Disclaimer: Disclaimed!

AN: Yes, I've since learned that there are no cameras in Sharon's building but I like Sharon's thoughts regarding them so I'm leaving them in anyway, lol.

Someone Like You

Lt. Flynn pulled into a space a short walk from Captain Raydor's building and cut the engine with more than a little trepidation. She was going to bring it up, he knew it, it was too much to hope that she would just quietly go along with it all. He hadn't expected her to be quite so blunt about it though.

'Does Nicole think we're dating?'

'What? No!' he lied, a knee-jerk reaction when he knew it was futile: he'd trodden on her attempts to correct the impression too many times tonight for his denials to be believable.

'Andy,' she coaxed quietly. 'Why would you let them think that?'

He fiddled with his keys, not quite meeting her eye. The seconds ticked by but Sharon was not going to be the one to break the silence.

'I guess I just thought, you know,' he met her gaze and quickly glanced away again, embarrassed, 'if they thought someone like you would look twice at me maybe - maybe there'd be some hope for me after all. I was a lousy father and a worse husband, I know that. I still got a lot to make up for. I just want the chance, you know?' He stared at the steering-wheel so disconsolately that Sharon couldn't help slipping off her seatbelt and caressing his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

'You'll get it. You will,' she assured him when he gave an unconvinced shrug. 'It takes a lot of courage to admit your mistakes and try to start over,' she thought of Jack and how he lacked this particular brand of bravery. 'I admire it.' She smiled a little when he looked at her, surprised that he could win any sort of admiration from her. 'But-' His gaze dropped again, this time reminding her of Rusty. She suppressed a laugh. How was it that a man like Andy Flynn, a homicide detective, ex-addict and father, someone with so much life experience, could so often put her in mind of a teenage boy? 'But,' she said again, pressing his forearm in emphasis, 'it takes a lot longer to rebuild trust than it does to break it. You just have to be patient. Eventually they'll see you for who you are now, someone who wants to be the best father he can. Just don't give up. As long as you're in their lives in any way there's hope.'

'I guess so,' he shrugged, looking marginally reassured. 'It's just, it's easier when you're there. People actually talk to me,' he tried to laugh but she could see how much it hurt him to be a part of his daughter's life and still somehow separate.

Having Sharon accompany him to Nicole's wedding had been a revelation to Andy. For the first time since he'd gotten sober, he'd actually enjoyed a family gathering and his many in-laws had not completely disdained his presence. It seemed so effortless for his captain, making small-talk, winning smiles with her thoughtful questions about everyone's kids and waxing eloquent about her own. People could tell what kind of a person she was, what a good mother she was, and he was made whiter in her reflected glow.

'I don't mind being your buffer, I'm happy to help, but they're gonna find out eventually, and the longer you leave it the harder it's gonna be,' she told him matter-of-factly.

Flynn found himself wondering why it shouldn't be the truth. It wasn't just other people's perceptions of him and Sharon that had made these last two occasions so successful, he was different when she was around, lighter, more inclined to smile than scowl. It was funny, he'd never noticed how hot she was when she was running Internal Affairs…

'Well, thank you for dinner,' she smiled, fishing her handbag out of the foot-well.

'Least I could do,' he said easily. 'It wasn't a bad night, was it? For the ballet…'

She laughed. 'Not bad at all. I guess I'll see you next week.'

'From your lips…' he sent up to the heavens. If his shopping trip with Provenza went awry tomorrow, which he already suspected it would, he'd need the rest of the squads' week off to find the twins decent Christmas presents. He was still hoping for an invite to Christmas dinner with his daughter and there was no way he could turn up empty handed.

She leaned over to peck him on the cheek, her intent no more than a friendly goodnight, but her intent quickly turned to surprise when her lips landed squarely on his. Having successfully accomplished the kiss on the cheek manoeuvre countless times in her life, Sharon was pretty sure the error had not been on her end. And yet she had not jerked back, her hand remained on his bicep, her eyes had drifted closed of their own volition and she was not hating the soft pressure of his mouth on hers, nor the glide of his hand from her elbow to her shoulder.

She heard his seat creak and felt the feather-light caress of his fingers on her neck and jaw before the shiver down her spine finally brought her to her senses and she pulled back. Andy didn't look as surprised as she felt. Perhaps she shouldn't be so stunned but she was so used to her colleagues detesting her…

She swallowed, floundering for something to say in the face of his obvious question. 'I…' she stammered. 'I should get back to Rusty. I'll, uh, I'll see you at work.' She opened the door and slipped out into the night, tripping two paces before turning back and stooping to say an awkward 'Goodnight' through the open passenger window.

By the time Flynn raised a hand in farewell, she was already fast receding in his wing-mirror. 'Stupid,' he muttered to himself, starting the engine. Of course she wouldn't be interested in him…

Sharon pushed the button for the lift with visions of Rusty's protection detail sitting open-mouthed in front of the security screens. Okay, so she knew that the building's cameras didn't extend far enough up the street for them to have really seen anything but she couldn't shake the feeling of exposure that warmed her chest and neck as the lift doors slid open and she clacked inside, hitting the button for the top floor.

She resisted the urge to slump against the wall, knowing the security cameras most certainly could see her now and, in her paranoia, not wanting to give anyone watching further fodder for speculation. In other words, she did not intend to return to work to rumours of her swooning after a date with Andy Flynn where they may or may not have kissed.

She was glad to reach the relative privacy of her condo. Rusty was encamped on the sofa with a mostly empty bowl of popcorn on the cushion beside him. He glanced guiltily at the can of coke on the coffee table but said, 'You're home early.'

'Ah, well, the ballerinas needed their sleep,' she said, slipping her heels off with a sigh. 'It was an exciting night for them.' She knew the last thing Rusty wanted to hear about was a ballet recital and if she threatened to gush about it she would get away to her bedroom all the quicker. 'You should have seen-'

'Uh, Sharon?' he said, and she smiled at the predicted excuse for him to turn his attention back to the TV, knowing he wasn't as invested in the film as he was trying to make out.

'Oh sure. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow,' she promised with a devious smile. 'I'm gonna go change.' Rusty simply raised a hand in acknowledgement, eyes glued to the onscreen explosions.

It wasn't until she was safely ensconced in her room, slipping out of her slinky black evening dress, that she allowed herself to examine how she felt about Flynn making a pass at her. Her eyes caught her reflection in the full length mirror and she wondered if Andy would have found her as attractive had he suspicions of the cunning underwear that smoothed her curves and let her wear the kind of dress she wished she'd had the guts to wear in her thirties, when her figure hadn't needed quite so much structural support.

Of course it occurred to her that he might not really be attracted to her at all, that it was the bridge she provided that he coveted. She didn't think that was the case, but maybe that had more to do with her own feelings than his. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't found his unexpected support utterly disarming at times, or didn't melt a little when he blessed her with one of his rare, uncensored, almost bashful smiles. Not that they had been rare tonight, she mused, removing her jewellery, either at dinner or the show. And she'd been truthful when she said she admired the effort he was making with his daughter which, right or wrong, added another layer to his attractiveness for her. She had to ask herself how much that had to do with Jack and her hopes for his relationship with their children. Probably a lot but it factored in Andy's favour none-the-less.

And so, if she admitted she had a soft spot for the cynical detective and allowed herself to believe his interest was genuine, how did she feel about him kissing her..?

Torn for a start. She was in the best shape she'd ever been in career-wise, she finally had a position that earned her the respect rather than resentment of her colleagues, and that was not something she wanted to jeopardise. Getting into a serious relationship with a member of her own team ran the risk of wrecking the effectiveness of said team should the relationship not work out.

But she was getting ahead of herself; could she even see herself in a relationship with him? The short answer was yes, yes she could. There had been a moment there in the car, before they'd kissed, when his words had made her stomach flutter.

…if they thought someone like you would look twice at me maybe there'd be some hope for me after all…

Someone like you…

She suddenly found herself questioning what he'd meant by that. At the time she'd taken it as a compliment, especially with the self-conscious way he'd said it, but what if he'd meant something else? What if he'd only meant to call her a goody-two-shoes? No, she told herself. Though she wouldn't put it past him, it was the way he'd said it that had flipped her stomach and she trusted her gut. It felt rejuvenating to be regarded in such a way and it had been a good long while since anyone had shown this kind of interest in her.

But she was cautious by nature, not likely to jump in without thinking through the possible consequences, and this thing had crept up on her so suddenly that she hadn't had time to consider them properly yet. She found she was even more glad that the squad was taking a week off in the run up to Christmas and hoped that she would know her own mind better when she next saw him.

AN: Not my best work but hopefully an enjoyable read. I thought I might as well share it as not - you tell me ;)