A/N: This could probably be considered chapter 1B, since it's still taking place the same night. I just had some trouble fleshing this out. I'm also probably getting stuff wrong, due to my general lack of knowledge of law enforcement and crime scene procedures, so please bear with any factual errors.

I know this is mainly supposed to be a Brenda/Fritz tale, but I wanted to include some the other characters too. I love her squad. And Brenda loves them and they love her. So I threw in a small bit about her boys trying to take care of her in their own way.

Part 2:

Provenza had taken charge of the crime scene. Raydor had gone to the hospital to check on Rusty and get his statement and the uniforms and most of the other personnel were clearing out, leaving a couple of officers from FID and SID who were still gathering evidence. Provenza gathered the men from Major Crimes around him.

"Ok", said Provenza. "Sanchez, go on to the hospital and keep an eye on Stroh. Make sure he's as uncomfortable as possible. Gabriel, find out when Fritz's flight lands and meet him at the airport. He's not going to be in any frame of mind to drive. Tao, find out what can clean up this mess without leaving a stain. The Chief won't want to see these blood stains here, and I want them gone before Fritz gets here, too. Flynn, there's a metric ton of paperwork that needs to be done. Head back downtown and get started on it. I'll stay here with the Chief 'til Fritz gets here." Tao, Sanchez, and Gabriel moved to comply with their orders. Flynn hung back.

"Fritz won't be here for hours."

"I know that. Are you suggesting we leave her here alone?"

"Of course not. But we can post some uniforms."

Provenza pointed to the FID officers and lowered his voice. "You want THEM poking around her home unsupervised? Someone's gotta keep an eye on them, and it might as well be me."

"Good point. I'll save some paperwork for you."

Provenza merely grunted a reply as Flynn went on his way.

Two minutes later, Flynn was back.

"Andy, paperwork."

"I'm going, but look who I found outside."

Provenza noticed the bundle of orange fur in Flynn's arms.

"Crap. Tao! Make sure all the windows and doors are shut. I'm not going to be responsible for anything happening to her cat."

"I'll take care of it, " Flynn said as he passed Joel off to Provenza. Provenza immediately handed him over to Tao, brushing cat hair off his suit. "Put him someplace safe."

"Let's go find your mommy, ok Joel?"

Tao found Brenda in her bedroom, curled on the bed with the phone to her ear. Not wanting to interrupt, he just put the cat down and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

"You give her the cat?" Provenza asked.

"Yes."

"How's she looking?" Provenza asked.

"Hard to say. She's on the phone, with Fritz I'd imagine."

"Still?"

"I know you wouldn't know from experience, but that's what a GOOD marriage looks like," Flynn remarked.

"Oh shut up. Like you'd know either. Wiseass. What are you still doing here anyway?"

"We busted the front door down, remember? I'm fixing it."

"You'd do anything to get out of paperwork."

"And you wouldn't?"

What neither man would admit was avoiding paperwork had very little to do with it in this instance. She was their chief, and they felt it their duty to watch over her. More than that, she was family. They would not leave her alone or in the hands of strangers.

Fritz felt like he was rambling. He didn't even have any idea what he was talking about. But she wanted him to talk to her, so he did. Occasionally, he'd ask if she was still there, or still awake. She'd say yes, and he'd keep talking. About halfway through the flight, he heard a beep in his ear. He checked the phone's display and saw a "low battery" message flashing. He reached into his bag for the charger, nearly cursing when he realized it wasn't there. He was going to have to hang up.

"Honey, I'm so sorry, but the phone's battery is just about dead. I have to hang up. Will you be ok?"

"Yes," she replied softly.

"Are any of your people there with you?" Please, please don't let her be there all alone…

"Yes."

She did not sound right and his worry ratcheted up another notch. He did not want to sever the connection between them, but he didn't have a choice. His phone beeped at him again.

Brenda, I'll be there in a couple of hours, ok? Just as soon as I can. I'm coming, ok?

"Ok."

He felt awful, and he knew the phone was about the shut down. "I love you, Brenda. More than anything in the world."

"I love you, too."

And then the phone shut down. Damn it! He knew it wasn't true, but he felt like he'd abandoned her. He dropped his head into his hands in despair.

Why, why, WHY had he gone to DC? He never should have left. He should have been home. He should have protected her. He knew she was strong and capable, but he was her husband. Protecting her was part of his job description. She was the most precious thing in his life, and he felt like he'd failed her in this instance.

He realized he still really had no idea what happened. Brenda hadn't told him anything. In fact, she'd hardly spoken at all. And Provenza hadn't provided much information either. All sorts of awful scenarios ran through his mind to fill in the blanks. Then one fact slammed into his brain and stole his breath: Philip Stroh was a rapist. Had the bastard touched her? His stomach rolled, and he took deep breaths to try to keep from throwing up. But it did nothing to quell his panic and dread. Nothing would. He wouldn't be able to calm down until he saw her for himself, held her in his arms, and knew she was safe.

Again, he mentally kicked himself for being so far away. He wanted her in his arms right now. He needed to see her right now. He raked his hands through his hair in agitated frustration. My God, this was the longest flight ever. In the history of time. Couldn't this damn thing fly any faster? He was jumpy as hell. Someone asked if he wanted a drink. Did he ever. He had no idea where he got the fortitude to turn it down. He had a feeling he was going to need to call his sponsor after this and maybe go to a meeting. Or six.

Brenda felt bereft at the loss of Fritz's voice when his phone had died. He had kept her calm, kept her from being overwhelmed by the events of the day. It was all too much. She wiped at the tears that just kept coming and hugged Fritz's pillow tighter, burying her face in it to inhale his scent.

Joel jumped up onto the bed and rubbed against her. She pulled him closer and hugged him, taking some comfort in his purrs and soft fur. But she wanted Fritz. She needed someone to hold her together, and he was the only one who could.

She stared at the clock, counting the minutes. Each one passed so very slowly, and she didn't know how she could hold on. She listened to the officers and detectives moving around the house. It should have disturbed her, but right now it just meant she wasn't alone. She'd heard Flynn and Provenza bickering at each other a couple of times and she found it oddly comforting. It was just so normal and familiar and the rest of her world right now wasn't.

But she couldn't think about how things were changing right now. Stroh, her job, Mama, … A fresh wave of tears began, and she didn't even try to wipe them away. She forced herself to focus back on the clock and counting the minutes until Fritz would finally be here to save her.

At long long last, the plane landed in Los Angeles. Fritz bolted from his seat, his aim to get to his car and home as fast as humanly possible. But as he deplaned, he was pointed towards a Crown Vic in the distance and he saw Gabriel approaching him.

"Agent Howard."

"Sergeant. What happened? Have you seen her? Is she hurt?"

"She's ok. She's not hurt that I saw." He watched Fritz sag in relief, but look at him hungry for answers. "Let's go. I'll tell you on the way."

Gabriel hit the lights and siren and drove back toward the duplex as fast as he could.

"David, I need you to tell me what happened. Please."

"All of it, or just what happened at your house?"

What do you mean, 'all of it'?"

Oh crap, thought Gabriel. He doesn't know about earlier.

"Well…" Gabriel hesitated. How should he tell him this? He decided to just stick to the facts and get it out. "The Chief attacked Stroh this afternoon, in the elevators at headquarters."

"What?!"

"She'd had him in interview and hadn't gotten anything out of him. She just seemed off somehow. Not quite herself. And then he mentioned her mother."

Fritz was feeling sick. "What about her mother?"

"That he'd been keeping tabs on the Chief, like she had on him, and he, uh, wanted to say how sorry he was. It happened so fast. She lunged and rammed him face first into the back of the elevator and just went off on him. It took both me and Sanchez to pull her off. Her hands were covered in his blood, and then she just took off. I don't know where to."

Fritz was silent for long moments as he tried to take this in. Finally, his brain caught up.

"DNA."

"What?" asked Gabriel, confused.

"You didn't have DNA tying Stroh to anything, did you?"

"No." Realization dawned on Gabriel. "Oh my God… And knowing she had that, that could have been enough to set him off, to send him after her and Rusty."

"Yes, it could. Now please tell me what happened tonight."

Gabriel took a deep breath and continued. "I didn't hear all of her statement, but it looks like he got in through a window. He grabbed Rusty and put a knife to his throat, but the kid managed to break free. The Chief tried to get to her gun in her purse, and there was a struggle. Rusty got stabbed in the leg, and Stroh went for the Chief. She shot him through the purse. We found 4 casings - three of the four bullets hit him. He was unconscious by the time we got there." Gabriel decided to leave out some details about what happened after the police arrived at the house, especially about the Chief not wanting to relinquish her weapon.

Fritz took all of this in silently. But one thing haunted him. "David, did he… You know what he is. Did he, did he touch her?"

Gabriel swallowed hard. Oh God. He hadn't even thought of that. "I did not see any indication of that." They were approaching Brenda and Fritz's neighborhood now, and Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to continue the narrative.

Gabriel pulled into the driveway, and Fritz was out of the car before it had fully stopped.

Fritz burst into the house. He saw Tao, Flynn, and Provenza sitting vigil in the living room. They rose as Fritz entered. "Where is she," he asked.

"In your bedroom." He ran down the hall and the detectives looked at each other. Fritz looked like hell. But they could only imagine how terrified he must have been to get a call like that while on the other side of the country.

Fritz paused at the bedroom door. He couldn't just charge in - he'd scare the hell out of her. He took a deep breath and knocked before carefully opening the door. "Brenda?" He saw her curled on their bed, and once she looked up at him, he was by her side in three quick strides. Heart pounding at the sight of her, alive and whole.

She could hardly believe her eyes. He was here. He was finally here. "Fritzy…"

He cupped her face gently in his hands and got a good look at her. She looked uninjured, but he broke at her eyes. Wet and fearful and weary. A sob escaped her and he pulled her into his arms. She clutched at his suit coat and held on for dear life.

They held each other in silence for a few minutes when Provenza knocked softly on the open door frame and cleared his throat. Fritz looked up.

"I've got 2 black and whites posted outside the house. They'll stay at least for tonight. Do you need anything before we go?"

"No. Thanks, Lieutenant."

Provenza nodded and made his exit, trying not to dwell on how very small his normally tough, fierce chief looked at that moment huddled in her husband's arms.

Brenda was so relieved to be in Fritz's arms. She'd been aching for this for hours. She finally stopped trying to hold it together and let go, great sobs wracking her small frame. Fritz pulled her even closer to him.

"It's ok, Brenda. It's ok. Shh… I'm right here. I've got you."

He rubbed her back and rocked her slightly before just pulling her into his lap to hold her as close as possible.

"Shh… It's ok. You're safe. It's all over. It's all over now."

It's all over now.

His words echoed in her mind. All over. Not just the immediate incident, but her job, her career. It might really all be over now.

TBC...