Thanks again for all of your kind reviews and feedback I do appreciate them. I dedicate today's installment to William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I've enjoyed watching the Royal Wedding as I've written today.
I hope you enjoy today's installment and have a fab day wherever you are. Sairs.
Andy wiped her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand as she turned the bacon over in the pan.
"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Emily asked from the kitchen table.
Andy shook her head, "No I am going to prove to you and Sam that I can do this."
Emily chuckled, "I have every faith in you. Although you didn't need to make it this complicated."
Andy glanced over her shoulder at her aunt, a frown on her face, "You should know me by now that I have high standards."
"What did Sam say to encourage this flourish of gastronomy?" Emily gestured to the range of pots and pans that now adorned her kitchen.
Andy felt her cheeks redden as she said quietly, "He might have said something about food and men's hearts."
"Oh Andy!" Emily walked over to her niece and hugged her, "Just because he said that doesn't mean you had to cook every breakfast dish known to the human race."
Andy grinned sheepishly, "I know. But the more I thought about what I was going to cook last night, the more ideas I had. It sort of snowballed into a breakfast banquet."
"It certainly has, Sweetheart. I think we'll be eating leftovers for days!" She kissed Andy's forehead. "I'm sure you'll wow him with this. Now I'll make myself scarce before he comes over."
Andy turned to look at Emily, "Oh no. You're not going anywhere. You ran away last evening and I am certainly not chasing you out of your house this morning." Emily opened her mouth to protest, but Andy raised her hand. "You are very special to me and I want you to get to know Sam too. I value your judgement and your input, although your meddling I could do without!"
Emily chuckled, "I couldn't resist. I just want you to be happy and after meeting Sam I am pretty sure he'll make you happy," she paused glancing once more at the chaos in her normally ordered kitchen. "And after all of the work you've put into this breakfast, I'm pretty sure you will make him happy too."
"I hope so."
"Just don't allow the uncertainty and nervousness I know you still feel win and don't let your brain overwork. Listen to your heart for once, it will guide you."
"I'm trying to, Aunt Em."
"I know you are. Now hadn't you better take out the bacon before it turns into charcoal?"
Andy turned back to her pan, just in time to rescue her bacon."
Sam knocked on the door and waited, after a few moments the door opened and Emily smiled, "Morning, Sam. I hope you're hungry, Andy's cooking up a storm."
"Morning, Emily and I am hungry," a look of concern crossing his face, "She hasn't gone to, too much trouble has she?"
Emily laughed, "I'm not sure my kitchen will ever be the same again." She patted Sam's arm at his look of confusion. "Don't worry, it's not that bad. Now why don't we go and chat whilst Andy finishes off."
"Doesn't she want any help?" Sam asked, nervously glancing towards the kitchen, wondering what Andy could possibly be up to.
"No. I've been banished to the kitchen table and now you're here we can hide in the living room until we are called," she winked.
Sam noticed the sparkle in Emily's eyes as she spoke, she was really enjoying herself. "Well if you're sure Andy won't mind."
"No I'm sure she won't mind," Emily took Sam's arm and guided him into the living room, "Now if I could just remember where that photograph album is."
Andy stepped back from the dining table and smiled, she was finally finished; there were several dishes and plates filled with pancakes, bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, hash browns, tomatoes and mushrooms. She just hoped Sam and Emily enjoyed their breakfast, as she was pretty certain this breakfast was a one time deal. She had decided that she was never going to change career to become a chef, it was far too stressful and hot.
She could hear their voices from the living room and her stomach churned at what they could be talking about, knowing her luck, Emily would have her baby photos out and she could imagine some of the stories that she could be telling him. She hurried across the hallway and into the living room, she stopped suddenly at the sight of Sam pouring over a huge photograph album, "You didn't, Emily!" Andy exclaimed.
Emily glanced up from the album and looked at Andy; she noticed how flustered she looked, "Well I wanted Sam to know more about you."
"But baby photographs?"
"Well I had to start somewhere and I thought, why not start at the beginning?"
Sam chuckled, "You were a cute baby."
Andy couldn't help but glare at him, "Remind me to ask Sarah for a look through your childhood photograph album."
Sam smiled, "I'm sure she'll happily comply. She loves to remind me of our childhood escapades so she'll love a new audience."
Andy huffed, that wasn't the response she was hoping for, taking some of the wind out of her sails.
"Andy, after breakfast you could always share the album with Sam?" Emily offered.
Sam smiled, "I'd like that."
Andy rolled her eyes, "We'll see. Now breakfast is getting cold." She turned and returned to the dining room.
Sam walked into the dining room and stopped, "Andy…" he didn't quite know what to say, because he didn't want to upset her. She turned to look at him and briefly he saw a look of concern cross her face, "Wow!" he uttered as he looked at the spread Andy had prepared on for breakfast.
She smiled, "Well I wasn't sure quite what you'd want for breakfast, so I made a little of everything."
"Thank you," he smiled, "Perhaps we shouldn't let it get cold?"
"Oh, no," Emily replied, "Andy's hard work should not get cold."
They sat down, "Who's for pancakes?" Andy asked.
Breakfast finished, Sam stood, "That was delicious, Andy. Don't think I'm going to need to eat for the rest of the day! It's a good job we're not on patrol today, 'cause I don't think I'd be able to run after any perps."
"Thank you," she smiled. "Good job you're on vacation, then."
"Yep. Now, you and Emily relax, I'm going to wash up."
Andy shook her head, "No you don't; I made the mess!"
"And I ate the breakfast. No arguing," he gave her his best don't argue with me look.
She acquiesced, "Okay. Thanks."
She watched as Sam took the empty plates and bowls into the kitchen. She felt Emily nudge her and she turned to look at her, "He's a keeper," Emily whispered conspiratorially.
Everything washed and dried, Sam left the kitchen to find Andy in the living room, "Where's Emily?" he asked as he walked towards the sofa and sat down next to her.
Andy smiled as he sat next to her, "She's gone to see her friend."
"How is she?"
"Sprained ankle, it'll be okay in a few days, especially with Aunt Em's help.
"Thank you again for breakfast it was more than I expected."
She chuckled, "It was more than I expected but I got carried away."
He shook his head, "It wouldn't be like you if you didn't, that's one of your endearing qualities."
She raised her eyebrows, "I have endearing qualities?"
He nodded, "One or two. You also have frustrating qualities."
She smiled, "But it would be boring if I didn't?"
"Boring is certainly not one word I'd use to describe you."
"Guess not. I've certainly made your life interesting since I arrested you."
He chuckled, "Yep. I might not have appreciated it at the time but I think it was worth losing the eight months of hard work, for personal reasons."
"Really?"
"Well if you hadn't arrested me, my cover wouldn't have been blown. I would never have been your T.O. and we wouldn't be sitting here."
"True. So I really am forgiven?"
"You were forgiven the moment you stepped up to help save Emily from Anton," he replied leaning forward, picking up the photograph album. "Now, there are some interesting photographs in this album. Tell me about them?"
She rolled her eyes, "You're not going to give up, are you?"
"No, not when it comes to you. Anyway you can always seek revenge from Sarah."
"I intend too," she replied as she took the album from his hands and opened it.
Andy pointed to a photograph, she was dressed in a fairy costume, her hair piled on her head, "That was taken after my debut in the school Christmas play. I was the sugar plum fairy."
"You made a beautiful fairy," he smiled as he looked at the pretty six year old beaming for the camera. "Did you enjoy the play?"
"I don't remember much about it, but apparently I had a lovely time, but Jenny didn't."
"Jenny?"
"She was a girl in my class, apparently as I entered the stage with a flurry of my fairy wings, I bumped into her and she made an unscheduled exit off the front of the stage. Fortunately our teacher Mrs. Smith dived and caught her."
Sam chuckled, "You haven't lost that talent then."
"What?"
"Making an entrance!" he winked, "Every morning the shift waits for your entrance to parade, 'cause it's very rare that you're early."
She felt her cheeks redden, "I'm working on it!"
"Well don't get too good at turning up early, 'cause you wear flustered really well."
"Sam!" she gently batted his arm with her hand.
He grinned, "Well it always starts my morning well."
She shook her head, "You realise now the next time I just scrape my arrival I'm going to be thinking of your comment and I'm going to be even more flustered!"
"I look forward to it!"
Needing to change the subject she turned the page revealing another moment from her childhood. Looking intently at the photograph she felt the humour and joy she'd felt begin to slip away as the memories flooded back. There was a reason she didn't look at her childhood photographs, sometimes they were too painful to remember.
Sam noticed the change in her mood as she looked at the picture, he gently reached over to take her hand, "What is it?" he asked quietly.
"This was the last Christmas we were all happy," she traced over the people in the photograph, sitting in Emily's living room. Andy was sitting with a doll on her lap, smiling at the camera.
"What happened?"
"Uncle Jack died shortly after that Christmas. Then Mom and Dad's relationship started to fall apart. That was the last time I remember being with my family and being happy. I was ten."
He released her hand and placed his arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her into his side. "I'm sorry I made you look at these, I've upset you."
"No, I'm not upset. I haven't looked at these photographs in a long time; I try not to remember the sad times. I got through it, I might wobble occasionally, but what happened after that photograph made me who I am. Now I am beginning to appreciate that I might not be as emotionally damaged by my history as I thought," she smiled shyly at Sam.
"I don't think you're emotionally damaged at all. You have a big heart, Andy, you care without question, but you have learned how to protect yourself from getting hurt, which I understand. Now you've just got to trust your heart to someone else."
"I might be able to do that, if the person I trust it to promises to try his best not to break it."
"You already trust me with your life on a regular basis; will you trust me with your heart?" He raised his hand, cupping her cheek and gently turned her face so that he could look into her eyes, he watched her carefully as she contemplated her reply.
She relished the warmth of his hand on her cheek, his eyes were filled with a cacophony of emotions that made her heart beat faster in her chest and her stomach suddenly felt that it was filled with dancing butterflies. She felt the corners of her lips turn into a smile as she answered, "I don't think I have a choice. You've had my heart for a while."
Sam smiled, he gently moved his hand lifting her chin slightly, "I promise to never intentionally break your heart, Andy," he stated before closing the distance between them; sealing his promise with a tender kiss.
