I hope you all enjoy this next installment of Me Llamare Tuyo. It’s been ages since I’ve really watched an SVU episode. It’s nice to pick up where I left off and catch up again. Bearded Barba is a god! As usual, last chapter is here and table of contents here.
Gif Credit: @321pm
It had been the warmest day New York City had seen in months, so Adela decided to take full advantage and go for a walk. She locked the door and slipped her keys into her purse as she skipped down her stone steps. Her first stop was her favorite coffee shop where she picked up a large cup to go. "Good Morning, Miss," the barista grinned when she saw Adela come in the front door.
"Morning," Adela smiled, paying for her usual order and slipping a five into the tip can. "I hope you get to enjoy this beautiful day," she said when the young woman handed her the cup of coffee.
Leaving the coffee shop, she made her way to the florist for some fresh flowers. Adela always liked having fresh flowers on her dining table, it made her smile, but she never had the time to grab some anymore. Staring at the large variety on display, she couldn't decide which ones she wanted most. "I think you should go with the sunflowers," the older gentleman announced, as if he sensed Adela's dilemma.
The sunflowers were massive and bright, maybe he was right. "I think you might be right, I'll take the bunch," she beamed and he grabbed the two remaining bunches and took them in to be wrapped.
"Beautiful day isn't it?" he asked conversationally while he worked. "Maybe spring is right around the corner," he said optimistically.
Adela nodded, "I hope so, but we've still got February and March to get through...very tricky months," she sighed.
She paid for her flowers and carried on walking through her neighborhood, picking up odds and ends for her home. Adela hadn't had the chance to walk around like this in a long time and she was enjoying it quite a bit.
At a green light, she felt her phone vibrating in her purse and she quickly fished it out and saw Mr. Barba's number. "Hello?" she answered.
"Hi Ms. Garcia, is there any chance you could come by my office? I wanted to discuss the case with you," he told her.
Adela nodded, "yes, of course, I'll be there shortly," she promised and disconnected the call. She stopped a cab, "124 West 132nd street, please," she said as soon as she got in. Adela hadn't anticipated hearing from Mr. Barba so soon after the arraignment.
When she arrived back at her house, she asked for the driver to wait for her. "I need to drop these things off and I have somewhere else to go," she explained.
Quickly, she dropped off her things and got back in, "I need to go to One Hogan Place, please," she informed the driver when she returned.
While she waited to arrive, she pulled up her conversation with her mother, and shot her a text.
Mr. Barba wants to discuss the case today, on my way to his office now
She watched the scenery zip past them, her stomach turning itself into knots. She couldn't understand what she was so nervous about, she'd already faced him once.
Let me know how it turns out. Love you
Before too long she'd arrived and paid the driver her fare and a generous tip for waiting for her. Adela climbed the stairs and made her way to the bank of elevators, pressing the button for the third floor.
The elevator doors slid open and Adela stepped off, making a left towards his office. She could hear voices coming from inside the office, so she stopped to speak to his secretary. "Hi, Mr. Barba is expecting me, my name is Adela -"
"Ms. Garcia, please, come in," Barba called out from the office and she let herself in.
He was sitting across from her brother and Lieutenant Benson. "I didn't realize that they would be here as well, how are you Lieutenant? Nico?" she said, wringing her hands.
Barba got up and produced a chair for her to sit in, "please, Ms. Garcia, have a seat. I was just discussing your father with your brother here," he said glancing at Nick.
"Has something happened with pop?" she asked after she'd sat down.
"Barba wants me to take the stand and testify against pop," Nick told her and she looked at Barba in surprise. "Look, weren't you the one who wanted me to stay away from this case?" the asked Barba.
The lawyer nodded, "I did, pero, tu padre-" he said, glancing at Adela before continuing. "-who's even more stubborn than you are, wouldn't take a plea deal. He says that his honor's too important."
Nick shook his head, "that's not my problem, look, there like a hundred people at that party and I wasn't one of them-"
"Neither was I Nico, but here I am. Please sit down," Adela said in her usual calming tone, she knew that her brother was getting worked up. Nick sighed and sat back down, the looks of surprise on Benson's and Barba's faces did not go unnoticed by Adela. "You were saying, Mr. Barba," she pressed.
Barba shook his head and Benson spoke up, "there were a hundred people at that party, but not one of them saw the fight," she pointed out. "You were the one Gabriella made her outcry to, Nick, and it'll look better to the IBA if you testify against your father," she reminded him.
"Please Nico, this will be so much easier for me if I'm not the only one taking a stand against pop," Adela pleaded.
Nick faced his sister, his heart wrenching in his chest. He wanted to see his son of a bitch father behind bars, but he wasn't sure he could go through with destroying the already extremely fragile bond he had with Sonya and his mother.
"Nico, por favor, piénsalo," she pushed, they'd come so far in a handful of days and it could all be over in just a handful more.
"I don't know if I can destroy my family, Del," he sighed.
Barba cleared his throat and got up to shut his door, he stared at Olivia for a minute and heaved a deep breath. He was about to do something he never did in his career as a lawyer, he was going to get personally involved. "Amaro, no eres el unico con un padre abusivo," he announced.
Adela stared up at Barba, but he refused to look at her. He couldn't believe he was making himself vulnerable to her. "He's been out of my life for decades, but my mother still makes excuses for him. I'd put his ass away, even if my mother never spoke to me again."
Nick stared at Adela, her hazel eyes lining with tears, "you understand what you're asking me to do, Del, right?" he asked.
"The same thing you asked me to do, Nick," she replied simply.
Nick wiped his face and looked up at Barba, "I'll do it," he said finally.
Day of the trial
Adela heaved a deep breath and climbed the stairs to the courthouse. She'd spent the entire morning on the phone with her mother. Adela hadn't been able to eat or sleep, anxiety was wrecking havoc with her body. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her that she was going to be fine, that she could do this. The two had said a prayer before Adela left for court.
Nick met up with her and handed her a cup of coffee. "You okay?" he asked, noticing the look in her eyes.
She nodded, "I'm fine, I can do this," she replied. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more than anything else.
Her brother grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "you can do this, Del," he reminded her. She nodded and confirmed that she could.
The pair of them entered the courtroom and took their seats, away from his family. They knew that this would not end well for them, there was no need to make a scene before anything happened.
When the trial started, Adela could feel her head spinning. Nick handed her a bottle of water from her purse, "calm down," he told her in a quiet voice. She nodded and continued to breathe and drinking water. They started by questioning one of the guys who attended the party who had been questioned.
The man explained that he and Gabriella shared a dance and were genuinely enjoying themselves, until Nicholas started to stare them down. Apparently, that's what had spooked Gabriella and made Nicholas go after her. "I may have tempted fate by dancing with her, but I'm not dumb enough to get between a man and his woman," Arenas explained.
Adela leaned towards her brother, "not that he could have saved her from pop," she muttered and Nick nodded in agreement.
When asked about when he next saw Senior or Gabriella, he claimed that he'd seen Senior come up a few minutes later and put ice on his hand. "Did you see Ms. Nunez?" Barba asked.
Arenas nodded, claiming that he'd seen her later when her mother was helping her up the stairs, apparently she was out of it and that was around the time the fight had broken out. "Gabriella's father was just protecting his daughter," he added.
When Senior's lawyer got up to question Arenas, he'd managed to wipe away his entire testimony.
Adela could practically feel her brother vibrating with rage. She rested her hand on his arm, "it's almost our turn, his lawyer can't turn anything against us," she reminded him. She had solid evidence that proved without doubt, that Nicholas Amaro Senior was a barbaric bastard, and deserved nothing more than to be thrown in a dark hole and forgotten.
Next, they questioned Gabriella's father and it was hard for Adela to watch. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to watch one's own child choose to be in such a relationship. It had to be hell to see her go through that and not be able to do anything about it.
The case was looking very good for Senior, Barba asked that the case reconvene in the morning. Nick and Adela got up to leave, hoping to avoid Sonya on their way out. It had been a tough day and the last thing they wanted was to argue with their sister.
"Calm down, he's not going to walk away from this. It doesn't matter how much he smiles at the jury and winks at the stenographer. We testify tomorrow and there's no way he or his lawyer can weasel out of it," Adela told her brother when they reached the sidewalk.
Nick nodded, running a hand over his face. "I'm going to head to work, I'll pick you up tomorrow for court. Love you," he said dropping a kiss on her head.
"Be safe," Adela replied and watched her brother walk away. She heaved a deep breath and ordered herself an uber.
Here’s another installment of Me Llamare Tuyo. You can find the last chapter here or the table of contents here. I have no idea where this story is going, but let’s enjoy the ride together!
Gif Credit: @prurientpuddlejumper
Adela stared out at the illuminated city of New York, it had been nearly a week since she'd agreed to bury her father. She'd put in for leave time at work, wanting to keep this completely separate from her professional life. Adela had given her statements, handed her evidence over to the police and was told by Mr. Barba, that they were working closely with the officers in Miami to help strengthen their case.
A phone rang on the other side of the apartment and Adela moved away from her window to answer it. Reaching for her phone, she frowned, it was her mother. She had been meaning to call her to tell her what was going on, but she was too chicken to do so. "Hola, mama," she answered.
"Del, is there something you'd like to tell me?" Madeline Garcia asked her daughter point blank.
Surely, the officers in Miami had reached out to her by now. Adela sighed, "I'm sorry, ma, I meant to call you...I just didn't know how to bring it up," she explained.
"It would have been nice to be given a heads up that I was going to be questioned by the police, that's all. How are you holding up?" Madeline asked her daughter.
Adela shrugged, "I could be better, this was something I'd always wanted to do, but now that I'm actually doing it...it's...hard. I haven't seen dad yet, but Nick said that the arraignment is sometime next week. Both Nick and Mr. Barba, the ADA, assure me that I don't have to go, but I feel like I have to go," she said in a small voice.
She sat on her couch and pulled her knees to her chest, a small part of her regretted telling Nick and Mr. Barba that she would do this. "I don't know that I'm ready to relive this, ma," she said, her voice cracking.
"I know mija, but do you want this looming over you for the rest of your life? What's going to happen when you start a family of your own? This is something you need to do to put an end to that part of our history," Madeline explained. "This was something you started and I've always taught you to finish what you start, you gave your word."
Adela nodded, even though her mother couldn't see her. "You're right, I have to do this. I have to do this for the both of us," she announced, wiping her face free of the few stray tears that had fallen from her eyes.
"I'm proud of you, Adela, you have courage that I'm not sure I would ever have. Just remember that I'm only a phone call and a plane ride away if you need me," Madeline promised before she disconnected the call.
Adela stared at her phone, ideas running through her mind. She could let this get her down, or she could bury her father and take a step to ensure that it wouldn't happen to anyone else. With stark determination, Adela nodded to herself, "I'm not backing down from this, he's going to pay for his abuse."
The following Monday
Today was the arraignment and Adela spent the better part of her morning telling herself not to go. Finally when Nick called her, she bit the bullet and promised to meet him at the courthouse. What she hadn't anticipated was that she would run into her sister Sonya and Nick's mother Cesaria.
"What is she doing here?" Sonya asked Nick, eying Adela.
"Don't worry about what she's doing here, Sonya. Take mom inside," Nick said turning away from Sonya and watching as she walked away with their mother.
When they'd gone, Nick wrapped an arm around Adela's shoulders and led her inside where he sat with her. She could feel Sonya staring daggers at her, the two never had a friendly relationship. Sonya was always daddy's princess and she hated Adela for always making Nick Sr out as a villain.
Adela took Nick's hand when their father walked into the courtroom. He stared at his youngest daughter and almost couldn't believe that she was there. He'd tried to get in touch with her when he arrived in New York, but she'd blocked him at ever turn.
Throughout the proceedings of the arraignment, Adela kept a firm hold on her brother's hand. The pair of them drew strength from the other and Adela knew that she was right in showing up today.
At the end of the arraignment her father was charged with various assault charges and they were holding on a $100K bail. Surely between his precious daughter and his new bride they would come up with the money to get him out. "Are you going to go see him?" Adela asked quietly, knowing that his mother would try to play peace maker.
Beside her, Nick shook his head. "Not a chance, this is what he deserves, let him rot."
Nicholas was taken away and Barba turned to Adela, "I'm surprised to see you here, Ms. Garcia," he said, packing his things.
"I had to face him, and I wouldn't let the first time be while I was on the witness stand, Mr. Barba," she replied.
He nodded and looked back behind them at the seething woman glaring daggers at them, "I just hope you're ready for the family fallout that this is going to cause," he said to her and Nick. Both of them nodded, claiming that they were going to do what was right, no matter what anyone else thought about it.
Dismissing themselves from Barba, Nick led Adela outside and they were attacked by Sonya. "I knew you showing up couldn't be a coincidence. Whatever you're planning on doing to papi, you'd better stop. You're just jealous because he loves me more than he ever loved you," Sonya accused.
Adela laughed at her sister's idiocy. "Jealous? Do you hear yourself Sonya? Jesus Christ, how delusional are you?" she asked, raking her fingers through her hair. Sonya had always lived in her own reality, but surely she couldn't be this stupid.
"Sure, pop never laid a finger on you, and for that I'm glad. You'll never have to know what it's like to have to cover up for a monster. But don't delude yourself into thinking that this somehow makes you special, Sonya. Let's try to remember that this man beat your mother," Adela pointed out before kissing Nick's cheek and leaving the courthouse.
The following day
"Nico? Are you okay? Que te pasa?" Adela asked worriedly. Her brother had called her and his voice was strange.
He was silent for long moments, only the sounds of his heavy breathing remained. "I just came from the county jail, I went to see him Del," he said.
Adela was already reaching for her coat, "I'll meet you, let's have some coffee. You're in no state to go back to the precinct," she told him. She didn't know his coworkers very well, but this would look bad on him.
"Please, Nico, have coffee with me," Adela pleaded, she knew what her brother was like. When he was angry he could turn into their father, it was that anger that had cost him his marriage. She always tried to get Nick to find other outlets for his anger, even see someone about it.
"I'll take a cab to your place," he finally promised and Adela breathed a sigh of relief. She promised to put on a fresh pot of coffee and make them some lunch.
As soon as she hung up with her brother, Adela moved into the kitchen and pulled some left overs from her fridge and set about heating up some food for her brother.
As she prepared the coffee pot, she caught a glimpse of the picture on her fridge. A picture of herself, Nick, and Zara...Zara, a beautiful little girl who had no idea that he world was about to be turned upside down. This trial was going to completely obliterate already fragile familial ties, but it had to be done.
While the food heated, she cleared her work off of the dining table and cleaned up a little bit. She was broken for her thoughts when she heard her doorbell ring. Looking through the peephole and saw a very agitated Nick Amaro.
Adela opened the door and let him in, hugging her brother as soon a she shut the door. "What happened?" she asked, taking his jacket and hanging it by the door. "I thought you said you weren't going to see him," she added, remembering the conversation they'd had at the courthouse.
Moving into the dining room, she motioned for him to take a seat, "I'm heating up some leftover picadillo, should be ready in a bit," she told him.
Nick nodded and sat down, rubbing his face and looking down at his hands. "I wasn't going to go see him, but I thought I could get him to spare us all the fucking trial if he would just take a plea deal," he told her.
Nick stared at his baby sister, he loved her so much and he didn't want her to have to go through the ordeal of a trial. He wanted to save her from reliving painful memories if he could, but his father refused to go down without a fight. "I wanted to spare you, Del, I'm the one that got you into this mess and I thought I could save you."
Adela shook her head, resting her hand on his, "you didn't drag me into anything Nico, I chose to do this. He has to be stopped and I intend on helping you stop him," she swore. Granted, she wasn't looking forward to seeing pictures of her battered mother in a courtroom full of strangers, but it was a price she had to pay in order to take him down.
"Can you believe that he actually thought I'd bail him out?" Nick chuckled with a shake of his head.
This didn't surprise her at all, their father was nothing if not delusional. "Well he did always have more balls than brains, Nick," she sighed, getting up to grab their lunch. In the kitchen she served two plates and her brother came in behind her to grab their drinks.
"Tell me what happened, you sounded beyond pissed on the phone," Adela told him. She'd gotten better at getting him to talk through his anger.
Nick shook his head, taking a bite of his food, "the usual bullshit, he didn't hit her. He claims she was all mixed up and you can't believe anyone's testimony at the party because they were all drunk," he explained. "The son of a bitch refuses to plea guilty to something that he claims he didn't do."
"But that's not what triggered you, Nico," Adela told him pointedly.
The pair stared at each other, as they often did when Nick worked himself up. There was something calming about Adela, something so peaceful...he could never explain it. "He said that I was just like him, Del. What if I turn into him? What if one day I lose it and I turn on Zara?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper.
Adela got up and hugged her brother close, "you're not going to turn into him Nick, you're not dad. You get angry, but you would never intentionally hurt your family," she assured him. She could feel the tears that fell from her brother's eyes. "Nick, you're better than dad. You protect people from animals like dad. Don't you ever let him or anyone else tell you otherwise," she told him pointedly.
Nick nodded, wiping his face and reaching for his water and taking a drink. Adela remained crouched beside her brother, watching him to make sure he didn't have another breakdown. "You know, Liv says I should learn to forgive him," Nick announced.
Instead of saying anything, Adela nodded, she knew it would be a long shot to get him to forgive their father. "Maybe she's on to something, Nick," she stated tentatively. He stared at her, almost in disbelief. "I'm not saying forgive him and act like he didn't beat us, Nico, I'm saying forgive him for your sake and for Zara's sake. Do you know why I'm doing this?" she asked, getting up and reaching for an empty chair.
Sitting across from Nick, she reached for his hands and stared into his dark eyes. "I'm doing this for my sanity. I can't carry this for the rest of my life, Nick. As long as we continue to hold on tho this anger and this resentment, he's going to keep winning. He knows all he has to do is look at you and it flips a switch on you. He wants you to turn into him and if you let it happen then he wins."
"Now, I want to kill him for what he's done to my family, but I can't. I can kick his ass, sure, but that wouldn't make me any better than him...in fact it would make me exactly like him. So then what can we do? We can lock him away and make sure he doesn't do it to anyone else either," she added.
Nick stared at her as he let all of this settle into his mind. "Now in order to find this peace, we have to be willing to cut ties with people and relationships that don't serve us anymore...is that something you're willing to do?" she asked. Adela knew that Nick was in this position because he was trying to appease his mother and play nice with Sonya.
"I have two kids that I need to worry about. I have to find a way to be a better father to them, maybe you're right Del, maybe I have to forgive him and cut ties with him and everyone else," he told her honestly.
"I'll always be here to help you, you know that Nico. You're my brother and I love you," she said with a smile. He gave her a smile in return and Adela pointed to the plate, "now eat, so you can go back to work," she sighed, getting up and replaying her dining chair.
The only good thing that came from Nicholas Fiorello Amaro's womanizing ways was the bond between Adela and Nick.
Have I finished my ongoing Barba story that I started over 4 years ago? Nope. Is that going to stop me from writing a new one? Nope. Dear friends, I’ve been bitten by a little writing bug and I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Gif Credit: @hurricanejjareau
His stomach churned; how could he possibly ask her to face their worst nightmare? But he was in a jam and he knew that she was the only person who could help him out. Nick Amaro sat at the bar staring at his drink waiting for his half-sister, Adela. Their father was in town and his new fiancé disclosed to Nick that Nick Sr. was abusive towards her. No one believed Jr, they knew how much he hated his father and he'd use any excuse to lock him up.
"Nick?" a small voice asked, and he look up from his drink. He met with the bright green eyes that belonged to his baby sister. His stomach turned at the memory of the last time he'd seen those eyes, she was barely able to open them because they'd been so swollen.
Nick got up from his seat to hug her, he held her tight, "thanks for coming," he said into her hair.
Adela nodded, "I figured it was important, you wouldn't have asked otherwise." Adela knew how much Nick hated their father and would go to any lengths to avoid speaking to him.
The two sat down and Nick waved down the bartender, "do you want a drink?" he asked. Adela shook her head and asked for some water.
"What did he do this time?" she asked, Nicholas Amaro Sr. had a nasty habit of leaving a trail of beaten and battered people in his wake, usually his family.
The bartender returned with her water and left them alone again. "Did you know he was getting married?" Nick asked, taking a drink of his bourbon.
His sister shook her head, "my condolences to the bride," she muttered, and silence fell on them. "What, did he kill her before the wedding?" she mused. Adela wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that his father had murdered his fiancé, especially after what he'd done to her and her mother.
Nick shook his head, "no, he didn't kill her. Who knows what really happened at that party," he growled and Adela stared blankly at him so he pressed on. "I was called to the scene, she was being pulled out on a stretcher and she disclosed to me that he'd hurt her...the next day she claims it was all a lie and now I'm in the hot seat."
Adela nodded, "he obviously visited her and convinced her to change her mind, the poor woman has no idea what she's getting herself into," she sighed. "Alright, what do you need my help with?" she asked finally.
Nervousness played on Nick's face, "Dad's being put on trial...I needed to find Barba witnesses to dad's cruelty and my mom refuses to say a word," he explained.
Her stomach turned, "you're asking me to relive my most painful memories in a courtroom full of strangers and dad," she said slowly as her heart rate started to pick up. Images flashed in her mind and she quickly reached for the glass of water to try and calm down before she had an episode in the bar.
Nick shot out of his seat and stood at her side, rubbing her back. "I know that I'm asking a lot Del, I know that this is going to be difficult, but I really need you to do this," he said. "This isn't just about his new girlfriend, this is about getting justice for us, for our moms, especially yours."
Nick Sr. had beaten Adela's mother within an inch of her life when she'd confronted him about his drinking problem. Adela's interference only made things worse and it all resulted with both seeking medical attention and Nick Sr. leaving his family. Adela hadn't seen her father since then and she vowed never to lay eyes on him again. "I'll do it," she said before she knew what she was saying.
Her brother was surprised to hear her say that she'd testify against their father. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated to do this, Del."
Adela nodded, "that asshole nearly killed my mother and he got away with it once, but he won't get away with it twice," she said fiercely. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't going to stop her. Adela was going to face her demon and put her past to rest.
Nick hugged her, "thank you, Adela." The following weeks were going to be a nightmare.
Barba's Office
Rafael wiped his face tiredly; this case had taken up every waking hour of his life. Just as he was going to walk away from it, there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called, sitting up straight in his chair.
The door opened and a small woman stepped in, smiling nervously at him. "Are you Mr. Barba?" she asked.
"I am, how can I help you?" he asked, getting up from his chair and buttoning his jacket. He recognized the woman as Adela Garcia, the newscaster he watched every morning before work.
She fiddled nervously with the hem of her sweater, "my brother sent me, my name is Adela Amaro," she announced.
Rafael extended a hand to her, "it's nice to meet you Miss Amaro," he said with a smile of his own. He led her to the table on the other side of his office and pulled out a chair for her, this case just got ten times more complicated.
Adela sat down and thanked him, "please call me Adela," she added, she absolutely hated hearing the name Amaro and had decided on using her mother's maiden name professionally.
"Thank you for coming Adela," he said sitting across from her. "I know that this is difficult for you," he added, remembering what Nick told him. Rafael was no stranger to an abusive father, but he had to keep his emotions out of this.
She looked down at her hands that rested on the table. "It is difficult, but he can't keep going around brutalizing people," she said firmly. Her eyes met Barba's and she took a deep breath, "what do you need me to do?" she asked.
Rafael nodded, "if you're sure you want to do this, I'm going to need you to testify about your father's abuse," he told her. She nodded, stating that she was prepared to do just that, adding that she wanted to see him fry. He didn't know why that put a smile on his face, but he couldn't help himself. "Amaro mentioned that you have police reports, hospital records and pictures that could help this case."
Adela reached into her purse and extracted the folder that lived in her safety deposit box, awaiting the day they'd crucify Nicholas Amaro. "There are still cases open against my father in Miami," she added, sliding the folder over to him.
"Thank you, do you mind coming with me to the police station? I'd like for you to meet Detective Benson," he asked, and she readily agreed. He packed away her evidence and reached for his coat. On his way out, he told his secretary that he was going to be at the precinct.
Outside the courthouse, Adela flagged a cab while Rafael pulled up the Uber app on his phone. She turned back to him, "aren't you coming, counselor?" she asked.
He stared at her then at the awaiting cab, he never took cabs. Still, he found himself walking towards her and motioning for her to get in. "Ladies first," he said and climbed in after her. He gave the driver the address to the police station and sat back to check his messages.
Rafael glanced at Adela from the corner of his eye and frowned to himself, this case was going to be difficult enough for him without throwing a beautiful woman into the mix. There was something...almost forbidden...about sitting in a closed space with Adela Amaro. It was as though he knew he shouldn't be here with her, but he couldn't help himself.
"Are you very close with your brother?" he asked conversationally and looked her square in the face.
A smile crept onto her face, he liked how it brightened her green eyes. "Yes, Nick and I are quite close," she told him. "Do you have any siblings, Mr. Barba?" she countered.
Rafael shook his head, "no I'm an only child," he told her, well as far as he knew he was an only child. After his father left his mother it was anyone's guess what became of him.
The cab stopped outside the precinct and before Barba could reach for his wallet, Adela was paying the fare. Rafael led her into the building and upstairs to the special victims' unit where they'd meet with Olivia.
Adela wrung her hands nervously as they ascended in the elevator. This had been a long time coming and she'd waited a long time for this moment, but now that it was here, she didn't know how to handle it. The elevator stopped and she hadn't noticed, not until Barba nudged her. She muttered a quick thank you and stepped off the elevator.
Barba led her towards Olivia's office when they heard Nick's voice. "Del?" he asked, and she turned around.
"Hi, Nico," she said politely to her brother. His colleagues were already watching her, and she didn't want any more attention than was absolutely necessary.
He noticed that his friends were staring at them, so he quickly introduced her to them. "Guys, this is my baby sister Adela. Del, these are my friends and co-workers, Fin, Amanda and Carisi," he said, and Adela waved to them.
"Oh, yeah, I know you, you're on the morning news!" Carisi announced with a smile.
Adela nodded, and glanced at her brother. "I'll catch up with you later, Nico," Adela promised and turned back to Barba, "lead the way, Mr. Barba," she said with a half-smile.
Hi all, I hope you’re all doing well. I suddenly had the urge to work on Guardian Angel [ X ], so here’s a little something I threw together. It’s not very good, my writing is very rusty. All the same, I hope you enjoy it!
Gif credit: @rustandruin
“You alright, counselor?” Carisi asked with a smirk when he saw the anxious look on Rafael’s face. He glanced at his watch half a dozen times in the last fifteen minutes.
Rafael nodded, “I’m fine, do I really need to be here for this?” he asked motioning to the white board that was covered with pictures and names. For the umpteenth time he glanced at his watch, Eva’s show would start at six and he would barely have time to go home and shower.
Olivia looked at her co-workers then back at Barba, “yeah, I thought we could come up with some idea as to how tall these women are connected…” she offered.
He knew this was important, but he really couldn’t miss Eva’s show. She had the lead in her school play, and it was all she could talk about for the past week or so. “I see no reason why we can’t pick this back up tomorrow,” he countered, getting up from his seat. If he didn’t leave now, he’d never make it.
After packing his things, Rafael headed for the bank of elevators with Olivia on his tail. “What’s your hurry?” she inquired.
“Eva has a school play tonight, she’s the lead and I can’t miss that,” he told her seriously. She was four years old and he wasn’t going to miss out on any of her school functions if he could help it. “I missed her Christmas pageant, I can’t do that again,” he told her as the elevator arrived.
Olivia nodded, “I understand, I’ll call you in the morning,” she promised.
The elevator descended and Rafael ordered an uber, he would have just enough time to go home to shower and change.
Are you on your way home? – V
Just waiting on my Uber – R
After a minute, he climbed into the car and breathed a lot easier. His phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. Victoria had sent him a picture of Eva, with her hair curled and dressed in her costume.
She looks beautiful – R
We’re leaving for the school, we’ll see you there – V
After the quickest shower of his life, Rafael dressed and made his way to his daughter’s school after a stop at the flower shop. When he arrived, he couldn’t find Victoria anywhere, but as he unlocked his phone, his mother found him. “A little over dressed, don’t you think?” Lucia laughed.
He looked down at his best suit and frowned, “I didn’t know what to wear,” he replied honestly. Lucia led them to their seats Victoria saw them coming and removed her purse from the seat beside her. “Don’t,” he warned as he sat between his mother and his girlfriend.
Victoria held her hands up in defense, “I was just going to say you’re the best dressed father in the building,” she laughed. “How did you know I loved rainbow roses?” she asked reaching for the bouquet on his lap.
Rafael slapped her hand away, “not for you,” he told her. Victoria pouted playfully and crossed her arms, pretending to be mad at him. He leaned closer to her so that only she would hear what he said, “but if you’re a good girl, you could get something later,” he winked.
“Tease,” she said accusingly and turned her attention to the stage. The curtains rose and the Principal introduced herself and welcomed the parents to the show. She assured them all that the students had put in a lot of hard work into their show and that they were in for a real treat.
When the second set of curtains rose, Eva’s class was in position to start their dance. “She looks beautiful,” Rafael said to Victoria, lacing his fingers with hers.
Victoria nodded, “she does, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of her. Wait until you watch her dance,” she warned. “You’re going to be in serious trouble when she gets older,” she teased.
“Que linda!” Lucia gushed from her seat. Eva and her classmates danced to the music, even though they couldn’t keep up with the choreograph they looked great on stage. The song picked up and Eva took center stage with her dance partner and Rafael’s grip tightened on Victoria’s and as his daughter swayed her little hips and shimmied to the music.
It was all Victoria could do not to break into hysterics in her seat. “You’re pulling her out of dance class,” he warned her darkly.
“The hell she is!” Lucia argued in a loud whisper.
Rafael looked at his mother, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. “Do you see that little boy’s hands on my daughter! He’ll be lucky if I don’t break his fingers,” he shot back.
“Rafi, you’re overreacting. She’s having a good time and there’s no harm in a dance,” his mother told him with a shake of her head. “They’re dancing, it’s not like he’s taking her out on a date,” she added.
Victoria cleared her throat, catching Rafael’s attention. “Actually…he kind of is. His parents asked if the kids wanted to go out for ice cream after this…”
“Absolutely not, they can keep their son the hell away from my little girl,” Rafael complained. Both his mother and his girlfriend broke into a fit of laughter. He ignored Victoria’s assurances that it was just ice cream between classmates.
He could feel himself sweating and hyperventilating at the thought of his daughter ever becoming a grown woman. “Can’t she go back to thinking boys were gross? There was nothing wrong with that,” he whined.
His mother patted his hand, “she’s got a long way to go before you have to worry,” Lucia promised, knowing where her son’s mind had wandered to. Rafael knew she was right, but it didn’t ease his worries any.
The song ended with Eva’s hands on her little hips and a wide grin on her face. “See that face? How can you even think of taking this away from her, babe?” Victoria asked Rafael. He looked at his girlfriend who seemed as ecstatic as his daughter did.
Instead of arguing with them further, Rafael sat back in his seat and watched the rest of the concert.
When the concert ended, Rafael followed Victoria and his mother to the hall so that they could pick up Eva. As he emerged from the auditorium, he could hear his daughter’s giggles and he saw her with the same little boy who had danced with her. Before he could complain, he was approached by a couple. “You must be Mr. Barba, we’re Mitzi and Evan Christie. We’re Edward’s parents,” the woman announced, extending her hand to him.
“Yes, I’m Rafael Barba, it’s nice to meet you both,” Rafael replied. He had to keep himself in check, neither his girlfriend nor his mother would appreciate his making a scene.
The children came running over to them, “did you see me, papi? Didn’t I do good?” Eva asked, throwing her arms around her father’s leg.
Rafael bent to pick her up and kissed her rouged cheek, “you did great, preciosa, you look beautiful.”
“You both did very well,” Mitzi said smiling at Eva and hugging her son to her side. “I think this calls for a trip to the ice cream shop!” she announced.
“Ice cream! Can we, papi?” Eva pleaded, and though he didn’t want his daughter spending anymore time with Edward, he couldn’t deny her. When he nodded, she squeezed him in a hug again, causing everyone to laugh.
Rafael set her down and she took off with Edward ahead of them, with his parents following closely behind.
Victoria laughed at the frown on his face, she wrapped her arm around his, patting him playfully on the chest. “Stop frowning, Rafi, it’s just ice cream,” Lucia laughed, linking her arm with his free arm, and the three of them walked on after them.
Can I request number #19: “Nobody needs to know” with Barba, please?
19: “Nobody needs to know”
a/n: set early season 16, rafael is jealous lol, barba does not like sonny at this point,
"Let me know if you get any pushback on that warrant," you say to Sonny, as he's leaving, heading back to the precinct.
"You're the best, counselor," and he holds up the warrant with a wave, as you return to your office, only to find Rafael sitting on your couch.
"He has a crush on you," and you roll your eyes.
"Barba--" and he's suddenly behind you, his lips nearly brushing your ear, as his hands trace your sides.
"That's funny -- that's not what you called me last night," and you roll your eyes, cheeks still burning, even as you bristle.
"Yeah because this juvenile behavior is really attractive," you try to brush him away, but he catches you by the wrist, "Rafael--"
"It is cute -- that Fordham has a crush on you," he presses a kiss to the wrist he holds -- his grip one you could easily break from, and you know he'd stop if you meant it, "wanting what he can't have."
"Then why don't you tell him?" his eyes flicker up, as his fingers cup your cheek.
"Nobody needs to know," he shakes his head, as he leans closer for a kiss, his lips curved in a smile, "not when I know I have you," and he kisses you, murmuring a breath away, "and you have me."
I was totally inspired by @tropes-and-tales story Why Do I Even Bother here is the link the story https://tropes-and-tales.tumblr.com/post/185739906870/rafael-barba-prompt-why-do-i-even-bother check out her stuff, its fantastic! Also I am very open to constructive criticism and new ideas! would love some feedback!
No one made you as happy or as sad as Rafael Barba. You met by chance. You were doing work for your aunt’s bookstore in a cafe when he introduced himself. You hadn’t even meant to go to that cafe that day. Your aunt’s bookstore had a cafe, but you wanted a change of scenery. Kismet, you always called it. You two had been dating for six months. It was a lot of give and take. Well more give on your part.
He hadn’t introduced you to any of his coworkers and insisted on keeping the relationship low key. He worked in a dangerous world full of criminals and didn’t want to you to be tainted somehow by it. You, he always said, were a bright spot of sunshine in the bleak world of the Special Victims he saw.
It sure didn’t feel like it though. It had been six months and he hadn’t met the aunt you had to come to New York to take care of, and to take over her bookstore. You hadn’t met his mom or his friends outside of work. You asked but he always said the same thing, scheduling conflict.
You were patient. You wouldn’t want to bring him to your aunt’s place out respect for her privacy, so you always went to his. That’s how you justified it in your mind. Whenever he called, you went. You once went from Brooklyn to his Manhattan brownstone at 10 p.m. He didn’t have you take the subway, he did pay for an Uber. That was sweet and considerate, right?
But you weren’t a booty call. Sure you two had sex, you were together for over three months and you took it slow. You had late night dinners, early breakfasts and sometimes just talked for hours. He always loved texting you. Soon, however, you realized a third person was n the relationship. Olivia Benson. She called and he answered. Always.
He also took her to any galas and charity dinners. He said they were work-related and he would rather be at home with you. He spoke a few times about upcoming galas. You had seen invites on his breakfast bar. You were so excited and so sure he was going to ask you had bought a dress. But the invitation never came. You kept the dress, just in case he asked you to the next one. The next one came and went. He never asked. But he always went with Olivia Benson. You didn’t think he was cheating on you, well not physically. Emotionally, you wouldn’t let yourself go to that place. Denial wasn’t just a river in Egypt.
So you did what you did best. You waited. Until one day you were listening to the radio. Toto’s song Rosanna came on. The line “meet you all the way” for some reason stuck with you. You couldn’t get it out of your head. You ALWAYS met him all the way. He never came close to meeting you half way. The relationship was completely one-sided and on his terms.
It stopped you in your tracks. He wasn’t worrying about tainting you. There weren’t any scheduling conflicts. He was hiding you! You, his…booty call. You weren’t that, you were much more than that. If he had ever asked about you, or your life or were even remotely involved he would know that your aunt sold you her business and brownstone in Brooklyn. You liked it better than his Manhattan brownstone. Which you told yourself you would never, ever set foot in ever again.
You were so angry you saw red. The night before he had kept you waiting for hours at his place after you mentioned that you learned to cook his favorite meal. Olivia needed him for a case so they had a working dinner. You dutiful packed up the dinner you in plastic containers and placed it in his refrigerator. Well, you hoped he enjoyed it. You realized everything you have done for him and the red in your eyes turned opaque.
You were going to break up with him. Through text. You were going to give as much into the breakup text as he did into the relationship. Not much at all.
We’re through. -y/n
You blocked him and deleted his number. You didn’t feel a lot of closure because you would never know if he tried to get you back or if he even cared. You finished your day at the bookstore and put the dress you bought up on eBay. It sold. The next day you were going to mail it, you wanted any reminder of Rafael Barba out of your life.
———–
Rafael had a long day at the office he wanted nothing more than to call you. He wanted to see you. He knew he wasn’t the best boyfriend because he put a lot into his work. He didn’t really have any friends. Sure, Eddie was his friend but he was very busy with his new job as a security guard at another prison and his new girlfriend was encouraging to take night classes towards his associates. Small steps. Between that and his son, he was pretty busy. Eddie, outside of work was his only friend. He could not let you know that.
You had moved to New York and made friends more quickly than anyone he had met. You had a gift in it. He felt kind of like a loser in that aspect. He never had many friends. In high school, there was Yelina, Alex and Eddie. Well, Yelina, Alex and he could never be friends. Eddie, sometimes he still had hope for. In Harvard he was to busy studying, then he worked, worked and worked.
Now it was starting to pay off. He had his nice brownstone along with some nice paid time off with extra money to spend He was thinking of asking you, his pretty, awesome girlfriend to go on a cruise with him and mother along with her boyfriend William Dodds. He wasn’t thrilled about Dodds but he figured it was a great way for you to become integrated into his family. He was in touch with a travel agent with William and everything was set. They just needed to ask his Mom and you.
He heard a ping. He had a special text tone for your texts. He put down his paperwork and pulled out his phone. He almost savored that he was going to hear from you. But he saw the words “We’re through-y/n” He felt cold.
You two were over just like that! He thought things were going so well. He tried calling, went to voicemail. Then he tried three more times. He then understood he was blocked. He felt hurt. Yes, he worked a lot. But he always thought you knew how he felt. His heart clenched and his stomach dropped. He wanted to forget. Maybe a trip to Forlini’s would help.
——
Sonny Carisi was sitting at home rewatching a cheesy comedy and eating a cold pizza when he got a call. He at first didn’t know the number but answered anyways.
“Hello?”
“Sonny Carisi?”
“Who’s this?”
“I’m a bartender at Forlini’s Bar, a Mr. Barber-”
Then Sonny heard a drunken Barba yell over the phone,
“Its Barba! It’s Cuban! I’m Cuban and I’m sad!”
Sonny assured the bartender to say no more, he was on his way.
—-
When Sonny arrived at the bar, Barba was sitting in a corner booth drinking what looked like a milkshake and munching on fries. Sonny wasn’t even aware they sold food. Barba looked sad and lonely. Sonny slid into the booth.
“Hi Barba, what’s going on?”
“My girlfriend dumped me. Everything was going fine. I was going to take her on a cruise. Sonny, don’t be like me. I know you want to, I can see it. Just don’t. I’m fifty and I’m alone.”
Sonny had never heard Barba call him his first name before. Ever. More importantly he never once acted like he had a girlfriend. Sometimes he wondered if it Olivia. Was it Olivia, were the lieutenant and him dating?
“Is it Olivia?”
Barba looked confused and munched on some fries.
“Is what Olivia?”
Then Sonny realized this was going to be a hard conversation, drunk Barba had no attention span.
“Is Olivia your girlfriend? Did you two break up?”
“Olivia isn’t my girlfriend! Y/n is! She’s really pretty, very nice and smart. She knows more about books than I do! But she broke up with me. Through text. Why do you think Olivia was my girlfriend?”
Sonny sighed, maybe Barba wasn’t as drunk as he thought, maybe the food he Postmated into Forlinis was helping.
“Well, you go to all of these events with her. You two seem to hang out a lot. I just thought-”
“She once said she wanted to go on a cruise. I took on a lot of extra cases and got time off. I even got a balcony room. Ugh, I have to go with my mom and Dodds. Maybe I can get a refund.”
“Why is your mom and Dodd’s going?”
It was too late, Rafael passed out in the fries, knocking over his milkshake.
———
Rafael woke up in with a huge headache and the racket in the kitchen was ungodly loud. He remembered the night before and groaned. Then he remembered the breakup and felt depressed all over again. He walked into the kitchen to thank Sonny for picking him up.
“Hi, Barba!” Sonny said a bit too cheerfully.
“Sonny, you picked me up drunk from a bar and I slept off the booze in your apartment. Call me Rafael.”
“Well, Rafael, I made pancakes to help settle your stomach. My ma has the best pancake recipe. I made you some.”
Rafael sat down on the couch were Sonny gave him some aspirin and a big glass of water. He sat the plate of pancakes in front of him. Rafael had to admit they smelled good.
“Err-thanks for everything Sonny.”
“What are friends for!” Sonny said back, handing him a fork.
“Am I on Staten Island? Do you have a ferry schedule?” Rafael asked mid-bite.
Sonny looked shocked.
“Staten Island? I left as soon as I could, I live in Brooklyn.”
————-
Rafael left Sonny’s apartment making a promise to himself to help Sonny out more, and be slightly easier on him. He remembered the drunk conversation he had with Sonny. Sonny thought he was Olivia? Olivia was the closest thing to a best friend he had. Even if was a work friendship. Did he maybe, just maybe, treat his relationship with Olivia better than you?
The more he thought about his relationship with you, the more he realized you put up with a lot over the past few months. You came at ten at night, you waited when he had to leave early. You had seemed so patient he had started taking you for granted. Now it was over. He didn’t know your address, he then realized he didn’t know the name of your aunt’s bookstore.
He smelled warm croissants and coffee. Getting drunk and the hangover always made him super hungry. Maybe would go into the cafe where the smell was coming from and grab something for the subway ride back to Manhattan.
The doorbell rang as walked in and a bored twenty-something took his order. While he waited for his food, he sipped his coffee and looked through the bookstore. He sadly thought of you. You spoke about the bookstore a lot. You really enjoyed running it for your aunt. The woman behind the counter asked him if he needed help, he was about to say no when he heard your voice.
“Jenine, the new shipment came in! I’m going to need help later putting the away.”
“Sure thing y/n!”
You walked in pushing a cart of books you stopped when you saw Rafael.
“Uh…hi Rafael, what are you doing in Brooklyn?” You looked very uncomfortable and you looked like you were hiding your anger.
“Can I talk to you?” Rafael asked. You didn’t want to make a scene. He looked awful. You never saw him look…bad. Even in repose, he looked nice. He was wearing a wrinkled suit, had messy hair and had dark circles under his eyes. You wanted this to go as quickly as possible. You led him to your office and closed the door.
“I’m sorry,” Rafael said. Then you decided to let him have it. You were going to get your closure.
“For what, Rafael? Treating me like a booty call that you hid? For being ashamed of dating a shop girl? I’ll have you know I own this bookstore now. I’ve owned it for three weeks, but guess what? You never asked. You never ask about me, you hid me and I still have to come to you. You have feelings for another woman but try to pass the time with me. You take her to events you should take me too. I had long ago bought a dress I waited to wear for you, and guess what? I sold it. I’m done waiting. I’m sick of it. I’m better than that and I deserve better. I guess in the end I can’t be mad. I allowed you to treat me this way. I’m just done.” You finished sitting in your desk chair, the tone of your finality hung in the air.
Rafael was horrified. He had no idea you had felt this way. Sure he liked to compartmentalize his life. He didn’t want you to get hurt in any way because of him. He had been afraid of the inadequacies of his social life. In the end, his fear and having the relationship 100% his own way cost him one of the only good things in his life.
“You bought a dress to wear for me? I know I should have invited you to a gala but…There is no excuse. I wasn’t with you to pass the time. I never introduced you to my friends because I don’t really have any. I just work. Then you came into my life, and I worked more because I could get time off to go on a trip with my mom. Carino, I had a cruise all planned. I barely see my mom, I’m working so much. I wanted all of us to get to know each other on it. Me, you, my mother and her boyfriend..”
You looked at him and said.
“ I bet he comes to her every once while? Does he make her leave the Bronx at ten at night? I suppose he pays for her uber though. That makes it better in the end.”
When Rafael heard it out loud he winced.
“You were never a booty call. I hate that you would think that. Congratulations on buying this place. I wish we could try again. But if you end it I understand. I’ll introduce you to anyone you want. I need to meet you half way.”
He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. You sat there and thought about it. He seemed very sad and very sincere.
“I’ll give you one chance. Rafael, I’m not going back to the way we were. If you honestly think you can change I’m willing to make it work.”
You leaned in to kiss him but he said.
“I smell awful, let me go home, brush my teeth, change my clothes and come back here. After your shift is over I need to take you to the Bronx.
——
Six weeks later
“Mija! Look at this boat!” Lucia exclaimed.
“I know Lucia, did you see the itinerary? They have zip lining on a boat! Do you think Rafael will agree to go with me?” You enthused, knowing full well Rafael was going to sit by the pool and maybe try snorkeling.
“William, is this your first cruise?” You asked Dodds Sr.
You and Lucia had immediately become fast friends. You found out that Rafael had told his mother all about you. He just never introduced the two of you. You also really liked Dodds Sr. and the relationship Lucia and him had. She brought extra zing to his life he always said.
“I went on an Alaskan cruise fifteen years ago. Thanks for inviting Rafael, Mike never wants to do these things. He still likes camping, hey we should do a big campout! Mike, Alice, your mom, y/n and you!” Dodds Sr. said excitedly.
“William I don’t work over ninety hours so I can pretend to be homeless. Now you guys have your room, we’re going to ours let’s meet up at dinner. I think y/n wants to completely explore the ship.” Rafael said dryly.
As you entered your stateroom Rafael hugged you from behind very quickly.
areudirty
2087
tangentwithtanner
