Andy and Nick walked into the station pulling along a drunk they had picked up puking on Bloor Street. They had been partnered together for the last two months, ever since Jerry's death. He had helped her get over her break up with Sam and they had gotten very close since Gail left to Europe for two months. They were each other's lifelines, keeping each other afloat.
"Officer McNally you have a visitor at the front desk." The voice boomed over the loud speaker.
Andy and Nick separated in the Bull Pen; Nick to start on his paperwork for the day, and Andy to the front desk. She was reading something on her phone as she walked up to the front desk.
"Andy."
She hadn't heard that voice in person in months, even though she talked to him on the phone almost every week. She looked up straight into the eyes of her best friend. The only difference was his usually kind eyes were haunted.
"Kelly? What's going on? Why are you here? Did something happen?" She rambled frantically. He looked around the station, his eyes drifting from person to person but never landing on her as he stuttered out, "An…Andy Darden…he di…he died yesterday…in a fire."
"NO! You're wrong! I just talked to him! He can't be dead," she yelled out as she collapsed into his waiting arms.
Everyone in the station turned to the sound of the voice only to be surprised by the image of Andy sobbing in the stranger's arms as silent tears left a trail down his face. They stood that way for almost ten minutes until she finally remembered they were in the middle of the station. She silently pulled him with her to Frank's office, her body working on autopilot.
She quietly knocked on the door and was waved in. Frank took one look at her and immediately knew something was wrong.
"Sir, I would like to request a leave of absence. A close friend of mine died and I need to go to the states for the funeral."
"Of course, McNally. You can take the rest of the week off and if you need more time just let me know. I'll take care of the paperwork.
"Thank you, sir. And could you please not tell anyone, I just want to deal with this in peace?"
"Absolutely. This will stay between us. My condolences."
"Thank you, sir," she said, never once looking up to meet his eyes. He knew that look in her eyes, the one a person only got when someone absolutely essential in their life had passed. The one many of his officers had just started to move beyond.
She walked out of his office and straight into Kelly's arms. They slowly walked to the locker rooms, and he waited outside as she changed. Ten minutes later they walked out of the station with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. What neither of them noticed was the eight sets of eyes watching them, wondering who the mystery man was and what in the world could have possibly extinguished the flame that burned so brightly in their sister in blue.