AN: It's been a while like always. First I wasn't doing so well myself and now we have received a health scare in my immediate family.

I don't know how the upcoming weeks will evolve itself. That is the reason why I'm trying to finish updating this story in the next two weeks, so you will at least get to read the end.

Worst case scenario I don't believe I will be around here for some time. And I don't want to leave you hanging, you've all been so kind with your favs follows and reviews!Telling you this I hope you all will be patient with me. There is a part four but with everything going on at this time I don't have the time or the mindset to work on it. It still needs rewroting and beta work so that will take a while.

As always a big thank you to glisteningsun who did the beta work on this part. Any mistakes left are mine.

Chapter sixteen.

On their way over to the courthouse they hadn't said much. It was awful. He couldn't stand the emotional distance between them. For a moment he believed the solution would be to end their partnership, let their friendship cool down and just distance himself from her. This was already driving him crazy though. He missed her so much.

He just didn't want to hurt her. He was so scared of her getting hurt because of him, that was the only thing that kept him away from her. God only knew how much he loved her, more than he had ever loved anyone. He had believed he loved her enough to keep his distance from her.

Her having developed feelings for him had only complicated things further. Would he hurt her already just by keeping his distance from her? He probably wouldn't damage her beyond repair if he did. That's what he tried to tell himself, that she was strong and would get through this just fine. Maybe in time they would even manage to become friends again.

It was always busy at the courthouse. They rushed through the hallways. Andy couldn't believe how fast she was able to walk on those killer heels of hers. They wanted to get to Mario. He most probably would be released on bail and they wanted to arrest him on those new charges so they could slam his butt back into jail.

Sharon knew exactly which way to go. She had been to the courthouse so often for work or meeting Jack. She didn't want to run into him now though. Jack was the last person she wanted to see, especially not with this mess between Andy and her.

He hadn't spoken to her at all in the car. She had told him to come to her when he was ready, but he was a master in ignoring the obvious. What was wrong with him? What was he so afraid of? If only he would talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him. She knew him though, he would keep silent, bottle it all up. How was she going to pry it out of him this time? Well, she would just have to give it a thought, after they had arrested Mario. She couldn't wait to wrap up this case and spend a few hours in her own apartment, reading a good book or something with her feet up and a good glass of wine. That sounded like the perfect plan.

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Andy rubbed the space between his eyes, Mario's attorney was giving him a headache. He had acted outraged at the courthouse and he was still screaming murder now.

"This is an atrocity."

Andy couldn't believe how calm Sharon stayed. He felt like hitting the guy already. Maybe that's why people always called him a hothead.

"My client was released on bail."

Sharon kept her voice low, although the man in front of her was raising his voice more with each syllable he spoke. "For the charge of solicitation. We've arrested him for murder."

"That's ridiculous." The attorney's hands made wild gestures.

Sharon seemed not impressed. "The DA believes he's got a case. Seriously Jonas, you better take this up with him."

Jonas sighed. He knew she was right. Deals were made with the DA, not the police department. He'd been frustrated with the wrong person.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

Andy raised his eyebrow, the guy seemed to have had a sudden change of heart. He had resigned to not being able to avoid this new arrest of his client and had directed his interests from his client towards Sharon.

His heart was beating faster. The way the lawyer stared at her gave him an uneasy feeling. He tried to control his breathing, tried to ignore how it made him feel. He sat down behind his desk, trying to get the paperwork done, but his gaze kept travelling off to Sharon and that slick lawyer.

Sharon could tell Andy was keeping an eye on both of them and the way they were interacting. He was jealous. The thought almost caused her to giggle. Did he really believe she would be interested in a man like Jonas? She had kissed him the night before. Maybe this was just the little nudge he needed, to come and talk about his true feelings for her.

So she smiled at Jonas, tried to sound as animated as she could. Jonas made it easy. He played the part she wanted him to play. She should feel a bit guilty using Jonas like this. He didn't stand a chance to be honest. He was too much like Jack. Andy should know that too. They had broken up for a reason. She couldn't be the wife he wanted and needed her to be. Jonas was exactly like him. He was looking for someone who would look good on his arm. She wasn't going to be the woman to play that part. Not for Jack, not for Jonas, or any man for that matter.

Andy was so different. He respected her, treated her as his equal, always. He would discuss matters with her. Never thought, or decided for her. With him she didn't feel the need to pretend. She didn't need to think about what she said or did, be afraid she would do something wrong.

Why hadn't she noticed before that she was falling in love with him? It had crept up on her so slowly without her even noticing it. She had been blind to the little signs.

Andy felt a heat rising up in his chest. God, the man was practically undressing her with his eyes. He must believe he had a chance now that Raydor was out of the way. The way he was trying to slime his way in with his smooth talking. He definitely did not deserve a woman like Sharon.

"Later?"

Had she really said later? His heart was beating in his throat. She couldn't be serious!

She was still smiling, when she sat down behind her desk. He had to restrain himself from staring at her. He knew what he would look like then. He would silently demand an answer. He definitely had no right to demand anything from her. He had better get used to this.

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Sharon had left two hours ago, calling it an early night. That wasn't like her at all. Their paperwork wasn't even finished. At first he tried not to think about it, but slowly the possibility of her being with that slick bastard right now began to take over his mind. He couldn't get the picture out of his mind. The thought of her with another man was driving him crazy.

He had thought about the possibility of her someday finding a man she would marry. A nice guy, a decent guy. One who would grant her every wish. One who would make her the center of his attention.

This guy wasn't anything like the guy he had imagined for her. This guy was just another Raydor and he had been so happy when she had gotten rid of him. He could not stand there and watch her walk into another loveless relationship. Fact was, it wasn't up to him. It was egoistic. He was pushing her away, maybe right into this guy's arms.

This was ridiculous. He loved her and he was pushing her away. He was pushing her away, because he was afraid he might hurt her. Maybe she would get hurt exactly because of that.

Who was he kidding here? He wouldn't have liked the guy if he was some bookkeeper or the most perfect man that walked the earth. Because he was in love with her. He didn't want to see her with any other man. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

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Sharon balanced the cordless phone between her cheek and shoulder, while pulling open the refrigerator door. She made a mental note to herself to do some grocery shopping the next day. Maybe she'd get lucky in her freezer.

"No momma, I'm back home. Yes, I'm safe. We've wrapped up the case."

She looked at the frozen brown substance in the white container. She had no clue what it was. Most likely a left over from a Sunday dinner at her parent's house. At least it was something. She closed the door with her bare foot. The food would need some time to defrost, but that didn't matter. By the time she had typed up those last two pages, she might be able to heat it up.

"Momma, I just got something out of the freezer. It's this brown substance. Any idea what it is?"

She poked it a bit before giving up to walk back to her desk and typewriter.

"Momma, I can't, I still have to finish my report. I will, I'm fine really. I'll try to come home Sunday. I know you haven't seen me in a while, I was busy working on our case. Being a police officer isn't a nine to five job, mom. I've missed you too. Give my love to daddy? Bye bye, love you."

Sharon smiled as she put the phone down on her desk. Only two more pages and then she could finally call it a night. She wondered whether Andy was still at the station working. He had definitely looked surprised when he had seen her leave, calling it an early night. She hoped he would finally come to her to talk.

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Andy punched his hands against the steering wheel, another red traffic light. Why did they all jump to red the moment his car approached? He was this far away from exploding. His heart seemed like a time bomb. He had the feeling he was running out of time.

Why did he have to be such a moron? She had kissed him and he had let her go. That had been the moment, his opening to tell her about his true feelings for her. But no, he hadn't said anything because he had been afraid. Afraid for her to get hurt.

What if she got hurt like this? He had never thought about the fact that pushing her away could hurt her too. He had always believed that she would meet a decent guy. He had always believed he could remain friends with her, stay at the sidelines, but he couldn't. Just seeing her with a guy was enough to drive him crazy. He'd been able to control himself, but he couldn't anymore. Not after the way she had kissed him. He would hurt her one way or the other, if he continued like this. He had better come clean.

Maybe he was simply underestimating Sharon. She was a level-headed grown woman. By now she must know him well enough to know that he came with a lot of faults. He should give her a clear picture and then let her decide what she wanted. There wouldn't be any other way. She was too damn stubborn to let go of him now.

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Sharon couldn't believe this report was taking so long. Her mind kept wandering off to Andy. That man clammed up every time things were coming too close, when things were becoming personal. She couldn't really blame him, she wasn't exactly an open book either. She just wished he would talk to her. She didn't understand what seemed so threatening to him now. They were friends, obviously there were also deep feelings involved. She wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

One knock, that was all. She didn't need to hear anymore. She knew it was Andy. She must have been right about him being jealous. She tried to hide her amused smile, as she walked to the door.

That door would soon open, what then? 'Quit thinking, Flynn.' Maybe that was the problem, him thinking too much. He should just act on instinct, do whatever came to mind. He stared at her face, losing himself immediately in her emerald green eyes, that smile curling her lips.

Andy took her face in both of his hands pulling her near. She still looked dumbstruck when he pressed his lips on hers. Sharon closed her eyes, while her own lips captured his, relishing the passionate kiss that was developing between them.

Her eyes snapped open when he released her, as suddenly as he had pulled her close. Both were catching their breath while their hearts were racing in their chests.

Sharon smiled, her eyes dreamy. "Hi…"

"Hey…"

She couldn't stop smiling, Andy kissing her like that was so him. Bold and passionate. The way he looked at her made her feel weak in the knees.

"Not interrupting something, am I?" He sounded a bit too cocky.

"Well, actually…"

Sharon bit her lip to hide her smile, as Andy's eyes scanned the room behind her. The look in his eyes an exact mixture of horror and disgust, his muscles tensing, ready to mark his turf. She didn't care as long as he kept kissing her like this.

Andy saw she was trying to hide a smile. So she was amused by his distress. She knew him too well. She had known exactly what reaction he would have to her talking to that slick guy. He locked eyes with her. Those green eyes were sparkling. Sharon knew exactly how to drag him out. She had wanted him to come talk to her, that was exactly what he had done. Oh God, he would be lost to her.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." She stepped aside. "Would you like something to drink?"

Sharon turned halfway to walk to the kitchen, but stopped when Andy's hand grabbed her forearm. He couldn't let her start some light chit chat. If he wanted to get his feelings off his chest, he couldn't hesitate any longer. He had already waited too long. He couldn't let her give him the opportunity to chicken out of having this conversation, as he knew he would. He had already done on so many occasions.

Andy's eyes suddenly looked so serious. There were a lot of conflicting emotions in them. She saw love, fear, sadness, all combined in those usually warm brown eyes. Her heart was racing in her chest for different reasons this time. His look worried her. Simply staring at him she tried to find a way to connect, to reach into him and just pull out all those feelings he had so obviously bottled up inside. In a way he was looking so sad, afraid. For her? A pang of fear hit her. What if he had come to tell her he didn't share her feelings? What then? Her feelings were so new and intense, they seemed to control her mind. What would that do to their friendship, to them working together? She hadn't realized at all how complicated this could become for both of them. Everything could change. A sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach.

Andy suddenly saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. The last thing he wanted was to make her this anxious. His hand sought hers, gently squeezing it, repeatedly.

"You were right. It's time we talk."

Fear still lingered in her eyes, when she agreed with a nod.

"You need to promise me though, that you will hear me out. Let me finish what it is I need to tell you."

She couldn't shake the fact that his words somehow sounded ominous. Unsure about the stability of her voice she nodded. She bit her lip, taking a deep breath, trying to ignore the flutter of anxiety in her stomach.

"Thank you for being willing to hear me out."

Suddenly her hold on his hand tightened.

"Andy?"

Her voice was a bit shaky, soft, vulnerability seeping through. His thumb stroked the back of her hand, an instinctive attempt to sooth her.

"I need you to promise me though that you'll be honest with me. Tell me everything. That you won't leave anything out for whatever reason you might have cooked up in your brain. I need you to be truly honest. Please?"

The look in her eyes made his heart sink. He was hoping he had made the right decision and that it wasn't inevitable that he would hurt her. This was the least he could do, to be honest with her. That's what she deserved. He squeezed her hand again.

"I promise."

He released her hand so he could take her face in both of his hands pulling her close to his chest. His lips lightly brushed her hair giving her a feather's kiss.

"I promise."

His kiss was so endearing. The only thing she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and stand there forever. His lips were murmuring into her hair.

"You have no idea ..."

His sigh gave her the time to create the distance she needed to pull away and look up at him. In a way it was easier to say the words now that he was staring into the depths of her eyes.

"… how much I love you …"

His voice was so quiet, raw with emotion. The sadness in it worried her. Instead of this bubbly feeling, her heart felt as heavy as a stone.

"I love you too."

Andy wondered whether his voice was sounding as soft as hers, whether his eyes were as emotional as hers.

"I know. That's why we need to talk. I don't want to see you hurt."

Sharon looked baffled. Her eyebrows wrinkled, when she felt how he took her hands into his, his thumbs simultaneously rubbing the back of her hands. The moment felt like forever. Still contemplating his last words she looked surprised when he let go of her hands and walked away from her. The distance he had created felt as if an enormous brick wall had been built between them.