"The Blood of Strangers"

Author: carmen_085

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue or any of the characters in it

Summary: After breaking off her engagement with Luke, Andy goes undercover with Swarek in a high profile drug case that will put both of their lives in danger

Chapter One

"Tell me what you want to hear

Something that were like those years

I'm sick of all the insincere

So I'm gonna give all my secrets away"

The house was dark and quiet as she sat on the bed. Her eyes trailed over to the bag sitting near the door. They were engaged. They were going to be married in a week. How could he do something like this? How could he be so insincere, so hurtful, so weak? More than that, how could she have been so stupid, so blind, so trusting? Never in a million years did she think that Luke would cheat on her. He was supposed to be a good guy, the safe choice. Everyone told her so. She wished she wouldn't have believed them.

Exhaling deeply her eyes moved to the lock box on the dresser. It was Jo's ring. It was never hers; she just found it by mistake. Andy wondered if Luke had ever really intended to propose to her or if he was just trying to cover his ass after she found the ring. Slowly rising from the bed, Andy's eyes scanned the room. This was supposed to be their home; now it felt foreign and strange. It felt cold and she couldn't deny the sudden urge to run. Grabbing her bag she started down the stairs.

Andy froze mid step when she heard the front door open. Steadying herself against the wall she exhaled loudly. She had nothing to be ashamed of; he was the one who had screwed up. Still, she didn't want to see him. She didn't want to cry, again.

"Andy? Are you home?" Luke froze when he saw her emerge from the shadows with her bag in hand. She knew. He opened his mouth to speak some flimsy excuse but her glare instantly silenced him.

"I'm leaving. I put Jo's ring in the lock box. Don't call me…ever." She pushed past him to the door.

"Andy, don't do this. Andy…I'm sorry. I made a…" before he finished the door slammed loudly.

Andy stood on the sidewalk for a minute. Tears were threatening to spill over her face but she wouldn't let them. She needed to figure out what to do next. Funny, maybe she should have thought about that a little sooner. Sighing, she started walking toward Traci's house. Hoping that her friend was home, she pulled out her cell phone and hastily dialed her number. Andy's heart dropped as Traci's voicemail picked up. Her bag was getting heavier and heavier as she trudged toward the nearest park bench. Throwing everything aside she sat down feeling a little defeated. Pulling out her phone Andy mentally went over her options. There was Chris and Dov; they would do anything for her. Groaning she thought of how it would feel to explain this whole situation to them and quickly decided against it. Not to mention the fact that Gail was also shacking up over there and she did not want to talk to Gail right now. There was also her dad; she could always stay with him. Rubbing her finger over the phone she contemplated it for a moment before shutting the phone all together. He had enough to deal with right now trying to stay sober and all; he didn't need to hear about her problems too. She also thought about checking into a hotel for the night but realized that wasn't possible since she only had fifty dollars in her bank account until payday. She used almost everything else for the down payment on the house. Stupid…so stupid. Leaning forward she rested her face in her hands completely defeated. She had no idea what to do.

Andy picked up her bag and put it on the bench. Turning her body, she lay on her back using the bag as a pillow. Staring up at the stars Andy exhaled slowly watching as her breath crystallized in the cold night air. Pulling her hat down over her forehead she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to keep warm. Obviously she wasn't going to sleep on the bench all night, she just needed to a break to try and figure out where to go. Closing her eyes she willed her chaotic brain to shut itself off. Taking a deep breath she concentrated on how the cold air felt moving in and out of her lungs. She studied how the hard wood felt against her back and the occasional sound of the passing car. It was beginning to snow as she let her lips part slightly feeling the brushing of the tiny perfect flakes against her face. Somewhere in the distance she heard footsteps on the sidewalk coming closer. Initially she was alarmed until she realized the footfalls belonged to someone who was running. Quick and light, Andy ran enough to know the difference between someone who was running for exercise and someone who was running to get away. Without even opening her eyes she knew this person was running for exercise and therefore probably had little interest in robbing, raping, or violating her in any way. Whether it was her cop instinct kicking in or just plain ambivalence, she didn't bother to open her eyes.

The footfalls came closer then abruptly stopped, "What the hell?" Andy jolted upright on the bench. Breathing heavy she stared at the person in front of her clearly surprised.

"Sam? What the hell are you doing here?" Andy's partner stood in front of her wearing sweatpants and a fleece sweatshirt. Adjusting the cap on his head he gestured toward her with the same level of surprise.

"I should ask you the same thing." Sam sat down next to her uninvited as he wiped his nose with the back of his gloved hand.

Andy scowled at him for interrupting her moment of peace. "I didn't know you ran?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Sam tried to appear nonchalant despite the fact his instincts were in overdrive. Why was she laying on a park bench at night? Why did she have a bag? Where was Callahan? Why did she look so upset? Pursing his lips for moment Sam decided not to press it right now, "Well I gotta do something to stay in shape. I mean, some rookie tackled me last year…." He trailed off giving her a sideways smirk.

Andy didn't want to smile. She wanted to be upset. Rolling her eyes she looked away before the corners of her mouth could turn upwards. Sam stretched out next to her putting his arm behind her on the bench. Andy didn't want to tell him what happened. She didn't want to cry in front of him or get back into everything. Leaning back against the bench she could feel his arm behind her back. It felt warm and comforting but that was no surprise to her. Even though Luke was her fiancé, Sam was always her best friend. It seemed strange. After all, your fiancé should be your best friend, right? Maybe that was her first clue that the whole Luke situation was a mistake. Andy could feel Sam staring at her. She wanted to tell him everything right there. He was her best friend and she didn't think there was ever a time when she felt like she couldn't tell him something. Shivering she hugged her arms tighter to her chest.

Sam watched as Andy teetered on the edge of a meltdown. He knew that something was wrong. She was his best friend. They trusted each other with everything and McNally was never really one to hold much back. Normally he couldn't get her to shut up. Sam watched as she shivered. Staring at her he had the overwhelming want to make everything better. He didn't want to see her like this. Slipping his glove off, he reached for one of her hands. Smoothly he interlaced his fingers with hers and was genuinely surprised when she didn't pull back. Leaning close to her he spoke with sincerity, "Andy…tell me."

That was it. That was all it took. The feeling of his warm hand against hers and the genuineness of his words were enough to push her right over the edge. "Luke cheated on me." Andy couldn't say anything else, and frankly she didn't have to. Sam didn't need to know all the details, although, he was honestly surprised. He was thinking that maybe they had a fight and she had left for the night. He never thought Callahan would be so stupid to cheat on a girl like Andy. Tears were running down Andy's face although she was silent. Pulling his hand from her grasp, Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. So he sat there in silence. Andy rested her head on his shoulder and exhaled loudly. She didn't want to be like this in front of Sam but she couldn't help it. She was so emotionally wrung out from the past few hours that she didn't have any fight left. He just made her feel so warm and comfortable she didn't ever want to move.

Sam's heart broke for Andy as she leaned against him. She didn't deserve any of this. They sat there for a few minutes for Sam broke the comfortable silence, "Andy it's getting pretty cold out here." Her face was red from crying as she pulled away from him.

"I called Traci, to see if I could crash there. She just hasn't called me back yet." Sam shrugged his shoulders, looking at her quizzically.

"So what are you planning to do? Sleep on this bench?" Andy didn't want to be defensive but she couldn't help it.

"What does it matter?" Sam shook his head at her.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're partners, you can crash at my place tonight." Oh no. That was not going to happen. Andy didn't want to go back there after what happened the night of the blackout. Especially not tonight. Her and Luke had been broken up a couple of hours and she was already going over to Sam's. No. She would sleep on the bench first.

"I don't know, Sam." Sitting back he nodded. He understood her hesitancy. He also wasn't going to leave her sitting on this bench alone.

"Look, Andy. I know you're thinking this looks bad since you and Callahan have not yet been split up for a whole day but I'm not leaving you here alone. You're my partner ; I want to help you out. I want to be there for you. That's all." Andy was taken aback not only by his honestly but also by the way the words rolled so easily off his tongue. Reaching over he gave her hand a quick squeeze before looking at her expectantly.

Sam could see the hesitancy in her face so he quickly came up with another suggestion. He didn't want to force her to do something she wasn't comfortable with but he also couldn't help but to feel slightly hurt by her uncertainty. "Tell you what, walk back to my place with me and if you're still unsure I'll give you a ride wherever you want to go." Raising his eyebrows, he smiled at her. There was no way she would turn him down.

As much as she tried to resist him, Andy couldn't help but to let a small smile play across her lips. "Well, it is pretty cold out." Sam stood up from the bench knowing that he had just won. Slinging her bag over his shoulder he started walking away.

"I'm walking, McNally. I hope you decide to get off that bench before I freeze to death," he called over his shoulder as he started down the street.

Pushing herself up, Andy walked over to Sam. "Well thank God!" Andy was slightly appreciative that he was trying to keep the mood light.

"How far did you run?" Sam was a little surprised to hear her voice.

"Oh I don't know…I think about five miles." Andy smiled a little.

"Yeah I guess you would have to. I heard that rookie who tackled you is pretty fast."

Sam smiled at her, "Yeah she's alright." They settled into a comfortable silence and Andy was glad that he wasn't asking any questions.

Sam glanced at her as they walked down the darkened street. He had million questions. It wasn't the right time though. She would tell him when she was ready. Rounding the corner, Andy was relieved that their trek was almost over. Her teeth chattered as she struggled to put one numb leg in front of the other. "We're almost there." Sam's voice interrupted her thoughts. Andy mechanically nodded as she kept her eyes trained on the ground. Sam was a little sad to see his truck sitting on the street. He was sure that Andy would want him to drive her somewhere else. To be comforted by someone else. The thought of her wanting to be away from him made him cringe. Stopping between the truck and the door of his house, Sam looked at her expectantly.

Even though they had barely said two words to each other, Andy was enjoying just having someone there. She was enjoying it so much that she hadn't thought of what to do next. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she checked to see if Traci called her back. Flipping the phone open it revealed no messages and no missed calls. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay with Sam, she did. It was just so complicated between them after the blackout. People would talk about them and…she just had so much already on her plate she didn't need to add any drama with Sam to that. Meeting his eyes she saw nothing but genuine concern. "I'll stay." Great job, Andy she internally berated herself. Why did he have that effect on her? No matter how much she rationalized something in her head, one look from Sam made her forget it all.

Sam hesitated before starting up the stairs. He felt bad, like he had just guilted her into doing something she didn't want to. Turning around sharply, he almost ran into her. Sam stopped for a moment, regarding her seriously "Andy, if you don't want to, I understand."

Closing her eyes, Andy started moving her lips before she could think about it, "I want to, Sam." It was the truth, and she was too tired and too cold to think of anywhere else to go right now. Andy didn't miss the relief that washed over her partner's face when she didn't turn and run. It was an unintentional glimpse of just how much he really cared for her.

The house was dark and quiet as Sam flipped on some lights. The wave of heat that hit them when they walked in the door was welcomed as they both stood there shivering noticeably. "Well, make yourself at home." Sam gave her a brief tour before excusing himself to his bedroom to change. Andy sat down on the couch. Taking her coat and shoes off she found the nearest blanket and wrapped her self up it in. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested on forehead down. She was at her partner's house right now because Luke cheated on her. No matter how many times she told herself, it didn't seem real.

Sam quickly changed his cloths only to find Andy wrapped up on his couch. Her face was down and he worried that she might be crying. A wave of awkwardness came over him as he stood there motionless. The last thing Sam wanted was to make Andy feel awkward or guilty around him so he quickly snapped out of it and moved toward the couch. Andy felt Sam sit next to her as she slowly raised her face. Just as he had thought; she was crying.

It broke his heart to see her like this, and that pain was evident all over his face. "Andy…" he whispered.

Burying her face in the blanket, she began to cry more noticeably. "Oh my God, Sam I just can't believe this! We were supposed to get married next week and Luke cheats on me with Jo. He never loved me, Sam." Andy kept her face away from him as she moaned on and on.

Sam just sat not saying a word. There were plenty of words that he wanted to say but right now he just let her go. "What's wrong with me? What did I do to make him not love me?" That was it, he couldn't sit by and listen to this anymore. Suddenly, Sam jumped up from the couch. This action caused Andy to jump a little as the look on his face scared her.

Seeing this, Sam took a deep breath and sat down in front of her on the coffee table. Taking her hand in his own, he met her eyes with the most sincerity he could muster. "Andy, listen to me. You are one hundred percent the real deal. Callahan is fucking stupid and he will regret this for the rest of his life. You did nothing to deserve this so don't even think that…" Sam paused for a moment softening his voice a little, "Honestly, I think you're amazing. You're my best friend, Andy, and I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart for ever telling you that Callahan was a good guy. I'm sorry." Sam stopped a little embarrassed for how honest he was with her and a little happy with how good that all sounded. It should sound good, he had been thinking of what to say for the last hour. Andy's eyes glazed over with a fresh round of tears as she stared at her partner.

"Well, Sam Swarek, who would have thought you could be so sweet." Andy squeezed his hand before letting go.

Sam smirked at her before sitting back down on the couch. "Yeah, well just don't tell anyone, ok?"

Andy smiled, "It will be our secret." Wiping her eyes, Andy got up and went into the bathroom to change. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. While she was gone, Sam went to his bedroom and retrieved a blanket and some pillows. He had every intention of offering her his bed. Making himself comfortable on the couch he flipped the TV.

"What are you doing? I'm not letting you sleep on the couch in your own house." Andy stood in front of him wearing flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt looking quite surprised.

"Forget it, Andy. You're taking the bed. I don't want to hear anything about it either."

"Sam, I feel weird making you sleep on the couch. I don't want…" Before she could finish he was up and guiding her toward the bedroom.

"Come on, I'll show you how nice it is and you won't want to leave, I promise." Smiling at him Andy didn't have any energy left to fight with him.

She had to admit, Sam's bed was very comfortable. Snuggling under the covers, she looked up at her partner's pleased expression. "See, what did I say?"

"Hmm…It's almost as nice and I remember." Sam looked at little shocked before he saw the wide grin on his partner's face. They both laughed at each other, before Andy's expression grew serious. "Thank you….for everything."

"Anytime, McNally." Turning to leave, he was stopped by her voice.

"Hey Sam…" He paused for a moment noticing the awkward expression on her face. "Can I hug you?" Never in a million years did he think that was going to come out next. Andy didn't miss the look of surprise on his face so she quickly added, "You know like friends…nothing awkward."

Sam laughed a little before coming back toward the bed and bending down. "No, I want a real hug." He smiled at her. Truthfully he couldn't have been happier right now. Andy jumped out of bed so that she was standing in front of him before wrapping her arms around his neck. Sam didn't wait as he automatically wrapped his own arms around her back. They stood there for a few minutes. It was perfect.

Just before pulling away, Andy whispered in his ear, "You're my best friend, and you always have been." Sam exhaled loudly, he could have melted into a puddle right there. He smiled as Andy pulled away and got back into bed. "Good night, Sam."

Turning the light off he headed out the door, "Good night, Andy. Get some rest."

Sam quietly closed the door behind him as he flopped down on the couch. His body still tingled in all the places she was touching him. It felt great. Closing his eyes, he wasn't sure if he had ever been so emotionally attached to someone as he was to Andy. There's nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for her. Drifting off, Sam felt more content than he had ever felt in his entire life.

Above Lyrics are from One Republic's "Secrets"

I love reviews !

Lots of exciting undercover action to come!