And here is the second chapter in which some questions are answered. Hope y'all enjoy. Leave a review, I love 'em!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter Two – First Day Jitters
"I am freaking out, Jules!" Andy said hurriedly, her hands twisting and pulling her dark hair into some semblance of order on the top of her head.
"Breathe, girl, you're going to do great," Came the reply, slightly muffled and with an echo.
Andy glanced down at her iPad she had propped against her jewelry box on top of her bureau. Her best friend Jules Callahan looked back at her with a smirk. Andy had called her on Skype right after waking up with bats in her stomach. No ordinary butterflies for Andy McNally, she had to have freaking giant bats flapping around her stomach instead.
"Easy for you to say," Andy muttered, holding up two different earrings to show Jules, who pointed to the left pair and shook her head when Andy raised her right hand instead. "You're not the one walking in to the same division your father was kindly asked to retire from and then escorted out of."
"Quite complaining, you knew there was the possibility of being assigned to 15 when you put in the transfer," Jules reminded her. She took a sip of her orange juice and glanced behind her.
"Someone with you?" Andy asked, her gaze landing on and holding Jules' eyes. "A certain tall attractive blond?"
Jules grinned and shrugged, "don't change the subject."
"Fine. I was praying for 36 or 27," Andy said exasperatedly. "I even went to confession," she admitted with a sheepish grin.
"Seriously? What did you confess to?" Jules giggled.
Andy moved away from the bureau to the closet to grab her beat to hell black boots. "What is said in confession is supposed to be private and between me, my priest and God," Andy stated, going back over to the bureau and gave herself a good look.
"Right, sure it is," Jules replied with a knowing smile. "You have no reason to be ashamed about your dad and what went down with him. You are a strong independent badass woman who can probably give every single one of the veteran cops a run for their money in hand to hand defense, drawing a weapon . . . I could go on," Jules said with a little sass.
Andy groaned, picked up the iPad and headed towards the living room. She propped it against a cushion on the sofa. She pulled a foot up onto the coffee table to shove her boot on.
"Nuh-uh, you are not wearing your craptastic boots with that outfit!" Jules exclaimed, shaking her head wildly. "You are wearing your grey heeled booties."
"Jules! Those have nearly four inch heels, I am not wearing those all day!" Andy protested.
"Yes, you are! You are not spending the day chasing down bad guys. You'll most likely spend the day behind a desk," Jules replied. She glanced back behind her and made a waving motion with her hand and shook her head.
"He is totally there, isn't he?" Andy asked. "Hey, Braddock, you might as well come out of hiding," she raised her voice even though he could probably hear her just fine.
A moment later, Sam Braddock appeared on the screen. "Hey, sweetie! Don' worry I didn't see or hear anything incriminating."
"Look, wear the booties, it'll make you feel invincible. You're going to do great," Jules reiterated, her face close to Sam's so she could both of them.
"Yeah, you aced the exams, you're a natural," Sam agreed with a wide smile.
"Okay," Andy breathed, trying to calm her racing heart. "I'll call tonight to let you know how it went."
Sam and Jules agreed, calling out good-byes and best wishes as the line went dead.
Andy trudged back in to her bedroom, threw the boots towards the back of the closet with a mental note to just throw them away at some point and grabbed the box with the booties. They had been an impulse buy after she found out she had passed the exams with flying colors. Jules had gone with her and practically dragged her to the check out counter to purchase them. They were suede and ridiculously expensive, but she loved how they looked on her.
She slipped on the shoes and went to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room to take stock of her appearance. Not bad, she thought. The glint of her necklace caught her eye and with a frown she pulled it out of the neckline of her shirt. Shaking her head, she dropped it back under her shirt and walked briskly out of the bedroom.
Once in the living room, Andy grabbed her purse and slung it across her shoulder. On the table just inside the front door, her hip holster and service weapon sat beside a handmade wicker basket filled with seashells. As though in a trance, she clipped her holster to her belt and pocketed her car keys, never once taking her eyes off the picture beside the bowl. With a hard shake of her head, she took off the chain, removed her rings and put the chain back around her neck feeling the heavy weight settle between her breasts. Andy let out a shaky breath as she felt the cool familiar weight of her wedding band and engagement ring settle on her finger. She kissed her fingers, pressed them briefly to the face in the picture and left.
It was nearly time for parade when Sam finally pulled his truck into the division parking lot. He had spent the better part of three weeks at Headquarters getting debriefed by Boyd and his superiors, cleaning his house, visiting his sister and just acclimating back to civilian life. He had been given the choice of manning the wire room at GnG or back to patrol the streets. He refused to sit in a dark cramped room listening to other UC's, which is why he found himself staring at 15 Division trying to remember how to patrol.
A quick pound on the window caused him to jump. Ollie stood outside grinning at him goofily. Sam smirked and climbed out of the truck.
"So, back in the trenches, huh?" Ollie asked as they headed in.
"Just until another UC opens up," Sam replied, slapping his hand on Ollie's back. "What did I miss?"
"New rookies, four of 'em. One is a Peck . . .," Ollie answered, nodding towards a svelte blond with ruby red lips sulking at the coffee machine.
Sam whistled low and took a quick survey of the bullpen. Most officers were heading towards the parade room, faint sounds of dry firing in the weapons room and the clink of lockers echoing as the doors to the locker rooms opened and closed. Very little had changed and Sam took comfort in that. It was like coming home. His eyes landed on the Staff Sergeant's office and then his eyebrows rose high into his hairline.
"Yeah, Frank Best is the new Staff Sergeant. Boyko moved on to a promotion about a week ago," Ollie stated.
Best behind the desk had nothing to do with Sam's reaction and everything to do with the woman sitting in the chair opposite him. They were in deep conversation and as he watched, Best handed her a badge with a smile. Sam turned on his heel and fled down the corridor to the men's locker room, his heart pounding in his throat.
"Sam!" Ollie called after him, but got nothing in reply except the slamming of the door. "What the hell?"
Andy stroked her brand new badge and felt tears spring into her eyes. She blinked them away quickly and raised her eyes to look at her new boss. He gave her a wide smile flashing brilliant white teeth. She had liked him immediately, he didn't have the father vibe she had gotten from Parker, but he was open, friendly and straightforward with what he expected of her and that was a good feeling.
"We have three teams of two homicide detectives. You'll work six days on and then two off with the third being on-call and then it starts over," Best explained, his eyes boring into hers.
Andy nodded.
"You're considered a rookie, so expect grunt work," he continued.
"Coffee runs, copying, observing," Andy recited with a small grin. Now that she was there learning her new duties, she was excited. A moment of panic in the parking lot had set in, but faded as she followed two guys in, they had been arguing about an Xbox game.
"I'm going to partner you with Detectives Callaghan and Barber. You'll be on the same schedule as them. We might switch it up with the others in the future, but they are the best to train you," Best went on as though she hadn't interrupted. "We have parade at the beginning of every shift, detectives aren't required to attend, but most do and a lot of times one will lead parade if there is a particular homicide that needs to be addressed."
She had vivid memories of attending parade some mornings with her father when she was younger. He would bring her, they'd have a coffee together and then he'd take the cruiser to drop her off at school. Those were during the days after her mom had left and he didn't want her out of his sight unless at school. It would be interesting to see parade as a participant.
"Why don't I introduce you to Callaghan and Barber?" Best said standing up.
Andy mentally shook her self to clear out the memories, stood up, slipped her new badge onto her belt, checked her weapon and followed him out of the office. She was surprised to see the bullpen nearly empty, just a handful hanging around. She followed Best to an office she would recognize anywhere.
"Hey, Callaghan! Barber!" Best yelled from the doorway, ushering her in.
A lanky blond turned away from a white board covered in pictures and notes and headed towards them. The other was shorter with slick black hair, goatee and an expensive looking suit walked over.
"Guys, this is Andy McNally," Best introduced. They all shook hands and exchanged hellos. "She is our newest homicide Detective. Passed her exams with the highest score to date," he explained.
Both guys looked impressed. The tall one, Luke, had obvious interest in his eyes and she was glad she had put her rings on before leaving. Jerry Barber had a voice like silk and a glint of humor in his eyes. Andy had been expecting to be paired with detectives more her father's age than two closer to her own. It would make for an interesting time.
"We'll take good care of her, Sarge," Jerry said, bumping shoulders with her.
"I want you at parade to introduce Andy and welcome her to 15," Best said and strode out of the room.
They all looked at each other, Callaghan and Barber communicating to each other with their eyes, Andy figured they came up with some agreement because Callaghan . . .Luke . . .gestured for her to head towards the parade room.
"Jerry avoids parade any chance he gets. Most likely we'll just send you the next few shifts until you get a feel for what goes on around here," Luke explained, his hand rested lightly on her back as he ushered her forward. Andy tensed a bit at the contact, but grit her teeth and bore it.
He knew exactly when she entered the parade room. The conversations in the back of the room stalled for a moment before picking back up. He stood with Oliver along the back wall, his arms folded across his chest. His uniform smelled of starch and hung a little looser on his body than he cared for, the weight of his duty belt was unfamiliar and the scrape of the radio against his shoulder irritated the shit out of him, but all of that faded into the background when he chanced a glance to his right.
His breath caught in his throat and he choked on it. He was starting to hate the way his body responded to her. Ollie glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. Sam shook his head and looked back at the front of the room where Best had made his way to the podium.
Andy stood next to Luke just inside the doorway. Three weeks ago, she had worn SRU standard issue uniform and arsenal of weapons, looking for the entire world as dangerous and lethal as a sniper. Today, she wore soft black pants that hugged her curves; a crisp white button up with short sleeves and her hair is riotous curls on top of her head. The badge and gun at her hip fit like a glove and she wore both with ease. She stood tall next to Luke and looked around the room as though planning an exit strategy in case of a bomb.
She looked nothing like he remembered and yet, exactly as he remembered her. The curve of her smile, the glint of humor in her eyes and the . . . get a grip, Swarek, he yelled at himself.
"Okay, coppers of 15! We have a new body to welcome," Best began. "Detective Andy McNally has come to us straight from SRU. She was an integral part of the take down of Anton Hill."
He held for applause and hoots that broke out. Sam grinned when he caught sight the flush that crept up her neck to her cheeks. She wasn't used to the attention. And she hadn't yet noticed him in the room, which kind of annoyed him. He wanted her to feel just a touch of what he was feeling since the last time they had been together.
"She has joined us as a homicide detective. She will be partnered with Callaghan and Barber. I trust you all to welcome her to our family and help her in any way she needs as she acclimates to her new position here at 15," Best finished.
Most of the coppers had turned to wave hello or nod a head her direction. Luke's presence at her side was calming in a way she wasn't expecting. Andy made out the row of rookie cops in the front and instantly liked the two guys she had followed in that morning. They both grinned at her in camaraderie – like rookie to rookie, they were in the same boat just on different sides – copper and detective.
If any had connected the dots with her last name to her father's, they hid it well. She only recognized one or two in the room who would have personally known him and they both had given her reassuring smiles. So one fear assuaged.
"Time to go," Luke whispered and placed a hand against her back again to walk her out.
It was then she noticed the rest of the coppers were heading out towards the sally port. She had missed the rest of Best's speech.
Luke led her back to the D's office – that's what he called it. It was actually two floors, the main floor had four desks and the loft area had another three desks – it was directly across from Best's office and had another door up there as well. Luke led her up to the loft. The closest desk had files scattered across the surface, the computer had a screensaver of sports cars that changed three times before Andy made it all the way up the stairs. The next desk was clean, the files piled neatly in one corner, a cellphone propped in a holder next to the computer. The last, facing the neat desk, was empty save for the computer and phone.
"This will be your desk. You can go down to the supply room and pick up whatever you think you might need. It's best to grab as much as you can, because Frank's secretary, who was also Boyko's, keeps forgetting to order more supplies until we're stuck buying them ourselves," Luke explained, dropping down in to his own chair.
He leaned back and studied Andy. She wasn't a typical rookie detective – those usually came straight from patrolling the streets and felt they knew more than they really did. Best had already given him some background on her in preparation for her coming to 15. He knew she had been a sniper and negotiator for SRU. She had been placed on their elite Team 1; only the best SRU officers were offered positions. He wondered how many kill shots she had taken. He wondered who her husband was and what he did for a living to afford such a fat rock on her finger. And against his wishes, he wondered if her body was as hard as the muscles in her arms suggested or if there were hidden soft curves and just what it would feel like to have her underneath him, naked and writhing.
Andy had sat down during his musings and took stock of her new workspace. At SRU, she had a weight room and mandatory sessions with Ed to stay strong. There had been a firing range made up of twisting hallways and fog machines and every other distraction available to keep her weapon skills honed. She had traded it all for a desk in an office shared with six others.
"Desk duty? Seriously, Frank?" Sam had cornered the Sarge as soon as he saw what his assignment had been.
"Sam, you've been out of practice for nearly ten months," Best explained exasperation evident in his voice. "You'll take the next three shifts on desk and then we'll talk about sending you out on patrol."
"Frank, come on! I think I can handle a couple of traffic stops," Sam cajoled; he was desperate to get out of the barn. He had seen Andy head back to the D's office and given that he was now in Best's office, they were on the same level and only a couple of windows and doors separated them. She still had not acknowledged his presence. He was about to storm in there and shake her hard – or quite possibly take her in his arms and never let go.
"Sammy," Best warned in a low voice. "Desk duty for three shifts and if I hear another complaint you'll be on it indefinitely."
Sam growled and stormed out of the office. He chanced a glance towards Andy and caught the stare Luke was giving her. It made his stomach clench. At least some things never changed. Luke picked a new rookie to romance every time they were assigned to 15 and apparently rookie detectives made the cut as well.
Andy took Luke's advice and headed down to the supply room to stock up. He had given her a box and a list of items she'd want to look for. Barber was studying for a court appearance in one of the conference rooms and Luke had paperwork to catch up on, so she wasn't needed for anything yet.
She spent a good thirty minutes in the musty room, picking out pens and legal note pads, a three-hole punch, hanging folders for her desk drawers, a flat desk calendar, a cup for holding her pens, stapler and just about anything else that would fit in the box.
He had just prepared the best cup of coffee possible with the mediocre coffee pot and was heading back to the front desk where he had left the rookie Dove? Dov? Who the hell knew, the kid talked too much and had more energy than a kid hyped up on caffeine and candy. Sam already had a headache. He had to leave just to get away from the constant questions about undercover work.
So he wasn't really watching where he was walking. He had his head down to watch the coffee swirl in the cup. And he didn't exactly hear the click clack of heels until it was too late.
"Goddammit!" He grunted and growled as the hot liquid poured over the rim and onto his had and down his uniform. "Watch where you're going, buddy!" He yelled and only then looked up.
Dark chocolate eyes met his and held. A box had fallen to the floor and spilled its contents, coffee dripped onto paper and still he couldn't tear his eyes away.
In an instant he had been transported to the past.
"Hey!"
"Watch it!"
Sam had just turned the corner to head back to the front desk, coffee clutched in his hand and fuming about being stuck on desk . . . again, when a solid whirlwind crashed in to him, spilling coffee over his hand and down his newly dry cleaned uniform.
"Goddammit! Watch it, buddy!" He yelled.
"Sorry! You were in my way," she said and then skated away – literally, on scuffed white skates with bright red wheels, light brown pigtails streaming behind her.
Sam watched incredulously as she made her way around the bullpen at breakneck speed, dodging coppers and D's deftly. Most smiled as she passed, some tried to pat her head, but she was moving too fast for them. She stopped just outside the D's office and through the window, Sam saw Detective McNally look up and smile at her.
The girl couldn't have been more than ten and yet was tall – coltish legs with knobby knees. She wore a Catholic school uniform of plaid dress and white ruffled shirt underneath, navy stockings to her scraped knees, and pigtails with red ribbons. A heavy knapsack bounced on her back. Tommy gave her a hug and kisses and sent her on her way.
"Who is that?" Sam asked the cop he was stuck with at the desk.
"McNally's daughter. You'll get used to her, she's here nearly every day after school," he replied barely looking up from the desk.
"I'm going to change," Sam muttered and headed back out, tossing the ruined cup of coffee into the trash.
Ten minutes later in a fresh uniform, Sam walked back to the coffee machine. He found the girl there expertly making a pot. He raised his eyebrows at her and watched in amusement.
"I'm Andy," she said to him with a blinding white smile. "You're Swarek?"
"Yeah, how'd you . . . " he stuttered.
"Duh!" She rolled her eyes and pointed at his chest.
He held in a groan. Of course, it's on his stupid nametag.
"You should be more careful where you skate," he said trying to take control of the situation. "Like outside."
"You should watch where you walk," she retorted.
"You should watch how you speak to your elders," he shot back.
"How old are you?" She asked, turning to look at him fully.
With her skates on she came up nearly to his shoulders. It was a little disconcerting for someone with a child's face to be so close to his. She was a pretty child with a pointed chin, a nose that tipped up at the end, wide dark chocolate eyes and thick brown hair that had probably been wrestled into two pigtails in the morning as the elastic holding them was falling out.
"How old are you?" He asked back, dodging her question.
"Twelve. You?"
"You go to St. Ann's?" Sidestepping her question again.
"Yeah, sixth grade," she replied with a shrug. The coffee pot had finished brewing and she deftly poured the steaming liquid into a Styrofoam cup. She emptied in two sugar packets, gave it a swirl with a swizzle stick and then handed it to him. "Black, two sugars."
He stared at her dumbfounded. How on earth did she know that? She still held the cup out expectantly, but the longer he went on staring at her, the more her smile faded.
"That's how you take it, right?" She asked worriedly, like she had done something wrong – as if running him over on her skates was nothing compared to getting how he took his coffee wrong.
"Uh . . .yeah," he answered, swallowing hard and took the cup from her. Their fingers brushed and he swore he felt a jolt in his stomach. It made him sick. She was twelve! Twelve! Baby faced with pudgy cheeks and knobby knees, why in the hell . . .
Andy suddenly smiled wide. He watched as she turned and skated off towards the D's office again.
"Detective McNally!" Dov's voice dragged Sam back to the present. Dov had already scurried to the front of the desk and squat down to help clean up the mess on the floor.
Sam couldn't tear his eyes away from Andy even after she dropped to her knees to help Dov, the memory of there first meeting too vivid in his mind.
"It's just Andy," she said quietly to the rookie cop.
"Dov Epstein," he replied with a quick smile. "Getting settled in? No fresh bodies?"
"Not yet," Andy answered, throwing the last bits of office supplies into the box. She went to pick up the box, but Dov stopped her with a wave of his hand.
"I'll just take this up for you," he said and walked away, which irritated the shit out of Sam as he was left stuck at the front desk by him self. Andy was still crouched on the floor, so he held out a hand to help her up.
Her hand was warm in his. He didn't particularly care for the jolt of electricity that started in his gut and traveled further south rapidly. Sam took a shaky breath and released her hand.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, pushing an escaped curl back behind her ear.
That's when he noticed it. A sparkle and glint of silver on her finger, her ring finger on her left hand. His eyes followed her hand as it went from her ear back down to rest against her thigh. Nestled together on her finger was a wedding band and engagement ring with a rock he would never be able to afford. Sam could feel his eyes narrow and anger replace the pleasant jolt holding her hand had given him. He knew he had no reason to be angry, it had been seven years, but her getting married had never once crossed his mind as a possibility of happening.
Andy saw the shift in his stance and the expression on his face turn from happiness to . . . anger? She followed his line of sight and saw he had fixated on her wedding ring. She straightened her spine and flexed her hand, the motion causing Sam to look back up at her.
"I'm sorry for spilling your coffee, Officer Swarek," Andy said softly and slowly. "I'll watch where I walk from now on."
With that, she turned on her heel . . .really gorgeous heeled boots that made her legs look longer, Sam thought before he could tamp it down . . . and stalked away towards the bullpen.
Sam cursed and stomped towards the men's locker room. He saw Dov was on his way over, so he glowered at him and jerked his thumb towards the desk. Dov sprinted across the bullpen and hit the chair spinning.
Ten minutes later, Sam was back at the desk in a fresh uniform with a pounding headache. He had forgotten to grab a new cup of coffee and was about to head over to get one when he saw a cup sitting on the desk.
"For you," Dov said with a grin. Sam grimaced until he saw the message written in bold red on the Styrofoam cup.
Black, two sugars. Sorry!
And, dammit his heart did not skip a beat or two . . .. It did not!
The Penny was darker than she remembered. It also had different music playing out of a newer CD jukebox and cleaner tables. It had been a few years since she had had to drag her father out of the bar drunk and belligerent. She hadn't wanted to come but Jerry and Luke begged her until she agreed to stop for one beer.
"Andy McNally!" A warm and familiar voice called over the din of off-duty coppers. "As I live and breathe!"
Strong arms wrapped around her and swung her in a wide circle. Liam set her down with a smile and kissed both her cheeks. "It's been forever since I've seen your beautiful face!"
"It's good to see you too, Liam," Andy replied breathlessly.
"What can I get you?" He asked pulling her towards a barstool before getting back behind the bar.
"Whatever's on tap," Andy answered. She glanced around the room and found Jerry and Luke at a table in the corner of the room. Sam was nowhere to be found, which was a relief. It had taken her all of her self-control to focus on the files Luke gave her to go over when all she really wanted to do was stare at him working the front desk. It had been too similar to the first time they had met, he at the front desk and she stuck in the D's office.
"I'm just having one before heading home," she explained.
"I hear you're with 15 now?" Liam asked as he prepared her drink.
"Yeah, just started today."
"You a rookie cop?" His eyebrows rose towards the end.
"No, rookie detective, homicide," she answered and took the pilsner he handed to her. "It's good," after taking a sip.
"Following in your daddy's footsteps?"
"Something like that," she said and hopped off the barstool, took her pilsner and made her way through the crowd to Jerry and Luke.
"Hey, you made it!" Luke said with genuine surprise. He stood and pulled out the chair for her. He had completely thought she had only agreed to shut him up and would have gone home to the husband instead.
She shrugged non-committedly and took a larger gulp of her beer. Jerry had spent most of the day holed up in a conference room, so she really hadn't talked with him. Luke had taken calls and read through files, muttering to himself occasionally. It had been a long day. Now at the end of it she wasn't sure why she had been so nervous.
"Today must have seemed pretty tame compared to a normal SRU day, huh?" Luke asked. He was curious about her and what made her give up SRU for Homicide.
"I liked it," she replied with a shrug. In all honesty, it had been a relief to sit still with no hot calls or ringing bells. The only sounds to be heard had been the ringing phones and quiet murmur of conversation. Luke's voice had been a balm to her rattled nerves and helped her to focus on files and not a certain dark haired guy who had just walked in to the bar with the same balding copper she had handed him off to at the takedown.
"Pretty impressive if you ask me," Jerry spoke up suddenly. "Only female in SRU and handpicked for Team 1 to boot."
"Not the only female and I had to work my ass off to get on Team 1," Andy spat out a little too harshly. She took a large gulp of beer and then glanced at her phone. No calls. No messages. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam and the bald guy sit down at the table next to theirs. Sam had his back to her, but in the closest seat. She could smell his cologne.
Jerry's eyebrows went sky high and he raised his hands in mock surrender. He mouthed "sorry" to Luke and left them alone.
"You'll have to excuse my partner, sorry, our partner," Luke said, scooting closer to her. "He's an ass most of the time."
"You might as well ask me," Andy finally said with a sigh.
"Ask you what?" Luke inquired. The woman fascinated him. One minute she was quiet and sulky, the next fire and brimstone. He envied her husband.
"Whatever it is that has been on your mind since this morning," she answered with wide chocolate eyes. "Don't think I haven't noticed you start to say something and then stop yourself. Go ahead, ask whatever you want."
Luke contemplated. He was good at interrogation, but she wasn't a suspect and he truly wanted to know more about her. "What made you decide to go to SRU?" He finally settled on.
"Talked my way out of a hostage situation, got noticed by my superior, who happened to mention it to someone else," she answered, shrugged her shoulders. It had been more than that, but no need to get in to the sticky details.
"Were you the hostage?"
"Nope," she popped the P and smiled mischievously.
"Cop?"
"Rookie. Second year in," she confirmed.
"Which division?"
"I wasn't here in Toronto, but out in Vancouver," Andy replied.
"Vancouver? I thought you were from Toronto."
"I went to Vancouver for college, then to the academy after I graduated and was placed there," she explained, she could feel Sam tense behind her.
"Oh yeah? What did you study?"
She grinned sheepishly and answered, "psychology with an emphasis on criminal profiling."
Luke looked suitably impressed. Andy hazarded a glance over her shoulder and found her self staring directly into Sam's warm brown eyes. He was looking at her with an expression between admiration and incredulity.
"Wow, that's . . . wow," Luke stuttered. He had caught the look between them and while his brain was trying to process that not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but smart and knew how to handle a weapon, it was also trying to figure out if Andy knew Swarek and then it immediately switched to if they had ever been intimate with each other.
"The classes were killer, but I enjoyed figuring out the different profiles. My thesis was on Jeffrey Dahmer," she continued absentmindedly, her thoughts jumbled from Sam's stare.
"Why go to the academy? Why not some cushy job at headquarters with the rest of the profilers?" Luke finally asked when he had gathered his thoughts.
"My dad was a cop. I didn't want to just sit in an office and come in to profile the next serial killer or child molester. I wanted to be on the streets to see the people who lived and breathed it. Then the hostage situation happened," Andy explained quietly.
"Then what?" Luke prodded.
"I was offered a position with SRU in Toronto when my superior felt I was ready to stop being a rookie," she said. She gulped the last of her beer and checked her phone one more time.
"How long were you in SRU?"
"Three years. Team 3 for the first year and Team 1 for the last two," Andy stated. She was ready to go, but something kept her in her chair. She didn't want to admit it was probably Sam's presence behind her. She had heard him talk and laugh with the balding guy and a few others who had stopped at their table. His voice had been familiar and soothing, just like she remembered.
Luke watched her fidget and wondered if she needed to get home to the husband but didn't know how to tell him. Or maybe, she didn't want to go home and didn't know how to relay it to him. He decided to go for broke and ask the question that had been on his mind all day.
"Your husband must be very proud of you," he finally said, surprised when her head whipped back around and her eyes landed on him going from open honesty to cold and flat. "I mean it's impressive to be picked for SRU and the intensity of the job."
"Yeah, well . . ." she trailed off when her phone started to ring. "Excuse me."
She flipped the phone opened as she stood up, "hey, sweetie," as she walked away.
Luke watched her walk away with appreciation for the way her hips swayed and her hair flounced a bit. Definitely something there she wasn't saying. Maybe the husband wasn't proud of her and her marriage was suffering from it.
When she slipped out the door, he tore his eyes away and found Swarek looking directly at him with a smirk and eyes narrowed.
"What?" Luke finally snapped at him with irritation evident in his voice.
"You're an idiot," Sam replied, and then turned back to his conversation with Oliver.
Sam's own thoughts swirled. He had heard their entire conversation. The last time he had seen her she had still been in school. Tommy had retired shortly thereafter and they had lost touch and with Sam undercover more often than not, he had no reason to know when Andy had graduated or what she had done afterwards. The fact she had gone on to be a cop and slid seamlessly to SRU was not really a surprise. The fact she had been in Toronto for the last three years and only now had run in to her was a surprise. He had only done two stints undercover during that time. How had he never seen her before?
He looked back towards the door willing her to walk back in. After ten minutes it appeared that wouldn't happen. Luke had already left. Oliver was moaning about needing to leave, so Sam closed out his tab and headed out.
He had just stepped outside when he saw her. She stood next to a silver Mini Cooper. He watched as she closed the phone, slipped it into her pocket and slid into the car. She drove away without acknowledging any of them, including Luke to Sam's delight.
Two more days on desk, was all he thought.
