The Right to Love - Part 19

[lenageek]

Title: The Right to Love

Spoilers: Takes place after ep 101 (8x09) after Pepa and Silvia have become engaged. This is a sequel to my previous PepSi fanfic, In Love’s Defense. My fic follows LHDP up to ep 101 but departs from the show at that point - ep 104 never has and never will exist in this version of Pepa and Silvia’s world.

Rating: Definitely NC-17. For violence, profanity, sexy time - you name it, it’s in here!

Pairing: Pepa/Silvia

Summary: As Pepa and Silvia deal with the aftermath of their encounter with El Gordo, a new case comes forward that challenges their rights as well as their lives.

A/N/Disclaimer: The characters of LHDP aren’t mine. Oi, I’m finally back writing this sucker! Even if it’s only for my own amusement, I wanted to post again to keep the love of PepSi alive.

[ Part 1] [ Part 2] [ Part 3] [ Part 4] [ Part 5] [ Part 6] [ Part 7] [ Part 8] [ Part 9] [ Part 10] [ Part 11] [ Part 12] [ Part 13] [ Part 14] [ Part 15] Part 16] [ Part 17] [ Part 18]



Pepa didn’t think. She reacted on pure, brute instinct. Even before Morales raised his arm, her weight had already shifted onto her left foot. Her right foot shot out, catching the agent unaware, squarely in his crotch.

Everything happened entirely too fast. The universe seemed to blur by like a film reel flapping through a projector, whirring away on overdrive. Morales let out a low, choked groan as he doubled over in agony. The gun fired, the bullet ricocheting off the floor. Pepa heaved Silvia’s body, casting her as far away as possible. Her left hand stretched out, gripping Morales’ fingers, trying to pry the weapon away.

The IA agent growled in a mixture of pain and fury as he threw his weight forward, wrapping his free arm around Pepa’s waist, as his momentum carried them backwards into Silvia’s room. Pepa felt the air leave her lungs in an explosive whoosh as she landed flat on her back with Morales’ weight pinning her down. She found her breath as a strangled scream left her lips as the agent bashed her hand against the linoleum, trying to loosen her grip on the gun. The pain from her injured finger radiated so quickly up her arm, it made her feel nauseated. Pepa grit her teeth, trying to keep the bile from rising in her throat, as she struggled to hold on. A wordless wail of dismay ripped from her throat as she lost her grip and she heard the gun skitter away out of reach.

“Silvia, go!! Get -”

The brunette’s warning was cut short as Morales clamped a powerful hand around her throat, his right hand simultaneously unsheathing a combat knife from his boot. Again, Pepa reacted on instinct, bringing her battered hand up to stop the blade inches from her face as her right hand clawed pathetically at the ever tightening grip at her throat. An insanely random thought ran through her brain - what were the odds of getting choked for the second time by religious zealots who wanted nothing more than her death? At least it might have been funny if she could breathe.

“You crazy bitch!” Morales growled in her ear. “I knew I’d have to get rid of you to get to the redhead! And believe me, I’ll enjoy it!”

Pepa strained furiously as sweat beaded her brow and trickled down her temples, trying to throw her body forward, putting every ounce of her life into deflecting Morales’ hand which held the knife. And it wasn’t enough. Centimeter by agonizing centimeter, the blade edged closer to her eye, almost close enough for the point to tickle the dark eyelashes. It was a short, cruel looking weapon with a fine steel blade and a vicious serrated edge.

And it’s the last thing I’ll see! Pepa’s mind panicked as she came to the inevitable reality that she was going to die. He’s going to stab me through my brain and then Silvia will be defenseless! I failed -

A blast nearly deafened Pepa as she felt Morales jerk unexpectedly, as a warm, sticky fluid spattered her face and chest. Her captor slumped forward, as the brunette managed to roll out of the way of the wayward blade before it cut into her flesh. Startled, she wiped the blood from her eyes to see Silvia holding the gun, the smoke lazily curling up out of the barrel.

Silvia’s hands were shaking so badly, she dropped the firearm. The gun clattered harmlessly near Morales’ body, which now bore a gaping hole in what was left of his skull. Blindly, the redhead crawled to her wife, who was coughing harshly, struggling to sit up. Her fingers roughly grasped cloth, flesh and hair as she frenziedly squeezed Pepa as tightly as she could, feeling her do the same. Silvia’s sobs echoed loudly throughout the room as they held each other for dear life.

“Are - are you all right?” Silvia cried, her voice strident with panic through her tears.

“…sí.” Pepa managed to choke out, caressing the waves of red hair, feeling them both shaking uncontrollably as if they were in the midst of the storm that still raged outside. Close. That was so fucking close! “Sí, princesa.”

Silvia managed to untangle herself long enough to cradle Pepa’s face in her hands. “Don’t you ever do that again!” she screamed. The gut-wrenching, awful possibility of losing her wife was still running like electricity through her veins. “Don’t ever tell me to run like that and leave you behind!”

Pepa managed a shaky nod, knowing how terrified Silvia was. How they both were. “I promise, Silvia.” She took her partner’s hand away from her cheek, intending to bestow a kiss and stopped in mid-motion. “You’re bleeding!”

“I’m - I’m okay.” The inspector ignored the blood that was streaming down her hand from where she’d torn her IV loose in a frantic attempt to get the gun. “I - I’m just so glad you’re still here!”

Her voice dissolved into sobs again as she leaned against the warm form that embraced her. Between her diminished physical condition and a second assassination attempt, she couldn’t even pretend to hold herself together.

“Shh. I’m never leaving you.” Pepa spoke softly in a curved ear, despite how much her throat hurt. Her eyes slipped closed, tears squeezing from under her eyelids as she held the precious body close. “Never.”

The agent’s ears picked up the scuffing of bootsteps on the polished hospital floors. She forced herself to clamp down on her emotions as her body reacted automatically. She turned, struggling to her knees to angle herself as a human shield in front of Silvia’s form. Without tearing her eyes away from the doorway, her good hand searched the blood-streaked floor, zeroing in on the gun. She hefted the still-warm metal, her eyes narrowing as she targeted the open portal.

“Agent Miranda!” Special agent Ramos called as he rounded the doorjam, as Pepa lowered the gun. His eyes widened as he saw the body and the two disheveled women at his feet.

“We’re fine here!” Pepa reassured her colleague. “Just secure the room until we get more backup to the hospital.”

Worry bolted through the agent’s brain as she returned felt Silvia’s body shiver as she slumped exhaustedly against her. Dios! She’s having a relapse! “Help us! Get Dr. Gonzalez! Anyone!”

Pepa cradled Silvia’s head in her lap, seeing her wife’s eyes flutter as she struggled to breathe. “Cariño? Stay with me, vale?”

“…it’s okay.” Silvia heard her own voice, even as her body was fuzzily fading into a state of semi-consciousness. Her fingers moved of their own accord, finding and clutching the familiar hand in her own.

The brunette would have found it comforting to hear Silvia’s reassurance if her insides weren’t trembling so hard. She grasped her wife’s hand even harder, refusing to let go. Even as the two were swarmed by a medical team and moved her down the hall to a trauma bay, Pepa’s grip refused to lessen.

___

Don Lorenzo huffed irritably as he saw Commander Salgado walk down the hospital hallway towards him. He put his hands on his hips and his chin jutted out, in a posture of extreme frustration.

“Well?” He barked as soon as the CNI Commander was within earshot. “Did we find where Morales was hiding out for the past fucking week?”

Salgado held up a perfectly manicured fingernail, gesturing for the older man to be patient. “Comisario, I know you’re upset and have every reason to be -”

“Por mis santos cojones!” Don Lorenzo interrupted with infuriated vigor, spittle flying from his lips. “No one, not the fucking CNI, CNP or Interpol knew or even had an inkling that Morales was lying in wait until we found that wire transfer! And then we let him get within seconds of killing my daughters!”

The normally unruffled CNI agent swallowed nervously as she observed the beet red face opposite hers. “We did manage to find out where Morales was hiding.” She produced a plastic evidence bag with a nondescript key card.

“This was on Morales’ body. The CNI traced this to a small storage unit he was using as a safehouse. It was filled with more weapons, a safe with cash and his laptop. We’re positive that other such storage units exist in the city and that we can locate them. But the real prize was the various passports we found in the safe. They’re extremely well done forgeries. Not just for Morales but for other members of the Soldados de la Fortuna, including the three members we haven’t caught yet.”

“Well, that’s something at least!” Don Lorenzo grumbled. He took deep breaths, trying to lower his blood pressure as he visibly collected himself. “I assume CNI is on the way to make arrests for the rest of the people on that list?”

“Sí.” Salgado shuffled papers in the file folder she held. “With all the alerts we’ve had on transport throughout the country, we’ve verified that no other members of Soldados de la Fortuna have tried to flee overseas yet. One member is in the Cataluña region, the other two are still in Madrid. I just received word that teams are on their way to intercept them. Interpol is still on high alert throughout Europe and the U.S. If other non-Spanish nationals that are members of this faction are located, we’ll know about it.”

“Bien.” The commissioner muttered. “At least this fucker Morales is gone and no longer a threat!”

The commander consulted her notes again. “We’ve been able to dig into Morales’ background more thoroughly.  He was only in IA for the last five years. Before that, he had a long military career. He was special forces and doing covert ops in the Middle East and Africa that even the CNI doesn’t have privy to. With that experience, he knew how to get to Silvia, despite the heavy security.”

“Mierda!” The older man roared, slapping his hand against a wall in fury. He pinched the bridge of his nose before meeting Salgado’s concerned gaze.

“Lo siento, Marina.” Don Lorenzo sighed heavily as a flicker of an apology crossed his angry expression. “It’s just that Pepa and Silvia have been through enough turmoil for half a dozen lifetimes. I don’t want them to always be looking over their shoulder. They deserve their share of happiness and peace, dammit!”

“I completely agree.” Salgado’s expression softened in kind.

“And it’s not just you or the CNI’s fault.” Don Lorenzo acquiesced. “We can place blame on all our agencies for this breech in security. But we have to keep moving on.”

“Again, I’m in solidarity with you, Don Lorenzo.” She glanced towards Silvia’s newly assigned room a few meters away, where special agents Salazar and Ramos stood ramrod straight, exuding a menacing and protective aura. “I hear those two straight up offered you their badges, since the breach happened on their watch.”

“It wasn’t their fault.” The commissioner snorted. He noted with some amusement how the two agents simultaneously gulped, terrified, as he looked in their direction. “They’re good men and I still trust them with my daughter’s life.”

“Like you said, we move on.” Salgado allowed herself a moment of levity as she touched Don Lorenzo’s arm comfortingly. “Take care of yourself, comisario. I’ll update you when I have more news.”

“Gracias.” He nodded as she walked back the way she’d come.

“Where do you want me, comisario?”

Don Lorenzo turned at the weary voice to see a very weary and bedraggled Montoya who was trying to tuck in his shirt and smooth his tie in vain.

“Nowhere.” He pointed down the hall. “Go home, Montoya.”

“But -”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” The commissioner’s eyes followed the trail of blood that had yet to be washed from his officer’s head and neck. Liberal crimson streaks also stained his white shirt collar and dark suit.

“You were pistol whipped, unconscious for almost ten minutes and have a concussion. The doctor wanted you to stay here for observation overnight, but I see you’re bullheaded enough to be on duty instead.” Don Lorenzo made a dismissive, shooing gesture down the hall. “You’ve done enough for tonight. Go home!”

“They’re my family too!” Montoya replied, his voice rising in anger. He closed his eyes, trying in vain to ignore the dizziness and hammering in his skull. “You don’t know what it feels like, to have failed them like this!”

The lines in the commissioner’s face eased into sympathetic expression. “Gonzalo, I do.” He patted the taller man on the arm. “We all feel bad, we can all throw around blame, but it doesn’t change what happened. Or that we still need to watch out for one another.”

Don Lorenzo gestured over Montoya’s shoulder to reveal Rita, her face crumpled in concern. “I knew you wouldn’t leave, so I called the only person who could drag you away.”

“Vamos, Inspector.” Rita’s use of Montoya’s formal title couldn’t hide the tears that scattered down her cheeks. She replaced the commissioner’s hand as she took the agent’s arm. “Come home and let me take care of you.”

Gonzalo gazed into the warm, sincere eyes of the woman he loved. “Vale.” A small smile quirked his lips. “I find it hard to say no to you.”

He shook a warning finger at his superior. “But I’ll still be back tomorrow, if not here then at the precinct.”

“I would expect no less from my stubborn second-in-command.” Don Lorenzo said, bemused. He watched the pair walk away, with Rita supporting the Montoya around the waist. Another successful pairing in the San Antonio precinct. We need all the good news we can get!

A soft click of a door closing made the commissioner’s head swivel as he saw Paco easing his way out of Silvia’s room.

“Paco.” He heartily embraced his ex son-in-law as the two men took comfort in each other’s presence. “How are they?”

“Hrmph.” The Chief Inspector’s beard twitched as he scowled. “I think I finally got Pepa to calm down a little.”

Another ragged sigh escaped Don Lorenzo’s lips. “Well Silvia’s stable again, so that’s a good thing.”

“I’m more worried about that sister of mine. You should have seen her, Don Lorenzo. After Silvia was stabilized, Pepa was in a state of shock like I’ve never seen before. She’s still refusing medical attention. And she’s not letting go of Silvia’s hand for anything.” The large man shuddered as he recalled the vacant, haunted expression as he had carefully cleaned his sister’s face of Morales’ blood.

“I’m worried about her too. Even after I got Pepa her service weapon, she still thinks that anything resembling a pin dropping is a threat.”

Paco groaned and wiped his face with his well-worn handkerchief. “She’s so on edge, she’ll be set off at the slightest provocation.”

“I know.” Don Lorenzo frowned. “That’s not good. We just have to guard Pepa against her own worst enemy. That all-consuming fear that she’ll lose the one she loves.”

__

Silvia opened her eyes, her vision focusing on Pepa’s pale face. She was so close, she could feel the warm puffs of air as her wife breathed slowly in the deep rhythm of sleep.

Oh, mi amor! The inspector felt tears prick her eyelids as her throat tightened with an overwhelming sense of concern and tenderness. Silvia was certain that this was the first time Pepa had slept in the past two days. Her wife had become the epitome of a nervous wreck in the time since the second attempt on their lives. Her hand automatically went to unclasp her gun from its holster every time she heard a creak of the door or in the hallway, real or imagined. Her eyes, which normally exuded warmth and a hint of playfulness, had become bloodshot. The brown orbs were constantly shifting, searching for any danger or vulnerability.

The brunette’s over attentive watchfulness included sacrificing her own well-being. Pepa had refused to let anyone treat her broken finger or test her throat and windpipe for any permanent damage until Silvia had outright yelled at her to the point of exhaustion. At night, her wife managed to squeeze on her bed, her arms and legs doing their best to completely envelop Silvia, as if to form a flesh and blood barrier between any threats. Silvia slept well enough. But she was not fooled. She knew Pepa had lain awake, her eyes still seeking, hunting for any movement.

A tiny mewling sound brought Silvia back to the present as she felt the brunette shudder and grimace in her sleep. She caught Pepa’s clammy hand in her own and chafed it, bringing it to her lips and softly blowing her own breath into the palm.

“Calm down, cariño. No one’s going to hurt us.” With her other hand, Silvia moved mussed black bangs from a high forehead. “Shh.”

With a short, sharp cry of fear, Pepa awoke. Her body automatically tried to bolt, but was held in place by her wife’s surprisingly strong grip. She lay there, breathing unevenly, letting Silvia’s unfaltering gaze ground her.

“Dios!” The agent exhaled, her voice rough from sleep and her bruised throat. Her brows scrunched in puzzlement as she glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost seven in the morning. “Why did you let me sleep so long?”

“Pepa, you needed the rest. You still do.” Silvia palmed a high cheekbone, capturing Pepa’s attention when it wavered again. “Hey. Just lay here with me.”

“No.” The dark head shook as the tall form carefully extracted herself from the bed. As she stood, her fingers mechanically reached for her holster and gun which lay on the nightstand.

“Pepa, leave that. Por favor.” Silvia’s arm stretched out, grasping onto the back of the holster’s straps. Pepa was forced to shrug out of the harness, lest her partner hurt herself. “We need to talk.”

“No we don’t.” The agent brusquely replied. Agitated, her fingers popped out the magazine, double checking that her gun was properly loaded. She reached down to her right leg, pulling up her dark blue jeans to reveal her backup weapon in an ankle holster, which she also checked.

“Sí, we -” Silvia bit her tongue as stopped herself mid-sentence, knowing that continuing the back and forth was futile.

Pepa was finally satisfied with the status of her weapons before she retook her seat on the mattress. “You’re the one that has to rest. You’ve got physical therapy coming up tomorrow. It may be only moving from the bed to a wheelchair and doing some light stretches, but it’s still going to take a lot out of you.”

“Well, that’s true -” The redhead’s voice grew lower, into a seductive purr. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun with you right now, does it?”

Agile fingers swept the black denim vest off of Pepa’s shoulders and began working on undoing the buttons on the blue checkered flannel shirt.

“What - what are you doing?” The agent’s moan betrayed how much her body was starting to rapidly warm, as the touches grew more insistent. “Silvia, you’re still not supposed to -”

“Supposed to what?” A hand pressed against a now exposed, firm stomach. Humming in anticipation, the inspector deftly unhooked the front of Pepa’s lacy black bra. She pulled at the fabric, sweeping the clothes off of the long torso with an economy of motion.

Pepa felt the cool air assault her bare nipples as they tightened in reflex, just before the head in front of her dipped to nip and suckle at the sensitive skin.

Dios mío!” A choked gasp escaped as one lithe hand began caressing the other breast, quickly moving down to massage her stomach and abdominal muscles.

“Princessa…” The agent’s voice trailed off weakly as she made a last, futile attempt to resist the heat that was spreading through her veins. “Don’t!”

“Cariño.” The voice breathed for a beat, just before switching to the other breast to lavish it with the same passionate attentiveness. “You said I’m not -”

More nips and kisses. “Supposed to wear myself out.”

“So…” Silvia paused as she bit gently down on Pepa’s now erect bud, skillfully mixing tiny shards of pain with indescribable pleasure. “I’m going to wear you out.”

Beads of sweat popped out on the brunette’s forehead, as she grasped the long red curls, her body automatically encouraging Silvia to continue, despite the logic that was rapidly melting away in her brain. She dimly realized that her wife’s fingers had already unclasped the button on her jeans, at the same time her ears picked up the unmistakable grating sound of a zipper.

Pepa barely had time to inhale before her breath caught in her throat, as two of Silvia’s fingers swiftly dipped down and found her opening. The fingertips found pressure points with a precision borne of many nights where Silvia had familiarized herself with a body she now knew as well as her own. The inspector allowed a hint of a smile as she heard and felt her partner’s chest heave in uneven, quick pants. She established a sensual rhythm as long minutes ticked away. She lifted her head from the supple breasts, pressing her lips so hard against her wife’s, they were aching from the effort.

The inspector abruptly tore her lips away, breathing raggedly. “Say you love me, mi Pepa.” She whispered in an earlobe ringed in sweat.

“Ohh…mi Sil -” The voice was once again cut off as a third finger slipped inside her, the pressure inside building to an almost unbearable level of ecstasy. “I do!”

“We pledge to protect, love and cherish each other throughout our lives, no?”

A groan answered her as Silvia drove her fingers in even further, feeling her wife’s thighs tremble in response. “Sí! Siempre!”

The tall woman squeezed her eyes shut as she felt her body heave with one last, mighty shudder, her orgasm shooting through every muscle and nerve of her body. She felt the liquid aftermath of her lovemaking leave her in a pleasant warm rush, thoroughly coating her silk thong and Silvia’s hand. She thrust her arms out as she collapsed forward, just barely managing to hold herself up to avoid landing on her wife. Pepa shifted to lie on her side next to the redhead, opening her eyes to find mischievous brown orbs staring back at her.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Urg.” Pepa managed to grunt. Her body continued to tremble as Silvia smiled wider, carefully extracting her fingers, sending tiny aftershocks through the long frame.

“You see.” Silvia studied her wife’s completely relaxed face. “You needed this. You need to heal as much as I do.” She kept her hand where it was, gently cupping Pepa’s sex, reveling in the warmth and closeness.

“Vale.” The agent let out a long sigh as she stroked Silvia’s cheek. “You’re right, as usual.”

A red eyebrow arched playfully. “What do you mean, just ‘as usual’? I’m always right!”

They both laughed lightly as Pepa sighed overdramatically, giving into the inevitable. “Sí Inspectora Castro! As my superior officer, you’re always right! But -”

It was her wife’s turn to gasp as the brunette took the hand from its warm nest in between her legs. A wicked smile curved her lips as she carefully, slowly licked the hand clean. “ - we’re both right when it comes to doing this!”

“Gracias a dios!” The inspector felt tiny, blissful vibrations going down her spine as she felt Pepa bestow one last kiss on the palm before intertwining their fingers together.

Silvia’s expression grew serious. “Pepa? You believe in our wedding vows, don’t you?”

Now Pepa was confused. “What kind of a question is that?” Her voice was tinged with hurt. “Of course I do!”

“And you would do anything I ask?”

“Well, within reason.” Pepa pursed her lips as she frowned. “I mean, if you asked for your own pony, like when we went to the carnival as kids, we might have a hard time finding space for one. But I’d still build you a stable in the middle of the living room if I had to!”

“Silly!” Silvia swatted her arm before becoming gravely still again. “I want to ask you something, and I’d like you to do this. For me. Por favor.”

The inspector took a breath before she forged on. “I need you to leave my side, Pepa. I want you to get out of this hospital room and take care of yourself. Go out for lunch, go spend a night at home or with your brother. I am asking you to do this because you have to put trust in our friends and colleagues that they’ll keep me safe. You need to confront those old fears of yours and know that no one is going to hurt us.”

Silvia’s heart sank as she watched Pepa’s expression morph from an openness to a stony, cold mask. Dismayed, she felt her wife carefully extract herself from her embrace and furiously swipe her discarded clothes off the floor.

“So that’s it, is it?” Pepa’s voice was bitter as she snapped on her bra and refastened her shirt and pants. “You think you can distract me with sex to get me in the mood to do whatever you want?”

A shake of the red head as Silvia frowned. “No, I wasn’t trying to manipulate you. You need a break, Pepa! You can’t spend your life always looking over your shoulder. I don’t want that for you!”

A long finger jabbed in the air towards Silvia’s chest. “In case you forgot, that asshole Morales almost murdered us both! I’m not letting my guard down and failing you again! I’ll be in charge of your personal security until I’m satisfied you’re safe! If it takes months or years! I’d die to make that happen!”

“Qué?” The question was released in an explosive breath. The inspector was stunned at how skewed her wife’s perspective had become. “What the hell are you saying, Pepa? I want a life with you, not one where you become a martyr for me and your family!”

“Just -” The agent’s fingers curled agitatedly into fists. She sucked in an angry breath, trying to calm her racing pulse. “Just leave it, Silvia!”

Turning on her heel, Pepa opened the door to the room’s small bathroom, slamming it behind her. Raising a hand to wipe away the tears that were forming, Silvia dropped her head in her hand. She had run the gamut of emotions in the last half hour and was exhausted.

“Silvia?” Eva’s concerned voice echoed through the call button, which also functioned as a two-way intercom to the nurse’s station. “Estás bien? Your heart rate and blood pressure spiked in the last few minutes.”

“I’m fine, Eva.” The redhead’s frown shifted as the wheels started spinning in her mind. “Actually, I’ll call you back in a few minutes. I need your help for a…unusual request.”

Silence greeted her for a few seconds before the puzzled response came back. “Vale. But if your vitals spike again, I’m coming in there. I’ll see you in a half hour when I’m on rounds and check in on you.”

“Gracias.” The inspector picked up her cell phone from the nightstand and dialed a number on speed dial. “Paco? I need your help with that stubborn wife of mine.” She listened for a moment, nodding in agreement. “Pigheaded? Sí, that’s also a perfect word to describe her.”