EAD 2017- Being There [Where You Are] 3/3
EAD 2017 Masterpost
Title: Being There [Where You Are]
Author: Elspeth
Fandom/Genre: The Closer/Major Crimes
Relationship(s): Sharon Raydor/Andy Flynn, Brenda Leigh Johnson/Fritz Howard
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Discussion of Crimes, Violence, Abusive Partners, Stubbornness, Injury in the Line of Duty
Summary: Sharon Raydor came online as a guide in a time in her life that was very precarious. Her husband was not accepting, putting it mildly but they made a deal in the end. Her sentinel tailspin'ed for awhile and then did whatever he could to help her. Her side of the deal is coming to an end. Finally.
A/N: Greek Mythology, Unbeta'd, Little Black Dress Challenge RT July 2016
Events in certain parts based on The Closer episodes, "Time Bomb" and "Old Money."
Word Count: 10299/10,000
Part Four
"Does she have to be here? Now? Of all time?" Provenza grumped in the background. Andy was already greeting his guide by offering a hug which was quickly accepted. Every bonded had their own grounding rituals, theirs just happened to hugs and when in motion, holding hands. Andy could immediately feel the stress leaving Sharon's body as she lean into him. It was never ever going to get old, knowing Sharon felt good, felt safe, in his arms. It was a quick hug, Andy making a show when it ended. Sharon had a reputation to maintain.
"Lt. Provenza," Andy's Chief snapped warningly. "Captain O'Dwyer is more than welcome here at any time. Or do we need to go over this again?"
Leading Sharon to the desk next to his new one, Andy settled and redirected his attention to the case. It started with a body this morning that had been blown up by some homemade bombs. Major Crime's investigation had led to a high school kid who committed suicide, through overdose in their investigation room. Everything suggested a planned attack for a mass shooting- gun, ammunition and homemade bombs found in the dead kid's garage in sentinel-sealed duffle bags. Not even Detective Daniels could smell the blasting components until the bags had been open. The level of covertness was a telling one.
Andy might be an Artemis-rated sentinel along with Detective Barilla, but Detective Daniels was an actual Artemis sentinel. Most surprisingly, her guide, Detective Mareno was an Artemis guide, which was very very rare. Between the two of them, they had a 100% capture record. This made them one of the most requested LAPD employees from outside local governmental entities.
Andy looked up and turning his chair to look at the evidence board along with the rest of his team. It seemed like they had caught their bad guys. One had accidentally or not, blown himself up, the other clearly committed suicide. Bombs- including flash bangs and scent bombs to target sentinels, along with more guns and ammunition had been found for. Yet, the Chief looked unsettled, her husband, Agent Howard who had been called in to liaison with the investigation, standing next to her, also looked worried.
"I don't like it." Barilla said with a growl as she pushed herself up from her desk.
Her guide, Detective Sanchez, rolled his chair over. "Maria?" Julio began but was interrupted as Chief Pope strutted into the room.
Despite Chief Pope's disclaiming, Chief Johnson requested to have the squad follow up leftover leads. Pope never had a chance dissuading Chief Johnson against following her instincts, not even with her husband there. Andy did not know the full story but it did not take a detective to know that Chief Pope believed he and Chief Johnson were a match, not a true match like him and Sharon or Nicole and Meghan but a compatible match at the very least. They had tried years ago, but it didn't take, or maybe Pope had wanted to try but Chief Johnson wasn't interested. Whatever had happened, Chief Johnson still wasn't interested when she was hired, and Pope still had hope. But, with Johnson's relationship with Howard, an anchor like Provenza, the desire for a bond was lessened and really quite manageable.
Soon Pope was off kissing ass and taking credit for their work and the squad was getting ready to follow-up with their only lead, a sporting goods store at a mall where some of the bomb making materials had been purchased.
"Do you want me to come along?" Sharon asked Andy. He always wanted her with him. The arrangement at work wasn't optimal but they made do. Looking around to gauge his team's reactions which arranged from Maria's (and therefore Julio's) approval to Lt. Tao's neutral response to Provenza's over the top grumpiness.
"Yes. An extra pair of eyes can’t hurt." Andy still did not know how to take Chief Johnson's almost cordiality to Sharon, even after weeks of this. Before, Chief Johnson had purposely been antagonizing and difficult towards Sharon, and it wasn't even the normal Internal Affairs crap. But now...whatever had turned the Chief's attitude towards his guide, Andy was going to let it be and just be glad this had been his boss' response.
Getting to the mall, with thousands of people roaming about was what Andy usually considered a form of torture, Andy questioned why he was still a doing this. The invention of the Internet and online shipping was a boon to every sentinel and guide who wanted to shop in peace. The scents were the worse for Andy's sensitive nose but at a mall, where not even the best engineering to dampen the noise and industrial strength deodorizers and shielding for the empathic could prevent the swamp of humanity. Eugh. Just no. If he stood a little closer to his guide, not even his partner hassled him.
Regrouping a bit before going the store the Chief asked, "Do you smell any trace of the suspects?" Andy took a deep breath. Their lead was a receipt a week old. The malls deodorizers were good but not the best.
"There." Andy tilted his head in the direction of the sporting goods store.
Maria breathed in deeply again but shook her head.
Daniels though, nodded to towards the sporting goods store but said, "Strongest scents are in the sporting goods store but." She paused and looked at her guide who had the familiar look of getting an empathic impression of the mall. "This is strange but I can smell them faintly, in several other places. There, there, there, there and there. Micaella?" Daniels questioned her guide after.
Mareno opened her eyes and frowned looking around. "Boss? They have been all over this mall. It's like they traced and retraced paths all over the building, even in hallways and staff passageways. I can't pinpoint particular points or areas but they came here many times. Sometimes by themselves, sometimes together, but also with another. Someone who..." Mareno closed her eyes focusing before opening them with urgency. "Boss, I'm not sure who or exactly where but it feels like they are here right now."
At this proclamation, there was a slight shift as Andy's team reacted to this news. Andy glanced at his team, catching their eyes with a nod, each subtlety looking out into the crowds, hands close to their guns. Sharon rested her hand on his arm briefly but also looked out cautiously.
"Okay people," Chief Johnson started, taking lead and talking very very softly, a song in her voice just for them. "We're split up. We don't want to spook anyone so no phones calls. Text messages or sentinel calls only. Just like Lt. Flynn and Detectives Barilla and Daniels have practiced. Lt. Tao and Detectives Daniels and Mareno will be Team Red. Lt. Provenza and Detectives Sanchez and Barilla Team Blue. Captain O'Dwyer, you and Lt. Flynn can come with me and Agent Howard and Team Yellow. We'll go to the sporting goods store. The rest, you find a map of this mall and track down the places Detectives Daniel traced. Split into your separate groups later if you have to but do not, do not do anything to engage if you find them, without backup. Be discrete and be careful."
They dispersed, Andy keeping his ears pricked for his teammates' voices while heading to the sporting goods store, Sharon at his side adjusted her shields and his boss and Howard letting Andy and Sharon lead the way. He had trained with his team, particularly Maria and Daniels, for what seemed a ridiculous length of time for sentinel calls. The sentinel version of the game, Telephone. Detection, delivery and accuracy in communications, particularly when using any code was key. Hermes guides could do the same thing, sending empathic messages even to ungifted. They made a fantastic emergency alert system. It was said a group of Hermes and Hephaestus got together to create the Internet so people could do their own damn message sending.
Following the scent trail, Andy led Sharon, Chief Johnson and Howard through the sporting goods store. It lead straight to the Staff Only Door. Pausing by the biggest grill he had ever seen. He waited till Sharon projected her shields around them all four of them, a don't-notice-me set of shields, ignoring his boss' and Howards reactions, and quietly told them where his nose lead them. "I think what we need it that way." Even with Sharon's shields, Andy took precaution to talk in code.
Holding up a hand, Andy pulled out his phone, pretending to read something off of it, relaying what Mike had discovered and where the rest of the team was. "Mike says the map helped them figure out what the sign meant. They made a pit shop at a hunting goods store but still aren't finishing shopping."
Song in her voice, the Chief sung, "Let's find some staff and ask them who is working here today." Fiddling with his phone, Andy made as if to take a picture of the world's largest grill, while the Chief and Howard headed to the help stand just two aisles over. When Chief Johnson had started working, taking over the squad, of all the things that pissed him off, having to get use to her Siren's song was the one that made him grit his teeth. Years later, it made his teeth ache for the second time in a psychosomatic response.
Sharon, not missing much, lightly tapped her sentinel's hand, easing Andy's grimace and briefly tugged him after Chief Johnson and Agent Howard who were now waiting for the only manager on staff. She had not felt the presence, Detective Mareno had felt, but the guide in her was perked up in alert, letting her empathic gifts briefly touch everyone around them, one by one looking for certain emotions: overwhelming anger, deep resentment and dark hatred. Sharon could only go one by one, Chief Johnson was probably scanning groups at a time.
Her sentinel's sudden stillness, caught her attention. "Fireworks. Do you think the others found the fireworks?" Andy asking in such a way it was not a question. The team had found bombs.
"How many fireworks? I forgot how many they were looking for." Agent Howard asked, striving for nonchalance but it still came out with intent.
"Three batches. They probably have bought them and are storing them in their car."
"Take us to where all of the employees keep their stuff while on shift. Now." Chief Johnson ordered the sale representative who Sharon had felt getting more alarmed by the nature of Chief Johnson's line of questions. They followed the sporting goods store employee through the Staff Only Door and into the back. In an employee locker room, they found a pile of clothes. "Lt. Flynn." Chief Johnson called, but Andy was way ahead of her and picking up the clothes to scent and track.
Leaving the scared employee behind, Andy lead them through the back and into the employee only passages. Moving quickly through the hallways and up stairways, Andy continued to relay what the others were doing. "Provenza says the packages are stored and hidden. He wants to hold a gathering for a party. Mike wants to go up to the roof to watch the fireworks." Lt. Provenza wanted Blue Team to go on crowd control, starting to alert everyone and keep them hidden. While Red Team would going to track down the third person to the roof.
"Wait." Chief Johnson's voice firmly stated, stopping the group on a stairwell marked for roof access. "Fritz? You know more about this kind of thing? What do you think he will do?"
"Where were the fireworks?" Agent Howard asked.
Tilting his head, Andy waited for a response. "They were in shops near the escalators and food courts." In the center of the mall.
"Not the shops near the exits?"
"No."
"We need to keep everyone inside. Fireworks would cause people to rush outside." Agent Howard said firmly.
"Maria said someone else is looking for the fireworks to buy. They are by the skylights." Andy spoke up. Sharon unbuckled her holster.
"All right everyone. Blue a party sounds great. Red head on upstairs, the view must be fantastic and we'll meet you all on up them. Good luck. I feel a song coming on." Chief Johnson waited till Andy acknowledge the others agreement and took a deep breath.
Sharon grabbed onto Andy and turned away from Chief Johnson, preparing for a Siren's call, a true one. An odd tone escaped from Chief Johnson's throat, almost like a dial tone of a phone. The tone got louder and louder and louder, seeping into every part of Sharon, her sentinel, Agent Howard and the people around unaware of the danger on the other side of the stairwell. The tone took on the beginning notes to a song, a song Sharon was almost desperate to listen to, becoming breathless in anticipation, each note ensnaring her as if she were caught in a riptide, pulling her deeper and deeper and deeper, calling everyone around her, within the mall and the vicinity. Finally, Chief Johnson's voice crested like a tidal wave, crashing onto those called, warning them that there was danger at the mall, bidding them to seek cover quickly, to stay inside and cooperate with the police. And then Sharon was free to think clearly again, the song which seemed like if Sharon opened her eyes, she could see a physical manifestation of the song, got softer and softer but the tug of the song stayed. The message lingered as Chief Johnson's voice faded.
Sharon shook her head trying to dissipate the sensations in her head. Checking on Andy who had brought a hand up to his jaw though Sharon couldn't feel any pain from her sentinel, she looked at Agent Howard and the Chief, who was recovering from the song. Sounds of automatic gunfire burst any lull and they quickly continued up the stairs till they got out on the roof.
Being head of the Force Investigations division meant Sharon's involvement in gunfights was usually the aftermath. However, every LAPD cop had annual trainings to go along with marksmanship qualifications.
Wishing luck to her fellow officers, her sentinel, before they proceeded after the now active shooter, was not what Sharon had been expecting the day to go. She could feel Andy's tension and uneasiness all day, beginning early this morning, waking Sharon up in their bed. Even after figuring out that it was a case affecting Andy's mood, and therefore her mood, despite being separated by the valley, Sharon got up, dressed and went to work to put her now growing uneasiness to good use in open cases at work. By mid-afternoon, Sharon was distracted like none other, the work she had set aside for the day already completed by noon, her squad busy with several open investigations, figuring out the truth of allegations of misconduct, when Oscar just walked into her office, and just stared at Sharon in disbelief. Quickly getting the message, Sharon picked up some files that needed review, offered a smile of thanks to Oscar and headed to her sentinel's arms. Now, her sentinel was leading their group towards an active shooter across a roof, and Sharon was going to do something nice for Oscar and his sentinel, Lisa, as there was nowhere else Sharon would rather be except by Andy's side, especially in a time like this.
A loud bang went off a somewhere on the roof. "Booby-traps." Andy informed the group, showing signs of stress. Sharon reached up and laid her hand on the back of his shoulder and drew his ailments of stress away. They proceeded on while Sharon quickly made shields to throw around her group, protecting them all from sudden lights, noises, tastes. Not every guide could build shields for other people, but Miranda guides had a particular twist to their gifts, one Sharon had done her best have gone unnoticed.
A series of flash bangs and scent bombs hindered their progress only briefly as Sharon's shields held. They continued on towards the sounds of the shooting, now not just automatic shots but of single fired shots. Provenza, Maria and Sanchez. "Julio and Maria!" Andy choked in horror. Sharon held back her own dismay, and they finally caught sight of the shooter. He was a young man, suited up like a SWAT officer, ready for a fight. They would give him one.
Exchanging gunfire, Sharon keep Andy within arm's distances at all times, when he moved, she moved. His exclamation of, "Blue!" Made it easier to understand a second set of gunfire. Gunfire that still hadn't stopped the shooter, his armor protection him. Finally though, a bullet got through and that was the end. Sharon breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves. So many people needed her now, especially Maria and Julio. Standing up, Sharon follow Andy as he walked towards the fallen shooter.
Mike, Daniels and Mareno came up from their cover, and three of them looked ill at ease, especially Daniels who had blood coming from her ears and nose. Sharon walked towards them while everyone confirmed the shooter was down with their own eyes, she would need everyone at their best to do what Sharon needed them to do next. Sharon lightly taped Mike on the shoulder, and walked up to Mareno and Daniels, calling Mareno's attention away from Daniels, who was talking her sentinel through the pain. "May I approach you and your sentinel, Guide Mareno?" Getting acceptance, startled acceptance nonetheless, Sharon walked carefully toward the pair and reached out to them both, casting a net just to feel for all the sources of hurt and quickly repaired Daniels' damaged nerves and the empathetic echoes of pain, Mareno hadn't protected herself from. It took seconds.
Stepping back, Andy was there. Turning in her sentinel's arms, Sharon only had to say, "Maria and Julio, Andy," and then they were on their way, ignoring everyone else on the roof, on the stairs, through the various stores, her sentinel leading the way. They rushed out the doors and took in the scene of Julio crying over Maria, and Provenza calling for medical assistance, blood everywhere.
"May I approach you and your sentinel, Guide Sanchez?" Sharon asked but got no response.
"Julio, may I approach?" Sharon got on her knees near them both. "Please, Julio. I won't interfere with your bonds. Please." Julio still wasn't responding. Sharon needed that acknowledgement from the guide, because guides could create either make it easier to heal the guide's sentinel, or that much harder.
Provenza's command broke through Julio's grief, and Sharon quickly grabbed onto them both, Andy's arm holding her up. Maria was on her last breathes, gunshot wounds through her back and right shoulder, only Julio's refusal to let her go, kept her alive. Julio also had been shot. Not wasting anytime, Sharon let down her shields and as quick as she could, healed Maria and Julio. So focused on the ballistic trauma of gunshot wounds, Sharon forgot all but her sentinel, a steady presence at her back, lending her strength. Coming out of her trance, Maria was awake and looking at Sharon, in wonder and not surprise, in Julio's arms.
"Saving me again, Sharon?" Maria asked a little watery.
"Yes." Falling into Andy's embrace, Sharon could feel more people in pain, people that needed her. Letting her sentinel help her up, Sharon breathed in and out. Her skin was glowing. Her secret was out.
"Mareno and Daniels, everyone, could you help us find all the wounded?" Andy asked. And then they were off, Sharon helping to heal trauma both physical and empathetic, trusting her sentinel to take her to where she was needed.
In the end, everyone was healed, no one had died with Sharon's intervention saved the killer on the roof. Finally, exhaustedly, Sharon and Andy stood near their cars, Maria and Julio up on their feet and Andy's division blocking the crowd of spectators view of Sharon, now shining brightly, clearly noticeable even in daylight.
An amazed silence had lapsed, that Agent Howard broke. "Captain O'Dwyer," he began.
"Agent Howard." Sharon returned.
"Fritz," he corrected.
She offered in return, "Sharon."
Continuing, Fritz held out his hand to Sharon. "If you can give it, you can take it."
Not expecting this reaction, Sharon shook her head in confusion but accepted his hand. If not not her, Andy needed some extra strength. Taking an iota, Sharon dropped her hand. But then Mike was there and then Daniels now Irene, and Mareno now Micaella stepped up. Chief Johnson, Brenda, held out her hand as well, but asked why.
"I wanted to be a mother." Sharon offered. It had been her worry for years that Jack would take away the kids, or rather, arrange for Sharon to be taken away to be used as the government saw fit. The 25th amendment had only been ratify last year, finally. "And I wanted to be a cop."
Getting nods of understanding and acceptance, Andy's light kiss on her cheek helped make the years of waiting worth it. Feeling rejuvenated, Sharon wasn't expecting Provenza to step forward but he did to her surprise.
"Captain," he began but Sharon quickly corrected to Sharon. Provenza just harrumphed and held out his hand. Accepting it, Sharon leached some of the offered energy, still sharing it with her sentinel and built her shields once more. There had been enough spectacle, time for work.
Notes:
Hermes- Greek god of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, language, and writing.
Hephaestus- Greek god of fire, metalworking and crafts.