"I'm not here. You can't see me." Quinn lifts her rice to her mouth using chopsticks. The carton, with writing not in her own tongue on the side, settled between her hands as she stands in the kitchen.
"You could at least sit down." Andy calls to her, his eyes focused on the television.
"Shut up, Flynn. I think you just visit for my awesome electronics." She points her sticks toward him, "Besides, I'm trying to do this quickly before mom comes home."
Rusty smirks toward her, "What makes you think she isn't already on her way up? I mean, that thing started a few hours ago. She's got to be done by now."
The young woman groans, "You're right." She looks down to the container, "And for the record, Andy, you're welcome to my giant television anytime you'd like. I know my sofa is ten times more comfortable than Mom's."
"Sharon's sofa isn't so bad. It's alright once ya get used to it." Andy calls out to her.
"Says you."
Rusty motions for the twins to eat at the table, "Finn, you've got to eat your shrimp."
Finn shakes his head slowly, "Don't wan' it."
"What do you mean you don't want it? That's what you always get and you eat it like crazy." He raises his voice ever so slightly, not in any way yelling at the boy, but just confused for the most part.
The toddler shakes his head again, "Harpy have it."
"I'm good." The girl eats her wontons from her wonton soup with a fork, smiling to her brother. She reaches over and takes his hand, trying to comfort him. When the boy quickly takes his hand from her, she frowns, "It okay, Finny."
"I have an idea, how about Finn and I eat our dinner in my bedroom considering Gigi will be here any moment and I would rather she didn't blow a gasket." Quinn offers, running her hand through the boy's hair when she steps behind him, "How about it, Finn?"
Finn glances up toward his mother and nods, "Kay." He squirms from his booster seat and makes his way to the aforementioned room.
The young woman sighs, returning to the kitchen to obtain the food in question, "Rusty, has he said anything to you about what's bothering him?"
Rusty hates lying. However, he knows a small white lie here and there that actually is better in the long run would be fine for the moment, "Not a thing." Actually, it wasn't a lie, not really. Finn hadn't said a word to him about what happened.
"Someone must know." Quinn raises her voice slightly, hearing the opening of the door. She bites her lip, standing still as if she can't possibly be seen if she doesn't move.
Sharon steps inside more, looking about the room. Andy on the sofa, Rusty and her granddaughter at the dinner table, "Where's Finn?"
"Quinn's room." Andy answers before looking over to her and offering her a smile, "How was the thing?"
"Back to school night was a resounding success. I think." She sighs, "And Quinn, I was able to hear you from outside the door. No use hiding now." When the young woman steps into her field of vision, "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Well, I had to pee, then I had to eat. Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone." Quinn nods, raising her eyebrows and hoping it would be enough information to satisfy her mother.
"If you did things the way-"
"I'm not using a fucking bedpan. I'm not an invalid. I have to move a little here and there to prevent any damage to the nerves in my back or bedsores. Bet you didn't think about that, now did you." The young woman places her hands on her hips, "Don't worry."
"The first school trip is at the end of the week. I'm going as a chaperone since Tate will be with his class and Rusty has school." Sharon removes her jacket, then shoots the young man a look when she notices him attempt to protest, "Which you are not playing hookie for, no."
"I'm an adult, you know." Rusty smirks, watching her.
"Another thing I don't approve of."
The young man jogged up to his mother's flat. He was thrilled to be moving back home from his former college on the east coast. It just wasn't for him. Not that he didn't have his own friends or the weather wasn't nice, snow was interesting, but it just wasn't home. Ever since Sharon Raydor took him under her wing, he hated being far from her, especially for an extended period of time.
Sharon quickly rose from the sofa, moving around to face the door, "Rusty!"
"Hey." Rusty offered her a grin, dropping his large military-like duffel bag to the floor she rushed toward him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Needing his mother close. "It's good to be back."
"I thought you were coming next week." She kissed his hair, stroking the spot after as she pulled back to meet his eye, "Who gave you a ride home?"
"Tate" He nodded, "I talked to Sam on the plane. He said not to tell you anything because you'd worry."
"Sam always thinks I'm worried. Just, eternally worried." Sharon hummed a soft laugh before reaching a hand up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, "I've missed you so much."
"Are you sure?" Rusty teased her, receiving a playful hit to the shoulder.
Slowly stepping into her daughter's room after eating dinner on her own and consuming a glass of Cabernet from the back of her daughter's refrigerator. She closes the door behind herself. "Tate and Harper are on the sofa watching television, Andy and Rusty have returned home to my place to play chess. So, I thought it may be the best time to come and see you without an argument."
"Andy knows how to play chess? Quinn raises her eyebrow, glancing over to the woman. Her back propped up to a near sitting position from the pillows behind her.
"Rusty promised him lessons." She peeks over, seeing her grandson asleep, his small body pressed against his mother's side. Sharon offers a smile, "How is he?"
The young woman shrugs slightly, "I'm worried about him. I think he may be depressed."
"Depressed?" Sharon furrows her brow, running a hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ear, "What about?"
"Mother, you know as well as anyone else that there doesn't necessarily need to be a reason to be depressed." Quinn absently licks her lips.
Sharon returned the gun to the holster at her hip, keeping her hand on it as she slowly walked over to the man she had just wounded. Using her other hand, she touches the radio at her shoulder, "This is Officer Sharon Raydor. I need an ambulance to the back alley of-" She pauses as she searches for the street name.
"You shot me." The older man looked toward the dark night sky.
"You left me no choice."
He groaned loudly, his hand at the wound in his gut. "Always a choice...always."
Sharon bit her lip, shaking her head, "Please, just remain calm." She pressed her hands against his wound, "Paramedics will be here shortly."
"Tell my...tell my wife and my kids...tell them I love them. I did this for them."
"Stay with me." She picked her head up, able to hear the sound of sirens close by, "Just a little bit longer." Looking back down toward the man's face, she could nearly see the life drain from it, "Please." She pressed her fingers to the side of his neck, feeling a lack of a pulse, "Please." Sharon whispered, closing her eyes as she heard the racing footsteps of the EMTs moving closer, knowing in her heart that he was already gone.
"Someone bought you makeup?" Andy keeps his eyes closed, letting the girl paint his face with her kit.
"Uncle Tam did." Harper answers simply, pausing. She looks to her hand, then to the palette of pastel eyeshadow, deciding to use her fingers as applicators.
"Sam? Does he know you're a toddler?"
"I am big. I go to school and I go potty...mean I'm a big girl." She gently glides her fingers over the contours and soft wrinkles of his face.
"Certainly does." Andy raises his eyebrows, "You got me there."
"Almost done." Harper mumbles, then grins after. "Kay." She backs away a little, having been careful of his shoulder the entire time, which she was equally proud of, as well as the job done to his face.
"Well? How do I look?"
"Very pwetty."
"Got a mirror?" He opens his eyes watching the young girl.
The toddler scurries from the sofa, racing to the bathroom and obtaining the handheld mirror from under the cabinet, taking it to the man.
Rusty picks his head up, able to see the older man's reflexion from his seat at the table. He laughs hard, nearly doubling over, "Here, let me take your picture. Harper, make sure you're in it too." He rises from his seat, stepping over to the pair.
"Harper says I'm pretty, as a matter of fact." Andy gives him a playful look, knowing he appears ridiculous, though not caring in the least.
"You are." Harper quickly climbs onto the sofa once more, standing next to the man with a grin on her face as her uncle captures the moment using his mobile phone.
"I'm so sending this to Provenza." Rusty continues to laugh as he moves away from them.
Andy attempted to round his shoulder, grimacing.
"The hells wrong with you?" Provenza scrunched his face slightly, watching his friend.
"Don't know. Hurts like a bitch though." He groans, shaking his head, "That normal?"
"Sign of a heart attack. Liz thought I was having one a while back and she looked it up. One of the things that can happen, a symptom, is pain in the shoulder. Real painful. How bad is it?"
Flynn glanced to his partner, "Yeah?"
"Go to the damn doctor. If you can't take yourself me or your girlfriend will take you." Provenza gave the man a look, knowing something immensely wrong was wrong with his friend.
"You know, sooner or later, Andy and Mom are going to find out that you contact me." Quinn grins into the tablet computer resting on her belly.
"I'm allowed to speak to whoever I'd like. Aren't I?" Louie Provenza nods into the camera located on the top of his computer, "I mean, we're grown adults."
"You sound like you're asking me out." She chuckles softly.
The older man waves his eyebrows then smirks, "How is it going, kid?"
"It goes." Quinn shrugs, "How about you? How's the office?"
"Quiet, actually. Flynn couldn't have chosen a better time to have his face painted by one of your little ones." He holds his phone up to the camera, hearing her laugh, he continues, "I'm guessing that was the girl who did that?"
"Andy is Harper's favorite person. So...yeah, probably." She nods, "It isn't too much for you though, is it? Being alone and in charge at work."
"Being in charge is never too much for me." Provenza shakes his head.
Quinn rolls her eyes, "You know what I mean, Lieutenant."
"Oh, it's fine. Nothing going on around here anyway. That happens when we get closer to the holidays, as I'm sure you're aware."
"Understandable."
Provenza nods, "We're holding the fort. The Captain needs to focus on other things going on with her home front. We'll call when we need her. Per the usual."
"Sometimes I think you underestimate the importance of some things until it's too late." She arches the corner of her lip, "Don't do that, alright? It's okay to ask for help once in a while. I promise."
"You're on her side." He grumbles.
"I'm not your daughter, I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not...anything. I'm just a concerned citizen. I'd rather you be safe than sorry and not have her in time." Quinn watches the man through the tablet screen, "Got it, Lieutenant?"
"Your mother is my boss, not you." Provenza's look is playful, not at all serious even though he knows all the young woman is saying is true.
"Exactly, and you shouldn't be an asshole to the boss' daughter." She hums a soft chuckle.
"Jesus, you even laugh like her." The man shakes his head, "Alright, I've got shit to do. Talk to you later."
"I'll simply hold my breath until I see your face once more." Quinn coins a mock southern accent, smirking when she notices the Lieutenant chuckle before touching the screen to end the call.
"Who was that?" Tate stands in the doorway, having watched most of her conversation.
The young woman rolls her eyes before tilting her head to look to the man, "My secret lover. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
"Well, tell him he has a fight on his hands." He begins loosening his tie, sighing, "I hate long days."
"You and me booth. They're all long when you're stuck in bed and Hitler is watching your every move."
"Hitler?"
Quinn nods, "Also known as Captain Sharon Raydor."
"Ah." Tate grins, standing in front of the dresser and removing his dress shirt in front of the mirror, "You really should be nice to her."
"Just because you have a crush on her doesn't mean I can't make fun of her."
"I do not. I only have a crush on one woman." He turns to face her, flexing his bicep to her before noticing the toddler curled up against her side, "Why isn't he in bed?"
"I'm not making him. He's been a nervous wreck and I feel like you all know why and just don't want to tell me." She raises an eyebrow, "Why is that?"
"Maybe he just had a bad day." Tate reaches his hands down, unbuckling his belt before removing his trousers.
"Maybe you're unable to lie to me." Quinn smirks, "Maybe something happened at school that's so serious that you and Mom are in cahoots together to fool me."
"Maybe you're overreacting."
"Maybe he hasn't left my side since dinner. Not even wanting to play. Maybe I'm keeping him home from school just so we can have a quiet day together tomorrow." She sighs softly, "Just tell me what's wrong with my little boy."
