"Grandpa, you're here!" Tommy said as he started jumping up and down at the door. Chris joined him and threw his arms around Andy's leg.

"Grandpa!" Chris screamed, and Andy tried to move, but he was locked in place with one boy on each leg. He glanced to Sharon who was covering her mouth and trying not to laugh.

"That's enough, boys," Nicole said as she walked up to the doorway. "Grandpa can't come inside if you don't let go of his leg."

"Grandma Sharon!" they both moved to her legs and started to grab her the same way. Andy reached to put his hand on her back, worried that they force of the boys would knock her over, as it had been almost enough to knock him over too. He felt Sharon lean into his back and was glad he was there as a brief support. The boys couldn't cause more injury to Sharon.

"Boys! Sharon is injured. Be careful with her," Nicole scolded.

"Boys, I told you not to do that," Dean said as he walked up to the door. "Hi, Andy, Sharon," he nodded to both of them and smiled.

"Hi Dad," Nicole smiled and hugged him. Sharon was slightly bent hugging the boys, and when she stood up, the boys let go of her legs, and Nicole greeted her too with a hug. "Sharon, it's so great to see you! Come in," she gestured.

"Whoa, Grandma Sharon, what happened to your hand?" Tommy said and ran his small hand down her cast. Sharon sighed and shook her head at Andy. She told him it would be the first thing the boys would notice, not that she could blame him, but she really was annoyed by the thing.

"Boys, we talked about you calling her that," Dean looked at the boys. "You can't just call her that because you want to call her that."

"You said we could ask her," Chris pointed out to his dad as he pointed at Sharon. He looked to Sharon and Andy, who were trying to follow the conversation. "Grandma Sharon, Dad said we had to ask if we could call you that, the grandma part. He said it had to be okay with you."

"Oh, well," Sharon glanced to Andy, the panic in her eyes. The two had discussed it, and Andy had spoken to Nicole about it. Apparently, somewhere in all of that, maybe it wasn't made clear that Sharon was okay with it if everyone else was okay with it. She looked to him for help, but before he could say anything, Tommy jumped in too.

"Dad said that grandmas are married to grandpas. You aren't married to grandpa, but when are you getting married? He said we had to ask you," Tommy nodded and looked to his dad.

Dean's face turned red, as did Nicole's, "Tommy, that's not exactly what I said." Dean shook his head and looked to Sharon and Andy who were both a little thrown by the conversation too. "I told you that yes, grandmas and grandpas are usually married to each other, and then it was fine to call them that. Here, I said that Grandpa Andy is not married to Sharon, and before you start calling her Grandma Sharon, you need to ask her if it's okay." He glanced at Nicole who was nodding in agreement, and then he eyed Andy and Sharon.

"It's fine, really," Andy told them.

Sharon looked at the boys and leaned over to them, "I'm very happy to be Grandma Sharon. If it's okay with your parents, your grandpa and I are okay with it too." She smiled at them, and the boys looked up at Dean and Nicole.

"Okay," Nicole nodded in agreement. "Problem solved."

"They didn't tell us when they are getting married," Chris frowned. "My friend Hannah went to a wedding last week and said there was cake, lots of cake."

"Oh, Chris, that's not polite to ask," Nicole looked to Andy and mouthed 'sorry' at him. He held up his hand and shook his head; he was okay with it.

Andy leaned down to the boys, "How about we just enjoy calling her Grandma Sharon right now? You did ask about her arm," he pointed to it. "Let's just address it right now. Grandma Sharon fell and broke her hand."

"Ouch!" Tommy jumped up and down. "Did you get stitches?"

"No, Honey," Sharon smiled, "just this cast."

"Let's go in the house," Nicole gestured. "We could stand out here all night with all the questions," she sighed. The boys tugged on Andy's arms, mainly because he had two free hands, and he walked into the house. Dean followed, mostly to make sure the boys didn't hurt Andy, with Sharon after him, and then Nicole closed the door. She moved quickly to whisper to Sharon, "I'm so sorry about the grand inquisition out there."

Sharon stopped and turned to her, a small smile on her face, "Nicole, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I love those boys; Andy and I both love them. I do hope it's okay they address me as their grandma and assume you would tell me if it's a problem?"

"Are you kidding?" Nicole grinned. "I was delighted when Dad asked. They can have a Grandma Sandra and a Grandma Sharon on my side of the family. The more love the merrier. As you know, the boys mostly call me mom, but they sometimes still call me Nicole. I'm okay with that too. "

Sharon chuckled and nodded, "Hmmm, that sounds a lot like Rusty, and I think the boys are very lucky so many people love them."

"Oh, I agree with you, just as Rusty is lucky to have you and Dad too. He was welcome to come; I hope you know that," Nicole told her.

"I appreciate that. Andy and I both invited him, but he's doing his own thing. I think he likes our family time, but at the same time, he's exploring his independence. That sounds ironic with his being on his own for so long, but this is a different kind of independence. He's secure and knows he is safe, so finally, he's able to branch out, meet people, and live. He knows that he can always come home, and when he does come home, a family is there to greet him. You're part of that family," Sharon squeezed her arm. "Maybe he will come next time."

"Good," Nicole smiled. "The boys ask about him, and it's been awhile since I've even talked to him."

"Hmm, well," Sharon stopped when she looked down at Chris tugging on her leg again.

"Grandma Sharon, we want to see your cast. Grandpa said you picked the black cast," he nodded.

"I did," she nodded back at him. "Let's go find your grandpa," and she walked with her hand in his. Nicole followed.

Sharon found Dean, Andy, and Tommy in the living room. Andy was sitting on the couch with Tommy curled up next to him. Andy had his arm around Tommy, and he was talking to Dean who was sitting in a recliner. They looked up when Sharon, Nicole, and Chris entered the room.

"Found them. They were talking like about girl stuff," Chris made a face.

"Girl stuff? Yuck!" Tommy started to giggle. "Boy stuff is better, like baseball." Sharon moved across the room and sat down on the couch. She glanced at Andy, and then she glanced at Tommy.

"Grandma Sharon knows a lot about baseball," Andy added. "Girls can know a lot about sports, just like boys can. She knows a lot about football too. You remember she loves to watch football."

"Baseball is better!" Tommy yelled.

Sharon chuckled and nodded, "Grandpa would agree with you." Chris joined her at the couch, and he frowned at her arm. He put his hand on her cast, and he ran his fingers over it. He looked to Sharon.

"Does that hurt, Grandma?"

"No, the cast doesn't hurt. You touching it doesn't hurt, but the broken bone in my hand does hurt. It will hurt even when I get the cast off in a few weeks. My hand will be stiff."

"Why is your thumb in the cast too?" he asked.

"My thumb is broken," she gestured for his own hand and pointed to his thumb. "I broke my thumb here and here on my hand too. It's going to take awhile for it to get better. Then, even when the cast is off, I will have to go to an office where they will umm, do some exercise for it."

"Exercise for your thumb?" Chris started to laugh. "That's funny."

"How did you break it?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, we were a little unclear about the details," Nicole jumped into the conversation. "Dad said you fell in the condo?"

Sharon quickly eyed Andy, and he glanced away before he started to laugh. Sharon tried to remain cool and just nodded, "Yes, I fell in the condo. It was dark, and I was going to the kitchen for a glass of water."

Andy sighed, "She tripped over my shoes. It was my fault." Sharon snapped her head at him, surprised he had admitted that. He glanced at her and shrugged, "What? I'm not letting you look like a total clutz. I did leave my shoes out, and you are in that cast because you tripped over them."

"Your shoes?" Nicole asked, eyebrows raised. She glanced from her dad to Sharon and back. Neither met her glance, and she looked to Dean. "It was dark, and you tripped over Dad's shoes?"

"Hmm, yes," Sharon said as she smiled at the boys, trying not to further discuss the topic. "Boys, I heard you have a new dance routine to show us," she grinned and changed the topic. Thankfully, Nicole didn't ask anything more, but Sharon caught Nicole look at Andy, and then he just shrugged at Nicole. Sharon was thankful the boys were still in the room because otherwise, she felt like the conversation would have gotten even more awkward.

"Yes, we don't know all of it yet, and we don't have the music at home to practice," Tommy explained.

"It goes like this," Chris jumped up and started twirling around the room. Without music or the exact steps, he looked like he was lost in his own world twirling around and around. Sharon had to look away not to laugh, and Andy started to laugh before Sharon swatted at his leg. The two turned their attention back on Chris, who had now been joined by Tommy. They watched a few more seconds while the boys danced around the room, and then they both stopped, almost in unison.

"Wow, that was great," Sharon grinned and nodded to Andy.

"Really great, boys," he told them. "We can't wait to see it when it's all done."

"Oh, let me check on dinner," Nicole said and stood. She looked to Andy and Sharon, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Andy glanced to Sharon, "Water for me," she said, and Andy nodded in agreement. Sharon stood to follow Nicole.

"I'll help," she told her, and she patted the boys on their heads as she walked by them to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she smiled at Nicole who was filling the water glasses.

"So, did Dad's shoes ever go home after his accident, or have they been living at your condo?" she eyed Sharon. Sharon seemed to know this conversation was coming. She and Nicole got along very well, and both women were relaxed around each other. Nicole had come to Sharon in the past for relationship advice, and once it was clear Sharon was the woman in Andy's life, she had started to confide in her. Still, Sharon saw her like she saw Emily, as a daughter, and she really didn't want to discuss the intimate details of her personal life. On the other hand, Rusty knew plenty, and it would just take a phone call to him to get the details. She sighed and shook her head.

"Your dad has just started staying over at the condo recently, very recently, in fact," she clarified. "We've had a rough few months with his injuries."

"I know," Nicole gave her a soft smile. "I'm happy for you two. Oh, gosh, Rusty," she started to giggle.

"Hmm, Rusty," Sharon nodded. "Yes, Rusty came home from his night out just after I'd broken my hand. Needless to say, the three of us are much closer, and for Rusty, he's feeling slightly mortified."

"Oh, I can imagine," Nicole started laughing even more and almost doubled over at the counter. "Poor Rusty. I won't even ask."

"That's a good idea," Sharon sighed. "So, yes, on top of actually breaking my thumb and hand, the situation or circumstances of the incident are even more embarrassing. You know your dad, and he just can't stop talking. He spilled all the details to the team before he even realized it. Andy," she shook her head and sighed again.

"Dad is so in love with you, Sharon," Nicole tilted her head to Sharon. "He means well."

"I know," Sharon nodded in agreement. "That's why I couldn't be mad at him, not for too long. Oh, I was so embarrassed initially, but it was an accident, even if I asked him to move his shoes. Still, I know he loves me, and because I love him, it's just something I will eventually get over, this whole mess."

"Eventually?" Nicole eyed Sharon.

"I'm so frustrated with all this. I know I haven't been easy to be around the last several days. I will get over it, but every little thing is so irritating right now," she sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sharon," Nicole gave her a sad smile. "Dad said it's been a big adjustment, just knowing you can't do simple things right now."

"Right," she said and gestured to the glassware on the counter. "For example, I can't carry a simple glass in my hand with this cast covering my thumb. I can carry one glass, not two. It's amazing what you take for granted with a thumb injury."

"I'm sorry!" Nicole exclaimed. "I shouldn't have asked for your help."

Sharon smiled, "You didn't. I wanted to help and chat. I think your dad is getting an earful from the boys." The two women laughed as Nicole nodded in agreement. She checked on dinner in the oven, a chicken casserole back that was an old family favorite. Even Andy liked it, as he didn't eat much meat, but this was a recipe his own mom had made for him when he was a child. It was one of the foods he commonly made when he did see the kids as they were growing up, and Nicole had fond memories of the chicken casserole. She had been making it now for years, and while Sharon knew she could offer to make it at the condo, she had resisted, knowing it was a special bond that Andy and Nicole shared. Andy was proud that Nicole wanted something from his past, and so, the dish was often made when Andy and Sharon came over for dinner. Tonight was no exception.

"Looks like dinner is ready. I hope you don't mind we are having chicken casserole again," Nicole explained.

Sharon shook her head and smiled, "Actually, I was just thinking how nice it is you and your dad share that recipe. You are able to get a vegetarian to eat chicken. I can't even do that," she winked at Nicole. Nicole nodded and chuckled.

"Oh, he'd do anything for you. He really loves you," Nicole told her.

Sharon nodded, "The feeling is mutual. I promise you that." Nicole grinned and turned her attention back to the oven where she pulled the casserole out of the oven. Sharon walked to the refrigerator and opened it to find a salad ready inside. She pulled that out, put it on the counter, and then she repeated the action of pulling salad dressings out and putting them on the counter. Everything just took longer with her cast.

"Do you and Dad have any plans the next few weeks? I know your work schedule has been rough on top of his health issues," Nicole asked, making small talk.

"Funny you should ask," Sharon sighed and shook her head. "We had planned to fly to New York and visit Emily. Andy suggested it as a way to get my mind off my hand. I do want him to spend more time with Emily, and we were going to see her new show. She's going to be out of town the weekend we could go. I was so looking forward to the visit. We'll have to go another time."

"I'm sorry about that," Nicole frowned, but when she met Sharon's gaze, she raised her eyebrows and continued, "but, you were going to take Dad to New York?"

"Yes," Sharon smiled and said firmly.

"That's great, Sharon," Nicole smiled brightly and corrected herself, "I mean, the taking him part, not that you can't go. Why don't you go visit Ricky? San Francisco is fun, even in the winter when it's cold."

"We discussed that," Sharon nodded. "I think we will; San Francisco is the fallback plan. Your dad even suggested we catch a flight up there too so we don't spend so much of our time off driving. I think it would work. I'd enjoy seeing Ricky too," she smiled.

"How's dinner coming?" Andy clapped his hands together as he walked into the kitchen. He walked to Sharon and put his arm around her back as he kissed her cheek. He eyed the casserole, "Chicken casserole," he groaned in delight. "Eating this makes me question being a vegetarian at all."

"I was just telling Nicole how much I enjoy seeing you two share this," she gestured to the casserole. The boys came running into the kitchen with Dean behind them. Soon, everyone was seated at the table. The drinks had been poured, and the food had been served. The dinner conversation subsided as people at their food. Sharon and Andy sat across from each other, with Sharon sitting next to Chris while Andy sat next to Tommy. Dean and Nicole were seated at each end of the table.

As they were finishing the meal, Chris started running his fingers on Sharon's cast again. She knew the boys were curious, so she addressed it, "Would you like to touch it more?" He nodded, and his eyes grew wide. She gestured for him to do so, and then he started to knock on it.

"It's really hard," he grinned at him dad. "Did Grandpa laugh when you fell?"

"Oh no," she shook her head and gave Andy a small smile. "Grandpa felt badly I'd fallen. He was so nice. He helped me to the couch, and then he checked on it."

"Grandma didn't want to go to the hospital or see the doctor," Andy added, "so, she went to bed. She didn't go until the next morning. I took her and made her see the doctor."

The boys giggled, and Tommy said, "Grandpa made Grandma. Grandpa, did you use your police badge?"

"Me?" Andy gestured to himself. "No way. Grandma outranks me. She would just tell me not to even get that thing out. Nah, she knew she should go. I was just there to drive her and sit with her while the doctor looked at it. Going to the hospital can be scary. Trust me because I spent a long time in the hospital before Christmas."

"Were you scared, Grandma?" Tommy asked.

"Not scared, but just upset," Sharon explained. "I can't do a lot with this, and it's ugly," she grimaced.

"I love it!" Chris said. "Dad I want a cast."

"No," Dean and Nicole said in unison. The adults laughed.

"Grandma even chose the black color," Andy nodded to the cast. Nicole started to chuckle.

"Oh, Sharon, you chose black?" she asked, not hearing it mentioned earlier in the visit.

Sharon looked around the room and shrugged, "I'm in mourning. Plus, it goes with my work clothes." This time, it was Dean who burst out laughing.

"You chose a cast because you're in mourning?" Dean chuckled. "Andy, I'm surprised she lets you anywhere near her right now."

"Nah, she finds me too irresistible to stay away," he winked at Sharon and chuckled as he did. "She loves me too much," he added.

"Ohhh, Grandpa said he loves Grandma," Chris giggled. "Can you get married so we can have wedding cake? Hannah said wedding cake was so good. She also said wedding cakes are really tall, and I love cake! I'd really like that, and I don't know anyone else who could get married because you have to love somebody to get married."

"Chris, you have to stop asking them that," Dean frowned as he addressed his son. He glanced to Andy and Sharon, both of whom were blushing, and he said, "I'm sorry you two."

Andy nodded and looked to Chris, "Buddy, maybe someday, okay?"

Sharon twisted her head to Andy, her eyes wide, and then she looked to the boys. They were giggling again, and she then turned back to Andy. He winked at her, and she just slightly shook her head at him. Thankfully, Nicole broke the silence, "Ahh, can I get anyone anything?"

"I have a question," Chris told the group.

"No questions about weddings," Dean instructed.

"I just wanted to know if we could punch Grandma's cast. It's hard. You could like punch it, like boxing," he nodded.

Sharon groaned and dropped her head, "No, Baby, you can't."

"I know! We can put stickers on it," Tommy yelled as he jumped up and ran out of the room. Sharon started to say something to him, but he was gone that quickly. Nicole sighed.

"Dad, Sharon, I'm sorry," she dropped her head.

"It's fine," Sharon cleared her throat. Andy nodded in agreement.

"No worries, Nic. Kids are kids," he shrugged.

"Grandma, here," Tommy came running, stickers in hand. "Can we put stickers on your cast?" Sharon was about to say no, but she couldn't, not with his sweet face. He made it even harder when he added, "We can make your cast really pretty. We'll put stickers all over it to make it beautiful."

She heard Nicole and Dean both groan. Dean spoke up, "Boys, let's forget the stickers. Grandma and Grandpa have to go to work tomorrow. You can't put stickers on her cast."

"But, we have police stickers," Tommy held up the sheet. He started to tear up, and Sharon gave Andy a hopeless look.

"Boys, it's fine," she smiled softly at them. "I'd love some police stickers on my cast." She eyed Andy, and he smiled brightly at her. She looked at the boys again, "Go ahead." The boys were delighted and spent a few minutes decorating her cast. It wasn't long after that the boys were instructed to get ready for bed. Sharon glanced around the room.

"The things I do for this family," she grinned and shook her head.

"Believe me," Andy nodded, "I owe you big. I can't believe you love me as much as you do to put up with all of us."