A/N: For now a one-shot. Feedback is much appreciated.
Disclaimer: Don't own Rookie Blue. But if anyone knows how to make that possible...
"You can't be serious Nick." Andy sighs heavily while she temporarily leans against Nicks motorcycle. They are outside the division after getting off the night shift, and the streets of downtown Toronto are bustling with morning traffic.
Project Dakota ended a week ago, and the pair had just completed their first shift back together as partners. They were welcomed home with a, mostly, loving reception. Their friends crowded them, squeezed and bought them drinks like there was no tomorrow. However there was always the exception of Gail, and Sam.
Gail was not impressed when she found out that, once again, she'd been left out to dry. At least that was how she saw it. And once a Peck makes up her mind, it is insanely difficult to sway her. Nick's defense was sound, he thought she was going away for a while, he didn't know he'd be leaving so soon. But Gail felt nothing but betrayal when she found out he was on the taskforce.
As for Sam, well, that's a little more complicated. Sam was nowhere to be found. Traci and Gail tried to fill her in, let her know he made detective, that he was doing okay. He was in St. Catherine's finally cashing in some vacation time. But surely he knew she'd come home. Oliver or Frank would've told him. But no, it's been a week, and he's still a ghost.
"I don't really think I have much choice." Nick mutters, pulling on his leather gloves, keeping his helmet tight under his arm. "What's keeping me here now? I know that what we do matters, but I used to feel like I was giving more when I was in Afghanistan."
Andy nods, bites her bottom lip and peers down at her boots.
"You'd be leaving me." Andy says with a little bite. But she doesn't mean it, and he knows that. Their friendship was all they had for six months of their lives.
They became a team, a unit, because they had to, to survive. She knew it was selfish to ask him to stay here, with a woman he loves, who can't forgive him. But Andy can't help but feel a little betrayed. For nights on end they confided in one another about what they were afraid would be waiting for them when they got home. Nick's worst fear was his reality. And Andy didn't want to be left alone if it blew up in her face too.
"Hey, Andy, you've got to understand. I've done this to Gail before. She has no reason to believe I won't do it again, so why not? I know when it's time to give up." Nick said, hard-faced. He had become a lot more stoic while they were undercover, and it helped Andy understand Sam pretty well.
The less you gave away, the safer you were. You learned to keep your mouth shut, and personal details away from business. It made Andy feel ridiculous that she felt this confused after one op, when the reality is that Sam has done it time and time again. No wonder he had managed to blur the lines between professional and personal. Undercover made it hard for him to go back to being carefree, giving away secrets, and stories.
"You know Gail. Look how closed off she was when you got here. And look at what you two achieved by the time you left. As far as I can tell, you really didn't think you'd be jeopardizing anything." Andy very nearly begged. She was so engrossed in trying to get Nick to stay, that she failed to notice a large silver pickup truck pulling in behind them. Nick did, however, and didn't think it'd benefit Andy to draw her attention to it. Whatever they needed to work out, it had to be done away from here, on their own. So he kept his eyes on Sam, as he hopped out of the truck, and laid eyes on the back of Andy's head.
"Nick please. Just stay a little longer. Please. For me." She said, knowing how desperate she sounded. A mask was never needed with Nick. They'd grown to know each other well.
Nick sighs loudly, looking deeply into Andy's eyes, knowing that a plea is not to be taken lightly.
"Lieutenant gave me two weeks to decide. I'll wait for now. Until you're feeling a bit more at home. But if Gail doesn't give me something to work with, I can't keep torturing myself, and you can't ask me to do it." He says firmly. He dares a glance back to where Sam was standing, to see him frozen in place, as is deciding whether he should say something or go into the station. Nick decides in a split second to make the call, and offers Andy the spare helmet.
"Need a ride? We can talk about this more tonight at the Penny." He huffs, noticing that Sam was beginning to favor going to the precinct, but had yet to move his feet. Andy pauses to stare at the helmet, but then grabs it, and rearranges her hair to put it on.
Wrong move. Nick immediately regrets this because he can see a flash in Sam's eyes. He thinks there's something going on here. It's almost ridiculous that Nick could feel like laughing at him, but he does, and would dare it too, if he didn't think it would get him and Andy fighting. So he says nothing while Andy swings her leg over the bike and waits for Nick to do the same.
It wasn't Andy's first time on a motorcycle, and not her first time on Nicks. It was there only mode of transport undercover, and Nick had even given her a basic run down of how to ride. It'd give Sam a heart attack to see her driving one around...
"Scoot up." Nick says, smiling at Andy, and himself for his creativity. "You're driving."