Andy stole an irritated glance at his friend pursuing him like a bloodhound as he made his way to the empty break room for his third cup of coffee for the afternoon.

"I'm not going to lay off your back until you tell me the exactly how you feel about the captain," persisted Provenza.

"Your voice! Provenza! Anyone can hear you. We're not the only people using this break room," admonished the silver haired fox with a short temper.

Provenza pushed him aside to get the first cup on the freshly brewed batch of coffee. He stared at Andy and waved the teaspoon that he used to stir 2 lumps of sugar in his cup

"I can read guilt all over your face," stated Provenza.

"I am not guilty of anything," protested Andy.

Andy rolled his eyes as he reached for the pot of roast coffee before leaning back on the counter to face Provenza's accusation.

"Since when did my love life had been any concern of yours? You never bothered to know any of the women I went out with after my divorce."

"It's because I know you well enough that not one of them will last longer than three months and my memory bank is too cramped to be memorizing any more names from your love book."

In the meantime, Sharon had just arrived from a long and mentally exhausting meeting with the other divisions of the LAPD. She purposefully made her way to the break room even before stopping in her office to deposit her bag. She was dying for a huge mug of coffee to keep her up long enough to finish the report she was asked to submit before the end of the next working day and by the looks of it she would be up all night to submit it on time.

"Good Afternoon, Captain!" greeted Amy as she passed her desk. She returned her greeting and the said hello to the other members of her squad. She noted that neither Andy nor Provenza were around. As she neared the break room she saw the two men by the coffee machine before she could make her presence known, she heard Andy's wounded tone.

"Stop it, Louie! You're making me sound like a womanizer."

Sharon saw Provenza grinned at Andy mischievously.

"That's what you were… Until…maybe over five years ago," stated Provenza.

Andy looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, over five years ago, you stopped looking at other women. You became disinterested in all the women we've met, women that came on to you…and all the women I have introduced you to-young, wild, beautiful women-they all complained and asked if you were with someone because you were just uninterested. It was so unlike you. AS far as I know, you were not seeing anyone. That really baffled me, Andy… until that night one wicked auburn-haired witch came strutting down our crime scene with her red tape and demanded we surrender our crime scene to her!"

Andy was turning crimson, his head shaking, he couldn't look at Provenza as he tried to suppress a guilty grin.

Provenza continued, "For one brief moment I saw that look in your eyes… a look of awe and desire all mixed together… in a blink of an eye it was gone… then you and she engaged in that angry, verbal spar which you both had been at for more years than I can remember."

"Don't be ridiculous Provenza! Don't read things that are not there. Who would look at her with desire that night she was fully clad in a long blue trench coat for Pete's sake."

Provenza smirked.

"Five long years and you still remembered what she wore… And, don't deny this. That night you got stabbed, you called her first. Not me, not your daughter, not Chief Johnson but her! You really thought you were going to die, didn't you? Her face was the last one you wanted to see. And on that Christmas day we all had to spend it here in the office with Chief Johnson's family…I saw you both, you were seated next to each other giving each other the same goofy and flirtatious smiles you two are doing now. First time I noticed… you both had your guard down and it was after all Christmas."

"Provenza! If that's how you felt back then, why didn't you confront me?" dared Andy.

"I'm confronting you now. She's been our boss for two years. The truth, Flynn" demanded Provenza.

"I just admire her because she's smart and she's pretty…"

Provenza glared at Andy.

"Okay, I'm attracted to her," said Andy in exasperation.

"Flynn! I'm losing my patience."

"I kind of like her. Happy?" said Andy.

"Like her? It's been more than 5 years and you only have eyes for her. You stopped sleeping with other women even if you can't even touch a strand of her hair…"

"Alright! Alright! I'm in love with her. Satisfied? Can I enjoy my coffee in peace now?" said Andy.

"No! The reason I've been bugging you is because I care about you as a friend. I'm your best buddy and I'm telling you now stop this nonsense with Captain Raydor. I don't think she feels the same way about you, Andy. She's cold, she's tough, she's strictly business… I'm worried that she is only stringing you along because she thought you are just like her-just engaging in that harmless flirting that you guys do. She is in for the companionship and friendship then that's it… I don't want to see you get hurt… and I don't want you to waste your senior years waiting for a hopeless case when you can perfectly find another woman who could reciprocate your feelings," said Provenza.

Andy stood up in anger. "Thanks for your vote of confidence. I thought you were my friend… I'm going to say this only once. Stay out of my business with Sharon. If I choose to make a fool of myself, If I choose to wait and waste the remaining years of my life pining for a woman who can't love me back then it's my business."

Andy stormed out of the break room in blinding fury that she almost collided with Sharon without noticing it. Provenza remained in the room dumbfounded. Sharon decided to skip her coffee and retreat before Provenza could see her. She was baffled and unprepared for the things she had overheard.

Does she really come out cold and uncaring? She does care for Andy… she was just not very expressive and affectionate. She didn't want to lose him. What if he decided Provenza was right? She must do something.