Stef is called to a Crime Scene. What she doesn't know is that the victim isn't just a stranger.

(This is just an idea I had and I really only had the first scene planned out so any suggestions are more than welcome.)

Assault and possible rape at University Avenue. Two attackers, one victim. All available units please respond.

Stef and Mike were driving around in the cruiser when the order came over the radio. They weren't the closest to the scene but they were available. Stef picked up the walkie-talkie and responded.

Less than five minutes later they were driving up the road to where they could already see two other police cars. As they approached they watched as two cops struggled with a large white man. The man managed to get away and took off down the street. Mike stopped the car jumped out, chasing after the man with one cop. Stef approached the other officer struggling with the second assailant.

A few minutes later Stef and the other officer managed to grab a hold of the slightly drunk attacker and cuff him. They lead him into a cruiser. She hated men like him. Men who thought that they were in charge of everything. That if a woman was black or gay or different in any way then it was their job to make it right. She had seen so many of these cases over the years. She knew there was a gay bar just around the corner and that's where the victim must have been before she was attacked. Her heart went out to the poor woman.

"I'm gonna drive this guy down to the station." Stef called out to the group in general.

"Stef." Lena mumbled through her grogginess. Was that really her voice she had just heard or was she just wishing it to be.

"Hey Stef," One of the officers beside her called out. "I think this woman knows you."

"What?" Stef said raising an eyebrow as she shut the door and walked back towards the scene.

"She called out your name when you spoke." The officer said.

Suddenly Stef's stomach filled with bile and her heart began to race. It couldn't be. Please, please don't let it be... "Lena". Stef murmured in fear as she approached the woman and found her wife lying on the sidewalk, broken.

"You know her?" The officer asked.

Stef's eyes had filled with tears at the sight of her wife. She couldn't bare to see her so broken. She had bruising around her eye and finger marks on her neck. Her dress was torn and covered in blood.

"Lena, baby I'm so sorry." Stef said as she ignored the officers question and knelt down beside her wife.

Lena was crying now too. The sight of Stef made her feel instantly better. But the sight of Lena had the exact opposite effect on Stef. She felt like a failure. She was trolling the neighborhood looking out for just this sort of thing but wasn't even able to protect her own wife.

"I'm going to get these guys baby." Stef said sternly, her anger building up. "I'm going to beat the crap out of them."

The officer that had been attending to Lena was taken aback. He didn't know Stef very well but so far she had always seemed like a level headed person. He was surprised at her anger. Obviously this woman was someone important.

"The ambulance is on it's way." He said, trying to defuse the situation. There was nothing worse than a cop getting rough with a criminal.

"MIKE." Stef yelled looking around for him. "Mike I need help."

"What's up Stef?" Mike asked as he walked over. "What do you ne..." But he stopped when he noticed Lena lying on the ground.

"FUCK." He cursed as he knelt down beside the woman who was helping raise his son. "Lena?" He asked her.

"I'm going with the ambulance. I need you to get the kids and meet us at the hospital." Stef instructed as she heard the ambulance sirens getting louder.

"I'll get them. Don't worry." Mike said and started to get up but Lena's voice stopped him.

"They're out." Lena rasped. "Callie is celebrating Daphne's birthday and Jude is at Connor's. The twins are at a party at Hayley's house. Brandon's the only one home."

"Don't worry about them Lena." Mike said. "I'll get them all and make sure they're okay. You just get better. Those kids need their mom."

The paramedics were around Lena by now and busy check her over and putting her on the gurney. Stef followed as they wheeled her into the ambulance.

"Get the kids." Stef instructed one last time as she climbed into the ambulance and sped off towards the hospital.

Stef sat with Lena though her check up. She had assured them all that her attacker hadn't done anything beyond feeling her up. He hadn't even managed to get his pants off before Lena was yelling for help and a couple walking by called the cops. She held her hand as Lena told them how all the kids were out and how her friend Jenna had called wanting to go out for the night and since all the kids were busy and Stef was at work Lena agreed to meet her for a few drinks. Lena left a little early, wanting to be home before all the kids got back. The two guys must have seen her walk out of the bar alone. As soon as she got around the corner to where she had parked her car they trapped her. The bigger guy, the one who began running, caught the strap of her dress and ripped it, trying to undress her while he forced the fingers of his other hand deep inside her. The other guy trapped her hands behind her back and grabbed her breasts. She yelled out to a couple she saw walking a little further away. That's when the bigger guy wrapped his hand around her throat so hard she nearly choked. He threatened to kill her if she didn't keep her mouth shut. Then he punched her in the face and she fell to the floor, hitting her head on the ground. The other guy pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the thigh so that she couldn't run for help. But before they could get away, the cops arrived and they were caught.

Stef felt nauseous as she listened to Lena tell the tale. She had heard versions of the story over a hundred times before but this time it was really a nightmare. This time it was Lena telling it. Stef felt the anger building up again. Anger at the two men who hurt her wife. Anger at the world for being so hostile towards anything that was different. But mostly anger at herself for not being able to protect her wife. After all wasn't that her job?

Now, five hours later Lena was finally asleep. She had been scanned, x-rayed, checked, stitched up and questioned until finally everyone just left them alone. Stef was lying on the hospital bed with Lena curled up in her arms. Her face was pale apart from the purple patch just below her left eye. The sight made Stef go weak inside and knowing that her wife was now finally asleep she let the tears she had been holding back fall.

"I'm so sorry Love." Stef whispered to her sleeping wife. "I should never have let this happen."

Stef stayed with her for another ten minutes and then knew that she had to go outside and talk to her children. Mike had messaged her about an hour ago to say that he had collected all the kids, fed them and they were now waiting outside. She carefully untangled herself from Lena but Lena stirred.

"Stef." She mumbled as she held on to her arm.

"Honey, I'm here." Stef reassured her wife. "I'm just going to talk to the kids and I'll be right back I promise. You're safe." She stroked Lena's hair and stayed with her for a few more minutes until Lena fell back to sleep before heading out to her kids.