Uh over 60 follows? Thanks!? I honestly don't know how that happened but I am so happy it did. It's really helping me right better to know that people are reading this and are so into it that they want more! I love everyone's reviews! Thank you for you insight!
I'm so sorry this took forever. I had a hard time with writing some of this dialogue and what I believe needed to be said and well… you'll figure it out once you read.

This chapter is definitely longer than the others so I hope you enjoy!

Strike Three. Chapter 4.

I don't own Rookie Blue.

Cara said that after the explosion happened Brinks started panicking and took off without her. Sam believes he did so thinking he killed two cops and thought getting to a safe place was more important than having Cara. He moved vans and drove to a different safe house after the car accident set off the time trigger on the bomb. Cara said he was driving somewhere in a hurry, but after the crash he looked over and saw he hit the cops he was trying to run from, took Cara into the warehouse, tied her up some more, and that's when the bomb went off, he just ran. Cara didn't know why he had the explosive. She said he told her he would put it in her mother's house if she ever ran way. Brinks confessed to kidnapping Amber, Erica, Cara, and Tess, the girl they found at the bank. He wanted to 'collect' girls in order to sell them to a bigger man who would force them to be prostitutes. Bo Brinks didn't get away with selling anyone and Sam tried to get him to cough up the name of who he was going to sell them too. He claimed he didn't know who the guy is, but he said he had a guy close to him who knew.

Sam he walked by his own rule book today, for the first time as a detective, but he doesn't regret it. Because at the end of the day it brought the bad guy in. How would they have found Cara if Andy wasn't so crazy to run into an unclear warehouse right after a bomb went off.

It's around ten o'clock. Sam walks out of the interrogation room to find the division is pretty much empty because the night shift has moved out on patrol. He checks the other room to check on Andy who he supposed was watching the interrogation. She isn't there.
Sam pieces it together pretty fast that she convinced Nick to go to the hospital.

Sam can't piece together why he lashed out like he did about Nick. It's just the idea that Nick could be doing more than just asking if she's okay. Seeing through that someone is alright and in good hands was always Sam and Andy's thing. Andy was the one who always connects with whoever they deal with and over a period of working together. Sam grew into understanding how and why she did. He grew into wanting to finish things off on a good note with who they worked with for the day. But knowing she went to see Cara without him makes him realize that he does have an issue with the idea of her wanting to be with Nick. Sam thinks 'idea' because he can't even fathom it as a reality.

But that's what got him heated in the spur of the moment. It's not why he's angry right now. He's mad because of what she told him.

"You can't ever just give it to me straight, can you? Or maybe you can. Being shot at isn't that far off from holding a grenade right?"

I was straight with her. Sam thinks. I did tell her I loved her, so why is she still angry about it?

He doesn't know that she still wants his I love you to mean something. Andy sees Sam dating another girl as his I love you doesn't mean anything important to him.
Sam rubs the back of his neck, in exhaustion from the day. He really should have seen this one coming, Andy's first shift back and hell breaks loose, for the case and well himself. Really, he's thankful nobody got shot, especially with the way she was glaring at him.

He checks his watch. Their shift is over, but that never really does stop McNally, Sam thinks.
He spots Marlo walking up to him, out of uniform. He now realizes how much time he spent thinking about Andy today and not his girlfriend.

"Hey you ready for that celebratory drink?" Marlo rubs his cheek.

"Where have you been all day?" Sam asks sarcastically because of his adventurous day.

"Congrats on finally bringing that dirt bag in… Are you ready to head to the Penny for Noelle and Frank's party?"

"Uh yeah. Just let me explain these papers to Nash in the D's office first-"

"Oh I can meet you there I'm going with Peck." Marlo doesn't worry him.

Sam nods okay as he turned to walk towards the D's office.

"Hey Sam…" Marlo catches back up with him in the small hall up to his office. She places her hand on his shoulder.

Sam catches the concern in her eyes, only because he was on the lookout for it all day in Andy's eyes. "What's…? Is something wrong?"

Marlo wants to ask him a million questions but she doesn't want to be that girlfriend who worries about her boyfriend's ex complicating her relationship. And she doesn't want to stress him with letting him think she realizes how he and Andy looked today. She already did ask him what things meant for them the night Andy got back to the station and Sam told her that McNally's in the past. But Marlo changes the subject because she notices her boyfriend doesn't look like his usual self after putting away a bad guy.

"Aren't you happy you caught his guy?"

"Of course I am. Why do you ask?" Sam hates that he let himself still be angry about Andy.

"It's just this morning when you picked me up you were in the best mood and ever since this case got tricky it's been slipping, and I understand that. But now you cracked it, it's over…" She rubs his arm. "And something still has you down."

Sam doesn't respond. He doesn't have an honest response for her that doesn't involve Andy.

"This is the first day I've seen you like this." Marlo continues.

"Like what." Sam crosses his arms.

"You were way off the charts today. You didn't follow direct orders. You followed a rookie around getting into trouble with her… I mean I'm glad you did, you caught the bad guy." She touches his arm. "Sam. I understand it's your job but it feels like you went out of your way with her and I don't know, I'm not used to that. I'm not comfortable with it yet. I'm not comfortable with you two like jumping into things like that."

After a day like today he wouldn't mind getting rid of the detective rule book that he's been following at this point. Andy brought that out in him.

Sam sighs.

"I'm sorry. I'm just reading into things too much." Marlo touches her forehead.

Sam brings her in for a hug.

Marlo's compassion to be the right type of cop helps him go by the rules, which makes him a brighter and better person. He became a detective right around Marlo came to fifteen, right around when he began to follow the detective rule book. It's helped him adjust. But she's right, he did go off on his own with Andy today.
But after a day like today he's starting to realize how it feels to not go by the rules as a detective. And this has been brought on by Andy, they were for Andy, she's so driven, and if he didn't go with her; he wouldn't have been there for here for the explosion or the shootout.

"McNally isn't a rookie, Marlo. She was determined and I got caught up in it with her today." Sam says in a soft tone. He puts her face in his hands. "I won't let it happen again."

"Alright." Marlo looks down. "But I saw what she made you do. I'm not going to control you Sam. You do what you want. I'm just giving you a heads up before trouble can start. Have you talked with Frank?"

"Yep. Just did." Sam responds taking his hands off her face, hearing chatter down the hall.

"Today it wasn't too bad, but we don't know about tomorrow or the next day."

"We'll take it one day at a time." Sam tells her.

Marlo built up the courage to re-ask her next question. "She's back for good now. What does that mean for us?"

Sam looked her in the eyes, wondering why she's asking about Andy again. "Don't need to worry about her." Bringing her in closer.

As he brings her in for a kiss he hears Andy and Nick laughs down the hallway.

They are coming from the gun room after unloading their guns and belts.

"See you at the Penny, Swarek." Marlo walks out of the hall.

She runs into Nick and Andy, who're still in their uniforms.

"Nice work today McNally. Collins." Marlo compliments them and continues walking to meet Gail.

"Hey McNally." Sam catches her.

Andy doesn't turn around but Nick does.

"Best wants to see you." Sam says.

"Uh, I'll catch you at the Penny." She says to Nick, her back still to Sam.

She brushes her hand against his arm, without realizing what it looks like to Sam. Not really caring either.

"Sounds good." Nick says and he walks into the lockers to change.

Andy starts her walk towards Frank's office, thinking of the million things he could yell at her about the damage that went down today.

She hears Sam walking behind her, trying to catch up, probably to tell her some joke about being yelled at on her first shift back.

"Is it bad?" Andy can't help but ask if he knows.

Sam shrugs. "He didn't yell at me if that helps."

Andy glances back at him in question.

"You don't have to be here. I can handle myself."

They're standing outside of Frank's office, he's currently on the phone.

"I still have got work to do here. So."

Andy nods. "Oh right you put your work first. And this, right here is just work right Sam?"

He doesn't know what to say. He just knows he wants to be in there to back her up for the damage she could've caused today. Or the damage she did cause.

"That's why she works for you. She wants you to put your job first, all the time, right?" Andy asks.

Sam crosses his arms and opens his mouth to respond.

"McNally." Frank opens his office door.

Andy walks in.

"Uh Swarek, don't worry she's not in trouble." Frank gets him to back down.

"Frank." Sam says.

"You're rookie is fine." Frank hushes to Sam.

Andy's sitting down now and hears what Frank says to Sam. She sighs at his words, she's still Sam's rookie.

"So. McNally, I'll make this fast." Frank walks over to his desk. "We have a little party to get too." He opens a folder.

"Little? It's you're engagement party. I think that's huge." Andy grows an honest smile, hopefully lightening his mood for their talk. "How is Noelle?"

Frank chuckles a laugh, in Andy's attempt. "She's good. I'm pretty sure she loves our daughter more than me."

Andy smiles.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on a successful take down on your first shift back from Dakota."

"Thank you, sir." Andy says sincerely.

"Even though it was eventful and dangerous. I'm proud you didn't back down and pulled through with the victim and her kidnapper."

"It's my job."

"Good attitude. I'm glad that hasn't changed from your being on the op." Frank says almost referring up to Sam.

"How was the task force on you? Could you ever consider it again?" Frank looks down at the sheet he's filling out.

Drug squad always asks this of officers on their return. How the operation went for them and being under cover. The number one question being would they consider it again.

Andy takes a breath. "Um under cover was a big change. I had to adjust too pretty fast, but I did it. I was good with it." She scratches her head a bit. "But if Nick wasn't there… I would've had a hard time keeping my cool and staying focused on being under cover."

Frank takes a breath as he leans over to open Nick's folder. "Collins said the same when I talked to him earlier. Good to know that you two could lean on each other to work on the op at hand." Frank comments as he writes in Andy's folder. "And about going under again, Collins commented that he would be up to it. If he has you to work with, of course."

"Oh?" Andy's taken back.

Nick would go under again if it was with her, that's sort of huge. She thought before she answered, thinking about what she told him earlier about wishing to go back.

"I wouldn't mind it either."

"Even if he wasn't, I could be up for it." She remembers her conversation with Sam. If he can watch her walk away after he said I love you and go off to another girl and not have anything more to say than… Then she could get away with it again.

"Hm." Frank shuts her folder.

Andy fiddles with her hands.

"I talked to Peck earlier… asked if she is all good for her shift tomorrow because of your rocky day together earlier, she said she is. I just wanted to extend the same question."

"I am more than prepared for shift tomorrow, sir. Just needed a few stitches and I'm all good." Andy doesn't hesitate

"I heard you handled a gun with that, right?"

Andy contains her blushing cheeks at the thought of Sam boasting to Frank about shooting with a stitched hand. "Yes. You heard right."

"Impressive. Very happy to have you and Collins back with us." He stands up, concluding this conversation.

"Thank you sir." Andy stands as Frank puts his hand in his pockets and walks her out.

"How was being away for so long on you?"

They walk out of his office and through the bullpen.

"A big adjustment, but you know after six months…"

"Oh I could imagine." Frank laughs. "I'll see you at the Penny?" He walks out the front doors.

"Wouldn't miss it." Andy says to him.

Sam's still in his office, his desk is clear. Traci left telling him she'll see him at the Penny. He has cases he could be looking over while he waits. After a while he gets up to walk to the doorway and looks over and sees Frank's office empty and spots Andy starting to undo the top buttons of her uniform shirt as she walks into the locker room.

Sam stands outside the locker rooms but knowing her she would stay in there to wait him out. Andy knowing Sam, he would stand out there all night… if that hasn't changed about him.

It hasn't once Sam walks in anyways as Andy shuts her locker and sits on the bench to tie up her boots.

"What are you still doing here?" Andy's still cooling off from their fight.

"Just checking on you."

Andy gives him a look. They've had this conversation before.

"Uh, giving you a ride to the Penny." Sam says again. "Hey."

"Great." Andy picks up her bag and walks out.

They have same walk down same hall where Sam begged to have her back and she shut him down.

They both have that unnerving flashback as they turn to glance at each other for a second. They needed to get out of that hall and once they got to Sam's truck Andy threw her bag into the back before she looked up to Sam's intent look.

Once they get outside, it's dark and Sam stops and turns around to face Andy, making her stop as well. They stand on separate sides of Sam's truck, the bed of it lying in between them. Neutral land.

"What?" Andy puts her hands in her pockets. "You want me to drive?"

"Nope." Sam shrugged off and turned to get in the driver's seat. "Not after what you drove into today." He called over, she could hear the smile in his voice.

Andy smiles to herself. He didn't say it was because she wan't his girl anymore.

When they arrived at the Penny after putting off their argument after their little 'you can't drive' bickering they had a car ride full of easy conversation about the case

Sam fills her in on Brinks and Andy fills Sam in on Cara.

Sam parks and Andy wants to be in a hurry to get out of the truck but they both stay. They sit there a moment and sock in the presence of the other from after being away from each other for so long. Yes they were alone together throughout the day, but not like this, not with anything or any case to worry them giving them something to talk about.

Except for the one case Sam hasn't opened yet, to win Andy back.

Andy breaks the moment before Sam. She doesn't know that, if he could, Sam would sit there all night in silence with her. Sam doesn't realize that everything he could ever want is in that truck with him.

"I'm sorry about before, dragging you into going to the hospital with me, that shoot-out. I should've-" Andy says to her hands, looking down at them.

Although Andy knows he's alright with her wanting to see Cara.

"Are you sorry about avoiding me?" Sam looks at her straight on.

She picks up her head to look at him.

"Are you sorry about leaving me?" Andy throws back.

"Leaving you?" Sam asks.

She's the one who went off in the middle of the night to go under cover.

"Yes." Andy confirms.

"That is not what happened. You walked away from us… again. That's what happened-"

"No you broke up with me." Andy says in matter-of-factly tone.

"Okay, but I came back to you." Sam touches his chest with his thumb. "I told you I would do anything to make us work to fix things… Andy, you didn't feel the same way-"

"I did-" Andy gets cut off.

"So you left." Sam says before comprehending what Andy said in between his words, that she did feel the same way.

"You did." Sam repeats, not as a question.

"I…" still do, she almost blurts out. What is she thinking, she can't tell him she still wants him. She already told herself she was done with him. Even if she didn't say she was done she knows deep down she couldn't tell him that. He doesn't deserve to know she still cares about him.

Sam cuts her off. "Obviously you didn't because you left, still."

She turns her head away from him and crosses her arms in a pouting way. She glares out the window.

"McNally." Sam calls seriously to get her to stop. He knows they were both at fault for their break up.

Andy holds back tears in her eyes and speaks in a soft tone. She looks back to see him watching her. "Sam you broke my heart…"

"You got me back."

Andy ignores his feelings for the moment. She's finally getting out what she needs too.

She raises her voice in order to deliver impact with her next words. "I would've needed a lot more than a drink from the Penny!" Andy throws her hand towards the bar behind him, resting her stitched hand on her lap still.

"I…" Sam struggles with words. "You still left. You didn't give me a chance too!"

"Stop saying I left!" She says loudly but the tone she uses next has a dull ring in it, tired of her anger she lets a few tears escape. "You left me behind. I finally let you lead. I let someone else lead in my life… and look what happened. I got left behind."

"Andy…" Sam says in affection.

"What do you think that did to me? I struggled for a month trying to pick myself up again! I understand you were having a rough time with… what happened." She dpea not want to bring up Jerry, not even say his name. "But Sam-"

"Andy…" Sam sees what him breaking up with her has done. "I didn't know what or how-"

"I tried to help you over his death. I tried to talk with you about it. But then you broke up with me. You crushed my heart… And after you just stood there and watched.I tried to talk to you, we needed to talk. You saw me hurting and said nothing. How could you do that?"

She pauses a second. She slumps her shoulders and is ready to get out of this truck.

Sam sees her defeated look and tries to stop it. "Andy. Don't-"

"And I come back from that task force… doing something for myself… from giving us time…" She rubs her cheek with her good hand. "I come back to see I'm left having to pick myself up again."

Sam is speechless.

"I thought… but you still stood there and did nothing."

She waits a moment in hope she sparks something in him. Anything to get him to see that she still needs him in her life to heal her heart. Andy sees that it doesn't.

"Just like you are right now." She painfully whispers.

She opens her foot and gets out of the truck.

"Andy."

She makes it two steps before he calls her name.

She stops and stands by the truck.

Sam leans his elbows on the other side.

Neutral ground.

They let the truck sit in between them, knowing if it wasn't, not a bar full of their coworkers and a girlfriend, nothing would stop them from angrily kissing each other.
Not even the fact that they will hate each other for making themselves fall in love with the other.

She told him how she felt. She did it. But now she has to tell him how she feels.

"I'm sorry too." She recalls his apology from earlier.

She's not done with him yet.

"You said earlier… when we were down after that bomb went off that you were sorry."

She tries to stop herself from crying and wraps her arms around her body. Andy knows his 'I'm so sorry' had nothing to do with the bomb and that she had to go through that. She knows he apologized for what happened between them.
The horrible break up. Then the abrupt I love you. Then Sam wanting her back after he broke her heart. Then Andy's decision to leave it behind. But most of all the fact he couldn't wait for her.

"You shouldn't have left." Sam says in the softest of tones.

He finally admits he wanted her to stay.

But she is still mad at him. "You know what? I shouldn't have come back… I wish I could just go back because than I wouldn't have had to come back to see my… To see what I saw, you kissing her."

"Really… You would really go back? And not…"

"Not what?" Andy asks.

"Not be in this with me." Sam makes her feel like he's standing right in front of her.

Andy knows he's referring to working on cases together. But deep down Sam means not be in this life with him.

She laughs to herself, he thinks he can still have her. He is so wrong. But she knows what her next words will lead too.

"No, I change my mind." She gets angrier. "I am glad I came back when I did so I can stop feeling sorry for you that I left."

Sam leaves his mouth open. "Stop?"

"Almost every day I caught myself wondering how you were coping with me being gone." She gives him a sad look and shrugs her shoulders.

"Andy. I-"

"Yeah I see that you didn't." She swallows back. "You don't."

Sam doesn't know what to think, what to say.

"I thought I would have you." She sniffs. "But no… you just stood there and didn't say anything; just like right now."

Andy makes her way around the truck buts stops before completely passing hi

"Don't worry Sam." Andy says confidently. "I'm not hurting anymore."

She continues walking into the bar.

Andy understands now that she can't handle herself with thinking about him anymore.

She can't handle herself with Sam Swarek period.

Alright, alright I know that ended so badly for my McSwarek shippers! Sorry! But don't worry too much.
The next chapter is still a continuation of this day, full of McCollins? McSwarek? Read to see ! Since it's been awhile that I've updated, I will have a new chapter for you guys tomorrow!

Please send out reviews!