A/N: This is the twenty-second chapter! Special thanks to my amazing beta CMemlovr for beta reading! Please review for the next chapter! I hope you like it!
The next morning, Sharon opened her eyes slowly against the sunshine. Hearing Rusty and Andy's voices resonating from the kitchen, she smiled. Rolling out of bed languidly, she changed her clothes and headed towards the kitchen to join them.
"Do you need a hand, Sharon?" asked Andy upon seeing her.
"I'm fine, thanks," she smiled, pressing a kiss to Rusty's temple as she sat beside him.
"How are you?" inquired Rusty quietly.
"I'm good," she replied sincerely.
"I thought you might want a bit of a lie in," commented Andy, watching her closely.
"I'm well enough to work this morning, so I'll have to be awake early enough," she replied, frowning slightly at his implication.
"Fine," huffed Andy.
"Moving on," pressed Sharon, "How did you do in your exams, Rusty?" She smiled encouragingly, waiting for his response.
"Oh yeah – you got your results yesterday, didn't you?" interjected Andy. He too wanted to know how Rusty had done.
"Let me just – I'll be right back," muttered Rusty, going to his room.
"Why'd he go to his room?" asked Sharon, confused.
"Not sure – let's wait and see," chuckled Andy, noting Sharon's palpable tension.
Returning with his results in hand, Rusty sat beside his mother.
"What's this?" asked Sharon.
"My results," he smiled, "I wanted you to be able to see them." Handing them over expectantly to his mother, he waited to see her reactions.
Sharon took her time looking over the results, each grade causing her smile to widen further. "Rusty, these are amazing!" she beamed, taking his hand excitedly.
"Can I have a look?" asked Andy, glancing down at the papers when Sharon handed them to him.
Whistling softly through his teeth, Andy murmured, "You've done great, kid."
"Thanks, Andy," smiled Rusty. Then, with a tinge of pride he announced, "I got the highest grades this semester."
Sharon hugged him tightly, pride in her son surging in her chest. "I knew you'd do well – but this is exceptional!"
"Looks like your studying paid off, kid," grinned Andy, "I'm proud of you."
Rusty grinned proudly; he was ecstatic that he'd managed to please his mother and Andy with his results.
********...********
A couple of hours later, Sharon sat in her office looking over a new case file. Dropping her pen warily, she leaned back into her chair and gazed out into the murder room. She smiled softly as she watched Andy and Provenza laughing together. When Andy finally caught her gaze, she motioned for him to join her in her office.
"Where are you off to?" asked Provenza irritably.
"Boss is callin'," chuckled Andy.
"Well, if it's the boss, I can't say anything," laughed Provenza, returning to his work.
Andy strolled in to Sharon's office and sat beside her. "You okay?" he asked.
"Just fine," she smiled, "I was just wondering what had you and Provenza rolling in the aisles."
"Just Provenza being his usual grumpy self – sometimes his teasing is actually funny," grinned Andy.
"Why is it that I get the feeling that you and Provenza are hiding something?" she pressed sceptically.
"I wouldn't hide anything from you," he replied sincerely.
"Yes, but I don't trust that laugh," she teased.
Andy took her hand gently before growling playfully, "are you treating me like a suspect?"
Sharon laughed lightly, "I don't mean to, but if that's what you're into…" she smiled mischievously, her hand finding her belly softly.
"How is my little one?" he asked contentedly.
"Kicking away again, today," she smiled.
"Hope they're not being too much of a bother," he grinned.
"It isn't," she replied sincerely, "I love feeling those little kicks – especially when I hum."
"I've said it before; the baby already loves your voice."
Sharon smiled softly, "Loves your voice, too."
Nodding quietly, Andy changed the subject, "You up for lunch?"
"Sounds good."
Sharon pulled on her jacket before they made their way to the restaurant. As they walked there, Sharon felt as though she was being followed, but chalked it up to her own fatigue.
"Are you okay, Sharon? You look pale," commented Andy worriedly.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," replied Sharon as Andy helped her into the car. Noting Sharon's preoccupation, Andy pulled over to talk to her.
"Why'd you stop here?" questioned Sharon.
"We need to talk," he replied quietly, "It seems like something's on your mind, and I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"Are you sure?" he pressed, "I just don't want you to feel that you have to hide anything from me."
"I'm not hiding anything – we should just make our way to the restaurant, okay?"
Andy nodded, confused by Sharon's sudden urgency to get lunch.
********...********
At home, Rusty sat on the couch watching a film when his phone rang. Glancing down at the screen, he saw that the number was blocked, but could guess who it might be. He decided to leave it to go to voicemail, not wanting to respond. Finally, the call tone irritated him enough to prompt him to answer.
"Hello?" he huffed.
"Rusty? It's me." The familiar sound of his mother's voice greeted him.
"How did you get this number, mom?" he sighed.
"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much," she replied evasively.
"What do you want?" he asked coldly.
"I just wanted to know how you did in your exams, baby."
"I did fine; I got the highest grades in my year."
"I'm so proud of you, Rusty!"
********...********
Sat in the restaurant, Andy had begun to worry. Sharon was still sitting silently, and hadn't responded when he'd taken her hand.
"Sharon, please let me in. What's going on?"
"It might sound strange, but I have the feeling that someone's watching me."
Andy laughed silently. "Who'd be following you, Sharon?"
"I don't know, Andy. It might be because I'm exhausted, but I do think that someone is following me."
"Okay, let's think about this: who do you think might be following you? If this person poses a significant threat, would it be helpful for me to arrange a protective detail?"
"Absolutely not," she replied coldly, "I will not be coddled. I don't know who might be following me, but I can handle myself just fine." As she finished speaking, she felt a kick in her belly. "Hey you," she murmured, stroking her belly softly.
Andy smiled, thankful for the distraction provided by the baby.
********...********
Gritting his teeth, Rusty continued his conversation with his biological mother.
"You came to talk to my mom yesterday," he stated accusingly.
"I needed to," she replied hostilely.
"I asked you not to come, and you came anyway. Sharon's not in a fit state to deal with you right now and she shouldn't have to!"
"I know, but we didn't do much. Just exchanged words as mothers."
"Just – don't come again, mom."
"Fine, just take care of yourself."
"You too," he sighed, relieved to hang up the phone but more confused than ever. Yes, she was his biological mother, but his respect and love for Sharon had grown to overshadow the attachment he'd felt for the mother who had abandoned him. Sharon had made him whole again, and he wasn't sure that anything his mom said or did would trump that.
********...********
Several hours later, Sharon and Andy returned home to find Rusty watching a film. Andy sat beside him tiredly, kicking off his shoes in the process.
"How are you doing?"
"I'm okay."
"Good film? You seem…engrossed."
"It is – the plot's great," he replied. Looking up, he asked, "Where's mom?"
"Went to bed – she's already tired."
Rusty hummed in acknowledgement, returning his attention to his film.
"You hungry?" asked Andy.
"I could eat," he replied evenly, "do you need a hand?"
"Sure, thanks."
"Great, 'cos I've got something to talk to you about." Entering the kitchen, Rusty began hesitantly, "My mom called today…"
"Why?" Andy frowned.
"Wanted to ask about my exams."
"How did she know that you'd gotten your results?" asked Andy worriedly.
"I don't know," he sighed.
"Do you think she's been following you?" pressed Andy.
Rusty regarded him closely before replying, "It's possible." He sighed quietly.
Andy was suddenly reminded of Sharon's words – while he doubted that Sharon Beck would follow Sharon, he was positive that she might stalk her son.
********* ... ********
Sequestered in her room, Sharon spoke to Andrea on the phone.
"I'm worried, Andrea. I can't shake the feeling that someone's following me, but every time I turn around there's nobody there."
"Maybe you're just tired and suspicious after a day of work," suggested Andrea, "you probably just need to relax and lie down," she continued encouragingly.
"Andy said that," sighed Sharon, "I hope you're right."
"It's okay, Sharon," soothed Andrea, "I'll come in tomorrow and we can talk it over together. For now, it would be best if you could try to relax."
"Thanks, Andrea," she sighed quietly.
"What are friends for?" she chuckled, "Good night, Sharon."
"G'night," she murmured in response, her eyes sliding shut.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Andy beamed proudly at the food he and Rusty had prepared. "Good job, Rusty. I'm going to go call your mom."
Moving to the bedroom, Andy sat beside Sharon and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling softly. "Dinner's ready," he murmured.
"Thanks, Andy, but I'm not really hungry," she moaned softly.
"You need to keep your strength up, Sharon," he replied encouragingly, "are you sure you don't want dinner?"
"I'm sure," she muttered, "I just need to rest."
"Okay," he murmured, kissing her gently on the cheek before returning to Rusty's side.
"Where's mom?" he asked immediately.
"She's feeling a bit too tired to eat. We should just go ahead; we can save her some if she feels like it later."
Rusty nodded in agreement, content to tuck in.
*********...*********
After dinner, Rusty decided to relax in his room, leaving Andy to join Sharon in their bedroom. By the way she was breathing Andy could tell that she wasn't sleeping.
"Are you okay, Sharon? Why are you still awake?"
"The little one has decided that it is not my time to sleep," she frowned moodily. Andy smiled in amusement and sat beside her.
"C'mon little one, let your momma sleep," chuckled Andy, smoothing his hand over Sharon's belly. She laughed tiredly, enjoying the softness in his facial expression.
"You know that probably won't work," laughed Sharon.
"I know, but I'd like you to get some sleep," he muttered.
"It's fine," Sharon giggled, "I'll just wait until our nocturnal baby decides to sleep."
"I'd give anything to see you smile this much," sighed Andy earnestly, watching Sharon's face move and enjoying every moment of it.
******** ... ********
The next morning, Nicole joined them for breakfast.
"Where's Sharon?" she asked, her attention directed to her father.
"Still sleeping."
"She's never slept this much," commented Nicole, surprised.
"Last night the baby had a field day with her insides – I'm hoping that she's catching up on the sleep she missed last night."
"That's understandable," she replied pensively, "Being a mom's hard." Turning to Rusty she asked, "how are you doing?"
"I'm good – how've you been?"
"Pretty good," she smiled in response.
Sharon's footsteps resounded angrily on the tiles approaching the kitchen.
"What is this?" she interrogated furiously, "Why did nobody wake me?"
"You needed your rest," replied Andy instantly, "I knew that you hadn't gotten much sleep last night, so I decided to let you be."
"Please take a seat, Sharon," pleaded Nicole.
Acquiescing with frustration, Sharon growled, "I'm going to be late to work."
"What's the big deal? You shouldn't even be thinking about work in your condition!" replied Andy heatedly.
Sighing to calm herself, Sharon apologised, "Sometimes the hormones get the better of me. I'm sorry."
"We know, Sharon. It's completely normal – just wish you'd give us some warning," teased Nicole.
"You resembled Julio just then," teased Andy, grinning.
Sharon laughed and turned to Nicole, "Andrea's coming to work today, if you'd like to join us. We can go for coffee together."
Smiling, Nicole replied, "That sounds great."
"Oh, yeah, I'm spending the evening with my friends today, so don't wait for me for dinner," interjected Rusty.
"Alright, honey," sighed Sharon.
********...********
Later that day, Sharon, Nicole and Andrea were talking in Sharon's office.
"I don't think anyone's following you," murmured Nicole pensively, "I don't know anyone who'd dare."
"It's just a feeling, Nicole. Like someone's constantly watching me," replied Sharon, goose bumps rising on her arms.
"Maybe it's just fatigue? Or being overworked?" interjected Andrea, "I'll tell you what: I think you need a break. And a coffee break with me and Nicole will do you some good." She smiled, taking Sharon's hand.
"Sounds good," sighed Sharon, nodding slowly in agreement.
As they left the office, Sharon couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed.
"Are you okay, Sharon?" asked Andrea perceptively.
"You look really pale," observed Nicole worriedly.
"I'm fine, don't worry," soothed Sharon, "let's just head inside."
As they walked beside her, Nicole and Andrea regarded Sharon closely.
"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Andrea anxiously.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"You're behaving really strangely," remarked Nicole, "is it that feeling, again?"
Sharon inhaled deeply, admitting quietly, "I do still feel that way."
"Calm down, Sharon. Let's take a good look around, but I'm sure you're not being followed," reassured Andrea. Glancing hurriedly behind her, Sharon caught sight of someone watching her in the distance – she recognised the figure instantly. Sharon Beck.
"What are you looking at, Sharon?" pressed Andrea concernedly.
"Rusty's mom – she's here." Sharon indicated her position subtly.
"Sharon Beck?" repeated Nicole with surprise as the woman in question approached them.
"Can we talk?" asked Sharon Beck quietly.
"Sure," replied Sharon uncertainly.
"Don't, Sharon," cautioned Andrea, her hand gripping Sharon's arm.
"She's right," whispered Nicole, "we don't know what she wants!"
"It'll be fine," Sharon reassured them, waving away their concerns.
"I can't just leave you alone with her," insisted Andrea sharply.
"I just want to talk!" protested Sharon Beck.
"Calm down, you two," asserted Sharon, "I'll be back soon enough."
Andrea frowned as Sharon walked away with Rusty's mom, frustrated and anxious.
"Sharon's too damn stubborn," she cursed.
"She is," agreed Nicole, "let's just hope nothing happens."
*********...********
"What do you want, Sharon?" asked the Captain wearily.
"I just wanted to know about Rusty," pleaded Sharon.
"Rusty is fine, as he was when we last spoke," she replied sharply.
"Good," murmured Sharon. Then, she continued, "I also came because I wanted to tell you something," her tone became icy.
"What?"
"I can tell that you think you're a good mother – after all, you've even got my son calling you 'Mom'."
"But?" pressed Sharon warily.
"But you've made a lot of mistakes."
"Mistakes?" she repeated sceptically.
"Well, to begin with; you stole my son."
She sighed before replying, "we discussed this, Sharon. He made his own decision-"
"But you pushed him away from me! You stole my son from me, and that was the biggest and last mistake you'll make!" growled Sharon.
"Take it easy," she murmured, "everyone's staring."
"I don't care," she gritted out angrily, "I will get my son back at any cost," she threatened.
"Rusty is my son," asserted Sharon firmly, "as he chose to be."
"You're a liar!" she spat, "I'm coming back for my son; but you won't be alive to see it."
Sharon's eyes widened – Rusty's mom had pulled a knife against her, and she couldn't defend herself.
~~~ TBC ~~~
