It all started when Andy went to the file room to get a file. He hadn't expected this. Standing in the file room was Sharon Raydor, wicked witch of the LAPD, and she was crying. Andy froze in the doorway, she was facing away from him, so she hadn't noticed him. Andy watched her silently. She held a hand to her face and her shoulders shook slightly. Andy stayed standing in the doorway debating if he should announce his presence or just leave quietly. If he left, he would need to explain to Provensa why he didn't have the file and he didn't want to do that. Before Andy could decide what to do the decision was made for him.
"Flynn!" Provensa yelled from across the room, "How long does it take to get a file!" Sharon looked up sharply upon hearing a voice, her eyes found Andy's and she quickly looked away. But not before Andy saw her face. He finally let go of the door letting it close behind him.
"Um... Is something wrong?" Andy asked after a beat of hesitation. She didn't answer, Sharon didn't trust her voice to not be still clouded with emotion. Sharon put her glasses back once she had mostly regained her composure, in an attempt to hide her emotions. She cleared her throat.
"Is there something you need Lieutenant?" She asked pointedly.
"I was just getting a file," Andy said, he stepped passed her and it didn't take him long to locate the file. Instead of leaving like Andy knew would probably be the rational decision he lingered. For a long minute there was silence. Finally Sharon broke that silence.
"My children can't come for Christmas," she said brushing away a tear in the corner of her eye. "I know it's a silly thing to cry over-"
"It's not silly," Andy said remembering the many times he wasn't able to spend Christmas with his children. "My children won't want to spend Christmas with me..." Sharon brushed the trears off her face. She hoped she wasn't blusing, she was motifired that Andy Flynn of all people had caughter her crying. She finally found the courage to face him.
"I'll be along for Christmas too," Andy said, "Why don't we have dinner together or something, I know this great Chinese food place that's open on Christmas." Andy didn't even have time to really consider the words before he blurted them out. Sharon had not exptected him to say that. Did I really just offer to have Christmas dinner with the wicked witch? Thought Andy. Seeing her cry because she couldn't spend Christmas with her children he couldn't really think of her as wicked anymore.
"Unless you already have plans," Andy said when she was silent. Sharon recovered from her shock.
"Um no... I don't have plans." She smiled slighlty. "I'll have dinner with you but where not going to a resturant, I'll make Christmas dinner."
"That's really not necessary-" Andy said.
"Come to my house at five." Sharon said. Andy was about to say they should just go to a resturant when he heard a voice.
"How long does it take to find one file!" Provensa yelled. Andy turned to leave the file room.
"I have the file," he yelled, "just give me a minute!" Andy was about to walk out the door when he looked back at Sharon. She still looked sad and in a split second decision, he turned around and in two steps he was in front of Sharon. He hugged her quickly half expecting her to push him away, he was suprised when she put her arms around him. Andy moved his head so her hair was tickling his face. His arms tightened around her. They hugged for what would probably be deemed longer than appropriate but neither one cared. Eventually Andy stepped away from her. She was staring at the floor but he could see she was smiling. Andy turned and left the room before Provensa could come looking for him.
Later in the day Andy's phone rang. He smiled when he realized that it was Nicole.
"Hello," Andy answered the phone.
"Hey dad, I'm calling to talk about Christmas dinner." Nicole said.
"Okay," said Andy.
"I'm wanted to invite you to Christmas dinner,"
Nicole continued. "It starts at four, I invited my boyfriend and his sons as well." Andy had met the boyfriend but not the sons. He was about to say yes to coming when he thought of Sharon. He didn't want to bail on their plans.
"Um Nicole," Andy said.
"You don't want to come," Nicole said the disappointment not hidden from her voice, "It's okay dad I understand."
"No, I'd love to come," Andy said.
"But you have to work?"
"No, would you please just let me finish?"
"Alright dad."
"I have plans with a friend and-"
"Just bring them along, I'm inviting some friends as well," Nicole said.
"Okay," said Andy feeling relived.
"I have to get going, bye dad, I'll see you at Christmas."
"Bye," Andy said and Nicole hung up the phone. The next day Andy found Sharon in her office at FID. He knocked on the open door before entering.
"This is a change, you being in my office of your own free will," Sharon said.
"About Christmas dinner, my daughter Nicole invited me to a little get together-"
"That's great you should go," Sharon said trying to ignore the completely irrational sence of disappointment she felt. It's just about spending Christmas alone, she told herself, not anything to do with Andy of course.
"I told her I had plans with a friend, and she told me to invite them to come too."
"Oh," said Sharon, "I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Nicole's inviting friends as well, it's not just a family thing."
"Okay then," Sharon said.
"I'll pick you up at three forty five."
"So where friends now?" Sharon said taking the conversation back to his earlier comment.
"It would have sounded weird if I said I had plans with a colleuge for Christmas."
"Okay," Sharon said, "I will see you later, my friend," she said smiling.
"Not if I see you first," Andy said as he left her office. She rolled her eyes.
"Wait, you don't have to pick me up, I can drive myself," Sharon called after him but he was already out of earshot.
Sharon didn't know why she was this nervous. It was just dinner, with Andy of all people, and his family. Why had she agreed to spend Christmas with him? Maybe because you didn't want to spend it alone, Sharon told herself. Yes that was it. If anyone else had offered Christmas dinner she would have accepted as well. Probably. Unless it was Provensa. She had selected a red dress to wear and was just finishing her makeup when there was a knock at her door. She opened the door, Andy was standing there, instead of his usual suit he wore a sweater.
"Hi," she said. She wasn't sure he heard her and could feel him staring at her dress. She blushed regretting she had worn it and not something more like what she usually wore.
"You ready to go?" Andy said finally snapping out of his daze. Sharon grabbed her purse and her coat off the side table, she put on her coat and slung her purse over her shoulder.
"You didn't have to pick me up," she said. He shrugged,
"We were both going to the same place and you don't no where Nicola's house is." Was that the only reason he had offered to pick her up? He opened the car door for her.
"Thank you," said Sharon. Christmas music played on the radio as they drove. Sharon fidgeted with her purse.
"You nervous?" Andy asked when they were stopped at a red light.
"A little," Sharon admitted. "I don't really know why."
"Me too," Andy said, "but I do know why, Nicole just let me back into her life and I'm worried I'm going to do something to screw it up." Sharon removed her hand from her purse and put it on top of Andy's hand that wasn't on the steering wheel. He looked over at her suprised.
"You won't mess it up," she said. The light turned green and she let go of his hand. They made small talk the rest of the way there. Andy once again held open the car door for Sharon when they arrived. Nicole met them at the door. She hugged Andy, then turned to Sharon.
"I'm Nicole," she said, "You must be my fathers... Friend."
"This is Sharon," Andy said. Nicole took Sharon's coat and lead them down the hall into the living room. Nicole introduced Sharon into everyone in the room. Which included Nicole's boyfriend Dean and two of her friends.
"And these are Dean's sons," Nicole said regarding the two young boys who had just entered the room. "This is my father Andy, and his friend Sharon," Nicole said. Andy bent down and shook their hands.
"It's nice to meet you," he said.
"You too," the older one said, the other stayed silent.
"Alright," Nicole said, "were going ice skating." The boys cheered.
"Ice skating?" Sharon said. "You didn't tell me we were going ice skating," she said to Andy.
"I didn't know," Andy said. The group walked to the outdoor ice rink. They rented skates at the booth. Andy noticed that Sharon didn't have any skates.
"I'm just going to watch," she explained to him.
"You should skate," Andy said, "It will be fun."
"I don't think so." Andy turned to the person at the skate rental booth,
"I need one more pair of skates," he said, "Size..." Andy looked at her feet, "Nine," he guessed.
"Size eight," Sharon said. He handed her the skates and she glared at him. "This doesn't mean I'm going to use them."
"Do you not know how to skate?" Andy questioned her.
"I know how to skate... I just haven't been skating in... since my children were young." They walked over to the benches as they talked.
"It will be fun," Andy said again as he put on his skates, "It's like riding a bike besides there is barely anyone here it's a great time to try skating again."
"I'm wearing a dress."
"Figure skaters wear dresses all the time." Andy smiled as he said it and her resolve melted away.
"What if I fall?" Sharon said in last ditch effort to get out of skating.
"Then I'll catch you," Andy said with a smirk. She bit her lip.
"Fine," she heard herself saying. Everyone else was already on the ice but Andy waited for her to finish lacing up her skates. They stood and Sharon took a couple of wobbly steps towards the ice. She held onto the railing as she stepped onto the ice. Andy was far more confident, having been skating many times. He used to take his kids skating all the time. He stayed close to Sharon as she slowly began to skate around the ice. Andy was used to seeing her act so confident but right now she seemed so unsure of herself. She almost fell and Andy was quick to put a hand around her waist to catch her. She put her hands on his shoulders trying to regain her balance.
"You okay?" Andy said. Her heart skipped a beat.
"I'm fine," she said her voice sounding almost breathless.
"I told you I'd catch you," Andy said, she could feel his breath on her skin as he talked. She shivered, and turned her head slightly to look at him. They both blushed realizing how close they were standing. Sharon removed her hands from Andy's shoulders and he let go of her waist. She didn't get very far before she stumbled on an part of the ice that was a little uneven. Andy put his arm around her again. Stupid skates! Sharon thought feeling a blush crawl up her cheeks.
"This is why I didn't want to skate."
"Your doing fine," Andy said, "Let me help you." He linked their arms together. They skated a circle around the rink together and Sharon managed to not almost fall. Nicole came skating up to them, the boys and Dean were with her.
"Smile," Nicole said. She held up her phone and snapped a photo of Sharon and Andy their arms intertwined, before they could protest. Nicole skated away and everyone followed her. Sharon skated slower then the rest of the group and Andy stayed beside her. She pulled her arm away from his and instead took his hand intertwining their fingers together. Andy looked at her but she didn't turn to face him, Andy looked ahead and they continued to skate. A little later Nicole skated up to them,
"We're heading back," she said, "The boys are tired." Sharon and Andy followed her off the ice. After everyone had put their shoes back on, they all walked back to Nicole's house.
Everyone sat around the dinning room table. The food was plated and everyone talked and laughed as they ate. Sharon found herself laughing and decided this was possibly not the worst way she could be spending Christmas. Even if it was with Andy Flynn the LAPD's biggest troublemaker. Especially because it was with Andy Flynn. After dinner Andy was in the kitchen helping put away leftovers. He'd insisted on helping since Nicole had made dinner, now she sat in the living room. Sharon felt out of place with Andy's family, so she followed him into the kitchen. Wordlessly she started helping him with putting away the leftovers.
"Where does this go?" Sharon asked him, pointing to a cutting board.
"In that little cupboard by the doorway." he replied. She put it away and stayed standing by the doorway.
"I had a nice time," Sharon said. Andy put away the last dish and came to stand in front of her.
"Me too," he said.
"It's been too long since I've had a big family Christmas..." she said.
"I'm just glad Nicole gave me another chance... Will you be able to see you children for the holidays?"
"Ricky and Emily are going to come out next week, it won't be the same but still it's nice to see them." Andy smiled and his eyes moved to the top of the doorway then he quickly looked back down again a blush colouring his cheeks.
"What?" said Sharon, looking up. Pinned to the top of the doorway was a spring of mistletoe. "Oh." was all she said. They were standing directly under the mistletoe. Sharon's eye's met his a blush coloured her cheeks.
"No one's seen us, we could just walk away," Andy said.
"We could." She replied. Neither of them moved.
Then in a move that suprised both of them, Sharon leaned foward and kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered there for a second before she moved away. She smiled and walked back into the living room. After Andy recovered from the shock, he followed her.
"It's getting late, we should get going," Andy said.
"Bye dad," Nicole said, hugging him tightly before he left. "Bye Sharon, it was nice to meet you," she added. They drove back to Sharon's apartment. Now they stood at her door.
"Thank you for inviting me Andy, I really did have a nice time." Sharon said.
"Me too," said Andy. "This turned out to be a really nice Christmas." Sharon smiled and Andy felt like he didn't want to leave yet. "Well, I should probably get going," Andy said.
"You probably should," Sharon said. They stayed anchored to the floor. Tentatively Andy took a step closer to her. Sharon stared at his lips. Slowly they moved closer until they were only inches apart. They stopped their faces only a breath away from each other. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of their breathing. Before he could talk himself out of it, Andy closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers. Sharon let her eyes fall shut. A moment later he pulled away and Sharon opened her eyes after a second. She smiled shyly.
"Merry Christmas Sharon," Andy said.
"Merry Christmas Andy." He offered her one more smile before he turned away and walked down the hallway. There were defiantly worst ways to spend Christmas.
I hope you like it please leave a comment, and Merry Christmas.