Notes: DIVORCE IS MY NEW FAVORITE WORD. Also, technically, they've now fulfilled my "three hugs and a divorced" wishlist (I think we're even at four hugs!) Unfortunately, none of them were the hugs that I wanted, but I WILL TAKE THE DIVORCE. This was written mostly because I really, really enjoyed watching Sharon being entirely out of fucks to give when it came to Jack.

Jane Doe #38B

Sharon mailed the papers early Wednesday morning. She stopped by the post office and sent them via certified mail, and proceeded on to work with her heart lighter than it had been any time in recent memory. The postal clerk told her three to five days, if Jack was there to sign for delivery on the first try. He appeared on Friday afternoon. She was in her office, eating lunch at her desk, and he barged in without knocking.

What a surprise.

"What the hell, Sharon?"

Two and a half days. Ahead of schedule.

And nearly two and a half decades too slow.

Sharon ate another spoonful of yogurt without rising. "Not even a hello, Jack?"

If looks could kill...

"Hello, Sharon," Jack ground out, through obviously gritted teeth. "Would you mind explaining to me what the hell you think you're doing here?"

With deliberate care, Sharon set her spoon down atop her napkin, and placed the yogurt container beside it. She brushed the crumbs from her already-eaten sandwich into her cupped hand and then dropped them into the trash, rubbing her hands to clear them while Jack watched impatiently.

"It's very simple," she told him. Sharon leaned back in her seat, smoothing down the front of her blazer. "I'm divorcing you."

She'd said it to Rusty. It had felt real enough then, but she had been worried and disappointed and oh-so-angry, with Jack and with herself for having gone to him before Rusty. It had made sense at the time, right up until the moment that Jack's name had left Rusty's mouth and her heart had almost stopped right then and there.

She'd wanted to ease Rusty into that conversation gently, with plenty of reassurance that she understood if this was an arrangement that he wasn't open to for whatever reason and taking extra care to explain that this was supposed to be for his benefit, not hers, and that nothing would change between them if he didn't want to proceed, because she could think of not a single thing that would make her love him any less. Although, in that case, she would have pushed him to designate someone as his power of attorney in case of an emergency, because it was certainly true that she worried about him the way a mother would.

And could he blame her, because how many times now had someone tried to kill him? What if he ignored all of her warnings and was in an accident because he was trying to text his friends while driving on the freeway, or required surgery because his appendix ruptured, or—or was struck by lightning? No, she would sleep better at night knowing that in case of disaster, she could take care of him.

It was an explanation that Jack didn't seem to be open to hearing, not when he was still standing over her desk and fuming.

"You had me served with divorce papers at work?"

"Well," she said evenly. "I'm not sure where you're staying these days, and you so generously brought Rusty by your office the other day. He remembered the address for me."

"Wait wait wait," he said. "Wait just a minute here, Sharon. I told you that I needed some time to think about things. I don't know if you realize this, but it was a bit of a bombshell that you dropped on me there, and it's only been a few days—"

"And I told you," she returned, "that I had not yet spoken to Rusty about the adoption, I told you that I was waiting, and you brought it up to him anyway."

Jack was very, very luck that Rusty had taken it well. He'd taken it very well, actually. Certainly much better than she had thought was reasonable to hope for. She wasn't sure yet what to make of that. Was it a sign that he was thinking about it? Had he not processed it all?

So far, his concern had been first for her and the trouble he saw himself causing her, and then for her other children (he'd said it himself, and she was trying not to read too much into that, but...), and lastly for his other mother, he one he loved and would always love regardless of how many time's she'd hurt, disappointed, or abandoned him. Sharon wasn't sure what that meant for them, either. She couldn't help being hopeful, even as she was trying to prepare herself for the heartbreak that was sure to follow if he opted not to.

But God, she hoped that he would say yes.

"Let me get this straight," Jack said. "You're telling me that after twenty years—"

"Twenty three, to be precise."

"After twenty years, you're divorcing me because I told Rusty that you wanted to adopt him? Really?" He shook his head at her. "I mean, really?"

"Oh, it's not the only reason, I assure you."

It had only been the tipping point.

It was strange, how she had not a single regret. She'd thought that she would. She'd thought that she would feel some sorrow for the end of her marriage, but the truth was, she'd mourned and buried it decades ago. She hardly recognized the man standing in front of her today, and if the man that she'd married was still in there somewhere, she would have to search long and hard for a glimpse of him.

"Sharon, we need to talk about this." Jack's voice drew her out of her thoughts.

"There's nothing to talk about," she informed him flatly. "I need your consent for an adoption, not a divorce. My mind is made up, Jack."

"You can't just do this, Sharon. We've been married for over thirty years—"

"We haven't lived together in over twenty—"

"I'm your husband."

"Not for much longer." That felt rather... freeing to say.

"I really think we should discuss—"

"The only discussion I am interested in having," she said, "is how, in exchange for me not suing you for sixteen years worth of back child support with interest, you are going to agree, in writing and in the presence of my lawyer, that you're not going to touch my pension or my bank account."

"And I told you that I don't owe you—"

"Of course you owe me!" It was nice, to be the one talking over him, for a change. "What, did you think I had a child support order in place for fun?"

"We're married!"

Was he even a lawyer?

"I'm sorry," she said coldly. "I don't really have time to explain the law to you right now. Make use of the education I helped you acquire and look it up for yourself."

"Sharon," he said, his voice climbing in volume.

She lifted her chin, staring back at him without rising from her chair.

He lowered his voice. "This is about you not going to law school? Because, I have to tell you, that's a hell of a long time to hold a grudge, even for you."

"It's not about law school," she said. "And it's not about Rusty. It's about me, and about your children, and how for quite some time now, I've found it more disadvantageous than not to be your wife."

"That wasn't what you were saying a few days ago," he reminded her.

"It was, actually."

"Being married to me had its advantages," he said. "You said so yourself."

"Twenty years ago. When people cared more. When I still thought we might work out."

It no longer hurt, releasing that.

"You're not innocent in all of this, either," he told her. "If you've just been using me."

"What else, exactly, do you think is in this marriage for me?" she demanded. "Financial stability? Companionship?"

His eyes narrowed, at that. "Rusty told me that you weren't seeing anyone."

"I'm not," she told him. "And that you think Rusty is an appropriate person to ask that question to—"

"He lives with you. If anyone would know, it'd be him."

"He's my son."

He hadn't expected her to say it quite so vehemently, she didn't think. Not with the way his eyes widened, and for all that he was towering over her, he took a step back. "He agreed to the adoption, then?"

"Not yet." She wasn't sure why she was telling him, after the mess he'd gone and made of this already. "He doesn't need to. I'll love him anyway."

"So why do all of this, then?" Jack asked. "Why put us, and our kids, through this? He can live with you. You can put him through college. You can call yourself his mother. You don't need to adopt him."

"Because," she said. "I like to see things through until the end."

"Except marriage, apparently."

That still stung, some, but it didn't hurt the way that it would have, once. If he didn't see the irony there, she no longer felt compelled to spell it out for him.

"Yes, well," she said. "When I find myself with conflicting commitments, I choose to respect the one I made to the person who respects me. Is that sufficiently clear, or should I have my lawyer explain it?"

She rose to her feet while that sunk in, and spoke before Jack could think of a reply. Whatever came out of his mouth would only irritate her, and she didn't owe him an explanation. Not today, and not ever again. She wasn't going back to that.

"It was good to see you again, Jack," she said, and smiled pleasantly. "I'll be in touch with you through my lawyer. Do I need Detective Sanchez to show you the way out?"