A little something about this story: I like to finish stories in my head. I do it all the time. Whether I'm walking the dog, brushing my teeth, on the train or in a meeting that really should have been an email instead, I finish stories in my head. Major Crimes has kept me occupied a lot recently and out of all the scenarios I have come up with, I like this one the best so wrote it down.
It contains a few spoilers relating to the case if you haven't seen 4.17 and picks up where that episode left off. In my head, this is what happened next. There is more to come if people like it.
As usual, I don't own any of these characters etc etc.
At the End of the Day
A mist had hung over the division all day. The death of a child always left a bad atmosphere but the events that followed had a detrimental effect on everyone connected with the case. No one had expected Jim Weber to kill his wife any more than they expected Kyla's death to go down as an accidental overdose but that didn't help. They all blamed themselves for not preventing a murder, no one more than Sharon. If they had acted sooner or not encouraged the Webers to leave PAB the night before then maybe Lori would be alive and Jim would not be facing prison. Regardless of how they felt, murder is murder, a deal had been made and Hobbs had come and gone but the paperwork, the murder book and the air of regret remained.
Sharon had spent most of the afternoon alone in her office with her head in her hands staring at a piece of paper on her desk. Provenza had been in earlier to offer the benefit of his wisdom and experience because, and it was easy to forget, when it came to murder Sharon was merely a rookie. As Andy hovered around outside the closed door they'd spoken about how none of them could have anticipated the case would end in murder. Sharon didn't care. She always felt that they could have done more but so did everyone else in the division. If she'd only sent them to the Weber house an hour earlier she thought.
By now the working day was almost over as Julio and Provenza cleared the murder board of photographs, Mike filed away his paperwork, Amy scanned her computer screen and Buzz catalogued the footage he'd taken that morning. The only person not working, other than Sharon, was Andy who sat at his desk and went from staring at his computer screen to staring into space to glancing over his shoulder at Sharon to see if she was okay. He had brought her a cup of tea an hour earlier but with Taylor stalking the halls Sharon had given Andy the nod to keep things on a completely professional basis despite desperately needing a hug. Sharon had closed her blinds shortly after which was a rare occurrence unless she needed to break some bad news in private but Andy was quick to open them just enough so that he could keep a watchful eye on her.
Provenza looked at a photo of Jim Weber that he'd removed from the murder board. As he looked up he could just about see Sharon with head in hands as she continued to mentally beat herself up and knew his kind words earlier in the day had little effect. Although their relationship was rocky at best in the beginning Provenza now considered Sharon to be a friend which had nothing to do with her relationship with Andy, although that had forced them closer together especially during Andy's surgery, and had everything to do with mutual respect over work and more importantly Rusty.
Over time Provenza had come to accept Andy's relationship with Sharon. "Sharon? Why oh why couldn't Andy call her 'Captain' at work?" he thought. Provenza was secretly delighted that his friend was now in a steady relationship like he himself was. After years of them getting each other into trouble with members of the opposite sex they had, finally, somewhat matured after Provenza's brief one week stint as head of Major Crimes. And yet he still worried. Contrary to what people assumed his reservations about their relationship had nothing to do with his initial loathing towards his commanding officer. He worried about his friend. He worried a lot. If anyone asked he told them that his objection was because of work and how their relationship would affect the balance of the division. This was in some part true. Despite his initial reluctance Provenza now liked the way Sharon ran the division. He even liked the deal making process after he'd seen it in action a few times and he loved being useful. He loved coming into work every day and working side by side with his friend. If Andy and Sharon didn't work out that would be gone. A cloud would hang over them. He'd already had to deal with Gabriel and Daniels. He couldn't cope with a similar situation with Andy and Sharon. Would Andy even stay on if they broke up? Would he retire? But Provenza's main concern about their relationship was all about Andy. He knew he loved Sharon long before he asked him to tell her in the hospital. Provenza thought it probably started not long after she went to Nicole's wedding with him. By taking the plunge and dating her properly Andy was opening himself up to heartbreak. A heartbroken Andy, maybe even a heartbroken retired Andy, was likely to relapse and turn to drink and pills to numb the pain. Provenza had already seen Andy hit rock bottom and bounce, he was not eager to see him do it again not that he expected Sharon to break his heart. The moment he saw Sharon's face as Andy was wheeled away for surgery, he knew she loved him too. Despite all of this his fears remained.
At this moment in time Provenza knew that Sharon was in desperate need of some TLC and Andy was the one to provide it but since Sharon had already declined inviting her personal life into the office an hour earlier, he knew some encouragement was in order.
"For God's sake Flynn! Just get your ass in there and take your girlfriend home will you."
Provenza's outburst not only made Andy jump (along with everyone else in earshot) but also had him question if his occasional to frequent glances over his shoulder in Sharon's direction had become that obvious. He looked up from this desk to see everyone staring at him.
"Well go on then" Mike added as he put the final file in the box on his desk. "We're pretty much done here anyway."
Andy still didn't move. Had he and Sharon still just been friends he would have been in her office checking on her several times already because Taylor's opinion wouldn't matter but things had changed. There was a strict arrangement at work between Sharon and Andy. From the very beginning Sharon had made it clear that if things were going to work between them romantically then, apart from taking things very slowly, it couldn't effect their work at all so from the moment Andy put his shield on to the moment he took it off, the goal was that from the outside it would be hard to tell anything was going on between them at all except for the odd smile and embrace when no one was looking. At least that's what they thought. Provenza's constant eye rolls in their direction were only matched in frequency by the eyes and smiles they kept giving each other without realising they were doing it.
Despite his numerous protests and cries of "I don't want to hear this!" over the last five months Andy had told Provenza pretty much everything about his relationship with Sharon so he knew that things were progressing slowly and to "break the rules" (and he knew full well just how much his Captain loved the rules) Andy needed a little push. "If the Captain gives you any trouble tell her your supervising officer was giving you an order."
Andy wasn't going to argue. He smoothed down his waistcoat as he stood up before turning to face Sharon's office. She was still sitting hunched over her desk with her head in her hands. He knocked on her door before entering and closing it behind him. Sharon immediately looked up and smiled.
"Hi."
"Hi." Sharon sounded tired and distressed. When she spoke she reminded Andy of when he woke up in the hospital and found Sharon looking at him. On both occasions despite the smile on her face the tone of her "Hi" portrayed her true feelings.
Andy walked around the side of her desk and crouched down beside her before reaching across and taking her hand. Feeling a bit freer now that Taylor was gone and the day was drawing to a close Sharon smiled again and rubbed her thumb across the top of Andy's hand. It was a lovely smile but it did nothing to hide the distress that Sharon was currently feeling. Andy had seen her upset before by the horrors they had to clean up but this was different. They all felt that they could have avoided a murder that day but Sharon took personal responsibility for it regardless that it wasn't her fault.
"So we're nearly all done out there. As my supervising officer Provenza is insisting that I leave early, take my girlfriend home and get her something to eat" said Andy as he rested his head on her desk and looked up at her. Sharon couldn't help but smile, he looked adorable.
"Does he? And what about the rules about this sort of thing during work hours?"
"Well it's already late and I think on this one occasion it'd be okay to bend them slightly in order to take care of someone who has had a really crappy day. What do you think?"
Andy wasn't going to wait for a response. He stood up and retrieved Sharon's jacket and bag from the table where they had been unceremoniously dumped earlier in the day. Andy stretched out his hand towards Sharon and waited for her to take it. On this one occasion maybe it wouldn't hurt Sharon thought as she smiled, took Andy's hand and joined him. Andy held open her jacket as she slipped into it before he pulled her hair out from under the collar and repositioned it back on her shoulders. Seizing the initiative Andy took Sharon's hand once more and led her from the office and to his desk. Sharon immediately felt everyone's eyes on her as she stood in the murder room holding her Lieutenant's hand.
Andy let go as he picked up his jacket and pulled it on. Sharon felt uncomfortable just standing next to him as she felt several sets of eyes burning holes in the top of her head as she looked at her feet. The whole division knew that they were together, if not the whole building, but there had been very little evidence of it thus far. Everyone had seen them hold hands at Mariana's funeral and their feelings towards each other became crystal clear after Andy's accident but that had been it so as a result any sign of affection between the two of them drew attention which made Sharon feel like an animal in a zoo. Their relationship was particularly fascinating and somewhat baffling to Mike, Julio and Buzz who were amazed that their straight laced, by the book Captain was now dating their friend who they had spent the last 11 years watching as he tried to get the phone number of every stripper, dancer and woman under the age of 35 who had crossed his path, whether they were wanted for murder or not.
As Andy adjusted his collar the silence was broken by a loud and deliberate cough coming from the direction of Provenza. It caught everyone's attention as they turned to look at him. His bulging eyes and gesture were unmistakeable as the rest of the team realised they needed to stop staring at the Captain and get on with what they were doing. As the focus of the room moved Sharon looked up and smiled at Provenza who quickly went back to wiping the murder board clean as if he hadn't opened his mouth or even noticed Sharon was in the same room.
With his jacket on Andy once again took hold of Sharon's hand. She squeezed it tightly as she overcompensated for how uncomfortable she felt with everyone staring at them. She was also uncomfortable because she suddenly no longer felt in charge. In that building her word was gospel to the people around her, she made the decisions, she lead but now Andy had hold of her and was leading her out of the room and towards the elevators. It was….it was wonderful she thought.
"Goodnight guys" said Andy rather casually.
A murmuring of "Goodnights" filled the room before Provenza spoke. "Have a good night Captain. Flynn."
"Goodnight Lieutenant" said Sharon as she smiled at Provenza as thank you for taking charge and allowing her to leave early.
Provenza poked his head around the corner and watched them leave down the corridor. Once they were out of sight he returned to wiping clean the murder board. He paused before turning to face the room and smiling.
"Do you think they text each other in the morning to make sure they're colour coordinated or do you think it's just a coincidence?" Provenza pondered to no one in particular before sitting down and putting his feet on his desk.
Mike and Julio laughed to themselves but Amy looked more surprised. "You've noticed that Lieutenant?" she said unable to hide her genuine surprise. "Well this may shock you to learn Sykes but I am a detective. I notice everything."
Mike looked up. "Except for dead bodies in bathtubs over your shoulder" said Mike unable to hide the largest of smiles.
Julio and Buzz immediately started laughing. It was the perfect light relief after an awful couple of days although Provenza begged to differ.
As Sharon and Andy made their way towards the elevators her grip on Andy's hand loosened as she began to relax away from everyone's prying eyes. Physically and emotionally exhausted Sharon yawned before resting her head on Andy's shoulder as they waited for the elevator. The elevator doors opened as it suddenly dawned on Sharon that her car keys were currently nestled on top of the Philip Stroh file in the top drawer of her desk. "Car keys!" she blurted out as she turned to go back to her office. Before Sharon could take a step anywhere Andy pulled her gently into the elevator and pressed the button for the garage. "Don't worry about it" he said. "I'm driving you home tonight."
"What do I do in the morning?"
"I'll come by and pick you up."
Sharon was too tired to argue, not that she wanted to. When the rule book had been established it was decided that while Sharon was the Boss at work, everything else was up for discussion. This however was something new. Something different. Sharon had never needed to be taken care of, she married Jack after all. Even if she was the type of person that needed that kind of attention she was never going to get it from a selfish drunken gambling addict. She'd told Andy earlier in the year, before the "Date," that she didn't need him to look out of her, she had been doing it for herself for years but on this occasion she liked Andy taking charge. During his recovery Andy had grown tired quickly of being her patient and felt emasculated by it at times. He found it hard to assert himself and be the boyfriend he desperately wanted to be when he couldn't even bend over to put his socks on let alone cross his legs (which he still didn't quite understand). This sudden assertiveness by Andy was something that he and their burgeoning romance desperately needed.
When they reached the garage Andy led Sharon to his car and opened the door for her. Sharon slid into the passenger seat and put her seatbelt on. Seconds later Andy sat down beside her. Andy took out his phone and placed it on his lap before turning to face Sharon. They sat in silence for a moment as Sharon was convinced he was about to say something. Andy remained silent before leaning over and kissing her gently on the lips.
Andy started the car and drove to the exit. He opened his window to speak to the officer manning the barrier.
"Goodnight Lieutenant."
"Goodnight Jim. I'm driving the Captain home this evening so we're leaving her car here. Okay?"
"No problem. Goodnight Captain."
"Goodnight."
As they left the garage Andy took his phone from his lap and dialled. Sharon couldn't imagine who he was phoning but was interested to listen in especially after she saw Andy hit the speaker button. The phone rang three times.
"Hello?"
It was Rusty. Sharon looked quizzically at Andy who never took his eyes off the road.
"Hi Rusty" Andy said as he changed lanes.
"Hi Lieutenant."
"Have you eaten?"
"No not yet. I was waiting for Sharon."
"I'm driving her home now. It's been a bit of a crappy day so I think we should order some take out."
"Okay."
Rusty's voice sounded strained and tired. Since Rusty had been informed he was going to have to testify at Slider's sentencing hearing he hadn't slept well and it had got worse during the hearing itself. It was not that Rusty felt sorry for Slider it was more his objection to capital punishment and therefore wanted nothing to do with the sentencing. Sharon had tried to speak to him but had struggled to make a dent in how he felt. Prior to listening to Slider earlier in the day with Rusty Sharon had spoken to Provenza and Buzz in case Rusty may seek them out for reassurance and advice but it was clear from his voice that if he had spoken to them, whatever they said hadn't worked.
"Rusty are you okay?"
"Fine."
"Tired? You sound it."
"A bit. I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Yeah Sharon told me. I need you to listen to me Rusty. Are you listening?"
Sharon wasn't sure what Andy was going to say and wondered if she should make her presence known on this call. Other than to tell Andy that Rusty hadn't been sleeping she hadn't gone into detail with him about how Rusty felt. Rusty had always been closer to Provenza out of all the men in his life and after his initial reluctance about her and Andy's relationship Sharon was keen to not force Andy into every aspect of Rusty's life before he was ready.
"I'm listening."
"Whatever happens with Slider, whatever sentence he gets, it isn't your fault. It has nothing to do with you okay?"
"Yeah I know that I..."
"No kid, listen to me. It is not your fault. You have done nothing wrong. It all falls on Slider. The evidence pointed to him. There was an eye witness. You've seen the interview footage, he even confessed to it. He was convicted by a jury of his peers and through all of that he has not shown one ounce of remorse. The only thing he has done is feel sorry for himself. He even blamed Mariana for what's happening to him at his sentencing. He has had every opportunity to help himself and show that he regrets taking her life and he hasn't done it. What happens to him now is down to him and nothing to do with you. I need you to remember that Rusty."
As Sharon listened to her boyfriend talk to her son she couldn't help but feel emotional. She hadn't asked him to speak to him. She had barely mentioned it. This conversation had come from Andy's deep concern for Rusty after hearing his voice on the end of the phone. Sharon couldn't help but think of Jack briefly. For years she struggled to get his interest in his own children and yet here was Andy taking the time to reassure his girlfriend's adopted son. It was also the longest Sharon had heard Andy talk about Slider without using the words "Dirt bag" at least once so that was a considerable improvement.
"It's one thing to say that Andy but it's another thing to believe it."
"Rusty you did a good thing in befriending him in the way that you did and telling his story. It gave him every opportunity to say he regretted the mistakes he made. He didn't. He is not worth losing sleep over."
"Okay. Thanks Andy."
"No problem kid. What do you want to eat tonight? Your choice."
"Chinese?"
"Deal. Leave it ten minutes and then phone and order. We should be back before it arrives."
Sharon couldn't take her eyes off Andy as he spoke to Rusty. Her heart ached for him. She loved him more than she would ever be able to express in words which was currently the problem, she couldn't find a way to say it to him. As she sat there listening to Andy talk to Rusty she felt a fire build in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure if she was about to be violent ill or scream or have an alien burst of her chest. She took a deep breath.
"What do you guys want?" asked Rusty as a menu could be heard rustling over the phone.
"I'll have the mixed vegetables in black bean sauce. Sharon?"
Sharon currently felt like she was going to explode and was surprised when she managed to squeak out "My usual."
"Sharon wants the duck in plum sauce" said Andy without any hesitation.
Sharon didn't hear the next part of Andy and Rusty's conversation. Andy had known her usual from a place they'd ordered from once together a couple of months ago? She felt ridiculous but began to well up. As always it was the little things that mattered to Sharon. Although a grand gesture was nice she always preferred it when Andy unexpectedly brought her a cup of tea on a slow day and stroked her fingers as he passed her the cup. She liked that she would occasionally find a flower in the top drawer of her desk when she opened it. She liked that she'd never opened a door when she was with Andy because he was always such a gentleman. She liked that when Andy was staying with her during his recovery that he'd be waiting for her at the end of a long day with her big slippers (especially as she knew he had to use a pair of tongs to retrieve them since he couldn't simply bend over and pick them up). And now she adored that Andy had remembered her favourite meal from a place that she didn't like that much but Rusty did. That fire in the pit of her stomach began to grow again and she worried she might burst.
"If the traffic is bad I'll ring you in ten."
"Okay. Bye Lieutenant."
"Wait Rusty. Set the board up. I'll play you for who clears away after dinner."
Andy hung up his phone and put it back in his jacket pocket. He turned to Sharon and smiled. Sharon looked tenser than she did when they left the office, the exact opposite effect that Andy had hoped to achieve. He reached out and took her hand, gently stroking it.
"Are you okay?" Andy said glancing at Sharon as he tried to keep his attention on the road.
Sharon didn't say anything for a moment. She'd been desperately trying to calm down and not throw up in Andy's lap as the fire in her stomach seemed to be rising through her body and out of control. Then suddenly, without realising she was going to, she spoke.
"I love you."
The moment the words fell from Sharon's lips she tried desperately to suck them back in. A million thoughts flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds, each more mortifying than the next. She'd wanted to say those words to Andy for such a long time but had been somewhat reluctant in case he didn't feel the same way she did. Plus she'd also secretly hoped that Andy would be the one to say it first. As Andy was wheeled away from her in the hospital corridor she felt livid with herself that she hadn't said those three little words when she'd had the chance. After those same words failed to materialise from her lips as she sat holding Andy's hand as he came round from the anaesthesia Sharon had given herself a deadline of one month to say it to him but that time had come and gone with the closest she got being an unfortunate incident when she blurted out "I love Yoohoo" over dinner which only served to confuse Andy and make him keep some in his refrigerator. And why had she suddenly said it now? All Andy had done was take her home, phone and reassure her son and know her favourite meal at a take-out. Oh God he knew her favourite! Did Jack even know what colour her eyes were? It was doubtful. Why had she chosen this moment? Why in a car? In a car? Was she crazy she thought? Was there anywhere less romantic? Why didn't she confess her love in an abattoir or in the morgue? Or over a decapitated corpse at a crime scene with Provenza rolling his eyes at them? Sharon was desperately hoping that the ground was going to open up and swallow her when she became aware that Andy was rather frantically trying to get her attention.
"Sharon, I….."
"Andy don't. I'm sorry. I…."
"Sharon…."
"I'm just feeling a bit….."
Sharon started to fidget in her seat like she was sitting on a bed of needles.
"Sharon…."
"No Andy really you don't have to, I was…."
"Sharon…."
"Is it hot in here? I think I was…."
"SHARON!"
Andy had never raised his voice to Sharon before, well not outside of the office. When she worked at FID Andy had shouted. A lot. Sharon had become convinced that was his default volume setting. Since she had taken over Major Crimes he had been known to lose his temper when the deal making process had fallen short of his high expectations with Hobbs usually taking the brunt of it. Plenty of suspects had also met Andy's wrath as he seemed to try to set new records for how many times he could yell "Idiot" at someone. On this occasion Andy's outburst was enough to make Sharon fall silent and temporarily sit still as she looked at him stunned.
"Sorry. Sharon….I….What I mean is…" Andy sighed. "Just read this."
Andy put his hand into his jacket pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. It was creased and a little torn and bent on the edges. It had clearly been in his pocket for a while. He stared at it for a moment before offering it to Sharon like he was offering his heart on a platter which in essence he was. Sharon took the paper and looked at its ragged edges confused.
"What is this?"
"Read it."
Andy removed his cell phone from his pocket, turned on the flashlight and gave it to Sharon. She opened the paper and flattened it on her leg before lifting it closer to her eyes and aiming the light at it. The light hitting it made it glow yellow as Andy kept taking a sneaking look at Sharon from the corner of his eye while also trying to not drive them off the road.
Sharon's mind was racing. What was this? Was this some sort of break up tactic should things get too serious? Was it a tattered note from the hospital? Was the clot still there? Seeing her name at the top Sharon took a deep breath and started to read.
"Dear Sharon.
Oh Captain, my Captain!
I write this from my bed at St Leos and if you're reading it, it means I didn't make it out of surgery. I've been a fool of late in a couple of ways. First up is not telling anyone that my meds were making me dizzy. If I had I would probably be sitting with you and my less annoyingly positioned clot on your couch rather than in this bed with Provenza trying to finish me off by writing DNR on everything (By the way if the plug was pulled prematurely, blame him).
Second and more importantly is never having told you how I feel. I love you Sharon. You're the love of my life. The first time I saw you I stopped breathing and then of course I found out you were married and you opened a file on me five inches thick. I didn't want to leave this place without having told you how I felt. I should have told you this in person but you make me nervous. You always have. I can't help it like I can't help loving you. I'm sorry I never told you and I'm sorry I'm not there now but I'm not sorry that I got to spend the last months of my life with the woman I love. Remember that and remember that I love you and always will.
All my love
Andy"
A few blank lines ran across the centre of the paper before the letter continued.
"Rusty,
I need you to do two things for me. Firstly I need you to take care of Sharon for me. She acts like everything is water off a duck's back but she needs to be taken care of from time to time and since I'm no longer here that's your job.
Secondly, carry on young man, carry on. You have come a long way in a very short period of time and Provenza and I and the rest of the squad could not be prouder of you. You are an extraordinary young man. You're a credit to Sharon but most of all to yourself. Kindness is a virtue that is extremely undervalued in this world but it what makes you the person I would have been proud to call my son.
Take care of yourself and Sharon.
Love Andy"
As Sharon stared at the paper it was Andy's turn to feel hot under the collar. He was shocked. Sharon loved him. He hoped she did but as ample opportunities to say so came and went he felt less confident about it which made him more nervous about saying it to her first. Now she'd said it. Under the circumstances Andy was relieved that the shock of it all hadn't made him drive the car into a telephone pole. Now that he knew, now that she had said it first there was no need to keep his feelings to himself anymore. He had no choice but to give her the letter. Simply saying "I love you too" may have seemed like he was being polite, only saying it because she'd said it. Giving her the letter would let Sharon know he wasn't simply responding to her declaration but had been feeling this way for a long time. But what was taking so long? Sharon wasn't a slow reader. Was she reading it again? Was his writing illegible? Had she changed her mind after learning how he felt? She had sort of blurted out those words. What if she'd been trying to say something else and misspoke? Was it another random declaration of love for Yoohoo? Sharon had to have been reading it for ten minutes by now. Or longer. "I could have watched Lawrence of Arabia in this time" he thought as he pulled at his tie to loosen it. Was it getting warmer in here? It's December, should it be this hot? What was taking so long? Why did he give her that letter? He should have burned it or eaten it or done anything else he could think of with it except give it to her. Life would have been so much simpler if he hadn't woken up after surgery. Provenza could have given her the letter and he wouldn't have to deal with the rejection. Why would she reject him? She told him she loved him. Oh God she loved him. She said it. She did didn't she? Did she now regret it? What was taking so long?
As his mind raced Andy's right hand had made its way up to his ear and was now rubbing his lobe frantically. Between the silence, driving the car, rubbing his ear and grabbing a sneaking look at Sharon every chance he could by the time Sharon finally spoke it made him jump out of his skin.
"Andy stop the car!" blurted Sharon in a tone that was as loud as it was akin to her Darth Raydor persona.
"Sorry?"
"Stop the car!"
"Why?"
"Andy pull over!"
"Okay, okay!"
As Andy searched for a place to pull over he became concerned. Sharon looked frantic, like a caged animal and Andy was worried that she might climb out of the window and jump from the moving car if he didn't pull over soon. Thankfully they were approaching a small strip mall and Andy was able to pull over and park in the virtually empty lot. As the car began to slow down Sharon began to claw at the door handle making Andy slam on the brakes. The car had barely stopped when Sharon took off her seat belt and opened her door. She leapt out of the car and the now petrified Andy did likewise.
The moment Sharon was out of the car she felt liberated and raced around the front to meet Andy. Confused by what was going on Andy had not made it as far as they met by the driver's side headlight. Sharon stopped in front of Andy and looked at him. Silence and calm fell between them for a moment.
"What's wrong?" Andy said unable to hide his worry as he continued to rub his ear.
Sharon didn't speak, instead she suddenly grabbed Andy and kissed him. Andy was surprised and slightly taken aback but soon returned the kiss with equal passion. Sharon wrapped her arms around Andy's shoulders and clung to him as he did likewise. They didn't care if anyone was watching and they had no intention of stopping. The need for air was ignored as Sharon's hands made their way under Andy's jacket and she pressed herself up against him harder than she remembered was possible. After what seemed like an eternity for them both the kiss ended. They stared at each other for a moment as their caught their breaths.
"Why didn't you give me this before?"
Sharon held the letter in her hand tightly under Andy's jacket with no intention of letting it or Andy go in the foreseeable future.
"For the same reason as why I never said it to you, I was afraid. I wasn't sure that you felt the same and I was worried about losing you. I was happy to stay as we were and be with you than to say it and risk scaring you off."
Sharon smiled at him and kissed him again.
"Can you tell me now?"
Andy paused for a moment and stared into Sharon's eyes.
"I love you Sharon. You're the love of my life."
Sharon smiled at him. "I love you too."
Sharon wrapped her arms around Andy even tighter and pressed her head into the crook of his neck. They stayed like that for a while as they gently swayed as if dancing to Puccini that only they could hear in the glow from the car headlight. Strangers drove by and stared at them wondering what was going on. Were they consoling each other? Had they just had an accident? Sharon and Andy didn't notice. They didn't care. There was currently no one else in the world except them.
Eventually Sharon looked up at Andy. "Let's go home" she said before he kissed her.
"Okay."
Andy took Sharon's hand and led her to the passenger seat. For the second time in less than half an hour he helped her into the car and shut the door. Andy walked around the front of the car as he failed to control the smiled that sprung across his face. He got in the car and then paused. He looked across to Sharon. She no longer looked restless. She looked beautiful. She looked relaxed. She looked content.
"Did you really stop breathing?"
"I started again otherwise I would have died."
They both laughed to each other before Andy leant across and kissed her once more. Sharon ran her hands through his hair before Andy pulled back and put his seatbelt on. Andy put his hand on the keys in the ignition before stopping and picking up his phone from the dash where Sharon had abandoned it prior to getting out of the car. He tapped at the screen before holding it to his ear and smiling at Sharon.
"Hi Rusty. We've hit some traffic. Best wait another ten minutes before you order dinner."
