Everything She does

by Kadi

Rated T

A/N: A review was left by user LaurieRoslin, in which she asked how I would approach the subject of an unexpected pregnancy. That's a very interesting topic, but it is hard to reconcile when trying to stay true to the overall feel of the show. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed those that I have read, I really have, but reconciling it for myself has not been easy. I think, to each their own. I also believe that we should, whenever possible, be willing to try new things, and so, I have attempted to encompass the request, as means of a thank you. Creative license needed to be taken, although looking at MMcD it would be easy to believe her several years younger… we should all be so lucky! As such, I've shaved off just a few years. Laurie, your comments were wonderful and so appreciated. Enjoy!

There was an undeniable look of panic that entered a woman's eyes when she realized that the stick in her hand was turning blue. A woman of a certain age, in any case. Pale, hands shaking, and eyes wide. Suddenly, what seemed funny hours before, wasn't funny anymore. Gavin was wise enough to duck when she started throwing things at him. He was a gay man who had never laid hands on her, but somehow, it was still his fault. Probably for mentioning the possibility in the first place. When the shoes started flying, he dug his heels in.

"Why in Armani's name are you throwing things at me?" A six inch stiletto flew by his head. "I'm not the one that knocked you up!" The shoe missed him, the pillow did not. As always, every moment in his life was met with dramatic flare. Gavin fell back on the bed, arms spread wide. "I am unappreciated in my time. I rearranged my entire day to offer moral support, and you throw things at me." Gavin took the risk of raising his head. "You are an ungrateful friend." When she promptly burst into tears he felt like ten times a heel. He sat up and snaked one long arm out and caught her waist. Gavin tugged her to the bed and pulled her down with him. Then he tucked her against his chest and wrapped arms and legs around her. "Okay, okay," he crooned. "I'm an ass."

"Yes." She sniffed. Sharon wriggled closer and made herself just as small as she could. It was not difficult, with his long, lean lines, Gavin easily towered over her. She folded her hands into the front of his designer shirt, sniffled again. His cologne tickled her nose, but the familiar sent was comforting. The man easily spent thousands of dollars a year on suits and shoes, but wore the cologne his mother sent him every year for Christmas. It wasn't designer, and it wasn't expensive. It was home. That was why she loved him. Adored him, really. There were few, only a handful actually, who would ever know that the shrewd, hard as nails attorney was really just a big teddy bear. "My life is a farce," she mumbled against his chest.

"Well, I'm not arguing with that sweetness." Gavin lay his cheek atop her head and stroked her hair. "You must live the most ridiculous life of anyone I've ever met, and if I didn't love you so much, I'd turn it all over to a screenwriter and make millions off of your absurdity." When she pinched his side, he grinned. "Please don't bruise me, I'm delicate."

"A delicate pain in my a—"

"Yes, I know." He smirked, although she couldn't see it. She sounded more like herself, but she could do that having a root canal. Too much practice at pretending to be normal. It was the continued trembling that concerned him. "You must be, without a doubt, the single most fertile woman I know. Women all over LA loathe you. We could get you a cape. It could be written up as a super power. Gets knocked up in a single bound." He felt her shoulders shake and decided it was a laugh, although the sound she made could have been a sob. It was really anyone's guess at this point. Gavin stroked her back and sighed. "What happened? We had this talk."

"I had the IUD taken out three years ago," She mumbled without looking up. "I was perimenopausal, it was causing issues, and I was never going to let Jack touch me again anyway, so it wasn't a problem. I'm fifty-three years old, this should not be an issue." She looked up at him then, seeming absolutely miserable with a side of stark terror. "Why is this happening to me?"

"If we really have to talk about how babies are made, I'm going to charge you by the hour," he said drily.

"I said why, not how." She rolled onto her back and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"My mistake." He propped his head up in his hand. "Okay, let's not panic. You are very old, it could be a false positive." It was his job to be the devil's advocate during these situations. It was a part he played so well.

"Six times?" She peeked through her fingers at him. "That was the sixth one that I've taken today. You've been pouring water down me for hours, and now you want to talk about false positives? Why did I call you," she asked, more than a little aggrieved.

"It wasn't just for my sparkling personality, comforting presence, and the free hugs?" He pouted at her. "I'm hurt." His blue eyed gaze narrowed. "Well, these are looking a little perkier than usual," he poked the side of her breast. "I thought it was new lingerie for your Lieutenant's benefit… looks like that isn't all that's been for his benefit." She glowered and Gavin gave her his most winsome smile. "You love me," He reminded her.

"I am asking myself why, even at this moment." Sharon said slowly.

"Hm." He shrugged. "Well, before we go into full meltdown mode, let me ask the pertinent question. Are you sure?"

She sighed. "I think I've known for a couple of weeks that something was going on. Until you said it, I didn't let myself go there. I'm too damned old."

"Why?" He shrugged. "Women all over the city are doing it every day, and some of them are older than you. It's not really that preposterous. We are nearing the realm of farce, but it's not really as bad as calling up the Enquirer or National Geographic. This is Los Angeles, my darling, another fifty-something mother to be is nothing to get worked up about."

"Okay," she closed her eyes. "We're really going to have this conversation. For one, I've raised my children. I'm still raising one that isn't exactly mine, but is, and that's just all sorts of complicated and awkward. I'm Catholic. I'm divorced. As if that wasn't bad enough, now I can add pregnant to the list of many ways that my life has spun out of control in the last five years." Sharon slowly massaged her temples. "Okay that wasn't fair. This isn't Rusty's fault." She couldn't love the boy more if he was hers. "It's yours."

"Again, I would like to remind the jury that I was not part of the activities that led to the revelations found here today," Gavin stated. "You're gorgeous and I love you, but you'e not my type, honey." He rolled over and threw his arm and leg over her again. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes tightly against the sting of tears that was threatening again. Her head rolled toward him, and she curled her arms around his. "What I always do, I suppose. The right thing. What else is new?" Her voice hitched, grew thicker. "Just like the last time."

He wasn't going to mention it. That was the underlying cause of the terror. The purpose of the IUD; because some twelve or so years ago, she let herself believe that her husband was willing to be a changed man. Jack left town three months later, and few weeks after that, Sharon was sobbing on Gavin's couch. He nuzzled her hair and held her just a little tighter as he thought back to the one pound and one ounce bundle that had come at only twenty-four weeks, and the little marble stone with the name Adam that was standing all alone in a family plot in a cemetery north of town. "That was different," Gavin stated. "It was a long time ago."

"Emphasis on the long," she murmured.

"When you are morose, darling, you are truly morose. I suppose anything worth doing right…" He nudged her and grinned. "Can I be here when you tell him?"

Her lips pressed tightly together. Sharon rolled her eyes toward him. "No you may not," she said at length. "This is not for your personal enjoyment, Gavin."

"Of course it is." He squeezed her. "I love a good farce." She elbowed him and he laughed. "It was different," he said again. "That entire situation was unbelievably horrible from the start. Highly stressed, emotionally… just… horribly… bad." Gavin was rarely at a loss for words, but this time was different. "Not to mention you were working crazy hours, hardly sleeping, driving here, there, and everywhere to baseball or soccer, school, dance, recitals, auditions, games… It wasn't the right time."

She lifted her head and gave him an incredulous look. "And now is the right time? Have you bumped your head!"

Gavin rolled on to his back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm comforting, and I get yelled at. I'm flippant, and I get yelled at. My god, you are hormonal." He grunted when the pillow landed against his chest. He slanted a look at her. "Really?"

"It's not hormones, honey, it's you." She smirked at him. Then she sprawled out beside him again and sighed. "What do I do?"

"What you always do," He reminded her. "Chin up, full speed ahead. Take no prisoners." He reached out and tugged on a long, dark curl. "It's not a farce," he whispered. "It's just a life."

"Hm." She closed her eyes while he stroked her back. "In eighteen years, I'll be 71. It's a farce."

"But you won't look a day over sixty," he promised with a smile.

"From your lips," she muttered.

"Don't worry, if nature fails you, I know a guy." He poked her hip. "Want me to go with you?"

Her lips pursed and she smiled. "You are very good at the hand holding," she recalled. "But this time, I think it might be someone else's job."

"Yeah," he smirked knowingly. "As much as you'd like to blame this on me, it is not, in fact, my fault."

"You encouraged me," she snarked. "I was perfectly happy until you started planting ideas in my head."

"Oh sweetie, I didn't have to plant anything. You were already planning on going down that particular road. As I recall, my precise words were, do it or shut up about it. Or rather, do him or shut up about it, but let's not get caught up in technicalities. I was simply talking about shaking off the cobwebs. I never said anything about moving him in, playing house, or anything else you've done this year."

"He did not move in." Sharon rolled on to her back again.

"Oh really?" Gavin sat up and looked pointedly around the bedroom. He lifted his brows at the leather jacket tossed across the back of a chair, it was much too big to be hers, and certainly was not his. There were ties on a hook on the back of the closet, a ball cap on the door knob, and a pair of reading glasses on the side of the bed of which he was laying. They were laying atop a book which, if he wasn't mistaken, was some sort of sports biography. "Want to try again?"

"He's still renting his own place," she muttered.

"Indeed," Gavin tilted his head. "Storage space." He clasped his hands in his lap. "It's another technicality upon which I would win, so we'll just let it go. I doubt it's really an issue now."

She buried her face in her pillow and groaned, loudly. "Gavin. One problem at a time. Please?"

"Yes, yes…" He rolled his eyes at her. "Well, the deed is done, and unless you're going to undo it, which we both know you will not, suck it up princess."

She lifted her head and glowered at him. "I'm having a mid-life crisis here and you want me to suck it up?"

"Essentially." He smirked. "What's the big deal? It's a baby, not an STD."

"You are vile, perverse, and I cannot believe I talk to you about these things." She sniffed.

"You talk to me about these things because you want five minutes of wallowing followed by thirty minutes of realism, cushioned by just the right amount of comfort." He sank down beside her again. "Now, have we whined sufficiently for the day? Or is there wallowing yet to be done?"

"My life is spinning out of control, and you call it whining." She blew a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Thank you so much."

"Welcome." He grinned. "But the only thing spinning out of control here is your reproductive system."

"You are terrible," She said.

"You love me," he drawled.

"Adore you in fact." she lay her head on his shoulder again.

"I know." He smirked. "Just look on the bright side sweetie, you've never had a better reason to shop. Retail therapy here we come."

"Oh god!" Her hand slapped over her face again. "There goes my ass. There comes a time when you just don't bounce back."

"Well, I wasn't going to say it," he said drily. "You'll be fine. Just remember, I know a guy. Although, it is such a shame…" He craned his head to get a good look at it. "It was such a nice one too."

Her head shot up again. "Was?"

"Oh honey, you said you had suspected for a while. What was your first clue." He gave her hips a pointed look.

"I take it back," she decided. "I despise you."

"Too late," he sing-songed. "You adore me. No take-backs, as the kids would say. Speaking of, where is the little ray of sunshine? Shouldn't he be toddling home about now?"

"Fishing." She decided that arguing with Gavin would take too much energy at the moment and lay her head back down. "One of my Lieutenants took his grandsons and invited Rusty along. They'll be gone the entire weekend. If nothing else, my wallowing is always well timed."

"I had noticed that," his brows lifted. "I am in awe of your superior planning skills. Well done."

"Thank you." She went back to chewing on her bottom lip. "It's not a farce?"

"Nope." He swept a hand through her hair again. "Mildly humorous, somewhat worrisome, but definitely two years shy of farcedom. Excellent timing, as we decided."

"What am I supposed to tell people?" Her nose wrinkled.

"As if you've ever cared or it's anyone's business. Don't say a word. If they ask, well…" He shrugged. "There's only one word you need to practice."

Sharon drew a breath and closed her eyes. This should prove to be good. "That is?"

"Oops." He flashed a wide, cheerful grin.

It was as she had expected. "You're getting predictable."

He gasped, all too dramatically. "Bite your tongue!"

"No, it's true. I knew that was coming," she smirked at him.

"Darling, that doesn't make me predictable, it makes you unerringly genius," he decided.

"Yes, we'll go with that," she laughed.

The sound of keys hitting the dresser drew their attention. "Hi honey, how are you feeling? Better, that's great. What did you do today? Read a book, watched a movie, rolled around in bed with another man." He placed his phone, badge, and his gun on the dresser and turned. "That's great." He walked out of the bedroom again. "Gavin, it's always a pleasure."

The lawyer lifted his head to follow the man's departure. "A lesser man would be threatened by this. I'm so glad that this one actually likes me."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him and shoved away from him. She rose in the same fluid motion and pointed a finger at him. "Not a word," she ordered.

He held his hands up. "Why would I ruin all the fun of your silent deliberating, worrying and desperation? Please, the floor show is far too entertaining."

"Go home, Gavin." She strode out of the bedroom.

"Oh, sure…" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "All the hard work and none of the pay off. You don't deserve me," he called after her.

"Good bye, Gavin!" Sharon followed her lover's movement into the kitchen and found him staring into the open refrigerator.

"Well, that's just a fine thanks I get." He got up and smoothed his clothes out. He strolled toward the living room and toed back into his shoes. "Call me," he stated. He wanted to know how it all turned out, as if there were any doubt that she would, in fact, be calling him at some point with a full report. If it went badly, she'd be at his door, but he was hoping for a phone call. "Lieutenant Flynn, always a joy."

He leaned back against the counter and lifted the bottle of apple juice. "Gavin."

Sharon waited for Gavin to leave before rolling her eyes. "Remind me that his ego needs pruning again." She leaned against the bar and watched him. Beneath the oversized t-shirt that she wore, his, she also wore a pair of shorts. She rubbed her foot against the back of her bare calf while she deduced that he was amused.

"Sure." Andy tilted his head at her and grinned. "His ego needs pruning."

She made a face at him and pushed away from the bar. "Funny guy."

"I try." He moved out of the kitchen and slipped an arm around her. "Okay?" There was something odd, and just a bit fragile about her. She hadn't felt well for several days, which could lend itself to the cause, and that she actually took a sick day was cause enough for worry. He couldn't recall a single day, in several years that Sharon had taken a day off for herself due to illness or any other reason. Certainly not in the two years since she'd taken over Major Crimes.

"Hm." She shrugged at him, but smiled, even if it was a bit tremulous. "I really don't know the answer to that yet, but can we agree to talk about it when I do?" She tipped her head back and looked up at him, eyes searching. The little quiver that went through her was uncontrollable, but Gavin's flippant, and somewhat comforting reassurance aside, it wasn't a subject that she was ready to visit with him at present. She was fairly certain at the answer, but until speaking with a medical professional and ruling out all other concerns, possibilities, and having facts in hand… well, another day or two wouldn't matter. The appointment was made, Gavin had simply proposed putting her mind at ease. That had proven to be an epic failure.

Andy's hand cupped her chin while he studied her face. There was something bothering her, but she wasn't exactly evading the question. Her answering gaze was almost pleading. It wasn't a refusal to discuss, it was a gentle request for a delay. "You sure?" It was mildly irritating, and altogether too worrisome, this not knowing. Yet, she wasn't closing him out. He could read her easily. She was allowing him that.

"I am," she said gently. Her hand came up to curl around his wrist. "We will talk," she promised. "I just need a little time. If it helps, I can say right now that I don't think anything is wrong."

"Okay." He ran his hand down her side. His lips were soft against hers. "I can do that." Then he curled his arm around her and drew her close. She wasn't the type to cling, but she burrowed close and held on tightly. He dropped a kiss to the crook of her neck, just above the t-shirt she wore.

"Thank you," she murmured against his chest. "I love you." Although she had said it before, it was important to her that he know that, before their world changed completely. Whatever the result, life was about to change.

Andy drew back and looked down at her. His hands slid into the thick curtain of her hair and cupped her head between his large palms. He tipped her head back and looked into her eyes again. The emotion in them, love, affection, and something else that he could not quite define and would not call fear, combined to make his chest constrict. His mouth brushed gently across hers, only the slightest caress. "Love you," he said against her mouth. When her arm snaked around his neck and drew him closer, he let her. He pulled her tight against him and enjoyed the feel of her soft warmth. He would give her the time she needed, there was little that he could deny her now, she was too much a part of him.

Whatever had brought Gavin to her side, he would know in time. She was deliberate in everything, even her personal life. She would not leap without full consideration. She was rattled, and he was worried, but he had no reason to doubt her. She was not a woman prone to half measures, and the same was true of her heart. When she loved, she loved fully, and for that, he knew he was damned lucky. Andy could hold his hot-tempered curiosity at bay, for a time. Soon enough, the answers would come.