Chapter 3

…

Sharon stood with her arms folded trying to pull herself together as she looked over at the courthouse, firemen, bomb squad rushing around trying to determine how bad the damage was inside. Andy had left her for a few minutes to check in with Louie, when he returned he saw the fear in her eyes, her lips trembling. He lay a gentle hand on her arm, bringing her out of her trace.

"Sharon, how you doing?"

"Honestly…not good, I need to see her Andy. I need to know she's okay."

"All in good time."

"Andy I can't just stand here and do nothing." She turned to look at him, trying to get back in to her role as Captain. "What's happening over there?" She asked, looking over at the team.

"Provenza sent Sykes to get the security footage from the place across the street; we might get something from it…if any luck, the person who did this."

"That sounds too good to be true." She replied quietly.

"Hey, don't give up hope."

"Do they know?" She asked, eyeing him carefully.

"What? Who?"

"The team, do they know about my relationship with Andrea?"

"Why would they."

"I thought perhaps you…"

"Hey, listen Sharon…you're my best friend and I confide in you all the time with all my crap. You trusted me to keep your relationship with Andrea private and that's what I've done. I haven't told them a thing and I never will, if they need to know and, or if you feel you're ready to tell them then it will come from you and only you. I would never betray your trust; I could never do that to you."

Andy saw defeat in Sharon's face as he pulled her into his arms as her tears began again.

…

Louie was busy watching the interaction between Andy and Sharon that he never heard Julio walking up behind him.

"Lieutenant."

"What is it Julio."

"Sykes has the video footage, do you want us to take it back to base and see if we can find anything."

"Yeah good idea."

"What's going on with the Captain, has she and DDA Hobbs had a fight or something?"

"Can you honestly see the Captain falling out with anyone, hell I've no idea what's going on. I'm sure she'd tell us if she wanted too."

"I'll call if we find anything."

"Talk soon."

Louie watched Amy and Julio leave as Buzz stood watching another body being carried out.

"Lieutenant, do you think it's Hobbs."

"Don't even go there Buzz, and for god sake don't let the Captain hear you speak like that."

Sharon looked up when Andy drew back and saw the body being carried out.

"Oh my god Andy…"

She released herself from Andy's grasp, ducking under the "Do Not Cross" tape.

"Sharon wait…" Andy yelled.

Louie rushed over to Andy, noticing Sharon running off.

"What the hell is she doing?"

"Just leave it Louie."

Sharon rushed over, stopping the officer from taking the body away.

"Wait, please…I need to know who this is. Do we have a name?"

"Ma'am, her name's Kathleen Marsden…one of the jurors."

"Thank you." She replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Would you like to see the…."

"No, no I'm alright thank you."

Sharon stood back as they carried the body away, she looked back to see Andy and Louie watching her, Andy's face full of worry. She watched the police everywhere and then at the main entrance to the courtroom, something inside her in that moment snapped and she couldn't stop her feet as she felt herself rushing towards the courthouse. Andy's eyes widened as he watched her.

"What the hell is she doing, oh god no…SHARON…SHARON GET BACK HERE."

Officer Kirk followed Andy's gaze and just caught a glimpse of Sharon as she ran inside the building.

"What the hell is she playing at?"

"Listen, she knows what she's doing." Andy said, not really believing his own words.

"She is completely out of order, she has no jurisdiction here."

"Her friend is in there, she needs to know she's alright."

"Yes I understand that and that's what we're here for, you'd better pray nothing happens to her."

…

When Sharon entered the building all she could see in front of her was smoke and darkness, the smell immediately getting to her as she began to cough. She took a tissue from her pocket and covered her mouth with it as she made her way through. There was rubble lying all over the place, lighting fixtures hanging down from the explosion. She tripped over what she thought was brick, turning to look down she noticed the body of an older man, bending down she felt for a pulse but the man was already dead, a deep laceration to his head caused by a falling brick. She searched his pockets and pullet out a wallet and looked for some id, she felt a tear escape from the corner of her eye as she read the name on the drivers license…Frank Cooper. The first thing that jumped out when she's opened the wallet was the picture of a woman holding a small baby in her arms, she assumed it was his wife and grandchild. She closed the wallet and gently placed it back inside his pocket.

"I'm so very sorry this happened to you." She spoke softly before getting back up.

She walked a few more yards and heard muffled cried coming from her left.

"ANDREA…ANDREA ARE YOU HERE…IT'S SHARON."

Andrea could hear the familiar voice calling her name, the soft voice that always seemed to calm her when she was anxious about work or upset over the stupidest little thing. She called out for her but her throat was sore from breathing in the smoke.

"Sha…ron."

"Andrea are you in here, Andrea…"

"Sharon, Sharon over here."

Andrea slowly lifted her arm as best she could before feeling the pain in her side again. Sharon scanned the room, tilting her head in case she heard something. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a hand, walking slowly over she could make out a figure under some rubble. As she got closer the blonde hair became more apparent, she could recognize that hair a mile off. Rushing over to the still form, she knelt down and Andrea's face came in to view.

"Oh my god, Andrea honey it's me…its Sharon, can you hear me."

Andrea opened her eyes to see Sharon staring back at her, never had she been so relieved to see her face.

"Sharon I…."

"It's okay, you're okay. How bad are you?"

"Pain…in my side."

"Here?" Sharon said, examining her right side.

"Other side."

Sharon got up and came around to inspect the source of Andrea's discomfort. She tried to hold back the gasp that escaped her lips when she saw the piece of metal sticking out of her side.

"Oh my god…."

"Sharon." Andrea said, noticing the fear on Sharon's face.

"You're going to be okay, I'm going to go and get some help…just hang in there okay."

"The Judge…over there." Andrea pointed.

Sharon followed her gaze to see Judge Franklin unconscious a few feet away.

"I'm going to go and get you both some help okay, I'll be back shortly."

"Sharon I…I…"

"I know, I love you too."

Sharon brushed some hair from her face and placed a small kiss to Andrea's lips before getting up and rushing out to get help.

…

To Be Continued…