The Great Outdoors
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, shape, or form.
A/N: Andrea/Sharon established couple, set sometime before S2. Another beta-less oneshot for this pairing. I seem to like jumping into the pool without water wings when it comes to Major Crimes. Beware the plotless fluff that follows.
Sharon couldn't have asked for a more perfect afternoon. A Saturday when she wasn't on call meant the Captain finally had the opportunity to relax with her girlfriend. Rusty was spending the weekend at a retreat with the chess team. Sharon had raised an eyebrow when Rusty had begged her to let him go. A chess retreat sounded more like a group of teenagers playing video games, watching television, and eating copious amounts of pizza all weekend. She had relented because it was a chance for Rusty to bond with his peers over a completely normal teenage activity.
So it was with a bubbling excitement Sharon had invited Andrea out for a nature walk. There was a lovely trail about an hour away that Sharon had hiked several times in the past. When her children were young, she had taken them on little excursions in the woods that had delighted all three of them. Since her girlfriend had a secret outdoorsy side, Sharon knew her plan was perfect.
Andrea readily accepted, just as Sharon predicted. The idea of leaving behind the casework, the traffic, and the constant interruptions for just a few hours was incredibly appealing to the overworked DDA. A little peace and quiet shared with the woman she loved sounded positively luxurious.
Their leisurely walk had led them to a covered spot in an oak grove where several other couples were sprawled out on blankets. Andrea found a spot under a tree to set up a semi-private area for them. Sharon began laying out their lunch of chicken salad, fresh vegetables, and chocolate covered strawberries.
"Are we celebrating something?" Andrea asked when she found a bottle of champagne in the cooler.
"Of course," Sharon smirked while smoothing out the creases in the blanket. "Why wouldn't we celebrate a day free of murderers and bureaucrats?"
"I'll drink to that," The younger woman uncorked the bottle just as Sharon produced two champagne flutes.
"You think of everything," Andrea shook her head in amazement.
"Tell that to my bosses," The Captain teased. She dipped a plain strawberry in her champagne and held it out for Andrea to try. The blonde savored the taste as she stared unabashedly at her girlfriend. Even with her hair pulled up into a loose ponytail, Sharon managed to look completely polished. From the soft grey t-shirt to the well-worn blue jeans that hugged her hips, the brunette was radiant without even trying.
"Looking at something in particular?" Sharon quirked a knowing smile.
"Nope, just admiring the scenery," Andrea swooped in for a quick, strawberry-flavored kiss. The Captain hummed contentedly.
When lunch was finished and the champagne nearly gone, Andrea pulled Sharon into her lap and leaned back on the blanket. Sharon rested her head on her girlfriend's chest and relaxed into the embrace. Andrea's foot rubbed along Sharon's calf in an absent pattern.
The older woman threaded their fingers together, closing her eyes to absorb the utter peace of the moment. There was no constraint on their time together, no pressing deadline or urgent paperwork. They could lose themselves in each other's company without a care for the outside world.
"Are you falling asleep on me?" Andrea whispered in Sharon's ear.
The brunette craned her neck to peck the blonde's cheek. "No. I'm just thinking about how wonderful it is to be here with you. It's been a long time since I felt this comfortable with someone."
Andrea was so humbled by Sharon's honesty that she had to fight a ridiculous urge to cry. They had taken things slowly for years, always dutifully ignoring the feelings that simmered below the surface of their friendship. Once Jack was out of the picture, they had allowed their relationship to progress with dinner dates and other occasional outings. Andrea had respected Sharon's reluctance to jump into a serious relationship before the ink was dry on the divorce papers. They had taken their time and Sharon was now at ease admitting her happiness.
"I'm glad," Andrea beamed. "How about we get a little more comfortable…?"
A mischievous spark appeared in Sharon's eyes. "DDA Hobbs, this is a public park! You'd better not have in mind what I think you do."
"Don't worry, Captain," The younger woman adjusted them so that Sharon lay beneath her. "I'll stick to first base."
Andrea trailed a string of lingering kisses along Sharon's collarbone. The older woman sighed, letting her hands slip underneath Andrea's tank top to caress the skin of her back.
"Come here," Sharon whispered. The younger woman needed no more invitation. She brought her lips to Sharon's in a languid kiss, neither of them seeking dominance. There was no hurry.
Sharon hummed into the kiss as she nipped at Andrea's lower lip. The blonde moaned and shifted, moving them slightly off the blanket. Never breaking the kiss, the younger woman placed a hand on the ground to guide them off the grass. Sharon followed where Andrea led and reveled in their bodies pressing close together. Just as the brunette began to deepen the kiss, Andrea pulled away with a yelp.
"Shit!" The younger woman cried as she sat up.
"What's wrong?" The brunette said in a breathless voice.
Andrea shook her right hand forcefully. "I think I just got stung by a bee."
"Let me see," Sharon crawled into a sitting position.
"It's just a little spot but it hurts like a bitch," The blonde held out her wrist for Sharon's inspection.
"Hmm. You might have a stinger stuck inside," She paused before meeting Andrea's eyes. "You're not allergic are you?"
"No, I don't think so. I haven't been stung in years. Probably not since volleyball camp when I was sixteen."
Sharon made a contemplative noise as she looked over the raised, reddening bump. "Still, you might want to put some ice on it. Is there any left in the cooler?"
"It's all melted by now," Andrea sighed. "No big deal. I can take care of it later. Let's get back to where we left off…" She wrapped her arms around Sharon's middle and nibbled on her earlobe.
"Are you sure?" The Captain asked. "Someone has to have a first-aid kit around here somewhere. I might even have one in the car." Her voice faltered as Andrea continued an assault on her ear.
"It'll be fine, Sharon, I promise," She kissed the brunette's temple.
"If you say so," The Captain steered Andrea back onto the blanket. "It's my turn to be on top, anyway."
Andrea chuckled as she pulled Sharon's body as close to her as possible. She inhaled the soft scent of the brunette's hair, a mix of vanilla and ginger the blonde adored. Her breath quickened as Sharon's lips grazed her neck.
As they continued kissing and nuzzling each other, Andrea's throat began to feel strangely tight. The longer she ignored it, the worse it seemed to get. Sharon noticed the tension in Andrea's body and halted her romantic attentions.
"Are you okay?" Her clear eyes searched Andrea's face.
"I…" She swallowed thickly. Her tongue felt heavy and numb. "I don't know."
"Can you sit up?" Sharon quickly sat up herself.
Andrea pushed up into a sitting position and groaned. Her world was spinning violently. Everything was a nauseating blur. She closed her eyes to block out the swirling colors and distorted shapes. A hand brushed her forehead.
"You're sweating," The older woman's voice was laced with concern. "Can you take a deep breath?"
Sharon might as well have asked Andrea to climb a mountain barefoot. The tightness in her throat had increased and a horrible burning sensation made it impossible to think let alone breathe. She wanted to shake her head but feared the motion would make her vomit.
Andrea's inability to reply made Sharon go into full emergency mode. Her well-honed skills as a Captain made her an expert at remaining calm in a crisis. Andrea's life could rely on how Sharon handled the situation.
"Andrea, I think you're having an allergic reaction to the bee sting," The older woman spoke in a measured tone. "I'm calling 911. The car is too far away and we need a professional."
Andrea's eyes flew open, wild with panic. She clasped Sharon's hand in a death grip. A hoarse cry escaped her swollen throat. "Sharon!"
"I know, honey," Sharon said softly. She used her free hand to rub Andrea's back in soothing circles. "You're going to be fine. Just stay calm and breathe slowly."
The Captain dialed 911 on her cell phone while Andrea focused on the weight of Sharon's hand in hers. If she could concentrate on Sharon instead of the constriction in her chest, maybe she wouldn't pass out before the ambulance arrived.
It felt like an eternity before Sharon turned back to her. "They're on the way. Only a few more minutes and help will be here."
Andrea blinked, hot tears streaming down her face. Her entire body was trembling as pure terror began welling in her stomach. Each breath made her lungs scream with the effort. She felt like a thousand eyes were watching her, gawking at her weakness.
"Oh, Andrea," The Captain's mask of bravery fell for a moment as she brushed the tears from the blonde's face. "Will it help if I talk to you?"
The younger woman made a tiny noise of assent as she fought for breath.
"All right," Sharon kissed their tightly joined hands. "Remember the first time we met? I was having a hell of a time with an excessive force case. Pope finally called in the DA and I was expecting someone familiar to show up. Instead the most beautiful blonde I've ever seen came striding into my office. Her expressive eyes, quick wit, sharp tongue…I fell almost immediately."
The older woman's voice cracked and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I jumped at the chance when you invited me out to lunch. We had so many things in common: the same taste in wine and movies, a love of skiing, messy relationships with our exes."
Sharon paused, the sting of tears threatening to overwhelm her. "Our weekly lunch became the highlight of my week. Even though I doubted we could ever pursue something more serious, I was so grateful to have you as a friend."
Andrea forced her bleary eyes to meet Sharon's gaze. The sincerity and concern she saw in her lover's eyes soothed the raging panic in her nerves.
"I…" Andrea choked.
"Don't try to talk, honey," The older woman instructed calmly. "Rest your vocal cords. Concentrate on breathing."
The blonde nodded and instantly regretted it. Her head spun as a crippling combination of dizziness and nausea overcame her. She groaned loudly.
"Do you want to lie down? Squeeze my hand if you think it would help."
The sudden death grip on Sharon's fingers was all the answer she needed.
"Alright, let's have you lie down on your side," She moved to sit on her knees and gingerly guided Andrea to rest her head on Sharon's lap. Once the younger woman was settled, the Captain began running her fingers through sweaty blonde hair.
"Is this better?" Sharon felt a soft squeeze on her hand.
"Good," She rubbed her thumb along the back of Andrea's hand.
Sharon felt helpless as she watched her girlfriend suffer. To the Captain, Andrea was invincible. Her wit, intelligence, and tenacity made her capable of outsmarting criminals and attorneys alike. She had barely batted an eyelash at being shot in the arm during a drive-by. Seeing Andrea so miserable because of a bee sting reminded Sharon even superheroes had weaknesses. Despite evidence to the contrary, her lover was not indestructible.
The warmth of Sharon's thigh under her cheek helped slow Andrea's racing heart. Each time Andrea forced air in and out of her lungs, she was rewarded by the smell of honeysuckle mixed with the scent of Sharon's perfume. The familiar smells and touches consoled the trembling blonde. She felt ridiculous for having such a reaction to a simple bee sting but she was helpless to control her disobedient body.
"The ambulance is here," Sharon whispered. She could see two paramedics in crisp blue uniforms carrying a stretcher up the trail. "It's almost over."
"Good," Andrea coughed. "Love…you."
"I love you too," She leaned down to peck the blonde's lips.
"Captain Raydor?" A baby-faced EMT addressed her a moment later. Apparently mentioning her rank to the dispatcher had been a wise idea.
"Yes, thank you for getting here so quickly," Sharon carefully extracted herself from her girlfriend, resting the blonde's head on the blanket.
"No problem at all, Captain. My name is Jeremy and I'm here with my partner Marisa. We're going to take excellent care of Andrea."
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Andrea was lifted from the blanket onto a stretcher. Someone placed an oxygen mask around her mouth and nose. She wheezed out the answers to basic questions while Jeremy shined a penlight in her eye. Next, Marisa held a stethoscope to her chest for several seconds before clasping a blood pressure cuff on her left arm. While the cuff tightened, Jeremy examined the angry red welt on Andrea's right wrist.
"Andrea?" Jeremy spoke in a friendly tone. "You still have a stinger in your wrist. I'm going to have to remove it, but first I'm going to give you a shot of epinephrine to help stop the reaction. You're going to feel a little discomfort when I inject it, okay?"
Andrea mumbled her consent while her eyes strained to find Sharon in all the commotion. She hissed at a sudden burning in her thigh. At least she was wearing shorts and didn't have to let a man half her age pull her pants down.
"Sorry about that," The young man disposed of the needle and moved to re-examine the blonde's wrist. A prickling in her other arm drew the woman's attention to the female paramedic.
"I've just started an IV," Marisa informed her. "I am going to start a drip of saline and a powerful antihistamine. Once I get them going, you should start feeling better."
She groaned. People poking and prodding her all over was not helping her feel any better. The still coherent part of her brain understood it was for her own good, but Andrea's increasing agitation made it hard to care.
"Settle down, sweetheart. You're doing so well." Andrea craned her neck toward Sharon's smoky voice. The brunette wanted so much to gather her lover in her arms and ease her distress. She winced at Andrea's sharp intake of breath.
"It's getting better," Andrea smiled feebly at her worried Captain.
"That's what we like to hear," Jeremy said, placing a small bandage on the slightly swollen bee sting.
"Andrea, we're going to carry you over to the ambulance now," Marisa turned to Sharon. "Would you like to come with us or do you want to follow in your car?"
"I'm coming with you," Her firm tone left no room for discussion.
Marisa smiled in understanding before instructing Jeremy to help her lift the stretcher off the ground. Sharon leapt forward to grasp Andrea's hand and followed every step of the way.
The hours spent in the Emergency Room were a blur for both women. A balding doctor had attended to Andrea quickly and efficiently. She was given another dose of epinephrine, more IV fluids, and a steroid injection to help her recover from anaphylactic shock. The epinephrine made her feel jittery and restless. Her breathing gradually returned to normal but her heart kept pounding as though she were running a marathon. The nurse had eventually given her a sedative to calm her overworked system. Sharon remained at Andrea's side, helping in any way she could.
Since Andrea's condition had improved rapidly, the doctor promised to release her later in the evening. While the DDA snoozed in a sedated haze, Sharon reluctantly sneaked away to pick up her car and Andrea's new Epi-Pen prescription from the drugstore.
Sharon mentally congratulated herself when she returned to the hospital to find Andrea still dozing. She reclaimed her post at the side of the bed, accidentally scraping the metal visitor's chair against the floor. Andrea stirred and opened her eyes.
"Hey," The blonde said groggily. "Did you pick up the car?"
Sharon slumped in her seat. "Yes. How did you know I was gone?"
"The doctor came in to check on me. He told me you would be right back but I wasn't worried. I knew you'd never leave me alone."
"You're right about that," She ran her hand up and down Andrea's arm softly.
"I'm sorry I ruined our weekend, Sharon," The younger woman sighed. "I've never been allergic to anything in my entire life, so of course it had to happen at the worst time."
"Oh, honey, don't apologize. It's nothing you could control. We will have plenty of other weekends together."
Andrea made a little sound of contentment and edged closer to the side of the bed. "They said you can bust me out of here once the IV drip is done. Apparently I'm very good at bouncing back to health. It could have been a lot worse. It probably would have been, if not for you."
"I'm so glad you're feeling better. You had me really scared for a while," Sharon smiled tightly against her rising emotions.
Sensing her girlfriend's continued concern, Andrea sat up and gathered the Captain into a hug. Their positioning was awkward due to the tubes and wires sticking out from Andrea's arms but it was exactly what both women needed.
Sharon buried her face in blonde hair and cried quietly. The fearful tears she had willed away all afternoon fell in earnest. She held Andrea close, seeking assurance that her lover was healthy and whole.
Andrea rubbed her un-tethered hand up and down Sharon's back. The older woman had been so supportive, so gentle when Andrea was panicking and in pain. The least she could do was to return the favor when Sharon faced her own emotional fallout.
They stayed wrapped in each other's arms, drinking in the comfort and intimacy of the moment, until the nurse interrupted to pronounce Andrea free to go home.
Sharon helped Andrea dress and led her downstairs to check out. A receptionist reiterated the doctor's orders to make a follow-up appointment with an allergist within the next week. Andrea nodded at the instructions, failing to stifle a yawn.
"You look like you're wilting," The Captain smirked as they walked to the parking deck. "Let's get you home and into bed."
"Hmm…that sounds heavenly. But only if my own personal nurse comes to bed with me," Andrea said with a glint in her eye.
Sharon placed a lingering kiss on her lover's lips. "I think that could be arranged."
The End