Second Chances

Somehow the two of them could never seem to get things right on the first try. For two grown adults who were accomplished in their profession they were both clueless with how to have a relationship. Of course when you start out hardly being able to look at each other because you find the other one's personality and approach to life so in contrast to your own it doesn't help.

"Is this everything?" He had asked her his voice full of distrust and dislike.

"Oh gosh I hope so." She said her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

It was true she did hope so. She hoped she never had to see Lieutenant Andrew Flynn again or deal with anyone in this entire Major Crimes division. She knew she would have to but if she could just avoid talking to him or dealing with him. Sure his partner wasn't much better but at least he didn't make her feel so damn uncomfortable.

Then he got attacked, and called her, and then she had to open an investigation on him. She remembers standing in his hospital room wanting him to trust her. She remembers holding his thick file while she warned him that his career could be in danger and the way he yelled at her. Somehow at that moment something changed. She saw something in him, felt something in her that she couldn't identify but it made her want to run as far as she could from the Major Crimes division and never look back.

Of course she couldn't as fate would have it the division that had given her some much grief, kept her awake so many nights was now hers. There would be no escaping it or him. Things had gotten better between them but that first day she saw that same look of distrust in his eyes that he had given her before.

"It's good to know your victims' names"

"Some bullshit regulation you put into place."

"Every damn problem we are having is because of you."

She refused to go back to that. She remembers looking in his eyes and calling him by his name for the first time ever, "Andy." Something about saying his name changed the air in the room. Of course the fact that she said he was right caught him so off guard that he had no choice but to listen to her.

From that point on though he was always Andy to her. Long before she started calling anyone else on her team by their first name she was calling him Andy. She thought of him as Andy even in her own mind. She did her best to not think about him but somehow he would always make his ways into her thoughts.

What she thought about the most when she wasn't supposed to be thinking about him were his eyes. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and that was definitely true of Andy Flynn. His eyes gave him away. Even way back on that day she was holding his file his eyes told her so much. Then on the night that Rusty ran away from him his eyes showed how concerned he was. He tried so hard to be tough but his eyes gave away just how much he cared and how strong his emotions were. Of course his eyes also displayed mischief and fun. They would light up a certain way when grinned that made him almost impossible to resist. She spent a lot of time trying not to think about those eyes.

It only took her a minute of looking into those eyes in her office for her to offer to go the Nicole's wedding with him. He looked so nervous and uncertain but so sincere that she couldn't stop herself from offering. Months later she recognized the mischief in his eyes when he asked her to the Nutcracker. She knew he was hiding something but she trusted him so she said yes.

Somehow over the next several months she found herself looking into those eyes more and more. Dinner, coffee after a movie, a baseball game, a charity banquet. Those eyes looked at her with care and empathy when she told him about her marriage to Jack. Those eyes shared her excitement when Rusty said yes to the adoption. On Christmas Eve those eyes closed just before he kissed her. As long as she lives she will never forget the feel of his lips on hers. Then she had to practice not looking at his lips when she looked into his eyes. Then she went back to trying not to look at him at all because she knew she had hurt him.

After Stroh escaped she told him she couldn't go any further with them. Keeping Rusty safe was going to require her full attention and she didn't have any to give him right now. She waited for him to yell and to get angry, but he didn't. He asked her if she had feelings for him and she told him she couldn't deal with that right now. She told him she needed her friend and that was all she could give him. He told her that was all he would ask of her until she was ready for more. He told her he was still waiting in case she needed him.

Then a few weeks ago she realized that she could not spend the rest of her or Rusty's lives keeping them safe. They both had to move on and live their lives. So that day in her office when Andy asked what she needed from him she told him what she need him to do for Julio. He said he would and he looked at her and could tell she wanted to say something else.

"Do you need me for anything else?" He asked his eyes not demanding anything from her.

"I need a second chance for us." She said barely in a whisper looking down at the papers on her desk.

"For us to what?" He asked needing to be sure of what she was saying.

"To see what we can become. I want to see what we can become." She told him looking into his eyes.

Andy was quiet for a minute and Sharon could feel her heart racing. What if she had missed her chance and he had moved on. What if he no longer trusted her or cared that way about her. Then he smiled up at her with those twinkling eyes of his.

"I'm a big believer in second chances." He said before winking at her and walking out of her office.

Over the next couple of weeks the waded back into their relationship. Some parts easy some parts awkward. Neither of them seemed to know what the next step should be. Slowly though as she continued to let go of Rusty a little more she felt herself opening back up to Andy. She found herself flirting with him and he was back to doing goofy things to impress her.

Then he had asked her to a romantic restaurant for their first real date. True to their history they did not get it right the first time around. They were both nervous and the night felt awkward and pressure filled. Neither of them knew who they were supposed to be in romantic restaurant. Then as they got back to her place she was sure he was going to kiss her goodnight when suddenly Rusty and TJ came walking down the hall. Andy just said he would call her when he got home.

"So tonight was interesting…" he said hesitantly

"I think you mean awkward.' Sharon laughed a little.

"Awkward because you don't feel that way?" He asked her

"No, awkward because we were trying too hard." She reassured him.

"Then can I have a second chance at our first date?" He asked her.

"Well I am also a big believer in second chances." She teased him.

All of those second chances. All of those times of not giving up on each other had led them to this. Sharon found herself curling closer to him in his bed. He wrapped his arm around her and moved her hair away from her face kissing her.

"What are you thinking about?' he asked

She rolled over and kissed him, "Second chances"

The End