CHAPTER 2

I just want to say thank you to everyone who started following the story and reviewed it. I hope I can write something that will please most of you. My first language is Portuguese and not English, so if there are any mistakes I'm apologizing now.

Half way to the prison Andy started to get more annoyed at the silence that had settled between them. Normally they had a good amount of conversation when they were partnered together, but now he refused to participate in any small talk she tried to bring up.

"How are things with Celery?" She tried once again to start a conversation that didn't involve Sam or their prisoner.

"She's fine." He answered without taking his eyes off the road.

"I'm glad. She seems really nice. We should hang out sometime and I'm not talking about taking her to The Penny. After I'm settled in Sam's apartment we should be able to have you guys over for dinner." Now she was dying to have a conversation. Oliver was always the easy going one.

"Oh yeah and how is the moving going?" he asked smiling a little which had Andy in a much better mood. She couldn't handle the silence that had settled.

"Almost non-moving. Our schedule has been all over the place. We haven't spent much time together this week. But after the trials are over we'll be back to normal." She stopped to look over at Oliver. He seemed pretty content now. "I didn't realize I had so many things. It took us a week just to box everything. Now that most of my things are at his place, I don't think he'll have the space for it all."

"I've seen his place. He has space. His apartment has a plant, a couch, a tv and a bed. He barely has a kitchen. You'll be doing him a favor." He said as he turned the car to a dinner on the side of the road. "Lunch time! Let's go, McNally. We have more three hours 'til we get there."

And again she was reminded of the prisoner that is being kept a secret. She hated feeling left out. Of course Andy knew Sam trusted her, but sometimes when he kept things she felt like they were taking two steps forward and three steps back. But she also didn't want to be the nosy girlfriend that had to know every single detail.

Pulling out her phone she just sent a text to see if everything was okay. He'd probably be asleep so she didn't bother holding onto it.

"Hey, we've just stopped to get something to eat. How are things?"

That seemed like a normal text to send at least to check if he was still upset.

She sat down in front of Oliver as he asked for the waiter to grab him his lunch and Andy just said she'd get whatever Oliver was getting. Hoping she wouldn't regret that decision.

"I'm thinking of moving into a new house." Oliver said loud and fast. Andy almost missed it because of the noise inside the dinner.

"Why? Don't you like your apartment? I mean, you can always change your mind, but you moved in like eight months ago, right?"

"I did, but I'm thinking of having Celery move in with me." He said quietly. It's not something he told many of his friends. Only Sam knew.

"You guys seem like you're doing so well. I like it, you seem happy."

"I am."

"Then go for it. Ask her and enjoy it, 'cause everyone knows you deserve it." Andy said raising her cup filled with soda and Oliver joined her with his.

"Here's to moving in." She said and he repeated after her.

Their small talk was mostly directed towards moving. The house styles, the ones available and the neighborhoods he could be looking into. Andy was happy enough just to be distracted from the prisoner and Oliver was also looking less and less tense by the minute. Plus, she was really happy for him. After everything he went through with his family these past years, he needs to find a solid ground.

Later on back on the road it took them less then what they hoped for to get to the prison. As protocol they did as they were told going through security and waited for the prisoner. Since Oliver was out of the room they were put into Andy was left alone as they waited for the prisoners file.

"I'm sorry it took this long, but here it is." The officer said as he handed the file to Andy.

"No problem. Thanks."

As soon as the officer left Andy opened the file so she could get some information and then pass it onto Oliver. But as much as she waited for it to be something bad, she didn't expect it to be this.

The name written in a dark blue pen was the name of the last person she'd like to deal with now.

Jay Swarek.

Really? Out of all the other inmates that could get their cases reviewed for early release he had to be one of them? So this is why Sam didn't want her here and now. Why he had been all secrets with Oliver and wanted them to switch with anyone. He didn't want her near his father and she got that, but not telling her was also a mistake. So what if she knew? Did he actually think she'd be nervous or anything like that? This was part of the job. Not that she would actually enjoy riding for most of the day with someone that hated her boyfriend and probably wouldn't shut up.

"Hey, McNally, what are you staring at?" Oliver's voice startled her bringing her out of her thought.

"Oh nothing, just reading up on our prisoner." She said trying to make it sound like it was no big deal.

She looked up and saw him standing next to her. He was serious and the nervous look he had before came back.

"Did you know we were picking up Jay Swarek?" She asked trying her best to impersonate Sam's blank look.

"Sam said that there was a high possibility."

"How high?"

"Around 100%, but Andy he wanted you to not over think things. He wanted this to be a normal pick up. He didn't want you to feel uncomfortable or nervous." Oliver tried to explain as he sat next to her. Obviously he sided defending Sam and she wouldn't expect anything less, but it still didn't make sense. She can handle herself with his dad and she thought she had proven it to him.

"I'm not the one nervous around him. Sam is."

"Of course. To him you're just picking up the devil."

"I know and I'm not going to talk about Sam now. I'll have a talk with him later. But why is he even having his case looked over? Didn't he have, like, 20 years for killing someone?" She asked looking over his file.

"Yeah, but that was almost 18 years ago or something like that. Ever since that incident he's been a model prisoner and he may be getting out. Sam is stressed about that too."

Suddenly Andy saw the address they needed to drop him off. It wasn't very far from where Sam lived and if Sam didn't know about that yet, she was afraid of the reaction she'd get from him.

"Let's get this over with then." She said as she looked through the big glass window that led to a hallway where Jay was being brought by two other officers.

As soon as she stood up her phone buzzed on her pocket.

"Hey. Sorry I took so long. Hope you had a good lunch. Everything is fine, too quiet actually. How are you? Are you at the prison already?"

She typed a quick reply.

"Just getting our prisoner in the car. Will be back earlier then what we intended. We'll talk more once I get there."

A few seconds later a simple 'Ok.' From Sam was all she needed to know that he understood what was happening. She wasn't happy, but he sure as hell won't be the one saying sorry for "protecting" her. He needed to know that keeping her in the dark will never be the best way to protect her. She didn't need protection. If she did she wouldn't be a cop.

After she put her phone away the door opened to reveal Jay Swarek looking rather pleased and his smile only grew as he saw who stood right in front of him.

"What a pleasure to see you again Andy McNally." He said with a sickening smile.

This is it for now. It's 1:25 and I have no idea how I'll handle work 'til 22:00 tomorrow. There might not be another chapter for a while, but I'll try to make it work. I'm amazed at how many reviews and follows and favorites it has gotten in just a day. You guys are amazing. Thank you! 3