I own nothing of Major Crimes. I just borrow the characters occasionally.

Love & Angst With a Side of Pancakes

He rolled over and straddled her body as he gave her a brief kiss on the forehead. "Good morning sleepyhead," Andy said as he rolled off to the other side of the bed. He pulled on a pair of boxers and a white tee shirt.

Sharon opened one eye, still lost in the land between dreams. She caught the silhouette of his naked form in the still darkened room. When he finished dressing, he turned to her and gave her a crooked smile.

This was her favorite kind of morning.

She sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for her robe. "Rusty left about an hour ago," Andy winked as he shut the bedroom door behind him. Sharon smiled and pulled on a pair of underwear and an oversized sweatshirt. With a freshly washed face and hair in a messy bun, she padded down the hallway.

"Sit," Andy said as he handed her a cup of steaming tea. He brushed his hand across her shoulder as he joined her at the table. "Are you feeling better?" He asked as he absent-mindedly rubbed his bare foot across her leg.

She stirred some honey in her tea and gave him a puzzled look. "You were quiet last night. Do you want to talk?" Andy rubbed his fingers across her hand.

She shrugged and continued stirring her tea. "I ran into Jack yesterday."

"Oh?" Andy paused. "How did that go?"

"He said he had some tax papers I needed to sign." She sighed, "I told him to drop them off at Gavin's office."

"Sounds ominous, but I'm sure Gavin will handle it," he said.

"And he asked me to dinner."

She saw Andy's jaw noticeably tighten. "What did you say?"

"Obviously since I am sitting here with you in my underwear, I said no."

A faint smile crossed Andy's lips. "What did he say about us? Bet that set him back a few steps."

Sharon hesitated. "I didn't tell him."

"Oh?" Andy set his spoon down a little harder than he planned.

A startled look crossed Sharon's face. "My personal life is no longer his business that's all."

"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" he studied her over his cup of tea.

She shrugged again. "I didn't think it was important."

"Is it that you still have feelings for him?" Andy asked.

Sharon looked into his eyes then looked away. "I'll always have feelings, but…."

Pain pierced his pounding heart. Andy couldn't look at her. He gathered his cup and got up from the table.

"Wait," she said, "let me finish."

He shook his head. "I need some air." He went to the bedroom to finish dressing.

Sharon followed after him. "It's not like that."

He gave her a hug and walked down the hall to the front door. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he felt like the life had drained from his body.

Sharon sat on the sofa, her legs curled to the side. She held on to a cup of tea with both hands, trying to gather warmth in a world that suddenly turned cold. She heard the doorknob turn and jumped up, "Andy…"

"Hello, Sha…" Jack stopped, stunned by the sight of her. "If you greeted me like that when I came home, we might still be married."

"If you ever came home, we might still be married." She said. "Why are you here, Jack?"

"Just dropping off the papers."

"I told you to leave them with Gavin."

"Maybe I wanted to see you," he admitted.

A small smile touched her lips, "you've accomplished that."

He looked her up and down, "that I have."

He let himself the rest of the way in to her condo. "Do you have any real coffee here or just that herbal tea crap?"

"Help yourself, everything is where it's always been," she replied as she went to pull on a pair of yoga pants.

She returned to find him sitting at her dining room table, fresh brewed coffee in hand. He motioned for her to sit.

It was an uneasy silence, Sharon knew this feeling well. When it came to Jack, it was always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I'm still in love with you, Sharon. It's always been you," he confessed. He took a deep breath and waited for a reply.

She felt a little stunned, but not surprised. Jack is a smart man. He had to sense her heart was elsewhere. He needed to reclaim his territory. "There's a difference in being in love and actually loving someone," she said.

"I've screwed up. I know I can make it up. I can make you happy if you give me the chance."

"I waited years, Jack, years to hear you say that," she shook her head. "It's just too late." She felt stinging hot tears spilling over her cheeks. "Yes, I cry real tears. Don't look so surprised."

"My gawd, the ice queen is starting to melt," he said, trying to break the tension.

"Yes, and you must forget this ever happened, and never speak of it again," she said wiping her cheeks. "I have a reputation to uphold."

He smiled a sad smile. "Flynn?" He asked, "It was Flynn you were waiting for?"

She nodded.

"You're happy?" he asked as he got up from the table.

"I am."

As he shuffled for the door, Sharon touched his arm. "You know in that unexplainable abstract way, I will always love you too."

He wrapped his arms around her, "Can I call you from time to time. Just to catch up, and to make sure you're being treated right?"

She gave him a hug, "Of course you can. Take care of yourself." She paused, "And call your children."

He laughed, "Ahh yes, there is the Sha –ron I know."

As he held her in his arms, for what he imagined would be the last time, the door opened. Andy stood in the doorway, a grocery bag in hand. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

Sharon looked between the two men, one her past and the other her future.

Jack loosened his arms from around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he walked toward the door, he patted Andy's shoulder, "Andy, my man, treat our girl right." Andy's expression softened slightly as he nodded. Jack stopped in the doorway. "Because if you don't, I will kick your ass." He laughed as shut the door behind him.

Sharon took a deep breath; afraid of what Andy might be thinking. "I'm hungry for pancakes," Andy said.

It was not the reaction she expected. "I'll fix them," relief washed over her as she joined him in the kitchen.

"The last time you fixed pancakes, the smoke detectors went off." Andy smirked. "Rusty may have mentioned it once."

Sharon rolled her eyes and didn't argue the point. She watched him navigate the kitchen with ease. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Can I at least help?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"You stay right there. I have a surprise," he smiled.

She peered over the counter, but Andy blocked her view. She sat on her knees in the chair, elbows resting on the counter.

Andy set a platter of pancakes in front of her. He shaped them to say, I heart U. "Oh Andy," she couldn't stop the tears or the uncontrollable giggling.

Andy picked her up from the bar chair as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I've got some whipped cream and strawberries for your pancakes, if you want." He said as he spun her around.

"Mmm, I want….but not for my pancakes," She winked.