Well this story is not as light-hearted as the last few I've posted, but the idea came and I thought I'd give it a chance. The first few chapters are quite short, but only because I'm dragging it out trying to figure out where in the heck I'm going with this. The idea I had only went so far and I really don't know where to take it. I'm just hoping by the time I get the third chapter posted, I'll have a better idea where to take the fourth. If you have any ideas as I go, please feel free to message me. Thanks to SairsJ and mamaverd for helping me with that already.

So excited for the new season to start…even more excited that in Canada where I am, the Mystery Channel is airing the new episode at 8:00am. I'll definitely be up for that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Rookie Blue

At first Andy was reluctant to say yes. She hadn't really seen her 'friend' in quite a few years, she wouldn't know anyone at all, and it was in an area that she wasn't familiar with. If she didn't enjoy herself, she'd have to make her way back home alone in the dark.

But the more she thought about it, the more appealing it became. She needed to get away from her life; she needed to escape for awhile, to find relief from the heaviness that was consuming her chest. She needed to not think about anything or anyone familiar.

The last couple months, Andy's life had been torn apart at the seams and she was trying her best to put the pieces back together. It started when she found out that Sam had been offered a position in Guns and Gangs. She tried to be happy for him; she knew it was what he wanted. He had told her so from their very first day. She didn't want him to go but she knew it wasn't fair to try and hold him back. She was with Luke and she and Sam were partners…just partners. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

When he first told her about the offer, she was surprised to hear that he hadn't jumped at it right away. He had informed the powers that be that he had to think about it. When she asked what was holding him back, he answered simply, "you." Her heart raced as she searched his eyes trying to figure out if he really meant it. But she couldn't be sure; she thought she saw a grain of truth there but he covered it up quickly with sarcasm: "I love working with you McNally; can't imagine my life without you in it." Even as a joke, she felt the weight of his words. She loved working with Sam and couldn't imagine her life without him in it either. They were partners, a team; you don't break up a good team. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Then one day he was just gone. She didn't think he had made up his mind, in any case he hadn't said anything. But one morning he just never showed. She found out later that it was a last minute decision. They already had a UC guy under but he needed out and he needed out now. So they had to find someone with experience who could go under immediately who wasn't already tied up on another case; unfortunately for her, Sam fit the bill.

He hadn't officially said yes to the position but he had said yes to helping them out. Apparently the case was almost over, one month tops; it wasn't supposed to take long, but you could never tell. She knew it was against policy for him to tell her when he left, but she still thought he would find a way to let her know. They were partners; she deserved to know. She had a right to know. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Sam's leaving hit her hard and she wasn't very good at hiding it. She tried to be happy. She was with Luke; they had moved into his new house, choosing to take that next step together. But she wasn't happy; she just couldn't manage it, the tightness in her chest keeping her heart hostage and rarely letting it free.

She threw herself into her work. And if she was busy, sometimes she could almost make herself forget that he wasn't there. But she couldn't keep it up 24/7 and it didn't take long for Luke to realize that the problem wasn't something; it was someone. He tried to be there for Andy, but it didn't matter what he did she just wasn't herself.

Finally, he had to confront the real issue. He asked her what they were doing.

"We live together."

"But that's just it Andy. You're not living; you're just going through the motions."

"What? No." She tried to deny it, but it was painfully obvious.

"Andy, you haven't been the same since Swarek left." There he said it.

"He was my partner Luke; of course it's not the same."

But he didn't believe her. At work, she almost seemed fine and sometimes she even smiled. But it never lasted and it almost never happened at home.

On shift, she was busy enough and the days passed quickly so she didn't have a lot of time to think about him…to miss him. But at the Penny, her eyes always seemed to be drawn to 'his' table. On the surface, everything looked normal; three friends chatting and laughing but that fourth chair always sat empty, obviously missing him too.

At home was the worst though. Luke, being Luke, wasn't always there and more often than not she was left with only her thoughts to keep her company. More than once, he had come back late at night only to find her sitting in a chair with a faraway look in her eye or asleep on the couch having dozed off after spending who knows how long thinking about Sam, worrying about him, wondering where he was.

Luke knew it would be hard on her. Although the partners did switch periodically, she and Sam were paired together a lot. He knew it would be a big change for her, but he expected her to get over it, take it in stride…finally move on. But she didn't.

She told him she just needed more time to get used to it, but it had been weeks and she still wasn't making any progress. There wasn't even a hint at progress and he was starting to wonder if she was really in this…them.

She tried to convince him that she wouldn't have moved in if she wasn't in it. But all he had to do was look at the facts, the evidence was overwhelming. He didn't need to be a detective to see it.

She knew he was right. She was trying with Luke, but when it came right down to it, she was happiest when she was with Sam. Now that he was gone, she wasn't sure she knew how to be happy without him. She was starting to realize that Sam or thoughts of Sam occupied the better part of her day, whether it was riding with him, replaying the day at the Penny or looking forward to the next day.

But she had chosen Luke; she wanted Luke…at least that's what she kept telling herself so she tried again. She tried for another week; she plastered on a grin and did her best to fake it, but in the end, she just couldn't make it. And when they could no longer deny it, she had moved out. She just couldn't convince either of them anymore.

That was a week ago, and today was Andy's day off and she was hoping to occupy her mind by visiting her dad. She had just walked up to his building when a familiar face was seen coming out.

She was caught completely off guard; she hadn't seen the girl, well now woman, in years. They had grown up together in that very building and apparently both women had chosen today to visit their fathers who still lived in the same apartments they had for over 20 years. They couldn't believe it had taken this long to run into each other.

They sat down on a bench just outside taking time to catch up. Apparently while Andy had stayed close, Terri had moved to the other side of the city not long after college. As they reminisced, Andy found out that Terri was engaged with her bachelorette party planned for the coming weekend.

After talking for more than a half hour, the conversation ended with Terri insisting that Andy come to the party. She had practically begged Andy, and it wasn't long before she finally relented. She needed to get away and relax, forget about all her problems and just have fun. And a girls night out seemed like a good way to do it.

Sure Traci and Gail had tried a number of times, but as much as she loved them, sometimes it just reminded her of what she was missing and what she had let slip away.

Andy wrote down the address and made sure she had the time correct. They would meet at Terri's on Saturday night before heading to a club, maybe two, to go dancing. It wasn't something she would normally do, but Andy thought 'all the better' as she looked forward to leaving her mixed up life behind…even if just for one night.