amop-series #50
A/N: Wow, we've reached number #50; awesome. Anyways, thank you all for the feedback; it's wonderful to receive such positive comments. And now onwards with season 7;
/UNKNOWN TROUBLE/
“Good morning, gentlemen,” the unmistakable voice of Sharon Raydor rang out in a dulcet tone across the major crimes squad room, accompanied by the undeniable sound of high heels hitting the linoleum floor, the rhythm feminine and familiar.
Andrew Flynn spun around in surprise on his chair and caught Provenza’s gaze across the room where his partner looked up from his desk at the familiar voice, the knitted eyebrows and downturned mouth making him look partly more sour than when Andy had greeted him ten minutes previously.
“It’s 6 am,” Andy greeted Sharon back, his voice still raw from too little sleep. His idiot partner had awoken him before the crack of dawn, some ridiculous demand about showing up for work early.
“Yes, lieutenant Flynn,” Sharon drawled with a content smile, “once again your talent for telling the time astounds me. It is indeed 6 am - otherwise known as morning. ”
“Not much of a good one,” Provenza grumbled, his face drawn into a scowl at Sharon’s presence.
“What is that, lieutenant Provenza?” Sharon asked even if Andy would wager his bank account that she had definitely heard what the old idiot had said.
“It’s too early for me to comprehend the existence of internal affairs, Captain,” Provenza groused as he crossed his arms, “let alone comprehend it visually." Provenza made a hand gesture at Sharon and then with a smirk, "Don’t you have a breakfast you have to catch and skin, or something? Lively little puppies that need to be boiled before consumption?”
Sharon shook her head, amusement written across her expression, “I have already had breakfast but thank you for the concern, lieutenant,“ she paused and gave a wry look at the two of them, “My, my, you look half asleep.”
Andy turned his attention to her hands instead of replying, his focus on the tray with four Styrofoam coffee cups in it, the familiar logo declaring she had stopped at one of those delicious coffee places on her way to work. Just the idea of coffee and he was in a trance, his eyes exclusively on the coffee cups and he even thought he could detect the scent of caffeine.
“Is that for me?” Andy asked with an eager tone and cheeky grin, feeling more awake at the notion of warm coffee to slurp and a warm place to rest his hands.
Sharon tilted her head and regarded him with humor.
Andy got up from his chair and approached her in a quick stride, catching Provenza’s interest skyrocketing as his partner likewise became aware of the coffee cups.
Andy stopped next to Sharon unable to hide his enthusiastic demeanor, “Because I will believe in a good morning if that’s coffee for me,” he paused to smile and then added, “Pretty please.”
“Seconded,” Provenza joined in with a little gruff chuckle, “That would be the only reason to tolerate your presence today, Captain.”
Sharon gave a skyward eye roll, deliberately giving Provenza one of those pouted looks that told a two-fold story, amusement under the surface.
“Oh gosh,” Sharon started in a sardonic tone, “Had I only known it would take a cup of coffee to get into your good graces, lieutenant.”
Provenza huffed with a repressed smile.
Andy grinned, and then taking a further step towards the coffee cups, “Well?” he prodded, “Is it for me?”
Sharon pursed her lips, “No, it’s for the invisible man at your desk.”
Andy rolled his eyes, “Okay, Miss Sunshine, no need for a full-out load of sarcasm this early in the morning.”
She smiled and then offered the tray, “Here you go, honey.”
Andy quickly grabbed a cup.
Provenza arched an eyebrow and Andy rolled his eye and pretended to be put out but he quickly took a second cup and gave it to his grumpy partner who obviously thought moving and getting the coffee himself was beneath him.
“So, all is well in the kingdom?” Provenza enquired as he sipped his coffee, a smile momentarily twitching his face into appreciation before he doused it with his usual cantankerous facade.
“Yes,” Sharon replied distractedly as she put down the tray on the desk she had acquired yesterday, her briefcase heavy when it connected with the desk top. She pulled out a chair and sat down, opening up her briefcase and started pulling out folders.
Andy watched her take a sip from her own coffee cup, the corners of her mouth lifting in contentment when she gave out a barely audible satisfied sigh.
“Who is the fourth cup for?” Andy asked as he stood by her designated desk for the day, curious about who she obviously wanted to bribe with coffee.
“Hmm?” she looked up with a small frown, already preoccupied by whatever her task was today.
Andy leaned a hip against the edge of her desk and crossed his arms loosely, “Well, who else are you bribing with coffee, hmm?”
She smiled, “Oh, I thought I would bring a cup for your chief as well.”
Andy grinned, “Is it sweetened?”
“Pardon?”
Provenza butted in, “Did you pour a year’s worth of sugary substance into the coffee?”
Sharon furrowed her brow, “No, of course not.”
Andy shrugged, “Well, she won’t drink it then.”
Sharon raised one delicate eyebrow at him, her expression seeming to relay that she thought the notion was absurd. “You mean to tell me Chief Johnson only drinks coffee when it has been sweetened to the point where it no longer resembles coffee in any kind of way?”
“Yeah,” Andy grinned, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Sharon shrugged, “I will remember that for the future then.”
“So,” Provenza gave her a narrowed look from the rim of his cup, a little suspicious glower, “why are you here today? I was sure you got everything you needed yesterday?”
“Chief Delk wants me to observe Chief Johnson’s interview of Antwone Decker,” Sharon replied formally as she took another sip from her coffee.
Andy looked at his wrist watch, “Then you are remarkably early.”
Sharon leaned back in the chair and regarded him, her head tilted back to she could look him in the eye, “I have other things to do than tail your chief.”
“Oh really,” Andy drawled back, his mouth curving into an impish smile, “because from where I’m standing all you are doing is invading our squad room.”
Sharon caustically replied, “I’ve missed your wonderful company.”
“You saw me yesterday,” Andy retorted back.
“Please don’t start,” Provenza interrupted with a gruff tone, “It’s too early for your ridiculous flirting, or whatever the heck you are doing. If you continue I am not going to be the only one able to tell you are idiots.”
Andy turned his head in sync with Sharon and glared at the old man, “Oh shut up.”
“I’ll shut up, if you shut up Flynn,” Provenza grumbled back.
Andy rolled his eyes.
“See, this is what I mean,” Sharon smiled, “Your company sure is something else. Why would I stay in a dull office by my lonesome when I can feel this welcomed, hmm.”
“Oh great,” Andy groused at Provenza, “You’ve made her more sarcastic.”
Sharon laughed.
“Good morning people,” Taylor called out, making his entrance with a swagger that made Andy’s insides twist in annoyance.
Provenza’s expression darkened, “This day just keeps getting better and better.”
Sharon’s mouth curled at the sarcasm as she shared a look with Andy.
“Uh good morning, Captain,” Taylor said with a smug smile, “Didn’t know you would be here.”
“Yeah, it’s a regular bring-in-nosey-outsiders day,” Andy remarked with an eye roll, enjoying the way Sharon crossed her arms and gave him a narrowed look, pretending she was offended by his comment.
“Chief Delk has a few things he would like to be implemented,” Taylor said in an haughty tone, ignoring Andy’s comment.
“Oh, knock it off. You are not assistant chief yet, now are you?” Provenza sighed, “and you’ve already gotten the job so why the continued ass-kissing?”
Taylor crossed his arms, irritation flashing through his expression.
“Coffee, commander?” Sharon interrupted before Provenza dug a hole for himself, her voice honeyed and her smile too bright.
Taylor being his regular Slimeball-self, none the wiser about what was really happening under the surface, gave in to a contented smile and took the offered beverage, his chest puffed out as he viewed the squadroom.
Andy sighed.
This whole new business with reorganizations and new positions for some people were clearly going to be more than a simple bore.
Not that he was not glad to see Sharon but officially there was never much enjoyment from having internal affairs investigating your squad, and her continued presence seemed to relay that it might not be a simple matter. She had never invaded a squad room like this, acquiring a desk for herself and making it look like she belonged. It was strange, however much he enjoyed the view of her.
And then to top it all off, the Slimeball was supervising or whatever it was the idiot was doing, smug because he was climbing the ladder and soon would be able to order everyone around.
“Now, when Chief Johnson is going to interview Antwone Decker, Chief Delk wants her to - ,” Taylor started talking to Provenza who looked like he had swallowed a balloon or at the very least something that did not agree with him.
Andy tuned out the idiot and instead he edged a bit closer to Sharon, sitting on her desk his eyes intent on the calculated glint that now resided in her eyes.
“Talk about being an arrogant little shit, huh,” Andy whispered to her, his head inclined toward her so his voice did not carry. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Buzz coming into work, the poor soul being pulled into Taylor’s and Provenza’s conversation about Delk’s instructions.
“Who?” Sharon smiled lazily but there was something dangerous about that expression and smile.
“Chief Delk, the commander - you pick one,” Andy shrugged, “why change a system that works perfectly.”
“And what system would that be, lieutenant Flynn?”
Andy pursed his lips and crossed his arms; obviously Sharon had changed her personality for her on-duty mask already, that little smirk at the corner of her mouth a tell-tale sign.
Sharon spoke again, “Let’s just wait and see, hmm, maybe nothing will be changed after all.”
Andy shook his head, his voice full of disbelief, “I think enough has changed already, huh.”
Her teeth showed, “Oh just admit it, it grates that you have to report to - you-know-who,” she gave a miniature nod in Taylor’s direction.
Andy leaned even closer, “Please don’t pretend you are content with it either.”
She shrugged, “Remember the last transition period we went through? When the higher-ups and the mayor wanted to turn everything upside down.”
Andy nodded.
Her smile widened, “We came out of that more than alright, didn’t we? Hmm?”
“Damn optimist,” Andy groaned at her but in the end he couldn’t help but smile back.
“Flynn?” Provenza raised his voice in a shout.
Andy ignored the old idiot, his eyes still on Sharon who blushed under his continued stare and then immediately started working on whatever it was she was working on.
“FLYNN!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Andy groused and got up from the desk, “Geez, old man. There’s no need to shout. I’m not deaf.”
“yeah, well, if you could just put on your damn hearing aid Flynn, then maybe I wouldn’t have to shout your goddamn name ten times just to get your attention, huh,” Provenza grumbled.
Andy rolled his eyes and somewhere in the background he was sure he heard Sharon snorting.
It was definitely going to be a weird day.
…
=)
/UNKNOWN TROUBLE/
“Good morning, gentlemen,” the unmistakable voice of Sharon Raydor rang out in a dulcet tone across the major crimes squad room, accompanied by the undeniable sound of high heels hitting the linoleum floor, the rhythm feminine and familiar.
Andrew Flynn spun around in surprise on his chair and caught Provenza’s gaze across the room where his partner looked up from his desk at the familiar voice, the knitted eyebrows and downturned mouth making him look partly more sour than when Andy had greeted him ten minutes previously.
“It’s 6 am,” Andy greeted Sharon back, his voice still raw from too little sleep. His idiot partner had awoken him before the crack of dawn, some ridiculous demand about showing up for work early.
“Yes, lieutenant Flynn,” Sharon drawled with a content smile, “once again your talent for telling the time astounds me. It is indeed 6 am - otherwise known as morning. ”
“Not much of a good one,” Provenza grumbled, his face drawn into a scowl at Sharon’s presence.
“What is that, lieutenant Provenza?” Sharon asked even if Andy would wager his bank account that she had definitely heard what the old idiot had said.
“It’s too early for me to comprehend the existence of internal affairs, Captain,” Provenza groused as he crossed his arms, “let alone comprehend it visually." Provenza made a hand gesture at Sharon and then with a smirk, "Don’t you have a breakfast you have to catch and skin, or something? Lively little puppies that need to be boiled before consumption?”
Sharon shook her head, amusement written across her expression, “I have already had breakfast but thank you for the concern, lieutenant,“ she paused and gave a wry look at the two of them, “My, my, you look half asleep.”
Andy turned his attention to her hands instead of replying, his focus on the tray with four Styrofoam coffee cups in it, the familiar logo declaring she had stopped at one of those delicious coffee places on her way to work. Just the idea of coffee and he was in a trance, his eyes exclusively on the coffee cups and he even thought he could detect the scent of caffeine.
“Is that for me?” Andy asked with an eager tone and cheeky grin, feeling more awake at the notion of warm coffee to slurp and a warm place to rest his hands.
Sharon tilted her head and regarded him with humor.
Andy got up from his chair and approached her in a quick stride, catching Provenza’s interest skyrocketing as his partner likewise became aware of the coffee cups.
Andy stopped next to Sharon unable to hide his enthusiastic demeanor, “Because I will believe in a good morning if that’s coffee for me,” he paused to smile and then added, “Pretty please.”
“Seconded,” Provenza joined in with a little gruff chuckle, “That would be the only reason to tolerate your presence today, Captain.”
Sharon gave a skyward eye roll, deliberately giving Provenza one of those pouted looks that told a two-fold story, amusement under the surface.
“Oh gosh,” Sharon started in a sardonic tone, “Had I only known it would take a cup of coffee to get into your good graces, lieutenant.”
Provenza huffed with a repressed smile.
Andy grinned, and then taking a further step towards the coffee cups, “Well?” he prodded, “Is it for me?”
Sharon pursed her lips, “No, it’s for the invisible man at your desk.”
Andy rolled his eyes, “Okay, Miss Sunshine, no need for a full-out load of sarcasm this early in the morning.”
She smiled and then offered the tray, “Here you go, honey.”
Andy quickly grabbed a cup.
Provenza arched an eyebrow and Andy rolled his eye and pretended to be put out but he quickly took a second cup and gave it to his grumpy partner who obviously thought moving and getting the coffee himself was beneath him.
“So, all is well in the kingdom?” Provenza enquired as he sipped his coffee, a smile momentarily twitching his face into appreciation before he doused it with his usual cantankerous facade.
“Yes,” Sharon replied distractedly as she put down the tray on the desk she had acquired yesterday, her briefcase heavy when it connected with the desk top. She pulled out a chair and sat down, opening up her briefcase and started pulling out folders.
Andy watched her take a sip from her own coffee cup, the corners of her mouth lifting in contentment when she gave out a barely audible satisfied sigh.
“Who is the fourth cup for?” Andy asked as he stood by her designated desk for the day, curious about who she obviously wanted to bribe with coffee.
“Hmm?” she looked up with a small frown, already preoccupied by whatever her task was today.
Andy leaned a hip against the edge of her desk and crossed his arms loosely, “Well, who else are you bribing with coffee, hmm?”
She smiled, “Oh, I thought I would bring a cup for your chief as well.”
Andy grinned, “Is it sweetened?”
“Pardon?”
Provenza butted in, “Did you pour a year’s worth of sugary substance into the coffee?”
Sharon furrowed her brow, “No, of course not.”
Andy shrugged, “Well, she won’t drink it then.”
Sharon raised one delicate eyebrow at him, her expression seeming to relay that she thought the notion was absurd. “You mean to tell me Chief Johnson only drinks coffee when it has been sweetened to the point where it no longer resembles coffee in any kind of way?”
“Yeah,” Andy grinned, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Sharon shrugged, “I will remember that for the future then.”
“So,” Provenza gave her a narrowed look from the rim of his cup, a little suspicious glower, “why are you here today? I was sure you got everything you needed yesterday?”
“Chief Delk wants me to observe Chief Johnson’s interview of Antwone Decker,” Sharon replied formally as she took another sip from her coffee.
Andy looked at his wrist watch, “Then you are remarkably early.”
Sharon leaned back in the chair and regarded him, her head tilted back to she could look him in the eye, “I have other things to do than tail your chief.”
“Oh really,” Andy drawled back, his mouth curving into an impish smile, “because from where I’m standing all you are doing is invading our squad room.”
Sharon caustically replied, “I’ve missed your wonderful company.”
“You saw me yesterday,” Andy retorted back.
“Please don’t start,” Provenza interrupted with a gruff tone, “It’s too early for your ridiculous flirting, or whatever the heck you are doing. If you continue I am not going to be the only one able to tell you are idiots.”
Andy turned his head in sync with Sharon and glared at the old man, “Oh shut up.”
“I’ll shut up, if you shut up Flynn,” Provenza grumbled back.
Andy rolled his eyes.
“See, this is what I mean,” Sharon smiled, “Your company sure is something else. Why would I stay in a dull office by my lonesome when I can feel this welcomed, hmm.”
“Oh great,” Andy groused at Provenza, “You’ve made her more sarcastic.”
Sharon laughed.
“Good morning people,” Taylor called out, making his entrance with a swagger that made Andy’s insides twist in annoyance.
Provenza’s expression darkened, “This day just keeps getting better and better.”
Sharon’s mouth curled at the sarcasm as she shared a look with Andy.
“Uh good morning, Captain,” Taylor said with a smug smile, “Didn’t know you would be here.”
“Yeah, it’s a regular bring-in-nosey-outsiders day,” Andy remarked with an eye roll, enjoying the way Sharon crossed her arms and gave him a narrowed look, pretending she was offended by his comment.
“Chief Delk has a few things he would like to be implemented,” Taylor said in an haughty tone, ignoring Andy’s comment.
“Oh, knock it off. You are not assistant chief yet, now are you?” Provenza sighed, “and you’ve already gotten the job so why the continued ass-kissing?”
Taylor crossed his arms, irritation flashing through his expression.
“Coffee, commander?” Sharon interrupted before Provenza dug a hole for himself, her voice honeyed and her smile too bright.
Taylor being his regular Slimeball-self, none the wiser about what was really happening under the surface, gave in to a contented smile and took the offered beverage, his chest puffed out as he viewed the squadroom.
Andy sighed.
This whole new business with reorganizations and new positions for some people were clearly going to be more than a simple bore.
Not that he was not glad to see Sharon but officially there was never much enjoyment from having internal affairs investigating your squad, and her continued presence seemed to relay that it might not be a simple matter. She had never invaded a squad room like this, acquiring a desk for herself and making it look like she belonged. It was strange, however much he enjoyed the view of her.
And then to top it all off, the Slimeball was supervising or whatever it was the idiot was doing, smug because he was climbing the ladder and soon would be able to order everyone around.
“Now, when Chief Johnson is going to interview Antwone Decker, Chief Delk wants her to - ,” Taylor started talking to Provenza who looked like he had swallowed a balloon or at the very least something that did not agree with him.
Andy tuned out the idiot and instead he edged a bit closer to Sharon, sitting on her desk his eyes intent on the calculated glint that now resided in her eyes.
“Talk about being an arrogant little shit, huh,” Andy whispered to her, his head inclined toward her so his voice did not carry. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Buzz coming into work, the poor soul being pulled into Taylor’s and Provenza’s conversation about Delk’s instructions.
“Who?” Sharon smiled lazily but there was something dangerous about that expression and smile.
“Chief Delk, the commander - you pick one,” Andy shrugged, “why change a system that works perfectly.”
“And what system would that be, lieutenant Flynn?”
Andy pursed his lips and crossed his arms; obviously Sharon had changed her personality for her on-duty mask already, that little smirk at the corner of her mouth a tell-tale sign.
Sharon spoke again, “Let’s just wait and see, hmm, maybe nothing will be changed after all.”
Andy shook his head, his voice full of disbelief, “I think enough has changed already, huh.”
Her teeth showed, “Oh just admit it, it grates that you have to report to - you-know-who,” she gave a miniature nod in Taylor’s direction.
Andy leaned even closer, “Please don’t pretend you are content with it either.”
She shrugged, “Remember the last transition period we went through? When the higher-ups and the mayor wanted to turn everything upside down.”
Andy nodded.
Her smile widened, “We came out of that more than alright, didn’t we? Hmm?”
“Damn optimist,” Andy groaned at her but in the end he couldn’t help but smile back.
“Flynn?” Provenza raised his voice in a shout.
Andy ignored the old idiot, his eyes still on Sharon who blushed under his continued stare and then immediately started working on whatever it was she was working on.
“FLYNN!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Andy groused and got up from the desk, “Geez, old man. There’s no need to shout. I’m not deaf.”
“yeah, well, if you could just put on your damn hearing aid Flynn, then maybe I wouldn’t have to shout your goddamn name ten times just to get your attention, huh,” Provenza grumbled.
Andy rolled his eyes and somewhere in the background he was sure he heard Sharon snorting.
It was definitely going to be a weird day.
…
=)