AN: I'm overwhelmed by all the lovely reviews and new story follows! It got me so excited that I couldn't wait to update this story. I hope you will all like it as much as the previous on

Thank you glisteningsun for doing the beta work. All mistakes left are mine ;)

rated M

Chapter six

Andy was staring out of the window. The sky was dark, but every building seemed lit up like a Christmas tree. Somewhere out there Sharon was putting herself up as bait for a guy who had probably killed another young woman. A large knot formed in his stomach. She was out there alone, with no one to protect her but Dixon. That guy was an absolute idiot. He had already fucked up protecting her once. It was safe to say the guy did not like her. Before he left the station he had grabbed Dixon's arm pulling him aside and told him he better keep Sharon safe, because if anything were happen to her he would hold him accountable. He had better listen to him. Andy knew he likely wouldn't be able to control himself if anything happened to Sharon.

There was no doubt in his mind that Sharon was tough, tougher than anyone would suspect, but she wasn't invincible either. Maybe it was her upbringing. Sharon's parents had protected her from the big bad world while she was growing up. If she let them, they probably still would. In a way she had led a very sheltered life before joining the LAPD.

He on the other hand had grown up on the streets of New York, had seen so many things before even turning fifteen. Things Sharon hadn't even been introduced to until she started her career as a police officer. She could be a bit naïve in her understanding of the world.

How she was going to pull off being a call girl he could not know. The only man she had ever been with was Raydor. That didn't make her very experienced with men. He remembered how easily she blushed, she was such a shy young woman. What had Hamilton been thinking exposing her like this? He sighed. What had he been thinking reacting the way he did? He knew Hamilton had partnered her up with Dixon because of his own reaction. He probably hadn't want to risk him messing up their plan to get Sharon on the inside. If he hadn't he could be there with her now and personally ensure she was protected. Instead, all he could do was stare out of the window wondering where she was, praying she was safe.

Sharon was somewhat reluctant. What if somebody recognized her and blew her cover? The last thing she needed was to run into one of her father's colleagues or one of Jack's for that matter. Thinking about it gave her a serious headache. It made her nervous.

Dixon partnering up with her wasn't very helpful either. She didn't feel at ease with him. She didn't trust him to keep her safe and watch her back. She couldn't talk to him either. He would only make fun of her if she spoke about her doubts. She didn't trust anyone the way she trusted Andy. He wasn't with her though. He had been so angry. So was she doing the wrong thing? He was a great cop, he had a lot of experience. If he believed this was dangerous, shouldn't she have listened to him? Well, there wasn't anything she could do now. She had no choice but to enter the hotel - Dixon was already sitting at the bar.

A brief smile curled her lips, while she handed the taxi driver a tip. Driving in her own car was out of question. If Mario saw her in it, her cover would be blown before she had even started.

She tried to be as confident as possible. She was a police officer, she was here to do her job. Her eyes scanned the room for Mario. He could be anyone. Carmen had never seen the man, so she couldn't give any description. He could have been any guy at those security tapes. They saw Andrea arguing with a guy, but they didn't know who it was. It could be Mario or an entirely different guy for that matter.

She didn't notice anyone who might be the guy she was looking for. She saw Dixon, he seemed to be amusing himself with a beautiful young woman. Great. Seemed like she was on her own then. Well she hadn't expected anything different. So what next? She wasn't good at the wait and see aspect of this assignment. It only made her more nervous. This could go wrong in so many ways. What if Mario wasn't interested in her? What if he had already found himself a replacement? What if they wouldn't even find him?

Sharon longed for something strong to calm her nerves, but drinking wasn't a good idea. If this guy came up to her, he would probably offer her something to drink. She didn't need to be halfway drunk already. She needed a clear mind.

Would they spend the entire evening here? Or should they decide to move to a different hotel? She was not sure, insecure about how to approach this. Once again she longed for Andy. He always made her feel secure, encouraged her and now she felt like she was on her own. A weight on her shoulders. If she didn't manage to pull this off she would hear it until the end of days. They would believe they had been right all along: that she wasn't up for the job.

Dixon stared at Sharon. She didn't look nervous. Her face a perfect porcelain mask. He grimaced, rubbing his upper arm, it still hurt. Flynn was a damn hothead, explosive even. The guy had grabbed his arm.

'One minute. You listen very carefully, Dixon. You better watch out for her. If anything happens to her you'll have to answer to me. Understood?!'

What had gotten into the guy? Did he himself believe that Elliot wasn't up to the job? Flynn had been against it loud and clear. For once they had been on the same page. Still, the warning. Why? What was so damn special about Elliot? Alright, she had a pretty face. He had to acknowledge that while she was dressed up the way she was now. She changed 180 degrees. The things a change in clothes could do for a person. She had a great cleavage, he wouldn't know why she always kept that hidden from the world with those blouses of hers. The bounce in her hair made her look more feminine. The buns did those gorgeous auburn locks no justice. Why did she always chose to look like an uptight librarian? A lot of the guys would be a lot more friendly to her if she looked like this all the time. Or maybe not. Her eyes of steel captured his gaze. They send him reeling no matter how hot she looked now. That's what they didn't like about her, that and her impossible character. Little Miss Know It All. They didn't get at all why Flynn of all people could get along with her so well. Flynn was difficult, stubborn, a hothead, he hated authority. How could he not clash with her? Maybe she joined him in the sack, that would explain a lot.

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Andy sat down on the couch his foot tapping nervously on the ground. He shouldn't have been angry with her. Sharon wouldn't leave his mind. He didn't like the anxiety building inside of him. What if something went wrong? She could get hurt and once again it would be his fault. He should not have been so damn stubborn.

His heart skipped a beat as the phone rang. It was already late. Maybe it was Sharon, calling him to say she was alright. He didn't want to think about another option.

"Flynn."

" You sound grumpy, is that the way to greet your mom?"

"Mom…"

"You weren't asleep already were you?"

"No."

He sighed, how was he supposed to sleep. He worried way too much about Sharon.

"Everything okay at home?"

"Yes, we're fine. But you are not. What's wrong, honey? And don't lie to me, I can tell something is bothering you."

"What is that magic ability mothers have?"

"Talk to me."

"I did something stupid."

"What did you do?"

"I was stubborn."

He heard his mom sigh on the other end of the line. Stubborn was his middle name. How couldn't it be? All the Flynn children had stubborn natures, inherited from both of their parents.

"Sharon is out on an assignment by herself."

"I see…."

Sharon Elliot, her son's partner. She had already heard so much about her and nothing but good. She was an extraordinary young woman, who had sent her a wonderful letter, a letter filled with praise. Sharon had thanked her for raising such a wonderful man. That she wanted to do him a favour by making sure he'd be able to spend the holidays with his children. Asking her to tell Andy they had bought the ticket, as he wouldn't accept one from her. Andy hadn't been able to stop talking about her.

"If she's hurt …"

"When will you finally tell her you love her?"

Francesca Flynn knew her son. He was head over heels in love with this woman. He hadn't admitted it during the holidays, but there was no doubt about it. "And don't you go denying it. I know you."

"She's my partner, she's a very good friend."

"And you are in love with her."

Andy fell silent. He knew she was right. He had fallen in love with her a while ago.

"Why won't you just tell her, stop torturing yourself."

"Because she's not in love with me and I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Honey, you do not know that."

"There's friendship, nothing more."

"I know she cares deeply for you. Maybe you just need to be a bit more patient."

"I'm not sure I want her to fall in love with me. What can I offer her? She deserves something better."

"Andrew Flynn."

"She does, mom."

"She deserves someone who loves her with all his heart and that someone is you."

"She's stuck on this assignment with a moron because of me."

"Sharon sounds like a very smart woman to me. I'm sure she can look after herself. Now call her. Tell her you've acted like a complete idiot and that you want to make it up to her by cooking for her. She enjoys your cooking, honey."

Maybe his mom was right.

"You know I'm right, Andy."

Andy smiled.

"I will mom."

"Good, because I'd like to meet that lovely young woman one day."

They were a long way from that, but maybe one day as good friends.

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Sharon had this gut feeling they wouldn't find Mario at this hotel. The bar man had never heard of a guy by the name of Mario and there was a 'no call girl' policy. This wasn't the place to be.

She sought eye contact with Dixon to make it clear they should leave. There were many other hotels to go to. She could tell he only reluctantly said goodbye to the blond lady on his right. Part of her hoped they wouldn't find the guy tonight. Maybe tomorrow Andy could go with her. He would have her back beyond a doubt.

She walked into the Residence hotel. She'd rather go home, take a long warm bath, it had already been a long day and what were the odds this guy was waiting for her at this particular hotel bar? How long before they would call it a night?

There weren't a lot of people there. She tried not to look around, that would be too suspicious. She was there because she wanted a drink, had just broken up with her boyfriend, or for whatever reason people came to this bar.

Dixon hadn't arrived yet. That was just great. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself. The last thing she needed was to appear nervous. She shot a smile at the bartender, who locked his gaze on her cleavage. She tried not to look disgusted. She was here to be picked up as a call girl, they did not mind guys eyeing them, as long as they paid.

'Smile, Sharon, you can do this.'

She never flirted with men. Too shy. She had no idea how to flirt. Jack had pursued her, not the other way around. After Jack she hadn't felt the need to look for someone else. Her soul had felt too raw after their break up.

Every eye was on her the moment she entered. There was something about her. She radiated self confidence, class. The porcelain skin, the bright waves resting on her shoulders, all the right curves hugged by that dress. Expensive taste. Fierce emerald green eyes burning a hole in your soul. She was gorgeous, there was not a man in this room who wouldn't want to spend some time with her. In the end that was the exact qualification he looked for in a young woman. It meant men were willing to pay to be just in her mere presence. The question was if he had enough to offer her. She had expensive tastes. Maybe she had more than enough money in the bank to buy herself all these luxuries. If she did, what was her reason to come to The Residence Hotel? The Winston would be more appropriate then.

Dixon still hadn't arrived. What was keeping him so long? She looked at her watch, a quarter to twelve.

"Waiting for someone? I hope not."

The voice startled her a little, but she tried to look composed. The raven black hair, slicked back by a generous amount of gel, the narrow moustache on his upper lip, the small triangle of black facial hair on his chin. She had seen it before. The man who had been arguing with Andrea on the security tape had found her! Was this wise? Dixon wasn't around. She would most probably not get a second chance. Andy would probably want to kill her for what she was about to do.

She smiled mysteriously at him.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Her smile was the only response he got.

"A scotch and a red wine for the lovely lady ."

"Champagne."

"Mm, expensive tastes."

"Aren't I worth it?"

His smile was sleek, it send a shiver down her spine.

"Champagne it is."

Sharon avoided looking at the guy. She didn't want it to look like she sought out his company. The last thing she'd need was for him to believe she was easy to have.

The bartender placed the glass of Champagne in front of her. She picked it up and emptied it in one drink. She put the empty glass back and looked at the man next to her. The look in her eyes a silent plea for another one, a smile curving on her lips as he gestured for the bartender to give her another glass.

"Tasted that good, huh?"

"Always tastes good when someone else is buying."

With that second glass of Champagne her nerves seemed to calm down a bit.

"So what is a beautiful young woman like you doing here?"

"Passing time."

"Are you staying here?"

"No."

"Why come to this bar then?"

"I like the guests here."

She smiled mischievously. Maybe it was better Dixon wasn't here. Without any burning eyes on her she could play the role she had to play. Fish for a serious catch, and reel him in. Patience would be the key word in this case and of that she had plenty.