"Sharon, can I ask your question?"

Sharon picked up her earrings from the side table and adjusted them in the mirror while she observed Rusty in the reflection.

"You're asking one now aren't you?"

Rusty rolled his eyes and picked up her hair brush from the side table and began flicking the bristles with his fingers.

"Ha ha, Sharon."

"What's your question Rusty?" She asked turning to him and eyeing the brush he was holding.

"Well here's the thing - I've finished school now, we had the graduation and the party, which was great, but I'm wondering, I guess what I'm asking is - did you know what you wanted to do for a living when you finished school? I mean you said before you got pregnant that you were planning to study law, but did you always know that is what you wanted to do?"

Sharon took the brush from Rusty with both hands and placed it back on the side table. Lifting her dress with one hand and taking his with the other she ushered him to sit down beside her on the bed. She smoothed the long purple dress out before looking back up at him and then watched an array of anxieties flutter across his face.

She remembered the feeling well; the overwhelming expectation to become something better than your parents, to forge your way in the world with a title that represented everything you are and everything you could offer. Her maturity had taught her that part of growing up was understanding that so much of what a person is isn't a job or a title but the everyday choices made and the effect they had on other people.

As a teenage she had found herself swinging between youthful rebellion and a need for direction. She knew it was a similar experience for Rusty, but imagined it would be even more difficult for him without growing up with the emotional reassurance from a parent that she had as a child.

"Rusty you don't have to know what you want to do right now. Eventually you'll find what comes naturally to you and what makes you excited about life, and if you work hard and you're lucky enough, you'll get the opportunity to do that for a career. College is meant to be a time to try new things, meet new people and have new experiences. You just have to see where all that takes you."

"Ok, I guess." he said watching a stray curl fall to the side of her face.

"Don't over think it Rusty. You're still quite young, some people don't figure out what they want to do till they are much older, and some are always looking. It doesn't mean their lives stay on hold, you keep going and you keep trying - that's the key."

"Alright Sharon you say this all now, but I bet if I'm still living here in my thirties trying to figure this out you're going to be pushing me to join the army or something."

Sharon smiled at Rusty and reached out her hand to rub his arm.

"Putting aside my indecision over my future for a moment, you never answered my question - before Jack and Law School, when you finished school what did you want to do?"

She looked down to the carpet, remembering and smiling with one lip carefully covered under the other.

"Well..." She glanced at her nails before looking back at Rusty.

"...for most of my childhood up to about age twelve I wanted to be..."

"Yes?"

"...I wanted to be an astronaut."

"An astronaut? You in space? With all that hair?" He replied taking in the long waves and curls Sharon had so carefully crafted into her hair tonight.

"I don't think your hair dryer would work so well in space."

"I'm sure I would have adapted - maybe."

Stepping off the bed carefully Sharon picked up her lipstick from the side table and began to reapply it.

"So why didn't you become Sharon Raydor the astronaut?"

"Well it would have been Sharon Hellier had I never met Jack, and my twelve year old self found out about the less than glamorous way astronauts use the toilet, and that dream started to lose it's appeal."

"So you gave up on a life of intergalactic travel..."

"Orbiting the Earth analysing space junk," Sharon interrupted putting her lipstick in her bag.

"You basically gave up on your dream because you didn't want to pee in a bag?"

"I was twelve, it wasn't like I was attached to the idea. Everyone has funny ideas of what they wanted to do when they were a kid - my sister wanted to be one of Santa's elves."

"My god Sharon your family is weird."

"They're your family too now, weird is part of the deal." She replied waving her mascara at him.

"As a teenager I went through so many phases of things I liked one minute then hated the next - that's part of the fun I guess. I also found that while I liked science I also had quite a knack for English and History. I considered teaching for a while during college but after several rounds with the debate team my coach suggested I may be interested in trying law. I ended up taking a few classes here and there and that's how I met Jackson. So you see Rusty, you never know where life will take you."

"Yeah I still think living on the moon would have been a better option than Jack"

Sharon rolled her eyes at him and tried not to laugh.

"Have you seen my shoes?" She asked looking around the room.

"Which ones? You have like 40 pairs of them,"

"I do not have 40 pairs of shoes" she said as she opened the double doors to her wardrobe.

"I have...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, okay we aren't going to count sneakers because they aren't worthy of the title, 10, 11, 12, 13, there they are!"

"Wow Sharon I hope you don't intend to dance or frankly walk in those shoes because I've seen stilts that look safer."

Sharon leaned on Rusty's shoulder as she put her shoes on.

"It's dinner theatre, I intend on eating, laughing, and secretly wiggling my toes when no one is looking. There I think I may be ready" she said as she adjusted the skirt of her dress.

"What do you think Rusty?"

Rusty looked at her from top to toe. Her hair as always was immaculate and tonight it fell in loosely curled bouncy waves down her back. Her dress was a deep purple with thin straps and the material shimmered under different light. What the material was Rusty couldn't say, but it wrapped around every angle and gently flared out to her ankles from her mid-thigh onwards. She was absolutely stunning he thought, and part of him felt over-protective of his foster mother, and another part of him was curious as to why tonight she was putting in so much effort.

"You look beautiful Sharon. Though don't you usually wear a wrap with that dress?"

"Sometimes - though the weather has been warmer lately and it would just be another thing to carry."

Rusty nodded and looked around wondering if he should leave her to it.

"Rusty is something wrong?"

"No, I guess I want to ask you something but I don't know if it's any of my business."

"Is it about me going out tonight? Whatever it is Rusty just ask me, I'll be honest and tell you if I'm ever uncomfortable with answering your questions."

"Ok, but I'm just asking so I don't say the wrong thing in front of Lt. Flynn. I know you've gone out with him before but you weren't as dressed up as you are now and I'm wondering - oh god this is so embarrassing..."

Sharon reached her arms out and grabbed a hold of Rusty's restless hands and looked at him patiently till he could make eye contact again.

"You're wondering if this is a date?"

Rusty nodded his head as his eyes darted from Sharon to her reflection in the mirror.

"Honestly? I'm aware of how it might look but I'm trying not to think about that right now. It's just nice to be able to go out with another person my age, dress up, enjoy some good food and conversation and I don't really know or want to over think it. The nature of our positions at work means I need to be careful with any labels I apply to a situation like this, so I'm avoiding it. And to be honest I'm not even sure Andy..."

"Wow you're actually rambling Sharon, it's ok. I get it and I know you can look after yourself but I just can't help but worry about you. Not that I think Lt. Flynn would ever hurt you, but I wonder how much you've actually gotten passed what happened with Jack. I know you've been separated from him for a long time, but that relationship was still a huge part of your life and I know what it's like to suddenly lose that - even when you know it's for the best."

Sharon opened her mouth slightly then closed it again. She noticed Rusty didn't look away this time, maybe he was waiting for her to speak, but she didn't know what to say. So she walked closer to him and pulled him into a gentle hug. With one hand on his back she softly patted his shoulder and pulled back.

"Rusty I...I'm good. I won't lie, it's been difficult and there are moments when it's going to be difficult again but right now, I'm good, I'm really good."

He smiled at her and felt his shoulders relax.

"Well I'm good, that you're good."

The quiet moment that followed was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Well it looks like Lt. Flynn's here, time for your date" he said moving to the door.

"It's not a date Rusty. Let's call it an outing."

"That sounds like a boarding school trip to the museum."

"It will do for now," she said as she ushered him to the door.

"Could you please let him in, I'll be out shortly."

Rusty opened the door to an equally impressively dressed Lieutenant.

"Oh good you match."

Andy smiled and fidgeted with the flowers he was holding that were also purple. Was this sarcasm? Or a casual observation? Andy wasn't sure but he had to get inside and get this awkward greeting out of the way.

"Hey Rusty, can I come in?"

"Sure, I don't know what else she is doing but I imagine she'll be out soon. So do you want a drink of something?"

"No, no I'm fine. Do you know where Sharon keeps her vases? These will need to be put in water before we leave."

"Yeah just under the sink to the left."

Andy navigated to the kitchen and began looking at the array of neatly arranged vases Sharon kept there. Geez even her kitchen cupboards are neat, he thought to himself. He wondered what she would have thought of his set up at home if they had followed the original plan for this evening.

With Sharon finding out that her local dinner theatre had recently reopened her sentimentality made her eager to check it out. With the plan in place Andy pointed out that it made more sense if he were to pick her up to save her driving across town and back. So instead of nervously waiting at home while Sharon found a park, he found himself searching through her cupboard looking for a vase. Eventually he found a nicely shaped ceramic vase, it was decorated with tiny etchings of flowers and birds, and turning on the kitchen tap he carefully began to fill it.

"So Lt. Flynn,"

"Please, Andy or Flynn, or whatever - I'm not like Provenza, I like to leave the rank at work."

"Ok then, I guess like Lt. Provenza I'll call you Flynn."

"Sure, it's a step up from some of the other names he calls me."

Rusty made a note to ask the Lieutenant what other names he likes to call Flynn - though he does recall witnessing the term 'idiot' thrown around quite liberally in the office.

"So Flynn, while we are waiting for Sharon I was wondering, what your thoughts are on the space program?"

Andy looked straight at Rusty completely bewildered.

"What?"

Just as he asked the question something caught his attention from the corner of his eye, something purple.

"Woah," was all that came out and he felt himself say it in his head a second time as if his brain was compelled to echo the sentiment.
Exquisite is the only other word that he could think of right now. Nothing else could compute except for the fact that to the side of him stood someone he knew was beautiful, but right now as she was, some how that word wasn't enough.

"Flynn the vase!" Rusty yelled trying to return his attention to the vase, which as of now was over flowing.

"Damnit!" He uttered as he went to quickly turn off the tap and check on the outcome of his distraction.

"Sorry about that, no damage thankfully." He said as he lifted the vase to show them both and placed it on the bench.

Trying not to grin too much with his lips was hard when the eyes had a way of conveying a grin regardless. Stepping away from the sink, he picked up the flowers he had placed on the bench and brought them over to Sharon.

"Hey Sharon, I guess you surprised me. You look amazing, I mean not that you don't always look lovely but ah..."

Sharon's eyes widened along with her smile. He was nervous in that ridiculous manner she had seen before while they were at The Nutcracker performance. She never knew if she should find it endearing or be concerned about his blood pressure.

"Andy, thank you. You look very handsome yourself, are these for me?" she asked noticing the flowers he haphazardly held in his hands.

"Oh yeah sure, I was going to put them in the vase before we left,"

Sharon was hearing him but she was also busy taking the flowers and breathing in their heavy scent.

"Oh these are lovely Andy, thank you"

"I can put them in the vase for you" Rusty offered.

"Thank you Honey" she carefully handed the flowers to Rusty while Andy continued to smile at her as if he was frozen in time.

"Well then, I guess we should get going," she said as she turned to pick up her handbag. She looked back at Andy who hadn't moved since she last looked at him.

"Andy?"

"Oh right, yes sure."

"Are you ok?" She asked him as she moved in to get a better look at his appearance.

"I'm fine really, I guess I just need some fresh air. It's been so warm today and the weather is so unpredictable..."

"You're rambling Flynn, but you're in good company."

For the second time tonight Andy was confused by something Rusty had said. But when he turned away from Rusty he noticed the very much unamused glare Sharon was directing towards the newest member of her family.

"You sure you don't want a glass of water?" Rusty amended.

"No thanks that's fine. We better get going if we want to get good seats."

"Rusty, I don't think we will be out much later than midnight, but don't stay up too late. I'd like you to come into work tomorrow and you can start on your college applications."

"Alright, alright. Have a good time on your..."

Sharon took in a sharp breath and narrowed her eyes at the young man.

"...outing"

Sharon released the breath she was holding and smiled at the boy.

"Shall we?" Sharon turned around and took Andy's arm.

Andy looked down at the arm that had taken his and the reality of the moment hit him like a newspaper to the head, I'm on a date.
He looked back up at Sharon who seemed a little confused at his behaviour but smiled at him regardless, and he gently patted the hand that rested on his arm.

"I'm ready if you are." he replied.

Waving to Rusty they both left the condo arm in arm as they tried to ignore the obvious amusement of the younger man behind them.

TBC..

A/N: Twelve year old Sharon may have borrowed her concerns about the space program from twelve year old me. Honestly growing up on Star Trek gave me unrealistic expectations regarding gravity, replicators and Captain Janeway approved bathrooms. Alas I will never reach the stars because my expectations are too high and my grades were too low.