Sharon looked around the murder room as she shifted her weight from her right to her left foot and back several times. Her team was looking back at her, attentively anticipating what she was about to say to them.
Suddenly, she understood how hard it was for Rusty to ask her for this. Suddenly, she had a real clue, albeit small about what it was like for a gay person to ask for the support of their surroundings. And it was quite uncomfortable and a bit awkward to even put herself in his shoes. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her fellow officers with pride.
"So… umm… Let me just begin by saying that what I am about to ask is a personal favor, and if any of you feel uncomfortable with it, you are free to refuse," she began. "Rusty approached me yesterday, asking that I will attend the pride parade with him and… I haven't done this before, but I thought it would be really nice if I could show him my support, as this is what he wants." She paused and inspected at her squad over the rim of her glasses. "Rusty suggested that we walk with PFLAG and I wondered… I think he would be pleasantly surprised if you all showed up and walked with us." She felt a quick and yet unsettling chill going down her spine as she looked at her startled squad members.
"I'll join," Andy came to stand by her side. "I think the kid could use our support," he looked pointedly at Provenza, before the older lieutenant could comment about him being the Captain's obedient puppy.
"Yeah, me too." Buzz quickly stood up and looked a bit uncomfortable when Sanchez stifled a giggle.
"It sounds like a lot of fun," Sykes smiled. "Would you mind if Lieutenant Cooper joins too?"
"No, not at all. In fact, Rusty might be happy to know that Lieutenant Cooper supports him as well, given their complicated relationship when we were trying to catch..." Sharon hated thinking about Wade Weller, but at that moment it was inevitable.
"I'll talk to him and see if I can get him to apologize to Rusty, for not watching him as well as he should have." Sykes suggested.
"There's no need to do that, Amy. In fact, I think it would be better if we all try to forget that incident. Of course, Lieutenant Cooper is more than welcome to join us and show his support of Rusty and the LBGTQ community," Sharon replied, a warm genuine smile slowly spreading on her face.
"I need to make sure I don't have any prior commitments," Tao spoke, "But if I don't, I'll be more than happy to join you guys."
"Thank you, Mike. And if it doesn't work out with your schedule, it's okay." Sharon smiled at him.
"Sanchez, what about you?" Andy prompted the younger detective.
"Am I gonna have to wear anything funny, ma'am?" Sanchez wondered.
"No, Julio. You can wear whatever you want. There's no dress code, as far as I know." Sharon grinned softly.
"Sure, why not?" Sanchez shrugged. Sharon always appreciated how despite his tough exterior, Sanchez was a softie on the inside. All eyes were directed towards Provenza now, awaiting his response.
"I don't march." He said grumpily without looking up from his crossword puzzle.
"Come on, don't be an idiot!" Andy called out at his friend. "The kid would appreciate you being there."
"I don't do well with people who dress like The Village People." Provenza argued.
"Sir, the Captain didn't ask for you to dress like The Village People." Sanchez teased the old lieutenant.
"You know, it would be really fun if we all dressed up like The Village People." Sykes called out.
"No!" the other five officers and one civilian called out in unison. Sykes shrugged and leaned back in her seat.
"Lieutenant Provenza, it's alright if you decide not to join us, although I know for a fact it would mean a lot to Rusty if you were there." Sharon said.
"If I promise to join you, will you let me use your office for a whole month?" Provenza asked.
"Absolutely not." Sharon replied, her voice stern and playful at the same time.
"Come on, old man. Don't be a hardass!" Andy insisted.
"Andy," Sharon said, her voice syrupy. "This isn't mandatory, and if Lieutenant Provenza feels uncomfortable attending, we cannot force him."
"Okay, okay!" Provenza threw the folded newspaper on his paper, his crossword puzzle almost complete. "I'll come, but I am not wearing a pride flag tie or anything!" Sharon walked over to him, a soft smile gracing her lips.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. I know it's something you'd rather not do, so I really appreciate your effort." She said, her voice thick with emotion.
"I'm only doing this because I know Flynn will never let me live it down if I don't attend." Provenza grumbled.
"Regardless of why you are doing this, I am still grateful, and I'm sure Rusty will be as well." Sharon insisted. "All of you, thank you so much. I really have no words to express my gratitude," she said before returning to her office. Provenza looked at Andy knowingly and the other lieutenant shrugged, smiling.
"You are such an ass-kisser," Provenza said.
"What? I'm happy to be able to help the kid out." Andy argued. "And you know, maybe it's gonna be fun."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Let's just keep working." Provenza said and took the crossword puzzle from his desk, leaning back in his chair and solving the definition for Happy, three letters.