Thank you for all of your support for my past stories! It has been a very busy spring/summer in my house, so I apologize for the delay in finally posting this awesome prompt from redredrobin. Her idea was:

How do you think Sharon approached each woman about being in her and Andy's wedding?

As always, I welcome your feedback and thoughts. I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co. I just enjoy writing about them.

Patrice

To be perfectly honest, Sharon hadn't thought much about bridesmaids for her wedding. Sure, she wanted her daughter to be up there with her, but beyond that, she really hadn't given the subject much thought. But then she found herself alone with Patrice in the kitchen she shared with Provenza and a feeling came over her. It was strong and left little doubt. She wanted Patrice to also be standing up there with her when she promised the rest of her life to the man who owned her heart.

They weren't doing anything spectacular when this feeling swept over her. In fact, they really weren't doing much at all. The men were busy in the backyard attempting to grill various entrees on Provenza's new grill while she and Patrice had a good laugh about it from behind the windows overlooking the couple's lush backyard. They could tell the two men were arguing, and they both had some fun at the their expense imagining various scenarios that may have led to the argument.

After taking a sip of wine, Sharon let out another laugh at Patrice's remarkably accurate impersonation of her husband when the feeling struck her right then and there. She needed Patrice's grace and gentle humor alongside her as she took this ginormous step forward. And not only that, but she needed and wanted all of the women closest to her to be there as well. She needed bridesmaids, not as some sort of wedding planning ritual, but as friends to guide her and support her through all the ups and downs of wedding planning as well as life.

"Sharon, are you alright?" Patrice asked kindly, and the question brought Sharon out of her reverie. She smiled.

"Yes, I was just a bit lost in thought for a moment. I'm sorry about that," she replied warmly. Patrice smiled. She realized that she was new to their dynamic, but Patrice never could understand why her husband ever detested the woman in front of her. Sharon was fair, kind, compassionate, and funny. And Patrice admired her ability to intimidate anyone with such ease.

"Don't worry about it. You must be knee-deep in wedding plans. And believe me, I know how consuming those can be," she said knowingly.

"Actually, it hasn't been too bad so far. Andy and I have been trying to keep things simple," she said with a smile. "I did the whole big, stressful wedding the first time around. And look how that turned out".

"Yeah, I hear you. That's why Louie and I kept it simple, too," Patrice replied. A beat passed between them and then Sharon decided now was her chance to ask.

"You're right, though, I was thinking about something wedding-related," she admitted before taking another sip of her wine. "But it actually has to do with you".

"Me?" Patrice asked surprised. Sure, she and Louie (well, mostly just she) had been helping with various tasks, but she was surprised to hear that Sharon had been lost on thought about something involving her and the impending nuptials. Sharon simply nodded.

"Yes, I was thinking, hoping actually, that you would do me the honor of being a bridesmaid. Having you beside me would truly make this day even more special," she explained genuinely. Patrice was caught off guard, but none the less touched by the invitation.

"Sharon, I would be honored to be one of your bridesmaids," she beamed. Sharon's face lit up, and the two women quickly pulled each other into a warm embrace.

"Thank you," Sharon said as they pulled apart. Patrice just smiled. Before they knew it, they both easily fell back into laughter as they watched their spouses' continuing argument unfold outside the window.

Amy

Once Sharon had decided that she wanted bridesmaids to stand beside her on her wedding day, Amy instantly came to mind. She was excited to have Patrice already onboard, and now she just needed to ask the others who were on her heart. Amy was an easy pick. She saw a lot of her younger self in the skilled detective. Amy was ambitious, smart, and willing to learn from her mistakes. Over the last few years, she had also come to like her as a co-worker and friend. Yes, Amy was definitely someone she wanted to be in her bridal party.

The squad had been working long hours on a difficult case. It was the kind of case where the days easily stretched into nights, and no one was going to rest until they solved the brutal mystery. So when the case was finally closed, everyone worked to finish their paperwork and head home for some much-needed rest. Sharon was hoping to catch Amy before their murder room emptied for the weekend, but she had her own end-of-case work to complete. When she looked up, she realized that it was quickly clearing out. Oh well, she thought. She'd have to catch Amy next week. She grabbed her mug and headed to the break room to rinse it out before leaving for the weekend herself.

As she returned to the murder room, clean mug in hand, she caught the young detective packing her bag. She must have been away from her desk when Sharon first looked for her. Amy looked up when she heard the familiar sound of her commanding officer's footsteps. She slung her bag onto her shoulder and grabbed her styrofoam to-go cup leftover from their working dinner.

"I hope you're almost done so you can get out of here as well, Captain," she said kindly. Sharon gave her a smile.

"Just gathering up my things and then I'm heading out," Sharon assured her.

"That's good. Have a nice weekend, Captain," Amy replied with a friendly smile. Sharon stopped short of her office and turned back towards her detective.

"Before you go, there was something that I wanted to ask you about, Amy," she said as she came to stand next to Amy's desk.

"Of course, Ma'am. You can ask me anything," Amy replied, a bit surprised. Sharon laughed.

"Relax, Amy. It's not work related and doesn't require formalities. It's a personal request, actually," she explained. Amy seemed to relax, but her interest was piqued.

"Personal?" She replied. Sharon nodded.

"I was just wondering if you would be interested in being one of my bridesmaids," she asked warmly.

"Really?" Amy asked surprised. She looked up to the captain greatly and being a part of her special day was completely unexpected, but filled her with pride and gratitude.

"Yes, absolutely. I would be honored to have you," Sharon said genuinely. Amy's face lit up and she quickly threw her arms around her boss in gratitude.

"Yes! I would be so honored to be there for you and the lieutenant," she beamed. Sharon chuckled at her enthusiasm. Amy moved back into her own personal space, but her smile was still just as wide. "And I promise you that I will not let you down. Or sing any cheesy love songs at your rehearsal dinner," she added as a joke, referencing that awful wedding murder from a few years ago. Sharon just smiled and nodded.

"Yes, there will definitely not be any singing," she agreed. The two women laughed at the memory. Although, Sharon supposed it wasn't all bad. After all, it was at the end of that case that her entire squad had gathered at her condo and gotten to know each very well (maybe too well in regards to Lieutenant Provenza). And it was during that evening that Sharon knew that she was finally ready for something more in her friendship with Andy Flynn. No, she certainly didn't want her wedding to be anything even remotely resembling that wedding, but she would be forever grateful for the outcome.

Andrea

Of all the women Sharon was going to ask to be one of her bridesmaids, Andrea was probably the easiest. The two ladies liked to get together outside of work for a drink or two from time to time. It was a great way to decompress and commiserate. Sharon always looked forward to her evenings with Andrea, even if they were few and far between.

They tended to get together on the nights when Andy went to a meeting, and the irony of the two of them going out for drinks while Sharon's fiancé attended AA was never lost on Andrea. She loved to give Sharon a (good-natured) hard time about it, but both women knew that Andy whole-heartedly approved of (and even encouraged) their outings and never minded when Sharon had a drink.

This week, they were meeting at their favorite wine bar. In addition to the excellent selection of wine, they also boasted a robust menu of appetizers and tapas that were some of Sharon's favorites in all of Los Angeles. They were both enjoying a particularly delicious glass of red while alternating between the Brie spread and fig jam when Andrea decided to get right to the point.

"So, I've been thinking about your wedding, and you need bridesmaids. I know you're super woman and the most organized person I've ever know, but it never hurts to have some help," she said matter-of-factly in between bites of Brie. Sharon was only mildly surprised by her friend's directness. After all, she had come to know Andrea very well since moving to Major Crimes. And one of the things she respected the most about her was her frankness.

"You're right," she replied simply. Andrea looked at her surprised. She had been expecting to have to make her case a bit more before Sharon relented. "But, you're also a little behind".

"Behind? You've already got them?" Andrea asked once again surprised by her friend. Although, Sharon did like tradition and she was always planning ahead. Maybe she had miscalculated her propensity for organization.

"Well, yes. Or at least some of them that is," Sharon began. "Actually, I was going to ask you tonight to be one of my bridesmaids. I just hadn't had the chance to yet".

Andrea deflated on the spot. She felt like a right fool.

"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. Me and my big mouth. Go ahead," Andrea apologized. Sharon scoffed.

"You didn't ruin anything. And you definitely don't need to apologize. Really, you only have to accept," Sharon said with a smile.

"Oh, I definitely accept. I'd be honored, Sharon, honestly," she said sincerely.

"Well, good, because I'm honored to have you," Sharon replied.

"Are you sure your lieutenant is going to be okay with this because I have opinions. Lots of them," Andrea said only half joking. Sharon chuckled.

"Oh, he doesn't care. He has been defaulting to me on everything, and he wants me to have the people who are most important to me up at the alter with me," she explained. Andrea laughed before taking a sip of her wine.

"That's because that man is so happy to simply be marrying you that everything else doesn't matter. He adores you," she said genuinely. Sharon smiled, and it was the one that Andrea recognized as the one she always used when thinking about Andy. Yup, those two both had it bad. And truthfully, Andrea was happy for both of them.

"So, about these opinions..." Sharon began and both women easily fell back into conversation. They talked about wedding plans and other things as they finished their wine and appetizers. And all the while, Sharon couldn't help but feel the warmth radiating from inside over all the special people who were going to be with her on that day.

Emily

There were just some things that you didn't do over the phone, even when it came to family. Call her "old school", but Sharon Raydor wasn't going to break that stance just because her daughter was across the country and finding it impossible to get the time off to visit her mother. So when the summer came and Emily finally had a weekend off, Sharon knew that it was now or never.

Emily Raydor had come to the conclusion that her mother wasn't going to have any bridesmaids at her wedding in the fall. In all their numerous phone conversations about the impending nuptials, the word never even came up. Part of her felt sad that her mother was going to be standing up there alone, but she also knew her mother well enough to respect her wishes and not bring it up. Nevertheless, she was excited to finally have a weekend to spend with her mom and soon-to-be stepfather. And she was definitely looking forward to diving in head first on the wedding plans.

After Sharon picked her up from the airport, they decided to stop at one of their favorite coffee shops to enjoy a creamy glass of iced coffee and catch-up after so many months apart. Emily was even more impressed by her mother's sparkly ring in person than she had been through photographs and Skype sessions. Andy really knew her mom well. The only topic of conversation they hadn't covered in the last thirty minutes was the wedding plans, and Emily was itching to discuss all of the details her mom and fiancé had decided on thus far.

"So, mom, how are things going with the wedding?" She finally asked after enjoying another delicious sip of her s'mores iced coffee. Sharon gave her a warm smile.

"Very well, actually. This has been so much less stressful this time around. Instead of being caught up in colors and centerpieces, Andy and I have been focused on what the day is really about. Everything else has just fallen into place nicely," she beamed. Emily couldn't help but smile for her mother. She was happy, truly content in a relationship and it was nice to see on her.

"That's great, mom, really. I'm so happy for you and for Andy," Emily replied genuinely. Sharon got quiet.

"There is one last detail that I haven't been able to take care of yet," she said coyly. Emily's ears perked up. Finally, something she could take on herself and help her mother with as the ceremony drew closer and closer.

"Whatever it is, I got it. I'm here to help," she said sincerely.

"Well, as it turns out, I'm still missing one of my bridesmaids. And it isn't just any bridesmaid, it's the most important one," Sharon said with a deceptively straight face. She was enjoying toying with her daughter a bit. After all, Emily's busy schedule had been the reason this conversation hadn't taken place earlier.

Emily was surprised to hear her mother use the "B" word since it hadn't come up in any of their previous wedding conversations. She had secretly hoped that she could be a part of her mom's big day, but understood her mom had the right to do things her way. Now, she felt a small sadness knowing that there were, indeed, bridesmaids and she had been excluded.

"Okay, who do you think would make a good maid-of-honor?" She asked a bit off kilter. Sharon smiled.

"I was thinking you," she replied simply before taking another sip of her iced coffee. Emily's eyes widened.

"Me?! I've been here the whole time. All you had to do was ask," she playfully chided her mother. Sharon scoffed.

"Oh, no, no, no. Asking someone to be your maid-of-honor is not something you do over the phone," she explained. Emily laughed. So it was her mother's love of the rules that had prevented her from asking her to be a bridesmaid, not a desire to keep the wedding bare bones.

"Well, we did Skype a few times in between," Emily joked. Sharon scoffed once again.

"Emily, I was not going to ask my daughter to be my maid-of-honor through a computer screen. This is much too important for that, and you are much too important to me," Sharon explained. Emily smiled, too overwhelmed by her mother's words to speak. Instead, she stood up and leaned across the table. Sharon met her halfway, and they embraced awkwardly with the small round table preventing them from getting closer.

Her mother was getting married. She was incredibly happy. And Emily was going to be a part of this important day in the best way possible. A small table couldn't get in the way of any of that.

THE END