This is for dcj, who kindly let me use her story 'Willful endangerment' for inspiration. You really need to read that first for this to make any sense.

.net/s/7363130/1/Willful_Endangerment

Set after episode 2:11

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters.

Consequences

Sam strode up to Andy's door; he reached up his hand inches away from making contact with the wood. He appeared to be mesmerised by it as his mind began to spin, thoughts swirling inside. After a few seconds he found that he couldn't stand still, his inner turmoil demonstrating itself through his rapid motions. He found himself pacing; the pain of his injuries had faded, replaced with the overwhelming need to see her. To tell her that it was okay, that it would be okay.

But would it be okay? He thought as he paced.

If he knocked and she answered the door he would have disregarded the letter from Frank, would it be okay for them? Could he live without being a police officer? Could she? His heart pounded in his chest as he thought about how everything had changed since she'd barrelled into his life, somehow she'd turned everything he thought and knew upside down and somewhere along the line she had become his world. Even though he loved being a police officer, he loved her more.

He stopped at that thought; turning to look at her door, the woman who had stolen his heart was behind it, shattered by the events that had happened earlier in the day. He walked over to the door, his courage building and he knocked sharply against the wood.

The sharp knock on the door interrupted Andy's tears; she looked up at the door, before turning to her friend, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

Traci looked at her friend and shook her head, "You can not open that door," her friend advised her.

"But what if it's Sam?" She asked; her voice cracked with emotion.

Traci's voice was firm, "That's the point Andy. If it is Sam, you're disregarding Frank's letter and putting your career on the line."

Andy looked at her friend through her tears, "But what if being with Sam is worth more than my career?"

Traci's face softened at the pain etched on her friend's face, she leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her shoulders, "You have to be certain, Andy, because if you do decide to open the door, you're going to have to live with the fall out. And it's not just your career you're playing with, but Sam's." Traci pulled back so that she could look into her friend's eyes, "Do you want him to lose the job that he loves?"

Andy shook her head, "No."

"Then you know what you have to do," Traci replied sadly.

Sam waited for what seemed like an eternity, his stomach churning with anticipation and nerves. The longer he waited the more anxious he became. What if Andy was unable to come to the door? What if something had happened to her? After what seemed like hours, but was only probably a few minutes he knocked again, "Andy, open up it's me!" he shouted, hoping that he wouldn't wake up her neighbours.

He waited, but nothing. No sound of footsteps the other side of the door. No sound of the lock turning, nothing but silence.

He found his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose, maybe it had been a mistake; maybe it was turning out to be just like the blackout? Maybe she thought he wasn't worth the risk? He stepped back so that his back was resting against her wall, his knees slowly buckled and he found himself sliding to the floor, he rested his head in his hands, wondering when he would finally get what he wanted. He was tired of seeing his hopes dashed and his heart broken.

Andy's eyes shot up towards the door when he knocked again, calling her this time. The sound of his voice made her stomach churn, but it was no longer a sensation that made her feel sick; it was more of a sensation that gave her hope. Maybe he did love her as much as she thought he did, maybe he did he love her enough to risk his career for her.

Slowly she pulled herself to her feet, casting a glance at her friend, who was solemnly shaking her head. She headed towards the door, she found herself straightening with the sudden found assurance that now flowed through her. Confident that together; she and Sam would be fine, they deserved to be.

Her hand shook as she reached for the lock and slowly turned it, a satisfying click indicating that she could pull the door open. When she opened it, she expected to see him standing or pacing in the corridor, but at first glance the corridor appeared to be empty. Her heart sank and a nauseous feeling stirred in her stomach… Perhaps she'd been mistaken? Perhaps he'd changed his mind? Perhaps he couldn't risk his career for her?

She was about to step back into her apartment when she heard his voice in the dimly lit corridor, "McNally?"

She turned towards the sound and found him slouched against the wall of the corridor, he looked broken as he sat there, staring at the stained tiled floor. Her stomach clenched at the sight of him and she couldn't stop herself from hurrying forward, kneeling down in front of him, reaching out slowly to gently grasp his arms, that were resting on his knees, "Sam?" she asked quietly, waiting for him to meet her gaze.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity for him to look at her, "Sam?" she demanded again, her voice stronger, "Look at me."

Slowly he raised his head, his eyes finally meeting hers, she almost gasped as she looked as his face, battered and bruised. God. She'd caused that. She'd caused Sam to be beaten at the hands of Brennan, if she hadn't walked into that bar, he wouldn't be sitting in the corridor of her apartment building with a gaping gash on his forehead and his cheeks stained with the dark purple bruises. "I'm so sorry, Sam," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"What for?" he asked quietly, hoping that she wasn't going to apologise for their night together, he didn't think he could survive her asking him to disregard one of the best night's of his life.

She reached out tenderly and lightly grazed her fingertips across his cheek, "For this. I never…" her voice hitched and she took a deep breath trying to fight the need to cry.

He looked at her face, recognising the look of pain, guilt and hurt that was displayed on her beautiful features, sure that his face contained his own look of guilt and pain, "I know you never meant this," he gestured towards his face and ribs, before reaching out and gently cradling her hand in his. "I never meant for this to happen either, but it did." His heart ached as he watched a lone tear escape from her eye and roll down her cheek, leaving a delicate trail that shimmered in the dim light.

"If I realised this was going to happen I would never have come back to the bar and…"

With his other hand, he cupped her chin, lifting her lowered head so that he could see into her eyes, "Andy, I don't regret that night, I never could, but…" he paused as he gathered his thoughts, "I should have stopped it before it happened, I was the senior officer, I let you put your career at risk."

"I don't care about my career, Sam!" She exclaimed, her voice determined, "I care about you! I wanted to see you, to check that you were alright in the hospital, but Frank wouldn't let me."

He nodded, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of her hand, not only reassuring her that it would be okay, but using the contact to reassure himself that they had made the right choice.

"But I didn't think about you;" she paused, lowering her gaze appearing to study his shirt intently, "I didn't think about how much danger I was putting you in… I could have gotten you…" she hiccoughed as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes, unable to finish the sentence that was too painful for her to say.

"But I didn't," he finished her sentence, understanding to what she was alluding too, "I'm here, I'm fine, and we're going to be alright."

"Are we?" she asked quietly, not really believing what he was saying.

He nodded, "I made a decision tonight, Andy," he looked at her with an intensity she'd never witnessed before, it made every inch of her body radiate with heat.

"You did?" she asked quietly, praying that he wasn't going to want to disregard what had happened between them.

He nodded, "I decided I want to be with you."

A small tentative smiled graced her lips, "You do?" her voice hopeful.

"Yep, our timing might really suck, McNally, but I wouldn't change the other night for anything in the world," the corners of his lips turning up in a smile.

She returned his smile, "Neither would I, but the letters… the inquiry? What they said were true, I selfishly endangered your life."

Sam squeezed her hand, "And I was with you every step of the way, Andy. You were not alone in this. You are not alone in this."

"But you could lose your job, Sam. Being a cop is everything you ever wanted," she stated quietly.

"Andy," he tilted her chin so that she was looking into his eyes again, "It was, Andy. But you walking back into that bar and asking me to spend the night with you changed that. You gave me something that I wanted for so long and never thought I'd be lucky enough to have. You gave me you, Andy. You're more important than my career."

She looked at him shell shocked at his admission.

"The last few months have been some of the most tortuous of my life," he admitted quietly, "Watching you fly through the air at the concert, from the power of the bullet pounding into your vest. Pacing outside the charred remains of the Laundromat, praying that the last of the structure wasn't going to collapse and take you from me," he felt her squeeze his hand, "And my stomach sinking when I heard the explosion, thinking that you'd been blown up in that car. Andy life is too short and I don't want to spend what time I have left without you in it. I can't go back to before the other night. I don't want to go back to what we had before the other night. I want to be with you."

She looked at him in awe, she didn't think she'd heard him ever speak with such emotion about anything, he really did love her and he was prepared to give everything he'd cherished up for her. "I want to be with you, too," she admitted quietly, "But are you really sure you are prepared to give up being a police officer, if it comes to it?"

Sam smiled, "I can't imagine my life without you in it," he replied simply.

She returned his smile and leaned forward so that her forehead was touching his, "I can't imagine my life without you in it, either."

He tilted his head slightly and gently brushed his lips over hers, his hand releasing hers, bringing it up to capture her cheek, his thumbs brushing lightly against her skin. "Are we going to spend all night in the corridor, or are you going to invite me in?" he asked quietly.

She smiled, "I think that can be arranged," she gently extricated herself from his hands and helped him to his feet, flinching as he winced with pain as he rose to his feet. "Are you okay?" she asked tenderly.

He smiled reassuringly, "I'll heal, McNally, especially with some T.L.C."

She grinned, "And who's going to give you that then, Jerry?"

He shook his head, "I was hoping it was going to be this insurance agent I met…" he paused, grinning, "I think her name was Candice."

She gently batted his arm with hers, "I'm not sure Candice is around, but I know a suspended copper who's got plenty of free time on her hands and she might just be able to manage a little T.L.C. for her wounded partner."

"Well insurance sales is not very interesting, I guess I could put up with my partner."

She rolled her eyes playfully as she led him into her apartment, Traci looking at them both incredulously from her seat on the sofa, shaking her head slowly from side to side. She rose to her feet, picking her purse up from the coffee table, "I didn't see anything," she stated as she walked past them to the door, "But I will be talking to Jerry when I find him," she stated before she closed the apartment door behind her.

Sam looked at Andy, "I guess it's just you and me."

She nodded, "And whatever happens?"

He stepped forward, gently pulling her into his arms, "We'll be together, McNally. And maybe we'll be lucky and we'll get to be together and keep our jobs."

"And if not?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," he replied before silencing her with his lips.

I hope you enjoyed ~ please let me know what you think. Once again I'd like to thank dcj. :)

Have a great weekend ~ Sairs