Brenda woke the next morning, looking at the sleeping man beside her. Her fiance. That befuddled her. She'd agreed to marry him, and she couldn't quite believe it. Marriage was really the last thing she'd thought she'd enter into again. And here she was, engaged to Flynn, of all people. She'd never seen that coming, not in a thousand years. She grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it on. When she'd chased after him last night, a change of clothes hadn't been the first thing on her mind, so she had nothing else to wear. She went to the balcony and looked out on the ocean.

Brenda stood there, thumb to her mouth, numbly chewing on it. She lost track of time, watching the waves move in and out. She really did love this place, and was somewhat touched that Andy had come here when he thought he might lose her. Apparently it was a special place to him too. She was startled by Andy's arms snaking around her from behind, pulling her close back to him. She relaxed into his arms.

"We have to head back soon. We're going to be late for work as it is." Brenda remarked.

"You're the Chief, can't we get away with being a little late?" Andy said, kissing her neck.

"Not too late. I still have to go home and change. I kind of left home in a hurry last night, I was worried to death about you." Brenda said, enjoying Flynn's gentle kisses.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I really am." He hugged her close. "Listen, I've been thinking. I put you on the spot last night. If you don't want to marry me, you don't have to. I'm over my fit. Really. I trust you and I want it to be right for you. If you don't want to marry me, it's okay."

Brenda looked out on the ocean again. Andy was letting her off the hook, giving her a way out. She thought about it. She could walk out of here and hope everything between them was normal, but she realized something. Any doubts she had about the two of them left when he held her like this. She didn't want to lose this. As small as she sometimes thought her heart was, it filled with warmth and happiness at the thought of being with him.

"You're not getting out of this that easy, Lt. You asked me to marry you, I intend to make sure you keep your promise of marriage." Brenda said.

Andy smiled. She did want to be his wife. "So, you really want to marry an old bastard like me? Are you really sure?"

"I may need my head examined, but yes, I'm really sure. I'll take the consequences. I love you, Andy. Don't ever doubt that." She turned to face him, cupping his face with her hands. "Now, the question is, why do you want to marry me? You know what I'm like. Given the fact that I'm impossible, work-obsessed and opinionated, why on earth would a man who once thought of me as a bitch want to marry me?"

"Because you're good at putting up a front, but deep down, you are one of the sweetest, most loving people I know. Because I love you so much it hurts sometimes. All those things that I used to think were annoying and untrue, I was wrong. I just hadn't found the right person. Being with you, it's like I found a part of me that was missing. And I'm going to shut up now so I won't embarrass myself with anymore cliches. You do that to me. Everything I thought was a joke, it's not." Andy couldn't believe he was admitting these things to her.

Brenda kissed him and rested her head on his chest, listening to Andy's breathing and heartbeat. These were the moments she loved, the two of them so close. There wasn't anything else she loved more. She hugged him close. As much as she realized she loved him, she also had a feeling of foreboding, like it wasn't going to last. That feeling scared her and she held on to him even more tightly. It scared her how much the thought of losing him now would hurt her. She really did need her head examined, she thought. Shortly afterwards, they got ready to head back for work. Brenda headed home to change, Andy told her he was doing the same.

She arrived home and quickly showered and got ready for work. She finally checked her cellphone, seeing she had three calls from Fritz and ignored them. She needed to get to work, not deal with a man who had suddenly changed his mind on her. That was something she couldn't fathom either, why he wanted her back. He'd made it clear that her work was what had drove him away, and yet, now, he'd reconsidered? And thought she'd welcome him back with open arms? Would she have, if she hadn't been involved with Andy? She didn't know. She liked to think she was above that, not relying on a man wanting her to run back to him when he decided he wanted her. She quickly dressed, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and left for work.

Andy had been relatively quick also in getting ready for work and arrived at the parking lot around the same time as she did. They smiled at each other, falling into step for the three block hike to headquarters. Brenda did a quick look around, seeing no one she knew and at that moment, grabbed Andy's hand for at least part of the walk to work. She was trying, she really was. He was surprised at this, smiling at her, happy that she was becoming less afraid. He didn't even mind when she dropped his hand once they got close to work. All he could do was hope she'd try.

Once they got to the building, he only briefly touched her. When they were getting on the elevator, he put his hand on the small of her back to guide her in, enjoying one last, brief touch before settling into the workday routine. That one touch gave them away to someone who was watching the pair walking together.

Fritz had come to headquarters, determined to talk to Brenda, reason with her, make her see that he was serious that he wanted her back. He'd waited in the lobby for her, hoping to catch her on the way up. Instead, he'd seen her walk in with Flynn, smiling and talking, not a care in the world. It made him curious, the way they walked so closely, so he followed the two of them, taking care not to be seen. Curiosity got the better of him and he watched the two closely. And when Flynn put his hand on the small of Brenda's back to guide her in to the elevator and she let him without protest, Fritz realized exactly who Brenda was seeing. Flynn.

Fritz was stunned. Flynn? She was seeing Flynn? Was she out of her mind? The man had tried everything he could to ruin her life here when she'd first arrived and now she was with him? How long after Brenda and him had separated did he make his move? Waiting til she was the most vulnerable and then moving in on her, Fritz supposed. He couldn't believe Brenda had fallen for him. He should have known that Flynn wasn't just there to work last night. He'd never seen Flynn eager to work, let alone work and not get paid for it. Fritz felt angry and decided to confront Brenda about this. He wasn't going down without a fight. He wanted Brenda back, and given that it was Flynn, for god's sake that she was involved with, he figured he still had a chance with her. He just needed to convince her of that.

He climbed on the next available elevator and took it up to the floor Major Crimes was on. Things had miraculously remained mostly the same after the almost shakeup of everything after Brenda hadn't gotten the Chief's job. Somehow, Pope had managed to hang on to the Assistant Chief position and although Brenda had never said anything to him, he was convinced she had something to do with the fact that Pope had remained. Another source of irritation for him. He'd figured that it would be Pope Brenda had entered into an affair with, not Flynn. His mind couldn't grab the concept. Flynn, of all people.

As he entered Major Crimes, Brenda's team stared at him. He walked through it, giving brief waves to the startled looks from Brenda's team members. Flynn looked on him with something akin to disgust, before concentrating on some file on his desk. There was nothing Flynn could do to prevent him from going and seeing Brenda, although he would have loved to have done something. Like punch him in the face for kissing his girlfriend, no, correction, fiance, last night. It took every ounce of willpower Flynn had to stay seated, the only giveaway of his anger was his tightly clenched fists.

Brenda looked up when her door opened and was startled to see Fritz walk in.

"Fritz, what are you doing here?" she asked, wishing he was elsewhere.

"Well, Brenda, you ignored my phone calls and I thought if I showed up we could talk here. I told you, I'm not giving up on you." Fritz responded.

"Look, Fritz, I told you, I'm seeing someone else. I'm not coming back to you. What part of that don't you understand?" Brenda said, frustrated again. Why had he shown up at her workplace, bringing it here?

"Look, Brenda, I know who you're seeing and I have to say, I'm really quite surprised. Flynn, really?"

Brenda turned white, her heart beating rapidly. Fritz knew? All she could think over and over was Oh my God. She pulled herself together quickly, however, intent on projecting that this didn't bother her that he knew.

"Who I'm seeing is no business of yours, Fritz. You gave up the right to know anything about what I do the day you decided to leave." Brenda replied.

"That's rich, Brenda. You're the one who chose your job over me. And now, you're throwing the job away for Flynn? How long did it take for him playing all concerned for you before he managed to get you into bed? Cause I can guarantee you that he had a motive for playing all nice with you. And it sure as hell wasn't cause he wanted to be your "friend"!" Fritz's voice started to raise, he was angry.

"Could you keep your voice down? I'd rather not broadcast to the whole department anything about my private life." Brenda started to get upset.

"So, you are in a relationship with him. God, I thought if anyone, you'd be sleeping with Pope again by now. I mean, he wanted you bad enough while we were still married. Didn't he even try after we split? Or were you too occupied with Flynn to even notice?" Fritz didn't know why he was being like this. He knew he had no right to be. But it still hurt to think Brenda had replaced him with Flynn, of all people.

"You hate Pope, why would you want to know whether he tried to date me after you left? And do you really think I'd tell you? God, Fritz, seriously, why did you come back here? I told you, there is no chance anymore. We're done. Go back to Washington. I'm not going to talk about this anymore!" Brenda was reaching her boiling point.

"Fine, Brenda, we'll do it your way. I won't be back. I think you're a fool for being involved with him. He'll hurt you in the end. Maybe I should go say hi to Delk before I leave. Maybe he'd be interested in the activities of one of his deputy chiefs."

"You wouldn't. Fritz, how could you? Why are you being this way?" Brenda asked.

Fritz looked at her, seeing the deep hurt in her eyes. He couldn't do this to her, not anymore. He was sorry for the way he was acting and he caved. "I won't, Brenda. I'm not that mean. I still love you, I do. I just wish you still loved me."

Brenda looked at him with sadness in her eyes. A part of her would always love him, but she'd moved on. Still, she wondered if she was making the right decision. Fritz would be the safe choice, but he'd hurt her deeply when they'd split. Flynn had helped her pick up the pieces, move on, prove that she could love someone and do her job without it coming in between them. "I'm sorry, Fritz. I just don't love you in that way anymore. I love Andy. I really do."

"He's a lucky man then." Fritz said, the fight going out of him.

"He knows that." Brenda relaxed for the first time and managed to laugh.

"Have you told your father? How'd he take the news?" Fritz was curious. He'd always had a tough time being at ease around Clay Johnson and wondered how he'd take his daughter being in a relationship with a man almost as old as him.

"Daddy took it much better than I expected. And I think Mama and him bonded over taking care of me." Brenda relayed.

"Taking care of you? What happened?" Fritz looked at her with concern.

"A suspect hit me. I ended up with a head wound and a concussion. I was off work for a week. Mama and Daddy flew in to help look after me. They found out about Andy then."

"I would have paid money to see how you're daddy reacted to finding out you were involved with Flynn." Fritz said.

Brenda frowned, not in the mood for jokes. "Fritz, I told you, Andy is not the person you think he is. He's one of the kindest people I know. Daddy likes him. Thinks he can take care of me. So Mama told me."

"Well, I better get going. And don't worry, Brenda. I won't tell anyone. I see that you aren't going to come back to me. But know this, if it ever crashes and burns between the two of you, I'm still here. I love you, Brenda. Know that." Fritz finally stood. He needed to get out of here, he knew he wasn't going to win this battle.

He came around the desk and hugged her goodbye. It was not the end result he'd wanted, but he had to live with choices they both had made. Brenda watched as he left her office and headed out to the squadroom. Out there, Andy trailed behind Fritz as he went to the elevators, curious as to why Fritz had been there and what he'd talked to Brenda about. He was surprised when Fritz turned to speak to him quietly.

"You ever hurt her, you'll answer to me. Be good to her. She deserves it." Fritz said quietly.

"I would never hurt her. I love her." Andy had been startled by Fritz's words. He knew about them, then.

"Keep that in mind. Brenda doesn't love easily. Don't break her heart. I wish you both the best." With that, the elevator arrived and Fritz was gone.

Andy turned towards Brenda's office, curious as to what had been said in there, but letting it go. If she wanted to tell him, she would later. For now, he felt the tightness in his chest leave, as he knew that Brenda had truly decided that he was the one for her. It was all he could do to not rush in there and kiss her senseless, but he refrained. There would be time for that later. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and went back to work.