Thank you! For your patience and for sticking with this story! And thanks a lot to everyone of you who left a review! :D

This is the last chapter of the story and takes place a few weeks after chapter 6.

Hugs to lontanissima for the help!


Chapter 7

It wasn't a rare view to find Andy standing in her kitchen, cutting vegetables and grating cheese. However it was rather unusual for him to do so before 9am on a day off. Andy liked to cook and he often did but breakfast was something either Sharon or Rusty took care of while he was still in bed, slowly regaining consciousness.

Before he and Sharon were in a relationship he'd just get something on the way to work or skip breakfast altogether. This had changed though when he had started spending his nights at Sharon's place. She and Rusty usually had breakfast together. A proper breakfast. With coffee, orange juice and everything. He didn't see the necessity of it at first. Why would you get up extra early to prepare yourself some food when you are not really hungry anyway and when you could also just get a coffee and a croissant on the way to work? But once he had sat down on the breakfast table with them he had started to understand. It wasn't about having breakfast – though Sharon was convinced that it was very important to eat in the morning. It was about starting the day together, about spending time with each other. Sharon had a busy job with crazy hours and often she would stay away for days, only stopping home for a shower and a change of clothes. So she really cherished those breakfasts and the simplicity of them.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked as she came to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle and pressing her cheek to his back.

"I thought it was time that I made you and the kid breakfast for a change" he turned around within her embrace and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "...before either one of you starts calling me a freeloader." he murmured against her skin.

She laughed. "Of course. We wouldn't want that. It's not like you are preparing a delicious dinner about 4 times a week."

"We ordered take out pretty much every night this month."

"And on the nights we didn't order in, you cooked." She kissed him on the lips before she untangled herself from his hug.

Rusty joined them only minutes later. His hair ruffled, his voice still sleepy. "Sharon there is some guy standing in our kitchen, preparing breakfast... He looks a lot like your boyfriend but this can't be... it's not even 8am yet."

"I know. I'm shocked too." Sharon got a mug for her son from the cupboard, filled it with coffee and handed it to him.

"Frankly, I am pretty shocked myself." Andy said as he put a plate with pancakes on the breakfast table. "How about we all get over it and have breakfast?"

"Good idea, I am starving." Rusty dropped down in his usual spot and immediately loaded 2 pancakes on his plate.

Andy got the orange juice from the fridge and sat down opposite of Rusty, in the chair that had become his over the last few months. "Leave something for your mother too, would you?" The older man chuckled as he watched Rusty put almost all the strawberries on his plate.

"She doesn't need much. She eats like a bird." He said with his mouth full which earned him a disapproving glare from Sharon.

"Woa! Those pancakes are really good." Rusty said after he swallowed. "We really gotta keep this guy around, Sharon."

She smiled as she dropped down between the two men. "I was planning on doing that." She was talking to Rusty but her eyes were on Andy, her soft gaze making it clear that she wasn't just saying this. She meant it. She truly did. Sharon could not imagine a life without him anymore and she certainly didn't want to. He had become a part of her, of her heart, her soul. It sounded cheesy but sometimes - when you were really lucky - life simply was cheesy.

"God can you please stop looking at each other like that!" Rusty groaned in annoyance. "You promised no inappropriate behavior when I'm around."

Rusty knew they really did try to keep their PDA to a minimum in his presence and when he is really honest to himself he didn't even mind their displays all that much... Well at least not when it was just a short peck on the lips, a hug or holding hands. Everything else he really didn't wanna see but those small things he didn't mind but it was simply too much fun complaining about it.

"We are not even touching!" Andy exclaimed. "How is not-touching inappropriate?"

"When you are looking at each other like that, that's when." Rusty made sure to put on a slightly disgusted facial expression.

"Like what?" Andy wanted to know.

"You don't want him to answer that." Sharon said and shot Rusty a warning glare, giving him to understand that she would very much appreciate it if he did not explain whatever he thinks that look was, any further.

"God old people are so weird." Rusty rolled his eyes as he shoved another glutted fork into his mouth.

Andy laughed and Sharon playfully hit his shoulder while trying not to chuckle herself at the same time. God, she really loved those two guys.


Rusty left right after breakfast. He was meeting up with some friends to play chess or at least so he had said. It didn't worry Sharon that what he had told her about his plans was very vague. She trusted him. He had become quite a responsible young man. She couldn't be prouder of him.

When she and Andy officially had started dating Rusty had had some difficulties dealing with it. And she really couldn't blame him. Every time his biological mother had entered a relationship she had dropped everything for the new guy, including her son. She had neglected Rusty and she even had let the man she dated physically hurt him.

Sharon was nothing like his other mom and Andy was absolutely nothing like these men his biological mother had brought home back then. But unconsciously Rusty still had been scared that the vicious circle would start all over again. That he would become a burden, an inconvenience, the fifth wheel of the wagon.

It was heartbreaking for Sharon to know he was feeling like that. So she and Andy had decided to make it clear to him once and for all. He was anything but a burden. He was her son and she did not only want him around when it was convenient. She loved him. He was a part of her. Andy knew that, accepted that and encouraged it. It was how it was supposed to be, how it should be and how it would always be.

They opted for showing him rather than telling him. Words were great but in this case action was better. They took him out to dinner and afterwards they had gone to the movies. Andy had bought him an insanely huge bag of popcorn and once the movie was over they had this crazy idea to drive to the beach and have ice cream. Sharon hadn't said a word about all the junk food the two guys had eaten that night. She had been far too happy about the fact that Rusty was getting more and more comfortable around Andy and about the idea of them being together. Rusty had understood what she was telling him. Andy was an addition to their family. He did not replace or extrude anyone. There simply was one more member in their family now.

Later that night, before going to bed, Sharon had stopped by Rusty's room. "Nothing changes for you." She had said. "Wherever I am and whoever I am with, you and your brother and sister are always gonna be my priority. Always."

"I know. I always have known." He had said, meaning it. He had indeed always known, he just had had trouble believing it and trusting his instincts.

"What are you thinking about?" Andy asked as he noticed that she seemed to be far away with her thoughts. The two of them were sitting on the lounge furniture on her balcony, enjoying the fresh air and each other's company.

It took a moment for his question to make it through to her. She smiled. "Just about how lucky I am."

He waited for her to explain further and she did. "My children are wonderful, they are healthy… and safe. And my boyfriend…" she couldn't help but giggle when saying that childish word. "… made me breakfast."

Andy pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "I should get up early more often. I really like making you breakfast. Especially when it helps to convince the kid that having me around is not so bad after all."

"I think you convinced him of that the moment you bought him that ridiculously huge bucket of popcorn at the movie theater." She snuggled closer into him, seeking his warmth.

"I was a little desperate at that point." He admitted with a smile.

"I really admire you for not giving up on him. I know the first few weeks weren't easy."

"I would have reacted the same way in his situation."

She sighed contently into the crock of his neck. It amazed her how understanding Andy was most of the times. One wouldn't expect that from the hotheaded lieutenant.

Sharon was just about to say something when her phone vibrated on the table in front of them, telling them she had a new text.

She sighed and hoped it was one of her children and not Taylor calling them in.

Andy - knowing she would want to check the message right away - handed her the phone.

He got curious when she started smiling. "One of the kids?" He asked.

Sharon shook her head no. "Provenza."

"And you are smiling while reading his text?! Do I need to be worried?"

Sharon held the phone out towards him so he was able to read for himself.

"Captain, just wanted to let you know that that idiot boyfriend of yours can stop worrying that my son will steal his girlfriend."

There was a picture attached. It wasn't in the in best quality but it seemed to be a photo of some poster or of an ad. Andy clicked on the pic to enlarge it and was finally able to identify the item. It was an invitation. Greg's and Ella's wedding invitation.

Now he was laughing as well. "Looks like your back-up boyfriend is off the market."

"That's good. Because I really don't need a back-up boyfriend." She put the phone back on the table.

"You sure about that?" He teased.

"Very." Her hand went to his neck, caressing the soft skin there with her nails.

They looked at each other, both smiling brightly, before Sharon put her lips on his, kissing him tenderly.

When they broke apart again, Andy pressed his forehead to hers. "We probably should tell Provenza that Greg's wedding is not the only one where he is supposed to show up at this year."

"Let's give him a few more days to recover from his son's news before we drop that bombshell on him."

Yes she was right, Andy thought. The old man would need a few days to process the tidings before they shared their planes with him. They better didn't overwhelm him with all the shocking news at once, his old heart might not be able to take it and Andy was certainly not gonna look for a new Best Man.

- the end


That's it people. Thanks a lot for reading, reviewing, faving and following this story. You are the best :D