Saturday the 15th - 2:48 am - Hills Hotel Bar

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"Hit me!" Brenda Leigh Johnson told the bartender while jabbing at the bar with her index finger.

"No." Came the reply.

She frowned at the young man behind the counter, and closed one of her eyes. "How did you do that without moving your lips?"

There was an audible sigh and a hand was thrust in front of her face with snapping fingers. "I think you've had enough Chief."

The blonde turned to her left and remembered why she was drinking in the first place. "Cap'n," She began, "I think I am perfectly capable of judging when I have, and haven't 'Had enough' Thank you very much."

"I'm not sure that you are." Captain Raydor shook her head and faced the young bartender. "Could you bring us two glasses of iced water and a strong black coffee?" She gave him a clipped smile and he nodded once before walking away.

The blonde groaned as she rested her head on the bar. "Why are you here?"

"Mrs Johnson called me."

Brenda Leigh gave the other woman a surprised look. "Mama called you? Why would she call you?"

"I asked myself that very same question." Sharon responded as she took a seat on the hotel bar stool next to the Chief.

"I know why she called you." The blonde said quietly and humph'd. "I think I've drunk too much."

"Really? And there was me thinking you could go another round."

"Sarcasm Cap'n? You broke your promise. And it only took you," Brenda held her wristwatch up to her face and squinted. "Two days."

Sharon sighed, she had broken her damn promise, and she genuinely felt bad about it. "I know."

"That means I can break my promise now."

"Yes, it does."

"But I won't, because I'm the better person." The blonde gave her a short nod.

"Yes, you are."

"Stop being so damn amiable!" Brenda Leigh snapped as she glared at the other woman. "You're just doing it because you pity the poor lush drinking alone."

"Don't confuse pity with empathy Chief. I was there too; I understand why you're doing this."

"But you're sober, and I'm not." The blonde shut her eyes tightly and that indicated the conversation was over. That, or she was just feeling sick.

The Captain remained silent as she rubbed her forehead and looked at the smaller woman closely. Underneath that grumpy, drunken shell, was a woman who was in pain, she knew this because it was the same pain she felt.

She hadn't taken the Chief to be someone who tried to numb the pain with booze though; that was more her style, but they weren't the same people they were a week ago, and nothing was going to change that.

The bartender came back with the drinks and left them immediately to go and wipe some glasses. Sharon wondered if the man was waiting for them to leave, it was almost three o'clock in the morning and they were the only ones here. Fuck It. She thought. He was young, and if there was anything you could say about youth, it was that they had energy by the bucketful.

"Drink up." She pushed the coffee towards the blonde.

"You're so bossy."

"I am, now drink up."

Brenda Leigh groaned as she picked up the cup then downed the beverage in one go, and pulled a face that made it look like she was having some sort of spasm. "Urgh, you could've at least put sugar in it."

Sharon hid her smile behind her hand, and with her other, she took the empty cup away.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you Cap'n?" The blonde narrowed her eyes accusingly. The Captain shook her head, and the Chief snatched away the hand that was failing to hide her mirth. "You are! I'm not here to amuse you." She huffed, and sat up quickly, grabbing onto the bar to steady herself.

"Easy." Sharon placed her hand on the small of Brenda's back.

"I'm not a child!"

"No. You're drunk. And you seem to forget that I made you more than one promise."

"That doesn't count anymore. None of them do. You'll break your promises, I'll break mine. And we can both go back to the way things were. The very best of frenemenemies. Frenemies. It's for the best really, wouldn't you agree Cap'n?"

"No." She shook her head. "Drink. Up. Then I'll take you home."

"Whose home?"

"Whosever you want."

"In that case." The blonde pointed a finger out at her, waggling it around in circles, and then she let her hand drop onto Sharon's jacket lapel. "I choose yours."

"Mine?"

"You did just say I could pick."

"Yes, but, well… We've spent the last week together."

"It wasn't exactly by choice, Cap'n." The smaller woman gave her a soft smile, and removed her hand.

"Fine, you can sleepover."

"Ooh, does that mean we can watch The Notebook, eat a pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, and have pillow fights!"

"Shut up." The Captain smirked. "And drink your water."

"Bossy." Brenda Leigh picked up the glass of water and took out the ice, throwing the cubes onto the bar, then chugged that down quickly.

Sharon gave the bartender an apologetic look as she picked up the scattered ice, and put it into the second glass.

"Brain freeze!" Brenda Leigh blurted out, slamming the tumbler onto the counter, and stood up, albeit unsteadily, but she seemed proud of this feat. "Come on then Cap'n, take me home."

Sharon got up from her stool, took out her wallet and dropped a twenty onto the bar. The blonde stumbled into her, and looked up with a smile. "You still owe me Kisses."

The Captain laughed loudly and took the smaller woman's arm, draping it over her shoulder. "Thank you for reminding me."

"I never forget Kisses, not even from you."

"Well, aren't I the lucky one."

"Sarcasm."

"It's hard to switch off a habit of a lifetime."

Sharon Raydor had spent many years not explaining herself to anyone, and she found it odd that she was doing so now. But she really didn't want to upset the smaller woman. Not just because she was a rowdy drunk, but because she actually cared if the Chief was upset. It was an odd sensation.

"I am aware."

She carefully manoeuvred the blonde out into the parking lot, ignoring the other woman's babbling for the moment, and when she reached her car, she eased her into the passengers' seat. "I've not long had this detailed, if you feel the need to vomit; open the window."

"Aye, aye Cap'n." Brenda Leigh saluted.

Sharon gave the other woman a smile as she closed the door, and walked around to get into the vehicle herself. "Are you sure you don't want to go home to your husband and parents? They're worried."

"I'm sure. Can you call Mama and tell her you're taking care of me?"

"Actually, I already told her."

"You have tremendous foresight, Sharon." The blonde chuckled, and rested her head on the Captain's shoulder.

"I said I'd take care of you until it was over."

"It is over." The Chief mumbled.

"It isn't over until you can close your eyes and not relive it." Sharon countered.

There was a beat of silence before Brenda said, "Then thank you, for taking care of me."

"You're welcome."

They didn't speak for the rest of the journey, or when they got back to her house. As soon as the blonde's ass touched the couch she was out like a light, and Sharon was a little envious of the other woman's inebriation, although not enough to remedy it. She'd tried that last night, and the nightmares she had were not worth trying it again. For the foreseeable future, she and Mr. Jim Beam were not going to be friends.

And she needed a friend right now. Perhaps the woman drooling on her leg at this moment was her substitute.

That should've been the most petrifying thought she'd ever had. But what she'd been through; what they'd both been through, had made her re-evaluate everything in her life, and that included the way she thought of the bane of her professional life; Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson.

Eight days ago she made a decision out of pettiness; out of frustration with this woman's pathological need to lie and manipulate to get what she wants, and now they were both paying for it.

She still owed this insufferable woman her chocolate Kisses, and she always paid her debts.