A/N: This chapter takes place after Rusty's adoption in "Down the Drain". This is a missing scene from that afternoon/evening.
Chapter 9: Fine
Rusty's adoption ceremony had been a truly beautiful sight to see. It was filled with all the love a mother could have for her son and then some.
Afterwards though, Rusty had to get back to work on Badge of Justice and the team had to get back to work finishing paperwork up on their latest case.
It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when Sharon heard a knock on her door. Without looking up from the forms she was signing off on, she told whoever it was to come in.
As the door opened and the person walked in, Sharon looked up and smiled when she saw it was Andy.
"Here's my paperwork for the case," said Andy as he set the forms in Sharon's inbox.
"Thanks," replied Sharon as she smiled at Andy once again.
"So, big day, huh?" posed Andy.
"Yeah," replied Sharon as she smiled to herself for a moment.
"So, seeing as it's such a big day and all, I thought we could do something to celebrate after work," suggested Andy.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Sharon curiously.
"I thought we could go out for coffee somewhere," proposed Andy.
"Did you have a place in mind?" asked Sharon.
"Well, not exactly. I thought I'd see if you wanted to go first and then take it from there," answered Andy.
"Well, I think I have the perfect place. It's off Ventura Boulevard and it's called Café Zinnia. They serve an assortment of coffees and teas there," said Sharon.
"Sounds great. What time do you think you'll be done with all that paperwork?" asked Andy.
"Well, seeing as it's Friday and it being a very big day, I think I'll leave the paperwork until tomorrow," said Sharon matter of factly.
"Great. I'll clean up my desk and grab my jacket and meet you by the elevators in five," said Andy.
"See you in five minutes, then," said Sharon as Andy exited her office.
Seeing as they'd be going to their homes afterwards, Sharon and Andy both agreed it would be more practical to take separate cars to the café.
Once Andy pulled into the parking space next to Sharon, they each got out, locked their cars, and headed inside Café Zinnia.
After they sat down, Andy ordered a coffee and Sharon ordered a hibiscus tea and the barista began making what they'd ordered.
After their orders were fulfilled and brought to their table, Andy bravely reached across the table and took Sharon's hand in his, testing the waters of their still fairly newfound in between relationship status.
Sharon responded by intertwining their fingers and laying their hands on the table as they sipped on their hot beverages.
After a few hours and the occasional squeeze of the hand in affirmation to what the other was saying, Sharon suddenly began to let go of Andy's hand and said, "I should give you your hand back."
Andy immediately replied awkwardly with, "No…unless you want to."
"I really don't. I just thought your hand might need a break," replied Sharon as she intertwined their fingers once again as their joined hands naturally fell onto the table.
"Nope. I'm fine if you are," replied Andy.
"I'm fine," said Sharon as she smiled across the table at Andy.
A couple hours later and Andy long having switched to decaf, the barista came over with their check and said, "Sorry to interrupt you two, but we're about to close for the night."
"Is it ten o'clock, already? I hadn't really noticed," said Sharon as she looked around the café and saw they were the only ones left.
"Yeah. I've never had such a lovely couple close down my café before," commented the barista/owner.
"Oh-" began Sharon before Andy squeezed her hand.
"Thank you," said Andy as he smiled to himself.
"Well, we'll just pay and get out of your way," replied Sharon kindly.
"Here you go," replied Andy as he handed the owner his debit card.
"Andy. No, I've got it," Sharon told him as she dug in her purse and pulled out her wallet.
"Just take it," Andy told the owner as he looked at Sharon.
"You two fight like an old married couple. Reminds me of my grandparents," the owner told them.
"Oh, we're not married," Sharon corrected her.
"Could've fooled me," replied the owner with a sly smile as she obeyed Andy's request and went to go swipe his debit card.
Soon enough, the owner brought him back his debit card and Sharon and Andy headed towards the parking lot.
"Well, I guess this is goodnight," Sharon said to Andy.
"I guess it is," replied Andy glumly before he thought of their earlier conversation about physical boundaries and got a brilliant idea.
He decided to lean in and placed a kiss against Sharon's cheek.
Sharon gives him a wide eyed look and Andy feared he'd done something wrong to mess everything up.
"Sharon, I'm sorry. I thought…well I wasn't thinking…at least not clearly obviously," Andy told her.
"No. No, Andy. It's not that. I was just a little surprised was all. We've only ever done that once before and certainly never in this context," replied Sharon as she grabbed both of Andy's hands to reassure him.
"So, you're okay with it?" questioned Andy.
"Yeah. It was nice," said Sharon as she squeezed his hands once before letting go.
"Okay. If you're sure about this, then I am too," said Andy.
"I am," replied Sharon surely.
"Okay. Well, I guess this is where we part then. Goodnight, Sharon," said Andy.
"Goodnight, Andy," said Sharon as she climbed into her car.
"Drive safe," Andy told her.
"I will. You too," replied Sharon before she closed the door and put her seatbelt on before starting the car.
As she pulled out, Sharon was thinking, "Nice? Why did I say it was nice? I could've used any other adjective. Why did I have to use the word nice?"
Meanwhile, the scene was much the same in Andy's car as he cursed himself for saying, "Drive safe," even though he meant it. How lame was that? He really needed to work on his game if he wanted to be with someone as good with words as Sharon.
As they each drove to their respective homes, it was like two ships passing in the night and going in two completely different directions.