While You're Making Other Plans
by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon
17
Sharon turned onto her back and pressed the back of her hand against her mouth to hide her yawn. Blinking up sleepily at Andy, she reached out to cup his cheek. She looked most beautiful like this, it occurred to him. She was rarely as unguarded as she was when she fell asleep or woke up from a slumber and ever since she had gotten pregnant, she slept deeply even during the shortest of naps and waking up took time. She probably hadn't heard the little boy's curious questions, Andy told himself. He was still good.
"You're here," she murmured then turned to her left. "And you, little man." Her voice changed when she spoke to their grandson who really wasn't related to either of them, but had become part of their family nonetheless. The little boy was wide awake, bouncing up and down on the bed next to her in excitement.
"Grandma Sharon! Grandma Sharon!" he yelled.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Sharon asked, her voice still light and a little more high-pitched than usual. It was that tone that her children teased her about all the time, but Andy loved it.
"Are you going to marry Grandpa Andy?"
Oh no - this was not going as planned at all! As Sharon had turned towards the little boy, Andy had some leverage to gesture behind her back for him to stop, even going as far as pretending to zip his mouth, but he knew that he had lost since there was no way of containing the words that were flowing out of the kid's mouth like a waterfall.
"And can I carry the rings? I'm old enough now. I wasn't when Daddy married Nicole, but I am now. Can I, Sharon? Can I? Oh, please. You need to say yes when Grandpa asks you today. He would be so sad if you-"
"Oh, for God's sake!" Andy finally interrupted him, effectively ending the one-sided conversation. "I told you to keep it to yourself!"
The boy looked crestfallen and Andy felt instantly guilty for being so harsh with him. He scrambled for something to say, but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make it any worse. His heart was beating in his throat as he watched Sharon gently tell the kid to give them a moment. Her smile was so bright and endearing that the gloom lifted from the child's face and he willingly left them on their own for the time being.
As soon as the door had closed behind him, Sharon turned onto her back and smiled at Andy. She looked relaxed even though he knew that being on her back was anything but relaxing for her these days. He lay back down next to her and pressed his face into her soft skin where her shoulder and her neck met, inhaling her sweet scent.
He groaned.
Then he felt Sharon's body vibrate as she laughed. Her hand came up, her fingers sneaking into his hair at the back of his head and massing his scalp soothingly.
"Don't be angry with him. He didn't know any better."
"Didn't know any better? Are you kidding me? I didn't tell him once, I told him a thousand times not to say anything to you!"
He lifted his head and looked at Sharon to find her eyes shiny and a blush having fallen across her cheeks.
"You're enjoying my predicament!" he accused her, earning another chuckle. Aware that the baby usually reacted to its mother's mirth by kicking relentlessly, he placed his hand over Sharon's stomach and felt a kick against his hand. He looked up at her when she put her hand over his and he found her looking back at him.
"Andy, I already knew," she said softly but decisively.
"WHAT?"
Andy was pretty sure that he had to look like a cartoon character with his mouth hanging open like this.
She nodded, another smile tugging at her lips. At this moment, even though he would have liked to be cross with her for pretending not to have known while he was setting up this whole family affair in secret to propose to her as a surprise, she looked too lovely to seriously consider it. Her hand on his was warm and soft, her forefinger gently caressing the back of his hand as she spoke.
"Honey, I was in Electronics with Buzz when Ricky and Rusty grilled you on your intentions towards me via Skype and in person respectively. We didn't listen in on purpose, believe me. We were going to rewatch an interview and he hit the wrong button, so there we were. It was the sweetest thing, really. I don't think I've ever loved you more."
Andy's face was growing hot. That half hour had certainly not been the most pleasant of his life and he was embarrassed that she had witnessed it. Rusty and Ricky, having both experienced the way Jack had hurt Sharon time and again, even though in different ways and intensity, had been adamant that the man who wanted to marry their mother should prove to them that he was honest in his intentions. It had been a little bit ridiculous, Andy thought, as for all intents and purposes, he was living with her and was expecting a child with her. Marrying her would just mean making something legally binding that had already been there for a long time.
"Don't be embarrassed," Sharon told him. "You made a strong case."
"I did there, didn't I," he grumbled.
She turned onto her side again, slowly, as was the only way she could nowadays and rested her forehead against his. "I love you, Andy," she whispered. "and it's about time you ask me to marry you."
He opened his eyes and drew back to look at her. She looked genuinely excited, her cheeks pink and her smile nervous just as it had been back when he had asked her out on their first real date.
"If I ask, just promise not to say 'fine'!"
She chuckled and patted his chest gently. "Try me."
He rolled his eyes. This wasn't at all how he had planned his proposal to go, but there she was, snuggled up against him and looking up at him with those wonderful warm eyes of hers, waiting for him to make a move. He could have waited, of course, and chased her downstairs to go through with his initial plan, but this felt so intimate and so loving that he suddenly felt that he couldn't wait a moment longer. He took the little box out of his pocket and opened it, turning it around for her to see.
Usually prone to drawn-out speeches that usually went nowhere, he decided to keep it simple this time: "Sharon, will you marry me?"
He hadn't expected her to kiss him so feverishly and he rolled his eyes when she whispered into their kiss.
"Fine."
/
Sharon was having a hard time standing for any prolonged amounts of time, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't do it in her Murder Room. Most of the time, nowadays, she was cursing her bravado as her back was bothering her and her legs hurt even though she was lucky enough for her feet not to be swollen. She arched her back as she stood leaning against Provenza's desk and placed her hand on her belly when the baby reacted with a hard kick. She couldn't help but smile as she caught sight of the simple silver ring with the little diamond that caught even the harsh light of the Murder Room and made it beautiful. They had decided to wait until the baby was born to get married. He had pretended to not like it and she had pretended to insist because of the fact that she didn't want to get married with a baby bump under her wedding dress. They both knew the truth, however, which was that planning a wedding, however small it may be, was stressful and that any more stress would be more than Sharon could physically take at the moment.
"Hey Captain, why don't you take a seat?"
She snapped out of her reverie when Provenza addressed her and was momentarily stunned to discover that he was actually in the process of moving aside his bobble head and chattering teeth to make room for her to sit on his desk. This was definitely astounding, especially since Provenza still refused to acknowledge her pregnancy. He was a tough nut to crack, she had to admit, if even Patrice didn't manage to threaten him into submission. At least he was being good to her amidst his denial, even offering her a seat on the same desk that he was usually so territorial about.
With a gentle sigh, she sat down, not for the first time internally admitting that her very first notion upon learning of her pregnancy might have been right, that she might just be too old to do it again. The baby had hardly let her sleep the previous night and she was exhausted. Even though it felt good to be off her feet, sitting on the desk was a completely different sort of challenge as keeping her balance had become a bit of a feat in itself.
It was Andy who rescued her, albeit not by exhibiting unreasonable amounts of protectiveness this time. Instead he offered his hand to help her off the desk and grinned at her somewhat provocatively.
"Come on now, Captain. It is our turn to do the coffee run. I'll drive."
"Is it again?" she pretended to be annoyed. "Well then, Lieutenant."
She slid of the table, gracefully as aided by his hand, and walked towards the hallway, throwing instructions over her shoulder as she went. Once they were safely out of sight in the elevator, however, she leaned into Andy, feeling his arms come around her. She buried her nose in his chest and took a deep breath.
"Thank you," she whispered. He had learned to support her without being overbearing and she was very grateful for that.
"Let's get you in the car. I'll pick the farthest shop available and you'll recline that seat and get some rest, okay?"
"Rest," she murmured. "Okay."
He opened the car door for her and she climbed inside, her limbs feeling heavy. She chuckled despite herself when he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her in the passenger's seat, already drowsy with sleep that was about to claim her. She caught his hand in hers and squeezed it before she released it again. He closed the door gently.
/
Sharon was still asleep when they arrived at the coffee shop and Andy didn't have the heart to wake her. She had a few weeks to go before the start of her maternity leave yet, but she was exhausted already. He was trying hard not to appear overprotective, not to hover over her like a mother hen, but he found his ways to allow her to relax during the day without losing face. Those coffee runs were one of these means and he was a little proud of himself to have figured it out. Of course, the rest of the team was watching out for her as well - even Provenza who still insisted that she had had a big lunch. That excuse was becoming less and less believable. After all, she was already six months along now.
Andy eased out of the car and closed the door behind him slowly, making an effort not to wake her. For a moment longer, he watched her through the window of the driver's door. One hand draped over her belly, the other one was curled next to her head, her arm propped up against the headrest. She looked so peaceful in her sleep.
As he walked over to the coffee shop, untroubled by the long line in front of the counter, he pondered the idea of taking Sharon away on another weekend trip before the baby arrived. Some time away would do them both good and would give them some time to make that list of things they would need for the baby. And complete their list of names, still neatly divided into a section of boys' names and a section of girls' names as Doc Cottle remained as stubborn and uncooperative as ever.
It took him fifteen minutes to finally place his order, but he didn't mind as this would prolong the time Sharon had to rest before they would get back to the office. Once he had paid and was precariously balancing his tray of coffees towards the door, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out, half-expecting a disgruntled message from Provenza, harrassing him for taking so long. However, it was Sharon's name that popped up on the screen. She had probably woken up and was now wondering where he was. But wouldn't she have called? He swiped the screen with his thumb in order to open the message when he found that she had sent a picture.
The crash was so loud that everyone inside the coffee shop winced at the sound of it, but Andy Flynn had no way of noticing as his eyes were glued to the screen while the paper cups were rolling at his feet, spilling coffee all over the tiles and his shoes.
He ignored the angry barista and everyone around him as he ran for the door and for the parking lot, the image burned into his retinas.
The image had been sent from Sharon's phone, but he was sure that Sharon hadn't sent it herself. It showed her exactly as he had left her twenty minutes ago, fast asleep in the passenger's seat of his car, the dark shadow of another person hovering over her.