#how he made sure to ask their parents and joy if he could marry gus. and gus is overwhelmed by how much shawn loves him and how much he love

[hogwartsfirebolt]

cw: canon-typical child neglect

“We will come for you, Potter, you won’t know a single day of peace until you see us again.” Augustus Rookwood spat at Harry’s feet, but seeing as he was tied up, immobilized and held by two of their strongest aurors while six others swept through his house, it was a bit overkill.

“Draco,” Harry said, ignoring the spluttering criminal. “I saw a row of phials in the kitchen, care to give them a look?” He was already looking at something else as he gave the instruction, confident enough in his authority to know Draco would listen.

“Yes, sir.” Draco replied easily, watching his hands as he swept through files. The words turned Harry’s attention back to him — a raised eyebrow, the glimpse of a smile, cheeky, promising. After all, he was sir here, when they worked crime scenes together, and sometimes he was sir at home, too, when it was the last Saturday of the month and they were feeling adventurous.

Draco grinned back. Harry shook his head, the smile still present in his eyes, and went back to looking through Rookwood’s desk.

They’d hunted him for months, countless sleepless nights spent on the case — both of them were slight workaholics and never knew when to stop — endless missteps, near-catches, failed leads. It wasn’t often they got to work cases together anymore, not since Harry had been promoted to Head Auror and Draco put in charge of the Potion Control Department, and so they had given it their all, became the power team they’d been known as back in their Junior Auror Partners days.

It had been fun, seeing Harry in action again, aiding him, leaning on him as well. It had also been exhausting. They weren’t 20 years old anymore.

Finally, it was coming to an end, and it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Draco could already taste the fresh air of the Amalfi coast, where they’d be celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary as soon as they finished the paperwork.

“Here,” Junior Auror Healey said when Draco entered the kitchen, pushing a small cardboard box towards him over the table. “The boss said you had to look this over.”

Draco snorted. “The boss knows I don’t have to do anything. I won’t look if I don’t want to,” he said, already looking because well, he did have to.

“Oh, not the old married couple attitude, please,” came Ron’s voice from the living room, surprising a laugh out of Draco as he popped the cork off a phial with utmost care.

“Shut it, Weasley, I will end you and Harry won’t stop me.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“What is it?” Healey whispered, awed, ignoring Ron completely as she stared at the burgundy fumes emerging from the phial in Draco’s hand. She’d always liked Potions, had asked to apprentice with him when her training ended in the fall. He beckoned her closer.

“Come on, you can smell it — there, what do you smell?”

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “Poppy.”

He hummed. “Yes. It’s a powerful sedative, topped with golden spindle chord and moondust, from the looks of it. This could make someone sleep for years.”

“Honestly, I get why people would buy it. I know a few I’d like to give it to.”

Draco grinned. “Such a Slytherin. Careful, the Gryffindors here will try hard to take that edge off you.”

“That was one time, Malfoy,” came Ron’s voice once again, this time sending Draco and Healey into a full laughing fit.

When they recovered, Draco handed the potion back to her, safely corked. “They all look the same, but I’m not sure about the conditions they’ve been preserved in. Have Newton send them to my lab, will you?”

She nodded. Draco washed his hands and walked back into the house, drying them on the sides of his robe. He passed Ron, who was securing the wands they had confiscated, passed Newton, who was inspecting the spell damage on Daphne’s arm, and went to find Harry in the office where he’d left him, thinking it was time to leave, thinking of the hot shower and warm bedsheets waiting for them at home.

Instead, he found him by the stairs, breathing hard, eyes wide. He stopped, hackles rising, his heart speeding up immediately, attuned to Harry’s uneasiness.

“Harry? What’s wrong?”

“I’m — I’m not sure … can you hear that?” He raised a trembling finger, pointing out a sound. He had goosebumps all over his arms.

Draco blinked, focused, and then he heard it. A light tapping, coming from the cupboard under the stairs, and something softer, sweeter, a hum, almost as if someone were singing to themselves.

“Is that…?”

Harry blew up the door.

The child looked at them, eyes wide, swinging feet tapping against the side of a tiny cot. He looked confused rather than scared, as he sat there in clothes at least five sizes too big for him, messy brown hair covering his forehead. He couldn’t be older than four.

Draco knelt in front of him immediately, hands going up to his shoulders, his face, making sure he was safe. His heart was somewhere near his throat.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, which was the primary thing in the midst of the most disconcerting finding he’d made in his entire career.

The child shook his head. Hesitated. Then, in a sweet, small voice, “Where’s uncle Gus?”

Draco couldn’t breathe. “You’re Augustus Rookwood’s nephew?”

The child nodded.

“Where are your parents?”

“Uncle says they’re dead.”

“W- what are you doing in here? With the door locked?”

“This is my room.” Draco heard Harry make a choked up noise behind him, but didn’t turn to look. “Uncle Gus says I’m not supposed to bother him. Am I — am I bothering him?”

“No, no. Are you — how long have you…” his hands trembled, holding the child’s collar. “Do you live with anyone else?”

The child shook his head again. “Before, yes, but uncle says auntie Gertie is dead too.” There was a pause. Draco heard nothing behind him, but he couldn’t make himself look away from the kid, the hollow cheeks, the small frame. He looked starved.

“What’s your name?”

“Silas.”

“Are you hungry, Silas? When did you last eat?”

“I think — I think breakfast.”

“Today?”

“Yesterday.” He replied. Then, with curiosity, “Who are you?”

It was six in the evening. Nearly two full days had passed since his last meal. Draco closed his eyes, swallowed.

“My name is Draco. We will take you somewhere safe now, is that okay? You’re safe with us.”

Silas’ hazel eyes lit up. “You’re taking me away?” But his joy seemed to last merely a second, his gaze turning to his feet. “But uncle will be mad. I’m supposed to be good. Am I being good?”

“Oh god.” Came Harry’s voice from behind him, fractured. He fell to his knees beside Draco, pulled Silas off the cot, held him by the shoulders. “We’re going to help you, okay? You — you’re coming with us. You don’t have to come back here if you don’t want to, you’re safe, you … I promise. I promise we will keep you safe.”

Silas hugged Harry.

Haunted green eyes met Draco’s over the boy’s shoulder, those eyes he loved more than anything, holding unshed tears that seemed to go unnoticed, the depth of a decades-old pain coming to the surface, fresh once again, renewed.

There were things Harry couldn’t speak about. Hadn’t, not even once.

Now, it was all there in his eyes. A question.

Draco saw two neglected children, clinging to each other by a cupboard under the stairs, and knew what he was being asked. He didn’t need to think about it for even a second when he nodded.

Harry closed his eyes, hugged Silas tighter. “You’re coming with us.”

Written for @drarrymicrofic prompt - "Adoption"

#drarry #drarry microfic #drarrymicrofic #mine #drarry fic #draco malfoy #harry potter #mywriting

[scorpiofangirl1109]

My Cats OC Part 221

part 220- https://scorpiofangirl1109.tumblr.com/post/662460982456647680/my-cats-oc-part-220 

hello everyone! welcome to part 221 of my series on kiki!

this is a continuation of the human au i didn’t know i was pregnant mini series with munkustrap and demeter!

demeter and munkustrap are still in shock about the whole situation and they are now worried about this baby they had no idea about until earlier today. 

jenny and skimbles do their best to be encouraging to munkustrap and demeter and tell them that everything is going to be ok and they will hear about the baby soon.

of course jenny and skimbles try to encourage munkustrap to at least call his parents to tell them about the situation. but munkustrap shakes his head no.

of course they were going to have to tell everyone else in the family about the baby and how they had no idea demeter was even pregnant. but he is not in  great state of mind to call his parents with the life changing news. 

it feels like hours but soon a nurse comes in with a little bassinet in front of her. jenny and skimbles had left to go get something to eat for themselves and for munkustrap as well. 

demeter sits up in the hospital bed quickly and munkustrap stands up from the hard uncomfortable chair by demeter’s bed.

“how is the baby are they ok?” demeter asked, her voice was filled a bit of fear but also excitement at finally seeing her baby. 

“the doctors are going to need to do a few more tests before you go home but so far your baby girl is perfectly healthy, she is 6 pounds even and 18 inches long. a cute little peanut.” the nurse smiled at demeter.

hearing that the baby was healthy was a relief to munkustrap and demeter. they did not care if they had to do more tests on their baby but now they knew the baby was perfectly healthy. it was weight lifted off their shoulders. 

the nurse came over then and asked “would you like to hold your daughter mom??”

demeter nodded and got her arms ready. the nurse picks up the baby girl and gently places kiki into demeter’s arms making sure sure demeter is supporting the baby’s head and bottom.

the newborn has one of those little hats for a newborn but it has a cute bow for a girl was and she was also in a hospital receiving blanket with cute little footprints all over them.

the nurse was right when saying the little one was small. demeter knew newborns could vary in size obviously but her little girl was small. but she really was a cute peanut.

“i’ll let you two have a moment.” the nurse told the young couple. “i will be just a beep away if you need me.” she smiled leaving the young couple with their new daughter.

munkustrap sat on the hospital bed next to demeter and he leaned in close to be able to see his daughter. a look of pure joy on his face and was so happy. 

just knowing that their daughter was healthy and did not seem to having any health issues was a great feeling. even though they didn’t know about her just the day before munkustrap and demeter were in love already. 

as they looked at their daughter munkustrap and demeter could see little features in her that she shared with them.

their daughter had the same shade of dark hair as munkustrap and she also had his lips and a few other features. but she had demeter’s nose and facial structure. 

the newborn opened her eyes and they were the same exact shade as demeter’s. she was the perfect little combination of munkustrap and demeter.

“oh hi there sweet girl. i am so sorry we had no idea you were in my belly.” demeter said as her daughter let out a little yawn. 

munkustrap chuckled watching the baby yawn and then focus on demeter “i think she recognizes your voice. you recognize your mama’s voice huh?” he smiled.

the newborn turned her head towards munkustrap then as if she was trying to follow his voice.it was really sweet. 

“she really is precious. i cannot believe that she remained hidden in my belly for so long like that.” demeter told munkustrap as they continued over their little girl.  

“i love that she has your eyes, they are just as beautiful as yours.” munkustrap told demeter.

“i hope she gets your smile.” demeter smiled as kiki yawned again and she leaned down giving their daughter a kiss on  her forehead. 

“it’s crazy to think we are a family now. she’s our little miracle. we have tried so hard and so long for a baby and now here we are with a baby girl.” munkustrap smiled.

“i know i do not think that i will ever get sick of looking down at this little face. she is so sweet.” demeter told munkustrap.

“i know. you know i thought about names for long time and i like the name kiki. what do you think?” munkustrap asked demeter.

demeter thought about the name suggestion and looked down at the baby girl and said “i think it fits. what do you think love? do you like that name?” 

the newborn made a noise and waved her one free hand as if to say she liked the name which made the new parents chuckle. 

“alright i guess we have a name now, maybe we can give her your grandmother’s name as her middle name.” demeter suggested.

munkustrap had always been super close with his grandmother, louise, who had been married munkustrap's grandfather gus for so many years so when she passed away it was very difficult on him.

“i like that, my grandma would have loved a great grandchild.” munkustrap smiled. “kiki louise sounds nice.”

“you want to hold your baby girl daddy?” demeter smiled looking at munkustrap. “i think you should do it.”

of course the male nodded his head yes and got his arms ready as demeter put the newborn in his arms. the newly named kiki fussed a bit at the handing off but she quieted down as munkustrap shushed her.

hey hey...shhhh. it’s ok kiki. it’s ok princess.” munkustrap told her. “i’ve got you, it’s ok. your daddy’s got you.”

demeter watched munkustrap who began to sign softly to the newborn. he really loved kids and babies. munkustrap would play with their friend’s kids and always seemed to have a natural talent at getting fussy baby to settle.

so seeing munkustrap with his own child and calming her down was so special. he was just made to be a dad and demeter was glad he would be the father of her children.

kiki settled and soon she was fast asleep with munkustrap’s arms. one of her little hands peeked out of the hospital blanket so demeter used her thumb to stroke it and kiki grabbed demeter’s pointer finger and wrapped her finger around it,

munkustrap smiled at this and said “i am so proud of you going through all of that pain to bring this little girl into the world. i love you so much.”

then he leaned over and pecked demeter on the lips. demeter returned the favor with a kiss.

“thank you. i can’t wait for my parents to come back and to see their reactions.” demeter said.

“i am too. they are going to be the best grandparents.” munksutrap said as he looked down at a sleeping kiki in his arms. 

this was not the way munkustrap or demeter ever though how their day would go. but now they were a little family of 3 and they were so in love. now they just had to explain to their family about the surprise addition. 

alright that is part 221! let me know what you guys thought and i will see you all for part 222!

#cats the musical #cats musical #cats oc #jellicle oc #original character #original child character #cats the musical oc #kiki cats oc #oc #cats human au #cats au #munkustrap #munkudad #demeter cats #mama demeter #demestrap #demestrap family

[kaleidescope-writes]

Heart of Audrilluria- Chapter XXI; Dreams Come True

Modern Fairytale AU

Prince King!Tom Hiddleston x Thief Queen! Reader

Designated Song: Hidden Feelings by Zara, Phoebe, and Lo

Please read the Author’s Note

Ready to fall in love?

Removing the glass from her lips, Y/N swallowed the water nervously. It had been almost two years since she’d returned to Audrilluria with Thomas and today was the day they’d vow to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife. And if that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, she’d also make her vows to be queen. Something she’d been rehearsing since the day Thomas proposed. Her dream man came with a package. A package that just so happened to include a country… And seven kids.

“I’m sweating like a pig in the desert,” Y/N complained, fanning herself with a notecard that contained her vows. “There’s no sweat, you’re fine,” Amelie comforted, “Now close your eyes, I need to make you look naturally beautiful for your husband to be.” Y/N closed her eyes, desperately trying to continue fanning herself before Amelie took the notecard from her hand. “It’s hot in here, I don’t want to sweat in my dress,” Y/N whined, keeping her eyes closed. “It’s not hot,” Amelie laughed as she continued to apply a natural-looking eyeshadow to Y/N’s lids, “You’re nervous. Honestly, if I was marrying a handsome, gentle, kind, and downright amazing king, I would be nervous too.” Y/N laughed mockingly, “You’ll find someone. Maybe not a king, but someone.” 

Before Amelie had a chance to respond, the door opened and Augustus walked in. “How is the bride?” he asked excitedly, holding a clear, plastic box that contained the fresh flower bouquet. “The bride, if you must know, is anxious out of her mind,” Y/N replied as Amelie added the final touches to her eyeliner before reaching for the mascara. “You’ll be fine,” Augustus laughed as he set the bouquet down on the table near the sisters. “See,” Amelie began, finishing with Y/N’s makeup, “Gus and I both agree you’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. Besides, Tom loves you, pig sweat, and all.” Y/N rolled her eyes, looking over to the bouquet box to admire the freshly picked flowers. “So what did you decide on for my flowers?” she asked, looking over to Augustus. “Well,” he began, “Since I had to describe you love in flowers while sticking to the theme, I went for baby’s breath for the innocence of first love, white gardenias for the joy of the celebration, red roses for true love, pink roses for grace, ivory roses to represent your charm, and blush noisettes for a modern yet elegant touch. All flowers were picked from the garden.” 

Y/N smiled, still admiring the bouquet, “I want to believe you looked up the meaning of flowers in preparation for the wedding.” Augustus gave her a proud smile, “Since Thomas showed me the ring he was going to use to propose with.” Y/N chuckled, looking down at the ring. The mock sapphire gem gleaming under the light of the sun. Her thoughts took her back to the day he proposed, the familiar feeling spreading from her stomach. She felt it every time she was around him, thinking about him, and every time they kissed. Love.

“When you’re done daydreaming,” Amelie teased, “Maybe you can finally tell me about the ring you’re staring at while I help you with your dress.” Y/N snapped out of her thoughts, standing to walk over to the panel divider to change out of her nightwear and into her wedding dress. “I’m curious too,” Augustus said, “Why the mock sapphire ring?” Whilst changing, Y/N explained behind the panel, “We all remember when I stole the heart’s replica. Well, I left the gemstone heart behind with a note for Thomas that said ‘Real or fake, this shouldn’t belong to me’, referring to the heart. When he brought the replica back, he had a professional jeweler change them again so that the replica could have the gem it originally came with. As for the one I had put in its place, I thought he threw it away. Apparently, he had this ring specially made with a piece of the mock sapphire as the center jewel of the rose. He had another piece of the mock sapphire embedded into his wedding band. The rose in my ring is a symbol of what we consider was our first date in the garden. The day he proposed, he told me ‘Real or fake, this heart belongs to you. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ And I knew I had to say yes.” 

Amelie stared lovingly at her sister as she attached the veil to her hair. “He’s so sappy! I love it!” she said, taking a step back to admire her work, “And you look absolutely perfect.” Y/N walked out of the barrier created by the divider, allowing Augustus to see her. As soon as he laid eyes on her, his jaw dropped in astonishment. “You look absolutely radiant!” he complimented, almost at a loss for words. “Thank you, Gus,” Y/N smiled. Amelie walked to stand in front of her, “Ready to knock your goom out of his boots? Well, again?” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas stood in front of the altar with the archbishop and two best men by his side. His solid black traditional suit greatly contrasted with the brightness of the room. He was wearing his king crown for the special occasion. “Nervous?” Charles asked him teasingly. “Yes,” Thomas said simply, trying to distract himself by looking at everything in the room, making sure everything looked perfect. “So was Y/N,” Augustus said simply. “I lived with her for almost two years. I know everything about her life, everything she loves, everything she hates, every little thing about her and I am overtaken by the nerves and fear,” Thomas muttered, more to himself. “You’ll be fine, Tommy,” Charles comforted, “Feeling anxious is perfectly normal when you’re marrying the love of your life. Your parents felt it, my parents felt it, and hell, I’ll feel it when Augustus and I decide to get married.” Augustus looked over to him in shock, “When we wha-”

Music began to play as the double doors opened slowly. All three men straightened their posture and the best men took their respective places. The guests that crowded the room stood, turning to the doors as the royal children came into view. From the order of age, they began to walk down the aisle, Joey spreading the flower petals, Mikey walking close behind with the rings, Matias following in line in front of Alma, Allie, Daya, and Theodore. They took their places in the front seats reserved for family. At the very end of the hall, Y/N stood in her gorgeous dress and bouquet in hand. Her white dress was decorated with faux silver gems on top of the intricate lace, giving the dress a glowing feeling. She began her stride down the hall, joined by Amelie who agreed to give her away. Thomas looked to his wife-to-be in astonishment. She was as gorgeous as the day she first came to Audrilluria. She looked perfect, as always. 

They reached the altar and Amelie took Y/N’s hand and put it in Thomas’s hand. “Take care of her, your highness,” Amelie whispered loud enough for him to hear. “I promise,” Thomas smiled, taking her hand and leading her up to the top of the altar. He continued to admire her beauty, now closer as Amelie took her place on Y/N’s right side, taking her bouquet. “You look absolutely divine,” Thomas whispered to her, leaning into her ear. “And you look regal, my love,” she responded with a smile. Both their nerves long forgotten as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

“Dearly beloved family, friends, and guests,” the archbishop began, “We are here today to celebrate the union between our king and his beloved. I have been informed that objections will not be allowed, so I shall move on with the sermon.” Y/N’s eyes widened slightly as she giggled, turning to Thomas. Thomas simply winked, giving her that all too familiar smirk before focussing on the archbishop’s words.

“As a promise of eternal love, the bride and groom will now speak their vows as they accept their rings,” the archbishop spoke. Mikey approached Charles, giving him the rings before returning to his place. Thomas and Y/N faced each other, holding hands. “My dearest Y/N,” Thomas began, looking deeply into her eyes, “From the moment I laid eyes on you, the only thought in my mind was how beautiful and free-spirited you were. I was instantly captivated by your very presence. You took my breath away from the very start and I wanted nothing more than to be by your side always. I found myself thinking about you at every given moment. I was captivated by your smile, your eyes, the way you laughed, the way you carried yourself, and every little thing about you. I knew from the start, I needed to be with you. Even after everything that happened after I first met you, I felt the need to forgive. I knew that if I didn’t have you by my side, I would never forgive myself. I knew that despite everything, I needed to be with you. So from that moment on, I decided to not let you go. And I promise now, with everyone here to witness, I will never let you go.” He placed the ring on Y/N’s finger as he finished speaking. The archbishop nodded to Y/N, signaling it was her turn.

“Thomas, my love,” she began, “There are so many things I could say to you that I’ve said before. I could describe how much I love you or how much you changed me, but I want to tell you something I’ve never said aloud. When we first met, I couldn’t meet your eyes because I knew I’d get lost in those beautiful blue orbs. Every time you spoke, I felt butterflies and a part of me wished it was directed to me. I fell for you slowly and it scared me because I never even dreamed of. Every little thing about you took my breath away and whenever you looked at me from a distance, time just froze. I was terrified to tell you what I felt because I knew you deserved so much more than I could ever be. When you went looking for me and showed me the hope in your eyes, I allowed myself to show what I feel. I was certain we would never end up together, but you changed that. And now, I’m overjoyed that from this day on, you will call me your wife.” She took his wedding band and placed it on his finger. 

“Do you, King Thomas, take Y/N to be your wife?” Thomas smiled brightly, “I do.” 

“And do you, Y/N L/N, take Thomas to be your husband?” Y/N mimicked his smile, “I do.” 

“Before this ceremony continues, I ask that the bride prepare to speak the vows to Audrilluria,” the archbishop commanded. Y/N let go of Thomas’s hands and made her way down the steps of the altar to the majordomo, who was holding the Orb of Unity and Mercy and the Scepter of Leadership and Justice. She took both in her hands as the archbishop spoke, “Speak your vows as you look upon the people of this kingdom.” Y/N took a deep breath, eyes scanning the room as she began, “I, Y/N L/N, solemnly swear to help my husband lead our kingdom with a firm but gentle hand. I promise to be loyal to Audrilluria as well as to the king. I will help him with the responsibilities that come with leadership and take an equal part in it.” The archbishop then commanded, “Take your place by the king’s side and finish your vows.” Y/N walked up the steps again and stood in front of Thomas, still holding the royal items. “On this day, I vow my loyalty to my husband, to Audrilluria, and to its legacy. On this day, I vow to be a fair queen.” she finished. 

The majordomo walked up to her and took the royal items from her hands. “You may crown your queen,” the archbishop told Thomas. Y/N bowed slightly as Thomas took the crown from Augustus’s hands and placed the ruby-encrusted, gold crown gently on her head. Y/N stood up again and took Thomas’s hands in hers as the archbishop announced, “With vows spoken and unity made, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Thomas almost didn’t wait for him to finish before he wrapped his arms around Y/N’s waist and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. The guests stood and cheered for the couple, though they were focussed on each other. 

When they finally parted, the archbishop announced, “I present to all, Thomas and Y/N Hiddleston, king, and queen of Audrilluria.” The cheers resumed as the couple looked around the room at their people. Thomas turned to Y/N with a smirk, “Ready to move on, my love?” Y/N looked to him in confusion, recognizing that mischievous smirk, “What are you plann--”

Thomas lifted her suddenly, carrying her bridal-style down the aisle and through the entrance doors. The people and press outside began to take pictures and cheer at the sight of the couple. Y/N laughed as Thomas set her down again, allowing her to rush down the steps with him with Augustus, Charles, and Amelie following close behind. They made it to their carriage and got in, preparing for the long photoshoot to come.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was close to setting as the reception was in full swing. The guests danced and mingled as they waited for the king and queen to have their first dance. The music faded, signaling that it was time for the dance. The dance area cleared as Thomas and Y/N made their way to the center. A soft, orchestral song began to play and Y/N recognized it instantly. “This is the same song we first danced to,” she inquired, facing her husband. Husband. “I wanted to recreate the moment I realized I never wanted to let you go,” Thomas responded, a smile gracing his lips as they began to dance. 

They swayed around the room, eyes permanently fixed on each other as their movements synced effortlessly. The same feeling that embraced them the first time they danced returned, this time stronger now that their love was made known. It was only them in the room with the music. Everything else faded away and they felt as if they danced on a cloud. The song came to an end as Thomas spun Y/N, bringing her closer to him as they came to a full stop. Taking the opportunity, Y/N leaned in and pressed a small, loving kiss to his lips. The guests cheered, making their presence known once more. 

“It’s time,” Amelie reminded, coming up to them with the bouquet in her hand. Y/N took it as some of the guests began to gather to try to catch it. Once everyone was ready, Y/N turned away and tossed it over her shoulder. After hearing them shuffle for a moment, she turned to see Charles holding the bouquet over his head proudly as he looked in the direction of Augustus. Thomas and Y/N turned to see a surprised, yet happy Augustus standing on the other side of them. They laughed softly as the guests began to crowd the dance area once more. 

“I believe it’s time for something else, my love,” Thomas whispered in Y/N’s ear. She looked up at him excitedly as he took her hand and began to lead her through the corridors of their home. They climbed up the stairs and made their way to the all-too-familiar office. Thomas opened the door, allowing his wife to enter before him. Wife. They reached the balcony doors and went inside. As they were walking in, lanterns began to illuminate the sky. Being the sappy gentleman he was, Thomas decided to marry Y/N on the day of Rosamund’s Celebration, two years after he realized he loved her. They looked out into the sky illuminated by lanterns, enjoying one another’s company. Suddenly, Y/N turned to face him, “Here’s to a lifetime by your side.” Thomas gave her a bright smile, “And to the future that we’ll make together.” With that, he leaned in and captured her lips in yet another passionate and gentle kiss.

In that moment, both of them realized that their deepest dreams had come true.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: It’s been one hell of a ride. Throughout the course of this story, I kept falling in love with this idea over and over again.[Also, for your vows, I added pieces of the designated song] So much so that I decided to not let go just yet. Coming in June, I will release kind of a sequel series to this called Life in Audrilluria. Basically, it will describe what happened in the almost two years leading up the wedding (including the engagement). I will post an announcement with the exact day the series will start by the end of this month. Until then, I want to introduce oneshots and Imagines into my works. I will post a few oneshots starting Wednesday if you are interested. I just want to ask you to let me know what characters/celebs/fandoms you want to see. Anyway, Thank you all so friggen much for all the support you’ve shown me. Honestly, you guys are the reason I kept it going for 21 chapters. I love you all so much and I’ll see you on Wednesday for more exciting content. I hope all is well, stay safe, and I’ll see you in June for the sequel!!

Taglist:

      @ladyblablabla, @tvdplusriverdale, @pipolaki, @myraiswack, @shockwavee, @harringtonb-blog, @cynic-spirit, @little-moonbeam-666, @ochizokulevy, @swifitiedaylight, @blue-honey-bee-from-france @scorpionchild81,  @imnotrevealingmyname @whathefuckrichard69 @frostedgiant @falling4uke @accio-boys​ @ashcrimson-is-writing

#tom hiddelston x reader #tom hiddelson #tom hiddelston imagine #tom hiddleston #thomas hiddleston #tom hiddles #thomas william hiddleston #loki fandom #loki fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston x reader #thomas hiddleston x reader #loki #loki layfeyson x reader #loki imagine

[theycallmebeccawrites]

Perfectly Imperfect: Epilogue

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Wren Arnold (OFC)

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: n/a

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Perfectly Imperfect Masterlist | Chris & Wren Masterlist

Chapter 9

Epilogue

July 6, 2028

The house was quiet when Chris entered the mud room via the garage at one in the morning. He pulled off his shoes and stuck them on the shelf marked "Daddy" and then left his suitcase with all his dirty clothes next to the washing machine.

Entering the kitchen, he smiled when he saw that the girls had made him a "Welcome Home Daddy!" sign and had hung it on the edge of the island. He had spent the last week doing promos for a new film and was happy to finally be home where he belonged.

He took the kitchen stairs two at a time to get to the floor where his wife and daughters all slept. The first door he came to was painted a bold purple with a turquoise "A" printed on it. He hadn't been sure of the idea when Addy and Wren had presented it to him when they first moved in, but the house wouldn't be complete without unique touches like this.

Pushing the ajar door open, he smiled when he saw his 10-year-old daughter curled up with their aging Austrian shepherd, Gus. They had adopted the, then two-year-old, dog shortly after he and Wren had gotten married seven years ago; the same day that Wren had legally adopted Addy.

When it came to her birth mom, Addy hadn't had any questions until just recently and it was more out of curiosity than anything else. Because of these questions, part of his trip to LA had included a visit with Jessa and her husband. They hadn't been ready for a face to face conversation, but Jessa had given Chris her business card and told him that Addy could email her any questions she may have and she'd answer them if she could. They all knew, however, there were some topics that couldn't be address via email or until the pre-teen was an adult herself. It was a talk that Chris wasn't looking forward to having with his daughter, but he knew it would have to happen as soon as they had time.

Returning her door to how he found it, he moved down to the next door which was based in a pale pink and then had a lime green "D" and a magenta purple "S" on it. There had been a lot of debate about the door and Chris wasn't looking forward to a repeat of it when he had to redo the door in a few weeks when they moved the girls' rooms around to make room for the new baby.

The door was already opened halfway due to the needs of its occupants. At almost five, his and Wren's second oldest, Dakota, liked to sleep in a dark room, but her three-year-old sister Savannah preferred to have the light from the hallway on her at all times. It had taken them a couple weeks to get it setup to accommodate both girls' needs, but, in the end, they had worked it out.

From the doorway, Chris could see little Savannah stretched out on her stomach with the family's orange tabby cat, Oliver, snuggled up to her side. In order to see Dakota, he had to move into the room and pull aside the blackout curtain that was attached to the ceiling above her bed. Like her other sisters, she was dead to the world and didn't even flinch, though her sleeping buddy, the family's other dog Patch, a Dalmatian, looked up at him with one eye. Chris pressed his finger to his mouth and then backed away from the bed. He stood still for a moment, wondering if Patch was going to get up and follow him, but he soon heard the dog start snoring again.

Leaving the room, Chris moved across the hall to the nursery. The closed door was painted a pale yellow and, currently, had the letter "B" written on it. Opening the door, he tiptoed in and closed it softly behind him. The door to his and Wren's room was partially open and he could see the outline of his pregnant wife from where he stood. Smiling, he made his way over to the crib and smiled down at his and Wren's youngest daughter, Brooklyn, 18 months.

As he watched the baby sleep, he couldn't help but reflect on the last seven years. They had been the best years of his life. He loved making movies and acting, but he had scaled back so he could spend more time with his girls. Thanks to the Marvel movies, he and Wren were set for life and he was sure even his future grandchildren would be fine as long as they were wise with the money.

Leaving the nursery, Chris went into the bedroom he shared with Wren and stared longingly at the bed. A part of him just wanted to undress and climb in next to her, but he'd been traveling all day and he needed to shower first.

He showered quickly and then put on a pair of plaid pajama pants, a necessity with daughters who didn't know how to knock. Returning to the bedroom, he smiled when he saw Wren sitting up.

"Welcome home." She smiled at him as he climbed into the bed.

"Good to be home," he replied. He kissed her and then tugged playfully on the braid she always put her hair into for bed. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, the baby did," she said and both of their eyes dropped to her swollen belly.

"Do I need to have a talk with him or her?" Chris asked, sternly. He didn't wait for her answer as he leaned down and started to talk to her belly.

Wren laughed as his whispers tickled her skin. She couldn't hear what he was saying to the baby, but the baby responded with a kick. "Ouch!" she said, rubbing the spot where she was jabbed. "I thought you were going to calm the baby down."

"I forgot I'm not the kid wrangler," he replied, smoothing her stomach with his hand.

"No you're just a super hero dad," Wren smiled at him. "Did you see the girls' sign in the kitchen?"

"I did and I loved it," Chris said then stifled a yawn.

"Time to go to sleep," Wren laughed. "The girls are excited to see you and I don't think they'll let you sleep in."

"Oh the joys of being a parent," Chris sighed.

"Says the one who checked on all the girls and was secretly disappointed that none of them were still awake," Wren stated.

"Guilty," Chris chuckled as he laid back against the pillows with Wren's body cuddled up against him.

Savannah was the first to join them a few hours later with her shadow Oliver. Little girl and cat crawled into bed, her laying down on top of Chris and the cat curling up by his pillows. A little while later, Dakota and Patch joined them, too. An hour or so later, Addy came into the room via the nursery carrying Brooklyn with Gus following them.

"I think we need a bigger bed," Chris told Wren once they were all in the bed together. He and Wren were both partially sitting with the youngest two cuddled up to them while Addy and Dakota laid between them with both dogs and Oliver curled up at their feet.

"Daddy, can we watch cartoons?" Dakota asked after a while.

"Sure," Chris nodded. He handed her the tablet that controlled the TV and let her choose what they would watch.

It took her a few minutes, but Dakota eventually picked a series of old Disney cartoons that Chris and Wren had grown up watching. As a family, they watched a couple before they heard the first tummy rumble.

"Mom, can I go get the cupcakes?" Addy asked, excitedly.

"Great idea," Wren nodded.

"What cupcakes?" Chris asked as Addy sprinted from the room.

"It's our seventh wedding anniversary," Wren reminded him. "And at my sonogram this week, the doctor was able to determine the sex of the baby."

"I knew our anniversary," Chris said. "But I didn't know the second part. What are we having?"

"That's what we're about to find out," Wren said as Addy returned with a pink bakery box. "I had her write it on a card and then I took it to our favorite bakery and had them make us cupcakes with a filling that is either blue or pink."

Addy set the box down in the middle of the bed and then they moved so they were all surrounding it.

"Alright," Wren said. "Before we bite into our cupcakes, let's find out what you guys want it to be. Addy?"

"A boy!"

"Dakota?"

"A girl!"

"Savannah?"

"A girl!"

"Brooklyn?"

The one and half year old blinked in response, making them all laugh.

"Do you want a girl or a boy?" Addy asked her youngest sister. "Say 'mommy' for a girl or 'daddy' for a boy."

"Momma," Brooklyn replied from around her binkie.

"Alright, so that is three for another girl and one vote for a boy," Wren said. "What do you want, Chris?"

"I love my girls and I will be happy with another, but I wouldn't mind having a boy," Chris replied.

"How very politically correct of you," Wren laughed. "I'll be less PC and say I'd love to have a little boy."

"So how are we going to do this?" Chris asked, gesturing to the cupcakes.

"We'll each grab one and then we'll count to three before we take a bite," Wren explained.

They each grabbed a cupcake and then held it in their hands save for Brooklyn whose hands were too small to hold the cupcake. They put her in front of the cake box, but before they could stop her, the one-and-a-half-year-old grabbed a fist full of her cupcake and brought it to her lips, revealing the blue filling.

"It's a boy!" Addy shouted and then bite into her own cupcake. They followed her lead and confirmed that the filling of all the cupcakes was indeed blue.

"We're having a boy," Wren said as she looked at Chris with tears in her eyes. "A boy!"

Grinning, Chris leaned over and pressed a kiss to Wren's frosting covered lips. In four short months, baby Austin would be joining the family.

A little over eight years ago, he had returned to Boston thinking his love life was dead and wanting to make the best life for Addy that he could. He hadn't foreseen that he would fall in love with his best friend, Wren, marry her and have three more daughters and a son with her, but that is exactly what had happened.

Exactly seven years ago, he and Wren had stood in front of a small gathering of their family and friends and had promised to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. A promise that he planned to keep until he took his last breath.

THE END

Want to find me off tumblr? I'm @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

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[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Saying Good-Bye to Yesterday-Chapter 6

In this chapter Sharon is under the weather, Provenza is mortified by why, Rusty is worried about Gus, and Jack ruins a surprise. 

You can read it in the following places:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321687/chapters/37872305 or here

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13004092/6/Saying-Good-Bye-to-Yesterday

or here-

"Well, I'm certainly glad today is over." Sharon hung up her coat and kicked off her heels, curling her aching toes. Her head hurt, her feet hurt and her back hurt. She was already pulling her blouse out of her skirt and starting to unbutton it on her way toward the bedroom when she called out over her shoulder to Andy, "I'm going to change into something more comfortable before dinner."

"Sounds good to me." Andy followed her into the bedroom, watching her disappear into the bathroom while he took off his suit coat. He was hanging it in the closet when he heard her muffled "Dammit" from behind the wall.

"Everything okay in there?" He asked at the bathroom door.

"Yes," she grit out, looking at the telltale stain in her panties. Terrific. Just what she needed after a day of dealing with Winnie Davis. No wonder her head and her back had been bothering her. Groping beneath the bathroom sink where she kept her supplies she gave another muffled curse when she came up empty handed, remembering that Emily had left her note apologizing for using the last of her tampons. She'd added a box to her shopping list, but considering she hadn't had a period in two months, the need hadn't exactly felt urgent. In fact, she was rather hoping that she might have seen the last of this monthly mess. Her periods had become more erratic over the last couple years, skipping a month here and there and sometimes arriving twice in the same month, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, all part of the joys of perimenopause her gynecologist assured her, but she'd never skipped two months in a row.

"Uh…No," she amended, opening the bathroom door. "I've got a bit of a problem here. Can I ask you a really big favor?"

"Sure. You okay? "

"Yes, fine. I just started my period and I'm out of tampons. Could you run over to Rite Aid and buy me a box." At the deer in the headlights look he gave her she added, "I hate to ask, but…"

"No, no. It's fine." He pushed aside his initial aversion. While it wouldn't have been his first choice as favors went, Sharon rarely asked him for anything intimate and it actually felt kind of good to have her turn to him in this way. "Kotex, right?" He'd seen the boxes in the vanity plenty of times, going back to when he'd had to move in with her because of his blood clot after they'd just started dating. It was how he'd known that he was still going to need to use protection when they finally made love. Of course, being the efficient woman that she was, Sharon had already taken care of things, having an IUD inserted when it was apparent that their relationship was moving into greater intimacy, leaving him with no need of the condoms he'd purchased.

"Yes. U by Kotex. Make sure you get the Click, the black and purple box. They're easier to carry in my purse." And more discreet.

"Okay, U Kotex Click, black and purple box, I got it." He could do this, even if it wasn't at the grocery store where he could slide them in amongst the milk, bread, and eggs.

*************

For all his nonchalance with Sharon, Andy stood in the feminine hygiene aisle feeling very much out of place. He'd found the Kotex, no problem, even found the click, but evidently, there was more to it than that.

Provenza and Patrice were making their way to the checkout counter when Patrice asked, "Isn't that Andy?"

Provenza followed the finger she was pointing and indeed saw Andy Flynn standing in the middle of the feminine hygiene aisle, two boxes in his hands and perplexed look on his face.

"Let's go say hello."

Provenza grimaced. The feminine aisle was one he avoided like the plague.

"Oh, come on." Patrice took his arm. "You're a big boy Louie." He huffed a bit but followed his wife.

"I knew you'd been extra moody, lately.

Andy turned to see Provenza regarding him with a raised brow and rolled his eyes. "They're not for me, obviously. They're for Sharon."

"TMI, Flynn, TMI."

Andy shook his head. "You've been married six times, you ought to be used to this stuff by now."

"Never," he shuddered.

Seeing Patrice at Provenza's side he asked, "What are you guys doing in this neck of the woods, anyway?" Los Feliz was 20 minutes away from the Provenza's small bungalow in South LA.

"I was downtown shopping so we decided to grab a pizza at Palermo's for supper," Patrice said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"God yes. Thank you. Sharon wanted this brand," he showed her the two boxes. "But she didn't tell me which ones. I don't know the difference between the super and the regular."

"Well, that would depend on her flow. Did she just start?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. She wasn't expecting it today and she was out of these."

"Well, then, I'd get this combo pack." She grabbed a big box that was half super and half regular. "The supers will be fine for the first couple of days when it's heavier and then the regulars will work for the last few when it's lighter.

"Eh Gads. Really you two? "Provenza looked around to see if anyone was listening, and then hissed softly, "Are we really going to stand here in the middle of a store discussing the Captain's flow. It's embarrassing."

Andy gave a pointed look at the long yellow box in Provenza's hand. "No more embarrassing than buying hemorrhoid suppositories."

Provenza's face flushed. With a little huff, he slid the box of Preparation H under his arm and walked away toward the checkout counter with as much dignity as he could procure, Flynn's laughter following him all the way.

******************

Rusty was making the salad his mother had asked him to prepare to go with dinner when he heard the door to the condo open and then shut. With a puzzled frown, he stepped around the corner to see Andy.

"I thought I heard you come home earlier? He said.

"I did come home earlier. And then I left."

"Where did you go?"

"I had to run to the drugstore and get these for your Mom. " Andy pulled the box of tampons out of the bag, grinning when the boy's face twisted with distaste.

"Future reference Andy, when I ask a question like that a simple, 'I had to run an errand for your Mom will do it. I don't need to know any of the gross details."

Andy gave a soft chuckle. "Better get used to it, kid. Periods are a part of life, one day you'll have a wife and you'll-" A look of stunned horror crossed his face. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry."

"s'okay"

"No, really. I didn't mean anything by…It slipped…I just…. "

"Andy, it's okay. " Rusty cut off the stumbling explanation, putting the older man out of his misery. "You didn't offend me or anything."

"Okay, good. " Andy let out a breath of relief and started off toward the bathroom, then thought the better of it. Rusty wasn't going to have a wife and given the kid's upbringing, he doubted he'd ever been given a proper talk about this kind of stuff. Certainly, Sharon Beck wouldn't have done it and by the time his Sharon got the boy he'd probably known more about sex, the mechanics anyway, than her so there would have been no need for "the talk". In any case, boys were typically taught about male puberty and how to keep a girl from getting pregnant with barely a reference to anything that girls and women experienced. He'd learned far more about the female side of things from the women in his life than he did from health class or anything his father had told him. "You know kid, it's still a fact of life and even if you don't have a wife you could have a daughter one day. You might want to talk to your mom about that sometime." He looked down at the box in his hand. "Well, I better get these in to her."

Rusty watched Andy disappear into the bathroom. A daughter. He'd never really thought about that before. Did he even want children? Would he be capable of being a good parent? Despite the five years of love and stability he'd had with an amazing mother like Sharon, the 13 horrific years of abuse and neglect that he'd experienced with his biological mother and the two years he'd spent homeless, selling himself on the street had left him so messed up inside he wasn't sure he would ever be healed enough to think that he could be a good parent.

************

I have been patient, Gus. I waited an extra day. O-okay. Well, if you weren't ready to talk to me about it, then why text me? "

Sharon and Andy paused in setting the table with supper both looking to Rusty who was pacing in the living room on the phone with Gus.

"One of the things I love about living in a house with a kid again is realizing how happy I am to be older," Andy said.

" Mm." Sharon agreed, rubbing his shoulder and leaning in to press her lips to his in a brief kiss. "Relationships were so complicated at that age, weren't they? And breaking up is tough. Even if there's no other choice." She was so glad that she and Andy were past the complicated stage in their relationship. Sure, there were still difficulties they were facing with their annulments, but it was no longer complicated. She loved him, she was committed to him and she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Nothing complicated anymore about that.

They sat at the table filling their plates while Rusty's conversation with Gus continued.

"Okay, I... yeah, right. But just... just know that it's incredibly frustrating and... Yeah, well, I love you, too. Okay. All right, bye."

Sharon smiled at the 'I love you'. Rusty had come such a long way with being able to express his feelings, well, feelings that weren't anger anyway. He'd always been pretty good at expressing his anger. She could still remember the first time he'd given voice to his feelings for her. He was standing in the doorway to her office about to leave when he'd said those very words, "I'm only doing this because I love you. You know that, right?" You could have knocked her over with a feather, but she had perfected the art of suppressing her emotions and keeping her face devoid of the surprise she felt at hearing things that shocked her, like those words, and her response was a matter of fact, "I do". But, as soon as her door shut, her eyes had flooded with tears of joy. He loved her.

"Well... that sounded more positive," she said as Rusty joined them at the table.

"He says that he thinks it's all good, but he can only talk to me about whatever it is face to face. What? "Andy was giving him that 'come on' look that he had when someone was being oblivious.

"Nothing, "Andy shrugged. "It's just... well when I think about good things that can only be talked about face to face…"

"You mean like marriage?" Rusty was dumbfounded. He wasn't ready for marriage. "Andy, I'm not even out of college yet. And then, I have law school after that. I can't... Oh, my God. This is gonna end no matter what I do. Either he's preparing some kind of, "It's for the best" way to break up with me. Or he's going to ask me to marry him and then break up with me when I say no. But getting married right now, that would be crazy. Wouldn't it, Mom?"

"It depends on how you really feel about the other person." Sharon was listening to the conversation but her mind suddenly went back to the murder of Allie King. If Allie had turned down the proposal her volatile boyfriend, a billionaire used to getting everything he wanted, would it have been enough for him to snap and kill her?

"So, you think I'm ready to get married?"

"What? No. Of course not. I think the two of you are jumping to conclusions. There's no reason to get all worked up about this until you find out what Gus really wants to talk to you about."

********************

After supper and an episode of "Game of Thrones" Sharon left Andy and Rusty engrossed in a chess match to go soak in a nice bubble bath, hoping the warm water might soothe the war taking place in her abdomen.

When Andy got to the bedroom, having been soundly defeated, Sharon was laying in bed absorbed in book as she was most nights before bed, but by the time he returned from the bathroom having showered and brushed his teeth he found her curled up in the fetal position around a heating pad, her book set aside. There was a mug of herbal tea and a bottle of Midol sitting on her nightstand and the room was filled with the lavender and sage scent of essential oils coming from her diffuser. All that arsenal told him one thing. Sharon was feeling pretty miserable right now.

Because of his addiction, he was unable to take many prescription medications so he was more open than most of the guys he knew when it came to using natural products to fight pain and illness. But even so, he'd still thought all that aromatherapy stuff Sharon got from Summer was just a load of New Age mumbo-jumbo. How could the scent of clary sage soothe the cramps in her uterus? And yet, he had to admit, the lavender she used did seem to make him sleep better. And, when she'd rubbed some peppermint oil into his neck after he'd gotten the pinched nerve it had helped a little bit.

"Cramps bad?" He asked, sliding into bed behind her.

"Mm…you think?" It was nearly a groan. "You know, it isn't fair. If I'm going to have to deal with hot flashes, it would be nice to at least have the benefit of stopping my period. I was hoping after skipping it for two months in a row that it might be done."

Two months? Had it been that long? It wasn't something he'd really thought about, but now that she mentioned it, he realized that it had been a while. The last time he could remember was right around Halloween when he'd woken one morning, a little taken aback, to see sheets stained with small wet patches of blood where Sharon had been laying. Hearing his surprised intake of breath when she'd risen from the bed, Sharon had been slightly embarrassed at the mess, complaining about the unpredictability of her period after a couple decades of it cycling like clockwork. He'd made a flip remark about her sense of occasion with it being Halloween and all which had earned him a withering look and kept him mute on the subject now. But there was something he could do.

"Doesn't seem like your bath helped much. Would you like a back or belly rub?" One or the other had seemed to be helpful in the past. The first day or two was always hard on her, with agonizing cramps and backaches.

"My back feels like it's in a vice grip," she admitted. "The heating pad is helping with my belly."

"Back it is then." He lifted her cami and slid his hand into the back of her boy shorts. It was the only time of the month she wore the comfortable stretchy shorts, preferring to sleep in silky or satin negligees and nightgowns but not willing to take the chance she might stain them.

The moment his strong fingers rubbed into the small of her back, Sharon moaned with relief. Then he placed his thumbs on each side of her spine and dug them in with circling motions the way she'd taught him the first time he'd done this for her.

"You're awfully quiet," he said after several minutes of nothing but appreciative soft moans. "Just in pain or are you really worried about Rusty and this marriage thing?"

"There is no marriage thing. We don't even know what Gus wants to talk to him about." Her strained protest did not fool him.

"So, you're worried."

She sighed. "Maybe a little. It's so easy at that age to be pressured into doing something that you aren't ready for."

"You and I are prime examples of that."

"We are. I don't want Rusty to fall into the same trap that we fell into. But I know I have to be careful about what I say. My parents arguing against me marrying Jack in some ways only pushed me the other way. I wanted to prove to them that they were wrong."

"And my mother urging me to marry Sandra and being so excited about it pushed me right into proposing. I had no idea what I was getting into."

"So, what do we do? "

"We worry about today. Tomorrow will come soon enough and we can deal with it then."

Sharon was a planner, she liked to look ahead, to be prepared, but she had to admit that Andy's take one day at a time AA philosophy was starting to win her over---a little bit anyway. She was always going to worry, always look ahead at the big picture, but if she could step back from that a little she would try. "I guess you're right, I should take my own advice. There's no need in getting all worked up about it until we know what it is that Gus wants to talk to him about. And if it is marriage we just have to offer Rusty the best advice we can and hope that he makes the right decision." At Andy's negative little rumble, she looked back over her shoulder. "What? "

"We're talking about Rusty, here. "

"I know that. He's made some poor decisions, yes, but he's gotten a lot better. Look at him now. He's in college, he has goals, he's interning with the hopes of going to law school. He-" She paused at the grin crossing Andy's face. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just so easy to get your Mama Bear hackles up. Anyone who even thinks about fucking with one of your children better watch out."

"Hmph. "She flipped back over. "You might want to remind Gus about that."

"I thought you liked Gus."

"I do like Gus. He's been good for Rusty."

"But…"

"But I don't know what all of this is about and he's Rusty's first love. He has the power to hurt him. You know, I watched Emily and Ricky go through this with their boyfriends and girlfriends and when their hearts were broken, my heart broke too. But, it feels different with Rusty. I know it seems like he's tougher than they are and in some ways, he is. He's certainly been through things they can't even imagine. But emotionally, he's so much more fragile than they ever were."

"Old or new, love always has the power hurt you, Sharon. Just look how long it took me to even ask you out on a date."

"Hmm…" she hummed, tapping his hand to keep him kneading on her back. That night at the candlelit table at Serve he'd taken her hand and, playing with her fingers, told her just how long he'd had feelings for her. How many times he'd wanted to ask her out on a real date, a romantic date, and yet he'd held back, fearing rejection, fearing the loss of something he wasn't even sure was real. Until he asked her out, he could believe that she had the same romantic feelings and sexual attraction for him that he had for her. But if he asked her out and she said no, that she wasn't interested in him that way, he would know for sure that his feelings were not reciprocated and that he'd read her completely wrong. The fear that he'd been living in a fantasyland and they would never be more than just friends had been very potent, but he had to do it. He had to man up, take a chance and fight for what he wanted.

"It sucks, but as much as we want to, we can't stop our kids from getting hurt. "

"I know," she frowned. "All we can do is be there to pick up the pieces." She grabbed the heating pad's control box and clicked on the two-hour timer. As tempting as it was to sleep curled around all that heat warding off the squeezing, gripping pain that radiated down her thighs and made her insides feel like they were going through a meat grinder, it was too dangerous to keep it on all night. "I'm going to try to get some sleep before the Midol wears off and the heating pad shuts down."

"Okay. " Andy nuzzled into her hair pressing a kiss to her temple. "Good-night, sweetheart." And he continued to rub her back until she fell asleep.

**************************

"So, do you remember her from your PSB days?"

Sharon looked down at the picture of a sour-faced older woman that she held in her hand. This was their newest victim, unrelated to the Allie King murder they were still working on. Mary Conrad, a former member of the LAPD. As if she could forget that nasty piece of work.

"Oh yes, I remember her very well." She glanced up at Provenza who seemed strangely ill at ease, shifting from one foot to the other. "You know Lieutenant," she leaned in whispering softly. "You can't catch it, it's not contagious." She bit back an amused smile at the deep red flush of mortification rushing into his face.

"Yes, well, I know that," he stammered. He couldn't help it. It felt strange knowing something so personal about the Captain. And he wouldn't have known about it if it weren't for…Flynn. His eyes moved to his second in command who was leaning casually back against a desk with a knowing smile. "Your boyfriend has a big mouth."

Sharon's smile broadened. "Yes, well…"She trailed off and began putting pictures of Mary on the murder board as the rest of team began filtering in.

Provenza couldn't have been more relieved to see them and took the opportunity to slide away to his desk trying not to think about what else Flynn had told her about that visit to the drugstore.

"As you all know our victim, Mary Conrad, was a veteran of the LAPD. I had a few run-ins with Mary at the PSB. In fact, Mary took a swing at me when I relieved her from duty." She slapped the last picture on the murder board.

"Why were you investigating her ma'am?" Julio asked.

"Well, when she'd make an arrest for fraud, Mary sometimes accepted 'thank you' gifts from banks and retail outlets.

"Oh my God, that's so against the rules."

Buzz, a man after her own heart. "Yeah, well that didn't keep her from trying to justify it. She even mentioned that FBI agents get to keep a percentage of confiscated funds."

"Lucky bastards," Provenza muttered. Mary had been in his class at the Academy and he was still trying to remember who she was. Kind of scary considering that in the late 70's there were barely a handful of women at the Academy. She should have stuck out like a sore thumb.

"But you know, Mary's main defense was that her Captain didn't like having a woman in his unit."

"Well, it was a bit of a boys club back then," Andy said as if she needed reminding.

"Still is," she reminded him right back. "But I'm not sure though how much of a committed feminist Mary was. When I asked for her service weapon back she called me a bitch."

"Oh, well, that's shocking."

Andy shook his head with a little grin at Provenza's quip. Except for Amy and Wes who had joined the division after Sharon had become their Captain and had little knowledge of her time in FID, they had all referred to her as a bitch at one time or another.

"You canned her right?" Provenza asked.

"No, I offered her a demotion and a chance to work her way back up but she retired instead."

"Well, well, well, there's the happy couple. Sharon, Andy, how does it feel to be engaged?"

Too stunned to move, Sharon's eyes met Andy's and they stood rooted on the spot as Jack blustered into the Murder Room with a big smile. It was the smile of a snake, ready to lash out with his poison venom.

The team was also shocked speechless, but it didn't take them long to regain their wits.

"Wait, what?"

"Congratulations."

"Where's the ring?" Julio asked. "Didn't the Lieutenant buy you a ring, ma'am."

"Oh my God," Andy shook his head.

Provenza only nodded knowingly. Tao was going to have to give him his five bucks back.

"Ohh… wait. You aren't wearing a ring, are you? Well, that had to be the shortest engagement ever." Jack shook his head with mock sorrow resting a pitying hand on Andy's shoulder. "Bad luck Andy, my old man. Sorry about that. Women can be so fickle. You shell out the big bucks on a vacation, bare your soul asking them to marry you, they get caught up in the moment and say yes and then they kick you in the balls and give you your ring back."

"What the hell are you even talking about?" Andy shoved Jack's hand from his shoulder and Sharon moved in closer to the two, sliding an arm around Andy's waist. She could nearly taste the testosterone that was flying around between the two men and knew this could easily get out of hand.

"Wait, are you two really engaged or not?" Amy asked.

Sharon turned to her team…her family. This wasn't how she had wanted to tell them. Leave it to Jack to mess everything up. "Yes, we are." She rested her head on Andy's shoulder in a quick moment of affection she rarely displayed at work, the wide, happy smile on her face easing the tension in Andy and in the room.

"We just haven't announced it yet," Andy said.

"Oh no, "Jack feigned dismay, the brief flare of hope at seeing her bare finger extinguished. "Oh, God. I ruined your surprise."

Sharon's eyes, turning hard as granite, settled back on her ex-husband. "Yes, you did," she said before turning her back on him to talk to her friends. "We were going to have a little party to make the announcement. And yes Andy did, of course, give me a ring but I left it home because we wanted to tell acting Assistant Chief Howard first."

"Oh, Sharon, Sharon, Sharon. You never change. Always following the rules."

Sharon's glare came back in full force as she whipped around snapping, "What are you even doing here, Jack?" As far as she knew, he wasn't representing anyone in their cases.

"I uh…Brought the paperwork. The annulment questionnaire."

"I asked you to mail it to me."

"The mail is so impersonal."

"Exactly."

Man, she was a tough nut to crack. that wasn't anything new. He'd told her once that she was his Mount Everest, his Waterloo. She'd made the decision 22 years ago to make their separation legal and at that time she'd put a wall up that he'd never been able to completely penetrate ever again. Oh, he'd tried storming the castle a few times, even tore away a brick or two on occasion but he'd never been able to infiltrate the barriers and rules she'd put in place to keep him at bay. She was strong and she was stubborn and standing there ramrod straight with her arms crossed under her breasts and her cheeks slightly flushed with anger, she was as sexy a woman as he'd ever known. God how he still wanted her. He always wanted her, though never more so, it seemed, than when she was out of his reach. And never had she been more out of his reach than she was now with Flynn standing at her side and the talk of marriage on everyone's lips. "Is that really what you, the queen of the face to face, wants?"

What she really wanted right now was for the floor to open and Jack to fall through to hell, but that wasn't likely to happen. "Fine, you want to talk? Go wait for me in my office. I need to finish up here and then you'll have," she consulted her watch, "you'll have about five minutes."

"You're a tough lady to bargain with," he tried his most charming grin. When it did nothing to change her steely demeanor, he sighed and made his way toward her office. He hated it when she played these power games. Sending him off to wait in her office was all about showing him who was the boss.

And Sharon was always the boss.

*************************

Sharon made him cool his heels for a good twenty minutes before finally joining him in her office.

"You printed this out awfully fast." Jack held up a framed picture she had on her desk. Her mother had taken it Christmas Eve after they'd told the family about their engagement. She and Andy were standing in front of a blazing fireplace and a large Christmas tree twinkling with white lights, surrounded by their smiling children. Their arms were wrapped around each other's waists and her dress, the color of cranberries matched his suspenders. They were radiating happiness.

Sharon took the picture from him and set it back down on her desk. "Why did you come here, Jack?"

"Okay, so that's how it's going to be." He started to pull out the chair in front of her desk.

"Don't bother sitting, you won't be here long."

"Seriously? You throw something like this at me and don't expect to have a conversation about it?"

"Not here I don't. If you'd really wanted to have a conversation about this, we could have met for coffee somewhere and discussed it. But that isn't what you wanted. You knew Andy and I are planning an engagement party to surprise our friends and you just couldn't wait to let the cat out of the bag. Using our children as spies is starting to get a little tiresome and if they knew what you were doing…My God," she shook her head with disgust.

More than once the kids had innocently given Jack information about her or Andy that he'd then used against them. She hadn't told Emily or Ricky about it because it would only hurt them. Jack was so good at manipulation he had them believing that he was only interested in their lives, while surreptitiously pumping them for information on her and Andy.

"I'm here because of this." He angrily tossed the manila folder on her desk. "An annulment. You know this negates our marriage."

"Our marriage was already negated. "

"No, a divorce means our marriage is over, an annulment means our marriage never existed."

"Our sacramental marriage never existed---and that's the truth. That was the marriage where you promised before God to love and cherish me all the days of our lives, the one when you placed a ring on my finger and promised to be faithful to me. Jack, you negated our wedding vows a long, long time ago. This just makes it official."

"You can't pretend it didn't happen, Sharon!"

"I'm not pretending anything. Legally we were married and it's over, but when it comes to the sacrament of marriage, it didn't happen. I made a mistake and I'm putting it behind me. It would be better for you if you did the same."

Jack looked like she'd slapped him in the face. "Is that how you see me, as a mistake?"

"Jack…" Her tone softened. "You know I will always be grateful to you for Emily and for Ricky. I will always care about you and wish the best for you, even when you piss me off and I want to ring your neck as I do most of the time lately. But even though I didn't officially end it until two years ago, we haven't been married, really married for twenty-five years. And let's face it; if we hadn't rushed into getting married that summer we graduated, we would have realized that even if we loved each other, it wasn't going to work between us. We just weren't compatible. We wanted different things out of life. " She wanted a partner, family, stability, and monogamy, none of which he'd been able to give her. "I wasn't able to see that for a long time and maybe I was willing to overlook too much. You were my first serious relationship. Now that I've been with Andy and experienced that level of love, respect, and commitment, I can see what we were missing. "

"Andy," he scoffed. "You're seriously going to marry him?"

"I wouldn't go through this if I wasn't serious about marrying Andy. I'm not looking forward to reliving all of the most painful, humiliating parts of my life."

He flinched knowing she was referring to her time with him, but as usual, his pain came out as anger. "But you'll go through that for him."

"For us," she stressed. "I want to start our marriage out on the right foot and for me, that means getting married in the church."

"I gotta ask, why Flynn?"

"I'm not sure you really want me to answer that." She was still angry for what he'd just done, still angry for how he'd treated their children when they'd gone to him, but that didn't mean she wanted to hurt him.

"Yes, Sharon, I do. "

She stared at him for a long moment trying to decide if he was sincere or just trying to goad her into a fight, wondering how she could convey what she had with Andy in a way that he would understand. What could she tell him of a love that had sprung seemingly out of nowhere; coming at a time in her life when she'd least expected it. A love that had started with a deep friendship, her feelings growing and deepening every day until they became so powerful she could no longer imagine her life without Andy in it.

"Come on Sharon," he pushed. "You said you overlooked too much with me, but it seems to me that you must be overlooking an awful lot when it comes to that skirt chaser."

Her eyes hardened, whatever compassion she'd had for him disappearing. "Okay," she snapped. "You want to know, why Andy? Because he makes me happier than I've ever been in my whole life. Because he respects me and he loves me in a way that I've never been loved before and because I love him in a way that I've never loved anyone before. " As she spoke of Andy, she could actually feel that love, the warmth flowing from her heart all the way into her bones, melting the anger she felt toward her ex. It was a feeling she couldn't explain.

"He's a drunk you know," Jack spat out derisively. "Just like me. You just went from one drunk to another."

"He's an alcoholic," Sharon corrected, trying to keep her temper in check, something that was never easy when it came to Jack. "A recovering alcoholic who has been sober for 20 years, made amends and repaired his relationships with those he loves. So, no, he's not like you at all."

"Really? How is he moving in and living off you any different from what I did? Sounds to me like he's as much a deadbeat as you once accused me of being. "

Sharon's mouth dropped open with shock. Now that was rich, coming from the king of the freeloaders. She didn't owe Jack of all people any explanations but she also could not allow him to besmirch Andy this way. "Not that it's any of your business, but unlike you, Andy does not, nor has he ever 'lived off me'. He moved into my, now our condo because we are looking to buy a house and his house, the one that he bought himself and paid the mortgage on himself, again, something you've never done, sold faster than he thought it would and we haven't found a house yet. And unlike you who never gave me a dime of child support or sent any money home to help with the mortgage, bills, ballet classes, swim meet fees, football camps and baseball clinics, never mind college, he pays half the mortgage, half the utilities, and half the condo fees. He also paid child support when his daughter was younger, helped her with college tuition, and pretty much footed the entire $30,000 bill for her wedding so let's remember who the deadbeat is because it sure isn't Andy."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot what a paragon he is. Saint Andy. Good luck with that, I think you're gonna need it." He stalked off toward the door

"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. Oh, and Jack-" she stopped him just as he touched the door handle. "He may not be a saint but you want to know what else is different between you and Andy? When he moved in last August, it was into my bedroom, not the couch."

Jack's face flushed, his blood boiling with anger and jealousy. He wanted to walk out that door and punch Andy Fucking Flynn right in the face. Instead, he hit Sharon where he knew it would hurt her most. "Yeah, the kids told me all about it."

In an instant, Sharon went from chastising herself for allowing him to taunt her into pettiness to seething with outrage. Only this time she kept it under control calmly asking, "Will I be seeing you at the tribunal?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"You know, Jack, I really don't want to fight with you. I'd like this to be as civilized as possible.

"I'm sure that's exactly what you'd like, Sharon." He tossed her an enigmatic look and walked out the door.

TBC

#sharon raydor #andy flynn #shandy #Major Crimes #saying good-bye to yesterday #jack raydor #rusty beck

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Christmas in Connecticut-Chapter 16

In this chapter Sharon and Andy attend Midnight Mass with their family. Later Andy and Rusty have an unexpected conversation regarding Rusty’s sexuality.

I always felt we were missing a fathership conversation regarding Rusty’s sexuality. IMO it was all very ambiguous. We saw both Provenza and Andy being a little uncomfortable with Rusty being gay--Provenza accepted it as long as they didn’t have to discuss it. When Rusty went to Andy once to ask him his adviceAndy seemed a little uncomfortable  and asked if it was about him and Gus. However, by the time Andy was living with Sharon, and Rusty was angsting over Gus, Andy seemed totally comfortable with it all. Also, Andy was far more comfortable and accepting of Provenza’s former partner who turned out to be transgender, while Provenza was a real jerk about it. 

Anyway, this is a sensitive subject that I don’t have any experience with so I hope I did it justice and also kept Andy and Rusty in character.

Now available here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13293105/chapters/31441479

and here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12789981/16/Christmas-in-Connecticut

and here:

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior's birth Long lay the world in sin and error pining 'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born O night, O holy night, O night divine! O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother; And in His name all oppression shall cease Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we With all our hearts we praise His holy name Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we Noel, Noel

*****

Sharon held Andy’s gloved hand as they followed William and Colleen up the long walkway to a large stone church. St. Marys. Snow crunched under their boots, their breath fogging in front of them. It was a clear frigid night, the stars shining brightly in the black sky. Sharon shivered and hunkered deeper into her long wool coat. Her dad teased her about it but years in sunny Southern California really did seem to have thinned her blood.

“Papa Andy.” Tyler fell in step with them. “It’s gonna be really, really late when we leave church tonight. Do you think we’ll see Santa?”

Sharon gave Andy a sidelong glance, biting back a grin. They had been following the NORAD Santa tracker all night on the computer and she had just heard Nicole tell the boys that Santa was still far from North America. However, true to form, when their mom or dad told them something they didn’t want to hear, they turned to Papa Andy who often gave them what they wanted. Nicole called him a sucker. He called it being a grandfather.

“Sorry, kiddo. I think your mom’s right, this time. Besides, you don’t want to see Santa.”

“Yes we do.”

“No, you really don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you see him the magic’s gone and he disappears.”

Tyler’s eyes widened and now Scott was listening to every word. “So we wouldn’t get any presents?”

“Nope. The presents come with the magic.”

“Oh…“ Tyler sounded a bit shocked by that news. “Then I’m gonna keep my eyes closed all the way home.”

“Me too,” Scottie vowed.

“Good idea,” Andy agreed.

“I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about it,” Sharon said as they began climbing up the stairs. “If they‘re anything like my two when they were little they‘ll be sound asleep by the time we leave church.”

Andy opened the door, allowing Sharon to pass before following. Inside the vestibule, they both paused to dip their fingers in the fonts of holy water, crossing themselves before entering. The church was dimly lit, the sanctuary covered in fir garlands and red ribbons, the altar surrounded by dozens of large flowering red poinsettias. Each pew was decorated with garland, a big red velvet ribbon tied in a bow and a white candle.  Organ music filled the chamber with the soft beautiful strains of “Oh Holy Night”, which just happened to be one of Sharon‘s favorite Christmas hymns. The scent of frankincense permeated the air, bringing with it the sense of familiarity and peace that it always did for her when she entered a church.

There was something mystical about midnight mass. It brought back all the feelings of enchantment that Sharon had felt as a child. The rituals, the Christmas hymns, the excitement of being allowed to stay up so late, the strangeness of being at church so deep in the night and best of all  the titillating possibility of seeing Santa and his reindeer flying across the night sky. All of it had been as magical for her and Chrissie as it later had been for Emily and Ricky, and now Tyler and Scottie.

But for all that, her feelings as an adult ran so much deeper. Reaching out to thread her fingers through Andy’s, she looked down the pew at her parents, her children, her soon to be stepfamily, warmth spreading through her. She truly was blessed. She had a man in her life that loved her with all his heart and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Her parents were aging gracefully, her children were healthy, and with Nicole, Dean, and the boys, that family was expanding in ways she’d never expected. She couldn’t remember ever being as happy as she was right now.  

The only blemish on that happiness came when she turned from her family to take in the beautifully decorated altar. The sharp twinge in her heart caused her hand tighten on Andy’s and she had to blink back the quick sting of tears. When she thought about marrying Andy this was where she pictured herself. Standing at an altar covered in flowers, making their promises to each other in the presence of God. But what if they couldn’t make that happen?

As if he could read her mind, Andy looked over at her with a smile. Just a few hours ago, she’d tried to explain that smile to Chrissie, but it was hard to convey the power that it had over her. That smile could lighten her day and cause her knees go weak with lust. It could fill her with tenderness and make her heart soar with joy. And best of all there were times like tonight when it had the power to make her feel like no matter what happened; everything was going to be all right.

After a brief moment of silence that got everyone’s attention, the organist began the loud joyous strains of “O Come All Ye Faithful” which began in Latin but would eventually switch over to the English translation. The sanctuary lit and the congregation rose for the opening procession; the swinging thurible of smoky incense, ministers carrying the cross and candles, the deacon carrying the Book of Gospels and finally the priest. Standing at Andy’s side listening to the voices rise in the call of the faithful, the sense of peace she had experienced upon entering the church washed through her again. She smiled back at him. It didn’t matter what Jack signed or didn’t sign, as long as she had this man by her side, everything else would sort itself out. And with the joy of that peace, her voice joined his in the beautiful hymn.

Adeste, fideles, Laeti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem! Natum videte, Regem angelorum Venite, adoremus! Venite, adoremus! Venite, adoramus! Venite, adoramus Dominum!

O come, all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of Angels! O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him Christ the Lord

*****

Trying not to wake anyone, especially the kids, Andy nearly tip toed down the stairs. When he got to the living room he found it dark, save for the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. They must have forgotten to shut them off when they all finally stumbled off to bed after returning from midnight mass and putting the kids gifts out under the tree. His feet barely made a sound thanks to the plush carpet runner, but he cursed at the loud click the lock on the front door made.

“Andy?”

“Jesus Christ!” Andy spun around, going for the gun that was not on his hip. He was barefoot, in new red and green plaid flannel pajama bottoms and a dark green waffled t-shirt--a gift from Sharon. It was an O‘Dwyer/Raydor tradition that everyone got new pajamas on Christmas Eve in preparation for pictures Christmas morning. It was easy now to see where Sharon got her love of tradition and holidays and how she‘d passed that down to Ricky and Emily who had been waiting eagerly, like little kids, for their new pajamas. Though Rusty was still fairly new to the whole tradition thing, he was sitting in the big overstuffed chair in front of the Christmas tree wearing the same new pajamas, but with a red shirt instead of green. “Are you trying to really give me a heart attack?”

“You just got engaged. You’re not running out on my mom, are you?”

“Yeah, barefoot in my pajama’s. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then what are you doing creeping around in the night like a cat burgler?”

Andy rolled his eyes at the description. “We ate the cookies the kids left for Santa, but we forgot the carrots they put out for the reindeer. I told your mom I’d come down and grab them.” Andy sank down on the couch across from Rusty. “Why are you still up?”

“I dunno, I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Too excited about your presents? “

Rusty gave him an amused smirk before his face turned serious again.

“I’ve been thinking a lot. Being here this week, getting to see where mom grew up. Now the holiday. Before I started living with Sharon, I never celebrated Christmas. Most of the time my mom was so strung out she didn’t even know what day it was. Even if she had remembered that it was Christmas, she didn’t have any money for a tree or presents or a big Christmas dinner. And we sure never went to midnight mass or watched Christmas movies or baked Christmas cookies together. My first Christmas with Sharon I acted like I thought it was all pretty lame, but that isn’t really how I felt. I like that she gets so into it--even when she makes me watch ‘White Christmas’ with her.”

Andy chuckled. “It is her favorite Christmas movie.”

“Sometimes when I listen to Emily and Ricky and they’re telling stories about what it was like for them growing up I feel like that little match girl in the story they were talking about the other day. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I’d been born to Sharon. If I’d had the chance to grow up with her as my mom and always had these big Christmas’s with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. To be tucked into bed at night with a Christmas story from the 25 Days of Christmas. To decorate gingerbread and sugar cookies and make popcorn and cranberry garland while we listened to Christmas carols. To sit in front of the tree watching all those classic Christmas movies together, even those cheesy Hallmark ones she loves. To spend a day making ornaments out of pinecones that she’d put on the tree no matter how ugly they were. And let’s face it, Ricky’s were pretty ugly.”

Having recently seen some pictures of Sharon’s earlier Christmas’s when her kids were young Andy could only nod in agreement. “They really were pretty ugly.”

“I mean, I know it wasn’t perfect. I know they had some hard times because of Jack. But Emily and Ricky were really lucky to have a mom like Sharon.”

“Yes, they were. And so are you. Sharon’s a very special person and she’s an incredible mom. I’m sorry you didn’t get to have those kinds of Christmas’s when you were young. But you get to have them now. And I bet they mean even more to you because you don’t take them for granted. I had a lot of lonely Christmas’s after my divorce and for a long time I was filled with anger and bitterness and regret. It ate at me and I wasn’t a very happy person. But since I met your mom, I find it’s a lot easier not to look back. I’m happy here and now in the present and that’s what’s important. I’m looking forward to my future. And so should you. You’ve got a lot going for you Rusty, don’t let your past take away the enjoyment of your present.”

“Mmm..” Rusty hummed in way that was very reminiscent of his mother, biological or not. “That’s not always easy.”

“Are you missing Gus?”

“Maybe a little.”

“It’s too bad he couldn’t come.”

“It’s probably for the best.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you know…” He gestured toward his grandparent’s bedroom.

“You know they know you’re gay, right?”

“Uh, yeah. Mom told them right after I came out. But knowing it and seeing it are two different things.”

Andy’s brow furrowed. After moving in with Sharon, he had become privy to some of the more personal details of Rusty’s love life. He knew Sharon had given Rusty the okay for Gus to spend the night at the condo, yet he’d never done so. It had become quickly apparent that Rusty’s inability to embrace his homosexuality publicly seemed to be a sticking point in his relationship with Gus and had been for a long time. But he’d kept that observation to himself. Which was funny, really. He’d never been shy about offering up his opinions on just about anything. He’d made no bones about his disdain of Slider when Rusty was doing his vlog and had no problem calling the kid out when he thought he was being selfish or taking advantage of Sharon, but unless Rusty had come right out and asked, he’d steered well clear of offering advice on his love life. As if by some unspoken, tacit agreement, he and Rusty had never discussed Rusty being gay. Andy always just figured it was awkward enough for any teen to talk about anything sexual with a parent, let alone for a gay son and the heterosexual live in boyfriend of his mother, so he hadn‘t pushed it. At least that was what he tried telling himself. The truth was more along the lines that he felt awkward about it, and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was time to man up and just get it all out in the open. He took a deep breath and finally asked, “Are you ashamed of being gay?”

Rusty‘s eyes widened with surprise and he began to squirm. Fighting the urge to simply get up and leave, he clutched at the soft fabric of his pajama bottoms in an effort to quell his anxiety. Where had that question from?  He’d gone to Andy a few times for advice and had seen the discomfort on the older man’s face when he’d inevitably asked, “Is it about you and Gus?“ As if he would go to Andy Flynn for dating advice. The very thought made his gut clench. Andy was a macho guy’s guy, notorious within the department for his appreciation of beautiful women and serial dating. At least until he‘d fallen head over heels for Sharon and set out to win her heart.  How could a man like that understand him?  “No….Well, uh…I was…I guess I tried to deny it for a long time. I wanted to be normal. I wanted people to think I was normal. There was even a time I thought I might be able to fix it.”

“By seeing Kris?”

“Yeah. That didn’t work so well. I really liked her, and I tried, but I couldn’t like her that way.”

“You know you don’t need to be fixed, right?”

“I do now. Mom helped me see that. She said I was normal just the way I was and that she loved me no matter what.”

“Your mom is pretty great that way.”

“She is. “

“So, why are you still trying to hide it?”

“What do you mean? “

“Rusty, you had a big fight with Gus because he tried to hold your hand in public. Every time he touches you in front of other people, you flinch away from him.”

Rusty paled. Gus was always riding his ass about that; he had no idea that his discomfort had been so obvious to others. “You noticed that?”

“Hard not to.” He’d also noticed that when they all watched a movie together, Sharon would lay her head on his shoulder, while Rusty made it a point to sit alone in a chair, never next to Gus on the couch. Yet, many times when he and Sharon came home from work or a night out they‘d often found the boys sitting together on the couch. It seemed to be only a problem when others were around.

“I guess I am still a little uncomfortable with it.” Looking up into Andy’s face, he saw none of the recriminations that had twisted the features of his biological mother. Instead, the honest curiosity and compassion in Andy’s eyes compelled him to open up about his deepest fears. “It’s just; I don’t want to be those guys that picked me up on the Strip.”

“Oh my God. Is that what you’ve been worrying about? Rusty you have nothing in common with those guys, anymore than I have anything in common with straight pedophiles that molest little girls. Sex between two consenting adults has nothing to do with what you went through. Gay or straight those guys who prey on underage kids are criminals.”

“I know, I do know that. It’s just…My biological mother said some things to me and I can‘t seem to get them out of my head.”

“Oh yeah, what did she say?” This ought to be good if it came out of the mouth of Sharon Beck.

“She said my being gay was disgusting to her and that knowing what I was is what made her turn to drugs. It‘s also one of the reasons she and Gary dumped me at the zoo.”

Andy gave a rumble of disgust. “Rusty, that’s what addicts do. They blame other people because they don’t want to blame themselves. Did you tell your mom about this?”

“No. She knows I fought with my biological mother but I couldn’t tell her the terrible things she said. I mean, obviously mom knows about my past, that I was hustling, but she doesn’t know all the dirty details. And I don’t want her to know, because I never want her to be revolted by me. I couldn’t stand that. I need her…I need her to love me.”

Andy shook his head with regret. Sharon Beck had sure done a number on this boy. Between growing up with her as a mother and having to sell his body at such a young age, it was no wonder the kid had an issue with his sexuality and intimacy and that he equated sex with being dirty and degrading. It was a good thing that Sharon had gotten him into therapy. He hoped that Dr. Joe was helping him work through all that. “Rusty, we can’t change the past or any of the choices we made but your mother loves you no matter what you’ve done. That’s the thing about unconditional love, there aren’t any conditions attached to it. You are your mother’s son and she is so proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished. “

“I know she is. It’s just …Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of that. She’s always been a great mom to me, from the first day she took me in, but I haven’t always been the greatest son.”

“No, you haven’t.”

Rusty’s head snapped up at the blunt response. One of the reasons he trusted Andy was because he was a “tell it like it is” kind of guy and didn’t waste time sugar coating things. Still he hadn’t expected him to agree so readily.

“Look kid, in my experience teenagers can be a fucking nightmare. I know I gave my own parents some gray hair and I’m sure Emily and Ricky share some of your feelings now that they’re grown. Your mom has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. She has this huge capacity for love and forgiveness. Hell, she fell in love with me and I used to call her the wicked witch of FID.”

Rusty snorted. He hadn’t heard that one before, but it didn’t surprise him. He’d had a front row seat to the animosity Sharon had faced when she’d first taken over Major Crimes.

“She knows everything about my past, all my flaws, all the mistakes that I’ve made and she still agreed to marry me. Because she knows, people change. There’s a saying we use in AA, ‘Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.’ Most people have something in their pasts that they aren’t proud of, we all make mistakes, but who are today isn’t always who we were.”

Rusty nodded. He sure wasn’t the same person he’d been at 15, living on the streets, selling his body and living in fear every single day. But there was one fear he still had, a question that had always been there in the back of his mind but that he‘d left unasked. A topic he’d never quite been sure how to bring up. Taking a deep breath he figured it was now or never. “I answered your question, now it’s my turn to ask you something.”

“Okay, shoot. “

“Well, since you’re going to be my step- father sometime in the near future, there’s something I need to know before that happens.”

“Okay.”

“When I was coming out…It was really hard for me. That was mainly because of you and Lieutenant Provenza. The two of you, you were the only real men in my life and I was afraid you might be….well…”

“Homophobic?”

“Maybe, yeah. And now I know that you’re not. I mean you’ve been great to me and you’ve been great to Gus. You’ve never treated us with anything but respect and you‘re friends with Gavin and Dr. Morales and Dr. Joe and all. But when you and mom first started looking for houses and I was worried that I might be in the way, you said that if my mom thought you were trying to get rid of me she’d flip out, so I need to know. How much of your acceptance of me is because you want to please my mom? Does it bother you that I am…the way I am? I need you to be honest with me here.”

Andy took a deep breath knowing that his future relationship with his step -son might very well hinge on the way he answered this question.

“Look kid. Was I always sympathetic or understanding when it came to homosexuality? Probably not. But you have to remember, I grew up in a time when no one talked about it, and if they did, it was whispered as if it was something shameful.  Then I joined the LAPD in less than politically correct times. Things were different back then. Everything was a stereotype. I honestly believed there were no gay men on the police force, in the fire department, or in professional sports. It sounds stupid now, but that’s the way it was. We were ignorant. Then AIDS hit and it forced guys out of the closet. I had a friend on the force that had to come out. “

“What do you mean, “Had to”?”

“In the 80’s if you got AIDS, you pretty much died.”

“Oh.” Rusty swallowed tightly. He‘d been worried about AIDS too while he was hustling. “You said he was your friend. Did you think about him differently after you found out?”

“At first. I mean it was a shock. Like I said, I had an idea of what a gay man was in my head.  Steve was tough, a jock, he didn’t fit the stereotype I’d been taught to believe at all. Like I said, I was pretty ignorant back then. I had no idea that for years he’d been living a double life, pretending to hit on women when we all went out to bars, then sneaking off to gay clubs to pick up guys. He lived every day with the fear that people would find out who he really was and how they would react. That‘s no way to live.”

“I remember feeling like that. I thought for sure Sharon was going to throw me out when I finally had the guts to tell her and then I was really afraid to come out to all of you. I thought it might change how you felt about me. I tried to get Mom to do it for me.”

Andy gave a soft snort. That sounded like Rusty. “Bet that didn’t go over too well.”

“No, it didn’t. Your friend, Steve. Did he die?”

“Yes. He did. I went to visit him in the hospital. You could tell he wasn’t gonna make it, he‘d wasted away to nothing. His mom was there but his father wouldn’t visit him. I was pretty pissed about that. I just can’t see how any father could justify not being there with his son when he’s dying, you know?”

“Sounds pretty shitty.”

“It was pretty shitty. He wouldn’t listen to Steve’s mother, so I called him, told him how sick Steve was, and asked him to come and say good-bye. He refused. All he kept saying was that he didn’t understand how a son of his could be gay.”

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you understand how someone can be gay?”

“I…uh…Well, there are a lot of things I don’t understand. I don’t understand how your mother can be a Packers fan over the Rams when she‘s never even come close to living in Green Bay. But I do understand her passionate love of football.”

Rusty rolled his eyes at Andy’s attempt at levity. “You’re avoiding the question.”

“Yeah, okay, you want the truth? Here it is.  Do I understand being attracted to another man? No, I don’t. Not any more than you or any gay man can understand my attraction to women. But I’ll tell you what I do understand. I do understand attraction. And I do understand love. And I also understand that we can’t make ourselves love people or not love people and we can‘t help who we are attracted to. You found that out with Kris.  I found it out with my ex-wife and with Sharon. I tried to force myself to love my ex after I’d fallen out of love with her because I wanted my marriage to work. I couldn‘t do it, because you can’t make yourself feel something you don’t feel. And then, falling in love with your mom, I mean that was just crazy. The odds were stacked pretty high against us. She was still married, on paper anyway, she was my boss and there was a time when we argued all the time. We were fire and ice.”

“I remember that.”

“Even once we got past the FID stuff, we’re so different. She is a beautiful, cultured woman and I’m a street kid from Brooklyn. She’s fancy French restaurants and I’m hot dogs at Coney Island. She’s Mozart and I’m Jimmy Buffett.  She had a bad marriage to an alcoholic and I’m a recovering alcoholic. She’s a cool play it by the rules and I‘m an impatient, push it to the edge. We weren‘t supposed to click. I mean none of it made any sense. But as they say, the heart wants what the heart wants and my heart wants your mom. I understand that.”

“Mmm…Mom did have a pretty heavy duty case of denial going there for a while.”

“It’s never easy when you’ve had a bad relationship to allow yourself to trust in a new relationship.”

“Well, you’re nothing like Jack.”

“Really?” Andy raised a brow. “I’ve heard some people say we’re pretty similar.”

“Not in the ways that matter. The way you treat Mom is so different from the way Jack treated her. You don’t try to manipulate her to do what you want the way Jack did. You don’t hide things or have ulterior motives. You don’t try to guilt her to do what you want or use the people she loves to get at her. Those are all the kinds of things I’ve seen Jack do. You respect her. You do things you don’t want to do because you know it will make her happy and she does the same thing for you. And even though Jack’s known Mom a lot longer than you have, you seem to know her much better than he did.“

“You think?”

Rusty nodded. Because of the trauma and abuse he’d gone through each time his biological mother brought a new boyfriend home, he’d watched Andy’s relationship with Sharon carefully and warily. Expecting the worse, what he had seen instead was a lesson in true love.

A lesson brought home by the way his mother lit up when Andy walked into the room and the sappy adorable smile she’d give him when he brought her home flowers “just because”. It was the way she’d lovingly changed his bandages after his surgery and the way she fussed and worried about him while he was recovering. It was in the affectionate way she played with the buttons on his shirt or stroked his tie and the way she was always careful to wipe her lipstick off his face each time she kissed him. It was in the way she would take his hand in public, intimately threading her fingers through his.

It was in the way that Andy picked up her favorite Thai food for dinner because he knew she’d been busy and had to skip a meal and wanted to make sure that she had something to eat. It was the way he brought her Advil and green tea after seeing her rubbing her temples, instinctively knowing she had a headache.  It was the way he opened doors for her and held out her chair and the way he guided her along with a hand resting protectively on the small of her back. It was the way he would swing her legs onto his lap and give her a foot massage after seeing her wince when she took off her high heels at the end of a long day. She didn’t have to ask, he just did it

It was a million little things that to others might have gone unnoticed, but not to Rusty. At work, Andy might be brash, tough, and impatient but with Sharon, he was always attentive, thoughtful and gentle.

“When I was living with my biological mother I saw a lot of the bad stuff in relationships; rage, violence, cheating, but watching you and Mom and the way you support each other and  take care of each other has shown me how people are supposed to love each other.”

Andy’s brow lifted with surprise. After initially seeming to be okay with him and Sharon dating, Rusty had grown increasingly squeamish when their relationship progressed to the point that they were visibly affectionate with each other and even more so when he had begun spending the night at the condo. There was nothing unusual about that and Andy hadn‘t let it bother him. No son liked to think about his mom having sex, even if he liked her boyfriend. He got that.  But he hadn’t realized just how much the kid had been paying attention to the other aspects of their relationship. “I appreciate you telling me that. It means a lot for me to hear you feel that way. But I want to get back to your initial question because it’s important to me that you know this.  No, it doesn’t bother me that you’re gay and I’m not just saying that just because I love your mother and want to please her. I care about you Rusty, and I want you to be happy. Male, female, black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, we‘re all just people and if there is anything I’ve learned through my experiences it’s that all that matters is trying to be the best person you can be. I think that’s all you can ask of anyone.”

Sitting in the stairwell Sharon’s eyes burned with tears, her heart swelling with love. Her conversation with Christine still fresh in her mind, it was hard to believe there had been a time she’d thought Andy was a jackass.

Andy looked at his watch. “You might want to head off to bed, I have a feeling those two boys are going to have us up at the crack of dawn.”

Rusty laughed. “I think you’re right. They were definitely excited. ” He rose to his feet and stood awkwardly for a moment before finally gearing up the courage to do something he’d never done before. Leaning down he gave Andy a quick half shoulder hug. “Thank you,” he said. “For being honest with me. I’m, uh, glad you’re marrying my mom.”

Andy’s lips quirked in amusement as he watched the boy quickly disappear toward his bedroom. What a difference from the enthusiastic, “Andy, welcome to the family!” bear hug Ricky had given him after he and Sharon had announced their engagement.

Sharon’s two boys could not be more different.

Rusty Beck was a hard nut to crack, no doubt about it. In comparison, Ricky was easy. He’d hit it off right from the start with Sharon’s eldest son, even before they were dating. Ricky was as open and friendly as Rusty was wary and guarded. He had an infectious, fun loving personality, not unlike that of an overgrown puppy. You couldn’t help but like the kid. And he and Ricky had so much in common. They shared a near obsession with the Dodgers and other sports and never had trouble striking up a conversation, most of them revolving around baseball, football, basketball and hockey.  And when he found out the kid liked to fish, one of his own favorite pastimes, he’d set up a deep sea fishing trip for the two of them off the coast of Catalina. They‘d listened to the Dodgers on the radio, soaked up the sun and caught an almost 20 pound halibut. It had been a great day, both enjoying each other‘s company. When they got home, they’d grilled fresh halibut steaks out on the condo balcony and told fish stories to Sharon, Rusty and Gus well into the night. The trip had been such a success and they’d had such a good time together they talked about going out again to try to catch Marlin, only this time Sharon and Gus wanted in on the action which left him hopeful that Rusty might give it a try.

It was easy with Ricky in ways it had never been easy with Sharon‘s prickly youngest. With Rusty he‘d often felt like he was walking on eggshells. The kid was moody and sensitive and had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. It hadn’t been easy to find a way to reach him. Rusty usually turned to his laptop when he and Sharon put a sporting event on TV, he didn’t even know the difference between overtime and extra innings and he found fishing a colossal bore. Yet, somehow, Andy had been able to forge a bond with the boy that grew stronger every day. They cooked together, played chess and cards, competed against each other in video games and when the new season of ‘Game of Thrones’ came out they could both be found, along with Sharon, in front of the TV sharing a big bowl of popcorn.

“Hey.”

At the touch of a hand on his shoulder, Andy was brought out of his thoughts, looking up to see Sharon smiling down on him.

“Hey, what are you still doing up?” He took the hand she rested on his shoulder and kissed the back of it.

“I was waiting for you to come back to bed,” she said, allowing him to pull her down onto his lap. “When you were taking so long I got worried.”

‘How much did you hear?”

“Enough. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Considering how long it took you to say it, I can never hear it enough.”

Sharon cupped his handsome face in her palms and leaned in close. “I love you, Andy Flynn,” she said just before her lips touched his.

And Andy could not think of a better way to finish off Christmas Eve then necking with his lady under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.

TBC

#sharon raydor #andy flynn #shandy #Major Crimes #rusty beck #christmas in connecticut #Shandy Christmas

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Thoughts on “Intersection”

I think what I liked most about this episode was seeing that Sharon Raydor has well and truly emotionally and mentally caught up to Andy Flynn in their relationship. In the very beginning Andy was leaps and bounds ahead of Sharon when it came to where he was, where she was and where he wanted to go. As Sharon followed along his path she started to catch up to him, but it was a very slow process. Not only are they very different people, he being impulsive, she having to think everything through, she had some very real and deep emotional scars from her bad marriage and worries about workplace romances that kept her from fully embracing this new relationship. Sharon really closed the gap when she told Andy not to look for a place in Silver Lake and suggested they live together. And she finally completely caught up for good when she agreed to marry him. Because this is Sharon Raydor and if she’d had any reservations left about marrying Andy she would never have said yes to him.

So, now that her last worry, the annulments, has been taken care of Sharon is finally able to kick back and just embrace the idea of being engaged and being in love. She was just radiating love in this episode, it was in every look she gave Andy, the way she touched him and the way she smiled at him. Her deep feelings for Andy also came out in some  of her comments. When they were discussing the case and bring up that Will had a fiancée she comments “I’m thinking about whether Indra will be able to help us before she falls apart” And the look on her face tells us that she knows how Indra is going to respond because she would absolutely fall apart if she, also a fiancee, got that notification about Andy. And when Mason tells her “I like my life the way it is, you know?” and she says “Yeah, I do” and Andy walks in, she looks up at him, and finishes with “I really do”. The emotion in her words and in the way she looks at him just says it all. And of course others are noticing it too. When talking to Will’s parents  Andy and Sharon ask the same question at the same time drawing a  Provenza grumble of “Ye Gods they’re becoming telepathic.” They are definitely on the same page now.

There’s been a lot of talk about how fast things are moving in regards to the wedding. And I agree. But I really think that has to do with Duff starting to believe that MC was not going to be renewed for season 6 and deciding that he was going to make sure all the loose ends were tied up properly before it ended. I have a lot of gripes with Duff, believe me, but on this point I am actually grateful, because if MC had not been renewed I think we would have gotten the wedding in the finale. I am thankful that he at least appreciated Shandy fans enough to want to give us that opportunity and that closure and I would have been eternally grateful for that. Of course now I’m thrilled we get a season six!!!

Other than the fact that Sharon and Andy had to get annulments which can be really time consuming, I don’t have a problem with them wanting to get married quickly--though I get the feeling from things Mary said in WWSRD, it might not be so quick. There will probably be some curveball thrown that will now slow things down since we have a season six. That said, I’m glad they are showing Andy and Sharon excited about moving forward, especially Sharon. Like I said in the beginning, Sharon has always been the one dragging her heels in this relationship so to hear her saying she is excited and enjoying planning the wedding and just, well, as happy as Andy, makes me giddy with feels. You SHOULD be happy when you are engaged. Too often the writers just don’t let Sharon enjoy things--she’s always thinking or worrying. I’m glad they are letting her be happy and experience joy in her relationship with Andy rather than just trepidation. Both Sharon and Andy seem to be at that “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you want the rest of your life to start today“place when it comes to their wedding.

Of course, I don’t want it to happen too quickly. I do hope we have some lead up to the wedding. I’d like to see them enjoying their engagement, and hope that the wedding isn’t just a rushed afterthought.  I don’t think it will be, Duff did say he had to change some things when he found out they were renewed and I think this will be one of them. When has anything ever moved fast with Andy Flynn and Sharon Raydor? 

As far as the wedding invitations being sent out, I’m not sure that’s what they were. I think they might have been “Save the date” cards? Patrice just said he was putting stamps on Sharon and Andy’s envelopes not that they were invitations.

So, let’s see, there were actually a few other things to comment about.

Andy/Sharon/Louie/Patrice--We finally got our “double date”. It’s a shame that Provenza was so down in the dumps that he couldn’t have a smidgen of happiness for two people he does actually care about. This was different from the usual Provenza grumbles, the stuff about the cake and telling Sharon no one would blame her for calling it off, that was pure Provenza. But the fact that he couldn’t show that he was in any way pleased about this momentous occasion was disappointing. Provenza has long since come to terms with their relationship, was even quite tender when Andy asked him to tell Sharon he loved her before his surgery, so he is capable of it. Too bad, because Andy and Sharon were nothing but pleased for him when he married Patrice. Though I seem to remember a few snarky Flynn remarks too--it’s just who they are.

I would love to see more of Patrice--she really seems to have Louie in hand. I thoroughly enjoyed all her exasperated looks at him warning him to behave and his grudging response to those looks. Loved her “I’m not asking” when she went out to get him on the terrace saying Andy and Sharon wanted help with their wedding invitations and he starts his grumbles. Notice he immediately follows her :-)

Andy’s cake-I’ve read a lot of comments about Andy not being the good cook everyone thought he was. I don’t think that is necessarily true. Andy could have been a phenomenal cook--but now he is trying to learn a whole new way of cooking healthy, with healthy ingredients, and I can tell you from experience, when you are cooking THAT healthy nothing tastes as good as it normally would. He wasn’t just switching out one ingredient for a healthier option; the whole thing was switched out for healthy options. It takes a really long time to try to find things that are palatable when you are eating that way. Andy even commented “This is the most guilt free dessert I’ve ever made.”  I do think everyone’s reactions were really true to character. Andy was so enthused to share his cake with everyone, Patrice, who has been trying to get Louie to eat healthy since they got married (remember the healthy lunches she was sending him to work with)  and who seems to watching her diet too was perfectly fine with the cake, Provenza who would have much preferred a cake loaded with butter, sugar and creamy frosting hated it, and Sharon who seems to be more of a “moderation” eater i.e. She eats healthy for the most part but is not adverse to eating things like pizza and burgers and pancakes, just in moderation, put on a good face to encourage her fiancé.

Also, right now Sharon is enveloped in that rosy glow of the newly engaged and is so besotted with her fiancé anything he does is wonderful. The look she gives him is the one he usually reserves for her, like the sun rises and sets on her. And, since his health scare, I’m sure she’s doing everything she can to support and encourage his new healthy lifestyle and if that means eating tasteless cake, so be it.

Rusty/Provenza on the balcony-This scene seemed a little contrived. I still don’t get why Provenza needed some “fresh air”. I guess it was the only way the writers could come up with to let us know there is a little trouble brewing in paradise with Rusty being jealous of Gus and his boss.

The case-At first I couldn’t figure out why Provenza was taking this case so hard. I mean in his 40 years or so on the force he’s probably had hundreds of cases that started out seemingly “senseless” but turned out to have a motive. We’ve seen it right from the start on MC. And there have been cases just as sad and horrifying--one that quickly comes to mind is the two little kids suffocated and stuffed into suitcases--so why this case? Then I just figured it wasn’t this case in particular, this was maybe the straw that broke the camel’s back. He’s been having the retirement thoughts for a while and this gave him a good excuse.

Philip Stroh’s return/Shandy Family-I like they way they are doing a “slow build” with this return. The more people in his past that Stroh presumably kills, the creepier it gets and not knowing where or who will be next has to be pretty scary. I’m a little surprised that Andy doesn’t seem to be as worried as Sharon. I mean Sharon is all mama bear about Rusty; it’s him she’s worried about. But Sharon is also a target. Knowing that his fiancée and soon to be step-son could be targets of a psychotic serial killer would seemingly make a man like Andy go into protective overdrive--and I just haven’t seen that yet. Now the first time I watched the episode I was all geared for some real opening up of their fears and worries where it comes to Stroh and then typically, just when it gets interesting who has to open the damn door. RUSTY. God, ALL- THE- FRIGGING- TIME. I am so sick to death of him being in every personal Sharon and Andy scene.

I did watch the episode again, and with already knowing the scene was going to be ruined by old Russ, I was able to appreciate it a little more for its Shandy family quality. I like how Sharon and Andy are working as parents. Andy really seems to be stepping into the dad role, teasing Rusty about how long it would take him to grow a goatee and Rusty knowing his parents are up to something by the way they are looking at him. It’s not that I dislike the Shandy family scenes, I like seeing them as a family, but I’D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME PERSONAL ONE ON ONE SCENES WITH JUST SHARON AND ANDY AND NO RUSTY TO BE FOUND!!!!!!!!

Provenza’s retirement-Why now? It would have made more sense for him to retire back when Patrice was asking him to, because back then it would have been about having more time to spend with his new wife, doing some traveling etc. But I guess it’s like AA, it can’t happen until the person is ready and he wasn’t ready back then. So, why is he ready now? I’m wondering if it has something to do with Taylor’s death and the power vacuum left behind.  Maybe he just feels that he is too old to deal with yet another change of the guard. He had to get used to Brenda, which he did, then he had to come to terms with Sharon, a person he couldn’t stand, getting the position he thought should rightfully be his and it took him an especially long time to come to terms with her leadership. And now that he has come to regard her with complete respect and affection, someone else might be walking in and really stirring up the pot and he just doesn’t want to have to deal with that again.  He wants Sharon to get the position to save MC, however, if she leaves, who takes over MC? If this were a few years ago I think he’d be gunning for the job, however, at this point not so much. He’s thinking more about retirement than climbing the chain of command and I can’t see him having the patience to run the division.

Andy asserting himself-It was nice to see Andy stepping up and asserting himself with his commanding officers. He’s never been afraid to speak his mind with the MC team and to Sharon and Brenda before her, but for him to go toe to toe with Fritz in front of both Sharon and Mason was different. Usually those are the kinds of observations the writers allow Sharon to have so it was nice that they gave it to Andy this time. And Fritz was very “Taylorish” in this episode.  He seems to be becoming more Taylorish the longer he is in Taylor’s old position. Another reason I don’t want Sharon to get that job.

Sharon’s interview and who should get the job-I loved that Sharon was wearing the black and red blouse again and that Provenza commented on her looking like a winner. It has to be hard for her interviewing for a position she doesn’t really want, in much the way Brenda did. And BTW-I thought Brenda was all wrong for that position while I feel Sharon would be a perfect fit. But there are three reasons I hope Sharon doesn’t get the position. First--she doesn’t want the job, she’s happy where she is and after finally getting to where she wants to be I hate to see her have to take a step back into the more “behind the scenes” role she seemed happy to put behind her. Second-It means we lose Sharon as the leader of Major Crimes. Sharon is definitely the leader of that group; she is the glue that holds everything together. And she’s like a den mother. They have become a real family under Sharon and I’d hate to see them lose that. And I DON’T only want to see Sharon every few episodes. I want Sharon to be the focus of Major Crimes, the way it should be. I’m not sure how long I’d stick around if they relegate her to a guest appearance status like Taylor and Fritz. And third--As shallow as this is going to sound, the idea of Sharon having to wear that butt ugly police uniform every day makes me shudder. I always look forward to seeing what Sharon is wearing and how she is matching with Andy. And if that makes me shallow, well so be it.

The one person I hope doesn’t get it is Winnie Davis. I just don‘t like Winnie and I‘d hate the idea of her being picked over Sharon. If she has to get the job I’d rather it be because Sharon turned it down rather than her being picked over Sharon. I don’t know why, but that would just bother me--probably because I dislike her so much and she‘s so condescending with Sharon. If she was Sharon’s boss that would make things worse and I think it would make for an ineffective department. You really can‘t do your job properly when you know that you don‘t have any back up from those above you.. And let‘s face it, with everything Davis has said about MC and Sharon, to remain true to character she‘d get rid of MC or at least completely revamp it and strip it of its power--and that would mean getting rid of Sharon.

Mason I guess would be okay because we don’t really know him. I’m really not sure what to make of him. He seems like he doesn’t want the job, wants Sharon to have it and is trying to help her. But there is something about him that makes me think that he could be playing her. She did say he was very ambitious. I don’t know. He seems like someone who would get along with Sharon but who could also create some tension--the way Taylor did. And that would be okay.

But I’d still like to see Fritz get it. Maybe because he’s already there and is a known quantity and I like the way that he works with Sharon. I like that MC is showing us that people in the workplace can actually have healthy work relationships. They may disagree with each other but there can be respect and it isn’t always about tearing someone down to get what you want--the way Pope was and the way Winnie seems to be. Fritz and Sharon have shown us a healthy, adult, mature working relationship between two strong, intelligent, individuals who respect each other and are not romantically involved. I like that.

#sharon raydor #andy flynn #shandy #Major Crimes #intersection comments