A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this. I hope it was worth the you, Sairs J, for your awesome beta skills.
Story timeline: One week after our favorite couple got married, Andy was shot and saw Sam was there to take her to the hospital.
4 weeks later…
The big day had finally arrived, and Andy felt sick to her stomach. She was unsure if it was the flu or just nerves, but whatever the cause, it didn't stop her from emptying the contents of her stomach for the second time that morning. It hadn't been the first time that week either, but she couldn't leave her partner hanging. If things went South, she'd be there to have his back.
Brushing her teeth and splashing cold water on her face, she exited the bathroom to join Nick in preparing for the big bust that would be occurring in just a few hours.
Everyone that Andy and Nick had been working with over the past few months would be at the warehouse. Steven, Carl, and Tom, along with a few of their on-call muscle crew, joined by the head of a gang, who would no doubt be bringing the entire entourage with him. Not only was the takedown important for shutting down the gun and drug distribution, but cutting off the head of a dangerous gang and a bunch of the crew was the whole mission.
"Hey, you okay?" Nick asked, his voice full of concern. He hadn't missed the retching sounds coming from the bathroom just moments ago.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It must be some sort of flu virus. Actually, you know what? I feel like crap. And I really don't feel like being a cop today."
"Wow. You must really be feeling sick. Miss 'I say I'm fine when I'm obviously not, even when I get shot' is finally admitting to being something other than fine," Nick teased, lifting the back of his hand to her forehead, testing to see if she had a fever, slightly worried she might not be able to handle what was to come.
"Yeah, yeah. Tease the sick person," she replied sassily, squinting her eyes in a playful glare that held a slightly hidden threat, punching him on the arm as she walked past him to sit on the other side of the couch. "I may be sick, but I'm not a cripple. And you know, I could just spit in your drink without you knowing, or maybe I already licked your sandwich and you'll be as sick as me this time tomorrow."
"Okay, backing off." Nick lifted his hands up in surrender, not doubting that she'd actually do it if he pissed her off enough.
"First off, Andrea McNally, that is so gross, and there's no need to threaten my food and drinks, both of which have done nothing to harm you. How about we just go over everything one more time, and we can head on out. I bet you can't wait for this to be over and for you to get back to your hubby."
Smiling widely, the thought of being in her husband's arms in a matter of a few hours was nearly enough to take all the pain and nausea away.
This was it… The moment they had been working for. The event, if all worked as planned, would make every single minute they spent UC worthwhile. Nick stood with his arm around Andy's shoulder, her head leaning on his chest. To any casual observer, they would see a man who loved his woman. The observer, though, would be terribly wrong.
Nick was ready to pull Andy beneath him, behind the weapons' cases and metal shelving if the need arose. Their boss was currently greeting his client, and once Andy gave the word in the small mic hidden in her shirt, things would likely be complete chaos.
At their last meeting, Luke had informed them to act as though they were surrendering. They'd be "arrested,"and one of their friends from Fifteen would drive them back to the station where they'd debrief before going home.
"With a deal this big, I wanted to thank you personally for your business," Steven greeted his client with a firm handshake. "I take it you know Carl, Tom, Nick, and Andy."
After seeing that his client nod in agreement, he continued. "Well, how about we get down to business, shall we? Here's everything you requested," he stated, opening one of the huge cases full of weaponry and Kevlar piercing ammunition.
"I trust that it's all there, as we've never had a problem with your supplies so far. And here's what I owe you, two million, in cash, untraceable, of course. As always, it was nice doing business with you."
Andy leaned over to bury her head in Nick's neck, pretending to affectionately celebrate a job well done. "Bohemian rhapsody," she whispered, and then waited for what was to come.
The signal word had just been spoken, and they prepared for all hell to break loose.
"Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air," the armed uniformed officers yelled as they stormed into the warehouse, their own weapons trained on the suspects.
Bullets immediately started flying from both sides, the exploding sounds of bullets exiting the chambers of many guns erupting, sounding like the fourth of July.
Nick and Andy had ducked for cover, while he shielded her body with his own. As much as he would've liked for it to be enough, he knew that with all the shots being fired, their safety was in jeopardy. It would be dangerous for any takedown mission, but nobody had expected the severity of the gunfire that was currently surrounding them.
"Andy, we gotta get out of here. There's no way we can help with the take down, and if we aren't careful, we'll be collateral damage," Nick tried to whisper, but with all the noise, it was nearly on the verge of yelling.
Andy knew he was right. Without their bulletproof vests, and with them looking like perps, nothing was in their favor. If they helped their friends, they'd get shot at by the criminals they were trying to help bring down. But they could also be mistaken for criminals, and if they were shooting, they could be shot at as well.
They looked toward the nearest exit, which happened to be clear at the moment, due to the shoot out that was going on near the opposite end of the warehouse. Allowing Andy to lead, she sprinted toward the door, Nick hot on her heels.
Marlo Cruz stood at the back door as instructed, waiting for her any further instruction. She could hear the firefight inside, but stood her ground, having been told to keep watch over the premises. If anyone tried to exit the back of the building, she'd be the one to stop them. The dark, cold, dimly lit back entrance; had her wishing someone would dare to escape. The chase would surely get her blood pumping.
Seeing two members of the crew taking off, she quickly chased after them. Making an arrest on a huge UC case would allow her to make a pretty good name for herself. She was new to Fifteen, and couldn't help but want to impress a certain tall, dark, and handsome officer she worked with.
"Police! Stop!" she shouted at the couple, as she raced toward them, grinning when they had come to a fence, slowing down their escape.
She was quite pleased that she managed to stop them on her own. Taking down two of them by herself would surely give her bragging rights throughout the station.
"Up against the fence, now!"
The male quickly complied, but the female didn't appear to be one to follow orders. She stood there, looking anxiously around her, as if ready to bolt.
Thinking quickly, Cruz shoved her against the fence, head first, causing her cheek to slice open. That's gonna leave a mark… Well, if she had just listened and didn't try to run off again, I wouldn't have had to shove her in the first place.
Nick hadn't realized that Andy hadn't been against the fence next to him until it was too late. Seeing Andy being roughed up by some cop who couldn't even recognize her fellow officers pissed Nick off like never before. He could see the pain in Andy's face, blood trickling out of her fresh wound. And if her nausea had been bad before, it was even worse now, her skin pale, with a slight tinge of green.
Practically flying off the fence, he shoved the officer off of Andy not caring how and where she landed. Rushing to check on his partner who had had slid down against the fence, he quickly pulled back her hair as she threw up the last meal he forced her to eat hours ago.
In the dim lighting outside the warehouse, he could barely see how deep the cut was. Figuring it was best to stop the bleeding, he quickly pulled off his shirt, bunched it up, and held it to her face, while scooping her in his arms, trying to comfort her as best he could.
While Nick focused on his sick and bleeding partner, he failed to see the rage in the officer's face behind him. The next thing he knew, Andy screamed, toppled onto him, and the world went black.
Sam was relieved when he saw Andy and Nick race toward the back exit of the warehouse. With all the gunfire, he knew their best bet was to avoid it completely. Determined to find them once it was all over, he refocused to the task at hand.
All of that relief shattered the instant he heard her scream. He knew it was her, practically feeling her fear and pain overwhelming his senses.
Sprinting toward where he last saw them, Sam nearly fell to his knees at the sight before him.
Cruz stood in front of Andy and Nick with her gun trained on his wife, her unconscious partner beside her. "Do. Not. Move."
He could see Andy trying to keep the tears at bay as she pressed Nick's shirt against the bullet wound in his thigh, blood smeared on her face and hands, trying everything she could to get him to wake up.
"Cruz! Stand down!" Sam yelled, causing the officer to shudder, having been unaware of anyone else's presence.
"Sir, I caught these two trying to escape. The woman wouldn't comply when I told them to stand against the fence. I tried to cuff her when her partner attacked me…" she started, before getting cut off and completely ignored by her senior officer.
Grabbing his radio, Sam quickly called for assistance. "Officer down, I repeat officer down. Send a bus to the back of the building. Now!"
Taking over for Andy, he kept pressure on Nick's wound, trying to better assess the severity of the damage. It didn't appear to be as bad as he first thought, as Nick was conscious, back to the land of the living, and the wound seemed to have missed any major arteries, due to the fact that he wasn't bleeding profusely.
"Hey Swarek… Don't get too frisky there, eh? Might make my partner here jealous," Nick joked, causing Andy to nervously chuckle in relief as her tears of fear changed to those of relief, completely grateful that he was still in good enough shape to joke around.
"Sir?" Cruz asked, unsure of what to do after finally realizing that these must have been the UC officers.
"What?! Can't you see you've done enough? You know what? How about you find Officer Shaw and fill him in on the most recent developments," Sam snapped, the vein in his neck bulging as if it would explode.
Turing back to face his wife, he was glad that she and her partner seemed relatively okay, despite the most recent horrors they endured.
Lifting one hand off of Collins' wound, Sam gently placed his other hand on Andy's cheek in a sweet caress.
"I'll make a call to our favorite doc and I'll meet you at the hospital as soon as I can, okay? As much as I want to go with you, I have to get this mess handled. There is no way she will get away with hurting you," Sam said while looking Andy in the eyes, beyond grateful she would be okay.
"And keep an eye out for Collins. Somehow, he's become more of a danger magnet than you," Sam joked, hoping to keep the mood light, knowing that in time, everything would be just fine.
"The world must be coming to an end. I mean you admitting that you weren't fine, for what I assume would have been the very first time in your entire life. And now, I'm the danger magnet, not you? Maybe it's just some Freaky Friday kind of thing, with the both of us changing personalities or traits," Nick thought aloud as he rode with Andy to the hospital.
"What did you give him? And can I have some for him to take home?" Andy asked, joking with the paramedic, laughing at her partner's drug induced comments. She smirked as she realized he appeared to have yet another trait of hers, her rambling mouth.
"Ouch. My face..." she whined, holding a hand against the gauze that had been securely taped to her check.
"You know what they say about karma," Nick retorted, not realizing how much his body loved whatever drugs he was given.
"Shut up."
"Who's laughing now, huh?" Nick paused for a second, focusing his eyes on the paramedic. "And now, we both have to see a doctor."
"No we don't. I got patched up. You have a hole in your leg. There's a big difference," she added smugly, happy that for once she wasn't the one who would have to be admitted.
"Miss… I mean Officer… You really do have to get that gash checked out. We cleaned it up as best we could out in the field, but someone's got to clear you. They just have to be sure that it won't get infected," the shy paramedic interrupted, hoping that he wouldn't be overstepping his bounds between the obvious comradery between the two, but knowing that the woman did need medical attention.
"Seriously?" Andy asked, looking at the paramedic, pleading that he'd let it go, but to her dismay, he was completely serious. "Okay. Fine."
Oliver managed to pass on transport duties so that he could go check on his people. With Sam having been caught up on scene, since he had been the first to come upon Andy and Nick moments after Cruz had discharged her weapon, he was stuck answering questions instead of being by Andy's side. Sam hadn't outright admitted anything to him over the past few months, but as his best friend, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sam was holding out for Andy. And as the official best friend of one Sam Swarek, Oliver took it upon himself to check up on his girl, or soon-to-be girl.
He pulled up behind the ambulance moments after it had arrived, and couldn't understand the scene unfolding before his eyes.
Nick was being wheeled off to surgery, while Andy trailed slowly behind, her shoulders slumped, obviously distressed.
"Andy," a man in a white coat called out to her, pulling her into a tight embrace while she broke down in his arms. As the man led an extremely upset Andy away into a nearby room, Oliver stood near the entrance of the hospital dumbstruck, completely unbelieving as to what he had seen.
Paul firmly gripped Andy's shoulders, trying to get her to focus on breathing. "Andy, it's going to be okay. We'll take good care of him, I promise. And now, it's time for you to worry about yourself for a change."
At seeing Andy continuing to panic about Nick's sudden change, Paul tried to get her to refocus. "I've gotta go take care of your friend, but do Sam and myself a favor. Let's just get a workup done on you, just to prove that you're as healthy as a horse. I'll be by to check on you later," he said while backing out of the room, finally convinced that she wouldn't pass out.
Andy sat on the rolling chair in the exam room, slowly moving the chair back and forth, trying to do anything at all to distract her from what had just happened. She couldn't think about it. The fact that Nick's health had so rapidly deteriorated scared her more than she could express. It was Jerry all over again. Her heart felt like it would never make it if he ended up the same way Jerry had.
Her mind was in a complete fog as the doctors and nurses entered the room, drawing various tubes of blood, taking her vitals, and setting up an IV antibiotic drip. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't heard Oliver call her when he walked through the door.
"Andy. Hey, Andy…"
Oliver couldn't believe how terrible Andy looked. The usually vibrant, energetic beauty was now sullen and sickly. As much as he had wanted answers at the reason she had appeared so close with the doctor, he knew that now was not the time to be playing twenty questions. She would have to talk it out with Sam, and hopefully they'd figure things out once and for all. He could only hope for Sam's sake that Andy wasn't too head over heels for the guy in the labcoat, since he believed with all of his soul that Sam and Andy were meant to be.
"Oh, Oliver," Andy sighed, reaching out to him as he stepped closer to her. "I don't know what happened. One moment we were joking about how high Nick was off the drugs, and the next thing I knew, he wasn't responding… Something about a clot, and I don't remember what else they said. Paul went to take care of him after he brought me in here, even though I'm fine, and I just need to know that Nick's okay," she rambled.
Paul… so that's his name. First name basis with a successful doctor… Damn it Sam, look what you've done now! You were so stubborn and now she's moved on. Idiot!
He was almost unaware of her continued babbling as he was silently cursing Sam and his inability to let his guard down for the one person who loved him for who he was, in spite of everything he had put her though, and now, that person had moved on.
"He got shot because of me. I heard the officer telling us to get up against the fence, but I was super nauseated and I had to stop for a second since I didn't want to puke, but well, I did anyway. But first she pushed me into the fence, and now I'm going to have an ugly scar on my face, and Nick has a hole in his leg and a clot and maybe some bullet fragments… Oh, God. This is all my fault," she cried, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Oliver was able to grasp a little of what she had been trying to say.
"Andy, you gotta calm down, okay? Nick is strong, and I'm sure he'll be just fine. It is not your fault. The officer involved will be dealt with, but it is in no way your fault. Passing out from not getting enough oxygen won't help anyone, so just breathe for me. In and out, in and out."
Andy was thankful that Oliver had listened to her ranting and had managed to calm her down.
"Thanks, Oliver. I just really need him to be okay. I'm done freaking out. I know it won't help anyone, so I'll just wait to hear that he's out of surgery and in recovery."
"Good. Just keep breathing, McNally. I so do not want to have to have to pick you up off the floor if you pass out from lack of oxygen."
The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Andy couldn't take it anymore. "Oliver, do you think you could grab me something edible from the cafeteria? Sour cream and onion chips and chocolate pudding, maybe? I managed to lose my lunch once my cheek split and Nick was bleeding out, and I'm kinda hungry right now."
"Uh, okay… That is a really weird combo, but I'll see what I can do. Sit tight. I'll be back soon."
Oliver walked down the hallway with a package containing the chips and pudding, along with a sandwich for himself. As he neared Andy's room, he nearly dropped everything when he heard what the nurse had said.
Pregnant.
He couldn't believe it, yet he knew what he had heard. She was pregnant. As good of a person as he knew Sam to be, Oliver knew that Sam would never get in the way of her relationship with anyone else, especially if a child was involved. It was too late for them, and he hated that the two people in the world that were meant to be together had been too stubborn, and now, one of them was having a child with someone else.
Suddenly the vibration in his vest pocket grabbed his attention. With shaky hands, he pulled on his phone, nearly bashing his head in at the sight of who was calling him.
Sam. Great. Now what am I supposed to tell him? I can't not say anything, but it's not my news to tell. Crap.
"Where are you man?"
"Hey Ollie, I just got to the hospital. Are you with Andy right now?"
"Uh, I'm not with her right now. I think she's being seen by the doctor right now. No, actually, when I left she was resting. I made a cafeteria run. I can meet up with you and wait until she's ready to be released or something."
"Tell me where you are and we can stay with McNally until she's discharged. I know how much she hates doctors and the hospital."
She doesn't seem to hate doctors any more. Apparently she loves them now. As much as you need to in order to get impregnated by one…
As Oliver walked toward the hospital entrance and Sam searched the area for his friend, they nearly collided as they rounded the corner.
"Damn, Ollie. Slow down and get your face out of your sandwich before you run someone over," Sam joked as he noticed the food in his friend's hand.
"Ha, ha," Oliver deadpanned. "Let's go to the waiting area. I think visiting hours are over now anyway."
"You do know I don't really follow the rules, right? Geez, did you hit your head or something? Let's go find McNally."
When Sam started walking in the direction Oliver had just come from, Oliver started to panic. If he didn't do something to stop his friend from entering the room, he couldn't imagine what would happen.
Before he could think any further, Sam had noticed the name "McNally" on one of the doors, and was just about to turn the handle.
In the split second he had to warn his friend, Oliver completely freaked and blurted out the news he wasn't supposed to hear.
"Sam, don't. She's pregnant!"
The nurse was just leaving after informing her of the news that would change her life forever.
I'm going to be a mom…
As scared as she was that she'd end up like her mother, she knew that Sam would be there to support her and together they'd love their child with their entire beings. She wondered how Sam would react to the news and couldn't wait for him to get to the hospital.
"She's pregnant!" she heard Oliver yell, causing her eyes to dart toward the sound, only to be shocked at who she saw standing there.
Locking eyes with her husband, she could see the shock spread across his face. Giving him an anxious smile, she shrugged her shoulders, for once, not knowing what to say.
"You're pregnant?" Sam whispered, adoration and awe quickly replacing the shock.
The joy she saw in his eyes at the news that he was going to be a dad brought the waterworks yet again.
"Yeah, Sam. You're gonna be a Daddy…"
Quickly crossing the room, Sam gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a sweet kiss.
"I love you so much, Andy."
"I love you too."
The precious moment was suddenly interrupted as a crash was heard near the door of the room. Turning to see what had caused the noise, the soon to be parents couldn't help but laugh at the look on Oliver's face; his eyes as wide as saucers, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. The food that he had been holding littered the ground as he gripped onto the doorframe to brace himself. .
"Close your mouth, Ollie. You're going to catch flies," Sam teased, his eyes still shining at the news of his baby to come.
Closing, opening, and closing his mouth, Oliver couldn't understand what was going on.
"What… How… The doctor… UC… Huh?"
"What, she's pregnant. How, well, I think you know how… Do I need to go on?"
"But, she was undercover," Oliver stammered. "And of course I know how, smart ass. I do have a few children of my own, in case you forgot. I also happen to recall that there's the no contact rule when officers are on an op, which apparently you two don't seem to follow."
"Oliver, we didn't mean to meet up, I swear. After everything Sam went through with Brennan, I wouldn't contact him just because I was lonely. I had found a dog one day and Sarah's girls came over to pet him. Sarah and I got to talking, and I didn't realize she was Sam's sister until we had accidently run into each other at her lakehouse. That was it, until the other week there was a shootout at the warehouse. Nick was gone with the guys and Luke was unreachable. I was bleeding and I knew Sam would know what to do. Thankfully he had been at Sarah's and brought me here."
"Wait. Who's the doctor? I mean, not to be rude, but the guy seemed pretty cozy with you earlier," Oliver interrupted.
"Okay, I was getting to that," Andy replied. "So, as I was saying, Sam brought me here and his friend Paul, the chummy doctor, as you call him, fixed me up. And if anything, I should be worried about Sam here, not the other way around."
It took Oliver a few moments to figure out what she was saying before the lightbulb went on. "Oooooooh. Playing for the other team. Oops?"
"Yeah, 'oops.' Anyway, Sam took me back to the cover apartment. I knew it was safe because the boss and the crew were all a few hours out. Nobody would ever know. I couldn't bear to be alone at first, so Sam came up with me, just to get me settled. One thing led to another, and well, I'm pregnant. I don't think you want me to fill in the specific details, do you?"
"No, no. No need for that," Oliver nervously spit out as he shook his head vigorously. "I got it. I do not need any details or a visual, thanks."
A/N: So... what did you think? Were you expecting that?! I hope it was a happy surprise. Please leave a review if you have a chance. Thanks! Have a great week!