A/N: Sorry for the little bit of a longer period between posts, I had a weird couple of days, hopefully I can get my head back on straight to get everything finished and posted. Thank you again for the comments and follows and thanks Ila for tolerating my crazy… This chapter is more transitional, but hopefully it still works. I had a bit of a time figuring out how to organize it. :/


With a Bit of Luck Chapter 5

The following Wednesday Andy was back at work, but still was not one hundred percent recovered from the attack. Luckily for him the team they had not yet caught a new case. So they had spent the majority of the last few days on paperwork. For his part Provenza had mostly recouped from his run-ins with the Captain, but still largely wanted nothing to do with any of it. He still was of the mind that he and his friend would never speak of anything outside of work ever again. Which was an arrangement that Andy was perfectly fine with upholding. He was after all still a bit tired after the events of the last case. So, having to deal with Provenza and his temper tantrums was not something he wanted to worry about while he was getting back into the swing of things.

Sharon had spent an extended weekend visiting her daughter in New York. With Christmas just around the corner she would be seeing both of her children in Park City, but Emily had a part in a holiday show that was only running a select few weekends. Her daughter had recently graduated and was still working hard on her dream to dance for the American Ballet Theater. This season was a good step in that direction, and of course Sharon did not want to miss her performance, regardless of anything else going on in her life.

She had arrived back in Los Angeles late Monday. The two had still not seen each other, but that was not completely out of the ordinary. They were used to living their lives separately, especially since the definition of their relationship was rather fluid in that they still had not had to think about much more than themselves. So, when she returned she had her own department to tend to. As well today's lunch with Chief Johnson that they had set up at the conclusion of the last case. Sharon hoped the lunch would allow them to discuss some of the potential changes that were underway within the department with their new Chief of Police.

- Lunch -

When Brenda arrived at the cafe Sharon was already seated facing the entrance. Upon seeing the other women arrive, Sharon stood up and waved her hand to get her attention. Slightly mortified at the display, Brenda crossed through the main dining area to join the Captain at a high top table along the windows.

"Captain Raydor," Brenda greeted with a forced smile as she hung her purse on the corner of the chair. "Sorry I was late. I -"

"Didn't want to come..." Sharon interrupted, grinning slyly as if she were finishing the other woman's sentence.

Brenda smirked, "Well, possibly, but no." She stepped up into the chair, "Actually I was dealin' with some paperwork. Have the whole team available for me again. So just gettin' all that squared away."

"Well, that's good to hear," Sharon stated airily as she reached for her water glass. She took a sip and casually wondered, "So, even Lieutenant Flynn is off of medical restrictions then?"

Brenda waved her hand in the air to immediately assure the Captain, "Sure." She paused, not having expected the question and backtracked slightly, "Well, almost that is."

"Almost?" Sharon probed, hoping she sounded genuinely curious and not too accusatory or concerned that the Chief was not following procedure. "Is he? Or isn't he?"

Brenda squinted her eyes at the other woman, unsure as to if she was trying to trap her into saying something wrong. "Well, he will be soon. Don't worry. You were around quite a bit last week. You could see for yourself that he was takin' it easy, and also well on his way to his old self. He is at least able to go out into the field as a member the team, so long as he is not on his own. Then of course he has been at his desk since he was cleared by your team."

"Of course, he was cleared," Sharon nodded, placing her glass back down onto the table. "Good to know that all of you are almost all back to work then." She dropped her attention to pick up her menu before casually adding, "I know I was around. I am glad to have been able to help you all with that case. Flynn seemed to be no worse for the wear when it was all said and done."

"Indeed, Captain," Brenda sighed already growing weary of the lunch meeting. "Lieutenant Flynn did seem to respond better than I had anticipated after you turned up to apprise him of your investigation. Funny how he can go from zero to sixty so quickly."

Sharon hummed, "Yes, he does seem to have a temper. Although, I do not want to even begin to dissect the inner workings of Lieutenant Flynn's mind today over lunch. He can be rather exhausting..."

Brenda nodded, slightly surprised at the comment, but quickly brushed it off. As she picked up her menu she mused, "So, have you been to this place before? Anything you can recommend?"

Sharon skimmed through the menu and without looking up reasoned, "Really everything I have had here really was delicious. You cannot go wrong."

Brenda nodded her head without saying anything more. She was thankful for the potential silence. She did not know what the other women had planned for the afternoon, but the sooner they ordered the sooner she could get back to the PAB. Before the awkwardness could linger too long the waiter arrived to take their orders.

"So, Captain," Brenda began as the waiter left. "What is it that you wanted to discuss exactly? I know you were sayin' something about our departments workin' better together…" she allowed her voice to trail in hopes Sharon would pick up the thought.

"Yes, that's right," Sharon smiled. "With all of the potential changes going on within the department under Chief Delk – new appointments, division restructurings…" She paused and reached for her water glass. "With all of that it would not be a bad idea for the current departments to be more cohesive in the way we share our resources with one another."

Brenda watched her take a sip of her drink and place the glass back on the table. "Really? Appointments and restructurings," she repeated. "Do you think Chief Delk is really going to change everything up so quickly? Sure he won't, I mean everythin' is workin' just fine right how it is. I mean why fix somehin' that isn't broken?" She sighed once again worried about how the changes could affect current positions and working relationships.

"That may be the general case," Sharon mused. "But wouldn't you say that even our minor cooperation during your last case was a positive for all involved? I mean we were able to tackle two cases and work alongside the FBI rather flawlessly."

"Yes," Brenda nodded. "But you were not really there to help with our case. You were there to investigate Lieutenant Flynn, not to help us."

Sharon nodded in return, "Yes that is true. I was investigating the attack on Lieutenant Flynn, his involvement in said attack, and then of course the allegations made by your felon turned suspect." She paused and leaned forward encouragingly, "But we also were able to put our past grievances aside and work together. To cooperate."

Brenda thought back to the evening at the hospital when the other woman had toed the line by suggesting Lieutenant Flynn could not identify Mr. Harris. As well as her presence a few other times, which did seem a bit odd. Even though she had said she was just trying to help. "That's true," Brenda considered. "So, is that why we are here then? You are just pointing out that we should work together more often and not to be so suspicious of one another? Because that goes both ways Captain."

"I know," Sharon agreed. "I have always been on the side of what is right. You all do not need to worry about me trying to pull one over on you. I want everyone in the department to succeed. We are only as strong as our weakest member, and we have the public welfare to consider above our own interpersonal feelings and relationships. There is no reason to fear my presence, or to distrust my department as long as you all continue to follow procedure." Brenda reached out to take a sip of her drink, but did not immediately reply. Sharon took the opportunity to go on, "Look, Chief. We have a high number of skilled and passionate officers in every department. If Delk does move forward with his plans to rearrange some things then you may be in the unique position to be a bridge for many others."

Brenda squinted her eyes back at the Captain, "A bridge? That isn't somethin' I am interested in. I like my job. I like my team. It is all workin' really well."

Sharon nodded again, "Yes, I agree. You have a great team, but sometimes there are things outside of our control. If Delk moves forward he won't really need your blessing. Maybe it is time to think of the bigger picture. After all, with your current position you will obviously be considered to move up the ladder." Sharon smiled, trying to appear as positive as possible, "Perhaps it would be a good idea to not bury your head in the sand. You could be proactive, just in case changes are made and you are put into a higher position of authority."

Brenda considered the comment, "That all seems like perfectly fine advice, but I do not know if it is somethin' I really need to be thinkin' about at the moment." She paused, but luckily before she was forced to say anything else more their food arrived. After the waiter placed the plates and double check that they were all right, Brenda took the opportunity to change the subject. She picked up her fork and smiled dryly, "So, Captain any plans for the holidays?"

Noting the other woman's obvious attempt to change the subject, Sharon picked up her own fork and began to dig around at her food. She was slightly annoyed with Brenda's reasoning, but there was really so much they could discuss without it devolving into something meaningless. "Yes," she forced a smile, "I am flying out to see my family. What about you?"

"That's lovely," Brenda cooed. "My parents are probably comin' here. We haven't hammered out all of the details yet, but that is the current plan."

Sharon pressed her lips into a smile, "Sounds like a nice Christmas then."

- Murder Room -

Back in the Murder Room that afternoon Andy found himself at his desk working on some outstanding files and checking out a cold case. Most of the rest of the team were all at their desks completing similar tasks. Andy knew the lunch had been scheduled for earlier that day, and a text told him that the meeting had simply gone all right. Or at least all right in the sense that both women survived. Which probably meant they had had reasonably civil discussions about life and work. It also hopefully meant that while they would never be close friends they would at least be able to cooperate with one another on an almost friendly level. Andy could only imagine what Sharon would term as, "All right," but was pulled out of his thoughts by his partner.

"Psst, Flynn?" Provenza whispered as he neared his partner's desk. "Flynn? Hey!"

"What?" Andy hissed in reply, eyes still focused on the transactions on the screen. "I'm trying to work over here."

Provenza huffed, "No kidding? Well that's a change of pace for you. Guess that concussion must have done some good after all."

Andy turned his head toward the man and droned, "You done? Or was that what you wanted to say? Concussions are good for something? Great, thanks, message received." He paused, returning his attention to his computer screen. "Now, if you don't mind, some of us actually do work here."

Without thinking Provenza stepped forward and barked, "What? I work!" He paused in an attempt to calm himself. He took a step back and sighed, "Now, don't start with me on that. That isn't what I was going to say and you know it." Provenza shook his head and dropped his voice lower, "Flynn, I wanted to know about that lunch between the Chief and the Captain. I know it just happened, but I was hoping you would have some general idea. I mean, what on earth is that woman up to? Chief just came in and went directly into her office without saying anything."

Andy rolled his head away from the screen again and smirked, "Why are you asking me? Besides, I thought we were not speaking to one another unless it had something to do with a case. However, if you really are dying to know…" He let his voice trail as he reached for his phone. When his partner did not immediately reply Andy dropped his eyes to his phone and hooked his thumb behind him. "The Chief is in her office. Just go and ask her yourself."

"What do you…? Gods, no!" The Lieutenant exclaimed as he turned and fixed his eyes on the closed office door. "What if she is in a mood and my asking about the Captain just sends her over the edge?" Provenza turned back to his partner and fidgeted with his shirtsleeves, "I don't have enough Ding Dongs stored up to be able to counteract a Raydor-related explosion, thank you very much. I am sure that woman told you something. So, I would just assume you fill me in from here, and not let me go blindly into something like that."

Flynn shrugged, rolling his chair farther away from his partner. "Well, too bad for you then. I haven't seen Sharon since their lunch. Remember? I have been here working." He moved his hand to the mouse and began to scroll through the document on the screen, "It looks like you will have to go on just not knowing. Besides, even if I did know something, I would not be sharing it with you anyway."

"Fine," Provenza scoffed, as he turned on his heel to head back to his desk. "Whatever, be that way. I don't care. I'll figure it out without you. God forbid we be some kind of team in all of this. Some partner..." As he walked away Andy was pretty sure he heard the man grumble the words, "Share something," and "Precious Captain," but could not be sure. Andy took a breath to stop his ranting, but before he had the chance to call to his friend, the door behind him opened.

"Oh, Lieutenant?" The Chief called after Provenza as she stepped out of her office. "Would you be so kind as to run this downstairs to, uh, to Captain Raydor? She was needin' some more information on a few things for the department."

Provenza spun back around in disbelief, "Are you asking me?" He pointed to himself, "You want me to go down to there?"

"Well, yes, Lieutenant," she nodded. "You are already standin'. I don't want to interrupt anyone else while they're over here workin'. It won't hurt you to take a little break and deliver these files for me."

Behind her Andy dropped his head to his chest at the comment. Provenza watched the man's shoulders gently shake before he shifted his eyes back to the Chief. He shrugged, "Well, I guess I can. That is, if there is no one else is available." Provenza glanced around the room, but did not catch anyone's eye. He stepped forward to take the files. The Lieutenant cast another grave look in his partner's direction before he muttered, "I'll be back in a moment, Chief."

"Take your time," The Chief called after him. She spun around to Andy. With her arms crossed she queried, "What was that all about? Is something wrong with the Lieutenant?"

Andy waved his hand in his partner's retreating direction before turning back to his computer and sighing, "Oh, he's fine, Chief. You know Provenza he just likes to get worked about life in general."

Brenda pressed her lips together considering the statement. "Well, Lieutenant," she sighed. "Maybe he will be a little calmer after this whole new Chief thing clears up. Maybe that's what's been settin' everyone on edge these last few weeks."

Noting her hesitation, Andy swiveled in his chair, "Maybe... Hey, is something bothering you Chief?"

"Oh, well." Brenda muttered, straightening her cardigan, "Well, no not exactly. Just been thinking about some, some things lately. And well, maybe this whole new Chief thing is what's messin' with everyone. I mean even Captain Raydor seems to be affected."

"Really?" Andy smirked, "Even Captain Raydor? What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Brenda considered. "Well, I mean she has been much more agreeable, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure, Chief," Andy agreed swiveling back to face his desk. "I definitely found her to be more agreeable the other day. I mean when she was here discussing my package."

Brenda rolled her eyes, "Well, at least nothin' came of that." The Chief took a step toward her office, but paused to consider the last couple weeks. "Say, Lieutenant. You don't think there could be anything more going on? That she isn't up to somethin' more than just being more cooperative? There wouldn't be any other reasons you think as to why she has been hanging around more lately?"

"I don't know Chief. I don't ask too many questions where that woman is concerned." Andy shrugged, his back still to her, "I don't pretend to know the inner workings of that wicked woman's mind. For me it just seems best to steer clear."

Brenda tilted her head to the side, "Funny, she said somethin' like that too."

Not knowing exactly what she meant by the comment, Andy stiffened. He slowly swiveled his chair back around. "Probably because we have a mutual agreement going to stay as far away from each other as possible. As long as I play by the rules she does not need to come down here, or at least that is my hope."

Brenda pressed her lips together. Still unsure of what had taken her down this line of thought for the second time that day. She shrugged and turned back to her office door, "Well, Lieutenant. Whatever it is, hopefully it will work out for ya. With a bit of luck we won't have to see her around here until after the holidays."

Andy plastered a smiled on his face as she went to close the door behind her, "Yeah, Chief. Lots of luck." He turned back to his desk and shook his head. It seemed strange that now, after all of this time, people were finally growing suspicious. Perhaps that phone call had not been his best idea.