Sharon closed her eyes as she silently wished things had turned out differently from there. She truly wished Chief Mason hadn’t forced her to ask for SWAT back up. She also wished that SWAT hadn’t followed her, but instead Andy or Lieutenant Tao’s cars. She wished she was allowed more time on her own to try negotiating with Amelia’s father. She wished the SWAT team commander would have had listened to her request instead of ignoring her. She wished the SWAT team hadn’t started firing when Mr. Fields resumed shooting.

“Cease fire! There’s a child inside, cease fire!!”

Sharon’s unheard order was ringing in her head again. She felt sick as she recalled the minutes that followed SWAT ceasing fire. The SWAT commander confirmed the suspect had been fatally hit and Sharon didn’t wait any longer to rush into the cabin looking for Amelia. Once inside, she heard some muffled cries and her heart froze when she found the child on the floor behind the couch with a bullet in her chest. Sharon rushed to the girl’s side, knelt down, and placed her hands on the wound.

“Amelia, sweetheart, my name is Sharon. I am here to help you.”

Even now, Sharon could still see the frightened look on Amelia’s face. She could still feel the blood sticking to her hands as it kept coming out of the bullet hole in the girl’s chest. She relived the panic and fear of those moments as she tried to reassure the child and stop the bleeding.

“Someone call an ambulance RIGHT NOW!!”

Sharon felt her breath getting caught in her throat. She inhaled deeply but couldn’t relax. She sat up in bed again, this time moving to Andy’s side edge of the bed, her feet touching the floor. She slid a hand under her nightgown and focused on her chest slowly rising as she restored a normal breathing pattern. As much as she tried to chase away her next memories, she went back to the event that continually haunted her dreams.

“Sharon, it hurts…” Amelia muttered painfully.

“ I know, baby, I know…” Sharon whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. “But you’re strong, sweetheart… The ambulance is going to be here soon. Hang in there…” She reassured the child as she kept applying pressure on the wound.

“I’m scared, Sharon…” The girl choked out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Sharon wished she wasn’t busy trying to stop the bleeding. She wanted to stroke the child’s hair, to hold her close, to comfort her. She wished she hadn’t ordered Julio and Provenza to meet the ambulance halfway to lead the way to the cabin. Her motherly side was kicking in, but she knew she had made the best decision. Releasing the pressure on the wound to let someone else substitute for her would have been a mistake as the bleeding could have intensified and endangered the child’s life.

“I want my momma…” Amelia sobbed as more tears streamed down her face.

“I know, honey, I know… you’re going to see her soon.” Sharon reassured her, trying her best to speak despite the knot in her throat. “I’m waiting with you until she arrives, okay? You’re not alone. I’m here with you, Amelia.”

Sharon hadn’t notice when she started crying. She touched her cheeks with a shaky hand and noticed they were wet with tears. She lost her inner battle at keeping all her emotions bottled up. She had managed to be strong for days, but she reached her breaking point.

Andy had arrived at the cabin after the ambulance had taken Amelia’s lifeless body away. Sharon briefly explained the situation to Andy and reassured him the blood on her clothes belonged only to Amelia. She had put on a brave face and acted as though nothing happened to convince him she was fine. Sharon was aware that he had been watching her silently for days. Andy studied her to spot any change in her person or indicators of the turmoil she was feeling inside. She had been inscrutable until tonight.

“I’m tired…”

“Amelia, you listen to me now.” Sharon firmly ordered to the child by raising her trembling voice. “You keep talking to me and don’t close your eyes. Don’t go to sleep EVER, you hear me, honey?”

“Sharon?” Andy’s voice brought her back to reality.

Sharon didn’t hear him come back. She looked up to find him frozen on the doorstep of the bedroom, a glass of water in his right hand.

“Sharon?” He repeated softly, worry prevailing in his tone as he stared at her tears-streamed face.

Andy’s concerned voice was all it took for Sharon to completely break down. The last remains of walls she had built up to hide her pain crumbled down like a sand castle hit by a wave. She started sobbing and as she tried to speak, she choked up with tears. She only managed to reach out both hands for Andy who rushed to the nightstand where he left the glass of water. If it was up to him, he would have dropped the glass right on the floor and ran to Sharon, but he knew she wouldn’t have approved such a reaction. He knelt at her feet in a blink of an eye, ignoring his knees’ protest at the abrupt gesture. He immediately took her hands in his, holding them tight as Sharon’s body trembled with each one of her sobs.

Andy didn’t need any explanation to Sharon’s breakdown. He knew what was happening. She might have pretended to be fine and hidden her pain from him, but he knew her too well. He had noticed how she had called or texted her children more often in the last days, how she tensed every time her eyes caught sight of a little girl close to Amelia’s age, and each one of her abrupt awakenings after a nightmare. Andy had fought the urge to sit in bed to hold her close and given her space as he knew she would need and want. He had done this until tonight when he couldn’t resist anymore. It had been going on for five nights, five nights when he had let her alone at dealing with her own feelings, keeping his eyes closed but listening to any detail – a sob, a labored breath – that would indicate she needed his support.

Andy silently kissed Sharon’s knuckles as he held her shaky hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs on the back of her hands and gently turned her hands to kiss her palms. Sharon couldn’t calm down and choked up every time she tried to hold back a sob.

Andy ignored the popping sound in his knees as he stood up to sit next to Sharon on the bed. He cupped her tears-streamed face with both hands and he could feel her whole body shaking uncontrollably under his hands. He dropped soft kisses on her cheeks, tasting the saltiness of her tears as he pulled her against him. “It’s okay, Sharon… I’m here with you…” Andy whispered soothingly as she buried her face against his chest. She kept crying, wetting his white t-shirt with her tears. He tightened their embrace as he gently stroked her hair, interrupting his gesture only to drop kisses on the top of her head. “Let it out, babe, I’m here with you.”

“Sharon… d-do something… make it… s-stop…” Amelia painfully coughed as she started spitting out blood.

“I let her die…” Sharon choked out.

Andy froze when he heard her words. He gently pulled her away from his chest, enough for him to look at her in the eyes and lovingly tell her, “You did not, Sharon. You did everything you could, everything in your power to keep her alive. The bullet hit her lung, there was nothing more you could do, babe.” He reminded her gently.

“She wanted her mother. I told her she was going to see her soon, I lied to her.” Sharon kept rambling, her voice threatening to break at any moment.

“You reassured her, Sharon.” Andy rectified her, “You comforted a terrified child. This is what Amelia needed, a soothing and comforting presence by her side.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “She wasn’t alone when it happened, and as much as I hate the fact that you had to witness to such a horrible moment, I am glad you were by her side, babe… Amelia couldn’t have her mother with her, but she had the most loving and sweetest person I know with her.” He told her, his voice slightly shaking as his own eyes filled with moisture. He stroked her hair and dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“You… l-look like… an angel.” Amelia breathed out painfully, “Momma… s-says angels… are here to p-protect us…” She coughed and let out a pained cry before asking breathlessly, “are…y-you an… angel?”

“You’re the angel here, sweetheart.” Sharon replied, holding back a sob as a few tears rolled down her cheeks, “Keep your beautiful eyes open for me, will you? You’re the strongest and bravest girl I know, Amelia.” She soothingly whispered to the little girl. “You’re doing great, it’s going to be alright, sweetheart.”

“I felt it… I felt that she was dying…” Sharon admitted with a pain-stricken tone, “Suddenly she wasn’t talking anymore, her eyes started to flutter and her chest was rising less and less with every breath… I felt the life leaving her body and I released the pressure on the wound, at least with one hand to reach out for her hair.” She painfully recalled as more tears escaped her eyes, “I stroked her hair and her cheek, I couldn’t let her go like that…” She paused as she fought back a sob, “Amelia opened her eyes one last time, and I forced a smile for her and then she…” Her voice trailed off as she felt her heart twitch. Once she found her voice back, she admitted quietly, “Maybe if I had kept applying pressure instead…”

“No, Sharon.” Andy stopped her, “There was nothing more you could do for her, you did the right thing…” He looked at her and noticed she didn’t seem convinced by his words. He shook his head as he added, “Remember what Amelia’s mother said when she saw her daughter’s body?” He paused to give her time to think about it before saying, “She said that Amelia looked as if she was peacefully sleeping… You did this, Sharon. Amelia wasn’t afraid when it happened because you were by her side. She left this world with one last loving gesture thanks to you.”

Sharon pulled slightly away from his chest to meet his gaze. Andy tenderly smiled at her as he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. He cupped her face with both hands, a look of pure love in his eyes. Sharon leaned in and Andy met her halfway, catching her lips in a gentle and lingering kiss. They slowly pulled apart, resting forehead against forehead. Sharon kept her eyes closed for a little while longer and when she reopened them, she stroked his cheek with a small smile.

“So what do you say if we lie back down?” Andy encouragingly offered.

Sharon tiredly nodded, her eyes briefly fluttering closed as she fought back her exhaustion. Andy slowly moved with her to the middle of the bed, delicately pulling her down with him. He covered them with the sheets as Sharon moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. She muttered something unintelligible against him and Andy asked her, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, “What did you say, Shar’?”

“Will you please hold me for tonight?” She repeated in a barely audible voice as she shyly met his gaze. Andy knew it took her a lot to ask him that. She usually slept on her side of the bed, moving closer to him in the middle of night looking for his warmth. Andy recalled the last time she had asked him to hold her and he shuddered at the memory of the shooting at the courthouse. Once again, she had put on a brave face, only to open up to him after a couple of days when she had had the time to process her own thoughts.

Andy jumped, startled, and moved away from the breakroom door. He turned to see Chief Johnson walking toward him, a woman by her side. He quickly joined them when Brenda said, “Lieutenant, this is Mrs. Manning, Mila’s mother, the…”

Andy nodded, letting his Chief know that he had understood whom they were talking about. Brenda then looked around before adding, “We were looking for Captain Raydor…”

“Oh, she is in the breakroom.” Andy paused as he considered his next words, “I can walk Mrs. Manning over there, Chief.”

“Oh thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate it.” Brenda turned to the other woman and said, “Mrs. Manning, I will leave you with Lieutenant Flynn.”

“Thank you, Chief Johnson. Thank you so much.” The woman answered, her voice shaking slightly.

Brenda nodded and walked away silently. Andy smiled to Mrs. Manning and motioned for her to follow him. He knocked on the breakroom door and cracked it open, popping his head in the gap. Sharon looked up and met Andy’s gaze. She was still holding the girl when Andy informed her, “Mila’s mother is here.”

Mila immediately lifted her head from Sharon’s chest as she turned to the door. When the little girl saw her mother entering the room, her eyes lit up as she jumped from Sharon’s lap and ran to her mother, “Mommy!”

Mrs. Manning crouched down and opened her arms as her daughter threw herself in her embrace. Tears escaped the woman’s eyes as she tightened her grip around her child, “Oh baby… I’m here, it’s okay… everything is okay…” she kept repeating in a soothing voice, more to convince herself than her daughter.

Sharon met Andy’s eyes and she was surprised to see him smile at her. She returned a shy smile as Mrs. Manning took her daughter by the hand and said to Sharon, “I’ve been told you’ve taken care of my baby girl. Thank you so much, Captain.”

“My pleasure.” Sharon replied with a sincere smile. “Mila is an adorable little girl.” She added, looking softly at the child.

Mrs. Manning returned the smile and she told her daughter, “We’re going home, Mila. Say thank you to the Captain.”

Mila let go of her mother’s hand as she walked back to Sharon. The child opened her arms and Sharon crouched down with a smile as she hugged Mila. The little girl whispered to her, “Thank you, Sharon.”

“Take care, sweetheart…” She answered in a soft tone as she felt Mila kissing her on the cheek. She let go of the child and watched her as she joined her mother, waving at Sharon before leaving the breakroom. The Captain looked down as she quickly regained her composure, making the moisture disappear from her eyes. She was surprised to catch the sight of Andy’s extended hand in front of her. She met his eyes and hesitantly accepted his hand as he helped her to stand. Sharon straightened her blouse and was about to walk back to the table when Andy said jokingly, “There’s definitely a heart hiding behind those thick walls of yours.”

“Excuse me?” Sharon asked, with an arched eyebrow as she turned to face him.

Andy shrugged before he answered in a serious tone this time, “You were great with the kid.” He paused as he uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck, “I didn’t think I would have ever said something like that, but… I’m glad you were the one who took care of the girl.”

“Beware, Lieutenant.” She warned him, looking over the rim of her glasses as she crossed her arms over her chest, “I don’t want you to waste a compliment on me.” She added jokingly, trying her best to hide her surprise. She hadn’t expected a compliment to come from Flynn’s mouth.

“Well, this time you deserve it.” Andy replied with a grin.

“Oh, well I’m touched, Lieutenant.” Sharon told him, placing a hand over her heart theatrically before adding more seriously, “Thank you.”

“Don’t get used to it.” He immediately said, rolling his eyes slightly.

“Of course not, Lieutenant.” She smirked.

Sharon walked back to the table and took her notepad. She could feel Andy’s eyes on her, but she ignored him. She was surprised to find him still staring at her as she looked up. He quickly diverted his look and gestured toward the notepad, asking, “Learned anything interesting?”

Sharon shrugged as she hugged the notepad against her chest and replied, “Not much. Mila told me she heard yelling, Natalie’s parents were arguing with someone, and Natalie told her to hide. That’s when the two girls heard the first gunshots. Mila hid under the bed. She then said Natalie hid as well, but the man found her and shot her.” A shiver ran down Sharon’s spine as she explained what Mila told her.

“If Natalie told Mila to hide, then she must have been aware the situation was getting serious… maybe she even knows who the killer is.” Andy reasoned.

“That’s what I believe too, Lieutenant.” Sharon agreed. “Natalie may be the key to solve the case…”

Andy closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Gosh, five years old is way too young to be a witness to such an awful crime…”

“Mila closed her eyes when she heard the footsteps entering Natalie’s bedroom…” Sharon explained. She paused and sighed, “She told me she was sorry she couldn’t help me more, she thought I would be angry at her for closing her eyes.” She sadly scoffed.

“She’s been very brave.” Andy offered.

“That’s what I told her.” Sharon smiled sadly as she looked down.

Andy nodded and felt like it was time for him to leave. He would give up on his coffee once again, he wasn’t sure he still wanted it any more. He took one last glance at the Captain and he froze. He could read she was silently fighting against her emotions and she was having a hard time maintaining her composure. He should have pretended he didn’t notice, but something kept stopping him from walking away. “Are you okay?” he finally asked her.

Sharon turned to face him, ready to snap and ask him if he was enjoying seeing her struggling, but she kept quiet when she met his gaze. She was surprised to read genuine concern on his face and she didn’t really know how to answer his question. She shrugged and stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll be better…once I am home, on the couch with a glass…” She stopped just as she was about to add of wine, feeling suddenly uneasy as she eyed him.

Andy noticed it and he smirked as he replied, “You can say it, I won’t relapse just because you said the word wine, or whatever.”

“Yeah, right…” she fumbled as she looked away, removing her glasses to rub her eyes. “I’ll be okay by the way, thank you for asking.”

She put her glasses back on and Andy nodded. He felt like it was the right time to leave. He cleared his throat and looked down before walking to the door. He didn’t get far before she called to him, “Oh, and Lieutenant? There’s still some coffee left if you want…” she offered, “I guess that’s why you were standing outside the breakroom earlier…” she added with a smirk.

“You saw me?” He asked, a little taken aback. He hid his surprised reaction and played along. He grinned at her and walked to the counter.

“At some point, I caught the movement out of the corner of my eye…” Sharon explained. “Then you came in with Mila’s mother… I just figured it was you.” She added with a shrug.

Andy poured coffee in his mug. When he turned back to face her, he grinned, “Good catch, Captain.”

Sharon smiled back at him. The Lieutenant took his coffee and looked at her. With one last nod to Sharon, he walked away. As he was standing in the doorway, he turned around one last time and confessed to her, “By the way, you’re not really the wicked witch we all think you are.”

“Yeah, well, don’t go around saying that, I have a reputation to protect.” Sharon teased him with a smile.

Andy suddenly and slowly looked up, throwing her a questioning look. She just shrugged in response and worried her lip as she chose her next words, “Thyroid cancer… I assume the Chief’s father already had the surgery.” She tried as she recalled the leaflet on Brenda’s desk.

Sharon watched as Andy’s face reacted to her words, how his eyebrows furrowed, his mouth opened slightly and a surprised expression appeared on his face. She would have smirked and commented about how he had to work on his poker face if the topic of conversation hadn’t been so serious. The Lieutenant shook his head as he fumbled, “What… how… you…”

“English, Lieutenant, please.” She shot back, and this time she wasn’t able to hide a smirk.

Andy rolled his eyes at her before reformulating, “How do you know? Did the Chief tell you?”

“Lucky shot?” She offered as she shrugged with an innocent face, remembering the last time she used that saying.

“Well, Captain, I doubt this is merely a fortunate assumption.” He grinned teasingly. “You’re still a cop after all.”

“Oh Lieutenant, I sense a compliment coming my way?” She asked, ironically.

“Maybe, Captain.” Andy smiled and suddenly became serious as he added, “But you’re right. The Chief’s father has thyroid cancer. He had the surgery though and he should be doing okay now.”

Sharon nodded and sipped her tea. She licked her upper lip, tasting the spicy flavor of her tea as she then bluntly asked, “And what about you, Lieutenant?”

“What about me what?” he repeated, arching an eyebrow.

“I saw you storming out of Electronics. You seemed…” She paused, searching for the right word, “upset.” She then took a few steps forward, putting her mug on the counter before sitting on one of the stools. She studied him before slowly asking, “What’s your excuse, Lieutenant?”

Andy looked at her in the eyes and he was surprised to find that she didn’t have the usual inquisitive look she gave him or the team when she questioned them. She seemed almost genuinely concerned and he slightly snorted at the thought. They called her the wicked witch for a reason – actually a couple of reasons – there was no way the woman sitting in front of him would be able to show empathy or compassion. It had to be another one of her ploys against the Chief’s team.

“Shocking Captain,” he snickered, “you’re really observant. There’s a true investigator hiding underneath Officer Rulebook’s clothes!”

“Very funny, Lieutenant.” She replied, rolling her eyes. “The fact that you’re avoiding my question tells me that I may not be totally out of line.” She drank the last sip of her tea and put her mug down, watching him. He didn’t seem inclined to talk about it, so she simply sighed, took her mug and put it in the sink as she said, “It’s fine. I get it. I’m the last person with whom you’d like to discuss these things.” She added waving a hand absentmindedly in the air, “Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I’ll get out of your hair now.”

Sharon looked down and walked to the door. She was about to reach for the door handle when she heard him say, “My sister...”

She stopped and turned around, only to find that he had swiveled on his stool and was looking right at her. She must have had a questioning stare on her face because he quietly clarified, “My sister had thyroid cancer.”

Sharon froze, her breath caught in her throat. His sister had thyroid cancer. She silently wondered about the use of the past tense, hoping that it would mean that she was now cancer-free and not that she was no longer there. She didn’t have the guts to ask about it. She slowly walked back to the counter and sat on a stool, this time closer to Andy. She eyed him cautiously as she fumbled for words.

Andy realized, sensing her uneasiness, that his previous words might have sounded ambiguous. He waved a hand in the air as he told her reassuringly, “Oh, she is fine now. I mean, she’s dealing with some minor health issues at the moment, but nothing to do with cancer. She’s fine now.” He repeated, fidgeting with his hands. He was feeling uncomfortable with sharing such a private detail from his life with a woman he used to think was nothing more than the enemy.

“I’m glad to hear it, Lieutenant.” Sharon replied with a smile. There was sincerity in her tone and smile, and it took him by surprise. Maybe she was not that evil after all. He chastised himself for even thinking something that ridiculous. “So, I was right to think that something was off…” She added after a few seconds of silence, interrupting his thoughts.

Andy kept staring at his hands as he admitted, “I couldn’t stop thinking of my sister today. The thought that it could have happened to her, that it could have been her…” He whispered, meeting her gaze. He didn’t know why he was telling her all this. She was not his friend, but yet he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth. There was something trustworthy about her and he nearly laughed at the thought. Trustworthy and Captain Raydor didn’t seem to be two things that went well together, but yet it did. Andy shook his head and looked down as he let out, “If he would have done this to my sister, I would have killed the guy with my bare hands.”

He didn’t dare look at her. He knew what he would read in her eyes. He could picture her staring at him with a frown, an unmistakable reprobation on her face. He could feel her judging him as she rolled her eyes, thinking that he was nothing more than an untamable, hotheaded jerk. He surely didn’t expect her next words.

“I’m glad you didn’t have to do so…” she simply said.

Andy kept looking down, unsure on how to react to her words. He was taken aback, even more shocked when her hand came into view. He saw how her hand timidly walked over the counter, nearing his. He saw Sharon’s hesitation as she stopped in her movement. Her fingers nervously tapped on the cold counter as if closing that gap between them was something much too inappropriate. He then saw how she changed her mind, maybe sensing he wouldn’t accept this contact between them. She was about to withdraw her hand when his body reacted in a way he would have never imagined. He grabbed her hand and slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze. She looked slightly confused, but she didn’t say a word. They stared at each other in silence for a little while, neither breaking the contact between them.

“Uhm… thank you.” Andy started hesitantly, as he gently released her hand. “I didn’t know that I needed to get all of that out.” He added as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.

“Happy I could help, Lieutenant.” Sharon offered with a light shrug.

“Andy.” He corrected her. “After sharing that heartfelt moment, I think it is fair to switch to first names. Whatcha say, Sharon?” He cheekily asked with a grin.

Sharon rolled her eyes, but she was glad he was again in a teasing mood. He seemed to be back to being his usual snarky Lieutenant self, and this surely meant he was feeling a little better. She waved her hand absentmindedly in the air as her tongue tested the sound of his name, “Whatever, Andy.”

He smirked as he felt the Darth Raydor vibes in her tone. Maybe her previous gentleness had been an illusion in his mind, he thought. A smile crossed her features before she stood from her stool and told him, “I will leave now that things are good. I have a bunch of reports waiting for me, and they won’t write themselves, as much as I wish they could.”

Andy nodded and she offered him a faint smile before walking to the door. Andy followed her with his eyes before he suddenly called to her, “Oh and Sharon?”

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around, an eyebrow arched as she met his gaze and warned him, “That first name thing stops immediately once I’m out the door.” She pointed to the door and then back at him, “Got it, Andy?”

“You’re not out the door yet.” He remarked with a smirk. When he heard her sigh and saw her roll her eyes, his face turned serious as he added, “Just wanted to thank you again. I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to sit down with me and let me vent…”

A sincere smile appeared on her lips as she nodded. She didn’t expect him to thank her a second time, “Believe me when I say, it was a pleasure knowing I could help. I’m not as bad as you all think.” She opened the door and looked at him one last time as she added before leaving, “Now go home, call your sister, and get some rest. Tomorrow is another day, Andy.”

Andy simply nodded and they silently walked down the hallway, side by side. They reached her office and Sharon stepped in first. She stood by the door, waiting for him to enter before she closed it. She motioned to the chair and Andy sank in it without a word. She studied him for a few seconds and noticed how exhausted – not only physically, but also emotionally – he looked. His features were tense and he looked paler than usual. She suddenly worried the case might have messed up with his blood pressure and made a mental note to ask him about it. She slowly joined him, sitting in the other chair, facing him. She didn’t need to sit at her desk for that conversation; she wasn’t there as his boss, but as his friend and she wanted to be sure he understood that.

“I’ve heard things got a little tense in Electronics while I was interrogating Slyder.” She started. “Do you want to talk about it?” She softly asked, leaning in a little to catch his gaze.

“I’m sorry about that, Sharon…” He let out with a sigh. “I-I slightly lost my temper. It won’t happen again.” He immediately assured her, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Sharon shook her head as she replied in a serious tone, “No, Andy… that’s not what I meant. I’m not here to lecture you.” She paused as she emphasized her next two words, “I understand.”

Andy nodded and he briefly closed his eyes. He rubbed his forehead before saying, “Hobbs was about to proceed with those ridiculous second-degree murder charges… and I just… I just couldn’t accept it.” He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “This asshole killed a young girl. He drowned her in a pool because she tried to stop him from robbing the house…” His voice trailed off and he sighed, “She was just a kid.”

Sharon nodded, looking down. She wasn’t sure she could find the right words to comfort to him. What could she say? She was also very shaken about the case. She didn’t have to think much about it because Andy kept on, “That flower hair clip… Nicole used to wear one like that too…” His voice was slightly shaking and he briefly closed his eyes to regain his composure.

“Don’t do this, Andy…” Sharon whispered, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward. She studied him, and she could tell that he was fighting a silent war against his overwhelming feelings. She gently reached for his hand and covered it. Andy reopened his eyes at the touch and stared at her hand on his. Sharon squeezed it before releasing it, forcing him to meet her gaze. When he finally did, he told her, “She had no one… No one cared, no one asked her about her life, her family… hell, no one even bothered to ask for her last name.” He added, a hint of anger in his tone. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped as if it was getting too tiring to even get angry at the situation. His defeated tone came back as he said, “She was invisible…”

“Not anymore, Andy.” Sharon assured him, shaking her head. “We’re not going to give up on her, and we’ll be sure Slyder pays for what he did.” She told him firmly and it was easy for Andy to believe in her words.

However, there was still something bugging him. Andy shook his head and muttered with a wistful smirk, “Yeah, but now it’s too late. No one was there to help her when she was alive.”

“We’re going to give her peace, Andy…” Sharon murmured encouragingly. “That’s all we can do, but it’s important too…”

Andy looked down at his fidgeting hands and took a deep breath. He knew she was right and he wanted nothing more than to fully believe in what she told him. He just wished he could manage to make the sadness he was feeling disappear, but he knew it wasn’t that easy. At least he was there, talking with someone instead of drowning his sorrows in a bottle.

Sharon worried her bottom lip as she watched him struggling. It seemed to her that all the words she had said to him were useless. She felt like she was powerless to lift his spirits, she felt like she was letting him down and it saddened her. “Look Andy, we all have that one case who hits home…” She tried.

“I know, I know…” He repeated as he waved a hand absent-mindedly.

“I’m not telling you to not feel this way…” Sharon softly told him with a wistful stare, “Just don’t let this case eat you alive. Don’t obsess about it, don’t bottle everything up, talk about it.”

“Well, I’ve got you for that.” He told her, meeting her gaze, as a smile finally crossed his features; the first since they had started talking after the service.

Sharon felt relieved. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding back. “You sure do.” She agreed with a wide smile before patting his knee. “What do you say to grabbing something to eat before calling it a night?” She offered encouragingly. When she saw Andy open his mouth, she shook her head, and tried to lighten the mood as she added with a smirk, “I won’t accept no, or I’m not hungry as an answer.”

Andy seemed to consider her offer, and Sharon began to fear he might refuse it. His serious features suddenly broke into a grin when he asked, “Well, would you at least accept a thank you?”

“Oh, I sure would.” She smiled back before standing from her chair. “Come on, Lieutenant.” She urged him, stretching her hand in front of him. “Let’s go.”

Andy grabbed it and stood as well as he teasingly answered, “Yes, Captain.”

Andy let go of her hand and she moved behind her desk to grab her bag before walking to the door. He put a hand on her upper arm to stop her. Sharon slightly turned around with a questioning look and he sincerely whispered to her, “Thank you, Sharon.”