AN- THANK YOU all for the continued support- follows, faves, and definitely the reviews. I really appreciate the encouragement, ideas, and critiques- as
I mentioned before this is my first fan fic ever and you all have made it a truly wonderful experience for me.

And just so nobody gets confused, this chapter has a flashback, it will be in italics. Text messages in bold.

Im sorry the last chapter was so short, I'm hoping this longer one will make up for it bit.

Chapter 14

"How was girls night?" He asked quietly, guessing by the way she was walking that she may be a little hung over.

"Uh, it was okay."

"Just okay? Did you forget how to drink McNally?"

"No, it was really fun actually, it just wasn't a girls night. Everyone was there, we had a good time."

"Then why just okay?"

"Well, because it started off great. Oliver was there with Celery, which I really do like her by the way, and he's like a kid in a candy store around her. Dov came out for the first time since he's been back at work. Gail officially introduced us to her girlfriend- you know Holly right? She went with Gail to Franks wedding and she works in the forensics lab- well, yeah, there not just friends anymore apparently."

His jaw dropped a little as he smirked and raised his right eyebrow, "Peck switched teams?" A strange sense of amusement had enveloped him, he wasn't one for gossip, but this news almost turned him into a giddy school girl for a second. He continued with a stifled chuckle, "How does this turn into an okay night?"

"Well, the problem was that EVERYONE was there. Nick showed up while I was in the bathroom- I tried to talk to him, make sure we were fine to work together, kind of a homework assignment from Dwyer..." She let the last word hang a bit as she bit her bottom lip and winced a little at the mention of her therapy session, not really wanting to get into that at the moment.

"Yeah, I have a few of those too, homework assignments I mean." He paused for a moment as he thought of the 'challenges' the Dr had placed in front of him the past few weeks. Some little, some big, one that he hadn't expected to turn out so surprisingly- obviously Dr Dwyer really did know everything. He got lost in his mind remembering the first task he had checked off that list.

::flashback::

As Callahan walked into his hospital room, it seemed like the perfect time to appease Dr Dwyer and clear the air. The idea was to thank him for having his back, somehow she thought by expressing his gratitude Sam would understand that he doesn't have to control every situation, that if he faltered other people would pick up the slack. So he politely got through his conversation with Luke, signed off his official statement (that Luke had deeply edited), and just as Callahan was headed for the door Sam manned up and stopped him.
"Hey, ah, Luke..." He somewhat stumbled over the name, normally he would call him Callahan to his face, a few other choice names behind his back, there was clearly no love lost between these two men, as Luke turned to look at him confused, also shocked by the use of his first name. "I, uh, I just need to thank you. Right now I know you took a big risk to have my back in all of this. After what McNally told you-" Luke had become noticeably rigid at the mention of Andy and couldn't stop the quip from coming out of his mouth, "if I could have saved Andy's job and left you to hang I would've."

Sam stared for a moment, wide eyed and jaw dropped, of course it was all still about Andy!

Luke just glared at the floor, he knew he shouldn't have said it, but when he walked in the room he smelled her, she had been there that day. He was jealous that Andy still obviously cared about Sam so much, they had been apart a year and he had a new girlfriend yet she was willing to sacrifice her career for him and it made Luke sick. He knew the joint therapy session would push them together, but that wasn't his goal. Actually, that was part of the concessions he had to make to Frank in order to get him to go along with the cover up that left Andy and Sam out of Marlo's bipolar mess. He was somehow hoping that giving her the UC assignment would have given him a way in with her when she got back, that her choosing the UC over Sam that day in the hall meant he had a chance, but he had been kidding himself and he knew it now.
He was cursing himself for saying it, but the cat was out of the bag now and he didn't see a solution, so he figured getting out of the room directly as possible was the only option. "So yeah, don't thank me, just don't screw up again." He turned to walk out the door but Sam had regained his ability to speak and called out to him.

"Andy huh? It's always going to be about her. I don't blame you. This has been all about her this whole time. Marlo was me trying to move on, lying to myself that I could be happy without out. I know you get it. And honestly, I'm sorry about the night of the black out. I've been drawn to her since the first day I rode with her as he TO and you were right, I was having all the luck, getting to ride with her every day wasn't just a coincidence- but I wasn't trying to steal her from you. I actually thought I wanted her to be with you. I thought she was happy and I thought you were a better man for her." Wow! Was he really saying all this to him? Did Dr Dwyer put some sort of emotional truth serum in his tea this morning? "I even waited after you guys broke up, I didn't want to rush her, and then we ran into each other UC and I knew I just couldn't hold back anymore."

It was obvious that Luke was not wanting a play by play by the nauseated grimace he had plastered on his face. But Sam continued, "then I got the best year of my life up until the point when I screwed it all up- but even then you were willing to sacrifice for her, willing to try and get me to pull my head out of my ass. I didn't listen and I lost her to the UC and tried to move on. I was pissed that you picked her, but I get it now..." He looked up and saw Luke turning a shade of green while his brow furrowed, he needed to wrap this up. "I guess I'm really just saying thank you. Thank you for allowing me to have my shot at happiness even though it was at your own expense, thank you for always having her back," he gulped as he remembered the storage unit she would have died I if not for Luke, "for saving her when I put her at risk, for being the better man- for giving me this one last chance to make it right. Seriously Luke, you saved my ass with this, my job which I do appreciate, but really, you saved her when I couldn't. Her job is everything and you could have sent this through the system and it would be my fault whatever punishment came..."

Sam just could not stop talking, At this point even Luke was questioning if he had too much morphine. He had to interrupt, he couldn't take this 'butterfly's and rainbows' version of Swarek for another second.

"Look, I shouldn't have said that. You we're always there when I wasn't, when I had my head up my ass with her you tried to set me straight, and then I really blew it. I still love her. I hoped that giving her Dakota would have put distance between you, maybe got me another shot, but you were the one she called when she got in trouble, the one she trusted to have her back. I owed you one for saving her, owed her one for putting her in that situation, and this was it. I don't like you Swarek, we were never buddies and we never will be, so you get a pass this time because of her. But I'm trying to stay out of this. Once you come back to 15 I'm gone again. You getting Andy out of this was not my end game, I assure you, but I'm big enough to walk away without a fight- I mean I am a detective, I haven't been blind to how she has felt about you for the last 4 years. So, I'm going to go back to work and try to move on and we're never gonna talk about this again- sound good?"

Sam just nodded, finally he croaked out, "got it Callahan." And with that Luke slipped out the door and Sam felt this odd feeling of relief wash over him, like he was weightless, considering how much he had just shared with his foe of several years, he felt good. Maybe Dr Dwyer knew what she was doing after all. He would have to actually do these little assignments and see what happened.

::end flashback::

Sam's eyes had glassed over, he was obviously deep in thought. Andy was afraid she had pushed him into thinking about her and Nick as a couple and tried to snap him out of it, the last time he saw them together he had tried to walk out of her life and ended up here, she couldn't take that again, she had to snap him out of it. She lightly shook him by the shoulder, "eh, Sam, you in there?"

Her touch sent a shill down his spine and snapped him back into reality. "Yeah... Uh... So what happened... With Collins I mean."

Andy huffed, afraid she may have opened a can of words, but continued "Well he was in a pissy mood, and ignored me, but I pulled him outside anyway, I just needed to get it over with. We ended up fighting, he said some things that pissed me off, and I left a few minutes later."

"I probably would have been pissy too," Andy glared, where was this sympathy coming from? "If I showed up to hang out with my friends to find out my ex became a lesbian after our breakup, I'd probably just want to drink, not talk to my other ex."

"Crap, I didn't think about that- hey, when did you become such an expert on people's feelings? Dwyer get you to a 'break thru' last night?"

Sam smirked a little thinking about Luke again, maybe she did a little, but he certainly wasn't going to admit it. "McNally, I'm a detective. And we agreed we weren't talking about Dwyer until next week when we go to that joint session. But, since you brought it up I need help with my homework... I need you to drive me to the station."

"Sure, okay," she stumbled over the words, she was a little confused, "but I'm not sneaking you out." Her slight chuckle turned to a silent gaping smile as he told her,"No breakout required, I'm getting sprung this morning, I'm all ready and packed up, just waiting for my discharge papers and my pills."

"Sam!" She jumped to hug him. But as she hugged him her delight turned to worry, she just figured out how they work in the hospital, what will it be like at home? She couldn't think about that, so she took action instead, "okay, I'll get all this stuff in your truck, once I'm done I'll take you home and then walk back to my place."

"McNally, you can't just drop me and ditch me- I'm not allowed to drive. You have to keep the truck for a few more days and drive me around." His voice was whiney in the sweetest way. He should have just said he didn't want her to leave his side, but he chickened out, when she said she would walk home it drove him nuts. He just wanted to tell her that he never wanted her to go home, wanted to spend every minute together and make up for lost time. He smiled at her smugly, enjoying the view as she bent to pick up his gifts and began to walk out.

She smiled as she walked out carrying a couple balloons and a bouquet while fiddling with her phone in the other hand; he was still going to need her at home, she liked the sound of that.

...

Nick woke up hungover and feeling stupid. He wanted so desperately to be the better man, but the more he wanted it the more he acted like an ass. Why did he have to fall in love with his best friend, he felt like he ruined everything.

He sat up rubbing his forehead, looking for his phone to check whatever message had woken him up. He sighed as he saw it was from Andy. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to read it, but he had always been the type of guy that just pulled the bandaid off quick, so he opened it.

"Nick, I'm sorry for storming out on you- I can see now you were just being a good break up buddy, trying to keep me from making the same mistakes. Thank you, but I love him and the only mistake I can't risk making at this point is to not try. Now read this aloud- 'I Nick Collins am a kickass person! and just because my relationships failed does not mean I am a failure.' And your not unlovable either Nick, we just need to find you a girl who isn't hung up on another guy or a lesbian. ;-) Friends?"