A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews and for taking the time to read this story. I truly appreciate it. This chapter takes place after Andy's injury in episode 4x11 and is brought to you with the great help of blossom-of-snow, my dear friend and trusted editor.

Choking back her tears, Sharon watched Andy sleep. His brow was furrowed in pain that seeped through his dreams, and every few moments, he let out an involuntary groan that made Sharon's heart skip a beat. After arresting Mrs. X, Sharon fought the urge to punch the woman responsible for Andy's pain. Now, hours later, he was sleeping restlessly in her bed, covered in bruises and sounding miserable. She understood his reasons for declining the opiates, but seeing him in so much pain made her feel horrible. It could have been worse; he did not require surgery, and he was still breathing.

After watching him for a few minutes, Sharon left the bedroom. There was still some work she needed to do, and she had to wait for Rainie to return home from the library so that Sharon could tell her that Andy would be staying with them for a few days.

Sharon walked to the kitchen and made herself a steaming cup of green tea that she hoped would help her relax. With a clay cup cradled in her palms, she walked towards her desk and pulled out a chair. As soon as Sharon sat down, she heard the key turning in the lock.

"Hi, Mom."

Sharon brought her index finger to her lips, and Rainie looked at her with confusion.

"Who's here?" Rainie asked.

"Andy had a little accident at work today," Sharon said. "He cracked three ribs and –"

"Is he okay?" Rainie looked terrified.

"He's going to be fine, but he needs time to recuperate, and since he lives across town, I felt that it's best to have him stay here for a few days so that I can make sure he follows his doctor's orders."

Rainie's face was blank, and Sharon supposed she should be grateful that Rainie didn't immediately lash out.

"I cracked a rib when I was eleven," Rainie said. Knowing about her daughter's childhood, Sharon could only assume that Gary was somehow involved, and it made her blood boil. Now she wished she could sucker punch the man who tormented and abused Rainie in her childhood. Dammit, she was happy to hit several people today.

"It took weeks until I stopped feeling the pain."

"I know you're still not comfortable around Andy, sweetheart." Sharon rounded the desk and approached her daughter, who was leaning against the back of the couch.

"It's nice to have someone who takes care of you when you're sick," Rainie said quietly. "I'm not sure he ever had that."

"I don't think he did." Her sweet Andy, always so thoughtful of others and yet so hard on himself. "So you're okay with it?"

"I'll try to be," Rainie said.

Sharon opened her arms to her daughter. "Do you feel safe?" she asked.

"I think so," Rainie rested her head on Sharon's shoulder.

"If that changes, you let me know. I am always here for you." Sharon said and kissed the crown of Rainie's head.

"I know. Thank you, Mom."

"So how did it go with the paper today? Did they agree to feature your comic strip?" Sharon asked, changing the subject. She knew that Rainie decided to try her luck with the school paper in hopes of getting more exposure for her comic strip.

"They have a size limit, but they agreed. I can get 'Rusty Nails' in the UCLA newspaper," Rainie said with a smile.

"Oh, honey, that is great news! I'm so happy for you!" Sharon hoped this was the break Rainie needed to get her comic and her message out.

"Yeah, that's really exciting. I'm glad school started again. I think this is going to be a good year for me."

"I love this attitude, Rainie. I think it's going to get you far," Sharon said and felt her chest filling with pride.

"So I'm thinking, aside from going to school and doing my art, I could give back to the community, you know, share the love."

"That's a wonderful idea, love. Are you thinking of volunteering somewhere?" Sharon asked.

"Yes. I saw a poster at UCLA about this new community center where they help at-risk youth by providing all kinds of services that could save children from becoming criminals or homeless. I just came back from there, actually."

"Oh? I thought you were in the library," Sharon replied.

"I was in the library earlier, but I couldn't stop thinking about this center, so I drove there. It's a pretty nice place. I spoke to the manager, and he offered a couple of volunteering options."

Sharon thought that volunteering would be an excellent opportunity for Rainie to inspire young people who felt lost and unsafe in the world.

"One option is to join their 'Big Brother-Big Sister' program and help mentor one of the kids. The other option is to teach classes to the kids who come there, help create an extra-curricular activity for them that will keep them away from crime and drugs, and will help them cope with difficulties in their lives. So I've been thinking of teaching yoga or art."

"And which of the options do you prefer?" Sharon asked.

"I can't decide. I kinda want to do both, you know?" Rainie replied.

"Do you want my advice?" Sharon asked.

Rainie nodded.

"You're still a student, which means you don't have a lot of time. In my opinion, you should take on only one program and see how it goes."

"But which one?"

"If you become a big sister to someone, you can impact one person, but you will have the opportunity to really connect to someone on a deep level. If you teach a class, then you will be able to influence more people, but your relationship with them will be shallower. So consider which of these will be more suitable for you," Sharon replied.

"I want to be like you and do for someone else what you did for me. So I guess becoming a big sister to some kid is better to start with," Rainie said.

Rainie often expressed her gratitude to Sharon for taking her in and changing her life for the better, but hearing from Rainie that she wished to become like her was a whole new level of gratitude. Sharon never thought of herself as a particularly inspiring person. She always tried to be kind to others and to help the less fortunate when she could. The idea that Rainie wanted to be like her, to change someone's world, meant a lot to Sharon.

"I'm proud of you, Rainie. You are such a great person, and whoever gets to be your little sister or brother will be so lucky," she said, tears filling her eyes.

"I had the best example." Rainie's lips curved up in a smile.

Sharon shrugged sheepishly. "Have you eaten dinner?"

"No, actually. I'm starving," Rainie said and walked to the kitchen.

"There's a plate for you in the fridge," Sharon said.

"Thank you, mom. You are the best!" Rainie turned and planted a kiss on Sharon's cheek.

Sharon couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face. She was happy that her daughter had a good day. She was even happier to know that their relationship was improving and that Rainie was making an honest effort to accept Sharon's relationship with Andy and to be happy for her.

-TBC-