Sharon sits in her seat behind her desk, leaning back slightly with her hand leisurely over her mouth.

"How long have you known?" Brenda paces slowly in front of her.

"Andy told me a few hours ago." Her voice is soft, "I don't know if he knows who exactly the father is. I think he told Louie as a friend, thinking nothing further than that."

"There's another question right there, he may have slept with her, but does he know Mackenzie Flynn is actually his biological child?" The blonde speaks with her hands, formulating her thoughts, "Where is Lieutenant Provenza right now?"

"With Andy at the hospital." Sharon slips her hand to rub the back of her own neck.

"How many people know about the questionable paternity of Mackenzie-"

"Mac...she goes by Mac Flynn."

"Okay." Brenda nods slowly, putting her hand up signifying she understands, "How many people know?"

"Andy, Lieutenant Provenza, Trudy Wilson, Rusty-"

"Rusty..."

Sharon sighs softly, "Yes, he went believing Flynn was cheating on me and-"

Brenda smirks, "He went to defend your honor."

"Yes, I suppose he did." She smiles softly.

The blonde grins, "That's very sweet, Captain."

Sharon shrugs, "Boys will be boys."

"Or he respects you." Brenda nods, "Enough to want to protect you."

"He's my son just as much as my biological children. He knows that."

"So, and I may be reaching here, Mac probably feels the same toward Andy."

"She doesn't want to know."

Brenda puts her hands on her hips, "So, Mac does know."

"No," Sharon begins, "She knows there is a possibility. She doesn't want to know her real paternity. She knows what is real to her. That's all that matters to her."

"Right. Who else?"

"You and myself." The brunette moves her hand to the armrest of her chair, leisurely tapping her nails against the soft leather, "I don't see what-"

Brenda nods, "I don't think she's going to crack, Lieutenant. I want to make sure some of these charges stick. I think the only way that's going to happen is if Mac helps us."

Sharon glances up to the other woman, "Okay." She takes her glasses off for a moment, putting her fingers at the bridge of her nose, "I want to ask my husband first though."

"Lieutenant Flynn isn't going to agree with anything that gets his family involved."

"Neither do I, Brenda, which is why I don't understand-"

"Because a mother doesn't just throw her child aside. A mother protects and defends their child until her hands are bloody and her voice is gone. I think there's a reason Trudy Wilson is back." The blonde looks down to her friend, "I'm surprised you don't feel the same way, Captain."

"She lost a child." Sharon says softly, "I've never experienced that and I pray I never will. I imagine, though, that she's going through emotional and mental turmoil. I'm not a psychologist, but Rusty has rubbed off on me a little bit." She tucks her hair behind her ear, "I've seen Andy during...and..." The brunette swallows, uncomfortable suddenly with the flood of emotions she was attempting to keep at bay, "I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worse enemy, even Trudy Wilson."

"I'm just telling you, Sharon. Something else is going on here. It may not be mental illness and it may not be revenge...it might, but I doubt it. Why would she wait until now to-"

"I don't know much about her except what I've seen and what little Mac has spoken of to me."

Brenda shakes her head, "How about I go and ask Lieutenants Provenza and Flynn for their statements?"

"Feel free." Sharon nods, "I'd rather you did it anyway. I don't want it to appear partial coming from my office."

"It will appear partial coming from me, but I'll record it so it doesn't appear as if I am picking and choosing what they say." She sighs, looking at the woman again, "I'll deal with this, Sharon. Don't worry." The blonde picks up her large black purse, putting the files she needs into it, "I'll be back."

"Brenda?"

Brenda turns quickly, looking at her, "Yes, Captain?"

"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us." Sharon replies softly.

"I didn't do anything yet."

"You did not need to come, but you did. It has been a...very difficult few months around here and for my family in particular. So, I thank you for whatever help you are able to offer." She nods, offering a slight smile, her emerald eyes glistening.

Brenda's eyes widen, "Oh God, Captain, are you crying?" She walks closer to her, "Don't cry, please." She answers nervously.

Sharon waves her hand, "I'm fine, just give me a minute, please."

"I can't leave if you're crying." She shakes her head, "Whole damn squad is going to think I made you cry. Now, how about I take you home while on my way to the hospital? You need some rest."

She stands, taking a moment to collect her feelings.

Brenda reaches out, touching the other woman's arm, "Sharon, you don't have to be the only strong one, you know."

"Since Andy's relapse, the kids have-"

"Andy relapsed?"

Sharon looks at the other woman, a tear escaping from her eye and trickling down her cheek without her face distorting with emotion. She quickly wipes it away with the back of her hand, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said-"

"I've been..." Brenda swallows, looking out into the Murder Room where some of the other detectives were still at work, "Don't hesitate to call me. Don't ever...These people are my friends and family and I've let them down-"

"If I couldn't stop him, what makes you think that you could have?"

"I don't know, but I could have been there." She shakes her head, "Get your things. I can drop you off."

Sharon straightens her stance, "Yeah, okay." She nods, pulling on her blazer and picking up her vintage purse, "Question Andy first. I don't want Provenza-"

"I've dealt with them in the past, Captain." Brenda offers her a smile, "They ever tell you about the time they found a dead body at Provenza's home and decided to ignore it in favor of a Dodger's game first?" She puts a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder as she walks with her through the building. Brenda drives the woman home in near silence.

Sharon nods to her as she slowly moves from the car, walking up the pathway to the front of the house, quickly opening the door and stepping inside. She notices the light from the television coming from the living room, the house otherwise dark, "You're awake?"

Looking over his shoulder, he smiles to her, "Of course I'm awake, it's almost midnight." Motioning to the television, Rusty nods, "Put your stuff down and come sit. He's about to hack the door open with the axe."

"Where are the girls?"

"Did you not hear the part about it almost being midnight? They're asleep."

She smirks, slowly unloading her shoulder of her purse and removing her blazer and laying it over the back of a nearby chair, "You've seen this movie-"

"A hundred and thirty seven times...sorry, thirty eight now. I call it an accomplishment." He watches her, "How is Andy?"

"Brenda is heading over to question him now."

"Who is Brenda?" He wraps an arm around him as she curls up to his side on the sofa.

"Brenda Leigh Johnson. Can you believe it?"

Rusty smirks, shaking his head slowly, "Called in the big guns?"

Sharon shrugs, "I didn't want my department, or anyone in the LAPD, touching this one. Though Brenda knows Andy, she won't be considered partial because of her work for the DA's office."

"Good idea." He nods, "How about you?"

"What about me?"

"How are you?"

She swallows, "I'm fine."

"Nah." Rusty tilts his head down to look at her, "You're barely holding it together, but I'm not the girls and I'm not your husband. I can see it in your eyes when you feel like you're about to fall apart. You've looked this way for a little over a month." He rubs her arm reassuringly, "You don't have to put up a front for me."

Sharon feels the burn of tears return to her eyes as she hugs the young man closer, "I want things to be how they were before."

"Before Matt came?"

"Some of it."

Rusty nods slowly, "I can see why you'd feel that way."

"Is it wrong?"

"No, why would it be wrong?" He smirks, "He came back for a reason. Not only to give himself closure, but to put himself on better terms with his father and to be there for his sister."

"But now, fucking Trudy Wilson is back and God only knows what she'll do."

"Such language." Rusty teases playfully, "It was her son too."

"And Mac is going to question everything she's ever known because Trudy Wilson can't keep her mouth shut and just wants to hurt Andy, not like he wasn't hurting enough already." Sharon doesn't move, but keeps her eyes on the television, "She made sure that the department knew Provenza is Mac's real father."

"What?"

"Don't tell her. She doesn't want to know, she doesn't know that I know, and I don't want her to know that you know, know what I mean?"

"Patient and Doctor confidentiality." He smiles to her, "We'll keep her safe. Don't worry."

"Brenda thinks it would be a good idea for Trudy to see Mac...maybe let Mac stick it to her." The brunette tucks her hair behind her ear, "I don't want to put Mac through that."

"Because you're thinking like a rational person, but Trudy Wilson needs to be put away, either in prison or in a hospital somewhere. She needs to be dealt the cards she was dealing. She needs to hear it from the one that took the heat of her hate. Understand?"

"I'll ask her tomorrow."

Rusty nods, "That's a good idea."

"She's asleep too?"

"She went to spend the night at the hospital. Doesn't want to leave Andy's side." He smiles softly, "So, you can see, even though she knows that Andy probably isn't her biological father, he'll always be her Dad, no matter what."

Sharon smirks, "I love her like my own."

"I know." Rusty grins, "Even caught her referring to you a Mom today a few times. It was pretty hilarious. I don't even think she realizes she's doing it, mostly because that's what she calls you when she's around Kate, just so Kate doesn't get confused or whatever. Kate's a smart girl though, takes a lot to confuse her, you know?" When he doesn't hear a response, he looks down at the woman again, noticing she's asleep. The young man gently removes her glasses and lets her sleep against him, moving slowly to get more comfortable on the sofa without waking her.