Stef and Lena fight over Brandon's treatment and Stef leaves. Lena thinks back to a time when she thought Stef was never coming back and helps her kids realize that Stef would never leave them.

(Takes place during Take Me Out (202) when Stef and Lena are talking, right after Lena supports Brandon's decision.)

"Did I really just hear you tell our son that you think he should get the surgery?" Stef asked her wife in disbelief.

Lena didn't know how to answer.

"This is not what we do Lena," Stef continued. "What happened to unified front?"

"I... honestly I disagree." Lena said.

"Fine, but you do not go undermining me with our son." Stef told her.

"Our son?" Lena challenged.

"Yes." Stef said without missing a beat.

"Or your son?" Lena asked her.

Stef shook her head in disbelief at Lena's statement and Lena instantly felt bad. "I'm sor..." She began but Stef just walked out the door, not bothering to listen to her wife's excuse.

Lena sighed as she followed Stef out into the hall. "Stef, can we please just talk about this?" She chased after Stef down the stairs. When Stef got to the bottom she grabbed her car keys from the bowl and Lena tried to stop her. "Stef, where are you going?"

But Stef just pulled her hand away and walked out the door. Lena watched as Stef pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street. She waited a moment longer hoping to see the car coming back towards her but knew that it wouldn't come. Stef was angry and needed some time to cool off. Lena turned back into the house and found five pairs of eyes at the top of the stairs looking back at her. She smiled at her children. They all looked nervous. It wasn't that they had never fought before but they usually didn't just walk out in anger either.

"Is she going to come back?" Jude asked softy, the worry in his voice evident.

"Of course she is Jude." Mariana answered him and Lena climbed up the stairs to her children.

"Let's all go talk." She suggested and lead all the kids into her own room.

"I'm sorry you guys had to fight because of me." Brandon said as he found a spot on the bed.

"Honey, it's not your fault." Lena assured him.

"This surgery isn't worth it if it's going to make this family fall apart." He said.

"Brandon." Lena said firmly. "You have every right to have an opinion on your own life. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything different. You're a minor and you don't have a right to make a decision but you definitely have a right to an opinion and a preference and I support that a hundred percent."

"But mom and dad don't see it that way." Brandon said.

"They're scared." Lena defended them. "The doctors said that you've already gained more function than they ever thought possible. Your parents just don't want that to be lost."

Brandon nodded in understanding but he couldn't imagine a life without music. He wasn't sure he wanted to live a life without it. He'd rather fight for it and risk it than just give up without ever trying.

"But why did she leave?" Jude asked again. Clearly this was bothering him a lot.

"She'll be back baby." Callie told him as she reached out for him.

"Callie's right." Lena confirmed. "She just needs some time to cool off."

"If one of us walked out she would have killed us." Jesus said. "She keeps telling us that we're not to just run off because we're angry."

"That's true." Lena said. "We prefer you to come to us and talk it though instead. But sometime, sometimes it's better to walk away before you say or do something that you might later regret."

"This is one of those times?" Mariana asked.

"Mom was really upset and she needed some time and space." Lena answered. "She's smart, she won't let anything happen to her. She'll be safe and she'll be back before you know it."

"Ya," Callie added. "Why don't we go do homework and then help Lena with dinner and Stef should be back by the time we sit down to eat.

But Callie was wrong. Over two hours later, their homework was done and dinner was on the table but only six of them were sitting around it. Stef still hadn't returned home. Lena called her several times but the phone just went straight to voicemail each time.

"Dig in guys." Lena said, trying to lighten the somber mood.

The kids began eating but the mood didn't change. It was rare for their parents to fight in front of them and even more rare for it to last this long. Stef and Lena usually found a way to compromise. But this time too much was happening and Stef couldn't take it any more. She had no control over Callie's adoption, her birth father was a mystery and Brandon was miserable all the time and he wanted a surgery that could possibly do more harm than good. Ana's disappearance, Mikes involvement and Brandon's bribe worried her to no end. When Lena called Brandon her son she finally snapped. She had never made Lena feel like she wasn't Brandon's mother as well, and no matter how many fights they got into with Mike about that very topic Stef had always fought for Lena. And to hear Lena say something like that hurt her. Even if it wasn't intentionally, even if it was said in anger and not really believed, it had hurt Stef. For Lena to even consider the thought made her angry.

Stef drove around aimlessly for hours. She knew that Lena would worry and she knew that she would call but she didn't care. She left her phone on the seat beside her, ignoring it each time it rang. She wasn't in the mood of talking to her right now.

Meanwhile, Lena and the kids ate their dinner in eerie silence and Lena then sent them all to bed. She knew that they wouldn't really sleep until they knew that Stef was home but she couldn't just let them all stay up half the night waiting for her.

Lena tried Stef's phone for what seemed like the hundredth time but once again it went into voicemail. She looked up at the clock and realized that Stef was now gone for over three hours. She knew Stef was smart and would be careful but she worried all the same. Why had she said something so stupid in the first place?

Lena finished up the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen and then tried Stef again with no luck. She finally gave in to her panic and called Mike.

"Hey Mike," Lena said when he picked up. "Have you heard from Stef?"

"Not since I was at the house earlier, why?" Mike asked.

"She left a few hours ago and I haven't heard from her since." Lena explained.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, starting to get concerned. "Didn't she say where she was going?"

"No." Lena said softly. "She was upset, I sort of said something to make her angry."

"Oh." Mike said. "Well I wouldn't worry about that. She'll be back" He tried to reassure Lena. He knew that Stef loved her family more than anything and she wouldn't do anything to hurt them.

But Lena wasn't convinced and her silence told Mike just as much.

"Tell you what." Mike continued. "I'll drive around and see if I can find her okay."

"Thanks Mike." Lena said in relief. "Please find her."

"Don't worry." Mike told her as he hung up.

Lena went to check on the kids and found them all lying in bed but none of them were asleep. She promise them that she'd have Stef come and wake them up when she got home but they all really needed the rest. She eventually headed to bed herself but lay awake. It had now been over four hours that Stef was gone and Lena was panicking. She called Mike a few times but each time he said he hadn't found her.

As Lena lay in the dark her mind wandered back to the first fight that they ever had, back when they had just moved in together and she had been afraid that Stef wouldn't come home just like Jude was now. It was so many years ago but still Lena remembered it like it was only yesterday.

"Hi honey, are you on your way home?" Lena asked as she answered Stef's call.

"Actually I'm going to be spending all night here love." Stef said in an apologetic tone. "I'm taking an extra shift, we're understaffed tonight."

Lena groaned. "Okay babe, I'll see you tomorrow then. Love you."

"Love you too." Stef replied as she hung up the phone and turned her attention to the doctor that was stitching up the three inch gash on her head before moving to the ones on her arm and side.

"You've got some guts." Morris, her partner, said. "My wife would kill me if I lied about being in hospital."

"Mine will kill me too." Stef said, before turning to the doctor. "You're really wasting your time doing that, I won't be living much longer once she finds out the truth."

All three of them laughed before Stef winched in pain as her head began to hurt.

"You've got a concussion." The doctor reminded her. "That's why you need to stay awake all night but you can do that at home too. You don't have to stay here. Someone just has to make sure you don't fall asleep."

"I know, you told me, but I don't want my girlfriend to have to do that." Stef said. "If I stay here the nurses will be there and she can sleep in peace. Otherwise she'll be worried all night and drive us both crazy."

"Like I said, guts." Morris repeated his earlier statement with a chuckle.

Two hours later Lena had put Brandon to bed herself that night and was just cleaning up the kitchen before heading into bed when the doorbell rang.

Lena practically ran to the door thinking that it might be Stef, surprising her. She had already locked the doors so Stef wouldn't be able to get in even with her key.

"Captain Roberts?" Lena said as she opened the front door to Stef's boss. "Stef's still at work." She said.

"Work?" Captain Roberts said with a frown on her face.

"Yes, she said she was pulling an extra shift." Lena answered.

Lena watched as the older woman's expression went from on of confusion to that of annoyance.

"She was sent home three hours ago after she was injured at a scene." Roberts informed Lena.

"Injured?" Lena questioned in a worried tone.

"She was trying to contain a man with a knife and she was injured." Roberts explained apologetically. "Her partner took her to the hospital and was instructed to call you."

"Stef called two hours ago to say you were understaffed and she was pulling an extra shift." Lena explained. "Where is she?" She asked worriedly.

Roberts pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Morris' number.

"Captain?" Morris answered on the third ring.

"Where the hell is Stef?" Roberts asked angrily.

"At the hospital." Morris answered.

"I thought you said she could be discharged." Roberts stated.

"She chose to spend the night." Morris replied.

"And you never called her partner?" The captains voice raising in annoyance.

"She didn't want me to." Roberts said, sounding like a child in trouble. "Sorry Cap, she was persistent."

"What's really wrong with her?" Roberts asked. "I'm standing outside her front door with her very worried partner and I'd like to give her some honest answers.

"She got cut in the side and her arm is cut too but neither is bad. She has a concussion as well as a gash on her forehead." Morris explained. "Because of the concussion she has to stay awake all night and someone has to stay awake with her so she chose to stay in hospital. She didn't want to worry Lena."

"That was a stupid decision and you know it Morris." Roberts chastised.

"Sorry Cap." Morris said again before hanging up.

"She's at the hospital." Roberts said to Lena. "She's been cut with a knife but it's not too bad. She could have been discharged but the reason she chose to stay the night at the hospital is because of a concussion. She needs to stay awake and apparently didn't want you to worry."

Robert's could see both worry and anger in Lena's face and her heart when out to the woman. It was always hard on the spouses and Roberts had told her troops over and over again not to keep things from them - it only made them worry more.

"Why don't you go grab Brandon and I'll drive you to the hospital." She said kindly.

Lena lead Roberts to the living room as she went and picked up a still sleeping Brandon and returned.

"Let me." Roberts said as she took Brandon from Lena, who was struggling under the deadweight of the five-year-old.

Roberts carried Brandon in as Lena rushed into the room that Stef was in. Her worry disappeared completely and anger took over when she found Stef sitting up in bed, laughing with one of the nurses.

"Babe?" Stef asked, surprised to see Lena. But then her face filled with guilt at the look on Lena's face.

"What the hell happened Stef?" Lena asked in anger.

"Honey, I was..." Stef began but was cut off by Lena.

"Lying..." She said angrily. "You were lying."

"I just didn't want you to worry." Stef said softly.

"My girlfriend got hurt and sent to hospital today and then lied to me about it. Instead I had to find out from her boss who came to check on her." Lena said exasperated.

Stef turned her attention to her boss who was still holding her sleeping son, a rather amused expression on her face. Stef moved over in the bed and motioned for Roberts to lay Brandon down beside her.

Roberts did as she was instructed. "That was pretty foolish Foster." She said as she transferred the boy to the bed.

"I'm fine." Stef said, more to Lena than her Captain.

"Stef you're in hospital with stitches and bandages and a concussion." Lena said as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry honey." Stef said, reaching for Lena. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. They said I was fine to go home so I didn't think it was such a big deal."

"You didn't think I'd want to know?" Lena asked, pulling away from Stef. "No matter how big or small it was."

"I just have to stay up all night Lena." Stef explained. "There was no need for you to stay up with me."

Lena was getting angry now. "Did it ever occur to you that I'd want to stay up Stef?"

"Honey..." Stef said, but stopped, knowing that there was nothing she could say that could justify her actions. "I'm sorry." She finally said.

"I'm going to leave you two." Roberts interrupted. "But Stef, you'll be hearing about this from me when you return."

"Yes ma'am." Stef said.

"That was a foolish decision." Roberts clarified.

"I know." Stef said. "Thanks for checking up on me."

"Of course." Roberts said with a smile before leaving Stef and Lena alone with their son.

Stef waited until the door was shut completely before pulling Lena back to her and pulling harder when Lena tried to stay away.

"Come here love." Stef said gently. "Let me hold you."

"You could have died Stef." Lena said softly as the realization hit her. "You could have died tonight."

"I didn't die honey." Stef said. "I really am fine. I'll be up and about in a couple of days."

"But you didn't tell me Stef." Lena said sounding sad. "We're partners, we're supposed to tell each other everything."

"I'm sorry love." Stef said, hugging Lena tighter. "I love you so much, I just thought I was protecting you."

"You don't get to do that." Lena told her. "We're equals, we don't keep secrets."

"Agreed." Stef said. "It will never happen again."

"It better not." Lena said warningly as she moved to a chair to sit down. "So now that we have to stay awake what do you want to do?"

Stef leaned back against the pillows and pulled Brandon close stroking his hair. "Whatever we do, I'm just glad I get to do it with you." Stef said smiling.

Stef and Lena had spent the whole night talking and imagining their future together, and as the hours ticked away all the tension left them as well and they were filled with excitement over all the plans they were making. Little did Lena know that their troubles were far from over.

Stef came home the next day and true to her word she was up and about. Her wounds really weren't that bad and she was sure she'd be back to work in a couple of days.

"Mama, I love it when you're home when I get back from school." Brandon said, two days later.

"I love it too baby." Stef said, play wrestling with her son.

"Will you be there everyday now?" He asked innocently as he tried to pin her down.

"No honey." Stef said, lifting him easily off her and pinning him to the ground instead. "Today's the last day."

Lena had been drying dishes in the kitchen and nearly dropped the plate in her hand. Stef hadn't told her she was going back to work already. It had only been two days since she'd come out of hospital. She thought she had at least a week before going back.

"You're going back to work already?" She asked as she entered the living room to her girlfriend tickling her son.

"I told you I'd only be home a couple of days." Stef said in shock. She had made it clear that she'd be good to go soon.

"I just thought we'd have more time." Lena said.

Stef released Brandon and headed over to her girlfriend.

"Honey, it's going to be okay." Stef said. "I have to go back sometime and I'm fine now. I can even handle a five-year-old jumping on me."

"I'm just not ready." Lena said. "I still feel so scared."

"I know love." Stef wrapped her arms around Lena. "But I can't stay home forever."

"Why not?" Lena mumbled into Stef's neck.

"What?" Stef asked in surprise as she pulled away from Lena.

"Why can't you get a less threatening job?" Lena asked. "You do have a five year old son." She said as if that justified her statement.

"Honey." Stef said in disbelief. "I love my job. It's who I am."

"I just worry so much. I wish you'd change your job or take a desk job or something." Lena said.

"I can't do that Lena." Stef said. "I'm always careful and accidents happen anywhere." She said.

"I just..." Lena started. "I just can't watch you go out there day after day, worrying about whether or not I'll ever see you again." she said.

Stef just stared at Lena wide-eyed. She knew that Lena worried about her sometimes - everyone at the station had husbands and wives and partners who worried but all of them accepted it and accepted them.

"Well then, you don't have to watch if you don't want to." Stef said as she headed back into the living room, picked up her son and walked out the door.

Lena lay in bed crying through the evening wishing she could take back her words. She'd rather have a life worrying about Stef instead of one that didn't include her at all. She had known that Stef was a cop right from the start and she knew that came with risks. But she loved Stef and Brandon more than anything and she'd take the worry and the stress if she could just have them back.

How happy Lena had been when she heard the front door open. She had run out and practically knocked Stef over in a hug making Brandon laugh. It was the best feeling in the world having Stef and Brandon's arms wrap around her. She had kissed them both as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You can't get rid of me that easily." Stef had said. "You're stuck with us forever now." and Lena remembered thinking that she wanted absolutely nothing more.

Now, years later Lena once again heart the door knob turn but when she looked up it was her youngest son and daughter that entered.

"Hi babies." Lena said as she moved the comforter, giving Jude and Mariana room to get in.

"Are you sure she's coming home?" Jude asked in a small voice.

"Positive." Lena said.

"How do you know?" Jude asked.

"Because she left all the important stuff behind." Lena answered.

"Like what?" Jude asked.

"Like you, and your brothers and sister." Lena said.

"And you?" Mariana asked.

"Me too." Lena said.

"I wish she didn't leave." Jude said sadly. "It's like loosing my mom all over again."

"She's not leaving you honey." Lena said. "It's just gone somewhere but she'll be back."

A soft knock on the door interrupted them and Lena found her other three children at the door.

"Come on, join the party." Lena said, motioning her children over.

Soon all six of them were tangled on the bed talking. Mostly it was Lena, Brandon, Jesus and Callie assuring the others two Stef would be back soon.

"You guys have school tomorrow." Lena reminded them. "And it's past midnight, how are you going to stay awake?"

But she didn't have the heart to send any of them away. She loved having them all here with her.

"It's nice having you all here with me." She said quietly. "It's not often that I get to have all my babies around me."

"And where am I supposed to sleep?" A voice asked from the doorway causing everyone to look up.

"MOM!" Jude screamed as he ran to her and hugged her in much the same way that Lena had done over ten years ago.

"Hi baby." Stef said, hugging him tight.

"What are all of you doing up so late?" Stef asked, walking herself and Jude over to the bed.

"We were waiting for you." Mariana said.

"They were worried that you weren't coming back." Lena said.

Guilt momentarily crossed Stef's face. "I'm sorry babies." She said. "I didn't mean to scare you but I promise you that I will never ever leave any of you. You are my whole world and there's nothing that could make me leave you behind."

"You didn't answer our calls." Callie said, surprising everyone - she was so calm and composed through it all that it never struck Lena that she was scared as well.

"I just needed some space." Stef said. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me but I didn't think that you kids wouldn't know that I'd come back."

"We've been left before." Mariana said in a small voice.

Stef began to realize just how much of an impact her disappearance had been in her adoptive children's lives. Brandon was the only one who was certain she'd be back.

"Never by me." Stef told them, pulling Mariana and Jesus into a hug. "And I don't plan to start."

"Alright guys, off to bed." Lena interrupted. "You've been up long enough and it's already going to be a challenge getting you up in the morning."

Stef and Lena gave all their kids kisses before sending them off.

"Brandon is our son." Stef said as Lena went to hug her.

"He is." Lena agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean it."

"Are you sure?" Stef asked, looking Lena in the eye. "Are you sure that's not how you really feel?"

"I'm positive Stef." Lena said honestly. "I was just upset that you and Mike seemed to be making decisions without me."

"I'm sorry love." Stef said, pulling Lena close again. "I knew you had a different opinion and honestly I didn't want to hear it. I was too afraid. Mike and I thought the same thing so it was easier to discuss it with him."

"We're all going to talk about it together." Lena said. "Brandon included. He has a right to at least voice his opinion, even if he doesn't get his way in the end."

"You're right." Stef said. "You're always right."

"Remember that." Lena said playfully as she kissed Stef and the two of them crawled into bed together, curled up in each others arms just like they had been over ten years ago.