Chapter Text
It’s not unheard of for one or both of them to catch a case in the middle of the night, and so far, it hasn’t ever been for the same case. So when Sharon’s phone rings in the wee hours of the morning and she slips out of bed, Brenda rolls over and pulls Sharon’s pillow to her chest and keeps on sleeping.
Until, that is, Brenda’s own phone rings an hour later.
It’s Provenza, calling to inform her that Gabriel shot someone and “that bitch from IA” is taking over the investigation. Shit.
Brenda’s already halfway out the door when she learns that Taylor sent Sharon to the wrong hospital and she groans inwardly, trying to remember why exactly they had never told the squad about their relationship. Would have made this whole thing a lot easier but of course now she not only has a murder to solve and a detective to protect, but also a very angry girlfriend.
Although, come to think of it, why hadn’t Sharon told her she caught a Major Crimes case? Brenda huffs in frustration as she starts her car. Looks like Sharon is also gonna have an angry girlfriend to contend with. She quashes the urge to call Sharon, knowing that they will have plenty of time to fight later, after they’ve done their jobs. At least she hopes so.
* * *
By the time Sharon arrives at St. Catherine’s, Brenda has already been talking a rather inebriated Gabriel down for almost half an hour. His lawyer arrived just before Sharon did, and now he’s been talking to Gabriel who still doesn’t seem to have enough sense to just roll over and shut up.
Sharon stalks in, wearing a black trench coat that Brenda knows well. She tries not to remember other times she’s worn it, but without the black pantyhose. She tries to remember that she’s mad at Sharon. It’s hard to do though, when she looks like this. Until she starts talking.
Oh, there’s the ice queen I’ve heard so much about.
Brenda is shocked that she managed to avoid meeting her up until now. Somehow the times she’s investigated Brenda or her team in the past have all been fairly open and shut cases, so Sharon has never had to put on this persona in front of Brenda. Even when Sharon disapproves of some decision or other than Brenda has made, there has always been that undercurrent of compassion in her eyes, a hint of a smile in her voice.
Not now. Her usually vibrant green eyes are shrouded in a flinty gray and her voice is stiff and imperious. She raises her voice at Gabriel in a way Brenda has never quite heard before, the volume increasing even as the level of passion remains frozen somewhere near zero.
“Do you need help with the word ‘immediately’?” Sharon barks at Gabriel who is for some reason still arguing about submitting to the inevitable investigation.
Between her former right-hand man’s insolent behavior and her girlfriend’s new super villain persona, Brenda isn’t sure which is more disconcerting. She needs to take control of this situation, somehow. She needs to choose a side and clearly, Darth Raydor doesn’t need her help… and Gabriel definitely does.
Brenda inserts herself between them, ready to confront Sharon and maybe draw some of her cold fury away from Gabriel for a moment, but Sharon speaks first.
“Tell me, how is it that you happen to be here at the right hospital while I was sent to the wrong one?” She raises a single eyebrow in displeasure, showing that she already knows the answer and she’s just waiting to see if Brenda is going to lie to her.
“Probably the same way you knew my officer was involved in a shooting and I didn’t,” Brenda drawled, fluttering her eyelashes innocently and avoiding the question.
For half a second, imperceptible to anyone who doesn’t know Sharon as well as Brenda does, she sees a glimmer of regret pass through those sharp green eyes. Not enough of an apology for Brenda’s taste, but at least it’s a sign that the Sharon she knows is still in there underneath that ice storm of a facade.
“If I may offer some advice, Captain,” Brenda continues, “when investigating shootings like this, I usually start by questioning the criminals rather than my fellow officers.”
It’s a low blow — Brenda knows that their jobs are very different and that Sharon hates that she has to investigate her fellow officers. She hates it even more when it looks like they might be in the wrong, and judging from Gabriel’s drunken and argumentative state, even Brenda has to admit to herself that this could be one of those times. She’ll be damned if she’s going to admit that to Sharon though. Besides, she does believe that Gabriel was acting in self-defense… he just shouldn’t have had his loaded gun at the bar to begin with.
Sharon’s icy stare intensifies and her voice is scarily steady as she replies. “When I have an unarmed civilian sprayed with bullets by a member of the LAPD, I expect cooperation from my fellow officers.” Sharon takes a step closer so that she towers over Brenda in her four-inch heels, forcing the smaller woman to look up to retain eye contact. “And if I may offer you some advice, while I am investigating this shooting, be careful where you place your sympathies.”
“Chief.”
“Excuse me?” Sharon glares down at her.
“Be careful where you place your sympathies, Chief,” Brenda reiterates smugly. “You are a captain, a subordinate officer, and you will remember that when addressing me. Do I make myself clear, Captain?”
“Perfectly, Chief,” Sharon replies through clenched teeth.
The way she’s looking at Brenda now, she isn’t sure if Sharon wants to rip her apart or just rip her clothes off. The latter option is probably just wishful thinking on Brenda’s part and she hates herself, a little bit, for actually finding this very public and very serious confrontation kind of sexy. But that’s an issue for a later date.
Brenda steps back enough that she can maneuver around Sharon as she adopts her southern charm routine again. “Now, if y’all’ll excuse me, I’ve got a murder to solve.” Just before she reaches the hall, she turns to give her parting orders. “Sergeant, please just do as your lawyer says and let’s get this over with as quick and painless as possible.” She says it for Gabriel’s sake, not for Sharon’s. But she is pleased to see Sharon’s slight nod of thanks nonetheless.
* * *
After an hour spent arguing with officers to let her onto the crime scene, Brenda retreats to her own house, rather than returning to Sharon’s condo. She hopes Sharon has the good sense to go back to the condo and not come looking for her… if she even stops working long enough to go anywhere.
Kitty starts begging for food the moment Brenda sets foot inside the door, even though it’s only 3am. She has gotten used to being fed as soon as Brenda gets home in the morning, but usually that happens at a more reasonable hour like 8:30. Oh well, Brenda thinks as she scoops some food into the bowl before heading to her bedroom. She’ll probably be gone again before any reasonable hour anyway.
Brenda’s phone rings and she immediately knows it’s Sharon from the classical music ringtone. She briefly considers ignoring it, but that will probably make things worse, so she grudgingly answers. “You wanna tell me why your team won’t let me on that crime scene?” Brenda demands.
“Good morning to you too,” Sharon responds, a teasing lilt in her voice that sounds so much more like the Sharon Brenda knows and loves.
Brenda huffs petulantly into the phone, but she relaxes onto the bed and curls her knees up to her chest. “Hi,” she finally says softly. “So, that was Darth Raydor, huh?”
“Darth Raydor?” Sharon snorts, “Really, Brenda?”
“I didn’t come up with it, but whoever did kinda nailed it,” Brenda shrugs, even though Sharon can’t see her.
“I don’t like being her, but sometimes… it’s the only way to get results. We can’t all put on the innocent southern belle act, you know,” Sharon adds pointedly.
Brenda sighs and then is quiet for a moment until she says “You still coulda woken me, let me know it was Gabriel.”
“I thought we agreed not to let our relationship get in the way of our jobs? I don’t usually call department heads in the middle of the night to let them know their subordinate just shot someone.” Brenda reluctantly grunts in agreement and just to drive the point home, Sharon adds, “You could have told me which hospital to go to.”
“I didn’t know they told you the wrong one!”
“Brenda Leigh…”
“Ok, ok, point taken.” It’s quiet again while Brenda gathers her thoughts. She always appreciates how patient Sharon is with her in moments like this. So different from that woman she’d just met at the hospital. Finally she sighs, “It’s gonna be like this for the whole case, isn’t it?”
“Probably,” Sharon agrees. “I would never ask you to compromise your job for me-”
“Me either,” Brenda assures her.
“So we just have to try even harder than usual to leave work at work and home at home,” Sharon concludes.
“Mmhmm,” Brenda agrees lazily. Kitty has joined her on the bed and curled up against her chest. That, plus coming down from the earlier adrenaline rush is starting to make her sleepy.
“Did you set an alarm for yourself, Brenda Leigh?” Sharon asks softly, because she knows Brenda just that well.
“Still set from last night,” Brenda mumbles. “Love you.”
“I love you too, Brenda.” That could have been the end of it, but Sharon feels compelled to add, “And, Chief? I’ll see you later in Pope’s office.”
“Goodbye, Captain,” Brenda grumbles as she ends the call.
Not even bothering to get undressed, she pulls the edge of the covers over her and snuggles into them with a smile. She’ll deal with Captain Raydor tomorrow. For now, she’s gonna dream of Sharon and that black trench coat.