We Were In Love

one.

Jane Gloriana Villanueva doesn't write romance novels. Yes, she enjoys watching the usual daily telenovela - and, yes, she often cries at them, too - but her enjoyment of the genre ends there.

Jane Gloriana Villanueva becomes a cop, never getting over the image in her brain of the authorities taking her abuela from their home to be deported when Jane was just a child. Jane vows to be one of the good ones; that she helps her community as much as she can so that no little girl ever has to grow up without her grandmother.

Five years into her service, her partner retires and she's assigned a new one. His name is Michael, and he vowed to be one of the good ones, too.

Jane has a feeling she's going to like him.

two.

Michael Cordero Jr. never hated anything as much as dealing with the local district attorney that seemed to have it out for him; which is why he walks into their office with a grim, defeated look already in place.

The look changes into one of surprise when he bumps into someone he's sure he's never seen there before.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry-", he says, steadying them both by placing a hand on her shoulder. She smiles at him and he feels like he's flying. He reaches out with his other hand. "I'm Michael.", he's surprised he could even remember his name.

She shakes his hand and he just knows she's a lawyer, but can't find himself to mind. "Jane Villanueva.", she says. "And although you're charming as hell, I don't think you'll have more sway with the DA than I did."

Michael shrugs. "You'll get used to that. I know I did.", a silence falls over them for a few moments and Michael thinks it's now or never. "So...", he says. "You think I'm charming?"

Her laughter is like music to his ears.

three.

She gets robbed on the bus on a Friday and, usually, she wouldn't be too pissed about it. Sure, she would lose some money and would have to go through the trouble of canceling her credit cards and getting new IDs, but she would take that hassle any day of the week over being robbed on the one day she was supposed to be taking the first draft of her novel to an actual publisher.

As the robber takes her bag and its contents, he also takes her future as an author with him.

So Jane Gloriana Villanueva runs to the nearest police station, thanking the Lord above she chose to wear flats, and starts talking erratically as soon as she spots the first police officer in the building.

He interrupts her rant, calmly touching her shoulders and telling her to breathe. Jane listens, following his breathing patterns, and once he thinks she's calm enough he offers her a smile.

"My name's Michael.", he says and the calm spreading through her body is joined by a warm feeling in the pit of Jane's stomach. "Now how about we go find that bag?"

four.

She works at the Marbella part-time to earn money to pay off her college loans and it's supposed to be a normal job - but of course nothing in her life is ever just normal, so it's only mildly surprising that a murder occurs during her shift.

"I need a drink.", Jane blurts out as the officer questioning her is writing down her statement. He looks up. "Do you need a drink? Because I really do.", she adds.

The officer - Michael, she thinks his name was - smiles at her. "Well, I'm on duty right now.", he says and Jane mentally slaps herself for not thinking of that. Although, before she can say anything, he continues. "But if you give me your number, we could definitely grab all the drinks once my shift is over.", he finishes it like a question, suddenly nervous.

Jane finds him to be adorable, so she says "yes".

five.

A Michael Cordero is the only guy the app tells her she's compatible with that she actually ends up even wanting to meet.

The only thing Jane ends up hating about the date is that she's going to have to thank her mother for showing her the damn app, telling her she was right.

But, as Michael makes her laugh for the millionth time that night, Jane thinks putting up with her mother's smug smile will be worth it.

six.

Xiomara marries Rogelio de la Vega when she gets pregnant at sixteen, but even with what some may call a setback (whereas Xo and Rogelio think of it as nothing short of a blessing), Rogelio still becomes a telenovela star that has the entire world under his fingertips.

Their daghter, Jane, is the apple of her father's eye, but the one issue they can't seem to get past is that she goes through the bodyguards he assigns to her with the same ease with which she writes her best-selling romance novels.

Michael Cordero, though; he's the one that somehow manages to stick around.

seven.

Jane Gloriana Villanueva writes crime novels which end up on the best-sellers list within a day of their release, gets often comparisons to the brilliance of one Agatha Christie, is good friends with the mayor and is in a desperate need of a muse.

The latter two facts end up getting her to the local police precinct where she ends up shadowing Detective Michael Cordero Jr.

"Wait 'till you get to page 115.", Jane tells him as she sits down by his desk, noticing her newest book on the edge of his table. "I'm actually quite proud of it."

Michael smiles. "I bet you are.", he says and Jane smiles back. "But right now we have a case.", he points to the whiteboard. "Any crazy theories this time?"

Jane suddenly turns serious. "Just one.."

eight.

She comes to the coffee shop every day but Michael only knows her as "one large coffee, black, no sugar". She gets in every other day at five in the afternoon, takes her order and suts at her regular booth in the back with her laptop and types for about two hours, her coffee sometimes forgotten.

He finds her to be the most beautiful and interesting person he's ever met - even thought not officially. Which is why one day he finally summons the courage to ask for her name.

That day, she doesn't type; rather, he takes his break early and sits in her booth for hours, the two just talking the day away.

nine.

Jane is over the moon when she gets the news that one of her novels is being adapted into a movie. As a perfectionist, Jane wants everything to be done just right so she involves herself into the project completely; from writing the script, hiring a director she trusts and casting the leads.

Since the lead female role still hasn't been cast, Jane reads with the actors for the male love interest. Ultimately, she thinks that Rafael Solano might be the best choice (in which case she might be able to get his wife Petra for a role as well, since she did actually write one character with her in mind - not that she'd ever admit it), but when the last actor of the day - Michael Cordero - walks in, Jane swears her heart starts beating faster.

She's also sure she falls for him more and more with every line he reads.

ten.

She's lost count of how many books she's signed in the past hour, let alone during her whole book tour, but once she looks up and sees a man in a cop uniform standing at the front of the line with a copy of her book in his handa, Jane thinks this is one signing she'll definitely remember.

He places the book on the table and she opens it on the first page. "Who should I make it out to?", she asks with a smile on her face and a teasing gleam in her eyes.

"Um..", Jane can see he's nervous and tries not to laugh, finding him adorable. "My mom's a huge fan."

Jane nods, smiling. "And what's your mom's name?"

He pauses. "..Michael?"

Jane laughs. "Tell Michael I'd love to grab a coffee with my biggest fan.", she says, closing the book where - with her name - she also put her number. "And I hope you like the book."

eleven.

They meet in every universe, but the one that you know might be the one Jane loves best;

Their love survives accidental artificial insiminatio and evil crime-lords and break-ups and make-ups and wedding nights that end with him on the Marbella hallway with a bullet in his body and recovery and awkward first times and more kids and a cat and old age.

Their kisses summon snow and their love survives death.

They meet in every universe. Jane wouldn't have it any other way