Chapter 1
"You ok?"
Andy threw a sideways glance at the smiling eyes sat next to her, and gave a small nod of her head before allowing her head to fall back against the head rest and pulled in a deep a breath.
"This is it...you know what's going to happen. We just need to get this done, and then it's all over with – we can go home." His tone was reassuring, and she felt a small smile inch its way onto her features, before shifting around in her seat to face him.
"That's the thing...what if home isn't home anymore? 6 months is a long time – a lot can happen."
"True. Are you saying you want to stay here...doing this?" Nick's concern gradually made itself known in his gaze, and her eyes widened in response – shaking her head emphatically in answer to his question.
"No, no – I'm not...I don't...I just...What do you think they will say?"
He raised an eyebrow at her in response. "They...?"
Her eyes dropped away from his face, and she looked over his shoulder to where she knew their back up were loitering – waiting for them, shrouded in darkness. "They...you know...everyone, Traci, Dov, Chris, Gail..." Her eyes landed on his face with a pointed look at the mention of the G name.
"Swarek...?" He wasn't above pointing out to her that they had both left with unfinished business. He hadn't mentioned Sam to her since 2 months previous, when he had stumbled across a photo of the two of them she had squirreled away in a drawer in the bedroom of their cover apartment. The discovery had led to numerous alcohol led confessions from them both over what they had left behind. He let it drop though when her eyes darted away from him and over to the warehouse door a few feet from where they were parked – he knew now wasn't a good time to pull on that thread, especially when in all likelihood both of their weak spots were more than likely part of their cover teams on just the other side of the fence. "You ready?"
She turned back and studied him for a minute before offering a sharp nod of agreement. "Let's go home."
Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket, and dialled Luke's number – listened to some quick fire instructions, before hanging up and relaying to Andy "We have fifteen minutes – then they're coming in behind us – whoever is still in there at that point is being cuffed and carted away."
Andy worried her bottom lip as her eyes once again darted over to the iron door of the building beside them. "We have to get Mel out of there...as soon as everyone charges in they'll think she screwed them over."
Nick nodded his head in agreement, "We can try. You're going to have to work that out on your own...you know as soon as we get in there I'm going to get tied up in the deal."
"I can do that."
Nick smiled broadly at her, allowing the anticipation of the hugeness of what they were about to do and their part in it settle proudly on him for a minute. "Ready?"
"Ready." Andy confirmed, returning his smile and reaching out to pull on the handle of the car door. "Let's go...partner".
The takedown happened so fast she barely even knew what was happening – she didn't have to fake the look of shock on her face as she was shoved roughly face first into the wall by a woman she didn't recognize, and had her hands cuffed behind her back.
She sensed Sam's presence – surprised herself even that after so much time apart her sixth sense could still always tell her when he was close by. She didn't need to see or hear him to know it. She couldn't see him – was still shoved up against the wall with the woman's hands leaning on her in between her shoulder blades. Her stomach reminded her of the full scale of the acrobatic loops it was capable of when she did hear him, sarcasm heavy in his tone while scuffling with and cuffing a real charmer of a guy to her left before leading him away.
"I've got this one..." Andy had to bite down a smile at the sound of Oliver's voice, and she felt him wrap his hand around the top of her arm.
"You're not going to have the space to process everyone at 15."
"Trust me...I've got it."
She felt the weight of the woman's hands on her lift for a moment, and Oliver tugged on her arm turning him around to face her.
"Well, well. What do we have here...Name?" He peered at her with his complete game face on, and a pang of sadness slapped her in the face as she realised how much she had really and truly missed her life, and everyone in it. The waver in her voice as she spoke was real, so were the tell tale pin pricks of threatening tears. "Erica...Erica Lomant"
"Well Ms. Lomant – you're coming with me."
Oliver didn't speak to her again until they were safely buttoned up in the squad car, and driving away...eyeing her in rear view mirror. "You ok McNally?"
"Yep – fine. Good, I mean good...you?"
Oliver nodded his head back at her in affirmation. "I'm sorry about the cuffs...you need to keep them on for when we book you...a lot of these guys will still be being processed."
"It's ok – I get it." She flashed a small understanding smile and him, and his eyes returned to the road ahead. Andy allowed her head to fall against the window to her left, watching the buildings and headlights swarming past in the darkness – her adrenaline wearing thin, and weariness starting to settle into her bones.
"I'm glad you're ok – glad you're both ok." He peered back at her once more, her eyelids half closed as she watched the world outside pass by.
"Me too."
The debrief had been a long, drawn out, wearing process. She had been locked in a room with Nick and Luke for several hours longer than she thought she should have been able to stay awake for. When Luke had finally mentioned the words, "Home, shower and rest" she wasn't sure she still had the energy to pry herself away from her chair or make herself stand, but she did. The shower had helped – shift change having happened hours ago, and the night shift having already taken themselves home. She made use of the empty locker room and showers without hesitation – standing under the hot steaming water and relishing the feel of it pounding down on her head and shoulders until her the skin on her fingertips had wrinkled.
Some clothes someone must have picked up from her condo were waiting for her by her locker when she emerged, and she wrapped herself up in her joggers and hooded sweater (her favourite slouch combination – she smiled slightly at the thought one of her friends had remembered), pulled her bag onto her shoulder and headed out – deciding to get a cab from front desk...there was no way she had the energy to walk home, even if it was only twenty minutes away.
Nick was waiting for her outside the locker room, leaning up against the wall with a small smile. "Hey you..."
"Hey." She hoisted her bag further up onto her shoulder, a tired smile returning his.
"We did good."
She smiled wider at him, nodding her head. "Yes we did."
"You want to go and get some celebratory breakfast at the Penny?" He pulled his own bag off the floor, and over his shoulder – forcing all his weight fully back onto his two feet and waited for her answer.
"No...I'm good. Thank you, but I think I just want to go home. Have you seen Gail?"
"Oooooh yeah. I've seen Gail."
"...and?" Andy shifted her weight on her feet, the tired aching muscles in her legs making it difficult for her to stand still in one spot.
"I think she might need a little bit more time..."
"She'll come around..."
He scuffed the floor with his boot, dropping his eyes to study the floor tiles, and a heavy sigh escaped before he met her eyes again – plastering a smile in place. "I'm going to make her."
"See you tomorrow copper?"
"See you tomorrow."
Andy watched him walk away, before turning on her heel and walking back along the hallway – climbing the stairs to the D's office, and leaning against the glass door frame – waiting for Traci to notice her. She stayed put for nearly five minutes before realising she was wasting her time and that her friend was completely engrossed in the file spread out across her desk. She took a couple of tentative steps forward, loitering around the edge of her desk. "Trace?"
Traci's eyes widened in surprise, before a bright wide grin spread across her face and she jumped to her feet – rushing around the edge of her desk and enveloping her friend in a breath restricting bear hug, and pulling a small laugh from her in the process. "You're back...I mean I knew you were – but you really are!"
She unwrapped her arms from her, taking hold of her hand and perching herself on the edge of her desk – narrowing her eyes at her in question. "Are you ok?"
Andy rolled her eyes good naturedly – if one more person asked her that she was going to throttle them. "Yeah, I'm fine...good. I'm really good...just tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week! How are you? How's Leo?"
"I'm getting there...Better, and good...Leo's good...you have a lot to catch up on."
"I know...definitely. I'm not technically back on shift until tomorrow – do you have plans tonight? Girls night?...bring Leo, I've got some DVD's we can plug in if you have him tonight – it would be really good to hang out, catch up..."
"I'll be round at 7. There's a new Greek place opened on Davie – I'll pick us up some food on my way and some wine – Dex has got Leo, so we're good."
"That sounds horrible..."
"It could have been worse." Andy shrugged her shoulders and leant forward, placing her wine glass on the coffee table before tucking her feet back up under her and hugging the cushion on her lap a little tighter. "I mean Nick was there...I seriously don't think I would have handled it if I had been on my own."
"You guys got close huh?"
"Yeah..." Andy's eyes widened as she took in the expression on her friends face, before violently shaking her head at her, "No! I don't mean...No! Not like that...that would just be weird – like sleeping with Dov or Chris, just...no...Don't put that image in my head!"
"Stranger things have happened."
"He loves Gail!"
"Right...and you love Sam?" Traci eyed her friend pointedly from across the couch, finally deciding to mention the elephant in the room. She knew her...knew she wanted to ask after him, but knew she was too stubborn to allow herself to mention him first. Andy's eyes dropped to study her fidgeting hands; her only response to her friends questioning statement was a small shrug of her shoulders. "Andy..."
"I don't know. I don't know how I feel about Sam anymore. I was trying to move on – not fall to pieces, and just when I was pulling myself back into shape he goes and turns everything upside down on me again...I don't know if I can do it – I don't know if he still wants to..."
Traci eyed her friend, and chose her next words carefully. In the past six months she had had the chance to get to know him better than she ever thought she would, and she could see both sides. "A lot has changed...neither of you are the same people anymore. You should talk to him...you owe each other that at least. Talk to him, and promise me you won't just walk away because it's easier. "
"He was the one who walked Trace...!"
"You both did."
"Do you think Gail will forgive Nick for going?"
It was Traci's turn to shrug her shoulders in response to her friend. "I don't know. I'll say this...the pair of you sure know how to leave a trail of destruction behind you!" The sheen of fresh tears appearing in Andy's eyes nudged Traci into changing the subject slightly – she wasn't trying to make her friend feel guilty – she knew dealing with the fallout from everything wasn't going to be easy for her, and pushing her now wasn't going to help. "Wait until you meet the newbies..."
Andy's face creased slightly in confusion at the change in topic. "What?"
"Fifteen has a new TO – transfer in, and a brand new shiny rookie...that puts Dov's constant over-eager madness to shame. I swear the girl has like...no filter either, some of the stuff that leaves her mouth. Just wait until you meet her – I swear we we're never that bad!"
A/N...I know I promised another installment of Placebo...and I'm working on it - will be up by the end of the weekend, but I needed to get this (multi-chapter - but small) out there - or at least start to. I'm pining after Season 4 already!
A/N - just another side note that I always forget to add in (perhaps because I wish I did) - but I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the fabulous characters therein - if I did...it would be on for 52 weeks of the year, with none of these 9 month breaks in between!