While You're Making Other Plans
by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon
Chapter 29
"Oh... no... Andy, be careful there! Please!" Sharon gasped.
"That's probably what she said when you got yourself into that!" Provenza quipped, pointing at Sharon's stomach in passing. The mere fact that he actually had one of his hands free was ridiculous as he was supposed to be helping with the move. In Andy's opinion, carrying one of Sharon's orchids did not exactly count.
So he rolled his eyes, both at his partner and at his future wife. It was not that he wanted her to actually carry anything, that had been out of the question for him from the start. It was just that years of being the only adult in the household and then years of living on her own had made her quite adamant about what went where and how to do things. Truth be told, it was a bit of a nightmare. Much like it had been back in the day when she had forced everyone around her to comply with each and every one of her little FID rules.
He nervously shifted the spindle-legged table he had been wrestling into the hall in an attempt to glare at Sharon over the top of it. Who cared if he dented the wall a little? But of course, Sharon had a different idea about that. She liked her home spotless.
"It goes in the living room, right?" he panted exaggeratedly to let her know that she was holding him up there.
"Yes. By the window. Thank you, honey." She touched his shoulder gently as he passed her.
Damn her for being so sweet after being so demanding. He was never able to be angry with her for long. Provenza was a different story as he practically skipped past Andy on his way back to the moving truck, about to pick up another orchid or maybe a light pillow, no doubt. Andy exhaled with relief when he set the table down in its designated spot. He had to admit that Sharon's furniture went well with his house and made it both more stylish and more homey. He was sure that his old aunt would have approved.
He couldn't help but grin when Rusty walked in, arms straining around a box that was labeled "Easter Decorations".
"Oh, honey, careful with that!" Sharon said, rubbing his shoulder as he set the box down in the middle of the living room where it clearly didn't belong. "Is your shoulder okay?"
Rusty looked a little annoyed at his mother's concern and just shrugged. "Yeah, I'm good, Mom."
Sharon came over and placed a kiss to Andy's sweaty temple. She grimaced and wiped her mouth. "Would you be a dear and get those decorations down to the basement?"
Andy huffed, fed up with holidays for the moment. Christmas had been spent at Nicole's house, as they had been wanting to put the move off until after the holidays. On the one hand, they had been more relaxed than usual with not being the ones responsible for making dinner for once, and on the other hand, Nicole's step sons had refused to make Christmas the quiet affair it had been supposed to be. Late in her seventh month of pregnancy, Sharon had spent most of the evening lounging comfortably on the couch, enjoying her favorite holiday.
"Later. I need some water. What about you, Rusty? Sharon?" Both nodded, so Andy went over to the fridge and passed out drinks just as Provenza entered, predictably carrying nothing more than a fragile lamp that Andy would have even allowed Sharon to take on.
"Uh," Sharon said, pressing both hands to her stomach. "that hurt."
"Little guy is just as clumsy as his dad," Provenza snarled, earning a long look that reminded Andy of the ones Sharon had started giving Gavin lately. He was yet to find out what that was about.
Andy moved to stand behind Sharon and placed his hands on both sides of her belly nuzzling her neck. She squealed a little as his damp shirt made contact with her back. It was easy for her to look and smell so clean and fresh when she had done nothing but give orders all morning.
"Are you subtly trying to tell me that you don't love me as much when I am all grimy?" he asked her, exerting some gentle pressure of his hand against their stretching baby. Sharon turned her head and smiled pressing her lips to his chin and closing her fingers around his.
"That is not what I am doing, honey, but you do smell a little unpleasant at the present time." Andy growled and stepped away from her just in time to see a young man carrying in two moving boxes at once with a lot less effort than semed humanly possible. When he set them down by the empty shelves by the window where Andy had made space for Sharon's books, he couldn't help but be impressed that he had managed that weight.
Sharon clapped her hands at the sight of him.
"Oh, hi Thomas! You should have said hello before you started carrying things!" she exclaimed brightly, walking over to the new arrival to hug him. His arms went around her, holding her carefully as if he was afraid that he would hurt her if he squezed her too hard. He didn't seem to mind her hair in his face at all. Andy snorted.
When they came apart after what seemed like an inappropriately long time to Andy, the young man smiled, his sandy blond hair catching the afternoon sun and the shape of his stomach muscles discernible even through the fabric of his shirt the color of which – of course – matched his bright blue eyes.
Sergeant Lap Dog Elliott. The mean nickname seemed too tame now that the guy had the guts to walk right into his living room and hold his fiancée like that, Andy thought.
"It's no trouble, at all, Captain!" Thomas Elliott insisted, shrugging his broad shoulders, his hand still resting on Sharon's upper arm.
Sharon smiled at him and cocked her head in that special way of hers. "I told you that it's Sharon now, Thomas."
"Oh, yeah." He touched the back of his neck nervously, thereby revealing the perfect muscles of his left arm. Andy caught sight of Rusty leaning his head to the side to get a better view, his eyes slightly glazed over. "Sorry... Sharon. I guess I still need to get used to calling you that."
She smiled again, placing her hand on his arm as she ushered him towards Andy and Rusty. Rusty stood up taller while Andy folded his arms in front of his chest in hopes of making his own biceps look a little more impressive.
"This is my son Rusty." She gestured towards him who laughed nervously and shook Elliott's hand, obviously completely smitten. "And you know Andy Flynn, of course."
"Of course," Elliott grinned. "We haven't been seeing a lot of you around lately, Lieutenant."
Andy growled and refused to move his arms to shake the other man's hand. During her FID days, it had been a running joke in the department how the Wicked Witch always got the most attractive young officers to work for her. Now suddenly he didn't think it so funny anymore. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sharon furtively rolling her eyes.
"I didn't know you had invited him," Andy said, unable to keep the accusing tone out of his tone.
"Invited?" Sharon laughed. "You're making it sound as if this was a party, Andy. Thomas graciously offered to help with the move today."
"Meh," Andy said, before he could contain himself. He sounded like an internet meme.
"There is a sideboard out there that looks heavy. I'm going to go and see whether I can help with that." Elliott touched Sharon's shoulder again on the way out, making Andy's hand twitch with the urge to reach for the book on the coffee table and throw it after him.
"Yeah! Sideboard!" Rusty shouted, making everyone wince, as he suddenly jolted out of his awestruck stupor to run after the other man.
"Andy," Sharon said sternly as soon as they were alone. "Don't you dare be unkind to Sergeant Elliott."
"It is enough that I will have him around at work all the time come Monday," Andy complained. "I don't need this walking advertisement for steroids inside my house!"
Sharon rolled her eyes again and started walking towards the kitchen. "If that is so, you should have asked someone more helpful than Provenza to help with the move. At this rate, it would have taken days just to unload the truck!"
Andy huffed, refusing to acknowledge that she was right. "And your superhero out there is going to speed things up, right?"
"Um, yes." Sharon said decisively. "You have no reason to be mean to him."
"Other than that he is a part of the rat squad!"
Sharon turned around to face him rather quickly. "Just like I was for most of my career!"
"Duh," Andy said, out of valid arguments already.
Sharon shook her head in disbelief. "This is discrimination. Are you aware of that?"
"Discrimination?" Andy echoed, his jealousy making him raise his voice. "What are you going to do? Send me to a sensitivity course because I offended your favorite little ex-minion?"
Now it was her turn to cross her arms in front of her chest. He couldn't help but notice the way it made her cleavage look in the tight tank top she was wearing.
"You're lucky I am on maternity leave or I would do just that," she said and marched out of the room where raised voices could be heard. It sounded a lot as if Provenza was arguing with Elliott and Andy couldn't hide his satisfied little grin.
Then his phone rang.
/
Andy unlocked the front door, feeling more tired than he had in a long time and in dire need of a shower. The call had come in just in time to prevent a major blow-out between Provenza and Elliott who had had the ill grace to ask Provenza to help him carry the sideboard. A man had been found murdered in the mayor's garden, which had required their immediate presence. Now it was three in the morning and Taylor had sent them home to get some rest. Fully expecting to bump into a box or a stray piece of furniture, Andy crept through the dark hallway towards the light switch. When he used it, his eyebrows flew up in surprise.
There were no stray objects to speak of. In fact, the hallway and what he could see of the living room looked more tidy and put together than ever before. He strolled into the living room and found everything in its designated place, even Sharon's current favorite blanket folded neatly on the sofa.
His mind set on his shower, he climbed the stairs and walked right into the bathroom to wash off the sweat from the move and the smell of the crime scene. Dressed in a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt and feeling much better, he went into the bedroom to find Sharon fast asleep. He had almost forgotten their stupid little fight anyway, but the sight of her made him let go of the last remaining bit of irritation almost immediately. She was curled on her side, one hand under her cheek, the other on top of her belly. One foot was sticking out of the covers, her ankle showing a hint of her favorite pair of silk pajamas while her shoulder was bare, so he knew she must be wearing one of those tight cotton tops he was so fond of.
The night was cool and the window was open, so she shifted with a little groan when he lifted the covers to climb into bed behind her. Her head turned towards him and she pressed her nose into the crook of his neck for a moment.
"What time is it?" she murmured sleepily then sighed when he slid his hand onto her stomach.
"Three a.m.," he responded, leaning down to kiss her neck and inhale her scent. She must have taken a shower before bed, because her hair was still damp. Inching closer to her, he exerted a gentle pressure against her stomach with his flat hand.
Sharon hummed in protest. "Don't wake him up, Andy. He just fell asleep."
Andy frowned.
"He? Has Provenza finally gotten to you?" he asked in amusement. She was known to say the weirdest things when woken up in the middle of the night. Once she had suggested getting a dog and naming him Hermann. The next morning she had fiercely denied that it had ever happened.
Sharon froze for a moment, then turned her head and smiled at him through the darkness. "Would it be that bad?"
He kissed her, delighted to find her responding softly but eagerly, her fingers wrapped around his to keep his hand away from her stomach. Settling down behind her, he moved her hair out of the way and aligned his body with hers. She hummed happily and he felt her smile against his cheek. Sharon carefully placed his hand against the side of her belly, covering it with hers to keep it from wandering.
"No waking the baby up, honey, I'm serious," she whispered, lying very still.
He chuckled despite the fact that his exhaustion was already falling over him like a heavy blanket, drawing him down into the deep waters of sleep.
"My poor little punching bag," he murmured. "We ought to teach that kid some manners."
It took his sleep-ridden brain a moment to make out what she was saying in response but then he realized what she had just whispered: Boys!
His fatigue disappeared for a moment as it registered with him. She turned around on her back carefully to be able to look at him through the darkness. In the pale light of the full moon that filtered in through the window, he could see the quiet anguish in her eyes. She seemed anxious to get something over with.
"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now," she began, hesitating but then visibly urging herself to go on. "When you were in that pool house and I was at the hospital, the attending physician didn't take into account that I might not know the gender of our child given all the tests that Doc Cottle had run, so he just referred to the baby as a 'he'."
For a moment, Andy didn't know what to say, so he just stared at her, his mouth hanging open.
"You were so happy that we were having a little girl and I had been so convinced that we would, too." Even in the darkness he could tell that she was blushing furiously. "I didn't have the heart to tell you."
"But you told Provenza?" he asked, saying the first thing that came into his mind. He hadn't yet decided whether to be angry about this or not.
"I had a fever and I was so afraid that I'd never see you again, so I told him that you were right thinking that it might be a boy," she admitted. "I didn't think he'd use it against me."
Despite his bewilderment, Andy grinned. "It's Provenza. He would always use anything against you!"
She sighed. "True."
For a moment he just looked at her on her back like that, her hair spread out on the pillow in wild, half-dried waves that looked almost black in the darkness, her skin so pale in contrast and her eyes dark pools of green, intently looking at him to gauge his reaction.
He gently slipped his hand under her top and bent down to place a soft kiss just above her belly button.
"A son then," he said matter-of-factly. "I am glad Little Peach is gender neutral."
He felt the tension leave her and settled back down next to her, his hand splayed over her belly.
"I was worried that you'd be mad," she said. "I should have told you sooner."
"You should have." He pecked her lips and gave her a devious smile when he pulled back to look at her again. "Because now you owe me."
"Uh-oh," she said. "What have I gotten myself into?"
"Indeed," he agreed. "I get to choose the style of the nursery. It's the least you can do for me."
He enjoyed seeing her cringe at the prospect. In the end, he'd get tired of picking a shade of paint or deciding the furniture and she would take over, but he liked seeing her fidget, thinking that he was serious.
"I'm thinking Dodgers blue all the way!" he announced, almost laughing out loud when he saw the look on her face. "The walls and the furniture."
Sharon groaned. "Don't shock me into labor in the middle of the night!"
He pulled her against him and laughed into her hair.
"Now about your famed motherly intuition..."
"I don't want to hear it," Sharon begged. "Please! This is also why I haven't told anyone." She pouted. "All the teasing is not good for me in my condition."
Andy rolled his eyes as she stuck out her lower lip in an attempt to be cute.
"Says the woman who had to be bullied into taking early maternity leave. I am not buying it, Sharon, and the teasing shall go on until he is in college." He smiled as he said it, the whole reality of their having a son just sinking in now. He was a little sad to have to say farewell to the life with a little daughter he had envisioned, but he found himself just as excited at the prospect of raising a son with Sharon.
"That also means no ballerinas and matching pajamas for us," he said, referring to Gavin's set-up. Sharon groaned.
"He's been blackmailing me, can you imagine? He was at the hospital as well, so he knows, and he's been threatening to tell you if I didn't provide him with a never-ending supply of champagne."
"Really?" Andy asked, half-amused, half-annoyed by the other man's treatment of Sharon. He pressed his lips against Sharon's temple. "Let's think about how we can get back at him in the morning."
He felt Sharon's laughter more than he heard it as her back vibrated against his chest.
"He so has it coming!"