Gus came to visit Rusty between shifts early Monday evening, and Sharon took the opportunity to finally get out of the hospital for a little while. Sharon knew he was coming, so she'd made dinner plans with Andrea and Gavin, then dried and fixed her hair after her shower, put makeup on, and traded her yoga pants and sweater for jeans and a blazer for the first time in a few days. She felt a little bad, as she'd guessed that Andy had packed 'real clothes' for her in the hopes of getting her out of the hospital himself, but Andrea and Gavin had happened to be able to leave work early, and she knew Andy wouldn't be able to leave in time for them to eat before Gus had to go back to work, and she didn't want to leave Rusty by himself. Andy knew about their dinner plans, and Sharon was sure he didn't mind. He wasn't overly fond of Gavin, and he was probably thinking that this spared him a good bit of time before he'd have to join a dinner that included Gavin again.

Sharon greeted Gus with a hug and took the vase of flowers from his hand. "Hi, Gus, I'm glad you had a chance to visit," she said warmly before turning back to Rusty. "I'm going for a quick dinner with Gavin and Andrea, but call or text me if you need me to come back. We're eating just a block away, so I can be back in just a few minutes. I'll keep my phone out. I don't mind at all, I promise."

Rusty rolled his eyes. They'd already had this conversation two thousand times this afternoon. "I know, Mom, go have fun."

Sharon kissed his hot forehead and studied him with a critical gaze. "I don't know..."

"Mom. I'm twenty. If you don't get out of here, then I'm eating on the couch and leaving the toilet seat up for a month once I get home."

It was Sharon's turn to roll her eyes. "That's not a deal. You do that, anyway."

"Whoa, now, I'll give you eating on the couch, but leaving the toilet seat up is all Andy. Or mostly Andy, anyway," Rusty said indignantly.

Sharon smiled. "You are right about that. I only fell in once or twice before Andy moved in," she joked. She looked around to make sure Rusty's phone was within reach. "Call me if you need me. I mean it."

"He will, and I'll let you know when I leave," Gus assured her. "Have a good time."

"Thanks." Sharon kissed the top of Rusty's head. "I'll be back soon, sweetheart. Love you."

"Love you, Mom."

Sharon affectionately squeezed Gus's shoulder before she left the room. "You guys have a nice visit." She left the hospital and walked down the street to the restaurant. As much as she hated leaving Rusty, she needed an hour or so with her friends. She hoped he'd be asleep again before Gus left so she could stay with them a little longer. His nurse had told her earlier that afternoon that they were going to cut back a little on his medicine the next day to make sure they weren't masking his symptoms too much, meaning that he'd probably be feeling a little bit worse and not sleeping as well as he had been. The nurse had said that tonight would be a good night for her to go home, but she couldn't do that. She could have a couple of hours and a couple of glasses of wine with Gavin and Andrea, though, which was just what she needed.

Gavin and Andrea hadn't arrived yet when Sharon got to the restaurant, so she ordered a dirty martini and requested a table outside. The Autumn weather was gorgeous. Gavin arrived a few moments after she was seated. "Only you bitches could've scoped out this dive," he huffed.

Sharon sipped her drink before answering. "Well, we needed somewhere near the hospital that served wine and was reasonably quick and not crowded. I also wanted somewhere with outdoor seating, since I've been in a hospital room for three days. Our options were limited, and this place is pretty good!"

"Sure it is." Gavin glanced through the wine list, and Sharon wondered how he could possibly read it with his nose stuck in the air. "I suppose they'll be around with our bowl of peanuts soon...Oh, wow! I can't believe they have this! I can never find this wine in a restaurant," Gavin commented, peering more closely at the wine list.

"See what happens when you try new things?" Sharon raised an eyebrow and gave Gavin a smug look.

"Yeah, yeah. Damn, girl, you've just about killed that martini! The kid giving you a hard time?"

Sharon sighed. "No, I've just been worried about him. I think he's going to be okay, though. I'm just going to have a glass of wine with dinner, and that'll be all for me tonight."

Gavin's expression softened. "I know that was terrifying, but from what you've told me, it sounds like the doctors have it under control."

Sharon nodded. "I think so. I just wish he felt better. I hate seeing him so sick. He's hardly let me out of his sight. My shoulder feels naked without him pressed against me."

"My god. I pegged the kid for a whiner, but the clinginess is a bit of a surprise."

"Right?" Sharon finished off her martini, wishing she hadn't drank it so quickly. She'd planned to sip it for a while, then order a glass of wine with dinner, but waiting a while between drinks was fine with her. That was usually best when a martini was involved, anyway. "That was how I knew something was seriously wrong with him. Even when he didn't seem too sick, he wanted me right beside him. Gus is with him now, though, and I wanted to give them some privacy."

Andrea arrived just as their server was approaching. Sharon insisted she didn't want anything else right now once Gavin and Andrea had ordered drinks, but Gavin wasn't having it. "Actually, she'll have the same thing I'm having. Sharon. You have to try this wine. If you don't like it, you can order whatever you want with dinner. One more glass of wine won't hurt."

Sharon shrugged. "Fine." By the time their server returned with drinks, they were ready to order. Sharon downed her wine much more quickly than she intended. Gavin was right about it being good. Without a drink to keep her hands busy now, her longing for a cigarette from the week before returned. She figured Gavin had some, but smoking in outdoor dining areas was prohibited in LA. Gavin seemed to read her mind. "You look like you could use a smoke, toots."

"I actually could," Sharon agreed, "but we can't smoke here."

Gavin nodded to a few bar stools arranged around a small bar not far from where they were sitting. "Which is what that's for. It's the required ten feet away from a dining area, Madam Rulebook. Let's get you another drink first, though, a cigarette without a side of wine at this time of day is just wrong."

That did sound good. Sharon just wouldn't have wine with dinner. That was okay with her, and it would give her more time to sober up and get rid of the smell. Having three drinks in such a short time was sure to make her a bit tipsy, but dinner and the walk back to the hospital would counteract their effects well enough. Gavin and Andrea were still working on their first drinks, and they migrated to the smoking area once Sharon's third drink was in hand. Like Sharon, Andrea hadn't smoked regularly in years, but she could be easily persuaded if she was in the right mood. She accepted Gavin's offered cigarette, and they watched their table for their meals to arrive as they smoked and chatted. As Sharon was nearing the end of her cigarette, her phone dinged with a text from Gus.

I'm leaving, and Rusty's asleep. The nurse gave him medicine not long ago and said he'd probably be out for a while. Take your time and have fun.

Sharon quickly thanked him and put her phone in her blazer pocket, as she didn't feel the need to watch it like a hawk anymore. She gratefully accepted the second cigarette from Gavin after disposing of her first one in the ashtray. After taking a large sip of wine, she closed her eyes as she lit it and inhaled. The warm sunlight and slight chill in the air made it even more enjoyable. She hadn't smoked since the night she'd agreed to call off the security detail she'd had following Rusty without his knowledge a few months after Stroh escaped. That was over a year ago.

Several minutes before their food came, Andy texted Sharon that he was at the hospital and assured her that Rusty was still asleep. After texting him back to let her know if he woke up, she stuck her phone into her purse and excused herself to go to the restroom. When she returned, there was another glass of wine at her seat. "Gavin! I told you I wasn't drinking anymore tonight!"

"Whoops, slipped my mind," Gavin said, not sounding apologetic at all. "How that fine-looking specimen of a man you call your boyfriend ended up with such a prude is beyond me. What a waste."

Sharon laughed, too relaxed to get mad at him. She took a sip of wine, feeling a little embarrassed that Gavin and Andrea were only on their second drinks, but that feeling didn't last long. They usually drank more than she did when they were together, and it wasn't like she was sloppy or anything. She finally felt completely relaxed, so it was worth it. Their food came a couple of minutes later, which helped absorb some of the alcohol.

"One more cig before we leave?" Gavin suggested. "We have some drinks to finish off."

Sharon checked her phone before she answered. There were a couple of 'where are you/you okay?' texts from Andy, but he didn't say anything about Rusty being awake. She quickly responded that she was leaving soon and asked if Rusty was okay. When Andy replied that Rusty was still sleeping, she agreed to one more cigarette. She already smelled like smoke and knew she couldn't hide it. She'd been gone longer than she intended, but with Rusty asleep and knowing she'd be cooped up in the hospital again the next day, she didn't worry about it.

Gavin insisted on driving Sharon back to the hospital when they finally left the restaurant. After saying goodbye, she bought a couple of bottles of water from the cafeteria and found her way to Rusty's room. The alcohol had hit her a little more than she'd realized. Andy looked up from the book he was reading when she came in. "Where the hell have you been?!"

Sharon rolled her eyes. "You know where I was! Don't act like I just took off and didn't tell anyone where I was going!"

"I know, but you said you'd be back before now...You feeling okay?"

"I told you, Andy, I'm fine. And, since Rusty was asleep, I didn't see a problem with staying out just a little longer. I've been trapped inside these four walls all weekend." She needed to sit down. Her words were slurring the tiniest bit, and she was starting to sway a little. She sat down on her cot that an orderly had already brought in for the night.

Andy continued to study her. "Are you drunk?!"

"Andy! I can't believe you'd say that! Of course not!" Just a little. But it's none of your damn business, I hardly ever have more than two drinks at a time.

"Uh-huh." Andy walked over to her and wrinkled his nose. "Since when do you smoke?!" Sharon hadn't intended to try to hide it, knowing she couldn't, but she wasn't in the mood to explain it, either. Not that she felt like she should. "I was a smoker for years, Sharon, don't try to hide it. You look happy and a little sick. You smoked!"

Sharon giggled. "I actually smoked until just a few months before I got pregnant with Emily. I haven't smoked regularly since then, but a craving strikes every year or two, so I usually give in when it does. I seriously doubt that's enough to do any damage."

Andy kissed her cheek. "I didn't mean to sound angry, I was just surprised. How did I not know this?"

Sharon shrugged. "It just never came up, I guess, but it's not a secret. I'm not exactly proud of it, so the topic would've had to come up for me to mention it."

Andy nodded. He never had much of a desire to smoke anymore, but he did appreciate the smell of it. Especially on her. He flashed a crooked grin. "I hate I didn't know this before...It's actually, uh, kinda hot." He was actually a little grateful for Sharon's drunken state now, and he got up and closed the door. "The kid's knocked out, and it'll be another hour before a nurse comes back..."

Sharon looked horrified. "Andy, we cannot do that!"

"I'm not talking about that. Just this." Andy gently pushed her down on the cot and kissed her hungrily. Sharon slipped out of her blazer, discarded it on the floor, and returned the kiss. Andy continued kissing her for several minutes and got a handful of her breast, running through baseball stats in his head the whole time, trying to ensure that all appendages currently pointing down stayed that way.

"Ughhhhhh, you guy-uys! Come up for air already!" Rusty had unfortunately woken up to a disgusting sight.

Andy jumped up, and Sharon quickly straightened her clothes. "Sorry, honey, I thought you were asleep."

Rusty groaned. "I'm hoping I'm still asleep, myself. Surely, this is a nightmare."

"Rusty, please. It was, ahh, just a little kiss." Damn the alcohol for not letting her think straight.

"A little kiss?! Mom. The face-mauling in Silence of the Lambs was less brutal than that!"

"All right, I think that's my cue to go." Andy kissed Sharon, chastely this time, and patted Rusty's shoulder. "See you guys tomorrow. Rusty? Keep an eye on your mother, will you?"

Once Andy was gone, Sharon got her pajamas out, intending to rinse off in the shower in an attempt to get rid of the cigarette smell and give herself a few more minutes to sober up a little. "I'm going to shower off and get ready for bed. I won't be long."

Rusty nodded. "No offense, Mom, but I'm not 'keeping an eye on you' for that."

"No arguments, here." Sharon took one of her bottles of water with her and took several large sips as she removed her makeup and waited for the shower water to warm up. Once she was satisfied with the temperature, she undressed, tied her hair back, and stepped into the shower. As she bathed, she spent extra time on her neck, face, hands, and arms, where cigarette smoke was most likely to linger. She wasn't going to take the time to wash and blowdry her hair, so hairspray would have to do for that. When she got out of the shower, she dried herself off, moisturized, brushed her teeth twice, and rinsed with mouthwash a few times. Sure that she'd gotten rid of enough of the smoke odor to blame it on Gavin if Rusty smelled it, she spritzed hairspray through her hair and put her pajamas on. After a few more sips of water and a detour by her purse for a piece of gum, she joined Rusty on his bed. He lay on her shoulder, and she held her hand to his forehead. "You okay? Need anything?"

"I'm fine...I'm glad you got out of here for a while."

"It was nice, but I'm glad to be back. If I smell like cigarette smoke, I stood with Gavin when he smoked a couple while we were there."

Rusty gave her a knowing look. He could smell traces of cigarette smoke on her breath, despite her obvious attempts to cover it up. "Mom. I know you smoke sometimes. You're not as good at covering it up as you think you are."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do. You always still smell like it the next day, even after a shower and brushing your teeth ten times, and you left your emergency pack on the balcony one night."

"Oh..." Sharon's mind was a little too muddled to try to explain that away. She hadn't expected this conversation at all.

"So what if you smoke sometimes, Mom? It's not a bad thing."

"I know...I just don't like to admit to giving in to cravings, I guess. Especially to my children. I'd just rather most people not know. But, don't you get any ideas, young man. It's terrible for your health."

Rusty shook his head. "No danger in that. My other mom smelled like a tobacco plant for most of my childhood. I don't have the slightest desire to smoke."

Another thought occurred to Sharon. "Emily and Ricky don't know, so don't even think about saying anything to them."

"No problem. I am going to have to tell Ricky that I got a fake sick day out of you in high school, though, now that you know about it. He said it couldn't be done."

Sharon groaned. "Ugh, that might be more embarrassing than smoking."

"Well, you'll have to pick one. I can't keep both of those a secret. I'll explode."

"I'll have to get back to you on that one. Speaking of secrets..." Sharon looked at her watch. "Have you caught up on Badge of Justice? The new one starts in a few minutes."

"Yeah. Turn the TV on. I still can't believe Jessica broke up with Nick for that goofball detective. She's such a hoebag."

The next morning, Sharon was awake and finishing up her paperwork when Andy came by. Now that he knew the 'check in at the security desk' trick, he wanted to see Sharon before he went to work as many mornings as he could. He just hoped she was awake, having no idea how well she bounced back from excess alcohol. She was awake and dressed, though, and just looked tired. She'd looked just as tired the morning before, so he doubted that had to do with drinking. "Hey, I'm glad you're up," he greeted her.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "I didn't really drink too much last night, I just drank a little too fast." It was true. The good thing about that kind of drunk was that it also went away quickly and didn't come with a hangover. She'd been fine by the time Badge of Justice was over the night before.

Andy grinned. "I'm not complaining. I thought you'd be a whiny drunk, or maybe a little irritable, but, not an, um, amorous one."

"I wasn't that drunk," Sharon huffed.

"I know. Just more so than I've ever seen you. It was a tough weekend. You needed a little outlet." Andy had been a little aggravated the day before that she was going to dinner with Gavin and Andrea instead of him, but he understood at the same time. He was over it now. With that out of the way, he couldn't stop worrying that she was getting sick. He pulled the thermometer from the condo out of his pocket.

Sharon eyed it and sighed in exasperation. "Andy! How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not getting sick!"

"Humor me, and I won't say another word about it."

"No." Sharon's gaze went back to her computer screen.

"What if, say, I agree to temporarily amend our 'you're only the boss at work' agreement?"

Sharon looked back up. "I'm listening."

"We can add an exception of the bedroom variety, if that interests you. For a month."

Sharon's eyes went back to her computer. "What if we venture outside of the bedroom?"

"That's why I said of the bedroom variety."

"Starting after I come home?"

Andy sighed dramatically. "You drive a hard bargain, but sure."

"Fine." Sharon closed her computer and snatched the thermometer from Andy. "But, I'm telling you, this is completely unnecessary."

When Rusty woke up, Andy was there, with a smug look on his face, and Sharon was on his bed beside him, thermometer under her tongue, with her arms crossed and scowling. His eyes widened. "Mom! Are you sick?!" Sharon rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"She's probably fine, I would just feel better if we made sure," Andy clarified.

Rusty nodded. "How'd you talk her into that?!"

Andy tried to look offended. "What? You think your mom's the only one around here who can make a deal?"

Rusty wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm better off, and less disgusted, not knowing the details of that one."

Sharon triumphantly pulled the thermometer out of her mouth when it beeped and showed a less-than-normal reading. "Told you so."

"Good." Andy got his keys and stood up to confirm the thermometer's reading and kiss her goodbye before he left for work. "I look forward to fulfilling my end of the bargain," he murmured.

Rusty made a face. "I would say 'gross,' but that word's lost all meaning after last night."

A/N: I'm not knocking smoking, I just thought this would've been a funny scenario. And before any 'experts' attack me, it really wouldn't shock me if Sharon was an occasional smoker. Reading someone's blog post recently about taking an acting class taught by Mary McDonnell in the early 80s and how she chain-smoked through the classes, but then had quit the next semester after getting married, inspired this side of Sharon.