Thank you, kind readers for sending the absolutely fantastic and encouraging, supportive feedback. I do hope you like how this story is developing. I'm all about maintaining the tension between Sharon and Andy while slowly bringing Sharon around to the idea she's as drawn to Andy as he is to her. It's only natural that she be completely blinded to her growing feelings toward Andy given her married-life experience, the utter impropriety of getting involved with an underling as well as the guardedness she's had to cultivate as an FID officer. But seriously, something has gotta give. And it will, soon.

Ch. 5 Realizations

Andy ended up tossing and turning that Saturday night as his mind raced over the newly revealed facts about his hot boss. So Sharon Raydor was once a brainy, cheerleader with a social life back in high school. Of course she was brainy. Who couldn't see that? This sexy woman with the fantastic legs, green eyes, beautiful face, and a sweet, kind disposition had to have been a popular girl back in school. Was she homecoming queen too? Probably. Andy was now even more curious about Sharon Raydor. Who she really was.

As to be expected, Andy spent more than a few hours trying to picture what a teenage Sharon must have looked like: sweet, innocent, unguarded and untouched by life's ugliness. Bitter ugliness like an alcoholic ex-husband who abandoned her to raise two small children alone without any financial or parental support. Unwarranted ugliness like the pariah treatment she received from fellow cops while she worked in FID to protect the LAPD. If she was lonely, it didn't show. It wasn't until Andy had begun to see her regularly outside of the office on friendly, platonic terms that she only truly seemed to relax.

Who was Sharon before she became Sharon Raydor, Captain Raydor? Andy wanted to know everything but it seems he'd never really find out after the fiasco he caused. He'd have to carefully and slowly recover her trust somehow. And maybe they could go back to be friends who hung out occasionally once more. Then again, there was the matter of his admitted crush on her. No wonder she hadn't spoken to him much in the weeks past. Still, she did talk to him after the movie. It had felt briefly like things were back to normal. The thought of Monday made him nervous.

It was nearly midnight Saturday as Sharon lay in fresh cotton sheets twisting and turning trying to fall asleep. The thought of Andy behind a piano's keyboard kept popping in her mind. Andy's macho, tough swagger didn't seem to fit with his early musical artistic side, something that left Sharon pleasantly confused. Who knew Andy had such hidden talents? That he played jazz guitar? Why hadn't they ever gone to listen to jazz when they hung out? Sharon decided she'd make sure that happened, if they ever hung out again as long as they were just not alone.

Discovering this hidden side to Andy had Sharon wondering what other things she didn't know about him. He intrigued her. She thought she knew everything about Lt. Andrew Flynn thanks to his thick FID file. Obviously a hot head when things were unfair or wrong. She couldn't blame anyone for getting riled over life's unfairness. His temper had tempered over time now that alcohol was no longer a factor. Did he play music to relax? She wanted to know but found herself stymied by recent events.

No. Better she should hide her interests. Wait for things to calm down especially since Andy actually admitted publicly to having a crush on her. How she wished he hadn't. Their every move would e viewed differently now. Still how had his feelings escaped her notice? What she thought was a good friendship had now taken a turn she didn't or wouldn't see. How was it Julio and Tao saw things she had missed? Had Provenza noticed it too? Of course he must have. He was Andy's partner.

The thought of Provenza worried Sharon slightly. She hoped he'd forget all he'd learned about her high school activities. It wasn't anything serious to worry about but at this stage in her career, she didn't need any teasing or marginalizing by male peers. She felt fairly safe Andy would respect her request for privacy but Provenza was too close to retirement to bank on silence. One sis boom bah out of him and she knew she'd gut Provenza like a trout.

The questions! Of course, she still had that ace card to play and now she'd need to think of the perfect and personal question for Provenza. And Andy. The kind of none-too-harmful-but-plenty-embarrassing question that shed light on her lieutenants.

Provenza sobered up on Andy's couch Sunday afternoon and laughed himself a wake. Andy came out of the kitchen to check on his elderly partner still sacked out on his sofa.

"Andy, I just had the weirdest dream! The Captain was cartwheeling around the murder room and cheering for us! Haaaaa haaaa haaaa!" Provenza was giggling like an idiot. "Damn nice pompoms too!" Andy shook his head at his partner and went back into the kitchen without commenting. Provenza noticed.

"I didn't drink that much, did I?" Provenza asked as he got up off Andy's leather sofa slowly and walked in the direction of Andy's bathroom. "Huh? Seriously, did I?"

"You were pretty messed up," Andy chuckled. "Do you remember the hot little cheerleader you hit on?" Andy was seriously lying but only in an effort to mess with Provenza's recollections.

"What? What cheerleader?" Provenza said as he scratched his groin over his wrinkled pants.

"You don't remember?" Andy asked with arched eyebrows. "Too bad! Obviously she had daddy issues because she found you adoraaaable!"

"Yeah?" Provenza said with a smile. "Was that before or after the Captain and the kid left?"

"Way after," Andy answered.

"Damn, did the cheerleader give me her number?"

"Uh no but you did give her yours," Andy lied. He could only hope Provenza would confuse the evening sufficiently so that Sharon was safe from any teasing.

"Good for me. See? If you weren't so hung up on that Captain of ours, you coulda scored!" Provenza rambled from the entrance of the bathroom before closing the door.

Andy chuckled to himself. "Sharon, you so owe me."

This Monday morning, Commander Pope drove up and got out of his sedan just two cars over from Sharon's in the LAPD parking garage.

"Good morning, Commander," Sharon replied as she walked up to his car. No escaping the fact she'd now have to walk in with him. To continue ahead when he was just a step or two behind would be rude.

"Good morning, Captain Raydor," Pope smirked. He had an odd look on his face. Sharon paused by his fender and waited for him to head into the building.

"Good weekend?" Sharon asked without any real interest as she noticed Andy's car parked close to the elevator. He must have gotten in early to get such a prime spot in the garage.

"Not bad, how about you?"

"Fine. Caught a movie with Rusty. Have you seen 'Whiplash' yet?" Sharon mused.

"No but I've been meaning to. Everybody's been telling me I look like the guy in the movie, the mean one who hits the piano kid!" Pope laughed.

"That's funny, that's exactly what Rusty said," Sharon smiled at the Commander who was obviously in a better mood than she had anticipated.

"That is funny. Hey, you know what else is funny?" Pope said slyly. "I heard about a certain male LAPD lieutenant who planted one on a female captain at work. You know anything about that, Captain?"

Damn it! Sharon decided to play along. "Really? Rumors travel fast around here."

"Well the place is crawling with detectives!" Pope smiled.

"True. Apparently the lieutenant has insomnia and hadn't slept in days but did apologize numerous times to the captain and the entire team."

"So I heard," Pope relayed. "Anything else happen?"

"Why yes. As you can imagine, the captain was rumored to have reported it to HR and the case is closed."

"Good to know! Exactly what needed to be done, Captain," Pope said as he paused for Sharon to enter the parking elevator first. Sharon nodded and stepped forward. "Do you think this might affect the team's performance?"

"I can't see how. There's definitely nothing going on between these officers. Of that I can assure you," Sharon said firmly as the elevator closed. The pair rode up in silence. Sharon was silently praying this odd conversation was over. She was somehow pleased how Pope approached the topic - almost as if it were hypothetical in nature. As the elevator stopped onto Sharon's floor, she moved through the open doors exiting the elevator with a sigh of relief.

"I always thought Flynn had his eye on you," Pope said with a grin as the elevator doors closed leaving Sharon more surprised than embarrassed.

Damn it! Why does everyone think there's something going on between Andy and me?

Andy was preoccupied on the drive to work early Monday morning. He was nervous about seeing Sharon but equally excited in the hopes that things would return to normal. Where they might actually be relaxed and able to speak to one another without tension or embarrassment.

Thought of Sharon preoccupied his mind all day Sunday and even this morning. It had taken a while for his brain to wrestle with the new information about his crush. Sure, Sharon was a stunning woman. Beautiful, smart, sexy and kind and - once Andy's libido had worked over the 'cheerleader' mental images - it occurred to Andy how some of her cheerleading traits continued to date.

It totally fit her persona. Sure, superficially it might cause her embarrassment for the 'sexy vixen' aspect but in reality it showcased one of Sharon's strengths - cheering on and expecting people to do their best. The Major Crimes team really had improved and grown closer under Sharon's leadership through her encouragement, high standards and understanding. Andy knew it was the Sharon effect that had helped him to refocus on his private life, taking the needed steps to improve strained relationships with his own grown children and become involved in their lives.

That caring and nurturing side was even more evident in Sharon when she took Rusty under her wing. She didn't have to do anything so enormous as adopting a street kid but she did it anyway because Rusty needed someone to be there for him. And she couldn't stand to see Rusty be let down again. Sharon truly wanted to save Rusty from the ugliness life had planned for him if no one intervened. Because of Sharon Raydor, Rusty was on the road to a bright future, a college education and the confidence that stems from a supportive family. Sharon's kindness and loving heart was always there beneath the wary exterior - something every cop failed to see when called before her desk in FID.

Andy found himself smiling on the drive into work thinking how Sharon Raydor was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. It pained him to realize how long it took for Andy to discover this about her. And something as unrelated as her high school activities showed him how different she really was from what people believed.

Buzz paused on his way into the department and waved a box of donuts at Provenza and Julio.

"Who's hungry for donuts?" Buzz asked no one specifically.

"I'm always hungry for donuts," Julio said as he stood up and reached for the box. "It's a cop thing!"

"To what do we owe this generous effort to ply us with pastries?" Provenza said before biting into a chocolate-iced, Boston crème-filled donut. The look of happiness spread across the gruff old detective's face in a moment of bliss.

"I find its much easier to work with detectives when they're in a good mood," Buzz said with a smile.

"Hey, I'll take one," Tao jumped up and leaned over to reach for the sole cake donut. "You're pretty smart, Sugar-Buzz!"

"Got any jelly-filled ones?" Sykes asked with a little laugh at Buzz's new nickname. Buzz nodded and pointed, his mouth too full to talk. "Andy? Better hurry if you want one," Sykes said.

"I'm coming!" Andy turned around in his chair and headed over. The box was nearly empty but two donuts were left. Clearly Provenza had taken a couple as did Julio. "Pink icing and sprinkles! My favorite," Andy joked before he selected the dark chocolate un-iced cake donut.

Buzz smirked. "I thought the captain might like one. Why don't you take that one to her?" Andy's face turned a little pink.

"Nice, Sugar Buzz," Andy grinned good-naturedly. "Is this how its going to be? Teasing me about Sharon?"

"Hey, it was just a suggestion," Buzz smiled knowingly as he headed into the video-conference room.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Andy said sarcastically. He knew he was going to be in for some teasing and as long as Sharon wasn't present, he'd take it in stride. Almost immediately the sound of high heels could be heard growing louder.

"Good morning, detectives," Sharon greeted her team as she entered the murder room. "Donuts? How nice!"

"Saved you one, Captain," Tao said as she passed behind him on her way to her office.

"Thank you, Lt. Tao. Maybe later."

"Better grab it now before someone else does," Julio said seriously. Sharon smiled at Julio and shook her head.

"Okay, in a minute. No one touch the last donut," Sharon said mock-seriously as she unlocked her office door hesitating a second. "Good morning, Andy."

"Good morning, Captain."

Sharon continued into her office pleased to see Andy was now talking to her in the office, a definite change from the prior week. Maybe the weekend's chance encounter was just the thing they needed to get over the awkwardness.

Dropping her purse on her desk and glancing at her desk phone Sharon could see the voicemail light blinking just as her stomach growled. Messages can wait, coffee and donuts first! Sharon approached the nearly empty donut box. "Pink icing and sprinkles, my favorite!" Sharon joked. The look of surprise on the team's faces caught her attention and Provenza coughed loudly signaling everyone to ignore the fact Sharon had said the exact same thing Andy had moments before.

Julio started laughing and turned his chair around to face his desk

"Something funny, Detective Sanchez?" Sharon asked as she took a small bite from the donut.

"No, ma'am. Nothing at all."

Sharon looked puzzled and turned to look at Tao who shrugged back innocently. "The donuts are compliments of Sugar Buzz," Det. Tao said with a smile.

"Sugar Buzz, huh?" Sharon raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure he must love that!" Tao and Julio chuckled shaking their heads negatively at her.

"Coffee?" Andy asked quietly from behind. "I'm getting a refill."

"Oh yes, please," Sharon replied as Andy headed to the breakroom alone. She carried her donut back into her office and took a seat before hitting the voicemail button and lifting the receiver.

It seemed as if everyone – meaning Andy - was back to normal. For now.

Hope you liked this update. Reviews make writing worth while and twice as fun. Hope you found this in character. Still pondering what questions Sharon should ask of Andy and Provenza. Any ideas? Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review. Thanks!