Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.
Author's Note: I'm not even sure where this story came from but today at nap time (again) I found myself writing the beginning of this. I had to stop writing on it since there was a fire drill DURING nap time, but now I have finished it so here it is. I suppose you could say this is my twisted attempt at a Shandy baby fic….if you squint. Let me know what you think, thanks
No one is surprised that Sharon is good with the baby; her parenting skills have never been questioned. She hasn't hovered but she also has been close by whenever the baby has needed anything. Just like in every other aspect of her life, Sharon manages this with ease and grace, but once again, her parenting skills speak volumes. Her two older children are successful, driven people and her youngest, although he didn't become hers until he was older, he is also a driven, intelligent, caring person. So of course Sharon is doing well with this latest challenge to befall Major Crimes.
Amy, while finding the baby absolutely adorable, doesn't really want to hold it. There is just something that seems so fragile about anything that small and Amy doesn't want to be the one to harm this very precious cargo they have been entrusted with. She will gladly sit back and watch her older, more experienced teammates care for the little one.
Julio has smiled at the baby and when the Captain had to step out for a moment he even tried to rock the baby when it began to fuss. The baby hadn't been too fond of Julio's attempt at comfort and had begun wailing louder. Luckily for Julio the phone rang alerting him to the fact that the search warrant for their suspect's boat had finally came through. He had almost happily handed the baby over to Tao before Julio and Amy headed out.
Tao, much like Sharon, is a natural. He has talked to the baby and is now even holding it while he begins explaining to the team what he has managed to glean from the victim's cell phone records. Sharon has just walked back into the murder room and tenses slightly at how Tao is jostling the baby every time he twirls around in his chair to either face them or his computer screen. Provenza notices her obvious discomfort at the situation and with a roll of his eyes says, "Tao, hand me the baby. You're gonna give her whiplash."
Tao is too wrapped up in explaining in very deliberate detail his findings that he doesn't even question Provenza. He simply stands up and carefully hands the baby over to Provenza. Provenza cradles the tiny person in the crook of his arm and gently rocks back and forth in his chair, his hand gently patting her diapered bottom. Sharon can't help but smirk slightly at this; the gruff Lieutenant is just a big teddy bear underneath it all. Provenza can sense the Captain's smirk, turns and glares at her for a quick moment then turns back to the baby before mumbling something about the 'wicked witch' to the baby.
Sharon has just walked over to Tao's desk to get a better look at a text message sent from an unknown number to the victim, when she notices Provenza scrunch his nose and groan. He holds the baby away from him and begins fanning the air around him. Sharon rolls her eyes and turns back to the screen refusing to acknowledge Provenza and his antics. Unfortunately for Buzz, he is just passing through the murder room on his way to wire up the conference room for a chat with the victim's sister a bit later in the day when Provenza catches sight of him.
"Buzz," Provenza says motioning with his head for the younger man to walk over to him. Buzz looks momentarily concerned but heads over to the Lieutenant's desk. "Here, she needs changing!" Provenza states and thrusts the baby towards Buzz. Provenza doesn't let go of the baby and it's a good thing too because Buzz steps back and shakes his head.
"Uh-uh, no! I have already played babysitter to him," Buzz says jerking his head in Rusty's direction, the boy having been so engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone that he hasn't bothered to partake in the conversation going on around, until now.
"At least I wasn't in diapers," Rusty shoots back throwing Buzz a glare.
"Sometimes changing a diaper would've been preferable," Provenza mumbles to no one in particular. A dirty diaper definitely wouldn't have been as bad as a smart ass teenager.
"Then you change her!" Buzz tells the Lieutenant and continues on his way to the conference room.
"Oh no, my years of diaper duty are long over. Here Rusty, you do it," Provenza orders as he turns in his chair to face Rusty. Rusty's eyes go wide and he shakes his head.
"I've never even held a baby," He says his voice laced with panic.
"Well, I am not changing her. I'm not the one that suggested turning Major Crimes into a daycare. This is a murder room, not a child care center." Provenza looks back at Sharon as he says this and she finally turns around from where Tao and she have been discussing the text.
"Lieutenant," Sharon begins in a forced calm voice, "allow me to finish this one thing and I will change Willow." Sharon doesn't give him time to respond, turning back around to the screen.
A few minutes later Sharon scoops the baby out of Provenza's arms and shoots him a glare as she grabs the diaper bag off an empty desk and heads to her office. She has just passed Andy's desk when it occurs to her that since she agreed to watch Chief Pope's 'friend's' daughter, Andy has made his presence rather scarce. She can't help but wonder about this. "Have Andy come to my office should he get back before I'm done changing her," Sharon says over her shoulder. Tao simply nods but Provenza rolls his eyes; this thing between Flynn and the Captain needs to stop, even if Provenza isn't entirely sure what the thing is.
Andy stands in the doorway of Sharon's office watching as she talks to the very young baby while she changes the diaper. He can't help but smile as she presses a kiss to the baby's bare foot as she tries to corral that little foot back into sleeper the baby had been wearing. Once the baby's foot is back where it should be, Sharon zips the sleeper then picks the baby up. She cradles little Willow in one arm while with her free hand she grabs the dirty diaper and carries it over to the small trash can that sits by her desks and drops it in. As she rounds her desk to take a seat, she notices Andy standing in the doorway, a small smile playing across his face.
"Waited till we were finished, I see," Sharon says as she pulls her chair out and sits. Andy chuckles and steps into her office.
"Provenza said you wanted to see me," Andy says still not moving too far from the door. Sharon nods.
"Close the door," She instructs moving the baby to her shoulder as Willow begins to whimper. Andy does as told then walks over to her desk. Sharon indicates with a nod for him to have a seat while she alternates between patting the baby's bottom and rubbing her back. Still the whimpers continue to grow.
"Do you need anything, Captain?" Andy asks as he sits down in the chair directly across from her. Sharon shakes her head and once again readjusts the baby. This time the baby is leaning back against Sharon facing Andy.
"I was just wondering where you've been all morning, or at least since I agreed to watch Chief Pope's 'friend's' daughter." Sharon lifts a brow as she speaks. Andy looks down for a few seconds, pulling at an invisible piece of lint on his tie then slowly meets her eyes.
"I….it…." Andy tries but can't find the words to convey what has been running through his head since Chief Pope and his 'friend' entered the murder room earlier that morning and Sharon had volunteered to keep an eye on little Willow.
"Andy," Sharon begins in a caring tone, "Does she make you think about when Nicole and your son were little?" Sharon had suspected this earlier when she had tried to hand the baby off to him so she could search through a box of items from the victim's house and he had sidestepped her leaving Provenza to take the baby.
"I…." Once again Andy can't find the words he needs, his eyes coming to rest on a pacifier that sits on the edge of Sharon's desk. "Yeah, it does." He finally says, his eyes never leaving the pacifier.
Sharon glances down at Willow, the baby's whimpers having grown into a dull whine. Sharon gently jiggles the baby hoping to soothe her but she doesn't seem too pleased with it. Sharon moves the baby back to her shoulder and resumes patting her bottom.
"Andy," Sharon once again uses that calm, soothing, caring tone, "regrets from our children's childhood is perfectly normal. We all have them." Sharon lowers her eyes trying to see his but he continues to stare at the pacifier.
"Sharon, I know we all have regrets about things with our kids; hindsight is 20/20, but there's a difference in being too strict or not letting them go to a sleepover and not being there for them because ya spent most of their childhood drunk." The words are bitter on his tongue, and several times before he has heard his ex-wife, and even on occasion his son, say some variation of those words, but to say them to Sharon, to admit to her just how lousy a dad he was, it is almost too much.
"Andy," Sharon says but he refuses to look at her. Sharon refuses to let him beat himself up over his past. She stands from her chair, mindful of the baby as she moves, then comes to sit beside Andy. He still won't meet her eyes so she places her hand over his hand that grips the arm of the chair tightly. "Andy," Sharon says again, this time giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "We all have regrets, we all could've and should've done things some things with our children differently, but you are a good dad. You have made amends with Nicole and you're there for her and her boys. You're trying with your son, and even though he isn't ready yet to fully allow you back into his life, you are doing your best. That is what you need to consider; not your past."
He listens to what Sharon is saying, and even though they have had similar discussions, it makes him feel so much better to hear her say this. He is well aware of his shortcomings as a father, and nothing pleases his ex-wife as much as pointing out those shortcomings, Andy is grateful for Sharon and her kind words. Slowly he raises his gaze to meet hers and when their eyes finally meet Sharon is smiling softly at him. He returns the smile then, letting go of the chair arm, squeezes her hand.
"Thank you," He mutters glancing down at her hand in his. Just when they reached this place in their relationship neither are sure, but both are glad they have arrived here. Sharon hums in response and turns to Andy when Willow decides soft whimpers and slight whines will no longer do. Her loud, piercing cry startles Andy and Sharon, both of them letting go of the other's hand.
Sharon is quickly to her feet swaying from side to side as she pats the baby's back. Glancing at her watch she knows what is wrong with Willow; the baby is hungry. According to Pope and his 'friend' their meeting should have been over by now, but everyone in the murder room knew when Sharon had agreed to the team watching the baby that there really was no official business between Pope and Willow's mother.
"Here, let me try," Andy says standing from his chair and extending his to Sharon. She smiles at him then carefully hands Willow over. Andy takes her and Sharon can't help but watch in curiosity as Andy moves the baby where she is lying on her stomach on his arm, her side pressed against him. Andy then begins moving much like Sharon was. Even though Willow continues to whimper this seems to calm her.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Sharon asks pleasantly surprised. She has forgotten how heavenly silence is after a baby has started crying.
"Nicole," Andy answers with a shrug, his eyes now focused on Willow.
"You're a good dad, Andy," Sharon says as she comes to stand beside Andy and pats his shoulder. Sharon isn't entirely sure what makes her do it, but she gives him a quick peck on the cheek. This shocks her just as much as it does Andy, but she doesn't have time to stand around analyzing what she has just done. There is a baby that needs her bottle. Sharon snatches the diaper bag from where she had dropped it when she entered her office then starts for the door.
Andy manages to use his free hand to carefully grab her hand, stopping her in her tracks. She looks up at Andy, a beaming smile plastered across his face. She returns the smile, gives his hand a slight squeeze, then continues on her way to the break room. Andy watches her walk away, that same smile adhering to his face. He only looks down to the baby when she once again begins crying. "Shh, shh," He says in a soothing tone as he moves the baby to the crook of his arm so she is looking up at him. He continues to sway as he walks around the office, the baby's eyes never leaving his. It is then that he notices her ears and can't help but think that with ears like that there is only one possibility as to who her father is, not that any of them had really questioned it since Pope and Willow's mother had walked into the squad room that morning.