"Hey you," Sharon smiled as she looked up from her stack of paperwork to find Andy flashing his bright smile from her office doorway.
"Hello Beautiful, might I interest you in lunch?" he asked.
She pursed her lips looking around, "It's not that I don't want to go," she trailed off, giving him a frown.
He wiggled a finger at her, "Nope, we talked about this, Sharon. No more skipping meals," he said quietly as he stepped into her office and closed the door. "The doctor said the same thing."
She sighed, "You're right, and I am hungry if I have to admit. I guess the paperwork can wait."
Andy feigned he was passing out, "Can I record that? Did you just admit to letting paperwork wait?"
She scoffed at him, "This is in the best interest of a child, and speaking of kids, can we take Rusty with us? I hate we get to see him so little, and a small family lunch sounds perfect."
He smiled at her, as he put his arm around her shoulder, walking with her out of her office area, "I already called over to the daycare, and they are getting him ready."
"You are wonderful," she smiled.
"I know," he replied, winking at her.
"Oh, I heard from Nicole, and she said she can make dinner on Friday night. So, they will all be there," he stated.
Sharon's smile grew even more, "Good, so all of them will be there. We can finally tell them," she squealed.
"Yes, Emily's flying in on Friday, Ricky is driving down Friday as well-said he'd get Emily at the airport, Nathan and Nicole are both coming to dinner, and well, Rusty, he'll just be overwhelmed by all these other kids calling us Mom and Dad," he grinned.
They picked up Rusty, making sure to get his coat. It was now mid-February, and Sharon was 14 weeks along. She had found some new pants, but she'd balked at the idea of a whole new wardrobe. Her denial that her shirts would not fit continued, and Andy just shrugged, knowing they'd be back sooner or later to get her more clothing. She had been right in that the new pants had helped a bit to hide things awhile longer. She'd also worn a few loose dresses, so it wasn't terribly noticeable at work yet. The time was here, though, to tell everyone. They were both still a bit nervous, not wanting something to go wrong, almost thinking if they told people, that could happen.
By Friday morning, the two were giddy to tell the kids, to tell everyone about the baby. They had hatched a plan to clue in everyone, and it was show time for the first unsuspecting group.
Sharon had collected Rusty for lunch and was headed to get Andy. As she came into the Murder Room, everyone turned, hearing her heels. Andy grinned as he looked at his computer, knowing exactly who was entering.
"Captain," Andy heard Gabriel turn and greet Sharon as she entered. She waved to the room, Rusty in her arms.
"Afternoon, everyone," she gave a small smile.
"Rusty, come here," Provenza got his attention, and immediately Rusty started bucking Sharon, so she put him down.
"Uncle P," he said happily, running toward him. Provenza picked him up and turned him toward his desk, "Now, I think I have some cookies somewhere in my desk."
"When don't you anymore?" Andy barked, now standing and putting on his suit coat to go to lunch. "You never used to keep any food in that thing, and as soon as we have a kid, you're like a snack bar now," he rolled his eyes walking toward them. Sharon stood nearby, lips pursed, just shaking her head.
"Kid needs food," Provenza shrugged, handing him a graham cracker. "Now, Rusty, tell me what's going on. What are you wearing today?" he said turning Rusty around. Sharon met Andy's gaze, and he winked at her. "Best Big Brother Ever," he said scrunching up his face. It took a brief moment to register, and he looked up to find the two idiots grinning at each other. "You and you," he pointed to them, the rest of the team now looking up and putting the pieces together.
Andy shrugged, "Stranger things have happened," he grinned, now standing next to Sharon. She shrugged too, "A sibling will be good for him."
"He has four already," Provenza grumbled, but had a slight smile to his face, one he was trying to hide. "Well, I don't suppose I can say congratulations for being stupid," and the rest of the team chuckled, "but I will say it's going to be funny to watch this unfold. Flynn, if you fall asleep at a crime scene because you were up all night with a screaming baby, well, you won't hear the end of it."
"Congratulations, Captain," Julio grinned. "A Raydor-Flynn merger," he smiled. "Oh, that is going to be interesting."
"What's interesting?" Brenda said, walking out of her office, "Oh, Captain, hello," she smiled slightly.
"These two just informed all of us, well Rusty actually did, that they are having a baby," Gabriel said.
"What?" Brenda pulled off her glasses and looked at the two. "Shut the front door!" Brenda exclaimed. "I can't believe it. Andy, who knew you'd start a family now again," she shook her head. "Well, congrats."
"How did your other kids take it?" Mike asked.
Andy explained, "They don't know yet. We wanted to tell them in person, and they are all coming to dinner tonight. It's a bit of a challenge to get four young adults back in town, at home, on the same night."
"I knew there was something different, Captain," Buzz smiled. "Congratulations. It's your clothing-that's different."
"Thank you, Buzz. Yes, his child has put me in quite the predicament. I have almost no clothing that fits," she sighed.
"You forgot to mention I've been helping you slowly update your wardrobe, well, at least update it for the next few months, and why, when you talk about your clothing issues, is the baby always just mine?" Andy added, a glean of mischief in his eye. Sharon rolled her eyes at him.
"When is the baby due, Ma'am?" Julio asked.
"Mid-August," Sharon answered, "but, my blood pressure is an issue."
"Ahh, so well into the second trimester," Mike smiled. "All the tests okay?"
"Well, we aren't doing some of them. We'll do the ultrasound and find out what we are having, but to be honest, test or not, this baby is coming. We're okay with no special tests; it's not 100% safe anyway," Sharon explained. "We should find out what we are having in another month or so."
"She's old," Andy grinned to Sharon, and when he was met with a glare, he turned back to the group, "Obviously, not that old, and obviously not as old as I am," he said sweetly, and she continued to glare. "Okay, age is a factor, but Sharon is doing well so far."
"Yes, being in my mid-40's does present some challenges, one of which being married to an old man who's 50," she smirked, looking right at Andy. He rolled his eyes.
"Uncle P, more?" Rusty looked up to Provenza, his hand outstretched, looking for more to eat. The team chuckled, and Andy walked over and scooped him up.
"No, you don't. We're going to take Mom and get some lunch," he explained.
"Mama, Dada, Rusty eat," Rusty detailed the plans to everyone.
"Rusty," Provenza called to him again, and Rusty turned in Andy's arms, looking at him. "Here," he held up a small toy police car. "I heard he needs some conversion."
The rest of the team looked in confusion, but both Sharon and Andy laughed. Sharon explained, "Rusty picked out fire truck bedding at home, even though we tried to sway him toward police."
"We? I was home painting his room. That's all on you, my dear. If I had been along, he'd have police car stuff," Andy complained. The team laughed.
"I often wonder what they are like at home," Julio grinned. "I love the banter seems to go on all the time with them."
"These two fascinate me. I never ever would have put them together," Brenda shrugged. "Enjoy your lunch."
Sharon patted her middle and looked to Andy, "This one then is all for you to deal with," she smirked. "Good luck with that." The team laughed again.
"So, you think it's a boy?" Mike asked. Both Sharon and Andy nodded.
"Yes, we do," Sharon smiled, "but who knows?" she shrugged.
"Well, we are off to lunch. Rusty earned it with his sibling reveal. Now, we just need to keep the shirt clean for his other siblings to see tonight," Andy grinned.
"Flynn," Provenza called to him, as he had Rusty in one arm, and held Sharon's hand in his other hand, "congratulations on the kid. I can't imagine you with a baby again, but I know you are happy. Now, when you are exhausted, I'll just tell you that I told you so."
Andy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, who do you think will be our first call when we need a babysitter? The only thing funnier than me having a toddler and a newborn is the idea of you babysitting Rusty and a baby."
The team laughed, and Rusty perked up, "Rusty baby," he smiled. "Mama, Rusty baby."
The team looked to Sharon and Andy trying to figure out what he was saying, and Sharon translated it, "He keeps saying the baby is Rusty's baby. We hope he's this excited when the baby gets here."
The two hoped the rest of the kids were excited about the baby too, and by 6:00, they were home waiting for everyone to arrive.
"Is this dress too obvious?" Sharon asked, walking into the living room to show Andy what she had on. He looked up from the floor, where he was stacking blocks with Rusty.
"No," he shook his head. "Looks great on you. Now, I'm looking for the baby, and I can tell, but that's me. The kids won't notice."
Sharon sighed, "We should have told them. I popped all of a sudden, and it's obvious," she hung her head.
"You have an alternative? I know-kids come to the hospital to visit your mom. She had the baby," Andy suggested. "Talk about the element of surprise. You could always go with that."
Sharon pretended to consider the idea, "Well, I wouldn't be the one telling them. I'd leave that to you, you know to make the call," she grinned.
They heard the door open, and Andy said quickly, as he got up, "Too late."
"Mom, we're home," Ricky called out, coming into sight, surprised to find them right there in the living room. "Oh, hey," he grinned. We're home."
Sharon chuckled, "I see that," she started to move toward Ricky to hug him, and Emily came in behind him.
"Holy crap, Mom! What is that?" she pointed. Her face grew in surprise, "You're pregnant?"
Sharon's eyes got huge, and she looked to Andy. He shrugged, "Hey, I told you I could see it with the dress, but I didn't think they would be able to tell."
"You're pregnant?" Ricky asked, looking horrified, as he put his stuff down. "Eeew, that means, you and you," he pointed to Sharon and Andy, "did like that! Stuff! Eeew. Mom, aren't you too old for this?" he shuddered.
Sharon put her hands on her hips, which was to gain some authority, but with her protruding stomach, it only outlined what she had been trying to hide, "Ricky! No, I'm not too old, and I guess I should be glad you aren't a biology major if you were clueless as to what might go on here at home-" she was cut off.
"Mom, stop! We don't need to hear about the stuff you two do here. Apparently, that," she pointed at Sharon's stomach, "is proof enough. Gross. Isn't Rusty enough?"
Rusty had wandered to Sharon's side during all this, and when he caught sight of Ricky, he smiled and went running, "Ricky!" he squealed. Ricky bent down and picked him up, bouncing him in his arms.
Sharon, who was still standing there, hands on hips, looked down at herself and noticed the large round bulge she had created with her stance, and dropped her hands quickly, "You two, listen here. We thought you would be happy for us. I'm 14 weeks along, so we wanted to make sure the baby was doing okay before we told you. We are thrilled. Not only do we have Rusty to raise, he'll have a sibling close in age to him. Andy and I are delighted to have a baby together, and we hope you are for us."
Emily shook her head, "Mom, it's like you moved us out and moved in family number two. It grosses me out. Like, now I have to explain to my friends that I'm not babysitting-that the small humans are my siblings. Shouldn't you be ready to retire or something?"
"Emily! Your mom is in her mid-40's and she and I have a long life ahead of us. Yes, you are out of the house, but we also married each other when you kids were mostly grown. We didn't know if this would even be a possibility, even could happen, but it did, and we are excited. This isn't a replacement family. Rusty joined our families, and this baby will too, even more in his or her own way. He or she will be part of you and part of me, tying all of us together," Andy sighed.
Sharon had her hands on her stomach, absentmindedly, and she sighed, "I know it's a shock. Come on in; get setup, and hopefully, you can see that we are happy. Honey, you aren't an extra family. We're coming to see you in Arizona for your performance in May. We visit all four of you now, and in the future, we'll bring Rusty and this baby too. We're a large family, and we have plenty of love to give. You both know I raised you on my own, and I'm delighted to raise Rusty and this one with Andy."
"Hello, we're here," they heard Nicole saying as she and Nathan entered. Like their step siblings, they had talked about riding together, Nicole having picked up Nathan on the way from San Diego. The adults in the room all turned to see the two enter.
"Whoa, who knocked up Sharon?" Nathan was quick to blurt that out, both Sharon and Andy, very surprised, as they turned to Nathan and Nicole.
Andy rolled his eyes, as he crossed his arms and looked at his kids, "Who do you think?"
"Andy!" Sharon said as she turned beet red. Nicole started to laugh.
"Oh, it's true, then! We were talking on the way here and had some weird suspicion Sharon would be pregnant. I don't' know why, but with Rusty, we figured the two of you would want a kid of your own. Wow, we were right," she said.
Emily turned to her stepsister in horror, "You predicted this? It's just gross! Not to mention we are all old enough to have our own kids. Yuck!" she shuddered again.
"When's the baby due?" Ricky asked. At the mention of baby, Rusty perked up.
"Mama baby in her tummy," he grinned. The four glared at Rusty, none of them enjoying the newest revelation.
"Great, the little brother is thrilled," Emily rolled her eyes.
"Mid-August," Sharon added, ignoring the other comments. "Health wise, I'm fine so far, but need to watch my blood pressure."
"Sharon, do you know what it is?" Nicole asked.
"No," Andy jumped in, "not yet. We find out in a month."
The doorbell rang, and all of them looked around wondering who else could be coming. Nathan spoke up, "Ahhh, I should have mentioned I invited my girlfriend to dinner. Her name is Rachel."
Sharon's eyes got wide, and Andy groaned, "Son, a warning would have helped."
"Really? You are one to talk!" Emily jumped in to Nathan's defense.
Sharon shook her head, looking to Andy, "We should have told them on the phone."
"Everyone, this is Rachel," Nathan introduced. "We would have come up together, but she has to meet her sister later tonight."
"Hi everyone," she smiled, and Nathan introduced her to the family. When he got to Andy and Sharon, he said, "This is my dad, Andy, and my stepmother, Sharon, who yes, is as pregnant as she looks. She's not too old."
"Nathan!" Andy scolded him, and Sharon turned beet red. She shook her head, but recovered to greet Rachel.
"Nice to meet you," she offered a smile. "We're glad you came, and yes, as Nathan said, I'm pregnant. They all just found out."
"Oh, congratulations! What a cute little belly you have. My older sister just had her first baby! What are you halfway through, 20 weeks or so?" Rachel asked.
Andy hung his head; he knew Sharon was self-conscious about her baby weight, and he heard her as she gritted her teeth, "No, 14. This is my third baby; each one is different," she shrugged.
Andy clapped his hands together, "Let's eat. It's been an eventful night so far."