Ladybird 1

A/N- This all stays within canon, the little we know of it, haha. Also, "Mattes" is a diminutive of "Matthias." 

"Step one: You say 'We need to talk." He walks; you say 'Sit down, it's just a talk." 

-The Fray, How To Save A Life

Jackson Raydor quietly unlocked his front door, hoping to hell his wife was already asleep. He closed the door and removed his shoes, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was in luck.

When he straightened, however, he found golden light spilling into the hall from the living room. He stepped in to find Sharon sitting on the sofa, finishing some paperwork.

"Jack." Her tone was cool and carefully modulated.

"Shar. I-"

She cut him off by raising one hand. "I don't want to hear it. Not tonight." She continued to review her papers.




Jack flopped down next to her, glad he kept a box of breathmints in his car. He wrapped his arm around her and tried again. "Sweetheart, it was just a late night at the office. We have some big cases coming up. I tried to call-"

"No, you didn't. At least not from the office." She finally looked up at him. "I got a call at six tonight from Mattes' daycare. They said you hadn't picked him up and they couldn't reach you. I had to go and get him." She dropped her files on the coffee table. "Jack, I only work two night shifts every month, and they're always the second and fourth Tuesdays. I only need you to get Mattes two nights a month, and you can't manage it."

Jack pulled back, stung. "Shar, love, I'm so sorry. You know how it is, though. Getting all excited for your case. Sometimes you forget things.

"And in this case, you forgot your son. Lucy managed to cover my shift for me, but I don't want it happening again." Her eyes flashed as she stood. "You don't have to lie about where you were. I'm not blind; I can figure things out." She held up her hand again as he began to speak, and he paused. "I'm going to bed. You can sleep out here."

She turned and left him alone. A moment later, he heard their bedroom door click shut.

He leaned back against the sofa. How had he forgotten to pick his son up from daycare? He thought back. Everyone at the firm had decided to go for drinks at five to celebrate another victory in court. Jack had gone with and one beer had turned into a few more, and he... forgot.

He sighed deeply. What the hell kind of father am I?
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Jack woke early the next morning and took a quick shower. By the end, he was awake and much less bleary. He dressed again and walked back to the kitchen. Generally, fixing breakfast helped cool Sharon's righteous anger. He pulled the waffle-iron out and set about making breakfast. He had just finished mixing the waffle batter when the front door clicked open and shut again.

Damn, he thought. Sharon had risen earlier than he thought she would after her late night. He stayed silent, and a few minutes later, the upstairs shower began running.

He knew she'd come back downstairs in another twenty minutes or so, after her quick post-morning-run rinse and waking Mattes. He waited for a while until he could hear his son getting up, and then began to spoon batter into the iron.

Sharon joined him moments later, dressed in navy slacks and a camisole, her LAPD regulation shirt slung over one shoulder. She pointedly ignored him and began heating water for her tea.

He came up behind her at the stove and hugged her. "How much longer are you planning on going on your morning runs?"

She didn't look up. "I'm going slowly. It's fine."

He ran his hands down to rest on her hips. "How much longer are you planning on working?"

"The next six months or so. Until New Year's, at least." She turned to face him. "I've had a baby before, Jack. I know what I'm doing."

He knew when to quit. "Alright." He pulled away as Mattes entered, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was tall for a four-year-old, but then he had inherited much of his mother's phenotype. Tall with quick green eyes and Jack's sandy brown hair.

"Hey, buddy! Do you want waffles?" Jack asked.

"YES." Mattes beamed at his parents and clambered onto a tall chair at the kitchen's granite island.

"Careful," Sharon warned.

Jack set a plate of waffles down before Mattes and then two more for himself and Sharon. He sat and she sat next to him, sipping her tea.

"Eat up."

"Not now," she said. "I'll eat later."

"Shar."

"It'll come back up if I eat it now. Later," she restated forcefully. However, as Jack sighed she took a few bites. "There."

"Alright."

They finished breakfast quietly, Mattes too interested in his food to converse much. Sharon was the first to get up, retrieving her navy shirt from the counter. She pulled it on, tucked it in, and then Jack was there, doing up the buttons.

"You'll have to size up soon," he joked.

"Jackson."

He could hear the smile in her voice and knew she was almost laughing. "Have a good day, Shar."

She looked up at him. "You'll get Mattes to daycare?"

"Yes."

"And I'll pick him up."

"Okay."

"And I'll be home by five-thirty."

"Sounds good."

She kissed him chastely on the cheek, kissed Mattes' forehead, then grabbed her purse and cap and headed out the door.

"Love you, Shar!" he called.
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