I wanted two more things in this episode. First of all, would expanding that scene with Andy at the condo after Rusty left for bed, have killed them? Apparently it would've, so I had to do it myself. And secondly, I wanted a Shandy conversation about Rusty deciding to support his mom in staying with Gary's parents to happen (and more). So I did that myself, too. I like Shandy, the police parents.

Here's my first of all.

"...the question we need to ask is, was there anyone who wanted this young man dead?"

She looked back down at the folder in her hands, but he reached out his arm and gently closed it.

She moved her head up and threw him a look. She narrowed her eyes at him then raised an eyebrow. "I take it you have a reason for this?" Her eyes flickered to the now closed folder.

"Well, yeah." He quietly grunted as he started getting to his feet and he reached for the folder. Once stood, he threw it haphazardly on the coffee table in front of him and flopped down on the couch next to her. "We can look for that someone tomorrow." He threw his arm across the back of the couch and turned to face her. She had turned to lean on the pillow in the corner of the couch, between its back and armrest, watching him with an amused smile on her face. Her now empty hands were neatly folded in her lap. She was obviously indulging him.

"Is that so?" The rise in the timbre of her voice gave away her playfulness.

"Yes, that's so." He crossed his legs, an ankle over a knee, and leaned back so he could let his head fall down on the back of the couch. He knew how to make himself at home here. "That's enough shop talk. My boss doesn't like mixing personal with professional." He rolled his head over the edge of the couch to look at her. He didn't even bother hiding what must have been a stupid grin on his face.

"So I hear." She managed to hide her own grin, but the way her jaw tightened and the corners of her eyes crinkled at the effort, gave her away.

"And as it so happens, it's getting late, you should get home. Your boss doesn't like you being late for work either, I believe."

She said it in such a serious, almost professional 'this is the end of this conversation' voice, that he straightened up and looked at her, her previously hidden grin now completely absent. He'd be less surprised if she had instructed the team to forgo the Miranda warning from now on. She invited him over, to stay over, what's with the sudden change of plans, he worried. He could usually tell when she was pulling his leg, but he saw no indication of that this time, and even though she had never just kicked him out, which he should have taken as a good sign, his mind remained in overdrive mode. And then, the shock that settled on his face, had her face erupt in a full blown smile.

"Oh," he deflated, leaned back and relaxed, letting his arm move across the back of the couch again, "you had me there for a second."

"You think?" She couldn't control the snort that escaped her.

When she calmed down; he wasn't looking at her, faux hurt called for faux pouting instead; she folded her legs underneath her and put her hands on his thigh, leaning slightly on him. It got his attention and when he saw her now composed and much too serious expression on her face, he quirked a curious eyebrow at her.

"Since when are you this insecure?" she asked, genuine surprise accompanying her words.

He turned his head to look at her. Now that he thought about it, his panicky reaction really was uncalled for. He knew her better than that. Besides, after her "Fine." now more than a year ago, there had been very few insecure moments between them. He could also read her so well by now and she him, that there was very little room for those insecurities anyway.

He must have remained quiet far too long for her liking because she spoke again, tentatively, "We'll take Jared's accusations seriously. Nicole knows that."

How she did that will forever be beyond him. She hit the nail on the head before he could even realize something was wrong let alone put a finger on what was wrong. And now he, too, figured out what bugged him. He worried Nicole wouldn't take his word for it if Jared was wrong even if they proved he was. And if they did, how on earth was he supposed to tell her that? He was bearer, even cause, of enough bad news in her life. Things were better with Nicole, much better, but the seed of doubt always lingered and now it started growing weeds without him even noticing.

"I hope so," was all he could say in reply, looking away from her.

One of her hands moved in a gentle caress over his thigh. "She does, Andy. Don't sell yourself short. She wouldn't have asked you to look into it if she didn't trust you."

She was making sense. Of course she was. "That doesn't mean I won't hate it if I disappoint her." He looked back at her, as if his tone of voice alone didn't convey just how true he felt that was.

She caressed his thigh again. "Jared will disappoint her then. Not you," she told him, in a stern voice, one she often employed with Rusty, eyes locked on his for emphasis.

Again, she was making sense. He'll try not to feel like being a disappointment then, he resolved. "You're right. I'm being stupid, you're right."

She laughed at him. "No, Andy," she said on a happy sigh, her laughter ebbing away, "you're just being a dad." Another caress on his thigh.

He joined in her laughter. "I guess I am."

There was moment of silence during which she became increasingly fidgety, if the way she slightly swayed forwards and backwards, her hands still on his thigh, was anything to go by. "He's going with her for her sonogram." She finally said as she was taking a breath, making the words sound slightly hollow, but the pride and excitement in them still unmistakable. The squeeze of her hands on his thigh hinted at it as well.

He nodded happily, moving his arm from the back of the couch to cover her hands with his. "He is, that's more progress."

He looked at her. She wasn't hiding her smile. "Yes. I think he'll have a lot to think about after the appointment."

"Hmm," he looked away for a moment, rubbing a finger of his other hand against his chin, "maybe seeing the baby for himself gives him some perspective."

"Maybe," she said in an almost sing song voice, telling him she was actually certain that it would.

"Come here," he said. Not waiting for a reaction, he pulled her closer to him so that she was leaning against him, her head against his shoulder and his arm now draped around her, his hand settling on her hip. "He'll do the right thing."

She nodded, her far away look telling him that, of that, she wasn't yet convinced.

"He usually does," he added.

"He usually does," she echoed and nodded again, with more conviction this time.

She then leaned toward the table and reached for the folder. When she settled in next to him again, he gave her a puzzled look. "Like it or not, I actually have a few more questions," she explained, opening the folder.

Of course she had, he thought to himself. She wouldn't let go of a mystery until she cracked it, he knew. He shook his head at her. "Okay, hit me."

And this is my secondly.

"Where's Rusty?" He was standing in the hallway waiting for her to get into her heels. A green v-neck shirt and black jeans. Anybody else would be putting on some flats to go with that outfit. But she wasn't anybody else. Of course it would be heels in her case. He snickered to himself having realized that, in his light green t-shirt combined with a pair of washed out blue jeans, he matched her perfectly. It was Saturday and with a little luck they were set to have the entire weekend off. And to start the weekend, they decided to go out for breakfast together.

"He's off to Cathedral City," she informed him as she grabbed her purse and headed to the door.

That was news. She hadn't mentioned anything, but then again they haven't really talked since they bid each other goodbye and headed to their respective homes yesterday after work.

He followed her through the door, and as she was locking it he said, a note of incredulity in his voice, "With his other mother?"

She turned around, throwing the key into her purse. They made their way toward the elevator. "Yes," she stated simply. Happily, too. She threw her chin up, sending her hair through the air with the movement as she continued walking. There was such an air of "I'm so happy, I was right and he did the right thing" surrounding her that he couldn't help the rumble of laughter that escaped him.

She shot him an inquisitive look as the elevator doors pinged open. She also seemed to be moving at a faster pace, still as graceful as ever, but slightly less coordinated and calculated. He was sure if he didn't know her so well by now, that he wouldn't have noticed it at all. But since he did, it really was amusing to watch. Sharon with a spring to her step, he chuckled this time. "What's with the change of heart?" he asked. He had no intention of explaining his amusement.

They entered the elevator and, after pressing the button to take them to the garage, she turned to look at him. "Andy, did he talk to you?" And before he could open his mouth in response she continued, "The other day he was going on about how he worried she might just one day get up and decide to walk away. And he complained about the sonogram clouding his judgement. He seemed genuinely touched that his mom would give up this baby girl in order to stay closer to him," she took a deep breath. He has never heard her say so much at once. Or that quickly. Or with that much gesticulation. Not that the occasional wave of a hand between sentences is considered a lot. But with Sharon, it definitely was. If watching her wasn't this amusing he would have been concerned. "But the possibility of her falling off the wagon again still had him wary of-" She cut the thought short. "Did he talk to you?" she repeated. And again, before he could even gear up to say something she went on. "And this morning, he just bid me goodbye and told me he was taking her to Cathedral City. Out of the blue. Just like that." She emphasized it with a twirl of her hand.

She looked finished and he opened his mouth to say something when she let out another string of words, "He hasn't said anything since the other night, so," she squared her shoulders and pinned him with a look, "Did he talk to you?"

At that the elevator doors opened and he put his hand on the small of her back as he led her out and towards his car. "As a matter of fact, he did." He was enjoying her reaction a bit too much and it must have shown on his face and in his voice because she gave him a slightly impatient look that all but screamed "Care to elaborate?"

"I didn't say much, really," he shrugged. His other hand was fishing for the car keys in his pocket. "He asked how I knew I was no longer an alcoholic."

She frowned, but was now looking in front of her. She wasn't avoiding his gaze, she was just careful about where she was going, he knew. "So I told him the usual, you know," he waved the hand that now held his car keys in the air making them jingle in the process, "how I'm still an alcoholic, that it's a day-to-day effort."

The topic of addiction was one they had more than covered. She hummed and looked at him. "And?" There was more and she knew it.

"Well, all in all, he asked me how he could be sure when to give an addict a chance."

She hummed again. "That has been the predominant question on his mind when it came to Sharon Beck." Sadness entered her voice.

He nodded. "Yeah, I figured." They reached his car, and he opened the door for her before slipping into the driver's seat himself.

As she was putting her seat belt on she turned to him. "What was your answer?"

He shrugged. His own seat belt in place, he put the keys in the ignition. "I told him that there is no way of knowing." He turned the key. "But that not giving her a chance might hurt him more than her."

She half scoffed half laughed at that. He gave her a confused look. She really was behaving strangely today. "I've been telling him that for weeks!" she let out on an exasperated sigh.

He laughed and turned around, carefully moving the car backwards out of the parking space. "Well, maybe he needed to hear it from another addict," he said as he started driving out of the garage.

"Maybe," was her reply as she adjusted herself in her seat.

"Thank you," she added after a moment of silence, her hand reaching out to caress his arm from his shoulder downwards.

In response he only squeezed her hand once it landed on his as it rested on the gear shift. He really didn't do much, he thought.

"Does this mean he'll be on our case about moving in together again?" She snort laughed at his question.

"At full capacity, I mean?" he added for good measure.

"Probably." she told him through another bout of laughter.

"Urgh," he grunted sending her into another fit of laughter.

Yeah, she really was strange today.

He liked it.

What do you say? I took a few small liberties in the second one. I hope you don't mind and that Sharon wasn't too out of character.

I also considered writing a tidbit in which Sharon asks Andy what it was that he had to do after he left the electronics room, or an Andy/Nicole conversation although I kinda covered Andy's worries already, *shrugs* I don't know... Maybe later? Or not at all? I'll see...

And one more thing, thank you for your reviews, I love hearing your opinions about these so far. That they're so positive is awesome, too!

Till the next chapter! Ta-ta!