A/N Thanks for continuing to follow this story! As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated. This chapter and the next are even bigger buckets of schmoop than the ones before - so, watch out for that ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue

Early February

Friend~ship (n). A relationship between friends. (Synonyms: amity - fellowship - companionship - comradeship).

"Maybe we should just find 'em a place they can share… together…get 'em out of our hair, but where we can keep an eye on 'em still." Sam murmurs his ponderings into Andy's stomach. He's had his mouth all over her for some time now…hot kisses into her as Andy's breathing keeps her steady and under control.

Andy sniggers quietly at the thought of Oliver and Gail setting up house together, of what domestic arguments might be exchanged. Although, she has to admit: It would be entertaining to watch on…with a little more space than they watch it all now.

(Not that Gail and Oliver are in Sam and Andy's faces too much…they're great house-guests actually, and Andy thinks the brood has become a real family of sorts. Still –

Andy suspects her and Sam probably need to be…alone (together) again soon.)

She turns her face toward their bedroom window and looks out toward the darkness. All neighboring lights are out now, well past midnight and everyone probably asleep. She makes a mental note to duck over and see Cal about the wedding invitations before the week is over, they really need to get the things out soon – more so now, that they've decided on the 50 people actually getting one.

("Just…don't go with anything too…girly," Sam said when Andy tried to ascertain what his thoughts were the other morning over breakfast in bed.

Andy frowned in return and pointed a thumb sharp into her own chest. "And what on earth makes you think I would bring pink to this party out of the blue?" –

Sam has been happy to go with the flow of organization and details of the day, generally speaking. He genuinely seems pleased that Andy is beside herself with excitement about all the preparations…and that she hasn't got herself into a tizz –yet. She's kept him up to date on the details ever since they secured The Berkeley Field House that day with Oliver and Gail, and he's been enthused hearing updates about catering, flowers, and fittings more than Andy ever imagined he would.

"Fair call," he replied with a nod eventually, before he took the glass of juice from her hand and finished the rest off himself).

"Maybe I can suss Gail out at the same time I grill her about Nick and Luke…" Andy whispers airily as Sam works his mouth across her abdomen, his kisses getting more and more open mouthed with each one he takes.

Sam bites into her hip gently. "I think direct is the approach with Peck…but leave Ollie to me." He nudges Andy's legs apart with a shoulder and settles himself all the way in between, kissing across her stomach again as she sucks in a breath.

Andy sifts her fingers through Sam's hair and closes her eyes, no longer wanting to talk about how they might encourage Oliver and Gail to spread their wings from this house.

"We thought we might have a night at home alone tonight since all of you…will be out and about…" Andy whines at Gail as the blonde stops her near the locker rooms mid afternoon to ask her to come to The Penny tonight.

Andy had visions of her and Sam and Boo and some takeout, all curled up by the fire…and maybe a hot bath afterward…well…just her and Sam. Andy's surprised actually, truly thought that Gail would want to keep some new company occasionally – since they see one another all the time.

Oliver pops out from nowhere, flustered and holding on tight to a donut. "What. No. I've already told Sammy he has to come to The Penny tonight."

Andy blows out a breath, exhausted. These two housemates of hers are just odd she realizes. Aside from Sam, Andy doesn't want anyone else in her life 24/7; she decides then and there that the two of them not only need their own places to live – but new hobbies. Stat.

Andy spies Traci wandering past, her eyes cast down to a file. She decides to enlist the help of her best friend to get her two roomies off her back. "Trace. Hey. Hey," Andy calls out, waving her arm for attention.

On Traci's turn of her heel, Andy smiles: "Sam and I deserve a quite night at home…right?" She's expecting Traci to look at her like she's a weirdo, wanting support of this kind. That isn't the case however -

There's a split second moment where her best friend doesn't look as composed as she usually does, her eyes going very wide and her jaw slack. It's only a second or two…but something about Traci's reaction is off.

Traci walks over toward the group casually as she flicks the file in her hand shut. "Sure…sure you do…" she confirms weakly. And then she drops her eyes down.

Andy's brow furrows, concerned at the sudden dismay of her friend. "What's wrong?"

Traci looks up, with a resigned half smile. "I just thought…" she looks around at her colleagues, before staring into Andy's eyes with her own hound-dog pools: "I mean, we haven't caught up in forever, Andy."

Andy squints at Traci as she pulls her neck back. "We're working cases together every day…and we were at your place two nights ago…"

(Traci's passion for dinner parties since hooking up with Chris has become infamous. Andy's not sure whether her friend has just upped the anti with her domestic desires, or whether it's a ploy not to spend too much time alone with Chris –

They appear to be happy and having fun, but by some of the things Traci has said…and some of the looks Diaz has been giving, Andy is thinking Chris may be wanting to take the next step along…

Of course, Andy tried to subtly suggest to Sam that he ask a couple of questions of Chris, man-to-man about where his head was at. But Sam just glared at Andy like she was some freak of nature. "Not gonna ask your friend what his intentions are for Nash, McNally."

Andy only just bit her tongue in time to stop herself from hitting him below the belt with: "But, it's what Jerry would want." She realized as she thought it, what a pathetic excuse to humanity she sometimes is.

"He's your friend too," she squeaked out instead, knowing Sam couldn't argue with the fact that whilst he and Chris aren't exactly best buddies, they actually quite enjoy one another's company while the girls are hanging out.

"Maybe so, McNally. Still. I ain't sticking myself in the middle of whatever they're trying to figure out there."

Andy pouted in response. She took the bottle of beer Sam was holding out of his hands and proceeded to walk away with a flick of her hair.)

Andy has no idea what's going on with all her friends right now. Sure, in the early days of Sam and Andy's relationship, part two…or…three…or whatever …they were caught up in their own little world, but right now they're generous with their time to all those that are important in their lives. "And you dropped by our place last night…"

Traci grits her teeth now, clearly not amused. "Not the same," she tells Andy, shaking her head a couple of times. "I heard Sam tell Oliver he was in for a drink…" Traci sighs and stares straight at Andy. "I just thought we …could catch up…just us girls…"

Andy rolls her eyes. She's really too tired for all of this. Still, she guesses one drink won't hurt. But –

She's going to kill Sam for agreeing to Oliver's request.

As it turns out Sam and Andy get stuck in Interview 1 all afternoon; a witness in a new case that landed on the D's desks a few days back coming in with something they had conveniently forgotten until late this afternoon.

By the time they come out, everyone on their shift is gone…the station unusually dark and quiet – for this time of the evening at least.

Dov's there though – working some overtime in booking and looking utterly bored. He practically stands to attention when he sees Andy and Sam on approach. He blinks a few times and checks over both shoulders as though he might be about to let Sam and Andy in on some big, fat secret. "So….you're off to The Penny then." His voice is all sorts of high-pitched and tentative, like maybe he's been left with a task –

Sam stares at Dov as though he's grown an extra head on his neck. "Is there a reason…you need to know the details of our social calendar, Epstein?"

Andy hides a smirk, pinching Sam's ass in the process to remind him: be nice. "Well… we were going to go home…" Andy informs Dov friendly. "But Sam here set off a chain of events that means we have to go for onedrink at least."

She notices as Dov's eyebrows go a little way up before he schools his features again.

"You nearly finished here?" Andy asks because she wonders whether Dov was maybe looking forward to catching up with his friends too.

Dov nods – rapidly. "If you guys are there, I'm there…." He clears his throat and looks between Andy and Sam. "Half an hour…and um, yeah…and yeah…I'll be there."

Sam grins quick and gone and rolls his eyes as he tugs at Andy's hand to get them moving along. "Okay then, Epstein…we'll… see you there."

Andy giggles into Sam's mouth, trying to contain his kiss to something that won't have her on his lap and wanting more.

They've been parked outside The Penny for a good 10 minutes or so, necking like a pair of teenagers and debating whether they should just drive home. The only thing that's really preventing them from doing that is that Andy feels bad about leaving Trace in the lurch.

"I don't know why you said yes to Oliver, anyway…you see him practically every night at home…" Andy hisses at Sam as he feeds a warm hand under all of her layers and keeps his mouth near her ear.

"I wasn't listening to him properly." Sam grins into the words, and then licks at her lobe. "You were walkin' past at the time."

"Ugh," Andy laughs out loud and blushes profusely. She is sort of concerned that someone might catch them fogging up the windows of the truck. "Seriously, you are a whole lot cheesier since this whole engagement thing happened to us."

Sam moves his mouth down a touch and bites into the underside of her jaw, muttering: "Haven't heard you complain."

"Well…we're stuck with the crowd for at least an hour now….Traci wants to catch up on girl stuff." Andy twists her mouth to stifle a sigh as Sam moves his hand further up under her top.

"What girl stuff could you two possibly be talking about that you haven't already said in front of me?" Sam's hand and mouth are incessant, working a hot trail across Andy's neck and chest. His voice is in that low, low pitch that she hears when they're in bed -

She smacks Sam's hand away, feeling overheated and all kinds of worked up.

"God, let's just. Let's get this done and then let's get home." Andy is frustrated now and is hoping the short walk across the carpark will serve to cool her down. If it doesn't, Andy suspects she might cop some teasing from Traci and Gail about whatever look she's got on her face right now.

Andy gets out of the truck quick and slams the door shut, leaving Sam in there with that stupid grin he's got on his face.

He follows behind eventually, catching at her arm before he puts his hand around hers. "Maybe tonight's the night we can gauge where Ollie and Gail are at with their real estate plans – you know. Since we'll be on neutral territory and all?"

Andy nods. "It's not like we're kicking 'em out, right? We're just enquiring how things are with regard to their ….transition to independence…"

Sam laughs loud and surprised – at Andy's turn of phrase, probably. "I'll be sure to use that gem on Ollie if he gets too upset."

Sam and Andy don't get to interrogate Gail and/or Oliver about their thoughts on moving on or out….at least not that night.

As they walk through the doors of The Penny they're greeted with a series of loud whoops and hollers, a festive style party –

A surprise engagement party.

Their engagement party.

That they had no idea about…at all.

Andy grips Sam's hand tight as she observes the shocked look on his face. She smiles broadly at the sea of faces before them and then looks up to the decorations that have turned The Penny into some sort of shrine to Sam and Andy…well, at least to their love.

"We know you both wanted to skip the official engagement party," Traci says above the noise as she sidles up to Andy and Sam. "And…well, obviously this is not official per se…but your family at 15 wanted to celebrate the fact that you're…well…that you're taking the next step."

Andy can practically hear Sam chewing his cheek from where she stands. He really…really does not like anyone making a fuss about him…

"This is…" Sam starts up by clearing his throat. He manages not to pinch the bridge of his nose as he swipes a hand across his face. "When the heck did you get time to do…all of this Nash?" He gestures around to the room and its decorations; the most significant being some theatrical lighting that shoots a crisscross of colors all the way across the room. Two projectors are shooting rotating images up against opposite walls that are draped in white sheets.

Most of the pictures they see are of Sam and Andy together and unaware of the photograph that's being taken – Andy can't begin to fathom where half have come from.

She stares up in awe though, the looks on their faces in those pictures reflect the many emotions that have been at play this last few years.

Andy feels a single tear run down her cheek as she looks from the images and around the room. A couple of officers are helping bar staff to serve up finger food and drinks, a large, long table is against one of the walls, decorated with flowers and what appears to be a guest book. The other tables each have their usual array of pub paraphernalia replaced with small, eclectic glass bowls, each with a floating candle or two. The walls have strategically placed poster size printouts of Sam and Andy with their various friends, in between other posters that just comprise simple congratulatory quotes.

Andy feels a lump form in her throat, a response to the care and effort that their friends have put into showing how much they are excited for the next step in Sam and Andy's romance. It's as plain as day that everyone just wants the best for her and Sam. She releases Sam's hand to wrap her arms around Traci. "This is amazing…you're amazing."

Traci laughs and rubs Andy's back as she squeezes tight. "I know. Still…we all pitched in…"

There's a commotion after that…all their colleagues coming up to wish them well as they prepare for married life.

Sam takes it in his stride – he looks truly happy about it all even… offering up a teasing tone as he corners Traci, Oliver and Peck shortly after Noelle's punches him in the arm. "But we are gonna get a say in the wedding…right?"

"Sure you will, buddy," Oliver pipes in, slapping Sam on the back. "As long as you're both there at the end of the day - we don't care how many balloons you wanna blow up."

"So…" Traci starts up as she pops a spring roll in her mouth. "Venue, check. Dress, check…."

Andy exhales happily, watching Sam with Frank and Oliver at the bar, chatting and laughing.

(He officially asked them both to be his groomsmen not that long after the engagement announcement, with Ollie staring him down: "Only if I'm the best one though, yeah?" –

He's been through some tough moments on a few days since then – occasions where Jerry not being here really gets him frustrated, angry, or so…sad; everything and anything starting to remind him of what happened…and what happened before and after Jerry died.

For a good day and a half Andy wondered what the heck the up and down moods were about. She hadn't actually realized he had spoken to Ollie and Frank – he'd done it on the spur of the moment just before they settled into their annual day-after-new-years-day poker tournament.

She thought he'd just had too much to drink, or lost money – but when he wasn't in their bed early the next morning as expected, she panicked – especially when she couldn't reach him on his mobile.

Eventually he walked through the door; cold and heartbroken after being at Jerry's gravesite.

For a good solid minute Andy thought he was just going to end it between them, decide again that he couldn't handle whatever the fuck.

She remembers the look on him as he petted Boo's head on the way past Andy and over to the coffeemaker. He stared into a cup in front of him for an eternity, Andy not speaking because she could only just breath. That, and the fact that she knew it did no good to push.

"Went to see Jer," he said eventually, his voice shaky and his eyes still staring into the cup.

After another long two minutes or so he finally turned to her, those watery dark eyes that Andy would've done anything to wipe.

She walked over to him cautiously, stopping far enough away to still give him some space.

He met her the rest of the way a few seconds later, his arms going so tight around Andy and his face buried deep in her neck. "I just…I still miss him, is all."

Andy nodded minutely, running her hands up and down Sam's back as he breathed into her. "I know," she whispered. "I know."

Twenty minutes later they were still standing there holding one another, the coffee gone brutally cold.

They didn't talk about Jerry that day, but some days they do…she knows that he's relayed a lot of the Jerry 'stories' to Traci across time, but with Andy…he's slowly talking about the effect that Jerry had on him….who he was in Sam's life, and why Sam misses him so much.

Those stories are one of the ways that Sam has shown Andy more of himself.)

She loves seeing him like this; that carefree laugh he has that doesn't come out easily, but when it does…it makes Andy laugh too.

She smiles at the smile that's on his face now, and feels everything inside of her whir.

Finally Andy snaps out of her Sam-induced haze and remembers that her friend is sitting by her side and wanting her attention. "Um. Yeah. We've pretty much got everything underway….except for the rings…which we're kinda hopin' we'll just…find."

Traci quirks her eyebrows. "What. You and Swarek waiting for the right burg to come up?"

Andy laughs. "You know what I mean…"

Traci elbows her hard. "And the honeymoon?"

Andy smirks. "That - we're still debating. We can only take a couple of weeks max…" Andy looks in Sam's direction once again. "I'm trying to convince him to skip the country…maybe go somewhere the weather is still fine there too…"

Traci twists her mouth and blows out a long, noisy breath of air. "Ah. Swarek and his fear of flying."

"Yup." Andy catches Sam's eye and sends him a wink, thinking of how they might work through that particular issue any time soon.

(Andy doesn't want to make Sam do anything he doesn't want to do, but she has dreams of travelling the world is the thing -she kind of hoped that Sam would come too. She knows he'd love it, he is a man of action after all).

"So." Traci butts into Andy's thoughts as Gail sits down with three more glasses of champagne. "I guess that just leaves us to sort the Hens' night until our duties on the big day itself."

Andy giggles and peers at her friends. "Just…don't go with anything…too daunting, okay?"

Gail smirks. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, McNally. I mean…you've seen what greatness we created with short notice here."

(They have too.

Despite how tired and unwilling Andy and Sam were before they stepped through those doors tonight, both have got their second wind – and have clearly had a wonderful night milling with their various colleagues and friends.

Even the speeches a few moments ago were…not too out of line:

Ollie of course working his way through a series of wisecracks about how he was going to move hell and high water to make the wedding happen, and Traci balancing things out with her words of wisdom to make Sam and Andy know how loved they both are.)

Andy feels Sam's hands work their way over the top of her shoulders from behind as Gail rattles on about potential Hens' Party options. (Andy's pretty sure Peck's popped the word 'stripper' in there more than once – just to annoy Sam.)

Andy rolls her head backward gently to peer up at her fiancé; he looks amazing – even from upside down.

He's looking at Gail with a single raised eyebrow, but other than that, he's keeping a completely straight face.

Eventually Sam and Gail call a truce – or at least end their stand-off; her blonde friend huffing out that she wouldn't dare do anything to jeopardize the wedding: "on strict instructions from Shaw."

By the time everyone leaves The Penny, it's the early hours of the next morning. Sam and Andy have today off, thank God. (They are definitely doing nothing but being lazy for the rest of that time).

Andy yawns long and loud, one of her hands barely managing to cover it as she puts her seatbelt on in the truck. She puts her head back against the headrest, well and truly exhausted…but happy:

"We have really great friends," she tells Sam quietly, gripping the guest book in her hands.

(The tidy up of The Penny was done by the staff, but it took Ollie and Sam a good half hour to collect up all the paraphernalia that Sam and Andy now get to keep).

Her eyes close now - despite how hard she's trying to keep them open.

Sam strokes a thumb over her cheek and jaw gently. "We do."

He moves his hand down to her neck and massages at a crick there. "Now, let's go home."

Andy smiles and relaxes into the seat as Sam starts the truck. She will never get tired of him saying those words to her – safe in the knowledge that it means they will always have that to go to…and to be together…whether it is together, and just with their pooch – or with their seemingly growing orphan brood.

She lets the heat of the truck get the blood circulating through her tired body, and reaches a hand over to Sam's leg – just because she can and he lets her do this sort of stuff with him all the time now. And because she likes it a lot.

Andy wakes just as they pull into their driveway, instinct she guesses.

"I'd carry you in, you know?" Sam grins across at her, a shy bite of his lip.

"I know." Andy's voice is barely audible, her body and head still in a sleepy state. She smiles at him gently. "You carry me all the time."

Sam smiles small back at her. "Not all the time," he whispers quietly – a tone that suggests that sometimes Andy 'carries' him instead.

She's really not sure what it is about today, these loved-up gestures toward one another that are so acute. Maybe it's the fact the wedding event itself is really coming together now, all the pieces to the puzzle making the expectation of it very…real.

Whatever the case, Andy thinks life is perfect.

Well, maybe there's no such thing as that, but she is certainly the happiest she's ever been.

"Andy." She hears Sam's voice outside the passenger door, holding it open for her – grinning like a fool. "Come on sweetheart, let me take you to bed."

Andy smiles even bigger.

That's another sentence she loves hearing Sam say.

A/N Next up: The day that starts with a big letter V gets a do-over Sam/Andy style.