Here's the next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews – they really really make my day! So, please continue to let me know what you think. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.
Chapter 3
Andy walked up to Alvarez Auto Body and headed directly to the office she knew Sam and J.T. shared. "Hey," she said, knocking on the open door.
A smile broke out across his face when he heard her voice. He looked up from the shipment manifest he'd been reviewing. "Hey yourself. To what do I owe this nice surprise?"
She walked over to him, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on his lips. "Got out early. Thought I'd see what you were up to."
He pulled her down into his lap, stifling her giggle with another kiss. "I'm glad you did."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and wiggled in his lap. "Think you can get out early?"
He steadied her hips with his hands as he stuck his tongue in his cheek trying to bite back a grin at what she was trying to do. "Think I can manage - "
He was interrupted by shouting from the entrance of the garage. "Alvarez! Get your ass out here, Bobby!"
They stood up and Sam was heading to the door when he heard the gunshot. It was only one, but it couldn't mean anything good. He turned around and pulled Andy toward the window. "You need to get out of here," he whispered. He opened the window, which provided easy access to the alley alongside the building. Knowing her car was out front and could be in the line of fire, he grabbed his keys off his desk and pressed them into her hand before wrapping her fingers closed around them. "My truck's on the side of the building. Go home. I'll stop by as soon as I can."
"Come with me," she pleaded.
"I can't. I've gotta take care of this." As the shouting continued in the garage, Sam helped her out the window. When he was sure she'd be safe, he grabbed a gun from his desk drawer, tucking it into the back of his jeans before walking out of the office.
Andy was pacing the floor of her apartment when a knock at the door caused her to jump. After looking through the peephole, she threw open the door and flung her arms around Sam, burying her face in his neck. "God, I was so worried!"
He wrapped his arms around her as he walked them into her apartment and shut the door with his foot. "Hey, hey, I'm fine," he said, rubbing a hand up and down her back.
She released the grasp she had on him, but took his hand in hers and led them to the couch. She sat facing him, her knees pulled up to her chest. "What happened?"
"Disagreement about how Bobby does business," he replied, but quickly realized by the look on her face that wasn't enough. "There's this guy, Robert DaSilva, he's basically a pimp...Bobby refuses to help him traffic children along with his other products. There are some lines Bobby won't cross. Hell, he has a little girl of his own."
"And DaSilva wasn't happy with that."
Sam shook his head. "He didn't want to take no for an answer."
"What happened?"
"He let off some steam, shot off a few rounds to get our attention, argued with J.T. and me, and finally left. I had to convince the cops that neighbors heard a car backfiring and not gunshots though." He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and as his hand lingered near her face, she leaned into his touch. "I'm sorry you were there. You shouldn't be around this shit. Maybe this...We knew this was trouble when it started."
"Is that what you really think?" His silence gave her his answer and she wrapped her hand around the one he held against her cheek. "I don't care about all that. I mean, yes, it scares me that you could get hurt, but I want this, us."
He framed her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. "I want this too. But I want you safe. Maybe you shouldn't stop by the garage anymore."
She nodded in agreement. If that would keep his mind at ease, she was okay staying away. She laid her hand against his cheek. "But I'm not staying away from you."
He pulled her against his chest, stroking her hair, and felt her heart beating against his body. He'd fallen so hard for this girl, he didn't know what he'd do if she was taken from him. He felt a little ridiculous honestly, having never felt this way about someone before, but he already knew he'd be a happy man if he could spend the rest of his life with her.
"We're probably being incredibly stupid," he said, giving her one last out, because after this there was no going back for him. He was all in.
"Mmmhmm," she said, nodding her head into his neck. "Cop's daughter, suspected criminal." She let out a chuckle. This was so horribly wrong, but it felt so completely right. Her eyes popped open when she thought that maybe he didn't feel the same way and was looking for a way to let her down easy. "But, I mean, I get it...if you, um, don't want to date a cop's daughter."
She started to pull away, but his arms that were wrapped around her kept her tight against his body. "Hey, that's not what I meant." When she stopped fidgeting, he continued. "Andy, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
A huge smile gradually formed on her face as she looked him in the eyes. "We're different, but we'll deal with it," she said before pressing her lips to his. They sat silently for a while, content with simply holding each other. Finally, Andy spoke again. "You hungry? I could make us some dinner."
"I can always eat," he replied with a smile.
She playfully shook her head as she got up. "I know." She laughed her way into the kitchen and began boiling water for pasta.
Sam came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you were worried today."
She poured a box of ziti into the water before closing her eyes. "I kept hearing the gunshot in my head all the way home." It scared her more than she thought it would. She knew he dealt with dangerous people more often than she'd like to think about, but witnessing it firsthand was different. It made her realize how much she cared about Sam and how terrified she was of losing him. She opened her eyes and turned around in his arms, wrapping hers around his back. "I kept imaging the worst, that you'd gotten shot."
"I'm sorry. And I wish I could say it'll never happen again, but I can't. In fact, it's likely not the last time I'll be face to face with someone with a gun," he admitted.
She placed a hand on his cheek and sighed. "I know."
"But I'll do everything I can to come out safe, to come back to you." He tucked her hair behind her ear before drawing her face closer to his with a hand on the back of her head. He nudged her nose with his lovingly, their eyelashes brushing against each other, before tenderly pressing his lips against hers. They stood there, lips remaining attached in a sweet embrace as their hands gripped each other tight, never wanting to let go. They were broken out of the moment when they heard water boil over onto the stove.
"Oops," she said, turning around to lower the heat and stir the pasta.
"Can't let you in the kitchen," he quipped, playfully swatting her butt.
"Watch it," she said turning back to him with a smile. "Or you'll be the only one in the kitchen from now on."
Andy walked into 15 Division on her way to meet her dad for lunch. She was waved right in, and headed straight for her dad's office, but stopped suddenly just outside the door when she heard the name Alvarez.
"Tomorrow. We bust 'em before they can move the product," she heard Tommy say. "Alright, talk to you then brother." Tommy was excited for this bust, not only because it would finally get Bobby Alvarez off the streets, but he'd be putting away Sam Swarek and removing him from his daughter's life. He knew she'd probably be mad at him, but this was his job and she'd get over it in time. Maybe he'd make sure Luke was around to comfort her, take her mind off of Sam.
She knocked loudly on the door frame and watched her father hang up his phone as she walked in. "Hey, dad."
"Hey kiddo, did you just get here?" he asked, a large smile taking over his face at the sight of his daughter.
"Yeah, Jenson waved me through, told me you were in here," she said, pulling at a thread in her jacket.
"Oh, good, good. Let me just grab my coat and we'll be off to that lunch I promised you," he said.
Andy thought about what she'd overheard as she watched her dad pull his jacket off the back of his chair. She was distracted through lunch, but tried not to show it. She tried to keep the war raging between her head and her heart at bay until she was away from her father.
With the exception of a short rebellious stage as a teenager, Andy had been the perfect cop's daughter. She followed the rules, she obeyed the law. Even considered becoming a police officer at one point, but decided against it because she didn't want the pressure of following in her father's footsteps. But here she was, her heart fully taken by a man who was considered by police to be a criminal. And now, completely worried about Sam and what could happen to him during the bust, she was considering tipping him off to protect him.
That night, Sam & Andy were lying in bed; her head was nestled in the crook of his neck as he lazily drew patterns on her bare back. They'd had a great evening, going out to dinner and to see a new action movie before returning to her apartment, but Sam knew something was bothering her. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"Nothing."
"Andy, I know when something's bothering you. Spill," he said.
"If I asked you to do something, asked you to trust me and do something without question and without telling another sole, would you?" She was sure she was violating some law, not to mention her father's trust if he ever found, but she had to protect Sam.
"Andy, what's going on?" His hand on her back stilled as he was left confused by her request.
She lifted her head so she could look directly at him. "I'm serious, Sam. Would you trust me enough to do that?"
He took in how serious she was and noticed something else in her expression - fear, maybe. "Of course," he said nodding.
She took a deep breath, letting her thumb rub over his jaw as she thought about how to say what she wanted. "Stay away from the garage tomorrow. Call in sick or tell 'em you have to help a friend; do whatever, but just stay away."
"What - "
"No, no questions. Just promise me...please."
Now, not only could he see the fear in her eyes, he could feel it radiating from her tense body. He didn't know what brought this on, but he'd do whatever necessary to soothe her mind. "Yeah, yeah. I won't go in tomorrow."
Andy let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and laid her head on his shoulder. "Okay, good, okay."
He felt her body relax against him and grazed his fingers up and down her back as he wondered what brought about her sudden fear.
The next morning, Sam called J.T., told him he wasn't feeling great, food poisoning or something. J.T. knew his friend never took a day off, so he encouraged him to take a long weekend. During the short conversation, Sam was reminded of the shipment they were moving that day, but J.T. assured him it was under control and he could handle it.
Sam felt guilty, but it wasn't until hours later things starting clicking into place. It was too late though when he saw their lawyer's name pop up on his phone. "Jerry?"
"Sammy, we've got a problem. Bobby, J.T., Oliver, about 15 other guys, they've all been arrested. Looks like the cops knew about the shipment happening today," he said.
"Shit. How'd it happen?" Sam asked, running a hand over his face. He should've been there with them. If it hadn't been for Andy, he would have been there.
"Don't have all the details. I'm on the way to the police station now. I just thought you should know," Jerry replied. "And buddy, probably best to keep a low profile for now."
Sam hung up and resisted the urge to punch a hand through a wall. Andy knew and she let his friends, his family, walk right into it. He quickly hit a speed dial on his phone, waiting only two rings before the person answered.
Andy was sitting at her desk eating a late lunch when Sam's name came up on her caller ID. "Hey," she said, smiling as she answered.
Sam didn't bother with pleasantries, wanting to get to the point of his call. "Did you know?"
For a moment, Andy had no idea what he was talking about, and then it dawned on her. "Sam..."
"You knew, didn't you? That's why you told me to stay away." His voice was unforgiving and the smile was wiped off her face.
"I had to. I didn't want you to get hurt...or arrested," she replied quietly.
"But it's fine for my friends, my family, to go to jail?" He didn't bother waiting for a response before continuing. "This...this isn't gonna work. I can't do this anymore."
"Sam, please, you gotta understand. I wanted - " She didn't get the rest of the sentence out when she heard the click of Sam hanging up. Her eyes filled with tears and as much as she refused to let them fall, they soon escaped and rolled down her cheeks.
She didn't try to talk to him or see him that night, hoping time and space would help him understand why she did what she did. The following night, however, she stood outside his door knocking. When she first walked up to his townhouse, she thought she'd heard someone inside, but as she knocked...and knocked…and knocked, all the response she got was silence.
Inside, Sam sat with J.T., who Jerry had gotten released on a technicality – something about the rookie cop who arrested him not reading the Miranda rights correctly.
"You gonna answer that?" J.T. asked.
Sam looked toward the door - he knew it was her, recognized her knock - and back at J.T. "Nope." He took a swig of the scotch he was holding in his hand. "So, you were saying Jerry thinks he can get Bobby out too?"
He listened with one ear to J.T. while the other was glued to the sounds coming from his door. It pained him when the knocking stopped, knowing that she'd given up. He had to remind himself that he made the choice. There was no room for her in his life. They were too different.
Two days later, with still no word from Sam, Andy called him, frowning when it went to voicemail again. "Sam, it's me. Look, you have to understand. I shouldn't have said anything to you, but I...I care about you too much. I didn't want to see you in trouble or hurt or...or even worse, dead. I know how these busts can end. I'm sorry about your friends, but I'm not sorry about helping you. Call me, ok? I miss you."
Two months passed without a single word from Sam. After several days Andy gave up constantly checking her phone for missed calls and voicemails. She'd drive by Alvarez Auto Body occasionally on her way home from work, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sam, but it seemed the universe had other plans. She wasn't sorry about what she did, but she wished he'd been willing to talk to her and let her explain.
About a month and a half after Sam disappeared from her life, Andy allowed herself to be talked into going on a date with Luke Callaghan, who was now a detective working with her father. She agreed to it to appease her dad, but after two dates, there was just no spark and she declined when he asked her out a third time. Instead, she spent the following Friday night curled up on her couch wearing a black t-shirt Sam had left at her place months before. She hadn't washed it so it still smelled of him and she wore it when she was missing him…which was a lot.
On the other side of the city, Sam was at home, recovering from a minor stab wound to his stomach, inflicted when a deal went bad. He'd been distracted, thought he smelled the lotion Andy wore just before he walked into the warehouse for the deal, and then couldn't get her out of his head.
Sarah had driven up from St. Catharines that morning to bring him home from the hospital and she was now taking over his kitchen to make them dinner.
Sarah made small talk with Sam while she cooked, but he knew her better than anyone and she was dying to ask him about something, he just didn't know what. Halfway through dinner, he couldn't take it anymore. "Just say it, Sarah. Whatever you've had bottled up, just say it."
She put down her fork and sighed as she looked across the table at her brother. "What happened to Andy?" She couldn't figure out why he neglected to tell her they'd broken up until he called from the hospital the day before. And then, he only told her when she asked why Andy wasn't with him or bringing him home.
"Sare, I told you, it's over. Just didn't work out," he replied, sighing as he looked down at his plate.
"But why? What happened, Sammy?" she asked, not letting him drop the subject again. "I've never seen you as happy as you were when she was in your life."
He dropped the fork on his plate in frustration. "We're too different, okay. Our lives, they never should have crossed."
She gave him a pointed look and glanced down at his stab wound. "Maybe it's time for a change," she suggested, risking a confrontation with her brother. They'd fought about this many times. As much as she appreciated how Bobby and J.T. had helped her brother, she hated the life he'd been brought into. She blamed herself at times, knowing his first step into the life had been to help her.
"We've talked about this," he warned.
"Look, just listen to me for a minute," she said, raising her hand to silence him. "You love working on cars. You've never loved the other stuff. You know that. I know that. You can still do what you love elsewhere."
"I don't know if I can turn my back on them. Leave after everything they've done for me." He felt he owed Bobby and J.T. his life and his sister's life. That was why he stayed; that and because they were his family now too.
"Little brother, I just want you happy. You've given enough of yourself to them. Maybe it's time to do something for you. I want what's best for you and sometimes the best thing is the thing you had," she said, pushing back her chair and bringing her plate to the sink. She began cleaning up the pots and pans as she let her words sink into Sam's head.
He sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. He loved working on cars, but hadn't found the same joy in it once he pushed Andy away. It was like his life was lacking without her in it. Maybe his sister was right, about everything.
A/N: I'm traveling over the next several days, but I'm going to try REALLY hard to get the next (and last) chapter out this weekend!
