Here I am with a new one-shot!

I was rewatching The Closer 7x18 "Drug Fiend" and suddenly, this scene came to my mind and I had to write it! It takes place at the end of the episode, and it is the follow-up of the scene where Sharon and Brenda's team are in Electronics watching the suspect's interview. I hope you will like it!

Special thanks to my amazing Beta, eelise187, who proofread my story so quickly!

Again, I don't own the show or its characters.

BETTER THAN WE USED TO BE

Sharon straightened as she felt Andy brush against her. She was still standing near the desk in Electronics along with Brenda's team after witnessing one interview that would stay with them for a long time. Sharon sighed and turned around to watch him storm out of the room, abruptly closing the door behind him. She frowned as she looked at the others. They didn't seem to have noticed Flynn leaving, or at least they didn't acknowledge it. They looked frozen, still dumbfounded and horrified at the admission of the man they had just arrested.

Sharon excused herself. At their lack of reaction she wondered if they had heard her, not that she expected some kind of reaction anyway. She silently closed the door behind her and started walking through the hallway, wondering if something was off with Lieutenant Flynn. She decided she would eventually look for him once she prepared herself a ginger tea and took a break from the strenuous case they had just closed. She quickly reached the break room and opened the door. She stopped in her tracks when she realized there was someone else in the room. She took a deep breath, straightened her blazer before walking to the counter.

"Lieutenant," she simply said.

Andy was sitting on one of the stools. He turned slightly to look at her, but said nothing. He merely nodded and she gave him a faint smile before looking down and walking to the cupboards. She chose a mug and picked a tea bag while waiting for the water to boil. She stopped and bit her lower lip before turning around hesitantly and asking, "Would you like some?"

The Lieutenant slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze. He unclasped his hands that were resting on the counter, revealing a mug as he offered her a weak smile and replied, "I'm good."

Sharon nodded and turned her attention back to the kettle when she heard him whisper, "Thank you." She smirked as she poured the hot water in her mug and waited for the tea to infuse. She could feel his stare on her, but she kept preparing her tea undisturbed. She removed the tea bag and threw it in the trashcan before taking her mug, turning around, and leaning against the counter. Flynn immediately looked down, losing himself in his coffee. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak.

"Helluva day." He let out without bothering to look at her, before she had the chance to say a word.

"Indeed." She agreed as she cautiously blew over her hot beverage. "Are you okay?" She asked studying his tense features.

"I'll survive…" he shrugged before taking a sip of his coffee. "The only reason though I didn't barge into the interrogation room and put my hands around that asshole's neck is you."

Sharon frowned, tilting her head and pressing her lips in a thin line as he clarified, "I figured you wouldn't have been happy with an excessive use of force complaint to add to my already so full package…" He added with a grin.

"Well good thing I was around then, Lieutenant." She replied with a smirk.

"Very good thing, Captain." He echoed as he stared at the brown liquid in his mug.

Sharon carefully sipped her tea and then tapped her fingers against the mug as she hesitantly said, "Your reaction though would have been, if not excusable, at least understandable. This case is truly horrifying and unfortunately, it is far from over."

"Can you imagine finding out you're going to die, not because the cancer was too far ahead, but because you weren't receiving the cure you thought you were?" He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath in an attempt to control the anger showing in his voice, "All those people lost so much precious time and it will probably be too late to save them now…" he added in a defeated tone.

Sharon sighed and she met his gaze before replying softly, "Maybe it won't be too late for some of them… and Lieutenant, think of all the people we were able to save by finding out what this despicable human being was doing."

"Asshole would be the appropriate word to use in this case." He corrected her.

Sharon looked at him and it surprised her to think that Flynn was right. "Indeed. That word, and I can think of another couple of them right now." She added with a hint of contempt in her voice.

Andy couldn't help but chuckle, slightly taken aback by her unexpected answer. He stopped his mug before it touched his lips, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought of her previous words. He nodded and said, "But you're right. Always seeing the glass half full, Captain." He remarked with a light smile.

"We have to with our jobs, Lieutenant." She reasoned. "I'm not always able to do so, but it sure helps with the difficult cases…" She took a sip of her tea before adding, "And today it was one of them, especially for Chief Johnson…" She added, cautiously eyeing the Lieutenant in front of her.

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."

The door closed behind her and Andy smirked. Tomorrow would for sure be another day. He would start anew, leaving behind the memories of this difficult day, or at least most of them. That surprisingly sincere moment between him and Captain Raydor in the breakroom, that one, he would keep it in his mind for a while longer.

Thank you for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!

More stories to come, stay tuned!