A/N: So... another chapter. Didnt mean this one to be so long, it kind of got away from me, and as usual I couldn't find a logical ending... that and I just love writing angst for these two! This chapter is dedicated to "Tiger" my vigilant reviewer.

Sam let himself into his apartment and locked up behind himself without turning on any lights. He walked through the hall and into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He guzzled it down and filled it again then brought it into the bedroom. It was just after nine but his body felt like it was two am. He stripped down to his boxers then went into bathroom to wash up. All this took place in the dark. His eyes were already drooping shut and he didn't want to risk waking up any further. He slipped under the duvet and let his head rest on the pillow after plumping it up a bit. An audible gasp escaped his lips, his whole body sank and relaxed into the sheets and he slept.

What seemed like seconds later he was woken by his phone ringing from the pocket of the jeans he had discarded on the bedroom floor.

"Oh god…"He rolled over onto his side and tried to reach his jeans without getting out of bed but it was too far. "Crap."

He tossed aside the duvet, and grabbed his jeans to get his phone. There was no name on the screen, just a number he didn't recognise.

"Hello?" He was already getting back into his bed. He could hear street noises on the other side of the line.

"No strings?" a female voice said.

"Hello? Who is this?" Sam checked the screen for a name again but it was still just a number.

"No strings. You said no strings. I can do that."

"Sorry…I think you have a wrong number." He hung up the phone and tossed it onto his locker then curled under his duvet again and tried to get back to sleep.

Moments later there was a knock on his front door. Sam tried to ignore it but it was persistent. He got out of bed and walked through the dark apartment to the door. He could see a female figure on the other side of the frosted glass. His heart skipped a beat and his breath constricted in his chest as he reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

On his doorstep, was Monica. She had her phone in her hand and was leaning against his door frame a drunken seductive smile on her face. She didn't wait for him to invite her in, instead she stepped forward and let her eyes fall over his lean body, from top to toe, taking in the snug boxers he was wearing.

Sam stepped backwards as she came through the door and soon they stood in his hallway in darkness, the only light coming from the street lights outside.

"Monica…"

"Wrong number Sam?"

"Sorry, I didn't recognise…"

"Sam…I'm tired. Tired of waiting for you to call."

"Call? I thought you said we were done."

"There is no relationship here Sam, we both know it." She stepped closer to him, forcing him to take a step back only there was no room behind him, and he found his back pressed to the wall. "But that doesn't mean we can't have fun."

"No Strings."

She stepped closer still, and reached up to put her hands on his chest. She rubbed her hands on his coarse hair, over his pecks and nipples, squeezing them between her fingers as she let her hands trail down further still. At his waist she circled round to his back as far as she could reach then tucked her forefingers beneath the rim of his boxers and slowly trailed them round to his front. Sam gasped at the sensation and she smiled. But as she leaned up to kiss him he was hit with the smell of whatever she had been drinking all evening and he turned his head to the side.

"Eh…Monica…don't." He took her hands and prised them away from his body and forced her to take a step away from him. "This isn't right…"

"What, we're both single, adults who enjoy each other's carnal company! What could be wrong with that?"

"Not like this. Not a drunken booty call." He squeezed her hands and led her towards the kitchen. He turned on the lights as he went and grabbed a pair of sweats and a sweater from the radiator. In the kitchen he boiled the kettle and slipped into the clothes. She sat at the table, still drunk but quickly sobering. He got two mugs of coffee ready then sat at the table with her.

"Sorry…" She was holding her mug between two hands up to her face, breathing in the aroma as if it would help her sober up faster. "About all this."

"Don't worry about it." He sipped his coffee and spied the clock on the wall read 3.20am. Inwardly he sighed. A good night's sleep was harder to find than the loch ness monster.

"I'll just call a cab."

"Don't be silly. Stay here…on the couch." He added when she looked at him over the rim of her mug.

"No, I couldn't."

"I insist Monica. In fact take the bed, I'll take the couch."

"Ok, ok, I'll stay, but I'll take the couch."

Sam dropped his mug into the sink and went out to the hotpress to get some pillows and sheets for her. He made a makeshift bed on the couch and she came into the living room to check it out.

"Thanks."

"Can I get you a shirt or something to sleep in?" he asked, looking at the tight leather bodice she was wearing and knee length black skirt.

"Yeah, that would be great."

He grabbed a hockey jersey from his room and left it on the back of the couch. She was sitting down, pulling off her boots and stretching her feet.

"Good night Monica."

She just looked up and smiled sheepishly and Sam went back to bed.

Andy woke up from a wonderful slumber and rolled over with a languid yawn. Just then her alarm started to beep and she smiled. She had come home yesterday, taken a long hot bath then went straight to bed. And now, 11 hours later she was awake, naturally and before her alarm. Today was going to be a good day. Andy turned off the alarm and got up and dressed. She was in her kitchen making toast when her phone rang. She took it out of her jeans and answered hello without looking at the ID screen.

"McNally? Its Staff Sgt Best."

"Sir?" Andy could feel her good mood evaporating

"Are you on your way in?"

"Yes sir, my shift starts in forty mins."

"Okay, I need you to do something for me before you call in to the barn."

"Sure thing sir."

"I need you to meet Swarek, and get to 27th for roll call by 9.20."

"Sir?"

"It's a division exchange. A rookie and a TO to swap for the day."

"And you are only telling me now?"

"It was supposed to be Diaz and Shaw but Shaw is in court and Diaz swapped shifts so he isn't even in today."

"Oh, ok. Have you called Officer Swarek?"

"Yeah I have. You just need to call him and he'll pick you up."

"Okay sir, thanks."

She hung up and dialled Sam's number. Her toast was popped and forgotten behind her. His phone rang three, four times and just when she thought it was going to go to voicemail he answered it.

"Sam, I just got the call from Best about the swap with 27th."

"Sorry… I'm not Sam. He's in the shower."

"Oh…who is this?"

The female on the other side of the phone laughed. "Sorry, my name is Monica, can I take a message?"

"Yeah, if you could just tell him his partner called and I'm ready to leave when he is."

Andy hung up the phone and tossed it onto the kitchen counter and stared at it traitorously. Monica, Monica, Monica. She knew that name. She knew someone associated to Sam with that name but she couldn't place it.

Andy turned, took the toast from the toaster and tossed it into the bin then put in two fresh slices. She went to the fridge for the butter when the phone rang. She let it ring right to the last minute before picking it up and this time she didn't need to look at the caller ID.

"Andy." It was Sam, he spoke before she had time to greet him. "So you got the call from Best too?"

"Yeah."

"And you are ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well I'm just out of the shower," he began but she interrupted him.

"I know."

"So let me throw on some clothes and I'll come by to pick you up in about 20 mins." He ignored her quip. "That suit?"

"Sure."

Sam hung up before he could say anything else. He was standing in his kitchen in a towel. He had heard the phone ring when he was in the shower and was inclined to let it ring out but then he heard Monica talking and laughing and a cold panic washed over him. He switched off the shower and grabbed a towel.

Monica was just hanging up when he got there and she relayed the message about his partner. Sam felt his heart sink a little and reached for his phone to ring her back. Her tone spoke volumes. And it annoyed him.

He went to his room to dress and the more clothes he put on, the angrier he got. By the time he was sitting on the edge of his bed tying his laces he was fuming. What right did she have to get snippy with him? She wasn't his girlfriend. Hell they'd never even been on a date. One kiss, One amazing kiss to look the part when they were working a UC drug bust but that was it. And as good as that kiss was…

Sam sat up and took a moment to relive that kiss. Her hair was loose around her face. She was wearing light pink lip gloss and it tasted of strawberries. His hand curved on her neck, the other intertwined with one of hers and he kissed her. What was meant to be a peck, a chaste sign of affection soon made the room spin, more so when her tongue appeared to clash with his. Sam smiled. Okay, it was a hell of a kiss, but that's all it was. There were no claims staked. He could sleep with whomever he wanted. Well not whomever…

He let out a breath and stood. He grabbed his wallet and keys and went back to the living room where Monica was dressed back in her own clothes, had folded up her sheets on the end of the couch and was touching up her makeup.

"Hey." She said as he entered. "I hope its okay that I answered your phone earlier."

"yeah its fine."

"I didn't get you into any trouble?"

"No not at all." He smiled. "Anyway I do have to go to work… can I drop you off somewhere?"

"I can just get a cab, I don't want to be any trouble, I think I caused enough of that for one visit."

"Not at all, it's no trouble; I only wish I had time to get you some breakfast."

"Next time," Monica smiled.

Sam smiled awkwardly back, and led the way out to where his truck was parked. He held the door open for her then hurried around to jump in himself.

"Dundas subway?" he asked.

"Perfect."

It wasn't a long drive to the subway station and they made it in companionable silence. He pulled up outside but left the engine running. She undid her belt buckle but didn't get out.

"Thanks Sam." She looked at him and though there was a trace of a blush on her cheeks she was sincere.

"No problem."

Monica leaned over and kissed his cheek then jumped out and hurried into the subway station. Sam didn't wait for her to be out of sight, and instead tore back out into the traffic. Shortly he pulled up outside Andy's and walked up the drive to her apartment block.

He buzzed her number and she answered immediately.

"It's me."

"Sam?"

"Yes, it's Sam!" he rolled his eyes and realised it was going to be one of those days.

"I'll be right down."

Sam didn't wait at her doorstep and instead went back to his truck. He watched as she came out of the building and jogged to his truck. She slung her bag into the back, climbed in and offered him a tight smile before she buckled up.

"So…division exchange." She said after they travelled a few miles in silence.

Sam smiled. She couldn't handle the awkward silence and he wondered if there was any time when she didn't feel compelled to talk.

"How come I never heard of this program before?"

"Maybe you don't listen during parade."

"I listen. I'm a killer listener!"

Sam just smiled. He knew these werent the questions she wanted to ask so he waited for her to get round to it.

"So you got that report finished last night?"

"Yup."

"Did it take you long?"

"Nope."

"Did you go to the penny after?"

"Nope."

"Straight home? I went home. Straight home. Jumped into the bath then straight to bed."

Sam left her sentence dangling between them and waited for her to push.

"So, did you?"

"Have a bath and go to bed?"

"No!" she was exasperated. Dying to know what events led to him having a woman answer his phone so early in the morning, while he was in the shower, but tortured by the image. "Did you go straight home to bed?"

"Pretty much." He smiled at her.

She wanted to grab his lapels and shake him until he answered her questions. He kept his eyes on the road and she took the opportunity to take a proper look at him. Would she be able to tell if he had sex last night, just by looking at him? He didn't seem happier or more satisfied than normal. He was being more obstinate than usual but that wasn't much of a development. Then she spotted it. The faint trace of red lipstick on his cheek. She was still staring at it when he caught her.

"Something wrong McNally?" He glanced at her but turned back to the road.

"No, nothing wrong. Nothing at all."

He glanced again but had to return his focus to driving as he pulled up to Div 27 and into the parking lot. He climbed out and they met at the back of the truck.

"Ready?" He had taken his bag form the back an slung it over his shoulder and held out hers for her.

"Sure… just one thing." She took her bag and dropped it to the ground then turned to face him. She took his chin in one hand and turned his head to the side.

"What are you doing McNally?"

"You have lipstick on your face."

She tried to rub it off with her thumb but when that didn't work she licked the pad of her thumb and tried again. This time more successful she stood back and bent down to pick up her bag.

Sam's eyes closed over slowly and a soft blush tried to colour his cheeks. She was already walking into Div 27 ahead of him and he hurried to catch her up.

"McNally, it's not what you think!" He wanted to explain. He was sick of playing games.

"I don't think anything."

"McNally," he caught her arm and turned her to face him. "Listen, it's not, a friend stayed over…on the couch!" he added hastily.

"Okay, whatever Sam. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"No, I don't." He dropped her arm and just looked at her.

"So, shall we go in?"

"After you McNally." He made a sweeping gesture with his arm to allow her to enter the precinct.