Rosalind
This story and all themes and ideas contained in said story are the sole
ownership of J.L. Scott. Any copyright infringements can be prosecuted in a
court of law.
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no money, no sue, please? AN: I'm not sure any of these scenes would make a good length for a "chapter" so I stuck them all together. This is more like a collection of scenes from various "episodes" that make up the part of the story that's important to me. So imagine them stuck in various places in various episodes that are "really" about other things. It might make more sense that way. Hope you enjoy! (Hint: Ros is pronounced Roz)
John had bought Rosalind a dark dark navy blue dress and put her hair back in a single ponytail. She sat quietly in the pew next to him, in one of the rows reserved for family. John had been surprised when a young man asked who he was and then told him to join the rest of the family.
"But I'm not..." he had objected.
"But she is" the young man had nodded at Rosalind who was hanging onto his hand. So they had gone to the front of the church. It was a lovely church, not at all what John would've expected. The walls were an ivory white with the traditional stained glassed windows. The Altar was an oval "stage" that stuck out into the room, and there was a large "dome" in the roof with a dipiction of a Heavenly scene. There was no wood, except the pews, and it was brightly lit, further spurring the preconceived ideas John had about Catholic churches.
John didn't have a chance to say anything to any of the family before the service had started. Actually, he'd been afraid he was going to be late, due to Rosalind's ponytail. The whole squad sat in the pew behind them though and he felt slightly reassured.
The priest was young and had a nice voice, and, although the funeral was a full Mass, it seemed to pass quickly enough. John could barely believe it as he watched six Puerto Rican men carry out the casket that the Lieutenant was lied out in. They all got in their cars and drove out to the cemetary where the funeral was finished. Rosalind was quiet the entire time, clutching her doll to her chest with one hand and clutching his hand with the other. She looked small and afraid, but she didn't shed a single tear. John wasn't sure if he was proud of that or not. He remembered crying a bit when his mother died, and he remembered his father telling him to stop. He hadn't cried at his father's service at all. Not a single tear. Perhaps he should've....
When the service was over and they were all back at the Lieu's grandmother's house, he finally got the chance to speak with the rest of the squad.
"Hey" Connie gave him a hug, "You okay?" Everyone was acting like it had been his brother or something.
"Yeah. I'm fine" he answered truthfully. He, of course, deeply regretted the Lieu's death, and he was going to miss him of course, but it hadn't been a big blow to his world or anything. At least, not yet. He wasn't sure he had fully realized what had happened yet. Connie bent down to Rosalind's height.
"Hi, sweetie. Are you okay?" she asked kindly. Rosalind didn't respond. She just stared at the floor, and her grip on the two of John's fingers her hand fit around tightened.
"I can't believe this" Andy said.
"Yeah" Jones added. John noticed he had an arm around Haywood's waist. Was that on again?
"What're you going to do?" Rita asked him.
"I don't know. I haven't spoken to any of them yet" He indicated the group of family standing not far off. Just then, a young woman raised her head and looked directly at him. She excused herself and crossed the room.
"Hello, you must be Tony's squad" she said, smiling at all of them.
"Yeah, I'm Andy Sipowitz, this is Connie McDowell, Jones, Rita Ortiz, Greg Metaboy and."
"John Clark" she finished for him, smiling at John, "Tony told us when we went in to see him the other day" She stopped speaking, looked like she swallowed some tears, and then bent down.
"And you must be Rosalind" She studied the child for a moment, and John was pretty sure he saw amazement and happiness on her face. Rosalind backed up a little.
"She, uh, doesn't like strangers" John explained. The woman straightened up.
"Oh." She smiled at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Maria, Tony's sister" She smiled around at all of them.
"Oh, uh, Rosalind, this is your Aunt Maria" he looked at Maria to make sure it was okay and she nodded enthusiastically. Rosalind tugged on his hand and he bent over so he could hear her whispered question.
"No, not like me. She was your Daddy's sister." He answered. She tugged on him again.
"I don't know" he replied and looked at Maria, "She wants to know if she has to come live with you now" Maria looked down at the little girl.
"Do you want to come live with me, or do you like living with John?" she asked. Rosalind looked up at John and then back at Maria.
"I like Uncle John" she said softly. Maria smiled warmly.
"Well, then you can stay with your Uncle John"
Some days later...
"Where is she?" Allison asked, looking around the apartment.
"She's at my partner's house" he told her, "She's friend's with his boy" She nodded slowly and pushed the rest of her dinner around with her fork. Finally she laid it down and looked at him.
"Look, John, I think it's great what you're doing for her, really I do" she started.
"But?" John prodded.
"But..I'm just not ready to be in a relationship with.children..involved." John nodded. He had figured that's what she was going to say. She glanced around and then picked her purse up. He walked her silently to the door. She turned around.
"Hey.." John just looked at her.
"Yeah" he said and closed the door.
A bit later.....
"Hey!" John greeted Rita as she stepped through the door.
"Hi" she replied. She had promised Connie she'd stop by to see how things were going. She had been curious herself, actually. Could John have really changed enough to take care of a little girl? Was he sensitive with her? Was he patient? Was he tough enough with her?
"Uh, Rosalind come eat!" he called towards his bedroom. Rita looked around and saw, besides a few coloring books and a cartoon-covered blanket on the couch, the apartment was in good order.
"I want orange noodles!" Rosalind's voice yelled back. Rita had never heard it so loud.
"Well we're having red noodles!" John yelled back, and rolled his eyes. Rita noticed he was cutting some spagetti noodles up on a plate.
"I want orange noodles!" Rosalind cried again, more obstinately this time.
"We had orange noodles last night!"
"I want orange noodles!"
"Well, Rita wants red noodles!" John cried back. He looked at Rita.
"Please stay and eat or I'll never get her to" he asked quietly.
"Sure" Rita replied. There was no sound from the bedroom for a minute and then Rosalind came running out, pell mell. She stopped short just in front of Rita.
"Hello" she said brightly.
"Hi" Rita smiled back.
"You don't really want red noodles. You like orange noodles better, don't you, Rita?" Rita almost laughed. Rosalind was obviously trying to coerce her, by smiling and nodding. It was the cutest thing, an the most animate Rita had ever seen the little girl.
"No, I like red noodles" Rita answered and took a seat at the small table. Rosalind just stood and stared, astounded that her powers of persuasion hadn't worked charms for her. Rita heard her sigh heavily before she climbed up into her chair and John placed her plate in front of her.
"Hey, Ros, why don't you tell Rita what you did in school today" he said and winked mischievously at Rita.
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no money, no sue, please? AN: I'm not sure any of these scenes would make a good length for a "chapter" so I stuck them all together. This is more like a collection of scenes from various "episodes" that make up the part of the story that's important to me. So imagine them stuck in various places in various episodes that are "really" about other things. It might make more sense that way. Hope you enjoy! (Hint: Ros is pronounced Roz)
John had bought Rosalind a dark dark navy blue dress and put her hair back in a single ponytail. She sat quietly in the pew next to him, in one of the rows reserved for family. John had been surprised when a young man asked who he was and then told him to join the rest of the family.
"But I'm not..." he had objected.
"But she is" the young man had nodded at Rosalind who was hanging onto his hand. So they had gone to the front of the church. It was a lovely church, not at all what John would've expected. The walls were an ivory white with the traditional stained glassed windows. The Altar was an oval "stage" that stuck out into the room, and there was a large "dome" in the roof with a dipiction of a Heavenly scene. There was no wood, except the pews, and it was brightly lit, further spurring the preconceived ideas John had about Catholic churches.
John didn't have a chance to say anything to any of the family before the service had started. Actually, he'd been afraid he was going to be late, due to Rosalind's ponytail. The whole squad sat in the pew behind them though and he felt slightly reassured.
The priest was young and had a nice voice, and, although the funeral was a full Mass, it seemed to pass quickly enough. John could barely believe it as he watched six Puerto Rican men carry out the casket that the Lieutenant was lied out in. They all got in their cars and drove out to the cemetary where the funeral was finished. Rosalind was quiet the entire time, clutching her doll to her chest with one hand and clutching his hand with the other. She looked small and afraid, but she didn't shed a single tear. John wasn't sure if he was proud of that or not. He remembered crying a bit when his mother died, and he remembered his father telling him to stop. He hadn't cried at his father's service at all. Not a single tear. Perhaps he should've....
When the service was over and they were all back at the Lieu's grandmother's house, he finally got the chance to speak with the rest of the squad.
"Hey" Connie gave him a hug, "You okay?" Everyone was acting like it had been his brother or something.
"Yeah. I'm fine" he answered truthfully. He, of course, deeply regretted the Lieu's death, and he was going to miss him of course, but it hadn't been a big blow to his world or anything. At least, not yet. He wasn't sure he had fully realized what had happened yet. Connie bent down to Rosalind's height.
"Hi, sweetie. Are you okay?" she asked kindly. Rosalind didn't respond. She just stared at the floor, and her grip on the two of John's fingers her hand fit around tightened.
"I can't believe this" Andy said.
"Yeah" Jones added. John noticed he had an arm around Haywood's waist. Was that on again?
"What're you going to do?" Rita asked him.
"I don't know. I haven't spoken to any of them yet" He indicated the group of family standing not far off. Just then, a young woman raised her head and looked directly at him. She excused herself and crossed the room.
"Hello, you must be Tony's squad" she said, smiling at all of them.
"Yeah, I'm Andy Sipowitz, this is Connie McDowell, Jones, Rita Ortiz, Greg Metaboy and."
"John Clark" she finished for him, smiling at John, "Tony told us when we went in to see him the other day" She stopped speaking, looked like she swallowed some tears, and then bent down.
"And you must be Rosalind" She studied the child for a moment, and John was pretty sure he saw amazement and happiness on her face. Rosalind backed up a little.
"She, uh, doesn't like strangers" John explained. The woman straightened up.
"Oh." She smiled at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Maria, Tony's sister" She smiled around at all of them.
"Oh, uh, Rosalind, this is your Aunt Maria" he looked at Maria to make sure it was okay and she nodded enthusiastically. Rosalind tugged on his hand and he bent over so he could hear her whispered question.
"No, not like me. She was your Daddy's sister." He answered. She tugged on him again.
"I don't know" he replied and looked at Maria, "She wants to know if she has to come live with you now" Maria looked down at the little girl.
"Do you want to come live with me, or do you like living with John?" she asked. Rosalind looked up at John and then back at Maria.
"I like Uncle John" she said softly. Maria smiled warmly.
"Well, then you can stay with your Uncle John"
Some days later...
"Where is she?" Allison asked, looking around the apartment.
"She's at my partner's house" he told her, "She's friend's with his boy" She nodded slowly and pushed the rest of her dinner around with her fork. Finally she laid it down and looked at him.
"Look, John, I think it's great what you're doing for her, really I do" she started.
"But?" John prodded.
"But..I'm just not ready to be in a relationship with.children..involved." John nodded. He had figured that's what she was going to say. She glanced around and then picked her purse up. He walked her silently to the door. She turned around.
"Hey.." John just looked at her.
"Yeah" he said and closed the door.
A bit later.....
"Hey!" John greeted Rita as she stepped through the door.
"Hi" she replied. She had promised Connie she'd stop by to see how things were going. She had been curious herself, actually. Could John have really changed enough to take care of a little girl? Was he sensitive with her? Was he patient? Was he tough enough with her?
"Uh, Rosalind come eat!" he called towards his bedroom. Rita looked around and saw, besides a few coloring books and a cartoon-covered blanket on the couch, the apartment was in good order.
"I want orange noodles!" Rosalind's voice yelled back. Rita had never heard it so loud.
"Well we're having red noodles!" John yelled back, and rolled his eyes. Rita noticed he was cutting some spagetti noodles up on a plate.
"I want orange noodles!" Rosalind cried again, more obstinately this time.
"We had orange noodles last night!"
"I want orange noodles!"
"Well, Rita wants red noodles!" John cried back. He looked at Rita.
"Please stay and eat or I'll never get her to" he asked quietly.
"Sure" Rita replied. There was no sound from the bedroom for a minute and then Rosalind came running out, pell mell. She stopped short just in front of Rita.
"Hello" she said brightly.
"Hi" Rita smiled back.
"You don't really want red noodles. You like orange noodles better, don't you, Rita?" Rita almost laughed. Rosalind was obviously trying to coerce her, by smiling and nodding. It was the cutest thing, an the most animate Rita had ever seen the little girl.
"No, I like red noodles" Rita answered and took a seat at the small table. Rosalind just stood and stared, astounded that her powers of persuasion hadn't worked charms for her. Rita heard her sigh heavily before she climbed up into her chair and John placed her plate in front of her.
"Hey, Ros, why don't you tell Rita what you did in school today" he said and winked mischievously at Rita.