A/N: I had this idea earlier and it eventually evolved into this. I rather like what it became because I really like writing Oliver. He has such a big heart. This takes place during/after the end of Best Laid Plans and is what I think happened in a couple missing scenes.

Kudos to anyone who can figure out where the inspiration for the title came from ;)

Enjoy!

Oliver handed Elliot over to the paramedics to be checked out. He was so relieved to have found him before it got dark and they lost the lead. Now, he hoped to finish up here soon and get home to his own family, have a late dinner, and go to sleep. The odds of that happening were slim to none if that much.

He turned around to see if Sam had found McNally and was pleased to see that she was virtually unscathed. She made it out much better than the burnt out remnants of the car. Now the only uncertainty was the woman who Andy had stayed with, but he figured the EMTs wouldn't still be on scene if she hadn't made it.

"Thank God she's okay," Epstein mumbled, moving to stand beside Oliver.

Shaw laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. Looks like everyone's going to be okay." He turned to Dov. "I gotta say it Epstein – you did pretty well staring down the barrel of that guy's gun. Most people don't do so hot."

Dov shrugged. "I just didn't think he would shoot. Not with his son in the area." Suddenly, his eyes widened comically and Oliver turned around to see what was so shocking. He was pleasantly surprised to see Sam and Andy moving into each other's personal space as if they were about to kiss.

"About time. I do believe I just won a bet, Epstein." Oliver stuck his hand out and Dov was about to grudgingly comply. However, they both witnessed the two back off awkwardly and how Andy smiled at Sam before walking off.

Dov smirked. "I do believe you just jinxed yourself, Shaw." Oliver scowled and slapped a twenty into Dov's outstretched hand. Epstein watched, amused, and walked away. The bet had been that Sam and Andy would at least hug when he found her. Oliver, of course, had lost. That's what he gets for being a romantic. He turned back to survey the scene again. He was just figuring that there wasn't much else to do and considered heading back to the barn, but was stopped short when he noticed that Swarek hadn't moved from his spot yet. This can't be good.

He groaned to himself, knowing this wouldn't end well, but started towards his friend anyway. "Hey, Sammy!" he called from several yards away. Sam took a second before turned around, a fake grin plastered on his face.

"Ollie. Where's the kid?" His voice was raw and hoarse and he coughed once.

Shaw gestured towards the paramedics behind him as an answer. "So McNally's okay?" Might as well rip the bandage off now.

Sam swallowed and nodded once. "Yeah, yeah. The victim's going to be fine too." His voice hardened. "Everyone's going to be absolutely wonderful and everything's going to go back to normal." He caught himself but the damage had already been done.

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "Look, Sammy. She's okay. If you're guilty about leaving her alone with the girl-"

"I'm not."

"Then what are you so upset about? You're beating yourself up over nothing. And you need to stop trying to be the good guy and go after her before she thinks you're not interested." He had to keep from getting too angry or his words would become loud enough for the gossip-hungry hose monkeys to overhear. Sure enough, one glanced over curiously and Oliver shot back a glare. The man quickly returned to his work.

Sam sighed. "It's not that simple." Oliver started to protest and he cut him off. "I'm going undercover in three weeks. I don't know how long it'll be." They were both silent for a while. Then he continued. "I told her earlier but she doesn't think I'm going to go. If I try anything now, my leaving will void anything that could happen."

"Oh." It was all he could say. Sure, Sam had gone into some deep undercover cases before. But the man had changed in the past year with McNally. Oliver just didn't think Sam could up and leave this life behind and become a completely different person. He cared way too much about Andy to be able to focus on staying alive and making the bust. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly, all traces of his former anger gone.

Sam laughed bitterly. "Of course I'm not sure. But I already told Boyd that I'll do it and it's too late to back out now." He shook his head. "Can you promise me something, Shaw?"

"Depends on what it is," Oliver countered uneasily.

"Keep an eye on her for me. Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."

Oliver smiled slightly. "'Course, buddy. Consider it your going-away present."

Sam nodded and started to thank him but was cut off by the incessant ringing of his cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. Boyd. What the hell did he want…? "Yeah?" he answered gruffly. Oliver turned away to watch the tow-truck arrive to haul the remains of the car away. He couldn't hear Sam's conversation over the sound of people shouting at one another about where to be and what to do. He did manage to catch Sam's parting words of "Fine. I'll meet you there then."

"Something wrong?"

Sam stared at his phone. "Yeah. Glitch in Boyd's plans." It was then that he looked up to meet Oliver's gaze. "I'm going under tonight." He saw Andy again, hopping in the passenger seat of Diaz's squad to head back to the barn.

Oliver followed his gaze. "Let me guess. He wants you to go over right this very second and you won't have time to say goodbye to anyone."

"Pretty much. He doesn't even want me to go back to the barn. Said it would be too much of a temptation. And I think we both know what that's supposed to mean. So can you tell her I say goodbye?"

He started to walk away and Oliver had to jog a couple steps to Sam's side. "Listen, brother. You can't just walk away from her. I know you and I know her and you'll ruin anything between you guys if you don't tell her you're leaving in person."

Sam spun on his heel to face Shaw. "I appreciate your concern for my love life, but it's really not helping at the moment. I have a job to do. The safety of the public is more important than what is or isn't between me and McNally." He mumbled the last sentence and moved forward again. However, he then turned around to add, "I'll talk to you when I get back. Hopefully it won't be so long this time." A tiny smirk twitched on his face.

"I'll try and make sure no rookies take you down on their first day," Oliver shot back.

The tension in the conversation dissipated a little. "Sounds like a plan."

"See you, Sammy."

"See you, Ollie." With that, Sam slid into his squad car alone and drove home.

Oliver pulled into the station, Epstein sitting quietly in the passenger seat. They parted ways, still saying nothing, and Oliver noted that silence was very out of character for Dov. But he had other things to worry about than the rookie's personal life.

No, he was supposed to be worrying about another rookie's personal life. Just because it had to do with one of his best friends and Shaw prided himself on being a good person like that. He just really didn't want to deal with it at this moment.

"Noelle!" he called out when he noticed the woman crossing the bullpen out of uniform. "Have you seen McNally?" he asked when he got closer.

"Yeah, she left a while ago. She mentioned she had to feed a cat or something." She shrugged. "Why? What's up?"

He sighed and glanced around them to make sure no one was listening in. "Sam had to go undercover. Boyd told him he shouldn't say goodbye to her so I have to for him."

Noelle groaned, throwing her hands up. "Boyd! I swear if he keeps our Sammy from her, I'll shoot him with his own gun." She paused before adding, "No, I think I'll just shoot him anyway." Oliver nodded in approval and headed off to the locker room to change into his civil clothes. Satisfied, he walked out to the parking lot, bag in hand. He decided he would take the long way and drive by Sam's house, just to check up on the place. He knew whoever was detailed to take care of the place would only go so far and figured it was his duty as a friend to make sure everything was in its place.

When he passed by, though, he noticed a figure sitting on the front porch step as if waiting for someone. He swallowed painfully when he realized it was McNally.

He pulled over a couple houses down and walked up to her. "McNally." When she didn't look up, he sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

Finally she glanced at him. "Oliver? What's going on?"

With a heavy heart, he explained what had happened after she left the scene. He tried to not let the tears that started pooling in her eyes affect him too much. "He told me to say goodbye to you for him since Boyd didn't want you to change his mind," he finished. She nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Sometimes I feel like the timing is always off with us. I get out of a serious relationship; he gets pulled into undercover work. It's like there's always something in the way." She laughed miserably.

Oliver shook his head. "Andy, you can't think like that. It's going to work out. You just have to be as patient as he's been for the past year. He waited for you; it's only fair that now you wait for him."

She nodded absently, staring at the all too familiar dark street in front of her. "I guess… I guess I didn't think about it like that. But you're right."

"Of course I am." She smiled a tiny smile and shivered in the cold night air. A light snow was falling around them. "Come on, I'll give you a lift home."

As they were walking to the car, she asked quietly, "How did you know Luke and I broke up?"

He glanced at her dubiously. "The whole 'We're slowing things down' story is such a cliché. I used it once or twice myself." They climbed in and he started the car. After a few moments, he turned to her. "Oh, and McNally?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's not tell anyone about how I give out relationship advice, shall we? I'm already considered a sap."

After she told him where she was staying, they drove to Nash's in relative silence. When he pulled up, she hesitated for a second with her hand on the handle. "Oliver?"

"Something wrong?"

"No. Well, yes, but nothing you don't know about. I just wanted to say thank you. For everything." He smiled as she got out of the car and let herself into Traci's home.

"Oliver? Is that you?"

He closed the door behind him. "Yeah, Zo. It's me." His wife rose from the living room and met him in a hug. He had begged for her forgiveness a few days ago and after many apologies and a vase of flowers, she had let him back into the house and her heart. The timing was great too – he didn't think he would have been able to help Sam and Andy with their problems when he still had problems of his own.

"Where have you been?" she asked curiously, not budging from her place in his arms.

He smirked to himself and said, "Helping Sammy get the girl of his dreams." She leaned back and grinned.

"His rookie?"

"Yeah, his rookie."