While You're Making Other Plans
by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon
11
Doc Cottle could be extremely tight-lipped if he wanted to be. Like when no amount of prodding, threatening or pouting could convince him to tell Sharon and Andy whether they were expecting a boy or a girl, because the prospect of watching one of them being completely wrong for the next few months amused him endlessly.
Unfortunately, when Andy would have really, really liked him to keep quiet, he was everything but.
"Nah, that was just a little too much excitement for the pregnant lady," he said in a booming voice, making sure that absolutely everyone inside the condo had heard. Looking quite pleased with himself, he closed the bedroom door behind him with a firm thud and dropped his worn old leather case next to the front door. Andy couldn't decide whether the grumpy doctor realized that he had just announced his patient's pregnancy to her whole division and three patrol officers or not, but he was sure that he did not care much either way. One thing that he knew for certain, however, was that Sharon would not approve of cigarettes being smoked inside the condo, so he shot Cottle a glare when he reached into his pocket for his lighter.
The old man ignored him and lit up, taking a deep, satisfied drag.
"What pregnant woman? I thought the Captain was in there!" Buzz said quizzically, camera almost slipping off his shoulder with puzzlement. Despite the reason for their being inside their captain's home, Sykes was all but bouncing up and down with excitement next to him, but at least she had the sense to keep quiet when faced with Andy's glare.
Provenza threw his hands up in the air, rolling his eyes. "Don't tell me he is in on that stupid practical joke, too!" He hit Buzz in the chest with the back of his hand. "The Captain is not pregnant. She and Flynn are just delusional!"
He wasn't even consistent, Andy thought. Apparently the old man couldn't decide whether he should accuse them of being insane or of playing a prank on him, so he did both. Andy opened his mouth to hurl a string of expletives at his partner. His pregnant girlfriend was being threatened by a serial killer and Provenza still couldn't give up his stupid charade. Before he could say anything, Cottle exhaled a mouthful of smoke and shrugged.
"I understand your initial disbelief, Lieutenant, but I can assure you that she is still a lot more fertile than a woman at her age has any right to be. I've seen thirty year olds having more trouble getting knocked-up than she does. There is definitely a little boy-" He paused and met Andy's widening eyes. "- or girl growing in there."
Andy's shoulders sagged and Cottle pretended not to see it as he looked around the room at the group of stunned faces.
"Oh, come on, people. Don't tell me you didn't notice." Cottle waved everyone's disbelief away as if it was nothing. "Flynn, get in there, she's asking for you."
Andy decided to deal with his team and their reactions to the news later. For now, all he wanted to do was see Sharon and make sure she was really okay. As he walked into the bedroom, he spotted her on her back, one hand covering her eyes while the other was resting protectively over their child. She moved when she heard the door close behind him and gave him a tired smile that he knew was meant to reassure him and wasn't necessarily genuine. His throat constricted when he thought back to what had happened half an hour ago, how she had called Rusty three times without getting an answer, how her eyes had been filled with wild fear and how she had suddenly crumbled, face ashen and legs shaking so badly that she was unable to stand any longer. He had gathered her in his arms, had spoken soothing words of encouragement and had maneuvered her into their bed where she had lain, a single sob escaping her before her phone had begun to ring.
It had been Rusty, calling her back, and he was now on his way home, no doubt bitching about the involuntary reunion with his police escort all the way.
"Hey," Andy said softly as he sat down next to Sharon on the bed, the offensive picture removed as well as what remained of the peach. "How are you feeling?"
"Rotten," she replied in that tired voice that he so dreaded. "But Doc says that the little one is fine. It was just my blood pressure spiking for the moment."
Andy placed his hand over hers on her belly and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "That was scary."
She smiled tiredly. "With how well this is going, we just tend to forget that I am actually really old," she reminded him. "You might have to get used to this as this pregnancy progresses."
Andy's stomach churned at the prospect of having to see her like that again. She had been so pale and had seemed so fragile all of a sudden. He settled down next to her and pulled her against his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. Sharon's warm body in his arms caused him to relax a little while the baby stirred under their joined hands.
"Don't get too comfortable, honey," Sharon said in her usual commanding voice that still made him stiffen a little every time he heard it - especially when it carried a hint of urgency as it did now. "The condo is swarming with members of our division. I'm pretty sure we left the ultrasound images on my desk in the living room and you have to go into the kitchen and hide my prenatal vitamins before anyone decides to make coffee. Oh, and that little hat with the ducks you insisted on buying even though it is much too early for that has to-"
"Sharon," he interrupted her gently. "They know."
"What?" Her voice was feeble, her face a picture of disbelief. "You didn't tell them, did you?"
"No. Doc Cottle did."
She let herself fall back against him.
"Oh, I hate him!" she said, hitting the covers with her fist. "Damn him. I wanted to break it to them gently."
Despite everything, Andy couldn't contain a chuckle. "I would have loved to see how that would have turned out. Look on the bright side, sweetheart. They know, they'll be dealing with it right now and we're in her safe and sound."
She turned her head and looked up at him with hooded eyes. "Is Rusty here yet?"
"Patrol has him. They're bringing him home as we speak," Andy told her softly. "He is safe, Sharon. Stroh is just messing with you."
"For now," she said tonelessly. "How cruel can he be, Andy?" For the first time in this whole ordeal, her eyes were beginning to fill up with tears. Maybe it was because the immediate danger to her family was banned for the moment and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off, allowing her to consider what lay beneath. "A new child to replace the one he will take." Her voice broke. "Andy, I'm so scared."
It wasn't really like her to admit to being afraid so openly, but he understood why she was doing it and it had nothing to do with the pregnancy hormones. He felt bad for her, but the worst thing was that there was nothing he could tell her to take the fear away from her.
"I understand," he said, his lips against the soft skin of her forehead. "No matter what happens, we will get through it."
For a moment they just held on to each other. Then she withdrew and looked up at him.
"I would like to talk to the team now."
Andy rolled his eyes. "Should you be on your feet so soon after what happened?"
"It's fine, Andy. You know I wouldn't do anything that could endanger our baby. In fact, Doc recommended that I walk around a little as soon as I feel up to it, in order to get rid of the dizziness."
Aware that he had no way of winning this argument, Andy helped her out of bed. Sharon looked down herself and grimaced at her attire which consisted of grey yoga pants and a tight white sweater. He could tell how apprehensive she was and gently took her hand.
"Why do you always insist on hiding your bump, Sharon?" he finally asked her the question that had been going through his mind a million times since he had realized what she was doing. Sharon looked away self-consciously and only responded when he gently made her look at him.
"I'm so old, Andy," she told him. "I am just dreading people talking about me like I'm some sort of freak show or, worse, accusing me of being selfish."
"Hey." He cupped her cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb, slowly becoming aware of how much this was really bothering her. "I'm even older than you are. We are in this together."
She smiled sadly. "It is not that uncommon for a guy your age to become a father. A woman my age, however-" She took a deep breath. "People just think that's weird."
He grinned at her. "It is, a little. But who cares what other people think, Sharon? If you had known that you'd get pregnant when we were in there-" He pointed towards the bed. "Would you have decided against it?"
She looked over at the bed and a smirk formed on her lips. She leaned in, sneaking her arm around his waist. "Oh, we weren't in there when I conceived, Andy."
"Uh," he said. "That time in the bathroom?"
She was chuckling now, her chest vibrating with laughter. "Oh, God, yes. That one time during that fortnight when we had absolutely no time together because of those back to back cases and the only time we were able to get together-"
"-was in the bathroom," he finished for her. "Oh my, do I remember that."
For a moment, they just grinned at each other like the idiots both Provenza and Doc Cottle kept accusing them of being. With them being of such similiar temperament, one would have thought they would get along splendidly instead of bickering like an old couple.
"Pretty good for an ancient woman," he teased, making her smile again before she pressed her lips to his.
"Just so you know," she whispered. "If I could turn back time, I wouldn't change a thing."
He squeezed her hand in his. "I am sure Little Peach is happy to hear that."
"-except for that nickname!" Sharon shook her head and opened the door, some of her old bravado having returned.
Outside in the hallway, the members of their team were standing in a semi-circle, almost as stunned as Andy had left them a few minutes ago.
"Ahem," said Julio, but then trailed off.
"Oh, Captain, I knew that you must have the cutest little bump under all those loose clothes!" Sykes squealed, causing Provenza to make a retching noise that was very badly disguised as a cough.
"I am not believing this," he informed no one in particular and everyone at once.
Sharon who had been looking a little uneasy with everyone's stares being fixed on her middle, rolled her eyes and reached out for Provenza's hand. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening to him, she had taken it and pressed it against her belly. Provenza's eyes widened in shock, disbelief and - quite clearly - disgust.
"That's a baby's movements you're feeling right there, Lieutenant," she informed him, holding his hand in a death grip against her swollen stomach. For a moment, the old man's face softened, then he wrestled his hand from Sharon's grip and stood back.
"You're wrong," he said simply and walked off.
Before anyone could say anything else on the matter, Sykes clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, Captain! Can I feel the baby kick, too?"
They were interrupted by the appearance of Rusty with two well-muscled, rather good-looking officers in tow who were easily putting the village people to shame (if one knew who they were). Rusty was scratching the back of his head in an attempt to look at ease while he was talking to the taller, better-looking of them.
"Yeah, well, you know..." he was saying as they were walking into the condo but stopped short when he became aware of the fact that the place was crawling with police officers. His clumsy attempt at flirting immediately forgotten, he stumbled towards Sharon and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Are you alright, Mom? Is the ba- I mean, is everyone else alright, too?"
"It's okay, Rusty, we know about the baby," Tao informed him.
"The baby's fine, honey," Sharon told him then shot a sideward glance at Provenza who was sulking in the corner, hands buried deeply in his pockets. "Even though some people are still in denial about its existence."
Rusty turned around to look at Provenza, one arm still draped protectively around Sharon's waist. Andy was almost sure that he hadn't realized that he had called her "Mom". He was very sure from the besotted smile on Sharon's face, however, that she had definitely caught it.
"Are you serious, Lieutenant? She is a walking advertisement for weird pregnancy behaviors."
"True," Andy said, burying his hands in his trouser pockets as Sharon shot him a glare.
"That's true indeed," Tao sighed wistfully. "I should have known. I almost became a doctor once, after all."
"I almost became a lawyer and I don't even fully understand my phone bill," Sharon threw in in a lame attempt at a joke.
"I knew!" Sykes announced proudly, but found herself ignored.
"Now, Sharon. What happened? Why is everyone here and why did I have to be escorted off the premises at college by police again? People are starting to think that I am with the mob or something." Andy noticed that he was back to using Sharon's first name now that he wasn't out of his mind with worry for her anymore.
"Rusty," Sharon said softly. "It's Stroh-"