I could have wrote and wrote...there are still things I wanted to say. But alas, tis done.

Please let me know what you think about the story, take care. Cheers!

Andy came awake slowly. She stretched taking note that she was alone. That was disappointing.

She glanced at his alarm clock, she had been sleeping for almost eight hours. She couldn't believe how long she had slept. Lifting her nose in the air she smelled fresh coffee, she smiled and fell back asleep.

Sam sat the kitchen table, drinking coffee, trying to focus on the newspaper. He couldn't. He got up this morning feeling like last night was a dream. A really good dream, he just couldn't believe she was here.

The past week had been awful between them and if anyone would have told him after shift last night that she would be in his bed later? He would have thought they were nuts.

He didn't know what happened after she stormed out of the locker room. Or even after she had gone to see Luke at his apartment, but apparently, something had happened. It was something that she had wanted to discuss with him. She wants to talk, really talk about us.

That last wall that she had around her, the one that kept him out, seemed to have fallen. He thought that he would have a fight on his hands when he suggested that she stay the night. She just said ok.

He lay in bed for what seemed almost an hour, listening her to toss and turn. Going no further than the doorway, he asked her if she was all right. She said she couldn't sleep. Acting on instinct, he approached her. When he reached down, she automatically wrapped her arms around is neck. He knew then where she wanted to be.

All night in her sleep, she reached out for him. It took everything he had just to hold her. When he woke up, they were laying spooned together. Her bottom pressed against him, he did not want to scare her off. He got out of bed before she woke up and realized what was happening.

Now that he had regained a little bit of control, he walked back into the bedroom. He placed a cup of coffee for her on the bedside table. Walking back around he looked at her. She looked beautiful lying there. Mine. He wanted to shout. She was here and he wanted to keep it that way.

He lay down next to her, immediately she rolled over, snuggling against his chest. "I missed you." She said. He didn't know if she was talking in her sleep or if she was awake. He stiffened a bit, waiting, if she called him Luke... "Did you make coffee, Sam?" He relaxed, she had noticed his reaction, she smiled.

"Yep." He said pulling her closer. "It's on the table beside you."

She looked up at him, "You are awesome and so is your bed. I can't believe I slept for so long. Must be your mattress."

"My mattress? Are you kidding? You slept on top of me all night…I could barely breathe." He teased.

She rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah like you would have let me move away."

"Oh, and what are you trying to say then?"

She looked down at him from her perch on his chest, her voice softening, "Thank you, Sam. I really needed that." His hand trembled as he reached for her cheek, he stroked it and then pulled her head down, gently kissing her.

He released her, "What a day, yesterday, huh?" she said as she smiled at him.

"Yeah I think we were suppose to talk about that. You want to talk now?"

"Nope." She said sliding her hand down his chest.

"Andy!"

"What?"

"Stop that, I only have so much control you know."

"So? Maybe I don't want you be control right now."

"I think we should talk first."

"Why?" She said.

"Because when I make love to you for the first time, I do not want there to be any misunderstandings between us."

"Misunderstandings or strings?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"See, you think I don't want strings and I want to bring a rope into the bed with us. Look I don't know what happened yesterday, last night, whatever it was that has changed you so much. But I need to know, because once we take that step Andy I don't think I can let you go."

"Sam I'm so scared."

"I know, I am too, talk to me."

"Why spoil the moment?"

"Stop running, I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes you are, next week." He silenced her with a kiss.

"No, I'm not taking the transfer."

"Why not?"

"Because if I leave god knows what you'll get into."

"Ok so who's running now Sam? Answer the question."

"You first." He said.

She just stared at him, "Ah c'mon Andy, that's not fair, I already said I'm not taking the transfer."

"Yesterday was so messed up I don't know where to start."

"How about the question?"

She looked at him, "I hoped you forgot about that."

"Nope."

She sat up cross-legged beside him. "Alright I went to Luke's house to ask him how could he have left his former T.O. and partner alone and hurt in that house."

He sat straight up and would have gotten out of the bed if Andy hadn't put her hands on his chest. "Don't you do it Sam!" she said.

"What?"

"You wanted me to talk, so you listen." Her voice was so strong he just sat there.

"Everybody tip toes around this, but I'm not going to. You don't need to know how I found out."

"Jerry." Sam spat out.

"Listen! I know you don't want to talk about it and after today I will not mention it again, alright? But you need to know that I know why. I know why you don't want to talk about it and it's not your fault." He looked at her.

"Sam I know you, somehow you've gotten yourself to believe that you failed. You didn't fail Luke."

"Andy."

"Please be quiet and listen. You are constantly telling me that I can't change people, I can't always make everything better for everyone else. You really should take your own advice sometimes. I didn't realize until recently just how similar we are. We can't bring things out of people that aren't already there inside of them."

She reached and pulled his hands into her lap. "I think, you think, you failed me too, but you didn't. Sam the only reason that I can sit here right now and say these things to you is because you didn't fail me at all."

He remained quiet, just looking at their entwined hands. "Look when we first met, you scared the hell out of me. It was like standing on the edge of something, when I looked down I couldn't see the bottom. You were my training officer, basically teaching me everyday how to stay alive. But there was something more, something I felt on another level. It terrified me because I knew if I gave myself over to it, to you, then you might swallow me whole. And maybe break my heart one day. You know what? You did just the opposite by constantly bitching and moaning to me to follow my gut, not your gut, but mine. You made me stronger everyday. You did that."

When he said nothing, she continued. "Sam?"

"I don't know what to say Andy."

"You could say you realize now that there was nothing you could have done to make Luke a better person. He's a piece of shit and always will be."

Sam laughed at that. "You are crazy."

"But I'm right. Sam, you gave me what I needed to do the job. To be the right kind of cop, the right kind of person. Luke only worked on my insecurities. You built me up and he worked to pull me back down. Every thing that happened yesterday…I don't know at some point everything fell into place. That's why you think I changed so much, I just woke up."

Sam grabbed her and pushed her down on the bed. He leaned over her. "So I take it then that you and the piece of shit broke up last night?"

"Honestly in my mind we broke up after the night went undercover but last night just sealed it."

"That was weeks ago."

"Yeah I know," she said sheepishly "he said I've been giving him the run around and looking for reasons to get out of this since he asked me to move in with him. He was right. You don't know what the did to me, arriving at the warehouse not knowing if you were dead or alive." She looked away for a moment, "When you called out to me and I saw you, I'll never forget that moment." She was lost in thought for a moment. "You told me I didn't have to fake it anymore, funny enough I thought I still did, with Luke."

He just looked at her, thinking about that night himself. "I was scared too, I didn't know what happened with that little weasel after I left. I did not want to leave you there."

"I know you didn't. But that night I think I started to realize how much I cared and I ran, straight to Luke. Before I left last night I told him that I came there to give him the benefit of doubt and I wanted to hear his version of what happened. But you know what? I really went there because I felt guilty."

"Guilty?" He looked puzzled. "Guilty of what?"

It's now or never. "Stringing him along when I knew that I was in love with you."

Sam looked shocked. "I…ah."

She placed her finger over his lips. "Shhh…it's ok, you don't have to say anything, it's ok."

"Andy it's your time to listen now," Sam said before he kissed her, "I love you too." He started to run his hand down her side, she grabbed it.

"Wait a minute Swarek, you've got some explaining to do."

"I do?"

"Yes…as much as I can't tolerate that woman, what's going on with you and Monica?"

"You were so freaking jealous yesterday, I loved it."

"I was not!"

"Liar," He had that Sammy cocky grin going, "and then you were so mean to me. I just lost it. I thought I had lost you and I didn't want to be there anymore. I went to Frank and told him I wanted to take the transfer."

"How long did you know about the transfer?"

"About two weeks ago Boyd called me."

"You didn't accept right away?"

"No I told him I needed to think about it."

"Why, why did you have to think about it?"

"Because I didn't want to leave my girl." Sam smiled.

"Monica?"

"Yeah dumb ass, Monica," he said deadpan. "Alright I'll admit I really did want to see how you'd react to me saying I was seeing her. But I am only just friends with her. I was going to try to tell you that but you threw Luke in my face, so I got pissed off."

"Your only friends with her?" she asked.

"Yep, she's dating a doctor friend now. Actually I'm thinking we might just get invited to a wedding before too long."

"How the hell did we screw this up so much?"

"Because we both were a couple of chicken shits."

Andy laughed.

"Well McNally we have to do something about Traci's car."

"When are you going to stop calling me McNally?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe if you play your cards right, one day I'll call you Swarek."