Part 13: Always

It had been a month since Andy took Sharon out of the bar. Things had calmed down considerably. Sharon had gone back to work and continued to shape people into the model officers everyone in the force should be. Andy continued to be stubborn and thick headed when it came to fighting for his case. Superior officers would send him to Sharon, she'd send him home, because he broke some rule that forced her hand, and then he'd wait for her to come home.

Not that he made a habit of it, but when he did get suspended, he usually went to the store before swinging around and picking up the kids. He made sure the kids started on their homework; Emily had more than her brother, but Sharon's first question always when she walked through the door was, 'Did you finish your homework?' Without fail.

Andy normally didn't play politics that involved Sharon and Internal Affairs. No longer was his relationship with Sharon a secret. Everyone knew and albeit old news, he still got crap for it. He let it slide. Only Provenza called her, if he knew that Andy was staying at her place, and the team needed him. Provenza complained, Andy for the most part ignored his partner's unhappiness; Andy just didn't deal with the politics. He signed what he had to, if he needed to, and went on with his way.

Andy's face was buried in Sharon's mane of hair when he heard her phone ring. His fingers brushed her hip as he rolled onto his back. She'd have to lean over to get the phone, he never answered it, purely in case someone other than Provenza called.

The sun was up, peaking through the blinds. Andy listened for the kids; the muted sounds of the television were void. Everything was quiet, with the exception of her phone ringing.

"Raydor," she answered, her voice thick with sleep. She rolled over, onto her back and held the phone out for him. "It's for you."

Andy took it, only after kissing her, a way of apologizing for waking her up on her day off. She let out a laugh before shaking her head. She normally would roll over and try to go back to sleep. Andy just held himself up with one hand as the other cradled the phone.

"I can't go back. I got suspended, remember?" Andy questioned, earning a look from Sharon.

She pushed on his chest, forcing him to move. In a single move, Sharon rolled one way and Andy took her spot on the bad, so he could sit up at the edge, without pulling the phone from the wall.

He could hear the russle of fabric behind him. A pair of lips met his shoulder and he smiled. Somehow she always knew.

"Shit," he cursed, listening to Provenza explain the details of their newest body.

Sharon came around the bed to look at him, a hand propped up on her hip. He shook his head, waved in apology. He'd tell her what Provenza said. He always did. She knew that, so she let him be.

When Sharon came back out, Andy was hanging up the phone and standing, stretching himself out. She went to him, wrapping arms around his back after crawling across the bed.

"Provenza lonely?" she said, trying her hand at a light joke.

"Remember the kid from the zoo patrol found last week?" Andy questioned. She shook her head. Most things didn't cross her desk and she every so often relied on Andy to tell her what she was missing. This wasn't one of them. "Someone at the zoo called in an abandoned kid, patrol went to pick him up, they looked for his parents and stuck 'im in DCFS. We found his mom."

"Alive?"

When Andy said nothing, simply bowed his head in an alternate form of response, Sharon curled herself around him to stand between his knees. She curled her arms around his neck and tilted his head up with a crooked finger.

"What happened?"

"No evidence of drugs," Andy swallowed hard. "A few shot bottles were found and track marks on the woman."

"How do you know it's her?"

"Provenza had Michaels run a DNA test and had it rushed." Andy admitted. "It's a match."

Cases with children were never easy. They put everyone on edge. She figured it was worse with people who didn't have children than those who did. Those who did managed to get home to theirs, to make sure they were safe, while the officers who didn't have children went home and created alternate ways to void themselves of the pain. It was what he did, what he wants to do from time to time, but those nights were a rarity now.

He usually called his ex-wife who let him talk to his kids for about a minute, before declaring it was a school night and promptly hung up on him. Then he made his way over to Sharon's to tuck her kids into bed. It was a life of a parent, a fiber of his being, the need to protect children at all costs. Sharon would never argue with him on that. She's done it herself.

"A neighbor went to check on her," Andy said, filling her in on the facts that Provenza had given him. "No answer. Hadn't seen her in a while, so the manager of the hotel opened her door and found her dead."

"Anyone with her?"

"Provenza says that there was a guy with her, " Andy shrugged. "No I.D.. Probably a boyfriend."

"Or her dealer," Sharon mentioned sadly.

Andy was struggling. He had been sober for a little over three years and she couldn't have been happier for him. She'd caught him on more than one occasion when he'd eye her glass of wine, or a bottle of beer at the store. Every so often he'd lean forward to touch it, never doing so, but the sway and pitch forward was minimal, almost naked to the unknowing eye.

Those were the nights she'd make him dinner. Those were the nights she let him make love to her out of necessity and not necessarily need. Sharon had to remind herself every so often that Andy thought of himself as the dead beat dad who left his kids for the bottle. He did, but he gets better every day. If he didn't, she wouldn't have let him be around her kids as much as he's been.

He chose the addiction over his kids and he made a mistake. He's realized that now. He realized that a little over three years ago when he has his wife were fighting and Nicole saw them. He had been drunk, suspended, and possibly out of a job. Everything had set him off.

He was on unpaid leave for three months, his wife divorced him, she got full custody of the kids and he was left with nothing. He went to rehab. He stayed sober.

"Stay close to me Ricky," Sharon ordered as she took Emily's hand in hers.

Ricky was up in front of them, as Sharon crossed the parking structure that belonged to Parker Center's police station. Andy was itching to go, to get in the middle of the action and she supposed him stopping by to pick up something from his desk wasn't necessarily breaking any rules.

Afterwards, they'd be going to lunch, a promise of ice cream and possibly a movie was thrown out there on the occasion that both children were good. After a rough case like this, Andy would be pulling out his card and treating everyone to ice cream and a movie whether the kids were good or not. He wanted them happy. He wanted her happy.

"Ignore me," Andy waved, when he entered the room, earning weary looks from his fellow officers. "Looking for something in my desk. I've been cleared."

"To work?" Provenza asked.

"To look for whatever it is he's lost in his desk, Lieutenant," Sharon said, stepping into the room with Ricky on her hip. He had escaped from her hold on the elevator, ran into an officer who immediately grimaced at the sight of her. She picked up her son who was now trying to get down again. "Richard, stop it."

The boy immediately simmered down and looked around the room. He spotted Andy who was keeping up pretenses on looking for something.

"You can continue gentleman," Sharon said, stepping over to Andy's desk, where she sat Ricky on the edge.

Provenza looked from one officer to another and sighed. "What did you get from the Toxicology report?"

"One hundred percent clean, sir," the officer said. "No sign of drugs or alcohol in her system."

Sharon could feel Andy relax behind her. She was perched on the edge of her desk, throwing looks every so often over her shoulder to check and make sure the kids weren't bothering Andy.

"What about the track marks?" Sharon asked. "Are they fresh?"

Provenza spun around, surprise flashed and then soon melted into annoyance that she would know about the track marks.

"Coroner says they're old," he said, tossing the information over his shoulder. "Her son-"

As if planned, the sound of a baby wailing sounded through the room. A small woman came through, a bundle of blanket and screaming child in her arms. The woman looked weary and anxious.

"I was told to bring him here," the woman said. She was an officer. "DCFS should be on their way up."

Everyone stopped, the baby screaming at the top of his lungs made everyone sit up a little, Emily and Ricky surprised by the noise.

Sharon sighed and stood, taking the baby from her arms. "I'll take him until DCFS arrives, thank you."

"Yes ma'am," the officer nodded before walking away, quickly.

She gave her children a look and then nodded down the hallway. They both nodded and went in the direction that she told them to go.

"I'll be in the break room," she said. "Try and feed him something. When DCFS shows up, I'll be in there."

"Okay," Andy nodded. "I'll keep looking for that one thing in here."

She smiled and nodded. The men on his team looked floored that she just took the screaming child, who was still screaming and she seemed totally unfazed.

After some time she finally got the baby boy to stop screaming. His voice no doubt was hoarse. He let out sad pathetic whimpers that only broke her heart more. She paced the room as her kids ate their lunch. She rocked him when she sat and tried to have him stand on her knees. He was going to have nothing of it.

She started to make another round of the break room when Andy came in to check in on her about an hour later. The boy had stopped crying, stopped whimpering, and now was just holding onto Sharon's blouse for dear life. She had the blanket he was brought in on the table; Emily and Ricky were playing with something that was in their backpacks, looking content as ever.

"Hey," he said slipping into the room. She gave him a small smile. When Andy reached over to touch the kid's head, Sharon turned away from him.

"Just got him to settle," Sharon said. "My ears aren't ringing as loudly anymore."

"Kid's got a pair of lungs," he said. Sharon nodded and swayed from side to side.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Sharon asked.

Andy gave her a smirk and shook his head. "Not yet. I was just going to take a break and head back to searching."

"And the rest?"

"She matches the MO of the other victims," Andy said sadly. He just got her out of the cloud and now she might have to go back into it. "She matches the type, build and age profile that we set up."

DCFS showed late into the night. Andy had to take the kids home, get them settled into bed, have the neighbor come over to watch the house while he went back to make sure Sharon and the kid were okay. By law Sharon couldn't leave. She had assumed responsibility and stepping out of the station could constitute kidnapping. As a woman of rule and stature, she was content hanging out in the break room with the baby boy.

When she had to hand him over to the Agent from DCFS, the boy did just as she imagined he would do. He cried. He screamed and what took everyone by surprise was he leaned out for Sharon. He wanted Sharon. When she took him back, the boy immediately quieted which surprised everyone once again.

"I was watching him while we waited for you," Sharon explained to the woman. "These officers were investigating a murder."

"And who are you?" The woman snapped at Sharon, earning low whistles from the other officers.

"I'm –"

"Are you a cop or not?" the woman said quickly. "We were told the child was handed off to the LAPD and if you are not-"

"I am a cop," Sharon said, her voice dropping an octave. "I'm the highest ranking officer in this room at this very moment. I know what the rules are because I make them. I know what the policies are between the LAPD and DCFS because I helped secure them."

When the woman did nothing but bristle, Sharon continued.

"I could have your job if I wanted to," Sharon said. "You were informed of this boy a week ago when he was first found. He should have been your priority. You should have known where he was at all times."

Everyone around her, with the exception of the lady who looked like a chastised child had smirks on their faces. She won.

"We need to place him in a home until we can provide further arrangements," the woman said. "We have a family who could take him now, if you'd like to hand him over."

Sharon threw a look over her shoulder at Andy, her cheek brushing the top of the boy's blonde head. She had spent her entire day with the boy. He wouldn't let anyone else touch him, except for her.

"Excuse me please," she said, the boy still in her arms.

When Sharon walked away, Andy followed. He always followed.

"What's going through your head right now Sharon?" Andy questioned quickly when they rounded the corner.

"I'm taking him home," she said. "I can't just let him go to some-"

"Your mom senses tingling?" He laughed.

She shrugged and smiled. "Something like that."

Andy dug in his pocket and handed her a box. She let out a small gasp, taking it carefully.

"It's not what you think," he said quickly. It was that small, but that wasn't what it was. "Open it."

She did, one handed, and inside was a small lock. She looked up and tilted her head at him.

"I was going to ask you to move in with me," Andy said. "Sometime soon. Not today, but soon. You're going to need a bigger place."

"And you have – " she started. "Your place is barely big enough for you."

"These are for a house that belongs to me that I don't live in," he smirked. "Grandfather left me a house, I've had it since I turned 30. Here and there I've rented it out but kicked out the last couple because of – let's just say we had differences."

"And they were?"

"Not you," he said. "Your kids need a yard. My house has one. If you're keepin' the kid he's going to need a room. There are four. Start over, Sharon."

"With you?"

"With or without me, I don't care, well I do, but it's not up to me it's up to you," he said honestly.

If he had his way she'd live with him for the rest of their lives. He'd marry her in a heartbeat. If he could afford it he'd never have her set foot into the LAPD again. But that was just his preference.

They had to work. They had to keep themselves busy and there was nothing they could do about it. If something lulled they both got irritated and aggravated.

"There's a new spot opening up," Andy mentioned. "Pope is looking for someone to replace Michaelson in Robber Homicide."

"I heard Taylor is up for that," she mentioned, her eyes still glued to the little box. "I need to stay here, Andy. This is the only way-"

"To get where you need to be," he nodded. "I know."

Rusty moved in Sharon's arms, mewling lightly before shifting his head, burying it in her chest. He let out a sigh and she felt the tension in his body relax.

Sharon looked up at Andy who was giving her a small grin. It was true, she was going to need a bigger place if she was going to raise three kids, essentially by herself. What Andy had said was true. The baby was going to need his own room when he got older. Ricky and Emily were going to need a yard to run around in. The place, unbeknownst to her, had a view of the city. It was why his family bought it and kept it so one day, someone who appreciated it could have it to keep.

Three months after DCFS had deemed Sharon capable of keeping Rusty in her own, acting as his parental guardian, Andy pulled up to the coffee shop around the corner from the department. He parked right in front of the door.

The bell rang above his head and he waved at the girl behind the counter before going to scout out his table.

The usual people were sitting at their usual tables. He spotted the woman with the baby stroller easily; she was sitting at the corner table as always. Andy grinned as he made his way through the maze of tables, the sound of the baby giggling growing louder and louder as he approached.

The woman in question had not yet seen him; her back was to the door. He felt her stiffen as he placed his hands over her eyes.

"Boo," he said low in her ear and immediately he felt her relax.

Andy had heard people say that the key to happiness was on singular object. But he had to differ. It was multiple things. Life was a door that could lead in different directions. Life was the holder of keys, one key fitting one door leading down one path. The key to happiness was to find the keys that fit his life. The things in life that made him happy.

Twelve months later Andy stood in the foyer of his house, watching the three kids run around in the back yard. Rusty giggling at Ricky and Emily, giggling when he fell right on his butt. Sharon was standing off to the side, a camera in hand and Andy couldn't have felt prouder.

He had promised Sharon a quiet day in October that no matter what happened he would be by her side. He would be her champion, her fighter, and her confidant in life. He had repeated words to her that she had told Rusty. He was the key to a new life. She was the key to his happiness. Together they would be by each other's side, through sickness and in health, through rich or poor, forever and always.

Thank you to everyone who has read this story! I am beyond grateful! This has been a fun dive into the world of Major Crimes and these characters. I should be posting a new story soon so be on the look out for that. In the meantime, read and review this one, and enjoy this new season!