A/N Again, just a note of thanks for the very kind reviews. We are almost at the end of this installment, but never fear, Sharon and Andy's story will continue.

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true oh
All I want for Christmas is you

Hey come here." Ricky grabbed his sister as she made her way down the hall and pulled her into the bedroom he was sharing with Rusty.

"What are you doing?" Emily protested.

"We need to talk."

"I need to pack." She looked around at the mess the boys had made in their room. "You guys better get moving too. We're leaving in the morning."

"We'll take care of it." Emily sighed. If Rusty was as sloppy as Ricky was, she knew exactly how they'd take care of it, by picking up piles of clothing and simply throwing them in their suitcases. Mom had always had to pack for Ricky.

Ricky shut the door to the bedroom and gently forced Emily to sit on the bed. "We need to talk about this wedding."

"Mom's wedding?"

"Uh. Is someone else you know getting married? "

"Ha ha. I thought you were happy about it."

"I am, of course I am. But we need to talk about how we are going to make sure that mom gets the wedding she wants. Did you see the look on her face when she talked about not being able to get married in the church?"

"I did." All the joy that had been shining her mother's eyes when she talked about Andy's proposal had been replaced by sadness when the talk had changed to the logistics of the wedding. "The church has always been so important to her and I know she wants a sacramental marriage, but what can we do? It will be up to dad to sign those papers."

"I've been thinking about that. If he won't sign them we'll make him sign them."

"And just how do you think we're going to do that? It's not like we've ever been able to make him do anything he doesn't want to do."

Ricky grew angry at the dejected look on his sister's face and he began to pace. His mom and Em were the two most important people in his life and he hated the way his father had hurt those two loving women over the years. "This time we have the upper hand." He paused, and then knelt in front of Emily. "Look, Jack says he wants a relationship with us now. So we go to him and tell him that if he wants to continue to see us he'll give mom an annulment."

"Well, if you want to get him to agree to that you'll probably want to call him dad, not Jack."

Ricky's lips twisted with derision. The truth was, Jack had never felt like a dad to him. Sperm donor was more like it. He'd been only three years old when his mother had given Jack the ultimatum to sober up and quit gambling or leave and he'd chosen to leave-on the sly, in the middle of the night after clearing out their bank accounts.

A year later when he was four and Jack was living in Las Vegas, his mother had gone through with the legal separation. After that, Jack popped in every few years, stayed for a few days then disappeared again. He saw his grandparents who lived on the opposite coast of the country more than he saw his own father and he had spent more time doing things with Andy since his mother began dating him than he could ever remember doing with his father. So, he felt he should be forgiven for not feeling any kind of familial affection for the man. But Emily was right; he was going to have to tread carefully to make sure that his mother got the wedding she deserved.

"Okay, you're right, I'll call him dad."

"It's not a bad plan, but there is something that you haven't thought through."

"What's that?"

Emily brushed at the tears that welled in her eyes. Even though she'd long ago come to terms with not having a dad in her life, it still hurt to know that her own father cared so little for her. "Dad's been given ultimatums before, and not once has he chosen his family. What makes you think he'll choose us now?"

Ricky's heart ached at his sister's pain and he rose to sit on the bed next to her. When she leaned heavily against him, he put an arm around her shoulders. Emily had been seven at the time their parents split up and she did have some memories of them as a family, some happy, others not so much, and she was always more sensitive when it came to Jack.

"He's got no choice, Em. Think about it. When did dad always come crawling back to mom?"

"That's easy. When he needed something."

"Right. Well, since the divorce and since she started dating Andy he can't do that anymore. They don't even talk, that's why he's always pumping the two of us about her love life. So, who is he going to turn to the next time he hits rock bottom? Even if he tried with mom, she doesn't have any responsibility for him anymore and Andy isn't going to tolerate him coming around bothering her. So, it's going to be one of us. And if it isn't one of us, it's going to be Uncle Phil. Somehow I think he'll choose us over Phil."

"You may be right." Emily rested her head on her brother's shoulder. She didn't know much about her father, but she did know that there was nothing he hated more than having to go to his older brother with his tail between his legs for help. She'd heard her mother use that leverage over him more than once.

"I know I'm right. Besides, what does he gain by not signing the annulment? Other than whatever petty joy he might get out of keeping mom from having the kind of wedding she wants with Andy. Mom accepted Andy's proposal. She's wearing his ring. They're getting married whether dad agrees to the annulment or not, so it's not like he is going to be able to stop the wedding by not signing the papers."

"Yeah, that's true. You know this might really work. But how are we going to do it?"

"It's the perfect time. Didn't you say you were going to stop in to see him in LA before you head down to Costa Mesa to join your troupe?"

"Yes, I'm hoping to get back into some performances by mid-January."

"Well, I'll change my flight from San Fran to LA tomorrow. We can go see Father Stan, see what we need and then go see dad together. We can spend the night at mom's and if things go well we can let her know what dad said when she gets back from New York. Then I can fly home from LA and you can head down to Costa Mesa."

Emily thought it over for moment then nodded her agreement. "Okay, so we're going to do this."

Ricky squeezed her hand. "We're going to make this happen Em. Mom's sacrificed so much to make sure we had everything we needed and wanted and that we were happy. Now it's her turn and if being happy for her means marrying Andy Flynn in a church we're going to make sure she gets that."

"Andy, would you please join me in my study. There are a few things I'd like to talk to you about."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Andy gave Sharon a slightly deer in the headlights look.

"Dad." Sharon stepped in front of him stopping his progress toward the study. "What is this all about?"

"I just have a few things I'd like to discuss with Andy man to man before he marries you."

"Oh my God. You're kidding, right?"

"Why would I be kidding?"

"Dad, I'm 54 years old, Andy is 55. You are not really giving him the "what are your intentions with my little girl" talk, are you?"

"Maybe an updated version."

"Sharon." Andy reached out, gently squeezing her arm. "It's okay really."

"No, Andy, it isn't. I'm a grown adult. I've already been married once. I have three children and I'm perfectly capable of choosing who I want to spend my life with. I don't like to be second guessed."

"I'm not second guessing you at all," William protested. "I like Andy, but I don't live in LA so I don't really know him very well. I'd like to change that before you marry him."

"Sharon, really," Andy said. "I get it. I'm perfectly happy to answer any questions your father might have for me."

"See. I like him even more already." William grinned and led Andy into his study.

Sharon rolled her eyes and turned to her mother. "Do you believe this? He's treating me like a child."

Colleen smiled tenderly. "No, he's treating you like a daughter. A daughter he loves very much. Do you feel any less protective of Ricky now that he's an adult and towers over you by 6 inches?"

"No, of course not."

"And what about Emily? She's a grown woman but you mean to tell me if she came to you and said she'd fallen in love with a man and wanted to marry him that you wouldn't want to get to know him, to make sure of his character."

"I'd like to think that I would trust her. "

Colleen snorted. "Oh really? Is that why when she was dating Tim you asked us to invite him over for Sunday dinner and report back to you? "

Sharon leveled a long look at her mother then sighed with defeat when she didn't back down. "Okay, point taken. Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right. Besides honey, when are you going to learn? No matter how old you get you're always going to be your father's little girl."

Almost 45 minutes later Colleen watched William and Andy emerge from the study both laughing jovially.

"Well," she said to Andy. "You don't look any worse for the wear."

"No ma'am. The judge went easy on me."

"Don't let him fool you. I grilled him."

"Where's Sharon?" Andy asked.

"She went upstairs to start packing."

"Thanks." Andy headed out for the stairs and William for the living room.

"Oh no you don't." Colleen grabbed his arm. "How did it go?"

William nodded. "It went well. I like him. He's a good, strong man. Responsible, finances are in good shape. He's made some personal mistakes in his past, but he fully accepts responsibility and has worked hard to make up for them. He's no Jack Raydor that's for sure. And…."

"And what?"

A tender, wistful look crossed William's usually stern façade. "And he loves our girl. He really loves our girl."

Sharon plunked the laundry basket up on the bed. She'd done one last load of dirty clothes so she could get everything packed before leaving the following morning. Picking up one of Andy's shirts, she held it to her chest for a moment wondering what was being said in the study below. At first, she hadn't been sure why it bothered her so much that her father wanted a heart to heart with his soon to be son-in-law, other than it bruising her feminist ego. But it hit her as soon as she got down to the laundry room and had begun pulling clothes out of the dryer.

Trust. It felt like her father didn't trust her. Yes, she'd made a mistake in marrying Jack; there was no doubt about that. Both her parents had tried to warn her off marrying him, or at the very least, to get her to wait until they both finished law school before getting married. They hadn't been at all comfortable with the way they felt she was rushing into the marriage. But she'd been young and in throes of first love and even back then Jack had known exactly how to manipulate her. At 22, she'd had no defenses against that manipulation, no reason not to trust him, no reason not to be blinded by his charm. When her marriage fell apart she'd not only been hurt, she'd been embarrassed. Embarrassed that she'd chosen so poorly. Embarrassed that she'd made such a life-altering mistake. And even though her parents had never thrown an "I told you so" in her face, she knew they had to be thinking that very sentiment. Nothing had been harder than telling her parents that she was legally separating from Jack. Never had she felt like such a failure.

Now, for the first time since that separation, the first time in 22 years, she had gone and fallen in love with another man and was again getting married. So why did it feel like her father still didn't trust her to make the right choice?

"Sharon?" Sharon spun around, pulled out of her trip down memory lane. "You okay?"

"I should be asking you that." She set Andy's shirt down and moved to him, resting her hands on his hips to survey his face. "You look like you survived your ordeal."

"It was hardly an ordeal. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little nervous at first. I totally see now where your Darth Raydor comes from. "

"Andy." She slapped at his arm with a roll of her eyes getting a cheeky grin in response. In one of his many 'open mouth insert foot' moments, Andy had let slip the nickname that the team had for her behind her back. Momentarily, she'd been taken aback, even after he assured her that it was now said with great admiration, but it didn't take long for her to see the humor in it. After all, she had purposely cultivated that cool, steely look and untouchable persona while in FID, and it worked very well for her, so well, her tough guy fiancé had even admitted that he found it a turn on.

"Seriously. Your dad is a good guy. Tough, but decent. And let's face it. When a man is shagging another man's daughter under his own roof there is no way he's walking away without a talk."

"Hmph." Sharon mulled over that for a moment then asked, "Well, what did you talk about? I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but…"

Andy's lips quirked with amusement. Sharon was friggin' adorable when she was trying to wheedle information out of someone. "I've got no secrets from you, babe. We talked about a lot of things. You. Me. About my past and my sobriety and how I've been working to mend fences and stay healthy and about how you've become a really big part of that. "

"So he didn't give you a hard time?"

"No. Not really. But he did ask me about my reputation as a 'ladies man'." He raised an accusing brow. "Did you really have to tell him about that?"

"He must have talked to my mother. Sorry," she shrugged. "It was a concern when we first started dating. Besides, it is part of your history."

"Hmm…" Part he wasn't so proud of. The ink had barely been dry on his divorce when he'd taken up serial dating as if it was the national pastime, pursuing women who weren't complicated and didn't make emotional demands. Women who were looking for a good time and nothing else, just like him. He'd experienced enough empty sexual encounters for a lifetime. What he wanted now was a home and a family with this woman, his best friend, his lover, his everything. This time he wanted forever.

"So, what did you tell him?" Her eyelids fluttered when he began running his thumb softly against her jaw.

"The truth. I told him about sewing some wild oats after my divorce and trying to find some way to ease the loneliness after the breakup of my family. I also told him that since Nicole's wedding almost three years ago, you've been the only woman for me."

Her eyebrow raised in a slightly skeptical tilt. He'd already told her he hadn't slept with any other women after Nicole's wedding, but no female contact at all? "Even though we didn't start romantically dating, until almost a year later? " She asked.

"Even though."

"Yeah?" Her skepticism melted away and her eyes grew soft.

"Yeah. I held you in my arms that first time on the dance floor at the wedding and I was a goner. Every time a woman came on to me, every time I told myself that there wasn't a future with you and tried to bring myself to ask her out, all I could see was your face. You're it for me, Sharon. I walk in a room and you're the only woman I see. I know this may sound corny or cliché but you really are the love of my life."

"Oh…Andy." Sharon blinked at the tears that stung her eyes at that beautiful sentiment.

"It's true. You fill up all the empty places in my heart and I still can't believe what a lucky son of bitch I am that you agreed to be my wife. I can't think of anyone I'd rather grow old with than you. Especially now that growing old isn't so far away."

Sharon laughed and gave him a soft shove on the shoulder. "Speak for yourself buster."

"I just hope that when we're in our 80's we'll be doing as well as your parents."

"Did you tell that to my dad?"

"I did. I figured I should suck up a little."

"Did it work? Did you past muster?"

"I think so. He gave me his blessing anyway."

"Then you passed with flying colors. And Andy…" Her fingers moved to pluck at the buttons on his shirt, the way she often did when she got emotional. "You're it for me too. I walk into a room and you're the only man I see."

By the time Sharon got back from the bathroom, having removed her make-up and brushed her teeth, Andy was already in bed. With a tired sigh, she pulled her sweater up over her head, and then reached behind her back to unhook her bra, releasing another sigh, this time one of pleasure as the band let go and her breasts spilled out of the cups. It was always a relief to get out of her bra. Before Rusty had come to live with her, one of the first things she'd done when she got home from work was to slip out of her high heels and her bra and into a pair of yoga pants and a loose shirt. Having a teenage boy living with her had made that move far too provocative-at least back then.

Laying her bra over the chair, she then shimmied out of her jeans, shivering as the cold air touched her skin causing her nipples to tighten painfully. It was a lot colder here preparing for bed than in her bedroom back home at the condo. Stripped down to only her panties, she reached one hand up behind her head to release the clip that held her hair away from her face while she'd washed it, shaking it down to fall around her shoulders. Shivering again, this time at the way her hair tickled the skin on her back, she quickly grabbed the icy blue silk chemise she had found in the Victoria's Secret box Andy had given her as part of his Christmas gift. It might be cold but she wasn't going to wear those flannel pajamas to bed again. Andy always gave off so much heat under the covers that she often found herself kicking the blankets off to cool down. The chemise was delicate, spaghetti strapped, and trimmed in lace and when she slid it over her nude form it fell only a few inches below her hips. She had to bite back a knowing smile. It didn't surprise her than Andy had picked out such a short slip, he really did like to have her legs on display.

Grabbing one of the bottles of lotion off her dresser, she began smoothing the vanilla and jasmine scent into her skin. When she finally finished and turned around to go to bed it was to see Andy wide-awake lying back on his pillow, hands crossed behind his head and a lascivious little grin on his face. After so many years alone it had taken her some time to get used to being watched dressing and undressing, especially since Andy had no qualms about admitting how much he enjoyed the show. Tonight he must have really enjoyed watching as she could see the beginnings of an erection tenting under the covers. She returned his grin with a sly smile of her own and reached up underneath her chemise to slip out of her panties before climbing into bed and snuggling in next to him. She slipped a hand up under his t-shirt and over his broad warm chest taking a few moments to appreciate and caress the hard muscles in his pecs before sliding her fingertips down into his armpit to tease and stroke the silky hair that grew there. He shivered and squirmed and that made her giggle. It was one of a few spots where he was ticklish.

Andy rolled onto his side and cupped his hand over his breast. If wearing the nightie he'd gotten her for Christmas and slipping out of her panties hadn't been enough of a hint, her playful teasing was. "You sure you're not too tired?" He asked.

"Not for this." Her voice was a tad breathless as he began swiping his thumb back and forth over her hardened nipple.

"Good." His words were muffled against her skin, his lips warm as he nuzzled along her jaw. He tugged at the spaghetti strap on her negligee, sliding it down her arm. "Why'd you take your panties off and leave this on?"

She shrugged, tipping her head back to allow him greater access to the long column of her throat. "I didn't want you to get the idea that I was easy. And you did say I was the only present you wanted to unwrap." Andy's laugh vibrated against her pulse point.

"Easy is never a word I would associate with you, sweetheart."

"Oh yeah. What word would you use?" She ran her fingers through his soft thick hair, scratching gently on his scalp the way she knew he enjoyed.

"Tough…Smart…" He punctuated each word with a kiss along her collarbone. "Sexy…Elegant…Classy…Beautiful. So damn beautiful it makes my heart ache to look at you."

"Andy." Her voice broke with emotion.

"It's true. I love everything about you. Your body. How soft your skin is. How good you smell. " Sharon gasped as he closed his lips over one of her nipples, sucking at her through the silky fabric. "And you're right; you are the only gift I really give a damn about unwrapping." One hand moved from kneading her breast to trail down over hip so he could tug the chemise up and completely bare her legs. "I love these legs, these long, long, smooth sexy legs and this little spot here, that always makes you jump." He brushed his fingers over the soft skin behind her knee, finding her ticklish spot the way she'd found his earlier. She did jump, just as he'd predicted, but not enough for her to remove her hand from the back of his head where she was holding him to her breast. "And how baby soft the skin is here on your inner thigh."

"Aaandy…"His name came out on a long drawn out sigh as his fingers moved ever closer to the place that now pulsed and ached for his touch. She parted her thighs, hoping he'd take the hint. And he did. He slipped one hand between her legs at the same time he began lifting the chemise higher, kissing every inch of skin he bared along the way. The slightly concave valley of her belly, muscles quivering and tightening, the soft full swells of her breasts, their rosy tips calling out to him for attention.

Finally doing away with the nightie altogether he gave each nipple a kiss and continued up over her chest to finally settle in and nuzzle into her throat. He could feel her pulse racing against his lips as his palm played over the springy curls at the juncture of her thighs. And when his fingers moved into her warm wet folds to slide over the throbbing little ball of nerves, she cried out and arched up into him. With her hips rocking against his fingers, she threw an arm up over her head, grasping at the bedrails. And when he slid two fingers inside her, curling upward and hitting that spot that only he had ever found, the spot that drove her crazy with need, she had to place a forearm over her mouth to keep from crying out loud.

"M….That's it sweetheart… It's hard to believe there was ever a time I thought you were so cold…so distant…so untouchable."

"And now." She could barely focus on what he was saying anymore, her entire being fixated on the feel of his fingers inside her and his lips sucking at her neck.

"Now I know it was shield, a shield that hid the real you. Because the real you is warm and sexy and so damn responsive I could come just listening to the sounds you make when I fuck you."

"Andy…" She was begging him now, her head tossing side to side, hips squirming.

"Ssh…you're almost there."

"No…" She let go of the bedrails and impatiently shoved his pajama bottoms down, closing her hand over his rigid penis. Thank God, he was hard and ready because she wanted him inside her. Now. "This is what I want." She squeezed him gently, sliding her hand up and down his length, rubbing her thumb over the liquid beading on his tip until he was groaning and thrusting his hips into her hand.

"Okay, okay babe." He removed her hand from his cock, took a few deep breaths to calm himself and slid up between her parted thighs. Placing himself at her entry, he slowly sank inside. Sharon threw her head back her breath escaping on a low moan at the delicious stretch. She lifted her knees higher, gasping when she took him even deeper. Completely seated to his hilt, Andy paused for a moment looking down into her lovely flushed features and tousled hair. She looked like a wanton fallen angel. Bending to kiss her, he murmured softly against her lips. "Love you, Sharon."

"Love you too." And with that, she wrapped her legs around his waist, the muscles in her calves and thighs flexing against his hips, her heels digging into his back as he began rhythmically thrusting within her.

Sleepy and sated, with her head on Andy's chest and their legs still tangled, Sharon could feel his heart still racing under her cheek. Her body continued to tingle with the remnants of her orgasm. Oh yes, Andy Flynn really did rev her engines.

Andy lifted the hand that was tracing patterns on his chest and looked at the ring shining on Sharon's fourth finger. He pressed his lips against the ring, kissing it with a tenderness that took her breath away. "As incredible as that was, you agreeing to marry me is the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten," he said.

Oh God. The man surely did know how to make her melt. "You asking me to marry you was my best Christmas gift."

"Even better than Aquinnah?" His eyes danced with amusement. He'd asked her earlier what her favorite Christmas gift had been as a child. At first, she'd had a hard time choosing between the dog, Bandit, or her horse Aquinnah, but then she'd chosen Aquinnah because Bandit had been a family gift, while Aquinnah had been hers.

"Well…"Sharon looked up at the ceiling mulling that over until Andy finally gave her a little smack on her bare ass. "Hey!" She protested. "You really don't have any patience, do you?"

"It should have been an easy answer. Me or a friggin' horse."

Sharon giggled and that made him smile. He could never resist her giggle. "It is an easy answer. Of course you're an even better gift than Aquinnah."

"Thank God. You started to have me worried."

Sharon propped herself up on her elbow and cupped Andy's cheek in her palm. "You don't ever to worry. Other than my kids, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Merry Christmas, Andy."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

TBC

Next- A stop in Brooklyn