Sharon spent the next couple of days getting settled in at home. It was nice having Emily around for a visit, and it helped her pass the time. Andy was busy with work, but with a case wrapping earlier than expected on Saturday afternoon, he was home in time for dinner. Emily and Rusty were both home most of Saturday, and it had been a good day, a very good day. The four of them enjoyed a nice, quiet, family meal together Saturday evening.

"I never thought I'd be here enjoying this again," Sharon said after they'd finished eating and were all just sitting around the table enjoying each other. Andy was to her right, and Rusty and Emily were to her left. Andy reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Chinese takeout," Rusty grinned, making a joke of it. "I mean, yeah Sharon, it's better than most of your cooking, Emily's too."

"Like mother, like daughter," Andy grinned and winked at Rusty, the two guys laughing at the women.

"Hey, for that," Emily pointed at them, "you can both clean up the dishes. I realize I'm not a gourmet chef, but I have other skills, just as Mom does. Mom is injured, Rusty," she said nudging him in a teasing tone. "Don't pick on the invalid."

The kids snickered, and Rusty finally sat up straight and looked at Sharon, "In all seriousness, Sharon, I'm really glad you are home. Sorry my week has been so crazy, but it's nice to see you rattling around here with that cane."

Sharon turned toward him, taking her gaze off of Andy. Andy tried to hold back his laughter, and Sharon smirked at Rusty, "It would be a shame if my cane just happened to hit your door over and over again in the middle of the night when I'm up and having trouble sleeping. Total shame if that woke you."

"I was just going to say it's nice to see you home because it's better than seeing Andy moping around here," Rusty flashed a smile at him. "Plus, I don't have to listen to him complain about how high his blood pressure is."

"It's coming down," Andy pointed at him. "Nicole's 'Sharon Effect' seems to even work on my blood pressure," he grinned and turned to wink at Sharon.

"Oh, it's 7:00," Sharon said when her phone alert went off. She glanced at Rusty, "Would you mind getting my medication for me. I need to take it now. I'll be happy to get it, but I wouldn't want my cane hitting you or your chair," she flashed a fake smile.

"You really are bored, Sharon," Rusty said as he stood and walked to the counter to get her medicine. "I seriously think you've been sitting around here the last couple days thinking of ways to harm me with the cane. Emily, you should be glad you'll be going back to New York soon. Mom can't hurt you with it, but Andy," Rusty nodded to him, "I'd be careful. Does she take that thing to bed?"

Andy dropped his head and chuckled and he shook it, "No, I haven't had the pleasure of the cane's company in bed, just your mom, finally, your mom."

"Did you sleep any better last night, Mom?" Emily asked. "You said you didn't sleep well the night before."

Sharon gave a small glance at Andy and smiled at him, squeezing his hand again, "Better than I did the night before. I couldn't get comfortable."

"Until I suggested we flip sides," Andy nodded.

"Flipped sides?" Rusty grimaced as he looked between them. "I'm not sure if I want to even know or ask. This sounds like too much information."

Emily burst out laughing and shook her head, "Oh, Rusty, scarred by too much information? What, you don't want to think about what your parents are doing here at home?"

"They aren't my parents," Rusty started to whine, and then, he made a face at Emily before he pointed at her. "Ricky," he nodded. Emily grinned, and he shook his head, "Ricky put you up to this. He harasses me every single time I talk to him on the phone about Mom and Andy, saying it must be nice to not have a broken home, that he wouldn't know what that's like."

Sharon almost choked, as she was laughing so hard now. She started laughing into her napkin, and Andy almost jumped up to help her. She waved him off and continued to almost silently laugh.

"It's not funny, Sharon," Rusty sulked. "I had to get stuck with this family."

Andy caught Sharon's eye, "Remind me next time we speak to Ricky to thank him for his continued harassment of Rusty." Sharon nodded and continued to laugh. Rusty slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"I'll bite," Emily sat forward and folded her hands on the table. "What do you mean by flipping sides?"

"Nothing inappropriate!" Andy almost exclaimed. "Rusty is the one who went to something inappropriate. Sharon's shoulder is bothering her. We just changed sides of the bed for now, so I can easily hold her and not bother her shoulder."

Rusty gestured at Sharon and Andy while he looked at Emily, "Too much information. I told you."

Emily rolled her eyes, as did Sharon. Andy shook his head, "Rusty maybe you should just be glad Sharon's even home for me to hold her."

"Let's talk about something else," Sharon cleared her throat, "anything else, shall we?"

"Anything else, yes," Rusty nodded. "I was thinking about going to the movies. Gus is working tonight. Emily, do you want to come?"

"Ahh, the sympathy date or backup plan," she nodded.

"Look," Rusty threw a glance at her, "you don' have to come. I mean, you can always stay home with these two and watch another episode of Badge of Justice."

Andy groaned and met Rusty's gaze, shaking his head, "Seriously, you had to suggest that?"

"Thank you, Andy," Emily threw a wave at him and looked at Sharon. "Mom, I'm thinking you really hit your head there with the shooting, that or you still are foggy from your coma. That show is horrible."

"Hey!" Rusty piped in quickly. "Sharon and I love that show." Sharon nodded in agreement, and Andy threw up his hand, gesturing at Sharon and Rusty.

"Emily, see, see what I have to live with here? It's so refreshing to hear another person hates that show as much as I do. It's terrible. The acting is awful. The stories are predictable. I can't take it."

"I started watching it to support Mike's show," Sharon clarified.

"It's not Mike's show!" Andy said, clearly irritated.

Sharon turned to him and paused. She waited for him to stop his rant, and then, she crossed her arms toward him, "You know how things come back to me at odd times. I just remembered that in my coma I had a dream that they cancelled Mike's show."

Andy's eyes lit up, "Badge was cancelled? Now, I will say you had some good dreams there, Sharon. I mean you dreamed we were married, and now you tell me Badge was cancelled. That," he nodded, "I can get on board with that."

"Em, you act like sitting home with Mom watching the last few weeks of Badge has been hard. You watched it; I saw you when I came in from class," Rusty nodded to her, a smirk on his face.

Emily's mouth dropped open, "I did watch it. I watched it to see that it's HORRIBLE. I was spending time with Mom. How insensitive would I be to tell her that I want to watch something? You've saved all the recent episodes, and that's what she's wanted to watch. It's terrible."

"Seems like we are at an impasse," Sharon smiled around the table. She gave a small shrug, "I suppose we should let the other kids weigh in on this."

"Fine by me," Andy gave a quick shrug. "I cannot imagine Ricky, Nic, or Nate liking anything about that show."

Emily shook her head at Andy, "Dean was watching it the other night when I stopped by the house. I almost screamed. They like it too. I can't take another episode, and with the weird taste Ricky has, watch," she nodded and made a face, "he probably likes it too."

Sharon, wanting to end the argument, smiled at Andy, "Watching Badge tonight seems like a lovely plan. I still have two more episodes before I'm caught up on the season."

Andy groaned as he dropped his head, knowing he was going to spend the rest of the evening watching Badge. Emily quickly commented, "Rusty, I'll be happy to go to the movies with you."

Andy looked at the two of them, but he focused his attention on Emily. He spoke in a purpose loud whisper, "Save yourself. Go to the movies before you get stuck here. I'll clean the dishes."

Emily and Rusty looked at each other, and both Sharon and Andy waved them on, excusing them from the table. Sharon called out as they were collecting their things around the condo, "Have a good time you two."

Sharon and Andy sat there, holding their hands until Emily and Rusty were out the door. Andy smiled at her and cleared his throat before he spoke, "I love you so much that yes," he sighed, "I'll even watch those last two episodes with you on my evening off, even though I have to go back to work in the morning."

"Oh," Sharon picked her napkin off her lap and threw it on the table, "I just said all that about watching it tonight so that Emily would go to the movies with Rusty. I knew she'd hate the idea of watching more tonight. I'll just save those episodes for tomorrow, or even next week when you are home during the day."

Andy started to chuckle and smiled at her, "You are wicked, but I love it. Well played, Captain," he nodded in support. "Did you have other plans for the evening? Wait, are you feeling okay? Do you need to go right to bed?"

"No," she patted his hand, "I just wanted to spend the evening home with you. The kids have been around the entire time I've been home. We haven't had a moment alone, and while Emily hardly ever gets to visit, I wanted her to have some fun tonight. It's good for her to spend time with Rusty and just get out of the house too. I'm not a total invalid, and she needs to enjoy herself. Otherwise, she will go back to New York and tell everyone she had to stay at her father's dingy apartment, her father who was barely home, and take care of her invalid of a mother."

Andy pulled her hand up to kiss it, and then, he stood to clear the dishes. "You just sit and chat with me while I clean up this mess. I'm more than happy to hang out with you alone tonight, as long as you don't threaten to hurt me with the cane like you were with Rusty."

Sharon smiled as Andy started to work in the kitchen. He was quiet a few moments while he worked. Sharon shifted in her seat, "I was hoping we could start unpacking some of your boxes tonight. I know it's not highly romantic, but it has been rather depressing to stare at them the last few days. I'd really like to see them unpacked."

Andy looked to her with surprise and excitement, "Really? I mean, I've been wanting to unpack things, but we've been so busy getting you home, and I really wanted you to help me with the unpacking. It's not hard, but I wanted your opinion on a lot of what should go where and-"

Sharon nodded as he paused. She added, "We need to blend things, so like anything, it's a give and take. Some of my things need to go away so there is room for your things."

"I mean, well, I didn't say it like that," Andy fidgeted a little.

"I did," she smiled at him. "I'd really enjoy that, spending the evening unpacking some of your things."

"Now we sound like really old people," Andy chuckled, offering his hand to her to help her stand. "I mean, not that this isn't a great thing to be doing tonight, Sharon, but I mean, there are other things I would enjoy doing with you."

"Hopefully soon," she patted his hand and stood, steading herself by holding onto the chair. Andy handed her the cane, and she waved it off. "I'd prefer to just lean on you."

"Anytime, and you never have to ask," he smiled brightly at her. "I think we've done our share of leaning on each other." They started walking slowly toward the bedroom where Andy had a large stack of boxes. "It's starting to actually feel real, to feel normal."

"What's that?" Sharon asked, looking at him.

"Living here with you," he gestured around the place. "I'm not just saying that because we are going to unpack some of my things, but when I come home at night, home," he emphasized and nodded, "you're here. It's not an empty shell, which is how it felt. It feels like home-warm and loving. I can't tell you when anywhere felt really like that to me. It's been way too long."

Sharon hummed and leaned her head toward his, not because she was having trouble walking, but she was enjoying being close to him. Andy ushered her into their room and helped her onto the bed. He nodded at it, "You can sit here and help me go through my boxes if that's okay."

"Perfect," she nodded, an almost watery smile on her face. "I want this to be our home."

"I don't know where to start," he said, almost in question as he tapped his face.

Sharon nodded to the boxes by his side of the bed where she was now sitting. There was a small stack by his nightstand. The top box was there, marked "Nic's wedding." She eyed Andy, "This seems like a good place to start, Nicole's wedding. I am guessing you have some photos there?"

He grinned and nodded, walking next to her to the box. Sharon shifted on the bed, so he could sit there next to her. He handed her the box and sat down beside her, nodding for her to open it. "Yeah, that should be photos from her wedding. I don't have to put out everything, Sharon, but I distinctly remember there is a photo in there of the two of us. I mean, there are a couple with Nic I'd love to put out, but you and I were captured by the photographer that night."

"The start of us," she grinned at the memory.

"The start of my friend Sharon," he winked as he nudged her shoulder. She chuckled and started opening the box. Sharon spoke while she opened it, "Ahh, that was such a lovely wedding. I remember how awkward I felt with you, even though I had a wonderful time. It was that realization that we really had a lot in common, all while still in the back of my head thinking about how you worked for me. I didn't know what to make of the day." She stopped talking when she opened the box and saw that it was only half full. She looked at Andy and shook her head. "Andy?"

Andy's eyes met hers, and he pulled the box from her lap, reaching into it as he did. His eyes never left hers. It was as if he knew what he wanted to pull from the box. He quickly shifted, pulling her hand into his one free hand, and he dropped down off the bed.

"Sharon," he cleared his throat, watching as she wiped her face with her hand, "I don't know if this is the right timing or not, but you seemed so content, so happy with the idea when you woke up finally. I've been praying you would wake up and come back to me, and you have. I've seen over the last couple months just how short and unpredictable life can be. We've both had our health issues. I know you aren't 100%, but I didn't want to wait. If I'm wrong and you aren't okay with that, want more time, or just don't like this idea at all, tell me. I want to make you happy. I love you, and I want to marry you. So, Sharon," he smiled at her again as she choked out a small, nervous laugh, "I wasn't sure when we would get to unpacking boxes, but I knew when we did, I wanted to start with this one. I thought you would start reminiscing about how we started. Our journey started together at a wedding, and I'd like to continue it with another wedding, not one of Provenza's weddings, I might add," he winked, and she laughed. "Sharon Raydor, I would be honored if you would marry me. It doesn't have to be right away. I want you to heal, to get back on your feet, but I want you by my side the rest of our lives. This isn't some big, planned out, romantic proposal. It's not like your dream where you told me I had planned it for weeks and decked out the place with candles and flowers." He gestured around them, "We still have some flowers here, flowers from your hospital stay. I'm old and injured myself. I recently had a heart attack, and I want to think that was my heart longing for you," he gave her a small smile, and she shook her head, groaning at his corny joke. "I can't promise this will be the engagement or even the wedding of your literal dreams," he grinned, "but I want it to be perfect for us. I mean," he nodded, "I'm good with marrying you and living happily ever after, no dying on your desk right after we were married as your nightmare of a dream had you doing. Anyway," he shook his head, "I'm getting off track. Sharon, will you marry me?"

Sharon wiped her face again, nodding, "Yes," she said, almost choked up now. She gestured for him to stand, "Yes, but please, come up here before you can't stand. I can't even bend down to kiss you." Andy smiled widely as he stood, Sharon pulling him toward her. The two embraced in a long, passionate kiss, one they'd almost been craving for quite some time.

"You're sure this is okay, the timing and everything? I know you can't get out for some fancy engagement meal or anything, and-" he stopped talking when Sharon squeezed his arm, his arms, wrapped loosely around her waist.

"Andy," she said in a warm tone, "stop talking. This was perfect. I have had this almost empty feeling the last few days. I haven't been able to describe it, but I think it was this, waking up, believe we were married, and then, realizing that we weren't. You're right; I am okay with it, more than okay with it. Had you told me a few months ago I would be almost crave being married to you, I'm not sure I would have believed it, but I know for certain I want nothing more than to be your wife. I was almost sad to realize it was only a dream. It felt strange thinking of you as just my boyfriend after all of it, so yes," she leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "Yes," she repeated, her head against his, "I am so very happy to marry you, to be engaged to you."

"I love you, and we are both going to be healthy before we get married," he said, kissing her head.

"I love you too," she nodded. "I will agree to that mainly because I can't stand the thought of walking down the aisle with this awful cane."

Andy chuckled, taking her hands in his. He shrugged, "I'm sure Rusty and Ricky could come up with a way to decorate it for you, maybe all white lace or something."

"Stop," she playfully swatted his arm while she smiled at him. "We're getting married."

He nodded and shrugged, "You seemed very content with the idea, as I said, almost disappointed it wasn't true."

"As I was just saying," she sighed. "I think I was disappointed. I'm glad you didn't wait to ask me, but how did you know we'd start this tonight?"

"I didn't," he chuckled and kissed her head again. "I've had that ring in there for awhile now. After you woke up and told me about your dream of us being married, I realized you were okay-on many levels. I realized you were coming home to me, and I also realized you were okay with getting married. I've always told you I would like to get married again, and I know you've been just trying to take one step at a time. Anyway, after you woke up, I went ring shopping the next day. It took a lot of restraint to not ask you in the hospital, but it was Provenza who told me to come up with a better way."

"Provenza?" Sharon raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

Andy gave a small shrug, "I mean, are you surprised? I've been in rough shape, and he's been a good friend."

"Not to mention," she said, her hand dropping to his shirt where she started playing with one of his buttons since he didn't have on his tie before she continued, "he's sort of an expert in proposals."

"Exactly," Andy chuckled and kissed her head again. "I wanted it to be special and unexpected. I figured we'd unpack things soon, and it seemed fitting to put it with Nic's wedding, where things started with us."

She nodded, "What if I'd started unpacking while you were at work?"

He winked, "Then, I guess you'd have to get engaged by yourself."

Sharon burst out laughing, moving closer to him to kiss him again, "I love you."

"I'm pretty attached to you too," he kissed her back. "Shall we continue unpacking, or do you want to call the kids?"

She gave him an odd look and gestured at him, "I think I should have told you the engagement is conditional."

"Conditional?" he sat back, giving her an odd look. "What are the conditions? We've already established the work/home relationship boundaries.

She gestured to the box, still in his hand, "In all of this, you've not shown me the ring. I mean," she gave a playful shrug, "how am I to know there is even a ring inside? It could be an empty box, an empty promise. A girl needs to see the ring to really evaluate things."

"Oh," Andy flashed a grin, realizing he hadn't even opened the box to show her the ring. In the moment, he'd dropped to his knee and professed his love to her, but he hadn't opened the box or put the ring on her finger. He made a production now of covering the box with his other hand, which caused Sharon to burst out laughing, and then, he turned back to her quickly, the box open.

"Ta-da," he grinned, the ring now on display. Sharon took a look at it and gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "What?" he looked at her in panic. "Is something wrong with it? It's not too much like your old ring, is it? I mean, I know Jack had bought you a pear-shaped ring. I didn't want to get anything like that."

"No," she finally found her voice after shaking her head, her hand almost trembling as she put her finger over the ring, touching it as she spoke. She cleared her voice, "Andy, no, it's perfect." She looked up at him, "It's nothing like my old ring. That's not what surprised me."

"It seemed like it took your breath away, and I mean, it's a great ring, Sharon, but it's nothing like what I wanted to get you. I'm still a cop on a cop salary. You're worth way more than this, but it shouldn't leave you speechless."

"No," she shook her head, smiling at him, "I didn't tell about my ring from my dream, did I? I couldn't have, and you said you bought this the day after I woke up."

"No," he paused, almost frowning, trying to figure out what she was attempting to say. "You told me we were married in your dream, but you didn't tell me about your ring in it. I guess I should have asked what 'Dream Andy' bought you."

"This," she smiled and nodded to the ring in the box. "In my dream, you bought me an emerald cut ring, just like this. It's so much like this, I almost can't believe it. It's perfect."

"Really?" Andy's eyes widen in surprise. "I mean, it's not like bad luck, or some bad memory, is it? I can get you a different ring."

Sharon shook her head and put her hand on his, her eyes sparkling, "It's perfect, and apparently, it's exactly what I'm supposed to have. Once you put it on, I'm never taking it off. In my dream, I took it off for work for several days until we told people, which," she rolled her eyes, "Ricky ruined." Andy gave her and odd look, and she waved it off, as if she would explain it later. "I cannot wait to marry you, Andy, the love of my life. This ring is exactly what I'm supposed to wear, and I'd love it if you would put it on my finger."

He smiled brightly and nodded as he took it out of the box, "In putting it all out there, I am sure this sounds like a bad omen or something, but," he shrugged his shoulders, "I wanted it to be the right size. I didn't want you having to deal with that, with trying to size a ring right now, so, and," he groaned again, "this sounds terrible, but I took your old ring with me to the store. It sounds awful," he shook his head again, "but I knew it was in your jewelry box. That's how I also knew what it looked like. You'd told me it was there, even talked about getting rid of it when we were getting serious, but I guess I'm glad you kept it," he started to laugh. "Yes, I'm glad my bride kept her old wedding ring, so I could get the right size."

Sharon laughed too, and she hummed as she looked at him, "I think that is both sad and highly romantic. Remind me to give the ring to Ricky or Emily, whoever wants it, but I no longer want it in my jewelry box, not when I have the man of my dreams here, in our home, in our room."

"That 'man of your dreams' thing could be taken multiple ways, Sharon, after being in a coma for a month," he chuckled.

She wrapped her arm around his as she pulled closer to him, "You're the man of my dreams in every possible way. Now, let's put this ring on my finger and enjoy the rest of our evening before I am too tired to stay awake. We need to unpack your things. You aren't going anywhere, Andrew Flynn.