Wow, I think I've been grinning like a fool since the first review popped up in my email. :) You guys are awesome! I'm so glad everyone likes this story so far! To all the guest reviewers who I can't personally respond to, thank you for your kind comments and thank you for reviewing! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this story. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as the first. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.


Chapter 2

A week after they arrived at the cottage, Andy was lying on the couch flipping through a magazine, her head resting on Sam's thigh, while he caught up on the news and latest hockey scores.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" he asked, glancing away from the television. She tilted her head to look up at him and placed the magazine on her chest, but didn't answer. "We have the leftovers from the restaurant last night, or I could make something with the chicken we bought."

"You don't have to cook. Leftovers are fine."

"I like to cook, Andy." He laid his hand on her arm, brushing his thumb lightly against her skin.

"You're supposed to be relaxing and healing, and you've been cooking almost every night."

Sam chuckled. "Cooking isn't very stressful. I think I can manage."

"Okay, but let me help," she said, sitting up. He turned off the television and they walked over to the small kitchen area. Sam took a bunch of things out of the refrigerator, placing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded carrots at one end of the counter.

"You're giving me the salad?" she asked, quirking her eyebrows.

"What? It's a very important part of the meal," he said, smirking.

Andy rolled her eyes and grabbed a knife, the cutting board and a big glass bowl. As she began cutting up the vegetables for the salad, she looked over at Sam preparing the chicken. "What are you gonna make?"

"Chicken parmigiana with a secret recipe for the sauce," he answered as he mixed ingredients in a bowl.

She finished making the salad and watched Sam place the chicken in the stove. He checked his watch to note when the food started cooking and then rummaged around the freezer, pulling out a bag of frozen mashed potatoes. He usually went with homemade, but given the limitations of the kitchen, he had bought the frozen kind. He set it in a bowl ready to be microwaved and felt Andy's eyes on him. He turned toward her with a cocky grin on his face. "Like what you see?" He walked over to where she was leaning against the counter.

"You're a sexy cook," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're sexy when you try to cook," he said, earning a playful smack on the arm. "Hey."

She leaned up to kiss him just as her phone started ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she read the caller ID. "It's Traci." Sam backed away and sat at the small kitchen table. "Hey Trace."

"Hey, Andy! Thought I'd check on you, see how you were doing," Traci said.

"Oh, you know, there's a lot to explore here. Just taking it one day at a time," Andy replied, looking at Sam for reassurance that her story sounded good. He gave her an encouraging look.

"So, you know Swarek left town too?" Traci wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"Uh, really? Where'd he go?"

"You wouldn't happen to know that would you?"

"Me? Why? I left town, I have no idea where he would go." Andy worried her bottom lip, hoping her friend was buying this.

"Okay, well, Oliver drove him to the airport last week. Guess he's doing some traveling, had the same worry about temptation that you did."

"Oh, well, I guess we think alike."

"You sure he didn't tell you where he's going?" Traci asked.

"Why would he tell me? We're not supposed to see each other until the suspension's over," Andy said, tapping her fingers on the counter nervously.

"I guess I'm just surprised both of you left without talking to each other after everything that happened." She paused for a moment, disappointed in herself for questioning her friend. "Anyway, are you really having fun up there alone?"

"It has its moments. And it's beautiful up here, the forest, the lakes, it's a great place to relax."

"I'm glad you're having a good time. Look, I gotta run. But I miss you and we're going on a girl's night out when you get back."

Andy smiled for the first time since she answered the phone. "I miss you too Trace. Give Leo a hug for me."


Back in Toronto

Traci hung up her cell phone and looked at Oliver. "There's no way they're together. I can totally tell when Andy is lying and she's not."

Oliver fidgeted with his cell phone, wondering if he should call Sam. There was something suspicious about both of them leaving town at the same time, even if they seemed to be going to separate places. "I'll call Sammy later, see if I can get anything from him."

"Oliver, do you really think they'd violate the rules after everything that happened?" Traci asked, doubtful her friend would risk her job like that.

He took a deep breath. "Because of everything that happened, I know Sammy would. But McNally has a good head on her shoulders." He shrugged. "I just don't know."


Andy pocketed her phone. "Did I sound okay?" she asked nervously.

"You were fine. No one's going to know we're together."

She sat down across from him at the table. "Traci asked me if I knew you had left town too." He nodded, guessing that from hearing her end of the conversation. "She's gonna figure it out, they're gonna know." She worried her bottom lip as she looked down at her fidgeting hands.

"If, and that's a big if. If she realizes we're together, she's not going to tell anyone. She's your best friend, Andy. Same goes for Oliver or Jerry, or even Epstein, Diaz or Peck for that matter. They're our friends. If they see through our cover stories, they're not going to blow the whistle on us."

Andy pouted not entirely convinced.

"And if you're that worried, we don't have to be together. I can leave." It would pain him to leave, but he had to give her an out. He didn't want to see her walking around anxious for the next three months.

"I don't want you to," she said softly. "I'm overthinking it, aren't I?" Sam simply nodded. She thought about it for another minute, realizing he was probably right. "That smells great," she said, looking over at the oven.

"It should be ready soon," he replied, getting up to set the table.

She met him at the counter and nudged his hip with hers. "Sorry I'm a neurotic freak sometimes."

"But you're my neurotic freak." He kissed her temple and smiled. "It's okay to be worried, keeps you on your toes and our secret hidden."


After dinner was cleaned up, Andy pulled out her laptop and when she brought up her email she saw one from Frank with the subject 'Suspension.' Sam had just grabbed another beer when he saw the worried look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I have an email from Frank."

"And?"

"I don't know. I'm afraid to open it."

"You won't know what it says until you open it," he said, sitting down next to her on the couch.

She hesitated for another minute, but finally clicked the message to open it. She skimmed through it quickly and let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "It just says when my tribunal is scheduled for. Exactly on the 90th day of the suspension. Guess there's no chance the suspension will be reduced."

She passed the laptop to him, knowing he'd want to check his email. A few minutes later he was reading a similar email. "My meeting is scheduled the same day."

"Do you think they'll reinstate us?"

"We're great cops, they have to. And Boyd is the one at fault for what happened. Nothing we did compromised me or the op," he replied.

"What are we gonna say to the tribunal?" she asked nervously.

"I'm going to tell them my personal life is none of their business and it has not gotten in the way of me doing my job. The same thing I've already told you," he replied, passing the laptop back to her.

She shook her head, knowing she could never get away with saying that to the tribunal. "Yeah, well, I'm not in the same position as you. You break all the rules, you do whatever you want, but that's not me. I'm only two years on this job, a job I really love."

"So, what...what are you going to tell them?"

"I guess, that I've learned my lesson, the hard way. And I've followed every rule of the suspension and I'll continue to do so if I'm reinstated." She paused as she thought about what else she might say. "That I'm here to keep my emotions in check and to protect and serve because that is my job and god knows, I love my job."

"So, you'll lie." Sam was blunt as his frustration was boiling to the surface.

"Isn't that what we're doing right now? I obviously can't tell them I ran off with you and violated one of the main rules they imposed. And in doing so I did exactly the same thing I did while you were undercover and what got us in trouble in the first place." She got up from the couch and paced the room.

Sam sighed and ran a hand over his face. He didn't know what the right answer was, or even if there was a right answer. Maybe three months from now he'd come up with something better to tell the tribunal.

"We just started this thing with us and already it's built on lie after lie," she pouted, leaning against the back of the couch.

Sam got up and walked over to her, crouching down so they were eye to eye. "We might have to lie to others right now. But I will never lie to you, Andy. Trust me on that."

She closed her eyes as his hands framed her face. She wanted to believe it, that they'd never lie to each other. And she wanted to feel okay about lying to her friends. "I know we have to lie to them. I just hate that we have to."

"Me too. But it's either lie to them or not see you for three months. And plan B doesn't work for me." Seeing her lips curve up in a small smile, he covered his mouth with hers. When the need for air became too strong, he pulled back, but kept his face close to hers. "We'll figure it out, what to say to the tribunal. I'm not going to let either of us lose our job."

She brushed her fingertips along his cheek. "I trust you." As he pulled her into a hug, she silently finished the thought. I trust you with my heart, my body, my life.

When he tensed a bit as she squeezed him too hard, she realized Sam had been purposely avoiding letting her see his injuries. He'd worn a t-shirt to bed every night, and changed in the bathroom or at least with his back to her if they were in the same room. "Sam, we should change your bandages. You haven't let me see them, really look at your injuries, in days. I want to make sure they're healing, that we don't need to take you to a doctor here." With the way he was hiding his bruises from her, she was worried something was wrong.

"I'm fine. I'll change everything when I take a shower tomorrow." When Andy continued to stare at him, he knew he wasn't getting out of this. "Okay, bandages are in the bathroom." While Andy went to get the supplies, Sam stripped down to his boxers and sat on the edge of the bed. When she returned, she couldn't help but grin as he sat practically naked in front of her. She let her eyes slowly travel over his toned chest and abs, the trail of hair that led down to the waistband of his boxes, his strong arms that he held her with. Her eyes finally met his and a blush crept over her face as she realized he'd been watching her stare at him.

She quickly sat next to him cross-legged, dumping the supplies in a pile next to her. Sam leaned back on his good hand and Andy slowly removed the white cotton padding on his torso. It had long since transformed from red to a large ugly blue bruise. Her fingers lightly traced over the temporary mark, which caused a shiver to travel down Sam's spine. She took a warm wash cloth and rubbed it gently over the bruise, looking up at him to make sure she wasn't causing him any pain. She dried it with as much tenderness and picked up the ointment the doctor had given him before leaving Toronto. "This is going to be cold," she said, after placing some of it on her hand. Sam nodded, but jumped slightly when her hand came into contact with his skin. "Sorry," she mumbled, but he only smiled. When she was done, she pulled a few cotton pads out of a bag and situated them over his bruise, holding them in place as she taped them down.

She was silent as she picked up his hand that was covered in a brace. He hadn't let her see his wrist at all, but she was determined. "Andy, what are you doing?"

Her eyes met his as she held his wrist gently. "You promised you'd let me see and you haven't. And I researched it; this ointment will help your wrist heal quicker." She decided not to mention the research included her going to see Monica and asking how to take care of his injuries. She knew as soon as she said it was for Sam, Monica would be discreet and not tell anyone. Andy slowly and gently undid the straps holding the brace on his arm. Moving at a snail's pace in fear of causing him pain, she opened the brace and laid it next to them on the bed. His wrist wasn't as bruised as she expected it to be, but she also knew this injury was mostly underneath the skin. She carefully massaged his wrist and fingers as she was taught, before squeezing some ointment on her palm. She continued to massage his wrist and hand with the ointment. When she was finished, she replaced the brace, making sure it was secured and protecting his wrist and hand.

"How'd you know what to do?" he finally asked as she squeezed more ointment on her hands.

"I gave someone a list of your injuries and asked how best to treat them at home." She glanced up at him before her eyes traveled to the bruise on the outside of his thigh. All she had to do was rub lotion on it, but its location high on his leg was making her blush despite the fact they'd already been intimate. She was carefully rubbing her hands over the bruise, but heard Sam's breath hitch as she accidentally hit the edge of his boxes.

"Andy..." he warned with gritted teeth.

"Sorry," she said and stopped rubbing the ointment in. "How's the cut on your head?"

"It's fine, pretty much healed I think. Could probably use a kiss to make it all better," he said, smirking. Andy rolled her eyes, but got on her knees so she could place a kiss near his temple. He took the opportunity of her being slightly off balance to grab her around the waist and tug her onto his lap.

"Sam!" she squealed. "I'm gonna hurt you."

"I'm not glass, Andy. My injuries are healing just fine." The fingers peeking out from his braced hand delicately tucked a stray hair behind her ear as he stared into her eyes. When she didn't move, he leaned in and nuzzled her nose with his before pressing his lips to hers.

"Are you sure?" she mumbled against his lips.

"Mmmhmm."

Andy shifted so she was straddling Sam and framed his face with her hands before her lips found his again. His hands found the hem of her shirt, his fingers grazing against the skin at the small of her back. Deciding she had far too many clothes on, he pulled her shirt over her head, forcing their lips to part briefly, and tossed it to the floor. Sam scooted further back on the bed, tugging Andy along with him, but she lost her balanced and landed on his chest. "Oh god, are you okay?" She pushed herself up off of him quickly and looked at the white cotton padding she'd just replaced.

"Didn't know you thought I was a god." He smirked as he nudged her chin so she would look him in the eye. When she saw the look on his face, she rolled eyes. She leaned down, her hair cascading down around both their faces, and kissed him passionately.


Andy blinked a few times, squinted, then shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight coming through the window. "We forgot to shut the blinds," she mumbled, knowing Sam was already awake. She hadn't even looked over at him, but she just had this sixth sense about him and knew he was staring at her.

"We were a little preoccupied," he teased, rolling on his side to face her. She mimicked his position, facing him and finally prying open her eyes. "Good morning." He leaned in to kiss her.

"Morning," she said sleepily as she pulled the comforter tighter around her. She saw his hand lying on the pillow in front of her and grasped it in her own hand, lacing their fingers together. "I'm sorry if I've been too careful, treating you like you're fragile."

"I get it. But as you can see, you aren't going to break me."

"Good to know." She pressed her smiling lips to his.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked when they parted. Andy bit her bottom lip to stop from grinning and Sam knew he was in for it. "McNally."

"I wanna go shopping." He looked at her incredulously. "Come on, I need to get souvenirs to bring back to everyone otherwise no one will believe my story."

"What does a person buy in Temagami?" he asked.

"Tchotchkes, camping gear, sleeping bags. I hear there's a lot of great stuff in fleece." She shrugged her shoulders and pouted a little, knowing he couldn't resist her.

"Fine. Do you know where you want to go?"

A smile erupted on her face and she gave him a wet, sloppy kiss. "There are a bunch of stores in the center of town." She sat up, looking around for where her clothes ended up the night before, but Sam wasn't letting her go. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her toward him until she was lying on top of him.

"Not so fast." He silenced her giggle with his lips and wrapped his arms around her so she was pressed up against him. "What do I get in return?" he mumbled against her lips.

Andy pulled her head back and Sam saw a mischievous grin. "I may have gone shopping before our little trip and picked up something lavender and lacey. You might just get to see it if you're good."

His armed tightened around her, with one hand venturing very close to a spot he knew was ticklish. "Might?"

"Sam..." Her eyes widened and she squirmed as his fingers brushed against the ticklish spot on her side. Before she could say anything else, he rolled them over and began unrelentingly tickling her. "Sam!" she squealed.

"Wanna rethink that McNally?"

"Okay! Okay! You will see it, you will! Sam, stop! Saaaam!"

"Better." He kissed her and released her from his hands.