#in my defense i was so excited and enraptured by the art that i forgot rule number one of the greek pantheon

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

"I'm going to play Hades because I enjoy ancient mythology, an interest that was sparked by my access to stories from Greek mythology" she said

"Oh wow two blessings in one room" she said

"How cool, Artemis and Aphrodite, I hope this means that I get to see some insight into their relationship with each other in this world" she said

"Surely this will not force me to make a decision between two goddesses in a fashion reminiscent of the inciting incident to the trojan war" SHE SAID

[madpanda75]

“Barba Family Firsts: Part of Hostage Series”

Another drabble about the Barba Family, Rafael x Reader x Mila. I love writing about this family and I am such a sucker for Daddy!Barba. 😍 Warning, this is ALL fluff and pure sweetness! 😭😂

If you want to read my Hostage story and other Barba Family drabbles, check out my Masterlist.

Thanks for all the likes, re-blogs, and comments! Love you guys! ❤️

Tags: @amirightcounsellor, @sweetsummertime99, @lyssa1385, @letty-o, @obfuscateyummy and if anyone else wants to be tagged, let me know! 

Rafael typed furiously on his laptop, his tongue poked out in concentration, today was a rare day where he didn’t have to appear in court. No hearings or arraignments to tend to, which meant Rafael could spend all day catching up on paperwork and research for his cases. Hearing the door open, he sighed in frustration, not even looking up from his work to acknowledge who was there. “Carmen, please. I said no interruptions today.” A baby giggled and squealed in response causing Rafael to look up from his work to find you and Mila standing in his office.

Rafael smiled and walked over to you both, “Cariño, what are you guys doing here?” You gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, “Can’t a girl and her baby visit her sexy Cuban ADA husband?” Rafael pulled you in for another deep kiss. “Of course mi amor,” he purred against your lips before pulling away.

Raising his eyebrow, Rafael gifted you a skeptical look. “But there’s something else isn’t there. Also why is Mila here? Shouldn’t she be with Mami?” Mila cooed and reached out for Rafael’s tie.

“I’m glad you asked that, Rafi.” You replied. “Your mom called. She is really sick with the flu and can’t watch Mila today. I would stay home with her, but Sonny and I have a stakeout on our serial R-A-P-I-S-T. It’s going to take all day.”

Rafael sighed, “Y/N, why are you spelling out the word “rapist.” She’s 10 months old, I don’t think she understands what the word means yet.”

You scoffed, “We’re always talking about our cases and babies are like sponges, they absorb everything. I just don’t want her first word to be “rapist” or “pedophile” or “bodily fluids.” Mila had been babbling quite a bit, but not yet speaking a coherent word. You had been telling your husband for weeks that she was on the brink of saying her first word, you could feel it.

“Well just as long as her first word isn’t “objection” or “perjury,” Rafael chuckled. “So, who’s going to watch Mila?”

You smiled at your husband, “That’s a great question, babe.” As if on cue, Carmen entered the office. “ Excuse me, Mrs. Barba. Where would you like Mila’s pack in play?”

“If you can put it in the corner next to the table? Thanks Carmen.” You waved at her before turning back to Rafael.

Rafael’s eyes widened, “Me?! Y/N, I can’t.”

“You have to Rafi. There is no one else who can take care of her today. Lucy has a class, my parents are on a cruise, I even tried Mrs. Carisi and Bella. It has to be you. Besides I know you don’t have any court dates today….Carmen told me and she said she’d help you with Mila.” Rafael eyed Carmen while she sheepishly left the office. You and Carmen had become very close over the years, so he wasn’t too surprised you enlisted her help.

Rafael sighed and shook his head, “This is why we need a nanny.” You rolled your eyes in response, “Do you want to have that conversation with your mother?”  

When Mila was born, you both had tried to look for a nanny, but Rafael’s mother insisted..well more like persisted that she would take care of the baby. Lucia was newly retired and wanted to spend that time taking care of her grandbaby. Her arguments and persistence could rival Rafael’s in the courtroom, and you two conceded to her request.

“Enough said. Hand over mi princesa.” You gave Mila to Rafael, he instantly brightened up with his daughter in his arms. Mila giggled and pressed her lips to Rafael’s cheek, gifting him a sloppy drooling kiss.

He laughed in response and pulled you into an embrace with his free arm, kissing you deeply. Pulling away, he ran a hand through your hair, gazing down at you. “Be safe, remember your promise.” Whenever you were sent out into the field, your husband would remind you of the promise you made when you were lying in the hospital bed after the hostage incident, that you would never leave him.

“Always, Rafi.” You kissed him again before kissing your daughter and running a hand through her soft curls. “Be good for Papi.” Mila smiled showing off her two new baby teeth.

You handed your husband the diaper bag, “She has diapers, wipes, an extra change of clothes, her toys, some baby food, baby medicine, a list of emergency phone numbers, extra blankets. Remember to do tummy time with her and if she gets fussy–,” before you could finish your litany, Rafael interrupted you. “Y/N, I got it. I think we’re good.”

He winked at you and playfully spanked your bottom, “Go get em’ tiger.” You giggled and nodded, moving towards the door before turning around, “Oh I almost forgot. I put extra breast milk in the breakroom fridge. Its labeled, “Barba’s Breast Milk,” so there shouldn’t be any confusion.”

“YOU DID WHAT!? Y/N!!!” Rafael exclaimed.

“Just kidding. Have fun you two!” You replied in a sing song voice.

Rafael sighed and looked down at Mila, “Your mami is going to be the death of me.”

The morning went by fairly smoothly, albeit with several interruptions. Word had gotten out that the beloved Barba baby was in the office and several ADAs and judges stopped by to “ooo”and “ahhh” over Mila. Although he was slightly annoyed with the disruptions, Rafael beamed with pride showing off his little girl. He even took a picture of Mila and Judge Barth. Texting you the pic with the caption, “Think our princesa is a little judge in the making.” Rafael got a bit of a break and was able to get some work done when Carmen took Mila around the building to show her off to the other secretaries .

After feeding Mila, Rafael balanced her on his knee, typing one handed and occasionally taking a bite of his sandwich. He was beginning to understand why you were always talking about mastering the art of multitasking as a mom. Mila sat contentedly on her father’s lap, sucking on his tie, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Rita Calhoun entered his office, with the chaos of the day, Rafael had forgotten she was stopping by to discuss a recent case.

“Rita, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Rafael said.

Mila looked up at the new face in front of her with expressive green eyes, her mouth still wrapped around the end of Rafael’s tie. Rita took one look at the baby unamused before acknowledging the ADA. “Barba, you have a baby on your tie.”

Rafael looked down at his tie now wet with drool, silently thanking God that he had extra ties in his office. “It’s just Mila’s cutting another tooth and she doesn’t like the teething rings. My tie is the only thing that seems to help.” He stopped and looked up at the defense attorney realizing she couldn’t give a rat’s ass about his teething daughter.

“Hmmm…. well don’t think that bringing your baby to work is going to persuade me to take pity on you with this case.” Rita replied as she placed several files on his desk.

Rafael rolled his eyes, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Calhoun. Plus I don’t need your pity, your client is guilty and you know it otherwise you wouldn’t be burying me with motion papers.”  

“Save it for the courtroom Mr. Barba. Now are we going to discuss these motions or are we playing peekaboo at the daycare.” Rita sat down in front of his desk, ready to review her motions until a pungent smell hit her nose. The smell hit Rafael too, he knew Mila needed to be changed. Just as he was about to call Carmen in to help, Rita stood up right away.

“On second thought, let’s continue this later, once, you’ve febreezed your office. I need to get out of this gas chamber.” Rita hurriedly exited the office.

Rafael laughed and reached for the diaper bag, “Well there’s one way to get rid of Rita Calhoun. I owe you one mija.” Mila just babbled and clapped her hands.

By late afternoon Mila was crying and fussy, Rafael mentally kicked himself for forgetting her naptime. Not wanting to be in her pack and play, he set her down on a blanket on the floor along with her toys. This seemed to appease the baby and pretty soon she fell asleep.

An hour into Mila’s nap, Rafael received a call from Jack McCoy. He paced the floor, talking on his cell. “Yes sir. I agree, we should have a press conference regarding this case.” Rafael glanced down to see Mila had awoken. Sitting on the blanket, she looked up at him and waved. He smiled and waved back to his daughter before walking over to the table to grab a file.

“Yes, I am looking at the file right now. I could drop it off for you.” Suddenly Rafael felt a tug on his pant leg, looking down he saw his daughter standing and clinging to his leg for support. He glanced down at the baby before going back to his phone call, “In a second princesa, Papi’s on the phone.”

Rafael froze and looked to where Mila was standing now before glancing over to the spot she had currently occupied about a foot away from where he was. The realization that his daughter had just taken her first steps finally beginning to sink in.

Jack McCoy was talking mid-sentence when he heard Rafael scream. “OH MY GOD! Mila you walked!!!!!!” Without even thinking, he hung up on the DA, his cell phone falling to the ground as he scooped up the baby. “Mi muñequita! You took your first steps!” Rafael kissed Mila’s cheeks until she giggled and tried to squirm away.

He was so enraptured with his child that he didn’t even hear Carmen come in. “Mr. Barba?” Carmen called.

Rafael ran up to his secretary, she had never seen him this excited. “Carmen! Mila just took her first steps! In my office! Can you believe it?!”

Carmen smiled, “That’s wonderful, Mr. Barba, but you just hung up on Mr. McCoy. He’s holding on line one right now.”

Rafael stopped in his tracks realizing what he had done. “Oh my God! Here Carmen hold Mila while I take the call.” He handed Carmen the baby, “Mila, you walked?! You’re getting to be such a big girl.” She said as she carried the baby out of Rafael’s office.

Rafael sat at his desk and took a deep breath before answering his phone. He apologized profusely to the DA and explained what had happened and why he suddenly hung up. Jack got a good laugh and said there was nothing to be sorry for, like everyone else at One Hogan Place, Jack McCoy adored Mila Barba.

“Thanks Sonny! I’ll see you tomorrow.” You waved goodbye to your partner before heading into your apartment building. The stakeout was a bust, your perp never even showed up to the location and you ended the day with nothing to show but a coffee stain on your shirt from when Sonny spilled his cappuccino on you. All you wanted to do now was be at home with your husband and daughter.

You sighed in relief before opening the door of your apartment, you peeled off your jacket and toed off your shoes, leaving them in the foyer. “Hello? Mami’s home!” Walking into the living room, you saw Rafael holding Mila, two pairs of green eyes and two smiles greeting you. “Hi cariño. Don’t move! We have a surprise for you.”

You eyed your husband and daughter suspiciously, “Ok….Rafi what’s up?”

“Just wait and see Y/N.” Rafael set Mila down on the floor. “Ok princesa, let’s show Mami what you did today.”

Mila smiled and took several wobbly steps towards you before plopping down on her bottom, she laughed and reached out for you with her chubby arms. Your heart just about burst out of its chest, your precious little baby was walking. You picked up your daughter and held her close, feeling tears form in your eyes. “Mila! You walked! I’m so proud of you mi amor!”

“She started walking in my office. I was so excited I hung up on Jack McCoy.” Rafael said while you cradled your baby.

You couldn’t believe your daughter was walking now, pretty soon she would be a year old. It’s as if you blinked and your baby was growing up. The tears began to fall as you realized how quickly time was passing, in just a few short years Mila would be going to school.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” Rafael asked upon hearing you sniffle back tears.

“She’s growing up so fast, Raf. It seems like only yesterday she was a newborn and now she’s walking…..and I missed it!” You wailed, your tears now turning into sobs.

Rafael chuckled and went to comfort you. “Please don’t cry, Mami. You didn’t miss it.”

“Did you get it on video?” You asked hopefully.

Rafael looked down, he didn’t have the heart to tell you that he actually didn’t witness Mila’s first steps since he was preoccupied with his phone call. “Well…. no, but—,” you cut Rafael off as you began to sob. Mila looked up at you and began to cry as well, sensing her Mami was upset so she should be too.

“Oh no not you too, princesa.” Rafael sighed. “This is a good thing Y/N. We want Mila to get bigger and stronger. Trust me you’ll see Mila walk all over the place. I have a feeling we have a runner on our hands.” He said wrapping you both up in his arms, trying to soothe his girls.

After a few moments, you both finally calmed down. You looked down at Mila, her little face all red from crying, crocodile tears still on her cheeks. “I’m sorry I made you so upset muñequita.” Wiping the tears from her cheeks, you kissed her forehead and snuggled close to her. “My sweet little baby.”

Mila pulled away and looked up at you. “Mama,” she said before giving you a sloppy kiss on your cheek. You looked at Rafael, his shocked expression mirroring yours. “Mila, what did you say?” He asked staring at his daughter.  Mila giggled, “Mama!”

“Oh my God! Her first word!” You exclaimed. Rafael laughed and kissed Mila then you, “See Y/N, you didn’t miss all of her firsts!”

Looking between Rafael and Mila, your little baby really was growing up so fast, already walking and talking. Your bottom lip quivered, unable to stop the tears from falling down your face again.

“Well mi amor, look on the bright side…at least her first word wasn’t rapist.” You laughed into a sob at your husband’s futile attempt at a joke. Rafael playfully rolled his eyes and kissed your forehead. Running his hand through your hair, he looked down at his wife and daughter, so grateful for his little family.