Thank you once again for your support for the previous chapters. I'm completely floored by the response to this story! Here's the next chapter, and as always, I welcome your feedback.
I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters.
Chapter Three
Sharon stood in electronics studying the man in the monitor in front of her. She hadn't seen David in over a decade, but he hadn't changed a whole lot. He was still ruggedly handsome with kind eyes and a gentle expression. She felt bad about the way their friendship ended all those years ago and had reached for the phone on several occasions afterwards, but she had always stopped herself afraid of where it would lead. And now, here he was sitting in her conference room. She could feel Andy's eyes on her from where he was standing behind her. She let out a soft sigh. He had been avoiding her, and she had been unable to find a moment where they could talk privately. Suddenly, Provenza walked into electronics, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Ok, Captain, you ready?" He asked leaning into the room. Was she? No, probably not, but she felt like she had to do this. She should be there when her squad questioned her friend, her former lover. She nodded and walked out of the room behind her second in command. Andy's eyes trailed her the entire way before he returned his focus to the monitors. He watched as she walked into the frame on the screen.
"Sharon! My gosh! It's so good to see you," David said with a smile. He got up and crossed the room pulling her into an embrace. She returned it.
"Still as beautiful as ever, I see," he observed.
Andy rolled his eyes as he has watched silently from electronics. He didn't like the guy already, he decided.
"David, it's good to see you, too. I'm sorry it isn't under better circumstances," she apologized as she pulled away and moved towards the table. They both sat down across from each other. Provenza, whom he had already met, joined them.
"Yeah, you were a little vague over the phone. Is everything alright?" David asked, concern evident. She nodded.
"Your name came up in the course of our investigation, so we just have a few questions," Provenza said.
"Yeah, sure. Anything I can do to help," he offered. Provenza opened the thin folder in front of him and removed a photo of Devon Sinclair. He turned it around and placed it in front of David.
"Does this man look familiar to you?" He asked. David shook his head.
"No. Should he?" David questioned.
"What about the name Devon Sinclair," Provenza tried. Again, David shook his head.
"It isn't ringing any bells," he replied running the name though his memory.
"Can you tell us where you were between midnight and three AM this morning?" Provenza asked.
"In bed. Asleep," he replied with a shrug.
"Anyone who can verify that?" Provenza asked, and David looked at Sharon. She could tell he didn't appreciate being treated like a suspect. She nodded for him to answer the question.
"My wife. Although, I'm sure she was asleep as well," he finally answered. So he had gotten married. Sharon wasn't surprised. "What is this about?" He asked, confusion evident. Provenza looked over at Sharon and she nodded.
"We're investigating a murder-" Provenza started, but David quickly interrupted.
"Wait, you think I killed someone?!" He exclaimed. Sharon reached across the table and placed her hand on his lower arm. He seemed to deflate. From electronics, Andy inwardly cringed. At least the guy was married, he thought.
"David, we didn't say that. We're just trying to eliminate possible scenarios," she explained kindly as she withdrew her hand.
"How am I even considered in a 'possible scenario'? I've never seen that man before in my life," he protested.
"Because of me," Sharon answered quietly. He studied her a moment.
"This is about us?" He asked carefully. She nodded.
"The Captain has already disclosed the nature of your relationship as it pertains to our investigation," Provenza explained.
"This is about that cop who killed himself?" David asked surprised.
"We don't know," Sharon replied. "But there might be a connection that involves our relationship," she added. He nodded, even though he couldn't imagine how.
"How would you describe the nature of your relationship with Cap- Sharon?" Provenza questioned, finding it hard to navigate the lines between personal and professional. David shrugged.
"We were very good friends," he said casually before looking at Sharon. She nodded for him to continue. "But then it turned into something more," he concluded.
"Were you involved in a relationship?" He asked. David shook his head.
"No. Sharon was legally separated, but still married, so we kept it casual. I wanted more, but she wasn't looking to get involved with anyone," he explained. Sharon sat and listened to the man she used to know. Her expression unreadable, but she was very uncomfortable on the inside with her personal life being on display.
"And the case you mentioned, that's the reason you had a falling out?" Provenza pushed.
"Yes and no. The case made me painfully aware of how dedicated she was to her work and how seriously she didn't want anything more with me. I thought I was okay with that, but in the end, I wanted more and she didn't. It's hard to go back to being just friends after that, especially with Sharon," he said with a sad smile. Andy could imagine that last part was true, damn impossible when he thought about it, despite what he told Taylor. Sharon sat stoic, but she was surprised to hear how deeply he had felt about her and their "relationship".
"Were you in love?" Provenza asked quietly.
"No, but I could have loved her. I could have loved her easily," he replied wistfully. Sharon reflected on his statement while Provenza thanked David for his cooperation. They would need to corroborate his statement and his alibi along with collecting a handwriting sample, but Sharon felt David had nothing to do with Sinclair's death. Andy watched from electronics, silently hoping this case would be over sooner rather than later.
That evening, Andy got home after Sharon. He had stayed behind to help run down everything David had told them before calling it a night. As he entered the house they had recently purchased together, he noticed the light she had left on for him in the living room. It was late and he knew Rusty was in bed. Sharon was probably upstairs in their room. He sighed. Sharon. He knew this case had to be difficult for her, and he had been hoping for a moment alone with her today to reconnect. He hadn't been thrilled to find out she kept the note from him, but he was willing to hear her side. He knew she probably had her reasons. Now, however, she was probably in bed asleep.
As he trudged up the stairs, he tugged off his tie and removed his gun and badge. When he reached the closed bedroom door, he opened it slowly trying not to wake her. He slipped inside and was surprised to see an empty bed. He set his stuff down on the dresser and heard the muffled sounds of the shower through the door to the adjoining bathroom. He quickly slipped off his suit jacket and headed to the closet to change out of his work clothes.
Sharon had lost track of how long she had been standing under the soothing stream of her shower. She had been lost in thought about Andy, David, the case, and that weird note. None it made sense and all of it unnerved her. And then there was Andy. Her heart hurt thinking about everything that had happened today. She had pushed him away. Why? Was she afraid that he would learn things about her past that he didn't like? It was ridiculous, and yet, she couldn't help the small doubts she had let slip in today. She only hoped that she hadn't pushed him too far away.
Suddenly, she heard the shower door open and she turned to see the man she loved entering the shower. They stared at each other for a moment, the steam creating a dream-like quality to the moment. She could feel the knots in her stomach tightening, her breathing increasing, and then he stepped fully into the shower and closed the gap between them. He quickly scooped her up into his arms. She eagerly threw her arms around him and allowed him to hold her while she felt all of the doubt and anxiety leave her body. After several heavy moments, she pulled away just enough to see his face, and she saw all of the love he felt for her in his eyes. It flooded her with relief and gave her courage to pull him closer.
"I love you," she whispered. He didn't say a word. Instead, he slowly brought his lips to hers and captured them in a slow, languid kiss. When she opened her mouth and deepened it, he pushed her against the shower wall and kissed her thoroughly. He allowed his hands to wander down her sides, grazing the sides of her breasts, and stopping at her hips where he tugged her closer, their bodies pressed together. She buried her hands in the hair on the back of his head, keeping his mouth close to hers.
After several minutes of enjoying each other in this way, they turned off the shower, dried off, and made their way to their bed. Their kisses were passionate, their touches heated, and when they finally allowed their bodies to connect, Andy made love to her with a passion and love that left Sharon breathless. He kissed her fervently as she fell over the edge, and she whispered encouraging words as he finally found his own release several minutes later.
Afterwards, they laid together basking in a very satisfying round of lovemaking. She rested her head on his chest, close to his heart, and tangled her legs with his. He wrapped his arm around her body, keeping her close. The room was quiet save for their beating hearts and calming breaths.
"I'm so sorry, Andy," she said quietly, allowing the sound of his steady heartbeat to soothe her. "I should have told you about the note," she added. He let out a cleansing breath.
"Yeah, you should have," he agreed. "But, after I got over it, I figured you had your reasons," he admitted. She paused a moment to collect her thoughts.
"I told myself I did. Initially, we didn't know what we were dealing with, and I didn't want you worrying needlessly," she explained. "But, honestly, I think I was just scared about my past being involved with my present," she added hesitantly. He tugged her closer.
"Hey," he said quietly. She lifted her head so she could face him. "I don't care about your past, Sharon. I care about our present and... well... and our future. Assuming I'm fortunate enough to have one with you," he added a bit sheepishly. She smiled sweetly.
"There's nothing I want more," she replied sincerely, emotion evident. He leaned down and kissed her, and they were both smiling when it ended.
"I know today couldn't have been easy for you. Having to talk about private details of your life and then dragging your friend through it..." He trailed off. "But as always, you handled it professionally. You really amaze me, you know that," he added proudly.
"It was... uncomfortable, but we needed to rule David out," she said with a shrug.
"And the Lerner case? That had to be tough," he asked. He had noticed the case seemed to strike an emotional cord with her. She hummed and nodded in agreement.
"I tried to forget that case. It was a difficult time," she admitted. He hugged her close and placed a kiss to her forehead.
"You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly. She shook her head. She just wanted to forget it all over again. The memories, too painful, and the guilt too raw. "Well, if you need help forgetting, just let me know," He added suggestively. She laughed and nuzzled her face into his neck. He reached over and turned out the light and reveled in the feel of her soft lips placing gentle kisses along his neck. She breathed him in and lost herself in the feel of his warmth wrapped around her and his tantalizing skin against her lips as she drifted off to sleep.
When Andy left for work the next morning, he decided to stop at Sharon's favorite coffee shop so he could surprise her with her beloved coffee drink. She had left before he did, eager to get into the office and review the details of the case. They were expecting the results of the handwriting analysis to definitively rule out David, and the lab was supposed to be issuing its final report on any possible usable fingerprints on the note.
As Andy walked into the coffee shop, he let out a frustrated sigh at the length of the line to order. He found the end of it, and settled in for a long wait. Thirty minutes later, he was finally walking out with two cups of overpriced coffee. But, Sharon was worth all of it. He hoped the small token would brighten her day a little.
He was so caught up in thinking about his girlfriend and how much he had enjoyed their evening together, that he didn't notice the shadow that had begun following him the moment he stepped out of the shop. And as he pulled out of the parking lot, he was too focused on the case to see the car that subtly fell in line behind him and continued to stay with him all the way to the PAB.
TBC
