AN: Here's what I think is a fun chapter. It takes place at the Penny. We've got some growth going on here and even more coming up. I love it when these crazy kids figure out their mess. If only we could watch it in season 5, am I right?
Anyway, as usual, thanks for all of the reviews. You're still the best and I still love you. Let me know what you think about this chapter and maybe, just maybe, I'll keep on updating ;)
Andy sat alone in the Penny, watching the door for her friends. It was the night before Oliver's first shift back and he was planning on stopping in with Celery. She smiled as Chris and Dov walked in and joined her, followed shortly by Traci, Steve, and Gail. Nick was the last to join them and he hesitated for only a second before sitting down in the only empty chair between Andy and Gail. Andy watched him sit down before looking over at Traci who offered a gentle smile.
More and more people filed in and sat around them as Andy slowly sipped on her beer, listening to Dov tell a story about one of his arrests earlier in the day. Suddenly, the door opened and the bar broke out in a round of applause and loud cheers. She and her friends joined everyone else in a standing ovation, but she almost fell over when she noticed Sam standing next to Oliver and Celery. Traci looked back at her with an eyebrow raised and Andy shrugged. It wasn't long until Sam's eyes found hers and they shared a small smile.
Once the applause died down, she sat again while most everyone else went up to shake their hands or kiss their cheeks. Andy kept her eyes on Sam until Traci sat next to her again. "They look good," she said and Andy nodded. "I didn't think Sam was coming."
"I didn't either," she laughed. "Oliver must have talked him into it."
"Probably," Traci nodded as the rest of their friends joined them. "How are you two doing? It's been a week since you started staying with him, right?" She continued quietly.
"Five days," Andy corrected. "But we're really good," she reported, not able to keep the smile from her face. She looked past Traci, at Steve talking to Gail. "How are you guys?"
"Good," Traci nodded, smiling. "We're good."
"Good," Andy laughed, taking a drink. Sam and Oliver were sitting at the bar now and she looked around to see the rest of their friends in conversations. "I'll be right back."
Traci nodded as she got up and made her way to the bar. She waited behind a couple of people who were wishing both him and Oliver well. When she finally reached Sam, he was determined to finish the drink put in front of him. He nearly choked when he felt her hand on the back of his neck and she bit her lip while he regained his composure. "Hey," he said after clearing his throat.
"Hi," she said, reaching behind her to pull a stool up. She ran her hand down his arm and sat down. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile.
"Had nothing better to do," he shrugged. "I knew you'd be here which meant you wouldn't be at my place and I'd be alone."
"You're going to be alone tomorrow," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes. "How are you doing?" She asked, looking quickly toward his wound despite the fact it was covered in a number of layers.
"I'm fine," he promised and she nodded. "How was work?"
"Pretty boring," she admitted. "I was on desk with Gail. So, pretty quiet, too."
Sam looked back at the table of her friends and his eyes fell on Peck. She was smiling into her phone and looked to be in a perfectly fine mood. He knew that she was mad at Collins and Andy, but he couldn't imagine it would last forever. "She's still not talking to you?" He asked and she shook her head. "So, I guess that complete sentence won't be coming this week?"
"Nope," she said sadly. "It's my fault," she shrugged, looking back quickly before shaking her head a few times. "Anyway, do you mind if we stay at my place tonight? You can drop me off at work on the way home in the morning."
"We can do that," he smiled and she nodded.
"Great," she smiled. "Come get me when you're ready to leave," she told him before standing up. He nodded at her and she moved to put her arm across Oliver's shoulder as she stood between him and Celery. "Can't wait to see you back at work tomorrow."
"You don't even know, McNally," he laughed and she smiled before turning around.
She was caught off guard when Sam reached behind him and grabbed onto one of her belt loops. She spun around until she was next to him again and he smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Wow, you're definitely getting your strength back," she laughed and he nodded.
"Here," he said, sliding a drink over to her. She looked down at it and then up at him again. "I owe you a drink," he shrugged and she smiled.
"You don't, but thank you," she said before kissing him quickly on the cheek.
"Go," he told her, nodding to her friends. "I'll see you in a little bit."
"Thank you, Sam," she said again and he smiled. She smiled once more before turning back to sit next to Traci again.
"Andy, darts?" Dov suggested, nodding toward the free dartboard. She thought about it for a second before nodding. They walked over with Chris and Nick, who they were playing against, and she leaned against one of the tall tables as Dov threw his first round.
"It's good to see them back out," Nick said, leaning next to her and nodding toward Sam and Oliver. She looked back at them with a smile.
"It is," she agreed, turning to look at him again. "Oliver can't wait to get back to work."
"What about Swarek?"
"He would have been back last week if he had the choice," she shrugged, looking back again. "He's got an appointment with the doctor in a couple of days. I'm sure he'll be asking to get back sooner."
"I'd be the same way," he admitted and she nodded. "He's lucky he has you."
She looked at him, surprised, and he smiled. "Nick..."
"Don't worry, Andy," he promised, standing up straight. "I'm happy for you guys. It's..." he trailed off, looking down at his drink. "It's right and you're clearly happy. That's all that matters."
She put her drink down and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. It took him a second, but he responded with his arms around her waist. "Thank you," she told him, backing away.
"You're welcome," he laughed, shrugging. "We're friends, right?"
"Right," she nodded and he smiled as Dov finished his round. "I think you're up."
"Looks like it," he said putting his drink down and walking to the board to collect the darts.
She watched him throw the first one before turning around and leaning her elbows on the table. Her eyes found the back of Sam's head and she could see him talking animatedly to Oliver, but it didn't take long for him to turn around. They smiled at each other from across the room, but his attention was requested with a clap on the back from his best friend. He watched her only a second longer before answering Oliver's question.
"I think we were three years on the job," he said and Celery laughed. "The guy elbowed me in the groin and then just passed out on Oliver."
"And he wasn't a little guy," Oliver laughed. "He knocked me down and Sam was in so much pain that it took him a couple of minutes to roll him off of me."
"Definitely not a little guy," Sam agreed before taking a long sip of his drink. He turned back to look at Andy again, but she was up at the dartboard, so he watched her throw a couple of good ones until her last one landed right in the bulls eye. He smiled proudly to himself and turned back to rest his elbows on the bar.
"She and, uh, Collins are good?" Oliver asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, she told me it was weird at first, but they seem to be friends again," he explained and Oliver nodded.
"And you're okay with that?"
Sam took a drink and looked at him. "I want them to be friends if that's what she wants," he said honestly. "He means a lot to her. I trust them."
"She's lucky, you know?"
"Because I trust her?" He asked with a laugh and Oliver shrugged.
"There's more to it than that and you know it," he insisted and Sam shrugged, twisting his glass in circles. "You're a good guy, Sammy."
"I could be better," he said easily and Oliver laughed. "But thanks. You, too, you know."
"Thanks, Brother."
They clinked their glasses before taking a drink and they heard Andy's cheers from the other side of the bar. When they turned, she was hugging Epstein and accepting high fives from Diaz and Collins. Sam took another drink and shook his head.
"Are you ready to get back to work?" Sam asked Oliver who nodded enthusiastically. "I can't wait."
"Take the time you have left," Oliver said, beckoning for another drink. "Because once you get back, you're going to be stuck behind a desk for a week or two."
"I'd rather be behind a desk than on my couch."
"You say that now," Oliver laughed, accepting his drink with a smile. "Seriously, Sammy, the next couple of weeks will fly by."
"You're such a liar," he laughed and Oliver nodded again. They both knew that Sam was going to hate the next two weeks. Andy had four days off scattered through the next fourteen and the other ten, he'd be sitting alone at home. He'd be playing that same video game or watching the same TV shows. He'd be bored.
A while later, after another round of drinks and darts, Andy found herself leaning her elbows against the bar. She was directly across from Sam now, watching him laugh and talk to a number of people. As she licked her lips for what felt like the hundredth time, Traci put her hand on her shoulder, shaking her out of a trance. "You're drooling," she said lightly and Andy let out an uneasy laugh. Traci smiled and looked at what Andy had just been staring at. "You're not sleeping together," she accused and Andy narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't give me that look. I know you, Andy."
"It's starting to be an issue," she admitted, looking at Sam again. He caught her eye and raised a worried eyebrow. She smiled tightly and waved him off. "A real issue," she said, turning back to Traci.
"What's stopping you? He seems like he's in good enough shape that he could handle it."
"I don't know," Andy said, shaking her head. "I think it might be too soon. It's only been two weeks since he got shot."
"Since he got shot or since you two got back together?" Traci asked and Andy looked at her with sad eyes. "You told me yourself that you two are solid. If it's the injury, fine. But if it's your relationship..."
"We are really good," Andy interrupted her, standing up straight. "We've talked more in the past two weeks than we ever have before. We're on the same page for the first time maybe... ever."
"So, then, you're scared of what that means?" Traci asked and Andy lifted her shoulders up before letting them drop with a deep sigh.
"What if I want too much too soon? What if we're not actuallyon the same page? What if he walks away and I'm left out in the cold again?"
"Andy," Traci said, gently running her hand across her back. "You don't believe that. You can't. Because he has not looked away from you once since he first found you looking at him. He's moved to get up and come over here a few times, but then stops himself when he realizes we're having a moment. He's worried about you right now and he knows something is wrong just by looking at you. He wants justas much as you do... if not more."
Andy hazarded another glance at Sam who was, in fact, still watching her. This time, her smile was genuine and she could see him physically relax from across the room. "See?" Traci asked and Andy could hear the smile in her voice. "Don't worry about it, okay? Don't over think it."
"You're right," Andy shrugged. "Come on," she said, nodding toward their friends and Traci followed her back to the table.
The group of them was eventually joined by Holly who sat next to Gail and the two got lost in each other almost immediately. Steve and Traci were paired off to the side, heads close, talking about something that kept making Traci smile and blush. Andy looked on with a smile, happy that Traci was finally allowing herself to enjoy life again. She turned to look at the boys in an intense conversation about something she couldn't even pretend to be interested in and smiled again. When she felt a hand low on her back, she turned around, surprised, but smiled when she noticed Sam.
"Want to get out of here?" He asked with a low, husky voice that made Andy's head spin. She didn't trust herself to talk without squeaking or embarrassing herself, so she just nodded. He backed away from her and she stood up, pulling on her coat.
"Have a good night," she called out and everyone turned toward her and offered their own goodnight. With a smile on her face, she turned toward Sam, who motioned for her to lead the way.
They left the bar with his hand on the small of her back and her hands in her pockets. She fingered the keys to his truck and stopped when they reached the parking lot where it had just started snowing. "What's wrong?" He asked when she turned toward him.
"It's time to give these back to you," she said, holding out the keys. He looked at them and used them to pull her closer. "Sam..." she laughed and he shook his head before kissing her slowly.
"I've got my own keys, McNally," he told her, pulling them out to show her. "Keep those."
"If you ever ask for these back, I will kill you," she promised with a smile and he laughed, nodding. "But you should drive. I mean, it is your truck after all."
"It is," he agreed as he held her hand and walked them the rest of the way. He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in with a smile. After he shut her door, she watched him make his way around the truck and get in next to her.
"Hey, Sam?" She said suddenly as he drove out of the lot and headed toward her place.
"Mmm?" He answers, looking at her quickly and then back at the snowy road.
"I'm glad you came out tonight," she told him and she could see just a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"Oh yeah? Why is that?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, running her fingers through his hair quickly. "I've missed watching you across the bar and finding you watching me. I just like being whatever thisis again, you know?"
"To be honest," he said, pulling up outside of her building and parking the truck. "I never really stopped watching you."
"Me either," she laughed. "I guess we just looked away faster- didn't want to get caught."
"I better catch you all the time now," he teased. Andy nodded, leaning over the center console, and kissed him hard and fast. "Let's get inside."
