Once again thank you so much for your continued support, reviews, follows and favourites. This will be my last update for a while. I've scrambled to get this chapter finished before I go on holiday tomorrow. Chapters five, six and seven are in the works and taking shape but they won't put in an appearance until mid-June at the earliest.

In the meantime whether your review is 100 words or 1 word, positive, negative or indifferent I really appreciate them so please keep them coming. At the very least let me know where I'm going right or going wrong.

I'm afraid to say this chapter is even longer than the last but I couldn't stop writing so you'll definitely need a spare hour (minimum) and a cup of tea to read it.

As usual I don't own any of these characters etc etc.

This chapter picks up about four hours after the last one ended at around 8:00am. I hope you enjoy it.

At the End of the Day – Chapter Four

Andy was woken by the sensation of soft lips pressing against his. He stirred slightly but didn't open his eyes.

"Andy."

Andy opened his eyes to see Sharon dressed for work and looming over him with a large cup of coffee. He smiled. This was a sight for sore, and in one case very sore, eyes.

"Good morning again" said Sharon softly as she learned forward and kissed him again. Andy's hand instinctively found its way into Sharon's hair as he ensured that the kiss lasted longer than she had originally planned as she battled not to spill the coffee.

The world was currently blurred and bright to Andy which made his head pound. He had a headache but more than that his eye hurt. It hurt a lot. More than he was willing to admit to Sharon. It was on occasions like this that Andy grew mad at himself. Anybody else would be able to take some strong painkillers and get on with their day but he couldn't and it was all his fault for serious mistakes in the past. At this point he wasn't sure how he'd managed to shower and dress an hour earlier.

Sharon had woken Andy about two hours beforehand by gently stroking his cheek with her finger tips. She hadn't intended to wake him in all honesty but was pleased to see him stir and open his eyes. It afforded her the opportunity to do something she hadn't done in a long time, to make love in the morning and it was glorious. After Sharon had separated from Jack she had succumb to his charms more times than she cared to admit. Usually by the time morning came she was always so annoyed with herself that she was more focused on kicking Jack out than allowing him to lay another hand on her. All other dalliances in that time were few and far between and never involved actually spending the night. The last time she'd experienced this kind of passion in the morning she hadn't yet given birth to Emily and it wasn't anything like this.

The freedom that she felt that morning as she ravished Andy once more was the complete opposite to how she felt the night before. As Sharon led Andy into her bedroom for the first time and closed and locked the door behind her, her nerves multiplied exponentially. Sharon had never rushed into a physical relationship with any man because she saw it as such a big step. In Sharon's mind to offer herself up to someone was the biggest and most important thing she could do. In her opinion that connection, both physically and emotionally, should not be taken lightly or be made in haste so as a result she always took her time. Not that Jack believed this for a minute and even before he was a drinker called Sharon repressed and frigid because she made him wait and blamed her attitude on her Mother and Grandmother. In truth Sharon's Mother had told her nearly every day of her life as she was growing up to "Keep your knees together and your hand on your Moo-Moo!" and her Grandmother often regaled her with stories of how she took a knitting needle to bed with her on her wedding night. After Sharon heard that she had a whole new level of respect for her Grandfather and wondered how her Mother even had the chance to be conceived in the first place. Regardless of the root cause of Sharon's cautious behaviour she always made the men in her life wait to make sure but she'd made Andy wait longer than any of them because he was so important to her as her friend and colleague. She didn't want to lose him if things didn't work out romantically because she'd rushed into bed with him. Then she fell in love with him and the longer she made him wait the more she built it up in her head and the more nervous she became. She also worried about how Andy might have built it up in his mind as he waited. She worried about his potentially high expectations of her and didn't want to disappoint him. Little did she know that Andy felt exactly the same way. He was also nervous. He was also worried about any expectations Sharon might have about him. In the end neither of them needed to worry. The previous night had been wonderful. It had been everything they had hoped it would be and more. As she lay in Andy's arms Sharon thought she'd got no right to feel this way. She was a few years away from retirement, they both were, they weren't a couple of teenagers but that's just how she felt even though she didn't look it. In fact Sharon had always been reasonably proud of her body for her age. Sure she didn't look like she used to when she was 20 but who does? She'd also had two children since then but even so everything had remained in pretty much the right place even though it may not be quite as good as it used to be. Andy was equally nervous in this regard. When he was in the academy he could have done his washing on his stomach but these days his abdominal muscles were in hiding beneath several decades worth of hotdogs and as Provenza once correctly pointed out, it would take more than a cleanse to find them again. Regardless of how Sharon felt about her body, no one looked at her like Andy did and it made her feel beautiful, even sexy at times and, more importantly, confident. Once the initial "seeing each other naked for the first time" issue was out of the way and as hoped Andy had called her "Beautiful" (not that he needed to, the look on his face told Sharon all she needed to know) she soon calmed down, began to enjoy herself and did everything she'd wanted to do with him for months. The only interruption in a perfect evening came when, after the final piece of clothing was removed and discarded, Sharon suddenly stopped and asked whether it might not be a bad idea to check Andy's blood pressure, just to be on the safe side. Andy immediately and correctly pointed out that medically what he was about to do was very beneficial for his blood pressure. When that failed to appease Sharon, Andy questioned where she thought she was going to get a blood pressure monitor from while completely naked at close to midnight even in Los Angeles. As Sharon searched for an answer Andy soon found a way to distract her and that was that. Once her nerves of the previous night had gone after that first time and she felt free.

As silly as it may sound the most pleasing thing for Sharon about her first night with Andy was that he took his socks off. This was a big deal to Sharon. She had many discussions with friends and family at the start of her relationship with Jack about how he always left his socks on when they had sex and it annoyed the hell out of her. No scratch that, it annoyed the crap out of her and that was not a word she used often. Jack flat out refused to ever take them off and the longer they were married the more he kept insisting that he wore them because Sharon had cold feet to go with her often frosty heart and it became just another way that he would intentionally hurt her. Sharon could understand someone wearing socks in bed to sleep if they were cold but why would anyone in their right mind refuse to take their socks off when they were having sex? In the big book of seduction and foreplay coming to bed in nothing but a pair of socks ranked alongside coming to bed in nothing but a woolly hat and mittens in the list of unsexy images. Every guy before Jack and every guy after Jack took their socks off even Weird Harry as he came to be known amongst Sharon's friends (Ten years into her separation from Jack, Sharon wasted 12 dates on a lawyer friend of a friend who as it turned out did take his socks off in bed but irritatingly made some sort of sex noise that sounded like a horse. There are many things that a woman will tolerate in the pursuit of happiness but neighing in the bedroom is not one of them). She felt ridiculous but Sharon became so self-conscious about the temperature of her feet that as Andy finally cuddled up next to her in bed she had to ask him. Andy was beyond puzzled. He had dated a lot of women and all of them younger than Sharon. The questions they usually asked included "Do I look fat?" and "Does my bum look big in this?" Andy learned at an early age that the answer to both questions was "No." He also discovered that taking a step back and having a look at the woman asking the question before answering as a joke was not even remotely funny and not a good idea after he had a shoe thrown at his head. The other women in his life had also asked questions like "Oh my God don't you just want to die every time you eat a carb?" and "Is A Farewell to Arms like a diet book?" He'd never ever been asked a question about foot temperature before. Underneath that calm confident exterior Sharon was the most adorably quirky and insecure woman he'd ever met. Andy knew that the majority of Sharon's eccentricities and insecurities had been caused by Jack, that fraction of a man. If he didn't find every single quirk absolutely adorable because it made her the person she was and the person he loved Andy would have punched Jack's lights out months ago. Andy told Sharon that there wasn't a single cold thing about her but as it turned out he was a "need my feet and legs sticking out of the bed" type of person so it wouldn't matter if Sharon's feet were cold or not. He liked the cold and if her feet were cold (which they weren't) he was her perfect match.

"What time is it?" Andy sat up and rubbed his none scarlet eye. He'd been lying at the foot of the bed with his arms stretched out taking advantage of all the empty space. After Sharon had left him alone in the shower (with the ensuite and the shower being the only place in the condo they were relatively sure Rusty wouldn't hear any noise emanating from) he had showered and dressed and had fallen fast asleep waiting for Sharon to finish in the bathroom soon after he had finished tying his shoelaces. He was simply exhausted. Returning to work had actually been more tiring than he cared to admit and it had been slowly building up over the last two weeks. It wasn't just not going to work and the gym during the weeks following his accident that caused his lethargy, Andy couldn't do anything and five weeks of doing nothing had certainly taken its toll on him. Not being able to bend over, run, cross your legs or raise your arms eliminates an awful lot of activities. Add to that when he did move he moved slowly to avoid feeling dizzy from his medication. With Sharon and Patrice on his case sometimes even getting himself a glass of water was out of the question. It was no wonder then that Andy started referring to both ladies as his "Rottweilers" when Rusty allowed him to make a sandwich on his own. As a result if it didn't involve sitting and sitting still at that, Andy didn't do it. The most immediate cause of his tiredness however was Sharon. Sharon had kept him awake most of the night. He started the night being kept awake because they simply could not keep their hands off each other but he ended the night being woken and flinching every time Sharon moved in case she accidentally hit him again. Add to that the 4am interrogation by Rusty, the resumption of play at the chess board and the inventive and incredibly pleasurable way that Sharon apologised to him for elbowing him in eye after they both climbed back into bed and it meant that Andy had only had about two hours sleep and he could barely keep his eyes open. However despite his tiredness a smile remained permanently fixed to his face. Without doubt Andy's patience over the last few months had paid off and as it turned out he was completely right, Sharon really was worth waiting for.

"It's 8 o'clock."

Andy suddenly shot to his feet and looked around the room a little disorientated.

"Andy don't worry" Sharon said as she held out the cup of coffee. "If you arrive at the same time as the Captain then you're not late. Sit down and drink this." Sharon had deliberately left Andy asleep after she had finished getting ready for work because she could see just how tired he was and knew why. Despite his best efforts to hide it she knew he was tired after returning back to work before they arrived at her condo and he also accidentally woke her every time she moved in the night because his defensive flinching to protect his eye was so extreme. For months Sharon had been so very careful not to allow her personal life to affect her professional life but concluded that unless he received a call about a new case (not that he was currently allowed to roll out with the rest of the division anyway) it would be okay on this one occasion to allow him to catch up on sleep and make up an excuse that the rest of the division would believe. Besides it gave her the opportunity to spend an hour alone with Rusty to make sure that he really was okay with Andy spending the night. Rusty had seemed a little uncomfortable about discussing it but was okay with it as long as she was happy.

Andy sat down next to Sharon and sipped his coffee as he waited for his eyes to fully adjust and open from the lack of sleep. Sharon looked at his tired face for a moment before taking his hand and resting her head on his shoulder. They sat for a moment in silence until Andy turned and kissed the top of Sharon's head.

"I lied to Taylor" said Andy is a rare moment of confession.

"When?" replied Sharon confused and surprised.

"There's no way I can go back to being your very good friend."

Sharon smiled before kissing him and then returned her head to his shoulder. They once again returned to sitting in silence as they enjoyed a final quiet moment alone before work.

"How are you feeling?" Andy asked between mouthfuls of coffee.

"Happy. Ridiculously happy. What about you?"

"Likewise."

"How's your eye?"

"It'll be fine."

"It looks a little better. I can't believe I've broken my beautiful boy."

Andy's heart danced when he heard those words. He'd never really had a pet name before. In the beginning his ex-wife used to call him "Honey" but that didn't last and quickly turned into "Bastard" and other four letter words the longer they were together. He'd also spent too much time with women who called him "Baby" and "Cutie Pie" which made me feel about five years old, not that they were much older truth be told. The first time Sharon called him her "beautiful boy" it came out of the blue. Sharon had rushed into her office after Andy had appeared to collapse again following his accident. Whilst Julio and Amy waited downstairs for the paramedics to show them the way, Provenza, Buzz and Mike remained in the murder room to give Andy and Sharon a bit of space. Sharon sat on the edge of her desk as she made sure he stayed upright in his chair and conscious. Despite the clear need for further assistance Andy insisted that he didn't need to go back to the hospital and he just needed to lie down. Sharon took his hand and simply said "Andy, the paramedics are on their way. They are going to take you back to the hospital just to make sure because I can't go losing my beautiful boy after I've only just found him." There was no further argument from Andy after that. The only good thing about his stay in the hospital was that Sharon would enter his room with a massive smile on her face each day and ask "How's my beautiful boy this morning?" before kissing him hello. In terms of age Andy was as far away from being a boy as Provenza was from being a drag queen but he liked it. He liked it a lot. As for Sharon, she had been called every pet name under the sun when Jack was making one of his frequent apologies and as a result she hated them. She did however like it when Andy called her "Captain" and "Boss" outside of the office. She more than liked it.

"It'd be nice if you could go a couple of weeks without getting injured" Sharon said as she gently stroked the purple patch under his eye.

"I take it you'd rather no one at work discovered how I got this?"

Sharon didn't want to admit it but she thought she was likely to die from embarrassment if anyone at work had found out what she'd done. Everyone knew they were together and Sharon was perfectly happy about that but she didn't like being gossiped about. For starters for people to have that kind of conversation about her, even though the black eye occurred perfectly innocently while they were sleeping, would undermine her authority within the division she thought. More personally though she hated people discussing her behind her back. She'd experienced far too much of that in her life. Firstly because of Jack and the frequent discussions of friends, family and colleagues wondering why on earth she chose to stay with him for so long as he continued to disrespect her in every single way imaginable. Secondly was a career spent working in IA. She was proud of her work and of her record, she had made the LAPD, and as a result the city, a better and safer place but had taken down too many officers with friends who were not above discussing and even abusing her loudly when her back was turned.

"Would you hate me if I said yes?"

Andy laughed before polishing off his coffee. "I'll tell them I was tired and disorientated in the middle of the night and walked into my bathroom cabinet."

"Thank you." Sharon kissed him. "Again I'm so sorry" she said kissing him again.

"I think I know how you can make it up to me." Andy raised his eyebrow and smiled.

"I bet you do." Andy leaned in towards Sharon but she was quick to move out of the way and stand before him with her hand stretched out. "It'll have to be a rain check because if we're going to get you home and reunite you with a change of clothes and be in work before Provenza calls Robby Oderno and they organise a search party we'd better get moving."

Andy took Sharon's hand and stood up. "Whatever you say Captain, you're the boss."

They left Sharon's bedroom hand in hand. In the kitchen Rusty was busy chopping up a mixture of fruit and putting it in a bowl. He looked up at Sharon and Andy and couldn't help but smile. Although he was uncomfortable at the thought of Andy sleeping in Sharon's bed, and all that entails, the fact that the first time he had he'd been practically assaulted by an errant elbow was enough to amuse him greatly.

Sharon took the cup off Andy and made her way over to the dishwasher. As she passed the fridge she gently placed her hand on the love letter now proudly attached to it, albeit temporarily, and straightened it slightly. Groggily Andy wandered towards the table to examine the chess board.

Andy picked up his car keys and put them in his pocket. "Have you moved..."

Rusty cut him off quickly. "No. You're still the same five moves from defeat that you were in the night."

"We'll see kid. We'll see."

"What exactly are we playing for now? I cleaned up last night. I've made you breakfast" Rusty said as he put the last of the chopped up fruit into the bowl.

"Then your forfeit has already been made." Andy smiled at Rusty before moving one of his chess pieces and blocking Rusty's eye line to the board so he couldn't see the move he'd just made.

"Andy I am not losing this game" Rusty said with a smile before he headed off in the direction of his bedroom.

Sharon leant against the kitchen counter and beamed as her two boys finished once again facing off verbally over the chess board. Whatever Andy had said to him last night had certainly worked because Rusty seemed a lot happier all morning. She also liked the way they seemed to be ganging up on her during the night over her perfectly reasonable and rational Christmas angel obsession. They were getting along. Finally. The biggest surprise of the morning involved Rusty and came when Andy, just before he stepped foot in the shower, received a text from Rusty which read "Look outside." When Sharon opened her bedroom door Rusty had placed a new toothbrush, a razor and some shaving cream in a neat stack against the wall opposite all for Andy. Although a small gesture as gestures go it was hugely significant in Andy and Rusty's relationship. Andy had really tried with Rusty but nothing seemed to work. Even taking in Gus for the night and hunting for Paloma off the books was greeted with suspicion by Rusty, not that Andy did those things for Rusty. He did them because they were the right thing to do but Rusty didn't see it that way. If he was honest, no Andy didn't like Rusty when he first came into contact with him but then neither did anyone else at Major Crimes but over time they all warmed up to him and him to them. Since they had been dating for the most part Andy had bitten his tongue when he disagreed with Rusty for the sake of harmony and as an attempt for him to accept him being in his life more permanently. Rusty however had remained fairly frosty right up to the moment when he offered Andy his bedroom. It had become clear to Rusty at that point that Sharon loved Andy and to fight their relationship would only seem mean spirited and childish. For the sake of Sharon he had to at least attempt to accept Andy because after all he wasn't a bad guy and she could and had done a lot worse. In many ways, Sharon thought, Andy's accident was the best thing that could have happened. The worry and the stress aside it pushed herself closer to Andy emotionally earlier than she was perhaps ready for but it also hurried Rusty and Andy into a similar position. Bizarrely they had bonded over Slider. In fact if it wasn't for Andy's advice Rusty probably would have given up before getting so much as a single useable word out of him. Then there were the daily games of chess that, like last night, more often than not had some sort of cleaning or cooking wager attached to them. Sharon didn't actually like gambling which was no real surprise after all her years with Jack but didn't mind the wagers between Andy and Rusty as there was no money attached and as a result she had far less cooking and cleaning to do (Rusty usually ended up doing them anyway even if he won because Andy was physically unable to as he recovered. Little did Andy know that Rusty had a list of all the jobs he had done to use at an opportune moment). Sharon's personal favourite moment between the two of them happened two days before Andy moved out. She had come home from work and discovered Rusty leading Andy in an aerobics session in front of the TV as he built his stamina back up prior to going back to work. Neither saw Sharon open the door as she filmed her boys and desperately tried to suppress her laughter. In Rusty's head they looked like extras from an Eric Prydz music video. Sharon thought they both looked like they'd borrowed their bodies for the weekend and hadn't figured out how they worked yet. Andy didn't think anything, he was so worn out he just wanted to crawl into a ball and die.

"Would you like another coffee for the road?" Sharon asked as she retrieved a pair of travel mugs from the cupboard and put them next to the coffee pot.

"Desperately. I'd better call Provenza and let him know we're going to be late." Andy removed his phone from his jacket pocket and squinted at it.

"I'll do it. It might sound better coming from me. He won't question his Captain." Sharon smiled before Andy put his phone back in his pocket.

"Oh he will, you just won't know about it. What are you going to tell him? I take it you won't say we're late because I was asleep at the foot of your bed."

"I'll tell him you drove here to get me but then your car wouldn't start and we're waiting for the Auto Club to arrive."

Andy smiled. "Wow, who knew you had such a talent for lying?"

Sharon crossed the floor to Andy and kissed him long and hard on the lips. "It's about time you found out after all I discovered last night what your talent is." Sharon immediately blushed. The moment the words left her mouth she regretted it. She meant it but she regretted it. Andy had talents he couldn't list on a CV or boast about but talents that Sharon was planning to continue to take full advantage of. Sharon however was lacking in one talent in particular, no matter how hard she tried she just wasn't very good at...what you might call particularly sexy flirting. It didn't come naturally to her. She could flirt with the best of them but the moment it got slightly sexual she got tongue tied and embarrassed. Andy was too busy laughing at her reaction to repay the compliment, that would have to wait until later. Andy smiled at her reaction and returned her kiss. When it ended Sharon ran her hands over her pockets looking for her cell phone. "I left my phone next to my bed" Sharon said as she quickly headed off to retrieve it.

As Sharon was about to enter her bedroom she passed Rusty heading back to the kitchen with his laptop. Rusty approached Andy as he remained by the kitchen counter smiling in the direction that Sharon had left. Rusty shook his head. The Lieutenant that used to intimidate him when he first met him had turned into a lovesick idiot before his eyes. Whether Rusty liked it or not, this guy was eventually going to become his stepfather that was clear, so it was time he just accepted it and learned to love him too. When Andy saw Rusty shaking his head at him he reigned in his smile and walked the few steps into the kitchen to fill the travel mugs full of coffee. As he walked there was a sudden very noticeable limp in the way that he moved. This did not go unnoticed by Rusty who looked at him puzzled.

"Are you limping?"

Andy quickly lowered his hands to get Rusty to lower to voice. "A little bit."

"Why?" Rusty asked quietly before a massive smile spread across his face. "Did Sharon hit you somewhere else?" Rusty raised his elbows and nodded towards Andy's more personal and sensitive area.

Andy paused for a moment while he filled the mugs with coffee. "More like kicked" he finally said quietly as he looked at Rusty from the corner of his eye. Rusty immediately burst out laughing. He laughed loud and he laughed long as Andy glared back at him. "Okay Rusty keep the noise down" Andy said as he peered out of the kitchen to make sure Sharon wasn't listening to him.

Out of all the women that Andy had shared a bed with, and that number was significantly higher than he was willing to admit to Sharon, he had never slept next to such a restless sleeper as Sharon. Throughout the night Andy battled to keep Sharon still by holding her as tight as he could in his arms. Andy was in heaven, it was sheer bliss to fall asleep as he held the woman he loved but like an eel with a Houdini complex she always managed to wriggle free and ended up hitting him. Unlike the original blow to the eye which came out of the blue, for the sake of Sharon's feelings he managed to supress a cry when she punched him in his ear with a left hook Mike Tyson would be proud of. In truth it shocked Andy. Yes Sharon was incredibly fit (and now he'd finally seen her naked he knew just how fit she really was) because she ran and went to the gym but she was still a tiny woman. Where had this strength that made his ear ring for an hour come from? The third time she caught him she kicked him straight in the crotch. Still Andy never let out a peep but on that occasion it was more because the pain had simply taken his breath away rather than him trying to be quiet to spare her feelings. In the battle of the sexes Andy admitted that the worst pain a person could experience probably was child birth but for a man it was a kick to the balls. Sharon had kicked him so hard he thought he was going to be sick if he didn't die first. By the time the pain from all areas of his body had finally subsided and he had fallen back to sleep Andy was perched right on the edge of the bed. No more than ten minutes later Sharon woke him by tracing her finger tips across his face. It was a wonderful way to wake up and what followed was equally wonderful but he was now beyond desperate for some sleep.

"Does she know?" Rusty asked as he sat down at the table with his breakfast and his laptop.

"No and I'd like it to stay that way."

"How many times did she hit you?"

Before Andy could answer Sharon appeared again talking on her cell phone. With Sharon now in the room Andy found it hard to answer since she was facing him as Rusty never took his eyes off Andy as he waited patiently.

"We're just waiting for the Auto Club" Sharon said as she joined Andy in the kitchen. "Yes…..We'll be there as soon as possible…Call me if you get rolled out before we get in." Sharon suddenly turned her back on Andy and he was able to quickly hold three fingers in the air so Rusty could see. Rusty immediately burst out laughing again. "Thank you…Bye Lieutenant." Sharon hung up her phone before turning to face Rusty. "What are you laughing at?"

Before Rusty could speak Andy butted in. "Nothing, he's just a weird kid. I'll get the coffee." Andy glared at Rusty as Sharon looked between the two of them and smiled. Now they were joking and keeping secrets from her. Their relationship had suddenly progressed with the same rapid speed hers had with Andy. What a difference a day makes.

As Andy retrieved the travel mugs full of coffee Sharon grabbed a fork and the bowl of fruit. "And here's your breakfast."

Sharon exchanged the fruit for a coffee from Andy before he slowly made his way towards the front door. "I thought it'd be easier to eat in the car and at your desk" Rusty said in reference to the fruit as he devoured a pancake.

"Thanks kid."

Sharon walked over to Rusty and kissed him on the top of his head. "Okay I'll see you later. Have a good day."

Sharon made her way over to the front door before she grabbed her purse and jacket from the rack and Andy battled with his hands full of coffee and fruit to open the door without dropping them. Once it was open he took a solitary step outside before he heard Sharon cough to get his attention. He turned around to face her.

"Andy, are you forgetting something?" Sharon said as she nodded towards his gun, badge and cuffs which were still nestled on the table next to the door where he had left them the night before. Andy nodded as he yawned before looking for somewhere to put his breakfast down so he could finally finish getting dressed. Sharon stopped him by putting her hand on his chest. "I'll do it."

Andy smiled as he lowered his hands and his breakfast to his sides. Sharon put her coffee and purse on the floor before she picked up his gun and slipped it into the waist band of his pants on his right hip before clipping it into place. Sharon dragged her fingertips as she moved so that the ends lightly caressed Andy's waist. She picked up his badge and slotted it into position on Andy's other hip. Andy continued to smile at her as she finished dressing him. The size of his smile made Sharon keep glancing up at him as her hands made their way from one hip to the other. Finally Sharon picked up Andy's cuffs. She slid her hands around his waist into what was almost an embrace and under his jacket until they were in the small of his back. Sharon fumbled around for a moment as she battled to slot them in place without actually being able to see what she was doing. Andy continued to smile at her until he said "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's not like I haven't helped you get dressed in the morning before" she said as she planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

"At least this time it wasn't my socks."

"Thank God. It was easier to put Ricky's socks on when he was having a temper tantrum than yours." Sharon smiled as Rusty laughed loudly once again.

Andy peered around Sharon to look at Rusty. "What's so funny kid?"

Rusty was right to laugh. It was no exaggeration on Sharon's part. Putting a pair of socks on Andy's feet following his accident was worse than putting socks on a baby when they were kicking and screaming. For the most part this was because Andy was frustrated that he needed it done in the first place. He could get himself dressed easily enough (although pulling up a pair of pants is a challenge when you can't bend over) with the exception of his shoes and socks. No matter how hard he tried each method he employed involved some degree of bending over, crossing of legs or stretching all of which we're no nos in the opinion of his doctor. Andy hated the fact that he had to ask his girlfriend to put his socks and shoes on. He felt emasculated by it and added to his desperation to get better and move out of Sharon's condo even though he adored living with her.

"Ready?" Sharon asked as she straightened Andy's tie one last time.

Sharon was forever straightening Andy's tie whether it needed doing or not. She could actually trace her whole relationship with Andy through his ties. It was no lie to say that Sharon liked men's ties. She liked smartly dressed men and a good tie and no one dressed more smartly or had better taste in ties than Andy Flynn. It was the first thing that attracted him to her, that man could wear a suit.

It all started the day she went to Nicole's wedding with him. Andy's behaviour in the weeks leading up to the wedding had been...unusual. He had been angry, erratic and the problems with his blood pressure hadn't helped at all. Sharon had never seen him in such a state before. Sharon had hoped that her presence and support might be enough to calm him down but by the time they reached the church Andy was flapping so much she worried that he might be about to take off. They waited patiently on the steps outside the church for Nicole and her stepfather to arrive so that Andy could accompany them down the aisle as per her request. Since Sharon knew no one there apart from Andy she opted to stay with him outside until the last minute although it quickly became apparent that he needed at least one ally by his side at all times as a procession of dirty looks and whispering paraded in front of them and into the church, all from his ex-wife's side of the family. That's where it happened. The first time Andy's ex-wife saw Sharon and Andy together her eyes nearly came out of her head. She arrived a couple of minutes before the bride in a beautiful Rolls Royce with the bridesmaids. It was abundantly clear that she hadn't expected Andy to have the courage to show up, she was nearly right in that. If he did dare to show his face he'd probably turn up drunk and make a scene. He'd come stag or with Provenza. But he'd brought a woman. Not his usual sort of woman either. She wasn't blonde and she wasn't under the age of 30. She was beautiful yes but also the same age as Andy. He'd been behaving so erratically and irrationally in their weekly wedding meetings she thought that he had to be drinking again but not today, he was sober and he looked good. He looked really good. As Sharon looked at her as she glared at Andy the look on her face was unmistakable. It screamed "How dare you get your life together!" If looks could kill then within five minutes of meeting Andy's ex both he and Sharon would have been on Morales' table was tags on their toes. She was of course polite for the sake of her daughter on her wedding day but she continued to shoot daggers at the both of them with her eyes all day. As the bridesmaids waited by the entrance to the church and Andy's ex vanished inside to take up her position Andy shuddered and looked to the heavens. He was clearly very stressed and teetering on the edge. Since he had fainted in the murder room a couple of weeks prior Sharon was determined to keep her Lieutenant as calm as possible for his sake as much as for his daughter. Andy was filled to the brim with nervous energy and began to pace up and down on the grass as they waited until Sharon grabbed hold of his hand, ran a hand up his arm and to his shoulder. He stopped as she smiled at him.

"Just breathe" she said as she started to take deep breaths to encourage him. "Everything is going to be fine. Nicole wants you here. She wants you to walk her down the aisle. That's all that matters."

Andy took a couple of deep breaths as he rubbed his ear. "Thank you." Andy's shoulders visibly relaxed.

At that moment the final wedding car adorned with pale purple ribbons to match the colour of the bridesmaid dresses pulled up outside. Andy instantly spied his daughter and her stepfather and smiled. He turned back to Sharon.

"How do I look?" he asked nervously.

"Perfect" Sharon replied as she straightened his tie a little. He always did look perfectly dressed she thought. He could spend the night asleep in a dumpster (and probably had done in his drinking days) and he'd still come out perfectly dressed.

Andy bounded down the steps from the church to greet his daughter. Even though they loathed the very sight of each other very graciously Nicole's stepfather took a step back and allowed Andy the honour of helping her out of the car which was only fair since he had helped her in at the other end. Sharon stared at the modern day family scene in front of her and smiled. Nicole looked beautiful and Andy beamed as he drank her in with his eyes before kissing her on the cheek. As Nicole took Andy's arm in her right and her stepfather's in her left and began to ascend the steps Sharon suddenly became aware that she was still standing outside and quickly darted into the church to take up her position. Sharon wasn't sure where to sit when she got into the church. She would obviously sit on the bride's side and assumed Andy would sit up front but since no one there knew her from Adam she opted to sit at the back and out of the way. It was with great surprise then that after Andy had walked Nicole up the aisle he found her and sat with her at the back. Sharon wasn't sure whether he simply felt unwanted up front (which was a distinct possibility judging by how people looked at him) or if he just wanted her support. Regardless she wanted to be there for her colleague, dare she say friend, and gently took his hand as the service took place. Andy quickly turned his head and smiled at her before returning his attention back to his daughter.

As discussed in her office that morning, when Andy introduced Sharon to members of the wedding party he called her "my friend Sharon." This however did not stop the speculation and Sharon was able, without much trouble, to interpret the looks and whispers as people assumed there was more to their relationship than met the eye. In fact Sharon overheard a lot during the reception. Throughout the day there were a number of barbed comments about Andy which were often loud enough to make it clear that the orator wanted Sharon to hear them (There was also one comment in particular aimed at Sharon herself about the size of her backside which she did well to bite her tongue about. This comment however came from a woman who wore a pillbox hat and looked like a Bulldog chewing a wasp who turned out to be Andy's former sister-in-law. Sharon rationalised it by reminding herself that this woman knew nothing about her and clearly knew nothing about the man that Andy had become). Sharon liked Andy. Now that she headed Major Crimes they got on rather well and she was pleased to join him and support him as a friend. In fact she was pleased to call every member of Major Crimes her friend, well perhaps not Lieutenant Provenza. Lieutenant Provenza needed a bit more time before he would allow Sharon to call him that. If she was honest out of all of them Sharon had a soft spot for Andy Flynn which was as much of a surprise to her as it was to him given how often they'd done battle in the past. But Sharon was a married woman and didn't have any romantic feelings towards Andy whatsoever, despite the fact that she found him quite handsome and always had done. Not that she felt like a married woman much of the time but still it was important to her to act like one as much as possible. That's not to say there hadn't been men since Jack, she wasn't a Nun after all but there was nothing serious enough to warrant considering a divorce or to be seen out in public with them amongst family and friends. Although she had made it clear to Andy that she was attending this wedding purely as his friend and not as a date such were the character assassinations filling her ears especially as Andy had the courage to attend in the first place that she was determined to do all she could to defend and support him in a way that may be perceived by others to be more than friendship. Sharon had no idea what had gone on in the past between Andy and his family. All she knew was that the problems had been caused by Andy's addiction and as a result his relationship with them all was rocky to say the least. In that regard it mirrored her own life except Andy was smart enough to get a divorce and not have a long lingering separation like she had with Jack. In thinking about Jack it came to show Sharon just how he differed from Andy and why Andy deserved her support on this important day for him. No matter what had gone on and the wobbles he'd experienced in the days prior to the wedding, at least Andy was there. Andy had walked into a room full of people who hated him (and from what she'd heard some of them hated him a lot) to be there for his daughter. Sharon hoped Jack was capable of similar courage but doubted it. In fact it was her biggest fear, that Jack wouldn't repair the damage with Ricky and Emily and wouldn't be at their weddings one day. Emily deserved to have her father walk her down the aisle although Jack didn't necessarily deserve that honour, but his children shouldn't suffer further because of his failings. It was clear to Sharon that Andy was determined to not let his children suffer and desperately wanted to repair the damage and be there for them. That was a quality that Sharon found very attractive and she hoped that her presence and support would emphasise that point to Andy's family.

Throughout the reception at the hotel Sharon had witnessed Andy try his best to mingle but he found himself more at home with Nicole's new family than he did with his former family. Andy had no relatives of his own, other than his children, in attendance. Sharon was desperate to find out why but since this was already a tough experience for Andy she didn't want to push it. Sharon meant no disrespect in this but such was the behaviour of some members of Nicole's family she hoped that her own family would treat Jack better in a similar situation. As a result of the atmosphere in the room Andy and Sharon sat on a table with some of Nicole's new in-laws and enjoyed each other's company. They weren't alone by any stretch of the imagination. Nicole's new stepsons took an instant liking to Andy and spent a great deal of the evening battling over who got to sit on his lap. Sharon had no idea that Andy was so good with children but they simply adored him. To the great displeasure of Andy's ex-wife (who looked like she'd eaten bad seafood) both boys were quite happy sitting on Andy and Sharon's laps eating their food and clapping along to the music from the band. Despite his best efforts Sharon got more words out of Andy's son than he did over the course of the day, clearly there was a lot of work still to be done there. Nicole on the other hand tried her best to spend time with her father but since it was her wedding day she had bigger fish to fry and had to mingle with the other eighty plus people in that room so that left Andy and Sharon to talk amongst themselves.

As the late afternoon turned into evening Andy was intent on avoiding conflict for the sake of his daughter and sat with Sharon out of the way as the dance floor filled up. Sharon had spotted Andy's foot tapping away to the music and finally resolved that she wasn't going to stand for this any longer. Andy didn't deserve to be sat in the corner. It didn't matter what had happened in the past, he was now a good man and she should know, she'd investigated him enough times before really getting to know him. He should be front and centre and she was the person to help him do that. Sharon stood up suddenly and smoothed her dress down before standing in front of Andy.

"I think it's time you showed me what moves you've got" she said as she held her hand out for him to take.

"Honestly Sharon I'd love to but for the sake of harmony I think its best that I stay here."

Sharon's hands moved to her hips before she let out an exasperated sigh. "Do I have to give you an order Lieutenant?"

Andy smiled before slowly pulling himself to his feet. Without warning Sharon suddenly grabbed his tie and led him to the dance floor by it like he was a dog on a leash. This act did not go unnoticed by the occupants of the dance floor, especially Nicole and more importantly Andy's ex-wife, neither did the beaming smile on Andy's face as he had no choice but to follow Sharon.

Sharon had deliberately picked a slow song with which to enter the dance floor as she wasn't a confident dancer. She loved dance especially ballet but since Jack had said to her, albeit when he was drunk, "Good God woman you look like you're having a seizure" she had shied away from anything other than a simple slow dance. Sharon marched Andy to the middle of the dance floor before letting go of his tie and once again straightening it. She smiled at him before taking one hand in hers and placing the other on his back. It had nothing to do with the dozens of pairs of eyes burning a hole in him and everything to do with the woman with her arms around him being his Captain which caused Andy to suddenly become nervous. They were gently swaying for a full minute before Andy's remaining hand finally came to rest on Sharon's back. The band that Nicole had selected was an old fashioned swing band so the stream of classic Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald tunes filled their ears and kept their feet moving. It had been a long time since Sharon had danced with anyone and she suddenly realised that she missed being held in a man's arms from time to time.

"Thank you for this Sharon."

"You're welcome. I've had a lovely time."

"Hold your horses we still haven't made it out alive yet."

Sharon laughed and rubbed her hand up his back for reassurance. "You have a beautiful family Andy. Your children are wonderful. You should be proud."

"I wish I could take some of the credit."

"You've had more of an influence than you think. They'll come round. It'll take time but it's one step at a time."

"That sounds like the voice of experience."

"At least you try Andy."

"Jack isn't a trier?"

"He tries my patience if that counts?"

They both laughed as they continued to sway gently to the music before Nicole and her husband slowly danced towards them.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" Nicole asked Sharon.

"Not at all." Sharon made way for Nicole to take her place in Andy's arms. As they danced a few steps away Sharon leapt at the chance of dancing with a young man and took Andy's new son-in-law up on his offer to dance. As they swayed to the music Sharon couldn't take her eyes off Andy. It was a wonderful sight. She'd never seen anyone look so blissfully content and hoped one day she would see her own daughter dance like that with her father on her wedding day. In hindsight it occurred to Sharon that she played a rather large role in the "misunderstanding" that followed with Nicole. Andy certainly had mislead her into thinking they were in a relationship when they weren't but her actions at the wedding definitely contributed to putting the thought in Nicole's head to begin with. Sharon of course had no intention of admitting this to Andy anytime soon.

The next significant incident with Andy's tie occurred on the evening when she first attended The Nutcracker with his family. Once again Andy had been behaving erratically in the days prior to him asking her to attend but at the time Sharon had no idea that he was about to ask her to join him. Although Lieutenant Provenza assured her that Andy was okay and he was just being an idiot she still worried. She assumed his behaviour had something to do with the pressure of Christmas time and being with his family since he was still on uneasy ground with them (something she could easily relate to because of Jack). But still Sharon was concerned about him especially after he mentioned speaking to a therapist. Could Andy be depressed? Were things worse than she realised? Sharon really wasn't sure. All she did know was that Andy wasn't being completely truthful about what was going on when he invited her to join him and doubted whether she'd ever get to the bottom of what was actually happening. Sharon soon put it all out of her mind and after a lovely meal alone with Andy and a fabulous production of The Nutcracker (Nicole's step sons were absolutely adorable as they danced about on stage as mini Sugar Plum Fairies) they headed back to Nicole's for a nightcap. Despite it being way past their bedtime the boys were on an adrenaline and sugar high following their performance and had zero intention of going to bed when they arrived home. To begin with their new Grandpa Andy was in attendance and since they'd done nothing but talk about him since the wedding they wanted him to play with them. Apart from ballet they were currently obsessed with pirates and before the coffee had been brewed both Sharon and Andy had plastic swords thrust into their hands and were set to do battle over some cursed gold bullion. After a ten minute discussion/argument between the boys it was decided that girls could be pirates after all so Sharon was allowed to keep her sword but she needed a bandana to move her hair out of the way so she didn't look "like a girly". Since they didn't have one they suggested that Grandpa Andy should give up his tie. Eager to please the boys Andy relinquished his tie and tied it around Sharon's head. In truth she looked more like a hippie than a pirate but the boys were happy and Andy couldn't hide his smile.

By the time Andy drove Sharon home she was so used to having his tie around her head that she forgot it was there. After Andy walked Sharon to her door he was suddenly lost for words so was relieved when Sharon spoke first.

"Thank you Andy I've had a lovely time."

"No thank you. Thank you for helping me have a perfect evening with my family."

"It's been my pleasure but don't you think it's about time you told me what's really going on here?"

"What do you mean?" Andy smiled nervously.

"Andy." Sharon wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"Ask me again sometime."

Since it was clear that Andy wasn't going to be forthcoming they bid each other a fond farewell until the morning and Sharon went inside. It was only why Rusty looked at Sharon like she had suddenly sprouted wings that she realised Andy's tie was still tied around her head. By that time it was too late and Andy was already in his car and heading out of the parking garage. The following morning arrived and Sharon really hadn't anticipated that returning a colleague's neck tie was going to cause such an uproar.

Sharon had forgotten all about it when she arrived at PAB so it remained in her purse for a full hour before she suddenly remembered. Sadly her announcement of "Andy I have your tie in my purse" was loud enough for the whole division to hear and to temporarily freeze like deer caught in headlights. Work continued with the exception of Provenza and with the benefit of hindsight Sharon now understood why his mouth dropped open like a cartoon character. The moment Sharon handed Andy his tie, thanked him once again for the lovely evening and vanished into her office, Provenza shot out of his chair, grabbed hold of Andy's arm and dragged him into the corridor.

Provenza could not believe his eyes. He had done everything possible the day before to stop Flynn from making a fool of himself with the Captain, sorry with "Sharon." It now occurred to him that he should have sedated him and locked him in an interview room until the morning and this would have been avoided. The moment Flynn stood up in the murder room and made his little speech he knew there was trouble ahead but all he could do was remain at his desk with his head in his hands.

Once in the corridor Provenza set his eyes to 'glare.' "Okay I'm going to get straight to the point. Flynn, did you sleep with the Captain last night?!" Provenza had meant to say it quietly but it came out at a volume that would have silenced a riot and caused the remaining members of the division (with the exception of Sharon) to poke their heads around the corner like the Seven Dwarfs from Snow White to make sure they didn't miss the answer.

"What? No! After the ballet we went back to Nicole's and we were playing with the kids" Andy replied defensively as the rest of the division disappointedly made their way back to their desks.

"Then why did she have your tie?"

"We were playing pirates."

Provenza suddenly turned the colour of scarlet. All that was missing was the steam coming out of his ears. "I knew it! I knew I should have stopped you before this ended in a sordid sex game with the Captain! Ye Gods Flynn what were you thinking?!"

"With the kids! We were playing pirates with the kids! Jesus Provenza get your mind out of the gutter."

As Andy made his way back to his desk with a face like thunder Provenza followed him in a cold sweat. Sharon couldn't help but notice the commotion going on beyond her closed door. Something was definitely going on with Andy. All she could hope was he'd be comfortable enough one day to share his problem with her.

He did eventually share his "problem" with her the next time she came to be involved with his tie. Well he didn't so much share as he was forced into confessing all to her. To say Sharon was mortified that Nicole and Rusty thought she was dating Andy when she quite clearly wasn't was an understatement. Regardless of how she felt suddenly everything made perfect sense. His erratic behaviour before she went out with his family the previous Christmas had nothing to do with Andy being depressed and everything to do with Andy misleading them into thinking they were dating. As much as she wanted to throttle him she also understood why he did it and she had contributed to the problem with her behaviour towards Andy at the wedding. Being in a relationship, even though he wasn't, did make Andy seem more stable to Nicole and it didn't really cause much harm but Sharon made sure she took full advantage of her buffer and kept Rusty between the two of them at all times during that second performance of The Nutcracker. At least that was the plan. No matter how hard she tried Sharon always seemed to end up standing alone with Andy chatting away. During the intermission as they mingled in the lobby of the theatre having a quick drink Sharon and Andy unintentionally stood apart from everyone else. Nicole smiled as she watched them. Their eyes were locked together, they smiled at each other, they laughed and Sharon constantly had her hand on her father's tie. Nicole was sure Sharon thought she was straightening it for Andy's benefit but from her angle it looked like she was playing with it. Nicole couldn't take her eyes off them. They may claim that they weren't dating (and that was probably true at that current moment in time) but the way they interacted with each other was so intimate that Nicole was convinced that this time next year she would be buying a Christmas card addressed to "My Father and his Girlfriend."

Spring forward just over seven months and Sharon once again had hold of Andy's tie. Sharon was delighted when Andy volunteered to take Buzz out on his first ride-along. She was positively ecstatic when she saw Andy walking towards her in his uniform. This was not the first time she had seen him in it but this was the first time she'd seen him in it when he didn't loathe every fibre of her being. When he saw her he stopped as they locked eyes and he smiled before twirling on the spot to show off. There was no possibility of Sharon hiding her smile as she looked him up and down. He looked good. He looked more than good. He looked so good Sharon almost set her sleeve on fire as she lit the sparklers on Buzz's cake. She suddenly felt a little hot under the collar and that was not caused by the giant sparklers. At this stage of their "not dating but possibly dating" relationship they continued to be intimate with each other without actually being intimate which meant that Sharon once again found Andy's tie in her hand. As she played with it, pulling it out from his tie clip and pulling it back again, and told Andy to not tease Buzz he smiled at her and for the first time she admitted to herself that she wanted him, she wanted their not dates to be dates from now on. Sharon quickly buried that thought at the back of her mind as Andy turned his attention to Buzz and their impending night patrolling the streets. Little did Sharon know that Andy had already decided he was going to ask her out on a proper date and in just over a week's time she would be sitting down with him at Serve admittedly in odd shoes.

In the first few weeks they were dating Sharon played with and straightened Andy's tie in a way that became a substitute for the first kiss that still eluded them as they took things slowly. She would straighten it when he picked her up and she would play with it as they were saying goodnight. They both knew what it meant so when Andy picked Sharon up to take her to a Dodgers game he arrived at her door with a tie in his pocket so he wouldn't miss out. As Sharon opened the door he was busy tying it around his Dodgers polo shirt. She laughed when she saw him and helped him finish tying it as she said hello. Andy had planned to take it off again as soon as he got into the car but despite looking ridiculous, left it on so she would again straighten it as they said goodbye. A few hours later as the Kiss Cam landed on them at Dodger Stadium and their faces were plastered on the Jumbotron their first kiss came. It was so perfectly sweet, innocent and chaste but it opened the flood gates and made Sharon straightening his tie a little redundant. However Sharon continued to do it especially when Rusty was in the same room. While he struggled to accept Andy as Sharon's boyfriend they did everything they could to accommodate him and not make him feel uncomfortable so instead of a kiss Sharon would straightened Andy's tie in his presence unless they were saying hello or goodbye and then nothing kept their lips apart.

The next time Sharon held Andy's tie it was a much more stressful affair. Sharon held Andy's hand as his gurney was wheeled through the doors of the Emergency Room and to a cubicle. After the EMTs left they were alone for a few minutes as they waited for a doctor. Andy was still struggling with the pain in his ribs and Sharon felt helpless. She held his hand tightly as he closed his eyes and every breath began to hurt more than the last as the last of the anaesthetic wore off. Beads of sweat formed on Andy's forehead as he writhed in agony. Sharon expected him to be given another full examination soon, she was going to insist on it, so gently took off his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. She wrapped his tie around her hand like it was a bandage and took his hand once more.

"Andy please take the opiates."

"I can't. I'll be fine."

"This is not fine. Do it for me. Please."

"That's precisely why I won't take them, for you."

Sharon bent down and gently kissed him on his forehead but before she had chance to continue her protest the same doctor who had examined Andy earlier entered the cubicle.

"Mr Flynn, back again?" he said as he pulled the curtain behind him.

"I'm fine" Andy replied although his voice suggested he was anything but.

"I'll be the judge of that. Let's have another look at you and then you're going home, going to bed and you're following my instructions to the letter. Got it?"

Sharon smiled. This Doctor was clearly not going to take any nonsense from Andy. As he was examined once again Sharon sat down outside in a small waiting area. Andy's tie remained wrapped around her hand as she stared into space and her mind raced. Life had suddenly changed. In the past she had never really worried about rolling out her division. Obviously bad things had happened during her three and a half years heading Major Crimes, you might say they were unavoidable. Despite this Sharon blamed herself when anything went wrong. She blamed herself for weeks over the beating that Amy took. Then Julio was shot on her watch. Sharon rationalised it by reminding herself that at the end of the day this was their job, they were an elite division and they knew what they were doing. There was no one better in the LAPD, perhaps the country but still these things happen. Then it hit her. She wasn't just rolling out her division anymore, she was rolling out her boyfriend and putting him directly in harm's way. She had sent them to pick up Molly Pace. She had sent Andy there. She gave the order that led to this happening, to him getting injured. He fell from a moving car. A moving car for crying out loud. He could have died. She gave the order that could have led to his death. Sharon felt cold. Her hands trembled as she continued to play with the end of Andy's tie. It wasn't her fault that Andy got hurt but it was her order that placed Andy there in the first place. Sharon had never experienced mixed emotions like this before. This is what she feared most when she started dating a subordinate, that her relationship would affect her decision making, that it would make her cautious. Sharon knew she had to do everything she could to ignore this fear because work would suffer and she could not allow that. She would not allow that, ever. She had to roll Andy out with the rest of the division regardless, she knew that. Throughout her relationship thus far she had been determined to not let it seep into the office so she'd have to bury any fear and any worry she had about him and act like Andy was any other member of the division. Except he wasn't. In that moment Sharon suddenly realised that she loved him. She had fallen in love with Andy. Without looking for it or even expecting it, it had happened, she was in love. At her age. For the second time in her life. No one was more surprised than Sharon that she felt this way. Go back three years and she wasn't even sure she was capable of feeling this way again let alone love a man who had been a nemesis for several years. Her heart ached as she sat there and thought about him and worried. Andy would be okay, she knew that. He was in pain and he was banged up but it was nothing life threatening. It was typical Andy Flynn to think he could come into work hours after falling from a moving car and be okay. Sharon's heart sank for a moment. It may have been idiotic for Andy to come straight back to work but thank God he did. If he hadn't he could have collapsed at home. Alone. He could have hit his head. It could have been hours until they found him. As it was Sharon was in the next room and keeping an eye on him. What happened could have been so much worse. Sharon tried not to think about it. He would be fine. He would. Some rest was all Andy needed and a pain management plan and he would be fine. But she still worried. She loved him. This was it. She was going to worry about Andy Flynn for the rest of their lives.

Sharon took out her phone and dialled. She wanted Rusty to know. He had already seen that Andy had been injured but she wanted him to know that he was back in hospital. She wanted him there to hold his hand while Andy was being treated and she wanted him to know that regardless of any protests either Andy or Rusty might have, Andy was coming home with them and staying there until he was better.

"Hi Sharon. How's Andy?"

"That's why I'm calling. I'm at the hospital with him now."

"God! Is he okay?" Rusty's concern was genuine. Yes he didn't like that Sharon and Andy were dating because he had such a chequered history with his mother's boyfriends but he didn't wish the guy any harm. Plus it was obvious that Sharon liked him. She liked him a lot so Rusty battled (and it was a battle even though he was a good guy) to be nicer to him.

"He'll be fine. He felt unwell in my office so the paramedics have brought him back for another check-up." Sharon tried desperately to stay calm but there were wobbles and cracks in her speech. It was clear to Rusty even on the other end of a phone just how upset and worried she was.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Please. Can you drive to St Leos and come and collect us? I came in the ambulance with Andy so my car is still at PAB."

"Of course. I'm on my way. Anything else?"

"No...just...Andy is going to be staying with us for a few days while he recovers. Is that okay?" Sharon asked cautiously. She phrased it as a question but there was no way on earth she was going to allow Andy to sleep anywhere else in the near future.

Rusty's response was immediate. "Sure. He can have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch." It was clear to Rusty at this point that Sharon had moved on and she probably loved Andy. Whatever reservations he had he needed to put them to one side for Sharon and the first step towards doing that was offering his bed to Andy in his time of need. Besides it would keep Andy out of Sharon's bed and regardless about how Sharon might feel about it Rusty certainly wasn't ready for that yet.

"Are you sure?" Sharon was surprised by Rusty's offer. This was definitely a step in the right direction but she'd have time to think and appreciate that later. Right now she could only focus on one thing and that was Andy.

"He fell from a moving car, I'm not going to make him sleep on the couch."

"Thank you Rusty. Thank you."

"I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you" Sharon said in almost a whisper as her voice broke.

"Love you too."

Sharon hung up her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. She held Andy's tie to her nose. It smelled of him, of his aftershave. That man practically bathed in his aftershave. It was a good job Sharon loved the smell. He would be fine. She knew he would be fine. This was purely a pain problem and the shock. This had only just happened. The accident was only a few hours ago. He would be fine. Everything would be fine.

Only it wasn't fine. There was a clot and then Andy passed out in the bathroom because of his medication. The next time she held his tie in her hand her stress levels were increased further. The first night that Andy spent in hospital Sharon didn't arrive home until the middle of the night as she battled to close the case and be with him. A deal would be made the next day with Hobbs but she didn't need to be there for that meaning she could spend Thanksgiving at the hospital. Much to her surprise Rusty was sleeping on the couch when she entered the condo. Rusty would later tell her that his bed was currently Andy's bed and he didn't feel right sleeping in it when he was in hospital. After she repositioned Rusty's blanket to cover his feet up again Sharon found herself in his bedroom, sitting on his bed with one of Andy's shirts on her lap. Wrapped around her hand was one of Andy's ties (a tie he'd insisted on bringing with him no matter how many times Sharon told him he wouldn't be doing any work while he recovered) as Sharon held Andy's shirt to her face and inhaled his scent that lingered on it. She tried not to worry but that only made her worry more. The clot was now in a more dangerous position and his surgery was urgent. She could lose him. She tried not to think about it but Sharon was a hope for the best but prepare for the worst type of person so the possibility of losing Andy was never far from her mind. Rusty was equally worried and had woken up as she opened his bedroom door. Seeing the light coming from his room Rusty had made his way down the hallway and watched Sharon as she sat on his bed. Since the adoption Rusty had slipped between calling Sharon "Mom" and "Sharon" naturally without ever really knowing what was going to come out of his mouth. On rare occasions though he would put some thought into it depending on the situation. Today was definitely a "Mom" day.

"He's going to be okay Mom."

Sharon looked up and smiled. "I know."

Despite the positive response the tone in which she said it and the tears that were battling to stay hidden told Rusty all he needed to know. Rusty sat down next to Sharon and put his arm around her shoulders. Sharon responded by placing her head on his shoulder. Today had been a long day and Thanksgiving was going to be even longer but at least at the end of it Sharon would have something to be thankful for, she'd still have Andy.

As he recovered Andy had no need for a tie until the day he returned to work. On that morning Sharon ensured the rest of the division were in work early to welcome him back. Amy had tied some "Welcome Back" balloons to his chair while Julio, Mike and Buzz provided a round of coffee and pastries from Andy's favourite place. Since Sharon had taken his friend in and cared for him after his accident (it didn't matter that it was expected as his girlfriend) Provenza decided he was going to buy a cake. Sharon had hoped for something that said "Welcome Back Andy," what she saw as Provenza lifted the lid off the box was a cake with a picture of a tombstone and the words "Glad You Didn't Die Flynn" written in blue frosting. Just as Sharon was contemplating murder Andy arrived. Hugs and handshakes were shared amongst the squad (Amy had even bought him a scented candle as a welcome home present) with the exception of Sharon. They hadn't actually seen each other for nearly two days. Sharon had dropped him home on the Saturday morning and helped him settle back in but had then left him to his own devices over the weekend as he gained his much longed for independence back. They had spoken on the phone during the day and before going to bed they had Skyped one another, both shocked by how quickly they got used to wishing each other goodnight in person and how they missed it now they were suddenly apart but this was their first reunion in the flesh. Sharon desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him in a bear hug and welcome him back but she was back to being his Captain. Once again his tie came into play and she took hold of it and straightened it. Once again it was a substitute for a kiss, once again they both knew what it meant and it was more than enough.

Then finally there was last night. After Sharon had led Andy into her bedroom for the very first time she remained with her back pressed against the door as her nerves continued to take hold. Andy smiled before slowly walking towards her. His hands slipped gently around her waist as he tentatively moved his head closer and kissed her on the lips. Sharon remained pressed against the door as one hand gripped the door handle tightly and the other ran up and down Andy's back under his jacket and tugged at the bottom of his shirt. Sharon let out a nervous sigh as Andy's lips left hers and made their way down to her neck. Finally Sharon decided that these nerves were not going to get the better of her any longer and released the door handle, ran her hands up to Andy's shoulders to remove his jacket before taking hold of his tie like she did at Nicole's wedding and led him to her bed with it.

Sharon finished straightening Andy's tie before gently running her fingers down the side of his face. She smiled at him before kissing him gently on the lips. "Perfect."

Sharon bent down and picked her purse and coffee up from the floor and turned back towards Rusty. "Bye Rusty."

"See you later kid" Andy added as he stood to one side to allow Sharon to walk out the door first, as always.

"Bye guys" Rusty called, never taking his eyes off his laptop screen.

Andy followed Sharon out the door before catching the bottom of it with his foot, dragging it towards him and allowing it to shut behind him without using his hands. As they walked down the hallway to the elevator Andy yawned once more. It was a big yawn almost like he'd dislocated his jaw. Once at the elevator Sharon pushed the button to call it as Andy yawned yet again.

"Excuse me" he said as he covered his mouth with his forearm.

"Are you okay to drive? You look exhausted." Sharon rubbed her hand up and down Andy's arm.

"And whose fault is that?" Andy smiled and Sharon simply couldn't resist him. She didn't want to resist him. She grabbed his tie once more and pulled him towards her. She kissed him until they were disturbed by a loud and deliberate cough emanating from the direction of the elevator. Sharon broke away from Andy to see her neighbour, a rather petit but very angry, no seething looking woman, standing in the elevator and desperate to get out except her path was blocked by two people acting like teenagers.

"Excuse me" she said in a tone that one only usually heard when a principle was about to let rip on a troublesome teenager.

"Sorry" Sharon said sheepishly as she moved out of the way and allowed her neighbour to exit.

The woman glared at Sharon before looking Andy up and down and then finally exiting the elevator and scuttling down the hallway. This was Mrs Rose. Her name suggested a gentile and fragrant woman. She was not. She was the devil in high heels and a girdle. She didn't like Sharon. She didn't like Sharon at all. In her mind despite the fact that Sharon was "some sort of law enforcement" she was a troublemaker. It all started the day she brought that boy home. That stray. Who brings a boy home and keeps him? Then there was all the extra security in the building. Police officers swarming all over the place like locusts. It didn't make you feel safe. All for that boy. Now she had a boyfriend. At her age! Always kissing him in the hallway. Did she not have a home to do that in? It was unseemly. This was an apartment building not a brothel. Mrs Rose disappeared into her condo and slammed the door. The noise echoed up the hallway as Andy couldn't help but laugh.

Sharon covered her eyes with embarrassment. She knew he neighbour didn't like her and this latest incident was hardly going to improve matters. Andy smiled at her as he allowed her into the elevator first. Sharon pressed the button for the parking garage before the door closed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you at the office?" Andy asked.

"No it's fine. I'll come with you."

"Okay."

The remainder of the elevator ride past in silence until the doors opened in the garage. They stepped out and walked towards Andy's car which was parked in Sharon's spot since her car was still at PAB. As Andy moved he tried desperately not to limp so Sharon wouldn't discovered the other damage she'd caused in the night.

"I thought you kept a bag full of clothes in the trunk of your car" Sharon queried.

"I used to but I used the bag when I moved in with you and haven't replaced it since I've been the 'Desk Monkey'" Andy said with an air of annoyance that he still wasn't allowed to leave PAB with the rest of the division.

Sharon began to bite her bottom lip as she nervously broached the subject currently occupying her mind. "You should. You should do it this morning. You could keep some extra clothes in it...and a toothbrush...and anything else you might need should you not make it home at night...like tonight for instance." She smiled at him and blushed slightly.

As they reached Andy's car he placed his coffee and bowl of fruit on the roof before moving to the passenger side door to open it for Sharon. "Are you propositioning me Captain?"

Sharon smiled at him as he opened the door for her. "I may be. What would your response be if I were?" Sharon leant up against the car as Andy rested his arm on the top of the open door.

"Well let's look at the facts. Last night you mauled me, attacked me, gave me a black eye, I was interrogated by your son before you mauled me again and I hardly got a wink of sleep. Why would I possibly want to do anything else?"