Hey all! So two decisions/announcements: I'm going to attempt to post new chapters twice a month, around the 1st and 15th. Having a set update schedule is usually very helpful. Also, I've realized that the chapters have gotten progressively longer, so I'm going to aim for between 2k and 3k words (The next chapter is almost 5k and I need to split it up).

Just a reminder that I am not an expert in anything and sometimes I mess up in my research. And I realized a week ago that I haven't included many pregnancy symptoms after the diagnosis, so have tried to add them in. Also, the views/opinions of the characters are not my own.

This chapter continues on the same day that the previous chapter ended and then continues the next day, so Sharon is about 9 weeks pregnant.

Enjoy!

X

X

X

Chapter 9:

*Friday, April 23rd continued*

Once they were in Carlton's car, Sharon asked, "So, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"

"Not unless I get called into work. How about you?"

"Nope. Do you mind if we go to the beach?"

"It's raining."

"So? As long as it's not storming, we'll be fine. Unless you melt in the rain?"

Carlton rolled his eyes as he started the car. "Okay, but I'm bringing my umbrella."

"I know the perfect spot, where there's usually no people. Although, we should probably eat lunch first. And find a bathroom."

"Are you sure this is right?" Carlton asked as they travelled down an overgrown dirt road.

"Yeah, I discovered this while I was in high school."

"Is it private property?"

"No. There used to be an old amusement park owned by a country club a century ago and you could only get here by horse buggy because the surrounding area was private property owned by other entities. It kind of lost favor after the second world war, once everyone was buying their own cars and second houses and traveling for more exciting vacations. The park and land was eventually sold to the city for a cheap price, but the city never saw any reason to invest in it since it was hard to get to. They tried a few summer camps but the electricity wasn't reliable enough."

"Is it maintained at all? Or checked for illegal activity?"

Sharon laughed, "I know the park rangers come out to check once a week or so. Other than me, I don't think any other teenagers have managed to find this spot. So no raging parties or illegal drug exchanges."

"I might have to tell the beat cops to put this place on their route."

"Why?! Nothing has happened yet, there's no reason to let more people know about it. This is almost 2 miles down a dirt road with no streetlights! Teenagers are not coming here!"

"What about drug lords?"

"There are rocks a few hundred yards from shore which makes it too dangerous for people to drive their boats in."

"I still think that a secluded spot like that would be a hotbed for illegal activity."

"Lassie! Will you just leave it be?! Please?!" Sharon whined.

Carlton took a deep breath. "I will, but only if I don't see anything suspicious."

"Fair enough, I guess."

"And why are you suddenly calling me Lassie?! My name is Carlton."

"Carlton is so formal! Lassie is more laid back and friendly. A nickname between close friends."

Carlton shook his head, "Well, Sharon isn't that much better than Carlton."

"Hey! Leave my name alone!'

"Only if you leave my name alone."

"But Shawn and Gus and sometimes even Juliet call you Lassie!" Sharon sighed, "How about a nickname for me?"

"I can't think of any nicknames for Sharon."

"There's Shae, Ron, Rin, and Sharie. Or how about a pet name? Like pumpkin, darling, pookie, sweetie, sweetums, sweet thang, sweet cheeks, baby, babe, babykins, baby mama, babydoll, doll, dollface, …."

"Okay, I get it!"

Sharon laughed, "I'm just saying, I could do a whole lot worse than Lassie. Besides, Lassie isn't exactly a whimpy name and you totally own it, babe."

Carlton groaned, "Fine! Just no baby names for me."

"Alright, sweetie." Sharon pointed out the windshield. "Look! That's the last sign before we get there!"

"Finally."

Sharon laughed, "I'm the one who should be relieved. This bumpy road is giving me some major motion sickness here, which is competing with my morning sickness. Did you know that morning sickness isn't limited to just the morning?! So not fair."

X

X

X

After finding a trash can and rinsing her mouth out with a water bottle, Sharon claimed an abandoned bench near the shore while Carlton took a look around. There were several pavilions scattered around with benches and tables, all in need of cleaning and refurbishing. There were old foundations that could have been bathhouses, a kitchen, and stables. There were overgrown shuffleboard and basketball courts. There was an emergency radio by the dirt parking lot that listed the information for calling the rangers. The beach stretched about a quarter of a mile before it hit rocks on one side and a steep hill on the other. As Carlton walked the perimeter, he did not notice any obvious signs of litter or human activity. The beach seemed practically forgotten.

When Carlton walked back to Sharon, he noticed that her face was turned upwards with her eyes closed. He stood there for a minute and just watched her.

"You should take a picture," she whispered. "It will last longer."

He chuckled, "It's not the same."

"Your loss." She looked at him and smiled. "Are you gonna sit down?"

"The bench is wet."

"Your pants are going to be soaked soon enough. You can sit on your jacket since your umbrella will keep your shirt dry." She shrugged. "Or go back to the car for a blanket, I don't care."

Carlton sighed as he took off his jacket and placed it around Sharon's shoulders before sitting down. "You're cold."

"Barely."

"We should probably head back soon before you get sick."

"It's only been a half hour and I'm not even shivering; I'll be okay for awhile."

"If you get sick, you'll probably pass it onto me, and I cannot afford to be sick. You get 10 more minutes."

"Oh, come on! This is one of my favorite spots and it will be weeks, possibly months, before I can come back here! An hour."

"That's too long when you're already wet. 20 minutes."

"If I'm already wet, why does it matter?! 2 hours!"

"You're not supposed to get further away from my counter offers! 30 minutes or I will pick you up right now and carry you back to the car!"

She laughed, "As tempting as being carried is, I guess I'll settle for 30 minutes."

"Good."

She kissed him on the cheek before settling against his shoulder and pulled the jacket tighter around herself. Carlton wrapped an arm around her and held the umbrella over them both.

After a few minutes of silence, Sharon spoke softly, "I've camped out here a few dozen times, with or without a tent. It's one of the only places where I know I can get completely away from everyone, with no distractions. Besides Gus, you are the only other person I have ever brought out here."

"Not even Spencer?"

She laughed, "Well, Shawn has been out here, too."

"Why don't you ever talk about Spencer or your family?"

"It's complicated."

"Do they even know that you're pregnant?*

"Oh, they know."

"Did something bad happen between you?"

She sighed, "Look, I promise to tell you later."

"Before the baby is born?"

"Yeah, just not right now. There's a lot of baggage and complications that I don't feel like getting into right now."

"Okay." Carlton checked the time on his watch before asking, "How long are you in town this time?"

"I have a flight tomorrow afternoon."

"The doctor wants you back every three weeks; are you sure all this traveling is a good idea?"

"I'm just not ready to be back in Santa Barbara full time right now. For one thing, where would I stay?"

"You can stay with me."

"And how long will that last? Until you get annoyed with me?"

"Who says I'll get annoyed with you?"

"Because everyone does. I can barely stay with Gus for a week before we're at each other's throats."

"With all the time he spends with Spencer, I would think he would welcome the break."

"Yeah, well, Shawn and I are a lot more alike than you might think."

"There are a few similarities; but you don't seem quite as eccentric or annoying as Spencer."

She scoffed, "Eccentric and annoying?!"

"Yes. While you might not be as serious as other women I have dated in the past, I would rather spend a whole week with you instead of a single afternoon alone with Spencer."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I should be offended or not, since it's the meds I take that make me calmer."

"I'm sure even without the meds, I would still prefer you."

"Without the meds, I would be a useless lump on the couch, kind of like what happened last month."

"Then we would have peace and quiet, something that never seems to happen with Spencer around."

"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of meds, I should probably go get mine from the car. Gus had me set reminders on my phone."

"Let's both go; your time was up 3 minutes ago."

X

X

X

As they entered Carlton's house after dinner, Sharon groaned as she leaned against the wall. "I really want a shower right now but I'm so tired that I might not be able to make it to the bathroom, let alone keep standing for 10 minutes."

"How about I draw you a bath?" Carlton asked as he brought her bag into the bedroom.

"'Draw me a bath'?! Did I just pass through a time portal?!" Sharon called as she closed her eyes and debated sliding down the wall and just sleeping in the foyer.

"That's what people say!"

"Maybe a century ago." She yawned and leaned her head against the wall. "Besides, I would probably fall asleep in the bathtub. I'm not sure I can even make it to your couch."

Carlton came back into the room and stood in front of her. "What if I offer to carry you to the bathroom and then join you in the tub?"

Sharon grinned as she opened her eyes. "That's all very tempting, but I really think I should just go to sleep. Raincheck on the bath, but any chance you will still carry me to the bedroom?"

"Sure." He placed a light kiss on her forehead before leaning down to pick her up.

X

X

X

*The next morning *

"Where you going?" Sharon mumbled as Carlton got out of bed.

"I have to get ready for work."

She groaned as she rolled over to face him. "It's Saturday."

"Yes, but I got a call about a crime scene. Since I didn't go in yesterday and had left early the day before, I really need to be there. I am Head Detective after all."

"Fine."

"What time is your flight?"

"3:30."

"I'll be back by noon. Go back to sleep."

"Kay."

X

X

X

A couple of hours later, Sharon was awakened by her phone ringing. Rolling over, she quickly answered, "'Lo?"

"Good Morning, Sunshine!"

"Dad!" Sharon whined.

"I'm guessing you haven't eaten breakfast yet?"

"Obviously not. What time is it?"

"Almost 9:30. Your mother warned me that you have been having more trouble than usual getting up in the morning. So I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"You know I'm at Lassie's, right?"

"Yes. And since I saw Carlton at the coffee shop a few hours ago, you're probably alone. So get dressed."

X

X

X

Sharon reluctantly opened the door when Henry knocked. "You know, I don't think Lassie would appreciate me having visitors when he's not here."

"If you would just tell him the truth, you wouldn't have to sneak around."

"He already suspects that we're related." Sharon said as she plopped down onto the couch.

"Really?" Henry handed her a smoothie as well as a paper bag before sitting in an armchair.

"Yeah. The secretary at the doctor's office called me Ms Spencer. When Lassie asked, I kind of confessed that I was related to Shawn but that it's complicated. He thinks I'm either Uncle Jack's daughter or your way younger sister. Luckily, a nurse called me back so I didn't have to answer any further questions."

"Hmm. And how was the appointment?"

"Doc Jen is satisfied with how things are progressing and said that the baby looks healthy. Oh! We got to see it and hear it's heartbeat! At first, it looked like a weird blob to me, but then Jen pointed out it's head and arms. I think Lassie put his copy of the photo on the fridge." Sharon put her muffin down and hurried into the kitchen and back again. "Here! Do you see it!"

"Yeah, it looks just like you."

"Dad!"

Henry laughed, "How did Carlton react?"

"We were both practically speechless." Sharon sighed and she laid down on the couch, "Dad, this is really happening."

"Yeah."

"In 7 months, there will be a baby!"

"That's how it usually works."

She rolled her eyes. "And that will make you a Grandpa."

"And don't you forget it! I want to actually see this kid from time to time. Your mother said that you're heading back to her place today."

"So?"

"So, how are you supposed to build trust with Carlton if you're not around?"

"I don't want to overwhelm him. We both need our space."

"What about your place?"

"I was just renting a bedroom in a shared house, so the roommates would totally notice if Sharon started living there. It was only a month-to-month thing until I found a new place. Gus and I cleaned it out yesterday morning. I keep most of my stuff at the Psych office anyways, so we only had like 3 suitcases and 2 boxes to pack, plus a few appliances."

"You can stay with me."

"No thanks. We don't get along for more than a couple of days at a time."

"Well, you can't keep flying back and forth to your mother's house. You need to start saving money for the baby, especially since you won't be working for the police department for quite awhile. My door will always be open."

"Who is going to hire a pregnant person with no job history?"

Henry shrugged, "How about Psych?"

"What?! I can't claim that Sharon is psychic too."

"No, but you can get your private eye license. I looked it up, and you just need experience and take an exam."

"I'll have to talk it over with Gus."

"Let me know what you decide. I know somebody in records who owes me a few favors and I can get them to push it through."

X

X

X

Glancing at the clock, Sharon bit her lip as she waited for her call to be answered.

"Lassiter."

"Hey, Carlton, where are you?"

"We just got done interviewing a victim's family, why?"

"Umm, have you checked the time lately?"

"...Crap."

"Yeah, I've gotta leave for the airport soon."

"Look, um. I'm about 15 minutes away so can pick you up soon. Will that be enough time to get you to the airport?"

"If you're too busy, I can call a taxi or my-um, Henry."

"No, it's fine. We need to take our lunch break, anyways. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, bye." Sharon hung up with a sigh and looked at the sandwiches she had ordered an hour ago. "Well, at least his food will keep in the fridge."

X

X

X

As soon as Carlton's car pulled into the driveway, Sharon grabbed her bag and walked outside. Carlton met her halfway across the lawn. "I'm so sorry, I lost track of time. Here, let me take that."

Sharon smiled as Carlton took her bag. "It's okay, my flight doesn't leave for another 2 hours." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're forgiven."

"I should have set a reminder or something." Carlton blushed as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

"You can make it up to me the next time I'm in town." She kissed him sweetly. "Or I can catch the first flight tomorrow and we can just head back inside."

"Tempting, but I need to get back to work. Plus, my partner is in the car."

Sharon pulled back and looked towards the car. Juliet was sitting in the passenger seat, pretending to be interested in her phone, although Sharon could see the smile on her blushing face. "Raincheck then." She shrugged and headed for the back seat.

"Do you want to sit up front?" Carlton asked as he followed.

"No, I'm good. I won't be in the car that long anyways; no sense in playing musical chairs." She smiled as she took her bag and slid into the backseat.

"Hi! I'm Juliet!" Juliet smiled.

"Sharon."

"It's so nice to finally meet you! And to put a face to the name!"

"Thanks. I hope you've only heard good things about me." Sharon smiled nervously.

Juliet laughed, "Well, it's hard to get any information out of Carlton; like I doubt you know much about me."

"Well, not much from Carlton, but I've heard plenty of stories from Shawn and Gus."

Juliet gasped, "What?! You know Shawn and Gus? Is that how you got into the New Year's Eve ball?! Carlton was so obsessed over trying to figure out who you were and how to contact you and…."

"O'Hara!" Carlton snapped as he drove down the road. "Different topic, please."

"Fine." Juliet huffed, "So, what were you and Carlton doing yesterday? He rarely takes days off work, especially with such short notice, and he won't tell me. He claims that it's none of my business."

"I'm allowed to have a private life." Carlton replied.

Now it was Sharon's turn to gasp. "Carlton! You mean you didn't tell her?!''

"No. You and I haven't really gotten around to talking about this situation yet. And unlike some people, I like to keep my personal and private life separate."

"Well, if you won't share, then I will." Sharon bit her lip nervously as she looked at Juliet. "Carlton and I are going to have a baby."

Juliet shrieked with joy, "Carlton!"

"Hey! I'm driving here!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Juliet grinned widely as she bounced in her seat.

Sharon laughed, "That's my bad. I just found out 3 weeks ago and I didn't tell Carlton until Thursday. I'm only 9 weeks along."

"Carlton!" Juliet exclaimed and hit his arm. "Why did you come into work today?! You should have stayed with Sharon! The Chief would have understood!"

"I still have a job to do."

"It could have waited another couple of days!" Juliet turned back to Sharon and asked, "So, when will you be back?"

"I have another appointment in 3 weeks, so I'll be back for a few days then."

"I don't mean to pry or anything…."

"Yes you do." Carlton mumbled.

"...But why do you have to come all the way back to Santa Barbara for appointments?"

Sharon shrugged, "It's a um, complicated situation, in more ways than one. I have a um genetic condition and the doctor here is my specialist, so I have to return to Santa Barbara."

"And they're okay with you traveling right now?"

"Yeah. Doc Jen said that once I hit the third trimester, I should stay put, but I'm healthy enough to continue flying for the time being."

"And we're here." Carlton announced as they arrived at the airport.

Juliet pulled out her phone. "What's your number? We can text each other about the baby and Carlton."

"Oh, um, here." Sharon held out her hand for Juleit's phone and proceeded to add her number to a new contact. "I should probably warn you now that I'm not the most reliable at replying back the same day."

"It's fine! That's the beauty of texts! There's usually no rush. If something is urgent, I tend to call first." Juliet smiled as she took her phone back and sent Sharon a quick text. "It was so good to finally meet you! Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks. I'll keep you in mind." Sharon smiled as she picked up her bag.

"I'll be right back." Carlton parked in the drop off zone and got out of the car.

"Take your time!" Juliet replied as she opened a different text conversation.

Sharon smiled as Carlton opened her door for her. "Thanks."

They walked through the front doors and found an out of the way spot to stop. Carlton set her bag down before taking both of her hands in his. "I'm sorry about O'Hara."

Sharon laughed, "It's okay, she means well. I wish you would trust and confide in her more."

"I do trust her, I just *sigh* I'm still processing and didn't know how to bring it up with her. It's not exactly something you just blurt out."

"I understand. I mean, you should have seen how stressed out I was getting over how to tell you! Like, I thought about sending you a physical letter with no return address and then going radio silent for a few months."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't."

"And feel free to tell your family whenever you want."

Carlton laughed. "Even though my mother is a bit more liberal now than when I was growing up, she will still kill me for having sex before marriage."

"I thought she and her partner have been together for a long time and are not married."

"I never want to have this conversation ever again, but I believe because they can't get each other pregnant, it doesn't technically count."

Sharon laughed and kissed him on the lips. "I'm sorry, that was rude. It's none of my business. And as much fun as it is to make you squirm, I should get going."

"Okay. Call me when you land."

"I'll try."

"Do you have your anti-nausea meds?"

"Aww, you remembered! And yes, I do."

"Good." He kissed her sweetly. "Be safe." Carlton picked up her bag and handed it to her.

"Thanks! You too."

"Bye."

"Bye!"