And I'm back with round two and sorry it took so long… I took down the story and redid a few chapters because writers block got the better of me so please bear with me. The rating is back to all ages but there is a little T rating in a future chapter but will let you know at the beginning and it's just a short bit. Also posting eight of the ten chapters tonight and the last two tomorrow so that you can enjoy the complete story over the weekend.
Some of you made a good point about the age gap between Annabelle and Nick, I know that he's a grown man and she's a teenager. But I will explain it a little bit better in this chapter, promise ;)
So let's get going, a lot of thing to get to in this chapter. But I still don't own anything…
Annabelle was so tired but sleep wasn't coming easy tonight and she doesn't know why her mind won't stop racing. She needs a full 8 hours of sleep tonight or else she'll fall asleep in class and she can't have that, especially tomorrow. She has to go see the dean about her switching from a full time student to a part time student; one of the partners at the Law firm where she works as an intern made her an offer that she couldn't refuse – working by his side every day and learning as she goes but she still had to finish her studies and she would be seen as a paralegal with a full time salary. Sam and Andy told her that they would support her in whatever decision she makes, which made Anna worry even more as she didn't want to disappoint them.
The other thing on her mind was the thing with Nick which she still hasn't figured out. He told her the night of the wedding that he will wait for her to decide when she's ready for them to move on from the whole friend thing. And she still doesn't know if she's ready for the whole boyfriend thing or the fact that Nick is 29 and she's only 17. Every time people asked her how she felt about her dad and Andy's age difference, she would laugh it off and say that age is just a number but now that the situation is the other way around she feels overwhelmed. She know a few girls that started dating their boyfriends when they were 17 and the guy in his 20 and that the world does see her as an adult but she's still young. They're friends, good friends, what will happen if they gave it a try and it goes wrong and they couldn't have the friendship they used to have.
Giving up on trying to sleep, Annabelle got up and slipped her feet into her slippers, walking down the stairs as quite as she could – Bo and Belle took their job as watch dogs very serious. Walking into the kitchen, she didn't bother to switch on the lights, straight to the fridge to get the ice cream and over the draw for a spoon. Sitting down at the bar stool, she opened the Pistachio/Chocolate ice cream and started to eat while she thinks about everything.
"What are you doing up at 2 in the morning, princess?" Sam said walking up behind her and putting his arms around her neck and giving her a kiss on the head.
"Couldn't sleep, you?" Anna answered leaning back.
"Heard something and came down to see who was here." Sam answered as he got a spoon from the draw.
After a few minutes of just hearing spoons digging into the container, Bo came down and sat at Sam's feet.
"Dad, did you think when you met Andy, that she would be the one you would marry?"
"No, I thought I would be alone till the day I die. And then she tackled me in that ally and tried to kiss me and that's when my world changed for the good." Sam said with a smile, thinking back.
"Where you scared to start something with her?"
"I was at the beginning. We were friends and I didn't want to screw up a perfectly good friendship, so I let her be with Luke and gave her advice when she need it. And when she broke up with him, I was there for her and listen to her talk about him. It took everything in me not to walk into his office and kill him but I knew that wouldn't do anybody any good, so I let him live. But then one day something changed and I knew that if I keep on being scared, I would lose her. I would always be her friend she's going to run to for advice and I would have to hear about him all the time. I could be that or I could be the guys she talks about with Traci, the guy that gets to wake up next to her every day, the guy that gets to cook her dinner and hear how her day went." Sam sat back in the stool.
"But you were still scared?"
"Yes, that's when Uncle Jerry died and she said she loves me, I run. I wanted to blame her for his death, wanted to blame myself for his death and I wanted to bring him back and kill him myself. But seeing her with a bomb in her hand and asking me how many bones the human body has, I knew I loved her and wanted to be with her."
"Where you ever scared that your age difference would be a problem and what people might say?" Anna asked as she finished the last bit of ice cream.
"I never thought of it. You know how I feel about age is just a number, right. And I don't care what people think about our relationship or age difference." Sam said, taking Anna's hands in his. "Why all the questions, Belle Bee?"
"I'm just asking." Anna said looking down.
"Annabelle, you know you can tell me anything?" Sam pushed a little, playing with the silver ring she wore on her ring finger.
"I know but I need to think this through by myself but as soon as I made my decision, you'll be the first to know." Anna said with a smile.
"Okay, princess. I'm going back to bed, have a busy day tomorrow… wait make that later. Love you." Sam said as he got up and kissed her on the top of her head.
"Love you too."
Annabelle stayed in the kitchen for a few more minutes before she went back up stairs. She still had a lot to figure out about her and Nick but Sam helped her in a big way. Kicking her slippers off, Anna got into bed and as soon as her head hits the pillow, she fell asleep.
Sam got back to his bedroom after his and Anna's late night ice cream break, Andy's back was turned towards the door so he didn't see that she was a wake. Slipping into bed, Sam turned towards Andy and wrapped his arms around her.
"Did she tell you?"
"No, and I even gave her the opportunity to tell me." Sam said, a little hurt.
"How long do you think they can keep it from everyone? Or better yet, keep it from themselves?"
"I think she's starting to realize that she has feeling for him that goes beyond friendship, even if I don't want it to happen, Nick is going to be in her life and I'll just have to deal with it. But I'll have a talk with him before he even thinks about taking her out for a date."
"What changed your mind? This morning you were ready to get your gun, call Oliver and Frank and tell them to meet you at his house so you guys can kill the pervert who's seeing your baby girl." Andy said as she turned in his arms, a small smile on her face.
"She reminded me that her situation is a lot like ours. Remember I'm almost 8 years your senior and we're not letting our age get in our way of being happy." Sam said giving her a kiss.
"I hate it when you're right." Andy said before kissing him back.
"You're still not happy about them being together." Sam said pulling away to look at her.
"How can you tell?"
"I know you McNally. So what's bothering you?"
"I don't know. Somehow I still feel that he's doing this to get back at us and the Peck family. How do we know he really cares about her?" Andy said laying her head in Sam's chest.
"Ask him. You two are still friends even if it's not the same as it used to be, so ask him and tell him what's bothering you about his relationship with Anna. And ask him to be honest, it's the leased he can do since you were honest with him about me." Sam said puling her closer.
"Did I tell you lately that I hate you?" Andy said into his chest.
"You don't hate me. You just hate it when I'm right!" Sam said with a smile. "Now go to sleep, they'll figure this out and when they do, we're in trouble."
"Why?" Andy asked question look on her face.
"Because this is going to be me and you all over again." And with that Sam kissed Andy so hard, she didn't get to finish her thoughts or sentence.
It's been a month since Oliver and Celery's wedding and Annabelle was still avoiding Nick, not that she had to try very hard. Since switching from full time student to part time and working on two big cases alongside Lee, one of the partners at the law firm, she didn't have time to see anyone at 15. She felt guilty for not making time for them but she just didn't have enough time in the day to work, study and spend time with the dogs. Every night when Sam and Andy came home, dinner was ready and one plate in the sink but no Annabelle. They were getting worried that she was over doing it but they never saw her to tell her to take a break, leaving notes was how it went for three week until Sam put his foot down and went to Anna's job. He told the other partners that he will ban her from going to work if she didn't get a day off, they were so scared of Sam, and they gave her a whole week of that very same day. After coming back from court, Anna was told what happened and she was angry with Sam but also grateful that her "knight in shining armor" came to her rescue on the same day she "won" her first big case.
"So what's your plans for your week off?" Andy asked Anna at dinner.
"Sleep, sleep and take the kidlets to the park as much as I can." Anna said, sitting back rubbing her stomach.
"Well, sounds fun. Are you going to visit Elisabeth also or just the kidlets close by?" Sam said as he helped Andy clear the table.
"I'm planning to go visit her this weekend. So for now, I'm spending time with the little once here. Andy do you know if Christian is coming this weekend?"
"Don't know, will ask Chris tomorrow." Andy said with a smile.
A few months before the wedding, there was a case that took its toll on everybody at 15th:
Annabelle was asked to go and pick up Leo and Olivia from school, take them home as Andy and Sam was babysitting while their parents is out on date nights. Chis was driving to Timmins to go and get Christian and they were planning a little play date while the grown up work - Leo, Olivia and Christian, the three little kidlets of 15th. As Anna drove home, she felt something wasn't right but ignored it as she was had a lot on her mind. While driving Anna turned the radio on so they could listen to some music; Leo loved to show off for Annabelle and Olivia loved Leo, so she was just laughing at him singing along with every song. When the 2 o'clock news come on Anna went to turn the radio off (she works with bad news on a daily bases, so why should she listen to it while she has her free time?) when the headline stopped her in her tracks.
"The tread is been taken surely and we don't know yet if anything has been found but of now all the people in the 15th Division Police Station is remaining inside. ETF is on the scene as well as the bomb squad is there." the female voice said over the radio.
"That's where mommy works. What happened?" Leo asks as he hands Olivia her little purple stuffed pig.
"I don't know. Let me see if I can call someone and find out." Anna said as she pulled over and got her phone out of her bag.
"You've reached Sam Swarek. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Come on, Sam!" Anna yelled at the phone as she dialed Andy's number.
"This is Andy, leave your name..."
"And nobody is answering their phones. Let's go and see if we can find out what's going on, okay?" Anna ask Leo, who just nods his head.
Annabelle starts to drive in the direction of the barn. As she gets closer she can see the streets been blocked off. She stops the car a block away and starts to get Olivia out and grabs Leo's hand as she starts to walk. Getting closer, Annabelle can see reporters and ETF officers standing around. She grabs Leo's hand a little tighter and keeps on walking closer to the barn, Olivia still in her car seat.
"Excuse me officer, my name is Annabelle Swarek," she says as she put Olivia's car seat down and tries to get her wallet out to show her ID to the officer "My father is Detective Sam Swarek, can you please tell me what's going on?" Anna asks as she picks Olivia up again.
"Anna?" Sue came into view and Anna smiles.
"Sue, what's going on?"
"Come with me, we can talk in the trailer." Sue says as she takes Leo's hand and leads the way. As they enter the trailer, Annabelle can see that all the TV's are switch on to show the barn inside.
"There was a phone call made this morning, saying that there's three bombs placed inside the 15th Division Police Station and that if anybody leaves, they will detonate all of them. Now we don't know if it's true or not but we do believe it's an inside job." Sue says looking at a shocked Anna.
"But when will you know and why?"
"We don't know why but we've been able to ask them inside to have a look and get back to us if they see something that looks like a bomb."
"But if they find it, what will you do?" Anna was rocking Olivia, the little girl started to cry while Sue was explaining everything to Anna. Olivia's lucky, the one day her parents leave to get some time alone, this happens but Leo and Anna parents are still in there.
"We'll work on a plan if we know what we're dealing with."
After 30 minutes, Oliver phoned the trailer and told them that they found the bombs and then he send a picture too. Sue and her partner was working on a plan when they heard a gunshot coming the other side of the phone.
"Oliver, what's going on?" Sue yelled into the phone. Leo and Olivia was a sleep on the couch at the back of the trailer and they luckily didn't hear anything (Annabelle closed the door a little)
"Now, let's cut all communication from the outside." A voice said into the phone and the line went dead.
Luckily the cameras was still on and they can see one of the new rookies standing over Oliver pointing a gun to his head. Annabelle gasped and covered her mouth with her hand and Sue just swear under her breath. Anna was staring at the TV scream and her heart dropped, everybody she loves is in there and she could lose them at any moment. Anna took out her phone and the scream lit up with a picture of her, Andy, Sam and the dogs - it was taken at the park the first time they went for a walk. As she started to type the text, when she saw someone fall to the ground and the gun woman on the floor. She saw a pool of what looked like blood and then a loud bang sounded outside and the trailer shook.
Annabelle and Sue ran out and saw the back of the barn up in smoke and pieces of building scattered everywhere. Sue stopped Anna from running to the building as they saw everybody coming out of the building, Nick in between Sam and Oliver holding him up. EMS was there in a flash and Annabelle waited for Sam to reach her before she threw herself at him. Soon Andy joined them and Traci went straight to Leo how was still in the trailer with Olivia (one of the officers made them stay in there)
Annabelle saw Nick being lifted into the ambulance and she forced herself in so she could go with him. When they got to the hospital, Nick was rushed into surgery and Annabelle was waiting for news on him. Soon everybody came to join her to wait with her or to be checked out by doctors; Andy cane and pulled Anna closer to her and Sam started to rub Anna's back.
"Officer Collin's family?" the doctor asked looking down at the clipboard.
"Here." Oliver said stepping forward.
"Okay, so his in recovery. The bullet was removed but his going to need fisio for the next four weeks to help him with movement in his arm but his healthy and in good shape so recovery is going to be quick. He did ask for a... Annabelle Swarek?" the doctor said looking up.
"Here." Annabelle said stepping closer to Olivier and the doctor.
"Follow me, please." the doctor said walking towards Nicks room.
The doctor stopped at a door and opened it, "I'll check on him tomorrow morning."
"Thank you." Annabelle said as she walked into the room.
Annabelle walked in and saw Nick laying on his side looking out the window. His left arm in a sling.
"Hi." Anna said closing the door and stepping closer.
"Hi." Nick said not turing towards her.
"The doctor said you were asking for me." Anna was a bit confused to why he asked for her. Walking around the bed towards him, she stopped in her tracks when she saw that he was crying. Walking a bit closer she bend down in front of him and took his hand. "Hi."
Nick pulled her up as best he could and pulled her to the bed. She got the message and got onto the bed and turned around so he could put his arm around her and barred his face in the crook of her neck. As soon as she heard his breath become deep, she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and then she too fell asleep - happy and safe.