Sharon gently pushes open the door to the baby's nursery, noticing her grandson standing in front of the crib. She crouches next to him, gently placing a hand on his back, "How is he?"

Finn bites his lip, not knowing anyone knew where he was. "Baby is sleeping." He answers softly, "His belly goes up and down and he 'nores too."

"Does he really?" She smiles softly, kissing the toddler's soft hair, "How about you tell me all about it in the living room and we let Rhys sleep?"

He reaches his small arm through a slot in the crib, gently touching his brother's hand. "I'll be back, baby." He nods to his grandmother, holding her hand as they retire to the living room. "We have to be quiet. Mom is 'leeping too."

Sharon nods, "And Tate is using my place to catch up on some things for school, so I offered to watch you and your siblings."

"What that?"

"What's what?" She pauses, looking to the boy, "Siblings?" She offers, smiling softly when he nods, "That means you have a brother and a sister. Siblings are the people in your family."

"Like you?" Finn raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, but...no. I means brothers and sisters mostly." Sharon wraps an arm around him when he crawls onto her lap. "I thought you were asleep a good hour ago."

"I pretended." He answers sheepishly, leaning his head against the woman, "Had to check on baby."

"Yes, and you're an amazing big brother for doing so. However, that's why I'm here. I am here to protect baby Rhys, just like I do with you and your sister. It's my job."

"No, Gigi, you're the police. That your job." Finn nods.

Sharon smiles softly, "Yes, I am that too. I like to protect people."

"Me too."

"I know you do, like how you protected your sister at school."

The toddler quickly turns his head to look at her, "Who tolded?"

She shakes her head, "Doesn't matter."

"Mad at me?" When Finn sees her shaking her head negatively, he bites his lip, "Why?"

"Because that was very brave of you to stand up for your sister to a bully." Sharon runs her nails through his hair, "However, if it ever happens again, I want you to take a different approach. After you tell the teacher and tell the bully to stop-"

"Did that."

"I want you to tell them that your Gigi is a police officer and she wouldn't be very happy to know they're being mean. Okay?"

Finn nods, "I can do 'dat."

"Good...because I don't like it when you get in trouble for doing good things." Sharon hugs him closely.

"Mom, you should have seen it. It was incredible." Sam ran through the house, book bag draped over his shoulder as he speaks with his hands.

"What happened?" Sharon leaned against the kitchen counter, coffee mug between her hands.

"There were these guys who were picking on this kid with Down Syndrome in the lunch room, couple of Sophomores trying to make a name for themselves, know what I mean? Anyway, Quinn walks up to them and tells them to stop. They try to tell her to shut up and whatever and then she hit them."

"What do you mean 'hit them'?" She slowly placed her mug down.

Sam laughed a little, "Just...punched them both in the face. Knocked one of them out cold."

"Where is she now?" Sharon folded her arms, slowly drumming her fingers against her arm, "Did either of the boys fight back?"

"They tried to, but they got too afraid after the one hit the floor and they realized she wasn't just going to run and cry or whatever." He turned, looking toward the door when she slowly walked through, pink slip in hand, "There's my sister. Defender of slow kids."

"Samuel." His mother scowled toward him, walking past to meet her daughter, "I wish you wouldn't resort to physical violence." She gently opened her arms as to hug the young woman, but was stopped.

Quinn quickly held her hand up, "Don't touch me. I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled, jogging up the stairs to her room.

Sharon stood still a moment before pushing a hand through her hair, sighing heavily.

"So, you're not with that dude anymore?" Rusty looks up at the stars from his mother's balcony.

"No...it was fun while it lasted, but no." Sam swallows, smiling sadly, "I'm with a girl named Amanda now."

"Amanda?"

He hums approvingly, "I can't see myself marrying her or anything like that, but...we're happy. She's fun."

Rusty raises an eyebrow, "How long you been together?"

"Few months." Sam snorts before taking another toke of his rolled joint, "She's smart and stuff. Works in a library."

"That's a hell of a thing. A kid with reading disabilities and a girl who pushes reading for a living. Like Romeo and Juliet except not as dramatic."

He chuckles, shaking his head, "Nah."

"Do you just...do you ever envision yourself getting married?" Rusty blinks slowly, knowing he's inhaling some second hand smoke from the breeze blowing in his direction.

Sam pauses, thinking a moment before answering, "No, actually. I don't."

"Why?"

"Because the marriage between my parents was nothing more than a fallacy...I don't even know if they ever really loved one another."

Rusty nods, "I think they did...I even think some parts of them still does."

"What?" Sam looks over to the younger man, "What do you mean?"

"I think some part of him will always love Mom. I can...I can see it in his eyes...or something."

He shakes his head, "I think you're starting to lose it, brother."

"No, listen." Rusty sits up more, turning to face him, "I think it may be why he isn't coming around. He knows that Mom is happy with Andy and he doesn't want to mess that up for her." He straightens his back a bit, "He loves her so much that he'd rather she be happy and with someone else than be miserable and be with him. I've been thinking about it."

Sam takes another hit before looking to him once more, "So..."

"Just saying. Maybe try not to be so pissed with Jack...maybe he'll open up or something."

"I'd rather not talk to him instead of listening to him peddle his bullshit." He shakes his head, "I mean...my entire life, my father would come and go. I'd see Mom be so upset. Like...crying for hours and stuff. Really depressed. She still sees a shrink on and off to this day."

"Because of her shooting a-"

"That too, but also because of Jack." Sam finishes the herbal cigarette, "I think she wanted their marriage to work when she was younger, but...the older she got, the quicker she understood that it would never happen. The quicker she got that Jack was afraid of commitment...even to his children. It was Mom who put us through school, even college. He never helped. Not even once."

Rusty nods, "Me too." He licks his lips, "So...think her and Andy-"

"I try not to think about them much at all." The older of the two laughs to himself.

"Jackson...it's been..." Sharon looked around the house, "It's been several years since we've seen you."

"I know."

She didn't know what to do. Does she let him in? Could she risk the children seeing him and getting excited? "What do you want?"

"Sharon, can't I come in? Have a nightcap or something to eat?" Jack leaned an arm up against the door frame.

"You obviously have your own house for that since you're never at this one." Sharon swallowed, he was still so attractive.

"Come on, Shar-"

"You're answering some questions from me and your answers will base my assessment of you."

Jack chuckled to himself, "You're a lawyer, Sharon, not a criminal profiler-"

"No, I'm not, Jack. You made damn sure that I wasn't able to pursue that line of work with the two children that you have neglected since seeing them in the hospital." Sharon folded her arms, watching to man, "So, Jackson, where have you been?"

"Here and there."

"Wrong answer." She turns to slam the door only to be stopped by a yelp from the man, "Move your foot."

"Sharon, I need you." Jack moans, slowly moving his foot away, "I'm in it bad and...I need your help."

"Like what?" Sharon swallowed, stepping aside. Something in her will always feel sorry for the man and she never knew why or even understood it, "Why do you need me?"

"I always need you." He offered her a loving smirk.

"Get out."

"Wait." Jack lifted a hand, "I owe this guy-"

Sharon folded her arms, "What's the man's name?"

"Johnny No Thumbs." When he received a look from her, indicating that she didn't believe him, he continued, "I'm fucking serious, Shar."

"Why do you owe this man money? You're a lawyer who doesn't take any care of his children. You should have plenty of cash lying around. At least, more than enough so that you don't need to borrow the money in the first place." She answered cynically, "No, I know what this is. This is a gambling debt, isn't it?"

"Sharon." Jack nearly warned.

"No, you've done this before. I seem to remember being eight months pregnant with our son and discovering that you effectively cleaned out our entire joint bank account when you were finished with your own. All the while I was depending on that money for rent and groceries. However, I should have known you would disappoint me."

"And I brought home double, didn't I?"

"No, you spent what you made and I didn't see a dime." Sharon shook her head, "I was thankful for my own account and the help of my parents." When she noticed the man sigh heavily, "I'll make a deal with you."

"Alright." Jack picked his head up slowly.

"I will allow you to stay here for two nights, on the sofa. Not any longer."

"That's...Shar, that's hardly-"

"Then don't stay here at all. Entirely your decision, Jackson." She folded her arms, "And don't think for a single moment that I'm helping you out in any way financially. I made that mistake once and I'll never make it again."