"Hi."

"Hi Sara, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Great. I want to see Sofia, is she here?"

"In the garden."

"Great. Thanks." Ellen seemed to know where the garden was, she went straight through the house, didn't have a look around for a second, like she had seen the rooms a million times.

"Didn't Sofia say, she and Ellen aren't…? Oh well, people change their mind every time, don't they, Scooby?" She said to the dog while she closed the door. "Let's have a look if we find something delicious in the kitchen, shall we?" She had the dog's full attention when she mentioned food. He stood in front of the fridge.

"Let's see…cold pizza? No, we don't want cold pizza." Scooby's face said different, but he had no choice, had to wait for the decision Sara made. They were joined by Rantanplan, who heard how Sara opened the fridge.

"Dinner party, cool. Okay guys, we take the cheese, the mandarins, the grapes and for you the little sausages. This will be a cheese plate." Sara cut two finger thick slices of cheese, chopped it in dices, stabbed them and a mandarin, grape or sausage with a toothpick

"Dinner is served, we'll have cheese bites today . Sit down, guys." It was amazing how good the ears of the dogs worked when she had some food in her hands. "One for you." She held a cheese bite in front of Rantanplan, who carefully pulled it off the toothpick. "One for you." Scooby also took his carefully. "And one with a grape for me. You guys don't mind if you eat the sausages, do you? Thought so." One after another they finished the two dozen cheese bites. Sara had to admit, it was funny to feed the dogs and they were really good behaved, didn't try to choke the whole thing, only the food.

"Now that we had dinner, I need to check if your mommy minds if I get my book. I don't want to interrupt her and Ellen, but I need to go on reading. Wanna come with me?" After she had fed them, the dogs were keen to follow her in case, there was more food wherever she wanted to go to.

In the living room Sara stopped when she heard Sofia and Ellen.

"Come on Sof, you don't mean it that way."

"I mean it that way."

"Honey, it was a great night, we both had fun. A lot of fun. You can't tell me, you didn't enjoy it or didn't like, what we did. And I've to say, what you do with your hands is magic. Made me addicted. Again."

Sara wanted to walk out of the living room, up to her room to gave Sofia her privacy, somehow her legs didn't work. Even worse, her eyes were glued to the window, that showed her the two women.

"Ellen, we were here a year ago, we both know, it can't work."

"Why not?" Ellen's hands softly ran up and down Sofia's arms. "There is no reason not to have some more fun. I still know what you really like." The tall black haired woman stepped closer to the blonde, her lips almost touching the blonde's ear. "I can see you want it too. Come on, let's go upstairs, you won't regret it."

"Ellen…"

"Shhh." Ellen kissed Sofia shortly. "It will be great."

"No."

"Of course it will, it was always mind blowing."

Sara wasn't sure if she should do something. It was obvious that Sofia didn't want to go upstairs with Ellen, but somehow she wasn't able to make that clear.

"Your skin tastes like peaches and I've got some cream for the peaches. Plus, I wear your favorite underwear. Wanna see it?" She seemed to open a few buttons of her top. "Looks good, doesn't it? And you know, when you undress me, it will look even better. Come on, Honey, don't let us waste more time." She took Sofia's hand, placed it on her breasts. "You feel the heat like I do."

"I think you should go, Ellen."

"Yes, upstairs with you."

"No, home. Alone."

"You don't mean that."

"I do. It was wrong to take you with me yesterday morning, it was wrong to go to he club and the worst thing was when I went home with you. I made the mistake last year, I don't want to make it again. Go, Ellen."

"You'll regret that, Baby."

"I regret things we did, I won't regret this." Sofia stepped a few steps back.

"Really a pity but I won't beg you. You waste a hell of a chance, Sofia."

"Maybe. If I do, it's my mistake and I've to live with it. You know the way out."

"Stupid."

Somehow Sara managed to vanish behind the couch so she stayed out of sight for Ellen, when she went through the living room. Sitting on the floor, Sara felt like a spy, like she had observed something forbidden. Sofia and Ellen weren't a couple, no matter what had happened the last night, there had been something else, something that had happened before, that made Sofia send her ex away. Sara wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She wasn't able to read Ellen, she wasn't sure what to think of her. She wasn't a fan of the woman, she couldn't explain why. Something about the way Ellen treated people bothered Sara and she had to think of Greg's words, that Ellen's eyes were…there were no feelings for other people inside.

"Why are you sitting behind the couch?"

"Sorry." Sara almost jumped up. "I didn't mean to spy on you, I wanted to get my book and go upstairs but then it sounded like it wasn't a good idea to interrupt your conversation. Out of the blue Ellen was on her way to here and I didn't want her to see me, didn't want to talk to her and I…I guess I hid here. Stupid, isn't it?"

"No, it's the best thing you can do when she's around. Hide somewhere. Can I join you in your hideout?"

"Didn't you send her out of the house?"

"So you did spy on me."

"No I…" Sara flushed.

"It's alright, Sara." Sofia took Sara's hand and pulled her up.

"Was it wrong to let her in?"

"I'm sure she didn't ask of she could come in."

"No, not really."

"That's Ellen."

"Sofia, I didn't want to…"

"Sara, it's alright. Why don't we go on where we stopped before she invaded our house? The beer is warm, we need new ones."

"I'll get it."

"And I get us a snack."

"I had dinner with the dogs. Cheese bites."

"What's that?"

"I cut cheese in dices, added sausages for the dogs and mandarins and grapes for me and we ate them. They're hold together with a toothpick – I should have kept one for you. You and your toothpick were a really sexy couple. Better than you and the model."

"Everything fits better to me – even you." Sofia stuck her tongue out at Sara, who grinned and went into the kitchen. It hadn't been her intention to listen to Sofia's conversation, but her legs were somehow frozen when she arrived in the living room. Now she had to confess, she was glad to see, that Sofia had pushed the other woman away, sent her out of the house. Sara was sure by now, she didn't like Ellen. She wasn't sure why she disliked her, but she could accept it without an explanation.

When she came back to the garden swing, Sofia had gotten them some potato chips and a blanket. She pulled the blanket away so Sara could get under it and offered her the bag with chips.

"Will I get in trouble again when I eat your potato chips? Favorite potato chips."

"No, I offered them to you. If you don't steal them and run away, you won't be in any trouble."

"Good. I don't want to end up like Ellen and get thrown out of the house."

"You live here, I can't threw you out. Plus I want to spend the evening with you. The reason why I sent her away."

"Really?"

"Yes. I promised myself I'll stay here with you tonight plus my brain worked today and sent the right messages to my mouth so I said the right words and they were: fuck off, bitch! I'm glad to realize, my brain works most times."

"Most times?" Sara smirked. That could have been a comment of herself.

"Yeah. Unfortunately I've got my bad moments. Like yester-day. Sara, I'm sorry I was…not there. I didn't mean to act the way I did."

"There's no reason to apologize, Sofia. You met somebody, we went out to meet people. In fact, Ellen had the idea to go out."

"Yeah. She thought, you and Greg are a couple."

"We thought so. You never told us, you dated somebody famous."

"She isn't famous, she has a few model jobs, did some TV production things, nothing big, nothing you have to know or what you have to recognize her for on the street."

"Her look is enough to let people recognize her."

"She knows that, she plays with it, uses it."

"It works."

"Unfortunately people let blind themselves. Plus the fact she has the way to make you do what she wants, even when you know it's wrong." Sofia buried her face in her hands. She didn't want to talk about it, wanted to forget everything, but now she had started it, she had to end it. "From the very first moment I met her yesterday morning, I knew, I had to get rid off her, had to get her out of my life. Instead I let her make me take her over to you guys, let her talk us into going out and when we were in the club, I wasn't able to get away from. She told me to dance and I danced. She had me on her strings, pulled me like she wanted me to move and I did it. Nothing I'm proud of."

"Not the way you should act like a lieutenant."

"No, I was a disgrace to my badge."

"I can't imagine that."

"I was. Took me until the early morning to wake up and get the hell out of it. It was too late by then to make it undone, but…it just won't happen again."

"You told her, you don't want to be with her, sent away. It didn't happen again."

"No. Can I have one of your session? I think something is wrong with me. Why did I give in yesterday?"

"Timing, opportunity, plus the great feeling of being able to use people the way you want them. Power. She knew exactly you were weak and used it. I'm not sure if you want to talk about it, it's not my business and I told you before, that it's obvious that something is…I don't want to say is wrong with you, but something about you is different. I guess she felt that, she knew, she could use it to her advantage and you had no chance to do anything against it."

"She has a feeling for your weak spots, yes."

"Still, you loved her once."

"Was it love? I'm not sure. I was amazed, that's for sure. She has the looks, she knows what to say and do to make you want her."

"She'd be perfect if she was capable to give all this to only person and anybody else."

"Yes. That obvious?"

"Sofia, I don't pick you as somebody, who cheats on her partner. She, on the other side, is only interested in herself. If she sees somebody, she wants at that moment, who can help her to get what she wants, she lets you fall and goes to somebody else. Or takes what she needs, keeps you hanging on."

"Have you been around last year?"

"No." Sara pulled Sofia in her arms. "Your scars are obvious."

"Like my stupidity? She hurt me and I'm too stupid to send her away. I gave in yesterday, gave her what she wanted."

"You sent her away today, that's what count."

"Thanks to you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Like I said, I promised myself I'll spend the evening with you. After you told me Greg is out, I had no other choice than telling her to leave. There's only one woman who's allowed to have me in her arms tonight and that's you. And if my head works, it will be like that for the next week too."

"Are you sure your head wanted Ellen last night and not other parts of your body?"

"No comment." Sofia smiled for the first time.

"I knew it." Sara blinked at her. "Come here, Sofia?"

"I am here."

"Closer, Honey."

"Huh?" Sofia watched Sara suspicious.

"Are you scared, lieutenant?"

"No, I'm not."

"Good." Sara pulled Sofia again in her arms and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you sent her away, You deserve better."

"Thanks. Do I deserve you tonight?"

"Depends on how you define that."

"Wild sex in all positions the whole night long."

"No, I've got a migraine. Sorry darling."

"Bugger." Sofia laughed. "At least I'll have you in my arms. Also I've to say, you and Greg are a cute couple too. He held you tight."

"How do you know?"

"I was there."

"What?" Sofia had been in the house last night? She had seen Greg and Sara`

"You're not the only one who sneaks around. When my brain worked again last night – it was around three in the morning I guess – I left Ellen's place and came here, found you in Greg's arms and knew, you were safe. So I left again, called Don, we talked for around five hours and when I came back home, you and Greg were gone. I took the dogs for a long walk, came back and found you here."

"It's not very polite to let your lover wake up alone."

"I won't do that do you." Sofia grinned. "There's no chance that I'll miss out a second with you…damn it, I'm not supposed to say things like that."

"Especially not after you spent a night with another woman."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"Because Greg is my boyfriend so I don't care with whom you sleep."

"Right. Your boyfriend is out with another woman."

"Only for dinner."

"That's what you hope."

"Not my business."

"Would it be that bad if they like each other?"

"It would make things complicated."

"Yes. But would you stop seeing one of them?"

"I'd stop seeing doctor Weinberg as my therapist if I meet her as Greg's girlfriend. And I can't imagine somebody else as good as she is. Selfish, isn't it?"

"No, I think, she's the best therapist for you. She bents the rules so you stay in therapy. She helps you and I like her. I like people who are able to go different ways if it's better and aren't fixed on rules."

"Yes."

"And she's cute."

"Is she?"

"Absolutely. I like her eyes. And her smile."

"Maybe you should ask her out for a date when Greg's away."

"You'll kill me then."

"No, I'm used to have her dating my friends."

"Thanks. But she isn't into women, what is a real pity. I noticed that right away. Otherwise I'd fight with Greg for a dinner date."

"I must be a lucky woman to spend three hours a week with her alone."

"You pay her for that. If we ignore that, yes you are."

"She isn't a cheap woman."

"No, she has style. And muffins."

"What is more important for you?"

"Depends on what my stomach says." Sofia grinned.

"Stop eating potato chips?"

"Never."

"Sure?"

"Yes. My stomach says: make sure Sara is in your arms tonight. I like to feel her close to me. She's good for me and the rest of you."

"That's what your stomach says?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"You call me a liar?"

"I call you a woman, who tries to use parts of her body for her advantages."

"That sounds not positive."

"Depends on how you use your body. What for."

"To get you in my bed. That makes me not better than Ellen."

"You're honest, you'll get a bonus for that."

"At least something."

"Yeah, better than nothing."

"Wanna go to bed with me?" Sofia grinned.

"You're straight forward."

"The only things of me that's straight. No, just kidding. I'm tired after a night with not a lot of sleep. If you want to follow me later it's okay too."

"I come with you. There's no reason to wait for Greg."

"Make sure he's really back before midnight?"

"He said he would and I trust him."

"Who is better in bed? He or me?"

"He because he didn't ask such a stupid question."

"Who scares your nightmares better away?"

"You're even there."

"Is there anything I'm better in?"

"Are you in a competition with Greg?" Sara laughed. It sounded like Sofia had a list and she wanted to cross off all the things, she was better in than Greg.

"No. But I don't like being second best."

"You're the better lieutenant."

"That has nothing to do with you."

"You're…your face doesn't need a shave in the morning."

"Wow, I made a point by being a woman! That's a start."

"Yes. And it's the end of this strange competition. We meet in five minutes in your bed?"

"Ten. I need to get prepared for you."

"I want you in nothing else than…shorts and shirt."

"Two pieces too much." Sofia hugged Sara. "I'm glad I'm with you. To spend time with you is better than anything Ellen can give me."

"I understood you liked what she did."

"That's what she keeps telling herself."

"So it wasn't good with her? The nights."

"They're better with you."

"Sure thing." Sara grinned. "Nine minutes left." She got up.

"She can't wait to be in bed with me, I take that as a very good sign and a compliment." Sofia chuckled and got up herself. It was after ten, the last night had been long without any real sleep, she was ready for bed too.