Here goes my add-on for that final explosion. Andy's little stunt was the perfect opportunity to add some disagreement/discord with Shandy, and since I just love having those two argue every now and then, expect quite a bit of talking in this chapter.

Sending huge thanks MajorCFan's way for her beta work on this.

Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you thought of it. :)

"I am perfectly fine!" Provenza was yelling at a paramedic. The poor man had tried putting his hands over the Lieutenant's shoulders, hoping to get him to sit down in the back of the ambulance, but Provenza just shrugged him off.

"Provenza!" Andy hollered, running toward him and flashing his badge to an officer as he ducked under the yellow tape that marked the safety distance to LAPD headquarters.

Andy would have been there sooner, but he knew better than to break protocol any further. Sharon would be reading him the riot act for his little stunt later anyway, so he figured it best to stay behind, deal with their bomber by the book before giving in to his need to rush over and check up on her and his team. By the time he was finally done, the building was nearly completely evacuated. Firefighters, paramedics and the bomb squad were on scene, and practically everybody was banished from the building until it was ascertained that there were no more active explosives inside.

"Flynn!" Provenza said, turning around at the sound of his voice. "Would you please tell him," Provenza shot the paramedic an irritated glare, "that there's nothing wrong with me?!"

Andy shook his head in amusement and grinned. His partner may be covered in dust and soot from head to toe, he was coughing a little, too, but yes, if he was this vocal, there was nothing more wrong with him than usual.

Reaching him, Andy said, "Just let him do his job," he patted his shoulder, "or Patrice will drag you to the hospital later herself."

Provenza's eyes went wide. "Patrice!" He instantly started fumbling for his phone, no longer fighting off the paramedic that once again tried to get him to sit down.

Assured that Provenza was indeed alright, Andy looked around. Innocent bystanders and curious on-lookers gathered outside the sealed off perimeter, but inside of it there was nothing but organized chaos. A perk, apparently, of mostly dealing with trained police officers. He noticed Howard in the middle of talking to a Lieutenant from the bomb squad and a couple of firefighters. A quick glance at him told Andy he had not been caught in the explosion. Around the back of another ambulance, paramedics were looking over Ortiz's ex-wife, while two police officers kept a watchful eye on her. A few steps further down he finally laid eyes on the rest of his squad huddled together.

He quickened his pace and tapped the first dusty shoulder he could reach.

Buzz turned around. "Oh, hey," he spoke in a raspy voice and coughed, "Lieutenant."

The greeting had the rest of them turn in his direction, but he failed to register what they were telling him as panic washed over him when he noted one particular absence.

"Where's Sharon?" he interrupted Mike, who, if he gathered correctly, was in the middle of telling him about how lucky they were.

Amy answered. "There," she pointed a finger to the side, "with Chief Howard."

Andy frowned, following her finger. "What? I just saw him, she's n-" he stopped when he set eyes on her. "Oh," he let out lamely.

Sharon was indeed standing there, on Howard's other side, which is why he must have missed her earlier. Just like Provenza and the rest of his squad, she was covered in dust, but also like them, she did not look hurt. She had told him as much over the phone, but at the sight of her he still sighed in relief.

Torn between two fronts now, Andy distractedly, and with no small amount of effort, returned his focus to his team. "You guys okay?"

"We will be once we clear our lungs of this," Nolan muttered, coughing to emphasize his point.

Mike smiled and nodded. "Paramedics checked us all out." He tilted his head toward Sharon. "Captain included. We were lucky. Just a little banged up is all."

Julio chuckled. "Paramedics didn't check us all out," he said, turning around to look at Provenza who was talking on his phone, again fending off the paramedic, with an annoyed wave of his hand this time.

Andy looked his way, too, and snickered. "Oh," his tone was knowing, "he'll be checked out in a minute." He looked back at his team only to be met by sets of puzzled looks. "That's Patrice on the phone," he explained on a smirk.

They all laughed and Andy took the moment to look at Sharon again. He was itching to just walk over there and reassure himself once more that she was alright. However, he thought he was probably already on thin ice with her. He doubted it would help matters if he gave into his urge and rudely interrupted what seemed like an important discussion by pulling her into a hug and not letting go any time soon.

"So," Andy addressed Mike in an effort to get a grip on himself, "what's it look like up there?" He tilted his head to the higher floors of the building.

Mike grimaced. "The murder room's wrecked. We'll have a lot to go through once they let us back in there."

"The Captain's office took a hit, too," Julio added sadly.

That had Andy look her way again. "As long as you guys are in one piece," he trailed off, returning his focus to his team.

They all nodded in solemn agreement. "Captain actually saved our asses," Nolan said, looking at her impressed.

Andy frowned a little. "What do you mean?" He had no idea what had been going on in the murder room. All he caught was Ortiz's side of the phone call.

"It was the luggage," Buzz explained. "The Captain called it just in time for us to seek cover."

"Huh," Andy let out, an impressed smile on his face as his gaze once more fell on her.

Proudly, Amy added, "If that's not Assistant Chief material I don't know what is."

"Tell it to the brass, Sykes," Julio muttered glumly.

Andy nodded, understanding Julio's sarcasm. It wouldn't be the first time promotions were handed out to people not qualified enough for them. He said nothing, however, for Sharon finally got his undivided attention.

Howard must have dismissed her and she started making her way to their little group. He suddenly acted without thinking and in a matter of a few quick strides met her half-way. She came to a halt in surprise.

"You suck at keeping your promises," he accused.

Her expression darkened. "You suck at following doctor's orders," she shot back.

He smiled and surprised her once more by finally wrapping his arms around her, professional distance be damned. "You can chew me out for it later," he grumbled into her hair.

She wrapped her own arms around him and he sighed, reveling in the feel of her, even as she threatened, "Oh, I will."

He chuckled even though he had no doubt about it and pulled back, drawing his hands up to the side of her arms to give her a quick once over. He felt compelled to try and rub the dust of her face, but refrained. "You okay?"

She spoke almost begrudgingly. "I'll be sore in a few hours, I think, but yes," she smiled, "I'm okay." She looked past him, over his shoulder, at the rest of the squad who weren't paying them much attention. "We all are, thank God."

He pulled her into another hug. "Jesus, Sharon," he started, caught off guard by the sudden lump at the back of his throat, "I thought-"

"I know," she interrupted quietly, not fighting his hold on her, even if she liked to keep displays such as these to a bare minimum at work. When she relaxed into him by pressing her cheek into his chest and snaking her arms around him again, he figured she was more rattled than she let on, so he tightened his hold on her for a moment.

"I love you," he mumbled, inhaling and taking comfort in what little scent of her he could pick up on.

She hummed. "I love you, too." With that she loosened her arms and, smiling, he let her pull back.

Taking a step back, he asked, "Chief Howard?"

She shrugged. "I filled him in for now so he's sending us home." She started walking toward the team. Provenza had finally joined them, too, Andy noted. "The rest," she shot him a pointed look that verged on irritation, "can wait until tomorrow."

Andy nodded, actually relieved that she would not be giving him an earful right away. Falling into step with her, he just said, "Okay."

...

Sharon called Rusty on their way home.

The poor kid had been frantic when he heard of the explosion and couldn't reach his mother since her phone had gotten smashed in the blast. He could have left the DA's office and looked for Sharon himself, it was just a short walking distance to LAPD headquarters, but Hobbs had convinced him to stay put. The entire block had been sealed off anyway, and it didn't matter whose son he was, nobody would have let him inside the perimeter. So Rusty had bombarded Andy's phone with texts and calls instead. And while Andy had responded more quickly, reassuring him that Sharon and the team were alright, he had been made to promise she would call him herself the moment she could. So that was exactly what Andy had done, hand Sharon his phone to finally call Rusty the moment she sat into his car's passenger seat.

Andy wasn't surprised that Sharon rather insisted Rusty stay at work. She was reeling from the day's events, and while she would probably feel a bit guilty for talking Rusty out of rushing home later, right now she would prefer to relax without Rusty hovering over her. It was also why he wasn't surprised when, after making sure Rusty would indeed not be heading home within the next three hours, she sighed in relief and spent the rest of the ride in silence.

However, he was surprised by the sentence that ultimately lifted it. And on the elevator toward their condo of all places.

"I am absolutely furious with you," she said quietly, eyes set on the doors in front of them.

He gave her a wide-eyed look. Had she not practically told him earlier they'd discuss that tomorrow? What befuddled him even more were her introductory words to the topic. He knew she would not appreciate his stunt today, but he had not expected fury to be a feeling she'd associate with him for it.

He heaved a sigh. "Yeah, well, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

He regretted his retort even before she huffed her annoyance. But he nearly flinched when she pinned him with a look of pure disbelief. "Your heartbeat is precisely why I'm furious!"

The elevator doors dinged open and, before he could find a response, she walked out, leading the way to the condo in renewed silence. He frowned at her but followed in equal silence. Just like her he wasn't too keen on airing their dirty laundry, if one could call it that, in the hallway.

That she wasn't exaggerating when she said she was furious was properly displayed for him upon entering the condo. In a few curt, jagged movements, she took off her suit jacket and shoes, and walked straight into their bedroom.

It was so uncharacteristic of her, that he didn't even bother with his own shoes and jacket, but immediately went after her. He wondered if he had been wrong about her silence on their way home being an attempt to come down from the events of the day. Perhaps she had been trying to keep a lid on her temper instead. He quickly put the thought aside, however, when he found her sitting on the ottoman at the foot of the bed looking rather exhausted all of a sudden. He thought a bit of exasperation joined her current anger.

He took a breath and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. "He didn't know my face." He spoke calmly. "I was the only one on the team he would not have," he cleared his throat, "he didn't recognize."

She looked at him sharply. "And what was your brilliant plan there?" she asked sarcastically.

Andy shrugged. "Make sure he didn't get away."

She frowned. "You went against your doctor's orders. You went against Lieutenant Provenza's orders." She paused and disappointment joined her agitated expression. "You went against my orders."

Andy shifted on his spot and folded his arms over his chest in a surprising display of smugness. "Is that last bit bugging my Captain or my fiancée?"

Sharon got to her feet and, folding her own arms, fixed him with a glare. "Do not make light of this, Lieutenant." She hissed his rank. "I am your commanding officer, I am responsible for your actions as much as you are. And had something happened-" She abruptly snapped her mouth shut. When she swallowed, he wanted to smack himself over the head with something.

He realized it was an idiotic question to ask. Just how challenging this balancing act of theirs was had rarely been this obvious. He unfolded his arms, but remained in his place, giving her space for the time being. "I'm sorry. Write me up, suspend me, do whatever it is the rules say you should do, but," he took a single step forward to finally enter the room, "if this," he waved a hand at her, "was still the outcome, I'd do it again without hesitation."

"Oh," her voice took on a low, dangerous timbre, "I am writing you up. As is your partner for that matter."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Provenza's writing me up?"

Sharon smirked. "As a favor to me," she informed him over a single nod of her head.

Andy was caught in between a laugh and a scoff. He couldn't decide what was more incredulous, that Provenza agreed to this at all, or that the two had managed to come to this agreement without him noticing. After all, he had barely let Sharon out of his sight after finding her earlier. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath. "Would you have found the bomb in time had I not stalled the guy?" he asked, annoyed suddenly.

"That's beside the point," Sharon waved him off. "Fact remains, you sh-"

"Oh, no, it's not," Andy interrupted, waving a finger at her. "That goddamn bomb could have otherwise killed you just like it did that SID officer! Don't you dare tell me it's besides the point!"

"Andy, you-" Sharon tried to reason but he wouldn't let her.

"No!" Andy had no idea what came over him, but suddenly he raised his voice, unable to prevent the words from bursting out of him. "Twice, in a single week, I watched smoke swallow you up! Twice," he put up two fingers, "I nearly had another heart attack not knowing if you, or the team, were alright. You don't get to tell me to just idly stand by and watch!" He took a breath. "You just don't," he reiterated quietly. "I'm a police officer for heaven's sake, not a desk monkey!" he added in a huff.

She stayed mum for a moment as if expecting him to say more. When he didn't, she finally spoke up. "That second time was your fault alone," she pointed out. Ignoring his eye roll, she went on evenly. "And I am not telling you to idly stand by and watch." She repeated his words indignantly. "I am telling you to not pull stunts like those," she slowed down to a deliberate pace, "without letting somebody know."

Andy scoffed and laced his response with sarcasm. "Because you'd have let me go if I'd just asked nicely?"

A small smile touched her lips and she tilted her head to the side. "No, I wouldn't. You're still banned from field work."

He threw his arms out in disbelief. "And that's supposed to, what? Make me feel better?"

"No," her smile receded, "it's supposed to remind you of things such as protocol and chain of command."

"Really?" Andy asked sarcastically.

"Yes, really," she replied flippantly. "I haven't seen such blatant disregard of protocol and disrespect for the chain of command since I first took over the division!" She glanced at the ceiling and added, "And from you of all people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andy pounced, folding his arms defensively. "You'd let it slide if it was Julio or anybody else on the team?" He glared at her as if daring her to confirm that.

"Don't be ridiculous," she retorted in a no nonsense kind of way. "You know exactly what I mean," she added less heatedly.

And there the lines blurred again. She could preach objectivity till she was blue in the face, but the fact of the matter was that it was him she trusted the most. It was him she expected incidents like these the least from. "I know," he grumbled and walked further into the room. Stopping within reaching distance of her, he added in a softer tone of voice, "But I will not apologize for going behind your," he offered a small smile, "or my Captain's back." He shook his head and grazed the side of her arm. "Not when I know what could have happened had I stayed with you guys."

She took a long breath, then slowly let it out before responding. "I understand," she spoke softly and reached out for one of his hands. Dropping her gaze on it, she added, "But until now, I never worried about you taking off like that." Her look was hard when she lifted her eyes to his again. "Now I do," she said regretfully, "and that is absolutely unacceptable, Andy. Here," she squeezed his hand, "that goes without saying. But especially," there was heat behind the words, "at work. I cannot rely on you like the rest of the team if, at any given moment, you might go rogue on us just because you're fed up with being stuck behind a desk."

Her conclusion hit him like a ton of bricks and, taking half a step back, he reclaimed his hand and swallowed. "You can always rely on me," he disagreed. "All of you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Surely you can see why I might see it somewhat differently right now."

He sighed and dropped his head. "Yeah," he agreed reluctantly.

"So," she took a step forward and only went on when he looked up again, "you will not argue if I put you on a tighter leash for a while?"

Andy frowned, hating the idea of becoming even more restricted at work than he already was. Still, he just muttered, "Might as well take my punishment in silence."

Sharon smiled, relaxing for the first time since they started this discussion. "That's settled then."

He shook his head at her, but relaxed, too, glad to face any consequences as long as they cleared the air between them. A thought popped into his head then. "I thought your agitation had to do with my heartbeat?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She almost deviously raised an eyebrow at him, and Andy grimaced. Maybe he should have left that thought alone. "It most certainly has." Just how certainly was emphasized by her low tone of voice.

He raised his palms up in surrender. "Nothing happened. It was those explosions that wreaked havoc on my blood pressure." He lowered his hands and shrugged. "Not my walk across the street."

She pursed her lips in displeasure. "If the LAPD isn't happy with your current medical status, rest assured that neither am I." Her expression softened and she added, "And not because I worry about the department's liability."

He sighed. "I know." He couldn't help the bit of exasperation that tinted his words. It wasn't the first time she pointed any of this out.

She shook her head and sighed as well. "If something had happened to you and I had no clue where you were..."

There would have been plenty passers-by to call 911 for him, but he knew better than to point out the obvious, especially when it wasn't the point she was trying to make. Instead, trying to lift the mood a bit, he asked, "You sure you weren't just worried then?"

She scoffed. "Oh, if only it was that simple, Andy." She heaved a breath, and Andy braced himself for a long explanation. "Have you any idea what kind of dread washed over me when I heard your voice next to Ortiz's? Or what kind of thoughts flooded my mind when I realized the implications, consequences and possible outcomes of your being with him? Trust me," she shook her head, and her voice dipped an octave, "I wasn't just worried." She took another breath, and her voice returned to its usual timbre. "I was, still am, absolutely furious with you, that you would put yourself at risk like that without sparing anything else a second thought."

He understood where she was coming from. As if their line of work wasn't dangerous enough, when topped with his health issues, those dangers and the coinciding worry grew exponentially. He could also see how his current status at work probably provided her with a sort of safety net, a guarantee that he would not be exposed to more stress than he could handle at the moment. Of course she would be mad at him for knowingly jumping into a situation that would put him under more pressure than his doctor or the LAPD believed he could take. Still, he frowned at her. "I don't think I'm that fragile, Sharon," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes at him and poked a finger painfully into his chest. "I don't care what you think or don't think," she bit out. "When it comes to this," she spread out her fingers and placed her palm above his heart, "your doctor and the LAPD are to think for you."

His brows drew together in annoyance. "Even if they think chaining me to a desk for the rest of my career is my only option?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She smiled sadly, and nodded. "Especially then, Andy," she said thickly.

It was a possibility he was stubbornly refusing to accept, and these past few days only reminded him of the reasons why. He took hold of her hand and, removing it from his chest, looked at it. "I felt like a real cop today for the first time since I've had this stupid heart attack." He looked up and found her watching their hands as well. "The rest of the time I've been feeling more like a secretary," he added gruffly.

"I know," she let out on a sympathetic smile, meeting his eyes again. "But I, professionally and personally," he smiled a little at the clarification, "cannot have you play hero when we're not covered on all fronts."

"I wasn't playin-" shaking his head, he let go of that argument. "It won't happen again," he promised instead.

She squeezed his hand and smiled. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He chuckled a little. It really was a promise he might go back on. "What do you propose instead, Captain?"

She let go of his hand and shrugged. "Don't throw fits when we start keeping a more watchful eye on you, Lieutenant."

He suppressed a groan. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She smiled brightly and there was no way for him to suppress an eye roll at her satisfied expression. She didn't mind though as she took half a step forward, effectively invading his personal space. "Now..." Before his brain could even catch up with her suggestive tone of voice, she kissed him.

He was taken by surprise, but recovered quickly. Kissing her back eagerly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her impossibly closer. He was suddenly struck by the enormity of what had happened today, of how the day could have ended, and he did not feel like letting go of her ever again.

However, Sharon had other ideas apparently. On a hum, just as quickly as she started it, she ended the kiss and pulled back.

He gave her a puzzled look. "What was that for?"

Her shrug was coy but she answered in a thick voice. "Because I still can."

He took a sharp breath as the meaning of her words washed over him. "Two times," he choked out and shook his head, unable to voice the terrifying thought.

"I know," she said barely above a whisper.

He pulled her back into his embrace and took a long, soothing breath when she murmured, "I'm fine."

"Just give me a minute," he mumbled back, tightening his hold on her, "and I'll be, too."

She chuckled and let him indulge. When, after more than a minute, he still did not let go, she finally said, "I need to shower, Andy."

He lifted his head to look at her, loosening his arms around her. "Need any help?" he asked, smirking at her.

She smirked back. "Some clean clothes would be nice," she said, slipping out of his hold to walk toward the bathroom.

"That wasn't the kind of help I had in mind," he told her, but went the other way toward their closet to do as asked. She was, after all, still in clothes covered in dust and dirt from the explosion.

"Company, too," he suddenly heard her add.

He picked up his pace, hastily grabbing some clothes for the both of them, while simultaneously toeing off his shoes. "God, I love you," he said on a groan.

When he heard her laugh, a laugh he might have not heard ever again had the day ended differently, he paused and smiled to himself.

Thank God she could also still laugh.

That is it, guys. My final additional scene this season.

I've had immense fun writing these and I hope you've had fun reading them. I know it's still a long hiatus away, but I'm already looking forward to giving more add-ons a try once season 6 takes off. However, do scream and shout if you think I should cease and desist!

Thanks for reading, following, liking and reviewing. See you around! :)