Family

by Kadi

Rated T

Disclaimer: I only wished the sandbox were mine. They belong to James Duff, but with him I am willing to share.

A/N: This is the third in a series of stories, preceded by More than Luck and Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Several have asked for a continuation, and I was like minded on seeing how life would unfold for the extended Raydor and Flynn family.

All of your comments have been wonderful. Thank you all. Enjoy!


It was raining in New York. There was not a moment from the time that Sharon stepped out of JFK International Airport that it had not been raining. She watched the rivulets of water running down the pane glass windows of the room she stood in at Mount Sinai Hospital. Through cascading sheets of rain, she could only make out the eastern edge of Central Park, on which the hospital bordered. Behind her, monitors beeped a quiet, rhythmic pattern. The rain matched her mood.

Sharon had not been able to relax, even a little, since receiving that one, heart wrenching phone call. Katie's pleading, Momma I need you, had cut right through her. It all began, frighteningly enough, as just an accident. The ballet company was rehearsing the fall production of Giselle. Katie was dancing the lead. While she'd had the lead in other productions during her tenure with the American Ballet Theater, this would be her first turn as Giselle. Katie was so excited. She had been giddy, near to squealing when she called to tell her mother the news.

Weeks later, the excitement was at an end. Someone else would be dancing Giselle. During Rehearsal, Katie's partner had been unsteady on his feet, high on oxycodone, and had dropped her. Her femur had broken, and her knee was badly injured as well. It was questionable, following the injury, whether she would ever dance again. Now they had so much else to be worried about.

Katie had called for her mother upon realizing how badly she was injured. She was being moved in to surgery to repair the broken femur. While Sharon was in the air, Katie was on the table. During the surgery, the orthopedic surgeon found the femur to be too brittle for applying the screws which would help the bone to heal properly. It became necessary to apply a steel rod instead. With the proper physical therapy, there was a small, tiny chance, that Katie might dance again. She would not enjoy the same success she had known before the injury.

An injury now, which they knew, had saved her life. The brittle state of her bones had led to other tests. Upon landing, Sharon was faced with the news that while the doctors originally thought her daughter was just another anorexic dancer, they found instead that she was severely calcium deficient. It led to more tests, and the culprit had been identified. She had a severe lack of Parathyroid hormone in her body, PTH. It was necessary for the regulation of calcium levels in the body, without it, the bones and other organs suffered. The underlying cause was a tumor invading one of the Parathyroid glands which resided on the back of the thyroid, in Katie's neck.

According to the doctors treating her daughter, in most cases it was difficult to determine whether or not the tumors of the parathyroid were malignant. Of the cancers, it was one of the least invasive. Except, they knew without a doubt that in Katie's case, it was malignant. More than that, it was metastatic. It had spread. Further tests had revealed spots on her right lung. They were tiny, hardly noticeable at all, and would have been missed save the fact they were being looked for.

So yes, truly, Miguel's carelessness had saved her daughter's life. It was hard to think poorly of him now. Not when she was being assured that they had caught it very early. It was very treatable. Katie was young and healthy, and should have a long life left head of her.

It wasn't very comforting.

The rain very much matched her mood. Sharon longed for the sunshine filled, blue skies of Southern California.

The phone in the pocket of her black cardigan chirped. Sharon reached for it out of habit and swept her thumb across the display. "Andy." That was another thing she longed for. He had called her everyday since she had been in New York, some times more than once. To check on Katie, to check on her, and sometimes just to hear the sound of her voice. He was worried too, she knew.

"How is she?" It was always the first thing out of his mouth when he called. His voice was always thick, with a gruffness that gave away the depth of his concern, as though he worried the answer would have changed for the worse. His stepdaughter was such a force to behold, so full of life and energy, it was difficult to wrap his mind around the thought of her illness. Andy knew that Sharon loved her children equally, just as he knew that she had accepted his, and loved them as well. She was proud of all of them, but Richard was her pride. He was an officer to be proud of, now a member of the LAPD, he was a legacy. He already had a reputation of being solid, a good cop, someone to have at your back. She worried for him, but it was such a special feeling, having a child follow your footsteps, understand your calling. Do it better than you had. Ricky had taken a spot in SIS, and they only wished he'd transferred from San Francisco during Rusty's operation.

Rusty. The child who was at once a source of frustration, but a source of unending devotion and maternal warmth. He could, and did, drive Sharon to the brink of madness several times a week, but she would never give up on him. Just as he would never give up on her. Rusty was simply a normal eighteen year old boy. He was still finding his way in the world, still finding his footing. There were times when he was still insecure in his place, despite having been adopted by Sharon. Sometimes, Andy thought he pushed them, just to see if they would bend or break. There was no limit to the ways in which Sharon was willing to bend for him. Rusty was the unexpected child. The one which had reminded her how much she still had to give, at a time when she was alone and more adrift than she would have ever admitted. He changed her life for the better.

Katie was her heart. Rusty was the youngest, but he had come to her late. Katherine would always be her baby. She had been dancing before she could walk. Katie, so impatient and excited for life, that she had come early, frightening her mother at her prematurity, but strong in spite of it all. Sharon often said that her daughter was the best part of her. Katie cried at happy endings, sobbed when she read a sad book, or a beloved character was lost. She wore her heart on her sleeve. She had every reason to be distrustful, to be as reserved as her mother, but she embraced life, and loved easily.

She called her mother every Wednesday. Whether she called the rest of the week or not, Wednesday evening was their time. They chatted for hours, about everything, and about nothing. They talked about boys, clothes, television shows. Anything and everything. They exchanged gossip about the large, raucous, Cavanagh clan.

Every Sunday, she called him. His phone rang, without fail, between the hours of ten and noon every Sunday morning. The Andy-shaped dad, that is what she called him, as though Jackson Raydor had never existed. When she visited, she leaped forward with a hug the moment that she saw him. Katie loved easily, and she loved completely. She had introduced Nicole to friends in LA as her sister, and the boys as her nephews. She gave Tony hell, for not calling or visiting enough, or giving his dad a hard time.

With Ricky, he was on good terms. They went to games, they stood in front of a grill and talked about manly things. They went to the firing range together, and generally, the relationship was as solid as it should be with a grown step-son. Rusty was no longer wary of him, hadn't been for quite some time. He had become a third, tagging along with him and Provenza. His second partner-in-crime, much to Sharon's exasperation. For some odd reason, unbeknownst to any of them, Rusty liked hanging out with the two grumpy old men. He looked up to them. Andy stopped questioning it months ago. They had settled into a place where Andy could introduce Rusty as his step-son, and the kid didn't get weird about it. He was his wingman in all things Cavanagh. They were good.

Nicole was his baby. His angel. Katie was his girl. Remarrying at his age, he hadn't expected to have more than a passing acquaintance with Sharon's children. Katie was a force. You didn't say no to her. You couldn't say no. She had her mother's eyes and smile. Adoring her had been inevitable. Loving her a gone conclusion.

It killed him that Sharon was across the country, dealing with this alone. He was stuck in Los Angeles. The team couldn't spare them both. Taylor was willing to turn a blind eye to only so much. Andy had driven his wife to the airport, he was not able to accompany her.

Sharon drew a breath at the sound of his voice. She gripped the phone more tightly. Her eyes burned. Her throat ached. "Sleeping," she said quietly. "They gave her something for pain. The specialist just left." She sighed. "They want to operate again, remove the entire thyroid, and resect the spots from her lungs. It's early enough, they're confident they can get it all."

Andy heard the hesitation. Felt the hitch in her voice echoed in the clenching of his chest. "But?"

"I'm bringing her home," Sharon said quietly. "I spoke to Helen," she indicated her sister, the doctor. "She has a friend at Cedars, they've had greater success treating this there. She'll need the same surgery, but she'll be at home." Where Sharon would not, eventually, have to leave her. Moving her now would be much simpler than attempting to do so later, when she was weaker. "The doctors here are resistant. I'm waiting for them to get her records together. As soon as she's strong enough, I'm putting us on a plane."

He knew what she required of him. What she needed from him when her objectivity became impaired. She always strived to do what was needed, what was best, especially where her children were concerned. Andy asked the hard question, because she needed it, not because he wanted to. "Is it wise?" He wanted them both at home, where he could watch over them. Not at their expense.

Sharon leaned her head against the window. The coolness seeped into her. Her fingers touched the glass, where water fell in swirling rivulets. "It won't delay her recovery. Prolonging the surgery and treatment aren't detrimental," Sharon said softly. "I want her home, Andy."

"Then bring her home," he told her. His heart clenched, and his stomach twisted at the pain he heard in her voice. She was so used to being strong alone, she didn't have to be any longer. He was there, always. "Let me know when, I'll have her room ready." The spare in their split-level ranch was about to become hers. He would enlist the boys in getting it prepared. They would have a few days, at least, before Katie could travel.

The world blurred when tears filled her eyes. When she didn't think she could love him any more, he always surprised her. "Use the escrow account from the condo sale, go wild with it. Katie-ify it," she said lightly.

"You leave it to me," Andy rumbled. "I've got this under control."

"Yes you do." Sharon sighed softly. "Andy, I couldn't find Jackson. I called Bill, but he hasn't heard from him in weeks. He's back in Vegas somewhere. He was going to track him down, but she doesn't want him." Her voice hitched again. "She wants you."

If, from thousands of miles away, that was all that she could give him, it would be more than enough. Something in him shifted. His jaw clenched. That unfortunate bastard had never deserved them. "You know where to find me," he said hoarsely. "Bring our girl home, I'll be here."

"I love you." She was going to cry, but she was trying to hold back until later, when she was ensconced in her hotel room.

"Yeah," he rumbled. "Me too, sweetheart." Andy stared out at their backyard, where he stood at the french patio doors. After remodeling his house, Sharon had turned her attention on the yard. It had contented her, to take his home and make it theirs. Now he was faced with a well manicured lawn, a brick patio, and a pool. There was a swing set for the grandkids, and one of those odd, wooden jungle-gym things. "Hey," he shook his head to clear it. "It's Sunday. Call me when she's awake. She's late for our date."

"I will," she promised. "I'll see you soon."

"Soon," Andy echoed. He ended the call and let his hand drop. He sighed, tiredly. He wasn't sleeping well without her. They had been together less than a year, only married a few months, and already his life was completely intertwined with hers. Andy stood there for a moment, allowed the aching concern to sweep through him. Then he lifted his phone again and dialed first his stepson, then his son, and finally his son-in-law. While he was on the phone with Jake, he walked up to Rusty's room.

The boy was studying for mid-terms. He was attending USC, but wasn't ready for dorm life. That was fine. Neither was Sharon. That might change with coming semesters, they were handling it as it came to them. Andy knocked quietly, and pushed the door open at the quiet summons. Rusty was bent over several books at his desk, an energy drink at his elbow that Sharon would wrinkle her nose at, and his hair in disarray from having swept his hands through it too many times. Andy almost smiled at the sight.

When Rusty looked up at him, there was an air of anxiety around him. He had an expectant expression on his face. "How is she?"

They were close, Andy knew. Katie was the first of Sharon's family to reach out and accept him, even before she officially met him. "She's holding her own for right now," he said. "Sharon is bringing her home, she'll see some doctors out here. It's going to be a couple of days though. Which is why I'm here, we're going to get this room ready," he nodded his head toward the spare. "Want to help?"

For one, heartbreaking moment, Rusty glanced toward his books. He was torn between the need to study and his sister. Finally, he turned his gaze back to Flynn, appearing for all the world like the lost little boy they first met, the one trying so hard to hide just how torn he was. "I have to take breaks, right. It can't be all study, all the time, right?" Rusty gave him a weak smile. "I'll help."

"That's right." Andy grinned affably. "And I won't tell, if you don't."

Rusty smirked. He wondered if any of their secrets were really secret at all. Sharon knew everything. The woman always just knew. "Deal. Let me know."

Andy left Rusty to his studying. The wheels on his plan were turning. He only had a few more calls to make. While Sharon had Katie, he had the home front well in hand.