A/N:

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

Chapter 2: Not All Bad

The next couple months saw Sharon, Andy, Francesca, and the children all quickly becoming great friends. They'd see each other dropping the kids off at school, they all sat together at each of Brandon & Ricky's baseball games, and the kids had even had a few play dates at both Sharon & Andy's houses.

Today was the final game of the boy's baseball season. Their team had done fairly well all season and both boys had greatly improved their skills at the plate over the last few months. So, win or lose today's game, it had been a successful season and that was something to celebrate.

As they were watching the final inning, Andy turned to Sharon and said, "So, I was thinking about taking the kids for pizza after the game. If you guys aren't busy, you're more than welcome to join us."

Sharon smiled at the idea before she replied, "That sounds like a great way to end the season. Although, I think you sold me at the idea of not having to cook for a night. Things at work have been a little hectic lately."

"Us too. Guess that's what keeps us both working though. There's never a shortage of dirtbags doing stupid and horrible things in this city," said Andy.

"That's definitely true. I like to think of it as job security," said Sharon.

"Yeah," replied Andy before he and Sharon turned their attention back to the game.

By the end of the game, the boy's team had squeaked by and won their final game 5 to 4.

As the boys rejoined them, Sharon asked, "Who wants pizza?"

All four children echoed a chorus of me's before Andy said, "Well, if there's one thing we Italian's know, its good pizza. I've got the perfect place."

"Guess we're following the pizza expert, then," replied Sharon.

"I wouldn't go that far. It's really good pizza, but it doesn't hold a candle to the pizza they've got back in New York," Francesca commented.

"We Flynn's work with what we've got though, right Ma?" asked Andy.

"That we do," replied Francesca.

Andy, Sharon, Francesca, and the kids ended up dining at Vito's Pizza off La Cienega Blvd. They had settled on ordering one cheese, one pepperoni, and one pizza that was half cheese and half pepperoni. Once the waiters brought the pizzas over to the long table in the middle of the quaint little casual dining restaurant, Andy said, "Let's eat."

Sharon, Andy, and Francesca each helped the kids get pizza onto their plates before serving themselves. As Sharon took a bite of her slice of pizza, she said, "Oh god, that's good."

Andy cracked a small smile and looked at Sharon before he replied, "I told you."

"You weren't kidding. This is delicious," replied Sharon after swallowing a bite of her pizza.

"It's the closest I've come to finding New York City pizza here in LA," said Andy.

"New York's pretty amazing. I made quite a few trips there when I was younger. Did you grow up in the city or in the upstate parts of New York?" Sharon asked him.

"Neither. New Jersey, actually. So, we were able to go into the city pretty easily. What about you? You must have lived pretty close to New York if you made frequent trips there," commented Andy.

"Kind of. Pennsylvania. I have an aunt who lives just outside the city though. So, we'd go visit her quite a bit in the summers and she'd take us into the city to do all kinds of fun things when we were kids," explained Sharon.

"Wow. It's amazing we haven't crossed paths sooner. How long have you lived out here in Los Angeles?" asked Francesca.

"Almost eleven years now I guess. What about you guys?" asked Sharon.

"Well, I've been out here about thirteen years now, but Ma's only been out here for about six years," supplied Andy.

"What brought you out to LA?" Sharon asked him.

"I'd just gotten married and seventy five and sunny seemed better than snow chains and scraping ice off my windshield during the winter," answered Andy.

Sharon chuckled for a moment before she asked, "You seriously thought it was seventy five and sunny here every day of the year?"

"Nah. Just knew it would be warmer than New Jersey winters. What about you?" asked Andy.

"Well, Jack and I were recently married and he wanted to go to law school at UCLA. So, the deal was I'd work while he went to law school and then he'd do the same for me. Needless to say, things didn't quite go as planned, but I got these two out of the deal, so it wasn't so bad," said Sharon as she indicated towards Ricky and Emily.

"If you don't mind me asking, what led you to become a police officer, Sharon?" asked Francesca.

"Well, I was interested in the law and I saw it as an opportunity to support us while at the same time learning more about how the law works in action from a different perspective," explained Sharon.

"Have you ever thought about trying to go back to school on your own?" asked Francesca.

"I've thought about it, but a lot of things have changed since I dreamed of going to law school. I'd rather spend time what free time I do get from work being a mom and being there for my kids instead of having my nose in law books 24/7. Somewhere along the way, my priorities changed and I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing. I like what I do now and I like knowing that I make a difference for the LAPD and the community, even if it's not always perceived that way by everyone," replied Sharon.

"Well, I think what you do is great. Every power structure needs some sort of checks and balances system in place to prevent abuse of power. This one will never admit it, but he believes that too," said Francesca.

"It's not that I don't believe in a system of checks and balance. It's just how they go about it sometimes that I disagree with," replied Andy.

"That's perfectly understandable and you're entitled to your opinion, but FID has oversight too to make sure everything is done above board and doesn't leave the department open to a lawsuit," said Sharon.

"Well, now that that's settled. Sharon, what kind of plans do you and the children have for the summer?" asked Francesca.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll go to the zoo at least once, definitely the park, and of course the beach and the pool during the warmer parts of summer. We're going to Pennsylvania for a week in the middle of July to visit my parents.

"That sounds wonderful. We should definitely plan to get together this summer with the kids and do some fun stuff. I know the kids would just love it," suggested Francesca.

"I'd like that and I'm sure Emily & Ricky would enjoy it as well," replied Sharon.

"Well, it's settled then," declared Francesca.

Just as Francesca said that, Sharon could see Andy rolling his eyes behind his mother, which made Sharon shake her head and chuckle to herself at his petulance before she looked at him and asked, "Any problems with that Lieutenant?"

"Not that I can think of, Captain," replied Andy.

This woman knew how to push his buttons alright. Although, given the fact that she worked in FID, that shouldn't surprise him too much. Regardless of how Andy felt about her work though, he was going to have to find a way to get along with her in the presence of his children and hers. How he was supposed to do that, he had no idea, but if there was one thing he did know, it was that it would definitely be an interesting journey to find out.

A couple weeks later when Sharon had a day off, her and Francesca organized a play date for the kids at the park. The kids would get to see each other again and the adults could get in some adult interaction time as well.

As the kids played on the playground and the monkey bars, Sharon and Francesca began talking while keeping a watchful eye on the children.

"So, where's the Lieutenant today?" Sharon asked Francesca in an effort to make conversation.

"Oh, he caught a case last night. He said he might get out by this afternoon and stop by," Francesca supplied.

"Oh. It seems like we have work and kids in common, but not much else," said Sharon.

"He's really not that bad once you get to know him. You know guys and their macho exterior," said Francesca.

"Unfortunately, I do. Jack was especially that way when he was drunk," Sharon said.

"Having an ex-husband who was an alcoholic and a son who's a recovering one, I can definitely understand that one," said Francesca.

"Andy's a recovering alcoholic?" Sharon asked curiously.

"Yeah. He's been sober for six years now. Ever since his wife, Sandra, died in an automobile accident where a guy ran a red light and pinned her to a traffic pole," said Francesca.

"Wow. That sounds really tough," said Sharon, at a loss for what else to say.

"It was. Especially in the beginning. That's why I moved to LA in the first place. He asked me to come stay with the kids while he went to rehab and I never left. Finally, I just decided to get my own place about four and a half years ago and stay. He doesn't need me quite as much as he used to, but you know how it is being a cop and a single parent. Late night calls, catching a case in the middle of the day, and all that," said Francesca.

"Yeah, I have a sitter on standby always for those times,"

"Well, if you're ever in a bind, feel free to call me. I can always take them for an afternoon or a night," offered Francesca.

"Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind," Sharon told her.

"So, not to pry, but I know what being a single mom is like. How do you do it all while being a police officer?" asked Francesca kindly.

"Well, it's definitely a delicate balance. My job in FID has more typical nine to five hours than most cops. Sure, there is still middle of the night roll outs on cases, but most of the time the hours are pretty dependable. So, that definitely helps. The rest of the time, I usually rely on a sitter for those unexpected times," answered Sharon.

"So, basically you're supermom," Francesca pointed out.

"I've never really thought of it that way. I just know it's all up to me to provide and be there for them. I don't resent it. If anything, that resentment is aimed at their father," explained Sharon.

"I can certainly understand that. I dealt with a lot of that with Andy's father. He left me with four kids and was no help," revealed Francesca.

"Wow. I thought two kids was a lot to manage. You were the real supermom. That sounds like a lot to handle on your own.

"It definitely wasn't easy, but I had family that helped me out when I needed it. I think that's why I stayed here in LA to help Andy. I know how hard single parenting can be."

"Yeah. Speaking of the Lieutenant, there he is," said Sharon as he casually waved in their direction before going to join the kids in a game of tag.

Seeing the Lieutenant and how he was with the kids definitely softened her attitude towards him and his brusqueness about her job. He really did seem like a good and involved dad, despite his past demons.

Maybe he wasn't all bad. Maybe they could find some common ground. Maybe they could eventually even become friends one day.