Chapter 67:

Sharon looked around and realized they were surrounded by men. Weary warriors who just came back from a war and had no idea how to support someone who needed it.

"How are you?" Brenda asked tiredly.

"I'm fine, but you sure look like you could use a hot beverage. How about tea?" Sharon asked and Brenda nodded quickly, apparently craving for a moment of quiet.

"Captain, you really should be going home. You need to rest," Flynn said, but Sharon had already started walking with Brenda towards the cafeteria, trying to ignor a splitting headache that started when she was talking to Blackburn.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at a small table with two cups of boiling tea. Brenda was holding her cup with both hands and staring at the steams. Sharon watched her carefully, not sure of what to say to her, until she looked up and gazed in her eyes.

"Thank you, Sharon. They were starting to drive me crazy over there," Brenda said in her southern accent and Sharon gave her an empathetic smile.

"It's so funny," Sharon chuckled, "but I can't bring myself to call you by your name. I'm not used to anything but Chief Johnson."

"Oh, please don't call me that," Brenda said jokingly and shook her head.

Sharon smiled at her for a few moments and then asked, "how's the new job?"

"Interesting. It's nothing like catching the bad guys, but…" Brenda stopped in midsentence.

"But helping to convict them is just as important," Sharon said in low voice that made her sound dramatic, and Brenda nodded.

"So…" she said after a few seconds of silence.

"So?" Sharon asked and took a sip from her tea.

"Are you and Andy still hot and heavy?" Brenda asked. Sharon choked and started coughing. Brenda watched her for a few moments, trying not to chuckle and wondering if she should pat her on the back, until she eventually stopped coughing.

"What?" Sharon's voice was hoarse when she could finally speak again.

"Oh, don't worry, your secret's safe with us," Brenda said calmly and sipped from her tea.

"Us?"

"Us – Fritz and I… and the FBI."

"What? How? Why?" Sharon was too shocked to be coherent.

"Surely you know that they have followed you several times?"

"I…"

"Well, they found out about you two. But don't worry, it's only three people including Fritz, and he convinced the other two that they had no business in reporting you to your bosses."

Sharon's mind went blank. All she could feel at the moment was her fear of being discovered. In her mind she could see herself in Taylor's office, sitting sadly across the table as he was firing her.

"Seriously, Sharon. They've known for months now. If nothing happened yet…"

"Months?!" her heart skipped a beat. All this time she was sure they had it all figured out, and now she finds out it was nothing but a false sense of control.

"Oh, you two should come for dinner," Brenda tried to turn the subject on its brighter side.

"W… what?" Sharon stuttered, once again in shock. She never thought that Brenda will someday be her friend outside of work. Most of the time she felt like a high school student who was trying to be liked by the queen bee, but she always just admired her from afar.

"Yes! I have much more free time on my hands now, it'd be great!" Brenda smiled and took another sip from her tea.

"Yes, great," Sharon muttered. She wasn't sure how a dinner with just the four of them would be, or if Brenda and her could really be friends.

"Well, I'd better get back there, for when he comes out of recovery," Brenda said while getting on her feet.

They walked back to the flock of men waiting in the corridor and Flynn came towards them, meeting them half way – far enough to whisper to Sharon without being heard by the rest.

"We should go before Provenza and Blackburn kill each other."

"Um…" Sharon said and looked at Brenda hesitantly.

"It's fine, you won't be able to see Fritz today anyway. Thank you for coming," she smiled at them and resumed walking. Flynn turned around and signalled Provenza to come with them.

"Finally. I can't stand to see his face anymore," Provenza said grumpily as they walked to the elevators.

"What did you two talk about?" Flynn asked Sharon.

"She invited us for dinner," she said and Flynn froze on the spot in shock.