The morning came quickly for Sharon. Dreams of sugar plums (well, the Sugar Plum Fairy) had indeed danced in her head. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed a night quite the way she had the previous one. Looking forward to lunch with Andy, she knew that getting a call-out was always a possibility, but she'd prayed for the best and so far hadn't heard a peep from her cell.

Andy had tossed and turned most of the night, not because he wasn't tired, but because his mind refused to be still. When his alarm woke him, he immediately checked to see that the text message exchange that he remembered, was actually real. Once he verified it, he exhaled loudly and smiled. It wasn't a dream.

Just as he was walking out the door, his cell buzzed to let him know a text had come in. He looked up at the ceiling and silently prayed that Provenza's name on his screen did NOT in fact mean they'd been called out. Opening the text he breathed a sigh of relief.
Text Exchange:
Provenza: What's on your agenda today Flynn?
Andy: I'll be out for most of today. Probably home early evening.
Provenza: Where are you off to?
Andy: Just some Christmas shopping before I run out of time.
Provenza: Need some help choosing respectable gifts?
Andy: Hell no.
Provenza: Come on! It'll be fun. I have some stuff to still buy too, so it'll work well.
Andy: Which part of NO are you having trouble understanding old man?
Provenza: What's really going on? You got a date or something?
Andy: Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.
Provenza: Suit yourself. You'll tell me.
Andy: Don't bet on it.

Depending on traffic, he could bank on a minimum of 30 minutes drive. It wasn't quite as far as driving all the way to the PAB, but he knew it would be more likely 45 minutes, so decided if he left by 10am he'd arrive a little early and preferred that to being late. He'd dressed casually, knowing they were headed to the ocean side at Venice Beach, if not the beach itself.

Arriving with ten minutes to spare, Andy made his way to Sharon's door.
"Ready to rock'n'roll?" he asked as she opened it.
"Come in Andy, I just need to grab my purse and keys" she answered shouting out to Rusty to let him know she was heading out and would see him later that night.
"I don't think I'll be here later Mom. We're going to a party at a friend's house, and if it's really late I'll crash at Gus's. I'll probably see you tomorrow" he told her.
"Be safe and be kind" she told him.
"Ok, ready to go!" she told Andy.

"Did you have anywhere specific in mind?" Sharon wanted to know.
"I was thinking we'd head to Venice Beach and wander until we find something that appeals" he answered.
The smile she offered him conveyed her agreement with his plan.
"Provenza was looking for me this morning." he told her
"Oh, what did you tell him?" she asked with a smirk.
"I told him I wanted to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Bad idea. He then offered to go with me to do some of his own." Andy chuckled. "The man cannot take a hint. When I said no, he flat out asked me if I had a date or something."
"Well, he is one of my most experienced Lieutenants Andy." she laughed.
"He's absolutely MY most experienced pain in the ass."

They parked near the beach itself and decided to make their way to a café they'd seen driving past. Andy suggested they buy what they wanted and sit somewhere by the water to eat.
"So, is that what we're doing Andy?" she asked as they sat down.
"Is what, what we're doing?" he looked at her puzzled.
"Dating. You said Provenza asked you if you had a date."
"Oh! I don't know Sharon, is that what we're doing? You said no labels, but I for one, would like to think that's what we're doing."
She hummed in response and smiled. The warmth of the sun on such a cool day filled her with joy, and she couldn't help but think about how comfortable she was sitting here with this man, who did indeed wear his heart on his sleeve. She found it hard at times to make eye contact with him, not out of embarrassment, but because when she did meet his eyes, she could see with crystal clarity just how he felt about her. It was hard too, not to wonder if people around them saw the same thing she did. They had known each other for so many years, and in all that time, she realised, she'd never truly "seen" him. Perhaps, she thought, that wasn't such a bad thing, because until now, she was sure that she would have run a mile if she had. Here he was, sitting in front of her in jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, with the breeze ruffling his salt and pepper hair, looking at her like there was nobody else on the planet. She idly wondered what being wrapped in those arms completely would feel like, and decided that finding out wasn't such a bad idea.
The hummed response he received, made him shiver, but not with cold. He loved that sound she made, and he idly wondered if she was even aware of the fact that she did it so often. He had become very familiar with all of the different inflections of her hum, and exactly what each tone meant. It made him crazy. He'd started to look at her differently since not long after she took over the unit. He couldn't quite put his finger on when he'd fallen in love with her, but ultimately it didn't matter. He was a goner, and he knew it. Here she was, sitting in front of him, in a basic long, stretch dress, with a light cardigan to keep her warm, smiling with those emerald eyes he couldn't resist. He wondered what it would be like to take her in his arms, and hoped that finding out was on the cards.

Finishing their lunch in comfortable silence, Andy started to clear their rubbish away and walked to the nearest bin to dispose of it. As he walked back, he watched her as she gazed out across the water. Her hair ruffled lightly in the breeze, and she wore a far-away look on her face. He had always found her attractive, but in this moment, he decided he'd never seen a more beautiful creature in his life. He suddenly felt very fortunate to be the one she chose to spend time with, and was overwhelmed momentarily by the love he felt for her, but was sure he hid very well.
"Should we go for a walk around the shops? I guess that buying a couple of things will make you feel better if Provenza gives you the inquisition later on" she laughed.
"What a good idea!" he told her, and offered her his hand.
Taking his hand, she scolded herself for the butterflies she felt fluttering around inside her. "Good grief Sharon. You're 52 years old. Get a grip!" she told herself.
They walked toward a series of small gift shops and were looking into the front windows.

He'd made sure they couldn't see him easily. He hadn't exactly been following, but when he spotted Andy's car, the opportunity to find out what he was really up to, was too tempting to ignore. He'd parked a dozen cars away, and decided to take a stroll past the storefronts, carefully. He spotted them hand-in-hand, within the first ten minutes.
"What the fuck?" was all he could think. "No, really WHAT the fuck?" He hadn't been 100% sure of who it was Andy had with him, until he got close enough to smell her perfume. He'd know that scent anywhere. "Idiot!" he shouted internally.