Captain Sharon Raydor watched from across the murder room as Lieutenant Andy Flynn argued with someone on the phone, and then hung up angrily. She raised her eyebrows to Lieutenant Louie Provenza, standing next to her. "His daughter is getting married tomorrow," explained Provenza, "and he's being an ass about it."

Raydor had been watching Flynn struggle to right the wrongs he had done to his family recently. She couldn't help but think of her own broken family and admire his courage to do what her own husband hadn't been able to. She knew it wasn't easy on any of them. Eager to distract him and bring his mind back to the job, she called to him. "Andy, will you join me with the victim's parents please?" His words may have made him sound like an ass, but the heartbroken look on his face as he turned around painted the real picture.

After yet another emotional and painful notification, Raydor wondered once again if this would ever get easier. Times like these made her miss her work in FID. Flynn saw the weary look in Raydor's eyes. He knew his team was the best, but he remember all too well how they didn't always make the lives of their commanding officers the easiest. "Let's call it a day and grab a bite at O'Malley's. Unis are out looking for Torres's cousin and there's not much more we can do until the morning," he offered. Raydor accepted gratefully. Rusty was eating with Kris's family and she wasn't really interested in be left alone with her thoughts. She was a bit surprised someone from her team besides Amy was being so thoughtful, but she was happy for the opportunity to bond. It could only make the team stronger.

They met at the bar and grabbed a table. They smiled at their waiter, one they'd had many times before, and placed their orders. As if reading her mind, Flynn spoke first. "Look, Captain, I think you knew heading Major Crimes was not going to be an easy gig. It's gotta be nice leaving the rat patrol behind, but notifying families of homicide victims? What we do, it's an important and necessary job, but it's sure as hell not an easy one. New division, new challenges." Flynn smiled at Raydor supportively. Raydor returned the smile. Flynn's show of support gave her hope that the rest of the division could come around too. It had been a challenging start, but a very gratifying job.

Their waiter delivered their food, and they started to eat. The silence was getting a bit uncomfortable. Wanting to reciprocate the support, but not wanting to overstep her bounds, Raydor considered asking him about the conversation she overheard in the murder room earlier. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked between bites, "Provenza tells me your daughter is getting married tomorrow? That sounds exciting!" She watched him to see if she made the right move.

Flynn lowered his fork and looked at her, eyebrows raised, trying to decide how much he wanted to share with his boss about his personal life. "Yeah, she is." He paused for a moment and decided maybe an objective opinion is what he needed. "Nicole invited me, but the rest of my family doesn't really want me there. When I became an alcoholic, I ruined their lives as well as my own. I've been trying to fix things for awhile. I don't want the only place I fit in to be the LAPD. The fact that my daughter is including me in her wedding is nothing short of a miracle. I want to see my daughter get married, but I kind of lost my cool when I found out she wanted both me and her stepfather to walk her down the aisle." Flynn sighed and looked up at Raydor. Seeing a sympathetic listener in front of him, he decided to keep going. "I get why she asked him, but in the moment she told me, all I saw was a reminder of my failings as a father, and my regret that another man had to step in to do the job I should have been man enough to do myself." Flynn felt a bit relieved to get it all off his chest. "Even though Nicole is opening up to me, my son is having a hard time letting me back in. And my ex-wife? Hoo-boy. I think that's a lost cause, not that I care so much about that one." He picked his fork back up and to a bite of his food, signaling he was done. He looked at her, inviting her to share her thoughts.

"I understand," Raydor started. She wanted to proceed carefully, so he didn't feel like yet another person was against him. She knew all too well how that feels. "That is a difficult situation. Just remember, this is Nicole's wedding day. Most likely, it'll be the only one she'll ever have. She asked you to be a part of it, and from what you've implied, that's a pretty special thing. Let your decision be about her, not your ex-wife and not your son, but her. Make a decision that will help your relationship, not cause it irreparable damage."

"Yeah," Flynn seemed to be considering her words, but she didn't think he seemed convinced.

Raydor decided to draw from her own experience. She saw parallels in her family and his. "When my daughter gets married, I imagine she'll ask Jack to be a part of it. She never had another father figure to look up to. That thought doesn't excite me in the least. He has not earned it. But if she wants him there, I'd be even madder if he disappointed her again and didn't come. Even if your ex-wife or your son aren't ready to forgive your past, at least let them respect the effort your making now, so you don't lose the ground you've gained." Flynn thought she was making a lot of sense. The waiter arrived with their check. Flynn grabbed it and said, "My treat." Raydor thanked him. "No," he said, "thank you for the perspective."

The next morning brought the return of those new "challenges" her and Flynn were discussing the night before. They hadn't found Torres's cousin, the press was eager to fill the story details to suit their purposes, and she still hadn't found the motive for the break-in. And as if there wasn't enough already on her plate, Kris's mother came into discuss Rusty's dinner, adding more worries to her overburdened shoulders. And then that discussion came to an abrupt end when Torres's video was discovered on his computer, telling his sad story. She was feeling quite drained, but she was grateful, at the very least, to finally have a motive.

Flynn was yet again impressed by their captain as she temporarily set all else aside and poured everything into getting Torres's abuser charged and attempting to give Torres's parents a bit of peace. He had a great deal of respect for this woman, and was carefully considering her advice from dinner the previous night. Thinking of Torres's incredibly sad story made him realize how lucky he was that he had a second chance with his daughter. Right then and there he decided he would suck it up and go. He couldn't miss his only daughter's wedding and the chance to walk her down the aisle, even if he had to share that honor with another man. He couldn't undo everything he'd worked so hard to fix.

Flynn rose up from his desk and knocked on Raydor's door. "Hey Captain, sorry to bother you." Raydor closed her computer's lid and gave Flynn her attention. He continued, "I was just wondering…my daughter's wedding," he checks his watch, "well, it's in three hours, actually and, uh—"

"You've decided to go," stated Raydor, smiling to herself.

"Yeah." Flynn still seemed unsettled. "Even though most of the people there hate me. Yeah, I, uh, I think…I think it's the right decision." Wanting to let him know he know he was doing the right thing, she jumped in with an offer.

"Could you use a buffer?" she asks. Flynn looked at her curiously. She continued "Lt. Provenza has offered to take Rusty out for burgers, and, um, I like weddings." She was starting to regret her offer a bit, wondering if it was appropriate, but her desire to be supportive kept her going.

Flynn was surprised. "Really? You sure? Oh, well, how would I introduce you?" The thought of a buffer sounded fantastic, but taking his boss as his date to his daughter's wedding seemed a daunting thought.

Flynn's surprise didn't help her confidence but she kept going. "How about as your friend, Sharon?" she offered. Relieved, Flynn said, "So it's not like a date or anything…"

"Of course not, Lieutenant," Raydor hastily replied, "I'm a married woman." She laughed nervously, and Flynn seemed more at ease.

"Oh, well, thank you, Captain!" but quickly corrected himself, "I mean, Sharon." He couldn't believe what a kind offer she had made and was grateful there'd be someone else there at the wedding on his side. "I owe you one." Raydor felt a bit better as he eased up and smiled at him.

'This should be interesting,' they both thought.