Here's the next chapter, now we will get to see a little of Sharon as well as Andy's point of views. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am...thank you for the reviews and follows, it real means a lot to me :)

As always I'm only playing around and don't own the respective characters/shows!

PS: Reviews are love 3

Sharon was still reeling from their last case as she stepped from her car that morning. She shouldered her bag as she gently nudged the door of her car closed, as she lifted her head her eyes met those of brown, he had waited for her. Andy Flynn was leaning against a vehicle just a few feet from her own, impeccably dressed in a dark grey suit and light blue shirt, legs crossed easily in front of him at the ankle. He smiled warmly as she strode towards him, gesturing for her to continue as they headed for the parking garage exit.

It was the same routine every morning unless they were called to a crime scene or something else as equally unavoidable; they would stop for coffee on their way to Parker Center. Once the hotheaded Lieutenant had actually started to trust Sharon, they found they had a lot of quirks and experiences in common; not only was he now her right hand man but she considered him a good friend as well. So they would use this brief time in the morning to catch up and discuss anything of a personal nature.

They had just turned the corner and were on the straight stretch to the coffee shop when Andy decided to broach the subject with the brunette at his side. He knew she had sent another email to their former Deputy Chief, however pointless it may seem; Sharon for some reason still saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It was clear to him that Brenda didn't want to be found…they had all tried at one point or another, only to be rebuffed and ignored. The team thought about her constantly, how she was doing. They only ever got bits and pieces of information from Hobbs when she decided to grace their presence, but it was barely enough to wet their palate.

Although the Captain seemed to think that if she kept trying, the blonde would come around. Andy knew in the few months leading up to the Stroh incident that the Chief and Sharon had been getting closer, friends even by any case. They saw each other for who they were and it seemed to be a nice little nest of honesty that each woman needed in their lives at the time. Sharon was always there for the Chief, and eventually the Chief returned those gestures. He always though there was something more to the situation…something that everybody, including these two women, was missing. He wondered if maybe this time was different, if maybe she had gotten a response.

"So," he started cautiously.

The Captain wasn't really paying attention, staring straight ahead. She was focused on their destination and whatever else was on her mind…and there seemed to be a lot these days. He gently nudged her shoulder to bring her attention back to the present, waiting for her to meet his gaze.

She hummed quietly, "I'm sorry Andy…I don't seem to be myself this morning."

"Its ok," he shrugged, "you've had a lot on your mind lately."

She nodded her head absentmindedly as they came to rest in front of the café door allowing him to hold the door open as she passed quickly through. Sharon let out a low and frustrated groan as she realized just how long the line to the counter was and how long it would take to place an order. The last thing she needed was a lecture from Provenza about being late and the insinuations that would follow about Andy being late as well. She reached her hand up to rub at her forehead distractedly, willing away the oncoming headache. Andy caught the movement and knew exactly what she was thinking and decided to try and lighten her mood glancing at her nonchalantly.

"You know," he drawled slowly, "as long as you bring Provenza a latte he wont bitch at us nearly as much for being late…" he finished with a sly grin.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, the side of her mouth lifting up ever so slightly to show she was amused.

"Yes, well one can dream, hopefully he'll just be happy to have the coffee."

Her green eyes sparked with humor as she turned slightly forward, resting just in front of the Lieutenant. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to broach the subject of Brenda yet again, bracing himself for an onslaught of emotion.

"Did you hear back from her?"

With that one question the Captain's whole demeanor changed, she no longer seemed relaxed and playful; her stance became guarded and rigid. She briefly glanced over her shoulder; meeting Andy's eyes with a look of sadness so profound he almost regretted asking…almost.

Sharon sighed, "Not yet."

Andy cocked his head to the side and scrutinized the woman in front of him. There was indeed something more to this situation; he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Before he could offer up his opinion the brunette continued on her train of thought.

"But I have come to a rather hard decision," she ventured.

The only response he gave was a raise of his eyebrow and subtle nod of his head, urging her to continue on.

She looked at the ground and then nervously stuffed her hands into the pocket of her black blazer. Taking a deep breath she decided to just plunge forward. She had been thinking it over for the last week, a week that seemed to be fraught with some pretty big changes in her personal life. She couldn't keep going like this, waiting every week like some lovesick puppy for a response that obviously wasn't coming. She needed to move on and respect the situation the former Deputy Chief had put her self in.

Sharon nodded firmly, "If I don't receive a response this week…I've decided to stop writing and trying."

The look on Andy's face when she met his gaze was one of pure shock. He recovered quickly though and put on a thoughtful façade, considering her carefully. She quickly continued trying to explain, hands flying about in front of her.

"I have so many changes coming, so many things I'm moving on from, I've learned there is no sense in waiting for something when it isn't plausible."

Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. The Lieutenant nodded his head carefully, understanding what she was and wasn't saying. She was starting a new chapter in her life and she needed to let go of things that were holding her back.

I can't afford to keep waiting for her, no matter how much pain it causes me.

He tried to reassure her with a small smile, when a sudden noise caught both off their attentions. Someone near the door had cried out in pain, Andy peered around the customers behind him trying to get good look. He stilled as he caught sight of a familiar curly blonde haired woman, trying in vain to wipe off whatever had spilt all down the front of her. There was a very apologetic young man staring up at her, desperately trying to scrape her file folders and paper from where they seemed to have fallen on the ground.

She was wearing a pale yellow cotton blouse over what looked like a white linen skirt…or rather they were both a beige color now due to the liquid that once inhabited the cup now on the floor. A light brown puddle was now pooling around the nude pumps that adorned her feet.

He strained to hear the young man ask if she was ok, craning his neck a little farther to try and see her face. It was then that he felt the Captain shift beside him, trying to get a view of the commotion as well. He could tell when she realized whom it was standing before them because her whole body froze. Brenda chose that exact moment to look up from her disaster and glance around the room. After scanning the room quickly, her brown eyes came to rest briefly on his own…he could see and feel the embarrassment rolling off her in waves. Her pale cheeks started to turn a deep shade of pink and tears were beginning to pool in the corners of her eyes.

It was then that recognition dawned on Brenda's face as she realized just who was standing beside Andy. Covering her shocked expression quickly she looked back down at the boy who was now starting rise out of his crouch.

"Its alright," she whispered quietly, "No harm done."

Her voice was just a slow drawl, soft and reassuring. It was different than when she left, soft and lilting, it had a breathless quality to it. She took the papers from the young man's outstretched hand and carefully placed them under her arm, seemingly the only place safe from coffee stains. The Lieutenant watched quietly as she straitened her back and shouldered her purse once more, smiling awkwardly.

She patted the boy's arm and uttered a strained, 'Thank yew,' as she passed.

She then walked swiftly through the front door, setting off down the sidewalk in a brief pace.

The man hazarded a look at his friend standing behind him who still appeared to be in some sort of shock and he cleared his throat gently. At the soft sound she started to come out of her daze a little, slowly blinking her eyes behind the frames of her glasses. It was then that realization seemed to dawn in her eyes and she looked at him wildly.

"Andy?" Sharon said breathlessly, "Was that Brenda?"

Unable to speak the Lieutenant just shook his head vigorously. She glanced quickly back to the door of the coffee shop and in one decisive move, nodded her head. All of a sudden the Captain was making her way away from her companion and weaving her way through the crowd of people towards the door, her stride determined and measured. Andy chuckled to himself as he watched her effortlessly pass through the door and take off in the same direction the Chief had.

Boy, does Brenda have it coming, he thought.

The high-pitched voice of the cashier, a young woman who barely looked the age of eighteen, startled him out of his present thoughts.

"Can I help you sir?"

The Lieutenant rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Uh yeah, can I have a grande latte with two splenda…"