It had been three months since she left the LAPD she had been ready for a career change for sometime and she finally got the push she needed when the NFL approached her about working for them. She really had a tough decision on her hands, she loved working for the LAPD, but she couldn't pass up the chance to work for the NFL. She loved football and it was the job of a lifetime.
Rusty had been doing better since his run in with his birth mother a few months prior. Their last case had taken a toll on her not only professionally but as well as personally. She was glad that it was finally over and that she could move on from it. Sharon was ready for a fresh start and this new job was her way of getting it.
When she first addressed the chance at a career change she wasn't sure how Andy would feel about it. She knew that he would support her with whatever decision she decided to make. She had a sinking feeling that it was going to blow up in her face especially when it came to their relationship, but she would deal with that when the time came.
As the day finally ended they made their way out of the murder room to the elevators. He noticed that she had gotten quiet which wasn't the norm for her. "Sharon, Honey is something wrong?" He asked as he waited for her response. As they got off the elevators and made their to her car he opened the door for her, she sat down and stared out the window so he ask her once again, "Sharon, Sweetheart is something wrong?"
She shook herself out of her thoughts and looked at the man sitting next to her. "No I'm ok. Just a lot on my mind I guess." She responded with a sigh as she went back to looking back out the window. He knew something was bothering her but he knew better than to pressure her to tell him about it. Andy knew that she would come to him before it was said and done. As they drove to her place she seemed like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and she just wasn't the normal laughing and fun loving Sharon. He knew when they got to her place that she would feel more comfortable and maybe she would finally tell him what was bothering her so much. As they walked into the condo she went about putting her things where they were supposed to go but she still hadn't said much. He watched her for a moment he was starting to get worried that something was seriously wrong.
Sharon stopped what she was doing as he laid his jacket on the back of the sofa, "Andy, can you sit down for a moment, I need to talk to you about something." He sat down next to her on the sofa as she held his hand in hers she looked into his dark eyes and saw nothing but love and understanding in them. So with a deep breath before she started to tell the man that she loved with everything about her new job offer. She couldn't begin to imagine what he was actually going to think and feel about it, but she decided to take the chance.
"I'm not sure how you are going to take this, so I guess I will just come out and tell you about it." He was growing even more concerned as she played with their fingers. She couldn't look at him. "Sharon, Honey what's wrong?"
She looked up to see him smiling at her, "Nothing is wrong. I received a phone call from the commissioner of the NFL today."
He looked at her surprised for a second. "What did he want?" he asked slightly puzzled.
"He is offering me a job to work with them on updating their security protocols. This job would require me leaving the LAPD and also a lot of traveling too."
A few minutes later he broke the silence, "Sharon, Honey," she looked up to see him staring at her. He let go of her hand as he looked into her beautiful green eyes, "well what did you tell him?"
Sharon looked down at her hands and back up at him. "I told him that I would have to think about it and I would let him know." She was waiting for him to say something.
There was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound like he was telling her what to do. He cupped her chin in his hand, "Sweetheart this decision is completely up to you." But in the back of his mind he was screaming he didn't want her to leave after they had just found each other. After a few more minutes he decided it was time for him to go. He let go of her hand and stood up, "It's getting late I'm going to head home. I will see you tomorrow,"
She was caught off guard by his sudden change in attitude. "Andy, what's
wrong?" He looked at her and sighed and walked out the door leaving her completely stunned. Sharon sat on the sofa a few more minutes then she made her way to her bedroom and shut the door, shutting the world out for a while.
That was three months ago, after that night she decided to take the job and as she told Taylor he wasn't surprised that she took the job offer. He had noticed over the last year or so that she had gotten tired of the job and the long hours. As she stood in his office, "Sharon, you know what this means? With you taking this job that puts Provenza in charge of Major Crimes now."
"Chief, he is more than capable of handling it." Sharon smirked as she watched Taylor squirm in his chair at the thought of Provenza being in charge. He looked at her she could tell that he had one last burning question for her. He knew that he had to tread lightly or he would incur the wrath of Darth Raydor, "How is Andy handling all of this?" he asked cautiously.
She sighed "Chief I really don't know he isn't talking to me right now. Which I don't blame him I sprung this on him out of the blue."
He cleared his throat before he spoke, "He will be ok. It's going to take some time to adjust to all of the new changes, but it will work out."
She looked at her boss and let out a heavy sigh, "I hope you are right about that Chief."
MCMCMCMC MCMCMCMC MCMCMCMC MCMCMCMC MCMCMCMC
Three months later. She had been to many different cities in a short amount of time. Sharon was glad to be heading home, she was enjoying it but nothing beat L.A. this place was her home. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as her plane landed at LAX. She was ready to see Rusty and to enjoy her time at home even it was for a little bit.
As she stepped off the plane she enjoyed the sunshine as she made her way to the baggage claim. After Sharon picked up her suitcase she made her way to the front of the terminal, she hadn't gotten very far when she heard
someone calling her name. "Sharon, Mom," she spun around to find Rusty standing before her. She was surprised at how much taller he seemed to be. She waited for a moment as he made his over to where she was standing; she dropped her bag and wrapped her son in a tight hug. "Rusty, Honey I have missed you soo much," she said in between sobs.
"Mom, don't cry, you haven't been gone that long."
She smiled at him, "I know but it seems like forever," she said with a laugh.
"Did you have a good trip?" he asked as he picked up her bag and led her out of the terminal toward his car.
She couldn't help but stare at her youngest son, she was proud of the responsible young man he had become. He had been through so much and he always came out stronger. It had been hard for her to leave especially to leave him, but Provenza volunteered to watch out for Rusty while she was gone. She would have to thank him for that.
Rusty wouldn't admit it but he was happy to have his mother home. He had really missed her even though she had only been gone a few weeks. As they made their way to his car Sharon walked beside him talking up a storm about everything she had seen and done on this trip.
They finally arrived at the condo after an eternity on the freeway, that's the only thing she didn't miss about L. A. was the traffic. It was eerie walking into the condo, she had only been gone for a few weeks but it seem like she had been gone for months.
She was pleasantly surprised to find it the same way she left it. As she stood in the living room staring she never heard Rusty calling her name. "Mom, you ok?" she jumped when he touched her shoulder, "I didn't mean to scare you." He laughed as he walked around the sofa and sat down. She made her way to the sofa as well and sat down next to her son, she let out a contented sigh she was glad to be home even for a short time. They spent the rest of the day catching up on how Rusty had been since she'd been gone. Several hours later she made her way into her bedroom, the one place that she felt the safest and the most comfortable.
She had been home a few days and hadn't heard anything from Andy. Which she didn't think that she would he was still plenty upset with her about the
whole situation but she hoped that he would eventually understand why she decided to take the job. She was laying in bed when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door, she rolled onto her back and sat up in bed as Rusty knocked again and spoke, "Mom are you up?"
"Yes, Honey I am you can come in if you want."
He walked into the dimly lit room as he made his way into the room he walked over to her side of the bed, "Did you get some rest?" He asked as he sat down next to her.
She smiled at him, "yes honey I did. It's felt good to sleep in my own bed for a change," she laughed. Sitting up she held his hand, "So what are your plans for the day?" she asked.
"Well, I didn't have anything planned. Unless you know of something to do?" He asked as he pulled his legs up onto the bed.
She looked at her son, "I really didn't have anything to do either." She watched him as he messed with a strand of thread on his pant leg. "Rusty is there something you want to ask me?" She asked puzzled.
He looked up to see her smiling at him, "well yeah kinda. You can answer the question if you want to or you can tell me that it's none of my business."
He had caught her attention with that last statement, "What's on your mind?"
"Um, are things ok with you and Andy?"
She stared at him for a moment she was unsure of how to answer him, she held his hand and cleared her throat, "I'm not sure about that right now Rusty. We kind of left things up in the air when I took this job I haven't talked to him yet either." She could feel the tears welling up she turned her head away from him to keep him from seeing the tears.
He looked up as she was trying to hide her tears. "Mom I didn't mean to upset you. I knew I shouldn't have asked you that. I'm sorry about that," he said as he started to get up from the bed.
She grabbed his hand he stopped suddenly, "Rusty, Honey I am fine I
promise. Like you I have a lot of unanswered questions but in time I will find out what is going on."
After her little talk with Rusty, Sharon decided to call Andrea and the two friends met for dinner and drinks.
Andrea was surprised to receive the call from her friend. She wasn't thrilled when Sharon decided to take the security job with the NFL, but she knew that it was something that Sharon really had her heart set on doing. After all the sacrifices that she had made everyone else in her life, it was good to see her doing something for herself for change.
As Sharon waited for Andrea to arrive at the restaurant, she was hoping that she wouldn't ask her about Andy. She hadn't seen him or talked to him since she left a few weeks ago and things between them were touchy at best. She looked up to see Andrea walking toward her she stood and gave her best friend a hug. "It is so good to see you Andrea."
She gave a warm smile, "it's great to see you too. I wasn't expecting you to be back in town until next week."
"Yes I know but I was getting homesick and missing Rusty so I took a few days off and decided to come home. I hadn't realized how much I missed being here until I've been gone for a couple of weeks this trip."
Andrea looked at her friend, she had so much she wanted to ask her but she knew that now wouldn't be the appropriate time to ask the questions that she had been dying to ask. "Have you been by to see your former team since you been back in town?" Andrea asked.
Sharon looked up from the menu and stared at her. "No I haven't. I'm not sure they would even want me dropping by, especially after the way I just left things and left them."
Andrea sat there as Sharon continued her thought she cleared her throat. "Actually, Sharon that's not entirely true. They have all asked me about you and if I have talked to you since you left. They miss you and they love you they aren't mad at you for taking another job. Most of them would have jumped at the chance to do what your doing."
Sharon couldn't believe what she was hearing. But she knew her former team and the bond that they had formed over the four and half years that she was with them. "I'm glad to hear that but I know of one individual that most likely isn't missing me."
Andrea looked at her shocked, "Well, I wouldn't know Sharon he doesn't really talk to me so I have no idea." She could see the heartbreak on her face as she spoke about Andy. Andrea reached for her best friend's hand and squeezed it trying to comfort her.
"Well I can't really blame him for acting like this to be honest. I really didn't give him much of a chance to tell me what he thought about me taking the job so I can understand him not wanting to talk to you." After they ate lunch they stood on the sidewalk, as they went their separate ways they hugged and said they would stay in touch and see each other before Sharon had to leave again.
Once Sharon arrived back to her condo, she walked in to find no one around so she sat down on the couch and enjoyed the peace and quiet. She knew that Rusty was with Gus and Buzz, they all had decided to go to the movies. She was happy that Rusty was getting out more and enjoying his life, she worried about him but since he met Gus things had really turned around for him. She woke several hours to the sound of the boys walking in the front door. She sat up smiled at the two young men in front of her. Rusty stopped suddenly when he heard her giggling from the couch. "Oh hey mom! I didn't know you were sleeping out here."
She snort laughed as she stood up and walked over to them. "Hi Gus, "How are you?"
He reached over and hugged her, "I'm doing fine ma'am,"
She just smiled at her son, "Rusty I'm going to head to my room so you two can be alone."
"Mom, you don't have to leave," he called out to her.
She stopped in the hall, turned around and stared at her son. "It's ok I'm kinda tired anyway."
He walked toward her and gave a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "I love you Mom."
She smiled as she hugged him tighter, "I love you too." She made her way to room and shut the door behind her. She laid down on her bed with a heavy sigh. She looked at her clock it was still early but she was more tired than she thought. She sat up and went to take a long hot bath. She filled the tub up and undressed quickly as she stepped into the tub the warm water felt good on her bare skin. As she relaxed in the tub she let the world fall away for a while.
After some time she heard a knock on her bedroom door, she sat up she heard rusty outside the bathroom door, "Mom, Gus and I are going out. I'll be back later, love you."
"Okay, Rusty be careful and love you too." She lay back against the tub as she heard him knock again.
"What is it rusty?" She asked puzzled.
"Will you wait up for me?" He had never asked her that before, she always waited for him anyway.
She smiled to herself, "Sure, I'll be here waiting for you, Honey."
He couldn't help but smile at her response. "I won't be late Mom," With that he walked out of her bedroom leaving her alone to soak in a hot bath.
After sometime had passed the water had gotten cold and she was starting to get cold too so she got out of the tub and let the water drain as she went about putting her pajamas on. Sharon made her way out into the living room and decided to walk out on to the balcony. She loved this time of year it had gotten a little cooler at night and it was a beautiful starry night. As she stood there she couldn't help but think back to the last time she stood out here was with Andy after one of their dates. She missed the connection that they had. But she quickly shook those thoughts from her head as she heard the front door slam behind her she spun around to see a very angry Rusty walking into the living room. "Rusty honey what's wrong?" She asked as she made her way back to the couch.
He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, "NOTHING MOM! Don't worry
about it!" She looked at him shocked for a moment. He suddenly realized who he was talking to and sat down on the couch and hung his head. He knew he messed up; he was just waiting for Darth Raydor to come out.
After a few seconds of staring at her son in disbelief she finally started to say something, "Excuse me. I didn't do anything to you Rusty, and I do not deserve to be talk to like that either." He looked at his mother with tears in his eyes she couldn't stay mad at him especially when he looked so defeated and upset. "What happen sweetheart?" She asked as she sat down next to him.
He wiped the tears out of his eyes and looked at her as she smiled sadly at him, "It's nothing really. Gus and I just had our first fight nothing major."
She felt for him she had been there many times in her life too, she pulled him into her side he started to fight her but decided to go with it. "Rusty, Honey everything will be ok. It will just take some time but things between you two will be all right. Couples fight and argue all the time."
He sat up and looked like he wanted to say something, "So what happen with you and Andy? I thought things were going good but then all of a sudden it went away."
"Rusty I am not sure what is going to happen with me and Andy. I haven't seen or talked to him since I came back into town, but as soon as I find out I will let you know. Sharon looked at him he was too busy laughing at her.
They spent the rest of the night talking and laughing she had to admit she missed her son. He had grown so much but as they sat there talking and laughing her mind drifted off to other things and to a certain person. She would have to find him and they needed talk about their current situation.
As she headed to bed she picked up her phone and sent a text, she knew that he would still be up he always stayed up late.
S: "Hey, I think we need to talk."
A: "We have nothing to talk about, Sharon."
S: "I think we do, but I'm leaving it up to you. My house tomorrow after work?"
A: "I'll think about it."
S: "I hope to see you soon, but it's up to you."
He laid his phone back down on the table by his bed, sighing as he stretched out trying to get her off his mind and trying to get some sleep. He knew that she was back in town. Andrea had mentioned to the team that she was going to be having lunch with her and that she would pass their messages to Sharon. The next morning he made his way into the murder room and went about his morning like he normally did. Provenza had been watching him over the last few days, he knew that Sharon was back in town for a few days, that could be the only explanation as to why his best friend is acting the way he was. He got up from his chair and walked to the door opening it, "Flynn," Everything ok?" He asked.
Andy turned around to answer him. "Yes, I'm good.
He looked at his old friend, "Like I believe that," he said as he turned and walked back into his office.
He looked up to see Andy opening the door, "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked as he slammed the door and sat down in front of his new captain.
"It means I know damn well that you miss her and that you really want to see her but your stubborn pride won't let you." He looked at Andy and waited for a response.
"That's not it at all, you have no idea how I feel. If you remember she walked away from me I didn't walk away from her." He was starting to pace he was getting irritated so he decided to leave before he lost his temper.
The day passed without much interruption and they were able to leave early for a change. So Andy decided to grab a bite to eat before he headed home. He walked into the diner down the street from the PAB. As he walked in he stopped suddenly in the doorway he wasn't expecting to find her here. She hardly ever ate out. He turned and walked back out the door as he stood there in the cool crisp night air trying to get a hold of himself, he thought to himself, "this is crazy, there is still so much left unsaid between us, I have to go back in and talk to her or least see if she will talk to me." Andy
walked back inside and sat down in the booth across the room from her, he had to admit she was still just as beautiful as the last time he saw her.
After a few minutes he gathered up his courage and walked over to her, she was busy reading the menu and didn't notice someone standing next to the table. He caught her off guard as he stood before her, "Hi," he said as he tried to hide his smile.
She sat her coffee cup down and looked up at him, "Hi. I thought you weren't talking to me?" She motioned for him to sit down.
He sat down across from her, "I never said that I wasn't speaking to you Sharon I just told you that I was thinking about it."
"Hmmm," she avoided looking at him, she played with the spoon that she had been using to stir her coffee.
He watched her for a few minutes, "So how have you been Sharon?"
She sighed as she started to answer him, "I've been alright. I'm enjoying the new job and all the travel that comes with it."
He looked at her for a moment he didn't know this woman that was sitting across from him, she had changed so much in the course of a few months, and he decided that it was time for him to leave. "Well, I'm not going to keep you, I just wanted to say hi and it was nice seeing you again." With that he left her alone and walked out of the diner and drove home. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her how he felt about her taking the new job and walking out on them.
She sat in the booth staring at her coffee cup when the waitress walk up and startled her out of her thoughts. "Hon is there anything else I can get for you?" She smiled sweetly.
Sharon looked up at her, "No just the check will be good."
"Well the handsome gentleman that you were talking to took care of your check before he walked out."
She grabbed her phone and sent him a text.
S: "Thanks for the coffee."
A: "Anytime."
S: "We still need to talk, lot of things left to talk about."
A: "Not tonight. Heading to a meeting, maybe tomorrow."
S: "Oh okay, later then."
She made her way to her car as she sat behind the wheel she thought back over months prior to her leaving and single tear fell down her cheek. She started the car and drove home, hoping to forget about her day.
She walked into the condo as she sat down on the couch she sighed and lay back against the back of the couch and tried to forget her day. It wasn't any use every time she tried her mind would drift back to Andy and their encounter in the diner. Sharon knew that they really needed to talk but she wasn't going to force him to have a conversation that she felt that he really didn't want to have. She made her way into her bedroom and shut the door and lay down on the bed letting sleep take her under once again. She woke up to the sound of her phone chiming on the nightstand; she picked it up and slid it open to discover a message from Andrea. She replied quickly and laid her phone down sat on the side of her bed and debated on whether to get up or lay back in bed. She decided on the latter, she made her way to the closet and picked out a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt dressing she decided to forego the shower and instead decided to watch a movie.
She sat on the couch half way watching the movie that was playing on the TV. No matter how much she tried not to think about him, her mind would always drift back to the happy times that she had with him. It didn't help to sit and think about him it only made her feel worse and she really didn't want to think about it. The hour had gotten late she made her way around the condo closing and locking everything up as she made her way to the bedroom. She pulled the covers back she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, if she was completely truthful with herself she missed him, missed his warmth and being able to lay in bed and talk for hours with him. She knew that she hurt him with her sudden decision to take a new job she just hope that it wasn't too late for her to try and make it better.
{TBC}