Loosely inspired by 'This' by Darius Rucker
My belated Christmas present to everyone, hope you had an amazing holiday! Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Sorry this took a little longer than expected, some wild food allergies got in the way. And this is my first forray into one-shots, enjoy!
I own nothing, and I'm for sure not getting paid for this.
Brenda had just finished hanging the last ornament when a very naked one year old rounded the sofa and smashed directly into her. Thankfully, the blonde was able to grab the pine before it toppled over, but most of the decorations were now littering the floor. When did toddlers become so annoying? And quick? She let out a long sigh, her first Christmas with Sharon wasn't exactly turning out how she had planned. And she had one very obnoxious baby to blame.
"Shar, I thought you were putting Jo down for a nap?" whined the blonde, completely annoyed, as she collected a handful of things off the floor. Joanna had already grabbed a rather glittery, red ball and popped it into her mouth. Settling herself next to the tree, she looked rather pleased with the chaos she'd created.
"I was, honey. Unfortunately, she didn't have the same plans…she bolted halfway through the diaper change." Sharon responded as she ran into the room, diaper in hand, searching for her granddaughter.
"She's over here." The Chief picked up the baby, attempting to extract the ornament from her death grip, thanking the Gods above that she'd never decided to procreate.
Noticing her girlfriend struggling to retrieve the decoration, Sharon grabbed for the child and took away the offending object in one swift motion. This wasn't the brunette's first time at the rodeo, she had raised two girls as basically a single parent. And while Brenda had assured her that she could handle Jo's Christmas stay, it was obvious that she was less than comfortable around a toddler. The Captain almost regretted telling Annie that they were more than capable of watching her for 10 days while they attended a rather poorly planned, impromptu, but mandatory, seminar in New York. Jo had turned out to be a much more rambunctious little lady than her mother had let on. Not to mention, Sharon was just exhausted. She had been up half the night soothing her very freaked out granddaughter, who was not used to her home. And it was only day two, there was no way she was going to make it through the next week. Brenda had tried to pull her weight, but with zero experience when it came to taking care of a baby, her skills were limited. Laying Jo on the floor, diaper ready, the brunette wrestled to secure the child in place before she got away.
"Lemmie help, I gotta learn sometime." Brenda noticed the bags around the older woman's eyes, she looked practically comatose. And if she had any chance of getting some action tonight, or any night with this kid around, she needed to step up her babysitting game.
"Hmm, okay," murmured the brunette, leg lightly pinning down the toddler, trying to keep her in place.
Sharon watched as the younger woman opened the diaper, examining both ends, before deciding which side went in the front. Of course she would try to put it on backwards.
"No, Brenda Leigh, the tabs go in the back. The design goes in the front, like this." The brunette placed the diaper under Jo's rear end, indicating which side of the diaper should be facing out and then dropped her hands, allowing the younger woman to continue.
"Now just stick the tabs against that front design, perfect. Make sure it's tight enough, otherwise she'll pull it off, and then you're done. Good work, Chief," smiled the brunette. It appeared with a little practice, the blonde might be able to handle this baby after all.
Brenda smirked, and gave her girlfriend a quick peck before standing up and heading to the kitchen.
"Hey baby, why don't you take Jo upstairs and I'll get a bottle ready?"
"You're going to get a bottle? Do you remember what I told you, how much powder you're supposed to use? And make sure it's not too hot…" continued the brunette.
"I got it, 1 scoop for every 2 ounces of water. And she gets a whole bottle, so that's 4 scoops. Oh, and check how hot the water is on my arm after mixin'. I arrest murderer's everyday, I think I can handle one bottle." The younger woman began running warm water, checking to make sure the temperature was initially acceptable. Once finished, she headed full speed upstairs, excited to show Sharon how well she had done. As she rounded the corner to the guest room, she was taken aback by the scene in front of her. Sprawled out on the floor, on her stomach, the brunette was helping the toddler piece together a puzzle. Brenda felt her heart flip. Of course she always thought Sharon was beautiful, but in this moment, the blonde couldn't have loved her more. Those two were just like peas in a pod, and it was obvious the brunette enjoyed having the small child around, even when Jo was acting like a lunatic. The younger woman could only imagine what Sharon had been like with her own girls, she doubted the Captain was anything less than a phenomenal mother. Silently taking a mental picture of the moment, she pushed the door open completely and handed the bottle to her girlfriend.
"Here Shar, I think I got it right," whispered the blonde as she seated herself next to the older woman on the floor, lightly stroking the small of her back.
"Thanks. I'll just give her this and put her down," sighed the older woman as she looked over, suddenly realizing how incredibly exhausted she was.
"How about after, you go lay down and I'll bring you some lunch?" Brenda was already cataloguing her limited cooking options, debating what she could make.
"That sounds great." Sharon craned her neck up to plant a light kiss on the blonde's cheek.
After depositing one very full and sleepy baby into her crib, Sharon headed for bed. As she passed the stairs, she could smell a faint whiff of…pancakes? And eggs? It was no secret the blonde was limited in the kitchen, so the Captain had spent the last few months teaching her to make some simple dishes. Mainly breakfast, since it was Brenda's favorite meal of the day, (Sharon thought that might have to do with how many sugary options were available, from pancakes and waffles to other pastries) and usually most recipes involved weren't too difficult. Stripping off her jeans, shirt, and bra, the brunette pulled her favorite thermal over her head and proceeded to fall into bed. Double-checking that the baby monitor on her nightstand was plugged in and on, she curled up and waited for her Chief to appear.
Brenda carefully carried the large tray of food upstairs, attempting not to trip or spill anything. Slowly, she made her way to their bedroom and pushed open the door with her shoulder. She found her girlfriend completely knocked out, in one see through white thermal and a cute pair of black underwear, brown curls spread around her face. Setting the tray down on the dresser to her left, she launched for the bed. Even asleep, the older woman registered the warm body next to hers, and threw an arm over the blonde, pulling her in. Brenda soon found herself peacefully dreaming as well.
They were both awoken by Sharon's cell phone ringing. Glancing at the time before answering, the brunette noted she had been asleep for almost 2 hours, and surprisingly Jo hadn't woken up.
"Captain Raydor," husked the brunette into her phone, not completely awake. She felt the blonde stir beside her, then an arm draped over her waist, pulling her back into a spooning position.
"It's Sergeant Elliot. Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we caught a case. A couple of Vice officers shot at a suspected drug dealer and…"
"Just send me the address, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you, Sergeant." Sharon hung up the phone, letting out a sigh. Of course, two days before Christmas, some Vice assholes would decide to go on a little shooting spree. That division just seemed to think their shit didn't stink, and it was a royal pain in the Captain's ass.
"Brenda Leigh, honey, I have to get up. I caught a case." She turned over to face the blonde, laying a hand on a toned shoulder and lightly shaking.
"Hey you," smiled the younger woman sleepily, as she leaned in for a kiss.
The brunette hummed in response, but didn't allow Brenda to deepen the kiss. She really needed to start getting ready.
"As much as I'd love to stay in bed with you for the rest of the day, I need to go. Do you want me to call Kate to come over and take care of Jo until I get back?" She couldn't help but plant another kiss on those wide lips, Brenda was absolutely adorable when she was just waking up.
"I think I can handle her for a couple hours…I mean how hard can it be? We'll play toys, maybe watch a movie, I'll feed her some dinner, and put her down for the night. Trust me, I've got this. Worst case, I'll call Kate and she can come help if somethin' happens." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she winced. Thankfully, the brunette didn't notice. Brenda hadn't been left alone with a child in years, decades actually, and Jo was a rather difficult little girl, if the last two days were any indication. In fact, the blonde had actively avoided any sort of babysitting for most of her adult life. Every time Fritz's nephews came to visit, the Chief would make up some sort of excuse, claiming she caught a case, to get out of hanging around them. But with Sharon, everything was different. She wanted to help her, to take some of the burden, even if it was just for a few hours. And she wanted to prove to herself, and the woman she loved, that she could be trusted with Jo. If this relationship really was going to work out long-term, Sharon would have to see that she could handle the grandchildren. Jo was already such an important part of her life, and the blonde figured there would be more on the way. And good news, Kate was always down the street, she had offered to help her neighbors when they needed a break.
Sharon was out the door 10 minutes later, and Brenda settled in to watch an episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta on the DVR until Jo woke up. Sometime during yet another Kim & Nene argument, she heard the little girl stirring on the monitor. Soon she was amping up, and the blonde figured there was no longer a chance she would fall back asleep, so she headed for the crib. Picking up the chunky munchkin, Brenda felt a small head nuzzle into her shoulder. As much as she wanted to dislike the kid for invading the couples first Christmas together, she was pretty adorable when she wanted to be. Perhaps this evening wouldn't be as hard as the blonde had thought. She planted a light kiss on Jo's head and grabbed a few toys from the floor before walking back to the bedroom. There was no reason she couldn't finish her Real Housewives episode while the little girl played.
To say the brunette was irritated would be an understatement, considering the Vice officers had zero need to shoot at her victim. They would be cleared of wrongdoing, of course, because the dealer had threatened them with a toy gun. And according to protocol, that did allow for an excessive use of force. But the gun was obviously fake, it was hard to believe that these cops really had no idea that the man was bluffing. Glancing at her phone for the thousandth time, she decided to just call the younger woman and check in, instead of letting her mind create horrible scenarios of what was possibly happening at home. The blonde picked up by the fourth ring.
"Hey Shar, how's the investigation goin'?" chirped the Chief, placing another block on the tower she was currently building with Jo.
"Oh, you know. Same shit, different day," complained Sharon, completely over the paperwork that she had just begun.
"That bad, huh?" The toddler, no longer impressed with what they were building, smacked down the blocks and started to crawl into Brenda's lap, reaching for her phone.
"Not so bad, mostly just pointless. And irritating. Nothing like a couple of hot-shot Vice rookies using their suspect for target practice. How are you and my baby doing?" Sharon could hear babbling through the phone. Good news, Jo was still alive and in one piece.
"Jo, no, get off my phone. And hey, I thought I was your baby? I'm gonna start gettin' jealous pretty soon…" the blonde drawled as she stood up, protecting her phone from those little hands.
"You know what I mean, Brenda Leigh. How is she?"
"She's just fine. I managed to change her diaper after she woke up. I even remembered the design goes in the front. And now we're sittin' here watchin' some TV and playin' with those blocks you got her."
"Please tell me you aren't letting her watch that trash you love so much," intoned the brunette. How the younger woman could watch those stupid, gossipy, jobless women was beyond her understanding.
"I'm simply showin' her where her Grandma's girlfriend came from…She's one, babe, I don't think she's even going to remember watchin' this once I turn it off."
"Well, if she grows up to be a plastic surgery loving, rich old housewife on a reality show, at least I'll know who to blame," deadpanned the Captain.
"We're just fine, go back to your case. We'll see ya when you get home."
"Ugh, you're right. I really should be going. Once I finish this paperwork, I'll be home. Love you, and thanks again for doing this." Sharon smiled, it really was a huge relief that they seemed to be doing so well.
"Love you too"
Brenda hung up the phone and looked over at Jo, she seemed quite content chewing on blocks, drool occasionally dripping on the bed. Hopefully Sharon wouldn't notice the wet spots, she had no real desire to change the sheets. Letting out a rather loud sigh, she jumped back onto the bed, wrapping the toddler up in a bear hug. Rolling over to her back, she launched Jo into the air a few times. Babysitting really wasn't that bad, the blonde actually found herself having a good time. The rest of the evening went smoothly, they enjoyed a lovely dinner Sharon had left out (chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, cut up into bite size pieces for the baby), and Jo had managed to eat most of it, only throwing a few peas on the floor. After cleaning up, Brenda gave her little friend a bath in the large master bathroom tub and eventually got her into pajamas. Who had invented those ridiculous onesies anyway? Exhausted from the evening, the Chief settled into bed, Jo beside her, and they waited for Sharon.
The brunette clipped into the house around 9:30. Depositing her shoes and coat in their usual spots, she headed upstairs to make sure everyone had made it through the evening. Surprisingly, she discovered that Jo was not in her crib, but instead sleeping on Brenda's chest in their room. The blonde was also asleep, free hand resting on the baby's head, still in the clothes she had worn that day. Obviously this wasn't planned, all the lights were still on and television was blaring entertainment news. After her initial amusement at the complete disarray passed, Sharon caught herself almost tearing up at the scene. She had trusted that the blonde was capable of not killing Jo, but she hadn't expected the serious bond that apparently formed while she was gone. After all, babies didn't feel comfortable enough to sleep in the arms of just anyone. And now both her girls were cuddled up in bed, together. She let her mind wander for a moment, finally seeing the rest of her life with Brenda. The Captain couldn't deny that she was in love with the younger woman, but sometimes it was hard to see this as a forever kind of relationship. Especially since up until now, the blonde had told her in no uncertain terms that she was not too keen on children. And while that didn't exactly raise enough of a red flag to warrant a break up as of yet, it did make the brunette stop and think about how this was all going to work out. She had always regarded herself as a very attentive and hands on mother, and expected to be no different when it came to her grandchild. And at this rate, with the way Annie talked, Jo was the first of many to come. As a result, it was hard to imagine Brenda sticking around once she found out Sharon was not planning on being lax about her relationship with her grandchildren, just to make the blonde comfortable. At this moment, it appeared Brenda may have sold herself short and they really could make it all work, together. Quietly, the brunette walked around the room shutting off the television and bedroom lights, leaving only her bedside lamp on. She headed for the bathroom, grabbing her pajamas on the way, and completed her bedtime routine in record time. Snaking into bed, she gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek. Brenda started to stir and turned her head, attempting to find the Captain.
"Hey, when did you get home, sneaky?" Brenda gave the brunette a sleepy grin.
"About 15 minutes ago. I see you made a new friend," Sharon tilted her head, leaning in for a proper kiss.
"Guess it turns out I'm not so bad at watchin' kids after all. She's really great, Shar. I'm kind of glad you caught a case, gave us some time to hang out," whispered the blonde, attempting to stifle a yawn.
"Do you want me to put her in the crib?"
"Yeah, thanks. My arm's all pins and needles."
Sharon extracted the child from her girlfriend's arms, and deposited her into the guest bedroom crib. Brenda managed to stand up, strip off her clothes from earlier that day, and grab an oversized LAPD sweatshirt, throwing it on before falling back in bed. The brunette returned, laying down and curling up around the younger woman who was already dozing. Giving her one last kiss on the shoulder, Sharon found herself smiling as she succumbed to sleep.
The blonde heard Jo babbling on the monitor and checked the clock, 7am. Slowly, she made her way out of bed, careful to avoid waking Sharon and headed down the hallway. She opened the door to find the toddler sitting up and smiling at her as she entered.
"Hey baby girl, let's go wake up Grandma."
Sharon felt the bed shift and she turned over, slowly opening her eyes.
"Merry Christmas Eve, Grandma," exclaimed the blonde, smiling baby in hand.
The brunette hummed in response, taking a minute to stretch, before sitting up and planting a kiss on both Brenda and Jo's heads.
"Good morning to you two. So, what should we do today? Jo, have any ideas?"
"I was thinkin' maybe we could head to the park this mornin'? Then, I've got a couple last-minute errands to run before tomorrow. Maybe I could take the baby with me, if it isn't naptime?" offered the blonde. The more time she spent with Jo, the more confidence she was gaining in her abilities. And the more she was finding out how much she enjoyed the little girl's company. Not to mention, she hoped the older woman was starting to notice that she could handle this grandparent aspect of their new life together.
"You want to take her to the park? Then shopping on one of the worst possible days of the year? I feel like my actual girlfriend's been kidnapped." Sharon pursed her lips, and gave the younger woman a confused look.
"Well, I figure if I can handle her today, I can handle her anytime," intoned the blonde. She still needed to get the older woman one last gift, and a rather crazy idea just popped into her head.
An hour later, dressed and fed, they arrived at the park. While Sharon pushed Jo on the swings, the younger woman saw an opportunity and excused herself to the other end of the playground. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the Lieutenant's number. Hopefully this conversation wouldn't be too awkward, but it was hard to tell when it came to her boys and anything that had to do with one Captain Sharon Raydor.
"Hey Chief, what's up? Did we catch a case?" Flynn was crossing his fingers they hadn't, although it would make almost no sense for the blonde to be calling otherwise.
"Oh no, nothin' like that. I called because, well, I, um…I need your help with something," confessed the younger woman.
"Uhhh, sure Chief. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I've gotten most of my Christmas shoppin' done, but since Cap'n Ray…I mean Sharon, is still kind of a new grandma, well I wanted to get her somethin' that…" Brenda winced as the words came out, this was becoming a little uncomfortable. But she didn't have anyone else to turn to. She had been honest with the guys for some time now about her relationship with the brunette, but it was still hard for them to think of that woman as anything but a threat.
"If it's any help, my daughter got me one of those digital photo frames when my grandson was born. That way I could load and show off all the pictures she emails out. It's really nice, actually, she even got it engraved. I hope that gives you somewhere to start?"
"Perfect Andy, thank you so much. If you hadn't answered, I would've had to call Lieutenant Provenza. And I think we both know how that would have gone."
"Not a problem, Chief. Glad I could help. You and the Captain enjoy the holidays," responded Flynn. Brenda hung up, realizing she had a lot to do and a rather small amount of time.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch, minus the small diaper leaking issue that the blonde had run into while at the store. Thankfully, Sharon had packed an outfit change, or five, so the Chief was able to fix the situation with relative ease. Brenda had decided that Andy's idea was better than any of her previous ones, and she had gone ahead and purchased a lovely digital frame that would match the rest of their living room furniture quite nicely. Once Sharon had gone to bed, the blonde loaded a few of the older woman's favorite pictures of her granddaughter into the memory card. Lieutenant Tao had showed her how to use 'the Google' a few weeks before, which helped her find a decent explanation on how to add photos into said frame. Placing the gift under the tree, she retreated to their bedroom, beyond excited for the following day.
The couple's human alarm clock, fondly known as Jo, began fussing around 6am.
"Merry Christmas, Baby!" shouted the blonde, shaking her still drowsy girlfriend into a more conscious state.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Brenda Leigh." Sharon knew how much the younger woman loved Christmas, but this early morning excitement was just slightly annoying. The brunette had never really been a morning person.
They had agreed to exchange gifts later that evening, after the baby went to bed, giving them ample time to make the rounds to many of Sharon's family celebrations without feeling too overwhelmed. And this way, it gave them time to create their own memories as a couple. Brenda was on the edge of her seat by the time they returned home, she had never waited so long to open presents in her life. Once Jo was down, they settled into the living room, wine glasses in hand. Sharon had gotten the blonde a lovely new pair of black Jimmy Choo kitten heels, a tan Michael Kors satchel (the younger woman really did need a weekend bag), and promised overnight trip to one of her favorite wineries complete with a couple's massage and dinner overlooking the vineyard. Brenda had opted to stick to the brunette's list and got her an iPad (although she had thought of the Kate Spade cover on her own), chocolate-brown Uggs, green JCrew bubble necklace, and a case of her favorite Chardonnay. With only two gifts left, the blonde grabbed for the frame and handed it to Sharon.
"I hope you like it…I know it wasn't on your list. But I wanted you to have somethin' that made you think our first Christmas, with Jo."
The brunette unwrapped the box, taking a second to examine the contents before realizing what it was.
"Here, let me plug it in for you," smiled the blonde, fiddling with the wires.
Once she turned on the screen, Sharon fully grasped what this gift was, as she watched photos of Jo and her daughters fly across the display. The light caught the silver border, and the Captain noticed the engraving. 'It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace.' Taking in a deep breath before a tear began to fall, she lunged for the younger woman, wrapping her in a huge hug.
"Thank you, honey. That is, by far, one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever given me." Puling back, the brunette shot her girlfriend a massive smile, then cuddled into the Chief's shoulder.
"Before you get all comfortable, we still have one more present under the tree…"
Sharon handed over the last gift, hoping the blonde wouldn't get too uncomfortable by the contents. Tearing off the paper, Brenda examined the book she was now holding.
"It's one of those 'getting to know you' book. You fill it with pictures and funny stories about Jo while she's still small. Then, when she's older, you can go through and share all your memories together and she'll get to know herself as a baby. Your little shopping trip yesterday gave me just enough time to pick it up."
For the first time, in a very long time, the blonde found herself speechless. The book was lovely, but it was the meaning behind the gift that had her struggling for words. Sharon wouldn't have purchased this present unless she saw the younger woman in her future. While the Captain might have been able to keep her emotions in check through the evening, Brenda let the tears flow.
"I don't know what to say, Shar. It's perfect. Thank you," cried the blonde, giving her girlfriend a peck on the lips. While Brenda had high expectations for the day, nothing could have prepared her for just how amazing their first Christmas had been together.
"Well, it's only a little after 10. That means there's still almost two hours of Christmas left. Any idea what we could do to celebrate?" flirted the brunette, as she helped the younger woman to her feet.
"Hmmm, I may have some ideas…meet me in bed to find out," husked the Chief, already en route to the stairs.
Happy Holidays, and thanks for reading! xoxo