AN: Sorry this one took me a while to update. I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to comment and I'm still at awe when I see a new follower to this story.
Hope you enjoy!
Collision, part two of two.
As Richard had seen the color draining from that hot head Lieutenant's face, he could tell this was about Sharon. His stomach flipped inside his abdomen and gave him a nauseated feeling. There was no time to think, although Sharon's name was screamed over and over inside of his mind. He could still see the back of Flynn, as he ran after him.
Yelling, no voice in particular that he could make out, as they were all speaking at the same time. The yelling was mixed with concerned voices. It was all a jumble. He couldn't make out what was said, adding to his anxiousness. Flashes of colored fabric , interspersed with the color of skin. Sanchez and Tao, struggling with the suspect. It was a total chaos. Then Provenza's grumpy voice, loud above all the others.
"Get him the hell out of here!"
Andy knew him long enough to recognize the panic and the anxiousness in it. He looked around the room, trying to find the place where he knew Sharon had sat. The chair was missing. He was interrupted from his thoughts, as he heard a loud thud to the side of him. His eyes glanced brief to the right. Sanchez finally had the guy pushed against the wall, putting him into handcuffs, subsequently ending the turmoil in the interrogation room.
His attention drawn back to the other part of the room, as he heard her voice. Her voice low, softer than usual. Finally.
"I'm fine, Lieutenant."
He didn't see her, only Provenza, who sat kneeled down at the ground. His broad back obscuring his vision. Although he had heard her voice, his heart was still beating loud in his chest. He knew Sharon Raydor well enough to know, that her telling Provenza that she was fine, wouldn't necessarily mean that really was the fact.
"You stay down."
The worry in Provenza's voice didn't help him.
"I'm fine…"
He couldn't face her though feeling anxious like this. He didn't want to smother her. She was fine, she said so, maybe she was. With those reassuring thoughts he tried to calm himself, before making one more step, so he could see passed Provenza's back.
"… it's just a scratch."
The scratch, was a gash on her forehead. Halve an inch above her left eye, colored angry red, as the blood was still pouring out of it. A steady trail flowing down the left side of her face. The contrast of the red color of the blood, making her face look paler than it usually was.
"Now help me up."
Her determined, steady voice, dragged him out of his gaze, meeting Provenza, vigorous shaking his head.
"No. You were out."
"I closed my eyes for a few seconds."
She dragged out the last word, clearly annoyed.
"Make it two minutes."
Provenza wasn't going to let go, probably only accomplishing her to get up sooner than she should anyway, as she'd be annoyed and would want to get away from him.
He was worried too, but this was not going to work. This was not the way to deal with Sharon and her stubbornness. She needed space every now and then and this was one of those moments.
"Yelling at her and giving her an additional headache won't help her much either."
A small smile curled on the corner of his mouth. Seeking eye contact with Sharon. Concern was in his eyes, he couldn't hide it. Still he wasn't hovering over her, that was at least something.
Andy reached into his pocket, taking out his handkerchief. His face grimaced, while he pressed it on the gash on her forehead. He still tried to sound neutral.
"Here we go."
She grimaced in pain the moment his hand made contact with the wound on her forehead. A dull ache that shot through her head as an addition to the sharp bouts that felt like needles being stabbed into her eye.
Andy smiled sad at her. "Sorry."
Now the first shock of it all, was over, Provenza realized what had happened in a matter of split seconds.
"It was too late, before I could do anything, he had already made a swing with the chair. It made impact with her first. It all happened so fast."
Sharon touched his hand a soft smile on her lips.
"This wasn't your fault."
Andy frowned while he looked at her gash for a moment. His former white handkerchief drenched with her blood. He looked at the gash underneath, blood still pouring out of it. As he stood closer to her now, he could see the ragged edges of the wound. Although there was lots of blood he could tell this wasn't just a superficial cut.
"I'm afraid that will need stitching. Are you nauseous?"
"A bit..but really I'm fine."
She was contemplating between telling him the truth, as she knew he was worried about her and not wanting to feed that same worry. She was so focused on him that her eyes widened in surprise when he was suddenly pushed out of the way.
Provenza and Andy both frowned as Richard, who had been quiet until then, suddenly sat in front of Sharon.
"Oh my God. "
His voice was a bit more high pitched as usual and his eyes flashed from her to the two men now beside her.
"Why haven't you all called for an ambulance yet?"
Both men still frowned as they heard Richard's barking. Andy's annoyance for being pushed out of the way, replaced by surprise, as he saw genuine concern in that weasel's eyes. Maybe this wasn't all about control, did he love her in his own obsessive way after all.
Sharon was well known with the accusatory way of questioning that was well known to Richard. He also liked to lash out at everyone around him. Always blaming other people. That was easy. He wouldn't look at his actions, or what he could have done different. He was right, always. It was the way he had been brought up. Always tended to by other people. Always being the one who would give the orders. No one should reply when not asked. That had probably been his first disappointment in her. She wouldn't always do as he'd say. She wouldn't always accept the things he did. She had a mind of her own and that had caused problems more than once.
"Because I'm fine. Would you stop yelling at my officers?"
He met her annoyance, the only way he knew how to react to her being like this, angry.
"What were you thinking?! I just saw that man, the size of him. And you decide, not only to interrogate him yourself, but you chose to do so with grandpa here!"
Provenza raised his eyebrows appalled. They didn't differ that much in age. "Grandpa?"
Richard narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze at the white-haired, overweight and clearly appalled man on Sharon's right.
"You must have been fit for your pension years ago. And that's about the only thing you look fit for."
Richard's eyes hinted at his rounded waist.
Sharon saw how Provenza's eyes widened even bigger than before, making you believe they could pop any moment. His face flushed red. He was going to explode if Richard would say one more word. And he would continue, Richard needed someone to blame, Provenza would be the one today. She would not have that. She didn't care about how he would treat his own colleagues, but she wouldn't let him treat hers that way.
"Richard."
Her tone of voice was accusative. He believed he would meet her typical stare as he looked back at her, but she closed her eyes as he did.
She tried to massage the space between her eyes, hoping it would lessen the terrible headache which was coming up. Sure, that it wasn't all caused by that chair colliding with her head. Richard yelling at her wasn't making this any better. His voice drummed in her head in unison with the dull ache that already had been present.
"This is exactly why I don't want you doing this job!"
Concerned Andy looked at Sharon, she wasn't feeling well, she was quiet, closed eyes, focusing on her breathing . This guy was not helping the condition she was in and he would have to protect her. The frown between his eyes deepened, squaring his shoulders, his tone of voice strong, determined.
"Will you stop yelling at her?"
Andy was aggravated. No matter what setting they were in now, he was going to protect her. She was hurt which probably made him forget about anything else. Right now she wasn't his Captain she was the woman he loved and Richard was hurting her. For weeks things had already been tense. Andy always been the one backing off, knowing she was able to deal with matters herself. But at this moment he saw her weak and injured. All bets were off now. She would have to calm him down, let him know that she was okay.
Sharon touched his hand, the warmth of her hand sending a sense of calmth through his veins. He met her eyes for a brief second. Soft green eyes, telling him she understood, telling him she was fine though. She could handle Richard, she had dealt with him for years. This guy was just pushing his buttons so fast, creeping under his skin like some bug.
Richard's eyes were almost a dark black when he clenched his jaw before he addressed Andy.
"Shut up! Stay out of this. I'm having a conversation with my wife here."
The way he emphasized 'my wife' was enraging Andy all over, blood boiling in his veins, focusing on his breathing, knowing Sharon wouldn't want him to blow up. His voice low and calm.
"The conversation ends now, pal."
Andy's eyes flashed a warning to make sure Richard knew he meant it. Richard returned his gaze back at Sharon.
"Would you tell your boyfriend to stay out of this? You are his superior after all."
Sharon's breathing hitched for a second, her eyes big, filled with shock as he just blabbed that information out, while they were surrounded by most of her team members.
Andy didn't look at his colleagues surrounding them. He could imagine the look on their faces. He didn't care much about their shock. The only one he cared about in this room was Sharon. He cared about her feelings a lot more than whatever anyone else was feeling. He saw the shock, combined with the betrayal that almost followed immediately afterwards.
Upon seeing her shock, Richard feigned innocence.
"Oh, they weren't supposed to know? Sharon this is one big mistake, clearly you're not thinking."
As soon as she captured her breath she hissed in a low tone of voice, as if the word hadn't already been out. Rather focusing on him than on the faces of her team members.
"It isn't any of your business."
"The hell it isn't."
He locked his eyes on hers. Sharon narrowed hers, but Richard wouldn't back off.
"You're a mother. What do our children think about this anyway? You changing to the Major Crimes division..and him.?"
While he spoke his last words he hinted at Andy with contempt. Then looked back at Sharon. She just stared for what seemed like minutes. Her green eyes looking into the sea of black that were his. Unable to let go of each other's gaze, a locked stare, as if they were the only ones in the room.
A smug smile curled on the corners of his mouth.
"You haven't told them yet."
It wasn't a question, it was an assumption. It annoyed her that he was still able to read her, after all these years they had been separated. He wasn't a part of her life anymore and he could still get into her mind like that. It was frustrating.
"So they would just find out one day, when I would have to call them with the news their mother was shot!"
Sharon tried to control her anger, breathing through although it was hard as she felt the anger boil in her veins. The drum of her heartbeat louder with each second that ticked away. He had always been opposed to her working for the LAPD.
"You know they won't like it, that's why you haven't told them yet."
The fact that Richard was right even more frustrating. He knew her too well. He knew their children. With the separation she had been able to cut him out of her life, but she would never be able to cut all the strings that had been once between them. He knew her for so long already, years of being able to explore her mind. She wouldn't admit it to him though. She couldn't bring herself to give him that satisfaction.
"You make it sound like I'm putting myself in the line of fire each day."
"Oh you didn't get injured today then?"
"It's just a scratch."
She dragged out her words, with each word passing, her voice getting louder.
"One inch higher and he could have killed you with that chair."
"Right now, I'm just getting a killer headache because of you."
"A doctor needs to look at that. I'll bring you to the hospital."
"No."
She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of playing the husband. Taking care of her needs. That wasn't his job anymore. It had stopped being his job a very long time ago.
"No?"
He didn't like to hear her say the word no. She knew that. He didn't like being said 'no' to in general. It would bug him endlessly when she wouldn't do as he expected her to or like he would tell her to. For her it was a way to show him she was in control of herself and she didn't want him to be involved in her life.
"I don't want you taking me anywhere."
Richard ignored her. He could tell she was being cross, probably because she was frustrated for him exposing her little secret. He didn't care, he was going to take care of her whether she wanted to or not. He reached out to touch her arm, but before he came into touch with it Andy had already blocked him.
"You heard her."
"Mind your own business."
Andy looked sharp at the pompous man in front of him.
"I am."
For a moment the two men stared at each other. Like two alpha males. Provenza witnessed it in awe. He couldn't believe it, when he had heard that man, calling Flynn her 'boyfriend'. But now he looked really protective of her. So this was true, Flynn, the man he had known for years, with whom he shared his love for the Red Socks with, was now, not only dating, but apparently also sleeping with the Wicked Witch. That's what that stupid grin had been about. The mere thought of it made his stomach turn. How could someone make a one hundred and eighty degrees turn like that?
Richard studied Flynn, his gaze. His brown eyes flashed with a warmer color, a warning sign. Clenched jaw the only other sign that he was tense. His chest heaving up and down steady, calm. He wasn't losing his temper, but he meant what he said. This guy wasn't going to back off. Not because of him anyway.
"You want to take this outside, Lieutenant?"
A small smile curled on Andy's lips, how would he love to. The thought of punching the lights out of that pompous weasel. To teach him a lesson once and for all as it was long overdue. He could imagine Sharon wouldn't be happy though. Besides that guy was right about one thing, a doctor should check out that gash on her forehead. This had to end now, sooner than later. So he shook his head, smug smile on his face.
"Nope, don't feel threatened by you one bit. Besides I have more important things to take care of."
The only thing that mattered now was taking care of Sharon. He wanted her out of there. To a doctor to take care of the gash on her forehead. It was deep and her being nauseous worried him. She could have a concussion. She would need to rest. The last thing she would need was him going out to fight with Richard and leaving her behind with their shocked colleagues. He wanted her out of this environment. Andy turned to Sharon.
"Come on, let's get you to a doctor."
Sharon just stared at him for a moment. Confused gaze in her eyes, dazed. Unsure whether it was caused by the drumming in her head, that seemed to get worse, or Andy just backing on the opportunity, she was sure, he had waited for, since the first time he had butted heads with Richard, to punch some sense into him. She knew his buttons had been pushed. Richard had the tendency to get under your skin real fast. So he was restraining himself and all for her. Andy put her needs first, not his ego. She wasn't used to that, but it touched her heart in so many ways words never would be able to.