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A Sam/Andy fic.

Chapter Seven.

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Disclaimer: See Ch. 1.

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A/N: Wow, thanks for the speedy reviews, guys.

I'll respond to some of the reviews here:

.Naxen: (love the name, by the way) Yes, it would be so much easier to just come clean and tell the truth ... we'll have to see what Andy does in this next chapter! Thanks for the review!

twotoe: The animosity towards her mother will always be there, that's a given. So that won't change a whole lot, but more Andy's attitude in general, such as being snappy with Sam, or with the nurses at the hospital, and her father. That sort of thing. In regards to the pace of the story: well, this story is mainly about what's going on with Andy's 'family', with Sam/Andy as a second plot-line. But, don't worry, we will get to see some Sam/Andy goodness eventually. Thanks for the review!

SPNAngel16: In chapter 2, Audrey tells Andy that Bobby is 9. I wanted a younger sibling for Andy, and I believe childhood leukemia generally affects children aged 4-8. So, Bobby's been battling his disease for a while now. Thanks for the review!

Everyone else: Thanks for the great reviews, you're wonderful!

Alright, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story, shall we?

I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it.

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!

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Andy shifted against the mattress, feeling a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. She had too options: she could tell him it was personal, and that she didn't want to talk about it, or she could come clean and tell him the truth. It wasn't as though she could lie to him again; he wasn't a moron, and he undoubtedly already knew that she wasn't the one who was sick. She sighed through her nose, begrudgingly making her decision. "He's a boy at the hospital."

Sam nodded his head, stepping further into the room. "And you know him?"

"Not exactly," Andy replied, feeling as though she were being interrogated.

"You're not sick, are you?" he asked her.

Andy shook her head.

Sam sighed, mostly with relief. "Then why did you let me believe that you were?"

Andy shrugged. "'Cause I don't really want to talk about why I was really at the hospital."

He sat next to her on the bed. "Come on, McNally ..."

Andy was silent.

"Alright, if you won't tell me, then why don't I tell you what I know?" Sam didn't wait for her to respond. "I know that since your mother has come back into your life, things have been different. You've been different, and you've been acting differently. I know that this Bobby kid is sick, and knowing you, you're trying to help him. I assume that Bobby is your mother's son, which would make him your brother. So, whatever is wrong with him, they are testing you because of your genetic similarities. How am I doing so far?"

Andy sighed, glancing up at him. "Pretty much right on the money."

Sam nodded his head. "What I don't understand is, why you felt like you had to keep this from everyone?"

"Because people already know enough of my business," she told him, her mind automatically jumping to the fact that everyone thought she and Sam were sleeping together. Him coming by on his lunch break to keep her company probably wasn't helping that rumor. "And," she continued, "I just figured if I didn't talk about it, then I could just put it behind me, like it never happened. "

Sam nodded his head in understanding. "So ... what's wrong with him?"

Andy figured there was no point in lying anymore, so she picked up her container once more, prodding absently at the perogies within. "He's got leukemia."

Sam sighed, feeling sorry for the boy. "That's rough."

Andy nodded her head. Honestly, she hadn't given the kid much consideration until then. She hadn't wanted to let herself think about him. Now, he was stuck in her mind. Not just because her mother told her that he wanted to meet her, but also because talking about it with Sam did exactly what she hadn't wanted it to do: made it all real. Somehow, now that it was all out in the open, it was so much more serious.

"So, you don't want to meet him, huh?" he asked her, digging back into his rice.

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "He's not my brother. I mean, biologically, yeah. But up until now, I've had no attachment to him at all. I didn't even know he existed."

"But now you do."

Andy groaned, hating in insightfulness.

After a beat, Sam asked, "So, how old is he?"

Andy looked over at him with a shrug. "I think she said he was nine."

Sam nodded his head. "That's gotta be rough."

They sat in silence, watching some more of the movie on the television before Sam had to return to his shift. He told her again that he would call her every fifteen minutes to check up on her, and then he was gone.

Andy was left alone with her thoughts, thinking about things that she'd been unable to let herself consider before.

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Her hip was still sore, but it was much more bearable now then it had been the other day. Andy was back at work, riding the desk until Boyko thought she was ready to go back out in the squad car.

Dov sat next to her, tapping a pen repeatedly against the counter, hoping for someone to come in and report a crime; something, anything.

Andy was just trying to get through the day. Her mind was constantly racing, unable to forget about what Sam had said. He was right ... she might not have known about her brother before, but she certainly did now. Just because his mother was terrible, didn't mean that he was. He was sick, and he wanted to meet her. If she were in his place, would she want to meet herself? She honestly didn't know.

After thinking about it for several hours, she decided that she would wait until they knew the results of the bone marrow test. If it was negative - which it probably would be - then her mother would have no further use for her anyway, and she could go back to her life as it was. If it was positive ... well, she'd cross that bridge when it came to it.

She called her mother on her lunch break, working to keep the animosity out of her voice. It was difficult, to say the least.

Audrey thanked her, and began gushing about how thrilled Bobby would be if she said yes, and Andy responded by closing the phone sharply.

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By Tuesday afternoon, Andy was feeling much better. Her sore hip was but a distant memory, she and Traci had made a pretty serious bust the day before, and she'd prevented an almost-robbery at her regular coffee shop.

All in all, things were looking up.

She hadn't heard from anyone at the hospital - or her mother, thank goodness - and Andy began wondering if the test had come up negative, and no one had bothered to tell her. She could see her mother doing that - cutting her out of her life once again, now that she was no longer useful.

Andy was annoyed by the fact that it surprised her. By all rights, it shouldn't. She knew what kind of woman her mother was, so it really shouldn't surprise her that she would only stick around if she thought she was getting something in return.

But, Andy decided that she wouldn't let herself be upset about it. It was done and over with, and she was moving on. It was what she'd wanted, after all ... to just put this all behind her and move on with her life.

"You're looking chipper," Sam commented. "What, did you rescue a cat from a tree this morning?"

Andy rolled her eyes at him, grinning at that. "Nope. Just having a good day. Is that a crime?"

Sam shook his head, wondering at her sudden relaxed attitude. "Not at all. So, things are good then?"

Andy nodded her head. "Yeah. I think so."

Her phone rang, breaking her out of her reverie. She dug it out of her pocket, flipping it open and placing it against her ear without bothering to check the number. "Yes?"

"Hello, is this Andy McNally?" a woman asked her.

"Yes, it is," Andy replied. "Who am I talking to?"

"I'm calling from St. Michael's, Ma'am," the woman told her. "I was instructed by Dr. Stevenson to give you a call. The results for your bone marrow test are in, and he would like you to come in later this evening, if that's convenient?"

Andy blinked, her previous mood vanishing.

"Ma'am?" the woman asked. "Are you still there?'

Andy swallowed the lump that had suddenly built up in her throat. "Uh, yeah, I'm here." She could feel Sam's eyes on her, but didn't turn to face him.

"Okay, well he has an opening at seven o'clock this evening, is that suitable for you?" the woman asked her.

Andy pursed her lips together, only now noticing that she'd forgotten to breathe. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright, I'll let him know," she spoke through the phone. "Have a good afternoon." And with that, she hung up.

Andy closed the phone slowly, looking down at her hands.

"Something wrong?" Sam asked her.

Andy brought her head up to look at him finally, the humor gone from both of their eyes. "That was the hospital ... they got the results in."

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End of chapter seven.

Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it?

Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful.

Until next time ...!