A/N: this story takes place after the explosion in 5x20 - "Aftershock: Part 1"

Andy was a thankful person. He was thankful for his children, for his sobriety, for his job, for his friends. Today he was especially thankful for Sharon. Of course, he was thankful for her ever since they became colleagues, and the closer they became, the stronger the feelings has gotten. But today, he was even more thankful than ever. The woman he loved, who has agreed to spend the rest of her days with him walked into a booby-trapped cemetery and walked out of there alive.

He could tell she was in pain as they went out of the elevator on the 11th floor and walked towards the condo door. She was trying to hide it, but every few seconds, an involuntary grimace appeared on her face. Andy unlocked the door and gently ushered her into their home. He tried not to rehash the site of her when the dust from the explosion cleared, but the images still invaded his mind.

Sharon was laying under a gravestone that fell over her, not moving at first. Andy's eyes widened, and he felt the pressure of Rusty's fingers squeezing his shoulder, almost bruising it.

"Where is Mom?" the kid asked. What was Andy supposed to answer him? "Oh my God, Andy, Mom!" Rusty finally managed to locate Sharon on the monitor. "Is she…?" They watched the motionless body of the woman who has become their home for a long moment, fearing the worst.

"Her hand is moving," Andy said as Sharon stretched her arm and slightly turned her head to the side. "She's alive!" It took a few moments for Nolan and Sykes to rush to Sharon's side and help pull the headstone off of her. Paramedics rushed over to provide first aid and check for fractures and hemorrhage and then loaded her onto a stretcher and carried her to an ambulance. Andy knew that with the entire squad in the field, he would not be able to leave RACER before at least one of the other lieutenants in the division returns to the PAB. Andrea suggested Rusty should go to the hospital and let them all know how Sharon was doing. The boy agreed immediately.

They were all lucky because, despite the weight of the gravestone that crushed on her, Sharon did not break or crack a single bone and was released within a few hours, with mild painkillers to help ease her muscle pain. And now, after the day was finally over, they finally arrived home. Sharon needed to rest, and so did he. Rusty was home already, and he left them dinner on the stove, but neither of them was very hungry. They were just looking forward to bedtime.

"I need a shower," Sharon said huskily and began walking down the hall towards the bathroom. Andy followed her and closed the door behind them.

"Let me help you tonight," his voice was soft as he watched Sharon struggling to bend down and remove her shoes. She sighed and took a seat at the edge of the bathtub. Andy kneeled down and gently pulled off one of her shoes, and the other, placing them on the floor behind him. He straightened up and looked at her. Her face and jacket were covered with dust. Andy unbuckled the belt of her jacket and pushed the lapels aside, gently sliding it off her shoulders to expose the cerulean top she was wearing. He loved that color on her, however now it made the dark bruises on her arms stand out. He held his breath for a moment, trying to keep down his rising anger towards the criminal who planted the bomb in the cemetery. Standing up, he grabbed a hand towel and wet it. "You're dusty," he said and began to wipe the gray stains off Sharon's forehead and cheeks. She closed her eyes and released a long sigh when the cool towel touched her face. Then Andy helped her remove the rest of her clothes, frowning as he saw the bruises on her torso and legs. The woman he loved was completely banged up because of some dirtbag. Turning on the faucet in the bathtub, he found that the sound of water helped ease his rage.

"It will disappear in a couple of weeks," Sharon said as if she read his mind as she removed her bra and underwear. Andy threw the dusty clothes into the laundry basket and helped Sharon into the bathtub.

"Lean back, sweetheart," he said, and Sharon obeyed. He grabbed the showerhead and wet Sharon's hair and then grabbed her favorite shampoo and began massaging it into her scalp. Sharon hummed in content. She loved it when he did that, and he knew she found it incredibly romantic when he washed her hair.

"Andy, you're a godsend," her voice warm and tired at the same time. He bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her neck before washing the shampoo away and working some of her conditioner into the ends of her hair. He left it in for a few minutes and began washing her back, then moving to her arms. He tried to be careful and not apply pressure to her bruises, but the battered arms were still sensitive, and Sharon hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, honey," he responded and kissed her wet shoulder. She shook her head as if to say it was inevitable, and he understood. They never needed too many words to understand each other. He then moved to the other side of the bathtub and began to wash her legs, his fingers gliding over the wet skin, pausing to rest a bit on her knee and then sliding up her thighs. He could tease her if he wanted, and he knew she wouldn't mind, but the exhaustion in her eyes and the sight of the darkening bruises all over her body told him that she needed rest more than release. His hands climbed her body, making sure to wash away all the dust and grime that clung to her skin. He grabbed the showerhead again and rinsed the conditioner and shower gel away. The gray dust that covered his fiancée's skin was finally gone, and he helped her get out of the bathtub and wrapped her thick robe around her shoulders. Together, they walked to their bedroom, and Andy took a clean nightgown and underwear from the drawer and handed it to her. She wore the garments and crawled into bed. Andy quickly decided to forgo shower tonight and just slip into bed with her. After almost losing her today, he needed to be by her side as much as possible tonight. As he pulled the duvet over the both of them, he felt Sharon's fingers entangling with his. Tipping his head down, he pressed a kiss to her fingers. "I love you, Sharon," he said softly against her hand.

"I love you, too, Andy. Thank you for being so sweet," she replied sleepily.

"It's my pleasure," he said, but she has already fallen asleep. He looked at her for a long time, not able to take his eyes off her. He could have lost her today, but a miracle happened, and she came out of the horrible explosion almost completely unharmed. He knew he was lucky; lucky to have her, lucky that she was still with him. And for the miracle that protected Sharon today, he was utterly thankful.

THE END

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