Their last case had been mess and there was no denying that. Four dead women, one injured officer, and one dead murderer. To say Sharon was relieved to conclude the case was an understatement. Which is why she was surprised and annoyed when Taylor called her into his office before she had a chance to head home.
The first thing she spotted as she entered Taylor's office was Andy's all-too-familiar file on his desk. She saw her thin file and a few others scattered on top. Her brow furrowed as she came to a stop in front of the desk, her eyes still focused on the files.
"Yes, Chief?" She rested her hands lightly on her hips and finally raised her gaze from the paperwork to Chief Taylor.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much of a disaster this case was." She raised an eyebrow, but held her tongue. "I'm sure you also know that Internal Affairs is going to investigate your team now."
"My team?" Her hands tightened on her hips and she let out a harsh breath. "I'm the one who shot our suspect. I gave my statement, I turned over my gun. I have an appointment with a psychologist tomorrow. So why my team?"
"Because, Captain, Major Crimes has a bad history of officer-involved violence and IA wants to make sure everything lines up," Taylor answered her calmly.
"You're setting IA on me just like Pope did to Chief Johnson?" She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head slightly. "Fine. They won't find anything wrong with my division. Good day." She turned on her heel and walked from the room with a glare settled on her face. It was enough to startle everyone out of her way until she reached her office to gather her things.
She poured a glass of wine as soon as she got home and before she had even set her purse down. She took a drink and slipped out of her shoes, rolling her shoulders as she tried to ease the tension out of them. She collapsed onto the couch and took another long drink, her legs curling up underneath herself. Rusty wasn't home and she was grateful; she didn't feel like talking to anyone for a while.
After several minutes and one glass of wine, Sharon heard a knock on her door. She groaned softly and deposited her empty glass on the coffee table. By the time she stood up, the door opened to reveal Andy burdened with plastic shopping bags. She stared at him as she shut the door and carried the bags into the kitchen. She glanced out the window at the setting sun and closed her eyes briefly.
"You forgot, didn't you?" His voice wasn't accusatory, but she felt the guilt settle in her gut anyway.
"I'm sorry, Andy. I haven't even been home long." She sighed and followed him into the kitchen after grabbing her empty glass. She resisted the urge to refill it and instead set it in the dishwasher before she backed out of his way and leaned against the counter.
"Paperwork to get caught up on? You should have said something." He leaned over and kissed her softly, a mirth dancing in his eyes.
"Not paperwork. I don't really want to talk about it." Andy gave her a concerned look, but she shook her head. "I need to change. I'll be right back."
She disappeared into the bedroom and quickly changed into sweats and a loose shirt. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and tossed her clothes haphazardly toward the hamper before she slowly returned to the kitchen.
Andy had the ingredients spread out on the counters and was boiling a pot of water. She liked over the pasta and salad waiting to be made and smiled a little. "It looks delicious," she murmured.
Andy turned around and looked her over, a smile crossing his lips. "And you look comfortable."
She realized he was still wearing his clothes from earlier and wondered if he had any clean clothes in her room to change into. She shrugged and leaned against the counter again, stifling a yawn. "I suppose…" She watched him cook for a few minutes, her eyes roaming his backside.
"Sharon, please talk to me." She shook her head to focus her thoughts and looked up at him. "I can hear you thinking and I can feel your stress from here."
She sighed again at the overwhelming concern in his voice and rested her head in her hand. "Taylor wanted to talk to me," she said after a moment.
"About?" Andy's eyebrow arched up and he leaned against the stove to look at her.
"The case." He cringed and she nodded slightly in agreement. "We'll have our own IA officer to investigate and help clear Major Crimes of it." Her voice was full of bitterness and she couldn't help but laugh a little at the irony of the situation.
"I thought they cleared everything with you earlier at the scene?" He turned his back on her to add the noodles to the water and started slowly stirring them.
"That's what I thought. According to Taylor, Major Crimes has had too many problems in the past and he wants to catch this one before it causes any bigger problems." She paused a moment. "He thinks we can't do our jobs and he's giving us a damn babysitter."
"Sounds familiar," Andy huffed. She shot him a glare that he caught over his shoulder and sighed.
"That was half the point of taking someone from IA and putting her in charge of the division. To turn around and question her now after denying her a promised promotion…" She trailed off and wrinkled her nose.
"Sharon—"
"It's ridiculous and offensive and I won't stand for it!"
"Sharon." He slid the pot off the heat and turned around to take her hand, encasing it in both of his own. "Don't let Taylor get to you. The rest of us lived through the Wicked Witch's investigation and we'll get through this one." He gave her a small but teasing grin. "We'll be fine. We have nothing to hide." He squeezed her hand and she managed a smile.
"Thank you." Her blood was still boiling, but Andy's touch helped calm her.
"But what's this about a promotion?" He searched her face before he let go of her hands and returned to stirring the noodles.
"When it was promised to me, we weren't exactly friends. And then it just didn't cross my mind. Really only Taylor, Pope, and myself know about it. But because of the so-called promotion freeze, Taylor kept me at Captain when I was moved to Major Crimes." She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes as she recalled the conversation she had had with the infuriating Deputy Chief.
"Funny how that didn't stop Taylor's promotion." He shook his head and she came around the counter to help him out of his jacket.
"No, it didn't, but I'm on thin ice with him already. Especially after today." She draped his jacket over her arm as she undid his suspenders and took them off too while he continued stirring. "I love you." She kissed his back before she carried his clothes into the bedroom.
The noodles were straining in the sink by the time she returned and Andy had started on the sauce. She started mixing the salad together, efficiently chopping veggies and mixing them in while listening to Andy's occasional hum and murmurs. He was giving her the space he knew she needed and she appreciated that.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Andy." She reached up to get two plates down from the cupboard, her fingers tightly gripping it before she set it on the counter.
"You were doing just fine before me." He kissed her shoulder as he grabbed a plate from around her, his other hand resting on her waist.
"But I'm doing better now." She turned around and kissed him firmly, her hands resting on his chest. "Let's eat dinner and then I want you to hold me and make me forget how awful this day has been."
"It would be my pleasure, Sharon." He kissed her again before he pulled away with the plate and smiled at her.
