Ripple Effect

By Kadi

Rated M

Disclaimer: I play in the sandbox, I don't own it.

A/N: The question has been asked by a lot of people, what if, they had found each other a lot earlier. I know I've asked it in a couple of my past stories. Would Shandy still be Shandy if they started a lot earlier? What kind of life would they have had? Would Andy still be making up for his mistakes and would Sharon have still been stuck with an alcoholic for a husband? I decided to find out. This is completely A/U and does not follow any canon. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

It didn't rain often in Los Angeles, but when it did, the skies would open and the roads would flood. It had been a week of constant onslaught. A long, miserable week of gray skies, slick roads, car accidents, and traffic jams. The rain was enough to piss him off, but being an hour late to work for the third day in a row put Andy Flynn in a truly foul mood.

He was surly and brooding for the rest of the day. It was one of those times when he was glad that their current case didn't have a lot of leads, he wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone anyway, least of all some dirt bag that would deserve having Andy's foot shoved up his ass. It was the sort of day when those around him knew to keep their distance.

Another long drive home had done nothing to alleviate the dark cloud that was circulating around him. By the time he was safely ensconced with his solitude, his bad mood had produced a hell of a headache. He was thinking about taking a shower and pouring himself into bed, but sat staring at the news instead. His recliner was comfortable enough.

Andy had tossed his jacket onto the couch, kicked off his shoes, and loosened his tie. He did little else besides roll up his sleeves. He figured he could stay right where he was for the rest of the night. If he happened to fall asleep there, well, so be it. He didn't have anything better to do.

It had been a piss poor week and it didn't look as though it would be getting any better anytime soon. Andy settled back in his recliner and curled an arm behind his head. He stared at the ceiling while the news droned on. He was only just beginning to doze off when a knock at his door pulled him out of his semi-calm state.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered. Andy pulled himself out of the recliner with a sigh. He decided, as he made his way to the door, that if it was Provenza, he would give that old bastard hell. Who he found on the other side of his door was a far cry from his partner-turned-boss. Andy drew back, far too surprised to recall that he was aggravated at the intrusion. "Sharon."

Her dark coat was wrapped tightly around her. A manila envelope was clutched against her chest. She wasn't sure what she expected. It had been a while since she saw him, a few years, to be honest. He looked good, despite what the kids said about his recent health issues. It was supposed to be under control now, and she supposed that was true from the look of him. "Andy." She rubbed her lips together. "May I come in?"

He blinked at her. Part of him was still not convinced that she was standing there. Andy shook his head to clear it. "Yeah. Sure." He took a step back and pulled the door open with him. "Come on." He waited until she had slipped past him and the familiar scent of her perfume was filling the foyer of the house before he recalled how unusual this was. It brought a frown to his brow. "What are you doing here?"

"I think that would be obvious, don't you?" Sharon held the manila envelope between them. "What did you think I was going to do, Andy?" Her brows lifted in askance. "We've been married for thirty-two years, despite how much of that we've spent apart, I would think that we both deserve more than to receive divorce papers via Fed-Ex."

Andy walked away from her. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and concealed there, they clenched into fists. He shook his head before he turned to stare at her again. "How's Brad?" His eyes narrowed. "That's his name, right? What did you think I was gonna do, Sharon?" The papers were not all that he sent her. "It's time," he repeated the note that he had written and included in the package. "We ignored this long enough. Don't you think?"

Sharon's eyes closed. She exhaled quietly. "Emily," she whispered. The girl couldn't keep a secret to save her life, and especially where her father was concerned. Truthfully, Sharon had never asked any of her children to keep secrets from their father; she just expected some level of discretion where she was concerned. "Andy…" She didn't know what to say, or how to explain. This was not how she imagined that he would find out, but she supposed this was one of the possible responses that she should have expected.

"Don't." Andy looked down again. He studied the hardwood floor beneath their feet. "It's okay." In the twenty years that they had been separated, Andy knew that they had both had other relationships. Nothing serious, but that had changed. According to Emily, this guy Brad was serious. He was different. Her mother was different. "Look, there's no reason for it to be complicated. The kids are grown now, and we've lived apart for a long time. We both keep our pensions and property and we just… end it."

"End it." She repeated. Sharon stared sadly at him. "You make it sound so simple." Her gaze drifted away from him. She stared at the wall. "His name is Bradford," she said quietly, "he's a history professor at Northwestern and… it ended three months ago." Sharon placed the envelope on the table near the door. She reached for the knob and pulled the door open again. It was still raining and the wind had picked up, it lifted her hair and blew the dark strands across her face. "If you're ready to end it, you'll have to be the one to do it. God knows I never could."

Andy closed his eyes. He didn't flinch when the door closed behind her. He had always known, in the back of his mind, that he was no good for her. He never should have let it start to begin with.

-TBC-