A/N Thank you to all for the reads and reviews. I really appreciate your feedback, good, bad or indifferent, I do appreciate when you take the time let me know you read it and what you thought. I hope I caught all the typos. If there is interest I probably have another chapter for this.

Chapter 3

Rusty waited pensively for an opportunity to talk the Lieutenant. Rusty shook his head, Andy. Call him Andy. It didn't look like he was going to wrap things up at his desk anytime soon so Rusty took a deep breath trying to steady his nerves before he approached his mother's boyfriend.

"Ah Lieutenant," Rusty said hesitantly.

When the older man looked up at him expectantly, Rusty stumbled over his words.

"Andy, I mean Andy," Rusty said with a sheepish shrug.

"What's up kid?" Andy asked looking back down at the file on his desk closing it then looking up at Rusty again.

"Ah well," Rusty ran a hand through his hair feeling uncomfortable. He looked past Andy to see Sharon watching them through the glass wall. When he looked back, Andy had an expectant if a bit puzzled expression on his face.

"Can I talk to you? Ah...in private?" Rusty had an almost pleading tone in his voice.

"Yah, sure kid. Breakroom?" Andy suggested.

Rusty nodded before starting for the break room eyes fixed on the floor.

Andy watched him go then glanced toward Sharon's office. She met his gaze with a smile. Andy shrugged and headed off to follow Rusty.

Sharon smiled as she watched Andy and Rusty head off together, a part of her wishing she could be a fly on the wall. She could only hope the conversation would go well between them.

Rusty seemed unusually nervous. Andy was concerned as well as curious. He could only wonder what was going on. His biggest question was, why had Rusty come to him rather than Sharon? Only Rusty could answer that, so Andy waited with his hands in his pockets as Rusty fidgeted about the room trying to decide whether to sit or stand.

Andy chuckled a bit to himself before finally saying, "Ok Rusty, what's on your mind?"

Rusty stopped moving about, finally taking a seat with an audible sigh. The expression on Rusty's face was difficult to read. All Andy knew for certain was that Rusty was an odd shade of pale.

Andy's concern finally won out over his patience. "Rusty? What's wrong? Has something happened?"

Rusty shook his head. "No, no nothing like that Lieu.. I mean Andy."

"Ok...so out with it kid. Just give it to me straight," Andy said taking a seat across from the kid and placing his hands palms down on the table.

"Yah, ok. Well Mom and I had a talk last night," Rusty began. "About that house and this whole moving in thing."

Andy nodded hoping to prod the kid along and get him to the point. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this but tried not to show it.

"Ok so ...like it was a nice house and all. But well basically you spend a lot of time at our place."

Andy nodded, "Uh huh."

"And what if ya know what if someone wants to buy your house before you find… I mean we find something."

Andy nodded again trying hard not to sigh or lose his patience.

"So I just thought what if you...well if for the time being...until we find it I mean," Rusty stammered on. Why was it so hard to just say it? He like Andy. Andy made his mom happy. He has already seen him in his bathrobe and at breakfast so why was this so hard to say?

Andy struggled to remain calm and patient. He pressed his palms into the table telling himself to breathe and Rusty would eventually spit it out.

"Yah, ok, well ya know how my mom likes rules," Rusty babbled making less and less sense as he continued.

Andy was beginning to get worried. Whatever was on the kid's mind didn't seem to be leading anywhere good at the moment.

"Yah, Sharon's unusual appreciation for the rules is nothing new kid, "Andy said with a somewhat forced chuckle.

"Well sometimes you need rules, right? To like ...keep stuff from getting ...ya know …" Rusty continued to struggle.

Andy sighed. He took a deep breath before trying to steer conversation someplace sensical.

"Look Rusty, something is obviously on your mind. Are you sure you don't want to talk to your mom about this?"

Rusty's eyes went wide, "No." He took a deep breath, "I mean we will. She wants me to invite you to dinner to like talk about it."

Andy's eyebrows rose. Talk about what? he thought.

"Why don't you just move in with us now?" Rusty finally blurted out his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Ahhh," Andy wasn't certain he had heard the kid correctly. "Did I hear you right? Move into the condo? With you and Sharon?"

Rusty nodded. "Yah, well ... you practically live there now," Rusty smirked a little at the surprised look on Andy's face. "I mean really, Andy, how often do you really sleep at your place?"

Andy laughed a little and shook his head. As little as possible he thought with another chuckle.

"So you've discussed this with Sharon? With your mother?" he queried, trying to sound less shocked than he was by the direction this conversation was heading.

"Yah, Andy. We talked." Rusty shook his head.

"Well we talked about that possibility too and - " Andy started but Rusty interrupted him.

"I know. But I thought it made more sense," Rusty said.

"Wait...wait. You? This is your idea?"

Rusty couldn't help but smile at his reaction.

"Yah," he chuckled. "Look Andy, like I said you're around all the time anyway. And...well...she's happier when you're there," Rusty shrugged as he looked down at the table then leaned back in his chair. "I ...ya know...just really want her to be happy."

"Well kid, I don't know what to say...I thought you were, well ...happy about that house fiasco," Andy said shaking his head.

When Rusty didn't answer Andy gave a little grunt, "Yah, that's what I thought," then he sat back in his chair as well.

"Well, I'm ...I wasn't," Rusty stammered a guilty expression on his face. "Ok, I wasn't really excited about the idea. ..of moving. The condo, ya know, its …"

"Home," Andy said for him with a slight shrug of his shoulders and tilt of his head. Andy understood that. The kid had a rough time before Sharon. He knew her place was the longest Rusty had ever stayed in one place. He was just as attached to the place as he was to the woman who owned it.

"Yah, home. I've never been in one place this long. I was scared about moving someplace new," Rusty confessed.

Andy leaned forward, "So what's changed?" He was curious if this idea was really his or one that Sharon had maneuvered him into. Not that she manipulated the kid, but sometimes she had a way of presenting the facts. Although when they had talked about it, Sharon had made a pretty good case as to why her condo wasn't suitable. It was too small, only one bathroom, closet space and no place for a guest to stay.

Rusty sighed, "Nothing has really changed." He looked at his hands. "I don't want things to change. I don't want to .. I like don't want to walk in on you and my Mom …" His voice trailed off as those unwanted images from last night flooded his mind. Rusty just shook his head.

"Look kid, Rusty," Andy said a touch of concern in his voice.

"No, Andy. I need to say this. You and my Mom ...it's like weird."

Rusty looked up when Andy sighed.

"But like not in a bad way...like I mean she's happy. And well …" Rusty took a deep breath and looked up finally meeting Andy's gaze. "Well, like that's all that really matters." He paused fiddling with the edge of the table. "That she's happy. After everything she has done for me… I ...can't. I want her to be happy."

"So do I, Rusty," Andy said leaning a little forward.

"Right," Rusty nodded. "I think… I was hoping that you'd like, be ok with it. With moving into the condo. Ya know, just while you guys look for something else."

Andy tried to suppress the smile that tried to erupt on his face. While his expression remained subdued his eyes sparkled, not that Rusty would notice. Andy sat back, employing a strategy he had observed Sharon use on many an occasion, he waited. He waited for the other shoe to drop.

"But we are gonna need some ground rules," Rusty said feigning a confidence he didn't really feel.

Andy raised an eyebrow and hummed.

Rusty squirmed a bit under Andy's steady gaze.

"Yah know like …" Rusty faltered succumbing to the pressure of the situation.

Andy chuckled to himself, only slightly enjoying how uncomfortable the kid was. Andy was going to make him sweat just a little. After all Rusty was so wrapped up in his own feelings, needs and wants and just assumed Andy would jump at the chance to move in. He wonder if Rusty would notice or if he'd need to point it out. He frowned a bit thinking it would be the latter. Maybe the kid knew him better than he thought because who was he kidding, mentally he was already packing his bags, but the kid didn't need to know that just yet.

"Hang on kid," Andy said holding up his hands. "I don't know how I feel about all this. Does Sharon know? Shouldn't she be part of this conversation?"

"Yah Andy. She knows. We talked last night," Rusty pouted beginning to sound like a petulant child.

ndy waited. Rusty sighed.

"Come on, Andy, you practically live with us now," Rusty tried steering the conversation to get Andy to see the positive. Well the obvious actually. Why was he being, well being such a ...such an ass.

Looking at Andy just sitting there almost smugly; Rusty sighed again. Why did he have to always deal with detectives?

"I told Mom that I didn't want to move. And she was going to tell you that the whole moving in together thing was gonna need to wait," Rusty huffed.

Andy raised a brow and crossed his arms.

"But...but I told her not to do that. I thought you would want to move in right now," Rusty looked down. "I guess I ...sorry Andy. I just thought you'd want to."

Andy finally let Rusty off the hook with a small chuckle. "Kid, I want nothing more than to live with your mom."

Rusty gave him a questioning look before Andy quickly added, "And of course you. The both of you." He gestured with his hand for emphasis.

"So you're agreeing! We don't have to move." Rusty was almost giddy.

"Slow down, Rusty," Andy held up his hands trying to tamp down the boy's enthusiasm. "I'm just trying to understand. Does Sharon, does your mom, want this?"

"Well yah. I mean she really wanted that house," Rusty sounded a little more sincere. "You think she would have agreed if she didn't want to do it?"

Andy shook his head. He knew Rusty was right, Sharon would never agree to something like living together unless she was planning to follow through with it. Andy just couldn't quite figure out what Rusty's angle was. Why was he bringing this up if it was Sharon's idea.

"Ok, Rusty, what is really going on here?" Andy asked arms folded.

"Look Andy, like I said before, I really just don't want to move," Rusty tried to sound convincing. "I mean, I don't want to move right now. The condo is home."

"All right, Rusty," Andy said not convinced that was the kid's only reservation. "So, what's with the ground rules talk? I know how much Sharon likes her rules but ground rules has Rusty Beck written all over it," Andy said giving Rusty a knowing look.

"Yah, well, Mom wanted me to invite you over for dinner so we could talk about you moving into the condo for now. And I thought ...well I wanted," Rusty began to stammer.

"And you thought you'd have a chat with the boyfriend beforehand and what?" Andy was feeling more than a little irritated with Rusty at the moment.

"Come on Andy. You know how you guys are. And I don't like want to talk about it ...like ever but I really don't want to talk about it with my Mom. It is just so…" Rusty shuttered at the thought of Andy with his Mom. "It's just gross Andy. Sorry but it is."

Andy had to laugh. He couldn't really blame the kid for being weirded out. It was normal for a kid his age to want to believe that their parents were celibate. Andy didn't ever want to imagine his own parents had a sex life so he could see the kid's point. Still the pained expression on Rusty's face..

"When we all like live together can you please," Rusty pleaded splayed his palms together in a prayer like motion. "Rooms have doors for a reason. Can you like just not do anything in like public."

"All right, Rusty, but next time you want to talk about something can we avoid the run around. First off, yes, I'll come to dinner to talk about moving into the condo ... for the time being. Until we find the right house," Andy began.

"Yah, great, thanks Andy," Rusty blurted out.

"And ... I will do my best to keep our sex life out of, well let's just say, the common living areas," Andy said with a smirk as he watched Rusty cridge in his seat.

"Yah, thanks," Rusty said looking down at the table.

"But, Mr. Beck, I have a few ground rules of my own, "Andy said steepling his fingers.

"Oh right, ok," Rusty nodded. He sighed his head already spinning with a million possibilities.

"First, when we move in, whether it's at the condo or the a house we buy later. I will not be a guest. It will become my house, too," Andy said trying to suppress the smirk that was attempting to spread across his face.

"Ok no problem, of course," Rusty sat forward talking fast.

"I'm not finished," Andy said pointedly.

Rusty sat back with a sigh and a shake of his head. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

"Now Sharon and I work together and there are rules here. I can't, well let's just say, there are a lot of behavioral restrictions. And I won't have that happen at home too. So, that being said,

you will not roll your eyes, make sarcastic comments or disapproving noises…" Andy pointed at Rusty for emphasis. "When. not if. when I hold Sharon's hand, give her a hug and kiss her."

Aauughhh, Rusty groaned. "Seriously, can't you just keep that behind closed doors ya know, in private. You are determined to scar me for life."

Andy simply gave Rusty a pressing look.

"Yah, ok, I'll try but I can't just stop cold turkey, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. But that's all I can promise," Rusty said suppressing a grin.

"Fair enough," Andy laughed.

"Can I ask you like one thing?" Rusty said turning more serious.

"Sure kid, ask me anything," Andy sighed sitting back.

"Is living together your.. like endgame?"

Andy was surprised that the kid asked. Well maybe he wasn't truly surprised, maybe he was just impressed with the kid's nerve.

"Ahh, Rusty. If you are asking me what the future holds...I can't answer that. I can say that I have no intention of going anywhere. I love her, Rusty. I want to make her happy. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. However she will have me." Andy answered as honestly as he could.

Rusty nodded. That was an answer he could live with for now.

"So, what time is dinner tonight?" Andy asked. There was more he could say about his hopes for the future but that was a conversation to have with his girlfriend not her son.

"Dinner, I guess would be around 7, unless you get stuck here," Rusty said standing up. He glanced at the wall clock, knowing that Sharon would be wondering about the length of their conversation.

Andy stood as well. "All right, kid, let's get out back out there before Sharon sends out a search party for the two of us," he said with a chuckle giving Rusty a pat on the back as they made their way to the door.