A/N: Last chapter! And hurray! I love you guys for commenting on who you think is our Mr. Letter Writer. We confirm your suspicions now. Thank you for the comments and support for my first more- than- a- one-shot ensemble fic. :D This is my longest story to date too!
I have some people in here to surprise you guys, and some Andy/Sharon feels to tie this story with a bow. :D let me know what you think!
Tuesday 2:35pm, 6 weeks after the abduction
"What are you doing here?"
Sharon jumps a little when she heard Andy's voice. She's looking into the paper target she's holding when Andy made himself present.
"I know, I know, I should be back upstairs in my desk duty don't be huffy-" she starts but Andy cuts her,
"Actually you should be back in your house." he gently admonishes her. He only gets a glare from her that doesn't have a bite to it.
"No." she answers, tossing Andy a pair of ear muffs and reloading her handgun.
She turns and nods towards the person manning the booth behind her. Another target swings into position. Sharon looks at her watch and slowly exhales. She releases the safety from her hand gun and begins shooting.
No hesitations, no pauses, no shaking. After roughly 3 minutes of unloading a clip, the paper target returns to them, with two holes side by side on the middle of the forehead, a hole in the liver and a hole in the heart. The holes are bigger because multiple bullets went through them. Andy whistles in shock.
"Jesus no wonder you hit that guy with a bean bag gun square on his head, which by the way, I still got the bean bag. Looks like that wasn't a lucky shot."
She hums lightly, trying to mask her chuckle. She picks the target and peruses it again, comparing it with two more targets beside her. She hums again when she lines all three targets together and puts her index finger through the holes.
"That's two millimeters off. Oh well." she shrugs and takes of the empty clip from the handgun.
Andy tilts his head a little, "I forget you're a trained sniper sometimes."
"Me too. I come here to see if I still got it. I'm becoming a bit rusty."
They pause for a second and feel a slight tug with her last word. They're already at the elevators when Andy smiles and presses the button.
"Did you know he lunged at him at the station and punched the living daylights of him? The bastard wasn't cuffed, was trying to talk his way out of being there, trying to leave the station when Provenza said something about you, and he just laughed, like a condescending and maniacal laugh. The kid snapped. We're all stunned, he came out of nowhere."
Sharon feels pride bubbling underneath her skin, even after a few months of not seeing Rusty, he still feels protective of her. But she's also not happy that that happened. She raises her eyebrow, crosses her arms and says to him,
"And you let him punch the living daylights out of him?"
Andy raises his arms defensively, "Everybody got over the whole surprise after a few seconds. Sanchez got hold of the bastard, Tao took Rusty. I think he got a broken nose and a pair of black eyes, busted lip. You think the kid's been waiting for that to happen?"
"I don't know, but he did say he didn't hit him back when he hit him at his fiance's backyard."
They share a companionable silence when the lift stopped abruptly. The lights flickered out and after a few moments, Andy hears Sharon breathing heavily, her exhales ending with a terrified whine.
"Sharon?" he says, squinting in the dark trying to look for her in the little space of the steel box. He sees her sitting in the corner of the lift. He kneels down and tries to call her again but she suddenly launches towards him, toppling both of them on the elevator floor.
Andy got himself a handful of Sharon, shaking like a leaf. He wraps his arms around her carefully and tries to quell the panic attack she's having with little kisses on her crown. He carefully sits both of them and she somehow ended up sitting on the floor but her thighs are resting across his own. He winds his arms around her middle as he feels Sharon trying to talk herself to calm and down and not cry.
It hurts to see his Captain, the hard- edged, no nonsense Captain of his division, one of the most brilliant people he's ever got to know in his lifetime, get reduced to a mess, a shadow of the Captain Sharon Raydor everyone feared, because of what happened to her. He almost wants to drag that son of a bitch from the death row and just kill him himself.
"I take it you're not attending your psych eval." he whispers on her hair, not accusingly, as she tries to bury her face more on Andy's chest. She's still trying to haul all the oxygen in the elevator in her lungs but she's not shaking as badly.
"I-it's mandatory...Can't not attend. W-we just haven't...g-got to this part yet." she stutters, her adrenaline still haywired and all over the place. She tries to breathe again, remembering the breathing exercises her Yoga instructor taught her.
The nightmares aren't what bothers her, it's the darkness, the emptiness she experienced during those hours she went missing. Her missing memories after the warehouse and before her condo. It's like she was forced to forget, the only thing she saw was the black space, darkness. And she didn't know how to deal with that.
For the first ime in decades, she's truly afraid of the dark. She wants to laugh because the absurdity of it all.
"Are your wounds better?" Andy says, pulling her out of her thoughts that are bordering on a full on panic attack. She nods, inhales deeply and closes her eyes as she replies,
"Yes, they're all dry now, my cosmetic surgeon says they'd be minimal to no scarring. He's an old friend from high school. Kept in touch until around college grad. He works in the hospital where I was rushed in when you found me and volunteered to take care of the knife cuts. My bullet wound was a clean in and out. Tore through three organs. They had to take my spleen out."
Her voice is returning to her natural calm, modulated tone but she doesn't relinquish her embrace on Andy. She rests her head on the crook of his neck and turns slightly on her left, her exhales hitting Andy's neck. He blushes madly and thanks the darkness of the elevator that it's hidden from her sight.
"I haven't said thank you for saving my life." she whispers, still not leaving her position in Andy's arms.
"It's just me who's on patrol that night. It would've been Provenza or your other boys. I know you can take care of yourself, I saw that video you know. It's a wonder why he still was able to stand on his feet after that throw. Could've knocked me out if I got thrown on the ground."
"I think Sykes told me he's high during the time." she whispers, as the memory of his snarls and yells seep into her mind again. She closes her eyes again and focuses on something happier,
"My boys?" she says, her voice coloring with amusement. He feels her body relaxing, her arms dropping from his shoulders and wrapping around his middle. She's got them, her boys. Her family. It's the first time she focused on something happy and her mind eased.
"Aren't we your boys? It's what he said on one of your letters. I like it better than old dogs. We're like the lost boys from that fairy tale...Peter Pan is it?" he chuckles. He doesn't hear the Captain respond. He turns his face carefully to check why, his nose brushing on her forehead. She's already asleep.
The elevator whirs back to life and Andy carefully lifts Sharon and presses the button on the level of the parking spaces. She still isn't cleared for driving, even after a month a half of recovery. She takes cabs to and from the office. This time he decides she needs to get home. He walks towards his car.
Once she's safely buckled in, he texts Provenza to bring the Captain's stuff in the parking lot. His reply makes him chuckle,
How the hell do I know this isn't some creep who knocked down Flynn and took the Captain again?
He texts back, saying that he finds him cute when he's overprotective and proves he's Flynn when he tells him that Provenza knows he's head over heels for the Captain and that the older Lieutenant is the only one who knows that. He doesn't get a reply and is about to drive away when he hears a familiar trudging coming his way.
"You could've just told me something about me rather than remind me of your unrequited love, you know." he huffs, "What happened to her? She's knocked out cold." he looks at the passenger's seat and gives her a sad, worried look.
"Found her in the basement shooting targets. Told her she should still be at home. She ignored me as usual, we left and got on the elevator. Got stuck there, malfunctioned or whatever. She got this panic attack, shook madly, trying very hard not to cry. I know she's stubborn...head strong. But that night took a piece of her."
Provenza nods, " A really big chunk if you ask me."
"I better take her home. She's not ready to work yet."
The older man nods and walks away as he slides in the driver's seat.
Friday 5:00am, 8 hours after abduction
"How did we get him?" Andy says incredulously, his hands shaking. He clenches them tightly, willing the anger away.
"We know who he is. He apparently got sloppy in his final act. SID found residue of a powder surgical glove manufacturers put inside their gloves all over the bedroom and the doorknob, also on the first few steps of the Captain's condo. Tao found a thumbprint and a few index finger arches on both the faucets inside her bathroom."
Andy nods, but there's this nagging feeling that fingerprints aren't enough.
"Wait, that only puts him in the crime scene. For all we know he's been there before her to check back in her house-"
"Andy, it isn't Jackson Raydor." Provenza says calmly, hoping his demeanor would transfer to his partner, whose anger is coming of off him in waves. The taller guy looks at his partner and Provenza shakes his head.
"With the powder residue present in the crime scene, if we could find gloves in his house, we could nail him for witness coercion and attempted murder before the afternoon finishes."
"Let's not get our hopes up. There's no judge who's awake at this hour to give us warrants-"
"I already contacted Hobbs for that, pull a few strings, Tao processed them and I think they're out now to look for him. I also called Gavin to represent the Captain if the guy decides to lawyer up." he explains and claps Flynn's shoulder twice.
In all fairness, Provenza felt like the rug was taken from under his feet when Andy called him a few hours ago, informing him about what he thinks happened to the Captain in her house, and confirming the situation when Sanchez updated him. He saw that woman in the academy, best in her class, best in marksmanship and logistics, a pro in the rules. He saw her become a force to reckon with, someone he wished one day he'd be able to bump heads with, and true enough, he did when she transferred to the LAPD as an IA member and eventually, their leader.
He doesn't hate her, he actually admires her. He just doesn't like the rules is all. It's surreal to see someone who does an excellent job in enforcing her standards to the force, no matter how many snide remarks she gets. And now she's behind closed doors, getting fixed, fighting for her life. It unnerves him too damn much.
Both men were asked to move to the waiting room. They walk in silence and stared at the door as they get in the room, as the nurse retreats, waiting for anything to happen. They eventually sit themselves down, each lost in their own thoughts.
"We got him." He says out of his reverie.
"Who's the son of a bitch?" asks Andy, his voice hoarse, trying to keep his tears at bay, his blood beginning to boil again.
"Daniel Dunn." he says darkly. Andy stands abruptly and strides towards the door, clear murderous intent etched on his face, but the door opens even before he could grab the doorknob. He barely misses colliding with the person in front of him.
"I'm so sor...ry." he says. Provenza stands up and drops his jaw just a little.
Andy's eyes widen in shock.
The auburn waves, the green tear-filled eyes, the thin lips, and beautiful bone structure of her face...
"I-I'm looking for Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza?" her voice shakes, she clearly just got up and bolted to the door just to get in the hospital.
"We're who you're looking for." Provenza answers the woman. Flynn is still glued to his spot, staring at the woman who isn't Sharon Raydor.
"Oh. Uhm...911 called me at my apartment, I uhm, I live in San Diego, told me that my-"
"W-what's your name?" Andy finally stutters. Provenza holds the young woman's cold hands and leads her to the couches inside the room. Flynn just turns around and follows them.
"Andy Raydor. Uhm, Andrea Raydor. I'm Sharon Raydor's daughter. Is she...is she..." she says, choking up, not wanting to say what is her mother's current situation inside the operating room.
"You definitely look like her. She's in there for quite a while now. Lieutenant Flynn over here found her inside-"
A woman in dark blue scrubs interrupts Porvenza with a happy aura with somewhat a tired slump of her shoulders. Andy and Louie stand up as they were approached.
"Are you the family of the Captain?"
They all nod.
"I'm Doctor Mendez, the Captain's emergency surgery was successful. We had to attend to her blood loss first, she's had a lost a lot of blood and we were afraid that she might be gone even before we started. We treated her for a GSW to the stomach, looked for shrapnel or tiny bullet pieces that might have been embedded because she was ultimately shot close range. Judging by the burn on her skin, the tip of the gun was directly pointed on her. Thankfully no major artery was hit, although we had to do a partial splenectomy because the bullet ran through it. She's going to be in the ICU for the next 24 hours, for observation since her blood cells need to adjust into having one less blood cell producer, and we might eventually slip her in a medically induced coma for today until tomorrow, just so her body can recuperate. We're looking at her for sepsis and nothing more. Her knife wounds were also treated by our cosmetic surgeon, Doctor Lois Montgomery."
"T-thank you." the younger Raydor nods as the two Lieutenants nod towards the Doctor.
"Here's my personal number, if you need me or have any questions, you can contact me through that. I'm giving you this because I know how precarious the situation is for Mrs.-"
"Ms. Raydor. My dad and mom are legally separated."
"Oh, I see. Well, as I was saying, I believe how delicate Ms. Raydor's situation is, I promise, in behalf of the hospital, to keep our information available only to LAPD and no one else."
"We appreciate your discretion Doctor Mendez." Andy says to the doctor, who nods at the three of them.
"Doctor, can I see my mother now?"
"Of course. I'll call a staff to help you see her and then maybe you could fill out some forms? Do you know her Social Security number? Maybe her health insurance?"
A light of determination and protectiveness begins showing in Andrea Raydor, "Yes, I have copies of everything. My brother will be here shortly too, got the red-eye flight from New York to here."
She's so like her mom in so many ways, Andy thinks.
When the Doctor excused herself, Andrea ruffles her hair and begins searching her bag for her phone. Gone was the shaking and scared young woman Andy almost bumped into just a few minutes earlier.
"Are you going to be alright on your own Ms. Raydor?" Provenza says as he glances at his phone. His eyes widen and waves the phone to Andy.
"Please call me Andy. I'll be fine. I was just scared when I got here because I don't know if mom's out of the woods." she stops rummaging in her bag and looks at both the Lieutenants, "I'm...I'm too young to be orphaned. So is my brother. She's...She's been through so much you know? I didn't think she'd have to go through this kind of..." she shakes her head, forcing the words out of her mouth without sobbing, "So thank you again for saving my mother's life." she smiles, tears threatening to escape the young woman's green orbs.
"We got lucky. And she's family too." says Louie Provenza as he smiles back and puts on his hat, "We have to go now Andy. We found the person responsible for this."
The teary green eyes flashes with anger, the worry replaced with a hard glint of fury, "Please update me about what's happening." she says, her tone, though not as low and terrifying as her mother's, mirrors the same intensity one can only get from Sharon Raydor.
"We will. You will also have two police officers standing by with you and your mother at all times while we're back in the station. The suspect doesn't know that your mother survived, he might get anxious once we tell him so we could break whatever alibi he's going to throw at us." Louie tells her, the young Raydor nods and they're off.
"Two Raydors, you even sharing nicknames. How odd." Louie mumbles as they walk towards the officers that would protect the younger Raydor from another attack. They assign higher ranking officers and leave for the LAPD.
"Has the same name as Hobbs too. I need to check on her later."
"You do that. Right now we need to get this bastard. He needs to pay dearly."
Friday 8:30 am, LAPD, Major Crimes Division
"Wouldn't it be easier if someone just talks to me so I could go? I have to go to work today." a very cranky Daniel Dunn whines as he stays in one of the interview rooms with Detective Sanchez. Flynn and Provenza arrived in the building an hour or so ago but they don't want to talk to the suspect yet. Sanchez just ignores him.
"You guys raid my house at the buttcrack of dawn and haul me out of bed only to make me wait indefinitely? I could sue your asses off you know, like what that mother did to-"
"I think sir if you would sit down and shut your mouth up it would be better for the both of us." Sanchez interrupts his tirade and Dunn has the gall to look offended. He's become cockier and impatient the last time they saw him in the Captain's conference room, relinquishing his right as a guardian and parent of the boy.
"We need to know how the hell he got inside the house. We already know that his fingerprints were inside the bathroom, and that he took the Captain from the parking lot but she only got her service weapon and phone with her when he hauled her and placed her in a body bag. No keys and anything. The security even let him in!" Provenza says frustratingly, it doesn't make sense that he easily got inside the high security condominium building with a big black bag on his shoulders like the guards knew what he was doing. They were inside the electronics room with Tao fiddling about with the Captain's phone in his computer, and Sykes sitting beside Buzz.
"We don't know if the security let him in or not. We should just ask him. Since we have the established timeline, let's see his alibis first." Andy says, channeling Sharon's calm to get through the door without lunging for Dunn and killing him inside the interview room.
Flynn opens the door and Provenza goes inside. Dunn stands up and begins yelling again,
"Why the hell am I dragged here?"
"Please sit down, I tell you there's more than enough reason for you to be in here Mr. Dunn." Provenza waves him to sit down, as the two Lieutenants take their places.
"Well I need to know now. I have work today that can't wait." he huffs loudly. Andy clears his throat.
"Were your rights read to you?"
"Yes, and I waive, just tell me what the hell is going on. Is this about Rusty? Because as far as I remember I don't have anything to do with him anymore."
"No, it isn't. Approximately 3:30 in the morning, the body of Sharon Raydor was found inside her condominium unit, lifeless. She suffered from blood loss from all the wounds she has acquired." Andy lies, Provenza nods to confirm. There's a flick of unholy glee in Dunn's eyes but his face remained more detached.
"And what does that have to do with me?" he shakes his head at the two Lieutenants.
Back in Electronics, Buzz frowns at Sykes,
"I thought the Captain's in recovery?"
"Yes, but if he truly is our guy, telling him that the Captain's still alive might trigger him to go and look for her. I believe the Captain's daughter is with her right now. Can't risk both of them right now." Sykes elaborates to Buzz.
"But we only got his fingerprints. What else could we use against him if this goes into trial?" Buzz shakes his head. He doesn't want this to go to trial, he wants Daniel Dunn to burn in hell.
"I think I've got it. Sykes I need you to print out new warrants and get a judge to sign them again. We're gonna roll out." Tao says suddenly. The young detective nods and leaves the room to do just that. Tao reaches for the mic that is connected in everyone's earpieces and speaks, "Sykes and I are rolling out. I found something in the Captain's tracer app. If this is what I think this is, Daniel is going to face the proverbial music."
He sees both Lieutenants and the Detective acknowledge him through the camera.
"Where were you last night, Mr. Dunn?" Provenza says, steeling his hands together on the table. Andy leans back and prepares to listen to his half-truths.
"Well why don't you ask the officers that raided my house where I was this morning? Why can't this just wait until everyone has some caffeine in their system and the sun is already out?!"
"Oh, did you want to have a little coffee first? Maybe small talk before trying to solve a murder?" Provenza says sweetly, sarcasm dripping all over his tone.
"You didn't answer the question. And if it means anything to you, your house was searched with a warrant from a judge." Andy explains patiently, betraying the inner turmoil beginning to eat away at his calm.
"I was at home sleeping. My fiance and her kids could testify to that."
Provenza narrows his eyes. Nail on his coffin number one.
"We do know you're not engaged with your fiance, not anymore. Or should I say ex-fiance? We went to her house too."
Dunn's face pales a little, "Why am I even in this? I haven't seen her in months! For all we know this thing's a suicide or something."
"And why do you conclude that this might be a case of suicide Mr. Dunn?" Provenza raises his eyebrows to their suspect.
"You know what, I don't know. Maybe she used her gun to kill herself, maybe cut herself to death, slipped and hit her head in the bathroom...whatever."
Andy's ears perk up. Nail on his coffin number two.
"But we didn't say what the cause of the Captain's death was Daniel. Neither did we tell you about where she was found. Would you want to elaborate more on how you killed her?"
Daniel is stunned for a moment or two until he shakes his head and rises up from his chair.
"I didn't do anything or whatever it is you're insinuating, you can't hold me against my will." he starts walking towards the door when Sanchez blocks his way. He shoves him hard, but even before he takes one step, Sanchez twists his arm and throws him on the table.
Andy looks at him, his face currently contorted with pain and hisses,
"You as much as touch that doorknob I will arrest you for first degree murder and witness coercion."
"Let go of me! I will get my lawyer!"
Tao and Sykes were about to head out when a boy with black, clean cut hair, and teary blue eyes in a familiar school uniform approaches the two of them.
"Lieutenant Tao, Detective Sykes."
"Rusty? What are you doing here?" Tao says, as he sees two men in suits and earwigs in the corner of the hallway.
"I ah, asked my FBI escorts to bring me here. I...Where's Sharon?"
"Why are you here Rusty?" Sykes presses the young man for his reason. They need to go to the location where Sharon's phone pinged the last before pinging three times in her condo. They think it's the place where Sharon was first brought and tortured.
"I r-received a letter in school this morning. I thought these stopped when I went into Witness Protection but..." he shows the envelope, the very same envelope the Captain showed them some 48 hours ago.
Tao feels his sweat trickle as he took some gloves from a drawer and put it on. He takes the letter from the kid and asks, "What did this letter say?"
"Sharon's dead and I'm next in the list. That's all it says. I alerted my guards and told them to bring me here because...she's-she's not...She isn't..." the boy trails away, biting his lower lip in an effort to not cry in front of people.
"No Rusty-"
A loud crashing of a door resounds in the division and an angry Daniel Dunn walks by them, Andy, Louie, and Julio walking a few steps behind them. Tao, Sykes, and Rusty see them as they go past them, the four men not noticing Rusty.
"I don't need to explain anything to you!" he shouts and turns on his heel, "You can't arrest me and you don't have any proof to pin me in your sloppy murder case!"
"We do have evidence Mr. Dunn. The Captain is a good person, I don't think you know that by the way your eyes lit up when we said she was dead." Andy says flatly as Dunn barks a humorless laugh.
"Well whatever it is that you want to do, go talk to my lawyer." he pauses and grins maliciously before barking a laugh, "As for Sharon, she deserved to die."
When the last word left Daniel Dunn's mouth, a blur crossed everyone's eyes.
It isn't after a few seconds did it register that a boy with jet black hair is punching the life out of their prime suspect on the floor.
Tao shouts, "Rusty enough!" and holds him by his arms, the boy is still refusing to get off Daniel, his feet kicking him on his side and stomach, his escort goes and helps Tao pull Rusty away. Daniel gets hauled up by Sanchez and brings him back to the interview room, face messed up and mouth definitely shut.
With tears in his eyes, Rusty sits down on Andy's swivel chair, his jaw tight, his knuckles bleeding and shaking.
"Mother of god you're temper's worse than mine." Provenza says to the teenager as he motions Tao and Sykes to go on their way, "She's not dead Rusty. Andy found her and brought her to the hospital. She was getting threat letters from the same guy and we believe it's Daniel Dunn."
"All the more I should bash his head in then!" Rusty says, his voice hoarse from crying.
"What the hell did you do with your hair?" Provenza says, frowning, noticing the blonde color replaced with black.
"Witness protection's idea. I kind of hate it now because a few shades lighter and I'd look like that son of a bitch."
"In any case, we got him for attempted murder. His fingerprints were on both the faucets inside Sharon's personal bathroom. I take it he never went there during his amicable to and fro attempts to learn more about you?" Andy asks, his anger quelled momentarily with the presence of the kid the division has learned to love.
"No, Sharon didn't let him near the door of her room."
"Alright. It's just a matter of waiting now since he's lawyering up."
Friday, 10:07 am
"I just got off the phone with Andy." Provenza waves at Buzz and Sanchez.
"But sir, Andy's here." Sanchez points Flynn in front of the whiteboard pacing back and forth, talking on his phone.
"No, Andy Raydor, uh, Andrea Raydor, Sharon's mini me. She gave me an update about the Captain. She's still unconscious, maybe until tomorrow. The backup security also arrived, there are now three black and whites in the hospital and another two Sergeants looking after her. Told her once DDA Hobbs is here we'd go back to see them.
"Can I go visit Sharon?" Rusty asks, he really wants to see if she is alright. Even before Provenza could nod, a loud thud startles the room. It is Andy's forehead hitting the whiteboard. He closes his eyes and starts talking,
"Ten boxes of surgical gloves. Two large notebooks, the papers similar to all the letters Rusty and Sharon had, a drawer full of unsharpened pencils, decks of letter envelopes with stamps, two mechanical sharpeners, a trash bin full of Dear Sharons and paper cups of coffee. I think they sent some samples from the coffee cups for DNA sampling just to push the knife a little deeper on Dunn. They also found the hunting knife, a .45 caliber Colt with a silencer, the Captain's service gun, and blood they're assuming is from Sharon. It's an empty garage 10 minutes away from the Captain's condominium building. Jesus Christ."
"How did they find the garage?" Sanchez says as he walks towards them, "I have three uniforms with him back there."
They all nod. Andy sighs, "You know Sharon's tracer app? It pings the location of the holder every hour for twelve hours and stores it in the website. Tao found the place that wasn't the Captain's condo but it shows the location just a few minutes away from her place. Tao thought it was just a discrepancy of the app but when he looked closely it isn't, it's a specific area."
"It still doesn't tell us how he was able to get pass the security detail on the condo and more importantly, here in our building, or how the hell he still was able to send Rusty a letter that arrived a few hours after he did that to the Captain. His house is a good hour away from the condo units sir. If we need to nail him with attempted murder with no parole, we need to straighten everything." Sanchez points out to both men, Rusty just silently listening to all that is being said.
Andy lifts his head from the whiteboard.
"Rusty, when you went to witness protection, where were you evaluated?"
"Well in here. Then we went to DCFS but they took longer because there was a technical problem with them that day, they were-"
"...Replacing the security cameras." Provenza chimes in as he gets off from the phone again, getting a faxed paper from his printer.
"Mr. Dunn isn't working for real estate after he got kicked out of his fiance's home. Something that has to pay the bills more. So he worked for an IT and security company specializing in the installation of security cameras." he says as he spread out on the table the resume of Daniel Dunn that was faxed over by his current employer. His picture in the resume has a full beard covering his face and his hair in buzz cut. "The boss told me the LAPD mnagement is a client of theirs and so is Sharon's condo building. He must've been the reason of the 12- hour delay in the installation of the new cameras so he could do his plan."
"That also explains why the security guards on all of the buildings he's been into knows him and didn't question him when he would come in and check out the cameras. No wonder he know what the Captain was doing in a day to day basis." Sanchez pipes in too. Andy breathes in and feels exhausted for the first time that day.
"Call Hobbs. I want this guy to rot in prison."
"I'd be happy if they don't give him any deal at all." Sanchez says as he goes back to the interview room.
Tuesday 3:00 pm, 6 weeks after abduction
Sharon wakes up to Andy humming a song on the radio as he drives, she sees they're almost near her condo building.
"I don't live there anymore."
"Wait, what?" Andy steps on the breaks and slows them down. He pulls over on the side of the road.
"I sold the place last week. Moved all my furniture except the bed and couch three days ago." she says, suddenly interested in her fingers. He reaches and holds on to one of her hands.
"Where do I drive you now?"
"Not home please. I don't want to be...alone. Andrea's gone for a week now, she's back in university. Ricky left yesterday. You can just drive me back to office." Sharon says, her voice small and barely audible. Andy feels his heart shatter into pieces.
"You could crash my place." Andy offers, "I know you want everyone to believe you're okay, but it's okay to not be-"
"But it's been more than a month!"
"Of painful recovery and missing memories." Andy cuts her again, "Sharon they don't think low of you, they're all relieved that you're okay and they won't judge you if you stay away more and recuperate. Provenza says this took a big chunk of you somewhere along the way, And I believe him because I see it. You're not weak Sharon, you just aren't recovered yet. This takes time." he says with such ferocity. Sharon bows her head down, her hair obscuring her profile. Andy breathes in slowly, willing his tears away, when Sharon turns her hand in his, and clasping his fingers with hers. He rubs his thumb over Sharon's joint reverently and he feels the woman exhale with a shuddering breath.
"Is it really okay if I crash your place today?" she says tentatively, still not raising her head.
"Hey, I offered. You can crash there anytime you want. And uh, I asked a friend of mine in Witness Protection for a favor. Rusty's staying over this weekend. Says he's gonna try to make it...more regular. Like two weekends a month or something."
Sharon lifts her head and turns her face towards Andy. She smiles and nods. Andy squeezes her hand one more time before he starts his car again and drives to his place. When they arrive, Andy offers her a shirt and sweatpants to change into.
"I know the joggers will be really big." he chuckles, "But I think it's better than your slacks, no offense to your Armani. It's just not comfortable sleeping in those. The bathroom is the next door in the hallway."
"But Lieutenant, it's only quarter to four." Sharon teases, "Why do you want me out of my clothes so soon?" she grins.
"Well, I just...uh, uhm...want you to feel comfortable...and uh...I uh..." Andy blushes madly, shit. Caught.
Sharon giggles, "I was just pulling your leg Andy. Thank you."
Andy rubs the back of his neck as Sharon removes her shoes and goes to the bath. He walks back to the kitchen and makes a light snack. When Sharon returns, She isn't wearing the jogging pants and his shirt goes halfway over her thighs. She goes into the kitchen, following a really yummy smell.
"That smells amazing."
"Oh, just a little something before dinner. I made this pumpkin soup last night. I also made popcorn and heated the garlic bre-" Andy turns to see Sharon in his shirt, her hair tied in a loose bun, loose tendrils framing her face. She still has her glasses on. He feels his throat dry up.
"Your sweatpants really are too big. I just decided to wear your shirt and live in here. It's a tent."
"Oh. I uhm, I could give you shorts?"
"Sure, but I'm honestly more comfortable now. Don't worry I'm wearing boylegs underneath this. It's more like a pair of fitted boxers." She smiles and sits herself on the counter. "Listen, why don't you change into your house clothes and I'll set up this snack of ours. I look like I'm the one living here since you're still in your suit and tie."
"Good idea. I'll just be quick." he agrees, turning the stove off and jogs his way upstairs.
When he returns, Sharon's on the couch, her legs up and inside his shirt, nestling the soup bowl and sipping directly from it.
"Well, aren't you cozy?"
"Told you I could live in your shirt. Come sit. She's about to tell off An-drey-yah."
Andy sits down beside her and takes the soupbowl from her hand and turns off the DVD.
"Andy?"
"As much as I want you to escape your troubles, I know it will come haunt you at night."
"What are you, my psychiatrist?" Sharon says, her walls immediately closing up on her, her eyes distant and detached. She hugs her knees to herself.
Andy shakes his head and sighs, "Remember when I got stabbed outside the AA meeting place and I called you?"
"Yes. I was FID, you call me when you discharge your weapon." he says, her tone clipped and cold.
"No, I call the on call officer, not the head of FID. You know why I called you and not your guys?"
Sharon looks at him and shakes her head.
"It's because I want you to be the last person I see before I die."
Sharon shakes her head again, not trusting her voice to convey what she feels.
"I don't know how that happened or when that happened but it just did. When I saw you, and was about to black out, I thought it's okay to just succumb to death, then you called out," he hums, sounding a little like a chuckle, "I better wake up. It's like a death sentence if I don't."
"I didn't want you to die."
"Because your investigation would-"
Sharon cuts him off, "I didn't say my investigation would be jeopardized. I said I didn't want you to die."
Andy looks at her eyes and sees them shining with tears behind her glasses.
"You have to open up to someone about everything. You know I'm going to listen, your children are going to listen, Rusty will listen."
"I don't want to burden you or my children."
"It wouldn't be."
Andy scoots nearer to Sharon and the woman rests her head on his shoulder.
"I don't know if it means anything, but you're the last thing on my mind when...before you saw me in the tub." she whispers. Andy feels his shirt getting wet. He turns his head a bit and kisses her head. "I know I'm being clingy and difficult. I'm sorry."
"No don't be. That's normal. Whatever happens now, know that I'll always be on your side okay? You'll get through this. We'll get through this together."
"Okay."
They share a companionable silence until Andy hears Sharon humming.
"Tell me about the new house?"
Sharon lifts her head and nods. "It's a...duplex. Near the beach. Wooden porch around the side facing the beach..."
"Nooo, you bought that white beach house?"
Sharon just hums her confirmation.
They talk more about the new house, each silently wishing they'd help each other be better, get through this together.
And that's it my friends! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! 3