A/N: I am so excited to post this chapter. It's one of those chapters that take place away from LA, and it's even more different than the chapter in New York. I think there might be another chapter like this in the future, but I'm not sure yet. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.
And of course, I'd like to thank blossom-of-snow for her help with this chapter (which really, was way too long before she took care of it).

Sharon met Judge Grove when she was in her late twenties. After she shot a man while she was on patrol, she needed a lawyer to represent her at the depositions. Even though she didn't do anything wrong and was cleared by FID, her commander recommended that she not represent herself. At the time, Denise Grove was a young lawyer and a loyal friend to Jack, who helped Jack study for the bar exam. Grove was considered a promise even when he was young, and remained Sharon's friend even after she and Jack started drifting apart from each other.

Sharon wouldn't say they were close friends, but his daughter, Lynn, danced in the same ballet company as Emily, which meant that their families often met when their daughters were growing up.

When Judge Grove called Sharon out on trying to keep Rainie hanging at the PAB for the sake of her safety, she wasn't surprised, since he wasn't the first, but somehow, hearing that from Judge Grove felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over her head.

Sharon believed that if ten people said you were a drunk, it meant that you were, indeed, a drunk. The idea that she had a problem serious enough for several of her colleagues to interfere proved that she had lost control of her actions. She let her worry and love for Rainie drove Sharon to protect her to the death, even if it hurt others around her. And here she was, sitting in front of Denise Grove, a long-time friend and colleague, who sternly told her that she needed to back off, not to read Rainie's column, and to remove herself from her daughter's investigation into Alice Herrera's true identity.

It hurt Sharon to realize that as much as she told herself that she needed to let Rainie embrace her independence as much as possible, she failed to give Rainie the space she needed to achieve that independence. Her constant need to protect Rainie from herself was hurting both of them. With her daughter facing the repercussions of her mistakes on her own, Sharon realized that there was a limit to the care and supervision that she could provide for her without inhibiting her development. Rainie interviewed Slider without telling Sharon, because she wanted to see this investigation through on her own, without Sharon's help. Getting into trouble because Rainie made that mistake served as a valuable lesson. Rainie didn't ask Sharon for her help. When Sharon tried to help anyway, Judge Grove shut it down. And it hurt like hell.

That day Sharon decided that the best way to solve her unrelenting need to guard Rainie was to put a distance between them that would force her to deal with her issues. She had quite a few vacation days saved up, so, with uncharacteristic impulsiveness, she booked last minute flight tickets to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The idea of traveling so far away was terrifying, but at the same time, it was just what she needed – a change of scenery and a chance to give space not only to Rainie but also to herself. She's never been more than a week away from Rainie, and now that she's booked tickets for a two-week-long vacation on the other side of the world, she could feel anxiety setting in. What if Rainie would felt abandoned? What if she thinks she's not good enough? What if she decides to do something radical?

The sound of her ringtone pulled her out of her paralyzing fear and she answered the call without looking at the screen.

"Captain," she heard Lieutenant Provenza's voice. "I just wanted to update you that Malcolm Rich signed the deal. That creep is going to be locked away for the next six years."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Sharon replied, still breathless.

"Captain, is everything okay?"

"Lieutenant, I need some reassurance," Sharon replied. "I'm about to do something impulsive, and I need you to tell me if I'm making a mistake."

"I'm listening," Provenza said.

Sharon apprised him of the situation, and explained her fear that something horrible would happen while she was away.

"We all need some fresh air every once in a while," Provenza replied. "Thailand – it's far, I agree, but you're not abandoning Rainie. For one, she's legally your daughter, and she has two siblings she can call if she needs anything. And she also has our team. If she needs anything while you are gone, we'll be there in a heartbeat."

"Are you sure, Lieutenant?"

"Captain, if you have any doubts, why don't you ask her? See what she says?"

"I will, thank you, Lieutenant," Sharon replied.

"And Captain?" Have fun in Thailand, and don't forget to buy me a gift."

"Sure, no problem, Lieutenant," she giggled as she ended the call.

To her surprise, Rainie was thrilled to hear that Sharon was going away on a long vacation. Sharon made her swear not to throw parties at the condo, although she agreed to Rainie having a small sleepover if she wanted. Sharon let her know that if she needed anything, she could text her, regardless of the time differences between them. All in all, it seemed like her daughter was happy for her and excited to spend some time on her own.

"I love you." Sharon wrapped her arms around Rainie as they prepared to part at the airport. "I want you to know that no matter where I am, you are always on my mind."

"Mine too, Sharon. You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Rainie said. "And I'm happy you're taking some time to yourself. You've been working like crazy. You need a break." Sharon felt Rainie's lips press against her cheek. "Have a safe trip, and don't forget to send me pictures."

Twenty-four hours later, Sharon walked out of the airport in Chiang Mai. The humidity in the air was so thick that Sharon could literally see it. It was mystifying and uncomfortable at the same time. She picked up a shuttle to her hotel that was located close to the night bazaar. She felt exhausted, and as soon as she arrived at her room, she let herself flop on the bed, and fell asleep immediately.

It was almost noon the next day when she woke up to the sound of heavy rain pecking the windows. Sharon got out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she watched the huge raindrops falling against the glass. She's read about monsoons in the travel book she picked up at LAX before her flight, but she never imagined it would be so strong. It was a glorious storm, and yet, as she looked at the street outside, it seemed like the rain did nothing to stop the locals from going about their day.

After spending several minutes watching the street from the window, Sharon turned to examine her surroundings. The bed and closet in the room were made of dark and heavy wood with carvings of intricate Naga serpent figures and lotus flowers. The artwork must have taken hours to create, with careful attention to details. Sharon remembered reading in the travel book that the Naga serpent figure was a mythical creature that was believed to guard the human world against evil spirits. She definitely needed that kind of protection.

After taking in the décor in the room, Sharon decided it was a good idea to wash the hours of travel off her body and hopped into the shower. The hot water of the shower exhausted her, and she returned to bed, intending to sleep off her jet lag.

When she woke up again, it was already late in the afternoon and when she looked out of her window, she noticed the pavement was still wet, which meant it had rained recently. Sharon knew it was probably stupid to waste a whole day sleeping, but this was a spontaneous vacation, and she had two weeks to burn before returning home. Granted, from what she read in the travel book, she did intend to also visit the Islands in the south of the country, as well as Bangkok, but she wanted to enjoy this trip at her own pace. With that in mind, Sharon decided to stay in for the rest of the day. It'd been a while since she had a lazy day. She called the reception desk and ordered room service, thinking how relaxing it was to give in to every one of her whims.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Sharon noticed several brochures on the desk in the room, offering different day trips. After leafing through them, she found an interesting excursion and called the reception to book it for the following day. She knew she should probably check offers with other tour companies, but just for today, her spontaneity ruled the trip.

The food, a clear chicken broth with lemongrass, galangal, and rice noodles, arrived about half an hour later. It smelled divine, and Sharon devoured it within minutes. She didn't realize how hungry she was, but she hasn't eaten anything since before her flight to Chiang Mai the previous day.

A shrill ring of her phone startled her, and when she saw the caller's identity, she quickly picked it up.

"Oh, my God, Mom, tell me this is a prank!" Emily shrieked. "Did you really leave everything behind and travel to the other side of the world?"

"I didn't leave everything behind, Em. I just needed to invest some time in myself."

"Did you really need to go all the way to Thailand for that?" Emily asked.

"I probably didn't need to, but it felt like the right thing to do, and I think it's good for me," Sharon replied.

"So, what's it like over there?" Through her irritated sighs, Emily's curiosity was evident.

"Well, I didn't get a chance to explore yet, but so far I can tell you it's very different than everything I know. Things here happen at a slower pace, and everyone is so kind and welcoming," Sharon explained.

"Sounds like a great place to relax. So what are your plans for tomorrow?"

Sharon described the trip that she booked for the following day, and listed a few other sites she wanted to visit during her trip. Emily quickly warmed up to the idea of her mother's excursion.

Sharon did not expect the tears that escaped her eyes only a short moment after she hung up the call with Emily. She always told Rainie that it was impossible to run away from her problems because she carried them inside her, and here she was, hiding from herself in a different country, so many miles away from home.

After several minutes, her tears subsided, and she felt completely void of emotion as exhaustion took over her again. She's never had such a horrible jet lag before, and she wasn't entirely sure her emotional outburst wasn't a result of it, but she also didn't care. She laid down on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Early the next morning, when her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into a pair of small and inquisitive beady eyes. She drew a sharp breath and tried not to move. On the nightstand, only several inches from her pillow, there was a yellow gecko. It was smaller than Sharon's palm and seemed to be calculating its next move.

"Oh, hi there," she said groggily, and the gecko sprinted behind the headboard of her bed. "Thanks for the friendly welcome." She picked up her phone and looked at the time. It was still early enough for her to get ready and go downstairs for breakfast before going on her trip.

Sharon crossed the moss-covered wooden bridge as she wiped her dripping perspiration off her face. For some reason, her travel book failed to mention the extreme humidity in Thailand. She had a brush with it on her first evening in Chiang Mai, but it was even worse in the Doi Inthanon National Park, where parts of the path were covered with a thick fog. The guide called it 'cloud forest' and explained its significance to the tour group. Even though her clothes were soaked with sweat and the mosquitoes were biting her mercilessly, she found that the forest offered her a deep serenity. The thickness of the air, the vibrant shades of green and the forest sounds made her feel protected and free. For the first time in months, Sharon did not have a single care weighing on her mind.

Hours later, as Sharon shed her clothes in the shower and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she was horrified to discover more than a dozen mosquito bites on her face alone and countless more on her arms and feet. The skin above her ankles sported several leech bites as well, although those didn't itch or hurt. Not only were the bites aesthetically displeasing, but they were also incredibly itchy. After a steaming shower didn't do the trick, Sharon decided to stop by a pharmacy and buy an insect repellent and a cream to soothe the itching.

About fifteen minutes later she returned to her room and quickly shed her clothes and began applying calamine lotion to her mosquito bites. She was done applying the lotion to her face and moved to the bites on her arms when she threw a gaze at her reflection in the mirror. A silly smirk spread across her face when she realized that she looked like she suffered from a bad case of chickenpox. Her phone rang, and she used the only finger that was not covered with the thick white lotion to swipe over the screen and answer the call.

"Hi Rainie. How is everything?"

"I'm fine. School is busy, but I like it. How are you doing?"

"Well, the first lesson I learned about Thailand is don't be any bug's meal," Sharon winced as she lathered on more lotion.

"How bad is it?" Rainie asked.

"The mosquitos here are horrible. I've never been bitten so many times in my entire life. Plus, the bites swell like crazy," Sharon said as she examined her reflection in the mirror. She was covered with white lotion spots, but at least the itching stopped.

"Oh, no," Rainie replied. "That sounds terrible. I hope that doesn't ruin your trip or anything."

"The bug bites are extremely unpleasant, but otherwise Thailand is an amazing place. You would love it here. So much for you to draw and write about."

"That sounds great, Sharon," Rainie said.

"You know, this is the most spontaneous thing I've ever done in my entire life."

"As opposed to taking in a stray kid?" Rainie teased.

"Well, that was the best decision in my entire life." Sharon smiled as she thought of Rainie's progress since she came to live with her. "But fleeing to Thailand… I'd say I've never done something that extreme without planning anything first."

"But you seemed to need it, you know?" Rainie replied. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you've looked unhappy recently. So maybe a change of atmosphere is just what you needed."

"I think it might be, but being so far from you and with such a big time difference – what is it now? 1:00 a.m.?" Sharon threw a glance at her watch.

"Almost," Rainie replied. "But I really wanted to talk to you, so I stayed up," Rainie said.

"I don't wanna keep you up."

"No worries, Sharon. I'm getting into bed as we speak."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you." Sharon's voice was thick with emotion.

"Love you, too, Sharon. Have fun and try to survive the bugs."

Hearing Rainie's voice alleviated some of Sharon's stress. Her daughter was oceans away from her, and she seemed to be doing fine, even if she missed her bedtime. Rainie was growing, and as hard as it was for Sharon to admit, this distance between them was a necessary step in their relationship. Sharon needed to learn to separate herself from Rainie, and Rainie had to learn how to take care of herself in a healthy manner. Sharon didn't recall having such a hard time when her older children left for college. She wasn't sure if it was Rainie's past that made her so overprotective or just the strength of their connection. Whatever it was, she decided not to ponder it right now.

Sharon took a seat on the bed. Despite the early evening hour, she could not leave the room with her entire body covered with calamine lotion. She left it for a couple of hours and then washed it off and went to explore the city on foot.

The Night Bazaar was a celebration of colors, smells, and sounds that assaulted Sharon's senses. She wasn't sure where to look, but wherever she directed her gaze there was something interesting to see. Most of the booths in the bazaar had similar merchandise, and it was clear that it was aimed at tourists. Upon closer inspection, most of the products were of low value, but Sharon did find a beaded bracelet for Rainie, a silk scarf for Emily, and a geeky T-shirt for Ricky. She bought herself a cup of mixed fruits and ate them as she walked between the booths, checking out the beautiful animal drawings one artist sold and the soap carving she found in another. She wasn't sure how big the market was, but it seemed to go for miles and have no end. After she finished the fruits in her cup, she decided to head back to the hotel.

Sharon spent the next few days sightseeing in the northern part of the country, including a short trip across the border between Thailand and Laos. The Lanna Kingdom left its mark on Northern Thailand in the shape of magnificent and architecturally sophisticated temples, countless Buddha statues, pagodas and shrines that were still impressive even after more than three hundred years. It was time however to explore other parts of the country, and Sharon booked a flight to Phuket.

While Chiang Mai had a spiritual aura about it, Phuket was a busy island, and everything there seemed to go at a faster pace. After she settled at her seaside hotel, Sharon took a stroll along the shore, enjoying the warm breeze that blew through her hair and the sounds and smells of the Thai town. When the sun began to set, she decided to head back to her hotel. She took her shoes off and walked closer to the water's edge. The sand was warm under her feet, and she watched the sunset, the rays of light coloring the sky in shades of red, orange and pink as it slowly sank into the water.

After dinner, Sharon decided to stay on the open deck overlooking the beach. Colorful paper lanterns hung above the wooden deck and cast a warm glow. Soft instrumental music was playing, and Sharon sipped from a bottle of Singha beer that was decorated with a golden lion.

"Hi there."

Sharon turned around and saw a woman who seemed to be in her late forties walking in her direction. She smiled at the woman, who came to stand by her side.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" the woman asked.

Sharon hummed affirmatively, still wary of the stranger.

"I'm Layla." She was a slender woman with dark shoulder-length curls and warm hazel eyes.

"I'm Sharon."

"Nice to meet you, Sharon," Layla smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting. You seem to need company."

"You're not interrupting at all," Sharon replied. As much as she enjoyed traveling alone in the last few days, she learned that part of being in Thailand was meeting people from all over the world and making new friends. Apparently, when one was so far away from home, strangers could become fantastic travel buddies – some for a few hours, some for a full day and some for longer.

"So where are you from?" Layla asked.

"Los Angeles," She detected a hint of a foreign accent in Layla's voice, but her English was excellent. "You?"

"Montreal, have you ever been?"

"I've only been to Toronto."

"Well, Toronto is nice, but Montreal is the authentic Canada – le Canada d'origine," Layla said, toasting Sharon with her nearly empty, more adventurous-looking drink. "So, you're here alone?"

"I am."

"The adventurous type, huh?" Layla offered Sharon a knowing smile.

"No, not at all. I just felt like taking a break from everything I know and coming here for a short vacation," Sharon replied. "How about you?"

"I'm here with my daughter, Rune," Layla explained.

"That's an interesting name," Sharon commented.

"Rune means 'happy' in Thai. She was born here, and I adopted her when she was six months old. I promised her that when she turned eighteen, I'd bring her here, so she can see where she was born."

"That's wonderful," Sharon replied. "My youngest daughter is adopted, too. She's about Rune's age."

"Rune is my only child. I always wanted to adopt a second child, but Rune gave me a lot of trouble. It's not easy to have an adopted child. A lot of emotional issues," Layla said. "Don't get me wrong; I love her. She's my world. But having a child who constantly wonders who she is, what her parents are like, why they gave up on her – it's exhausting."

"I have had different issues with my daughter. I adopted her as an adult, and before that, I've been a foster mother to her for three years. We dealt with different matters." Sharon wasn't sure how much she wanted to elaborate about Rainie's background beyond that, especially to a person she didn't know, but it felt nice talking to someone who faced some similar challenges with her adopted child.

"Lucky you. Rune – God bless her – every day is an adventure with her. Just the other night she decided that she was a lesbian. I'm sure it's just a phase. I mean, she only had boyfriends before. She likes boys. Girls today – it seems to be legitimate for them to try dating other girls too. So I guess, it's just an experimental phase for her."

Sharon listened and wondered how open-minded the other woman might have been to hear that her daughter was probably gay and to receive her with open arms.

"Does your daughter give you trouble like that?" Layla asked.

"My youngest is gay, too," Sharon said. "It's not a phase, at least not in Rainie's case."

Layla's eyes widened, but Sharon could tell by the attentive expression on her face that she was curious, not judgmental. "How do you know?" she asked.

"Well, she was already 15 when she came to live with me. And she seemed to be more interested in a female friend she had than in the guy she dated at the time. I wasn't sure, until she told me, but there were hints," Sharon explained.

"How did you react?" Layla wondered.

"I hugged her and told her I love her. It doesn't change anything for me. All I want is for her to be happy and comfortable in her own skin."

"What if Rune is really gay?" Sharon could tell Layla was on the verge of tears.

"In what ways do you think it will change your relationship if she is?" Sharon replied with a question. She never expected to meet someone in Thailand who needed guidance, but if she could listen and also help this mother accept her daughter's sexual orientation, she was more than willing to provide.

"I don't know. I raised Rune since she was a baby. I should know who she is. And here we are, eighteen years later, miles away from home and she tells me that she isn't who I think she is. Doesn't that change everything?"

"That depends," Sharon mused.

"On what?"

"Does that change who she is? Do you think Rune's sexual orientation is going to make her a different person?" Sharon tried to appeal to Layla's logic, but the other woman only looked more confused. "The way I see it, Rune chose to share with you something about herself that she kept to herself – maybe for years. In my opinion, that's an expression of trust."

"But why now? Why here?" Layla asked.

"I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, you took her to the place where she was born, and allowed her to connect with her roots. You trusted her enough to bring her here without fearing that she'd decide to stay. Maybe she saw it as an invitation to act on her trust in you and open up."

"So what should I do now?"

"Just love her and accept her. Let her know that nothing is wrong with her. And that's all."

Layla sighed deeply, and Sharon could tell that she was still struggling with the notion that this might not be a phase.

"Layla, can I buy you another drink? We could talk about it some more, if you want," Sharon offered.

The other woman nodded, and they walked to the bar where Layla ordered a cocktail and Sharon ordered another beer.

Sharon listened to Layla describe Rune's childhood, the challenges she faced raising her, and the people in their lives. Despite the trouble that Layla had accepting Rune's sexual orientation, Sharon could tell that she loved her daughter deeply and wanted to give her the world. She wasn't a bad mother; she simply struggled with a concept still foreign to her.

"I don't know how I could ever thank you, Sharon," Layla said as they walked towards the hotel elevator.

"I'm happy to help," Sharon replied. The elevator dinged and they went inside.

"We're leaving here tomorrow morning, so I don't know if we'll see each other again, but I promise you I'll try to support her and make her feel loved, no matter what," Layla said as she hugged Sharon before stepping out of the elevator on the fifth floor. "Thanks for the drink and the conversation."

"It was my pleasure," Sharon replied.

As soon as she walked through the door of her hotel room, Sharon pulled her mobile phone out of her jeans pocket and dialed Rainie's number. She knew that Rainie must be getting ready for school, and would be awake.

"Hi Sharon," Rainie answered the phone uncharacteristically cheerfully for so early in the morning.

"Hi, honey," Sharon said, feeling her emotions taking over her.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, and how proud I am of everything you've accomplished," Sharon said.

"I know, Sharon. And I love you too. I miss you," Rainie replied.

"I'll be home in a week, my darling. I just wanted you to know that no matter how far I am from home, I always think of you, that's all."

"Are you okay, Sharon?"

"Yes, honey. I'm fine. I just had a conversation with someone that made me think of you, and I wanted to hear your voice. Are you getting ready for school?" Best to change the subject before she ended up in a puddle.

"I'm actually about to head out, but I'm happy to hear your voice, too."

Sharon smiled and wiped a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. "Have a great day at school, love. Drive safely."

"I will," Rainie promised. "Love you."

After hanging up, Sharon laid down on the bed and let out a deep sigh. She traveled to the other side of the globe to escape her urgent need to protect Rainie and control her environment as much as possible. The conversation with Layla served as a reminder that despite her mistakes and her need to shield Rainie from all the bad in the world, she was a good mother who loved and accepted her children no matter what.

In a week, she'd return home and try to find a new rhythm to her life; one that will allow her to be there for Rainie without hovering, and love her without overprotecting her. She would find the balance that would let her daughter develop as an independent woman, while still being there to support her when things don't work out the way she'd hoped. And most importantly, she'll never stop loving her, not even for a second.

-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.