She hadn't planned on it happening like that—she hadn't planned on it happening so soon at all. But it just sort of…did. They'd been making out like teenagers for weeks, neither daring to go beyond copping an occasional feel, both hesitant to push the other too far.

Brenda had been standing at the sink doing dishes after their shared meal. The top half of her hair was pulled back from her face, secured with a clip, and she was wearing a pale pink tank top and a pair of soft gray lounge pants that sat low across her hips. She was singing quietly to herself, her hips shifting slightly from side to side as she danced along with the song, the movements periodically causing her to splash some of the soapy dishwater up onto the counter around the edges of the sink.

Sharon had stopped in her tracks when she entered the kitchen, a soft smile spreading across her features as she took in the sight before her. After a minute, she resumed her course, padding over to stand behind the younger woman. Carefully, she slipped one last dish into the soapy water before her arms snaked around the blonde's slim waist, her chin resting on her shoulder. Brenda stopped, momentarily startled, before she relaxed into Sharon's embrace.

"Hey," she said quietly, turning her head to place a chaste kiss on Sharon's cheek. "Were you trying to sneak up on me?"

"Hey yourself," came Sharon's soft reply. "No, and I didn't mean to interrupt your dish dance party either…"

"My dish dance party?"

"Mmmhmm," the brunette hummed in the affirmative.

She pulled back slightly, her hands moving to gather up soft blonde curls, shifting them over one shoulder and she continued, "the singing, the dancing, the soapy water, the dishes…" pausing as she spoke to place kisses along the exposed skin of Brenda's shoulder and neck, ending at the sensitive spot just behind her ear.

Brenda leaned into her then, her head dropping back against Sharon to allow greater access before turning to capture the brunette's wandering mouth with her own. She let out a soft moan and the blonde used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, neither of them caring for the moment about the awkward angle. One of Sharon's hands slowly traveled up under the soft pink fabric of Brenda's tank top to palm a breast while the other began gently teasing the sensitive skin of her stomach, skirting along the edge of her lounge pants. Brenda whimpered and before Sharon even realized what was happening, her hand had slipped under the waistband and made its way lower…and…it had been so, so good. In fact, Sharon was hard pressed to think of a time she had ever been so turned on by giving pleasure to another person.

She had only had a moment to contemplate that before the feel of Brenda's hot breath on her neck vanished and she was twirled around and pressed hard against the counter. Their lips met in a searing kiss imbued with a level of need Sharon wasn't expecting, but welcomed nonetheless. She hardly registered the cool moisture crawling along the small of her back as the water Brenda had splashed on the edge of the sink slowly wicked into the soft cotton of Sharon's shirt.

The blonde had barely gotten Sharon's jeans unzipped and her hand where Sharon wanted it and she was already embarrassingly close to coming. She pulled back, biting her lip hoping the pain would help prolong the encounter, but she was on fire. Her whole body was coursing with desire and arousal and there was no going back, no slowing down. Brenda's hand shifted slightly, the pressure increasing, and in an instant the last thread she'd been hanging onto snapped. The orgasm ripped through Sharon taking her breath and her vision with it, muscles spasming uncontrollably as she let go completely. All that existed was the intense pleasure of her release and the blissful fog that followed.

When Sharon came back to herself, Brenda was holding her tightly, using her arm and the counter to help keep the older woman from sliding limply down to the floor. They'd both stood there, unmoving, chests heaving as they struggled to catch their breath, heart rates slowly returning to a more normal pace.

Finally Sharon shifted, bracing one hand on the edge of the counter, her cheeks flushed, legs still unsteady. She ran a hand through her hair and blinked a few more times, smiling almost shyly at Brenda as her brain tried to catch up with what had just happened.

The embarrassment or insecurity or whatever it was she felt mounting was ridiculous considering the level of intimacy they'd just shared, but the little voice in the back of Sharon's head was there all the same. She wasn't the type of person to go around having sex for the first time with someone in the middle of the kitchen! Except that apparently she was—and she was the one who'd instigated it! Well, her body had at any rate. And, as much as her brain was trying to get weird about it after the fact, she honestly couldn't say she regretted it in the slightest.

Sharon felt an answering smile grace the younger woman's lips as Brenda leaned in and placed a soft, reassuring kiss to her lips and then another to her forehead. Before either of them could speak, the shrill tones of a cell phone rang out through the condo. They both sighed, foreheads resting together briefly, neither of them wanting to move, but both knowing the mere fact that a phone had rung at this hour didn't bode well for the rest of their evening. When the phone rang again seconds later, Brenda groaned and stomped off toward the living room to retrieve the offending device.

It was hers and, as expected, Sergeant Gabriel was calling to inform her that they'd caught a case. Brenda worried her bottom lip with her teeth and shot Sharon an apologetic look as she gathered her things. The older woman had already put herself back together by the time she joined Brenda in the living room. Her pants refastened, her shirt and hair smoothed back into place.

Brenda stopped to give the brunette one more lingering kiss before tearing herself away and heading for the door. While she was relieved to be avoiding a discussion about what just had happened between them, she knew it was only a temporary reprieve. This was a big step for them and a first for Sharon. There was no way they weren't going to end up talking about it sooner or later, but later worked just fine for Brenda.

. . .

Sharon finished washing the dishes, drained the sink, and wiped the excess water from where it had splashed on the counter and the floor. She stripped off her wet shirt and put her hair up in a clip, deciding on a quick shower before changing into pajamas. Returning to the living room, she sat down on the couch and curled herself around a throw pillow, gradually allowing her mind to revisit what had happened with Brenda.

The whole experience had been…unexpected…Perhaps it was the novelty of being touched by someone else again after such a long time. Perhaps it was the person doing the touching, or the fact that the tension between them had been building up for weeks…months even.

Or perhaps this was what it was supposed to be like all along and she'd just been so busy doing what was expected of her that she'd never realized things could be…different…The weight of that realization caused her arms to tighten reflexively around the pillow and she let out a shaky breath, blinking against the prick of unshed tears.

There'd been no need for her to work to maintain focus, to be in the 'right headspace,' to chase after the fleeting sensations that in the past had so often remained just out of reach. With Brenda, the intensity of her desire had been immediate—surprising—and she'd been completely unprepared for it. It had overwhelmed her, consumed her until that was all that remained. It had been expansive and liberating in a way she couldn't properly articulate…and in a way that was difficult for her to reconcile with the casual setting. If that's what an…accidental, hurried encounter in the kitchen was like, was she even equipped to handle a more intentional, extended encounter in an actual bed?

The question had barely formed in her mind when the ringing of her phone interrupted her train of thought. Apparently now wasn't the time. Setting the throw pillow aside, she reached for the phone and looked at the caller ID. Great. Just wonderful. Maybe it was just a coincidence, her getting called in tonight so soon after Brenda. Maybe…

. . .

Sharon jammed her finger so hard into the button of the elevator console, she was surprised when it actually popped back into place. She managed to refrain from hitting the close door button, but only just barely and only because several other people had stepped into the elevator with her. Instead, she glanced at her watch and clutched her notebook even more tightly under one arm, waiting as the elevator made its way ever-so-slowly toward her destination, stopping twice to let her fellow officers off. She didn't miss the way their shoulders relaxed as they stepped out of the elevator, nor the speed with which they moved away from her, seeking the distance and relative safety of their respective divisions.

When the doors finally opened onto the floor that housed Priority Homicide, she stormed out, her heels echoing loudly as she made her way down the hall to the murder room. Stepping in, she scanned the room, but was unable to locate either of her targets anywhere in sight. Shaking her head slightly to herself, she made a beeline for Electronics, opening the door without so much as a knock. She cast her eyes around the darkened room, but only encountered the back of Buzz's head, large headphones covering his ears as he reviewed footage on a monitor. A glance at the monitors for the interview rooms confirmed the two individuals she was looking for weren't there either. She closed the door again with a sigh and turned on her heel, heading back into the murder room, taking a moment to rub her forehead in an attempt to stave off the headache that was already beginning to form behind her right eye.

This time, when she entered the room her eyes settled on the familiar blonde Deputy Chief, huddled near the murder board conferring with Sergeant Gabriel and Lieutenant Tao.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Sharon began, announcing her presence. Her cool, clipped tone cut through the room causing the three of them to startle slightly, their shoulders tensing in unison before they turned around to face her.

"Chief Johnson, a word?" It wasn't a request. Her eyes were hard behind her glasses, her head tilting slightly in the direction of Brenda's office as she spoke. As soon as she saw the blonde's eyes follow the movement, she started toward the office, shifting her notebook from where it had been nestled under her arm.

Brenda turned to excuse herself, catching Sergeant Gabriel's face contorted in a sour expression he did little to hide. She'd known this was coming, but she let out a huff of frustration at the interruption all the same.

When she stepped into her office, she shut the door and reached for the blinds, snapping them closed with more force than was strictly necessary. Sharon watched as the younger woman's bright floral skirt swished in response to the movement. She took in the black bolero jacket and underneath, a pale pink tank top—the same soft pink fabric she'd had her hand underneath mere hours ago. She shook her head and refocused, clutching her notepad to her chest now like a shield. This wasn't the time.

"Chief—"

"Captain Ray—"

They both started at the same time before breaking off, each now waiting for the other to speak. After an awkward pause, Brenda gave in, gesturing for Sharon to go first.

"Chief Johnson, where are Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza? Her voice was smooth and even, like honey, belying her frustration with the current situation. "A use of force complaint was filed by your suspect's attorney this evening regarding an incident that took place in your interview room. An incident involving two of your lieutenants."

"Yes, Captain, I'm fully aware of—"

"I'm sure you are, Chief," Sharon continued, raising her voice only marginally as she talked over the blonde. "And yet," she paused, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the murder room, though nothing could be seen at the moment through the closed blinds, "the lieutenants are both conspicuously absent." The last word coming out just shy of a hiss.

She took a slow, deep breath, letting the air out as quietly as possible trying to calm herself without drawing attention to the effort. She had narrowly managed to avoid shouting at her superior officer not to interrupt her, although the words had almost spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was too close of a call, she was too close to the edge right now after the way the evening had started. She needed to get a grip and get some distance between her personal feelings and the current situation.

She set her jaw and inhaled again. There was a hollow ache forming in the pit of her stomach; this was what she'd feared when they'd started becoming friendly. She didn't want to believe it, that Brenda would wilfully undermine her investigation like this. Especially now that they were…well, whatever they were, but so far all evidence pointed to—

"Now you hold on just one minute, Captain. You can't just come storming in here madder than a wet hen and accuse me of obstructing your investigation when you have no idea what's going on!" Her hands were on her hips and she was starting to get riled up herself. How could Sharon even think that she'd do that to her now that…

"I did nothing of the sort, Chief," Sharon's voice dropped lower, the tone icy, her diction becoming even more clear and precise. "I did not 'storm in' anywhere, nor do I appreciate being likened to any kind of farm animal, wet or otherwise. I merely asked you where the lieutenants are since I have been unable to locate either of them in the Murder Room, Electronics, or your interview rooms and I need to interview them. According to procedure, they should not have—"

"Yes, Captain, we are all well acquainted with the procedure for use of force investigations." She couldn't hide the exasperation that crept into her words, but she sighed and let her hands drop from her hips hoping the change in her posture might help put a stop to the rapidly escalating tension. Sharon was standing rigidly in front of her, clearly upset despite her cool exterior. Brenda needed to get control of the situation before it got any further out of hand or it wasn't going to end well for either of them. Switching tactics, she carefully approached the brunette and started again.

"Captain—Sharon," she said more softly, placing one hand on Sharon's arm and the other on her notebook. She felt the muscles in the other woman's arm tense further under her fingers and guarded green eyes met brown. Brenda held her gaze, keeping her own expression open for Sharon to read while applying gentle but firm pressure. Finally, she felt Sharon relax enough that she could shift the notebook down and away from its position as shield. When she was satisfied that the brunette was at least willing to listen, she went on.

"Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza have not left the premises, nor are they hiding out somewhere in an attempt to thwart your investigation," she explained, still maintaining eye contact. "They're in the break room getting checked out by a paramedic."

"I couldn't very well leave them in the interview room with the suspect, that awful attorney would have gone ballistic. And the break room—which at least has a sink and paper towels—seemed like a better option than Lt. Flynn bleeding all over my murder room while we waited for you and the paramedics to arrive."

Sharon exhaled and the hollow feeling loosened its hold as Brenda's words sank in. "Ah, I see," came her quiet reply.

"The complaint is total bullshit," Brenda asserted. Sharon flinched at the blonde's language, but refrained from commenting. "I asked Buzz to cue up the footage from the interview room so you can see for yourself what happened—after you conduct the required interviews, of course."

Sharon cleared her throat and placed a hand over Brenda's on her arm, squeezing gently before nodding and lifting her notepad once more. Brenda let her hand fall away as the older woman moved toward the door. Sharon stopped, her hand on the knob and said, "Thank you, Chief," flashing the briefest of smiles before turning and exiting the office.

After interviewing both lieutenants and the alleged victim, Sharon returned to Electronics, taking the proffered headphones from Buzz and nodding for him to start the tape.

As Sharon watched, she saw Flynn enter the interview room and walk to the far side where he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, toothpick settled firmly in the corner of his mouth. The suspect entered next, followed by Lt. Provenza, who walked behind the chair, pulling it out and stepping to the side to make room for the suspect to take a seat. The suspect, who was visibly intoxicated, stumbled and fell on his way to the chair, reaching out with cuffed hands in an attempt to catch himself. Instead, the force of his forward momentum propelled the chair into Lt. Provenza, who had, in turn, stumbled backward, slamming into Lt. Flynn.

While Lt. Provenza had come away with a minor scrape on the back of his head from the end of Flynn's toothpick, the force of the impact had left Lt. Flynn with a gouged cheek (also from the toothpick), a bruised foot (courtesy of Provenza's heel), and a gash on the back of the head from where it had collided with the wall. The victim came away with bruised knees, as well as some minor scrapes and bruising on his wrists and forearms from the handcuffs and where his arms connected with the chair as he went down.

The whole situation was almost comical. Almost. If not for the fact that people had been injured and she was wasting her time and taxpayer dollars investigating a bogus claim. A claim filed by a desperate attorney who was using his knowledge of Andy Flynn's reputation as a hothead to buy himself more time for his client to sober up and get his story straight before being interviewed.

Sharon removed the headphones, thanking Buzz and requesting a copy of the footage for her report. She stepped out of Electronics and headed back into the Murder Room.

"Chief Johnson," Sharon knocked on the door frame, but made no move to enter despite the open door. When the blonde looked up, she continued, "I've completed my interviews, reviewed the footage, and am heading back to my office now to write up my report."

She looked at her watch, "I should have everything filed within the next hour, hour and a half, tops. Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza will be exonerated of all charges and are free to go…wherever it is they go when they're not here. Lt. Flynn refused to be taken to the hospital and was looking a little pale after the paramedic stitched him up, but he'll be cleared to return to duty as early as tomorrow morning if he's feeling up to it."

"Thank you, Captain. I appreciate you filing your report so quickly. The lieutenants will be happy to hear they won't be required to wait out the full 72-hours this time."

Sharon nodded, lingering for another moment before adding, "I have to admit that your initial characterization of this particular complaint was, indeed, accurate." She didn't miss Brenda's eyes widening in genuine surprise at the admission before the younger woman plastered an overly exaggerated smile on her face.

"Why, Captain Raydor, I never thought I'd live to see the day!" The blonde's response was only half joking..

"Go ahead, mark your calendar, Chief. These things only happen about once every seven years or so," Sharon deadpanned before turning to leave with a wave. "Good luck with your case."