DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters except Matthew and Moxie. The rest belongs to James Duff and the Major Crimes Franchise.

Chapter 14

After cleaning up the dining room table once Matthew was finished eating, Sharon and Andy were in the kitchen. Sharon was answering another text message from the kids. Andy was loading the dishwasher and Sharon was placing Matthew's leftover spaghetti in the fridge. Andy walked over to stand behind Sharon as she closed the refrigerator door. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her into him. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck. "I was wondering if you'd be available in about fifteen minutes" he whispered to her. "Oh?" Sharon turned around in his arms and looked up in to his eyes. "What about Matthew?" she asked him. "He'll be fine, he's back to watching tv in the family room" he assured her. "Just meet me outside, in the backyard, in fifteen minutes" he told her and then leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. He left her in the kitchen and walked over to the family room to check on Matthew.

"Hey buddy, you doing ok still?" Andy asked Matthew as he was watching tv laying down on the couch. Moxie was lying next to him on the floor. "Yeh" Matthew muttered. "What am I going to do tomorrow if I can't go to summer camp?" he asked as he sat up and looked at Andy. "Oh, well, I was thinking that I would stay home with you while mom went to work for the day" Andy told him. "But your mom and I will discuss it and figure things out a little later" he added as he grabbed the portable speaker from the shelf in the room. "If you are going to be ok for a little bit here, I'm going to take your mom out in the backyard and surprise her with some music and dancing" Andy said in a lower voice so that only Matthew could hear. "I'll be ok dad" Matthew told him and went back to watching the tv. Sharon stepped in and gave Andy a questionable look as he was holding the portable speaker. "Everything ok in here?" she asked her boys. "Yes" Andy responded right away and then left to go to the backyard so he could get things ready. Sharon sat down next to Matthew. "And how are you feeling?" she asked him as she pushed back his hair. "I'm ok" Matthew told her as he shrugged his shoulders. "You need a haircut soon" Sharon stated as he was watching the newest cartoon on the tv. Sharon hummed while Matthew was enthralled with the show. "Did your daddy speak to you about what he's planning?" she asked. "Mom, it's a surprise" Matthew muttered back.

"Ok" Sharon drawled out as she sat with Matthew. "So, I can't go to camp tomorrow?" Matthew looked at her with his pleading eyes. "No sweetie, I'm sorry but no activity for a couple of days" she told him as she looked at his eyes and saw his pupils were still big. "Daddy said he would stay with me tomorrow but that you and him would discuss it later" Matthew told her. "Oh, well, I will discuss it with him then" she smiled. "You better get outside before daddy comes looking for you" Matthew giggled as he continued to watch the tv. "Hmm, well, we wouldn't want daddy to worry then" she said as she stood up from the couch. "Are you going to be ok here for a little bit?" she asked him as she leaned down and placed a kiss on top of his head. "Yes, I'll be fine, and if I need anything I'll come to the backyard and get you or daddy" Matthew told her. "Ok sweetheart" Sharon smiled and then left the room and headed towards the back door. Moxie moved his head to watch her leave and then lowered his head back down.

Meanwhile, Andy's phone alerted him to a text message from Provenza. "Please tell me we didn't catch a case right now" he muttered to himself as he looked at his phone. Provenza wanted to know how Matthew was doing. 'He's doing better, he ate something for dinner and is watching tv, I'm trying to make things nice for Sharon and our date tonight' he responded to his friend, hoping he would get the hint and not bother them. 'Ey gods Flynn, I don't want to hear the details of your date with the Commander!' was the message he received and he chuckled as he placed his phone on the table and went about moving things around the patio. When he was done, he looked everything over. "Perfect" he muttered to himself as he waited for Sharon to meet him.

As she stepped outside, Sharon gasped at what she saw. Andy had turned on the outdoor Edison light strings that were over the patio and had moved some of the furniture out of the way. There was music coming from the speaker that Andy had sitting on the small table. It was starting to play 'At Last' by Etta James. Andy was standing off to the side, his sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up and he still was wearing his tie, loosely around his neck. He had left his jacket inside the house. Andy walked up to where Sharon was now standing and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked her, looking into her eyes. Sharon smiled as tears started to form in her eyes. She took his hand in hers and he pulled her towards him. "Hi" he whispered and he leaned down and kissed her lips. "Hi" she said back as his lips met hers. They began to sway to the music that was playing. The last time they danced to this song, it was at their wedding. "I love you" Sharon whispered as a tear ran down her cheek. "I love you too" Andy whispered back as he wiped the tear that escaped Sharon's eye. "Please don't cry, Sharon" he spoke softly to her as Sharon took a deep breath and then bit her lower lip. He leaned down and kissed her, soothing her bottom lip. They broke apart, still gazing in each other's eyes. Their longingness for one another never did go away. They had been through so much, they just needed to take some time for themselves.

They continued to hold each other and dance to the music that was playing. Another song came on. 'Can't Help Falling in Love with you' by Elvis started and Andy whispered the song lyrics to Sharon as she laid her head on his chest. "But I can't help falling in love with you" he whispered the last lyrics to her as she moved her head and looked up at him. She reached up and kissed him. "Did you pick all of the songs?" she asked him. "What if I did?" he muttered to her as he kissed the top of her head. "This is perfect" she told him as she continued to lay her head on his chest and listened to the next song that played. The voice of Nat King Cole started singing 'Unforgettable'. "Our song" she said to him and he hummed in acknowledgment. "How did this become our song?" he asked her as they moved around the patio, slow dancing to the music. "Hmm, you sing the lyrics to me every time we hear it" she whispered as she looked into his eyes. "We danced to it the first night in Monterrey" he added and she hummed again, thinking back to that time. "That's why darling, it's incredible that someone so unforgettable, thinks that I am unforgettable too" he sang to her as they swayed to the music. The song had ended and they both stood there, holding one another. "I should go check on Matthew" Sharon muttered as she lifted her head from his chest. "No, I'll do it, you stay right here" he told her and gave her a wink and then left to go back inside the house. Sharon looked around and saw a blanket was laying on the couch. She walked over to wrap it around her and sat down on the couch, waiting for Andy to return as she listened to the music playing.

Andy walked into the mud room and made his way towards the family room. He saw Matthew was still on the couch, but he was sleeping. The tv was still on, and Moxie was now on the other end of the couch. "Hey, buddy" Andy whispered as he tapped Matthew's shoulder. Matthew woke up and rubbed his left eye with his hand. "Why don't you go get your pajamas on" he told him and Matthew nodded and climbed off the couch. He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out his pajamas he had packed the night before and then went towards the bathroom on the first floor. A few minutes later, Matthew came back to the family room and plopped down on the couch again. "Can I watch a movie?" he asked Andy. "Sure kid, what do you want to watch?" Andy asked. "Lego Batman" Matthew told him and Andy found the Blu Ray for it, opening the box, and placing it in the player. "Ok, do you need anything else?" he asked him, but Matthew shook his head. Andy then turned and walked back through the kitchen to the mud room and then opened the screen door to step outside. He saw Sharon sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her, her head was leaned back, and her eyes were closed. He walked over to her, bent down and kissed her on her forehead. She hummed in response and opened her eyes. "Everything ok with Matthew?" she asked him and he nodded. "He put his pajamas on and is watching a movie now" he told her as she scooted over to make room for him to sit behind her. Andy pulled her back into his arms and noticed her shivering. "Are you cold?" he asked as he kissed her head. "I'm getting warmer now" she softly told him as she leaned her head onto his shoulder and gently kissed his neck, where the faint scar was from his blood clot.

"I was thinking back to that night in Monterrey while you were in the house" she told him softly as he pulled her in tighter to him. "The first night alone with you was wonderful, the second night, not so much" he whispered into her ear. "Yes, but you protected me from Stroh that night" she said as she played with his tie. "I was just doing my job" he mumbled to her as he kissed the top of her head. "We've been through a lot" she softly spoke, barely audible. Andy didn't know if she was crying again so he took his right hand and lifted her chin up so that he could see her face. A single tear escaped down her cheek again. He leaned in and kissed it away. "Sharon" he whispered but before he could say anything else, they heard a car coming up the driveway. Rusty was just getting home as he pulled his car into the driveway and then into the other space in the garage. Rusty stepped outside the garage and saw Sharon with Andy in the backyard. It looked romantic from where he was standing so he didn't want to interrupt anything. "Is it safe to step over there?" he called out to them. Andy laughed as Sharon rolled her eyes. "Yes, Rusty, it's safe" Sharon called to him.

As Rusty made his way over to the patio, he could faintly hear music coming from the speaker. "Oh, that's right, tonight was your date" Rusty stood in front of them now. "Guess that got derailed when Matthew got injured" he added as he watched Sharon and Andy sitting on the couch. "It did, but Andy made the night better" she said smiling at Andy as he shrugged his shoulders at Rusty. "Uh, how's he doing?" he asked them. "He's inside watching a movie, but seems to be ok" Andy spoke as Sharon sat upright and moved. "Well, I'll leave you two alone, I had a busy day at the court house and I need to get some sleep" Rusty told them and then turned to walk towards the garage stairs. Sharon watched Rusty walk away from them before turning towards Andy. She snuggled up to him again and stretched her legs across the rest of the couch. "So" she huffed as she laid her head back against his shoulder. "So" he said as he gently rubbed her left arm. "What were you going to say before Rusty came home?" she encouraged him by gently running her fingers under his tie as she undid the buttons of his shirt. "I was going to tell you that no matter what happens in our lives, and I know you don't need someone looking out for you," Andy started to say as Sharon remembered when she told him that. "But I will always be there for you, by your side, waiting to protect you, to cherish you, to sweep you off your feet, to love you, and our family" Andy continued as he leaned down and kissed her. Sharon deepened their kiss as she turned in his embrace and was now straddling him, the blanket still around them. When they broke apart to catch their breaths, Sharon spoke first. "I love you so much" she said breathlessly as she fumbled with his tie, loosening it and then pulling it over his head. Andy skimmed his fingers underneath her shirt as she finished unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. She then ran her hands underneath his white t-shirt and he shuddered into her touch. "We can just make out like teenagers here on the couch, no one will know with this blanket around us" he quietly told her and she squealed as he moved his arms up her back and undid her bra she was wearing. Sharon looked at him in his eyes. "I think we should move this into the house and postpone it until Matthew goes to bed" she said as she leaned down and kissed him slowly. "Yes ma'am" Andy said as he broke their kiss and Sharon started to get off him, moving the blanket off them and stood up. Andy stood up as well, but didn't release her hands.

"So, about tomorrow, I can stay with him while you go into the office" Andy told her as they stood there. "Hmm, or I could stay home with him" she suggested but Andy shook his head slightly. "The team needs their Commander" he leaned in and kissed her gently. "Plus, all that paperwork that needs to be filled out after wrapping up that case" he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, yes, I wouldn't want all that paperwork to be pilling up on my desk" she giggled as she pinched his sides. "Hey!" he squirmed from her grasp. "All I'm saying is does the team need me there tomorrow, no. But do they need their Commander, yes, they do" he softly spoke to her as he pulled her close and grabbed her hands in his. "I had a nice time out here, Lieutenant" she smiled as she looked up at him. Andy moved Sharon's hands to around his waist and smiled. "My pleasure, Commander" he softly said to her and they just stood there, holding each other. "One more dance for the road?" he asked and she nodded. 'Something' by the Beatles was playing as Andy and Sharon slow danced with the song.

It was a few minutes after the song ended that they realized the music had stopped playing. They were still holding each other closely in the middle of the patio. "I guess we should go in now" he whispered to her. "Hmm, to be continued later tonight" she looked up at him and smiled. He returned her smile and kissed her lips. She removed her arms from their embrace and held his hand as she waited for him to turn the speaker off, pick up his phone from the table, and led him back to the back door of their house. They walked inside and Andy flipped the switch to turn off the patio lights before he locked up the back door. Sharon made her way towards the family room while Andy stayed back in the kitchen and cleaned up the area, placing the containers from their dinners in the trash, and placing the wine bottle back in the fridge. He took a deep breath to regain his composure before joining Sharon in the family room.

As Sharon stepped in the room, she saw Matthew was asleep on the couch and the tv was still playing the movie. She grabbed the remote and paused the movie, placing the remote back on the coffee table and then turned towards their son laying on the couch. "He's out?" Andy spoke which startled Sharon a little as she turned to watch him enter the room. "Yes" she whispered, trying not to wake Matthew up. Moxie stood up on the couch and was wagging his tail, turning around and then tried to nuzzle his way on top of Matthew. "Be careful Moxie" Sharon whispered to the dog as she placed her hand on the dog's collar, but in the process, Matthew stirred and woke up, placing his hands on Moxie's face.

"Hey sweetie, why don't you go upstairs and get into bed" Sharon softly told Matthew as he was petting Moxie's head. "I'll take you up there and tuck you in" she added as he started to move off the couch. "Could you read me a story?" Matthew asked as he rubbed his eyes with his hands. "Sure" Sharon smiled as she bent down to look at his face. "Can you look at me for a second?" she asked him. Matthew turned his face to look at his mom. "Hmm, ok" she saw that his pupils were still a little large and haven't gone back down to normal size yet. "Ok, let's go upstairs and your father will bring up some Children's Motrin for you to take" Sharon placed her hand on Matthew's shoulder to guide him away from the couch as she looked over at Andy and he acknowledged what she had asked him.

As Sharon took Matthew upstairs, with Moxie following them, Andy went into the kitchen to grab the Children's Motrin from the cabinet that contained the medication. He then went to grab a glass of water for Matthew. He looked at the bottle and poured the recommended dosage into the small cup that was with it. He placed the medicine back in the cabinet. He then took a deep breath and slowly released it. Before he could join them upstairs, his phone alerted him to a text message. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen and saw the message was from Nicole. She wanted to know how Matthew was doing. He responded to her message. 'He's ok, staying home from camp tomorrow as a precaution' he texted to his daughter. Another message popped up after his response. 'Did your date still happen with Sharon?' she asked. 'I improvised tonight after we had dinner at the house' was Andy's response. 'Ok Dad, I'll let you go, good night!' she responded. 'Good night sweetheart' Andy told her and then placed his phone back in his pocket of his pants.

He picked up the dosage cup of medicine and the glass of water and brought them upstairs. As he reached Matthew's room, he saw Sharon sitting on Matthew's bed and Matthew cuddled up next to her, with a blanket around him. Moxie was laying on Matthew's bed as well. Sharon was reading Paddington to Matthew. As she was reading from the book, she glanced up and saw Andy standing there holding the medicine and glass of water. She closed the book and nudged the boy with her right hand. "Matthew, your dad's here with your medicine now" she gently spoke to him and he moved to sit up. Andy handed him the medicine cup. "Here you go kid" Matthew took it and drank the medicine. Andy then handed him the glass of water and Matthew drank that, handing both of them back to Andy. "Ok sweetie, time for bed" Sharon started to move off Matthew's bed but he stopped her. "Can you tell me another story?" he pleaded with her. Sharon sighed and looked over at Andy who gave her a smile. "Ok, what story do you want to hear?" Sharon asked as she moved back to sit against the headboard.

Matthew slid off the bed and quickly went to the bookshelf that was across his room. He searched for a book and found what he was looking for. He brought the book back to Sharon as he climbed back on his bed. "Diary of a Wimpy kid? When did you get this book?" Sharon asked as she opened the book to the beginning. "Ricky got it for me for my birthday last year" Matthew told her as he snuggled up to his mom. "Hmm, ok" Sharon smiled as she started to read to Matthew. Andy placed the medicine cup and empty glass on the night stand in the room before walking over to the chair in the room and sitting down in it. Sharon glanced over in Andy's direction and raised her right eye brow at him, before continuing to read the book out loud. About halfway through the book, Sharon glanced down at Matthew and saw that he was now sleeping. She closed the book and laid it on her lap. She looked over at Andy and saw that he was also sleeping. She smiled and shook her head slightly. She quietly moved herself off Matthew's bed, placing the book on the nightstand. She walked over to Andy and gently woke him up. "Andy, come on" she whispered as she grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Did he fall asleep?" he spoke softly to her. "Yes, and so did you" she teased him quietly as he stood up and followed her out of the room. They left the light on the nightstand on and closed his door behind them.

"So, are you too tired to continue our date?" Sharon asked as Andy closed their bedroom door behind them. "Hmm, no, not at all" Andy answered, giving her his grin as she turned around to face him. She took his hand again and led him into their bathroom. "What do you have in mind?" he asked her as she moved around, gathering things she would need. "How about we share a bath?" she asked and placed the candles around the bathtub. She then turned the water on and placed the bubble bath soap in the tub. "As long as I get to undress you" Andy whispered to her as she walked closer to him. "How about we undress each other?" she suggested. "Even better" Andy muttered as he started to take Sharon's shirt off of her. She lifted his dress shirt off his shoulders and down his arms in between kissing him. He unbuckled his pants and they dropped to the floor. Now he was in his boxers and his white undershirt. He removed his socks as she continued to undress. She turned the water off when it reached the desired level and warmth. "You get in first" she softly told him and he did as she asked, removing the last of his clothing before stepping into the bathtub and sliding down so his back was against the end of the tub. He watched her move around the bathroom in her blue lace bra and matching panties. "Jesus Sharon, if I had known that was what you were wearing underneath your outfit" but before Andy could finish his thought, she underdressed and slipped into the tub sitting down in front of him. She relaxed into his embrace and leaned her head back onto his shoulder. "I love you" Andy whispered into her right ear. "I love you too" Sharon whispered back as she turned her head and ran her left hand over his face. He bent his head and they met for a sweet kiss.

TBC