A/N: First, I'd like to apologize for posting this so late. Life has been a bit crazy this week, so it took me a while to find the time to post. Exploring Sharon's relationship with Jack has always been interesting to me, and I am sad we didn't get to see more of it on the show. I've always wondered how their evening at Hollywood Forever went, and I've never read any fic about it, so I figured I should write it into this story and explore Sharon's role, thoughts and feelings about Jack. I hope you'll find it as interesting as it was to write it.
I'd like to thank the ever-so-lovely blossom-of-snow for being my fierceless beta reader and doing a fabulous job!

The wind blew through Sharon's hair as she took a seat on the blanket next to Jack at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She should have been mad at him for pushing Rainie to go on a date with Chris, but she was too exhausted to be angry. This day has been emotionally taxing for her. Michelle's murder was one of those cases that had touched her more than others; maybe because of how devastating it was when a person who was supposed to love her unconditionally did not accept the beautiful girl as she was and instead murdered her for being different.

Any fantasy Sharon had of going home and drowning her sorrows in a big tub of ice cream was cut short by Jack's plan for an impromptu double date at Hollywood Forever. He had somehow dragged Chris into that, and Sharon hated to think of the kind of manly advice he has given the young man about 'getting the girl'. Just the thought that he could even think of Rainie as nothing more than a boy's conquest made Sharon sick to her stomach. Of course, to get his plan going, he had cornered her in her office with the two kids, essentially taking away any option to refuse from her.

"Are you hungry?" his voice startled her out of thoughts.

Sharon let out a soft hum, and he took a sandwich out of the picnic basket and handed it to her. She thanked him and focused her gaze on the film. She's seen it a few times already but had hoped that the medieval love story would distract her from the horrible day she's had. It was good to escape from her daily bothers into a fictional Shakespearean tale. She chewed on the sandwich slowly, engrossed in the film when she felt Jack leaning into her.

"Look at these two," he whispered into her ear, a swift puff of air tingling at the side of her neck with every word he spoke.

She diverted her gaze from the film, her eyes falling on the two teenagers they had accompanied to the movies. Jack smartly packed two picnic blankets, so Rainie and Chris were sitting on a separate blanket, a few feet away from them. Sharon's heart almost leaped out of her chest when she saw the two teenagers sharing a languid kiss. Rainie's fingers slowly caressed the back of Chris's neck, and his palm was resting gently against her jaw.

"I told you she liked him," Jack smiled as if he won a million dollars. "She just needed a little push."

Sharon couldn't help but admit that Jack may have been right. Rainie didn't appear uncomfortable with the situation and actually looked like she was enjoying the kiss. "Let's not interrupt them," she whispered as she turned to face him.

"You're blushing," Jack noted and brought his hand to cup her cheek.

Before Sharon had the chance to react, she felt his lips pressing against hers. For a swift moment, Sharon froze; her brain has turned into mush. Conflicting thoughts mixed together as she tried to decide on the proper reaction to the unwarranted kiss. It has been a while since someone kissed her, and for a brief moment, she considered giving in, before she came to her senses and realized what a bad idea it was. When Jack wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, and she instinctually sent her arm forward, creating a barrier between their bodies and pulling away from him. He smiled at her triumphantly, in a way that made Sharon suspect he had planned this moment all along. She felt tears welling in her eyes and turned her gaze towards the film, trying to regain her composure. Son of a bitch! She couldn't believe he used Rainie and Chris this way so that he could kiss her. The betrayal felt like a burn on her skin, and the guilt came flooding in, almost drowning her. How did she fall for his manipulations once again? How did she let him drag Rainie into it? How could she allow him to corner her into agreeing to this outing? She was just as furious at herself as she was at him. Jack never changed. No matter what happened, he had stayed the same emotionally abusive exploiter and schemer that he had always been. She should have known better, but she kept falling for the same old tricks.

After so many times she had failed to protect her children and herself from the pain Jack inflicted upon them, she couldn't believe that she had let him play her again. But what made her angrier still, was the fact that Rainie was more fragile than Emily and Ricky, and Jack had still shown blatant disregard for her emotional well-being. It was true that Rainie seemed to be enjoying herself, but Sharon couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't too early for her to get into a relationship and how she would deal with the intimacy that it would entail down the line. For the rest of the movie, Sharon sat with her arms wrapped around herself and prayed to every divine being in the universe that Rainie would come out of this evening unscathed.

Sharon couldn't be happier when the movie ended, and Jack had volunteered to drive Chris home, while Rainie went home with Sharon. The ride home was quiet, and Sharon wished that Rainie would say something that would confirm that she had enjoyed the evening. If Rainie had fun, then it was worth it. But the girl did not say anything. She stared out of the window and looked gloomy or maybe tired.

As soon as Sharon unlocked the condo door, Rainie made a beeline to her room and closed the door behind her. Sharon wasn't sure what was going on, and she decided to give Rainie some space and went about her evening routine. She was surprised when she heard a knock on her bedroom door about an hour later and Rainie came into the room.

"Hey," Sharon greeted her. She noticed that Rainie's face was pale, and her bottom lip was bruised from biting. Sharon wasn't sure if that was because of the kiss or because she was nervous about something. She patted on her bed, and Rainie took a seat. "What's going on?"

"Sharon, do you ever…" Rainie's eyes filled up with unshed tears, and she blinked a few times, trying to get rid of them. "Did you ever do something that you regretted later?"

"Many times. Why? What happened?" Sharon asked.

"Chris kissed me at the movie, and I let him," Rainie replied.

"You didn't want him to?" Sharon inquired, suddenly feeling the pangs of guilt pinching at her. Why had she not prevented this from happening?

"I wasn't sure, and I thought if I let him do that, then maybe it would make me feel something for him, but it didn't. And now he thinks I'm his girlfriend."

"I see," Sharon replied, trying to think of the right way to go about it. A situation like this had the potential to become very hurtful to both Rainie and Chris. "It's too late to call or text him tonight, but I think you should talk to him about it tomorrow. Be kind about it and hopefully he will be understanding about it, and you can remain friends."

"Do you think it will be that simple?" Rainie wondered.

"I hope so, but even if it won't, it's better than forcing yourself to be with someone you don't love," Sharon couldn't help but ask herself if by staying married to Jack for so long she hasn't been doing the same thing. She couldn't wholeheartedly say that she didn't still have feelings for him, even if they were mixed and mostly not the positive kind.

"Thanks, Sharon," Rainie said. The girl's shoulders were slouched as if she carried literal weight on them. "Good night."

"Good night, sweetheart," Sharon replied as she watched Rainie going to her bedroom. She stared into the emptiness of her room for a long moment, her thoughts racing through her brain. Men, at our core we really all alike. Jack's declaration echoed in her head. He wasn't too wrong; Jack took the time to create a romantic setting in order to kiss her and Chris had used the same setting to kiss Rainie. Two men, same mindset, two unwarranted kisses. It was almost as if each of them had a role in the situation: the men were supposed to seduce them, and the women were to be seduced. Even when they lived apart, she tried to be a good and supportive wife to Jack. She had always given him a place to stay, financial help, and the affection he wanted every time he came back to her. She never refused to have sex with him before this week, even when she was angry with him, or tired or not in the mood. She was always taught that it was her duty as a wife – an idea that was hard to let go of – and she liked to play a little game of pretend when he was around, even though they have been legally separated for two decades. If she was honest with herself, she knew that she had been doing it for herself rather than for him. It felt good to act as if he had always been there, as if he never cheated or drank, as if he really cared about her. She knew it was a masochistic tendency, a twisted state of mind. She was simultaneously aware and oblivious to the fact that it will end in a heartache, disappointment, resentment, anger, and guilt. And for so many years she kept it going. However, now that Rainie was in her life, she couldn't risk her well-being. She needed to be mindful of the girl's emotional and physical needs and to provide them. Jack's presence was jeopardizing both of them. She couldn't support Rainie if she broke down, so she distanced herself from Jack to avoid the usual chaos that ruled her life when he was present. She didn't expect him to try to get her into bed and to use Rainie and her friends in order to get that. It was low, even for Jack, and she's had enough of his games.

When Sharon heard him unlocking the door, her heart leaped in her chest. She was anxious of the conversation they were about to have. She psyched herself into feeling stronger and impenetrable even though she knew she was neither.

"You didn't need to wait up for me," Jack said when he saw her sitting in the armchair in the living room.

"I did, actually," she responded. "Because there's something I need to say to you."

"I know what you're going to say, and I love you too," he replied cockily. Of course, he would think she wanted to confess her love to him; she had never given him a good enough reason to think otherwise, and that was why he kept coming back to her.

"That's not what I wanted to say," she replied and stood up to level with him. "I want you to find somewhere else to live."

"But, Sharon, we agreed that you'll let me stay here," he protested.

"I don't want you here anymore. I want you to go," Sharon insisted, and her heart thumped so loudly in her chest that she thought she was about to faint.

"Sharon, come on," he said. "Don't be a prude. It was just a kiss. We've done more than that." He walked towards her and placed his arms on either side of her waist.

"No," she exclaimed and removed his hands. "You have overstayed your welcome. And whatever this is between us, it has to end."

"Whatever this is between us? Sharon, we are married. You promised yourself to me for all eternity. You can't walk away from this," Jack called out.

"You walked away from this twenty years ago, Jack," Sharon's voice shook with anger. "You chose booze, cards, and other women over me, over our family."

"But I always thought of you, no matter what I was doing or who I was with," Jack walked towards her again and this time wrapped his arms around her waist more tightly than before. He leaned down to kiss her but she quickly released herself from his hold, and he stumbled a little.

"That's not enough," she said, her voice trembling, but not faltering.

"We can work on things, Sharon. We could go to a couple's therapy. I can be the husband you've always dreamed of," he tried to persuade her, but she's heard it all before. He was trying to sell her a fantasy with no intention of following up on any of his promises. Sharon shook her head.

"This is over, Jack. My dreams have changed," she stated.

"Sharon, baby, give me a chance," he pleaded.

"You ran out of chances," she replied and began to walk away.

"At least give me a week to get a new place. A week! That's all I need."

She turned around and looked at him. She didn't want him around and opened her mouth to refuse.

"I know that I've been a lousy husband and that you are mad, but if you throw me out tonight, I won't have anywhere to go. I'm afraid I'll end up going into a bar. Don't do this to me, Sharon, please."

A shiver ran down Sharon's spine. Did his sobriety really depend on her? The idea that he would go out and drink because of her terrified her. Son of a bitch! He knew how to get to her.

"Three days, Jack. That's all you get. And after that, you're out, no arguments," she declared and went to her bedroom.

As she crawled into bed, her phone buzzed, and she picked it up to see a text from Flynn about wrapping up the case, noting that it was the worst case they've worked in a while. She typed a text to thank him for staying at the office late and wished him a good night.

Michelle's smiling face in the picture popped in front of her eyes the moment she shut the lights in her room. That brave young girl tried to be herself despite the people who tried to oppress her identity and intimidate her into becoming someone else, and she ended up paying with her life. Sharon had let Jack push Rainie into doing something that put her in an uncomfortable situation that may have made her feel that she had to kiss a guy to feel normal. The guilt made Sharon nauseous. She suspected that Rainie had been struggling with her sexuality for a while, and the thought that anyone would try to affect the girl's path to self-determination scared her. She wanted Rainie to be herself, to become confident in who she was, regardless of what others thought or felt about it. She wanted Rainie to thrive, and not to succumb to criticism and bullying. She just wanted her to be safe.

-TBC-

As always, I'd love to know what you thought about this chapter, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.