Disclaimer: I don't think that getting divorced or being gay is "wrong," and it's not up to me to decide whether or not it's wrong, anyway. Not to mention that it's none of my damn business. I've been rewatching MC episodes during the hiatus, and I just thought it was interesting that Sharon took so long to divorce Jack for "religious" reasons, but also seemed to have no issue with Rusty being gay (not that I thought she should). Those two issues seem to be on complete opposite ends of the religious thought spectrum, and this is my attempt at explaining how Sharon encompasses such a broad range of religious ideology. If the reviews indicate that I haven't made myself clear, then, since this is a one-shot, I will respond in the reviews if it isn't possible for me to respond privately.
Rusty woke up on the lumpy couch at Provenza's house, and, like the couple of mornings before, couldn't figure out where he was at first. His stomach felt like crap, and he hoped Sharon was nearby. He knew she'd be able to fix it, or at least help him feel better. It was embarrassing how quickly he turned to her when the slightest thing was wrong, but she had a history of making everything right again.
"Hey, kid! Get up now. If I'm late to work, I'm telling the captain it's all your fault," Provenza shouted.
Ugh, that's where he was. He wouldn't see Sharon until they got to the station. If he was lucky. And she still wouldn't have much time for him. He might as well just stay on the couch. "I'm sick."
Provenza looked nervous. What the hell was he supposed to do with a sick kid? "Well, get dressed. You'll see the captain when we get to work. She'll know what to do with you."
"Noooo." Provenza sighed as he pulled out his phone to text Sharon. Your kid won't get up and get dressed. Claims he's sick.
Sharon responded immediately. Is he really sick? Is he running a fever?
How the hell would I know? All I know is he won't get off of the couch.
All right. Be there soon.
"Okay, kid, the Captain's on her way." Rusty smiled, snuggling under the covers. He really did feel nauseous, but he didn't think it was a virus or anything. He hated being away from Sharon this week while he was waiting to testify at Phillip Stroh's trial. He saw her some during the day, but she was so busy with trying to find the creep that had tried to kill him that he didn't get to spend much time with her. He was starting to worry that she was going to put him back in the system after the trial. He was pretty sure she knew he was gay by now, but, even if she didn't, then she would find out soon enough. He didn't know much about religion, but he knew being gay wasn't accepted. Hell, Sharon wouldn't even divorce Jack for religious reasons, and he had no idea why divorce was so wrong. She definitely wouldn't want a gay person living with her once the trial was over. She had told him once before that he would always have a home with her, but that was before she knew he was gay. For certain, anyway. She knew about his life in the streets before he lived with her, but he had hoped that she assumed that it was strictly for money and had nothing to do with his orientation. After the Kris debacle, though, he was pretty sure that she knew. He would change it if he could, but he just couldn't. He had already tried.
Thirty minutes later, Sharon arrived at Provenza's house. "What's wrong with him?" Rusty smiled to himself, relieved that Sharon was there. The concern he heard in her voice would never get old.
"I don't know. I think he just needs his mom."
Rusty felt Sharon sit on the couch beside him. He opened his eyes and stared up at her. She was studying him critically, and she had the same concerned expression on her face that she always had when she suspected that he was sick. "Hi, honey. Lieutenant Provenza tells me you aren't feeling very well." Rusty shook his head. Sharon tenderly felt his forehead, but she didn't feel any fever. "You don't have a fever, but you don't look so well. What's the matter?"
"My stomach hurts." Sharon continued to look him over. She could tell he hadn't been sleeping well, and his voice sounded strained. Her hand went back to his forehead, then drifted to his cheek. Rusty sighed, loving how her cool hand felt on his face. God, he was going to miss this.
"Rusty, don't worry about the person who's been after you. We are going to find him, and you will be perfectly safe until we do. You testify in three days, and you won't have to worry about Phillip Stroh ever again."
"So, like, after the trial...I live with you again?"
"Of course you do."
"For how long?"
Sharon sighed. "Rusty. We've been through this. You are staying with me for as long as you want to."
"But, you, like, still want me there?"
"Rusty! You know I do. Why would this change, just because the trial is over? I've told you more than once that you mean so much more to me than being a witness."
"But I'm...I mean, I...You know I'm gay, right?" Rusty blurted out.
Sharon tilted her head. That wasn't what she was expecting. Of course she knew. She'd thought he just needed a little TLC. She chose her words carefully. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Come on, Sharon. You won't divorce Jack for religious reasons, even though other religious people get divorced all the time. I don't know crap about religion, but I know that being gay isn't accepted. If you think something as small as divorce is wrong, then you must really think I'm terrible." Before Sharon could respond, Rusty took a few deep breaths, then jumped up and ran for the bathroom. A few moments after he started throwing up, he felt Sharon patting his back and wiping his face with a cold cloth.
Sharon wished she had known that all of this had been on Rusty's mind. He had literally worried himself sick. She thought carefully about a response as she tended to Rusty while he continued to get sick. When he finally finished, she led him back to the couch.
"Ye gods. Did he just vomit in my bathroom?" Provenza grumbled as Sharon got a glass of water from the kitchen.
"Yes. Don't worry, I'll clean the bathroom before we leave." Sharon took Rusty the glass of water and sat beside him on the couch. She pulled him close to her and held his head against her shoulder. Much to his embarrassment, he had started crying, but Sharon just held him in silence for a few minutes and let him sob into her shoulder before she started speaking. "Rusty. I made a promise before God to love and honor Jack until death. I'm having trouble with the idea of divorce because it's something I can control. Being gay isn't a 'problem' you need to 'fix.' It's who you are, and it can't be changed. And I wouldn't want you to even try to change. Many Christians are wrong about homosexuality, but I'm not one of them. I love you, and your home is where I am. I promise." (A/N: Again, this is not my personal view on divorce. I think Sharon should have divorced Jack well before she did. I'm just trying to figure out why it was so hard for her to do so.)
Rusty's sobs started to subside into sniffles. He looked at her incredulously. "Like, seriously?!"
Sharon thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to give him some perspective. "When, exactly, did you make the conscious decision to be gay?"
Rusty looked confused. "I didn't. I even tried to ignore it. But I couldn't. I just am."
Sharon put her hands on his cheeks and wiped away his tears. "Exactly. It's who you are, and there is not one thing wrong with who you are. I don't use the word 'love' lightly, Rusty. When I tell you that I love you, I mean it. Nothing will ever change the fact that I love you. Understand?"
Rusty nodded and buried his face into Sharon's shoulder, allowing himself to be comforted by his mom.
Again, I just want to clarify that I'm not saying it's impossible for Christians to accept homosexuality. I'm a Christian, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. The homosexuality spoken of in the Bible differs greatly from how homosexuality exists today, but people who take the Bible so literally that they condemn divorce most likely don't see it this way. (I know that much of Sharon's reluctance to divorce Jack likely came from her parents and/or other family members, but some of it seemed to also come from herself. I also know that she mentioned a couple of other reasons at one time for not wanting to get divorced, but, any time she talked about it, religion was the first, and sometimes the only, reason mentioned). That's the conflict I'm trying to address. Thanks again for reading!