"Lieutenant, what do you have for me?" Sharon says out loud, maybe a little too loudly for a Bluetooth that is no more than two inches from her mouth. She glances over to the unhealthy yet favorite meal of Rusty's. She figures she'll let it go just this once, he's had a rough day.
Andy sighs, "Morgan isn't here yet. Probably another hour. How is he?" He leans back in his chair, toothpick wedged between his teeth.
"How is who?"
He couldn't help but smirk, "That kid that lives with you."
"Oh, he's at home. I went and bought him lunch." She nods, making a face at herself. Sharon doesn't mean to sound so awkward, but it only comes naturally to her. "Told him he could have whatever he wanted. I think he wanted some time alone. He sent me to a hamburger place almost a half hour away."
"That's understandable." Flynn sighs, "Poor kid."
"Hopefully he will want to talk when I return home."
"How far are you? Could have sent one of the guys to get it." He listens to her, watching as Provenza stares at the white board, "Could have sent Buzz."
"No, no. LAPD policy prohibits me from making requests of personal favors from civilian employees, and the rest of the officers in our department still aren't exactly fans of mine yet." Sharon sighs softly, "It was no trouble."
"Provenza has some theories on why this all happened with Ms. Beck. Some of them actually don't sound half bad." Flynn smirks.
"Yes, well let us not only take his word over the facts during this case. I want to be there when Bruce Morgan is brought in. The stories Rusty tells, that man sounds like a monster."
"He beat Rusty, didn't he? Beat Sharon Beck as well. We can keep him on child abuse and child endangerment regardless if there's anything else found linking him to the shooting or not." He nods, "Don't worry, Captain. We'll take care of things here. You take care of the kid."
"Lieutenant, I mean it."
"Sharon, nothing is going to happen. He's going away already. We have reason to keep him for multiple accounts. Tao is checking to see if he has any outstanding warrants, which I'm betting he will. Spend the day with the kid. This guy isn't going anywhere, alright?"
Sharon wants nothing more than to stay at home and be present with the young man she considers her own child. However, she also wants to put Bruce Morgan away for a very long time. She knew some things were more important than others and that her team of coworkers were more than capable of handling this for the day.
"Captain, you still there?"
She nods as if he can see her, "Yes, Lieutenant. I want Detective Sykes and Lieutenant Provenza in the room with this man when he arrives."
Raising an eyebrow, Flynn brings the speaking end of the telephone receiver closer to his lips, "Why can't I go in?"
"Well, Lieutenant, to put it simply...you have an issue with controlling your temper at times. This case is very close to everyone's hearts, but I believe it would be in the division's best interest for Lieutenant Provenza and Detective Sykes to take the initial information. Just have them get his story. You and I will handle questioning tomorrow. Tell them to be sure to mirandize him immediately when they enter the room. I can't risk Mr. Morgan saying anything that we aren't able to use, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us at the time." Sharon swallows, not liking the feeling of not being in control, "Is that understood, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Captain, I will let them know."
"They are more than welcome to let Mr. Morgan stew in the chair for a while, he may be best for information if he begins to become slightly agitated. However, I want video the moment he enters the room-"
He listens to her intently, finally needing to interrupt her, "Captain, we've been doing this for a while now. We wouldn't do anything that would put this trial at risk. We'd never do that to you or the kid." Flynn sighs softly, "Not intentionally at least."
"I know, Andy." Sharon leans back ever so slightly in the driver's seat as she presses on her brake pedal as she nears a red traffic light, "Was there anything else?" Her voice ever so much softer than before.
"No, ma'am." He hears her, "And Captain, if you need anything, you have my number. Seriously."
"On speed dial. Thanks." She presses the button on the Bluetooth gadget in her ear. This was going to be hard. Not just helping Rusty understand and deal with his grief, but she also was leaving an important case dependant almost entirely to her division. Something Sharon has simply never done. Pulling away slowly when the light changes color, thoughts continue to go through Sharon's head. What if Rusty was right? What if his biological grandmother couldn't be trusted? His grandfather seemed to be her complete opposite. What if she lost him? She finally arrives home and follows the parking garage directions to her assigned place. Entering the condo, she glances around, not knowing what she would be expecting if anything. Sharon carries the bag of food to the kitchen, places it on the countertop, and notices how completely silent the space was.
This just feels suspicious to her. One part of her wants to call out his name, but she decides against it. Slipping out of her heels, she walks closer to his room, placing her ear against the door. She's sure she can hear something, though minute. Sharon silently turns the knob before pushing the door open, seeing Rusty on his bed, curled up and facing the wall, "Rusty, are you okay?"
Rusty clears his throat, sniffling quickly in a vain attempt of concealing his emotions, "I'm fine." He manages to croak before beginning to sob again and hoping she'd just walk away.
She sighs, "Oh Honey, listen to what I'm about to tell you." Sharon replies softly, sitting behind him on the bed, she reaches a hand up to stroke his dark blonde hair, "I know you don't like crying in front of people. I don't either, but sometimes there are circumstances where exceptions must be made. Death is not a fun experience. Death is sad, dark, and terrifying. It may take you years before you're comfortable even talking about it, but whenever you are ready to, I will be right here waiting."
He shakes his head, "That's not what I'm...Not all of it, at least." Rusty doesn't look to her, his focus seems like it's staring at an abstract watercolor painting framed and hanging on the wall.
"Then what is it, Rusty?"
He clears his throat again, rolling onto his back, but this time he stares at the ceiling, unable to really look to the woman to his right, "Mom lied to me about a lot of stuff, but what if she did it to protect me? My father wasn't some soldier like the told me, he was some asshole attempting to play house with the biggest bitch I've ever met, who had two of the ugliest kids ever." Rusty swallows, "We thought he'd be fine, but he wasn't and she was right to lie to me about him. Tried to keep me from looking him up or even caring to know if he was alive or not."
"Okay." Sharon continues to stroke his hair absently, watching his face.
"And now, even if she lied, what if there was a reason to keep me away from my grandparents or protect me from them?" Rusty meets her eyes, "I just...I don't like this. Why is it always what Cynthia or whoever thinks is best for me and not necessarily what I want?"
"It's the law, Rusty."
"Then find a law where I can do that. Find a law where I can make my own decisions. Find a law that says I can stay with you." He rattles off, his eyes glassy with unshed tears of concern, "Please." He whispers.
Sharon swallows, mirroring his expression, "In order to adopt you, because I am married, both my husband and myself must adopt you."
"Jack wasn't so bad. Can't you just...can't you call him and ask him?"
Sensing the desperation in his voice, she holds a hand up to signal that he stop, "I can solely file for Permanent Custody of you without involving him, but there is also a such thing as visitation for grandparents. The court has to see that it would be in your best interest, and since your mother is the one who is deceased, the courts usually look favorably on the situation."
"Even if I don't ever care or want to see them?"
"You may change your mind." Sharon nods, "Your grandfather seems like a very nice man. I'm sure he'd be willing to tell you all about your mother. I bet he'd even know your family's origins." She offers him a smile, attempting to lighten the situation, and even make the idea seem even remotely appealing to him, "Wouldn't that be exciting?"
"To you, maybe." Rusty raises an eyebrow.
"If this is what you want, I have to file immediately. Kin are still able to seek custody of a foster child regardless of how long they've been residing with their foster parents since fostering is considered a temporary solution."
He stops again, "Please, don't let that happen." He swallows, "I'll visit with them if I need to. Maybe see if they're sneaky or whatever, as long as I stay here...as long as I live here."
Sharon nods, "Just keep in mind, regardless of what I petition the court with, it will generally be out of my hands and whatever the judicial system decides, you must accept the results."
"Even if I don't like it?" Rusty asks quietly.
"Especially if you don't like it."
He nods slowly, "Then I can divorce them, right?"
Sharon smiles a little, patting him on the arm, "Let's worry about that hurdle when we come to it, if we ever come to it."
Rusty's face twitches a smile, "Mom would have liked you, I think. When she was healthy, she was a different person than when she wasn't. Loving and...really smart, believe it or not."
"I would have liked to meet her." She nods, watching the young man closely, "I really would have, Rusty."
He swallows, looking away from her again and sitting up, "Did um...Did they ever figure out what she was having? Was I going to have a little brother or a sister?"
Sharon sighs softly, tilting her head to the side with a slight shake, "Rusty, I don't think that -"
"I just want to know what I had to look forward to. I miss her." Rusty's face falters, "I know she...She fucked up, but I still-" His voice heady and clouded with emotion, "I just really..." Rusty sits up, readying himself to run from the room until he's encased in a pair of long, toned arms with a hand on his face, stroking the hair at his temple with her nails.
Sharon closes her eyes, placing her chin on top of the young man's head as she holds him closely to her chest, "Doctor Morales said it was a boy. Records at the clinic show she was about fourteen weeks gestation, but the fetus was very small...Not that it means anything, but...I'm only telling you what I know." She softly kisses the top of his head when she feels him begin to cry harder, "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere." She rocks with him ever so gently.
After a few moments of sitting in the silent room, filled only with the sound of his cries, then her soft humming to drown him out ever so slightly, Rusty picks his head up a little, "I'm hungry." He quickly wipes his cheeks with the back of his hand.
"The hamburgers you requested are on the counter." Sharon looks down to him, stroking his hair still, "Probably frozen now, but I'm positive they will be just fine reheated." She smirks ever so slightly, knowing this was his way of saying he was
"You...you actually went and got them? That's...Two...three hours walking and you went to get them?" He smiles softly.
"Of course. You've had a rough day. Buying your favorite hamburgers was the least I could do."
"I thought you were called out or was just...going someplace else." Rusty's smile widens even more. The thoughts of offering her affection seeping into his mind, but he knows if he gets too close, he will only be hurt again. Not by her, never by Sharon. However, he knows he must protect himself. He could smell trouble on the horizon when it came to his biological grandparents. He knew it even if Sharon was pretending to be optimistic about the whole thing, he knew she was weary as well. "Thanks." He replies simply, nodding as he rises from the bed and leaves his room in favor of the kitchen.