The birth of the Raydor twins sent their grandparents over the edge bursting with joy. Of course they worried when she brought them home. They worried about her being alone with two small infants, Sharon could remember how tough it was with only one at a time. She remembered how colic affected her daughter and injuries plagued her son as a toddler. Now her own daughter was a mother. This was a different feeling entirely. Sharon is simply unable to keep an excited grin from her face.
"You look really miserable." Rusty smirks, sipping his coffee as he watches a sports' channel in the living room.
"Feet off the coffee table, please." She places her hands on her hips, admiring the large tree she obtained this year. It required two other men and Rusty to get it into the condominium, "Think it looks okay?"
"I think, once they eat the bottom three branches like they do with everything else in their reach, it will look great." He nods, glancing up at her.
Sharon playfully hits his arm as she walks by him, "It's their first Christmas."
"I'm aware." He stands, following her, "And last year was my first Christmas and next year will by my kid's first Christmas."
She stops, turning to face him, "What?"
"It was a joke." Rusty grins, "And very worth it by the look on your face."
"Not funny." Sharon gives him a look, "Jack is going to be here any minute. He may need some help from the garage."
"Are you all going to go overboard?"
"They are our first grandchildren. We are allowed to spoil them."
"Exactly. It's right in the grandparent handbook?" Rusty walks around to her, watching her closely, "What time is Quinn supposed to be here?"
"Soon. Same with Samuel." Sharon takes down a mug from the cabinet, pouring herself some coffee. "Did you check the inflatable bed like I asked you to yesterday?"
He nods, "Everything is fine. I even started the turkey in a brine yesterday so we can actually have it on Christmas." The teenager offers, "The bed has been tested, the silverware polished, the glasses spotless, the fridge cleaned out."
"I get it, Rusty." She looks above her glasses, "This year has been exceptionally hard in the office."
Rusty watches her, "I've been watching the Billings case on CNN. That's the one you're talking about right?"
"You know I am unable to discuss the specifics of this case, or any case, with you." Sharon shakes her head, "However, yes, that is the one that happens to be throwing us all for a loop."
"I can't believe a kid would just up and kill his entire family without help...or without any reason."
She offers a closed mouth smile, "His family situation may not be what the media is presenting, Rusty. There are always reasons for everything. Sometimes, the media only knows the portion of the story they want to present."
Rusty shrugs, "I'm just saying."
"As am I. I'm not fond of shop talk." Sharon turns when the doorbell rings. Her arms gingerly swing at her sides as she makes her way to the front door, checking through the hole in order to decide whether or not to answer it. She smirks, stepping aside as she opens it, "Jackson." She nods to him as he clumsily walks through with large bags of toys in each hand.
"They here yet?" The man glances to his wife.
"The babies? No." She shakes her head, "Rusty, come and help your...Jack." The catches herself. It was so easy to think Rusty was of her own blood. Having watched over him for well over a year, their relationship was not only growing more comfortable, but that of a mother and son more as well.
Jack smirked when the teenager bounds toward him, "Hey kid, I got it, but here. Take this one." He hands over one of the bags, "Sammy here?"
"Not yet, no." Sharon watches the two men drag the bags into the living room, "He did call and say he was fifteen minutes away about twenty minutes ago." She follows them after closing the door, "Which means he will be here in about ten minutes."
Rusty grins, nodding, "Sounds about right. Jack, could I get you something to drink?"
"Pepsi, if you have it." Jack stands up straighter, putting his hand to his back when he sees the young man walk away, "Sharon, you look great."
"Jackson, we just saw one another a few weeks ago." Sharon nods, placing her hands at her hips.
"And the distance is far too much, my love." He smirks when she gives him an eye roll, "Still, Shar, you're most beautiful when you're comfortable." The older man takes a seat on the sofa.
"Thank you." She smirks, "Quinn said the kids have only pulled the ornaments off twice. They seem to like the cartoon characters on them." She sits next to him.
"Yeah, I just saw them the other day." Jack nods, going quiet a moment, "I hate her being alone."
"As do I. I offered to buy her a place in this building, but she declined my offer." Sharon turns her head when Rusty returns with a glass for her as well, "Thank you, honey."
Rusty nods, smiling, "I can beat both of you. I was over there yesterday."
"Quinn says you help her out a lot. Thanks for that." Jack nods.
He shrugs, "Something to do." He wouldn't admit just how fond he's come to regard the Raydor twins, he feels it make him appear weak in some ways. However, Rusty knows that Sharon understands.
Sharon nods, standing when the doorbell rings once more. "Sam and Quinn have a habit of coming at almost the same time, so if this is one, the other is not far behind." She struts to the door, her boot covered feet relaxed in a bed of sheep's wool within it. She swings the door open, smiling when her son is there, "Merry Christmas, Sammy."
The large, broad chested man leans in, giving her a kiss, "Merry Christmas, Mom." Samuel Raydor walks past his mother, a book bag on his back containing his clothing, and a few gift bags in his hands. He pauses so she can walk alongside of him, "My students have been excited to see you on the news."
"The case is being shown in San Diego?" She places a hand on the small of his back.
"Mom, the case is being shown around the country. Buddy of mine from Philadelphia that I met while in college, said it's on there."
"You're kidding. I had no idea the case was that large." Sharon looks up at him with wide eyes, shaking her head.
"Are you trying to make a deal?" Sam watches his mother.
"I'm unable to discuss specifics about this case." She states simply, "Your father is here."
Rusty offers a nod from behind the desk to his foster brother, "Is it alright if I make a sandwich?" He looks to Sharon, "I'm hungry."
"Rusty, you know we will order food once Quinn arrives." Sharon looks to him over her glasses.
"What if she doesn't want to eat? What if she's eating right now and that's why she isn't here yet?" He watches her.
Jack chuckles, listening to the teenager, "Rusty, I'm sure she'll be here any minute."
She nods to the young man, "It is enough getting yourself ready to go somewhere with one child, but she has two children of the same age."
"Then, why doesn't someone go and help her?" Rusty raises an eyebrow, watching Sam put his stuff into his room. He stands, "I'll go."
Sharon shakes her head, "No, I will go. I have had more experience with this than the three of you combined." She smirks, "Everyone, think about what you want for dinner." She picks up her purse and keys. For some reason, she decides to put her sidearm into her purse. She doesn't usually and even she doesn't understand why she has the need to have it near her. "If anyone needs anything while I am out, call."
Jack nods, "Go, go. We got things covered here." He leans forward, removing the deck of cards he has always seemed to carry in his pocket.
She rolls her eyes as she leaves the condominium. Picking up her mobile phone, she begins swiping her finger across the screen to see if her daughter had sent a message that she wasn't aware of. She sighs when none can be found. Climbing into her car, she braves the short distance through Los Angeles traffic before arriving to her daughter's apartment building. She wished the young woman would understand that her best bet would be a place with a doorman.
Since the previous holiday, a restraining order was issued against Quinn's boyfriend. Luckily, his parents were more than willing to help out and there were no qualms between them. With James Truitt out of the picture for the most part, everything seemed to be peaceful.
Sharon Raydor steps off the elevator to her apartment. Something was off with the look of the young woman's door. She slowly approaches. noticing the broken look to the door frame. Removing her gun from her purse, she holds it at her side as she approaches even more slowly, edging the broken door open. Looking about, this doesn't seem to be a burglary. "Quinn." She calls, almost instantly hearing excited yelling.
Harper, the female of the twins, leans her head to the side, grinning to her grandmother as she teeters toward her.
Her grandmother is quick to pick her up, kissing her unusual blond hair, "Where is your mother?" She asks, not necessarily expecting her to answer, but surprised when she receives a point in the direction of the kitchen. Sharon continues holding the girl, then stops abruptly, seeing a blood trail. A dragging blood trail, the smell of gunpowder hits her nose.
Quinn adjusts herself against the bottom cupboards in the kitchen, her son resting against her. Her face and clothing drenched in blood. She holds the gun up, unknowing who to expect. She pulls the hammer back with her thumb, readying herself.
Sharon hears the click of what she knows to be a sidearm. "Quinn. I have Harper in my arms, don't shoot." She can't be entirely certain that her daughter is the one with the weapon, but better be safe than sorry.
The young woman lets her hand down with a thud, releasing a breath she didn't know she was keeping. Her other hand continues to stroke her sleeping son's brunette head as it rests against the bloody mess covering her trousers, "Mom." She croaks out.
The older woman rounds the corner, seeing her daughter. She can feel a flood of bile fill her throat at the sight before her. Approaching her daughter, Sharon crouches, "What happened?" She reaches a hand up to push a piece of hair from the young woman's swollen face.
"Wasn't able to call an ambulance...or police. Fucker broke my phone." Quinn grits her teeth, motioning to the living room where a broken piece of plastic can be seen scattered across the floor.
Sharon attempts to keep her composure, which she is failing at for the most part with the tears forming behind her glasses, "What happened?" She asks again, her voice turning monotone and serious.
"I let him come to give them gifts...for Christmas. He's been fine the last few months...since they've been born. I've kept him updated about them despite the order. I let him come...Then he wanted to take the kids with him. Started yelling at them because they don't really know him and Harper was fighting back. I told him that he couldn't and-" She motions to herself, "I tried to call the police, but he grabbed the phone...I don't have a landline." Quinn attempts to take a deep breath, wincing.
She begins to feel along her daughter's body with her free hand, "I smell gunpowder. Were you shot?"
"No, but I managed to get a few into him. Dad bought it for me. Said he felt safer if I have it." The young woman picks up the gun from beside her, "I fired about four times...I think three of them got him." She yelps from her mother's touch, causing her son to stir from his slumber against her.
"I believe you have a few broken ribs, and definitely a broken nose...possibly cheek. Did he hurt you anywhere else?" Sharon makes eye contact with her daughter, the underlying question that she couldn't ask. Didn't want to ask, but knew she had to.
"No...I don't think he would, besides he didn't have time to before I started firing." Quinn smirks, still absently stroking the hair of her son as he rests against her blood soaked pant leg.
"Did he strike the children?"
She shakes her head, "He picked up Finn and you know how he gets when he thinks someone is separating us. Harper growled at him most of the time. Kicked him in the leg." She smiles more with only one side of her mouth, trying not to chuckle, "It hurts to laugh."
"I'm going to give Buzz a call, possibly Lieutenants Flynn or Provenza-" Sharon begins.
"Don't do that. They're with their families for the holiday."
"Quinn, this needs to be properly documented and the camera of my cellular phone is not going to cut it. If we are going to have him arrested-"
"Don't do that. It's the holidays and he's probably with his mother and family. I don't want to do that to his mother." Quinn leans her head back, her breathing labored, "He just wanted to see his kids for Christmas, Mom."
"I am sorry that it is against your wishes, but I simply cannot allow you to continue. Your home was broken into, the safety of your children was threatened, and you've been assaulted. This story about him just gingerly coming to offer his children gifts, is not true. You are protecting him." Sharon's eyes darken, "Not to mention that you were forced to use a weapon against him in order to protect your life and the lives of your children. You're worried about ruining his holiday? I'm worried about keeping my job because of the things I want to do to him. I'm worried about going to prison for the things I want to do to him."
She smirks, "Captain Raydor to the rescue."
"If that is what you wish to call it." She nods, taking her phone from her pocket and dialing the only officer she could think of without any concrete plans. She waits until he picks up the other end, "Lieutenant Flynn, I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Andy steps off the treadmill he only recently purchased in a promise to himself to take better care of his health, "Nah, not at all. What's up?" He replies, out of breath. The man stands straighter when he can hear the shaky breath the woman on the other line is meeting him with, "Captain, everything okay?"
"No, it isn't." She swallows, "I need you to contact Buzz and-"
"Captain, what's going on?"
"I'm going to text you an address. Please, hurry. I'd like this well documented before I call paramedics and I'm not sure how much longer she's going to stay conscious." Raydor rests her cheek against her granddaughter's curled blonde hair, a cautious eye kept on her daughter.
Hearing the worry in her voice, Andy nods as if she can see him, "I'll be right there."