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Chapter 7- Tapping the Bar.
Sam was milling over Oliver's words as he stared at the whiskey as it sloshed against the side of the glass, when he picked it up to take a sip.
Traci eyed Sam from across the room, he just seemed so far from the strong person he was before Andy came back.
The Penny was busy, one of the older uniformed cops was retiring, so they were all down for drinks as was expected.
Andy still had to arrive, but pretty much everyone else was here already.
Andy had been back on shift for five weeks and life had seemed to move on since her return. Traci found her smiling more, and a little less tense whenever Sam was in the same room.
She had heard the rumors that Sam and Marlo had split, but kept the information to herself and didn't pry whenever she crossed paths with Sam.
Nick and Gail were wrapped up in each other across the table, they too finding some kind of common ground since he had come back. And that was after Traci had to listen to Gail say that she would never give Nick another chance, everyday for six months.
Denise came down for the weekend to see Chris, so she was here too, but they would be leaving soon. A cop bar wasn't a place for a kid, so Chris stopped by to pay his respects and then they were heading out for some family time.
The door of the Penny swung open and Andy rushed in, a light glow on her cheeks as she took up residence in an empty chair next to Traci. Traci arched an eyebrow at Andy's flustered appearance.
"Did I miss anything?".
"Nothing important" Traci said holding a beer out for Andy.
Andy smiled and visibly relaxed.
"Something I need to know?".
Andy shook her head in reply, this was something Traci would have to wait and see.
"Andy spill!". She knew Andy was hiding something.
"What? I don't know anything". Andy sassed back.
Sam didn't miss the look on Andy's face when she came through the door, her eyes scanned the room until they settled on the back of Collins' head.
She seemed to look relieved when she sat down and glanced his way before looking at her beer.
She had been back in uniform for five weeks and over that time frame he just didn't find it in himself to go anywhere near her.
And judging by her reluctance to come anywhere near him, he didn't think that they were ever going to get over the gap between them. As the saying went- The bridges that you've burned, always come back to haunt you.
Oliver was sitting next to him causally glancing at him as he tried to subtly eye Andy, but Oliver knew he would when she arrived, because he always did it.
"She know yet?". Oliver said following Sam's line of vision.
"Know what?".
"You and Marlo?".
"There's nothing to know". Sam said dryly.
"That's my point". Oliver had his eyebrow raised, he was really going to do this now.
"Why are you so into setting me up with McNally? We've been there, it didn't work, so it won't work next time...". Sam cut his words off, the hair on the back of his neck standing up on end as a shiver ran through him. He knew that if he looked over his shoulder; she would be standing right there, and had probably heard every word he had just said.
So he didn't turn around, he just kept facing the back of the bar.
"I'm just gonna...". Oliver nodded towards the men's room and slid off his chair, leaving a wide gap for her to step into next to Sam.
"Rough day huh?". Andy said as she sat down on Oliver's chair, her head turned in the same direction Sam's was.
"Something like that". Sam said turning to face her, it really was too rude not to look at her when actually speaking to her.
Just as Andy opened her mouth to reply someone screamed, followed by a shriek and a few whistles.
Andy had a pleased look cross her face at the sound of commotion, Sam leaning back to seek out the source.
"Nick proposed to Gail". Andy clarified without having to look, she had been clued in this morning when she found Nick outside her front door a nervous mess.
It was still a little dark and he had dragged her downstairs to watch the sunrise.
After half an hour of standing next to her, he stepped in front of her and said "You love me right?"
Andy had nodded, she really did - he was like the brother she never had.
"So tell me that this is the right thing to do". He had said seconds later, his hand holding out a tiny velvet box.
Sam felt guilty hearing her say the words, he'd spent hours wondering if they had a thing when they were under, and again when they came back.
Collins and Andy were close, really close, and he was struggling to find a label to put on the relationship he saw them have. It was driving him crazy not knowing.
Then there was now.
Realizing that he spent hours of time wasted on thoughts of something that wasn't even there.
Sam leaned back again trying to get a better look at what was going on to find Peck staring down at Collins who was still down on one knee in the middle of the Penny. She hadn't answered him yet, and he obviously wasn't about to get up until she did.
Andy spun around to find Gail looking up in her direction, her eyes wide. It was as though Gail was asking Andy's permission? Or looking for reassurance?
Andy had no idea, but smiled widely at Gail before nodding. She would have to clear up that questioning look up with Gail later.
Andy watched Gail bend down and whisper something in Nick's ear before she stood back up. Nick shook his head, before saying something that everyone standing close to them could hear.
This time Gail shook her head, before turning a ridiculous shade of red. Andy let out a loud giggle, Gail always had to do things the difficult way, but this time, Nick wasn't giving up.
Andy watched as Gail nodded, ever so slightly. The timid action made Nick stand up in one fluid motion before picking Gail up and swinging her around as a round of cheers echoed through the room.
Sam was watching Andy, watching Peck and Collins. She had the most contented look on her face, like the scene unfolding made her happy.
For those few seconds, Sam saw the Andy that he first met. The one with the free spirit, the one that had never experienced the heartache that this Andy had.
Her hand moved to swipe stray strands of hair out of her face before she whirled around to catch him staring at her.
But in that moment he just didn't care.
He didn't try and hide the fact, didn't look past her, or away. He just kept looking right at her. Like he was seeing her for the first time.
Sam's stare unnerved Andy.
It felt like he was looking through her.
It wasn't the creepy kind, or the pointed stare he gave so well, it was different.
Feeling the intensity of it made her break eye contact first, her head leaning forwards to let her eyes settle on the beer bottle that she was strangling in her lap.
"I've got to...". She looked back up, one hand motioning toward Peck and Collins, so Sam nodded.
He didn't say a word, didn't smile, didn't even smirk. He just nodded absent-mindedly.
Andy stood up and walked away, Sam wondering what the hell had just happened.
He watched her slink up to Peck who enveloped her in a hug before she let go and Collins did the same.
"That went well". Nash said leaning against the bar next to him. He hadn't even noticed her presence until she spoke.
"You know, the whole 'Let's actually get acquainted' thing'".
Sam still didn't have the ability to say anything, so he let his eyebrows rise instead.
"Oh you know, you guys are totally avoiding each other, but not as subtly as you think". Nash added, turning to watch Andy with Gail and Nick as someone handed out tequila.
"She is so going to hate herself tomorrow". Nash added to her one sided conversation.
"Why?". Sam assumed it would be because Andy had come over too him.
"Because she's had three beers, a glass of wine, and that's the fourth tequila. She doesn't drink anymore".
Oh great, now Andy only came over here because she was getting loaded. Not what he had in mind when he thought she was attempting to bridge the gap.
"I was wrong you know". Nash said looking squarely at Sam.
"I told Oliver that I didn't think you guys were meant to be together".
That just sounded so wrong!
"Still think so?". Sam said trying not to chew Nash's head off with his reply. She was just looking out for Andy, and him- in a way.
His gaze swooped over to settle on Andy across the room as she had another shot of something pink with Epstein, Peck and Collins.
"No I don't. That's why I'm telling you what I said". Nash looked remorseful as Sam looked back at her.
"I was just looking out for her". She sounded like a lost child now, and Sam really wasn't mad at her. He respected the fact that she was looking out for Andy, and that she had told him the truth. It took a lot of guts to tell him something like that, and face the risk of Swarek wrath if he freaked out.
"I get it". And he really did.
"No more please" Andy groaned as Nick handed her another cherry sours. She was way past her intake level and he just kept feeding her shots.
"Last one". He said as Gail pulled a face, she hated sours. But she was drinking them tonight without much protest.
"Aaarrrggg, I'm going to hate you, and me in the morning".
Andy mumbled as she reached out to take the little glass from Nick.
They clinked the classes together before swallowing the shots back, and slamming the glasses down on the table with three loud thuds.
It was something they had always done, Nick catching on when he joined their division.
The taps on the counter or table top stood for- one for me, one for you, and one for those that can't be with us, although it seemed to stick as one for Jerry, lately.
As Andy's hand pulled away from the tiny glass, she glanced up to find Sam still staring at her openly.
Only this time he was scowling at her like she was in deep trouble.
"Wow, that's harsh". Gail said as she looked up to see Swarek looking at Andy like he was ready to flip his lid. Like literally.
Andy's attention turned to Gail, who was giving Sam an evil look of her own as she tugged on Andy's hand and pulled her towards the bar, away from Sam's side.
"He is so...Swarek some times". Gail mumbled after ordering another two beers and tequila's. She was so over doing anything other than tequila right now.
Andy had the urge to laugh at Gail's lucid description, she was sure that it could have been way better than that.
"So you... What's stopping you, 'cos I just don't get it. All this intensity, and heat and then just nothing?". Gail turned to face Andy with a serious look.
"Really? You want to talk about this now?".
"Hey, they say that sober truths come out of drunk mouths, so we're all just trying to get you drunk" Gail giggled as she held out the shot glass.
Andy let her fingers wrap around the glass as she took it, giving one last look in Sam's direction before slamming back the shot.
Sam couldn't handle watching her try and loose herself at the bottom of a glass, so he stopped watching. Oliver was back in his seat to his right, but didn't say a word in the three minutes he had been sitting there.
With one last look at Andy as she drank yet another shot with Peck, Sam let out a frustrated sigh before standing up and pushing through the crowd in search of Collins.
Finding him with Nash, Sam didn't wait for a polite entry into the conversation, he just jumped right in and cleared his throat to get an invitation to talk.
Both sets of eyes faced him, so he gruffed out what he had come over here to say. "Someone needs to cut McNally off before she regrets this in the morning".
Collins nodded, and Nash smiled like she hit the jackpot.
Sam back peddled, moving away from them before disappearing into the crowd as he made his way for the door.
"He's right". Nash said to Nick, her way of saying that it was all on him to go tell her that.
"Oh no, not me". Nick said holding up his hands. McNally could be difficult when she didn't want to stop.
He had to deal with that their first week into Dakota, she just completely lost herself one night, and he had to throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of a dive bar kicking and screaming that she wasn't Gail.
He didn't want to go there again.
"You suck as backup, you know that right?".
Nick shrugged as Traci got up and made her way over to Andy and Gail.
Gail saw Nick milling around alone, so she left Andy and passed Traci as she made her way to slip in between them.
"How does home sound?".
"Home? No way! Let's have one more?".
Traci shook her head, before frowning as Andy turned to order two more.
"No Andy..."
"You're NOT cutting me off, besides I'm behaving".
Traci shook her head, "Andy, I didn't cut you off, Sam did". Her tone was very serious, so Andy spun around to find Sam and let him have it.
He had no right to cut her off, no say in her life, and no need to try and spoil her night.
Her eyes scanned the room but came up empty.
He had left.
Again.
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