I've been working on this for a few days. Enjoy! All mistakes and typos are mine alone. I own nothing.
Sharon couldn't help the butterflies as she finished applying her makeup.
'It's a date." He hadn't given her a chance to argue, just smiled, turned, and walked out of her office. She tried to tell her it wasn't a big deal – she was just going with a colleague to his daughter's wedding – but her fidgeting hands told a different story.
At first she thought the whole team was going to be there, that he was just making sure she was planning to attend. But during the last week as she'd heard the rest of her squad talking about their plans for the weekend – Sykes would be camping with her new boyfriend, Provenza was renting a boat to go fishing, Tao was taking his son to visit colleges – she slowly realized that it would just be the two of them.
Andy was supposed to pick her up in about 15 minutes. She looked again at the dress hanging on top of the bathroom door, worried it might be too much, but she supposed it was too late now to second-guess her wardrobe decision, especially knowing that if she were to dive back into her closet it would likely be at least 30 minutes and 10 or more dresses before she could decide again. She'd been down that road several times in the last two weeks, including several phone calls and text conversations with her own daughter.
She had put the finishing touches on her hair and was ready to slip into the dress when she heard him knock. She grabbed a flimsy robe from the bathroom door and threw it on as she ran to answer the door. Once she had pulled it open she couldn't help staring. Andy Flynn in a tuxedo was definitely a sight to see. He quirked an eyebrow as he took in her appearance. "It's an oceanfront wedding but it's not that casual."
"I'm almost ready. You're early." She grinned at him, blushing. "Have a seat. I'll just be a minute." Sharon retreated into her bedroom. She leaned against the door once it was closed, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. She shook her head, a little embarrassed at her own behavior. 'I'm acting like a lovesick teenager.' Still, it had been about a year and a half since their ridiculous fight, and almost as long since she took over his division and effectively ended any chance at rekindling their… whatever it was they'd had.
She smoothed the silky red dress down her hips, stepped into silver strappy sandals, and did a quick final check in the mirror, still unsure about the low cut of the dress but admiring the way the skirt swished as she moved. 'Andy will definitely love it.' The thought came to her unbidden and she tried to put it out of her mind as she walked down the hall.
She barely heard his whispered "Wow" as she rounded the corner to the living room. They smiled shyly at one another for a long moment before he quickly crossed the room. "You look beautiful, Sharon." He smiled. "Seriously, you're gorgeous," he added as she started to shake her head.
She smiled and replied with a quiet but sincere "thank you" before walking to the door to pick up her bag. He followed her out, one hand resting lightly on her lower back.
She did her best to ignore the curious looks as she sat up front, the seat on the aisle empty. When the music started she turned around, grinned at the look of pride and love as he walked his little girl down the aisle. Once his fatherly duty was done he slipped in next to her, his hand easily finding her own as they sat down for the rest of the ceremony.
The first half of the reception was a blur, with Andy called away frequently for pictures. A couple of times he pulled her along, not to be in the picture with him (the proper Sharon Raydor wouldn't horn in on a family memory that way) but just to have her by his side as much as possible. They made easy conversation during dinner, catching up on things they didn't talk about at work – her kids, his son – both of them realizing more and more how much they had missed being able to talk about anything that was on their minds, without issues of rank or chain of command getting in the way.
Sharon watched Andy wipe tears from his eyes as he danced with the bride to a song about there never being a father who loved his daughter more. She smiled when they hugged after their dance, then he kissed Nicole's forehead and came back to their table.
"How you holding up, dad?" She smiled, rubbing his upper arm for a second then leaning into his side as his arm came around her.
"Ask me tomorrow." They watched the bride and groom dance, Sharon acutely aware of Andy's fingers lightly tracing patterns across her own shoulder. She'd always found that habit of his both comforting and arousing. She smiled and relaxed further into his side, choosing to ignore the alarms in her head in favor of enjoying this beautiful evening.
An hour later, Sharon laughed as Andy spun her in several quick circles on the dance floor. She was still catching her breath as the band transitioned into a much slower song. Andy gently tugged her closer to him; she put her free hand around his shoulder as he pulled their joined hands in close, lightly kissing her fingertips. Sharon relaxed into his arms, her head resting lightly on his shoulder as they swayed slowly to the music, paying more attention to the feeling of Andy's hand on her lower back than to the words about love and companions.
She tried not to let him see her wipe a tear from her eye as the song ended but was sure he caught her. He looked at her for a long moment as they separated, searching her eyes before he finally smiled. "Want to take a walk?" She nodded in response and followed him toward the beach.
They walked until they could just see the lights from the reception, and could barely hear the faint tones of the music over the crashing waves. Andy sat in the sand, pulling Sharon down to sit in front of him, between his legs. She sighed and leaned back against his chest as his arms came around her; he placed a light kiss on her shoulder before resting his chin there and watching the waves in easy silence.
"It was a beautiful wedding." Sharon looked around and smiled at him.
"You know, for a while I really wondered if I would ever have the chance to do this. I missed so much of her childhood. And every second I missed was no one's fault but my own."
"Yeah, but you took the time to make things right. Not every father does that."
"You're talking about Jack?" Sharon shrugged noncommittally. "You know I only ever knew him when I was drinking. When I heard he was back in town I was expecting to see the same attorney that I'd sometimes share a beer with after he tore me up on the stand earlier in the day."
"The thing is it was the same Jack Raydor. He hasn't changed. Probably never will. No matter how many chances I give him, no matter how much I try to convince my kids to give him chance after chance." She trailed off, content to sit in the warmth of his arms for several minutes. "After this last visit, I think I'm finally through trying to force them all together. And it's not because of my own children – it's because of Rusty. Does that make me a horrible parent?"
"No. It just means that you've gained some perspective over the years. You wanted him to be a dad to his kids, regardless of where your own relationship with him was. When you saw him repeating the same pattern with Rusty…"
"I knew it was time to just let him go. You're right, but could I have prevented a lot of pain for all of us if I'd just opened my eyes sooner?"
"Yeah, maybe, hindsight and all, but wanting your kids to have a relationship with their father doesn't make you a bad parent." Sharon nodded silently, agreeing with his analysis, as she let the night calm her. The sound of the crashing waves had an almost hypnotic effect on them. Andy continued to pepper light kisses on her shoulders and neck as they sat together.
"Have you missed this as much as I have?" Sharon voiced the thought without intending to; Andy's arms tightened around her in response.
"I don't even remember what we fought about. I just remember getting home and knowing I was wrong. Then everything happened with Chief Johnson and I just…I didn't know how to apologize."
"We were both wrong." She pulled their joined hands in closer and turned to give him a light kiss.
"Do you think we can ever get back to where we were?" He tensed a little as he asked; Sharon barely registered the change in him as she considered the question.
"Honestly? I'm not sure. So much has happened in the last year. Things are so much more complicated now, with Rusty and with work. Maybe we just need to move forward." She took a second, wiped a tear before it fell from her eye, before continuing. "You know, I can list every rule that tells us we can't do this. I can recite dozens of cautionary tales saying it's a bad idea—"
"Well I guess that's it then." She shivered as Andy suddenly stood. She followed him up slowly, confused. "I should have known Captain Rulebook would have to come into play here."
"Andy." She reached for his hand but he pulled it away. "Andy, please let me finish," she hated that she sounded like she was begging as he paced toward the water.
"What else is there to say, Sharon? I thought we were finally on the same page—"
"We are!" He stopped, and slowly turned to face her. "I am painfully aware of all the reasons this is a bad idea." She walked toward him as she spoke, taking his hand when she was close enough. "Aside from all of the issues at work, we have a past, not to mention our lives were already complicated before we even thought about a relationship." She lightly traced his jaw, feeling the tension between them slowly dissipate. "But right now, this second, I don't care about any of that. All that matters is this." Her voice cracked as she said the words, and she kissed him lightly. "All I want is you."
She smiled as he gently wiped a thumb across her cheek before brushing a light, hesitant kiss across her lips. Sharon waited a breath after they broke apart before kissing him again, more insistently. Her fingers played in the hair at his collar and she felt him lightly bunch the material of her dress as he deepened the kiss, pulling their bodies even closer together. They slowly parted again when they both needed air, smiling almost shyly at one another.
"We should get back before anyone misses us."
"I love my baby girl, but would rather just take you home." He gave her another deep kiss that left them both breathless before taking her hand and walking back toward the reception.
Sharon wasn't sure how long they'd been gone, but many of the guests were gone when they returned. They tried to sneak back in but were startled by an animated voice behind them. "And just where have you two been?"
Andy turned and beamed at his daughter. "Just needed some air."
"You needed air. At an outdoor reception?" She grinned as her flustered dad looked to Sharon for an explanation. "Wow. Never thought I'd see my old dad this embarrassed."
"You guys leaving soon?" Andy knew they had an early flight to leave for their honeymooon, and it was getting late.
"I just wanted to see you before we head to the hotel."
"Baby, I'm so happy for you. You did good."
"Thanks, daddy," Nicole said in a small voice. Sharon smiled as she watched the two hug. Nicole whispered something in his ear before she pulled away, making them both laugh, before she turned to Sharon. "Thank you so much for coming."
"I was happy to be here. It was a beautiful wedding, and you're a gorgeous bride." She was a little surprised when the bubbly bride gave her a quick but strong hug, then kissed her dad on the cheek one more time before walking to her husband, patiently waiting a few feet away.
The rest of the reception was a blur; the bride and groom left the reception in a flurry of applause and rose petals thrown from the remaining guests, who slowly filtered out as well.
"I never asked, where's Rusty tonight? I know he wasn't there when I picked you up." Andy was trying almost desperately to keep his hands off her during the drive back to her place. The car was filled with a new kind of tension that wasn't at all unpleasant.
"He called it a 'Chess Club Teambuilding Night.'" Sharon smiled to herself. "I think it's actually a bunch of boys playing video games all night and binging on pizza, soda, and candy."
He caught the subtle statement that there would be no one else at her condo tonight but didn't comment on it. He noticed their hands had slowly gravitated toward one another. He knew that he was only a few minutes away from her building, and let himself enjoy the feeling of her slim fingers between his own.
"You can park in the garage." She started to guide him to a guest spot on her level but he reminded her that he knew where to go. Sharon smiled and sat back in the seat until he shut off the engine.
They walked in easy silence, not talking or touching again until they were inside Sharon's front door. She offered him coffee as she took of her shoes; he offered an arm to steady her, then backed her against the wall, their bodies pressed so closely together she could feel the planes of his chest through their clothes.
"No coffee." He grinned into her mouth and backed up just enough to allow her to lead him back to her bedroom. She turned around at the closed door and bumped into him, and let her hands find their way under his tuxedo jacket as he pulled her against his body again. She could feel his slowly hardening length against her stomach and reached an arm behind her to fumble with the handle, finally opening the door. They stumbled inside and fell onto her bed, limbs tangled and tongues battling for control.
Andy moaned as she ground her hips against him, thrusting his own in response and holding her in place with one arm and running his free hand up the back of her thigh, pulling her dress up as he went. He followed Sharon as she sat up and shrugged out of his jacket while she worked on his bowtie and the buttons of his shirt.
Their movements were quick, almost frantic, the result of more than a year of misunderstandings and unfulfilled desire. They knew there would be time later for slow and sensual; tonight they needed the heat and passion they'd both been missing. They undressed one another quickly, lips exploring skin as it was revealed. Their bodies came together in a chaotic frenzy, no need for extended foreplay for either of them.
Their bodies were spent more quickly than either of them liked, and they lay together catching their breath. Andy brushed a sweaty lock of hair off her face as they shared a content smile. Sharon disentangled herself from him so they could both clean themselves up. She slipped on a silky nightgown while Andy found his boxers before they both slipped back into bed. Sharon smiled to herself as her body instinctively sought out the warmth of his body under the soft sheet.
"Do you need to set an alarm for the morning?"
"No, I'm always up before six. Otherwise Rusty would never get to school on time."
"I'll leave before he gets home." Sharon started to protest but he shushed her. "I'm not at all ashamed of this, and I don't think you should be either. But I get that you want to make sure he's comfortable rather than just springing this on him." He kissed her temple. "If you weren't the type of mother who wants to protect her child you wouldn't be the same woman I fell in love with."
She kissed him quickly before settling back down onto his chest, the steady sound of his heartbeat quickly lulling her to sleep.
**Music note: If you're interested, in my head Andy and Nicole danced to "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon. Give it a listen. Also, Sharon and Andy were dancing to "LOVE" by Nat King Cole followed by "True Companion" by Marc Cohn. Again, that's in my head. There are plenty of other songs that might work for the scene but this is what I heard as I wrote.**
Also, I am SO not good at writing sex so I chickened out considerably.