Backwards. Everything was going backwards. Two months ago Sharon and Andy were just friends, forwards. Andy was shot, backwards. They said they loved each other, forwards. Sharon was attacked, backwards. So the next step has to be forwards... doesn't it?

~oOo~

Andy and Rusty arrived at the hospital around noon to take Sharon home. She had changed into a pair of light jeans and a white sweater, pulling the sleeves down and bunching them up in her hands. She smiled and greeted Rusty with a hug and Andy with a quick peck to the cheek. Andy smiles and pulls a gift from behind his back, giving it to Sharon.

"Andy you didn't have to." She says gratefully.

"I didn't." He shrugs, "You can thank Provenza later."

"Oh?" She sends him a questioning glare and struggles to open the package.

"Uhm, Sharon," Rusty interjects, "may I?"

"Yes please." She smiles and hands him the package.

"Close your eyes." Rusty instructs and she refuses. Andy places his hands over her eyes and she laughs, flailing to fight him off, "Here you go." Rusty smiles and she feels him place something on her head. Andy removes his hands from her eyes and she sees herself in the reflection of the glass hospital doors, a gray knit beanie resting atop her head.

"It's perfect." She smiles, covering her mouth with her hand, "I need to call the team."

"No, no." Andy teases, "We're gonna take you home and you're gonna rest, doctor's orders. I can take you tomorrow to drop by and say hello if you want." He shrugs and throws his jacket over his shoulder, placing an arm around Sharon's waist and exiting the hospital, "But you can't go back to work for two weeks yet."

"Uuugh." Sharon sighs and they all laugh.

~oOo~

Sharon had forgotten how good it felt to be home. The couch, the refrigerator, the serenity she always felt while there. Andy had made lasagna for dinner and the three of them sat to eat, light conversation filling the room.

"I'm sorry you don't remember me." Rusty says, pushing the lasagna around his plate, "I promise I'm not awful."

"He's really not." Andy assists, swallowing a mouthful and dabbing his chin with a napkin, "He's a great kid."

Rusty's cheeks flush a bright red, "I'm actually starting to remember." Sharon exclaims gleefully, "Everythings coming back in bits and pieces but it's there." She smiles weakly, struggling between two realities, "Andy are you done eating?"

"Please, let me." Andy takes the last bite of his food and picks up her plate, walking towards the kitchen.

"I... I gotta go. Homework." Rust stutters and gets up from the table.

"Rusty? Are you alright?"

"I will be Sharon." He smiles weakly and hurries off to his room.

"Well that was weird." Sharon utters, readjusting her hat as Andy steps into her vision, "Rusty is being so odd."

"It's been difficult for him." Andy replies, slowly reaching up and adjusting her hat, "He's feeling more than he wants us to know. Come on," he smiles and quickly kisses her cheek, "let's get you to bed."

~oOo~

After Sharon had changed into pajamas and combed her hair, she opened the door for Andy, watching as he awkwardly shuffled in.

"So here's your medicine, take one now and one if you wake up in the middle of the night." He placed the pill bottle on the nightstand and watched as she curled up on the bed, her auburn hair starting to return in loose tufts, "Goodnight. Call me if you need anything, okay?" He kissed her forehead and pulled the blankets around her, smiling as she snuggles into them, "I love you."

"Andy?" Her emerald eyes began to close, "You can stay if you would like."

"No." He says, still smiling, "I couldn't do that."

"Please?" Sharon mumbles, sleep taking over her weak body, "Just somebody to hold me."

"Not tonight, Beautiful." He brushes a stray lock of hair from her face and kisses her forehead again, "I'll see you in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too." She smiles, her eyes still closed, "I'll see you later."

She hears Andy walk out of her room and quietly close her bedroom door, smiling as she dreamt of her life, the good and the bad, black and white, swirling together in a beautiful gray.