The fact that Emily didn't come home for Christmas did not surprise Sharon, especially not after their conversation about Sharon's decision to hide Lacey's existence from Ricky and her. Sharon had taken responsibility for her decision, as she's always done, and accepted her daughter's anger with the dignity that she always had. Despite understanding Emily's anger with her, it still hurt and seeing the empty seat at the dinner table on Christmas Eve made her less cheerful than usual. Andy was sweet to her, showing silent support and trying to distract her from the situation.

Unlike his sister, Ricky was excited to see his niece, even though she was still in the NICU. After Christmas dinner, the entire family moved from the dining table to the living room to munch on Sharon's infamous gingerbread cookies and sip Andy's special hot chocolate. Ricky decided it was time to ask about Lacey, and asked Sharon when he would be able to visit Maia in the hospital. Sharon showed him photos of Maia and told him whatever she knew about Lacey, trying to omit the sad details. Rusty interjected every few minutes to lighten the mood, while Andy and Gus cleared the dinner table and washed the dishes. The sudden knock on the door surprised them. Sharon put her hot chocolate mug on the coffee table and went to open it. Julio was standing there, a smile on his face.

"Merry Christmas," he said, and his eyes shone.

"Merry Christmas, Julio," Sharon replied warmly and wrapped her arms around her detective. "Is everything okay?"

"I just came from the hospital," he said. Sharon motioned for him to come in and offered him hot chocolate. He nodded slowly. "Maia is off the ventilator. She gained weight. The doctors are saying that she is doing very well and if she continues on this path, she'll get to go home in no time."

"That's great, Julio! It's a Christmas miracle," Sharon called out.

"Maybe her mother is watching her from above," Julio replied. Andy left the kitchen and handed him a cup of hot chocolate, wishing his colleague and friend Merry Christmas.

"Sit with us," Sharon said. "Ricky and I were just talking about Maia, and I was showing him photos. I'm sure you can tell him more about her." Julio smiled at Ricky and shook his hand.

"You can come visit her tomorrow," he said to the younger man. Ricky smiled appreciatively. After finishing his hot chocolate, Julio thanked Sharon and Andy and left to take his mother to midnight mass. After Sharon had closed the condo door, she leaned against it and looked at her family. Even with Emily's absence, it was a happy Christmas, and she smiled before Andy took her hand and pulled her into a silly dance, singing Christmas song off key before he kissed her under the mistletoe.

Christmas and the New Year came and went, and Ricky went back home; Rusty went back to school and was mostly splitting his time between studying and hanging out with Gus. Sometimes it seemed to Sharon as if he barely lived with her and Andy. Emily has contacted her on New Year's Eve and wondered how Maia was doing. It appeared that Ricky sent her photos of the baby, and Emily has always had a soft spot for babies. Sharon was happy to hear from her daughter, and she was even happier that Emily wanted to come to LA to see the baby. She promised to take some time off and visit once Maia leaves the hospital.

Sharon scrubbed her hands and wore the sterile gown as she usually did when she entered the NICU. She greeted the head nurse with a smile. The NICU staff already recognized her, as they did many other relatives of preemies who were in the ward for lengthy periods of time.

"We changed her location," she informed Sharon. The NICU was split into four different parts. The closer a baby was to the entrance, the closer he was to leaving the hospital. When Maia was just born, her incubator was placed at the back of the room, farthest from the entrance along with the sicker babies in the NICU. In the three months since her birth, she had been moved into two different incubators that had different features than the ones she was in before.

"Where?" Sharon wondered. Being moved in the NICU could either be good or bad.

"First section, second row," The nurse replied. Sharon smiled widely. It meant that Maia was very close to leaving the hospital and going home. She was aware of the fact that the NICU staff considered Maia to be a miracle baby since she had no trace of cancerous cells and her development seemed fast, without the usual complications low-weight preemies often suffered. Sharon has begun to believe Julio's words that Lacey was watching Maia from above. She followed the nurse towards Maia's incubator. "We have begun to bottle feed her earlier this week, and if you want, you can hold and feed her now," she offered.

"Really?" Sharon's eyes lighted up. For three months she was only able to reach into the incubator and touch Maia. The nurse nodded. "I'd love that." The nurse pointed at a chair that was placed by Maia's incubator. Sharon sat in it and watched as the nurse opened the incubator, gently untangled some of Maia's tubes and then lifted the baby and placed her in Sharon's expecting arms.

"I'll go prepare her bottle," the nurse said and left Sharon.

"Hi, sweetheart," Sharon couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face. Maia's eyes were open, and she was looking directly at Sharon, although her gaze was unfocused. She had gained weight, and soft, dark hair had grown on her head. A couple of weeks earlier, the doctors checked her hearing and eyesight and were happy to announce that Maia did not suffer from blindness or deafness. She was also tested for different kinds of mental disabilities, and while the doctors could not tell for sure that she did not have any, they claimed that Maia appeared to possess full cognitive abilities. All in all, aside from being born prematurely, Maia was catching up on her growth, as if she was still in the womb. In fact, her original due date was only three weeks ahead. The only thing that was still uncertain was whether she would need to keep receiving oxygen after she'd be released. "You are so beautiful," Sharon said. She had no idea what Maia's biological father looked like, but she could see a lot of physical similarities to Lacey, and even to her own children when they were babies.

"Here you go," the nurse returned and handed Sharon, a small bottle of baby formula. She explained Sharon how to adjust Maia's position in her arms for feeding and at what angle she should hold the bottle. Sharon followed the nurse's instructions and brought the nipple of the bottle to Maia's little mouth, gently goading her to open it. "You know, I have been a NICU nurse for two decades, and Maia's birth story is one of the most incredible and unique stories I've ever heard," she said. Sharon hummed without lifting her gaze from Maia. "This beautiful baby had all the odds against her even before she was born, and you made sure that she'll get a fair chance in this world even though it wasn't your responsibility."

"She's family; so was her mother. So is her adoptive father," Sharon replied.

"I have never met a baby who was so loved and cared for by their relatives as this one, and believe me, nothing I've seen here can surprise me. Maia and the people who love her do, every single day. She is incredibly lucky." The nurse smiled. "Let me know when you're done feeding her, and I'll come to show you how to burp her." Sharon nodded at her, and the nurse left to care for another baby. As Maia hungrily sucked almost half the bottle, Sharon thought about what the nurse said. Maia may have been lucky, but Sharon felt like Julio, Andy, and she were luckier. After all, she was the good thing that was born out of all the sadness and grief they experienced throughout their lives.

Sharon had put the finishing touches on the refreshment table, and walked over to Andy and adjusted his tie, pressing a kiss to his lips before she moved ahead to turn on some atmosphere music. She smiled when the first knock on the door was heard. Andy opened it and greeted Julio, who walked in, carrying sleeping Maia in an infant seat along with her oxygen tank. He was followed by his mother and her neighbor who used to watch Mark when Julio wasn't around.

It was only an hour earlier when Maia was baptized in Julio's church, and as previously agreed between Julio and Sharon, the reception was taking place at Sharon's condo for close friends and family. They have invited the Major Crimes division as well as Fritz Howard and Chuck Cooper. Emily has also flown in from New York, and Ricky came from San Francisco.

"Did you get stuck in traffic?" Sharon asked.

"It wasn't that bad. You got here before I did," Julio asked.

"I know all the shortcuts," Sharon teased him and helped him take Maia out of the infant seat. They placed her in a stroller that Sharon kept at her place for whenever Julio was around, which was quite often and placed the oxygen tank in the bottom basket. Maia was only released from the hospital a month earlier, and Julio was taught how to handle her oxygen tank and tube at home. He was told Maia was not expected to need it for much longer and had a pediatrician appointment scheduled for the following week to reassess Maia's lung function and decide if she could go off the oxygen. In the meantime, he was simply happy to have her home. With Andy and Mike's help, he had decorated her nursery in blue and orange and bought her all kinds of developmental toys and books. Sharon had known he was a good father even before he became Mark's foster parent, and she was happy that he finally found happiness.

After the rest of the guests had arrived, Sharon handed them all sparkling wine glasses, and they toasted to Maia and Julio, wishing them both health and prosperity.

"I'd like to make a speech," Julio said. Everyone turned to look at him. "I thought that I wouldn't get another chance to become a father. I had lost hope. And one day, this young woman came to LA in search of her father. What she found instead was a family with the Captain, Andy, and Rusty. They have helped her find a family for her unborn baby, and before she passed away, I have promised her that I will take care and fight for Maia every step of the way." Julio paused. "I would like to thank you, Captain, for helping me create a family, and for taking a dire situation and making it so positive and hopeful." Sharon felt her cheeks becoming red. "I would like to thank you and your entire family for standing by my side during these last few months. Thank you for showing Maia the love that she deserved when I was unable to be with her at the hospital. I'm proud to be part of your family, and that you are part of mine." Sharon felt Andy's arm wrap around her shoulder as her team – her extended family – toasted to her.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear. Sharon turned to face him and mouthed the same words to him.

She threw a glance at Maia who has woken up and looked at her from her stroller, her blue eyes wide and curious. She leaned gently to adjust the baby's blanket and smiled. In Maia's face, she could see the content that Lacey has hoped for her daughter to have. She closed her eyes and silently thanked the brave young woman whose calling in life was to bring joy into the lives of so many people through this beautiful baby girl. Sharon knew that Lacey was watching her daughter from above and guarding her, and she realized it was time to let go of the grief and accept the happiness.

"Goodbye, Lacey. Rest in peace," she said inwardly and felt as if her heart has become lighter.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, a time to die;

A time to plant, a time to reap;

A time to kill, a time to heal;

A time to laugh, a time to weep;

A time to build up, a time to break down;

A time to dance, a time to mourn;

A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together;

A time of love, a time of hate;

A time of war, a time of peace;

A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, a time to lose;

A time to rend, a time to saw;

A time of love, a time of hate;

A time of war, a time of peace;

I swear it's not too late.

~The Byrds~

-THE END-

This is it. It's been an emotional ride. I would love to know what you thought about this story, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.