𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 | 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'VE NEVER thrown an axe before," Rosa says in disbelief. She stifles a laugh as she watches Kat stare at the sharp weapons with awe. She clears her throat and folds her arms over her leather jacket as her friend turns to her. "Okay, there's three rules. One, don't hit me. Two, don't decapitate me. Three, don't kill me."

Katherine shrugs with a nod. "Should be easy enough," she proclaims.

The large warehouse is split into two sections: the bar and the area for the more violent activities. Each lane is divided by walls, wooden targets placed at the very end. Rosa picks up one of the throwing axes and gently runs a finger down the sharp blade before handing it to Kat. "You want to hold it lightly, the tighter you grip the more difficult it'll be to let it go while keeping it straight," she explains.

"Got it," she confirms. Kat's fingers wrap around the base of the axe as she copies Rosa's stance.

"Then bring it back over your head, like you're gonna throw a soccer ball." She keeps her eyes on Kat as she watches her follow the movements. "When you let go, make sure it's at eye level." Rosa turns around and releases her own axe, letting it soar through the air and hit the target an inch out from the bullseye.

Kat takes a deep breath and nods. "Easy," she mutters to herself. "Easy." Rosa takes a step back to let her take her position in the middle of the lane. Her eyes widen in surprise when the axe hits the target dead centre. A grin splits across Kat's face as she turns around with a laugh. "Oh, my God. Did you see that? I hit it!"

Rosa can't help but smile at her excitement. "Not bad," she admits. She grabs another axe off the table. "Again."

Katherine throws another three axes, each landing in a similar spot on the target as the last. As the minutes go past, Rosa's jaw begins to tighten in annoyance. It's either dumb luck or she's got a talent for this.

With her lips curled into a smirk, Kat throws her hands up as she glances to her friend. "Come on, Diaz, are you even trying?" She arches a brow when all Rosa does is scowl. "It's cute you think you can scare me."

Now it's Rosa's turn to smirk. "You think I'm cute?" she retorts.

Kat's face falls, but she quickly recollects herself with a scoff. "Your words, not mine," she says.

Rosa's eyes linger on her for another few seconds, noticing the tinge of red that has tainted her cheeks. "Okay, fine. One handed."

"Piece of cake," Katherine states confidently. She grabs one of the axes and moves it into her right hand then moves it up into the air to throw.

"Stop," she interrupts. "You're holding it wrong." Kat looks to her with confusion and she sighs. "Here." Rosa moves to stand behind her, her chest brushing against Kat's back as she grabs onto her hand holding the axe. "Loosen your grip. And then..." Kat's breath hitches in her throat as Rosa gently bends her arm back. "You want it past your ear."

"And then throw it?" she presumes. Her heart begins to race a little faster as she hears Rosa's breathy chuckle right beside her.

"Slow down," Rosa tells her. She pulls Kat's arm back a little further. "It needs to be just above your shoulder, and then you throw."

Her fingers curl around Katherine's wrist as she guides her arm through the air. "Got it," the sergeant mutters. She clears her throat as Rosa steps away. "Thanks."

Rosa watches her go through the steps carefully, making sure not to miss anything or do something wrong. But when the axe hits the bullseye of the target, she storms off to get a bottle of tequila as she ignores Kat's smug celebrations.

"Sergeant." Kat quickly blinks as she hears her name called. "If you fall asleep, I will fire you."

She nods with understanding. "I wouldn't expect anything less, sir," she tells the captain. She refrains from yawning. And because she's tired, her mind keeps running back to the night she and Rosa had shared last week. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Holt leans back in his chair and folds his arms. "I have a problem," he states. She raises a brow. "A... rather pressing problem. And I need your help."

Katherine props her elbows up on the arms of the chair and smiles. "Consider me intrigued," she says.

"So what you're saying is, my pain is your entertainment?" Raymond concludes in a deadpanned voice.

"Oh, absolutely," she confirms. "The problem?"

"Kevin has been rather firm on declaring that Diaz and Marcus join us for dinner," Holt explains. She winces. "And while Detective Diaz and I have so far been vigilant on avoiding this from happening, we've come to the end."

"That's horrible," she declares sympathetically. She pauses for a second, struggling to understand what part she'll play. "But how can I help with this? I know Kevin loves me, but it's to an extent, sir. An extent."

"I'm extending the invitation to yourself, Tisha, and your dog," Raymond says. "It would help Detective Diaz and I to try and..."

"Not be awkward?" Katherine suggests. He nods. "Okay, so you want us to be intimacy buffers. That we can do. Tish just saw Guardians of the Galaxy and she's dying to get Kevin's opinion on it."

Raymond Holt's eyes squint in confusion. "Are these people that... guard a galaxy?"

"Precisely."

"I can assure you," he begins adamantly. "My husband has not seen that film."

Kat grins. "Exactly." The captain hesitates for a second then nodding in agreement with the distraction technique. "Okay, so does Rosa know?" And it's right then that she notices his gaze meet something behind her. Without even turning around, Kat knows who's walked into the office. She sighs to herself. "Great..."

Rosa's eyes flick between her superior officers, settling on Holt since he had been the one to ask for her presence. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He points to the door as he stands up from his chair, and she quickly closes it as she enters the office. "We have a situation," he announces, his tone all too serious. "And it's bad. Check your email."

With her brows furrowed in confusion, Rosa takes her phone out as instructed. Katherine is present for the very second her face falls in horror. Rosa's eyes are glued to the email on her phone. "No," she protests.

"Yes," Holt counters. "Kevin insists on you and Marcus joining us for dinner at our house."

"But we agreed to keep our personal and professional lives separate."

"That's no longer the case," Kat speaks up.

The detective huffs a sigh through her nose. "Look, it's weird enough I am dating your nephew without dragging your husband and dog into it." Her lips curl into a grimace as she says 'dog,' something Kat notices and rolls her eyes at.

Holt rests his hands on his hips. "You think I want this?" he retorts. "Because I do not want this." Rosa closes her eyes in frustration as reality sinks in. "Sadly, Marcus and Kevin can be held off no longer."

"Okay." Rosa begins to pace the width of the room, her fists clenching by her sides anxiously. "So what's our play here? My stomach's a little off. I could say I'm sick?"

"No, he's used that excuse eight times," Kat argues. "I'd be shocked if they weren't catching on by now."

Rosa stops to look at him. "You could say you're sick," she suggests.

Katherine and Holt share a look of amusement. "No one would ever believe that," he replies. "No. This is happening. But don't worry, I have a plan to keep things from getting too personal."

Rosa's brows crease as she glances down to Kat. "Tisha and I are coming," she states with a grin. "Bear and Cheddar are gonna have their weekly playdate. We're some of the 'intimacy buffers.'"

"Some?" Holt repeats.

"Well, sir, the two of us are great, but it won't be enough," Kat frowns. "Tish gets distracted by anything Kevin cooks, so she'll be disqualified within the first ten minutes. We need some real intimacy buffers."

The three of them share a knowing look as a few people immediately come to mind.

Amy Santiago's eyes have widened in pure excitement as she takes in the words that have just been spoken to her. She rises from her chair, a smile slowly spreading on her face. "Dinner party at your house?" she gasps. "Oh, mama." Kat tries not to laugh at how thrilled her best friend is by the prospect of having dinner with their boss.

"I will be there," Gina confirms. Holt glances to her. "All I ask is that you clear the furniture out of your living room so I can show Kev some of my new dance opera."

"Why just some of it?" Rosa questions. "Do the whole thing." Kat grins.

Holt nods in agreement with the suggestion. "Yes; nothing would make me happier," he says. "See you Thursday at eight."

Amy's smile has somehow widened. "Copy that, Cap-i-tan!" As Rosa and Holt walk out, she returns to her chair at the table. "Later, skater."

Kat and Gina share an amused look. "Yes," Gina begins. She raises her coffee cup up to her lips and smiles. "This is wonderful. The dinner's not for four days, and you're already freaking out."

Amy scoffs as she looks between the sisters. "Excuse me. Did you not just hear me say, 'Later, skater'?"

Katherine places a hand on her arm. "Ames, I love you, but not your best work," she confesses.

Once she spots Gina rolling her eyes, Amy sighs. "All right. Fine. There's a slight chance that, in the past, I may have tried a little too hard around the captain. So this time, I'm gonna be super chill."

"Good plan," Gina says. She picks up her phone as she pretends to have gotten a text. "Whoa!" She looks up to Amy. "It just says you got uninvited."

Kat sighs when Amy's eyes widen in horror. "What?" she exclaims.

"Oh, honey..."

Amy clears her throat as a smile adorns her face. "Oh. I get it. You're joking." Gina clasps her hands together with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "See? I'm cool. I get jokes."

As Kat heads out of the break room chuckling, she's almost immediately stopped by Terry. "You seen Jake?" he questions.

She pauses, her brows furrowing. "He's here?" she asks in confusion. After the incident, the number of injuries and bruises that Kat had seen on Jake Peralta's body had her thinking he was ludicrous to come into work. "And he's walking?"

"Barely," Terry admits. "He disappeared and I can't find him." His eyes catch one of the detectives walking out of the elevator. "Boyle! Have you seen Peralta?"

As Charles approaches them, he glances to his best friend's desk to find the chair empty. "No," he answers. "I was out getting him some healing broth." Kat leans forward to sniff the container he's holding. "I was torn between getting chicken or beef, but then it hit me... goat!"

It's when everyone in the bullpen freezes at the deafening crash coming from down the hallway does Kat, Terry, and Charles quickly realise where Jake is. They take off to find him in the evidence room that looks like a tornado has gone off inside.

"What happened?" Terry asks him in alarm. "We heard a bang!"

"No," Jake dismisses. "No bang. Everything's totally normal." He smiles at the sight of Kat. "Oh, hey, Sarge!"

"Don't 'hey, Sarge' me," she scowls. "You look like you're about to faint." She points to the fallen shelving and dozens of boxes on the ground. "It also looks like you did something stupid, like, oh, I don't know, try to lift a super heavy box?"

He lets out an amused laugh. "Sarge, come on. In my condition?"

Terry and Kat share identical expressions of exasperation as he explains his elaborate contraption that would get boxes of evidence down without really lifting them. "Did you or did you not say, 'Suck it, MacGyver'?" Katherine presumes.

He hesitates. "No." She rolls her eyes. "But it was a pretty elegant solution, right?"

"No!" Terry argues. "Everything fell everywhere. All you had to do was sit at your desk. What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," Jake counters, slightly defensive. "I'm just trying to solve this case, and everyone's making a huge deal because I have a few minor injuries to my ribs, ankle, hand, toes, and jaw."

"Jaw?" Charles questions him in concern.

"Yeah, that just happened. I got hit in the face with a box. But look, I'm fine. I promise you."

Katherine throws her hands up in defeat. "This is all yours, Jeffords. I'm done."

"No, no," Terry holds up a hand. "I'm done with this, too. We're both done." He glances back to Jake. "Go home and get better," he tells the man sternly. "Now!"

"All right, fine. But I'm taking this box of evidence with me."

"If you can pick it up, you can take it."

"Deal," Jake nods. He purses his lips together as he manages to turn around to the boxes. A high-pitched muffled groan of agony leaves his mouth as he begins to slowly lean down. The sound only becomes more pained as he grabs onto the box and starts to lift it up.

Kat shakes her head as Jake turns back to them, revealing the tears running down his cheeks. "Jesus Christ," she mutters.

"See?" he says breathlessly. "I'm fine."

⋆。 ﾟ✩ ⋆。 ﾟ☀︎。 ⋆

Thursday came around quickly. The four days leading up to the dinner party had included Rosa brainstorming with Kat the different ways they could try and distract Kevin and Marcus from deep, personal conversations. Tisha had also come up with a list of topics that ranged from Guardians of the Galaxy, pop tarts, and how she was going to pass her upcoming history exam. The last one was bound to get Kevin talking for at least twenty minutes.

With Bear's special occasion lead in Kat's hand, the family of three stop before the front door, the warm glow of the entrance lights helping them to not trip up the stairs. They had made the plan to come twenty minutes earlier than everyone else in order to let the dogs settle.

Raymond Holt answers the door. "Tisha, Katherine," he greets them with a nod. "I'm glad you made it." His gaze drops to the Golden Retriever looking up at him with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Bear." The dog barks.

Tisha grins brightly at the captain, her hands clutching the small box adorned with brown wrapping paper and a twine bow. "This is for you and Kevin," she says, holding it out for him to take.

He sighs as he glances to the blonde-haired woman. "I don't-"

"Want nor like gifts," Kat finishes for him. "We know." Her lips lift into a smile. "Now take the box, Captain."

He reluctantly takes the gift and steps aside for them to enter. "Kevin is in the kitchen. Cheddar!" At the loud command, the sound of paws trotting toward them is heard. Kat sees a blur of white and orange and then a cacophony of barks ring through her ears. She chuckles as Bear bows down whilst Cheddar circles him excitedly. "Return to the sitting room," Raymond instructs.

Tisha giggles as Cheddar trots down the hallway, Bear bounding after him like a kangaroo. They follow Holt down to the kitchen where Kevin turns around at their presences, a white and beige striped apron protecting his clothes from the food. "Katherine, Tisha," he smiles at them. "It's lovely to see you both."

Kat returns the smile. "You too, Kevin."

His eyes lock onto the small box in his husband's hands. "Oh, you shouldn't have."

"Open it," Tisha urges eagerly.

Raymond sighs and unties the bow, then carefully unwraps each corner of the paper. Inside is a framed picture that looks incredibly familiar to all of them. After trying to replicate one of the paintings Kat had been gifted, Tisha had finally managed to recreate Rock Thirty.

A warm smile graces the captain's face as he picks it up. "It's wonderful," he praises. Tisha's grin widens. "The usage of the blue analogous colours works well. You've outdone yourself." Kat wraps an arm around the girl's shoulders, a proud smile on her face.

"It'll fit in well amongst the gallery wall on the staircase," Kevin adds. With a glass of wine in hand, Kat begins her weekly debrief with Kevin as Tisha heads off to find the pair of dogs.

Another ten minutes pass before they hear the front door open, Raymond excusing himself to go greet the guests. "Marcus. Detective Diaz. What a surprise." Rosa and Marcus stand side by side, a bouquet of flowers in the former's hand. "I didn't expect you for another nine and a half minutes."

"See?" Rosa glances to her boyfriend. "Told you it was rude to be early. Well, let's cancel the entire evening and try again next year." She shoves the flowers into Holt's chest and spins around to leave.

Marcus quickly caches her arm to stop her with a laugh. "She is hilarious," he smiles. "I thought you might need some help setting up."

"Actually, the Linettis have taken that role," Raymond says. Rosa's eyebrows raise in surprise that Kat and Tisha had arrived earlier than them.

It's then that Kevin and Kat join them. "Oh, I'll put these in some water," Kevin says as he takes the flowers, sending an appreciate smile to the couple. "Thank you. Marcus, you can help with the boeuf bourguignon. I'm a little worried Tisha is going to ruin it."

Kat kisses her teeth. "Yeah, good call," she admits. "I wouldn't leave her alone in there."

"I subbed shallots for onions in the mirepoix," Kevin adds.

"No!" Marcus gasps. "Are you kidding?" He turns around to face Rosa as he whispers, "I have no idea what he's talking about."

Rosa smiles softly, but it disappears as she turns back to the pair before her. "I'm sorry," she tells Holt. "We're screwed. I should just break up with him."

Kat shrugs. "I mean, that would solve the problem."

Raymond holds up a hand to stop them from delving any further into the possibility. "No, no, no, no," he interjects. "Santiago is always on time."

"That's true," Katherine confirms. "In the six years I've known her, she's never been late. You only need to make small talk for..." They all look at their watches to check the time.

"Eight minutes and forty-five seconds," Rosa says.

"We better keep it impersonal. Acceptable topics include what constitutes a grain, the Hubble Space Telescope, orchid varietals, the birth of the transistor..."

"We only have to fill eight minutes," Rosa points out.

Kat clicks her tongue. "Sure, but when you think about it as four-hundred and eighty seconds, you'll understand the pressure." Rosa and Holt share a look of alarm. "Don't worry, though, I made sure to brush up on my knowledge of orchids." Rosa's lips curl into a small smile at how her friend had made an effort to help make the evening a little more comfortable for her. "And don't forget about my teenage daughter."

"Until Kevin brings out the food, she might be the miracle we need," Raymond agrees with a nod.

Nine minutes later, Amy and Gina still haven't arrived. Kat's wondering if they're dead. Tisha is staring hungrily at the pot of boeuf bourguignon and basket of bread rolls.

The group of six are seated around the dining table when the message is received. "Amy says that we should start dinner without her," Holt says. He glances back to his phone. "Then she writes, 'Whatevs,' colon, hyphen, closed parenthesis." His brows furrow as he tries to figure out what the symbols mean.

Kat sighs. She knows how gutted her best friend must be feeling. She had been so excited.

"Great," Marcus proclaims. "It's much nicer with," he glances to the younger girl, "with, uh, just the six of us." Even though he's fond of Kat and Tisha, he wishes it was just him, Rosa, Holt, and Kevin. "I mean, we can really get into it."

Raymond unfolds his napkin and nods. "Yeah, let's do just that. So Marcus, what orchids can you name?"

"Oh, that's easy," he replies. "None." Kat shakes her head in disappointment.

"Uh, well, here are the orchids that I can name," Holt begins. Tisha stares at him as he starts to list the different types. "Beclardia, Beloglottis, Benthamia, Diphylax, Dipodium, Evotella-"

"Raymond," Kevin interrupts. "You know how much I love hearing you talk about orchids..."

"Great. Then there's Eriaxis-"

"Don't forget Epidendrum and Schomburgkia," Kat chimes in. Tisha's eyes widen even further at the names that sound like they're in another language.

"But I would love to hear more about our guest," Kevin concludes. Holt and Katherine share a look. "Rosa, tell us about your family."

She tenses uncomfortably. "I... have one."

Marcus chuckles. "You got to give him more deets than that. Her father's a teacher. They're from Bensonhurst."

Tisha clears her throat. "Kev, I need to tell you about this movie I just saw." Kat tries to hide her smile. "It's called Guardians of the Galaxy. The main character is called Peter Quill, and he's basically this adventurous criminal that travels through space. He has a ton of childhood trauma and abandonment issues-"

"While that sounds interesting," Kevin says with a smile, "I'd still like to hear more from Rosa." The distant sounds of Cheddar and Bear barking are heard. The timing makes it seem like they're protesting Kevin's words.

Tisha leans back in her chair in defeat. "That was basically my only idea," she mumbles to Kat. She does not want to talk about history right now. She grabs a bread roll and rips into it before adding, "I'm out."

"Speaking of space, have they finished the Hubble Space Telescope?" Rosa asks.

As Raymond goes to provide a detailed answer, Kevin cuts him off. "Yes. Six years ago." Kat takes long gulps of her wine. "So, do you have siblings?"

Holding onto her piece of bread, Rosa's jaw clenches. "I have... two sisters." Kat's eyes widen as the roll is viciously torn apart. "I have to leave this," she says suddenly.

As she strides out of the room, Katherine and Holt share a look. The captain clears his throat and holds a finger up as they follow the detective.

Kat's eyebrows furrow as they find Rosa anxiously pacing in front of the fireplace in the formal living room. "Phew, great idea," Raymond says. "Take a breather. That was way too personal. No one needs to know you have sisters. New topic: the moons of-"

"What's wrong?" Katherine asks in confusion. Rosa's eyes snap over to her. "The second you mentioned your sisters, something changed."

She lifts her head and takes a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant," Rosa states. Kat's jaw falls slack.

Raymond stills. "Oh," he says simply. "Oh... Oh, n- no." After snapping out of his shocked state, he takes a seat on the couch. "Are your... bosoms tender?"

"Sir," Kat says with a shake of her head.

"I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just ask me that," Rosa responds.

"Are your senses heightened?"

"Sir!" Kat repeats.

Rosa places her hands on her hips as she turns back to him. "I think I might be pregnant, not bitten by a radioactive spider." She sighs and sits down next to Kat. "Kevin asked me about my sister. She just told me she's pregnant, and that made me think- I've been feeling run down lately, my stomach's been weird, and I just did the math in my head and I think I'm a little bit late."

"Late to..." Rosa gives him a pointed look. "Oh, right. Right."

"Okay, let's not jump to conclusions," Kat says firmly. "Before we start down the 'you're pregnant' road, you should take a test."

"What if it's positive?" Rosa stresses. As each second passes, she begins to spiral further. "Do I tell Marcus? What do I do with a baby? How do you take care of those things? Why are their heads so soft?"

"Katherine is right," Holt states. "You should take a pregnancy test."

Rosa quickly nods. "Smart, yeah, okay. Immediately."

Kat stands up and hands Rosa's leather jacket to her. "Okay, I'll go with her to a drug store," she says. "Make up an excuse for us."

"Oh, immediately immediately..." Holt clears his throat. "I'll figure out a way to get you both out of here without arousing suspicion. Now I'm regretting blowing through my orchid material so quickly."

"Are you and Kevin okay if Tish stays the night?" Kat asks hopefully. "It's probably best for her not to come along."

Raymond quickly nods. "Of course, she can stay in the guest bedroom. Bear is welcome to share Cheddar's quarters."

"Perfect," she breathes a sigh of relief. "And if you're looking for content, just bring up Guardians of the Galaxy again. Surely Marcus has seen it by now. You're guaranteed at least fifteen minutes of nonsense."

As they head back into the dining room, Holt makes up the excuse that the two women have to head into work. Hopefully it's believable enough. "Oh, no," Kevin frowns. "Are you certain we have to cut the party short?"

"Ah, yes, unfortunately Detective Diaz has an unexpected emergency to take care of."

"All right." Kevin looks to his husband. "Do you need to go as well?"

"No, it's not quite captain-worthy," Raymond answers. "Which is why Sergeant Linetti is joining her; their talents are best qualified to handle the..."

"Non-emergency emergency," Kat and Rosa chorus.

"Yes," Holt nods. "Precisely. See? They're great."

Tisha's eyes squint sceptically. When Kat meets her gaze, she suddenly understands that it's not work related at all. She gives her mom a small smile and a nod. "We should get going," Katherine says as she grabs her bag. "Tish, I'll pick you up in the morning, okay?" The girl smiles. "Okay."

Raymond follows Rosa and Kat to the front door where they're immediately greeted by Amy and Gina. "Hey, what's up?" Rosa says.

Amy looks between her friends in confusion as they brush past, not even stopping to explain where they're going. "H-Hi."

"Bye!" Kat calls back over her shoulder. Gina's brows furrow. "Okay, I'll drive, there's this place around the corner that's open until nine."

Rosa shifts her purse on her shoulder and nods. "Cool." As they get into Kat's car, she glances to her. "Thanks."

Kat shifts the gear into reverse and gives her a small smile. "No need to thank me," she replies. "I got you."

The drive to the store is filled with anxiety. Rosa's foot never stops tapping against the floor of the car. The more nervous she gets, so does Kat. It's not like she's nervous to see the answer of the test though (at least, that's what she tells herself), it's more like she's feeding off Rosa's anxiousness.

Whilst the detective waits in the car, Kat hurries into the store and buys numerous tests and a tub of ice cream. It's better to be extra sure than just sure and to have comfort food if necessary.

After a short discussion, they head to Rosa's apartment. The curly-haired woman had argued that it was closest, and since it was closest, they would get the answer faster. The entire drive, Kat had been in shock. No one knew where Rosa Diaz lived. She's so secretive that Kat isn't even sure if Rosa Diaz is her real name.

The flat isn't what she had expected at all. In fact, it's the entire opposite. There's a theme of blue in the vases, flowers, cushions, and artwork. One of the candles is titled Summer's Kiss. As Kat stands in the kitchen, she's wondering if this is the right apartment. But since Rosa has locked herself in the bathroom, it has to be.

She leans on the wall beside the bathroom, her eyes flicking around the space as she takes everything in. "So, you're gonna move immediately after this, right?" She hears shuffling inside.

"No," Rosa calls out.

Her eyes widen. "Wait, really? Because now I've seen where you live. If you let me keep this information, I could potentially destroy the mysterious aura that surrounds your person."

"Nah, you won't."

Kat scoffs. "How do you know I won't?"

Rosa opens the door and looks at her with amusement. "Because you won't."

She rolls her eyes. "Is that meant to sound like a threat? Because it needs some work."

"It's not a threat," Rosa says exasperatedly. "I just don't think you're gonna say anything."

With a sigh, Kat shrugs. "Yeah, you're right," she admits. "I'll guard this secret with my life." Rosa cracks a smile. "I'll take it to my grave."

"Good." Rosa glances back into the bathroom where the test sits on the counter of the vanity.

Kat nudges her side. "Hey, it'll be okay," she says softly. "Whatever it says, it'll be okay. We'll figure it out."

Rosa's eyes linger on her face as she falls silent. The sureness that radiates off Katherine is enough to calm her slightly. "Yeah," she mutters. "I hope so."

"No, I know so," she counters with a small smile.

"I don't like feelings..." Rosa rolls her eyes when Kat pointedly nods as if to say, Tell me about it. "But you're-" She hesitates. "I think you're my best friend."

Surprise flashes across Kat's face for a second. And then a soft smile warms her face. "I think you're my best friend, too," she confesses. Rosa's eyes widen – she hadn't expected her to say that. "But don't tell Amy. Seriously, don't. Because now I know where you live."

A chuckle slips past Rosa's lips. "Copy that." They share a smile. When she glances to her phone to check the time, she inhales sharply. "Shit."

Kat squeezes her arm. "It'll be okay," she repeats. She watches Rosa hurry into the bathroom and grab the pregnancy test. Instead of pressing her for the answer, she waits.

Rosa stares at the stick for a long moment before looking up to her friend. "I'm not pregnant."

Katherine nods. "Okay," she says slowly. "Is that a good thing?"

She glances back down to the test. The more Rosa thinks about it, the more relieved she feels that she isn't. "Yeah," she says quietly. "Yeah, it's a good thing."

⋆。 ﾟ✩ ⋆。 ﾟ☀︎。 ⋆

Kat's Friday morning had been incredibly productive. Since she had spent the night on Rosa's couch, she had been up since five, returning home to have a shower and get changed, picked up Tisha from Holt's, had breakfast with her and then dropped her to school all before she finally went in to work.

As she steps out the elevator, to her, the bullpen could be a portrait painting. Hitchcock and Scully are as usual, eating pizza at nine o'clock sharp, Gina has sunglasses over her eyes as she looks to be asleep, and Amy is staring emptily into space. After dumping her bag at her desk, Kat heads over to her sister.  "Christ, you look like you got hit by a bus," she observes.

After checking if her mug has coffee in it (it doesn't), Gina finally looks up to her. "Good observation," she says dryly. "I also feel like it."

"What the hell happened last night?" she questions with an amused smile.

"Well, after you and Rosa escaped, the captain announced dinner was over." Gina stares at her sister blankly as Kat winces. "So then Amy and I got drunk. Super drunk."  

Katherine's eyes widen in surprise. "You and Amy got drunk together?" she repeats.

Right on cue, the detective makes her way over to her friends, a similar pair of sunglasses covering her eyes. "I am so hungover," Amy announces. Kat supresses her smile. "Did we steal these last night?" she asks as she takes the glasses off.

"No," Gina answers. Amy sighs in relief. "You paid the bodega guy two-hundred dollars for them. And his shirt."

Kat can't help but laugh. "Sorry, that's just- never mind."

Amy grimaces at the memory. "That explains why I have a triple XL Scarface hoodie on my couch," she grumbles. Kat laughs again. "Eh, worth it. It was a pretty fun night." Gina smiles.

They all look over when Captain Holt stops before the desk. "Hey, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for cancelling the party so abruptly," he addresses Amy and Gina. His eyes briefly meet Kat's. "There was a non-emergency emergency."

Gina nods in understanding. "So that's where you disappeared to," she realises, pointing to her sister. "But it was your loss. Amy made a salad and a cake, and they were..." She smacks her lips. "Amazing." Amy bashfully smiles.

"Well, let's put a make-up dinner in the calendar," Holt says.

"Or we could just go with the flow," Amy tries to play it off casually. "See what happens. I don't give a-what?"

Kat sighs. "Dude, just say yes."

"I mean, that would be great," she admits with a small smile. "Thank you, sir."

As Holt disappears back into his office, the two women turn to Katherine expectantly. Her eyebrows raise at their looks. "What?" she asks. Gina blinks. "What?"

"So, what was the non-emergency emergency?" Amy asks with a smirk. "Was it Rosa related? Please tell me it was Rosa related."

Kat huffs a sigh. "Okay, both of you need to stop fantasising about the idea that this relationship that will happen. And I'm not telling you." She respects Rosa's privacy enough to know that this is something she wouldn't want getting out. Even if it was her closest friends, Kat still wouldn't say anything.

Gina leans back in her chair and smiles. "So it was Rosa related," she concludes. "My life is fulfilled." Amy chuckles as Kat rolls her eyes again and spins on her heel to storm off.  "My life is fulfilled!"

Amy immediately winces at the yell. "Too loud," she protests.

Gina rubs her ear. "Yeah, I heard it," she agrees.

Raymond Holt pauses his paperwork as he notices Rosa walk into the office. She shuts the door behind her. "Captain," she greets.

"Detective Diaz," he nods, taking his glasses off.

She stands before his desk and clears her throat. "I'm not pregnant."

"I see."

"I just wanted to say thank you. Talking to you was really helpful. Maybe mixing our personal and professional lives isn't as disgusting as it sounds."

He dips his head. "Yes, I agree. And... I'm glad I could help. In light of helping you, may I offer another piece of advice?" Rosa quickly nods. "Last night, after Marcus left, Kevin pointed something out to me. The way Katherine looks at you. And then the way you looked at her when you assumed you might have been, well..."

Rosa straightens herself, her jaw clenching ever so slightly as she assumes that this conversation is going to go down a delicate road. "Sir-"

"No," he interjects, holding a hand up. "Someone needs to tell you this. I don't associate myself in my employees' personal lives, but for all of our sakes, Detective Diaz, tell her how you feel about her. Our lives have been... well, our personal lives have been mixed. I believe you know how you feel, however, Marcus is my nephew. Keeping him along while you try to settle on a decision isn't the right thing to do."

She falls completely silent. Because she knows that he is right. Of course he's right. "Thank you," she says quietly.

He nods. "Dismissed."

⋆。 ﾟ✩ ⋆。 ﾟ☀︎。 ⋆

It's late in the evening in Katherine's apartment that is filled with the smell of pizza and Gina Linetti reciting in detail the most recent episode of Desperate Housewives. With the board of Monopoly set out on the table, Tisha stuffs another slice of pizza into her mouth as she tries not to suffer from complete boredom. She loves Gina, but she's not fond of reality TV. Neither is Kat. Which is why she suddenly shifts the topic of conversation into the elephant in the room.

"Why did you make me stay at Ray and Kevin's house?"

Gina blinks as she quickly closes her mouth. She looks between Tisha and Kat in confusion. "Hold on," she begins. She slaps her sister's arm. "Where the hell did you stay last night?"

After glaring daggers at the teenager, Kat closes her eyes and heaves a sigh. "Rosa needed me and I crashed at her place, okay? There's nothing to talk about."

Tisha and Gina share a pointed look. "Yes, there is," the latter retorts. "You mean to say you stayed at Rosa's place, the place where no one knows where it is?"

"Yes. And that's it."

Tisha folds her arms with narrowed eyes. "Nah," she says simply. "That's not it. I mean, I know the non-emergency emergency wasn't work, that was so obvious by the way. Kevin and I gossiped later. So, what was it?"

"I'm not saying," Kat states firmly. "End of discussion."

Gina nudges her sister's side with a small smile. "But you fell in love with her a little more, didn't you?" Her smile widens when Katherine turns in her chair to scowl at her. "Knew it." She reaches across the table to bump Tisha's fist. "Why don't you just tell her?"

Kat covers her face as she groans in frustration. There's no getting out of this. "Because she's with Marcus," she reminds them. "And she's happy. Sometimes loving someone means to let them go and be happy, even if that's not going to be with you."

Gina snorts. "Good God, Kat. What a lot of bullshit."

Her brows draw together. "What?" she questions.

Tisha shrugs. "Sorry, Mom, but I'm with Aunt Gina," she declares. "It's bullshit."

Katherine scoffs. "I don't recall asking for your opinions," she argues.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to," Gina pats her shoulder. "That's what family does, provide unwanted opinions. Beaming-smile-heart-face-emoji."

"Look, she's in a healthy relationship with someone she loves, okay? I'm not taking that away from her just to be selfish."

Tisha and Gina share another frustrated look. "For the love of God all mighty," Gina begins heatedly. "Woman up and do something about this sitch before I kill you both and then myself." Kat's eyes widen at the rather violent threat. "I'm not joking."

"Whoa," Tisha whispers.

Gina throws her hands up as she grabs her glass of wine and downs the rest of it. "Firstly," she begins, slamming her hands down on the table. It makes everyone flinch, including Bear who is curled up in his bed. "The woman told you it was a good thing she wasn't fucking pregnant."

Kat's eyes widen even further. "How the hell did you-"

"Secondly. If that isn't obvious enough to tell you that she's in love with you, I don't know what is. And if it isn't, I give up on life. I have failed as your sister."

Tisha's eyebrows furrow in confusion as she glances to her aunt. "Wait, how did you know about that?" Kat vigorously nods.

Gina rolls her eyes, annoyed that she even needs to explain it to them. They should know. "You're not the only one that talks to me about your relationships," she deadpans. "Okay? She told me that she had a pregnancy scare, and when I asked if it was a good thing or not she said she was beyond relieved." 

"That tells you nothing," Kat responds. "She just doesn't want to be pregnant."

"Or if she someday does, Marcus isn't who she wants as the father."

Tisha blinks. "But Mom wouldn't be the father- Oh..."

"I'm way too tired to deal with this shit right now," Kat declares. She grabs the half full bottle of wine and heads off into her room, slamming the door a little too loudly behind her.

Gina and Tisha sit in silence for a few seconds. "So, who do you think will confess first?" the latter asks curiously. 

Gina tilts her head to the side in thought. "At this stage, I'll have to do it for them," she admits.

Tisha blows out a breath of air. "For detectives, they aren't very smart, are they?"

"Exactly, I'm so sick of doing everyone else's jobs for them. If someone could help us out once in a blue moon, that would be great! You hear that, Kat?" Gina yells to her sister. "We could be doing your jobs for you!" Kat opens her door for a split-second to give them her middle finger.

𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘖 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦 😖 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨