Chapter 10

"Andy?" Sam toed off his boots, and hung his coat before following his ears and nose in search of the one thing he really wanted to see. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight that greeted him as he walked through his living room and into his kitchen – or at least what he thought used to be his kitchen – the sight before him could currently pass as a set of a mini disaster movie. There were two large pots of some kind of spicy concoction bubbling away on the hob, flour, sauce and spices all over the counter and a mound of what looked like some kind of dough – all though he was slightly dubious of what it might actually turn into. There were a few mixing containers balanced haphazardly in between the chaos, and about seven more piled up in his sink. Andy had his music system cranked up and was blaring out some kind of loud music, and he starting to wonder whether he had actually returned to the right house...Andy on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. "McNally?"

The music was loud enough that he didn't hear her approach him from behind, and jumped a little when he felt her arms snake around his waist – but his hands automatically took hold of hers and held them against him. Andy stretched up onto her toes and placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck. "Hey...how did it go?"

"Fine...it went fine – what are you doing?" He released the grip one of his hands currently had on hers and waved his hand in the direction of his kitchen counter in an indication of what he was referring to.

"Movie Theme Night." She stated simply as if those three words blatantly explained everything and loosened her grip on him slightly – shuffling around to his side, and kissing him once briefly on the cheek before padding away from him and back into the chaos. Sam's bewildered gaze followed her, his eyebrows meeting his hairline in silent question and waited for her to elaborate. A small smile inching its way into place as he took in the fact that she was clothed from top to toe in his clothes...from his grey tracksuit pants to his old worn academy t-shirt and his black zipper hooded sweater. The combination of all three were endearingly oversized on her, and the messy bun of hair piled on top of her head, the wayward streak of flour across her cheekbone and the dusting of it on the tip of her nose added an extra cuteness factor. She had told him before he left this morning that she would go back to Traci's while she was at the Station and pick up some more clothes – the fact that she was wrapped up in his told him she had never made it that far, but he didn't mind. In actual fact he would be quite happy for her to walk around in nothing else...perhaps even just the t shirt and nothing else if he was really lucky. Andy reached out for the dough-like substance and sprinkled some flour over the top before she began kneading away – her brow creased in concentration.

"Oooookay...?"

"The whole point is that the whole night has to be in theme...it's kind of the idea. We talked about this..."

"So what's the theme – Disaster movies? Armageddon?"

Andy ceased kneading and glanced back up at him through narrowing eyes – a hint of indignation evident in her voice. "No!" Her eyes widening in realisation a moment later, "You're wrist brace is gone..."

"Yeah...they took it off. Everything is setting back in line, so I don't need to wear it anymore...it's just going to take some time for me to be able to use it like I used to...seriously McNally, it looks like a disaster zone in here – what are you trying to do?"

"Will it be ok...you'll be able to use your gun again right?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders – he didn't actually want to repeat what they had said, that there were no guarantees – that he may never be able to grip enough to be able to use his gun, do his job. "They don't know yet."

"Sam..."

"It's fine...not like I can do much about it...I just – seriously, what is that supposed to be?" He had migrated into his kitchen and picked up a spoon – poking it suspiciously into one of the pots bubbling away and wrinkling his nose.

"I'm broadening your horizons..."

Sam peered back at her and levelled a suspicious look her way, narrowing his eyes and creasing his brow in accusation. "Do you even know what it is?"

Andy rolled her eyes at him and huffed out an insulted sigh. "Of course I kn...It's Mulligatawny"

"Mulliga-what?"

"Tawny...Mulligatawny."

"Oh of course...it all makes perfect sense now."

"It's an Indian soup – I opted for an Indian theme, and found these..." Andy proudly peeled two scrawled recipes away from Sam's counter and thrust them at him as if they were the holy grail, before jogging back around the counter and into his living room swiping some DVD's from the edge of the coffee table and bringing them back with her – waving them under Sam's nose. "There's a really good independent DVD rental place in the same block as your pharmacy, and I picked these up when I filled your prescription...we can have a Bollywood extravaganza." Sam looked back at her as if she had suddenly sprouted three heads. "Oh come on! It'll be fun..."

"Do I look like a person who would watch Bollywood to you?"

"You don't look like someone who would watch 'Casablanca' either, but you did...like I said – broadening your horizons...here." Andy reached around him and pulled a bottle of Tiger Beer from the refrigerator – pushing it into his chest, turning him round and pushing him out of the kitchen. "I have it all under control – you will love it. Go and relax on the couch, watch the game or something."

"Andy..."

"Go...shoo...I've got it covered – trust me."

Andy nudged him all the way over to the edge of the couch before turning on her heel and heading back to the kitchen, ignoring Sam's remark of "Do you even know how to cook something that doesn't come wrapped in plastic?" promising herself that she was going to rise to the challenge.

Sam discarded their beer bottles and the takeout boxes in his recycling, before huffing out a sigh and surveying the damage still loitering in his kitchen. Andy pulled herself up into a seated position on the edge of the only countertop not covered in left over ingredients and eyed the scene before her with caution. Sam glanced back over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow, "You know we could have ordered takeout from the beginning..."

"Hey! I tried! I followed the recipe – I didn't know it was going to turn out like that!"

He shook his head at her but allowed a soft chuckle to escape before walking over to the sink, and turning on the taps waiting for the hot water to emerge. Andy shimmied down from the counter edge and wrapped one arm around his waist, the other arm reaching around him and turning off the tap. "We don't have to clean up now...theme night's not done."

"I'm not watching another one of those movies..."

"You enjoyed it...admit it."

"Thoroughly...how about next time you try and do one of these things we try to stick to a theme that's a little less exotic?"

Andy wrapped her hand around his arm, and pulled him away from the sink – turning him around so he was facing her before reaching up and wrapping both her arms around his neck, leaning into him and peering up at him through her eyelashes – a mischievous smile slowly growing. "I'll clean up tomorrow – theme night is still in full swing, and trust me...you're going to love this part."

Sam automatically reached out to hold onto her, his fingers moulding onto her hips. "You said that earlier..."

"Oh I know I'm right about this part...how flexible are you feeling...?"

His only response was a growing smirk, and Andy's smile merged into a full on grin. She unwrapped herself from him and reached for one of his hands interlacing their fingers and turned around – pulling him away from the kitchen, into the hallway and up the stairs.

By the time they had managed to stumble into his bedroom he had already managed to dislodge and abandon somewhere in his house the tracksuit pants and sweater that had been hiding far too much of Andy's skin from him, and Andy's head was swimming from his touch and his kisses. She had to use every inch of self control that she had left to push him far enough away from her to catch her breath, and she reached behind him to pick up the book she had strategically placed on the bedside table and thrust it at Sam, landing it in the middle of his chest and using it to push him a little further away – as she tried really hard to catch up with herself. Sam's darkened eyes widened in surprise and raised a cocky eyebrow at her in response. "I don't need a guidebook McNally..."

She shook her head and smiled at him. "I know you don't. Theme night remember? Pick a few." She gripped hold of the book, and waved it under his nose waiting for the realisation to dawn. Sam glanced down at the cover and was unable to suppress a smile.

"Kama Sutra?"

"I told you this theme would redeem itself..."


"They're not going to go away are they?" Andy allowed Sam to manoeuvre away from her grip, and buried her head in his pillow emitting a disappointed groan.

Sam pulled on some clothes, and walked over to the window peering outside. "It's Oliver...I'll get rid of him – you..." he turned back to face her and smiled involuntarily, in the few minutes since he had left the bed she had managed to bury herself under his duvet – the only indication she was still there was a duvet covered mound in the middle of his mattress with some a severely messy bed head of mussed up hair poking out the top. "...you stay there, and I'll get us some coffee and toast or something for breakfast – if I can still find anything in that bomb site...Andy?" He picked up on a muffled "mmmmhhhhmmm" of agreement coming from somewhere in her direction, and his smile increased in size of its own accord. He gave himself a few self indulgent seconds to drink in the sight before him, and reluctantly left her there before Oliver broke his door down.

"Sam! Sammy open up man – come on! I know you're inside – it's freezing out here." Oliver hammered relentlessly until he heard Sam fiddling with the locks on the inside of the door, and granted himself a sigh of relief. The door swung open, and Oliver stepped forward expecting to go inside – faltering slightly when Sam blocked his entrance by standing directly in his path, and only holding the door half open.

"Hey...what's up?"

Oliver eyed him suspiciously – and tried to peer over his shoulder to garner some kind of clue as to what he was trying to hide. "Nothing...well I was kind of hoping you could help me out with something...are you going to invite me in?"

"Actually I'm kind of busy so..."

Oliver nodded his head, but was in no mood to be dismissed so pushed past Sam at his door and made his way into his friends living room, leaving Sam to follow behind him allowing himself a small smile as he head him mumble something sarcastic under his breath that was along the lines of "come on in...". Sam's eyes widened comically, and his feet suddenly became rooted to the spot as he noticed the two very large duffel bags his friend had deposited in the corner of the room. When he looked up again to the couch area where Oliver was last standing he realised that he had continued walking into his kitchen, but he didn't seem able to make himself follow him. "Oliver?" He came back into view a few moments later, eyebrows raised in question.

"I was going to make some coffee...what the hell happened in there?" He raised his thumb and pointed back over his shoulder in the direction from which he had just come, and Sam's expression merged into something between a grimace and a sheepish smile.

"Just killing some time with a little bit of experimentation...what's this?" Sam gently tapped the edge of one of the bags at his feet and looked pointedly at them before looking back at his friend.

"Experimentation with what? A nuclear bomb?"

"Oliver?"

"Oh...It's..." Sam watched warily as he saw his friend inwardly debate with himself over what to say – eventually deciding to spit it out, rip off the band aid so to speak. "Zoe asked me to move out – I figured I could crash here, thought you could use the company." He offered Sam a sheepish smile, and walked further back into the living room – waiting for his response. He looked pained, and Oliver suddenly felt like he might need to do a little bit more persuading. "C'mon – it'll be like the good old days – poker, whiskey – you don't have to sit at home on your own every night pining after McNally, it'll be good for you." Oliver stopped talking and eyed his friend – something was definitely up. He had utilised Sam's spare room when he and Zoe had a fight before, and never received this kind of reception – the door was always open. The silence that had settled between the two of them was chaotically broken when there was loud crash from his kitchen. Oliver's eyes widened in surprise, and turned around just in time to see Andy emerge from the kitchen dressed in one of Sam's t shirts that's reached her mid thigh – messy bed hair still very firmly in place, clutching a pack of coffee and waving a pair of scissors in the air.

"Sorry – I was looking for these to open the..." She froze mid sentence, a blush instantly evident mingled with a wide eyed look of horror.

Oliver's eyes grew so wide it looked as though they would almost pop out of his head, and glanced back and forth between Andy and Sam with his own shocked expression several times before he actually spoke. "You have got to be kidding me. No. No, no, no, no, no, no – I did not see this, this is not..."

Sam took one look at the panic slowly emerging in Andy's expression and he knew he had to do something to fix the situation. He took a step towards Oliver, holding his palms up in a physical request for his friend to listen to him and tried desperately to think of something to say to explain this away. "Oliver – ok, listen..."

"No – no I don't want to know anything, I haven't seen anything. McNally, go and put some clothes on and I can take you home."

"Oliver..."

Oliver levelled a disbelieving glare at his friend, and rolled his eyes. "No – just stop talking. I haven't seen anything, and I'm saving the two of you from yourselves." He glanced back over at Andy, "McNally, clothes – now."

"We're not teenagers..."

Andy found the use of her feet again, turned and walked back out the way she came in – taking the stairs two at a time as soon as she reached them. She pulled on some jeans and a sweater from her folded pile of laundry before throwing her bag on Sam's bed and piling the rest of her clothes into it with shaking hands. She didn't realise Sam had followed her until he spoke, the edge in his voice freezing her to the spot.

"What are you doing?"

Andy closed her eyes, took a few shaky breaths and willed herself to keep moving. She padded back over to the corner of the room to pick up the last of clothes, and added them to the pile in her bag. "Packing."

"Andy...It's Oliver – he's not going to say anything..." Sam took a few apprehensive steps forward, and took hold of her arm, trying to stop her in her tracks. He pulled her around so she was facing him and dipped his head, trying to see her and read her expression – but she refused to meet his eyes, scrutinizing her red toe nails instead. "Andy..."

"He's right – it's probably for the best, I can't stay holed up here for the next ten weeks." She pulled herself away from his grasp, took a couple of steps backwards and turned – walking into his en suite and closing the door behind her. She couldn't look at him, she couldn't look at the expression she knew would be on his face and still make herself leave – and she knew she had to, that she had been deluding herself thinking that the two of them could ignore the rules of their suspension without consequences. She especially didn't want their friends tied up in it either – first Traci, and now Oliver, she had to make a realistic decision. It wasn't going to be forever. She gave herself a few minutes to pull herself together, stared herself down in the mirror – reached for her toothbrush and collected her shampoo and shower gel before opening the door and coming face to face with Sam – his dark intense eyes burned into her, and she averted her gaze again – there was definitely no way she could do this if he kept looking at her like that. She walked over to the edge of the bed, deposited her gatherings on the top and pulled the zip closed.

"Andy...don't. Please?" He took hold of her hand, and tugged her away from her bag, nudging her chin up gently with his other hand until she was forced to look at him. "I want you to stay. I can deal with Oliver – you don't have to leave." Andy squeezed her eyes closed, battling against the prickle of tears that was slowly starting to emerge, and bit down on her bottom lip with a tiny shake of her head. She took a couple of steps back, needing to escape the feel of him close to her.

"I can't...we can't." Her eyes flew open again when the sudden realisation that he would think she was walking away from them again hit – and she walked back to him again, tangling her fingers up in his shirt and pulling him to her – reaching up and crushing her lips against his. Sam's arms wrapped around her – one hand tangling in her hair and pulling her impossibly close, while the other hand found her lower back, and gradually edged southwards – seeking out the skin his fingers would find under the edge of her ridden up sweater. It took her a couple of seconds to catch her breath when she pulled her lips away from his, wrapping her arms around him and burying in face in his chest – before looking back up and meeting his eyes again.

"Andy..."

"You're worth the wait." She stretched up on her toes and kissed him briefly, but softly, and Sam tightened his grip on her not wanting to let her leave. "I'll call you." She brushed her lips against his cheek in a soft kiss of parting, before pulling herself free – picking up her bag and walking out his bedroom door and away from him. She didn't look back – couldn't chance it and she found Oliver seated on Sam's couch.

"Ready?"

"Yep."

Oliver eyed her and her bag warily, and Andy raised an expectant and impatient eyebrow at him. "Well are we going or not?"

He pulled himself up of the couch at her words, nodding his head. "Yeah, yeah...we're going," and followed her out into the cold.

A/N - as always - reviews are my drug of choice, please hit that button and let me know your thoughts. xxx