Sometimes I'm shocked by the ideas that pop into my head and this is one of them. Inspired by episode 3x03, this is a total twist on those events. Apparently after the fluff I've written recently, my mind needed some angst. lol Hope you enjoy! And please let me know what you think – I get super excited when reviews pop up in my inbox. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Through Thick and Thin

Andy sat on a wooden bench in the courthouse. She was told she'd be up next, right after lunch. She sat on her hands to stop fidgeting with them and suddenly wished she'd skipped lunch, the little she did eat of the sandwich Traci had forced her to buy. Her stomach was doing somersaults and each second that passed made her more nervous. She'd testified at trials before, but none as important as this.

She didn't know how one day eight months earlier could change her life so dramatically. She had been happy for the first time in a long time. She and Sam were just starting to find their normal. But then it happened and now she sat waiting…alone. The one person she wanted by her side was Sam, but he couldn't be there. The thought made her eyes moist, but she fought back the tears. Walking into a courtroom with red, puffy eyes wouldn't help anyone.

"Officer McNally?"

Andy glanced up at the court officer and took a deep breath. "Yes?"

"They're ready for you."

She followed the officer into the courtroom, refusing to look anywhere but the creaky wooden floor as she took her spot on the stand. She was quickly sworn in and sat down, waiting for the first question to be fired at her. She knew if she looked at the defendant's table she would break down. She never thought it would come to this, to a trial.

The defendant's lawyer slowly approached her. "Officer McNally, can you tell us what happened on May 6?"

Andy swallowed thickly as she found the courage to speak. "Officer Swarek and I were on patrol like any other day. We stopped at a convenience store because I was thirsty." Tears tried to fight their way through as she remembered once again that this was her fault. That she was thirsty, that they stopped because of her.

"And did you go into the store?" the lawyer prompted.

She shook her head. "No, not at first. Officer Swarek told me to stay in the car, that he'd get some sodas for us." She didn't know why he offered to go get their drinks on that particular day, why he was the one who walked into that store instead of her. She replayed the scene in her head, every single thing that happened after Sam rapped his knuckles on the hood of their cruiser and headed into the store.

"I'll grab us some chips too," he told Andy through the window and walked into the store.

She tapped her fingers on her thigh thinking about how happy she was Frank let them still partner together. She loved being with Sam all day, even if he did have his moments of overprotectiveness. She was broken out of her trance when she heard Sam shouting. It was muffled given that the entrance of the store was about 30 feet from where she sat, but she knew it was his cop voice, the one he brought out when he was taking down a suspect. She jumped out of the car and ran into the store, but not before she heard gunshots. "Sam?"

He was racing behind the counter when she entered with her gun drawn. "Sam, what happened?"

He glanced up at her, but instead of answering, clutched his radio. "This is 1509, we have an attempted robbery at 1616 Plain Street. Suspect is down, send a bus. I repeat, suspect is down."

Andy was behind Sam now, watching as his free hand pressed down on a young man's chest as blood spilled out.

"He had a gun. He wouldn't – " Sam didn't finish the thought as he shook his head. There wasn't a gun in the man's hands. There wasn't a gun lying on the floor. There was nothing but blood.

Andy answered the lawyer's questions for the next 30 minutes. They'd prepared for her time on the stand, but being up there in the spotlight was different. She was exhausted as question after question was fired at her, but she kept her composure.

"Last question Officer McNally. Do you believe Officer Swarek's statement that he was defending himself against an armed robbery?"

"Absolutely," she replied without hesitation. "Officer Swarek is a veteran cop who patrols the streets every day to seek justice. He had no reason to lie and would never lie. I believe 100 percent that he encountered an armed robber when he walked into that convenience store."

"Thank you Officer McNally."

As the lawyer walked back to the defendant's table, Andy finally allowed her eyes to find Sam. Her lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, unnoticeable by anyone but him. He saw the smile in her eyes first and gave her an encouraging look. He knew this was hard on her and hated that. He hated that he was the one causing the anxiousness he could sense running through her body. He'd tried save her heartache, to push her away, but she'd refused.

A week after Sam had been officially arrested – Jerry had reluctantly obeyed orders to go to his apartment and take him into custody – Andy sat with him in a visitor's room at the jail.

"You shouldn't be here," he told her, sitting back in the cold metal chair.

Confusion filled Andy's face. She couldn't understand why he was being so cold to her. He'd barely muttered hello when she walked in the room. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"McNally, you shouldn't be visiting someone accused of murder."

"Sam, you're my partner. You're my boyfriend." Okay, they hadn't actually labeled themselves yet, but that's what he was and she was going to remind him of it now. "I'm going to have your back. I'll be here for you through this whole thing."

"I know you want to fix everyone, have happily ever after endings, but it doesn't work that way in the real world." His words were harsh and he had to force himself to speak them. But he wanted to save her from the sadness and heartache she was bound to feel throughout the trial and if he was convicted. He knew the prospects of a happy ending were slim. Even he had started to doubt whether the teenager had a gun that day.

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. You being an ass isn't going to make me leave. I waited too long for you to give up now."

Sam's face softened. He hadn't been testing her or anything, but when her back straightened and she fought him, he couldn't help but love her even more. He hadn't told her he loved her yet and now feared he'd never be able to because he sure as hell wasn't doing it in prison. "Promise me something, Andy?"

"Anything, Sam."

"If this – if I – there's a lot going against me right now. I'll understand if you move on. Know that I won't be mad. Promise – "

Andy cut him off before he could finish. "No. Stop. You'll be out of here before you know it. And," she took a deep breath before continuing. "Even if you aren't, I'll always be yours. I'll always be here."

She knew things looked grim now for Sam, but she was working day and night with Jerry and Traci to uncover something, anything, that would free Sam and prove it was a good shoot. She feared, they both feared, the only thing that would clear him was the teenager's missing gun.

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking. I'm telling you." They heard a knock on the door and she glanced at her watch. "Times up."

She looked at him with sad eyes, hating that her time with him was limited when all she wanted to do was curl up with him and figure a way out of this together. She stood up, wanting to hug him, but knew it was against the rules. "I'll be back. We'll figure this out." With that she turned and waited for the door to open.

The scrap of a wooden chair against the floor brought Sam back to reality as he watched the prosecutor walk over to Andy.

"Officer McNally, you weren't in the store when Officer Swarek fired his gun, correct?" the prosecutor asked.

"That's right."

"So, you don't know if Tyler Marks had a gun or not?"

"I believe Officer Swarek when he says there was a gun."

"But you didn't see one with your own eyes?"

"No." Andy shook her head sadly.

"And, Officer McNally, was a gun recovered from the scene?"

"No, but – "

"It's a simple question," the prosecutor said interrupting her. "Was a gun recovered from the convenience store?"

"No." She uttered the word quietly. She had failed. She had found a bullet in the wall behind where Sam had stood in the store, but they couldn't connect it to a gun. She'd spent hours with Traci and Jerry going over every little detail. They suspected an accomplice, but had no evidence. First, she was to blame for Sam going in the store and then she failed at defending him.

"So, other than your belief in Officer Swarek, there is no evidence proving Tyler Marks was not unarmed?"

Andy almost jumped out of the seat as she disagreed. "No! If Sam - If Officer Swarek said Mr. Marks had a gun, then he had a gun. He would not shoot an unarmed kid!"

Although she really didn't answer his question, the prosecutor was happy with her outburst and returned to his seat. "No further questions, your honor."

Andy sat in a small room with Sam and his lawyer, who pretended to be occupied with her phone in the corner to give them some time to talk. "I was horrible," she said, eyes focused on the table.

"No you weren't. You told the truth." Sam nudged her chin with his fingers until she looked at him. "You had my back."

"Sam, what if…?"

"Hey, none of that. Weren't you the one who told me to think positively? Come here." He tugged her arm, until she got out of her chair and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. These short meetings while he was in court were the only time they could be in each other's arms.

"How many more days of testimony will there be?" She mumbled the words into his neck as she clung to him.

"Well, Jerry's the last witness for us. He'll be up tomorrow, so another day. Then closing arguments."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Her hands nervously fidgeted with the collar of his suit jacket; one of his was lost in her hair, the other rubbing up and down her back. His lawyer broke the silence that fell over the room. "It's time. Officers are outside waiting to take you back."

Andy raised her head to look over at the lawyer. Back to where he doesn't belong, back to jail, she thought.

Sam rubbed his thumb against Andy's jaw. "Be strong. We'll get through this."

"I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed him quickly and then stood, straightening out the dress blues she had worn for court that day. As Sam got up and began to follow his lawyer, Andy knew her voice was going to falter, but spoke anyway. "I'll miss you."

"Miss you too," he responded as he walked out of the room.

Andy saw an officer put cuffs around his wrists, preparing him for transport and she frowned. She slumped into the chair Sam had just vacated, leaned her elbows on the table and threw her face in her hands. And that's how Traci found her fifteen minutes later.

"Andy! I've been looking all over for you!"

Andy pulled her head out of her hands to look at Traci, but otherwise didn't move.

"Jerry just called. He thinks he can prove Sam's innocence!"

The next day instead of sitting in a courtroom, Sam sat with his lawyer and the prosecutor in front of the judge. A court reporter sat in the corner, making sure every word was recorded.

"Your honor, given this new evidence, I ask that all charges against Samuel Swarek be dropped."

That evidence was what Jerry had uncovered over the last 48 hours. One of his CI's had overheard a gang member boasting how he set up a cop for murdering his buddy. Jerry quickly put the pieces together and realized Andy and Traci had been right about a second robber. Jerry sat face to face with Tyler Marks' buddy for hours before the guy confessed to sneaking out the back door of the convenience store with the gun Tyler had used to shoot at Sam.

The judge reviewed the evidence in front of him before glancing at the prosecutor, who nodded in reluctant agreement that Sam's lawyer was right.

The officer that escorted Sam from the jail was called into the room. "Officer, please remove this gentleman's handcuffs," the judge ordered. When the harsh metal was removed, Sam rubbed his wrists. "Samuel Swarek, you are free to go," the judge continued.

Smiling, Sam stood and shook his lawyer's hand before leaving her to fill out any of the necessary paperwork. When he exited the office, he saw Andy jump to her feet from a bench across the hall. Her eyes were open wide and she pressed her lips together in anticipation of the words that would come out of his mouth.

"I'm back." He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face when she launched herself at him.

His hands resting on her lower back, hers entwined behind his neck, her head nestled in the crook of his neck, she spoke softly. "I missed you." Sure, she'd seen him a lot in the last eight months, but sitting in a sterile jail meeting room or the small office at the courthouse didn't count. The eyes of his lawyer or a jail officer were always on them and they couldn't be them.

"You have my truck?" he asked. On her second visit to him in jail, he'd told her to start using it. Told her it made sense with all her trips from her condo to the station and to the jail. He didn't want her wasting money on cabs or running to catch a bus or begging favors from friends.

"The keys are on the hook near the door," he said as they sat in the visitor's room at the jail. Andy nodded knowing right where he left them.

"Remember, the brakes are – "

"Touchy," she cut him off and finished his sentence. "I know."

"And don't go changing all the presets. I don't want to come back to all new radio stations programmed in," he teased, trying to lighten the mood. She rolled her eyes. They both knew she'd already taken over half his presets, fiddling with the radio the first day he drove her to work after her suspension.

"And don't forget to get gas. I won't be around to rescue you from the side of the road if you run out." She blushed from embarrassment, forgetting she told him the story about the first week she borrowed her dad's car after she got her license. Excited about her newfound freedom, she drove anywhere and everywhere, that is until she ran out of gas on the highway and had to call her dad.

"Funny, Mr. Smartass."

"Seriously though, don't be afraid to use it. I like knowing you're safe," he said.

"Thanks. I promise not to put a scratch on your baby, so she'll be good as knew when you return."

When she left the jail that day, she took the bus directly to Sam's apartment and unlocked the door with the spare key he'd given her when they first started dating. Grabbing his car keys, she immediately went and sat in his truck. She pushed herself deep into the driver's seat and laid her head back on the headrest. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, breathing Sam's scent that still remained, trapped in the cushions of his seat.

Andy nodded in reply to Sam's question and dangled the keys to his truck in front of him. He kissed her temple and snatched the keys from her. "Your place?"

"I picked up some clothes from your place. Figured, you know…"

He gave a small nod as he took her hand in his as they walked down the hall toward the exit.

He'd been restrained as they left the courthouse, as he drove them to her condo, but the moment her front door closed behind them the restraint was lost. He pushed her up against the door and his mouth crushed hers. Her arms found their way around him, pressing the muscles in his back, remembering the feel of them under her fingers.

It had been eight months since he'd been able to do this. His hands traveled up and down her body, stopping when they found both sides of her face. He stared at her, her swollen lips, her eyes that expressed so much love. For a moment there were no sounds but the heavy panting of their breathing. Then he realized she might not be ready for this. Eight months and they hadn't even had a chance to talk yet. He hadn't given them that chance. "Is this, uh, is this okay?"

Her hands slid around his body and rested, palms spread out, on his chest. "Sam." It came out as a frustrated sigh. "I've missed you, like a lot. Missed this, a lot." A blush crept over her face as she uttered the last sentence, like she was embarrassed to admit how much she needed him at that moment.

Silencing any further conversation, his mouth came down on hers and he pulled her away from the door. After stumbling into the bedroom, it was hours before they resurfaced, realizing they needed to make something for dinner.

After dinner he sat down on the couch and Andy laid down, resting her head on Sam's thigh, and he promptly grabbed a pillow to cushion her head. She drew random shapes on his knee. "I'm glad you were cleared."

"Me too." The fingers of his one hand grazed up and down her bare arm, while the other brushed the hair off her neck before getting lost in it. They still hadn't talked about what happened – the shooting and the following eight months a taboo topic of conversation for the night. That discussion would hold for another day. He just wanted her in his arms, to remember what their normal had been. To sit comfortably with the woman he loved. The woman he loved. He still had yet to tell her how he felt. Was pretty sure the feelings were reciprocated by the way she stood by him through everything. How she never left his side, how she fought for him, how she worked day and night to free him. He'd seen the tired lines in her face, knew this all had kept her up at night whether she was actively working the case or not. All that didn't come from just being partners; it was there because they loved each other.

He didn't know what the future would hold for them, but he knew he didn't want something else to happen and for her to never know how he felt. He'd take the risk of her running away when she heard those three important words. He just knew he couldn't risk waiting any longer. Couldn't risk that she'd never hear those words out of his mouth.

"Andy?"

"Hmmm," she replied lazily.

"I love you."

Her eyes shot open, fully awake now, but she remained still. Sam continued to brush his fingers lazily up and down her arm as he looked down at her, waiting for some type of response. She slowly rolled onto her back, her head still resting on the pillow on his legs. He saw the smile in her eyes before her lips curved upward. "I love you too, Sam."

She propped herself up on her elbows so she could lean her head toward him. He met her halfway so their lips could find each other. They only parted when the need for air became too strong. Andy laid her head back on the pillow, but didn't take her eyes off of Sam. "I'm really glad you're home."

Sam gazed into her eyes. Home, yup, that's what this was.

The End.