Expose

Chapter 2

"Guys, I know it doesn't change anything but I really am sorry, for everything." Rusty told them sincerely.

Sharon still didn't know what to say. She couldn't bring herself to look Andy in the eye yet and she was dreading the conversation that she knew was going to have to have with him now.

"Rusty, I believe you are sorry. I know you didn't mean for this to happen. We will talk more tomorrow." She told him.

Rusty looked back at Andy who was glancing over the paper. "Lieutenant Flynn, I'm really sorry." Rusty told him again.

Andy walked over to Rusty and put his hand on his shoulder, "Kid, if this is the worst trouble you get in during college then I think we are all going to be OK."

Rusty looked away and muttered a thank you before heading off to his room. Andy turned back to Sharon who was busying herself looking for something in the kitchen. He took a deep breath while trying to decide how to proceed. She was so flustered and he couldn't help but think how adorable she was. He knew her well enough to know he needed to proceed with caution.

"You ready to go eat? I'm starving." He said.

Sharon looked at him as if he had lost his mind. She opened her mouth to say something but was truly at a loss for words. Andy gave her a crooked smile.

"Its fettucine alfredo night at Mario's" He reminded her knowing it was her favorite.

She continued staring at him like he was crazy. How could he even think about eating now? Andy crossed the room and stood in front of her in the kitchen. He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it slightly until she looked up at him.

"Come on Sharon, we haven't even read it yet. Maybe it's not that bad."

Sharon looked at him and held up the folder, "Not that bad? Andy, read the title! We have to read this and talk about it." She was beginning to yell now.

Andy took the folder from her hands and set it on the counter and took both of her hands in his.

"Yes, Sharon we do need to read it and yes we do need to talk. We've needed to talk for a long time but we also need to eat. I've been looking forward to tonight and would very much like to take you to dinner still."

Sharon blinked a couple of times listening to his voice. He was calm and quiet and she was the one freaking out. How did this happen? She felt him rubbing his thumb slowly against her hand. She felt her heart rate begin to slow down. How did he do that? She took one of her hands out of his and ran it up his arm and smiled at him.

"I would like that too. Let me get changed." She told him walking off leaving the file on the counter.

When Andy heard the bedroom door close he ran a hand through his hair and picked the file up off the counter. He knew he should probably wait to read it but he couldn't help but take a look. The title made him smile. The kid was nothing if not perceptive.

Captain Sharon Raydor has dedicated her life to truth and justice. She spent most of her career in the LAPD's force investigation division, making sure that the bad cops didn't ruin it for the good ones she would say. It was during her time in that division that she first met Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. Some would say the two of them were like oil and water or night and day. They were completely different and could never be mixed. All evidence in the beginning of their relationship supported this thought. When Captain Raydor was put in charge of the Major Crimes division most people thought Lieutenant Flynn would soon transfer, retire, or be fired. the chief medical examiner for Los Angeles had this to say about their first case,

"The first case after Captain Raydor was in charge I was sure would be his last one. I was inside the exam room and I could hear him yelling at her telling her how every problem they were having was because of her and her bullshit regulations. Suddenly it was quiet and I looked into the hallway and they were sitting on the bench looking over a file together and well I don't think they would have noticed me if I was standing right in front of them. "

Andy shook his head thinking about that first day. He had been pretty rough on her and yet in the middle of him yelling at her she suddenly figured things out. She was so calm and seemingly unaffected by his rant. Something about the way she said his name that day caused him to notice her differently. He could still remember the way she smelled sitting next to him on that bench. Something that he shouldn't have noticed then but he couldn't help.

Andy shook his head to bring himself back to present day. He knew Sharon would dress casually for Mario's so he took off his tie and jacket and draped them over a chair and rolled up his sleeves.

"Ok, I'm ready." He heard her say as she came into the room.

He looked over at her and smiled. She was wearing those skinny jeans of hers and a soft purple top that matched the shirt he still had on. He no longer hid it when he took a minute or two to admire her outside of work. It fell into that unspoken agreement that they seemed to have. He might have stared too long or maybe it was everything else that was going on because he could see Sharon start to blush.

He smiled at her and joked, "It's about time. I'm starving."

He placed an arm around her shoulder and before she could protest he placed a quick kiss on her lips. That was something that had been happening more often lately too. The kisses never lingered but they happened and she never looked bothered afterwards and once or twice she had been the one to kiss him good night quickly after dinner. It was how their relationship seemed to go he would slowly test the current boundary and wait for her reaction. So far he hadn't pushed any too far.

He waited for her to say something or move away but instead she just leaned closer into him and rested her head against him. He pulled her in closer and turned her slightly to him. So he could look at her.

"It's going to be all right. We haven't done anything wrong." He told her. "Do you want to take it with us or leave it for afterwards?" He asked glancing over at the file on the counter.

"I don't know that I want to read that in the middle of the restaurant." She told him still not moving from his arm.

"Ok, well why don't I order us something to go and we can take it back to my place." He suggested.

"That would be nice." Sharon told him. 'Would you mind if I rode with you still?" She asked him nervously.

He reached over and grabbed the folder and took one of her hands in his as he led her to the door.
"Let's go".

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Andy handed Sharon the bags of food as they walked towards the kitchen.

"Here, take these, I will grab some plates." He told her.

Sharon opened up the boxes and smiled. How many Thursday nights now had they eaten this? A large Cesar salad and an order of fettucine alfredo to split. Sharon noticed another small box in the bag.

"Andy what's this?" She asked opening the box to find a large piece of cheesecake.

Coming to the table with plates he smiled at her, "I thought maybe we could use that tonight."

They plated up their food and Sharon couldn't help but think about the ease of it. They both knew how much the other would want of each item. Andy had ordered the dressing on the side of the salad because he knew Sharon didn't like as much dressing as he did. When did this happen? Not only did they have a regular restaurant they had regular dishes that they shared without asking each other what they wanted.

Of course there was also the increasing physical affection between them. Sharon was a physically affection person by nature but not like she and Andy were. At first it was easy to overlook his hand on her back or the way she would touch his arm but then one night she realized they were holding hands. Sharon couldn't tell you the last time a man had held her hand. Then there were the kisses. God by anyone else's standard they would be nothing but the simplest brush of Andy's lips against her own gave her butterflies in her stomach. Andy never pushed too far and been far more patient with her than she could have ever asked.

After they finished eating Andy put their plates in the sink and sat back at the table with Sharon.

"So, do we read it first or talk first?" he asked her.

Sharon sighed and looked from Andy to the folder and back to Andy. She reached over and placed her hand over his and took a deep breath before answering.

"I think we should talk first. Whatever we say I want to know it is what we want to say to each other not because of what Rusty wrote."

Andy nodded and placed his other hand on top of hers.

"Sharon, I tried to tell you months ago after the Nutcracker how I felt and you told me you weren't ready. Are you sure you are ready now?" He asked her.

"Andy, I don't know that we have a choice." She told him.

Andy took his hand out of hers and stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. "That's not how I want this to be. If we are really going to talk about this, about us I want it to be because you want to not because you are afraid of what might happen. Sharon, if you still aren't ready we will figure out a way to handle it and we can keep being whatever it is that we are. "

Sharon looked back down at the folder and back at Andy again. She could tell that he was worried about what she was going to say. Yet he was telling her still that he would continue to wait for her. How long could she ask that of him? How long could she flirt with him, talk with him, and kiss him good night without addressing what was going on between them? Not a moment longer.

Sharon stood up from the table and walked over to him where he stood at the counter. She looked up into his eyes and placed her hands on his chest.

"I'm ready Andy," was all she said before placing one of her arms around his neck in order to pull his lips down to her own.

She didn't pull her lips away this time though. She pressed them firmly against his making her meaning clear. She felt him pull her close to him before taking her face in his hands. With that kiss it was as if everything they had been holding back for all of these months was erupting in Andy's kitchen. Sharon didn't hesitate to open her mouth when she felt Andy's tongue brushing against her lips. Eventually his hands left her face and wrapped around her waist and both of hers were around his neck. Sharon felt herself let out a moan when she felt his lips leave hers only to shudder when she felt them begin to place a trail along the side of her face and down her neck. He brought his lips back to hers and as she tried to close any space between them she pressed herself flat against him and heard him moan.

It was Andy who eventually broke the kiss and ran his fingers through her hair. "So, I guess you want to be more than very good friends, now?" He asked her.

She swatted at his arm and laughed, "Well, if that is all right with you Lieutenant."

Andy kissed her again slowly. "It's what I have been trying to tell you for months Captain."

He slowly released her and looked back over at the folder.

"So should we read what your son has to say about us?"

TBC

Thanks for all of the feedback. The next chapter will contain more of the article. If you have any observations you think the rest of the team might have made I would love to hear them!