Author's Note: While this isn't a song fic, I was inspired by One Republic's song "All this time." If you want to spice this fic up a bit, I'd suggest listening to it while reading this chapter. I always love listening to music that matches the fics i'm reading :)

This is my first foray into the world of fanfiction :) Not sure if i'll continue or not...we'll see

Running Back to You

She looked around at the smiling faces, the girls wearing sparkly dresses and a little too much eye makeup, the guys looking slightly uncomfortable in their ties, loosening them with each cocktail. She knew he'd totally hate something like this. He'd made some snide remark about all the fuss they were making. Yeah, he definitely would. But he won't. Because he wasn't there.

It hurt to admit to herself that she missed him. She was Andy frickin' McNally afterall. She'd seen first hand how if you let your emotions, let regret take over, it could change you into some sick twisted version of yourself. And she just wasn't prepared to do that. Even for him.

Okay, so maybe she was Andy frickin' McNally, an expert at running away from feelings, but he was Sam frickin' Swarek, expert at making those stupid smoldering eyes, and that irritating as hell yet totally hot smirk he gave her at least three times a day. Truth be told, she didn't know how she'd lasted this long without breaking down. It felt like she'd been holding her breath underwater for the last three months. Like she'd been caught mid-sneeze, her whole body seized up, and just hadn't had the chance to let it all out just yet. But she could feel her body trembling, that breath, that sneeze waiting to escape.

And then it did, in pretty much the least convenient place ever. She was in the middle of the division's annual Holiday party. Everyone was full of all that green and red holiday cheer, and there she was, trying so hard not to cry.

And just when she thought she couldn't stand to be in the room anymore, the Christmas cheer choking her, she saw it. A Christmas miracle so…miraculous she thought she was seeing things. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last shot of scotch.

Then the mirage started walking towards her. It was scruffier then she imagined, hair shaggier, beard unshaven, but there the miracle was in its beautiful glory. Sam Swarek, with his damn eyes, and that damn smirk on his face. And suddenly she wasn't Andy McNally anymore. She was just a girl who hadn't seen the love of her life in three months. And she walked forward towards the mirage, praying to every deity that ever existed that what she was seeing was real.

And then he reached out and hugged her. Before she could register what was happening, she felt his strong arms wrap around her, and her head was nestled on his chest. She could hear his heart thumping, and feel his lungs taking in air. Yep, he was definitely real. She was afraid to let go, afraid if she did he might disappear…again.

"McNally…"

It was just her name, but the way he said it, the way he'd said it the day they'd saved Emily, it almost broke her. His voice held all sorts of promise. But she didn't know if she could trust that promise. Sam was almost as good at running away as she was. She couldn't decide if she should be angry. Afterall, he'd left without any sort of warning. After everything they'd been through, she thought she deserved at least a quick text message. But the moment he leaned down and grasped the side of her cheek, his rough hands tracing from her cheek to her chin, any anger that was left disappeared.

"I got your message"