Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

A/N: This chapter is a missing scene from the Season 3 episode, Letting It Go (3x4). There was a scene in this episode where Sharon was talking to Andy about the prescription Sharon Beck asked Rusty to fill for her and Andy gives her advice on the situation. My theory is that this wasn't the first time that's happened and that throughout this whole situation with Rusty's biological mother, Sharon often asked for Andy's advice since, as a recovering alcoholic, he has a unique perspective on such matters.

Chapter 4: Beautiful Mess

As Sharon was getting ready for bed that night, she decided to send Andy a text to update him on what had happened with Sharon Beck that night. Throughout this whole situation with Rusty's biological mother, Sharon had often sought out Andy's advice in an effort to make sure she was doing right by Rusty. At the end of the day, she was only able to fully understand one side of this very complicated issue and she appreciated getting Andy's take on things as someone who had been on the other side of things before. She had hoped that something would click with Rusty's biological mother in rehab and that she'd want to make an effort to stay sober, but apparently she wasn't ready to do that yet. Her text read:

Sorry. I know it's late. You're probably asleep already and won't even get this until the morning, but I wanted to let you know that Sharon Beck decided to leave Signal Hill tonight. She called Rusty about an hour ago trying to get him to give her a ride. Strangely, I'm simultaneously disappointed and proud at the same time. Disappointed in her and the fact that she's putting Rusty through all of this, but proud of him for having the courage to stand up and tell her that he can't help her until she helps herself. Speaking from personal experience, that's not an easy thing to do.

About thirty minutes later, as Sharon was lying in bed tossing and turning, she was surprised to hear her phone ring. She grabbed it off the nightstand and picked it up when she saw it was Andy.

"Please tell me we don't have to roll out for a case right now," said Sharon.

"Nope. I didn't wake you, did I?" Andy asked.

"No. Just me tossing and turning trying to shut my brain off," Sharon told him.

"I thought so. Do you wanna talk about it?" Andy asked her, referring to the whole Sharon Beck situation.

"Might as well since it seems like sleep is eluding me tonight. Speaking of which, why on earth are you even awake right now? It's after 1am," Sharon pointed out.

"I guess sleep was eluding me tonight too. Now, why don't you hang up the phone and come let me in so we can talk about this," said Andy.

"Wait. You're here?" Sharon asked him confusedly.

"Yeah. I'm standing outside your door right now," replied Andy.

"I don't understand. It's after 1am. How did you even know I'd still be awake?" Sharon asked him as she slipped on her robe and headed towards her front door

"I like to think I know you pretty well by now. For instance, when there's an issue, particularly when it concerns your kids, like every good mother, you worry about them," said Andy before Sharon opened the front door and he ended the call.

"Get in here," said Sharon as she shook her head at him.

Andy walked into the condo and Sharon shut and locked the door behind him before she asked, "You want something to drink?"

"Sure. Water's fine," he told her as he pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down.

Sharon grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and put it on the counter in front of Andy before filling a mug with water and sticking it in the microwave.

"So, what's keeping you up this late?" Andy asked her.

"I don't know. I mean I know at this point I don't have much to worry about when it comes to this Sharon Beck situation. For now, she's in the wind and Rusty had made it clear to her that he's not willing to help her unless she's willing to help herself," said Sharon.

"You wanna know what I think?" Andy asked her.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Sharon joked as she took her mug out of the microwave and put a hibiscus tea bag in it.

"Partially, I guess. Anyways, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but just hear me out on this. I think what's bugging you is that this whole situation with Sharon Beck is bringing back some painful memories for you about Jack and the pain he's caused you and your children over the years with his refusal to get sober. That's a whole lot of pain to carry around and if my instincts are correct, you probably don't talk about that pain very much because you're too busy trying to be there and be strong for everyone else," said Andy.

"It's truly scary how you do that sometimes. You know that, right?" Sharon asked him.

"What?" Andy asked her.

"How you seem to know what's on my mind before I even say it," Sharon explained before she walked out of the kitchen and sat on one of the bar stools at the other end of the counter.

"Well, I'd like to say it's all due to my excellent powers of perception, but honestly the last sentence of your text message was a dead giveaway," Andy told her.

"Was I that obvious?" Sharon asked him before she took a sip of her tea.

"Not really. I just know you well enough at this point to read between the lines of what you're saying," replied Andy.

Sharon wasn't sure why, but she smiled at that. Well, she had a feeling she knew why, but she wasn't quite ready to address all of that yet. So, she decided to answer the question that Andy hadn't pressured her to answer.

"You're right, you know. About what's been bugging me. Seeing Rusty having to go through that breaks my heart. Mostly because I've gone through the same thing with Jack. You hold out this hope that this person might finally get the help that they so desperately need. That they might finally realize that they're slowly killing themselves and in the process emotionally scarring their family. What you eventually come to understand though is that there comes a point where you have to realize that there's nothing more you can do for them. It's a disease and just because they insist on continuing to slowly kill themselves doesn't mean that you have to do the same trying to help someone who doesn't want your help. You realize that the only person that can help them is them and the only thing you can do is try to minimize the impact it has on you and your children," said Sharon as she let out a shaky breath.

Andy was truly surprised with how vulnerable Sharon was being in front of him. It wasn't like it had never happened before. He'd seen her vulnerable from time to time. Most notably when she'd driven over to his house in the middle of the night about four months ago and cried in his arms. This was different though, rawer somehow. He hadn't pressured her to answer his question, yet here she was bearing a piece of her soul to him.

He wasn't quite sure how to react to what had just happened, so he decided to rub his thumb along the top of Sharon's hand before he said, "I'm sure that wasn't easy for you. It really does help to talk about it though. Even if it feels like the pain could kill you. Keeping it all locked up inside isn't any better for you," Andy told her.

"Yeah. I'm just afraid that if I start, the tears will never stop coming," said Sharon as she began to cry.

In that moment, Andy's instincts took over and he quickly slid himself onto the stool next to Sharon as he wrapped his arms around her as she cried.

About ten minutes later, Sharon lifted her head from Andy's shoulder and began wiping her eyes as she looked at him and said, "Oh god. Look at me. I'm a mess."

"You're not a mess. Just a woman who has gone through a lot of pain in the past and needed to release some of the emotion that she's held in for far too long," replied Andy.

The truth was that even though she'd just finished crying and thought she was a mess, Andy didn't think he'd ever seen her look more beautiful. That's what he'd really wanted to say. It was difficult to explain, but there was something truly beautiful about what had happened tonight. She'd been more vulnerable with him than she'd ever been before and to him there was a certain beauty in that. Not to mention the fact that he knew how difficult it was for her to show that part of herself to people. The part that wasn't always perfectly put together. Yet, for some reason she'd chosen to share that part of herself with him tonight.

If she insisted on calling herself a mess, Andy had to admit it was the most beautiful mess he'd ever seen.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! As always, let me know what you thought of it by leaving me a review. Thanks for reading and reviewing!