The next morning, Rusty was already in the kitchen when both Andy and Sharon got out of their room. Their morning routine had been pretty silent for once. As she noticed Rusty waiting at the counter, she hurried her step meaning to get the breakfast going. That was until she realized, Rusty wasn't waiting for her to make him breakfast. He had actually made an omelette by himself.

- Oh nice! You made yourself breakfast! Looks delicious… she tried to sound enthusiastic.

- Yeah, it's nothing really. By the way, I made two more for you guys… Sharon and Andy looked at each other surprised. Hum… unless you don't eat that…? Rusty felt suddenly hesitant and a little embarrassed.

- No, no! That'll be perfect, thanks kid, added Andy quickly.

Rusty couldn't stop asking questions about his mother and the case. He sounded desperate to leave their house and yet neither of them seemed offended by that. Sharon, on her end, was pretty quiet, probably enjoying the omelette. But so was she over the drive to the station, which started to worry Andy.

The whole morning was busy. They had caught a pretty bloody case, probably committed by a serial killer. Major Crimes had four murders on its hands and yet no clue or major evidence for a prospective suspect. Buzz was going over the footage that had been sent from the different murder locations. The murderer was quite organized and considerate. He had left absolutely nothing behind and had thought of everything in terms of surveillance cameras filming the areas or fingerprints. Yet there was a common signature in every murder: all four corpses had been shot twice in the chest and once in each leg.

At lunch break, Lieutenant Flynn sneaked into his boss's office that had been closed for a good hour now. He supposed Sharon was busy making calls and dealing with the paperwork, but something felt unusual since their awakening. He knocked twice and slightly opened the door peeking at what could possibly be going on in there. He found Sharon stepping back and forth behind her desk, the phone pressed against her ear. She was upset, he could tell. As their eyes met, she held up her finger, implying for him to give her a minute. He closed the door and patiently waited at his desk. He suddenly heard her heels approaching and saw her open the door.

- Hey! Busy morning huh? He asked shutting the door behind him.

- Yeah… there's just so much to do… she sighed while folding the files spread on her desk.

- Sweetheart, you look exhausted, why don't we take a break and go for lunch somewhere in town? he walked around her desk and grabbed her arms, her hands still busy with the files.

- Hum… yeah well… hum… I think I should eat while I work… I'm not too hungry anyways… she sounded distant not even daring to meet his eyes.

- Sweetheart… his right hand cupped her chin, implying for her to meet his gaze.

She slightly resisted, but when her eyes met his, she felt tears forming. She had a pretty clear idea of what could possibly be wrong, but she wouldn't dare to tell him just yet. Her throat felt suddenly very tight.

- Come here… he took her in the warmth of his embrace and kissed the top of her head. You know you can tell me anything, honey… What's wrong? Andy questioned her suddenly very worried about his wife.

- I'm okay, Andy. Why don't you go grab something for lunch and meet Rusty and me in the break room? I have a few things to do before I take a break… she tried to sound calm and composed, in full control of her emotions.

- Okay…

Walking down the street with a lunch for the three of them, Andy was quite taken aback, not fully understanding what he had missed. His head was down as he felt truly concerned about Sharon. She had been crying the night prior, but she had said it was mostly about Rusty and being happy about their life together. Why would she suddenly be so silent and distant with him? He knew her, she'd come around and tell him everything… but only when she'd be ready for it. In the meantime, he just needed to make her feel at ease and supported, although he had no idea of what could possibly be heaving on her mind. His heart ached for his girl and he didn't know how to fix it.

Days passed and things didn't seem to get any better. Sharon was eaten by her old demons. It had happened before and it was happening again. She just had to find a way for it not to spoil her relationship with Andy the way it had the first time around. She knew she needed to tell him about her suspicions, but she was so scared that it might turn her life upside down, that keeping it to herself a little longer helped her pretend that everything was fine.

And there was Rusty in the middle of it. He was more and more impatient to be reunited with his mother and although Sharon was doing everything in her power to find her as soon as possible, it wasn't an easy task. She had noticed some changes in the poor teenager. She perceived him as more delicate and more polite towards her and Andy. It surprised her when she found him in the living room after dinner. Andy was still at the office and she had only come home to drop off Rusty and cook him dinner before joining the team in the Murder Room around 9 pm.

- Oh Rusty! Just finished the dishes… do you need anything else before I leave? she asked, wondering why he hadn't ran away to "his" room already.

- Hum, no thank you, Sharon…

She was about to wave him goodbye when she understood he had something else to say.

- But… hum… I think I should leave, he stated looking away.

- What do you mean? Sharon asked suddenly confused.

- I mean that I should probably go live by myself, I don't need anyone to take care of me, you know.

Despite her efforts, she had no clue as to why he would say such thing now.

- Oh I know you don't need us, but you're a witness in a murder case. You still need protection whether it is under our roof or under someone else's… she paused. Let me just get this straight… so you wanna leave? Is there anything wrong here? Has anything happened for you to make this sudden decision?

The Captain, who was usually so perceptive, was now completely lost and didn't understand what was going on.

- No, there's nothing wrong with you guys, but I know I'm bothering you and I don't belong here after all so let's not pretend like I do, he sounded so factual and emotionless when he was actually saying straight out that he would no longer stay with them.

- Wait, Rusty. You're not bothering us, we're happy to help you out. Why would you think that? she was shocked.

- Come on, I've been in so many foster families. Believe me, I feel it when I'm not welcome anymore, he blurted out now clearly in defensive mode.

- I'm sorry if we've made you feel unwelcome, but I can assure you that we truly are happy to have you with us! she tried to convince him.

- It's better for everyone anyways, he stood up ready to leave to his room.

- No, it's not! You're only afraid to get used to feeling good in a home where you actually feel welcome. There's nothing wrong with feeling good here, you know? We're not gonna throw you out unless you want to go. Your mother wouldn't be upset about it, I'm pretty sure.

- Don't talk about my mother! You don't know her! he almost screamed and left, slamming his room's door when he reached it.

A little confused about the conversation she had just had with Rusty, she called Andy to warn him, mentioning the possibility of Rusty trying to run away before they would be back. Her presence at the station was highly requested though and she couldn't stay home with the kid although she would have felt better to do so. She asked to the patrol to be extra careful and left.

As she made her entrance in the Murder Room, things had apparently developed more than she had expected.

- Hey everyone! Anything new from Dr Morales? she asked looking at Provenza in particular.

- Not only do we have something new but we also think the murderer might kill his next victim tonight, answered the old Lieutenant standing up in a rush.

- We were only waiting for you, Ma'am, added Sanchez.

- All four victims were drug addicts and followed the same therapy in the same center, explained Amy.

- Okay but why would he kill again tonight?

- There's a special event at the therapy center where all the patients will meet… and the previous meetings match with the death of our victims, replied Andy.

- Which means it's where he picks his victims… Sharon resonated out loud.

- Right. Get your equipment, Captain. I'll give you further details during the drive, answered Andy while putting on his bulletproof vest and grabbing his car keys.

After Andy outlined the profile of the suspect they were looking for, the drive became silent. They still had a little less than 10 minutes until they'd reach the therapy center. She gently extended her arm until her hand could reach his which was laying on his right thigh. She squeezed his hand – their special way to deliver a silent I love you.

He looked at her, visibly happy with her thoughtful gesture. He remained silent though, knowing that he had to let her open up about what had been bothering her for a few weeks when she'd be ready to. She hesitated, looking out her window to summon her courage.

- Honey… she started shyly.

- Mmh? Andy answered staying focused on the road.

- I'm sorry for being so distant lately… There is something I need to tell you, it's just that I don't know if you're gonna…

Her phone started ringing, interrupting her.

- Yes, Lieutenant. We're right there, she answered in a very formal way.

Finally arriving at the therapy center, the team left the cars a few meters away. The Captain gave her instructions and they split to cover perimeter, each pair having a specific mission. Amy was pairing with Julio, both in charge of penetrating into the building and checking out the place. Having the main lines of the profile they were looking for, they were supposed to spot the probable suspects and inform the rest of the team. There was a buffet going on in the hall. Andy and Provenza were waiting alongside the security guards in both the main and second entrance and Sharon was with the security team, going over all the security cameras and communicating with her unit. Amy gave a sign. Along with Julio, they approached the suspect carefully who seemed to already have picked his next victim. But Sharon sensed something was off. She left the security room in a hurried step giving her instructions to Andy and Provenza. She headed to the exit as her intuition was telling her to. Andy spotted her and decided to follow his wife. Once outside, she started running to the car before it would be too late. Reaching the car, she heard someone behind her and pointed her gun while turning around.

- Oohh, it's me honey! Lower your gun, it's me! Andy blurted out, surprised.

- Oh sorry, I didn't hear you following me… what are you doing here? Where's Provenza? she interrogated him hurriedly.

- I don't know, I just saw you running out of the building and I got worried… what's wrong? he replied still trying to catch his breath.

As she was about to answer his question, she caught sight of their suspect who happened to be coming their way. She shushed Andy and waved him to get in the car before the man could see them.

- He noticed us in the hall… he knows the place way better than we do. I just knew he'd find a way to sneak out without us noticing, she murmured. We can't let him go!

Andy turned on the engine when the suspect closed his car door and left. He managed to follow him closely into the city. He let one car separate them from the man they were following. He tried his best to keep low key. He stopped at the red light, unfortunately the car between them changed lane. Andy and Sharon found themselves right behind the suspect. They avoided as possible meeting his gaze in the rear-view mirror. As the light became green, Andy dared to look just to take a better look at the guy they were dealing with. Only their eyes met and the man stepped on the gas.

- Shit… he saw us… mumbled Andy.

- Speed up, ordered Sharon suddenly terrified to lose the suspect.

A dangerous race started between the two cars. The drivers weaved in and out the lanes, both convinced they would reach their goal. Sharon grabbed the handle above her right side. They were driving at high speed. It wasn't very wise to drive this fast around the city. She was managing not to feel to nauseous with the brutal turns and slaloms. The blue car leading the race took a sudden turn left then right. He was definitely hard to keep up with. He was heading out of the city where it would be way more difficult to find him. While still gripping the handle, Sharon called Lieutenant Provenza for reinforcement. The rest of the unit was on their way but they wouldn't be able to catch them up anytime soon because they were obviously still at the center.

The car chase lasted for what seemed like eternity. Both Sharon and Andy were tense, very aware of the risks they were taking. They found themselves following their suspect into the highway. They realized it had been a safe chase so far when they saw the man grabbing a gun.

- Get down! screamed Andy, adrenaline rushing in his blood.

- I'm too old for this shit… grunted Sharon, lowering herself as much as possible.

The bullets started falling like rain. None of the shots reached its target but the bullets kept flowing anywhere. Andy slalomed a bit, hoping to become a prey much harder to get. They were not in a very good position to retort as Andy's gun was unreachable and Sharon was laying as low as possible to avoid the bullets. The criminal was shooting less and less which made them think for a few seconds that he had no more bullets and that they would now be able to retort and get him to stop the car. Sharon sat back up, ready to draw her gun. They couldn't be further from the truth. Two more shots resonated, one of them reaching their left front tire. Far was the moment when she was comfortably sat next to her husband, squeezing his hand in hers.

At the impact, the tire exploded and rolled their car over several times. While both were seeing the rest of the world spinning outside, they couldn't help but look at each other. The windows exploded and glass spread across their faces. Sharon's left hand reached for his and her right one instinctively reached for her middle. Still tightening his hand, she felt herself drift off, not having enough energy left to take the shocks from the car crashes on the concrete. Her last look went out for Andy. Oh how she loved this man. Her eyelids felt so heavy now. She could only hope he'd be there when she would open her eyes again. But how she regretted not having had the guts to tell him the truth. Would he ever get the chance to know?