Ripple Effect

By Kadi

Rated M

Disclaimer: I play in the sandbox, I don't own it.

Warning: Rated for this chapter. NSFW.


Chapter 7

As much as they had all enjoyed their Christmas vacation in Chicago, Andy was glad to be back in California. The nights were cold, but there was no snow. Once they were back home, life picked up and became busy again. Andy tried to make it home for dinner most nights, but it didn't always happen. Sharon had the same problem until she went on desk duty again. On top of that, he had picked up a side job working security at a car dealership a couple of nights a week. They were juggling a lot, but somehow they were making it all work.

On that particular night, Andy cleared the table and took over cleaning the kitchen while Sharon took Emily upstairs for a bath and story time. After he locked up the house, he followed them. The lamp was on in the nursery, but he found Emily and Sharon in their room. Andy leaned against the doorframe and watched them for a moment.

His wife was propped against a couple of pillows. She was wearing a pale pink bathrobe that was parted only slightly, just enough that her rounding stomach protruded. Emily was lying with her head against her mother's middle, speaking quietly while Sharon combed her fingers through her hair. He was only able to pick out a few of the words, Emily seemed to be carrying on a quiet conversation all of her own with the baby that was growing in her mother's belly.

Sharon must have sensed him there. Her gaze lifted and she smiled at him. It was a gentle curving of her lips. Her eyes were soft. There was contentment in them. Andy pushed away from the door and walked toward the bed. He lay down beside them and stretched out on his side. "How are my girls?"

Emily looked toward him. Her cheek was still resting against her mother. "Baby moved," she explained.

"Did she now?" Andy reached across and laid his hand against the curve of Sharon's stomach. Beneath his palm he felt a light fluttering. She wasn't far enough along yet for the movements to be overly distinct, but there was definitely a life growing in there. He knew now what held Emily's attention so completely.

"Yes he did," Sharon replied with a smile. Her eyes danced in the low light from the lamp, looking almost emerald in her amusement. This time she was going to have her way.

Andy chuckled quietly. She was determined, but he wasn't convinced. They wouldn't know until the sonogram, but something told him that was another girl. Maybe it was his contrary nature, but he knew that Sharon was just as stubborn about it. "What do you think, Em?"

Emily crawled over to lie down in the circle of his arms. She sighed happily as she snuggled close. "We have had our bath," Sharon told him quietly, "our story, and I think we are ready for our bed."

"I think you're right." Andy wrapped his arms around his daughter. He stood with her and carried her to the other side of the bed so that she could kiss her mother goodnight. "Come on, little pip, let's get you tucked in."

"Night baby," Sharon waved as she was carried out of the room. She sank further into the bed with a sigh. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. In the next room she could hear Emily saying her prayers. Sharon chuckled quietly as Emily put off bedtime for as long as possible by blessing not just their family, but her toys – each by name. Emily still didn't like to sleep, that much hadn't changed as she got older.

Andy shook his head when he stepped back into their room a little while later. It had taken another story before Emily finally closed her eyes and settled in to slumber. The gate at the top of the stairs was latched, but he left their bedroom door cracked, just in case she woke up during the night. "I would just like to point out," he said quietly, "if we get her anymore toys, we'll never sleep again."

Sharon hummed. Her hands stroked her belly. "You know, honey, I think sleep is a commodity that we should just give up on. I can't imagine that we're going to get a lot of it with two of them running around."

"Probably not." His knee sank onto the foot of the bed. Andy leaned over and pressed a kiss to one of her calves. He crawled slowly up the length of her body. His hands caught the edges of her robe and he parted it completely. She wasn't wearing anything underneath it. "You're a tease, you know that?" He pressed a kiss to one of her bent knees. His hand moved along the smooth skin. His lips followed, trailing a path up the inside of her thigh.

"Me?" Sharon threaded her fingers through his hair. "You're the one that's still dressed." Her eyes glittered deviously at him when he looked up at her over the curve of her belly.

"We can fix that," he told her. His hands moved over her hips and up her sides. He braced his hands against the mattress on each side of her. Andy kept his weight on his arms as he leaned over her. His lips were gentle against her stomach. He nudged her thighs apart and knelt between them.

She hummed as he trailed a path between her breasts and up her chest. Her neck arched for him. Sharon sighed when his teeth nipped playfully at the soft skin beneath her ear. She sat forward and let her hands slide underneath his t-shirt as their lips met. Her tongue traced the line of his lips, teased them apart. Her nails raked through the hair covering his chest while her tongue slid into his mouth.

Together they pulled his t-shirt up and over his head. Andy tossed it aside. His hands moved to her shoulders and he slid the robe down her arms. Then he nudged her back onto the pillows behind her. Andy sat back on his knees and gazed down at her. Her eyes were dark. Her hair was spread out around her, a curling and tousled mess following her bath. Andy leaned over her again. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth. "Damn, you're beautiful," he groaned.

"Liar." She moaned when his hands cupped her breasts. He lifted their swollen, heavy weight. His thumbs circled the nipples, already hard and aching for attention.

"Shh," he warned. Andy swallowed her next moan with a kiss as he rolled one of her nipples between his fingers. "Whatever you do, don't wake her up now." He was already hard. Andy rubbed the bulge in his jeans against the inside of her thigh. He sucked on her lower lip again before he drew away from her. He moved down her body. They're eyes met. The lust in hers made him twitch to be inside her.

Her hands moved into his hair. Sharon's nails scraped against his scalp when his mouth closed around one of her breasts. She barely suppressed the cry on her lips. Her hips bucked and she pressed herself against his thigh as his tongue circled the aroused flesh. "Andy," she was panting his name. It felt as though her body was one large, exposed nerve ending.

Andy reached up and clasped his hands around her wrists. He drew them away from him and leaned up to wrap them around the wooden slats of their headboard. "Hold on," he told her. He palmed the recently released breast as he took the other in his mouth. He twisted and tugged at her nipples until her back arched and her legs wrapped around him.

When he wasn't sure that she could take anymore, he sat back. His hands stroked up and down her thighs. Her arousal was glistening against the folds of her sex. Andy pushed his hands to the apex of her thighs and slipped his thumbs inward, to trace the inside of each hip.

Her hips thrust toward him. Sharon's hands tightened around the headboard while she tossed her head. He was teasing her, making her ache for him in a way that was almost more pain than pleasure. "I need you," she told him.

"Soon." Andy bent toward her. His arms curled beneath her and drew her toward him. He could smell her, the musky sent of her arousal. Andy hooked his arms beneath her thighs and planted his hands against her stomach. His large palms splayed across her rounded middle. Then he drew his tongue along her slit.

"Oh. My. God." Her hips tried to buck against him, but he kept her anchored to the bed. The pressure of his hands against her, while his tongue was sliding between her folds was almost too much. "Andy."

His tongue circled her engorged clit. He could feel the clenching of her muscles beneath his hands. Her thighs were trembling. He groaned at the taste of her. When Andy slid a finger into her, he thought he was going to have to cover her mouth. She turned her face into the pillows instead. Her hips rocked toward him as his hand moved, sliding that single digit inside of her. Then he added a second. He felt her walls tighten around them. He continued to trace her clit with his tongue, teasing her. When she was shaking beneath him, Andy drew his mouth away from her. He licked the taste of her off his lips and watched her, panting while her hips bucked against his hand.

He smirked at the way that her eyes flashed. He drew his hands away from her and sat back. He unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down. Sharon sat up and together they freed him from the denim. Andy grabbed one of the pillows and shoved it beneath her hips as he moved between her legs again. He captured her mouth as he sank into her, swallowing her cries as she stretched around him.

They moved together, slowly at first, savoring the feel until the need for release became too much. Then Andy leaned back again. He pressed his fingers against her clit, teased her as he thrust inside her. His thrusts were quick, but shallow. He knew that anything else would be uncomfortable for her at this angle, but he wanted to watch her as she fell apart. When her eyes rolled back and her back arched, he bit his lip. He was straining toward his own release, but there was something infinitely wonderful about watching Sharon fall over the edge first.

She pulled a pillow against her face, groaned into it as her hips bucked against him. She clenched tightly around him as she road each wave of pleasure. Andy waited for it to subside before he drew the pillow from beneath her. He leaned over her and turned his face into her neck as his pace picked up again. He thrust fast, filling her again and again until his body shuddered and his release spilled in to her.

He collapsed on his side beside her and rolled onto his back. While he struggled to breath, his hand reached out blindly and landed against her thigh. Andy stroked the soft skin and stared at the ceiling above them. "You okay?"

"Mmhm." She was more than okay. Sharon stretched. She laid her hand over his, but enjoyed the warm, languid feeling that settled over her in the aftermath of climax.

Andy clasped their fingers together. He tossed his other arm over his head. "God, I love you," he panted, chest still rising and falling quickly.

Sharon only hummed. Her eyes were closed. Her tongue swept out to wet her lips. "Me too," she managed. After another moment her head rolled toward him. "Think it'll still be like this with two of them?"

"Nah." He reached out and pulled her toward him. Andy curled his arm around her shoulders. "It'll be better."

She draped her leg across his and settled against him. Her hand stroked his chest. After a moment, she let it slide lower. Her finger traced the line of his softening shaft. When he jerked at the touch, she smiled. "You know, it's still early…"

He slanted a look at her. That devious gleam was back in her eyes again. Not since before Emily had they managed to spend an entire night enjoying each other. He thought about it for a moment before a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Sleep was a precious commodity, they'd best get used to not having it now.

The only downside to having stayed up late enjoying one another was the eventual arrival of morning. Emily found her way into their room before the alarm went off. She had a large stuffed puppy under one arm as she climbed onto the bed. She sat on her knees on the edge of the bed and shook her father's shoulder.

Andy grunted. He was sprawled on his stomach. Most mornings he didn't know why they bothered to set the alarm. Emily always woke them up first. Because of that, he had pulled on a pair of sweats before finally falling into a tired, satisfied slumber. Emily nudged his shoulder again and he cracked one eye open to look up at her. "It's early, baby."

"Nuh uh." She pulled her puppy up and held it against her chest. "Hungry, daddy."

He sighed. He ran a hand over his face and rolled on to his back. Andy cast a look at his wife. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and still sound asleep. "Okay." He pushed himself up. "Quiet," he warned Emily, when she hopped off the bed. He yawned as he joined her. He ushered the little girl out of the room and picked her up when they reached the stairs.

The kitchen was where Sharon found them a little while later. She had been lured by the smell of breakfast. Emily was on a stool at the counter, on her knees, watching intently as her father fried bacon and scrambled eggs. "There you are," she drawled, voice still thick with sleep. Sharon walked over and kissed the top of Emily's head before she leaned in to her husband's side. "Good morning."

"Morning." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Andy pressed a kiss against her hair before releasing her. "Juice is on the counter."

Sharon's lip curled. She would have rather had coffee. She sighed as she pulled down a glass and filled it. "Another reason," she told him, "to make sure this is the last one."

Andy laughed. He lifted the skillet off the stove and scooped the eggs into a bowl. He was planning on grabbing a cup of coffee on his way to the office, just to keep her from grumbling at him. On top of not being allowed to have it, the smell made her sick. "How are you doin' this morning?"

"Hm." Over the rim of her glass, her eyes sparkled at him. "Tired." She took another sip, but the gleam in her gaze told him that she didn't mind it. Sharon set the glass aside after another moment and lifted Emily off her stool. "Come on you, let's eat." Sharon carried her to the breakfast table and sat down with Emily across her lap.

After setting the food on the table, Andy pressed a kiss to her mouth. "I'm going to hop in the shower. What's the plan for today?"

"Daycare for this one, the doctor for me, and then I'll see you at the station." The sonogram wasn't until her next appointment, and while she appreciated that he tried, she didn't need Andy to make every doctor's visit with her.

"Sounds good." He kissed her again before he turned away. "Em, you're in charge."

"Yep!" Emily watched her mother fill a plate for them to share. Then she reached for a piece of bacon that her mother was tearing into small pieces for her. "Bite!" She leaned back against her mother's chest while she chewed. "Mmm."

"That's right." Sharon laid her cheek against the top of her head. "Daddy does a good job, huh?"

Emily nodded. She turned and pressed a piece of bacon against her mother's lips. "Momma bite."

Sharon nipped at her fingers. Emily giggled happily and then leaned against her again. Sharon cuddled her close as they went through their morning breakfast routine. "Did you have a good night?"

"Uh huh." Emily took the piece of toast that her mother handed her and nibbled at it. "I dream ponies."

"Ponies huh? We'll have to ask Daddy about that…"

Andy watched them from the kitchen door. It was the same every morning, at least when he wasn't called away on a case. There was a high chair not even a foot away from her, but Sharon would hold the baby in her lap while they both ate. He could hear them speaking quietly, and a conversation with a toddler might be filled with mostly nonsense, but his wife nodded and hummed in response to every word. When she looked up and caught him watching them, Andy winked at her.

Sharon blew a kiss at him before she turned her attention back to Emily. She had moved on from ponies to kittens, and Sharon was fairly certain she had mentioned wanting a new doll in all of that happy gibberish.

She was still in the kitchen when Andy came back downstairs. Sharon was at the sink, cleaning up the breakfast dishes while Emily played with her dolls in the living room. Andy dropped his jacket over the back of one of the stools at the center island before he walked over and leaned against his wife's back. His arms circled her waist. "You know," he said quietly, with his chin resting against her shoulder. "You could go back to school. You wouldn't have to rush off every morning to daycare and work. You could spend more time with the kids."

His hands settled against her middle as he spoke. Sharon only hummed in response as she reached for a towel to dry her hands on. She turned in his embrace and looked up at him. "I could do that," she agreed. "I don't want to, Andy. Yes, I love being here with Emily, but I like working too." She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. "We're in this together, you know. I love that you want to take care of us, but Andy, I don't need that. I'm happy with how things are." Her arms slipped around his neck. "I promise."

"Yeah, and I promised that you could finish school." He ducked his head with a sigh. "I don't want you giving that up because of me." He looked at her through his lashes. "It's not about the money, Sharon. We can figure that out. I can work extra security shifts."

"You could do that," she agreed. Sharon smoothed her hands down his chest and straightened his tie. "Andy, I'm not worried about the money. I just don't have the same passion for it that I used to. Besides, you're already working a second job. If you pick up anymore you won't be here. I would miss you. Emily would miss you." She kissed the tip of his chin. "This baby would miss you. When would you see Charlie and Nicole? We only get them two weekends a month as it is. Honey, I don't want you worrying about this."

He sighed. "Yeah, but in five or ten years I don't want you to regret what you had to give up because—"

Sharon pressed a finger to his lips. "The only thing that I regret is how stubborn you are. I haven't given anything up. Andy, I may not have crawled on top of myself and gotten pregnant but I wasn't beating you off with a stick either." She laughed when he rolled his eyes at her. Sharon reached for one of his hands and laid it against her stomach. "We didn't plan this, any of it, but I'm happy. Okay?"

"If you're sure?" It was the last time he was going to ask her about law school. He had already made up his mind about that.

"Yes!" Sharon laughed again. "Now go to work, you're going to be late."

Andy huffed another sigh. "I'm going," he grumbled. He bent and pressed a kiss to her stomach, just beneath their joined hands. When he straightened, she was giving him a crooked, indulgent smile. Andy cupped the back of her head. The kiss that he pressed to her mouth was short and quick. "Love you."

"I love you too, now go!" She swatted at him with a dishtowel. Sharon rolled her eyes as she chased him out of the kitchen. "Oh, that man! Stubborn pain my a-"

"I can still hear you," Andy called from the foyer.

"I know!" Sharon shook her head as she went back to the dishes. She squeaked a minute later when she was turned. Her husband pressed her into the counter and kissed her hard. His tongue plunged into her mouth, stealing her breath. He pulled away before she could do more than hum in response. Her lips tingled, and her head was spinning.

He gave her bottom a playful swat and winked at her. "Bye."

Sharon watched him go. She waited until she heard him tell Emily goodbye and the front door closed behind him before she turned around again. "Trouble. He's nothing but trouble." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, however. She had a particular fondness for his brand of trouble. That man could irritate her like no other, but he could also make her laugh until she was gasping for air and snorting her amusement.

He made her happy. Sharon only wished she could make him believe that; she didn't need anymore than he was giving her now. Maybe someday he would see it.

He was what she needed.

-TBC-