I apologize for the delay in the posting of this chapter. I was really hoping to get it posted before Christmas since it covers Christmas day, but my 4 month old has been going through a sleep regression the past couple of weeks. Though I have been able to read other great stories, I didn't have the time I would like to sit and write. Life has been a little hectic :)

This will be the final chapter. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you once again for all of your kind words and support. It has made writing all the more rewarding.

All mistakes are mine, and mine alone.

Chapter 4

Sharon began stirring awake well before her alarm was set to go off- which was already set quite early. She felt overheated. Andy was pressed tightly against her back with his arm draped over her waist and his face buried in her neck. He must've rolled with her during the night. They usually began the night snuggled close with Sharon tucked into his side and her head on his shoulder or chest, but eventually she would roll toward her side of the bed. Andy literally exuded heat like a furnace. For the most part she loved having her own personal heater; she typically runs cold, but there were times his warmth became too much, like now. Normally, when she rolled away from him during the night, they would remain on their own sides. On a few occasions, like last night, he would follow her and she would wake up as she did this morning-overheated. She had come to realize this generally happened when the previous day was emotional or taxing-like a visit from Jack. He seemed to subconsciously need to be as close as possible to her. Sharon didn't mind his need to be near. She quite enjoyed it, until she woke up too soon as a result of it.

She tried to ease herself slowly out of the bed without disturbing him, but she felt the arm around her waist tighten and tug her back. "It's too damn early, even for you. Get back here."

She sighs and rolls to face him. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to not wake you. I got too hot." She brushes a kiss against his jaw. His eyes were open, but still heavy with sleep.

"You're always hot." He waggles his eyebrows at her before placing a responding kiss atop her nose. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to crowd you."

"It's okay. I really don't mind all that much." Sharon brushes her fingers through the hair at his temples before she rests her hand on his chest.

"Good." He tightens his arms around her and pulls her even closer. "I wouldn't mind staying like this all day."

She laughs quietly and burrows her head further into his chest. Perhaps being overheated wasn't so bad after all. Her voice is muffled when she says, "I wouldn't either, but I'm pretty sure the kids would not appreciate it. They will want to be fed and to open gifts."

Andy lets out a deep sigh and closes his eyes tight. "Fine. Just five more minutes, Mom."

Sharon leans her head back to look at him. Her smile widens. He really can be adorable. "I will give you five more minutes... or you could join me in the shower and help me wash my hair and back."

Andy's eyes shoot open. "Five more minutes? Who needs five more minutes?" He throws the blankets off them with a quick jerk of his hand. The cool air from the room rushes over her causing a shiver to run though her. Andy climbs over her and practically jogs to the bathroom. Sharon begins moving at a more sedate pace.

By the time she eases herself out of the bed and heads towards the bathroom, Andy already has the water running. When she walks in, he steps up to her and reaches for the hem of her nightgown, indicating his intentions. She lifts her arms and he swoops her nightgown over her head in one swift move, and then quickly tugs his pajama bottoms and boxers down and kicks them aside. Sharon giggles. "Andy, there's no need to rush. It's quite early and the kids are still asleep. We will not be interrupted."

Andy grasps Sharon by the waist and maneuvers them into the shower before closing the door. "I can't help it. I'm excited. We don't get to shower together enough. It's like another Christmas present for me," he exclaims eagerly.

It is true showers together are rare. When they lived at the condo, they seldom shared one. Sharon was afraid Rusty would overhear. The tile in that bathroom echoed a lot. Not to mention it was not very large and barely fit the both of them together. Even now that they have their own en suite and much larger shower, they don't always get ready at the same time. If Andy doesn't have to head to a crime scene, he likes stay in bed the extra thirty minutes while Sharon fixes her hair.

"Well, far be it from me to put a damper on you're excitement. Please continue." She loops her arms around his neck to pull him down for a long lingering kiss. When they pull apart, Andy tilts her head back underneath the stream and begins massaging her scalp.

"Hmm, I like that your presents quickly become presents for me, too." Her smile broadens as Andy responds by dropping a chaste kiss to her lips. It was already starting out to be a wonderful Christmas. Sharon was looking forward to the rest of the day.

Andy left Sharon to finish getting dressed as he headed to the kitchen. It always took her a longer because she had to fix her hair. He figured he could get a start on the coffee and the batter for the waffles Sharon wanted for breakfast. She told him as long as he didn't go anywhere near the bacon, that would be fine. Andy had overcooked the bacon once, just once, and she never let him forget it. It didn't matter that it was entirely her fault for distracting him with a short silk robe that showcased her perfect legs. It was a time when they were still at the condo and Rusty had stayed the night with Gus. It was an opportunity for them to have the condo to themselves, and they took advantage of it. Though he enjoyed himself immensely, it also got him banned from cooking bacon for her. Andy could honestly say he didn't regret it.

As he turned the corner to the kitchen, he was surprised to find Gus working at the island. "Hey, Gus. You're up early." Andy heads straight to the coffee maker. "Oh, uh, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. I'm sorry if I'm in your way. I wanted to make a couple of dishes to take to Nicole's. I was going to prep them last night at my apartment, " Gus gives a one shoulder shrug, "but Sharon wanted us to stay, so yea."

"You're not in the way. That's the great thing about this kitchen; there is plenty of counter space. You know you didn't have to make anything to take. Just your company is more than enough." He pulls down two mugs when Gus nods at his silent question for coffee.

"Well, honestly I wanted to try out these new recipes that the head chef gave me," he says indicating the pages in front him. From what he could see they were hand-written recipe with notes in the margins. "I figured this would be a good time."

"I don't mind being your guinea pig." Andy smiles while rubbing his stomach. "You haven't prepared a bad dish yet. Did we have everything you needed?"

"Oh yea. My boss let me have the left over bread from the day. Then Rusty and I stopped by the grocery story before the party. We were going to take it back to my place afterward, but we never left. I hope it's okay that I borrowed a casserole dish and serving tray. I promise I will clean up afterward. "

Andy waved him off. Gus was always neat when he cooked. "Don't worry about it. I can always take care of whatever's left with the breakfast dishes. You know we want you to feel at home here, Gus. So please, borrow and use what you need."

"Thanks. Sharon tells me that all the time, but sometimes I'm still uncomfortable just taking over," he smiled shyly.

"I understand. We just won't tell Sharon that." Andy smiles before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Tell Sharon what?" Sharon walks in as she finishes putting on her earring.

"That I cook bacon better than you." Andy smiles mischievously as he grabs her favorite mug and fills it for her.

Sharon rolls her eyes as she accepts the cup of coffee and chooses to ignore his comment. "Good morning, Gus. Merry Christmas."

"Is Rusty up?" Sharon walked to the fridge to add cream to her coffee and pulls out a large package of bacon.

"No, none of the others are up yet." Gus covered the casserole and serving dish to place them in the fridge. He rinsed and loaded the dishes that he used despite Andy telling him he would take care of them. "If you will excuse me," he grabs the mug Andy had given him, "I'm going to go shower and get dressed before breakfast."

She pulls the large frying pan from the cabinet. "No worries. You have time. Will you make sure Rusty is up when you're done?"

"Of course." He nods as he makes his exit from the kitchen.

When he was sure Gus was gone, Andy walked up behind Sharon to wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck. "You will not distract me, Andrew Flynn, just so you can claim that you're not the only one who burns the bacon." She glares at him over her shoulder. "You had your fun last night and this morning. Behave."

Andy raises his hands in surrender. "I was just saying good morning...again." He bestowed her with one of his lopsided grins that usually got him out of hot water. She shook her head at him even though she had a responding wide grin on her face. Andy turned to begin ladling batter into the waffle maker.

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Andy and Sharon arrived at Nicole's ahead of her kids so they could exchange gifts with the boys before everyone began to arrive. Rusty was going to drive Gus, Ricky, and Emily over closer to lunchtime. Andy also wanted to arrive a little early just in case Nicole did need help with the preparation, despite her saying it was covered. Shortly after everyone had arrived they all gathered around the dining table. Thankfully Nicole and Dean had a large formal dining room and table that could seat all fourteen of them. They just had to squeeze in a couple of extra chairs. Sharon and Andy were surprised to see an unfamiliar face upon their arrival. Daniel had brought his girlfriend Hannah. Andy had heard her name mentioned a couple of times recently, but he had no idea it was serious. He tried to overlook the pain he felt that there was yet another aspect of his son's life that he was left out. Nicole and Vicki were surprised by her attendance and seemed to know her well.

Jake was currently engrossed in telling Ricky and Emily the story of how he broke his arm. His parents and grandparents were trying to stifle their laughs because he seemed to exaggerate more and more details each time he told it. The story he was currently telling was quite a bit different from the story he told Sharon and Andy upon their arrival, which was different from the story he told Vicki and Greg.

When he was done with his long tale he turned to Ricky and asked, "Have you ever broken any bones?"

Ricky smirked, "Oh yea, I broke my leg in 3 different places when I was younger." His grin widened when he caught his mother rolling her eyes.

"How did you do it?" It was Ethan who asked the question.

"Well, my friend had a trampoline and we had pushed..." He grunts when Emily, who was seated next to him, stomps on his foot. When he turns to look at her she gives him a pointed look. He was going to object, but then he saw his mother shaking her head.

Emily turns to the boys and smiles, "He was making poor decisions and not following the proper rules and regulations for jumping on the trampoline." She didn't want her brother to give the boys any bright ideas by telling them he broke his leg by jumping off the roof of his friend's house and failed to stick his landing.

Andy leaned in and whispers into Sharon's ear, "She really is your daughter. She loves the rules." When she glared at him over her glasses he just smirked at her before placing kiss to her temple.

"Gus, this is delicious. What is it again?" Dean posed the question to change the subject. He deduced that the story Ricky was going to tell could potentially lead to more trips to the ER and he was not looking forward to doing that anytime soon.

"It's kind of like a sweetbread pudding, but with a few adjustments." Gus smiled timidly. He was a little uncomfortable with all the attention suddenly be drawn to him.

"Dad mentioned that you were learning to cook. I didn't realize you were so good." Nicole exclaimed.

"Thank you. I still feel like I have a lot to learn." He glanced hesitantly at Rusty sitting next to him. Mentioning his boss didn't always go over well with his boyfriend. "Thankfully my boss has really been helpful and taken an interest in me. I've learned a few things cooking during the night shifts at one of his restaurants." The eye roll and sigh Rusty gave did not go unnoticed by half the table.

Andy spoke up, "Well, I for one love getting to try your new recipes. You could cook for us anytime. We don't use our kitchen nearly enough. Which is funny since this one," he hooks a thumb as Sharon next to him, "demanded we have a large kitchen."

Sharon scoffs. "I did not demand it, I simply thought it would be nice...for you." Her tone changes to a more teasing note. "I know you're getting closer and closer to retirement and I look forward to having dinner on the table for me every evening."

"Me? Why do I have to do all the cooking?" Andy feigns a look of mock exasperation. It wasn't that Sharon was a bad chef, but it wasn't her favorite past time. Andy on the other hand loved being able to get his hands messy in the kitchen. Their schedule didn't permit for it very often though.

"Because you made the error of cooking for me on a few occasions and I know that you are very, very good at it." She smiles sweetly at him. "And you enjoy it."

Andy was a little shocked when Vicki was the one to respond. "I will give her that, Andy. You have always been good in the kitchen."

"Oh yes, Dad. All of Grandma's classic Italian recipes," Nicole sighs wistfully. "I've never been able to come close. I tried making fresh pasta once and failed miserably."

Dean chuckles, "It wasn't that bad." He paused and winked at her. "It was still edible...sort of." Nicole's narrowed her eyes at her husband.

"Well apparently I will be slaving away in my big new kitchen. You're more than welcome to join me. I will impart some of Ma's secrets on you," he says with a wink.

"I would really love that, Dad," she says while nodding enthusiastically. "Maybe we don't have to wait until you retire and we can get together soon."

"Yea." Andy had to swallow past the lump in his throat. Even though they had been spending more time together and their relationship seemed to be back on track, it still overwhelmed him when Nicole seemed eager to spend time with him." After the holidays and things settle down for you, we can take a look at our schedules and see when will be good. We can make a day of it. The boys have been asking to go swimming again." He turns his gaze from Nicole to Daniel hoping that he would understand the silent invitation. "We would love to have you all over."

Daniel nods. "It's been a while since I had one of Grandma's recipes."

It was a vague response. Not necessarily a 'yes,' but it wasn't a 'no' either. Andy would take it. Daniel didn't live in town, but he only lived a couple of hours away in San Diego. Andy knew he had been visiting his sister and mom more on the weekends. He hoped at some point Daniel would include him in one of those visits. He felt a light squeeze to his knee and glanced over at Sharon. She was smiling in understanding at him. It was always a risk reaching out to Daniel. He mostly got rejected, but he would remain optimistic that it would change.

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Lunch had been consumed and the boys wanted to show off their new helicopter drones that their Uncle Daniel had gifted them. Vicki volunteered herself and Sharon to do the clean up since Nicole did all the preparations. Andy had raised his eyebrows in concern at the suggestion, but Sharon assured him she would be fine. He should go enjoy his kids and grandkids. He reluctantly agreed, but only if Sharon promised to get him if she needed him. She mentally scoffed at the idea of her not being able to handle Vicki, but she agreed with him nonetheless. It seemed Vicki wanted to talk to her and she was very curious what it could be about.

The two women worked together quietly at first. Sharon was scraping and rinsing off the dishes while Vicki loaded them. Sharon knew Vicki wasn't one to beat aroound the bush and would get to the point fairly quick. She was not disappointed when the other woman spoke.

"Soooo," Vicki draws out the first word. "How is Andy's health?"

"He's doing really well. I would say better than even before the dust up with the car incident." Sharon gazed at her speculatively, wondering where this conversation was headed.

"That's good to hear." When Sharon gave her a pointed look indicating she should get to the point, Vicki sighed and continued. "It's just that I worry Nicole won't get the time she wants with her dad, and that Daniel won't take the opportunity before it's too late. I know it's hard to believe because I'm not always the best at showing it, but I do want my children to have a relationship with their father. I've come to realize that maybe keeping him from them all those years wasn't the right thing to do, even if it felt like it at the time."

"I understand that." Sharon had questioned her decisions many times over the years. It was hard to say if allowing Jack to remain an active participant in their children's lives (even if his appearances were few and far between) was the wisest. She likes to think she did what was best for Ricky and Emily. One thing she did know is that she couldn't go back and change it now.

"I know he's been sober for 20-plus years, but it's still hard for me to let go of our past and completely trust him. I let my feelings towards him impact my children's relationship with him and I wonder now if it did more harm than good." Sharon noticed a look of guilt briefly flash across the other woman's face before it was covered by a smirk. " However, in my defense, even sober he can still be quite the ass."

"Oh, I know. He knows it, too." Sharon laughed quietly. She paused briefly to consider just how much she should share with Vicki. She didn't necessarily know if it was her place to say anything, but if it helped Andy with his children, it was a risk she was willing to take. "He does try to be on his best behavior with you, even though it doesn't always seem like it, but he will probably never like Greg. He was able to do what Andy couldn't at the time. It's not pleasant to feel replaced and that hurt runs deep within him, even if it was caused by his own actions. That actually makes it worse, knowing it's his fault." Sharon shrugged.

She and Andy have had several conversations about Greg and his relationship with the kids- the first one occurring at Nicole's wedding. He almost didn't attend the wedding because he didn't want to share the responsibility of walking Nicole down the aisle with the man. He felt as if he had already shared enough of his fatherly duties with Greg. It wasn't that he was a bad guy; deep down Andy was grateful his children had a positive male role model in their lives. It was that Greg was a constant reminder of everything Andy wasn't able to be for a time in their kid's lives.

"I can see how he would feel that way. I can also see the role I have played in making him feel that way. I'm not proud of it. I've only done what I thought was best for the kids. Right now, I think what's best is for them to get to know their father. I'm pleased Nicole is taking the opportunity and it seems to be very beneficial for her. I just wish Daniel would do the same. I've tried nudging him in that direction, but he is as stubborn as his father." Both women chuckled. "The thing is, I don't want to interfere too much. I did that enough when they were younger. I think Daniel needs to come to this decision on his own."

"Trust me, I understand. I tell Emily and Ricky that when it comes to their relationship with their father, I'm neutral. However," Sharon smiled guiltily, "I have found myself forbidding him from seeing them if he's not sober and dictating what they are allowed to share with him-mainly not to disclose anything new information about me. I want them to have a relationship with him, but I can't help but be cautious. Jack doesn't have the 20 years of sobriety that Andy has behind him. He doesn't really put for the effort to be sober unless he's trying to prove a point. I don't personally know what it's like to be on that side of alcoholism, but Andy will be the first to tell you that you have to work at being sober for yourself first before factoring in anyone else."

"I would never tell Andy this, and I will deny it vehemently if you tell him," Vicki pointed at her for emphasis, "but I'm proud of the hard work he has done in his recovery. He's come a long way. I know it wasn't easy for him."

Sharon chuckled. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I wouldn't want to disrupt the status-quo and have other's thinking you two actually like each other." Just like she would never tell Vicki that Andy had admitted once that he was glad she had kept the kids from him when he wasn't sober. He had already given them enough bad memories to overcome.

Vicki just shook her head. She wouldn't say that she and Andy necessarily liked each other, but they could be civil. "Daniel was going to attend your party last night." This caused Sharon to raise her eyebrows. Though they had invited him, neither she nor Andy really expected him to show. "When Nicole wasn't able to make it, he changed his mind. I tried to convince him to still go, but he wouldn't go without his sister. I just hope Andy continues to be persistent and invites him to do things."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. He will never give up." Sharon says with certainty.

"I think that has something to do with what Nicole has named, the Sharon Effect." Vicki gestures with a flourish of her hand.

Sharon scoffs and shakes her head. "I can promise you Andy's desire to have a relationship with his children has nothing to do with me. Our friendship began with him being who he is. I do however believe that my presence in his life has made you and the kids more willing to get to know Andy now."

Vicki tilts her head from side-to-side as she considers Sharon's words. "You may be right about that."

"Trust me, I am." Sharon smiles confidently as she hands Vicki the last dish to be loaded.

Vicki laughs loudly. "I like your no nonsense attitude. Andy needs it to balance out his stubbornness."

"There are times that I need his stubbornness," Sharon says quietly as she wipes down the countertops one last time.

"I would imagine so." Vicki adds the dish tab to the dishwasher before closing the door and starting it. "Come on. Let's go see what everyone else is up to. If I keep you in here any longer, Andy is going to come looking for you. He's afraid of what I might do."

Sharon chuckled. "He sometimes forgets I can take care of myself."

"Yes, his male ego can get the best of him." Vicki shakes her head at the thought. "Sharon, thank you for talking with me. It has put my mind at some ease." She places a hand on Sharon's arm and gives a reassuring squeeze.

Sharon returns the gesture. "It was my pleasure. I hope we can do this again sometime since it seems we will be seeing each other at future family functions."

"That would be nice," Vicki agrees.

The two women exit the kitchen in search of the others. They found Nicole, Emily, and Hannah with their heads together over a tablet. It seemed like they were scouring the internet for latest trends in handbags and shoes. They had found a common topic of interest. All the boys were still outside. When Sharon peered out the window, it seemed Andy and Daniel were having a conversation as they watched the other adults assist the boys with their helicopters. A shy smile crossed Daniel's face in response to something Andy said. Sharon could still sense Daniels reluctance, but the fact they were talking amongst themselves was an improvement.

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When Sharon exits their bathroom, she finds Andy turning down their bed with a huge grin on his face. He was never this happy about clearing off the pillows. She leans against the door watching him for a few seconds more, before joining him as he climbs under the blankets and leans against the headboard.

"What are you grinning about?" Andy turns to face her and his smile broadened as he looks at her. She couldn't help but mimic his smile. His joy was infections.

He reaches out and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before responding. "I'm happy. Very happy." He leans in and gives her a chaste kiss.

"I can see that." She giggles. "Is there a particular reason for this happiness?"

"It was a good Christmas. A really happy day." He shrugs one shoulder before continuing. "I know we spent last Christmas together, and it was great, too, but this year was even better." His face changes to contemplation as he thinks about how to express his next thought. "Last year, this thing between us was fairly new and we were still figuring out how we worked. I mean, I knew what I wanted and I'd hoped that we would get there, but I never expected that it would feel this good. I just feel like we are past all the uncertainty and we are finally building a life together outside the two of us."

Sharon nods in understanding. "We have this beautiful house and a family to share it with, just like you have always wanted." Her smile expands as she looks him in the eyes. "I never expected that we would be here either or that I would want to be this serious with someone again. And no matter how well things went with us, I never expected that our children would get along so well and would treat each other like...siblings. Andy, I love that we are building a life together, too."

Andy felt huge relief. He always seemed to be a step or two ahead of Sharon in their relationship. Combining their households was a huge step, but combining all aspects of their lives, particularly their families, was better than he could ever imagine. He chuckles, "Yea, Dean and Daniel were dreading the outcome of the girls planned shopping trip tomorrow before Emily leaves. Dean says they don't have much room left in their closet, and Daniel wasn't sure if he would have a place to sit in his car when they head back to San Diego. Hopefully Emily is mindful of the fact that she does have to fly back, therefore has limited space."

Sharon laughs. "Don't be surprised if she buys an extra suitcase just to hold all of her new purchases. She wouldn't think twice about paying to check extra luggage if it meant new handbags and shoes. I have taught her well." She smiles proudly when Andy just grunts and rolls his eyes. Before he could make a snarky comment she changes the subject. "How is Daniel? It looked like the two of you were having a good time."

Sharon didn't think that his grin could get any bigger, but she was wrong. "He's good, and, yea, we had a good talk," He beamed. "He said he would let me know when he was in town next so we could hopefully get together. work permitting. At the very least, we plan on catching a Dodgers game this spring when the new season starts."

"That's great, Andy. I'm happy to hear it." She reaches for his hand that lies between them and squeezes.

"Yea." He scoots down to lay flat on is back and tugs her with him. He lets out a content sigh when she settles snuggly into his side. "So, it was a really happy day. "

"Hmm," Sharon hums. "Indeed it was. Now I would like to get some sleep. I have a big shopping day planned for tomorrow with our daughters and Vicki."

"Oh God," Andy groans. He didn't realize that the kids had coaxed Sharon and Vicki into their plans. "At least I get to benefit from all of your heels." He places two fingers under her chin and tips her head so that she's looking at him. "Your legs look spectacular in them." He drew her lips into a deep kiss.

"I'm pleased my shoe obsession is mutually beneficial for the both of us." She laughs against his lips. "Goodnight, Andy. I love you."

"I love you, too." He kisses her once me before she tucks her head back under his chin. He begins to repeatedly stroke his hand from her hip to her shoulder. He felt Sharon's breathing even out as she drifted to sleep. He had definitely hoped that they could create a life together, but he never expected it to go this well or to be this happy. It was the best Christmas he had in a long time.

-END-

A/N: Since we don't know too much about Andy's ex I decided to portray her in a more positive light. I definitely think that she and Andy have their differences and probably squabble often, but I also think that their relationship is evolving just as Andy's has with his kids. When Andy was hospitalized after fainting Sharon mentioned calling her. This leads me to think they have a decent speaking relationship. Some of you may not agree, but to each your own, right?

I hope you all enjoyed this. I'm not sure what I will write next, but I would love to write more. If you have any suggestions or requests, please pass them along. We still have over a month left in this hiatus and I need something to get me through!