Hi everyone! Here I am again with a new story! This time, it takes place after the episode "Taking the fall" and it's my take on what happens when Sharon is waiting for Andy to come back from surgery.

I hope you'll like it and I just want to thank you all for the lovely reviews you've written to my previous stories, I really appreciate them and I love to hear from you all!

I still have the same personal request as in my previous fic: NO SPOILERS since I still have to watch season 6. Thank you, I appreciate that.

Big shout-out again to my Beta, eelise187, who patiently and quickly proofread my work and helps me every time to improve my stories and my English! And thank you so much for helping me with coming up with the title! The title idea was all hers!


WORTH WAITING FOR

"The longer you have to wait for something, the more you will appreciate it when it finally arrives. The harder you have to fight for something, the more priceless it will become once you achieve it. And the more pain you have to endure on your journey, the sweeter the arrival at your destination. All good things are worth waiting for and worth fighting for." Susan Gale

Sharon Raydor didn't break down in front of people. This didn't mean that she didn't cry, she did actually, but she always did a good job of isolating herself during the tougher moments. She would shut herself in her office with the blinds closed, or in her bedroom late at night, and then let the tears freely stream down her face. She would cry over a tough case, especially if children were involved; she would cry after having an argument with Rusty; or she would cry when she felt particularly disappointed with herself. She was in fact an emotional person. She cried, she just didn't allow people the opportunity to see her at her weakest. Yet, now as she was standing in the hospital corridor after watching Andy be wheeled to surgery, she was no longer sure she would be able to stay strong. Sharon kept staring in the direction she last saw Andy, only a couple of minutes before, as he waved at her one last time before disappearing around the corner. She felt her heart twitch and the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She didn't know how long she would be able to hold them back, as they were now threatening to fall at any moment.

She took a deep breath as her mind drifted to when she was standing in front of Andy in his hospital room. His doctor had just announced he would have the surgery immediately and she had sent the team, who had gathered to share Thanksgiving dinner with Andy, away. After the team left Sharon stood alone in front of Andy, she could have said anything, he could have said anything but as Andy had begun to speak she had cut him short saying "Andy, I'll wait for you."

She couldn't add anything more because his obnoxious doctor had kicked her out as well. I'll wait for you. Yes, it was a promise, that she would be here when he would got out of surgery but she wished she could have said something more. She wished she had told him how important he was to her, how happy he made her. She wished she had said what she felt, she wished she had been able to tell him those three words she was struggling to say, but she did not say any of this, she just smiled and told him she would wait.

She had every opportunity to say what she needed to say and she didn't say it. We can only wonder why. Those words rang again in Sharon's mind. That was what she had told Andrea when the lawyer had informed her about Lily Palmer's situation. Deep down, Sharon knew too well that she wasn't talking about the case, but about herself and her inability of expressing her feelings.

She was brought back to reality with a light squeezing of her hand still being held by her turned to the right and saw Andrea smiling sadly at her before asking, "Sharon, are you okay?"

"Of course" Sharon answered, a little too quickly. She felt her throat tighten as she was having a hard time speaking. Her voice was hoarse when she repeated those words like a mantra, "I have faith. Everything will turn out okay."

Andrea nodded and Sharon took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions at bay. When she felt she was temporarily in control, she put on a brave smile and whispered to the lawyer, "Andrea, did you eat something? There's plenty of food..."

"Oh yeah, I did. Thank you, Sharon. I've just grabbed a few things and now I'm heading out. I still have a lot of things I need to take care of before tomorrow," she smiled at Sharon and let go of her hand before adding. "Can I bring you anything?"

"Oh no, thank you, Andrea. I'm fine."

"You're sure?" the lawyer asked with an inquisitive look. Sharon felt as if the other woman was studying her, trying to read on her face the proof that she wasn't really "fine."

"Positive." Sharon simply answered forcing a soft smile as she wrapped her now freed hands around her middle. Andrea didn't have the chance to ask more as they were interrupted by the dull sound of a tray falling to the floor. They turned around and saw Provenza bending down to pick it up. Sharon heard him curse and when he looked up, he caught the Captain's eyes. He looked at her apologetically and mouthed a silent "sorry" before turning to Julio and slapping his arm, "I said let's tidy silently. Do you need a definition of the word 'silently,' Julio?"

Sanchez rolled his eyes as he helped clean up, along with Tao who had jumped in to sweep up the mess. Amy smirked while she was covering the remaining food and putting it away. Sharon looked at them from the distance and felt bad for standing on her own and not joining them, but she didn't feel like being surrounded by people. She needed to be alone as she was processing everything that had happened in such a short time. She wasn't strong enough to stand with her team and pretend she was alright while her mind was in fact wrapped up in worry over Andy. However, she appreciated the fact that they all put their lives on hold to be there for Andy and she smiled thinking that they were indeed a family. Four years ago, when she became the head of Major Crimes, she didn't think this feeling of family would have even been possible,since most of them hated her. As she watched them work she felt the need to share with them all how much she appreciated them. She took a deep breath and walked in their direction, giving a last nod goodbye to Andrea who had turned to leave.

As Sharon approached the team, they all stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her. She smiled at them before saying, "I just want to thank you all for being here. I know it's Thanksgiving and you all have plans with your families, so I really appreciate the fact that you all stopped by to stay with Andy. It didn't quite go as we expected, but I'm sure Andy appreciates what you've done as much as I appreciate it. Thank you. I'm thankful for all of you…" she finished, obviously moved, looking at each one of them.

"Oh Captain, don't mention it. That's what families do." Julio added with a light smile.

The others nodded in agreement and Sharon smiled back.

"I will of course keep you all informed about Andy's condition," she continued. "Oh and Buzz?" she asked turning around to face the younger man. "Would you mind taking Rusty home?"

Buzz didn't get the chance to reply before Rusty jumped out of his chair, "No, mom, no way!" Then lowering his voice, "I'm staying here with you."

"Don't worry, Rusty. Lieutenant Provenza will stay with me. There's not much we can do, only waiting. And it makes no sense for you to stay here, falling asleep on those awfully uncomfortable chairs. You need to rest." Sharon's voice was firm and she was glad she was able to speak without her voice breaking; she would have sounded less convincing. The last thing she wanted was Rusty not believing that she could make it on her own.

"It's no trouble at all for me, Captain." Buzz finally answered.

Sharon thanked the man and Rusty then came closer to his mother before whispering, "I want to stay here with you. I'm more useful here than at home."

"Useful? Rusty, you already did a lot today. You provided first aid to Andy, you've done everything right." Sharon cupped Rusty's cheek with her hand to bring his eyes back to hers, "You called an ambulance, you stopped the bleeding, and you informed us." She added. This time her voice was weaker as she recalled Andy's incident and she felt sick again at the thought. "I couldn't ask for more and I'm glad you were there when it happened, honey, because you helped him a lot. Now you go home and get some rest. It has been a long day for you."

"You sure, mom?" he asked skeptically. Sharon could see in her son's eyes that he didn't fully believe her and that he still wanted to stay.

"Of course." She answered, hugging him. When she let go of him, she offered him her best smile to convince him.

In order to appease her need to see that he got some rest Rusty sighed before reluctantly stating, "You call me if you need me, okay?"

Sharon nodded and Provenza joined her, standing by her side, "Don't worry, Rusty. I'll keep an eye on her."

Rusty finally gave in. He sighed and gave his mother one last hug before leaving with Buzz. The rest of the team left shortly after, but not before asking her once again to keep them updated. She reassured them all as she once again thanked them and said goodbye. The now almost empty corridor was eerily silent, and she finally sank into the closest plastic chair. Unable to sit at the moment, Provenza paced the corridor and she watched him absent-mindedly. Less than an hour had gone by since Andy was taken to surgery but it felt like an eternity to Sharon. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, unable to fully control her growing anxiety.

After a few minutes, Provenza stopped pacing and he sank into the chair next to Sharon. As he was sitting, his jacket fell on the floor and something dropped from one of the pockets. Initially he hadn't noticed the object fall from the pocket, but when he lifted the jacket he saw the paper sitting on the floor. Provenza quickly moved to cover the envelope, hiding it from Sharon. He hoped she had not noticed the slip up, but then he heard the soft question, "What is it, Lieutenant?" Provenza froze in his actions, he instantly knowing he had screwed up

"Oh nothing, absolutely nothing." He answered a bit too quickly. He knew he had to come up with some excuse and he had to do it quickly. "It's just…"

"If it's nothing, then why does it have my name on it?" she whispered, interrupting his attempt to come up with a cover story.

Provenza didn't answer right away and instead sat with his mouth wide open trying to think of the best excuse he could come up with in less than a second, but she was quicker as she added, "Lieutenant, it's Andy's handwriting. I've recognized it." Sharon closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing and calm down her emotions. "Please, tell me what's going on…"

She didn't mean it to sound like a plea, but that was all she could manage without breaking down. There was too much going on right now and this mysterious letter was the last thing she needed. Provenza bit his upper lip and sighed as he let his shoulders fall in defeat before saying, "Fine, fine. You weren't supposed to see this." Then shaking his head and sighing to himself, "Flynn is going to kill me." He wasn't sure he should continue, as he didn't know what effect his next line could have on her. He took a deep breath and added, "He wrote this in case he…"

Sharon's blood froze in her veins. She immediately understood what the older man meant. She felt a lump rise in her throat as it began to tighten. She opened her mouth to take in more air as she felt that she couldn't breathe properly. She needed to stay calm and keep at bay all the negative thoughts. Andy was going to be just fine. She shook her head and covered her mouth with her right hand as she was only able to whisper, "Oh God…"

"Come on, Captain. Let's not lose it over this. Flynn's going to be just fine." He tried to reassure her. "You know the man, he's a stubborn pain in the ass. There's no way he's going anywhere if he doesn't want to."

Provenza's attempts to lighten the mood didn't work as he had expected. Sharon simply nodded unable to speak as she felt the tears stinging her eyes. She couldn't lose it, not now, not in front of Provenza. The Lieutenant furtively looked at the woman sitting next to him. The tears were glistening in her eyes and he could tell she was trying not to break.

Provenza couldn't remember ever seeing her this way. Yes, he had seen her emotional a few years ago when she was having some difficulties in dealing with Rusty, but it never came close to today. He smirked to himself at the thought that Andy Flynn was responsible for all this. It still amazed him that his irritable and grumpy partner won the Captain's heart, especially when he thought back on how much they hated each other a few years ago. Provenza cleared his throat before saying, "Well anyway, now you know about it." He held the envelope out to her, "Here."

He handed the letter to her. Sharon looked at it hesitantly and then back to the man sitting next to her before cautiously taking the letter. She didn't say a word, she just held the letter in her hands, staring at it. Then, she slowly let her finger trace over Andy's handwriting, lost in her thoughts. Sharon was brought back to reality when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It startled her and when she looked up, she saw that Provenza was now standing in front of her.

"Sorry, Captain, I didn't mean to startle you." He removed his hand from her shoulder before adding, "I'm going to take a walk. I already feel my legs getting numb from sitting too long." He paused and furrowed his brow before adding with a smile, "It's not that I'm getting old, I'm just not used to sitting still for too long. You, know I'm a very active person."

"Of course, Lieutenant." She replied with a light smile.

Provenza nodded and slowly walked away. Sharon smirked. She was aware the Lieutenant left her alone on purpose, so she could quietly read Andy's letter. She didn't know if she was ready for it though. She was scared. She knew that the letter would force her to face her unexpressed feelings and that she would be more exposed than ever. She was vulnerable and her heart was breaking at the thought he wrote this letter in case he didn't make it. They had just started exploring their relationship and she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. Not now, not ever .

They had agreed to take things slowly and he had been a perfect gentleman to her. Sure, his health issues changed a few things, speeding up some steps of their relationship, possibly slowing down other steps. They had been kind of living together since Andy's incident, even if it was only because he needed supervision and he couldn't stay alone at home. Sharon had immediately offered her help, lovingly taking care of him. She knew that sometimes he felt like a burden and that he was tired and frustrated of being the patient, but she had reassured him several times about the fact that in her eyes, he was anything but a burden and that she was glad she could take care of him. Truth to be told, she had grown accustomed to having him around at her condo and she couldn't imagine him going back to his house anytime soon.

Sharon took a deep breath and slowly opened the envelope. Her hands were shaking lightly as she took the piece of paper inside and started to read,

Dear Sharon,

If you're reading this letter, then the unthinkable happened… or Provenza just screwed up everything and he gave the letter to you. I'm more thinking of the second option and I can't wait to get cleared by my doctor, so I can kick my idiot partner's ass.

Sharon suppressed a laugh. That line was so Andy Flynn it made her smile, although her smile quickly disappeared as she kept reading,

Okay, enough with the jokes… I'm not really good at all this, but if it did happen, then I'm so sorry, Sharon. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, I feel sick just at the thought that I hurt you this way. I want you to know that I wanted nothing more than to stay with you, and I have fought with all the strength I had… I'm so sorry it wasn't enough.

It was all pretty new to us. We've just started exploring our relationship, even though our kids and coworkers seemed to know we were a thing long before we were even aware of it. Funny, isn't it? I've just asked you officially out a few months ago, but we were actually going out for a long time… we're a pair of idiots, aren't we? I had to endure over a year of Provenza rolling his eyes at me every time I got near you or called you, "Sharon." I can't believe this old grumpy man realized it before we did.

Anyway, I think it's legitimate to assume we've been together for more than the official few months. Still, it's not enough time to me. I definitely thought there would be a tomorrow, and I was ready for it. I was ready to take you out to that fancy Italian restaurant you like and see your eyes light up while reading the name of all those Italian dishes you've learned by heart. I was ready to spend my whole day-off sitting with you on your couch, holding you close while I was watching some game and you were reading one of your favorite books. I was ready to hold your hand and be by your side every time you felt like your strength wasn't enough to face the day. I was ready to wake up by your side, to see you first thing in the morning your beautiful green eyes and to kiss you good morning. I was ready to take our relationship to the next level. I was ready to love you.

I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to say those words to you before it was too late. Apparently, it seems easier to write them down. I love you. Funny how my brain stopped me from saying such simple words to you out loud. Subject. Verb. Complement. In theory, the easiest sentence ever, but in practice, the feelings and implications that come with those three words scared the ever-so brave Andy Flynn.

I wish I could turn back time to make everything right.

I will always love you, Sharon.

Andy.

Sharon folded the letter back into the envelope. She noticed she was crying only when one of her tears fell to leave a watermark on the envelope. She raised her hand to touch her face, now feeling the stream of tears that were falling. She rolled her eyes at herself for not being able to control herself as a sob escaped her lips. Sharon closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down her breathing as she leaned her head back against the wall. She took deep breaths, her chest slowly rising as her tears progressively decreased. After a few minutes, she had regained her composure. She opened her eyes again and wiped away the remaining trails of tears.

She then looked at the letter on her knees. She brushed her fingers over the now tear stained paper before taking it and putting it in her purse. She would keep it as a reminder of all the things they still had to do together, because Andy was going to be just fine. She believed this firmly. There was no other way. Everything would turn out great. She would be happy. They would be happy and everything would restart from there. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice, "Captain, look who I have found!"


Who is it? Any guesses?

I'd love to hear from you what you thought about this first chapter. I'd appreciate it very much. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 2 will be coming soon! :)