Jumping into the Luke/Andy/Sam triangle with both feet. :) This is the first in a three story AU arc. This one will be about fifteen chapters.
Title: Two Halves of a whole
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Sam/Andy
Timeline: early season two
Spoilers: everything is fair game
Notes: Many thanks to Nika Dixon for the beta. mild swearing in this one
Sam Swarek hadn't minded doing the trade with Chris. Extra money was
always a good thing. Riding solo was even better. He liked his
colleagues but sometimes Sam just needed the solitariness of the
squad.
It was an hour into his shift when the robbery in progress call came
in. By the time Sam arrived on the scene he was the fifth officer
there. It was a corner grocery store. Two story brick building, Mom
and Pop type operation struggling to stay alive. Customers huddled
under the green awning while the press were kept behind yellow crime
scene tape.
Pulling the squad to a stop Sam exited and spotted Oliver talking to
an elderly woman a few feet away from the other customers.
"Hey."Sam greeted. "What have we got?"
Oliver looked back at the elderly woman with a gentle smile. "Ma'am
will you excuse me for a minute?"
"Of course, dear."
"Dear."Sam teased as soon as they were out of earshot.
"I was going to call you but I just found out when I got here."Oliver
began grimly.
"What?"Swarek asked not liking at all the look on his friend's face.
"This is a typical robbery isn't it?"
Shaw shook his head. "There was an off duty cop inside when it went
down. Robber was a teenage drug addict wigged out of his mind. She
talked him down...saved these people from becoming hostages."
It took a minute for the neighborhood to click for Sam.
Several long precious seconds for him to dig out memories of Andy
babbling about her new place that he'd been trying to block out.
This was her neighborhood.
Her new neighborhood with Callahan.
Mentally Sam went over the duty roaster for the day...she'd been off.
Shit...
Sam looked from Oliver back to the grocery store with the shattered
front window then to the ambulance a few squad cars over. His heart
started beating overtime.
She had to be okay.
"McNally's the hero cop?"Sam asked fighting to keep his emotions in
check. "She hurt?"
Oliver held out a hand. "It could've been a lot worse, Sam..."
Swarek turned on his heel and stalked to the waiting ambulance. With
each step Sam's anger grew. He couldn't believe Andy would take on an
armed drugged out robber on her own.
Hadn't he taught her better?
Sure he'd said there were times to break rules.
Not like this.
You had to weigh all your options and then jump in with both feet not
head first.
Peeking into the open ambulance Sam's anger deflated instantly. His
heart clenched painfully seeing Andy sitting on a gurney flanked by
two paramedics.
Andy's face was pale and scratched. White gauze was wrapped around the
top of her head. sharp dark bruises starting to appear on her neck.
Her white t-shirt was stained with red. There was blood splattered
from the right ear down to her collar bone.
Enough for Sam to have a chilling moment of Deja Vu
"Jesus, Mcnally."
Andy opened her eyes as the paramedics continued to apply bandages.
"It's not as bad as it looks."
"Looks pretty bad from here."
"My fault."Andy stated wincing as the female blonde paramedic dabbed
antiseptic to a cut on her right cheek. "I didn't see him reach for
the wine bottle."
Sam's gaze dropped to the stain on her shirt. "Red wine, was it?"
The Hispanic male paramedic nodded as he followed Sam's gaze. "Yeah,
that's mostly wine."
Mostly...damn...
Sam closed his eyes briefly "McNally..."
"Don't yell."Andy pleaded. "I couldn't let those people get hurt."
Gently Sam reached out and touched a clear spot on Andy's left cheek.
The blonde paramedic cleared her throat. "We're going to take her in..."
Andy shook her head cringing at the movement. "I'm fine."
"Like hell."Sam countered. "Don't argue, McNally. Go, I'll be right behind you."
Stepping back Sam watched as the male paramedic hopped out and closed
the doors and headed for the driver's side. After the ambulance pulled
away Sam took off for his car.
Sam knew how serious head injuries were. He'd seen his share of car
accidents and bar fights to know that a concussion was nothing to
shrug off. Leaning forward on the drab gray sofa of the waiting room
Sam rested his folded hands on his knees. Andy was currently
undergoing a CT scan to make sure there wasn't any bleeding in the
brain.
He wanted to throttle the robber for causing Andy any kind of pain.
But that would wait...Sam needed to be here.
Needed to know she was okay
Funny how things turned out. The woman who had arrested him and single
handedly blew an eight month undercover operation was the one person
he couldn't picture his life without.
Sam stared unseeingly at the coffee table littered with outdated
magazines. His mind was going places he didn't want it to.
Or more correctly wasn't ready for.
However fate sometimes took control and made things perfectly clear.
Andy had far too many close calls for his comfort the last couple
months. Sam still had nightmares of her getting shot at the concert.
He knew more than anyone that Andy was a good cop and could handle
herself and had saved his ass on more than one occasion.
It was just every time she was in danger or hurt his heart leapt into
his throat.
Sam had thought he was content with Andy's friendship.
Work relationships were always complicated.
She seemed happy with golden boy so Sam had tried to put Andy in the
friend category.
Tried and failed.
He remembered clearly how she had looked against his pillow the night
of the blackout.
How she'd felt in his arms.
Now as Sam waited for a doctor to appear with news he realized all he
wanted was a chance.
A chance to make Andy happy.
Just a chance that was all he was asking for.
If Andy truly wanted forever and a picketed fence with Callahan he'd respect it.
Sam knew there was something tangible between them.
Something she'd have to deal with.
Andy and Luke weren't married yet.
There was still time
All Sam needed now was to know Andy was going to be okay.
Then he'd convince her to listen to her heart and not her head.
Sam laughed silently.
Brave words.
He was scared enough for both of them. He'd never put his heart on the
line before.
Not like this.
Whatever this was between he and Andy it ran deep.
Sam knew she fit into his life like nobody had before.
He just had to hold onto that and ride out the battle to come.
It was another half hour before a red haired woman in her forties
wearing a white lab coat appeared in the waiting room doorway.
"Are you here for Officer McNally?"
Sam stood and nodded. "Yes."
"I'm Doctor Turner. The CT scan came back clear but she does have a
concussion and a couple bruised ribs. I'd like to keep her overnight
for observation."
Relief washed over Sam and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd
been holding. "Thanks,Doc."
A blonde nurse in her twenties poked her head into the waiting room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but Officer McNally's trying to check herself
out AMA."
"She has a serious head injury she needs to stay."
"I've tried telling her that."
"I'll talk to her."Sam promised and stepped past the two women into the hall.
Sam stepped into the exam room to find Andy halfway off the bed.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."Andy replied as she got both feet on the ground and instantly wobbled.
"Have you called Callahan?"Swarek asked as he quickly closed the space
between them and got a grip on Andy's right arm.
"No."
"Why?"Sam asked with surprise as he gently ushered her back to the bed.
"Luke's out of town...his father's sick. I didn't want to worry him
over nothing."
"This isn't nothing."Sam protested as he gripped both her shoulders
forcing her to look at him.
"Sam, I'm tired and hurt and I don't want to stay here."
"You're in no shape to be by yourself."Swarez stated as he placed a
hand under Andy's chin
"Sam..."
It broke his heart to hear the weariness and pain in her voice."How
about this? You let them take care of you and I'll stay with you
tonight. I'm sure if you play nice they'll release you in the
morning."
Andy nodded. "Okay."
Sam stepped back. "I'm going to go tell the Doc. Don't go AWOL on me."
"Funny."McNally replied as she gingerly eased herself back up on the exam bed.