Rusty sits in the small brown Toyota his mother had bought him years ago. He sinks down into the seat, watching as people leave the medical offices for the day. He needed to know where she was now. He needs to know if she's okay. Something within him tells him that this is a bad idea, but other parts of him are so curious that he just needs to know. "Curiosity killed the cat." He mumbles to himself.
Sharon Beck steps out of the office building, her brightly colored scrubs a harsh contrast to her gray jacket. She has no idea she's being watched. She's spent so many years building her life back to something that she wanted. It wasn't that way before. Not when she was on the drugs. Not when she and her husband both were. Now she has a house and a family she can be proud of. The past was the past.
This is his third day just going and watching. He wants to follow her, but is far too nervous of the situation. Rusty knows that he could never tell Sharon Flynn about any of this.
Andy brought his wife's hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles softly. "We don't do this often enough."
Sharon hummed a soft chuckle, "You're right. We don't walk enough."
"Exactly, and this isn't even much. Our neighborhood, Shar."
"And quiet. That's the best part," She nodded, "We should start heading back soon though. I don't want to miss Rusty's Skype call."
"You won't miss his Skype call. You have your phone. He'll just call you on that." Andy shrugged, "No big deal."
"I prefer to talk to him on the laptop. Bigger screen." Sharon tilted her head to the side, "I wish he could find something closer. I've offered to help him find something."
"He wants to do it on his own. You know how he is." He sighed, a soft smirk played at his lips, "Shar, you aren't like this with the other kids."
It made her feel guilty, of course it did, she did treat Rusty different, "I want to protect him." She cleared her throat before continuing, "He wasn't shown any affection...any...respect from his biological mother. Just...there was nothing and he deserves the world. He's an amazing young man."
"Who would have thought Sharon Flynn would play favorites?" Andy teased.
"It isn't playing favorites. It's making up for lost time." Sharon's voice turned quiet, continuing to hold onto his arm as they neared the end of their walk.
Eve Raydor folds her arms, leaning back against the sofa within the apartment she shares with Julio, her daughter watching a toddler program on her tablet, "Run this by me again."
"I just...I wasn't going to say anything to anyone because it would make me sound weird." Rusty sits on the floor, a knee bent as he rests an arm against it.
"I don't think it makes you sound weird." She shakes her head, "That was your mother...is your mother."
"Our mom is my mother." He corrects quickly, shaking his head after a moment, "I don't know what I want. Do I want to confront her? Do I...do I just leave this alone?"
Eve leans forward slightly, "She left you in a zoo. Abandoned you. I mean...you'd never had been my brother if she didn't." The young woman straightens up in her seat for a moment, "That doesn't fix that it was one of the hardest times of your life. That doesn't fix the emotional and physical trauma you endured during that point."
"Those are my thoughts, yes." Rusty smiles to his niece as she brings him her tablet for help, "It's not going to work when there's like...30 windows open." He mumbles to himself, fixing it for the toddler.
"Do you want to have a relationship with Sharon Beck?"
He thinks a moment before shaking his head, "I don't think I do."
"Okay, so there's your answer." Eve takes a moment, "Let it go."
"Let it go." Rusty sounds doubtful, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. You know where she is and you know she isn't dead. Unless you want to have a relationship, that's the only thing you can do." She sighs, "I'm sorry there isn't any other ideas I have. However, you obviously are torn about all this. Maybe that's a hint that you want to get in contact with her."
"I don't though." He says again, "I..." Rusty pauses, swallowing before continuing, "I don't want Mom to think...things."
"Mom's far more reasonable than you give her credit for." Eve watches as her daughter takes a seat again, watching a movie on her tablet. "Maybe take Freya with you. She'll have something to cuddle."
Sharon Flynn sat before the young man, her protruding belly only slight, "Rusty, I don't expect you to ever think of me as your mother-"
"I do though. You've done more for me in one year than Sharon Beck did in fifteen." Rusty had tears in his eyes, nothing excessive, just something slight. He can't look to the woman next to him just yet, actually speaking from the heart, "You are my Mom. You're the one I know I can always count on. You're the one who brought me medicine when I was sick and even held a cold rag on my head. You. Not Sharon Beck. Never her." He swallowed, "I know your other kids don't like me-"
"Rusty-"
"But...that doesn't matter to me. Maybe one day they'll accept me, but that doesn't matter as long as you're my Mom."
Sharon leaned forward a little, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close to her chest, tears sprinkling her own eyes, "You are mine. You were always supposed to be." She gently stroked his hair, "No matter now it came to be, you're here now and you are a very important part of my family."
Rusty couldn't help but lean against her slightly, his emotions and will weak. "Thank you." He whispered.
"What is bringing this on, Sweetheart?"
He could not possibly tell her about the reoccurring dreams in which she dies, leaving him alone or back in the hands of his biological mother. The second being far worse than the first. He remained silent just closing his eyes instead.
Sharon snuggled her head against her husband's chest, "I'm exhausted."
"We'll stop being so busy soon. We'll be able to go on that trip we've been talking about." Andy softly kisses her hairline, "Just think about that to get through the day. I know I do."
"It isn't that easy." She sighs, "Our daughter is continually pushing limits, Rusty is...definitely hiding something, he and Mac still aren't speaking for reasons unbeknownst to me." Picking her head up, she meets his eyes, "Work is the last thing that's been exhausting me...it doesn't help though."
"I'm sorry, babe." He places a kiss against her lips this time, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Talk to Mac, maybe? See what's going on?"
Andy huffs a soft chuckle, "She talks to you more than she talks to me. I just show up to pay the bills and watch television once in awhile."
"Is that what you think?" Sharon furrows her brow slightly.
"Sometimes." He shrugs, "It's not a big deal, Sharon. I love-"
"You've told me a few times that you don't though." She reaches a hand up to lazily stroke the hair at his temple, "You are what makes this family. Not just me or our children, the both of us."
"Bet you tell that to all your husbands." Andy smirks, "It's really not an issue."
"Talk to Mac. She loves her Daddy. As does Katie...maybe talk to her too." Sharon kisses his lips softly, "Maybe she'll listen to you better than she does to me."
He groans playfully, "I don't like being mean to her."
"It isn't being mean. It's...I need help, Andy. I'm not the only one raising our daughter. I need your help too."
"I know. I'm sorry, babe." He turns to his side to face her, "My next day off, I'll take her out. Make a day of it."
"I bet she would really enjoy that." Sharon offers him a soft smile, hair flowing on the pillow behind her. She looks so comfortable at that moment.
Andy continues to stare at her face, a smirk turning up at the corner of his mouth, "I love you. You know that?" When he notices her blush slightly, he continues, "All this stuff at work is going to blow over, Katie and I are going to spend some time together and she'll grow out of pushing your buttons before you know it. Rusty and Mac...they need to figure that out themselves." He wraps his arm around her, "You and I will be on a faraway beach before you know it. You in a floppy hat and bikini, me with a fishing pole in my hand...or something. I'm not sure. Just...relax, alright?"
She her smile grows as she gently pecks his lips, "Yeah." Sharon deepens the kiss, "I'll relax."
