told her not to do anything…"

"C'mon," she smiled, "It's fine, really. Your grandmother is very sweet. I'm okay, so is she, and so are you."

No, no he wasn't. He hated that Catalina had pulled one over him and took him and Montserrat by complete surprise. "I'm sorry," he felt like he would need to make this up to Montserrat at least twice. She long ago expressed how nervous it made her knowing she would eventually have to meet his family and Catalina put her in that situation before she was ready.

"Everything is okay," Montserrat said and looked over to Catalina. "Isn't it?"

Catalina chuckled as she got up from the couch. "Of course. He overreacts sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Montserrat said and shared a laugh with her.

Rafael pulled Montserrat's hand off his arm and glared at them both. "This is no better. And you..." he pointed at Montserrat but failed to come up with the right words. It certainly helped seeing her genuinely smiling. He lowered his pointing finger to take her hand in his. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"If you feel that terrible, you can always make it up to me with some sweet dessert later."

Rafael nodded. "Absolutely." He brought her hand to his lips for a kiss. "Anything you want."

Montserrat chuckled. He was overreacting but she supposed she could let it go this one time...

"I guess I should be going," Catalina cleared her throat to unfortunately pull the couple apart.

Rafael let Montserrat's hand go to help her walk. She shooed him off and used her cane to make her way to the door. "Abuelita, please don't do this again. The whole point of Araceli is so that you don't have to go up those stairs anymore."

"Once in a while is alright," Catalina waved him off. She stopped by the door to look at Montserrat. "It was really nice meeting you, Montserrat."

The detective awkwardly waved. "Likewise."

Catalina grasped Rafael's arm to pull him down to her level. "Necesita comer con nosotros." Montserrat didn't quite catch all of her words this time but whatever Catalina said sure put the nerves back in her grandson. "And I am not taking 'no' for an answer," she finished warning Rafael. They would have to have dinner very soon. A sweet smile was sent in Montserrat's way. "It really would be nice, dear. There's no need to be nervous."

Montserrat nodded quickly and watched Rafael hurry them out of the office. It was almost funny. As soon as the door closed, Montserrat let out a big breath. It was the only moment she had to herself before Casey came barging in.

"You could knock!" Montserrat exclaimed.

Casey glowered. "This is my office!"

Montserrat blinked and had to take a look around the office to remember that it really was Casey's office. "Oh...yeah...sorry." She barely remembered her own name right now.

Casey made a gesture that she was letting it slide. She had bigger things to discuss now that they had the time. "So?"

Montserrat played dumb. "Sooo…?"

Casey wasn't going to let that slide too. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, fixating a sharp look on her cousin. "You and Rafael?" Montserrat bit on her lower lip while her eyes looked everywhere but her cousin. "Seriously?" Casey laughed. "Of all people...him?"

Montserrat exhaled with a deep sigh. "What do you want me to say?"

"Uuh, when, where, how—"

"Okay, okay!" Montserrat made a motion for Casey to stop before she said the wrong thing.

Casey shook her head but now she seemed less agitated with the whole mess. "How long has it been since this started?"

"About three months ago."

"That long!?"

Montserrat nodded. "Time flies," she realized.

"Apparently," Casey let her arms drop to her sides. "But you do realize that you have to disclose this right?"

"We just did that. I'm sure Liv is waiting for me right now. Kinda why I dashed over here instead."

Casey blinked. "Oh, so it is serious."

"It is, Casey, honest to God that it is."

"So, while it's just us, does he...does he know?" Casey's question was cautious but still direct enough for Montserrat to know what she meant.

"I had to tell him early on," she explained. "I was so afraid of what he might say, how he would react, but he was so good about it. I feel so good around him, Casey."

Casey wanted to smile but there was still one more thing she had to ask about and she was solely doing it because sooner or later Rafael would know that he could talk to her about it and she wanted to be on the same page as Montserrat. Whatever was on the table was on the table and Casey didn't want to add something that wasn't. "Does he know everything?"

"Huh?" It took a short moment for Montserrat to realize what Casey was getting at. "Oh...that…"

Casey watched how quickly her cousin's fingers came to peel at their own skin. Casey sighed. "So, that's a no."

Montserrat swallowed hard. "I don't tell him not because I don't trust him. There's just no need. There's no point in opening that."

"Alright," Casey raised her hands. "I'm on your side, I just want to know so that I don't say anything I shouldn't."

"Thank you," Montserrat whispered to her and quickly cleared any tears that might be working at her eyes.

Casey walked up to Montserrat and set her hands on her shoulders. "I am family and you know that you can always trust me." Montserrat nodded fairly fast. "So I'm a little mad that I'm the last person to find out that you're dating one of my co-workers!"

Montserrat found the energy to laugh. "Not true, I still have to tell Gael and Dad. I mean, Gael knows that I'm dating someone just not who it is."

"What about Liv? And the team?"

"Uuh…" Montserrat trailed off when Rafael returned to the room. She forgot the question for the moment and met him halfway. "Is she going to be alright?"

He nodded. "I got a cab for her and Araceli. I am so sorry about that—"

"It's fine, really," she chuckled. "I'm not that nervous around her anymore. She's so sweet."

"It's not that I didn't want you to meet her, I-I just wasn't quite ready…"

"Raf, it's okay," Montserrat felt like a broken record saying the same thing but he just didn't get it.

"Yeah," came Casey's mocking voice, forcing both of them to turn towards her, "It's okay."

"Oh God," Rafael rolled his eyes at her. "Let me hear it."

Casey crossed her arms and smirked. "Hear what?"

"Don't listen to her," Montserrat shook her head. "She's just mad because she didn't find out until now."

"Mm, not true," Casey wagged her finger and started for her desk. "I'm laughing because now you both have to have some very awkward conversations with your bosses."

One point, Casey.

"Shut up," both Montserrat and Rafael snapped.

Casey sat down and rested her elbows on her desk then her chin on her palms. "Please let me be there."

"I seriously hate you right now," Montserrat said irritably.

"Hey, you two are the ones who just used my office for your lovey-dovey relationship," Casey leaned back against her chair. "You owe me this. When's dinner with uncle Thomas? I'll be right on time."

"You wish," Rafael snapped and took Montserrat's hand. He led her out of the office but before leaving himself, he cleared his throat at Casey, making her look at him. "...thank you."

Casey straightened up in her seat, nodding earnestly. Knowing Montserrat wasn't within hearing distance, she felt more at ease saying what she had to. "Be good to her, please." The tone in her voice expressed all the reasons why she requested that from him.

Rafael gave her a promising nod. "Always," he vowed.

A/N:

It's the turning point for these two and it's so funny and sweet to write honestly! So sorry to say that it also comes with a new batch of angst. Enjoy :)))

P.S 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"