I know I said I'd be posting the next chapter in Rewritten, but I'm still tweaking it a bit. Thus, I decided to post this instead.
Basically, it's a series of short missing scenes. I think it's fairly obvious where these missing scenes take place, but if I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll provide some clarity. PS- they aren't in chronological order because… what fun would that be?
Don't forget to review!
=============LION'S HEART=============
"We're getting married tomorrow," she declares with a big smile as the two of them lie in bed together. .
"I know," he says, beaming at her with a smile of his own.
"You scared?" She wonders.
"No," he replies as he shakes his head and furrows his brows. "You?"
"No," she denies. "I mean… you'll be there," she adds with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Always," he promises, as he pushes the hair out of her eyes.
Her smile widens and she immediately leans in for a kiss. "Love you," she tells him once they part.
"Love you, too," he replies before stealing one more kiss from her.
"I guess this is what it's supposed to feel like when you're getting married," she muses.
"Oh yeah? What does it feel like?" He asks, with an amused smile.
"Incredible, amazing, exciting… right. It just feels really right," she decides.
"It does," he agrees with a nod.
"I can't believe we're actually getting married," she tells him.
"I know," he concurs as he runs the back of his hand down her cheek.
"I was really scared that we were never going to get it right, and I'm just… I'm really glad that we did," she continues as she draws patterns on his chest with her finger. "I know I'd never be this happy with anyone else," she adds.
He smiles at her words. "Me either," he agrees.
=============LION'S HEART=============
"Marlo said you were amazing today," he tells her in an effort to get the conversation going.
Normally, she's the one who's allergic to silence but she hasn't said anything since they left the hospital almost ten minutes ago. He can't remember the last time the truck was this quiet and it's really starting to bother him. In fact, his mind has kind of been racing for the past five minutes and he's starting to psych himself out, wondering what's going through her head.
Truthfully, he's just beyond terrified that this is all too much for her. As much as she's told him that it wouldn't be, it's always different when it becomes real. And now… well, it's definitely real.
"It's no big deal," she says with a shrug, as she continues to stare out the window.
"Andy, yes it is. Not everyone would be able to stay calm in that kind of situation," he tells her.
She offers him another shrugs in response and once again the truck fills with silence. Sam glances over at her, but she's just staring out the window, obviously lost in thought. And so, his mind starts racing again. He's trying to come up with some way of continuing the conversation going, but he's not sure what he can say. Honestly, he just needs to hear her voice, he just needs her to get out of her head. When she's quiet like this, it's rarely a good thing.
"You know, I think it's kind of poetic," he muses, after another minute goes by.
"Hm?" She asks, finally turning back towards him.
"That all three of us helped bring her into this world," he explains with a smile as he briefly peers over at her.
Their eyes meet briefly as a small smile touches her lips, causing a wave of relief to wash over him. He immediately grabs her hand and starts to trace circles on the back of it with his thumb. When she gives him a little squeeze, he can feel himself start to relax a bit more.
"I love you," he tells her, taking his eyes off the road for a moment in order to meet her gaze.
"I love you, too," she assures him, giving his hand another gentle squeeze.
"We're gonna figure this out, right?" He asks, still needing some more reassurance from her.
"Yeah, we are," she says with an encouraging smile.
He nods his head and brings her hand to his lips for a kiss. Then, the truck falls silent once again, but this time, it's much less concerning.
"So, how does it feel?" She asks, after several minutes go by.
"Completely terrifying," he replies, knowing exactly what she's asking.
"What do you mean?" She wonders.
"I'm just… what if I suck at this?" He says, as he briefly glances over at her.
"Since when do you suck at anything?" She reminds him with a smirk playing at her lips.
He mirrors her expression and is about to say something when she beats him to it.
"Seriously, you're going to be great," she assures him. "I have no doubt."
His smile immediately widens at her words and he thanks her by squeezing her hand once again. "I guess I'm also afraid that… I mean, I know Marlo is stable now, but what if she stops taking her meds again? And bipolar can be genetic, what if the baby has it, too?" He comments.
His confession takes her by surprise and she takes a moment to really consider his words. While he's been so much better about saying what's on his mind lately, he hasn't really shared his a lot of fears about parenthood before and she doesn't want to say the wrong thing.
"Well… if that happens, we'd figure it out together," she tells him with what she hopes is a reassuring expression.
He immediately smiles at her words as he glances over and catches her eye. Then, he once again lifts her hand to his lips and presses a kiss against the back of her palm.
It's just under a minute later that they are pulling into Sam's driveway and he's turning off his truck. And when he does, he grabs Andy's attention by blowing out a telling breath. "And I guess I'm also afraid that all of this will be too much for you," he admits.
She stares at him for a minute before responding, seemingly mulling over her response. "Sam, I know there will probably be a lot of difficult moments in our future, but I'm in this, okay? I'm not going anywhere," she assures him. "I mean… you kind of promised to marry me and just so you know… I plan on holding you to that," she says with a grin.
By now, he's completely beaming at her and she can't help but smile back at him. "Sounds good to me," he tells her, before he leans in for a kiss. He allows himself to get lost in her for a minute or so, before reluctantly pulling away. "I love you," he tells her, a little more adamantly this time.
"Love you, too," she promises.
=============LION'S HEART=============
"Can you believe we actually get three weeks off?" Andy exclaims as she starts unpacking the cooler they brought with them to Oliver's cabin. "It actually makes almost getting blown up worth it," she laughs.
"I don't know, I'd kind of prefer that you don't almost get blown up," he comments as he places a hand on the small of her back and kisses her temple before going to put the beer in the fridge.
"But now we actually get a real vacation together," she retorts. "How'd you convince Oliver to give you the cabin for three weeks, anyway?" Andy wonders.
"I'm very persuasive," he grins, exposing his dimples, and wiggling his eyebrows.
"So those dimples work on him, too?" She asks with a smile.
"Of course," he teases.
She lets out another laugh and stands on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "I can't believe you actually wanted to spend the next three weeks in a cabin in the woods," she muses as she throws her arms around his neck.
"What do you mean? I can definitely see the appeal of being alone with you in secluded cabin for three weeks," he replies with a smirk, causing her to giggle.
"Well, just so you know… I actually plan on leaving the cabin once or twice," she informs him with a playful smile.
"I guess I can agree to once or twice," he quips. "I mean, I was planning on throwing you in the lake at least a few times," he grins.
"Oh yeah?" She asks as her smile widens.
"Mhm," he nods.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing I brought my bathing suit," she replies.
"Mm… no, I don't think you'll be needing that," he assures her as his hands roam her body.
"No?"
"Definitely not," he tells her with a shake of his head.
"Hm… well, I guess I can get on board with that," she smirks.
"Think you can get on board with it right now?" He flirts as his hands slide down her waist and land on her hips, so he can grab the hem of her top and start to push it up her body.
"Mm… I could probably be persuaded," she flirts.
"Well, then I say we unpack all of this later and you take all of this off," he says as he gestures towards the tank top and denim shorts she's wearing.
"How about you take it off?" She suggests, seductively.
"Even better," he grins as he quickly pulls her top over her head and drops it on the floor. Then, he leans in for a quick kiss before focusing his attention on her neck. He places several kisses from her collarbone to her ear, all while unbuttoning her shorts.
"This vacation is off to a great start," she grins.
=============LION'S HEART=============
"Hey, we okay?" He asks, as they stroll down the street together. They've been walking Boo for the past five minutes and the fact that she hasn't said much of anything is starting to make him nervous. It seemed like they had patched everything up inside, but she's never this quiet unless she's lost in thought.
"Yeah," she says with a nod and a reassuring smile, before she takes his hand, interlocks their fingers and gives it a gentle squeeze. He immediately pulls her into his side and kisses the top of her head as they continue to make their way down the street with Boo trotting along in front of them.
But then the silence hits again and he kind of hates it. After spending years in the squad car together where he was constantly wishing she'd just shut up, now he can't stand when she's quiet like this.
"You really scared me today," he admits, after she stays silent for another minute or so. He just really needs her to say something. Anything.
"I know, I'm sorry," she apologizes as she glances up at him.
"I pretty much beat the shit out of the vending machine at work," he informs her.
"Oh God," she says, letting out a small chuckle, before she stops walking and turns towards him so she can meet his eyes. "I am sorry I brought up the whole Vancouver thing," she apologizes. "I didn't actually want to go," she assures him.
"Why did you bring it up?" He asks. "Did you really think I wanted an out?" He adds. It's just that… a part of him is still worried that it's her that wants an out.
"I don't know… I guess I'm just being insecure…" She says with a shrug as she averts her eyes.
"Andy…" he begins as he cups her chin and forces her to meet his gaze. "I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I was just going to change my mind, okay?" He tells her, adamantly.
"I know… but a lot has changed since you asked me," she reminds him. "I guess a part of me was starting to wonder if you were having second thoughts," she admits.
"God no," he replies, adamantly. "I promise you… I have never once had anything resembling a regret or cold feet or second thoughts about marrying you," he says, willing her to believe him. "I didn't just ask you on a whim, I thought about it… I was sure… I am sure," he promises. "Yeah, a few things are different, but you're still the only person I want to be with, okay? Nothing will ever change that," he assures her.
"Okay," she says as she offers a brief smile and begins to fidget with the dog leash in her hand. And well, he knows her well enough to know that she needs more convincing.
"Hey…I love you, okay? I love you more than anything," he promises. "And I'm sorry if you haven't been feeling that lately… I guess I'm not doing a very good job at balancing everything… but I'm just trying to figure out how all of this is going to work…" he explains.
"Sam, you don't have to figure it all out on your own," she reminds him. "I'm here… I can help," she adds.
As the words leave her mouth, a smile immediately appears on his lips. "I know… it'll probably take some trial and error, you know? We'll sit down and we'll figure it all out together," he promises. "But when you're feeling this way, you just have to talk to me, okay? The last thing I ever want is for you to be unhappy," he tells her.
"I'm not unhappy," she assures him. "I just feel like I haven't really seen much of you lately and… I miss you," she explains.
He nods his head as he brushes a lock of hair behind her ear. "You know… before all of this, I had been meaning to talk to you about something," he mentions.
"What?" She asks, somewhat suspiciously.
"Well, I was kind of hoping we could start moving in together," he explains as he continues to run his fingers through her hair. When she doesn't respond, he takes it upon himself to continue. "You could move into my place… I mean, half of your stuff is already there anyway, and after we get married, we could look for something that's completely ours… but until then, I'd kind of like to wake up next to you every morning," he says with a smile. "Plus, I think this little guy would like all of us under one roof," he says, gesturing towards the dog that's sitting and staring up at them.
"Well, how can I say no to that?" she questions as a smile plays on her lips.
"I was kindda hoping you'd feel that way," he replies, beaming down at her.
"Oh, so that's why you bought the dog! The truth always comes out, Swarek," she teases. He lets out a laugh, happy to see that she seems to be feeling better.
He smiles and pulls her in for a kiss. "I love you," he tells her. "So much," he adds.
"Love you, too," she responds.
"We'll work all of this out," he promises.
"I know we will," she says with a nod.
=============LION'S HEART=============
He's really trying not to overreact. He's trying not to freak out. He's trying to keep all of those old insecurities at bay.
It's proving difficult.
She's just been in there for a while and he can't stop wondering what they're talking about. And no matter how many times he tries to tell himself that they are only friends, he just can't help but think that maybe he's the reason she needed time.
Maybe there is a part of her that still wants to be with him. Maybe there's a part of her that isn't sure.
Things between the two of them have almost always been complicated and he knows that what she had with Collins was definitely easier. He knows that she was happy with him. He knows that she trusts Collins… probably more than she trusts him, because he never hurt her.
He just can't help but wonder.
And the longer she's back there, the faster his mind starts to spin.
It's just that he thought they were finally somewhat on the same page. Yeah, she asked for time, but there was still hope. At least, he thought there was.
She visited him almost every day at the hospital. And on the days she couldn't be there, she'd always call or text. After she saw the quality of food they were feeding him, she cooked his favorite meals and brought them by his room. After he told her how bored he was when she wasn't around, she brought by some books she thought he'd like. And she even came by and played poker with him while updating him on everything going on at the station.
And she had been flirting with him. And smiling at him. And touching him way more than what was necessary.
He really thought they were headed in the right direction. He really thought he was going to get her back.
And now he's just not so sure. It's just… he knows this is his last chance. If it doesn't work this time, he'll lose her for good and that's a thought that makes him feel sick to his stomach.
But seriously, what the hell is taking so long? What could they possibly be talking about?
=-=- a few minutes later-=-=
When she walks up to him, she can tell something's up. He's trying to hide it, but he looks nervous and she's not sure why.
"He okay?" Sam asks as he hands her a drink.
"Yeah," she nods as she accepts the drink and goes to take a sip. "Ugh, what is this?" She asks with disgust written all over her face.
"Kosher wine," he replies with an amused smile.
"Why am I drinking Kosher wine?" She wonders.
"Ask Diaz," he responds with a shrug. "You uh… you wanna get out of here and get a real drink?" He asks. "I'm buying," he offers.
"Yeah," she says with a big smile. "Definitely."
"Let's go."
-=-=-several minutes later-=-=-
She doesn't say one word the entire drive to the Penny. To be fair, he doesn't say anything either, but she's usually so talkative. It's weird.
He desperately wants to bring it up, but he's just not sure how. And he's also a little afraid of what she might say.
As much as he really wants to know what's going on between them, he also really doesn't want to know. It's a bit confusing.
He just… he doesn't want bad news. He's really not sure he could take it.
And Sam's nervous energy… well, it doesn't escape Andy's notice. And it's not especially difficult to connect the dots, either. Everything had been great between them before she left to go see Nick and now… well, now he's acting weird.
As they walk through the parking lot at the Penny, she can't help but notice the way he keeps stealing glances at her.
Yeah, he's definitely on edge.
She supposes that it's not so crazy for him to wonder. It's just that, she kind of figured he knew… she chose him.
She told him she loved him and then she broke up with Nick. What more evidence does he want?
She really didn't think it needed to be said, but apparently, it does.
"Hey Sam, wait," she says as she grabs his arm, stopping him before he goes to reach for the door.
"Yeah?" He asks, as he turns towards her.
God, the look on his face… he's definitely anxious. She's not sure what he's expecting from this conversation, but whatever it is, it's definitely not good.
"You know… Nick and I… we're just friends," she clarifies.
"Uh… okay," he says with a nod.
"I just… I didn't want you to think that… that we were anything more than that," she explains.
"Okay," he repeats, unsure what else there is to say. To say he's relieved would be an understatement, but he doesn't want to assume too much. Just because she's not interested in Nick, it doesn't mean that she's ready to be together again.
"Sam, I… I do want to be with you, I just…. I think we both have shit we need to figure out before we jump into this again, you know?" She questions. "I mean, I… I really can't do it if it's going to be the same as before. I want it to actually work this time," she tells him.
"Me too," he promises.
"So… maybe we could just be friends for now?" She suggests. "I mean, not the same kind of friends that Nick and I are… a different kind of friends than that," she rambles.
"And what kind of friends would that be?" He wonders, slightly amused.
"The kind of friends that are trying to work out their issues so they can eventually be more than friends?" she proposes.
"I think I can live with that," he agrees with a smile.
"Okay, good," she says with a grin.
"Good," he concurs, completely beaming at her.
"Okay, let's go get some drinks… I still have that kosher wine taste in my mouth," she says, cringing in disgust.
"Let's go," he chuckles as he leads her inside.
And as they walk through the door together, he feels a million times lighter.
=============LION'S HEART=============
So…. there it is. Some are better than others, I know, but I hope you enjoyed this.
And let me know which were your favorites. I always love hearing everyone's differing opinions.