Season 6 :)

July 6, 2017

Sharon sat with Andy attached to her and watched her wedding guests dance … most were drunk and should reevaluate their decision to be on the dance floor. She watched Mike Tao and wife just going for it. Their children embarrassed to the side. Brenda and Fritz were making out in the corner of the room, embarrassing everyone who made the mistake of looking over.

Andrea came over, with Amy hanging on to her arm.

"Come dance, Sharon!"

"No, thank you," she smiled.

"Come on Commander," Amy begged. Sharon could see that Amy would not be remembering much of tonight, tomorrow.

Sharon squeezed Andy's hand, "I may come out there a little later." She looked to her husband.

"Andrea, Amy! What the hell, come on!" Emily called from the dance floor as a new song started.

Sharon smiled at her daughter, who couldn't stop dancing, but that was true even before the girl was born.

"Give up. Mom won't come unless Andy does …"

Andrea and Amy set their eyes on Andy.

He grew scared.

"Don't you dare," Sharon mumbled to him.

Now even more worried, he looked to her and kissed her cheek. "You don't wanna dance?"

"No."

"Mmmkay," he met Amy's eyes, telling her 'no' with a look.

"Ugggggh," Andrea moaned and pulled Amy back to Emily. They forgot quickly about the newlyweds.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Why don't you want to dance?"

She just leaned her head on his shoulder.

He squeezed her hand and watched the room with her.

She took in a deep breath. "I'm happy right here, right now." She tilted her head up to look at him as he watched the dance floor, grinning at Buzz's interpretation of 'dance'... he could see Emily distracted often by Buzz's awful dancing as well.

Sharon was distracted from all of them. She loved looking at Andy, especially when he didn't know her eyes were on him. She loved everything about his face. His happy eyes. His grin. She squeezed his hand in hers and he looked down to her. They were content to just stare, smiling back and forth, eyes shining.

He kissed her forehead after a while. "You married me today."

Her smile widened, "I did."

"You are stuck with me forever."

"I better be." She kissed him.

"Any regrets?'

"Not yet." She kissed him again and let him deepen it. He held her with him and wouldn't let up, kissing her softly around her face after the initial kiss, then going back in for more.

After a while of making out in their own little world, they remained close and continued to watch the others. Rusty laughing at or with Ricky, they weren't sure. Provenza sitting with Julio and Cooper across the way, watching Patrice dance happily with Morales, Andrea, Buzz, Emily, and Amy.

"Cooper's gonna propose tonight."

"What?!" Sharon sat up quickly and a stunned expression crossed her face.

"What?"

"He is?!"

"Yeah, I thought you knew."

"How would I know … and," she looked out to Amy, "she's too drunk." She smiled at her husband. Husband, she smiled wider.

"I'm sure he'll wait for the morning now."

"Oh, sure … during the hangover."

"Amy doesn't usually have hangovers."

She just stared.

"What?! We talk about things …"

"Does she want to get married?"

"I think so … no kids, though."

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

Andy laughed. "What?!"

"Well, she's never wanted kids. Even if she does, they need to enjoy each other for a few years before having a baby, anyway…"

"Like we will. What do you give it, two years before we start trying?"

She swatted his shoulder. "You get me pregnant in two years when I'm 65 and I'll murder you and get away with it. You know that every single detective and Judge here will help me."

He laughed, looking out onto the dance floor at those others who would help her dispose of his body, then raise the baby.

"We'll have little grandbabies by then, maybe."

Andy looked over to his daughter, her sons, then Emily, Ricky, Rusty, Gus. His son's wife had just had a baby … Andy hadn't met her. They named her Samantha, calling her Sammie. Nicole sent them pictures. It broke his heart daily. He would meet her, though … had to have hope. Sharon was working on it. She'd never really pushed hard until now, for Nicole to influence her brother to give their Dad more of a chance, but it would still take time, and Andy was willing to be patient for it. Plus, his son and his wife had moved to D.C., so miles separated them as much as the past.

"Yeah, grandkids are great … we can spoil them rotten and give them back at the end of the day."

"Just married and already talking of grandkids." Judge Grove and his wife walked up from the side.

"Hey," Sharon stood to hug the two.

"Hey, we're going to head on out … early morning tomorrow. Just wanted to say 'Congratulations' again and good luck," he gave Sharon a look and received one from Andy.

Andy always thought that Grove had a massive crush on Sharon, but after dinner with him and his wife, who was almost exactly Sharon Raydor … his worries were discarded.

"Let me know when those grandkids arrive." His wife waved and smiled as they walked off.

Andy and Sharon smiled and said goodbye again, remaining standing. Sharon had her hand on his back, rubbing it up and down, knowing what talking of grandbabies did to him at the moment. He turned into a hug and tightened his hold after a moment.

They stood swaying by their table, dancing once a slow song came on, kissing longer.

"I can't wait to get you in bed," he whispered.

"Hmmm … it's only nine, Andy."

"They got a broom closet around here?"

"Stop it."

"Never, babe."

She brought his lips back to hers for a long while. If Brenda and Fritz didn't care about making out in front of everyone, she and Andy sure shouldn't.

Another slow song started so he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, ignoring everyone once there and just wrapping himself around her.

"Thank you, Andy."

"Hmm?"

She smiled.

"For what?" He pulled her closer and kissed her.

She leaned back and kept his eyes for a moment. "Everything."

Season 3 - Episode 9 - during 'Sweet Revenge'

August 3, 2014

Ricky slumped a little into the booth. Andy asked him to lunch and Ricky knew exactly why. He also knew that his Mom probably asked him to speak with him, but Ricky knew Andy would bring it up eventually. He needed advice from him anyway.

"Ricky," Andy greeted.

"Hey." He met his eyes.

"What happened this morning?"

"I … I don't know. My Dad-"

"Nope." Andy interrupted quickly, but louder than he'd wanted.

"What?"

"He didn't do anything this morning. What happened between you and your Mom?"

"I said some things that I shouldn't have. I thought … I thought wrong. I insulted her, but I didn't mean to … I was just watching out for her, us, or … thought I was … adopting Rusty into our family … I don't know …"

"You're wrong about him."

"I'm seeing that now."

"That's what disappoints me. Why didn't you see that throughout this whole time you've known him? A year and a half, Ricky?"

"We don't talk much … holidays, birthdays, maybe once or twice a month just to all talk with Mom. You know we can't get a word in with Emily on the call," he smiled at Andy, "... and I didn't know that Mom wanted to adopt him. I figured he'd move out when he could and never look back. I didn't want her to get attached … to someone else who would leave and break her heart."

Andy watched him closely.

"What?" Ricky felt like he was being interrogated.

"What did your Dad tell you?"

"Just made up shit about Rusty … spun his history in a negative way, really … making me think that Rusty was just grifting her … he acted genuinely worried … 'Just warning you, son. You gotta look out for your mother'," Ricky impersonated his Dad. "Talking shit about Emily, too. That's when I should've known. Saying she was too soft on him, too much like her mother." Ricky looked down.

"I'm sorry he's like that. There's no excuse except he's just miserable … he feels like he's lost his family and doesn't want your Mom to be happy."

"What a great Dad." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I believed him."

"Your Dad …" Andy had to stop from insulting the man, "... is unhappy. He wanted you to doubt … to be on his side … or to be angry with her … to give hell to your mother. Jack just got exactly what he wanted today."

Ricky winced.

"Ricky …"

"Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"My Dad's an asshole. He conned me. I'm weak and believed him because …"

Andy waited.

"I don't know."

"You wanted to believe him."

"I … we'd been talking for a while … it was nice to have a Dad for a minute," he looked at Andy. "He was gone from our family even before I was born. He knew ... knows ... I've needed a Dad fuckin' forever and he used that. He also met and knew Rusty … I thought he'd be honest."

Andy hated Jack Raydor.

"Disappointing Mom is the worst, I mean, fuck."

"I know, and language," he warned, knowing Sharon wouldn't approve.

"... just more disappointment."

"Okay, well now it's time to stop beating yourself up about it and think about what's next …"

"I'll grovel."

Andy chuckled.

"I won't speak to Dad for a while."

"I interviewed a father today of a 15-year-old boy who he trained to be a sniper … had him help cover up a murder he committed."

"So," Ricky nodded, "... could be worse."

"It should be better. I wish it were better for you. I'm sorry …"

Ricky seemed to study him, as he usually did. Andy just ate.

"I was such an asshole to Rusty."

"Yeah?"

Ricky looked at him, expectantly.

Andy arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"How do I apologize?"

"To Rusty? Say 'I'm sorry for being an asshole to you.' And then, just be patient and honest with him. He'll realize soon enough that you feel differently."

Ricky nodded.

"Rusty grew up only with men who ignored him, turned his mother against him, beat him, treated him like shit, or paid him for sex. He was a frightened kid not knowing what to do, who to go to. He had no one. He needs the men in his life to be good men, Ricky, and you … more than any other … more than anyone else … need to be a good man for him. A brother. Sure, you can be jealous, argue, get annoyed … but at the end of the day, he's family."

Ricky nodded.

"What does the word 'family' mean to you?"

Ricky thought.

Andy ate.

"Family … would be those you've chosen," he met Andy's eyes, "to trust, support, love … and they'll be there when life is at its lowest. Happily. They want to be there for you."

"People who you desperately want to apologize to when you've hurt them."

"And how should I apologize to Mom?"

Andy answered quickly, "Just hug her." He shrugged a shoulder.

Ricky raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"That was a fast response."

"Well, you should feel like an idiot for not knowing it. All she ever really wants is a hug from her kids," Andy smiled.

Season 3 - Episode 6 - after 'Jane Doe #38'

July 14, 2014

They sat together after everyone left the small memorial for 'Alice'.

"How's it going?" She asked, looking over to him.

He sighed, looking up to Alice's picture. "Okay, sad for her. I don't know, Captain … every case affects us a little, and then there are these, which seem to hold more … weight, I guess. There's just something …" he drifted off.

She continued to watch him and wait.

"Nicole used to draw birds on everything ... and flowers … and hearts."

She hummed.

"When she was her age … I rarely saw her … but I vividly remember her barrettes." He smiled.

She knew he'd think about this.

"The guilt is sometimes unbearable."

She took his hand.

She'd never held his hand.

He'd needed it.

"Andy," she warned.

"I know."

"You need to call her today … schedule a lunch with just you and her …"

He nodded and looked down to his hand and hers. He squeezed. Smiled when she squeezed back.

She released his hand and stood. She held her arms out, asking if he needed a hug without having to speak it.

"I've needed this all day," he mumbled and stood, welcoming her arms.

She held him for the longest time, hand soothing over his upper back and shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt and listened to him breathing, felt his hands soothing her as well. She'd needed it, too.

She needed this.

She craved hugs from him now.

She was not happy about it, until she was in the moment of it.

He really did give the best hugs.

"Ahem," Lieutenant Provenza cleared his throat for the fourth time from the back of the room. They both jumped a little, but pulled back slowly, looking over to him. "Gotta go …"

"What?" Andy complained.

"Got a murder, come on, damnit." Provenza gruffed and walked out.

Andy was definitely going to hear a lecture now. They'd been caught, hugging, by Provenza. Shit. Little did he know that Louie would get their Captain back somewhat in a few weeks when he jokes about Sharon giving Julio a hug … and then Sharon gracefully giving him one.

Sharon smiled up to him. "Our job never ends."

He surprised her by pulling her in for another hug.

"Hmmm," she smiled against his shoulder and squeezed him tighter. She was so lucky to have him.

"Thank you," he whispered as they pulled apart and started walking toward the door.

"For what?"

He smiled and reached over to squeeze her hand very quickly.

He kept her eyes for a moment. "Everything."