chapter three

WHEN THE TWO MEN RETURNED FROM MEDELLIN, the following days were ones that were quiet. Javier seemed to take a step back and away from the Murphy family and Celia after the events that took place during their trip. Steve eventually got tired of the two women blaming him for Javier being distant and surrendered to their requests of being told what had happened. Celia and Connie immediately fell quiet, unsure how to process what they had been told.

That night, after they had dinner, Connie had sent Celia down with a plate covered with Saran Wrap. After a few soft knocks on the door of Javier's apartment, a moment later he appeared when opened the door.

"Oh, Celia...Hi." Javier greeted the woman in front of him, a bit taken aback to see her there at his apartment. Steve usually is the one visiting him. The agent held the door open further to allow Celia in. "Come on in."

Celia flashed Javier a small smile before she stepped into his apartment so he could close the door behind her. She took a quick glance around his place before turning to the agent.

"We haven't seen you in a minute, so we thought it was a good idea to bring you some dinner. I hope you didn't eat anything yet." Celia said, coming up with a reason on the spot as to why she was bringing him a plate of food. She then handed the dish over to Javier for him to take. "She made some Hawaiian meatballs with some grilled veggies and white rice. Steve's family really likes them. It was a big hit that first summer we had with his family after they got married."

"Ah..." Javier breathed out while he took the Saran Wrap off the plate, taking a meatball and popping it into his mouth. "Mm, I can see why Steve's family liked it so much. So, what's the real reason you're here?"

"Real reason?" Celia asked before letting out a forced laugh, shaking her head. "I don't know-"

"You're a bad liar," Javier stated aloud while he pulled a drawer open in his kitchen and grabbed a fork. "You do know that, right?"

"I'm not a bad liar," Celia argued before letting out a sigh and taking a seat on Javier's couch. "Connie and I were worried.... Steve told us what happened in Medellin."

Javier stopped in his tracks, holding the fork midair before he set it down on the plate. He moved away from his kitchen and towards Celia. The agent took a seat on the couch before Celia, setting down the plate on the coffee table afterwards.

"What did he tell you?" Javier questioned the woman next to him in a soft voice, keeping his eyes on his hands to avoid eye contact.

Celia glanced over at the DEA agent before she relayed what her brother-in-law told her.

"He said an informant of yours was kidnapped and they were in bad shape when you found them. Steve mentioned it hit you hard. Real reason I came? I wanted to make sure you were okay. I can't imagine how hard that must've been on you."

The honesty of her last few words stunned Javier a little. He was used to handling the bad days by himself, but lately he had seemed to forget he had Steve and his family that cared about him. The DEA agent remained quiet for a moment or two. He tried to gather the right words to make sure he got the point across that he was ok without opening up too much.

"I'll be fine. Tell Connie thanks for the dinner." Javier responded flatly while he got up from the couch and moved towards the door of his apartment. "And thanks for stopping by to check in on me too."

"Yeah, anytime." Celia said the words out slowly, brows furrowing in confusion as to how quick Javier was to get rid of her. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

Celia gave one of Javier's hands a quick squeeze before she walked out of his apartment to head back upstairs. He took a minute to watch her climb up the stairs until she was out of his view. Javier's hand that Celia grabbed felt warm to him and her action had a bolt of some warm feeling shoot to his heart. Stepping back into his apartment, Javier shut the door behind him before locking it. He thought back to the weird feeling before shaking out his hand and deciding to finish his dinner.

While Javier began to push the bad outcome of their trip to Medellin, his partner couldn't. Steve and Connie weren't the only ones mad at each other about her job at the comuna's clinic, but Steve was also upset with Javier for intentionally sidelining him in Medellin and about how Carrillo was handling things. Yet on the other hand, Javier had his own reasons to be upset with his partner due to Steve not understanding he had more time in Colombia than he did.

After a week or two of not seeing Javier, Celia wasn't too taken aback when he had begun to rant to Celia the second he saw her face when he opened his door. Like before, he immediately stepped aside to let her into his apartment. The coffee table, in what he considered a living room, was littered with empty beer bottles and the ash tray was piled with old cigarettes. His apartment seemed dirtier from the last time Celia saw it.

"I've been here longer. I know how this fucking work. Murphy doesn't get that through his thick skull," A shirtless Javier stated while he watched as Celia slid the plate of food into his fridge. The DEA agent he lit another cigarette, feeling the anger he had prior bubble up again. "And that shit about Carrillo and sidelining him in Medellin? He doesn't know what the fuck he's getting into."

Celia wrinkled her nose while she watched Javier light a cigarette. She hated everything about cigarettes, but she was willing to put aside her discomfort for Javier since the cancer sticks were very needed at the moment to ease his anger.

The two had gotten a little close over the course of the past few weeks thank to Connie who sided with Javier out of spite. To make Steve even more mad, she always made an extra plate for Celia to take down to his partner. When Celia ended up voluntarily making and taking the plate, Connie would send her sister a sly wink before closing the front door behind her. Celia even got slightly used to seeing Javier shirtless...slightly.

Javier noticed Celia trying to hide her discomfort with the cigarette and stopped himself from lighting the stick in between his lips. Instead, he watched her make her way to his kitchen.

"Did you ever tell Steve what you meant?" Celia asked as she looked at the sink filled with dishes. With a sigh, she decided to wash them for Javier and moved to turn on the faucet to let the water warm up to a decent temperature. "You can't just tell someone that and not follow up with a reason."

Javier answered Celia's question with silence which earned himself an eye roll from her. He quietly made his way over to where she stood in the kitchen and shut off the faucet. Celia threw her hands up and turned to face the man beside her.

"Well, if you haven't said anything then tell him! If Carrillo is as bad as you've told me then tell him," Celia responded as she leaned against the counter in his kitchen and crossed her arms in front of her. "I know you probably didn't have anyone to look after before Steve, but now you do. He's your partner, Javi. Act like his for-God's sake and please apologize."

"Now you're taking his side," Javier snapped, angrily grabbing the lighter and box of cigarettes from the coffee table before reminding himself of the presence he was in. He let out a huff when he tossed them back down onto the table.

"Javier, relax. I am not taking sides, okay?" Celia argued in a calm voice while she moved past the DEA agent and towards the coffee table in the living room. She began to clean off the small table, tossing the empty beer bottles into the trash and setting the dirty glasses that were on his kitchen counter in the sink. As she did so, Celia continued the conversation. "You two are both in the wrong. You both are handling this situation all wrong, but you more so than him."

"You are fucking taking sides!" He repeated before taking the wet rag out of her hands and throwing it onto the counter by the sink. Watching her clean had reminded him of when Helena had commented that the only thing missing in his apartment was a woman. It brought back feelings he didn't want to feel anymore and memories he didn't want to remember. "Stop cleaning my apartment and listen to me. I thought you were on my side."

"First of all, I never took sides. I'm Switzerland in this situation. Two, you told Steve nothing! When Steve said what he said, you kept your mouth shut," Celia said in return as she inched closer to Javier, pointing a finger into his chest. "And three, if you really cared about Steve then you would've actually told him what he was getting into. You would've told him how Carrillo doesn't think twice about pulling the trigger when it comes to the Narcos. I understand you wanted to protect to Steve, so you sidelined him. Connie and I asked you to watch out for him, but you both can't do your jobs properly if you're always trying to protect him. Steve's trying to get his job done and if he has to then he go over your head. Finally, clean your damn apartment. This place is a mess and, please for the love of God, do the dishes. Connie wants her plates back already."

Javier remained silent as after Celia's tirade she made her way over to his front door to leave his apartment. As she reached to open the door, Javier called out to her.

"Celia," He said aloud that had Celia stopping in her tracks and turning around to face him as her hand dropped from the door handle. "I... uh...thank you. You helped give me some insight and-"

"You've had it rough, Javi, so don't thank me," Celia interrupted him as she waved away his thanks. "We're practically friends at this point and frankly I'd like to believe you'd do the same for me. I'll tell Connie you said thanks for the dinner. Goodnight."

Celia gave the agent one last smile before she left his apartment and shut the door behind her.

/ / /

THE COMUNA'S CLINIC WAS LUCKILY NOT TOO FAR FROM THE APARTMENTS THEY RESIDED IN.

"Are you sure you want to work there? I mean I still need help getting my stuff into my apartment." Celia spoke up as Steve parked across the street from it.

"Oh, not you too," Connie groaned out as she turned to look at her sister sitting in the back seat. "Our escolta will drive me there and back every day and he'll wait for me outside. Besides, your apartment is just one floor above ours's, so you'll be fine."

"I'm just a little worried," Celia admitted as Steve put the car in drive and began to make his way to a restaurant. "I think you're forgetting we're in a country where narcs practically run the place and they don't particularly like Americans."

"I'll be fine. Like I said. I'll have the escolta." Connie repeated herself as she sat back comfortably in her seat and gazed out the window. "How's the tutoring going?"

"Good so far," Celia smiled at the thought of her job. "I didn't expect to be an English tutor, but it's paying well. The families are very nice and wealthy. I already have another request from a family. Their son is being home schooled for right now from what I understand, and they just want me to help out with the extra language requirement."

"You'll be charging more I assume?" Steve asked as he parked outside the restaurant they had been visiting frequently since they moved to Colombia.

"I mean maybe," Celia responded as she grabbed her purse and jumped out of the car. "I was pretty clear with them I don't even have a teaching degree."

Celia fixed her baby pink silk shirt she had tucked into her shorts before she closed the car door and followed the couple into the restaurant. As if on cue, multiple pairs of eyes glanced over to them at the sound of Steve's bad Spanish. Celia kept her eyes on Steve and Connie as they followed the hostess to their table. She didn't want to look at the customers at other tables because she knew what looks they would give them for simply just being American.

When the three sat down at their table and ordered their drinks, Steve realized his sister-in-law was looking a bit pensive.

"You okay, Cece?" Steve asked as he was a little concerned for his relative.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about I never got to thank you for the apartment so thank you Steve." Celia reassured her brother-in-law, sending Steve a smile before drawing her eyes back to the menu in front of her. "How's work anyways?"

"Well, we've got good list of people in the Medellín cartel. Javi's already crossed out a few on our list. We've got our own army." Steve briefly responded before quieting up as the waitress walked over.

Steve didn't really like to talk much about work, especially in public, but Celia respected that. It wasn't an easy job. So instead, the three made conversation on other happier matters like what they were going to do for the holidays that year. With all the talking and the laughing, the evening had passed them by faster than they had thought it would. On the ride back home, Celia realized how grateful she was that Connie came up with the idea of allowing one day out of the week for them to go out to enjoy Colombia. On the offhand Celia was busy, Connie and Steve left Puff to her so they could have a date night. Life wasn't too bad in Colombia so far, Celia thought.

Steve had parked the car in the garage for the apartments and the trio made their way to the front of the building to walk in from the front doors. Outside stood Javier who was already putting out the cigarette that once sat in between his fingers.

"Hey Javi, you're out here pretty late." Connie said as she linked arms with her husband and stopped in front of Javier.

"It was just a work thing that I handled," Javier replied with a careless shrug, giving Steve a look before gesturing them to go ahead of him. "Let's head inside."

The four then proceeded to go inside and as Celia did so she turned to glance over at Javier. He picked up on her worry, sending her a small smile as if to reassure Celia he was fine. Celia returned the gesture before pausing in front of apartment door. She bid Javier good night along with Steve and Connie before walking up the stairs to her apartment. Javier had pulled out his keys from his pocket and as she opened the door, he heard Connie's voice from the floor above.

"Wait," Connie snapped out as she froze in place on the stairs. "Steve, did we leave the door open?"

"No...." Steve spoke out before glancing back down the stairs to Celia who was behind him. "Did you Cece?"

"No, I didn't. I'm pretty sure I saw the door close on our way out." Celia responded with a worried tone, glancing back at Javier who now stood at the top of the stairs.

The four then approached the open apartment.

"You think Puff and Toro got out?" Celia asked softly to her sister as she approached the door.

"I don't know." Connie responded before opening the door further and gasping in horror. "Oh my God, Steve!"

Celia gasped out as she caught sight of the inside of the apartment. Connie grabbed onto her sister immediately and she clung on in return.

"Get back!" Steve instructed as Javier and him cocked their pistols and entered the apartment together.

Steve went towards the left while Javier went to the right to sweep the apartment to check if anyone had stayed behind. The woman stood with their backs against the wall inside the apartment, glancing around in fear as if something or someone would jump out at them in any moment. Steve cleared his side of the apartment and passed by the women to check in on Javier.

"You two stay right there and don't move." He ordered quietly to the two as he passed, gun still up at eye level.

Javier then met up with his partner and shook his head. Steve eased up a little and the two holstered their guns. The shock had worn off on Celia as she dropped to her knees sobbing. Connie dropped to the floor to embrace her sister, crying as well. Steve knelt down beside the woman and rubbed their backs in comfort. Javier looked at the three before turning his eyes to the two dead pets. Celia's dog and Connie's cat both had their stomachs slashed open and were hung by their necks from the ceiling.

Celia continued to cry as Javier escorted her back to her apartment. He offered to stay just in case to which she responded with no words and instead made her couch as comfortable as she could for Javier. Once she had finished setting up her couch for the agent, she kept sniffling to herself quietly. Celia then quietly bid Javier good night before shuffling into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Javier pulled off his leather jacket, button down, and jeans before laying down in what would be his bed for the night. He usually slept in less clothing than he was then, but he had to be somewhat decently clothed if Celia had entered the living room or if someone broke in. He laid on the couch so that he would face the front door while his gun laid on the coffee table in arms reach. Sleep did not come easy to him as the events of earlier that night replayed in his head. Just when he was about to drift off in the hours of the late night to early morning, Celia's door opened. She was dressed in a tank top and pajama shorts, her hair a mess as she silently padded her way barefoot over to Javier. He sat up as she stood in front of him, rubbing her hands over her face.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm just...Can I...?" Celia stuttered out softly as she gestured to the spot next to Javier.

Javier simply nodded in response and gestured her to lay down beside him. Celia did so, her back towards him, before she pulled the blanket up till it sat over her shoulders. The man next to her laid back down on his side to allow her room on the couch. The two laid there in silence until Celia sleepily muttered a few words to Javier.

"We'll be okay...right?" She asked in a quiet voice with her back still facing the agent.

He took a second to think of she was talking in her sleep or if she was actually awake. The question answered itself when she asked something else.

"You and Steve will make sure they know about our pets, right?"

"Yeah," Javier softly responded while he glanced over at Celia. "They'll know. We'll be okay too. I'm here for you."

Silence filled the apartment once again before Celia's soft snores did. In her sleep, she flipped over and scooted closer to Javier. He froze in place for a few seconds in response, debating on what he should do. In the few seconds he was thinking, Celia had gotten comfortable with her head on his chest. He decided he had no choice by to wrap his left arm around her and place his right hand under his head. As sleep began to set in and take over Javier's body and mind, he hoped that the death of Celia's dog would be the extent of horrible things the cartel would do to her.

----------

a/n: sorry for the late update! i've been busy getting another job and leaving my current