The night passed quickly, too quickly. Sharon and Andy talked almost the whole night; so much had happened. Their relationship up to this point had centered around talking about everything, and they had decided not to rush anything right now. It was too important, and they had so much to catch up on from months apart. They talked; they held each other, and sure they kissed, but they spent the evening reconnecting on many levels. Prior to witness protection, the two were even admitting to the world they were dating; they didn't want to bypass all the steps now, even though both knew they didn't want to live without the other now. It had taken Sharon being yanked away from her life for the two to realize they wanted each other, and they needed each other. The hard part came now; they were going to have to figure out how to live this secret life.

It was still early when they woke. Andy noticed the sunlight streaming in Sharon's room and glanced toward the window. It was a beautiful morning, and then he glanced to his side, where Sharon was curled up next to him, her arm sprawled on his chest. She was a beautiful sight too, one he had been afraid he might not see again.

"Have you been awake long?" she said quietly, and Andy turned toward her. He hadn't noticed she was awake.

"No, just woke up myself. What about you?" he asked.

"Mmmm, no," she lifted her head and smiled at him. "I felt your shoulder shift when you turned toward the window. I don't think I was sleeping that heavily. I didn't get much sleep."

"Some lady kept talking to me all night," he grumbled as he shifted his arm to wrap around her. "Can't even get a decent night sleep here."

Sharon chuckled softly as she continued to look at him. They both leaned toward each other and kissed.

"Hmmm," she smiled when they broke apart from each other. "I like seeing you right here."

"Really?" Andy grinned. "I like being right here. I wasn't sure I'd ever end up right here."

Sharon smiled, "Well, if there is anything good that has come out of all this, we seem to have figured out our relationship and what we want."

"So, you'll agree now that we're dating?" he teased.

Sharon pretended to look around the room, "I don't see a date. This," she gestured to the room, "is not a date."

Andy chuckled as he nodded, "Noted. Maybe that can be in the works for today? Take you on a date so you can evaluate your prospects?"

"Possibly," she sighed as she shifted to prop up her arm to look at him. "If today doesn't go well, I guess I can call George."

Andy raised an eyebrow at Sharon for an explanation, "George?"

"Yes," she mumbled, "the loss prevention guy. Balding, but a mustache," she grinned.

Andy chucked, "I'll see what I can do to be decent competition to George."

"Well, you did pull way ahead of him in time spent with me," she teased. "I mean, we did sleep together."

Andy raised his eyebrow again, "We didn't sleep together, though."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "I'm not talking that," she made a face at him. "You did sleep in my bed, curled up with me. Literally, we slept together."

Andy chuckled, "Here we go, you and the technicalities. Let's go ahead and mention that to George, though, the guy sleeping in your bed part."

"Ahhh," Sharon gestured to him and then continued, "you'll be surprised to learn I've moved to the gray area side. Contacting Emily-gray area. Not informing the Feds you found me-gray area. I can be swayed," she winked.

"Or, you're dating a bad boy, "he grinned as he pulled her quickly into an embrace. She started to laugh, and they spent a few more minutes kissing lazily before they broke apart for air.

"We should get up," Sharon told him. "I could use a cup of coffee."

Andy nodded, "It smells like Rusty is up," he told her. "I smell breakfast." Sharon sniffed and nodded in agreement.

"He loves to make breakfast on Sunday morning before Mass," she explained. "We usually end up being at the church for over a couple hours between Mass and my Sunday School class. He says it keeps him from starving."

"Noted," Andy said as he stood and stretched. Sharon did the same, and she could tell Andy was staring at her.

"You're staring," she said as she tried to brush out her hair.

"Can you blame me?" he teased. "Even in my wildest dreams, I don't think I imagined this trip ending this way. I just can't believe I found you, and then that we are here," he gestured to the room. "I meant what I said last night, Sharon, that we will find a way to be together. I want that." He walked toward Sharon, and she nodded.

"I want that too. I don't like my life without you in it," she leaned up toward him, and she kissed him once again. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, and they stood in the silence. He glanced to her nightstand and smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry you have been so alone here. I know it has to have been awful. As bad as it's been for me, I still have my kids, your kids, the team," he sighed. "Not only did you and Rusty uproot and move to a strange place, you couldn't bring anything with you. I'm glad you had the ballet slippers in your coat pocket," he said. He ran his hands over her hair as he spoke. She looked at him, full of happiness.

"I found the slippers right away," she told him. "I had been hanging up my things, and I got to thinking about you. When I got to the dress I had worn that night, I started to remember the slippers in my pocket. I had to frame them," she gestured to the frame on her nightstand. They had briefly discussed it the night before. "It was like the one thing of you I had here."

"I'll make sure to leave some other things of mine for you," he said as he pulled her closer. "We'll take new pictures and make new memories." Sharon nodded, and the two stood in an embrace.

"Let's get some coffee," she suggested, and they made their way down the hall. Sharon kept Andy's hand in hers; she didn't want to let it go. She'd spent most of the night holding his hand, and the pattern was repeating itself.

"Ahh, morning," Rusty greeted them when they entered the kitchen. He was putting an omelet on a plate. "Lieutenant," he smirked as he grinned at him, "how was the couch?"

"Such a comedian," Andy mumbled under his breath as Sharon poured coffee for the two of them. She glared at Rusty, but then turned to smile at Andy.

"For your information, we talked almost all night, TALKED," she emphasized, as she looked back to Rusty.

Rusty just shrugged and grinned, "Whatever, but Lieutenant, you should know Sharon hasn't had this happy look since we've been here. It's still a little weird to think of you finding us and now in my life more, but Sharon's done everything to make sure I'm happy and safe. I know you can do that for Sharon."

Sharon smiled warmly at Rusty and then glanced to Andy. He nodded in agreement, "I appreciate that, Rusty. Your mom and I talked a very long time last night, and we don't have an easy solution, but we're going to do what we can."

"And, the first thing we are going to work on right now is you calling him Andy," Sharon explained. "He cannot be the lieutenant here." She walked to the table where she handed Andy his cup of coffee. The two sat and turned toward Rusty at the stove.

He frowned, "That's just weird too," he sighed.

"Great," Sharon nodded to him. "You've done fine with weird names here. Work on that one too. Rusty, it's important."

Rusty just nodded, and Andy joined the conversation, "Not to mention unnecessary, Rusty. Your brother and sister have always called me Andy. I'm around you more than they are, and I'd like to think we can do better than Lieutenant and Kid."

Rusty smiled and just nodded at the names. "I'll work on it, Andy," he said to emphasize he could say the name. He pretended like he was choking, and Sharon and Andy rolled their eyes at each other.

"Always a comedian," Andy threw a fake smile to Sharon. She chuckled.

"Sharon, are we going to Mass this morning? I wasn't sure what we were doing with him," he gestured to Andy.

Sharon nodded, "We talked about it last night. Yes, Andy is going to go with us. We can simply say he's visiting us from California. Everyone there knows we moved here from California."

"We aren't going to discuss LA or my job," Andy pointed out. "Your mom tells me everyone thinks you are from Northern California. Let's keep this as simple as we can; I'm a friend from home. That is true, and Sharon tells me you two have been doing well with simple truths as much as you can."

"Okay," Rusty nodded, "so, what's your job, then?"

"We'll just say I work private security. That's close enough, yet it doesn't raise a red flag. It sounds boring too," he added. Rusty nodded, and Sharon caught his eye.

"Rusty, are you okay with that? We discussed this last night. If Andy is going to be around, as I would like him to be," she smiled to Andy, "he has to fit into this story."

"Yeah, I've got it," Rusty told them. "So, what are you? You're not my dad," he rolled his eyes. "Believe me, you don't want that role. Sharon and I have done a great job of painting the picture of the totally crappy ex-husband. Everyone thinks I'm her kid from the ex, and you don't want that job."

"I'm assuming most of what you have told people about the ex is true," he raised an eyebrow to Sharon. "The best lies come from the truth, so I'm guessing the town has heard all about dear old Jack?"

"Yes," Sharon held back a smile. "It's been easier to just keep it at that, my ex-husband left us."

Andy shrugged, "Not a lie," he sighed. "Rusty, you even saw that, so not a problem. I don't want Jack's title. We're just going to go with your mom's old friend, a family friend, and people will get the picture. We didn't want to spring a boyfriend title on everyone right now. It would raise flags that Sharon's never mentioned me, and then I show up out of the blue. Plus, there aren't any pictures of me here, and this way, we can ease me into the situation."

"Old friend?" Rusty smirked.

"Emphasis is not on my being old, but as in known a long time," Andy pointed out to Rusty.

"So, for my own clarification," Rusty smirked, "are you the boyfriend now, or are you two not dating here in Ohio too?"

Sharon pursed her lips as she turned to Andy. He flashed a smile at Sharon. Sharon cleared her throat and turned to Rusty, "Yes, Rusty, Andy and I are officially dating."

"Officially?" Rusty grinned. "I'd hope after the couch sat empty all night," he smirked as he flashed a grin to them. "I'd also like to know about this official stuff, seeing as how he can't tell anyone about his girlfriend because she is under witness protection, and you two can't see each other, but what," he shrugged, "a couple times a year?"

Andy chuckled into his coffee cup, and Sharon pointed at him, "You, laughing about this. I might put you on that couch tonight."

"Keep it up, and she might put you outside with the skunks," Rusty grinned as he brought the three plates to the table. "Looks like we are going to have an interesting day. Can't wait to drag the lieutenant to Mass with us where we pretend we live this alternate life here in Ohio."

Sharon and Andy caught each other's gaze, and they just smiled. Rusty was doing okay; he was making jokes and acting like his normal self. Sharon was glad to see it. She'd told Andy Rusty had missed the team. Sharon knew she, too, was much improved with Andy's visit. She was going to enjoy the day; she had another 30 hours or so with Andy, and she wasn't going to let them go to waste.

"Rusty, did one of your chess boards make the move?" Andy asked between bites.

Rusty looked up quickly with a grin, "Yeah, just one, but it's the one you gave me. I didn't even pick it out. It's just the one they sent. Pretty cool, huh?"

Andy nodded, and he winked at Sharon. "Fire it up. We can play chess after Mass and lunch. I'm guessing you've found a good burger place around here to show me for lunch, hmm?"

"If Ohio can do one thing right, it's make burgers," Rusty grinned. "There aren't many vegetarians around here, Lieutenant."

"Fine by me. I'm looking forward to a normal day. It's not California, but Mass with you two, a burger place, a few games of chess, and an evening with Sharon-the perfect day," Andy smiled.