A/N- I know many (most) of you are super excited about the canon-ification of Sharon and Andy, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind: a) Provenza didn't once call Shae "Very Special Agent," and b) Alice's real name is Mariana. Also, just FYI, COS is "change of status." Also, I know the majority of the fandom is excited^n about this, but please just remember, not every one ships this ship. It's not the only ship in the harbor. That being said, this story is sticking to canon (: Have fun! (Also, ff is screwballing my formatting. I'm sorry.)

Russell Taylor walked out of the office as quickly as he could, one finger still pressed to his lips.

Raydor and Flynn? Who could have seen that one coming? Flynn? Rulebook Raydor and Fire-In-The-Hole Flynn?

He chuckled softly. He was getting soft in his old age. Time was he would have told them to have the paperwork signed, dated, and submitted to him before they even mentioned the word 'dating' to him. While it was true that there wasn't an official fraternization policy, there was still paperwork.

Provenza looked up from a crossword puzzle as Taylor passed him by. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, ho, I'm sure you know all about it," Taylor said with another laugh.

Provenza frowned. What the hell? He glanced towards the Captain's office, and it clicked. She and Flynn were standing close together, talking. The Captain rolled her eyes and smiled at Flynn.

"They finally told you."

It was Taylor's turn to frown. "'Finally?'"

Provenza snorted. "You haven't done very good detective work. . . Chief." He arched his eyebrows. "This has been going on for the better part of a year. Not the official 'dating' persay, but. . ."

"Ballet," Tao called from across the room.

"Dinner," Amy said. "Cooper and I saw them at Figa-"

"They went to a charity convention together," Buzz cut her off. "They've been a thing for a while, Chief. Not that they'd admit to it, though."

"Rusty told them they were 'not dating several times a month,' I believe was how he put it." Provenza slapped his newspaper down.

"What is it with you people and relationships?" Taylor said after a long pause. He looked over the room's occupants and sighed. It wasn't that he minded, but it was just so odd to have a single squad submit so many COS forms within a year.

"Life is short, Chief." This time it was Sanchez who spoke. "You gotta get it while the gettin's good. Things- and people- don't stick around forever."

There was a brief moment of silence, as the deeper meaning of his words struck home, then Provenza spoke.

"Julio, the next coffee run is on you. You've gone and put all sorts of images we didn't need in our minds."

Tao snorted. "I didn't think that until you said it. I motion that you pay the next time. You haven't paid in. . . I don't remember how long."

"Yeah, sir. Motion seconded. Next coffee is on you."

Amy grinned. "Grandé green tea matcha lattés all around. With whip!"

Provenza stared at her, agape. "Was that English or gibberish you just spouted, Sykes?"

She beamed at him. "It's the most expensive thing I've ever ordered from a Starbucks!"

"Ye-ee gods."

Taylor rolled his eyes and resumed his walk back to his office before he heard anything else he didn't want to know.

"So, Rusty, that was an incredible bit of detective work you did." Sharon wrapped an arm around her youngest child and smiled. He had come in just moments after Andy had left.

He looked up at her. "You're okay that I did that? I mean, I feel like. . . like a jerk for bringing him here and letting you break the news about Al- Mariana- to him."

She sighed. "It's my job to do notifications, not yours. I think you did the right thing."

"I mislead him, though."

She sat down on the edge of her desk and gestured for him to sit next to her. It was a moment before she answered. "I wouldn't necessarily call it misleading. There's a whole spectrum of grey in policing. It's not black and white, though I wish it was."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm," she nodded. "It would be so easy if there were good guys and bad guys, and only homicides and natural deaths, if all the rules were more cut and dry."

"But isn't it good that some of the rules are bendy?" He probably wouldn't have found Alice- Mariana, he reminded himself- otherwise.

"Yes, but it makes things infinitely more complicated."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yes."

"Sharon?"

"Mm."

"Um," he paused. It still didn't feel right to have used her tipline to get information about Gus. He had done it nearly a week before, but it still bothered him, and he knew it wouldn't stop until he came clean. "Remember when I, uh, volunteered last week?"

"Mmhmm." She turned and looked at him curiously. "What about it?"

"I, uh," he looked down. "I had ulterior motives."

Her eyebrows arched. "You've been speaking to Lieutenant Provenza too much. Go on." Her mask of professionalism was settling across her features, keeping her expression neutral.

"TJ brought the idea up, but I did it."

"Did what?" She was starting to look concerned, despite her best efforts.

"I put Gus' information on one of those tipper background papers and marked it with a two so that I could know if he was dangerous or not."

She drew back, an odd expression on her face.

"I'm really sorry. I know it was wrong to abuse everyone's trust like that." He kept staring at the ground, face hot. At least it was out. He wouldn't have to hide it any longer.

Sharon blinked. "I don't know whether to be upset or impressed, frankly."

"What?" He looked up in confusion.

"It wasn't right to use the tip-line like that, but you sorted papers for hours, honey. You helped us plenty. And I'm proud of you for not leaping headfirst into a meeting with a potentially dangerous stranger. You've come a long way from a few years ago," she smiled. "I think we can just settle with 'don't abuse a tip-line again,' and leave it at that."

"That's it?"

She smirked at him. "It was a very minor thing with good intentions behind it. To be honest, not much could have come from it even if you had wanted to do something with that information. It's just a very simple, basic background check. What do you want me to do? Dock your allowance?"

"Sharon, I don't get allowance anymore, remember?" They had agreed to stop it when he went to college. She still helped him pay for school and housed him and fed him all the time, but his extra money came from work.

"Hmm, I could. . . take the car keys, stop buying ground hamburger. . . mmm. . ." She twisted a lock of hair around her finger, trying to think of other 'punishments.'

"Just so long as I don't walk in on you and Flynn," he muttered.

"Pardon?" She turned to look at him.

"You heard me." He knew she had. He had figured out early on that she had ears like a fox. He couldn't even sneak out to the kitchen for a middle-of-the-night snack without her knowing.

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's what I'll do. I'll arrange for Andy to-"

"Ew, God, Sharon, I was joking." He wrinkled his nose. "Ew."

She smiled slightly, but he could see the question in her eyes. "Is this-" she waved a hand between herself and the window separating the murder room from the office. "-okay with you?"

"You and Flynn?"

"Mm."

He thought about it for a moment. "Well, it's not like you guys do anything, and you've totally been hanging out together for, like, ever."

"This is a little different-"

"How?" He honestly didn't see how some paperwork changed anything.

She looked surprised, and shrugged. "It's a little more formal."

"This isn't prom, Sharon."

She rolled her eyes again. "Lieutenant Flynn and I, well, he might come over for dinner sometimes, or-"

"Sharon," he interrupted wryly. "I know what dating is. It's okay. I mean, honestly, he's cool, and I don't really care as long as I don't walk in on anything and he's good to you."

She froze. As long as he's good to you. It hadn't crossed her mind that he might think that. "Oh, Rusty." She shook her head. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Caring." She smiled.

"Sure." He still seemed slightly bemused. "Oh, hey, Sharon, this isn't, like, a thirty-day notice, is it?"

"Hmm? Oh, Rusty, no, of course not." She looked at him seriously. "You will always come first. If Andy and I ever reach the point where we'd consider sharing a residence-"

"You can say 'move in together,'" Rusty grinned.

"Sharing a residence," she reiterated. "I would let you know well in advance. More than thirty days, most likely. And that is not even close to being on the table right now. And if you had any hesitations or concerns, we would wait. You're my child now, and you're stuck with me, for better or worse, but that doesn't mean I won't hear you out." She tilted her head. "However, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll let you make all the decisions, but. . ."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah." He was silent for a moment. "Can I make a decision about dinner now?"

"Of course." She wasn't sure quite what he meant.

"Can we get take out from that French place down the street?" He just meant to pick the food, she realized.

"On North Vernon?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Her eyes narrowed. "You have to tell me what you want, though."

He sighed in exasperation. "Sharon, I don't speak French!"

"Try." She already knew what he wanted, but it amused her to no end to hear him butcher the French.

"Croque monsieur." It came out as croak mon-sewer.

She laughed. "Croque monsieur." Kroc misseur.

He rolled his eyes. "You speak French, though."

She grinned. "Oui."

He snorted and hopped off the desk. "I'm not asking Flynn what he wants. He probably speaks French, too, and I don't need everyone laughing at me."

She waited until he was halfway out the door before calling after him. "Rusty."

"Yeah?" He paused, half in, half out.

"Détective Flynn parle le français, oui, mais il ne parler pas couramment la langue. Est-il correct si il se joint á nour pour le dîner?"

He shot her a dark look. He'd caught the words Detective Flynn and dinner. "Come on."

She smiled sweetly. "Would it be alright if Andy joined us for dinner?" She was surprised that the boy had suggested it.

"Yeah, but you have to figure out what he wants." He was pretty sure he was okay with it. He knew that nothing was really going to change, but it seemed different now that it was COS official.

"Thank you."

He shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "Sure thing, Mom." He froze momentarily, realizing what slipped out, and then deciding he didn't care. "I'll be in the supercubicle."

She watched him go. He was something, this boy of hers.