Striding into the bullpen, Andy is surprised to find Captain Nichols leaning against Sharon's desk, speaking to her in hushed tones. Knowing better than to interrupt, he delays his entrance and waits until their conversation seems to have concluded. As Nichols departs from his partner's side, he resumes his approach towards Sharon.
"Hey, Rulebook," he calls, "I think I've got us a lead." He grins smugly at Sharon, satisfied that their twenty year old case is nearing resolution.
"Yeah? I think I can do you one better," smirks Sharon, "I think I've found a mistake in the original ME's report."
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours?" suggests Andy facetiously.
"You go first," she smiles.
"I spoke to DeLuca and he's willing to testify that Tierney had been sleeping with Anna, had access to the murder weapon and was not with him on duty at the time of the murder."
"About the murder weapon," begins Sharon, "the ME's report stated a multiple-contact blunt-force trauma as the COD, which it is. But they got the weapon wrong."
"So, the bookend wasn't the murder weapon?"
"I think it was used to disguise the murder weapon," replies Sharon.
"How?"
"The contusion on the skull that was deemed non-fatal might have contributed to the eventual internal haemorrhaging that occurred as a result of the beating. I think she was pistol whipped – the lacerations match – and then her attacker used the bookend to cover the unusual bruising pattern caused by a pistol whip."
"And how does this exonerate the husband?"
"He has no records of owning a firearm, and the weapon used to conceal the bruising from the pistol whipping was found in the trunk of his car weeks after the investigation had been opened."
"Speaking of the car, DeLuca mentioned that Fenton James' car had been in the impound lot at the time of the murder, so if we can check the records and find out when he got the car back and when the 'weapon' was found, we might be able to exonerate the husband."
"It's unlikely that he'd have been able to conceal the bookend during the investigation and then be stupid enough to deposit it in his own car," reasoned Sharon, "I'll try and pull up the records."
"But first, allow me to finish showing you mine," laughs Andy cockily.
"I'm all eyes- and ears," chuckles Sharon.
"DeLuca also mentioned that Tierney was one of many lovers, giving him a motive for murder if he believed that he was her only affair."
"Factor in the pregnancy…" interjected Sharon, a horrifying realisation dawning on her.
"And we have a possible paternity issue," finished Andy, "shame we can't order a paternity test now, though, or we'd have conclusive proof."
"It's been twenty years, I don't think there'd be enough left of the body, even if we did exhume it."
"At least we can prove one extra-marital affair, and we have a suspect who had the opportunity to frame the husband, a motive to kill the victim and the means, since he carried his service firearm at the time."
"If you can get those records, we might have enough to justify an arrest warrant for the DA," grins Andy.
"I'll get right on it," smirks Sharon.
Silence falls between them, save for the steady tapping of Sharon's keys.
Andy can't help but allow his mind to wander, thinking back on the scene he'd been greeted by as he entered the bullpen. He wonders what the Captain had wanted with his partner. It was likely that she'd been asking about the pregnancy, and he tries to rationalise his feelings of discomfort as a reaction to having to part ways with Sharon once her maternity leave kicks in. Still, at least it would only be temporary.
"I've got the records!" Sharon calls triumphantly.
Andy rounds her desk so that he can peer at the computer screen from beside her.
"So you have; good job, Rulebook," he smiles gratefully. "And what do you know? The car was released on the same day that the murder weapon was found. Sounds to me like someone planted it."
"Certainly seems that way," muses Sharon.
Waiting for the arrest warrant to be approved by the judge has Andy pacing the bullpen looking for things to occupy him.
"Hey, Sharon?" he calls quietly.
"Hmm?" she responds, indicating her attention is with him but she is still going to continue filling out the end-of-case paperwork for the both of them.
"What did the Captain want, earlier?" His tone is curious, as though probing for an answer he is not entirely sure he wants to hear.
"She wanted to go over the details of my maternity leave," replies Sharon easily, masking the guilt she feels at the half-truth she shares with her partner.
"Are you sure you have to do that?" asks Andy facetiously, "you couldn't just remain behind the desk for the next six months?"
"I think that you'd probably want me out of your hair once the hormones really start to kick in," laughs Sharon, remembering how the instability of her emotions during her first pregnancy had felt.
"I managed with my ex-wife, I'm sure I could manage with you," reasons Andy charmingly.
"I don't know, Andy. Your wife didn't have access to a loaded gun," teases Sharon.
Captain Nichols steps into the bullpen, interrupting Sharon and Andy's conversation with barked instructions: "the warrant's been approved, go grab Tierney and bring him back here."
"Yes, Captain," replies Andy, ecstatic that he finally has something to do (despite the fact that he should have been completing the paperwork Sharon had been doing for him).
"Hold on, Andy," calls Sharon, stopping him as he makes his way for the equipment locker.
"What's the matter, Rulebook?"
"I'd like to come along, for this one," she replies, narrowing her eyes, "I want to see the bastard, who beat that poor woman to a pulp, nailed."
"Are you sure, Sharon? I don't want to put you at risk," Andy murmurs concernedly.
"Up until last week I was in the field. One week hasn't made that much of a difference – I can take it," she responds confidently.
"Have you cleared it with the Captain?" asks Andy.
"When did you become such a stickler for the rules?" counters Sharon light-heartedly.
"Fine, fine. C'mon Rulebook, you're riding along with me. Grab a vest and let's get this sonofabitch."
Sharon, Andy, and their envoy of black-and-whites reach Tierney's bar in record speed. Slowing to a silent halt, the officers leave their vehicles as quietly as possible so as not to alert Tierney to their presence. Luckily, the presence of police cars in the lot outside his bar is not unusual, given the clientele he normally serves.
Entering the bar, Andy makes a show of greeting Tierney in a friendly manner, hoping to make this arrest as easy and painless as possible.
"Detective Flynn! What can I get you?" asks Tierney.
"I'm good for now, thanks. Just thought I'd drop by and introduce you to my partner, Sergeant Raydor," replies Andy with a grin.
"I'll tell you what, I know why you put up with a female partner now," mutters Tierney quietly so that only Andy can hear him, "she's a looker, isn't she?"
"That she is," responds Andy, his eyes flashing dangerously, "she's also a damn fine cop."
"Easy there, I didn't mean no harm," he replies, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture.
"Just like you didn't mean any harm to Anna James?" interjects Sharon with a palpable anger that hardens her voice.
Tierney's face whitens, and he reaches under the bar, groping for-
"He's got a gun!" exclaims Andy, alerting the officers surrounding the bar to the fact that he's armed.
"I'm not going down for this – her husband killed her, or would have, given enough time," Tierney grits out through clenched teeth as he aims the gun towards Sharon.
"Put the weapon down, Tierney," instructs Sharon coldly, unflinching despite the gun aimed at her chest. She has already pulled her own weapon out, and can see that Andy has done the same.
Behind them, officers have begun to funnel the bar's patrons out of the front door, leaving the bar empty save for the partners caught in a stand-off with Tierney.
"Why, so I can surrender to a pretty little thing like you? Women shouldn't be cops, they should be at home with their children, taking care of their men."
"Put the gun down," orders Andy, ignoring Tierney's comments.
Sharon is seething – she can't believe that assholes like Tierney still exist in this day and age. It's the nineties, for God's sake!
"No, sir, that's not going to happen. You're just going to have to try your luck," replies Tierney coldly.
It only takes a moment – Andy chances a glance to the side to make sure that his partner is still fine. Yes, she has a vest covering her chest and vital organs, but they're dealing with an experienced ex-cop who knows his way around a gun.
That one glance – that one lapse in attention – was all it took. Tierney notes Andy's hesitation and instantly fires a round towards Sharon, hoping that if it doesn't hit her, it will at least give him time to escape. The minute the shot is fired, Sharon flings herself to the ground, the bullet scraping her cheek as she dodges it.
"Go!" she instructs Andy, "I'm fine. Arrest Tierney!"
Leaving his partner for the moment, Andy fires a shot into Tierney's leg as he makes a run for it, incapacitating him. Dashing towards him, Andy cuffs the ex-cop and Mirandizes him before calling in for EMTs to treat Sharon and Tierney's wounds.
By the time Tierney has been processed through booking and is in interrogation, Sharon has finished typing up her reports for the evening.
Her close encounter with a bullet had helped her to cement her decision: she needed to prioritise her family right now. Sighing softly, she makes her way to her Captain's office, knowing that as hard as it's going to be to adjust to a new department, it's going to be even harder to tell Andy that she's leaving him for IA.
Knocking on the door, Sharon pokes her head in to her superior's office.
"Can I come in, Captain?"
Nichols bristles at the sight of her injured cheek, but invites her in with a gesture of her hand.
"What were you thinking tonight, Sharon?" There is a clear note of concern in Nichols' voice that makes Sharon burn with embarrassment at the stupidity of her decision to join Andy in the arrest.
"I wanted to see him nailed, Captain. I'd worked just as hard as Andy had on this case, and I wanted the satisfaction of seeing Tierney arrested."
"You could've been killed. I know it's a risk we take as cops, but it's not a risk you take unnecessarily – not as a cop, not as a mother, and let alone as an expectant mother," replies Nichols darkly.
"I know," mumbles Sharon, the weight of her decision hitting her.
"What did you want to see me about, Sergeant?" she sighs, feeling as though she has chastised her normally-responsible Sergeant enough.
"I wanted to ask if the offer to move to IA is still on the table, Captain."
Silence passes between them for a beat, before Nichols comments, "Smart decision, Raydor. I'll file your papers tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Captain. It's been an honour working with you," replies Sharon earnestly, meeting her superior's eye gratefully.
"You too, Rulebook," responds Nichols, tossing out her nickname fondly.
Smiling lightly, Sharon excuses herself, "I want to tell Flynn myself, so-"
"Go, and congratulate him on the arrest," she replies, a corner of her mouth lifting in a half-smile.
Shutting the door behind herself, Sharon can't help the twinge of sadness that strikes her. It's official – this was her last case in Homicide. The thought alone is enough to fill her with sadness, made worse by the fact that she's going to have to break the news to Andy.
She is broken from her reverie by the man himself, who strides up to her proudly – as he should, considering the impressive arrest that he'd orchestrated.
"What's the matter, Rulebook?" he asks concernedly, his face falling at the sight of Sharon's morose expression.
"I have something I need to tell you, Andy," she replies, directing him to take a seat beside her.
"Don't tell me, I already know," replies Andy with a smile. Sharon's thoughts race – how could he already know if she'd only just told the Captain? "You're pregnant!" he laughs.
Relieved, Sharon laughs quietly with him, lacking in her usual display of mirth.
"Well, it's got something to do with that," she murmurs quietly.
"What is it?" he asks, concern colouring his features again as he recalls the impressive dive Sharon had made for the floor during the arrest.
"I'm transferring out at the end of this week," she states, hopeful that her blunt delivery will have a similar effect to 'ripping off a band-aid'.
"Why, Sharon?" hurt touches his tone, and Sharon hates that she has made him feel as though he isn't a good partner.
"I need to think about my kids, Andy. I need to be home more for Emily and for the little one on the way," replies Sharon sadly, "I hate to leave you behind – you're the best partner I've ever had, and one of few who's been able to tolerate me." She smiles sadly, her hand finding his and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"I understand," he murmurs sadly. "Where are you transferring to?"
Sharon bites her lip. She'd hoped that he wouldn't ask-
"IA," she replies quietly.
To say Andy is stunned is an understatement. "You're ditching me for IA?!" pain and anger resonate in his voice, and an expression of betrayal is plain on his features.
"I'm not ditching you, Andy. It's the best move for me and my family. I can be home for my kids when they need me if I'm in IA. The same can't be said for homicide," she replies evenly, hoping to comfort him.
"You can't do this, you can't become one of them!"
"One of what, Andy? A good cop? I already am – and so are you! Look, you don't have to like my decision, or even respect it, but it'd be great if you could, considering the partnership we've had these last couple of years!"
A hush falls between them, and Andy petulantly looks away from Sharon's searching eyes.
"I respect your decision, Rulebook," he spits the nickname like an insult before softening his tone, "I just don't want to say goodbye to you as my partner."
"I understand, Andy. I'm sorry it has to be this way, truly."
"You shouldn't be sorry, Sharon. It's what's best for you and your kid, and I can respect you for wanting to be there for your family. You're a good cop, and a better mother."
At this, tears begin to well in Sharon's eyes, and she cups Andy's cheek and turns his face so that his eyes can meet hers.
"Thank you," she whispers hoarsely, barely able to reply between the emotions clawing up her throat and the tears threatening to fall from their precarious position on her lashes. Still, though barely audible, her thanks are heartfelt, and Andy smiles sadly in response as if to say 'don't mention it'.
December, 1991:
An unfamiliar face has appeared in his murder room. Well, not technically his murder room, but the room out of which he solves homicides. Glancing at the other detectives in the room questioningly, Sergeant Flynn receives no certain response. He notes that the newcomer is unpacking her belongings onto the desk opposite his, and grins in anticipation of finally replacing his previous partner. Still, he doesn't approach her as yet, choosing instead to ask one of the guys about her directly.
"Hey, Provenza, who's the rookie?" he asks casually, still eyeing the pretty, young officer, despite being married himself.
"Hell if I know. Don't you have anything better to do than ask asinine questions, Flynn?" retorts Provenza grumpily.
It's a well-known fact in the murder room that the only person the newly-appointed Lieutenant Provenza actually likes is his partner, Detective Sergeant Andrews. The duo is notorious for getting into trouble and chasing skirt, all while on the job. It's little wonder, then, that the newcomer is a woman, seeing as how their Captain is a woman and likely wants to avoid helping Andy to develop a similarly troublesome (for her) partnership. Their antics had helped to bulk up the Homicide Squad's paper trail of misconduct seminars in the last year alone.
"Funnily enough, I don't," chuckles Andy smugly.
"Tell you what, Flynn, I wouldn't mind swapping partners with you right about now," laughs Provenza, his eyes fixed firmly on the newcomer's behind, "she's got some great assets to offer the team." His voice had been slowly and uncaringly rising in volume, with his last remark seeming to have caught the attention of the thus-far aloof woman.
"I'm glad you think I can add value to the team, sir," she interrupts, throwing in the term of respect almost as though it is a derogatory term, "I'd hate for my presence here to be wasted."
"Oh, yes," replies Provenza, not even having the decency to look embarrassed at being overheard, "I think you'll provide a great distraction for male perps," he chuckles lewdly.
Gritting her teeth, she says nothing, having gotten used to this kind of attitude from her fellow male officers by now.
Andy, however, is irked by Provenza's brazen ogling – sure, he'd been doing it covertly, but he knew better than to behave in such a way with a fellow officer.
"I'm Detective Sergeant Flynn," he introduces himself, "this jackass beside me is Lieutenant Provenza, and his absent partner is Detective Sergeant Andrews."
"Hello, Detective Flynn," she greets, "I'm Sergeant Sharon Raydor, and I'm your new partner."
Hey guys! Thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it :) If you did, please leave a review! I'd also like to thank everyone who has left reviews, favourited and followed this fic, and in particular I'd like to thank the guest reviewer who reviewed the last chapter, as I'm unable to do so via PM. :)