After the welcome response to my first story I decided to try another one. The idea has been floating in my head for a while now, but I couldn't quite figure out where to start.

I hope you like it and want to read more! All reviews are much appreciated, even negative ones; I can take (constructive) criticism!

Sam was practically screaming into the phone. "Do not go in there, you understand? Stand down. Don't do anything until I get there."

He could hear her sigh deep through the phone. "I have to. I have no choice."

"Do. Not. Move. That's an order. You copy McNally?"

His whole body was tensing up from frustration. If she was not there when he arrived, he would not be able to stand it. Why couldn't she get it to her stubborn little head what enormous mistake it would be to go in right now? Damn her sense of responsibility for the entire human race. Damn her lion's heart. Couldn't she just listen to him, trust his advice on face value for once?

"Sam, I'm sorry. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Don't worry? All he ever did since he was assigned a new eager rookie that captured his heart from the moment she tackled him, was worry. Worries about the shell around his heart that she cracked so easily and continued to break down into pieces, worries about losing her to some other guy for the first two years he knew (and loved) her, but most of all worries about her safety. How many times had she been in a life-or death situation now? She had seen more dangerous action in her rookie years alone then some officer do in their whole career. She seemed to be a magnet to perilous situations, and sometimes her passion and optimistic believe in people surpassed her sense of self preservation. Like right now.

"Andy, just wait. Please." Great, she got him to beg now. Well, if it worked, it was worth it.

"There's no time. I have to do this; it's the only way everybody gets out of this in one piece. See you soon, okay?"

Not okay, definitively not okay. But before Sam could respond, ask her to wait for him one more time, beg, threaten, scream, whatever would make her stay safe, he abruptly heard the dial tone.

Luckily, Sam had the sense to dial another number before losing it. Freaking out in a moving car was probably not a good idea, anyway.

The other line was picked up almost immediately.

"Yes, officer?" The voice was dripping with sarcasm and faked joyfulness.

But Sam was in no mood to play. "Stop this. Right now."

A chuckle. "You forgot to say please."

"It doesn't have to end like this."

"Who said anything about an end? I'm just getting started. And you know your girlfriend has had it coming for a long time now."

"I'll kill you if she gets hurt. I swear I'll find you and finish you off."

"Now if it isn't the typical Swarek rudeness. Anyway, I would suggest putting all that energy you spend threatening me into something more productive, like, I don't know, saving your little girlfriend from a certain death. That is, if you make it there in time."

The person on the other side of the line burst out into laughter before ending the call, leaving Sam spouting curse words while stepping on the gas.

EARLIER

"Sam? You here?" Andy threw her bag in the corner and put her keys on the table (so nice that everything had his place here already, it was astonishing how at home she felt here).

"Kitchen!"

As she went to him, she smelled delicious fumes coming from the room, making her instantly hungry. She popped her head around the corner, and saw him bent over the stove.

"Hey you. Cooking dinner?"

His broad smile was disarming. "Hey yourself. No, I'm doing math, can't you see?" He pointed towards the disorganized mess of bowls and plates in front of him, apparently amused by her ability of stating the obvious. "Quick, what's the square root of 96?"

Andy squinted her eyes and growled at Sam before turning around on her heels to leave the kitchen, acting insulted. She loved this banter with him, but she would die before confessing that.

Sam caught her before she could leave and circled his arms around her waist before pressing a firm kiss on her lips.

"It was either ordering out, or taking a chance at your mac and cheese once more. I wasn't feeling that adventurous today."

Andy scowled at him before embracing him and snuggling his chest. "Mac and cheese is not the only thing I can cook, you know."

Sam feigned surprise. "Really?"

"Really. I'm pretty good at making pancakes. Or eggs. You've said so yourself."

He kissed her again, slowly causing tingles to run through her spine all the way to her toes.

"That I did. I'm not going to refute your breakfast-making skills, McNally."

He gently caressed her face before abruptly breaking their embrace. "Now you need to let me get back to cooking, before everything burns and we have to order after all. How did it go with you? What did Frank want?"

"I'll tell you after I take a quick shower, if I still have time before dinner?"

Andy loved to watch Sam cook, but she still needed some time alone to figure out how to break the news to Sam. Was he going to be angry? Would he understand? She was probably overthinking it, but her relationship with Sam was still so new, so fragile. The way she felt about him was stronger than ever, and she knew that he felt as strongly for her, but they were still figuring out how this whole relationship-thing was going to work. She didn't want to do anything to ruin that, but her work was important too. And she had already given him the impression she chose work over him once, when they were both suspended and she ran off on vacation to avoid not being able to contact him. Would this be a rehash of that time?

"Sure, no problem. Just tell me one thing now." Oh, this sounded serious.

Andy couldn't hide her surprise. "What?" Did he know already? Who told him? Her brain was in sudden overdrive.

"Is my truck okay?"

She let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. "Ha-ha. Your truck is just fine. Same as this morning. Thanks for letting me drive it."

But Sam Swarek wouldn't be Sam Swarek if he didn't pick up on her mood right away.

"You didn't really give me a choice this morning, did you? But what's wrong?"

Time to make her retreat, before she blurted it all out right now before thinking it through.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just… It's nothing that can't wait. I'll tell you after dinner."