Listening to Brenda trying to hold back nervous tears over the phone made Sharon exceptionally angry, even after Brenda had assured her that she was alright, pushing through the fear that she felt regarding the situation. Marching over to Pope's office and giving him what for wouldn't help the situation, but after the morning she'd had, she was in that kind of mood - plus, it would help her to sublimate the terror that Brenda losing her job would cause Sharon to lose Brenda. She knew it wasn't rational, and Brenda spent time and energy attempting to soothe Sharon's fears, but her history had scarred her, deeply.
"Brenda," she said softly in a husky tone she knew had to sound full of tears. "Brenda, it's going to be ok."
"Of course it will be!" Brenda exclaimed, sounding peeved that Sharon would dare to suggest otherwise. Then she tempered her tone: "I came so close to losing my job last year, Sharon, and for something less than savory that I had done, and that I am not proud of - this is a different situation, and if Pope decides to react poorly, that's on him. We've done nothing wrong, and I'm not giving you up for anything - I'm just worked up, is all."
Sharon felt her face flush in pleasure at Brenda's vehemence. Somehow the fact that Brenda was a little peeved that Sharon could suggest otherwise just made her that much happier.
"Sharon, baby, I love you."
"I love you too, Brenda Leigh."
"He might come sniffin' around your office, so be ready."
"I'll try. If I murder him in a fit of pique, you'll help me hide the body, right?"
"'Course I would! I almost asked you the same thing."
Satisfied for the moment, they said their goodbyes and went back to work. The possibility of Pope appearing in her doorway kept Sharon on edge all day, but he never showed his face. By quitting time, Sharon was exhausted and her nerves were frazzled - she was more than ready to head home to Brenda and having a relaxing dinner with her and Charlie and Kasey. Maybe she would take them out to dinner - somewhere they would be pampered and catered to.
Brenda knew chicken-fried steak awaited her as soon as she walked in the front door. Her stomach rumbled in response to the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen.
"Dinner in about twenty minutes, Aunt Brenda!" Charlie called from the back of the house. She sighed happily and made for the stairs - she loved chicken fried steak and greens. So much salt. So much fat. So, so yummy.
She was half out of her work clothes when Sharon slipped in to the bedroom, and Brenda slipped herself in to Sharon's arms. Brenda didn't fear Sharon's rejection or that her partner would be consternated with her - it was a wonder what a little communication could do for the health of a relationship.
"Are you doin' alright, baby?" She whispered, hoping the threat of Pope hadn't made Sharon's day too stressful. Her tendency to worry about Sharon's tendency to worry was oddly comforting, and maybe a little codependent, but Brenda figured that so long as they didn't start losing individual identity, it wasn't a huge deal. It could be that her idea of co-dependence was the really their relationship in a healthy state.
"I'm alright. A bit concerned that Pope is going to work up a head of steam instead of getting his bullshit out of his system, but there's not much that can be done about that."
Brenda pursed her lips in a moue of agreement, and sighed.
"Yea, I'm surprised he didn't come put the screws to you after leavin' my office."
Sharon hummed in what Brenda assumed was relief and tightened her grip around Brenda. Brenda couldn't help but echo that sentiment, and squeezed Sharon right back.
"We're professionally prepared for whatever he decides to pull, Brenda Leigh, and we have each other," Sharon whispered, and it was almost a plea.
"Always, Shari," Brenda vowed. "I'm not goin' anywhere, baby."
Dinner was amazing, and Charlie and Brenda had a good laugh at Sharon's exaggerated search for any sign of brownies - though Charlie's cheeks were painted red with embarrassment.
"After we retire, you can come make us a big batch of pot brownies," Sharon promised, surprising them all and causing Brenda to splutter in shock.
"Is this really Deputy Chief Sharon Raydor talkin'?" She crowed. "Strictest, most rule-abiding cop on the force?"
"It's just pot, Brenda Leigh," scoffed Sharon. "And by the time we retire, I would bet on legal avenues of recreational enjoyment. Or I could fake glaucoma," she joked, and shrugged airily.
Brenda broke down into helpless laughter. It seemed like every day Sharon charmed her even more, and Brenda fell just a little bit more in love with her. Even in the depths of her infatuation with the other woman, she never imagined that Sharon would be so funny and ridiculous and sweet and that they would mesh so well with one another.
Charlie felt a little bit bad about leaving Kasey alone with her aunt and Sharon and going back to Atlanta, but it couldn't be helped. She was due to leave tomorrow, early Sunday morning (at least early for the west coast), and Kasey's new room wasn't going to be ready until Monday. And Charlie was sure, as much as the university had hated being made to provide said room, someone somewhere would drag their feet. She pitied that someone, because Sharon and her aunt were definitely a force to be reckoned with. But the facts were that Kasey would have to spend at least one night by herself with Brenda and Sharon, and the girl was so reserved that Charlie was unsure if she truly felt comfortable with the situation.
Although she felt confident in Sharon's (especially Sharon's) ability to make Kasey feel at ease, Charlie couldn't help but feel a bit responsible. She sighed, folding a t-shirt and placing it neatly in the bag in front of her. She supposed these feelings of responsibility were what came of growing up - it was certainly easier to be selfish and childish, but as it turned out, she really wasn't.
The introspective musings about her newly adult perspective were interrupted by a figure darkening the doorway to the guest room; her aunt, obviously wanting to chat. It was kind of cute how Brenda had a hard time just up and saying that she wanted to talk to you, and would just hover until you got the message or couldn't ignore her anymore. When Charlie was younger, the habit had annoyed her because she was used to grown-ups being more direct, but after observing Brenda at work, bossing everyone around with absolutely no compunctions about propriety, her reticence to have personal conversations had become endearing.
"Hey, Aunt Brenda," she said, by way of invitation. Brenda accepted that invitation, entering the room and plopping herself down on the bed, opposite Charlie's suitcase. She smiled at Charlie, a little sad.
"I don't think I'm ready for you to go home quite yet," she murmured, and Charlie grinned back, a little sad herself.
"Me neither," she said truthfully. She liked being here - Brenda and Sharon treated her like she was the responsible young adult she wanted to be, unlike her parents, who used every past indiscretion as a reason to keep her under close watch. They also fought constantly; this small house in Los Angeles was downright peaceful by comparison, filled with the noise of genial conversation and laughter. "But hopefully I'll be back - and for a good long while."
Brenda nodded in genuine agreement. "I hope so, too. Even if I have to come to campus and glare at nasty boys every day of the week, I want you to come here."
"I think once you scared off one or two, the rest would get the message," Charlie joked, and was rewarded with a wrinkle-nosed smile.
"If they're smart…"
"I dunno if we could accuse many college-age dudes of being smart."
Brenda laughed outright at that. "Too true."
"Thanks for taking care of me and Kasey the other night," Charlie blurted; the thought had just occurred to her that she hadn't yet prostrated herself in front of her aunt and Sharon for rescuing her. "I dunno what we would have done without you two."
"Well, we were happy to be the cavalry, Charlie, but I'm sure you would have gotten yourself out of there were it necessary."
"Yea, but it was nice to get your help with no strings attached. My parents would have chewed me out for getting myself into that situation in the first place, and then for calling and waking them up."
"I'm sorry, Charlie-girl." Brenda sympathized with a little moue of her lips. "Your grandparents could be the same way, if it makes you feel any better. I was more likely to call Junior to help me out if a party went wrong when I was in high school."
"Really?"
"Yea," said Brenda, a bit morose. "Double standard - its worse because we're girls." She chuckled at Charlie's fierce grimace. "You're doin' just fine, Charlie. Really."
"Sometimes I think so, then something like the other day happens and I don't know. I guess I've been guilted into believing that I should somehow be able to know beforehand when other people are going to behave badly."
Her aunt didn't say anything in response, just gave a commiserating sort of sigh, looking as though her thoughts had just taken her elsewhere. Impulsively, Charlie leaned across the bed to give her an awkward half-hug, for whatever was bothering her, and because at least one of the adults in her life thought she was doing ok.
