Light In The Dark
by Kate04
Chapter One – I'm Going Slightly Mad
A/N: This is a sequel to a story I wrote a while ago – Tears In Her Dark Face. It would make sense to read that before starting with this one. Otherwise it might not make a lot of sense.
A big 'thank you' goes to my wonderful beta Most Bossy Robin once again. She's the best!
lontanissima wielded the whip and gave me her opinion and the title and Kadi219 did a lot of handholding and poking. *hugs*
Disclaimer: Not my characters, not my universe – I just want to play.
Time: Present
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When he kisses her storms rise beneath her skin;
for she is the ocean, and he, her moon.
Sharon studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, turning this way and that and running her hands over the smooth fabric of the red dress. It clung to her body and showed off all of her curves – not just the good ones.
When had that belly appeared and where had her waist gone? She turned around again and stared at her backside. She was certain that it had been rounder and firmer not so long ago.
Sharon let her hands drop and her shoulders slump as she turned away from the mirror. Her displeased glare landed on the man casually leaning against the opposite wall.
Gavin looked her up and down, an expression of deep concentration on his face, before he pursed his lips and shook his head.
"I'm not sure what it is about this dress, but it just doesn't do anything for you, honey. I thought it would look great on you, but I was wrong."
He sounded slightly offended that the dress defied his usually impeccable eye for clothes. It was why Sharon loved taking him along for shopping trips - especially when she was searching for something specific. At that moment she wasn't so sure if the dress was the problem here. Maybe it was just that she was getting too old for the kinds of dresses she liked to wear. It was to be expected, really. Somehow Sharon had hoped that it would be a few more years – or decades – before she'd have to worry about that.
When Gavin held out another dress for her, she gave him a doubtful look.
"I'm not sure if this is going to be any better. Maybe I should be going with something a little more …" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, fearing that actually saying the words age appropriate would make this dreadful situation even more real. She had never worried about her age before, but these last few months it seemed to invade her thoughts again and again. The next big one wasn't too far off and she was starting to fret about it, even though she would never admit to it to anyone.
Her friend had known her for many years and he could read her moods like no other. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side for a moment.
"Oh no, you don't! You're not going to go all old lady on me, darling! I won't have it. Go on, get rid of that rag and show me how you rock this one. And stop your whining. You're not old."
He shoved a black dress into her hands, turned her around and pushed her back into the changing room. Knowing that arguing with him would be useless, Sharon peeled herself out of the red dress and hung it over the door for Gavin to take away, catching a glimpse of the price tag. That rag, as he had called it, would have been out of her price range, anyway. Sometimes he forgot that, while not poor by any means, Sharon wasn't in the same league as he when it came to income.
Just to save herself the heart attack later on, Sharon squinted at the price tag on the dress he had just handed her and was pleased to see that it was much closer to the limit she had set herself, if still slightly more expensive than she would have liked.
She enjoyed the way the black silk felt against her skin as she brushed her hands over it and the zipper that ran all the way down the back of the dress intrigued her. As she slipped into it and turned around in front of the mirror, she liked what she saw a lot more than before. The black, knee-length skirt hugged her hips without enhancing certain imperfections. The bodice was black and cream-coloured with black lace applications, a scalloped V-shaped neckline and short lace sleeves. Her plain white bra didn't quite produce the effect that was needed for this dress, but that was the smallest problem. A small smile crept onto her face. It was just another excuse to make a stop at the lingerie department.
Sharon closed her eyes for a moment and imagined Andy's hands on her neck, teasing her, before he slowly drew the zipper all the way down, gasping when he caught sight of a tiny piece of lace covering her butt.
Her smile faltered the moment that thought crossed her mind, thinking back to the way that part of her anatomy had seemed to droop so sadly in the red dress. Suddenly, the black dress seemed awfully tight and the sight of her cleavage made it hard to imagine that it was just a matter of another bra.
She was still frowning at her reflection when Gavin burst into the stall.
"Darling, what's taking you so long?" He stood behind her, peering over her shoulder at the mirror.
"Okay, we need to make a trip to the fifth floor and find you something nice for the dangly bits, but I like this. It's classy, yet sexy. Absolutely perfect for you. I knew I've still got it."
He grinned at her, obviously satisfied with his choice. He turned her a little to study her profile, his eyes lingering on her behind for a moment before he nodded.
"Yes that will do nicely. I still don't know what exactly you've got planned, but I'm sure this will be the perfect outfit."
When his eyes met hers in the mirror, he noticed her sceptical look and the way she frowned at what she saw. He turned her around and pushed her down to sit on the small bench in the corner as he squatted down in front of her, his hands resting on her knees.
"Alright, what's up with that mood of yours? You look as if someone shot your puppy."
Sharon sighed and gave him an unhappy pout.
"I'm just beginning to realise that I'm not as young as I used to be and it's starting to show. I don't think I can pull off a dress like this anymore."
Gavin gave her a long look before he shook his head and spoke.
"Honey, this is complete bullshit and you know it. How long have we known each other? You've never been one for false modesty. Don't start now; it's beneath you. We both know that there's more to it, so stop fretting over nothing and tell Uncle Gavin what's going on."
She snorted at his words. He did indeed know her too well. Of course he'd realise there was more to her peculiar mood. For a moment she considered brushing his concern off, but then decided against it. This entire situation had her tied into a knot for days now. Maybe talking about it would help. Who could she trust with this story if not her dearest friend?
Sighing in resignation, she patted his hand and stood.
"Okay, you win, but not here. This conversation needs a bottle of wine and a quiet place." She raised her eyebrow at him in question.
"You know the way to my heart. First we need to pay for that dress and get you something to wear under it." He looked at her feet for a moment, his eyes glazing over.
"You've still got those cream-coloured pumps with the black ankle strap, right? Those would be perfect with this dress."
Sharon went through her shoe collection in her mind, trying to find the pair Gavin thought about and she smiled brightly when she did.
"You're thinking about the Kate Spades, right? Yes, I've still got them. It's been a long time since I last wore those."
He almost bounced in excitement before he turned around to leave the stall.
"Get out of that dress and let's get the work part of this trip over with."
She shook her head at his back. Apparently, she was going to buy this dress. She should have been offended at his assumption that she'd just do as he said, but she trusted Gavin implicitly, especially when it came to fashion. He would never let her buy anything that looked less than fabulous and he had no qualms about being completely honest.
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"Alright, you've got your wine and your quiet place, now spill it. What's the problem?"
Of course he wouldn't forget about that, Sharon thought. Why had she even entertained that thought? Gavin never forgot anything. She studied the contents of her glass for a long moment, letting her mind linger on the swirling, ruby liquid.
"I think I've got a date." She didn't dare meet his eyes. It was ridiculous. She was almost sixty and divorced. Dating was something she had done forty years ago.
"You think you've got a date? Either you've got a date or you don't." She rolled her eyes at him.
"It's not that easy. We're friends and there are certain complications." Sharon shrugged, unsure how to put all those conflicting feelings into words.
Gavin studied her over the rim of his glass for a long moment, until his eyes widened and he gasped.
"No! No way! It's not…" He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We're not talking about a certain Lieutenant here, are we?"
When she blushed and lowered her gaze to stare at her hands, he had his answer.
"Oh my God, you're crazy! I never thought you of all people would go for an illicit affair with a subordinate!" His happy grin belied his shocked tone. Great, so her best friend was having a field day with her misery.
"It's neither illicit nor is it an affair. Not really. I'm divorced and it's not against the rules, as long as we report it. Besides, right now it's nothing. We're just friends," she reasoned.
"And yet, here you are, obsessing over the way you look in a cocktail dress. I'm sure you give that much thought to the way you look every time you go out with me, too." His sarcastic tone and raised eyebrow made the corners of her mouth twitch as she looked at him from under her eyelashes.
"Yeah, I didn't think so. I sense a story behind this and I want to hear it. All the gory details. It's time to open the closet and let those skeletons run free."
He was entirely too gleeful for Sharon's taste and she gave him one of her evil glares to make sure he understood that. When it had as little effect as she had suspected, she heaved a sigh and gave in.
"You're right, there is a story behind this and it's a long and complicated one. It started before we knew each other, shortly before I transferred to Internal Affairs."
She told him about that day, more than twenty years ago, when she had caught her husband cheating and had ended up in a bar, trying to find solace in a glass wine. She told him about that handsome stranger, who had listened to her so attentively, who had shared his own sad story with her - the handsome stranger, who had made her forget about her worries for a short while in the restroom of that bar.
Gavin looked at her with an expression of fake outrage.
"Sharon, you little hussy. Who would've thought that you'd be one of those women? Was it good? Did you do it again? When did you find out who he was?" He looked at her expectantly, almost bouncing on his chair.
"To be honest, I don't have a clear recollection of it. It was a long time ago, for one, I was upset and a bit over my two-glass limit, so things are a bit fuzzy. He did manage to take my mind off things for a moment, though," she said with a smile.
It was easier to think about that time after all these years, now that she actually knew that handsome stranger and felt a little more for him than just this sizzling sensation of intoxication and instant attraction. They had come a long way since that dark and rainy night. It hadn't always been easy and they hadn't always gotten along as well as that first night. There was awkwardness and anger, passion and longing, before they finally found a safe haven in their solid friendship. And now everything was up in the air once again.