Chapter Two

When the alarm went off the next morning – Andy having remembered to put her phone safely on her side of the bed, given Sam's tendency to turn it off so they could stay in bed a little longer – the morning routine of coffee, shower, more coffee and a bite of breakfast went unusually smoothly. As she checked her hair and makeup in the bathroom mirror, Andy smiled at the sound of Sam humming to himself in the bedroom. Now that was something most people wouldn't have believed, not all that long ago. Great cop, smart, funny, compassionate, but not the kind of guy who goes around humming. Ever since the wedding it seemed that Sam had reached a whole new level of emotional wellbeing that was part contentment, part peace of mind, and it warmed Andy's heart to see him this way.

"Let's go, Mr. McNally," she called as she buttoned her jacket and picked up her go bag. The keys for the truck were in a bowl on the hall table, and she chuckled as she picked them up and headed out the door. The new system to determine who would drive in the morning was based on whoever grabbed the keys first; the other would drive home. It wasn't all that often that Andy got to them first. Her seatbelt was already buckled by the time Sam came out the door, and she made a point of checking her watch, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Let's go, Mrs. Swarek," Sam said as he settled into the passenger seat. "Do you know who you're riding with today?"

"Maybe Chloe?" Andy replied. "I know Oliver likes his little mix-and-match games, but I like settling in with one partner for a while. That way you can develop a routine, get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. I think that benefits everybody."

"Well, I'd have to agree that it was certainly a benefit for me, being partnered with one person for a good long stretch." Sam reached over to stroke the back of Andy's neck, then gave her a mini-neck rub. Andy purred a little, patting his hand as it rested on her shoulder.

"If you're doing that so I'll relax, it really isn't necessary," she said with a smile. "I don't think I could get much more relaxed after last night."

"And this morning? Let's not forget about this morning!"

"Well, yes, this morning was particularly memorable, with Boo jumping on the bed wanting to play too!" Andy laughed. "Didn't you find that a little distracting?"

"Did I seem distracted to you, McNally? I don't think my attention lost any focus, Boo or no Boo. If you have any complaints, though, I'll try to make up for it tonight. Satisfaction guaranteed, that's my motto."

"Oh, yes, I was perfectly satisfied," Andy replied as she pulled in to a parking spot right beside Traci's car. "If I had any complaints I'd let you know right away."

"I'm sure you would," Sam chuckled, getting out of the truck and waiting at the back for Andy to join him. He gave her a quick kiss before taking her hand and heading for the door. They had both agreed that they would try to keep the PDAs to a minimum during working hours.

Traci was fixing two coffees when Sam came into the lunchroom. "How are you liking Guns and Gangs, Nash?" Sam asked.

"I'd have to say it's a work in progress," Traci replied. "There's already a great network of CIs, all the records are well organized, and everyone there has been very co-operative. It could have been really awkward, all things considered, but I think it's going OK."

"That's great," Sam said sincerely. "You've handled yourself so well, and with so much integrity, that before you even started you had already earned their respect, and that's half the battle."

"Thanks, Swarek, I appreciate that," Traci said seriously. "This isn't where I thought my career would go, but I plan to make the best of it. Now I gotta go before this coffee gets cold."

"Who's the second cup for, Nash?" Sam asked with a grin.

"Nobody – I always take two," Traci threw back over her shoulder as she hurried out of the lunchroom.

"I'm sure Bailey will enjoy it," Sam called after her.

It was a quiet day, all things considered; usually the pre-Christmas period was full of shoplifting calls, smash-and-grab car thefts, and impaired drivers weaving their way home from office parties, but all the calls were handled easily and the shift ended with no call for overtime. Sam and Andy headed for the Penny so they could catch up with their friends.

The Penny never seemed to change. Dov and Chloe were there playing darts with Chris, Nick and Juliet, although most people agreed that arming the easily-distracted Chloe with darts wasn't the greatest idea. So far there didn't seem to be any puncture wounds, but the night was young.

Oliver was sitting with Traci, deep in conversation. Sam and Andy made their way to join them after Sam got a pitcher of beer from the bar. "This looks pretty serious, guys – what's going on?" Andy asked, leaning over to give Traci a quick hug.

"Is it OK to tell them about the party?" Oliver asked Traci in an exaggerated stage whisper. "I don't want to hurt their feelings if they're not invited."

Traci laughingly reassured him that they were already invited, so Oliver patted the seat of the chair beside him for Andy to sit down. "I've offered to help with the party," he said, "but Nash doesn't seem to want my and Celery's assistance. I told her it's too much for her to organize all by herself, but she swears she'll manage,"

"Well, she'll get all the help she needs from – ow!" Sam yelped, looking at Andy with a pained expression. "What was that for?"

"I just need to tell you something," Andy muttered as she stood up and grabbed Sam's hand. "We'll be right back," she directed at Oliver, leaving him with a puzzled look on his face.

She dragged Sam a few feet away from the table and turned so her back was to Oliver. "I don't think she's told anybody else about Bailey," she said urgently. "I think the big reveal will be at the party."

"Oops, sorry, but you need to give me a heads-up about things like that, so you don't have to kick me under the table."

"I'm so sorry," Andy said sweetly. "I promise I'll make it feel all better when we get home."

"All right then," Sam said, and turned her around to head back to the table. Andy gave a little yelp as she felt him cup her behind and give a little squeeze.

Oliver looked confused and Traci seemed flustered when Sam and Andy joined them, but before too long Oliver was telling Traci some of Sam's misadventures while working undercover for Guns and Gangs. Traci was gasping for breath with tears streaming down her face when Sam finally interrupted Oliver's storytelling with a few gems from the staff sergeant's early years. Pretty soon after that Oliver was checking his watch and muttering about an early morning start, and the friends went their separate ways.

"Do you want anything?" Andy called from the kitchen as Sam checked the mail in the living room.

"Nah, I think I'm good," he said as he divided the mail between the in-box on the counter and the recycling box by the back door. "It must be just about bedtime, don't you think?" he murmured into her ear, poking his chin over her shoulder. He started nibbling gently at the side of her neck until she ducked out from under his arms and took his hand.

"Bedtime it is," she replied, and led the way down the hall.