A/N: Again, a delay, but hopefully, two chapters in one day (!) will make up for it. I broke it up because it was just too long as one chapter and there was a natural break, so there you are. When you R&R, it helps the chapters move along faster! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

Chapter 10: Not a Pretty Picture

"All right, what do we have, Detective?" Brenda asked when she and Andy got to the murder scene.

"It's pretty bad, Chief," Gabriel said. "Four children, all under the age of ten. Looks like they were beaten to death."

"Oh my Lord. Do we have any suspects?"

"The parents, probably. When you get inside, you'll see why."

Brenda looked more than apprehensive and Andy said, "Chief, we can handle the crime scene."

Brenda took a deep breath. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, "But I suppose I need to see it for myself."

Andy shrugged at David. As they walked toward the house, Gabriel said, "So what's the matter with the Chief's car?"

"Guy with the tow truck said he thought it was the starter. They can probably get that replaced tomorrow."

Again, a perfectly rational, logical explanation. Starters often went bad without notice. And a one-day replacement time was reasonable. David looked over at Andy. He was pulling on gloves and shoe protectors. "You and the Chief have been seeing a lot of each other lately," David said.

Andy looked over at the detective. Yep, he knew he had been thinking. "I've been available. I'm usually home and I stay up late."

"That's true," David answered. And it was. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the Chief and Lieutenant were now more Brenda and Andy. Not knowing irritated him, but in his heart, where only he could see, he was a little worried that, if she and Flynn started dating, Brenda wouldn't rely on him as much. He knew he was her favorite. Would that change? That thought irritated him, too.

When they got inside, the smell was indescribable. Andy had a strong stomach, and had been to nearly every kind of crime scene imaginable, but the smell was unbelievable. Sanchez saw them come in and tossed Andy a small jar of menthol salve. Andy gratefully rubbed some under his nose and handed it to Brenda, who did the same. It didn't completely knock out the smell, but it did help bring it down to a level that enabled coherent thought.

With the smell issue controlled, Andy looked around. The house, to put it mildly, was a wreck. Garbage, filth, stuff, was everywhere. They went into the bedrooms and what they saw there nearly sent Andy back outside. Cages with thin blankets had been placed in the rooms. There were no toys, books or beds. Just cages – two in each of the "kids'" bedrooms. What looked like shackles had been bolted to the metal bottoms.

"Dog kennels," Sanchez said. "And look." In each room was a large plastic tub filled with cat litter and what was obviously human excrement.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Andy said, and he crossed himself. Sanchez nodded.

"I did the same thing."

"And you've been to Mass since I have, I know," Andy replied, shocked to his very bones by the gruesome sight. He turned to Brenda. She had gone white in the face.

"I'm feeling a little unsteady on my feet, Lieutenant," she said, reaching for Andy's arm and hanging on in a death grip.

"I'm gettin' you out of here, Chief," he said. He led her down the hall and outside. "Deep breaths, Chief, O.K.?"

"What's going on? Is the Chief all right?" That was Provenza.

"Just freaked out by that house. So was I, I don't mind saying," Andy answered.

"We all were. Thank God this is one of those things you see maybe once in a career."

"Yeah. Otherwise, none of us would last a week at this job. You're fine, Chief. Keep breathing. Here. Let's get you somewhere you can sit down." He walked her to Provenza's car, which was nearby. "Sit down. I'll leave the door open so you can get some air."

Brenda sat and put a hand to her mouth.

"Are you all right?" Andy said.

She nodded.

"Don't move. If you need something, honk the horn. But don't you get up."

"O.K., Andy," she whispered.

Heedless of Provenza's presence, Andy kissed Brenda gently on the forehead and squeezed her hand. "I'll be back in a bit," he said.

As he and Provenza walked back to the scene, Louis said, "My friend, you've gone and fallen for Miss Atlanta."

"Well keep it under your hat, willya?"

"Of course, but answer me this: her car isn't in the shop, is it?"

"Nope. My place."

"So she came to you. Well, well. Where was her cell phone?"

"Nightstand."

Provenza chuckled. "Planning on letting anyone else know?"

"Eventually."

"Fine by me. You know that. Gabriel might have a little problem with it, though."

That got Andy's favorite "F" word in response and another snicker from Provenza.

"It's about time David Gabriel learned the Chief doesn't belong to him, anyway," Andy growled. "And we had a little talk about that, too."

"About Gabriel?"

"Sort of. Mostly about the Chief considering the opinions of people on her team besides his and Tao's."

Provenza looked impressed that Andy had bearded that particular dragon. "So what did she say?"

"Agreed I had a point and she'd watch herself."

"Good grief. Well, that can only be a good thing."

Andy nodded and turned his attention to the crime scene. "I guess the so-called parents have been arrested."

"Yeah, they're probably to the station by now."

He looked around. "Nobody heard or saw anything before?" he said. Provenza shook his head. "How could you keep four kids so quiet the neighbors didn't know they existed?"

"I'm afraid to find out," Provenza answered.

Tao came up to them. "Where's the Chief?"

"Sitting in my car. Scene really got to her," Provenza answered.

"Me too," Tao said. He was thinking about his own children. "Anyway, I've been doing a little research. Those children were adopted. And they were all special needs children." He showed Andy and Provenza the results on his iPad.

"Not state adoptions, I'll bet," Andy said. "These dirtbags never would have gotten past all the home visits they have to do."

"No, they were private adoptions," Tao said. "I'm running down the agency, or agencies now." He tapped on the screen of his computer.

Andy looked at it. "Handy gizmo to have at a crime scene."

"It sure is," Tao answered. "I'm tied in to all the databases, just like my computer at the department. And it's not as big as a laptop, even." He got an e-mail. "Oh, my God," he said.

"What is it?" Andy asked.

Tao shook his head. "M.E.'s initial examination of the bodies says he's pretty sure all three of the little girls were sexually abused."

Both Provenza and Andy hung their heads for a moment. "Why do people like this even get to live?" Andy said.

"Tao, go tell the Chief what we know and see where she wants us to go from here," Provenza said quietly.

He nodded. "Sure thing, Lieutenant."

"How did we even find out about this?" Andy asked Provenza.

"Neighbor saw the male outside, attempting to bury one of the bodies in the backyard, and she called us. Said she never knew they had kids."

"Some interviews these are gonna be."

"Don't count on it. They lawyered up the second the cuffs went on," Provenza said.

Andy rolled his eyes. "First they lawyer up, next they nut up. Bet me."

"I'm sure."

As they got back to the house, Gabriel was coming out, his eyes bleak. "I don't think I've ever…" his voice trailed off.

"Me either, David," Andy said. "How about we get the financials on these people and see how they afforded four private adoptions?"

"Will do, Lieutenant."

Sanchez came outside, as well. "There's really not a lot more we can do here. SID is all over the place."

Provenza said, "I agree, Sanchez. Let's get downtown and work this case."

Andy went to Provenza's car. "Come on Chief," he said. "We're going back to the department, all right?"

"All right. I can't believe I wimped out like that in there," she said. "I'm a little disgusted with myself."

"Don't be. We were all on the edge of wimping out, believe me."

She settled herself into Andy's car. They drove mostly in silence. Andy glanced at Brenda. She leaned her head against the seat and closed her eyes. When they got to the parking deck and Andy pulled into his space, he turned to Brenda. "Are you all right?"

"I will be once I get inside." She reached for his hand and pulled him close to kiss him. His kisses always seemed to chase the demons away.

"We need to get inside," he said.

"Yeah. I think I want to stay at your place tonight. We can go by the house, I'll feed Joel and pick up some clothes. Is that all right with you?"

"Sure," he answered, getting out of the car and opening her door for her. She got out and smiled her thanks at him before moving into his arms. "Brenda," he said softly, "someone is gonna see us. We've got to keep this kind of professional, at least until I can tell the guys."

"I know. I was just hoping to spend a Sunday out of this place, and since I had you, then with you."

"Well, we're still together. Just here together."

"I guess so. Well, let's go see about those awful, awful people."

"Yeah. Much as I'd rather not."

"Me either," she replied.

In the murder room, Gabriel already had the white board set up and was posting photos on it.

"Chief, I ran the financials on the Stinsons and came up with not much. But, Lieutenant Tao got a warrant for the complete adoption records and it turns out they didn't pay that much for the kids."

"And why is that, Lieutenant?" Brenda asked, turning to Tao.

"Because they were special needs children. Those kids are usually harder to place. People don't usually want the extra responsibility of a special needs child. So, the prices are a lot cheaper so people will consider them."

"Is that private agency licensed or anything, Lieutenant?" Brenda said.

"Not that we can tell. I got the records from the probate judge's office. They have to be filed there so the parents can get birth certificates, Social Security numbers, that kind of thing."

"What was the benefit to them, then?" Brenda asked.

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and Brenda was almost ready to dismiss the question when Andy said, "Chief? Could be SSI benefits."

"SSI? What's that?"

"Supplemental Security Income. It's available to kids and adults who are disabled. Every eligible kid in the household gets a check every month. Some people have been known to live well on SSI."

"Especially when they're not exactly using the money to take care of the children," Brenda said. "That makes sense. But why kill them? That's the goose that laid the golden egg."

"Well Chief," Provenza put in, "Maybe it was starting to cost them more to keep than they felt they were worth. And it's a lot harder to hide older kids. But you don't have to report the children died. Keep getting the money that way."

Brenda shook her head. "Lieutenant Tao, first thing tomorrow, you get on the horn and find out if the Stinsons have applied for SSI benefits for these kids, and for any no longer living. Also, look and see if they ever adopted children before these. We may not get to talk to them, but I'm going to build a case around them that Harry Houdini couldn't get out of!"

The crew worked for another couple of hours until Brenda declared they had done all they could do without the M.E.'s findings and more information about the Stinson's status where SSI was concerned.

On the drive back to Brenda's house, a thought struck her and she giggled. "Andy?"

"Yeah, babe."

"What do you suppose David would have done if he had come in the house, found you on the sofa in your shorts and unbuttoned shirt, me dressed like I was and my bra and your jeans on the floor?"

Andy chuckled. "David would have had a frickin' coronary, that's what. He'd have been sputtering and muttering about regulations and crap. It would have been funny."

"That's kind of what I thought, too. Something about that disapproving look makes me want to do things to shock him, sometimes."

"I know what you mean," Andy replied, thinking of his idea of having sex with Brenda on his desk.

"Wonder what, oh, Tao would have done in the same situation?"

Andy thought about that. "Tao? Oh, he'd have looked around, gone all inscrutable on you, given you the address and walked out without a word. Then, as soon as he got to his car, he'd have called his wife to tell her."

"You think so?"

"Know so."

"What about Provenza and Julio?"

Andy laughed again. "Provenza would have looked around, said, 'O.K., you two. Playtime's over. Get dressed. We've got a case,' and that would have been the last we heard about it. Julio? Well, Julio wouldn't have noticed a thing at first. He'd have given you the message, then looked around. Then he'd have gotten one of those Julio grins – you know the ones – and looked over at me and said, 'Niiiiice.' And he'd have gotten out of there and called Provenza."

Brenda laughed out loud. "You're probably right. But that's more fun to think about than it would have been if it actually happened."

"No doubt," Andy agreed.

They stopped by Brenda's house so she could pick up some clothes and feed Joel and then went to Andy's place. Brenda collapsed on his sofa with a sigh of relief. "Oh, I just feel safe here," she said. Andy sat beside her and she cuddled to him. "You know, Andy, I was thinking today. Fritzie and I had kind of an 'F or F' relationship."

"Really?" He'd always wondered, so this was confirmation.

"We did. It was kind of like we were always either making up from our last argument or going toward the next one. And did you know we had been engaged for a good while before he told me he was in AA, and more than that, it took that flap with the car insurance company and me finding out about his two DUIs for him to own up to it!"

"He didn't tell you about being in AA and you two were living together?" Andy was really surprised about that.

"No, he didn't. And it really blindsided me. He eventually did, but only told me absolutely everything not long after you were attacked."

"Seriously?"

"Well, there was a lot I didn't want to know, so he hadn't said much. But after that meth head Smoker Broker case, he ended up telling me pretty much everything."

"Wow," Andy said.

"Wow what?"

He shrugged. "Well, everybody handles it differently, but it's kind of understood that honesty with yourself and the people around you is one thing that helps keep you sober. So, it's more or less a given that you'd talk to someone you were in a relationship with about it. You might not tell them everything, but you'd want them to know you were in AA, just out of a sense of honesty. I mean, you not knowing about the DUIs before you went to the insurance company? Even if someone wants to be kind of low key about it, still, that's just not a good way of living sober principles. Not being disrespectful, but it's not how I'd have handled it, that's all."

"I know. You told me straight out. No hiding."

"Hiding gets you nowhere. And in the program, one of those little sayings goes, 'We're only as sick as our secrets.' So secrets don't work too well in recovery, for the most part."

"So how did you get sober?" Brenda asked.

"Come with me some night when I'm giving my qualification, and you can hear the whole story."

"Qualification?" She looked puzzled.

"Yeah. Some people call them 'drunkologues.' Like a monologue, y'know? Sort of what 'qualifies' me as an alcoholic. But it's the same old story. I was on the verge of losing my job, I'd lost my family and I hit bottom. You know, the night I was attacked, I had given my qualification at that meeting."

"Really? My goodness. Well, I'm so glad you're sober now."

"Me too, sweetheart. I didn't like that guy and you wouldn't have, either."

"I'll have to leave early tomorrow morning. My appointment with Philippa is at 8:30. It's the only available time she had this week."

"So what are you going to tell her?"

"About us? The truth. If I expect her to help me, I have to tell her the truth."

Andy laughed. "Yeah, that's kind of how it works. She's not gonna like it, though. I have a funny feeling she might try to put it on me."

"Oh, Andy. She won't. I told you she likes you."

"Maybe so," he said, his tone non-committal. "Changing the subject, I was gonna call a delivery place for some dinner. Anything in particular you want?"

"Anything is fine with me. I like the Chinese, oh what do they call it? Happy family?"

"Yeah, that's it. O.K. That works for me, too."

When the food arrived, Brenda asked Andy, "So what did you get?"

"Tofu with spicy black bean sauce."

"Oh. Is that good?"

"Have a bite and see," Andy answered, pushing the box toward her.

Brenda took a bite and nodded. "Pretty good."

Andy took her happy family box and fished out a shrimp with his chopsticks. "That's good, too" he said.

"So why did you become a vegetarian, anyway?" she asked.

"Mostly to get some weight off. The last couple of years I drank, I'd packed on some pounds. So, when I quit drinking, I went the whole health nut route. But I got tired of being a total vegan. I walked around hungry all the time."

"And when you're hungry, you're mean," Brenda quipped.

"No kidding. My buddies all told me that would pass, but it didn't. So, I decided I'd eat some dairy, eggs, fish. I felt so much better after that," Andy explained. "My doc said my B12 was probably low, but I took supplements. Go figure. I guess some people just deal with it better than other people do. I don't. In California, you can eat vegan fairly easily, just because it's California. But when I'd go home to Jersey, and my sister would cook one of my Grandma's recipes, and I'd tell her I didn't need to eat it, well, it didn't go over too good. Then, I'd eat it and feel better physically, but I'd feel so guilty. I talked to my sponsor about it and came to the conclusion that I didn't need any more guilt on my shoulders, so I needed to eat the way that worked for me, regardless of how anybody else felt about it, and get rid of the guilt. So, that's what I did."

"Makes sense to me. You know, I guess I never thought about how complex addiction and recovery are."

Andy shook his head. "It is. We say stopping drinking is simple, but it's not easy. You can always not take a drink, but you have to deal with the issues that you're avoiding by drinking. So it gets complicated."

"Why do you need sponsors, though? I don't guess I ever really understood that. Just to have someone to talk to?"

"Partly. But mostly it's because an addict's thinking is totally screwed up. It's backwards. We blame, we don't see things like non-addicts. So, we need someone with more recovery, who can be objective and remind us that we don't have to do things like addicts. Me being vegetarian, for example. One reason I stayed on a vegan diet so long, even though I was miserable, was because I had all these vegan friends, and I was trying to please them. People-pleasing is a big no-no. My sponsor saw it when I didn't, and had to clue me in that I was doing that. He pretty much told me if I continued down that road, that bourbon was vegan, too."

Brenda laughed. "Meaning you might still be eating vegan, but you'd also be drinking again."

"Exactly. I'm not dissing vegans, now. No way. Just saying it wasn't the right road for me. My issues with it were between my ears, not anyone else's. But it's instinctive with a lot of addicts to do the people-pleasing thing. We don't even realize that's what's going on until someone points it out. So that's one reason why we need sponsors."

"So people who aren't addicts are not usually people-pleasers?"

"No way," Andy answered. "They just don't have the addiction to complicate it. Gabriel is a complete people-pleaser. But it's focused. On you. If you're happy, he's happy. Provenza, on the other hand, wants to do a good job, and wants you to be satisfied with his work, but if you're not happy, he doesn't take it personally. Unless you make it personal. He lets it roll off, otherwise."

"Yeah, he does," Brenda said. "I've noticed that."

They finished eating, cleaned up the kitchen and Andy stretched and yawned. "I'm beat. I lost some sleep last night, so I'm gonna hit the hay. You can stay up as long as you want."

"I may watch the news, but I'll be there shortly. Can't believe the night owl is going to bed so early."

"The night owl hooted half the night last night," he teased. He kissed Brenda and went to the bedroom.

Brenda did watch the news, mostly to see what the TV people were saying about their child murders. The reporter who covered the story was a news veteran, so he got the story right, but it was just as disturbing on TV as it had been in real life. Brenda knew what was inside that house. She shuddered and went to put her pajamas on. Andy was asleep when she went into his bedroom, and she tried to get in bed carefully, so she wouldn't disturb him, but he'd been a cop too long not to wake up. He reached for her and said, "Come here, babe," and snuggled against her.

Delicious. It was the only word Brenda could come up with right then that described the feeling of sleeping in Andy's arms.