He pulled back on the glass door and walked through. It smelled like the typical doctors' office. He made his way to the front desk

"Mr. Demarco, how can I help you?" The blond from behind the counter said looking up with a smile.

"Annie, I told you to just call me JD," Sam responded.

"All right then, JD, what can I do for you?"

"I need to get a copy of my fiancé's medical records."

"Let me see what I can do," she rolled her chair across the small room behind the desk to the file cabinet.

She bent down and pulled out the bottom drawer. The lady rustled through the files and pulled out a yellow folder. She stood up and walked to the copy machine and began to make copies. Sam looked around the room. His eyes went straight to the two seats beside the corner. It was the place they sat the last time they were here.

"I can't believe we've made it this far," Andy said smiling at Sam. She placed her hand in his and intertwined their fingers.

"What do you mean?" He asked looking back at her. He loved to see her smile.

"Well, you know-us, the baby, your job, this new start here with you," Andy rested her free hand on her bump. Sam smiled.

"We have come a long way, and I'm excited for the road ahead," he pulled the back of her hand to his lips.

"What are people going to say? Literally everyone back home, Luke, my dad- Oh my God! My dad doesn't even know!" Andy worried.

"An- Candace," Sam caught himself before saying her name, "we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Don't let what people think get in the way of your happiness. I imagine several people, including Luke, are going to be pissed- Boyd for sure. But you're dad, he'll understand, and he'll be over the moon. In the end it's you, me, and this baby right here," Sam looked over at Andy who had a tear fall from her eye. Andy wiped it away.

"Ugh, I hate you," Andy laughed. Her hormones were still a wreck and anything would make her cry.

"Candace Wilson," Sam and Andy looked to the door. He helped her stand up.

"No, you don't; you love me," he said smiling at her. They walked towards the door. Andy waddled.

"Yeah, I do"

"Here you go, JD," Annie said from behind the front desk. She placed the copies in a folder on top of the counter. Sam stood up and picked them up.

"Thanks Annie; by the way, is there any way I speak with Doctor Lizzotte for a moment about Candace?"

"I'm sorry, but he's out for the week with a family emergency," she responded. Sam thanked her and walked out the door.

—

Two weeks later

"God, Frank! It's been two weeks, and you still don't have a lead! She's out there somewhere, and she's terrified and alone and not to mention pregnant. That's my kid and my fiancé out there, for crying out loud!" Sam fussed.

"Swarek, you need to calm down," Frank stated. People were starting to stare.

"No, I'm not! Her due date was three days ago. I don't know if she's had the baby or if she's even alive."

"Sam, I get it, but you've-"

"No, you don't get it. You have Noelle, and you have Olivia. You get to go home to them at the end of the day. What do I get? An empty apartment because the love of my life and my child are missing. Because no one here can find them!"

—

She wasn't sure how long she had been gone. Unbeknownst to her, only two weeks had passed since she went missing. However, those two week felts felt like four to her. She knew it had been less than four weeks, but only because her baby was still safe inside of her. Andy looked down rubbed her belly.

"We're going to make it out of here, Rookie," she whispered, "You're daddy will find us. He always does. Until then, I'll keep you safe. I promise." Andy heard the door knob turn over. She slowly attempted to sit up. Daniel walked in with a tray of food.

"Here, I hope you like spicy foods." Andy took it. She knew that this could help force her into labor. Ironically, he had told her this at her last actual doctors appointment.

"You know," Andy said hoping to catch his attention before he walked out of the door, "my father was an alcoholic." He looked over at her. "I mean he's trying to get better, but he still is. It started after my mom left when I was a kid. He would drink himself into oblivion every night and go into work hungover. Eventually, it started affecting his job, and every afternoon, I would come home from school and he would be passed out on the couch with empty bottles everywhere. The rookie he was training at the time took me under his wing. He uh was actually my TO at one point. Anyway, Dad eventually got kicked off of the force." Daniel sat down at the foot of the mattress. She hated reliving and talking about her childhood, but she had caught his ear. "He never hurt me physically. I can't begin to fathom what it must have been like for you though." Andy figured she had said enough. She waited for him to talk.

"It was uh traumatic, horrific. Honestly, I could never use words to describe it. He-uh blamed me for my mother's suicide. I'd-uh come home and he just-he'd-" Daniel stopped talking to compose himself, "hit me and burn me."

"I'm so sorry," Andy said.

"I can't change what happened to me, but I'm just thankful that I got out of it." There was a long silence. "So, I take it you're a cop? What about JD?" Andy nodded.

"We were actually undercover. You know, that's why Sam became a cop. His sister was raped by their father and his friends, and he would hit them and their mother. He became one so he could help protect people that are going through what they went through. When I told Sam about the baby, he was terrified that he would be just like his father. He was terrified that he couldn't-" Andy fought back tears, "he was terrified that he couldn't protect this baby." Andy wiped away the tears. "-and now I don't think he can any more!" Andy sobbed hysterically. Her tears came to an abrupt stop. She froze.

"Oh no no no no." Andy's heart began to race.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"My-my water just broke." She knew this baby was coming and soon. She would no longer be able to keep this child safe.

She was in constant pain for hours. She needed Sam by her side. He was supposed to be by her side. She was supposed to be in a hospital and not in what felt like a prison. She was supposed to keep this baby safe, and now she wasn't sure she could do that anymore.

Daniel was there. He had all these things, and Andy wasn't quite sure what they were.

"Candace, you need push."

"No, I need him. I need Sam," she cried.

"Look, you want this baby to be safe right?" He asked. Andy nodded. Sweat dropped down her face. She couldn't tell if a lot of it were tears or sweat. "Then you need to push. You just have a little bit left."

Soon, she heard a cry and threw her head back in relief. Daniel told her the gender of the baby, and she started to cry knowing Sam wasn't here with her.

"Can-can I see-" she asked. Andy was cut off.

"In a minute."

"but-but is the baby okay? my-my baby's fine right?" Andy worried.

"Yes, your baby is quite alright- six pounds and fourteen ounces," Daniel wrapped the child in the blanket. He turned around to Andy. He leaned down and handed her the newborn.

Andy grew emotional at the sight of her and Sam's child. She used her finger to push back the swaddle that was blocking his faces. Immediately, the baby wrapped its tiny little hand around its mother's index finger. "Hi, baby. I'm your mommy," Andy whispered quietly to the baby, and for the first time in weeks a faint smile crept across her face.

"Look," Daniel said, "I'm only going to say this once, and I'm going to say this fast. My uncle-doesn't want this baby-"

"No, no, please," Andy whimpered.

"Listen, please. Look, I'm trying to help," Andy looked up at Daniel and nodded. He continued. "I'll give you a few more minutes with the baby, and then I have to go. I'll make sure the baby is safe and finds a way to- Sam is it?" Andy nodded in agreement. "Okay?"

"Okay," Andy whimpered. She looked down at her baby. She knew it could be the last time she would ever be with her child and the last part of Sam she would ever see. "Do you think that I could maybe write a letter? I promise I won't give away anything. If I never get to watch this child grow up; I at least want my kid to know how much I love it."

"I guess you can. I need to read it though."' He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Daniel handed them to Andy and she began to write.

Rookie,

I'm sure by now, you're old enough to understand why I can't be with you and your father. I love you-both of you so, so much.

In the twenty minutes I've known you, you've been such a ray of sunshine on a really, really cloudy day. Never have I ever seen anything more perfect than you.

I need you to look after your father. I know him, and I know he will blame himself. Every time, you tell him that this is not his fault. I need you to fix him and put him back together each time he falls apart.

Do your best in everything you do. I want you to succeed in life. Stay out of trouble. You will always have a family at 15 when you need them.

I love you, so, so much.

Mom

Andy handed the letter back to Daniel. He read over it. Andy looked back down at the baby. With tears in her eyes, she did her best to sing.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So, please don't take my sunshine away."