Hi everyone! So I've been meaning to write a Oliver/Andy family piece for quite a while now, ever since their 'talk' in the car after Andy had just gotten shot. Much thanks are in order to arizonablue96 on YouTube for making a beautiful, beautiful Oliver/Andy video.
While I neither own the characters nor the video that was made, the video was the inspiration behind this story, so if you watch it before reading this, my story will be a hell of a lot less cheesy (hopefully it's legal on this site to promote someone else's work. Is it?) Either way, I really hope you all enjoy this. Thanks!
She stood by the entrance to the men's locker room, practically twitching with nervous energy, waiting for him to come out. He'd probably be tired, freshly showered, with no desire other than to go home and forget about the long shift they had just endured. But she had to talk to him, had to have the talk, the one that she had been working up the courage to have since...a month ago? Two months? She couldn't exactly recall, but it had been a while.
Her dark haired fiancee walked out of the door, the collar of his black shirt slightly damp from the shower he had just taken.
"Hey beautiful," he said softly, kissing her. "He'll be out in a second. Want me to wait with you?"
She shook her head. "No. No, I've got this. Thanks though, Sam, really."
He nodded, sending her a smile, that smile that still made her bubbly, like that damn catchy Colbie Callait song. "I'll see you at home?"
"Okay." She closed her eyes briefly as he lips brushed against her forehead. "Don't wait up."
He smirked. "I will be." And then he walked off, through the double glass doors of the precinct, leaving her alone with a case of extremely jittery nerves and a half a mind to just scrap the whole thing and leave without asking him.
She had just pushed her back off the wall, ready to duck out, when the man she had been waiting for emerged from the locker room.
"McNally," Oliver said in surprise, shifting the black duffel bag on his shoulder. "What's up?"
"Um, can we go somewhere to talk? I know it's late and all, and Zoe's probably waiting for you, but - "
"Yeah, of course." He narrowed his eyes slightly as he appraised the young woman in front of him. "You okay, McNally?"
"I'm fine."
"Okay. We'll get coffee. I still owe you the one from your first day."
"I know you do."
"Come on. We'll go to Murphy's. They're open till midnight."
"Who's still drinking coffee at midnight?"
He gave her a classic Shaw look. "Apparently you and me."
She smiled at him, handing off her own smaller duffel bag to his outstretched hand.
The ride to Murphy's was short, filled with idle chit chat, talk of the wedding, how she was going to fit all of her stuff in Sam's house, whether they were going to get a new place, where the Shaws were going to sit at the reception (she had promised him a seat at her and Sam's table).
Soon they were seated in one of the little booths, cups of (decaf, of course) coffee in front of them, untouched.
"So, McNally, what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
She took a deep breath, preparing herself, remembering the speech that she had written down and memorized. Problem was, she couldn't remember a damn word that she had carefully rehearsed over and over again in the mirror.
"Okay. Um, Oliver," she started, fiddling with the coffee mug handle, "you've always been there for me. You know, as a training officer, as a partner, as a mentor. You've always looked out for me, had my best interests at heart, protected me."
"Glad to finally get some appreciation," he joked, tapping her tightly clenched fist with his finger. "Release that death grip McNally. You're making me sympathize with an inanimate object."
"I've always, you know, looked up to you. Both professionally and personally. You and Zoe, you two really have something special going on. And Jessica and Lindsay and Lea are so beautiful."
"I know. Thank you."
"Yeah. Anyways, you...when my dad died last year, you really took on his role. I mean, you were already like a father to me before he died, but particularly afterwards. You mentored me, you shaped me to be the cop I am today. You taught me which liquor was best for temporarily erasing a bad day, you taught me how to drywall, you basically taught me how to have a proper relationship. Because without you, I really don't think I'd be marrying Sam. That talk you had with me, the day before he proposed, in the squad car, was really, really weird at the time, but was what I needed to hear. So, before I ask you, I just wanted to say thank you, for being the best second father I could have ever had."
She swore she could see tears in his eyes as she paused her speech momentarily before continuing.
"So, Oliver Shaw, will you please give me away at my wedding?"
She held her breath as he let out his own shaky breath. And then, he smiled.
"Yes. Of course I will, McNally. It would be my honor."