Hello! Well, sometimes you see a random photo on Pinterest and then you write a 7K word chapter establishing a slightly AU version of Sharon, Andy, and friends that has nothing to do with crime (well, mostly) and everything to do with their life after retirement. Fair warning: this is fairly fluffy and a little sexy. If you like cheeky, sweet, mostly happy stuff, I thank you in advance for hopping on the fluff bus with me

We start out a couple of years post season 6, with things having taken a sharp turn for happiness after the pacemaker was implanted.

Not my characters and all that jazz…

"Not so fast, buster."

Sharon Flynn was stretching to reach the cantaloupe that had escaped its reusable shopping bag confines and now rested in the far corner of her Volvo station wagon's way-back when she felt the warm hand of her husband rub between her shoulders.

"Hey, babe, who you talking to?"

"I was talking to the rogue cantaloupe my husband specifically asked me to buy for him."

"Here, let me." Andy slid his hand down her back and around her waist before retrieving the melon and then kissing her neck. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"I aim to please." She took the melon from him and then returned his kiss with one to his lips. "What are you doing home? I thought you were going to the batting cages?"

"Um, yeah…nah. I didn't make it. Here. I got these," he assured her as he tucked his hand under the straps of the bags. "Why don't you go in and get comfortable and I'll put this stuff away and pour you a glass of wine."

It wasn't unusual for her husband to step in and help with household chores, nor was it strange for him to offer to pour her a glass of wine, but there was something about the pitch and tempo of his speech which piqued her curiosity.

"Why didn't you go?"

"I just…I got sidetracked."

"Everything okay?" She gave the belt-loop of his jeans a gentle tug as he reached up with his free hand to push the button to close the hatch.

Clearing his throat, Andy didn't turn to look at her, his focus on the closing door. "Yeah, fine."

Watching him lift his chin and then give his head a quick tilt, a patent Andy Flynn-tell, she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as she studied his profile. "Andy, come on, what's up?"

"Nothing, I told you I just got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked by what?"

"Stuff."

"Is this what we have to look forward to for the rest of the evening? Me asking a million questions and you giving one-word answers?"

A disagreement right-off-the-bat was exactly how he did not want the evening to start, and so with more than a bit of reluctance, he finally admitted, "Look, okay, yeah, the something, or actually somethings that sidetracked me, we do need to talk about, but they'll keep until after you change and relax for a bit." He began to make a move towards the walk that connected their drive and the front porch of their spacious California Craftsman, but was halted as she suddenly stepped in front of him.

"What is it? Is it one of the kids? Provenza?"

"Provenza?" Andy gave a grunt of amusement. "No, no. Everyone's fine. Let's go in."

She stayed planted, her hands on her hips as she forced the issue.

"Honey, I promise. It's not a bad thing, er, things. It's something we've…look, just, please, let's go inside and get comfortable."

Her eyes still narrowed in his direction, she inhaled deeply before stepping aside and letting him pass.

"Something smells odd in here."

Wrapping her cream cashmere cardigan tightly around her body, Sharon leaned against the arched entry that separated their large family room and the spacious kitchen around which Andy was shuffling as he put away their groceries.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight of his beautiful wife in the soft knit which she wore over a simple white tank and pale gray silk lounge pants, her feet bare, and her hair gleaming with red highlights from the setting sun coming through the windows that lined the far side of the family room. "Hello, beautiful girl."

His term of endearment earned him a small grin, but it soon shifted to a frown as she began looking around the kitchen for any clue to what her husband was keeping from her.

"Here you go." He turned back to the refrigerator to retrieve the glass of wine he had poured her a few minutes before.

She met him half-way and took the glass of Chablis, but not before sniffing dramatically as she continued to look about the room. "Seriously, what's that smell?"

Turning his back to her, Andy gave a quick shrug. "I don't smell anything. Maybe it's your sweater."

"Oh, it's not me. It's in the house. I smelled it in the family room and it's in here." She made a move toward the laundry room door, but Andy quickly stepped in front of her.

"Hey, look, let's go out on the patio. I'll grab some lemonade and meet you out there and we can decide what to do for dinner."

Stepping into his space, she moved onto her toes to look over his shoulder. "What's in the laundry room, Andy?"

"Two big machines and some soap?"

Unable to hold back a grin, she gently grabbed the front of his gray t-shirt. "You are hilarious, now stop messing around and tell me what you're hiding."

"There's nothing in the laundry room. Scout's honor."

"You were never a scout."

"Cop's honor."

She raised her eyebrows before snorting.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, okay, I'll make you a deal. You like deals, right?"

"Fine. If that's what it takes. What you got, Lieutenant?"

Leaning down he kissed the tip of her nose before offering, "You take your wine and go out on the patio and I will show you what's in the garage. See? I wasn't lying about there being nothing in the laundry room."

"What you're going to show me, is it the source of the smell?"

Andy tilted his head. "Maybe, although I really don't smell anything. Now go on." He moved his hands to her shoulders and gently prodded her to turn around before giving her a tender push. "Go on, sweetheart. I lit the fire pit just before you got home. Go get settled and I'll be right out."

Sharon looked over her shoulder and gave him a doubtful look.

"It's a good thing, er, things. Trust me."

Her shoulders slumping, Sharon begrudgingly trudged out of the kitchen and through the family room towards the patio doors.

"Close your eyes and don't turn around."

Andy stayed tucked back in the doorway as he watched his wife immediately sit up in her chair and turn around to look at him.

"You just did the exact opposite!"

Sharon couldn't help but laugh at the high pitch of her husband's annoyed voice. "Okay! I'm sorry!" She chuckled as she rotated back to face their swimming pool and the tall privacy fence that separated their property from their neighbors on the opposite side of the alley.

"Eyes closed?"

Lifting her arms, she made it obvious that her hands were moving to cover her eyes. "Closed. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to…"

"Don't finish that thought, lady."

Giving her head a little shake, she called out, "Sorry, honey. They're closed."

She could hear his flipflops crossing the paved stones of the patio as he got closer and she fought the urge to remove her hands from her face as she heard a light whimper that coincided with his setting something on the ground next to her chair. "What was that sound?"

"You'll find out in less than ten seconds. Now, keep your eyes closed, but cup your hands in your lap, please."

A little nervous, she did as she was bid, holding her breath as she listened to him step in front of her.

"Okay, here we go. Now don't freak out."

"Don't freak out? What the-?"

Warm. Soft. Wiggly. These were the three qualities Sharon detected as Andy carefully placed something very much alive into her hands.

"Andy?!" The sensation of not one, but two more warm, soft, wiggly things being placed in her lap stopped Sharon mid-sentence and her eyes flew open.

"Ahhhhh….oh my God!"

Kneeling in front of her, Andy reached out and scratched the head of the smallest of the three English bulldog puppies who were currently squirming in her lap.

"This is…what...is this a joke? Three?!"

"Now, babe, remember we talked about getting a dog now that we have the side yard."

Sharon stared at him in disbelief. "We talked briefly about getting a dog more than a month ago…"

"I know, but you didn't act like it was out of the question."

"There are three dogs here, Andy! Three! And this was the smell! I smelled puppies!"

"Woh, take it easy there, Cruella de Ville."

"Yes, well, if I make a coat out of anything it's gonna be your chest hair, if you're not careful, buddy," she warned with a raised eyebrow before shifting her focus back down to her lap and shaking her head. "Three puppies. What on earth are you thinking? And they're tiny! Can they even be away from their mother yet?"

"No, but that's why they're here." He picked up the largest of the three before it rolled into the gap between Sharon's thigh and the right side of the woven chair.

"What do you mean?"

Nestling the puppy against his chest, Andy moved the chair to her left so that it faced her as he began to recount what had transpired in the previous five hours.

"I got a call from Mrs. Cleary…"

"You're old neighbor?"

Andy nodded. "Yeah. When I sold the house, I made sure she had my number before I left. I know she liked the sense of security it gave her to live next door to a cop, so she was a little miffed when I moved in with you…"

"Security? She had a huge crush on you. I got the evil eye more than once from her I seem to recall," Sharon teased as she carefully scooped a hand under each of the remaining puppies on her lap, fighting the urge to cradle them to her knowing how easy it would be to become enamored with such adorable little ones.

"Yeah, well, I don't think you have to worry about me leaving you for her. She's ninety-hundred years old," he returned with a smirk which earned him a chuckle. "Anyway, she has my cell number in case something comes up in the neighborhood and…" he looked down at the puppy which was being lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his heart. "…somethings came up."

One of the pups beginning to whine, Sharon's maternal instincts overcame her resistance and she soon had both dogs happily snuggled in the crooks of her arms as she sighed, "Well, go on."

"So, this mother dog showed up at Mrs. Cleary's a couple of months ago, very docile and sweet, and I give it to the old girl, she did all the right things. She took her to the vet to see if she had a chip, but she didn't, and she put up a photo of the dog with her number at the local grocery, but there were no takers, so she took her in and then suddenly she found herself with not only mama dog, but four puppies, as well."

"Four?"

He nodded, "I'll get to that, but anyway, she took good care of mama dog and the pups. You know, took them to the vet, got them shots, and all that, but then early this morning, she took mama dog out on a walk and a squirrel ran in front of them and Mrs. Cleary lost her hold on the leash and mama dog was killed when she got hit by a car as she ran out into the street."

Their jobs having acquainted them more times than she could count with children who had lost their mothers, Sharon moaned softly, unconsciously cuddling the puppies closer to her. "Poor babies and poor mama dog."

"Yeah, but at least from what Mrs. Cleary said, she didn't seem to suffer."

"Oh, still, but…okay, so why did she call you?"

"Because she's old and the puppies weren't weaned yet, so they'll have to be bottle fed for a few more weeks and she knew it would be too much for her to try to take care of all four of them by herself."

"So, she only called you to help out until they're weaned?" Unexpectedly she was filled with more anxiety than hope as she waited for his answer.

Andy took a deep breath before answering, "Well, yes and no."

"Oh?"

"These are the girls. Mrs. Cleary kept their brother. See, she was pretty attached to mama dog and I think having a dog provided her with a, you know, a sense of security, but even after they're weaned, she doesn't think she can handle four dogs, so she asked me if we would take care of the girls until they don't have to be on the bottle anymore and then try to find them homes." He bit his bottom lip as he waited for her to respond, but her focus was fixed on the drowsy beings resting against either side of her ribcage, their little bellies rising and falling as they slipped into sleep.

"Babe?"

"She didn't think she could sell them?" Her voice was soft when she finally responded.

"They don't have papers and…" Sharon's soft chuckle interrupted him. "Why are you laughing?"

"She knew you were a soft touch, that's why she called you, Andy Flynn."

"Soft touch?! What are you talking about? I used to eat dirtbags for breakfast!"

"Shhh!" she nodded towards the puppy in his arms. "Keep your voice down or you'll wake the baby." She waited for him to settle back against his own seat before adding, "You are a soft touch when it comes to little old ladies and puppies, apparently."

"I'm not a soft touch," he mumbled, although the gentle way in which he stroked the puppy's head told a different story.

"You are. You're an absolute sweetheart, Andy. Why else do you think I keep you around?"

Mischief instantly colored his countenance as glanced up at her. "I thought it was for the mind-blowing sex and the fact that I take out the trash and recycling."

"Mmm…don't forget the foot rubs."

He raised his eyebrows twice, a knowing grin on his face before he pulled out some proverbial big guns. "Look, babe, we can call animal control and hand them over if you want. I'm not sure how long they keep dogs now before euthanizing, but they are pretty cute so they might find homes, and I'm sure they'd keep them in the same cage since they are sisters..."

Letting her head fall back, she sighed, "Andy…"

Knowing he had made a major dent in her armor, he gently admitted, "It's a lot. I get it. I mean, the feeding, house training, vet costs, and we'd have to fence in the side yard for them…"

Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes as she waited for him to stop listing the litany of cons in taking on the puppies before she countered with, "Right, but we are retired now."

Watching her closely, he cautiously agreed. "We are."

"And as you said we were most likely going to get a dog anyway now that we have this big yard."

"That's true," he agreed, careful not to sound too enthusiastic as he was certain he was witnessing her talking herself into keeping the pups.

"And," she looked down at the two in her arms and then over at the one in Andy's. "…they are so freaking cute."

A wide grin spread on her husband's face. "They really are, and they are so sweet. Really sweet." His slightly smug smile faded, however, as Sharon suddenly asked, "Why didn't you call me to meet you at Mrs. Cleary's once she asked you take the puppies? I was just running errands. I could have been there in no time."

Shifting a bit in his chair, he struggled to come up with a plausible excuse, but a gentle nudge to his knee from her foot forced his hand.

"Because sometimes you can be too sensible in situations like this."

Sharon let out a loud huff which made the puppies she held begin to shift and whimper.

"Shhh…You'll wake the babies," he teased as he repeated her scolding.

Pausing until the puppies settled, she returned her attention to him. "I'm too sensible?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

Finding himself the subject of one his wife's infamous death glares, he was also well-aware of the playful glint accompanying her scrutiny, so he conjured a boyish smile in return. "Well, my dear, we both know you are much smarter and more analytical than I am…"

She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow. "Stop sucking up and get to the point, Lieutenant."

"Okay. Fine. As much as I admire how level-headed you are, I just feel there are a few rare times when impulsiveness and sentimentality trump rationality."

"That is the biggest bunch of hooey I have ever heard, Andy."

"Hmmm…says the woman who didn't think twice before taking in a teenage street kid and who married an alcoholic after another one put her through hell for nearly thirty years."

She took immediate offense at his statements. "Those were totally different circumstances. Rusty more than deserved a real chance to live in a good home and…"

"And?"

Knowing her defense was weak, she softly answered, "And I can't help it if I fell in love with you."

"Yeah?"

Sighing, she grinned. "Yeah, you idiot."

"I love you, too."

"Mmm…I know."

Slipping his feet from his flip flops, he gently tucked them around her ankles. "Soooo?"

"You know we're both going to get attached to them and there will be no finding new homes after their weaned if we decide to do this, don't you?"

Andy nodded, "I do. Soooo…"

"Soooo…you should probably take me to have my head examined." Taking a deep breath, she rolled her eyes before asking, "What are we going to name them?"

"Really, babe? You're sure?" Andy was quickly at the edge of his seat, his free hand reaching out to squeeze her knee. "I don't want you to feel pressured into this."

"Ha! You blindsided me by dumping ridiculously adorable fur-balls in my lap and told me about their mother tragically dying, and then painted an image of them being deserted in a steel cage and probably receiving a death sentence. You're right. No pressure."

He gave her knee another squeeze. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you are and how much I love you?"

Leaning back in her chair, she moved her feet to his lap. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hand over your puppy and start rubbing, buster."

"Yes, Commander." He quickly complied with her order. "By the way, could I interest you in some mind-blowing sex later?"

All three dogs in her arms, she arranged them so that their sleeping heads were tucked up just below her chin. "Eh, we'll see, but I definitely want you to take out the trash and recycling in the morning."

"Consider it done."

"And just to be clear, you are now and forever the designated pooper-scooper, my friend."

"Um, now wait a minute…."

"And you'll clean up any puddles- vomit or pee."

"Sharon…"

Pushing the balls of her feet against his tummy, she tilted her head, her lips pursed, and eyebrows raised. "Those are my conditions, sir."

Watching his wife's eyes roll back in her head as he pressed his thumbs into the arch of her right foot, he scowled. "So, you get to do all the cuddling and I get poop, pee, and puke?"

"And to think you thought it would take a lot of convincing to get me onboard. Funny, right?"

"Hilarious."

Shifting the foot he currently wasn't rubbing, Sharon applied some pleasant friction of her own to the seam between his legs.

"I love you, Andy Flynn."

They had quickly settled into a routine of sorts during the first few weeks of the puppies' stay. The babies each received a feeding at around six-forty-five in the morning, usually as Andy and Sharon shared coffee or tea as they watched the late winter sunrise from the glider on their front porch. The lunchtime feeding occurred around eleven and supper just before their own dinner in the evening. Per the vet's instruction, they started the dogs on puppy chow when they turned seven weeks and weaned them from the bottles by their eight-week birthday.

The girls thrived given their devoted care and became equally devoted to their humans, snuggling at every opportunity and responding to Sharon and Andy's voices which led to them being well-behaved with only gentle discipline.

"So where do you want it?" Rusty asked as he and Gus each held one end of a vinyl dog house which matched the color scheme of the Flynn's spacious bungalow as they waited for Sharon, Andy, and the now L.A.-residing Emily to step into the newly-gated side yard which had been designated puppyland.

"The far end, don't you think, babe?" Andy asked as he and the women stepped off the patio and into the grass; Sunny, the smallest of the three dogs in Sharon's arms, while Andy carried the largest, Ruby, and Emily cradled the middle-sized Bluebell, each dog sporting a collar in the color that coordinated with their name.

Gus and Rusty in from Austin for the weekend, their first visit since settling into their new lives as a sous chef under Michael Fojtasek at the highly-respected Olamaie and finally starting law school at the University of Texas, respectively, it would soon be a full family affair as they waited for Ricky to arrive from Palo Alto, as well as, Nicole and her family, and a possible appearance by Andy's son Pete for an afternoon barbecue.

"Yes, I think the far-side is good. Maybe closer to the corner." She pointed to a specific spot. "It's always shady there." Sharon stepped inside the gate and made way for Emily and Andy before all three set their panting cargo on the ground. "Alright, girlies, let's see what you think."

The quintet of humans watched as the pups began wandering over the freshly mowed grass, sniffing and bumping rumps as they explored the area until they finally made it to the doghouse, wandering in and out before all three disappeared inside for several minutes.

"You know Ricky is going to give you a hard time, Mom."

Sharon huffed in amusement. "When does your brother not give me a hard time, Em?"

Wrapping an arm around her mom's shoulder, Emily explained, "No, but you're really in for it this time."

"Why?" Rusty asked as he joined his mom and sister.

"Our whole childhood Ricky begged for a dog, but mom never allowed it and now she has three!"

"He had Dodo," Sharon quickly noted which drew laughter from her daughter.

"Yeah, a hermit crab that lived for three months. What was he going to do? Throw a toothpick to play fetch?"

Rusty, Gus, and Andy having joined in Emily's laughter, Sharon couldn't keep her own giggles at bay as she shouted, "Stop picking on me, Emily Jane!"

"Oh, mother, you just make it so easy sometimes. Okay, I'll stop, but I have to know how he reacted when you told him."

Sharon ignored her daughter's question as she moved to her knees to peer into the doghouse. "What are they doing in there?"

Emily's mouth fell open as she gasped, "You didn't tell him, did you?"

Sharon's head was inside the small house as she gave the flimsy answer: "It never seemed to come up."

"Mom, you giant chicken!"

Pulling Bluebell from the entrance of the dog house, Sharon moved to her bottom, leaning against the side of the small house as she scratched the happy puppy's tummy. "I am not a chicken. I just figured why get him all riled up over the phone…"

Rusty and Emily exchanged conspiring grins before beginning to flap their arms and make "bok-bok" chicken noises.

Gus and Andy couldn't help but laugh at their antics before retreating through the open gate en route to the house to retrieve some of the more durable dog toys and the burlap bed that had been purchased specifically to go in the dog house.

"Quit it, you two!"

Emily nudged Rusty. "Get your phone out so you can film him seeing them for the first time. It is going to be epic!"

"Emily," her mother growled which drew a playful bark from Bluebell.

Gracefully lowering herself on the ground to collect a newly emerged Ruby, Emily glanced down at her watch. "He's going to be here any minute, Mom, you sure you don't want to go put on a flak jacket or some other body armor or something?"

"I don't think you give your brother enough credit. He's a thirty-two-year-old grown-" Sharon was interrupted by a sudden shout from the vicinity of the patio doors.

"YOU GOT A DOG?! YOU SERIOUSLY GOT A DOG, MOM?!"

Ricky, wide-eyed and red-faced, suddenly appeared from around the side of the house waving a fabric knot toy above his head.

"You're right. He's super mature, Mom," Emily muttered which brought on a new bout of giggles from both her and Rusty.

Knowing the snickering suddenly erupting from her other two children would only serve to incite her older son more, Sharon shot them a threatening look and raised a finger to her lips as Ricky arrived at the entrance to the yard.

"OH, MY GOD! YOU GOT TWO DOGS!?"

Moving to her feet before passing Bluebell off to Rusty, Sharon hurried towards Ricky, her arms open to embrace him. "Ricky, honey, I'm so glad you made it here safely."

"Oh, we are not hugging, Mother. I can't believe you have two dogs!"

Reaching into the house, Emily quickly gathered up Sunny and practically skipped across the yard as she informed her brother, "Not two. Three. She has three dogs."

"THREE?! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"

Death glare in full force, Sharon looked over at her smugly smiling daughter before her expression softened as she turned back to Ricky. "It's a long story, sweetheart, and we certainly hadn't planned on getting them, believe me. They are rescue dogs. We only took them in after their mother was hit by a car."

While certainly not instantly placated by her explanation, Ricky did take a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he watched his mom relieve his sister of one of the dogs before offering it to him.

"This is Sunny, and that's Bluebell," she gestured over her shoulder at the pup in Rusty's arms before turning her attention to the squirming one in Emily arms, "and this is Ruby."

"Oh, man. I still can't believe this. Ughh… They are so stinking cute," Ricky muttered as he reached out and took Sunny from his mother, his tone entirely changing as he cradled the puppy like a baby. "Hi, little Sunny. Oh, goodness. You have a fat belly."

Sharon let out a soft chuckle as she watched the pup scoot up Ricky's chest to sniff and lick his chin. "You love giving kisses, don't you, Sunny?" She reached out and scratched the dog's soft head. "They are good girls. They don't whine very much unless we are late feeding them and as long as you let them nestle where they want, they'll snuggle on your lap for hours."

"I still can't get over it. You have three dogs." Ricky looked over his shoulder where Andy and Gus waited with the bed and container of toys. "How on earth did you talk her into it, Andy?"

Glancing past his step-son, Andy exchanged grins with his wife before opening his mouth to answer but was beaten by Rusty who wrapped an arm around Sharon's shoulder, smiling cheekily as he announced, "You know Mom. She can't say no to strays."

The barbecue was a huge success between the excellent food Gus and Andy provided and the presence of the new puppies who were absolutely exhausted by the end of the day having been constant centers of attention between Ricky and Nicole's step-sons.

"Look at them," Andy whispered as he pointed down at pile of puppies on the dog bed inside the large pen in the laundry room.

The last dish put away, Sharon wrapped her arm around her husband's waist as he moved his around her shoulders.

"I think I'm as tired as they are." Sharon's health scare just before they were married was a not so distant memory, and as much as she tried to ignore it, she knew he was almost constantly monitoring her well-being. "And before you ask, I'm fine. I feel healthy as a horse, honey, and it's been a great day. A long day, but a great day."

Pulling her to him, their kiss began chastely, but was deepening when someone behind them cleared their throat. Quickly parting, they turned to find Emily smiling brightly.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Is everything okay outside?" Sharon craned her neck in the direction of the patio where Rusty, Gus, Ricky, and Pete were camped out around the fire pit.

"Oh, yeah. We're having a great time. I just wanted to grab you while I had the chance."

"I'll let you two have a minute," Andy offered, but was stopped by his step-daughter as he tried to pass her on his way out of the kitchen.

"No, Andy, I'd like to talk to both of you, if you don't mind?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Sure, Em. Let's go in the dining room."

Knowing how much it meant to Andy to be included, Sharon gave his hand a squeeze as Emily led them out of the kitchen and into the adjacent room.

"Everything going well with the new company?" Sharon asked as she and Andy settled on one side of the table with Emily opposite them.

"Great, yeah, really great. It's kind of odd not to be performing anymore, but I love the people and I'm getting to be creative in a whole new way."

"Oh, sweetie, that's great!"

"Yeah, and in addition to us winning that competition last week, I've got two industrial contracts for choreography in the next couple of months and I got a call to go in and interview for an adjunct position at UCLA for next fall."

"That is fantastic!" Sharon reached out and patted Emily's hand as Andy added, "We're so proud of you, kid."

Leaning back in her seat, Emily looked back and forth between their smiling faces, her stomach churning as she prepared to tell them why she had requested a moment of their time.

"So, yes, um, things are going really well, and I am so happy to be here and living so near you two and Ricky's not that far away and," she focused on Andy as she added, "Nicole and I are becoming really close. She's been so great since I got here. It's, well, it's really nice to have such a good friend outside of work."

"Ah, that makes me so happy, Emily," Andy whispered, his throat thick and heart full to know that their daughters had bonded.

"I mention it because she's been really supportive as I've been trying to make a big decision over the last few weeks."

Sharon's maternal instincts kicked in and Emily wasn't surprised when her mother shifted, her spine straightening. "A big decision?"

Emily nodded. "One of the biggest."

Picking up on Sharon's tension, Andy went into comforting mode, his right hand moving to her back to rub gentle circles at the base while he placed his other hand over the women's on the table. "It will be alright, whatever it is, Emily. You know you have our support whatever this decision is."

Her eyes filling with tears, she gave her step-dad a grateful smile. "Thank you. I appreciate you saying that because I will need you. I'll definitely need my mom, but I'm so thankful to have you, too, Andy."

Her patience wearing thin with worry, Sharon pressed, "What is it, honey? Are you really okay?"

"I am, Mom. I'm happy and getting settled and things really are going well. It's just…" Unable to stay in her chair, she pulled her hand from beneath theirs and paced down the short length of the table before continuing with her explanation. "I'm not in my twenties anymore and now that I'm not onstage all the time, I don't have to worry about staying at a certain weight or about my body being altered…"

Sharon and Andy exchanged confused glances.

"And I am not making any sense, so let me get to the point. I'm still figuring out the logistics, but like I said, I am fairly settled and I am financially stable, so I have decided that it's the right time to start trying to get pregnant. I want a baby and I'm going to try to have one, you know, on my own, and well, yeah, so that's…it."

Her fear instantly replaced by joy, Sharon was up and around the table, her arms wrapping around her daughter as she cried, "Oh my God, Em! Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful!"

"You don't think I'm crazy?" Emily laughed as she pulled back and looked first at her mom and then over at Andy, as the women each wiped tears from their cheeks.

"Are you kidding?" Andy moved to join them on the other side of the table to pull Emily into a hug. "You'll be an incredible mom, Emily. How could you not? You've learned from the best," he added as he looked over and gave his wife a wink.

"And you won't be on your own. You know that, right? Whatever you need, sweetheart. You know we'll do whatever we can to help, won't we, Andy?"

"Of course. Anything, Em."

A million questions ran through Sharon's mind, but it was Andy who asked the first. "So, you mentioned logistics? What might they involve?"

Sharon gestured back towards the table and they returned to their seats as she asked, "A donor, right? You'll obviously need a donor. Do you have someone in mind?"

She wasn't surprised that this was their first question, so she was prepared to answer. "I'm using a service through the clinic, although I did think about asking one of my friends from New York, but I figure I have the artistic-side of the genetics covered and using this service I have found someone who balances that. The guy I've settled on has a doctorate in physics from Stanford."

Andy and Sharon exchanged looks of surprise.

Emily giggled at their reaction. "Yeah, I hope he doesn't turn out to be Sheldon from Big Bang, but he ticked all the boxes. I'll email you the profile so you can see for yourself. Nicole gave him her vote."

"Sure, honey. We'd love to see it." Sharon took a hitched breath before asking, "So, if you have a donor picked out, you must be doing this soon?"

Emily nodded. "I'll be ovulating in ten days," she glanced over at a squirming Andy. "Sorry."

"No, this is…important information. Go on."

Emily and Sharon exchanged amused smiles before she continued, "So, I'll go in then and they'll do the…you know, whatever it is they exactly do and then we wait a few weeks and who knows? Maybe I'll be pregnant by this time next month."

"So, the baby could be here by the New Year?" Andy's eyes twinkled as he looked back and forth between the women.

"It's not impossible," Emily admitted with a grin.

"This is so, oh my goodness, this is so exciting!"

Noting her mother's eyes growing moist again, Emily reached out for her hand and asked, "Would you come with me, Mom? To the clinic?"

"Yes! Oh, of course! Of course, I'll come. I'll clear the day."

"Sure, Mom, I'll get inseminated and then we can go get mani-pedis and smoothies."

"Emily, my goodness you are sassy today," Sharon grinned as she shook her head before adding, "but seriously, whatever you need. Doctor's appointments, shopping for nursery furniture, Lamaze classes…I don't even know if they do that anymore? Pregnant lady yoga classes? Whatever. Name it and I'll do it with you."

Emily managed an impressive poker face as she told her mom, "I was really hoping Andy would go with me to pregnant lady yoga classes."

Joining in on the jest, Andy shrugged, "Hey, sure. I'm game."

Sharon let out an exaggerated sigh. "Comedians. I am surrounded by comedians."

"All kidding aside, I honestly didn't know if you would think this was a bad idea since I'm not... you know, since I don't have a husband, or a partner."

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Sharon refrained from pointing out that she had basically raised all of her children as a single mother, and instead, assured her daughter, "You are one of the kindest, most loving, and strongest people I have ever known, Emily Jane Raydor. You will be everything and more that a child would need."

It was nearly two in the morning by the time Sharon and Andy climbed into bed having made sure the fire pit was banked and all the doors were locked after Pete and Emily headed to their respective homes, while Rusty and Gus retreated to one guest room and Ricky climbed into one of two twin beds in the other.

"Oh, my goodness. I think I could sleep for days." Turning onto her side, Sharon rested her head on Andy's chest, her arm curling around his waist as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Me, too."

A few quiet moments passed before Sharon noted, "We have had a house full of our children and puppies all day. It doesn't get better than that."

"Mmm…I don't know, I think adding a little baby to the mix is going to be the cherry on top."

"A baby." Sharon tightened her grip around his waist as she let the joy of Emily's news once again overcome her. "My baby is going to have a baby."

"You think she might consider moving in with us when the baby comes?"

She would have been lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind but knowing how independent her spitfire of a daughter was she shook her head. "I hope she'll let us help her in any and every way, but I think she'll want to take this on, well, on her own terms, and I have to respect that."

"Yeah, I get that. I just thought that maybe since we have all this room now, and since she'll be on her own, well, I just thought it might be nice..."

"I think you might have a touch of baby fever, my friend."

"What?"

"Baby fever." Sharon shifted, her hand resting in the middle of her husband's chest as she lifted herself up to look down at him. "You are going to totally bogart this baby, aren't you? You are! I can already see it. You are going to spoil this baby rotten and its little feet will never touch the ground."

Chuckling, Andy lifted his face as he cupped her cheek, pulling her down for a kiss. "You're absolutely right. Toys, candy, Disneyland…this kid and I are going to do it up big, Granny."

"Oh, no." Sharon scowled. "Not Granny. I am not going to be called Granny."

Shifting again, they were now facing one another as they tangled their legs together.

"Okay, not Granny. What then? Nicole's boys call you Gran Sharon. Is that what you want to the baby to call you, too?"

"I don't know. I love that the boys call me that, but it's a bit of a mouthful for a baby."

"I always wanted to be called Gandy."

"Aw, Gandy? Gan-dee." She tested the word out and it made her smile. "That's sweet."

He gave a gentle, typical Andy shrug. "Yeah, you know Grandpa plus Andy. Nicole never really asked, and I'm fine with the boys calling me Papa Andy, but if I get to pick..."

Slipping her hand beneath his t-shirt, Sharon gently ran her fingernails through the coarse hair in the center of his chest. "I like Gandy. We'll make that happen."

Studying her lovely features in the moonlight, he suddenly asked, "How about Nana?"

"Nana." She listened to the way the word sounded in the quiet room. "I like it. Nana and Gandy."

"It's strange. I know we're plenty old enough to be grandparents, but we aren't ancient. I mean, when I think about my own grandparents, they were these hunched-over, pale, wrinkled people who sat around in undershirts and house dresses complaining about things and drinking bromo seltzer."

Sharon giggled, "My grandfathers wore those pants without belts…"

"Sansabelts," he quickly supplied with a grin. "I think Provenza has a couple of pairs."

"Exactly," she continued to laugh, "and my grandmothers fancied large floral-print dresses which only accentuated their large bottoms."

"Not you. You have a great bottom, babe." He slipped a hand down and gave her asset a squeeze to prove his point before asking, "But you know what I mean?"

"I do, but I'm sure they thought their grandparents looked ancient compared to them, too."

"My grandad was born in 1893. His grandfather was born in Ireland in the late 1860s. I don't think he made it to forty-five."

"Thank goodness for penicillin and polio vaccines, huh?"

Pulling her closer to him he kissed her ear and whispered, "And pacemakers and Lvads."

"Oh, sweetheart." She slid her hands around to his back as they held each other for a few moments.

He leaned back so he could see her face. "There will be no more beautiful or sexier Nana than you, I can tell you that much." His flattery was accompanied by his hand slipping over her thigh and pulling it onto his hip as he began peppering her neck with kisses.

"Sweet talk and neck kisses…it's almost like you have an objective, Gandy." She whispered as she slipped her hand from beneath his shirt and into the waistband of his pajama pants.

"Mmm…think I could interest you in a bit of mind-blowing sex, Nana?"