Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait! Real life got hectic for a little while but now I'm back!

"I wanted to punch the bitch in the face." Sharon went to pour herself a glass of wine and was only able to get a sip in the glass before realizing it was empty.

"Whoa!" Brenda's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You don't call people bitches, you say it's derogatory toward women."

"It is." Sharon nodded curtly, "this woman is still a bitch." Sharon uncorked a new bottle and filled up her glass – nearly to the top.

"Wow." Brenda sipped her wine. "It must have been intense. Rusty's been in his room all evening."

"Poor kid." Sharon frowned. "I can't stand that woman."

"You're gonna have to learn her some manners."

Sharon snorted, "I think you've had enough wine for the night." Sharon made a show of reaching for Brenda's glass and Brenda swatted her away. "Do you have any contact with her?"

"Not really, I mostly only see Gabriel and Andrea. I don't like lawyers, you know."

"I did notice that," Sharon nodded.

Sharon slammed the door shut. D.D.A. Emma Rios jumped.

"Listen to me," Sharon growled in a warning tone. "I understand that you're young and eager to prove yourself. I understand that you have to be tough as nails to compete in a man's world. But you were unnecessarily cruel yesterday. He's your witness; he's just a kid."

"The defense - "

"The defense will bring it up but that does not give you the right to berate him. There is a fine line between preparing him and being cruel."

Emma was quiet.

"He's your witness. You be nice to him. Prepare him for cross, by all means, but prepare him for you preparing him for cross. You may be a lawyer and you might feel like you're above us lowly cops but believe me when I tell you that you do not want me as an enemy. There is no end to the shitstorm that I can rain down upon you. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Emma opened her mouth to speak.

Sharon held her hand up, effectively silencing her. "Nod if you understand."

Emma nodded curtly.

"Fine." Sharon nodded back. "Now get out of my office."

"Yes, ma'am." Emma quickly gathered her file in her arms and scurried out of Sharon's office. As she leaned back against the closed door she rolled her eyes at herself. The woman certainly was a force of nature.

"Hey," Andrea knocked on the doorframe of Brenda's office. "Got a sec?"

"Sure." Brenda set her pen down.

"Can you have Sharon set me up with Josh Lewis?"

Brenda chuckled, "you could ask her yourself; she doesn't bite."

"I don't want her to know… Maybe… If you guys had a dinner party and you suggested that she should invite Josh Lewis. Make it sound… like your idea?"

"My idea to set the two of you up?"

"Yeah."

Brenda pulled a thinking face. "I don't know if that would sound like me. I generally don't think that much about other people – Sharon knows that."

Andrea pouted and Brenda added quickly, "but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you!" Andrea threw Brenda a grin before disappearing, leaving Brenda to shake her head, surprised at herself for getting roped into such a scheme.

That evening, Brenda found Sharon sitting on the bed with a case folder open on her lap. Brenda crossed to her dresser to pull out her pyjamas – pink plaid pants with a black lace camisole top, a set she'd usurped from Sharon during their separation and now favored over all other sets.

Brenda dropped the garments on the edge of the bed, facing Sharon as she pulled off her tee slowly. Sharon caught the movement out of the corner of her eye but didn't look up. Brenda wiggled her hips enticingly as she slid her skirt down her hips – which only earned her a coy smirk.

It wasn't until Brenda pulled off her bra – bringing out the big guns, so to speak – that she earned Sharon's full attention. She closed the case file and quirked an eyebrow, inviting Brenda to distract her further – Brenda was always up for a challenge.

Brenda climbed over Sharon, defiantly pushing the file folder to the floor before pulling Sharon in for a kiss. Sharon moaned against Brenda's mouth; Brenda slipped her fingers into Sharon's silken waves.

When they broke apart, Sharon toyed with the waistband of Brenda's panties. "You missed something."

"Not until you take something off." Brenda teased.

The next morning Brenda was roused by the smell of bacon. She threw off the covers and hurried downstairs to see Sharon in her pyjama shorts and a well-loved, stretched out Steve Garvey jersey from the 1981 Dodgers world series win hovering over a skillet full of sizzling bacon.

"Mmm." Brenda purred. "I must have done something right last night."

Sharon turned away from her cooking, fixing Brenda with a grin. Sharon wrapped an arm around Brenda and pulled her close. "You, my dear, do a lot of things very right…"

Brenda leaned up and captured her lips.

Rusty entered the kitchen with his hand over his eyes, "let me know when it's safe."

They separated and Sharon laughed, "we're done." Sharon scooped up the bacon slices and put them on a plate and held it out to Brenda, "here, you guys can get started; the eggs'll be ready in a second."

Brenda set the plate on the table and she and Rusty each grabbed a few slices.

Brenda took her first bite, savoring the delicious breakfast treat for a moment before swallowing. "Oh, Sharon."

"Mm?"

"Is Josh Lewis seeing anyone these days?"

Sharon chuckled, "not that I know of. Why?"

"Andrea wants you to set her up with him."

"Um, okay," Sharon scooped the eggs onto plates. "I can do that, I guess."

"But you have to pretend it was your idea." Brenda said, accepting her plate.

Sharon laughed, "why?"

"I don't know, she's embarrassed or wants to avoid embarrassment. I was supposed to, I don't know, bring it up and make you think that it was your idea."

Rusty narrowed his eyes in confusion, "that sounds complicated… why doesn't she just ask you, Sharon?" He scoffed, "for that matter why doesn't she just ask the guy she wants to go out with?"

Sharon shrugged. "People don't like to be embarrassed. She doesn't want to get turned down. It's diffusion of responsibility."

"How so?"

"Well, if they have a date and he doesn't seem to be having a good time she can blame it on me."

"That's not really fair."

"I've known Josh since college he wouldn't begrudge me one bad date." Sharon took a bite of bacon and thought about it for a moment. "I'll call him later."

Sharon brought over the two bottles of wine - one merlot and one chardonnay – and set them on the table.

Josh picked up the cover to the board game that Angela was setting up. "Passing the Bar? Where did you get this?" He laughed.

Angela looked over at Sharon pointedly. "Ma, you want to take this?"

"It was when she was in law school; I thought it would be a fun way to study."

"So, we're playing a studying game?" James questioned, pouring himself wine. "I don't know how you do it, mom, but you manage to even make parties feel like work."

"Well I'm looking forward to playing, Sharon." Andrea smiled.

"Oh yeah, did I mention that anyone who doesn't suck up to me doesn't get dinner tonight?" Sharon teased.

"Your hair looks lovely today, Sharon." Josh piped up.

"Thank you, Josh." Sharon said, pouring his wine for him and then some for Andrea.

Angela pushed her glass forward, "I'd like some too, mom, please and thank you."

Sharon rolled her eyes playfully but poured the last of the chardonnay into Angela's glass. Brenda triumphantly sipped her wine with one hand protectively on her mostly full bottle of Merlot.

"Where's Rusty tonight?" Angela asked.

"Staying over at a friend's place."

"Somehow he didn't think hanging out with old people wasn't up his alley." Brenda snorted.

"Watch who you're calling old." Sharon smirked, "Josh is liable to be offended."

"Hey!" He laughed. "We're the same age!"

"Yeah, but I don't look it." She teased.

Josh crumpled up napkin and threw it at Sharon.

Brenda poured herself another glass of wine. "Come on, if we don't start playing this stupid game soon you're going to lose me."