A/N: Thanks for all the feedback. Here is chapter two as promised. Once again thanks to my beta for taking the time to check this over.

Also, to the guest reviewer who commented that "we never saw [Andy] call Sharon's cell phone after the bomb blast"... the show cut from one scene to another without showing what happened in between - so I'm filling in the gaps with what I like to think happened. That's why the summary says 'missing scenes/follow ups'.

Chapter 2

By lunchtime the next day, the ninth floor of PAB was declared safe and the clean-up operation began. Piles of boxes containing items and files recovered from the now derelict murder room lined the corridor.

Provenza had offered to help the bomb squad coordinate the search of the other divisions around the city to make sure that all of Ortiz's bombs were accounted for - protesting that he did not clean - and Tao had been attached to the Information Technology Division for the division for the day to help with the technical side of the clean-up.

That left Andy, Amy, Julio, Nolan and Buzz to sort through the contents of their office. Wearing protective masks in case of any lingering dust particles, they skimmed through files and papers whilst keeping one eye on the conversation that was taking place down the hall. The conversation between Sharon and Deputy Chief Howard.

"Can you take a minute?" Deputy Chief Howard asked Sharon. "Join me in the Assistant Chief's office?"

The team looked at each other expectantly. This was it. The promotion race that had been hanging over their heads for months was finally over. The only question that remained now was who had won that race.

Sharon's eyes widened at Deputy Chief Howards words. They could only mean one thing; Chief Pope had made his decision. And the fact that her presence was wanted filled her with dread. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she couldn't form any words.

"For something," continued Fritz, "that I think is a good surprise."

"Oh my God! If you're not Assistant Chief, then I…"

Fritz didn't let her finish. "You are being asked for."

Sharon shook her head. "That is not a good surprise." She really didn't want the job. She didn't want to leave her position as head of Major Crimes. She enjoyed the job and the camaraderie she'd built up with her team.

"The alternative would have been Winnie Davis. Just come with me Captain." Sharon fell into step beside him. "If I can still call you that for the next minute or so."

"This is it," Andy said proudly, as he watched Fritz lead Sharon down the hall. "She's Assistant Chief."

"Or it's Fritz," countered Amy.

"Anyone but Davis," Buzz added.

"It has to be the Captain," insisted Wes. "Can they ignore what she just did here?"

Julio scoffed. "Oh yeah? Watch." He glanced down into the box he was sorting through and chuckled. "Hey. Check this out." He was holding Provenza's bobble-head doll. "Roaches, rats and Provenza," he gave the bobble head a flick, "they can survive anything."

Laughter filtered through the group as Julio put the bobble head and Provenza's change jar into the 'keep' box. Nolan, Amy and Buzz went back to the task at hand, but Andy couldn't tear his gaze away from the door further down the hall through which Sharon had disappeared. A few minutes later, Deputy Chief Howard slipped back into the hallway.

"Everything okay, Chief?" called Andy, drawing the attention of the other members of the team.

Deputy Chief Howard nodded. "It is. I'm just heading back to my office at Piper Tech. See you guys later."

"Oh, so not Fritz then," observed Amy.

Julio looked at her. "You disappointed Sykes?"

"Well, he wasn't the worst choice."

"He was never going to get it," reiterated Andy. "The department would never had accepted a former FBI agent on a permanent basis."

Wes put the lid on the box he'd been filling and moved it to the other side of the corridor. "I'll say it again; it has to be the captain." He picked up another box and began the onerous task of searching through it.

"Well, we'll know soon enough," Andy said, his eyes still fixed on the door. Part of him really wanted Sharon to get the job. She deserved it, after all she had given to the job over the years. First on patrol, where she'd quickly risen through the ranks. Then she'd re-written the entire LADP rulebook when she moved to Internal Affairs – whilst also taking on the role of Women's Co-ordinator. Her last five years in Major Crimes weren't exactly restful either. As much as it pained him to admit it, she'd completely turned the division around – they were no longer seen as a maverick troublesome unit. She'd successfully implemented the new deal making approach that Pope and Taylor had wanted. She should get the job – if there was any justice in the world, Sharon would be the new Assistant Chief.

If Pope chose Sharon, they'd all keep their jobs. Sharon would keep Major Crimes open, but it wouldn't be the same - she'd move out of the Murder Room and into the large office down the hall and Provenza would be promoted to Captain. Andy liked to think that she would let him back out into the field but he wasn't convinced. Sharon was big on following doctors' orders and at the moment, those orders were still light duty only.

He'd never get back out there if Winnie Davis was promoted. No, if she got the job, Major Crimes was gone for sure. He and Provenza would almost certainly be retired and goodness knows what she'd do to Sharon. The rest of the team would be reassigned. After the stunt he pulled in the murder room last week, Nolan would surely be directing traffic in San Pedro.

Then there was the third candidate. Mason. He was an unknown entity. Sharon had told him, in confidence, about the deal the two of them had made to keep the other's divisions but you never could tell with bureaucrats. Did their word mean anything at all?

All he knew, was that change was coming. Significant change. For all of them.

"Hey. What's this?" Nolan's voice caught Andy's attention and he turned towards him. The younger detective was holding up a small red beanbag that Andy recognised all too well.

"That would be mine." Andy reached up, snatching it from Nolan's grip and putting it in his pocket. But not before Julio worked out what it was.

"You still have that?" Julio asked.

Andy shrugged, a small smile on his lips.

"Where did you hide it sir? I searched your desk about a week after that case and it was gone!"

Andy shrugged. "I kept it at home. But it returned to my desk when I sold my house."

"Does the captain know you have it?" asked Buzz.

Andy shook his head. "No. Why do you think it came back to the office when I moved into the Condo?" He looked at Julio. "Although now I'm thinking I need to find another place to keep it. How the hell did you get in my desk?"

"I picked the lock," Julio replied nonchalantly. He held out his hand. "Here, I'll give you twenty bucks for it."

Amy and Nolan shared a perplexed look before Amy raised her hand. "Okay, I'm confused. Why all this fuss over some old bean-bag?"

"Oh, this isn't just any old bean-bag Sykes," Julio began. "Oh no. This is legendary. It was about six years ago and we'd chased down an assassin who'd shot at DDA Hobbs..."

Andy stood back and listened as Julio and Buzz recounted the story of how Sharon had taken down the guy with the bean bag gun, shooting him right-between the eyes.

"We'll show you the squad car video sometime," Julio offered. "I'm telling you, I have never seen anyone, before or since, shoot as well with one of those beanbag guns."

Sykes' eyes narrowed in confusion as she turned to Andy. "And you kept the beanbag Lieutenant?" she asked. "All this time?"

Andy shrugged once more. "What can I say? She was pretty badass that day."

"Yeah, we all fell a little bit in love with her that day," agreed Julio. He inclined his head at Flynn, who was glaring at him. "Some of us more than others."

Word soon got to Provenza and Tao that Sharon had been summoned to the Assistant Chief's office, so they made their way back to the ninth floor to find out for themselves what was happening.

"How long's she been in there?" Provenza asked impatiently as he arrived, slightly out of breath.

Andy, who was now pacing the hallway, looked at his watch. "About twenty minutes. It's gotta be her right? Why else would she be in there that long?"

No sooner had Andy spoken than the door opened and Sharon walked out. Tao nodded in her direction. "Looks like we're about to find out."

The team looked up expectantly as Sharon approached.

"Well?" Andy asked impatiently, his arms flung open in exasperation.

"Please put us out of our misery Captain," begged Provenza.

Sharon turned to Provenza. "I do hope Patrice didn't work too hard on plans for redecorating my office. I'm afraid they will need to be shelved. For the time being at least."

Andy's brow furrowed. "Wait, you're not Assistant Chief?"

She shook her head slowly. "No."

"Ye Gads," exclaimed Provenza. "Please tell me it's not Winnie Davis."

"It is not," Sharon confirmed, trying not to sound too pleased about that fact.

"And we already know it's not Fritz, so that just leaves-"

"Mason?" interrupted Andy. "Really?"

"Assistant Chief Mason," Sharon corrected. "It's a good fit." The meeting she had with him had been productive and, while his vision for Major Crimes may involve a little more work on her part, Sharon was excited by his vision for the department.

Julio stepped forward. "I know you didn't want it, Ma'am, but I'm still sorry it's not you. You would have been good at the job."

Sharon smiled. "Thank you Julio."

"Is he keeping Major Crimes?" Buzz asked. Next to the identity of the new Assistant Chief, that was the question they all wanted answered.

"Major Crimes is safe, yes." A collective sigh of relief came from the team. Sharon hesitated to burst their happy bubble. "There will, however, be some changes."

Provenza groaned and dropped his head to his hands.

Sharon toyed with the black box in her hand. "Don't worry Lieutenant. It's not all bad."

Andy was the first to notice what she was holding and his eyes widened as realisation dawned. "Did they…"

She nodded, a bashful smile on her face as Andy beamed proudly at her. The team exchanged confused looks.

"I may not have gotten the job I interviewed for, but I did get a promotion." She held up the box and smiled. "Chief Mason has made me a Commander."

"It's about time," announced Julio.

Provenza nodded. "Congratulations."

The rest of the team followed suit, offering their congratulations. Amy and Buzz also gave her a hug. Andy held back, allowing his colleagues to speak to their captain. But once they had, he walked towards her and embraced her. He kissed her gently on the cheek, knowing that she wouldn't appreciate anything more at work, and then whispered in her ear. "It's no less than you deserve."

They pulled back from their embrace, but Andy kept an arm around her back. "This calls for a celebration," he announced, appealing to her sense of occasion.

She leant into him, toying with his tie. "We will celebrate," she promised. "Later. But for now, we still have boxes to sort through and I think I would like to see the damage to my office and the Murder Room. Andy, will you come with me please?"

She told herself she chose Andy to accompany her because she didn't want him lifting heavy boxes but the truth was she was nervous about how she would react being back in there, seeing all the damage. She would take more strength from Andy's presence than anyone else's and he would know what comfort and support to offer should she find she needed it.

Andy nodded, motioning to the devastated Murder Room. "Of course. After you… Commander."

A/N2: There may possibly be a third chapter - not sure yet. But I have a couple of ideas floating around my head.