A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I had a family emergency yesterday. Everyone is fine now.

And I needed to rework this chapter on top of that.

Hope you enjoy!

For the last three months since taking this case, Tori had been masquerading as an employee of Leonardo Ruzzolini. She worked underneath the dispatcher, making copies and arranging route sheets for the drivers of their massive warehouse. Tori didn't realize that there were so many details in the world of logistics, but she found the whole thing fascinating.

And unrewarding.

Day after day, week after week, Tori had not found anything of note leading to any criminal activity. As luck would have it, she was assigned to one of Ruzzolini's legitimate businesses. Tori poured over all of the paperwork, all of the records, contacts, everything. This place was clean as a bean!

Suppose even Leo needed some ventures that were above board. Made sense why his wife was so livid catching him with her. Since this shipping company was on the books and employed hundreds of genuine Los Angelenos: dock workers, drivers, admin, etc. it stood to reason that a grievance would stand up in court. Naturally, following the incident at his house, the big boss kept the Latina at arm's length. He barely said a word to her directly or looked her way.

While Leo was no longer expressing interest, his younger sister had become a frequent presence.

In the weeks upon their meeting, Tori had been getting calls and texts on the regular from Rosalinda Ruzzolini. Sometimes, she would pop up at work and wish to join Tori during her lunch hour. Whenever they did interact, either on the phone or in person, it was pretty pleasant. They didn't discuss work, much to Tori's dismay as she was hoping to pick the girl's brain. Rosalinda kept it light, often about music.

Turned out Rosalinda was a huge music buff. She asked Tori what she listened to and caught off guard by the question, having not prepared herself for that, she found herself reaching toward actual artists in her rotation. Tori mentioned that she liked Pink, Kesha, and KT Tunstall. Rosalinda would chuckle and say that she must love pop music. The other girl had more of a punk rock sensibility, leaning more toward older acts like Sex Pistols or Siouxsie and the Banshees. But there was plenty of pop-rock she enjoyed too, like The Eurythmics or Roxette. Her tastes were rather eclectic, impressing Tori.

She didn't quite know how to read Rosalinda at first, figuring that she was just being friendly. Maybe she was still embarrassed by what her brother did and wanted to clear the air? Tori was used to being hit on by guys, so she was rather blind to the signals radiating off of Rosalinda. Her theory for the longest time was that the girl was lonely, likely kept like a bird in a cage given her family tree. Perhaps she was starved for a friend. But Tori was doubting this thought the more time she spent with her.

One lunch, they were at a very nice French-style bistro. When the server came at the very end, Rosalinda kindly requested the check.

Tori's brow creased.

"Wait, I thought we were doing separate checks."

Rosalinda shook her head.

"No way, put your wallet back! This is my treat."

"But..."

The woman with dark curls held up her finger, as if hypnotizing Tori to shush.

"Please, Matilda!" Rosalinda sighed. "Let me do this."

The Latina relented as the server left with a curt nod.

While they waited for several minutes, they just remained silent. Rosalinda blinked slowly as her hand brushed against her mouth.

Tori felt something going up and down her back, like her spine was a strength tester at a carnival.

(Shivers? Why am I getting shivers from her?)

Once the check had arrived, and Rosalinda paid with the American Express, the pair left the restaurant.

"You know, it sucks that we have to rush these lunches you know?"

"Yeah," Tori nodded with a shrug. "Too bad."

Tori's shoulders tensed up as Rosalinda touched her arm.

"I know! Do you like baseball?"

"Uh...yeah, why?"

Rosalinda's face lit up like the Fourth of July.

"Tell you what, my family's got season tickets. Why don't we go Thursday night? Come on, the Cubs are in town this week so let's watch them get their asses beat!"

The tan woman swallowed, not anticipating any of this assignment since Rosalinda was thrown into the mix.

(I can see the FBI guys now. "Hey boys, guess what? Going to a ballgame now!")

If Tori was honest, that didn't sound so bad. If it weren't for these excursions with Rosalinda, she wouldn't have had any levity at all. Her days consisted of working at the warehouse, reporting back to the station for two hours to report her findings (or lack thereof) and collapse in her apartment to do it all over again. The weekend was her only opportunity to procure some groceries or do laundry, or she would never survive the week.

"You know what?" Tori sighed with a bright smile. "That sounds like a blast."

That Thursday, Tori and Rosalinda sat in the Loge Level of Dodgers Stadium, the midpoint of the stadium. The color of the seating was carefully considered. The blue upper deck, the orange chairs of the loge, and the yellow seats at field level represented the sandy beaches of California.

Rosalinda explained how their grandfather was offered a sky box since he was looked upon as a VIP. However, he refused. She said that it didn't feel like baseball being high up from the crowd. You may as well stay home and watch it on television. Baseball felt right when you were in the midst of fans cheering on the home team, for better or worse. Tori had to admit that the game really was far more interesting when you were there, absorbing the energy from the throngs of spectators. It had a real communal picnic atmosphere going.

They had quite the vantage at this spot. Not too high or too low that you couldn't see what was going on, plus they sat between home plate and first base, so they caught a lot of action. Everyone in their vicinity got on the edge of their seats when a right-handed batter stepped up because that meant a foul ball would come their way. It happened only once, where a foul made it to the tip of the upper deck, caught by a father and son making the crowd cheer for the good fortune.

Tori and Rosalinda had gotten popcorn and beer when the vendor past through, deciding toward the seventh inning would likely be around dinner time. Then they could get a slice of pizza or a hotdog for something hot to eat. Over the course of the evening, they chatted about little things interspersed with yelling at the game. The Latina was genuinely enjoying herself and Rosalinda was great company.

She was feeling more comfortable talking about likes, dislikes, reactions to current events; almost anything. Tori wasn't on her guard as the conversation progressed.

"You have a sister?!"

It just came out. Tori was getting so relaxed around Rosalinda that snippets of her true self were filtering out. She said how she hadn't been to a Dodgers game since she was a kid when her dad took her. Of course, her sister Trina was there as well so Tori unwittingly mentioned her. Panicking, Tori said her name was Kate (which was a lie) and that they weren't close (which wasn't a lie).

Rosalinda's face softened and her eyes grew concerned.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing much to tell. Just grew apart. She's got her own family now, and we don't have contact."

"I guess that happens," Rosalinda mused as she adjusted her cap.

Last Pride Month, she bought an LA Dodgers cap with the team logo only it was rainbow colored. Rosalinda kept it in her closet at home, not taking it out to wear until tonight. She looked warmly at her companion, who was sporting the typical Dodgers hat. But Rosalinda didn't care. In her mind's eye, this was an activity at night with a girl she clicked with. Took long enough but here she was on a date with Matilda.

"Family has a way of doing that," she added.

"What do you mean?" Tori asked.

Rosalinda shook her head.

"Just that they can grate on your nerves, and you just want to punch them!"

"I'm sure there's good times, right?"

The dark haired one shrugged.

"I guess. Would've liked it better if my parents weren't in Italy most of the time!" Rosalinda stared down at her beer. "I miss my mom."

Tori sighed and looked away.

"What?"

"Nothing...just...I miss my mom, too" Tori swallowed.

"Where is she...?" Rosalinda's eyes grew big, the revelation hitting her. "Oh..."

Tori's breath hitched as Rosalinda hugged her.

"I'm so sorry! How long ago was it?"

"Around the time me and my sister stopped speaking." Tori was no longer thinking about being undercover. She was speaking from the heart. "I suppose if losing a child can cause a divorce, why not the opposite?"

She didn't delve any deeper beyond that as it was too painful to talk about right now. But Tori was appreciative that Rosalinda was warm and patient with her. A hug can help in the moment.

Rosalinda broke the hug and just regarded Tori with a sad smile.

"I'm...glad you felt comfortable to tell me this, Matilda."

Hearing her false name ripped right through Tori's heart.

When the game was letting out, Tori and Rosalinda were in a sea of sports fans discussing the close victory against Chicago. They breathed relief as the thick crowd began to disperse once outside as people made it to the parking lot. Rosalinda called their driver to have him park up to entrance.

"He's getting gas," she told Tori. "So, he'll be a few minutes."

"That's cool."

Rosalinda leaned against Tori's side with a sigh.

"HEY YOU!"

(What the hell...?)

Tori turned in time to see a couple of college guys walk up to the pair, clearly intoxicated.

"Saw you two back there..." slurred the one guy who bore a striking resemblance to Logan Paul. "You ladies lonely?"

"WE'RE GOOD, THANKS!" shot Rosalinda, annoyed.

"Yeah, beat it!" Tori added.

The second drunk guy squinted at Rosalinda's hat.

"Awww, shit! Rainbow mafia over here!"

"No fuckin' wonder they don't want to talk to us..." grunted the blond idiot. "Maybe they..."

He reached for Rosalinda's arm, and she yelped from the sudden pain. The creep was buzzed but he was still strong. Tori whacked him in the throat with a hand chop and followed through with an elbow to the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Gay bitch!" the other guy lunged but Tori stepped to the side like a matador and let him bang his head on one of the stone barricades meant to stop cars from crashing into the stadium. He was holding his head, moaning. Then his blond partner staggered in her direction and Tori landed a pointed kick in his left shin, sending him down. She looked down at the sorry sacks of shit.

Rosalinda just stood there, stunned. This drew a little crowd, mostly acknowledging those boys got their asses handed to them.

Tori took her companion by the hand and gestured to go further down the way. She asked if Rosalinda was okay while Wendell pulled up in the town car.

On the ride back to Tori's, there were pretty quiet.

"You sure you're alright?" she finally asked.

Rosalinda laid big doe eyes on her.

"I can't get over what you did back there! You were unbelievable!"

Tori shrugged.

"Just burns me up to see someone picking on someone else because they can."

She huffed, not reacting to Rosalinda's knee touching her own.

"It costs nothing to be kind," Tori shook her head. "What is wrong with some people?"

Rosalinda pursed her lips, breathing softly.

Once the car stopped, Tori was preparing to get out.

"Despite that bullshit back there, I did have a great time tonight."

The dark-haired one smiled.

"Me, too."

Tori tensed as Rosalinda gently tugged at her shirt while spinning her cap around to the side with the other hand. Before she could stop it, their lips touched and after eight warm seconds, Rosalinda broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry, Matilda. I..."

Tori's cheeks burned.

"It's okay," she coughed politely. "I'll just..."

"Call me tomorrow?" Rosalinda asked with pleading eyes.

"Okay, yeah. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Holy shit..."

Tori sank down to the floor of the apartment, her mind reeling from what just happened.

Rosalinda Ruzzolini of the Ruzzolini crime family just kissed her. She expressed in no uncertain terms that she liked Tori that way!

(Why is my heart beating so fast? It's a job. It's ALWAYS been a job!)

(Then why do I feel so horrible?)

Tori had thought going undercover was an extension of that sting operation she arranged for the woman in the park. This was supposed to be playing a long game to set a trap for much bigger prey. No civilians were meant to get hurt. Rosalinda was a relative to her mark, yes, but so far, she hadn't found anything to pin her on. As a younger sister, how much did she know about his criminal enterprises. On the surface he appeared a successful businessman. Maybe she didn't know?

(Don't be naive, Vega! This is a family business, after all.)

It was one thing to pose as an employee to expose the boss, who was a dangerous man. It was another to hurt someone who wasn't part of the plan, especially in this manner. Despite whom she was and where she came from, Rosalinda was only human. Even she didn't deserve to have her emotions toyed with like that!

Tori could picture her face right now. Disappointment and sadness across her beautiful features. She was going to hate seeing that expression, but the alternative was way worse. It would only be more of a devastating blow if more time was allowed to go by.

(I can't lead her on like this, case or no case.)

This was crossing an ethical line, and Tori wouldn't do it!

That's it. Whatever may happen with this assignment, Tori couldn't let this Rosalinda thing get out of hand.

(Next time I see her, I'll tell her that we can't do this.)

(We can't be together.)

RING! RING! RING!

A sweaty, wrinkled hand picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Albert?"

The older man grumbled as he looked for his glasses as there was no getting back to sleep.

"What is it, Rich?" he sighed.

"Are you sitting down because you're not gonna believe this!"

Albert coughed and cracked his neck, getting into a sitting position.

"I was coming out of the Dodgers game and guess who I saw?"

"Ryan Brasier?" he hastened a guess.

"Nobody from the team, Al."

He shifted his thin glasses to rub his eyes, tired of Richard delaying to the point.

"Spit it out!"

"I saw Rosalinda Ruzzolini leaving the stadium."

That got his attention. It was the big man's sister. He had mentioned her before.

"What did you do?" Albert asked, concerned.

"What, nothing! You think I'm crazy? But these two drunks tried to mess with her and the woman she was with beat them up."

Albert sighed, looking down at his gold watch.

"Considering who her brother was, they got off light. So, she had a friend with her. I mean, if I were her, I wouldn't go anywhere alone either."

"Al... listen to me! That friend of hers who laid out those punks... Tori-motherfucking-Vega!"

There was stunned silence for a solid minute.

"Al... Al... AL? YOU STILL THERE?"

"What in god's name is Tori Vega doing hanging out with Leo's sister?!"

"Maybe she's a hired muscle. She DID whoop their asses."

The older man hacked and coughed some more, standing straight up now.

"There is no way on this retarded planet Vega would be on Ruzzolini's payroll!"

"Then why was she even there?" Rich asked. "They seemed very chummy. Think those two are..."

Albert didn't listen to his wild accusation. He was more distracted with the "why." Tori was an honest cop, much to his annoyance. She would know who Leo was, so why would Tori Vega interact with this crime family. Unless...

He felt a chill.

Tori was kind of a phantom in the precinct lately. Maybe she was undercover to expose who was on Ruzzolini's payroll. Him? Richard? Everyone? Her crusading father had been wanting to clean house for a long time. One thing that bothered the chief more than anything was corruption. It didn't matter that Albert was a sergeant and had been on the force for eighteen years. Vega would nail him to the wall to the fullest of his ability.

"Richard, I think we've got a rat."

"Oh, shit..." finally dawning on the man. "What do we do?"

He smirked to himself.

"Luckily, I have some favors saved up."

"Who are you going to call?"

"Someone who can exterminate a rat!"

A/N: I really like Rosalinda as a character and hoped you did, too. But Tori is right. Leading her on would be wrong.