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Season 3 - Episode 17 - at the end of 'Internal Affairs'

January 4, 2015

"I'm so sorry that I took so much for granted."

She stared at Jack for the longest time. He looked distraught. He looked as if he was sorry. He looked like he was being honest.

She turned and shook her head slightly, walking away. She didn't care how he looked. She didn't care what he said anymore. He had taken up so much of her life, her time, her thoughts … he caused her to worry, to stress, to doubt … she was exhausted of everything Jack Raydor and a little piece of her wished that he'd move across the country so she'd never have to see or hear from him again… tears kept stubbornly forming.

Andy.

She noticed him in the breakroom, eating a salad. She smiled, almost laughed as she walked through the door.

His mouth was full, but he greeted her the best he could with a goofy smile.

"A salad? I'm proud." She sat across from him, letting out a sigh.

"Mmmm, it's not too bad, I guess."

"Don't smother it with, oh, Andy, how much ranch is on there?!"

He shrugged.

"That just … okay, was it low-fat at least?"

He gave her a look. It meant that it wasn't, of course it wasn't. "Progress. I'm eating lettuce and cucumbers and broccoli and …"

"Okay." She grinned. "Okay."

"So you okay?" He looked down and picked at his food. He'd noticed that she'd been crying recently … very recently. Worried and pissed at himself now for just noticing.

"I'm alright. Jack," she shrugged a shoulder, "is drinking again and …"

"He okay?"

She just stared at him. Of course he would ask about the well-being of Jack. Andy Flynn was a genuinely good man. She smiled.

"Need a hug," he stood and opened his arms wide and gave her a look.

She took in a deep breath and didn't move her eyes away from his.

He kept the pose and the look and started to feel pretty stupid until she finally stood and moved forward, wrapping her arms around him.

"I need a hug, too," he said quietly. "The salad is disgusting."

She laughed against him and closed her eyes, needing this more than she'd thought.

It had been about a month since it came to her attention that their families thought they were dating and that Andy was interested. She couldn't believe … she was just … still in shock, she guessed, but she was making a conscious effort to slow down, especially with him, and take notice of the little things. She was so embarrassed in how she was blindsided by this. She was a detective, for god's sake!

They'd had one conversation after the nutcracker and it was done. Understood that they were only very good friends. A while back, she'd started going to him first instead of Gavin, or Andrea, or her family. He was her best friend. She couldn't lose that and he agreed.

The love that she had for him was apparent to her, the same way that she loved her friends, but he'd … he'd thought there was more. She knew that maybe, there could be. There was more for him. 'I don't wanna do it', she remembered him saying after she ordered that they have dinner with Nicole before the nutcracker to explain their friendship. He didn't want to tell his daughter that they weren't dating because he wanted to be dating. He wanted to date her.

How blind she was.

How stupid.

She should have known then, but she didn't hear him. She didn't internalize what he meant. God, she was so embarrassed. Romance was so far out of her thoughts that it never even seemed like a possibility.

'I just need you to be in my life. Every day. After work.' He said slowly that night a month ago and she really appreciated that he clarified 'after work'. That's what he needed. She'd finally got her 'relationship clarity'.

Friends. Very good friends. Best friends. She'd see about the 'more'.

And she would see. She didn't tell him that, though. She would see if maybe they could have more without ruining their friendship or work situation. She loved him. Absolutely. She found him very attractive, but she'd always found him attractive. Could she risk it all, though? She wished she could ask her friend, Andy, for advice. She smiled against him and enjoyed the hug for one more moment before pulling back.

"Thank you."

He grinned and sat back down, sticking a fork in the salad. "Dinner tonight?"

"Probably not, but maybe." She grinned and walked to her office.

He just smiled and ate.

Season 2 - Episode 18 - after 'Return to Sender Part 1'

January 5, 2014

"I cannot believe you two."

"Hmm?" He looked over to her from the stove. "Morning." It was noon, but she'd needed sleep.

"I woke up in a strange room to my daughter snoring in bed next to me. It took me an embarrassingly long time to remember where I was and what the state of my world is. Andy, did you tell her to come?!"

"Ha! Funny how you think anyone can tell that one anything! How is my spare bedroom 'strange'?"

She sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. She ignored the silly question. He'd known Emily for a while now, over a year. She knew that Emily texted him often and may even have called a few times. There was nothing she could do about it.

"This is silly, Andy. She has work, she has a routine for practice … she can't just come here every time something upsets me …"

"Are you kidding me?"

Sharon just stared.

He turned and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms.

"Andy-"

"Do you want me to explain to you how bad yesterday was? A serial killer was living six flights down from you for a few days and-"

"Okay," she interrupted, not needing to hear it. "But what can Emily do?"

Emily's voice sang from the hallway as she walked down. "I can hug you and kiss you and hug you, again and again and again," she wrapped her arms around her Mom, "and ask you three hundred times an hour if you're okay and then try take your mind off of things and maybe even try to talk you into retirement, and I think it's about time that I meet this Rusty Beck in person… and," she glanced to Andy, who turned back to the bacon, "him, in person."

"BLT?" Andy was almost finished plating them, so he hoped they were interested.

"Ooooooo," Emily cheerfully responded, not letting Sharon go.

"I cannot believe you're here."

"Mom, please, there's no point in giving a lecture. I have a few days off and I want to be here."

Sharon just held her and shook her head in disappointment.

Andy piled on the bacon to the three sandwiches and brought the plates over to them.

"So," Emily took her plate and her mothers and sat at the dining room table, "tell me everything."

Andy joined with his plate and some water bottles and sat. They both looked to Sharon, who was still standing near the kitchen.

"I have a few errands to run," Andy said and took a big bite. "... so you'll have the place to yourself for a while. Let me finish this and I'll give you two some privacy …"

"Mom, can you tell me what happened with Andy sitting here or do you need to wait for some stupid reason?"

Sharon walked over and sat. "Are you angry, Emily?" She was being a little 'short' with her.

"A little, but not too much. Eat. Talk." She ordered.

Sharon sat and ate, telling her daughter everything about last night.

"So Rusty's going to testify soon?"

"Yes."

"He's okay?"

Sharon teared up, "I don't know, I haven't spoken with him today."

"Well, call him."

Andy took his last bite. "He'll be here in about an hour … Provenza's coming by with him."

"Really?" Sharon smiled.

Emily grinned, "Surprise!"

"Is Ricky coming, too?" Sharon joked, but wouldn't be too surprised.

"No, he has to work. He'll call you, maybe come next week or so …"

Hmm.

"What time did you get in?"

"Got here around three this morning, booked a flight after I got off the phone with you and this one …" she nodded to Andy, "... tried to convince me to not come, but fuck that."

"Emily," Sharon warned about the language.

Andy stood and brought his plate to the kitchen.

"Mom." She took her hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Emily nodded.

"Promise," she whispered.

"Yes, love. Rattled a bit."

"Retire, please?"

Sharon shook her head and squeezed Emily's hand.

"No, and I'd be at the office right now helping to try to find this guy, but I have to wait until after my appointment with the psychologist tomorrow."

"Well, good. You need a day off … or fourteen."

Sharon gave her a look.

"Mom, Rusty's going to hang here with us today. Your team is looking for this guy. You'll be back with them tomorrow. We can stay here for a few days, then head back to the condo. Thanks, again, Andy. I wasn't even there and I feel better that we're here for a few nights."

"I'm glad you are, too. So, I'm heading out to pick up groceries. Any requests?"

"Ice cream. Lots of ice cream." Emily grinned like she did as a four-year-old.

Sharon met Andy's gaze. "I guess just ice cream."

He smiled.

Season 5 - Episode 7 - near the end of 'Moral Hazard'

July 31, 2016

After Provenza had been taken to the ambulance and checked out, the other officers slowly trickled down from the hotel room where the walls had been riddled with bullets.

They were incredibly lucky only one bullet hit one bullet-proof vest.

Sharon felt like she was still holding her breath ten minutes after. She'd seen Andy on the balcony after their mass shooter jumped … after the sound of what seemed like hundreds of bullets made her worst fears flash before her eyes. She saw him, saw that he was alive, but needed more. When he exited the elevator to the lobby, she met his eyes and looked over him carefully, but Taylor had shown up and they had all started walking through the lobby. Andy was far behind her and as she spoke with Taylor and Julio, and she kept looking back. She saw Andy excuse himself and walk to the restroom at the side of the lobby.

That was unacceptable. Sharon had to think of a way … "Hey," she looked to Julio, "we still need to check up on the list of people this guy had it out for … I'd rather us find them dead than their families …" Julio and Taylor started talking through the list and Sharon pretended to do something on her phone so she could stay in the lobby as they left. Once gone, she quickly walked to the men's restroom and pushed in.

He was drying his hands, threw the paper towel away, turned and smiled.

She shook her head quickly and ran into his arms, pulling back quickly to kiss his face. Everywhere. She couldn't stop, hands roaming all over him.

"I'm okay."

She hummed. No.

She was looking at him so carefully, running her fingers over his face, head, neck, "Take your vest off, let me see you," she started unstrapping him.

"Sharon."

She cut her eyes at him. "Take it off."

"I'm not hit, babe."

She frustratingly pulled the vest off of him and pulled his shirt up looking at his stomach, chest, arms.

"You want the pants off, too?"

"I should make you," she wrapped her arms around his neck after she was satisfied that he hadn't been hit. "Yeah, drop them."

He smiled.

"I'm not kidding."

He dropped them, still grinning.

She looked him over and then nodded.

After he was fully dressed, he held her for a long moment. "I'm okay."

She pulled him in for a kiss and it seemed to last ten minutes. He was not complaining and didn't want it to end.

She pulled back, though she didn't want to, and breathlessly whispered, "You have no idea how scared I was. Andy…"

"I'm okay."

"I know," she kissed him and made sure to deepen it.

"I love you," he whispered.

"My god, Andy, I love you so much," she was crying now.

"Babe, it's …"

"I'm a mess. You need to retire."

He laughed. They held each other for a very long time. He wasn't going to let go first.

"It took everything that I had not to run to you like an idiot, Andy, this … this is why Taylor warned us against 'dating'. I was worried about all of you, but you … your …" she was so flustered, unbelieving still that he was here in one piece in front of her.

"Oh, we're more than dating." He kissed her. "... and I know. I'm so very glad that you stayed down here."

"I can't live without you, Andy."

"I feel the same. It's our job, my love, and I'm alright. You're alright."

"Please retire. I will, too, if you want. Let's get a house on the beach …"

"Adopt a few kids?"

"Mmmhmm," she kissed him again, unable to stop.

"You're ridiculous."

"God, Andy," she whispered and kissed his face more. He only smiled, knowing she was joking, but loving the thought. "I've … never been so scared. In my mind, you were dead. There were so many bullets."

"I love you," was all he could say until she calmed. "I love you," he kissed her sweetly and pulled her in close. "I love you."

She breathed in deeply and then just listened to him breathe … listened to his heartbeat, unwilling to let go.

After a while longer, he whispered, "They're probably waiting on us."

"Mmmhmm," she kissed him quickly and pulled back. "It really smells in here."

He smiled and walked her out.