Thank you for the encouragement and kindness.- Enjoy!
"Hey honey what are you doing here so early?" Sharon asks with a smile as Rusty walks into the kitchen Monday morning.
"Provenza got a call, said he'd call you soon." Sharon watches him sit on the bench and rest his head on the counter.
"Tired?" He mumbles a yes. "How was the game?" She drinks her coffee as his head pops up with an expression as ready to tell all.
"Lieutenant Provenza freaked out." Sharon was sure why. "Lieutenant Flynn was nowhere to be found." Sharon makes no expression of knowing anything. "So he called Buzz and he met up with us." Rusty reaches over grabbing an orange and starting to peel it.
"Did you ever find him?" He shakes his head.
"I think they talked and Lieutenant Provenza calmed down." He shrugs. "It was fine after the team won." Sharon smiles relieved that she hadn't ruined too much. "Sharon?" Rusty looks at her worried coming over around to her. He holds her hand pulling down her sleeve. "These are finger prints." He meets her eyes. "It was Jack!" He says angrily. He looks at her carefully finding the scar on her eyebrow, he touches it carefully, she closes her eyes at the slight sting she had tried covering it up with makeup her cheek too hoping no one would notice. "He's in jail right?" He says furious now.
"Rusty, I am better now. He was drunk. He left after you guys came back. He came back drunk and things got out of hand." She puts up a hand up when he starts. "The divorce is being prepared I have a restraining order and the locks are changed." She walks over to a drawer and hands him a key. "By the way, how did you get in?" She looks toward the door.
"It was opened." He walks to it and looks the door coming back and changing his key on his set. "We keep that locked from now on." He orders more than anything else she nods with a smile at how he's ready to defend her. "And I don't leave anymore." Sharon sighs.
"No, I don't agree to the last term." He shakes his head. "I'm safe now, I promise." Rusty squints his eyes at her she frowns at the look. He finally sees through her makeup and sees the darkness on her cheek, she sees his expression heavy. Her heart breaks at the worry and love that radiates from him. "Really I am okay now." She puts her hand on her cheek trying to distract him.
"Sharon you can't take him back." She frowns, "it'll happen again. I know." He walks over to his stool defeated Sharon closes her eyes cursing at herself for not thinking this through. Of course, he was thinking of his mother. She opens her eyes and sees him playing with the orange peels.
"Honey." He doesn't look up as she walks over and sits on the stool beside him, she hesitates but softly places a hand on his back. "He's gone, he's not allowed here and nowhere near you or me." He looks at her frowning. "I had it written up for both of us." He nods once biting into his orange.
"Do I have time for a shower?" She questions him with a glance. "I want to go to work with you. Can I?" She knew he wasn't going to let it go that he'd be worried Jack would be lurking around.
"Absolutely." He tries getting up but she stops him. "I'm so sorry I put you in these circumstances. But he is not coming back here." Rusty nods. They stay in silence as he looks at her smile the faint color of bruising on her cheek how much of a fighter she is. Then his expression changes eyes going wide into realization. She looks around at the change trying to figure it out.
"He was here, that's why he didn't meet Lieutenant Provenza." Rusty smiles, raising his eyebrows. As Sharon nervously stands and moves back to her coffee.
"Rusty what happened with you being protective?" He smiles. "You were defending my honor and now you're frustrating me with your smiling." She gestures at him and smiles herself taking a sip of coffee.
"Oh come on." Rusty says taking a bite from his orange. "Lieutenant Flynn would love to take care of you." He extends his love out dramatically making Sharon look over his glasses at him. "It's gross and very awkward." He shrugs. "But much better than Lieutenant Provenza or me? Right you prefer it?" Sharon frowns. "Come on. You two have gone on dates."
"No we haven't." Sharon says quickly. When he is ready to argue she stops him. "I went as his friend to both occasions and that's the truth. We are friends." Rusty groans, rolling his eyes. "Rusty?" She says a little frustrated.
"Sharon, he likes you." Sharon holds her mug in both hands looking at him as she leans back onto the counter. "He walks around following you all day." She's about to talk but this time he doesn't let her. "It's not because of work. He likes your company. And if I'm right and he was here. Which I'm sure he was has to prove that you like him too since you called him." He stops looking at her expectantly, pride in his eyes as if he had finally won a battle.
"I know this is a trap. Yes he was here." He points at her excitedly standing up. "Don't point your finger it's bad manners. He was here, but it was out of luck." He frowns siting back down. "He called when Jack was well here. He noticed something was wrong and came." He looks at her. "No I didn't ask him to." He smiles softly.
"Okay, but he stayed to care for you which means he cares for you." Sharon listens to him as his words are calm now far away from comparing her to his mother she is okay letting him have his fun. "Okay you don't have to tell me because I'm not sure I want to know." She squints at him amused. "Do you like him? Answer to yourself," she smiles. I think I do. God Sharon who are you kidding. She shakes her head at herself. "That is all that matters because he likes you. The team knows." Sharon practically spits out her coffee, but contains herself.
"What do you mean the team knows?" She says calmly even though everything was shouting words in panic.
"Well they take bets of when Lieutenant Flynn will finally make a fool," Sharon darts him a look, "their words not mine. A fool of himself and you'll tell him to buzz off." She frowns putting her mug down. "Again their words not mine although they didn't use buzz." He says muffled as he chews through another slice of orange she wraps her arms in front of herself.
"Rusty?" She starts carefully. "First chew with your mouth closed. And secondly, why would they think I'd buzz him off?" Rusty shrugs. Sharon's frown deepens.
"Would you?" He shakes his head. "I don't want to know." She rolls her eyes again, this conversation shouldn't even be happening. But she goes on anyway to involved to stop.
"You think I would do that?" He looks at how the words have affected her. "Buzz him off?" She hates the word and Rusty can see it as it as it escapes her lips.
"Well, you are his boss and it's obvious he likes you and if you haven't caught on then it means you're not interested right?" He stops. "Again I don't want to know." She smiles at how much fun he's having with all of this, she realizes it's the first time he's been comfortable enough to tease her and the thought makes her smile even more. "Just don't continue leading him on by being nice and accepting invitations that sound like dates. Isn't that what you warned me about with Kris?" Sharon raises up and down on her feet anxiously as he leaves the kitchen. This was never her intention, she was on the verge of going crazy not being able to hold him and him calling her a friend, making it clear that it was all he wanted. Now she was being given relationship advice by her teenage foster son. She sighs heavily, the only thoughts in her mind, Andy. She would have to talk to him.
"Well, well, well. The absentee shows up after all!" Provenza shouts across the crime scene tape as Andy walks up to him with coffee cups and hands him one. "There are about a thousand more of these to make it up."
"I know, I promise I have a good reason." They walk into the house together.
"There better be a hot-blonde in your excuse." Provenza complains as they step up the stairs, stepping over blood smears. "Or your children." When neither one receives a yes Provenza lets out an annoyed sigh arriving into a bathroom. A body being examined in the bathtub. "You said it was important, very important. So tell me." He glowers at him Andy scratches his neck.
"Look Provenza, I can't alright." He steps closer to the body the examiner looks over.
"Been dead about ten to twelve hours." He looks at Flynn. "Killed here, but beaten with multiple weapons along the way from the bedroom." He steps aside and Andy looks more carefully. Then takes in the room with detail. He follows Provenza out of the bathroom and finds him on his phone.
"Who where you talking too?" Andy asks, Provenza frowns.
"Your excuse for Saturday and Sunday." Provenza grumbles annoyed, Andy frowns as the meet the team at the stairs. Does he know? "Buzz you got everything?"
"Yes, sir." Provenza walks down the stairs followed by the rest Andy trying to catch up to him.
"What did you mean by that?" He asks him as they leave the house.
"God damn Flynn!" He shouts annoyed everyone looking at them. Andy frowns and in a whispered scolding he continues. "What are you trailing on about?" Andy follows him to the car. "It was a joke one you would have laughed about before but now you're too busy following the Captain." They get into the car, Andy a little confused at Provenza's pent up anger. "Get your act together!" Provenza's voice loud. Andy starts the car and begins to drive. They sit in bitter frustration for several minutes.
"I can't tell you where I was." Provenza grumbles annoyed he'd get out of the car and walk if it wasn't so damn hot. "But you wouldn't have told me either if you had been in the same situation." Provenza glances at him hearing the seriousness in his voice. "I do need your help."
"First you leave me stranded with a taxi, to go home to no hang over food." Provenza pouts annoyed. "Then the poor Kid comes back from his friends to a grumpy Provenza because of you." Andy sighs making Provenza even more agitated. "Now you want a favor?" He asks in disbelief.
"Yes." Andy says shortly.
"Tell me." Provenza responds annoyed but this was their dynamic they took care of each other even when angry.
"This thing with Sharon, you'd call it my infatuation with Sharon." Provenza darts him a look. "Sorry the Captain," Provenza rolls his eyes calling her Sharon wasn't the issue right now, "it is serious." Provenza listens carefully now. "I know you're against the idea." Andy lets out an annoyed sigh at himself. "Just I think I'm falling in love with her if I'm not already." Provenza stays silent running his hand over his face at his partner's confession. "So help me." He says desperately.
"No!" He says loudly. "That's where I draw the line helping you seduce the Captain?" Provenza gets off the car as Andy pulls into the parking spot trying to get away from him. But Andy catches up to him.
"Provenza!" He says frustrated. "To get over her to move on." Provenza stops and looks at his friends worry. "You were the one that told me this was impossible and she would never be interested in me, I'm ready to listen." Provenza looks around raising his hands at his sides and nods running a hand behind his neck feeling slightly guilty with this whole ordeal. He had no idea Andy had fallen in love with her or that he was capable of it. Andy thanks him and begins to walk ahead to catch up with Tao as Provenza stands behind for a moment longer thinking about what just happened. Andy was in love with the Captain.
The team gets to work quickly, setting up the board and Provenza sends out Sanchez and Sykes when Sharon comes in. Andy turns to his computer abruptly excusing himself from the conversation between Tao and himself when he hears her heels. He would usually be the first to greet her, but that would have to change. We talked about dancing, going out together. No I need to learn how to not get excited when she walks into the room. Dancing as friends? I can do friends. Who are you kidding? His thoughts are disrupted as she says a quick hello like every day and off to drop of her things, this time instead of him giving her the folder with everything they have, Provenza does. She thanks him looking at Andy not looking at her and hesitantly taking it. She thanks him stopping briefly behind Andy and continues into her office putting her stuff down disappointed. He's avoiding me. She comes out quickly, Andy still on his computer.
"A twenty-five year old female." Provenza points at her image, "stabbed, hit and beaten with multiple unknown weapons dragged from her bedroom to the bathroom and finally killed in the tub with a shot to the head." Provenza starts.
"We are running all fingerprints through the house. There are twenty-seven total. Not including the victim." Sharon frowns at Tao's words.
"So we have twenty-seven unknown suspects as of now?" He nods, she lets out a sigh. It's going to be a long day.
"Captain," they turn around at Flynn's words she smiles but he stays stoic. "The parents are flying in from New Mexico. And two prints match theirs, they visited five days ago. So we have twenty-five suspects." He ends with a small shrug.
"Thank you Andy." She turns to Provenza. "Where are Julio and Amy?"
"Off to get a warrant for a storage the victim had in her name and to search it." Sharon nods. "Buzz is going through video footage on the victim's video camera to see if we can find anything."
"Okay good work." She rolls up the piece of paper nervously and looks at Andy's back towards her again. Tao and Provenza look at each other uncomfortably when they see a sadness reach her face. "Uh, Mike." She hands the paper to Provenza he takes it looking gloomy. "Will you come to the morgue with me please?" He nods looking at Andy and taking his jacket. Andy's stomach turns as he hears her step go faint, he feels something hit the back of his head. He turns around and looks at Provenza's angry expression.
"I also told you not to make her feel like crap." Andy gives him a desperate look. "No!" He shouts in a whisper. "You come to work and act professionally. You have become her right hand here. She trusts you, you know what it's like when you have that and it isn't forced it comes naturally so stop acting like a child and act like a Lieutenant!" Provenza grumbles furiously.
"Yes, sorry you're right." Provenza sends him in to help Buzz slightly angry at the way he dismissed Sharon and at the look on her face. She cared about him too. Provenza shakes his head he needed to make sure they didn't find out. They couldn't find out, what would happen to the team? But the look on both their faces.
"I have to be out of my mind." He grumbles at himself. They work around the clock not much talk going around. Tao brings it down to ten possibilities after several hours. Andy comes out of the control room and walks over to Sharon's door tapping lightly.
"Come in." Andy opens the door to find a young man sitting there in front of Sharon. "Lieutenant." She gives him a polite smile and the guy does too. "What can I do for you?" He had expected an introduction but why should he? "Lieutenant?" Sharon smiles seeing him distracted.
"Oh yes." He shakes his head. "The victim makes video diaries, she didn't make one for today of course but did say she was going on a blind date on yesterdays." Sharon nods. "Buzz has it ready if you want to see it. Excuse me sorry for interrupting." He turns ready to leave.
"Wait." The young man calls him. "Do you know who Mom's boyfriend is?" Andy stops and processes this was Ricky. He looked much different than the pictures not so lanky, more muscular, taller and darker as if he'd been in the sun a lot but it was certainly Jack Raydor's son and he had his mother's eyes.
"Andy please ignore my son." Andy nods ready to retreat. Ricky smiles at his Mom when she uses Andy's name. Sharon curses herself for the slip.
"No, Andy right?" The young man stands up with a grin and comes over extending his hand. "Richard or Ricky." Andy shakes his hand. "I was rude to ask the question but I just really wanted to know." Andy looks at Sharon who looks embarrassed Ricky gives her a smug smile. "Thank you for helping Mom with Jack." Andy frowns seeing Sharon uncomfortable.
"Ricky that's enough." Sharon stands up, "look Ricky I love that you're here but we can't talk personal life at home. So go. And tell Gavin he's in big trouble for talking to you and making you come out for this." Sharon kisses him on his cheek. Andy moves aside and lets him go. He waves goodbye to Andy and leaves. Sharon's hand lands on his arm, Andy looks at her. "I apologize." Before she can finish Andy shakes his head and moves away her hand drawn out in midair she frowns.
"Not a problem, Buzz is waiting." He walks over to his desk. Sharon looks around and the few people around were busy working, she walks over to his desk and leans sitting slightly on it her arms crossed. Andy does everything to change his expression of a desperate man and look up at her.
"Lieutenant I don't know what's going on, but you promised me you wouldn't change with everything." Andy sighs at her voice breaking he turns his chair and without consciously thinking about it runs a hand along her leg, Sharon's arms come uncrossed and she trembles at his touch, looking around then facing him again.
"I'm just a little tired. How are you feeling?" He reaches for her hand her bruises exposed on her wrist. He knew that with more careful attention the team would notice the bump over her eye the heavier makeup she was wearing, the sadness in her eyes. Sharon is conscious of his hand waiting anxiously for it, his fingers wrap around hers as he lifts her shirt sleeve with his thumb caressing it softly. He looks up at her and meets her eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispers, she sighs.
"Captain." She turns to Provenza's voice her hand escaping his, "I need you in the control room." She looks back at Andy but he's shifted back under his desk only smiling faintly at her. "Captain." Provenza calls again she stands straight and walks away. Andy stands up the others team eyes on him as he walks out of the murder room. Sharon looks at Provenza he can see how whatever was going on had affected her. She bows her head so he couldn't focus too long hoping she could end the day without them noticing. Andy walks into the bathroom and loosens his tie and washes his face with cold water then running his hand over his neck trying to cool off. He was in love with a woman who was keen on keeping his promise to friendship all the while she has a boyfriend. His skin boils and he repeats the process when he hears Provenza.
"What's gotten into you?" He storms in. "You want me to help you forget her but you are about to make out in the murder room." Andy sighs. "Flynn you need to talk to her." Andy frowns.
"You were the one that told me it was a bad idea." Andy yells. "I have talked to her, we're friends and you said not to hurt her so I need to figure out how to do this without hurting her." Provenza nods. "Now you have nothing to worry about Ricky her son just told me she has a boyfriend." Provenza looks grimly at Andy as he dries his face tightens his tie and nods walking out of the restroom.
"Idiots." He grumbles to himself. "They're both idiots."