Takes place between Return to Sender Part 1 and Return to Sender Part 2.
Dirty Dishes
The knock on the door on Sunday evening had both men up with their weapons drawn in less time than Rusty had time to comprehend. He immediately got down on the ground when Lieutenant Provenza instructed him to and tried to calm his pounding heart. It was just someone in his security detail. That's all. His would-be assassin wouldn't bother to knock, he reasoned.
He watched from under the coffee table as Detective Julio Sanchez approached the door and turned on the porch light before looking through the peephole. Rusty sighed in relief as a familiar voice stated simply, "It's me."
No one needed to tell Rusty who that voice belonged to. He was up off the ground and at the door before Detective Sanchez had time to open it fully. Which was a mistake. He heard Lieutenant Provenza telling him to stay back, but he ignored the lieutenant, knowing better than him. So, a moment later, when Rusty ended up running chest first and nearly full force into Sanchez's open hand, effectively having the wind knocked out of him, he realized his error.
"Ow!" Rusty cried before he shot a dark look at the detective as though he'd been punched full force in the nose by the older man instead of kept out of the open doorway.
Captain Raydor quickly stepped inside the door, though, setting the two large paper bags she was carrying down which caused their contents to rattle. She then was at Rusty's side. Going on about the rules…again.
"Rusty," the captain said with her seemingly eternal patience, "how many times have you been told not to stand in front of open doors or windows?"
"A lot," Rusty admitted, feeling slightly ashamed. His shame was not because he hadn't followed orders again, but because his running to Sharon caused him to expect…something. He didn't know what, though, but it was something other than another lecture about doing what one was told.
Sharon, of course, knowing what Rusty had been expecting even if he didn't, wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which he immediately returned, squeezing her fiercely. He didn't want to let go. Ever. But she eventually pushed him back a moment later.
"You need to stay safe, Rusty. Which means doing as you're told."
"I know."
Sharon stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
"What brings you here, Captain?" Lieutenant Provenza asked, clearing his throat. "Couldn't resist my charm any longer?"
The captain raised an eyebrow and fought a smile, thankful for Provenza's sense of humor. "I'm not in the habit of letting my children go a week living off pizza and burgers, Lieutenant," she replied, gesturing to the empty pizza boxes that were obviously from the night before that had been left sitting on the coffee table. "So, I thought the three of you might enjoy a home cooked meal."
Provenza smirked, obviously amused. "And just where do you think such a meal is going to come from, Captain?"
"Well, I did bring two grocery bags with me, Lieutenant."
Rusty glanced at Julio, who smirked back at him. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one finding this exchange amusing.
"I see," Provenza continued slowly, as if contemplating dinner possibilities. "And what sort of things are in those grocery bags?"
"All the ingredients necessary for spaghetti and meatballs."
"Uh huh," the lieutenant said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And just who do you think is going to be making a meal like that?"
"Well," Sharon began in her most melodic tone that told Rusty she was well aware of who was getting the better end of this deal, and that not only did she not care, but that she'd planned it that way. "If you can take the grocery bags into the kitchen for me and show me where you keep the pots, and if Rusty and Julio can clean up the living room, I might be inclined to prepare such a meal for you gentlemen."
Provenza shifted his gaze then to Julio and Rusty with obvious faked shock written on his face, as he moved to pick up the grocery bags. "What's wrong with the two of you? Living in a mess like this. Haven't you ever heard of picking up after yourselves? I want this living room spotless before the captain finishes making diner."
With both bags in hand now, Provenza then turned back to the captain. "Right this way, ma'am," he said, leading towards the kitchen.
Rusty rolled his eyes, while Julio smiled as they began gathering up the pizza boxes.
"Thank you," Sharon replied politely before following Provenza into the kitchen.
As soon as Sharon stepped inside the kitchen, she began regretting her decision of coming over and making dinner. Her dismay at the mess must have been obvious because Provenza immediately reminded her of the commitment she'd made.
"A deal is a deal, Captain," he cheerfully reminded. "As I'm sure I don't have to tell you."
Sharon took a deep breath before heading straight for the sink and began moving all the dirty dishes to one side. "You're absolutely right, Lieutenant."
For a moment afterwards, the lieutenant looked uneasy, as though considering saying something. Or offering to help, maybe, but he seemed to think better of it and wandered back to the living room. She was happy that he didn't press the issue.
Sharon had been expecting a bit of a mess after all. Lieutenant Provenza was a single man, who worked a variety of long hours, and had been looking after Rusty for her all week. She knew he was mostly just doing his job in watching Rusty, but she still felt as though she owed him something for keeping her son safe. If that meant cleaning his kitchen and cooking dinner for him and Rusty, it was the least she could do.
Nearly fifty years of doing dishes paid off as she quickly scrubbed each dish clean before putting it in the dishwasher.
She'd known and expected to be cleaning a kitchen that wasn't hers when she bought the groceries. But going an entire weekend without seeing Rusty wasn't something she was prepared to do under the circumstances. She'd come so close to losing him. Then having him taken from her almost immediately afterwards. Even if was just with Provenza. Even if she still saw him every day at work. Rusty still wasn't home. With her.
She had managed not to come over to the lieutenant's house yesterday. She'd kept busy at home since there were no new leads on the man who'd tried to kill Rusty. She'd poured over the case file there, taking a few breaks to clean her already immaculate condo. She couldn't remember going to sleep last night, but woke up on her couch this morning with a stiff neck.
She had decided then that going to Mass was the best thing in the world for her this morning and sat through the entire service unable to concentrate on anything other than Rusty. Her son. Her baby. Whether he wanted to be or not. She was too far gone to think of him as anything else now.
Stopping by the office after Mass to make sure there hadn't been any new leads, she headed home to change clothes before going to the grocery store. It was there she'd realized that Rusty was probably eating nothing but junk food and that as his legal guardian it was her responsibility to make sure he was well fed. With that convenient excuse, she'd bought everything she'd need to make her son one of his favorite meals.
Sighing, she put away the last dish. At the rate she was going, her hands were going to be dry and cracking from all the chemicals by Monday morning. Once she'd finished the dishes and wiped down all the counters and the stove, Sharon began cooking. As the noodles boiled and the sauce simmered, she walked back into the living room.
The boys had tried to clean up. She would give them that. The pizza boxes were gone, and there was space to sit on the sofa now, but they hadn't wiped off the coffee table. Not to mention, Rusty's dirty clothes were still lying in a pile, even if they had been moved over out of the way a little bit. Without a word, she began cleaning up everything they had neglected. They had tried after all. She was grateful that no one said anything to her about it.
She placed all of Rusty's dirty clothes in the now empty grocery bags so she could take them home and wash them. Hopefully, he'd be home before she had to bring him any more clothing. Deciding she needed to double check what clothes he did have, she refolded all the clothes in his open suitcase and tucked it neatly out of the way.
"Sharon?" Rusty finally asked, sounding slightly concerned.
"Hmm?" she replied, not stopping in her cleaning.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course, I'm fine, Rusty."
"I think what Rusty is trying to say, Captain, is that you're acting…different," Detective Sanchez said, as diplomatically as he knew how.
"Cut it out. Both of you," Provenza interrupted. "If she wants to clean my house and cook dinner instead of just stopping by to see Rusty, we're not going to stand in her way." A warm, if slightly manipulative, smile graced his lips
Captain Raydor didn't even pause in her cleaning. There was no point in denying it really, but she wasn't going to tell him that he was right either.
"You came to see me?" Rusty asked quietly. Before Sharon could reply, Provenza did it for her.
"No, Rusty. She just likes going over to other people's houses and cleaning up after them," Provenza said dryly. "Because she hasn't done enough of that over the years with her three children."
"Two children," Rusty corrected.
"No," Julio stated firmly before Provenza could reply. "She has three."
"She," Raydor cut in with her best 'I'm in charge' voice, "is standing right here."
"Actually, Captain, you're kneeling while cleaning my coffee table." Provenza's smile widened soon after. "And you missed a spot."
Sharon gave him a small smirk before standing. "I'm going to check on dinner. You can clean the spot that I missed, Lieutenant," she replied, throwing the cloth she was using towards Provenza.
"But, Captain, I wouldn't want to interfere with your excellent work," Provenza called after her, tossing the cloth on the table.
Sharon didn't reply or look behind her, but was sure everyone was wearing a smile to match her own. It was amazing what a cleaning could do.
This is my first Major Crimes fanfiction, so please let me know your thoughts.