Andrea looked up as her office door slammed shut.

"Please tell me she's here temporarily."

"Who?"

"You know who," Sharon almost whined as she threw herself down into the chair across from Andrea.

"You know, to say you were acting out of character would be an understatement. I've never seen you so irate. Is..."

"Don't say it. Don't give her a name because if she has a name then I'm going to have to accept she's a real person, and right now I'm happier viewing her as a challenge I have to deal with."

Andrea leaned back in her chair and smiled. "May I quote you?"

"Try it and I'll have to do something drastic. Remember which one of us is legally able to carry a concealed weapon."

Andrea laughed. "You know, Shar, if you keep reminding me of that, one of these days I might just have to speak to the head of FID. That's some force you're threatening."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Nor would you, so spill. What has the darling done? She's only been here a few weeks, but she's certainly pissing her way through people."

"So I'm not alone? I'd say that is oddly comforting."

"Just because we're friends, and I want to look out for you... this..." Andrea gestured widely at Sharon, "this isn't how you acted around her, is it?"

"God no. And give her an inch? I don't think so. No, my voice dropped so low they almost hired me for the Bass section of the Philharmonic. I can't remember the last person who drove me there that quickly."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm not keeping anything, I'm just going through it in order. Seems our little miss likes to grandstand, and Taylor is eating it up."

"Taylor?"

"Oh Annie, you should have seen him. He was starting to look like the village letch. Usually he's just sarcastic and domineering, but her presence seems to energize him to be even more difficult to deal with."

"Lovely."

"You don't know the half of it. You know the paradigm we work with, lock them up and avoid trial. Well she wants to take things to trial, cost the city millions, just to show what she can do. And Taylor was willing to go for it! Can you imagine? Mr. Dollars'n'cents himself was willing to do anything she wanted."

"I take it you prevailed?"

"Of course. At the end of the day she might think she's looking down on a lowly Captain and she is the mighty lawyer, but I amended some of her perceptions."

"Shar..." Andrea sat up quickly in her seat, "you didn't tell her everything, did you?"

"Oh," Sharon waved the concern away, "heaven's no. I didn't even hint at it. That's between you and me and a few select others. No, I'm not about to disclose that much personal information. I just reminded her who's turf she was on and how I could dance legal circles around her if need be."

Andrea relaxed a little, "Good, you scared me."

"Relax, Honey. I keep that one very tight to the vest. If you weren't acquainted with a few people and such a dog with a bone, you wouldn't even know everything."

"I'm not sure I know everything now."

"Well... you know enough. At any rate, I'm really not looking forward to working with her again. When are you going to be finished so I can put a bug in your boss' ear to assign you to Major Crimes on a regular basis?"

"Um... I should be yours in about a week or two. Can you hold out?"

"That snippet isn't getting the better of me."

"All evidence to the contrary," Andrea commented sarcastically.

"Okay, alright... I was a bit out of sorts when I arrived. But I count on you being a safe place. You know where too many bodies are buried, so what's one more? Just keep her away from me, and all will be well."

Andrea bit her bottom lip and looked up at Sharon.

"No..." Sharon started. "Don't tell me she's a regular on rotation."

"It's worse than that."

"How can it be worse?"

"She's been assigned Stroh."

"WHAT? Damn!"