"You're humming that song again," Rusty said, leaning over the counter into the kitchen as he watched Sharon pour herself a glass of wine. "You didn't drink enough at the reception?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Sharon looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "You needn't be concerned. I am able to pace myself."

Rusty sat up a little straighter, "Sorry, I didn't mean anything."

"Aw Honey, it's okay. I'm just having one glass and then I'm going to head to bed. I'm just not ready to turn in yet.

"That good?" Rusty asked, relaxing again.

"That good!" she assured him, and walked over to the sofa. Putting her feet up on the coffee table, Sharon sunk further into the sofa and sighed.

"So how was it?"

"It was lovely. Andy's daughter is so much like him, I'd know her anywhere. And her new husband seems to be a master at handling family dynamics. He'll need to in that family."

"What's the matter with them?"

"Mmm? Oh, nothing really. It just that Andy's ex-wife choose someone completely opposite Andy for her second husband, and she succeeded." Sharon took a sip of her wine, and lowered her head to the sofa again.

"What does that mean?" Rusty was confused. He knew there was a double meaning to Sharon's tone, but he didn't understand why.

"Mmm..." she thought for a second, "I don't know... just, picture everything you know about Lt. Flynn, and imagine the exact opposite. It's hard to explain."

"I guess he's probably fat, bald, judges everyone else and pretends like he has all the answers?"

Sharon choked on her wine, then started to laugh, "That's not nice."

"But I'm right, aren't I."

"I would never say that out loud. He does not like Andy at all, and I understand why it was so hard for Andy to share the aisle with the man. When it came time to give the bride away, the two of them spoke their blessing, and I could see the red rising on Andy's collar. He was having such a hard time. I took pictures of the three of them and he was trying so hard to keep his temper. At least Nicole had the sense at the last minute to put her arm in Andy's before they started walking."

"Isn't she supposed to do that?"

"Mmm, not when there's two. It's my understanding that she was to walk between them carrying her bouquet, but at the last minute she changed her mind. The smile of acknowledgement on Andy's face was wonderful to watch," Sharon smiled again, taking another sip.

"Did you get pictures?"

"Yes, I did. I'll have to look on my phone tomorrow, but I think I captured his surprise at the gesture and how pleased he was."

"You know... maybe Buzz can do something and like... remove that other guy from the picture. Then it would must be Andy and his daughter. I think he'd like that."

Sharon nodded as her smile grew, "You know, I think he'd love that. I'll ask Buzz to do that on Monday, as long as we don't have another case.

Nodding in satisfaction, Rusty sat back on the sofa as well, putting his feet up beside Sharon's. Together they sat in silence, until another thought struck him.

"Hey Sharon?"

"Mmm?"

"Didn't Andy pay, like... fifty thousand for that wedding or something?"

"Thirty, I think. It was a lot, I remember."

"Yeah, okay thirty thousand. So didn't that give him some perks or something?"

"Perks?"

"Yeah, like... if he was paying, didn't he get a say in things?"

Sharon sighed, "No... it was Nicole's wedding and Nicole's choices."

"That bites."

"No... not really. You see Rusty, no matter how much Andy and Russell, that was her step-father, no matter how much they dislike each other, they both really love Nicole, and that was evident. She didn't exclude Andy, she just wanted to include Russell, and unfortunately Andy had to accept that Russell was important to her as well."

"Yeah, I get that, but why the hate then? If they both love Nicole, why can't they get along?"

"Mmm, I asked Andy that. He told me Russell and his ex-wife liked to pretend that Andy wasn't part of the picture when the kids were younger, and it took Andy years to develop a relationship with his kids. He missed out on a lot of their childhood, and he's still hurt by that."

"Why?"

"This is really Andy's story to tell, if he wants to. It's not my place."

"Come on Sharon, don't be like that. Just tell me. Everyone else seems to know."

"Everyone else has worked with him for years, and they are all adults," she said, glancing at him. Seeing the deflated look on his face, she relented. "Okay, but remember this is Andy's story, and my version is not necessarily his version."

"Okay... yeah... fine... I get that. I just want to understand this better. I don't get parents like my mom or Jack who come up with every excuse to avoid being with their kids, when there's people like Andy who want to be involved and someone stops them. I just don't get that."

Sharon reached over and squeezed his hand. "I don't either," she said quietly, then took another drink.

"Okay, let's forget about that. Andy was there, he had to just accept that the other guy was there too, so then what happened?"

"Well, after they gave Nicole away, they stepped into the pew with Sylvia and myself."

"Sylvia? That's like, the ex? And you were in the same seats? That must have been awkward."

Sharon giggled, "You have no idea. There was Russell, trying to look like the proud patriarch, and Sylvia dabbing her eyes. Then I was there, a stranger to everyone, and Andy. He was fidgeting so much I thought he was going to explode. I had to put my hand on top of his just to get him to calm down."

"So let me get this straight, the fat bald dude was trying to look important, the ex was a mess, and there you were in your usual way holding Andy's hand the whole time?" Rusty smiled, "did you get pictures of that?"

"Hardly," Sharon snorted. "I was there to support Andy and give whatever he needed from me. If he needed to squeeze my hand to get through it, then so be it. And what do you mean 'my usual way'? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on," Rusty rolled his eyes, "I saw you when you got home and you still looked like you walked out of a magazine. You always have this... this perfection about you. You stand straight in those fancy shoes, and your clothes are always expensive, and you're hair is still up. I bet they were wondering if Andy hired you to be his date, or something."

Sharon coughed and snorted, then started to giggle, "They did! Oh my god, they were so funny. When I arrived, the usher escorted me into the seat and Sylvia immediately looked me over and said I was in the wrong place. I assured her I was not, so she called the usher over and told him to remove me. The young man turned all shades of red when he had to explain that I was with Andy. Then Andy had to come down to the front and tell Sylvia that I was his date for the wedding." Sharon kept laughing, her voice pitching higher with ever part of the story. "Finally... finally Sylvia hissed at him and asked how much I was by the hour."

"No... so what did you do?" Rusty asked, really enjoying the tale.

"It was Andy..." Sharon snorted again, "He said 'more than you could afford'."

Rusty just looked at her, not sure what to say.

"Oh honey," Sharon said as she patted his hand, "it was funny. Don't take it too seriously. After spending an evening with those people, I totally understand why he gets so sarcastic sometimes."

"Yeah, but didn't she have a fit or something?"

"No... she didn't get the chance. After I rolled my eyes, Andy leaned in and told Sylvia I carried a gun and a badge, and I knew how to use them, so play nice. That was the end of that. Honey, I'm used to people hating me. I was there for Andy, not myself. It was fine."

Rusty shrugged, "I guess. Okay, so the four of you are in the seats, they were probably being stiff, and you and Andy were holding hands."

"Rusty, it wasn't like that."

"You said you were holding his hand, that's what you said."

"Yes.. but only because he needed me as a buffer."

"Right, whatever. So Nicole chooses Flynn in the end, and then he's got you as his date, holding his hand and probably smiling with him."

"Rusty," Sharon warned, "don't make this more than it was."

"Hey, I'm just painting a picture in my own mind. I wasn't there.

"Fine," Sharon acknowledged, taking another large drink of wine.

"Then what?"

"Then we enjoyed the wedding. I think Andy wasn't prepared for how emotional the whole experience would be. He squeezed my hand a few times during the ceremony. I think he realized he came too close to missing everything. Then they played the Wedding March, and the new couple walked back down the aisle. Russell and Sylvia moved out first, then Andy and I walked out, then the groom's parents. Nicole had arranged for horse-drawn carriages to take them, the wedding party and the parents to do pictures. It was lovely, but it was clear to see where Andy's money went."

"So who'd you travel with?"

"There were four carriages. One for the bride and groom, one for the bridal party, one for the groom's family..."

"And one for the bride's?" Rusty asked. "That must have been a fun ride."

"It was fine. Really. Andy and I talked a little, and enjoyed the drive over. I actually felt bad for Russell and Sylvia. They couldn't enjoy anything because they were so angry about Andy and I being there. When we got to the park, I finally met Nicole and they did their wedding pictures."

"Where you in them?" Rusty asked innocently.

Sharon didn't answer right away, but took another sip. "I tried not to be. I didn't think it was my place, but Nicole said I was there with her father, which made me part of the family. It was okay. I did have to agree that her argument about symmetry was sound."

"Symmetry?"

"Mmm-hmm... Andy would have stood out as a third wheel in the pictures with Russell and Sylvia. At least me being there made it look more... balanced. There are a few of just Andy and Nicole with her new husband. I know he will love those the most. She really is a lovely young woman forced to navigate between quarreling parents. That can't be easy for her. I pointed that out to Andy a few times, and he agreed. He really did a good job of putting his daughter first."

"So, were you like... stuck with those people the entire time?"

"You mean at the reception?"

"Yeah, was it just the four of you?"

"No... thank heavens. No, they did something I thought quite smart. Instead of worrying about how to place everyone at the head table, they had only the bridal party at the head table, then the front two tables were for the parents and the siblings. Andy and I sat with Sylvia and Russell, and with Michael's parents, Anna and Dave. Michael was the groom. The other table was for all the siblings. So Andy's son and Michael's two sisters with their dates."

"So what were the other parents like?"

"Anna and Dave? Quite lovely, actually. Andy and Dave spent most of the time sharing stories about their children and work. Dave owns a security company, so there are always a lot of things to talk over with the LAPD. And Anna is a skier, so we had a very pleasant conversation about various hills we've skied. She was telling me more about Nicole, and I must say, that young woman is a master at making everyone feel welcome. Between Anna and Dave, and Nicole making sure I had everything I needed, it thoroughly enjoyed myself."

"I bet that didn't make old Russell and Sylvia happy."

"Rusty... don't judge."

"Sorry..."

"That's okay. I know the temptation is there. I was there for Andy, and that's all that mattered."

"Okay, so isn't there supposed to be a father daughter dance or something? How did that work out?"

"Mmm..." Sharon nodded, as she put her glass down again. "Another stroke of brilliance. Nicole insisted in dancing with all her fathers, she said. So not only did she dance with Andy and Russell, but she also danced with Dave. I thought that was a very nice touch, and it certainly took away some of the tension."

"She's not a lawyer or something, is she?" Rusty turned up his nose at the thought.

"No, but I did suggest she might want to join the diplomatic service. She is certainly gifted in that area. She ordered them according to when they entered her life, so Andy had the first dance with his daughter. It didn't even matter that Russell was standing, waiting at that point."

"Did he get all, you know... crying and everything like some guys do?"

"Oh yes... Andy has the temper of a lion and the heart of a lamb. He was every bit the proud father and he said to me a few times he was glad he got some common sense and didn't screw it up. It was nice."

"And then what?"

"Not much else, really. We danced a lot and chatted with other guests. It's a shame that Sylvia and her family has never forgiven Andy for his mistakes, because that wore on him a great deal. His son still seems a little wary, unfortunately, but Nicole did what she could to keep everyone happy. After awhile, Andy just told her not to worry about him, and to spend time focused on enjoying herself. We were having a great time with Dave and Anna, and Andy got to know Michael's family better. I think they were arranging dinner when the kids returned from their honeymoon."

"That's cool. You invited?"

"Why should I be invited? Andy is the one they have to get to know, not me."

Rusty shrugged defensively, "Just asking. You seemed to like them, that's all."

"Mmm, I did. I do... Actually Anna and I are getting together for lunch next week."

"Nice," Rusty nodded, a smirk gracing his lips. "So what kind of a dancer is Flynn anyway?"

"A very good one. Okay..." she started, standing up and leaning backwards to stretch her back, "time for bed. It's really late and I need some sleep. And you, sir, need to be in bed as well."

"Sharon..."

"No," the finger came up and she meant business, "it's way after midnight and it's time to shut things down. I've told you all there is to tell, and now it's time to go to bed."

Rusty grumbled, "Fine," then moved towards his room. Sharon turned off the lights, rinsed her glass and made sure the front door was locked properly.

A few minutes later Rusty came out to get a drink of water, and slowed down as he passed Sharon's bedroom door. He couldn't help smiling to himself as he heard her humming that song again. Clearly, she hadn't told him everything.