Sharon Raydor poured herself a glass of wine and sat down on her couch, pulling a pillow into her lap. She hugged it close, the way she always did when she was upset. Rusty had gone to take a shower, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She was worried about Julio. Even if the wound had been "superficial," she was still worried. She felt like what happened was somehow her fault, although the way things had worked out hadn't been all bad. They'd caught the people who were responsible and saved the children and their mother.
A knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She tossed the pillow she'd been holding aside and went to answer it. When she opened it, she did a terrible job of hiding her shock. Louie Provenza was standing outside her condo.
"Lieutenant... What are you doing here?" She asked, tilting her head quizzically at him.
"I thought you might like some company, given everything that happened today."
"Oh, how thoughtful of you. Come on in," she said, stepping aside. "Have a seat," she called over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen.
He sat down on her couch and waited for her to join him. He had to admit, at first he had not liked Captain Sharon Raydor. She had caused a lot of trouble for their division back when Brenda was still around, but looking back on that, he realized she'd just been doing her job. In fact, she'd been doing her job very well. Now, however, he had different feelings for the Captain. He liked her as a leader, as a friend, and possibly as something...more.
"Would you like anything to drink, Lieutenant?" She asked from the kitchen, tearing him away from his musings.
"No, thank you." There was a comfortable silence, but Provenza spoke again. "You can call me Louie," he said.
"Alright, just for tonight. And you can call me Sharon," she smiled, sitting down beside him.
They were silent again. Sharon was staring at the wall, but he knew she wasn't really looking at it. She wasn't really looking at anything.
"You're thinking about Julio, aren't you?" He asked. She nodded, taking a long sip of her wine.
"He'll be alright, Sharon." He smiled a bit. He liked calling her Sharon. He liked the way it slid off his tongue.
"I know. I just-" she paused, feeling tears burning in her eyes. "I feel responsible."
"Sharon, do you remember what I said to you earlier?" He asked. She nodded. How could she forget?
"If it weren't for you, we'd probably still be looking for those kids. Now, tonight when you can't sleep because you're worried about Julio... Remember that."
She let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand to try and suppress any more. The thought of his comforting words sent her over the edge. It had been a long day. She felt him slip his arms around her, pulling her close. She couldn't stop herself from crying, no matter how hard she tried.
"Shh, you did such a good job, Sharon. You always do a good job," he soothed, rocking her back and forth slightly.
She put her head on his chest, moving even closer to him. He planted a gentle kiss on the back of her head, subtly smelling her hair as he did so. He loved the way Sharon smelled. Like fresh spring flowers.
"Thank you, Louie," she whispered. He felt a pang in his chest at the sound of her using his first name.
"Anytime," he replied.
He stayed there, holding her and rubbing her back until she seemed to be calmed down. Sharon Raydor was not one to let her guard down, and it truly meant something to him that she had. The sound of Rusty exiting the shower and crossing into his room signaled to both of them that he'd be in the kitchen or living room soon enough.
"I think I'd better go," he said, standing to leave.
"Louie," she said, grabbing his hand as he started to walk away. He looked at her with a soft expression. An expression that nearly sent her back into tears, but for a very different reason.
"I'm glad you were here," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Me too."
When he turned to leave again, she stood up and stepped in front of him, placing her hands on either side of his face. She gave him one of her genuine smiles, one of those gorgeous Sharon Raydor smiles that some people would never see. Then, she leaned in and captured his lips with her own. The kiss was quick, due to their time limit, but filled with meaning for both of them.
She could remember a time when the Lieutenant hadn't wanted anything to do with her. Now here they were, kissing in her living room. She'd grown to be quite close to him. She was grateful for his friendship and comfort. Maybe once the mess with Jack blew over, this could blossom into something more. She didn't want him to leave. As a matter of fact, she was half tempted to ask him to spend the night. No, she wasn't ready to explain that to Rusty. If this was going to be something, she'd rather wait and tell him later. For the moment, nothing was definite.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, smiling and closing the door behind him.
"You too," she whispered, then returned to her glass of wine. By the time Rusty entered the room, it looked as though nothing had happened. For now, as far as he was concerned, nothing had.