A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank all the reviewers of this story. You keep me going on this fanfiction, and it is a huge project to retell so many episodes. I have been working on it since January, which means it's been almost a year, and I don't think I've ever put that much effort into anything in my life. Your feedback means a lot to me. So I'd like to let all my readers and reviewers know that I appreciate your choice to stick with me on this.
This chapter is the last for season 2, and next week I'll start posting the chapters I wrote for season 3 which has a lot going on and also introducing a couple of original characters who form Sharon's backup support and give her a life outside of what the show presented. I think the season 3 chapters are really Sharon-heavy and also show how Rainie is growing and developing, which is something that we didn't see original Rusty do so well. I'm excited for you to read them, and while I think a couple of them will garner me a lot of criticism, I am proud of all of them, and I think they round both Sharon and Rainie up beautifully.
I'd like to thank the amazing beta reader, blossom-of-snow who's help improved this chapter tremendously.
If there was one advantage to the current situation, it was that Sharon was too busy trying to find Phillip Stroh's accomplice and arrest him before he murdered anyone else to consider the emptiness of her condo in Rainie's absence. She was going over new evidence when Emma Rios barged into her office without knocking and stood in front of her desk. The young DDA may have been a good lawyer, but she was seriously lacking in the manners department.
"How can I help you, DDA Rios?" Sharon asked without lifting her gaze from the evidence.
"We need to talk about Rainie," Emma's words drew Sharon's eyes from the paper she was reading.
"I'm listening," she said.
"It's about Rainie's appearance in court later this week," Emma began. "She needs an appropriate dress."
"That's not a problem. I will bring Detective Sykes one of Rainie's dresses tomorrow," Sharon replied, feeling that Emma's request was too easy. There must have been something else.
"Good," Emma said with a triumphant smile. "I would like for Rainie to dye her hair a darker shade, too." There it was. Emma never had only one thing to complain about.
"No," Sharon replied simply, hoping her refusal would be enough to prevent an argument.
"You need to understand my position," As Sharon expected, Emma didn't give up so easily. "The thing about Rainie's hair is that it's wild. The color makes her appear stubborn, and her curls would give the impression that she's uncontrollable."
"Rainie does not need to be controlled," Sharon stated. "And her hair color has nothing to do with her personality."
"Of course not, but you need to understand…"
"Oh, I understand, believe me," Sharon rose from her chair to level with the stubborn DDA.
"Statistics show that most people consider redheads and people with curly hair unreliable, and Rainie is both!" Emma argued.
"First of all, Rainie's hair is not curly; it's wavy. And secondly, I don't care what the statistics say. You are not even going to suggest to Rainie to dye her hair for the trial."
"Rainie needs a softer appearance to win some credibility points with the judge, Sharon." Emma groaned in frustration as if Sharon was a nuisance she was unable to get rid of. "If you won't let her dye her hair, then she has to straighten it," She declared.
"Fine, she'll straighten her hair for the trial," Sharon replied angrily, realizing some concessions had to be made. The last thing she wanted was for Emma to try and remove Rainie from her custody just because she wasn't cooperative.
"Good, I also thought we could get her a pair of glasses, you know so that she can look intelligent."
"Rainie is intelligent," Sharon retorted, feeling fury quickly shooting through her veins. "She doesn't need glasses for that."
"I meant, more intelligent," Emma quickly backpedaled.
"Do the statistics show that people with glasses are more intelligent?" Sharon mocked the young DDA.
"Actually, they do," Emma replied.
"Wow, I feel so flattered," Sharon's sarcasm was unmistakable.
"Look, Captain. I know you don't like to hear it, but I have to sell a former prostitute as an angelic girl. She needs to look the part."
"Prostitute, really, Emma?" Sharon called out. "This girl was sexually assaulted, every night, by men who were much older than her. If you are calling it prostitution, then you are blaming the victim, not strengthening their credibility," Sharon raged.
"This is not the time to argue your feministic beliefs, Captain," Emma countered.
"I agree that there is no use in trying to mask what Rainie was doing at Griffith Park. The police report states it, Linda Rothman knows it, and Rainie knows she will be asked about it. But I believe that showing how far she's progressed from that point is going to make her more relatable than any change you could make in her physical appearance. Why aren't you trying to present Rainie the way she is? It would show that she is trying to change her life and is working towards creating a positive future for herself." Sharon could almost see the wheels turning in the other woman's brain.
"I'll think about that," DDA Rios said.
"Rainie would be much more cooperative if you acknowledge her efforts," Sharon advised her.
"She still needs to look presentable," Emma insisted.
"She will," Sharon promised. Reaching agreements with the impulsive and headstrong DDA was difficult, but rewarding. Sharon did not doubt that both Emma and Rainie will deliver great results if they work together rather than against each other.
Sharon leaned against the desk in her office as she looked at her daughter, the brave girl who had, according to DDA Rios and Lieutenant Provenza's reports, done wonderfully in court that day, outsmarting Linda Rothman and getting the threatening letters on record. She could hear Rainie sniffling, but felt that whatever was on the girl's mind, she needed space to say it. Rainie smoothed the dress she was wearing. It was the same dress that Sharon had bought her for her seventeenth birthday, and Sharon liked the softness it gave Rainie's appearance.
"Some of the questions Rothman asked maybe brought back difficult memories?" Sharon decided to give the girl a small nudge to get her to share whatever was on her mind.
"It's not that, Sharon," Rainie sighed. "It's that…" She paused as she turned to look at Sharon. "There's something she said about what I did at Griffith Park."
"What did she say?" Sharon inquired.
"She asked me if I liked it, being with all those guys," Rainie's voice shook. "I didn't know what to answer, but she kept pushing." Tears began to roll down Rainie's cheeks. "And then Emma objected and the judge accepted that."
Sharon was relieved that Emma cared enough to protect Rainie from an unfair interrogation like that.
"But when I went off the stand, I couldn't help but ask myself if I was supposed to have fun."
"Rainie, you –" Sharon started, but the girl cut her off.
"I never had fun with guys. I never even had fun kissing a boy," she wiped her tears away and sniffled. "The only time I enjoyed anything like that was when I kissed Kris. And I think…" Her voice broke.
Sharon itched to hug the girl, but she knew that Rainie needed to unload whatever was on her heart more than she needed to be comforted.
"I think it's better if I don't come back to live with you."
"Why on earth would you say that?" Sharon asked.
"Something is wrong with me, Sharon," Rainie's voice shook, but she powered through. "I don't think I am ever going to be able to like boys the way normal girls do."
"Sweetheart, there's nothing wrong with you. You don't have to like guys," Sharon said.
"You don't understand, Sharon," the girl insisted. "I'm trying to say… Oh, God," She groaned as tears started streaming from her eyes, dissolving her mascara and darkening on their way down her face. "I'm a goddamn freak."
"Sweetheart, you're not a freak," Sharon took a step towards Rainie and took both her hands in hers.
"But I like girls," Rainie's admission was almost a whisper.
Sharon tried to catch her gaze, but Rainie looked downwards.
"Honey, I am so honored that you chose to share this with me. And I am so proud of who you are. And my love for you doesn't change because you're a lesbian. Do you understand?" Sharon pulled Rainie into her arms for a tight hug.
"You really don't care?" Rainie asked, still looking like she was expecting a slap in the face or a good yelling.
"All I care about is for you to be happy," Sharon drew away from Rainie and cupped her daughter's cheeks. "I hate that Emma forced you to straighten your hair," she said and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Rainie's ear. "I like you just the way you are: redhead, curly, smart, funny, gay, talented…" her voice trailed off. "What you are is who I love, and all of you is coming home." She drew the girl into her arms again and closed her eyes. At that moment, she was holding in her arms one of the most precious gifts life has given her, and she couldn't be happier.
-TBC-
As always, I'd love to know your thoughts about this chapter, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.