Title: White Shirt
Author: Skinfull
Timeline: Early S2 (post Callaghan breakup, pre - UC hookup)
The alarm rang through the room with more volume than Andy ever knew it could possess. She didn't want to open her eyes but the aural assault was too much. Her arms were heavy and uncooperative so she rolled over onto her stomach and let the momentum fling her arm towards the locker. She missed.
"Oh my god…" she moaned, her face buried in her pillow. "For the love of god… stop making that noise!"
This time with more deliberate concentration she moved her hand, which dangled over the bed, along the drawers of the locker, using the handles as leverage until finally she could reach the offensive article. But her fingers had lost the dexterity she needed to press the right button and she found herself mashing the buttons instead.
"Oh god.. stop stop STOP!"
Despite the throbbing pain in her head she lifted it up and focused enough to finally turn off the alarm. With a satisfied sigh she let her head hit the pillow again, but it was no use. She was awake.
Andy took a moment longer to muster the energy to push herself off the bed. She sat upright, her legs over the edge, gripping the mattress until the room stopped spinning. It was a battle to get to the bathroom, holding onto the walls along the way she hesitated in front of the sink for a moment before looking into the mirror.
The reflection that greeted her was way better than she was expecting, considering the sizable hangover that had taken up residence in her head. Her makeup was smudged, and her hair was tousled but what really surprised her were the multi-coloured beads that were slung around her neck and the distinctly male shirt she was wearing.
"What the…"She looked down at the shirt. Crisp white, no stains but crumpled from her having slept in it. She pulled it off over her head and checked it for tags, then snorted at herself. What was she expecting, his name sewn into the back of the collar? She draped it over the radiator then removed the beads from her neck. She racked her brain to try to remember where they had come from but could come up with nothing.
After shift yesterday she had gone to the Penny with Tracy and Chris. They played darts. Then Gerry arrived with Sam and they joined in… Shots… they drank shots of tequila. She danced a salsa with Chris, or whatever close approximation to a salsa her inebriated body would allow. She could remember Sam leaving. Begging him to stay.
White hot flush of mortification washed over her.
She remembered following him out to the street where he was zipping up his jacket. She grabbed the collar as he slipped his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders against the cold. She pulled him closer and smiled.
"C'mon Sam, one more drink, five more minutes!"
He said nothing in reply, just looked down at her, begging him to stay, perched on her tip toes and holding him close.
Andy stared at herself in the mirror in her own bathroom and watched as her face flushed red then drained of blood. She didn't think it was the hangover that was making her feel ill anymore. She recalled the memory of Sam uncurling her fingers from his collar and slowly lowering them to her sides, then he backed away from her, a small smile on his lips before he turned and walked away all without saying a word.
She showered and dressed as fast as her sluggish body would allow. She folded the shirt onto her bed and placed the beads on top of it, taking another moment to try to remember. She had gone back into the bar and the rest was just a blur of darts and drinks. She touched the soft white fabric and tried to place whom she saw wearing it but it was no use.
"This is going to be an interesting day at work."
AN: This is my first fic for Rookie blue (I'm and XF vet!). I've finished writing it and will probably update it daily. Though if anyone out there is a willing beta reader I'd be much obliged.