Quick one-shot to get my muse back at work. So last night was the summer finale, what did you think about it? 3 months of hiatus are ahead of us, watch out for the Sunday Shandy Hiatus Marathon :D
Ricky Raydor slowly walked inside the Murder Room as he carefully looked around him. It was a late Friday afternoon and the place was almost empty as many people had already left for the weekend.
"Hey, Ricky!" Andy shouted from his chair and he got up to greet the young man. "Nice to see you again, man" he smiled and patted his back as they shook hands.
"Hi Andy"
"What brings you here?" the lieutenant asked "If you're looking for your mum, she's upstairs in a budget meeting with the boss. It could take a while. Rusty was here moments ago. I think he went to the break room with Provenza"
Ricky shook his head. "I was actually looking for you" he said catching Andy's interest. "I've got 2 tickets for the Dodgers-Giants game tomorrow. I was supposed to go with my father, but apparently good old Jack Raydor has better things to do than spending time with his son while he is in town. Maybe you and Provenza would be interested in them"
Andy could see the disappointment in the young man's eyes. He mentally cursed Jackson. He would have jumped through loops to have the chance to spend time with son, but jack was throwing it all away.
"That would be great" he finally said. "But I've you tried asking someone else to go with you"
"Well, my soon to be younger brother is not interested in baseball. He says it's too boring. And his the one that spends hours staring at a chess board"
Andy chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Provenza and I tried to take him once to a game. It didn't go very well" he smiled at the memory. "There's always your mum"
"Mum?" he raised both his eyebrows. "Have you met her?"
"You'd be surprise. She came to game a couple of months ago. We took my two grandsons. Here" he pulled out his phone from his trousers' pocket. "They even convinced her to wear a cap" he scrolled through the screen and showed him the photo he had taken that day to capture the memory.
Ricky laughed. "Well… I never… " he shook his head amused "You just gave me some extra teasing material" he handed him his phone back. "No, I don't want Rusty to think that I'm excluding him. We're still working things out after this big adoption news"
"Well, why don't we go. I know that Provenza has got a family thing so he won't be free"
"That's sounds perfect!" Ricky exclaimed enthusiastically. He was looking forward to the game and it almost broke his heart to give the tickets away.
"Great. I'll come and pick you up at half past two." He grinned and patted his back again.
Minutes later Sharon Raydor found them leaning against the desk and talking animatedly while laughing. It brought a smile on her face to see her son so at easy, Andy had that effect on people. It took her every ounce of self-control to not pick the phone up and shout at her soon to be ex-husband when Ricky had told her that his father had bailed on him. That man kept disappointing his kids time after time.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" she walked beside her son and put an arm around him, hugging his side. She was so happy to have him there.
"Oh, you know" Ricky smiled at his mother and put an arm around her side. "Andy was telling me some of the funny cases you had recently. Does a Maltese called Falcon ring a bell?"
"Oh God" she muttered as she briefly put her hand on her forehead before glaring at her lieutenant in front of her"
Andy put his hands up defensively "The kid asked" he tried to hide a smirk, but his sparkling boyish eyes gave him away.
"He told me you went undercover" Ricky was trying very hard not to laugh.
"Never again" she said firmly. "You don't laugh!" she pointed a finger at her son "And you" she turned towards Andy "No more stories." Even if was trying her best to stay serious, there was a twinkle in her eyes.
"That will be a bit difficult since we're going to spend hours together tomorrow"
Sharon frowned lost at she had missed.
"Andy agreed to go to the game with me" Ricky explained.
"That's good" Sharon smiled and she laid a hand on is forearm. "Why don't you go and find Rusty while I gather my things and then we can go home. We might have a home cooked meal for a change"
Ricky nodded and got up from the desk. "See you tomorrow Andy"
"Sure kid" Andy waved at him.
Once they were alone, Sharon started walking her office and with her head she indicated Andy to follow her. The blinds were down and the door was closed giving them the perfect privacy.
"What's going on?"
"I…" Sharon leaned against the front of her desk. She paused and tried again. "Thanks for doing this. I know Ricky really appreciates it, so do I"
"Sharon, we're just going to see a game" He shrugged. "It's not a big deal"
"I wouldn't be so sure…" she smiled at him. "Jack…" she shook her head "I wish he'd realized that what he's doing. I know he cancelled on Ricky jut to spite me for the all divorce thing." She sighed frustrated. "Why involve the kids?"
Andy took a step closer and laid a hand on her arm. "Divorces can get messy. Just ask Provenza"
She chuckled.
"You've been there when I needed help with my family now let me be there for you" he told her looking straight into her eyes.
She could see his sincerity and support in them and she already felt better. She nodded and thanked him. The air between became awkward and she slightly cleared her throat taking a step back. "Let me go and find my boys before they starve to death"
Andy watched her pick up her things and leave her office in a hurry.
The next day Andy sent a text to Ricky telling him he would wait for him at the condo's parking lot. After a half an hour drive they were at the baseball stadium.
They passed the time talking about other cases, Ricky's job and his plans for the future.
"How long have you and my mum been dating?" Ricky suddenly asked Andy between innings
Andy coughed hard nearly choking on his orange juice. "We're not dating, we're just friends"
"Rusty told me about all the dinners, ballets, family gatherings. She's been to a baseball game for you and you were there for her birthday's dinner. He is too young to know better, but…"
"Listen kid, there's nothing going on. Besides, she's married… to your father."
"Not for long… if dad finally opens his eyes and acknowledges that their marriage is over." He paused when they heard cheers from the crows for a home run. "Look, you like her, right?"
Andy looked down uncomfortably. "Well, we're friends of course I like her."
Ricky rolled his eyes.
"Okay! Yes, I like her and I wouldn't mind exploring our relationship further, but I don't want to pressure her. I think she needs time to deal with everything that's going on… and I can't believe it I talking about this with you"
Ricky snickered. "Don't worry. We all agree that Mum has been alone for too long. I don't know why she stayed married for so long. Jack was disappointing both as husband and as a father."
"Hmm…" Andy agreed. Sharon had shared some stories during their dinner, but he could really tell anything since he had been that man years ago. "Wait? Who's we?"
"Rusty, Emily and I." Ricky answered. "We all think it's time for you to make your move. And you'd better treat our mother right, she deserved"
Andy smiled. "Yes, she does"
After the game they went back to Sharon's apartment. Ricky walked through the door with Andy right behind him. He saw his mother at her desk reading some files while Rusty was sitting on the couch playing at the computer. The teenager waved at them without looking up, but Sharon lifter her head and smiled at her son.
"Hey, you're back. How was the game?"
"Great. I hope that you don't mind that I've invited Andy to stay for dinner"
Sharon smiled at Andy who awkwardly walked further inside the apartment and greeted Sharon with a nod and a smile of his own. "Of course not"
"He is after all your boyfriend" Ricky snickered as he made his way in the kitchen. He heard Rusty laughing too.
Sharon kept smiling at Andy, never taking her eyes off him, until her son's words finally registered. "Wait… what?"