Sharon rolled over in her bed and smiled when she found a warm body there. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw a smiling Brenda Leigh watching her. Humming, she leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.
"Mornin' sunshine," the younger woman murmured, her smile widening at the kiss. She brushed Sharon's messy hair away from her face, her fingers trailing along her cheek.
"When did you get here?" Sharon's voice was thick with sleep and she let her eyes close at Brenda's touch.
"Not long ago. I wanted to see you." Brenda blushed a little and Sharon tugged her close under the blankets.
"Mhmm, good. This is nice to wake up too." She fell silent and for a moment, Brenda wondered if she had fallen asleep. "How long until you have to leave?"
"We've got half an hour. Maybe a little more." Sharon raised an eyebrow and blinked her eyes open when Brenda slid on top of her, the blankets falling back. "Is that enough time?"
Sharon licked her lips and carefully shifted beneath Brenda; the blonde's skirt had ridden up and she had a clear view of her pink panties. Brenda grinned down at her and kissed her slowly as Sharon's hands came up to rest on her inner thighs.
"How long has it been?" Sharon whispered, watching as Brenda shivered beneath her touch and spread her legs a little more.
"'Bout two weeks," she replied, her breath hitching.
Sharon quickly flipped them over so she could settle between Brenda's legs. She eased her skirt off and tossed it aside, grateful that it was wrinkle-resistant material. Brenda's panties soon followed and she paused to take in the sight of her pale legs.
"Half an hour," Brenda groaned above her.
"As you wish." Sharon hummed and trailed her fingers up both of the blonde's thighs until they met in the middle. "My beautiful Deputy Chief."
She brushed her fingers along her folds and then eased a finger inside, allowing her thumb to slide across her sensitive nub. Brenda moaned above her and she felt her body shudder. Grinning, Sharon added a second finger and set up an easy rhythm.
Before long, the blond was shuddering and moaning beneath her and Sharon was wide awake and begging for her own release. With a sudden forceful thrust, Brenda clenched around her three fingers and started coming, back arching up as she panted out Sharon's name.
"Ah, hell," she gasped as the aftershocks faded and she collapsed against the bed. Sharon huffed out a laugh and shifted between Brenda's legs, her fingers slipping out. She wiped her fingers on the sheets and shifted more, her own arousal desperate beneath her night gown. She let out a soft whimper and finally Brenda caught on. "Lay back."
Sharon tossed her nightgown aside as she settled on her back, her legs automatically spreading in anticipation. Brenda kneeled between her legs and pressed light kisses down her stomach, her hands bracing against her thighs. Sharon shivered and shifted, body thrumming with arousal.
"Come on," she whimpered.
Brenda hummed and pressed her mouth against Sharon, her tongue flicking at her sensitive nub through her panties. Whimpering, Sharon tried to push backs but Brenda's hold kept here still.
"Patience," the blonde whispered.
She eased the panties off and returned her mouth to the other woman's her lips curling around the nub. She sucked hard and felt Sharon's body clench, a moan tumbling from her hips. She sucked again and then moved her mouth to ease her tongue inside her folds, lapping eagerly at the abundant juices. Sharon stammered her name above her and she continued humming and sucking and thrusting.
It never took Sharon long when Brenda used her mouth and now was no exception. It only took a few minutes before the captain was shuddering and gasping out her release, her fingers tangling and tugging at the sheets.
"Brenda, Jesus," she panted as her languid body settled back into the bed. Brenda settled next to her and kissed the top of her bare breast. "I've missed this."
Brenda smiled and leaned up to kiss her lips, her eyes fluttering closed. "I need to go now, love, and you need to get ready."
"I'm sleepy," Sharon mumbled. Brenda laughed and kissed her cheek.
"I'll get the coffee goin' for ya before I leave."
Sharon watched as the blonde stood up and redressed, her bare legs shifting along the smooth covers. She sat up to kiss Brenda goodbye before the deputy chief hurried out into the kitchen. Sharon listened to the sounds of coffee being made as she dragged herself from bed and into the bathroom to shower. Brenda was gone by the time she got out.
Though she didn't expect it, Sharon hoped to have a quiet and stress free day. What she found waiting for her was nothing like what she wanted and she dreaded having to break the news of the audit to her lover.
She reluctantly followed Chief Delk into the conference room, careful to keep her expression under control. She felt her heart jump into her throat when Brenda walked in, and not in the usual exciting way.
"Chief Johnson, last summer did Major Crimes investigate the murders of an elderly convenience store and his eight year old grandson referred to as the 'Shootin' Newton' murders?" Delk stood at the head of the table and started speaking as soon as Brenda walked in.
"In the course of closing a case in which three Army Rangers were shot to death, yes we dealt with Shootin' Newton. Why?" Brenda looked between the other three people in the room and Sharon noted the confusion she saw there.
"And did you obtain the confession from the suspect, Terrell Baylor that you could not use in court?" Delk kept his gaze on Brenda and Sharon shifted a little where she stood, trying to ignore how her shoe cut into the back of her heel.
"I asked the DA to give Terrell immunity, so yes. His confession was useless." She was surprised that it was Pope who spoke up, but she kept her gaze off Brenda as long as the Deputy Chief wasn't speaking.
"And then did you escort Terrell, a black gang member, back to his house after which-"
"What is this about?" Brenda interrupted, her brow furrowed a little. Sharon swallowed and the obvious confusion she saw.
"-he was beaten to death?" Delk stubbornly finished.
Sharon spoke just as their Chief finished. "Terrell's mother has filed a civil suit against the city, the LAPD, Chief Pope, yourself, and every member of your division for the wrongful death of Terrell Baylor." Years of training allowed her to keep her voice calm, but her mind was whirling at the news and the ache in her heart. She wanted to go back to that morning and stay there.
"Oh, for heavens sake!" Brenda interrupted yet again and Sharon withheld a sigh.
"One of the more serious accusations," she began, giving Brenda no room to continue speaking, "in her suit is that you drove Mr. Baylor home knowing that he could be executed by his own gang members. Thus depriving him of due process." She finished and let out a silent breath, her thumb absently stroking the files her hands rested on.
"This is a frivolous lawsuit," Pope argued. "The city attorney's office gets one every time we shoot someone. Add it to the pile." It took everything in her not to huff. Major Crimes didn't have to deal with officer-involved shootings, she and IA did.
"Other filings of this sort are one page. This one," Delk paused a moment and held the large file up, "is over forty."
"Chief Johnson, did you know that Mr. Baylor would be murdered after you dropped him off at his house?" Sharon couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice. She knew Brenda took risks, but she couldn't believe that the woman would go this far.
"I'm not a fortune teller. He asked me to take him home, I took 'em there," Brenda answered simply, her head tilting a little. Sharon cringed. No one said anything for several moments and Sharon was caught up in cursing the damn woman in her mind. "I did nothin' wrong!"
Silence again fell and Sharon looked to Delk for guidance. He nodded and she reluctantly turned to Brenda again.
"Well, then a transparency audit of the Shootin' Newton murders should make that perfectly clear." Sharon held one hand in the other as she spoke, her green eyes scanning Brenda's face.
"An audit comes extremely close to questioning my professional conduct," Brenda countered. Sharon knew that tone of voice and she knew it wasn't good. At all.
"This lawsuit comes extremely close to questioning the conduct of our whole department," Delk retorted calmly. "So while we're fighting to get these charges dismissed, you will fully cooperate with Captain Raydor and refrain from discussing either the subject of this audit or the allegations in the complaint with other defendants."
"How 'bout I just quit." Brenda seemed so calm, but Sharon could see the fire in her eyes even from where she stood. She shifted her wait again and allowed her eyes to travel over each person in the room before settling in her lover again. She hoped her shock didn't show on her face.
"Then I'll tie this lawsuit around your neck and tell the city attorney that whatever happened to Terrell Baylor was the consequence of your own personal actions. If that's what you want, go ahead." Delk's threat came out loud and clear in the otherwise silent room, but Sharon couldn't tear her gaze away from Brenda. "Quit." Brenda and Pope looked at each other in silence for a moment and Sharon could only stare at them while Delk made his way behind her to Brenda. "I'm doing what's best for everyone here. Try to be helpful, Chief Johnson," he told the woman quietly. Sharon still heard every word and saw the shock on Brenda's face. "For your own sake," Delk added before he left the room in a stunned silence.
Sharon tilted her head a little while she gathered her thoughts enough to speak. "So, um..." She stopped and closed her eyes briefly. "Chief Johnson-" Brenda, her mind wanted her to say, "-I want you to know that I did not instigate this investigation into your conduct. I am here on assignment and-"
"So much for us being friends," Brenda huffed, effectively cutting Sharon off. "Ask for whatever you need from Lieutenant Provenza." She was out of the room before Sharon could get another word out. All she could do was stare out the open door before she managed to look at Pope, her mouth finally closing.
He left after a moment, but it took her a few more minutes to gather herself and her belongings. She hesitantly left the room and stared down the hallway in both directions, completely unsure of where to go or what to do. Finally, she decided that it would be best to get started on the investigation. The sooner she started, the sooner it would be over. She started to the Murder Room and walked in just as Brenda tugged her husband into her office. She stared for a minute before she approached Provenza and he found her an empty desk she could set up on.
The following day, Sharon found herself constantly distracted by Brenda's presence. The blonde barely acknowledged her existence and Sharon felt an emptiness worse than when Jack had left the last time. When the Chief finally acknowledged her, it was only through Provenza after a comment Sharon made to him. Later, the woman didn't even acknowledge her comments regarding the physical appearance of the woman they had in custody. Pope happened to jump to Brenda's rescue, but Sharon just wanted a snide comment from her lover, some indication of where they stood.
Now that the case had been solved, Sharon planned to corner Brenda in her office. She knew she couldn't ignore her there. She knocked the door and then opened it, surprised to find Brenda and Fritz kissing over her desk. She stumbled back with a gasp, her hand still on the doorknob.
"Please, come right in." The first words Brenda had spoken to her since this mess began and they were tinged with sarcasm. Sharon knew this wasn't boding well for her as she shut the door and turned to face the couple.
"Uh..." Her mind whirled as she tried to clear them kissing from her mind. She rubbed at her forehead and brushed her hair aside as Fritz stood up to face her. "Uh, sorry for interrupting." She paused and cleared her throat. "Uh, Deondre Harmond is on his way to County right now and I'm a little concerned." Her hands slipped into her pockets as she watched them. "Given the connections that Anton Decker has, Mr. Harmond may not be safe in general population."
"He should be placed under protective custody, is that what you're saying?" Brenda's tone told Sharon all she needed to know and she felt her heart sink.
"Yes, I can make the transfer myself if you'd like and the two of you can get back to whatever it is-"
"Fine," Brenda cut her off and Sharon swallowed, swaying slightly where she stood. She turned and started for the door without another word, getting the hint that she was far from welcome. "Thank you," Brenda's saccharine voice stopped her and she closed her eyes briefly before she turned back around. No words came to mind, so she yanked the door open and walked out. The door clicked shut behind her.
She didn't linger and made her way to her temporary desk, grateful that her job for the day was almost done. She could return to her empty condo and a glass of wine. Maybe a call to her kids to keep her occupied. She had just stacked the last of her paperwork away when Delk passed out to the floor and Major Crimes dissolved into a flurry of panic and confusion.