bwie66, you said you'd love to see my take on a Shandy argument. Well, I would, too! XD So I wrote a little story about it.

I've combined the argument idea with another thing I wish was explored on the show. I'll just stop talking now so you can see what I mean.

Have fun!

Part I - Hot Heads

They were on lunch break in a little restaurant near work. While Sharon was at least trying to enjoy her pasta salad, Andy hadn't spent any time munching on his own and was instead intently looking at her. No, he wasn't looking at her. He was glaring at her with a glare that, if it could, would probably burn.

He hadn't said a word on their way over. Neither had Sharon. Once seated they had placed their orders and spent the wait in silence. Sharon knew what had Andy glaring like this, but she made no attempt to address the matter. Because, truthfully, and although she was much better at hiding it, she was seething with anger as well.

This, of course, wasn't their first disagreement since they'd moved on to something more than a friendship. And while they had not had many spats so far, they had learned early on how to deal with them without them spilling over into their work sphere. Apparently coming from broken marriages had its perks after all, and certain things that they had never figured out in those, they figured out in this relationship with surprising ease. Unfortunately, the problem now was that this was the first time something at work was what led to an argument. Actually, considering just how difficult they were finding it to keep their tempers under control at the moment, Sharon was ready to label this as a full blown fight. One that, ironically, managed to highlight all the things she had initially worried about when Andy asked her out on their first official date. One that, in a way, seemed to even challenge her early assurance for the late Chief Taylor that their relationship would not affect the good order and discipline of her division.

Under normal circumstances she would have probably laughed at the petulant behavior they were currently practicing on each other. The last time she was in the middle of a silent treatment was when Rusty first moved in with her and, that time, she only resorted to it to get a reaction out of him. This time, she was using it as a means to an opposite end. She knew that if she were to say anything now, Andy's temper would get the better of him, which in turn might trigger her own.

So, taking that into account, it was rather strange that they had found themselves sitting here, eating, or in Andy's case, not eating, lunch together. The shocked faces of their team members as they, together, walked out of the murder room earlier, told them they found it just as strange.

It would have probably been smarter if, at least for lunch, they had gone their separate ways. Avoiding each other at work was, quite literally, impossible, and lunch had offered them the chance for some much needed alone time before they approached the rest of their work day, but it was funny how they needed some distance from one another, while, at the same time, they longed for each other's proximity. The latter need seemed to have won out, for, when Andy wordlessly got up to join her for lunch, despite knowing it might only lead to further friction, Sharon had offered no protest. Because, the fact that they still sought each other out, even though they were currently at odds with one another, and for the first time in both a personal and professional sense, was, simply put, oddly comforting.

They've had a tense couple of hours at work. Sharon had spent most of it hiding carefully behind her Captain's mask, trying to focus on the business side of things, while Andy had more than once attempted to address the more personal side. So far, the Captain was having more success, and even now, she was resolutely refusing to talk about any of it, telling herself that they were simply still too riled up for any conversation not to deteriorate into a heated argument. And while Andy clearly looked like he would very much like to talk, so far, he was keeping his mouth shut, too.

They both knew they would definitely discuss it all at length once they both calmed down, like they always did, and, knowing that, in their current states, they might end up saying things they would end up regretting, they certainly had incentive enough to just sit here and eat in angry silence.

However, as they would soon find out, knowing something and acting according to that knowledge were two entirely different matters.

Barely two minutes into her meal, Sharon was finding it more and more difficult to keep quiet. What irritated her much more right now than the problem itself, was the fact that Andy wasn't eating. They've made a deal after his heart attack. Part of that deal was to take better care of his eating habits. Part of those eating habits was to eat regularly, which he now, clearly wasn't living up to.

"Eat," she finally said, really not trying to start a fight and even aiming for a soft tone of voice. But even before the word left her mouth, but far too late for her to stop it, she realized it would take on just a slight hint of annoyance.

A hint Andy picked up on. A hint that was unfortunately enough to pull the lid off of his precariously in check kept temper.

"Really?" he bit out in disbelief, but actually started eating, even though he quite violently stabbed every piece of noodle or vegetable that got in his fork's way.

Surprisingly, the reaction had Sharon's lips curve into a brief crooked smile, verging on a smirk. She could afford the little taunt, his gaze was fixed on his attempts of, quite literally, killing his lunch.

Much less annoyed than a moment ago, she calmly told him, "Yes, really."

At that, he looked up, just in time to see the remnants of her fading smile, which, of course, did not help his temper.

"You find this amusing?" he asked sharply, practically scowling at her.

"No," she told him seriously around a bite of her lunch. "I'm just glad you're finally eating," she informed him over a small smile, hoping it would completely erase her earlier annoyance and explain her earlier smile, too.

He narrowed his eyes at her and although they both knew her words were honest, he still scoffed and angrily stabbed his fork into another noodle. "I can't believe you're still worried about my stupid diet after that!" he told her, waving his free hand at the window their table was set at.

No, lunch together today really wasn't their brightest idea.

"Yes, I am," she told him flatly, not at all appreciating his angry tone of voice. "And that," she waved a hand at the window just as he had, "will wait until we get home," she added, pinning him with a look that was probably much more irritated that she would have liked it to be.

He sighed and dropped his fork onto his plate. "Can we just for once not wait?" he asked her, throwing his arms out. "This is work related," he told her pointedly, looking rather smug as he shared the fact.

"Oh, is that so?" she asked, her voice becoming just a tad more louder with the challenge in it, but still quiet enough to not draw the attention of any of the restaurant's other guests. When he nodded, quite confidently at that, she was quick to wipe his smug look off his face. "Is that why you brought it up during our break from said work?" she asked, her own anger slowly but steadily bubbling to the surface.

It wasn't the first time work and home had mixed and it wasn't like she ever expected the two not to overlap at all, but this particular overlap only added to her current irritation with him. At the back of her mind, she knew she would approach it all much more rationally once she simmered down, but it was hard to wait until then, when Andy suddenly seemed so intent on having them approach it irrationally right now. And what she found even more irritating was that, at the back of his own mind, he also knew her approach was better.

"Oh, come on, Sharon!" Andy exclaimed, grabbing his fork again to resume working off his frustrations on his lunch. "You really want us to sit on this for the rest of the day?" he asked, giving her an incredulous look.

Yes, it was definitely hard, too hard, to wait until she simmered down.

His question was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back and Sharon's words burst out of her on their own volition. "As a matter of fact, Andy, I do." She spoke in a low, deliberate voice, a sure sign for anyone who knew her that she was pissed off, and a sure sign for Andy that he had better not interrupt her either. "Because I am too angry and disappointed right now to deal with this in a civilized manner!" she went on. "But fine," she suddenly dropped her own fork and shifted in her seat to pin Andy with a hard look, "you want to talk about it now? Fine, let's talk, Andy."

The even lower, more threatening tone of voice she said those final words in, made Andy swallow and give up on his own lunch. He had almost forgotten she could get downright scary when she wanted to, especially when she pinned you with that narrow-eyed look she was pinning him with at the moment. When she paused expectantly, not knowing what to say, he merely nodded. Thankfully, it was enough for Sharon to continue.

"What was the one thing I insisted on, when this," she waved a hand between them, "started?"

She looked like she would just shoot more questions at him, but when she snapped her mouth shut and instead gave him an expectant look, Andy realized he was supposed to actually answer. Knowing it was best that he did, especially since he hasn't seen Sharon in this kind of mood in forever probably, he replied. "That we not let our feelings for each other get in the way of our jobs."

He said the words begrudgingly even though they were the complete truth. That was the only thing that had never been open for discussion and on which she insisted before she allowed herself, and them for that matter, to give this dating thing (although simple dating had stopped being an accurate label for their relationship a long while ago) a chance at all. And he didn't disagree with it.

She nodded, her agitation not in the least abating. "And what happened today?" The question left her in a clipped tone of voice, giving away the effort she was putting into remaining at least outwardly calm.

"I let my emotions get in the way of doing our jobs," he muttered, picking up his fork again.

"Exactly," she bit out, picking her own fork up, looking as if she had made her point and was ready to drop the matter for the time being.

Only, the almost condescending way she said that in, had Andy's temper flare up again, even though she had made a damn good point. At the back of his head he probably knew she wasn't being condescending at all, but was merely refraining from making a scene at the restaurant, but just then, there was no room in his mind to actually admire the fact that she could still project such calmness and, instead practically growled his next words at her.

"Look at you!" he waved a hand at her. "Look at that," he now pointed his hand at her cheekbone. "Look at that," he repeated, "and tell me it was uncalled for!"

Instinctively she pulled a hand up to her cheek, where she was currently sporting a rather large bruise her make-up was doing as good a job as it could of hiding, and when she spoke, it was in softer tones. "Protecting me is part of your job, Andy," she pulled her hand down to the top of the table, "but that violent a reaction was indeed uncalled for," she told him gently, knowing he wouldn't want to hear it, wouldn't want to admit she was right until he calmed down.

"The hell it was," Andy bit out, now angrily chewing on another piece of his lunch. "That son of a bitch hurt you!" he told her heatedly over a mouthful.

"He's not the first son of a bitch, as you put it, that did, nor will he be the last," she told him heatedly now as well, the fact that she resorted to his expletive language another sign of just how agitated she still was. "Which you should very well know by now," she added angrily, knowing she wouldn't have said that either had the events not been so fresh on her mind.

"Well, I can still try to-" he started, but Sharon was quick to cut him off.

"What? Beat up more suspects?" she asked sarcastically and she ignored his frown as she went on. "Two of your colleagues had to practically restrain you!" She took a quick breath before immediately adding her final point. "Andy, your actions have led to an FID investigation in my division!" she said, the touch of disbelief in her voice showing she still could not believe that actually had to happen, and out of all possible reasons, because of him.

"I don't give a damn about FID and their stupid investigation!" Andy spat out. "It's not like I called them!" he added accusingly. "What? I'll get a slap on the wrist and that's it!" He gave her an incredulous look. "Who the hell cares, Sharon?" he asked, carefully enunciating the first four words.

Yes, they definitely should have had this conversation with cooler heads on their shoulders.

Abruptly, Sharon stood up and in painfully forced calmness started collecting her things. "I care, Andy," she told him flatly. And even though she could tell he realized his heated comments and question were anything but smart and that he was regretting them already, she did not let him apologize like she knew he wanted to. "Let's pay for this and get back to work," she told him in an eerily quite voice. "I've had enough." Of both this argument as well as lunch.

Shocked, because he had never gotten this kind of reaction out of her, Andy just stared at her as she collected her things. Never had either one of them let an argument end without some kind of resolution, but right now he was completely stumped for words. He realized she was right. This should have waited until they got home.

Only when she was done and, when, over folded arms, she told him, "I'll be waiting by the door." did he snap out of his daze and scramble to his feet to do as she asked.

He covered the bill and found her waiting, as promised, by the door, when he came back.

She eyed the take out bag in his hand, and at her raised eyebrow, he asked, "What?" He shrugged when her eyebrow only went up higher. "If I skip lunch, you'll probably kill me sooner than any heart attack would."

When she looked at him and pursed her lips, before ever so slightly shaking her head in amusement, he took it as a good sign. She was mad alright, hell, he still was, too, but they'd get over it.

They walked out of the restaurant and toward LAPD headquarters, spending the entire walk in silence again, trying to collect themselves again after their previous outbursts.

It was Andy who finally broke it when they entered the elevator, that was thankfully empty since most people were still on their respective lunch breaks. He had calmed down somewhat.

"Sharon," he started, "I'm really s-"

"Don't," she warned, interrupting him without even looking at him.

He frowned at the surprisingly harsh tone of her voice. "I'm only trying to apologize!" he said, rolling his eyes, all of a sudden irritated again.

"Not now," she told him, more gently this time, even though her gaze was still fixed on the elevator doors.

His frown only deepened and he sighed. "Sharon, I don't want to leave things at this," he told her, waving a hand between them, exasperated now.

She turned to look at him. "Neither do I," she assured him, reaching out for his hand to give it a quick assuring squeeze, too. "I just don't want to either accept or offer any apologies while we're both still upset," she told him. "And certainly not in an elevator of all places," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"I'm not upset!" he said, but the moment he registered his high pitched tone of voice, he knew he was unwillingly lying and he groaned.

His reaction actually got a chuckle out of her and he shot her a bland look. "Okay, I'm pissed off," he told her flippantly.

It didn't get much of a reaction out of her this time, she only took a quick, calming breath. "All the more reason," she sounded serious, "that we put this aside until we get home." She offered a teasing smile before adding, "We can have a screaming match if you want then. Rusty's going to Gus's after work."

Andy sighed, then scoffed. "I don't want to scream," he told her, finding his usual tone of voice for the first time since the incident. "Maybe punch a few more dirtbags though," he admitted on a guilty shrug.

"So, can we just get through the rest of our day here and continue this when we get home?" she asked, purposefully ignoring his last sentence since that was part of the 'this' she wanted to discuss in the first place.

He gave her a long, hard look before finally relenting and muttering, "Fine."

"Thank you," she said, the breath she released making her now visibly more relaxed. She squeezed his hand again before letting go of it and turning around to face the doors again just as they opened to reveal their division's floor.

"Now, Lieutenant," she started as they walked out, "would you, please, cooperate with FID?" She was back to business again.

Andy rolled his eyes, but refrained from groaning again. While him and Sharon had already given their statements, which was why they were allowed to take a lunch break in the first place, he had forgotten her ex-colleagues would still be roaming the murder room once their break was over.

"Fine, Captain," he bit out bitterly.

TBC

I'll fill in the gaps later (I hope XD), don't worry. Does it sound believable so far though?
Please, share your opinions in the reviews. I'd love to hear what you thought of this, the good and the bad! :D