CHAPTER 5

As Rusty and Ann stepped out of Ann's car the patrol car had taken off and there was an officer outside Sharon's condo nodding for them to enter. The officer escorted them up to Sharon's door and let Ann know that he would be standing guard all night and there would be nothing to worry about. However having the need for a police officer to stand outside your door all night in protection was reason enough to worry. It had been hours of waiting for Sharon to get out of surgery and the past few hours felt like a few days. Ann stepped into the apartment she had only been in a few times before, a memories close to Ann's heart as she locked and dead bolted the door behind her taking off her boots and setting them by the couch as she looked at her watch and then at Rusty running her fingers through her hair seeing it was going on 9pm. Rusty set his book bag down on the couch and took a seat as Ann to the opposite seat on the chair looking at him. "Are you hungry?" Rusty nodded and Ann got up to check the fridge.

"There isn't anything in there, Sharon was working on a case this week so she didn't cook that much." Ann let out a sigh as she shut the fridge picking up the phone off of Sharon's counter, "Okay then how about I order us some pizza?" Ann moved back into the living room taking a seat by Rusty, "What do you like on it?" Rusty smiled looking at Ann, "everything." Ann smiled and nodded, "one pizza with everything coming up." Ann dialed the number and ordered two pizzas, enough for the officer standing watch and Rusty to have left overs before she hung up.

"So can I ask you a question?" Ann looked over at Rusty smiling as she sat up giving him a nod "Rusty you can ask me anything you want." Rusty nodded as he picked at the pillow he was holding while they sat on the couch, "Are you and Sharon friends…or what?"

Ann smiled, she knew this question would come up and yet she still wasn't ready for it. She smiled at Rusty and sat up a bit straighter wanting him to know he had her attention. "We were a couple at one time, for a few years. We are friends now." Rusty nodded accepting the honest answer and looked down at the pillow and then looked back up at Ann, "but you still love her right?" Ann nodded looking over at Rusty, "I love Sharon more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life."

Rusty smiled, he thinks that is why he was so immediately trusting with Ann, he knew what Sharon meant to her and it bonded them instantly. "So why aren't you still together? What happened?" Ann smiled not sure if she should be having this conversation with Rusty but she wanted him to feel comfortable and answer his questions. "Sharon is married to Jackson and I wanted to be married to Sharon. I knew that Sharon would never divorce him and I decided that It was too hard to love someone who would never fully commit to me. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, walking away from her."

Rusty shakes his head understanding what Ann meant, he had met Jackson and wondered why Sharon would never divorce him either so he understands Ann's frustration. "Do you think it was the right choice? Leaving her?" Rusty's question threw Ann; she hadn't expected him to be so bold. "I'm not sure Rusty, and that's my honest answer."

Ann got up to get Rusty and herself a soda, she needed some sugar after a long day of sitting in the hospital, her sudden panic attack took a lot out of her. As she walked back to the couch she gave Rusty the soda and sat down opening it up, "our little secret, don't tell Sharon. She always gets fussy about her furniture." Rusty smiles taking a sip of his soda, "tell me about it."

The pizza arrived a short while later and Ann and Rusty got to work devouring it after giving a few generous slices to their loyal watchman.

Rusty wasn't sure about all of the information he had received in the last few hours. Sharon had technically had an affair, and it was with a woman. Was she gay? She's married, it didn't all add up in his head and he had been shifting through his thoughts all throughout dinner. So when he began asking questions at the table Ann was caught off guard.

"Do people know?" Rusty looked over at Ann not realizing he was thinking through his own thoughts for a while without her understanding.

"I'm sorry?" Ann set down the slice of pizza she was working on looking over at him as she wiped her mouth with the napkin, "do people know what?"

"About you and Sharon? That you were a couple, do people know?" Rusty's question caught Ann off guard and she stood up getting more water looking over at him and coming to sit back down before answering, "Yes, her children knew, friends, a few co-workers. People knew." Ann took a sip of the water looking at Rusty to make sure his questions had been answered.

Rusty nodded looking back down at his plate, he wasn't sure what to think. Why hadn't Sharon told him when they saw Ann awhile back? He knew something was off about the encounter with them but never would he of guessed they were partners.

Ann could almost feel Rusty thinking as she took another bite of her pizza before setting it back down, "Sharon is a private person, so we kept things private. We were never embarrassed of our relationship, but she is married so we had to be careful. "

"She should of told me. She promised she wouldn't keep secrets, how could she not tell me? After everything, why wouldn't she share that with me?" Rusty sighed as his anger grew, Ann knew it was coming but she couldn't help but defend Sharon.

" She really didn't want anyone to know about us, it took months before she even told Ricky or Emily and that is when they lived with her. I'm sure she would have told you when the time was right."

Rusty remained silent and nodded just looking at the table, "I just- out of everyone, I would have understood."

"Oh Rusty she knows that. I promise. Now, let's get some sleep and we will go see Sharon in the morning okay?" Ann hoped the idea of seeing a more healthy Sharon in the morning would divert Rusty's attention as she stood from the table heading over to the sink.

"Yeah, sounds good, Thanks Ann… for everything."

"You're welcome Rusty, goodnight."

Ann stood at the counter washing the dishes as thoughts flooded her mind scrubbing the exact dishes she scrubbed so many years ago.

Date May 2011

Ann stood at the sink doing the dishes in Sharon's new condo, it was a beautiful November day in LA on Ricky's birthday. So many friends had shown up and he was currently in the living room playing with some of the new electronics he got. Emily had disappeared the minute her friends showed up saying she would be out late and not to wait up. It took Ann a moment to realize she wasn't in the kitchen alone when Sharon started to speak. "It was a beautiful day, I don't think Ricky is going to move from that computer for the next week" She laughed as Ann handed her a coffee mug to clean off.

"Yeah it really was an amazing day. It was good to see Emily, I never see her with her ballet and that boyfriend she keeps talking about." Ann smiles looking back at Sharon catching a familiar sense of annoyance in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Sharon shrugs putting away the mug.

"That isn't your nothing is wrong face, that's your worried mom face, so talk." Ann smiles turning off the water as she dries her hands leaning her hip against the counter facing Sharon.

"It's her boyfriend.."

Ann smiles seeing the wheels in Sharon's head turn "And…?"

"I don't exactly care for him.."

"Mmm…okay well what exactly don't you care for?" Ann smiles seeing Sharon's maternal side coming out getting defensive about her choice of words.

"It's just a feeling I have.. I don't know how to describe it." Sharon ran her fingers through her hair walking over to the fridge to pour herself some more wine from the open bottle offering Ann some as well, "I'm not crazy, I just- there is something about him, ya know?"

Ann nodded listening to Sharon's words as she took the glass of wine taking a sip, "Well I've personally never met him, but I know your gut feelings are usually right about someone." Ann took a sip of the wine relaxing still leaning against the counter. "Have you talked to Emily about it?"

Sharon shook her head setting the glass down, "No, how do I tell her I don't like her boyfriend without it pushing them together even more? I have to tread carefully, I say I don't like him and she goes straight for him, she has to realize something is wrong on her own, I think she will soon enough, I just have to wait it out."

"She's a big girl Sharon, she will figure it out, you raised a very smart girl, now have to trust her."

"I do trust her, I don't trust myself not to deal with it before she figures it out."

"Sharon Raydor don't you even think about it.." Ann warned with a bit of sarcasm in her voice knowing Sharon was just teasing.

Sharon smiles taking a sip of her wine as she scoots up onto the counter crossing her legs, "Oh I wouldn't shoot him, but a little tazer gun never hurt anyone" Sharon snorted in laughter as Ann spit her wine back into her glass laughing at the outrageous comment.

"Eww Annie!" Sharon began her snorting laughter as she put down her own glass to avoid doing the same, now herself and Ann in a fit of giggles as Ricky entered the kitchen.

"I haven't heard that sound in a while" He grinned referring to their laughter as he grabbed a water from the fridge looking a bit mischievous as Ann looked him over.

"He wants something…" Ann smiled taking a sip of the wine then making a disgusted face as she she set it back on the counter realizing it was the wine she had just spit in.

Ann's face didn't go unnoticed by Sharon as she snorted against the rim of her own wine glass smiling trying to gain her composure as she turned toward Ricky, "Question is, how much is this going to cost me?" She smiled as she sipped her wine.

Ricky rolled his eyes smiling at his moms, "Davis was hoping I could come over to help work on his computer, then we were going out after, I was wondering if I could go…I mean if you would rather I hang out with you since I'm home I will, I just thought maybe I-"

"Go." They both said in unison smiling at him their eyes meeting the thoughts of him being a teenager again flooded their minds.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like I'm ditching you guys aga-" Ricky sped out hoping they would't change their minds.

"Richard Raydor" Ann started and he held up his hands smiling, "go have fun, just don't be too hung over for lunch tomorrow please." She grinned taking some money from her back pocket slipping it into his hand as he gave her a hug, "be safe."

He nodded as he moved over to hug Sharon kissing her cheek and hugging her tightly before rushing out of the apartment as if he were on fire yelling one last goodbye over his shoulder before the sound of the door shutting sounded through the apartment.

"You spoil him…" Sharon stated as she smiled at Ann pouring her a new glass of wine handing it over to Ann.

Ann smiled sweetly at the comment, she didn't personally give birth to Ricky but he might of well of, she loved him all the same, "I do. He's my baby." She stated as she took the glass this time taking a satisfied sip.

"I know." Ann knew that Sharon wanted to say more but she didn't push it as she quietly sipped on her wine taking a glance at the clock on the wall setting the glass down. "I should get going, it's getting late."

"It's 4pm!" Sharon said a bit more defensively than she meant to. She looked at Ann as she slid her body off the counter looking at her, "why are you running off?"

Ann straightened up her posture looking back at Sharon calmly, "I'm not running anywhere. I just have a lot of files to look over before tomorrow. I need to be prepared for tomorrow."

Sharon nodded her change in mood evident by the sudden cleaning up of the counter, "Okay well thanks for coming, the kids loved it."

"Sharon please have lunch with me tomorrow," Sharon's eyes lit up at the invitation until Ann corrected herself, "well me and the kids. We're meeting at 11 at that Italian place Ricky loves."

Sharon shook her head turning her attention to putting dishes away again, "No, that's your time with them."

"Oh come on Sharon I don't see it like that, they would love it we were both there. We could even drill Emily on her new boyfriend…" She teased hoping to lighten the mood.

The comment at least earned a smile from Sharon as she looked back at Ann, "another time maybe, I have some things I need to do tomorrow."

Ann nodded sliding her purse onto her shoulder nodding and moving forward to Sharon kissing her head gently her hand placed firmly against her cheek whispering into her hair, "take care sweetheart." While Sharon kept her eyes closed the sensations of Ann still filling her body Ann held back her own tears as she quickly left through the front door.

The tears were silently falling as she finished the last dish in the sink drying her hands turning out the lights before heading to bed for the night.

Only 1 or 2 chapters left….let me know what you think… any reviews are welcome!