Hi guys, I really hope you enjoy this one shot! Myself and Jelly Bean Jenna have done this one together!
Summery; Nick does Sam and Andy a huge favor. Inspired by a S4 promo snippet- where Andy sees Sam in the blue shirt before Gail & Traci drag her away & she says I can't wait to get out of here.
Disclaimer - I don't own Rookie Blue.
Nick's POV.
He could see it every time he looked at her; it was hovering over her like a grey aura. It wasn't black, or white just grey because it bordered on the thin line between the two colors until it bonded them together to make a third.
It was always there, in every smile, in every laugh, in everything she did.
She had tried to hide it and was succeeding, only a handful of people could probably see it and they were the ones closest to her.
He guessed that Traci knew and maybe Dov. Maybe Shaw because lately he'd stop to talk to her everyday just like a concerned dad would.
But he definitely knew.
Even though she denied it with her lips, her eyes didn't lie and they just couldn't cover the truth up.
He found himself automatically wondering if Swarek knew.
Not that it was any of his business but he'd seen the way that Swarek would look at Andy and oh boy for cops they were really both so dense.
Andy refused to budge on her decision to stay away from Swarek and let him have his... whatever Cruz was supposed to be, but that didn't mean that there weren't still feelings there.
In the four months they'd been back, he'd watched Andy wrestle with the decision until she had made her mind up but it didn't mean that she had made the right choice.
Rumors around the barn, namely Dov had spread word that Swarek and Cruz weren't dating anymore and even though it had been going around for weeks Andy still stayed clear of the situation on any levels other than professional.
It was quite sad really, the more he thought about it; watching two people that were so wrapped up in each other but were each standing on their own side of a brick wall.
So he waited, just watched until something would give.
Eight weeks after the rumors about Swarek and Cruz had started before eventually dying down nothing had changed.
Andy would still avoid Swarek at the Penny and Swarek would still sit at the bar and watch her in the mirrors or just casually glance her way.
Then this morning before parade Andy dropped the bombshell that she wanted out of here.
He didn't know if she meant permanently or just for some vacation time but it still hit a nerve when he realized that she had given up.
"No, you can't just leave".
Looking over her shoulder he found Swarek watching them, his mind working overtime as it still tried to formulate exactly what their relationship had evolved into since they left.
He silently expected that too be the only reason that Swarek stayed clear of her, he didn't want to step on any toes and move in on another guys girl; even if she wasn't.
Just as Swarek passed them he added a loud;
"Leaving isn't the solution to this".
If Swarek heard what he had said he didn't show it, but he knew that once the seed was planted it would grow into a whole heap of over thinking that he hope would help Swarek get his head out his ass.
Andy had giggled when she told him that she wanted a few days off, so she was taking a long weekend by putting in leave days for Thursday and Friday when they were already off Saturday through too Monday.
She had verbally cleared it with Frank, she just had too hand him the signed form after parade. But of course, Swarek was out of earshot when she stated her explanation.
Pairings were done and he kept a firm eye on Swarek looking for some kind of affirmation that he had heard the words exchanged from earlier and the sign finally came when he saw Swarek look at Andy, then the floor then he just walked out of parade before Frank was done briefing the room.
When they wrapped up parade he asked Andy if she wanted to get them coffee while he grabbed their bags and she agreed so he left her in the hallway while he went looking for Swarek.
He grabbed a form from the paperwork stack and headed straight for the D's offices, not bothering to make sure he even had the right form.
He stopped at someone he didn't knows desk and took his pen out of his hand and began filling in a few minor points.
Name: Swarek. S.
Designation: Detective.
Date: Immediate Effect.
Reason: Personal
And so he went through the form filling in what he could.
Thanking the officer for making a small space for him to write he headed to Swarek's office and walked right up to him before unleashing what he had held back for way too long.
"Do you have any idea of what you've done too her?".
Swarek arched an eyebrow but kept his jaw tightly closed as he looked up.
"You don't do you? But then again if you cared, you would know".
He stepped forward and rammed the form into Swarek's chest not caring that things could go really badly because he was initiating physical contact; and that was something that Swarek didn't like unless your nametag read Cruz.
Swarek grabbed the piece of paper as he pulled his hand away before he pulled it away and let his eyes fall on the printing.
It took Swarek three seconds to scan the page before looking back up at him "You're gonna need that if you wanna keep up long enough to chase her".
He left the room after that, there wasn't any more that he could say or do to give Swarek a clue, the rest was up too him too figure it out for himself.
...
Sam stared at the writing printed on the top of the form, Transfer Request screaming at him before he noticed that Collins had penned his name in. All he had to do was sign on the dotted line.
When Collins barged into his office he didn't know what to expect, and this, this wasn't it.
Looking out over the barn through his office window Sam saw Andy wave a piece of paper at Collins from across the room before she pointed in Frank's office's direction.
What?
She was taking a transfer?
Collins caught him watching them and shrugged, almost like he was daring him too try and stop her from getting that form to Frank.
Sam scrambled out of his office, nearly knocking Nash over in the doorway but he just mumbled a soft sorry without stopping.
He dodged moving bodies and avoided crashing into them as best he could as well as attempting to miss all the furniture that littered the room.
He was making his way towards Frank's office hoping to cut Andy off before she made it too the stairs and in through the glass door that would ultimately change the course their lives were on.
He stopped squarely in front of her just as her hand reached out for the banister, and he was totally breathless.
Grabbing hold of her hand off the banister, Sam dragged her away from Frank's office and down the hallway until he found an empty interrogation room before opening the door and pushing her through it even though she was protesting.
This was going to happen right now, right here, the consequences be damned.
Sam let go of her hand and closed the door, his hand still clutching a piece of paper that he assumed was identical to her's.
"Don't do this" came out of his mouth as soon as he turned to face her.
"Do what Sam?". She did little too hide the annoyance in her voice as she glared at him.
His behavior had shocked her, and even himself but there was no way that he was letting her give this up.
It's what she lived for.
"Just...".
His voice was failing him, like it always had with her, he just didn't know where to start.
"Sam?".
"Just don't okay..."
He had his hand running over his face while his mind searched for words too use that wouldn't put them in even more of an awkward situation than they already were.
"Sam?". When he opened his eyes he found her right there in front of him, her face scarred with worry.
"Talk to me" she added when she had his attention.
Yup, and that was the one thing that caused them to be here right now, like this, his failure to be able to talk to her.
Seeing her looking at him like that, like she needed answers made everything come full circle, made everything that he could say just seem like it would never be enough.
So he swallowed the words that were fused on the tip of his tongue and took a step closer having decided to show her rather than say anything.
She never saw it coming, didn't have a clue that he was about to kiss her but when he did she totally just accepted it for what it was, his surrender.
He pulled away letting out the slightest groan at having too, but this had to go a little further than just a kiss.
He let his forehead rest against her's, her eyes still closed as she tried to make sense of what just happened.
He could see her mind ticking away as she looked long and deep into herself trying to find a plausible answer.
Sam had dropped his paper and had moved his hands up too her face like he had done a thousand times before; but it still felt like the first time.
He tiled her head back a little and waited for her too look at him, her eyes filled with questions.
"Stay?"
The word came out before he could stop it, but it carried so much truth and so many emotions that he would never regret asking her to stay.
"What?". Her questions seeped away to be replaced with confusion as she looked at him with eyes that were slightly squinted.
Her arms were still hanging tucked too her sides, so he let one hand leave her face and reach out to take the sheet of paper from her hand.
He held it up between them, uttering the single word again as he waited for her too get it.
She looked down at the paper before looking back up at him, still lost on another chapter. She was nowhere near on the same page.
Andy stepped back out of reach of his hand that had kept resting on her face, his hand dropping to rest by his side. He watched her look down at the floor, her head tilting slightly to the side as she tried to read the printing on the paper that he had dropped.
Her eyes widened as she snapped her gaze too his, her hand suddenly coming up too her lips where she seemed like she wanted to feel them with her fingertips.
Then she burst out into a fit of giggles that had Sam completely lost.
After looking away when she couldn't look at him anymore, and blushing a bright shade of pink Andy reached out and took her piece of paper out of his hand and flipping it over so that he could see the form's title.
Vacation Leave Application.
Sam stared at the page, the feint rush of anger racing through him as he realized that Collins had pulled a fast one on him.
She was going to take two days off, not transfer, not leave.
"Nick?". Andy finally managed to ask when she had let the giggles subside into a little breathless whisper.
Sam nodded, she had probably recognized Collins' handwriting on his form.
Andy's giggle subsided to be replaced by some nervousness as she let the last few minutes rerun themselves through her mind.
"Just...". Sam had no idea what to say, the moment had turned awkward. Awkward in a bad way.
"Sam?" Andy voiced her confusion at his behavior, a million questions uttered in one word.
"I want you to stay"
"But I'm not going anywhere" Andy said as her eyes swung between his.
Sam had been rehearsing this speech in his head for months. He'd practiced what he'd say to her if he was ever given the chance too.
And now, he couldn't remember a single word of that speech.
"Sam, it's just a vacation" Andy said just because she needed to say something to fill the silence. "Did you really think I was going to run?".
Sam looked away, her question posing a problem when it came to answering.
"You did". Andy stated, the slight hint of hurt lacing her words.
"Yup" Sam said looking at her. He wanted her to see that he truly thought she was going to run again. "You have in the past".
"That was then, things have changed".
"Like?"
"Me, my need to escape".
"So given the choice, would you? Would you leave again?". That question had been burned into the back of his mind since the day she left for Dakota. Would she take another UC? Then another and another?
Would he be left watching her come and go until she just stopped coming home?
Andy knew what he was asking, it wasn't hard to read between the lines with that question.
Andy pinched her lips together and looked away for a split second before looking back at Sam who looked like she'd just punched him in the gut.
It was all she needed to know, everything said in just one look.
"Maybe" came out before she could stop it even though she knew that it would give Sam the wrong impression. But she had to bait him one way or another, and right now, that was all she had.
"Maybe?"
Sam's tone hadn't changed. It still lacked any kind of emotion so she wasn't so sure that this was going to work.
"Um yup, well if there's something to stay for, I won't... If there's nothing keeping me here..."
Sam's attention peeked at her idle rambling, his eyes lighting up just a little.
"And if I asked you to stay for me?"
Okay, that wasn't what she was expecting.
"Sam..."
"I'm serious Andy, if I asked you to stay for me, would you?".
Andy was chewing on her lip, like she was biting back words, or holding on to her smile; Sam wasn't sure which it was, but it didn't matter.
"Why?". Oh wow. That was so not what she had meant to say, but it was too late now, it was out and there was no way that she could take it back.
"Because I want you to stay".
This was getting them nowhere.
Sam knew that there was another cover assignment coming up, he'd been helping plan it. He just didn't want her taking it. Not because she couldn't do it, but because of the risks involved.
"I want a shot Andy, I can only have that if you're actually here to give it to me?" He added, his gaze intensifying as he watched her.
"What?"
Had he really just been so open and honest about that? They'd hardly even spoken, really spoken in weeks and he says that?
"I want a shot, with you..."
Andy was staring at Sam like he had said the unimaginable.
"It's all I ever wanted".
"But, you've moved on" Andy said seeking some clarity here. She never really paid any attention to the rumors circulating the barn.
"I tried, but I didn't. I couldn't. It wasn't you, it wasn't the same"
Andy stepped back and sat down on the edge of the table in the middle of the room.
"But you didn't say anything".
"What was I supposed to say? Would you even have listened?".
Andy shook her head, she probably wouldn't have listened.
"Why now? Why when you thought I was running?".
"It felt like my last chance, my last window of opportunity".
"Opportunity?".
"When I thought you were leaving I just acted. I didn't even think about it, but even knowing that you're not, I want you to stay okay, I want one last shot to fix us".
"Fix us? Sam, were not broken, we're just a little... Okay we're broken, but is it even worth trying again? It won't be the same".
"I don't want it to be the same, if it's the same then we'll end up right back where we are. It is worth it, worth everything we've been through to get here".
That was one way of looking at it, a way that she had never even considered.
Sam stayed quiet after that, he was giving her time to think about it.
"Can I think about it?"
Sam nodded, he hadn't really been expecting an answer right now.
Andy slid off the table and picked up the papers, handing Sam's back she tried to bite back her giggle.
"See you later Sam".
Andy left after that, leaving him alone although it didn't actually feel lonely.
He left the barn shortly after Andy went out on patrol, so he didn't see her for the rest of shift.
She had tomorrow off, then the weekend and then Monday, so it would leave him waiting four days before he would see her again. He burned to call her, but knew that she needed time to think over things. He couldn't pressure her when she was considering making life altering decisions.
Oliver called him when shift was over asking if he wanted to grab a drink, but Sam declined. He was still at a scene so he told Oliver to go ahead without him and called in a rain check instead.
When he wrapped up at the scene Sam headed straight home, a long and tiring day ready to be put behind him.
Pulling into his driveway Sam noticed the figure sitting on his stairs before she even noticed him pulling up.
Sam abandoned his attempt to park in the garage and instead just cut the engine where he was and got out.
Andy was on her feet when he rounded the corner, her hands in her back pockets as a wave of red flushed her cheeks under the streetlight.
"You okay?" Were the first words out of his mouth when he was close enough.
"No". Well at least this time she was being honest.
"I have no idea what I'm doing, no idea what I feel anymore. Everything's right, then it's wrong and I... walking away was the stupidest thing I've ever done, and I am so sorry Sam".
Andy took a deep breath before continuing "I needed to do something before we completely crashed and burned, and after what you said... I thought you'd be waiting, but I guess even I can get it wrong".
"Andy..."
Andy held up her hand and gave Sam a look that said that she needed to say this, needed to get this out.
"That hurt Sam, worse than you breaking up with me did, but I get it, I understand why you did it and I don't blame you, I can't even hold it against you. You waited two years for me, and then I couldn't wait two months for you, I couldn't give you space when you needed it, and then I took off. I thought that making you wait for as long as the UC took would be the worthwhile punishment, but I only punished myself, made myself hurt even more. How did you even manage to still be partners with me when I was engaged to Luke?"
Her question took Sam by surprise, he never would have thought that she'd ask him that.
"You looked happy, and that was worth more than me wishing it was me and not him". Sam shrugged when he answered. He really had no idea that Andy even knew that he had a thing for her back then.
"So, it was there then? It was there even before the Alpine?".
Andy had spent the entire shift going over their relationship starting at the begining.
She ended up all the way back, a short while after they met and there she faced a reality that made her second guess her choices.
Sam nodded yet again, he wasn't about to deny it when she had finally realized it.
"The Laundromat?".
Sam cleared his throat and nodded. It was there before that too.
"So when Sam? When was it really there?" Andy had no idea why she was asking all these questions now but if she really wanted them to move on, even together. She needed to know. Sam sighed before taking a seat on the steps. he might as well keep being honest;
"That very first day you tackled me to the ground and tried to kiss me" Sam said somewhat quietly but he knew Andy had heard every word with the gasp that escaped her mouth.
Silence fell over them after that, both lost in their own thoughts. After a few moments though Andy sat next to him, grabbing his hand before she started talking;
"I want to try again Sam, we need to try again. I don't care how long it takes; days, weeks, months. We'll work at it together, through good and bad. I want to be happy again...no I want us to be happy again, together. I meant what I said earlier Sam. I'll be staying if I have something to stay for" she rambled out, never looking at Sam but looking at their joined hands the whole time.
Sam didn't know what to think, his heart was ready to burst with joy that he was actually speechless. Doing the only thing he could do, he turned her face towards his before crashing his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and meaningful, holding a promise of words that was never actually said and also promises for the future.
Finally when the need for air became an issue, Sam pulled back resting his forehead on hers;
"I guess we both owe Collins a drink" Sam laughed out as Andy hit his chest playful. After that they both sat on the steps watching the sunset slowly dye away. Both happy of a future together, forever.
And there you have it. I really hope you all enjoy it! I will be updating this week & weekend so watch out for them!