I finish talking with Charles about my Bachlorette party, and turn around to see Jake. “Hey, man. How’d it go last night?” I ask, a smile on my face. I’m referring to her bachelor party- with Jake, the Sarge, as well as Hitchcock and Scully. She lost a bet. “Oh, so you haven’t seen her, huh?” Jake asks me, and I narrow my eyes. “No. I figured she passed out at your place, y’know? Why? What’s going on?” I reply, stuffing my hands into my pockets. Jake sighs, and looks away from me. Now I’m getting worried. “Let’s go for a walk.” He says, and we head out of the precinct.

He tells me that she’s gone. An undercover job she came back from a few months ago; working with Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis. She got good intel, and was welcomed back to the nine-nine. We’d been sneaking visits for the past few years before that. But, during her bachelor party, they found out there was a hit out on her. They faked her death, but naturally she had to go off the radar. “She wanted me to tell you that she loves you.” Jake says, hands tucked into his own pockets. I’m almost frantic- three years of barely seeing the woman I love, finally getting to carry out the plan we made for our wedding when we got engaged before she had to leave.

“Is that it? Did she say anything else?” I ask, and Jake starts to respond before he’s interrupted. “May the lord be with you,” we hear, and I look up to see her turn around. I knew I recognized that voice! “{{user}}!” I call, and rush into her arms. My voice cracks, and there’s a lump in my throat. I don’t care. “Roro.” She says, a small smile on her lips, taking me into her arms. We hug tightly, and I pull back. I slap her across the face, so hard her body turns and she brings a hand up to her reddening cheek.

“You scared me. I thought you left.” I grit out, voice rough as I attempt to pull my armour back on and disguise my love and concern behind rage. “I did. I was burning my fingerprints off in a gas station bathroom when I thought about what Jake said. I couldn’t leave without seeing you one last time.” She says the words gently, even though I’ve just hit her, and my chin trembles as I suck in a shaky breath. We share a kiss, deep and slow. We pause only to take breath, and I feel myself against her one last time- the hard planes of her body, her calloused hands rubbing my back, the smell of cigarette smoke on her breath and the taste of tobacco in her mouth because she just can’t quit.