A Shot it the Dark.

Andrew Flynn ran both of his hands over his face in frustration. He sighed deeply as the memories of the night before came rushing back to him. The Nutcracker had been a complete disaster, what had he been thinking? Did he really believe that he could have pulled off lying and deceiving both parts?

He especially felt terrible lying to Sharon. She has been so nice to him, trying to help him with his family and he hurt her so much. He shook his head and began working on the paper work that was waiting for him on his desk. He couldn't really concentrate, but he need a distraction to all his troubles.

How was he going to face her when she arrived?

"Hey Flynn" Lieutenant Provenza voice made him jump on his chair. "What are you doing here so early?" his old friend frowned as he sat at his desk.

As second in command, it wasn't unusual for Provenza to be already at the office .The older man was always there before all the others. That morning Flynn wished his friend would have stayed in bed a bit longer. He had the annoying ability of reading him like an open book and Andy was sure that as soon as he opened his mouth, Provenza would know that something was wrong. He really wasn't in the mood for the "I told you so"s.

He shrugged. "Nothing, just catching up on some paperwork" he quickly lifted his head, but then looked back down.

"My God Flynn! You look terrible."

He shouldn't be offended by that. He had barely slept, so he knew exactly how he looked. Puffy red eyes and black circles underneath them. He hasn't even eaten so he was probably pale too. If only his doctor knew that he had forgotten to take his blood pressure pill that morning too.

"Yeah, and you are a ray of sunshine" Andy replied with his passive-aggressive sarcasm.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" he snapped. "Now can I just go back to fill these?" he opened his arms and pointed and the stack of documents.

Provenza shook his head and started working on his paperwork. There was something wrong with his friend and he was going to find out what, he just hoped it wasn't something to do with alcohol. They had been working in silence for nearly fifteen minutes when the rest of the team arrived. They were all cheery and smiling while greeting the two lieutenants.

Andy just nodded at them barely looking up. Then he heard them: the unmistakable clicks of the captain's heels on the marble floor. They were coming closer and closer, followed by Rusty's trainers. His desk was right next to her office door, so she was going to have to walk pass by him.

There was the noise of the magnetic card passing over the key pad and then the door opened.

"Good morning everyone" she exclaimed, in one hand she had a cup of coffee while the other one held her briefcase. Rusty gave an awkward wave behind her and then went to Buzz for his daily school assignment.

Sharon stopped next to Amy's desk. "Any news Lieutenant Provenza?" she asked.

"Nope, captain. Looks like murders decided to take a day off."

"Wouldn't that be wonderful" she smirked and rolled her eyes at him.

"Let's hope for a quiet day, captain" Amy prompted and everyone stopped what they were doing and glared at her. "What?" she asked feeling all the eyes on her.

"You didn't just say that" Provenza grumbled.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Everyone knows that when you say that it only brings troubles" Detective Julio Sanchez explained leaning back on his chair.

"I usually don't agree with these superstitions," Lieutenant Tao intervened too "but it is statistically confirmed by surveys in police departments that incidents rapports increased after someone saying that it was going to be a quiet day"

Amy just eyed him. "Now you are just messing with me, there can't be a study about that"

"Maybe not, but if something happens today and I'm stuck in the office after hours, I'll know who to blame" Provenza commented pointing a finger at the younger detective.

Sharon Raydor just shook her head at their attics smirking and walked to her office.

Andy noticed that she didn't even acknowledged him. She usually gave him a smile when she walked behind him. That special smile that made his day. He really screwed things up, he thought. An hour had passed. Everyone in the murder room was getting bored. The captain had been in her office all the time. The blinds were closed so Andy couldn't see what she was doing. Flynn bounced his right leg up and down nervously. He needed to talk to her, but he knew that here at work she was going to be defensive. In that moment he didn't care. He suddenly got up ignoring the questioning looks from the others. He knocked at the captain's door and without waiting for an answer he walked in.

"Andy, what?" she looked up from the papers startled.

He closed the door behind him. "We need to talk"

She sighed. "Not here" she closed her eyes and took her glasses off. "And besides, I think we've already said enough last night."

"I'm sorry"

"Yes, I've heard you the tenths of times you already apologized last night and I've told you it's okay, there's nothing really much to say."

"And I feel like something between us has changed" he paced in front of her desk. "You don't trust me anymore"

"What? You got that from the few minutes we saw each other today?" she looked at him skeptically. "Nothing has changed. You explained what happened, I understood and forgave you. That's it!" she tried not to raise her voice, but also not to sound too patronizing. "And I still don't think it is appropriate to talk about this at work"

"Okay, so let me make it up to you. Let me take you out for dinner, tonight"

Going out to help him with his family was okay, but going out to dinner two nights in a row sounded a lot like dating and was a dangerous territory. "It's really not necessary." she shook her head. "There's nothing to make up for"

"I insist. The way my ex-wife treated you and how I deceived you... I... " he sighed deeply. "I need to make amends"

She knew this was his guilt from being an alcoholic talking. "Andy, I..."

Before she could answer, the door slammed opened. "Hey Flynn" Provenza nodded at his partner. "We've got a call. Gang shooting at a warehouse" he eyed the two frowning, but then shook his head thinking it was best not knowing.

"Okay, I'll gear up and be right behind you" he turned towards Sharon hoping she would give him an answer. After staring at each other silently, he walked out of the office.

"Andy" she called him. He looked at her hopefully. "Be careful out there" He nodded and left the room.

In the car Provenza kept staring at Flynn while his colleague drove to the scene. He had felt the tension between his old friend and the captain when he had walked inside the her office. He wasn't stupid and obvious, he knew that Flynn was walking next to a thin line. He had tried to save his partner from going to the theatre with Raydor, but his friend was too stubborn for his own good.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on here?" he tried to probe.

"Seriously? You want to talk now?" he drove fast on the motorway sirens on.

"Has something happened at the Nutcracker? Is that why you are acting all strange?"

"Look, can you leave it alone?" Flynn snapped.

"So there is an IT to talk about" Provenza raised his eyebrow and proud at his small conquest.

They arrived at the scene. The warehouse was among an abandoned complex. There weren't to many places to hide and the atmosphere felt strange. Flynn and Provenza got out of the car while Sykes, Tao and Sanchez were already there.

"I thought there was a shooting?" Provenza opened his arms. "Why can't I hear any shots?"

"It's too quiet" Julio was suspiciously looking around. This part of town wasn't usually gang territory.

"Hey, I've got a bad feeling about this" Flynn told them. "Let's put our vests on and move with caution."

"Should we call for back up?" Amy asked the others.

"Let's see what we're dealing with first. No need to bring the cavalry if it end up being a prank call" Provenza made the decision .

They all agreed and after they suited up, they walked stealthily with their weapons drawn. All of a sudden shots started firing from above and they quickly took cover behind some crates. "Guys, we're out numbered!" Sanchez shouted above the shots. "I saw at least ten shooters"

"Call it in!"

Tao made the call for back up, but it was going to take some time for patrol to arrive. The closest one was five minutes out. They shot back, trying to resist.

Andy got up from where he was keeling behind a crate, shooting above and hitting one of their assaults, but before he could take cover again three bullets hit his chest.

"Flynn!" Provenza shouted, the scare of seeing his partner hit evident in his voice. "Sykes give me some cover."

The young detective followed his order and started shooting while Provenza ran towards his partner laying on the floor.

"Flynn"

The lieutenant moaned in pain. "It's okay" he tried to sit up, feeling slightly out of breath from the impact of the bullets. He is going to have bruises, maybe even a cracked rib "They've hit the vest"

"Flynn, you idiot" Provenza sighed in relief. "You made me run. You know I don't run" he grumbled, but he could help to feel glad that Andy was fine.

Back up arrived at the other agents helped to clear the zone. Three gangster were dead, four were injured while they managed to arrest another three.

Flynn tried to get up, but he collapse on his feet and groaned in pain. He was sweating and he suddenly felt a lot of pain at his side.

"Sir" Julio caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Flynn, are you sure you're okay?" Provenza looked down at him worried.

"I'm..." then he felt the familiar metal taste in his mouth. he cough and blood came out of it.

"Lay him down" Provenza ordered "And get some paramedics here"

The others were helping securing the area, but they saw that something was going on and rushed towards them. Sanchez undid the vest and sled it over Andy's head carefully. "There's blood" Right in that moment the saw a side entry wounded just below his left armpit that the vest didn't cover. "How..." they couldn't understand how he got shot there.

"Guys, I'm fine, really" Andy was waving them off. He knew he wasn't, but he didn't want to make a fuss out of it. He wanted to see Sharon again, take her out of dinner, tell her he was sorry over and over again and maybe she would let him kiss her.

"Flynn, you're not fine" Provenza snapped. "You were hit and the fact that you can't feeling that much pain means that you're in shock" he looked around. "Where are those paramedics?" He saw two young men rushing towards them pushing a gurney. Once they arrived at their position they immediately kneeled beside Andy.

The blood stain on Flynn's shirt was getting larger and larger as he kept loosing blood.

"BP is dropping" one of the paramedics said. "We need to take him away, immediately"

They put him on the gurney and the rest of the team saw him be wheeled away towards the ambulance.

Provenza was conflicted. As commanding scene officer he had to stay there to wait for FID to arrive and to deliver the incident report to both Raydor and Taylor, but that was his partner they were taking away, his best friend. The wound looked bad and if Andy didn't make it, he didn't want him to die alone. The decision was made for him.

"Louie," Tao called him and he knew he was worried too because for the first time in ever he used his first name. "You should go with them. We'll take care of this"

Provenza nodded and rushed behind the paramedics. Running twice in one day. If he got better, Flynn was going to pay for it.