***DESPITE BEING A TWIST, THIS ONE-SHOT CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM EPISODE 6.03***
Welcome to "Time", a twist for McSwarek lovers who found the Smarlo scenes from 6.03 rather painful to watch. I assure you, Marlo does NOT make an appearance in this one-shot. In fact, you might as well pretend that she never returned to 15 Division because this is a complete twist on all of the Smarlo scenes from that particular episode, but with a few other things added too.
Note: Credit for the squirrel stuff near the beginning goes to a reddit post someone had for the funniest thing you've heard someone say in their sleep. So, the basic idea is there, even if the execution is a little different.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this story and let me know what you think!
Sam stared at the alarm clock, counting – under his breath – each agonizingly slow second that passed as he waited for eight o'clock to roll around. Two and a half hours to go. He listened to the steady sound of Andy's breathing, willing it to lull him back to sleep like it sometimes did. Except, this time, it didn't. How can she even sleep right now? She worries about everything. Overthinks everything. Yet, I'm the one lying here awake? After mulling over the question for another moment, he returned to counting. And, he continued for a total of 1,800 seconds before finally tearing his eyes away from the bright red digits, rolling until his body was facing hers again. And really, the only reason he'd looked away in the first place was because she always seemed to sense when he was watching her. Not that he'd ever cared before, but right now, she needed her sleep. She needed to keep her strength up, and she needed to stay healthy, so for the time being, he was willing to suffer in boredom, alone.
"Shoo... Stupid squirrel," Andy mumbled.
A smile immediately touched his lips, knowing full well that she was still fast asleep. After all, it wasn't the first time it had happened, nor would it likely be the last. In fact, he hoped it wouldn't be. The first time she'd done it, it had taken him by surprise, leaving him completely bewildered in his sleep-induced haze. But, over the last few months, talking in her sleep seemed to have become more commonplace. And, much to his amusement, he found it oddly endearing and downright comical, especially when he was able to rile her up a little and get more out of her. It didn't even matter that she was frequently waking him up, or that nothing she said really made any sense. It was Andy. Adorable, hilarious Andy. "What squirrel?" he asked, struggling to keep his tone soft, while simultaneously attempting to hide all traces of laughter from both his voice and face.
"It's trying to steal my peanut," Andy said, this time a little louder.
Sam's tongue darted to the inside of his cheek. A squirrel is trying to steal your peanut? He inwardly laughed. No wonder I don't always understand what goes on inside your head. Next thing I know, you'll probably be telling me it's a giant squirrel. Monstrous, actually. Any other day, he probably would have prompted her for more, but as he stared at her, he found himself largely distracted. Instead, he merely whispered, "You get it, McNally. Don't let it steal your nut," as he visually took in the locks of her brown hair that billowed out across the pillow, her long eyelashes, and the trace of a smile on her lips, which now suggested that whatever squirrel had been haunting her in her dreams had suddenly stopped. With her soft breathing filling the room once more, he took the opportunity to study her further.
Until Andy, he'd never really understood why people tended to tell pregnant women that they were glowing or that they had never looked more beautiful. But, with her, it all made sense. And although he'd always thought she was gorgeous, being pregnant seemed to instill something in her that made her seem even more beautiful in his eyes. With her... A small smile touched his lips. With her it's always been different. She was the reason he wanted to be a dad. She was the one he wanted to tell his story to... and he had. The whole story. But, it was more than that. She'd knocked him off his feet, turned his life upside down, and done what nobody else had ever been able to do. Andy McNally had made him fall head over heels in love... with her. She'd practically stolen the key to his heart, and while she'd stolen the keys to his truck at one point too, he had willingly given them to her since. When it came down to it, with her, it had always been different, but with her, he'd always belonged.
Unable to resist any longer, he tentatively reached out and carefully slid his right hand under her shirt. Not time yet, he reminded himself with an inward sigh, trying to be content with the little bit of contact, while simultaneously hoping he wouldn't wake her.
She didn't budge.
With the edge of his lips curling upward, he began to trace patterns along her belly. Slowly. Lightly. Lovingly. The same way he had every morning.
"Sam?" she mumbled, now only half asleep.
He merely shifted her t-shirt up a little higher and pressed his warm lips to her skin in response, marvelling at how much bigger she'd gotten over the last couple of weeks. How big their baby had gotten. It had been about two and a half months since they'd found out Andy was expecting – with her already being a solid two months into her pregnancy – but even after all this time, the idea that he was going to be a dad still amazed him. Moreover, that he was having a child with the woman lying next to him, still had him wondering time and time again how he'd gotten so lucky. It didn't even matter that it wasn't planned. He wanted this. She wanted this. And now, more than ever, they were prepared to go down this path. To commit to one another and this life in a very permanent way.
"Go back to sleep," she whispered, her voice a little rough from sleep.
Lips still brushing up against her belly, he whispered, "Boy or girl?"
"Sleep," she softly protested, eyes still closed.
Sam hesitated. He wanted her to rest, he really did, but his mind was reeling. And, before he knew it, one thing had led to another and he'd quickly found himself unable to stop the downward trajectory. "One word, McNally."
Sensing that he wasn't going to let it go, Andy slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily a few times before finally looking over at him. "Surprise."
"Humour me."
Squinting, she glanced at the clock behind him, then looked at him again, a small groan escaping her. Humour you? There's nothing funny about this time of morning. With only the thought of more sleep on her mind, she gave him a gentle shove away from her, then yanked the blanket up over her head, trying to block out: the time; the small crack of light that was just starting to poke through the gap in the blinds; and the man she loved with all her heart but desperately wanted to ignore for the next two hours.
Shaking his head, he simply lifted the covers and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Fine, you win."
"Really?" she asked, eyes wide and full of doubt.
"No," he replied with a smirk, though the guilt washing over him nearly had him backing off. Just one answer and she can sleep... and, maybe then I can too. Just one... right? One answer. One more minute. Then, she can sleep. No harm done, right? Besides, her hormones have kept me up plenty of times over the last few weeks. It's pretty much the same thing... except, I wasn't pregnant. Great. She's never gonna let this go. This reversal. Me overthinking things instead of her. Worrying. Not being able to sleep because I can't seem to stop this barrage of thoughts. Next thing I know, I'll probably start rambling like her. He grimaced, but still couldn't stop the next words from tumbling out of his mouth, doing the very thing he was determined not to do. "So what do you think it will be?"
Andy let out a small breath of air. He'd seemed antsy the day before, but given how busy his day was, she was hoping that he'd sleep throughout the night, unlike almost every other night that week. But, apparently not. "I don't even get up this early for work, Sam," she whined, before mumbling a soft "Go back to sleep", and cuddling into him the best she could. After shifting a few times in an attempt to get comfortable, she finally closed her eyes, one arm now lightly resting on his hip.
He hesitated again. Is this what she feels like all the time? Having this allergy to silence... Needing to say something...? He drew in a deep breath. Just let her sleep. Wrapping an arm around her, he closed his eyes and focused on biting back any words that threatened to spill out. And for about five minutes, he actually succeeded.
"Sam, what's going on?" Andy finally asked, reluctantly pulling away from the warmth of his body so that she could look into his eyes. His entire body felt a little tense, and she could practically feel his unspoken thoughts permeating her own mind, gradually washing away any thoughts of sleep.
"I want both."
A small laugh escaped her. Okay, that's not what I was expecting, but I'll roll with it, see where this is going. As long as this is all that's on his mind... "All or nothing, huh?"
"No," he said with a small shake of his head. "Either, but I want both... with you."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Who else would they be with?"
"Not what I meant, McNally, and you know it," he replied, untangling himself from her so that he could place several more kisses on her belly. He continued until her expression softened a little more, then paused for a brief moment, his lips twitching.
"What?"
Once again, his response was to let his lips trail over her skin, this time for no other purpose than the contact... and to avoid answering her question. He knew perfectly well what made his lips curl upward, but it wasn't time yet.
"You're stubborn," Andy said. "And persistent," she added, while unconsciously reaching down and letting her left hand settle on his head. It lingered there for a moment, while she contemplated what things would be like if they had both. And then, her fingers started to slowly rake through his hair, moving in soothing motions as his mouth caused waves of heat to crash over her. If I wasn't pregnant already, I'd swear this was his attempt to remedy that.
As his breath tickled a particularly sensitive spot, her body automatically jerked away, eliciting a loud laugh from Sam, as well as a second attempt. Knowing she wouldn't be able to fend him off, she quickly said, "You know, as adorable as a mini Sam Swarek would look running around, I think I want a girl first."
It worked. He paused and looked up at her, a full-blown smile now on his face.
"So you can play dress up?" he teased.
"No," Andy argued, sticking her tongue out at him, though all it did was elicit another laugh from him. "Maybe." She rolled her eyes. "I wanna teach her about basketball, hair and makeup, and... okay, maybe not boys… I mean, my track record is, uh…" She shook her head, and switched gears. "I wanna help her with wedding stuff and do everything with her that my mom never did with me, you know?"
Forcing himself to turn away from her baby bump, he shifted so that he was closer to her face instead, using one hand to tuck some hair behind her ear. "McNally, you're going to be a great mom, whether it's a boy or a girl." Feeling his heartbeat skyrocket, he drew in a steadying breath. "But, uh..."
She looked at him questioningly.
He shot her a nervous smile, then wet his lips and tried again. "Don't you think you're missing something?"
She frowned. "Well, I mean, we need to have a girl first."
"Something else."
Her frown deepened. "Like what?"
"You aren't married."
Her eyes, which had been lingering on his chest, suddenly shot up to meet his, her entire face exuding shock before it became clouded in confusion. "Sam," she began, but quickly fell silent. She really had no idea what he was playing at.
"Marry me?" he breathed, eyes searching hers, watching as a mix of emotions washed over her. "McNally..." He opened his left fist – which now had an indent worthy of an hour-long death grip – and used his right hand to take the ring from his palm and shakily hold it up to her. "Marry me," he repeated, this time his voice a little stronger, though equally as soft. It was no longer a question, but a means of reminding her that she still had to respond... to give him the answer he already knew just by looking at her.
Tears immediately pricked her eyes as an overwhelming sense of joy consumed her. "Yeah," she breathed in disbelief, the word barely audible as she eased herself up in the bed and frantically searched his face. Did he...? Seeing the slight upward curve of his lips, she let out a small puff of air, a laugh that was half choked back by emotions. "Yes..." she said, her voice stronger and more certain sounding than before. Sam Swarek wants to get married... He wants to... to marry me. "Of course, yes."
A massive grin spread across his face as he gingerly took her left hand in his and slid the ring onto her finger, giving her a moment to admire it before touching his lips to hers. "You did say yes, right?" he teased.
Andy gently swatted his arm. "Ask me again, and see if my answer is still the same."
Tongue darting to the inside of his cheek, he shifted, then trapped her by placing an arm on either side of her body. "Marry me?" he repeated, knowing full well that she was bluffing. Her eyes said it all, even if her mouth or face didn't.
She rolled her lips together in an attempt to keep a neutral expression, but the smile broke through anyway.
"Well?" he pressed, biting back a grin.
In response, her hands rose to his face, drawing his mouth toward hers and engaging him in a tender kiss, and then a more heated one right after. "Always," she mumbled into his lips, deepening the kiss as she reached for the hem of his shirt.
"I thought you were tired?" he said, quickly removing his shirt and tossing it aside.
"Not anymore," she shot back before their lips met again.
When Sam glanced at his watch for the third time within a minute, Andy gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're early," she whispered. "Because someone got us up two hours before we needed to." She smiled as she glanced down at her ring. "Of course, I'm not complaining... anymore." She bit down on her lower lip. "I mean, that thing you did... was pretty amazing."
His eyes shot down to the metal band on her finger and the diamond that glistened there. He hadn't planned on proposing that morning, or at least, he hadn't when he'd first woken up. But, the longer he lay there, the more he realized that he didn't really have a reason for waiting.
By no means had it been glamorous – in fact, he was positive that if Andy told them how things had happened, he'd get a lot of jabs from Oliver and the rookies for pestering her with questions before proposing – but it had somehow just felt like the right time. And, based on the expression she'd been wearing ever since, he certainly didn't regret his decision to pop the question in that moment, even if it meant being a little unconventional or boring. After all, bantering was part of who they were. It was them. They were messy. Complicated, yet simple. Clearly head over heels in love, but not outwardly flashy in the romance department.
"I meant the other thing too," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "But this..." She held up her left hand. "This is..." Tears welled up in her eyes again. Oh no, the waterworks are starting. Ugh. Not again. Not here... in public.
He gently pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. "It is," he agreed with a soft smile.
She automatically smiled back. "Maybe we should find out."
Sam shot her a questioning look. What?
"What we're having," Andy clarified. "Boy or girl."
He nodded slowly. "If you're sure..."
"I am." She paused, her smile widening. "If we're going to have a mini version of you running around, I think I might need to prepare myself a little more first."
Sam opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as another female voice rang through the room.
"Andrea McNally?"
They both looked up to see a nurse standing in the doorway, eyes darting left and right.
"Uh, here," Andy said, her grip tightening on Sam's hand.
"Right this way," the nurse said with a small smile as she led them into a small room and handed Andy a gown. "If you'll just change into that, we'll begin the tests."
Andy's eyebrows furrowed, her gazing shifting from Sam to the nurse. "Umm, tests?"
"Uh huh," the nurse replied, her attention focused on doing a quick check of the supplies.
"I thought this was just standard, like the last time?" Andy pressed, feeling her nerves settle just a little when Sam began to massage the back of her hand.
"The radiologist just wants to run a few more... potentially." With that, the nurse gestured to the gown and left the room.
Hearing the door click shut, Andy turned to Sam, fear evident in her eyes. "What if something's wrong with our baby?"
He shook his head adamantly, refusing to believe that something could be wrong. "It'll be fine. Everything will be fine," he said, though his heart rate had skyrocketed and he was feeling a little nauseous. "Come on." He reached for the hem of her shirt and gently tugged it over her head, knowing that she was too distracted to do it on her own.
"Sam?" she said, her voice shaking.
He helped her into the gown and up onto the bed before meeting her eyes again or responding, all the while feeling her body tremble a little and knowing, without even looking, that she was almost in tears now. No doubt she'd convinced herself that there was a problem, but he still had to believe that there wasn't. And, unless told otherwise, he had to make her believe it too. With that in mind, he cupped her face with the palm of his hands and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "McNally, if our baby is anything like you, he or she will be invincible."
Though her lips twitched, the tears finally spilled over.
"Hey," he whispered, pulling her into his arms and pressing a soft kiss to her head. "It's gonna be okay."
She nodded into his chest, not breaking away until the door opened and the nurse stepped back inside.
"Where's the radiologist?" Sam asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "Is she coming?"
"She's at our other clinic," the nurse replied nonchalantly. "She got held up, but she'll be here soon."
"So why are there going to be more tests?" Andy asked. "Is there a problem?"
"The radiologist is just hyper vigilant," the nurse said with a small smile. With a glance at Sam, she said, "And you are...?"
"The daddy," he blurted out.
Despite everything, Andy couldn't help but laugh at his tone and expression, thankful that he was here with her, every step of the way. But, it was more than that. He was genuinely happy to be a father.
"Okay, well, let's get started."
"We usually have Betty..."
"She's sick," the nurse replied, quickly covering Andy's belly with gel before applying some pressure to it as she moved the transducer back and forth.
"Wow," Sam breathed, his eyes now on the screen. "Is that a face?"
"It is," the nurse said with a small nod.
Andy's eyes widened as she stared at what could definitely pass as a face. "It's growing so fast!" Brown orbs still glued to the screen, she added, "Last time it looked like a peanut." Moisture was forming in her eyes again. "And now our little peanut has a face."
Sam couldn't help but chuckle, although her description was pretty accurate. It was more than that though. His mind had also gone back to earlier that morning... to the squirrel and the peanut. Unable to resist, he teased, "Is a squirrel trying to steal it?"
Her face contorted in confusion. "What?" Andy said, but quickly waved her hand dismissively. He'd been saying all kinds of strange things to her over the last few months, but anytime she questioned him, he merely gave her a dimpled smile. And he only ever seemed to say these bizarre things to her. This time though, she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be another cheesy joke from a childhood book or yet another one of his weird, seemingly random comments. Seeing the smile creeping onto his face, she rolled her eyes and turned back to the nurse. "So is everything alright?"
"Umm... yeah," the woman said, without looking at either of them. "I'm just going to get these images processed for the radiologist and uh, she'll be able to discuss everything with you."
"But you'd tell us if something was wrong, right?"
"You know I'm not at liberty to read the images and discuss them with you." The nurse hesitated. "Umm, but you can wait here if you like…? She'll let you know if more tests are necessary."
The second the nurse was gone, Andy looked up at Sam, the fear back in her eyes. "She knows something."
He remained silent, attempting to keep his thumb moving in a soothing motion over the back of her hand, but it was proving difficult. Andy was right about the nurse knowing something, and although he knew that the woman couldn't legally tell them anything, she definitely knew more than she was letting on. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out." He paused, then sat on the edge of the bed. Hearing something crinkle, he reached behind him and pulled a granola bar out of his back pocket. "Here," he said, opening the wrapper and handing it to her.
"I'm not hungry."
"Yesterday afternoon you ate an entire pizza by yourself," Sam said with a pointed look. "And this morning, you weren't allowed to eat... not before this. So, I think you're starving." Before she could argue, he added, "But, whether you're hungry or not, you need to eat."
"Sam, our baby might not be okay," Andy choked out.
"We don't know anything yet, but you not eating, for the both of you, isn't going to help," he said gently.
She reluctantly took the granola bar and ate a few small bites, feeling like it was scratching her throat the entire way down as she swallowed. "I can't," she said, setting the remainder of the snack on her lap.
"Yes, you can."
Andy shook her head. "This isn't how it's supposed to be, Sam. I mean, I eventually wanted this. I did. And I do want this, but I always thought I'd be more in control of my life first. That bringing a child into this world would be part of a master plan. That it would happen at the right time." She sighed heavily. "And, I always thought it would be healthy, you know? I mean, I run... I workout. And, for the most part, I'm eating better." She squeezed her eyes shut tight. "Did I do something wrong? Did I not eat well enough? Did I put too much stress on the baby?"
"You did everything right, McNally," Sam said softly, his heart breaking as he listened to her. "You know you did."
"Then why is this happening?"
As much as he wanted to give her an explanation – something tangible – he couldn't. They'd been careful, maybe even excessively so. They'd read the books, went to various classes. They thought they were as prepared as they could be. That they'd done everything humanly possible to ensure that their baby was healthy. But, that didn't mean that they could control everything. He just hoped that if something really was wrong that they could somehow fix it because it would break Andy's heart, and his own, if they lost the baby. Pushing the thought aside, he reached over and took a bite of the granola bar, then nudged her with it until she let out a loud sigh and followed his lead. Satisfied, he shifted and started to massage her feet, watching as she leaned back and let her eyes flutter shut, some of the tension gradually falling from her body.
And, for a few minutes, silence encompassed the room... until Andy's mind started reeling again. "I can't stand this waiting," she whined. "If there's something wrong, they should just tell us."
Although he completely agreed with her, he knew that he needed to distract her, both for her sake and his own. "It's weird how a minute is an empirical thing," Sam said, still focused on massaging her feet. "It's 60 seconds. It never changes, and sometimes that minute flies and other times it just crawls."
She shot him an unimpressed look.
"Like June bugs," Sam continued, knowing he had to tread carefully. Not only did she still look scared, but she now looked a little angry too.
"There might be something wrong with our baby and you want to talk about insects?" Andy asked, flabbergasted.
He hesitated. "Yes." The sheer look of shock on her face told him that he had her attention now. "I'm gonna tell you about June bugs."
"You're a city boy, Sam. Do you even know what that is?"
Sam nodded, trying to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. "I know what a June bug is, McNally."
"Oh?" she challenged.
"It's a large brown beetle with wings, and they flap around in everybody's... uh, porch lights at night," he began, lips twitching at the wide-eyed expression on her face. Some of the anger was gone. "You've gotta duck them to get into the house, and in the morning, they're crawling around on the ground like slugs."
"Like time," Andy said, finally understanding.
He nodded.
Finally catching on to what he was doing, Andy sighed. "So how do you know about them anyway? It's not like we really get them in the city."
"I spent the weekends at my grandma's at Crystal Beach."
"Seriously?" she asked, once again finding herself shocked by something that had slipped out of his mouth. "I used to go there every summer to visit my cousins. I loved it, especially in August."
"You went in August?"
"Uh huh."
A strange look crossed his face. "We were probably swimming there at the same time."
"I think I'd remember you, Sam."
"You do, do you?"
"Uh huh," Andy said. "You'd be the little troublemaker."
He smirked, but said nothing as he thought back to the days he spent at the beach, wondering if maybe their paths had crossed at some point. He was sure he would've remembered her though, even with her being younger than him.
"If we'd met back then, do you think we would've been friends? I mean, do you think we'd still be here?"
Sam was silent for another moment. "If we'd met back then, I think we would've been here sooner." He paused. "But even if the when and where changed, I don't think the how would've been all that different."
She stared at him in disbelief as the meaning behind his words sunk in. "You think I would've tackled you?"
"Tackled me and tried to kiss me? Yeah. But, this time it would've been on a beach. Get some sand in my sandwich. You like that, right, McNally? I mean, you do still want to go somewhere warm when we retire?"
For the first time since they'd arrived at the doctor's office, Andy broke out in a genuine smile. "You're such an idiot."
"But I'm your idiot," he said, reaching for her left hand as his way of silently reminding her that she agreed to marry him.
"Uh huh," she hummed in agreement, before her eyes snapped to the door, her face and tone becoming serious again as the radiologist finally entered the room. "Is everything okay?"
The radiologist smiled. "I called you back in because I noticed something during our last meeting and wanted to take another scan to confirm. Luckily, this time there's been some movement, so we were able to get a clearer image."
"Of what? I mean, what's going on?" Andy asked, her heart racing. "Is the baby okay?"
"She's fine," the radiologist assured them.
"She?" Sam repeated, lips curling upward until a full-blown grin was on his face.
"Her? It's a girl?" Andy simultaneously blurted out.
"And we can all just pretend I didn't slip up there," the radiologist replied.
"No," Andy said, shaking her head adamantly, a wide smile on her face. "No, we can't." She turned to look at Sam. "We're having a girl," she breathed.
The radiologist cut in. "And a boy."
"What?" both Sam and Andy said, heads snapping back to the radiologist.
The woman handed them the printed copy of the sonogram. "She's right there," the radiologist said, pointing to the image before sliding her finger up a little. "And he's hiding. We weren't able to get a clear shot of all of him, but it's more than we were able to get last time, and by the looks of things, we're almost certain it's a boy."
"And he's okay too?" Andy pressed.
"He might have a slight heart murmur, which is why he was harder to detect, but otherwise, both look healthy. Maybe a little small right now, but we'll monitor their growth every few weeks just to make sure everything's okay. Right now though, I'd say there's nothing to worry about." There was a small pause. "I'll have our office call you, and book you in for another appointment in three weeks." She smiled again as she turned to go. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Sam said, chuckling. His gaze returned to Andy. "We're having both," he said with a grin.
"Sam... how... how are we gonna manage?" A surge of fear knocked her excitement down a few notches, causing her smile to falter.
Without a word, he got to his feet and stepped forward so that his hip lined up with hers, waiting until their eyes were locked before saying, "The same way we always do, Andy."
"And how's that?" she asked. "We've never had a kid before."
"Together," Sam replied.
Her lips twitched before her smile faltered again. "Did you…?" She paused, head lowered a little. "Did you propose because we're having a baby?"
His eyes widened. How can she even think that? "I love you, McNally," he said softly, gently cupping her face and tilting it back up toward him. "And I want this, with you. All of it."
Staring up into his brown eyes, Andy slowly nodded. "I know," she breathed. "I really do. I'm… I'm sorry. I'm just—"
"Tired and hungry?" Sam suggested.
She glared at him, but took a bite of the granola bar anyway. Now that she knew nothing was wrong, she felt famished.
"So, are we gonna tell people?"
She quirked an eyebrow, her mind now on food as her stomach let out a loud growl. "That I'm tired and hungry?"
He couldn't help but laugh. "That we're having one of each."
"Yeah," Andy said with a small nod. "But, I have no idea how to do it."
"Neither do I, but we'll figure it out."
"Together," Andy replied softly, echoing his early thought.
"Together," he repeated, offering her his hand. "Now let's get you home."
"Four," Andy said, still trying to wrap her head around the idea. "We're gonna be a family, Sam… of four."
"For now," he replied with a wink.
Her eyebrows shot upward. "Considering you've never really shown any interest in being a family man, you don't think two little ones is enough? I mean, it's already more than we bargained for."
Sam gently tugged her toward him, loosely wrapping his arms around her. "You know we're always short on players for the Community Outreach baseball game."
"Oh, so you want to create our own baseball team, huh?" she asked as a smile swept across her face. Before he could respond, she tilted her head upward and kissed him, slowly, softly, sweetly.
"Keep kissing me like that and we might have two teams," he teased.
"Let's just start with two kids for now," Andy replied, shaking her head at him as she struggled not to fall victim to a fit of laughter. The idea was just too ridiculous. Two teams. Ha.
"For now," he agreed, reacquainting his lips with hers.
"Bases are loaded, Swarek," Andy mumbled into his lips. "But if you wanna hit another home run, you're gonna have to let me change."
He momentarily pulled back and quirked an eyebrow, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "Pretty sure that kind doesn't involve clothes."
A blush crept into her cheeks. "Yeah, well, I guarantee you that there won't be another home run if we don't go home," she deadpanned.
"Touché," Sam replied, bowing his head just a little and holding his hand out to her in mock defeat.
Biting back a grin, Andy accepted his hand, as well as his help to change back into her clothes.
"So, when are we gonna tell your dad that we hit a grand slam?"
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. That doesn't even make sense. "We're having two kids, Sam, not three... And, the bases aren't loaded that way."
He gave her a sly grin, knowing that even though he was thinking of a G-rated context, in her mind, they were still talking about what went on behind closed doors. And, while he could have clarified, he found it amusing that her mind was still in the gutter. Not that his head was entirely free of those thoughts either. Whether she was around him or not, they almost always seemed to be present to some degree. But, right now, his thoughts were actually pure... for the moment, however brief it may be. "I hit a grand slam, McNally… with little Jacob and Jessica, and you."
A small laugh escaped her. "Okay, first of all, we are not naming our kids Jacob and Jessica. Second, if you're planning on hitting one out of the park, do not put our kids on the bases. That is so wrong." Seriously? How did that even come out of his mouth... or even occur to him?
Sam merely shook his head. She definitely doesn't get it. He inwardly laughed. "The only home run I'm hitting is with you. But, how do you think the kids got on our team?" He winked at her. When it came down to it, it really all had to do with the context. On one hand, he was covering all of the bases with her, and bringing it home. But, in the larger ballgame, they were loading the bases or field with little Swareks, and hitting balls left, right, and centre, while stealing bases like they owned them.
"You know, it's funny… We could've been home by now. Instead, you actually decided to talk the talk, but my idiot, you can't hit a home run if you can't walk the walk." She nodded toward the door.
He headed toward it, his right hand resting lightly on the small of her back as he guided her along with him. "Is that your dugout trash talk?" He paused a fraction of a second and looked down at her. "Is that the best you can do, sounding like a seven year old?"
"Maybe I'm saving the good stuff for later," Andy replied. "And who knows, if you're lucky, maybe it'll come out in Spanish."
"Yeah?" Sam said, tongue darting to the inside of his cheek. "So you know Spanish now too, huh?"
"I'm full of surprises," Andy replied with a grin, one hand rising to rest on her belly.
"You are," he agreed, dropping a quick kiss on her temple as his body turned a little so his left hand could rest on top of hers. "But you still don't know Spanish."
"Desnudo."
"Good enough." He kissed her again, struggling to keep the stupid grin off his face. "But wait 'til we're home, McNally, or someone might arrest you for public indecency."
"You gonna cuff me? Pat me down?" Andy whispered in his ear.
His head snapped back in her direction. "You'd be lucky if it was me and not some sixty-year-old beat cop whose only action is what he sees on the street."
"Oh, so you're a step up, huh? An old man posing as a detective...?"
"I don't think an old man can do what we did earlier," he shot back, watching as a blush crept into her cheeks. "Besides, McNally, do you really think I'd let anyone else touch you?"
"Oh, so that wasn't just limited to when I was posing as a hooker?" she joked, thinking back to the hooker sting they'd done when she was a rookie and the warning he'd directed at her more than anyone else.
"When it comes to you, there are no limitations," Sam said, his tone more serious than she'd heard in a long while.
Knowing she wasn't going to win this round, Andy changed the topic. "You know, with two on the way, we're going to need a new place. A new home."
His step faltered as realization really sunk in. They needed more than just a new home. They needed two of everything now. "Later," Sam finally said. "We'll figure it out later."
"When?"
"After," he replied, gently scooping her up in his arms and carrying her the rest of the way to the truck, not even caring who saw anymore. He was going to be a father to not one, but two children, and he was going to marry Andy McNally. Life was finally coming together. Not in the way he'd originally expected, but as more time passed, he'd come to realize that this was the only life he wanted. He didn't want it any other way.
"After you try not to strikeout?" Andy teased.
He gave her a pointed look as he awkwardly opened the passenger side door and set her on the seat. "I don't strikeout."
Her lips curled upward. "So you're a cocky player, huh?"
"Confident," he argued, closing her door before quickly making his way around to the driver's side. "Besides, I already hit one home run today."
"Sam?"
Once he was inside the truck and his door was closed, he looked over at her, already sensing that something was wrong again.
"What if we screw up?"
"You can't hit the ball every time, McNally. We're gonna swing and we're gonna miss, but sooner or later, we're gonna hit it."
"That's not reassuring."
Reaching over, he took her hand in his, caressing the back of it with the pad of his thumb again. "It's a learning experience. Nobody's perfect. We're gonna screw up, but we're also gonna do a lot of things right. That's life."
"Why aren't you scared?" she asked, studying his face.
"Because you're here."
A smile broke out on her face upon hearing him use a variation of her own words, going way back to when she was a rookie and they'd saved Emily from Anton Hill. Leaning toward him, she placed a tender kiss on his lips, contemplating throwing a twist on one of his own lines back at him, saying something along the lines of how there was nobody she'd rather do this with. Instead, she simply said, "Here's to a new beginning."
Sam shook his head. "Not a new beginning, McNally. Just a new chapter." Smirking, he added, "Now, buckle up, rookie, this is going to be one hell of a ride."
"Don't you mean batter up?" Andy shot back.
His gaze slid back in her direction as he put the key in the ignition. "You're going to turn this into an actual competition one day when you aren't...?" He gestured to her ballooning belly.
"Oh please, I could beat you any day. Eyes closed, hands behind my back, you name it."
"Pretty sure our little ones aren't ready to be catchers when you swing and miss," Sam teased as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"You're right. But they sure know how to throw one heck of a curve ball," she replied, pausing a beat before adding, "I'm starving."
Letting out a soft chuckle, he switched lanes and took a detour, knowing full well that unless he satisfied whatever weird craving she had, the only thing he'd be getting were curveballs and strikes. Nevertheless, strikeout or strike free, he knew nothing could dampen his mood because for the first time, Sam Swarek really felt like he'd found his place in the world. He'd found a home. And together, with Andy, he was going to fill it.
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