AN: This is my first fan fiction to actually follow through with posting. It is a major crimes fic, but there's no section for major crimes yet…
This first section in bold is basically the final scene from Reloaded. It's almost exactly the same except one or two sentences. So…I don't want to take credit for any of that in bold. I really just typed it up to set the scene, and it inspired me to write the story. I also wanted a part in the dialogue between Sharon and Rusty where she tells him very in a matter of fact way that she doesn't live alone, and she does have a girlfriend. Anyway, I hope this doesn't suck.

Keep Talking

"Don't think I'm going to be all like thankful for you taking me in," Rusty said as he pulled the mysterious foil wrapped treat from his sack and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. "Oh trust me," the captain started as she uncorked her bottle of red wine, "you are not the first adolescent to grace my home with your presence. Having raised two teenagers of my own, I have a tremendous capacity for ingratitude. Rusty, it's so funny just when you get good at being a mother, you're fired." Sharon leaned over the back of the sofa, where the teenager sat, and sipped her wine. "Or you quit," Rusty quickly retorted. Sharon's face fell ever so slightly, and Rusty rolled his eyes at the police Captain's sad attempts at conversation. Sharon stood up straighter. "So, what are we supposed to call each other anyway?" "Well," Sharon answered as she made her way to the red chair beside the couch, "You can call me Captain Raydor." Of course, Rusty thought. Just as well he'd much rather this be a working relationship. He wanted the Captain to know that his only reason for being there was to make sure she kept up the deal he had made with Brenda: keep searching until his mother was found.

"Okay," he said, "Then you can call me Mr. Beck." "You are the child in this relationship." "No, I am the witness. If you are the police captain then I am the witness." "There are not a lot of people around here who call me by my first name." "Oh, then maybe that's why you live alone with a spare bedroom." Not going to let his sour attitude get to her, Sharon smiled. She liked this kid and she respected that he wanted so badly to find his mother. "My children are grown; the spare bedroom is for when they visit. I live with my partner. She's working right now, but you will most likely meet her tomorrow. And you may call me Sharon. How's that?" This time Rusty's face fell ever so slightly. "Sharon? What is that like your bad idea of a joke or something?" "Why do you say that?" She asked. "Sharon is my mother's name," Rusty stated sternly.

Oops, Sharon thought. She took a breath and quickly tried to think of exactly what to say in order to start walking back her previous sentence. All she could come up with was a low, understanding, "Oh." "God," Rusty said angrily, "You haven't been looking for her at all have you?" He stood up using one crutch for support and hastily placed his backpack over his shoulders. "Rusty," Sharon tried to reason, "I just got this job yesterday. Give me a chance to catch up. I am making a good faith effort. I am." Rusty just rolled his eyes and settled on his crutches. "Where's your bathroom?" "It's right down there," Sharon said, pointing toward the hallway. Rusty turned and headed in the direction of Sharon's finger. Sharon stood to follow, not wanting the teenager to leave thinking that she wasn't serious about finding his mother. "Rusty." At the sound of his name, Rusty stopped and turned so that half of his body was facing her and half was still running away. Hands placed professionally behind her back, in perfect police posture, Sharon stopped her pursuit. "If it is possible to find your mother, I will do it. I promise." "Sure you will, Captain. Sure you will." With that, Rusty continued his way to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Sharon sighed and sunk into the sofa, pillow cuddled to her chest. With the day she had, she just needed a minute to collect her thoughts. She lay her head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling for a moment before shutting her eyes. After taking fire from all sides all day, she was physically and emotionally exhausted. Of course she hadn't expected the team to accept her leadership amicably, but she certainly hadn't thought they would be so openly opposed to her. After all, she was only trying to do her job. Now, not only had she gotten a major promotion and taken in an abandoned teen all in the same day, but she hadn't even informed Sam, her partner, of the teenager's presence in their home. The captain had no idea what would come of that situation, as she finished her glass of wine, and fell asleep to the sounds of Rusty getting ready for bed.

Samantha quietly opened the door to their apartment, and gently closed it behind her. She didn't want to wake Sharon, should she be sleeping. She set her keys on the counter and her bag on the chair placed under the bar, then moved to the fridge to get a water. A sweet smile spread across her features when she turned around to find Sharon in a sitting position on the sofa, her face to the ceiling, feet on the floor. That cannot be comfortable. She thought as she tiptoed to the couch to place a soft kiss to her Sharon's slightly parted lips before gently removing the glasses resting on her partner's face. Sharon's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled that crooked smile that Samantha loved. "Hi," she said softly, apparently still hazy from her short nap. "Well hi," Sam said, "Long day at the office?" She questioned as she removed her shoes and climbed over the back of the sofa in order to sit cross legged next to Sharon, who was repositioning herself as well. As she stretched her legs over Sam's and leaned her side into the back of the couch, Sharon couldn't remember what it was that she was supposed to be talking to Sam about. "Absolutely," She answered. Yes, there was something, but the soothing circles Sam was rubbing into the back of her calf distracted the captain. "The guys still giving you a hard time, huh?" Sam asked. "Oh, absolutely," she repeated. Then she remembered. She sat up straighter, and just as she was about to let Sam in on their house guest, he hopped into the room on his crutches, blanket and pillow in tow.

Sam's expression went from shock to confusion, as she watched the obviously angry teenager place his pillow behind Sharon, who was now sitting straight up with her feet on the floor. "I was just about to tell you…This is Rusty. He's going to be staying with us while—" "You haven't even told her that I'm here," Rusty interrupted. "Well, I was getting to it. I thought you were asleep. What are you doing?" She asked in her usual calm manner of speaking. She and Sam both stood up as Rusty continued to hobble around the couch, making his bed. "Going to sleep," he said, "Obviously." "Okay, but the guest room is—" " A perfectly good place to tuck me away, so you don't have to think about finding my mother. No, I think I'll sleep out here." Sharon looked to Sam to try to gauge her reaction, but couldn't get a read. Samantha was watching the scene unfold, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. Dark brown eyes looked to Sharon and motioned to the hallway. With Rusty now facing the back of the sofa, apparently this would be the end of the conversation, she let it be for now and led the way to the bedroom.

Sam shut the bedroom door behind them, and turned to face Sharon. It was sometimes hard to read what Sam was feeling, but if Sharon had to guess from the look on her face and the frantic pacing, she'd say she was annoyed, confused, or possibly…angry? "So you invited a teenager with a broken leg into our home without consulting me? Is that the situation?" Sam didn't sound exactly angry. She was trying to figure out what was going on before getting angry. The pacing over for the moment, the dark haired, dark eyed beauty was standing still with her arms folded in front of her chest, waiting for an explanation from Sharon. "It would seem that way," Sharon defended herself, "I tried to call you, but it was such a hectic day—" "I spoke with you just a few hours ago… you could have mentioned that you were going to be bringing a teenager home with you," Sam interrupted. Interrupted, that seem to be the theme of Sharon's day. Sam untied her hair, and let the black locks fall past her shoulders, and Sharon unbuttoned her black blazer and put her hands on her hips, "I spoke to you on the phone more than a few hours ago, before I decided to bring Rusty home. He had nowhere to go. He's just been kicked out of his foster home. He needs a place to stay where he can keep out of trouble before he goes to trial…and while Major Crimes searches for his mom." "You've already decided he's staying," Sam said. She rolled her eyes and went to the closet to search for a change of clothes, which was odd to Sharon considering her girlfriend always slept naked. Forgetting that for a moment…"Okay," Sharon understood, "You're upset that I didn't consult you on this. I get it, I'm sorry." She took Sam's hand in hers and spun her around to face her. "I am sorry. Please, don't you be angry with me as well." Sharon kissed Sam's hand and looked into her eyes lovingly, and Samantha couldn't help but melt at that, as she rolled her eyes again. "I'm not angry, okay," she said as she took her hand from Sharon's, "I just would like to feel like I have a say in what goes on in this house. I know I only moved in a few weeks ago, but this is supposed to be my home as well." Sharon nodded her head understandingly. "It is your home. If you don't want him here, I will tell CPS to find him a new foster home." Sharon rubbed Samantha's arms, and her demeanor softened under Sharon's touch. Well, that was it wasn't it, the kid was staying. Samantha couldn't very well send the kid back to CPS after all Sharon had told her about him. Most people thought Samantha to be cold hearted, but it simply wasn't the case. "And that's exactly what I was going to tell you, before he barged into the middle of our conversation." "We weren't in the middle of a conversation," Samantha corrected. "I was getting there," Sharon protested.

Sam sighed in defeat. It wasn't like she minded the kid staying tonight, and she didn't want to argue with Sharon. "He's fine here tonight. He just got kicked out of a foster home," She contemplated, "Just let's sleep on it." Sharon smiled at her, and Sam smiled back, before returning her attention to the closet.

"What are you doing?" Sharon laughed. "I don't know," Sam answered dropping her hands to her sides, tossing the clothing she had gathered for herself on the floor. "You don't wear pajamas," Sharon mused.
"I know."