She heard the other Sharon's scream and kept going, methodically collecting her purse and gun, switching on her phone, leaving the building, continuing her steps towards the parking lot until she opened the passenger door of Andy's car and dropped into the seat beside him. She let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, fastened her seatbelt and rested her head back. It was done. Now for step two, telling Rusty.
She was grateful Andy didn't need words to understand. He took one look at her and started the car. The drive to his home was short and silent, her hand found his at the first red light and their fingers intertwined for a moment until the signal changed. She sighed again, moving over to rest her head against his shoulder briefly. He was here, looking out for her while she was busy looking out for Rusty. It felt good to have him by her side, new to no longer be alone with all that was weighing on her mind. A change, but a good one.
When Andy pulled into his driveway she leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his cheek, "Thank you for coming with me."
/
"Tonight is one of these nights I wish I could just spend the night here, or better, have you come home with me and talk to Rusty together," Sharon said as they settled down on his couch, Andy pulling her against his chest.
"We could do that, sweetheart," he whispered into her hair and dropped a kiss against her temple. "I would come with you, and I would support you, you know that, right?"
"I do," she smiled happily. "I know you would, Andy. But this is a conversation I need to have with Rusty by myself. I'm beginning to think we've waited too long to tell him about us. I can't spring this on him now." She had tightened her arms around him just to make sure he understood that this was not about them, but about Rusty and all that had happened with his mother recently.
"Do you really think he hasn't noticed? I mean, we've been very discreet at work, but he lives with you, Sharon."
He watched her face as she was considering his statement, "I don't know. In any case, tonight is not the night for that conversation, even if he already knows."
Andy had a response on his tongue, but stopped himself. Would it ever be the right time? It seemed like there were always reasons to keep them private. And he liked their secret relationship. The thrill of finally being alone together after hours or days on the job always in the company of others was something that made his heart beat faster. Having her so close, working with her so intensely, smelling her perfume as she stood next to him discussing clues and strategy yet not being able to give in to his instincts and just kiss her, he liked it, but it also drove him crazy sometimes. Sharon might be the most patient and self-controlled person on the planet, but he was neither of those and there were times when he just wanted to hold her. Like earlier when they had had to show her that video. How had he longed to touch her, to comfort her, to tell her she wasn't alone and that he would fight alongside her.
"Andy?" her voice reached through his thoughts. "Darling, I know I have been the one insisting on keeping our love secret."
Had he heard her right? Had she really just said love? He couldn't stop the smile that was spreading over his face. Love! She'd talked about "us" and "our friendship", once even "relationship" before, but it had never been love. Our love.
"You're smiling - at that?"
"At one small word, Sharon, one small word that's just changed my world."
"Darling?"
"That, too."
She turned a little in his arms so she could look directly into this eyes, "Andy, you are confusing me."
He swallowed hard. Could it be that she hadn't even noticed? Was this how she had been referring to them in her thoughts? Because he had been thinking about love for a good long time.
"Our love," he finally brought out. "You said our love."
"Of course I said that. It's a good thing, isn't it?"
"A very good thing, sweetheart," he pulled her in for a kiss, touched by her obliviousness. She really seemed to have no idea just how important her saying this was to him. Love. Our love. He held her and they continued their kiss, lost in their own little world for a moment, all cares and worries forgotten.
/
Andy had dozed off in his recliner in front of the TV when his buzzing phone woke him up.
"Yeah?" he mumbled gruffly.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" her voice sounded hesitant and unsure, but it was enough to make his heart beat faster.
"Nah, not really…" Not that he cared anyway. It felt late and he checked the clock on the TV. Just past 1 am. Sharon didn't sound as though she had slept yet.
"You're a bad liar, Andy."
"And you know me entirely too well." He was wide awake now and curious what would make her call him so late. She didn't sound upset, she sounded happy, and almost giddy. Although that was not a term he would ever have used for Sharon before. She certainly wasn't calling about a case.
"How did the talk with Rusty go?"
"It went well, very well. He thanked me for making sure she'd be safe," her voice faltered for a moment. "And he asked about the adoption again, how quickly we could make it a reality."
Now, that explained the giddiness!
"He loves you, Sharon."
"And I love him - like my own. And soon he'll be just that, my son!" There was a sense of wonder in her voice, and quiet contentment he'd rarely heard before.
They were quiet after that, listening to the other one breathing, neither quite ready to hang up the call and Sharon looking for courage to say what she had been planning to say when she called him. Finally she continued, hesitation clear in her voice, "Andy? I know it's late, really late and you've already gone to bed and I just woke you up…"
God, she was adorable when she started rambling! "Don't worry about that, Sharon."
"Would…would you come over?" she blurted out and could feel her cheeks grow warm. But she needn't have worried.
"Yeah," Andy replied in the same way he had started their conversation, "I'll text you when I'm at your door. See you in a bit, sweetheart."
/
She must have been standing right behind the door, he mused when he heard the sound of the key turning almost immediately after he'd sent his text. But he wasn't one to complain and certainly not when she fell right into his arms and kissed him before he could even greet her.
"Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for the welcome," he chuckled and pulled her closer, hiding his face in her hair. "I'm glad this day had a happy ending for you."
"Even happier now that you are here. Let's head to the bedroom so we don't wake up Rusty."
Once inside her room, he pushed her up against the door and kissed her properly.
"I love happy endings."
