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Season 4 - Episode 15 - during 'The Jumping Off Point"
November 29, 2015
"See? How wonderful! Now get back in bed, please."
"Is this where I am in life? I can turn in a circle without falling down and it's 'wonderful'?"
"I … I think what we're all happy about, Lieutenant, is that you're better."
"Much better, Andy."
He smiled.
"Much better."
They smiled for too long a moment. Neither cared.
"Well, I'm going to the cafeteria for something to eat, want anything?" Rusty asked, getting up.
Sharon thought about it. "No, thanks though, Andy, are you hungry? Can you have-" she looked to his nurse.
"Nah, I'm good." Andy waved the idea away as well as the obnoxious nurse, saying a quick thank you. He wasn't hungry and just smiled at her as they left.
She stood after Rusty thankfully closed the door, and walked over to kiss him and sit … holding his hand in her lap. "How was your visit with Patrice?"
"Good. Bad. I understand now why I need to stay at your place, but babe, please don't go overboard taking care of me."
"You have to let this pride thing go…"
"It's not pride, Sharon, not really … not a macho thing, either, I'm just not used to someone doing anything for me. I cook, I clean, I keep on top of stuff and now… I'll just … sit. Be waited on by someone who I wanted to spoil."
She ran her hand carefully through his hair and everywhere else she could, his face, chest, arm, through his hair again.
"You do spoil me, honey. Have for a while."
"Meh-"
"Meh?"
He grinned, "You haven't seen 'spoiled ', yet."
She kissed him, smiling.
"Well by all means, start spoiling me more, then. I won't complain. But wait until you're better." She kissed his hand. "I sure do love you, 'Lieutenant'." She emphasized his rank after he'd given his PT nurse a hard time.
"I love you more."
She shook her head and was about to say something, but he quickly changed the subject.
"You're in love with an idiot, though … did you talk to Provenza?"
"No, and I was going to say 'I know you're an idiot', but you are not." She leaned down and kissed him again. "What did you do?"
"You don't want to know."
"I'll find out another way. What did you do?"
"You … god, I'm an idiot, Sharon, okay. I don't want to tell you. So embarrassed." He moved her hand up to kiss it. "I really messed up."
She leaned down and kissed him for the fifteenth time, it seemed. She just waited. She wasn't going to ask again.
He sighed. "I ruined his proposal. I let it slip that he wants to ask her to marry him."
That wasn't good. "Oh, Andy."
He wasn't just upset that he ruined the proposal for his partner and friend … he was upset, too because said friend had knowledge of his own proposal plans, which weren't plans at all, really … Provenza could be Provenza and he could tell Sharon that he'd already bought her a ring and … he didn't want to think about it. She wasn't skittish by any means and she might even say yes, but it definitely wasn't time … for her.
"I'm tired, I had surgery, I'm in pain … I'm an idiot." There was no excuse.
She bit her bottom lip and released it into a smile. Then she laughed, covering her mouth, it changed from giggles, to struggling to breathe a bit, trying to stop the laughing, but then feeling so very sorry for Provenza.
"Oh my god, you're laughing." He lifted his arms a bit and dropped them dramatically on the bed.
"I can't," she tried to stop, but couldn't, "stop."
"Wow," he laid back, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Her laugh was life. It was the perfect sound, she was so beautiful.
"I'm sorry, but how could you do that? How on Earth did it come up, Andy?"
"She's a friend."
"You told her …"
"I was giving her a compliment. She's an awesome nurse and person and I stupidly said something like, 'no wonder Provenza wants to marry you'-"
"Oh, Andy."
He hung his head.
She situated herself to lie next to him and kissed his cheek. "You're an idiot."
"Mmmhmm."
"No, honey, I'm kidding … look, I know Patrice and Louie and they'll be fine. They're ready."
"She told you she's ready?"
"No, not necessarily, but maybe."
She was hard to read and he loved it. He honestly had no clue if Patrice told her or not. She was good.
She shook her head, but smiled. "The problems you and Provenza cause or get into. I think you should partner up with Mike more often. Or Amy."
"'Badge of Justice Mike'? Hell no. Amy, yeah, she's great. She's gonna make Lieutenant quick, hint hint."
Sharon couldn't disagree. Amy had impressed her tremendously and continues to.
"I agree. I have to get going," she leaned over and kissed his lips. "I will be back later to pack you up and take you home." He watched as she gathered her things and started to walk out.
"Your home."
"What's mine is yours." She grinned and didn't look back.
Season 5 - Episode 11 - during 'White Lies Part 1"
September, 2016
"Why would this Dwight Darnell freak shoot at Dr. Joe in the first place?" Rusty had calmed a bit since she told him Dr. Joe was alive.
"Because … Dwight was assessed by Dr. Joe to see if he was competent and sane."
"So?"
"It is possible that Dwight said something during that evaluation that was more important than either of them knew."
"But … But wouldn't all of that be privileged? I mean, how could anyone else know what they were talking about?"
"Yes … that is another … really good question."
Andy opened the door quickly then and shut it behind him. He looked to Rusty and smiled a small smile, then focusing on her.
She met his eyes and could tell that he needed more reassurance.
"Andy, I'm okay."
She sounded robotic.
He looked to Rusty before moving over to her, "Did you hug her, yet?"
"I-I uh," he looked at Sharon and then down. "No …"
Andy shook his head in disappointment as he moved to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She sighed into him.
"I'm fine," she mumbled. She tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let her. She just took a breath in and stopped trying to fight it. She relaxed into him a bit as he ran his hands up and down her back, pulling her in. He ran his hand down the back of her head and just held her.
The blinds were pretty closed … and no one cared if she needed a minute, surely.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. Sorry for losing Chief Taylor, sorry that she had to kill someone, which she would care about, sorry that she didn't go with him into the Judge's office so that he could hold her sooner. Mainly, sorry for their friend. Taylor often irked Andy, but he loved the guy like a fucking brother.
She thought of him only. Russell. Her friend. His family, who they all went to dinner with only weeks ago. Tears fell. She just let them. It was quiet, against him, her Andy. She needed this and had no idea. He knew, of course. She cried, sniffled a bit, but no sobs. She had to keep some composure.
Rusty sat and just watched for a bit, looking away and then down to his phone to give them a minute. He was now pissed at himself for not hugging her. Provenza had even told him to be there for her …
After a long minute, Andy didn't hold her as tight, knowing he had to let her go and get to work.
"I love you," he whispered.
She wiped her face and smiled up to him, bringing her lips to his and lingered for longer than she normally would here at work.
"I love you. Thank you. I'm okay."
"Sharon, Rusty," he looked to Rusty, "She was standing next to Taylor." He looked back to her. "You were standing next to Taylor, and I'm …" he pulled her in. He was relieved. That she was alive and well, considering. He felt guilty. Taylor wasn't first on his mind right now. He also needed Rusty to know just how close he was to losing her, too, not just Dr. Joe.
"Andy," she met his eyes. "I know. You were right there, too, sweetheart. I'm here, you're here … we're okay. We'll talk later, promise."
He nodded, "We'll talk later. Call the kids when you can?"
Her heart felt like it jumped as she gazed into his eyes. She was so lucky to have this man. He'd probably already called them … Nicole, too.
She squeezed him close. "Of course, go help Julio bring up Coulson, please."
He nodded, kissed her again very quickly, and left.
Rusty stood quickly after Andy was gone and rushed to hug her.
She smiled and hugged him back tightly. Her Rusty. She was so lucky to have him, too.
She'd be okay.
Season 4 - Episode 2 - during and after 'Sorry I Missed You'
June 12 & 13, 2015
They were eating takeout and watching t.v. on her couch, him sitting with his left arm on the armrest and her on the other with her legs tucked up, feet in the middle.
He came over some when they wanted to go out to eat, but really didn't. Takeout was sometimes better. Rusty was often out or working/studying in his room … or he'd join them. It hadn't ever felt uncomfortable, Andy thought, and knew that Sharon would say something if Rusty was uncomfortable. Plus, Sykes, Hobbs, Gavin … they came over often, more so than Andy, sadly for him.
They'd usually work on a case as well as watch something, but she made the rule tonight. No work.
"So how's it going with Julio?"
"That's work. You JUST said no work."
"Is it just work, Andy?"
"I guess not …" he knew that he and Julio needed to sort things out. It was personal because they were friends.
"So?" She pushed.
"I'm still working on it. He's pissed and he has every right to be, but he's going through other things as well." Andy was not going to apologize. Not for needing more time to fully trust and welcome back Julio … to forgive him for almost screwing up a case that directly affected Sharon and Rusty. He almost beat to a pulp and killed a killer directly connected to Stroh. It would take Andy more than five months away from Julio to see if he had changed. He had to see him work, in action … he wasn't going to apologize for putting her safety first, ever.
He tried to assure her, though. "I'm trying to be like you … patient, consistent …"
"But not apologetic?"
"Sharon …" he sighed.
She stopped pushing. They were watching a competition baking show. Well, she was. He was watching her as much as he could covertly.
She looked down-right gorgeous these last few days. He noticed, even more now. He wondered if anything was really different with her or if he just falls in love a little more each day. He had it bad, and he wasn't unhappy about it … and she was just beautiful. He smiled and looked over to her. She was in jeans and a t-shirt, and purple socks on her feet that she kept pushing against him when he said something stupid. Which was often. He purposefully will say something stupid just to get this reaction from her. She was just adorable and he had to stop. He looked back to the screen, shaking the thoughts away.
He didn't look away from the t.v. for a while. Trying to catch up on what was happening.
She looked over to him and didn't look away for quite a while. Ignoring completely what was happening on the show. He seemed to relax. He seemed at peace. He seemed different. He met her eyes after a while.
"What?"
"What?"
"I asked you first."
"I outrank you."
He pushed against her foot with his hand and smiled. "Not at home."
Oh shit, what did he just say?!
Thankfully, she brushed it off.
"I outrank you in my home, yes. So what?"
His heart was still racing, but he thought quickly, "Was just thinking about us, through the years. Your first day in the new job and I yelled at you like an asshole."
"Seems like you're beating up on yourself a lot today. Why are you thinking about that?"
"Well, at first I was thinking about how much I've changed … and it's when you came on and our division switched gears … making deals … that it didn't take a lot … to accept it. What an ass, I was, I mean, here you were, starting a new job, surrounded by subordinates who hated you and ignored you and treated you like crap, and you inherited a little shit 16-year-old who hated you and ignored you and treated you like crap, and you did it all while solving our case for us …"
"Thanks to you for yelling at me in the morgue."
He met and kept her eyes. "I'm sorry."
She rubbed her foot against his leg. "That temper …"
"I'm really sorry."
"You were right, though. That boy would be alive if we'd brought him in."
"I should not have been that angry …"
"Maybe, but if you hadn't said it, we wouldn't have realized what happened as quickly," she nodded to the t.v., "hush, we're in the middle of some drama … rewind a bit."
"I have no fuckin' clue what's happening in this episode, Sharon." He'd been a little distracted. She was so pretty. He wanted to tell her.
She smiled. "Well, I do and I'd like to watch. Or just go ahead and start it over." She also wanted a break from talking to him. Sometimes she'd remember … but she'd often forget … that he was in love with her. She felt that she was maybe leading him on, but no. She was falling … into this thing that they had and accepting more and more where it was heading. And purposefully thinking about how great it could be.
She knew that she'd fall into this much faster if only she could make the first move.
If she would just sit up, move over on top of him, in his lap, take his adorable face in her hands and kiss him, they'd go from there and all would be done.
He wants that, she's sure.
It would be so simple.
She hadn't been drinking, both sober and not too exhausted and not delirious from a long day … she stared at him for a while again as he restarted the episode, cussing at it when it didn't obey for a bit.
Her foot was on him, his hand was on it, and he was unconsciously massaging it. She just continued to stare. Would she ever get tired of looking at him? She smiled.
"There," he finally got it and smiled proudly to her.
She shifted and gave him both of her feet for him to massage as they watched. She wouldn't do anything ... except enjoy this.
This was new.
The next night…
He settled into his usual spot on the couch as she emerged from telling Rusty goodnight. It was late, but he had an invitation to come back over and like hell he'd pass it up.
"How was AA?"
"Good, rough day, it helped. Met some new people, sponsoring someone new soon."
"Very good." She smiled proudly at him. The changes in him weren't all because of her, like he may think. He should realize he has his other motivations and is making changes for himself … not for her, not to be a better man for her, but for him, for his kids, for his peace of mind and health.
His awareness and self esteem was a project of hers and she hated that he'd had a rough week. Very proud of his involvement with AA. He doesn't struggle with wanting a drink anymore. He's going more as a sponsor now, and she's just so proud of him. She is falling more and more each day.
"Not another baking competition!" His whining at her choice on the screen brought her back to the here and now. He groaned. She grinned. He was fine with baking, but he needed something more interesting to distract him from her.
"It's the same show from last night!" She huffed. She thought he knew that they'd be binging it. "Well, what do you want to watch?"
She flipped the remote over to him.
"Ouch."
"Sorry."
"Sharon," he pouted. She pushed her lips together, suppressing a smile. 'Just plain cute', they both thought of the other.
"Don't you want to correct that to 'Captain', and do that in front of your co-workers?" She grinned to him, referencing him embarrassing himself in front of Mike and Buzz today.
He didn't return the grin. "I know …" he was just disappointing her in every aspect this week. He didn't know how endearing she thought he was in this moment. In most moments, these days.
She tried to make him feel better, and hint what to do if … well, when it happens again …
"I doubt they would have noticed if you'd just let it be … not corrected yourself. Accidentally call me Sharon and leave it at that." She pushed her foot against his leg slowly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, Andy, just … it was awkward. A little funny."
He focused back on the screen. He was worried. He didn't want it to be like this. He made her feel awkward. Real smooth. Idiot.
"Won't happen again, Captain. Sorry."
"Hey, look at me," she said.
He did.
"Make it up to me." She smiled and pushed both feet against his leg, wiggling them. She looked at her feet and then his hands and then her feet again and then those eyes met his.
He was done for.