Hello. I'm back again.
This chapter is a bit shorter than all the others, only because I wanted to show you guys where about's Andy, Sam and Beth are with each other before I continued onto the more full on chapters.
Let me know what you think :)

Chapter 3

"What's wrong, Beth?" Andy asked, sitting back in her chair and eying the small girl in front of her. She put her finger tips together and she cleared her throat. Beth looked different today. Her hair was tied back and she was in tracksuit pants and a hooded jumper. It wasn't the same way she had decided to dress for the past few weeks.

She watched Beth's pony tail move side to side when she shook her head. Again, she wouldn't say a word to Andy unless she was answering schoolwork. Other than that, while she was at her therapy sessions she had almost been mute.

Andy decided to take a different approach. "Do you want to get better?"

Beth's blue orbs set upon Andy's. They were glistening against the harsh light brightening Andy's office. She gave a sharp nod.

"Then talk to me. Let me help you." Andy was determined to help this little girl. She saw her history. How many schools her dad had put her in, and how many therapy sessions she had been to before her therapist finally gave up and told Sam to put her in a clinic to help her get better.

Beth looked back to the floor and crossed her arms across her waist, almost like she wanted the chair to absorb her.

"Why won't you talk?" Andy asked. "Are you embarrassed?" She waited a few seconds. "Are you scared? Confused?"

Beth nodded.

"Confused?" Beth moved her eyeballs to Andy, but didn't move any other part of her body.

Andy would admit Beth was making it hard to help herself get better. Throughout the weeks the therapy sessions had done nothing to change the way Beth was around her. When she did finally speak, it was in a whisper.

But as she promised, she'd keep trying.

"I know what it's like." Andy tried, leaning her elbows on her desk. Beth rested her eyes back on he fidgeting fingers, suddenly wanting to pick the old, cracked nail polish off them. "Not first hand, but I do."

Beth continued to act as if Andy wasn't there.

"My dad had an experience like yours once." She began. "He was a firefighter actually." She chuckled a little. "He saw something terrible, he started to become a bit like you. Anti-social and all. But his turned worse."

Beth finally decided to give Andy a break, and she moved her head and watched Andy's facial expression. Her attitude changed from Andrea to Andy in a second.

"He needed to go to rehab because he started drinking himself down the drain. He'd be fine one night, taking care of me and making sure I was okay, next minute..." She took a deep breath, but still ensured she kept eye contact with Beth.

This was an attempt to make her trust Andy.

Yes, Andy had shared some stuff with her last week, but it was nothing huge. Just how old she was, when she was born and where. Whether she was married or had kids. But, she didn't want it to get personal until it had to.

And Andy believed it had to.

"He'd be yelling at me, telling me all these crazy things that I didn't want to even think about coming out of my fathers mouth. He'd throw beer bottles at walls and yell at himself. Then he'd start hyperventilating and having panic attacks. Me and my step brothers Luke and Pat didn't have a clue what to do." Beth gave her a look of remorse.

"I don't want to get into too much detail today. But...In the end he ended up dying 2 months into the program."

Beth's eyes immediately looked back at her hands, and her body sunk down in the large couch especially for her. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her thin arms tightly around them.

Andy didn't know if it was really appropriate to share her story with Beth. But if she was finally going to talk, Andy would do anything.

"My mom," Beth whispered. Her voice was hoarse, so she cleared her throat. "she..."

Andy could already see the tears forming in her eyes. Her cheeks were starting to go blotchy and her bottom lip was starting to tremble.

"Beth." Andy said calmly. "We need to remember to relax and not to panic, okay?" She watched Beth nod and breath heavily.

Since the panic attack at the Shaw's 5 weeks ago, Beth had experienced 2 more, both because of the therapy side of Beth's schooling. She honestly didn't know how Sam dealt with them alone.

Both times Andy had called Sam. He and Oliver had to speed over to the Learning Centre. A 30-minute drive suddenly turned into a 10 minute one. It had taken more time than usual to make her calm down, but she did eventually.

"When I have attacks I see her."

"Your mom?" Andy wanted to jump up and do a victory dance. She had finally said something about her mother. Right about now Andy wanted every trophy and medal in the history of the world.

"Yeah. I see her..." She whispered the last word. "All...cold skinned and pale." She choked on her words. "The worst part about the whole situation is that I couldn't even tell it was her."

By now, Beth had tears rolling down her cheeks. Beth's sob finally ripped through her throat. Andy wanted so badly to jump off her seat and comfort her. But really, it was against the rules.

But one thing she was extremely happy about?

Andy had finally made progress.

While Beth was in the bathroom, Andy walked into reception to see Sam sitting on the couch. Andy gave a little squeal and ran toward him.

"I did it!" She cheered.

Sam raised an eyebrow at Andy.

"Beth talked to me today. She actually said more than one word to me!" Her big, toothy satisfied grin put a dimpled smile on his face.

"Thank god." He said, letting out a huge breath of relief. He was starting to worry Andy would finally give up. 5 weeks and she had finally started talking.

"It wasn't much, and whatever is said in the room stays in the room, so I'm not going to tell you what she said. But it's progress." The smile on Andy's face was almost impossible to ignore.

It could have possibly been the biggest one he'd seen on her face since they met. Sure they'd only met 5 weeks back, but they had become closer than Sam could've ever thought. More than he wanted...

Flashback

"Sam. I know I'm a stranger." Andy sighed. "But I think it'll really help."

Sam had been shaking his head ever since she first let out the suggestion. There was no way in hell he was going.

"Look. We've known each other for 3 weeks, I get why you wouldn't trust me. But I do think it'll help you. And I know you might've wanted it to be with Oli and Zoe because they're your family an-"

"Yeah." Sam cut in. "I would want to do it with them because they're my family. Because I've known them for 15 years, so why are you pressuring me into going now?"

Andy groaned. "Because..."

She took another 10 seconds to try and come up with a good reason, before huffing. "Fine. Don't take my offer. But, you already know that I've talked to Beth about it, and she was fine with staying with Oli and Zoe while we went."

Sam ended up having his first drink in a pub in 6 months with Andy.

End Flashback

Exactly a week after, they went out again, and yesterday, they went again.

He honestly didn't know what he was doing. It felt so wrong to enjoy himself when he was out with Andy. Firstly because of Renee, and secondly because of Beth.

Especially Beth.

He didn't know what to tell her if he told his daughter that he had moved on, only almost 7 months after his wife of 10 years passed away. But he wouldn't need to tell Beth anything because he wasn't moving on. At all.

But he was starting to not hate Andy. It was totally wrong and he knew he was moving on too quickly.

But why did it feel right?

But she had a boyfriend. Or husband. Or...whatever he was. Sam hadn't learnt anything else about Luke yet.

Luke.

He kind of felt like punching the guy in the face. Not because Sam wanted to date Andy or anything...

But, he could feel some kind of attraction, and obviously this Luke guy was getting in the way. Well, to Sam he was anyways.

But Sam was convincing himself that Luke wasn't getting in the way of anything, because nothing was happening, and nothing was going to happen.

But he still felt like beating him.

The only thing Sam knew about Luke, was that his name was Luke and he lived with Andy. He didn't know how long they'd been dating or married for, or if she had kids.

Andy hadn't mentioned him either of the 3 times they'd been out together, so it must've been okay that she was 'helping out a clients father'.

But it wasn't a date. It was never a date.

"I'm really happy you're the one helping Beth, you know." Sam said. "She's finally starting to open up to someone other than me, and she hardly even said anything to me either. She went through the hardest part of Renee's death."

Sam could tell Andy was appreciating his praises. Her face had softened and her eyes started glistening.

"I don't know exactly what she went through. But I know more than most people do, so when she finally tells you more about what happened that night and when you finally help her get better, you will be our saviour. You'll be her hero."

He sighed.

"I promise you that."

Sam gave Andy a one armed hug, and he was enjoying it a lot more than he wanted to. Andy wrapped a loose arm around his back and put her face lightly on his neck.

Her warm, watermelon scented body up against his was about the warmest feeling he had felt after Beth's last attack.

God he felt like a dick for liking her. Even though it wasn't even a proper like. It wasn't even close to love.

He just didn't hate her.

He wasn't moving on though. He didn't want Andy to feel like a rebound. He didn't want her to feel worthless or anything, because she wasn't. She was basically the most amazing female he knew.

She was amazing because even after 5 weeks of Beth saying nothing, not once did she complain to Sam. Not once did she ever say that she thought Beth wouldn't get better. Not once did she complain about Beth being a sook and not wanting to let out her feelings.

Not once did she act like the other therapists that he sent Beth to, that had given up on her on the 3rd week.

He was starting not to hate Andy McNally.

And it was making him angry.

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