☆ ゜・ 。。・ ゜゜・ 。。・ ゜★

9. stunned

Jocelyn heads out to this coffee spot that Barba invited her to. It was a little 'thanks for sitting with me as i cried but don't ever tell anyone that i did' treat. She walks in, seeing him already at a table.

"Hey!" She smiles, placing her bag on the chair and sitting down. "Cute place huh?" She takes a look around.

"Don't say cute, its just a coffee shop." He sighs. He slides her order to her. "Caramel macchiato with three shots of espresso and whip cream."

"Thank you!" She sings, taking a sip. "You treat me better than my ex husband ever did." Rafael shakes his head, trying to realize what she just say. Did she say exactly husband? He wasn't going crazy. She really did say it.

"You were married?" He frowns.

"Why do you have to say it like you're shocked?"

"Because i am?" Jocelyn crosses her legs, leaning back.

"Shocked that i was with someone?"

"More like surprised that someone actually lived with your attitude." Jocelyn laughs.

"Im not that bad." She gives him a nudge. "Come on Rafa, say it."

"Youre not that bad, you do know how to get under my skin, but yes, you are not bad." A smile took over her face. "You're not as annoying unlike the rest of them. Carisi included."

"Carisi isn't that bad. Hes just a little optimistic and is always happy, nothing wrong with that." She smiles to herself. "You know, i believe we make a wonderful team Rafa." He didn't want to admit, she was like a golden retriever and he was black cat, she was nice to have around.

"Only if you come by and see me in court."

"Ahhh so the great tough ADA Barba can show off his skills in front of me. Maybe..." Her phone rings, texts from Carisi pops up. He kept telling her about some ideas for his sister's nursery, sending pictures and asking to come by. She turns her phone over.

"Not important?" He looks at her phone.

"No, its just...Carisi actually." He stops mid sip. Carisi? "Hes at his sisters place, moving around stuff for a nursery, wants my help. Long texts but i will call him later." She brushes off, looking at the new texts.

"You guys are close."

"Everyone has been saying that, but we are just friends..." She sighs, taking another sip. "Friends..."

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Peña sat on her desk, scrolling through the computer. Carisi comes up, opening and closing the box of cannolis.

"Cannoli?" He shows her.

"I don't know." She eyes the pastry. "I already had a donut that Finn bought me."

"Come on, one more won't hurt." He shakes the box. Jocelyn loves her sweets. It was tempting. "If you don't take one, imma be heartbroken."

"Fine, just because i don't want you to think im some sort of monster. Plus, free pastry." She grabs one. Peña stands up, eating it in front of Sonny, getting his reaction. "Good stuff."

"Got them fresh." He smiles.

"So he says." Rollins picks one and walks away.

"Hey, sorry about not answering your texts yesterday, i was with Barba." Sonny takes a moment to process what she said. Barba? What was she doing with Barba?

"Barba?" He said with some hesitation. Jocelyn laughs.

"Yeah, we went for coffee."

"Like a date?" He sets the box down, trying to gather more information about this 'date'.

"Why did you ask that?" Amaro walks in. "You want her previous dates too?" Sonny laughs him off.

"No!" He tries to play it. "Its just that Barba, ADA Rafael Barba?" She nods. Amaro laughs as Carisi tries to connect the pieces.

"It was just coffee. Why do you think I can do better than Barba? What if it was a date?" She makes him frustrated. His nose twitches, thinking about it.

"Yeah Carisi, what if it was?" Amaro waits.

"Its no problem. You are..." He was really trying to not mess this up. "Allow to see-"

"What are you, her dad?" Amaro laughs, patting his back as he leaves. Jocelyn licks her lips, waiting for him to finish.

"Im just worried." She raises her eyebrow. "You're my partner and i want you to be safe. Im not saying that Barba is bad-" He starts to stutter.

"Im not seeing Barba if thats what you want to hear Carisi. Just a mutual outing as friends." He just nods. He didn't want to say anything else that will ruin this even more.

"Sonny, where you been?" A woman rushes in. "Ive been texting you all morning." Jocelyn looks at her, pretty.

"Jeez, sorry. I had class last night. I must left my phone on airplane mode." Sonny looks at his sister and at Jocelyn. "Jocey, this is my sister, Bella."

"Hi! Its a pleasure to meet you, Sonny talks about you all the time. Its so nice to finally meet you." Jocelyn waves, smiling at her. Bella just gave her a quick smile and puts her head down. Sonny notices.

"Hey are you okay?" He looks at her. Sonny takes her away for some space. Jocelyn watches them, then heads to the break room to get some coffee.

"Told you he has a thing for you." Amaro says.

"No he doesn't." Jocelyn turns to him. "Just leave him alone, so what he gets flustered. He probably doesn't get a lot of attention from girls."

"He got really frustrated when you said you were with Barba." True. They didn't really talked about the almost kiss that happened the other night. But Jocelyn knew that there was something there. Yes she wants to talk about it but how can you? They're are partners. She didn't want to make it even more awkward. "And the way he looks at you, come on Peña dont be blind here. Everyone sees it."

"Like you and Rollins?" She pops out her hip. Amaro leaves, she hit a nerve. "What! Did i say something!" She yells back.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

On lunch break, Sonny and Jocelyn headed out to eat. They sat in their car. Sonny had to talk to Jocelyn about Tommy. He already spoke to Liv but maybe with Jocelyn will be better.

"You remember my sister Bella, the one who came by yesterday?" Sonny asks her.

"Yeah, is she okay? She looked spooked." She wipes her hands from the grease of the fries.

"Not really actually." She turns to look at him. "Her fiancé, he says that he was raped by his PO." Jocelyn frowns. His PO raped him? How is that even possible?

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know what to think. Tommy is close to get his life together and then boom! something happens to him. Everything always happens to him. Hes a major disappointment. Major."

"Come on, he can't be that bad."

"Five years ago he thought it was clever to combine pizza and pot delivery." Jocelyn sighs. Probably not the brightest guys. "My sister wait for him for three years."

"What did he say to you?"

"He says his PO pressed him into sex." Jocelyn's lip curled.

"What? No."

"Jocey, he went on a bender, he cheated on Bella. He probably got off with the idea."

"Dom, come on." She tells him. "That can't be true."

"Is it even possible?" She gave him a look. Anything is possible. Sonny shakes his head.

"You are being scary cop with him, I get it you don't like him, but if he did get assaulted, he needs support."

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Peña was with Benson on this case, since Sonny was off it, she had to ride with Liv for the time being. Benson was going to Kessel come in and talk about Donna Marshall. Peña walked him over to her office.

"Mr. Kessel, thank you so much for coming in." Benson greeted him as they walked into her office. "Have a seat."

"Its never good news with you guys." He says sitting down. "Hit me."

"Yesterday, a parolee made rape allegations against one of your POs." Jocelyn tells him as she sits down next to him.

"Not unusual. The amount of stories these ex cons come up with wouldn't put Stephen King to shame. But just to play along, which PO?"

"Donna Marshall." Kessel tilted his head.

"Donna? You do know shes a woman?" He laughs.

"We do."

"Okay. Let me guess, the lesbian welfare mom. Shes on her third PO in as many months."

"Actually it was a man that came forward." Jocelyn stops him.

"A man? Seriously?" He laughs again.

"Does it look like im joking?" Jocelyn frowns.

"This gets better and better. Uh how does that even work?"

"Well, shes a woman in power. and according to the disclosure, Officer Marshall pulled a gun on him." Liv sits at her desk. "and he felt that he needed to comply."

"Oh. Comply. He sounds like my wife." He leans to Jocelyn. Her blood boiled, she didn't know if she should call him out or go along.

"Is this a joke to you?" She says. Benson eyed him, burning into him to stop.

"Im sorry. not everyone gets my sense of humor. But come on, Donna, shes- she's barely a sexual being, let alone a sexual predator. Shes all work."

"Well, youre right. This all may go away. But legally, we have to follow up and you need to cooperate."

"Of course. Just give me the name of the lying son of a bitch whos yanking your chain." Peña eyes Benson. This guy isn't going to make it easy. "If hes filing, its public record." He can't be trusted.

"Well, you know, it is early in the investigation, and its cleat that Officer Marshall has your confidence. So I think we've heard everything we need to right now." the two stood up, waiting for Kessel to get up.

"Well, okay. Well..." He gets up, fixes his suit. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Thank you so much for coming in." Liv opens the door and he leaves.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

After hearing about Tommy's home visit, and them finding drugs, Sonny and Jocelyn headed up to see him.

"Those drugs were not mine Sonny, i swear to god." Tommy tells him. Sonny held his hand to Tommy's face, walking away from him.

"You're saying that your PO planted them?" Jocelyn steps up.

"Yes! She must have found out that I was accusing her." He looks at Sonny, "Did you guys tell her?"

"No, of course not." Sonny says. Jocelyn bites her lip. Sonny knew. "Jocey..."

"We spoke to her supervisor." Sonny frowns at her. They groan. "We didn't say your name!"

"What! You never should have done that. Those two are thick as thieves." Tommy tells her.

"Thanks for the heads up I guess!" She puts her hands up, stepping away from the two. "We never said who okay! All Liv said it was a man. How they knew, that i dont know."

"I said I wasn't even sure that I wanted to go forward!"

"Alright, Tommy, they were just doing their job, alright?" Sonny turns to Jocelyn. "A heads up would been appreciated." He growls under his teeth. Jocelyn didn't know that side of Sonny.

"Im not to blame okay!" She shouts. She takes a deep breath before she says something that she will regret. "Let's focus, can you prove that oxy wasn't yours?"

"How do you want me to do that?" Tommy shrugs.

"Your drug test are all clean?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. She's claiming im a dealer. You know what?" Tommy turns to Sonny. "And tell him that I got the hint. I wont be making any accusations. Maybe this all goes away."

"No. it doesn't work like that Tommy. They made a bust in your house okay? Its not their call anymore."

"Then Im done. Im a three time loser." He starts to go down.

"Not if we can prove that she had a motive to plant those drugs, that she was trying to discredit you."

"Wait what?"

"Look, your best play bet now is go with the rape accusation." Peña tells him. "Makes this bust look like payback."

"Whos going to believe me now?"

"I do." Sonny says.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Jocelyn heads to court to see Barba in action and to support Sonny. She sits with Bella, listening in. She never liked court, they were so long and usually LA's ADA's hated the Homicide unit, for reasons unknown, actually it was because some detectives are a big pain in the ass and they have feuds.

Barba was up, time to see what the chat is about. Barba stands up, ready to talk. The way he talked, all so calm and cocky made her realize that him being a ADA was a right decision for Barba.

Barba had called out that Dolphy was on heroin. He denied and all but once Barba tells him to roll up his sleeves, showing the tiny holes, Jocelyn smiled to herself as Barba was on fire. Hes good and she's impressed.

"I don't if you were trying to impress me or something because it worked." Jocelyn says as Barba walks out of the room.

"I like to make a point."

"Trust me, i know." She smiles.

"Never trust a junkie."

"Say, lets for a drink, ill pay."

"Fine then." Barba and Jocelyn headed out of the courthouse and headed to the bar. Bella saw the smile and laughed as Jocelyn walked past them.

"Shes cute." She says to her brother. "I can see why you talk about her on sunday dinners." Sonny smirks, looking at Jocelyn walk with Barba.

"You think?"

"You better get her before that guy does, because by the looks of it, he swoon her with the argument."

"Barba? Nah she said they're friends."

"Come on, you really think that?" It was what he wanted to think. "Ask her already, ma would be off the walls when you bring her home."

"We are partners Bella. Nothing else." She hums.

"I wonder what you're gonna say on sunday about her."