Disclaimers:
The Major Crimes characters are the property of TNT Broadcast is the creation of James Duff. This story was written for the pure enjoyment of the show and no profit was earned or expected from its creation. This story by its very nature is an AU as I have included a pairing that has no canon in the show.

Additionally, I've taken a reviewers suggestion and made a bit of a change because I think it was a great suggestion. Thanks DV8ByDesign!

Building Trust

Chapter 1

"Rusty, for the last time I said no," Sharon's voice was low yet firm. Her tone held the quality that conveyed her seriousness. Despite this, Rusty continued, throwing all of his teen angst and frustration in his words.

"But it's not fair, Sharon. Provenza took care of that letter writer guy and Stroh is in solitary confinement, so he can't do that again, right?" Rusty looked from her to Andrea for confirmation.

As if realizing that the attention was suddenly turned on her, Andrea quickly swallowed the bite of dinner, wiped her mouth and gave an affirming nod to Rusty. "Yes, he is closely monitored and there is no way that he's ever going to be able to get someone else to…"

"But that doesn't negate the fact that it's still too soon," Sharon added softly, glancing at her lover. Although they had only been dating for a few months, she appreciated the balancing act Andrea tried to manage, but didn't want Rusty to think that he could play them off of each other.

"Rusty, you heard your mother," Andrea gave him a sharp glance, letting him know that they were a united front.

"She's not my mother!" Rusty's statement caused Sharon to hide her discomfort behind a slight smile. When she felt Andrea's hand cover hers, she knew that the woman understood the pain his words caused. Even though she'd heard it many times, Sharon couldn't deny the sting of his declaration.

"Never the less, Rusty, I said no. It is too soon," she made sure to keep her voice low and controlled as she took a drink of her wine. This simple act helped her maintain a semblance of control.

"Oh my god, that's totally not fair!" he huffed as he dropped his fork to the plate. "I was under lock down for so long the few friends I have are too afraid to call me. It's been a month since I testified at Stroh's hearing. The protection detail is gone, and I'm still a prisoner. It's not fair, Sharon!"

"Rusty, you're not a prisoner," the captain smiled across the dinner table to her foster son. "You don't have to come straight to the precinct after school anymore, and you're back on the chess team at school. You even go out on weekends."

"Yeah, as long as it's within walking distance, and even then I have to text you every time with my location," the teen snorted before pouting.

Sharon tried to reason with him as she returned her attention to the meal, "Regardless, you have gone out to the park to play chess, you've spent time at the library catching up, and we've gone with you to movies. So it's not like you've been a prisoner."

"Yeah, but you won't let me drive anywhere. I have my driver's license and Amy said I was doing better but you won't let me drive anywhere and I can't go out with any of my friends!" Rusty's hands grew animated as he spoke with barely a pause for breath. "And besides, what's the point of letting me walk around here alone if you're always going to follow me everywhere I go? And if you do that, what's the point of making me text you? Don't you, like, already know where I'm at from tailing me?"

Shocked by his comment, Sharon looked at him sharply. The unspoken question etched her features. "Rusty, how did you…?" she began to ask, but he interrupted her.

"Jeeze, Sharon! I was living on the streets on my own. And besides, Amy and Copper also taught me how to notice what's around me. It was kind of obvious. You know for a detective…."

Rusty's words were silenced when Andrea firmly gripped his hand on the table. "Rusty, Sharon has every right to be worried. It was very difficult what she went through. We all love you Rusty, but Sharon was alone when she thought you were going to be killed by that man. Give her that much credit," the tone of Andrea's voice let him know that she was not to be trifled with. When he noticed this he visibly frowned and looked down.

"I believe I'll have to thank Detective Sykes and Copper for their excellent tutelage," Sharon found herself swirling the wine in her goblet as she stared at Rusty.

Yes, she did follow him the first few weekends that he was out on his own. She couldn't help the irrational fear she had, especially after almost losing him. It was after a few weekends that Andrea convinced her that at some point, she was going to have to trust Rusty when he was in the neighborhood. To his credit, he did always ask her beforehand if he could go out and always told her where he'd be. He even followed her rule of texting her whenever he moved from and arrived at a new location. The fact that she was able to confirm this because she had followed him was an immense relief. So in time she agreed with Andrea; there were better things they could do with the alone time provided on weekends. Despite this, she couldn't help the dread in the pit of her stomach caused by his latest request.

"If you want to go that badly, I can drive you and your friend there and pick you up afterward," Sharon tried to compromise.

A look of utter terror crossed his face and he shook his head, "No, Sharon. That's like, a totally bad idea. I can't have you driving me around like I'm a kid!"

"It's not like that, Rusty. I just think it's too soon. Why is this event so important?" she asked him for the third time that evening.

"Oh my god, Sharon, it's a marathon showing! They're going to have a full day of zombie flicks! A lot of my friends are going, and I thought it would be fun to go too," he pleaded.

"But you've seen them all before. You even own most of the movies," she shook her head, her brows creased in confusion.

"Sharon, it's not the same. Watching them here at home isn't the same as seeing them on a big screen with a theatre full of people," Rusty tried to reason. "Sharon, I just really want to be, like, with people," he sighed.

"I've told you that you could invite any of your friends over. We can even order pizza in, and if you want them to spend the night…."

"Sharon, you're not getting it!" his tension was beginning to rise.

"Why don't you invite your friend… Austin? It sounds like you two get along well," she asked.

"Ethan, Sharon. His name is Ethan. I don't know any Austin," his arms crossed in front of his chest defensively.

"I'm sorry," she apologized for her lapse. "But Rusty, I don't understand why you need to drive to another city to spend all day long in a theatre watching movies that you've already seen," she asked again.

"I've tried to explain it to you, Sharon. It's the only theatre having the marathon. It's their first one. If it's a hit, they might have it again next year. Most importantly, I really want to go. And now that I'm not on lock down, I thought it would be fun to drive myself there…but, if you don't understand it," he shook his head as he looked down at his plate.

A deafening silence that caused a slight ringing in the air filled the space between them. Sharon sighed as she leaned back in the chair, her gaze moved upward to the chandeliers. When she felt the soft hand in hers, she turned to Andrea and gave the hand a squeeze of thanks.

"May I be excused?" Rusty's forlorn request broke the silence.

"If you're finished," Sharon said and watched him get up from the table, take his plate to the sink, rinse it, and then put it inside of the dish washer. Once finished he walked brusquely past them, his head down as he disappeared down the hall. After a moment, Sharon jerked and she gave a wince as Rusty's bedroom door slammed, indicating his volatile emotions.

Sharon leaned forward, her elbows on the table on either side of her plate. She cradled her head in her palms as she released a deep sigh. When Andrea touched her shoulder she looked up and gave a weak smile.

"I've raised two well-adjusted children to adulthood, yet I seem to be failing miserably with Rusty," she sighed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself; you're doing a wonderful job with him. It's just that this is a sticky point," Andrea soothed.

Sharon saw the love and compassion in Andrea's gaze. Her understanding smile conveyed more than mere words could do. In a tender manner, Andrea reached out and slowly ran her fingers through Sharon's hair, coming to rest on her cheek. With a tilt of her head, Sharon kissed her lover's palm as she held the hand against her cheek.

"You think I'm being over protective," Sharon finally voiced what she knew Andrea was holding in.

Andrea's thumb gently caressed Sharon's cheek. She watched the pained expression in her lover's green eyes relax just a fraction as she searched for the right words for what she wanted to say. She spoke slowly, softly, "Under the circumstances, with everything you've gone through…the close call, nearly losing him to that maniac, your feelings are justified. But Sharon, now you have to begin building trust and show him that the world isn't full of monsters. Think back. Was there ever anything that you really wanted to do when you were his age that your parents wouldn't allow you to go to?"

Sharon's eyes closed as her mind instantly went to a time she'd rather forget. It was an argument that left her slamming doors and saying awful things to her own parents. At the clear memory, a slight smile broke free as a sigh escaped her control.

"There was going to be a free concert in San Francisco, up in Golden Gate Park. All of my friends were going, and I wanted to go, too. Jefferson Airplane was going to be performing," she smiled at the memories. "I tried so hard to convince my parents, even told them that my friends parents were driving a bunch of girls up there, but they wouldn't go for it," she shook her head at the memories. "I was so angry, until after they came back. Turns out my friends mother was busted that weekend for getting high. Her boyfriend had previous arrests, so he was sent up for a few years. The rest of my friends had to be picked up by their parents. The one whose parents were arrested, CPS made her grandmother her legal guardian," she explained. "I never thanked my mother for that, but I should have."

"In hindsight, your parent's instincts were right. But Sharon, honey, that was a whole weekend trip all the way to San Francisco. What is it exactly that Rusty is asking for?" Andrea's calm voice of reason asked.

"To drive himself and a friend to a theatre for a zombie marathon," Sharon answered.

"Instead of a six hour drive, it would be how long?"

"On a Saturday, probably thirty minutes," Sharon leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. After a few moments of mulling it over, she shook her head and looked at her lover. "I'm being ridiculous. I know he's a good driver. Amy spent a lot of time working on his driving skills, so I know he's a great defensive driver. I know he's a good boy. I know he wouldn't get involved in anything dangerous, and it's just a zombie marathon!" a sigh of relief escaped her control.

"If he was a science fiction geek, he'd want to go to those crazy conventions, probably dressed up as a Cylon, Borg, or something," Andrea chuckled.

At the image, Sharon couldn't help but giggle. "Oh God, do you think so?"

"Well, just to be on the safe side, brace yourself in case he wants to go in costume to this thing," Andrea chuckled.

"I'll just finish dinner and the rest of this wonderful wine that you brought and then go talk to Rusty," Sharon smiled at Andrea.

"Good, I don't like it when we go to bed upset. It makes it very difficult for me to get lucky." Andrea winked.

"Oh, I'm that predictable?" Sharon raised a questioning brow.

"Only to me, my love. Only to me," Andrea smiled as she leaned in for a kiss.

For the moment they let all the teen drama and angst disappear as they enjoyed their meal, the wine, and casual conversation. Now that they were alone, the flirting flowed naturally and both were looking forward to the night ahead. Despite this, they did take the time to put their plates in the dishwasher and clean the kitchen, something that Sharon was judicious about. More than a few times they stopped the chore to embrace and kiss. Once all the lights were out and they moved down the hall, Sharon knew that she was going to have to talk to Rusty. Even through the light pecks and tender kisses, she already knew what she was going to say. However, she wasn't sure he'd understand her fears.

"Go on, go talk to him. I'll be waiting for you," Andrea coyly smiled as she went into the bedroom.

When she walked to Rusty's door, Sharon stood for a moment before knocking. The feather thin illumination of light from under his door suddenly grew dark. With a shake of her head, she lightly knocked again and was greeted by silence. Although she couldn't hear anything, she could almost imagine him holding his breath in hopes that she'd go away. Undeterred, she knocked again.

"Rusty," she called out patiently. "Rusty, can we talk?"

After a moment of silence she heard him call, "I'm asleep, Sharon."

She shook her head and tried to stifle her smile as she slowly opened the door.

"I'm fast asleep, Sharon. Go away," his voice was muffled from under the covers.

"If you want to go with that line, you might want to not answer me so quickly," she smiled as she moved into his room and turned on the lamp by his bed. "Rusty, please, I just need to explain something to you, and I hope you're willing to hear," she began as she sat on the edge of his bed.

He pushed the covers back and looked at her through his long bangs.

"Rusty, I know you're a good driver; you've improved a great deal with Amy's help. That's not my concern at all, honey. I'm just…" she shook her head suddenly realizing that it wasn't going to be as easy as she hoped.

"You're just worried in general," Rusty finished her thought.

"Yes. And you're right; it's not fair. But, Rusty, sometimes I worry so much, I just…" she took a deep breath knowing that her emotions were getting the best of her. "I almost lost you, Rusty. And that is the most frightening thing I've ever gone through in my life," she admitted.

At her words he sat up and looked at her. His head was slightly tilted in contemplation. "Even more than with your own kids?" he asked.

"I worried about them too, don't get me wrong," she shook her head. "But with them it was different. I was afraid they'd fall and skin their knee, or fall out of a tree and break a bone, or come home in tears with a broken heart because someone they had a crush on was unkind to them. I was never afraid that a killer would target them for murder," she looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. "Rusty, you don't know how…" a hitch caught in her throat as her voice wavered, while she fought for control.

"Sharon, I know," he said as he covered her hands with his. "I know how scared you were, and I'm really, really sorry…"

"Honey, it wasn't your fault. You were not responsible for that," she tried to say.

"Yeah, but still. It scared you so much that you, like, you're so afraid to just let me go too far out of our neighborhood, or even to drive the car. I get it Sharon, I really do,"

Sharon sighed softly, "I think it's time, Rusty. You're right, I can't keep worrying to the point where you can't go and have fun with your friends." She smiled as she held his hands in hers.

His face suddenly lighted up with a familiar smile. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, really. But," she held a finger up to emphasize some conditions were going to be in place. "You're going to follow all the laws of the road, and you will text me when you arrive at the theatre, if you're leaving the mall where it's showing, you…."

"Follow the laws, yeah, and text you," he nodded with a smile.

"And after you drop off Ethan, text me," she added.

"Ok, Sharon, I can do that. Just like I always do, I'll text you whenever I'm on the move," he replied.

"Ah, but…." a finger rose again.

"But not when I'm driving," he added.

"Good," she sighed. "Rusty, I'm just sorry," she lightly rubbed his shoulder, one of the few physical contacts that he'd allow her to initiate.

"Ok," was all he said as the smile remained etched on his face.

"Let your friends know," she nodded toward his cell phone on the night stand. "And then get some sleep. I'm sure you'll all want to plan the whole thing before next weekend," she leaned forward and lightly kissed his forehead.

"Plan for what? We're just going to the movies," he added.

"Oh, so it's not one of those costume events?" she asked as she rose from his bed.

"God, no, Sharon! That's like, so lame," he shook his head as he reached for his cell.

"Ok, good night, Rusty," she smiled as she left his room, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, ok, nite," he absently said as he began to click away on his cell, sending a text to his friends.

With a deep sigh she released the remaining stress away. Although she'd made note of it before, she realized how much she came to depend on Andrea's presence. Yes, as a lover, because she was excellent in that arena, but as a partner and friend as well. Andrea was someone that she could voice her fears to, someone who would not only listen, but also understand them. Additionally, she was strong enough to hold a mirror in front of Sharon when she was being unreasonable. For that she was grateful. Now that this crisis was behind them, she was going to show Andrea exactly how much she loved, adored, and appreciated her.