This one-shot popped in my head after watching the first two episodes of S4 and wanting to see some things turn out differently. Hope you enjoy! Please leave a review to let me know what you think. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Until the End of Time

Sam knew Andy had gone undercover, but despite his efforts hadn't been able to figure out where she was or what the operation entailed. It had all been kept hush hush, and honestly he didn't even know what he'd do with the information, if he ever found out.

But when Undercover Detective Jacob Flagstone barged into the station, the way he spoke about two undercover officers going under six months ago, Sam knew it was Andy and Nick. He didn't care that Jacob wouldn't confirm it, he knew. And he was fuming that this jerk put Andy - put two undercover officers in danger with some ridiculous turf war to force Simon Dent into play. This guy was nearly as bad as Donovan Boyd, and Sam just hoped the result wouldn't be the same.

When Jacob walked out of the Parade Room warning them to stay out of it, Sam knew he'd do anything but. This was Andy they were talking about, his Andy. If she was in trouble, he was going to find her. Times like this, he was thankful her best friend was now his partner. Without any hesitation, Traci walked side by side with him as they headed to their car to find some clues.

As they checked out a few different locations to try and make any connection they could, Sam couldn't help but think back to the morning after Andy disappeared.

Sam opened his locker and saw a note propped on the shelf. He recognized the handwriting of his name as Andy's. He hesitated a moment before opening it, knowing it couldn't be anything good after she hadn't met him at The Penny the night before. Terrified it was some type of "Dear John" letter, he hesitantly flipped open the folded piece of paper.

Sam,
I'm sorry. I had to do this.
I hope you'll understand.
Andy

Well, that wasn't what he was expecting. Do what? What did she have to do that she was apologizing for? Why was she hoping he'd understand? He placed the note back in his locker and got changed for Parade, thoughts and questions about Andy running rampant in his head.

He was suspicious that Andy wasn't around when he propped himself against the back table in Parade, but she'd been late before. It wasn't until Frank's announcement about being down two officers for an indeterminate amount of time that it all clicked.

This is what she's sorry about, he thought. She went undercover. For who knows how long. He wondered if she knew before they talked, if that's why she was hesitant about saying yes to drinks. Or if she'd made the choice after he poured his heart out to her.

Was she apologizing for not coming for drinks, for not telling him, or for giving him a decision by her absence? There were too many questions on his mind. He tuned out the rest of Frank's speech and it was Oliver slapping him on the back that made him realize it was time to get out on patrol.

The day was a blur for Sam as they rode around the city finding the leads the taskforce couldn't string together in six months, arguing with Jacob, being determined to find Andy himself. He was proud of Dov for backing him up with the caterer, knew the kid had grown over the last few years. However, the info they'd gotten out of the guy still wasn't the final piece of the puzzle.

Sam was struggling to decide his next move as his phone rang, and when he heard the voice on the other end, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Sam?" She'd told Nick she didn't know who she was dialing, but she knew. She just didn't want to waste time listening to another one of his anti-Sam lectures. Nick was just looking out for her, trying to be a good break-up buddy, but she didn't need or want that anymore. She wanted encouragement, wanted someone to reassure her that Sam would wait for her, that she had someone to go home to when this was all over.

Andy knew it would take too long to explain to 911 what was happening, but she knew one person who wouldn't need explanations. One person who, despite their problems, would be there for her. Sam. So, that's who she called.

"McNally?" He couldn't believe after six months how good her voice sounded in his ear.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Where are you?"

Andy breathed out a sigh of relief, the concern in Sam's voice telling her he was already up to speed on what was happening. So focused on the tone of his voice - and admitting to herself there was small part of her that thought he might hang up the moment he heard her voice - her head jumbled the question he asked. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied.

If he wasn't so worried, her distracted answer would have made him laugh. "No, where are you?"

She shook her head, trying to get her head back in the game. "Oh, uh, we're uh...I don't know. It just looks like some, uh, trucking warehouse. Look, we could really use some backup," she said. She closed her eyes, trying to think of any details that might help him find her - find them. "Um, there's a logo I saw on one of the trucks. It said BTI inside of a red circle."

The sounds of men barging through doors began getting closer. "We gotta go," Nick whispered.

"We gotta go. I gotta go," Andy said hurriedly before dropping the phone and following Nick as they tried to find a way out.

Sam heard the phone drop, but still called out her name. "McNally! McNally!"

She could hear him screaming her name as she dropped the phone, but she had no choice. She needed to get out of there or find a safe place for her and Nick to hide. Sam quickly got into his car and, recognizing the logo she spoke of, called in her location to headquarters and quickly sped there himself.

Andy wasn't sure how long she and Nick could hold off the guys coming after them when she felt someone try to open the door of the box truck they'd hidden inside of. Her heart was beating out of her chest from nerves and she wondered if she'd make it out of this to see Sam again. She regretted, not for the first time in the last six months, not violating protocol to actually talk to him before she left. She kept replaying his voice from their brief phone call minutes earlier in her head. She was so lost in it, when she heard her name, it took her a minute to realize he was really there.

"McNally? Are you in there? Open the door," Sam's voice called through the door.

She pulled up the door with Nick's help and her entire body relaxed when she came face to face with Sam. Her head was spinning. She was relieved that they were safe. She was excited to see Sam again. She was glad the undercover operation was over. She wanted her life back.

"Hi," she breathed out.

Sam couldn't believe she was standing here in front of him, in the flesh. She looked good, a little tired, a little ragged, but good. There was a relief that rushed through him that the undercover hadn't been harsh on her physically, at last that he could tell. Emotionally might be another story, but she was here alive and coming home. "Hi. How was your trip?"

"Good." She wasn't sure she could manage more than one word answers right now. Was afraid the words would just start gushing out, about why she left, about how she still loved him, about how she missed him more than life these last six months. And it wasn't really the time or place for any of that.

"How are you?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of her. It was like Nick wasn't even there.

"Great," she said meekly. "It's good to see you."

"Glad to have you back."

"Me too."

Sam waved a hand to usher them out of the truck, followed on their heels as they headed for where everyone was waiting. He knew Frank and Jacob would want to see for themselves they were okay. He was going to offer them a ride back to the station, but Frank stepped in, wanting to have some time to congratulate two of his officers on a job well done.

Back at the station, Andy and Nick were welcomed back by their friends with open arms. Literally. Everyone gave the UC couple rib-squishing hugs when they set eyes on them. But there was one person Andy was intent on finding, and following Traci's suggestion, she located him in the break room. His back was toward her as he made a coffee, so he didn't see her at first. She leaned against the door frame and watched him. For six months all she could see of him was the images in her head, but now, he was right here in front of her. He looked good; being out of uniform suited him. She'd thought of about a million different things to say to him while she was under, but now nothing seemed right. So, she was still silent when he finally turned around and saw her standing there.

"Hi," she managed to get out.

"Hey," he said.

She swallowed thickly, wondered for a moment if this was all a dream and she was going to wake up in the undercover apartment any moment. "I...So, you're a detective now."

"Yup. Frank offered me the position and I thought it might be a good change," he said, walking toward her.

"It suits you. You kind of always were one," she told him, meeting him halfway across the room.

He gave her a small smile. "Got your note."

"I'm sorry I left. I mean...I'm not sorry I took the job; it was good for me, great really. But I'm sorry I left us," she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth fast and furious. "Can we...Can I get a rain check on that drink?"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, nodding. He told himself he couldn't blame her for accepting an undercover gig. He was the king of undercover, had left his life behind on numerous occasions without a word to anyone. So, even if he didn't like it and even if he was hurt by her actions, he was trying to understand. "Go debrief, get some sleep. We'll catch up later," he told her.

They stared at each other for another minute, neither sure what the next step was for either of them to take. Andy wanted to envelop herself in him, have his arms surround her, tell her everything would be okay. But she hesitated to take any step closer to him, still unsure how he was feeling after all this time. He'd changed, she could tell that it was more than just his position in the police department, and she wondered how much he'd changed, and if he'd moved on.

Sam stood there, honestly a little shell-shocked that she was back. He'd experienced a lot of feelings during the six months she was gone. Anger and disappointment that she'd just left, relief that she was undercover and hadn't outright rejected his pleading, and even excitement at one point about trying again when she returned. But he was a mess right now, as if every single one of those feelings was put into a blender. He wanted to be angry, wanted to pretend he'd moved on with his live. He wanted to show her how happy he was that she was back by pushing her up against the nearest wall and crushing his lips down on hers. But he did nothing, stood there holding onto his coffee cup for dear life.

They both heard Jacob calling her from the hallway and Sam nodded toward the glass windows where Nick was following close behind the detective. "You gotta go," he said.

"Yeah. I gotta go," she agreed, following his gaze. "I'll see you later."

Turns out catching up later wasn't in the cards right away. Andy was kept busy with mandatory shrink visits - apparently holding a grenade, going undercover and having a gun to your head meant no easy in and out visit - as well as seeing Traci and Leo, and her dad. She picked up the phone numerous times to call Sam, but stopped every time out of fear. She was afraid of what to expect when they finally talked. She was afraid he'd tell her he'd moved on with his life.

Sam had taken his regular jog past her condo on more than one occasion hoping to run into her. It never happened, but he didn't want to make the conscious decision to walk up to her place and knock. He still wasn't sure what to make of everything - her leaving, coming back, wanting a rain check on that drink he offered six months ago. So, he kept on running and told himself he was just giving her time to readjust after the undercover. He knew he was lying to himself, but wasn't prepared to admit to himself that he was scared.

It was a week after returning that Andy was finally back at work, and even with her case intersecting with the detective's, Andy found that her and Sam never had a chance to chat. As it was, their first day back working together was awkward.

There was a new dynamic with Sam as a detective and Andy still in uniform. It was the same, but different. Maybe it was them that was different; they'd both changed in six months. Whatever it was, she couldn't help but be surprised when Sam wasn't urging her to trust her gut, and instead shot down her theory about who the bank robber was. She wondered if that wasn't more a result of what happened last year with Jerry than his new promotion, but tried not to dwell on it. The only time it felt like old times was when they were being shot at. Both realizing they still knew each other's moves like their own and didn't even need to speak to be on the same page...at least about some things.

Andy was walking out of the locker room after her first shift, dressed up fancier than usual since she was headed to The Penny for Frank and Noelle's engagement party, when she heard Sam call her name.

"McNally, hey, wait up," Sam called out, jogging down the hallway toward her.

"Hey Sam. You headed to The Penny?" she asked.

"Yeah. You, uh, need a ride?"

"Um, yeah, thanks."

The walk to his truck was awkward and filled with silence until they were out in the cool night air. "You, uh, you look nice," Sam said, glancing over at her. His eyes went wide as he noticed her tattoo for the first time. "That new?" he asked, pointing toward her side.

She glanced down at the writing on her skin, easily visible with the top she was wearing. "Yeah, got it while we were under. Something to remind me of who I was."

Sam couldn't quite make out the words from the angle he was at, but decided to figure out what it said later.

When they reached the truck, they got in and the radio came to life as Sam started the truck. Other than the classic rock music coming through the speakers, it was a silent ride to The Penny. When they arrived Sam suddenly wished it was a longer drive and reluctantly shut off the truck. He tossed out some comment about Andy stopping by the range because she'd been away from the streets for so long. Soon they were laughing like old times and it was uncomfortably easy, like he hadn't broken up with her and she hadn't left for six months.

Her laughter quickly died down and her eyes lost their light, becoming sad as she turned the conversation serious. "What happened with us?" she asked, wondering how they could exchange banter so easily when things had gone so horribly wrong.

"What happened with us?" His eyes went wide as he was dumbfounded that she didn't know. "You walked away from us, again. That's what happened."

"No, it's, that's not," she said quickly, shaking her head slightly. Things had gone south long before she left.

"Yeah, no, that's what happened," he replied, remembering things much differently.

"No, you broke up with me six weeks earlier."

"And I told you I was sorry, that I made a mistake, that I'd do anything to make it up to you, to make us work. You didnot feel the same way."

"I did feel the same way," she told him in no uncertain terms. She glanced out the window, as if all the answers were written on the brick wall in front of them, before looking back at him and realizing she had to put it all out there. "I mean, Sam, you broke my heart."

"Well, you got me back."

"So, we're keeping score?" The question was left unanswered, both staring the other down, waiting for the other to break. Maybe they were both keeping score, of the times they hurt one another, the times they pushed each other's buttons, all the instances where they refused to open up.

It was Andy that finally broke the silence. "Cause if we are, you never said you were sorry. You said you wanted to cook me dinner and take out my trash and buy a dog..." She let out a small chuckle at the thought of the latter. "But you never...you never apologized for six weeks of ignoring me, of pushing me away. When I got back from Temagami, I straight out told you I was sorry, and I meant it."

"So, that's what this was. You left because of what I didn't say?"

"No, no...I left because it was a good opportunity for me. I thought you of all people would understand that. I begged for the spot before you..." Andy sighed deeply. "...Before the grenade, before your speech. And, I guess part of me was afraid. I...You said you wouldn't leave without a fight. And you did."

"And I promised to do whatever I could to make it up to you," he said.

"But what if it happened again?" she asked, lifting her shoulders in a half shrug as tears filled her eyes. "I had five minutes to make a decision and all I could think about was...what if I stayed for nothing? What if you...I wasn't sure I could handle it again if after the adrenaline of the bomb wore off, you decided you didn't want to make it work. That you really couldn't be a cop and be with me. I didn't know if I really had something to stay for."

"Andy," he sighed. She put it all out there and now it was his turn. "I pushed you away because...My head was so screwed up. I didn't know how to handle Jerry's death and all the feelings it brought up. I was scared of losing you. I was scared of opening up, telling you what I was feeling. So, I pushed you away."

"I trusted you to always be there. After my mom left, I wouldn't allow myself to rely on anyone. But, with you, for the first time in a long time, I relied on somebody. And I got left, again. I didn't know what to do. So, I left. I did something where I thought I'd only have myself to rely on...Because that's the only way to not get hurt."

"Andy, I'm sorry. Sorry for pushing you away. Sorry you couldn't trust me to stay. But I mean it, I'm not leaving this time. I want to be a cop and be with you. I'm in, till the end of time." Sam knew they still had a lot to work on, but this was a start. It was their chance to start again. He'd never been great about talking about what he was feeling and what was bothering him, but for Andy he'd make the effort.

Andy narrowed her eyes to try and keep back the tears. She worried her bottom lip for a moment as she looked deep into Sam's eyes, the windows into his soul. "Me too. I'm in too, all the way. I missed you. A lot." Andy knew there was still a lot they had to talk about, that they couldn't just brush things under the rug and ignore them anymore. She'd always had a hard time opening up to people, but for Sam she would really try. She would let Sam see the layers she kept hidden from others.

"Ready to get that drink?" Sam asked, tongue in his cheek to tamp down the grin wanting to form.

Andy smiled at him as she nodded. "But first..." She leaned over the center console and wrapped her arms around him, her chin resting on his shoulder as she hugged him. Sam responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the moment, having missed this for the last eight months. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scene of her he missed so much, a unique blend of vanilla and cherry blossoms he knew came from her lotion and shampoo.

A short time later they walked into The Penny, stopping at the bar to grab a couple of beers before finding a quiet table where they could sit alone. She missed nights at The Penny with her friends, but tonight wasn't about that. Yes, they were all there to celebrate Frank and Noelle, but tonight was also all about her and Sam. Maybe they had something to celebrate too.

When Noelle spoke with such happiness about having her best friend, having someone who was there to replace all the lonely nights she had in the past, Andy laid her hand over Sam's on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. They shared a small smile for all the moments they had experienced together before focusing back on their newly engaged friends.

It was hours later when Sam was offering Andy a ride home. She was exhausted after putting in her first full day back on patrol, and as good as the night had been, she was glad to be heading home. They were only feet from his truck when he stopped suddenly and Andy almost crashed into him. She placed a hand on his chest to stop from stumbling. Without saying anything, Sam framed her face in his hands and crushed his lips against hers, their mouths hungrily feeding off one another as hands roamed. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathless and he threw her a small smirk. "Been waiting six months to do that."

"Glad you didn't wait any longer," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his again briefly. "You comin' over?"

"That's optimism," he said, grinning.

She shook her head and smirked at him. "Nah, that's experience."

The End.