A/N: Since we were clued in that there might be a proposal in the second part of season 5, I had an idea to write messed up marriage proposals for our favorite couple. The chapters are not connected to each other by anything but the theme. I have also written a couple of messed-up proposals in my recent fics "Close To You" and "A Kiss To Remember" and I invite you to read these as well.


He could have taken her to a stroll on the beach, she thought as she followed him up the steep climb that led to what Andy described as 'the best view in town'. She was taking deep breaths, trying to block out any thought that would make her drift into a panicky state. Her feet were shaking but she kept repeating a mantra in her head 'He loves you. He won't let anything happen to you.' It seemed to help her get through most of the climb, and she tightened her fingers around his and kept repeating the same words in her head. When they reached the top, she let out a sigh of relief and walked as far from the edge of the cliff as she could.

"So, what do you think?" Andy asked and Sharon froze. Did he expect her to turn around? She turned her head ever so slightly, and what she saw made her head spin.

"It's beautiful, really," she said and turned back. Andy walked over to her and took her hand.

"You're not really looking," he said and gently pulled her towards him. "Come on, turn around."

"Andy, ugh, I…" she couldn't even conjure the words. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest, banging against her ribcage like a trapped bird. Her entire body shuddered and she felt as if the ground was slipping from beneath her feet. Why did he have to choose this place? Why couldn't they just go for a romantic stroll along the beach? Andy gently tugged on her hand and made her turn towards the view. She could see the whole city, the flickering lights and even the smog that was hanging above it. It made her sick.

"Sharon," Andy went down on one knee and pulled a box out of his pocket. "Will you marry me?" Sharon couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. "Sharon?" Her head was spinning and she wanted to grope the space around her and find something to hold on to but her arms refused to move. Andy got off the ground and took her hands. The sensation of his the skin of his palms against hers drew her back to him. "Sharon, are you okay?"

"Andy, you should know… you should know that I…" she managed to let out in between her labored breaths.

"What's going on, Sharon?" Andy asked, realizing that she was in some sort of distress but unable to understand why. Just then Sharon doubled over and began throwing up. Andy leaned down by her. He held her hair with one hand and rubbed her back soothingly with the other, whispering calming words as Sharon vomited the content of her stomach into a low bush. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're fine." He said when Sharon faintly got on her hands and knees. He pulled a travel-size tissue pack and wiped her mouth. She grabbed his hands and pulled him to her, clinging to his body.

"Hold me, please don't let me fall," she cried into his chest. Andy wrapped his arms around her.

"You're not gonna fall, Sharon." He promised, feeling her nails digging into his skin. "I'm holding you. Take deep breaths, okay?" He instructed her. He took deep breaths with her, noticing the way she slowly came to her senses.

"Please get me off this mountain," she begged and Andy sighed. They were lucky that there was another way down the mountain that was less steep.

Sharon couldn't be happier to be home and after taking a quick shower, she crawled into bed, glad at the feeling of security the thick duvet provided her. A few minutes later, Andy also came to bed and laid by her side. They were both quiet for a long time, each of them mulling about this evening being their worst date night ever.

"You should have told me you had a fear of heights," Andy broke the silence. "I would have never ever taken you there had I known." Sharon turned to face him and sighed.

"I'm so sorry I ruined your proposal with my stupid, irrational fear," Sharon had tears in her eyes. "I should have told you about it sooner."

"Did you always have it or did something happen?" Andy wondered.

"When I was eight, my cousin Ben and I were playing in his back yard. He had a treehouse, and he was hiding there, and he said I couldn't go up there, because girls can't climb," Sharon said. "And I bet him that if I could climb the tree and make it into the treehouse, he'd let me play there."

"So what happened? You freaked out and couldn't climb?" Andy wondered.

"No. I did climb, and I almost made it to the treehouse. My cousin got angry, pushed me and I fell. They took me to the hospital with a mild concussion, and the next time I tried to climb something, I just couldn't do it. My cousin saw it as proof that girls can't climb. Nowadays, he usually likes to tease me that girls can't be cops either."

"Your cousin is a misogynistic pig, Sharon," Andy said. Sharon chuckled and nodded. "I'm proud of you for even making it up that hill tonight."

"It was a mountain, Andy," Sharon corrected.

"No, Sharon. It was actually a hill. It probably looked higher to you than it really was," Andy said. "And you're a champ for climbing it and managing your fear."

"I'm not sure I managed it very well," Sharon sighed.

"You did what you could," Andy smiled and cupped her cheek. "So I'm just wondering though, if you have a fear of heights, why did you buy a condo on the 11th floor with a balcony?"

"You may have noticed I don't actually go out on the balcony. I watch the view from inside the condo." Andy hummed.

"So I guess a home cooked dinner on your balcony is not going to be very romantic either, huh?" he asked. "I guess I'll stick to the standard stuff the next time I propose to you."

"Next time?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah, I want to get it right," Andy replied. "I want us to remember this as a good thing, not something that makes you have a complete meltdown."

"Do it now," Sharon said softly.

"I thought we were gonna go to sleep."

"No, seriously, we can sleep afterward. Do it right now," Sharon replied.

"Okay," Andy sat in bed and took the ring out of the bedside drawer. Sharon also sat and looked at him with anticipation. "Sharon O'Dwyer Raydor, will you marry me?" Andy asked. Sharon nodded slowly and let Andy slide the ring down her finger. Her lips captured his in a heated kiss.

"I don't think we're gonna get much sleep tonight," she warned as she took off her nightie.

"Yeah, seems like a rather sleepless night," Andy agreed with her as they laid back down. Tonight was going to be memorable. They were going to reach new heights.


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