Andy and Sam had a busy day working. Everything that had happened with Oliver and Sam looking into Claire. Now they had to go and have this party she had planned. Their relationship had been getting very serious. Even though she was still slightly angry that he'd gone behind her back and done a background check on her mother. She couldn't stay mad at him she knew he meant well. Mother that still sounds weird. It had been a month and she still couldn't get used to it. Andy tried to shake off the feeling that voice in her head gave her.

"You okay?" Sam said as he pulled his truck into a parking space outside of Andy's building.

"Yeah I'm good, I'm fine."

"McNally." The way he said her name soft and slowly coupled with his gravelly voice. It made her weak in the knees everytime.

"Sam." She responded with a little smile. He reached over and took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry Andy, for what happened today. What I did."

"I know."

Andy couldn't help but look into Sam's eyes as he stared back with her. They were full of concern and love. She got it, she knew why Sam did what he did. She'd be lying if she said doing a background check hadn't crossed her mind. She was trying to not run around and fix everything. Trying to be okay with the mess that was her life. Trying not to ask all the questions swirling around in her mind.

"What do you say we go to my housewarming party?"

"Uh… yeah."

They both got out of the truck. Andy waited for Sam to walk around to the passenger's side and she grabbed his hand taking it in hers. Even after everything Andy couldn't deny how happy being with Sam made her. They made it into her place. Andy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lights and balloons all over the place. It looked amazing.

"Hey, sorry I'm late" Andy said as Dov, Traci, Chris, and Gail walked towards her and Sam.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Dov mumbled something as he ate a strawberry that Andy couldn't quite make out as he handed her a chocolate covered strawberry.

"You are now the proud owner of a kitchen creator sxe."

"Thank you very much. This is seriously amazing who did all this."

"Dov and I chipped in." Andy couldn't help but laugh internally at Chris.

"She's talking about the decorations." Gail piped in with her usual sarcastic tone. Andy had gotten accustomed to Gail. In fact over the past few months they'd become closer than ever. Traci pointed to the other side of the room. Andy looked and there was Claire picking up her belongings clearly headed out the door.

"Excuse me."

Andy walked to the other side of the room to greet Claire.

"Mom, I." The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. It still felt very awkward calling Claire that. "Thank you."

"You know I missed so many chances to throw you a party. I didn't want to miss this one."

Andy could feel Sam watching them. She knew it was going to take a while for him to come around. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this would all turn out to be a big fat huge mistake. Maybe she needed to know the answers to every single question flying around in her head. Maybe she needed to stop avoiding the weird feeling calling Claire mom gave her. There was one thing Andy knew though, maybe wasn't a good enough reason to shut her mother out for good. All she could do was hope that it would work. That she'd finally have her mother in her life for good after all this time.

"What do you want to drink?" It was a first step right? She threw the party now she was going to stay. She just didn't know how she was going to explain this one to her dad when he showed up.

"Whiskey."

"Good choice."

Andy helped her mother put her things back down. She turned to Sam and flashed him a smile. Maybe things weren't as much of a mess. Sam smiled back. Something about Sam. He just got to her she couldn't explain it. Even when she should be mad at him. She couldn't be. She loved the guy. WOAH. Love? Andy, your mom – whiskey.

She turned around and walked over to the drinks. Sam and her mom closely trailing behind her. "Neat or on the rocks?"

"On the rocks."

"Hey Sammy you gonna bust a move on the dance floor brother?" Jerry said as he walked over to the drinks.

"Not even after a bottle of tequila." He said gazing intensely into Andy's eyes giving her a slight smile. Andy couldn't help but laugh. Remembering their conversation from the early hours in the morning during their shift.

"Probably for the best Sammy, you couldn't bust out a move like this." Jerry said as he attempted a moon walk for the last few steps to the table where all the drinks were. It was awkward and not smooth at all. He even managed to trip over his own feet. Andy lost it laughing as she passed her mother her drink. Sam was even laughing.

"Yeah, couldn't do that brother." Sam's voice laced with sarcasm.

"Exactly Sammy, some people just have it and you're not one of those people."

"Oh and you are?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I am. Now excuse me." Jerry said as he placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, with a drink in the other, "I've got to go and kill it on the dance floor."

The party went off without a hitch. Her dad even showed up, and brought his new girlfriend Amy. She was quite lovely. Andy couldn't be happier for her dad. He was shocked when he saw Claire there. Not that she could blame him. But he understood.

All that was left by the end of the party as a mess and Sam and Andy's mother. Andy's dad offered to stay right after Claire did. She insisted he go enjoy the rest of the evening with Amy. She also didn't want him to be around when Sam asked the inevitable question.

"Did you ask for your key back?" Sam asked her quietly. There it was the question. She could tell it had been eating away at him since she gave Claire the key. It probably was what prompted him to go ahead with his little background check. She was definitely going to ask for it back.

"Sam," It was all Andy could muster up as a response. Much to Andy's own dismay as much as she didn't want to analyze why her mother was back in her life as much as Andy tried to ignore all those nagging questions. She knew Sam was right.

Sam looked back at her, they were now having a silent conversation. His eyes telling her to ask as he put cans into a clear plastic bag. She knew he was right, she kept saying it to herself. She had a hard time getting her head and heart to listen to it.

"Claire," Andy walked over to her, "You put all of this together. You shouldn't clean it up. Sam and I will do that. You should go home and get some rest it's really late." Yup Andy volunteered Sam for clean-up duty. She knew he wouldn't mind.

"Are you sure, I really don't mind."

"I'm sure."

Andy helped Claire gather her belongings. Sam was anxiously waiting for her to drop the question about the key. In fact he was so anxious about it that he was about to ask her to hand it over himself. Which would be a huge mistake all things considered, and Sam wouldn't be nearly as nice about it as Andy would be.

Andy had escorted Claire to the door. Just as she was about to leave Andy said, "The Key." It came out of her mouth far more awkwardly than she had anticipated.

"Oh right." Claire reached in her pocket and handed Andy the key. She thanked her again for the decorations and the party.

"Happy now?" Andy said almost playfully as she walked over to Sam. "Can we not clean up right now? I just want to sit. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, sure." Sam let the bag hit the floor.

They walked over to the sofa. Andy tossed the key onto the coffee table. She sat so there was no space between her and Sam. She let him put his arm around her and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think Oliver and Zoe will work it out?"

"They always do. They've been married almost 15 years. I can't imagine them with anyone else."

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Sam looked down into Andy's eyes. He couldn't believe that she'd even ask that question. How could she question how highly he thought of her?

"You are not only one of the smartest people I know, you're the bravest person I know and the most beautiful."

Andy's heart fluttered a little bit hearing Sam say that. It was like goosebumps and butterflies. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else. Wasting all that time being with Luke. Big mistake.

"Sam."

"Yeah?"

"You know I couldn't imagine being with anyone else right?"

He wrapped his other arm around Andy and pulled her in closer.

"I know."

So, I wanted to write a new mutli-chaper fanfic based off this season and having to do with Andy's mom. I hope you all like the first chapter. I didn't want to start it on a sour note for McSwarek.