A/N: This is the twenty-fifth chapter! Special thanks to my amazing beta CMemlovr for beta reading! Please review for the next chapter! I hope you like it!

After dinner, Rusty headed to his bedroom while Sharon and Andy washed the dishes, despite his protestation that she should be resting.

Now, as they stood quietly together, Sharon muttered, "I can guess what you're thinking."

"That you're incredibly stubborn?" he replied, not without a touch of fondness.

"I'm well aware," she responded, laughing.

"Yet you refuse to stop doing things around the house that I can handle," he grumbled.

"Why should I, when I feel fine?" she replied stiffly.

"Because you might be overworking yourself," he insisted.

"Andy, I need you to stop worrying about the small stuff," she murmured kindly, "I'm fine," she repeated. "You worry too much."

"And you're too stubborn," he retorted firmly.

"I'm pretty sure you're more stubborn than I am," she groused.

"Me?!" Andy dropped his dishes to look at Sharon properly.

"Yeah, you," she teased, grinning. Then, changing the subject she said, "Emily and Ricky mentioned to me that they'd like to visit LA before the baby's born. They're so excited about their new sibling."

"That makes sense," smiled Andy, "I mean, just look at how Rusty and Nicole have been behaving."

"I'm just so happy that everyone is so excited."

Andy smiled as he watched her closely. "I'm looking forward to the changes the baby will bring to our lives."

Quiet settled between them, until Sharon brought up something she'd been thinking about for a while: "Andy, I'd like Nicole to stay with us while she recovers."

Andy's gaze softened and he nodded before replying, "That's a great idea, but I'm not sure she'll accept."

"I'll bring her around to the idea tomorrow," she smiled mischievously.

"I'll leave it up to you, then," he grinned, kissing her gently.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to take leave to spend some time with Nicole, but I want you to update me if there are any problems at work."

"I don't want to bother you," he frowned.

"You know all too well that I'm working until the end of this pregnancy; I need to know that I can trust you to call me if anything comes up," she replied firmly.

"Are you sure?" he said in a small voice.

"Absolutely positive," she reconfirmed, "look, the doctor said I'm fine, and I feel fine – you are the only one worrying for nothing!" Frustrated, she stormed away from Andy and into the bedroom. She knew that he was just concerned for her, but his concern was beginning to grate.

Andy entered the room quietly and took her hand in his, "I'm sorry, Sharon. I know that I overdo it sometimes."

Sharon regarded him coldly, but softened at the sight of his apologetic expression, "You do worry too much, and that's something you need to work on. We're fine, and you have no reason to be so concerned."

"I'll try to worry less," he smiled, hugging her tightly.

"That's all I ask," she smirked. "Now c'mon, let's get to bed before our night is interrupted again," she teased.

*********...*********

The next morning, Andy got ready for work as Sharon slept on. Sitting gently beside her prone form, he kissed her forehead before heading into the kitchen for some breakfast. Strangely, Rusty wasn't there yet, so Andy decided to check his room.

"Rusty?" he called quietly as he knocked on the door.

He heard a muffled "Come in!" and let himself in to Rusty's room.

"Didn't see you at table this morning," he commented.

"I've only just woken up," he mumbled sleepily, "I'll eat later."

"Sounds like a plan," he laughed.

"Where's mom?"

"Still asleep," smiled Andy, "She's going to visit Nicole later on."

"I might join her, then."

"She also mentioned that she'd like Nicole to stay with us until she recovers," commented Andy softly.

"Makes sense; Nicole will need help until she's fully recovered."

"But I'm not sure that Nicole will accept the offer – she can be very stubborn, and if she thinks she can take care of herself…"

"Why shouldn't she accept? She needs the help – I'm sure even she can see that," reasoned Rusty.

"Sharon's going to try and persuade her today," mused Andy.

"Well, if anyone can convince her, it's mom," laughed Rusty.

"I'm sure she will," grinned Andy. Then, changing the subject, he asked: "Breakfast together?"

Rusty nodded in agreement, and the two headed for the kitchen together.

********...********

A few minutes later, Andy and Rusty were having breakfast when Sharon joined them, still looking fatigued.

Andy scrutinised her appearance closely before cautiously asking, "Are you okay, Sharon?"

"'M fine, I just feel like I could've slept a little longer."

"Then why don't you? You could take the morning off."

"I'll be fine, and I'll be at work until this afternoon." Then, turning to Rusty, she commented, "You, however, look like you have several days of sleep to catch up on."

"I'm fine," he yawned, "I just stayed up late with a movie."

"Breakfast?" interjected Andy, not wanting the discussion to become one of Rusty's sleeping pattern.

"I'm not really hungry right now," she replied softly.

"Something to drink, then?" he pressed.

"Maybe some orange juice?"

"Sure," he smiled.

********* ... *********

Later that day, Sharon was immersed in the open case file on her desk. The victim had been three years old at the time of death. Andy and Julio had been trying to calm the mother, who had been inconsolable. The case had hit quite close to home for Sharon, who could only imagine what it might be like to lose a child – and had been forced to imagine the eventuality when Sharon Beck had attacked her. The case had reminded her of why she was grateful for Nicole.

Looking away from the file at the sound of approaching footsteps, Sharon saw Andy nearing her office.

"Sharon…"

"I know, this case is a bad one," she nodded pensively. "Did you manage to calm the mother?"

"Not quite. She's definitely subdued, but I think it's sinking in now that her daughter's gone."

"She must be devastated," she murmured, "losing a child carries incomparable suffering." Her mind returned to Sharon Beck, and though she didn't voice her thoughts, she didn't have to; Andy was somehow able to tell.

"What's on your mind?" he asked quietly.

"Sharon Beck," she replied honestly, "she might have made a mourning mother out of me, had Nicole not intervened."

"You can't allow her to dominate your thoughts like this, Sharon. She's been arrested and can't hurt you again; now is the time to move on," consoled Andy, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back soothingly.

"I'm so thankful for Nicole right now," murmured Sharon.

"As am I," he replied earnestly, "but I need you to remove Sharon Beck from your thoughts."

Nodding slightly, Sharon glanced down at her watch. "I should head out, I promised Nicole I'd be there for the afternoon." Smiling apologetically at Andy, she withdrew from his embrace and grabbed her jacket and purse.

"I'll be along later," he promised, smiling.

"Promise me you'll update me if anything happens," she instructed.

"I promise," he sighed.

Grinning, Sharon made for the door, leaving Andy to stare uncomfortably out at the murder room. He spotted Julio looking unusually grim and decided to ask Provenza what might be bothering him.

"Provenza," he hissed quietly, motioning for the older man to join him.

"Yeah, Flynn?" replied his friend heavily.

"What's up with Sanchez?"

"The case reminded him of his wife," he responded darkly. Nodding in sympathetic understanding, Andy went over to Julio and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked, by way of starting conversation. Julio nodded slowly, his face betraying no emotion. "What's going on? You seem distracted."

Julio sighed quietly, "I can't seem to forget."

"Your wife?" pressed Andy sympathetically. A tear rolled from the corner of Julio's eye and he shuddered heavily, trying to suppress further tears. Swiping at his face roughly, he attempted to remove any trace of his sadness from his features. "It must be so hard," continued Andy understandingly.

"It is," he replied candidly, "I can't forget – she is always on my mind, and right alongside thoughts of her is the feeling that life's a bitch."

"That it is," agreed Andy, thinking that nobody deserved the tragedy Julio had suffered. "But you have to try and move past the pain, Julio. Not so much forgetting, but using it to further yourself."

"Thanks, Andy," he cleared his throat with some difficulty, "It's just too hard sometimes."

"You're allowed to have those days, Julio," he reassured him, "sometimes it is too much. But if it does become that way, you just let me know and I'll try to help you as best I can."

********* ... **********

At the hospital, Sharon sat back in her chair as she continued her conversation with Nicole.

"Not that I'm not glad you're here, but where's dad?" asked Nicole.

"He had a crime scene, but I'm expecting him to call soon."

"And Andrea? I haven't seen her in a while."

"I'm not sure; I'm guessing she probably has a big case she's working on." Pausing for a while, Sharon sighed before broaching the subject she'd discussed with Andy earlier. "Nicole, I'd like to propose something to you."

"Shoot," replied Nicole easily.

"Would you like to stay with us – myself and your father, that is – while you recover? I'd like to take care of you."

Nicole took her hand gently and beamed, "I really appreciate the offer, Sharon, but there's no need."

"Please stay with us, Nicole. If for no other reason than to allow me to repay you for saving me and my baby," she smiled.

"You don't owe me anything," she responded automatically, "I did it because of what you mean to me."

"You're like my second daughter, Nicole, I want to be on hand to help you. Stay with us, at least until you feel better."

Nodding in acquiescence, Nicole laughed, "Fine! Fine! I can't resist anymore, anyway."

Comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by Andrea's entrance into the room.

"Where've you been, Andrea?" asked Sharon lightly.

"There was a problem at work," she explained apologetically, pulling her friend in for a hug.

"How are you? It feels like it's been so long since I've last seen you."

"I'm okay, you?"

"Fine – we had a new crime scene that Andy's attending to, but other than that," Sharon shrugged contentedly.

The jarring ring of Sharon's phone interrupted their conversation, and Sharon smiled as she spotted Andy's name on the screen.

"Andy," she greeted warmly.

"Sharon, how's Nicole doing?"

"Nicole's fine – and before you ask, so am I," replied Sharon smugly, "anything at work I should know about?"

"Nothing really," responded Andy.

"Nicole asked for you, by the way. So you'd better hurry up and get here," she teased him affectionately.

"I'll try to come by as soon as possible. I miss her," he admitted softly.

"Then we'll be waiting," she promised, hanging up the phone after they'd exchanged goodbyes.

"What did he say?" asked Nicole.

"That he'd be by as soon as possible," smiled Sharon.

"And Rusty?" she pressed.

"I'm not sure; he said that he'd be here by now," replied Sharon, slightly worriedly.

"Why don't you call him?" suggested Andrea calmly.

"I think I will," replied Sharon, dialling Rusty's number but receiving a notification for an unsuccessful call each time. "C'mon, Rusty!" she huffed, trying again.

"What's the matter?" asked Andrea.

"He's not picking up."

"He probably just forgot it on silent or something," reassured Nicole. As she'd finished speaking, Rusty entered the room, causing Sharon to sigh audibly with relief.

"Where've you been, Rusty?" she asked anxiously.

"I was on the way to the hospital when I got your call. I didn't pick up because I was driving."

Andrea grinned teasingly, "See Sharon, he's fine and he's a responsible driver."

"How've you been, Rusty?" asked Nicole.

"Good, you?"

"Me too," she smiled.

Rusty glanced towards his mom, "Did you ask her to stay?"

"I did, and she is. She'll be with us for a few weeks," beamed Sharon.

"Plenty of time to continue teasing each other," grinned Rusty, causing Nicole to laugh.

"Sounds fun," she replied sincerely.

"*********...**********

A couple of hours later, Andy joined them at the hospital. While Nicole slept, Sharon and Andy went to the waiting room to talk. Sharon could feel that something was wrong with Andy.

"What's going on, Andy? You look preoccupied."

"Just a really busy day," he replied, fudging the details slightly.

"Yeah? What happened?"

"After you left I spoke to Julio – the case hit him hard, and his wife was on his mind all day. I just hope that he'll be able to let go of the pain soon."

Sharon squeezed his hand lightly, "Did talking help?"

"To some extent," he replied, rubbing his forehead, "I told him that he can always come to me if he needs to."

"Then you did all you could," she said sincerely.

"Just, talking to him reminded me that I could've lost you, and I don't know what I'd do without you," he mumbled hoarsely.

"I'm here right now, Andy, and I will be for as long as you'll have me," she reassured him.

"I love you," he murmured.

"Love you too," she grinned, pecking him lightly on the cheek.

***********...**********

The next morning, Andy decided to take leave to visit Nicole in hospital while Sharon went to work. As she drove, she hummed to herself, chuckling quietly every now and then as she felt the baby responding to her voice. "I know you're excited to meet everyone, but you've got a while left, so be patient," she laughed, addressing her unborn child.

Striding into her office a little while later, she decided to talk to Julio herself.

Reaching his desk, she asked: "Do you have a minute, Julio?"

"Yes, ma'am. What do you need?" asked Julio, standing to follow her to her office.

"It's not about me, so much as you. How are you holding up on this case?"

"Just fine, ma'am," he replied, somewhat stiffly.

"Don't misunderstand me, Julio. I'm asking out of concern for you, not the case."

Sanchez relaxed visibly before responding, "It's tough, sometimes. She's just so present to me."

"I understand," she nodded slowly. "I just want you to know that we're all here for you, if you ever need to talk to someone about what you're going through."

"Thanks for your support, Captain," he smiled.

"Anytime, Julio."

*********...*********

That evening, Nicole joined Sharon and Andy at home, and the three of them were enjoying a peaceful night in.

"I'm glad you decided to stay," said Andy before leaning over to kiss his daughter's forehead.

"Me too, and I'm thrilled not to be in hospital anymore," replied Nicole, smiling.

"Dinner's ready!" called Sharon, placing the food on the table and calling her family to eat. Then joining the others in the living room, she asked, "Nicole, do you need a hand?"

"I think I'll be fine," she replied. Despite this, Sharon gave Nicole her hand, just in case she needed support on the way to the kitchen.

As dinner progressed, Rusty and Nicole interacted the same way as they always did, watched by equally content Sharon and Andy, who were pleased that Nicole's condition had improved enough that she could keep up with Rusty's humour.

As conversation slowed and dinner ended, Nicole piped up curiously, "are you sure you don't want to know the baby's sex?" addressing Sharon.

"Very sure," she laughed, noting the mutinous expression on Nicole's face.

"I just really want to know! And I still think that it's more difficult to buy something personal for the baby when it's a generic unisex item. You're so stubborn," she chuckled. Andy laughed outright.

"Pot calling the kettle black, there," he chortled. "We've already told you; we're content to wait until the baby's born."

"Sure, I'm plenty stubborn, but it's only because I care," she protested. Nudging Rusty, she asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I've given up – you might be stubborn, but mom's more so."

Sharon laughed lightly, mirth twinkling in her eyes. "C'mon, guys, we've had this argument so many times! Let it go," she chuckled.

"Fine," pouted Nicole, "I'll concede. But I'm still too excited and curious to wait for such a long time!"

Sharon and Andy laughed quietly. The fact that her child's siblings were already so excited caused a feeling of warmth to rise within her; she knew instinctively that her baby would be loved by its siblings.

~~~ TBC ~~~