A/N - Hey, I'm new to this fandom and couldn't find many completed fic's about Stef & Lena who I am currently obsessed with so decided to write my own. I have a solid outline of where this is going, and have several chapters already written I just need to write the rest of the fic but I wanted to post chapter one for you to read because I am really excited about this one.

I do hope you like the beginning of this little fic, So everything will be explained in future chapters but just so we are all clear. Stef and Mike have never been together in this fic, they share a surname by coincidence only. I debated using Cooper (Stef's maiden name) but it just didn't fit the story right.

If you have any recommendations for complete Stef & Lena fic's, please share them in the comments or DM me with titles and authors so I can find them, I would be eternally grateful because I cannot get enough of this pairing.

Please also feel free to comment suggestions or kudos/complaints. I like all feedback regardless of whether its positive or negative, all I ask is that you keep it kind and polite.

Thanks for reading

AL xx

-oOo-

It was a Thursday afternoon in San Diego when Stef and Mike were patrolling the mall during one of their quieter shifts of the week. Both were dressed immaculately in their black police uniforms with polished black shoes and looked very impressive to every person that walked past them.

"This shift is dragging ass" Mike commented as he forced a smile at a shopper who was passing them by.

"You're telling me... this is not what I signed up for" Stef groaned.

"Humor me, why did you sign up... and cut the bull about wanting to serve and protect, what's the real reason" Mike smirked as he interrupted Stef as she was about to answer and saw a deep frown develop on her face.

"How did you know what I was about to say?" Stef said on a scoff as Mike's smirk grew into a shit eating grin.

"Call me telepathic" Mike laughed.

"Fine, the truth is... I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps" Stef admitted.

"And?" Mike pushed knowingly.

"And I wanted to carry a gun and not get arrested for it" Stef threw a wink at her partner before glancing around again looking for any signs of trouble, hell after the calm and, dare she say it boring, shift they were having; she half hoped for a gun fight to break out in the quiet suburban mall just to give them something to do.

"She's pretty, on a scale of one to ten how hot would you rate her?" Mike asked, tilting his chin in the direction of a pretty brunette carrying a small toddler in her arms.

"Jesus Mike, that's probably her kid in her arms... have some decorum" Stef glared at the shorter man who grinned wolfishly in return.

"Oh, come on. Let your hair down a little. Are you telling me if she came over to you and gave you her number that you wouldn't ring her?"

"I didn't say that, of course I would ring her she's gorgeous, I just wouldn't objectify her in the middle of a mall while she is carrying her young infant" the blonde said pointedly as she glared at Mike who sighed in frustration at his partner. She was always like this on duty, yet when they went out drinking together, she was the biggest bed hopper going, Stef Foster was a woman who loved the fairer sex and wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to admit it. She loved all women of all kinds: blondes, brunettes, redheads, American, Mexican, even an English woman once. No woman was off the table for Stef and her long-term partner in law enforcement knew this and loved to live vicariously through her.

"Oh, come on, who are you and what have you done with Officer Booty Call" Mike smirked playfully.

"You know what Mike; I hate that nickname. The women who I choose to take home are consenting adults and know exactly what I am offering and are happy to accept that there will be nothing..." the blonde police officer trailed off as her eyes met another womans from across the way. She couldn't explain what had drawn her eyes to this other woman, but something inside her changed, her heart sped up ever so slightly, yet at the same time slowed down dramatically and her mind was completely void of all thoughts other than one word.

'Wow'

"Earth to Stef... where the hell did you go?" Mike said glancing in the direction Stef was staring as she edged around the darker haired officer to try and spot the woman who had caught her attention. But she was gone in the wind.

"Sorry I thought I saw someone I knew" Stef lied easily as she shook her head to rid herself of the ridiculous thoughts swirling around her head about a stranger.

"Was she at least goodlooking?" Mike joked.

"She was stunning" Stef answered almost dreamily which shocked her partner who studied her for a few moments before dragging her away from the spot she was standing staring longingly at.

"Come on... let's get a subway for lunch" Mike suggested.

"Definitely" Stef grinned at her partner as they sped up their pace towards the sandwich shop, but she couldn't help turning back one last time to stare at the spot that those mesmerizing eyes once were.

-oOo-

"Where the hell have you been?" Christina asked as Lena walked through the front door in a hurry, her heart thudding heavily in her chest from seeing her wife's car in the driveway a lot earlier than it should have been there.

"I was doing the grocery shopping" Lena admitted meekly as if she had been caught doing something wrong, having an affair, committing murder or something far more heinous when in fact all she had been doing was the household chores.

"What took so fucking long?" The Latina asked as she stepped into Lena's personal space and encroached the very air in Lena's lungs.

"I stopped by the mall to get Mariana a birthday present" Lena admitted knowing it was pointless lying, her wife would only find out the truth and there would be hell to pay when she did.

"The little brat has enough presents; I saw to that. The money I give you every week is for you to buy food to put on the table not to flitter away" Christina snarled as she grabbed her wife's wrist and squeezed it in her fist. Christina wasn't a well-built woman, she worked out most nights so was faster and stronger than Lena, but she was still of an average height and weight. The problem was she knew her strength and abused it, usually to Lena's detriment.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, it was just a little stuffed toy. She's been obsessed with mermaids since last week and I wanted to get her a stuffed one. It was only a few dollars, but I can take it back and get a refund before I pick her up from school" Lena suggested as she felt Christina's spare hand close around her throat, her thin fingers squeezing against her larynx.

Christina smirked evilly as she felt the whimper at her fingertips at the same time as the sound met her ears. She thrived off causing Lena pain, right now with her wife whimpering and cowering is exactly where she loved being.

"I will tell you what you can and cant do you stupid little bitch" Christina said as she stood tall now and glared down at her wife who was shrinking into the wall and trying to breath through being choked by firm fingers.

"I... Sow...wee" Lena managed to choke out painfully.

"Save your apologies you pathetic little worm. Now your going to put this shopping away and go get that brat. I will allow her to have the mermaid but it is the last time you go behind my back. The next time I will kill you. Do you understand Lena? The only reason your still breathing..." Christina squeezed even harder at Lena's throat before pushing the smaller woman's body hard into the wall "is because I allow it. You fucking remember that you pathetic, worthless piece of shit"

Lena watched as her wife exited the house, slamming the front door behind her, as she clutched at her throbbing throat. A single hot tear rolled down her left cheek as she gasped in several gulps of air to replenish what her body had been neglected of just moments ago.

How the hell had her life turned to this.