The minute Andy woke up the following morning, she felt content and at peace. She felt how her pillow kept gently moving up and down and then the past couple of days at work came rushing back….Benny, the kidnapped girls and her shooting someone, showing up at Sam's and kissing him. Wow. Kissing Sam. Who knew doing something so wrong could make her feel so many emotions. She breathed a deep sigh as she felt Sam's heart beating underneath her palm. Andy moved her left hand up her right arm and entwined her fingers with Sam's. She didn't want him to let her go.
Andy slowly tilted her head back so as not to wake Sam. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She ran her hand up his chest and neck to his cheek. The stubble from not shaving felt rough but smooth on her fingertips. She was tracing his lower lip with her finger when Andy felt his fingers tighten around hers and his arm pull her closer to his chest.
"Hi."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Andy wanted to keep touching him and feeling his skin. She also knew when they were both finally awake he would want to talk; try and figure out what happened last night.
"It's fine. You feeling better?" Sam asked. "Yesterday was hard, especially for you, given what happened."
Andy sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the concern and worry for her etched in Sam's eyes. Andy slowly sat up wrapping the sheet around her. "We should talk, about yesterday and last night. About what did and didn't happen."
"Talking would be good," Sam said as he too sat up. He knew Andy didn't want to have to face him when they got everything out in the open, but he wasn't going to let her push him away. He moved his hand in soothing circles on her back.
"I don't know where to start really. The whole thing with Benny just pissed me off because him dying was completely avoidable and nobody seemed to care. All they wanted was their damn evidence and to hell with a woman who lost her son. But yesterday, God…." Andy ran her fingers through her hair to the back of her neck. Sam could hear her voice begin to shake and gently ran his hand up Andy's back to grab her hand in his own. Andy exhaled deeply, moved her hand on top of Sam's to press his palm onto her neck and began to talk again. "When I was walking in that basement, my breathing sounded like it was bouncing off the walls right back at me. Every sound made me jump. My flashlight landed on the girl and I was trying to comfort her when all I wanted to do was run away. I walked a few more steps and he was just there. I told him to stop and put his hands up but he just kept coming. He wouldn't listen to me, he wouldn't stop walking and then he reached for Shaw's gun and I hear myself scream and I'm firing my gun and…"
Sam could hear the hysteria and doubt in her voice. He knew he had to try and get through to her. Sam moved down on the bed until he could turn around and face her. He hooked his finger underneath her chin and lifted her face until they were eye to eye. "Andy, listen to me. You did everything right; you listened to your instincts." Andy shook her head. "Sam, you…"
"You acted like a cop Andy." Who knew six words could bring such hope to someone's eyes. "I saw it and so will the union rep. You'll be back at work on no time."
Andy was still uncertain. "You really think the review board will declare it a clean shooting?"
Sam cupped her cheek in his hand. "You were defending your life Andy. He already shot one cop and he had every intention of shooting you. You did everything right."
"That doesn't make the fact that I took someone's life any easier."
"Being a cop isn't easy Andy, but I am so glad you're okay." Sam moved his hand down her arm and grabbed Andy's hand, entwining their fingers. "You have no idea how scared I was when Shaw told me you went after the suspect on your own. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you. Andy, we need talk about last night."