Summary: Flynn goes to check on Raydor after she took a bullet for him

Dislaimer: I own nothing of The Closer or characters.

Rating: T

Pairing: Sharon/Andy

JUST A BULLET:

Captain Sharon Raydor sat at her kitchen table looking at her Kevlar vest where the bullet hole loomed as large as the life she had nearly lost. Even now her chest hurt, a large bruise covered the left side of her torso, and it pained her to breathe deeply. Her hands shook from adrenaline, from fear, from still being able to hear the loud gunshot. Immediately when she had come home Sharon had gone to her bedroom and changed out of her suit pants, the light cotton top, and her suit jacket. There clad in only her underwear and her bra she looked herself up and down; the bruise standing out against the vibrant red of her bra. The blues, the blacks, and the purples marring her skin reminded her that she was alive. Tonight Captain Sharon Raydor had taken a bullet for Lieutenant Andy Flynn and she didn't regret it.

"He's got a gun!"

"Get down!"

Bang!

Sharon had been knocked flat into Flynn's arms taking them both to the pavement. She could still hear Flynn calling her name as she tried to breathe. She could hear a medic being radioed for. Sharon concentrated on trying to breathe. Flynn stayed there and held her steady. Even though the paramedic said she should be taken to the hospital for tests and x-rays she had refused, in stead wanting to go home. Chief Johnson could close her case and even charge the suspect with shooting an officer. It was wrapped up tightly for her. Reaching up, she touched the bruise lightly with the tips of her fingers; pain blossomed immediately making her hiss. Then her front door bell rang. Slowly she turned, wondering who could be at her residence in the middle of the night.

Lieutenant Andy Flynn stood on Raydor's doorstep debating over and over whether he should ring the doorbell or not. Tonight during one of the final stages of closing one of the Chief's cases the suspect had pulled a gun and Andy had nearly been injured. Only, it had been Raydor who had been shot; she had taken a bullet for him. He could still hear the loud bang and he could still feel her, Sharon, being propelled back into his arms as they both went down. Andy had to look into her face as she struggled to breathe and he had watched her as she refused to be taken to the nearest hospital. For a few years he had thought of her as an annoyance, trying to cause trouble for the Chief he loyally served and worked with. But, tonight, he saw her in a different light. He saw her as a fellow officer and a brave woman thinking of someone else. Andy lifted his hand to knock, then at the last second hit the doorbell. Now he waited.

The door opened and Flynn's breath was taken from his lungs as he looked at Sharon Raydor wearing black sleep pants, a white camisole, and crimson over shirt. All of that couldn't distract his eye from the bruise that covered her chest. Guilt tore at him again, opening a new wound in his heart. "Captain… I… uhhh…" Flynn was suddenly at a loss for words. All he could see were the blue, the black, and the purple from the bruise that should have been on his chest; not hers. "I'm sorry." He choked out.

"Flynn, I reacted." Sharon tried to explain away her taking the bullet for him. It was more than though; it was Flynn. There was something about him that had her fascinated with him. "I would…" She was about to say she would do that for anyone. Maybe that was true, but not in his case. Sharon had to take the bullet. Andy never would have reacted in time. "I couldn't let you get hurt." It was out. It was hanging between them now. For a minute she wished she had pockets in her pants so she could do something with her hands.

"You should have." He whispered fighting the urge to look back at his standard issue Crown Vic where his partner Provenza sat, more than likely glaring at him. Coming here had been a last minute decision. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here." He turned to leave but her hand reached out taking his.

"Andy…" Sharon said his name for the first time; softly and sweetly. "Don't go." She held tight to his hand. "Come on in."

Andy was stunned; too stunned to put forth too much thought whether he should actually go into Raydor's house. She just pulled him in the door and his feet followed her. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'm only inviting you in." Sharon smirked. "Nothing wrong with that," She kept her hand in his bringing him into her kitchen.

"Still, it's not…" Andy lost his thoughts seeing the Kevlar vest resting on the back of one of the chairs. He dropped her hand and moved over to it reaching out to touch the hole; the bullet had taken out and sent to ballistics. "Jesus…" The tip of his finger ran over the edge of the hole. It was kill shot. Lucky for her the bullets hadn't been cop killers.

Raydor turned her back as Andy scrutinized her Kevlar vest and as another wave of pain coursed out along the expanse of the bruise, taking her breath. She hadn't been paying attention until his hands rested on her shoulders. That was when the flood gates opened, a deluge of emotion racked her body. She started to shudder. Whatever walls she had managed to have in place crumbled under his touch.

Andy moved to her, put his hands on her shoulders, and felt her shudder. She moved back against him. "Sharon …" Andy whispered slowly putting his arms around her mindful of the bruise. He rested his chin on top of her head holding her. Sharon turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around him burying her face in his shoulder. His hands came up to tangle in her mane of golden red hair. "Thank you." Flynn said. He pulled back from her, from her warmth, and angled his head, bending at the waist, Flynn lightly kissed the bruise and kissed away one of his tears that dropped to her battered flesh.

Sharon fisted her hands in his salt and pepper hair as his lips, as light a butterfly's wing, touched the center of her bruise; a badge of pride that she had saved a life; saved his life. He trembled in her arms just as she trembled in his. "We nearly died today…" She whispered. Flynn brought his head up to stare into her eyes. "I'm glad we didn't." Sharon pulled him closer sealing his lips to hers kissing him; wanting to taste life.

Flynn put his hands on Sharon's hips instinctively pulling her closer to him. The kiss was unexpected, but welcome. She tasted sweet of honey, strawberries, and red wine. She was intoxicating. Sharon arched against him; a hiss of pain sounded between them from her breaking the kiss. Andy brought his hands up to cup her face saying, "Come on let's get you lying down." He kissed her forehead lightly

"I would take that the wrong way on any other day," Sharon replied playfully but she went with him willingly. He led her into the living room where the large comfy leather couch waited. Flynn urged her to recline back. A sigh of relief passed between her lips.

Andy knelt on the floor next to the couch, "I took two in the chest about seven years ago, left my skin severely bruised and in a lot of pain all the way down to the muscle." Flynn cocked his head to the side pulling down the shoulder of her over shirt down exposing more of the bruise. "A friend told me to use icy/hot. It not only works on the bruise, but the deep muscle ache as well."

"Handy," Sharon sat up and eased out of her over shirt. She settled back against the over stuffed cushions resisting the urge to couch. "I think there is some in the cabinet in the hall bathroom." A small smile lit her face as she reached out to touch his left eye brow where, a year ago, he had been in a life or death fight that ended with an Officer Involved Shooting investigation. Andy took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers.

"I'll be right back." Andy whispered getting up off the floor to stroll down the hall. He wondered what he was thinking being here. For a few minutes he had to get away, to clear his mind, and take some control back. It was one thing to kiss her; it was another to be staying. Provenza was still out in the crown vic more than likely pitching a fit. And right on cue, Flynn's cell phone rang. He answered with, "What?"

"Get the hell out here!"

Andy pulled the cell away from his ear when Provenza shouted. "Would you relax?" Flynn tried to calm his partner. "I'm not going to be much longer." He lied. Andy opened the cabinet exposing partially bare shelves. There was a box of band-aides, a bottle of Advil, and a tube of Icy Hot. Taking it, he closed the mirror front and beat back the wave of guilt that was eating at him just knowing that Sharon was out there bruised and battered because of the bullet she had taken for him.

"I don't care Flynn! Get your ass out here or I am stealing your car!"

"Provenza, chill!" Andy shouted. "I will be out when I'm finished. If you get bored turn the radio on." As his partner started threatening him again, Andy ended the call shoving the cell phone back in his pocket. Stepping out into the hall again he walked back to the living room where Sharon still lay on the couch.

Sharon tried to ignore the one sided phone call she could hear Andy having with his partner Provenza. It made her smile as she waited and she nearly laughed out loud when Andy told his partner to listen to the radio. Then she heard his foot steps coming closer. She couldn't help the way her heart beat faster just knowing that he was in her house, coming to her. He was going to try and ease her pain. Andy was there, sitting gently down on the edge of her couch facing her.

"Sorry about that. Provenza gets irritated when I leave him in the car." Andy joked pulling the cap off the tube of Icy Hot. Applying pressure to the flexible plastic, white paste appeared on the foam for easy application. As gently as he could he started to spread it over Sharon's bruise.

"Did you forget to roll down the window?" Andy smirked at her. Sharon chuckled lightly; it turned into a hiss of pain as Andy pressed too hard. He lightened his touch, a gentle back and forth motion. The icy hot had started to work and some of the pain was being dulled. "I had no idea this would work so well."

"Little known secrets," Andy joked working the sponge applicator down to the part of the bruise just lying on the rise of her breast. His heart thundered and he stopped looking to Sharon for silent permission to continue. She drew her eyebrow up smirking at him; her consent given. Andy set aside the tube so he could draw the strap of her camisole down. Gingerly Sharon slipped her arm free.

"Thank you for this," Sharon shrugged and noticed that some of the pain in her chest was less.

"You took the bullet for me." Andy reminded.

"And I would do it again." Sharon confessed cupping his face with her free hand. She drew in a deep breath as the cold gel once again made contact with her skin, but soon enough it turned warm to soothe her aching muscles.

THE END