Chapter 27: First Night.

I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters.

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AU after series 4 finale- Andy stayed with Nick instead of getting back together with Sam and now they are married. Established Andy/Nick.

For the rest of their first day in their new home, Andy and Nick sat together on the sofa and watched films, until Nick was struggling with the pain. He needed rest and it was evening anyway, so he transferred himself into his wheelchair and went to their new bedroom. He was too tired and in too much pain to change or wash before going to bed.

Finding a way of lie down in a bed with paralysed legs was a challenge, so Andy helped him and ensured that he was as comfortable as possible. "Is that comfy?" She asked, seeing that Nick seemed much more settled now. This was not new for either of them because Andy had spent nights with him at the hospitals and rehab, so she was prepared; that was the whole reason why they had done it that way and nights and mornings were always the worst and also the time when he most worried about Andy, because she had to see him be in that much pain.

Nick took hold of her hand and nodded. He was clearly in pain, so he reached out for his water and medication whilst Andy went to the bathroom, had a quick shower and changed into her PJs. She was very disappointed to see her period arrive; the last time she and Nick had been intimate was before the bomb. They had now been trying for 6 months, but Andy told herself that both she and Nick had more important things to be worried about now. She slipped herself into bed next to Nick and, unable to turn his whole body because of the pain, he turned his head to face her and stroked her cheek as he whispered, "Night, Andy."

Leaning closer to him, Andy kissed him in return and said, "Night, Nick." They looked into each other's eyes and Andy knew that they were thinking the same thing, but, when Nick started to kiss her on the neck, Andy moved away. She didn't want him to feel pressured after such an injury, so, instead, they lay together and put their arms around each other, both falling asleep to the perfect sound of the other breathing and Andy finally felt at home and Nick felt ready to face anything, because he had Andy beside him. His wife, his best friend. Andy also did not want to burden him with her own guilt, when he had had already been so supportive of her and he was the one who was paralysed.

At about 2 am, Nick woke up and he wanted to move to make himself more comfortable in his bed, but his back was in so much pain that it couldn't be done and he groaned in the pain. Andy heard this and woke up, reaching for the bed-side lamp, so that she could see, turning back to face her husband. He reached for one of her hands and held it, but she could see that he was in pain. His face was so pale. "What's wrong?"

Nick looked down at his legs, embarrassed. "I tried to move to be more comfortable and now I'm in pain and I need the toilet."

Andy squeezed his hand in return, "Okay- you go to the toilet and I'll get your pain meds and some water." She left their room and Nick stayed where he was for a while, watching her leave. He knew that his wife was being distant with him, ever since he had returned home, but now was not the time to think about that, so he managed to transfer himself to his wheelchair, to the toilet and back to the bed. Andy came back, passing him the medication and trying to make the pillows comfortable for him. Smiling, she whispered, "I'm so glad you're home, Nick."

After swallowing the pills, Nick tried to move himself into another position before he smiled back and just whispered back, "Me, too." Despite the pain he was in, he was still worried about Andy, so he carefully asked, "Andy, is there something wrong?"

Shaking her head and lying herself down against the pillows facing her husband, Andy sighed. "No, it's nothing, but my period came last night. I guess I was disappointed. But, Nick, we have more important things to be thinking about. Night. Wake me up if you need me." She quickly kissed him and closed her eyes. Nick knew that there was something else bothering his wife, because he could read her just as well as she could read him and there had never been any secrets between them. The bomb had put a great deal of strain on Andy that Nick didn't pretend to understand, but, if she didn't tell him what was wrong soon, he would just ask her.

Andy and Nick's first night in their new home was exactly as they had expected, due to Nick's constant pain and lack of sleep and, when he was unable to sleep, Andy sat with him and they talked or watched something, as a way of trying to distract him from the pain. The pain also caused him to vomit several times, but that did not last for as long as it had other nights. Just like when they had gone to bed the first time, Nick had tried to initiate intimacy, Andy hadn't responded; if it hadn't been the middle of the night and he had not been in so much pain, he would have asked her if she was alright, but they were both so tired and he was in so much pain.

At 9, Andy woke up and, this time, she left their bed and kissed her sleeping husband. Every second of sleep he had was precious and she felt so bad for not wanting to be intimate with him and she knew that he wanted to know why she was acting like that, but her feelings of guilt and also not wanting to pressure him were real. This was their new life and she didn't want to push him until he was ready and she still needed time to adjust. She couldn't hide anything from him. Almost as soon as Andy had had a shower and changed, there was a knock on the door and Jem barked at the door and it also woke up Nick and he immediately felt Andy's absence from their bed. This was their first morning in their new home and she wasn't there.

Andy opened the door to a woman in her late 50s. "Hi. I'm Laurie. You must be Andrea Collins?"

Shaking the nurse's hand, Andy smiled. "Laurie, you can call me Andy. I'm glad you're here. My husband had a hard night last night. He was in a lot of pain and he vomited quite a bit. It was our first night here." The older woman just nodded, so Andy led her to their new bedroom.

Nick was sitting up as best as he could and he reached out for Andy's hand, which she took and kissed him on the temple, as her way of saying good morning and Nick wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close for a couple of seconds and Andy responded by looking at him and smiling. Despite the night they had had, Andy had slept far better than she had in previous months, because Nick had been asleep beside her.

Laurie observed the young couple in front of her and the first thing that she could see was that these two loved each other very much and that they were very open with each other. They were a good team and that was something that would be vitally important, during this transition period. Addressing Andy, Laurie remarked, "Andrea, can I just say I that I love your home? It's so beautiful and cosy?" She could see the happiness in Andy's eyes as she said this, before she asked, "Should I call you Mr. Collins or Nick?"

Smiling, Nick replied, "Please call me Nick, considering everything you're going to be helping me with." He looked at Andy and hugged her waist as he looked into her eyes and said, "See you later."

"Yeah. I'll go and get breakfast ready." She ran her hands across the stubble which had formed and said, "I expect that to be gone when I see you next." She kissed him quickly. She could see from the look in his eyes that he knew that there was something wrong her, but this time was about him and she didn't want to burden him with her guilt.

Andy's cooking skills had never been anything compared to her husband's, but she managed to make some toast and scrambled eggs and breakfast for Jem, just in time for Nick to wheel himself into the room, washed, clean-shaven and clearly, in less pain than last night. As soon as Andy saw him, Andy walked over to him and kissed him, asking him about the nurse, before they sat down with their breakfast and Nick had a glass of water with his pain medication. "Andy, you look really tired."

Swallowing the scrambled eggs and nodding, Andy replied, "I am, but you know what? I slept better than I have since-since the bomb, because we're home now. And you were lying there beside me, Nick."

Blushing, Nick smiled and turned his wheelchair to face his wife as he took hold of her hands as he said, concerned, "Andy, if there was something wrong, you would tell me, wouldn't you? You and I have always been honest with each other."

Andy left her chair and sat down on Nick's knee, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Nick, you don't have to worry about me. This is our time to adjust to this: Our new house, our new lives together. That's what matters, isn't it?" Nick answered her question by capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, one which she returned. He knew that she was not telling him everything, but, in time, she would tell him and he almost certain that he knew what her concerns were, but he wanted to wait until she ready to discuss them with him.