Obsidian

by Kadi

Rated T

Disclaimer: This is not my sandbox. I just enjoy playing in it.

A/N: A round of applause for NarcissaNerea, the awesome sassy beta who keeps me in line!

Chapter 21

He couldn't sit still. His leg was bouncing, and the tip of his pen was tapping against the edge of the file that he was reading. Andy glanced over his shoulder again, but the hall remained empty. His brows knit into a frown as he turned back around, pretended to keep reading.

What the hell was taking so long?

Sharon was supposed drop into HR to turn in her medical release, and then she had to swing by Professional Standards to pick up her clearance, after that she had a meeting with Behavioral Sciences to complete the process. He knew she would have to stop in and see Assistant Chief Mason when those tasks were done, turn in all of her paperwork, and probably get briefed on how they all had handled themselves while she was away. Honestly, when he kissed her goodbye that morning, so that they could come to work in their separate vehicles, neither of them believed that she would be delayed more than a couple of hours.

Andy expected to be seeing her again by mid-morning. It was now half past noon and still there was no sign of her. He was beginning to worry. What could possibly have delayed her for that long? He looked over his shoulder again and huffed a sigh when there was still no sign of her.

He jerked when a wadded up piece of paper hit the side of his head. Andy cast a dark scowl at his smirking partner. "What the hell was that for?"

"You're annoying me." Provenza leaned back in his chair. "You're tapping out a hole in that desk. Stop it. She'll show up when she shows up, or maybe she decided she's spent enough time around you lately, and she's taking a personal day."

Julio snorted a laugh. The commander's personal days were always scheduled well in advance, and they all knew it. They also knew she had to be ready to get back to work. He shook his head at the scowling Flynn. "Why don't you just text her? Where are you? Three little words, simple. Even the Lieutenant could manage to send that."

Provenza opened his mouth to agree, but promptly closed it. "Hey!" He glared across his desk at Julio, seated adjacent to him.

The detective only shrugged at him while the others laughed. "It's true, sir."

"I'm not going to text her." Andy hunched over his desk. "I don't want to bother her if she's still in that meeting with Mason. Who knows what they're talking about."

"Lieutenant Provenza probably," Buzz muttered from his desk. He shot a look at the Lieutenant. The closer it got to the Commander's return, the grumpier he had become. He was itching to no longer be in charge and taking it out on everyone. Not to mention he was cutting a few corners that he probably shouldn't. Buzz wouldn't exactly say that he was breaking any rules, but he would call the other man's methods a little sloppy, and had… much to his own detriment and ringing ears.

"Yes," the Lieutenant replied, "I imagine it would take a while to fully describe just how wonderful I am at her job." He waved Buzz off and turned his attention back to his partner. "She'll show up when she shows up," he told him. "You know she's in the building, it's not like she's going to run away. Stop acting like a fretful puppy."

"She's supposed to be in the building," Andy told him with a scowl. "I haven't seen her since we left the apartment this morning."

Provenza's brows shot up. "You mean you didn't bring her to work?"

"No. Of course not," Andy rolled his eyes at the other man. "She drove herself. Like she usually does." They often brought their own cars to work, so that the other wouldn't end up stranded and having to wait if a meeting went long. Besides which, Sharon didn't micromanage every moment of their time. She trusted them all enough to delegate. If any of them were working late, she didn't feel the need to babysit.

"You mean you don't even know if she's in the building?" Provenza glared at him. "You couldn't even be bothered to give her a ride on her first day back? And you're just telling us? We've been sitting here waiting on her for hours!" He threw his hands up in disgust. If he had known that, he would have sent someone to find her by now.

Before the two Lieutenants could get any further into their argument, Detective Nolan waved them off. "She's in the building," he commented nonchalantly.

Andy's eyes narrowed. His eyes snapped around. "How do you know that?" The younger detective seemed pretty sure of himself, which was weird, considering he hadn't left his desk.

Everyone was staring at him now. Nolan just shrugged at them. "You all know that I know more people than just you, right?" He picked up his phone and gave it a little wiggle. "I have friends," he explained with a half grin. "She's been seen in the building. I've got a buddy down in Vice. He was in the elevator with her. He said she got off on 3. Another friend of mine saw her getting on the elevator from 6. Where she's at now, I have no idea, but she's been in the building."

"Third floor," Julio said, "that's HR. Okay, so she turned in her paperwork."

"The head shrinkers are on six," Provenza nodded. "That might have taken a little while. So she's probably in with Mason right now." That made his scowl deepen. That could only mean that she had been with the Assistant Chief for a couple of hours. It couldn't take him that long to bring her up to speed on her team.

"Wait." Andy sat forward in his chair. He pinned Nolan with a hard look. "What the hell are you doing stalking the Commander?"

"What?" Nolan looked around the room; his expression was the very picture of innocence. "You wanted to know where she was. She's around here somewhere. I'm not stalking her. People talk, that's all. She's got kind of a reputation around here, in case you forgot."

Amy sat forward, weight on her elbows as she leaned on her desk. "He's not wrong," she pointed out. "Before she was in charge of Major Crimes, how often did you all keep track of her when she was moving around the building?"

They went silent. It was Mike that leaned back in his chair to look at the others. "The broom is in flight," he said, reminding them of their old warning phrase. Any time Raydor was spotted near the ninth floor, it was the responsibility of whoever saw her to text that to the rest of the team. It came in handy, especially when she was following them around several years ago trying to find the leak in their division. That was before they learned to trust her, before they even really tolerated her.

Andy rubbed the back of his neck. That one was his doing. He felt pretty odd about it now, all things considered. "Yeah, well… that was a long time ago," he muttered. "Things have changed."

"I'll say." Provenza rolled his eyes. "You had to go and get all friendly," he muttered.

"Hey!" Flynn scowled at him. "You like her too! I'm not the only one that—"

"For the love of all that's good and right in the world," Provenza pointed a finger at him, "do not finish that sentence. You're the one that married her, not me."

"Did any of your friends mention when they saw her last?" Julio asked, interrupting the argument before it could really start, or so he hoped. They all knew that it was likely just delayed.

Nolan checked the time on his phone. "No. That last text was a couple of hours ago. I can call Ida and see if she's still in with the Chief," he suggested, referring to the executive assistant that worked in Mason's office.

Flynn snorted. "Like she would tell you." He turned back to his desk, head shaking in dismay. "I guess we'll find out when she shows up."

"No way," Nolan replied with a grin. "Ida likes me." She would even let him take a candy from the dish on her desk when he was in the office, many people didn't get that treatment.

"Mark my words," Provenza said, "nothing good can come from them meeting for this long." His eyes narrowed. "Flynn, didn't you say you failed your checkup? You're still on desk duty right?" He rubbed his chin. He wondered if that's what it was about. Maybe the Chief wanted them to free up a spot in the division for someone that could actually get out into the field.

"What's that got to do with anything?" He exclaimed, growing defensive. "Maybe they're talking about you. There's a very good chance that Chief Mason didn't like dealing with your grumpy old mug. You know, it's possible that you pissed off the wrong person and Sharon is having to clean it up."

"Or," Provenza told him, "the Commander is having to clean up a mess that you made." He shook his finger at the other man. "You were the one who said I was no good at the politics. That's why I left you here to deal with all of it while I focused on the real police work. Maybe you stepped in it good this time."

"Me?" Andy stood up from his desk. His hands found his hips while he glared. "Why does it always have to be—" He trailed off quickly. His ears pricked at a familiar sound. Andy tilted his head. That staccato of heels had been missing for too damn long. He looked over in time to see Sharon round the corner and start down the hall toward them. He studied her for just a moment, gauging her mood. When she met his gaze and smiled, he grinned back. "It's about time," he called. "We were starting to think that you changed your mind and decided to take a few more weeks off."

"After seeing all of that," Sharon nodded to the stack of paperwork on her desk, visible through the open blinds, "the idea has some merit." She walked into the murder room and came to a stop. Sharon looked around. Her team was looking back at her, there were mixed expressions among the group. They were happy to see her, but she could also read the curiosity in their gazes. "Good afternoon, everyone."

"Welcome back, Commander." Nolan grinned widely at being the first one to say it. His grin only widened at the way Sanchez scowled at him. "What?"

"I'm keeping an eye on you," the detective muttered. "That's how he started," he jerked his head toward Flynn.

Nolan snorted a laugh and just leaned back in his chair. "If you say so." One of these days he would clue them in to the fact that the Commander just wasn't his type. Her Lieutenant on the other hand…

Greetings went around the room. Sharon smiled brightly at all of them. "Thank you. It's good to be back. Let me put all of this in my office," she indicated the files she was carrying, in addition to her purse and laptop bag, "and then you can bring me up to speed on our current case." She drew away from them and walked toward her office. "Lieutenant, join me please," she shot a look at Andy as she passed him.

Provenza scowled at him, but Andy smirked as he turned on his heel to follow her. While Sharon got settled at her desk, Andy pushed the door to her office closed. "You have been a way for a while," he teased. "You're not supposed to ask me in here just to tell me—"

"Have a seat, Lieutenant." Sharon opened one of the files that she brought back with her from the Chief's office. While she waited for him to get settled, she sat back in her chair. She gave it just a slight wiggle. It would need to be readjusted. Andy was giving her a curious look now. Sharon smirked inwardly, that would do nicely; she couldn't have him acting too comfortable. Sharon gazed at him over the tops of her glasses. "I had a very lengthy discussion with Assistant Chief Mason about the current state of my division, and all its members." A single brow arched. "Is there anything that you would like to tell me before we continue?"

Andy shifted in his chair. He rubbed the back of his neck. A certain conversation was playing out inside his head. "Uh… right. I guess you're back, so… this would be about my medical clearance." He grimaced. "In my defense, I wasn't keeping it from you."

"This is a professional discussion, Lieutenant. We will deal with the rest later." Sharon fought the urge to smirk when he winced. As far as their personal relationship was concerned, he wasn't in any trouble. They did try to keep their work out of their private lives as much as possible. He had done that. Maybe a little too well, but he still hadn't crossed any lines, personally. So much of their work and their home life was mixed lately, Sharon actually appreciated the extra effort on his part. "Now then, as you surmised, this is about your medical release. Assistant Chief Mason briefed me on your status. As I understand it, your doctor released you to return to full, active fieldwork last month. You subsequently returned that release to the Chief, with a request to remain on desk duty until my return."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "that about covers it." Andy rested his arms on the sides of his chair. "You and I talked about what might happen if I got released. I didn't want to leave the team too short-handed while you were out. Besides, Provenza hates being stuck here while everyone else is out in the field. I didn't wanna freak him out with too many changes. He likes having a personal desk monkey."

"Before you turn in your retirement papers," Sharon told him, "I may have another solution." She clasped her hands against the top of her desk. "It would seem that your little arrangement with the Lieutenant had some benefits. While your partner was in the field with the others, you managed to impress Chief Mason with your ability to keep things organized here. Now that I am back," she continued, "our new assistant Chief would like to move ahead with some of the changes that he proposed prior to my medical leave. Foremost among those changes was expanding the role of Major Crimes within the department, without diminishing the ability of our division to do what it does so well. Investigate and close cases. Still, we have an excellent history of running successful operations within the scope of those cases, and Assistant Chief Mason would like to extend that to a new team."

Andy's brows knit together in confusion. "What does that have to do with me?" He leaned forward in his chair. "Sharon, I'm not planning on jumping ship the second you're settled in. I can hang around for a few more weeks, give you time to get things set up. I'd have some paperwork and case files to wrap up anyway." He shook his head at her. "I wasn't counting days for you to get back just so I could leave. Besides, I figured with buying the house, I'd find something else anyway. Consultant work, security, or whatever." He wasn't planning to just retire and then sit around doing nothing.

"I know that," she said softly. Sharon smiled at him. "Andy, we would like for you to take over running the new team. We're calling it Investigative Operations right now, but that could change. There is a small promotion, so this isn't an entirely lateral move" she explained, "you would move up to Lieutenant Grade 3, which would put you on the same level with Lieutenant Provenza. He would maintain primary supervision of Major Crimes. The two of you would report to me, and I would report to the Assistant Chief. What we need is someone who can coordinate operations in the field and be in the field when necessary, but not in a constant capacity. It would be a lot of administrative work too, but nothing unlike what you've been doing in my absence, and assisting with throughout the course of your desk restrictions."

"What?" Andy continued to stare at her. It was either a joke, or maybe she had come back too soon. He wasn't entirely sure. It was impossible that they both understood this proposal in the same way. "Wait a minute," he held up a hand. "You're telling me that Mason wants to promote me to some new team, because I asked to be kept on a desk while you were out? How does that make any sense? Why me?"

She rubbed her lips together in an effort to keep from smiling too brightly. "Well," she began slowly, "apparently the way you handled yourself caught his attention, and not for the first time. Andy, you aren't incapable of being in command, you simply never aspired to it. You're very good at your job. So is the rest of Major Crimes, which is why we would like to keep this division doing what it does. We're stretched too thin in some areas, field operations is one of them. We have support from other teams when we go into the field, but that puts them at a disadvantage and it dips into the overtime fund. Also, to be completely honest with you, this team has adapted to working with you in a limited capacity."

"Ah." He leaned back as realization came. "It's about the money." He rolled his eyes. "Figures." Andy shook his head at her. "So what, to keep Major Crimes from spending too much of the budget, he's making it bigger? That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"We're looking beyond the short-term gains," she told him. "The idea, which may or may not be successful, is to pull officers from within the department to fill the new team. We'll pick from SIS, Intelligence, Gang, and Vice." She laid her hand on the short stack of files on the left corner of her desk. "We have some ideas for personnel. You and I will go through them and submit our choices to Chief Mason." She smiled at him now. He still looked skeptical. "Andy, it wasn't really all that long ago that the idea of a Priority Homicide Division was a huge gamble for the department. Many didn't believe it would work, and it almost didn't. It was the officers involved that made it a success, as well as management understanding the limitations and expanding when it became necessary. The city's needs are changing, and with that and the way the world is evolving, the way we enforce laws has to change too. If we cannot evolve with the community around us, we become obsolete."

"Alright, alright." Andy waved a hand at her as he stood up. He began to pace the interior of his office while he thought through what she said. "So I guess this would have something to do with that increased responsibility that Mason said you'd end up having. I guess he's not planning on wasting anymore time. Hell, it's your first day back."

"We've actually been discussing his ideas for expanding the roles of Major Crimes since his promotion," Sharon admitted. "We were only just reaching a place where we would be ready to implement when the attack took place. Assistant Chief Mason chose to wait until my return to move forward. I actually appreciate his lack of hesitation. I wouldn't want anyone to think that I needed to be handled…" Her eyes narrowed at him in warning.

Andy made a face at her. "That lesson has been learned, trust me." He ran a hand over his face as he paced. "Geez, and I guess keeping me in your command, but outside a direct working structure kind of satisfies the whole being married situation…" There were no rules against it, but it wasn't exactly done, married officers working together. There were some that were a little nervous about how that would work out.

"We can choose to believe it does," Sharon shrugged. "This has nothing to do with our personal status. If others decide that they feel more comfortable, so be it. This is primarily a direct result of your own accomplishments." She paused for a moment. When she spoke again, it was in a much softer tone. "Andy, if you would like to retire, I'm not going to stop you. I will miss working with you every day, but that decision is yours. I will support it completely."

"Can I think about it?" Like she said, it wasn't really anything that he ever aspired to. He wanted the time to weigh his options. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of retirement, but that might still be the way that he went. About five or ten years ago, he'd have chosen without a second thought. His ego would have chosen for him. He'd have taken the officer and not looked back, but now there was more to worry about. He had to think about his kids, his wife, their marriage, and their life together. There was more at stake than just himself and his career. He knew that Sharon would tell him to do what he felt was right for him, but he wanted the chance to sit down and talk to her about it, and not as his boss.

"Of course." Sharon closed the file on her desk. It was the review of him that Assistant Chief Mason had done. She would let him look at it when he felt ready. "You can have until the end of the week to decide. We can meet again to discuss it on Friday, that's when I will need your answer."

"Friday," he nodded. "Okay, I can do that. Was there anything else?"

"No, that was all." Sharon pushed up from behind her desk. "I'd like to rejoin the others now and get caught up on the case. We should order lunch, we can eat while you all brief me." She opened her office door. "I would also like for someone to explain why the Assistant Chief had to stop an operation that involved sending Buzz undercover as a male prostitute?"

Andy shrugged at her. "What? He wants to be more involved. Nolan is still too new and Sanchez was too enthusiastic about it. Mike refused, I was on desk duty, and Provenza… well, let's just say it was never going to be Provenza and leave it at that."

"Seven weeks," Sharon mumbled as she left her office. "I only left you all alone for seven weeks…"

"Well, that's why they put you in charge of us. We can't be left unsupervised." Andy smirked. "Just look on the bright side, the undercover op didn't happen and we caught the guy anyway."

"Hm." Sharon didn't sound convinced. "Maybe next time I will leave Buzz in charge."

Andy glanced at his partner and the way the old man was glaring at them. "Might not be the worst idea," he muttered behind her.

Sharon suppressed a smile as she moved to the center of the murder room. She stopped in front of the white board, studying it while Provenza and Sanchez tried to get out of Flynn what they had been meeting about. There was a little bickering and lighthearted teasing as Tao joined in. She had missed this. It was what she would have missed if she was promoted to the office down the hall. Things would be changing soon, but not so much that the general sense of the squad would also change. It was good to be back.

The Commander clapped her hands together to draw their attention back to her and the case they were working. "Okay, where are we…"

MCMCMCMCMCMC

"So what do you think he'll do?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Rusty shrugged as he folded a t-shirt from the basket on his bed and added it to the pile. At the desk in the corner of his room, Ricky watched from their Skype call. "It's been three days. Neither one of them has said anything since they talked about it the other night." Rusty had come home from work to find their mother and Andy seated at the dining table, weighing options and going over all of the pros and cons of him taking on his own team or retiring. At the end of the day, he had some feelers for possible post-retirement jobs, but nothing concrete. Now that they were moving ahead with buying a house, being down to a single income just wasn't a great idea, even if Andy would still have his pension. The house wasn't the only expense they had to worry about either. It made Rusty incredibly uncomfortable when they included law school into their financial situation, but they insisted on paying for his education.

"You're no help, little brother." Ricky rolled his eyes. "I think he should take it," he decided. "Moving up the ladder at work is never a bad thing."

"Unless that's not what you want." He shrugged. "I don't think being in charge is something Andy ever thought about. That's what he told Mom. He's a cop, not a paper pusher."

Ricky snorted at the passable imitation that Rusty managed to do of their stepdad. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean he doesn't recognize a good thing when he sees it. He would basically just be a supervisor reporting to another manager. It isn't as if he would be the top of the heap, so to speak. What does mom say?"

"She said it was his decision." Rusty walked around and sat down on the corner of his bed facing the computer. "She told him they could work it out if he really wanted to retire, or she could figure out a way to keep him in Major Crimes, like he is now. She agreed it was a good opportunity, but she's not going to tell him what to do about his career. That isn't how they do things." Rusty rolled his eyes at his brother. "You know how they are."

"Yeah." Ricky sighed. "That doesn't mean that mom doesn't have an opinion. That's what she said but what does she think? Come on, Rusty. I know you asked her about it, and even if you didn't, you're there. You have to have some idea of how she feels about it."

"He should take it." Rusty knew exactly what his mother thought about it. "She wants him to do what is best for him, but she also wants him to do what he's good at, and she thinks he would be really good at this. She's not going to push him, though. She gave him her opinion and left it up to him. It's weird. She doesn't want to lose an experienced officer, but she's also his wife. She wants him to do well, and she wants him to be happy."

"But he hasn't said anything to you about it?" Ricky hated being so far removed from everything. It was times like these that he wished he lived closer to home. "You didn't talk to him about it at all?"

Rusty just shrugged again. "I told him not to worry about law school. I can figure that out if it's a problem. I think I made him mad. I mean, I'm not his responsibility. Mom is the one insisting on paying for law school, but that doesn't mean that she has to pay for all of it, and that doesn't make it his expense. Apparently, I'm clueless, because they're in all of this together now. Just because I'm her kid and not his kid, I get the feeling he's not about to let her shell out thousands of dollars for tuition without helping."

"Clueless is a word for it." Ricky laughed at his brother. "You don't get the whole marriage thing, do you? Dating was one thing; living together was something else. Now they're married and that's a whole other level of together. They're a team now. Which I'm sure is pretty weird for mom. She didn't have that with my dad. She still had to do everything on her own, and she did it pretty well, but you remember what Andy said, right? He told us he was in this, completely, and that means paying for law school, spud. Look, the dad thing is weird for all of us. Mine is pretty useless most of the time, your sperm donor was an asshole, but I get the feeling we're going to have to deal with some serious paternal feelings going forward. He's not our dad, and he's not trying to be, and frankly I really appreciate that, but he is a dad, so it's kind of there… even without trying. Whatever else he is, it's a family thing now, and for him I think taking care of us is just another way of taking care of mom, and we all know how he is about her."

"Oh yeah." Rusty looked heavenward. He had witnessed enough of the Sharon and Andy show to last him a lifetime. "Okay, fine. So I'll shut up about the tuition thing. It's still weird." He pulled another t-shirt over and began folding it. "I don't know," he said, getting back to their previous topic. "I never really pictured him as anything but the Lieutenant, you know? I mean, that's what he was when I met him. It took a long time to get used to him as just Andy and even then he was still Lieutenant Flynn a lot of the time. I can't really see him retired. It's like Lieutenant Provenza," he explained, "he always tells everyone that he will die with a stapler in his hand, at his desk, and if he's lucky, he might even have his bucket hat on. I kind of see Andy like that too. He'll probably fall over in his chair one day, and that's it."

"Don't say that," Ricky said gravely. It might have some truth to it, but it was way too close to what had almost happened to joke about. "Don't ever let mom hear it either. She didn't sleep through the night for a couple of weeks after the heart attack. She told Emily that she would wake up a couple of times a night just to make sure he was still breathing. That really scared the crap out of her."

"It scared all of us," Rusty admitted. "I was back on Flynnsitting duty for weeks, and for the first time, I didn't mind." That was when he finally realized he liked having him around. He also realized then just how important Andy was to his mom. He only had a vague idea before, like he was just a boyfriend. Even having Andy move in didn't clue him in, and maybe it was his own inexperience with relationships, but not until seeing how frightened his mother was for Andy, did he really understand just how much she loved him.

"I know." Ricky gave him a small smile. His brother was just a little clueless sometimes. Of course, he knew he wasn't always much better. "Okay, so maybe you should drop some hints. You know? Like… the family thinks it's a good idea if he takes the new job. Have you talked to Charlie and Nicole about it? Did they say anything?"

"Not really. They haven't told anyone besides me. I only told you because I wanted to know what you think about it. Sometimes I think they only tell me things because I live here." He shook his head. "They go out of their way to make sure I don't feel left out, but really, there's some things that I don't need to know." He gave his brother a pointed look. "If you know what I mean."

"Don't worry," Ricky laughed, "you'll be in a bigger place soon, little brother. That doesn't mean mom and Andy won't be making out in the kitchen, but at least you won't have to hear it while you're trying to sleep."

"God!" Rusty shuddered. "Don't remind me." He threw his t-shirt at the computer. "Can we just talk about the other thing? No one at work has said anything about a transfer, or promotion, or whatever. I'm in the Murder Room with Hobbs a few times a week, and no one has said a word. I don't think they know."

"Wait. Really?" Ricky leaned closer to his computer. "You mean, Andy hasn't told Lieutenant Provenza? How did that happen? I thought he would tell him first?"

"I guess not." Rusty didn't understand it either. "I mean, the Lieutenant is his partner, but mom is his wife? So it's a whole other level? I don't know. I mean, okay, so she talked to him about it at work as his boss. So that means he can't talk about it at work, right? They talked about it at home as just them, so he can't discuss it with his friend, because this is kind of a family decision?" Rusty rubbed his head. "Whatever they do, I hope it gets easier to tell all this crap apart."

"Okay, I take it back." Ricky shook his head. "I was thinking earlier that it sucks being all the way up here, away from everything, but I changed my mind. Have fun figuring all that out, spud."

"Thanks a lot," He muttered. Rusty stood up and walked back around to his laundry basket. "I don't think we can really predict what they're going to do. I never thought they'd actually get married," he shrugged, "but here they are."

"That's because you lack true romantic vision. I knew my guy Andy wouldn't let me down." Ricky was still pleased with that turn of events. "Okay, I need to go, but you'll let me know what happens? When did you say he had to give mom his final decision?"

"Friday," Rusty sorted through his socks. "Mom said he had until Friday to make up his mind. I can call you when I know something. I don't know if they're going to make an announcement, or if I just have to wait and see if they tell me."

"Don't wait too long. You've got me all curious now!" Ricky reached out to end the call. "Be good, little brother. No more pissing off the paternal figure."

Rusty made a face at the computer screen as it went blank and the app logo appeared. "You should try living with them," he muttered. How was he supposed to know what the right thing to say was? Those two freaked him out on a regular basis.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Sharon and Andy shared a look. They had come home during the conversation. Rusty had obviously not heard them. "So should we tell him, or let him figure it out?" She smiled as she screwed the top off a bottle of water and put it to her lips.

"I say we let the little spud sweat it out for a little while." Andy pulled two containers of fresh fruit out of the fridge and placed them on the counter. He didn't know how pleased he was with Rusty talking about his business with the others. It was one of those things they all had to get used to. It didn't matter which of the kids got a heads up on the information, all of them were going to know within a few hours.

Sharon chortled quietly as she reached out to stroke the length of his arm. He had spent days weighing that decision. He turned it over in his head until he couldn't stand it anymore. She knew it was his own doubt that was holding him back, but Sharon believed in him. She wouldn't have agreed to bring the proposal to him otherwise. "Rusty," she said pointedly, "is going to figure it out pretty soon. We're in pretty close quarters here."

"For now." He flashed a grin. They were moving ahead with buying the townhouse. The loan had been approved with the mortgage company, but their broker wanted another appraisal and inspection. It was all a formality. It would take a couple of weeks to get all of that completed and on file. Then they would sit down and sign the papers. They still had some time left on their apartment lease, though, which was going to give them time to paint the walls and do any other remodeling they wanted completed at the house before they moved into it. There was a certain amount of relief to just knowing they had found a home and would be living in it soon. "Kid isn't just going to have his own bathroom soon," he smirked, "and the kitchen is going to be the least of his worries… You know, the pool is heated."

"Ugh." Sharon rolled her eyes at him. She pushed him away from her with a grin. "You are obsessed with that pool. It isn't too late for us to rethink purchasing now…"

"I don't think so." He pulled her to him, grinning as he wrapped his arms around her and turned his face into her neck. Andy nuzzled her neck until she laughed.

Rusty heard the laughter and groaned loudly. "Please don't be doing what it sounds like you're doing," he yelled. "People have to eat in there!"

"Stop it." Sharon wriggled way from her husband. She peeled his hands off her and pointed at him. "No." When he pouted, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his chin. "Dinner first. We can play later." They had skipped lunch and she was starving.

"I'm going to hold you to that." Andy walked around her to lean out of the kitchen and yell into the loft. "Rusty, come down and join us. You can help us figure out what we want for dinner and maybe I'll tell you how to report back to your brother." The young man's groan made him grin.

Sharon swatted his arm. She agreed that her sons should not be discussing matters that did not concern them, but they could hardly censor how the kids worried about them. "Be nice," she warned.

"What?" Andy held up his hands. "I'm just going to tell him that I'm taking it so he can stop worrying about it."

"Mmhm." Sharon gave him a pointed look. She didn't believe that anymore than he did. "There will be no play time, and no pool time," she emphasized, "if you do not behave yourself, Mr. Flynn."

"Fine." He huffed. "I can be nice, unless provoked," he reminded her. Rusty was on his own if he poked the bear. Andy opened a drawer and took out a stack of take out menus for them to study while snacking on the fruit that he already pulled out. "Mrs. Flynn is mean," he muttered.

Sharon snapped his suspenders as she moved past him. "I can be," she warned with a smirk.

"Promise?" He waggled his brows at her.

She said nothing because Rusty joined them. Instead, she only took her water and rounded the door to slide onto a barstool across from where the two men were standing. The boys were correct about one thing. She left the choice up to Andy because it was ultimately his decision to make, but they discussed it because they were partners now. His decision would affect her, but she still wanted him to know that she would support whichever choice he made. In the end, Andy didn't really want to be retired. He wasn't ready to take that step. He wasn't entirely confident about taking over the new operations team, but he was going to do it. She believed in him, and he believed in her. That was enough.

Sharon watched the pair of them sort through the menus. The usual bickering began as they discussed the advantages of Thai versus burgers. It hadn't been long enough since their last evening of Chinese or pizza, so those were discarded immediately. Sharon smiled. Rusty was uncomfortable with labels, and if he was honest about it, Andy was too. Their relationship was not as tenuous as either man liked to believe, but it was certainly unique. They both made her unbelievably happy, and she adored them for that.

It was evenings like this one that got her through the past several weeks. The total normalcy of it, listening to Andy and Rusty bicker and tease, sarcasm erupting between them, but wrapped in a heavy dose of amusement and respect. Knowing that her son was alive to have this moment was reason enough to put that night behind her. Having Andy to love her through those terror induced moments in the middle of the night, though they came less often now, had given her more to lean on than her own strength.

He was stronger than he knew, this husband of hers. Sharon's head inclined. A smile curved her lips. That wasn't entirely official yet. Legally, yes… but there was still one step they had yet to complete. She decided they would do it once they were moved into the new house. They hadn't wanted a wedding, but so much had changed. They would gather their kids and their closest friends, their family, and they would complete the step they had taken on beginning this joint path.

For now, she shook her head at her son and her love. So much of their lives changed every day… but one thing still remained. These two could be as irritating as they were darling. She would give them just another minute before she interrupted. It was good that they had both found her. They both so obviously needed her… and Sharon was thankful to still be with them.

-TBC-