Stefanie Foster looks down at her watch. It's silver and the ticker is encrusted with a tiny diamond. Really, it's much too fancy to be wearing to work – much less in a neighbourhood so far south she might as well be in Mexico – but last night, her girlfriend had given it to her as a present for their ten-year anniversary, and she had immediately fallen in love with the gift.

Now, however, she sighs wanting nothing more than to be home eating dinner with her family instead of in this garish neighbourhood that reminds her all too much of the place her adoptive twins, Jesus and Mariana had been raised in for their first few years of life.

Turning to her new partner, who just so happens to be her ex-husband and the father to her first son, she raises an eyebrow. "Prank?"

"Wouldn't be surprising in this kind of neighbourhood," Mike replies, raising his fist to pound the door one last time.

If there was one thing Stef hated, it was time wasters and after the long day she'd had, she could really do without some juvenile delinquents testing her patience and wasting the state's money sending a unit all the way out here.

She takes a moment to study her surroundings. The yard is filled with withered plants that look like they haven't been tended to in years, and the grass is an overgrown forest of weeds and yellowing vegetation. She steps back a moment, the rotten wood of the front porch creaking under her weight, and peers through the window. The curtains are pulled over the dirt stained glass roughly, but she can see inside enough to tell that a light is on round the back somewhere. Just as she's about to turn her back on the house, she hears the padding of feet coming from inside, and she retakes her position by the front door where Mike is fiddling with his radio.

"Mike," she says urgently, as she hears the deadbolt on the other side of the door jiggle. The officer widens his eyes in question, but before Stef can explain, the door is pulled inward to reveal a large, red-faced man.

He studies the officers before him, his eyes lingering for a particularly lengthy time on Stef, before saying, "Can I help you?"

She tries not to feel intimidated by his stare, but something about the man makes the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. After involuntarily shuddering, she pulls herself together and clears her throat. "Hi, I'm Officer Stefanie Foster from the San Diego Police Department, and this is my partner, Officer Mike Foster. We're here regarding a call requesting our service made by someone at this residence."

The man looks between Stef and Mike suspiciously, letting out a puff of air between chapped lips. Stef can't help but feel nauseous at the stench of alcohol coming from him, but swallows the bile in her throat as to not let down her professional front.

"Look, I don't know who made that call and brought you all down here, but I ain't got nothin' to do with it, alright."

Mike sighs, and Stef can tell he's just as tired as she is. Their day hadn't started out great – Stef hadn't exactly been the kindest to him when she had discovered he had asked to be her partner – and she can tell he's still bothered by their tense non-work related conversations that had occurred throughout the working day

Mike unfolds his arms and straightens his stance, ready to make an exit. "I'm sorry to bother you, then, sir. We'll be on our-"

"Are you sure? Maybe it was someone else in the house? A wife or family member, maybe?" Stef interrupts, not quite ready to let this go to rest. Unlike Mike, Stef can tell just by the far off look in the large man's eyes, not to mention the brewery in his mouth, that this situation isn't just a mishap in the system.

The man ponders her words for a moment, reaching a hand up to scratch his nose. "Nope. Ain't got any of them lyin' around here."

His choice of words makes Stef scowl, but before her inner feminist can reprimand him, Mike is already backing up from the door. "Alright, then. Sorry to bother you. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"I will, believe me. I will," the man replies, a glint in his eye that makes Stef want to vomit. Frankly, she's quite thankful that they are leaving now and that she'll be out from under that sleazy man's sordid stare, but she can't help but feel a little niggle that something isn't quite right – that she should have dug a little deeper.

He watches as both officers walk out the front yard and enter the cruiser, only shutting the door and returning inside when Mike starts the engine up. Stef stares at the house and shudders again. Its squalid exterior matches the personality of its owner, and just looking at the place makes her feel uncomfortable.

"Nice guy, huh?" Mike jokes, settling his radio back into his belt before placing his hands back on the steering wheel. Stef takes one last glance at the house, and her breath catches as she spots a small, pale face peaking through the curtain in the front upstairs window.

"Stef?" Mike says, noticing the normally calm, collected blonde's change in demeanour.

She blinks, trying to clear her head, but when she looks back at the window, the face of the kid is nowhere to be seen. Surely she couldn't have imagined it, could she? But she must have – the guy said he didn't have any family, right? The comment he made in regards to her questioning that matter is something that she won't be able to forget for a while.

"Hmm?" she answers Mike as he begins to puts the car into drive.

"You kinda spaced out for a bit," he chuckles, though looking slightly concerned.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." It's been a long day, that's all, she thinks to herself. All I need is some of Lena's homemade lasagne and a nice quiet night in with my babies.

But despite Stef's words of encouragement to herself, she knows that she won't be able to sleep tonight – not without knowing what's really going on in that house.

Thank you SO much for all your reviews/favourites/follows! I didn't expect to receive as big a response as that overnight, and it really made me smile to know that people actually read this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter from Stef's point of view...and hopefully it'll start to answer some questions.

Please leave your thoughts in a review, they really encourage me!

-K. :)