I woke up to the rain softly pattering against the bedroom window, and I rolled over to see my beautiful boyfriend sleeping peacefully, almost like a baby. He looked so calm and serene as he slept, which was probably a counter for his sass-driven persona when he went in to work. I simply laid up against the headboard, and I glanced at my phone. I didn't have a case to go work on at the SVU, and Rafael had no pending court cases, which meant that we both had off for the day. The calming sound of the rain, along with the peaceful silence that accompanied it was the perfect way to wake up at 5:30am on a Saturday morning.
A few minutes passed, and I saw Rafael beginning to come to. I smiled as he woke up, and as he opened his eyes, he looked at me and smiled lazily. "Were you watching me sleep?" He asked, his voice rough and low since he had just woken up. I chuckled and defended myself, saying, "Hey, you're really peaceful when you sleep. It's different from your normal sass and smart-assery." He laughed and asked me sarcastically, "Is that even a word?" I smirked as I finally got up out of bed and said, "See, that's smart-assery."
I felt Rafael's hand on my wrist, and he pleaded, "Come back." I huffed a breath out and sat back down on the bed, and his arms enveloped my waist. "What's today?" He asked, still waking up. I smiled and said, "Saturday. Neither of us have cases today, so we have the day to ourselves." Rafael smiled and asked, "Well, what would you like to do?" I smiled widely and said, "Let's go watch a Yankees game." Rafael paused, and then pointed out the window. "The rain is only supposed to get worse, Jess... The game will get cancelled." I groaned, and Rafael thought out loud, saying, "The Rangers are playing the Penguins tonight, that would be a good game... I can get us box seats." I laughed and replied, "You and your DA connections." He smirked and asked, "So I take that as a yes?" I smiled widely and replied, "Yeah, it's a date."
I went out into the kitchen and began making some waffles, and Rafael followed me. He was wearing a pair of baggy Harvard sweatpants and a gray tee shirt, and I was wearing a pair of navy blue NYPD sweatpants and a white tank top. I finished making the waffles and shoveled them onto our plates, and Rafael kissed my cheek and said, "Gracías, cariño." My heart fluttered as we sat down. He was such an amazing person- at least, with me. Half of the defense teams in New York probably hated his guts, but I loved him.
The hours before the Rangers game passed quickly, and I found myself wearing my Lundqvist jersey, along with a pair of jeans and heeled boots. I straightened my hair and let it hang at my sides. Rafael, for a change, was wearing a Zuccarello jersey and jeans. He was still wearing a pair of dress shoes, but I let it go. We left my apartment and took the subway to Madison Square Garden, ready for the game- it was gonna be a good one.
The game went by quickly as Rafael and I stayed in our little suite. We had gotten a private suite because of Rafael's status as an employee of the New York County's District Attorney's Office, and I was along for the ride. We watched the Rangers and the Penguins go back and forth, tie the game at the end of regulation, go into overtime, end that in a tie, and go into a shootout. Of course, Henrik Lundqvist saved the day, making 3/5 saves against the shootout. We beat the Penguins, 3-2 in a shootout.
*
"Yeah... Yeah, that's fine. Just let me know, Liv. Thanks, I really appreciate it." Rafael hung up the phone, and he must not have seen me. "Why were you on the phone with Liv?" I asked, startling him. "Jeez, Jess..." I chuckled and said, "Sorry... But is everything okay?" He smiled and replied, "Yeah, everything is great. We just had to clear away something about a date for an arraignment. We're all good." I sat down on the couch in the living room, and I put my feet up on the coffee table. Rafael grabbed his cup of coffee, hit my legs down playfully, and sat next to me. To get back at him, I moved my feet so that they were on his lap, and he glared at me, daring me to keep them there. I accepted his challenge, and just as we were about to start watching an episode of Friends, he began tickling my feet. I laughed and tried to get away, but he had a strong grip on me. "Stop! Stop, please!" I begged him, laughing hysterically. He smirked at me as he continued tickling my feet, and he brought his face closer to mine. "There's only one thing you can do to stop me." I leaned up and kissed him on the lips, and he stopped tickling me. I smiled into the kiss, and we separated. I leaned on him as we began to watch our episode of Friends, relaxing and eating popcorn after a great day.
*
Barba's POV
Cragen had Jess take the day off, and I walked into the SVU squad room, frantically searching for Liv and the rest of the detectives. I heard a familiar voice ask, "Barba, you alright?" I turned around to see Rollins, and I blurted, "I need all this proposal stuff together. I want to do it when we go out to celebrate Jess' graduation." It had been more than half a year since Jess had been shot, and we had been setting this up since before then. Rollins smiled widely and asked, "Have you decided how you're going to do it?" I shook my head, and Rollins said, "Well, Liv and I can help you with that. Where's the party going to be for Jess?" I replied, "I was debating booking two different places. I'm between doing it at Eleven Madison Park, or booking a room in Rockefeller Plaza, like the Rainbow Room." Olivia smiled at me and asked, "Didn't you and Jess go on a really cute date at Eleven Madison Park?" I nodded, and she answered, "Keep it there."
I booked Eleven Madison Park, and everyone on the squad helped me get things ready. We had streamers, graduation decorations, table markers that were shaped like the Scales of Justice, and so many other fun things. I was really happy that this was all coming together, and there were only two things I was worried about: Jess finding out about the party from someone, or a case coming up and us not being able to have the party. I booked the room for a Saturday so that we were all off, and I prayed that we wouldn't have a case come up.
As Amaro, Fin, Munch, and Cragen worked on the graduation end of the party, I went over with Liv and Rollins to talk about the proposal end of the party. We walked into the conference room and shut the door behind us, giving us privacy. Rollins asked, "Can I see the ring?" I reached in my coat pocket and pulled out the small, velvet box that only Liv had seen before. Nobody had seen the ring, and this was the first time that I was showing anyone else. I opened the box, and both Liv and Rollins covered their mouths.
Panicking internally, I did my best to sound calm as I asked, "Did I pick a good one?" Liv smiled widely and said, "Barba, it's perfect. She's gonna love it." Rollins smiled at me and asked, "Did you pick it out by yourself, Barba?" I smiled widely and replied, "Yeah."
"So, how are you going to propose?" Rollins asked, and I smirked, replying, "That's for me to know, and the rest of you to find out when I do it."
*
Jess' POV
For some reason, Rafael had to go into the SVU to help with a case, and I was stuck at home. Cragen made me take a day off, and I couldn't fight it. I simply stayed at home and went over some of the case files that we were going to take to court, ready to help make a strong prosecuting argument with the team. At around 9pm, I heard keys jiggling in the door, and I heard Rafael arguing on the phone. The door shut, and I heard footsteps coming closer. Before he came into the living room to sit with me, he ducked into the kitchen. I heard him talking on the phone with someone.
"Yes, I wanted those colors. Look, I can't talk right now, I just got home and I need to call you back, alright?" He hung up the phone, and I heard him open a beer bottle. I walked into the kitchen, and I asked, "Everything alright, Rafi?" He loved when I called him that, and I knew it. He sighed heavily, still seething from the recent phone call. He replied, "Yeah, it'll all get sorted out." I simply asked, "Is there anything I can do to help, or make it less stressful for you?" Rafael smirked and said, "No, Jess, there isn't anything you can do... But thanks for the offer. I have to take care of it all by myself." He took a sip of beer, and he changed the subject.
"So, when's your last final?" Rafael asked me, leaning on the kitchen counter. I smiled and replied, "It's Wednesday night, and then the commencement ceremony is on Friday... You'll be there, right?" Raf smiled widely and answered, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." My last final was in two days, and I was beginning to get nervous. "What class is the final in?" He asked me, and I sarcastically smirked and replied, "Federal Courts." Rafael inhaled a breath sharply, trying to mess with me as he said, "That was the hardest final I took at Harvard. I almost failed." I hit his arm and whined, "Raf, don't tell me that!" He laughed and said, "I'm kidding, Jess... You'll be fine. You've been studying, right?" I nodded diligently, and he said, "Good. You'll be fine. Plus, shadowing me for a few cases probably helped."
I couldn't help but think back on the time that I spent shadowing Rafael. Those were some of the hardest, most demanding weeks of my life. I had accrued enough hours of shadowing due to my employment in the NYPD and my having to be present at various trials, but shadowing Rafael was another monster entirely. He made sure that he went through every aspect of every case, and he walked me through some cases. He showed me how he cross-examined witnesses and used different aspects of the case to win his side. He was extremely professional with me, and he pushed me and my knowledge of the law on multiple occasions. I knew that he was only trying to make me better, which he did, but it was hard. My last case shadowing him, he had me put together an entire court strategy for the case, and he revised it and used it in court. The defendant was found guilty, and Rafael told me that I had won that case, since I came up with the court strategy to nail him. That last case made those weeks worth it.
"I feel like I have an unfair advantage, Rafael." I blurted, and he looked at me questioningly. I continued, saying, "Having a DA as my boyfriend? I mean, I feel like I had a secret weapon that nobody else did." He scoffed and said, "So, you're telling me that none of the other students in the NYU School of Law shadowed DA's in New York? You met me through the SVU, and I offered to help you. You declined, until I basically forced you to let me help you. You didn't want my help, Jess. You didn't use me unfairly- in fact, you barely even asked me questions. I helped you study a few times and go over a few papers that you had written. You did it, with a tiny little bit of help from me." I paused for a minute, and then asked the question that I was wondering.
"If we weren't a couple, would you still have offered me a position to shadow you in court?" Rafael sighed and replied, "Jess, don't think about it that way. From the moment I met you and first started working with you at the SVU, I knew that you had potential to become a lawyer. When I found out that you were in law school, I was going to wait until you needed shadowing hours for credits, and then I was going to offer it for you." He grabbed my shoulders and reassuringly said, "Jess, you didn't have an unfair advantage." He asked me a rhetorical question, "How many of your classmates work for the NYPD?" I looked up at him, and he replied, "None, exactly. You used the resources around you. You're fine, Jess." I hugged Rafael and smirked, asking, "How do you deal with me?" He laughed in reply.
*
I stood in line behind my classmates as we awaited getting our diplomas. After today, I would be the proud holder of a Juris Doctor Degree from the New York University's School of Law. I was wearing a simple white dress with a scoop neckline, and it went down to my knees. On top of my dress was my purple and black doctorate graduation gown, along with the hood that went with it. My cap was different, too; it was a doctorate cap. I adjusted my cap, gown, hair, and Law School stoll that was around my neck as I got closer to the stage. I looked around, scanning the audience for my squad and for Rafael. He told me that he was going to be sitting with the New York County District Attorney's employees, who were right behind home plate at Yankee Stadium. Having our graduation commencement ceremonies in Yankee Stadium was pretty cool.
Soon enough, I was next on stage. I looked behind home plate and saw Rafael, sitting next to two other lawyers who worked in the DAs office. He smiled at me proudly, and I looked forward on stage. I heard the dean say, "Jessica Noelle Mitchell." I walked across the stage as I heard loud cheering, and I was handed my degree. I shook hands with the dean, and we took a picture. I walked back down off of the platform, and I looked up at Rafael in the stands. He smiled widely and pointed toward the third base side, and I saw the entire SVU team sitting in the first row, cheering and smiling at me. I was a lucky girl.
The commencement ended, and we all tossed our caps in the air. I quickly went to thank my professors and the dean, and when I went to thank the dean, he said, "You excelled in your studies, Jessica. You should be very proud. Good luck on your bar exam, and keep up the good work with the NYPD." I was flabbergasted at his compliment, but I kept myself under control and thanked him. I looked over and saw Rafael with the squad near the third base dugout, and I made my way over.
I began to approach them, and Liv prompted Rafael to turn around. As soon as he did, I saw the biggest smile I had ever seen, especially from him. He enveloped me in a huge, bone-crushing hug, and he lifted me off of the ground and spun me around. When I finally landed back on my feet, he whispered in my ear, "Lo hiciste. Estoy tan orgulloso de ti, mi amor." [A/N: "You did it. I'm so proud of you, my love."] I smiled widely as Rafael gave me a kiss on the cheek. The rest of the team gave me hugs and congratulated me, and we took a bunch of pictures. We left Yankee Stadium, and Rafael was driving the two of us back to the apartment. When he turned down FDR Drive, I gave him a skeptical look as I asked, "Where are you going?" He smirked and said, "You'll see."
We parked in the valet section of the parking lot on East 23rd Street in Gramercy, and I suddenly realized where we were. Rafael took my hand and walked me across the street, and I saw the sign for Eleven Madison Park come into view. I smiled as Rafael said, "I thought that a celebratory dinner here would be nice." This was the same restaurant that Rafael had taken me to for my birthday. We walked inside, and Rafael said to the hostess, "The reservation is under Barba." The hostess walked us to the same room where we had eaten before, but this time, the lights were out. Rafael opened the door for me, and I entered cautiously. I gripped his hand, and the lights suddenly came on. A bunch of people popped up from behind tables and couches, and they all screamed, "Surprise!" I nearly fell onto Rafael, and he caught me, laughing. I couldn't help but laugh at my reaction along with him, and he whsipered to me, "Congratulations, cariño."
Rafael sat down on one of the couches as I went around to greet people. I saw the entire squad- Liv, Rollins, Fin, Amaro, Munch, and Cragen were all here. I saw some of the ADAs and other lawyers who I had worked with both through the NYPD and with Rafael when I shadowed him. I saw so many people from the SVU, and I was so happy that they were all here. I continued to look around the room, and my heart dropped.
Nathan wasn't here.
I returned to the table where the squad was, and Rafael was sitting there, as well. We began to eat dinner, and Rafael could tell that something was off. As the rest of the squad talked and joked around, he turned to me and whispered in my ear, "Are you alright, Jess?" I mustered up the courage to look at him, and I knew that I looked sad and broken. I simply said, "Nate's not here." Rafael's eyes saddened as he replied, "I tried so hard, Jess. I promise. He wasn't able to make it."
As we finished up our dinner, dessert was served, and apparently, the entire squad, along with Rafael, were going to make toasts. As Captain Cragen got up to start the toasts, Rafael intertwined his hand with mine lovingly.
Even though my brother wasn't here, I wasn't going to let that ruin the night.