More Than Luck

By: Kadi

Rated: M

Chapter 10

The rest of the week passed without further incident. On Friday Sharon put her kids on a plane to Salt Lake City, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing at the Condo with Rusty. Plans for New Years Eve had been made. Tao was going to the gala with his wife, while Buzz and Sanchez had volunteered to stay with Rusty. Buzz would keep him occupied while Sanchez would keep him safe. Sykes still had family in town, and so Sharon had given her a pass. The head and three senior members of the squad would be there, Sharon figured that should keep the Chief busy.

Saturday was spent shopping with Gavin. Katie had let slip to him about the gala and he simply would not allow her to attend in anything that wasn't new, and that he had not picked out. They were shadowed by her patrol escort.

"I swear," Gavin shook his head, "I haven't felt so nervous walking through a department store since I was fifteen and went into my first Macys."

Sharon laughed as they walked through Nordstroms. "Just pretend they aren't there. That's what I tell Rusty."

"That would be easier to do if they didn't stand out like eye sores, dear." He looped his arm through hers and steered her toward a rack of dresses. "So tell me, is this going to be an actual date or another pathetic excuse for spending time together."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sharon flipped through the rack and wrinkled her nose at the cut of the dresses. "Something with a little more fabric, please."

"Oh god, it's going to be one of those trips." Gavin heaved an over exaggerated sigh. "Very well…" He took her arm and pulled her with him. "Old Ladies-R-Us here we come."

"Stop it." She rolled her eyes at him. "Perhaps I don't want to freeze my butt off or show off what few remaining assets I have left the the entirety of the LAPD upper echelon, the DA's office, and the Mayor."

"It's California, my sweet, nothing is going to be freezing off of anything… except maybe your stare. Okay, okay." He put his hands up. "I'll play along. Slutty starlet is off the table. Let's see what we can find that says… elegant yet alluring. You don't want to completely knock him dead. Not at his age."

Sharon fixed him with a look. "This is the part where I remind you that I'm not that far behind him, tread carefully."

"So hard to believe," he tapped the tip of her nose. "Alright, so tell me, are we going for Oh my god, or a more heartfelt sense of Yowsa!"

Her lips pursed. A glimpse of blue drew her attention. "Maybe… somewhere between the two," she said with a small smile.

"That's my girl." Gavin clapped his hands together and turned. "Okay… watch me work, darling, watch me work…" At his advanced height he laid eyes on three sales girls. "I'm going to need you, you, and… yes you." He smiled. "Come along, we haven't got all day. You go away," he waved a hand at the police escort.

When the sales girls approached, they gave the officers uncertain looks. The closest of the two, raised a brow at them. "How may we help you, sir?"

"Oh don't mind them. Protection, she's so important." He heard Sharon groan behind him and his smile widened. She was going to kill him later. "Now then, New Years Eve, we need something for a party… only mildly age appropriate, but guaranteed to make her date drag her off at the first opportunity."

"Gavin!" Sharon covered her face. "Oh god… why did I bring you."

"Because you love me, darling, and because if this doesn't turn anything up I have the manager at Versace on speed dial." Smirking, he turned back to the sales associates. "Now then… she's obviously a winter, bold colors. Let's concentrate on blues, reds, and purples. No black. That's just depressing. Price is not an issue… so, largest commission to the winner. Off you go!"

"You are horrible." Sharon shook her head at him as they scattered.

"But so, so good at it." Gavin looped an arm through hers again and they strolled toward the fitting rooms. "So tell me, because I'm dying to know, when are you going to put the lovely Lieutenant Flynn out of his misery. You're wound up as tightly as I've ever known you. Tighter maybe, which means you're still playing with the idea but you haven't tried it on yet."

"That I am most definitely not discussing with you." She leaned into his side and smirked. "Unless of course you want to return the favor… with your latest…"

"Yes, okay," he cut her off. "Changing the subject."

"Hmm. I thought so." Sharon smiled up at him. "Gavin, you know that I adore you, but some things are just left undisclosed. What I would really like to discuss is how much I wish you would let me put you on retainer for everything you've been doing recently. I could overlook the work you did on my Condo agreement, or any of the other little favors you've done over the years… but handling the divorce and Rusty's adoption, neither of which will be simple or quick… I would feel a lot better if you'd bill me."

"Until you saw the bill." He shook his head. "No. Consider it a return on your investment, dearest. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck in the darkest recesses of the City Attorney's office, languishing away, and so dull it would make us both sob in defeat. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but you did introduce me to Joseph. Things may not have worked out with him, but he pulled me into the firm, and we're still good friends." Joseph Riley was one of the other senior partners for which the law firm, Riley, Milkenson, and Baker was named. "Aside from that, I've known you like, forever. I'd feel odd with you paying me. I don't say that about many people, so please… just let me be nice. That doesn't happen often either."

"More often than you want people to know," she drawled.

"Well, lawyers don't exactly have a reputation for being cuddly." He laughed. "You don't get where I am by being nice."

"Hmm.. don't I know it." She lifted a dress off the rack and looked at it. "Lawyers are lying, manipulative, jerks."

"Oh, touchy subject." Gavin winced. "He got the papers?"

"He got the papers." She put the dress back onto the rack. "He didn't have the courage to call me, he called our kids. Ricky called me last night, furious with his father. The last time the man spoke to him, I had to dial the phone myself. But he gets served with divorce papers and suddenly his dialing finger works just fine."

"I hope he finally stopped being the polite little darling you raised and finally put the man in his place." Gavin folded his arms. "That was rather up there on the Jackson Spineless Meter. I take it he is refusing to sign?"

"No, he's going to sign," Sharon sighed. "He wants to do it to teach me a lesson." She flashed a nasty, heartless smile. "He doesn't think anyone else will have me. I'm so cold and unyielding. As for Ricky, he told his father to keep him out of it and not to call him again until he can behave as an adult and keep a civil tongue. Not in those exact words."

Gavin laughed. "Considering I've seen that temper before, I can imagine what he said and how he worded it. Especially with his sister egging him on."

"Hm. Exactly." She shook her head. "So, between Jackson and Rios, I'm not exactly fond of lawyers at the moment. You get a pass because I adore you, and because you'll tell me the truth." She fingered the scarf hanging on a mannequin near the fitting rooms. "Am I?"

"What?" He turned and gave her an incredulous look. "Cold? Unyielding? Oh for crying out loud." Gavin snorted his derision. "Please, don't be ridiculous." He draped an arm around her shoulders. "You know that you're not, and you normally wouldn't ask. Leave it to that idiot you married to get you all shook up like this. He always does. My god, I didn't think I'd ever snap you back last summer. What you saw in him, I will never know. I continue to pray that it went beyond being Catholic and wanting to get laid."

"Gavin!" She shoved him away from her, but she was laughing again. "You are completely impossible."

"I know." He preened. "It's just part of my charm. Oh!" He clapped his hands together. Their three helpers and returned, dresses in arms. "I like her, she gets points for bringing shoes too."

The sales girl, whose name tag read Melanie, winked at him. "It is a contest isn't it?"

"Why bring shoes, when you can bring diamonds?" The second girl, whose tag read Sarah, lifted a box with a glittering necklace in it.

"I prefer to find the dress first, then hedge my bets." A little redhead named Amelia was their final contender. "I have one very important question before we start. Hair up or down?"

"Down," Sharon and Gavin said as one.

"Excellent." She tossed two dresses over a rack. "Then either of these should look absolutely stunning on you." She lifted a deep, indigo gown and another in bright amethyst.

"Not bad…" Gavin nodded. "She's earning points. Next?"

Melanie held up two gowns, a deep vibrant blue, and a brilliant green. "Her eyes, this would look amazing with those eyes."

"She's gaining on you sweetie," He winked at redheaded Amelia. "Okay, diamond girl, what about you."

"Red." She held up a single red gown. "Special occasion, it needs to pop, and a little sparkle doesn't hurt either."

"She's bold, I like it." Gavin reached forward and took it, along with the blue and amethyst selections from the other girls. "We'll try these. You, in there," he turned back to Sharon and began shooing her into the fitting room. "Off you go. Wow us."

She accepted the red one from him and eyed it a little uncertainly. "It's awfully… young, don't you think?"

"Girls, you might want to pull up a few chairs. It's going to be one of those days." He nudged Sharon again. "Go, change. Now."

"Well you don't have to be so bossy." She rolled her eyes at him and went.

"It takes one to know one, dear." He turned back and eyed the remaining selections. "She won't wear those," he indicated the diamonds. "Try something a little more simple. Platinum chain, single pendant. Heels," he turned to the redhead. "Get her heels, something high, at least three inches. She can work them, I promise…"

An hour and several gowns later, Gavin had finally gotten his way and their selection was being zipped into its bag. "I cannot believe I let you talk me into this."

He smirked. "The dress, or what's going to be under it."

She groaned. "You're bad for me sometimes, you know that?"

"I do. But you need me." He held the garment bag and the one holding her shoes while she took her receipt. "Just think of me as your beloved Fairy God-Lawyer."

It was so preposterous she laughed. "Get me out of here before I change my mind."

"That I can most certainly do. Let's go find lunch, I'm starving… and I think I want Greek," he muttered as they passed a dark haired adonis that made him turn and watch as the man walked past.

"Steady on…" Sharon pulled him with her. "No trolling on an empty stomach. It gets you into trouble."

"To true." He curled his arm through hers again. "Let's go to Trattatoria, order a bottle of wine, and get you tipsy enough to give up all those little details about the hot bloodied Lieutenant Flynn that I'll never get out of you otherwise."

"We can go, but I'm not telling you anything," she stated.

"We'll see," he sing-songed. Two glasses of wine and she would be his for the detail taking. "You'll tell me, or I'll end up seeing it for myself. Either way…" At her surprised look he grinned. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm going to the gala too. I'm a plus one."

"No…" Her brows lifted. "You did not. Who?"

"Deputy DA Steven Mathis." He smirked. "He broke up with that delectable little male model he was dating, and decided he wanted something with a little more… me."

Sharon laughed. "That's one way of putting it, I guess. Good for you. Although isn't he a bit older than you typically like? He has to be at least… thirty."

"Ouch." He nudged her. "That hurt. One, one little twenty-seven year old surfer boy and you decide to brand me. I'll remind you that I was on the rebound."

"Oh, of course you were," she soothed with a smile. "I'm sorry, I had forgotten. Alright, I won't bring it up again. So.. DDA Mathis… tall, dark, blue eyes… and the only DDA that you've ever lost to, aside from Andrea Hobbs. This should be interesting," she teased.

"He's smart, I like that. I appreciate smart brunettes," he tugged on a lock of her hair. "It should definitely be interesting, though. I'm looking forward to it, and for your information, he is forty two."

"Very well, I stand corrected." She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm still not telling you anything."

"Oh, you'll tell me," he promised. "Sooner or later, Shar, you always tell me. Even when you know I'll give you hell about it. I can be patient."

"I'm going to find it interesting to see how long you last," she challenged.

"You're on." He smirked. He'd make that three glasses of wine and get them a driver.