Folks, I have no excuse than that I have simply been too lazy to edit this chapter for you guys. Shame on me, yea I know. But this was one of my first ones and after I wrote some of thiose you aready read more recently and kind of changed the tune of my chapters, I could not post this as it had been.

Also, I have not actually watched 'the closer' other than some random episodes that aired when I was bored, and a few of the lsat ones where Sharon was already integrated a good deal. So, I apologize, if this may seem OOC and if I really did not manage to get Brenda and Fritz right, but this chapter just screamed at me, that it needed to be done because of obvious reasons, but i did neither have the time, nor the urge to watch 'the closer' I do hope, that it's still not all that bad and you will enjoy it nevertheless.

Furthermore, this story will officially have another TWO chapters, that are halfway finished, so expect them soon. but since many of you want to see that inquisition the children have planned for their parents, i decided to try my hand on that one, too. This could take a while, though, since I'm preoccupied with work and multitasking on three (THREE! AHHH) other stories I want to share soon.

thanks to anyone who actually stuck with me through my rambling and enjoy the next chapter :)


Chapter VIII - Fritz and Brenda

It had been Rusty who pointed out that it was their anniversary and though, technically it wasn't it was, too. Their actual relationship was only five weeks old, but as both of them reluctantly admitted a while ago, they had been kind of dating for far longer than that. It had been exactly one year today since the first dinner he had asked her to. They don't count his daughter's wedding, because that's Nicole's day and technically that had not been a date and as much as they'd argued before that they had not been out on actual dates for a very a very long time after that, they, in hindsight, could not deny that they had been kind of dating all this time.

So they just went with it. It was as good an opportunity to celebrate as any, if it was their maybe-kind-of-but-not-really one year anniversary or not.

Sharon had argued the matter of Andy taking over preparations and reservations for the night for all of two seconds, and the fact that she gave in this easily surprised even her. She liked when the man asked the woman out, she was old-fashioned like that, but she was also independent enough that, since they'd gotten together, she had always wanted to take part in the decisions – unless of course, he surprised her. Andy respected that, loved that about her even and so he shared a look of surprise with the teenager behind her back when she simply shrugged her shoulders and told him to give her at least a clue to what she should be wearing. But for all her independence when it comes to her personal and professional life, she loves Andy and, more importantly, trusts him with all her heart. More so than she did Jack – ever- she realized, even before her ex-husband turned out to be the irresponsible man she knew today.

The problem, she'd admitted to herself a long time ago, had been that she had fallen in love with Jack and pursued this relationship without really knowing the man. They met, they talked, he asked her out and some time during their third date, she realized that she might actually be falling for him. She had had boyfriends before, but the love she felt for this man had made her blind to things she probably could (Should) have seen before she'd grown too attached.

With Andy, it was different. On a professional level, she couldn't stand the guy when she first met him and he hadn't been too fond of her either. (All of Taylor's good intentions in mind, she had seen the great artwork he'd drawn on the whiteboard). Physically and personally she'd found him incredibly attractive, even back then, but she vowed to not go there either. Even more unbelievable in her eyes than their friendship growing into more, had been the fact, that there was a friendship to begin with. But that was just it; they were friends before anything else and would always be – no matter what happened between them. She'd seen him at his best and at his worst. They had their fair share of arguments and fights about their different views on how to approach matters at work and he, more than once, gave her a piece of his mind, when she had been fussing over Rusty or her ex-husband or generally any personal matter way too much. Despite all that, she had fallen in love with the man she knew, not the picture he portrayed or what she wanted to see.

So yea, she trusts him enough to give up her own ways once in a while – especially since he never asked her to.

Reservations were made at one of the most romantic places in LA – at least the most romantic you got last minute reservations at. They rarely strayed from their comfortable diners and restaurants they'd frequented when they were just friends, but this was a special occasion and if Andy had the chance, he was going to treat her to an incredibly romantic dinner.

He finds her chatting with Rusty in the living-room when he steps out of the bedroom. He rarely bothers to go home in the evening, too. The black dress she's wearing is the one her son had picked out for her the one time Sharon and Emily dragged both him and Ricky shopping, and it looks so amazing on her, that Andy debates if it's worth scaring Rusty for live – again. He decides against it, instead complimenting her with a wow you look amazing and steals a quick kiss when he passes them to retrieve his phone from the kitchen. Rusty is used to that by now, doesn't even roll his eyes anymore, though a quick kiss and the occasional hug is all he really tolerates in regards of PDA. Most evenings he clears out of the living-room when they start the cuddling, because cuddling leads to kissing and kissing leads to things he really does not want to see.

Sharon still has no idea where they are going, but both her boys assured her she will love it – which makes her wonder why Rusty is entitled to know and she isn't. Taking the arm he offers her, they bid the teenager goodbye, promising not to stay out too late.

Rusty's response is a determined "I don't care when you get home, because I'm going to crank up my stereo as soon as you leave and pretend you will not be down the hall from my room tonight"

Sharon laughs at him "We can go over to Andy's tonight, if it makes you more comfortable"

"God, Sharon, don't say things like that" he groans, heading back to his room. After she had gotten over the initial embarrassment over the situations he children witnessed, she had found quite a fondness of making Rusty squirm whenever she got the chance.

The drive to the restaurant is filled with conversation about the recital Nicole's boys are having in a few days and the fact that they only had one more week before her children are scheduled to arrive for their inquisition.

She doesn't even reach for the door handle when the car parks, holding in the eye roll about his chivalrous action, too and waits patiently for him to round the car and open the door for her. Today, they are celebrating and so she gives him that, without commenting on it. After he closes the door behind her, glancing at his watch to find that they are early, he pushes her against it, dropping a chaste kiss onto her lips.

"I love you. You know that, right" Andy breathes against her lips before claiming them again in a more lingering caress.

When he pulls back, she grabs onto the lapels of his jacket and drags him back to her. "I love you, too" She kissed him again, more passionate.

There was a time, not so long ago, when she would have been embarrassed and uncomfortable with making out in a full parking lot of a fancy restaurant, but after all they've been through in the last couple of weeks, she just doesn't care anymore. When his hands sneak under her dress, she smiles into the kiss and breaks away from him. This is definitively a bad idea, if they want to make their reservations. Andy gives her a smile while he pulls the fabric back down and then he takes a step back and, taking her hand, leads her into the restaurant.

They are still a few minutes early and so they are told to wait, their table would be ready momentarily. Sharon spots them first, nudging Andy and pointing her head in their direction. They share a short look, before they broach the small distance to greet Brenda and Fritz.

"Just don't say it, please" they hear Fritz, not so quietly whisper to his wife before he smiles at them. He had heard about it, too but they are strictly professional at work and so he did not have any concrete proof of the rumored relationship.

"Chief, Fritz. It's good to see you" Since Brenda left Major Crimes and headed for a slightly different career path, they hadn't seen her around at all.

"Do you think it's really wise to talk to us?" The former Chief inquires, making her husband let out a moan. He'd told her not to say anything.

"Excuse me?" Sharon asks, sharing a look with Andy. Sure, they hadn't gotten off on the right footing, she would even go as far as saying they actually hated each other in the beginning. But with everything Sharon had done for her during the law suit, she had really thought they ended their acquaintance on at least neutral ground.

"Someone will recognize us, jeopardizing this whole operation"

"Operation? What operation…" Andy starts, trails off, when he realizes what's going on. "You haven't told her?" They thought they'd be the hottest office gossip they had in a while.

"I didn't know" Two incredibly unbelieving looks in his direction later, he relents "It really wasn't my place"

"Tell me what, exactly?" Brenda asks her husband now. She has an idea, but, no, this was just not possible. She'd spent years hearing Flynn and Provenza complain about the FID Captain that was grating on all of their last nerves. A job change is just not enough to change any of that.

"We're actually celebrating our anniversary tonight", Sharon answers with just enough pride in her voice to convey that she's telling the truth. Yea, seems like she had been wrong.

"So, you're together" It is neither a question, nor an actual statement. "For a whole year" Her eyes flicker to her husband for a moment, sending him a heated glare. Granted, there was really no way of foreseeing, that they would actually run into each other somewhere, but still, she can't believe that he let her walk into this conversation unprepared. She watches as the two former colleagues of hers nod in the affirmative, Andy pulling Sharon even closer by the arm he had draped around her waist sometime during their talk. "And you knew" Again, no one know, if they are supposed to answer that or take it as a fact.

They would have stayed, chatted some more, bringing the former Chief up to speed with everything she missed since Sharon had taken over her job. That Fritz had not speculated on the rumor he'd heard with his wife let Sharon to believe, that she probably has no idea either, that she'd taken in and adopted Rusty. Maybe this little involuntary meeting showed them, that they should be catching up with each other once in a while. Just then however, the hostess came over, announcing their table to be ready and if they would please follow her. So they say their polite good-byes and leave Brenda and Fritz to get their coats and leave for home.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" She asks as soon as Sharon and Andy are out of earshot. For the time being, she chooses to be mad at her husband for keeping such information from her, instead of thinking about said information. Quite frankly, she has no idea what she is supposed to think about that. The last she knew of both of them, Andy was still dating woman half his age and younger and Sharon was married (however happily or not) and the two of them hated each other. Couldn't stand to even be in the same room with each other, without the heated glances and the subtle insults on his part. And that's when it dawns on her, that she should have seen it back then. They may not have actually done anything until a year ago, but, looking back on it, she could see at least the physical attraction portrayed right in front of her.

She's still not sure how to feel about it, though but she decides to figure that out tomorrow, and for tonight just to enjoy the rest of her relaxing, romantic evening with her husband.