Once in the truck, her head against the window, Andy groggily said he didn't have to do that, which got a laugh for a response before Sam said, "Yeah, you're wide awake there."

She was out cold by the time he pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.

He undid her belt before getting out, he went and opened the door of the house so he didn't have to wake her, he just carried her into the house. He still didn't trust her sleep so he put her on the couch.

Sarah wasn't long behind them. She found them on the couch. Sam sitting rubbing her back, a haunted look in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"Must've been something Ollie said, she woke up screaming at Luke that she was done being second best when I put her first."

"Luke? I thought that relationship was history?"

"It was. It is … except her fear of not being good enough, of being left …"

"Oh Sammy …"

"Yeah, the fact that I left her, doesn't help …"

Andy woke to the sounds of Sam and Sarah's voices and the feel of Sam's hand rubbing her back. She laid there listening as Sam opened up, revealing just how close the bond between the siblings was.

Sarah sat on the arm of the couch and put her arm around her brother. She could tell this was something he needed to get out, so she sat and waited.

"How's she supposed to forgive me for that, Sis? Can I even expect her to?"

"I don't know, Sammy. I don't know her well enough yet."

"Does that mean you're going to get to know her better?"

"Would it bother you if I did? You've never let me get that close before."

"That's because they didn't matter as much as this one."

Sarah smiled at the admission.

"I've always known the dangers of the job. Wasn't that big of a deal."

Sarah sucked in a breath.

"I know what it does to you, Sis, and I'm sorry. But you're the reason I do what I do."

"I know, Sammy, but that doesn't mean I don't worry."

"I know."

Sam looked at Andy then at Sarah.

"I've never said this about anybody, Sis … I'm not afraid to die, but live without her? I'm scared to live without her."

Andy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I thought I was doing the right thing when I walked away from her. I don't ever want her going through what Traci went through, is going through. Not because of me."

"Don't you think that's her decision, Sammy?"

"Trust me, Sis, it was never more obvious than when she was holding that grenade - this girl is my life."

"Those are some pretty serious words, comin' from you."

"I sound like a cliché, I know."

"You sound like you're in love, little brother."

"For the first and only time with a woman who isn't you."

Sarah hugged him. This was the Sam Swarek few knew but who she hoped Andy would.

Sam was pretty sure the brunette whose head was in his lap had heard most - if not all - of their conversation. He wondered why she didn't say anything. Then it occurred to him - she didn't have a sibling, the closest she had to a sister was Traci, she didn't know what it was like to have the bond he and Sarah had - and she didn't want to intrude, not that she would have.

He didn't tell Sarah anything he wouldn't have told Jerry's headstone, the only difference is that with Sarah the conversation wasn't one-sided. Nor was it anything he wouldn't tell Andy.

Sarah yawned, kissing her brother's head she got to her feet saying she was calling it a day.

"Thanks for listening."

"Any time, you know that."

"Yeah, I do. I love you. Night."

Once he heard Sarah's door close he turned his attention back to a certain brunette.

Leaning over her, he brushed her hair out off her forehead and kissed it before saying softly, "You can open your eyes now."

Andy blinked as she opened her eyes and softly replied, "Hi."

"Hi … You wanna tell me how much of that you heard?"

"How …"

"Woman, you share my bed, I know when you're asleep."

"I'm sorry …"

"For what?"

"It was a private conversation, I didn't …"

"Baby, I didn't tell my sister anything you couldn't hear or anything I didn't want you to know. Well, except maybe that my sister's the only woman who's ever heard me say 'I love you' - til you."

"That's not news, Sam, I knew that ... that's why it means so much."

"You ready?"

Sam was answered by a yawn. Laughing, he said "Come on, let's get you to bed."

They were laying in bed with her head pillowed on his chest when Sam said, "What Sarah said was true."

"What's that?"

"She didn't know my other girlfriends."

"Why?"

"Because I never wanted my sister to be friends with an ex and every other girl I was involved with … I knew she wasn't you."

"Same could be said about you, y'know."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sam laughed when she couldn't answer without yawning. Kissing the top of her head, he said, "Go to sleep." She was too exhausted to do anything but close her eyes.

Next time she opened them, it wasn't Sam's chest under her head but an empty bed.

Climbing out of bed - she didn't bother getting dressed, Sam's t-shirt and her lounging pants were good enough - she made her way downstairs.

She found him sitting on the couch, coffee in hand, lost in thought. When she took the cup from his hands, he brought her into focus.

"Good morning."

"Is it?"

Sam pushed himself up enough and kissed her, with his arm around her waist, he pulled her onto the couch. Sitting with her back against his chest and his arms around her, Andy could feel something wrong.

"Where's Sarah?"

"Shopping."

"You ok?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"How much of last night do you remember?"

Andy thought for a minute. "Not much actually. Why?"

"Because I'm sorry if I pushed you into this and you weren't ready."

"Sam, what're you talking about?"

"Last night, you woke up screaming at Luke … more than once."

"Luke?"

"Yeah, after we got back from the Penny, you woke up screaming at him that you were done being second best when I always put you first."

"You do."

"What you heard last night was me telling Sarah, because I was trying to calm you down when she got in. Same thing happened after we got in bed. I'm sorry if you think I rushed this."

"Sam, no."

"You've had a helluva year. First everything that happened with Callaghan, then we got together, then we weren't together, then we got together, then Jerry … then I screwed up, then John Grey and the shrink from hell, now … now we're living together."

"Sam, no. Even when I was with Luke, this was the only place I wanted to be."

Sam let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Somehow I think if Frank called and said we'd been cleared to come back you'd be off this couch in a heartbeat." Sam laughed softly.

Turning to face him, Andy pulled her legs underneath her as she said, "Did he call?"