Notes: Hey all! Thanks for sticking with me! I realized that I don't have many (if any) 80's or pop culture references, so I tried to add a few. The next chapter is half done, it involves a doctor visit, so I'm trying not to screw stuff up (I kind of messed up a little on the timeline in the last chapter) and do proper research.

Anyways, reminders that I'm not an expert in anything and am not associated with anything you might recognize.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 6:

Henry met Gus in the driveway. "Hey Gus! Thanks for coming over so quickly."

"Well, Sharon messaged me that she had big news. What happened? Why hasn't she changed back yet?"

"Sharon will explain, but first I need you to promise me that you won't freak out in front of her." Henry squeezed Gus' shoulder. "She needs all the support she can get right now."

"Mr. Spencer, you're starting to worry me."

"Everything will be alright. Now, go on inside, Sharon is in the living room. I need to pick up some things from the store and call Shawn's mom. I'll be back in about an hour." Henry said as he quickly got into his truck.

Gus took a deep breath as he turned towards the house and entered with a knock. "Hey Sharon, it's Gus."

"Hey Gus." Sharon replied with a sniffle from the couch. "I'm glad you could come so quickly."

"Well, I was about to take my lunch break before starting my route, so I have some time to spare." Gus sat down next to Sharon on the couch.

"Oh, you don't have to miss lunch because of me."

"Don't worry, I'll grab something later. So, did Erma come by today?"

"Yeah, she, um. *sniffle* She did a couple of tests and gave me a diagnosis. I'm supposed to make an appointment with her granddaughter to confirm; although Erma seems pretty certain."

"What's the diagnosis?"

"Well…." Sharon was interrupted by a phone ringing

Gus looked at his phone and froze. "Juliet is calling."

"Why is she calling you?"

"I don't know! Maybe she tried to call you first; where is your phone?!"

"Hmm, good question."

"Did you remember to charge it?"

"Probably not. You should answer before she hangs up. And don't tell her I'm here."

Gus rolled his eyes as he answered, "Hello, Burton Guster speaking."

"Hey Gus, it's Juliet. How are you?"

"I'm good, Juliet, how are you today?" Sharon grabbed the phone out of Gus' right hand and held it between the two of them so they could both hear Juliet.

"I'm fine, although I admit it is a bit quiet at the station. Oh, I'm not disturbing you while at work, am I? I can call back later."

"No, not a problem, I actually took the afternoon off."

"Good for you. Are you with Shawn?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"I was trying to get ahold of him, but his phone keeps going to voicemail."

"Shawn has a habit of forgetting to charge his phone. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Maybe. While Carlton is out of town, I have been finishing up the paperwork from our most recent cases and I just need Shawn to clarify a few things before I send them to the DA. Is there any chance he would be able to come to the station in the next couple of days?"

Sharon shook her head rapidly and mouthed 'no'.

Gus gave her a concerned look as he replied, "Oh, um. No, Shawn wouldn't be able to come to the station anytime soon."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Shawn got a really bad stomach virus, highly contagious."

"Oh no! Is he okay?! Is he in the hospital?"

"He'll be fine but he's at his dad's house right now in self quarantine."

"Oh, then I guess I shouldn't visit him either."

"No, you better not. I am barely setting foot in the house in order to drop off supplies."

"Okay, well, do you think if I sent an email with scans of the files, he would be able to look everything over?"

"Yes. I will bring my laptop to Shawn tomorrow night and we will go over it."

"Thank you so much, Gus! I'm sorry to burden you with this."

"No problem, we just want to make sure everything is correct."

"Well, give Shawn my well wishes and tell him to charge his phone! I expect him to call me when he's feeling better."

"Of course. I will bring an extra charger over too."

"Thanks Gus, have a good day."

"You too, Juliet."

As soon as the call ended, Sharon hit Gus in the arm. "Dude! You suck at lying! 'A highly contagious stomach virus'?! So gross. C'mon, son!"

"First of all, Juliet is a cop and sees worse things at crime scenes. Second, how else am I going to keep her away from you?! I'm not going to tell her the truth about you being Sharon; you haven't told Lassiter yet."

"Hmm, good point. Especially since I won't be Shawn for a while!"

"Wait, why not? What did Erma say?"

"Okay, first, I need you to promise not to freak out. Well, you can freak out a little, it is definitely freak out worthy. Just don't have, like, a panic attack or make a Grammy winning scene."

"You mean an Oscar? The Grammys are for music while the Oscars are for film."

"Either way, my nerves are so shot from having my own scene less than an hour ago that I will start crying which will cause you to cry more and then we will just be in this big crying fest until either my dad gets back or one of us passes out from dehydration, which will probably be me but I'm also supposed to be keeping my stress levels down which seems virtually impossible after the news I got today and haven't even gotten around to telling you yet!"

Sharon took a deep breath as Gus just stared at her.

"Since you're already speechless, I might as well just tell you now: I'm pregnant. With Lassie's baby. Well, assuming my body didn't just randomly decide to get myself pregnant."

Gus shook his head in disbelief, "Sharon, you can't get yourself pregnant!"

"I shouldn't change genders once a month due to a random gene on my dad's side that skips generations; yet here I am, a pregnant woman! I didn't even know that I had ovaries or eggs! Oh man, imagine if I had suffered through menstruation every single time I was a woman! I probably would have killed myself years ago."

"Sharon!"

Sharon covered her face. "Crap, I didn't mean to say that!"

"You know damn well that suicide is not funny!"

"I was just stating a what-if! I'm so not suicidal right now! I have too much to live for! Wait, who are you calling?!"

"The office secretary in order to get my route postponed." Gus stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"I don't need to be on suicide watch!"

"You know the rules!" Gus stated before talking into the phone.

"Crap." Sharon whispered as she slouched on the couch. "I so don't need this right now!"

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When Gus came back into the living room, Sharon was still slouching with her arms crossed. Gus sighed, "You know I'm just looking out for you."

"Can you at least not tell my dad?! He's already in worried papa bear mode; I don't need him watching me like a hawk for the next week or so like last time."

"We'll see." Gus replied as he set down a tray with crackers, unbuttered popcorn, and water on the coffee table in front of her. "Now, what movie do you want to watch?"

Sharon shrugged and hugged a pillow to her chest. "I don't know. I'll probably end up falling asleep anyways. I'm pretty worn out, both physically and emotionally."

"How about The Breakfast Club?" Gus asked as he headed back into the kitchen.

Sharon chuckled, "You know I love me some John Hughes and Brat pack action. Although, how about For Keeps? It might prove educational."

"Oh hell no!" Gus called back. "We are not watching any movies about pregnancies or babies in the near future!"

"C'mon, Son! I need to know these things! Also, it might lighten the mood!"

"You know the rules: no movies that have overly sad scenes or dying or domestic violence."

"That eliminates most movies including some that are animated! Also, The Breakfast Club would fall under that category."

"Fine." Gus came back into the living room and placed a plate on the coffee table. "How about Back to the Future? It's only sad for like 5 minutes at the beginning and then again near the end."

"Sure." Sharon said as she looked at the plate. "Dude! What the hell is all that?!"

"It's my lunch."

"It looks like something Buddy the Elf would put together, minus the sugar. Or maybe what Rufio and the lost boys would eat."

"I'm hungry! You know I eat when I'm stressed! Plus, your dad has a lot of good food in the fridge that he won't be able to finish by himself."

Sharon covered her mouth and turned away. "Can you at least eat that in the kitchen? I'm feeling nauseous just from the smell."

"Fine. And it's nauseated, we already went through this!" Gus huffed as he marched back into the kitchen with his food.

"Wait! Are you going to get the movie for me?!"

"You can't have it both ways!"

Sharon sighed as she slowly stood up. "Fine, but only because I don't want you tracking that gross smell into my bedroom."

"Don't forget your phone and charger!"

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Gus was gazing unseeingly at the television when Henry arrived back at the house. Sharon was asleep with her head on Gus' shoulder and the movie credits were rolling.

"Hey Gus," Henry greeted softly as he sat in the armchair.

Gus took a deep breath as he blinked and then looked at Henry. "Oh, hey, Mr. Spencer. Has it been an hour already?"

"Almost 3, actually. Maddie decided to give me a run down of what not to say or do in these first few weeks. Then I got a call from Erma's granddaughter about setting up an appointment. I tried to call Sharon, but she didn't pick up."

"Yeah, sorry. Sharon had already fallen asleep by the time her phone rang. I couldn't reach it and figured, since only you and Lassiter have her number, that if it was important, you would call me."

Henry nodded, "Yeah, it's fine. I made the appointment for tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. Would you be able to join us?"

"I would but I'm not sure if I can make it. I called off work for the rest of today and will need to make it up tomorrow. Maybe I can take a late lunch and stop by?"

"No, don't worry. Would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow night? Hopefully she will have her appetite back by then."

"Sure, I'll try to stop by every night after work."

"Thanks. I'm going to change the sheets on her bed and do some laundry." Henry checked his watch. "Sharon needs to take her medicine in about 20 or 30 minutes. Are you okay with her on you; or do you want help moving her?"

Gus looked down at the peaceful expression on Sharon's face. "She's been like this for over an hour; she clearly needs the sleep."

Henry nodded and stood up. "Okay. Call me if you need me."

"Thanks, Mr. Spencer."

"No; thank you Gus."

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About 12 minutes later, Sharon's phone rang. Gus was going to ignore it, since he did not want to lie to Carlton, when Sharon groaned and squirmed.

"Gussy! Your shoulder is too boney, you should wear shoulder pads." Sharon mumbled.

Gus tsked and rolled his shoulder, making Sharon lean on the back of the couch. "I told you not to call me that! Plus I'm not a damn pillow!"

"Of course you are." Sharon yawned and sat up. "Was I just dreaming or did my phone ring?"

"Your phone was ringing. Since your dad is upstairs, I'm guessing it's Lassiter."

"Awww, look at you! Using deductive reasoning! I'm so proud!"

Gus tsked again and barely got out "Sharon!" Before her phone rang again. "You better answer your damn phone!"

"Crap." Sharon whispered as she stared at her phone.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Preferably not."

"He has a right to know."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but he's halfway across the country right now! This isn't something you announce over the phone. He knows I was seeing a doctor today; so maybe he'll think that I'm still there."

"Or he might think that you got bad news and are avoiding him on purpose." The phone stopped and Gus nudged her arm. "So, you're just going to let him worry?"

"No, I'm trying to get my thoughts in order and figure out what to say."

Gus's phone rang next and Gus glanced at the caller ID. "Great, now he's calling me! You know that man scares me, right?!"

"Gus! Lassie is all bark and no bite!"

"Maybe to a skinny white girl who he's clearly in love with."

"Gus!" Sharon blushed and covered her cheeks with a blanket. "He's not in love with me! I'm just his current fling."

"Lassiter doesn't do flings and you know it! You've gotten closer to him in 4 months than Juliet has in 4 years! Juliet said that she's only been to his new house once and that was because she was picking up case files when he was too sick to come into work. Also, why else would he be bothering me if he wasn't in love with you?!"

"Because he knows you're afraid of him and don't want to get on his bad side."

"True, but it also means that he's worried enough about you to show weakness in front of me. You need to call him back."

Sharon sighed and lowered the blanket. "Okay, give me my phone."

Gus made sure that Sharon started the call before going into the kitchen to refill their snacks.

Sharon smiled slightly when she heard Carlton's relieved greeting. "Sharon!"

"Hey Carlton."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, yet exhausted. Thanks for asking."

"How did your appointment go today?"

"Well, I found out what was wrong."

"And?"

"And... it's not exactly something I should reveal over the phone."

"Are you dying?"

"Haha, no. It's not terminal, usually."

"Okay, well I should be back in Santa Barbara late tomorrow night. Will you still be in town?"

"Umm," Sharon nervously bit her lip before shaking her head. "No. I wasn't supposed to be here this long, and I've got a few things to take care of."

"So I have to wait until next month before I can find out what's wrong?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'm actually still in shock right now, so I need time to process everything."

"Would it help if I had my flights transfer through Portland or Seattle so we can talk?"

"That's sweet, but I really just need some space. I promise you that I am not dying; there are just a few lifestyle changes that need to happen."

"Okay. But call or text me anytime if you need a sounding board or a second opinion or if you need me to discreetly get rid of someone; I have connections."

Sharon laughed softly and blinked a few tears away. "Thanks. Oh, and please don't bother Gus! He is sworn to secrecy and would rather take a bullet than to betray me."

"I'll believe that when I see it. Guster and Spencer both have a strong sense of self-preservation, assuming of course one of them isn't in danger, then they're fiercely loyal. I guess you could do worse in picking friends."

"Wow. I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult."

"A little bit of both."

Sharon laughed. "True."

"Well, I should get back to the case."

"Okay. Thank you for checking up on me."

"Of course, that's what a boyfriend does, as juvenile as that word sounds."

"Haha, okay. Bye."

"Bye."

….

Gus rejoined Sharon on the couch and passed her the popcorn. "So, what did you tell Lassiter?"

"That I need some time to think and I will tell him about it in a month or so."

"And how do you plan on avoiding him for a month?"

"I figured I would go see my mom? That way when people ask where Shawn is, you won't exactly be lying if you tell people that there was a medical problem and I went to stay with my mom."

"And if Juliet wants to call to check up on Shawn?"

"Tell her it's really spotty cell phone coverage or I broke my phone." Sharon sighed and looked down at her stomach. "Why does my life have to be so complicated?!"

Gus shrugged, "Just lucky, I guess."

Sharon snorted, "If I was lucky, that family gene would have been dormant for yet another generation; or would have died out before me."

"Sharon, what is that one Monty Python song that you love?"

"What does Spam have to do with anything?"

"No! 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'."

"You're not going to start singing, are you?"

Gus rolled his eyes and sighed, "My point is, instead of seeing this as a curse, you can recognize the blessing that it is! You are creating life! In 7 or 8 months, when you are holding your little baby for the first time, I dare you not to cry happy tears!"

"After all the blood, sweat, and pain that will be involved in getting that baby out, it will be a miracle if I'm not crying."

"And I will be right there, recording that special moment, as any dutiful godfather does; and using it later as blackmail."

"Wait, did you seriously just name yourself Godfather, but also threaten to blackmail me, all in the same sentence?!"

"Like you wouldn't do the same thing if our roles weren't reversed!"

"Hmm, Touchy."

"It's 'Touche' and no, you have not heard it both ways, even if you have tried to spell it the same way!"

Sharon laughed and started to get off the couch. "Thanks Gus. Now excuse me before I wet myself, although I still might have to change my underwear!"

"TMI, Sharon! TMI!"

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They were halfway through the third movie of the series when Henry came into the living room. Sharon was laying across the couch while Gus was sitting in the armchair. "I'm about to make dinner, any requests?"

"I'm fine with whatever you make, Me Spencer; your meals are delicious." Gus commented.

"Noodles with butter." Sharon mumbled, sounding half asleep.

Henry snorted. "I knew you would both say that. Gus, I'm going to grill chicken and make sauce to go with the noodles."

"Let me know if you need any help." Gus offered.

Henry glanced at Sharon, "Thanks, but I can handle dinner."

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Gus and Henry sat at the kitchen table to eat dinner while Sharon stayed on the couch.

"So, how's she doing?" Henry asked softly as he glanced into the living room.

"I'm honestly not sure. I can't tell if her current lethargy is because of being sick the past few days or if she's going through a depressive spell."

"Maybe a little bit of both. Erma warned me that one of the herbs would act like a light sedative and that I should give her some today and then every night before bed."

Gus frowned. "Do you mind if I take a look at what she left you?"

"Sure. But you know Erma has been helping Sharon for almost 20 years now, she knows what does and does not work for her."

"Yeah. Erma is the only medical professional that Sharon will tolerate, barring any emergencies."

"If you two are done talking about me," Sharon said as she walked into the room to return her dishes. "I'm about to put in another movie."

"Which one?"

"Ferris Bueller."

Gus nodded as he finished his food. "Okay. I'll be right there."

Henry snorted and looked at Gus, "Are you planning on staying here all night?"

"No, I need to sleep in my own bed."

Sharon grinned and patted Gus' shoulder. "Yeah, Gus would give the prince and the peanut a run for their money."

"The princess and the pea! And look who's talking!" Gus replied as he shook off her hand.

"Hey! Did you not just see me sleeping on the couch? Obviously, I can sleep almost anywhere."

Henry shook his head and he stood up. "I'm going to wash my truck while it's still light outside."

"Didn't it just rain a few days ago? Why do you need to wash it?"

"And this is why you are no longer allowed to wash my truck without supervision."

"Too bad that didn't completely get me off the hook."

"Oh no, with all the stress you put me through, you have a lot of chores to do once you're feeling better."

"Gus! New plan! I'm staying at your place!"

Gus shook his head as he picked up his dishes. "Hell no, Sharon! You are not messing up my bachelor's pad with your pregnancy stuff."

"Rude!"

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"Sharon, it's getting late and you can't sleep on the couch." Henry said as he turned off the television.

"Why not?!" Sharon complained as she slowly sat up.

"You will hurt your back and I doubt you want to suffer through that as well."

"Maybe it will distract my stomach from trying to kill me."

"You're not dying." Henry crossed his arms.

"It sure feels like it. Besides, you're not a doctor."

"No, but if it was going to kill you, it would have happened by now."

"Wow, you managed to say that with a straight face and everything."

"Sharon! Get up!"

"Okay, okay!" Sharon slowly stood while holding her stomach with one arm. "Ugg, why is the bedroom so far away?"

"I don't know, blame your mother; she picked out the house."

"I guess it's a day for blaming relatives." Sharon groaned in pain as she started up the stairs. "She can get in line behind great grandpa Johnny, grandpa Henry, and you."

"And why, might I ask, are you blaming everyone?"

"Because you all decided it was a good idea to reproduce even though this curse runs in the family! Just because it skips a generation or two doesn't mean you should have taken the risk!"

"Does that mean I shouldn't expect any more grandchildren from you?"

"That is so not where I wanted this conversation to go, but hell no! In the off chance that Lassie or anyone else would want to settle down with my two halves, I wouldn't place this curse on any other unsuspecting child."

"Who says it's a curse?"

"Um, me? The person who is suffering and just wants to have a normal life!"

Henry stopped Sharon before she could go into her bedroom. "Hey, I'm sorry. You're right, it's not my place to judge. If I could, I would take it away from you in a heartbeat. And I probably should have thought about the chances of you getting this 'curse' before having kids. As much as I hate seeing you suffer, not having you in my life at all would have been a whole lot worse."

"Are we having a moment?" Sharon asked as she wiped a tear away. "Because I am so exhausted right now and have like zero control over my emotions and am about to pull a Gus."

Henry snorted and walked away, "Goodnight, kid."

"Night. And Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Of course."