"McNally!" Officer Sam Swarek shouted down the alley way. He and Andy should have been back at the station by now. But of course she had spotted trouble on the streets that he had blindly missed. His rookie partner had jumped out of the car and chased down the thief with a woman's pink purse. Original get rich quick scheme for a fifteen year old, Sam thought as his ears caught the sound of a door's whine nearby. He quickly followed the sound and rounded a corner just in time to see a tattered screen door swing shut. It could have been just a straggler or a tenent of some kind. Sam turned around and began to retrace his path back to the squad car. Andy was bound to be back there with the guy in handcuffs, he thought with a dimpled grin. She never ceased to suprise him at the most unlikely moments.

His thoughts were interrupted as a earth shattering scream pierced the humid air as Sam whirled around. It had come from the sagging building. He raced to the steps and nearly tripped. A black object lay thrown on the stairs. A gun, Andy's gun. Sam felt his lungs shrivel and he gasped for air. He settled his nerves and approached the door, feeling as if he was caught in slow motion.

Sam pulled out his gun and barged through the flimsy screen. It scratched at his face and forearms, but all he could feel was the painful pumping of his heart. Another heart wrenching scream battered his eardrums. Finally his eyes began to focus.

The dark room was filled with trash and clutter. The stench hit him like a wave that was way over his head. It was the smell of drugs, booze, and sex. A bad combination.

A loud thump overhead had Sam coming to his senses. He took the rotting stairs to his far right, two at a time. A bedroom to his right was partly closed with muffled whimpers coming from it's near black interior. Sam nudged the door open with his gun and felt his stomach pitch forward at the scene in front of him.

Andy lay limp and helpless underneath the man who had stolen the purse. He had his hands where he had viviously ripped open her always neat uniform. He had left deep purple bruises on her wrists, breasts, and neck that was exposed. Her nose was rimmed with drying blood and her full bottom lip left bloody. She stared harshly at the man who had pinned her mercilessly. Sam swallowed the bile that had gathered in the back of his throat.

He pulled the bastard off of Andy and threw him against a cheap folding table. The thief groaned and tried to pick himself up before Sam grabbed his hoodie and slammed him up against the moldy wall. His gun in his right hand shook violently as he brought his other muscular forearm up to the man's scrawny neck. He was nothing, but another piece of trash. Scum on the city.

"So you like to hit people, huh? Why don't you give me bruises just like you gave her." Sam pushed the man harder against the wall. The grimy man smiled with crooked yellow teeth.

"I only dig chicks."

That sent Sam over the edge. The barrel of his gun was shoved under the criminal's jaw in an instant. Sam could feel his insides clenching and his finger twitched for the trigger's release.

"Why? So you can have alittle fun with them? So you can rape them?" When the guy only smirked, Sam's knee reacted. It plowed into his gut. The man's bloodshot eyes widened as he coughed and choked back his spit.

"Answer me!"

"Yeah. So I can rape em." The scum's smile was still plastered to his face.

"Sam." Her voice rang like bells in his soul as he turned his head to meet her wounded gaze. Anger flashed in her eyes and so did the painful signs of hurt. He felt his heart squeeze tight in his chest. She weakly clenched her shirt closed as she stood a few feet away from him. Her nose was red and her eyes, swollen from the tears that had left wet trails on her cheeks. He would give anything to gather her in his arms and hold her forever.

She held out her hand to him. His heart stuttered, but he saw the cuffs she dangeled from her fingertips. He grunted and latched them tightly onto the man's wrists. Sam pulled him along down to the squad car with Andy following silently.

"Yeah, I need another car to my location immediatly." He radioed in. The perv sat in the backseat, smiling at Andy. Sam followed his gaze to see her holding her pride together by the seams.

Sam stripped off his uniform shirt and stroded over to her. Before she could protest, Sam wrapped the soft cotton around her before gently running his hands over her cheeks, framing her delicate face. Her eyes began to water and one tear escaped. Sam wiped it away with his finger and caught her eyes with his darker ones. They were filled with hurt and deep compromise. He could feel his ground slipping as his thumbs stroked her wet cheeks. He could feel Andy's fingers clinging to his black t-shirt that stretched over his broad shoulders. For once, he let his heart go off into a wild sprint and let himself think about the woman he was holding. This witty cop that had wiggled her way under his skin, past all the barbed wire, and deadbolted doors into his heart.

He slowly leaned against her soft body and his lips were breaths from hers. They hovered intently as if to capture the taste of her and never let it go. Her grip tightened so even if he did want to pull away, he was locked in place. He could taste her sweet breath as she slowly deepened her breathing and her eyelids began to flutter closed.

The patrol car pulled up behind his with it's sirens blazing. Sam jerked away from Andy's gri9p and pulled his thoughts together before meeting Dov Epenstein and Traci Nash.

"Looks like you have it under control, Swarek." Dov said with a smartass grin.

"Take him to the station." Sam ordered with an edge in his voice and turned towards Traci. His anger softened alittle for the rookie who was also a struggling single mom.

"Nash, I'm taking McNally back to her place. Tell chief so he knows why we didn't punch out today." He said gently while he watched Dov lock the bum up in him and Traci's car. Officer Nash reached out her hand to Andy's arm gently. Sam could imagine her sticking out her chin stubbornly, getting ready to protest his orders.

"I'm fine. I can finish the day out." She said and Sam couldn't help, but smile at his prediction.

"McNally. The clocks out. I'm taking you home." Sam said and turned his adoring eyes to her beautiful and bruised face. Traci shook her head in agreement. Sam gently took Andy's limp arm and carefully tugger her to the squad car.

The silence was killing him as he drove through the city lights towards her house that she shared with Luke Calahan. He was a dective and her boyfriend, Sam thought grudgingly. Sam started to turn onto her street when she spoke.

"Pull over." Her voice was cracking as a sob ripped from her chest. Sam pulled to the curb and faced her. She was shaking and her hair fell out of it's always neat updo. He never thought he could love her anymore than he did right then.

"Andy. I'm sorry." He whispered and touched her trembling shoulder. She bore her heartbreaking eyes onto his.

"Hold me, Sam." She pleaded with her eyes as she whispered softly. He leaned over and craddled her head against his shoulder. He had always known her to be strong and stubborn, but now that she was breaking down, and he was glad she was choosing him over Calahan in comfort. Sam kissed her hair and lifted her chin with one finger. Eyes the color of molten chocolate spilled over with unshed tears.

Without hesitation, Sam met her lips with his own, soothing away all the hurt and stress. Andy kissed him back with a hunger he wasn't expecting. Fire singed his fingertips and engulfed his heart. Passion and a deep blazing need overcame his senses . He gripped her wrists in an attempt to get closer to her body, her heart. She flinched and whimpered. Sam pulled away and looked down at the ugly bruises feathering over her ivory skin.

"I should go." She said and met his bold gaze. Something flashed in them, but she composed herself before he could read whatever it was. Andy opened her door, but turned back.

"Thank you, Sam."

He waited until she was inside before heading home. Once there, he unlocked his door and quickly stripped down.

Sam laid back in his bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking of Andy McNally, his rookie that he left get to him. She got to his heart, but he couldn't have her. Her love belonged to Calahan, not him.

"You're a damned fool." He said to his mind. He turned onto his side and began the nightly routine of rjecting thoughts of Andy McNally.