Zoning, a major crimes fanfic

This is based on the twitter post from Major Crimes about the season 4 theme being courage. It reminded me of the poem by Dorsey Baker.

DISCLAIMER: Major Crimes is not mine, sadly. Neither is Dorsey Baker.

Enjoy!

i. In courage— you find no fear

ii. And in courage— no weakness does appear

iii. In courage— steps toward danger taken

iv. And in courage— strength does awaken

v. In courage— a hero takes shape

vi. And in courage— the villain can't escape

vii. In courage— there is a call to duty

viii. And in courage— out of ugliness comes beauty.

. . .

Sharon smiled gently in the mirror as she ran her brush through her hair.

"What time are you leaving?" Rusty asked.

Sharon glanced at the vanity clock on the side, "Around six." Rusty nodded, but stood there for a second just looking at her. The lace dress she had on was like the one she had worn to the Nutcracker, except it was red and had a three-quarter sleeve. It was tight around her waist and showed the little push of her stomach that was stubborn stomach fat. It had come with the kids, she had stated.

"You look really beautiful," Rusty said, then turned and walked back to the couch. Sharon looked into the mirror. She didn't think she looked beautiful. Sharon was no vain person, but she did think she looked nice. She grabbed the mascara wand and ran it up her eyelashes skillfully. Tonight she was going on another non-date with Andy. Though maybe it would be a real date. Maybe it already was a real date.

Sharon sighed and let her fingers fluff out her hair. She pursed her lips for a last time before turning off the light in the bathroom. The black Jimmy Choo's hung from her fingertips. She slipped them on in the kitchen as she pulled out some leftovers for Rusty. There was a knock at the door. She let Rusty get it as she fiddled around in the kitchen.

"Sharon," Rusty called, "Your date is here."

"Oh, Rusty I don't know if it's a date." She could hear Andy whisper.

"I'm here," Sharon announced as she rounded the corner, hiking her purse up her arm. Andy smiled.

"You look beautiful."

Sharon blushed and responded, "Thanks."

"Ready to go?" Andy asked. Sharon nodded and he made way for her to exit the condo. Rusty shut the door just as Sharon took a deep breath. No fear, she thought to herself and smiled when Andy stepped into the elevator before her. He pressed the button to the ground floor. He was looking at her as she watched the doors shut.

ii.

Telling anyone that their loved one had died is painful. Telling a mother she lost both her kids and her husband is even worse. Andy had told her he would wait, but it was Provenza who had followed her after she had left the mother in the interview room. She had seen the kids, stuffed in suitcases, and thrown under an overpass bridge, but that hadn't made her cry. It had brought tears to her eyes. The breaking the mother's world hadn't made her cry either, it had saddened her. What did bring the tears was the secret meeting Rusty and Provenza had been having in the hall. She gently shook her head and tucked her hair before moving calming to the break room. Provenza looked after her, then down the hall Rusty had gone. He followed Sharon.

She had leaned over the little sink with a hand pressed to her mouth as she filled the water tank of the Keurig for tea.

"You made a tough choice today," Provenza said softly. he cleared his throat before steeping up to the counter next to her. "But it was the right choice." Sharon nodded faintly and brushed at her tears. Provenza took the water tank and put it back into it's place waiting for the water to brew for her tea. He took a bag from the box in the cabinet above. Sharon took a deep breath, her hand pressed firmly over her left collarbone.

"Thank you," Sharon muttered taking the teacup from Provenza.

"He's at his desk if you want to talk to him." Sharon smiled gently and nodded. No weakness, she thought.

iii.

"Clear!"

"All clear!" Sanchez announced as he slipped his gun back his holster and circled back to the captain who was examining the body in the living room. "Ma'am, I think the suspect is long go-"

Sharon's hair flew like a mass of auburn flames from her face as she reached for her and spun in her heels, her other hand coming to steady the weapon as she tried to determine where the shots had came from. Sanchez followed suit leading the way. He went out the front, Sharon went out the back.

"Willis?" Sharon asked calmly, aiming her gun at the suspect's stomach. He was holding a zippo lighter and there was a stench of gasoline around her. Carefully she stepped forwards. "I know you didn't mean it. You loved her." Willis nodded.

"I need to end this, for her," he said shakily. Sharon could see the flame flicker in the cool Los Angeles night air.

"I don't think she would have wanted it to end like this. You'll only be hurting her more."

"She's dead," Willis deadpanned.

"I know," Sharon said cautiously. "I'll lower my gun if you cap the lighter."

"No."

"You'd take out my whole division if you drop that. And her."

"She never harmed anyone. She couldn't harm anyone but me," Willis cried. He looked Sharon dead in the eyes and dropped the flame. The lighter made a faint thud as it touched the ground but the fire roared like a lion, encompassing the grass. Sharon dropped her weapon and shrugged off her LAPD jacket. She stepped quickly through the flames. Sharon placed the windbreaker over Willis' body, suffocating all of the flames she could. She tucked the charred jacket under his arms and held tight as she pulled him through the flames. She could hear the sirens of fire trucks in the distance and the footsteps of her team as the ran with bowls of water from the house to put out the flame. Andy sprayed whwat he could with the garden hose. His eyes never left Sharon. Steps towards danger, Sharon thought, taken.

iv.

"We can't promote anyone, from any division, this year. Or the next for that matter. We simply do not have the funds to be promoting officers left and right," Chief Taylor relayed. "You have my condoles, Captain. You have done some work in Major Crimes."

Sharon tried not to show the disappointed she was feeling. She had gotten her hopes up, that maybe this time, she would be getting the promotion she had deserved for years. Apparently not.

"I understand, Chief," Sharon managed. "Is that all?"

"Yes, Captain. The LAPD thanks you for your understanding." Sharon nodded as she left the office. She clasped her hands behind her back as she made her way back to Major Crimes slowly, almost willing Taylor to rush from his office and say that had found an opening for a promotion. When she unlocked the door to Major Crimes, there was a faint chatter in the murder room that she could hear.

"Congratulations, Commander!" Sykes called out. Sharon's head snapped up. Three balloons with cursive ink of Congrats! floated in the air. It even looked like Flynn had made cupcakes.

"You deserved it, Ma'am," Sanchez said with a proud smile.

"This is all really sweet," Sharon started. Strength, Sharon thought. "But it seems to be a rather premature celebration."

"Did you not get the promotion?" Tao asked forwardly.

"There aren't any funds in the budget at the moment," Sharon said with a tight lipped smile. "But I do appreciate your faith in me. It means a lot."

"We always have faith in you," Flynn said softly, squeezing her shoulder. She gave him a genuine smile.

"A hero," Sharon read from Rusty's paper as he anxiously sat across the dinner table from her. "Is someone who has saved another from tough position," Sharon stopped reading and looked at Rusty. "This already has a much better start than your influence paper."

Rusty rolled his eyes and put his head in her arms on the wooden table. "A hero is someone named—" Sharon paused. Rusty lifted his head and watched as her eyes skimmed the next few lines. "Rusty," Sharon said softly, "I don't think you shouldn't be writing about me."

"But like," Rusty started, "You are. To me at least. I mean like, I probably wouldn't even be writing this stupid paper had it not been for you taking in the kid on the street. You got me to go to that Catholic school for a great education, and into college so my life is no longer some big mess."

"Rusty," Sharon said. "You make me out to Super Woman in this!"

"You're Super Mom, Sharon. Just a step away from Super Woman," Rusty said with a smile.

Hero, Sharon thought.

vi.

"I don't want to make deals with people," Sharon started looking at the faces in the murder room. "I want to walk them directly to their jail cells." She looked at the murder board and shook her head. She clasped her hands behind her back. Her heels clicked as she made her way to her office. Sharon drew the blinds and sat at her desk. The villain, Sharon thought, can't escape.

vii.

Sharon straightened her cap. She tightened the tie to her uniform and felt her bun. She tucked her glasses in their case.

"You look good in uniform," Andy whispered as they stood side by side at the funeral. It wasn't anyone either of them had known personally, but in the LAPD appearance was everything. Sharon lifted her chin and smiled.

"I can say the same for you."

"Why must we be here, Captain?"

"Well, Lieutenant, there is a call to duty," Sharon whispered.

"Lunch afterwards?"

"Italian?" Sharon asked.

"I can make it," Andy suggested with a little shrug. Sharon looked at him and smiled.

"I would like that."

Provenza cleared his throat, "Idiots."

vii.

Sharon rolled out of bed with a yawn. She donned a silk bathroom and padded softly to the bathroom. Sharon washed her face and hands before heading to the kitchen. Andy was asleep on the couch, a soft snore escaping his lips. Sharon tried to be quiet as she took down cups for their morning coffee. She started eggs for Andy and herself. Simple.

Andy rolled over and stretched. He sat up and folded the throw blanket he had used. He went to the bathroom before meeting her in the kitchen.

"Morning," Andy greeted Sharon as he took her coffee from the maker and added the cream. He watched Sharon as she prepared breakfast. Her hair was askew and knotted, her face was radiant and make-up free. She was beautiful. Inside and out. "What can I do?"

. . .

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