After the previous episode, I've been stuck wondering what kind of relationship Andrea and Sharon had...which inspired this one-shot. Also, I based Andrea's character off of the WWSRD podcast #6. I figured who would know her better but the woman herself! Thanks everyone!
The detectives were rather quiet as they worked in the murder room. Usually after solving a case the team was congratulatory or, at the least, relieved. Today was not so. For the past three weeks, the team investigated the rapes and murders of two young women. Not only was the crime itself difficult to face, but every time they tracked another lead or followed a new clue, the murderer was one step ahead of them. The whiteboard, their source of organization, was muddled with random questions and gruesome pictures. For weeks on end they struggled to figure out the next step. It was not until they found a third victim that the team discovered the murder's pattern and possibly the man himself.
Just that afternoon, Tao and Amy arrested a suspect and brought him in for further questioning. Sharon insisted on interrogating the suspect herself. She wanted to face the man that ended the lives of such young woman. Unfortunately, it brought her nothing but more disgust and misery. The man had no remorse and confessed within minutes of the interrogation. When Sharon showed him the pictures from the crime scene, he laughed and bragged about his abilities. This caught her off guard; Sharon had interrogated dozens of suspects, but never anybody this cruel.
The only thing that brought her relief was when Andrea Hobbs came into her room and sat down next to her. Since the man took responsibility for the crimes and provided more than enough details, his court appointed lawyer had no choice but to accept whatever Andrea offered. It was clear Andrea was just as disturbed as Sharon, as she ensured the scumbag received a thirty-year sentence for each crime. In total, the man would be lucky if he was ever released from prison.
However, as the women left the interrogation room and Julio escorted the murderer to booking, nobody was quick to applaud or congratulate each other for the work done. Andy was already clearing the whiteboard, wiping away their notes and placing the pictures in a nearby box. The rest of the team quietly finished some paperwork or decluttered their desks. None of them were over the case that consumed their lives for weeks.
"Right." Andrea sighed heavily as she looked over her notebook, then snapped it shut. "I'll take this to the judge tomorrow morning and tell him we reached a deal. I need a drink. Sharon?"
The Captain needed no time to think it over. "Same."
"I'll meet you by the elevator." Andrea picked up her briefcase and left the murder room. Sharon followed Andrea's lead and collected her own things from her office. However, before she left for the elevators, Sharon noticed the entire team had their eyes on her. She was still on duty after all. Sharon cleared her throat and stepped back into her role as Captain.
"This was a difficult case, for several reasons. Really, thank you everyone for your work. And please, don't stay too late." Sharon was not sure if her words gave the team any relief, but it was enough for everyone to continue packing up. Sharon turned her attention to Andy and walked over to him as she pulled on her coat. "I'll see you tonight."
"Call me, if you need me." He placed his hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Normally Sharon would disapprove of such affections in front of her coworkers, but this was already a very unusual day. And she knew Andy was also impacted by the recent events.
"I will." Sharon smiled in his direction, then joined Andrea at the elevators. Andrea drove them to a place called Barmini; a quiet joint just a couple blocks from the office. It was a well-known establishment, mostly dominated by other LAPD officers. Sharon rarely went to the bar herself, unless invited by a group of coworkers. She wondered if this was a usual spot for Andrea Hobbs.
Neither of the women spoke the entire way to the bar. There was really nothing to say, or neither knew how to say it. The events were still so fresh in their minds and it overwhelmed them. Even as they sat down on the high stools, both of them stayed silent and simply took in the atmosphere. The place was indeed full of other LAPD employees, but not packed. Sharon also noted a familiar, lighthearted tune play over the speakers.
"Hello, ladies." The bartender approached them and handed over two menus. "What can I-"
"Two margaritas on the rocks. Cold glasses and hold the salt." Andrea pushed the menu back before the man realized what happened. Sharon did not care for tequila. She preferred wine, but she would admit this was a time for something stronger. Sharon nodded her approval to the bartender, then he left to fulfill their order.
When he returned with the drinks, Sharon muttered a 'thank you' and raised the glass to her lips. She swallowed a mouthful of the margarita, but bit her lip to stop herself from coughing on the strong alcohol. Andrea, on the other hand, had no issue handling the liquor.
"I hate men," Andrea exasperated after taking a long drink from the glass. Sharon noticed Andrea finished half of the contents in one go.
"That was no man." Sharon nursed her drink, slowly getting use to the taste. "I'm not really sure he was human."
"What drives someone to be so heartless? And not only have the ability to do those things, but be proud of himself? It's sick." Andrea quickly finished off her first drink and motioned for the bartender to bring a second. Sharon had no response to the questions. She wanted to know the answer herself.
"Sometimes, I think we never actually help the problem. We just deal with the aftermath." Sharon took a rather long sip, then paused and allowed the alcohol to flow through her. Already she felt the effects of the tequila. Her posture relaxed and her cheeks felt a warm. There was something too; she felt comfortable, as though she could share anything with Andrea. "We have no control over the situation until after the crime is committed."
"And by that point the monster has already manifested." Andrea practically read her mind. "At least you have the guts to face them. I don't know how you do it."
"I don't know either." Sharon let out an awkward laugh. The bartender swapped out their drinks for fresh ones, then left the women alone again. Sharon picked up the glass and watched the ice swirl around. "All I have to do is arrest them. After that, it's your responsibility to keep them in prison. If I was in charge of a case and a man like that walked away. It would be-"
"Torture." Andrea confirmed Sharon's thought, then took another long drink. Sharon always respected Andrea's career, especially her work with Major Crimes, but she admired the woman for being so forward about the pitfalls of being a lawyer.
The two continued to discuss their outrage over the murderer and shared various stories from their careers. At some point, Sharon and Andrea moved from the bar top to a nearby booth. As they shifted to the new location and continued to drink margaritas, the women's conversation turned in a more personal direction. Sharon felt the full force of the booze. It allowed her to speak more freely than she usually would. It was not only the alcohol's effect, but Sharon enjoyed this time with her coworker. The more she learned about Andrea, the more Sharon realized how much they had in common. Both of them went into professions dominated by men and both had their struggles professionally and personally with the opposite gender. Sharon began to feel the two were kindred spirits. She only regretted that they had not gone out for drinks before.
"Really though? You have no interest in a long-term relationship?" Sharon asked, then took another sip of her drink. Andrea merely shook her head in response. "I mean, can respect the decision, but don't you miss it?"
"Oh, I still have sex," Andrea laughed and Sharon was quick to follow. "It's the other stuff I don't care for. All the emotional support crap. Not that I don't think you and Andy-"
"It's fine," Sharon smiled brightly, still amused my Andrea's response. "I know what you mean."
"Like you and Jack," Andrea paused to take another drink from her glass. "If a man did to me what Jack did…I would have never trust another man again. Honestly, I would have no idea how to put myself out there again."
"It's not easy. You do become vulnerable." Sharon looked down at her drink for a moment, then turned her attention back to Andrea. "A couple years after Jack and I separated, I agreed to go on a date with a coworker in FID. I was lonely and he'd been asking me for months." Sharon had no idea why this memory came back to her or why she decided to share it with Andrea. Whatever the reason, she decided to blame it all on the drinks. "Anyway, he was a great guy and we kept going out. I even thought about introducing him to my kids. And the sex was incredible." Sharon smiled as she remembered the man from so many years ago.
"But?" Andrea arched a brow and held her glass close to her lips.
"I found out half of my male coworkers were also informed on how incredible the sex was." Sharon rolled her eyes and finished off her drink.
"What an asshole." Andrea followed suit, then waved for the bartender. "And you kept working together?"
"Well, I was promoted a couple months later and became his boss." Sharon laughed as she remembered the final details. "That made it easier."
"But that's what I'm saying," Andrea leaned forward to emphasize her point, "putting yourself out there only to get pushed down again. Nope, I'll stick with just sex."
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do though, to find a meaningful relationship? Give up everything you have and put complete trust in another person? And just hope that this time it won't be a mistake." Sharon looked away from Andrea again. She thought about Andy and how much he meant to her, how much their relationship meant to her. Just a few years ago, she would have laughed at the idea of dating a man like Lieutenant Andy Flynn. Sharon was far too familiar with the rumors from Andy's youth and she came across his file several times while working Internal Affairs. It was a risk, dating a man that succumbed to addiction for so many years. Andy may claim that he was no longer the same man, but all Sharon could do was trust him.
"I'd rather find a man that can give me a decent orgasm." The two women looked at each other and burst into laughter. Their fit ceased when the bartender came over to replace their drinks. They clinked glasses and continued to enjoy their night.
It was late when Sharon and Andrea decided to call it quits. They promised to have drinks again, then parted ways to their separate Ubers. When Sharon arrived back at the condo, she slowly closed the door so not to wake anybody. She assumed Andy and Rusty would have gone to bed hours ago. However, as Sharon kicked off her heels and removed her coat, she noticed a lamp turned on in the living room.
"Andy?" Sharon spoke quietly as she walked in the direction of the light. Andy was in his pajamas and balancing a laptop on his lap. Sharon smiled when their eyes met. He looked tired. "You didn't have to wait up."
"Yeah, well," Andy shut off the laptop and gestured for her to join him on the couch. "I wanted to make sure you got back okay."
Sharon was not sure what came over her. The alcohol boosted her confidence; she felt bold and nonsensical. Instead of sitting down next to her boyfriend, Sharon straddled Andy on the sofa and pulled him into a deep embrace. She felt his hands grab her thighs to stabilize her position, which only encouraged her to deepen their kiss. Sharon had the urge to take his pajamas off right there and show Andy just how much he meant to her. However, she sensed something was off. Normally his hands would be all over her body or in her hair. It became increasingly clear that Andy did not share the mood Sharon was in.
"Tequila?" he smirked when they finally parted lips. "Didn't think you liked tequila."
"I'm transitioning," Sharon laughed and rolled off of Andy. She sat next to him with her legs draped over his lap.
"Want some help getting to bed?" He asked quietly and ran his hand up and down her leg.
Sharon was a bit surprised by how calm and responsible Andy acted. He could have easily taken advantage of her situation. She gave him every opportunity to do so and yet the man wanted to help her change into pajamas. Sharon smiled at the thought. Maybe Andy Flynn was a different man and perhaps this time, she did not make a mistake. Sharon scooted closer to Andy and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you."
"For what?" It was clear from his expression that Andy had no idea what she meant.
"Nothing." Sharon decided it was easier not to explain it. "I love you."
"Love you too." Andy kissed her forehead, then stood up and held out his hands. "Let's go to bed."
"Okay." Sharon nodded and accepted Andy's help to stand up. She leaned against them as they walked down the hallway and into the bedroom.