More Than Luck

By: Kadi

Rated: M

Chapter 18

By Tuesday of the following week, the final reports had been delivered regarding the shooting which had taken place at Sharon's condo. FID had cleared her, and SIS had also turned in their report. The SIS supervisor, along with Lieutenant Provenza, and Captain Raydor had gathered in Assistant Chief Taylor's office to go over the final conclusions of the case. DDA Rios was also present, as the case impacted her impending trial action.

With the investigation concluded, Sharon's condo had been released only the previous evening. She had not been back to it yet, but Sykes and Sanchez had gathered several bags worth of items for herself and Rusty. Neither Detective had been particularly comfortable with going through the Captain's private things, but Sykes had managed to gather several comfortable items of clothing, a couple of suits in case they were needed, and other personal items, makeup, shampoo and the like. Sharon was finally beginning to feel like herself again. It helped, too, that she was on the mend.

Her phone had also been released, and Rusty once again had his laptop, chess board, and iPod. They were still guests in Andy's home, but they didn't feel quite so disconnected any longer. It was amazing how just a few personal belongings could help reconnect one with the world.

Andy had a few things to say about her coming in today, but she was on the mend. She felt much better than she had during the weekend. It was nearing a week since the attack. Her injury sight was still incredibly sore, and it hurt when she moved, more so since she began taking less of the pain relievers and relying more on over the counter medications. Her knee was still painful to walk on, but she could walk on it. She was moving slowly, but she was moving. It helped, the movement. It kept her body loose and as long as she did not over do it, it made it that much easier to move the next time she needed to.

She might not have been office ready yet, and she certainly wasn't about to put herself back on duty, but Sharon needed to hear the report. She needed to know how Douglas Grand had gotten past all of them to the point of nearly killing her… of almost getting to Rusty.

"Alright everyone," Taylor indicated the SIS supervisor handling the Captain's case. "Now that we are all here, let's go through it."

Lieutenant Marcus nodded. "We managed to piece together the sequence of events from the night of the attack based on the Captain's statement, and the statements from Lieutenant Flynn, and Detective Sanchez. We also spoke to the uniform officer who was responsible for the Captain's security on the night in question." He glanced around the room before continuing. "According to the Officer, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just another resident taking his trash out. The resident returned a few minutes later, and that's when he was incapacitated. The officer was, as we all know, found in the stairwell later." The Lieutenant drew a breath. "It turns out, our suspect, Douglas Grand, was in fact a resident at the complex. He rented a unit on the ninth floor under an alias. He had apparently been living there for about seven months. Inside the apartment we found discarded drafts of previous letters, the notebook they were written from, and other weapons. We also found pictures both of Captain Raydor as well as Rusty Beck."

"So he was right under our noses the entire time," Sharon stated quietly.

"When we began looking into the threats, we had no reason to investigate Douglas Grand," Marcus said. "He was a fellow witness in the case. He was already facing his own charges. The fact that he was present at the events that place Rusty Beck in a position to testify were fact. He really didn't gain anything from stopping the trial."

"No," Sharon said. "But that isn't what he was after was it? In the end he wanted to blame Rusty for his own mistakes."

"Continue, Lieutenant," Taylor nodded. He wanted to get through it, so that they could officially close the case and move on.

"Mister Grand gained access to the residence after dispatching the Officer. He picked both the primary lock and the secondary deadbolt. He then used a small set of wire cutters to remove the chain lock. From the Captain's statement, and the evidence we were able to use to corroborate that… he entered the residence while she was in the rear section, master bath. As the Captain was waiting for Lieutenant Flynn to arrive, and the Lieutenant has a key to the residence, she left the bedroom believing that the entry she heard was the Lieutenant arriving, she met the suspect in the hall. They exchanged words, at which point Mister Grand became extremely agitated. The Captain was able to use the master bedroom as cover when the suspect's weapon was discharged. At that point, the two engaged in a physical altercation as the Captain attempted to disarm the suspect. She was subsequently injured and forced to subdue the suspect by shooting him." He took a moment to let the details sink in. When the Captain nodded, agreeing with that series of events, he continued. "Afterward, the Captain was unable to use the phone in her room to call for additional support, so she attempted to reach the phone in the outer room, losing consciousness in the process. Detective Sanchez arrived on the scene with the Captain's ward later, followed shortly by Lieutenant Flynn. After that, it is a matter of the incident commander's log."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Taylor folded his hands together on his desk. "Do you have any further questions for the Captain, or are you satisfied with closing the investigation at this time?"

"No, Chief." Marcus replied. "We can close. FID has already cleared Captain Raydor, and we agree with their findings."

"In that case, Lieutenant, you are dismissed. Thank you." He nodded to the man, but indicated for the others to remain behind.

"Yes sir. Ma'am, Lieutenant." He nodded to each of the others before taking his file and leaving with it.

"DDA Rios," Taylor turned his attention on her next. "The Department is satisfied with the findings of the investigation. How about the District Attorney's office?"

"We agree. With the conclusion of the case, it seems any further threats to the material witness, Rusty," she added at the sharp look the Captain gave her. "Have been eliminated. Phillip Stroh's activities in jail will continue to be monitored, in case he decides to take a page out of Mister Strand's notebook, but otherwise we're satisfied with the end result. With the obvious exception of the Captain's injuries."

"Obviously," Provenza muttered.

Sharon gave a slight shake of her head, silencing him. "Can we agree then that we can lift the police protection on both Rusty and myself?"

"I don't want to completely let him run wild," Emma stated. "But I can agree to loosen the net a little. We will concede to allowing Rusty to return to his school, if he wishes to do so, but no car…" She pointed a finger at them. "We still need to have the appearance of protecting a material witness. We cannot be offering him things like… cars and… anything else which could be construed by the defense as a bribe."

Sharon sighed softly. "Emma, it isn't a bribe." She smiled wanly at the younger woman. "I'm trying to adopt Rusty. The papers have already been filed. There's a very good possibility that by the time your trial comes around he won't be a foster child living with an LAPD officer anymore. Legally, he will be my son."

The office grew silent. They were waiting for Emma to have one of her famous outbursts, but instead she inclined her head at them. "You know, I can work with that." She pointed at the Captain. "No, really," she said at their surprised looks. "That works. Once you adopt Rusty, there are legal ramifications. You can't just toss him back into foster care, or onto the street. Not that I think you would, or am in anyway insinuating that, Captain. I'm simply stating that, if the adoption is final by the time we go to trial… the defense can argue favors for testimony until they are blue in the face, but I can fight that. Easily."

"Well, why didn't you say so before," Provenza glared at her. "We could have done this months ago."

"Lieutenant," Sharon simply shook her head at him again. "Well, I'll keep that in mind, Emma. Are there any other restrictions you would like enforced on Rusty? I can agree to having him dropped off and picked up at school as he was the previous school year."

"No," she said. "Just be cautious. I don't think any of us are ready to completely let our guard down yet. The trial is getting closer, but we still have some time. You can tell Rusty that barring any further threats, I see no reason for continued house arrest, or witness protection."

"He'll be thrilled," Sharon stated.

"I think that settles everything nicely." Taylor rose from his seat and noticed the others did as well, although the Captain far more slowly and with assistance from Provenza. "Captain, go home. We need you back on duty, not back in a hospital. We appreciate you coming in today, but… the rest of us hurt just looking at you."

"For once, I'm not going to argue." Sharon limped toward the door, keeping one hand on the older Lieutenant's shoulder. She had warn flats with her dress pants and blouse. Just the thought of heels and her knee had ached in warning. For the moment, she was stiff from sitting for so long, the chairs in the Chief's office were not meant for comfort, she decided.

"You, not argue?" Provenza smirked at her. "What kind of medicine are they giving you?"

"You'd like to know, I'm sure." They made their way, slowly, toward the Major Crimes murder room. "Don't worry, I'll be in arguing form soon enough."

Provenza grunted at her. "When are you coming back?"

Sharon slanted a look at him. "Don't tell me that you're missing me?" A smile slowly curved her lips. "You were only too ready to be rid of me not so long ago. Now you're missing me? Lieutenant, I'm touched."

"Oh don't flatter yourself," Provenza rolled his eyes at her. "I just never realized how much paperwork goes with this job. Not to mention that you are the only person alive that I think can read Flynn's chicken scratch."

"Oh, is that all." Sharon chuckled. "Well, I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me," she continued to smile at him. "Another couple of weeks at least. Even after the doctors release me, I have to deal with the Department Psychologist. Between the attack and the OIS, the department wants me doubly covered."

"Don't tell them you're drinking, tell them you've had a few dreams, but for the most you're sleeping just fine. Whatever you do, do not mention using your pain drugs to help you sleep," Provenza advised. "Look him in the eye, don't fidget and use shrink words like support system."

"Lieutenant," Sharon slanted an amused look at him. "Are you telling me how to get around my departmental psych eval?"

"Of course not." he shrugged. "Just a little friendly advice. Take it how you want it."

She laughed quietly. "You know… I have done this before." Sharon shook her head at him. "I know it's easy to forget, but I wasn't always one of the rats."

"Oh?" He drew out the syllable. "Could it be? Darth Raydor is equating herself with us now, and not with the RS? No…"

"Oh hush." She rolled her eyes at him. "You all are just a bad influence on me, that's all."

"Finally!" Provenza announced as they stepped into the murder room. "Finally we've done something right. We have tarnished her majesty's shiny halo! Our very own Captain just referred to them as them, meaning her old departmental stomping grounds, and herself as us. It's a proud, proud day… Who got the pot on how long it would take?"

"This is what I meant," Sharon stated as they started deciding who had won, and how much. "Bad influence."

"Captain," Tao called from his desk. "When are you coming back? Say it's soon."

"Very soon." Buzz shot a pleading look at her.

"Soon as she can make a break for it." Flynn glanced up from the stack of paperwork he was quickly working through. "Stubborn that one."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sharon's chin lifted marginally. "With the obvious exceptions, I'm enjoying my time off, and I'm sure that Lieutenant Provenza is doing an excellent job in my absence. So sure, that I just know you're all giving him the same attention to detail that you give me."

"See, told you she was feeling better," Flynn grinned at them. "She's taking the fun out of us giving him a hard time already." He closed the file he working on and put it back on the stack on his desk. "You ready to go?"

Sharon nodded quietly. She wouldn't like to admit it, but she was tired and aching already. However much she felt better, she was not quite office ready yet. "It can wait a few minutes if you need to."

"No, we're good here." Flynn stood and moved into the office to retrieve her bag for her.

"Captain," Sanchez leaned forward in his seat. "How did it go?"

"As we'd expected," she said. "Both FID and SIS have wrapped their investigations, so now it's a matter for my doctors. DDA Rios was pleased as well, so Rusty will be going back to school. I want to thank you all for your help these last several months. I know it hasn't been easy, and I'm sure he hasn't always shown it, but both Rusty and I do appreciate all of your extra time and effort on his behalf."

The team passed looks around the room. "You can thank us by coming back." It was Provenza that spoke, from where he sat, flipping through a file rather than his ever present crossword puzzle.

The Captain drew a breath and nodded. "Soon I'm sure," she stated, finding it difficult to speak past the sudden swell of emotion. Flynn returned and she turned toward him, hoping to hide the sheen of moisture that filled her eyes. "Lieutenant."

"Captain." They weren't fooling anyone. Their relationship was a well known fact by now, but they kept up professional appearances as much as possible. He settled her bag onto her shoulder on her good side before stepping around to take her arm on the other. He tossed a nod at Provenza as they started toward the exit. He would be on his cell, they could call him if they caught a case - which was how they had been operating since the attack. While he was spending as many hours as he could at the office, no one had disputed the fact that Sharon needed someone to help her at home also. His partner had covered for him as much as possible, and Taylor had not made it an issue, yet. That was only a matter of time, but they knew it would depend on their cases.

"Am I taking you home?" He waited until they were closer to the elevator to ask.

Sharon sighed softly. "No, I think you need to take me back to my condo." She leaned into his side while they waited for the elevator car to arrive. "We both know the longer I stay away, the harder it's going to be to face it. It will be easier to do without Rusty there."

"Sharon, if you're not ready…" She had seemed to pale when thinking of it. Andy knew she was a strong woman, but even Sharon had her breaking point. The elevator opened and he helped her into it. Andy maneuvered her toward the back corner of the car so that she could lean there. They were, thankfully, alone. "You don't have to rush this," he continued. "There's time. You know that you're welcome to…"

"I know." Sharon turned, cutting him off. She laid her hand against his chest. "It's just that we tell people this all the time… victims of attacks, home invasions… we tell them they can't allow what happened to force them out of their homes. I don't think I understood just how trite it sounded until now. Now that I can go back to the condo, if I avoid it, I'll keep avoiding it indefinitely and that isn't good for either myself or Rusty. Or you," she added with a warm smile. "As much as I've liked staying with you, I can't continue to hide at your house."

The elevator opened and they drew silent as they left. It was that way until they reached Andy's car. He thought about all she said, and understood it, but the thought of letting her go back to that condo to stay left him uneasy. Andy waited until he had her settled in the car and was behind the steering wheel before he turned to meet her gaze again. "You wouldn't have to be hiding, Sharon."

"Andy…" Air left her lungs in a rush when she realized where he was trying to steer the conversation.

"Think about it." He cupped her chin. Andy knew she would need to turn it over in her head a few dozen times. It might take her a few days, or even a few months, but he had planted the idea. As long as she thought about it, that was all he really needed. "You can say it's too soon as much as you like, but it's time we face reality, babe. The night of the light festival, it wasn't the first date. Not really. Hell, we're not kids, Sharon. How many times have we said that? We've both been down this road before, and it might just be that we learned enough the last time to get it right." His thumb swept across her lips. "You can say no. That won't change anything for me. I'm still going to love you. I'll still be here."

Sharon leaned across the car's center console to kiss him. "I'll think about it," she promised him. Although it might terrify her, she would give it the thought it deserved. There wasn't only herself to think about, even if she did come to the conclusion that she wanted to stay with him, she had Rusty to consider now too. He seemed content enough with Andy that he wasn't overly uncomfortable staying at his house. Sharon didn't know how he would feel, going back to the condo after everything that happened… but no matter her decision, they had a deal, a promise that she had made when he first came to live with her. "Andy, it might take me a while. Rusty and I have a thirty-day rule. I promised him I'd give him warning of any major changes - unexpected injuries notwithstanding. I can't go back on that now." She wouldn't let the boy have sole veto power on any decision she made, but she would hear him out and they would discuss it.

"It takes as long as it takes." He kissed her again before sitting back. "The option is on the table. Even if it takes a year. Okay?"

"Okay." Sharon leaned back in her seat and got comfortable. She leaned her head back and let her eyes close. She heard the car start and felt him back out of his spot. Her hand continued to rest against the console and when his fingers closed around it she smiled. "Andy, have I ever thanked you?"

He looked over at her as they left the parking garage, a little baffled, a little amused. "For what?"

"You tend to go where angels fear to tread, I've always admired that about you." Sharon's head rolled toward him against the headrest. "You might be a little hotheaded, but usually what you're shouting is exactly what everyone else is thinking. You've certainly kept me on my toes over the years. Staying ahead of you was never easy, but I liked the challenge. You were always the first one to call me out, but you were also the first one to accept me when I transferred. You push, and you keep pushing, but you're also there for me when I need you." She pressed her lips together when it became to hard to speak through the emotion threatening to choke her words. Sharon shook her head. "I know I'm not easy. I have high standards and even higher expectations, but you keep trying. So thank you," she whispered the last.

Andy looked for the first opportunity and pulled the car over again. He pushed it into park and turned so that there could be no question as to where his attention lay. "Sharon, you've never asked more of anyone than what they should be capable of giving, and you never ask for more than you're willing to do yourself. Standing by what you believe isn't easy, or more people would do it. You've done that, in spades, and mostly you've gotten crap for it, but anyone willing to take the time to bother can see that you're willing to meet them halfway. It's annoying as hell, but you do what's right and force the rest of us to be better. If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me. Life isn't meant to be easy, Sharon. Loving you, that's the easy part. Got it?"

"Hmm." She nodded, lifted her fingers to his jaw. "Got it."

"Good." He took her hand and kissed her palm. He placed it back on the console while he put the car back in gear and pulled into traffic, only to reach for it again once they were moving. He laced their fingers together and rubbed his thumb against the side of her wrist.

The rest of the drive was silent. It wasn't far to Sharon's condo, part of its appeal when she bought it was the proximity to Parker Center, and it wasn't that much farther from the newer center. Andy knew they wouldn't be staying very long so he pulled into a visitor slot in front of the building. Sharon took a deep breath when he opened her door for her. She couldn't suppress the grimace when she stood.

"I'm fine." His concern was immediate. "Really. Let's get this over with." Sharon took his arm and leaned against his side while they made the walk inside. She prepared herself for the looks that she received, but it was still unsettling. By now everyone in the building knew what had happened. She thought that, more than anything, might be harder to handle than stepping back into the condo. Andy glared at them, but she rubbed his arm. "It's to be expected. They're curious. Come on," she patiently maneuvered him into the elevator. "Police officer gets attacked in her own home, people are going to stare. They're not bothering me, Andy."

"They're bothering the hell out of me," He stated gruffly. Where were her incredibly concerned neighbors when shots were being fired, or when she was bleeding on the floor?

Sharon rubbed his arm again. She thought he might relax, but the higher the elevator climbed, the more tense he became. Her heart lurched when she realized how hard this would be for him, as well as for her. She slipped her arms around his waist and leaned more fully against him. "We don't have to do this today. It can wait."

Andy looked down at her and managed a small smile. "No, you were right. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. As much as I'd like you to stay with me, this is something you need to do. Maybe it's something we both need to do." His hands slowly rubbed her back. "We've both seen enough department shrinks, and hell, I've been to enough AA meetings to know that we need to close the chapter. It'll keep haunting us if we don't."

"Then let's be done with it." She pressed her lips against the tip of his chin and turned in his arms when the doors of the elevator opened. Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. His hands were on her shoulders. They made the walk together, and she drew her keys out of her purse.

Her hand was shaking when she went to place the key in the lock. Andy covered it with his. He pressed his lips against her ear and wound an arm around her waist. "You can do this. You were stronger than Grand then… you're sure as hell stronger than him now."

She nodded silently and steeled herself against the moment. They turned the first lock together and she managed the second one alone. There was something oppressive about the air in the condo when she pushed the door open. She flipped the light on as they stepped inside. Sharon dropped her keys into her purse and hang it on the coat rack, where it normally went. She limped, wordlessly into the living room and stood there for a moment. There was plenty which was out of place, but there had been dozens of people in the place since the attack. Paramedics, uniformed officers, SIS, FID and her own people.

"We can call the cleaners when we leave here," Andy told her, easily interpreting her distress when she saw the scuff marks the paramedics had left behind on her hardwood floors. He stood nearby, hands hanging at his sides.

"We'll need them," she stated, eyes drawn toward the hall. Sharon sighed softly and made the walk, knowing it would be all the harder if she waited. The wall was still stained, as was the floor. The blood smears on the wall were brown now with age, as was the large stain against the baseboard and floor where she had lain waiting for help.

Andy shoved his hands into his pockets and followed more slowly. This he had already seen. It didn't make it any easier seeing it again, but at least she was with him. He had the evidence of her survival right in front of him. With Sharon standing near the open bedroom door, he could see just how close Grand had come to not missing his shot. He pushed air out of his lungs and forced himself to inhale again.

The low sound he made drew Sharon's attention away from the blood stains. She glanced his way and seeing his stare, followed his gaze. The splintered, cracked wood where the bullet had struck was nearly at eye level. Sharon reached back and curled her fingers into his sleeve so that she could draw him forward and slide her hand into his.

He kissed the back of her head and slid his other hand up her back. It settled against the back of her neck and stayed there. "Almost there," he said quietly.

She nodded, but her eyes closed. She drew a breath before they stepped into the bedroom. Any other time and they'd be pushing the door closed, and he'd already have her half undressed while she laughed and they both tried to stay quiet. Now when they stepped inside her hand tightened painfully around his. The room was in complete disarray, there were outlines on the floor. It was obvious that her things had been gone through, although Sharon was certain that was Sykes packing her bags for a prolonged absence. Sharon heaved a sigh. It was even rare that her children came into her bedroom, and she was left feeling quite bereft that her privacy was so exposed. That was nothing compared to the cold chill that settled over her when she turned and found the dark stain which marked where Douglas Strand had died.

Andy saw the grief in her gaze and slipped his arms around her again. He turned her away from the sight and held her. "He wouldn't have made it, Sharon. Morales said it was a fatal wound. There was nothing that anyone could have done, and if you hadn't shot him, I'd be standing here by myself and Rusty would be alone."

"I know." She shuddered against him. "I've cleared enough of these to know I did the right thing. This isn't my first trip around this particular track, but its never easy. It's not the shot I regret most… it's the intrusion. It's the loss of security." Sharon walked around the bedroom, shaking her head at the mess. She opened a couple of drawers and pulled out a few items that she would like to have, but Sykes wouldn't have known to pack. She placed them on the bed. "You know, I'm a study in statistics. I left my parents home for school. I went from home to dorm, to the little apartment Jack and I had after we got married. We bought the house when I got pregnant with Ricky, but as hard as I worked to keep it all those years, it never really felt like mine. I sold it when Katie left home. It was too big for just me, and there were other reasons… but this was mine. I found it, remodeled, decorated…" She pulled a small bag out of her closet and began filling it. "It's the first stable home that Rusty has ever had. That's the part that I mind. Clean, paint, refurbish the floors, but what's left?"

He watched her, slinging clothes into a bag, retrieving cosmetics and pulling the thick, soft cardigan she loved so much off the back of the closet door and rolling it into the bag. "You're mad." The rigid line of her back, the short, jerky movements. His head tilted, that was not an emotion he expected, but Sharon was always a surprise to him.

"You could say that." She zipped the bag closed and straightened. "He was right under my nose. How long was he living, right here, two floors down, and I never even realized it. All the times Rusty came and went, driving himself to school, the store, to pick up dinner… all the times he went downstairs to pick up the mail, or down the hall to drop the trash. He could have grabbed Rusty at anytime. Our own security didn't realize he was a threat because he was a resident. He was watching us from almost the start, he knew our routines, right down to the nights he could expect you to be in my bed, and I never even noticed."

"No one did." He pulled her to him and folded his arms around her. "How could you expect to find him living in your building when even the people who were supposed to be watching both your backs didn't know? Sharon, there was no way for you to know. It's not like you're on a first name basis with all of your neighbors, you know a couple of them by sight, and okay, so you know the names of a couple of them on this floor. If it weren't for the names on the mailboxes I doubt I'd know who any of my neighbors were. There's nothing you could have done. Believe me. I've gone over all of it in my head, a dozen different times and a dozen different ways. There wasn't a damned thing anyone could do. It's over now. You're still here and you're both safe."

"Hm." Her fingers curled into his jacket and she held on. Sharon's head rested against his shoulder while his hands smoothed up and down her back, trying to sooth her. "I'm still pissed off." She looked up at him through her lashes before she wriggled closer.

"Such language." Andy pressed his lips against her hair. "The mouth on you. I swear." He leaned back and tipped her face up. "Are you sure you're not a Jersey girl?"

Sharon snorted at him. "You would be so lucky. California girl, born and raised."

"With those legs, and those eyes, of course you are." He drew a breath. "I love this state."

Face pressed against his chest, Sharon began to laugh. She curled her hands into the lapels of his jacket while her shoulders shook. "You are so bad."

"You've been telling me that for years," Andy drawled. "But here we are…" His hands slid down her back, and his fingers twined against the base of her spine. "Right now I'm stuck in a fantasy that involves you, a pair of roller skates, a bikini top and…"

"Andy!" She shook him. "Really." She rolled her eyes at him. When Sharon tipped her head back to look at him, she found he was smiling down at her, the familiar blend of affection and mischief in his eyes.

"You forgot." His dark eyes warmed. "For just a few seconds you stood right here, and you forgot. That means you can. It'll get better. If we paint, refurbish, and you just can't stand it… there are options. You move in with me…" He waggled his brows at her. "Or we find you another place that you can feel good about again."

"I really do love you," she said softly.

"It's really mutual." He kissed the top of her head. "Ready for me to get you out of here?"

"You have no idea." Sharon reached for her bag and smiled when he took it from her. Then he took her hand and they left the blood stains and bad memories behind.