Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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A/N: This is post-S05xE11—"Everlasting". Thus, no Marlo or baby to be found here.

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with my teeth in your heart

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One thing Andy had begun to revel in, is those too few mornings she awakes before Sam, and gets to watch over him as he sleeps, in the dimly lit room. He becomes another creature in sleep but no less handsome; his body is lax with sleep, face soft and peaceful, he is vulnerable in this state.

Watching as the sunlight filters through the blinds, Andy can't but help the drifting of her thoughts. Once upon a time she was this over eager rookie—wanting to prove herself worthy of the title Officer McNally—who accidently burned this unknown cop's cover, only to later become his rookie. Sam quickly became the man she couldn't, wouldn't let herself see, and not just because he was her T.O., but because Andy knew once she allowed her heart to fall in love with Sam Swarek he would be it. He was…is everything she never knew she wanted or needed.

It felt like she'd blinked her eyes and gone from that rookie to this woman of today. Never mind that it'd been years ago.

How the hell could she not love Sam? This man who showed so much emotion when she'd gotten shot; strut right into a burnt down laundromat to find her, danger be damned; excitedly told what a great team they made when she undercover as a cocktail waitress. If there was someone who'd always been there when it mattered in Andy's life, it was Sam.

And sure it wasn't always sunshine and flowers. But Andy found that made the happier moments even sweeter. Their breakup was painful—soul crushing for both of them. It didn't help that in her overemotional state she flipped and completely brushed off Sam's desire to talk and reunite, then run off to go under with no word to him. Returning to find him in, what honestly looked to be happy, relationship with Marlo shattered what was left and patched of her delicate heart. It was a very strong reminder why Andy had refused again and again to allow him into her too big heart—from what it'd looked like, he was it for her, but he was able to move on so completely.

Him getting shot? That was the worst thing Andy had ever had to live through. Every single danger she'd faced in her entire life was nothing compared to that. Because if he died then most of her was going to die with him. Andy hadn't lied when she'd told him that he was her story, because it felt like everything in her life had been leading to this amazing man.

Maybe at times she got frightened, like when Sam tried to give her the key to his heart-slash-apartment, having a flashback to standing outside the Penny in the rain as Sam asked to have his truck key back. Only now she'd taken the day to process and talked it out with him at his place after work, Andy then taking the key, before slowly making love. This time she refused to run and refused to allow him to either.

There were moments where Andy wondered if they had to lose each other to truly understand what they had together. Because this go 'round seemed damn near perfect—no sweeping things under the rug, no more awkwardness when feelings got mentioned and no running when it started to feel serious. This was open and honest. It was real.

Dearest friend, greatest protector, and love of a lifetime. That's what Sam Swarek was to her, and she wouldn't change a thing.

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[End]