AN: Had a crazy dream about this exact scene last night before the new episode aired and I had to get it out. It's just a one-shot. Excited for the west-coast airing in 10 minutes! Hope you enjoy my fun little idea.
Andy stood in the break room of the office fidgeting. He tried putting his hands in his pockets to stop the nervous energy, but they only found the box inside which made him start pacing. He tried pouring himself a cup of coffee, holding the mug helped, but didn't alleviate the nervous energy.
Why on earth did I think it was a good idea to bring this to the office? This was stupid, its only 8:30 in the morning and I'm already ready to just hand it to her.
He heard the door to the break room open and he spun around quickly, hoping that it wasn't Sharon. He needed to get himself under control, before he faced her. Thankfully, they had taken separate cars into work today. She had a meeting with the "Chief-dom," so he hitched a ride with Rusty. Deep down he knew why he brought the box with him, they were going to dinner tonight to celebrate their anniversary and he didn't want to come up with an excuse to go home later and get it. She would know something was up, or worse she would try and cancel their dinner plans to stay in and relax. Andy wasn't opposed to the idea of staying in, in fact he loved being home with her - domestic life suited them.
To Andy's relief it was Julio that walked in, "Hey Lieutenant. Any exciting plans for the weekend?"
Andy nearly choked on his coffee at the question, "Uh, no not really. Just hoping we don't get a case. Maybe spend sometime at the batting cages." He turned around rolling his eyes glad he stopped himself before blurting out the real plans.
"Ah batting cages, yeah I go there at least once a week myself. It's really helped with the anger management." Julio replied as he put his lunch into the fridge, "Any coffee left?"
"I just took the last cup, but I'm getting another brew going should be just a few more minutes." Andy moved away from the counter, not sure where to be. He didn't really want to go back out to the murder room until he pulled himself together, but he was worried if he hung around Julio much longer he might start rambling. Knowing Julio as he did, it would lead to an immediate interrogation by the younger man.
Before either man could say anything else Sykes opened the door, "Roll-out. We've got a case."
Oh great, now the whole team is going to leave and I'm going to be here ALONE with her. This is bad really, really bad. Maybe her meeting will run long and I can avoid too much contact until the guys get back. Yeah, that'll work, once we get rolling on the case it'll be fine.
"Well, I guess we'll see ya then," Julio said forgetting about his coffee and following Amy out.
"Yeah, holler if you guys need anything from my end," he responded disappointed that he still wasn't able to go out with the team. He was looking at another two weeks before he would be released from his desk monkey status.
Andy shuffled his feet back to his desk, finding the room empty, and Sharon missing from her office. He got to work filling out paperwork, and catching up on outstanding leads while he still had the chance. Buried beneath the stack of forms was a blue folder containing a special piece of paper, a change of relationship status form, all filled out awaiting an additional signature.
A few hours later Sharon came back into the murder room, "The team still out?"
Andy turned and nearly fell out of his chair, he wasn't expecting to see her. He was, but well he wasn't ready to see her. "Um, yeah they left a little while ago. Provenza checked in about 45 minutes ago, Kendall is transporting the body to Morales we should be able to get a prelim in a few hours."
"Ok, let me know when we need to head down there," she said heading into her office.
"So, uh how was the meeting?" He said, feeling like he should act as normally as possible.
Sharon looked around making sure no one else had followed her out, and gestured for him to join her in the office. He got up and sat in one of her chairs as she closed the door.
"Well, it was about as you would expect. Davis threw around her weight expecting us all to just rollover and do as she wants, as if she already has the job. Howard says he doesn't want the job, but that doesn't seem to be the way he is acting any more. That's fine by me, as I've stated on multiple occasions I am happy where I am, but this territorial nonsense is getting a little out of hand. In any case, the meeting is done. It's Friday. You're here. And we apparently have a case," she let herself reach out and touch his arm before moving around to her desk. Andy wanted to hug her, but knew that right now it wasn't wise, Davis could still be lurking around on their floor.
"And we have dinner plans this evening," a smile coming to his face as he thought about the special night he had planned.
"About that, do you think we could move it to tomorrow night? Now that we picked up this case, I just don't want to feel rushed."
Andy couldn't help but let the disappointment show on his face, he wasn't as good as Sharon was at schooling his expressions he wore his heart on his sleeve, "Um, yeah, sure, uh I guess that would be fine. I mean it makes since with the case and all that we just do it another time. If that's what you want of course," he was rambling nervously.
Sharon arched her eyebrow in quizical response to his ramble, "Andy, is there something wrong with postponing dinner?"
"No, of course not. Totally fine," he pulled his phone out of his pocket, "They should be open for lunch I'll just call and change the reservation. Not to worry." He spoke quickly trying to cover up for his nerves.
"Are you sure? I know tonight is our anniversary, if you want to go tonight we can see about squeezing it in."
Squeezing it in?! I don't want to squeeze in an engagement in the middle of an investigation! He felt his temper rising in response to her seemingly okay attitude to postpone dinner. He pushed back the chair and started to dial his phone, "Sharon, look it's fine. We can't do dinner tonight - a case came up as it always does - we can reschedule like we always do." The passive aggressive statement came out before he realized what he was thinking. He quickly tried to correct it, "That's not what I meant, I mean it is, but that came out all wrong. I was just looking forward to a nice dinner with you. To celebrate us, but we can do it tomorrow no reason why it has to be the exact date or anything."
Sharon stood up from behind her desk and moved towards him, taking the phone from his hand, "Andy, what's the matter? I can tell something is bothering you. Are you feeling alright?"
His hands now empty he felt the fidgeting return, he didn't know where to put his hands. He shoved them back into his pockets and turned his back as his fingers once again felt the box, "I feel fine Sharon. I'm not about to collapse on you, again."
"Andy, that's not what I meant. I'm just worried about you," Sharon replied softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you tell me what's really going on here."
Her hands felt like fire on his shoulder, "I can't," he replied as he stepped away from her.
"Okay, now I'm really concerned. What can't you tell me? And why?" She said stepping towards him once more.
With his back turned he pulled the box out and held it in both hands, "This is why." He spun around and thrust the box into her hands.
"Andy what is this," she asked looking down at a box covered in yellow notebook paper that seemed to have handwriting all over it.
"It's why I didn't want to cancel dinner tonight," his eyes stayed focused on the floor.
"What did you wrap this with?"
"A letter. I've had it for over a year now, never felt like the right time. And yes before you ask I did wrap it. Nicole showed me how to wrap gifts last Christmas so they don't look like such a mess anymore." He moved away from her and turned around avoiding eye contact.
Sharon sat down on her green chair and slowly removed the paper, careful to not tear it. Onto her lap dropped a blue velvet box that left no doubt or mystery of its contents. Before she opened it she unfolded the letter and began to read it.
"Listen, we don't have to do this now, and certainly not here. I didn't mean for this to happen like this. I wanted it to be special, not like this. God I'm such an idiot." He tried to take the box and letter back, but Sharon pulled her arms away.
"You gave it to me now, because deep down you wanted me to have it. The here and the now is irrelevant," her eyes stayed fixed on the letter.
She turned the note over and read the back, her hand coming up to her lips to suppress and emotional sigh that escaped from her lips. When she finished she looked up at him with tears forming, "Do you really mean all this?"
"Yes, of course. I love you Sharon, I have for a long time. I just didn't know how to say the words to you back then. Honestly I was afraid I might scare you off if I said them - I almost blurted it out on our first date." He finally moved closer to her.
"Do you want me to open it?" She asked gesturing to the velvet box.
"Yes. Well I mean it's yours. Well I got it for you and it's yours if you want it, that is," his hand rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to get the words out.
She set the letter onto her lap and picked up the blue box and opened it, letting out a gasp as she saw the contents. She looked up at Andy, bringing a hand to her mouth, "Is this what I think it is?"
Andy got down onto one knee, "Yes it is. I was planning on asking you tonight after they brought out the dessert. Sharon O'Dwyer Radyor would you do me the pleasure of being my wife?" He took the box from her hand and removed the ring from the slit. He lifted her left hand and held the ring out by the finger, looking up at her for some kind of answer.
"Oh Andy! Yes," she nodded and smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
"You scared me for a moment there." He stood up and pulled her up with him and gave her a kiss. She responded quickly with a hug.
Suddenly they heard cheering and hollering from the murder room. Still embracing they turned and looked through the blinds of her office and saw the entire team staring at them.
"Well they've been with us for the journey so far, why not this too?" Andy said trying to put a positive spin on an increasingly awkward situation.
"Yes, well it would seem that all of our relationship milestones have happened in this office," she said stepping back from the tight embrace, but continuing to hold his hands.
"Hmm, yes…all but one…Maybe in the future?" He asked suggestively raising his eyebrows.
"Keep dreaming. Now get back to work, we have a murder to solve and a wedding to plan!" She said moving towards her desk.
"Yes Captain," he paused before adding, "Flynn."
She waved her hand at him to shut the door behind him, shaking her head.
The team made their way over to give their congratulations as he finally shut the door and muttered to himself, "Yeah, I like the sound of that, but not as much as Mr. and Mrs. Flynn."