Hey everyone! I'm back! Kind of... At least I'm going to try to update a few times this summer. College is stressful, especially if you still have to work a few jobs in order to pay for things like rent and food and pet stuff without getting into more debt. I will also be updating my stories in order to post on ao3 under the same username: pineappledalek.

Honestly, this is going to be one of my longer stories (not that I have any stand alone stories under 30k), and I only have about half of it planned out. I did shorten it a little bit but still am trying to flush out how Carlton reacts to everything. And I honestly barely have anything figured out for the second half.

This chapter took me a couple of tries to write. I actually changed my mind on one scene and moved it to the next month/chapter. It helps to explain who Sharon is, although there is one line in the last chapter that kind of gives it away. Anyways, I also updated the first two chapters a bit, but nothing that affects the plot. This site is being mean and not keeping all of my horizantal lines/page breaks.

As always, reviews are welcomed and I will try to respond within a week!

Enjoy!

*February*

The next month seemed to drag on for Carlton. If it was not for the almost daily correspondences with Sharon, Carlton might have proven Shawn wrong about shooting him in front of witnesses. Any time that Carlton asked Sharon personal questions, Sharon would answer vaguely and turn the conversation back to Carlton. Sharon had explained that she is originally from Santa Barbara and bought the cell phone to keep in contact with people in Santa Barbara when she could not use her work phone. Carlton still did not have a last name for Sharon so could not look her up on the police database.

A week after Valentine's Day, Sharon asked him what size clothes he wore. Carlton asked her why, but she only replied that it was a surprise. The day before she was due to arrive, Sharon told him to meet at a diner near the edge of town an hour after sunset. Carlton had offered to pick her up, but she declined, saying that she had a few errands to run first.

*February 27*

When Carlton finally arrived at the diner, Sharon was already sitting in a booth, drinking water. "Hey Carlton!" She smiled.

"Hey. Did you have a good trip?" Carlton asked as he sat down across from her.

Sharon shrugged, "It was okay. How was work?"

"I was doing paperwork all day."

"I bet you wish you were doing something, or should I say someone, else." Sharon grinned as Carlton blushed.

"How old are you? 12?" Carlton frowned as he grabbed a menu.

"Sometimes." Sharon drank more water before saying, "This place has really good sandwiches. I'm getting the grilled chicken and pineapple sandwich."

Carlton grimaced. "Pineapple on a sandwich? That sounds disgusting."

"Don't knock it until you try it! You can have a bite of mine if you want."

"No thank you. I will stick with a classic turkey and cheese."

"Your loss." Sharon shrugged as she waved the waitress over.

Once they were done eating, Sharon pulled a bag up off the floor and handed it over. "Here, I need you to go change."

Carlton looked in the bag. "Jeans? I have jeans that I could have worn."

Sharon grinned, "Just go change! I'll wait here."

Carlton sighed as he stood up.

Carlton tried not to growl as he heard someone knock at the bathroom door. "Hold your horses!"

"Carlton? Are you ready?" Sharon called sweetly.

"I can't wear these!" Carlton snapped as he glared at the mirror.

"Of course you can! Now let's go or else we'll be late!"

He pulled open the door and glared at her. "Late for what? I look like I'm about to go clubbing!"

Sharon laughed as she adjusted his mesh muscle shirt. "I think you look very sexy!"

"I can't be seen out in public like this!"

"Well, we could just stay inside then?" Sharon grinned as she wrapped her arms around him.

"We are still at the diner, don't start anything that we can't finish." He growled lowly.

"Who says that we won't finish?" She whispered in his ear.

Carlton immediately stepped back. "I'm an officer of the law, I can't…."

Sharon laughed, "Alright, fine! Here," She picked up a bag and handed it to him. "I got you a different shirt."

"What about these…tight jeans?" Carlton asked.

"There's another pair of jeans in there too if you must change, but I think these look good on you." She trailed a hand down his backside and he stepped away before her hands got too low. "Spoiled sport." She mumbled.

Carlton ducked behind a rock and closed his eyes as he listened to noises around him. "I can't believe that she got me to agree to this!" Carlton grumbled to himself.

"You love it," Sharon whispered in his ear.

Carlton jerked his head around to look at her grinning face. "What are you doing?! I thought we were on separate teams?!"

"Oh, we are! I just wanted to see if I could sneak up on you. And I did." She kissed his cheek before slipping away from him.

Carlton picked up his paint gun and got a shot on her leg before she disappeared around a tree. Her giddy laughter attracted more shots from Carlton's team, but she was well hidden and was even able to hit the others.

Carlton looked around the arena before getting out of his hiding place and taking aim at the other team.

"Wasn't that a lot of fun?!" Sharon asked as they turned in their equipment.

"Fun? A group of grown-ass people acting like children with little balls of paint that are probably going to leave bruises. Why did we come here?"

"Because you need to cut loose, and I thought that getting to shoot people, even just with paintballs, would be therapeutic." She shrugged and made for the exit. "I guess I was wrong."

"Wait a minute!" Carlton grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Aren't we going to change?"

"Why? You don't like these spiffy coveralls with paint all over them? They're the latest fade with all the kids." Sharon cocked her head and grinned. "Don't you want to be hip?"

"No!" Carlton glared as he took the coveralls off.

"Fine." She sighed as she followed his lead. "Do you want to get some drinks? Your choice."

"No more surprises?"

"Not tonight, at least." Sharon grinned.

*February 28*

As Carlton finished getting dressed the next morning, he glanced over at the bed. Sharon was still sound asleep, completely under the covers. Hearing his phone ring, Carlton started for it when he heard Sharon mumble, "Don't answer that!"

"I have to; it's probably work."

"You said that you had the day off."

"Crime never takes the day off." Carlton replied as he answered his phone, ignoring her scoff. "Lassiter…Yes Chief…But what if…I understand, but…You can't be serious!...No, of course not! I just…Understood…We'll see about that." Carlton frowned as he closed his phone and grumbled, "I'm gonna kill O'Hara!"

Sharon chuckled as she pulled the cover off her head and stretched, "What's wrong?"

"The Chief of Police is practically ordering me to not get involved with any investigation for the next 2 days with the threat of being suspended if I even set foot in the station! That can't be legal!"

"Guess that means that you are over-dressed. Need some help?" She smiled.

"Are you suggesting that we just…lie in bed all day?"

"Well, I can think of half a dozen fun things to do while at least one of us is lying down."

"Only half a dozen?" Carlton questioned as he loosened his tie.

Sharon grinned as she pushed all the blankets and sheets off of her. "I can double that if I had some of the things I left in the living room."

"Sounds promising."

"How do you feel about bondage?"

"Not really a fan." He grimaced as he removed his shirts.

"Really? I thought you would at least like handcuffs?"

"I did not become a cop because of the …fetishes. If anything, those are turn-offs for me."

"Pity." Sharon pulled out a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs from underneath the pillow. "I guess we'll get rid of these. How about your tie?"

"You are not messing up my ties!"

"What if I promise to buy you new ones?"

"No!"

"Oh well, we can discuss toys later. Get over here!"

"Do we have to go?" Carlton complained as he looked at the outfit Sharon had picked out for him.

"Please?! No one ever goes with me!" Sharon called from the bathroom. "I haven't gone in a few years and it's always more fun with friends!"

"Okay, but is the outfit necessary? I could get arrested for public indecency!"

Sharon laughed as she came out of the bathroom and adjusted her wig. "Trust me, nobody is going to arrest you." She was wearing fishnet stockings, striped shorts, a glittered corset, gold half-jacket, and a red bow on her neck. "Especially not with me on your arm."

Carlton blushed and looked away. "Please tell me you have more clothes to put on!"

"I have socks and a long trench coat because of the weather but otherwise, this is it. Don't tell me you've never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show before!"

"Only on television and I've arrested enough people leaving the showings."

Sharon gasped, "You're a Rocky Horror Virgin?! How exciting!" She went back into the bathroom to put on her make-up.

"I'm afraid to even ask."

"Trust me, you don't want to know! As tempting as it is, I promise not to point you out! But, you have to wear the outfit!"

"This is not an outfit! Looks more like someone got interrupted while getting dressed!"

Sharon sighed as she picked up lipstick. "Okay, I guess I should at least be happy that you agreed to come. Just, don't wear a tie."

"Holy Mother of Pearl, have any of these people heard of the California indecent exposure laws?!"

Sharon chuckled as they walked to the concession stand. "No one is showing their private parts, so calm down! And before you ask, the movie is rated R, so there shouldn't be too many young people around."

"So, I should start checking IDs and kicking out minors?"

"No. Rocky Horror is a fun and safe place. Besides, the employees are really good at spotting fake IDs." Sharon rolled her eyes as she looked around. Her eyes widened slightly before she started to walk backwards. "Hey, um. I'm gonna run to the ladies' room real quick. Get me a medium popcorn and Pina colada!"

Carlton crossed his arms and tried not to look at the people walking around in lingerie. Sharon was barely gone a few seconds when he heard someone call his name.

"Carlton! What are you doing here?"

"Henry, how are you?" Carlton asked nervously as he turned to face Henry Spencer.

"I'm good. Just caught the classic movie marathon. I'm surprised that I didn't see you earlier. Are you here to see Die Hard 2?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what are you here for? Don't tell me that you're going into Rocky Horror?"

"I believe that it is none of your damn business!"

Henry lifted his hands and shook his head. "Calm down, Carlton. I'm just asking. I'm guessing that your date is in the bathroom."

"Yes, and this is completely her idea. Do you really think that I would be caught dead here if I wasn't on a date?!"

"Nope. So, what's her name?"

Carlton sighed, "If you must know, her name is Sharon. I met her a couple of months ago at the New Year's Eve party."

"Sharon, huh?" Henry looked around before nodding. "Only two months and you're already going to things that you normally wouldn't. Must be one special lady."

"She's an enigma and intrigues me."

"Just be careful." Henry patted Carlton's arm. "Have a good night, Carlton."

"You too, Henry." Carlton frowned as he watched Henry walk away.

"Sir, are you ready?" The concessions attendant asked.

"Yeah," Carlton responded as he stepped up to the counter.

*March 1*

"Come on, wake up." Carlton shook Sharon's shoulder.

Sharon groaned and rolled away from him. "Go 'way."

"You need to get up or I'll be late."

"Late for what?"

"Civil War Reenactment rehearsal."

"That's today?" Sharon lifted her head and looked at him. "What time?"

"In an hour. I can drop you off somewhere else if you prefer?"

"Very tempting." Sharon yawned as she stretched. "How long is rehearsal?"

"Two hours. It's more of an information session for new recruits with the last part devoted to uniform measurements, so I would have to be there 90 minutes tops."

"Hmm, any chance I can stay here and just sleep?"

Carlton frowned. "I don't usually let people stay here alone, not even my sister."

"Honestly, I'm so tired I will probably still be asleep when you get back in 3 hours. Some of us are not morning people."

"And that's all you'll do?"

"I promise I won't venture outside the bedroom or bathroom."

"Fine. But don't touch anything! And I get to pick what we do tonight."

"Oh course." She turned on her side and pulled the covers up. "Good night."

"Why did I agree to this?" Sharon asked as they took their seats in the concert hall.

"Because I didn't kick you out this morning."

"Oh, well, I was still mostly asleep and didn't know what I was saying. I would have agreed to practically anything in order to go back to sleep."

"I'll keep that in mind." Carlton smirked.

Sharon playfully hit his shoulder. "Don't you dare use that against me!"

"I can't promise that."

She huffed and crossed her arms. Looking up at the stage, she asked, "So, who do you know in the choir?"

Carlton shifted nervously. "My mother and her partner."

"Oh crap, please don't tell me that you're going to introduce me to your parents?! That's super sneaky of you! We so have not been on enough dates for that!"

"While my mother can be a bit…overbearing at times, Althea is nice. It has taken me years to accept them and we actually don't talk regularly so they don't know about you." Carlton glanced down at the program he was twisting in his hands. "If you really don't want to, I understand. When my ex-wife met them, it did not go very well, and I was preparing myself for weeks."

Sharon placed her hand on top of his and squeezed. "Let me think about it. I've never really done the whole 'meet the parents' bit before." Leaning into his arm, she unraveled the program and started looking through it. "So, Althea did you say? Looks like she is solo-izing on the third song."

"Yes, that's her; but solo-izing is not a word. Soloing."

Sharon shrugged as the lights lowered. "Eh, tomato, potato."

"That's not right." He groaned as she giggled.

After the concert, Sharon excused herself to the restroom, so Carlton decided to greet his mother alone. "Hello Mother."

"Booker! I didn't expect you to come." Mona smiled as Althea made her way over.

"I just happened to have the evening free and thought I would come support you." Carlton replied awkwardly as Althea hugged Mona with one arm.

Althea looked him over. "You look well rested, for once. What have you been up to?"

"I met someone…." Carlton started, only for Althea snort and shake her head.

"And you're too shamed to introduce her to your lesbian mother and her partner?"

"Her name is Sharon, but she didn't feel comfortable 'meeting the parents' tonight."

"Let me guess, you didn't even tell her that we were in the choir until you were already here and seated?" Mona asked as Althea wrapped her arm around Mona's shoulder. "Is she homophobic like your last wife?"

Carlton shook her head. "Like I said, she was more concerned about making a good impression, so I don't believe so."

"Hmm, I guess you really are getting more tolerate as you age." Althea commented as she waved to someone off to the side. "If you'll excuse us, we have some people to mingle with."

Carlton closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and attempted to take deep breaths. He jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and a mouth was next to his ear. "Hey there handsome. Care to get out of here?"

"Damnit! Do you want to get shot?!" Carlton exclaimed as he turned around and out of her arms. "Don't do that!"

"Please, I know you don't have any guns on you, so that's an empty threat." Sharon crossed her arms and grinned. "So, how about we find a nice drinking establishment to calm your nerves?"

Carlton shook his head, "Sure, let's go before Althea decides to grill you."

*March 2*

As the first signs of dawn approached, Sharon hurried up the front steps, only to find the door locked. With a groan, she started pounding on the door. "Come on! I don't have time for this!"

The door opened seconds later, and someone stood in the doorway. "Good morning."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Hey dad."

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?"

"I don't know what 'we' you are referring to, but I made it in time."

"Where's your key?" She shrugged as she patted the sides of her dress to show that she didn't have any pockets.

"I forgot it. Barely remembered to grab my spare phone and wallet."

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, it was awesome. I will tell you all about it later, but first you might want to let me in before your neighbors find out how much of a freak your son really is."

Her dad stared at her for a couple seconds before stepping back. "You're not a freak."

Sharon scoffed as she entered and made her way to the steps. "I'm definitely not normal!" Sharon shouted as she ran upstairs.

Her dad shook his head as he shut the door and poured a glass of water. Sharon came back downstairs a couple minutes later in over-sized sweats and loose t-shirt. Her dad offered her the glass, "I put your medicine in it."

Sharon grimaced as she took a sip, "I hate the taste of this crap."

"It's supposed to help numb the pain so you're not completely knocked out for days."

"You would think that after a couple hundred years that they would have figured out something to make it taste better."

Her dad shrugged as they sat on the couch. "So, Carlton Lassiter?"

Sharon chuckled, "Do you really think that now is the right time for this conversation?"

"Seems like as good a time as any; especially since you're not likely to run out of here in the next few minutes."

Sharon sighed as she played with the empty glass. "I don't need your approval."

"I know, but I would still like to know if this is serious or just a fling."

"It could never be serious."

"Says who?"

She snorted as she felt her body start to go numb. "Um, hello? Where have you been for the last couple of decades? I don't do relationships."

"Does Carlton know that?"

"No. I think he wants more."

"And what do you want?"

"What I want and what reality is are two totally different things."

"If you told Carlton the truth, he might understand."

Sharon laughed, "Are you kidding me?! He would shoot first, then go drown himself in the bottle, assuming he doesn't shoot himself. No, it's better to keep it casual."

"It didn't look casual at the theater."

"Yeah. Well…" Sharon groaned and rubbed her stomach.

Her dad looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, I…gah!" Sharon wrapped her arms around her stomach and leaned forward. "It hurts!"

"Did you take all the medicine?"

"Of course I did! I…AH!" Sharon screamed as she started withering and jerking in pain.

Her dad quickly knelt on the floor next to her and pushed her back on the couch. "It's okay, just breathe!"

"IT HURTS! WHY THE HELL DOES IT HURT?!"

"I don't know, but you need to try to calm down and just breathe!"

Sharon cried out in pain as she felt her body slowly transform into the male shape that it was used to most of the year. After about 10 minutes of screaming and withering, everything seemed to have calmed down as both figures in the room tried to catch their breath. The silence was broken by someone knocking on the back door.

"Wait here." The dad said as he stood up and went to the door, ignoring the sarcastic reply of, "Like I could move if I wanted to."

He opened the door to the smiling face of Buzz McNab. "Good Morning Mr. Spencer. I hope that I didn't wake you."

"Not at all, McNab. How may I help you?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but we got a call from one of your neighbors that they heard screaming coming from your house. Mind if I take a look around?"

"Not at all. It was just my idiot son." Henry stepped back and let Buzz in. "He's been sick and, in his delirium, he managed to get some fish hooks stuck in him."

Buzz winced in sympathy as he entered the living room. "That sounds painful."

"Not too painful, but Shawn has a thing about anything resembling needles and overreacted."

"I resent that." Shawn panted from his spot on the couch, careful to keep his arms and legs covered by a blanket in case Buzz was checking for fish hooks.

"Are you sure you're okay, Shawn?"

"Yeah, Buzz. I'll be fine. I should be back at the station solving cases in no time."

Buzz nodded. "I hope you feel better soon. Would you like for Francine to bring over some of her famous chicken noodle and vegetable soup?"

"No thanks, I think I'm over the worst of it. No need to inconvenience her."

"I wouldn't be any trouble. Francine is apart of multiple meal trains and makes at least 4 meals a week for other people."

"Wow, that's cool." Shawn yawned and didn't bother hiding it. "I'm actually really tired Buzz, so I think I should take a nap."

"Oh okay. I should probably get make to my patrol. See ya later, Shawn." Buzz grinned as he made for the door.

Henry followed him. "Thanks, McNab."

"No problem, Mr. Spencer."

Once the door was closed and locked, Henry came back to the couch and sat down next to Shawn. "That was close."

"Yeah. You know Dad, I wasn't lying when I said that I was tired."

Henry frowned. "Are you still in pain?"

"My stomach still feels weird, but I probably just twisted weirdly."

"I should probably call Emera to come examine you."

Shawn rolled his eyes and stood up. "No need, I'm fine now! I don't need a witch doctor to tell me that I probably just drank too much and the alcohol reacted badly to the medicine. Now, I'm going to crash in my old bedroom for a few hours since apparently I can't make an appearance at the SBPD thanks to Buzz."

"The next time someone from the SBPD shows up, you can answer the door and give whatever excuse you want." Henry replied as Shawn went upstairs.