A/N: I would like to thank everyone for the lovely reviews on the previous chapter. I am glad you are finding this story and this premise interesting.
This chapter is a little jump ahead to 1x09, and it is (at least in my opinion) darker than the original storyline.

The condo was dark when Sharon unlocked the door. Rainie was away, spending the weekend with her biological father and his fiancée and Sharon looked forward for the relaxing bath and takeout dinner she planned to have. She put her purse and keys down on the hall table and turned on the lights in the living room. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Rainie's backpack on the coffee table. She was almost sure that the girl had taken it with her for her weekend away.

"Rainie?" Sharon called as she quickly removed her work jacket and put on a cozy cashmere wrap. "Rainie, are you home?" She walked down the hall. "What happened?"

"Can we talk about it in the morning?" She heard the girl's voice, and she stopped in front of Rainie's bedroom door.

"Is everything alright?" she asked. No response came. She knew that Rainie had been upset earlier in the day about Daniel being late and had considered not going with him. She had only been away for one night and it already seemed like things were not working out with her biological father. "Do I owe Daniel a call?"

"Wait, wait, wait; hold on! I'm coming, just don't freak out, okay?" Rainie's voice was low, but Sharon could still hear her through the closed door. Rainie opened the door, unable to look Sharon in the eyes. There was a red bruise that formed around the girl's left eye and cheek, and her bottom lip was split, blood oozing from it.

"Oh my God!" Sharon covered her mouth. She hadn't expected to see Rainie like that.

"Look, don't worry, I didn't hit him back, I just ran, and I used the hundred dollars you gave me to get a cab," the girl said as Sharon guided her down the hall and into the living room, mumbling 'Oh my God' repeatedly. She sat the girl down on the couch and examined her wounded face in the light.

"What happened?" she asked and gently moved Rainie's bangs aside.

"Annie, his obnoxious fiancée was asking me all these, like, really personal questions about, like, how I had gotten along without my mother." Sharon moved to the kitchen and got an ice pack and a first aid kit while listening to the girl's description of the incident. While Sharon could understand Annie's curiosity, it was evident that the woman had gone about it the wrong way and had been grossly insensitive to the abandonment Rainie had experienced. It angered her that Daniel had his fiancée had been so oblivious to the girl's emotional needs, and treated her as if she was a nuisance. "And then I thought, you know, like, why not get the whole hustling thing out there, and when I did that Annie kinda freaked out and Daniel took me outside to talk. He said I was a whore like my mother, and accused me of trying to ruin his wedding. And then I told him that I could care less about his stupid wedding, and then… then he hit me." Sharon took a seat in front of Rainie and felt her blood boiling with anger when she saw the shame in the girl's eyes. She could tell that Daniel's words had hurt her more than his fist, and she felt guilty for failing to protect this girl from yet another man who abused her body and soul.

"Why didn't you call me?" she asked as she placed her hand under Rainie's chin and put the folded ice pack against the girl's bruised cheek.

"Because, Sharon, I knew you'd be upset and I wanted to think things through," Rainie said. "And we're past the ice stage on my face." She took the ice pack from Sharon's hands.

"How can you be so sure?" Sharon asked as she unzipped the first aid kit.

"I'm sure," the girl stated. When she saw the question in Sharon's eyes, she elaborated. "My, uh… Gary, my mother's boyfriend used to do this sort of thing to me like, once a week, mostly when he thought I was going to refuse him, but sometimes without any reason. My mom was usually passed out drunk or high, and the next morning he would tell her that he beat me because I misbehaved. Until one night she woke up and walked in on us. He told her I came on to him, and the next day, he and my mom dropped me off at the zoo." Once again, the girl lowered her eyes, unable to look at Sharon who watched her, the expression on her face growing more and more concerned. "So now you know everything." Sharon gave the girl a single nod and let out a soft hum. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask Rainie, so many solacing words she wanted to say to the girl, but at that moment, she needed to distance herself from the girl's disturbing confession and take care of her physical wounds. She cleaned the gushing laceration on Rainie's bottom lip with an alcohol pad, and it surprised her that the girl didn't hiss. Sharon could only assume that her mind must have been in a place so far away that the physical pain could not reach her. She documented Rainie's injuries and applied an anti-inflammatory cream on her lip. The rage she felt about what Daniel Dunn and Sharon Beck's boyfriend have done to the girl was blinding. Sharon had never felt the need to hurt someone the way she felt tonight. She wanted to make the men who hurt Rainie suffer, and the intensity of that need for revenge scared her.

"Rainie, do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" she offered when she noticed the girl's eyes becoming glossy. The girl lived with her long enough for Sharon to recognize that she was exhausted. She knew that the level of intimacy in sharing a bed might be a bit too much for Rainie. They have shared one hug before and at one instance, Rainie had fallen asleep on her shoulder while they were watching a movie on TV. Rainie nodded and went to her room to change, while Sharon put away the first aid kit and then quickly went through her nightly routine. Rainie was sitting on the edge of the bed when Sharon came into the room from the bathroom.

"I wasn't sure which side is yours," she said shyly. Sharon pointed at the side of the bed where she slept, and slid into bed, and Rainie crawled into the other side. She was surprised when the girl curled into a ball against her body.

"Wake me up if you need anything during the night," Sharon said softly and felt the girl's hand gripping at her nightshirt. She placed her palm over the girl's head protectively, when the words began flowing out of Rainie's mouth, telling her about all the horrible things that Gary had done to her since she was a child. Sharon couldn't stop her tears, and it appeared that it was all that Rainie needed to burst into tears as well. She sobbed into Sharon's shoulder for what seemed like hours, and all Sharon could do was wrap her arms around the fragile girl who was not even sixteen yet, and beg her to understand that what had happened to her was not her fault. Eventually, the energy drained out Rainie's body, and she fell asleep in Sharon's arms. Even though she was also exhausted, Sharon's thoughts prevented her from getting any sleep. She sat in bed for most of the night, her arms draped over the sleeping girl's body and wept. She couldn't recall when in her life she had ever cried so much. She hadn't shed that many tears even when Jack left her for the first time, or when she found out that he had emptied their joint bank account. And despite her painful history, she couldn't think of any event in her life that was as horrific as what Rainie has been through. After several hours of crying and countless thoughts that went through her brain, she felt her eyelids becoming heavy. She barely managed to complete another thought before she surrendered to her fatigue and let sleep claim her.

The following morning, both women woke up with puffy eyes, and Sharon was horrified to discover that Rainie's face had swollen so much that she could no longer open her left eye. Since the girl had complained of a headache, Sharon decided that Rainie should see a doctor and make sure nothing in her face was broken. Although it was a school day, Sharon had called and notified them that Rainie was not feeling well and would not attend. She couldn't help but wonder how many times the girl had gone to school after taking a beating from Gary, and how it was even possible that none of her teachers had reported to the police or DCS that the girl was living in abusive conditions. It angered her so much that she needed to take a moment for herself in order to cool off.

After the doctor confirmed that the only damage caused to Rainie's face was bruising and that it would most likely heal without leaving any scar or other distortion, Sharon had taken her to PAB with her. She had not considered her team's reaction when they saw the girl's beaten face.

"What the hell did the asshole do to you?" Lieutenant Flynn was the first to express his rage, and behind him, Sharon could see Julio's fists curling into balls.

"Would you go and wait in my office?" she asked the girl who nodded and headed to Sharon's office, closing the door and shutting the blinds.

"I should have warned you in advance, but we've had a rough night," Sharon apologized to the squad. "Unfortunately, it appears that Daniel Dunn is not a fit father." Even though she chose her words carefully, her rage was evident in her tone.

"Son of a bitch," she heard Provenza muttering under his breath.

"Look, she's already upset, and in pain. I know we are all angry about this, but can I please ask you to not make it worse for her?" Sharon implored her team.

"Do you expect us to ignore a child abuser?" Sharon could see the fire that was burning in Flynn's eyes.

"Of course not. I will handle this situation in my own way. Buzz, could you please grab your camera and document her wounds?" she asked, and Buzz nodded and went to Electronics to fetch his camera. "Everyone else, I'm expecting your final reports on our ID theft case on my desk by eleven, so please finish them if you haven't." She knew that none of them needed that reminder, but she wanted to change the subject. She didn't want any of them to hover over Rainie or her. Flynn and Julio glared at her for a long moment but then went back to their desks to work on their reports.

Rainie seemed calmer during the day than she had been the previous night. The doctor prescribed her some painkillers, and she fell asleep on the green armchair in Sharon's office. It was when Sharon returned from the break room with her coffee when she noticed Lieutenant Flynn removing his jacket and covering the sleeping girl. The expression on his face was a mix of anger and compassion and Sharon was familiar with it, although in a professional setting. When he caught her gaze through the glass window, she motioned with her hand for him to leave her office and join her in the hallway.

"Please tell me he didn't do anything more than this," he said as they walked towards the break room, where they would be able to conduct a quiet conversation. Sharon shook her head. "This guy needs to be locked up."

"She doesn't want to press charges," Sharon replied.

"You can't let this creep walk free, Captain," she could see the fury taking over Flynn and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"She wants to put this behind her, Andy. She needs to have control over her situation. It's hard enough as it is," Sharon explained as she sank into one of the chairs in the break room.

"How are you handling this?" he asked. She pursed her lips and shrugged. "Have you eaten?"

"I'm not hungry," Sharon replied. "This kind of thing takes away your appetite."

"If you want, I can come over tonight and cook some pasta for the two of you," he suggested. The odd look Sharon gave him made him realize that she wasn't sure what the intentions behind his kindness were. "If you won't let me arrest the bastard, at least let me cook for the two of you," he explained.

"I guess you could come over tonight if you want," Sharon said. The idea of having someone cooking for Rainie and her was appealing. The fridge was empty, and she wasn't in the mood for cooking dinner. "Is there anything you need me to buy for you?"

"No, I have everything. Do you or the kid have any food allergies or dislikes I should know about?" he asked.

Sharon shook her head and thanked him again. She was touched by his kindness and by the need he felt to take care of Rainie and her. She has known Andy Flynn long enough to know that behind the tough exterior there was a sensitive man who cared intensely about the people in his life. Even though they seemed to be at odds with each other when she just took over Chief Johnson's role, he was the first member of the Major Crimes team to welcome her and show her the ropes. On several occasions, she had overheard him defending her to Provenza, although she was more than capable of handling the old lieutenant's irritation without his help. She also enjoyed Flynn's sarcasm and sense of humor that helped lighten up some of the harder days on the job. She knew he was a good man, and a great team player and she appreciated his concern for Rainie and her.

"Is seven okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Thank you, Andy. It's very kind of you," she said. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some reports to go over." She pushed her chair back and stood up. He offered her a comforting smile before she left the break room and went back to her office.

Rainie devoured Andy's pasta quickly and asked for a second serving. Sharon smiled as Andy refilled the girl's plate and offered her another serving as well. She accepted, and he added some pasta to Sharon's plate. His pasta was delicious, and it was easy to tell that the recipe was etched in his mind. He had told her that he had spent many hours in his grandmother's kitchen and not only learned to make different kinds of pasta sauces but also knew how to make the pasta from scratch. He had told her that making pasta was one of his hobbies. Sharon couldn't deny that his pasta made her imagine a cozy and warm Italian kitchen. She could almost hear the sizzling of the sauces in the pans and the bubbling of water in the pots with every bite she took.

"This is delicious," she complimented him, and he smiled shyly. She watched Rainie as she ate the pasta on her plate as if someone was chasing her. It was one of the girl's habits that drove Sharon nuts, but she wasn't sure how to make her stop and didn't want Rainie to feel self-conscious about her table manners.

"It tastes better if you chew it," Andy grinned. Rainie's fork froze mid-air as she raised her head from her plate and looked at him. "Try eating them one by one, and it will make the taste of the sauce feel more intense." The girl gave him a quick nod and brought the fork to her mouth, slowly chewing the pasta.

"Hey, you're right!" she called out and smiled for the first time that day. Sharon looked at Rainie, almost shocked that the thing that made the girl smile was something as insignificant as pasta sauce.

"Leave room for dessert," Andy said.

"When did you have time to make dessert?" Sharon looked at him. This man was full of surprises.

"I made it before I came here. Do you like Cannoli, Rainie?" he asked.

"I don't think I ever had cannoli," the girl responded.

"Well, we're gonna fix that tonight," Andy said and Rainie burst into a hearty laughter that surprised the two adults in the room. It was not meant to be a joke, but for some reason, the girl laughed, and it was contagious. Sharon couldn't contain her happiness at the sound of Rainie's laughter and began giggling as well, and Andy looked at both of them with a confused smile.

After they had dessert, Rainie decided to retire to bed, leaving Sharon and Andy alone on the balcony, where they sat after dinner. They sipped their tea quietly for a long moment, and Sharon felt calm for the first time since Rainie came home beaten up. She wasn't sure whether it was Andy's wonderful cooking or his company that left her more satiated than she had felt in a while.

"Are you okay?" Andy noticed how quiet she was.

"Yes, I'm just thinking," she replied and brought the cup of tea to her lips. "You know, it's been a difficult 24 hours. Seeing Rainie beaten up so badly, and hearing from her what had happened to her, it's been horrific." She paused and took another sip of her tea, noticing the attentive way Andy looked at her. "And you somehow made her laugh. It's the first time she's laughed since she came here."

"Is it?" Andy wondered.

"Yes," Sharon replied with a smile. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you for making her laugh. I didn't realize just how badly I needed to hear her laughter."

"I'm sure she was just decompressing, but you're welcome," he smiled at her and finished his tea. "It's getting late," he said as he picked up his dessert plate from the small balcony table.

"Don't worry about the dishes. I'll wash them," Sharon said, and he put his mug and the plate down. "Thank you so much for the delicious dinner and dessert. And for your company tonight." Sharon put her mug down as they walked from the balcony into the living room.

"It was really my pleasure, Captain," he replied. "I hope Rainie, and you can get some sleep tonight." He walked towards the door and Sharon followed him, watching him unlock it.

"I hope so too," Sharon spoke quietly. "Good night, Andy."

"Good night, Captain. See you at work tomorrow," he replied as he left the condo and closed the door behind him. Sharon locked it again and then leaned against it with a sigh. She had never expected any member of her division to ever like her enough to visit her house, and much less cook for her and check on her and Rainie. That Lieutenant Flynn cared so much about their emotional wellbeing was touching. With a soft smile playing on her lips, she did the dishes.

After she was done, Sharon walked down the hall and gently knocked on Rainie's door. When she heard no response, she cracked the door open. The girl was sound asleep, tucked under the cream comforter. The warm light from the bedside lamp glowed softly over her features and gave her ginger tresses a golden hue. Sharon turned the lamp off and went out of the room, happy to see that Rainie was getting some overdue sleep. She closed the door behind her as she went to her bedroom, with Daniel Dunn still weighing on her mind. The thought of that man was troubling, but Sharon filed it away, for now, knowing that she, too, needed sleep. She would cross that bridge when she reaches it, and then she will burn it down.

-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.