"You know what, Flynn. Fuck you, just fuck you. I just saved your entire division's asses and you have the guts to humiliate me. How fucking dare you?" Andy took a step back away from the seething captain Raydor. But she simply followed him, poking him in his chest.

"Captain, please, calm down," the chief tried, but Raydor simply turned her glare towards the blonde. Even now, when she was stripped of her blazer and the sleeve was cut off her blouse to show a half finished bandage, captain Raydor this angry was still a terrifying sight to behold.

"No, chief. You screwed up, all of you. If it wasn't for me an innocent girl would be dead right now and who knows how many more. I got shot," Raydor snarled lifting her arm to show where the bullet had burned through her skin, blood soaking through the bandage. "And humiliation is the thanks I get? It's fine to call me names when I'm pursuing an OIS, but right now, none of you have the right."

"You're right, captain, you're absolutely right, but maybe you should go back to the ambulance and let them check out that wound," the chief said carefully pointing at the blood, now slowly dripping down the woman's arm. Raydor sneered and turned on her heel, she didn't get very far before Provenza opened his mouth.

"Someone is in a bad mood," he muttered.

"Lieutenant," the Chief cried, but it was too late. Raydor whirled around and lifted her hand, ready to slap him across his face. If Andy thought she was scary before, it was nothing compared to this. The entire team held their breath. Just before she could hit him, Andy grabbed her wrist, stilling her motion.

"Captain don't," he said softly, trying to get her to look in his eyes. When she finally did, he wished she hadn't. The green was ablaze with anger, hatred and pain.

"Let me go," she hissed, trying to break free from his grip, but he only tightened it.

"You don't want to do this, Sharon. It's not like you."

"Don't treat me like you know me, Flynn. You gave up that right when you kicked me out of your bed after I helped you sober up." Her words stung more than any slap ever could, Andy blinked and released her grip on her wrist. She yanked her arm free and marched over to the ambulance where she wrapped an arm around the girl she had saved before she allowed a paramedic to look at her wound.

Andy turned away from her and refused to meet the questioning eyes of Major Crimes as he walked away from them, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He had hurt her and not just when he made that Wicked Witch crack. He didn't know what had possessed him to say it when he saw her, the little girl on her lap, holding her close to her body.

He kicked against the curb. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was the biggest idiot he knew and that was saying something, since one of his closest friends was Provenza. And even he didn't know about his history with Sharon Raydor.

She was tracing random patterns on his chest with her nails, her head resting on his shoulder. He threaded his fingers through her hair, enjoying the feeling of the silky strands. It broke his heart what he had to do, but there simply was no other way.

"I think that we should end this," he said softly. She froze in his arms, pulling her hand away as she sat up, an unreadable expression on her face.

"End what? Us?" she asked incredulously, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yes."

"Why?" Her voice was ice cold. It was what she did. If someone hurt her, she retreated into herself and raised her shields and didn't allow any emotion to escape.

"I need to get a fresh start. My sponsor said it's easier to avoid falling off the wagon that way," he explained. She narrowed her eyes at him before stepping off the bed, searching for her clothes.

"And did your sponsor tell you that you needed to break up with your girlfriend?" He watched as she stepped into the lacy panties that he loved so much, settling them around her hips. She picked up the matching bra and put that on as well. Her voice may have been calm, but he could see in her movements that she was angry.

"No, but you knew me as a drunk. I can see it in your eyes. Every day you wonder if I'm going to drink and I can't deal with that," he said softly. Sharon yanked her dress over head before whirling around to look at him.

"You can't deal with that? All it means is that I'm worried about you and I think I have the right. I've cleaned up after you more times than I can remember. I was the one that dragged your miserable ass to detox and drove you to every one of those AA meetings. I had to deal with all of that and never once complained. The thought of breaking up with you didn't even cross my mind. But when you're sober enough to realize I am genuinely concerned for you, you break up with me."

"It's not like that Sharon, I just - -," he tried, but she cut him off as she slipped into her shoes, increasing her height by 4 inches as she leaned over him.

"Please save it, Andy. I don't want to hear, I don't need to hear. You want me gone, fine, I'm going. Just know that if you drink again, I'm not going to be there for you," Sharon said coolly, before giving him a look that told him he had hurt her more than he could have possibly have imagined.

"Sharon."

"Oh, and if I hear one rumor, one whisper about Sergeant Flynn fucking that frigid bitch from IA, there won't be enough alcohol in the world to numb the pain I'll put you through." Andy felt his mouth fall open as he watched her exit his room. He had really fucked up this time.

"So, you and Raydor," Provenza said, coming up to walk next to him. Andy didn't look at him, instead he appeared to be incredibly interested in his shoes.

"Yeah," he replied, knowing exactly where this conversation was going.

"What on earth possessed you to hook up with her?" And there it was, the disgust in Provenza's tone. He wished that he could have known Sharon as he had, but Sharon simply didn't allow anyone to come close anymore, protecting herself with her Captain Raydor mask.

"Don't. Okay, just don't. She's the one that sobered me up and I treated her like shit. She has got every right to get angry with me," he snapped.

"Sorry. She's just so, you know, and you're so different."

"I know. And yet we were good together." He and Sharon had had their fights, but they always made up and their dates had been wonderful. Behind her professional mask, Sharon was a warm person, completely devoted to her children and passionate about everything she got into. And Andy didn't even want to think about the sex which had been fantastic.

"Did you really kick her out of bed?" Provenza asked. Andy scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"As good as. I regret it to this very day," he said softly. Provenza frowned, glancing towards the woman they were talking about.

"Right. Well, the chief wants to talk to you."

"I'm sure she does." Provenza gave him a pat on the back and a reassuring smile, before returning to the crime scene. Andy quickly followed him. They were just wheeling the body of the man Sharon had killed, the man who had abducted and killed three young girls, out of the house. Sharon was still sitting in the ambulance, holding the little girl who clung to her, fear still in her eyes as Sharon whispered soothing words in her ear.

"Lieutenant, are you okay?" the chief asked. He tore his eyes away from Sharon. The chief looked up at him with nothing but concern in her eyes. He was slightly relieved there wasn't any contempt in them now that she knew how close he had been with the woman she had positively despised.

"Yeah. The little girl, is she okay?"

"She's in shock, but physically she's fine. According to captain Raydor's statement she arrived just in time. Her wound isn't too severe either, by the way." She smiled weakly and lightly touched him on the arm, just to show her support.

"Good. How could we make such a mistake?" He asked, more to himself than to the chief but she answered him anyway.

"I don't know. Captain Raydor knew, she knew what was going on. She tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. I told her that her only job was to make sure that we followed to rules, not to take over my job as well. Why didn't I listen?"

"Nobody listened, chief. We ignore captain Raydor, hoping that ignoring her will solve our problems. We should be happy she's as stubborn as you are, chief."

"Yes, thank God she is."

"Chief, FID says we can enter the house." Sanchez shouted from the door. The chief nodded and then looked back at Andy.

"You coming?" she asked when he lingered.

"Actually, can I stay out here? I'd like to talk with captain Raydor." The chief looked towards Sharon and shook her head.

"Normally I'd say yes, but not right now, lieutenant. She's been through a lot tonight and I don't want you upsetting her. And she's taking care of the girl. She's the only one the girl will talk to. So no."

"Chief - -,"

"No, lieutenant. You're coming with me." With that the chief turned and started walking towards the house. Andy threw one last look at Sharon and the girl. The girl had fallen asleep in Sharon's lap, her head resting against her shoulder as Sharon softly stroked her hair before he followed the chief into the house.

"Captain Raydor entered the house here," Tao started. "she then checked the living room and the kitchen before going into this backroom where she found the suspect and the victim. In her statement captain Raydor said the victim was tied to the bed and was pointing a gun at her. When she entered he fired at her. The bullet hit her arm and then slammed into the wall."

Andy turned and saw the tiny hole in the wall. He looked down and saw the chalk on the floor marking where Sharon had been, drops of her blood staining the floor. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the wound he had seen in her arm. She was going to be alright. He didn't have to worry about her anymore.

"Captain Raydor fired back and hit the suspect in the chest. He fell down over here. Captain Raydor checked for his pulse and then freed the victim. Then she called it in." On the bed Andy could see the shackles that had held the victims. On the grimy mattress he saw a smear of Sharon's blood where she had wrapped her arms around the girl before carrying her outside.

"Right, I want all the evidence that relates to our case. Go over every inch. I don't want to miss anything. I want to be a hundred percent sure that this guy was acting alone."

It was late in the evening when Andy walked into the hospital. Visiting hours were long over, but he just had to see her. He didn't particularly feel like going for round two, but he couldn't just let it be either. According to the nurse she had checked out as a patient, but she was still with Ellen, the little girl she had saved.

He knocked softly on the door before entering. Sharon turned around in her chair, narrowing her eyes before putting on her glasses. Then she rolled her eyes and frowned. She turned back around, looking at the sleeping form of Ellen.

"I'm sorry," he said and put a chair next to hers, sitting down in it. He could tell from the tension she held in his shoulders that she wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"How far back does that sorry go?" she asked sharply, not bothering to look at him.

"How far back to do you need it to go?"

"About a decade and a half," she said and smiled weakly, a look of concern flashing over her face when Ellen stirred in her sleep, mumbling something. Sharon got up and stroked the girl's hair, whispering that everything was alright until she settled down again and she continued to sleep peacefully.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you at the crime scene," she said softly, meeting his eyes. Andy was surprised by her apology.

"You were right," he stated honestly.

"Still, I shouldn't have cursed or told everyone about our past," she replied, sitting down again as she brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe you shouldn't have, but you were angry and wanted to hurt me. You were the one that was so adamant on keeping our relationship a secret. It just surprised me." A look of pain washed of her face as she cast her eyes downwards.

"And I hurt you," she whispered.

"Well, yeah, but I think, considering everything I've done to you over the years, that I had that one coming," Andy said in airy tone, hoping to lighten the mood a little. He didn't want to bring up all those emotions again.

"Maybe." But his words had made a small smile appear on her face.

"I am sorry for what I did to you now and then," he apologized again, reaching out to carefully place a hand on her arm. She tensed briefly, but didn't push it away. Sharon sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"That's all in the past. All I want now from you and Major Crimes is some respect."

"You got it. From me anyway."

"Thank you," she said sincerely before turning her attention to the sleeping girl. He followed her gaze. He couldn't imagine what Ellen had gone through these past two days.

"How's she doing?"

"Physically she's fine, a little dehydrated and undernourished. Mentally, I think it will be long way before she is fully recovered. If she ever will be. She only talks to me when we're alone. As soon as someone else walks into the room, she just refuses to talk," Sharon replied, the same concern lacing her voice as when she talked about one of her children being sick.

"And her parents?"

"She's an orphan, remember? No known family. She's a child of foster homes and social services."

"Oh right. So what will happen to her now?"

"I don't know," Sharon admitted, a little exasperated. He could see in her eyes that in the short time she had been with the girl, she had already grown fond of her, maybe a little too fond. She shifted in her seat, hissing when she readjusted her wounded arm.

"How's your arm?" he asked.

"Like it was pierced by a bullet. Hurts like hell, but I'll live. Now I'll have scar to match the one on my stomach." He raised his eyebrows. "You don't remember? I think I told you when we were dating. I was shot during my first week as a cop."

"Oh, right. I remember," Andy said with a sly grin. He remembered finding the scar that marked her flawless skin, he remembered paying extra attention to it with his tongue, making her squirm. When she saw the look on his face Sharon lightly slapped him on the arm.

"Don't go there, Andy," she warned him.

"Go where?" he asked innocently.

"Don't think about the times you saw me naked." Her words made him do exactly that. He could picture her on his bed, or rising above him. He remembered the feeling of her legs wrapped around him, what she sounded like when she came.

"What makes you think I was thinking about that?"

"Because you had that look on your face you always used to have right before you tried to get me out of my clothes."

"You remember that?"

"It's not something I easily forget." Andy didn't know how to reply to that. He just watched her profile, that unique profile he couldn't forget no matter how hard he had tried until she turned her head to meet his eyes. Even in the faint light, he could see all those little lines on her face that hadn't been there all those years ago, countless of little laugh lines around her mouth and her eyes. Her hair was longer and fuller. She was even more beautiful then she was back then.

He caught himself staring at her lips, slightly parted as her tongue flicked out to wet them. He leaned in and was delighted to see that she was leaning in too. They were so close, only a hair's breadth between them when a knock made them jump apart.

"Sorry to interrupt. Nightly rounds," A young nurse said, oblivious of what she had interrupted. Andy looked away at a hideous painting on the wall. "How is she doing?"

"She's been sleeping for the past two hours. She's restless from time to time, but otherwise, I think she's fine," Sharon replied, suddenly sounding like she was talking about one of her own children.

"Well, she's sleeping. That's always a good sign. I'll just change her IV and be out of here," the nurse said and walked up to the bed. Sharon joined her, making sure Ellen didn't wake up when the nurse carefully changed the bag and hooked the tube up to it. Ellen only briefly opened her eyes, but when she saw Sharon she closed them again and continued to sleep. The nurse bid them goodnight and left. The silence that followed was awkward, almost painful.

"So," Andy started, not sure where he was going. Sharon looked at him expectantly. "I guess I should go."

"Yeah," Sharon sighed, almost disappointed.

"Okay, well, I'm glad you're alright. Goodnight." He leaned in and gave her a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. Sharon made a little shocked sound in the back of her throat, but didn't stop him. Her lips were still as soft as he remembered. She still smelled the same. With a great reluctance he pulled back, watching a small smile appear on Sharon's face.

He was about to turn and walk away when Sharon put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head down for a real kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to touch her arm as he pulled her close to him, her body touching his as she parted her lips, granting his tongue access. He groaned when their tongues met. She tasted so good. He almost forgotten what an excellent kisser she was or how good she felt in his arms. He regretted it when they ran out of air and simply had to break the kiss.

"That was - -," Sharon started.

"Great, mindblowingly so," he finished for her. She rolled her eyes, but was unable to hide a grin.

"I was going to go for unexpected, but that works," she admitted while absentmindedly straightening his tie.

"Sharon, I don't know what - -,"

"No," she said, interrupting him as she shook her head. "Let's not talk now. Tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

TBC