The Christmas Gift
Title: The Christmas Gift (El Regalo de Navidad)
Spoilers: For the purposes of this fic I am ignoring the events of ep 104. The girls are happily married - as they should be.
Rating: Goes from PG-13 to NC-17. It is Christmas after all, which means Pepa and Silvia will celebrate! ;p
Pairing: Pepa/Silvia
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Pepa has to deal with both work and play before celebrating the holidays with Silvia. But something comes up, as she ends up giving Silvia an unexpected gift.
A/N/Disclaimer: The characters of LHDP do not belong to me. This is a few days late for the holiday, but I felt like writing another PepSi Christmas fic this year. This fic is meant as a standalone from my other PepSi fic, but does reference my earlier Christmas PepSi story which you can read here if you like. Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo!
“Alto! Policía!”
Pepa’s voice rang out in the still cold air as she pumped her legs and arms furiously, pushing her body to its limit. It was a freezing afternoon by Madrid standards, about 6 °C. The bitter air hurt the agent’s lungs as she inhaled and exhaled, the steam from her breath billowing out in frosty clouds. She did her best to ignore her discomfort and focus on the bobbing head in the crowd in front of her.
Joder! How did I end up here? I finally have some time off to go Christmas shopping for mi pelirroja, and some low-life asshole ends up snatching a purse right in front of me!
Up until that point, it had been an agonizingly slow day at the precinct where the agent was constantly watching the clock, counting down the minutes until she was off. Pepa’s boredom had driven her to the point where she was making paper planes out of blank report forms on her desk. Until Don Lorenzo’s gruff shout had admonished the agent, ordering her to leave early instead.
Pepa had been more than willing, grabbing her worn black leather jacket and making a beeline for her car. Paco had joined up with her and the two had spent some time together browsing the festively bedecked square near Madrid’s shopping center. It was a rare moment for the siblings to enjoy each other’s company as they took in a leisurely lunch and began to browse a few stores. The older Miranda sibling good naturedly teased and rolled his eyes at Pepa’s near frantic babble that she had no idea what to get her wife at this late hour.
Despite her worries about getting Silvia the perfect gift, the agent had been in a particularly good mood, laughing at her brother’s jokes about married life. Her amusement faded as her keen eyes picked out an unkempt figure in the bustling crowd - a lanky, rail-thin boy of only 17 or 18, with a sweatshirt hood shadowing his features. The only thing she could make out were his bright eyes, flitting from face to face. Pepa’s observation lasted only a second before the scruffy teenager snatched a purse from an unsuspecting, expensively dressed woman in a black raincoat.
“Help! Policía!” The shopper screamed in a shrill voice, her face almost as pale as her blonde, perfectly coiffed hair that was streaked with silver. “He stole my purse!”
Pepa took off after the suspect even as the victim’s high-pitched shrieks rang throughout the square, unerringly targeting the boy, running as fast as she could. It was no easy task in an area jam packed with shoppers, where Pepa was unable to draw her gun, for fear of creating even more of a panic and hitting a friendly target. The boy made it no simpler, rudely shoving aside shoppers and even throwing over a rack of clothing that Pepa was forced to dodge, while still keeping the dirty grey sweatshirt in her sights.
“Quieto, coño! Freeze means stop, in case you didn’t know!” The agent yelled again, getting more pissed off by the second.
The brunette saw an opportunity as the crowd began to thin, as both suspect and officer approached a huge, spouting fountain. Abruptly changing direction and now pursuing the thief at an angle, Pepa ran full speed at the ornately carved stone monument. At the last possible second she used her long legs to advantage, jumping on a stone lip and pushing off to hurl her body through the air.
“Aaarrgh!!” Pepa’s yell of frustration burst from her heaving lungs as she tackled the boy, both of them landing and skidding at a painful angle on the unyielding paving stones.
Pushing the suspect on his stomach, the agent grabbed the purse with one hand while wrenching skinny arms behind the teenager’s back. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out her badge which she shoved into the boy’s face.
“You see this, you little puta? It says Cuerpo Nacional de Policía! Which means, when I say stop, you do what I say! Lo comprendes?”
“Ow! Get off me, you crazy bitch!” The boy’s voice came out in a whine. “I was just having some fun.”
“Pepa!” The brunette looked up as Paco came puffing up to her side, trailed by two uniformed policemen. “Estás bien? Joder! Don’t take off like that!”
Pepa allowed a crooked smile to form on her lips. “Lo siento, Paco. Hey -” She nodded in the direction of the uniforms. “Can I borrow some cuffs?”
“Not a problem, Agent Miranda.” One of them smiled as he produced the metal bindings. Together, they hauled the loudly protesting teenager to his feet, cuffing him amongst multiple claims of police violence.
The siblings were obligated to stay for another twenty minutes, dictating a report to their fellow officers. Pepa also had to endure several wet, sloppy kisses on the cheek from the middle-aged shopper who was ever so grateful for her purse being returned. With fluttery gestures, she continued to refer to the agent as ‘a hero of the people’, even insisting on a monetary reward, which Pepa politely but firmly refused.
“We’ll take care of transporting the suspect, agents.” The second policeman tipped his hat in Paco and Pepa’s direction. “Let the rest of the paperwork come later. Have a good afternoon.”
“Gracias.” Pepa nodded in return, relieved that their lengthy interruption was coming to a close. She cast an irritated glance at the suspect who was still railing as he was put in the back of a patrol car.
“I’m telling you, that bitch almost crippled me! She’s the one you should be arresting, not her!”
“Yeah, well that’s what you get for getting in the way of a woman and shopping for her wife!” Pepa yelled back, smirking.
The patrol car pulled away, sirens blaring. Paco regarded his sister, who wearily sat down on a bench. He shook his head, amused. “Dios, hermana! We can’t even go shopping without you turning it into a circus!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that I feel the need to protect and serve, even on Christmas Eve!” she shrugged.
“Well, it’ll be no surprise to Silvia. What does she call you? Ah, her caballero!” Paco chortled.
“Yeah, well, she likes that damn nickname, so it stuck.” Pepa rubbed the side of her neck, a gesture of fond embarrassment. Secretly, she loved that gesture of her wife’s. “And speaking of surprises, we’d better finish shopping if I’m ever going to get one for Silvia.”
“Here.” Paco tossed his sister his well-worn handkerchief. “You wife’s not going to be happy with me if I bring you home looking like that.”
“Hm?” Pepa touched her brow, her fingers coming away with a smear of blood. “Dammit! Must have hit the ground harder than I thought. Stupid little punk!”
She started to press the handkerchief to the slowly oozing cut above her left eyebrow for a moment, then hesitated. “Um, on second thought, you can take this back hermano. I see you stuff this thing in your mouth all the time, and who knows where else it’s been!”
“Humph!” Paco snorted in mock distain as he took the piece of cloth from where Pepa was gingerly holding it between two fingertips. “You’re so critical! It’s a perfectly good handkerchief!”
“Sí! Whatever you say, Paco!” The agent laughed as she shifted her weight to stand, only to have her left leg buckle as a sudden excruciating wave of pain reverberated down the limb. “Mierda!”
“Pepa!” Alarmed, Paco reached out to steady his sister, who hissed in pain. “Vamos, let’s get you home. Or better yet, have Silvia look at you.”
“Qué?” The brunette shook her head automatically, not wanting to risk her partner’s legendary temper. She glanced down at the denim of her dark jeans which were now scuffed along the left side. “No, no, it’s fine, really. I just landed on my hip when I tackled the guy.”
Slowly, she began flexing her leg and taking small steps around the square, trying to regain her mobility. “I think it’s just a bruise.”
“You’re sure?” Paco’s brown eyes were large with worry. “Pepa, if I tell Silvia that I let you get hurt taking down a snotty-nosed thief, and a bad one at that, she’s going to kill me!”
“No worries, hermano.” Pepa limped up to her brother and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll be in more trouble than you.” She glanced down as her phone rang, fishing it from her pocket. “Well, at least I didn’t lose or break this.”
Noting a familiar number, her heartbeat began to automatically speed up in pure reaction. “Um…give me a second Paco. I need to take this.”
A nod. “Sure.”
The large man stepped away out of earshot to give his sister privacy, yet continued to throw her anxious glances, in case her injury was more serious than she let on. That was typical for his headstrong sibling. Always one to charge into the middle of a crossfire, without fear, but unwilling to let on if she was hurting or needed to ask for help. Paco smiled to himself, grateful to Silvia that she had gone a long way in breaking down Pepa’s barriers in that regard.
Focusing on his sister again, Paco noted Pepa’s sudden change in posture, as she seized up and went deathly still for a timeless moment. It was as if a lightning bolt had struck down from the heavens and frozen her in place. She swallowed slowly, her face having gone unnaturally pale.
“Are you sure?” Her voice floated over to him, shaky and dazed. Whether with confusion or amazement, he couldn’t tell. “Are you absolutely sure? Vale…vale. Gracias. I’ll - I’ll call you later.”
With a click, Pepa snapped her cell phone shut, clutching it tightly in her hand as she pressed her fist to her lips. She contemplated for a moment, her breath continuing to fog in white plumes around her head. Her whole world had been thrown in an instant. Everything had changed.
“Pepa?” She turned to face her brother’s concerned visage. “Qué pasa?” He cupped her face in a warm hand. “I saw you turn as pale as a ghost just now.”
Still in shock, she forced a smile. “Paco, it’s nothing. Ah-” She held up a finger to still his protest. “You have to trust me. Trust me, vale?” At his reluctant nod, she wound her arm through his, leading him back to the shops they had pursued earlier.
“Now, it’s more important than ever that we find the right gift for Silvia.” Her smile bloomed bigger than ever, bewildering Paco. What the hell was going on?
“Pepa, can we skip this and head back to the precinct?” In a lower voice. “I’m worried about you.”
She stopped him by gently kissing his forehead. “Hermano, this is really important, getting Silvia this gift. Vamos!” Determined, she lead him forward.
Sí. She mused internally. Everything has changed.
___
Silvia’s red mane bounced slightly as she shook her head in amused disdain. “Cariño, it amazes me that you can hurt yourself like this during a simple arrest.” She firmly pressed an alcohol soaked cotton ball to Pepa’s brow, while tenderly tracing a high cheekbone with her free hand.
“Princesa, being married to me, you should know that nothing’s that simple. It wasn’t my fault the kid was that fast.” Her wife smirked, shrugging. “I had to get him somehow.”
“Hold still.” Silvia’s fingers reached to steady Pepa’s chin. “You fidget like a five-year old child!”
“Sí, but I’m still the best shot in San Antonio, and I still made that collar!” The agent laughed, seeing her wife roll her eyes knowingly.
“Well you don’t have to go balls to the wall, as Papa would say, with every arrest.” A quick kiss on the lips soothed the sting as Pepa felt as the blood covered cotton ball removed and a butterfly bandage was taped over the cut. “Any deeper and this would have required stitches. I want you to come home in once piece every night, vale?”
“Sí, Inspectora Castro Miranda!” Pepa saluted her wife, who was also technically her superior officer. “As you command!” She hopped off the counter that she’d been sitting on.
“Now, are we ready to go?” She asked, scooping up her jacket, gesturing towards the door of the lab. “You’ve been here all day, cariño. Let’s go home and have Christmas Eve dinner.”
“Ah, ah!” Silvia crooked a finger at her wife, beckoning her closer. “You said as I command.” Her voice dropped to a sultry timbre.
“Ooh, really?” Her jacket carelessly thrown aside, Pepa advanced towards her partner who welcomed her with open arms and a long, passionate kiss. Hungrily inhaling her wife’s essence, Pepa’s fingers edged under the white lab coat, pulling Silvia’s red sweater from her jeans. She was so intent on her goal, she barely felt familiar hands caressing and molding to her sides. Her libido was abruptly halted as she felt her rear end forcefully pushed down on a cold surface, the stinging sensation of the chilly slab making her eyes pop open in surprise.
“Hey!” The agent complained in protest, feeling Silvia’s hands gently but firmly press her shoulders down on an examination table, covered in a clean sheet. “I thought we were going to have some playtime in the lab!”
Silvia gave her wife a smirk of her own. “Well this was the only way I could get to you to the table. Work before play, mi amor. Don’t think you’re getting away without me looking at that hip. Paco mentioned it, which I noticed you conveniently forgot.”
“I didn’t forget, it just slipped my mind for the moment.” Pepa frowned as she laid down, stretching out long legs, which were still chilled despite the sheet. “Tst! Dammit, this table’s freezing! What do you do, put ice blocks on these things?”
“The cold’s to help sterility and prevent disease.” Silvia bit her lip to keep from laughing as Pepa threw her a questioning, almost fearful look. “Don’t worry, it’s clean. And I haven’t done any autopsies in here today.”
The redhead slipped fingers under her wife’s black t-shirt to comfortingly rub firm stomach muscles. “I forget, you’ve only been on this table that time you were hiding from Curtis.”
“Humph! The less time I spend getting examined, the better.” The brunette groused as the inspector propped her head up with a pillow. Pepa normally hated the invasion of privacy of being poked and prodded by doctors. Silvia and her soothing touch was the only one who could put her at ease in that respect, even long before they were together as a couple.
The agent exhaled slowly as she felt nimble fingers undoing the button of her jeans and gently easing them half way down her legs. “You know princesa, you’re going in the right direction. Just keep throwing a few more kisses in.”
Silvia laughed lightly. “Sí, I’m very practiced at taking off these jeans. It’s too bad you’re wearing a thong, otherwise I’d have a professional excuse to strip you half naked in the lab!”
Her smile faded as her eyes took in the mottled blue, red and purple skin that covered most of Pepa’s left hip. She winced in sympathy. “Ooh, you did a number on yourself, cariño.”
“Yeah, I know.” Pepa admitted, her head falling back on the cushioned surface of the pillow. “Ouch! Dios, do you have to poke at it that much?”
“Don’t be a baby.” The forensic scientist teased. Her gloved hands continued to carefully prod and flex the joint for a few more minutes. “I pretty sure it’s fine, Pepa. No cracks or misalignment that I can feel. It’s a big bruise, but just that - a bruise.”
“Are you sure?” Pepa sucked in a quick breath, worriedly glancing at the discolored skin. “I don’t need an x-ray or anything? No bone chips? No long lasting effects or major internal injuries?”
Silvia’s eyebrows rose in consternation at the apprehensive tone of her wife’s voice. “Well, I could tell by the way you were walking that you were banged up the minute you came in here. But if you had less mobility or were in more pain, or if the bruising was spreading more quickly, then I’d say that something was seriously wrong.”
She crossed her arms, seriously regarding her wife. “What are you not telling me?”
“Hm?” Pepa looked up from gingerly pulling her jeans back on. She glanced away, shaking her head. “Nada, Slivia, nada.”
“Which of course means something.”
“Silvia…” Pepa slid off the table and took her wife in her arms for a sweet, brief kiss. “I promise you that - that I’m okay.” Her heart stuttered and jumped at her own words. “Just give me a little time? Can we just go home and have dinner?”
A resigned sigh. Vale Pepa, I’ll let this go for now. “Vale. But -” Silvia held up a finger for emphasis. “I’m keeping my eye on you!”
“And will personally supervise putting ice packs on my hip?” Pepa gave her wife a rakish smile and a wink.
“Claro.” The inspector shook her head admonishingly. “You should have done that right away.”
“I had some errands to do.” Pepa stuck her lip out in a pout, which Silvia kissed away.
“Last minute Christmas shopping, I know.” The redhead saw the surprise in the brown eyes opposite hers. “Ah, you know it’s impossible to keep secrets from me! But I’ve told you before Pepa, you don’t need to get me heaps of presents every year. I have you.”
The agent suddenly felt her eyes brimming with tears at her partner’s simple sentiment. “But, you’re my wife.” She sniffed, trying to deflect Silvia’s sincerity with the obvious statement, lest she start crying openly. “I’m supposed to spoil you.”
“And I love that considerate side of you. Such chivalry.” Silvia stroked Pepa’s chest, leaning in for another heartfelt kiss. “Vamos, caballero. Let’s go home.”
Threading her fingers through her wife’s, Pepa flicked the light switch off before closing the door behind them, leaving the lab in darkness.
___
As stealthily as she could manage, Pepa tiptoed through the living room that was only lit by the intermittently blinking lights from the cheerily decorated Christmas tree. She fumbled to extract a small rectangular box from the pocket of her sweat pants, belatedly realizing that the box was a little too big for the pocket she’d shoved it in. She struggled for a few more seconds, finally removing the box with a crinkle of paper that was much too loud for her liking.
Joder! Doing undercover ops was easier than this! Pepa tried to be as quiet as possible as she smoothed out the bright red wrapping paper and velvet bow to her liking. Placing the box on a large pile of presents at the perfect angle, she stepped back to admire her handiwork.
“Cariño, what are you doing?” A soft voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to whirl around in shock.
“Dios, you scared the crap out of me!” Pepa whirled around, her hand to her chest as she tried to get her heart rate under control. She saw Silvia’s lithe outline as she leaned against the doorway to the hall. “Um…I was just adding another gift to the pile.”
“Hey!” She protested, walking up to her wife to take her in her arms. “You’re not supposed to look before Christmas, you know! Otherwise, Santa will say you’ve been naughty!”
“Ooh, I guess you’ll have to spank me then?” Red eyebrows rose enticingly.
“Heh.” Pepa smiled suggestively. “Only if I get to play Santa this year.”
The brunette’s mind wandered to a more than pleasant memory of last Christmas when Silvia role-played the sexiest Santa ever, clad in a Santa hat, lacy red lingerie and little else. It had not only been one of the most incredible nights of sex they’d ever had, but an exceptional and precious moment where they’d reconnected emotionally and physically on every level. A sacred moment where they reaffirmed that they were soulmates.
“Well, here you are cariño.” Pepa focused on her wife as she dangled the Santa hat from her fingertips. “Now it’s your turn to show if I’ve been naughty or nice.”
“Ooh, maybe I’ll say a little bit of both.” The taller woman grinned widely as she took the hat and donned it, capturing her wife’s lips in a heated kiss.
The two moved towards the bedroom, kissing all the while. Silvia managed to dexterously slip Pepa’s sweats off, feeling her partner’s fingers also moving to her waistline.
Pepa broke off the kiss with a breathless gasp. “Ooh, so soft.” She murmured, her fingertips grazing the silk underwear her wife was wearing. She slid them down firm legs, tossing the dark garment across the room with a deft flick of her wrist.
“Mm. Even softer.” She purred, her fingers kneading the skin of Silvia’s backside. She felt her wife smile against her lips, as their kisses increased in fervor and heat.
Somehow, the remaining clothes between the two evaporated as their legs bumped against the soft surface of the bed, which they bonelessly fell into. Silvia hovered above Pepa’s long frame, which was stretched out beneath her, shivering as she felt long fingers graze against the apex of her legs.
“Silvia, mi pelirroja.” Pepa whispered as her fingertips toyed with damp red curls for what seemed like endless moments, before moving her thumb and forefinger down to tease her opening.
“Pe - Pepa!” Silvia drew in an unsteady breath, her arms shaking as she strained to hold up her weight.
Gently, the brunette slipped two fingers into her wife, feeling the liquid heat upon her skin. She continued to fondle and stroke the most intimate part of her love, the muscles in her wrist and arm flexing and bunching as she skillfully built to Silvia’s climax.
“Ahh…” Pepa moaned, her eyes drinking in the sight of her wife’s body wreathed in a passionate sweat. “The softest skin of all. You feel so wonderful, mi mujer. Incredible.”
“Te quiero Pepa!” Silvia shouted, her voice growing louder with each stroke of her wife’s hand. “Te…ooohhhhh!!” Her voice trailed out in a long, impassioned moan as her orgasm washed through her body, putting every nerve ending pleasurably, blissfully on edge.
The taller woman felt her own body react just as strongly, feeling her own climax shudder through her skin, as Silvia’s warmth flowed out onto her hand and stomach. Pepa carefully withdrew her fingers just as the smaller woman collapsed, completely sated, on top of her.
Pepa took a moment to enjoy Silvia’s uneven breaths that puffed out through strands of red hair, warming her skin of her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she took her wife in her arms, hearing a murmur of total contentment.
And bolted upright as fear and shock smashed through her brain. Pepa barely registered a cry and a muffled thump until she realized that the warmth had abruptly left her skin.
“Dios!” Pepa looked over the edge of the bed to see a completely bewildered, naked Silvia staring up at her. “Cariño, I’m so, so sorry!”
“Pepa?” The redhead could only lay there in shock, her body still careening wildly between arousal and confusion. “What the hell happened?!”
“Lo siento, lo siento!” Was all that Pepa could manage to stutter as she helped her wife back on the bed. “Are you hurt?”
Silvia could only mutely shake her head no.
Coming face to face with an expression that was both concerned and perplexed, Pepa could only say the first thing that came to mind. “Um…sorry, I just…do you mind if I take the top?”
“Qué?” Silvia asked, her brain still spinning. Not that the position of either one of them in bed was the issue - they’d long ago learned to communicate when it came to their still very active sex life.
“Pepa, what is going on with you?” Silvia firmly took her wife by her upper arms, forcing her to look at her.
“Nada, nada, I just…” Pepa sighed, dimly aware that her mind was working nowhere as rationally as it normally was. “Can’t we just pick up where we left off?”
Without waiting for an answer, she leaned in for a kiss, ignoring Silvia’s widened eyes and stunned expression.
The vibrating buzz and ring of Pepa’s cell phone on the nightstand shattered the silence, the device skittering across the nightstand.
“Joder! My phone!” Pepa cried, breaking off the kiss and diving frantically past Silvia’s body for the small apparatus. Unfortunately, her timing and angle was off as she leapt directly into the unforgiving surface of the wooden headboard.
“Dios mío!” Silvia’s hand shot to her mouth as she heard the loud thump of her wife’s head impacting on the solid surface. Carefully rolling the long body over, her heart jumped into her throat as she saw fresh blood streaming down Pepa’s cheek.
“Ugh...” was all Pepa could manage, her tongue thick and useless, her head pounding mercilessly. Her mind, which had been racing a mile a minute a moment ago, was now lethargically registering Silvia’s hands fluttering frantically over her. And that her damn phone had now stopped ringing.
Quickly, the inspector grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on. Her fingers grasped the Santa hat, which she pressed against her wife’s brow to staunch the flow of blood.
“Shh, take it easy cariño.” Silvia whispered, her free hand resting on Pepa’s chest, feeling the strong heartbeat that was thundering rapidly. “Just try to breathe.”
“Lo - lo siento.” The brunette muttered, feeling the first flush of embarrassment rise to her cheeks. She didn’t know what hurt more, her head or her pride.
“Stop apologizing.” Her wife said, her brow knitted with worry. “You’ve split open that cut over your eyebrow. It will definitely need stitches now. Do you think you can sit up?”
“Sí.” Pepa said, her voice between a groan and a pained laugh.
Gingerly, Silvia maneuvered Pepa to the bathroom where she sat her down before taking the time to clean them both up, as well as dressing them both in warm sweats and t-shirts. The taller woman was now meekly silent, even as her wife carefully stitched the gash closed and wiped the remaining blood off her cheek.
Silvia took Pepa’s hand and led her to the couch. She left her wife’s side for a few minutes, tinkering around in the kitchen before returning with two cups of steaming tea, pressing one into Pepa’s hands. The two sat there in silence, sipping at their drinks for long moments.
“Vale.” Silvia said, placing her tea down on a side table, seeing Pepa mimic her action. Once again she took her wife’s arms in her grasp, compelling her to look at her serious gaze. “Pepa, por favor, tell me what happened to you today.”
“Today?” Pepa blinked in surprise. “How do you know something happened to me today?”
“Besides the fact that I’m married to you and I know you were acting incredibly strange?” Silvia lifted her mouth in the semblance of a smile. “Because when Paco called me and told me that you got hurt during that arrest this morning, he also said you weren’t yourself. Ever since you got some mysterious phone call.”
Pepa sighed. Damn my overprotective big brother! “I - I didn’t mean to keep anything from you Silvia. I…no lo sé. I just…” Her voice trailed off miserably. So much for this night going like I planned!
“Will you please tell me what is wrong?!” Silvia cried, her voice a mixture of exasperation and worry. She fought the urge to shake the body she held. “Who called you? Did someone threaten you?”
Silvia’s mind reviewed Pepa’s questions in the lab when she’d examined her hip, a cold chill spreading through her body at the implication. “Are you all right? You were so worried about your hip earlier.” She swallowed past the painful lump in her throat. “Were you diagnosed with something? Are you sick and you’re not telling me?”
“Dios, no, no! It’s nothing like that at all princesa!” Pepa’s eyes were beginning to well with tears for the worry she’d caused her wife. “I - I wanted it to be a surprise but…mierda!”
Abruptly, she stood and crossed the living room to the Christmas tree. Retrieving the present she’d piled on the stack earlier, she thrust it into Silvia’s hands. “I wanted to tell you tomorrow, but um…well, just open it.”
“Pepa -”
“Por favor, princesa.” Pepa took Silvia’s hand, gazing reassuringly into her dark brown eyes. I promise I’ll tell you everything, just…open it first.”
Her hands shaking with a mixture of anticipation and nerves, Silvia lifted the ornate bow off the wrapper, ripping the paper off to reveal a plain white box. Easing the lid off, a cotton white baby bib was revealed. It was lined with red trim, embroidered with the words Te quiero mama.
The words became blurred as Silvia’s eyes filled with tears. She looked up to see Pepa’s apologetic, loving smile, feeling her take her hands in her own.
“It - it’s true?” Silvia choked out through the joyful tears that threatened to cut off her speech.
“Sí. I’m pregnant, Silvia.”
“I wanted to tell you right away, but I had this stupid idea to make it a Christmas present.” All of a sudden, the words came out in a torrent, as she was unable to stop them.
“Right after I made that arrest, I got a call from Dr. Mateo at the fertility clinic. The insemination worked. He said I’m six weeks pregnant. And I begged him not to call you since I wanted to tell you myself. And - and then I told Paco, but swore him to secrecy until I could buy the baby gifts and surprise you. And then you examined me and I was so worried about my hip since I thought I might have hurt the baby when I fell. And then you landed on me when we were making love, and that’s why I freaked out and knocked you off the bed. And my phone rang, and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t Dr. Mateo or to miss one of his calls, or what if the test results were wrong and he was calling me back to tell me it was just a fluke after all…and…and…lo siento, mi mujer! I just wanted to surprise you for Christmas and it came out all wrong…”
Pepa’s voice trailed off as she shrugged helplessly. She was almost knocked off the couch as Silvia hugged her fiercely, her body shaking with a combination of tears and laughter. Pepa couldn’t help but join in as she returned the embrace gratefully.
“Dios!” Silvia laughed as they separated, feeling Pepa thumb the tears away from her cheeks. “I’m so sorry I assumed the worst had happened. I should have thought it was the clinic calling, but you were acting so strange and I just didn’t know what to make of it.”
“It’s all right, Silvia. I kind of wonder if it would have happened any other way, now that I think about it.” Pepa smiled, thinking about how scattered her thoughts had been since that fateful phone call. “Since when have we ever done anything the conventional way, princesa?”
“That’s true!” The redhead smiled in agreement. Lovingly, she stroked Pepa’s still flat stomach, her tears falling once again onto her fingers. “Ohh, isn’t it amazing? Just think of the life that’s in there right now!”
Pepa’s hands covered Silvia’s as she kissed the bent head in front of her. “I can’t wait to meet little Iker. Or our little Mar if it’s a girl.”
“Yo también.” Silvia said softly as she lifted Pepa’s shirt to kiss the firm stomach.
“Dios mío!” Her head popped up to meet Pepa’s eyes. “We should get your hip x-rayed tomorrow after all. And your head…” Tenderly, her fingers traced the bandage she’d taped on her wife’s brow. “I should check you for a concussion! And as your superior officer, I’m ordering you off patrol duty and reassigning you to your desk as of this moment!”
“Now who’s being overprotective?” Pepa chuckled as she took her wife into her arms.
“Well, can you blame me if I want the mother of our child to be in the best of health?” Silvia pouted exaggeratedly. Her petulant tone turned into a giggle as long fingers tickled her stomach. “I can’t wait to see our child grow and for you to give birth, Pepa. I hope it looks just like you.”
“Well I hope by some miracle it looks just like you.” Pepa laughed again as she kissed her wife. “Or both of us. You never know.”
“Having you and starting our family is all the miracle I ever need.” Silvia ran her fingers affectionately through dark locks.
“For me too.” Pepa’s head lifted as she noted the antique clock above the mantelpiece chime softly, ringing out the tones of the midnight hour. “Hey pelirroja, it’s Christmas.”
“It’s Christmas.” Silvia repeated, her voice soft with wonder. Her fingers stroked Pepa’s belly reverently. “Feliz Navidad, little one.”
“Feliz Navidad, a mi hijo.” Pepa whispered.
Pepa pulled Silvia closer, feeling her arms wrap protectively around her. She sighed happily as she closed her eyes, holding her family close.