There's this particularly interesting fan on Facebook, who just looooves Sharon and Jack together. He got MajorCFan and me thinking about writing a Sharon/Jack story, but our love for Shandy kinda slowed down our inspiration. However, the other day MajorCFan had an idea for a one-shot which I simply loved! I tried talking her into putting it into words herself, but instead ended up doing so myself. She's probably pulled some crazy witchcraft on me or something.

In any case, I would like to thank her for letting me play with her idea, and for being my beta and supporter on this.

I hope you will enjoy the read.

HAPPIER TIMES

Sharon looked at the solemn faces of her two oldest children. Their gazes were fixed on what was happening in front of them, and Sharon's should have been as well, but instead she found herself watching them intently, a fond memory invading her mind.

"Mommy?" Emily piped up, lifting her head up from her mother's hip.

"Hmm?" Sharon responded, running a hand through the tresses of her daughter's hair. She had almost dozed off, more than comfortable lying on the couch with her daughter curled up against her. "Yes?" she added, sounding more alert now.

"Swallow pillow?" Emily asked, poking curiously at Sharon's belly.

Jack barked a laugh from the other side of the couch, Sharon's feet in his lap. She wiggled her toes at him, seemingly indignant, but failed to prevent her lips from curving into an amused smile.

Clearing her throat, Sharon shifted a little to her side, and tucked a stray strand of Emily's hair out of her face, before indulgently saying, "I did not swallow a pillow."

Emily let out a loud huff, giving her father an irritated look, when he chuckled at her.

"You know what that is, honey," he told her, smirking.

Emily shook her head, pouting as she sat up. "Uh-uh."

"Ah-ha," Jack corrected pointedly, now openly grinning at her. "That's your baby brother in there," he added, glancing at Sharon and rubbing a hand gently over the swell of her stomach.

Sharon sighed at the feel of his hand, a touch of exasperation in it. She could swear the little boy inside of her sensed whose hand it was, because it felt like he instantly started doing somersaults in there. She was in her final trimester, the life growing inside her impossible not to notice now, and while Emily had known for a few months now that a baby was on the way, it was only once her belly started showing that she started asking these questions. A week ago, Emily had scolded Sharon for eating too much, causing her to grow so big. A week before that she had concluded her mother was hiding a basketball underneath her shirt, and insisted on taking it out. The child seemed resolute in ignoring the truth. She smiled, when Emily folded her arms, and told both her parents, "Don't wan' 'im."

Sharon decided that was progress, at least the life growing inside of her had graduated from 'it' to a 'he'. "Yes, you do." Emily geared up to protest, but Sharon quickly went on. "In a couple of months you'll love him more than," her eyes flickered to Jack who was nodding, "us."

Emily gave her a weary look. "No."

It worried Sharon a little, her daughter's stubborn attitude, but she kept reminding herself that a little pushback was natural, and she really did believe she would be drooling all over her brother, even through bouts of jealousy, the second she laid eyes on him. "Quick, give me your hand," Sharon suddenly said, the movement inside of her intensifying. She sat up, beckoning for her daughter's hand with a wiggle of her fingers.

Frowning, Emily reached a hand out, and allowed Sharon to put it to the underside of her clothed belly. "Wh-" Emily's question was cut short when she felt the movement under her hand herself, and her eyes grew wide. In the next moment, she jerked her hand back. "Ew!"

This time it was Sharon's turn to bark a laugh out, while Jack gave Emily a horrified look. "That's not 'ew'!" he exclaimed. "That's your brother saying 'hi' to you," he added more calmly.

Emily gave him a puzzled look, then turned to Sharon's belly again. "Hi?" she questioned.

"Mhm," Sharon hummed affirmatively. "You did that, too, honey, when you were in here."

Emily's nose wrinkled, the idea of being in 'there' seemingly disturbing to her. Her mind made up once again, she turned abruptly to her father. "Out, take out," she ordered, gesturing wildly at Sharon's belly.

He laughed. "Oh," he said on a long, merry sigh, pulling Emily into his side, "we will get him out." He grinned at Sharon. "In a couple of months, hon."

"Now," Emily clarified, refusing to relax into his embrace.

"Let me tickle you first," Jack offered, tracing his fingers playfully down Emily's ribcage.

She squirmed instantly, just like Jack knew she would, and she scooted away from him toward Sharon. When Sharon only responded by tickling her other side, she momentarily gave her mother a look of hurt betrayal, but quickly dissolved into giggles, when Sharon just repeated the motion. "Mooom!" Emily whined, but continued laughing.

"What?" Sharon asked innocently, stilling her fingers.

Emily straightened again, and sobered, too. Sharon's eyebrows lifted at just how somber an expression her daughter pulled. Almost concerned now, she asked again, "What?"

"Tickle brother?" Emily asked, her eyes on her mom's belly.

Jack scratched his fingers over the back of Emily's neck, making her draw her shoulders together, causing her to squirm again. "When he's a bit bigger, yes, you can tickle him," he answered.

Emily nodded, almost absentmindedly. "Okay," she finally said, and before Sharon could process the suddenly mischievous look on her face, she dug her own fingers into her mother's side.

Yelping, Sharon wrapped Emily up in a hug, cutting her retaliation short. "Oh, I love you," she mumbled, squeezing her the way she knew would make Emily giggle again. She pressed a kiss to her temple and added, "And your little brother."

Emily wiggled out of her mother's tight embrace, far away to give her a curious look. "Love dad?"

Sharon smiled widely, but gave Jack a seemingly contemplative look. "I don't know," she said, failing to keep a straight face, but shocking her daughter anyway.

Before Emily could respond, however, Jack leaned over her shoulder. "Liar," he told Sharon, then whispered to Emily, "I'll hold her, you tickle." With that, he did exactly that, Emily more than happy to attack Sharon's side with her tiny fingers again.

Sharon was pulled out of the memory at the feel of her hand being squeezed. She looked to her left, down at her hand laced with that of the man standing next to her. She lifted her gaze to him, and was met by his raised questioning eyebrow, clearly confused by the wistful smile tugging at her lips. She shook her head, and squeezed his hand back, silently telling him it was nothing. He considered her for a moment, before deciding not prod. She closed her eyes briefly, nodding only fractionally in thanks, before returning her attention to Emily and Ricky.

Sharon sighed contentedly when Jack's arms wrapped around her, and she leaned against his chest. "Do you have to put clothes on?" he asked, kissing her lightly just below her ear.

She snorted a laugh. "Work should be fun in my nightgown," she drawled sarcastically.

Jack's hand dipped lower, down her hip and thigh until her reached the hem of her nightgown, and he could slip his hand underneath. "Who said anything about keeping the nightgown on?" he mumbled, trailing a line of kisses down her neck, toward her shoulder.

Almost involuntarily she tilted her head to the side, encouraging his attentions without intending to. "Ricky," she mumbled, too distracted to add, 'he'll be up any second, we don't have time for this.'

"I know," he mumbled against her skin, nipping at it, careful not to leave a mark, but running his hand higher underneath her nightgown.

"Mmm," Sharon let out, when his hand splayed across her stomach, making her all but melt against him.

"Mom, dad!" Emily's hollering snapped them out of it.

Jack took a step back, but with a groan he flopped his forehead on Sharon's shoulder. "One, two, thr-"

The door to their bedroom flung open, Emily in the doorway holding Ricky's hand as she dragged him with her on his wobbly feet. At the age of one, he had only recently started walking on his own, but Jack and Sharon had no doubt that with the help of his big sister he would be quickly running around, too.

Sharon smoothed her nightgown down, turning slowly to her two children. "Yes, Emily?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Ever since Ricky started walking, Emily had made a habit out of slipping into his room each morning, waiting for him to wake up. She never woke him up herself, but always waited patiently for him to come out of his slumber on his own. Ricky loved it, grinning at his sister the moment he laid eyes on her. Emily in turn loved having a few minutes to play with his cheerful morning self, before he grew nervous when he became aware of his usually soaked diaper. On a few occasions she and Jack were woken up to sounds of both their children laughing, but mostly Ricky as his sister tickled him.

Emily made a show of pinching her nose. "He smells, mom."

Jack laughed, and walked over to Ricky to pick him up. His son giggled when he bounced him against his hip a few times before letting him settle. Turning his diapered behind in Emily's direction, he said, feigning incredulity, "No way."

Emily took a step back, frowning. "Yuck, dad."

Ricky giggled again and repeated, "Yuck!"

Sharon rolled her eyes at her husband's antics. "Yes, Jack, yuck," she said, relieving him of Ricky. "Go make breakfast," she told him in light admonishment. Lifting Ricky to blow a raspberry into his tummy, she added, "I'll take care of this little bundle of-"

"Poop?" Emily supplied, before bursting out laughing.

Sharon shook her head at Emily, but before she could or had to say anything, Jack scooped her up and flung her over his shoulder, only causing her to laugh more. "Be careful, honey, or we'll make you change his diaper," he warned.

Emily quickly sobered, giving her mother a wide-eyed look. "You wouldn't?"

Sharon smirked. "Try us?" she threatened, even though they really wouldn't.

Emily patted her hands against Jack's lower back. "Let's make breakfast, daddy."

He laughed, and grabbed proper hold of her so that she was no longer almost upside down and so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "Let's," he said, but instead of walking out the door, he turned to Sharon, who had put Ricky down on their bed, and was already busy preparing to get him changed and ready for the day. "Any chance your nightgown is joining us for breakfast?" he asked teasingly.

Sharon laughed and picked up one of Ricky's clean diapers and playfully threw it at Jack in answer. He avoided her good aim, but caused the diaper to hit Emily square in the face. Sharon's eyes instantly widened in horror, and she guiltily put a hand over her mouth, but Emily just let out a surprised "Oh," and started laughing.

Jack did, too, and told Emily, "That's what you get for making us change his diapers."

"Oh, honey," Sharon walked up to Emily, and kissed the tip of her nose, "I was trying to hit dad because he's not behaving, not you."

Emily grabbed Sharon's face. "It was funny," she said, giggling, then kissed Sharon's nose before releasing her face.

Sharon laughed, too. "It was a little," she admitted. "But," she quirked an eyebrow at Jack in warning, "I promise I'll aim better next time."

He chuckled. "Sure you will," he quipped, stealing a quick kiss from her. When Sharon just narrowed her eyes at him, he quickly sobered, and steadying his grip on Emily, said, "But just in case, let's see what we can make for breakfast, shall we, Em?"

"Pancakes?" Emily suggested.

"As long as your mom doesn't throw them at me," he said, smartly already making his way out the door, "pancakes it is."

Sharon shook her head at him in amusement, and turned to her son. "I should try throwing dirty diapers at him," she mumbled as she started to divest Ricky of his pajama bottoms.

Sharon sighed, snapping out of the memory when it was time to start moving. She walked on autopilot. There was a lingering sense of happiness and faint contentment as the memories slowly faded from her mind, but a heavy ache settled in her chest as well.

"You okay?"

Sharon looked to her left, and found concerned eyes studying her. Not trusting herself to keep it together, she quickly looked away, back to Ricky and Emily. The priest had done his part, and the workers had lowered the coffin into the gaping hole in front of them. Now they stood there, throwing a rose each into the grave as their final goodbye. "We used to be so happy," she said quietly.

Andy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her gently into his side. "I know," he said in a low, gruff voice, slowing their gait to let Rusty walk past them to join his siblings.

"Nobody but us came," she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.

"You're his family, only you had to come," he told her.

Sharon finally looked at him again. "No, we're not," she disagreed brokenly. Placing her hand above the grave to drop a rose into it as well, she added, "Not since he left us, when Ricky was barely two." She let the rose fall down on those placed there by her three children, and took a shuddering breath.

Andy lowered his arm and wrapped it around her waist, tightening his hold on her. "It's still okay to grieve," he mumbled, but there was a slight scornful undertone to his voice, as if to add, 'not that he deserved it.'

"I'm not," Sharon said, a touch of wonder to the words. "Not for Jack," she added, her gaze falling on Ricky and Emily again, who, with Rusty, had made their way to the car, and were waiting patiently for them to catch up. "For them," she clarified.

"They're doing alright," Andy assured her.

"But that's just it," Sharon gave him an incredulous look, her voice hitting a slightly higher note than usual.

Andy nodded in understanding. "I guess they grieved for him a long time ago, huh?" he asked, sadly.

Sharon nodded, and straightened. She would not allow herself to mourn long past, happier times. It was hard enough not crumbling under the pain she felt for her children in this moment. Tugging on Andy's hand to lead him them back to the car, she said, resolutely, "As did I."

THE END

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