A/N: Two chapters in two days? Am I feeling alright?! Honestly, this chapter was already mostly written, so I didn't have too much to do to get it posted! (It's not cheating, it's being prepared…)

Thanks so much for your comments on the last chapter - glad to know it came across well! Please do keep the reviews coming, they make my day that little bit brighter :)

CHAPTER ELEVEN :: It's Been a Long Week

It was late on Thursday afternoon that Andy and Sharon finally arrived at the condo. Dr. Murphy had been delayed by an emergency, and then the paperwork had taken forever to sort out, but eventually they had got out of the hospital and were on their way home. Rusty was on a field trip with his classmates today. He had wanted to pull out as soon as he realised that Sharon was coming home, but she had insisted that he go and enjoy himself. He would spend tonight at Nicole's before coming back to the condo the next day, so for now it was just the two of them. Andy had a sneaking suspicion that she was relieved at that. As much as she adored the boy, tonight she needed peace and quiet, to be able to readjust before the chaos of normal life returned.

Andy carried the bags - both his and Sharon's - up from the car and supported her as they made their way slowly into the elevator. He had wanted to carry her, but she insisted upon making her own way, the look in her eyes clearly indicating that now was not the time to argue with her.

Reaching the front door, Andy unlocked it and pushed it open, allowing Sharon to slowly edge her way inside. He dumped the bags by the hallway table and turned to ask her where she wanted to settle. The words died on his lips as he took in her movements and the rigidity of her posture.

She was standing just inside the living area, her gaze directed along the hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. Her eyes were following something that wasn't there, and he realised immediately that she was reliving the horror of that night. She turned suddenly, looking through him to the hall table before turning again to face the kitchen, her eyes tracking the route she had taken in her efforts to escape, before fixating on the place where she had fallen. She stood motionless, a single tear tracking its way unnoticed down her cheek.

Andy moved towards her slowly, wary of startling her.

"Sharon."

She inclined her head towards him a fraction but otherwise did not respond. He edged closer, his hands coming to rest on her upper arms, stroking them softly.

"Sweetheart, let's get you settled, okay?"

She hesitated, before nodding slowly, coming back to the present, back to him. Then she frowned, looking at the kitchen area as if seeing it for the first time.

"Who cleaned up?"

"What?" He was genuinely confused for a moment, not understanding the question. She indicated the area around the counter.

"Who cleaned up?" she said again. She met his gaze, then. "It must have been a mess," she said in a broken voice, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "But now it's…spotless."

"Ah." Andy grinned and rolled his eyes. "The team wanted to do something to show you how much they miss you. Amy and Julio arranged for the condo to be fixed up. It was thoroughly cleaned and the bathroom doorway was repainted, because it was chipped." He dangled a set of keys in front of her. "Mike had the locks changed as a precaution, because there were so many people in and out of here the last few days." He laid the keys on the dining table and reached into his pocket again. "And this - " he chuckled, handing her the object he had retrieved, " - is your new cell phone. Same number. All your information has been transferred across from the old one, courtesy of Buzz. And as for Provenza…well, he supervised the entire operation. Apparently." He rolled his eyes again.

She took the phone slowly, turning it over in her hands before looking up at him in wonder. Her eyes filled with tears again and he smiled down at her, his hand caressing her face.

"They did all this? For me?"

"Of course for you," he said softly. How could she still not see how cherished she was, after all this time? "They care about you, Sharon." He brought his hands up to hold her face, his thumbs wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall. "They love you." He brought his lips to hers, brushing against them in the gentlest of kisses. "I love you." Her hand curled around the back of his neck and she pulled him down to her, kissing him firmly this time.

Her heart leapt as his arms came around her, holding her close.

She was alive, she was safe and she was loved.

She was home.

An hour or so later, Sharon was sitting on the side of her bed, trying to decide whether she had the strength to take a shower. Her entire body was aching, but she desperately wanted to wash the last few days from her skin. The smell of the hospital clung to her and she so badly needed to feel clean again.

Casting a longing look in the direction of the bathroom, Sharon got to her feet and winced as the healing wound in her side reminded her of its presence. There was no way she was going to be able to do this alone.

She slowly moved to the bedroom door and then along the hall, holding on to the wall for support. She could hear Andy moving around in the kitchen and she called for him as she leaned heavily against her desk for support, unsure of her ability to cross the rest of the room unaided.

He appeared immediately, frowning at her when he realised she was wandering around instead of staying in the bedroom where he had deposited her a little while before.

"You're supposed to be resting."

His hands went to her shoulders immediately and he turned her gently around, pointing her back in the direction of the bedroom once more. She ignored him and turned back to face him, resting her hands on his chest.

"Andy, I need to take a shower…"

"You can do that tomorrow."

She shook her head.

"No. Please, I…" She held his gaze, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "I need to take a shower," she repeated simply. He nodded slowly, his hands stroking her arms absently. "But I… I can't… I don't think…" She fiddled nervously with the buttons of his casual shirt as she tried to find the words to ask him for help. Suddenly his fingers were lifting her chin, his brown eyes gentle as he smiled down at her.

"How about we do this together?"

Sharon undressed in the bedroom as Andy went to start the shower running, allowing the water to heat up to an acceptable temperature. He came back for her then, divesting himself of his own clothing before making his way to her side. She shivered as he approached, more from nervousness than from cold. She wasn't used to being this dependent. This vulnerable. Even with him, she found the situation uncomfortable.

It was a fact that he seemed to innately understand. While his arm slipped around her waist and his hand held hers as he gently guided her to the bathroom, his eyes never left her face. She smiled up at him gratefully.

Andy longed to lean down and kiss her, just to reassure her, but he held himself back. He knew that she was already feeling completely exposed and he would hate for her to think that he was trying to take advantage of her vulnerability when the exact opposite was true. He settled for squeezing her hand lightly and she returned the gesture immediately with another small smile.

She hissed in pain as he helped her into the shower, trembling as running water hit her skin for the first time in days. He came to stand behind her, his hands on her shoulders, carefully manoeuvring her under the cleansing spray.

Sharon leaned back into him, her head resting against his shoulder, her eyes closed. She felt the heat of the water begin to soothe her aching, weary body as he held her there, completely supporting her weight, never once allowing her to stumble.

They did not speak, communicating only by sight and touch. She braced herself against the wall as he shampooed and conditioned her hair, removing every last trace of the last week from the long tresses. He washed her body then, his touch deliberate and gentle, loving but not arousing. He allowed himself to be guided by her, stilling whenever she moaned in pain, stepping into the path of the spray whenever the sensation threatened to overwhelm her still-fragile body.

When he was done, she leaned back against the wall, her emerald gaze on his face as he quickly cleansed his own body. They smiled at each other as he switched the water off, stopping to caress her face gently with his fingers. He stepped out of the shower then, quickly wrapping a towel around himself before coming back for her, enveloping her in soft white cotton as she stepped gratefully into his waiting arms.

"What are you looking for?"

She was perched on the end of her bed, still wrapped in the towel, watching in amusement as Andy looked around her dresser.

"Blow dryer," he replied, turning to look at her fondly.

"Andy, you don't need to do that, I'll just let it dry on its own."

He sighed.

"You're exhausted, Sharon. You need to sleep. And I am not letting you go to bed with wet hair - the last thing you need right now is to get sick."

She couldn't help it. She giggled. He mock-glowered at her in response, but she caught the flash of amusement in his dark eyes.

"Blow dryer," he demanded again.

She pointed and he picked it up, along with her brush from on top of the dresser. She curled her legs underneath her as he settled himself behind her on the bed and switched the dryer on.

She closed her eyes as he ran his fingers through her thick hair, separating out the strands before running the brush through as he carefully dried it off. He was inordinately tender, his touch soothing away the last of the tension that had remained in her body.

She opened her eyes again, watching him in the mirror across from her bed. There were remarkably few who knew that this man, long her favourite hothead, could be so incredibly, impossibly gentle. Her heart ached at the knowledge that she was one of them. Sharon's eyes met his in the mirror and she smiled softly at him, earning a lazy grin in return.

Yes, she was privileged indeed.

Andy replaced the brush and dryer and sat on the bed next to her. He took her hands in his as they faced each other, a small smile gracing her lips as he stroked her delicate fingers softly. He leaned in closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her soft skin after he did so.

Only now did he allow himself to kiss her. Her lips were soft, pliant against his own as he moved his mouth over hers and she hummed a little as her fingers curled into the short, damp hair at his neck.

Her eyes were closed and she sighed softly as he pulled back to study her, his fingers gentle as they stroked her pale face. She inclined her head into his touch, her hand coming up to cover his, her fingers lacing with his own.

She brought his hand to her mouth, her lips dropping feather-light kisses across his palm and his heart clenched as he gazed at her fragile beauty.

Her eyes were the palest of greens when she finally opened them to look at him and Andy longed to take away the pain he saw shining within them. It was pain she no longer tried to hide from him, and for that, at least, he was grateful - though he wished with all his soul that it didn't exist at all.

He kissed her again and stood, retrieving his overnight bag which was now sitting just inside the bedroom door. He pulled out a clean t-shirt and handed it to her with a wink.

"I brought a few," he grinned as she took the shirt, her eyes lighting up and a genuine smile crossing her face.

He turned away as she removed the towel to put her underwear and t-shirt on, pulling out some clean boxers for himself and stepping into them before dropping his own towel. He gathered up the discarded items, ready to take them back to the bathroom.

"Andy?"

He stopped what he was doing to look down at her. "Yes?"

"Will you stay?"

"Of course," he smiled. "I was just going to make up the couch."

Sharon shook her head. "No."

"No?" he echoed, puzzled.

"Will you stay...with me?" she asked, tentatively.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, reaching for his hand and clasping it tight.

"I seem to sleep better with you around."

She smiled shyly up at him and he thought for the thousandth time how utterly adorable she was. He bent down to kiss her, smiling against her mouth when she hummed in pleasure.

"Lay down and get settled," he said softly. "I'll be right there."

She did as instructed, smiling softly at him when he returned from the bathroom. He flipped out the light and pushed the door closed, mindful of the fact that Rusty would probably be making an early appearance in the morning.

Andy lay down on the bed next to her and held his arm out for her to join him. She went into his embrace willingly, tucking herself into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Sharon snuggled closer as his arm came around her body, ever-careful not to hurt her. He could feel her steady breaths against his neck, her hand caressing his chest lightly, her leg sneaking in between his until she was completely wrapped around him. She lay still then, simply letting herself be enveloped by his heat. His security. His love. Finding peace in his very presence. Her hand cupped his face as she lifted her head a little and pressed her lips firmly to the underside of his jaw.

"I love you, Andy Flynn."

Her words were a whisper against his skin, so soft he could almost have believed he had imagined them.

"I love you, too. Always."

His reply, just as soft, was a declaration. More than that, it was a promise.

It was forever.