This is set the after the season 3 episode "Jane Doe #38." This is just something that popped into my head. It was a pleasure to write this pairing again; I had forgotten how much I love them!

Disclaimer: The characters and their respective shows aren't mine, only the plot.

Sharon was lost in thought as she stared out over the Los Angeles skyline; it was a thick dark, almost too dark to make out the shapes of the buildings in the distance. The illumination from the cars on the street below provided her with just enough proof that the town was indeed still awake even at this late hour. It was well past midnight she suspected and tapped the home button of her iPhone for good measure, humming when her suspicions were confirmed. She carefully folded her legs underneath her; she pulled the sweater she wore closer around her body and set the phone on the arm of the chaise.

She hadn't been able to sleep, no mater how she tried or how few hours she had slept the last few days, her brain wouldn't stop working. This tended to happen after emotionally trying episodes; they would disrupt her sleep patterns for a few days but would eventually even out. Which was why she was now sitting on her condo's balcony contemplating her life, how she came to be here to be more exact.

The crisp air of the late night tended to help her clear her head and carefully untangle all the thoughts tumbling through her mind. Rusty had gone to bed a few hours ago, genuinely explain his exhaustion; Sharon was sure that he was still trying to make up for all the sleep he had lost in the last year. She sighed and rubbed her hand across her forehead, trying in vain to soothe away the oncoming headache.

She poorly suppressed a groan of frustration. Poor Rusty…this wasn't exactly what she had wanted to burden him with. She remembered clearly when he had admitted that Jack had questioned him and had said she was thinking of adopting the teenager, dissolving her marriage if necessary. He didn't wan to be more of burden to her and she could tell that the guilt was beginning to set in.

A ripple of dread had swept through her body, she had wanted to ease him into the idea and the fact that Jack being so careless might spark Rusty's 'fight or flight' reflex. Although much to her surprise the teenage had taken it in stride, she could tell that he wasn't totally comfortable with the idea yet, but he wasn't totally opposed to it either. She hadn't pushed any further then her reasoning behind the adoption, he would come to her and talk in his own time, of that she was certain.

She jumped slightly as her phone began to vibrate rhythmically, adjusting her glasses as she reached carefully for the object. A very familiar name flashed across the screen and she smiled wistfully as she slid her finger to answer. Sharon had been missing their late night conversations, the way he could calmly talk her down off of whatever ledge she had perched herself on at the time. They had always been in sync; he always knew just when she needed an ear to bend or a shoulder to cry on.

"How did you know?" she questioned as she placed the speaker to her ear.

His low chuckle swept through her, warming her insides like warm baths she loved to take.

"I just had a hunch," he paused, "where are you?"

She knew he wasn't questioning her whereabouts and if she was at her house, but where in fact she was located. She knew it was his way of gauging her mood for their conversation; if she was in her bedroom it was playful, the living room meant professional, and the bathroom meant relaxed.

She exhaled lightly, "My balcony…"

"Ahhh…contemplative then?" he reasoned.

She chuckled softly; "I guess you could say that…more like overly exhausted."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, she didn't know whether he was waiting for her to offer up more than that or was simply reviewing the last couple of days in his head. Finally she heard him shift, rustling of some sort heard in the background, she reasoned that he must be seated in his chair.

"Yeah," he agreed, "we've had an eventful few days, haven't we?"

The question was rhetorical but she nodded her head in the affirmative anyway, and then smiled as she realized that he couldn't actually see her. She leant back against the cold concrete and cleared her throat quietly.

"That would be an understatement," she shifted slightly, "and then on top of that I have Jack being difficult."

"I take it he didn't take the news of the divorce well?"

At his words Sharon went rigid.

How could he have known about all of that? She knew that her team had been suspicious when her estranged husband had shown up, but she was certain no one had put the coincidences together. She hadn't even had time to eat let alone talk to Andy in the past few days…

He could read her mind an offered an explanation, "Provenza saw the papers on your desk during the Skype call."

Sharon's head hit the wall of her balcony as it slumped backwards. Her eyes slipped closed as she silently counted to ten and released the breath she had been holding.

Of course he did, she thought.

"And what did you say?" she asked with her eyes still tightly closed.

There was yet another pause, this one slightly longer than the last; he must have been choosing his words carefully.

"I said it was about time."

She could see him tugging on his ear in her minds eye, unsure if it was the right thing to say or not. Jack was always a touchy subject with her and he rarely offered input unless expressly asked. She knew how he felt about her 'husband' and it was in everyone's best interest to avoid that topic.

"And…?" she prompted again.

The Brunette could practically feel his blush through the phone, "He may have insinuated it had something to do with me."

Shit.

This isn't how she wanted to tell him at all; true there was nothing going on between them, but Sharon could admit to herself that she could see a future in…whatever this was. They had steadily been becoming closer, she now looked to him for guidance in the workplace and a friendship that she never realized she needed in her personal time. She needed him to know that it was ok, and maybe it was time to talk about what they had been dancing around for years. Before she could open her mouth to continue he started speaking again.

"Don't worry," he assured her, "I made sure he understood that we were just friends."

Her eyes snapped open at that and for a moment she was dazed. There was such finality in those words and for a moment she believed him, that he meant what he'd said.

Just friends?

She felt herself deflate at the realization that maybe she had read more into a situation than there appeared to be; maybe he didn't feel anything more for her than friendship. All the quiet dinners and coffee runs were nothing more than him being a wonderful friend, enjoying their time together. She sat forward a little bit and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Oh," she stuttered.

It seemed that Sharon might have lost her chance, that she had kept her feeling bottled up and locked away for so long that she had even convinced him that she didn't feel what she actually did. She had been slowly coming to terms with their relationship, what they were to each other and what they could be if they tried. Now it was too late.

This time the pause was loaded with awkwardness and a sense of loss. Just like that she was thrown and left with nowhere soft to land, this conversation had turned horrible in record time. After a few minutes of listening to each other's breathing over the wireless, she decided it was best to make a retreat and live to fight another day as they say. She would think of a way to apologize to him for her abruptness later, but right now she desperately wanted out of this phone conversation.

"Well," she drawled with forced cheer, "I should be getting to bed, it's late after all."

She heard him inhale sharply and she half expected him to call her on her dismissal but he seemed to see it was useless and let the situation go for now. No matter how hard he tried to act indifferent or that it didn't matter to him, she could tell that he was disappointed. She listened intently as he shifted and could clearly make out the squeak of his leather recliner.

"Yeah," he sighed dejectedly, "sweet dreams Sharon."

And before she could return the sentiment her screen went back indicating the call had ended.

"Goodnight Andy," she whispered into the crisp air of her dark balcony.

Authors Note: I was thinking of making this a three-part story; please let me know if you're interested in hearing more. I don't believe this is finished but if you readers do, please feel free to speak up and please remember reviews are love!