Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews. Just for those wondering the first part of this 'set' is called "A Rose By Any Other Name" and will make more sense if you read that first. Anyhow hope you enjoy this next installment.
-SHANDY-
The holidays meant Sharon was juggling Rose and her job. Her hours were usually consistent but with the leak, it was slightly more erratic. Sharon woke early, she would have to take Rose into work with her as Pope had requested her. As she made her daughter something for lunch alongside her own, there was a knock at the door.
"Hello Sweetie, what's your plan?" Eileen asked as she invited herself in, "Go pay the cab please." Sharon shook her head as she made her way outside to pay the older driver.
"Mom, what are…what's going…" She asked flustered when she came back inside.
"Well, I was bored." She answered.
"Mom…its seven thirty in the morning, how could you be bored?" Sharon asked still thoroughly confused.
"Alright, I miss you and now you're only a 40-minute drive so why not?" Sharon rubbed her forehead.
"Oh mom, I miss you too but I have work and Rose has some schoolwork she has agreed to do at the office," Sharon informed.
"Oh, can't I join you, see where you work?" She asked with a hopeful smile. Sharon watched her mother carefully, something wasn't right at all.
"Ok, mom what is this really about?" Sharon folded her arms.
"I miss New York. I miss the constant sounds and lights, I miss my friends and the freedom, cabs were everywhere, now I have to dial one up and give them details, it takes too long." Eileen admitted.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I just wanted you closer, closer to me and Rose especially since daddy passed on. If you want to come in you can but, not at 8 am in the morning." She offered.
"I understand honey. So, I'll hang out with madam upstairs and then at lunch you pick us up." She suggested with a smile.
"Yeah, sure. Why don't you call your friends, make sure they're doing alright without you." Sharon got up taking her lunch with her, as she passed her mother she lay a gentle kiss on her head and left the house.
Rose woke up slowly, she rolled over to see it as 10 am, she groaned she had promised to go to work with her mom for 8 am. She trudged out of bed and got dressed.
"Morning Rosie Posie" Her grandmother called out.
"Where's mom?" She asked.
"She went to work, she'll be back at lunchtime and we'll all go in together" She informed the young girl.
"Oh cool, well I'm going to swim after breakfast." She grinned reaching for a bowl then collecting cereal and milk. Eileen watched the girl busy herself and found herself smiling.
-SHANDY-
Sharon had arrived at work earlier than usual. She sat in her office looking over some reports linked to the leak. She had narrowed it down to two of the officers within the division and concluded that a third party was included, that the officer was relaying information to someone they trusted.
As she read over David Gabriel's interviews for the millionth time that morning she received an angry call from Pope. He explained Major Crimes had been called out and that she was to contact the DDA's office and then tell Chief Johnson to follow the system. Once she hung up Sharon huffed. Pope was getting more and more irritating. Sharon understood why she needed to keep an eye on Major Crimes but why that had to entail constant interference she would never know. Picking up her phone she called Andrea Hobbs and asked her for a favour.
Sharon felt sorry for Brenda, they had become more civil to one another over the past few months and seemed to be able to have conversations without poking too much fun at each other. Sharon decided that she would let Brenda have a break and made herself scarce while also distracting Andrea.
"So, did you show Andy whose boss, last night? Andrea asked casually, as she sat herself down in the chair opposite.
"Meaning?" Sharon looked up, eyebrow raised.
"Well when a woman rushes out to her boyfriend's house and doesn't return for an hour despite his place being 20 minutes away tops, it paints a picture," Andrea smirked at her friend as Sharon's cheeks grew red.
"How?" Sharon squeaked.
"Rose" Andrea replied as though it was completely obvious, which it was. Sharon sighed, was nothing private when it came to her relationship.
"I should have known. Can we talk about this later, over wine?" Sharon shrugged and Andrea nodded enthusiastically. The two women shook themselves and returned to the job in hand.
"All right fine." Andrea huffed "Show me this special master then" She sighed and the two got back to work.
By lunchtime, Sharon had had an epiphany. After meeting David and his girlfriend at the elevators she realised she'd never heard him speak of her, essentially, he'd lied to her but she assumed that was because Brenda had been hostile and her division had followed. She gave the paperwork to David and followed Ann downstairs to the parking structure.
"Ann" She called out once spotting her near a blue car.
"Oh, Captain Raydor" She smiled, stuffing her phone back into her bag.
"I just wanted to have a quick chat, maybe you could answer a few questions" Sharon smiled guiding the woman into the space in between the cars for safety reasons.
"Yeah, sure. Is this about the leak?" She asked, Sharon nodded, so David had told her about the leak. She began to wonder what else they had discussed.
"Where and when did you and David meet?" She retrieved a small notebook from her pocket.
"Oh yeah, I met him at church about a year ago." Sharon nodded as she made a note.
"So, your relationship with Detective Gabriel must be quite far along" she commented and Ann smiled nodding. "Does he ever talk about his job?" She asked
"Sometimes, it's more to test me on my knowledge. He's eager for me to pass the bar." Sharon nodded taking more notes, her theory was progressing and with Ann's connections to attorney industry.
"So, he doesn't rant to you, discuss his worries or relieve his stress" Sharon suggested with a fake smile. Ann's eyes narrowed.
"You know Captain, I've met your husband. He's been an excellent tutor." She informed her.
"What exactly are you implying Miss Mason?" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, where do I start? Maybe the elaborate lie you told for almost 13 years." Ann stared her down.
"Jack knows about that, don't try to use that against me Miss Mason" Sharon replied.
"Yes, it was Jack who told me. However, Goldman doesn't know that the commanding officer of Internal Affairs has a child with a lieutenant from Major Crimes and I must admit it would be an exciting development, especially considering the lieutenants track record and just how many of his cases you have personally handled" Ann informed her smugly. Sharon stared at her before snapping her head away and continuing to the elevator.
She stomped her way to Pope's office letting herself in.
"Chief I know who the leak is." She announced.
"Really Captain" She turned to see Goldman sitting at the large table.
"Yes, I do. Let me tell I won't be threatened against revealing their name." She glared at him.
"Captain, come back in five minutes will you, I need to have a word with Mr Goldman." She leaned on the wall waiting for Pope to conclude his meeting with Pope. The lawyer left the office 5 minutes later with a smug look on his face.
"Captain, care to tell what that was all about." Pope seethed.
"The leak I know who it is." She told him.
"Excellent. Now, we can diffuse this whole…what is it Captain?" Pope asked noticing the deflated look on her face.
"As you know my daughter has been in therapy and part of this was to go to as a family." Pope stared at her not sure where she was going with this. "To cut a long story short, our leak has spoken to my ex-husband and subsequently knows of my relationship with Lieutenant Flynn" She explained keeping perfectly straight. Pope wiped his hand over his face.
"I knew this wouldn't end well. How could you be so stupid?" He raged.
"Excuse me. Myself and Andy two very different people thirteen years ago, I couldn't let my ex-husband believe he was the father of my child when my children knew he wasn't." She snapped.
"I'm sorry Captain. This whole case is wearing my nerves thin. Mr Raydor was never a helpful man" Pope apologised.
"Believe me I know that. I will write up a report and then we should call her in." She told Pope.
"The leak is a woman?" He questioned.
"David Gabriel's girlfriend, Ann Mason, sir. I don't believe Gabriel even knows, sir" She told him.
"Alright Captain finish your report then we should plan how to go about this. Especially if she feels threatened enough to blackmail you." He told her, she nodded and with a curt goodbye, she left the room. With a deep breath, she checked her phone. It was well after lunch, with a few clicks she called her daughter.
"Hello, Rose." She greeted.
"Hey Mom, I assume you got caught up." The young girl replied.
"Listen, honey, maybe you and granny coming in isn't such a good idea. The department has a lot on and there will be plenty of other times for granny to see where I work."
"Okay then. Granny's friend called and they've been talking for ages so Maura came over and we've been swimming. You know there's a local competition in a few weeks. It's nothing stressful and I looked at the requirements and…" Rose began to tell her mom enthusiastically.
"Listen, Honey. Can we talk later? I have to finish up a mountain of paperwork. I love you" She interrupted. Her daughter was a passionate young girl when she had an interest she kept at it until the very end.
"Oh, right yeah. Talk later" She mumbled before hanging up. Sharon sighed as she walked to the elevator and up to her office, where she would spend the next 3 hours typing out her reports and checking on the procedures of her own division.
-SHANDY-
At 6 she let her division go home and with thankful smiles, they all rushed away. As they did she noticed Andy coming into their office area, she smiled to herself.
"Hey babe" He greeted with a grin.
"Hello" she smiled back.
"You wanna grab dinner?" he asked leaning on her office door frame.
"Not really, I'm unbelievably tired and I have to go home to my mother." She sighed.
"Ok, I guess that takes preparation." He chuckled. "Mine comes in next week." He told her.
"I know," Sharon replied.
"You do?" He asked.
"Yeah, your sister use to work for my daddy." She smiled.
"Of course, your father was Major O'Dwyer. Why didn't this click quicker?" He laughed trying to prompt a smile from Sharon.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sharon snapped.
"Well, the way my sister described him he sounded like a legend." He smiled making his way over to her, he bent down slightly so he could whisper in her ear "and you my dear, are definitely legendary." Then he kissed her neck for a moment they were in bliss.
"Andy, we can't, not here." She sighed slumping forward.
"Whats wrong, really?" He asked kneeling beside her.
"I'm so close and it could all go wrong." She whispered. "We've both worked so hard for so long. I'm so tired of having to sneak around, I hate it" She continued turning her chair to face him.
"Me too but I know that you are pretty smart so once the leak business is over we can be together loud and proud." He announced to her.
"We're already pretty loud" She giggled and he joined her.
"I love you and I'm always going to wait for you" he kissed her cheek letting his cheek linger against hers, he didn't move until she hummed happily.
"I love you too." With a content sigh he leaned on the desk to get up, she watched him go with a new approach to her work.
-SHANDY-
Author's Note: Hope You enjoyed. Any questions leave them in the reviews and I'll address them in the next chapter or PM you with an answer.
Next time: "Rose, if you know the person you may let them in or answer the phone but no crazy plans or events, just chill" Sharon tried to use 'slang'.
"Mom, have I ever displayed any interest in parties or crazy plans," Rose replied with an unimpressed look on her face.