☆ ゜・ 。。・ ゜゜・ 。。・ ゜★

19. challenges

"Your brother and sister still here?" Sonny asked as they drove to the missing girls house to meet with Finn and Dodds. Its been a week, and it was driving Jocelyn insane.

"As soon as my mom comes here, they will be out of my hair." Kinda figured as she spent more time at Sonny's house than hers. Since Alex didn't have any room for the twins, they had to stay with her. Listen, she loves her sister and brother but it was just they are teenagers, testing limits, making messes. She ABSOLUTELY does not need them scaring Sonny away. It is the first time in a long time that a man had made her happy and she is not going to lose him over them.

"How about I take you all for dinner?" They got out the car and Jocelyn laughed at the idea. "Im serious." He stops.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that." She waves.

"How bad can they be?" She just gave him a look. "Jocey, i would like to meet your family." She got butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know to either be serious or not. Sonny standing there, trying to read her face. Was it too early? Is he rushing? No, he cant be. They have been seeing each other for months now.

"You do?" She curled her lips. She immediately drops her look and looks around. "Sonny.." She sighs. Sonny waited for an answer but the words couldn't come out. Was it getting serious? They aren't official, was this him making it official? "Fine. You can ONLY meet the twins but my mother waits until you make me yours." There she was. The amount of stress that was off Sonny's shoulders when she said that was gone. Oh he's planning on it.

"Aren't you already?" He smirks as they walk up the stairs to the apartment. Jocelyn thinks a minute.

"Hmmm." She taps her chin. "I don't remember you asking me out..." Than look and her hand. "No ring. Wow Dominick, you have to step up the game because-" He bites his lip, pulling her back to him.

"Oh trust me, you will know when you are mine." Jocelyn's face starts to turn red. "One day, i will give you a ring." She wasn't expecting that from him. She stood there in shock as he knocks on the door and they entered.

"Seen a ghost?" Finn asks he sees her. She takes a breath and heads in as the parents of the missing girl tell them that she would never be late, who was out of school today, phones goes to voicemail. But she was at swim practice earlier this morning.

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They had gotten a lead, Frat house down at Stuyvesant Street, Diego, the guy who has been chatting and getting pictures of Lily, would be there.

"Yo whats up? Whys it quiet?" Diego looks around.

"NYPD! Put your hands up." Jocelyn and Sonny come out.

"You knew about this? You set me up!" Diego talks to his friend.

"Dont talk to him, talk to me, or am I too old for your liking?" Jocey walks up to him as Sonny pats him down.

"No weapons. Found some weed though." He hands the small baggie to Jocelyn. She pulls up her phone and shows him a picture of Lily.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know who that is." He refuses to look at the phone. So Jocelyn swipes to the next photo.

"Jogging down memory lane now?" Diegos face drops.

"Yo, anything she says about me is a lie."

"Yeah, whens the last time you talked to her?"

"When i found out she was 15. 15'll get you 20."

"You got that right. 15 also makes those photos on your cell phone child pornography. Lets go." Sonny takes him away. As they get to the station, the two of them took him to the interrogation room. He claims that he doesn't know where Lily is. Then a hit came up, her debit card was charged.

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Dodds, Finn, Carisi and Peña stayed near West street to take a look around. The street was blocked off and they were looking for anything. Jocelyn kicks trash bags and boxes. Nothing. Until Sonny looks over to his right and grabs Jocelyn's arm.

"Hey! Hey!" He ran to the rolled up rug. There was a leg peeking out. "We're gonna open it, okay sarge?" Dodds just nods. Jocelyn squats down to untie the cables and unravel the carpet and sure enough, it was Lily. Jocelyn looked the other way, standing up immediately when she saw the poor girls body. She looks to see Dodds, he isn't taking it easy. She knew that look.

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Jocelyn went to see the coroners office. She looks at the little girl, still, pale. She pushes her emotions away as soon as Melinda comes in.

"You must be Detective Peña." She sets the folder down. "This is your what 10 month working here and they finally send you here?"

"Lieutenant Benson sends me wherever she needs me. I heard good things about you." She wanted to shake her hand but takes it back she probably figured that she had been touching the bodies as she had gloves on. "Uh cause of death?"

"Cause of death was epidural hematoma from blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. She died from a slow bleed to the brain several hours after the initial blow." She takes off her gown and gloves.

"Any sign of sexual assault?"

"No evidence of penetration. No trauma to the mouth or throat. but her clothes were torn and I did find DNA under her fingernails and semen on her thigh."

"Is any of it good for a match?" She prayed for a good answer.

"I asked the lab to send over anything they find." I nodded and immediately looked to see Dodds by the door. Jocelyn was confused on why he was he as he was supposed to talk to the parents.

"Dodds..." Jocelyn sighs.

"The new sargent? This is your case?" He nods as he got closer to the table. "Im still working on the autopsy."

"Is there anything I can tell the parents?" He looked at the body, loss of words. Jocelyn had to take it easy. "Uh what about time of death?"

"Between 4 and 8 pm, approximately." Dodds eyes start to fall, the stance became weak.

"So when we were with the parents yesterday around 6, she was still alive?"

"At that moment? i cant say with certainty." As they both got out of the room, Jocelyn was itching to see if she should say something to him. Was it the right time or not.

"Hey, listen, if you need to talk-"

"I need you to head back to the station, see what else we can get done." He stops in his walk. "And i do not have time to talk about what is happening, a girl is dead and her killer is out there, so do your job and don't ask me that again." He steps into the elevator and leaves her behind.

"Sure Sargent." Jocelyn grinds her teeth as the doors closed. She cant get mad. She was the same way. Dont take it to heart.

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The break from the DNA found on Lilys body came back, it was a wild chase. Turns out the father of the mans DNA had MANY secret children around the city. The man had been around. It was playing family reunion with finding the sons of Ray Marino.

They need DNA from the sons of the fourth woman that Marino was with. Dodds and Carisi had to do patrol to get the DNA.

"Damn." Jocelyn smirks as she sees Sonny in his uniform.

"Yeah yeah, take it in." He lifts his arms up.

"Oh i am." She walks up to as they were about to leave for the checkpoint. "Honestly, this is doing something for me." Sonny just laughs.

"Oh yeah?" He grabs her hand, pulling her behind the car. "What am I doing to you?"

"Whatever you want." She touches his chest. "Officer." They both let out a chuckle. "I don't mind if you take me out tonight if that's a possibility."

"I can arrange that."

"The hat stays on." Her hand danced around his chest. They were right, girls do love men in uniform.

"You are enjoying this too much."

"Just a little." She takes a step back, admiring the view. "You know, i thought the rolled up sleeves were a good turn on but this is better."

"Rolled up sleeves?" He laughs again.

"One of many." She whispers. "Have fun doing checkpoint, think about where you're taking me tonight." Dodds walks in, them not knowing that he came in.

"If I get to take you home."

"Slow down there Carisi, you have to kiss me before you want me to spend the night." There was a cough. Jocelyn and Sonny's eyes popped out of their sockets. Faces were red.

"Sarge..." Sonny turns to him, thinking on what to say. Dodds said nothing but got in the car. That was her sign to leave.

During the ride, it was silent. Sonny was thinking on what to say and what excuse. He was sweating bullets. The last thing he wants to his dad to find out and having to go through a pain of 1PP's wrath, on something that isn't official.

"Whatever you and Peña have going on, it's has to go. I don't care what happens out of work but in here, you all act professional." Mike tells him. "Im not going to say anything, i heard nothing."

"Its just a thing we do. Flirting, but not really-"

"Carisi, I do not care. You and Peña talk this out. I don't want to see or hear it again."

"You got it Sarge."

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As they caught the killer, Sonny had promised to take her out. So he waited for her to finish her work so they could go. Sonny carried her bag and coat, she looks at Dodds who was alone in the breakroom.

"Ill be back, wait for me outside."

"Okay." He heads out first. Jocelyn walks in the room. Dodds looks at her and sips on his coffee.

"Uh thanks for not ratting us out." Jocelyn nods. "Sonny and I, we, well, we are just goofing around. It probably isn't helping our case that everyone thinks we are dating, which we are not."

"Yeah, no problem." He stays quiet. Jocelyn plays with her rings.

"Seeing a child, a dead child, is something you wish you never want to experience." She sits with him. "It is absolutely heart wrenching, to see someone so innocent and has so much ahead of them, to die the way Lily did. But it is not on you." He looks up. Shes being nice. "You did everything you could to find her. Now, you have to realize that you gave the family some closure, you found her, you caught the killer."

"It just doesn't feel like i did enough."

"Don't do that." She pointed at him. "I felt the same way, i thought i didn't do much, i let it consume me and in the end it wasn't the way it was supposed to go. So Mike..." She sighs. "Go home, talk to someone, don't let this take over you. Trust me." She gets up, patting his shoulder as she walks out. "Where will you be taking me out tonight?"

"Your place." She frowns from confusion. "Because I will like to take Yessina and Issac to join us." Just as she talks he cuts her off. "I know youre family means everything to you, and i want to show that i care about you to them." Jocelyn starts to smile. "We came order whatever and we can do whatever. I want to know your family."

"Fine. But you are warned." She gets in the car. They get to the apartment and Yessina and Issac were just on the couch watching TV. "Sonny is joining us for dinner."

"Cool." Issac turns around and nods. They decide to pizza, sit at the table and talked about their plans for school, their future. What they like and all. Issac went on and on with Sonny about video games and baseball.

"So hes your boyfriend or what?" Yessina asks as her and Jocelyn were talking to each other.

"Just talking." She nods.

"I hope he sticks around, hes nice." She drinks her soda. "Dad would like him."

"Thanks Yessi." She placed her head on her shoulder.

"Geeky, but cute." Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "I just want you to be happy, find what you are looking for."

"I think I have." She looks at Sonny. That man. She is in love. That is her future husband there.