~Status Update~

My "deleted scene" during 407 "Targets of Opportunity."

Disclaimer: I own nothin' of Major Crimes, nothin'!


"Mom, is everything ok? I heard on the news that there were two police officers killed in LA." She could hear the extreme panic in her daughter's voice. "When I couldn't reach you I called Ricky but he hadn't heard from you either." Sharon was pacing her office and glanced out into the Murder Room to see if there was any indication of a lead. Yes, she was listening to her daughter but she was also trying piece together in her mind the little evidence they had.

"Em," she tried to get in but her daughter wasn't stopping the lecture she was giving.

"Mom, haven't we told you over and over to call us when there's an officer-involved shooting?"

Sharon tried again to talk, "Emily..." but had no luck.

There was a huff through the phone line. "I mean really you can't take a minute to call or text your kids to let them know you're alright?"

Taking a breath Sharon said a little louder, "Emily Elizabeth." Still not get through not even using her both her first and middle names. She knew that meant her daughter was frustrated.

"Do you know how horrible it is to hear it on the news first? Mom, do you?"

Sharon had to pull the phone away from her ear when Emily's voice raised an octave. She knew she needed to stop her before she completely freaked out. "Emily Elizabeth Raydor!" She used her full name now knowing that would slow her down.

"What? Ok, Mom, I get it I'm not letting you talk but you know..." Emily took a deep breath and gave her mom a chance to explain.

"First off let me start with I'm sorry. Yes, I should have called you or Ricky or at least had Rusty call you to let you know I'm fine, but second, it's not like when I was in Internal Affairs. I didn't have the time to call." She did feel bad but needed her daughter to understand. "We were and still are in the middle of an active investigation of the murder of two police officers and one civilian."

It was quiet for a few seconds then Emily asked, "Andy's there right?"

"Yes, why?" Sharon was looking at the man she was speaking of. They made eye contact across the filled room. Sharon watched Andy tilt his head as if to ask if everything was ok. She gave him a quick nod and mouthed, "Emily" as she pointed to her phone. He smiled and took out his own phone as if to show he had gotten the same phone call from his daughter.

"Because it's always nice to know that someone else there has your back. Someone who's willing to protect you at any cost and..." Em couldn't help but smile as she spoke, "we all know your boyfriend will do that."

"Emily Elizabeth!" Sharon tried not to shout for she didn't want to draw attention from the crowd of people in her Murder Room. Though she knew her voice was raised, from the shock her daughter just gave her.

With a laugh, she said, "Night, Mom gotta go. Love you and tell your hot new boyfriend hello for me." Then the line went dead.

Sharon stopped her pacing and looked at her phone. "Boyfriend?" She whispered quietly did she have a boyfriend? She almost regretted telling Emily about Andy asking her out to dinner and that they are now actually dating. Sharon spun around when the knock on her door. She'd know that knock anywhere, Andy was standing in her doorway.

"Is everything alright, Captain?" He asked as made his way into her office softly closing the door behind him. He figured she could use a few minutes peace from the shocked look on her face. Andy didn't know if that look was out there from the case or something her daughter said.

Sharon slid her phone into her jacket pocket and took a step closer to him. She could see the hustle and bustle out in the Murder Room, she knew she needed to get out there and see if they had any new information yet. She was also very aware that everyone out there could see into her office too. So Sharon kept a decent amount of space between them but she was also close enough to breathe in his smell. The scent of Andy had a way of slowing down her mind. Just a deep breath of his cologne and his natural scent calmed her. "I'm fine." She smiled up at him knowing full well he wouldn't accept that for an answer.

In a low whisper he said, "Sharon, you know you can't get away with telling me you're fine. When I know you were just on the phone with your daughter and by the look on your face when the call was over, says you're anything but fine." Andy took a small step closer to her.

She glanced down at the space between them, then out into the main room again. They were pushing the limits on appropriate behavior in the workplace. Earlier Sharon had surprised herself when she told Taylor "it'll keep" when he had asked her if she wanted a moment to sit down and discuss an issue in her division. She really did want to make sure the relationship that was forming between Andy and her followed LAPD rules and was officially reported but while they were hunting a cop killer wasn't the time. Looking back into his dark eyes she told him what Emily said, "my daughter thinks you're my boyfriend."

Andy gave her a smirk when she said, 'boyfriend.' "So, is that a bad thing?" He questioned her. Wondering himself what they were since they had been going out on dates regularly now.

Sharon made a sweep of the murder room with her eyes. "Hmm, I'm thinking it's a good thing," she said as her gaze fell on Andy's lips, causing her tongue to slide along her own. She didn't really ever remember missing kissing someone so much. As she looked at this man's mouth she remembered how his lips could make her feel and how nice it would be to forget their problems right now but they had important work to finish before she could taste those lips again.

Andy's voice broke into her thoughts. "So, can this boyfriend of yours meet you at your condo when this case is over? I'd bring dinner with me." Andy stepped back towards the door, he knew he had taken up enough of their captain's time and they all wanted to solve the case before they laid the two fallen officers to rest. Sharon nodded a yes to Andy as he left her office.

She took a minute to collect her thoughts and get back into work mode. As she hurried out of her office she practically ran into Rusty. Sharon was grateful that he volunteered his time. "Thank you for helping out today, now you are really a member of a cop's family." She knew from her talk moments ago with Emily that she was grateful to have one of her children near her and that they worried as much about her as she did about them.

"Are you any closer to finding the killer?" Rusty asked in a shaky voice.

"Possibly we have taken a young woman into custody she might be able to help us," Sharon informed her son as she watched him.

Tao approached them to say, "she not feeling very talkative."

"Keep up the good work," Sharon replies then she hurried away, she could tell there was something up with Rusty. It was in the way he stammered when he talked and he just looked very nervous. Sharon always could tell when he was keeping something from her. Like the time he was visiting his mother in jail or when he was hiding the fact that he had recovered Alice's voice messages. Even as far back as the threaten letters Rusty received. Now she didn't know what secrets he was keeping at the time but she could read that kid like a book and she knew something wasn't right. She would let him come to her in his own time and besides she was more than a little busy dealing with trying to find a cop killer.

Much later Sharon was very grateful that her team had finally solved this murder and with that found the answers to maybe bring some peace for their fallen officers and their families. She also happy to close the case to get to go home, shower, and relax on her couch. Sharon was thrilled to be finally home. There wasn't anything more she wanted than to freshen up and change into some comfortable clothes. Definitely not like the ones she was wearing undercover when they brought in the two cop killers. Sharon showered and changed into black yoga pants, a purple tank-top, and her favorite black sweater. She had forgone any makeup and twisted her wet hair into a messy bun to keep it out of the way. By this time she realized how hungry she was, she couldn't remember the last time she ate. Walking out of her bedroom she looked at her watch just as there was a knock at her door, five quick raps told her he was right on time. She hastily opened the door and said, "thank god, I'm starving."

"Well, hello to you too." Sharon let out a squeal when Andy picked her with one arm around her waist and the other holding their Chinese takeout. He pulled her tight up against him, her toes barely touching the ground. When his brown eyes locked with her green ones, they both knew what they wanted. When their lips touched neither held back what they couldn't express at work. By the time Sharon's feet were flat on the ground her arms were wrapped around Andy's neck. He now had both hands free after letting their food softly drop to the floor, one hand was in her hair which caused the damp tresses to cascade down around them. His other hand was making its way down her body to her curved bottom, pulling her in closer to him. Andy deepened the kiss and stepped her backward so they could actually be inside her condo in case any of her neighbors were to happen by and see them making out in her doorway.

When the door closed Sharon lifted her head at the sound. They had needed to come up for air anyways. She looked over his shoulder to see that the door had closed on its own and had realized they were actually now inside her place. She turned and smiled up at Andy, he did have a way of distracting her.

He smiled at her too as he said, "You look beautiful. Though you always look gorgeous but, I like this look. It shows me there real Sharon but let's talk about that outfit you were wearing undercover cause, to be frank, those pants and that purse could be your new style." Sharon laughed as she rolled her eyes. "What you were definitely pulling that off? Hell, you could probably start a new trend, everyone would want to have that look." They were both laughing now. "Oh, and you could accessorize with your gun." He grew a bit serious, "that stunt you pulled, being in the face of a known cop killer worried me but I think we both handled it well. I know earlier that almost takes the place of my favorite time Sharon Raydor pulled her gun. I'm torn between the one today and the time you shot the guy right between the eyes with, above it all, a beanbag gun." Andy leaned in and kissed her again.

Sharon knew he covered his concern for her with humor though she did agree they did handle it well. When their kiss slowed she said, "Andy" and watched him pull back at the tone in her voice.

He let go of her and picked up their dinner. "I can tell you want to talk, so let's do that over dinner since I hear you're staving." Andy headed into the kitchen and started dishing out their food on two separate plates. It was quiet between them but it was comfortable. They ate without talking at first but as they finished Sharon set down her fork and she said, "Taylor wanted to have that talk about the issue in our department." With that, she stood up and carried both their plates to the sink. She filled the tea kettle with water and put it on to boil.

Andy was trying to see where this was going but wasn't too concerned. If she wanted him here to break this off with him then making out with him at the door wasn't the best way to start that conversation. So he remained calm as pushed his chair back and watched her make them both tea.

Carrying both cups she placed them in front of Andy on the table then she said, "I told him it will keep. Just like you told me that day when you finally asked me out to dinner." She picked up her cup and took a slow drink of the hot tea. "Remember, you said 'it'll keep.' Well, I'm glad it didn't keep for too long or we probably wouldn't be here now." She set the cup down and look into his eyes. They were both trying to get a read on what the other was thinking. She was going to tell him exactly what she was thinking, there would be no more guessing or waiting. "I don't want it to "keep" anymore, Andy." Surprising him she sat sideways on his lap and put one arm around his neck. He continued to silently stare at her. "So..." she smiled as she continued, "first thing tomorrow I'm going to inform Taylor of the change in our relationship status. A status update if you will."

Andy wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist to hold her on his lap but mostly to just hold her. Finding his voice he asked, "status update, that we are officially dating?"

Sharon ran her hand through his hair and nodded. "That we are dating, yes and that you are, as Emily put it, my boyfriend." They both smiled at that. It sounded so incredibly juvenile to call Andy her boyfriend but she liked the way it sounded and made her feel young again. "You know how long it's been since I've had a boyfriend, Andy? Never mind, don't even answer that."

"Are you saying after tomorrow we can go public with this?" He waved his hand between them. Sharon shook her head, yes. "So, really as of tomorrow, I can change my social media status, to in a relationship?" Andy asked jokily. She once again shook her head, yes. "Well, we darn sure better tell our kids first because if they hear this then we'll really be in trouble." Andy pulled her into a mind stopping, no way for her to over-think or to think at all kiss.

"Oh my God, do you two ever stop?" Rusty whined as he walked into the kitchen. "Don't worry about telling Emily, Ricky or Nicole because I'm Face-timing with Emily now." He turned his phone around and she saw her red-faced mother sitting on the lap of her boyfriend until her mom buried her face into Andy's shoulder.

"Hey Mom, hey Andy." Emily waved at them through the phone. She was sure she could hear her mom mumble something about sibling and technology but she ignored her. "Oh and yeah don't worry mom, I'll be happy to update your status on Facebook since I'm the one that made it for you and knows your password. Way to go, congratulations. I'm proud of you but it sucks when your mom has a boyfriend and you don't."

Sharon turned to look at her children then she realized she as still sitting on Andy so she jumped off his lap. Then tried to right her hair into a haphazard bun. It wasn't cooperating, many tendrils of the mass were falling loosely around her face. "Mom, your hair looks fine, though it looks like someone messed it up for you." Emily winked at them.

Ignoring her daughter she said, "Rusty, there's food for you. I'm sorry I thought you were asleep or I would have told you earlier." Sharon pointed to the containers in the kitchen. "Andy brought it over for us since neither felt like cooking or eating out somewhere."

"Uh-oh, mom's nervous. You can tell when she tried to change the subject and rambles on aimlessly." Emily laughed as her mom folders her arms across her chest and glared at her. "It's not so intense long distance through the phone, Mom."

As Sharon started to reply she heard Andy's and her phone's started to ring. She picked hers but didn't answer it yet then turned to Andy. She had realized he had been quiet through this all but the huge smile on his face told her what she needed to know. She just rolled her eyes once again. Bringing her attention back to her cell, she really hoped they didn't have a new case. Sharon had looked forward to relaxing or actual snuggling up with Andy and watching a movie.

She could hear the humor in Emily's voice when she said, "Don't worry Mom and Mom's boyfriend, you can both answer your phones that would be Ricky and Nicole. I may have kind of sort of texted them while we were talking."

Sharon and Andy clicked on their phones FaceTime buttons at the same time to see and hear her older son and Andy's daughter. They asked in unison, "What's this about, a status update?"

~The End~


A/N: What a powerful and intense show last night. Major Crimes is always great but wow, just wow.

Not much Shandy but us shippers can survive these rough waters with fanfics. Our Shandy ship is slowly setting sail!