Drama never dies so here I am with chapter 7! You'll see that things are more complicated than what they seem, sometimes relationships and feelings can be really hard and talking is not enough. Let me know what you think… Enjoy & review!

After that late phone call both Sharon and Andy seemed to get back in track, a full night of sleep was what they needed but most of all they needed to hear each other's voice. None of them was so naïve to believe that things were okay now, they weren't, they still needed to talk, really talk.

Andy kept attending the courses, going to the meetings and the urge, that dangerous need of drinking again decreased but he wasn't out of the woods yet; Sharon forced herself to eat more for her own sake and tried to drink less, she didn't want to have another conversation with Rusty about her health.

The phone call seemed to have a positive effect on both of them but after that they knew where they stood even less, they both apologized and so what? Andy wasn't sure if he should have called her again, he was still mad at her, that horrible feeling of being unwanted and unworthy never left him since she started redressing in his bedroom. He was an ex-alcoholic who was so close to fall off the wagon again, why should she be with him? Why should she really want him? Sharon could have so much better, she was smart, gorgeous, sexy and funny, she was perfect… almost perfect. He didn't know if he wanted her to call or not but he kept his phone on in case she did it and one night the ringing startled him waking him up.

"Hi..."

"Hi, were you asleep?"

"No, I mean yes but it doesn't matter"

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you"

"It's okay"

She paused "How are you?"

"I've been better, you?"

"Exactly like you"

"I doubt it"

"Andy please..."

"Sorry"

They both became silent

"I thought you'd have called again after the last time..."

"I didn't know if it was the right thing to do"

"I slept soundly for a whole night after months"

"I'm glad to hear it"

"Andy... We should talk, I mean face to face"

"I don't know if it's a good idea Sharon, it didn't go very well last time"

" We were fighting, we were both angry and hurt"

"Aren't we still?"

"I am not, I want to leave everything that happened behind"

"Good for you if you can"

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"I can't forget the way you made me feel, it's still burning"

"I know and I'm sorry but we really need to sort things out"

"Do we? I mean I know we do because we work together but this is Sharon asking or Captain Raydor?"

"Why are you asking? Of course it's me, it's Sharon"

"I don't want to take anything for granted, I won't make this mistake again"

The implication of his words sounded loud and clear at her ears...

"Will you ever forgive me?" Her voice was slightly trembling

Andy sighed incapable of giving her an answer.

"Goodnight Andy"

"Sharon wait..."

She hung up and he tried to call her back several times but it always went to the voicemail: he realized that stick and stones could break bones, words could hurt like hell but anything was worse than silence.

The night after Provenza dragged Andy along to dinner, he knew his partner wanted to cheer him up, to take his mind off the situation with Sharon but after their call's fiasco he wanted to be alone.

They went out for burgers and talked about the next Dodger game, even work but Flynn was distant, he didn't even notice the blonde who was making sheep's eyes to him..

"Flynn, the blonde on your left never stopped looking at you"

"I don't care"

"Since when?"

"Do you really need to ask?" He said bothered

"You'd need to blow off some steam instead, a hot one-night stand"

"If you're so excited, why don't you screw her?" He asked brusque

"Flynn"

"Don't 'Flynn' me! I won't go screwing around just because Sharon doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore!"

"How do you know that?"

"She called me last night, she wanted to talk face to face, to fix things but I didn't think it was a good idea"

"For the love of God, why?"

"Because I'm afraid that if I see her all the anger and the hurt I'm still feeling will blow up in our face"

"You've to decide what you want soon because otherwise you're gonna lose her. That's the problem with people who have been hurt very badly... They know they can survive and the Captain raised two children alone, built a career from nothing, she could stay without you but maybe she doesn't want to"

"If I didn't know you I'd say you admire her"

"That's not the point, what do you want Flynn? You told me she already apologized, what else does she need to do? Crawling at your feet? You've been an asshole and she still wants to work things out"

"Whose side are you on?"

"Yours idiot! That's why you need to do something!"

Andy didn't answer but when Provenza dropped him off at home, he waited for him to go away and took his car to go to Sharon. It wasn't late, they ended the night early, it wasn't wise going to a bar like they'd have usually done when Andy was on the verge to start drinking again, he wasn't his usual self and it was better staying away from temptations.

When he arrived at her building the courage he mustered to go there and talk to her seemed to vanish… did he really want to fix things? Yes. Did he really think he could forgive her? No. What he wanted and what was possible seemed conflicting and he felt torn but Provenza was right, he'd have come back to work sooner or later and even if he asked for a transfer he'd have had to talk to her.

The front door was open so he didn't think to ring and just took the lift heading to the 11th floor, his gut was telling him to turn on his heels and leave but he was in front of her door now and Andrew Flynn never left something unfinished so he took a deep breath and rang the bell.

He heard voices and the click of her heels towards the door that she opened: there she was, Sharon, wearing a blue cobalt sheath dress and heels, her make-up was impeccable like her wavy luscious hair. Andy looked at her from head to toe and back…

"Andy"

She couldn't hide the surprise of seeing him, of course she was expecting him but the thought that she might have been not alone arrived only a second after…

"Sorry if I stop by without notice…"

"Sharon, do you want some more wine?"

A man's voice came from the kitchen and Andy's expression changed from normal to angry in a matter of seconds

"You're busy, I should have called. Have a good night Sharon"

"Andy wait"

She stepped out of her condo following him

"Wait what?" he snapped "You're having dinner all spit and polish with another man after you told me you wanted to fix things with me only last night!"

"It's not what it looks like"

He laughed "Great line Sharon, the same men use when they're screwing someone who's not their wife/girlfriend. Tell me, do you screw him?"

"You can't talk to me like that!"

"Sure I can! You played me again, you made me feel like a monster because I couldn't forgive you right away and what you're doing?"

"I don't owe you an explanation but he's just a friend!"

"A friend like I was? I'm sure he's not a waity idiot like me!"

She gasped "He just did me a favor on the job!"

"Yes, yes and what does he want in return?"

"Nothing, he wants nothing!"

He shook his head laughing bitterly "I knew this was a bad idea, I shouldn't have come, I should have listened to my gut"

He turned heading to the lift

"Then why are you here?" she asked, eyes full of tears

"Because a small part of me hoped we still had a chance, now I know we don't"

He stepped into the elevator and the last thing he saw before the doors closed was a tear streaming down her beautiful face.