Pedro Pascal Character Imagines

Finally Home (Javier Pena)

Summary: A look at Javier's relationship with his niece Ainslee.

A/N - I kept the relationship a little vague. They can be read as biological related or just in the sense of "found family".

"Tio Javi!" Ainslee squealed, throwing her arms around her favorite uncle.

"Pequeña muñeca (Little doll)!" Javier kissed her head. "Where's Pops?"

"Helping set up of course, so he sent me instead."

Javier grabbed his bag and threw his arm around his niece's shoulders.

They walked out to Chucho's truck and started the hour drive back to Laredo.

"Did Chucho tell you there's a party tomorrow night?" Ainslee asked.

Javier sighed.

"Didn't think so. Don't worry. It's not because of your win over the Cali Cartel. It's the yearly community party. Totally lame of course."

Javier smiled. "Of course."

The party went much like Javier was expecting.

People came up to fawn all over him and congratulate him on taking down both Escobar and the Cali Cartel. He didn't have the heart to tell them that he'd taken down the Colombian government with him.

Ainslee mingled while Javier sat at one of the tables nursing a beer. His niece was so much more of a social butterfly than he was, reminding him an awful lot of her mother.

A slow song came on and Ainslee retreated to Javier's table as the couples paired off.

Javier noticed the love-sick look on his niece's face. "I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend," Javier told her, "Gorgeous young woman like yourself?"

"I'm surprised you don't have a girlfriend," Ainslee countered, "Gorgeous middle-aged man like yourself?"

Javier laughed. "Touché muñeca."

"Tio? Why did you never get married?"

Javier shrugged. "After the Lorraine situation, I never wanted to try again."

"You deserve to be happy."

"So do you."

Chucho called Javier to talk about his favorite niece and had mentioned she'd seemed sadder than usual. She'd been living with Chucho since her mother was killed in a car crash when she was 16. If Javier hadn't been in Colombia, he would've taken her in. Her father had abandoned her mother when he found out she was pregnant, leaving her mother to raise her as a single parent. Javier was the closest thing she had to a father figure.

Ainslee looked out across the crowd until she spotted someone. "Miss Duke!" Ainslee yelled, seeing the familiar face. She ran over to the young and started to talk animatedly. Ainslee pointed at Javier and the woman shook her head.

They walked over to him and Javier stood up.

"Tio, this is my history teacher. Sydney Duke," Ainslee introduced.

"It's an honor to meet you Agent Peña. I've heard so much about you from Ainslee," Sydney said.

Javier awkwardly cleared his throat. "Um, former Agent Peña, I'm afraid."

Sydney blushed. "Oh."

"Yeah. Pops isn't getting any younger and he needs more help on the farm."

"Although he'd never admit to it," Ainslee quipped.

A pair of hands covered Ainslee's eyes. "Guess who?"

Ainslee giggled and spun around. "Tio Javi, you remember Alexia?"

"It's nice to see you again, Javier," Alexia said. Alexia had been Ainslee's rock after her mother died.

Javier was only given a few days off for the funeral, so he didn't get that much time with his niece. Now he had all the time in the world.

"Well, we'll leave you two to get better acquainted," Ainslee said as Alexia pulled her away.

"I have a feeling they're trying to set us up," Javier said, "If you don't..."

"It's fine, Javier."

They sat and talked until the last slow song of the night came on.

"Would you like to dance?" Javier asked.

Sydney nodded and they stepped out on the dance floor.

As they danced, Javier spotted Ainslee and Alexia talking by the entrance to the barn.

Alexia was standing close to Ainslee. Ainslee giggled at something Alexia said and twirled a piece of hair around her finger. Alexia took a quick glance around at the crowd and pulled Ainslee out of the barn.

Javier smiled. Good for her. The two were clearly more than friends, but that didn't bother Javier. What bothered Javier was she didn't feel like she could tell him.

"Javier? Is everything alright?" Sydney asked him.

"Everything's perfect, cariño." Javier was home now. He could start building real relationships.

Everything was perfect.