5x09 – Show time

Another week passed by, and Sam was finally going to start working again. He spent his time alone studying the case and doing physical therapy. The rest of the time Andy was there and their time passed by just watching movies , cuddling and still making up for the lost time. The oh-so-waited day arrived and Andy was more worried than Sam. During her first day she cried for over an hour after passing in front of the place where Sam was shot, and she was worried about his reaction. Sam, on the other side, was almost in a Dov mode: overly excited, rambling, and running all over the house.

-"Come on McNally, I don't want to be late!"-

-"Oh God Sam , can you please calm down? We've got plenty of time, and you don't even have to put the uniform on!"-

-"Andy, I know you. We're going to be late"-

-"Fine, I'll finish getting ready at the station. Happy?"-

-"Yep! Let's go!"-

Dov's house

-"Chloe are you sure you don't want me to stay?"- For the last 4 nights, Chloe'd had some very bad nightmares, along with some heavy cramps, and Dov was starting to worry.

-"Dov, it's fine. I've already called Noelle and asked her to take me to the shrink. Please, don't worry, ok?"- She smiled at him and buttoned his shirt. –" Now, officer Epstein, it's time to go to work."-

Dov kissed her and left the house. While Chloe was waiting for Noelle, she decided to go to the grocery store in front of their house. She was allowed to use the stretchers, so it was easier for her to move around. She went to take some ice cream, and saw a strange guy with a big bruise on his arm. She shook the bad feeling he was giving her, paid the bill, and went outside to meet Noelle.

-"Hey!"-

-"Hey, do you need help?"-

-"No I'm fine thanks. I'm trying to be independent, and getting inside a car is not one of the easiest things to do. But I have to do it alone"-

-"Good! It's good to keep your independence."-

-"Noelle, wait a minute."-

-"What's wrong?"-

-"This guy"- She pointed to the guy she saw inside the store – "He's…I don't know he gives me a very bad feeling"-

-"Yeah me too."- She sighed -" But, we're not at work…so let's go to this appointment, and maybe, if you behave, we could also go shopping!"-

-"Ok, let's go!"-

Parade Room

-"Alright officers, I have good news! We finally have something to celebrate. Detective Swarek is back and drinks are on him tonight! "-

All the officers cheered and his friends patted him on his back.

-"Now, down to business. Swarek, detective Blackstone requested another detective to work on his TF, and he insisted it should be you. Meet the rest of the task force in Callaghan's office and they would fill you in. For the rest of you, there's been a bank robbery earlier, the robbers are still on the run. I want you to find them! Serve, protect and drinks are on Swarek tonight!"

Sam went straight to Luke's office. Inside the room, he saw Andy and Luke studying some new papers. When he opened the door, Andy immediately looked at him and smiled. He was about to say something when Jacob stepped inside.

-"Ok Swarek. This is our HQ. Andy and Luke are staying here to study the papers, along with you. The officers from 27 won't join us today, because Elaine Peck is paying their district a visit. So, it's the three of you today. I'm going with Peck and Nash. We have to interview some witnesses."-

Jacob left the three of them alone. Sam sat next to Andy and she gave him some reports to read while she and Luke finished theirs. Gail, Dov and Nick joined them after a couple of minutes. After two hours, Andy went to grab a coffee and Gail followed her.

-"I want to talk."-

Andy was surprised. Gail wasn't someone who usually wanted to talk, and she wasn't prepared for what she could say.

-"Ok"-

-"I'm angry."-

-"I know."-

-"No, you don't!"-

Andy was even more confused –"Tell me then"-

-"I think Nick is an idiot. You've always had this power over him….. He's been following you since you broke up with Sam. I already knew it was over. I had the feeling that he was sticking around with me, because he didn't want to leave me after the kidnapping, but after he came back from the UC he convinced me that he was being serious. And I believed him."-

-"Gail…"-

-"What I don't understand is: How could you be so stupid? You messed up you friendship with Nick and you messed up our friendship, or whatever it was, even if you perfectly knew that you weren't over Sam. Tell me: was it really worth it? Lose two friendships for an illusion?"-

-" Gail I can't go back. I can only say I'm sorry. I am. Really. I didn't mean to hurt you , or Nick, or Sam. I…I felt like during the six months I was away, you all grew up and went on with your lives, while we believed that time had stopped here. I stopped living my life the day I went under, and for six months I wasn't allowed to be Andy McNally. The day I came back we expected to start over with our lives, as if it was the day after we left. I think that's why we grew so closed."-

-"It's stupid."-

-"I know"-

-"It's going to take some time."-

-"Take all the time you need."-

They finished their coffees and went back to work.

County jail

Jacob, Traci and Steve went to talk to Damien Palermo and Jason Benton, who were both in the same Jail. Jacob decided to talk to Palermo, while Steve talked to Benton. Meanwhile, Traci went to the archive to read the list of their visitors and to interview the guards. The more she read the lists, the more she felt, they weren't investigating about a feud anymore.

-"Officer O'Neill, How is that Jessica Palermo went to visit his father a week ago?"-

-"Detective, if you're reading her name, she was here indeed."- He was really annoyed with all that snooping.

-"well, officer, I find it difficult to believe. You know, since Jessica Palermo died over two months ago."- He swallowed hard. It was impossible to confuse two people, because going into the visit room , all the visitors have to show a pass along with the identity card.

-"there must've been a mistake while filling the papers…"-

-"I don't think so. See…She came here for the first time a month and a half ago."-

-"I'll call the director. I'm sure there's a misunderstanding"-

A couple of minutes passed by, and the director finally showed up.

-"So, detective Nash right?"- She nodded –"Officer O'Neill informed me about this bad situation. How can I help you?"-

-"Do you record the visits ?"-

-"Let me guess…you want to see them. Well, detective, I can give you the tapes, but you have to know, we have no audio files."-

-"I know. I just want to see the visitors."-

He pointed at a small room near the bathrooms and they went inside together. He took the tapes and sat down with Tracy. When they found 'Jessica's visit', Traci's eyes widened.

-"She can't be Jessica."-

-"Detective…"- But he didn't have the time to speak cause she was already on the phone

-"Jacob I found something. Yeah, I'm watching the tapes. It looks like a very similar version of Jessica Palermo went to visit his father not so long ago. Yeah, she has the same hair and a bandage on her forearm. Problem is…we perfectly know she's dead" – she listened to what Jacob was saying –"Yeah I'll take them…ok"-

-"I need to take the tapes."-

-"You need a warrant detective."-

-"I know, I'll call the DA. Give me the tapes in the meantime."-

He agreed and she drove back to the station.

At the station

Tracy arrived at the station and found the team ready to analyze the images. About an hour later they isolate a photogram of 'Jessica', who was able to hide from the cameras most of the time. It took a couple of minutes but they immediately found a match.

-"Traci call Jacob immediately."-

She dialed Blackstone number and waited for his answer. The phone went to voice mail and she left a message –"Jacob we analyzed the images. Call me back as soon as possible."-

Sam was still looking at the picture –"What are they up to?"-

Andy looked at him confused –"What do you mean?"-

He got up and went to the wall full of pictures. –"They were kidnapped all together by God knows who. Three of them died, and obviously three of them escaped. Felicia Cooper went to jail pretending to be Jessica Palermo. It's safe to say the three of them still alive are planning something. Most likely some sort of vengeance."-

Luke had heard everything and joined the couple –"What if they want to kill the ones who kidnapped them ?"-

Andy had an idea on her mind since they spotted the three of them. –"What if they're our rats?"-

-"What do you mean?"-

-"What if the heirs of the most important gangs in town were considered a threat by the heads of the gangs. What if the three gangs kidnapped them to preserve their power? What if These guys are the ones behind all the murders?"-

-"It doesn't explain why we found detective Lockart near the other three, in a Cobras cemetery Andy"-

Luke looked at one of the reports –"Here. It says that the Cobras aren't using the woods as Cemetery anymore"-

-"Since when?"- Sam asked-

-"Since Felicia Cooper's father was arrested."-

Andy was even more convinced that she was right with her theory -"So, Felicia could've known the place. Maybe she was the one who suggested to bury their brothers and sister there."-

Sam followed her train of thoughts –"And she followed the Cobras cause she wanted to be sure that they'd buried Lockart far from where they buried the other guys"-

They were lost in their theory when Frank went to the office

-"Luke you have to go. There's been a shooting. Cobras vs. Phoenixes. 2 victims."- Luke nodded and went to his car.

-"Looks like those guys are reaching their goals. What about us Frank?"- Sam said looking at the three pictures.

-"Swarek you're not allowed to work outside. Go home. And you too McNally."-

Sam's house

-"What do you want for supper?"-

-"I don't know…"-

-"come on Sam…you know why you're not allowed to go outside. It's not for the suspension."-

-"I know. It's just that I'm not used to be left behind"-

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him –"it's not forever, and Jacob is keeping us posted. I know it's not the same, but it's better than nothing."-

He kissed her again –"What about I cook something?"-

She giggled –"The kitchen is all yours Chef Swarek. I'm going to have a shower."-

-"Alone?"-

-"Of course! My boyfriend is going to be very busy for the next hour"-

-"Oh your boyfriend is going to be very busy indeed"- He took her hand and let her to the shower.

Hello guys!

I'm sorry this chapter is so short but I'm studying hard and I don't have a lot of time to write.

I'm not planning on bring Boyd or Claire or Jo before my "5X11" so you can still vote.

Let me know what you think with your reviews!

Sorry if this chapter was almost all about the case, but I needed to go on with the investigation in order to focus on the characters in the next chapters.