A/N: Have I mentioned y'all blow me away?! THANK YOU! Hope y'all are still enjoyin' the ride ...
Sam pulled back and looked at her. He knew the determined expression on her face and sighed. Without a word he got up and left, he came back a few minutes later and held out a key ring. "You're gonna need these if I go."
Andy took the keys without a word. They were heavy in her hand as she looked at them. She leaned over and set them on the table.
She had just settled back against him when the door opened. "Sammy? Brother? You here?"
"Hey man, yeah, it's me."
Sam got to his feet and held out a hand to Andy. She took it hesitantly. Hand in hand, they walked to the door. Sam leaned against the door frame and wrapped an arm around Andy's waist.
"Who's the pretty girl, Sammy?"
Andy hid her face in his shoulder and Sam laughed. "Oliver, I'd like you to meet Andy, Andy this is Oliver."
Andy held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Oliver."
"You too, Andy." He looked at Sam. "Listen brother, I just wanted to make sure it was you that was here. We'll catch up over drinks when you're home for more than a couple hours."
Sam laughed. "Sounds good, man."
Oliver left and checking their watches agreed they needed to head out. On the drive back Sam made the call. "I'm in."
"Sammy! Man, that's great! I'll call you ..."
"Y'uh huh." Sam wasn't interested in anything else the other man had to say. He glanced over at the woman next to him. He couldn't believe she talked him into going. They grabbed take out and Sam drove them to Andy's.
Sam picked her up the next morning. They held hands the entire drive. Sam laughed when Andy looked around before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off. After class they went to the diner. A few days later Sam was on his way to pick her up when his phone rang. Andy knew something was wrong when she got in the truck.
"What's wrong?"
Sam laughed softly, she could read him better than anybody.
"Got a call on my way here."
"Boyd?"
"Yeah."
Andy reached for his hand. "What'd he say?"
"Couldn't tell me when, just that I'm gone before you ..."
Andy knew it bothered Sam that he wouldn't see her graduate. Leaning over the console she kissed his cheek. "Then we make whatever time we've got count."
Sam smiled. In the parking lot he fully expected her to look around the way she had the last couple of days and was a little surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned up and kissed him. He pulled her flush against him. They stayed that way until Sam kissed her temple and whispered, "We'll continue this later," before pushing her away. Andy smiled as she kissed his cheek before walking away.
Gail was her ever pleasant self and pissed Andy off before their day had even started. Sam found her pacing by the picnic table. He sat on top as he asked, "Who said what? And what did they say?"
Andy didn't even look at him, just kept clenching her fists as she paced. Sam grabbed her by the waist. "Talk to me."
"For somebody who wants to be treated like everybody else she has no problem throwing it in people's faces that her parents are white shirts. It just pisses me off!"
"Really? I couldn't tell," Sam said dryly making Andy finally look at him. She slugged him in the shoulder before putting her head on it. He kissed her temple and ran his hand up her back. "Just a few more hours and I'll take you to the diner."
Andy wrapped her arms around his waist. A few minutes later Sam thought he heard her mumble I'm gonna miss this as she pushed away from him and stood up. Andy took a few steps away from him before she turned and said, "You owe me more than coffee at the diner!"
Sam grabbed her and pulled her back flush against him making Andy laugh as she wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't help the smile when Sam whispered, "Who said I'm not takin' you home with me after the diner?"
Class had barely started when Gail copped a know-it-all attitude; it didn't take long for Sam to lose his patience. He exchanged more than a few glances with Andy, Gail raised her eyebrows once but Sam ignored her. Andy waited until the room cleared before she approached Sam, as soon as she was within reach he pulled her close. "I am not gonna miss her!" Sam growled.
"What about me?" she laughed.
"Why don't we skip the diner and find out?"
Andy smiled and took a step backwards toward the door, 'pulling' a laughing Sam with her.
They had just got in the truck when Sam's phone rang. "Swarek."
"Is there something you want to tell us, Sam?"
Sam sighed. "If I did, I would. There somethin' you wanna tell me? If not ..."
"Sam," the caller warned.
"I'll take that as a no, thanks for calling."
Andy couldn't help but laugh as Sam hung up. "Who was that?"
"Nobody important," Sam said reaching for her hand.
Andy didn't buy it but since the call could come any day, if Sam wasn't going to think about it, neither was she. He stopped for take-out before driving to his place.
Sam no more than opened the door and Andy disappeared into his bedroom while he fixed their plates and grabbed a couple drinks. Andy came back wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers.
Friday night Kim could barely contain her excitement when they walked in holding hands.
Sunday morning over coffee Sam offered to take her into the city to see her dad, Andy flat out refused after what happened the week before. "Nope, I'm happy stayin' here with you unless you ..."
Sam kissed her. "The only thing I have t'do is spend time with you."
Andy couldn't help the face splitting grin. "Ok," she whispered as she kissed him.
Andy knew Sam kept things close to the vest, only letting select people in; she knew before the trip to Toronto she had become one of those few, but the days leading up to the call he was, different, it was almost as if he was afraid to say too much.
They had just gotten into the truck on Friday night after Kim lovingly kicked them out ... again, when Sam's phone rang. They looked from the phone to each other and back before Sam finally hit 'connect'. "Boyd."
"Sammy! Ready to say goodbye to your life, man? You go in tomorrow," the voice on the other end was a lot more excited than Sam was. He simply replied, "I'll be ready," and disconnected.
Andy didn't like the way Sam's body language changed and by the time he disconnected it was as if a stranger was sitting next to him. He drove to his place without a word, neither saying anything as they walked through the door. Once inside Andy couldn't keep still. She paced the living room until Sam walked up behind her and wrapped both arms around her and pulled her flush against his chest. He had no idea what to say that would make this easier for either of them so he just stood there and held her.
"Is it supposed to hurt this much?" she whispered.
Sam didn't have an answer for her because this was new for him too.
They were making out on the couch the next day when a horn blared from the driveway. Sam had sent Boyd a text after Andy fell asleep the night before 'reminding' him of his promise and telling him to pick him up at his place. College was almost over so he'd only be using the apartment for another couple of weeks anyway. He made Andy promise to go back to her apartment after he left. She tried to object until Sam reminded her there was only a couple weeks of classes left and she would be heading back to Toronto and his house. Despite Sam's weak protests, Andy walked him to the door. He shielded her from view with his body. Not just because the only clothes she had on was one of his shirts but she didn't need their relationship causing problems.
Andy put her hands on Sam's ribs and rubbed them up and down as he did the same. "Gonna miss you," he whispered before he kissed her. There were tears in Andy's eyes as he pulled back and grabbing his bag, stepped out the door.
Since they didn't know when the call would come, Sam had packed almost everything, Andy packed what was left and took everything with her when she left, stopping at his landlord's to hand in the keys.
Class wasn't the same without Sam but Andy did her best to keep her promise not to judge Sam's replacement.
A month after Sam left Andy walked through the OPC's doors one last time. The day of graduation Andy couldn't help but think of Sam. For eight weeks she had listened as he told them to listen to that little voice that was their gut instinct and sitting there during the ceremony Andy's told her she was being watched. She tried to look around without being obvious. When her name was called Andy made her way to the stage, everyone had a camera so there was no way for her to know that someone there was taking pictures of her and only her.
After the ceremony Tommy stepped up to the group of graduates. He congratulated them all before stepping in front of his daughter. His voice was thick with emotion as he told her how proud of her he was and how much he loved her. The smell of alcohol was unmistakable. Andy was embarrassed and hurt that he would show up on one of the most important days of her life wasted. When she would've called him out for not being able to put her above the bottle for even a few hours Andy heard Sam's voice in her head, she took a deep breath and stepped back. "Appreciate you being here, Dad. I know it's a long ride home ..." she motioned for the friend who had been her dad's ride.
She went with the others to a small graduation celebration before going back to her apartment. Getting ready for bed she didn't notice the note on her pillow until she pulled back the covers.
Couldn't let today go by without you knowing that even though I couldn't be there to see it, I couldn't be more proud.
There was no signature, but Andy knew who it was from she just didn't know how he'd gotten it there.
Two days after graduation Andy packed up her apartment and loaded her car with her things as well as Sam's for the drive back home. She had never considered her apartment anything more than temporary since her OPC courses only lasted 12 weeks. Pulling into Sam's driveway she couldn't help but wonder if this was temporary too. She left Sam's stuff in the boxes, putting them in the spare room until Sam came back. Her apartment had been furnished so she didn't have a lot of stuff or much to unpack.
When she got the email with her placement she was torn between embarrassment and excitement at the thought of making her own mark on 15 Division. She called everybody and found out they'd all be out of the same Division. Traci hooked up with a Detective at the OPC, Andy tried to be the supportive friend and not laugh while she freaked out because Jerry was out of 15. It wasn't just the rule of rookies being involved with superior officers that made Traci nervous but someone finding out about her six year old son.
The night of rookie hazing, they were all slammed against the bar and cuffed with their hands behind their backs; deal was, first rookie out of their cuffs drank on the Division, the rest of the rookies paid; while Gail used her brother to get out of hers, Andy used a lesson her dad had taught her and after stepping out of hers used an earring to pick the lock on the cuffs causing those around her to cheer. The bar was packed so no one saw someone set up a tab for Andy.
They were teasing Dov about his bar bill being more than his allowance when Chris got all sappy and sentimental making them roll their eyes. Andy soon after called it a night. She crawled into Sam's bed missing him and wishing he was there.
Sitting through their first Parade, none of the rookies could sit still. They thought they were in for a reassuring pep talk, instead, their staff sergeant dismissed Parade with the warning not to screw up. As they left Parade, all but one owned their nerves, Gail being Gail shrugged it off as no big deal. In line at the coffee station Dov said what they were all thinking, "Maybe for her it's no big deal, she screws up mommy or daddy'll save her badge."
Andy couldn't believe her 'luck'. The cop leaning against the cruiser was Sam's friend, Oliver. She stuck out her hand. "Andy McNally."
Oliver looked at the woman in front of him shocked. "As in Tommy's daughter?"
Andy shifted her weight. "Yes, Sir."
Oliver waited until they were in the confines of the car to ask the burning question. "There any other relationships I need to know about?"
Andy chewed her lip nervously before she said, "You already know about my relationship with Sam, Oliver."
Oliver sighed. "Usually when I have 'the talk' with a rookie I'm telling them not to get me killed, before reassuring them that we'll both go home end of shift ..."
"So why's today any different?"
"Because if anything happens to you and Sammy finds out it happened while you were with me he'll have my ass."
Andy couldn't help but laugh.
Their day was uneventful which suited Oliver just fine. Sam wasn't the only reason Oliver was happy to see shift end without incident, a day with Andy and he had the gut level instinct to protect her like she was his own daughter.
