A/N sadly most of these characters are not mine. I just enjoy borrowing them from time to time. Thanks to my beta sundishine2 for your thoughts and encouragement. All mistakes are mine.

The incessant vibration of her cell phone against the glass table top rousted Captain Sharon Raydor from a deep, comfortable sleep. She slipped her arm out from under the cover and picked up the offending phone without glancing at the screen. "Captain Raydor" she murmured as she slowly brought the phone to her ear. Behind her, Andy Flynn sighed deeply as he kept his hand splayed across her bare stomach. Sharon was loathed to move from the contented warmth of Andy's body, so for the time being she remained snuggled against his chest.

"Sorry to wake you Captain…but we have ah… situation." Louie Provenza's voice was tense and Sharon knew whatever it was must be pretty bad if he was calling her phone first before requesting Lieutenant Flynn's assistance.

"What do we have Lieutenant?" Sharon asked as she quickly glanced at the time on her cell phone. 4:35, nothing good ever happens this early on a Saturday morning she thought with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Captain…" Provenza paused again and his atypical hesitation sent a sharp bolt of anxiety through her chest. Sharon sat up quickly, causing Andy's hand to slide down her side, coming to rest in her lap. Her mind went a million different places before the Lieutenant reluctantly spoke again. "The body of DDA Rios was found approximately forty five minutes ago…"

"Emma?" Captain Raydor interrupted. Panicked, Sharon stood hastily, still cradling her phone against her ear. She reached for her robe lying across the bench at the foot of their bed and shrugged it on. Sharon was down the hall, peeking into the door of Rusty's bedroom before Andy could even sit up all the way.

"Captain…Captain, are you listening to me…" Provenza demanded when he got no response from his Captain.

At that very moment, the only sound Sharon could hear was that of her heart pounding relentlessly in her ears. As her eyes made contact with Rusty's sleeping form she finally was able to breathe and answer Provenza. "I'm sorry Lieutenant…I…"

"Captain, we don't know that this was Stroh. You don't need to let yourself go there…until we have more information."

Sharon gently pulled Rusty's door closed before slowly walking back to her bedroom, "I know…I know…you're right Lieutenant." Upon entering the bedroom, Sharon's mossy green eyes instantly locked on Andy's deep chestnut ones and he could see the panic swimming just below the surface. Andy sat on the edge of the bed; the bedside lamp casting a soft glow across the room. He held her gaze as she continued to listen to her first in command. She nodded her head as she listened, even though Provenza could not see her. "Here's Andy," She finally spoke before handing her phone off to him.

Andy held the phone in his hand while his eyes remained locked on Sharon's. She frowned slightly and then with a shake of her head she turned, walking straight into their bathroom. As the bathroom door closed with a soft thud, Andy finally lifted the phone to his ear. "What in the hell is going on?"

"Emma Rios is… dead."

"Holy shit!" Andy stood, stepping across the room to lean against the bathroom door. He could hear the soft torrent water falling in the shower. "Is it Stroh?" Andy asked, his voice sounding much calmer than he felt.

Provenza was silent for a few beats, "Honestly, I don't know…but we can't take any chances. Look Flynn, don't bother coming to the scene. The Captain doesn't need to see this and I think it would be best if you escort her to the morgue. Kendall is almost finished here so I'd say you have an hour or so."

"What about Rusty? You know she is going to want some kind of detail…"

"Taylor thinks it is too soon for that."

"Well, fuck Taylor…If this is Stroh…" Andy started, only to be interrupted by Provenza.

"Damn-it Flynn…I'm just as upset and worried as you are. But, you know as well as I do that this all has to been handled a certain way. As soon as we are all back in the office, we have a meeting with Taylor, Howard and Sheriff Sterling. Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you and the Captain in a little while." Provenza hung up quickly, leaving Andy to stare at a blank screen.

Andy leaned his head against the bathroom door, clutching Sharon's phone to his chest. "Shit…Shit…Shit!" he muttered as he walked over to the bed and placed the phone on the nightstand. He looked up surprised to hear the bathroom door open. Sharon, clad only in a towel, stepped across the room toward the closet. "Sweetheart…"

Andy stopped immediately when Sharon turned, holding her hand up to him. "Andy, don't…please. We need to hurry so we can get to the scene as soon as possible."

Andy stepped across the room and gently pulled her to him, "We're not going to the scene. Provenza asked that we meet Morales at the morgue, so we have just a little time before Kendall arrives with the body."

Sharon tightly fisted the back of Andy's grey undershirt. "The body… the body. Damn-it Andy! Why is this happening now after all this time." Her voice broke and he pulled her even tighter, his hand moved to her hair and undid the clip holding her beautiful auburn locks up off her neck. As her hair tumbled to her shoulders, Andy continued to run his hand gently through her hair hoping his soothing motions would calm her.

"We don't know that this is Stroh." Andy whispered, trying again to re-assure her. "Sharon… you know Emma could have a lot of enemies that would want to hurt her."

Sharon shook her head, stepping back from Andy, she pushed him gently on the chest, "Go shower and I need to get dressed." Andy watched in silence as she turned and went into their closet, sighing deeply for the second time that morning, Andy made his way into the bathroom to get ready for what was beginning to look like a really terrible day.

sasasasasasa

Dressed in dark jeans, black ankle boots, a pale blue silk shirt and navy blazer, Sharon made her way into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Deciding that a dark roast was much needed, Sharon pulled Andy's favorite Italian Roast beans from the canister to the left of the coffee pot. "You're up early for a Saturday?" Although the voice was soft, it was unexpected. Thus causing Sharon to startle and spill coffee beans across the counter.

Hand to her chest, Sharon turned quickly toward the voice, "Gus! I'm sorry…I…I didn't realize…"

"Sharon, it's okay; I'm the one who should be sorry. We got in late last night and I was asleep on the couch. Are you okay?" Gus questioned as he noticed Sharon's hands shaking. "Here, let me get the coffee started." Nodding her head gratefully, Sharon silently stepped to the side and watched as Gus cleaned up the beans she had spilled before putting fresh ones in the grinder. "Sharon, are you sure you're okay?" Gus wondered again as Sharon continued to stand against the counter in silence.

"What? Yes…I'm…Gus, may I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure, anything."

Sharon crossed her arms over her chest, "Andy and I have a case. It's very…sensitive. Would you and Rusty stay here at the condo today? Just until Andy and I find out more… I would really feel better if Rusty did not leave here today."

Gus frowned at Sharon, "Okay…but you know Rusty is not going to…"

"I know…I know Rusty will not be happy, but I need you to keep him here…Please."

Gus turned from the now brewing coffee and stared intently at Sharon. He could not remember a single time since he has gotten to know her better that he has seen her so rattled. "Okay. We will stay here until you or Andy say otherwise."

Sharon smiled, but Gus quickly noticed that it did not reach her eyes. "Thank you…and one more thing. Only open the door for me or one of my team members. No one else… regardless of what they say or what they are wearing. Understood?"

"You're kind of freaking me out here."

Sharon pulled Gus into a tight hug, "I just want you and Rusty safe. That's all. We will know more soon…I hope."

"Everyone okay?" Andy asked as he stepped quietly into the kitchen.

"Morning Andy," Gus stepped back from Sharon's arms. "Coffee's almost ready."

"Thanks Gus." Andy reached for two travel mugs while eyeing Sharon with concern.

"I was just asking Gus if he and Rusty would stick around here today, just until…" Sharon's voice trailed off as Andy nodded. Taking the half-filled mug from Andy, Sharon stepped to the refrigerator to add some half and half before she walked into the living room to gather her purse and phone. "Gus?" Sharon paused while Andy held the front door for her, "Thanks for everything and if you could have Rusty call me when he gets up. No hurry though, let him sleep as long as possible."

Gus softly smiled, "No problem Sharon…Andy." Gus crossed his arms over his chest as Andy gently pulled the condo door closed. "What just happened?" He quietly asked himself before settling in back on the sofa despite the fact that he would never be able to get back to sleep with all the questions churning in his mind.

sasasasasasa

Sharon dropped her phone in her purse as she and Andy rode the elevator down to the parking garage. She stole comfort in the fact that Andy's hand rested reassuringly on the small of her back. Taking a small sip of her coffee, Sharon grimaced at the harsh taste in the back of her throat that caused her stomach to churn even more. Just as they stepped from the elevator Sharon paused at the feel of her phone vibrate down in her purse. Andy continued on ahead as she shifted her coffee to the other hand so she could dig for her phone. She had almost reached her phone when a strange noise caught her attention.

"What the hell!" Andy exclaimed just as Sharon looked up. Her green eyes widened in horror as she watched Andy pull long wooden barb from the side of his neck. Andy took two more steps before he stumbled, collapsing onto the hash, cold concrete floor as his coffee mug clattered loudly to the ground.

"Andy!" Sharon fumbled with her purse as she hurried toward where he lay on his side. She was almost to him when a searing pain tore through her right shoulder causing her coffee mug to slip from her grasp and shatter, splashing hot coffee on both she and Andy. She looked down to find a similar wooden dart buried in the top of her shoulder. She dropped her purse as she sank to her knees beside Andy and pulled the barb from her shoulder. "Andy…Andy" She cried as she rolled him to his back.

His eyes fluttered open as he tried to speak, "Shar…" only to close again. Sharon struggled to dig Andy's phone from the front pocket of his jeans but she was stopped short when the pain of another dart ripped through the center of her back. She fell hard, face first across Andy's chest.

"No…no…no," she whispered, trying to hold on to any shred of consciousness. Her fingertips dusted across the cool metal of Andy's Beretta 845F but from the awkward angle of her hands there was no way for Sharon to release the weapon from his holster; her own Glock 22 rested in her purse a few feet away. She turned her head slightly on Andy's chest and took small comfort in the sound of his rapidly beating heart. It was at that moment that she heard footsteps approaching her. Rolling ever so carefully to her back she caught first sight of their attacker. The man was short, maybe five-five at the most and had a very stocky build. He wore black combat boots, black cargo pants and a black long sleeve t-shirt. A ski mask covered his face and a utility vest containing at the least 15 more homemade wooden darts covered his chest. His right hand hung by his side but in his left, he held an almost four foot long bamboo blow gun. He slowed as he stepped closer to the Captain and her Lieutenant. Once he was beside Sharon he knelt just to her left, placing the blow gun on the floor. Their eyes met and there was something oddly familiar about the crystal blue orbs staring back at her. Sharon held his gaze and wondered briefly if she should speak. Oddly, his eyes were fixed and locked on hers as if he was transfixed by her mossy green ones. Slowly, painfully, Sharon lifted her hands to his face and began to inch the ski mask up. Once half of the man's face was exposed he suddenly snapped out of whatever trance he was in and his lips drew back in a snarl. A single point of impact to the side of her face ignited a spark of agony that rocked through Sharon. She tried to twist out of the way, but her body was slow, sluggish. The man yanked her by the arms and slammed her to the floor a few feet away from Andy's unconscious form. She tried again to roll from him but her drug laced mind could not make her body comply.

Andy groaned from a few feet away as his eyes fluttered open again. The sound of Sharon's pain filled moans pulled at him and he slowly rolled to his side as his eyes desperately searched for her. He watched as a combat boot kicked out viscously, repeatedly making contact with Sharon's side. The man was yelling but Andy couldn't make out what he was saying. Andy tried desperately to reach for his gun, but his arms felt like lead. The man kicked Sharon one last time, the force of his blow causing her to roll within a few inches of Andy's body. Despite the searing pain tearing through her ribs, Sharon reached out for Andy. Their fingertips touched and their eyes locked ever so briefly before they both slid into the dark oblivion of unconsciousness.