Author's Note: As always, thank you for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue.

Chapter 10: On Prostitutes and Priorities

Sam couldn't help but grin when he saw the delighted smile that spread across Andy's face as she looked into the squad car. He quickly tamed it when she turned to him, replacing it with his usual expression of bored indifference.

"What are those?" Andy asked, still beaming.

Her giddiness caused him to crack the slightest of smiles. "They look like flowers to me, McNally," he said, opening her door for her.

"They are red roses," Andy clarified, leaning against the side of the car. "Now why would someone give me red roses on a day like today?" She wondered, bemused, tapping her finger against her chin.

Sam cleared his throat before humoring her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Andy," he said as sincerely as he possibly could, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Thank you." She grinned at him before pointing out, "You hate Valentine's Day."

"I do," he agreed, nodding sharply. "But I figured that you probably don't."

"I don't."

Sam shrugged, "Hence…" he motioned towards the flowers, "the roses. And dinner tonight." He grinned, proud of himself, "I made reservations."

"Yikes," Andy said, sucking in a breath, "I wish you would have told me earlier, I already made plans with someone…" she trailed off, giggling, as he pinned her against the car, his hands coming to rest around her waist.

"No you didn't," he said with certainty, more of a statement of fact than a question.

Andy smiled, running her hand down his arm. "No I didn't."

She felt him take half step closer to her so his that body was just barely touching hers. "Andy…" he said, his voice low and husky.

She was about to respond when they were interrupted. "Get a room," Epstein called with a sly grin as he passed their car, "I hear interview one is free now." Diaz, who was walking with him, just laughed.

Andy watched over Sam's shoulder as the two walked away before shifting her gaze back to Sam, scowling. He had remained silent, which Andy knew took some restraint, and when her eyes met his he just winked at her and grinned. "Want me to go all Sam on his ass?" He asked, nodding his head in Epstein's direction before taking a step back and releasing her.

Andy laughed, shaking her head. "He's harmless. Besides, you could probably just look at him the wrong way and he'd wet his pants," she told him. Turning around, she picked the roses up from the passenger's seat and admired them for a moment before handing them over to Sam. "When did you have time to put these in the car?"

"I have my ways McNally," he said, placing the flowers in the backseat. When she arched an eyebrow at him he gave in, "I picked them up yesterday when you were working on those reports I had you file and kept them in my locker. I ran 'em out here this morning when you were getting ready. "

"Aw…" Andy said sweetly before narrowing her eyes at him and accusing, "You made me do all that work just so you could buy me flowers?"

Sam smirked, "I had to keep you occupied somehow."

Andy laughed, not really upset, and slid into the passenger's seat. "Well thank you," she said, "They're beautiful."

"So are you," Sam said smoothly, bracing both hands on the doorframe and leaning into the car.

Andy rolled her eyes at the corny line but smiled anyway, "That was sweet," she teased. "But lame."

"Kind of like Valentine's Day."

"Oh, touché," she granted, leaning back in her seat. Sam closed her door before walking around to his side of the car and climbing in. "So you wanna tell me what you did to Best?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, buckling his seatbelt and starting the car.

"School zone patrol?" Andy asked incredulously, "If that doesn't say payback assignment I'm not sure what does. And don't think I didn't notice the little look that passed between you guys when he handed out assignments."

Sam grinned, knowing he was caught. "Did you happen to see the woman that Best was talking to last night at the Penny?"

Andy thought back to the night before and remembered seeing Best talking to someone at the bar. "Yeah, she was really pretty."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "HE was."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "No!"

"Oh yes," Sam said, laughing, "Shaw brought her in earlier for hooking over on Rosemont and we didn't really have enough to keep her, but Shaw made it seem like we were cutting a deal and letting her go. She was very appreciative and when she showed up last night at the Penny she asked if there was anyway she could return the favor."

"A transvestite prostitute propositioned police officers?" Andy questioned suspiciously.

"Not so much propositioned as… offered favors." Sam said, grinning. "Free, completely legal favors. Anyway, I was sitting with Shaw and Jerry when she came up to us we just sent her on over to Best."

Andy laughed, "How did he not know?"

Sam shrugged. "Guy's had a long year… recently divorced, new job… he was probably thrilled to be talking to a woman not in uniform."

"What's wrong with talking to a woman in uniform?" Andy grumbled good-naturedly.

Sam looked over at her and winked, "Nothing, especially when you have the privilege of taking the uniform off of her occasionally." He smiled when he saw Andy's cheeks flush with color. "But I don't think Best has done that in quite some time."

"So what happened?" Andy asked, getting back to the story.

Sam parked the car so they could easily watch the school zone traffic and then turned to her. "Apparently they got along really well and Best offered to take her home," he said, "It wasn't until he took her hand and realized that it was as big as his was that he figured out what was going on."

Andy couldn't help but laugh as she imagined the look on Best's face when he realized who he had been flirting with the whole night. A thought occurred to her. "What if he hadn't realized?" Andy asked, her eyes wide, "What if he had gotten home and they'd…?" She couldn't finish the sentence, just waved her hand in the air.

"I'm sure he would have figured it out eventually McNally," Sam laughed. "Anyway, that's why we're on school zone patrol today and probably tomorrow, too." He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he said without much conviction.

Andy just shook her head, laughing lightly. "Its okay." She paused for a moment, thinking. "You and Oliver and Jerry have been friends for a while, haven't you?"

Sam nodded. "We went through the academy together. Why?"

"Just wondering," Andy said. After a beat, "Why didn't you ever go out for detective? You're definitely smart enough, you read people well, see things other people don't see…"

Sam shook his head, cutting her off. "That's only part of their job," he told her. "The investigative stuff is fun but there's no way I could handle sitting behind a desk and reading files all day long. I'd go out of my mind."

Andy nodded in understanding while motioning out the window, "Because watching these people try to drive 40kph is where the excitement is at."

"Exactly," Sam grinned.

"Do you ever think about going back undercover?"

Sam looked over at her, his eyebrows raised. "What makes you ask that?"

Andy shrugged, "If I hadn't arrested you that day, you might still be there."

"No," Sam denied, shaking his head, "I only needed a couple more weeks, a month tops. There's no way I'd still be under."

"Well, regardless," Andy said, "Do you ever think about going back?"

Sam was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Sometimes," he told her honestly. "But priorities change. I'm happy where I am now."

"What do you mean… priorities change?"

"Andy," Sam said, pausing as he tried to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say, "Being undercover is hard to explain, especially if you're living that way, not just going under a day or two at a time. You become a different person, you have to. Most guys go under when they don't have anything to leave behind."

Andy nodded slowly, "So when you went under last time…"

"It was just me," Sam told her. "It's challenging enough to live undercover and not completely lose yourself in the lifestyle." He glanced over at her, "I can't imagine trying to do it and know that you've left a family or a serious relationship behind."

"And now?"

Sam looked over at her, one side of his mouth curving into a smile. "I've got you."

Andy sighed. "I don't want to be the one holding you back from doing something you want to do."

Sam furrowed his brow, "You're not holding me back from anything. Where is all this coming from?"

"Its just… I know your job is important to you and I don't want to get in the way of you doing what you…"

As she continued explaining, Sam's eyes widened in realization of where her insecurity was coming from. "Callaghan really screwed you up, didn't he?" Sam asked angrily, interrupting her.

"What?"

"Andy," he said, reaching over to take her hand, making her look at him. "Yes, I am good at my job and yes, it's important to me," he paused and took a deep breath, "But if I had to choose between it and you… you would win, every time."

Andy blinked at him, "I don't want you to have to make that choice."

"Its not even a choice Andy," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "I love you, I'm not leaving you behind just to further my already very satisfying career."

He obviously didn't realize what he had said, but Andy did. "You what?"

"I'm not leaving you…" Sam started to repeat.

"Before that."

Sam thought back over what he had said and a small smile spread across his face. "You already know that," he said.

"I do." Andy shook her head, grinning. "But you've never actually told me."

Sam sighed, but smiled anyway. "I love you, Andy."

"I love you, too, Sam."

They smiled at each other, neither saying a word to interrupt the moment until Sam squeezed her hand. "Good," he said with a slight nod, "Now that we've gotten that out of the way…"

Andy rolled her eyes, "You're so romantic."

Sam just grinned before asking seriously, "Will you believe me when I tell you that you're not holding me back from anything? That I'm happy where I am?"

She nodded. "I believe you."

"Good."

A quiet settled over them as they watched the cars drive slowly through the school zone. Andy glanced behind her into the backseat for a second and saw the roses. "Sam," she teased, turning around. "You first told me you love me on Valentine's Day. Isn't that a little… clichéd?"

Sam groaned. "Oh, please, kill me now."