A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews. I'm glad to see so many people are enjoying this story.

As always, my fearless and talented beta blossom-of-snow did an amazing job and I'd like to thank her.

Sharon gripped the stirring wheel as she drove from the PAB back home. Every moment or two her vision blurred when tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away. The tension that settled between her shoulder blades in the last couple of weeks since Rainie has gone on her field operation has multiplied at the moment Flynn told her that the most recent victim of Stroh's accomplice lived in her building. The soles of her feet were bruised from running down eight floors barefoot, and her arms ached from pulverizing the door with a fire extinguisher. She could still hear the six shots echoing in her ears and see the image of Rainie, defending herself with a tripod, baring her teeth like a threatened animal, as adrenaline took over her body. The mess at the accomplice's victim's condo indicated that Rainie had thrown a few heavy objects at him, and starkly contrasted the sight of Rainie biting her quivering bottom lip, her arms wrapped around herself, only a moment before Lieutenant Cooper evacuated her.

Once Sharon pulled the car into her usual parking spot at the underground garage of her building, she took a deep breath and reached for her bag. She gasped in pain as she placed her feet on the ground. The excruciating injuries in her feet as she walked towards the elevator were only secondary to the tormenting constriction in her chest. She wanted to scream; she needed to scream. But she knew that for the next fifteen minutes or so, she had to stay in control of her emotions. As she stepped into the elevator and pressed the 11th-floor button, Sharon took a deep breath and schooled her features. The relief she felt when she saw Rainie, sitting in the armchair in the living room, guarded by two SIS officers in full gear was great. She thanked the officers as they stepped into the hall.

"Hey," Rainie said. Sharon could see the relief on the girl's face. It was clear that she needed to see Sharon just as much as Sharon needed to see her.

"Hey," Sharon put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Sharon gave the girl's shoulder a little squeeze before she took a seat on the couch in front of Rainie.

"Just a little shaky," Rainie replied, and the guilty look in her eyes was haunting. "But never happier to have so many police officers around me." Sharon took a deep breath. Rainie was not the only one who felt guilty, and she needed to let her know that she was not the only one who made a mistake.

"Rainie, I owe you an apology. I went against my instincts," she said.

"Uh, no, I…" Rainie began to mumble. "I really really messed up. I know I did."

"I never should have gone along with this entire operation," Sharon continued speaking, trying to raise her voice over Rainie's and deflect the girl's attempt to blame herself.

"Sharon, let me finish, please?" Rainie pleaded. Sharon exhaled deeply and braced her elbows against her knees, as she leaned towards her foster daughter.

"I thought I had a handle on all this stuff, but I didn't follow my orders, and I almost got myself and you killed. And, and… and from now on, whatever you want me to do – whatever it is that I need to do – Sharon, I promise you that I'll do it. I'll just do it, because…" Rainie paused, her bottom lip shaking. She lunged forwards, and Sharon knew that her daughter needed her to hold her and comfort her. She stood up and let Rainie draw into her arms and sob into her shoulder. Her spine supported their combined weights as the girl mumbled something about how Sharon has saved her life again. When Rainie pulled away, Sharon cupped the girl's cheeks in her palms.

"But it's not over yet. Unfortunately, the guy who tried to kill you is still out there," Sharon said and was almost shocked with how stable and authoritative her voice sounded. She didn't think she could pull it off, but she knew that she had to. "And I'm happy that you promise to do what I say and that you know it's for your own good."

"What?" Rainie's eyes widened with terror and Sharon had to look away from the girl.

"Come on," she said, as she lead the girl down the hall. "Come on." Tears began welling in her eyes again, and she gave her forehead a little rub in an attempt to alleviate the emotion that was overcoming her.

"Sharon, what's for my own good?" the girl followed her down the hall. Sharon went into Rainie's bedroom and took a trolley from the closet. "What are you doing?" she could hear the mistrust in Rainie's voice. She offered the girl a sad and tearful smile as she began taking clothes out of Rainie's closet and folding them before she put them inside the trolley. "What's going on?" Rainie demanded.

"Hello? Captain?" she heard Amy's voice from the living room.

"Down the hall, Detective," she called. Rainie turned towards her, a wild expression in her eyes.

"Why is Detective Sykes here?" she demanded. At that moment, Amy appeared at the door, followed by Julio.

"Captain, Rainie," the young detective greeted the two of them. Sharon nodded in her direction. "Since it's clear that it's not as safe here as we would like, you're moving in with me, until you testify in court," Amy explained to Rainie.

"Until I testify?" Rainie looked at Sharon, scandalized. "But that could be years from now!" she exclaimed, and Sharon could see the burning rage in the girl's eyes.

"Not anymore," Julio spoke. "Besides staying safe, you need to get ready."

"Rainie, next week you take the stand against Phillip Stroh," Sharon declared. She hoped that having a set date until the trial would help Rainie understand that she wasn't giving her up.

"No," Rainie shook her head, and her red tresses bounced around her face. She turned to look at Sharon again. "You promised, Sharon."

"Rainie, it's only temporary," Sharon spoke softly, hoping to calm the girl down.

"You gave up. You're doing what Emma wanted, aren't you? You're sending me to the Witness Protection Program!" Rainie pointed her finger at her.

"That's not true, Rainie. It's just for a week," Sharon insisted, even though she could tell Rainie's trust in her was slipping quickly. She took a step forward and pulled the girl into her arms. "Sweetheart, I would never lie to you about something like that," she assured her daughter.

"Please don't send me away. Please," the girl implored, her fingers clutching Sharon's jacket. Sharon looked at Amy and Julio over the girl's shoulder and cocked her head to the side, implying that they should leave the room. They caught the hint and retreated to the hallway. Sharon placed her palm on the crown of Rainie's head and gently stroked her hair.

"Honey, you know how much I love you, right?" she asked. Rainie responded with a sob. "I never lied to you, have I?" Another sob was the response she received. "And I am not lying right now either. This house, this room will be waiting for you to come back. I will be waiting for you, too."

"Will I be allowed to meet you while I live with Amy?" Rainie asked, her voice quivering.

"I won't be able to visit you, because Stroh's accomplice could follow me and find out where you are," Sharon explained. "And Emma thinks it's the best if we don't see each other at PAB either, so Stroh's defense won't be able to claim that I coached you what to say on the stand."

"But…" Rainie protested.

"It's only for a week," Sharon repeated. "I promise you. And hopefully by then, we will catch that guy who's been threatening you, and you will be able to go back to school and see your friends again. You won't have to fear that someone will hurt you. I won't have to, either." She felt Rainie relaxing in her arms and gently pulled away from her. She wiped away the girl's tears with the pad of her thumb. "Just promise me you won't want to stay with Amy and leave me here alone," she teased her daughter and was happy to see that her words elicited a smile out of the girl.

"I won't," Rainie said softly.

"Good," Sharon replied. "Let's pack, okay?"

Half an hour later, Rainie, Sharon and her two trusted detectives were standing at the doorway of the condo. Rainie was calmer and cooperative now, which helped put Sharon's mind at ease. She took Rainie's hands in hers, squeezing them lightly.

"Will you be safe on your own?" Rainie wondered.

"Yes, sweetheart. I will be fine," she replied.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Sharon said. She could see Amy and Julio exchanging gazes that told her that it was better to finish with the goodbyes. "It's time to go, but I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, Dr. Joe is available. And please don't draw on Amy's wall."

"Yeah, please don't," Amy joked in attempt to lighten the mood.

"I won't," Rainie smiled.

"I'll take good care of her, Captain," Amy promised. Sharon and Rainie exchanged another quick hug before the girl followed the two detectives into the elevator.

"I love you!" she heard Rainie's voice coming from inside the elevator.

"I love you, too!" she called out and leaned against the doorframe. She heard the elevator doors closing and went back to her condo.

Sharon let her body drop down on the couch. Her feet were too sore to carry her weight, and she removed her shoes and leaned back, releasing a long exhale from the depths of her throat. She removed her glasses and closed her eyes briefly. She was tired. No, she was exhausted. She wasn't even sure if she had any energy to shower or eat. A knock on the door startled her, and she immediately reached for her gun.

"Sharon?" she heard a familiar voice. "It's me." Holstering her gun, she walked towards the door and unlocked it. Lieutenant Andy Flynn was standing at the doorway, carrying a doggy bag with a logo of an Italian restaurant he knew she liked. "I'm sorry for coming here unannounced," he spoke. "I thought you might be too tired to cook, and that you might want some company."

Sharon moved from the doorway and let him in. "Thank you, Andy. I appreciate it," she said as she walked to the kitchen to set the dinner table.

"Please, let me do it," Andy offered, and Sharon stepped back. She watched him as he quickly found the placemats, plates, and cutlery and carried them to the table. He filled a pitcher with water and added ice cubes from the freezer and placed it in the middle of the table along with two glasses. They sat down, and Andy opened the doggy bag and took out the Styrofoam containers out. "Dig in," he said, and Sharon loaded food on her plate.

"This is so kind of you," she said as she closed her mouth around a fork full of gnocchi. She was too exhausted to remember her table manners, and she had hoped Andy won't care.

"It's been a rough day," he replied and took a bite of his food. "And pasta is the best comfort food in the world."

"You are so right about that!" Sharon stated. Carbs had a strange power to improve everything. Andy smiled at her and nodded his head. They ate in relative silence, and even though Sharon always felt that two people sitting together without carrying a conversation was awkward, she didn't feel this way with him. She felt like he understood what she was going through and gave her the space she needed to think. They were good friends, and it appeared that Andy could easily attune himself to her mood in a way that nobody in her life ever had before. She couldn't deny that it felt good to have someone taking care of her, for once. She didn't want to be alone during a stressful and trying time like this and Andy's presence was a blessing.

"I brought dessert," he said when they finished eating. He insisted on clearing the table on his own.

"Oh, God. Andy, this is too much," she said.

"My mother used to say there's nothing you can't solve with a good Italian dessert," he offered her his infamous boyish smile that made her the corners of her mouth twitch. Andy went back to the kitchen and brought another Styrofoam box and two dessert spoons. "I thought we could eat this one straight from the box," he said as he opened the box and handed her one spoon.

"Oh, Andy, you got my favorite!" Sharon gushed. He simply smiled at her and sat down. Sharon dug her spoon into the dessert and brought it to her mouth. She closed her eyes and hummed around the spoon, as the rich tiramisu made contact with her tongue. "I didn't even know how much I needed this. Thank you so much, Andy."

"See? I told you? Italian desserts can beat almost any sorrow," he said.

After they finished the cake, they moved to the balcony, where they sat together and watched the view. A comfortable silence spread between them again, as they listened to the soft wind blowing.

"If you squint your eyes and ignore all the noise, the city lights look like fireflies in the forest," Sharon broke the silence after a moment. "Rainie says that."

"She's an imaginative girl," Andy said.

"She always finds beauty where there's none," Sharon agreed.

"Rainie wasn't like that when we just met her. I think she learned that from you," he noted.

Sharon shrugged. She wasn't sure if her outlook on life was always so positive. It certainly didn't feel this way tonight. "She thought I was giving up on her and sending her to the Witness Protection Program," she said. Rainie's sobs and pleas still echoed in her ears.

"Everyone she's ever loved before abandoned her at some point. It's hard to earn someone else's trust after they've been hurt so many times," Andy observed.

"I love this girl so much, Andy. I know that foster care is meant to be temporary and that I shouldn't feel this way about her, but I can't do that," Sharon admitted.

"The rules can't prevent people from developing emotions towards each other, even when it's not always for the best."

"You think me loving her is doing more harm than good?" Sharon looked for the answer in his eyes. Andy was capable of many things, but hiding his emotions was not one of them.

"No. Your love for Rainie is what made her come out of her shell. She's a different person because of you." His smile deepened the wrinkles around his eyes. Sharon found it endearing.

"My love for her put her in a dangerous situation. I tried to let her have the way she wanted because I love her, Andy," her voice broke as guilt overcame her.

"Your love is the best thing that ever happened to Rainie, Sharon. Where would she be if you didn't take her in?" Andy asked. "She would have run away from foster care. She would be living in the street, turning tricks, maybe taking drugs to forget everything she had to do. And eventually, before Stroh would even get to her, she would be lying in a dark alley, after some creep beat her to death. You saved this girl's life and soul, Sharon." His words made tears spring out of her eyes, and roll down her face. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. She wiped her tears and turned to look at the city lights again. "Look, Sharon, she survived on her own for a whole year. She can handle one week away from home."

"Thank you, Andy,"

"For what?" he asked.

"For being here. For supporting me," she explained. He may have thought those things were trivial, but they meant a lot to Sharon.

"You would've done the same for me," Andy said. Sharon nodded slowly. She would most definitely help a friend who was having a hard time. Wasn't going to Nicole's wedding with Andy or agreeing to accompany him to see his step-grandsons' performance of The Nutcracker exactly that?

"It doesn't mean I'm any less thankful for your company tonight," she said and stifled a yawn.

"You must be exhausted," Andy said. "I think it's time we call it a night."

Sharon thanked him again, simply because she ran out of words to say. She walked him to the door, where there were still two uniformed officers that Chief Taylor decided to keep there for the night.

"Call me if you need anything during the night, no matter what time it is, okay?" Andy asked.

"I will," Sharon promised and noticed she was still holding his handkerchief. "I'll wash this and get it back to you in a few days, okay?" she asked.

"It'll keep," he replied and began walking towards the elevator. "Good night, Sharon."

"Good night, Andy." She wished a good night to the two officers and closed the door, locking it behind her.

After taking a quick shower, Sharon went to her bedroom and opened her closet. Still wrapped in her bathrobe, she stepped into the big walk-in closet and quickly located her favorite and most comfortable pajamas. She was almost done dressing up when she noticed the beige cardigan Rainie had bought her for Christmas draped neatly on one of the hangers. She touched the fabric with the tips of her fingers, enjoying its softness against her fingertips. She took it off the hanger and slipped it on. She closed her eyes and sighed. Rainie had given her the perfect gift, a comforting hug in a piece of clothing. Sharon tightened it around her as she walked back into her bedroom and shut the closet behind her. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and sent a quick text to Amy to inquire if she could call her. Instead of replying, Amy called her and Sharon quickly picked it up.

"Captain, how are you?" Amy asked.

"I'm fine, Amy. How's Rainie doing?" Sharon asked.

"She's fine. Calmer now than she was when we left," Amy informed her.

"Did she eat anything?" Sharon inquired. Rainie often skipped meals when she was upset.

"She had some chicken noodle soup. And I made her a big cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. I think it made her feel a bit better," Amy said.

"That's good," Sharon replied softly. She was happy that Rainie was in a better condition. "She tends to get bad headaches when she's stressed. I packed her medication in her toiletries bag. Tell her it's there if she needs it. And if it happens, just let her lie down in a dark and quiet place for a while. It helps her, too."

"No problem, Captain. Do you wanna talk to her?" Amy offered.

"It's best that I don't," Sharon said. "But tell her I wish her a good night." Sharon only now realized that she walked while she spoke on the phone and was now standing in the middle of Rainie's bedroom. It looked so empty without her.

"I will. Good night, Captain." Amy said, and Sharon replied in kind. She leaned against the doorframe of Rainie's bedroom and sighed before she shut down the light and closed the door behind her. She walked back to the master bedroom and crawled between the sheets. This week was going to be hell, but at least she could take comfort in the fact that Rainie was safe. She switched off the lights and curled on her side, tightening the cardigan around her body, as her eyelids fell shut. It felt like arms around her waist, holding her and calming her down, and Sharon willingly embraced the thought as her body sank into the mattress and sleep claimed her.

-TBC-

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