Tag to 5.05 Cashed out. No beta, all mistakes are mine. Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited and followed, it is much appreciated.
Andy Flynn slowly entered the condo, trying his very best to be quiet. Shrugging out of his dark grey suit coat, he hung it on the hall tree before placing his keys in the bowl on the entry table. The condo was dark, with the exception of the soft light over the kitchen sink. Toeing out of his shoes, he scooted them under the entry table and out of the way. With a deep sigh, he padded through the living room in to the kitchen. He filled a glass with water, fishing his blood pressure pill out of his pocket, he popped it into his mouth. Carrying the half full glass with him, Andy made his way to her bedroom, expecting to find his beautiful Captain sound to sleep.
A single lamp burned on the bedside table, giving the empty bedroom a dull glow. The covers were pulled back, but it was obvious she had not gotten into bed. Andy moved to the bathroom and found it empty as well. He was certain he would have noticed if she was on the balcony, but he went back to check anyway. Slowly pacing behind the sofa, Andy glanced at his watch. There was only one more place she could possibly be, but at this time of night? 'Who swims at midnight?' he thought with a sly smirk.
Apparently Sharon Raydor does, Andy stood beside the roof top pool watching her move swiftly through the water. As she neared the wall at the deep end of the pool, she executed a perfect flip turn, her beautiful, strong legs giving her the momentum to glide almost halfway across the pool before she surfaced and resumed a textbook freestyle. Despite the groan of his knees, Andy squatted by the side of the pool as she neared, hoping she would see him. She slowed, coming to a stop as her hand reached the wall. She bent backwards underwater, pushing her hair out of her face. "Hey, you're home," she smiled, ringing the water out of her hair.
He reached for her hand as she stood in front of him, immediately noticing her shriveled fingertips, "How long have you been out here?" His eyebrows raised in question, he knew how easily she could lose track of time when she was in the pool.
"I don't know; what time is it?" She gently pulled her hand way, making her way to the steps.
Andy stood, "Midnight, give or take a few minutes."
"Oh," Surprised at his answer, she paused on the top step, while Andy retrieved her towel from the nearby lounge chair. "A while, I guess." Stepping from the pool, she squeezed her hair one last time, as Andy wrapped the oversize towel around her. "Did you have fun tonight? How was Julio?"
Andy pulled her to him, despite the fact that she was dripping on his sock clad feet, "Provenza enjoyed it, Julio was…quiet." She gave him a knowing look. "More so than normal," He moved the towel along her body, "Come on let's get you dried off, it's chilly out here." After Andy was satisfied that she was dry enough, he wrapped the towel snugly around her body. She was shivering slightly by the time they reached the condo. Kissing her gently on the forehead, he smiled at the taste of salt on his lips, "Go get out that wet suit while I make some tea." She started to protest, but he was already half way to the kitchen.
Some ten minutes later, Sharon stepped from the bathroom clad in one of Andy's old LAPD sweatshirts. He looked up from his book, unable to conceal his grin. The oversized navy blue sweatshirt fell mid-thigh, accentuating her amazing legs. She stepped closer to the bed, lifting the hot mug of tea, she cradled its warmth in her hands before taking a sip. She sat on the bed facing Andy, careful not to spill her tea. She met his eyes and he could instantly tell the swim had not settled whatever was on her mind. He reached out, gently tugging at her knee so that she would move closer. He slipped the mug from her hand, taking a careful sip, as she scooted next to him. He held the hot mug out to her, but she shook her head no, so he placed it on his bedside table. She hugged her knees to her chest, her toes edging under Andy's upper thigh.
"Penny for your thoughts," he moved his hand gently up her smooth leg.
"Julio." Was her only reply.
"Hmm." Andy nodded, he wasn't surprised at her reply. "Do you think Cynthia will approve him?"
She shifted slightly, moving her legs across his lap, "I honestly don't know. What do you think?"
"I think," Andy trailed his hand across the top of her foot, "Julio will be an amazing father, better than I ever thought about being."
Her hand moved to cradle the side his face, "Andy, don't." He relaxed his cheek into her hand, "Your kids love you dearly. Yes, you made mistakes but who hasn't. What's important is that you learned from your mistakes."
"Unlike Jack," Her sigh was audible as he continued. "Can I ask you a question? There's something that has been bothering me all week."
Confusion washed over her features, her hand dropping into her lap, "Of course, you can always ask me anything."
"I…" He paused searching for the right way to voice what was on his mind, "Was surprised that you knew so much about Jack and his arrangements with the Kotero's. I always assumed…that when he would disappear you didn't really know where he was or for that matter, what he was doing." He felt her stiffen, immediately regretting bringing the subject of Jack and his gambling up. Before he could stop her, Sharon moved her legs quickly off his lap, scooting to the opposite side of the bed, her back to him. "I'm sorry, It's none of my business," Andy started.
She stood slowly, her arms crossing tightly over her chest, "No, it's a valid question." She began to pace slowly in front of the bed. Andy moved to get up, but she shook her head 'no.' So, he settled back against the headboard, his heart heavy with regret. "I sometimes forget that I know basically everything there is to know about you and your past." She stopped to look at him, "And yet, you only know the little bits and pieces that I have chosen to share about my life…about my past. I am sorry for that, it's not that I want to hide anything from you. It's just easier if… I don't let myself go there."
"I'm sorry sweetheart," He sat up straighter, "Just forget I said…"
"I learned a very long time ago," She quietly interrupted, "that it was in my best interest to know exactly where Jack was and with whom he was involved, especially if he was living in L.A."
"Okay," Andy breathed, as he watched her pace in slow circles. "Did something happen?"
She nodded, not able to meet his eyes, "Yes." Her hand moved to wipe at her face and he suddenly realized she was crying. "When I was pregnant with Ricky, Jack disappeared about six weeks before he was born. At first, I didn't know where he was or even if he was still alive. The night Ricky was born, two men came to the house looking for Jack. It was late, Emily was asleep in her room, I had worked for eighteen hours straight so I had fallen asleep on the sofa. I was just so…stupid. You might could blame exhaustion, but there was still no excuse for what I did." Her voice trailed off, as she finally met Andy's gaze once again. The pain and fear in her eyes tore at Andy's heart. Ignoring the soft shake of her head, he quickly moved, pulling her tightly into his arms. Her resistance was futile as he lifted her to his chest before settling back on the bed. He once again leaned against the headboard, cradling her in his lap.
She relaxed against him, her head rested in the crook of his neck, his calming scent enveloping her. She laced her fingers through his before she continued, "The banging on the front door was so loud, it startled me from a deep sleep. I didn't even think, I just hurried to the door and opened it. The next thing I knew I was pinned to the wall with a gun in my face. I was so thankful that Emily is such a sound sleeper. She never knew what happened that night, well except for the fact that her little brother came a few weeks early."
"Did they hurt you?" Andy's voice was low against her hair.
"Hmm, they mainly wanted money and Jack's whereabouts. I didn't have any money; he had taken every dime when he disappeared. I gave them what little bit of jewelry I had, my wedding set and a pair of earrings Jack gave me when Emily was born."
"Did they hurt you?" Andy repeated, shifting her ever so slightly so he could see her face.
"It was the most terrifying night of my life," She slowly met his gaze and the darkened green of her beautiful eyes answered his question, "I promised myself if I lived, if my baby lived…we would never pay for Jack's mistakes again. We were all very lucky that night. Eventually, I was able to call Gavin, he got me to the hospital and kept Emily occupied until my sister arrived. Ricky was born via emergency C-section, and he was absolutely perfect." She smiled softly, "The next day, I hired a private investigator that Gavin uses from time to time. I've kept him and now his son on retainer all these years."
"I'm sorry…" She placed her finger to his lips to quiet him.
"No, Andy…" Her eyes pleaded with him, "Don't be sorry for what happened in my past or in yours. You know as well as I do, that we can't change it. We can only look forward, together."
"Together." He repeated softly.
His lips moved to cover hers as they slowly scooted down on the bed. Hating to break contact with him, she rolled to her side, reaching to turn off the bedside lamp before settling once again against the warmth and safety of his chest. Her feet moved between his knees, while his hand slid down her hip, his fingers coming to rest just under the band of her panties. Her eyes drifted closed, as did his but both of their minds continued to stir with new information shared. She didn't like to visit the demons of her past, but she knew Andy deserved an honest answer. In truth, it felt good to finally have someone who wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions. Someone she could share the difficult answers with, someone she could trust with her whole heart.
Minutes passed before he felt her relax against him, the last bit of tension from their earlier talk finally evaporating. He marveled at the incredibly strong woman cradled in his arms, she deserved so much more than Jack Raydor ever gave her. Andy nestled his nose into her hair. She had given him another piece of her heart tonight, proving just how much she trusted him, how deeply she loves him. He sighed, holding her even tighter. His mind finally finding that sense of peace they could share together.
