Chapter 8

"Ok so run this by me again. How did you manage to screw this up?" Gretchen paced back and forth ready to strangle Dean. She had to perfect plan and one mess up could jeopardize them all.

"Hey ease up. This was your dumb idea anyway. Beside no one was supposed to break into her house! You did enough with messing up her office, Gretchen". Tess said coming to Dean's defense. This was was getting way out of hand and was second guessing everything now.

"Oh don't be all Hail Mary now. You were the one who thought that my Lena was brain washing Stef. So now that you she can't be your therapist, you get your cop and Lena will come running back to me. " Gretchen said arrogantly.

"Ok well you both are wrong. If I could finish saying what happened, Stef was there".

"What do you mean Stef was there" Tess hissed.

"At Lena's house. No one told me that they were so deep into this. I waited for her brother to leave from guarding but when I got inside Stef came running from the back. So I had to get out. If you ask me, you both need to come up with something a little more intense".

…..

"Stef! Come on pass me the towel I'm getting cold," Lena laughed. Stef already climbed out of the shower and wrapped herself in her towel as she teased Lena holding the other towel close to her and slightly out of reach. She held her self close as she laughed at Stef's silliness; a side that she was glad that she was seeing more of.

"You know what, I will go get my own towel". Lena stepped out of the shower and almost slipped on the floor but Stef was right there laughing with the towel, wrapping her up before kissing her again.

They both went into Stef's room and began to get dressed, surprised at how comfortable they felt around the other. Though they would love to just stay in their small sanctuary and make love continuously as they have been all night, today they had to do things on their own.

"Excited for your spa day with Kelly?" Stef said watching Lena's naked body moving across the room picking up her discarded clothes and getting out her fresh ones.

"Yes, actually. It's been a while since I've been pampered. And I need it now more than ever" Lena lightly chuckled before her face dropped thinking of what has happened to her office and why she's actually in Stef's apartment.

Stef walked over to Lena after pulling on her clothes and helped Lena with her shirt. "You know, Love, don't feel like you have to hide how you're really feeling. If you want we can stay in for one more day. Just relax a little".

"I think that would be perfect. But I also think being out would do me some good".

Stef kissed her forehead, "Ok love. Finish up in here and I will see what I have to eat".

Lena watched as Stef exit the room and was so thankful to have her through this. Even though she didn't exactly have her completely. A thought she kept fighting to keep in back of her head since she has been there. Stef still wasn't hers.

Stef knew that she desperately needed to go grocery shopping as she popped the bagels out of the toast and layered on some spread.

When Lena finally emerged from the bedroom Stef playfully pulled her across her lap at the table as they began to eat.

"So you're going to be with Kelly for most of the day, right?"

"I think so. I know after the spa she may want to go out to eat, so possibly".

"Do you want me to get you after that?"

"No Stef I will be fine. I can't go around feeling scared all of the time. Don't want to give them any power."

Stef smiled and kissed her shoulder. "Ok Love. If you need me I put my cell number in your phone".

Lena smiled at how thoughtful Stef was. It never dawned on her that they didn't communicate outside of business calls.

"I don't know if you wanted to stay at the house with your bro-"

"No. He would treat me like I'm a child again. Besides, I really like it here…with you" Lena confessed shyly.

Stef took out one of the spare keys she had and gave it to her. Just incase you get back before I do. If so make sure you lock up as soon as you get in ok? You can use the key whenever you are always welcome."

Lena looked down at the key. She wondered if Tess had a key, and what if she ran into her. She knew Stef wouldn't give her one or have her stay here if she did. "Stef, I know it may not make sense after last night…and in the shower, but I don't want to move too fast. At least not until some things are …taken care of".

Stef knew exactly what Lena meant by that. Technically she was still engaged to Tess, but she didn't plan on being so for much longer. "Don't worry. I am working on it".

Lena lightly smiled and got up to clear the plates before her expression could change again.

…..

"About time that you got here Foster". Stef and Nate had planned to meet up outside of the precinct. So they decided to go to Lena's office. Nate was already there cleaning up what he could. He needed to stay busy, because he wanted so bad to strangle whoever it was that was messing with his sister. He already lost his parents so he felt even more protective of Lena, but was a bit at ease knowing that she was with Stef.

"Sorry, I wanted to wait until Kelly came to get Lena". Stef began to help Nate clean when she realized that he wasn't going to stop.

"Yeah I checked her out already. She's clear".

"Well did anything come back as to who could have done it?"

"Not exactly. It was definitely personal. It couldn't really be a client because they had to have known the code or at least how to get around it. I'm just confused, my sister doesn't have anyone personal. Especially not a guy that would want to hurt her. Eventually she's going to have to come in so we could get more information. But I don't want to push her".

"I could ask talk to her. But the guy that broke in; you couldn't lift any prints?"

"No he was pretty careful".

"I think he knew me." Nate stopped moving around and looked up to her.

"What do you mean?"

"When I came out of the room he ran before I even said that I was a cop. At first I thought maybe because he thought he was out numbered. But something about him, his voice, it seems familiar but I can't remember how."

"So is it someone after you? Or maybe someone that is trying to hurt you both".

"But our only mutual connection is Tess. I would know if I saw Tess and it was definitely a man".

"Ok but what if she is working with someone else?"

….

"So how are you feeling?" Kelly and Lena were sitting in the sauna after receiving a massage. Lena was definitely feeling more relaxed but Kelly knew she wouldn't be a real friend if she didn't ask how she was doing emotionally.

"I think that I'm ok. I am just ... overwhelmed I guess. I know my office can be fixed. But the fact that someone would want to do that and to attempt to harm me is unsettling. I already talked to the lawyers last night and they are going to get in contact with the authorities and then let me know from there".

Lena couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face. It was like the more she tried to wipe them away the more they fell. Kelly moved closer and hugged her friend.

"Here let's talk about something happier. Like what happened between you and Stef last night after you got to her house".

A laugh finally broke free from Lena. Just the mention of Stef was able to alter her mood whether she wanted it to or not.

"Well she told me that she loves me".

"WHAT?! And I'm just now hearing about this. Then what?" Kelly beamed. She was routing for Stef and Lena from the beginning. She could tell right from the start that there was something special between them.

"I told her I love her too"

"Yes! That a girl! I was worried. You could be stubborn at times. I know the sex after that had to be amazing."

"Kelly!"

"What it's just me. The tension between you two was making me want to give women a try. There's no way you two didn't do anything. So how was it?"

Lena just shook her head suddenly shy. She wanted to keep her and Stef to herself in a way. To keep it intimate and in their own world. But she knew that she had to at least tell Kelly.

"It was honestly the best I ever had. She was so gentle and caring and attentive. She was actually planning on holding off because she didn't want me to feel like I was being taken advantage of. That never happened before. I actually made the move. It was almost perfect."

"Almost?"

"Every time my mind would drift to how perfect and amazing things could be I remembered that she's still engaged to that bitch".

"Lena! Such language", Kelly teased, " But do you believe Stef when she says that she will leave her fiancé?"

"95% of me knows that will. But then the other part of me can't grasp the idea that someone would actually do that just to be with me. After all of the things that happened with Gretchen I didn't think that type of Love was destined for me. Stef cheated on her fiancé for me. Who's to say that she won't eventually do the same with me?"

"Because I've never seen someone look at another person the way she looks at you. She looks at you as if you are her personal superhero that just completes her whole world. If you could have seen the pain in her face and her posture when she saw you broken. The way she held you. You two were sent for each other. Everyone else that you two have had in your lives were just road maps that aided in bringing you two together".

…

On her way to the grocery store there was one thing that Stef knew that she had to get out of the way before she did anything else. She arrived to Tess's apartment, but before she even knocked she heard arguing going on inside. From what she could tell it seemed like she was arguing with a man.

Surprised to find the door unlocked she made her way inside just in time to see Tess storming out of the back room and a man following behind. Stef's confusion almost matched their shocked ones.

"Stef. Hi honey. What are you doing in here?" Tess asked unsure of what exactly Stef heard.

"Your door was unlocked. Who-"

"Oh you remember my cousin Dean, right?"

"Yes. Of course. How are you doing?" Stef stepped forward and shook his nervous hand giving him a look over. Something about him, was causing Stef's mind to go into a frenzy but for some reason things just weren't connecting.

"I'm fine. It's nice to see you again. Unfortunately I have to go. I will see you later Tess". Within a matter of seconds Dean was far out the door.

"Stef, where have you been ? I have been trying to call you all yesterday and all last night." Tess walks up to Stef and goes in for a kiss. But Stef turned away and guided her over to the dining table.

"Tess, listen, we need to talk".

"About what?" Tess didn't know what exactly Stef was about to bring up but she did her best to maintain her poker face.

"I got into this relationship for the wrong reasons," Stef knew that there was no point in beating around the bush and she had to just get straight to it. "I felt like I had to prove something to other people, to my mother about being able to be gay and in love. But it was all a lie. I tried hard to force it to work, with counseling and the engagement. But I can't pretend…I can't pretend that I want this and that I love you anymore".

Throughout all of this the idea of Stef breaking up with her never crossed Tess's mind. Sure she figured that maybe she would mess around and cheat but not actually end the wedding. Stef could be a hard ass but she usually always tried to make Tess happy and give her what she wants.

"We could work this out. We could fix this in time for the wedding-"

"No! Tess, this is over. There's nothing to fix. I don't want to be with you. I love and want someone else".

In that instant all Tess could feel was rage as she replayed what Stef just said in her head.

"It's because of that bitch, Lena isn't it".

"Watch your mouth!" Stef roared, standing to her feet along with Tess.

"I knew you two were hooking up. I should have known. What type of professional sleeps around with her clients. I am glad her office got destroyed. She had that coming!" Tess yelled throwing her ring at Stef.

"I told you to watch what you say", Stef knew that she had to be careful with her word choices for the sake of Lena's reputation. "I never said that I slept with Lena. And I'm not sure what delusional world you are in but no one was hooking up behind your back. Maybe if you cared or focused more you would've seen that I tried to make this work while you couldn't give two fucks. But to be completely honest, now that I am single I wouldn't mind taking her out on a date and seeing where things go. She has been way more intuitive than you have ever been. And please tell me, how exactly did you know about her office?"

Stef knew for a fact that Kelly didn't call Tess because Stef is the contact for the appointments and scheduling. And nothing has been released to any papers or news outlets, so how exactly did she know.

Tess froze as Stef turned and walked out of the apartment. Things were finally starting to fit together. She pulled out her phone and called Nate, "We need to investigate Tess. She has a male cousin named Dean that happens to be in town. I think they have something to do with Lena".

….

Lena finally gets back from being with Kelly all day. She had a great time but she couldn't wait to see Stef. When she saw Stef's car out front she practically rushed to the door and took out the key that was given to her that morning.

As soon as she opened the door, Stef was leaning against the wall waiting on the other side flowers in hand. Lena gasped as she felt her heart begin to crumble she closed the door behind her and embraced Stef who took in her scent while kissing her forehead.

"Hello Gorgeous", Stef said as she stepped away and handed Lena the flowers.

"Stef these are so beautiful. You didn't have to get me anything".

"I know. But when I saw them they reminded me of you. So I couldn't help it".

Stef grabbed her hand and led her further into the apartment. She had a full Italian meal set up on the table with wine and candles.

"Stef you cooked?"

"Ha No. I got this from a really great restaurant that I knew you would love, but I wanted you to myself tonight. But I did go grocery shopping and everything is fully stocked; so maybe you can teach me how?"

Lena couldn't stop smiling as she made her way to the table and Stef sat down right next to her.

"Had a good spa day?" Stef asked, wanting to talk to Lena a little more before digging in.

"Yes. You were right. It did help. How was everything today. Get some things done?" Lena quickly saw concerned look go across Stef's face but it disappeared so quickly that she was doubting seeing it at all.

"Yes, love. Loads of things done. In fact there is something that I have been dying to ask you, for longer than you probably believe".

Lena felt her heart speed up as she looked over to Stef who now turned her entire body towards her.

"And what is that?"

"Dr. Lena Adams, as you know I love you. I love you more than I thought I could already. So who knows how much love I will have for you years from now. But right now, I am asking you, begging you, to please be my girlfriend". Stef smiled as she tried to indiscreetly wipe her sweaty palms on her pants.

"So you…" Lena knew that Stef broke things off with Tess. She wouldn't have asked if she didn't. But she just couldn't believe it.

Stef pulled the diamond engagement ring out of her pocket and observed it. "Love shouldn't be for show. Especially when I have real love right here". Stef turned and tossed the ring in the trash and looked back to a stunned Lena.

"That was a beautiful ring," Lena whispered surprised that she just threw it away, causing Stef to laugh.

"I already have something even more stunning". Stef leaned in a kissed Lena's tear stained face as she wrapped her arms around Stef's neck pulling her in closer and tighter.