Andy stood, not knowing quite what to do. At the door stood Brenda's parents, Willie Rae and Clay Johnson. There he stood in his pyjama bottoms and grey t-shirt. He couldn't say who was more shocked at seeing the other, him or them. He quickly came to his senses, however, and stood back, opening the door wider for them to come in.
"Mr and Mrs Johnson! What a surprise!" Andy finally spoke.
"We could say the same thing, Lt. Flynn." Clay said in that no bullshit voice of his.
"Let me help you with your bags." Andy said, stepping out the door to where a taxi stood, the driver putting the bags onto the driveway. He grabbed the bags and went back into the house.
"How is Brenda? Is she okay? Chief Pope phoned us and told us she was hurt on the job, might need someone to look after her. Where is she?" Willie Rae soon voiced when he came back in.
"She's still sleeping, I was just making her some french toast. She hasn't ate much in the last day. I've been taking care of her." Andy admitted, setting the Johnson's bags by the door.
"Seems to me, you're more than just takin' care of her. Mind telling me why you're standing here in your pyjamas?" Clay questioned him.
"Because he's my boyfriend, daddy. Has been for a little while. Now leave poor Andy alone and come in." Brenda had appeared out of nowhere, surprised to hear her parents voices. There was no use hiding the fact that Andy and her were a couple, not from them anyway. Besides, him standing there in his pyjamas? How long would they accept that he was just staying over to look after her? Not long, if she knew her parents.
"Your boyfriend? Since when did this happen? Brenda!" Clay said.
"Daddy, I'm a single woman. I have a boyfriend. It's nothing to get excited about. All I ask is that you keep this to yourselves. I mean it." Brenda said, her mood not very good at the moment.
"Technically, you're still married Brenda Leigh. Even if he's off across the country." Clay argued some more.
"Daddy, if you're just going to be on my case about Fritz, you might as well go home. That's water under the bridge now, and there is no going back. We wanted different things, that's all. Now, come in, I'm sure Andy can make y'all some french toast and join us." Brenda took Andy's hand and walked him to the kitchen.
Andy was surprised that Brenda had handled the whole thing so well. He thought she'd freak out when she'd seen her parents. Instead, she'd taken it in stride, and defended their relationship to her father. That surprised him more than anything. It also made him feel very good that she'd at least admit to someone that they were a couple. Especially her parents.
The Johnsons took their coats off, and followed the two of them to the kitchen. Brenda poured them some coffee, placing the cups in front of them. Andy went and got her medication and made sure she took it, before starting work on some more french toast. He was more than happy to make them breakfast and hoped that they would accept that he was now part of Brenda's life in a more personal way than their previous relationship had been.
Clay and Willie Rae watched as Andy fussed over Brenda, making sure that she took her medication. They were amazed by how well Brenda took the fussing, that she accepted it. When Fritz had tried it in the past, she'd bristled. Now, she was much more relaxed, accepting of the coddling he was doing. And the fact that this was Flynn that was doing the coddling? In their few brief meetings with him previously, they'd thought of him as hard-boiled and toughed. That he had this in him was a shock to them.
"How many slices would you like, Mrs. Johnson? I'll have them ready in no time. And you, Mr. Johnson?" Andy asked.
"Look, if you're with my daughter, you might as well call me Clay. Andy, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into with Brenda. She's a tough cookie." Clay said outright.
"I know you're daughter is tough, sir, but she's also one of the best people I've ever met. I'm honoured that she took me on. And I want you to know, I'll never do anything to hurt her. I love her." Andy blurted out.
Three pair of eyes looked at him, two of them in shock, one with a return look of love towards him. Andy made her happy, Brenda had discovered. He'd been right there in front of her all along, and it had taken forever for them to find their way to one another.
"Well, let me make one thing perfectly clear, Lt. Flynn. Never, ever treat my daughter like you did when you first met her. You have no idea how you hurt her when she first was out here. I trust you've apologized to her for your behaviour and lapse of judgement?" Clay grilled him.
"Believe me, sir, Clay, I've apologized many times to her for the way I acted. I'm grateful for the day she came here now. I've never met anyone like her." Andy replied.
The two women watched the conversation, heads going back and forth as the two men sparred comments. Both were proud of the men, how they were both trying to protect the woman they both loved. Brenda started to tear up.
Andy went back to the stove to flip the french toast for her parents. Willie Rae looked with concern at her daughter and patted her hand.
"Now, now, Brenda, I'm sure it will be all okay. How exactly did you get hurt anyway? Chief Pope wasn't into the details so much, he just said you'd been attacked on the job." Her mother waited patiently.
"I'm not too sure myself what happened, mama. I've been told I was attacked when the perp came out of a closet. He hit me with something hard, knocked me unconscious. Apparently he was going to finish me off, but Gabriel and Sanchez tackled him in time. I really don't remember much of the case or the attack." Brenda replied.
"So they at least have the idiot who did this to you behind bars. Thank god for that, Brenda Leigh. I've told you this job is dangerous." Clay responded.
"Now, Daddy, I'm fine. Or I will be fine. I've just got a headache yet. Andy's been takin' real good care of me." Brenda smiled in his direction.
"I'm sure he has, darlin', I'm sure he has." Clay said quietly.
Andy flipped the french toast on to plates for her parents and set it in front of them. The Johnson family settled into eat, while Andy sipped his coffee. He almost had to shake his head, the Johnson's, all three of them, were acting so normal. He hoped, however, that if any of Brenda's teammates came over, they would be able to keep quiet about Brenda and him. As well as she'd taken the fact that her parents had found out this way, he thought she'd seriously freak out if Pope or Delk found out. They finished breakfast in a comfortable silence, before they headed for the living room. Brenda curled up on the couch, Andy sat beside her and put his arm around her.
Clay and Willie Rae couldn't help but smile. Whatever problems they may have with this pairing, they couldn't deny that the two seemed to rely on each other very much. It was surprising, actually. Clay really wanted to know when this had started, had he been part of the reason Fritz and Brenda had split? He wanted to be happy that at least Brenda had someone looking after her, but he couldn't help but have misgivings. The man was a subordinate who worked for her. Workplace romances could be hell, especially if they didn't work out. Not to mention the trouble Brenda could get into for having a relationship with him. Then there was the fact that he was so much older than Brenda. He'd long ago given up on Brenda giving him any grandchildren, but with Fritz, there had been hope. Fritz had wanted children. Brenda, however, refused to budge on that matter. It wasn't in her nature, apparently. All he could do was sigh. He sure hoped his daughter knew what she'd gotten herself into.
After a time, Andy whispered to Brenda if she wanted to go lay down that she could, he'd take care of her parents. He followed her in to the bedroom, needing to get dressed for the day. He went to her bathroom after he settled her into the bed, and got dressed. When he came back through the bedroom, Brenda had already fallen back asleep, and he quietly went out the door, shutting it as he left. He joined her parents in the living room again.
Once there, Andy didn't have Brenda as a shield anymore. Clay started in on him again.
"So, what exactly are your intentions with my little girl, Lt. Flynn?" her father asked him.
"We've only been going out a few months, but I'll have you know, sir, I love your daughter. I can't see me without her. She means everything to me. I was scared to death I was going to lose her the other day." Andy said earnestly. He felt like he was in high school, meeting his prom dates father for the first time. Clay put Andy ill at ease, no matter how Flynn tried to shake the feeling.
"Did you have anything to do with Fritz and her's breakup? You weren't the cause of it, now were you?" Clay grilled him.
"No sir, I had nothing to do with it. The way I was told, he wanted to go back east, he got a promotion. Brenda didn't want to leave here. And when he was back east, he became involved with someone." Andy told them.
"Before or after you two started going out?"
"Before we started going out. We didn't start dating til after Brenda signed the divorce papers." Andy felt beads of sweat starting on his forehead. At least he knew now where Brenda got her interrogation skills from. She was exactly like her dad.
"Clay, that's enough. Just accept the fact that Andy and Brenda are now seeing each other. He's her boyfriend, not a suspect." Willie Rae interrupted him.
"Now, Andy, how's work been? How is that Lt. Provenza doing? He's such a nice fellow. Whatever happened between him and that nice girl he was dating?" Willie Rae changed the subject.
"Uh, they broke up, Mrs. Johnson. He was really broken up about it too. I think he may have actually loved her." Andy said.
"Now, call me Willie Rae, Andy. You're almost family now, we mustn't be so formal!" she smiled as she said it. "You really are a good cook. That's a good thing. Brenda Leigh isn't much for the kitchen, but she does try. At least I know you two won't starve."
"Well, I can cook a few things. And she loves my french toast. Did you like it? Do you want me to make more up?" Andy asked, hoping to have something to do.
"No, no, we're fine. Clay can't have too much of it, cause of his heart, but we do appreciate the offer. It was simply delicious."
"Thank you, Mrs. John-, I mean, Willie Rae."
Just then, Flynn's phone rang and he went to answer it. It was Provenza, he was being called in to work, Major Crimes needed the help.
"Mr. Johnson, Willie Rae, I'm sorry, I have to go. You need any help, just phone me. Thank you for being here for Brenda. Could you tell her where I've gone when she wakes up?" Andy really didn't want to leave, but being glared at by Brenda's father made him want to get out of the house for awhile. Work with Provenza would be a walk in the park, compared to time with the gruff older man.
"Why, of course, Andy, that's why we're here! Thank you for taking such good care of her. We'll see you tonight, right?" Willie Rae was nothing but courteous.
"Yes, I'll be back to stay tonight. I can't leave her alone right now. I have to make sure she's okay." Andy excused himself then, going back into the bedroom to change into a suit before he left.
Willie Rae and Clay exchanged glances, the man was head over heels for their daughter. They wondered if he knew how deep he'd fallen for her. And they wondered mostly whether their daughter had fallen to the same depths of love with him.