Thank you so much again for all of your support and kind words! Here is the next chapter. This, unfortunately, will be the last update until I get back from vacation early next week. I hope everyone celebrating has a happy 4th! As always, feel free to let me know what you think about this chapter.

I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co.

Chapter Four

Sharon and Andrea sat across from each other at a high top table in a trendy wine bar downtown. After the crazy day Sharon had had with the Major Crimes division, she needed an expensive glass of wine to wash it away. Andrea had suggested the wine bar because she knew it was the type of place her best friend would love, so the two headed there straight from the PAB after Andrea finalized their suspect's deal.

"I heard you had quite an action-packed day," Andrea teased around sips of wine.

"It was a little bit more than I bargained for, but it felt good," Sharon replied. "I miss the action sometimes," she added a bit wistfully.

"Well, from what I heard, you certainly haven't lost your touch," Andrea said with a smile. The statement caught Sharon's attention.

"Oh yeah, from whom?" She inquired. Andrea laughed.

"First I got an earful from your suspect, and then I overheard Flynn telling Provenza about it," she explained. "He was quite impressed," she added with a knowing look. Andy telling Provenza explained the senior lieutenant's mumbled praise earlier, Sharon thought. Andrea wasn't sure what to make of her friend's sudden pensive mood. "Anything new on that front, by the way?"

"You mean other than me having to spend every day with him?" Sharon said with a smirk. Andrea just nodded. "No, but you were right," she added before taking a sip of her wine. Andrea's brow creased in confusion, so Sharon continued. "I really was just another woman that Andy Flynn tried to seduce," she explained with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"He told you that?" Andrea asked, surprised.

"No, but I overheard him talking to Provenza," she clarified. Andrea gave her a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," she said simply. Sharon shook her head.

"No, it's a good thing. Now that I know I didn't mean anything more to him, I can finally move forward without the awkwardness. It actually makes things easier," she said, resigned.

"Well, at least there's that. And wine. And you being a badass mother-"

"Andrea!" Sharon interrupted her suddenly, and they both broke out into a fit of laughter.

Andy and Provenza sat across from each other at a rather large table at the LAPD's favorite "cop bar". The rest of their team was up and mingling, but neither man felt like indulging in forced conversation. Provenza gulped down his beer while Andy slowly sipped his club soda. Truth be told he was only out tonight because his best friend had begged him to be his designated driver.

"Hey, Flynn. Check out the girl at two o'clock," Provenza said, a little proud of himself for picking someone he knew his friend would find attractive. Andy glanced in the indicated direction and saw the girl, and she was definitely a girl, barely out of her twenties, that Provenza was referring to. "Talk about a leggy brunette, huh?" He added with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. Andy had to admit, she was very attractive, and had it been any other time before that night at Drew's he would have gone right over there and poured on his famous Flynn charm, but he couldn't get a different leggy brunette off of his mind.

"She's attractive," he said unenthusiastically. Provenza's eyes widened.

"What is wrong with you tonight? We're enjoying a rare early night out, there are beautiful women everywhere, a leggy brunette just waiting for your charms, and we solved a case practically at the same time we got called to it-" Provenza explained happily before he heard the quiet interruption from his best friend.

"Thanks to Captain Raydor," Andy stated simply. Provenza looked at him like he was crazy.

"Look, Flynn, I'll admit that her happening on our killer was a nice gift. But, patrol would have spotted him the minute he made a run for it out that window," Provenza said before taking another sip.

"And the backpack?" Andy asked, irritation seeping through.

"What?" Provenza asked with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Would patrol have made the connection with the backpack?" He asked annoyed. Provenza put his beer down and stared at his second in command. What had gotten into him? Realization crossed his features.

"Is this about that woman who never called you?" Provenza pried. Andy looked up at his friend and his eyes widened.

"What? No!" He insisted, but Provenza wasn't convinced.

"Look, Flynn, just because one woman was immune to your charms doesn't mean you've lost your touch. Go on over there, and you'll see," Provenza instructed before reclaiming his beer and taking a sip.

"You think I'm nursing a bruised ego?" Andy asked incredulously.

"Well, you're certainly nursing something," he said, drawing his eyes towards the other man's drink. Something was definitely off with Flynn.

"I'm just not interested is all," Flynn said, and Provenza could tell that it was no longer open for discussion. He studied him for a beat.

"You know what they say... The best way to get over someone is to get under someone new," he teased. Andy slammed his fist down on the table causing Provenza to jump a little.

"I don't want to talk about it," he bit out, trying to maintain some form of composure. Provenza gave him a simple nod in return and continued to sip his drink. The rest of the evening passed by in relative silence. Andy was too lost in thought for conversation anyway, especially aggravating conversation. Ever since the elevator this morning, he had been having a difficult time trying not to think about Sharon Raydor. And with her in their murder room and in his car and at the crime scene, it was impossible. She was invading his senses and permeating his thoughts. And then she went and pulled that heroic stunt, that in all honesty, if he hadn't been concerned for her safety, he would have been shamelessly turned on by her badass side. He was barely holding it together and she was the picture of composure. Damn, if that didn't make him like her even more, too!

In the days that followed, things began to fall into a more natural pace between the Major Crimes team and their uninvited guest. Sharon was able to acquaint herself with all of the members' files except Andy Flynn's. She had decided that it would be best to put his off for as long as possible, so as she completed the last one, she knew the stalling had to come to an end. Things had been going well between them, and she didn't want to read something that might change that. She spent her days in the murder room reviewing cases, observing interviews, interviewing members of the squad, and riding along to crime scenes. Her discovery about Andy's intentions, while hurtful, had truly set her free. She no longer felt awkward in his presence. She was able to focus on her job, and that too, brought her comfort.

The night she finally read Andy Flynn's file in the safety of her condo, she poured herself a large glass of wine. When that was done, she switched to tea. Once the tea was gone, she ended up with coffee because, try as she may, she couldn't stop delving into his past. Sure, it was littered with screw-ups, patterns of bad behavior, and a clear lack of control over his temper, but what had caught her attention was what wasn't in that file. Since she knew about his struggle with alcoholism, she could see a clear connection to his actions when he was drunk and when he was sober, and it became very obvious when he stopped drinking. If she was doing the calculations correctly, he had been sober for around two decades. She was floored by his discipline and by the growth he had accomplished personally and professionally. There was a lot more to Andy Flynn than she realized, and it made her crave to learn more. When she finally finished the file, she quickly banished those thoughts and went to bed.

The next day, Sharon arrived early at the PAB. She stopped by her office to return the files she had been diligently catching up on at night before making her way to the murder room. When she got there, she dropped her things on her desk and noticed a to-go cup of hot coffee sitting on it. She assumed someone had been using her desk and simply left it there, but when she looked around, everyone seemed to have their own. She picked up the cup and noticed that there was something written in black marker on the side: Sharon.

She put the cup back down and looked around. There was only one person in that murder room who would use her first name - the same person who knew her first by only that name - and he was nowhere to be found. Just then, Provenza came out of his office.

"Alright, it's confirmed. We've got a body," he said while putting on his suit jacket. "You coming, Captain?" He asked and she quickly nodded. It was the first time he invited her along without an eye roll or sarcastic comment. Progress, she thought. "Come on, then, you can ride with me". She grabbed her coffee and her bag and followed behind him.

When they got to the crime scene, Sharon saw Andy flagging them down. So, that's where he had disappeared to, she thought. Provenza had sent him ahead. She checked their logs, observed their procedures, and made any necessary notes. If one thing the last couple of weeks with Major Crimes had shown her, it was that Taylor's fears were a bit overblown. While the squad did like to bend the rules, they certainly hadn't broken any. Forgotten a few log book entries? Absolutely, but the team was respectful of the process and very dedicated to their jobs.

Provenza left the scene early to head to the morgue with the body. As the rest of the squad prepared to head back to the station, Andy offered Sharon a ride back since Provenza had already left. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to make the offer other than the simple fact that he enjoyed her company. He suddenly felt overtly aware of her presence as they walked towards his car alongside each other. He stole a few glances, simply admiring her.

When they reached his car, he moved to open the passenger door for her, but accidentally found himself almost colliding with her instead. He put his arm out to shield her, and it landed half on her hip and half on her lower back. She looked at him for a moment, and he couldn't help the way her eyes seemed to pull him in and not let go. In the bright sunshine, he could really admire the depth of green they reflected back. And then he became aware of his hand and the way he could feel the warmth of her skin through her shirt. Suddenly, he realized how intimate the moment had become, so he let go of her and opened her door instead. She nodded in thanks and got into the car.

An awkward silence fell over them as they rode away from the crime scene. He stole a look in her direction, but she seemed relaxed, unlike himself. He thought that the silence might swallow him whole when she finally broke it.

"Thank you for the coffee," she said simply. He hoped that she didn't see the look of surprise that crossed his face.

"You're welcome," he answered, trying desperately to sound casual. "Did Provenza tell you it was me?" He asked, once again hoping it sounded casual.

"No, I figured it out," she said with a smile, and he really hoped she elaborated because he had no idea how she knew. She must have picked up on that fact because she suddenly laughed, and Andy felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach at the sound. He loved it when she laughed. "The cup. It said 'Sharon' on it," she added with a casual tilt of her head. Oops! He definitely hadn't meant to do that.

"Right, yeah, I tend to do that. Julio, Mike, Amy," he said with a nervous smile, hoping she bought his explanation. She didn't say anything further, so he assumed he was in the clear. Better to change the subject just in case, he thought.

"So, how are you liking Major Crimes?" He asked and then inwardly kicked himself. It wasn't as if she was joining the squad. She was auditing them, for crying out loud!

"Actually, you all have been a lot more cooperative than I was expecting," she said kindly. "And you certainly see a lot of action," she added. He smiled.

"I don't know. You guys get to take over crime scenes and boss everybody around. Can't be all bad," he joked, and caught her smile from the corner of his eye. It warmed him.

"Oh, it isn't. That's one of my favorite parts of working in FID," she said with a smirk. This was the Sharon he had met that night, and he was filled with excitement to see her again.

"What's your least favorite part then?" He asked with one of those charming smiles of his, and Sharon thought she was going to melt. She had to mentally remind herself of his womanizing ways.

"Just between you and me," she started, and Andy felt his heart rate increase at her words. "Audits," she said with a laugh. Andy couldn't help but to laugh as well. The rest of the drive back to the PAB was comfortable and they alternated between companionable silence and light conversation.

That night when she climbed into bed and snuggled under her covers, Sharon felt warm and fuzzy. She had met Andy Flynn the flirty womanizer and Andy Flynn the professional detective, and now, she had met Andy Flynn the potential friend and ally. And that last one had her drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face.

TBC

A/N: So, I'm leaving it here on a positive note until after the July 4th holiday weekend. When we come back, things will start to pick-up a bit more between these two. There will be more cases, more action, and more development between them. Of course, there will also be a few setbacks. As I said originally, the story is completely written, so I'll get to work on revising the other chapters so I can start posting as soon as I'm back. Thanks again for sticking with this story. Enjoy your weekend!