Here you have it, the next chapter! Hope everyone is enjoying the ride. :) Reviews are like little presents every time they pop up into my inbox, so please leave one and let me know what you think. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.
Chapter 3
"We're in," Sam told Andy when he got off the phone.
"What?" she asked, excitedly bouncing off the couch.
"That was Terry. He's having a barbeque and wants us to meet some of the other people who work for him. Said there was a job he wanted to talk to me about," he said grinning.
"Sam, this is great!" she said, trying not seem overly excited, but truly bursting at the seams. They had successfully gotten their foot in the door.
"He didn't talk specifics, but I got the feeling it'll be on the legit side of the business, so we'll still have to work to get further inside. It'll just take time," he said.
"Well, we just have to be patient. If he likes us this quickly to offer you a job, it's only a matter of time," she said.
Sam nodded in agreement before suggesting they call Luke to update him.
The next days passed slowly for Sam and Andy as they waited for the barbeque. It was a lot of sitting around and waiting. They quizzed each other on their covers, scoped out the neighborhood and even stopped at a local bookstore to pick up some reading material.
The afternoon before the barbeque, Andy was sitting on the couch, back pressed up against the side, knees up to her chest, an open book resting on the top of her knees. To Kill A Mockingbird was one of the books she'd picked up at the bookstore – tried to tell herself it was because she hadn't read it since high school, but really all she could think about was Sam referencing it during his speech the night they left. She thought maybe she'd get some insight into Sam by reading it, but now she'd read the same sentence half a dozen times before realizing she couldn't get Sam and what happened between them out of her head.
She looked over the back of the couch to where Sam was putting dishes away in the kitchen. "Hey, Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we, uh, talk about something?" she asked, closing the book and placing it on the coffee table.
"Sure," he said, and walked over to the couch. "Worried about tomorrow?"
She shook her head. "Um, no, it's not that. It's..."
He raised his eyebrows, urging her to continue.
"Did you mean it? What you said…the day we left." She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as her doe eyes stared at Sam.
He was a little stunned at the question, thought he proved he meant it with his pleading speech. But maybe that's what she was wondering about. He sat down on the couch, one bent leg resting on the cushions as he faced her. "I did."
She remained silent for solid minute, her eyes taking in every emotion on his face, every movement of his body. She could read him like no other and could often hear more from his actions and emotions than the words that came out of his mouth. "Then why…six weeks. You hurt me. You broke my heart, Sam."
"You hurt me too." At her confused expression, he continued. "You disappeared for three months to Temagami or wherever the hell you went."
"I thought we were past that," she said, frowning.
"Maybe I'm not."
He lit a fire with his response and there was no way he could miss the anger laced with her next words. "So, breaking up with me, not talking to me unless it was work related for six weeks. That was all revenge, getting me back? Keeping score?"
Sam rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know, Andy." He shrugged and guessed on some level it probably was. Letting her know what it felt like to need someone so bad it hurt, and for them to not be there.
"You know why I left," she said softly. "I emailed you. I called you before I left. I was saving our jobs. You know we wouldn't've been able to stay apart for three months. We couldn't even last a week away from each other while you were under."
"I needed you," he replied, clenching and unclenching the fist that rested on his thigh, the hand that Brennan had nearly fractured.
"I'm sorry you thought the decision I made was - "
"A decision we should've made together," he interrupted. Maybe he would've been okay with her leaving if she had talked to him, actually talked with him beforehand. If they could've made the decision together.
"Just like the decision you made to break up with me. For what? Because you blamed me for Jerry's death? Because you hate me? Because...because..." She was nearly yelling now, only keeping her voice low enough so the neighbors wouldn't hear. She was sick of Sam blaming her for everything that went wrong with them. "Maybe it's because you never really loved me."
She blurted the words out in spite, and regretted it the moment they left her mouth. The way Sam was looking at her it was like she'd sucker punched him; this mix of hurt and anger radiating from his face. It broke her already broken heart. This discussion, or argument, or whatever it was they were having was not getting them anywhere. It was only leaving them both more frustrated and angry than before, which was not what they needed while they were undercover.
"Maybe we shouldn't...This isn't...Forget I said anything. Forget about us. Let's stay focused on the job," she said timidly.
"Yeah," Sam huffed out as he stood up and stormed toward the door. "I need some air...and space." With that, the front door to their crappy apartment was slammed shut.
Andy sighed and buried her face in her hands. That wasn't the way she envisioned that conversation going. She wanted to ask him why a dog named Boo. She wanted to bring up the elephant in the room of him saying he loved her; wanted to see if he still did as much as she still loved him. Instead, they'd simply blamed one another and pissed each other off.
They spent an awkward 24 hours before the barbeque walking around the apartment trying to avoid each other. A dozen words spoken between them until it was time to leave for Terry's house.
As they were shrugging on their jackets, Sam turned to face Andy. "Look, I know we're pissed with each other right now, but Matt and Ally can't be," he said, using his TO voice she knew too well. "If this is going to work, we have to be a happy couple."
"All I have to do is pretend to be your loving girlfriend. I think I can manage that," she said with some attitude. She knew he felt it was his job as the senior officer to make sure they were both prepared for what they were about to walk into. But this wasn't her first day on the job; she knew how to make it look real between them.
When they pulled up to Terry's house just outside of the city limits, Andy took it all in. It was a large gated property that she couldn't help admit left her in awe. The house was more like a mansion, stone and brick decorating the outside, with a well-manicured lawn and elegant garden ornaments. There were more than a dozen cars parked in the long driveway and it seemed like they were among the last to arrive.
They were greeted by Terry when they knocked on the door and exchanged some pleasantries. He encouraged them to make themselves at home as he led them to the large living room where most of the guests were gathered.
For the first hour they were left to mingle with the 20 or so other guests, including those they met the other night, and stuck pretty close to each other. They were feeling out everyone they met, trying to gauge how involved everyone was with the illegal side of the operation. They played the role of a happy couple, her hand grazing his back or arm, his arm most often wrapped around her waist.
Andy simultaneously loved how comfortable it felt with Sam and cursed it given how complicated things were right now. Sam enjoyed taking advantage of the situation, and also hated how much he missed holding her like this. He was listening to a conversation Andy was having with someone they just met as his eyes skimmed the room, stopping when he saw Rob nearly drooling as his gaze was fixed on Andy.
Sam tugged her closer, throwing a chuckle into the conversation when he heard her explaining how Matt and Ally met. She glanced up at him with her megawatt smile. "Yeah, you can say he fell for me hard."
"What can I say, she knocked me down from the moment I laid eyes on her," he said, giving her a knowing smile as they both thought about that first day. Still seeing Rob out of the corner of his eye, he slid his hand into Andy's back pocket, pulling her even closer. She nearly spit out her drink when she felt his hand there. It wasn't that it made her feel uncomfortable – it was something he used to do all the time as they stood at the bar at The Penny with their friends – but given the current circumstances, it wasn't something she was expecting. She knew someone had to be watching, that 'Matt' was somehow staking his claim on 'Ally.' She, uh, didn't mind as much as she should. Despite the fight the day before, she missed Sam's hands on her.
"The best woman do that, knock you down with one look," Terry said, interrupting the conversation. "Excuse me, mind if I steal you two away for a moment?"
"Sure," Sam said, as they both nodded.
Terry escorted them to the other side of the house where his office was. Sam immediately noticed how large it was and that he kept it locked, meaning he probably did a lot of his business right from home.
"Have a seat. Glad you guys could make it tonight," Terry said as he sat down behind a large desk in his office.
"Thanks for inviting us," Sam said as he and Andy sat in chairs on the other side of the desk.
"Everyone is so nice. It's been great meeting them and making friends since we don't know many people in Toronto yet," Andy said.
"You seem like good people, and everyone out there seems to agree," he said, waving his hand toward the door. "Also, seems like you've had a tough time of it lately and I'd like to help you out. I'd like to offer you both jobs."
Sam and Andy glanced at each other quickly before she blurted out, "Both of us?"
Terry smiled at her response. "If you're interested."
"Absolutely. That would, wow, that would be great, man," Sam said.
Terry slid a couple brochures across the desk. "We provide domestic and international adoptions. Some are open where all the parties know each other, some even keep in touch, while others are closed with neither party knowing the other." He let them skim through the brochures before continuing. "I like my teams working in partners, usually a female who can take the lead with the children and a guy to help make sure everything goes according to plan. That's why I'd like to bring you both in, to work together."
"Thanks for giving us a chance," Sam said. "I know you don't know us well and it means a lot. We came to a new city to start a new life and you're helping to give us that. Maybe one day I'll be able to give Ally the dream house she's so intent on having."
"I know you better than you think," Terry replied, and Sam didn't miss the sly look on his face. "And if things work out as I think they will, I may have some additional opportunities for you down the road. Some more profitable opportunities." He cocked his head knowingly at Sam. "Some matters that need to be handled by a very select few. I've looked into your past work Matt, and I like what I see."
"Well, I'm open to anything you want to throw at me. We both are," he said, looking at Andy, who was smiling.
After their meeting with Terry, Sam and Andy spent the next two hours mingling. Eventually they found their way outside where a dozen or so people were lounging around the pool. Andy took a seat on the end of a lounge chair and Sam quickly realized that was the only seat left. He wasn't sure how she was going to react to this, but he swung a leg over the chair and straddled it behind her.
Andy cursed her body for tensing when she felt Sam right up against her back. It just felt odd doing something that felt so intimate, even though they were just sitting together. She felt his chest up against her back as he leaned in. "No other chairs," he whispered in her ear.
She rested a hand on his leg and turned her head to face him, giving him a large smile, letting him know it was okay. They sat like that for a while and chatted with everyone. They weren't learning much about the operation, but the party was giving them an opportunity to size up who they'd be working with and who might cause them trouble.
Sam's hands had found their way to her waist, his thumbs absentmindedly sliding under her shirt to brush against her warm skin. She tried to hide the shiver that ran through her body at his touch. "You doing okay?" he whispered in her ear.
Andy nodded as she looked over her shoulder. "I'm great. You?"
"You want another drink?" he asked.
Andy saw Suzy walking in the grass away from everyone and decided to see if she wanted company. "No. I'm gonna go talk to Suzy," she told him.
"Okie dokie," he said, watching her stand up. She excused herself from the crowd and headed in Suzy's direction. She'd wanted to talk to her all night, felt like Suzy might be a good ally and a way for her and Sam to make their way deeper into the organization.
"Hey, want some company?" she asked as she approached her new friend, who was now sitting on the grass. When Suzy nodded, Andy sat down, stretching her legs out in front of her as she leaned back on her hands. "This is such a beautiful property."
"When Benny's doing business with Terry that I'm not a part of I love walking the grounds. It's peaceful and quiet, reminds me of the farm I grew up on," Suzy mused.
"So you haven't lived in the city your whole life?" Andy asked.
Suzy shook her head. "No, I didn't have the greatest father, especially after my mom died, so I ran away when I was 14. Had dreams of this amazing big city and the opportunities it had. Hitchhiked my way to Toronto."
Andy could sympathize a bit. She'd never actually run away, but a couple of times after her dad had come home in the wee hours of the morning in a drunken stupor, she'd given it serious thought. "Did the city live up to your expectations?"
She forced out a laugh as she picked at the grass beside her. "Not at first. I came here with twenty bucks, so I started hooking just so I could eat. Spent a few years doing that." She glanced up at Andy before focusing back on the grass. "You get used to it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, stop trying to find a way enjoy it. You just do it, or let it be done to you, like any other job."
Andy sat forward and crossed her legs as she laid a comforting hand on Suzy's shoulder. "But something changed. How'd you get here?" she asked softly.
"Terry was a client, one of my regulars. He didn't treat me like a whore like a lot of the guys I met. He eventually hooked me up with some of his friends. You don't even know, Ally, these guys would pay me in one night what I'd make in a week. I felt like maybe I could finally save up enough money so one day I could get out of the life." She stared out across the open yard, a small smile slowly breaking out across her face.
"Then I met Benny. I'd run into him when I was here for Terry or his friends. I was ashamed at first that he knew what I was, but he didn't care. I wouldn't go out with him at first, so he paid for a night with me. Took me out to dinner, drove me home, refused to go to bed with me." She laughed thinking back to that night and what a gentleman Benny had been.
"Benny sounds like a catch, a wonderful guy," Andy mused.
"He is. I can't imagine my life without him now," she said smiling. "After that night, I knew I couldn't be with another guy. I approached Terry and explained why I needed to break things off with him and his friends. I didn't even give a thought to how I'd make enough money to eat, but before I left his office, he'd given me a job, a real job. I'd do anything for both of them. Anything."
Andy couldn't imagine how horrible things could be for someone that they'd turn to prostitution. Her heart was sad for Suzy. But she also realized why she was part of this; she felt indebted to Terry. He gave her a new start, so she could have a life with the man she loved.
"I'm glad things worked out for you," Andy said, giving her a smile. "So, you work with the adoptions?" Now that Andy knew why Suzy was here and how committed she was to Terry, she needed to see what type of info she'd give up about the operation.
"I spend about half my time with the adoptions and then I do some other work for Terry. Benny told me you and Matt might be joining us?" Suzy asked.
"Looks like we will be. Terry hired us tonight. We're grateful, and it's such a great cause, helping babies find homes," Andy replied, making sure to sound excited.
Suzy quickly changed the subject, asking more about Matt and Ally's relationship, how they met, when she knew she was in love. Keeping it as close to the truth as possible, Andy's heart softened remembering all the good times she and Sam had. She only wished things hadn't shattered apart when Jerry died.
When Sam and Andy were back in the car, Sam was ready to shake off the charade of being a loving doting couple, but he could tell something was wrong with Andy. His mood toward her had already started to soften, as he watched her work the room tonight, as he enjoyed holding her in his arms, and he wanted to take away the sadness he saw in her eyes right now. "What's wrong? Something happen in there?"
She heard the concern in his voice and turned her head to face him as he pulled onto the street. "I was talking to Suzy. She's had a hard life, ran away from home, became a prostitute. In her mind, Terry and Benny are the best things to ever happen to her. She's a smart girl, had so much potential."
"So, she's in this because of loyalty to them?" he asked.
Andy nodded. "Don't think she'd be in it otherwise. I can tell she's a compassionate person. But she grew up being okay letting men use her. I don't think she sees much wrong with what's being done to these girls. Probably even thinks it's a good thing for those they pull out of horrible lives." She stared out the window and silence enveloped the car for several minutes. "It makes me sad. What she went through, what she's okay with because of her unyielding loyalty."
"It's that lion's heart of yours," he said, reaching a hand out to squeeze her leg gently. "One of the first things I loved about you…even if it gets you into trouble sometimes." With the last words, he threw a smile at her before focusing back on the road.
Andy couldn't help but smile as she stared at him, wondering if he realized what he'd said about loving her. Wondered if there was any of it left inside him.
