Now We Burn
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Major Crimes; James Duff, et al, has that lovely distinction. "Burning House" is sung by Cam. Any /lyrics/ are from this song alone.
A/N: The subconscious works out what troubles the conscious. It was a problem she needed to solve for herself; to allow the past to control her or to move on in the present with him and together create a future.
A/N2: Enjoy! Please leave a review if y'all's feel so inclined. They are ever so lovely to read and much appreciated. #TodayIsLife
~~~~~PT~~~~~
/I had a dream about a burning house/You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out/I laid beside you and pulled you close/And the two of us went up in smoke/
{Fire: (v) to discharge a gun or other weapon in order to explosively propel a bullet or other projectile}
Andy had to qualify to return to active duty after his doctor cleared him. His Captain required it. This was his regular qualification and he was giddy learning Sharon had to go about the same time.
Their day started out with a friendly competition. Since they both had to qualify to retain their firearms, he thought it'd be fun to test together and make a game of it. The loser would pay for their next date, regardless of where the winner chose.
As they gathered their targets, she agreed with a wink and a smirk. Knowing her aim and that of her Lieutenant, the Captain was almost certain she would prevail as the champion. Many other male officers had challenged her throughout her career; many lost and ended up paying one way or another though never on a date as Andy would.
Pursing her lips, she gave him the nod to go first. Ear protectors on both by then, it didn't make sense to try to speak to one another. He smiled and gave her a thumbs' up before getting into position. She watched his form, his aim, and his expression. Though she enjoyed looking at him as his girlfriend, on this day she was watching as his Captain. There would always be that overlap, no matter how much she tried to separate the two parts of their lives.
After he was done emptying the cartridge, he reloaded then pulled the lever for the target to move forward. Taking it down, he admired his work with a wide grin. His raised eyebrows were a challenge as he showed her his handiwork. All shots circled center-mass with one in the bullseye circle.
Pulling her lips into a flat line, she gave him a thumbs' up but then broke out into that smile that used to irritate him so much when she ran FID.
In a matter of seconds, she was back in professional mode. He could tell by her stance, her blank expression and the way in which she watched the target as it moved back. Once it locked in place, she opened fire; bullets flying towards the target in rapid succession. Reloading quickly, she hit the lever to bring it forward then removed her ear protectors.
He whistled when he saw her work; two between the eyes, the rest center-mass, most of which went right through the bullseye circle.
"I choose, you pay, Andy," she said quietly with a small smile.
"You're a great shot, Sharon; it's totally worth whatever it ends up costing." He spoke with clear admiration.
After giving the targets to the training officer on duty and receiving their proof of passing, they headed towards the elevators. Now their day would really begin.
{Fire: (n) combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat and smoke}
Entering the Murder Room, Andy immediately announced he lost the bet to Sharon regarding their qualification scores. His partner rolled his eyes at him for even thinking he could beat their Captain.
Noticing her team watching a News briefing, she asked her second-in-command the importance behind the viewing. Hearing that Taylor had called and told him to turn it on, she began watching the video herself.
After a couple of minutes, the reporter's voice broke through as the live-stream still aired. "It is believed there were two people in the house when the fire started. No one was seen exiting and the firefighters have yet to locate either of the victims."
"This is going to be ours, Captain," Lt Tao exclaimed excitedly as he saw the first body being brought out. "Fire to cover up two murders in that part of town explains why Chief Taylor knew about it before we did."
Shaking her head in agreement, she continued to watch the footage. The second body was brought out soon after the first. Both were declared DOA at the scene by the first responders. It would be up to Dr Morales to discover their actual cause of death; whether that be the fire or, more likely, that the fire was used to cover up some other way their lives were taken. At any rate, they had a case. This she knew for sure when she saw the Caller ID flash Chief Taylor as it buzzed in her hand.
On scene, they dealt with the victims while waiting for the Fire Department to clear the inside for them. Arson Squad had been called in to investigate based upon some telltale signs the first responders noticed.
Kendall noted the bodies weren't as badly burned as the killer would've hoped. The gunshot wounds were clearly visible on both men.
Once the Arson Squad finished their investigation and the Fire Department released the scene, Kendall left with the bodies and the team went in to look around.
Flynn and Provenza went off to the back of the house opposite the fire location. Getting a glimpse of how the victims normally lived, assuming they were the actual occupants, would give them better insight into their case.
Another victim, burned beyond recognition in a separate fire, was linked to their case and they ultimately discovered that man had been shot to death prior to the fire as well.
The next evening, Chief Taylor was having a fit about the budget in Captain Raydor's office when she informed him that they solved the murders and already had a deal in place with DDA Hobbs. Once calm, he decided the team working thirty-six hours straight to close the case earned them the weekend off to make up for all the overtime they had accrued.
Upon hearing they had two straight days off, they each began making plans in their heads. Before she could ask them to start on their after-action reports, their Captain noticed they were all already preparing to do so. The quicker those were finished, the quicker they all left. It was an easy decision to take the reports home with her. A hot bath, a glass of wine and her bed were all waiting.
{Burn: (of a fire) (v) flame or glow while consuming a material}
Sharon had wanted to revisit Serve and Andy was lucky enough to get a last minute reservation after losing the bet.
When he picked her up for their date, he couldn't help his immediate reaction to the dress she was wearing. It was nothing improper or immodest, but it did hug her body in all the right places, did show just a little more cleavage than he was used to seeing and the color brought out the green in her eyes just so.
She, in turn, always enjoyed seeing him in a pin-stripe suit with his suspenders beneath his jacket. She'd been having dreams about them being together since they began having their sleepovers at her condo. At least twice a week he'd stay over and they'd just sleep together. In her dreams though, they did so much more.
Snapping herself out of her daydreams about her night dreams, she invited him in knowing he usually got there early so they could chat a little.
Casually reaching beneath his open suit jacket for one of his suspenders, she pulled him closer to her. His lips covered hers immediately. He put one hand in her hair, the other moving along her side, ever so softly grazing her breast on each pass.
By the time they moved apart, they were breathless and her lipstick needed to be reapplied. Smiling happily, they left her condo for the restaurant.
During dinner, they were each mesmerized at one point by how the candle flickering created gold specks in the other's eyes. Andy found himself drowning in the flecks of gold swirling in green surrounding them. Respectively, Sharon found herself drawn in by the gold glinting against the chocolate around them.
By the time they were finished eating, the talking, flirting and occasional touches had changed both of their eye colors darker with mutual arousal. It wouldn't be acted upon, but it was there for the other to recognize its meaning.
{Heat: (n) the quality of being hot; high temperature; intensity of feeling, especially of anger or excitement}
Back at the condo, they were settled in for the night. If things worked out well, they'd have another one of their sleepovers; both enjoyed and looked forward to them.
Not every part of a relationship is easy, especially when both parties are still getting to know each other.
It had all started when Sharon casually asked Andy how their dates would go if they had met when they were younger, before they learned all the lessons life provided them. He had shrugged and smiled and, upon seeing her genuinely curious expression, had gone quiet. With a little nudging, both literally in the form of a shoulder bump and figuratively as she took his hand and assured him he could be honest with her about anything, he had answered simply, "You're not ready for that type of dating, Sharon, and it's okay cuz I'm waiting."
She had previously teased him about being a ladies' man after his divorce; that is, once she found it safe to bring up a topic she often reprimanded him for as the Captain of FID. What she hadn't realized until then was that he had always been a bit of a ladies' man, a flirt, a charmer. When she added in the alcohol, she truly saw how he and Jack had been such good drinking buddies.
With twenty years of sobriety under his belt, a friendship with her, and now a growing romantic relationship between them, she fully understood his current feelings of animosity towards Jack.
Andy could tell by the look in her eyes that she was lost in thought. Whether she was just processing this new information or making decisions based upon it, he couldn't be sure. Rather than take her out of her innermost thoughts, he remained quiet and caressed the hand he was holding with his thumb.
Eventually she came back to him, giving him a small smile and nod.
They both knew logically they couldn't, or shouldn't, have the kind of date that he was used to before they became friends and now so much more.
"What if we tried?" escaped her lips before she had time to recall the words.
Continuing to hold her hand, his other reached over to brush back some of the hair she was using to hide her face. Once he had tucked it behind her ear, getting her to look at him in the process, he caressed her cheek with his thumb then trailed a finger along her jawline letting it continue down her neck.
He heard the change in her breathing, saw the flush on her face and chest, which made him take a chance and let his finger continue its exploratory trail down the edge of the front of her dress, stopping when he reached just above her breast. Not daring to go any further, he moved his hand back into her hair and whispered, "I'm waiting, Sharon."
The movement of her eyes told him she was working up the nerve to either ask him another question or make a suggestion. Either way, he knew if she wasn't sure whether she should put voice to her thoughts, she was coming from a place of deep uncertainty. While he didn't want her to feel that way, he was proud that he was one of the chosen few she allowed to see it.
"You wouldn't have waited for me if we hadn't spent so much time becoming friends, would you?" She asked it with great trepidation though she already knew the answer.
Moving his hand from her hair, he covered her free hand to still its nervous movements. Despite the gentleness in his touch, the care in his manner, he answered her honestly. "No, Sharon, I wouldn't have waited. Not without knowing you so well, I wouldn't have."
He looked embarrassed as he answered and when the feeling of shame hit him, something he was quite good at allowing to take over sometimes, despite having no reason to feel it, he found he couldn't look her in the eye. So he let go of her and, needing to move around, to look anywhere but at her, the woman he loved with all his heart at this point, he got up and began pacing.
"I'm sorry but I wouldn't have," he whispered as he ran his hand through his hair. Needing to do something, anything, he asked if she wanted tea. Knowing he needed to be busy just then, she nodded in the affirmative and he headed for the kitchen. Though he was back in his own place for quite a long while by then, he still felt comfortable in her home.
She had made sure he was, had included him in stay-at-home dinners, had cooked with him in that very kitchen, had gone as far as she was comfortable going on that couch they were just both on, and had let him in her bed even if only to make out, hold each other and sleep.
Unsure whether to continue the discussion or not, she remained rooted in her spot on the couch, looking out towards the balcony. Staring off in the distance often helped to focus her thoughts and steady her nerves. Desperately wanting to stand outside, to hold tightly to the railing while the breeze blew her hair and hit her face, she began to stand just as he appeared behind her.
His hands on her shoulders, gently massaging the tightened muscles away, at first made her jump but then she relaxed into it. There was no denying she loved him, that they loved each other, or that she felt alive when his hands were on her, when they were kissing. Reaching up, she patted one of his hands then tugged on it, letting him know she wanted him next to her again.
Sitting angled to both look at her and put some space between them; he realized he'd forgotten to bring in their tea. Telling her he'd be right back with it, he got up quickly to go retrieve the hot beverages.
Once the mugs were set down on the coffee table, he resumed his place next to her, still angled. She fit her legs around his and leaned in to kiss him. When he brushed his thumb against her breast during a heated portion of their kiss, she gently took his hand. Thinking he'd pushed too far, he immediately began to withdraw it from her but she held tight to it, and without breaking the kiss, placed it fully on her breast to let him know it was all right.
Her dreams had taught her though she wasn't ready to make love, she was ready for him to touch her more than she'd been allowing.
"You don't have to do this, Sharon," he rumbled as he moved it away.
"I know I don't, Andy, but I like how I feel when we're kissing and," after a brief hesitation, she continued, "I like how I feel when you touch me," taking his hand, "that's why I haven't stopped you."
Asking him if he enjoyed the way he felt when he was with her had him shaking his head firmly in agreement. Moving her leg onto the couch cushion, her shoes discarded by the entry hall table when they first entered, she assured him, "We can touch each other a little more than we have been, if you want to."
She suddenly seemed unsure of herself so he let her know just how much he wanted to follow her suggestion. Kissing her hungrily, his hands slowly moved along her sides finally settling on her breasts, gently kneading them. Moving from her mouth, he left a trail of wet kisses along her neck, taking his time to nip without leaving marks. Feeling her heart rate speed up, he vigorously sucked on her pulse point, bringing forth a moan he'd not heard before. Slowly he kissed along her collarbone as his thumbs circled her nipples poking through the dress material.
Breathing out, "Andy," her body began making decisions of its own accord and she found herself pushing her breasts further into his hands.
Taking that as a go-ahead, he began kissing along the outline of her dress then dropping butterfly kisses on the exposed portion of her breasts. Unsure as to whether he was pushing too far, he took a chance as his thumb pulled back her dress and bra enough for his tongue to sneak further down seeking to lick the nipples he'd just been exploring with his fingers.
When she nervously breathed out, "Andy," he stopped and covered her mouth once again; letting his hands remain where they were.
Given how they were sitting, legs entwined, their knees almost at each other's core, she had no trouble reaching his body and so she let herself explore him in much the same way he had done to her.
Going slowly, taking chances, reaching out of her comfort zone – all these actions, Sharon knew, had to be taken for them to slowly pass through the stages of emotional and physical intimacy before they could finally make love.
Moving her hand over his chest, she felt his elevated heart rate. Sliding it along his thigh, she heard him groan and felt his tongue go deeper into her mouth.
As he moved one of his hands to glide along her thigh, she found her body wanting him to go higher while her mind was glad he stopped where he had. In the heat of the moment, she brought herself closer, her knee just barely touching his bulge. She realized, much to both her heart's and mind's delight, that it didn't frighten her when he arranged himself fully against her knee.
The heat coming off his body in waves blinded her senses to the fact that they should stop and just drink their now-cold tea. "Do what you tried to do before," she husked in between kisses.
"It's too much, too soon, Sharon," he managed to reply as his mind conjured up images of what she meant.
Feeling him begin to move slowly against her knee, she licked along his ear lobe, sucked along his neck, perhaps too vigorously but the sounds he was making gave her courage to let her desires run free. As he breathed out, "Oh, God," he knew he needed to move away from her mouth.
Still lost in desire, he ducked his head while his thumb made room for his tongue to move down her dress. Going straight for her nipple, he flicked it rapidly several times in succession. Hearing her moan, "Andy," he began circling her nipple slowly; wetting it, he went back and forth between circling and flicking until he slowly ran his flat tongue along it, eliciting, "Oh, Andy," from her. Moving her back a little, he sucked on it carefully, so as not to hurt or frighten her. Her hands were in his hair, scraping his scalp, giving him the courage to exactly repeat his actions on her other breast. When she let out a long moan, breathed out, "Oh, oh, Andy," he moved his hands into her hair, cradling her head as he kissed her deeper and with more passion than he'd ever dared.
Moments later, when he realized he was rubbing himself along her knee, he slowed down the kiss until they eventually, begrudgingly moved apart.
Trying to regain her composure, she rasped, "Our tea is probably a little cold by now."
Seeing her smile, he panted out, "It's ice tea by now, Sharon. I'll go put them both in the microwave."
Before he could get up, she took his hand and quietly asked, "Are you okay, Andy? Are we?"
"Hey," he kissed her softly, "we're great. I'm gonna settle down while I'm in the kitchen." Kissing her softly again, he added, "Don't worry, Sharon, we added stuff we can do and I'm okay with still waiting for you."
"I don't want to go backwards, Andy," she reassured him before giving him a lingering kiss. "I still want you to spend the night."
"My bag is already up here and I'm certainly not turning down the chance to hold you as we fall asleep or to wake up with you tomorrow."
She smiled at him then. "People would probably think we're too old for this unusual way of dating but it seems to work for us, don't you think?"
"I know it does," he said with a kiss, "and now that I'm settled down, I'm going to microwave our tea and we are watching a game or a comedy."
Chuckling at his expression, "I'm sure you can find something safe to watch. Speaking of safe, we should change."
"You go first while I'm taking care of this then it'll be my turn."
They spent the rest of the evening snuggling, making out, and talking about various topics. By the time they were ready for bed, they were tired but not yet ready to fully stop exploring their new boundaries.
Once Sharon was snuggled under the covers with him, Andy began kissing her passionately, his hands roaming over the areas of her body he was comfortable touching. There were other areas, ones that would bring her greater pleasure, which he wanted so badly to touch but he'd hold off until she gave him the go-ahead.
Her hands slid under his tee shirt, playing with his chest hairs, softly scratching down his back, her thumbs passing over his own erect nipples.
Rolling on top of her, he repeated his earlier ministrations on her breasts bringing forth some of the deepest moans from her yet. Finding himself between her legs, which were now drawn up, he palmed her thigh and slid along it until he knew he could go no further. Trailing kisses everywhere he was permitted, he realized he was moving his bulge into her core. The bigger realization was that she hadn't stopped him.
"I could make you feel so good, Sharon," he rasped between kisses.
"You do," she assured him in the sultriest voice he'd heard yet.
"We wouldn't make love but I could touch you," he said along her throat, "I could taste you," he whispered into her ear, "I could make you feel so good," he repeated before kissing her deeply.
"But then I wouldn't want to stop us from making love," she admitted breathlessly as she fought the temptation to wrap her legs around his waist.
"We should stop," he murmured, "I'm not pushing you, Sharon, I'm waiting for you."
"I know you are," she replied as she rolled them back over. "We're almost there, Andy," she promised. "I just have a few more things to work out."
"Take your time; you know I'm not going anywhere." He began playing with the sleeve of her nightgown. "Just do me a favor and maybe wear a negligée so I know," he told her with a smirk.
"I'll buy something just for the occasion," she responded as she thought of the new lavender negligée she had already purchased.
Once they settled down, they were able to fall asleep in each other's arms.
/Love isn't all that I did you wrong/I'll stay here with you until this dream is gone/I've been sleepwalking, been wandering all night/Trying to take what's lost and broke and make it right/I've been sleepwalking too close to the fire/But it's the only place that I can hold you tight/In this burning house/
The dream began as all her others had. Andy was in bed for one of their sleepovers when Sharon came out of the bathroom, having taken care of her nightly routine privately per her usual. His eyes opened wide upon seeing the lavender negligée with the translucent robe left open over it. Stepping out of bed, he met her by the side of it. Already hard from the knowledge that they'd be making love, he reached out to caress her face. Wanting to touch everything, he slid the robe off her shoulders, letting it flutter silently to the floor. His fingertips moved over her shoulders, down her arms and back up, along her neck to her breasts where they remained while they moved towards one another for a heated kiss.
They had worked their way through most of the possible issues they imagined would damage their relationship or friendship. They were now in a comfortable place to take that final step.
Her hands slid under his tee shirt, first leaving a gentle path of scratches down his back, then grabbing the clothing hem to pull it over his head. His hands moved the straps of her negligée off her shoulders as he nipped at the skin. She, for the first time, placed her hand over his bulge, rubbing it slowly from top to bottom causing him to pull at the waistband of his sweats, pushing them down enough to allow them to fall the remaining way. Rather than further push the straps down on her arms, he reached under and removed her panties, letting them drop carelessly along with the rest of the discarded items. Her hand on him now, skin to skin contact had him pushing his boxers off quickly while returning to those straps preventing him from seeing all of her. Sliding them down slowly, he watched as the material rippled as it moved off her, slowly making its way to the floor. The admiration showed on his face as he got his very first look at all of her.
He whispered how much he loved her as he led her onto the bed. She told him she trusted him with her life, her heart and her body because she loved him, because he'd waited. The emotion stung his eyes as the full impact of her words hit him. She trusted him with everything. He'd be sure she never regretted that decision.
Their kisses became frantic, erratic, as they finally gave into the last frontier of their desires. When his fingers touched her core, her legs fell open wider, inviting him to explore her further. As their mouths crashed together, he plunged a finger inside her warm wetness, confirming her readiness. His thumb moving on and around her clit made her moan and squirm. Just a few more circles and she was breathing out his name just the way he'd always wanted to hear it.
When she began working her way down his body, kissing his neck, chest and nipples along the way, he prepared himself for the ride of her mouth sliding down his member. "Sharon," slipped past his lips as she took him deep, licking the head then down the length of it, sucking all of it in just the way he liked it.
"That's it, Baby," made her look up. Andy wouldn't speak to her like that, but she knew the voice, knew who would. His hands in her hair, he pushed her head back down and reared up simultaneously.
"Sharon, stop, I'm too close," let her know her boyfriend was back in bed with her, back in her head in her dream.
As she moved up to kiss him, to reassure herself it was him, he rolled them over and began suckling her breasts, those creamy mounds he'd been waiting to fully see. Settling himself with his mouth at her core, he heard her breath catch as she prepared for what would happen next. His tongue swiped over her clit then circled it, determining what she preferred. Finding her exact preference, he slid his hand along her thigh then slowly inserted two fingers into her, noticing she was even wetter than before.
Her eyes were closed but when she opened them, she saw him giving her what she wanted but only to get what he wanted in return. He wanted to be inside her; that was always the ultimate goal if she didn't just blow him as he'd asked. Shaking her head, she whispered, "Go away, Jack," and hoped Andy would be there the next time she looked. He was and he enjoyed himself as he licked, sucked and lapped at her. She was so close to going over the edge as she bucked up into his face, urging him to do more, to go faster.
A light sleeper from too many years on the force, too much knowledge of the horrors people inflicted on each other, Andy woke from her movements. Turning to watch her, he saw her squirming, heard her moan his name while pulling her legs up. Placing his hand flat on her stomach in the hopes of settling her down, maybe waking her from whatever dream she was having, it took all the strength he had in him when she covered that hand with her own and pushed it down to her core. His fingers momentarily touched her, wanting to make her feel good the way he knew he could, the way her body told him she needed but instead he pulled away and traced along her thigh, hoping to redirect her.
/See you at a party and you look the same/I could take you back but people don't ever change/Wish that we could go back in time/And I'd be the one you thought you'd find/
In her dream, Sharon had finally reached climax and was still riding the waves as Andy kissed his way up her body, finally covering her mouth, seeking immediate entrance and engaging in a tongue tango.
Whispering how much he wanted her, how much he loved her and was planning on making a life with her, he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly slid the tip in only to pull it right back out. He repeated this several times until she breathed out an impatient, "Andy," from the teasing and he slid further into her wetness, meeting no resistance.
"Andy, huh?" he spat out. "Well, you can call me Andy as long as I get to finish," he grunted.
Tossing and turning now, she reached for him in her sleep. Whispering his name, telling Jack to go away, she grabbed onto Andy's undershirt, pulling him closer. Kissing him hard, more forceful than he ever thought Sharon capable, blew the last of his resistance away and he kissed her back just as fervently. Leaning over made it easy for her to pull him on top of her.
Dreams and reality were getting mixed; worlds were colliding.
He knew he should stop but the way she was kissing him, the way she was moving her body under him, made stopping that much more difficult. His hands moved freely over her, his mouth freed itself from hers and suckled on her breasts. Legs now wrapped around his waist, she pushed up each time he ground down.
In her dream, their bodies were one, they were moaning and panting each other's names, sweat formed and trickled on each other. Every time she looked, knowing it was Andy's voice and caresses, hoping to see him, Sharon would see Jack instead.
Pushing him away, in her dream, telling Jack no, transferred to reality and Andy moved off her, confused but glad they stopped. Telling her that wasn't how their first time together should be, he spotted the mist in her eyes.
In her dream, Jack finished and it was Andy who kissed her afterwards, who held her tightly and reassured her.
/The flames are getting bigger now/In this burning house/I can hold onto you somehow/In this burning house/Oh, and I don't wanna wake up/In this burning house/
The scene in her dream changed drastically. She was wearing one of her regular cotton nightgowns, walking barefoot, confused about where she was. There was a small two-room bungalow in front of her. It was on fire. There were two occupants. Unlike their case, these two men were alive but in danger of being lost to smoke inhalation or serious burns from the raging inferno itself. Looking closer, though the windows were smudged, she saw Jack in one room, Andy in the other. The fire was raging.
Jack's voice rang out, loud, demanding, calling her name, telling her to come get him. "You can only save one of us, Sharon. You have to choose."
The nurturer in her wanted to save them both. The mother in her wanted to save Jack. However bad a father he could be, he was still Emily's and Ricky's father and her children loved him, even if she no longer did. The woman in her wanted to save Andy. She loved him, wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. He understood her, didn't try to change her, didn't blame her for everything that went wrong in his life and, in fact, believed she made him a better person.
Somehow the door handle wasn't hot when she frantically grabbed at it, trying to enter the bungalow, but she still couldn't get in that way. An eerie glow appeared at each room; a portal for her to enter and pull out whomever she chose to save. Looking back and forth, she watched the glowing light change colors to every hue in the spectrum.
Despite the heat from the bungalow, she suddenly felt cold as she thought of Andy no longer being in her life. Jack had been gone enough from her children's lives that if he passed away, they'd mourn his loss but be able to move on.
She didn't want to choose. Didn't want to be the one to decide the fate of one over the other but she had to or she'd lose both.
Jumping into the portal that held her heart, she took Andy's hand and led him outside to safety. In the fresh air, she could hardly tell he'd been in danger only seconds before. As she hugged him tightly, the pain of almost losing him brought tears to her eyes.
They whispered they loved each other and were in the middle of a slow, tender kiss when she heard Jack's booming voice. "Well, there ya go, Sharon, you've done it. You've made your choice. Hope you both can live with it." With that as his parting shot, he walked away, disappearing into the darkness.
Waking up with a start, Sharon turned away from Andy. He had gone back to sleep when she wouldn't discuss her previous dream with him. She'd been embarrassed for meshing the two men in a sex dream and so she couldn't bring herself to share the details with him. Now though, she tapped him gently. He woke up quickly and pulled her into his arms.
"Whatever it is, Sharon, don't shut me out," he rasped, his voice hoarse from sleep.
"I chose you, Andy," she told him, eyes misting over once again. "I had to choose between you and Jack and I chose you. He ended up being fine, but it's the choice that was the point. You are so very important to me."
"So are you to me," he assured her. "Tell me all about your dream, Sharon. We're supposed to be honest with each other. That's what you told me; it's what you expect from me."
It took only a few minutes to recap the two dreams for him. In the end, he reassured her that he wasn't upset, hurt or angry by what her subconscious conjured up. It only brings to dreams what troubles the conscious. It was a problem she needed to solve for herself; to live in the past or to move on in the present with him and together create a future.
"We haven't made love, Sharon, so you don't know me well enough to really see me in your dreams. You know Jack so you saw him. But you also, and this is what's important, you saw the difference between us and you chose me."
"I did, Andy, but I thought about my children first. I thought of saving Jack for them but I didn't want to lose you," she explained.
"You're not. We're in this thing together. I love you, you know that, right?"
"Yes, I do know that and I love you too," she answered with a smile. "It's a good thing we're off tomorrow."
"Yeah, we can catch up on some sleep and I'll make a nice breakfast for all of us." He kissed her tenderly before she snuggled up with her head on his chest.
The rest of the night, the dreams were peaceful for both of them.
/Love isn't all that it seems I did you wrong/I'll stay here with you until this dream is done/I've been sleepwalking, been wandering all night/Trying to take what's lost and broke and make it right/I've been sleepwalking, too close to the fire/But it's the only way that I can hold you tight/In this burning house/
[TBC]
A/N3: Thanks for reading!
A/N4: For EvilRegalShandyLvr21 who was going through a bit of a rough spell. (Hugs)