DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters except Matthew and Moxie. The rest belongs to James Duff and the Major Crimes Franchise.
Chapter 4
It was now late Sunday morning and the Flynn's were getting ready to leave to head to Dodger Stadium for the baseball game. Sharon was wearing her blue Dodgers shirt and jeans with her Dodgers hat. Andy came downstairs wearing his grey Dodgers shirt, jeans, and his Dodgers hat. "Is Matthew ready yet?" Sharon asked him. Andy shrugged his shoulders. "He was looking for his Dodgers jersey but I don't know if it still fits him" he told her. Matthew then ran down the stairs, almost running into Andy, and ran into the mud room.
"Hey! No running in the house!" Sharon called out to their son. He kept going and didn't stop until he grabbed his baseball glove from his duffle bag. Sharon looked at Andy as they both started to follow him towards the back of the house. He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. Matthew stepped back into the kitchen and waited for his parents. "Did you take Moxie out before we leave for the game?" Sharon asked Matthew. "I did, he's all set" Andy said as he grabbed his keys and wallet from the island counter.
"You got the tickets?" Sharon asked Andy as she looked back towards him. "Yep" he said as he patted his pocket. All three of them then walked out of the back door and Andy locked up. Sharon and Matthew were walking ahead of him towards the garage. He took a moment to look at the two of them. Matthew was wearing his Dodgers jersey with Flynn on the back, and his Dodgers hat. Andy just smiled as he walked up behind them as they stepped into the garage and got in the car.
"I'll text Patrice and let her know we are leaving now" Sharon told Andy as he started the car. "Provenza will probably wonder why we are meeting so early before the start of the game" Andy mumbled as he backed the car out of the garage. "He knows why, don't let him bother you today at the game" Sharon told him and Andy just gave her a quick look before he pulled out into the street. "And, I hope trouble doesn't find you two while we are watching the game" Sharon added, with a smile as she saw the look on his face.
"You know, a majority of the time, it is his fault" Andy commented as they headed towards the stadium. "That's funny" Sharon hummed, "because he's always blaming you for the mishaps" she continued as she looked out her window. Andy just shook his head and grabbed her left hand in his right hand and held it for the rest of the drive.
When they arrived at Dodger Stadium, they followed everyone into the parking lot. Lots of people were attending today's game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Andy followed the cars down the row they were told to park in and once he parked the car, he turned to Sharon and Matthew. "Are you ready?" he asked their son. "Yep!" Matthew said, excited to see the game and got out of the car. Sharon and Andy followed and they started walking down the aisle towards the entrances.
They waited for Provenza and Patrice outside the main gate entrance. While they were waiting, Sharon decided to take Matthew's picture with the Jackie Robinson statue. Andy saw Provenza and Patrice walking towards him and waved. "Flynn, why are we here so early before the game starts?" Provenza said all grumpy. "Because Matthew wants to watch batting practice and them warming up for the game" Andy simply stated.
"Well, where are they?" Provenza grumbled. "Would you relax sweetie?" Patrice patted his arm as they waited for Sharon and Matthew to return. "Hi Uncle Louie!" Matthew said as he ran up to them. Sharon was right behind him. "Matthew, well, looks like you need a bigger jersey" Provenza said to the kid as he was being hugged. "No, this still fits" Matthew showed him. "Alright, are we ready to go inside?" Sharon asked and they all made their way inside the stadium.
"Where are we sitting Flynn?" Provenza asked as he was eyeing all the food vendors that were starting to open. "The Lexus Dugout Club, section 13, row 1" Andy stated casually to everybody. Sharon gave him a shocked look as she knew those were prime seats. "What?" he asked her and she just shook her head. "Oh man! You've got to be kidding me!" Provenza was happy for a change this time. "How did you score them?" he added as he patted Andy's shoulder and started walking towards the area they needed to go to.
"This will be better than skybox seats" he heard Provenza say as they walked over towards the Dodgers Dugout section. Andy turned around and waited for Sharon and Patrice to join them. "They're like two kids" Andy pointed to Provenza and Matthew, who both were scurrying down the aisle to get to the row they were sitting in. "He's just happy he's going to a game, Andy" Patrice stated as she followed them down the aisle. "He's been bugging me since the season started so I'm just glad we all got the opportunity to go today" Patrice added as they joined Matthew and Provenza at the row of their seats.
The Dodgers were currently having batting practice and Matthew was just mesmerized as he was watching them. Sharon and Patrice went up to the food vendors and were getting everyone lunch while Andy and Provenza stayed with Matthew down at the seats. "I just hope we will be able to enjoy this game without any mishaps" Andy said to Provenza as Matthew continued to watch the players. "Mishaps that are your fault?" Provenza added. "My fault! How come it's always my fault!" Andy questioned him just as Sharon and Patrice were coming back with food and drinks.
"Dodger dog for you Matthew" Sharon handed the hot dog to Matthew. Matthew took a big bite from it. "Thank you" he stated with his mouth full as he turned in his seat to the players on the field. "I got you one too, sweetie" Sharon handed the hot dog to Andy. "Thank you" he took the hot dog from her and started to eat. Sharon also got a Dodger dog. Patrice had gotten Louie a Dodger dog and herself a chicken sandwich. They also handed out bottled water to everyone.
"Can I get something while we are here?" Matthew asked Sharon while they waited for the game to start. "Sure sweetie, did you want to go now or during the game?" she asked him. Matthew thought about it but he didn't want to miss the first inning. "Maybe in a little bit" Matthew shrugged his shoulders and Sharon was good with that.
Matthew was watching the Dodgers players on the field warming up, running around, and playing catch. As the players were coming off the field, 2 of the players were standing around and a bunch of kids ran down to the wall where they were standing. Matthew saw this and turned to Andy. "Can I go over there?" he asked Andy. "Sure, do you want someone to go with you or can you go by yourself?" he asked Matthew. "I can go by myself" Matthew answered as he already was making his way over.
Sharon watched Matthew as he walked to the players standing there. It looked like they were signing their autographs. Provenza saw this and he turned to Andy. "Do you think the kid could get me an autograph?" Provenza asked him. Andy just shook his head. "What would you have them sign?" he asked just as Matthew came back over to them. "They signed my baseball glove!" Matthew excitedly said to his parents. "That's wonderful Matthew" Provenza answered before anyone else and pouted.
Matthew walked over to sit between Provenza and Andy. "What's wrong with Uncle Louie" he whispered and leaned over to Andy as Sharon leaned on Andy's other side to hear. "He's just jealous that you got to meet them and get an autograph" Andy replied so that Provenza could hear him. Matthew turned to Provenza. "Do you want to see Uncle Louie?" he asked him and showed him his glove.
The field was going into the final touches of being prepared for the game. The announcers were saying something over the loud speaker and the umpires and coaches were meeting at home plate. Matthew was getting excited for the game to start. Provenza was talking to Patrice while Andy was looking at Sharon. Matthew called out to his mom.
"Can I get nachos too?" Matthew asked her. Sharon thought about it. "Maybe during the game, you can" she told him and he smiled just as the announcer was starting to introduce the starting lineup for the game today. After the lineup was introduced, everyone stood up for the singing of the National Anthem. After that the Dodgers took the field and the game started.
It was the middle of the Second Inning and Sharon stood up from her seat. Andy stood up as well wondering what she was doing. He looked at her and she smiled at him. "Come on Matthew, let's go get your nachos now" she told him and Matthew stood up. "Can I get you anything while I'm up there?" she asked Andy as she scooted past him. "I'm ok" he told her and watched the two of them and Patrice walk up the stairs away from the field.
Andy sat back down in his seat. "What's gotten into you?" Provenza asked him in a grumbled voice. Andy looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "What do you mean?" he asked back. "I'm enjoying the game so far with my wife, kid, and you and Patrice" Andy simply told him. "You're waiting for the shoe to drop" Provenza stated as the crowd cheered as the Dodgers came up to bat. "I don't know what you're talking about" Andy sat back in his seat and turned his attention to the field.
"Can't I just want this game outing to go as smoothly as possible?" Andy added as they watched Chris Taylor at bat. "You know we don't exactly have a good record with both of us attending these games" he added as Taylor struck out swinging. "Oh, don't remind me" Provenza said as Sharon, Matthew, and Patrice returned to their seats. "Everything good?" Sharon asked Andy as she sat back down. "Yes" Andy said giving her a quick kiss as the inning was over.
The game was scoreless up until the bottom of the Fourth Inning when the Dodgers had two men on base and Mookie Betts hit a 3-run home run to put the Dodgers on the board. Matthew was enjoying the game so far. "I need to go to the bathroom" Matthew turned to Andy and Sharon. "Uh, ok, I'll take you" Andy stood up and followed Matthew out of the row. "I'll go with you" Provenza stated and followed them, leaving Patrice and Sharon at the seats.
"Do you think it's wise that all three of them go together?" Patrice asked Sharon and then they laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it will be ok. Plus, what trouble could they get into at the game?" Sharon said and then thought about that for a few seconds.
Matthew waited for Andy and Provenza to walk up the stairs to the top where the apron level was before Andy showed him which direction the bathrooms were located. Andy was surprised there was a line inside the men's bathroom. All three of them waited in it. It was almost Matthew's turn to go in when another guy approached Andy and Provenza. He had just finished washing his hands when he came up to them. Andy recognized him right away. "You've got to be kidding me" he muttered to himself.
Seargent Jones was the one who was approaching Andy, Provenza, and Matthew in the men's room. Matthew was in front of Andy. Andy patted him on his shoulders. "Why don't you go to that stall over there" he told him and pointed in the direction before he addressed Jones. Andy stepped to the side to be out of the line. "Well, if it isn't Flynn and Provenza, the two screwups of the LAPD" Jones stated and smiled as he was carrying a drink. "Takes a screwup to know a screwup, Jones" Provenza stated back.
Jones looked over at Provenza, but didn't address him. "So, Flynn, it is true that you and the Ice Queen have a kid together" Jones stated, a little drunk from what Andy could tell. "I think you've had one too many Jones" Andy told him. "You should know" Jones bantered back as he took a sip from his drink. "You here by yourself Jones?" Provenza asked knowing this encounter wasn't going to end well. "No, me and my buddies came to the game" Jones stated looking around Andy.
"Well, then I suggest you get back to your buddies and the game" Andy sneered at him. "Or what Flynn?" Jones hammered back. "Dad I'm finished" Matthew called out after he washed his hands and stood by Provenza. "You're lucky my kid's here" Andy stated, gritting his teeth. But before Andy could turn to face Matthew, Jones poured his drink on Andy and then walked out of the men's room, laughing. Andy was about to follow him out but Provenza stopped him. "Don't" he simply told his friend and shook his head. Andy looked down towards the floor. Beer was dripping down his face and shirt. He didn't know what he was going to tell Sharon when they returned to their seats and he was covered in beer.
"Hang on Matthew" Provenza chimed in as he watched his friend clean his face up in the sink. The front of his shirt was now soaking wet from the water. Andy looked at himself in the mirror and just closed his eyes for a brief second before returning back to Matthew and Provenza.
All three of them walked out of the men's room. "You could go buy a new shirt" Provenza suggested as they came up to the Dodgers Store. Andy thought about it. "Matthew, did you want to get a souvenir?" Andy asked. He knew if he showed up wearing a new t-shirt, Sharon would question what happened. He also knew that if he should up with the current shirt he was wearing, that smelled of beer and was wet, Sharon would also question what had happened.
He was in a no-win situation no matter what he chose. "Here, you take Matthew in the store, I'll head back to the seats so the girls don't think anything is wrong" Provenza suggested and then walked away from them. Provenza made it back to the seats and Sharon looked over at him with a worried look on her face when she didn't see Matthew nor Andy with him.
"They're in the store" Provenza simply told her as he sat back down. "Now, what did I miss?" he asked Patrice but Sharon was still looking at him. "Would you please stop staring at me" he asked her and Sharon sighed. Patrice now chimed in. "Is everything ok Louie?" she asked. "Oh, don't you start too" he shook his head. Now Provenza was in a no-win situation. "Fine, we ran into Sergeant Jones in the men's room and he spilled beer on Andy" he told them. Before he could say anything more, Matthew walked into the row followed by Andy.
Andy was carrying a plastic bag with his shirt in it as he was now wearing a new Dodgers t-shirt. Matthew was carrying a mini-Dodgers bat. "Look what I got Mom!" Matthew showed Sharon the new bat. "That's great" she told him, but she kept her eyes on Andy. He had that worried look on his face like he was hiding something. "You got a new shirt?" she asked Andy as he sat down next to her. "Yeah, about that" Andy started to say but it was too late. "Why do you smell like beer?" Sharon asked him before he could say anything more.
"I ran into someone who spilled beer on me" Andy stated, which wasn't a lie as he looked at her. What he didn't tell her was who had spilled the beer on him. In Andy's mind, Sharon didn't need to know that detail. "Jones spilled the beer on you" she told him, speaking in a lower voice. Andy hung his head and then glared over at Provenza. "You told them!" he couldn't believe his friend caved. "Look, he insulted you while Matthew was in one of the stalls. When Matthew came out, he poured his beer on me" he told her. "I didn't want to sit in a shirt for the rest of the game that was wet with beer on it" he continued as she listened.
"Your hair is also wet" Sharon commented. "Look, I really don't need twenty questions right now" Andy gruffed as he tried to just watch what was happening on the field instead of what happened to him in the men's room. Sharon sat back in her seat, leaving Andy alone. The minute he said that he felt like an ass. He glanced over at Sharon who was now looking at her hands and he knew she wasn't to blame; Jones was. Ever since they ran into him a couple of weeks ago at that restaurant, he wanted to punch him.
The game was in the Seventh Inning but Andy didn't want to stay any longer. He needed to get up and walk. "Andy?" Sharon spoke and saw that he was fidgeting. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, not looking at her. "We can leave" she simply said and then focused on Matthew. "Matthew, sweetie, we are going to leave now" she said as Andy stood up and started to walk out of the row to the steps to go up. "Is Dad, ok?" Matthew asked as he gathered his belongings. Sharon didn't answer him, she just watched Provenza now going after Andy.
"Flynn!" Provenza called after him but Andy didn't stop. "Flynn!" he called to him again, almost shouting but didn't want to cause a scene. Andy finally stopped and turned around. He saw Sharon, Matthew, and Patrice in the background but he was focused on his friend. "What!" Andy snapped. "What is your problem?" he asked him. Andy looked at him. "You're acting like an ass" Provenza said as Matthew, Sharon, and Patrice walked past them and they kept walking towards the exit.
Andy hung his head and ran his hand through his hair. They were having such a good time and Jones had to ruin that. But most importantly, he was now acting like an ass to Sharon, Provenza was right about that. "Now snap out of it and go up to them" Provenza slapped his hand against Andy's arm. Andy quickly walked to catch up to Sharon and Matthew. Patrice had waited a few steps ahead for Provenza to join her.
Andy caught up to Sharon and Matthew just before they exited the ballpark. He noticed that Sharon was carrying the bag that had his beer-soaked t-shirt. "I can take that" he said and he reached out his hand to take the bag. Sharon let him take the bag and then looked at him. She saw the hurt in his eyes. "Andy, Sharon, Matthew, we had a wonderful time at the game today" Patrice broke the silence. "Yes, we should do this again" Sharon smiled at Patrice and then waved to them as Patrice and Provenza walked out of the ballpark.
Matthew looked at his parents and wondered what was going on. "Um, are we leaving?" he asked them. "Yes, come on, we're over this way" Andy said as he started walking towards the car. How could a nice day be ruined by the stupidity of one person, Andy thought to himself. The more he thought about Jones, the more he wanted to punch him. He still didn't say anything more to Sharon. He was afraid that if he did say something, it would be something stupid and get him into more trouble.
They reached the car. Andy unlocked it and Matthew climbed in the backseat, closing his door. Andy opened Sharon's door for her as she climbed in. She didn't say anything to him either and he closed her door. Andy walked around to the driver's side but before he got in, he sighed. "You need to make this better" Andy said out loud to himself. He got in the driver's side and closed his door, starting the car.
Andy glanced at Sharon as he started to drive. She was looking out her window. He then glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw that Matthew was passed out in the back seat. "Look, Sharon" he started to talk but Sharon stopped him. "Don't say anything you're going to regret later" Sharon told him and then continued to look out her window. Andy knew he was in trouble as he drove them home.
TBC