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#I’d hesitate less than i would with Amy or Rosa
amyscascadingtabs · 3 years
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2020 in writing
tagged by the wonderful @feeisamarshmallow and @b99peraltiago! thank you, this took me seriously three hours but it was fun. 
tagging whoever has three hours to spare!! but i’d love to see @amydancepants-peralta, @letsperaltiago, @johnny-and-dora, and @fezzle do this, although no pressure because this took me the entire evening. 
1. List of works published this year
oh god this is going to take forever...
i’ll walk through hell with you, chapter 5, 6 & 7
all the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
a single kiss and i’m under your spell
paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans
dust off your highest hopes
i can’t see the future, but i know that it’s there
look now, the sky is gold
look at where we are, look at where we started
bracing for the winds i always summon
just know that i’m already home
there’s magic everywhere you go
we’ve found a love to cross the ages
all my days, i’ll know your face
hell was the journey but it brought me heaven
(three times ‘cause) i’ve waited my whole life
if devotion is a river, then i’m floating away
when all your heroes get tired (i’ll be something better yet)
evermore
i am not a stranger to the dark
in the cracks of light, i dreamed of you
rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky
21 works!! 
2. Work you are most proud of (and why)
I am really really proud of finishing i’ll walk through hell with you, that’s still one of the highlights in my writing “career”. bracing for the winds i always summon and (three times ‘cause) i’ve waited my whole life, because they were both longer works with a lot of introspection that focused a lot on jake and amy’s feelings about upcoming parenthood. especially the last one I still love dearly. i’m also really proud of the fics i wrote all from rosa’s perspective (paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans and when all your heroes get tired (i’ll be something better yet)).
3. Work you are least proud of (and why)
none! I guess a few of them are shorter and written way quicker than some others, but I always take that into consideration when “evaluating” how proud I am of them so no. personally, I’m proud of everything in different ways. 
4. A favourite except of your writing
referring to the creator tag meme for this where I posted excerpts from the five works I’m most proud of!
5. Share or describe a favourite review you received
questions like these remind me that I need to start saving my favorite reviews somewhere! that’s a goal for 2021, haha. but every comment that have listed their favorite moments in the fic I reread like five times over and smile every time, and all the comments people left me on the last chapter of i’ll walk through hell with you were so wonderful. and the rosa fic. and the -
you know what, I just started reading through old comments and I can’t pick one, it feels too unfair to all the other incredible ones I ’ve gotten. so. all of them!!!! I love you guys!!
I will mention this one that someone sent me in the middle of summer, during a period when I wasn’t writing or publishing so it ended up meaning that much more for that reason as well. comment on look at where we are, look at where we started (in the brief period of time when we thought peraltiago baby would be named Leo)
“Idk why, but the way Jake was talking to Leo made me wonder if my parents ever talked to me like that right after I was born. I've been told the story of my birth every birthday since I was born, so I know it by heart, but despite the countless Peraltiago baby fics and other fandom baby fics I've read, this is the one that made me wonder what my parents were thinking when I was born. And then it made me wonder what I'm gonna think when I give birth to a kid, or if I adopt a kid.” like, I was just so floored that something I wrote made someone reflect so deeply on their own life. and I want to underline that I have so so many favourite reviews but yes, this one stuck with me!
6. A time when writing was really, really hard
this summer was the hardest it’s ever been. first the (rightful) hesitance and reflection that followed the BLM protests and then some trauma and deep depression added onto that for me was… yeah. it took a really long time to find real joy in it again. 
7. A scene of characters you wrote that surprised you
Jake and Rosa’s friendship in i am not a stranger to the dark! I’ve written a bit of Rosa and Amy and feel quite comfortable with their friendship and dynamic but far less of Jake and Rosa! 
“At least this is still way better than... that.” “Literally everything is better than prison.” “True that.” Rosa looks up at the tv, realizing she’s missed at least ten minutes of the movie already. “I’m glad we got out.” “Sometimes it still feels like a part of me didn't,” Jake says, quietly. “You ever feel that way?” “Sometimes,” she admits. “We did, though. That's what's important.”
Rosa can hear someone talking in the background on the other end, and Jake mumbling something back in reply. “I have to go,” he tells her, and it makes her a little sad, because he's good company. “I can't miss dinner. Wouldn't want to piss off the entirety of my fiancées family before I’ve even married her, right?”
8. How did you grow as a writer this year?
I wrote more Rosa! that’s probably the single thing which helped me grow most, because she’s arguably a much harder character to write than Jake and Amy, since most of the time you really have no clue what she’s thinking. I have to think a lot harder about how Rosa thinks and feels and reacts to things and I feel like that makes me a better writer overall. 
9. How do you hope to grow next year?
I don’t have any big expectations tbh. I know next year is going to take so much of my energy “”professionally”” or well, study-wise, so I think it’s the wrong year to set ambitious creative writing goals for me. then there’s also the inevitable fact that I’ve written a whopping ninety-nine stories for this show now and I’m always asking myself for how long it will last. there was a point in april-may where I thought it was going to be the end and during the entire summer as well. so… we’ll see. I don’t have any WIP I’m aching to finish right now. 
10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta of cheerleader or muse etc. etc.)?
@fezzle, @johnny-and-dora, @vernonfielding, @amydancepants-peralta, @feeisamarshmallow, @amazingsantiago and @letsperaltiago all deserve their own shoutouts here for various reasons!! (if you want to know more about why just message me!) 
11. Anything from real life show up in your writing this year?
always, in different ways in how I relate to the characters and different feelings and moments and experiences that would take way too long to explain. but if I could choose one fic it would be paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans. I worked through a lot of feelings about a breakup I went through in this one and they were ones I hadn’t really had the chance to let myself feel before writing this. It isn’t similar to how my breakup went, at least I didn’t mean for it to be and haven’t put any intentional similarities in there (although I guess there are a few if you look for them) but some of the things Rosa thinks, says and feels after being broken up with were quite personal. i am not a stranger to the dark and the way it focuses on healing after trauma was also partly personal although way much less obviously so because the experiences are quite different lol.
12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers?
make writer friends! talk to other writers! you’ll both learn so much and it makes writing and developing fics so much more fun!
13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year
I currently have zero WIP and zero real plans so genuinely who knows. all depends on what my life will look like and what s8 will bring us! 
14. If you could recommend only one work from yourself published this year
all the favourite five, but maybe when all your heroes get tired (i’ll be something better yet). I think it’s a great complement to the Rosa and Amy action we saw in season 7 and it has a lot of peraltiago from someone else’s viewpoint as well. 
15. Year word count
are you kidding meeeee okay here we go.
okay, so adding everything I’ve published this year together… 111 283 words.
😳 😳 😳 
DEAR GOD.
additional trivia: the shortest fic was 651 words (evermore), the longest if you exclude the three chapters of i’ll walk through hell with you (they are 24.6k together though) (three times ‘cause) i’ve waited my whole life, and the average word count for a fic of mine this year was 5 299 or 4 838 words, depending on whether you count the chapters of i’ll walk through hell with you as one or three works. that makes sense because i feel like i’ve written a loot of fics around that length this year! 
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stolethekey · 5 years
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it’s your love i’m lost in
read on ao3
for @ofbuttsandbombs (and @b99fandomevents)
a combination of the prompts “kevin and raymond renew their vows” and “an MCU post-snap au”
-
The precinct is quieter these days. 
It still takes Amy by surprise, sometimes; there are mornings on which she strolls through the elevator doors half-expecting the lively hubbub of a precinct two-and-a-half years gone, mornings where the sight of a half-empty bullpen sends a familiar wave of pain crashing through her chest.
She thinks her subconscious is manufacturing hope. Rosa says it’s a coping mechanism of some sorts, because dealing with the unending despair day-in and day-out would render them completely useless. It makes sense, in a way – it feels scientifically impossible for her to get out of bed some days, and yet she’s been on time every single day since the NYPD had mandated its employees to return to work.
Captain Holt had tried his best to extend her time off, but he could only do so much, and she’d wanted to work, anyway. Being at home is no better than being at the precinct; his presence is still everywhere, and at least at work she can distract herself with the missing people who actually have a chance of being found.
And if she refuses to even look at the eternally empty desk across from her – well, who could blame her?
She doesn’t need to look at the surface of it, now coated with two-and-a-half years’ worth of dust and grime, to feel as if it will crush her, to know that it is a terrible reminder of the void that exists in her bedroom, in her car, in her life. It’s the same emptiness that has overtaken her fridge, save for the one expired bottle of orange soda that she refuses to throw out. It exists everywhere, now; it hovers around the desk Rosa glances at every so often, the one still sporting the Det. Charles Boyle nameplate. It’s palpable every time Terry starts to speak and then hesitates briefly before continuing, as if he is waiting for a certain assistant to interrupt him in a scathingly sarcastic voice. 
Even Hitchcock and Scully are quieter now.
It’s a small solace that both of them are still here, Amy supposes – so many duos were ripped apart by the snap, and the fact that the most consistent partnership in the Nine-Nine was spared is strangely comforting.
In any case, the precinct has been quiet for two and a half years, and it’s going to be quiet for however many years Amy has left at it.
Every day looks the same, now, and for the foreseeable future, every day is going to look the same.
Ordinarily, the sheer unendingness of it all would be enough to send her into a depressive spiral that would leave her bedridden for days, but the practical side of her knows that if that starts it will never end. Sometimes, giving into that slippery slope sounds more than inviting, but her therapist says it’s important to at least try.
So she tries, and she manages to find comfort in the little hints of normalcy that surface sometimes. She laughs when Hitchcock accidentally feeds Scully a tube of toothpaste. She helps Rosa get her knife out of the wall after a particularly rough interrogation. She rolls her eyes when the scent of Terry’s mango yogurt reaches her desk.
It’s not much, but it’s enough to keep her going.
Every day looks the same, and she wants something different as much as she fears it.
Maybe that’s why a thrill runs down her spine when Kevin shows up at the precinct one day, his eyes dancing with an uncharacteristic apprehension.
She chews her lip nervously as she eyes Holt’s closed door, and as it opens to reveal a slightly-worried Kevin she lets her pen drop to her desk.
“Santiago,” Kevin says softly, a slightly wavering smile toying at his lips. “Would you come in here for a second?”
She stands, making her best attempt at a confident posture, and strolls toward the office, exchanging a brief, confused glance with Rosa on the way there.
“Captain,” she says, forcing some cheeriness into her voice. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yes,” Holt says, gesturing at her to close the door. “I wanted to ask a favor.”
“A favor.”
“We know the last two and a half years have been long and hard, and that you’ve been through a lot–“
Something in her stomach clenches. “What is it, sir?”
Kevin clears his throat and she turns toward him as he steps forward, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. “Well, uh – you may remember that before – um, before everything happened, Raymond and I were talking about doing a vow renewal.”
She nods.
“We – er, well, we thought that – um, since some time has passed, and, uh, well–“
“We still want to do it,” Holt interrupts, shooting a reassuring smile at his husband.
“Oh,” Amy says, a curious emotion creeping up her shoulders. “Um, sorry, that’s great, but what do I have to do with that?”
Kevin taps a finger on the desk, looking even more uncomfortable. “Raymond thinks you would be a good person to, er, give a speech at the ceremony. And I am inclined to agree.”
“Oh,” Amy says again. “Um, that’s a huge honor, sir–“
“You do not have to accept,” Holt says, watching her carefully. “I promise I will not think less of you. And if I were in your position, I’m not sure I would want to either. We simply – I have a lot of respect for you, Santiago, as an employee, as a mentee, and as a friend. And it would be an honor to have you speak.”
She hesitates, her hands kneading the fabric of her blazer, and glances at Kevin. He gives her a small smile.
“Please don’t feel obligated to, really – we’re asking as friends, and we would completely understand if you don’t want to –“
“I do,” she says quickly. “I do want to, don’t get me wrong, I just – may I have some time to think about it?”
“Of course,” Holt says gently. “Take all the time you need.”
 -
 “You don’t have to do it,” Rosa says later that day, taking a swig of her beer. “Holt won’t like you any less.”
Amy shifts in her seat, eying the neon Shaw’s sign that hangs over the bar. “I know, but part of me wants to. If he’d asked me to do it three years ago, I would’ve lost my mind. There’s no way I’d even consider turning it down.”
“So do it.”
“But things are different now, you know? People are – people are gone, and the concept of love doesn’t feel the same anymore, and I don’t know if I have it in me– ”
 “So don’t do it.”
“You are so unhelpful; do you know that?”
Rosa shrugs. “It’s your decision.”
“Yeah, and I’m asking you for help."
The beer bottle hits the table with a thud, and Rosa sighs. “If you want my honest opinion–”
“I do.”
“Then I think you should do it.”
“Okay,” Amy says slowly. “Why?”
“That support group you go to – it’s all about moving on, right? About making sure Thanos doesn’t get the satisfaction of ending our lives, too.”
“I mean, yeah, but–”
“Part of moving on is living like you would have without tragedy. And without tragedy, you would’ve screamed ‘Yes!!’ before Holt could even finish his sentence.”
“Yeah,” Amy says quietly. “But…there is tragedy. It happened. And ignoring it just seems wrong, somehow.”
Rosa looks at her, an uncharacteristic softness in her gaze. “Jake would’ve wanted you to do it.”
Amy’s jaw clenches. “That – that’s not –”
“Yeah, it is,” Rosa says flatly. “If Jake was here, would you be sitting here right now, forcing me to have this conversation?”
“I – well, that’s beside the point, isn’t it, since he isn’t here, and–”
“No, it’s not,” Rosa interrupts. “If he was here, you’d be celebrating with him, and he’d be equally as excited for you as he would be about getting to see his dads hold a wedding ceremony.”
Amy’s hand tightens around the stem of her wine glass.
Rosa notices, of course, and her voice is gentler when she speaks again. “I’m just saying, you shouldn’t be afraid to do it because you think you’re disrespecting his memory, or the love you had and lost. If anything, you standing up and celebrating love in defiance of everything that’s been taken from you is an act of incredible courage. It would honor his memory. And he’d be so proud of you for it.”
Amy hesitates, but the more she stares at her drink the more she notices that the queasiness in her stomach is fading.
“I–yeah, okay,” she mutters. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Rosa grins. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Amy breathes, a smile starting to make its way onto her lips. “Yeah. I’m gonna do it.”
  -
 The ceremony is small and intimate, and as Amy stands at the front of the room, looking out into the faces of her mentor and friends, she feels a small rush of pride at the family the Nine-Nine has managed to build.
“Ask anyone at the Nine-Nine, and they’ll tell you that Captain Holt and Kevin have a bond that is as unbreakable as they come,” she starts, and the sight of everyone’s smiles is surprisingly calming. “And I think we’ve seen that to be true. The snap broke apart so many couples, but it couldn’t touch them.”
There is a collective, subdued intake of breath, and Amy’s jaw tightens slightly.
“I know it’s hard to talk about, and it may seem inappropriate on a day like this, but I think it’s important to acknowledge. Because this is more than a celebration of love. It’s a celebration of a determination, a celebration of defiant joy in the face of a world that laughs at you and says you will never be happy again.”
Terry’s eyes start shining in the front row.
“I lost my husband, Jake, that day. And his best friend, Charles.” She pauses. “Charles was spared a Jake-less existence, and there are times I think he was the lucky one. But I realize, now, that it does not do to dwell on what might have been when what we have, what is, is still so beautiful. Tinged with pain and loss, maybe, but still beautiful.”
She smiles. “That’s been the theme of the entire Holt-Cozner relationship. Finding love, despite everything telling them that they cannot. Being confronted with danger, with fear, with risk, but making the incredibly brave choice to love anyway.”
The pride and love in Holt’s eyes seem to be igniting a fire within her, but it is not the roaring flame she is used to; instead, it is warm, safe, and comforting. A hearth, rather than a blaze.
“Thank you, Captain, and thank you, Kevin, for everything. You have taught me so much since Captain Holt first walked through the doors of the Nine-Nine, both police work-related and not, and this is perhaps the most important lesson of all. Love really, truly, does persevere, and we are all stronger because of it.”
“So thank you. And congratulations.”
She steps back from the microphone, Rosa mouths proud of you from the front row, and as the room explodes into applause, Amy feels the emptiness lift a little.
When she steps off the elevator the next day, the bullpen is humming with energy – Rosa is perched on Terry’s desk, handing him a container of yogurt, Holt is talking to a few beat cops next to the break room, and Hitchcock and Scully are loudly debating the virtues of extra cheese on a meatball sub.
It’s not quite the comfortable bustle of years past, but it’s closer, and for the first time in a long time, there is a smile on Amy’s face as she settles into her chair.
And if she spends the entire afternoon cleaning the dust and filth off the desk across from her – well, who could blame her?
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santiagoswagger · 5 years
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all we ever do, is all we ever knew
For week 10 of B99 Hiatus Creations, and the prompt was: “I’m a Realistic Randy.” 
Shout out to the lovely @nevermindthewind for giving me inspiration when I had no idea what to write for a random Rosa quote <3
Jake and Amy have been living together for a week, and Amy's struggling to adjust. Enter: Rosa.
Takes place shortly after "The Fugitive" in season 4.
Read it on ao3.
Amy carefully finished signing her name on the paper and neatly placed the flawless report in a stack with the others, huffing out a deep breath. She had been so on-edge for the last week, and paperwork was the only thing that made her feel in control. She stretched, hands behind her head, allowing the tension to leave her body in one fluid movement.
Her boyfriend moved in with her a week ago.
She loved Jake – so much – but Amy had lived alone since the demise of her relationship with Matt almost a decade earlier, and she was a creature of habit. She had a system, a routine, and Jake had no idea he was disrupting it.
Before he’d moved in, he spent a lot of time at Amy’s apartment and vice-versa, but never for longer than a night or two at a time. She still had time for herself and her own space to relax so that when she saw Jake, she felt recharged and ready to keep up with his endless energy. Between work and home, they were constantly in each other’s orbit now. She loved waking up to him and his adorably messy bedhead each morning, but she craved alone time too.
She felt like a monster wishing for some space from him. Six months ago, when he was in witness protection and she didn’t know when she would ever see him again, all she wanted was for Jake to show up at her door and never leave again. Now that they’d finally fulfilled their long-held promise to move in together, she felt more stressed than ever. At least he was out investigating a B&E with Charles while she was having such traitorous thoughts.
Amy felt her fingers twitch, practically reaching for the hidden pack of cigarettes in the bathroom vent. She’d been so good lately, but she needed an outlet for all this pent-up anxiety. She fought against herself for a minute before launching herself out of her squeaking desk chair and taking off for the restroom.
She had the vent open and her fingers were centimeters away from the release of sweet, sweet nicotine when the door pushed open and Rosa entered the bathroom. Amy felt herself wilt under the sharp glare of her most terrifying friend.
“Santiago, I thought we talked about this,” Rosa crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. “Mary Anne is better than that.”
“Mary Anne is having a hard week, Rosa.” Amy moved from her crouched position to sit next to the open vent, leaning up against the wall. It was a testament to how frazzled and guilty she felt that she didn’t even think about the number of germs she was sure to be picking up. The precinct’s janitor was not thorough.
Rosa stared down at her before sighing and moving to sit beside her.
“Dude, what is going on with you?”
Amy looked at her friend, hesitating. She didn’t want Rosa to think any less of her. She had spent most of Jake’s exile to Florida complaining to Rosa about wanting him back, and now here she was complaining about too much time with him.
“Amy, you can tell me.” It was the use of her first name that finally let the words flow out of her, like the release of a dam. Rosa hated calling people by their first names, it was too personal.
“I love Jake, you know that,” she started.
Rosa smirked but said nothing.
“It’s just – he’s always there, at work and at home now. And there’s a Die Hard poster on my living room wall and crumbs in my couch cushions and I haven’t had any time to myself and I think I’m going insane.”
It all came out in one quick breath. Amy chanced a glance at Rosa, who was looking as stoic as ever. “I sound like the worst girlfriend in the world,” she groaned.
She leaned her head against the grimy tile wall to punctuate her angst and stared up at the ceiling.
“No, you don’t. You sound like a normal human woman.”
Amy rolled her head over to look at Rosa. “Really?” she asked skeptically.
“Really, dude.” Rosa looked over at her. “I’m a Realistic Randy. If Adrian moved in with me, I think I’d lose it at first too. Change sucks.” Amy nodded slowly in silent agreement. “You know what you have to do, right?”
“Run away and never come back?” Amy said hopefully.
One look from Rosa and Amy broke. “I know, I know, I need to talk to Jake and tell him how I’m feeling.”
Rosa leaned back against the wall with her arms crossed again, satisfied. “You guys are the most sickening couple I know. You’ll be fine.”
Amy smiled and ducked her head before remembering something. “Realistic Randy? Is that a thing people say?”
“It’s a thing I say. Get over it.” Amy laughed and leaned her head against the wall once more, feeling a wave of peace wash over her.
The next morning, when Jake and Amy walked off the elevator holding hands in a rare display of precinct PDA, Amy swore she saw Rosa smile before hiding her mouth behind her hand.
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catontheinside · 5 years
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I would choose tgp over B99 so easily rn
Honestly, I was so emotionally struck by the good place's season finale that b99's episode seemed mediocre??????? I mean it was good, I enjoyed the hell out of watching Amy enjoy making school projects, seeing Jake figuring out an old 'case' and confronting Gina, Gina frekin leaving, Holt being less robot and more human omgg yes( Rosa and Boyle's thing was weird and didn't hit it for me tbh).
But all of that followed me watching Eleanor being her best self, Michael now having a more interesting role in the neighborhood, Chidi making the decision to have his memory erased, Michael's gift to Chidi and Eleanor OMG, "I'm a snack" you have no idea how much I want to be her when I grow up, and then it ending with Eleanor pulling through+ Janet's speech?!!!!!?
Yes I'll miss Gina, but my heart is too busy crying over Eleanor and Chidi.
I LOVE both shows, trust me. But honestly if I had the power to immediately get us a S4 of the good place for the price of losing s6 of B99, then I'm more ready than ever to make that decision (although I'd you know me then you know I'll still be Hella hesitant anyways #ChidiBoyle).
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three-drink-amy · 7 years
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Been Talking ‘Bout The Way Things Change
Okay, so I started this not long after the finale aired. I had a lot of feelings. This is only a preview because it was too long to put it all on here. There’s a link at the end of the preview to take you to the full fic! 
How does one readjust when their life is turned upside down? Amy Santiago had spent the past month pondering that very question. She couldn’t wait a full week before she went to see Jake in prison. Amy had repeated her promise to fight for him and to wait for him. They’d both cried, wishing more than anything that it was just a bad dream.
But it wasn’t just a bad dream. Jake and Rosa were actually in jail. And Amy was in hell because of it. It took a month for her to get her head on straight. It took 30 Jake-less nights for Amy to realize that there wasn’t any more time to waste. It took 30 days of not being able to talk to Rosa at the drop of a hat for Amy to realize she needed a plan. It was one month to the day that Amy snapped out of it.
It all started with the mail cart being pushed noisily around the bullpen. Amy was trying to focus on her work but couldn’t drown out the annoying sound of the cart. Everything lately had put Amy on edge. Every time she’d look up from her desk, the pain resurfaced. So Amy kept her head down, trying to finish her report while ignoring the loud noise of the cart. She was so focused on her report that she didn’t notice the letter placed on her desk. It wasn’t until Amy realized she couldn’t hear the mail cart anymore that she spotted the letter on her desk. Noting the sender, she hesitantly picked it up and opened it. Slowly she pulled out the paper inside, reading the letter addressed to her. She couldn’t believe the timing. Amy sat there staring at it, surely a miserable look on her face. Nothing pulled her from her stupor until Gina sat down in her perp chair.
“What’s wrong?” Gina asked, a hesitance in her voice.
Amy shook her head disbelievingly. “I got my test results back today from my sergeant’s exam.”
“Just now? Hasn’t it been like three months since you took that?”
Amy nodded more at the paper than at Gina. “They said sometimes it takes a while.” She offered no more information.
“So…” Gina prodded. Amy finally looked over a Gina. She noted Gina’s eyes narrowing in concern. “What? Did you not pass? I thought you left there feeling confident.”
Amy sighed. “I passed.”
Gina huffed. “Oh my God, why are you this upset then?”
Amy finally set the paper down on her desk, putting her face in her hands. She could feel the tears coming but she didn’t want to cry at work. Not again. After a minute she picked up her head and looked at Gina, hoping her emotions were under control. “I fled that day because I was worried me getting a promotion would be bad for my relationship with Jake. And he tracked me down and found me and promised me that everything would be alright. He was so proud of me. And now I finally found out I passed. I finally know I’m going to actually be a sergeant and Jake’s in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. I mean what the hell? This isn’t fair.” Amy’s eyes betrayed her and allowed tears to fall. She swept them away quickly.
Gina leaned forward and placed a hand on Amy’s wrist. “Amy,” she said gently. She was speaking softer than Amy had ever heard her speak. “I know it’s not fair, but you still earned this. And Jake is going to be proud of you whether he’s behind bars or not.”
Amy scoffed. “I’m not gonna tell him.”
“Amy,” Gina chided.
Amy stood her ground. “It’s not fair to him. I try to further my career and I get a promotion. Jake tries to further his career and he comes across a dirty cop who frames him and gets him put in prison. How am I supposed to tell him?”
Gina sighed. “Jake loves you. He’s gonna be happy for you whether or not he’s in jail.” Amy closed her eyes and shook her head. “If nothing else, it might make you feel better to see him. Why don’t you go there?”
Amy felt unsure. She shrugged, wanting to think things through. “Maybe,” she conceded, hoping Gina would take the hint and walk back to her desk. Sure enough, Gina got up and walked away from Amy.
She sat there thinking, wondering how things could go so wrong. Did she even want to rise through the ranks if the ranks held dirty, vindictive cops who punished the people who were actually decent? There were plenty of bad cops, the ones who don’t respect the badge or who used it to their advantage. There were plenty of cops like the one who racially profiled Terry. How was it that two actually good cops were subjected to this? More than Amy wanted to be a sergeant, she wanted justice. Suddenly her mind started racing. Before she knew it, she was taking her lunch break and rushing from the precinct to follow her urge before her mind got the better of her.
She arrived at her location, wondering if she’d lost her mind. She pulled out her phone to text one of her friends for their opinion. The lock screen showed Jake and Amy smiling up at her. Looking at the unrepentant joy on Jake’s face propelled Amy further into the building. He deserved to be happy again. Rosa did too. When Amy found the right office, she knocked nervously on the door.
“Amy?” Sophia Perez asked, shock clearly written on her face. “Wow, it’s been a long time.”
Amy stepped further into her office. “Yeah, it has.”
“What brings you by?” Sophia asked. “Is it about the LIL meetings?”
“What?” Amy asked, not fully paying attention. “No, it’s not about the Latinas in Law meetings. I’ll get back there eventually.” Amy straightened up and hoped she carried an air of confidence. “I’m here because I assume you’re a well-connected person who stays in touch with the news and all that. And if that’s the case, which I highly suspect it is, then you’ll already know that one month ago Jake Peralta and Rosa Diaz were put in prison for robbing a bank.”
Sophia’s face dropped. She nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I saw that.”
“They didn’t do it,” Amy assured her. Sophia looked at her doubtfully. “I mean it. They didn’t. They were framed by a dirty cop who they were trying to bring down. She was two steps ahead of them at every turn and she got them convicted. You have to believe me.”
“Amy, it seems like a lot,” Sophia replied.
Amy sat down in one of the chairs in front of Sophia’s desk. “Do you know why I came to you? I know plenty of other defense attorneys I could have asked to conduct this appeal but I came to you. Do you know why that is?” Sophia shrugged, urging Amy to answer her own question. “The human factor,” Amy answered. “All the other attorneys just see Jake and Rosa as those jerk cops they go up against in court. But you know them. Rosa would sometimes go to the LIL meetings. You know how seriously she takes her job. And you know Jake. Or at least knew him. You know he wouldn’t do something like this. For crying out loud, you broke up with him because he insisted on doing his job. This isn’t something they’d do.”
Sophia sat straighter in her chair, scrutinizing Amy. “The human factor, huh?” Amy nodded. “I’ll admit, I was shocked when I saw that on the news.” She leaned forward. “So what do you want from me?”
Amy almost laughed. “I want you to conduct their appeal. Was that not clear?”
Sophia drummed her fingers against her desk. “You know that’s a lot to ask, right. Appeals can be hard and are never a guarantee.”
“I know,” Amy asserted.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Amy nodded vehemently. “They’re innocent. They were set up and they don’t deserve to be in jail.” Amy sat forward in her chair, mirroring Sophia. “I’ll give you whatever you want. I also have control of Jake’s account and though it may be sparse, it’s there.” Sophia narrowed her eyes like she was thinking. “I’ll tell you this though,” Amy continued. “It would be damn good PR. When do defense attorneys get good PR? Freeing innocent people though? That’s good stuff. You could be the one to set a wrongly incarcerated Latina officer free.” Sophia raised one eyebrow. Amy nodded with a smile, knowing her manipulation was working.
“You’re good, Santiago,” Sophia said with a smirk. Amy shrugged. “It’s gonna take a lot. You need to tell me everything about this case before I begin to even consider taking it on.”
“I can do that,” Amy assured. “It all started when Jake and Rosa crossed paths with Lieutenant Melanie Hawkins.”
“Wait, it was Hawkins?” Sophia asked. Amy nodded. “Oh God, I would love to take her down. She’s the worst.”
“I’d have to agree,” Amy laughed. It was the first time in a long time she’d genuinely laughed. Amy proceeded to tell Sophia everything about the case down to the money from Flaxton Hills that was never presented in court.
“What do you mean it was never presented in court?”
“They came down with the verdict before Terry or Charles could get back. So they never heard that the money came from an outside shell corporation. We just knew that Langdon was working with Hawkins but it was too late when we realized,” Amy explained. “So many people lied on the stand. It was honestly ridiculous. And I know there’s no way to make someone admit that they perjured themselves, but honestly, it’s ridiculous.”
Sophia looked deep in thought for a moment. “Do you have a file or something you’re collecting for the evidence?”
Amy nodded. “Not with me, but I can get it.”
Sophia let the information sink in. “Okay. Before I officially decide to take this on, I need to talk to Rosa and Jake.” Sophia leaned forward, making sure she held eye contact with Amy. “And before you officially start this appeal, you need to know that this could come down on you. This is a lot of police politics, Amy.”
Amy took a deep breath and nodded. “I know. It’s fine. Maybe I don’t want to work for a system that puts innocent people behind bars.”
“Okay,” Sophia replied, an impressed look on her face. “I’d like you to come with me when I meet with them. Can you do that?” Amy nodded. “You got anything you need to do the rest of the day? I can go now.”
Amy was flustered but agreed. “I’ll have someone cover for me.” Amy pulled out her phone and wrote out a short text to Charles begging him to cover for her. She mentioned something about being too emotional and he took the bait. She’d loop everyone in later, once things were in place. “I’ll meet you there,” Amy offered as Sophia cleared her schedule.
“Great,” Sophia replied. “Just one question though before we go,” she asked, stopping Amy in her tracks. Amy nodded for her to go on. A smile grew on Sophia’s face. “How long have you and Jake been together?”
Amy blushed, looking down at her feet. “Is it that obvious?” Sophia nodded with a grin. Amy laughed halfheartedly. “It’s been two years.”
Sophia looked impressed again. “Good for you,” she said earnestly. “Now let’s go.”
**
It had been ten days since Amy had seen Jake. She felt guilty that it had been so long, but she really couldn’t go every day. The prison probably wouldn’t even let her if she tried. She was happy she could still see Jake, but always devastated at the circumstances. Amy was sitting on her side of the glass, a sad smile gracing her face as Jake sat down on his side.
They both picked up their phones. “Ames,” Jake said softly, a sigh of relief echoing through it.
“Hi,” she replied sadly. “How are you? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” he said simply. Amy gave him a knowing look. “I really am. I’m keeping my head down and staying out of trouble, I promise.”
“You better be,” she reminded him.
He started to smirk which made Amy feel slightly relieved. Jake looked just past Amy and she could tell when he spotted her companion. “Umm, Amy, are you here with my ex-girlfriend?”
Amy turned around and looked at Sophia before looking back at Jake. “I’m not here with your ex-girlfriend,” Amy coyly replied. Jake looked slightly relieved. “I’m here with your new lawyer.”
“What now?” Jake asked, his head snapping forward toward the glass.
“I started the appeal process,” Amy explained.
“So you hired Sophia?” Jake questioned.
“She knows you. What other attorney is going to see you as more than just some jerk cop?” Amy defended.
Jake looked like he was thinking things through. “I guess that’s a good point.”
“Look, I told you that I’d keep fighting for you and that’s what I’m doing,” Amy assured him.
“That means everything to me,” Jake replied, a small smile on his face.
“Look, I am gonna turn over the phone to Sophia because she wants to talk to you before she actually takes on the case,” Amy explained. She took a deep breath. “But there’s one more thing I want to tell you.” Jake nodded, urging her to continue. “I feel guilty talking about it.”
Jake gave her a knowing look. “Ames.”
She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. “I finally got my results back from my sergeant’s exam.”  
“Oh my God. And?” Jake asked insistently.
Amy smiled sadly. “I passed,” she said quietly.
“Yes!” Jake cheered, whooping until a guard told him to quiet down. Jake looked at Amy with a guilty grin. “Oops. But I don’t care. I’m so proud of you, Babe. I never doubted it.” Amy was so touched. “Wait, why did you feel guilty telling me?”
Amy looked at him with a blank stare. “Are you serious? I didn’t exactly want to brag about a promotion right now.”
“Amy, you know I’d be happy for you no matter what. I love you,” he reminded her.
Amy did the most cliché thing and held her hand up to the glass. “I love you too,” she replied as he laid his hand over hers. “Okay,” she said, removing her hand, “I should let you talk to your lawyer. The sooner we get  you out of here, the better.”
Jake nodded. “Hey, Ames?” She turned back toward the glass. “Thanks for still fighting for me.”
Amy smiled at him sadly. “Like you wouldn’t do the same damn thing.” She stood up to let Sophia speak with Jake.
“Sophia, long time no see,” Amy heard Jake say.
Sophia quickly got down to business, wanting to know everything from Jake’s perspective. Amy pulled out her phone and walked out of the room. Clicking on Terry’s name, she put her phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Terry, it’s Amy,” she replied. “I need your help.”
“What do you need?” Terry asked.
“I need you to make a copy of the file of all our evidence and bring it to me,” Amy explained.
“Where are you?”
“Well in about an hour, I’ll be with Rosa. Bring it there. Make sure you have a copy of everything.”
“Amy, what are you doing?” Terry questioned.
Amy looked back at Jake and Sophia talking. “I’ll explain it when I see you. Please just do this for me.”
There was a long pause on the phone. “Okay. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Amy and Sophia both bid goodbye to Jake, no matter how hard it was for Amy to leave. They drove to the women’s prison to start the process over with Rosa. Sophia took a call as they waited outside the prison for Terry to arrive. He pulled up and jumped out of his car, moving quickly toward Amy.
“I have it. Care to explain what’s going on now?” He asked.
Sophia hung up her phone and walked back to Amy and Terry. Amy gestured to her. “I started the appeal process. We need the evidence.”
“Hi there,” Sophia said to Terry.
He looked at her with disbelief. “Hold up,” he replied to Amy, “You hired Jake’s ex-girlfriend to represent him in court?”
Amy nodded insistently. “Yep. And he’s fine with it.” Terry gave her a doubting look. “So do you want to help me get our friends out of prison or do you just want to stand there doubting me?”
Terry’s jaw dropped open some. He quickly closed his mouth and nodded to her. “I’ll help you.”
“Great!” Amy said, taking the evidence from Terry and handing it to Sophia. “Now let’s go see Rosa.”
Explaining everything to Rosa went pretty easily. She didn’t seem overly hopeful about an appeal. Amy felt bad seeing Rosa in such awful spirits. Of course, Jake was always the optimistic one during the trial. She told Sophia everything she could. It pretty much matched Jake’s statement.
As they left the prison, Sophia turned to Amy and Terry. “I’m gonna look through the file you gave me, but based on their statements, there’s got to be a hole somewhere. No one is that good,” she comforted. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Rosa and Jake though, an appeal is a slow process and it is far from a guarantee.” Amy and Terry nodded solemnly. “I’m going to do my best because I believe that they’re innocent. You were right, Amy, it helps to know them. I can tell how shaken they are. What I need you guys to do is to keep investigating. See if you can find anything incriminating on Hawkins. It doesn’t have to be related to this particular case. Anything that will make her look shady will help us.” Amy and Terry nodded again. “Keep me posted on anything you find. I’ll do the same. But, I’m officially taking the case.”
Amy stepped forward, wrapping Sophia in a hug. “Thank you, Sophia. Truly.”
“You can thank me when I get them out,” Sophia replied grimly.
Amy and Terry stood silently and watched as Sophia got in her car and pulled away from the prison. Once she was gone, Terry turned to Amy. “I cannot believe that is who you hired for this case!” he exclaimed.
Amy threw up her hands in defense. “What? She’s a good lawyer and she knows them.”
“Still,” Terry maintained.
“I stand by my decision. We need to get Jake and Rosa out of prison,” Amy insisted. “Get on board or leave your friends to rot.”
“Damn, Santiago,” Terry cried. “I’m on board.”
“Good,” Amy said with a smile before turning and walking to her car.
The full story is here on AO3!
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