At the End of the Day

by Still Lost in Translation

Filling in the gaps after the credits roll. Picking up where 4.17 #FindKaylaWeber left off, after a horrible couple of days Sharon was in need of a little TLC (Update: Chapter 43: The morning after Ch 42 - Sharon battles to get ready for work while dealing with a rejuvenated Andy after his all clear from the Doctor. Takes place six weeks after the end of White Lies Part Three 5x13)

7. Chapter 7

Thank you so much for the surprising and frankly overwhelming response to my last chapter. I didn't like it, apparent a lot of you did. Thank you monketytoez17, leveragus, ClemsonTiger, Sirabella, MCTVFan, GrammyIda, Maxi97, Sue Baker, Darlene Graczyk, joyaganguly, PatryTrusky, rrharr87 and the two Guests for your very kind reviews. Thanks froggy62 for not only reading and reviewing it once but twice! Also thanks to Anna9999, VMLOV83 and rrharr87 for favouriting my twaddle and for MAGirl2007, theoofoof and villanuevan1937 for following along. Finally thanks to mismatchedsocks and CorineMaitlandW for getting in touch via Twitter.

All reviews are greatly received no matter if they are good, bad or indifferent. If you read it please review so I know I'm not wasting my time when I really should be at work instead. Alternatively you can get in touch with me on Twitter at DHPLover.

When I finished the first draft of this chapter it was by far my favourite, especially the second half, but by the time I finished tinkering with it, it was well over 20,000 words. I decided this was too long so opted to split it in two, right down the middle and then add to it (which you'll notice by the final line that there is clearly more to come). I've now been left with two chapters which are both over 14,000 words long. I was going to wait until Friday to post this chapter but there's a chance there might be a slight overlap with tonight's episode so I'll post it now (potential errors as a result and all!). Chapter eight, which is my favourite thing I've ever written (and I wrote a lot at university), will be posted next Friday.

Like I said it's another long one so get comfy. This chapter picks up about four hours after the last one ended.

Enjoy.

At the End of the Day – Chapter Seven

After the start that it had it had been a relatively quiet day on the whole for Major Crimes. The triple homicide that the division rolled out to in the Hills that morning turned out to be a double murder suicide involving a father and two young children which although horrific for everyone connected with the case and with Amy and Julio struggling in particular at a quite horrendous and grisly crime scene it didn't require the kind of attention and leg work other cases sought. As per Chief Taylor's instructions it was soon passed down the chain and paperwork once again became the sole focus for the rest of the day as they waited patiently for their next roll out. Sharon was kept up to date by Provenza while the division was at the scene and had quickly concluded that the squad was going to require handling with kid gloves upon their return. With lunchtime fast approaching as her team returned to base Sharon asked Andy to order in a couple of pizzas as a distraction and a boost following what they'd just witnessed. With shoulders slunk down as one by one they plodded back into the murder room, the mood was lifted slightly as the food from their Captain was greatly received and gobbled down with Sharon joining them during their meal. Sharon hovered with her slice in the middle of the murder room as one topic of conversation occupied them: Provenza's latest upcoming wedding.

Amy grabbed a slice of pizza and sat down at her desk. "How many is this now?" she asked Provenza before taking a huge bite.

"Weddings or wives?" Andy questioned as Mike and Julio immediately laughed. Provenza had more weddings then they'd had vacations combined.

"There's a difference?" Amy asked.

"He's not known as the Henry VIII of the LAPD for no reason Sykes" Andy added as Sharon turned towards him to smile and hide her laughter from Provenza.

Provenza glared at Andy before turning to Amy and smiling proudly like it was his life's crowning achievement. "Fifth wife. Sixth marriage."

Amy's eyes widened. She knew the number was fairly high and that Provenza had been married a couple of times before but six weddings? Six? The grumpiest man she'd ever met was about to be married for the sixth time and none of them, not even one, were mail order brides? "That's….surprising" she finally said hoping it didn't sound offensive.

Buzz was quick to respond to Amy. "What that he would get married six times or that one woman would make the same mistake twice?"

Provenza shot daggers at Buzz as laughter reverberated around the room. "Captain does he have to be here?" he asked as he nodded towards Buzz. "I mean anyone can hold a camera."

"You can't" Buzz retorted.

Sharon laughed as she finally gravitated towards Andy's desk and sat down on the edge of it. Andy was quick to stand, offer Sharon his chair and take up the spot she previously occupied on the edge. Andy was nothing if not chivalrous and it was as close as they had currently come during the course of their relationship to actually having lunch together while at work. As they switched places no one battered an eyelid at this sudden mixture of business and personal in the work place. It was suddenly as normal a sight as their Captain giving Andy an order. It was almost as if the events of the morning, as awkward and embarrassing as they were, had enabled everyone, Sharon and Andy in particular, to relax about the situation. Work hadn't been and wouldn't ever be affected so there was no need to hide it especially during those rare moments at work when they could sit together and enjoy each other's company amongst the group.

"So what are you going for this time?" Mike asked.

Provenza leant back in his seat and raised his hands in the air. "I want to go big this time. Flowers, doves, swing band, kids dressed as angels, the whole nine yards."

Silence descended on the murder room as amused and surprised expressions were exchanged. "Kids dressed as angels?" Andy finally asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah" Provenza said proudly.

"You don't think that's a little….weird?" Andy asked. The looks on the faces of the rest of the division confirmed Andy's point. A man who had entered his 70s wanting children dressed as angels running around at his wedding and his sixth at that? No matter where you're from or what language you speak, that's weird.

"Is Patrice on board with this big wedding idea?" Sharon asked quickly before her second in command could burn holes in his (and her) partner with his eyes.

"No" Provenza replied grumpily as he wiped his mouth. "If she gets her way we'll be doing it over the road in my lunch hour." The room was suddenly filled with laughter as Provenza looked around confused. "What's so funny?"

"Knowing you like we do, we'd all just assume it was the other way around" Buzz explained.

"It's not that surprising when you think about it really" Sharon offered as she moved Andy's chair forward so she was now sitting level with him on his desk and facing the room. "I imagine Patrice's family still aren't particularly thrilled that she's marrying the man who helped arrest her Granddaughter." Sharon was right and no one could blame Patrice's family for their reservations really because it was certainly a stumbling block but if Patrice could see past it and love the man who was just doing his job and the right thing after all, why couldn't they?

Julio's hand shot up before he swivelled around in his chair to face Provenza. "If I were you Sir I'd just be grateful she agreed to marry you in the first place."

A loud "Ha!" from Mike was ignored as Provenza focused on Julio. "And just for that you are uninvited" Provenza announced as he crossed a line off an imaginary list on the palm of his hand with his finger. Julio could do nothing but smile and laugh.

"Do you get reward points or some sort of frequent flyer miles for every wedding you have?" Buzz asked expecting a similar response.

Provenza smiled. "Oh look Sanchez you'll have company on my wedding day."

Already uninvited Buzz saw no reason to stop now besides which he was having far too much fun at Provenza's expense. "Is there a wedding planner in Los Angeles you haven't used yet?" he asked. Everyone immediately laughed but sadly for Sharon she laughed the longest and the loudest as everyone's attention was immediately drawn to her. Andy's smile beamed at her as Provenza's eyes bulged.

"Captain? You think that was funny?" Provenza asked a little perturbed.

Sharon covered her mouth with her hand as she battled not to laugh as she chewed. "Of course not Lieutenant. My lip just twitched slightly." Andy grinned from ear to ear as Sharon tried to compose herself while being put on the spot by his partner.

"Twitched?" he questioned as Sharon fought to control her laughter unlike everyone else who enjoyed it when their Captain found a moment to be relaxed and casual with them. "Well maybe you and your twitch will enjoy spending the day with Sanchez and Buzz and not at my wedding." Julio and Buzz smiled at her as she joined their club.

Andy leant down to Sharon and winked before he quite loudly told her "Don't worry you can be my plus one."

Provenza's response was immediate. "Oh Flynn, Flynn, Flynn! Siding with the enemy. You're also uninvited" he proclaimed loudly as he again crossed a line off his imaginary list.

"You're uninviting your best man?" Andy asked with pretend offence and disbelief.

Provenza wagged his finger. "With the speech you gave last time you were lucky you made the list in the first place. I am not spending another one of my wedding nights in bed with you!" Andy had hoped that Provenza had forgiven him in the intervening years but evidentially not. Provenza had not forgiven nor forgotten that night but then neither had Andy for that matter. It was pretty hard to forget the night you shared a bed with your partner and woke up to find him spooning up behind you with his arm draped around your midriff and blissfully humming in your ear. Andy immediately shouted 'Provenza! What the hell are you doing?!' and pushed him out of bed with his arms and legs flailing but that was not until after Provenza stirred slightly, called him 'My little sex pot' and kissed Andy on the back of the neck before both of them remembered where they were and that they were in fact in bed with each other. As Provenza picked himself up off the floor and frantically rubbed his lips with the back of his hand to get any remaining trace of Andy off them he made it abundantly clear that they were never going to speak of this again. And indeed they hadn't but that didn't erase the memory or stop Andy from flinching every time Provenza stood behind him just in case there was a repeat performance.

Incredibly amused expressions were shared between the rest of the division. This was a story they were not aware of before now. "Why did you share a bed with Lieutenant Flynn on your wedding night?" Julio asked as he laughed. Julio like the rest of the division, bar Amy, had seen some of the antics that Provenza and Flynn had got up to in the past in particular with members of the opposite sex. He knew the trouble they frequently found themselves in (often unintentionally) but even so this was a surprise.

Provenza scowled at Andy as he smiled back almost taunting him. If looks could kill Andy would shortly be having a tag fitted to his toe and be making an appointment to see Dr Morales. After hearing that exact story on her way to work that very morning Sharon shook her head at Julio before Provenza could say anymore and said "Don't ask."

Provenza all but had steam coming out of his ears as he looked between Andy and Sharon and back again like he was watching a game of tennis at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. "You told the Captain?!" Provenza was apoplectic in his response. In truth it was more of an act than serious fury but still he couldn't believe one of his more embarrassing secrets had been shared with his commanding officer.

Andy shrugged his shoulders with a rather blasé attitude and smiled. "Sure I did. She's my girlfriend. I tell her everything." Sharon immediately blushed as Andy used the word 'girlfriend' at work in front of the squad. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt ten foot tall. Meanwhile Provenza currently felt like he wanted to die and take Flynn with him.

"You told her I kissed your neck?!" Provenza shouted as he stood up and slammed his fists onto his desk. He was truly mad by this point but not as mad as he was about to be with himself.

The murder room was filled with uncontrollable laughter as Provenza gave Andy a withering look. Sharon hid her face in Andy's back so Provenza wouldn't see her shaking with laughter as Andy looked to the heavens. "No I didn't tell her that but you just did you knucklehead."

Provenza looked aghast as he sat back down in his chair. He pulled his napkin from his shirt front and covered his face with it as he waited for lightening to hit him and end his suffering once and for all. By this point Mike was crying with laughter. He was shocked that for all the years he'd known both of them he'd never heard this story. "You kissed his neck? Why?" he asked as he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes.

"I forgot where I was! It was my wedding night! Ye Gods!" Provenza shouted from behind his hands.

Andy simpered at Sharon before grinning at Provenza. "Provenza if it's any consolation you were a very gentle and generous lover." Again laughter erupted around the room as Provenza continued to hide his face.

Sharon continued to violently laugh into the side of Andy's jacket. She would normally keep quiet in situations such as this but simply couldn't help herself. Wiping her eyes on the back of her hand Sharon said "I had no idea you were my competition Lieutenant."

The only sound was laughter as Provenza plotted the death of everyone in his line of sight. He was never going to live this down. 'Kissed Andy Flynn's Neck' would probably be chiselled on his tombstone. "Time to change the subject" he announced with great authority.

"Like you were so quick to change the subject this morning?" Andy stated quite rightly.

"That's different. It's not every day you discover Rocky is your commanding officer."

Again laughter reverberated around the room but it was a lot quieter as they battled not to make their Captain feel awkward. By this point however even Sharon could afford a small smile at her 4am assault on Andy but she'd still rather the conversation didn't go any further while at PAB.

Sensing just the slightest shift in awkwardness in the room Mike was quick to change the subject and cleared his throat. "What exactly do I need to say to get my name crossed off?" he asked Provenza hopefully.

Provenza narrowed his eyes before smiling. "Just for that you're now top of my list and it's written in permanent ink." Provenza's words made Mike's head land on his desk with a thud. "Have you got anything to say Sykes?"

Amy swivelled back and forth in her chair and smiled. "Not me Lieutenant. I'm really looking forward to it."

General chit chat (including Amy's Christmas plans with Chuck and how Mike and Cathy were dealing with their 'tuition shock' now that all of their boys were in college at the same time) filled the room for the rest of the meal as everyone battled to not laugh at the sulking Provenza who couldn't quite believe that everyone now knew one of his more embarrassing moments. With lunch over and everyone except Mike and Amy crossed off the list of invitees to the wedding Sharon went back to her office. She had closed the blinds earlier that morning shortly after Hobbs left so that she could get some work done without any distractions and by distractions she meant specifically staring at Andy and the ever prominent memory of what she'd recently discovered he could do with his tongue. Four times during the day she was overheard muttering 'Work, work, work!' to herself as she tried to concentrate and not think about the man seated just a few feet away from her. Sharon was determined to not let this new change in her relationship with Andy effect work so if she had to keep her blinds closed and talk to herself like she was a sandwich short of a picnic then so be it, whatever worked.

The main highlight of the working day came much later and again involved Provenza who was quickly having a day to forget when he elected to shred some personal files he had brought to PAB from home. No one would have thought much of it had Provenza not made a point of telling Julio and Amy that it was 'None of your business' when they enquired what he had in that large box that needed to be destroyed so thoroughly. The commotion naturally caught Andy's attention and following the abuse he had taken most of the day about his black eye he took it upon himself to discover what Provenza was really up to. Provenza's defensive manoeuvres to stop Andy from reading the document being eviscerated ultimately ended with his tie getting caught in the shredder. His nose was inches from the sharp teeth in the box mounted on his desk before he relented and let Buzz cut his tie for him but only after Buzz was added back onto the list of those invited to the wedding.

As the clock ticked around to 6pm Major Crimes started to empty for the evening. Julio, Amy and Buzz were the first to leave while Mike was preoccupied with a job he'd started that related to Badge of Justice and Provenza dragged his feet because Patrice had invited a friend over for the evening. A friend who insisted on calling him 'Louie Pouie' and who (he thought although Andy had told him he was crazy on multiple occasions) kept touching him in inappropriate places on his body whenever Patrice left the room. Andy was all set to leave and go to his meeting but desperately wanted some clarification first from Sharon before he left. He swivelled around in his chair and saw Sharon sitting behind her desk with her head down writing something in an open file. She had opened her blinds about an hour earlier after finally being able to concentrate following a third cup of tea in an hour and some very stern words with herself about 'professionalism' in the bathroom mirror (a conversation that was more than necessary with herself after Andy spent the hour after lunch with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and if it wasn't the damn sexiest thing she'd ever laid eyes on). Andy rose from his seat and quietly tapped on the window to get her attention. Sharon looked up and smiled and immediately gestured for him to come in. Andy entered and closed the door behind him.

"Hey" he said as he put his hands deep in his pockets. This was an immediate and obvious indication to Sharon that he felt a little nervous and uncomfortable.

"Hey yourself. Are you leaving?"

Andy hovered by the vacant chairs in front of Sharon's desk. "Yeah I was just about to head off to my meeting but I wanted a quick word first."

"Sounds serious." Sharon moved to the front of her desk and sat on the edge, careful to avoid the Christmas stars adorning it.

"No not really. I just wanted to make sure it's still okay for me to stay with you tonight." Again Andy sounded slightly nervous. Sharon had no idea why. It wasn't like anything had changed during the course of the day but it was obvious this slight nervousness was a result of Andy being kept at arm's length and on the back foot throughout their relationship thus far. Andy just wasn't sure of himself with Sharon and wasn't prepared to take anything for granted.

"Of course it is" Sharon said with a tone full of warmth as she took Andy's hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb. "Can you wait a minute and we can walk down together?"

Now reassured Andy's filthy smile instantly erupted onto his face. Sharon tried desperately to ignore it since they were still at work but it was always going to be a mammoth task. She sighed to herself. This man was going to cause her trouble and she loved it. "It's a date" he said squeezing her hand and leaving her office.

Andy returned to his desk to retrieve his jacket and car keys. While Sharon finished clearing her desk for the evening Andy made his way over to Provenza and killed the time. A couple of minutes later Sharon emerged from her office and for the second night running she and Andy left the murder room hand in hand and headed to the parking garage. They would leave together but ultimately head off in different directions as Andy went to his meeting and Sharon went to the grocery store to pick up something for dinner.

Regardless of the fact they were leaving separately Andy still held her hand as he walked Sharon to her car, an opportunity he never missed. After she unlocked it with the key fob Andy immediately opened the door for her with a smile, trapping himself between the door, the wall of the garage and her car. Andy waited behind the open door as Sharon moved into the gap. With the door between them she leant in and closed the divide between their lips, her hands cupping his face as Andy kept his on the top of the door.

When they pulled apart they smiled at each other, their lips now temporarily satisfied with this brief contact after spending all day apart. "Provenza was right, today could have gone a lot worse" Andy said with a smirk. He was glad the day was over not least because it meant he would soon be heading off to spend the evening with Sharon. On the whole it had been a rough day and Andy had taken his fair share of abuse and taunting until Provenza thankfully distracted everyone with his surprise confession about his last wedding night.

Sharon shook her head before placing it on his shoulder. "Next time let me put make up on it."

"There's going to be a next time?" Andy asked as he hid behind the door and laughed. As he stood back up Sharon grabbed hold of his tie and pulled him towards her as their lips met again.

As Sharon pulled away and held Andy's tie Darth Raydor put in an appearance despite the twinkle in her eyes. "It depends if you step out of line or not."

"Yes ma'am" Andy said, saluting her before kissing her once more on the lips.

Sharon sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I never know what to say at this point. Have a nice meeting?" she asked with an uncertain smile.

Andy frowned and shook his head. His AA meetings weren't nice. Sometimes they were downright horrific as he listened to others share their stories. His meetings were something that he had to attend and get through to stay sober and wanted Sharon to stay as far from as possible. "How about 'I'll see you later'?" he suggested.

"Fine" Sharon said with a glow before quickly kissing him once more. "I'll see you later." Sharon climbed into her car before Andy shut the door behind her.

Andy waved through the glass before setting off to his own car parked a couple of rows behind. As he approached his car Andy could see a brown paper bag sitting on the hood. He immediately looked around to see if there was anyone else in the vicinity as he eyed this object with vast quantities of suspicion. Ordinarily a brown paper bag on the hood of your car is no threat but Andy was a detective and there were far too many people in the world who might be looking in his direction for retribution and he still had the scars to prove it. Instinctively his hand gravitated to the gun on his hip as he cautiously approached this dubious item. Closer proximity allowed Andy to catch sight of a Post-It Note positioned at the top of the bag which simply read 'Thought you might need this. Julio.' Andy's hand released his gun before he peered into the bag and smiled. Laughing to himself Andy picked up the bag and climbed into his car.

Although she set off before Andy, Sharon soon found herself driving behind him as they left PAB. A few minutes later with Andy wanting to turn left and Sharon heading straight on their cars came to a stop side by side at a set of lights at an intersection. As they waited Sharon turned to smile at Andy and hoped to see his beautiful smile flashing back at her but his head was hanging down as he appeared to be looking at something in his lap. Sharon quickly pondered what on earth he could be doing. She hoped he knew they were currently side by side because she'd seen far too many men do far too many unseemly and vile things while their cars were stationary at a set of lights over the years. The picking of noses being top of the list of horrors. The picking of teeth and then eating what they found. Then there was the time she was on patrol early on in her career and saw a man actually vomit into his own lap at a set of lights. She naturally pulled him over immediately and not surprisingly he was three times over the legal limit, a fact that was indisputable even before he vomited on her shoes and wet himself. Sharon was just about to look away in case she saw a side of Andy she really didn't want to see when her cell phone started to ring. Sharon pulled it from her pocket and smiled as 'Andy' flashed up on the screen. The first time she really admitted to herself that she was in this relationship for the long haul and she desperately wanted it to work came after their third date when she arrived home after a perfect meal in Westwood, went into her contacts on her phone and switched his name from 'Lieutenant Flynn' to 'Andy' (although several days later Gavin got hold of her cell and changed it to 'Andy with the Big Feet'). Sharon popped her earbud in her ear and swiped to answer her cell.

"Hello" she said with a smile as she turned to face him.

Andy grinned back as he opted for the speakerphone and held his phone up to his mouth. "Do you have anything you'd like to blurt out today?"

Sharon looked around at the buildings by the intersection and realised that they were probably in the exact spot they were just 24 hours earlier when she suddenly blurted out her first 'I love you' to Andy. Sharon laughed. "Yes. I do actually."

"What?"

"Your lights on green."

No sooner were the words out of Sharon's mouth then several car horns started to blast from behind as Andy blocked the road. Sharon laughed as Andy turned the corner and disappeared down the street. When Sharon stopped laughing Andy brought his phone closer to his mouth and said "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you later" Sharon replied before hanging up her phone and driving off herself.

Seconds after Andy had hung up his phone and put it back in his pocket it started ringing again. He took it out expecting to see Sharon's name written across his screen so was surprised to see the name 'Nicole' staring back at him. He smiled as he swiped to answer, put it on speaker and brought it up to his face.

"Hey Dad" came the familiar voice from his daughter with a tone a million miles away from how she addressed him just five years ago.

"Hi sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm good Dad. I'm good. Are you okay to talk? I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Since she had called him in the summer of 2013 and heard 'Ye Gods Flynn you've just kicked the head' being screamed in the background Nicole always felt the need to ask that question immediately before going any further.

"No I'm just driving to a meeting."

The change in tone of Nicole's voice was instant. She was immediately worried and she let it show. Since he became sober she had made it her business to know exactly when her father went to an AA meeting, even more so after she started to see him more after her wedding and meeting Sharon. "Why? What's wrong? I thought you went on Tuesdays."

"Nothing's wrong" Andy said quickly. "I skipped it last night because Sharon had a crappy day and I wanted to take her home and get her something to eat."

"Ow Dad. That's so sweet." Andy could sense the 'adorable' word on the horizon. He assumed it was an age thing. When he was dating his ex-wife he was never called 'adorable' but now suddenly in his 60s that's all anyone ever called him when they referenced him and his new lady love. "You pair are so adorable!" Andy rolled his eyes and bit his tongue. "Actually Sharon is why I'm calling."

"Okay" Andy said puzzled. His immediate worry was that Nicole wanted another private chat with Sharon like she did a little over twelve months ago. Although this time he certainly wasn't misleading Nicole about what was going on between them the idea of his daughter and his girlfriend having a private chat about him was enough to put him on edge.

"You are really together now aren't you? This isn't another 'misunderstanding' is it?"

Andy rolled his eyes again but fell short of banging his head on his steering wheel out of sheer frustration. How long would it take for him to live that down? "Yes we're together."

"Really?" Nicole asked tentatively.

"Do you want to call her and ask if you don't trust me?" Andy said with huge amounts of irritation in his voice, something he desperately tried to avoid when speaking to his children.

"No Dad it's not that I don't trust you I just wanted to check in case I put my foot in it" Nicole said quickly as she backtracked. "I was calling to invite you over for Christmas dinner and obviously if they have no other plans Sharon and Rusty as well. We'd love to have the three of you here."

Andy smiled from ear to ear. This would be the third year in a row that he would be invited around to spend Christmas with his family. Ten years ago this was something he could only dream of as he was restricted to drive by 'Hellos' and a microwave dinner for one alone or worse two day old pizza with an incredibly grumpy Provenza. "That sounds wonderful sweetheart but I'll need to check with Sharon first." If he was honest he'd not actually thought about what was going to happen at Christmas. He'd hoped he'd be spending it with Sharon but he really wasn't sure what her plans were and if she was intending to spend it with her children, he didn't want to interfere.

"Of course, of course. I know it's a little short notice. Ask her and let me know. If she's already made arrangements don't worry about it and we can find another day to see each other over the holidays. Maybe come over for drinks one night? Anyway, ask her and let me know. Well I'll leave you to your meeting. I love you Dad."

"I love you too."

"Bye."

"Bye sweetheart."

Andy hung up his phone and slid it back into his pocket. As he returned both hands to his steering wheel he rested his head back and smiled. Nicole's invitation was the icing on the cake following the best 24 hours of his life. He was heading to a meeting that he knew would be full of people struggling and yet here he was on top of the world. Even the saddest 'qualification' would struggle to bring him down from cloud nine at the moment. At least he could contribute today with one simple and candid statement: the programme works. One day at a time. That's it, one day at a time and that's exactly how he had taken his life since he hit rock bottom and bounced (several times at that). One day at a time and now look at him, the happiest he'd ever been in his life.

With Andy at his meeting Sharon went straight to the grocery store to get the three of them something to eat upon his return. Sharon didn't cook usually. It was a very rare sight so much so that Rusty once asked why she bothered to own an oven at all (with the answer being Christmas cookies obviously). More often than not (in some part because of her irregular and unpredictable working hours) she and Rusty would either head out to eat or order in. Andy on the other hand loved to cook and she enjoyed more and more going to his house and have him cook something from scratch. On this particular night though Sharon wanted to make an effort and have something that she'd cooked ready for Andy when he returned from his meeting. If Rusty was at home when Andy came over for dinner Sharon had to walk a tightrope of dietary requirements. Andy was an occasional vegetarian out of choice mainly for health reasons with him sticking to it more often than not but he would sometimes eat meat. For example he was desperate to get his hands on the turkey the division had brought him in the hospital on Thanksgiving and when he missed out on it Sharon cooked another a week later when he returned to her condo for his recovery. When Andy finally got his hands on that beautifully cooked turkey he made a noise that Sharon had never heard him make before and wouldn't hear again until she finally invited him into her bedroom. Aside from turkey during the holidays, since he'd adopted his healthier lifestyle Andy had fallen into the habit of devouring meat whenever he felt a little run down. Rusty on the other hand was all about food he could eat with his hands and that meant specifically burgers and pizza and not 'Andy's weird goat pellets' (it was tofu mince and delicious by the way). To appease both the men in her life Sharon opted to cook them some burgers with a pack of turkey burgers and a pack of tofu burgers for Andy to choose from although she was going to try very hard to push him towards a regular old hamburger considering how run down he currently was. When she arrived home Sharon got everything ready bar cooking the actual burgers as she waited for Andy to arrive and make his choice.

Before long there was a knock on the door and with Sharon busy slicing the tomatoes Rusty jumped up from the couch to answer. It was a sign of how their relationship had improved over the last couple of months because for once Rusty was actually pleased Andy would be joining them even though a large part of that was because they still had a chess match to finish and he had the perfect forfeit lined up for Andy to do when he inevitably beat him. When Rusty opened the door he couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Andy's eye (which he thought actually looked a little better than that morning) but that soon subsided when he noticed the large black gym bag in his hand and suits hanging over his shoulder as he battled to avoid crushing a bunch of red roses under his arm. To Rusty it looked like Andy was moving in, without warning, without it even being discussed with him first. In truth he realised it wasn't his decision to make but Rusty hoped he and Sharon had the kind of relationship where he would at least be part of the discussion before any decisions were made. But here Andy was, with several days' worth of clothes. It was as sudden as his mother moving Gary into their tiny apartment. That happened without warning and the consequences were all too severe as a result. In her haste to get home and get dinner started Sharon had simply neglected to inform Rusty that Andy would be staying for a couple of days until they had chance to clean his kitchen so you could safely enter without gagging. There was no malice or hidden motives in Sharon's actions. It was simply an oversight but Rusty's history made it hard to see any positives in the sight he saw before him.

"Hey" Rusty finally said as he held the door open.

"Hey kid" Andy replied as he struggled through the door. Placing his badge, gun and cuffs in their home on the table by the front door before quickly dumping his bag and suits by the couch, Andy put the roses behind his back.

Rusty stared after Andy decidedly unimpressed before allowing the door to slam. He felt childish as the noise vibrated through his body but he really didn't care at that moment in time. Rusty slumped down on the couch with his laptop as Andy made his way to the kitchen. Sharon looked up and beamed as he walked towards her. "For you" Andy simply said as he produced the flowers from behind his back.

Sharon kissed him quickly on the lips, again with Rusty in the room that was far as they were ever going to go. Rusty felt uncomfortable if they were too affectionate in his presence with good reason to be fair and since he had struggled to accept the idea of Sharon having a boyfriend in the first place they did everything they could to accommodate his feelings. There were exceptions to this rule however but they were rare to say the least. In fact without realising it Sharon and Andy had several levels to their displays of affection. At the bottom of the pile was how they behaved at work when Taylor was in the vicinity. On those occasions Sharon would hardly look Andy in the eye for fear of Taylor catching her and making a big deal of it. Although by Taylor's own admission they weren't breaking any rules and neither needed to transfer to a different division Sharon was not prepared to let the thought cross through Taylor's mind, a fact that was even more prominent after how he had leapt on the situation and questioned them that very morning. To Sharon it was vitally important that Andy not be forced into transferring. Aside from missing him if they were no longer able to work side by side day after day, she valued his presence in Major Crimes and the division would be a much poorer place without him. Following that was how they conducted themselves at work without Taylor breathing down their necks. Decorum and professionalism were the buzzwords as they did their best to act like their only relationship was Captain and Lieutenant unless the day was drawing to a close or a quiet couple of minutes presented themselves while they were alone. People may think that working with a partner is all romantic interludes or regular sex on a desk with the blinds closed but anyone who has ever worked with a spouse knows it's more 'Wait until we get home I'm busy' than 'Take me now big boy' regardless of age and occupation. Then there was how they behaved in front of Provenza. Provenza had many reservations about any potential dating his Captain might do with his partner but they slowly faded over the years and he was pleased in the end when they finally started to date. Even so Provenza didn't want to see it. After years of watching Andy moon over Sharon he'd had more than his fill. After a very slow start they were now always more affectionate with each other in front of Rusty but still that was restricted to the odd kiss, cuddle and holding of hands until he was completely accepting of Andy in his life. In reality other than being extra mindful of themselves Sharon and Andy behaved no differently in front of Rusty than any other new couple did in front of their children. Well any other new couple except Sharon Beck and whatever drunk she happened to bring home that day. More often than not the blatant fumbling on the couch while Rusty watched the television was interrupted by the cry of 'Rusty go to your room.' Rusty would then spend the rest of the day in his room with his fingers in his ears and a pillow on his head. With that kind of history it was no wonder Rusty felt uncomfortable and anxious when faced with affectionate behaviour. It was yet another issue Doctor Joe might need to discuss with him. In public Sharon and Andy pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in regards to PDA. More recently kisses were longer, constant physical contact was the norm and Sharon often found herself with a handful of Andy's rear end as they walked along the beach or from the valet to a restaurant. But when they were alone, after five months of their relationship slowly simmering it had now come to the boil and was suddenly no holds barred.

As expected the majority of their displays of affection had been kept well out of sight of Rusty but on one occasion in particular as Andy prepared to leave the hospital for the final time it was completely unavoidable. While Rusty helped Andy pack his bag at the hospital in preparation for returning to Sharon's condo his facial expressions screamed volumes about the situation. He was delighted that Andy was better and that the anxious feeling he had been experiencing in the pit of his stomach when he was left in charge of monitoring him had gone but still he was less than happy. Watching his now Mom and her boyfriend make eyes at each other as they openly flirted made him incredibly uncomfortable. It wasn't that he thought Sharon should be denied a sex life but she was his Mom now and no one wants to think about their Mom having sex let alone a teenager, well maybe Norman Bates but no one else, no one normal at least. When Sharon sat him down and had the 'overnight guest' conversation with him he felt bad afterwards. He had given Sharon the completely wrong impression. He was happy for her. He wanted her to be happy and if Andy Flynn made her happy so be it (he's not the type of guy he would ever have picked but beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all) but just the thought of them together made him want to run to Doctor Joe for extra therapy sessions and seek advice on how to block out unwanted mental images. At that moment in time though Sharon and Andy hardly noticed Rusty was in the room let alone that he felt uncomfortable. Sharon was beyond thrilled that Andy was coming home and after a fight coming home with her. It wasn't just that he was out of danger and on the road to being completely healthy again it was that she'd missed him. She'd missed him a lot. It shocked her how used she'd become to having him in her home 24/7 and what a massive hole he left when he wasn't there.

With Rusty's deliberate and loud extending of Andy's case handle enough to brake the gaze between the two of them as 'Till death do them part' hung in the air and their lips were just about to come together and remind them it was time to go Sharon stood up and held out her hand for Andy.

"I don't need help" Andy said as he stood up without assistance albeit a little slowly. He hoped he didn't sound brusk but rather independent, manly and in control of his destiny once more. From this point on he was determined to ensure Sharon no longer saw him as her patient but rather her boyfriend again.

"I know" Sharon said as she grabbed his hand regardless and pulled him towards her. "I just wanted to hold it as I finally leave this place for the last time with you." As Andy smiled Rusty was quick to leave the room with Andy's bag and head off to the elevator to avoid the end of the conversation and any inevitable public displays of affection. Andy lowered his head and kissed Sharon very deeply on the lips as he let his free hand get lost in her hair. Sharon hummed quietly as they broke apart. Her smile glowed at him. "Let's go home" she said as she picked up the paperwork she had been working on for the hospital and led Andy from the room.

As they stepped foot into the corridor Rusty was nowhere to be seen but they both knew he'd be waiting for them by the elevator and fiddling with his phone. They slowly walked hand in hand down the long hall and to the nurses' station.

"All done?" asked the nurse as she took the clipboard off Sharon. "Take good care of him" she ordered with a smile. A twinge of awkwardness hung in the air as Andy looked between Sharon and this overly friendly nurse. The day after Andy's surgery was the first time he'd come into contact with this particular nurse during his current stay but it was not the first time they had met. Her name was Barbra and she was now in her 30s, blonde and had a body that looked like it had been carved out of marble, in other words exactly Andy Flynn's type or his former type before Sharon at any rate. The first time they met was the last time he was in hospital and came no more than five minutes after Chief Johnson told him 'You take care, and keep your hands off the nurses.' The moment she walked into his room his eyes lit up and the charm flowed, 30 stitches or no 30 stitches. In truth Barbra openly admitted she had a bit of a 'Florence Nightingale Complex' and fell in love with every patient with a smile and even an ounce of charm, something that Andy of course had in spades. She had agreed to go out on a date with him before she'd even had chance to check his vitals for his chart. They dated for about three weeks before Andy started to get better and she moved onto the next patient with a sad story and a black eye. Andy nearly suffered a heart attack when she walked into his room to once again check on his vitals. For the first thirty seconds he wondered if he was hallucinating and perhaps he'd been slipped some opiates into his IV after all. Barbra instantly recognised Andy and once again was immediately looking for love in all the wrong places. After she sat on the edge of his bed and asked him 'Why did we even break up anyway?' Andy shot her down gently and told Sharon all about it when she came to visit him later that afternoon. Andy felt he had no choice but to tell Sharon since they had dated and had in fact slept together before they broke up because he didn't want Sharon to think he was hiding things from her should it crop up in conversation somehow. In hindsight Andy could have phrased it better. His 'I may have slept with my nurse' had Sharon's heart sinking to the floor and her fist balling up to punch him before Andy quickly added 'It was nearly six years ago.' As Sharon calmed down she felt a little silly since Andy was recovering from surgery, still had a concussion and was dizzy if he even moved his head half an inch so could hardly raise an eyebrow much less anything else. Andy had never seen Sharon act jealous before as she made sure she had hold of Andy's hand every time Nurse Barbra put in an appearance when she was there like she was marking her territory. This was the first time (she was aware of anyway) that Sharon had bumped into one of Andy's former conquests. With Andy's reputation more than apparent to her Sharon had expected something like this to happen eventually and probably on more than one occasion but not when Andy was in such a prone position and in need of assistance to even go to the bathroom without falling over.

"Oh I plan to" Sharon replied as she squeezed Andy's hand and smiled up at him.

"Goodbye Andy. Despite the circumstances it's been lovely to see you again" Barbra said as she fluttered her eyelashes at him and ran a hand up to his shoulder.

Andy could sense Sharon's eyes narrowing next to him as Barbra laid a hand on him. He tried not to react even though a smile was bursting to spread across his face. "You too. Please don't take this the wrong way but considering where we keep meeting I hope I never see you again."

Barbra laughed before Sharon tightened her grip on Andy's hand. As Barbra removed her hand from Andy's shoulder Sharon's tinge of jealously morphed instantly into overwhelming gratitude. She turned to Barbra and with complete sincerity said "Thank you so much for everything."

"You're welcome. Bye"

"Bye" Andy said as he turned and led Sharon away and down the corridor.

As they slowly (for although Andy was steady on his feet once more and able to leave his speed was hardly going to break any records) walked hand in hand towards the elevator and the waiting Rusty, Andy kept glancing at Sharon and smiling. Sharon ignored him for as long as possible before relenting and asking the question she already knew the answer to. "What are you smirking at?" she asked hiding her own smile.

Andy brought Sharon's hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "Your eyes have never looked a more beautiful shade of green." Andy laughed to himself.

Sharon shook her head and took a chunk out of her bottom lip so she didn't laugh. "Oh shut up before I drop you off at the convalescence centre." Andy laughed again before letting go of her hand in favour of running it around her waist and pulling her close instead. He made no attempt to hide it, Andy loved that Sharon was a little bit jealous of Barbra. He more than loved it. To him it cemented his belief that Sharon might actually love him too although she'd currently not said as much but then again neither had he for that matter. Still he couldn't interpret her jealously in any other way and although he didn't want her to feel insecure about their relationship and his fidelity the prospect that she might love him too filled his heart with joy.

When they arrived at the elevator Rusty called it and kept his eyes on his phone the whole ride down so that he wouldn't have to witness the arms wrapped around each other and the loved up eyes from the suddenly incredibly affectionate couple he lived with. Stepping outside the hospital Andy took a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in ten days, well Los Angeles fresh but when you've been cooped up for nearly two weeks any lung full of fresh air will do even if it has a brown tinge.

Once in the car Rusty again focused on his phone in the back seat. Yes Sharon was driving but even so each stop light and tailback afforded the opportunity for hands or lips to come into contact with each other. Rusty couldn't blame them really, they had just been through a lot together and survived and to ask them to cut it out would simply be churlish but he didn't want a ringside seat for it even though he'd witnessed worse in his lifetime.

Since Andy had been surviving (and it really was surviving) on hospital food he was to choose what they were going to order in for dinner with Rusty holding a selection of takeout menus in the back of the car so the order could be placed on their way home. Andy was currently craving anything with a bit of flavour and specifically nothing with lumps (the powered potato and eggs served at the hospital were the stuff of nightmares). In the end he opted for Chinese and Rusty placed the order in the back of the car when they were close enough home to beat the food there.

Stepping out of the car Sharon immediately grabbed Andy's hand as they made their way to the elevator. Once in Sharon's condo Rusty was quick to head off to his, and now once again Andy's, bedroom. "I'll put your bag in my room" he said as he wheeled it behind him.

"I can do that kid" Andy replied as he made an attempt to grab the handle.

Rusty was quick to evade him and headed off to his room. "No it's fine. I got it."

Andy sighed. They'd only just walked through the door and he already felt mothered. But it wasn't just that, his letter to Sharon was in that bag. Provenza had been to see him the day before and while Sharon vanished from his room to get them all a cup of coffee, he had returned his letter. Andy wanted it back but not right there and then for fear that Sharon may stumble across it but Provenza was insistent. He didn't want the responsibility of holding on to it anymore. By the time Provenza had forced the letter into Andy's hand Sharon had returned with the coffee. What proceeded was an Abbott and Costello style farce as they each took it in turns to distract Sharon while the other one tried to hide the letter. At one point Andy made such a high pitched noise as Provenza inexplicably hid the letter in Sharon's purse that she was ready to start CPR on him herself while screaming for help. Sharon knew better than to question her two Lieutenants when they were acting oddly so chose to ignore whatever they were up to. When Sharon left him for the evening the debate began about where Andy could hide it away from prying eyes. If Sharon insisted on helping him unpack it could be discovered at any moment. After ruling out eating it because he wanted Sharon to have it eventually after all, Andy buried it at the bottom of his wash bag and beneath his toothbrush, far from view.

While the battle of the bag was taking place Sharon was hanging up her jacket by the door. As Andy stared after Rusty Sharon walked up behind him and ran her arms around his waist. Andy's hands landed on hers as he smiled before Sharon stood on her tiptoes to kiss the back of his neck and told him "You sit."

Again Andy sighed. He was thankful for everything Sharon had done but he had grown tired of being seen as an invalid especially by her. He removed Sharon's hands from his waist and turned around. "Sharon enough. I appreciate everything you've done for me, both you and Rusty." Andy sat on the back of the couch as Sharon folded her arms. "Hell I probably wouldn't even still be here without the kid but it's enough already. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine. Can't I go back to being your boyfriend and stop being your patient?"

With her arms still crossed and a slight glare to her eyes Sharon paused for a moment. "Have you finished?" She sounded less than impressed like a mother who had been waiting patiently for her child to stop having a tantrum on the grocery store floor.

"Yes." Andy sighed again as he prepared himself for a lecture on how it was either being mothered by Sharon or a spell in a convalescent home.

"Can I speak now?"

Andy laughed. "Like I could ever stop you."

Sharon closed the gap between them and ran her hands around his neck. "Rusty is taking care of your bag. The food is on its way and I want you to sit because for two weeks I've been unable to curl up with you on that couch and I've missed you. I'm not mothering you. I'm not treating you as a patient. There is nothing left to do tonight. I'm asking you to sit so I can sidle up next to you and stay there for the rest of the evening with your arm around me. Now is that okay with you?" Her eyes sparkled before Andy answered by crashing his lips against hers. Andy's arms immediately wrapped themselves around her as his fairly uncharacteristic manspreading enabled her to move into the gap as he pulled her closer. Their lips remained locked together as Rusty came out of his bedroom, saw them, spun around on the spot and vanished into his room again shaking his head. The noise of his door shutting was enough to break Sharon and Andy apart. They held each other nose to nose as they both smiled. They had not kissed like that since Andy's couch the night before his accident. Andy wasn't 100% yet but he was getting there and life was slowly returning to what they had before he became a human speed bump. A few more weeks and Sharon felt sure she'd be able to put her seduction plans back in motion. "Well?" Sharon finally asked.

"Perfect" Andy responded.

Sharon kissed his once more. "Good. Now shut up and sit down."

"Yes ma'am" Andy said as he moved and sat down on the couch and waited for Sharon to join him.

Sharon stepped into the kitchen and poured her and Andy a glass of water. After putting them on the coffee table she sat on the couch and slid as close to Andy as humanly possible. With his arm around her shoulder Sharon cuddled up and made herself at home for the rest of the evening. Ordinarily when Rusty would join them although they would stay cuddled up together that would be it. On this occasion however even after Rusty put in an appearance and made his presence known by coughing loudly as he walked down the hall, kisses were a common occurrence as they hardly took their eyes off each other and Sharon enjoyed having Andy back, healthy and ready to pick up life before it was so rudely interrupted.

The following day life went back to normal and the status quo resumed. Sharon kissed Andy good morning and goodbye before she left for work. She kissed him hello and goodnight when she returned but that was it as they once again became very mindful of how they acted in front of Rusty.

"Thank you. They're beautiful" Sharon said as she took the flowers before chastely pushing her lips to Andy's once more. It didn't matter how chaste a kiss it was the coming together of the lips still made a noise, a noise Rusty was more than aware of. By now he was used to Sharon kissing her boyfriend but combined with Andy arriving with a bag it was more than enough to make him feel venerable like he did with his Mom and her boyfriends. Rusty sighed and made his presence in the room abundantly clear. The volume of his sigh was enough to catch Sharon's attention. She quickly gestured towards her bedroom and Andy nodded as he took the hint.

"I'll just get this stuff out of the way" Andy said picking up his bag and suits and disappearing down the hallway.

Sharon retrieved a vase from the cupboard next to the sink and filled it with water before dropping her flowers in it. She placed the vase on the dining table before double checking that Andy had gone. She then moved behind the couch and put her hands on the back, looking down at Rusty slumped in a heap and asked "Everything okay Rusty?"

"Fine" came the curt response.

Sharon knew there was more to Rusty's current mood even though she wasn't quite sure what but she was prepared to wait until he was ready to divulge his problem before pushing him further.

With dinner options selected (Sharon was able to nudge Andy towards the meat option since he himself admitted he was feeling a little run down) the three of them sat down at the table to eat. What followed was...unusual. The food was delicious but conversation was stunted as Andy nearly fell asleep at the table four times. Throughout Rusty limited any verbal response to a single word where possible and hardly looked at Andy at all. Although Andy was far too tired to pay it much attention Sharon noticed immediately. Without warning Andy and Rusty's relationship had moved back several stages with seemingly no obvious cause. Such progress had been made before last night that Sharon truly thought Rusty had turned a corner in the way he saw Andy but at this point they seemed to have gone back to square one.

By nine o'clock Rusty was busy tapping away at this laptop at the dining table in silence with a face like thunder, meanwhile Sharon and Andy were cuddled up on the couch in front of the TV. In the glow from the Christmas tree lights while Sharon watched It's A Wonderful Life, Andy had his arm around her shoulders and his head leaning back on the top of the couch fast asleep. He had fallen asleep almost as soon as he had sat down. Every now and then he would snore quietly causing Sharon to look at him and smile.

Suddenly as George was choosing to save the Building and Loan rather than going on his honeymoon Andy blurted out "Beavers and ducks" as his head snapped up and he looked around the room slightly disoriented as to where he actually was. Staring back at him Sharon and Rusty laughed. "What? What's so funny?" he asked.

"You just said 'Beavers and ducks'" Rusty called from the table as he continued to laugh, his mood and attitude lifting momentarily.

"When?" Andy asked confused and still half asleep. He turned to see Rusty laughing before fixing his attention on Sharon as his eyes struggled to focus.

Sharon smiled and took his hand in hers. "Right before you woke up."

"I wasn't asleep" Andy said defiantly before he let out a long and loud yawn that fooled no one.

"Of course you weren't." Sharon laughed before running her hand down the side of his face. "Andy you're exhausted. Please go to bed. Please. Go on. Get some sleep."

Andy immediately stood up with the help of Sharon who slid her hand to his rear end and pushed. He wasn't going to argue since he could easily fall asleep on a clothes line. "Yes Captain. You coming?" he asked.

"No I'm going to watch the end of the movie first." Although Sharon would have loved to have joined him, indeed she was desperate to, the fact that Rusty was still up and currently upset about something made that impossible. Add to that it was all too clear that Andy desperately needed to get some uninterrupted sleep and the only way he was going to get that was if he went to bed alone and when she did join him tried incredibly hard to not deliberately wake him and kiss every square inch of his body or to accidentally punch him. "Go, get some sleep. I'll be in during the next set of commercials to find my pyjamas so I don't wake you when I come to bed."

"You sure?" Andy asked.

"Yes. Please, get some rest."

"Okay. Goodnight." Andy leant down and kissed Sharon quickly a couple of times on the lips. "Goodnight kid" he said waving a hand in Rusty's general direction.

"Goodnight Lieutenant." Sharon instantly caught it, Andy was back to being called 'Lieutenant' again. As Andy made his way towards Sharon's bedroom Rusty asked quietly "Is he okay?" showing his concern despite the contradictory attitude he had displayed all evening.

Sharon looked after Andy. "He didn't get much sleep after I hit him and I think returning to work has been a lot more tiring than he's letting on" she said quietly although it clearly wasn't quiet enough.

"No it isn't!" came the cry from Andy before he vanished into Sharon's bedroom.

"Go to sleep" Sharon shouted as she laughed. When she heard her bedroom door close she turned around on the couch to face Rusty. "He spent four weeks either confined to bed or sitting watching the television. It's taking some time to build his stamina back up but he'll get there."

"Is there anything I can do?" Rusty asked as he recalled the endless laughter from Sharon when she caught him leading Andy in an aerobics session the day before he moved out.

"Not really Rusty but thank you for asking." Sharon smiled at Rusty but it wasn't returned. Again Sharon thought about pressing Rusty on what was wrong but from past experience knew that was never a good idea. Rusty would only get defensive and bottle things up more. He had to decide to tell her when he was ready what was currently occupying his mind and with that Sharon returned her attention back to the movie.

Ten minutes later the film stopped for a commercial break and Sharon was quick to her feet to find everything she needed to get ready for bed and move it so she wouldn't wake Andy later. As she opened her bedroom door she definitely did not expect to see the sight that lay before her. Andy was lying propped up on top of her bed in a white t-shirt and charcoal pyjama bottoms with his arms crossed and an old fashioned hockey mask covering his face. He had clearly been waiting for her. Sharon tried desperately not to laugh while she lingered by the door as they stared at each other in silence. "I suppose you think this is funny" she said eventually.

"A little bit" Andy nodded.

"Rusty. Come here" Sharon called as they remained staring at each other. Rusty slowly plodded towards the door, the speed he was travelling showing his reluctance to see whatever he was being called for. When he arrived at Sharon's open bedroom door Rusty made sure he only looked at Sharon until she pointed towards her bed. Rusty hesitantly turned to see Andy and immediately started laughing. "Don't encourage him" Sharon said as she playfully smacked Rusty on the arm.

"Are you wearing pads as well?" Rusty asked before heading back to the living room.

"Why would you wear pads?" Sharon looked bemused as she glanced at Rusty on his way back to the living room before turning her attention firmly back to Andy.

"Thanks a lot kid" Andy shouted. He paused for a moment as he removed his hockey mask from his face but left it on his head. Sharon stared at him from the doorway waiting for an answer. Andy searched for the words that would cause the least distress. "You may have hit me a couple of other times as well."

"May have?"

"Yeah."

"Andy I am so sorry!" Sharon immediately climbed on the bed and snuggled up next to him by putting her head on his chest and her arm around his waist. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to upset you. I'm fine. Nothing's broken. No damage done. Don't lose any sleep over it" he said kissing her on the top of her head and trying to sound as casual as possible.

"That's easier said than done. I'm worried I'll do it again tonight."

"Then I'll just have fight you off again" he said before kissing her on the top of her head once more. "Or keep my mask on, either way."

Sharon removed the hockey mask from Andy's head. "Where did you get it from?"

"Julio left it on the hood of my car. He's just looking out for my welfare" Andy said jokingly.

Sharon leant across Andy and placed the mask on the nightstand before returning to her position of snuggling up next to him. Andy rested his head on the headboard and closed his eyes as they held each other for a few moments in silence.

"This is nice" Sharon said quietly as she joined him in closing her eyes. The room fell silent once more before Sharon sighed and opened her eyes. Her attention was immediately drawn to a rather large red and gold Christmas angel sitting on her dresser across the room but facing away from her. "Did you turn my angel around?"

Andy opened his eyes and gave it a concerned look. "It was staring at me. I don't like things watching me while I sleep."

"It didn't bother you this morning." Sharon ran her finger tips down the side of his face like she did that morning as he woke up.

"That's different." Andy kissed Sharon on the top of her head. "If that thing touches my cheek and kisses me I'm shooting it."

Sharon laughed. "My Mother bought me that for Emily's first Christmas. I love that angel but I suppose it does have a slight..."

Andy quickly butted in. "Village of the Damned quality?"

Sharon gently slapped his chest. "I was going to say slightly sinister face."

Andy laughed. "Slightly?" he said surprised. "It looks like Provenza after he's bumped into his coven of ex-wives." Andy was right, it had a face direct from a nightmare with eyes that seemed to follow you around the room. Andy foresaw it accidentally hiding in a cupboard before he returned home on Saturday morning.

Sharon rolled her eyes before climbing off the bed. "I thought you were tired."

Andy pulled the covers out from under his legs and pulled them on top of himself as he slid down the bed. "I am. I was just waiting to be tucked in." Andy winked as a devilish grin spread across his face.

Sharon leant down and kissed him on the lips. "Go to sleep" she said as she stared into his eyes from a few inches away. Before she had chance to move Andy's hand vanished into her hair and brought their lips together again. Losing her balance Sharon had no choice but to fall on top of him in a heap enabling Andy to wrap his arms around her. Sharon didn't fight him, she didn't want to but when their lips finally came apart she simply said "Go to sleep" again before standing up. Sharon folded her arms and smiled at him. "Have you taken your pill?"

"Not tonight I'm really too tired" Andy said stifling a laugh.

Sharon shook her head and tried not to laugh with him as he grinned like a fool at her. Andy rolled onto his left hand side and kicked his feet out from underneath the covers making himself comfortable as Sharon moved to her dresser and retrieved her pyjamas from the top drawer. After gathering a few odds and ends from the top of her dresser that she needed before bed Sharon made her way to the ensuite. Before she could open the door she heard "I've left my shirt out for you, you know for convenience." Sharon smiled.

"Go to sleep" she said again.

Sharon went into the bathroom and put her pyjamas on the counter next to the sink before fetching her toothbrush from the cabinet. To save time and minimise noise she would make later Sharon removed the tops off everything she needed before even putting the toothpaste on her toothbrush. She was in the bathroom no longer than two or three minutes but when she stepped foot back into her bedroom Andy was still lying on his left hand side but now quietly snoring away. Sharon could see how tired he was from how many times his face nearly ended up on his plate during dinner but honestly hadn't expected for Andy to nod off so quickly. She smiled at him, running her hand through his hair before turning off the lamp on the nightstand and slowly creeping out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

When she walked back into the living room she was surprised to see that Rusty had abandoned his laptop and the dining table and was now sitting on the couch hugging a cushion and staring into space. It was now a waiting game as she prepared to handle whatever problem Rusty was currently dwelling on. Sharon sat down next to him and temporarily turned her attention back to the television while she waited for him to speak. It was abundantly clear that all was not well inside the head of Rusty Beck and it didn't take Sharon long to find out why. "Is Andy living here now?" Rusty asked within a couple of seconds of Sharon sitting back down.

Realisation hit Sharon. She hadn't warned him that Andy would be staying the night and had now forgotten to tell him he would be staying for a couple of days. Sharon felt awful. It was no wonder that he looked a little anxious if he thought she'd made that type of big decision without talking to him first especially in light of how he had been treated in the past. "No. No. Trust me Rusty I'm really not ready for that step yet, at all. This is just a temporary measure until he can find the time to clean his kitchen and air his house out. Seriously Rusty you should have smelt his house it..."

Rusty couldn't wait for Sharon to finish. "Do you want me to move out?"

Sharon was shocked but more than that she was upset. She was upset with herself. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Rusty to ever ask her that question. She recalled a conversation they had during his first month of emergency care where Rusty requested plenty of warning before he had to move on but she hoped she'd never made him feel unwanted or unwelcome in his own home. Life had obviously changed for the both of them recently. She had been dating Andy for a while now but this change in their relationship from the last 24 hours had suddenly been sprung on Rusty and it was clear he wasn't ready. In truth it had been sprung on all of them. It was a long time coming but neither Sharon nor Andy were expecting it as they left PAB the night before. Sharon had the overnight guest conversation with Rusty months ago (a conversation she now admitted she was a bit hasty in having after all they'd only been dating properly for just over a week and she really wasn't ready to take that step in the immediate or even distant future) but for one reason or another, mainly her nerves, they hadn't taken it any further so that awkward conversation was for nothing. She wished she'd taken their relationship forward back then, apart from what they'd missed out on and where they could be right now it would have saved stress while he was injured. At that time Sharon hadn't been ready to invite Andy into her bed and although she wanted to be close to him because she loved him and because she was worried and wanted to keep an eye on him, the first time she invited Andy into her bed shouldn't be when he was so seriously injured. Though maybe she would have got more sleep if she had. Had Andy been lying next to her during those weeks she could have checked he was okay and still breathing without having to set a silent alarm and sneaking out of her bedroom every hour, a fact that Rusty was fully aware of but Andy's quiet snores made it clear he wasn't.

Sharon's face drained of colour as she realised what must be going through Rusty's mind. "Rusty. No. Never. Why would you even think..."

Again Rusty couldn't wait for Sharon to finish. "But you two are so..."

Now it was Sharon's turn to butt in as she put her hand up to stop him speaking. "Rusty listen to me. I'm fully aware of what has happened to you in the past with your Mom's boyfriends and what that meant for you but I am not your Mom."

"Yes you are" came the simple reply.

Sharon smiled as she tried not to cry at Rusty's words. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it while she tried to compose herself. "I am not Sharon Beck" she said finally. "I love Andy. I love him more than you can possibly imagine but you and Ricky and Emily will always come first. You're my son Rusty. I hope you know by now that nothing is more important to me than my children and never forget that includes you. You are my son. I hope I never have to choose but as much as I love Andy my children will always come first. Always. But if Andy does eventually move in here permanently or we buy somewhere new together nothing will happen until I have spoken with you about it first. No decisions will be made until we're all happy with it and if it does happen that will still be your home. It will always be your home even when you're ready one day to move out on your own. Your room in our home, that's yours, mine and one day Andy's, will always be there for you. Andy being here doesn't change that. It doesn't change anything other than we have someone new in our lives."

Rusty plastered a smile on his face. "Another new Dad." Rusty was telling a joke but the weak smile on his face showed Sharon his worry. Andy was yet another alcoholic being thrust upon him in the role of 'Father.' Yes he had been sober for a long time but with Rusty's experience he knew better than to completely relax around anyone with a history of addiction. It wasn't just that he was an alcoholic, he was a man. Men coming into his Mom's life meant he was pushed out and not just pushed out but abused and abandoned. The last boyfriend his mother had hit him and left him at a zoo, it's hard to come away from that with any trust for father figures no matter how nice they are. With Sharon he knew this was never going to happen, she wouldn't allow it to happen and Andy really didn't seem the type but Rusty still felt uncertain about him, the situation and his future. Sharon realised this needed to be addressed and it needed to be addressed now.

"Rusty, Andy is here to be my..." Sharon paused for a moment as she struggled to finish the sentence and find the appropriate word.

"What? Boyfriend?" Rusty asked with a faint smile.

Sharon covered her eyes with embarrassment. "Yes but that seems like such a juvenile word given my age and who it refers to."

Rusty laughed. "You call him a 'boy' all the time." Sharon was forever calling Andy her 'Beautiful boy' when she thought they were alone. On occasion Rusty would overhear her as the urge to roll his eyes out of his head and retch became overwhelming.

"That's different."

Again Rusty laughed. "Mom whether he's 16 or 66 he's still your boyfriend. Get used to it" Rusty stated very matter-of-factly.

"Okay." Sharon smiled before turning serious again. "Andy is here to be my boyfriend, but that's it. He isn't looking to be your father unless that's what you want." Rusty looked at his feet before Sharon squeezed his hand again to make him look her in the eye. "It has to be what you want whether that's in the future or never. Regardless whether you like it or not Andy will love you like a son for the rest of his life. I can't promise he'll never drink again or that everything will work out between us but trust me he will never raise a hand to you. He will never try to get rid of you. He will never hurt you. The only thing he will do, like me and Emily and Ricky, is love you."

"I know but it's just..."

Sharon put her hand up again to stop him. "You don't need to explain, I understand and so does Andy. All that I ask is that you continue to try, take it one day at a time with Andy and see what happens. That's all."

"That I can do" Rusty said with a weak smile as he nodded.

"Thank you." They slowly both turned their attention back to the television before Sharon finally cautiously said "Andy tells me you were talking about Gus last night."

Rusty suddenly had a face that could turn milk sour. He was not happy at all. "Blabber mouth!"

"He didn't go into detail. He just wanted to make me aware in case you wanted to talk to me about it" Sharon said as she tried to calm him down. "Do you?"

"Sharon if it's okay with you I think I'm fine." Rusty awkwardly adjusted himself in his seat and Sharon knew instantly not to push the subject any further. If Rusty was going to decide to ask Gus out he was going to do it all on his own no matter what she felt about the situation like he had done with Jeff.

"Good. I just wanted to check."

"What else did Andy tell you?" Rusty asked a little nervously.

"He told me you'd interrogated him" Sharon said as casually as possible.

Rusty smiled. It was the largest smile Sharon had seen on his face for a while. "Did he say what about?"

"No."

"Well..."

Again Sharon stopped Rusty from going any further. "Anything you discuss with Andy is between you and Andy. It has nothing to do with me unless you want to tell me."

Rusty again smiled to himself. He really didn't want Sharon to know what he'd asked Andy because to him it was a private man to man conversation. Rusty had to question Andy's intentions as he felt the need to look out for her and protect her. Rusty couldn't protect his Mom from the vile men of this world but he could certainly protect Sharon. Still Andy had given all the right answers to his questions and Rusty believed him but what Andy told him was information Andy needed to share with Sharon himself. It wasn't Rusty's place to divulge it. "Then its best kept between me and Andy."

"That's fine. Not a problem." Sharon paused for a moment. "Only just answer me this, did you enjoy interrogating him? Do you put him on the spot?"

"Yes" Rusty laughed as he recalled Andy's slightly stunned reaction to his 4am line of questioning.

"I thought you might" Sharon said as she joined him in laughing.

"Are you happy?" Rusty asked sincerely after a few seconds of silence.

"Incredibly."

"Good. As long as you're happy I will gladly put up with Andy Flynn although I really could have done without finding him in here in the middle of the night in his underwear."

Sharon laughed. She remembered well the face Rusty pulled when she discussed the possibility of Andy staying the night with her in the condo. After he asked if one morning he was going to discover Andy in the kitchen in his robe she made a mental note to not let that happen. Then in the end it was worse. It was the middle of the night and he was in his underwear. But at least Rusty saw the funny side of it and that, that was definitely progress. "Noted. Thank you Rusty."

"Can I ask a question?"

"Anything."

"Why does George Bailey not existing make it stop snowing?" he asked pointing at the television.

Sharon laughed and put her arm around Rusty's shoulders. "I have no idea. I love this movie."

"I had noticed since we watch it like clockwork every year and the tears always arrive on cue."

As their attention went back to the television to see Clarence save George and earn his wings Sharon rested her head on Rusty's shoulder. This was the first time that Rusty had really opened up to her about Andy. His feelings over the last five months had been crystal clear from his attitude but he'd never actually spoken a word about him. Sharon was no fool, she anticipated everything Rusty said and how he felt and why but changing his attitude when it was so ingrained in his personality following years of mistreatment at the hands of the men in his life was going to be difficult. Sharon was confident though that they would get there in the end, that Rusty could accept a man as a father figure without fear or worry but it would take time and that was something that both Sharon and Andy were more than happy to give him.

With the movie over Rusty quickly went to bed with his shoulders visibly lighter than they were at the start of the evening. Sharon stayed up a little longer to clean up the final remnants of dinner and to prepare lunch for the following day. As usual she made herself and Rusty a sandwich and put them in brown paper bags along with a piece of fruit and into the fridge. Then the dilemma hit her. To make Andy a sandwich or not make Andy a sandwich, that was the question. It irritated her how she had taken to overanalysing absolutely everything when it came to Andy Flynn. It was just a sandwich for crying out loud! But from experience while he was recovering Sharon knew Andy loathed to be mothered and looked after. Surely this was a natural, nice act, preparing him lunch since he was staying a few days wasn't it? By the time Sharon made herself an extra sandwich and put it in her own bag to offer him tomorrow like she had made one extra by accident, two slices of bread and salad had never faced such scrutiny and debate. With the kitchen clean and lunch ready for tomorrow Sharon switched off the lights, locked the front door and made her way to her bedroom and her (hopefully) dead to the world boyfriend.