Life was good. Andy couldn't stop smiling, and today, if possible, his smile had grown even more. Home, work, family-life was good all around, especially now, as home, work, and family were often all in one. Married life was wonderful, now more than ever since Sharon was starting to feel better, and the case they had caught was proving to be more interesting than anything they'd had in a long time.
Andy almost skipped into the Murder Room; it was late in the afternoon, but the team had a job to do, a late job, that Sharon had told everyone to enjoy a short break before work took over their evening. Andy, being the dutiful husband he was trying to be, had decided to get dinner for his beautiful wife. She did need to eat, after all; they both needed to eat because they had a potentially long night at a new restaurant opening. Sharon needed to eat because she was dealing with her heart condition, and Andy wanted to eat so he wasn't distracted from work.
Because, after all, detective work is tough work, very tough work, that sometimes stretches into the wee hours of the night.
Duty calls, and Andy Flynn was there to answer the call.
As he walked into the office, he looked around. Wes was there with what looked to be a pitiful microwave dinner. Andy grimaced at the sight; he remembered those sad, bachelor days, and he made a mental note to mention it to Sharon. Perhaps they would have to invite Wes over for dinner soon. Wes and Rusty got along, and the guy looked like he could use a home cooked meal. He nodded to him and held up the bag of food.
"If I would have known you were going to resort to a microwave meal, I would have brought you dinner too, Andy gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Oh, thanks, Lieutenant," Wes flashed his big smile. "It's good; I'm a little too excited to eat, and I figure we might have to get some snacks or bar food tonight to you know, blend in," he nodded.
"Ahh, yes, I remember the days. Provenza and I used to live for cases like this," he stopped and chuckled. He crossed his arms, almost as if he was lost in a memory, the bag of food still in his arm. "Hey," he leaned in, "I'm interested in the evening too. You know, it is a big case," he nodded, now as he tried to appear serious.
Wes grinned, "It's our duty as detectives to protect the citizens. Enjoy your dinner, Lieutenant, and I won't mention to the commander just how ahh, anxious you are to work this tonight."
"Good man, Wes," Andy patted his shoulder. "You need to come over for dinner soon, especially since there's no more wedding drama."
"Hopefully, I'll have to fit that invite in around my social calendar," he grinned. Andy chuckled and started toward Sharon's office. He and Wes had gotten close after their initial "dust up," when Andy had first met Wes undercover. The two had never been at odds, but Wes' undercover persona appeared to hate the police. He'd felt awful after Andy's heart attack, not that his punch to Andy had caused it, but he had been genuinely concerned. Since then, Andy had taken Wes under his wing and helped him assimilate to Major Crimes. It was no mystery the two were friends; Wes was almost like a mini, younger Flynn with his sarcastic comments starting to shine.
"There's my bride," he flashed his trademark grin at Sharon as he opened her door and entered with the food. Sharon looked up from her desk where she was typing up the overtime request for the evening. She smiled at Andy, a smile she reserved only for Andy. The team was seeing it more and more at work; she was happy, very happy, and she loved this man. Yes, the team knew it, but Sharon was showing it more and more, especially since the wedding. The team had been not just invited, but included, in their intimate wedding ceremony where they had all witnessed the couple's love and adoration for each other. Their usual stone-faced commander was letting more and more of her happiness into work.
"Hello there," she stopped typing and turned her attention toward him. "Where did you go? I figured you and Provenza were somewhere looking up all the restaurant locations from our case," she grinned.
"Ha," he let out a laugh as he put the food on the table. He looked to her and gestured toward it, "I'm shocked you would think I'm only interested in this case because of the people involved. I'm a seasoned detective," he explained.
Sharon nodded, as she pursed her lips. She stood and walked toward the table, where she crossed her arms, and Andy knew the look, the smirk, and he knew he had a smart comment coming his way. "If that is how the two of you call yourselves now, it's catchy, much better than just saying 'old' detectives. You and Provenza are just saddened by the fact that we have newer and younger detectives here who are maybe," she shrugged, "a little more appealing to our young restaurant models," she enunciated as she grinned at him. "Of course, I don't share that same opinion," she nodded as if stating a fact.
He rolled his eyes, while he watched the twinkle in Sharon's. He held her chair, and she nodded a thanks as she sat. He sat down next to her before he continued, "I'm shocked my very own wife would doubt my work ethic or intentions, and now it sounds like I need to be worried you have eyes for Provenza."
Sharon looked away to keep from laughing. When she turned back, she refused to meet his gaze, but instead she opened her food containers and nodded again at Andy, pleased with the soup and salad he'd brought for both fo them to eat. "I think I just know you well," she smiled and continued, "as you know me," she gestured to the food. "Thank you for bringing me dinner, for taking care of dinner for us."
Andy took a quick look to the room and saw Wes turned away from them, messing with his phone. The rest of the room was empty, so he leaned in and quickly gave Sharon a kiss. "You're welcome. Anything for my bride, my bride who looked so young in her gown, so young," he nodded.
Sharon, who had a spoonful of soup now, coughed as she almost spit it out. She finished her choking incident and started laughing out of control. "Andy, you are so nervous about beautiful women around me! It's charming, really," she grinned. She reached over and squeezed his hand. He sighed and shook his head.
"I'm trying not to comment, and I end up basically saying I think those women are more beautiful than you. It's not true, promise," he smiled warmly at her.
She patted his hand and gestured for him to eat. He picked up his fork and started on his salad. Sharon finished chewing, and said, "I love you no matter what, even if you are putting your foot in your mouth or checking your blood pressure each time Mike mentions Badge of Justice."
"He really had to go there!" Andy exclaimed as he put his fork down and closed his eyes. "Sharon, the guy has made millions now on that show. Imagine the wedding we could have had, the ring I could have gotten you with that kind of money!"
Sharon put down her spoon and turned to Andy, "Andrew Flynn, you should know by now, and I might divorce you on the spot if you don't, that I don't care anything about that. I love my ring," she touched it. "I wanted a simple band too, just like you did. I don't need a bigger ring; I barely wear jewelry, but I told you that this will never come off, ever. As for the wedding, it was everything I wanted, we wanted. It was more," she smiled. "Andy, we beat the odds stacked against us. We had both marriages annulled, and we got married in our church by our priest, even when it looked like he might excommunicate us during a case. That's another whole dimension, we got married in a lovely wedding ceremony, in the midst of a case, one involving our church, the school where three of the kids attended," she shook her head. "Enough about Mike's show. I'm well aware of the sore spot it hits. I married you for better and for worse," she grinned. "Badge would be on the worse side. Did you not see me in there? I dropped my head, knowing we would discuss this tonight."
"Yeah," he waved her off. "I just hate that I could provide so much more for you, Sharon," he sighed. "I just love you so much."
"I know," she squeezed his hand. "I'm pretty partial to you too. Now, that brings me to a work topic."
"What's up? Wes is loving this case," he nodded to the room.
"Hmm, he's not the only one," she mumbled. "This is about tonight. I can ride with Provenza."
Andy put his fork down and looked to her dumbfounded, "Huh? We always ride together. With your promotion, I look like your driver," he grinned. "The commander's personal driver, at your service, my dear."
"Yes, well, you aren't going," she frowned slightly as she tried to gauge his reaction.
"Not going? Hey, I'm authorized if I'm with my commanding officer," he said as he gestured. "Commanding officer," he nodded to her.
"And, your commanding officer said you aren't going," she enunciated.
"Sharon, you can't be jealous! That's not your style," he exclaimed. Sharon let him finish his rant; she sat back and crossed her arms.
"Are you done? Andy, you aren't going because it's your normal meeting night. Honey, you missed last week because of the wedding, and the week before, you missed because of the case. You didn't go either weekend because of my health issues or the wedding, so you are going tonight."
Andy shook his head, "Sharon, I should be fine. It's just a meeting."
"Andy, we agreed we would point out when we felt the other was compromising for our health. I have started listening more at home when you point that out to me; you have to admit that," she looked to him. He nodded in agreement. "This is for your health, and you know it."
Andy let out a loud sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. He threw small frown at her, but then he rolled his eyes when he was met with her warm smile. "You're a tough one, Flynn," he chuckled at her.
"That's my line," she took a bite of salad and grinned. "And, as we agreed, that name is only for home."
He gestured around the office, "I think we need a time clock here," he nodded. "You need a clock to punch in and out, like right now. This should be a home situation, even at the office. We're eating dinner, like a normal couple, just here at work. Home, so I'm going to go with your home last name."
Sharon started to laugh, as she shook her head at him, "I believe we survived our first marital discussion."
"Oh," he acted surprised as he raised his eyebrows, "that was a work discussion, so no marital part to it, Commander."
Sharon put her head in her hand and continued to laugh. She looked up at him to find him grinning at her. "This is not because I don't trust you at the restaurant tonight. I really want you to take time for yourself to go to your meeting. There are more than enough of us to handle everything. Besides, if needed, I'll use our reserve officer."
"Oh, don't get me started on that," he chuckled.
"You go to your meeting, and I promise that later tonight, when we are done, and I'm home, I'll let you call Provenza and get all the details from him."
"Really?" Andy flashed a grin.
"Of course," Sharon smiled. "I'm sure he'll tell you everything with Patrice right there next to him."
Andy looked down before he started laughing again, "I think I might be sharing at AA tonight. I've got a lot of issues to discuss, my meddling boss, my jealous wife," he said as he started to trail off. He flashed a grin at Sharon, "Don't' worry; I'll tell them you're still a knockout."