Hey guys, it took a little longer than I wanted it to. I had a writers block. This chapter is really small, but it is kinda about Shandy. In the next chapters I will concentrate a little more on the case, cause it is really important to me. And I don't really know how to proceed in my Shandy story.

Thank you for following. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 3: Lonely Mile

Sharon didn't argue with him when he took her car keys, helped her sitting on the passenger side and sat down on the driver's side. During the drive home she looked passively out the window but didn't seem to look at anything at all. Andy drove to her usual parking spot, got out of the car and opened her door. Her eyes told him everything he had to know. The look of sadness and despair didn't seem to have vanished at all. No, it even had increased. He had never seen this panic in her beautiful eyes before. So Andy just opened his arms and she fled into his embrace searching for comfort and buried her face in his neck. He kissed her forehead and caressed her back. Andy felt a little helpless while she cried bitterly.

"Sharon, come on. Let's go to your condo. I'll get you into your bed, okay? I guess, you don't want to eat anything."

Sharon shook her head. "Okay. But you can't do anything right now. The guys will find out her identity. And Sharon?" He waited till she looked at his face and he knew he had her attention and he could see the forlornness in her red rimmed, but still the most beautiful, eyes. "You know that, if she is really your niece, you can't participate in this case." She nodded impassively.

After he had gotten their things out and the car locked, Andy laid his arm around her waist and lead her to the elevator. When they arrived at the door of her condo Andy searched for the keys and unlocked the door to Sharon's closed the door behind them, laid down their things and asked Sharon if she wanted some tea. She declined, turned around and walked to her bedroom without saying another word. Defeated and exhausted Andy sat on a chair at her dining table and buried his head in his hands. He didn't know how to help her and that fact made him beyond was their first crisis, if he could call it as that; it was more of a disaster. And he didn't know what to do. What to say to her. It broke his heart to see his beautiful woman, the love of his life, in this condition of shock and stupor. This impassiveness; that was not like her.

But what was a normal or right reaction in this case. There was none, Andy stated.

He sat there contemplating about what to do now and while he waited for something to happen an eternity seemed to got up again; he just couldn't sit calm while his girlfriend was upset and probably crying her eyes out in the other room. He paced through her dining room as he wondered if he should just follow her to her bedroom, and ignore her silent plead not to do so, so that he could comfort her as his heard told him to. Or should he just wait for her to come to him. To wait, like he always did. But it seemed to be the right thing to do. To let Sharon decide and wait for her to come forward. To make the first move. While he was still pondering on what would be best for her at this moment, Andy decided to make some tea first and let her have a minute to herself. As he picked some peppermint tea for both of them, he heard Sharon's steps behind him slowly walking into the kitchen.

"I am sorry, Andy." But Andy interrupted her as he turned around.

"Hey, Sharon. You don't have to apologize or anything. You're allowed to react in any way you want at this moment. You are only human, Sharon. You can be that with me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you, as long as you'll have me." While he told her that, he stepped closer to her and cradled her cheeks with both of his hands, so that she had to look at him. And so she knew how serious he was. He contemplated if this was the right moment to confess his love for her. But apparently there is no right time to declare his love.

"Andy?" Sharon said while she covered her face with her hand like she was embarrassed. Andy sensed her discomfort. "What will the team think of me. I totally screwed up today. I completely lost my mind. They will think I'm crazy…" Once again Andy interrupted her rambling.

"Sharon, listen to me. They don't care. They love you. They'll understand. You are family. You're not alone, Shar." Andy took a deep breath.

"I love you, Sharon." Andy looked a little uncertain down into her green orbs. Sharon could sense his insecurity. He was so sweet in that matter. She loved him too. Very much. It made her happy. He made her happy. But at the same time she was afraid to lose him and specially lose herself in him. To be left alone once again. To risk everything she had built. It was the same soliloquy she had this morning. And almost every day since she Andy started to date. But he just told her he would never leave. It was time to open up to him fully. She trusted him already. With all her heart. She looked up again into his eyes and blushed. And for the first time since she say the body of Beatrize's daughter a small smile formed on her lips. She nodded to assure him that she appreciated everything he did for her and had told her and as a sign that she loved him back. She couldn't say the words just yet. Not at this moment of sadness and despair.

Instead of that she asked him to stay with her. Andy was surprised. He returned her smile. "Of course, my love. Anything you want."

"Well, then I'll take that tea you prepared, please." Sharon sipped the tea in silence while his fingers combed lightly through her hair as they sat on the couch. Though this day had been horrible, the beginning and end had been wonderful. Because they were together. Because they loved each other and had finally admitted it.

As they were finished with their tea Andy took both of their mugs, got up and put them into the dishwasher just as he got used to when he stayed at her place for the time of his recovery. Sharon followed him and as she stood behind him she hugged him from behind. He turned in her arms and returned her embrace just as tight. "Everything is going to be okay." He didn't know how often he had already said this but he needed to make sure that she understood and believed him.

"Yeah." She didn't seem convinced and he could still sense this unbelievable sadness that clouded over her. "But I need you with me on that, Andy. I don't know what to do next and what to expect. So I need you to put some clarity in this. And I need you here at the end of the day, just holding me. Just like what you are doing right now. I..." She paused and took a deep breath.

"I love you. And I want you here with me every day. If that's possible. And don't ever think that I don't want you to or that you don't deserve this, Andy. Because you do." Andy seemed to have heard just one thing. She loved him. And she wanted him to stay. For the rest of their lives. In spite of this ugly day, he was just the happiest man at this moment. With his love in his arms.

"Let's go to bed. We are both tired and exhausted." Sharon offered Andy her hand and led him to her bedroom. They both undressed silently, they were too exhausted to really acknowledge that this was their first time they would spent the night in one bed together. Still Andy looked at her. His beautiful girlfriend. But even he was too tired to really think about anything more than sleeping in this bed. He asked her which side of the bed she took normally.

"I don't care. I got used to sleeping in the middle. So… Take whichever side you like."

Andy laid under the covers and waited for her to return from the bathroom. He lifted the covers and padded the spot beside him. She smiled lightly and got in next to him. When she had laid down, he encircled her waist with his arm and drew her closer to him. He nuzzled his face in her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you." They would need some time to get used to this open endearment and declaration of love. But it still warmed both of their hearts.

"I love you, too, Andy. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams, beautiful." Andy said as he drew her even closer, as close to him as possible. The next weeks would be hard on them. Of that they were both sure. But they would overcome it, together.

-Tbc-

Thank you so much for reading.